Easy Peasy Holiday Decor

Holiday decor doesn't have to break the bank. How simple and inexpensive is this wreath? You can easily find these ornaments on the cheap at a crafts store, dollar store, or in your closet.

Photo credit: Achados de Decoracao

I Spy... Amazing Floating Candlelight

The CB2 Whirly Candle Holders have caught my eye, and I will not rest until I buy them and hang them in my own home. They are a click away at cb2.com, and at $3.95 a piece, they are more than affordable. I can make a fabulous lighting fixture on the cheap. Meanwhile, until that package from CB2 is in my hands, I only have these lovely images to hold me over.

Pinky Brown Re-Design

modernthrifter.com

decor8blog.com

flickr.com via Apartment Therapy

cb2.com

Cool Find (On the Cheap)

Carafe-styled vase at A.C. Moore on sale for only $3.00.

Arts and Crafts: Chalkboard for the Kitchen

Recently I posted about how expensive chalkboards are. I wanted one for my kitchen but didn't want to spend a lot of money. So I took some guidance from Aubrey + Lindsay's post on how to make a chalkboard for under $40.

Of course I went to none other than Home Goods to look for a frame. I splurged a little on the frame. It was $25. You can definitely find a cheaper frame for about $10-$15, but I really liked the frame I purchased. I bought chalkboard paint from Home Depot for about 11 bucks.

I was so embarrassed by the picture in the frame, I felt the need to tell the cashier I was buying it for the frame not the print. She said she wouldn't have judged me, but I could not have blamed her if she did.

I decided to paint the glass protecting the print with several coats of the chalkboard paint. 4-5 coats should be sufficient, but you can make the determination to add another coat if desired after the paint has dried.

Check out the results!

This took very little time and and very little money. If you're on a budget, always figure out cheaper alternatives like figuring out ways to do it yourself.

I think mine looks a lot better than that old Pottery Barn chalkboard for $150, don't you?

The $74.95 Bathroom Makeover- Uncovered

Remember when I helped my friend Amy, redo her bathroom on the cheap by picking up some items at Home Goods? She wanted a cheap, quick fix. For about $80, we updated the look of her bathroom.

Here is the before:

Here are the items we picked up from Home Goods:

Here is the after:

Not bad for 80 bucks. The only other suggestion I would make is to take the left over white paint (that I know Amy has) and paint over the yellow trim and piping.

Great work, looks good! Thanks for the pics!

Party Over Here!

Remember my search for the perfect tablecloth at Home Goods? Well, I was able to put it to good use. I threw a small party for my grandparents 66th wedding anniversary. 66yrs- wow! That was definitely worth celebrating.

I had to make this table presentable for the celebration:

Pretty blah, right? I love my table, but not for a party. I wanted the table to have a crisp white color palate with pops of color.

So I called upon the economical guru of its class...
Surprise! It's not Home Goods! Ikea is more practical when buying items like champagne glasses in bulk. Home Goods has more quality items than they do bulk items; and sometimes you items that are more functional than stylish, especially when you're working with a budget.

This 3 tiered serving platter was only $15.

I love these over sized tea lights. $6 for a pack of 24 and $2 for a six pack of the glass candle holders. I also placed these all around the house.

This milky colored vase ($10) was perfect for my white color palate. I wanted to use some bright colored flowers to contrast the white vase.

Not pretty, but served its purpose. I picked up about 30 of these for $25.

These napkins are pretty good quality for such a reasonable price. $1.49/50pk.

The infamous tablecloth from Home Goods.

Remember my trip to CB2 in New York. Here are some of the purchase results... Love these.

And here is the table almost to completion:

I reused the water filled votive with the floating candle that I got from the bridal shower in NY that I shared with you in the Shower Me With Style post. It helps to be resourceful.

Congrats to my Grandparents for 66 years of amazing strength and commitment! I love you!

*This post is dedicated in loving memory to Greg Smith. Miss you.

$74.95 Bathroom Makeover (Tax not incl.)

My friend Amy was making a Home Goods run (she's a good friend of mine, so of course she knows to go to the mecca for on the cheap finds!) and she asked me come with to help her spruce up her bathroom inexpensively. A quick cosmetic fix is a great idea when you're low on money and/or time, or if you rent.

Her goal: To completely change her bathroom with a few simple items. She hated her shower curtain, her bathmat, and her bathroom mirror and wanted those replaced; and she wanted something decorative to hold her toilet paper in. Easy! Knowing exactly what she wanted made the search fast and simple.

Check out the before:

Here's what we found at Home Goods:

Shaggy bathmat: $16.99. I originally wanted a mat in the blue family to compliment the vase, but we couldn't find one that was the right size and color. The neutral color was actually a perfect runner-up. It ties in the blue vase and the chocolate brown shower curtain with out overpowering either color. The shagginess of the rug is a perfect compliment bringing texture and affect into the bathroom.

Blue/brown vase: $19.99. This will serve as the container for toilet paper. This vase is actually a lot more blue and more eye catching in person, and perfect to hold toilet paper in. This item looks decorative while simultaneously acting as functional a functional piece; and its the perfect pop of color for the space.

You never have to use pieces exactly in the manner they designated for. Changing it up gives a room more interest.

Shower curtain: $12.99. The chocolate brown shower curtain will give the bathroom added sophistication and will provide a more contemporary flare. It's the largest piece in the bathroom and will therefore have the largest impact. The bold color and slight sheen will define the entire space.

Mirror: $19.99. This will go over the sink. It will also give an updated, contemporary look to the bathroom. The simple detail on the frame keeps it modern and clean.

Curtain hooks: $4.99. Silver, shiny and sophisticated. Small details like curtain hooks matter. The contemporary shower curtain needed contemporary accessories to make the look complete.

Can't wait to see the finished product. I'll keep you posted!