Thrifty Decor Mom

Meal Plan Monday

2012-02-27T06:00:00.010-05:00

Hello my friends! I'm back with another week of meals and a recipe.

I've been working on some really fun and thrifty projects and can't wait to share! Make sure you stop back later this week to see what I've been up to.

Meal Plan for February 27 thru March 4

Monday - Soup, BLT Sandwiches

Tuesday - Ravioli, Garlic Bread

Wednesday - Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore, Pasta

Thursday - Taco Pizza, Salad

Friday - Eat Out

Saturday - Quiche with Hash Brown Crust

Sunday - Chicken Teriyaki With Broccoli, Rice

Taco Pizza

I found this recipe at Joyful Homemaking and my family loves it!

1 Pizza Crust - I used Pillsbury Roll Out Dough

1 Cup Pizza Sauce

1-2 Cups Browned Ground Beef or Turkey

1 Tbs Taco Seasoning

2 Medium Tomatoes, Seeded & Chopped

2 Cups Shredded Cheese - Mozzarella & Cheddar

Shredded Lettuce

Sour Cream

Roll out pizza crust and pre-bake as directed on package. Top with sauce then add ground beef (or turkey) that you've seasoned with the taco seasoning. Top with tomatoes and cheese. Bake at 400º for 15-20 minutes. To serve, top with lettuce and sour cream.

I'm sure you've all heard that Google Friend Connect will soon be deactivated for all non-blogspot blogs. Although this change won't affect me right now, I've decided to add the new Linky Followers widget to my sidebar. Please sign up to follow me under "Linky Followers" so you won't miss a post! Thanks bunches!

Thrifty St. Patrick's Day Decor

2012-02-22T06:00:00.014-05:00

Hey everyone! After putting everything away from Valentine's Day, I decided to do a little St. Patty's Day decorating.

I used stuff that I already had and only purchased 2 new items. The chippy white porch post is from a consignment store in Mansfield. I love it and will probably leave it out all the time! The only other item I purchased was a $2 bag of gold coins at JoAnn's.

I put the gold coins in a green candle holder and brought out the subway art from last year. The greenery is from the Dollar Store (in a metal vase from Goodwill) and I added a little tag that I stamped "Lucky" on. I still love my DIY glass hurricane with a candle nestled in some split peas.

Here is the shelf in my hallway all decked out with green . . .

I printed off another subway art and framed it. The moss rocks were a $1 find from last year. The little vase is from a set of 3 for Valentine's Day. I just turned it around to hide the heart and added some flowers. Then I got the kids Scrabble game out and spelled "Lucky".

So there is my Thrifty St. Patrick's Day decor. Remember that you can have fun decorating and it doesn't have to cost a lot! Once you have a few basic items you can use them over and over for every holiday.

HAVE AN AWESOME DAY!!!

Linking up to the following parties:

Meal Plan Monday

2012-02-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

Meal plan for the week of February 20 thru 26

Monday - Tacos In Pasta Shells

Tuesday - Chicken Tortellini Soup, French Bread

Wednesday - Crockpot Enchiladas, Mexican Rice

Thursday - Chicken w/Creamy Mustard Sauce, Red Potatoes, Green Beans

Friday - Eat Out

Saturday - Lasagna, Salad

Sunday - Salsa Chicken, Rice

Crockpot Enchiladas Recipe

*4 Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts
*2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup
*1 Can (10 oz) Enchilada Sauce
*1/2 Cup Salsa
*6 Whole Grain Tortillas
*2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
*Toppings: Lettuce, Diced Tomato, Sour Cream

Cook Chicken with soup, enchilada sauce and salsa in crockpot for 6-7 hours on low. Chicken will pull apart with fork (do this on a cutting board then add chicken back to crockpot and mix).

Fill tortillas with the chicken mixture, roll them up, lay them in a 9 x 13 baking dish and top with cheese. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes OR you can mix the cheese into the crockpot during the last 20 minutes. Serve the mixture in warmed tortillas with all the toppings.

Have a great week everybody! I am going to be super busy this week working with 2 clients. I'm so excited and can't wait to share before/after pics with you!

Favorite Things Friday

2012-02-17T06:00:00.002-05:00

EOS Hand Lotion - I love this stuff for several reasons. First, it smells great! Second, it comes in a cute little turquoise container!

How cute is that! It's the perfect size for your purse or car.

I also love the EOS Lip Balm in Sweet Mint. It just happens to be in a turquoise container too!

The lip balm and hand lotion comes
in several flavors/scents and colors. My fave is the turquoise. : )

Available at Walgreens, Walmart or here.

Foyer Reveal

2012-02-15T10:27:00.022-05:00

It's official. I'm sick of painting. The spindles on the staircase were a royal pain! It took a lot of white paint to cover the orange-y stained wood. I think I lost count after 3 coats! I also decided to paint my front door and that also took 3 coats of paint!

Here is what my foyer/staircase looked like before . . .

Here is my foyer today . . .

Hello! Does that not look 100% better?

Try to ignore the nasty carpet on the stairs. I sooo want to rip it up but that's not in the budget right now.

I'm just lovin' the front door painted black. My kids and Handyman Hubby thought I was crazy for painting it . . . now they love it too! I don't know why they doubt me. I am the decorator around here!

How about those wrinkles in the rug? I guess I need to iron those out. Whoops!

As always, I'm amazed at what a little paint can do.

My foyer wasn't bad before but it definitely needed some WOW! Mission accomplished.

Linking up to the following parties:

Meal Plan Monday

2012-02-13T06:00:00.002-05:00

Hello and Happy Monday! I spent the weekend painting and still have more to do! Wait till you see how different the hallway looks with the handrails painted white!

Here is my Meal Plan for February 13 thru 19:

Monday - Taco Pizza, Salad

Tuesday - Asian Ginger Sesame Chicken, Rice, Broccoli

Wednesday - Slow Cooker Chicken, Roasted Red Potatoes, Carrots

Thursday - Angel Hair with Chicken, Zucchini and Herbs, Wheat Rolls

Friday - Eat Out

Saturday - Chicken Marsala, Pasta, Salad

Sunday - Chicken Enchiladas, Mexican Rice

Have a great week!

Organizing My Purse

2012-02-10T06:00:00.001-05:00

Ever since I found mold on my bathroom blinds I've been on a mission . . . to clean and organize everything! Even my purse did not escape my neurotic cleaning and organizing!

I recently purchased a new purse and wallet.
The purse is just basic black and
goes with everything. My wallet is turquoise and I love it! I know you want one too so here is where you can order your own.

Hey! Wait just a minute! My wallet didn't come with all that money inside!

Here is a look at the contents of my purse.

*Turquoise Wallet
*iPhone (in a turquoise case!)
*Sunglasses (in Thirty-One case)
*Cosmetic Bag - this contains hand sanitizer, tissues,
hand lotion, lip balm, etc.
*Fold & Go Organizer from Thirty-One. This contains a
pad of paper, pens, notes and receipts.

I love, love, love this wallet! There are plenty of places for credit/debit cards, a zippered pouch and several roomy pockets.

This is the Fold & Go Organizer from Thirty-One. It comes with a pad of paper and has a pocket on one side and a larger pocket with a velcro closure on the other side.

The sunglasses case from Thirty-One is nice and roomy. There is a zippered pouch on the outside.

So here is what my purse looks like now. Clean and organized.

Has anyone else organized their wallet and/or purse lately? It's so nice when everything has a place and is easily accessible.

Well I'm off to clean and organize some more! Still working on painting the stair rails too. Have a great weekend!

Motivated By Mold

2012-02-08T06:00:00.021-05:00

I'm ashamed and embarrassed. I found mold in my master bathroom. Yes, me. Neat and tidy perfectionist. How could this happen?

In our master bath there
are 2 windows around the corner tub. A few years ago I hung roman shades which looked nice at first. I quickly realized how hard they were to clean. Dust would collect and it was almost impossible to remove it. About a week ago I noticed something on the blinds. It was freakin mold!! I used to open the blinds everyday so moisture wouldn't build up in the window but lately I've been lazy. It's a pain to open them because I have to climb into the tub. I know, I know . . . lame excuse. Anyway, there was mold in my bathroom and I wanted those blinds down and out of my house! Thankfully Handyman Hubby came to the rescue. He put on a haz-mat suit and got to work! Actually he just took down the blinds and cleaned the windows really well.

We replaced the moldy blinds with some new blinds from Lowes. I have the same blinds on all the other upstairs windows and I love them.

Here is what my master bath looks like now . . .

As you can see from the photos, I've changed the paint color, mirrors and few other things.

Finding that nasty mold and replacing the blinds has motivated me to finish this room. It was about 95% done and has stayed like this for several years. I'm going to paint the cabinets chocolate brown like I did in my kids bathroom. That will make a huge difference! I also need to accessorize around the tub and tweak a few things.

The moral of this story is . . . first, I need to stop being so lazy and open those dang blinds everyday! and second, I need to clean my bathroom more often (I hate cleaning bathrooms!).

Just keeping it real people. Please don't hate me because I had moldy blinds. I swear it will never happen again! Pinky promise! : )

Linking up to the following parties:

Meal Plan Monday

2012-02-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Monday my friends! Are you ready for another week of fun here at Thrifty Decor Mom? I hope so because I started another project over the weekend. : ) If you want to see a sneak peek head on over to my Facebook page.

Here is what I've planned for dinner this week . . .

Meal Plan for the week of February 6 - 12

Monday - Chicken Teriyaki with Broccoli, Rice

Tuesday - Rotini with Marinara Sauce, Salad

Wednesday - Foil Pack Taco Chicken with Potatoes

Thursday - Breakfast For Dinner/Pancakes

Friday - Party Chicken, Rice, Broccoli

Saturday - Eat Out

Sunday - Ladle-It-On Lasagna, French Bread

Foil-Pack Taco Chicken

*4 Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts
*4 tsp. Taco Seasoning Mix
*1/2 lb. Red Potatoes, Thinly Sliced (about 2 cups)
*1/2 Cup Salsa
*3/4 Cup Shredded Mexican Cheese
*1/4 Cup Light Sour Cream

Preheat oven to 400º. Sprinkle chicken with seasoning mix. Place 1/2 cup of the potatos on center of each of 4 large sheets of heavy-duty foil (use nonstick foil or spray foil with cooking spray). Top evenly with chicken, salsa and cheese.

Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and both ends to seal each packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Place in a baking pan.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove packets from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Cut slits in foil to release steam before opening. Serve with sour cream.

Linking up to the following parties:

A Free Sign

2012-02-03T06:00:00.024-05:00

Happy Friday! I just finished up a super easy and FREE project. Remember the family sign I made last year for my kitchen?

Well, I kinda took it down and used it in my new library.

I love it on the gallery wall but that left an empty space in the kitchen.

I've always wanted a "GROCERY" sign for my kitchen so I made one. I used a piece of my neighbors fence that fell off into my yard. They don't really take care of their fence (or anything else for that matter) and it's literally falling apart. I'm being totally serious.

Here is what I started with . . .

1 broken and weathered fence board
Letters printed out in size and font I wanted

I cut out the letters, laid them out on the board and traced around each one.

Then I used white paint (that I already had) and colored in each letter.

After the paint dried I used a little sand paper to rough up the edges of each letter.

Here is my new FREE sign!

I just have to say that we live in a fairly nice neighborhood . . . really! Our neighbors just don't care how their house or yard looks. We're the total opposite so it really stinks living next to people like them. I think it's kinda funny that I have a piece of their fence hanging in my kitchen now . . . ha ha!

Have a great weekend!

Linking up to the following parties:

Making The World Cuter

Front Door Lantern

2012-02-01T06:00:00.007-05:00

Hey there! Are you ready for February? It's hard to believe that the whole month of January has passed by. Time sure flies when you're having fun blogging and decorating!

I saw this idea of hanging an Ikea lantern by the front door at Ohh Baby. Very cute!

When I was at Ikea last week I picked up one of those lanterns.

Then I found a hanging bracket on clearance at Meijer's.

Here is my lantern by the front door . . .

I used a flameless tea light because I didn't want to worry about the metal getting hot.

I love how it looks with the mirror and table in my entry.

Lantern - $3.99 Ikea
Bracket - $2.39 Meijer's

Total - A very thrifty $6.38

Have a great day!

Linking up to the following parties:

Meal Plan Monday

2012-01-30T06:00:00.002-05:00

Meal Plan

January 30 thru February 5

Monday - Chicken Tortellini Soup

Tuesday - Ravioli, Wheat Rolls

Wednesday - Chicken Enchiladas, Mexican Rice

Thursday - Baked Chicken, Red Potatoes, Carrots

Friday - Eat Out

Saturday - Chicken Nacho Bake, Rice

Sunday - Leftovers

Chicken Nacho Bake

*4 Small Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

*1/2 Cup Salsa

*1/4 Cup Sour Cream

*1/2 Cup Crushed Tortilla Chips

*1/2 Cup Mexican Style Shredded Cheese

Preheat oven to 400º. Place chicken on foil-covered baking sheet. Slice 3 cuts on top of each chicken breast with sharp knife.

Top each chicken breast evenly with salsa, sour cream and tortilla chips.

Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Don't forget to enter the Sneakpeeq Giveaway! Go here to enter for a chance to win 1 of 2 giftcards.

Linking up to the following parties:

And The Winner Is . . .

2012-01-28T10:33:00.000-05:00

The winner of the Thirty-One Cinch It Up Thermal Tote is . . . Number 26 . . .

Eilis from

My Heart Lives Here

Congratulations Eilis!!

Please email me as soon as possible and I will pass along your information to Tracey at Thirty-One.

Organized Linen Closet

2012-01-27T06:00:00.012-05:00

It's Friday! Yeah! I am ready for the weekend and some more DIY projects. I'm not sure if Handyman Hubby is though. : )

I'd like to welcome my newest followers! I'm so happy to have you here! Hopefully you'll find some inspiration, ideas and maybe a few laughs along the way.

Today I'm sharing how I organize my linen closet. Super exciting stuff, huh? First of all, I don't store my linens/sheets in here. I mainly use this closet for bath towels, washcloths, cleaning products and personal products.

I attempted to organize this space a while ago but it wasn't working for me. Here is what I started with . . .

Not bad, but not really working either.

I took everything out and started over. I went through each bin and tossed all the old and expired medication. I found some pain medicine from 2008! Holy cow! Obviously I need to do this more often!

I love the storage boxes with lids from Walmart! I think they are about a $1.00 each.

I have divided everything into the following catagories . . .

Upset Stomach/Headache
Travel
Children's Medication
Allery/Itch Relief
Dental
Cough & Cold
Shaving/Razors
First Aid

I did a lot of purging and found a lot of duplicate items. Now it's pretty (as pretty as a closet can be!) and organized. Let's hope it stays that way . . .

Don't you love my rainbow of bath towels! It's an indication of how many different colors our bathrooms have been! I've decided from now on that any new bath towels I buy are going to be white. : )

Sorry about the dark photo's . . . we haven't seen the sun here in days! Ahh, winter in Ohio.

**Update: After receiving a comment about the lip balm jar in my linen closet, I feel the need to clarify this. The jar contains NEW lip balm. When someone needs a lip balm they take one from the jar and keep it. We don't use it then put it back in the jar.

Linking up to the following parties:

Don't forget about the 2 giveaways I'm hosting!

Go here to enter the Thirty-one Thermal Tote Giveaway. Contest ends tonight at 9PM (est).

Go here to enter the Sneakpeeq Giveaway. You could win 1 of 2 gift cards!

Have a great weekend!

Sneakpeeq Giveaway

2012-01-25T06:00:00.054-05:00

Hey everyone! I was recently contacted by Sneakpeeq to host a giveaway. I know you all love to shop and I do too! What about shopping for FREE? Now that is my kind of shopping!

So you're probably wondering what is Sneakpeeq?

Sneakpeeq is the largest and fastest growing social shopping company on Facebook. They have partnered with brands in fashion, home and gourmet food.

The awesome folks at Sneakpeeq are hosting a giveaway for 2 of you lucky Thrifty Decor Mom followers!

Here is what you can win!

Grand Prize: $25 Gift Card

Runner-Up Prize: $10 Gift Card

Plus, Sneakpeeq is giving away 20% off your next purchase just for entering!

Head on over to Sneakpeeq to discover new products in their amazingly low-priced boutiques!

You can enter the giveaway by clicking on this link:
http://bit.ly/xqT88m and joining Sneakpeeq (it's free to join!). This giveaway will end on February 8, 2012 and the winners will be announced here. Good luck!!

Meal Plan Monday

2012-01-23T06:00:00.001-05:00

Meal Plan

January 23 thru 29

Monday - Leftovers (I'll be at Ikea so the hubby & kids are on their own for dinner!)

Tuesday - Parmesan Crusted Chicken, Rice, Broccoli

Wednesday - Potato Soup, Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Thursday - Chicken Tacos, Mexican Rice

Friday - Eat Out

Saturday - Meatloaf, Scalloped Potatoes

Sunday - Ladle-It-On-Lasagna, Wheat Rolls

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

*2 Cups Brown Rice, Uncooked
*1 Can (14 oz) Chicken Broth
*6 Ritz Crackers, Finely Crushed
*2 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan
Cheese
*4 Boneless Skinless Chicken
Breasts
*2 tsp. Olive Oil
*1/3 Cup Philadelphia Chive & Onion
Cream Cheese

Cook rice as directed on package, using 1 1/4 cups of the broth and 1/2 cup water.

Meanwhile, mix cracker crumbs and parmesan cheese in shallow bowl or plate. Rinse chicken with cold water; shake off excess water. Dip chicken in cracker mixture, turning to coat.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken; cook 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Place chicken on serving plate. Set aside and keep warm. Add remaining 1/2 cup broth and cream cheese spread to same skillet. Cook on medium heat until mixture just comes to a boil, stirring constantly. Simmer 3 minutes or until sauce thickens. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serve rice with chicken.

Don't forget to enter the Thirty-One Thermal Tote Giveaway! You can enter here.

Plainly Stated Mirrors

2012-01-21T22:23:00.000-05:00

Happy weekend everyone! I would like to introduce my new sponsor Plainly Stated Mirrors.

Here are a few of the items for sale at the Plainly Stated Mirrors Etsy shop . . .

Each unique item is laser cut mirror.

How cool is that!

You can even custom order items.

Check out this Illinois state mirror!
Now that would make an awesome gift!

I'm so excited to be working with Plainly Stated Mirrors because I love sharing awesome products with you all. You can go here to see more.

Hey! Don't forget to enter the Thirty-One Thermal Tote Giveaway. You can enter here.

I Just Couldn't Wait . . .

2012-01-20T06:00:00.047-05:00

I couldn't wait one more day. Today I busted out the Valentine's Day decorations. I tried really hard to wait until the end of January but I just couldn't do it. There are so many cute ideas out in blogland and I was itching to decorate.

I usually just decorate my console table in the family room . . . but this time I decided to decorate the hall shelf too.

I love turquoise and red together!

I found the set of 3 white vases at the Target Dollar Spot - I think they were $2.50. The burlap heart is from JoAnn's (last year on clearance). Everything else I already had.

Here is my console table all decked out . . .

I need to hide that lamp cord!!

When I saw the mailbox idea on Pintrist I knew it was something I had to recreate. The mailboxes are only $1 at Target's Dollar Spot. I already had the candlesticks but they were really ugly. I slapped on some white paint and for $2 I have these cuties!

I might have done a happy dance in Target when I saw the turquoise mailboxes! : )

The only thing I purchased besides the mailboxes were the felt hearts. I found them at the Dollar Store and they were picks but I cut the stems off. I reused one of the Family Dollar candles and just added some polka dot ribbon. (I always tape the ribbon on the back so it can be reused).

Remember that you can have really cute decorations without breaking the bank. The Dollar Store is a great place to find inexpensive items. I also check out the clearance section at Target and craft stores to get things super cheap.

Don't forget to enter the Thirty-One Thermal Tote Giveaway! You can enter here.

I was featured!

Linking up to the following parties:

The Girl Creative

Awesome Giveaway

2012-01-18T06:00:00.008-05:00

Giveaway now closed 1/28/12
I have such a great giveaway to share with you today! A reader recently contacted me about her business with Thirty-One. She shared with me why she started her business and what it means to her.
Meet Tracey . . .
At Thirty-One we talk about our "WHY". Why we started this journey with Thirty-One. I became part of this company when I was laid off from my full-time job. I was pregnant with our second child and fortunately for our family my husband was able to provide financially so I could stay at home. However, I really wanted to feel like I was contributing to our family finances. After seeing a few products and talking with a friend who sells Thirty-One I decided this company was for me. I love, love, love their products! They help you stay organized and are stylish at the same time.
I'm sure most of you have heard of Thirty-One but just in case you haven't, here is a little background about Cindy Monroe, Founder and CEO.
Eight years ago Cindy wanted to help women like herself contribute to their lives financially by owning their own business. It is from this passionate resolve that Thirty-One was born. She began sewing purses with one machine in the basement of her Chattanooga, TN home.
Today the Thirty-One family has grown to more than 40,000 consultants nationwide! Their stylish, affordable products are exclusive to Thirty-One. From purses to totes to storage solutions that help organize your life, you'll find something to fit every personality and situation.

Okay, now for the good stuff! Here is what Tracey is giving to one of you lucky readers . . .
Cinch It Up Thermal Totein Black Paisley Parade
How cute is that!!

She is also offering a 10% discount on all orders placed by January 27th! To receive the discount please email Tracey directly with your order.

There are 4 ways you can enter this giveaway:
1. Follow Thrifty Decor Mom - leave a comment.
2. Follow Thrifty Decor Mom on Facebook - leave a comment.
3. Visit Tracey's website - then come back here and leave a comment telling me what Thirty-One product is your favorite.
4. Share this giveaway on your blog or Facebook -then come back here and leave a comment.
This giveaway ends on Friday, January 27, 2012 at 9:00 PM (est). USA customers only. Good luck!
January Customer Specials:
Zip It Thermal Tote $10 (save $5)Cinch It Up Thermal Tote $15 (save $5)

February Customer Special:
For every $31 you spend, get 31% off any item in the new catalog during the month of February.

Linking up to the following parties:

Meal Plan Monday

2012-01-16T06:00:00.004-05:00

Hey everybody! Did you have a nice weekend? We got a whole bunch of stuff done. What do you think of the blog changes? I have wanted to update my blog for a while and finally got around to it. There are still a few things left to do so if it looks wonky around here that's why.
I also finished the library - finally! It turned out even better than I expected! If you missed the post you can check it out here.
Here is my Meal Plan for the week ofJanuary 16 thru January 22:
Monday - Lasagna Soup, Wheat Rolls
Tuesday - Asian Ginger Sesame Chicken w/Rice
Wednesday - Chicken Tortellini Soup
Thursday - Beef & Broccoli Lo Mein
Friday - Eat Out
Saturday - Lasagna, Salad
Sunday - Breakfast For Dinner

Chicken Tortellini Soup
This soup is quick and easy to make and tastes delicious! Even my kids like it and they are really picky eaters!
* 4 carrots, cut into bite-size pieces* 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth* 8 oz cheese tortellini (fresh or frozen)* 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, shredded* salt & pepper* 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley* 1/2 tsp. ground rosemary - optional
In a large saucepan, simmer the carrots in the broth until tender, 10-12 minutes.
Add the tortellini and simmer until tender, 2-4 minutes.
Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 1-2 minutes more. Season with salt, pepper and rosemary (if desired) then sprinkle with parsley.

Library Reveal

2012-01-14T16:48:00.042-05:00

The library is done and I couldn't be happier! I had a vision of what I wanted this room to look like and it turned out even better than I could have imagined!

The last thing to do was put the MDF top and trim on the bookcases.

We used 1 long piece so there weren't any seams. All the nail holes were filled in with spackle and the MDF was primed.

Then Handyman Hubby added the trim. He hates doing the trim and mitering the corners. It would help if he had a better saw. I think he did a great job!

Here is the MDF and trim all painted and looking purdy!

Doesn't it look like one big bookcase?

Here's the other side of the room . . .

Some fun close up pictures . . .

This is looking out at the front door and foyer from the library. See my vintage EXIT sign above the door? You know, just in case you can't find the way out. : )

The only thing I still want to change is the orange-y stair rail. I was thinking of painting it white but someone suggested black. Hmmm . . what do you think?

If you'd like to see the progress of this room click here, here and here.

One last photo of the before . . . wow! What a difference!!

HAVE AN AWESOME WEEKEND!!!

I was featured!

Linking up to the following parties:

Final Library Project

2012-01-12T18:50:00.006-05:00

I am so excited to show you this little makeover. Not because it turned out awesome - which it did : ) - but because this is the last of the library projects. Yes, people, I have finally finished my library. It only took me umm like 3 months!

This is my cutie pie foot stool . . .

I have 2 of these stools from Target and my kids used them to reach the sink when they were little.

The legs were already white and the top was lightly stained. I used my Aquatic Mist Valspar sample to paint the top. It looked really nice but I felt that it just needed something. The Graphic's Fairy came to the rescue with this French label that I Mod Podged on top.

Isn't she the cutest?! I spent no money on this update. I already had the stool, free paint sample and printed the label for free. Waa hoo!!

Now I know you all are just dying to see the finished library. You'll have to wait just a day or two for the big reveal. It has been so cloudy and gray here that I can't get any good pictures. Hopefully the sun will come back soon and I can get some great pix for you. Let me just say that it looks ah-may-zing!!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!

Linking up to the following parties:

My Junky Junk Drawer

2012-01-10T06:00:00.008-05:00

Let me set the scene for you. I walk into the kitchen looking for something - paper, pen, something. I proceed to open the junk drawer and this disaster is staring at me . . .

Geez! No wonder I can't find anything in here! I stopped everything and dumped all that junk out of the drawer. Sorry, I didn't take a picture of that. Trust me. There was a lot of stuff.

I threw away dried up markers, pens that didn't work and relocated some items to another drawer.

Now my junky junk drawer isn't so junky. It's all organized and pretty. . .

I can actually find stuff. Amazing!

As great as this all seems, I have inadvertently created another problem. Now there are a bunch of other drawers around the house that need to be organized. : (

Meal Plan Monday

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hello my friends! I hope you had a nice weekend. We enjoyed some really nice weather here in central Ohio. So far we've had warm temps and no snow and that is just fine with me. I would be happy to skip the rest of winter and go right to spring! I'm sure winter will show up soon and we'll have a blizzard or something!

Here is my meal plan for the week of January 9 - 15

Monday - Slow Cooker Chicken, Roasted Red Potatoes
Cooked Carrots

Tuesday - Take Out Pizza

Wednesday - Lasagna Soup, Wheat Rolls

Thursday - Chicken Marsala, Wheat Noodles

Friday - Breakfast For Dinner

Saturday - Turkey Burgers, Pasta Salad

Sunday - Soup, Chicken Salad Sandwiches

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!!

Favorite Things Friday

2012-01-06T09:35:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday! Today I'm sharing one of my favorite things that also happens to be turquoise!

I purchased this lined journal at Hallmark over a year ago. It is still empty. I have not written one dang word in it.

I told myself I was going to start writing every day . . . even if it was just a few sentences.

Umm, it's January 6th and the journal is still empty. Why is it so hard to start something new?

In my defense (lord knows I need one!) I just got over a horrible cold and then just when I started feeling better I got a migraine. It was a doozy too. Lasted 2 days and I still don't feel back to normal.

Look at how purdy she is! I love the faux croc cover and silver edged pages.

I'm not sure if Hallmark sells these anymore but you can find similar journals here.

Have an awesome weekend!