I haven't featured anyone else in a looong time. Selfish of me I know. Let me rectify that. Now.

I've followed this blog for some time, but have just recently gotten really hooked on it if ya know what I mean. I am loving her style and today when I went to check out her latest post then I fell a little harder.

This is her den. I love her den. She did the bottom half of it in planks. I want to do that too.
Before we go any further, let me introduce you to her. This is Denise from The Painted Home.

Now, lets continue looking at some of her stuff...

This is also from her den. Her girls made this sign with sharpies. Yup, you heard me. Sharpies.

This is her guest room. Just look and admire.

My favorite room of the house. (she has some great before and after pics by the way) She made the living room into her dining room. Oh to have a fireplace in my dining room like this.

And this "light"! I am not a squealer, but when I saw this I swear I felt a squeal deep inside. It may have been indigestion, but I'm going to say "squeal".

So all of that to say, go see Denise and let her know how very cute her home is. Be sure to check out her burlap wall in the front hall. Who would have thunk it?


Have a great weekend!

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Let's start with my feature from last weeks linkers. I just found this blog not too long ago and have really gotten hooked on her ideas and style. If you have yet to check out Emerald Cove then I suggest you do so. She linked up a great re purposing of some bi-fold doors to hide those unsightly speakers that our husbands bring into our lives.

See those in the corner? Aren't they neat? Ok, well you don't have to agree with me, but go check out her blog either way.

So I have yet to see any reproductions from my challenge last week. Can you impress me this week? Remember the winner gets a $10 Target Gift Card!!! Just to recap the ideas you can try to do cheaper...





Again, link up with your best. Other projects are welcome too, but only the ones that are "copies" of the above pictures will be judged.
ALL PROJECTS LINKED FOR THIS CONTEST WILL BE DUE BY NOVEMBER 2ND!
1. Only link your post URL, not your blogs address!
2. Be sure to take that button at the top with you so that everyone can know where you're linking up!
3. Please only link crafts, DIY projects like furniture, decor and such. I don't want to delete your link!

I dislike Winter. Very much. So to combat my dislike for it, I plan on filling it with so many projects that I don't even notice the dreary gray seeping through my windows, or the cold that seizes my muscles and makes them ache. I also hate being cold. So I will work so hard that I will stay in a constant state of sweatiness. Sounds delightful huh?

So my first project will actually be completed before Winter dawns with its bareness.
I just picked this up at an Estate Sale for $10. I can't wait to tackle this one, though my reupholstering skills are yet to be honed.

Wish me luck.

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I am almost too ashamed to admit that I never got pictures of my project for this week. Can you ever forgive me?
I decided to cheat a little and also offer a challenge. I picked out four different items. Two from Pottery Barn, and two from Ballard Designs. Let me once more go on record to say, they both have the coolest stuff!

So my challenge you ask? Whoever can come up with the best "reproduction" of one of these four projects and link it up within the next two weeks (this weeks We Can Do It Cheaper, or next weeks) will win a $10 Gift Card to Target!

Let us see what we've got here....

These nice little linen covers for those various unsightly items in your home, retail from $40 to $80 on BD. (I need one of these to cover my laundry pile. Do they make them that big?)

This is another one from BD and you'll have to dish out the big bucks to get an original. Pricing ranges from $100 to $300 on these. This ones an easy one, so do me proud people!
Are these cute or what. (that's not a question) We all know that grainsack pillows have been circulating bloggy land and Etsy for some time now and frankly I've seen cuter ones than these. Though we will give them props for being real grainsacks, the prices $90 to $100 or out of my league. Impress me with your skills!!!

I fell hard for these vintage train signs. I know they can be done cheaper though! Though they aren't sky high at $70, I would still love to see them done for less than $20. Think you can?

So once again, show me your best We Can Do It Cheaper work on one of the above projects and I'll pick a winner from this week or next weeks linkers. I have each link party open from Wednesday night to the following Tuesday so that gives you some time to get it done.
Remember, Winner gets a $10 Gift Card to Target!! (sorry I can't do more but I can only dangle so much carrot out there without getting bit.

ALL PROJECTS LINKED FOR THIS CONTEST WILL BE DUE BY NOVEMBER 2ND!

Oh, you are more than welcome to link up any other projects you have going on too!
1. Only link your post URL, not your blogs address!
2. Be sure to take that button at the top with you so that everyone can know where you're linking up!
3. Please only link crafts, DIY projects like furniture, decor and such. I don't want to delete your link!

I turned 30 yesterday!!! Crazy to say it out loud and even crazier to type it so that you all now know how old I am. In all honesty I feel like I'm still 19. I truly believe that age is just a number and you are what you feel.

Therefore I had a great celebration with friends and family Saturday night when they threw a surprise party for me over at my sisters house. Was I surprised? Nah, but I was surprised to see my little sister there from VA with two of her little kiddos. We had a great time, minus my husband getting sick and having to miss the whole thing:-(
Anyway, I wanted to show off some of the neat stuff I got.
One of my friends makes these and I've been wanting one every since we did Antique Alley together. Want one? I might be able to get him to sell another one or two....
My mom and husband gave me a TON of amazing new books to look through when I get a moment.
My sister also gave me some magazines, including a Flea Market Style that I can't wait to dive into. (huh? How does one "dive" into a magazine?)
Another one of my sisters (remember I have 3) gave me this cute little red chair that I can't wait to add to my collection of mismatched ones for my dining room. I love that it's red, it kinda jumps out at you. My mom took a plain old metal pitcher and painted it to look like an enamel one. Doesn't it look so great!
My mom also gave me the bucket on the left and my oldest sister gave me the watering can. She must know the sad state of my drooping posies.

Of course there where more but I don't want to brag or anything;-) Thanks you all!!! And a very special thank you to my husband who was so sad that he couldn't be there, but he keeps me happy each day so I'm going to keep him around. (he is still in bed with strep throat. Ugh)

Another thank you to Kristine over at The Painted Hive for featuring my table and the stools I did. I really owe it to her since her creativity is what sparked my ideas for those projects.

I've been busy with family and will be busy again for the next few days, so I'll try to catch up later!

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Due to a sick child tonight, my post will be short and sweet. (have you ever told a 4 year old that crying will make their throat hurt worse? Yup, it's like beating your head against a brick wall)

Thanks to all of you that linked up your thrifty fall decor last week! There was some really great ones for just pennies. I decided that instead of picking just one then I would highlight some of my favorites.

The first is this neat wire cloche from Buckets of Burlap.

The second is from a very faithful follower and linker, Joy from Thrifty Parsonage Living. She took some great Pottery Barn ideas and did them way cheaper!

Another one was from City Girls Farmhouse. I just loved the beautiful fall table she put together.

Thanks everyone! Keep them coming! You guys are great inspirations!
1. Only link your post URL, not your blogs address!
2. Be sure to take that button at the top with you so that everyone can know where you're linking up!
3. Please only link crafts, DIY projects like furniture, decor and such. I don't want to delete your link!

Not sure why the linky takes you to another page, but thank you all for still linking up! It does work!

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Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

No I have not died or quit blogging. My mom is visiting from Virginia and so it's kinda like I'm on vacation too.
*Sigh* *blush* I also don't have a whole lot of projects going on right now.... kinda leaves me with a little bit of nuth'n to blog about.

I am planning on starting on a playhouse kinda like this one for my boys any day now.

I'm also getting ready to start painting my kitchen cabinets. Which brings us to the main subject. Let us once again refresh the memory card with what my kitchen did look like.

It then progressed to this (see below). While it is a little better, it still wasn't me.

The dining room has moved on, but the kitchen had reached a stalemate and still looks like the above photo.

Until last night. My husband added an extension to the top which (though unpainted) makes me start to hear those first few notes of the Hallelujah Chorus. Ummm, please excuse the stuff you see peaking up from the counter tops. That's why I cropped the picture.

It is truly amazing the height that this has added. I was also overjoyed to receive my samples in the mail from Caromal Colours today. Let me show you which ones I'm looking at.

I'm wanting to do white on the top.

Then one of these colors on the bottom. The Cobblestone is a greenish gray color.

The putty is... putty colored.

Here are some of my two tone inspiration pictures found on google image search.



And some more of the pictures that have inspired my kitchen.

traditional kitchen design by awarchitect.com

Some colors....

contemporary kitchen design by san francisco architect Buttrick Wong Architects

Some styles....

traditional kitchen design

Some great ideas....

traditional dining room design by los angeles showroom The Old Painted Cottage

traditional kitchen design by portland interior designer Jenni Leasia Design

eclectic kitchen design

All beautiful!

So, that's the plan. Oh, and I want to add a new light in the kitchen since florescent lights give me hives and make me think gloomy things.

CSNSTORES
Both very neat, but very different. Price difference too. Makes a difference.
CSNSTORES(sorry about the small picture, I got lazy.)
What do you think?