Sunburst Mirror Tutorial No. 2

First off let me tell you... mine is not a mirror.  The store was all out of mirrors and I couldn't wait for them to get more so I made something up.  However, this is meant to be a sunburst mirror.  Mmmkay?

You need: Cardboard, skewers (I used 12 inch), round mirror, hot glue/gun, scissors.  

Step 1: Grab your biggest dinner plate and trace on a cardboard box.  

Step 2: For my pattern I needed more circles so if you do my pattern, grab a smaller plate and trace inside the circle.

Step 3: Trace another smaller circle inside the other circles.

Step 4: Cut out the biggest circle.  You can see the other circles drawn on the cardboard.

Step 5: I wanted one more circle so I used something even smaller to trace.

Step 6: Start gluing your skewers in a pattern.  This is where the circles come in handy.  To keep it uniform, use the circles for your pattern and glue the ends onto the lines.

Step 7:  Glue a thick string on the back so you can hang the mirror.

Step 8: Paint the sunburst your color of choice.

Step 9:  This is where you will be going your separate way if you want an actual mirror.  All you have to do is glue the mirror onto the front of the sunburst.  Make sure you choose a mirror that is big enough to cover the cardboard.  

If, like me, your store is out of mirrors, you'll have to figure something else out.  I had a plate frame that I painted white.  Since the sunburst is going in the same room as my piano, which happens to be the exact color of a Tiffany & Co box (a sign, I'm sure), I grabbed a box and cut a circle to fit into the frame.

Step 10: Since this was not meant to be permanent, I didn't want to glue the frame onto the sunburst.  Instead, I glued a thumb tack on it so I could hang the frame.

Step 11: Hang the frame.

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Feature Friday: Living Room

And now the moment you've all I've been waiting for... the LIVING ROOM REVEAL (did you yell that?  I hope so)!  I wanted a neutral room with pops of color that I could change out once in a while.  Also, I want the piano to be the focus/conversation starter, which I think will happen.  Since you know I'm all about saving money, I'll break down a general expense of this room.

view from the stairs

the piano area ($110 including decor)

love seat ($69), lamp ($14), coffee table ($20), end table ($10), couch from Z Gallerie ($2000-ish -- okay, I'm not always super frugal), sunburst mirror that isn't finished ($4)

I know the wall needs more, but I couldn't wait until I was totally done (which I am... never).

 craigslist chair ($61), mantle ($59)

One of my fave parts is this bamboo that I used as a curtain rod.  It was used as decor with some others at our old house and I don't have a place for them here.  I like this use.

I went with indigo for the color of the lamp base from the Anthropologie Inspired Lamp Tutorial that I shared last month.  I love light blue but decided that I would tie it in with the craigslist chair, which has the same color.  The end table that it's on will soon be another before/after thrift store feature.

Here's the sunburst mirror, minus the mirror.  I made it yesterday and will soon post a tutorial for it. 

I'd love to get a giant white rug to put under the couch, love seat, and coffee table but obviously it has to be the right price.

What do you think?  Comments are always welcome!

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Fireplace Mantle

Things have been moving along pretty slowly here since we moved.  I don't think I mentioned, but this house that we are in now is one that I'm staging.  An acquaintance is losing it and wants to try to short sale beginning this month so I need to get it ready stat!  The problem is that when they moved out, they didn't clean so I have had to clean everything and unpack and decorate and it seems like I just keep going in a circle.  Finally I started tackling the living room.  It's not ready for the full reveal yet, but I am done with the mantle above the fireplace.  

First, I found this amazing candelabra at the thrift store.  I liked it bronze, but I decided to paint it white to match the rest of the mantle decor.   

Tom took the picture of Morgan and I had it printed on a canvas last Christmas.  I got a deal from Groupon and I think it cost around $40 (it's a 16x20).  I got the frame at the thrift store for $2 and painted it.  The flowers next to the picture are my wedding bouquet and Tom's boutonniere (of course I knew how to spell that).  I found the clock at our local grocery store for $13!  Sometimes gems show up in random places.  I got the square mirrors on clearance at The Home Depot as a 4 pack in black for $5.  I painted them white and put two candles in front.  The great thing is that when I get sick of red (and I know I will), it's easy to change things.  

 So there you go.  I hope to have the rest of the living room ready soon.  I can't wait!!!

DIY Coffee Table

For the first four years that we were married, we didn't have a coffee table.  Maybe it's because we don't drink coffee, maybe I just didn't care.  Finally I decided that it was time so I found this orangey wood thing at D.I. and negotiated it down to $15.  Then I sanded, primed, painted (Heirloom White and a glossy dark brown), and glazed, and voila... a new coffee table that I like love... for around $20 (including paint)!

This is how it was in the old house.  Pretty soon I'll have it ready in the new house.  Stay tuned.

I'll be linking up to the parties on my Linky List.  Check them out for some amazing inspiration. And have your Pinterest ready!

Move, Moving, Moved!

The big move is finally over!  I cannot believe how much stuff we have... even after having a garage sale.  Ridiculous.  I remember moving around in college and I could seriously fit everything I had in my car and move it out of the house in two loads.

We scheduled our movers to come at 10am on Tuesday morning and Tom confirmed the day before.  They were set to go.  So, 10am came and went.  Finally it was 11:30 and we couldn't get a hold of the movers so we started to panic.  I mean, we HAD to be moved out that day.  So Tom called a bunch of other moving companies and found one that could do it but they cost a lot more.  Since we had no choice, we hired them.  They brought their two moving trucks and four men by around 1:30 and started hauling our things out of the house.  Seven hours and $1,300 later they were done.  

I had to snap a picture of the piano being lifted into the truck.  Those guys make it look light (but really it is super heavy).  

Our old house was almost 3,700 sq ft and it was all very open.  Of course there were some things I would change, but I loved it (and I cried a lot on moving day).  The new house is about 3,000 sq ft and 600 of that is in the theater room (yes, it was designed by a man!).  So guess what.  The theater room is the theater room, craft room, small sitting room, and play room.   Six hundred square feet!  I had apartments that size for four people!

This is our old kitchen.  I will miss that fridge.

And our new kitchen.  Yes, that's a plant in the sink.

Our old living room.

Our new living room.  I'll be honest.  I think I like the new one better.  It has a more natural layout.  The old one took me forever to figure out how to place the furniture.  

I am so excited to decorate!  I'll be featuring each room when it is done and I have tons of projects piling up that I haven't been able to work on.  Can't.  Wait.

Experiment: FAILED

So here's the thing.  I think if I would have had the coffee table ready on Friday for the garage sale it would have sold.  (Can you believe that Friday was busier than Saturday?  I mean, don't most people work on Friday?)  Anyway, back to the coffee table.  I put it out for $45/OBO, then $25/OBO toward the end but nobody wanted it (I really can't say I blame them though).

When it didn't sell at the garage sale I kind of panicked and threw it on craigslist for $15.  We're moving tomorrow and I didn't want to be stuck with it!  A woman did call and buy it for $15 and honestly, I'm just glad that it's gone.  If I had kept it I decided that I would have painted it red and put it outside with my bench.  It could have been pretty awesome.


Something I did sell at the garage sale was this end table.  I think the before is so ugly but I bought it because I have seen some on blogs that have been painted and I LOVE them.  Well, this was just too rustic for me.  I painted it and still didn't want it so I sold it.  (Bought for $6 sold for $10 = made $0 after paint.  No biggie.)
 

The rest of the garage sale went well.  We got rid of lots of stuff and the entire sale made around $600.

If you are thinking of having a garage sale, I'll give you some tips.  First, there is a guide on All Things Thrifty that you need to follow.  On the 8th step, Brooke suggests posting an ad on craigslist.  I am going to add how to advertise on craigslist (and really I have zero authority except that this is what I like when I'm looking).

1.  Make the title semi interesting.  Instead of just "Garage Sale," put "Multi Family Garage Sale" or "Moving Sale" or "HUGE Garage Sale."

2. Put the exact address where it says "where."  Most people just put the city (which works, but it's best to be specific).

3. Put an intro line, such as, "We are moving! Get on over here and buy our stuff!"  To me this ("we are moving") says that they may have enough for me to spend my time going there.  The rest was just pure personality.

4. Next line:  Put the major cross streets.  When people are deciding their garage sale path, they usually don't know the address but they know the major cross streets.  I put "the main cross streets are Meridian and Victory."

5. Since your signs will all be the same color (see All Things Thrifty's guidelines), next tell them to follow the [pick your color] signs.  Ours were hot pink so I put, "Follow the hot pink signs to 2873 S Bear Claw Way."  This way they know that your's is the one with the hot pink sign (or whatever color you use) and it gives them the address again.  

6.  Next, if you are located in a subdivision, put the name of the sub.  I put, "Located in the Bear Creek subdivision."  Again, some people don't know where the address is exactly and if they don't have a GPS, they may know where the subdivision is and since they know you have the hot pink signs, they can still get there.  

7. Next line:  Don't forget to put the date and time AND the days!  I put "Friday and Saturday, August 19th and 20th from 9am-3pm.

8.  Finally, on the next line, name some of the things you will be selling.  Mine said, "2 bedroom sets, dining set, vacuum, printer, DVD player, TV, lots of baby girl clothes and other baby items, women's clothes (pants, shirts, sweaters, formal dress, other dresses, etc), shoes, kitchen items, blankets, and more!"

Good luck if you're having a garage sale!  I don't envy you! :)

Crazy Garage Sale Days

OMIGOSH!  It has been so busy around here with packing and moving and having a garage sale.  Today was day #1 of the garage sale and we made about $300.  Not bad since we would have donated most of the stuff anyway.  Plus, it feels soooo good to clean and purge.  I love decluttering!

I have a little experiment, but first let me tell you the story behind this piece of furniture...

Two days ago I got up and went for a 12 mile run with a couple of friends.  Three blocks from my house is where we all split up to go to our own houses.  I kid you not, I split from them and a half a block later I trip on a crack in the sidewalk while running down a hill.  It was the kind of trip that you don't even have time to try to recover from.  I landed mostly on my right side and skidded on my elbow for two feet.  Yeah, if you need my DNA, it's just up the hill.  Look for the 2 foot brown line of skin and blood.

Anyway, I walk around in pain all day but still have to pack up the house and get ready for the garage sale.  Sad.  So what do I do to feel better?  Craigslist.  I found a coffee table that someone was giving away for FREE.  I called and he told me to go get it.

It was almost dark when I was able to go and he had left it in front of his house by the mailbox.  I took my poor body and pushed the super heavy table end-over-end to my car AND I found a way to lift it all by myself.  What luck!

My experiment is that I painted it white (with the paint I already have) and I'm going to sell it at the garage sale tomorrow.  Not really an experiment, huh?  Well, you know what I mean.  If I were going to keep this, I would do a cool stencil on the top or something, but I'm not keeping it.  It would just be another thing to move.

 What do you think I'll get?  $15?  $10?  I'll let you know.