Let's Pretend it is Fall

For those of you who are enduring, enjoying cold and snow already, I salute you. I do not know how to handle an actual change of seasons, as I have lived my entire life in places devoid of them. Well, in SC we have deer, turkey, dove, duck.  My Sistah adds football, but that is more of a religion.

However, I am a holiday mom.  Even if the palm trees are still green & we are all wearing flip-flops, I try to give my girls lots of festive memories. This year, we went to a corn maze, two different Halloween carnivals, trunk-or-treat at the church and THEN trick-or-treats with a ton of friends.

Working in retail for 8 years, this is the point at which I used to immediately switch over to Christmas.  At Target, we stayed over night on Halloween to switch the entire store over to fa la la la la fabulous. Last year my family came to visit from SC for Thanksgiving. We switched from Summer straight to Christmas as soon as supper was off the table -- gotta burn off that fried turkey somehow.

Enter my new friend (and business partner) Miss Honey I'm Home. She LOVES fall. Coming from Minnesota, she is familiar with all the seasons -- apparently there are four.  She also designs front porch installations for general curb appeal or special occasions.  My front porch needed some love to say the least. It needed her vision. It also helped that inspiration struck her about the same time Fall decor went 80% off at Hobby Lobby. That is what I am talking about!

Nothing says Halloween like white pumpkins,glitter t-shirts, tutu skirts and cowgirl boots.

I bought these orange chairs from Home Depot because I thought they scream "Summer Fun." Luckily for me, they also scream "Happy Halloween." Now I am hoping to soften them up a bit and let them suggest "Give Thanks." Don't worry, they have nothing to say about Christmas -- they will be heading to the garage.

via HomeDepot.com

My creepy/classy Halloween feather wreath is perfectly me. Unfortunately, it let us know just how dark my entryway is. From the street, you couldn't see it at all.  Even changing over to this bright orange berry number didn't brighten it up. Hunky Husband to the rescue with a dusk to dawn spotlight that we could point directly at all this fake fall fun.

The wreaths at Hobby Lobby started at $129 -- I am not that girl. Even at 80% off, we could do better.  I got two garlands for $10 (started at $49) and a $5.99 base grape vine wreath.  (Do not tell my Sainted Mother that I bought a grape vine wreath in a store).  One garland broke down into these big sprigs that went right onto the wreath.  The other I broke down into smaller pieces to add to the pumpkin tower.

The Butlers via Pinterest

This is the pin that started me on white pumpkins in the first place. The top two came from Michael's 50% off sale at the beginning of the the season. The bottom one came from Target 50% off after Halloween. Even with the discounts, $24 is a lot for me to spend, but I plan on using them every Halloween and Thanksgiving for the rest of my life.

-So, I've that going for me.

That created a problem when I went to build the tower.  I didn't want to damage the pumpkins with pins or hot glue.  I need to use them for Halloween next year and I do not think HH would give me the space in his man land garage to store this piece whole. I poked a few strategic holes in the bottom of the little one and removed the stem from the big one. I used wood BBQ skewers to secure the top two in place -- all small holes & a cookie to anyone who can find them next year.

I hope you are having fun getting your place all tarted up for the holidays. I'm hoping to get some good before & after shots of an upcoming staging job for you next time.

Whether you are getting ready for the holidays or your open house, you can stretch those curb appeal dollars to make your place more Visit Ready.

just bec



I'll be linking up at these linky parties:

before & after party @ thrifty decor chick nifty thrifty tuesday @ coastal charm show me what you've got @ our delightful home  tuesday to do @ the blackberry vine get your craft on @ today's creative blog tip me tuesday @ tip junkie  tutorials & tips @ home stories a to z  take a look tuesday @ sugar bee crafts  one project at a time @ a bowl full of lemons  tuesdays treasures @ my uncommon slice of suburbia  wow me wednesday @ ginger snap crafts   tuesday time out @ reason to skip the housework  sugar & spice @ 733 a creative blog  whatever goes wednesday @ someday crafts show & share @ southern lovely wow me wednesday @ polka dots on parade  under $100 @ beyond the picket fence  show off your stuff @ fireflies and jelly beans  pinspirational thursday @ the artsy girl connection   hooking up with hoh @ house of hepworths  strut your stuff @ somewhat simple    share awesomeness thursdays @ the 36th avenue  a glimpse inside @ catch a glimpse   feathered nest friday @ french country cottage  freestyle friday @ happy hour projects  thursday temptation @ two yellow birds decor   flaunt it friday @ chic on a shoestring  the pity party @ 30 handmade days  weekend wrap up @ tatertots and jello anything goes link party @ bacon time  friday free for all @ five days five ways  frugal friday @ the shabbby nest  mad skills party @ mad in crafts  serenity saturday @ serenity you   manic monday @ serendipity and spice

Disney Deals and Crafty Steals

One last go-round for the bandanna shirts we made
 for Easter ($2.50 each).

There are few things I love more than clearance sales, Disney World is one of them. So, I have combined the two in planning our family vacation this year. These are a few of the tips & fun projects we did to make this trip thrifty and extra princess-y.

By far, my best saving tip, pre-purchase the CD of professional Disney photos.  This deal saves $50!

Our last trip, I did not take advantage of the PhotoPass because I thought it was too expensive. I am not much of a photographer and that whole trip, we never got one shot of all of us together. It was a great trip, but no pix to prove it. I know it sounds cheesy, but these posed shots in front of castles and my girls hugging princesses are priceless to me.

They also include stock photos of the characters alone.  We plan to use them for future projects.

 After the vacation, when I went to order the CD to be shipped, they had a savings offer that covered my shipping.  You can also just digital download during that step as well.


The matching Girlies' outfits came from our favorite web sites (Old Navy, Target & Gymboree). Once things go on clearance in the store, it is hard to find all 3 sizes in matching colors. Online, is a clearing house for all the items and we have a better chance of getting full sets.  The matching is not something I like in real life, but it was helpful in the crowds of the Magic Kingdom.

mister fan via CouponingtoDisney

In the park, there are giant fans attached to water bottles. They prolly do cool you off, but they are larger than any of my tiny Girlies and retail for $437 each -- well, maybe not that much, but more than this thrifty momma was ready to pay. Couponing to Disney said to avoid the misting fan from Wal-Mart because it leaks. I wanted to avoid it because I didn't want to deal with extra water at all. We found tiny battery powered fans at Wal-Mart for $1.50 each. The blades are made of foam, which is important because my children love to try and lose fingers whenever possible. I used Minnie Mouse ribbon to make lanyards. Each Girlie got to carry her own cooling system (and drive her sister a little crazy) while waiting in line.

My address says we are Florida residents and that got us a pretty nice discount on park tickets. However, Pensacola is as far away from Disney as Charleston, SC. So, we ended up spending just as long in the car.  I needed some road trip solutions.

I stole this idea from less than perfect life of bliss and Disney-fied it just a little. These clothes pin tabs go up on the visor. As long as you are sweet & quiet, they stay up.  If you are bad, yours comes down. When we stop for gas, only the Girlies with tabs up get a treat.  All my Girlies are color code junkies, so we didn't even need names or initials. I made these in about 2 minutes using Paint -- flashback to 1993.  One big colored circle + one smaller white circle + one black circle + two smaller black circles = quiet tabs.You could use a circle punch to make them perfect, but my Middle Girlie cut these out, so they are beautiful to me.

Classy Clutter made some super cute DVD boxes into colored pencil holders.  We had some Disney movies and Wii game boxes floating around so I didn't even have to make new covers. I followed her directions for removing the disk holder section of the box. Dollar Tree had a pack of 21 thin markers (7 each was plenty). Luckily, I had some pillow cases left over from a previous project. They were made from that stretchy T-shirt material. It made them perfect holders because they were already hemmed and stretch to let the markers out, then bounce right back.  Road fun for 33 cents each -- awwww yeahhhh!

life size Cars you can climb on &
the headlights even come on at night

the big blue pool makes you feel like you are swimming
with Nemo & music plays under the water while you swim

My last 2 cents: check out the newest value resort, Art of Animation. I cannot say enough good things about it! It is themed Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, Lion King and Cars. If your children have ever seen a Disney or Pixar movie, they will lose their minds when they see this place. Everything is scaled so you feel like you are in the movies. Even if you can afford to stay in a fancier hotel, this one is amazing!

Now that August is here, we will be heading back to school and I will be working more on houses and blogging. Thanks for coming along with us on all our crafty Disney adventures. Hope you had a lot of your dreams come true this Summer, too.

running out of pixie dust, 
just bec

before & after party @ thrifty decor chick nifty thrifty tuesday @ coastal charm show me what you've got @ our delightful home  tuesday to do @ the blackberry vine tip me tuesday @ tip junkie  tutorials & tips @ home stories a to z  take a look tuesday @ sugar bee crafts  one project at a time@ a bowl full of lemons  tuesdays treasures @ my uncommon slice of suburbia  wow me wednesday @ ginger snap crafts   sugar & spice @ 733 a creative blog  wow me wednesday @ polka dots on parade  under $100 @ beyond the picket fence  show off your stuff @ fireflies and jelly beans  thrifty thursday @ thrifty decorating  pinspirational thursday @ the artsy girl connection  thrifty thursday @ tales from bloggeritaville  hooking up with hoh @ house of hepworths  strut your stuff @ somewhat simple  crafty, scrappy, happy me @ crafty, scrappy, happy  share awesomeness thursdays @ the 36th avenue  get your brag on @ gluesticks  a glimpse inside @ catch a glimpse   feathered nest friday @ french country cottage  freestyle friday @ happy hour projects  thursday temptation @ two yellow birds decor  from scratch friday @ marriage from scratch  feature yourself friday @ fingerprints on the fridge  flaunt it friday @ chic on a shoestring  the pity party @ 30 handmade days  weekend wrap up @ tatertots and jello anything goes link party @ bacon time  friday free for all @ five days five ways  frugal friday @ the shabbby nest  mad skills party @ mad in crafts  serenity saturday @ serenity you   manic monday @ serendipity and spice

Saving for Disney Gift Cards

Every once in a while two of my obsessions combine -- Perdido Key Wine & Arts Festival, Green Depression glass on 50% off sale, Boston Rob on The Amazing Race.  Now, I'm planning my family's Disney vacation with the help of Pinterest. Is it just me or do you hear the angels singing, too?

My girls are getting the Dave Ramsey style education on work, money, giving, saving and spending.  They are extremely excited about the trip.  So, we are trying to focus that energy into doing extra chores and putting that extra money into savings banks.  I saw some beautiful ones pinned that inspired this project.

Junkin Junky via Pinterest

I did find an excellent deal on shadow boxes at Tuesday Morning.  Unfortunately, I have already used them to make a Christmas project.  Now, when I need some, I cannot find any in my normal thrifty sources.  I dragged the girls to two different Goodwill stores, HomeGoods, Tuesday Morning and an indoor flea market -- no shadow boxes.

Thank goodness for Hobby Lobby (the second happiest place on Earth).  They had the perfect acrylic box frames at a great price, made even better with their 40% off coupon.  Do not laugh at me for couponing $2.99 -- the money we saved on each one went into the savings banks.  "Train up a child in the way she should go; even when she is old she will not depart from it."  Proverbs 22:6. I guess mine will be crafty, couponing and a little crazy.

don't know how my finger
got broken there.

We pulled out the bulky card board insert thingy that was inside the frame. It makes a great template for the thin foam core that we would use as backing instead.  I just had to remember to cut it a little larger because we wanted a tight fit. 

Next we cut slits in the foam core. 

The Girlies all picked out the gift card they wanted the most. We printed out pictures of them on photo paper.   

Middle Girlie is the best cutter. Baby Girlie loves the glue sticks because they are purple, her favorite color.

Next, I added a bead of hot glue around the back to seal the foam core. First of all, that holds in the heavy change. Secondly, it makes sure that the money stays in until our trip, even if the ice cream man comes by on Saturday afternoon.  

We decided to add a tally sheet on the back to keep up with the totals. Big Girlies are both math monkeys who love to add up their "deposits."  Baby gets to use the calculator, which helps with her eye/hand coordination and number recognition.  OK, so she really likes pushing the buttons, but that counts.  

Already, they are all asking for extra "jobs" they can do around the house. There may be a lemonade stand in our future.  The baby clothes that we just tilled out are going to the consignment store instead of Goodwill. Bonnie asked if she could have the cash value instead of picking out candy like her sisters did at Walmart today.  If Hunky Husband stands still too long, they may figure out a way to hire him out to the neighbors.  

Apparently, these simple little boxes inspire hard work, creativity, entrepreneurship and sacrifice. Well, they look cute on my mantle. We'll see how long all this free enterprise lasts.

I have a series on staging that will help you get more Visit Ready while I'm getting vacation ready.  Check back this week.

just bec

linking up all over the place:

before & after party @ thrifty decor chick nifty thrifty tuesday @ coastal charm show me what you've got @ our delightful home tuesday to do @ the blackberry vine tip me tuesday @ tip junkie  tutorials & tips @ home stories a to z  take a look tuesday @ sugar bee crafts  one project at a time@ a bowl full of lemons  tuesdays treasures @ my uncommon slice of suburbia  wow me wednesday @ ginger snap crafts   sugar & spice @ 733 a creative blog  wow me wednesday @ polka dots on parade  under $100 @ beyond the picket fence  show off your stuff @ fireflies and jelly beans  thrifty thursday @ thrifty decorating  pinspirational thursday @ the artsy girl connection  thrifty thursday @ tales from bloggeritaville  hooking up with hoh @ house of hepworths  strut your stuff @ somewhat simple  crafty, scrappy, happy me @ crafty, scrappy, happy  share awesomeness thursdays @ the 36th avenue  get your brag on @ gluesticks  a glimpse inside @ catch a glimpse   feathered nest friday @ french country cottage  freestyle friday @ happy hour projects  thursday temptation @ two yellow birds decor  from scratch friday @ marriage from scratch  feature yourself friday @ fingerprints on the fridge  flaunt it friday @ chic on a shoestring  the pity party @ 30 handmade days  weekend wrap up @ tatertots and jello anything goes link party @ bacon time  friday free for all @ five days five ways  frugal friday @ the shabbby nest  mad skills party @ mad in crafts  serenity saturday @ serenity you   manic monday @ serendipity and spice

Spring Black Friday

home depot.com

Personal note first, my computer completely locked up on Monday night -- just before time to link up to all the fun parties.  First, Hunky Husband and I spent a while blaming each other.  Then, I spent a couple of days trying to fix it myself.  I ended up having to take it in to the Geek Squad and it will be with them for at least another week.  The entire week I walked around feeling like a part of me was gone, maybe not a limb, but at least an important finger.

Thanks to my Daddy, I now have a new laptop to work on.  Yes, I am a grown woman  with a checkbook and children, but I still call my father "Daddy" and he still gives me wonderful presents.  The last time he came to visit, I spent a little too much time in the office. With only one computer in the house, I also cut into my Girlies' Barbie.com time. Both offenses will be addressed with his most recent kind gift.

My Sistah is coming to town this weekend and I still have some major work to do before this place looks anywhere close to visit ready. So, no major projects to share.

This weekend Home Depot calls Spring Black Friday.  They are running some super deals.  We finally broke down and bought a new grill. Our old one didn't make the move and it has been tough going 8 months without one.  My grill pan needs a break.

As you can see, I have no advertising on my site, so I am not being paid to endorse them. However, Hunky Husband is one of those friendly experts in an orange apron.  They have been working hard all week to get ready.  So, I do hope you go visit him or your local Home Depot.  Where ever you shop, enjoy your weekend, the spring weather and making your place more visit ready.

just bec

this deal is so sick, I thought it was a typo

Girlies circled this one twice

Home buyers love the look of stainless. This is a great time to upgrade.

cheers!

Black, White or Gold Bamboo Table?

During my Mommy's last visit, we went thrifting. She is a serious, take no prisoners Goodwill shopper. So, I knew we would find something good. What we found is that the pricing team at this location was awfully impressed with every single item -- more impressed than we were for sure.

Just about the time we had decided to pack it in and head to Hobby Lobby (the real happiest place on Earth), I spotted this treasure.  It had somehow escaped the crazy mark-up trend and was tagged for $4.99.  It had prolly been used on a patio or porch, and has quite a bit of damage character, especially on the top.  They did not charge extra for the cobwebs or the protective layer of dust.

enough cords showing?

It is a sturdy little table with a shelf and great detailing on the legs. I'm sure I will be able to use it in Bacon's house when we finally get to the staging stage.


For now, I'll be using it in my bedroom to replace this sad little make-do piece.  It was a stretch to use the bracing x under this table as a shelf where there really is no shelf. I do not enjoy highlighting the phone, modem and wires.  The tall Chinese figurines do not help distract from the ugly in the least.  Until I took this picture, I was in complete denial of what a colossal fail this really is.

We can do better, for sure.


At first, we thought about painting it black like these chairs that were featured in Coastal Living.  Problem is, I paint a lot of things black.  Especially in this bedroom, I've used black accents to tone down a lime sherbet green wall color that wouldn't have been my first choice.  Like I've said 437 times, this is a rental.  I also have dark furniture to start with.  In black, this table wouldn't be an accent, it would just disappear.

Coastal Living via Pinterest

Everyone seems to be moving in the "lighten & brighten" direction that is perfect for staging.  White is classic and clean and bold. This pin got me thinking maybe I should paint it white instead.

What the Vita via Pinterest

However, if I've learned one thing from Project Runway -- it is easy to make a cheap pair of black pants look expensive & it is just as easy to make an expensive pair of white pants look cheap.  The table these guys are painting is chunky and very bamboo-y. My little table and its puny little wraps may not hold up to the white of it all.  Even if it is cast-off patio furniture, I don't want it to look like cast-off patio furniture.

Which brings me back to Sarah Richardson. Yes, my obsession for her should be medicated, but as long as I don't move to Canada and become all stalkerish, I think we will all be OK. She did a bright yellow & white scheme in an office that I dearly love.  Nothing in my house is nearly this white or bright, but it got me thinking.

Sarah Richardson design Portfolio via Pinterest

My little table might look nice in gold.  These Hollywood regency tables are petite like my little table and they are beautiful.  They have black glass tabletops. I was thinking that I would put a black tray on top of mine. That way I get the sparkle of the gold without having to look at all the damage charm of its well worn loved surface.  Gold it is!

The Modern Historic Etsy store via Pinterest

Our bedroom is the one room that hasn't been eaten alive by brushed nickel or silver metallics.  So, the gold will be the glimmer among all the black and white. It will also coordinate with this little chinese cabinet I use as my nightstand.

It is my favorite garage sale find of all times. The lady selling it was asking $60. I offered half that, "as long as you don't tell my husband I paid $30."  She accepted, "as long as you don't tell my husband I sold it for $30." Feminomics at its best.

just bec

Sea Shell Frame

Blancho bedding via Pinterest

I finally got my mom started on Pinterest.  At first, she was intimidated by all the clicking.

This is also the woman who did not want an ATM card, a cell phone or a laptop. "Don't want it. Don't need it. Wouldn't use it if I had it."  Sure. 

Now she is pinning things for me on her laptop and calling me from the ATM with her cell phone to see if I have seen her pin yet.


"Now that y'all live at the beach maybe you can do something like this.'

The one she pinned retails for $147.99 and was on sale for $103.99. 

Sounds like a challenge to me. 

I already had this frame I found on clearance at WalMart.  It was only $5.  I love the large surface area -- perfect for a saying (or attaching seashells).

Maybe all stores do not carry these, but we have a tiny Pensacola souvenir area where they sell these beautiful shells. The shells are actually from Mexico, but who cares, this pack was only $2.97.  You could grab similar bags of shells from any craft store or use ones you've picked up on vacation.  I even saw one bag at the Goodwill store the other day. Happy hunting!

When I bought the frame, I knew I would be spraying it (ugly color, weird design).  Once I started spraying, my addiction kicked in and I decided to spray some of the shells as well.  With all the shells in white, or almost white, the focus is on the picture. 

thefunkilittlefrog via Pinterest

Months ago, I pinned this sign. It was going to hang in my imaginary beach house. Now seemed as good a time as any to use the phrase while I'm waiting for my imaginary lottery win.  You can buy this sign or others from this girl's etsy store, The Funki Little Frog.  They are all kind of beachy and weathered and super cute.

Now, a tip on painting words for the three of us left in the world with no Silouette cutting machine.  You print out the words you want to use on your plain old printer. Place the paper over the wood you want to paint on. Trace around the words using a ball point pen and press pretty hard.  The pen indents into the wood.  Not only is it an outline, it is a little ditch that keeps the wet paint right where you want it. 

If only Hunky Husband would get the hint and give me a Siloutte for "Love your crafty wife Tuesday."

No project would be complete without a little hot glue. 

I've put a picture of our smiling Girlies in this one for their loving MeMe.  It was mom's idea, now it is mom's frame.   She would love anything with their faces on it, but I think she will really like this.  The running count on seashells in her house is in the hundreds. So, these will fit right in.

If you are selling your home, this is one of those Add Personality When You Depersonalize moments.  You do not have to put away every pretty thing in your house.  Just pare down to a special few and make sure there are generally appealing images.

I promise that top shell doesn't look like a rose in real life

A pretty picture of the beach or a sunset would go great in this frame.  It is always good to highlight the area where you live.  People are looking in your location for a reason.  If you are at the beach, help them smell the salt air.  If you live in fly over country, show off your amber waves of grain.  If you live in an urban area, get some black & white architectural shots in your neighborhood.  Location, Location, Location in your art will make your place a little more visit ready.

just bec

linking up all over this week:

before 7 after party thrifty decor chick  100 ideas under $100 @ beyond the picket fence  hooking up with hoh @ house of hepworths  thrifty thursday @ tales from bloggeritaville  strut your stuff thursday @ somewhat simple  frugal friday @  the shabby nest  from scratch friday @ marriage from scratch  wayward weekend @ wayward girls crafts  mad skills party @ mad in crafts  nifty thrifty tuesday@ coastal charm  manic monday @ serendipity and spice  show me what you got @s our delightful home  tip me tuesday @ tip junkie  tuesday to do @ the blackberry vine  tutorials & tips @ home stories a2z  take a look tuesday @ sugar bee crafts  one project at a time @ a bowl full of lemons  tuesday's treasures @ my uncommon slice of suburbia  show and tell @ blue cricket design  sugar & spice @ 733 a creative blog  power of paint @ domestically speaking  wild wednesday @ chatty chics  catch a glimpse @ a glimpse inside  thursday temptation @ two yellow birds decor  get your brag on @ gluesticks  sticker time & party time @ the 36th avenue  fabulous freebie friday & pinable projects @  just us four show and tell friday @ my romantic home