Decor Projects For Under $20

by Katy on March 20, 2013 · 6 comments

This article is running today over at Jean Chatzky.com. Chatzky, a financial writer and reporter for The Today Show was kind enough to invite me to share a post on her personal blog.

Click HERE to read the article on JeanChatzky.com.

DIY Marimekko lampshade

Do you drool over the hip and swanky interiors on the internet only to assume that it’s all too rich for your blood? Well I’m here to explain how you can upgrade your home decor for under $20, and oftentimes for free. No, I’m not insane enough to suggest that you can DIY yourself a Jonathan Adler sofa from popsicle sticks, hot glue and the cotton from an aspirin bottle. However, if you follow these simple tips you can make your home look like a million bucks without sacrificing the mortgage payment.

Here are just a few of my favorite under $20 projects:

Paint it: If you can hold a can of spray paint or a paint brush, then the decor world is your oyster. From outdated lamps to scratched up furniture, a fresh coat of paint can transform the most mundane household item into a show stopper. And if you’re feeling ambitious, you can even get artistic for a one of a kind look. (Check out this Union Jack table I created from a discarded curbside find!)

Tip — For an extra savings boost, scope out  your local Habitat for Humanity ReStore shop or the mistint paint section of your local hardware store.

Rearrange it: If you’re craving a new look, sometimes all it takes is new placement of your furnishings. Find inspiration in magazines, library decor books and on Pinterest; and then hustle up some extra muscle for the big day.

Tip — Avoid pushing all your furniture up against the walls. Place furniture close enough for easy conversation and then point your main piece of furniture, (usually the couch) towards the focal point of your room.

Look Beyond The Fabric Store: Craving new curtains or upholstery but sticker shock keeps you from updating your look? Start looking at all fabric items as potential material for your next project. Whether it’s flat sheets transformed into curtains or a $3 tote bag turned into a lampshade, you can find what you need without the high cost of traditional fabric.

Tip — Keep an eye on the clearance sections of big box stores like Target for on-trend fabric tablecloths. They make great curtains!

Clean and Declutter: Everything looks better when it’s clean and organized, and as dull at this tip may sound it’s definitely the best bang for your buck. So wash those windows and edit your dust catchers for a fresh and inviting look.

Tip — Sell your decluttered stuff through Craigslist, eBay, Amazon, a garage sale or a local consignment shop. What could be better than the combination of a decluttered home and a pumped up savings account?

Start Shopping at Thrift Shops: If the thought of thrift shops gives you the heebie-jeebies, then it’s time to give them a second chance. Interior designers love them, antique dealers love them and honey, you know that I love them! (Understatement of the year!) Yes, 99% of the merchandise is not what you’re looking for, but it’s that 1% that will knock your socks off!

Tip — Check out the thrift shops in affluent neighborhoods, as they will often yield the highest quality and highest value items.

Get Arty: You don’t have to spend a ton of money to put artwork on your walls. Mismatched and outdated frames can easily get an updated look for nothing more than the cost of a can of spray paint. I’m a fan of classic black frames, but white, red and trendy yellow look fantastic in all kinds of homes.

Tip — Unsure what to frame? Look in thrift shops and used book stores for illustrated classics and botanical prints that bring instant sophistication to any room. A $5 budget can bring you an entire room full of art.

Light it Up: You don’t have to replace an entire light fixture to get a fresh new look. I always keep an eye out for classic vintage glass shades when I’m thrifting, which is about the easiest DIY upgrade known to man. Because the openings are standard sizes, the entire five minute project involves nothing more than attachment of the new shade. Look how much better my kitchen light looks with the addition of a $3.99 Goodwill shade!

Tip — Outdated brassy light fixtures can be brought into the 21st century using a can of oil rubbed bronze spray paint; or maybe even blue, pink or green for the decoratively adventurous.

So whether you’re painting, sewing or simply rearranging, an updated new look is always within your financial reach. You just have to look beyond the outdated and scrappy, and know that a magazine-worthy look is within your grasp.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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Eating Up Our Leftovers, and Loving Every Bite!

by Katy on March 19, 2013 · 48 comments

You know how your refrigerator can be full, yet there’s still nothing to eat? We had one of those days yesterday at Casa Wolk-Stanley, but that didn’t mean that anyone went hungry. In fact, last night’s dinner was so wacky and inventive that I had to share.

Here’s what we ate:

  • My husband ate a large portion of spaghetti with marinara sauce. The sauce was leftover from some spaghetti and meatballs, and the pasta had been cooked the night before.
  • My younger son ate a homemade individual chicken pot pie, assembled from leftover pot pie filling from Pi Day, (March 14th = 3/14 = 3.14 = Pi Day. Get it?!) and some leftover pie dough scraps from the freezer. It looked delicious and he scarfed down every bite.
  • My older son ate tortellini with kale pesto. I try to keep a stash of Trader Joe’s dried tortellini on hand, as it’s filling for teenage boys, and pairs well with a number of different toppings. I had made a batch of kale pesto over the weekend, and it was sitting ever so patiently in the fridge waiting for this exact moment. (Kale pesto is made using chopped steamed kale, garlic, olive oil, salt, parmesan cheese and occasionally nuts. It’s all whirred together in the food processor and then stored in the fridge indefinitely. The ingredient amounts are loose, and it’s a great easy/healthy go-to food. A single batch is enough for four-five uses.) He ate the entire bag of tortellini, which is probably supposed to be six servings!
  • I ate a great big salad which included a forgotten quarter of an avocado from the back of the fridge. I also ate a very small serving of leftover black bean chili from last week. (I wasn’t that hungry, as I’d had a late lunch.)

My fridge is now freed from almost all of the small amounts of leftovers that would otherwise go to waste. Nothing was enough to feed the entire family, and none of it was tempting enough for the family to rush towards, yet it was still mightily delicious.

And now I can go to the grocery store and fill the fridge back up without an iota of guilt.

Ahh . . . .

Do you have creative ways to use up your leftovers? Please share your ideas in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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Goodwill, Badwill, Questionable-will — Mrs. Butterworth, Crazy Hats & A Groovy Mod Chair

by Katy on March 18, 2013 · 30 comments

It’s time again for Goodwill, Badwill Questionable-will, where I share some of the rather spectacular things I come across during my thrifting adventures.

Remember how I said that every Goodwill has a painted Mrs Butterworth bottle? (HERE and HERE) I was not kidding. I really like how this one is holding an artfully painted cat.

A sticky cat. A happy sticky cat.

Mrs. Butterworth cat

And for those who say that my Goodwills must be better than their Goodwill, I present to a very special haberdasher-ed cat:

Habidasher-ed Cat

And yes, that is real fur. Thank you for asking.

And not to be underdressed at the fancy-hat ball is this lamp:

Spiritual Lamp

It’s such a weird lamp/shade combination. Like there was a spiritual retreat, but it was crashed by beer swilling frat boys who then put lampshades on their heads. Which happens. Seriously. All the time.

I did see a $9.99 chair that I liked, but my son’s incessant whining of “C’mon mom, let’s go!” made me leave empty handed. (Not actually empty handed, as I bought an enormous $5 basket to store soccer balls and a $7 new-but-still-from-Goodwill shower curtain.)

Here’s the chair, which is modern groovy and would have been perfect to replace the broken chair in my son’s room:

Groovy Chair

And guess what? I looked up the chair when I came home and found this:

Groovy Woven Chair

And the cost to buy it new? $168.30!!!!!!! (On sale, normally $198.) So yes, I will be at that Goodwill at 9 A.M. to snag my chair. I thought it looked suspiciously high quality.

Stupid me for not trusting my instincts.

Update: I went back to the store this morning and the chair was still there!!!! I’m debating between keeping it and selling it.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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Non-Consumer Mish-Mash — Free Prints, Tiny Apartments & Taco Based Currency

by Katy on March 17, 2013 · 13 comments

Book Nook

It’s time again again for Non-Consumer Mish-Mash, where I write a little bit about this and a little bit about that.

Free Photo Collage at Walgreens

I’m always happy when I find a national deal to share with my readers, and here’s one of my favorites. Walgreen’s does a free 8X10 Collage Print (Normally around $4.50) a couple times per year, and I almost always take advantage of it as it makes an awesome grandparent or father’s day gift. Not to mention that it’s kind of fun to put together and to choose the photos.

I already made mine and placed my order, I’m just waiting for the e-mail from Walgreen’s saying it’s ready to pick up.

Here’s the link, and the code is COLLAGE4FREE.

 

Coolest Tiny Apartment Ever!

You might be tired of me sharing all the clever and inspirational small living homes across the world, but today’s one takes the cake. Why? Two words:

Book. Nook.

This New York 240 square foot apartment is featured on Design Milk, and is everything my heart desires. Because apparently all I desire is a tiny space filled with books.

Seriously, that’s all I need.

Click HERE to see all the fantastic photos.

 

Money Seen in Units of Tacos

My friend, Max Wong has written a great piece for Wise Bread where she tells the story of bringing a huge amount of clothing to a consignment store, only to be rewarded with $2.18 in cash. At first she’s annoyed with the small amount of reward for her efforts, but the cashier’s remark that “Well, that’ll buy you a taco” changed her mindset.

She writes:

“I think the reason why I was so taken by the Taco as monetary unit is because it legitimized the value of the $2.18 I had received in exchange for a shirt. I was annoyed that I’d driven down to the consignment store only to return home $2.18 richer. However, because I love tacos, the idea that I could get a quickie snack in exchange for a shirt I no longer liked took the sting from the original cash transaction.”

It’s a great article, and nicely thought provoking.

Click HERE to read the article.

Have a great Sunday, the sun has come out here in Portland, and since half my family is in Seattle I have nothing I actually need to do. I think I’ll have a second cup of tea and ponder all the possibilities.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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Pinteresting, Very Pinteresting

by Katy on March 15, 2013 · 25 comments

I find all kinds of amazing ideas and inspiration on Pinterest. Yes, some of it is complicated and expensive, but mostly it’s just clever uses for old stuff, and new ways of using under appreciated household items.

When I saw this gorgeous arrangement of cheerful tall forsythia stalks, I knew I could recreate the look using what I already had, because:

  1. My forsythia was in bloom.

  2. I already owned a lovely large vintage glass jar.

Forsythia

Yes, my forsythia is not as thickly flowered as the inspiration pin, but it’s lovely nonetheless. (My yard is shady, so I’m lucky anything blooms at all!)

My cost? Free!

My Forsythia

I saw a pin where the person used a gold leaf pen to freshen up a dowdy picture frame. I realized this was a perfect project for indoor months, so I walked over to my favorite art supply store for my own pen. Unfortunately they didn’t stock gold leaf pens, (although they offered to order it for me) so instead I bought the gold-but-not-leaf variety.

Note: Here’s the original post about using gold leaf pens.

Gold leaf pen

I own this wonderful vintage embroidery panel of a peacock, but I’ve never been too in love with the frame, which was a muddy white color. I would have spray painted it at some point, but it’s professional framed, which means that there’s kraft paper glued onto the back.

Frame -- before

Luckily, all it took was a bit of time with the gold pen to make it truly shine. And I didn’t worry about getting ink/paint on the glass, as it easily came off with a razor blade.

My cost? $3.50.

Frame -- after

When I spied these Mod-Podged map clothespins, I knew this was the perfect project for me. Because, hello . . .  maps and clothespins? Katy likey.

Map Clothespins

So I set to work with a vintage map and my trusty pot o’ Mod-Podge. It’s hard to tell in this photo, but I used grey and weathered clothespins for this project, as it’s a perfect opportunity to freshen them up. I ended up making around thirty of these bad boys, as once I started it was hard to make myself stop.

I’m already using them as cereal bag clips, as well as to clip drying Ziploc bags to my kitchen cupboards. Much cuter than a regular clothespin!

Cost: Free!

Map Clothespins - mine

Remember my Pinterest Challenge chair?

Inspiration chair

So cute painted bright apple green in my son’s room?

My painted chair

My husband stood on it to reach the ceiling, and this was the result. Yup, free “Chair Kit.”

So far, no takers. But I did just place a Craigslist ad to see if I could drum up a new owner.

Update: Someone took the chair. Hooray!!!

Free chair kit

Are you a fan of Pinterest? I know it gets a bad rap as a colossal time waster, but I only spend time on it when I’m watching TV, so really there’s a no harm.

Plus, I get so many great ideas!

Click HERE to follow The Non-Comsumer Advocate on Pinterest!

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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Five Frugal Things

by Katy on March 14, 2013 · 39 comments

  • I made black bean chili for dinner last night from dried beans that I cooked in the crock pot. I also included some frozen pinto beans and some leftover refried beans. I bought a third of a pound of bulk sausage meat from New Seasons, as I’ve found that it’s flavorful enough to get away with using just a small amount. The chili was topped with the very last of a bag of shredded mozzarella cheese and saved up tortilla chip crumbs (from three different bags!) which I freshened up on a cookie sheet in the oven for a few minutes.
  • I walked to the grocery store last night for a few miscellaneous items, including celery as I am making The Pioneer Woman’s Chicken Pot Pie recipe for Pi Day. (Today is March 14th, which translates to 3.14 = Pi.) I only needed a small amount of celery, so I got an employee to cut a few ribs from a bunch of celery. I know my family would never eat leftover celery, so this both avoided food waste and saved me money as it’s sold by the pound.
  • I’ve been poring through the Little Green Notebook archives and putting recommended design books on hold at the library. I got an e-mail just this morning that I have four books ready to pick up. Hooray for the guilt-free library!
  • I stopped into Goodwill yesterday as it was close to some errands I was running. I noticed that there were still a few glass sugar packet containers available, and since the color tag was blue, they were half- off! So, for the low, low price of only 49¢, I got one more medicine cabinet organizer for the house. And I also found a dime on the ground. 😀
  • My family is driving up to Seattle this weekend, and although we have to pay for a hotel room, we’ll work to keep it cheap. (I sure do miss my sister for many reasons, but it was awfully nice to always have a free place to stay in Seattle!) We’re sharing the ride with family friends, and the only entertainment I need begins with “Good” and ends with “Will.” My husband and younger son will be cheering on the Portland Timbers soccer team against the arch rival Seattle Sounders, but since that’s about as appealing to me as barefoot day at the dog park, my older son and I will give that part a miss. Plus, I am already registered with Seattle Goodwills as an Oregonian which means I avoid paying sales tax. So yippee!

How about you, what frugal activities have been filling your days? Please share your things in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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My Guilty Confession

by Katy on March 13, 2013 · 39 comments

Guilt.

A supposedly worthless emotion, but few among us, (if anyone at all) can honestly say that it’s not an effective motivator. Guilt makes us wash up the dinner dishes, visit our ailing grandmother and reach for an orange, when what we really want is a handful of cookies.

I recently attended a fundraiser dinner where my husband was one of the main speakers. As a thank you for his speech, we were able to attend the event for free. And best of all, this event included a sit down dinner with dessert, so needless to say I was excited to go.

Because the event was held in a neighboring town, my husband and I got a chance indulge in a rare uninterrupted conversation during the drive. I realized that although we do eat out occasionally, I never really enjoy the experience because guilt stands in my way. Here’s how:

  • If we’re paying for our own restaurant meal, I feel guilty that we’re wasting money that could be better spent elsewhere.

  • If someone else is paying for the meal, I feel guilty about being a big ol’ mooch at age 45.

See? There’s no middle ground!

The evening went well, and everyone seemed to enjoy my husband’s speech, which was about the importance of Automated External Defibrillators in the community. The food ended up being laughably awful, with very small dried out portions of chicken paired with extremely soggy green beans. But I’m no foodie, so I gobbled it up without complaint.

Would we all be better off without guilt? It’s hard to say. Guilt motivates me to take care of tasks that would otherwise be procrastinated, like writing thank you notes and putting laundry away.

I’m aware that I am more motivated by guilt than some people I know, yet less so than others. I sit here writing my blog thinking about how I should be:

  • Wiping down the kitchen.

  • Taking a quick shower so I can go run errands.

  • Going for a healthy walk.

However, it’s only 10:00 A.M. and I’ve already:

  • Gotten the kids up and off to school with packed lunches. (This despite the horrific Daylight Savings Time.)

  • Signed up for a month of shifts at work, which is both finicky and competitive.

  • Loaded and started up the dishwasher.

Is there any way to have a healthy relationship with guilt? I say yes. If guilt is so overwhelming that it freezes your accomplishments, (and yes, getting my 17-year-old daughter to school by 8:00 A.M. right after the time change is a major accomplishment!) then guilt is bad. But if guilt simply motivates you to efficiently take care of life unpleasantries, then guilt can actually be good. A tool in your motivational bag of tricks.

How do you feel about guilt? Does it motivates you? Do you feel guilty about even having guilt? (The double whammy!)

Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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Link-O-Rama Mama

by Katy on March 11, 2013 · 21 comments

It’s time again for Link-O-Rama Mama, where I lazily link up to other people’s well written and thoroughly researched articles.

Marimekko sheets

Marimekko Sheets Find a New Castle

Remember Princess Katy and her Marimekko Sheets? Well, Trish, the Lady in Waiting from Modern Thrifter has posted photos on her blog, as well as the story of how the sheets came to live in her daughter’s room. Super cute!

Click HERE to read her post.

 

Living Large in a Small Space

Graham Hill, famed inhabitant of the super teeny and inventive NYC apartment has written an article for The NY Times supporting and explaining his decision to live a life of minimal possessions in a small space. (Oh, and he also founded Tree Hugger.com, as well as other online businesses.) Because the article is written in first person, the perspective is unique and goes a bit deeper than the typical minimalism article.

“I have come a long way from the life I had in the late ’90s, when, flush with cash from an Internet start-up sale, I had a giant house crammed with stuff — electronics and cars and appliances and gadgets.

Somehow this stuff ended up running my life, or a lot of it; the things I consumed ended up consuming me. My circumstances are unusual (not everyone gets an Internet windfall before turning 30), but my relationship with material things isn’t.”

Click HERE to read the entire NY Times article.

I usually include a third link, but it’s late and I have to be at work at 7:00 A.M., (which sure feels like 6:00 A.M. this week.) So I want you to include your own links in the comments section. Even if it’s just a link to your own blog.

Have a great day, and I look forward to coming home from work and reading through everyone’s links!

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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Austere Grey Interiors? No Thank You!

by Katy on March 11, 2013 · 35 comments

I don’t know how it is where you live, but here in Oregon, everyone I know has a major case of The Blahs. You know, not actual clinical depression, but definitely a distinctive non-motivational vibe. And you don’t have to dig deep to find the reason, which is the steady grey weather. Yes, we’ve had a few sunny days over the past few weeks, but they don’t necessarily line up on non-work days. Rain from October though June is hard to take.

Grey walls and furnishing are very hip right now, but I find it all to be exceptionally depressing. Austere and classy, but goddamned soul sucking in real life.

See?

Austere grey life

My house is full of color, not one wall is white, and there are certainly no grey rooms.

I have colorful dishes.

The Non-Consumer Advocate Fiesta Bowls

Both bowls and mugs.

The Non-Consumer Advocate:

Colorful lighting.

The Non-Consumer Advocate: Marimekko lamp

Colorful outdoors accessories

The Non-Consumer Advocate: Greens and blues

Both the flowerpot and the $3 Goodwill tiled table.

The Non-Consumer Advocate: Tile table

It helps get me though the never ending grey-ness that is Portland, Oregon. And with way fewer side effects than any medication.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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Mayim Bialik Keeps it Practical

by Katy on March 8, 2013 · 14 comments

I was reading on Kveller this morning about How Family Purim Went Down for the Almost Divorced Mayim Bialik, and I was struck by how the practical (and wealthy) Bialik put the costumes together for her family.

“For both boys, as we have in the past, we secured items for the costume which could be used as “regular clothing” throughout the year. Tintin wears a white collared shirt (we used the boys’ Shabbos shirts), a blue sweater (thank you, expensive but wonderful Hanna Andersson catalogue), brown pedal-pushers (plain brown sweatpants tucked into knee-high sport socks), and dress shoes (Fred wore his Shabbos shoes, Miles wore saddle shoes).”

That’s right, this famous yet practical mother tried her best to pull costumes together from what she already had and clothing that could be worn the rest of the year. Bialik could have easily bought the stars and the moon for her young sons, but instead she went the frugal route to avoid the waste of clothing to be worn once and never touched again.

This reminded me of costumes my family has pulled together throughout the years. The Michael Jackson costume my older son wore a few years ago that included a pair of Goodwill penny loafers that still get used once a week or so, and this skeleton costume my younger son wore in second grade:

The Non-Consumer Advocate: Skeleton Costume

I don’t remember where I got the idea, but the entire costume was constructed using black sweatpants, a black turtleneck and a roll of white contact paper, from which I cut the bone shapes. At the end of the day, we peeled the bones from the garments, and voilá, my son had comfy yet practical clothing that he then wore until he grew out of them. And my older son’s costume? It was from our dress-up bin.

The mindset of working to avoid single use items is not common in our culture. And I’m guessing it’s even more rare in the Hollywood culture. Not only is it expensive to buy something that has that single use, but it’s also entirely wrong. Wrong because of what it took to manufacture these products, but also wrong because this practice clutters our homes with stifling and unnecessary stuff.

So whether it’s Purim, Halloween or simply a Friday, please think twice before you buy single use items.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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