Showing posts with label DIY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DIY. Show all posts

Thursday, May 16, 2013

How to Decorate on a Budget, Fast, Cheap and Easy!


Now that I have your attention....


Let's face it, not everyone has Donald Trump's bank account.  We all want a great looking home, but not everyone can have a professionally designed home outfitted in the latest and greatest high end resources.  What's a design lover to do?  I find one of the best ways to get the look without spending the moolah is to shop vintage, thrift, yard sales, Craigslist or stores like Goodwill.  There my friend, you can often find great pieces with great bones, that only require a coat of paint and a little love.  

I posted earlier in the week about Amy Howard's new paint line.  Take Amy's products and apply
 to a thrift store piece and you have something fab!  

I won't lie, I am not the biggest DIY-er you'll ever meet.  I'm the "good intentions" girl. 
In reality, tend to follow more of the HIY path (hire it yourself), but I have been known to tackle
 a few little projects myself.  More often than not, my so called "DIY projects" get grouped in my garage
 for a rainy day that never comes! 

Here is a link to my Pinterest DIY project board in case you are interested in what I would like to do if I were DIY-ing..  As you can see I have been busy "pinning" away projects for the future.  I jokingly told my friend and fellow designer, Holly Hollingsworth Phillips,   I was going to start a weekly blog feature called "Don't DIY" where I would feature reasons "not to try it yourself" and show the receipts of items I had purchased, never used or used and how I had ruined perfectly good pieces.   Could be really entertaining, I think.  It's true you know, not everyone is meant to be a DIY-er, even though Pinterest gives us the false hope we can conquer anything.  Often with me, it's after I have spent $$$, boat loads of time and effort only to have the project fail, do I realize it would have been cheaper for me to hire it done.  Not sure if my issues are short attention span, perfectionism or just plain lack of time but I'll typically leave it to the pros.  That being said, I do appreciate admire that ability in others.  I think it takes talent to be the successful DIY-er. That's why I am writing this post!

If you live in the Charlotte area, you need to keep reading and make plans to come out
to the Restore Restyle Event.  You just might get some great ideas for your own home!
 Traci Zeller and I have teamed up once again, this time to be judges at Restore Restyle Event tomorrow night.   There are eight teams who have accepted the challenge.   


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The ReStore ReStyle Design Challenge is an annual fundraiser held at the Mooresville ReStore whose purpose is to highlight the ReStores and their impact on the community through creative repurposing. Local designers are challenged to decorate 10’x10’ rooms utilizing only donated product available from the Mooresville & Cornelius ReStores. Each room will demonstrate how items found in the ReStores can be “ReStyled.” 
The 3rd Annual ReStore ReStyle Design Challenge will be held on tomorrow night, 
Friday, May 17th, 2013 at the Mooresville ReStore. 
Tickets are $15 and include two drink tickets and heavy hors d'ouevres.

  Each team can only use items from the Cornelius and Mooresville ReStore locations for their designs.  They will be given two gallons of paint, and items costing no more than $100 each to design  a 10' x10" room.They are allowed to bring in anything to include in their room as long as it fits in a standard size file box.  Yep, you heard me right!  It's the ultimate challenge!  I'm sure there is lots of planning, speculating and brainstorming going on with these designers as they think through what they might be able to cook up to use in their designs.  I'm sure it will be inspiring and amazing to see the finial results.




MEET THE DESIGNERS


crystal closeup2 Crystal Clark: Girl's Room: The Weekend Homemaker
paypalbuttondonate
I'm a home decor and craft blogger atThe Weekend Homemakerwho is inspired to create, repurpose and recycle in order to decorate my home on a budget. I love shopping the restore, thrift stores, and garage sales to find items that just need a little love to give them a new life. I turned my unused "formal" dining room into a home office for two and was featured in the July 2012 issue of Better Homes and Gardens.
andrea
 Andrea Hartley: Wedding Reception Room
I am a stay at home mom, co-owner with my husband of an electrical company, a volunteer for the Carolina Waterfowl Rescue, and paypalbuttondonatethird generation treasure hunter.What I am most passionate about is art, design, and creating (on a budget.) I have been sorting and sifting and digging through dusty shelves, bins, and boxes to find that little forgotten and discarded treasure to restore or repurpose for as long as I can remember with my mother and grandmother. My three year old son is quite at home at our local Restore in Mooresville and often can be found napping in the back of the shopping cart. I love the thrill of the hunt and the satisfaction achieved by spending $20 and an afternoon to create a truly one of a kind piece that looks like I spent hundreds of dollars. I hope that I can pass as much fun and memories onto my son as I have experienced in my life with my mom.

trevor and kerri
 
 Trevor & Kerri Morrical: Family Play Room: Morr Creations, LLC
 We are a husband and wife team that loves the creation, building and design process. We enjoy antiques, shopping second-hand and refurbishing items to give them new purpose and function. We are excited to have been chosen to participate in the ReStore Restyle Design Challenge 2013 to display our creativity and give back to our community. We look forward to the challenge and welcome this opportunity as a motivation to start our new Renovation-Design Business.
 paypalbuttondonate

annaAnna Miller: Nursery
   My name is Anna Miller; I am 29 years old, born and raised in Mooresville NC. I recently completed my Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Gardner Webb University. I work as a professor at Mitchell Community College teaching a course on developmental disabilities. For the past 10 years I have also worked with special needs children in the Mooresville area as a Behavioral Technician. My newest and most exciting job is working as a counselor in Statesville.  I work with opiate/chemical  paypalbuttondonatedependent individuals and I love every second of it. I consider myself a creative person, doing everything from scrap booking, making dog collars, dog costumes, jewelry, and hair bows. This is my first time ever designing a room; I have a little experience re-purposing small items for my own home, but I LOVE A CHALLENGE. The last challenge that I was given was to create two dresses for Charlotte Fashion week for the Recyclable portion of the week-long event. For this; I was asked to create one dress from camera film for shutter legends photography, and the other from Society Charlotte magazine. This was the first time that I had ever designed clothing; they turned out extremely well for someone with no experience in this area. With that said, I have a hard time explaining what inspires me... Because to be honest, EVERYTHING inspires me. 
kerrieboys

 Kerrie Boys: Man Cave: Kerrie.Can
Make things out of things. That is what I do. 
There is a certain curiosity that comes with objects that have lived a previous life. With that curiosity, in my hands, comes a "second chance" as they say. I see things that aren't there, visions of what could be. Bringing that vision to life feeds my soul. My process mirrors what Habitat for Humanity is all about. These committed people have a calling, and with donations and skills, they help families who need a second chance "see" what could be. Together, with creative hearts and rugged hands we can help more families realize the dream of a having a home.
 paypalbuttondonate
karen


I have always been blessed with great artistic ability, being able to draw, paint, sculpt, craft, and everything else in between. My favorite thing to do is re-purpose old tired items and give them a new lease on life. This was originally introduced to me by my paypalbuttondonatemother-in-law who encouraged me to redo a tired old kitchen rack. I loved doing it so much that it is now something I do almost daily. I also specialize in creating high end styled decor for weddings and events that are low on budget but high in elegance. Recently I started working with Van Buren Consignment and have been able to use my talents in creating unique custom furnishings. 
 

gretchen

Gretchen has been repurposing and redesigning since she was old enough to move furniture around her bedroom in her parent’s house.  A true designer at heart, Gretchen specializes in using the items already in the space in new and different ways to bring life to a room.  Finding the right balance of old andpaypalbuttondonate new is the key to a comfortable, functional and beautiful design.  Sometimes we need to step back and look at our homes with fresh eyes to see the possibilities within.  Gretchen’s favorite style could be described as coastal cottage but she believes there should always be an element of surprise and a touch of whimsy in every design.

Also during the event will be another exciting fundraiser:





Chair-i-ty: (noun)
A fundraising event where youth and community members in the Lake Norman area "ReStyle" Habitat ReStore chairs to be auctioned off at the ReStore ReStyle 2013 Design Challenge. Proceeds benefit Our Towns Habitat Youth United program.
Chairs from the Chair-ity event are on auction now at the Mooresville ReStore. The bidding will end on May 17th at 7:45pm during the 2013 ReStore ReStyle Design Challenge. Please visit the Mooresville ReStore during this time period to place your bid. To order tickets to the event please click here.  



It's like our very own HGTV "White Box" Challenge!!!
I know it will be a ton of fun!
Won't you Join Us?
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Tuesday, January 8, 2013

5 Warning Signs You Aren't "Living Authentically"

 Tomorrow I will start
the home series but today let's talk about self...


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As long as I can remember I have always been the girl that didn't want to be like everyone else. I don't know why, I just prided myself on making my own way and being my own person.  Are you like that? 


Now that I look back over my life I think I have always wanted to just be me and no one else. Call it "living authentically" or just being stubborn, that's how I have always been.  If I got a red sweater and three other people got the red sweater, I didn't want it any more! I know I drove my mother crazy at times being that way.  Do you like to chose things that are different or are you only happy when you get what everybody else has?  Here are some questions to ask yourself to see how authentic you are living:

1) Do you constantly compare yourself to others?
(always thinking the grass is greener on the other side?)

Via

2) Do you jump on a bandwagon once someone
 else has thought of an idea and copy it?
(If you are a blogger do you constantly strive for
 original content?)

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3) Do you look to others for your "style"
 ( i.e. think of the last pair of shoes you bought
did you buy them because they sang to your soul
 or because you saw them on someone else?)

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4) Do you constantly blame others for not
 being who you want to be or for not doing
 what you want to do?

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5) Are you unhappy with yourself? Your Home? 
(Where do you rank on a Scale of 1-10)

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If your answer to any of these questions is yes, you may not be living authentically.  I invite you to join me on a journey to the authentic self and hence your authentic home. This series is going to encompass the many faucets of 
"Living Authentically".  


As I said before, in order to have an authentic home, you must first become authentic yourself.  Are You? Check on Sunday to see what I say about ways to become the authentic self.
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Tomorrow we will discuss the questions I asked you to answer for yourself and your family on Monday's blog post.  If you missed that post you can access the questions here!  Did you get your "Living Authentically" notebook made?  If not, click here for details!  (I'll share my own tomorrow)


Once we get through the basics, which should take the rest of this week, then we will have a regular calendar as follows, this is a rough outline and may change at any time, since I tend to get better ideas or bored and want to change things up!  If you have a topic you would like addressed, feel free to email me at  Lmende@gmail.com

Mondays: Setting Weekly Intentions for the week,
The "Living Authentically Notebook"/Mailbag
(Mondays will be dedicated to discussing our setting intentions for the week, notebook topics, any questions you have for me, etc)

Tuesdays: Toss Up! Sometimes it will be
Authentically Me- Where I talk about something
on my heart or
All Through The House
( Interiors That Speak To Your Soul,
 how to honor each room in the house & more)

Wednesdays
Words from the Pros - I have an
amazing group of designers who will be
 guest posting on "Living Authentically"

Thursdays: "Authenticity through Creativity"
(DIY's, and much more...)

Fridays: "Creating Space"Finding Room: Organizing your life/home (Getting rid of things that drag you down emotionally,creating more space in your home, & more)

Saturdays: Authentically Healthy
(covering topics like Weight loss, recipes, tips to be your best self)

Sundays: Connecting Authentically with Self and Family!
Exercises, spiritual growth, traditions, events

Each day will be a mini series within the series!
Each post will have a little recap of things we are discussing and often an exercise for you to participate in.  Always there will be a tie back, to how you can do this in your own home. 
If you want you can print the post off answer the questions and stick in plastic sleeve in your notebook to refer to later.  Who knows I might get really fancy with photoshop and make some cute little pages you can download! 
 God willing and the creek don't rise!

DON'T FORGET TODAY IS THE LAST DAY!!!!

 TO ENTER THE DESIGN CAMP GIVEAWAY TO LORI DENNIS & KELLI ELLIS'S DESIGN CAMP IN ATLANTA, GA ONJAN. 30TH - FEB. 1ST! 
 CLICK HERE TO ENTER!!!
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED TOMORROW

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Sunday, March 20, 2011

It's My Birthday and also the "birth" day of My New Blog! Welcome!

At the end of your life you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict, or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a child or a parent. ~ Barbara Bush
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