Design to Shine: April 2010

Imagine a Gorgeous Living Room

Yard sale score!

Price?

Are you sitting down? ;-)

$5 for BOTH coffee table and end table!
They are sturdy and I love the size.

Yes the tops are 2 different shades.
Needs a bit of work.
I will not be keeping them green.
I just can't decide yet on the color.
That's where YOU come in!
Here is my living room:

Pay no mind to my cheap twin sheet 'slip covers' on my hand-me-down sofa.
So use your imagination and imagine a gorgeous Living Room.
This room is due a MAJOR makeover!

This room is an odd shape with a corner fire place.

The plan calls for a brown leather sofa with either a love seat or 2 chairs.
Fresh painted walls, update the fireplace mantel (adding wood over the main mantel section, paint), new rug (because this one is too small for the 'new' coffee table). I'd also lurve wooden blinds, but not sure that will happen.

As you can see, my current coffee table is black.
Spray painted it months ago and love it, but wanted a rectangle one when the oval was found on the cheap at an antique mall. Don't gasp, I didn't spray paint a real antique!

Pretty kitty on the sofa and my 'new' Goodwill find curtains ($10 for both panels).
Back to these beauties.

If you are remembering to use your imagination, then I will have these with a brown sofa.
I fell in love with Little bits of Bliss farmhouse table.

Little bits of Bliss photo
I also fancied this table over at Houzz

traditional living room design

So give me your BEST ideas!

How should I refinish my yard sale tables?
Wall color ideas, imagining a brown leather sofa. What am I saying, you can SEE I have a dilemma! So I need input on it all.

Can we make this Living Room SHINE?

Just for input information, this room is open to my kitchen/hall via a large double door'less' opening. The kitchen is yellow. The hallway is pale yellow with brown under the white chair rail.
I am linking into Serenity Now's Decorating Dilemmas Party, cause Gals, I need your ideas!

Oh and can someone teach me to do that fancy inspiration board thingie for this room? ;-)

Be sure to check out the other Decorating Dilemmas and share your great skills!
I am also linking into The Inspired Rooms, Inspired by. Because each of YOU can help inspire this makeover.

Published!

Please form a single line for autographs. ;-)

I've hit the Big Time now!

I received an email from a bloggin friend, Laurie over at Indulge Your Shelf,

wondering if she could use one of my ideas in writing an article.

Why, of course, I replied.

I am flattered!

If you'd like to read the article about Garden container fun at thrift store prices.

Then check it out at examiner.com <<< Just click that. ;-)

Thanks Laurie for the mention.

What time do ya'll think my limo will be around to pick me up for dinner?

Shucks I just checked under the carport and all I saw was this

image from Chevrolet

Momma always said don't get too big for your britches.

Oh well, a girl can dream!

Weekend 'Junk' Finds

If you've read any, Ya'll know I like my junk.

Last weekend I hit a few yard sales.

This weekend, not as many yard sales but finds just the same,

while visiting the local Flea Market.

The gold frame is from last weekend's yard sale hunt - $1

It will soon be painted.

Sneak peak at another of last weekend's yard sale scores.

These pretties will be the topic of an upcoming post.

Can you say makeover?

And you won't believe the price tag on them!

I almost passed this by at the Flea Market Saturday.

To me, items sell when they are priced.

This had no tag.

Ok, I'll take her. Sweet treats or tiny decorations will adorn her soon.

My favorite finds of the day are the other 2 items.

An old white metal bucket - $2

Which will soon be home to some flowers.

Several months ago I found a smaller wooden tool box at a local vintage store.

Their price tag was $35.

Mine cost me $5.

Not sure if I want to paint it or just leave as is.

I'm thinking of putting 3 flower pots in it with herbs.

Got ideas? paint it/not ...how to use it?

Linking in to a few thrifty frugal link parties.

Find all the weekly blog link ups HERE.

Be sure to check them out for other great finds and ideas!

DIY Frugal Flower Arrangement

I always get excited when magazines come in the mail!

For years, subscriptions were a luxury item.

After getting lucky, I won Country Living last year from Lakeitha at Home to Three Duncan Boys

Thanks again Lakeitha!

Once a month, I have a little get away time to dream of possibilities.

And find a few new project ideas.

Country Living had an idea.

See that title? Big Style, little budget?

I searched all over Goodwill, yard sales and the flea market for the 'right' bottles.

To no avail.

Finally I settled on some old jars I already had.

A bit of twine and some clearance flowers ($3.99).

As I flipped through my magazine this month.

A sweet photo leaped off the page and said:

Sherri, you can do this!

Image from Country Living

Does it really matter that my jars aren't the same size?

Or that they used to have jelly and pizza sauce in them?

They still brighten up the room.

A ten minute DIY project for under $5.

Thanks to Country Living for a bit of SHINE on my kitchen table

to welcome me home.

Not sure it fits into the Big Style category, but it sure fit my budget!

With Mother's Day coming up, this would make a really thrifty gift too.

I will be linking in to a few parties this week.

You can find them HERE.

The BIGGEST thing since sliced bread....

There is a Party going on!

And it's HUGE!

What's a Southern Girl to do?!

Join in!

Hi ya'll, I'm Sherri.

Would you like some cake and Sweet tea?

Welcome to my little ole blog.

Make yourself comfortable and visit for a while, won't ya?

If you want to meet the kids, find out what celebrity I am named after,

gather all my secret family recipes and see how I flip junk and buy rich folks cast offs;

then poke around in my buttons, just don't let the wonderment pop any off your blouses!

Cause round these parts we pick our decor off pine trees from a tractor bucket.

Yep that is really me! All in the name of a budget Christmas tree for $20!

Just a budding movie star comedian trapped inside a simple country gal's body, trying to shine my own star inside and out!

Don't forget your party favor before you go...

Homemade lotion, better than that fancy name brand expensive stuff.

Nothing but the best for guests around here. ;-)

The recipe is in the blog. ;-)

I look forward to meeting new friends and faces.

Blooms vs Pollen

This is my photo for Sweet Shot Tuesday.

Pollen count on Monday was 2492.

As beautiful as nature is blooming, She sure is making it hard to breathe.

Everything is yellow around here.

Cars, walkways, my carport.

I'm surprised my hair isn't yellow!

The pollen is thick and heavy in the air.

I love Spring weather.

Pollen, not so much.

No rain relief in sight.

Blooms, yellowness, coughing, sneezing.

Spring in Georgia.

How's it where you are?
Another NEW linky for photos:

Breaking the mold - Painted Table

This weekend I broke out of the non 'color' mold.

Ya'll already know how I love my spray paint.

Changed up my drab coffee table with black, months ago.

Use a bunch of the famous heirloom white.

After seeing all the beautiful things around blogs painted in blue, red, green; I've been wanting to try color too.

And I LIKE it!

I picked this table up MONTHS ago at my local Goodwill.

Actually it is a sewing machine table.

My thrifty little find has been used in my kitchen even though I've always had plans to paint her.

She gets dressed up for different seasons.

Saturday was a fun day full of hitting yard sales and a couple of Goodwill stores. Yep, more to share this week with a yard sale score just up the street from my house. After my junk hunt, I stopped to pick up a can of American Accents spray paint - $5.

Moss Green Satin.

It's been beautiful weather here in Georgia, so between loads of laundry and making up several different salads today (veggie pasta, pistachio and chicken salad); I hauled my little table outside.

I removed the hardware.

Painted the handle with leftover black.

Then painted her moss green.

Sanded the edges a bit for that worn look.

This was my first try at sanding after painting.

Did it work?
A cute side table for $12 total cost.

Brought her back in the kitchen and dressed her up.

The little bunny was a yard sale find, $1.
The black candelabra was 10 CENTS at a yard sale last year.
It was in sad gold shape til I painted it.

Tried out a couple of looks on her.The wicker tray basket, also from Goodwill for $2.

The tiny runner was found there also, but my ole brain can't remember the price.

I love the punch of color against my white.

The curtain was made by my mom and ties it all together.

Doesn't my thrifty little gal look pretty now?

I will be linking up to tons of great blog parties this week.

So be sure to check them out for other great ideas!

You can find a full weekly list and links to them HERE.
Plus there is a BRAND new (her very first week) party.
Check it out.

Over at Chocolate Sundaes.
and another new one:

I will be adding these into the growing blog party list above.
If you have a link party you would like added to my list, just let me know!

The most Awesome Cleaner Evah!

Yep the name is Awesome!

It IS indeed very Awesome.

See the knobs on my old stove?

They now SHINE and are silver again.

This stuff works like WOW.

I've tried all sorts of cleaners over the years.

Before I was introduced to Awesome,

my #1 cleaner was Clorox Clean Up.

Not anymore!

MOVE OVER expensive brands!

This bottle is a whopping $1 at the Dollar General.

It SHINES like it cost $5.

Not too much elbow was used on the grease either.

Just spray, sit, wipe away grease and grime.
How do I know this? Because we pulled out the stove!
Insert Horror Movie Scream here.

This stuff worked on all that gunk and yuck.
Trust me, it's AWESOME!
Plus it is non-toxic and biodegradable.

I'm LOVIN it!

Disclaimer: I am not being compensated for this post (I wish I was!)

I am not employed by the manufacturer of this item, nor am I employed with Dollar General Stores.

I found a great product and wanted to share! Forgive the over use of ! and caps. ;-)
Do you know of some Awesome item to share?
Have you posted about it? Leave me a comment & I will check out your awesomeness.
Also check out these other Friday link parties!

Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

This is my favorite Summer time dessert.

It involves NO cooking.

I served it Easter Sunday.

I make this for every church social with nothing left but the serving spoon in the bowl.

What you will need:

1 Angel Food Cake (I buy mine - hence no cooking!)

1 container of Cool Whip - thawed

1 large box of Vanilla Instant Pudding

1 box/container of frozen strawberries in sugar - thawed

(or make your own with fresh strawberries and sugar - let set to make syrup/juice)

Make it:

Mix pudding as directed on box, set in fridge

Cut Angel Food Cake into cubes

Layer it:

Angel Food Cake cubes

Strawberries

Pudding

Cool Whip

Top with fresh sliced strawberries, if desired.

Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

If you are serving a large group, double the recipe.
It's Yummy!
***Edited to add: If you do NOT have a Trifle bowl, no problem! I've made this tons of times in a regular bowl.

Linking in: