First picture: my master closet with my rack that was a fixture being sold when World Market went out of business here. Second picture: a wall in my library with a bench that was in my dining room and some paintings that I made based on a Loudon Wainwright song. Master Bedroom Before:

After:

My bedroom redo: Switched out the curtains and the bedding, changed the rug and added baskets to hold all of our magazines by the bed. I think it is much more comfortable and bright (though, this picture isn't the best).

In an effort to get my house all "finished" up for our neighborhood homes tour fundraiser this past Saturday, I was downing 32 Red Bulls a day, forcing my mother to work long sweat shop hours, and working on every house project I have had on my list for a year. Of course, I had known about the tour for over a month, but only really started working on everything for the past two weeks. Thankfully, we got most everything done and the tour was a raging success! Now, I can start sharing some pictures with all of you.  The first project is our front porch. It went from blah: To boo-ti-ful:

 One of my favorite decorating tools is a can of spray paint because I always love adding color to a space.  And yes, you can come over and hang in my hammock swing for the 10 minutes a day that I am not in it. 

Three steps. 1. Buy mason jars, wax beads, and wicks at any craft store. 2. Place wick in jar. 3. Pour beads over in jar. Done.

Saturday was a big day for me. First of all, I woke up early (so proud of this) and then met up with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law to embark on an olympic day of thrifting. We hit garage sales and antique stores, then hit a giant end of business sale at a wonderful downtown store. 

I fell face first into some awesomeness.

Exhibit A: The chair you see below. I love the detail of the wood and the caning in the seat. Oh, and I only paid 27 bones for it!

Exhibit B: The lamp to end all other lamps. Gold, vintage and huge; be still my heart. There are even tassels, TASSELS. I love you mister lamp. I love you more that you were only 50 bucks. Luf you. 

(sorry, the pic is sort of crappy)

I also found a cool rolling cabinet that I am going to use in our master bath. It was $10 and needs to be sanded and get a new coat of paint, so I'll hold off on the pictures until I can share the before and after. 

The moral of the story is, wake up early and go to thrift stores and garage sales. Then, reward yourself for your great effort by purchasing interesting pieces and going out to lunch after. Be sure to have an afternoon glass of vino!

The talented (and newlywed!) Rachel of Dwellings and Decor and Design Lovely is inviting us into her home today. Lucky Rachel lives in Hawaii and her decor reflects her surroundings perfectly. If you haven't made it to either of her blogs, be sure and take a look as they are both full of inspiring posts and images.  Click here for the tour 1. What city do you live in?  Napili, Maui, Hawaii. 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 1 kitchen, 1 living room/office. 20 foot ceilings, working with a small budget and making a living/office space comfortable. Painting my side table and printing out free art and framing them.  No, I am the designer. :) My inspiration is mainly from online photos and also from nature and my view. My favorite places to shop are at second hand shops, my mom's house, Hale Zen on Maui, and checking out blowout sales at hotels that are remodeling. I also love Ross & Target. Thanks Rachel!

I am so excited to have Jackie from Sweetie Pie Pumpkin Noodle share her gorgeous home with everyone today. She has the most amazing knack for assembling wonderful vignettes with fabulous accessories and her creative style is spot-on.  Take a peek at the tour and then read her informative responses to the home tour submission questions. Thanks, Jackie!

Click here for tour

1. What city do you live in? I live in the central valley of California. 2. How many rooms are in your house/apartment? 3 bedrooms/2 baths. 1524 sq feet.  3. What is the biggest challenge in decorating your house/apartment? One of the biggest challenges is my indecision!  I like so many different things that sometimes I don't know which direction to go in.  One of the reasons I enjoy finding things on a budget (besides pure necessity) is that I won't feel as bad if in a few months I already want to change something up.  It's nice to have a few interchangeable items that you can switch out with your mood or seasons.   4. What is your favorite DIY project? I've made my own artwork for the walls - http://sweetiepiepumpkinnoodle.blogspot.com/2008/06/mystery-craft-revealed.html  and re-covered a lampshade with fun colorful fabric - http://sweetiepiepumpkinnoodle.blogspot.com/2009/05/super-easy-diy-fabric-covered-lampshade.html, and those were both super easy and wallet-friendly DIY's, which are my favorite kind!  I actually have so many DIY ideas still in the works that I can't wait to get started on.  It's a never-ending process around here!   5. Did you hire help in decorating or remodeling? If so, how did you find the right designer/contractor for you? No, I did not hire help.  I did, however, win a free consultation with the kelly + olive team - http://www.kellyandolive.com/welcome_home.html, who created a plan for my family room based on photos I sent them and a description of where I would like to take the room.  Based on that information, they sent me a six-page customized plan for re-decorating the room, complete with color palette suggestions, furniture and accessory recommendations from around the web, floorplan ideas and suggestions on how to work/re-work with what you already have.  I have already implemented many of their ideas, and am enjoying the room so much more now.  You can get the same plan for only $250, which is a great affordable alternative to having someone actually come to your house and do it all for you - http://sweetiepiepumpkinnoodle.blogspot.com/2009/02/check-it-out-kelly-olive.html. 6. Where do you find your inspiration for decorating and what are some of your favorite places to shop? Blogs have been my greatest source of inspiration.  I like magazines too, but what I enjoy about blogs is that there is so much more variety out there.  And I love to see people's real homes and how they really live, not just ones staged for a magazine shot.  Flickr is a great source too. Some of my favorite places to shop for home accessories on a budget are Target, HomeGoods, Marshalls and thrift stores.  Thrift stores are my favorite because it's like a treasure hunt, and when you find something at one, it is so much more rewarding than just picking something off a shelf in a big box store. For affordable and unique art I love to shop etsy and 20x200. Locally, I enjoy going to the Alameda antiques fair and checking out all the great vendors there. Thanks again Jackie!

I keep seeing those cool fur chair covers all over the blogosphere and I really wanted to have the same look without spending much money on a trend that may not be around for a long time.

Via Design Crisis (I am going to try and talk Erin into a home tour!)

Ikea was my first thought, but unfortunately, there is no Ikea in Omaha or its surrounding areas - though ironically there is a large Swedish population (Jules Marie!). Which led me to believe that I wouldn't be participating in the furry excitement.  Then, while rearranging my library and being frustrated by the nasty upholstery on an inherited chair and no money to recover it anytime soon, I had an epiphany. I would make my own with a tacky (read: cheapo) zebra rug I got at Marshall's some time ago and finally decided that even though I only spent 20 bucks on it, that I could not in good conscience use it in any room of my home.  Here is what I came up with:

I know it's not perfect, but now I do get a similar look, get to cover my gross upholstery, and find a use for the rug. I feel pretty good about that.

Ok, we didn't quite have a party this past weekend, but we did bust our backsides on our yard and in the process planted a little vegetable garden. I will share the backyard pictures in the near future (still have a little to do), however I will give you a little peek at mine and my husband's little baby. First a garden, then a dog, then a baby, right? I'm SOL if I can't keep these guys alive. 

I am now eagerly awaiting the arrival of fresh herbs, fruit and vegetables, right from my backyard. I'm sure you all know how expensive it is to buy fresh herbs at the grocery store, which is unfortunate, because they add a ton of flavor to your recipes. We will be saving buckets of moo-la once our plants get going. Oh, and the double tomato idea? We love them in our house and probably go through a container of cherry tomatoes a week. This, again, will save us a ton of money. 

If you live in an apartment or just don't have any space for a garden, a window with good light will certainly do the trick. We still use a window in our kitchen as a perfect home for some more little pots with a host of other fresh herbs. You can start them from seeds, or buy a starter kit from any garden store. 

Grace from Poetic Home is one of the nicest bloggers I have virtually met. The adventure seeker that she is, lucky Grace is in the midst of moving to Hawaii so her entire house is packed into boxes and is not really up for touring right now. Though, she does promise once she is settled she will make us incredibly jealous with pictures of her new home.  Hey, hey, hey. Don't pout. Really, stop. You are starting to embarrass yourself. We still get to take a peek at some of her wonderful vintage pieces. Feel better? Great!

Click away for the slideshow.

Notice the birdcage she repurposed into a chandelier? Can't get much craftier than that. Since, she was renting but still wanted a glamourous feel, the chandelier was her solution. So very clever.  The card catalog, yup, another repurposed item. The movie theatre seats... you guessed it, repurposed. Notice a theme here?  These are all fabulous examples of ways to bring character and personality to your home and proof that you don't have to spend a fortune to achieve a great look.

I love surfing the online galleries of my favorite shelter magazines. I think it is a great way to find inspiration and steal ideas for rooms in my own house, or for the rooms I help design. The problem is, I am not going to pay out the wazoo in order to get that same look. Plus, who wants the exact same room anyway - it's already been done. What I want to do is take bits and pieces of the design and then create my own interpretation at a much more affordable rate.  First up, this bold room.

Via House Beautiful

1. Red Butterflies pillow: designhutusa $26 . 2.Striped Ruffle pillow: Hettle $17.  3.Ostrich print (John Murphy): Supermarket $35 4. Red Kilim Ottoman: Pier 1 $129.98. 5. Blanket: Ikea $29.99. 6. Curtains: Ikea $39.99. 7. Starburst Mirror: Target $59.99.