Trash to Treasure Tuesday--Holiday Decor

I adore decorating for the holidays. But, due to my frugal nature, in the past I have been reluctant to decorate for the "smaller" holidays, i.e. Valentine's Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the 4th of July.

Not that I consider these SMALLER holidays, mind you, they just have a shorter decorating season, so I didn't consider them worth spending my VERY small home decor budget on.

Then I wised up. Got me some knowledge. REINVENTED my attitude. Before I share my new SMARTS, here's today's TRASH TO TREASURE project.

I made this flag last night from a leftover piece of MDF from our bedroom shelves. I'm no Betsy Ross, that's for sure, but it turned out pretty well. I used a ruler and some painter's tape to paint the stripes, and a star stencil for the stars (just a clip art image printed off and cut out with a craft knife).

Now, without further adieu, here are my TIPS for FRUGAL HOLIDAY DECOR:

1. Start at the front door. A touch of holiday decor at the entrance to your home sets the theme and will be remembered by your guests (if you care about that kind of stuff). I made this sign from a craft board I found at the Dollar Tree.

2. Don't forget the focal point. The focal point of your room, is where your eyes are drawn. In our case, that's the mantle, so I put the flag there. Now we have holiday decor in the place we look most often.

3. Small touches make an impact. This plate has a permanent home on top of my cabinets, and I can change the chalkboard as often as I want!

4. Cross-contamination of holiday decor is COOL. (this star is a Christmas ornament, I'd bet you have one too!)

5. Take advantage of childlike enthusiasm. Bored children make perfect holiday crafters.

6. Use stuff you already have. Shop your house for the colors of the holiday and use those items in your displays. I finished off my stack of Country Living magazines with the July issue. What's more "4th of July" than cherry pie?

Now that I've completely emptied my brain of holiday decor ideas, it's your turn ! Link up those projects ladies. Remember, if your project is not holiday themed, please link up anyway! And, of course, remember to link back to REINVENTED in your post, so that your readers can check out all of the projects.

Reinvention Convention

Happy Monday to all!

Before I share a couple of fabulous ideas that I found, I have an idea to pitch.

What do y'all think about making tomorrow's Trash to Treasure Tuesday an Independence Day theme? I'm planning to add a little patriotic decor to my home in honor of Independence Day, using stuff I already have, and I'd love for you all to join me!

(if you've already got a project planned to share, and it's not a patriotic theme, please share anyway! No pressure!)

Now to other people's good ideas.

These napkin rings are made from an empty Saran wrap tube. I was so excited to find this one. For those of you, like me, that have been trying to reduce your family's waste by using cloth napkins, this is an inexpensive way to dress them up. I think it would be great to add an initial for each family member also. Find the directions for this project at Merriment Design.

Who needs a chore list when you've got this fabulous kitchen window valance? Guess what it's made out of? You're right, a canvas drop cloth. Credit for this goes to Jen at Sanctuary Arts.

Let's meet back here tomorrow for some Red, White and Blue Trash to Treasure!

Trash to Treasure Tuesday--The Benchmark Edition

Wow. Upholstery is HARD.

I read many tutorials before this project. Tutorials that used the words EASY and QUICK.

Not.

When I found this bench at the Goodwill for $4.99, I LOVED the six curvy legs.

After stapling fabric around those SIX CURVY LEGS, my love for them diminished a little. I actually broke a sweat. Which is good, 'cuz now I don't need to go to the gym today, right?

Last night I started this project.

I broke ALL of the child labor laws.

He was okay with the WORK, but wanted to make sure I gave him "half the CREDIT."

After the legs were painted, I called it a night.

This morning, I stapled on the beautiful aqua microfiber fabric I chose. Did I mention it was hard? Thank goodness I chose a solid color, I had a feeling a pattern would be challenging.

The AFTER. Not too bad for a beginner?

Is the room DONE? Well, no, 'cuz I'd really like to have an area rug. DONE, FOR NOW? You betcha.

This post is linked to The Lettered Cottage for favorite Thrifty Tips! Welcome!

Frugal Focal Points

Happy Monday everyone! Wow, is it ever HOT here. We're usually pretty resistant to turn on the AC in the summer, but I'm using massive amounts of electricity to cool my house down right now. And it's still June. Uh-oh.

Before I get to today's project, and after I complain about the weather, I have a little bloggy housekeeping to do. A couple of months ago, I dropped the ".blogspot.com" from my blog address, and bought the URL http://www.reinventedkb.com/. It has come to my attention that those of you that subscribe via the Google Reader or via e-mail or RSS via through Feedburner might have been cut off after the switch. If you're having trouble, I apologize. Me and my computer bird brain didn't realize that this would cause any issues, but you might need to re-subscribe. I just hope you want to. (smile)

Okay, so anyway...

When I announced that my master bedroom makeover was DONE, I didn't really mean it. Is any room ever completely done? Not at my house. Do I ever just get sick of working on a room, and declare it "done, for now?" Absolutely.

If you've watched any HGTV, and God help you if you haven't, then you know that every room must have a focal point. For bedrooms, that's usually the bed. After we finished our "door" headboard, I knew that in order for our bed to be a proper focal point, I needed something to go on the wall above the headboard.

Well, in our house, the statements "I NEED something to hang on the wall", and "I have plenty of money to BUY something to hang on the wall" usually don't match up.

So, off to the Goodwill store I went. You know, so that I could hang other people's junk on my walls again.

I started with this.You may remember this combo from a previous Goodwill post. I removed a dated print from this frame, painted it chocolate brown and hung it on the wall empty. The wood plaque is one of those 70's craft projects gone wrong. It had some fruit decoupaged on back when Mod Podge wasn't cool. I removed the fruit and sanded it well, then painted the entire plaque Heirloom White. Next came the monogram, just printed from Microsoft Word and used as a stencil.

I like this, and it cost less than five bucks, but it's not large enough to fill in the empty wall above our bed. So today I went to the GW looking for some fabulous plates or platters to hang up there.

Well...I found some, but they weren't FABULOUS. (Just cheap. Six dollars total.)

Heirloom White spray paint IS fabulous.

See?

Now, it's a focal point. FINALLY. Oh, and I added a couple more pillows, 'cuz you can't have too many pillows.

Now I've got to go finish the bench that goes at the foot of the bed. I removed the first layer of fabric, and here's what it looks like now.

Yeah, eww. Tune in tomorrow for the Trash to Treasure Tuesday results!

Today I'm linking up to Rhoda's Thrifty Treasures! Check out the finds!

Attitude Reinvented

Yesterday I found myself "down in the dumps".


My family said I was being a grump.


I got on my blog and proceeded to whine,


Then I found out how many blog friends are mine.





I have so many sweet friends that I've never met


I've won the lottery and I don't even bet!


After poems and projects I needed a mop


To clean up the tears from my Dell laptop.





Okay, I'll stop now. Just let me say two more words.





Thank You.





You wonderful people that read this blog are so sweet and encouraging. Barbara Jean even wrote me a poem! And it was WAY better than mine.

Now on to REINVENTED stuff.





If you love Frugal Food Storage ideas, like the ones HERE, and HERE, you'll love my new find.





I'll call this one Lazy Frugal Food Storage.

So, I was at the grocery reading labels. Looking for a jar spaghetti sauce without added sugar. Let me tell ya, that is NOT an easy task. I finally found a jar of Kroger's Private Selection spaghetti sauce. After we actually enjoyed the sauce, I noticed the jar! See that detail that looks like dentil moulding? So cute. And the lid is already black!

Move over Ragu, I've got a new best friend. She hardly needs any decorating. Which is good, 'cuz I hardly have any TIME. (see yesterday's post for that sordid story)

Have a fabulous day everyone! I {heart} every one of you!

Trash to Treasure Tuesday--the Lazy Bum Addition

Good morning, friends. I'm hoping you all can help me out today.



You see, I have NOTHING to share for Trash to Treasure Tuesday. (If you're thinking "didn't she just say that a couple of weeks ago? Please stop, you're making me feel bad.)



I feel like a piece of trash that needs REINVENTED today. Not that kind of trash, just the "in need of a makeover" kind. I desperately need a haircut, my "unibrow" needs waxed and I could probably use my heels to sand down the legs on my fabulous new bench.

Sorry, is that TOO MUCH INFORMATION?


I thought summer would be SLOWER, QUIETER and more RELAXING. But, you see, those kids are here. I forgot about what it's like when they're here. FASTER, LOUDER, and EXHAUSTING.


I'm feeling a little sorry for myself today, because I have to work 12 hours at the hospital, I haven't done anything with the great stuff I bought over the weekend, and I want to throw out my entire kitchen so that I can have THIS:




I found this picture on The Lettered Cottage. Anything Layla likes, I like.

Okay, enough with the whining. Please inspire me with your projects. I promise to return the favor.

Weekend Treasures

Welcome visitors from Kennesha's Junk Party! I'm linking this post of some of my most fabulous finds! Enjoy the BEFORES, the AFTERS are coming soon!

Happy Monday everyone!

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend, I sure did. My sons and I hit some garage sales and the Goodwill store on Saturday morning, and we found some great stuff.

Yeah, I said my sons. My boys LOVE the garage sales, and my twelve year old is a new Goodwill convert. Despite the fact that he was just a little EMBARASSED by the scene I made when I found THIS:

We were delivering our donations to the backdoor of the store when I saw this fab bench sitting there waiting for her trip to the front. Let's just say that no one else had a chance. I paid $4.99 for this, and it will be perfect at the foot of our bed. After a coat of paint and some new fabric, of course. WOOHOO!!!

I found some great stuff at the garage sales too.

This is a shelf, that I somehow took a sideways picture of. I love the "waves". Ironically, this was the same price as the bench, but at least it doesn't need "REINVENTED!"

I love these wooden pears, and for now they've found a home on top of the kitchen cabinets. I have a feeling they'll travel around the house with the seasons.

8x10 frames still in the packages! These will get a coat of black spray paint, then probably photos. My kids have so many photos of their sports and activities, I'm always looking for wall frames to display them. I just look for wood frames, then paint them all the same color, there's no need to buy NEW frames!

These cute little babies are just crying out for an updated decoupage treatment.

My stash of projects has seriously grown after this weekend, and I couldn't be more excited! Now I need to get to work so that I can share the "AFTERS" with y'all!

I'm linking this post up to Southern Hospitality's Today's Thrifty Treasures Party. There are some awesome finds and ideas featured, so check it out!

Reinvention Convention

Two posts on a SATURDAY? What has gotten in to me? Actually, I'm tired from Goodwilling and Garage Saling this morning, so I'm resting for a few minutes. Welcome to my "couch potato" moment.

I found a couple of fabulous projects in blogland this week, and since I'm all about sharing ideas for repurposing stuff, HERE YOU GO!

Check out this footboard makeover at Censational Girl.

Wow.

This awesome project is a faux locker basket made from THIS:

She even has the little metal label holders for the front! How cool. Check out this project at Creatively Dreaming.

Enjoy your weekend everyone! See y'all back here on Monday!

An Invitation to Share

Hey everyone! I hope you're enjoying your weekend. The weather is PERFECT here in central Ohio. I scored something FABULOUS at the Goodwill store today, and I can't wait to show you. Next week, hopefully.



I got invited to a PARTY today, and it's sounds so fabulous I thought I'd let you all know about it! Don't worry, I got permission from Kennesha, it's her party.



LOOK!





Click HERE or on the button on my sidebar to find out the details!

Babbling About Bathrooms

Since we're on the subject of BEAUTIFUL BATHROOMS, I thought I'd share some inspiring pictures. Pictures of bathrooms with softness, and texture and fabulous design.





All of the following pictures are from Country Living. The words are mine. Sorry.








Elegant fabric makes for a luxurious bath...

Here you can soak in the tub and read Grapes of Wrath.

Wire baskets, fluffy towels and art on the walls...
Furniture and beauties you can't buy at the mall.

You can accent your tile with shells from the beach...

Or add a cabinet to keep your towels within reach.

Come on, add some character to your bath today.

Small Changes, Big Results

Can an entire room be "trash?"

Wait, don't say no, you haven't seen my house. At least not all of it, 'cuz I only show you the parts I want you to see. (insert wicked laugh here)

I made a really big deal out of my master bedroom makeover, so some of you remember that. And, of course, if you don't, I've included these links to the BEFORE and AFTER.

Although I love the finished bedroom, I've never updated the master bath. THIS is where we get to the trash part. Our master bathroom is functional, but not beautiful. I think it's so important to add softness and texture to a bathroom, to balance all of the hard edges and slick surfaces, but I hadn't actually done it. So today, I got started.

Here are FIVE EASY WAYS to add softness and texture to your bathroom:

1. Wood. Shelves, baskets, frames. These all add the texture and warmth of wood. Try to use wood in place of plastic for waste baskets and laundry hampers. Line an old basket with a canvas drop cloth to protect your clothes.






2. Fabric. Add curtains to the windows. Use a beautiful shower curtain. If you have a shower stall, you might be able to add curtains to this. For an idea, check out Sarah's at Thrifty Decor Chick.






3. Plants. If you're brave, and your thumb is green, go ahead and use real plants. If you're like me, go with artificial, just try to find realistic looking fake plants.






4. Lamps. Adding a lamp to a bathroom elevates it to "real room" status. You know, instead of "functional closet" status. And you can't beat the soft light.






5. Furniture. If you've got room, include a piece of furniture. A small dresser or bookshelf really adds character and warmth. Oh, yeah, and storage.

Here are some pictures of my master bathroom after a quick makeover with stuff I already had.

I used leftover fabric from the bedroom to "make", and I use that term very LOOSELY, a valance for the window. No sewing or gluing this time. Just creative folding and upholstery tacks, ala the Nester. You can see the edge of our shower here, it's not one I can add a curtain to, so the hard edges remain.


Oh! I forgot to put ART on the list. Not expensive stuff, mind you. Too much moisture in a bathroom for REAL art. I framed more leftover fabric and stenciled a "B" on some craft paper to update some 90's prints that were hanging here above the tub. I'd still LOVE to have some old chippy shelves to go in this spot, but haven't found anything yet.

Here's the corner with a plant that I got for free from my parents when they redecorated.

My "reinvented" tray holds necessities on the vanity, and a picture of my kids. I haven't found the perfect lamp yet either. A girl needs GOALS, right?

I spent NO MONEY this morning, just a little energy updating some stuff I already had. NOW I have to clean the bathroom. THAT will cost a little more. Energy, that is.

Link up those projects, my friends! I can't wait to see what you've been working on!

Totally Neutral, Almost

Today I'm "attending" the My Favorite Paint Color Party at 320 Sycamore!

320 Sycamore is another of my FAVORITE blogs. Melissa is one of those girls with talent oozing out of her pores, that's not afraid to stay real.

She also has fantastic party ideas, apparently! Choosing paint colors can be so frustrating. I hate trying to imagine what a 2x2 paint chip will look like covering an entire wall. Most paint dealers are now offering sample sizes to try, but I still consider a recommendation from a friend priceless.

Here are some of my favorites.

Wait! I must warn you first, I like mostly neutral backgrounds for my rooms, with punches of color, so you may find my choices BORING. On the other hand, if you're looking for a warm neutral, I'm your gal.

For our mastern bedroom, we used Lowe's "Antique." It's a warm beige Waverly color and perfectly matches the background in the Waverly fabric I used to sew, I mean glue, my drapes.

This color is called "Sundew" from Sherwin Williams. I love this color and have used it in 3 homes now over the years. It's a little yellower than the "Antique" above. Currently we have this color in our foyer, stairwell and both 1st and 2nd floor halls. It lightens up dark areas, and looks great with black and small touches of color.

This one is "Filtered Shade" by Lowe's. We have this color in both boys' rooms. It's a soft neutral gray that I consider a little more contemporary than the beiges. It coordinates very well with legos and sports equipment, in case you were wondering. AND BUCKEYE STUFF.

I went a little CRAZY in the dining room. No, there wasn't any wine involved. At least not until AFTER I was done painting. This color is called "Apple Green", it's an Eddie Bauer color from Lowe's, and I {HEART} it. It's definitely the most bold color choice I've ever made for walls, so I kept the accessories black and cream so the color didn't overpower the room. The table and chairs are a combination of medium stained oak and black.

Thanks for stopping by to check out my favorite paint colors! I'm excited to look around, check out other favorites, and hopefully pick up some new ones! Enjoy the party!

Trash to Treasure--The Lazy Days of Summer Edition

It's Tuesday, and WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

Nope, you're wrong. It means that there are only FOUR DAYS OF SCHOOL LEFT, and this mom is in a little bit of a PANIC. It's not that I don't LOVE my children TO BITS, but, I do kinda like my alone time. And it's about to be over, for a few month at least.

I can't believe I just said that "out loud." Am I horribly selfish?

No, I don't think so, because on top of the wee bit of panic, there's also excitement for pool days, bike rides, and trips to the library and farmers' market. I want to cook with my kids, and "reinvent" stuff with them. They are turning into quite the little Goodwill shoppers! Yep, even the TEENAGER.

NOW FOR THE TRASHY PART OF TUESDAY. You didn't think I forgot, did you? That can't happen, I LIVE for Trash to Treasure, especially on Tuesday.

Today's TRASH to TREASURE doesn't involve sand paper, paint or even Mod Podge. (gasp!)

Today I'd like to challenge you to find something that you'd have never thought to use for home decor, or even something that you might have thrown away...

and hang it on the wall. I got this canvas bag for free as part of a gift with purchase promotion. I didn't think much of it, and for a week it was buried on my "catch-all" counter. When I finally uncovered it again, and unwrapped the package, I first noticed the black and cream stripes, two colors that are repeated throughout my home. Then I noticed it looked kind of beachy. On a whim, I hung it by the front door on a cool hook that I found on clearance at Joann's. I LOVE IT.





Don't ya just feel like you could grab it on your way out the door for an afternoon of shell hunting?





Now for an idea from a sweet blog friend of mine, Blondie 'N' SC. Last week when I posted about my naked foyer bookshelves, my friend Blondie suggested a stack of Country Living magazines tied with twine. Well, I just about fell of my chair. What a fabulous idea to use something I either would have recycled, or saved but wondered where to store.








Here they are, past issues "stored" in plain sight, with a summer issue on top. Wow. They fit in with my "lazy days of summer" theme perfectly. I don't have any twine, so I just put this shell dish on top. If only they made removable address labels...
Thanks Blondie! (if you think this ideas was fab, you MUST check out her blog, not only amazing eye candy, but sweet and insightful words too!)

Well, there you go. No money spent (well, except for the $10 subscription!), no sanding or painting involved. JUST USE WHAT YOU HAVE ALREADY!

Link up those projects ladies, and remember to link back to REINVENTED!

The Party of the Year

Happy Monday!!

Happy Goodwill Party day!

Is the Goodwill store having a party, you ask? Naw. Sarah, at Thrifty Decor Chick, my blogging IDOL, is having a Goodwill party.

You know I CAN'T miss this party. If you've only read two words of my blog, they are probably "GOOD" and "WILL."

If you didn't already know, I have a serious obsession with the Goodwill. Not only do I find GREAT stuff there, I LOVE that I'm satisfying my decorating thirst for very little money AND supporting a company that helps disabled people with job skills and employment.

This morning,I walked around my house taking pictures of my Goodwill stuff, only to realize that I didn't have time to photograph EVERYTHING, and y'all wouldn't have time to look at all of those pictures. So, I've chosen a few of my favorite things.

Some of you may have already seen some of these, but there's something NEW at the bottom, I promise!

The first time I shared this frame, it was Valentine's Day decor. I changed it up for spring, and now I'm reminded that it needs "summerized!"

These candle sconces are literally "a dime a dozen" at the thrift stores. A little Mod Podge and scrapbook paper and they look fab in my foyer. The eggs were a last minute candle stand-in, and now I'm reminded that I need to find candles.

I know I just posted about these on Friday, but they are some of my favorites, so I'm sharing them again. This frame and pedestal bowl were just freshened up with a little spray paint. See the polka dot paper? It's the same as on the candle sconces, and they hang above this bookcase!

Remember this Goodwill frame that became a tray? I'm using it for a dining room centerpiece until I have that FABULOUS summer party I'm dreaming of.

Again, the sign from the kids' bathroom. I've probably posted this picture one TOO MANY times, but I just LOVE it.

Here's my newest Goodwill project! I've been looking for something to hang above our bed to enhance it's FOCAL POINT status in our new bedroom design. This isn't large enough to have the PRESENCE I'm looking for, so I'll add to it, but I wanted to share this part for the party.

This is an empty Goodwill frame, painted brown, and one of those 70's carved wooden plaques, sanded within an inch of its life and painted Heirloom White. I printed the letters from Microsoft Word, cut them out with a craft knife and used the paper as a stencil. I love the monogram look, and this is the most economical way I've found to do it. (please ignore the un-filled nail hole!)

Well, that's it! I hope you've enjoyed my entries in the Goodwill party. Now head on over to Thrifty Decor Chick!

Edited to add: WELCOME TO ALL VISITING FROM OUR CREATIVE LIFE. I'VE LINKED UP TO THE "I LOVE SUMMER" PARTY! CHECK OUT THE SUMMERY LOVES!