How I Use What I Have

This year, I decided NOT to buy any new Christmas decorations…not even from the Goodwill or Dollar Store!

I bought a lot over the summer from garage sales so I didn’t want to spend ANY MORE MONEY!

So, I went “shopping” in my basement.

I found these Pottery Barn candlesticks that I bought from a garage sale this year.  I wanted to paint them black but I had a new idea instead.

I also found my old, gold ornaments.

I found this can of spray paint in my garage and got to work.

Am I  craziest person in the world?  I was spray painting in 20 degree weather. 

The candlesticks turned out great!

They were exactly how I imagined.

I will show you the whole tablescape soon!

I also loved how the ornaments turned out.

I wanted to fill a glass bowl for a centerpiece!

THIS WAS ALL FREE!!!!! 

BOOYAH!

Can’t beat this!

How did you use what you have this year?

Have a great weekend!

Don’t forget about our December Special,

FREE LIFETIME SHAKLEE MEMBERSHIPS with a order over $70 (member price)

A Get Clean Starter Kit qualifies!

A membership gets you 15% off all Shaklee products and there are no minimums to keep your membership!

Read about my TOP 10 Shaklee products here.

Our Living Room for Less

I seem to be on a role showing you how I decorate every room in my house on a budget.  I showed you my family room, guest room and hall bathroom and now I will show you my living room.  This room is actually a dinning room for most people but I don’t have a dining set so I use this room as a front living room.  I am not in love with this room but I am content with it right now but I am always on a hunt for new things to change it up.

Here is a couple different views of the room.  I painted it Fairway Oaks by Benjamin Moore which I love.  The color is not tot light or too dark.  We went with a pearl finish.
     

I got that super cute table at a garage sale for $30, that picture for $6 (I spray painted the frame) and the frames were about $10 total.

I love those FACES!!!!

I spray painted the vase.  I think that it was $3.00 and I got  that  POTTERYBARN lamp for $15.00  Can you believe it??? Love it!

That lamp was also spray painted and I think that it was only $5.00 and the table was $10.00. (I painted the top black, the legs were already black)

I LOVE these candle holders, POTTERY BARN, of course!  They were only $8 total!!!!  They are almost my favorite things in the room.
 
I also love this clock!!!!  Again, like EVERYTHING else that I buy, it’s from a garage sale  and it was only 20 bucks!!!  Ok, they had $40 on it  but I asked for $20.  She said yes!!!!  It can’t hurt to ask.  (TIP:  I almost ALWAYS ask them to come down in price and most of the time they do!!!!!!)

   
Wasn’t that beautiful?
Ok, now the mirror.  I actually did buy this from Menards.  Don’t worry it was on clearance for only $80.  It was silver and gold but I spray painted in black. 

I love the details!

I covered the pillows.  I bought all of my fabric from Wal-Mart.


The couch was FREE!!!!  It was a gift from my husband’s Grandpa!

I bought this chair for only $20.  I got matching ones, the other one is used here.   

This is a Waverly rod from the Goodwill for only $20, the rods are from Linin’s ‘n Thing for $20 and I made the curtains with fabric that I already had.  I am really happy how they turned out!
 
I put on new shades that were $1 each.
   

Here are some really embarrassing before and afters.
Before.
  


After.

Before.  Gross!!!  I seriously don’t know what I was thinking!!! ha ha!

After.  Way better, I hope!!!!  I am happy with it!  And I did it all on a budget!!!!

After looking at these before and afters…..I am liking the “after” way better than when I started writing this.
Bonnie :)
Please visit my Shaklee  online shop!
 
Linking up to…

These Parties

Our Frugal Family Room

Here is my second favorite room in our house.  (The first being our kitchen.)   I love this room because that is were we spend so much of our time.  We play with toys, play games, do puzzles, read,  entertain and watch TV or movies.  We feel comfortable here and I think that others do to!

I got everything in this room while being on a TIGHT budget!  I am going to show you how you can “Design on a Dime”.  (I love that show!)

Well,  I am really proud of the great deal that  I got with  the set of couches.   I am laughing as I am writing this because the story is so funny.  I was garage saling (as usual) with my mother-in-law and I saw this excellent condition, tan, micro suede, recliner  couch.  (Just the couch.)  It was practically brand new, like it was never used before.  Score!  I asked the lady how much it was and she said that it was only $300.  Score again!!  Then I asked her if she had a love seat to match.  (I really needed a set!)  She said that she did,  but wasn’t planning on selling them.  Then, get this, I asked her if she would!  She said ok but she wanted $500 for the set. Then I asked for $4oo for the set. (Remember, everything is negotiable!)  And she said yes!!!!!!  So, now I have a new set of couches for only $400!!!!!!! 

Here is a close up of the love seat!  The previous owners used it in their sitting room off their master bedroom and now it is in our family room.  I don’t like paying too much for furniture especially because I have 3 children 4 and under!

 

Here is a close up of our couch.  Any wear and tear that you see is all us!  It didn’t take the kids long to break it in.

Here is a close up of one of our end tables.  I bought all the tables in this room at two garage sales and painted them black!  I love BLACK!!!!!  Plus, I can just paint over all the kids’ scratches.  (I really need to do that again!)

Over on that wall, their is  a cut in for our TV.  We just recently bought that TV.  (Don’t worry, we got a great deal the day before Thanksgiving.  It was an online special.) 

For right now, we just put it on top of our old entertainment center.  But, I think that I might keep it here because I like that entertainment center a lot.   It holds all of our DVDs (we have waaaay to many) and lots and lots of toys and books and it keeps the TV far out of the kids reach.

Oh, did I mention that the entertainment center was FREE!!!!  My husband likes to say garbage picked but I like to say that it was standing by the curb waiting for a good home.  It is solid and very, very heavy.  We had to borrow a truck to get it into our house.

Anyway,  I am also really proud of these candle holders and candle because that was “another” great find. 

These are from a local downtown store in my town and they were “brand” new with the price tag still on that read…

 

$149.00 EACH candle holder and $15.00 EACH candle.  I got  both candles and holders for $15!!!!!!  YEAH baby!!!!!  I love garage saling!!!!!

This lamp  base was $3.99 from the Goodwill (which I spray painted it black) and this shade was only $2.50 from a garage sale.  I also have a matching lamp on the other side of the couch.

I want to replace that lamp still. 

Ahh, now the clock!!!  I love this clock!!!!  I got this from the goodwill for only $30.00!!!!

Then, that same week I saw it in target for $99.00.  I was sooo happy!!!  I seriously couldn’t stop talking about it!

Next, I will show you my curtains and rods.  I searched a long time for these.  The rods are from Pottery Barn  Wal-Mart for cheap and the curtains were from Linins n Things.  Again, that was a day after Thanksgiving sale.  Normally they are $50 a panel but after the sale and using my 20% off total purchase sale, I paid only $30 a panel.  YES!!!!  I love sales!!!!

 

Here is a glider that we got for FREE!!!!  It was a gift to us from my husband’s grandpa.  I re-covered it for cheap and now I like it. (kind of- not really!) It will due for now!

Best is not always last because this is my worst piece of furniture in the room.  It is my hubby’s swivel, reclining, Lane leather chair.  I hate it.  It is too big and bulky!  But it is just one of those things that he will not give up for the sake of decorating!!!  Don’t worry I am trying!!!

Here it is…

Ok, it doesn’t look too bad in that picture, so here is another one….

Sorry about blitzing you in the face with this! Uggg!

I liked this chair better, before he bought that leather one at an estates sale for $300!!!  Look, it even matched my couch:(

Oh, I forgot about the picture and pillows.  The picture was $5.00 at a garage sale and all the flowered pillows are from the goodwill and the other are from my cousin’s garage sale.  And that black piece of furniture under the clock was also from a garage sale for $30.  I keep our blankets in it.  Also, the mirror behind the glider was only $5.oo also.

Here is the before.

 

Here is the after.

So,  designing on a TIGHT budget can be done.  The ONLY things that we bought new in this room were the electronics, curtains and rods.  All you need is a little time to find what you want/need. 

I hope that you like this!  How do you “Design on a Dime”?

Bonnie :)

I am linking this to…

<a href="http://www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii164/Magnolias_Moonlight/Swing-1-1-1.jpg"/></a>

<a border="0" href="http://itssoverycheri.com" mce_href="http://itssoverycheri.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://itssoverycheri.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/ITS-SO-VERY-CREATIVE-BUTTON.jpg" mce_src="http://itssoverycheri.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/ITS-SO-VERY-CREATIVE-BUTTON.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://cottageinstincts.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/momof6and1/100_1731-1-1.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://www.craftskeepmesane.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> <img border="0" alt="Keeping It Simple" src=" http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad206/kaysinerwt/th_DSCF55022-1.jpg " /></a>

<center><a href="http://houseinroses.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee130/cielosky47/enOrstR6VC.jpg" /></a></center>

<center><a href="http://twiceremembered.blogspot.com/2010/03/make-your-monday-week-17-cottage-charm.html"><img src="http://www.twiceremembered.com/blog/makemonday1.gif"/></a></center>

<a href="http://sumossweetstuff.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Sumo Sweet Stuff" src="
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee180/juliewuliee/Headers%202/sumo/marketyourselfcopy-1.png"/></a>

Today's Creative Blog: Get Your Craft On
My Frugal Family: Talented Tuesdays 
A Picture is Worth 1000 Words: 2nd Time Around Tuesday
Paula Grace Designs: Timeless Tuesdays
A Silly Little Sparrow: Toot Your Horn Tuesday

We are That Family: Works for Me Wednesday
The Thrifty Home: Penny Pinching Party

The Shabby Chic Cottage: Transformation Thursday

Tales from Bloggeritaville: Thrifty Thursday

Somewhat Simple: Strut Your Stuff Thursday