A while back I posted that I was trying to set up a home office on a thrift store budget. If you missed it, you can read about it HERE.
In PART 2 I mentioned that I had thought about using my Grandmother’s table.
Now it’s time for Part 3. Other than the $4 picture frame I mentioned in Part 2, I’m using things that I already have. This is what I’ve come up with so far:
So, what do ya think so far? What would you change or do differently? Stay tuned for Part 4…
Hi! I’m back to share a little more handmade Christmas goodies.
Each year my husband and/or I choose or make a new ornament to add to our tree. I just finished making this year’s “our ornament”. Wanna see?
here ya go:
She’s a little wonky looking, but I’m pleased with how she turned out.
Here are some pics of the one’s I made several years ago:
This one is my favorite out of the bunch:
And here’s all of them together:
Do you ever make your own ornaments? I’d love to see them.
In my last post I showed you my Pottery Barn inspired twig reindeer and Jingle Bell swag. I had a few bells left so I decided to do a tutorial on how I made the swag. I have never posted a tutorial before, so please bear with me.
Here goes:
Step 1: Gather your supplies. For this project you’ll need:
STEP 2: Open all of your jump rings and clip off the little tags from the bells. I couldn’t get a picture of myself opening the jump rings because, well, it takes both hands. So I’ll send you HERE to see a quick video.
STEP 3: Take one of your jump rings and pick up your bell and one end of the chain. Close the jump ring.
STEP 4: Keep doing this alternating sides of the chain as shown in the next 2 pictures. Do this all the way up the chain skipping a link or two between each bell. Leave some room at the top of the chain to put your bow on. The more bells you use, the fuller the swag will be.
STEP 5: Make your “ring hanger thing”. Take an old coat hanger and shape it around a can of veggies or soup to make a circle. Twist it to close the circle and cut. Take one of your jump rings and pick up the top part of the chain and hook it to your coat hanger circle. Close the jump ring. Slap a bow on your swag and you’re done!! This is what it looks like with 16 bells (I don’t have enough ribbon to make another bow.) The more bells you use, and the closer you put the bells, the fuller it gets.
Here’s a picture of the one from Pottery Barn:
And here’s another picture of my original one using 40 bells:
Hope you enjoyed the tutorial. If there’s anything you need help with, just holler. And if you decide to make one of these using this tutorial, I’d love to see it!!
I’m also linking up to Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Nite Special. Head on over there to check out some more great projects!!
I have a $0.00 budget for Christmas decorations this year :( but I did manage to make a few things from items I already had on hand.
This is Pottery Barn’s oversized twig reindeer (which were inspired by a woman who makes twig reindeer’s):
this is my (oh, ok…DH helped…lol…) version of PB’s oversized twig reindeer:
Next up is Pottery Barn’s jingle bell swag:
and using these bells leftover from our wedding (Big Lot’s $1.00/pk) and some chain from my jewelry making supplies:
this is my version of Pottery Barn’s jingle bell swag (don’t laugh at my attempt to make a bow…lol…):
I think I got a little carried away with the bells…lol…Do you think I should remove some of them?
And next is a centerpiece for my dining room table:
It wasn’t Pottery Barn inspired. But again I was trying to make something pretty with what I already had on hand.
This is what it looked like early this morning while I was having my first cup of coffee. So peaceful at 4:00 am:
I have linked this post to Between Naps on the Porch's Metamorphosis Monday. Head on over there to check out everyone else’s awesome before and afters.
Well, what do ya’ think? Did I do good? :) Guess that’s all for now…Catcha later!!
…did ya miss me?
And this time I’m armed with a camera. OH YEAH!!!
So I thought I would bombard you with a bunch of pictures.
I’m not sure why but I can’t seem to get into decorating for the holidays this year. I did manage to get a couple of things put up the day after Thanksgiving.
I’ll start with our “Charlie Brown” tree. Did you notice the angel on top? Oh…that’s right…there is no angel because it broke :( (note to self: hit the stores the day after Christmas to get a new angel)
And then there is the display on top of our entertainment center. It was made from various items.
The cute little houses were hot glued to an old grapevine wreath that had seen better days. So I picked the houses off and tossed the wreath.
The snowman was in a floral arrangement from last year. Isn’t he cute!!
The white angel was given to me several Christmas’ ago by my youngest son and the angel with the instrument was given to me by a dear friend about 6 or 7 Christmas’ ago. It kind of looks like the angels are watching over the “little town”.
The lighting is from those cheap plastic plug in candles.
Ok..enough rambling…Here’s the center of the display:
The next picture looks over to the left of the snowman. There’s the candles I was telling you about. There is one set on the left and another set on the right:
Same side, just included the angel in this shot:
Here’s a close up of the white angel:
This view is on the right hand side Notice the other angel:
Here’s a close up of her:
Nothing fancy, just making do with what I have on hand. But it is really pretty at night when the lights are out and the candles are plugged in.
And here’s one of my favorites. Another gift from my youngest son. These are the Christmas bears from Avon several years back. It’s a mama bear and a baby bearand they are interactive. They sing a Christmas song together and the mama bear tells the baby bear a bedtime story (Twas the night before Christmas). They’re really cute. Here they are:
How do you decorate for Christmas? I’d love to see!!
…and without the big bill!! (do you think the fella’s will leave me a tip? ) We already have most of the ingredients needed for these recipes, so that’s a BIG PLUS!! Just need to pick up some fresh veggies and chicken wings.
If you would like any of the recipes that don’t have a link, just leave me a message or shoot me an email and I’ll get back with you ASAP.
Monday: Lunchmeat sandwiches, veggie sticks, chips
Tuesday: Frisch’s Big Boy Platter (recipe for copycat Big Boy’s in the “Top Secret Restaurant Recipes cookbook”)
Wednesday: Hooter's Buffalo Chicken Wings for the fellas, and KFC Honey BBQ Wings for me, Hooter’s pasta salad (recipe from the Top Secret Restaurant Recipes cookbook.
Thursday: Cracker Barrel Chicken & Dumplings (I think this is the same recipe in the Top Secret cookbook)
Friday: Chi Chi's Low-Fat Baked Chimichanga's, Rice Picante
Saturday: Dixie Stampede's Cream Of Vegetable Soup, Tuna Melts
Sunday: KFC Extra Crispy Chicken, Mashed potatoes, baked beans, and KFC Mac & Cheese (recipes from the same cookbook mentioned above.)
Thanks for stopping by and head on over to Organizing Junkies Menu Plan Monday for more great meal plans!!
While my mom and I were browsing our favorite thrift store today, I saw 4 or 5 boxes sitting on the floor. 2 of the boxes contained vanity lighting. And one of the other boxes contained this:
Isn’t she purty!! She still had her tags and everything on her. There was a packing receipt still in the box. It was just purchased in June of this year and was never installed by the previous owners.
And I got her for $20!!!!!
So I rushed her home and out of curiosity I started checking websites to see if I could find this fixture anywhere and I found it. Read this from Lighting Universe.
$160.00!!!!
DOING THE HAPPY DANCE!!!
I’m still here…lol… I told you last week would be a hectic week. I don’t think I was even on the computer last week. Thank goodness it’s over.
This week is looking pretty good. (knocking on wood) There are no appointments, no loooong work hours, no after school activities.
Last week’s menu went as planned except for the Pork Chops with Creamy Mustard Sauce. We didn’t get to make that so I’m rolling that over to this week’s menu plan. And Friday’s and Saturday’s meals were swapped.
Ok, enough rambling…Here’s the plan for this week:
Monday: 4-Ways and Chili Cheese Coney’s
Tuesday: Pork Chops with Creamy Mustard Sauce, Stove Top Stuffing, Green Beans & Rolls
Wednesday: Oven Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Peas & Rolls
Thursday: Pizza
Friday: Scrambled eggs, home fries (note to self: make extra for tomorrow’s supper), sausage patties, biscuits, and gravy.
Saturday: Crockpot Great Northern Beans, Savory Mixed Greens, leftover home fries (made cheesy), Cornbread
Sunday: Chicken & Dumplin’s
Well, that’s our plan for this week. For more great menu plans head on over to Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday's
And here’s the sneak peek at next week’s menu. It will be “Restaurant Week”. We will “be going” to Hooter’s for their Buffalo Chicken Wings and Pasta Salad. We will hit Frisch’s for their famous Big Boy Sandwiches. We will also head over to the International House of Pancakes (IHOP) for their famous French Toast. And maybe even “eat at” the Olive Garden. Kentucky Fried Chicken sounds good also. We’re going to do all of this without spending a fortune, without leaving a tip & without leaving the house. So make sure to come back next Monday to see the plan.
Oh…wow…it’s Monday again? Already? Where did the week go? This is going to be a hectic week so we’re trying to keep things as simple as possible.
So…here goes:
SUNDAY: PANERA'S CREAM CHEESE POTATO SOUP (we had this tonight…it was delicious)
MONDAY: CHEESEBURGERS, FRENCH FRIES, PICKLE SPEARS
TUESDAY: SALISBURY STEAK, MASHED POTATOES, CORN AND ROLLS
WEDNESDAY: CHICKEN PATTY SANDWICHES, MAC & CHEESE, TROPICAL FRUIT SALAD
THURSDAY: PORK CHOPS WITH CREAMY MUSTARD SAUCE, STOVE-TOP STUFFING, GREEN BEANS & ROLLS
FRIDAY: CHILI
SATURDAY: BREAKFAST OR LEFTOVERS IF THERE IS ANY
Thanks for dropping by. To see more great menu plans, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie
In our last menu plan, I included a link to Panera’s cream cheese potato soup. A couple of you were curious as to how it tasted. Well, I’m here to tell you that it was DELICIOUS!! This will definitely be on our menu again.
It was a little thinner than I like, so I just added a little bit of potato flakes (I might not have added enough potatos). And it had a little more heat to it than I expected, so next time I’ll cut the red pepper back some.
Other than that, it was a hit. Even my non-soup eating hubby loved it.
Go ahead and make you some…I know you’re wanting to!!
If you’ll remember a couple of posts back, I was working on setting up/organizing our home office area. Go here if you’re not sure what the heck I’m talking about. The calendar is finished & the incoming mail “sorting” baskets are up. So now I need a desk, a chair, good lighting, a place to store my binders, & a filing cabinet or file box for those important papers that need to be kept.
I’ll start with the desk. I’ve had this piece of furniture for a while now that I just keep moving from room to room. It’s old and worn out, but it was my Grandmother’s and I’m just not ready to part with it. It’s an old dining room table (I think). Yep…you heard right…a dining room table. But it’s not just any kind of table. ( and no, I still don’t have a camera :( …these are pictures from moving day about 4 years ago.)
Here, I’ll show ya:
Meet my new desk:
It’s not a very big dining room table is it? Wanna see more?
That’s what it looks like underneath. I have asked others for years and years what that crank underneath was for. No one knew. I’ve even tried turning it but nothing. But one day while we were in the process of moving to this house, I found out:
I must have broken the years of stain and sealer loose…lol…because that baby just opened up. See how far that baby stretches? 6 feet!!
So what do ya think? Do you think it would make a nice desk?
Stay tuned for more!!
I just wanted to take a few minutes to share with you some random goodies that I have come across while blog hopping.
The first is THIS gorgeous bedroom makeover from Michelle @ Three Men and a Lady. OMG…I LOVE IT!! But don’t stop there. Take a tour of the rest of her house. You won’t be disappointed!! That is one very creative/talented lady!! I wonder if I could get her to come over to my house and give it a makeover?
And then there’s this….a condensed “fill in the blanks” version of your life story. I’m lovin’ it!! Wouldn’t these make great little gifts. I’ve already printed out 2 of the teen versions for the boys and 2 of the adult versions for DH and myself. Now I just need four of the little binders. Go to Becky's Blog and print out the Life Story Pages of your choice. Now isn’t that an awesome idea? Thank you Becky!
Something else that really caught my eye was this HEADBOARD TO HOUSE NUMBER SIGN from Gail's Decorative Touch. Here’s another very creative/talented lady. I’ve seen a lot of wonderful headboard transformations, but this one has to be my favorite so far. Thanks for the inspiration Gail!
I could go on and on and on with this post because there are sooo many creative and talented people out there. But I’ll save some for another day. Is there someone’s work out there that you admire and would like to recognize? Feel free to share it…I’d love to see it.
We usually try to include one new recipe each week, but this week we will be trying 2. The Panera’s cream cheese potato soup and the Sunny Side Up Breakfast Casserole. Hopefully we’ll be adding these 2 recipes to “OUR FAMILY’S FAVORITE RECIPES” binder.
MONDAY:
PANERA'S CREAM CHEESE POTATO SOUP (I haven’t used this recipe before, but with all of the great reviews we’ll give it a try. I’ll come back tonight and let you know how everyone liked it.) LUNCHMEAT SANDWICHES
TUESDAY:
PAULA DEEN'S BAKED SPAGHETTI, GREEN BEANS, SALAD, GARLIC BREAD
WEDNESDAY:
SUNNY SIDE UP BREAKFAST CASSEROLE (recipe below)
THURSDAY:
MEATLOAF, MASHED POTATOES, PEAS, ROLL
FRIDAY:
CROCKPOT GREAT NORTHERN BEANS, (recipe below) HASHBROWN CASSEROLE, SAVORY MIXED GREENS, CORNBREAD
SATURDAY:
PIZZA
SUNDAY:
FFY(FEND FOR YOURSELF)
And here’s one of our family’s favorite recipes. This is super easy and DELICIOUS!! There is no need to soak the beans, just toss them in the crockpot.
CROCKPOT GREAT NORTHERN BEANS
1 LB. GREAT NORTHERN BEANS
HAM BONE
2 QUARTS WATER
1 1/2 TO 2 TSPS. HOT PEPPER FLAKES (1 1/2 IS PLENTY FOR ME BUT DH ALWAYS ADDS MORE WHEN HE MAKES THIS)
1 TBS BUTTER
SALT & PEPPER TO TASTE
Rinse and sort beans and put in crockpot. (I use a 6 quart crockpot) Add water to approx. 1” over beans. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours. Then turn crockpot to low and cook the rest of the day (approx 6-7 hours). When done, remove meat from ham bone and toss bone. To thicken the liquid, tilt the lid so that one side is open to let the steam escape. If it’s too thick, just add a little water.
I have added this recipe to Crock Pot Wednesday at Dining With Debbie. Head on over there to check out some more great crockpot recipes.
SUNNY SIDE UP BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
(recipe from Bob Evan’s New Family Favorite’s Cookbook)
1 LB. ROLL BOB EVANS ORIGINAL RECIPE SAUSAGE
1 CUP CHEESE FLAVORED CROUTONS
2 CUPS SHREDDED CHEDDAR CHEESE, (DIVIDED)
3/4 CUP SOUR CREAM
1 TBS. DIJON STYLE MUSTARD
8 EGGS
PAPRIKA
Preheat oven to 375*. Over med. heat, brown sausage. Drain and set aside. Grease bottom of 7 X 11” baking dish. Cover bottom of dish with coarsely crumbled croutons and sprinkle with 1 cup of the shredded cheese. In a small bowl, combine sour cream and mustard. Place half of the sour cream mixture over the cheese and croutons in evenly spaced spoonfuls. Spread sausage over top. Make eight evenly spaced shallow indentations into the sausage (about 2” in diameter) Break each egg separately into a small dish and gently slide into each of the indentations. Spoon on remaining sour cream mixture between the eggs. Sprinkle casserole with the remaining cheese and paprika. Bake 20-25 minutes until eggs are lightly set. Serve with salsa if desired. Serves 8
Thanks for stopping by and to see some more delicious menu plans, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie.
I can’t believe it’s been over a month since I’ve posted last. Between family issues, football, work, and small home improvements, life has been pretty hectic!
BUT…I did make time (here and there) to read some of my favorite blogs. And while searching for ideas/tips to set up a home office/family command center, I’ve also stumbled upon some new favorite blogs.
I personally like using our home management binder. It works for me, but it’s not working so well for DH and DS. They need a system where it’s more “in your face…and out in the open” .
So I took every page out of the home management binder and nailed them to the wall…just kidding.
I just want a place where I can pay bills, plan menus, post everyone’s chores, sort mail, drop off keys, etc., etc., etc.
So, let’s break it down and see what all we’ll need.
First, we’ll need a large calendar. I don’t care for the whiteboard calendars because they’re just so boring looking. But I love these ideas:
I recently stumbled onto Just A Girl's blog. She has one of the prettiest Organization Station's that I have ever seen. Wouldn’t you agree? And look what she did with an old wooden wall pocket. (kicking myself for giving mine away…)
Then I came across The Creative Crate's $3 frame makeover. How creative!
That would be perfect for our home office. We are already using a similar setup for our daily chores. I printed off our daily chores and put them in sheet protectors then hung them on the wall. Then we use a dry erase marker to check them off as we do them. But using picture frames would look so much prettier. So, I’ll be on the lookout for a large cheap/free frame for our calendar. YES!!! I scored one tonight at Goodwill. It was marked $8 but everything was 50% off today. $4 is right up my alley!!! …doing a happy dance…So one of tomorrow’s projects is to fix that calendar!
Next comes the mail. It needs to be sorted immediately after it comes in the house. No ifs, ands or buts about it. So we’ll need a system set up for the mail. Here is some very good info on that subject.
I decided to use 3 baskets because, well, that’s what I had on hand. To make them look like they go together, I had my DS spray paint them all the same color and then I hung little labels from them. It’s a temporary fix, but I think it’ll work. (I’ll see if I can borrow a camera and get some before, during, after pics )
Are you curious to see what else I’ll be doing?
I guess you’ll have to check back in and see : )
