Four DIY Gift Ideas for Creative Young Ones

If you are an avid DIYer, at this time of the year, you are looking for ideas for creative and personal gifts.  For those of you with young ones in your life, perhaps some of these ideas might give you some inspiration to get those gifts underway. I wish I could say that these Ideas were my own — but, these ideas all came from Pinterest and I either used the inspiration, or frankly, I loved what I saw and made the same.  (Thank you to those who created these first.) DRESS UP WARDROBE This one is perfect for the...

Travel Inspired Wall Art

I am a lover of travel and it makes me happy to see memories of my adventures around the house.  During my travels, I make it a point to collect small prints, paintings or take some great photos that I can use to dress up the walls in my home.  And, I have to say, each time I walk by print/photo or painting, it makes me smile at the memory. Here are some of my favorite travel memories BARCELONA ROME PARIS IRELAND VERSAILLES

DIY Barn doors for a Window Covering

Barn doors can be expensive, but with a little creativity and work to source the materials, I was able to make a barn door for under $200. A couple of years ago when barn doors were gaining popularity and I wanted to try one on for size. My son moved into a new home and needed a window treatment for the patio door…so, this was my opportunity to make one. As the base of the door, I wanted something that wasn’t heavy.  I found two flat, hollow, interior doors on Craigslist for $5 each.  I added some detail by adding plywood...

Refinished Drafting Table Turned Desk

I love the story behind old furniture and frequently think of the original owners while I work on making the piece pretty again. This beautiful find, was sitting in the basement of an estate sale home, under a bunch of pots and pans. The previous owner used this drafting table 50-60 years ago. The top showed signs of wear, including the pinpoints used to hold down the drafting paper. This table was one of my favorite finds and “before and after” transformations. Not only was the cost only $30, it was relatively easy to refinish. The table was in rough...

Thanksgiving Outdoor Decor | Give Thanks

Need Thanksgiving and Fall decor that is simple and affordable?  Look no further!  This project was super easy and cost almost nothing! Use your imagination and resourcefulness to make your own outdoor decor for any holiday or occasion! WOOD This is a piece of fence that I found while walking my dogs on garbage day.  So, the price tag was $0.  Right up my alley!  I did make a spectacle of myself getting it home, but what is a day without embarrassing yourself or others. 🙂 . Obviously you can use a variety of materials for main structure of the...

Five Tricks to Dress Your Windows with Affordable Curtains

Window treatments can be affordable, functional and still transform the look of a room.  When tackling the windows in my new townhome, I decided to shift my approach from simply choosing window coverings to choosing window dressings.  Go from drab to dramatic with these five tricks! Source Window dressings can be expensive, but with a bit of shopping, there are some great choices that are super affordable.  Kohl’s has such a variety to choose from and ALWAYS has a sale and stackable discounts.  (Never buy anything from Kohl’s without a coupon or a sale.) These Sun Zero Extreme Black Out curtains were...

Tricks for Setting and Getting Your Sale Price on Facebook Marketplace

Setting and getting the sale price of your item can be simple and managed with a little research.  Here are a few tricks to get some intel on the items you are selling by using the Facebook Marketplace online platform itself! Understanding Supply Understanding the supply of your item helps to determine its sale price.  Within Facebook Marketplace, use the search bar to find the item you are looking to sell and consider these three dimensions: Posts in Your Area – If there are several posts of your item in your immediate area, the buyer has options.  This isn’t necessarily...

Three Timing Tips for Selling on Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace is an awesome platform to sell just about anything but can take the patience of a saint. Managing too many or too few messages, buyer no-shows, low-ball offers are just some of my experiences when selling items in preparation for my recent move. (See Make Money on Your Move blog post.)  So, let’s get to some key strategies for getting to a successful and efficient sale.  Timing is everything! Time Between Buyer Interest and Pickup The key factor in driving a sale is to compress the time from when a shopper shows interest in an item and pick up....

Make Money on Your Move

Moving to a new house is no joke, but you can have some fun turning the effort into some cash. I recently downsized from a 2300 square foot home to a 1500 square foot townhouse and happy to say that I picked up a few tips on how to get PAID to have items moved from my house! It’s all about mindset and a few organization strategies Start Early Allowing enough time has two key advantages. One, it helps manage the potential overwhelm of preparing to move. Too much to do, in too little time is usually a recipe for...

Wall Art | Home Office Motivation

Adding wall decor to a room can add warmth, color and interest — this is nothing new. Filling blank walls can be daunting – but, with a little patience and reflection, you can create something meaningful and not necessarily spend a fortune. My daughter, Kelly, moved into a new townhouse and had very little decor to fill the space.  She spends a lot of time in her home office with a lot of light and high ceilings.  I took some time and looked for some quotes from some of the people she follows on social media or podcasts.  Kelly is...