Home Improvement

One of the things on my spring to-do list has been finally outfitting my backyard with a little more style. With my table and garden in place, I was pretty much there - it just needed some personality. So when Blogher asked if I'd be interested in checking out the new summer collection at Pier 1, I jumped at the chance. I'm already a fan of Pier 1 for party supplies, candles and tabletop items but I hadn't thought about them for outdoor. Off to the store I went.  Read more

[Editor's Note: How do you give a piece of cheap looking department store furniture instant character? With an intentionally scuffed up paint job of course. Laura from House of Joyful Noise gave her modern day armoire a rustic vintage feel instantly with a fresh coat of paint and and a few scratches. The end result is so fantastic I might no longer be overlooking new pieces of furniture at the thrift store. With just a few strategic sandpaper spots the look of well used vintage can be applied to any piece of furniture no matter the age. - Jen]  Read more

[Editor's Note: Next time you buy wooden blinds and are thinking of discarding the extra at the bottom, think again. A Girl With a Glue Gun came up with a fabulous way to reuse and improve them. Kim was a guest blogger over on So You Think You’re Crafty and shared a great tutorial for up-cycling extra wooden blinds. All you need is some craft paint, chalk, stencil and of course some extra wooden blinds and you are all set. - Jen]  Read more

[Editor's Note: After reading Liz Marie’s blog my plain solid colored walls seem so boring. I always thought of myself as rather daring in the home décor department, but these striped walls make me feel like a wall flower. Some people might be afraid of hanging anything too busy on a striped wall, but I think the combination of different frames, flat prints and 3D objects gives the wall even more depth and interest. I can’t wait to see what the room looks like when all the furniture gets put back. - Jen]  Read more

[Editor's Note: There are some pretty chic wrapping papers available these days. Seems a shame to wrap a gift with some of these beauties only to watch it be torn to shreds and then thrown away. Enter Aunt Peaches and her bright ideas about home decorating with wrapping paper. She had a friend with a blank wall begging for a statement so a few trips to the fancy paper store and Ikea later they were ready to get their home decor on. The end result is nothing short of genius. My mind is turning a million miles a minute with thoughts of where I can display my collection of vintage wrapping paper. Not just wrapping paper - think pages from wall paper sample books or scrapbooking paper. - Jen]  Read more

[Editor's Note:Who knew plastic elephants from the dollar bin could look so sophisticated with just a coat of red spray paint? Apparently Cassie over at Hi Sugarplum knew. These shiny red bookends look like something straight off the pages of a high end decorators catalog. What was once a cheap kitschy plastic toy was transformed into a fancy and functional piece of home décor eye candy. I can hardly wait to make my own set. Think I might go with dinosaurs or tigers. - Jen]  Read more

[Editor's Note:The Crafty Little Gnome is officially the Michelangelo of Sharpie markers. Feast your eyes on the amazing hallway transformation she created illustrating her own custom wallpaper. She took a plain hallway and revamped it into something that looks like the entry into a magical kingdom. Every detail is perfect from the contrasting blue chandelier to the custom faux keyhole endowed doorknob plates. - Jen]  Read more

[Editor's Note: The clean lines of well painted stripes can add interest and fun to almost any piece of furniture. Liz Marie can not only apply the perfect stripes she can pick the right table, paint and finishing hardware. Take a second look at some of the boring brown furniture around your house. Could stripes be in your end tables future? -Jen]  Read more

[Editor's Note: A while ago my seven-year-old brought home an essay she had written in second grade talking about her love for her bedroom. It brought back memories for me of all the time I spent in my room as a kid and especially as a teenager -- that was my space in which I felt safest, most "me." Giving a child some room to breathe in the family is important, but what do you do when you've got more kids than rooms? Tracy decided to give her oldest her own room, but she didn't have a budget to completely redecorate. Lend her your thoughts? -Rita]  Read more

[Editor's Note: This post covers all the hidden expenses of buying a home -- a must-read for anyone in the market for the first time. -Rita]  Read more