Prepping for Guests...

In addition to washing the guest linens and all that fun stuff, its nice to have a little extra touch for overnight guests. I've always seen the cute little "in case you forgot" baskets, but I thought it would cost a lot of money, money I just didn't want to spend when we don't have a lot of overnight guests. Well when I started couponing, and getting a lot of items for free, I realized it doesn't have to cost a lot of money. I took this little tin bin I had laying around, threw in a washrag that matches the room, and added body lotion and body wash that was given to me, and face wash and anti-perspirent that I got for free. Since our guest bath doubles as the kids bath, this won't stay in place all the time, but my mother in law is on her way up, and I hope that she notices and appreciates the gesture.

Expect the unexpected

When looking for accents for a room, I've found that its best to keep an open mind. There are many more uses for items than what they are marketed as. Take this lovely piece for example. (above) This was being sold at Target on clearance for $2. It was being sold as a charger, it would make a stunning charger I'm sure, but I turned it into wall art. A similar iron piece that is being marketed for the wall will run upwards of $20. I hung it in my dining room loving that the round shape mirrors the beginnings of my plate wall around the corner.
Which brings me to my plate wall. I have long since admired plate collections being hung on walls. I just never had a proper place to do my own, until now. When we moved in here, I saw the very wide blank wall spanning the kitchen/dining area and knew it was time. I began searching for pretty vintage plates, and was disappointed to find that there weren't that many out there, and the ones I found were very pricey. I wasn't ready to give up on my dream yet, so I set the idea wheels in motion. I was once again, inspired by a trip to Target. I found the green leaf plate on clearance for $1.24. Best of all its not glass! It has the vintage flair I was looking for, and didn't even make a dent in the bank. Re-inspired I set the plate aside when I got home and checked around other stores, didn't find much at all until I came across the blue charmer again, at Target for $2.50. I also found an awesome plate at Cracker Barrel for $3, but it was to thick for the plate hanger, so it has become a charger under my vase of bright yellow tulips on my table. Not wanting the plate hanger I bought to go to waste, I headed out to the garage and dug into my box of china. I never use it because it holds great sentimental value and if something was to happen to it I would be devastated. Now I can admire it, and its still perfectly safe. Its also the only glass plate on my wall at this point.
Last but not least, I placed cobalt blue glass spheres on these sconces in the living room in place of candles. I purchased the spheres during my recent IKEA trip for 99 cents each. The sconces are on my to do list, to be freshened up with a new coat of paint, but for now, I think they look amazing!

So there you have it. Keep your eyes and mind open, you'll be amazed at how many uses you can find for something!

Basic Tips and Tricks for Decorating or Re-Decorating on the Cheap

• Look around.

You would be surprised how much you already have that can be given a new life to fit into your new decorating scheme. Curtains give you yards of fabric for other projects, a little bit of paint works wonders, etc. So take a look around your current home with fresh eyes.

• Connect with friends and family.

Do you have a friend who loves to redecorate often? A family member who buys things that they never use? Connect with these people, share your ideas with them. They may have something they are willing to give you or sell to you at an extreme discount.
Family and friends are also great to borrow items from, such as paint brushes, and other supplies. This is especially helpful if you are just working on a small project.

• Thrift stores and Garage sales are nice, but Craigslist and Freecycle are better!

Yes you heard me right. Unless you are just going out garage sale hunting, or thrift store shopping for the fun of it, on those occasions you are just looking for one or two specific items, save your gas, make a post on your local freecycle and hit up your local craigslist for a search.
Saves on gas and sanity (if you have children) And you will get just as great of a deal (sometimes better if its free!)

• Set a budget and stick to it!

This is hard to do sometimes, but it is well worth it. On a recent IKEA trip I had a strict budget of $20. It made me stop and think before I added anything to the cart. I was forced to ask myself, do I really want/need/love this? If the answer wasn't yes to all three I didn't buy it. I left the store under budget and only with things I really loved!

and finally

• Look for accessories in less likely places.
  

I ran across some gems at our local dollar store. Now granted, not the highest of quality of items, but for small accessories, wall decor etc, you can usually get it for just a couple of bucks. And sometimes you'll be shocked at a find, like the lamp I found for my boys room for $6 that is perfect!

So there you have it, a few tips and tricks to get you started. Keep those creative juices flowing!