Are you looking for some St. Patrick’s Day home decorating inspiration? It takes just a few green accents to give your home some St. Patrick’s Day flair. I focused on adding some St. Patrick’s Day spirit to my entertainment center area. As the focal point of my living room, I wanted to give the bookcases and dresser some green without going overboard on the holiday-themed décor. I added in just enough green to make it fun. Take a look at how I decorated for St. Patrick’s Day and you’ll see how some bright pops of green can help you celebrate St. Patty’s Day, welcome spring and bring a happy mood to your home. How I decorated for St. Patty’s Day: – Hung up a $3 “St. Pats Day” felt banner from the $1 spot at Target – Added some green plants, books and bowls to my bookcases – Spray-painted mason jars gold and added chalkboard signs (tutorial coming soon!) – Added a green wine bottle and a gold wine bottle (that I spray-painted) to the décor – Mixed in a $4 bouquet of daisies from Trader Joe’s While I’m not usually big on decorating for holidays that come and go...
Mason Jar Oil Lamp
Get ready for spring with this make-your-own mason jar oil lamp. Great for the patio or deck, this mason jar oil lamp is a pretty way to light up your outdoor space—and keep the bugs away. It’s a fun project to get in the mood for spring! This mason jar oil lamp tutorial includes step-by-step instructions for assembling your mason jar oil lamp and tips for buying the right supplies. I had a hard time finding the correct supplies to actually get this mason jar oil lamp to work. Lucky you! I’ve worked out all of the kinks for you. I came up with this project when tasked with producing a mason jar-themed craft for the March 2016 issue of VintageKC magazine. As I researched for this project, I found that many of the mason jar oil lamp tutorials out there don’t provide a lot of instructions. Or, I couldn’t replicate their mason jar oil lamps at all. I tried many different combinations using olive oil, canola oil and multiple different types of wicks, and my mason jar oil lamp would only burn for a few seconds. My lack of success made me wonder about the reliability of the tutorials....
All-Natural Wood Scratch Remover
If your wood chairs, stools and end tables are anything like mine, they have their fair share of nicks, scratches and dings. Moving, pets and just everyday use take their toll. While I don’t mind—and even like—my furniture to look a little worn in and distressed, with certain pieces, especially bare wood, scratches are a bit unsightly. Luckily, you probably already have everything you need to touch up the scratches in your wood furniture in your kitchen cabinets. Here’s my recipe for an easy peasy all-natural wood scratch remover that you can make right now. I love making homemade cleaning supplies from natural ingredients. You don’t have to guess what’s in them. And, when you’re the one making them, you know that there’s nothing harmful for you, your pets or kids. Making your own homemade cleaners is also more budget-friendly. For this all-natural wood scratch remover, you need just two inexpensive ingredients: white vinegar and oil. While you can use whatever oil you like—olive, walnut or almond—canola oil is a great option because it’s super inexpensive. What you’ll need: – White vinegar – Oil (canola or olive oil) – Jar To make this all-natural wood scratch remover, simply combine...
Weekend Finds: Saturday Estate Sale Treasures
Do you go through a garage sale slump during the winter? Winter usually slows down my secondhand hunting. Garage sales won’t pop up again until the weather warms, but estate sales are still happening. Don’t overlook these sales. They’re actually my favorite kind of secondhand sale. If you’re not familiar with estate sales, they’re a way of liquidating the belongings of a family or person, so everything in the house is for sale. Room by room, all of the items from towels to beds to muffin tins are tagged and sold. If you haven’t been to an estate sale before, I can see how it might be a weird experience. You’re basically going through someone’s entire life. But if you can get past that, these sales have some advantages. Looking for specifics If you need a specific item (I needed a muffin tin, for example,) you have a pretty good chance of finding it. I also find that estate sales are great places to find tools. I’ve purchased everything from hammers to boxes of screws for next-to-nothing. Half off days Most estate sales begin discounting all of the items after one or two days. Estate sales often run Thursday...
How to Make a Luxurious Rosehip Sugar Body Scrub
Smooth out tired winter skin with this easy-to-make sugar body scrub featuring rosehip essential oil. Sugar body scrubs exfoliate skin and slough away dead skin cells, leaving skin feeling rejuvenated. They’re a little luxury that’s great for using on heels, elbows, and anywhere else your skin is feeling a bit rough. If you love do-it-yourself home projects, then you’re going to love this make-it-yourself rosehip sugar body scrub. You can stir up this fancy-sounding beauty treatment in minutes. And, it’s super budget-friendly. Sugar body scrubs in stores tend to lean toward the pricy side. When you see the super simple (and inexpensive!) ingredients in this recipe, you’ll wonder why you ever paid for store-bought ones. This wasn’t the first time I made a sugar body scrub. (I wrote about a coconut and vanilla one here.) But it had been a while. I remembered them while I was trying to think about how I could use up this huge bag of sugar I had bought for holiday baking and had barely touched. The recipe for this sugar body scrub requires just two main ingredients. Anything else you want to add is just for fun. What you’ll need: 1 cup sugar...
These Are the Best Tips to Organize Your Home After the Holidays
Inside: Clear away the clutter with minimal effort. Here are the best ways to organize your home after the holidays. Post-holiday cleaning is the new spring cleaning. You’re already taking down holiday decorations, rearranging your kitchen or closet to make room for new items, and cleaning up after guests leave. So, what better time to organize your home? These seven post-holiday home organization tips cover areas most of us struggle with after the holiday craziness. The kitchen. The mail. Okay, everywhere. So, shake off that cookie and pie coma and get organizing. Top 7 Tips to Organize Your Home After the Holidays The organizing struggle is real. I’ve tackled every one of these tips. So, I know how long it takes to organize your home after the holidays. Taking down my holiday decorations took me four hours. Four hours. But I promise that the spacious and streamlined home you’ll have afterward is worth it. 1. Take down your holiday décor Time to undecorate! The rule of thumb is to keep your holiday décor up until the first of the year, but mine has already been down for days. It feels so refreshing to put away all of your holiday...
Holiday House Tour 2015
Welcome to my home. It’s all spruced up and ready for the holidays. When decorating for the holiday season, I tend to think cozy. Plaid and buffalo check blankets drape over the couch. Bright colors add warmth. And this year, I’ve been into faux fur. A small faux sheepskin rug has been a staple. Right now, it’s lining the back of my couch, but I’ve also used it to cover an ottoman and I’ve also tossed it over the back of a chair. When it comes to color, I tend to decorate with the traditional red and green during the holidays. This conventional color scheme fits with my vintage-y style. And, it’s the only time of year I deviate from my beloved neutrals. (I know, it’s getting wild around here!) In typical winter fashion, the sun wouldn’t come out while I was trying to take photos for this holiday home tour shoot. So, unfortunately I couldn’t capture all the nooks and crannies where I’ve decorated my home for the holidays. I guess you’ll just have to use your imagination. Picture little toy soldiers standing guard in unexpected places and glass cloches covering mini winter scenes with teeny Christmas trees....