My house, well....errr....the parts I'm okay with you seeing!

What's that saying?  "The cobbler's son has no shoes"?  I think that's how it goes.  That describes me to a tee!  I'm full of great ideas, ready to help everyone else make their home beautiful on a budget; yet my own home has so many unfinished projects.  BUT, I did want to share a few things I have accomplished!

I would describe my style as transitional with a touch of funky.  Yeah, that sounds about right!

Many more pictures and projects to come...

This is a chandelier that I "refabbed".  My sister-in-law was going to put this on Craig's List for free pickup.  I snagged it, of course!  It was gold with tons of drippy crystals.  Now being that my style has a "touch of funky", I spray painted it blue (Rustoleum Hammered Finish Spray Paint is great)!  I cleaned all of the drippy crystals and rewired them to the chandelier (which took about 4 hours, standing on top of the dining table!)  I love that its just a little bit gaudy & a little bit over the top.  I think every home needs a statement piece like this.  And the best part?  Total cost:  $16 (2 cans of spray paint)!!!

Here are the what I like to call "Kendall Kustom" curtains in my dining room.  I bought the linen panels at Ikea, used striped upholstery fabric left over from my side chairs and trimmed the fabric in chocolate grosgrain ribbon.  Total cost for 4 96" panels?  $108 ($60 for panels, $8 for curtain rings, $40 for rods).  Beats custom all to pieces!

These are the "Kendall Kustom" curtains I put together for the family room.  I found curtains that I loved on Pottery Barn for about $150 a pair (*heart palpitations*), so of course, I had to recreate them "on the cheap"!  I bought chocolate linen panels and stitch witched white grosgrain ribbon from the Dollar Store (yes, the Dollar Store).  Total cost per pair:  approx. $45.  Not bad, eh?

This is a table that sits in our breakfast area that my Mom helped me paint (lemme just say, my Mom is like the craftiest person I know!)  I know what you're thinking, "Where did ya get that CRAZY pattern?"  Well, I had 2 pieces of art hanging in the breakfast room that served as the inspiration for this piece.  However, one fell off the wall and so I had to get rid of both (story of my life).  So, the table remains, but it will probably get repainted in the next year (*uh, that would mean approx 2 - 3 years!)

 

This is the feature wall in my master bathroom.  I have a thing for CHOCOLATE and BUDDHAS, preferably together!  I will most likely paint the rest of the bathroom at some point, but this was a good way to get some color in the room.  It's very "zen".... (sorry for the way blurry shot.  Still figuring out the new camera!)

These are some examples of "art" photography I've taken over the years.  Both are special to me, because they were taken at the beach, my absolute most favorite place to be.  I took both with a point & shoot camera.  Just think what I'll be able to do now that I have my "fancy" camera!  I had both of these put on canvas.  The "Hands" piece is in our master bedroom and the "Brothers Walking" piece is in the art niche in the family room.  I love the ethereal quality of both pieces.  If you want to convert your own "art" photography to canvas, Canvas on Demand does a great job!  They often run specials, but even with discounts canvas is pricey.  I think I paid $99 for the first one and $129 for the 2nd.

This is a shot of the large art niche in our stairwell.  I love the art piece and the photo really doesn't do it justice.  My husband calls it "prison art".  I'm content to know that he just doesn't understand contemporary art.  And another reason I really love it?  I scored it FREE from a vendor when I was a retail buyer, and it's signed!

This is our portrait gallery.  I've spent tons of money over the years in professional photography!  I like how everything is tied together by the black frames with white mats.  Most of the frames were $5 and under.  I've found that if you stick with a basic color like black & white, you can get away with less expensive frames.  I velcroed the frames to the wall, so they wouldn't move when the kids run the stairs or launch balls, etc.

This is just a shot of our family room.  We have always had a hard time with furniture placement in here, because the room is so small (but we have huge soaring ceilings, go figure!)  A sectional seems to work the best and can seat a lot of people.  The sectional came with a matching square ottoman, but I didn't like the "matchy-matchy" look, so I paired it with a large antiqued glass table, to introduce more texture into the space.  The little square storage ottomans were a steal at Target for $15 a piece.  They provide extra seating when we need it and store blankets as well.  The turquoise leaf throw pillows are my bargain of the year...$1 at Pier 1 on clearance!  The lamp was also a great bargain at $20.  It had smudges all over the shade so HomeGoods knocked 50% off and I took fabric paint and repainted the shade! 

I love this slipper chair.  I found it on Ebay for $125 from a model home furniture clearance outlet.  I love the persimmon colored welting on the sides that ties in with my accessories.  See those vases on the mantle?  They used to be aqua blue and I spray painted them!  Remember, you can always paint something different to give it life in a new decorating scheme.  Those wooden masks hanging on the wall are just a quirky thing I collect on our travels.  Some came from the Bahamas and some came from Mexico.  (sorry for the yellow tennis ball under the chair -- kids!)

Holiday Gatherings - Are You Ready?

Okay, I know we're over a month away from Thanksgiving, but "planner girl" here is already thinking about family gatherings; where everyone will congregate, where the Christmas Tree is going this year, yadayadayada.

The Walters family, gathers in the family room/kitchen/breakfast area, which is all basically one flowing space.  People eat everywhere and it can get loud with my husband's large family!

Where does your family congregate for holiday gatherings?  You want that space to look fabulous right? 

Here are some EASY, CHEAP (but beautiful, of course!) things you can do now to spruce up the space where everyone will gather in about a month (okay, no pressure, don't freak out!)  Don't worry, these ideas won't break the bank, but your house will look fabulous!

1.  Paint - It's the cheapest, but most dramatic thing you can do to any room.  Is your paint looking "tired"?  Are you still living with the builder off white?  PAINT!!!   Okay, even just an accent wall can make a huge difference.  Be sure to touch up nicks and scuffs on existing paint before guests arrive. 

(photos courtesy of BHG & Martha Stewart)

I'm often asked what brand of paint is best.  I will tell you, I've used everything from Sherwin Williams to Glidden and honestly I cannot tell a difference, yet Sherwin Williams is about $10 more a gallon!  The main color in my downstairs common area is a blue-gray color from Glidden called Gravity's Pull.  It has held up beautifully in the 4 years it's been on the walls!  Look, here's a picture of that super cheapo paint below, along with the Pottery Barn knock-off curtains I made!

Also, I ALWAYS buy EGGSHELL finish.  It has a very slight sheen (but not shiny!) and you can scrub spills off it without removing the paint.  I use this finish in every room!

Most of the paint brands have samples you can get custom mixed from $3-$5 a sample.  I highly recommend getting at least 3 colors up on your wall and live with them a few days before you make your final decision.  I've made several mistakes buying gallons off a paint chip (aah, I remember the orange bedroom in my last house!  Cringe!)

Confused about what colors to put together, or trying to create a good color flow from room to room?  www.sherwinwilliams.com is a great resource for color combinations!  They also have an application now for Iphone that let's you shoot a picture of anything with your phone camera (things in nature, your friend's gorgeous paint treatment that you are stealing, ha!), download into the app, and it pops back a Sherwin Williams color and the coordinating palette!  I HEART it!

(photo of Color Snap for IPhone, courtesy of Sherwin Williams)

2.  Accessories - Change out those sad little throw pillows (or better yet, if you have IKEA, they sell pillow covers for CHEAP, that you can just put over your old ones! Genius!!)  Don't be afraid of trying COLOR or FUN PATTERNS in accessories!  "Persimmon", "turquoise", "plum" or "avocado" are fun colors to try for Fall!

 (photos courtesy of CB2)

Get a fun throw to sling over a chair (check out Ross, Marshall's or TJ Maxx) or a try a faux sheepskin for a glamorous look!

More decorating with throw pillows.  Notice that they AREN'T "matchy-matchy"!

(photo courtesy Homegoods)

Ground your living room space with a fun patterned rug, or something really furry and lush! YES, YOU CAN PUT AN AREA RUG OVER CARPET! 

(photo courtesy of JCPenney)

Fill a glass bowl with acorns, pinecones, artichokes, eggplants, pine branches from the trees in your yard, something from nature!  Gather rocks from your neighbor's flower bed (ha!) and make a candle garden on an oblong platter.  Think outside the box when it comes to accessories.  Look around the house for things you can repurpose (spray paint is your friend!), shop Goodwill for bargains, crash your Mom's attic, shop the produce department (yes, you read that right!)

 

(photo courtesy of Pottery Barn and BHG)

Check out the large glass cylinders with all kinds of fruit!

 

(photo courtesy of BHG)

Have some great holiday books?  Stack 'em out or use as risers for lamps and other accessories.  I especially love to put out stacks of Christmas children's story books!

Another CHEAPO cute idea with stuff you already have:  Collect old holiday photos (pics with Santa, Christmas morning, Thanksgiving feast, etc), copy in Black & White (Hint - Sam's has the BEST deal on printing photos!), and mount on colorful cardstock that matches your decor.  Punch a hole in the top and tie to garland or ribbon.  Drape along a curtain top, buffet, or mirror!

(photo courtesy Martha Stewart)

Frame your windows with some simple linen-look panels!  Or, here's a CHEAPO idea that looks great:  Buy natural color muslin dropcloths from the hardware store, clip on rings and hang!  My sis-in-law did this in a house and it looked GORGEOUS.  Wanna get snazzy?  Use fabric paint to add a stencil or freehand design!  Wanna make any window treatment look "festive"?  Drape pine garland over the top!

Make your kitchen counters "homey" in a Martha kinda way:  put out a holiday cookbook on an easel, buy a fun bowl or platter, if you have a nice mixer clean it and have it out on your countertop, fill a cookie jar with homemade chocolate chip cookies, get some fun hand towels, place a cute hand soap & lotion dispenser combo near the kitchen sink (TJ Maxx is a great place to find these for under $10!)

 

(photos courtesy of Williams-Sonoma, Sur La Table, & Zazzle.com)

3.  CLEAN! - Don't forget to clean your windows until they are sparkling, inside and out!  Go in with a neighbor and rent a powerwasher!

Clean out your fireplace.  Buy logs and put in a basket (Goodwill has great baskets!  Don't like the finish?  Spray paint it!)

(photo courtesy Crate & Barrel)

Have your carpets & tile professionally cleaned if they need it.

Clean and use orange oil to make your kitchen cabinets shine. Orange oil is da bomb and can make even the grungiest cabinets look better!

Clean your light fixtures (dead bugs anyone?)  Clean your baseboards! 

4.  Ambiance - Create a festive playlist for holiday gatherings.  Some of my favorite holiday music:  Andrea Bocelli, The Carpenters, Jewel, Harry Connick Jr., Nutcracker Suite

Install a dimmer switch for your lights (easy, really it is!)

Have a few candles burning in cinnamon or spiced apple scent (TJ Maxx, Marshall's & Ross are great places to pick up cheap candles.  They are usually discontinued scents, but who cares!)

(photo courtesy Sunset)

Buy a cheapo fall bouquet and split up into smaller containers to spread throughout the room or group together for an eclectic arrangement.

(photo courtesy BHG)

5.  Special prep for guests - Take a hard look at the bathroom guests will be using.  It should be clean, have plenty of handsoap, towels, and toilet paper.  Some nice extras are a candle burning and hand lotion (you know all the little lotions you get from fancy hotels?  Put those in a little basket, FREEBIE!).

Do you have enough seating?  Card tables draped in a tablecloth can provide extra seating.  Small upholstered ottomans or floor cushions around the coffee table are another inexpensive seating idea.  You can score a great deal on barstools if you are a savvy shopper.  Look for deals at home centers, such as Garden Ridge or World Market.  Craig's List is a good resource to check for extra, CHEAPO seating. 

Keep in mind, that BOGOs are not always the best deal! Take it from an ex-retail person, a BOGO is basically like 25% off.  It's a marketing trick! 

Take stock of your dishes, stemware, silverware and serving dishes.  Do you have enough to accomodate all the guests and food?  SSSHHHH!  It's our secret:  Goodwill is a GREAT place to find extra dishes (white is always a safe bet, and NO, they don't all have to match!), platters and fun serving pieces.  Just clean 'em up and voila!  You have great looking serveware and you didn't spend a fortune!!

I will also let you in on a recent "BUYER'S GONE MAD" (that's ex-retail buyer speak for a "deal" that's incredibly cheap and a good value!) find for stemware.  Dollar Tree here in Katy has $1 stemware in shapes such as: water goblet, red wine, white wine and champagne flute.  They are HEAVY!  I bought 12 of each shape recently for a party and no one could tell that they weren't more expensive glasses!


Happy preparing everyone!

Free Gift from HGTV!

For those of you who don't mind the pumpkin guts, copy and paste the link below into your web browser for FREE pumpkin carving templates from HGTV!

http://www.hgtv.com/holidays-occasions/hgtv-exclusive-pumpkin-carving-templates/index.html

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Fall Decorating with Pinecones!

If you aren't lucky enough to have trees that give you FREE pinecones, you can find these at craft stores. If you have a Garden Ridge in your area, they sell them cheap by the bag! And pinecones have a special bonus. You can put them up NOW and leave up through Christmas! Rock on!


An organic arrangement You could dress this up by tying a festive ribbon around the vase.


Just love these little topiaries! Use gilded pots for a dressier look or clay pots for a casual display. What about reusing those plastic pots that flowers come in from the nursery? You can spray paint them silver, gold, bronze or copper and tie a ribbon around the rim! Cheap, beautiful, and you're recycling something! Awesome!


Add small pinecones to the base of your potted plants for an instant holiday transformation!


String pinecones on fishing line for an easy mantel dress up!

More easy Fall decorating ideas!

Love, love, love this! Drill holes in pumpkin and insert lollipops! Wouldn't these be cool on either side of your front door, to welcome your Trick or Treaters?



Paint any salutation on a pumpkin to welcome guests! Or you could paint "Go away" to ward them off! Ha!


Does this not look like Jack from "Nightmare Before Christmas"??? Love it!

Easy wreath! Use an old empty picture frame and hot glue silk fall leaves to the front. You could also use pinecones, acorns, or even nuts!

You know how we just love our stars in Texas! Use a star form (craft store) or fashion one out of a wire hanger. Attach fall leaves (real or faux) using florist's wire.

Your Thanksgiving guests will think you are Martha!

Planning a gathering? Here are some great table ideas that will have your guests saying "Wow!" while cursing your craftiness under their breath! (photos courtesy of BHG)

Shown above, a great way to dress up your dining chairs. You could use satin ribbon as shown, for an elegant look, plaid or gingham for a more casual table. After Thanksgiving, trade the pinecone for a Christmas ornament!

Spray paint gourds and mini pumpkins and arrange on a cake stand. The bumpier the gourd, the better!


Cool easy centerpiece! Use wine glasses and fill with seasonal fruit, like cranberries, blueberries, rasperries and small oranges. Layer in pine needles and acorns and place a tealight on top. Line several up on your table for candlelit ambiance!

Festive napkin ties. Use real or faux acorns. Pop the acorn out of the stem and replace with a faux pearl. Attach with hot glue to a velvet or satin ribbon.

Freeform table centerpiece! Arrange small gourds, mini pumpkins, pinecones and fall foliage on an oblong or oval platter for a centerpiece that looks great and is simple to make!