the retro dresser I found at the local thrift store and made into our tv stand? What are the chances that I would find another dresser just like this one? Apparently, pretty good because I found another at our local thrift store…exactly like the first one! This dresser wasn’t as pristine as the last one but it was marked down to $17. YES, $17!!! I knew I could work my magic for that price. In typical Nifty Thrifty Girl fashion, I was so anxious to transform the piece that I forgot to take some before pics to show how ugly it was. I did snap some photos of the drawers so you can get the idea of its gold/yellow ugliness…

And a shot of it primed…

And…the finished product…

Our new dining room buffet. I thought the original drawer pulls & knobs were pretty cool so I painted them with a satin nickel spray paint and re-installed them.

Not bad for a mere $17, eh? I spent more on the paint & spray paint than I did on the dresser!

Have a project you’d like help with? Don’t hesitate to contact me!  Stay tuned for more re-dos that I will be offering for sale.

When decorating, I typically like to make use of my collections or items I have on hand in the house. I knew exactly where I was going to do my Halloween display and had an idea of what items of my own I would use. All I needed was some Halloween inspiration and I found it at my local Family Dollar store.

Some purple lights, some witch garland…and a couple of bags of candy and…

Ta-da! Halloween display complete.

You can always decorate for less when shopping at Family Dollar.

Far too many people decide not to opt for improved home security simply because they hear that more advanced security features and home alarms can be quite expensive. After all, as long as you keep your doors locked and maintain vigilance with regard to basic, common sense safety, you should be fairly secure most of the time. However, as you will discover if you do a bit of research on sites like Home Security Family, there are actually options well worth exploring, which shouldn’t cost you an inordinate amount of money. Here are a few words on some of the more important home security features that you could be adding to your house, and different packages offered by security companies.

The basic “Standard” ADT security package, for example, which so many people have had installed in their homes, costs $35.99 a month, and gives you a number of very important security features. To begin with, your home will be equipped with a basic home alarm, complete with a digital keypad, a keychain remote for the alarm system, and the high-pitched alarm itself (as well as the ability of your alarm to contact the authorities if necessary). In addition, your home will have a motion detector system, which basically serves as a backup to your alarm, and which is also pet sensitive, which helps you to avoid unnecessary alarms. And finally, you will also be given a yard sign and window stickers, all of which advertise the fact that you are protected by a home security system. This in itself can actually be a major deterrent against crime.

This of course is only one example of a security package, though the Standard ADT security package is quite popular among people who wish to upgrade the safety features in their homes. In ADT’s case, you can get a few extra benefits for $5 or $10 more per month, and you can also add additional features such as security cameras or even laser trip wires. As you can see, however, the basic system – which is really quite extensive and protective – is not an extremely large burden on your wallet, at $35 a month.

Of course, you can only benefit by researching a bit more, and making sure that you find the best possible deal. Getting the most value for your payments is always important. However, there is no overstating the importance of home security for you and your family. For a price as low as the $35/month deal discussed above, you may be ensuring the safety of your loved ones.

I bought this horrendous plastic faux gold mirror last month at a thrift store for $6.99.

I originally thought I would paint it a lovely shade of lime green…or perhaps hot pink…but opted to use it at the head of the stairs…

…and figured white would be best.

My child complains that the hallway now looks like a “baby’s room”, but I’m happy with it…for now. That’s the joy of paint, it can be changed in a few short hours!

I installed one in my bedroom and will use the other on the patio (that is, if the weather ever cooperates). Even though they are a bit time consuming to make, I love the look of them so much I may even make another for my hallway!

I’ve been wanting to replace my giant, cottage-looking armoire that held my tv for some time now and I knew this piece would make the perfect contemporary tv console. So…with a little paint and some new drawer pulls…let me introduce you to my new tv console…

I’m thrilled with the results. It’s a much needed change from the old armoire, plus, it makes the living room look so much bigger.

Oh, so many things to be made…purses, pillows, coffee cozies and needle caddies. First, a few pillows:

I’d better get off the computer and back to work. Needle caddies coming up next! Stay tuned for updates. Many of these pieces can be purchased from my etsy shop…but some will not be listed as I have to work on my stock for this year’s Farmer’s Market booth.

Stay warm!

One of my favorite places to find great bargains is my local Family Dollar store. For a fraction of what you would pay for high-end home decorating pieces Family Dollar has tons of  low-priced items to choose from. And, if you aren’t fond of a particular gold mirror – just paint it a different color to match your decor! I can’t even count on both hands the number of items I’ve purchased from Family Dollar and re-worked to fit in my decor. From wicker baskets, mirrors, frames, lamps and curtains, I’ve transformed some inexpensive pieces into eye-catching decor items.

One of my favorite transformations are the hand-stamped curtains in my dining room. I wanted some graphic curtains but couldn’t afford the designer price tag so I decided to make my own. I purchased 4 Family Dollar sheer panels:

…and proceeded to stamp them with a stamp I created. The finished product:

Need inexpensive lighting? Family Dollar offers a great variety of lamps and although the shades may not be what you want, you can easily change out or dress up any shade! Here is a $10 Family Dollar lamp I purchased for my kitchen. I added some fabric and pompom fringe and voila!, a super cute, custom lamp:

So, what are you waiting for? Get to your local Family Dollar and find some great home decor bargains! PLUS – this week get $5 off your $25 Home purchase! Click HERE to get your coupon.

My living room walls have been Martha Stewart’s Hot Chocolate (once upon a time when her paint was available at Kmart) with two accent walls in Wal-Mart’s American Elm, for thirteen years. Far too long to stick with the same color, in my opinion.

I knew I wanted to go with a gray for the living room but, oy, there are oh-so-many to choose from. I love Benjamin Moore’s Chelsea Gray but was afraid it would be too dark. I finally settled with BM’s Galveston Gray, but because I’m so thrifty and refuse to spend an excessive amount of money on paint I pulled out my Wal-Mart ColorPlace fan deck (I’ve heard that Sherwin Williams makes this paint for Wal-Mart and I’ve used it in several rooms in my home without hesitation). Fortunately, (and this rarely happens) Wal-Mart’s Ashland gray was pretty darn close to BM’s Galveston Gray. Twenty six dollars and four hours later…I’m in love with the new living room color!

Cutting in with Ashland gray

Cutting in with Ashland gray, covering American Elm & Hot Chocolate

Love this color!

Pardon the mess, now I need to get my living room back in order and take some proper pictures. Looks like I’ll have plenty of time to do that with this continued humidity.

drapery panels from Ballard Design

Instead of b00-hooing about the fact that I could never afford these curtains, I decided to try my hand at hand-stamping my own curtains. I had two pairs of white sheer panels that I had purchased at our local dollar store (total for two pairs: $20). I would have preferred a heavier fabric but since I already had these curtains I decided to use them.  I had some black fabric paint on hand, so all I needed to do was design a stamp.

I first looked at several medallion patterns online and made a few sketches. Since the homemade stamp was going to require a lot of fine cut work I decided to use the simplest design.

I traced my design onto some craft foam, cut it out using an X-acto knife…

…glued the cut out design to a wood block…and presto! A homemade stamp was born.

I spread one curtain over my dining room table and went to work stamping. I quickly learned that the panels shifted easily, causing the paint to smear, so I placed a white sheet of paper under each area that was to be stamped and heat-set the design with a blower dryer before moving on to another area.

In about two hours (phew!) I had new curtains that cost a fraction of what I would have spent on designer panels!

In the future I will be looking for heavier weight panels (probably a cotton/twill blend) as these sheers are great for summer, but I would prefer something sturdier for the winter months.