One of my favorite reads is the Thursday email I receive from The Washington Post “Home” section. It always offers good eye candy and relatable articles about dwelling. Today’s article features a local D.C. area antiques shop owner giving tips about how to makeover your coffee table. Inspired, I glanced over to my bare living [...]
Archive for the ‘How To…’ category
Mar 24 2010
I’m Dreaming of a Fabulous Foyer Part 1: Painting the Bookcases
Last week I wrote about how I’ve been fantasizing about foyers. For a quick refresher, here’s why…no words necessary…you get the picture. The first order of business was to remove that cracked piece of wavy and dated plexiglass that was by the planter. This was so easy, that after completing the 10 minute task, we [...]
Feb 25 2010
Choosing the Right White for Trim
First, let me say that the idea for this post comes as I gaze upon my orangey gold 1950′s era trim with derision. I would LOVE to paint it white, but my husband is a trim snob. He says that our trim’s singular redeeming attribute (and that’s a stretch, my hunky husband), is that it’s [...]
Nov 11 2009
Growing Your Own Greens
A few weeks ago, the definition of frugalista got us to thinking that it’s time we started growing some of our own herbs and veggies. Since it’s already pretty cold here in Denver, we figured we should start small and stick with a few things we could grow indoors. We definitely do not have the greenest [...]
Oct 19 2009
Cheap Art!
My mother-in-law is a genius! Now, honestly, how often do you hear those words uttered? Come on, give it some thought. Those poor mothers-in-law are one of the most abused stereotypes ever, even though so many of them help with our kids, do our laundry without even asking, and put six meatloaves in the freezer [...]
Sep 10 2009
Tales of a Very Ugly Kitchen-Chapter Six
Flooring, check. Appliances, check. Countertops, check. Wall paint, check. Ahhh, progress! Next up, cabinetry. In any kitchen remodel, the cabinetry is a key element that really defines the mood and style. With so many styles and choices out there at varying price points, the selections can be daunting. Should we go for glossy, sleek and [...]
Aug 05 2009
Shake It Up and Spray It Down
Do you ever get your best ideas in the shower? You’ve got no pen, no access to any method of recording your thought, so you just have to repeat it (for 8 seconds, actually, in order for it to transition into your long-term, short-term memory, or something like that, according to our dad’s best secretary [...]
Jul 08 2009
Frugalista-Style Framing
My dear hubby and I recently went to a not-so-fancy frame shop to see about getting a frame for a painting that his Best Man had given us (and painted himself) as a wedding gift. It’s a cool, rustic oil painting so we were looking for something with a similar vibe for the frame. We [...]
Jun 25 2009
Embellish That Lampshade
For a super simple and quick project, give your drab lampshade a little oomph by updating it with some austere ribbon or blingy fringe to suit your room’s style. Here are two super speedy projects I whipped up in less than an hour! Materials: Plain lampshade, fabric scissors, fabric glue, ribbon or similar embellishment. Step [...]
