Front porch.

Almost done with the front porch. I still have to paint a beachy rug and a few accessories and I'll be done. Before's and after coming soon :)

Been playing in the garden

I have been having so much fun playing in our garden. And the fresh cut flowers I put on my table today....oh my! The house smells so good.


My wonderful husband and son decided to leave their ice cream dishes out side instead of putting them in the dishwasher. I'm sure they knew what an awesome summer picture it would be so they thought to help me out by not putting them away. So thoughtful of them :)



My husband designed the patio so it would be surrounded by flowers. Couple of more years and I think the vision will be realized.

Such a peaceful place to have coffee every morning.



Would you want to be any place else on a quiet morning with hot coffee?


Everything in the garden is 3 years old at most.

Time for some repairs this week.

I have a three rail fence that needs fixing and a front porch that needs some repairs and a whole lotta paint. So off to Lowes I go. I love that place. When money is short and we're sitting at hime bored, I ask my husband "Wanna go window shop"? He knows I don't want to go to the department stores and look at clothes. I want to hit up Lowes and look at fixtures and lighting :)
Anyway the porch and fence are in need of serious repair and sprucing up. I'll take some befores and post them a bit later today. Then hopefully after a ton of work, I'll have a wow of an entrance.

Simple Table setting

The thing I notice most about peoples homes, is no matter how beautiful the table or how much you spend on your dining room table, it tends to look blah. Plain. Incomplete. I love to leave my table set. The funkier the better for me. I like ecclectic. For others, they may decorate traditional, modern, transitional or beach cottage. No matter your style...punch it up and set your table. It wows people when they walk in.


Change up the napkins and add fresh flowers and you'll be staring at your own table all day long. You will be itching to invite guest's over for brunch or play dates!


The table and newly upholstered chairs cost a total of 140.00. I frequent the local action house (Most cities have one) for the estate sales. I got an 80's huge glass table and 6 dining chairs for 100.00. The glass table was too large for my space and god aweful ugly so I sold it on craigslist for 125.00 plus a new glass vase for 45.00 (I paid 20.oo at the action). Keeping the chairs, I used some of the profit to buy fabric online from Joannes. I then took that that table money, added about 30.00 more and bought a smaller new table from a great furniture store that sells affordable furniture.
So yes, with the help of the estate sales and craigslist, I was able to buy and sell until I had my own set for a whopping 140.00. Oh and it was really easy to cover these types of chairs. I just unscrewed the bottom of the seat, wrapped the seats in fabric and stapled. Ta-da!

Today's designs are really as mix and match as you want them to be. White tables with walnut chairs, metal tables with painted chairs......any combination you want.

Table setting: Crystal bird salt and pepper shakers : on sale at Tuesday Morning 6.00 each
Gold funky glass votives : on clearance at hobby store 2.00 each

Old couch

Here's an old couch I kept for extra seating when I got a new leather one. The problem was, what color do I do so it would match the house and brown leather? I found a cute picture in an Ethan Allen catalog showing a slipcovered couch and side table done in the "White Beachy Cottage" style. So I shopped around and found a side table at the thrift store very close to the one in the catalog for 15.00 instead of 200.00. I painted it white and lightly distressed it to match. I ordered a 200.00 slipcover (not cheap I ,but way cheaper than 800-2,000 for a new couch.)

The glass vase, also in the Ethan Allen Catalog with candle 200.00. My version almost an exact copy. 17.00 at Target + candle.

It was white and pretty but the house lacked color. Finding a picture in Country Living Magazine of a banquet with lots of pillows done in different blue patterns, I used the existing pillows and a few old ones around the house and covered them from fabric at the local fabric store. Considering pillows usually start around 25.00 each for small ones I know for 45.00 I was able to do 6 pillows.

This Is What I Do All Day...Refinish and Remodel

I have a passion for renovating and refurbishing. Let me be clear...I didn't say I had a talent for it. Just a passion. The decorating part I have a decided lack of talent. I love to build things and refinish stuff, but when it comes to finishing the room with layers of beautiful colors, fabric and accessories, I fall flat. But that doesn't stop me from starting new projects daily, and it doesn't stop my husband from groaning every time he hears me say, "I've been thinking" and "it's just an idea but".

The reason this all started? I'm notoriously cheap. No, not inexpensive or thrifty. Cheap. I try never to spend unnecessary money if at all possible. So I shop at thrift stores, craigslist, and yard sales for most of my decorating needs. I love looking at beautiful pictures in decorating magazines. I have hundreds of them because as my husband will attest, "I can't can't throw the damn things out" And my lack of funds helps me find creative ways to mimic looks for next to nothing. Most everything you see was second hand and refinished except the leather couch and Tv. Those we treated ourselves to new ;)

My home is a 1947 farm house that was falling apart and had no updates at all. Never. Had to have the lead pipes and wiring all replaced. It was scary. After be completely taken by a contractor for an ungodly amount of money, we decided to never again be vulnerable to repairmen and contractors looking to make a profit on us. So I watched endless of hours of home renovation shows and bought some DIY books and rolled up my sleeves.
I'll have to find the old befor pictures. Buried in the basement somewhere, but I'll describe what we did.The first picture shows the dining and living area from the entry. We bought stock pre-finished oak from Lowes and installed ourselves. Saved about 2000.00 or more. Then to separate the entry and dining a bit, we built the pony walls and installed pillars. Cost in materials was about 350.00 I think. My wonderful (and patient husband) did the trim work and crown moldings in the entry and hallway. Since white is so popular these days you can really do a ton of beautiful work using builders grade trim and moldings and save horrendous amounts by buying contractors packs.
The next picture is from the living dining area back into the entry and kitchen. The house didn't have a space for a dining area and I couldn't put it into the entry even though there was room. My husband couldn't get past the idea of the front door opening up to the dining table. So I decided to to carve out my own space in the corner of the living room. The space was a "dead" space that I could never use or decorate anyway.

A closer look at the kitchen island. Although the kitchen hasn't been done yet, we did build this kitchen island to make the small space more efficient. Half the top is used for food prep while the other half houses the family for quick meals. Built in is a lazy suzan for extra storage. We purchase a round under cabinet at a habitat home store used for 15 dollars. We raised it on blocks and wrapped bead board around it, then trimmed it with bendable PVC molding. The butcher block top was my favortite find. I found the top at a thrift store. It was a 70's amber colored lacquered top, detached from it's base. $25.00!! Three days of sanding to get all that varnish off, then a couple of coats of food grade mineral oil and there ya go!

That's all for today. Later I'd love to show you some thrift store furniture I've refinished and other stuff done. Thanks for looking!