A Home in Progress

Organization Update

2010-01-18T07:24:00.005-06:00

I took a first step in my organizational mission this week and cleaned out and organized my .... bathroom vanities. Oh yeah, I went there. First. It actually took hardly any time (maybe an hour?) and made a huge difference!

I just went through, trashed whatever needed it, wiped everything down (the inside of the drawers gather so much dust - yuck!), and put things back. To increase the functionality (?) of the cabinets, I just gathered a few extra storage bins I had lying around to group things together. That way things aren't just thrown in there randomly.

I obviously didn't take any before/after photos, because a) who wants to see the BEFORE photos of that? and b) who really wants to see even the AFTER photos of somebody's bathroom cabinets??! I did however feel great about getting it done.

I was thinking about the idea of decorating your home - which I admit I have put the majority of my focus on. Which is fun and great - but after cleaning out my bathroom, I thought "What's the point of having things look so great on the outside, when the inside is all cluttered and chaotic?" It just felt a little fake to me to have a beautiful headboard for my bed (see project here) but who knows what's shoved under that bed? Does that make sense at all?

Obviously I'm not striving for perfection here or in any other area of my home - it's all about making *progress*.....

Next up - my kid's rooms. Anybody have any great tips for organizing kids' clothes???!?

UPDATE: Well, hello! The Thrifty Decor Chick (link to the right!) is having a party today with links for cleaning/organizing tips! How timely! I didn't offer anything but I am checking out all the links! I thought I'd pass along the party site so any of you can check it out, too! Thanks, TDC!

http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2010/01/so-fresh-and-so-clean-party.html

Tipping Point....

2010-01-13T20:14:00.002-06:00

Can I just say when I started this little blog this summer I was hoping it would be a place for my girlfriends and I to share our home project failures and successes. I never imagined close to a 100 of you would stop by and enjoy our projects and share some of your own. Thanks for sticking around!

I love having followers - love it, love it, love it - but towards the end of last year I started feeling bad if I didn't post once a day, and couldn' t believe when I would go more than a week, etc.

The real tipping point that made me realize I needed a break was I found myself starting to do projects just to have something to blog when it really should be the other way around.

So....I needed a break. You know where I'm coming from, right? Right?

Anyway, I realized today I needed to start focusing a little more on my home.

I came to this realization when I sent my husband a text asking where my debit card was, he wrote back "Junk drawer" and I wrote back, "Which one?" Oops....

So I decided to use this blog (with all of you invisible friends who I'm pretending are not here and are certainly not reading this) as a way to keep myself accountable.

First, I'm tackling my clutter. My house is certainly not "Hoarders"-worthy, but there are definite hot spots. (Kids toys, maybe? Under the sink in the bathroom, anyone? Oh yeah, I'm going there.)

Then, I'm going to experiment and find a good way to keep organization part of my routine - so I don't have to ask which junk drawer ever again!

I know organization and de-cluttering are popular resolutions for the New Year and the blogosphere is full of great ideas. But I'm trying to not label this as a resolution or a temporary goal. I think in order for my home to continue progressing, it's time to get some organizational tools in check. Hope you'll follow along!

DIY Headboard...sort of.

2009-12-02T06:58:00.007-06:00

So, I really wouldn't dare to call this a true tutorial on how to create an upholstered headboard. For something really detailed that will most likely deliver more perfect results, I suggest this tutorial from design*sponge. (It even includes a video!)

I used that and this little illustration from bejane.com to help me sort of cheat my way to an upholstered headboard.

Oh, that and a lot of spray adhesive.

So, here's the before shot:

It was sort of put together throughout the past few years look that I wanted changed!

So....I did get some plywood cut to fit behind my iron headboard-type thing. But, securing it to the headboard was presenting a bit of a challenge and so I decided to just go straight for the foam. Now, this is where I may lose some purists. That's ok. I understand. This isn't going to be moved very often, and I wanted structure, but the foam provided enough substance and structure without the stiffness of the board. I did have to compromise on the tautness of the fabric in the end since you are not heavy-duty stapling fabric to foam. But it's been up almost two weeks now and is still sturdy. So there you have it.

I bought some 2" thick high-density foam from Hancock Fabrics.

And traced where I needed to cut to fit. Then, using an electric carving knife, you just slice right through the foam! (It was very therapeutic!)

The foam wasn't quite high enough for what I needed, but was longer than I needed. So I just pieced together the remaining foam (it was in two pieces) and spray-adhered them to the headboard.

I just sprayed this puppy directly to the iron. This wasn't anything I was worried about ruining, plus I could always rip the foam off if it really didn't work and display the non-ruined side.

But it stuck. Well. Really, really well. That spray adhesive doesn't mess around!

Then I wrapped and tucked and spray adhered the batting. I pinned the batting before I sprayed, just to get a general idea of fit/look before actually adhering it to the foam. This picture was taken with just the pins in place. It was much more taut and even after spraying. (That's important.)

So...the fabric. I chose my favorite toile pattern again. The only problem there is the fabric wasn't wide enough for my headboard and since it's a repeating pattern, you can't just flip the fabric. So.....I had to get two cuts of fabric and connect them. I'm a non-sewer, so I just used the iron-on hemming tape and it worked really well. Connecting toile patterns is something I don't want to do again in the near future.

But it looks really seamless - you really can't tell it's two different pieces unless you're up very very close. See...

I also replaced our old duvet with a white duvet and shams from overstock.com - it was less than 30 dollars shipped! Love that place. And it's bleachable - so very kid friendly.

(I tried getting a great "after" photo - but there was no natural light to be had and my room is a little on the tiny side, so standing back far enough to really get a good photo was presenting a challenge.)

My next to-do is to add a few more throw pillows for softness, but this is all about a step at a time, right?

Let me know if you tackle your headboard.

Also, I'm going to have an exciting giveaway coming up next week - that will be especially helpful will all of the holiday cooking coming up!! So, stay tuned for that!

Sneak Peek....

2009-12-01T15:02:00.002-06:00

...I know it's Tuesday, but I found this amazing deal on another favorite blog (Our Suburban Cottage) and I had to share. It's a year subscription to Real Simple magazine - a total favorite of mine. (I always have to sneak our library's copy into the storytime room to read while my kids are occupied.)

Anyway, a whole YEAR for 5 BUCKS! This would make a perfect gift for Christmas - there are other magazines up for that same price:

Travel + Leisure

Southern Living

Entertainment Weekly (it's $10, but it comes weekly...)

House Beautiful

Finally, I will be posting tomorrow as regularly scheduled... Here's a sneak peek:

See you tomorrow!

Organizing Winter Gear - A Quick Tip

2009-11-18T14:20:00.003-06:00

I LOVE this idea and had to pass it on to all of you! Here's what Janice sent in (thanks again!):

Here's what she says:

Much like Spring cleaning when the weather begins to warm up, I always get the Fall organizing bug this time of year. It seems like once the weather cools off and we are starting to spend so much time inside, I like to make sure everything is in its place.

Now that it is time to pull out the jackets and gloves, they seem to end up all over and start to make me crazy. I stole this idea from my sister-in-law, Holly, and it has been working well for us for us, so I thought I would pass it along for any of my friends that just don't know where to put all the scarves and hats and mittens without having them spill all over the closet when the basket tips over!

I just bought an over-the-door shoe organizer and put it on the inside of the coat closet. I bought one with clear pockets so I can see exactly what is in them without having to dig through each pocket. Then I put all of the kids' things on the bottom which makes it easy for them to get on their own winter wear, and also to be able to put them back in their "home" when they are done.

This has really helped to keep us prepared for the cold without a lot of hassle or a lot of mess in the bottom of the closet. Just a quick and inexpensive idea to what used to be a big problem.

Do any of you have organizing tips to share?! Anything to help with all of the art supplies, for instance, would be greatly appreciated.

Love this tip, Janice! Thanks so much for sharing it. It is being put to use in our house right away!

Stovetop Potpourri

2009-11-04T13:20:00.003-06:00

If you're anything like me, hearing the word potpourri conjures up images of that dried, nasty stuff that used to sit in china bowls on the end tables in my grandma's house. This is not that kind of potpourri.

I'm always burning some kind of candle or trying a new scent of Wallflower from Bath and Body. With two toddlers (one still in diapers) I need all the help I can get.

I've ordered some yummy smelling holiday candles from a friend's catalog party she had recently. But I'm sort of impatient (sort of) and I wanted my house to smell yummy NOW. I remember seeing this idea linked up to somebody somewhere's link party and decided to give it a shot. (If you have seen this idea posted somewhere in blogland recently, let me know and I'll give credit!)

All you do is fill a saucepan with water (maybe 2 cups?) - I added a little apple cider to mine. Then just add dashes of your favorite yummy spices from your spice cabinet. Here's what I added:
I added vanilla extract, a cinnamon stick, some pumpkin pie spice, some orange peel and almond extract which is quite possibly my most favorite smell ever. Then just let it simmer on LOW. The water will eventually evaporate, so just keep an eye on the water level and add more when necessary.

This is my water level getting a little low - you can see the bits of spice on the side of the pan where the water once was.

I love this idea so much and can now wait patiently for my fall/winter candles to arrive in the mail.

Have you done this before? What spice combinations do you love?

P.S. Is anybody else's kids getting up with the sun now with the time change? YIKES! I saw this post on making your own black-out curtains a while back and may be tackling it in the near future....

Cute Pumpkins & What Home Means to Me

2009-10-28T20:50:00.001-05:00

Carving pumpkins is an idea that I always love at first – and then before I’m done scraping the insides totally want to be done. So when I saw this post from Living with Lindsay it just spoke to me. I didn’t get the sticky-backed felt that Lindsay recommends, but hot glue worked just fine.

Also, a little note for the fantastic people who follow this little old blog (i.e., mom)…. I love doing this. I love finding little projects to help make my home more comfortable, plus having a hobby of my own is sanity saving! I have to say I would love to have the time and energy to post something creative every day like some of my favorite bloggers.

That being said, when it comes to a home, even if it is a home in progress, the most important thing about a home is the people in it. My kids don’t care if that shutter will tie in the hutch color from the front room – they want to finish that puzzle, go the library, play hide-and-go-seek (a new favorite). So in order to be here more for them, and less for my furnishings, instead of feeling guilty that I don’t post daily – I’m just going to try to have a weekly post. (Until I get better at this time management thing seriously how do some of my favorite favorites get everything done?) So check back on Wednesdays – that’s a good blog post day, yeah?

Thanks for sticking with me – and send me your projects!

Shutters Turned Wall Art & Your Submissions

2009-10-19T19:49:00.002-05:00

If this is your first visit to A Home In Progress, click here for an explanation of what this site is. I would LOVE to feature some of your home DIY projects or recipe creations.

This wall in my dining room has had me perplexed since we moved in last year. My mom and I (mostly her) came up with the idea of a grouping of similar photos. It looked good, but after awhile I was itching to try something new.

After running into this amazing idea while blog hopping, I knew I had found my idea! Now, I just needed to find some shutters. I found one ad on my local Craigslist but the ad was two weeks old, so I was sure they were gone. I emailed the seller just in case and score – somebody was supposed to come pick them up but never showed. I was there, with cash in hand, the next morning!

The shutters were pretty beat up – I probably should have bartered with the seller instead of showing up the exact amount she was asking!

I used some wood filler to fill a couple of the bigger gaps.

I was going to use the same red paint that I had seen on the original blog. But I had the leftover Halcyon Green paint from my hutch project. (Click here for that project.)

I think it’s probably a good thing I’m drawn to distressed furniture – I am not a perfectionist painter. After the shutters dried, if there were any obvious drips, that’s where I added a little “distressing” and sanded them down.

I didn’t take any before pictures, but I think it’s an improvement! (The after pictures aren’t great – it has been cloudy here all day every day for the past couple of weeks, so I had no natural light with these photos!)

P.S. Those of you lucky ladies who have won these chalkboard labels – I haven’t forgotten about you! They will be in the mail this week!

P.P.S. (or is P.S.S.?) I'm also linked up to Kimba's DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land. Warning: Don't go lookin' over there unless you have LOTS of time to kill! So many great DIY projects....so little time.

A little tip…

2009-10-07T07:25:00.002-05:00

I’m sure every other blogger out there knows this, but just in case you DON’T…. If you ever need a can of chalkboard spray paint, you know, so you can do projects like this:

Or this:

Don’t buy it at your craft store. I was getting supplies for an upcoming church activity I’m planning and the can of chalkboard spray paint at a certain craft store (that rhymes with “Schmichael’s") was $7. I kid you not, $7.

Then browsing through Walmart’s paint section last weekend, I found they carry the exact same brand of chalkboard spray paint, same size can, everything for $2.50. I’m used to maybe a $1-2 dollar discrepancy, but seriously! Has anybody else ever noticed this? Am I missing something?

~~~~

On another note, one of my favorite parts of fall decorating is seeing what people do to their front porches. Come back tomorrow for a tour of some great fall porch inspirations!

Touches of Fall

2009-10-05T07:11:00.001-05:00

Unlike so many of my home-decor blogging friends, I haven’t had one ounce of inspiration to start decorating for fall! I think it’s because I ~~lost my fall decorations box when I moved last year~~ have been so busy!

I made a trip to the closest Goodwill on Friday to see what I could find. That’s when I found these babies, who at $2 bucks each, came home with me.

They needed a little love, but that’s nothing a little black spray paint couldn’t fix. I sprayed them black, then put a couple of little 3/$1 gourds on top.

Something was missing. I had a little wicker cornucopia (it’s true I needed spell check to spell cornucopia correctly. Hey, it’s Monday!) I got for 50% off at Hobby Lobby. I love it because it’s not so Halloween-y that I can only use it for October, it’s a great Fall piece. Which means I don’t have to change it until after Thanksgiving!

Anyway, I added some fall stems, also at Hobby Lobby at 50% off. (Side note: I’m told that all of their fall items will go up to 90% off in the next several weeks. This would be a good time to stock up for next year.) Because I didn’t have enough stems to look as full as I wanted it to, I just used some floral foam in the bottom of the cornucopia to keep the stems from all falling to one side.

Much better! I had a few left over gourds, so I put them on a rimmed serving platter, filled a regular vase with some candy corn, and had a one-minute, $1 fall centerpiece for the dining room table.

It looked a little plain, so I took a few of the berry stems and leaves from the bottom of my floral stems I used in the cornucopia.

Much better! Not bad for fifteen minutes of a Sunday afternoon.

Have you started decorating for fall? Any tips for getting motivated? Bath and Body Works has their Slatkin & Co. candles 2/$20 this week, maybe a fall scented candle would put me in the fall spirit? It’s worth a shot, right???

Foodie Friday

2009-10-02T11:00:00.005-05:00

I am getting so many great recipe ideas from friends and readers that I decided to start a “Foodie Friday” because after all, food is a major part of any home (at least it is in mine)! Brenda from B’dub’s Cafe sent in this recipe that is a perfect start to fall.

When Fall time comes around, there are a few fall MUST haves, with pumpkin crunch being 1 of them! I first time I had this gem was at a church function, which I was lucky enough to get the recipe from my friend Alana. It took me almost a full year to make it myself (I guess I had forgotten how good it was over time!) Not anymore! I decided to make this for my husband and I's wedding anniversary a few years ago. Let's just say I won extra points with him. We both Oohed and Ahhed at this dessert. Why had I not made it before?

Now my hubby begs for this, and we actually don't only make this during the fall. We crave it all year round! Plus, this is super easy to make. I am not talking kind of easy, I am saying, you throw a few ingredients together, stir, and put in a pan, cover with a dry cake mix and butter and VOILA!

The only down side to this dessert is that you have to bake it for 45 minutes and then LET IT COOL! We can never wait, but it does taste best when it is chilled. We actually don't even need cool whip or ice cream with this. Oh sure, it enhances the taste a little, but the pumkin crunch is so good by itself, it doesn't need ANYTHING else to make it taste better! Just try it...you will see!

Pumpkin crunch

1 box yellow cake mix

1 cup melted butter or margarine1 tsp cinnamon

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin (about 2 1/4 cups, give or take)

½ tsp salt

1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk

3 large eggs (4 medium)

1 ½ cup sugar

½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Cool whip/whipped topping or ice cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom of a 9x13 pan or 2 pie dishes. In a large bowl combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon and salt (instead of using cinnamon and salt, you can substitute with 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice if needed).

Pour into pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture. Top with pecans (I have never done this since we are not nut lovers, but I think it had nuts in it the first time I tried it, so it is good either way). Drizzle melted butter over pecans.

Bake for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown. (My oven cooks faster and it only took about 35-40 minutes. Just check it after 30 minutes. It should be brown on top. Cool. Serve chilled with cool whip or ice cream.

Note: After I pour the butter over top, I usually spoon the butter over parts of the dry cake mix that didn't get covered with butter to make it more evenly distributed.

Yum! This is a perfect treat to try this weekend!

Trash to Treasure & A Second Winner!!!

2009-09-30T06:30:00.001-05:00

So, because it's Wednesday and I can....how about we go crazy and pick a SECOND winner of the chalkboard labels???!? With so many great comments and only one winner, it just didn't seem fair. So.....with the help of my two toddlers, we picked another random winner from last week's giveaway!!!

Anyway, lucky winner #2 is:

~Jenn~ said...: Hi Natalie!
DIY blogs are my FAVORITE and of course, my home is a HIP too, so I was thrilled to find your site. Looking forward to seeing and sharing some great projects!
~Jenn~
Woo hoo! Jenn, email me at ahomeinprogress@gmail.com and we can figure out how to get your labels to you!

On to the project for today:
A new friend (thanks again, to Lindsay at Living with Lindsay) sent me the cutest before and after project of some barstools she found....no joke....dumpster diving. I haven't gone there yet - but after seeing her cute and cheap transformation, maybe sometime soon???

Here's what Cindy had to say about her project:

I found this lovely pair of bar stools while dumpster diving. I liked them because they were black as they would match the wrought iron look I have going on in the kitchen. I also liked that they were somewhat more compact and shorter than typical bar stools as I would be using them at the kitchen counter rather than an actual "bar". But really I loved them because they were free. Unfortunately, they had this small problem.

The original owner had used black electrical tape to cover one of the unsightly holes. And when my dad fixed one of the legs he added his own strip of electrical tape to the other one. However, over time that electrical tape disappeared and hitched a ride with someone - I'm not telling who, just know that I discreetly removed it from your backside and avoided embarrassment for you and for me.

So, with staple gun in hand (thanks Granddad!) I went to work covering these little gems.

Found this beautiful red and cream toile fabric in the clearance bin at Walmart for $4. It goes great in my red kitchen and there's plenty left over for more projects. Another dumpster dive success!

I totally love the transformation! Especially that fabric - that's a great tip to check the fabric in the clearance bin.

Thanks so much, Cindy! I love the projects - keep them coming you guys!

Bath Cabinet Update (oh, and a winner....)

2009-09-28T06:30:00.001-05:00

Thanks AGAIN for the fabulous comments and new followers! Now don't be shy and send me your projects! I did get a couple of great ones that I'm so excited to show you guys in the next week.

I'm so excited to announce the winner of the first ever (definitely more to come....it was so fun reading everybody's comments!) giveaway! But first.....another great before and after project from one of you!

My friend Anjeanette sent me these pictures and I just have to share them. What an amazing transformation. Here's what she said:

Here's my latest project in my guest bathroom.
I didn't care for the wood finish that was in there, so I decided to change it.

I first sanded it a little, then put a fresh coat of white paint on.

I then glazed it with a brown paint, and wiped it off. I had to sand quite a bit of the brown off to get the look that I wanted. I then brushed on a clear coat of varnish. I then put hardware on them. I think it turned out pretty good.

Yeah, Anj, good is an understatement! I think the white was a total improvement, so I LOVE that you decided to go even a step further and it looks fantastic. GREAT job!

If you have a project or recipe you would like me to post, I would LOVE to share it. Just email me at: ahomeinprogress@gmail.com.

OK, now on to the good stuff.....the winner of the giveaway!

Heather L. said...: Love the little labels! So cute! I'd love to win, thanks for the opportunity =)

Congratulations, Heather! Email me at ahomeinprogress@gmail.com to let me know what kind of labels you want.

Stay tuned, there's more fun coming up this week!

KISS Principle

2009-09-24T14:06:00.008-05:00

(I think the text in some of the previous posts was a bit LARGE so I'm going to see if doing it a bit smaller is easier on my eyes. Sorry for the inconsistencies for those of you who notice that sort of thing.)

First of all, WOW to the great comments and WELCOME to the new followers! I actually have a few project submissions that I can't wait to share with you in the next couple of weeks. It's so exciting to see people really take an interest in loving where they live. There are a lot of talented bloggers out there - I can't wait to show you some more right here! If you haven't entered the giveaway, you have until Friday night to enter!

****************

I had a fantastic professor in college who always talked about the "KISS" Principle - KISS standing for Keep It Simple, Stupid. Well, now that I have children and we discourage the use of the "s" word - I'm going to go with Keep It Simple, Sister.

I love finding a diamond in the rough, creating something out of nothing, etc. just as much as all of you! However, I always scour the Clearance shelves and end-caps at my favorite stores to find things that will work for a need I have in my home. Because as much fun as it is to make something out of nothing, it takes time and energy - something that I'm sure we all have an overabundance of (NOT)!

Example: I needed new throw pillows. Didn't need as in "want a new color." (Which is a justifiable need, in my opinion!) I mean NEED as in lumpy (some might say mildy smelly) throw pillows that HAD to GO. I had big plans to sew pillow covers (although I have about zero experience sewing) and find the perfect fabric, etc.

Then, while scouring the clearance racks at Target (one of my favorite places to treasure hunt) I found these babies:

For $4. That's right. $4. So I did what any ~~crazy~~ self-respecting person would do, I cleaned them out (they had two) and tried desperately to track down a few more at any area Targets. (To no avail, I might add.)

Here are some other recent Clearance finds that have been much SIMPLER to just buy new on clearance than try to hunt down at Goodwill or on Craigslist.

Mirror, Target. $10. It's a huge mirror that looks great on the wall, and the wicker is growing on me.

Storage baskets for kids/hubby junk, Hobby Lobby. $2. (I really don't have that much wicker in my house - this and a magazine basket in the living room are about the extent of it.)

Which leads me to my next point - even if it's on sale, don't buy it if you don't love it. Then it just turns into clutter. Clutter bought on sale, yes, but clutter nonetheless.

Conversely, don't walk away from it if you DO love it (and can afford it). I've learned, too many times, by the time you decide you want it and come back, it's gone and you just end up dreaming about what might have been. (Okay, maybe that's just me.) Most stores will let you return the item with a receipt if you really decide you don't like it. (Although some clearance items are final-sale only, so just check where you shop.)

So, that's my KISS principle I have had to apply in my home life. I love a good before and after project, but in areas where you can keep it simple - DO IT!

Do you have any good clearance tips???

Hello! & A Giveaway

2009-09-22T06:41:00.000-05:00

Can I just give a huge SQUEAL and say how EXCITED I am to have been featured on one of very favorite blogs out there, Living with Lindsay. I hope some of you who are visiting for the first time pull up a seat and get comfy!

This little blog is just an idea I had a few months ago when my girlfriends and I wanted to share our own little stabs at DIY home design with each other. We got sick of emailing large attachments to each other (we all live in different states) but we definitely did not know nearly enough about home design or do projects frequently enough to fill our own blog.

After running into this dilemma, I was sure there were other part-time DIY'ers out there who have run into this same problem! DIY'ers who would love to post their projects but not have to worry about keeping up a full-time blog. That's how A Home in Progress was born. I really hope that this is a place that you come often to support other DIY newbies and share your own attempts at making your house a home!

To celebrate the wonderful Lindsay posting about us on her blog, we're doing our first little giveaway! A set of 8 chalkboard labels - they can be drilled to work as home labels, as shown here, or with the holes on the side for gift labels!

To enter, just leave me a comment letting me know you dropped by. If you become (or are already) a follower, I'll enter your name twice! And finally, if you mention this giveaway on your blog, I'll enter your name a third time! The giveaway will close Friday at 10pm and the winner (chosen randomly) will be announced Monday!

Thanks for the love, Lindsay! Go show her some love and visit her site. It's really one of the best out there.

Because It's Monday & A Giveaway

2009-09-21T20:56:00.004-05:00

I'm not very productive on Mondays...just recuperating from a crazy weekend and time together as a family! So I thought I would post a quick (literally 5 minutes and however long it takes your glue gun to heat up...) and easy project that anybody with a "case of the Mondays" (name that movie) could do.

It happened to be my 6th wedding anniversary this weekend, and my husband brought me a wonderful basket of mums as an anniversary surprise. I loved them because I had wanted to bring a little fall to my front porch.

Here they are straight in the planter from the garden store. Not bad, but I had five minutes to kill before we left for our date, so I decided to make it look not so straight-from-the-store.

I just took some leftover yummy fall-like brown ribbon and got my glue gun and went to work!

I made sure I started in the back of the planter, where the wood strip meets.

Finished product! Not bad for free and 5 minutes!

Tomorrow I'm going to post my first giveaway! I have been totally inspired by a few giveaways on some awesome sites, that I thought I would try and share the love. So....check back tomorrow for details on how to enter to win your own set of chalkboard labels! Perfect as the holiday gift-giving season (yeah, I just went there) is just around the corner!

P.S. The movie quote above is from a total classic (in my opinion), "Office Space".

Not a Painted Wood Project!

2009-09-15T21:01:00.004-05:00

I told you it was coming! I saw my friend Anjeannete's entry table redo and I asked her to let me post it here for you! It's beautiful and she did not paint the wood table. Let me say that again - she did.not.paint.the.wood.table. And it still turned out fabulously. Here, see for yourself! I'll let Anjeanette tell the story of how this table came to be in her own words:

So I have been looking, for a while, for a antique "looking" table
or dresser to use as my entry table. I have
been looking at garage sales and
thrift stores and online, and haven't found anything....until
I noticed this beauty in my neighbors garage.

No I wasn't snooping.....ok...maybe a little.
They keep their garage open all the time
and I saw it sit there for over a month.

I finally asked my neighbor what she was going to do with it, and she said
she was getting rid of it. She asked if I wanted it..........ahhh......YES!

I debated whether to paint it black, and maybe distress it, or stain it or just
to leave it how it is. I decided to sand it a bit and stain it. It was
really easy and I think it turned out well.

Okay, I love that she saw that table sitting there and just asked her neighbor about it! It reminds me of when Thrifty Decor Chick sent her sister dumpster diving for a treasure that somebody threw away! (Read the story here) You just never know where you're going to find a treasure! Thanks, Anj!

Adorable Girl's Room!

2009-09-14T08:00:00.002-05:00

Yay for project submissions!!! This comes from a good friend of mine, Brenda. Not only did she do a super cute job on her girl's room (more details below) she also has a great cooking blog! I'm trying the enchiladas later this week and am so excited.....mmmmm.....

Anyway....back to decorating. She sent me the pictures and the "how-to" in her own words, so here's Brenda!

A few years ago, I got wood letters that spell Ellie's name and had my dad cut 8X8 squares of wood that were about 1-2 inches thick. I painted the squares white and then put scrapbook paper over top and glued the letters on the squares. I modpodged the entire thing and it turned out a disaster! I never hung them up because they turned out so bad. I finally found a way to use them in a way I like! (insert: need better camera for things such as this!)

This really does not do it justice.

What I changed:
I took the letters off the squares and put scrapbook paper I had on hand on the letters instead of leaving them white. I then tore off the old scrapbook paper off the squares and picked a more easily matchable paper to put on it. I used spray adhesive to get the paper to stick to the wood and letters. Don't let any get on your fingers or you will make smudges on the scrapbook paper.

I then took these cardboard squares I had gotten at a thrift store for a dollar (for the entire pack) and put them over top the scrapbook paper on the square to make my own "art":

The square wood board with the smaller cardboard squares attached

I had bought a pottery barn butterfly mobile at a garage sale for a dollar and I took the butterflies off and hooked them onto two letters. I just used the wire all ready on the butterfly to make it so I could remove it if we changed themes. My mom had gotten us butterfly nets at Michaels for a few dollars and so we had all ready sawed half of the stick down, I was able to use it as decor under the letters. I just used two push pins to get it to stay. I then attached the other butterflies also using their metal wires to the net. If I only had a better camera! Sorry for the horrible lighting.

The net

Butterfly attached to the "E"

Thanks, Brenda! I seriously think my favorite part of this was that she tried something, it didn't work out, and so she figured out a new use for it! I think it's fabulous and perfect for a little girl's room. Don't forget to check out her cooking blog: "B Dub's Cafe" (love that name!) for some great step-by-step cooking inspiration!

A Home In Progress This Week

2009-09-13T21:28:00.005-05:00

I'm so excited for the projects I have coming up this week. I will FINALLY post a non-painted-and-still-totally-beautiful wood project (I know, I know, I promised it last week but it was spent getting my oldest ready for preschool...sob sob) and some awesome wall decorations and letter hangings for a little girl's room.

It's almost (officially) the first day of fall - although according to Melissa at The Inspired Room, fall decorating season is already here! I love fall, it's my wedding anniversary, you get to wear cozy sweaters, the weather is just about perfect where I live. Now I want to bring that inside my house in a fun, inexpensive way! If you have a cute fall project, decor idea, or cozy fall recipe, I would LOVE to share it here!

Happy Fall!

P.S. Have you seen my fun little button for the blog?? Check it out - it's on the right-hand side of the screen, just scroll down! If you've got a H.I.P. (home.in.progress) home, grab it to paste on your own blog!

Is Your Home Hip???

2009-09-08T22:47:00.002-05:00

Ummm....look to the down and to the right of the screen and you'll notice a sweet little button - all for this little blog! Natalie Hartley (not ME Natalie, my cousin and FAB graphic designer) did the blog header and button for me - her contact info is listed if anybody needs some help!

So.......I just figured out that A Home In Progress' initials are HIP (hello, happy accident!) so for those of you with HIP homes.....I would LOVE it if you could spread the word about this little blog with your other HIP friends and family by grabbing the button for your own blogs. (I know, a little cheesy, but kinda cute, right? Right?? Right??)

I hope to start getting more and more project submissions from you guys.... To me, it is so much fun to see people really putting energy and love into their homes, even if isn't a flawless project (none of these are)! This blog is not a showcase of perfection! It's about progress.... So let's see what you've been up to!

Tune in tomorrow for a project all of you will love....wood purists and even us paint-it fans, too!

New Life for an Old Hutch

2009-09-08T07:00:00.012-05:00

(For those of you who aren't fans of painted wood, this is your warning to look away now. Then again, if you're not a fan of painted wood, I highly doubt you're interested in this blog anyway!)

I love wood. I get that wood purists cringe when something could be salvaged and stained back to a beautiful wood finish. I. get. it. Anyway, this is a painted wood project. If you're a purist, take a deep breath but take a look and see what you think. And then I'm posting something for you later this week where somebody DID bring a wood piece back to life by restoring the wood and it's beautiful, too! There's room for everybody!

So, I've had the same Ikea shelf for the past six years as my bookshelf. It's served it's purposes nicely, but I've dreamed of having a nice hutch or something that made more of an impact in the room for a while.

Enter Craigslist. I scored this piece for $30 from somebody who just wanted it gone. It looks a lot better in the pictures than it did in reality. It was well-used but not anything that I couldn't get past!

I loved the glass cabinet.
And had some nice drawers and covered storage, which is a must in a house
with two toddlers.

It had nice curves.
And the drawers had nice dovetail construction. I know that's a sign of good construction from ~~watching Antiques Roadshow~~ all of my expertise.

I used this tutorial from the Nester. (I am sure you have, but just in case there are a few of you who haven't, please go check out The Nesting Place. It was the very first home design blog I came across in blogland, and her motto of "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful" is just the best.) Anyway, I just LOVED her armoire - the color, the tutorial, everything. And I waited. And waited. And finally the time came for me to paint something that beautiful color (it's Sherwin Williams Halcyon Green).

Since the Nester started out with untreated pine, she just dove right in and DIDN'T sand or prime (since she used paint with primer in one). This wood had definitely been treated before, but I'm sort of a lazy perfectionist, and a detailed sanding just wasn't sounding fun. So, I did a quick sand to rough the surfaces and get out a lot of the nicks and scrapes.

See? Nothing major.

Here's the stuff. Isn't that color awesome? I thought about being original and finding my own color, but why would I when this one is just so perfect???

The color actually looked great with just one coat. I didn't notice a HUGE difference with between lots of prep (sanding, primer) and what I did, which was minimal at best. If this were a piece that would be used and abused more often than this, I probably would've done more.

These slats were soooo difficult to get without drips or goops. Oh well - nothing's perfect in this house (oh, that is such a freeing feeling)!

I added some new hardware, but kept the original hinges.
And here it is in its new home! I only kept the best books that we use and packed the rest in the basement. Inside those drawers are our keys, sunglasses, and odds and ends. Inside the cabinet are all of my kid books and accessories - covered and out of sight! I love it!

Great quick tip: A tip I read somewhere (if you know of who to credit for this, please let me know!) is to take the shiny paper dust jackets off your nice hardback books. I did and it looks so much more cohesive and subdued. And they are the exact same books we had before!

Come back later this week for a before and after where somebody kept the wood - it turned out just as beautiful!

I'm linking this to Kimba's DIY Party at a Soft Place to Land.....go check out some fun projects!

So, are you a painted wood fan or a purist? Does it depend on the piece or the room its for?

A Failure Friday

2009-09-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to A Failure Friday! Only today, it's a different kind of failure. It's a diet failure. If you like caramel corn - you will LOVE this recipe. And actually, even if you don't, the cooking site I got this recipe from will be sure to have some sort of diet-busting recipe. (And probably have some diet friendly recipes if you're in to that sort of thing.)

Anyway, have you seen Our Best Bites? One of the authors is my best friend's neighbor and she introduced me to this blog last year. It is published by two real moms that give you some great tutorials for the kitchen. (Tutorials like how to peel garlic, cut a watermelon or mango, or even grill a pizza!)

It's September, so I'm feeling all fall-ish and I love caramel corn and it just seems like a fall recipe to me. (Although I ate it all summer long, so I really have no excuse. It's just. that. good.)

Anyway, here is the recipe, courtesy of Our Best Bites. They make their recipes so easy to follow (these are their instructions, so see below for how easy their stuff is)! Really, you must check them out!

P.S. The recipe is easily halved if it's just two or three of you eating, although I would always err on the side of having leftovers. You usually won't.

Caramel Corn

2 bags microwave popcorn (if possiple, use natural flavor, not buttered)
1 C brown sugar
1/4 C white Karo syrup
1/2 t salt (if you are using salted popcorn then omit salt here)
1 cube real butter
1/2 t baking soda
1 t vanilla

Pop popcorn and set aside. Place brown sugar, Karo syrup, salt, and butter in a microwave safe dish. I cut up the butter into chunks so it melts better. No need to stir, just toss everything in there.

Are you ready for the directions? I'm warning you, it's complicated. You might want to take notes. Here we go. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Take it out and stir it together. Microwave for 2 more minutes.

Told you it was complicated.

While the caramel is cooking, put the popcorn in a big bowl. Use one that is way bigger than you think you'll need. Just trust me. Also, try to get any un-popped kernels out so you don't break a tooth and try to sue me.

When the caramel beeps the second time, take out of microwave and add baking soda and vanilla. Sit back and watch it do cool things like bubble and foam.

At this point you'll probably want to stick your finger in there and lick it. Don't do it. You are mesmerized by the caramely goodness and are forgetting how hot boiling sugar is. Especially on your tongue. It's hot. Really hot. Don't ask me how I know.

Stir it well and then pour it over the popcorn. Mix it up well with a big spoon. I usually spread it all out on a piece of foil and let it cool for a minute so it doesn't get stuck in one big clump. The longer it sits out, the firmer it will get, but it won't ever get crunchy-hard unless you bake it.

For crunchy caramel corn: spread out on a cookie sheet (you'll probably need 2) and bake at 200 degrees for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. The other day I made it this way and then drizzled it with chocolate when it was done. Ummm....good.

A Dining Room Re-Do

2009-09-02T08:30:00.006-05:00

So, while we were on vacation, I still did a little decorating and I thought to take some before and after pics to share!

I've sort of stayed with the paint/re-arranging things side of my home and haven't forayed into the fabric/window treatment side of things. I just needed to take the plunge and what better place to try it out that on my parent's unsuspecting dining area???

My parents have been gradually updating their home and it looks great - but I spotted this awesome window treatment post on Young House Love (Have you seen this blog? If you haven't read their story, check them out!) and when I saw it, I had the motivation I needed!

So, here's the before:

I'm not sure why the walls look peach in these photos - they are actually a nice warm taupe shade. Taking photos of this room was a challenge for a photography-newbie like myself. All of the light coming in through the windows makes for a beautiful room - and hard for pictures. OK...moving on.....

Those valances were on all three windows, I just forgot to take the before pictures so we threw one back on. Ha ha.

Now, the spray-painter in me wanted so badly to spray paint those wooden dowels and finials with some oil-rubbed bronze or metallic spray paint! But, I really wanted the rods to look as if they were one solid bay-window rod. (Which I know they sell but I couldn't find any available THAT weekend and the Ikea rods we used were maybe 6 bucks a pop??!?)

So, we took down all of the existing stuff, figured out where we wanted to hang the rods. We chose a spot about halfway between the tops of the window and the ceiling and just got them up there!

Next we got some crown moulding (or is molding? Google isn't sure...) and painted it white (to match the baseboards and windows) to add some definition to the tops of the windows. This was inspired by a photo in the post I linked to above at Young House Love. It was the simplest thing to do - they cut it to length for me at the store - and made the biggest difference! (Well, see below for yourself!)

We got four panels (two packs of two) of Vivan sheer panel curtains at Ikea. And the curtain rings to match our rod, all purchased at Ikea. Then, the difficult part - getting the curtains the right length.

I'm sure this comes easier to MOST people (most things do!) but the hemming tape and I had...issues. But, after a lot of measuring and remeasuring (we wanted the curtains to barely reach the floor), the iron and I reached an agreement and somehow got the seams to hem.

For those of you (like me) who don't know what hemming tape is - the curtains from Ikea came in a standard length. You then measure how long you REALLY need them, fold the curtains to that length, and then insert this nifty tape:

in the fold and iron. Now, I'm totally guessing, but the heat from the iron kind of melts this tape and it forms a sort of no-sew hem.

I think I was afraid I was going to melt the fabric (not that I've ever done that ironing before *ahem*) so I didn't apply quite as much heat for as long as I needed to. But, we got it figured out and got the curtains up.

So, here's the AFTER!

We also cleared off the vinyl tablecloth to show the beautiful wood underneath, and left just one pot of sunflowers for some color.

Now, mom, the one thing we talked about but never did was get you a new dining room light fixture!!!!!!! Let me know when you get one so I can post a true after picture. Thanks for letting me experiment!!!

Working with fabric and window treatments was actually so FUN. I may even do it again.....

I'm linking this project up to Kimba's DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land. Go check out what other DIY-ers here in blogland have been working on!

A Quick Change

2009-08-31T07:20:00.000-05:00

Does anybody else just hate having to decorate that awkward space between the tops of the cabinets and the ceiling in your kitchen? Confession...this is what that space looked like in my kitchen for the first, oh, nine months we were in this house.

Yikes. It was a convenient place to store those nice, big mixing bowls that I only seem to use every year around the holidays. But I didn't LOVE the way it looked. So...my mom came to visit, took me to Hobby Lobby and we came up with this:

Much better!!!! The red vase on the left I already had in my basement, the key-shaped candleholder was on clearance at HobLob for 3 smack-a-roos, and the four plates are actually chargers that were less than 2 bucks a piece.

I have loved having something nice in the area where I spend a LOT of my time during the day! Lately, though, I've just been getting the itch to spray paint SOMETHING (you all know how that feels, right? Right???) and I just wasn't feeling the red of the plates. Too much color, maybe? (Sorry, mom.)

Considering they were $1.75 plastic chargers from Hobby Lobby, I thought "Why not?" and broke out the Rustoleum.

And I have to say, I LOVE the results!!!! Now it looks all white and creamy (much more my style lately) and like nice pieces of china. Extra credit for the Curious George white board on the fridge. Gotta love having toddlers in the house - they have their own decorating style, don't they????

What have you spray painted lately?

And.....we're back!

2009-08-27T20:46:00.006-05:00

So sorry for the extended absence!!!! Did you miss me?? **crickets**

I'm sure all of you are going through the same end of August rush to get kids (or in my case, a husband!) back to school and get a new routine in place. Special thanks to those of you who kept faithfully checking in with nothing new to see! Thank you for sticking with me. I'm so excited about the next several posts to share with all of you. And I hope to get a few great home/recipe submissions from some of you!

Anyway, here's what's coming up this week:

A little spray paint:
And some fabric:

And maybe even a little of this:

So do your sit-ups (believe me, the caramel corn is WORTH it!), get your spray-paint trigger ready and meet me back here tomorrow!!!

Ode to Craigslist

2009-08-13T07:00:00.001-05:00

The best bet for building your own home in progress is to look for home decor steals. Check out some of the blogs I have listed to the right for some inspiration. In honor of Thrifty Decor Chick's latest blog post on "de-crappifying" (her term, I LOVE it) her garage, I decided to show what happened when a Craigslist find met my frustration with my basement/playroom. My kids toys were kept in this bin storage set from Target for the past year. I love it, but the openness of it all was killing me.

Then, while browsing through Craigslist one night I found a great deal. A lady wanted to get rid of her pantry cabinet/armoire for $30! We picked it up the next day. It needs some new paint and shelve liners, for sure, but I was so anxious to get out with the old, in with the new we just brought her in as-is.

I love that it is a versatile piece that (hopefully) will be used for a while.

So, what are your favorite Craigslist/thrifty finds for your home in progress???

Pardon the Break.....

2009-08-12T09:15:00.004-05:00

I'm here! I'm here! I'm in the middle of three-week road trip to visit dear friends and family out west while we have a break from school. So we've been having lots of this

and this.

But I'm also working on updating a dining room for less than $50, reaffirming my love for Craigslist, and loving checking all of your blogs for those of you who left comments or are new followers. I'm even starting to plan a giveaway to thank all of you for showing me some love! I hope all of you are enjoying the last few weeks of summer.

Stay tuned...I can't wait to show you all of the new projects!

And I can't wait to show everybody yours! If you have a recent project success (or disaster) or recipe that your family loved, I would LOVE to hear from you and post it. I've got some great readers that give fantastic feedback! (wink, wink)

Functional Meets...well, Functional

2009-08-04T23:11:00.001-05:00

I first saw this idea on the fabulous blog (linked here for your stalking pleasure) How About Orange. I knew I needed a file cabinet - the one little Rubbermaid tote I had been using for all of our personal files/papers since we were a family of two was just not cutting it anymore.

First, I found a DEAL on Craigslist (how much do you love Craigslist? A post devoted to Craigslist/random thrifty finds is forthcoming) for a 4-drawer metal filing cabinet. **THRIFTY TIP ALERT**: A local University was getting rid of surplus office supply-type furniture and had a BUNCH of these cabinets for 10 BUCKS each. Score....

(Full disclosure: I didn't take a before shot of MY actual cabinet, but this is a pretty close idea of what it looked like.)

But it was too....metal. Office-y. So...I got to work.

First, I detached the hardware and sanded that sucker with my trusty hand sander.

Second, it got a nice coat of primer.

Because this filing cabinet would share space with the kids' playroom in the basement, I decided to go a little crazy. I painted the sides of the cabinet with, you guessed it, chalkboard paint.

And since the sides got chalkboard paint, why not do chalkboard labels on the drawers??? (LOVE it...it works perfectly!)

The top, front drawers and back of the cabinet got two nice coats of Rustoleum American Accents Heirloom White.
I also wanted to get rid of that shiny metal look that is standard with most office filing cabinets. I couldn't find the Krylon Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint that many of my blogging idols swear by, but I did like what I ended up using. It is Krylon Brushed Metallic spray paint and it worked like a charm.

(I was a little antsy to take the tape off around the hardware that couldn't be removed, so it's not perfect - but neither am I and a little touch of imperfection helps it fit right in at my house!)

I am so excited about how this turned out - it's totally functional for our family as a place to keep track of all of our important stuff and it's totally functional as a play piece for my kids as it resides in the basement with the rest of the toys.

Linked up to Kimba's DIY party at A Soft Place to Land. If you've never visited her, you must! And take a look at other great DIY projects!

A Failure Friday

2009-07-31T08:00:00.003-05:00

Come on, admit it.

You have had a project or recipe or something fail while you are building your home in progress. Anyone? Anyone? (Name that movie.)

And while I love, love, love all of the linky parties (in fact, I'm linked to some now) showcasing our project "wins" - you know that once in a while there are some project FAILS.... And I think that's OK. In fact, I think it's more than okay, I think it's fabulous. Who wants perfect projects all of the time?

So what better way to start the weekend than to laugh at some of our attempts to build a home that maybe didn't go as planned.

I'll go first, but I'm HOPING some of you out there will send me something I can use for next week's A Failure Friday.

Okay, I'm NOT a baker. I've had some successes, but mostly they turn out this way. This was my attempt at a German Chocolate Cake for my husband's birthday. No, don't adjust your computer monitor, it is that lopsided. Don't ask me why - I have no clue. It just ended up that way. We laughed, took a picture for posterity's sake, and ate it up. (It did taste good, which is what matters I guess.)

Chalkboard Labels

2009-07-30T08:00:00.005-05:00

**If you're just visiting for the first time, make sure to enter my first giveaway - 8 of these little labels. Click here to enter!!**

Count me as one of the many people who have fallen in love with the chalkboard spray paint. There are TONS of great posts out there in blogland showing what you can transform into a fun chalkboard with the help of a little Krylon Chalkboard spray paint. I decided to make some chalkboard labels - they were SO easy and cheap. I think (not counting the spray paint, which I already had in my arsenal) the total was less than $4.00.

Here's what I did. First, I bought these puppies at Hobby Lobby - they are in the back of the store next to all sorts of wood projects.

I think there were 8 thin pieces of wood for $.99 - not too shabby. There are TONS of different shapes - I went for the plain rectangle shape.

Then pull out your trusty can of chalkboard spray paint. I think it took about three thin coats to get it covered sufficiently. Then you let it dry overnight (as torturous as waiting for things to dry is, my experience with chalkboard paint is LET IT DRY).

Then, I usually just swipe the newly created chalkboard label with the side of a piece of chalk. The paint can suggests you do this, so I just follow the directions and it works. (Maybe like seasoning a new skillet or something?) I supposed you could live on the edge and just start writing on it - who knows?

Then, because I am using these as labels - I drilled two tiny holes in the top. I threaded it with some black ribbon (could have used white for contrast now that I think about it) and ta-da....new labels for my linen closet and laundry hamper.

Next week, I'll show you what happens when chalkboard paint and a filing cabinet collide. It's good - oh yeah, it's good.

How do you feel about chalkboard paint? Have you used it in an interesting or fun way? If so, let me know about it! I would love to share your ideas here on A Home in Progress.

Linking up to Kimba's DIY party at ASPTL. Go check out other great projects!

Quick & Easy Kids Bath Idea

2009-07-28T08:25:00.005-05:00

Since we rent, there isn't a lot we can do to change a room with painting the walls, etc. I know a lot of you are in the same position! I was looking for something to put up on a large, empty wall in the main bathroom my kids use. I didn't want to spend a lot of money, and I really wanted it to be fun for my kids. I would LOVE to have a nice guest bath with seashells and soaps and rolled up washcloths, but for now, this room is used by my toddlers 99% of the time so I really wanted it to reflect that in a cute way.

So........I found these great black frames (with white mats) for THREE dollars each at Walmart (yes, they're cheap, but they aren't being moved around a lot (at all) and they have stood up very well, actually!) and went to town.

First, I had my then almost 2-year-old help with some fingerpainting - I did the letters, and she helped decorate around them.

Then, I let them dry completely. (Took about two hours - did this during naptime.) When they were dry, I framed them in the bargain frames.

Next, I did the ribbons to hang the frames. Warning: if you have a black doesn't ever go with brown pet-peeve, just stop reading now. My walls are a nice deep brown. Since my frame was black, I used a darker brown ribbon to hang the frames because ~~it was the only color I had~~ I wanted to bring the colors together. I just cut four equal strips of ribbon, after figuring out how low I wanted the frames to hang. Then I just eye-balled the center of each strip, tied a bow, then hot-glued the ends of the ribbon onto the back of the frames.

Then, since I can never get a straight line EVER, and I didn't have another adult around to help - I decided to stagger the letters. I think it worked.

I also took a picture of my kids in their hooded bath towels after a bath one night and framed it. I used a small easel that wasn't being used to hold the picture.

My kids love seeing their art and a picture of themselves in the room, which (I think) is worth so much more than a bowl of guest soaps.

Magnet Board DIY

2009-07-27T08:32:00.001-05:00

Here's a quick and easy project for your kitchen, mud room, or any other place you can think of. Thanks, Rachelle!

Magnet Board

I got this magnet board from Robert's Crafts to dress up my kitchen. I first painted it black.

After finding a variety of red and black scrapbook paper I liked, I cut them to size and painted a layer of Mod Podge on the board to glue the papers down. Make sure to smooth out the bubbles (try a credit/debit card).

Let that dry and then apply a layer of Mod Podge to the top to seal it all in.

Thanks, Rachelle! I love that you can use a variety of colors to help bring your room together.

I'm linking this over to a linky party at Twice Remembered - go take a peek at other great DIY projects!

If you have a project, recipe or any other tip that has helped you with your home in progress - please send it in!

Yogurt Cake....mmmm...

2009-07-24T08:00:00.002-05:00

I'm all about ALL aspects of building a home here at A Home In Progress, so when I got this recipe from Erin at Home with the Boys - I just had to share! (It has ~~everything~~ NOTHING to do with my immense sweet tooth! Promise!) Without further ado....here's Erin!

My sister gave me this recipe and I fell in love. And now it is requested at special events all the time! It is very healthy and moist - a great combination for a cake! I usually make it as a 9x13 cake, but it works great for cupcakes as seen above. I made these for both boys' first birthdays.

And by the way, it is super easy and versatile. We have only done fruit flavors (strawberry, raspberry, peach) with a white cake mix, but you can use any kind of yogurt and cake mix combination. I might need to try chocolate next!

Yogurt Cake

Cake Ingredients:
1 box white or yellow cake mix
2 egg whites
1 cup water
8 oz. strawberry yogurt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix ingredients well (I use my stand mixer or a hand mixer). Pour into a greased cake pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the cake cool.

Frosting Ingredients:
4-8 oz. strawberry yogurt
1 8 oz. container of Cool Whip

Directions:
Mix together yogurt and Cool Whip. Apply frosting to the cake once it has cooled. Top with sliced strawberries if desired.

Refrigerate and enjoy!

Thanks for sharing, Erin! I love that you can mix it up with different combinations of cake mix and yogurt. Erin has more recipes on her CUTE blog, so visit her at homewiththeboysrecipes.blogspot.com. Or just click her cute button below:

Thanks again! If you have a recipe or home project you want to share, just email me at AHomeInProgress@gmail.com.

Now I'm off to the store to buy some cake mix and yogurt......

Easy DIY Art Project

2009-07-23T07:35:00.000-05:00

Yay! We have our first project submission here at A Home In Progress. (Which is really, really what I want this place to be - a place for those of us who are working with our own homes (thus, the name A Home in Progress!) to post our projects and tips and hints and finds and.......just anything!

Anyway, I LOVE this idea because it just seems so simple and easy and makes a HUGE difference in the room. Here's what she did:

I wanted some art to hang on the wall of my daughter's room but wasn't finding anything I liked. I just decided to try to do something myself!

First, I bought some blank canvases.

I knew I wanted circles to match the bedding, but I wasn't sure about the placement. I used the computer to create an outline of different size circles and different placements. When I got it where I liked it, I printed it off and used it as a stencil for the canvases.

I painted one color at a time with some acrylic craft paint. Then I did two more coats over each color so there was no canvas showing through the circles.

I also painted the side of the canvas so it looked better when you walked into the room.

I really like how they turned out and they were very inexpensive and easy! I am doing two more to make a set of four.

Thank you so much Jentry! I love the art and the fact that when you couldn't find something you liked, you just decided to make it yourself!

If you have a project you've done lately, or a yummy recipe, or any other aspect of building your home in progress, send it in! We need lots of projects to get started!

Reupholstered Chair Cushions

2009-07-23T07:05:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the delay in getting these photos posted, my camera is having issues. (Which figures since this is the week I decided to launch a blog!) Anyway, here's a quick and not-so-precise tutorial of how I reupholstered my dining room chair cushions.

In case you've forgotten, here's a reminder of the chair and cushion before:

The cream color really didn't stand up well to two toddlers learning how to eat independently and only succeeding about 50% of the time. Plus I just didn't love it anymore. Since we rent our home, I have focused more on making changes to the things that are ours (furniture, etc.) to help make the space more of my style. Anyway.....back to the chairs.

1. Buy Fabric. Because I'm a DIY-newbie (and total, total fabric newbie) I literally unscrewed one of my stained cushions, threw it in my bag and took it to the Hobby Lobby with me to find a fabric. I probably looked ridiculous (I stopped worrying about that a long time ago!) but I found a fabric I liked (I knew I wanted a toile, I love me some toile) and asked the lady working to help me figure out how much I needed. It was SO NICE to bring the cushion, because they aren't exact squares (more on that later) so we were able to be very precise in the amount of fabric needed. I got it all for $10.00 (on sale).

2. Since I knew we had measured the fabric correctly at the store, I brought it home and cut it into 4 squares (for the 4 cushions). Then, since the cushions were already unscrewed from the chair, I just started wrapping the cushion. You should start with the two sides that are most parallel to each other, so in this case, I started with the top and bottom because they are most closely parallel when compared with the left and right sides.

3. You just pull snugly (but not too tight) and start using your staple gun to hold the fabric in place. The corners are a bit tricky, especially for my shape cushion. I just folded them as neatly as I could. I knew it would look pleated and not perfectly taut, but that didn't bother me. I knew once the chairs were screwed back in, it wouldn't be that noticeable and really it looks kind of neat and tailored that way. But what do I know? I also trimmed the excess fabric after the cushion was completely stapled.

4. Just make sure when you do subsequent cushions that your fabric is all facing the same way - if you are using a striped pattern or something else, you'll want to make sure you start each cushion on the same stripe (or maybe you don't need to, it's totally up to you)! That's another reason why I loved the toile for this project, because it has so many things going on in the fabric, that as long as it all faced the same direction (I did towards the chair) it looked similar enough to be cohesive, but different enough to add some interest and variety to the table.

5. Because this is real life and not a show room, I sprayed the new cushions with this amazing fabric protector I also got at the Hobby Lobby. It has to set for 24 hours, but it is like super Scotch Guard, and any liquid that lands on the chair now beads up and slides off. MAGIC!

And there is my definitely not precise and definitely not perfect way of reupholstering my dining room chairs! If you try this, please share your results!!!

Cheap & Easy Flour Jar

2009-07-22T07:36:00.001-05:00

While I'm waiting on the reupholstered cushion pictures to come through, here's a quick and easy project that I literally did in about fifteen minutes and for less than $15.

I needed new flour and sugar canisters and I LOVED this etched glass look from Martha Stewart. However, I didn't have the time, energy or money to get all of the supplies needed for a project like that. (If anybody has done this project, send it in because I LOVE the look of the finished product!) I loved the jars, though, so I used that as my starting point.

First, I got these amazing glass jars that look similar at Hobby Lobby for 50% off - which means the large one (and it is LARGE) was about $4.00 and the smaller one for about $3.00. SCORE!

Then, I bought these craft stickers from the scrapbook aisle on sale for 50% off. It's a BIG pack of these cute, whimsy letters that I KNOW I will use for cards and future projects. An investment, if you will.

Then, I just strung the letters on some thin silk yarn that I had around. I first thought the letters were a little too scrunched (technical term) together, so I added a few beads in between the letters to give each one some definition. Then I just tied the yarn onto the jars necklace style pretty snugly and then just trimmed the excess yarn.

I loved the Martha clean and streamlined look, but I think this brings a tiny touch of color and fun to the kitchen without having to commit to anything big - when I get sick of them, I'll change them out!

Linked to Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest - click on over to find some GREAT thrifty finds and DIYs!

You CAN Do It!

2009-07-20T07:35:00.001-05:00

Hello Living with Lindsay readers! I'm so glad you're here. Read on to get the specifics of my table re-do, but make sure to click over here to enter a small little giveaway!

~~~~~~
We have had the same counter-height dining room table for the last four years. But with two toddlers, the table has taken a beating. Plus the shiny, brown veneer just is not my THING anymore!

Because our table was ~~cheap~~ not solid wood, I had been hesitant to change it to something I loved. Then this post from Living With Lindsay (such a fun site, you must visit) on how to paint laminate furniture (what??!?) inspired me. I CAN DO IT! And you can do it, too.

First, though, I must give you the before pictures (in all their embarrassing glory):

It's just so wrong.

Oy.

This picture makes the table look lighter than it really is, but I used my flash so you could really see the table and all of the scratchy loveliness. Okay, that's enough of that.

After a lot of work and patience, here's what my table looks like today!

OK, not really - here's what my table really looks like today (just keeping it real, here. Have I mentioned I have two toddlers in my house?)

So.....here's the step-by-step (based off the instructions from Lindsay in post I linked above. I'm telling you check her out)!

1. REMOVE cushions by unscrewing them from the chair and gag as you see the stains.

2. LIGHTLY sand the table, being careful to not sand into the particle board if your table isn't solid wood. I used a palm sander for the flat surfaces and legs, and then hand sanded the harder to reach crevices. (Those cross backs on the chairs were KILLER.)

3. PRIME the table and chairs. I used Zinnser BIN Primer and was very pleased with the results. In the interest of imparting lessons learned (I'm a NEWBIE, remember?) I did NOT have the primer tinted (DUH!) and so covering the white was a bit....tedious. If you are planning on painting your piece a darker color, see if tinting the primer is a possibility.

4. PAINT the table and chairs. The hubby and I used a foam roller for every part we could and used bristle brushes for the chair backs. I did three (or four) THIN coats of red (Ralph Lauren Hunting Coat Red) allowing lots of dry time between coats. Then I did three (or four) thin coats of black (Ralph Lauren Black Truffles) again allowing for lots of dry time between coats. I wasn't AS careful to get in all of the crevices with the black paint, since I had planned on distressing it to show some of the red underneath anyway. (Plus I was REALLY sick of those cross-backs, have I mentioned that?)

5. DISTRESS the table and chairs. This was the fun part (for me). I used a fine-grit sandpaper and lightly sanded the edges of the surface of the table and the legs of the table. I also did the edges and legs of the chairs. Just wherever it felt right. In THEORY, the black was supposed to sand away to reveal the red underneath, like so:

In actuality, sometimes the red was sanded off with the black, revealing my non-tinted (see step 3) white primer. It still looks fine, I just wanted to share what REALLY happened during the distressing process! (This is all about sharing and learning, remember?)

6. PROTECT the surface by using a polyurethane top coat, applied with a bristle brush NOT a foam roller (don't ask how I know this). A top coat was especially important for my project because it was a dining room table that would be used heavily (see above pictures) and wiped frequently. I used a semi-gloss poly, because I didn't want the look of the shiny veneer back.

7. ALLOW ample dry-time before moving the piece back inside and using it daily.

So, what do you think? Are you inspired to tackle some of your not-in-love-with-it-but-can-I-paint-it pieces? If you are, PLEASE send us the results!

Up next: recovering the chair cushions (easy peasy).

I'm (attempting) to link up to Kimba's DIY party at A Soft Place to Land. If you've never visited her, you must! And take a look at other great DIY projects!

Commencement

2009-07-19T16:56:00.000-05:00

Welcome to A Home in Progress! After months of daily visits to some of the best home decor/design blogs on the internet (see our blog list), I decided to take the plunge and start my own blog to post my own humble little projects and attempts at thrifty, cute and stylish home decor.

I hope for this blog to be a collaborative effort, for those of us who don't quite have enough knowledge to fill a blog on our own. (Which means I need your help! If you've recently completed a project and want to share your tips, lessons and photos of the finished project, PLEASE email us!)

So what is a home in progress? It's a home that isn't perfect. As one of the most inspiring bloggers out there, Nester, says "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful." Maybe you're renting and haven't thought much about making your house a home, maybe you're just getting interested in DIY projects, maybe you're new to the whole home-making process.

A home in progress is NOT a model home, it's a home where messes occur, where happiness thrives and laughter is found is abundance.

Welcome!

A Home in Progress

Organization Update

Tipping Point....

DIY Headboard...sort of.

Sneak Peek....

Organizing Winter Gear - A Quick Tip

Stovetop Potpourri

Cute Pumpkins & What Home Means to Me

Shutters Turned Wall Art & Your Submissions

A little tip…

Touches of Fall

Foodie Friday

Trash to Treasure & A Second Winner!!!

Bath Cabinet Update (oh, and a winner....)

KISS Principle

Hello! & A Giveaway

Because It's Monday & A Giveaway

*Not* a Painted Wood Project!

Adorable Girl's Room!

A Home In Progress This Week

Is Your Home Hip???

New Life for an Old Hutch

A Failure Friday

A Dining Room Re-Do

A Quick Change

And.....we're back!

Ode to Craigslist

Pardon the Break.....

Functional Meets...well, Functional

A Failure Friday

Chalkboard Labels

Quick & Easy Kids Bath Idea

Magnet Board DIY

Yogurt Cake....mmmm...

Easy DIY Art Project

Reupholstered Chair Cushions

Cheap & Easy Flour Jar

You CAN Do It!

Commencement

Not a Painted Wood Project!