A Fresh Look

Like many of you, after the holidays, I like to give my home a little freshening up.

Once all of the Christmas decor is put away, things just look kind of blah, so I dig through the boxes of STUFF that I've accumulated, purge the things I don't want any more, and get started shifting things around to give everything a fresh new look.

Yesterday I worked on one of the bathrooms.

It all started with this pretty balloon shade that I thrifted a few months ago.

The label is Simply Shabby Chic and that's exactly the look I was going for.

It was the perfect window treatment to go with the shabby purple rug I got for Christmas.

It's made from recycled silk clothing in shades of purple.

I added a few more touches of purple here and there to tie everything together.

Some lavender and some purple feathers in a pretty jar.

Some purple potpourri with sparkle.

A wire basket for holding soaps and things.

A vintage ice bucket holds my favorite wooden combs.

I'll be working on some more freshening up today.

I'm hoping to get a few more rooms finished up and some more pics of the results.

It's blustery cold and snowing outside, so it's the perfect day for working inside.

I hope you are all warm and cozy where you are.

See you soon.

Karen



Upcycled Decorating

As winter approaches, I am compelled to change the look and feel of my home to something warm and inviting. You can create a whole new look without spending a lot of money just by moving things from one room to another or upcycling something old into something new. I've been finding some interesting pieces at my local thrift store for next to nothing, as well as some forgotten treasures packed away in boxes in my basement. Crafting with things found in nature is another way to freshen up the look of your home and it doesn't cost a thing. I'm having a lot of fun with this idea...a sort of challenge to do a home makeover for free or almost free. I'd like to share my ideas, so I'll be posting some of my decorating tips here on my blog. I'd really like to hear about your upcycled decorating ideas as well.

The first project I'd like to share is a new set of kitchen curtains that I made from some old muslin tab panels. The panels were my living room drapes about ten years ago and were stashed away in a box in my basement. I cut off the tabs and hems, stitched two of them together end to end, then folded the top down to form a casing for the rod to go through. That's it. Fresh new curtains that didn't cost a thing.

The windowsill needed something new too. I filled 4 thrifted spice jars with some moss and pebbles from my backyard to create some tiny terrariums. They will keep me thinking Spring during the long winter months ahead.

Total cost for these window makeovers was about 50 cents for the thrifted spice jars. I love the new look and it inspired me to wash those dirty windows.