STILL WORKING ON MY HOME OFFICE…PART 3

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:

This is one of my favorite boxes. It’s just a simple little fabric covered box. It probably came from the Dollar store or something. But I love it!! I’ve had this for over 6 years. Up until today, it just held miscellaneous items like nails, screws, batteries etc. Now it holds my paperclips, push pins, and staples.

Next up is my pen/marker holder. I’m not sure if you can see it in the picture, but it is green. This was a “buried treasure”. No…really…it WAS buried in the ground. Where I used to live, previous owners from way back would take their garbage over the hill and dump it. My ex-husband’s step dad and I dug up all kinds of goodies from old coke bottles to old brown glass clorox bleach bottles. While digging up one of the old glass bleach bottles, I saw the ruffled edge of this little vase sticking up, so I carefully loosened up the dirt all the way around her. Would you believe there is not one scratch on this cutie. I’m not sure how old she is, but I’ve been packing her around for at least 10 years.

Here is the calendar I mentioned in Part 2

and the “mail sorting” baskets. I’ve been using these since the first of November, and it has really been a big help in getting rid of the paper clutter.

the “to pay” basket holds bills to pay and things that need to be responded to.

the “to file” is pretty self explanatory. I file these on Saturdays.

The “to use” basket holds my grocery store ads, restaurant coupons, and any coupons that I get in the mail or off of food packaging that needs to be put in my coupon binder.

Here’s a shot of what it looks like right now. Like my “fresh flowers"? …lol… I stole my DH’s night stand to hold extra office type supplies. Paper, extra pens & pencils, stapler, hole punch, folders, etc…but I’m thinking that this won’t stay. It’ll work for now.

(please excuse the big box of newspapers in the background. I couldn’t move it…it weighs a ton) This chair is also a temporary fix. So now all I have left to get is lighting, (I’m thinking of some type of swag light) a chair, (something not so bulky looking but comfortable) and a place to hold my coupon binders, menu planning binder, warranty/manuals binder and all of my other sanity savers. I have an idea of what I could use for this but I’m not sure if It would work. We’ll see. (Maybe I can sweet talk DH into taking me to the Goodwill this weekend if the weather’s not too bad.)

So, what do ya think so far? What would you change or do differently? Stay tuned for Part 4…

DREAMING OF WARMER WEATHER…

 

 

Warm sun…palm trees…sound of the ocean….

 

I knew it had to be a dream!!!

Oh well, might as well enjoy this little patch of sun…

UH OH!!  I am sooo busted for being on the sofa….

“OUR ORNAMENT” FOR 2009

 

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.

JINGLE BELL SWAG TUTORIAL

 

 

 

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:

• 2 pair pliers
• jump rings (for the tutorial I used bigger rings so you could see it better.)
• piece of chain (mine was approx. 10 1/2 inches)
• bells (for this tutorial I only used 16 bells because that’s all I had left.  In the original I used 40)
• cigarettes & coffee (optional for you but a MUST for me…lol…)

 

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!!

TWO POTTERY BARN INSPIRED CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS…

 

 

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:

isn’t he cute!!  And to think that I wasn’t getting ready to throw these pieces in the wood stove…lol…

 

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:

  Do you like my fake snow?   It’s epsom’s salt.  The candle inside was given to me by a good friend.  It is a small cinnamon scented candle from The Yankee Candle Co.  It smells sooo good!!

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!!

I’M BACK….

 

…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!!