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Home Improvement: Decluttering, Makeovers, New Lamps and a Whole Lot of Jesus

April 25, 2013 11 Comments

Raise your hand if you relate :)

Decluttering
Remember that long list of rules to keep, donate and toss? Two Saturdays ago, a certain someone woke me up at 5 am (hint, it wasn’t my sweet husband who loves when I sleep in), so I decided to get started on that long list of decluttering rules I made for myself. I started with the laundry room, then walked in the guestroom and started on that room, then the closet, then threw things away in the kitchen and started on the pantry. By the time J got up, I had seven projects going at once and the place looked like a madhouse. It was fabulous! I got rid of so much junk, so many “I’ll use this someday” items. I ended up with two bags of trash, five bags of donated items, five things to try and sell, and a very clutter-free apartment. Spring cleaning for the win!

Laundry Room Makeover
During this decluttering party, I gave my laundry room a little makeover. I use the word makeover very loosely because this room is certainly not beautiful or Pinterest-worthy, but everything has its place and is so much more organized than before.

While we are on this subject… can I go on a little Pinterest rant? When searching for some laundry room inspiration, I came across some crazy pics. Like painting polka dots on your washer and dryer. (Isn’t that going a little far for a washer and dryer?) Or, laundry rooms with a TV. Now, I may change my tune when I have kids and laundry becomes my life, but right now that seems just a little excessive. Anyone else agree?

Anyhoo, back to my “makeover.” This room is part-laundry, part-pantry, part-storage area since our kitchen cabinets are limited. It started out looking like this (well, technically it was after I got started… it wasn’t normally this messy):

And turned into this:

It doesn’t look that amazing, but it is much more organized than before. The bookshelf is my storage saver. I thought about painting it, but instead just added some old wrapping paper to the back to give it a little pop. The top shelf has our detergent, toaster and food processor (appliances that didn’t fit well in our kitchen), the second shelf has Leia’s dog treats, wet food and bones, the next two shelves are party and baking supplies I don’t use very often, and the last one stores our soda and paper towels. I also hung my aprons and Leia’s leash on some hooks on the empty wall to the right. There are a lot of cleaning supplies hanging and bags full of rags behind the washer and dryer.

Also – you may notice the sports posters on the wall… this my friends, is what we call compromise, as I shared in an earlier post on decorating with a boy. ;)

Let there be light.
My sister in-law Katie works at a furniture store, and will occasionally get free accessories that are broken or damaged. She sent me a picture of this lamp that had a broken ceramic piece, and I decided to go for it, since our large side table needed a chunkier lamp. I super-glued the broken piece (one of the “loops”) and you can’t even tell, unless you look really closely. I’m not crazy about the lamp shade and will probably replace it someday, but for now it looks so much better than our skinny lamp on that table. And the best part is it cost me nothing!

For the record, the lamp isn’t crooked, just my photo skills.

A New Little Print
Has anyone read Kisses from Katie? If not, go right now and order the book or rent it from your library. I read it last October and finished it in two days. SO GOOD. This quote is from there, and the print is from the Recipe for Crazy etsy shop.

What home improvement projects or little additions have you given your home lately?

Filed Under: decoration, for fun, home

Lessons in Marriage: Decorating with a Boy

April 11, 2013 26 Comments

One of the hardest adjustments after getting married was decorating with a boy. It was hard because I honestly never considered it being an issue. I just assumed J would gladly give me full reigns and let me decorate however my heart desired. But as it turns out, apparently boys don’t like it when you call their stuff trash and refuse to use any of the boxes they brought on moving day?

Who would have thought.

I kind of wonder why no one else talks about this. They never discussed this in our marriage counseling. My girlfriends never complain about their husbands caring about decorating. My dad never gave a fuss about how my mom decorated. Was J different than most guys for wanting to keep his poster of the Hurricanes winning the Stanley Cup and displaying it proudly in our home?

I started to get jealous of wives whose husbands let them do whatever they wanted. Paint their bathroom pink. Add ruffles to every curtain. Hang pictures of flowers on the walls. So maybe that’s not my style, but by golly what if it was! Why can’t my husband not care about the decorating and be like those guys? (For the record, it’s dangerous talk when you start using the phrase “Why can’t my husband….” Don’t do it, ladies.)

Like all things in marriage, this area took some major communicating and compromise. I wouldn’t go so far as to say we’ve mastered it, but we certainly are way better than we used to be.

Here are a few tips that have helped us live in harmony at home:

1. Involve him in the process. When we started actually talking through it, turns out he has no problem with me being the sole decorator, he just didn’t want our home to look like he didn’t live there. A fair point. So whenever I have an idea of something new or different, I will tell him about it. Share what I’m thinking and cast my vision. Which brings me to…

2. Show him pictures. I like to text him pictures before I buy something, like this doormat I got the other day at Target. It’s always a little scary to press send and wait for the “go ahead!” or the “I don’t love it” text back, but it’s always worth it and has made this process much more… harmonious. Of course this does require being flexible if he really doesn’t like something, and that’s when you either have to let it go or convince him why this is something you really want (it’s not that expensive, or you’ve been eyeing it for months, etc.). Pictures also help with really big or crazy DIY projects. I want to paint our kitchen chairs multi-colored and our hutch white (or blue – I can’t decide!), so I show him these pictures:

1 // 2

He agreed I could do it when we have a house… but I’m still kind of hoping he’ll let me tackle these projects this summer. ;)

3. Agree we don’t live in a bachelor pad. I’m a girl and I like things pretty. And I want our place to look grown up. He agrees, obviously, and actually has come to like my cheeky Anthropologie meets West Elm meets Crate and Barrel style. But he also isn’t ready to part with his sports posters and knick-nacks, so these are proudly displayed in our laundry room and closets until we can afford a house with a proper man cave.

4. Find things you both like. This Seinfeld poster is a good example. I saw this on a blog and thought it would be a great compromise of something he loves (Seinfeld) and a nice design I was okay hanging in our living room.

5. Pick your battles and be okay with a little guy stuff. What’s the point of having a picture-perfect home if both of you aren’t happy in it? Life is too short to be fighting over silly things… which is why we have bobble heads on the shelves above our TV. It takes a lot of willpower for me to keep them there (and not accidentally knock them over when I dust), but it’s a reminder that J is important to me and it’s okay if everything isn’t perfect.

Am I think only one who had an adjustment when it came to decorating?
What do you do with the bachelor pad items he brought into the relationship?
How do you handle decorating with a boy?

Filed Under: decisions, decoration, home, housing, love, marriage, sacrifices

Decluttering: When to Hold ‘em and When to Toss ‘em

April 4, 2013 12 Comments

Is it possible to be a hoarder and a minimalist?

I hope so, because that is me.

I act on both ends of the spectrum, and watch out! — it changes fast. Suddenly, a post-it note that reads Soup’s on the counter and remote’s on the couch. Feel better babe! becomes a piece of history I want to save and document forever. In the next moment, I look at the box of my wedding planning stuff and want to chuck it all in the garbage in the name of Simplification.

The frugal and resourceful side of me struggles with throwing things away. I ask, What if I need this later? I will have to buy it again! The minimalist in me says, Oh forget about it! If you haven’t used it in a month, be gone! Depending on my mood, I am bound to make some rash decisions and keep things that need to be tossed and toss things that really should be saved.

To help my bipolar tendencies, I decided to put together a comprehensive list of everything I want to keep and toss. My rules for decluttering, if you will. At first this was just a small little list of things I was on the fence about, but I just kept writing and it got a little out of control (or under control, depending on how you look at it.)

In the next few weeks I am going to do some serious Spring Cleaning (J and Leia, you’ve been warned), and these rules will help guide me when my hoarder or minimalist tendencies start to drive me crazy. An important piece I will need to keep in mind is having a designated spot for everything. This is going to take some serious organizing. A lot of things in the keep pile, I will have to donate in order to fit in its designated spot. For example, I will be donating a lot of office supplies. It’s good to have on hand, but two shoeboxes full of pens is a little much. If it doesn’t fit in our desk drawer… off it goes!

CLOSET & BATHROOM | CLOTHES & BEAUTY

KEEP:

Buttons, in a jar
Hair ties and bobby pins
Old towels (to use for cleaning or Leia), so long as they fit in my designated bag (otherwise donate)
Clothes, shoes and bags I’ve worn in the last year

TOSS or DONATE:

Any clothes that are damaged or have pit stains
Dresses or skirts that require a slip (I never wear slips, and probably won’t start anytime soon)
Summer dresses and shirts that are low-cut and require a camisole underneath (this is a personal preference… I wear light-weight clothes in the summer to avoid extra clothing, so when if it requires an undershirt for modesty’s sake, it feels uncomfortable and never gets worn)
Clothes that are see-through or too tight
Clothes too big, even if I think I will may wear it if I’m pregnant
Wool sweaters or socks (I never wear them)
Hats that look funny on me
Shoes that are uncomfortable to walk in or worn down
Bags I don’t like or never use anymore
Old make-up, lotions or hair products I don’t use
Missing socks or earrings

KITCHEN & LAUNDRY ROOM | entertaining & cleaning

KEEP:

Grocery bags that can fit in my pantry bag-holder (otherwise toss)
White fast food napkins
Vases, pitchers, outdoor pots, etc.
Platters
Paper plates, unless they are ugly or flimsy

TOSS or DONATE:

Recipes that weren’t good from my recipe binder
Expired food
Expired medication or old prescriptions
Grocery bags that don’t fit in my pantry bag-holder
Cleaning products with chemicals
Cookbooks that are too complicated or require expensive ingredients I’ve never heard of
Ugly or outdated mugs I never use
Any kitchen spatulas, etc. that are broken or have too many duplicates

GUEST ROOM & OFFICE | organization, decor & hobbies

KEEP:

Pens, paper and post-it notes that can fit in my desk drawer; all others get donated
Arts and craft supplies that fit in my designated drawer
Baskets and storage items, unless broken or ugly
Yearbooks
Fabric, ribbon, wreaths and seasonal decorations, unless it’s ugly or never used
Paperclips and clothes pins
Financial documents from the past 5 years in an organized folder
Unused plain picture frames for future gallery walls
Magazines from the past 4 months (put all recipes I want to make in a recipe binder)
Half or full marathon medals
Manuals or programming directions for technologies or electronics we own and use, saved in a file folder
College diplomas

TOSS or DONATE:

Magazines older than 5 months
Books I will never read, don’t care to display or have duplicate copies
All bulletins, wedding invitations, or announcements after the date from acquaintances or extended family.
Unused ugly picture frames
Financial documents older than 5 years old (shred)
Scrapbooking stuff (at this point in my life I won’t be doing any)
CDs or DVDs that skip or never watch/listen to
College notebooks (if it has a lot of great content, store it in my office at work)
Empty notebooks (at this point I’ve created a notebook for everything I need, and if I need to buy one they’re like $1)
Manuals or programming directions for technologies or electronics we don’t use, would never consider returning, selling or having a question about
Expired coupons or giftcards
Trophies, medals or certificates that aren’t important
Retail receipts we don’t need
High school or earlier diplomas
Pens or markers that don’t work
Old calendars and planners
Wrapping paper or gift bags I would never use
Used tissue paper

MEMORIES | MISCELLANEOUS

KEEP:

Bulletins, wedding invitations or announcements only from my immediate family or closest friends in a designated box
Anything from my wedding or early dating of significance
Photo albums (for now until I can create a digital version)
Tickets that have significance (this list is small)
Childhood journals

TOSS or DONATE:

All tickets that have no significance (which is most — such as plane, bus, concert, game tickets)
Old photos that are unflattering or poor quality
Church study guides (unless it was a really good one I wrote a lot in)
Post it notes, birthday cards, letters that don’t have any significance

Whew! I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me. I know these rules are a bit over-kill and most of the stuff is intuitive, but having it written down is going to help me immensely. I’ll let you know how it goes in the next few weeks. :)

What would you do differently?
Do you tend to tend to be a minimalist or hoarder?
How do you decide whether something is worth saving for later?

Filed Under: decisions, decoration, for fun, home, housing, seasons

Home Improvement: Two Simple & Cheap Projects at Home

March 12, 2013 6 Comments

Right now we don’t need anything for our home. It may not be a dream place, but I’ve come to terms that I like my decorating details and the place fits us just fine. I tend to spend money on decorating, just because I’m bored or want something new. But really, I don’t need anything, so I’m trying not to spend any money on decorating and be content with what I have.

But, (there’s always a but!), that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few things I want to do to enhance our space. Two things specifically: add curtains to the living room and find a place to hang my purse. The challenge has been to make these improvements without spending any (or much) money.

Project #1: Add curtains to the living room / Spent $0
One of my least favorite parts of our apartment are the vertical vinyl blinds in the living room. Blarg. They’re so… apartment-looking. I hate having them closed because it look so dark and makes our place look tiny, but since we’re on the first floor, having them open means everyone can peer into our haven and watch us cook dinner, lounge in our sweats, and dance in the kitchen. (Just kidding about the last part. Only I dance in the kitchen.)

To solve this problem, I decided sheer curtains would be the best option to keep things light and airy, but also add a sense of privacy to our abode. We had an extra curtain rod laying around (props to my past self for not tossing it out!). Our master bedroom has two curtains, sheer panels underneath light blue. I decided to take those and add it to the living room, since we don’t really need them in our room and it can save money buying new ones.

Here’s what it looks like during the day (sorry the pictures are so dark!)

And at night:

Sheer Curtains

It’s not perfect, but certainly better and makes the room look softer and (don’t tell J I used this adjective) more feminine. Also, I went to see what it looked like from outside, and you can only see outlines and silhouettes. Score.

Project #2: Find a spot for my purse to hang / Spent $7
The key to having a clean and organized house is having a spot for everything. Cleaning doesn’t take that long for me because a) we only have 1,000 square feet to clean, and b) there’s practically a place for everything… except, I’ve realized, my purse. On any given day you would find my bag flung on the dining room table, on the end of a chair, or laying on the ground, a terrain Leia has claimed free reign for her to investigate to her curious heart’s content.

To solve this problem, I decided to add some hooks to our wall behind the front door for my purse and a jacket. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this six months ago. Brilliant! Because hooks are kind of boring on their own, I decided to spruce them up with a little art. I spent $4 on the hooks and a whopping $3 on some 6×6 canvases at Walmart. I had the paint at home and spent a total of 20 minutes making some abstract art for the wall. It was so much fun, I’m looking for more places to add homemade art.

Entryway

(Oh and please ignore the scratched up door… that was from the first week and Leia was going through a little separation anxiety when we would leave. We decided to wait until we move to fix it in case it ever happens again.)

There you go — two really easy ways to enhance our home. :) Linking with Emily A. Clark.
Have you done any quick and cheap home improvement projects lately?

Filed Under: decoration, home

3 Tips for Decorating On A Budget When You’re Just Starting Out

February 20, 2013 7 Comments

Happy Wednesday y’all! Today my friend Amber, who blogs at Healthy, Wealthy & DIYs, is going to share a few tips on decorating. Just a reminder, for anyone interested in learning more about budgeting and taking control of your finances, I’m teaching a class tonight at 9 EST with the Influence Network. Registration is open until 6pm EST. Take it away, Amber!

–

Not so long ago, I used to be a personal finance blogger, but over at my new blog, I talk about transforming my new house from boring cookie-cutter to a place my husband and I are proud to call home! I also take regular detours into health, lifestyle, money, marriage, being a dog mom, and more!

Today I thought I’d talk about a subject I’ve learned a LOT about over the past year, decorating a new place on a budget. It can seem very daunting (and expensive!) at first, but there are some things you can do to make the transition a little more fun and budget-friendly. Here we go!

#1: Embrace the mis-tint paint section.

We all know that paint is one of the least expensive ways to change a room. But at $30-50 per gallon, it’s still a project that’s not in many people’s budget.

Enter the mis-tint section. It’s basically the island of misfit paint colors. Whenever the paint mixing machine screws up or if someone orders paint and never picks it up or doesn’t like it, it ends up in the mis-tint section at seriously marked down prices.

mistint paint

Since buying our house, I’ve found two gallons of paint in colors I loved for $5-6 each instead of the regular price of $35! Most recently, I also scored a quart of black paint for marked down to $2.50. I’d been planning a project with black paint so it worked out perfectly for just a fraction of the cost.

#2: Make like Macklemore and learn to love the thrift shop.

I confess I was never much a thrifter before owning a home, but since getting into thrifting, I’ve found some awesome items. The key is to be patient and expect to walk away empty-handed more times than not.

My best find so far has been two like-new silver candlesticks — originally from Pottery Barn with the labels still on the bottom! They are really heavy and in great shape, too – even better. If you’re a cheapo like me, you’ll be surprised just how expensive new candlesticks can be, so I was excited when I scored these!

#3: Don’t buy full-price frames.

I’ve needed a ton of frames since buying our house, specifically for a gallery wall I created among other projects. At first, I bought them new, but then I figured out there were much better and cheaper sources for frames!

Some of my favorite ways to find cheap frames are at thrift stores (again!). I found many, many BRAND-NEW frames in thrift stores. Of course, always check the clearance racks at Target and HomeGoods for good deals. Don’t forget to shop around you house for un-used frames! If it’s not the color you want, spray painting frames and mats is a cheap and easy update.

There ya have it – my top 3 tips for decorating your place on a budget. I hope you enjoy! Thanks again to Ginna for letting me guest post!

Amber blogs at Healthy, Wealthy & DIYs. When she’s not decorating or shopping at thrifts stores, she twittering, Instagraming, or hanging out with her pup and husband.

Filed Under: budgets, decoration, for fun, home

Home Tour: Dining, Kitchen and Living Rooms

January 14, 2013 3 Comments

J and I are saving to buy a house in the next year or so, and it’s easy to want to rush to that next step. But I need to remind myself how much I love our apartment. Sure it’s small and it’s an apartment, but I love the simplicity of it. I know one day I will look back and miss have just three rooms to clean (okay, five if you count the bathrooms).

I always get a little awkward sharing photos of my home, especially since there are so many prettier rooms out there. But I love this place. It’s a mixture of old, mostly used things that are mine and has kind of a newlywed charm about it. And that’s just a nice way of saying, we own lots of hand-me-down stuff. ;)

Anyway, my home was all spick-and-spam before guests came to stay, so I thought I’d take some photos to remember this space later. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) it was right before New Years so there are a few Christmas decorations scattered about.

Let’s get started shall we? :)

DINING ROOM:

^Here’s the view of our doorway that leads to our dining room and a view of the guest room. This little entry way collects all of our mail, keeps Leia’s leashes and towels to dry off when it’s raining, and that blue bucket is where we keep our recycling.

^Our dining room is to the left of the kitchen. I put scrapbook paper in the back of my hutch to give it some color. My grandmother painted that sunflower picture and also gave me the coo-coo clock. When we move to a house, I would like to paint the hutch and the table and chairs.

^Some of my favorite items are in this hutch, including a red vase my dad gave me, beloved cookbooks, my grandmother’s old kitchen timer, and our wedding toppers.

KITCHEN:

^Our kitchen is pretty small but opens up to the dining room and living room. It’s really just one big room. :) We also have a little office nook where we keep our computers.

^We don’t have a lot of cabinets, so I try to store spices, cutting boards, and oven-mitts near the microwave.

^These shelves above the office nook may be my favorite spot. So colorful and cheeky. Oh and some may remember my obsession with these Anthro owls… my parents got one for me for Christmas! I named him Howard. :)

LIVING ROOM:

^All of our furniture is hand-me-downs, which we are so thankful for. Our couch is very vintage — but in the worst sense of the word. Very short, shallow and a hideous yellow/green floral underneath the couch cover. But it works and we are thankful! My mom got me that chevron rug for my birthday this year and it’s amazing how it pulls the room together.

^ Here’s the other side of the living room… ignore the Christmas decor. ;) The green chairs were also hand-me-downs from J’s parents and I love them both so much.

^Here’s a closer look at the floating shelves above the TV. On the bottom shelf has an April 2011 calendar framed (the month we got married), and a photo taken from our engagement shoot. On the top shelf is a picture of us at my cousin’s wedding, a photo I got at the Eastern Market in DC (that still needs a frame), a Seinfeld quote print, and a jumping photo of my family.

^Here’s a glance at the living room from the other side. The bird art above the couch is from World Market.

^Our coffee table tray. We don’t normally have fresh flowers. :) The coffee table was also a hand-me-down, which I painted last summer. Here’s a before/after of the table.

^Here is our patio, which we use when it’s warm and keep the Christmas lights up year-round for when we need a little whimsy in our life. I wasn’t ready to part with our pumpkins so I dumped them in a pot outside.

There you go! A little tour of the main area.

Filed Under: decoration, home, housing

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