* THE COUNTRY CHIC COTTAGE (DIY, Home Decor, Crafts, Farmhouse)

Zebra Themed Teen Room

2012-01-31T20:56:00.001-06:00

I am participating in the Apartment Guide “New Year, New Style: Decorating on a Budget” Blogger Challenge. I am tackling my teen's room as she prepares to head off to college. See our planning process here. I wanted to update her space with items that will transition well to college. The challenge was to take $150 and refresh the space. You will have to read all the way down for the budget breakdown.

The place to start is bedding. We were adding zebra touches to the room so we had to have zebra bedding. First, I had my teen pick out the bedding she wanted. It was zebra with pink cheetah touches. (Cheetah!!) I then scoured the net for the best price. Would you believe that JCPenney had the best price by far? As in 1/2 as much as the other guys. $55 for whole bed in a bag set. The best part of this deal? She had gotten zebra sheets a few months back. I was able to use the cheetah sheets as fabric for other elements in her room. BONUS! The art above her bed I made over a year ago. It is just black and white fabric with the "peace, love, and happiness" added on with heat n bond. I then stretch the fabric over the top of an oversize frame. We collect "E's" whenever I find them at at thrift store. The ruffle pillow cover was from group dealz a few months back and it was actually given to me by a great friend.

Now for the desk area. She already had two memo boards. I used my own tutorial for covering memo boards and recovered both of them. The zebra desk lamp came from Big Lots for $15. I will be talking specifics about some of the elements more this week...so look out for more on that mirror on the left.

My daughter loves quotes of all types. I had purchased some quote art for her for Christmas this year. We had not hung it up so this was the perfect excuse to use it. I will be showing you more about that white and green covered memo board in a few weeks.

The other memo board got covered in zebra. The fabric came from Hobby Lobby and was clearanced at $5 a yard. That tone on tone black ribbon also came from Hobby Lobby at $2.99. The roses are from the boyfriend so free to me. :)

Some of that cheetah sheets ended up recovering a pillow that she already had. The colorful crochet is courtesy of my teen. Yes she is a crocheter. :) The storage ottoman was $14.99 at Big Lots and will be making the college trek. Perfect to hide things in. There was also a pink hamper that I failed to get a pic of and it was $5 at Big Lots. Do you notice a trend? My fave stop for budget decor is Big Lots!

Another budget friendly idea is to frame fabric and hang it on the wall....

I had the frame on hand. I just added in the fabrics and a piece of the ribbon in between them. Instant art with things I already had on hand...

Spray paint was also my friend for this makeover. Those wall boxes were already on the wall and they are filled with momentos. Around the mirrors are post its with quotes on them. I told you...the girl loves quotes.

I just had to make a zebra jewelry organizer. I will talk more about that tomorrow night. This is definitely something that can go with her to college. Plus it makes a bold statement!

She has also became the scarf diva. So we took a scarf hanger and an over the door hanger and used it to display her scarves....

Ready for the cost breakdown?

Bed in a bag $65 (shipped)
Lamp $15
Hamper $5
Ottoman $15
Spray paint $10
Zebra fabric $10
Ribbon $6
Scarf Hanger $3
Craft Paint $2
Hooks $1

Button Kits $6

Thrift store finds $7.50

GRAND TOTAL $145.50

The best part is that every single item can transition to her dorm room and beyond. Gotta love that! Stay tuned as the rest of the week I will let y'all in on some more room details!

If you’re ready for a whole new space or are looking to move, Apartment Guide has the photos, floor plans, features and tips to help you find the perfect apartment community. Be sure to “like” Apartment Guide on Facebook at Facebook or follow them on Twitter @AptGuide for real-time tips and updates on making the most of your space.

Are you ready to redecorate your home but short on cash? Apartment Guide can help you find inexpensive decorating ideas for how to update an area or room without spending a lot of money. Apartment Guide has tips for how to decorate your apartment on a dime. Those tips can easily apply to any space whether it be your house or dorm room. Whether you're living, looking or moving Apartment Guide offers how-to tips for making the most of your space on a budget. Apartment Guide provides ideas for people in any sized home on Moving Today and the Apartment Guide blog.

Apartment Guide and owner Consumer Source, Inc. partnered with bloggers such as me to participate in their monthly blogger programs. As part of that program, I received compensation. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products used, and believe that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Consumer Source’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

Posted at Show and Tell on Blue Cricket Design.

~Angie~
The Country Chic Cottage

My Seasonal Items Closet -- I NEED YOUR VOTE!

2012-01-30T07:06:00.001-06:00

Time for the All Star season of So You Think You're Crafty. And I need YOUR vote! This week is organization week and it could not have came at a better time! My project for this week is my Seasonal Items Storage closet. I will give you all the details next week after the voting ends. Along with a tutorial on how to make your own over the door wrapping paper organizer! Keep reading to get a sneak peek and head on over to to So You Think You're Crafty blog to vote for me!
We received our themes for SYTYC and week one was organization. It was around Christmas time and it was time to haul all that Christmas decor BACK UP to the attic. I think most of us have this problem. Too many seasonal decor items and no where to store them to be easily accessible. I decided to think of a new storage solution. I had a closet under my stairs that was full of...well...junk. Literally the only thing in it I used was the vacuum. The rest either got donated or the sentimental things went up to the attic. So an easily accessible closet was now EMPTY! I made myself a Seasonal Items Storage Closet! As you can see from the BEFORE pictures, the closet was unpainted drywall and sub-flooring. This house is 15 plus years old and no one ever bothered to paint that closet. After the junk was hauled away, I began painting. I painted the walls all white to try to bring in some light. Yes I even PAINTED my sub-floors a dark grey. A perfect solution for sub-floors. Cheap and easy. Plus they really look great!

The area in the back became my Christmas storage area. I added some vinyl to spell "Christmas" on the wall. I added vinyl on all containers to identify the contents. This closet if full of vinyl. I cut each one on my Silhouette then applied it. The vinyl was an easy and attractive solution. I think the idea of adding "Christmas" to the wall really made that back area of the closet stand out. The stacking storage unit is from IKEA and is perfect for this space. It allows me to sort out my seasonal items into easy to access bins. Each one slides out so no stacking and unstacking boxes or bins. Each bin is labeled by season or holiday. I am going to try to keep my seasonal decor to within these bins. So if the bin is overflowing, it is time to declutter. I also could not resist adding a little organizational art to the wall with some vinyl. Keep Calm and Organize On!

But I couldn't stop there! I made a hanging organizer for my wrapping paper. I took an over-the-door shoe organizer and modified it to work for wrapping paper, tissue, ribbon, gift bags, tape, plus so much more! The back of any door can become a wrapping station for minimal money and time. I will have a tutorial on how you can make your own after the voting ends. It is very quick and easy. Yet works perfectly for those odd to store wrapping paper rolls.

Now I have an easy to access, organized area for all my seasonal decor. You could even add storage for seasonal dishes, wreaths, the possibilities are endless!
Pretty, pretty please go vote for me! Pretty please with sugar on top!
Plus stay tuned as next week I will take a couple of days and give you all the details on this closet!

Posted at Get Your Craft On on Today's Creative Blog.

Posted at Take a Look Tuesday on Sugar Bee Craft Edition.

Posted at Tip Me Tuesday on Tip Junkie.

Posted at Tutorials and Tips on The Stories of A to Z.
~Thanks for stopping by!~
~Angie~
The Country Chic Cottage

I am an all star! Plus the fair ivy WINNER!

2012-01-29T18:27:00.000-06:00

A little announcement! I am on So You Think You're So Crafty this season. It is the all star season and should be amazing! It starts in the morning. This season our projects don't have to be a secret. So I will be back in the morning to show you my project and beg for your vote! I am not entirely sure how I became an "all star" but I am rolling with it. :)

In the meantime, let's get a winner for our fair ivy giveaway!

The winner is:

Jen the CraftinCowgirl says:

January 21, 2012 1:09 PM Reply

I follow Fair Ivy on Pinterest :o)

Congrats Jen! You have 72 hours to contact me before I pick another winner.

~Thanks for stopping by!~

~Angie~

$50 Gift Card GIVEAWAY with @aptguide #budgetdecor

2012-01-28T09:53:00.000-06:00

Apartment Guide is generously giving away a $50 American Express gift card today! Do y'all remember when I posted about redoing my daughter's room on a budget? Well I will be posting my review and details next week! For now, let's enter a giveaway shall we?

First of all, let's learn a little more about the Apartment Guide...

Whether you're living, looking or moving Apartment Guide offers how-to tips for making the most of your space on a budget.

Ready to redecorate your home but short on cash? Apartment Guide can help you find inexpensive decorating ideas for how to update an area or room without spending a lot of money.

If you’re ready for a whole new space or are looking to move, Apartment Guide has the photos, floor plans, features and tips to help you find the perfect apartment community.

Want to find even more decorating tips for your home? Apartment Guide provides ideas for people in any sized home on http://www.movingtoday.comand http://www.apartmentguide.com/blog/

Now let's enter a giveaway!
The rules:
1) Open to US residents only
2) Open until February 3rd at 11:59 pm central time.
3) Once the winner is posted, they have 72 hours to contact me before I pick another winner.

How to enter:
1) Check out this article on Apartment Guide about what you favorite colors say about you. Leave a comment below telling me what you fave color to use in decorating is.
2) Like Apartment Guide on facebook and leave a comment below telling me you do.
3) Follow Apartment Guide on twitter and leave a comment below telling me you do.
4) Blog, tweet, or facebook about this giveaway and leave a comment for EACH thing you do.

Up to FIVE entries per person.

Apartment Guide and owner Consumer Source, Inc. partnered with bloggers such as me to participate in their monthly blogger programs. As part of that program, I received compensation. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products used, and believe that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Consumer Source’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

~Good Luck!~
~Angie~

Shopping for a Senior Prom Dress

2012-01-27T14:48:00.000-06:00

Yes my oldest is a senior..my baby...a senior! YIKES! The catalogs have been arriving in the mail. If you have a high school age daughter, you know the ones I am talking about. Page after page of designer dresses. My daughter has spent hours pouring over them and dreaming. I started doing some research after my teen fell in LOVE with a gorgeous dress (and I saw the price tag). I ran across Promgirl.net -- they have prom dresses with a price match guarantee!! Did I get your attention? I googled the dress she wants and the lowest price is in fact Promgirl.net. I think I have found MY source for formal dresses! The selection is amazing. Everyone of those designers that you will find in those catalogs are on Promgirl.net.

But the first thing that came to my mind was how in the world would I get the right size? I clicked around some more on the Promgirl site and they have GREAT sizing charts -- by designer! I love that the sizing charts are specific to the designer. That way you know that the dress you are getting will fall within those measurements. The charts even tell you how and where to measure. Cause let's face it...I really did not know. Really all you need to know to get the proper size is on their website. I believe that no matter where I buy the dress, I will probably have to alter it or have it altered to fit exactly. I might was well save a little on the dress itself up front since the alterations are a given. Here is an example of the great sizing charts...

I believe I have found my source for prom. A bonus is that Promgirl.net also has a wide selection of other dresses as well. So if you just need a cocktail dress they have that too. I mention that because we still have to shop for a graduation dress and I will have my teen look on Promgirl.net first. I did just now notice that they have a free shipping code on their website also. A price match guarantee AND free shipping! I don't know what I am waiting for...I better head on over right now.

Of course if you are feeling lucky, they have a free dress giveaway on their facebook page once a month. You might enter there and get your teen a FREE prom dress! The price match guarantee is NOT a free dress but it is the best price on that special dress. Quite frankly, senior year is the time for special dresses. I can still remember my prom dresses, can't you? It is a memory that stays with you for a lifetime! This year is going by way too fast for me. I can't believe I am shopping for senior prom and graduation. I might need to lean on y'all sometime for support....

This post is sponsored by Promgirl.net but all opinions are mine. I do love their site and am thrilled to write this post!

~Thanks for stopping by!~

~Angie~

Spray Painting in January and some WINNERS!

2012-01-26T19:17:00.000-06:00

Can you believe we have had spray painting weather in January? I have been taking full advantage of it. I am still working on that upstairs bathroom....

I really needed a towel holder for that room. I almost bought a standard "hang on the wall" variety. Then I spotted this at the thrift store and it was perfect!

A little antique brass spray paint and it is ready to go!

I will be showing off my bathroom week after next! Y'all stay tuned to see this one in place!

Now for some winners! The winner of the $25 shopping spree to Jesse Anne Designs is....

Great flower lady says:

I love the owl necklace they are my new LOVE.

I also need to redraw the Fish Foam winners...

The Bargain Babe says:

I have never heard of it but with little kids and a dog we certainly could use a good glass cleaner!

The Polka Dot Closet says:

I would love some fish foam...wish they were throwing in someone to wash the window too LOL!

Carol

Tricia Hicks says:

4 yr old house, never properly cleaned all windows...need I say more? :)

Y'all drop me a line! You have 72 hours to contact me! :)

~Thanks for stopping by!~

~Angie~

Recovering a Memo Board

2012-01-25T20:56:00.000-06:00

Do your kid's love memo boards? Or maybe you do? You can easily recover them with a different fabric. Ready to see how?

This was the memo board before...

Um...yea...needs recovered right?

Materials

about a 1/2 yard of fabric depending on the size of your board
contrasting or matching fabric to cover buttons (a scrap is enough)
covered buttons kit
spool of ribbon (will take almost entire spool)
glue gun and hot glue
upholstery tacks
needle and thread

Begin by stripping your entire board. Remove all old fabric and buttons. I left the sawtooth hangers on the back. I cut the old fabric off around them. Then cut around the new fabric so I could reuse them.

Lay out your fabric and cut to allow for at least 2 inches of overhang. Begin wrapping fabric around board and using hot glue to secure. Lots of hot glue all around. You could use a staple gun but this one I tore apart had been up for years. All it had was hot glue securing the fabric.

Hold up your ribbon corner to corner and cut to size leaving enough to wrap around. Secure with hot glue.

Then use one upholstery tack on each ribbon end to further secure. Don't leave these out!

Continue with ribbon. Corner to corner first to create an "x". Then the middle of each side to the middle of the adjoining side. Cover your buttons according to instructions in kit. I had never used a kit like that to make covered buttons. It was sooo easy! Don't be scared of fancy covered buttons!

Secure buttons where ribbons cross with needle and thread. Either go all the way through your board (should be holes already there) or at least grab the fabric. That way when you add your pictures and momentos they will not slide down.

After you buttons are secure, you are ready to hang.

It really was simple! I have already completed a second one and have a third one in process!

Posted at Transformation Thursday on The Shabby Chic Cottage.

Posted at Show off your Stuff Party at Fireflies and Jellybeans.

Posted at the under $100 party on Beyond the Picket Fence.

Posted at the Open House Party on No Minimalist Here.
Posted at SNS on Funky Junk Interiors.
Posted at the Weekend Wrapup on Tatertots and Jello.
Posted at Sunday Showcase on Under the Table and Dreaming.

~Thanks for stopping by!~

~Angie~
The Country Chic Cottage

Valentines Vignette

2012-01-24T19:33:00.004-06:00

The finals are up on One Month To Win It! Don't forget to vote for your fave project!
Time to show off where I put my Valentine's crafts. My Valentine's Vignette...

I wanted a slight rustic touch to Valentine's Day. But with some traditional aspects...like hearts!

My love banner and rustic love sign started this "love fest"....

I wanted a unique table cover. So I grabbed this feed sack from my stash. It has touches of red and fit in perfectly...

Sheet music rolled up and tied with twine is a perfect filler for milk glass...

I took a ceramic squirrel and spray painted it white. A pile of shabby rosettes sits beside him. He is sooo darn cute!

On the other side, is a owl I got off of etsy with some more milk glass...

My daughter made this bowl in art class. I thought it was perfect for Valentine's decor. The hearts all came from clearance last year...

So there you have it...a simple, rustic Valentine's vignette!

Maybe I should call this one my Chicken Feed Valentine's Decor!

Posted at Show and Tell on Blue Cricket Design.

Posted at Whatever Goes Wednesday on Someday Crafts.
Posted at What I Whipped Up Wednesday on Sugar and Dots.
Posted at Good Life Wednesdays on A Beach Cottage.
Posted at the party on Organize and Decorate Everything.
Posted at DIY Under $5 on A Little Tipsy.
Posted at the Mantel Party on Home Stories A to Z.
Posted at the Vday party on Hoosier Homemade.
Posted at the Vday party on Someday Crafts.
Posted at the Vday party on Decor Chick.
~Thanks for stopping by!~

~Angie~
The Country Chic Cottage

Repurpose Your Food Containers

2012-01-23T19:30:00.000-06:00

Let's get organized today! What is better than getting organized? Getting organized for FREE. Today I am going to show you how to repurpose your food containers into organizing bins like these...

What do you need?

Empty Food Containers -- mine were from corn meal and oats.
Spray paint or craft paint
Stamps
Scrapbook Paper
Tape
Labels
Chalkboard Paint
Chalk

The bottom of your food container will show in the finished project. So, let's paint that first. I used spray paint on mine. Anything to make it look pretty will work just fine.

Cut your scrapbook paper to the height of your container. Wouldn't you know that the scrapbook paper was not long enough to make it all the way around the container? So I added another piece to lengthen it just a smidge....just tape it on...

I used my stamps from PSA Essentials to make a pattern on my paper. I took one circle stamp plus two different colors of ink...

The paper itself has a shiny appearance. The stamping is super subtle. That is what really made me fall in love with these containers. They are pretty but subdued all at the same time.

Once you are done stamping and your ink has dried, wrap your paper around your container and tape on the back. Here you can see the back and the front. From here you can tell just how short my scrapbook paper was...

For the chalkboard labels, my pal Gina posted a tutorial on her blog a while back. You just need to spray your chalkboard paint right on a sheet of labels. It works wonders!

The containers themselves are slightly different. Different stamps and ink colors were used. So they match...but not perfectly.

Grab your chalk and write whatever your contents are. That is after you have sorted and organized everything!

Who will be saving their food containers now? Or at least looking at them a bit differently!

For a look at where I used my containers, head on over to this post.

PSA Essentials supplied me with the stamps but the project and opinions expressed are all mine.

Posted at Get Your Craft On on Today's Creative Blog.

Posted at Take a Look Tuesday on Sugar Bee Craft Edition.

Posted at Tip Me Tuesday on Tip Junkie.

Posted at Tutorials and Tips on The Stories of A to Z.
~Thanks for stopping by!~
~Angie~
The Country Chic Cottage

Doily Curtains on The CSI Project

2012-01-23T09:41:00.000-06:00

My doily curtains are over on The CSI Project today!

Head on over and check out how I made these!

~Thanks for stopping by!~

~Angie~

$25 handmade GIVEAWAY from fair ivy #giveaway #handmade

2012-01-21T10:31:00.000-06:00

Today's giveaway comes from fair ivy. I had never heard of fair ivy until they contacted me. Y'all know I love to support handmade business. Well fair ivy offers monthly handmade surprise packages to your recipient! A gift of the month club for handmade gifts!! Yep I was so excited to share this with y'all.

A surprise for yourself or for a special someone in your life! Yes they have packages suited to a wide range of people. Gifts for girls or those young at heart....

All the pictures included in this post are examples of gifts. Your handmade gift package will be a surprise of course! There is a category for women....

We all know how hard men are to buy for. What about a handmade surprise package geared toward men...

Oh yes they even have packages for Fido!

So what can you win...

a 1-month mini surprise package! {$25 value}

The rules:

1) US and Canada only.

2) You have until January 27th at 11:59 pm to enter.

3) After I announce the winner, you will have 72 hours to contact me before I pick another winner.

Ready to enter?

MANDATORY ENTRY: Go to the fair ivy website, sign up for the newsletter (link is at the very top of the page) and leave a comment telling me you did.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

1) Leave a comment below telling me who you would send a fair ivy surprise package to.

2) Follow fair ivy on twitter and leave a comment below telling me you did.

3) Like fair ivy on facebook and leave a comment below telling me you did.

4) Follow fair ivy on pinterest and leave a comment below telling me you did.

5) Tweet, facebook, and/or blog about this giveaway. Leave a comment below for EACH one of these that you do.

So up to EIGHT entries per person!

~Good Luck!~

~Angie~

Blog Swap -- Potentially Beautiful

2012-01-20T17:25:00.000-06:00

Hi everybody! I'm Gloria from Potentially Beautiful. Thank you so much, Angie, for having me over today. This is actually my first guest post, so be gentle with me. ;-)

So, here's a little about me and what goes on over at Potentially Beautiful.

I've been a single mom of three for the last 12 years. Two are in college now and one a senior and all are still at home. Being a single mom, broke all the time and loving to redecorate my home, I have learned how to DIY and decorate on the cheap. My moto over at PB is to "Love where you live." I'm also a renter and that throws some challenges in the mix too. I love sharing ideas and tricks with my readers so that they too can love where they live.

Probably one of my favorite and most popular projects was my $20 bathroom makeover. Yep...$20.

Come on over and see what magic I worked in that horrible 1970's half bath.

I also L.O.V.E. thrift shopping and yard sales and I've shown my readers many projects on how I saved some thrifted furniture and repurposed other finds.

This is my most recent furniture save. It was a beat-up dresser from Goodwill that got a brand new life with just a little paint.

I love what a change in lighting can do for a room and I've made over several lamps and light fixtures that I picked up thrift shopping. So easy and a it makes a big difference. Come see how I made this one here.

Well, I hope you all come on over and visit and of course would love for you sit and stay a while. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. I really enjoy talking and sharing ideas on all these mediums. Don't you just love social media? :-)

Thank you again, Angie for having me over. See y'all soon!

New Blog Design -- I knocked off a Word Press design!

2012-01-19T19:44:00.000-06:00

After I saw the lovely blog redesign over at Madigan Made...I have been OBSESSED!! I mean a word press theme while staying on blogger...count me in. So I took Shannon's advice on this post and emailed her a few times. Viola! A brand new blog....

Well it was not all VIOLA and it was done. But it is done now! I even tweaked all my search options. Go ahead and browse around that bar up top. You will find lots of goodies...

One of my goals was to make my blog easier to navigate and I think I have succeeded. Plus we have a GORGEOUS slider on the front page that will change from time to time...

If you are on the front page you just have to click "read more" to continue reading the post....

I still have a few tweaks and I won't guarantee that I don't have some broken links right now. But we are getting there! And I am so darn happy with it!!

What do y'all think?

~Thanks for stopping by!~

~Angie~

Rustic LOVE Sign from Barnwood

2012-01-18T17:56:00.001-06:00

If you have been around here any time at all, you know that I love barnwood signs. I didn't have one yet for Valentine's Day. So I just had to make one. My rustic love sign....

I cut out a heart from brown paper. The letters came from a pack of post it letters for poster board signs.

For this one I tried out the crackle finish from Martha Stewart. It is available at The Home Depot. I will warn you that the directions say to apply over a primer. I didn't. I wanted the barnwood to show through the cracks.

The Martha Stewart product is THICK. It needs to be applied like spackle with a putty knife. I just used my pieces to mask the area off I did not want painted. I did not even tape them down or anything.

Apply an even coat and then sit back and watch the magic. As it drys, it crackles! Lovely chippy paint in one simple step.

You can see the crackle in this up close pic. Plus the barnwood peeking though! Yippee.....I heart rustic...

I added this to my Love banner and DIY tobacco basket....

I will talk some more about this area and Valentine's Day decor next week...y'all stay tuned!

Posted at Transformation Thursday on The Shabby Chic Cottage.

Posted at Show off your Stuff Party at Fireflies and Jellybeans.

Posted at the under $100 party on Beyond the Picket Fence.

Posted at the Open House Party on No Minimalist Here.
Posted at SNS on Funky Junk Interiors.
Posted at the Weekend Wrapup on Tatertots and Jello.
Posted at Sunday Showcase on Under the Table and Dreaming.
Linking to the V-day party on Hoosier Homemade.

~Thanks for stopping by!~

~Angie~
The Country Chic Cottage

Clear Your Clutter and LINK UP your posts

2012-01-18T09:35:00.000-06:00

Time to clear our clutter from the kitchen! I am participating in a Clear Your Clutter challenge with a group of bloggers. If you missed any of the posts this far, check out these links.

Monday Mrs. Greene posted some great closet tips.

Tuesday HomeMadeville got her bathroom organized.
Now it is time for the Kitchen!

My first tip is the picture above. Using a plate stand by your kitchen sink keeps your sink nice and clean looking. Check out this pin for where I got my inspiration. While you are there you can follow our Clear the Clutter pinterest board for tons of ideas!
My next tips envolves those dreaded baking pans...
BEFORE

First of all, this cabinet is UNDER the build in oven. Every night I would have to get on my hands and knees to get to my pans. The second tip is to store your most used items where they can be easily accessed. I moved things that I only use a few times a year to this cabinet and moved OUT my pans. Then I stalked pinterest and every other outlet for a solution that would work with MY cabinets. You know what...I found a simple baking sheet rack at The Home Depot for less than $10!! Check out that organization...

AFTER

My next tip is for drawers. We all have one of these drawers...right? Tell me you have one of these drawers...pretty please...sugar on top...

BEFORE

I found the coolest thing EVA...at Big Lots even! This drawer organizer snaps into different configurations and was only $6...six bucks!

And check out what a difference it made! Yes no person in their right mind should have that many batteries. Would you believe that they were hiding in my clutter and I had NO CLUE I had that many. Think of all the things that are hiding in your clutter that you don't even know you have!

AFTER

Now let's talk pots and pans. More importantly the LIDS to those pots and pans. They don't stack and they end up making my cabinets look like this...

BEFORE

Again, every set of cabinets is different. The solution that I ended up going with....mug hooks...

Screw a mug hook into the side of your cabinet and just hang your pot lids...

Now my cabinet looks oh so much better....

AFTER

Now let's talk about the kitchen command center. Our kitchen is a dropping spot for so many things. Back last year I got a paper organizer to try and keep everything organized. Welll...the paper was organized but so many things got dropped AROUND it...

BEFORE

I straightened everything up and cleared the clutter. The tip would be to create a "drop zone" for things like paper, mail, etc, etc, etc. It is easily staightened up occasionnally and things are {almost} always where I can find them.

AFTER

I also took some recycled containers and made these great storage boxes. I will be doing a tutorial on how to make these later this week...stay tuned!

One last tip before I go, this one if for those pesky plastic containers and lids. Last year around this time I implemented a storage system and it has worked....for an entire year. You can find all the details on that one here. I feel like if something has worked that long, it is tested and approved!

Don't forget the Clear Your Clutter series lasts all week!

Thursday clutter bust your playroom with Attempting Aloha.

Friday organize your garage with CondoBlues.

Saturday the Mural Maker will tell you all about maximizing your storage space.

Plus visit our Pinterest board dedicated to clearing your clutter.

~Thanks for stopping by!~

~Angie~

Now link up YOUR organizational ideas!

Valentines Day Love Banner

2012-01-16T19:55:00.001-06:00

This week is Buntings and Banners week over at One Month To Win It. The contestant projects will be up for vote in the morning. I thought I would take tonight and show off my latest banner.

I used some vintage paper ephemera plus some scrapbook paper to make my LOVE banner...

The largest hearts are from a vintage Harper magazine. The middle pink hearts are from some scrapbooking paper. The smallest hears are vintage sheet music. The letters are actually from the Target dollar spot.

I assembled the hearts using some scrapbooking glue then attached them to some pink ric rac using hot glue.

All that was left was to tie it one my DIY tobacco basket....

I have some more posts all about this vignette...so stay tuned!

Posted at Get Your Craft On on Today's Creative Blog.

Posted at Take a Look Tuesday on Sugar Bee Craft Edition.

Posted at Tip Me Tuesday on Tip Junkie.

Posted at Tutorials and Tips on The Stories of A to Z.
Posted at the V-day party on Hoosier Homemade.
~Thanks for stopping by!~
~Angie~
The Country Chic Cottage

Clear Your Clutter Blog Series and the FISH FOAM WINNERS!

2012-01-16T09:07:00.000-06:00

It is time to Clear Your Clutter! All this week I am joining a group of bloggers to give you some tips and tricks on clutter busting your home!

Monday join Mrs. Greene when she clears out her master bedroom closet.

Tuesday get bathroom organizing tips at HomeMadeville.

Wednesday you can stay right here for some kitchen organizing ideas.

Thursday clutter bust your playroom with Attempting Aloha.

Friday organize your garage with CondoBlues.

Saturday the Mural Maker will tell you all about maximizing your storage space.

You will also be able to link up your clutter clearing tips, tricks, and spaces. We also started a Pinterest board dedicated to clearing your clutter -- come on over and follow us! So be sure to visit each blog each day and together we can Clear the Clutter!

Head on over to Mrs. Greene to get this party started!

Also it is time to announce the THREE winners for the Fish Foam packs! The winners are:

AndreaJan 8, 2012 06:49 AM

I have never heard of this product before. But I will be on the look-out for it now! Getting some for free would be even better! One day this fall, I cleaned my picture windows a total of 10 times each! I could not get rid of the streaks. After the sun set, they looked pretty good. But when the sun rose the next morning, I was back at square one. I would love a product that does a good job. I've tried everything...
Andrea

Kelroy207Jan 8, 2012 01:42 PM

I would love to try Fish Foam! We have a drooly basset hound who leaves her mark on the windows and two cats who believe they need to leave nose and paw prints on every window, mirror and picture glass they can. I swear it's their life's work; please make my life's work something else but trying to get streaks off of said objects!!

SarahJan 7, 2012 05:09 PM

would love to try this! sarah.currence at gmail

Congrats! Y'all have 72 hours to contact me before I pick another winner.

~Thanks for stopping by!~

~Angie~

Planning a Teen Room @aptguide #budgetdecor

2012-01-15T20:07:00.000-06:00

Well it is almost that time. My teen graduates high school this year. She will be attending college and living in a dorm room. So when the Apartment Guide emailed me to participate in the “New Year, New Style: Decorating on a Budget” Blogger Challenge, I knew just the space to tackle. We have lots of work to do to get the teen ready to go to college. So, we are going to work on her room with updates that can easily go off to college with her. Sound like fun? Let's talk a little about planning.

Are you ready to redecorate your home but short on cash? Apartment Guide can help you find inexpensive decorating ideas for how to update an area or room without spending a lot of money. Apartment Guide has tips for how to decorate your apartment on a dime. Those tips can easily apply to any space whether it be your house or dorm room. Whether you're living, looking or moving Apartment Guide offers how-to tips for making the most of your space on a budget. If you are dorm decorating like me, check out these ideas for where to find pieces especially meant for small spaces. Want to find even more decorating tips for your home? Apartment Guide provides ideas for people in any sized home on Moving Today and the Apartment Guide blog.
Of course, I had to use Pinterest to plan my space. My daughter and I came up with a pin board for the theme of her new room. Check out the board here.

As you can see, we are going for a zebra theme. Do you think I can pull this off?? Now I will give y'all a before pic....it is a teen room...remember that.

So far we have spent one ENTIRE weekend just cleaning up and getting rid of stuff she does not need. I will keep y'all posted on all the details and of course have a final reveal ASAP!
Now if you’re ready for a whole new space or are looking to move, Apartment Guide has the photos, floor plans, features and tips to help you find the perfect apartment community. Be sure to “like” Apartment Guide on Facebook at Facebook or follow them on Twitter @AptGuide for real-time tips and updates on making the most of your space.
Apartment Guide and owner Consumer Source, Inc. partnered with bloggers such as me to participate in their monthly blogger programs. As part of that program, I received compensation. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products used, and believe that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Consumer Source’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

Y'all be sure to follow along for all the details!

~Thanks for stopping by!~
~Angie~

Saturday Giveaway -- Jesse Anne Designs

2012-01-14T11:16:00.000-06:00

Our giveaway today is from Jesse Anne Designs. A lovely etsy shops with tons of great jewelry. She has a very wide selection to choose from and I am so happy that she choose to offer one of y'all a $25 shopping spree! I am in love with her necklaces...

Like I said, huge selection! There are quotes and animals and cutesy saying and moustaches....

Her shop is also filled with earrings, bracelets, plus so much more. These cuff bracelets look completely awesome!

So if you are still shopping around for Valentine's Day...head on over to Jesse Anne Designs and complete your shopping list! When you check out, use code

COUNTRYCHIC

for

FREE SHIPPING!

Now let's get to a giveaway! One winner will get to choose $25 worth of merchandise from Jesse Anne Designs.

Ready to enter??

The rules:

1) International entries okay.
2) Open from now until January 20th at 11:59 pm central time

3) Winner will have 72 hours after I post to contact me before I choose another winner

How to enter?

MANDATORY: Go over to Jesse Anne Designs and tell me your favorite product. Leave a comment letting me know what it is.
Optional additional entries
1) Follow the Jesse Anne Designs blog.. Leave a comment below telling me you did.
2) Like Jesse Anne Designs on facebook. Leave a comment below telling me you did.
3) Tweet one of the items from Jesse Anne Designs. Leave a comment below telling me you did.
4) Tweet, facebook, or blog about this giveaway. Leave a separate comment for each one you do.
That's it! Up to SEVEN entries per person!

~Good Luck!~

~Angie~

Sponsor Love -- Sugar Pink Boutique

2012-01-13T18:12:00.001-06:00

Have y'all ever been over to Sugar Pink Boutique? A wonderful stop for all of your supply needs. Jennifer has a shop description on her website that I just love, so I am going to let her words describe the shop for you...

...a candy shop filled with sweet goodness! You'll find yummy candy color supplies such as pom pom trim, ribbon, lace, fabric, berry beads, satin embellishments, stationary, german glass glitter, millinery and so much more. Sweet and shabby chic home decor items are also in my boutique.

I know we all need craft supplies! Jennifer has trim, glass glitter, beads, lace, ribbon, ric rac, seam binding, do you need me to go on?? Just head on over and scope out all of the offerings yourself.

Also follow along with the Sugar Pink Boutique blog. A little shop talk but there are some great recipes too. Don't miss all the fun!

A huge thanks to Jennifer for hanging out on my sidebar. :) I hope y'all will pop over to her shop and show her some love!

~Thanks for stopping by!~

~Angie~

Make your own Valentine's art

2012-01-12T19:44:00.001-06:00

I did a few searches on art to display for Valentine's Day. It was all so very pink and red. Yes, yes...I know it is supposed to be pink and red. But I am thinking of a more rustic Valentine's display. So instead I searched for some rustic heart images, then popped them into Picasa and added some quotes. I thought I would post them here in case y'all like them too! Here is what I came up with as I was playing around...

Y'all enjoy! Search around and make some of your own.

Posted at Show and Tell on Romantic Home.

Posted at Frugal Friday on Shabby Nest.

Posted at Frugalicious Friday on Finding Fabulous.

Posted at Feature Yourself Friday on Fingerprints on the Fridge.
Posted at Catch as Catch Can on My Repurposed Life.

~Thanks for stopping by!~

~Angie~.
The Country Chic Cottage

Striped Curtains with Decoart

2012-01-11T18:14:00.001-06:00

I am about to show y'all a room that has never before been seen on this blog. The kid's bathroom has really been the same old, same old for years. I have decided to give it a little makeover with some new accessories. First up was curtains. I may be the only human being you know with 5 windows in her bathroom....FIVE! One hint: if you are looking at building a house with five windows in the bathroom...don't. It is cold! I had valances up on those windows. I have been dreaming of floor length curtains for sometime. My hope is that they will keep some of that cold air out this winter. But five windows with floor length curtains is a BUNCH of fabric. I finally had a brainstorm...sheets. I had enough white sheets to make curtains for the windows for FREE! But plain white sheets for curtains?? So I decided to paint on some stripes....

I am going a little bit bold in here. So I went with a dark charcoal grey on the bottom with a couple of shades of green on the top. And yes...great big clawfoot tub and 5 huge windows...in a bathroom people...on the second floor! That view so could have been better used with a different room! But that is a topic for another time -- aka "How I would layout my house in a dream world". Now for my before and after....

Oh so lovely! I literally laid out my stripes with a ruler and paint brush...marking the lines. They are all different sizes. I went with 3 inches on the bottom, 4 inches in the middle, and about 2 inches on top. I used Decoart paint with their fabric medium.

The fabric medium really made the paint thin and oh so easy to apply to the curtains. I was going for 6 stripes. But gosh...after sitting on the floor for 4 to 5 hours doing three on each of the five curtains....I was done!

Partway through I was not entirely sure I liked the look. Yes after 3 hours on the floor, I was unsure. Aack! I decided to finish them all, hang them, and then decide. Once they were all up there I was smitten! Hooray for perseverance!

Stay tuned as I have BIG plans for this room! You won't want to miss this one. {Well as long as it turns out as well as it looks in my head.} The jury is still out on whether or not this is going to make this room any warmer. But heck, for the cost of a little paint and a little backache, I am willing to chance it!

Posted at Transformation Thursday on The Shabby Chic Cottage.

Our no sew fleece blanket obsession....

2012-01-10T18:13:00.000-06:00

Have y'all ever made a no sew fleece tie blanket? Sooooo super easy! My teen found the instructions in Seventeen magazine and our obsession with 'em started before Christmas. I googled and found some instructions here for ya. So far we have made three of these quick and easy projects. My 17 year old and my 11 year old both made one all by themselves. When it came time to make the 6 year old one, I had to give a little assistance. This is him helping out though....

Joanne's had their kits for 50% off after Christmas. Keep an eye on them if you want to try this one. I think it is $16 for the kit after the discount. Plus your kids get the satisfaction of having a blanket that they made all by themselves! That is priceless!
The football kit in the picture actually came from Walmart for around $17. It is intended to be sewn. But you can use the instructions online with the fleece in those kits as well. Worked like a charm.
~Thanks for stopping by!~
~Angie~

Hide the toys in plain sight...

2012-01-09T18:01:00.001-06:00

I discussed one way to tame the toy clutter yesterday. I have another tip for you. Hide those toys in plain sight! Can you tell me where the toys are in the picture below?

Yep I have a little parking garage under that covered table...

I made the original slip cover for the table here. It was short and showed off the table legs. Then I found a lovely image on Pinterest of a table with a tablecloth for toy storage. I cannot for the life of me find that image now. If you have it and want to link it in the comments, I will be more than happy to give credit where credit is due.
At any rate, I just sewed another longer skirt on my original slip cover and made it where it would open in the front...

See the original one is still under there and you can just catch a glimpse of some bumpers...

I added ties so we can have the cover open or closed...

So when company comes, all you see is something neat and orderly. Best part is my son loves to park his trucks in here. Yep...that means he LIKES putting them away!

Posted at Get Your Craft On on Today's Creative Blog.

Posted at Take a Look Tuesday on Sugar Bee Craft Edition.

Posted at Tip Me Tuesday on Tip Junkie.

Posted at Tutorials and Tips on The Stories of A to Z.
~Thanks for stopping by!~
~Angie~
The Country Chic Cottage

Building a Barn -- mini size....

2012-01-08T17:42:00.000-06:00

My house has turned into a parking garage. For those of you that have little boys, that sentence might make sense. There are tractors, cars, trucks, etc parked in various spots all around my house. It makes me want to literally pull my hair out. When I realized that Santa was bringing even more items that would need to be parked, I realized something needed to be done. Today and tomorrow I will highlight my solutions to the parking issue.

The first solution came via my hubby. He suggested building a barn to park all of the farm equipment in. Since my decor is rather rustic to begin with, a barn in the living room made perfect sense to me. It gives the toys a "home". An excuse to put away your toys every night. "Park your tractors in the barn before bed." So hubby built a barn a few days before Christmas. A huge 48 inch long barn...

I broke out my Decoart paints and painted it in green and white -- just like Daddy's barn. The barn resides behind our couch and so far is working like a charm. Tractors get parked in the barn and not in my foyer.

Need another "more discrete" solution for the parking problem? Stay tuned as tomorrow I will offer you another solution.

Posted on Met Monday on Between Naps on the Porch.

Posted at Just Something I Whipped up on The Girl Creative.
Posted at the Sunday Showcase on Under the Table and Dreaming.
~Thanks for stopping by!~
~Angie~

The Country Chic Cottage