31 Day Clutter Challenge

Recently,  I was intrigued by a 31 Day Clutter Challenge hosted by Living Well Spending Less.  It started on July 1st & has been really easy to follow.  Each morning I receive an email with the target area of the day.  It gives guidelines for the space, suggestions on how to organize, and helpful hints on what to keep & what to toss. 

I strive to maintain an orderly house & clean house.  Although the "clean" seems to be the bigger challenge, we live here!  Back to the clutter, I don't feel like I have a lot; but this challenge has encouraged me to let go of more. 

Today was kitchen cabinets & drawers!  This is my pile for Goodwill (not all from the kitchen) 

While I cook a lot, why I had so many duplicates of things is beyond me.  Some were hand-me-downs, others great deals, and others --- I have no idea!  

The cabinets are looking much better now though!  

Do you purge often or only when it is completely out of control?

A little elbow grease, a little time = clean oven!

Yesterday,  I mentioned cleaning my oven as one of my "to-do's".   I'm happy to say I was able to check that off the list.   I've always said this blog was about keeping it real and the pictures of my oven will reassure you of that.   While I do have a self-cleaning oven,  I'd read reports and heard from a co-worker that this was not always the way to go.  It seems easy enough to hit "self clean" but the oven gets ridiculously hot as part of the process.  Since I wasn't trying to burn my house down, I opted for good ol' elbow grease.  Now, I will be completely honest and say the oven has not been cleaned in about 7-8 years. 

I promised I would keep it real - GASP!

How did I clean it?  Well, I'm glad you asked.  I know Easy-Off is a popular oven cleaner but I've also read the fumes can be intoxicating.  This was another "no-spend" project, so I used what I had on hand.

• Hot Water
• Shaklee Basic H Degeaser
• Soap Pads (I had the Dollar General brand)
• Hot Water
• Rubber Gloves
• Sponge

I started my laying an old sheet underneath the oven door to catch any crumbs or suds.  Then, I took a damp paper towel and wiped out all the loose crumbs.  Next,  I sprayed the Shaklee Degreaser liberally on the back and sides.  While it was soaking, I filled a bucket with hot water.  I got the sponge wet and then started wiping and scrubbing.  The sides/back of the oven were relatively easy to clean.  Next,  I sprayed down the bottom of the stove. Again, it was alot of elbow grease & repeated efforts of spray, scrub, and wipe. I had a couple of stubborn spots on the bottom, so I grabbed the soap pads I had on hand and went to work.  I repeated the same process for the oven door.    It's not perfect - but it looks soooo much better!

Super husband had to help with the oven door because I had used all my muscles on the oven itself! I am so happy with the results and so happy the products I had on hand worked.  It really didn't take me that long, so why did we let it get so bad?!! 

Are you relaxing or tackling projects this holiday weekend?

Weekend Labor Day - Home Projects

Do you have a list of home projects or things you'd like "to-do"?    You know how I like lists.  :)     As I sit here this morning,  I'm slightly overwhelmed by my list because I don't know which project to start working on today.   But, it's quite possible that I could tackle more than one if I would quit thinking and just jump in!

On my list:

-Superson's bath room re-do (I had a revelation this week & realized that I could probably do this for ZERO dollars spent)

-Office closet (I need to declutter and reorganize the bottom half of the closet so we can start the transition to a mulitpurpose room)

-Clean my oven (undoubtedly the least exciting of all the other 2)

The optimist in me wants them all done today, so she can enjoy being lazy on her day off tomorrow.  :)

Do you have any weekend projects?

Multipurpose Room -- Ugh Again?!

Way back in 2011,  I talked about our spare bedroom and the need for it to be a multipurpose room.   I'm happy to report it has not returned to the cluttered, chaotic state in one of the pictures of that post - but man, oh, man - my heart still doesn't swoon when I walk in.    I've decluttered and purged ALOT.    I don't want to share the current "before" pictures because I'm not sure when this project will unfold.    I've started an "inspiration" board here on Pinterest.   The room is still begging for direction and definition.  

Super-husband and I have agreed to keep the treadmill for 6 months & then re-evaluate.  Personally, I would rather be outdoors exercising (even if it is freezing cold) - he is the opposite & prefers the treadmill. 

The desk.  I have a love-hate relationship with it.  In the link to 2011, you'll see a corner desk.  I'm happy to report I disassembled that desk - it was not a "space saver" for us.  I'm currently evaluating the office closet idea.  I mentioned it as well in my first post & I really think that is the best option for the space.

Other than that,  I'd love to have a futon, bed, or seating area to accompany guest or for us to have a place to retreat.  The bottom line, I want it to be usable space for us & not a door that we keep closed.  This will likely be my Labor Day weekend project - my goals:  design on dime (not to spend much if any money)  & make the space fully functional. 

Please let me know if you have some suggestions!  :)

DIY Kitchen -- Curtains

Well, I am happy to report the sun is shining here again!   It was a very dreary week raining Monday - Thursday last week and then overnight on Thursday we got a light snowfall.   It is so nice to see the sun beaming through the windows!

Speaking of windows,  we are still trying to finish up the details of our kitchen.  Did I mention we started this project in July 2012?  :)   I hate to say Pinterest again, but so much of this project was inspired by pins.   Previously, we had no window treatments - just wood blinds.  I wanted to add something above the kitchen sink after finding this lovely fabric for a steal.

It's a Waverly print and I was fortunate to find it for $8.00 yard.  The background color is really close to our wall color - Sherwin Williams Tidewater.   Back to the window above the kitchen sink,  this window does not have wood blinds, but it looks directly onto our neighbor's carport.  Fortunately, we have great neighbors, but I wanted a little more privacy.  After pinning many options,  I decided to go with this one.  While it was posted as a no-sew project, my mom did end up sewing a pocket across the top for the rod.  (yes, people I can't sew - but it's on my "to learn" list).   Anyway,  I love, love, love how it turned out.

For the ribbon,  I simply looped it around and tied the bow!  Easy peasy!   The project was definitely under $16.00 because I had fabric leftover. Which made my wheels turn -- I was trying to think of ways to incorporate more of the fabric into the kitchen... and then - I thought more curtains :)   We have an eat-in kitchen, so the two large windows in the dining area have been left uncovered (with blinds of course but that's it) - I thought adding a window treatment would help set this area apart as a different "room" if you will.  I had looked for curtains to complement the fabric but they were outrageous - at least I thought so, remember this DIY was supposed to be on a dime  :)   Then, I found this idea on Pinterest.  Instead of painting stripes on the painter's cloth,  we took a strip of the floral fabric and then a strip of the ribbon to create the stripes.  I opted to put mine at the top (instead of the bottom as shown in the pin).  And, viola...

This was taken last night, so I apologize for the poor lighting - but I am in love!   Big thanks to my friend Sally for helping with this.  She did use the iron-on stitch witchery for the ribbon, but it didn't want to hold the fabric as well as it did the ribbon so she stitched it on for me. 

I forgot to mention - the rod.  I needed a rod that would extend to at least 94 inches - have your priced those lately?  Again - too expensive!  So, I headed back to Pinterest - surely I could find an idea.  I was not disappointed with this pin.  I headed to Home Depot with her list in hand and found everything I needed - the "rod" was electrical conduit.  I purchased a 10 foot piece for $2.00 (did you hear me TWO DOLLARS) and super-husband cut it down to size.  

I'm embarrassed to say the most expensive part of this project were the rings to hold the curtain.  I could not come up with a cheaper alternative or maybe I didn't search hard enough.  :)   I bought 4 packs of 10 and placed them every 4 inches on the curtains.  The drop-cloths are probably a little heavier than curtains and I wanted to make sure they were going to stay up.  I ended up using 3.5 packs and they were around $8.00 a pack I think. 

Overall, all the whole project was very reasonably priced! I'm still debating on whether or not I want to add a rug underneath the dining table.  It would add a little more color and again, help set this area apart from the rest of the kitchen.  Stay tuned!

Getting Organized...

A New Year, a new resolve to try harder to stay on top of things and keep the 10 balls juggling in the air.  :)    Last year wasn't perfect - but I feel like I was able to stay on top of things better than previous years.  Super-husband and I had the discussion the other day - it seems like the busier I am - the more on top of things I am - how crazy is that?!   I certainly don't want to invite more "busy-ness" into my life, so for now I'll try to take advantage of some resources that have helped me.  (Note:  I'm not paid or compensated in anyway to say what I am about these services/products - but I thought I would share them with you)  :)

Erin Condren planner:   First off,  I will say that I do think these are on the expensive side.   For months, I read all the hype in blog land about how great they were;  how beautiful they were; and then around  March of last year I found a discount code and decided to go for it.  I'm not sure if I used it because it was the most expensive calendar I had ever bought in my life & I didn't want the money to go to waste or because it really worked for me.  

I like that each day is divided into Morning, Day, Evening -- 3 blanks boxes to fill as you wish - I like to put my "to-do's" for the day in those boxes.  Additionally, on the side of the week lay-out, there is list for "to-do's" -- here I put my list of "would like to get done" -- it helps keep items on my "radar" and if I get to them great.  It's a little on the larger size compared to another planners - but they have some really cool design and personalization options to make up for that.  :)   I didn't order one for 2013 but I put it on my Christmas "wish-list" and was happy to unwrap it from my brother.

Meal Planning:   I did meal-planning off and on during last year.  I subscribed to 5 Dinners in 1 Hour.  It was a great way to get a list of meals that weren't in my regular rotation.  She includes a shopping list and directions to make the meals ahead of time.  This was a huge time-saver when I was taking night classes.   She offers three different types of menus:  classic, clean-eating, and gluten free.  Not sure if it is for you or not,  you can view a free week on her website.    Not only does this help with meal-planning, but I found it helped with grocery spending too.    

In addition, I came up with a list of around 32 tried and true meals for us.   In October,  I tried to meal-plan the entire month & do one big grocery shop.  The one thing I didn't account for was how many meals would leave us leftovers, so on a good note - we didn't even go through all the meals I had planned.   Pinterest was another source of inspiration.  I had a new recipes board of eats that sounded yummy & delicious, but I found inspiration for meal planning too and created a meal planning board.

Household cleaning:  Once again, PINTEREST helped me find a system that worked for me.  I don't use it every week or follow it religiously.  It's a very reasonable plan and time efficient too.

 

 

Not sure who to give credit too - the link on Pinterest is a dead link.

Also, I try to email my pals (A&S) a list of to-do's that I would like to get accomplished each evening.  Sometimes, this proves to be very productive for me and other times I'm flat out lazy - either way, I have to report back to them the next morning.  Accountability!   If you are looking to organize your home, I recommend A Bowl Full of Lemons organization challenge.  


These are just a couple of things that help keep me on-track.  I can honestly say when I try to follow the cleaning plan or meal planning plan,  I am less-stressed and more balanced.  Do you have any tips for staying organized? 

Kitchen Update - Part 2

A couple of weeks ago,  I posted about the pleasures of removing our popcorn ceiling.  I can't tell you how relieved I was to cross that off my list.  The project was painting, painting, and more painting -- walls & cabinets.

The walls had been the same color (a nice, neutral beige) since we moved into the house in 2002.  I'm not going to lie - I liked it and had intentions of repeating with the same color.

But everyone kept saying - if you are going to paint, WHY paint it the same color?   I'll tell you why - I tend to play it safe that's why!   Well, the more I thought about it - the crazier I realized I was - we needed to step out of the box and try something different.   Replacing countertops was not in our budget, so we decided to go with a color that worked with the hideous color (dark blue-green) instead of working against it.  We chose Sherwin Williams -Tidewater.  Oh my stars - I LOVE IT!

The picture is a little darker than the actual walls.

It brightens up the space!  I wasn't completely convinced at first - it reminded me of a baby's nursery.  However, once we got the kitchen "put back together" - I loved it.  Our furniture is warm oak with honey tones and it complements the paint color.  The pictures I've posted are in the eat-in area of the kitchen. 

Here's one more picture and a sneak peek at one my favorite (and functional) accessories so far!

This picture is more true to color.

More to come...

25 Random Things About Me...

Ann (over at Twelve in Twelve) posted a getting to know you type post.  Since I had no idea what to write about today - I'm going to post 25 random things about me.  

1. Never say "never"... I said I would never go out with super-husband and look who I married. :o)

2. I've wanted a Honda Accord since my 16th birthday and finally got one (not new, but new to me) in 2011.
3. I thought children with ADHD lacked parenting - until I had a child diagnosed with ADHD. Now, I understand.
4. I've won 3rd place twice at the Dixie Classic Fair for a recipe with Krispy Kreme doughnuts as an ingredient.
5. I thought I would have 2 or 3 kids by now, but God had other plans.
6. I'm a good listener, but I don't always know what to say.
7. I'm a creature of habit - when we go out to eat, my order is always predictable.
8. The best lessons in life - I learned from my parents.
9. Being a mom has been much more of an emotional experience than I ever imagined.
10. I can read a good book in one day -- I can read two good books in a day at the beach.
11. I'm becoming an ATHLETE!  :)
12. I'm much happier working "behind the scenes" than being "in the spotlight".
13. I love my job.
14. I never imagined heart disease would arrive on our doorstep at our age, but I'm thankful super-husband is alive and we can help raise awareness.
15. I loved to play summer softball growing up, but probably couldn't catch a fly ball now!
16. I love a clean house, but have trouble keeping in that way sometimes.
17. I love that super-son declares every Friday night - Family Night.
18. I've always wanted to be a teacher, but let my 10th grade English teacher discourage me.
19. I'm tone deaf and can't carry a tune or play a musical instrument.
20. I wish I had patience for do-it-yourself home improvement projects because I have a wishlist a mile long.
21. I love taking pictures but find scrapbooking overwhelming.
22. I am in the last semester of my return to school (YEAH ME!).
23. I am grateful for my friends and family.
24. I am NOT a girly-girl.
25. Exercise is allowing me to become stronger physically & mentally.

Simple Christmas Decor

One of my favorite things to do this time of year is look at the ways people get creative and decorate for the holidays.   I'm a pretty simple gal with a pretty simple family, so I like to keep it simple.  I scored the Christmas Subway art ($14.99) from TJ Maxx the end of October.  Last year, I took all of my old garland to Goodwill - it was quite tattered and some of the electrical cords were questionable.  I found this prelit garland on sale at Target ($7.00) over the weekend.  I kept the the Willow Tree angels, family plaque, and digital frame -- I know they aren't seasonal - but it defines so much of "who" are family is.  The vase in the middle was one I had on hand and the ornaments inside came from the Dollar Tree.   I'm very happy with the look and the simplicity of it.   I'm linking up to the Mantel Party at Southern Hospitality.  

Missing in Action...

From the looks of my blog, it seems as though I have been MIA for a couple of weeks. It's been super busy at home & work. Super-son's last day of school was June 14th & there were lots of festivities beforehand -- field day; 3rd grade class picnic; etc. On June 15th, superson & I headed down to Atlantic Beach with my mom for a short get-away. It was lots of fun & very relaxing. This week, I'm finishing up the last week of summer session one which means two papers to write and a final exam to study. I'll be back soon!

Meanwhile, check out these blogs...
Muffin-Tin Mom - love the creativity in her "muffin meals"
Love of Home & Family - lots of great DIY ideas for decorating and gifts - I've linked my lastest favorite
She's Kinda Crafty - more great craft ideas, for the crafter wanna-be in me
I Heart Organizing - lots of organizing ideas - makes me realize how unorganized I really am :(

See you soon!

Memorial Day weekend...

Happy Memorial Day! It's quite humbling to think of all the men & women who have served this great country to protect our freedoms. Thank you to all those who have served or are serving as well as their families. Hope everyone has a GREAT day honoring and remembering those who enlisted!

We did not take a trip to the beach, so we've been working on various things around the house. I wish I could tell you my "to-do" list is now DONE, but does that ever happen. :) Remember, this blog is about keepin' it real, so I show "real" pictures. Here is a before of the room...

I have made some progress on our spare bedroom. It looks MUCH better, but I still have alot of work. And an after pic... (Remember I still have work to do!)

Super-husband and I have brain-stormed about a couple of different options for that room. We really want to reclaim that space. Part of our problem, it's a multi-purpose room - office; exercise; and spare bed. The closet is small & currently - FULL - so one of the things we need to do is go through the closet and minimize what is in there to at least HALF of what currently resides! And, then - I love this idea - office closet anyone? I think this shows how much potential a closet can offer! This would completely eliminate our corner desk which is a current complete waste of space (in my opinion). Next, we would like to save some pennies & purchase a wall-mount TV for that room. Nothing super-duper fancy - but this would allow us to get-rid of the big TV (it's old, but works) that currently resides on super-son's old play table. We could then shift my hope chest underneath the TV. (In the pictures, this would be the wall to the left (it has the TV/table & closet). This would free up approximately one side of the room -- sorry, but the treadmill & bike are staying for now (we don't have a basement, so this is as good as it gets). I'd love to find a chair&a half with a pull-out bed -- this would make for a great lounge space & in the event someone needed to sleepover -- we'd have room! The other addition on the wish list (and probably the most likely to happen soon) is a ceiling fan. I like this one & one in white for super-son's room.

I know it's hard to visualize what I'm talking about without good pictures -- I really need to get better at posting pics! Anyone, that's my dreamin' for another room. One day, we'll actually be able to make progress on our projects. Just takes patience and money :)

What are you working on this weekend?

Weekend To-Do's...

The verdict is still out on what we will do this weekend, so I figured it was worth making a to-do list either way... hehe!

Beach

1. Relax


2. Soak up some rays.


3. Read a good book.


4. Grill Out


5. Repeat starting at Step #1.

Home

1. Declutter spare bedroom.


2. Pick out ceiling fans for super-son's bedroom & spare bedroom.


3. Get paint sample for kitchen. Right now, I'm leaning toward Jekyll Grand Dining Sea Mist by Valspar.


4. Dare I attempt to start scraping the popcorn ceiling in the kitchen/dining area??


5. Invite some friends over for a cookout!

What are your weekend plans?

Clutter and Chaos...

I love an organized home. However, I will be the first to admit our home is far from organized. I enjoy reading other blogs and seeing fabulous transformations. I Heart Organizing is one of my favorite blogs -- lots of good tips and information there! While surfing her blog this week, I stumbled across a reader's coat closet transformation. The best part about the coat closet redo... it cost her absolutely NOTHING! :)

My wheels start turning and thinking of our "problem areas"... spare bedroom, linen closet, coat closet, and "pantry". I was talking with a co-worker who LOVES to tackle projects. She offered to help me.... NO WAY! Yes, way -- I said, "you have no idea how bad it is"... haha! But, I promised her I would take pictures. I was mortified after taking the pictures, so I got busy de-cluttering. :) I ended up with a bag of trash & a bag for Goodwill.

I started with our pantry... keep it real ya'll... here is the before & after...

The good news, The storage containers with the blue lids are EMPTY! The dark brown baskets on the third shelf are empty and I may move them to the family room over the weekend. And, the basket on the bottom shelf is EMPTY too! We can see the floor again too! I tried to upload more before & after pics, but got really annoyed that blogger kept reformatting my post! :) Trust me, it's much better!

What are you decluttering this weekend?

Weekend Wrap-Up

Friday evening started out quite lazy... I had intended get a few things done around the house, but ended up on the couch reading blogs and watching TV. Sadly, it was nice to veg out after a busy week. Spring semester ended on Tuesday, so I have no required papers, readings, etc until summer session starts. :)

The weekend forecast was predicted as lots of rain, so I wasn't quite sure what Saturday would entail. I had registered for a the local Rockin' Ronald McDonald 10K/5K and my brother & sister-in-law joined me. It was their first 5K and they did AWESOME. The picture to the left is us AFTER the race! :) I finished in time to catch most of superson's soccer game in the rain. Afterwards, we grabbed a quick lunch and headed home. We tackled family chores inside and it was only mid-afternoon (woo!). I knew if I sat down I was likely to fall asleep, so I ventured out to the local consignment shop & Home Depot with my neighbor.

As you may recall from my Friday post, my kitchen is on my mind. :) I had originally wanted to go with a similar color for the walls, but my neighbor convinced me to work with the countertops. I think we've decided to not try the countertop transformation I mentioned in the other post. We'll keep what we have until we can afford to have the replaced professionally. SO, I'm leaning toward a color in the green family -- I picked up the 3 Valspar samples in the picture to the right. Right now, I'm leaning toward one of the bottom 6. We had a busy Saturday and got alot accomplished. For dinner, we went to a local burger place totally overdid it there - but enjoyed it!

Sunday, we enjoyed a great morning of worship & small group. We stopped by the grocery store to pick up a few things & $100 later... well, you know how that goes. :) Superhusband grilled some burgers & hotdogs -- they were delicious! After lunch, I took a nap (hope I can still sleep tonight). After supper, I finished up our meals for the week!

How was your weekend?

Next mission... the kitchen and entryway...

For now, my front porch project is as complete as it's going to get (at least for awhile)... I do plan to get a few plants to spruce up the areas around the front door - but these will be freebies off of mom & friends who are dividing & sharing! :) Next stop... entryway & kitchen....

The KITCHEN!! It is the room I fell in love with when we looked at the house 9 years ago! I love how large it was and that it was eat-in. I don't know about you, but I know very few people who use their formal dining room on a regular basis. Personally, I'd rather have comfortable, livable space that I use regularly.

The previous owner was a school teacher & used the blackboard for tutoring students. We use for grocery list, important phone numbers, etc! The only change we made was the flooring -- I loved the white/green tiles (vinyl flooring), but they were yellowed. We replaced with something similar and within 6 months had the same problem. Apparently, it had to do with the type glue that is used and the fact we are on a concrete slab. Fortunately, the folks at Lowes Hardware were very accommodating and let us pick out another floor (light brown/pebble look) and we only had to pay a small amount to have it replaced. The other change was the dishwasher -- NO, we didn't replace it - but it was black on the front and stuck out like a sore thumb. On the panels of the dishwasher were different "inserts" -- we chose to go with the white one instead. The backsplash is white tile with various fruit tiles mixed in.

Here are some pictures, I took today...




My thoughts:

1. Remove the popcorn ceiling! It looks terrible mainly because it is cracking and in a couple areas I've tried to see how easily it would come down, so there's a patch missing here and there. :) I would like the ceiling painted flat (no more popcorn!).


2. Since we do have an eat-in kitchen, I would like to have the dining area "set apart". My thoughts.... place beadboard below the chair rail and paint it white. Hang curtains over the outer two windows -- this would help block the heat in the summer as well.


3. As mentioned in another post, get a smaller table. A table with a leaf that will allow us to seat 4 the majority of the time - but have the option to add the leaf for additional seating for family get-togethers. Preferably in an oak tone. :)


4. Paint -- walls, cabinets and trim. It's very likely I will go with a color very close to what the walls are now -- it's a beige/khaki/light brown. I don't know the exact color because it was already painted when we moved here. Cabinets would remain white as well.


5. Replace cabinet hardware. When we moved in 9 years ago, the cabinets got a fresh coat of paint. The hardware is brass (knobs, hinges) and the drawer pulls are white/brass. At that time, we attempted to clean them with brass cleaner -- could not tell a significant different though. I'd love suggestions on what you would choose :) Brushed nickel, black, rubbed bronze?


6. Lighting. I actually like the fixture above the table. It has a wrought iron look to it. Remember Vern Yip -- he used a very similar fixture on his room makeovers. :) We have a problem with a couple of the lights. Our handy-dandy electrician neighbor has looked at it a couple of times, but it may need to be replaced. If so, I will go with something similar. OR, would you move the ceiling fan to the dining area? Again, I'd go with something similar (I like the wrought iron mixed in). If I stick to a similar light fixture, I'd like to have the little lampshades for the bulbs too. Walmart doesn't carry anymore and I forget to look at Michael's. The other lighting in the kitchen is just a fluorescent over the sink -- would you opt for a pendant light or keep as is? Additionally, I had considered a pot rack with lights to replace the ceiling fan with a small butcher block underneath. However, the more I think about it -- I lean toward replacing the ceiling fan with one with a light kit. The kitchen can get really hot in the summer from the sun coming in the front. Or, would you ditch the fan and go with some track lighting?


7. Counterops. I'd love to have Corian or something along those lines, but that's not going to happen anytime soon. It's really hard to describe the color -- it's like a hunter green, but sometimes it looks a little blueish too. It's weird. Has anyone ever tried this -- Countertop Transformations? At lowes.com/videos -- they have three "how-to" videos... It's a thought.

Now what are your thoughts? :)

Craigslist... oh how I...

Do you Craigslist? I love to surf Craiglist, but honestly it is a love/hate relationship. Love finding adorable items, but hate having no where for them to go. :) We scored our living room furniture (sofa, chair and half, & ottoman) from there last year. Strangely, the seller turned out to be a girl I went to high school with - talk about blast from the past! Prior to that, we had purchased a small chest freezer, stove, and over-the-stove microwave. An older couple was remodeling their kitchen & we took the appliances off their hands! We did not have an over-the-stove microwave previously, but our handy dandy electrician neighbor installed it for us and I LOVE the room that was freed up on the countertop!

This week I've found...

It's a beautiful oak dining table with 6 chairs -- totally my style. We currently have a table but the top of it is in rough condition -- we've tried numerous techniques with no luck. I suppose we can't expect too much - we got for $40 at an auction -- it has beautiful harp style legs. ANYWAY, back to the picture -- I've been eyeing this week for a couple of days. I like that it has a leaf -- so we can have a "smaller table" the majority of the time and then use the leaf for family get-togethers. Not sure if we will look at this one or not.

I had two other items to show, BUT I saved the link but not the pictures & now they are sold! One was a Pottery Barn style coffee table for $45 dollars and the other was a colonial style dining room set for $125. Both were ADORABLE, so I'm not surprised they are gone! :)

What are you best finds on Craigslist?

Porch Progress Pictures -- What do you think?

As noted in Wednesday's post, I didn't get to post a picture with my update because it was raining, but I was able to snap a couple this afternoon. Ignore the bag of potting soil in one of the pics :) You can read about my thoughts & before pictures before I started here, and, my thoughts about the progress here.

Front Porch Makeover - Update

Feel free to refer back to my original post.

1. The flower pots by the front porch have been spray-painted black. LOVE THEM! The design/texture on the pot still shows through for added dimension. My sweet nana came and updated the pots with flowers -- the best part she used cuttings and plants from her own garden (LOVE IT!).
2. The white chair is gone. The chair with the pots was just too much for the tiny space. A hanging fern has been added for height. The pots are positioned well underneath the fern to get any run-off water. I've added a multi-color welcome mat in bright colors -- I found a Target giftcard that still had some $$ on it, so it was my deal at $1.98 out of pocket. :)
3. The single pot approaching the door on the left -- I wasn't going to put anything there, but Nana brought a HUGE geranium that she has kept indoors for there. I can't wait for it to bloom - it's RED!
4. Move your attention toward the rockers -- they have a fresh coat of red paint. The small table I thought I had thrown away - I found :) It was not completely destroyed by the incident with superson and I managed to get it back together. It is home to a HUGE impatient with varigated leaves & sweet potato vine that I got for Mother's Day.

Still to do:
- find a welcome sign to go by the front door -- probably something seasonal
- get some flowers for the double-shepherd's hook on the other end of the house
- focus on the flower beds behind the rockers & on the left as your approach the door

So far, I've spent -
$7.50 - fern
$16.00 - paint for pots & rockers
$1.98 - welcome mat

Summer Bucket List

1. Complete at least one 5K in June, July or August.


2. Read at least 5 books for pleasure.


3. Succesfully complete summer school!!


4. Take and pass 3 CLEP exams.


5. Have a game night or get-together with friends once a month.


6. Complete one task on my house wish list -- organize spare bedroom; repaint kitchen; declutter pantry... etc, etc! Trust me the list is long!


7. Enjoy short get-aways with my family.


8. Take more pictures of life happenings.


9. Stay active -- continue to walk 3 miles on Mon, Wed, Fri. Aim to go to Zumba on Monday nights at least once a month.


10. RELAX

Front Porch Makeover -- Curb Appeal Part I (BEFORE)

It's that time of year when I find myself with a list of to-do's a mile long. Who am I kidding? I always have a list of to-do's a mile long! Anyway, it's seems spring gets me itching with things I want to do around the house. Where I think I will find time to do these projects is another story? Have I mentioned I work full-time, go to school full-time, and have a family? :)

Anyway, the weather here has been GORGEOUS the past couple of days which has ideas twirling about the outdoors. I don't mind digging in the dirt in sprucing up the outside. There is the WISH LIST of "to-do's" and the reality list of "to-do's" as well. :)

Here is a pic of our house... it's a simple ranch style home and it works for us. Nothing fancy :) I've never been able to get the entry way just right. This is usually what I start out with each and every spring --- I plan to add a hanging fern by the front door & the flower pots by the front door will be filled with lots of color (usually impatients, geraniums, & a sweet potato vine). I LOVE to infuse color by using flowers. Needless to say, that will make a BIG difference, but it never seems like enough -- it doesn't say cozy & welcome as much as I would like.

Things I'm pondering...

1. I found the rocking chairs at Goodwill last summer. They were well-weathered and a steal at $15.00 a piece! I brought them home and spray-painted them. Not convinced I love the red, which now has a weathered look.... what do you think?

2. When we moved here several years ago, we added the concrete pad in front of the sidewalk. In the past, we have used it for a parking spot - but now we do the car switcharoo. Should I attempt to make that more of an outdoor living space? If so, what would you do?

3. The area to the left of the front door seems blah & bare. In the fall, I have a lovely sign that is hand-painted with a pumpkin and fall colors that says "The S****'s". I love the sign and had hoped to get some additional seasonal ones, but the seller no longer exist on eBay. I have yet to find anything I like or similar on etsy or eBay.

4. Additionally, in the space to the left of the door -- the white chair seems to small for the space, but hey it was FREE! :) I've considered moving the large flower pots to the corner of the concrete pad -- trying to find a small bench for the door area OR another type chair and maybe something like a sofa table (obviously for the outdoors) to go on that wall that I can add some decor too.

5. I would like to paint the front door a classic black -- the rest of the house is a light grey with white trim -- on my wish list, I would paint the whole house. :) Does the front door need a wreath?

6. I think I need to invest in a welcome mat more inviting... LOL! The one we have is super cheap -- the black with "welcome" just doesn't say cozy to me. :) And, I'd love to add a light by the front door (currently it is overhead).

What are your suggestions?

My main goal is make it feel more cozy and welcoming & as always design on a dime (the cheaper the better!).

PS - I love my seasonal flags (I don't care if they are "yestersday" -- I love them), so don't tell me to ditch them. *smile* And, we usually freshen up the flowers beds with fresh pine needles as well. :)