Dining Room Chairs....

 

Remember how I found these dining room chairs at the Habitat Restore for $60?  I am working on transforming them with a little bit of homemade chalkpaint....

I took some sand paper and started the distressing.....6 chairs + 1 table adds up to a lot of painting and distressing!

I ripped off the disgusting seat covers...

When I am doing a project and I need to keep track of screws, I always put them in a baggie and tape them to my piece....

I recovered the seats with drop cloth....the same material that I used to slipcover my wing back chair......

{Notice.....I didn't finish the legs yet???}

I love the look of faux grain sacks....

{source}

I plan to add the faux grain sack stripe to the seats, I just have to first decide on a paint color for the walls......which may take another 5 years!

Although.....would a scroll-ish stencil in white look good??

Still painting....

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Looks like homemade salsa....

I'm not sure why my brain never thought of this idea, but sadly....it didn't!

This is the creation of my wonderful friend, Cheryl, who is an amazing cook!

We had a homeschool Mom's night and she brought this amazing looking salsa.

When we asked her how she made it, she said that she just "spruced up" jar salsa!

Here's what you'll need.....

I started with corn, red and green pepper and tomatoes.

I also added some black beans and Cheryl suggests fresh cilantro.....I never

have fresh spices, but if you do....add them!  She says the are the best part!

I just chopped the veggies that I had leftover in my fridge....many times I get 

the $0.10 and $0.25 ones off the "not-so-fresh" veggie table at our local country store....

that's mainly what I put in my "homemade" salsa.

The salsa was a healthy part of this beef taquitos meal....I'll share that recipe with you 

later in the week!

Doesn't it look like it's made from scratch!

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Pendant Giveaway....

A few weeks ago, Virginia  from Artsy Vava linked these beautiful DIY pendants to Thrifty Thursday...

I just fell in love with them.....they are beautiful!  For a complete 
tutorial of how to make it, you can go HERE 

for her step-by-step instructions......she made them from Scrabble tiles!!

So I emailed her and asked her if she would ever be interested in giving one away and she said YES!!!

So as my Valentine gift to you for reading.....I am giving away this beautiful pendant!!

All that you need to do is follow me and leave me a 
comment.....and would you be willing

to follow me using the new Linky Followers??

If you get a chance, hop over to Artsy Vava.....here are some of Virginia's other fabulous projects!



{Shredded Paper Heart}

{Valentine Bouquet}


I'll pick a winner on Valentine's Day!!

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Linky Follower Tool

Before I went away to Hawaii, I had the opportunity to be a 

part of a group to test the new

Linky Follower Tool...

Can I just say "kudos" to Brent for developing this AMAZING program

in such a short amount of time!

As many of you know Google is taking a lot of their
"extras" away from the blogworld......I can't even talk yet about the loss

of Picnik!

One extra leaving for all non-Blogger users is the Google Friend Connect (GFC).

It is also rumored to be eventually disappearing for Blogger users, too!


Linky Followers is and awesome replacement for GFC.  
It is very easy to use AND it's FREE!!

If you want a complete tutorial for how to use it, check out 
THIS POST from At The Picket Fence.

To celebrate this fun new blogging tool, Cheri from 
It's So Very Cheri is hosting a party?

So break out your poodle skirt and saddle back shoes

 cuz’ we’re having a LINKY FOLLOWER PARTY HOP!

RULES:

1. You MUST have the LINKY FOLLOWERS tool on your site to participate.

{You can have both the LINKY FOLLOWERS & GFC on your site but you must have the LINKY FOLLOWERS to participate in this party hop.}

2. You MUST follow the person who has the party on their site as a thank you.

3.Just add your blog button to the LINKY PARTY below.

4.Then grab the BLOG HOP code

You will find the code right under the Linky Party where it says CLICK HERE TO ENTER–

just under that it says: WHAT IS A BLOG HOP? GET THE CODE HERE 

Click on GET THE CODE HERE and enter it into a post on your site.

You can grab the party button code in the FOOTER at Its So Very Cheri

You can grab info from my post if it helps you with your post.

5. Then you follow other bloggers–(as many as you want)
–leave each one of the blogs that you follow a comment letting them know you are following them and ask them to follow you back.

If you want to add the BLOG HOP to your own site you will get lots of new followers–(see rule #2)

…So do ya want to go Cruisin’?

I plan on HOPPING from BLOG to BLOG to follow everyone who follows me.

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Thrifty Thursday #46

Well....I'm back....a little jet-lagged!  We flew all night and lost 5 hours simultaneously....whew!  


I can't wait to share our experience in Hawaii with
you all.....fun times, but also some 
that involved my hubby riding with a complete stranger who was 
carrying a gun, the Honolulu Police
Department and Google maps to snag a criminal!!


C-R-A-Z-Y!!


I checked in at one point at the Apple store and saw that there were
178 LINKS last week....WOW!!!  Thanks so much!


Creatively Living shared this easy-to-make DIY Ruffle Lampshade....

The Painted Hive shared this amazing tutorial for how to make your own decal transfer label....

she also included a FREE printable for these amazing labels!!

Jessa Jill crafted this beautiful ruffled wreath with some inexpensive white fabric...

And some Valentine inspiration....


Cheap Crafty Mama made these marbleized hearts from paint and shaving cream....

Happy Hour Projects made these quilted heart coasters...

The Crafted Blog Stalker made these pretty paper hearts.....

More Style than Cash gives step-by-step instructions to make these chocolate roses....

A Little Inspiration shared a wealth of free printable ideas.....

If you were featured this week, feel free to grab one of my buttons!

Here are some very simple suggestions for the party:

1. Please become a follower of Thrifty Decorating.

2. Be sure to link to your POST and not your blog.

3. Please copy and paste my link button somewhere in 

your post or blog so that others can link back.

You can also party with Johnnie 

at Saved by Love Creations!

Or Erika at Thrifty and Fabulous!

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Dining room....progress??

Way back when.....I embarked on a project.....the week before Thanksgiving I decided to "redo" my dining room....what a DISASTER that was!

It didn't start badly...in fact, I really like my Craig's List hutch that I painted with homemade chalkpaint....

I also like my Habitat Restore chandelier that got a new life with a little bit of spraypaint....

The disaster was (and still is!) the paint....

In fact.....I am so paralyzed by the paint color that I've been ignoring the room for 2 months now....I just can't pick a color.  I'm not sure what is wrong with me.....maybe it's the fact that I  had FOUR colors on the wall in a span of 1 week??

The other problem was that I had a dining room table and no chairs.....it's a long, confusing story, but I sold the chairs on Craig's List because at the

time I had no dining room....it was a school room.....but then the flood came....and we redid our basement and I moved our classroom to the basement.....told you it was confusing!

So I was left with a table that I hauled out of our basement and no chairs....

But I recently saw these on our Habitat Restore Facebook page....

They were $10/chair and there were SIX of them!!  I tried to bargain them down, but it didn't happen....$60 for 6 solid wood chairs is a good deal, I guess....

I still have no idea what to do with the walls.....but I know what I'm going to do with these chairs!  It involves homemade chalkpaint, drop cloth and faux grain sacks!!

I'll keep you posted!

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Inexpensive Valentine Art.....

I made this project last year and despite all the excess glue....it still remains one of my favorite projects....

I took an old frame from Goodwill and painted it with white paint.  I then rubbed glaze onto it....you can also use stain.

I grabbed some foam board....you can buy it at The Dollar Tree for $1.00.  I had some scrap lying around...

Take some red cardstock and cut a circle and then cut a spiral...

Start in the center and begin to glue your rosette.....use SMALL dabs of glue....I used GLOBS!

I ripped some strips from the want ads in the newspaper and then glued my rosettes in the shape of a heart....

I had leftover scrapbook stickers and added the word LOVE...

It was a quick and easy project that can be customized however you like!




If you like this project....would you PIN IT??

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Being featured....

My cake pops are being featured today at the 14 Days of Love

over at Design, Dining and Diapers!

Be sure to stop by and see the other great projects linking this week!

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Easy Chocolate Truffles

Rebecca from Sister-Dipity is guest posting for me today while I am hopefully

enjoying the warm beaches of Hawaii!!

Her post is just in time to make some wonderful treats

for Valentine's day!

---------------------------------------------------

This chocolate truffle recipe is so easy and so delicious! They are very rich, filling little chocolate bites that would make the perfect little treat for your Valentine!

Here's what you need...

• 1 12oz. bag of milk chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup sweet cream butter
• 1 bag Heath English Toffee Bits
• 1 bag Andes Creme De Mint Baking Chips
• miniature cupcake liners

In a medium sauce pan melt the entire bag of milk chocolate chips with the whipping cream and the butter on low heat, stirring frequently. 

When the chocolate is smooth and the butter is completely melted, remove from heat.  Pour into a glass pie plate.

Refrigerate for about two hours.  The chocolate should become firm, but not too hard to scoop out.

Set out the cupcake liners individually so they are ready to go!

Pour the toffee bits in a small bowl.  Pour the mint chips in a separate bowl.

Using a spoon (I actually like to use a small cookie dough scoop), scoop out small spoonfuls of the chocolate.  Shape into a ball.  Drop ball into one of the bowls of toppings - either the toffee bits or the mint chips and roll until completely covered.  Then set the truffle into a cupcake liner.  Repeat process...over and over and over!  Roll some in the toffee and some in the mint chips for two different types of truffles.

Refrigerate truffles until ready to serve.

I like to put these on pretty plates or tucked in fancy little boxes to give as gifts.  I always get tons of compliments on these little treats!  And they are so easy!

I usually use the mint chips and toffee chips when I make truffles, but you can try lots of other tasty toppings too.  In the past I have rolled them in nuts, coconut, sprinkles, and cookie crumbs.  I have also rolled them in red and white peppermint bark pieces as seen on the left side of the first photo.

Surprise your sweetie with these homemade treats this Valentine's Day!  They are sure to impress!

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Be sure to go visit Sister-Dipity!  Here are some of Rebecca's other projects....

{Peaches and Cream French Toast}

{Canning Jar Ring Wreath}

Thanks so much, Rebecca, for visiting!

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