where you can find me...

I'm off for the rest of the morning... to take in as much ArtPrize with the family as is possible! And maybe a few hot dogs from The Dog Pit too. See you on the flip side...

one LAST before and after!

Whew... are you sick of glossy white makeovers yet? For the record, I am not! But here's a quick recap: glossy white floral wall hangings, glossy white table and now the makeover of the mirror frame that I recently found in the TRASH! And yes, it's glossy white...

Here was what the mirror likely looked like in it's previous life:



I found this at the antique store a couple weeks back marked $120. But mine (below) I found with the mirror cracked and in the trash down the road a bit... I took it apart and found a piece of wood hanging around the garage. My husband cut the wood to fit and drilled new holes to attach the frame to the wood. What a guy!




Next up... white spray paint for the frame and chalkboard paint for the wood background. Here's a close up:



I just love the detailing!

Now it hangs as an inspiration board/meal planning board near the eating area and my desk!



(sorry for the photo quality... no sunshine here in days! :( )

I call it a "free" project... my husband adds up little odds and ends we needed (paint, chalkboard paint, screws, and his time) and prices it out at about $30... either way - it was worth it! Now it houses my current favorite Bible verse, this fall it will likely be meal plans!

MORE before and afters!

Woo hoo! Don't you just love before and afters.... I just do. I love them. The house has been a flurry of painting and miscellaneous projects. We have been without a dining table for like 5 days and the dishwasher is on the fritz so the kitchen has been full of everything that is usually on the dining table (including meals - standing up for my husband and I) and dishes and whew. It's a bit much. But today things are finally getting put back together and I think it's all worth it.

Want a looky-loo?

Let me start by saying we had a rectangle table in our very small eating area (can't really call it a 'dining room') and it just didn't work. My husband and I had bought the table before we were even married, but it held up well (thanks, IKEA!) and wasn't so bad. This is what it looked like (I don't know why the chairs aren't in the picure!):


Then I saw an ad on craigslist for this table... has potential, no? On the bottom of the listing it said they would take the table on trade for a square or rectangle table! Before I knew it, we had a deal! (here it is in process of being sanded for painting... classic "wait, I need a picture for the blog" moment!)


The table even has an extra leaf (you can see it hanging out in the background of the above picture). And was the perfect size for our family of four - or more with the leaf! Plus, it fit the scale of the dining area perfectly.

Now... ta-da! The after!



The table (or the paint job) is by no means perfect... but the table was practically free and the paint job was a tag-team effort by my husband and I. We couldn't be more thrilled after only investing about $20 in paint ("Frost" by Behr, if you are curious) and polyurethane.

I still need a rug solution... the original rug (see top picture) will work, it's just a cheap-y from IKEA though. I would love a round rug, but they seem hard to come by and expensive. Since my budget is pretty much ZERO dollars I think I am going to have to get creative with the existing. Think I could paint bold stripes on that fabric IKEA rug??? ...hmmmm.

Don't tell my husband, but I might have another project brewing! (also it's his birthday today! Happy Birthday Dear!)

before and afters...

There are a lot of fun before and afters in progress here around the house! I'll just post them as they are done (and as daylight allows for decent photos!). So stay tuned... here is one we finished this weekend.

Here is the before of some floral wall hangings I picked up at the antique shop last weekend. The antique dealer told me they were popular in the 70s and were sold in a "home show" setting (similar to a Tupperware party). I snagged them for $4 each! So $8...


Add a couple of bucks of spray paint... and voila! Here they hang over my bed... I love the contrast of the dark chocolate brown with the bold and shiny white!



The rest of the room needs some help... it's a shame that the master bedroom always comes last, doesn't it seem that way? I'll hopefully adding new linens, new bedside tables and some lamps soon. I have some ideas brewing! But this is a start!

I'll be back with more before and afters soon!

Sponsor Spotlight: Star Fish Editing (and a giveaway)!

Star Fish Editing is my newest sponsor and also a small business who's founder is a friend and neighbor of mine!

Recently I had Star Fish Editing make a little photo video montage of some old photos of my husband and I that I dug up. Thinking about my husband and I's upcoming 7th anniversary (this fall) and trying to remember back to a time when it was just he and I. I thought it would be fun to put a little video together of us doing fun things when we were "young" and "fun". (ha!) I gave her a bunch of old pictures to scan and some quotes... and this is what she came up with!

(be prepared to take a trip through MANY different hairstyles for me and some fab locals like Seattle, Florida, Bahamas, Chicago and Paris - and then just some regular old pictures hanging out as well...)



~~~

So now for the fun part! Star Fish Editing is giving away some of their amazing services to one good life for less reader!

Here's the details:
The winner will receive one Photo Slideshow Montage (similar to mine above) containing up to 50 DIGITAL photos and one free one-of-a-kind Scrapbook 'page' design and two free captions, a $50 value. The scrapbook 'page' can be used within the video and/or for the cover & label design. All montages come on DVD with full-size DVD case with custom cover & label. There are lots of background themes, DVD menu designs & custom options to make your video a one-of-a-kind.

Here's the rules:
Visit Star Fish Editing to check out all the services they offer. Then, leave a comment here with what type of photo slideshow you would want Star Fish Editing to make for you! If you are a "follower" on the blog or on Twitter, leave another comment for an extra entry. A winner will be chosen at random on Wednesday evening (7/22) and announced on Thursday (7/23) - good luck!

~~~

Do you have a business or service that you would like featured here? Contact me for sponsorship rates and info (goodlifeforless (at) gmail.com)!

Monday Love.

I fell in love with these this weekend at Target (srsly. I need to stop going there.)



(sigh - they are on sale too)

~~~

the paris apartment is looking for a Paris apartment. You should follow her search... it's drool worthy.


(photo via the paris apartment)
~~~

I'm trying to channel some Eddie Ross-isms to help me with some entertaining I am doing tomorrow!


(photo via Eddie Ross)

~~~

What's on your agenda today?

Hooked On: Butcher Block Counters

Our kitchen is in SEVERE need of a remodel... ugliest. cabinets. ever. And the countertops run a close second. But kitchens are expensive and we have absolutely no budget for it now!

The cabinets need to be replaced, there is no painting, resurfacing or "working with them" here folks. They are ugly and even more cheap than ugly. The shelves sag with the weight of my dishes and the layout is all wrong! So we know those need to be replaced.

While we have accepted the cost to replace the cabinets. The counters are another story. Granite is glorious, quartz is luscious and concrete is swoon-worthy. But all are quite pricey, no?

In working to think outside the box a bit... I realized a less expensive and yet very attractive countertop option! Butcher block! Ikea has some really great sizes and finishes and working with a talented carpenter, I think we could finish them quite nicely.


Here are some lovely examples of it in real kitchens....

(photo)


(photo)


(photo)


(photo)

With a minimal investment, like butcher block, it's easy to "upgrade" in 3-5 years and the money you originally spent on them wouldn't be a waste. So, verdict? Are you hooked on them like me?

~~~

For more "Hooked On" fun... visit Hooked On Houses!

a shmish shmash...

This post has absolutely nothing to do with anything, except for what I have been up to lately.

Monday Mania you could call it!

This past weekend I devoted a lot of my free time to being creative... it's the only thing that gets me out of my own head - and after last week, I needed it. I have a little knitting project in the works for my daughter and while I was working on that I had an epiphany that led me on a bunny trail to a new project. That is what I love about letting the creative juices flow!

I came up with the idea of knitting a simple ruffle (which happen to be my favorite thing to knit - so easy and whimsical) and then gently sewed it onto a old tank. Ruffles are all the rage from the runways, to the fashion mags, to our most favorite retailers (especially jcrew of late!). Here's the outcome:

Ultra close-up of ruffle...

Ta-da...

More ruffle love...

I am just smitten with the outcome! SO simple and sweet for the warmer months!

~~~

Next up... a little shopping. I very quickly swung into Forever 21 this morning with the kids in tow... the finds? Not so bad for being half distracted!

model shot in my powder room quick...


I actually couldn't find the exact pieces online (F21 is kinda weird like that)... but the cardi was $24, the white t $6 and then I layered two gold multi-stranded necklaces that were $6 each. The grand total with tax was just under $40. Not bad and it's a great multi-season look.

~~~

Lastly... Sweetie Pie Pumpkin Noodle is hosting a little blog party today... my fav Happy-Go-Lucky song by far is Young Folks by Peter Bjorn... whistle with me...


Happy Monday all!

February Finds... 23!

Whenever I find a new etsy seller that I just love, I quickly add them to my favorites. The internet is full of so many bunny trails, it is virtually impossible for me to even remember how or why I happen upon them.

But when I found this seller. I knew I happened upon something special. I mean really. How simply adorable is this?



My daughter is quickly outgrowing her "baby" furniture... I just think this will be perfect in her "big girl" room this fall! Just. love.

February Finds... 20!

I can't stop loving this print...

looking for the perfect inspiration...

This weekend I had a moment... a moment where I looked around my living room and decided I hated it. I haven't really invested into new pieces or accents for years and it's starting to show. I think most of the angst is focused at the sofa and the chair. All of the sudden it seems late-90s-early-2000s-Pottery-Barn... or in short, out of date, which is what it is. I have a white sofa in the basement that I really like - but I really want to recover it.

So right now I am contemplating two options:
1) bring the white sofa up and swap the brown sofa and chair downstairs for now.
2) SELL the brown sofa and chair (likely craigslist) and then pay to have the white sofa recovered, thus going without any sofa for a couple of weeks while it gets finished.

While I am trying to make a calm and researched decision (I tend to be a little "get this stuff out of here I hate it" sometimes...) here are some rooms I REALLY love... just a little "research" we could call it!

[All images via Turquoise, found through Haley Kathryn Designs)

I've listed what I like below each picture... then when I find all the common denominators, I know what to invest in - right?

Above: like blue walls with red accents (already have!), white sofa (already have!), funky print rug, bamboo side table

Above: like yellow tray, like white sofa

Above: like red accents (already have!), like white sofa (already have!), like bamboo accents, like bold lamps

Above: like bold lamps

Above: like bold lamp

Above: like tulip table with funky refinished chairs

Above: like tulip table with funky refinished chairs

Above: like tulip table with bold patterned chairs

So I have concluded that I like white sofas with red and blue accents. Which is a great start - seeing as I HAVE these things!

Now to invest in the following:
Yellow Tray
Bold Lamps
Bamboo Side Table/Chairs
Rug
Tulip Table
Funky Chairs to recover/paint myself.

So I guess there will be more on this soon!

February Finds... 15!

I had such a relaxing and indulgent day with family and fun that I totally forgot about my sweet little bloggy-blog. So today I guess what I "found" was...

... time to myself.

"Find" some time for yourself in the next couple of days where you get indulgently involved with something you love and that makes you happy...

xoxo

February Finds... 13!

I found this via being red (thanks for the comment yesterday "red" - I really like your blog!).

For us "lay-men" - a tutorial on designer pronunciation!



Here are some of the ones I hear mispronounced most often:

Zegna: ZANE-ya

Moschino: mo-SKEEN-o

Hermès: AIR-mehz

Givenchy: Zshee-VON-she

(Pronunciations and artwork via ValetMag)

~~~

What's your favorite?

Hooked On... Bird Cages!

Bird cages have always been intriguing to me... not the kind you find in the pet store, but the old fashioned fancy ones that I see in antique stores and am instantly drawn to. And of course, birds in general are a common decorating feature these days... it's hard to miss all the sweet tweets popping up in etsy shops and blog banners around the internet. I picked up a wooden asian inspired bird cage for $5 dollars about 5 years ago at a yard sale and still haven't found the perfect inspiration for what to do with it yet. Here's some ideas...

Isn't this unexpected and dashing?


How about this adorable little bird cage pendant? It's pinch-able!


I even found fashion inspired by bird cages on polyvore (there isn't much you CAN'T find on polyvore!).

black.bird - by Lauren Elizabeth© on Polyvore.com

For more "Hooked On" fun... head over to Hooked on Houses.

Thursdays are for rainbows...

Today's rainbow is painted with delicious and inspired etsy goodies... enjoy!


Leaves on Red


Lolita Petticoat


Fern Leaves Hand Printed Silk Pillow


Green Bubble Pendant


Turquoise Earrings


Deer Pocket Mirror


What is painting your rainbows these days?

work it wednesday, folks!

Last week the internet hugged me when I introduced the concept of "working" one wardrobe piece three ways. (and more here) And who doesn't love a little internet hug here and there. Sure are less awkward than real-life ones with people you don't know... so I thought we would make it a weekly event! The post, not necessarily the hugs, but if you want to give hugs... I'll take 'em.

Today I am going to tackle layers again, because today in Michigan it was 60 and sunny and by the end of the week they are forecasting snow. So, yeah, dressing can be a little difficult these days. And to be honest, it will be this way until about April or May. Warm, cold, colder, mild, warm... etc.

This Long Slub V-Neck Tee from Forever 21 is a steal at $12.80! It may look like just a tee shirt... but here's a way to make it uber versatile! Layers are the key!


vneck tee... three ways - by Jill GG on Polyvore.com

February Finds... 8!

This is super fun and while it is designed for "business" it can certainly suit any need!

Try it here...

This was my result: MODERN URBAN


What's yours?

(found via This Young House)

Hooked on... before and afters!

Don't you just love a good makeover? I just love a good "before and after." Such a sense of accomplishment and completion.

Here's some inspiring rooms that turned out just oh so good!

Home Office Makeover


after:


(courtesy of Cottage Living)

Living Room Makeover
before:


after:

(courtesy of Real Simple)

and lastly, just love this one...

Entry Hall
before:


after:


(Courtesy of House Beautiful)

One common theme in all of these (that I just realized) is the use of blue... I wouldn't consider myself a "blue" person. But I guess I am... seeing that my living room is painted blue (could have been my first clue!). I love that little blue vase in the office makeover and the very subtle blues and greys in the rug. The blue in the second makeover is a little more "in your face" - but seems very invigorating to me. Plus, notice the red splashes... which I do love! And the blue in the last room, the entry, just says "ahhhhh... relax, you are home."

Join Hooked on Houses to see what others in blogland are hooked on these days!