Easy Bathroom Improvement Ideas – Part One

Most of us don’t have a whole lot of spare time to spend decorating the home. But, there are several simple and cheap things you can do in just one weekend to greatly improve the look of your bathroom.

Getting rid of any extra junk is a good first step. Clear out all of your cabinets, and take everything off of the counters. Look through all of the items and throw away or pack away anything that you don’t use regularly. Only put back things that you need, and be careful to organize those items when you are putting them back.

Replace your towel bars if they are outdated with something fresh that goes along with your style. If you have towel bars that you like already, think about adding a couple more if you have the space. Extra towel bars usually don’t look bad, and it is nice to have the extra towel space, especially if you have several family members. If you don’t have space for another towel bar, you can always add decorative hooks instead.

If you have lots of extra space in your bathroom, consider adding a piece of furniture. A decorative cupboard or a small chair can make a bathroom look more stylish.
If you’re not happy with the bathroom floor you can add a rug that matches your décor. If your bathroom floor is so bad that you want to cover up the whole thing, you can try peel and stick tiles, which can be installed by almost anyone, and can look like a real tile floor with careful installation.

Check back soon for part two of this blog.

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Picture Yourself Organized

It's the last holiday weekend of the summer.
Are you wondering what to do?
You could spend some time reading some of the blogs
that were late to the paint party.
Then, you could make something pretty and useful.
Yes, I think it's time for...

ANOTHER TUTORIAL!

Today we're going to create some beautiful organizational tools.

First, gather your supplies. You'll need:
*a large picture frame
*your choice of spray paint
*a heavy duty stapler (doesn't everyone have one of these?)
*a roll of hardware mesh or poultry wire---both can be found in the fencing section of home improvement stores

*wire cutters or tin snips
*saw tooth hangers (optional)

Next, paint your frame the color you desire.

When it's dry, unroll the wire "fabric"
and measure and cut it
to fit inside the frame.
The poultry wire can be cut with wire cutters, but
the hardware mesh is more easily cut using tin snips.

Pull and staple the wire to the back side of the frame.
You may need an extra set of
helping hands for this step.You can get fancy and add some ribbon
to the front of the frame if you'd like.
I also added some S hooks that I squeezed
one end shut onto the wire.
Are you wondering what we just made?

Well, if you used hardware wire and added S hooks,
you just made
a great frame to hang your jewelry on.If you used poultry wire, just add some binder clips
and you have a pretty memo board.You can even customize these.
The addition of a knob makes a plain frame
look like a cabinet door.
Instead of binder clips, you can use clothes pins.
You can even paint and cover your clothes pins
with scrapbook paper. That's the beauty of this project, it's very versatile!
If you want to hang your frame, add sawtooth hangers.
Or just lean your frame against the wall.

Congratulations!
You've just been framed for organization.

Wallpaper is Making a Comeback

Surprisingly enough, wallpaper is making a comeback. Not the wallpaper you seen in outdated homes from the seventies, but really cool designs that often look best used as an accent wall. Many wallpapers are even made to look like faux painting, which would be something to consider before attempting painting yourself if you are unsure of the outcome your attempt will have or just want to save the time. I admit, I haven’t put up wallpaper for a long time, but from what I read, it is much easier to do than it used to be. Instead of having to sand and prime walls before applying wallpaper, now you only have to clean your walls. Also, removal is said to be much easier. The wallpaper adhesive is supposed to be able to withstand humid environments like bathrooms, no now there is no where modern wallpaper can't go!

I like a lot of the wallpapers made my Ferm Living, and if wall paper is too permanent from you, they even sell wall stickers. Wall stickers are more easily removed. Actually, just now I went and reviewed the wall stickers that are on the Ferm Living website, and I must say, I find myself thinking about where I can put these in my house! I especially like these bird stickers. I think they would look really cool on a bright colored wall. Here is one of Ferm Living's wallpaper prints that I especially like: This blog is brought to you by dialysis nursing jobs.

Back to Basics

It's been great to take a break from the basic black routine. I've enjoyed painting with new colors. And after all the inspiration from the party, I'm looking forward to trying a few more. But sometimes only the color black will do.
I've been looking for some stools for my kitchen for some time now. I finally found some that had a great design and were well built. The best part about my find was that these nice little stools were at the thrift store!There was only one drawback. The stools were a dark blue and I don't have any blue in my kitchen. I do have black. I have a black table and a black cabinet. So it only made sense that these cute little stools had to be black.
I used the handy dandy liquid sander before I painted because these stools will get a lot of wear and I don't want the new paint to chip. Liquid sander works like sanding. It takes the gloss off the original finish and prepares it for a new coat of paint.I like my little stools all dressed in black. They'll fit right in with the other black furniture in my kitchen.
It's always nice to find what you've been looking for, and get it for a great price.

Decorating your Dorm Room – Part Two

Closet organizers can help you make the best use of the limited space you will have. Every college student needs a small filing box too with hanging folders.

A mini fridge and a microwave are great to have in a dorm room so if you don’t have time to go to the cafeteria for a meal, you don’t have to miss it.

Wall hangings are important to make the dorm room feel like home. Hang artwork or posters, or even pictures on your walls. A mirror is nice to hang on the wall so you can evaluate your outfits.
Good lighting is another thing that dorm rooms usually lack. Bring a large stand up lamp, you can get them for a decent price and it will make a big difference. You will also probably need a good lamp for your desk. Fun lighting like lava lamps can dress up the room.

Many dorm rooms have the option to put the beds up on tall legs. These kits are normally available, and you just need to find someone to help you set it up. Having your bed up high is awesome, because you can make use of the space underneath. One great item that can go underneath a bed is a recliner along with a little end table. I had these items in my dorm room when I went to college, and I can’t stress enough how much it did to make my room feel like home. Lots of very cheap recliners can be found on craigslist.com, and if you can’t find a decent one, you could always just buy a recliner cover. Bean bag chairs are a popular dorm room item that would fit under a bed too, and they come in lots of colors.
Photo courtesy of www.collegebedlofts.com.

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A Thank You & A Look A-Head

Thank you all so much for participating in my first ever blog party. I think it was a great success---because of all my wonderfully creative and talented friends. You all amazed me. There have been a few late comers, so check on them too. It was so fun to see the many ways spray paint can transform things. I know that I've added a few more projects to my ever growing spray paint list. I'm beginning to think it might be a wise idea to buy stock in spray paint companies. That way I might be able to recoup some of the large amounts of money I spend on those marvelous little cans.

And speaking of spray paint. . .

I went to the blue big box home improvement store to buy more paint and look what I found.I couldn't pass this guy up. Look at that toothy grin.
You can't be afraid of an old thing like this.
It has good bones...bwahhhaahaahaa!!!

I'm not putting out my Halloween decorations yet,
but I thought I'd give you a little preview of things "a-head."

Thanks Susie for the "heads up" on the crows.

Now you can see why this guy
headed out the door with me.
He's just too much fun!

Decorating your Dorm Room – Part One

Leaving home is exciting, but also a little scary. It can help to decorate your dorm room comfortably so it feels like home. This can help a lot if you start to feel home sick.

The first thing you should do before deciding on which items to decorate your room with is to choose a theme or color. Many of the items listed in this blog come in different colors, and it is nice to have a unified theme in a room. Bright colors are popular right now for dorm rooms, but an advantage to choosing more subtle colors is that you might find use for the items you buy later when you move into an apartment or a house. If you don’t want to choose one or two colors to decorate with, you could choose a theme instead to tie it all together. Rugs can add a lot to your dorm room. A colorful rug can set the tone for your room design. You can often find soft rugs that will make your room feel cozy.

A foam or feather mattress topper can help you to be comfortable at night. Dorm mattresses are normally not the most quality, and a fluffy mattress makes a big difference.

A big lounge chair pillow for your bed can be awesome to lean on while you’re studying. Body pillows are great too, and can be found in lots of different colors. Especially if you study with someone else, it is nice to have another comfortable seating option.

Check back soon for part two of this blog.

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Party On

Let's keep this party going one more day.

Tuscan Faux Painting

Before you start faux painting you should have your walls painted with a base coat of the overall color that you desire. Make sure you cover carpet and furniture with a dropcloth. Then, tape off your molding and your light switches.

Keep a dry rag handy through the whole process so you can wipe up any runs on the wall before they dry. At any painting store, Lowes, or Home Depot you can buy faux paint. Ask the employees to help you pick the colors you want. Some faux paint comes in concentrated mixtures. You will need to mix about 1/3 paint with 2/3 water. When you are just getting started it is best to use a more watered down version. You can always mix it with less water later. You can also buy premixed faux paint. It looks best to use a couple of different colors that are similar to your base coat color.

You will need a damp rag and a bucket of water to use throughout the process. As the rag gets dirty and the water gets dirty, it will actually be easier to paint. If your painting takes you longer than one day, you can even leave your rag in the bucket and reuse it for a few days. Your rag is what you will do most of your painting with. Your paintbrush is mostly just to apply the paint to the wall. When you put the paint on your wall with the brush, make sure not to use straight lines. Apply the paint randomly, then smear it around with your rag and let it dry. The goal of this style of painting is to make the walls look like they are old.
When you finish going over all of the areas you want to paint, it is important to step back and take a look from a distance. Any areas that look lighter than you want you can go over more now.

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PAINT PARTY!!!

It's Time to Celebrate the
Wonders of Spray Paint!

I've showed you my
"paint outside the black box" projects.
Now it's time to show off yours.

It will be fun to see all the
different colors you've chosen,
including our favorites, white and black.
(Yes, it's fine to show off something black)
I'm as excited as a kindergarten girl
opening a new box of crayons!

Let's start clicking and commenting!

Tuscan Style Decorating

A home decorated with a Tuscan theme will feel very peaceful to most. This style is simple and natural looking, inspired by the country, stone walls, wrought iron accessories, marble flooring, and sturdy wooden furniture.

Tuscan decorating uses comfortable, worn pieces. This style uses materials that will stand the test of time, so if you choose to decorate this way, you shouldn’t have to redecorate for a long time. Even if some of your elements start to look worn, this only helps the style to look more authentic. This style isn’t overly fancy and this is why many people will feel comfortable with this style.
The outdoor spaces of a home decorated this way are important to complete the theme. Having a patio is important, and if you can build a simple trellis over it for vines to grow on, that really helps to create the right look. Having a marble statue or a water feature looks beautiful. Other outdoor features that will look very Tuscan are paths or driveways set in stone or brick. If grass grows up between the stones or bricks it will look even better.

Colors to use when decorating your interior are earth tones such as terracotta, brick, ochre, greens, and golden yellows. Include touches of blue and green to contrast with the warm colors. Walls can be painted with soft white or grey for a more subtle look. Stenciled grape vines can look very good in Tuscan style kitchens. There are faux painting techniques that can provide a worn stucco look, I will get into those in the next blog.

Check back for the next blog about Tuscan style faux painting.

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I See Sea Glass

Last week I stood in front of rows of paint trying to find a color that I would love as much as my black. I found this beautiful Sea Glass in a satin finish. I knew right away that I would love it because it reminds me of a room in my home.

Now I just had to find an item to cover with this delightful color.

Out in storage I found this little beauty.

I had adopted her at the thrift store. She's old, beat up, and even a bit warped (I hope that's not how my kids describe me). I knew that her previous owners wanted someone to love her because before they donated her they slathered her up with a heavy coat of furniture oil. It took forever for that stuff to soak in, that's why she was in storage. But, with a new finish she could come out and enjoy family life in a room that she would relate to in color.

You know, the true beauty of sea glass is that it's a bit rough looking. So after a couple of nice coats of spray paint I covered the little table with some white glaze, to show off the details as well as the wear. Then out came the sand paper to sand the spots that would have worn naturally. And just like a piece of sea glass, the beauty of my newly made-over table came shining through.
And speaking of beauty. . . go visit Chelle and Nikki to see their beautiful five minute projects. Don't forget to leave them a little love note.

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends. Get your spray paint projects ready for Monday, cuz we're going to have a PARTY!!!

Fall Decorating - Part Two

Buy mini pumpkins and use them to line up across your mantle. Leave a few inches between each pumpkin. You can do this on bookshelves too. Mini pumpkins look great displayed randomly almost anywhere in your house, including your coffee table, end tables, bathroom counters, nightstands, or dining room table. Candles look good displayed with mini pumpkins and the display looked better with a few variations. You can even try setting some of the pumpkins on top of candle holders for a different look.
Cinnamon scented pine cones can be placed in a decorative basket and placed on a table or next to your fireplace. You can sprinkle a few fall leaves into the mix too.

A basket or bowl of green or red apples with a few fall leaves or mini pumpkins thrown in can look cute displayed on a mantle or as a centerpiece on a table.

Autumn colored candles look and smell nice, and as a bonus they don’t look out of place if you decide to use them all year long. You can usually find candlesticks of varying heights at a thrift store.

Fall placemats and plates are an investment that you can reuse every year. Placemats in green, orange, red, tan, and yellow all have a fall look to them.

Clear candy jars can be used to display fall colored candy. Candy corn always looks good for fall decorating, and M&Ms also come in fall colors.

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Espressoooohhh!

OOOOHH! May I just say that this non-black spray paint week is turning out much better than I anticipated! I'm discovering new colors and, on top of that, every project has been one that I've pulled out of storage and am now using in my home. Double Bonus!
See this little country cabinet. . . I purchased it at the thrift store years ago and it's been in storage ever since. That's why it's so dusty. I put it in the donate pile a few times, but it always managed to find it's way home. I decided that it was time to give it a makeover or give it away. It just happens to be the perfect size to fit in the alcove, above the potty, in my boys bathroom. It now has a new home, so it's time to give it a new look.
I chose to paint it espresso. Yes, I used my new little gadget. (I tried to answer all of your questions about this new tool in the comment area of Tuesdays post.) I also used my mask---safety first! If you were standing next to me when I took this picture you would have noticed that those pesky little vegetables are trying to show through the paint. I'm not too worried because I have a plan. But this is a good time to be reminded that if you're painting over an existing finish, it's important to give it a good sanding and use primer.
I'm going to hide those pesky vegies with wallpaper. I really like combining wallpaper with wood. I did it when I covered the back of my china cabinet and when I made the decorations for my daughter's wedding.
Wallpaper is thicker than regular paper and it's handy for covering big areas. You can usually buy it for just a couple of dollars at thrift stores and garage sales. I paid a dollar for a brand new roll of this pinstripe walpaper.I cut the paper to size and then adhered it to the doors.
*HELPFUL HINT* Those plastic fake credit cards, that you get in the mail as advertisements, come in handy for smoothing out the wallpaper.Then I hung it, decorated it, and filled it full of bathroom necessities. It has a new, useful life and I think it looks looks great!

I hope you're getting your spray paint projects ready for Monday's party.

Fall Decorating - Part One

Fall is on the way, so I thought I'd put together a list of a few inexpensive fall decorations and crafts you could display in your home.

Although you may not have much time to display the crafts you would make out of them until next year, it can be fun to collect fall leaves and press them in books. After they dry out completely, you can spray them with a clear fixative to help preserve them.

You can glue them randomly onto a piece of construction paper and frame it for a beautiful fall collage. Another option is to use the leaves as a border to a cute saying or list and frame the whole thing.

Another thing you can do with the leaves is make a mobile. To do this, first find two sticks and tying them together in an X by holding the sticks together and then winding fishing line around the intersection at all angles until they feel like they are connected well. Next, Tie different lengths of fishing line to the sticks. Then, use contact paper to laminate each leaf you want to use. Trim off most the excess around the shape of the leaf, but leave a little extra at the end of the stems. Then, punch holes in the stem ends. Finally, Tie the end of each piece of fishing line to the stems of each of your fall leaves. You could also just tie the leaves to a branch that is a couple of feet long, and hang the branch on a wall when you're done.
Check back soon for part two of Fall Decorating!

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Intervention Interruption

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Feng Shui – The Five Elements

Learning the use of the five elements is important to Feng Shui because the use of the elements is thought to keep the chi in rooms in the correct amounts. The five elements are fire, earth, metal, water, and wood. Each element has a shape and a few colors tied to it.

Fire is considered to be the yang of the elements. Fire should be used be used in the Northeast, South and Southwest areas of a space. It provides you with energy and helps you to achieve your goals. It is linked to summer and to heat. It can be represented with a candle or the color red, orange, pink, strong yellow, or purple.
Metal can be used to tie the other elements together in creative ways because metal is found in many colors. Metal helps you to be efficient and to have clarity. Metal elements in a room should be rounded and pleasing, not pointed. This element is represented by white, silver, bronze, copper, or gold. Metal is supposed to be used in the North, West, or Northwest of your home.

Water represents life and is a very useful element. Water should be used in the North, Southeast and East areas of your space. Water provides a space with calm, purity, and freshness. A fishbowl or aquarium or a small metal fountain can be used to represent water. The earth element, found in ceramic materials, is said to block the positive effect of the water, so fountains shouldn't be made of these materials. The colors that go with this element are blue or black.

Wood is the beginning of new life and can bring life to a home if it is used when the wood is alive. Health and growth can be brought into your home using this element. Plants are considered to be wood. Plants are good tools for Feng Shui decorating because they recycle air. A staircase leading to a doorway is considered a Feng Shui problem, because the chi can flow right out. Placing a plant on the landing can help retain the chi. Wood is represented by the color green. Wood is represented with the color green or teal. Wood should be used in the East, Southeast, and South of your home.

Earth is represented by stone, pottery, or sculptures. Earth is supposed to be used in the center of your home and also in the Northeast and Southwest sides. Earth is represented by the colors light yellow, beige, or brown. Elements of earth help create stability, and a nourishing environment for relationships.

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Projects, Smiles, and a Shelf

Hasn't it been fun to see so many variations of one five minute project? Well, I've got two more great ones for you to see. Take a blog trip to visit my friends Darlene and Emily and don't forget to make their day by leaving a note, cuz you know how we all love kind comments!
Ooohhh, and look what sweet Sue gave me.Isn't she so very nice to think of me? Isn't this a wonderful award? Aaaaww, you know me by now, I'm giving it to ALL of you because every single one of you make me smile. Please feel free to take it home with you. Go visit Sue for the rules that I didn't follow. I'm so rebellious!

It is officially day two of my black spray paint intervention. Cherry suggested that maybe I should host a "Spray paint outside the black box" party. Everyone loves a good party right? What do you think friends? I could throw the party next Monday. That would give you all time to find just the perfect project to paint any color other than black. It might be a challenge because we love our black spray paint. But it could be fun. . .

Speaking of non-black projects, this is my newest.I bought this shelf on sale at a little boutique. It was the last one, so I snatched it up. I thought I knew right where it would hang, but when I got it home it was too large for the chosen area. I tried it in other spots in my house but the deep brownish red color limited my options. I did think of painting it black, but since it's so big I didn't want the color to be overwhelming. So I decided that Dark Taupe would be a better option.Since I was experimenting with color I thought I'd experiment with gadgets too. See that attachment on my spray can? I cost less than two dollars. You just snap it on any can and then you pull the trigger. Oh! Let me tell you, it's easy and makes you feel just like a spray paint professional!After the paint was dry I took the sander to distress the shelf and bring out the details in the tin that you didn't really notice when it was a darker color.I like the shelf makeover. Dare I say that I'm glad I chose not to paint it black?!?! Now I'm off to find the perfect place for it to hang.