TIMES OF CHANGE....

I know that I haven't posted in awhile and for that I'm sorry.  Like many of you have probably experienced at different times in your lives, I've recently been going through a lot of change, and even loss.  Work layoffs, the loss of a pet, relationship changes and so on have made this a transition period, but to me, that is why this blog is so important.  Everyone goes through hard times, where material things like expensive furniture or artwork or home decorations are not realistic financially.  They aren't necessities, but instead are frivolous purchases that need alternatives.  That $5000 couch just isn't an option anymore, nor maybe should it have ever been.  I'm a strong believer that situations happen in your life in order to put things into perspective.  Do you need to spend that much on one piece of furniture?  You don't want to sit on the floor, but you need a couch and have budget restrictions that you hadn't expected, so what do you do?  Where do you shop? 

I write this blog for those that want a beautiful home, but appreciate that little red sticker that says "Clearance, $9.99" on the vase that they needed to complete their dining room table.  I write this blog for the overworked and underpaid people that deserve a nice home just as much as their wealthy bosses...the people that take a lot of pride in the $20 coffee table bowl they bought at the farmers market, because they know how hard they worked for that money.  The moms and dads that spend their Saturdays driving around to garage sales to make their house a home for their kids, but can't afford to walk into just any store and buy what they need...that's why I write this blog. 

Surround yourself with the things you love, and know that the things you should really love shouldn't come with a high price tag.  To me, what I love is this sketched picture of my sweet Gretzky, who was my best friend for 13 years. 

If what you love is a $5000 couch, that's your choice, but there are so many more important things you will one day need in life, and you need to plan and save accordingly.  We would all love to walk into a ritzy furniture store in Manhattan and buy whatever we want, but why?  I'd rather be proud of my Rooms To Go couch bargain, hit up Homegoods for some beautiful pillows to make the couch even more comfy and beautiful, and save that money.  Save it for a trip with family to make more memories, or for a rainy day, because I promise you those days will come, but then they will go, and you'll know that you made the right decision on how to decorate your life......

Mirror Mirror On The Wall...Who's Got The Best Bargain Of Them All?...

My friend Kary approached me for recommendations on of how to achieve this wall mirror pictured below for $600, but without spending as much money. Here is what I found....

I visited my local Homegoods www.homegoods.com store to see what kind of bargains that I could find...and boy did I find some goodies!

I found this gem for the low price of $49. You can achieve the above look by simply purchasing 4 of them and hanging them in a square to look like the higher priced option, but at a $400 savings!

This option was a steal at only $22 clearanced out! They had multiple, so you could put 4 together as well for under $100!

Lastly, we have a more rectangular option which you can put 2 side by side to achieve the same effect...and for only $140!

The key to shopping at Homegoods is that you have to snatch up the bargains when you see them, because they won't last and their inventory is constantly changing. If you can only find 3 of the item you need, the store is very willing to call other stores in the chain to track down the 4th one for you to complete the look. So remember, if you are willing to hunt for it, you can save a lot of money!

Spice Up Your Kitchen...In An Organized Manner....

We are a spicey couple, love to cook and love our spices, but needed a storage option that wouldn't consume the limited drawer space that our kitchen has....

Solution: I found these AWESOME magnetic spice holders at World Market www.worldmarket.com and used my label maker to print labels for each of them. We stuck them to the side of our fridge. The containers were $1.99 each and have both sprinkle and heavy dispensing holes.  They are a fun an organized addition to our kitchen!

Small Unused Space = Shoe Closet of My Dreams!....

Before you look at this video, I must warn you, this is no easy job. My wonderful boyfriend recognized my shoe addiction and lack of space to accommodate it, and he did something about it. This is a very advanced solution to filling in those unused spaces with additional storage...

 

For those of you using Apple products and can't view the video, here are the pictures... 

 

There was a 14 inch space between my clothing wardrobe in our bedroom and the side wall. It was definitely space that was being wasted. My boyfriend installed drawer racks one the side wall and side of the wardrobe that we purchased at www.homedepot.com . He cut pieces of wood with installed molding on each of them as the drawer fronts to give a more expensive look. Knobs were added to make opening easy. Each shelf holds 4 pairs of shoes and he was able to get 8 drawers in. I color coordinated the shoes and now it's, after seeing him, the second thing that makes me so happy every morning!

An alternate idea is to install a few tension rods you can purchase at www.walmart.com for just a few dollars. Use them to hang additional clothing in the space, or hang necklaces or belts. You can cut a curtain in half and use a tension rod at the top to hang as a door if you are attempting to do it yourself and don't have the woodworking skills.

This is just one of many ideas of how you can use the space you have, and organize in a way that maximizes that space.

Chili Pots and Frying Pans and Skillets, OH MY!....

Where to put them? I admit, I probably have every kitchen utensil, pot and small cooking appliance imaginable. They are my weakness, so I'm limited on the space that I have to put all my pots and pans in the cabinets...

Solution: I've always loved hanging pot racks! They are such a great space saver, as well as a nice decorative addition to your kitch. They also just seem to make me want to cook more, eat out less, polish my pots better and they definitely make me keep my kitchen cleaner! No more crowded cabinets. I found these stainless steel racks at www.ikea.com for less than $26 ($9.99 for each rack and $2.99 for each 5/pack of hooks). Amazing deal and they look great!

Rug Me The Right Way.....

I think a great rug is a good starting point to build a room around.  You don't have to spend a fortune when there are sites like www.overstock.com and www.rugsusa.com where you can find great bargains. The key is to make sure that you will be able to accessorize the rug you choose. The room can be simple and beautiful like the one above. You can also get a plain rug that you can later accentuate with bright patterned couch pillows or artwork. Just make sure that the rug color you select is a color that you will be happy with in your room's color palet. It's also helpful if you know it's a color you can find a pillow or a table accessory to compliment it with. I love a print rug, I also love a print pillow, but if you are going to put them together, they have to really work.

Eye Soars....

The AC Unit in our place lies behind a full sized door uniquely placed in the middle of the wall in our hall, about 2 feet off the floor. It reminds me of something out of Alice In Wonderland and I had to do something about it....

I found this extra-large canvas picture at a local Ross Store for $39. I decided to make it a part of my picture wall. Now it is no longer an eye soar, but instead, one of my favorite art pieces in the house!