Makeover on a Dime, I mean, Penny.

I am in the middle of updating my kitchen for as little moolah as possible. The goal is to fix up the current fixtures, walls and cabinets so that the room is a little prettier, but not spend any significant money that would be better saved for the total remodel (a few years in the future).

Yesterday I started painting the paneling. Well, to be accurate, I primed the paneling. It took me two hours to sand it down and then clean up all the dust, and then another two hours to put a coat of primer on. That about did me in, so I decided to call it a day.

Today I'm not home, so instead of working on the kitchen, I've been browsing through Better Homes and Gardens' website in search of projects on the cheap that I could incorporate into our kitchen. I came across this backsplash and figured it could be replicated pretty easily.

These tiles from Lowes are $0.28 each,

These are about 6 inches wide, and I would need about 40 of them. ($11.20) Then one of these sheets,

at about ten dollars for the square foot, would provide me with the accent tiles.

Twenty dollars for a backsplash isn't bad, don't you think?

Linked to It's Great to Be Home's Inspiration Tuesday

Pretty Little Box

I recently transformed this little guy, found at a Goodwill for a couple bucks,

into this pretty piece for our living room.

I had been looking for a pretty little box to keep on our coffee table in the living room to provide a home for the little bits of clutter that naturally accumulate there like pens and paper and such. When I saw this box at Goodwill, I knew it could be transformed into something much nicer, and it would serve my purposes perfectly.

This little box's transformation was fraught with trial and error though, and it took quite a while to achieve the look I was going for. I had picked up a couple of metallic craft paints at Hobby Lobby that I thought would work but they turned out to be terrible. So I let it sit for a while and thought about what other options I could do for this little box.

The first thing I did was remove the plastic photo insert on the top part. It came out without a struggle, as did the glass top where you are supposed to insert a photo.

Then, as I mentioned, I first painted it a metallic taupe, but the coverage wasn't good, nor was the color. Than I tried a warm silver color, but that didn't work either.

Finally I settled on painting the whole thing white and using the metallic taupe paint to add in some pretty accents. My BFF, white spray paint, stepped in again, and worked her magic.

Then I painted some pretty little accents over the white to give it some interest, and tie it into the rest of the colors in the living room.

When all the paint was dry, I re glued the little knob on the drawer, and cut scrapbook paper to fit in the photo insert for the top, and to line the bottom of the drawer.

This little box now sits on my coffee table next to the laptop and holds pens in the little drawer,

and stamps, sticky notes and a small notebook for jotting things down under the lid.

It is now so much prettier and so very useful! Most of all I love that it is one of a kind. What did you work on over the weekend?

Linked to Thrifty Treasures and Metamorphosis Monday.

Hooked On Gossip Girl

image taken from here

Let me just say that I was skeptical about this show when it first came out. I didn't think it could be all that great. I've been sucked in along with the masses though. I love shows that have intricate relationship arcs that you have to keep track of, and Gossip Girl is full of them. Plus, I am a sucker for a great love story, and the development of Chuck and Blair's relationship throughout season 2 had me swooning. Leighton Meester is a great actress, but Ed Westwick does a superb job playing the "Basstard" that actually has a redeemeable soul. I haven't seen acting of this calibre in a long, long time. He is capable of translating an emotion with a single look, and boy, can he deliver a line! This gives his character so much depth and really draws you into the story.

And can I just say that I waited all season for this moment? Along with a million other fans, I am sure.

gossipgirlfan.org

Gossip Girl returns on September 14, and you can be sure I'll be watching!

xoxo,

Gossip Girl

Linked to Hooked On Houses

Making Some Room

I've mentioned a few times that we've started demolition in the basement. We're kind of overwhelmed by the amount of garbage that this demo is generating. There isn't really anything that can be done about it, but it is slowing the process down as we're making garbage faster than we can get rid of it each week.

However, we are making progress, and here is some proof. Last weekend we worked on the stairwell, as someone had decided to actually narrow the stairwell by about a foot and a half. The stairwells to the upstairs and the attic are about four feet wide, and the basement stairs had been narrowed to about 2 1/2 feet. They also lowered the ceiling at the base of the stairs. Although Lover and I are both on the short side, we do frequently have people over that are a bit taller. We thought they would appreciate being able to stand up straight at the bottom of the stairs.

Here's what the stairs looked like before:

And here's a "during" picture:

It really feels a lot more open already. I'm looking forward to having this project done!

Linked to Do It Yourself Thursday and Transformation Thursday

How to make Weekly Meal Plans

Image taken from here

If you're anything like me, figuring out what to make for dinner each night can be quite the struggle. After a few years of "fulltime" cooking, I've come up with a pretty foolproof plan that eliminates the 4pm meltdown of "what's for dinner?"

There are a few things that make meal planning easier:

• Stocked pantry (items you regularly use in meals, such as cream of mushroom soup)


• Freezer large enough to stock up on meat (when meats go on sale)


• Crockpot (for those days when it is just too busy or too hot to cook)


• Grocery Database (to track sales and prices... it'll save you money!)

First, look at your calendar and determine how many meals you will need to make this week, as well as any notes about what those meals should be.

Image taken from here

For us, this week is a little busy, but we don't have anything major going on. Monday thru Wednesday we have an event at church every evening, so meals need to be quick and simple in order to make it on time. Thursday, Lover has a meeting over dinner, so he won't be home, and we may be going camping next weekend, which means that meals need to be campfire appropriate.

If we were having someone over for dinner, I would make a note of that, and if we had plans to go out to eat I'd put that into the plan as well.

Usually, I end up with 4-5 meals over a week's time, or 8-10 meals over a two week period. (which is how I usually make my meal plans)

Now I am going to take a look at my stocked meats and frozen foods. Do I have anything that needs to be used up? There's some beef in there that is nearing its expiration date, so I'll put that on the menu. Nothing else is reaching its past due point, so anything is fair game. (Get it? Fair game? Tee hee) I'll also look at sales this week for meat. Chicken is on sale for $1.79/lb at my local store, so I know I'll be stocking up on chicken. I make a note to include several chicken meals this week.

Next I will go through my recipes, noting any favorites that look appealing, as well as any new recipes that I've been wanting to give a try. This is where I also ask Lover if he has any "cravings" for the week. He usually answers "Mexican" so I'll include fajitas on one of my days this week.

Next I make up my grocery list, while consulting my pantry, freezer and fridge to determine what ingredients I'll need to make the meals this week. This is when I also write down items needed for lunches throughout the week.

Instead of assigning a meal to each specific day, I simply post a list of the "weekly meals" somewhere on the fridge. This allows me to choose whatever meal I am in the mood for on a particular day. My meals for this week are:

• Chicken Caesar Salad


• Fajitas


• Beef Burgandy (in the crockpot)


• Barbecue Chicken and Grilled Veggies


• Chicken Pasta Salad (my new recipe to try this week)

So, in conclusion, our steps are:

1. Check your calendar to see how your social activities will affect your meal plan.


2. Determine how many meals you will need to make.


3. Check stocked meats for expiration, and sales for bargain meat.


4. Go through recipes and decide on your required number of meals for the week.


5. Make shopping list, after checking pantry, fridge and freezer for supplies.


6. Go shopping


7. Assign a meal to each day, if you prefer.

When I said adventures in remodeling, I didn't sign up for this...

We're working on our basement (remember how it flooded a few months ago?) and the demolition is unreal. We have such a huge pile at the bottom of the stairs that I doubt we'll ever get it all out of there. This past weekend we were working on re-widening the stairs (the previous owners had brought the four foot wide stairwell down to about three feet, for some unknown reason) and we found some "treasures."

Two dirty publications and some unmarked VHS tapes. I'm not even going to guess what is on those tapes. Eww.

The best part, if you can say that, is that they were totally inaccessible unless you were doing what we were, tearing out the stairs. So,how did that line of reasoning go? "I'll get to enjoy these next time we remodel the stairs."??? Brilliant, if I do say so. My other theory? The wife found out about his secret stash and got even, placing them somewhere he'd never be able to get to them again. Can you imagine that conversation?

Husband: Wife, have you seen my, um, "reading" material?

Wife: Yes, dear, I have. They were in a terrible location though, so I moved them.

Husband: To where?

Wife: Under the builtin stairs. Thought that might be more convenient.

:-)

Light and Airy Laundry Room

I found this "Deluxe Wooden Coat Rack" at a garage sale last week for one dollar.

I had been trying to find something that would be the missing link for my little laundry room makeover. I needed a row of hooks on the empty wall for hanging delicates and items that couldn't go in the dryer. But every hook I could find at Lowes and the like were at least $2 a piece. Adding a whole row of them would prove costly.

A can of white spray paint made this coat rack fit in nicely with the rest of the items in my fresh and clean laundry room.

Here's what the laundry "nook" looked like when we bought the house. Notice the paneling, the lovely wallpaper on the left wall, and the psychadelic colors of the cabinet on the right.

My father was kind enough to spend a few hours painting this room before we moved the washing machine and dryer into the room. I spent a few months searching for the right fabric to bring some happy color into the now fresh and clean space.

I hung a sheer panel over the doorway where the carpet covered doors had been. I used a blue on white polka dot cotton to make a screen to cover the electrical box. It's hanging from curtain clips on a wire, so it can be easily moved aside when we need to access the panel.

I had the wooden shelf with a heart cutout already, given to me when my parents moved. A couple of coats of white paint helped freshen it up, and I "accessorized" it with some faux blue hydrangeas, a picture of Lover and I, some Oxiclean in a white jar, and a white plastic box holding dryer sheets. I had all of these things, so there was no additional cost.

On the left wall, I took cork panels taken off the walls of the office and covered them in another polka dot print, this one with richer colors. I figure I can use these panels to hold spare buttons, stain remover tips, etc.

Below the cork panels I hung a watercolor I did of some laundry drying in the breeze. Isn't it pretty?

On the left wall, I put some pegboard hooks on the now white cabinet, and the coat rack on the adjacent wall. (Opposite the washer and dryer) Above the rack I freehanded the saying "Life and Laundry, Loads of Fun!"

Doing laundry in this area is much more pleasant now, and I love that I spent about $15 to make it enjoyable. Here's to makeovers on a dime!

Linked to Metamorphosis Monday and Thrifty Treasures. Check out the other tranformations and great finds!

The Year Of Yellow: Culoare Zi 2009

Summer time at Wendhurst Castle means one thing; Culoare Zi! If you don't know what that is, check out last year's post about the blue party.

The invitations set the tone for the party, with their sunny yellow color and lemon graphic. We included all of the pertinent information, as well as a short fictional description of why yellow was being celebrated this year.

Walking up to our back yard, you were greeted with this little sign;

And plenty of yellow decor to get you in the spirit! I made these pretty oversized paper flowers that we stuck into all the planters,


The tables were covered in yellow tablecloths, and we had decorated with lemons, yellow balloons and other yellow fruits.


I found these yellow tiki torches last year on clearance, and although I initially purchased them for the Mid Winter Summer party we were going to do, they fit in perfect for this party.


The only rule we have for this party is that you must wear something yellow. Last year several people showed up without the color du jour, and were not invited back. This year we informed everyone of the rule, but I also bought some of those hideous plastic leis in school bus yellow for the non-conformists. Here's some friends in their yellow garb and one dissenter with her lei.
She is preggers though, so we cut her some slack. :-)

By far the highlight of our night is the food. We work hard to come up with an easy menu that is filled with foods that either are yellow, or have yellow in their name. Here's our menu for the night;

In case you can't read it, for appetizers we had Yellowfin Tuna on Cheddar and Crackers, and a fruit tray of Golden Delicious Apple Slices, Mango, Frsh Pineapple and a Lemon Fruit Dip.

The entrees consisted of Grilled Lemon Chicken, and Tortilla Patata (a Spanish dish with eggs and potatoes), with three sides, Saffron Yellow Rice, a Grilled Vegetable Medley of Dutch Yellow Potatoes, Summer Squash and Yellow Onions, and Golden Sweet Corn.

Dessert was delicious, as we served Love the Mama Lemon Bars, Banana Splits and Golden Honeydew Melon.

Everyone seemed to have a great time, and Lover's dad even brought along his guitar and played Yellow Submarine and a few other "yellow" songs. It was a lot of fun, and we can't wait till next year!

Next year is red, so start planning your outfits!

Image courtesy of this site

I am linking this post up to Julia's Hooked On Fridays as I love to throw an awesome party, and also to Foodie Friday over at Designs By Gollum, because of all our great food!

Price My Space: Our Master Bedroom

Nester is holding a Price My Space party today and I thought I'd join in the party! I am pretty proud of our master bedroom and the meager budget that we used to make it pretty.

First the big stuff,

• Wooden Bed Frame, Headboard and Footboard - $40 off Craigslist
• Comforter and Two Shams, bedskirt - $30 at Big Lots
• Two Dressers - free hand-me-downs from family
• Nightstand on left - free hand me down
• Nightstand/Table on right - $1 at a garage sale
• 600 thread count sheets, wedding present from JC Penneys
• Wall color - First Anniversary by Glidden $20
• Sconces on wall - $5 from bargain outlet

Total for this category: $96.00

Window treatments;

• Roman Shade - Goodwill $4, I added $2 worth of beaded trim
• Red Silk Panels and Gold Silk Panels, $7 each at Christmas Tree Shop on clearance
• Curtain Rod - Bed Bath and Beyond for $70, found at garage sale for $10

Total for this category: $44.00

Frames, Pictures and Mirrors;

• Frame to left of bed - $15 from Burlington Coat Factory (wedding picture and vows inside)
• Full length mirror beneath the frame $5 from Target
• Frames opposite bed - $0.07 each from Christmas Tree Shop (no lie!)
• Glass, mats and prints for frames - $35
• Scroll-y mirror between frames - $1 from garage sale
• Mirror on dresser beside bed - free with dresser
• Frame on candle wall - $0.07 from Christmas Tree Shop
• Glass, Mat and Print - $15

Total for this category: $56.36

Accessories;

• Accent Pillow on window seat - $1 from garage sale
• Accent Pillow on bed - $0.50 from garage sale
• Silver Frames on Dresser - Various sources, $10
• Iron Floor Candlesticks - Lakesidecollection.com $20
• Burgandy Pillar Candles - Bed Bath and Beyond $7
• Bedside Lamp - $0.97 on clearance at Christmas Tree Shop, spray painted. Shade was $3 from Goodwill
• Vase - Dollar Store $1
• Table Runner on dresser - wedding gift, Pier 1 Imports

Total for this category: $43.47

Grand Total for this room: $237.83

(if you add in the mattress, which I forgot to list, the total is $537.83)

Check out my original post about the master bedroom to see the full transformation from hideous to beautiful!

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

We went to the drive-in this weekend to see Transformers. Despite what you may think, this was a not a noble move on my part to earn brownie points with Lover. I'm such an anti-girl. I like sweet cars, comics and action flicks. I also like a great fight scene. Needless to say, I thought this movie was awesome. :-)

A lot of people gave this summer blockbuster bad reviews, mainly citing a lack of plot. While I have to agree that there wasn't a ton of story or character development, what did you expect? I mean this is a movie about robots, a hot girl, a fun guy, and lots of fighting. And it totally delivers. Side note, has Shia LaBeouf totally lucked out or what? This kid's star is seriously on the rise, and it kind of makes me sick that he is two years younger than I am and has already made more money than I will ever have a chance at. Not that I am jealous or anything. :-)

The soundtrack is pretty awesome as well. I may even put it on my MP3 player for my next workout. Seriously, what better to get your heart racing than the music from the fight scene for a bunch of robots?

In summation, if you haven't seen this movie yet, go see it. You'll enjoy it, believe me. :-)

P.S. The drive in was a double feature, and the first flick we watched was G.I.Joe. If you have to choose between them, go for Transformers all. the. way.

All images from transformersmovie.com