Wordless Wednesday

First day of school

Kindergarten & First Grade!

Miracle Makeover Appreciation

I want to take a brief moment to thank the following people for leaving a comment for the Miracle Makeover Fundraising drive posted earlier this month. You can read about it here. 

Kelee Katillac from Design Gives Back is the mastermind behind Miracle Makeovers. Your comments here combined with thousands at several other blogs, including Between Naps On The Porch, helped raise $5503. These funds will be split evenly to Friends of Kids with Cancer and to the materials fund for the next Miracle Makeover. So a BIG THANK YOU to my Playful Decor readers!! This award goes to all of you!!

Wall Decor Trees

I love trees on walls!
My favorite are the birch or poplars, but any tree will do.

Seeing the Light at Ikea

I must be the last person on earth to go into Ikea. It's like knowing Google is around but using a different search engine. I had seen the minimalist Poang chairs before and honestly don't care for them so I guessed all their furniture was like that. So wrong! Here are my picks that will someday soon be in my house....

I want new sofas and given the prices I will now consider these, but for those of you who have these sofas, how well do Ikea's slip covered sofas hold their shape?

5 Tips For A Successful Yard Sale

You've got the junk. Now what?

Hosting a garage or yard sale can be both a fun and daunting task. Fun that you meet new people, chat with your neighbors and yet you spend the prior days pricing and then an entire day(s) waiting for people to come and buy everything so you can make money. Anyone will tell you it's a lot of work and they did 'ok' making money, but they didn't sell as much as they thought they would.

Is it worth your time and effort?

Decorating For Different Aged Boys

This has to be the ultimate for a decorating dilemma!

How can you decorate a shared bedroom for two boys with a larger age gap? Possible? Yes! Even if they have different interests, which they likely will, there is always a way to combine or at least meld the two into a seamless theme.

courtesy of Molly at Just A Little Creativity




If you're decorating for one teen boy, this post will be helpful.

Recent Frugal Finds

I found this old decorating book as I was going through my grandmother's belongings. I haven't read it yet, but I'd like to see what the experts were advising back then.

Decorating For A Teen Boy?

Absolutely!

Decorating a bedroom for a teen-aged boy could be an oxymoron, but not in my book! Teen boy rooms will just be approached differently. When kids are young, we do the "super cute" thing, then we do the big boy or big girl tween rooms. Still cute, but a little more refined. I recently had a comment from a reader who needs ideas for a 15 year old boy whose hobbies include camping, hiking and water skiing.

Johnny Collison completes climbing the Seven Summits 

January 2011.

5 Tips For Choosing Paint Color

How long does it take you to choose a paint color?

I admit that, for me, sometimes it is very quick and correct. Other times it takes a while and I still don't get it right. So I've come up with a fool proof plan that works for me and hopefully it will work for you. And this works best for the lighter colors. I don't know why but I've spent more time trying to get to right lighter shade then choosing a stronger color.

for my new office!

Miracle Makeovers By Design Gives Back - Comments For Cancer Drive!

I'm so pleased to introduce you to the Miracle Makeover Program by Design Gives Back!    Kelee Katillac is an Interior Designer and founded the makeover program to brighten the lives of cancer patients. Each year she, along with a truckload of volunteers, creates knock-out, fun and inspiring bedroom re-do's.

PLEASE pass this on via all your social networks - 
we have ONLY 4 DAYS to help! 

Your comments raise funds for the next makeover!

Charlie!

5 Tips For Buying On Craigslist

Have you been cheated or royally burned by a craigslist seller?

I have.  I paid too much for the desk below and bought a scale-covered sink because I forgot to remember simple things.  But thanks to many transactions, I now have a checklist of must-do's before I buy. It's not going to be foolproof, but it helps when my mommy-brain is turned on.

I paid $120. I Should have paid $80.

Bunk Beds!

By Witt Construction 

Painting Tips & Pinterest Drips

Do you have a set formula for choosing paint color?

Are you methodical or scattered? A little of both?

5 Tips For A Safe Garage Sale

I love garage sales!

I prefer to go to them rather than host them, but I've done both enough times that I've learned some things and hopefully you will to.  Frequently, when I go to one I find myself critiquing what the host did well or not so well; and how they could have sold more to me or made it safer. 

Striped Wall Nursery

WOW.

I just love that striped wall!

It makes a statement without shouting.

This nursery is the creation of Sarah, a friend of Amanda at Kuzak's Closet.

Office: Target Furniture & Painting Update!

I've made some progress in the past several days in my soon-to-be workspace. Yesterday, I ordered the desk above. It is the Naples Executive Desk from Target. No, I  don't consider myself "executive" and I did not go searching for it but instead made a quick decision on a craigslist desk!