Did You Hear That?

Did you hear that? That was a huge sigh of relief coming from me! The church dinner is over. I finished making nearly seventy favors and eight centerpieces and everything went well. It was a really nice evening. Aaaaaahhhhhh!

I chose to decorate for the event with a spa/spring theme---representing a time to renew & rejuvenate. The centerpieces were hurricanes made from dollar store vases glued a top dollar store candlesticks (I saw the idea on several blogs). Inside was a pansy, still in it's plastic nursery container, wrapped with moss. A mirror and dollar store rocks gave it the finishing touch. Yes, the dollar store is my go-to place for budget decorating!I wanted to send a little something home with each lady based on the theme of the evening. A little reminder that it's important for us, especially as women, to take time just for us. I know that when I do something just for me---be it reading a book or magazine, thrift shopping, lunch with a friend, whatever it is that makes me feel renewed---I am more able to meet the demands of life and give of myself to family and others.
Based on that thought, I put together these little favors made from mouding pieces mod podged with fabric and paper and embellished with rick rack and a metallic scrapbook dot.

A little reminder to do what it takes to
RENEW your spirit every day.

It Was "Mint" To Be

Some time ago I was asked to bring after-dinner mints to a small family gathering. It was a rather unusual request, but I'm not one to say, "Oh please, please, let me bring more!" I am, however, one to do the unexpected. I mean, most people would just buy some nice mints and pour them in a pretty little crystal bowl and call it good. Not me! I like to use the opportunity to give myself another project. And of course, another project means another reason to do my favorite things---break out the black spray paint and go to the thrift store, and, in this case, the dollar store, too. At the dollar store, I found square little dishes made out of a heavy glass. I purchased three, because an odd number is a good design (yeah, I know, it's really scary that my mind thinks of those things even at the dollar store).At the thrift store I found a cute little wooden box that was just the right size---just like it was meant to hold those dishes. I purchased the box along with an old silver serving spoon.
I spray painted the box black and sanded the edges. I bent the serving spoon into an arch. My husband walked in, and before I could tell him my plans, he picked up the spoon and said, "What happened to this?" as he bent it back into it's original shape!
After I explained my idea, he bent the spoon again and helped me attach it to the front of the box.
This is the final result.Of course, those are not mints inside. At my house, sweets disappear quickly! The only reason that there's anything in there now is that this picture was taken before my sons got out of bed.

I Heart the DT

What do you do when you put away all of the decorations from the past holiday? Well, go to the dollar store of course, to see what's new for the next holiday. And, as usual, I found a few fun things to buy.
I think that the dollar store is a lot like the thrift store. If you look with an open mind, there are always treasures to be found!
Here's what I bought:At first glance, this may not seem like much, right?
Look again!

A roll of holiday ribbon is always a good investment. I have a favorite little boutique that always looks beautiful for each holiday and season. One of the tricks they use is to tie festive ribbon on the items that they always have on display. They tie it to apothecary jars, candles, lamps, wherever! That little touch changes the look of the whole store. It's a great idea to use at home too.

A bag, or two, of conversation hearts is a MUST for Valentine's. Put them in a pretty bowl, jar, or heart shaped container for a treat or a gift. Use them as fillers in hurricanes or apothecary jars. They look fun just spread along a shelf or down the center of a tablecloth. One year, I made a simple and quick gift by gluing the candy hearts onto inexpensive candles. They can be glued on in a random pattern or in a few rows at the base of the candle. I used hot glue, but I put the glue on the candy piece, not on the candle itself.

Rub on letters can be used for more than just scrapbooks. Rub them on a mirror for a special message to your loved ones. They can be put on a glass container that holds candy or a candle. Or you can add them to a heart shaped wooden plaque for an easy, inexpensive decoration.

Holiday ice cube trays are great! Think about freezing red drink mix instead of just water. You can use the trays as molds for melting chocolate to make a batch of homemade chocolates. One year I mixed up a batch of plaster of paris and poured it into heart shaped molds. When the plaster was dry, I painted the hearts and gave them as favors. You could even add a magnet on the back of each plaster heart.

Heart shaped tins can be used for holding the homemade chocolates or magnets, or any small gift. You can use them as a family mailbox for placing love notes inside. The tins could be personalized with paint pens or permanent markers, or decoupage an old fashioned valentine, or monogram onto the top.

What ideas can you come up with for these little dollar store goodies?

Inventory By Heart

My daughter called today from across the country. She was so excited because she and her husband had finally found a dollar store. While standing in the store, she asked what she should buy to decorate her little apartment for Valentine's day.

Is it strange that I knew the inventory of the dollar store (even miles and miles away) and, without hesitation, I could rattle off a list of dollar goodies she should get?!?!

These were one of the items I told her to buy. In fact, I suggested she buy a few bags.Did you happen to pick any up on your recent trip to the dollar store?
According to the packaging they're "Great accents for floral arrangements & many other decorative uses."
Here's some decorative uses that I thought of.

Simply remove the picks.Then use the sweet hearts for fillers in glassware,
and scatter the rest around you're existing decorations.How cute and easy is that?!?

For the Love of Typography

I really like the hot design trend of typography! You may notice it when you look through catalogs like Pottery Barn. I wanted to incorporate this trend into my home, but there was no way that I was going to spend a lot of money doing it. So I came up with this idea. In my kitchen I have a plate rack that I like to change out through the year. I liked the idea of numbers on plates and thought it would really make an eye catching display. I found some nice white plates at the dollar store and then went to a print store that cuts vinyl lettering. I told them the size and font that I wanted. Then I applied the numbers to my plates. Voila! (one of the few words I remember from Jr. High school French) I now have a designer look at a dollar store price.

I didn't stop the trend there. After all, good design repeats itself. I purchased house numbers at the building store, dressed them up with ribbon and tassels and tied them onto jars. Then I built the little pedestal for the jars to sit on so the tassels could hang just right (I told you I can be a bit obsessive when it comes to design).

Trends are wonderful, but they are just that---a trend. Spending a lot of money on something that will go out of style leaves you feeling like you have to keep it for years passed the trend. Hopefully you're inspired to bring a design trend into your home in an inexpensive way. Now you'll have to excuse me, it looks like I need to run to the store to buy some flour.....
OH! A little warning, if you do choose to bring a little typography into your home design, be prepared for weird questions from family and friends!

Dollar Store Delight

My dollar store has had these small faux ferns for a few months now. I've looked at them a few times and talked myself out of buying them. Then the other day, being desperate for anything that reminds me of spring, I finally gave in. At home I promptly pulled it out of it's original container, plopped it in a clay pot and surrounded it with moss. I think it it's almost as good as these but a whole lot cheaper! Have you found anything wonderful at the Dollar Store recently?

**Enter the Scentsy giveaway.**

It's Time for Recess!

Am I the only adult who loooongs for a recess break?!? I can tell it's time for my recess when, what is usually fun becomes tedious. I love to design and create and paint, but when that seems to feel more like a "have to" than a "want to", I know it's time to change the routine. And that only means one thing to me---thrift and dollar store shopping time. Oh Yeah!!!

I found these tall metal houses at the thrift store
for a dollar a piece.These sparkly cone trees are from the dollar store.Put them all together and what do you have?A simple little Christmas village
and a happy, rested little me!

You'll Fall For This One

Hey Kids! It's Craft Time!
(When I say "kids" I really mean you grownups
who enjoy crafting so much that it makes you feel like a kid)

You'll need the following supplies:

*Silk Fall leaves
*Styrofoam balls
or blocks
*Hot glue gun

If you're cheap like I am, you buy all your supplies at the dollar store.

However, my dollar store doesn't sell styrofoam balls. (The foam balls at the craft store cost more than a dollar.) So I bought big styrofoam blocks and used a sharp knife to cut off the corners and round the edges. Then I rolled the styrofoam on a hard surface to help shape it into a ball form. It doesn't have to be a perfectly shaped ball.Next I used my hot glue gun to glue on the leaves, making sure to overlap them so that all of the foam was covered. I cut some of the leaves into smaller pieces to help fill in and cover. It's good to have a bowl of cold water close by, just in case your fingers touch the hot glue.

And as easy as that, I made two leaf balls!
Total cost---about 3 dollars
$2 for 2 styrofoam blocks
$1 for package of leaves
(I actually used less than one package)
Plus the cost of glue sticks

What will I do with them?

I could sit them in vases.Or how about on the top of candle holders.Or I just might make a few more
and fill a pretty bowl with them.

There are so many possibilities!

Spotting a Bargain

It really doesn't take a lot of money to make a house a home, just the determination and patience to search for a bargain, and the willingness and humility to take a freebie when you find one. My son-in-law and daughter's apartment is made up of several bargains and freebies.

You already know that the sofa was bought on Craig's List, but there's even more budget savers. Let me show you just a few.

I purchased the mirrored table from the thrift store for six dollars. It went home with them last summer in a car that was filled to the brim with wedding gifts and luggage. The sassy little black and white vase on the top was a cast-off from a friend.The coffee table was a freeie, and so was the chest I used to define the entry. It got a coat of black spray paint to fit in with the Swedish store bought furniture.
That great looking over-sized orange lamp was a five dollar discovery from "my" thrift store. Fortunately it arrived safely inside a very well packed check-in suitcase. It just needed a new shade to give it a classy up-date.
The shutters flanking the windows were free. I got a phone call from my daughter asking me if she should pick them up. Of course I said YES! They're hung on both the living room and dining room windows to add an architectural element to a plain apartment, as well as unify the style of the two rooms.We saw that tall piece late one night (right corner in above photo) in someone's garbage pile on our way back to the apartment. My daughter stopped the car and I jumped out to pick it up. It's missing a few baskets, but it's still functional for storage. It may get a make-over next time I visit.The beautiful china cabinet was a twenty-five dollar find on Craig's List. It's missing the glass shelf. They'll get one cut at a glass/window shop. The dining room table was a freebie from their last apartment. The top had a light stain, but with some sanding and a couple of coats of dark cherry stain it lost it's farmhouse feel and now looks fresh and hip.The bar stools were found on CL. They only wanted two but the sellers wanted them sold as a set of four. I'm sure they'll come in handy when they have several dinner guests.
Most of the accessories were wedding gifts, thrift finds, dollar store goodies, or family heirlooms.
With a little determination, patience, willingness, and humility, you really can create a beautiful, stylish home on a tight budget!

A Last Trick and a Treat

I know that it's one day before Halloween, but if you're like me, you're tweaking things until it's time to take them down. So I thought I'd share one last trick using these bags of skeleton garland I bought at the dollar store a while back. I could never find a place for them and then it occurred to me that maybe it was because they needed a bit of a makeover---a silver spray paint makeover.With a few decorative ornament hangers and my army of silver skeletons in hand I proceeded to the dining room.They're just the spooktacular accessory that my chandelier needed.I was so pleased with their gory to glam makeover that I gave a larger dollar store skeleton the same treatment. But while the paint was still wet I sprinkled on a little glitter. Tied with a bow he guards this shelf perfectly.
Be sure to visit on Monday. I have a wonderful treat in store---an exciting giveaway!

Botanic Garden and Dollar Store Orchids

One of my favorite places to visit in the DC area is
The United States Botanic Garden. Each time I go I find different things that inspire me.

This time was no exception.

I loved these arbors with their display of living plants.I'm always inspired by water features and creeks. I have great plans to make one in my own backyard---when I get enough money, time, energy, and muscle.

There are always beautiful hydrangeas to be found.One of my favorite rooms inside is the orchid room
filled with stunning displays of orchids.I love orchids!Even though I have two living orchid plants, I couldn't resist buying a few of the silk variety
when I saw them at the dollar store, along with some reindeer moss.With a little styrofoam secured in the bottom of some thrift store vases, I just stuck in the end of the orchid (cut to length)
and filled the vase with moss.This is the version I made for my daughter
using one of her beautiful thrifted vases.