A lovely vanity redo

I finally found the most perfect apartment. It's cozy (another word for very small) and cute! I can't wait to move into it after I get married. I'm trying to get everything ready and moved in within the last five weeks I have.
I'm starting off by doing a quick four dollar fix to this tired vanity bench. It was so simple and only took about forty-five minutes.
Plus, it's just lovely,

Before the makeover, this bench was super dated, and the fabric was in terrible shape. The dark, floral pattern didn't compliment the dark wood. It needed a modern touch mixed with it's gorgeous vintage qualities
I started by flipping it upside down and ripping out all the staples with a flathead screwdriver. This was by far the most time consuming and frustrating part.

After I used all my elbow grease, I started to upholster the new fabric with a stable gun. The biggest thing to remember when reupholstering it, is to keep pulling the fabric tightly, but not so tightly that you ruin the pattern.
I went with a white on white pinstripe, because it was modern and light and would contrast beautifully with every detail.

I couldn't be happier with the results. It looks so girly and refined.

Dime Shop Diner Deal

Tips and Tricks for shopping at thrift stores

Look at these beauties!

 

I got these from the local thrift store (or as I have lovingly heard it called, the "junk store"). Granted, most of the stuff in there is junk and overpriced, but sometimes you can find an amazing steal.

 

I had just got off work and finished telling my coworker I would NEVER buy china because it is so expensive, and I would probably just brake it. After work, I decided to take a walk to the thrift store and see what was there. This china caught my eye because it is the same color I am doing in my kitchen. I picked it up to see the price, and I was absolutely shocked. There was four dinner plates, four salad plates, and four dessert plates all for four dollars! I didn't believe it at first and checked every single plate to see if there were any more price tags. To my delightful surprise, there were none, and I walked away with quite a deal.

 

As if it couldn't get any better, a few days later I found five matching china bowls at a garage sale for one dollar. Then I found sixteen service, brand new, Oneida silverware for twenty dollars.

 

 

So here are my tips

1. Don't overpay: It is easy to get caught up in the moment and justify a price, but usually there is room to haggle and bargain. If you think a price is too high, don't settle; see if there is wiggle room.

2. Love it: This is the biggest one that I often break. I kinda like something, so I get it. Once it is home, I realize it wasn't worth it. If you wouldn't love it at the full price, don't buy it at half price.

3. Breakables: Make sure nothing is broken or missing!

4. Coordinate: Think about the rest of your décor and how the new piece will look with it. For example I loved the authentic vintage look of the china, but I knew it would go with my other pieces because the silver finish made it modern.

5. Have fun: Make it something that is relaxing and fun, and if you see something you love snatch it up. Chances are if you think it's cute, someone else will too, and it might not be there the next time you drop by.





Recycled Wreath

I love everything about recycling. I even started working at a salvage corporation, and it has been so interesting to learn more about the recycling industry. One thing I've learned is that recycling just doesn't come from scrapping old materials. There are so many creative ways to recycle, and décor is one of them!
Remember the flower I posted Friday? It's similar to that with a few added steps!

The awesome thing about this project is that it is only three materials, and you probably already own them. All you need is old newspaper, twisty ties, and a wire hanger. Pliers and scissors are the only tools used. This project is simple and totally fool proof. Let's get started!

Step one: Choose your newspaper, fold, and cut to size.
I tried to choose newspaper without color and primarily text. I plan to hang this in my new bedroom and the style would fit the room best.
Next, take two or three single sheets and fold once lengthwise. Then fold once the opposite way (width wise). Fold one more time to make a square then cut on the folds.

Step two: Take about five squares and place them evenly on top of each other. Note: I threw out quite a few squares since I didn't want some random guy's face staring at me every time I saw my wreath. You can use more or less squares depending on the fullness you want.
The next folds are what give your flowers shape. Fold about a half inch every other way until you fold the entire square. (If you need more in depth instructions look for tissue pom-poms on Pinterest.)

 

 

Step three: Fold in half to define the middle. Cinch the middle tightly with a twisty tie leaving as long an end to the tie as possible. Cut the end to made the corners round. This will give it a softer look.

 

 

 

Step four: Holding with your thumb and index finger on each side, gently start to pull up layers one by one. I say gently because it will tear VERY easily. Once you have all the layers fluffed up shout for joy, because you finished one flower. Repeat Steps 1-4 about a billion times. Just kidding, but it will sure feel like it when your finished.

 

 

Set all those gorgeous buds aside and now it's time to turn that hanger into a perfect circle...or maybe a semi-perfect circle. Use pliers to straighten the hanger into a line of wire then start configuring it into a circle. Twist the two ends of wire around each other. This part does not have to be flat because you will use this part of twisted wire to hang it on the wall. Now here is the part that is a bit tricky to explain. When you twist the ends together, you want to make sure the end of the ends (pokey part) both face the same direction like this.

 

Now it is time to start  attaching all those gorgeous poufs! Make sure the pokey part of the ends is facing forward, so when you hang it up, they will not scratch your wall.

Tightly wind the twisty tie end on to the wire. It needs to be tight so the flower will not move.

 

 

If you want, you can use a small piece of sturdy tape (I used electrical) to make it more secure.

 

 

Finish tying on the rest of the flowers and hang on your front door or any wall. I have to say this turned out better than I expected and the picture does not do it justice.

And who could ask for more than to have a cute dog peeking out during the picture ;)











Fun Friday Flower

I think putting flowers all over your hair is the most fun thing ever. Sometimes I imagine myself in a garden full of the most beautiful flowers, and I pick them all to make the most gorgeous flower crown. Until that fantasy could actually be a reality, I decided to make flowers for my hair with random stuff around the house. I have always loved those big tissue paper pom-poms  and thought it might be fun to downsize one of those to fit my head. Here's the result!

I love the light and fluffiness of it!
In three simple steps here goes...

1. Cut the tissue paper into 2-3 inch squares.
2. Fold in teeny tiny folds back and forth, cut the ends round, and tie off with thread.
3. Shove a bobby pin under the thread and pin in your hair for a cute, fun look. Enjoy!

Coffe Decor and Starbucks Promo

Who LOVES coffee? My hand is waving in the air right now. I could go on forever about how lovely it is. I mean, really, just feast your eyes on this pic.

The thing is, I'm having trouble finding storage for all the lovely flavors, so why not turn storage into décor? Simply find a mason jar, or any glass jar and viola, instant décor. Mason jars are the best way to go if you are looking for an air tight seal, but if you want to smell your coffee all the time, just put the beans or grinds in a jar with no lid!

I love how the mason jar fits the rustic look of coffee beans and looks way cuter than a bag.

 

As you can see in the pic above, that is a bag of Starbuck's Ethiopian coffee. They just started selling it. It is so smooth with no bitter aftertaste, and because it is new, they are promoting it by giving away a free espresso cup when you purchase a bag. So get a bag and see why it is my favorite coffee, and enjoy the cool freebie!

October 2013

 



Hi, I'm Alyssa, and I think I'll start off with a sort of icebreaker.

ten words that describe me: Christian, engaged!!!!!, joyful, smiles, passionate, girly, emotional, indecisive, pink, prayer

the craziest thing I've ever done: Unfortunately, I like to think I have a really cool crazy side of me, but I don't. Does planning a wedding count?


Now that you know all about me from ten random words and two sentences, I'll go super in depth. ;) I am about to get married to a wonderful, Godly man who accepts me for who I am but encourages me and prays for me to be better. My only value in life comes from who I am in Jesus Christ. I have a relationship with God because of whom I am through Christ.
I decided to start this blog because I will soon be moving away from my parents and want an easy way for them to still be a part of my life. Also, I have amazing family and friends from all over with whom I want to share my life but would never possibly have time to personally contact. Everything in my life, including this blog, I strive to do for God's glory. I pray this blog will uplift and encourage you and be a bright spot in your day.
My handsome prince...

Photography by: https://www.facebook.com/MomentsWithoutWordsPhotography?ref=br_tf 

Dresser Drawer to Nightstand

Yay!!! my first post! I am a Pinterest fanatic, and I saw a really cool DIY pin that used dresser drawers to make shelves. I was so excited to start making furniture for my soon to be apartment. When I pulled out the drawers, I realized that with a little creativity they would make awesome nightstand that would be totally my style and hey, virtually free! Here goes...

It started out with these simple drawers. I actually really liked this dresser, but during my recent move part of it broke. for two months it has been sitting in the garage just crying for someone to make it useful!

First I unscrewed the hardware on the face of the drawer. I like the finish, so I am definitely saving it for another project someday. This part was super simple.

This next part was easier said than done. I had to get the hardware off the side of the drawers. In my mind it looked like little screws holding it on. Obviously I have never worked with tools before ;) . As I sat for quite a while trying to get these "square heads" off with a screwdriver, my dad came to my rescue. He didn't have the right tools to take it off simply, so sparks flew...literally.

 

 

 

He had to take a grinder and shave it off! Dramatic, I know.

 

After that we removed the face of the dresser. This too, was quite the challenge. The dresser was originally purchased at a garage sale, and was not the best quality. We tried removing the tacks, but found it had a random glob of wood glue in the middle, so needless to say through the grinding and removing the face, there were boo boo's.

 

 



Out of the way! Damage control coming through. Wood filler to the rescue. I know what some of you are thinking. This is a piece of junk! Why would I do so much work to make it work. When I started, I was not expecting it to be so much. I thought it would be loosening a few screws and a pretty coat of paint, but it wasn't. I has my mind set, though and I love the feeling of accomplishment seeing something I made beautiful. Also, I'm about to get married, and I don't have $$$ for pretty nightstands. So, I went on.
I filled the gaps, sanded it down, then painted them.

 

It's not too shabby, but I wanted to give it a little pop. I thought about wallpaper, but I went with something a little more changeable. I cut cardboard to fit inside then wrapped it in pretty fabric. Tada!

 



Then I fit the panel in and accessorized! All finished. It's not huge, but perfect for a lamp and alarm clock for a small apartment...and don't you just love that piggy bank??