Posted in Projects to Make, Garden Ideas, Minilights | No Comments »
Minilights - Not just for Christmas anymore!
June 13th, 2006
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When I was young, minilights as we know them did not exist. We had REALLY big lights that were used outside, and a medium version of that same light that was used on the Christmas tree. And those lights were ONLY used as the holiday time. I don’t know who invented the clear minilight strings that we see so many of today, but they designed a winner. Today, those lights are used for decorating in homes, businesses (years ago I designed the interior of a restaraunt and they were an integral part of my design), and gardens everywhere.
One of my favorite outdoor uses for them, is in “tree-wrapping” - the process of winding strings and strings and STRINGS of minilights around a trunk and its branches. While in Atlanta, I visited a restaraunt (Ron’s River Run, as a matter of fact). They had done an exceptionally good job of tree-wrapping. What constitutes an “exceptionally good” job of tree-wrapping? Give me a minute, and I’ll show you.
Their trees remained lit in the daytime - and I was struck with how the lights really stood out, even in daylight. Click on that picture on the left to see a bigger view.
Back to what constitutes “an exceptionally good job of tree-wrapping” - taking the time to INDIVIDUALLY wrap on each tree, a large quantity of branches all the way to the tips - THAT , constitutes “an exceptionally good job of tree-wrapping”! When this is done and the tree is lit at night, it looks absolutely STUNNING! Click on this picture to see a better view.
I will definitely take the time to do a more throrough wrapping of trees with my minilights as I set up outdoor rooms. The extra effort provides much more ambience - and at a dollar a string, I can add that little extra drama and still remain in my budget.
Your Frugal Decorating Diva,
Nancy
Mailbox Storage
June 10th, 2006 Email the link for this page to a friend!
I admit it - I’m a collector. I collect LOTS of stuff - wooden shoes, marble eggs, pin cushions, urns, hatpins, pottery, old garden tools, old sewing stuff, linens, plus a bunch of other stuff - like I said - LOTS of things. Other people’s junk, are ”gifts” to me.
Storage of these collections became an “issue” almost from the minute I started collecting - mostly because I like SO MUCH. Being creative with the storage and display of my collections was a MUST. I still struggle to repurpose and “multi-purpose” some of my collections. But one collection was easy, easy, easy to repurpose. That was my collection of (mostly) old maiboxes.
This is one of my favorite types of repurposing, too. because it was SO EASY to do. I just hung the mailboxes in an interesting display in my mudroom. That room gets a lot of traffic, and that traffic is coming in and going outside during all kinds of weather. Storage was REALLY needed in that room.
Enter my malboxes. In this room they hold the following things:
* Keys are stored inside one mailbox
* Umbrellas hang off the hooks originally used for newspapers and magazines
* So do stylish hats (They look great as decorative accents, too!)
* And sweaters and raincoats
* Gloves are stored inside another mailbox
* There’s a flashlight inside one, too
Sometimes, for decorative purposes, I use some of my pretty scarves, and drape them so they hang a tad outside a mailbox or two.
This display has gotten accolades from every first-time visitor to my home. That always makes me smile…the best part to me, however, is the STORAGE. Now, what to do with those wooden shoes?
Your Frugal Decorating Diva,
Nancy
Making Stones
June 8th, 2006 Email the link for this page to a friend!
For years, one of my greatest challenges with my yard decorating options had been finding the “right” stones for the yard projects I wanted to make. About six years ago , I stumbled on the idea of making stones in the sizes and shapes I needed. What a concept! If I could do this - make stones and have them LAST, there would be TONS of projects I could do in exactly the way I wanted to!
But I can be a bit skeptical. *IF* I could make stones that looked like stones, and *IF* I used them in garden projects, would they crumble in the first Spring’s thaw like terra cotta pots can when left out for the winter? Well, let’s give it a go and see. The first step would be to get a “stone recipe”. I kid you not. I went online to find out what the ingredients were for making stones. Here’s the recipe I used:
1 part Portland Cement
1 part sand
2 parts peat moss (big sticks and chunks removed)
water
The guys may write and correct me, but “Portland Cement” to me was cement mix that DIDN’T have all those little rocks in it that some cement does. And I also used a dust mask and heavy rubber gloves - you should, too. Plus, you’ll need a “container” to mix your rocks in. I used a bucket with a handle.
Start small. Exact measuring not required. I actually used a spade and mixed “spadefuls” - two spadefuls of peat moss, one of cement and one of sand put in my trusty bucket. Oh, yeah. And water. How much water? Enough so that, when all the dry stuff was mixed with the water, you end up with something stiffer than pudding but not as stiff as playdoh. If you add too much water, add more spadefuls of your dry stuff. Again, exact measuring not required for rocks.
So pictures this : A grown woman in a ponytail, sitting on the ground in the front of her house in July with a bucket on the ground between her thighs, a dust mask on, BRIGHT (did I say BRIGHT?) yellow rubber gloves on, mixing cement and other dirts with water, and then pulling a bunch out and slopping it into some shape!
I saw my neighbors watching me out their windows. I was new in the neighborhood, and this was one of my first “public” appearances. Finally, one of my neighbors couldn’t stand it any longer and came over and asked me why a grownup was sitting in the yard making mud pies! I laughed and told him I was making rocks. He said that only God could make rocks. I told him that God shared the recipe with me. He told all the neighbors I was insane.
Oh, and before he left, he told me the rocks would be history by Spring. Something about water getting in (to rock?), freezing and cracking the stones into pebbles. Oh, well. I’ll just make more. But that didn’t happen. Once the stones dried, they were hard like, well, rocks. And they are now celebrating their sixth birthday next month. AND they were moved to a new home a couple years ago, when I moved.
Here’s what they looked like when they were first made. The gray ones are two days old and dry. The darker ones are feshly “cooked”. Click on the pictures to get a closer look.
Oh, yeah. That same neighbor saw me loading rocks into boxes and putting them in the moving van. He opened his mouth to say something, then just shook his head and went to tell the neighbors.
Your Frugal Decorating Diva,
Nancy
Terra Cotta Pots that the birds will love (and so did I)
June 4th, 2006 Email the link for this page to a friend!
I got a great gift from my best friend. She MADE me something! I absolutely LOVE when things are made for me. I appreciate it because, with those gifts, what I have is hand-crafted, unique, individual - “custom”, if you will - and made just for me! And, like many people, I don’t “need” anything. But I definitely “want” things - especially “things” made by hand and with me in mind. I have talked a bit in recent blog entries about how much I like giving things that I’ve made to others, that mean something special to them. It sure feels great when someone thinks that same way, and makes something for me.
Here’s the goodies she used to make my surprise gift (Click on any pictures in this blog to see a bigger view):
* Three terra cotta pots in three different sizes - small, medium and large
* One terra cotta pot saucer - the one used here was plastic
* Assorted shells
* Hot glue and a glue gun
* Clear spray sealer
Here’s how to make this beauty:
* Clean out the inside of your pots and stack them on the outside of each other, starting with the largest one, then the medium one, then the small one. (The picture will help you understand this step.)
* Use the hot glue gun and glue to attach the shells to the middle pot, but only to the part viewable when the small pot is in place.
* Spray the entire piece with the clear sealer.
* Glue the saucer to the top (actually to what really is the BOTTOM) of the small terra cotta pot.
* Add water and (REALLY important) a small stone to the center of the birdbath. You do this so birds have something to sit on while getting a drink.
This has already become one of my most-loved gifts. Maybe you have someone you’d like to make one for?
Your Frugal Decorating Diva,
Nancy
Frames, Plus a Revisit to the Picture Puzzle Frame
June 1st, 2006 Email the link for this page to a friend!
I love visiting other people’s home to see what cool, EASY decorating tricks they have used to add personal charm to their homes. On my last trip to Florida, I saw something I liked that surprised even me (that I liked it, that is). My girlfried had “damaged” some of her picture frames - ON PURPOSE! I was like “WHAT!?!?” You probably just had the same reaction I did, but stick with me. She may end up changing your mind, too.
My friend used a lot of wood frames with a layer of vinyl-type plastic, covering the wood. She peeled some of the vinyl off of parts of two legs of the frames - meeting in the corner. Check out the picture (click on it for a bigger view). What you see is the end result.
My first reaction to this was “Why?”. But then it started to grow on me - I think because:
1. I didn’t expect to see it. It was a surprise and it caught my eye.
2. Doing so exposed an organic element (wood) into a modern plastic-looking frame. I loved the contrast.
3. Doing so exposed part of my friend’s personality, and that part I just LOVED!
So, although I have not done this anywhere in my home, I think the very idea of doing it, opened even more creative windows for me. Feeding creativity is a KEY tool in frugal decorating.
Today, I got some feedback on the Picture Puzzle Frame I had made as a gift. If you didn’t read that blog entry yet, it’s here:
I had sent a note with the gift that said something like:
Congratulations on your new home! This gift is a combination of things that you love. May you fill your new home with much more that you love!
The recipient told me today that she wasn’t much on giving and getting housewarming presents, but that my gift had changed her mind. That sending things very personal, ESPECIALLY with a note of explanation (in her case, she would not have made the connection that I knew she loved both the picture itself and making puzzles), made her feel very special.
As an artist, that accolade, that acknowledgement of understanding my design by her, was worth more than gold to me. The design didn’t cost much, nor was it hard to assemble. I may never make another one, making it not all that “productive”. But, like the commercial says:
Materials for the design : $10.00
Assembly Time for the design: $20.00
Time coming up with the design: $80.00
Having a design “understood” - PRICELESS.
Your Frugal decorating Diva,
Nancy
My Favorite Mother’s Day Gift from my kids and from me (to me) - planted stones
May 25th, 2006 Email the link for this page to a friend!
I am now, and have been for 37 years (geez, I can’t believe that I can say I’ve been a fan of anything 
for that long!), an avid Mets fan. I have been a fan when there was really nothing to cheer about. When my kids were younger, my favorite Mother’s Day present was to take them to Shea Stadium to see a game. This year they bought ME tickets to a game for Mother’s Day. We went to the game last Tuesday - it lasted over 5 hours, and 16 innings. It was the longest game in the major leagues so far this year. We had a GREAT time and I hope we do it again. And yes, the Mets DID win, on top of all that fun. Sigh…. (Click on any of the pictures on this page to see a bigger view.)
While on this same trip, I visited one of my daughter’s clients. She had done some great things to her property, including a stone walkway (all the stones were found on her property). 
She planted various types of thymes in the cracks. I had seen this done using all of the same type of thyme, but had not seen how great various types look combined (there were quite an array of shades of green), and then overflowing onto the stones.
If you want to do this in your favorite outdoor space, pick fairly flat stones and talk to your garden shop for ideas of plants that will tolerate being walked on (thyme actually releases a fragrance when walked on) and can grow well in cracks and crevices. And tell me about how if comes out - I’d LOVE to see pictures!
Your Frugal Decorating Diva,
Nancy
What are you doing with your hats?
May 16th, 2006 Email the link for this page to a friend!
Straw hats have been used as a wall art for years. When I had my store, straw hats were one of the top sellers. We made them in every color, and style. Style? Sure - we made country styled hats, and cottage styled hats, and beach decor style hats, and even southwester styled straw hats. I’m proud to say that one of my hat designs appeared in a nationwide mail order catalog. ( I do have to share, though, that making 5000 of the same style in the same colors was not really that much fun. )
Lately, I have been using some of the hats I WEAR as decorating accents as well. How?
1. I have used my hats as lampshades. I just laid them on top of the harp, and turned on the light bulb. If you do this, use a low wattage bulb, like 40 watts.
2. I have set flower pots into upturned hats.
3. I have hung hats off chairs - both the backs and the side posts.
4. Hat racks (the kind that hold a single hat) with a hat look great on top of a stack of books on a dresser.
5. Hats hung side by side off a curtain rod look awesome as a valance.
What have you done with your hats, besides wear them on your head? I would love to hear!
Your Frugal Decorating Diva,
Nancy
Decorating my yard for wildlife..
May 9th, 2006 Email the link for this page to a friend!
One of the best things about living in the country is all the “wildlife” that I share my spaces with. This week, while trimming out the yard, I came upon a baby bunny - I mean a REALLY young one. It was so small, it could fit completely in the palm of my hand. It was so young that it wasn’t even afraid of me.
I petted it, and then picked it up. It just nestled in and started sleeping. It was hard to remember that this was a “wild” animal. Later in the day, I came upon another baby rabbit, obviously from the same litter, and very close in proximity to where I found the first one. This one was even smaller, yet much more skittish. It did not want me to touch it, so I didn’t.
These weren’t the only wildlife relationships I have been trying to forge. The gardens are planted with flowers that attract both
butterflies and
hummingbirds. The hummingbirds have arrived - the first of May. (Oh, and click on any of the pictures here to get a better view.)
To my surprise, Baltimore Orioles are feeding out of the hummingbird feeder. I put up an Oriole feeder with fresh sections of oranges but they very much prefer the hummingbird feeder. Baby birds have started to appear, and a few have fallen out of nests. Time to think about birdbaths - I like the ones I found at Bird Bath and Beyond – A unique collection of bird baths, feeders, bird houses and backyard products, low prices and fast delivery.
One of the biggest surprise finds have been the racoon twins that raided the bird feeders at 
about 2 in the morning. There was no sight of Mama (Mama coons usually at least make SOUNDS, but I heard nothing), but these guys were just as interested in me as I was in them.
What does all this have to do with frugal decorating? Well, I get as much joy from decorating my outside spaces as much as I do my inside ones. Here’s what it would take for critters like this to pay you a visit:
* For rabbits, grass is good. Green is good. Pretty much anything growing is good.
* Butterflies like fruit and flowers. Packs of seeds here start at a dime a pack. I buy them every year. There is no lack of quality just because they are so inexpensive.
* Hummingbird “syrup” is really inexpensive. One quarter cup of sugar and water to make a cup and you’re good for a week at this time of year. The orioles will like it, too.
* Speaking of birds, the suet cakes here are two for a dollar. I tried making them but could not make them that inexpensively. THIS is what the raccoons liked as well.
You’ll read more about frugal outdoor decorating in this blog as the year progesses. I do indeed love my brief contact with wildlife - even the snake that I shooed out of the yard prior to the lawn getting mowed. I made sure he wasn’t the kind that would eat those bunnies!
Your Frugal Decorating Diva,
Nancy
Repurposed Sewing Kits from our Grandmother’s time
May 7th, 2006 Email the link for this page to a friend!
Repurposing (the process, not the word) is not new. (I do think the word “repurpose” as I use it here, came about just a few years ago.) My good friend, Kit Cassingham, shared some repurposed treasures that her Grandmother made years and years ago - two different styled sewing kits. One made from a repurposed pill bottle, and one made from (believe it or not) a lipstick tube! I thought these were just too cool! (Click on the pictures for a bigger view.)
Let’s look at the contents of the pill bottle sewing kit. The base of the kit is a piece of felt, cut in a rectangle the same width as the pill bottle, and about three times as long. The length would be determined based on how much felt will fit in the pill bottle once rolled up, jelly-roll style.
Grandma added the following to the sewing kit:
* 3 safety pins
* 9 straight pins - 1 a long hat pin
* 3 white buttons (different sizes) sewn to the felt
* 3 dark buttons (different sizes) sewn to the felt
* 3 sets of hooks and eyes (two silver, one black) sewn to the felt
* 3 snap sets (two black and one silver) sewn to the felt
* 1 needle with white thread wrapped around it. I would have added a second needle and dark thread. (To see this, click on the picture for a bigger view.)
That is indeed a really thorough set of sewing supplies!
The second sewing kit, the one made out of a lipstick case, is really, really unique. This one was made from a metal lipstick case. Once the lipstick was cleaned out (I use a lip brush to finish the lipstick inside my case), here’s what can go inside:
* Needles, safety pins, straight pins, snaps, hooks and eyes, and buttons can all fit inside the lipstick tube. 
* Thread can be wrapped around the tube
* In this one, a thimble fit on top of the lipstick case
I would love to hear if you’ve found anything repurposed from past generations. Sometimes I feel that that was a time when so much less was wasted and people RELIED on creativity to repurpose things into items they needed and wanted. Less was thrown away AND less was bought. Sigh…
Your Frugal Decorating Diva,
Nancy
Cottage day into night….into day
May 4th, 2006 Email the link for this page to a friend!
One of the most popular decorating styles today is “cottage”. Cottage is simple, incorporates a lot of “naturals” - cotton linens, clear glass, plus branches and stones - and light colors. The look can go from the very feminine and romantic to masculine and rustic. (Click on the picture to get a detailed view.)
One of the things I like best about the “cottage” look is the way it flows so well from day into night, sometimes taking on a more intense feel with the change in lighting. I’ll show you what I mean.
I have one room in my house that I have devoted totally to the “cottage” look. It is my porch/sunroom. This room used to be just a covered porch. It had a wood plank floor, a pseudo-wall with openings and a slanted roof covering.
After buying the house, we put windows with screens and double glazed glass all the way around and a door in the opening that led to the staircase out into the yard. This totally closed the area off from all weather, insect and critter concerns. That’s when I “stole” it as “mine”.
In all fairness to my significant other, he had very different ideas for this area, but traded this area with me for two rooms of his own. Those rooms I am not allowed to even THINK about decorating. That is so hard! But a deal’s a deal.
So, where was I? Oh, yeah. The cottage look. In this shot of one wall of the room, I used several “cottage-y” things:
* Linens - hand-embroidered cross stitch
* Architectural salvage
* Clear glass including faceted crystals
* Antiques - flower pots, and small porcelain pieces
* Candles
* Silver trays, bowls and pedestal pieces
(Click on the picture to get a detailed view.)
One really great thing about this style is that collections of all kinds can “fit” in this style - wooden pieces, teapots, silver spoons, miniature statues, garden salvage, toys, and on and on and on. If you’re trying this style in one of your spaces, work with your collections and see how well they fit with the look.
To make the day into night transition requires VERY little - 
just strategically placed lamps and candles. These pieces don’t really stand out that much in the “day” shot but look how much they add to the night one. Look at how the candle shines off the glassware, and silver trays. (Click on the picture to get a detailed view.)
This area is so peaceful - and I find it VERY inspiring. I feel very creative when in this space - day or night. Do you feel something similar in one of your spaces? Feel free to tell me about it. I would love to hear! Bragging is certainly allowed here!
Your Frugal Decorating Diva,
Nancy
