Home Decor Budgetista

Luxe for Less - Marble

2012-02-08T09:30:00.000-05:00

Marble is classic, timeless, expensive and beautiful. If your pining for marble countertops but your wallet is crying, how about Formica countertops? Formica you say? Yes Formica, technology has changed the game in countertop design. I was wandering in Home Depot and I spotted the most amazing product... you know what I'm going to say, Yes, Formica.

Doesn't it look like marble?

Yummy

The countertops that look remarkably like the real deal. The price is around $16 a sq ft from the Formica Corporation which is way, way less than a marble slab. So what do you think, would you buy it?

Vacation Art Redo

2012-02-06T01:59:00.000-05:00

I love a good vacation and I've been very fortunate to travel to many great places from London to Paris to Aruba and Mexico, just to name a few. To save money for my trips, I wouldn't eat out and I would brown bag my lunch it and it was so worth it. Nothing beats lying on the beach in St. Thomas or standing under the Eiffel Tower in Paris. During every trip, I would always pick up a plate from each country and/or a cheesy sovereign.

During one of my trips to Jamaica, I purchased the following "art work" (I'm using this term loosely) and years later I'm still thinking the same thing, what exactly is it and is it getting uglier? I could blame it on the margartias but since I only have one drink a day, that can't be it so let's blame on the sun and being relaxed... yup that sounds much better.

"Art Work"

This year I've decided to start purging and getting rid of stuff that aren't enriching my life, and of course this "art work" was on my hit list. I was getting ready to throw it out when inspiration hit while I was playing around on Tagxedo. Tagxedo is a cool FREE website that allows users to use words to create visually stunning typography shapes.

It's really easy to use:
Click Create from the Home Screen
Click Load, Add the text you want and press Submit
Click "Theme" to see what happens
Click Shape arrow button and select a shape and Viola, magic!
To create my art, I uploaded the shape of Jamaica and added my words and presto, Tagxedo created the most fantastic art.

My Tagxedo creation... luv it

I, then printed the typography art at Office Depot in black and white since it was the least expensive option (it cost me less than $2). Using Mod Podge I added the print to canvas and now I have piece of art that I can live with. I think it looks way better now, what you do think?

Finished product.... (it's still a wrinkly because the Mod Podge is drying)

With all the endless possiblities with Taxgedo, head on over and play, the possibilities are endless.

Luxe for Less - Freestanding Bath Tub - $189

2012-01-31T00:51:00.001-05:00

Are you on the lookout for a freestanding bathtub, well check it out...

A bathtub for $189... what??? crazy pricing???
If you need one, head right over to Cabinets-to-go and grab it.

Happy Shopping

A Little Inspiration

2012-01-29T02:44:00.000-05:00

Design Inspiration - dSPACE Studio

2012-01-24T13:02:00.000-05:00

I was browsing Houzz the other day and I came across this FABULOUS reno, that seriously took my breath away. The renovation was done by dSPACE Studio in Chicago and let me tell you, the attention to detail, the cohesiveness of the design is top notch. It's truly a job well done. Enjoy!

Isn't this ceiling treatment to die for?

All images from Houzz

3 Dollars to Pretty

2012-01-22T19:51:00.000-05:00

Last year I bought an acrylic tray from Walmart for 88 cents during their summer clearance sale and even it looked okay I knew that I wanted to dress it up at bit since I wouldn't be using it in the kitchen. Last week I was browsing the blogs and I came across a killer idea from Chelsea from two twenty one and I couldn't wait to try it.

Before

I downloaded the background from Sprik Space, she is very generous with freebies, make sure you head over and check out her blog. I then edited the background in Picnik (Google has decided to shut down Picnik...boo...) adding my initial within a circle. I created two tray liners and printed them at Office Depot for $2, cut them and Voila!!!

After

Aren't they purty?

Linking this up to the:

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Should I & Shouldn't I

2012-01-19T16:30:00.002-05:00

You would have to be under a rock to not realize that chevron pattern is now mainstream and is everywhere. I know a lot of people are sick of chevron but it's been around forever and it's so high impact that it always makes a statement. I'm still in love with it, especially in tile work and I did a post here on bathroom inspiration and I loved the chevron tiles that were in the Tile Shop.

Target has jumped on the bandwagon and have produced a line of home decor items with chevron. I was walking in the aisles of Tar-gay and I saw a gold chevron lampshade and of course I snatched it up. I've been searching for a lamp shade to add to some solid brass lamps I picked up from goodwill.

Now that I have them home, I'm still smarting from the price tag of $20 a piece. Yup I'm ~~cheap~~ frugal like that.
I haven't really unwrapped it because I'm still on the fence, so what do you think?
Should I or shouldn't I keep it?

Luxe for Less - Labels

2012-01-17T08:30:00.000-05:00

I love a good looking label and since I'm not a Photoshop user, it's very time consuming way to create nice ones in a regular word processing program. I did create ones for the my daughter's sweet sixteen here, but they took some time. Well here comes Martha Stewart to the rescue, she's teamed up with Avery labels and have created a label line. The line is now available through Staples. Aren't they lovely?

FAITH

2012-01-16T16:06:00.001-05:00

Luxe for Less - January Sales

2012-01-16T02:19:00.000-05:00

I love a sale and January is a great time to look for home decor sales. In January, not only do you get the post Christmas sales, you also get the furniture closeout deals as the stores make way for new models. I've seen so many deals on the web so I thought that I'll share some of my favorites. Some of these items have been heavily discounted so if you like anything, grab it as I'm sure they won't last long.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Resolutions and New Starts

2011-12-30T21:57:00.000-05:00

Each new year always gives us an opportunity to start anew. I normally don't like resolutions because I really don't keep them but I've noticed that I do much better when I have set goals in mind.
So, here are the new goals I'm setting for the 2012.

1. Stop dressing like a bum - A work from home a lot and I tell you, sweat pants and head scarfs are my friends. However I was in Walmart buying a bottle of wine when the cashier took a look at my driver license's picture, and said (no lie) "You look nice here". She was lucky she was an older lady because I might have been prone to cuss her out. I was also recently (ok two days ago) approached by a woman in HomeGoods who wanted to know where I got my Louis Vuitton bag and she was shocked when I said 'the Louie Store' to which she replied, "Oh I thought it was a knock off" because obviously I looked like couldn't afford a real Louis Vuitton Bag. Yup she needed to be cussed out too. So I guess that's a sign to say stop looking homeless? Hmmm maybe...

2. Finish my bedroom - yes it's still unfinished

3. Remove the carpet from my steps and replace with wood, because right now it's nasty looking... ewww

4. Get an additional source of income -- still figuring this one out

5. Eat a piece of fruit or veggie each day

Do you have any resolutions or new goals for 2012?

Wishing everyone a healthy and prosperous 2012!

Christmas in NYC

2011-12-27T17:01:00.002-05:00

Picture Heavy Post
I hope your holidays were great and I hope Santa brought you the gifts you needed.

I had a great time with my family in NYC. If you ever had the chance to spend Christmas or even a couple of days before Christmas in New York City, do it. NYC comes alive on Christmas, we ventured out to enjoy the store windows and of course Rockefeller Center. I was disappointed with the Saks Window displays, it was so not Christmassy (it that a word?) but the Lord and Taylor windows made up for it.

Rockefeller Center

Saks Fifth Ave Holiday Window

Saks Fifth Ave Holiday Window

Lord and Taylor Holiday Window

Lord and Taylor Holiday Window - Do you see Santa?

Cheap Last Minute Gift - DIY Sugar Scrub

2011-12-23T02:29:00.000-05:00

Did you get up this morning thinking "Oh Sweet Jesus" Christmas is a day away and I still need to get a couple of gifts, or oh crap, I ran out of money and can't afford to buy another gift. Well since I have that pesky thing called a mortgage, (would you believe that bank has the nerve to want it every month) and I'm on a budget, I didn't want to spend a lot of money on Christmas this year but I still wanted to give my friends gifts they would love. Let's face nothing is worst than a scrappy gift.

I like a good sugar scrub and I started shopping around for a sugar scrub to give as gifts, but those suckers aren't cheap. So of course I thought why not make my own because I roll like that. I did a little research and there so many recipes for sugar scrubs to choose from. I tweeked the recipes and came up with my own.

Here's my recipe

3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon essential oil ( you can buy this at Michael's or a health food store)
3/4 cup extra virgin oil

In a small bowl, combine the brown and white sugar. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to blend well. Spoon the scrub into a pretty glass jar and viola, great gift for less than $3.00. I also created my own label to add to the jar.

Working on

2011-12-19T22:29:00.003-05:00

Reveal to come soon

A Hint of Gold

2011-12-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

Here's a 5 min project I did today using a dollar store candle holder and using spray paint.

Cover outside of the candle holder or vase with paper, spray inside of the vase with mirror spray paint, let dry, then spray with gold spray paint and Viola...

A fabulous little candle holder with a hint of gold. This would look great with multiple holders with flickering candles inside.

Christmas Decorations

2011-12-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

Well Christmas is right around the corner and I'm trying to get into the spirit so I finally slapped my wreath on my front door and added the mini trees to the porch. I'm hoping that seeing them will get me in the Christmas spirit. Have you put up all your decorations already?

Don't pay any attention to cord in front of the door, the bricks and the crooked picture. I rarely use the front door anyway :).

My Journey Continues

2011-12-08T15:35:00.001-05:00

Disclaimer, this post has nothing to do with design, so if you don't feel like reading, I so understand...

Today, I turned 40.

When I was 16, 40 seemed a lifetime away, now that I'm 40, 16 seems like yesterday. This is the first birthday I've had where I actually had a little anxiety approaching it, not about turning the BIG 4 0 but about where I am in my life currently. (Maybe I'm having a mid-life crisis... anywoo)

It's so easy to get discouraged if you're looking at the next person and measuring your success against someone else's life plus in the society in which we live today so much emphasis is given to staying young as if growing older is a disease. It's especially harder on us women because the message is always out there pushing us to always compete to an ideal that no human person can achieve.

Today when I woke up, I was laying in bed and thinking about my life so far and I can I tell you the anxiety faded away. While I still have many things I want to accomplish, I've realized that whatever I've done so far is enough. As Oprah says 'I am Enough'. When I immigrated to the US at 14 years old, my mom, my three siblings and I lived in one bedroom in my grandmother's house for three years until she could save up to move to an apartment. Basically, we were poor but we had each other and I never look back on that time as a struggle because really all you need at the end of the day is a loving family. With scholarships, loans and aid, I put myself through college and I have two pieces of paper on the wall that won't ever expire. :) I have a great job, I own my house (well along with bank) and I have two great kids, all while being a single parent.

I've realized that we all have different paths we need to walk and measuring your life or journey against another person can be detrimental and will leave you feeling inadequate all the time. However, while some of us will be superstars for the world, most of us can be superstars for our friends and family.

I'm leaving you with one of my favorite people, Lady B, who has walked her own path to super stardom. Her song, "I was here", says it all. I'm going continue walking my path and living my best life. So I'm praying that God continues to bless and keep me because with him, all things are possible. I'm looking forward to the next 40 plus years.

P.S. Happy Birthday to my twin, Lettie, who has decided that she going to be 36 forever. :)

2011-12-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

So, I finally broke down and painted my house. After I received all the quotes, I was tempted to paint this bad boy myself but images of me lying on the ground with a broken neck kept me from attempting the job. The look of the house is very traditional and was painted with white trim and black shutters. I decided to go with a darker trim to make the house look a bit more contemporary.

BEFORE

AFTER

A Pop of Red goes a long way

Luxe for Less - Metallic Paint

2011-12-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

I stenciled a room a couple of months ago and I used a metallic paint from Martha Stewart's paint line from Home Depot. The room came out great if I do say so myself. At the time, the paint was only available in quart cans and was fairly expensive for a quart of paint, the bummer was I only used 1/4 of the can.

I'm now planning to stencil my powder room and headed to Home Depot for more paint, because of course I needed a different color. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the metallic paint is now being sold in 8 oz jars and only for $5.48. SCORE! So if you're looking for metallic paint for a small project, head on over to Home Depot.

Cornbread Heaven

2011-11-23T00:22:00.001-05:00

Well, I can't believe that Thanksgiving is a day away, where does the time go? I normally don't share recipes but I thought I would share my favorite cornbread recipe with you.
It's an easy recipe that the kids could help you with and most importantly you won't ever have dry cornbread again. It's a winner everything I make it and the prep time is only 5 mins.

Ingredients

3 eggs

1 can cream corn

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

1 - 16 oz tub of sour cream

1 tsp of cinnamon

1 tsp of vanilla

1 tablespoon of brown sugar

2 boxes of jiffy corn muffin mix

Add Jiffy Mix and cream corn together

Add Sour Cream

Then Eggs and Oil

Then Sugar and Vanilla and Cinnamon

Bake in oven at 350 for 55 mins, then check for doneness until baked. With my oven it took 1hr 15min to bake but my oven is old. :(
***Because of the sour cream, the toothpick/fork will not be completely clean, however it should not be wet.****

Finished!!

Moist cornbread with real pieces of corn baked in.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Design Inspiration - Once Upon a Time

2011-11-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

ABC has a new show called Once Upon A Time, basely loosely on all the fairy tales we all grew up with. I was watching it the other day and can I say the evil mayor has an office to die for, OMG!
I took a couple of screen shots hopefully can you see the genius in this room. The room is supposed to convey darkness but trust me I would love to live in this "dark place". Isn't it fantastic?

The lit niches above and around the fireplace create a beautiful place to display art. The sunburst mirror has just the right glam and compliments the busy wallpaper and don't you just love the white horse? The vase with the red apples provide a pop of color in the room.

Molding Love

Loving the wallpaper, the birch firewood and the leather chair. So what you think?

Luxe for Less - Mirrors & Free-Standing Bathtubs

2011-10-07T12:39:00.001-04:00

Vanity Mirrors can be quite expensive, I found a great deal on mirrors that's less than 80% of the retail price and I just had to share. Cabinets-to-go is primarily a kitchen cabinet company, not sure if they're getting rid of the their bathroom stuff but they prices they have to offer are phenomenal specially for the large mirrors.

They also have beautiful free standing bathtubs on sale, if you in the market for a mirror or a free-standing bathtubs run on over to Cabinets- to-Go.

A Taste of Something New

2011-09-15T00:56:00.000-04:00

It's surprising to see how my decor taste have changed over the years. Unfortunately I don't have a magic wand to replace everything when that happens, so I have to work on one room at a time.
My family room is definitely on my list to revamp, it currently looks like this:

The sofa was a custom piece and I learned a hard lesson on that purchase, do not buy an investment piece of furniture that's not a neutral. Since, the sofa is an eight way hand tied piece, I want to keep the sofa but I'm going to have to slipcover it so that it can work with my new decor. (Full disclosure, I can't claim the swag nor the blinds, those were hand me downs from the last owners.)

I think a paint job, removing the armoire, drapes, vertical blinds and adding some new accent furniture will give me the look I want. After all the changes I hope to have a family room that feels as airy as the one below.

photo credit: Lonny

Do you have a piece of furniture that you purchased a while back, that you wouldn't buy today?

Loving this Light

2011-09-12T09:47:00.000-04:00

I was browsing the aisles of Lowes (actually I was looking for water heaters) when I saw this fabulous light and of course I gasped (yup I'm a nerd like that).

Gosh isn't it fantastic?. It would perfect hanging over an island and since I'm always looking for a bargain, the price is spot on. You can own this light for only $119, isn't that a great deal. Loving Lowes!

Bathroom Mood Board I

2011-09-09T01:09:00.000-04:00

I'm knee deep in bathroom research and loving it. The choices available are so varied and plentiful and I know it's going to take a while for me to make a final decision however I created a mood board as a jumping off point. I'm going for a timeless design since I'm never doing this again. :-)

The Santiago Glass and Stone Mix Mosaic ($15 sq. ft) & Calacata Gold Porcelain Tile ($4 sq ft) from Floor and Depot Outlets is a great combo. The porcelain tile looks so much like marble and it's a really good buy.
This fabric from Tonic Living is great for shower curtain or a custom roman blinds and at $10 a yd it's a steal.
I love lighting and this crystal pendant delivers from Overstock with a price of only $163.
Who does love a great looking mirror? This pearl beaded mirror priced at $135 will bring a sophiscated feeling to the bathroom.
This bathroom vanity light has a Restoration hardware vibe to it but it cost only $84.
Charcoal paint from Restoration Hardware is a nice neutral color.
Last but definitely not least this Double-basin Marble Vanity is a traditional classic vanity that will outlast all the trends and comes from my favorite site O.co for $1009 and the shipping cost is peanuts.