Thrifty Decor Mom

Please Vote For Me

2013-06-17T15:51:00.000-04:00

Hey my friends! Just a quick post to ask for a favor.

I entered my Patio Reveal at the "Simply The Best" contest over at Mom 4 Real and I would love for you to vote for me.

Here is the link ...

Click here to vote

Just click on the above link and then scroll down until you see my patio entry. Click "vote" under the photo and you're done!

Thanks so much! You peeps are the best!

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Meal Plan Monday

2013-06-17T00:00:00.000-04:00

For the week of June 17 - 23

Saucy Stir-Fried Pork

with Rice

Recipe

Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken
and Grilled Romaine Salad

Recipe

Sausage & Spinach Orecchiette

Recipe

Shredded Chicken Tacos

with Cheesy Spanish Rice

Recipe

Breakfast For Dinner -
Pancakes and Homefries

Pesto Chicken Sandwiches
and Cucumber Salad

Recipe

Have an awesome week!

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Meal Plan Monday

2013-06-10T00:00:00.000-04:00

For the week of June 10 - 16

Rosemary Ranch Grilled Chicken

and Grilled Romaine Salad

Recipe

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with

Tomato & Pesto and Broccoli Salad

Recipe

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

(Copycat P.F. Chang's Recipe)

Recipe

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Baby Red

Potatoes & Steamed Broccoli

Honey Chicken Kabobs with

Veggies & Rice

Recipe

Homemade Chicken Salad Wraps

and Caesar Salad

Have an awesome week!!

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Patio & Backyard Reveal .... Finally!

2013-06-05T00:00:00.000-04:00

We are finally done with the patio/backyard makeover and I have a bunch of photos to share!

The project started here ...

... with a new fountain, some potted flowers and freshly painted stairs.

Then we decided to turn our broken fountain into a flower urn.

I added some aqua flower pots and watering can from Walmart. Now I love this corner of the patio!

Here is the seating area under our honey-locust tree. It is shaded for most of the day and a great place to relax with some lemonade and a good book.

I just love my pallet table! The open end was closed off with some scrap wood and I gave it a new coat of paint. It makes a great table and footstool!

After the "paint my old outdoor rug failure" I decided to purchase a new one. Hopefully this one will last longer than the other one! It's in the shade so it shouldn't fade as quickly and if rain is in the forecast I roll it up and put it in the garage.

Here is the other side of the patio.

We've had the table and benches for over 10 years and they still look great. It's nice to have a large table and plenty of seating when friends and family are over.

Right off the patio is our firepit and swing.

To enclose the firepit, Handyman Hubby built a round wall out of paver stones. Then we added the firepit and filled it in with gravel.

Once the firepit starts to look really rusty and worn (like it does in this picture!) we paint it with high-heat black spray paint. It's easy to do and gives it a brand new look!

How's that for photo overload! I still have more to share but haven't finished editing all the pictures yet.

Stop back again soon! For my next project I'm working on creating curb appeal for the front of your home.

If you'd like to see more patio project photos you can click here, here and here.

*****************************

Source List:

Outdoor Rug - Target

Fountain - Lowes

Aqua/Red/Yellow Pots - Walmart

Aqua Watering Can - Walmart

Lanterns - IKEA

Pillows - Outdoor Fabric from JoAnne's

Pallet Table - DIY Project

Aqua Tray on Pallet Table - Walmart

Acrylic Pitcher - Meijer

*******************************

Have an awesome day!!

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Meal Plan Monday

2013-06-03T00:00:00.000-04:00

Wow! I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since my last post. I've been keeping busy with yardwork, projects and just the usual life stuff.

My patio makeover is almost complete. We still need to mulch and add a few final touches then I'll be sharing lots of pictures! Yippee!

Now on to the weekly meal plan ...

For the week of June 3 - 9

Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken
Enchilada Casserole

Recipe

Hamburgers/Turkey Burgers
and Loaded Scalloped Potatoes

Recipe

Rosemary Turkey Quesadillas
and Spanish Rice

Recipe

Grilled Chicken andTumbleweed Rice

Recipe

Cajun Chicken Pasta
and Grilled Romaine Salad

Recipe

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
with Rice and Eggrolls

Recipe

Have an awesome week!!

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Meal Plan Monday

2013-05-20T00:00:00.000-04:00

For the week of May 20 - 26

Rosemary Ranch Grilled Chicken

with BLT Potato Salad

Recipe

Saucy Stir-Fried Pork and Rice

Recipe

Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken

with Grilled Romaine Salad

Recipe

Sausage & Spinach Orecchiette

Recipe

Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan

with Breadsticks

Recipe

Crispy Chicken with Creamy

Italian Sauce & Bowtie Pasta

Recipe

HAVE AN AWESOME WEEK!!

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That Didn't Work

2013-05-17T00:00:00.000-04:00

I'm back with another Project Patio update. Unfortunately this one didn't turn out the way I hoped it would.

Remember my faded outdoor rug that I wanted to paint? Well, yesterday seemed like a good day to get started so I hauled the rug inside. (Rain was in the forecast and I didn't want to take a chance of it getting wet.)

I started taping and quickly realized how much work this was going to be. Instead of taping off the whole rug I decided to test a small area.

I am sooo glad that I did a test area first! I could tell almost immediately that this wasn't going to work. The paint soaked in so much that it took forever just to cover a small area.

It also looked horrible!

I have to say that it did look better after the paint dried. I started to think that maybe this will work after all.

Then I really started thinking about how much paint I would need and how long it would take. I'm guessing at least 2 gallons of paint plus sealer. It might end up costing almost as much as a new rug and it was very time consuming!

So now I'm on the hunt for a new outdoor rug.

Here are a few that I like ...

Have you ever tried to paint a rug before? How about a project that just didn't work out the way you hoped? Leave me a comment and tell me all about it!

Have a great weekend!

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Project Patio 2013 - More Updates!

2013-05-15T00:00:00.000-04:00

Hello my friends! Today I'm sharing a few more patio projects that I've been working on. We had to purchase a new fountain this year after the old one quit working.

I decided to keep the large bottom piece of the old fountain and turn it into this Flower Urn ...

To finish off this corner of the patio, I added my aqua watering can and some potted flowers.

I also spray painted the metal table organizer that was looking really shabby.

Much better! I love the pop of aqua on the table!

I've decided to paint my outdoor rug so we'll see how that goes. I guess it can't look much worse than it does now. Hopefully it works and I don't ruin it. Fingers crossed. : )

If you'd like to see more patio projects I've completed you can check them out here.

Thanks for visiting and stop back again soon!

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Meal Plan Monday

2013-05-13T00:00:00.000-04:00

For the week of May 13 - 19

Chicken Vesuvio

Recipe

Beef & Broccoli Lo Mein

Recipe

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

with Rice

Recipe

Asian Beef with Snow Peas

and Rice

Recipe

Slow Cooker Pesto Ranch Chicken

with Mashed Potatoes & Salad

Recipe

Chicken Caesar Pitas with

Caesar Salad

Recipe

Have an awesome week!

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Patio Project 2013

2013-05-08T00:00:00.000-04:00

I've been MIA lately but I have a good reason . . .

yardwork, patio projects and oh yeah, yardwork!

This is what our backyard and patio looked like in the summer of 2011.

Not bad but I was ready to change things up. So, last spring (2012) I got started. I moved the table to the other side of the patio and purchased a new umbrella, added some colorful flower pots and started working on a pallet table.

Then it got hot. Really hot. Like in the 90º's hot. It stayed like that for weeks. This is what my patio looked like for the rest of the summer...

Melted candle? Check.

Dead plants? Check

Almost finished pallet table? Check

So now, after a looong winter in Ohio I am ready to get some projects done!

Project Patio To-Do List

Pallet Table - finish sides & paint

~~Plant flowers in colorful pots~~

~~Spray paint - table organizer,~~
~~concrete sun, small lantern~~

Paint old outdoor rug or purchase new one

~~Purchase new fountain~~
(wait till you see what I do with the old broken one!)

~~Paint patio steps~~

Pull weeds, mulch and clean up flower beds

As you can see I've already crossed several things off my list! This past weekend was perfect for working outside and we
accomplished a lot.

Here is my new fountain and potted flowers. The old fountain finally bit the dust and we purchased a new one. I have an idea for using part of the old fountain so you'll have to stop back soon to see what I did.

I love having a water feature! I can hear it inside in my family room and kitchen when the windows are open.

I also busted out the aqua spray paint to revive a few items.

This is the terra cotta sun that used to hang on the side of our house. The wire broke and it can't be hung up anymore so I turned it into a stepping stone.

I still need to figure out what to do with our outdoor rug. I've had this rug for about 4 years and there isn't anything wrong with it except that it's really faded.

I'm thinking about painting it instead of spending the money on a new one. Anyone have any experience painting an outdoor rug? Can I use latex paint and seal it? I'll take any advice or ideas that you have!

Have an awesome day!!

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Meal Plan Monday

2013-05-06T00:00:00.000-04:00

For the week of May 6 - 12

Chicken Marsala

with Pasta & Tossed Salad

Recipe

Grilled Marinated Pork Chops

with Seasoned Rice

Recipe

Breakfast for Dinner -

Multigrain Chocolate Chip Pancakes

with Strawberries

Recipe

Chicken & Pepper Kebabs

with Rice

Recipe

Angel Hair Pasta with Zucchini

and Garden Herbs

Recipe

Shredded Chicken Tacos

with Cheesy Spanish Rice

Recipe

Have an awesome week!!

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Meal Plan Monday

2013-04-29T00:00:00.000-04:00

For the week of April 29 - May 5

Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken with

Mexican Wagon Wheels & Cheese

Recipe

Hamburgers/Turkey Burgers with

Homemade Fries

Chicken Caesar Pitas with

Caesar Salad

Recipe

Grilled Steaks with Baby Red Potatoes

and Tossed Salad

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Tomato,Pesto & Turkey and Pasta Salad

Recipe

BBQ Chicken, Potato Salad

Have an awesome week!

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Spoiled Rotten Dog

2013-04-26T00:00:00.000-04:00

I'm a HUGE animal lover and can't resist spoiling our dog Benny. He is 5 pounds of white fluff and thinks he is "King Of The House".

I just love that sweet face!

Benny is a Maltese and doesn't shed. His hair grows continuously so he needs to be groomed every 6-8 weeks. I have severe allergies to animals but have never had a reaction to him.

Maltese are lap dogs and love to snuggle. They are very affectionate and loyal too.

We consider Benny a member of our family and I've decorated some areas especially for him.

Benny's Food & Water Area

This is an inexpensive and easy idea. I used self-adhesive letters and paw print stickers from my local craft store. The placemat and bowls are from Petsmart.

Benny has several sweaters and a coat to keep him warm in the winter. I find most of his clothes at Petsmart when they go on clearance. No way am I paying $25 for a dog sweater!

This is one of my favorite sweaters.

Here are some of his toys ...

...they just happen to be aqua. Hmmm. ; )

Benny's crate and toy area

I found the basket with dog bones on the liner at Homegoods several years ago. He can reach in and pull out whatever toy he wants. Usually they are spread out all over the floor... just like a kid!

Sometimes he takes a nap on top of his crate! Silly little dog.

So tell me ...
Do you spoil your pets and buy them clothes and gifts?

I'd love to hear from you!

Have a great weekend!!

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TV Wall ... Plan "B"

2013-04-24T00:00:00.000-04:00

Remember my TV wall that I showed you last week? My plan was to add some DIY artwork.

I made the map art that I showed you here.

Then my plan came to a screeching halt. I tried to make it work but nothing looked right. The clock, map and other artwork was moved around every way possible. It was either too much and seemed very crowded or too bare and still needed something. After days of trying every piece of art in my house and driving Handyman Hubby crazy, I tried my $10 sunburst mirror from Family Dollar.

Plan "A" was a major fail so I went with plan "B" . . .

Sunburst Mirror on TV Wall

I moved the ottoman into the corner and added some pillows and a throw. It fills up the space without looking too crowded. Bonus ... it also hides the TV/cable wires!

There are a few updates I would still like to do in here. The walls need to be repainted and I'm thinking about a gray/brown color (like in my library & foyer).

Frappe by Valspar

I also want to add crown moulding...

Something like this would be nice. I think it would really finish off the room.

So tell me. Have you ever had an idea not work out like you envisioned? Did you try Plan "B" instead?

Have an awesome day!!

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Meal Plan Monday

2013-04-22T00:00:00.000-04:00

For the week of April 22 - 28

Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken

and Broccoli Salad

Recipe

Sausage & Spinach Orecchiette

Recipe

Ravioli with Salad and Garlic Bread

Slow Cooker Chicken and Cucumber Salad

Recipe

Asian Beef with Snow Peas and Rice

Recipe

Shredded Chicken Tacos and Spanish Rice

Recipe

Have an awesome week!!

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Map Art

2013-04-17T00:00:00.000-04:00

Today I am going to show you how

to make your very own

Map Art.

This is a super easy and inexpensive project that anyone can do.

Supplies Needed

Framed Cork Board

US Map - printed from here

Card Stock - I used blue paper that I already had

Travel Stickers and Ticket Stubs etc.

Map Pins - found at Staples $4.99

Directions

Paint frame around cork board - I used leftover white paint for mine.

Cut card stock to fit on cork. Use map pins to secure each corner.

Attach map to card stock - I used a few pieces of double-stick tape.

Add ticket stubs, stickers etc.

Use map pins to mark the cities you've visited.

I used items I already had and purchased only the map pins. The cork board was in Handyman Hubby's office. It was filled with old notes and junk that he didn't need anymore so I ~~stole~~ took it! The map was printed on cardstock from our home printer

so it was FREE!

This project can be made for around $10 or less depending on what supplies you already have. Not bad for some fun and personalized art!

My plan is to add this to the TV wall along with some other DIY art. Stop back again soon for the big reveal!

Have an awesome day!!

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Meal Plan Monday

2013-04-15T00:00:00.000-04:00

For the week of April 15 - 21

Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Chicken

with Rice and Tossed Salad

Recipe

Saucy Stir-fried Pork

and Rice

Recipe

Grilled Steak with Roasted Red

Potatoes and Green Beans

Breakfast For Dinner

Scrambled Eggs & Bacon

Chicken Vesuvio

and Tossed Salad

Recipe

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

with Rice

Recipe

Have an awesome week!!

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The TV Wall . . .

2013-04-10T15:00:00.000-04:00

My latest dilemma involves the TV wall in the family room. The wall is so empty and needs something. However, I don't want to distract from the TV and put too much "stuff" around it.

About a year ago that area looked like this . . .

We sold the giagantic armoir on Craig's List and turned an old dresser into a TV stand.

Here is what that wall currently looks like. So.Much.Better.

I have wanted to do something on this wall for the past year but what?

A few months ago I purchased this aqua clock from Target.com and I love it.

It's a good start but I definitely need to add more. Here are some of my ideas . . .

Map/Travel Art

I love the idea of using a map to "pin" cities we've visited.

Source

Here are some more ideas that I love . . .

This is a good example of using a few special photos to make a statement without being too busy.

There is a lot going on here but I like how the TV blends into the gallery of art and photos. I love all the different sizes and shapes of the frames too.

I love this wall but it might be too much around the TV. This might be a good option for the basement family room . . . hmmm.

So tell me what you think. Do you like the wall around your TV to have lots of art and photos or do you prefer the wall to be empty? I'll probably end up some where in the middle . . . not empty but not too much clutter.

Have an awesome day!!

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Meal Plan Monday

2013-04-08T00:00:00.000-04:00

For the week of April 8 - 14

Chicken Marsala

and Pasta

Recipe

Beef & Broccoli Lo Mein

Recipe

Spinach & Turkey Ziti

Recipe

Chicken Caesar Pita Sandwiches

and Caesar Salad

Recipe

Hamburgers/Turkey Burgers

and Potato Salad

Fiesta Chicken Enchiladas

and Cheesy Spanish Rice

Recipe

Have an awesome week!

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Finally . . . Spring Has Arrived!

2013-04-05T14:34:00.001-04:00

Happy Friday!

I had big plans for this week. Then a migraine hit and my asthma went crazy. This getting older stuff is for the birds! I feel like I'm falling apart. Seriously. Anybody else with me on the whole aging thing?

Before all of that, I did manage to get the Easter decorations put away. I left a few eggs and nests out for spring. It is actually starting to feel like spring around here. Finally!

The blue Ball jars make a cute vase for fresh flowers.

I love the aqua and white accessories! It looks so fresh and just feels like spring.

Before I sign off, I'd like to welcome my new followers. I can't believe over 500 of you follow my blog now! Wow!

Have an awesome weekend!

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Meal Plan Monday

2013-04-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

Hey my friends! I hope you all had a nice Easter. We spent the day with my family and ate some yummy food! We also went through old family photos and spent time with my Grandma, cousin and aunts. It was nice to get together but we were all missing my Grandpa. This is the first holiday without him.

Okay, let's get down to business and talk food! Here is my weekly menu . . .

For the week of April 1 - 7

Ranch Parmesan Chicken

and Rice Pilaf

Recipe

Ham & Cheese Sliders,

Italian Pasta Salad

Recipe

Crispy Chicken Tacos

with Mango-Chipotle Slaw

Recipe

Grilled Cheese with Tomato, Pesto & Turkey,

Chicken Noodle Soup

Recipe

Greek Pita Chicken Sandwich,

Tossed Salad

Recipe

Ranch House Crock Pot Pork Chops

with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Recipe

Have an awesome week!

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My Organized Craft Room

2013-03-28T15:35:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone! This past week I have been organizing and cleaning up my craft room. It is located in our finished basement and has been a mess for such a long time. This project has been way over due and it's so nice to finally be done.

All of my scrapbooking supplies and stamps are organized and labeled.

More storage for all my supplies . . .

Have you seen the new Ball Heritage Collection Jars? They feature a vintage-inspired blue tint and will be available this spring. I love the blue/aqua color! I used some to store craft supplies and one as a vase.

This table was in our dining room (now library). We were going to sell it on Craigslist but decided to move it to the basment instead. I love having a huge table to use for scrapbooking.

More glass jars hold craft supplies and the calendar my daughter made for me is hanging where I can see it. She makes me a calendar every year for Christmas.

This tray holds more craft supplies and a few fun accessories. It's a wood tray from Target that I painted and added wrapping paper to the bottom. I love that it can be easily moved around and keeps everything organized in one place.

I added colorful washi tape to the plain Ikea magazine holders. Some subway art and "create" artwork add fun and color.

Now that everything is organized I plan on doing some serious scrapbooking!

Source List:

Aqua & Black Photo Boxes - Michael's Craft Store

White Magazine Holders - Ikea

Magnetic White Board - Walmart

Aqua Tray - Target (several years ago)

Clear Paper Boxes - Local scrapbook store. I think JoAnn Fabrics sells similiar boxes.

"Craft" and "Create" letters - JoAnn Fabrics

Subway Art - found here

Have a great weekend!

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Meal Plan Monday

2013-03-25T00:00:00.000-04:00

For the week of March 25 - 31

Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Tacos

and Cheesy Spanish Rice

Recipe

Asian Beef & Rice

Recipe

Lasagna, Salad

Recipe

Pork Filet In Wine, Noodles

Sausage & Spinach Orecchiette

Recipe

Cheese Tortellini w/Marinara Sauce, Salad

Have a great week!!

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Spring . . . where are you?

2013-03-22T16:21:00.000-04:00

Hey my friends! Thank you so much for all the kind and sweet comments you left about my last post. I really appreciate the support and prayers from you all.

I finally have some updated photos to share with you today. The sun was shining so I was able to get some good pictures.

The calendar says it's spring but apparently Ohio didn't get the message. We've had below average temps and now a winter storm is coming this weekend. Yes people. We are talking about SNOW! A LOT of SNOW!

It may still feel like winter outside but inside it feels like spring. I gathered all my speckled eggs, birds and nests to decorate a few areas in my house.

I LOVE these kitchen towels from Marshalls. They are so bright and cheery.

While I had some great natural light, I took some updated photos of my kitchen.

I used a round cutting board that I had to display my Mrs. Meyer's cleaners and dish soap. I love the aqua and green together!

The EAT letters and fork & spoon got an update with some paint. I like them so much better painted white!

Happy Spring and have a great weekend!

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Life . . .

2013-03-20T20:10:00.000-04:00

I don't have a fabulous reveal or crafty project to share with you today. Life has been stressful lately and I haven't felt very creative.

I usually don't delve into my personal life on here but today I am. If you've been following me for a while then you know that just 6 weeks ago my grandpa passed away. My gram is still struggling to deal with his death and it's very painful for me to see her so sad.

Today my aunt was diagnosed with uterine cancer. She is only 63 and my grandma's only daughter. I am so afraid for my aunt and our family.

There are a bunch of other things on my mind too but nothing compares to the cancer diagnosis. I am trying to keep busy with projects that need to get done but it's difficult. I hope to have some new photos of my spring/Easter decor on here soon.

I've had several new followers lately and I want to welcome you to Thrifty Decor Mom. My goal is to inspire you to decorate your own home on a thrifty budget. I hope you find some ideas and inspiration here.

I'm leaving you with a photo of our dog Benny. Just looking at that cute face cheers me up.

Thanks for understanding. You all are the best!

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