Do you have any furniture in your house that you mostly love, but it just needs a little updating? I do because I’m a sucker for garage sales, estate sales, and generally anything with a little history (and a low price tag) to it. I got these sweet little chairs from a Craigslist ad a couple of years ago, and immediately fell in love as soon as I sat in one. These might be the most comfortable chairs I own. I even loved their quaint rose pattern, although it doesn’t fit any of my decor. I knew I could fashion simple chair covers for them someday, if I ever felt… Keep Reading
16 Money Secrets That Will Save Your Next Remodel
I love saving money. And I love remodeling my house. Alas those two hobbies, by definition, often seem at odds with each other. But I’ve learned a few things over the years that help me drastically cut my remodeling costs, and I thought it might be helpful to share them with you today. This is our third house that we’ve owned and remodeled, and it seems like there’s always another project on the horizon for us. Right now, we’re working on our floors (more on that soon) and we hope to hit our bathroom next. We normally work on one project at a time, whenever money becomes available, which means… Keep Reading
Office Makeover Reveal for the $100 Room Challenge
My favorite part of the $100 Room Challenge is here: Reveal Week! I love seeing how everyone’s projects turned out, and I love the satisfying feeling of finishing my own project. (As opposed to all the other unfinished projects lying around my house at the moment.) Before I take you on a tour of the finished office/guest room that I’ve been working on, I just want to take a minute to thank Erin of Lemons, Lavender, and Laundry for dreaming up such a fun challenge, and for including me in this group of bloggers, each of whom are a complete inspiration to me. If you’re new to the challenge, take… Keep Reading
Progress in the Office for the $100 Room Challenge
This week’s $100 Room Challenge post is all about progress, not perfection. If you’re new to the $100 Room Challenge, check out the first post in this series to get an idea of what’s going on. Then come right back here and I’ll catch you up. Inevitably in any project there comes a time when you’re just working. And working. It’s not pretty, it’s not glamorous, and it’s not really photo-worthy, but it’s got to be done. That’s the moment when I like to look for small victories and celebrate them, because I believe all the big things in life are really just made up of lots and lots of… Keep Reading
Big Plans for this Office in the Latest $100 Room Challenge
I’m so excited it’s time for another $100 Room Challenge! This time I’m tackling my husband’s office, which doubles as our guest room. I love the $100 Room Challenge because it makes me get things done and keeps me on a budget. This will be my fifth makeover, and I’m always amazed at what you can accomplish in four weeks with $100 dollars. If you need proof, just check out how far $100 went in these rooms: The Family Room The Breakfast Nook My Daughter’s Room The Guest Bath This challenge was started by Erin of Lemons, Lavender, and Laundry and I always love being a part of a group… Keep Reading
Flip House Hattie’s Big Reveal
It’s here… Reveal Day! I love a good makeover, don’t you? Our current flip house, named Hattie, seemed like she didn’t need much, but in reality all the little changes added up to a full remodel. This was the kind of house that just needed a few of the right touches to bring it up to date. And while that’s not as exciting a makeover as some of the falling-down houses I’ve seen, the overall effect turned out to be really satisfying. But enough of my musing, let’s get to the pictures, shall we? Hattie Before her Makeover Here are a few “Before” shots of our beloved Hattie, to remind… Keep Reading
Get Outside! With a Free Camping Checklist
Time to go Camping! Y’all, it’s hot outside. I mean what-happened-to-Spring-how-did-we-end-up-in-the-middle-of-Summer hot. Around here, we escape to the mountains whenever the desert gets too hot and dry. One of the best things about New Mexico is the mountains are never far away, and they are always cool and refreshing. Where it All Started A few years ago, we bought our first camper, a sweet little vintage Apache pop-up camper. I really had no interest in camping before that. My husband is an outdoors-man who loves hiking, backpacking, and generally any sport that requires peeing in the woods. Me, not so much. I’ll take my “roughing it” with a side of comfort… Keep Reading
Yardistry 12×14 Gazebo Installation Tips
‘Tis the season to get outside! This is the time of year it starts feeling like summer, even though officially it’s still spring. Which means it’s time to get outside before it gets too hot to enjoy it! I can’t wait to share this post with you today as part of Remodelaholic’s Get Out! Outdoor DIY Challenge. We haven’t done much to our backyard since moving in two years ago, but this summer that’s all about to change. As much as I love interior decor, I also love to get outside and enjoy the amazing Albuquerque weather as often as possible. When you get about 300 days of sunshine a… Keep Reading
A New Flip House Named Hattie
Ladies and Gentlemen, I’d like you to meet Hattie, our latest flip house adventure. Yes, I know it’s probably weird to give people’s names to our houses, but we need a way to keep track of them and I get so attached to each one that it’s as if they have their own personality. I like to think of it as a term of endearment, rather than naming a natural disaster. Although to be honest, I’m sure both have an element of truth. If you’re just joining, you can check out our first flip here, and our second flip here. Back to Hattie. She’s a wonderful, stately lady, full of dignity… Keep Reading
Barn Door Frequently Asked Questions
Fun FAQ’s – Double Barn Doors Because sometimes a DIY tutorial raises more questions than it answers, I thought I’d spend the month of February going back and doing a series of Frequently Asked Questions posts about some of my most popular DIY projects. Now that it’s halfway through March, I’m finally ready to finish the last post in the series! So, what I intended to call “February FAQ’s” has now been changed to “Fun FAQ’s” because FAQ’s are really year-round, and also, I can’t stick to a schedule to save my life. (If you haven’t already, check out the updates on my kitchen cabinet makeover, my concrete countertops, and my… Keep Reading