Don’t throw away your couch, but give it new life with the following tips. You’ll save some money and transform that lived in look to fresh and new. Removing Pet Hair Lint roller just don’t work on pet hair. I’ve found that a weekly vacuum using a hose works really well. The key is to attacking the pet hair often so it doesn’t have time to embed itself into your fabric. For a large amount or set in pet hair, put on a clean pair of rubber gloves, and run your hands over the fabric. The pet hair will begin … Continue reading →

The other day we were out shopping in Lancaster county, at a little gem of a store. We were looking for something very specific for our home, a set of three candles that we loved but had decided to wait on purchasing until we were sure we really wanted them. On the way through the store, I stopped to admire some fall decorations and picked out a lovely little pumpkin with some hand carving in it. Unfortunately, the price wasn’t too lovely, especially for my husband, but it did inspire me to look beyond cost to find some more frugal … Continue reading →

I love the fall. It has to be my favorite season of all. The weather is crisp but summer, the afternoon sun has that warm glow reflecting off the colorful leaves, the fall festivals, hay rides and farmers markets are in full swing, and you expect the smells of apples and cinnamon every where you turn. Getting our home ready for fall is one of my favorite things to do. It just seems to warm up the whole place and makes me feel like snuggling my kids and trying out a new recipe, such as pumpkin whoopie pies. It also … Continue reading →

Did you know that your local thrift store can supply you with high quality art? Yes, I know what you are thinking, all of those paint by number paintings or water damaged prints are not your idea of good art. But that isn’t what I am talking about at all. Here is how to get some real treasures at your local thrift store. First of all, go right past the art section without passing go. Okay, you can peak at it if you like, but you will probably be disappointed. Instead, go to the book area. Pull out any books … Continue reading →

You’d like a showcase worthy home, but you just can’t or won’t spend thousands of dollars for great pieces to make a room. Here are some tips that you can use to bring down the cost of decorating your home. I’ll give you specific examples for different areas and how you can save on each one. Lighting Lighting can be different things, depending on the room and even the area of a room. Lighting can be practical, such as task lighting, or mood setting. You can use lighting to attract or enhance different elements. But lighting is definitely one of … Continue reading →

Don’t you just love walking into one of those model homes (or maybe visiting through a design show on television) and seeing how elegantly everything is put together? One thing that I usually notice is all of the fresh cut flowers. They do really make a difference in the home, and yet how many of us actually have fresh cut flowers in our own home on a regular basis? There are a couple of reasons why having fresh flowers at home is important. Studies have shown that looking at attractive or bright colored flowers can boost your mood. So think … Continue reading →

I have to confess that we still don’t have curtains on most of our rooms, even having lived here for almost three years. We have curtains in the bedroom and bathrooms for privacy, and the curtains in the dining room that came with the house. Other than that, well, let us just say that since we live in a house set back on a wooded lot, we haven’t really felt a pressing priority. Still, now I am ready to move forward in this. Of course, I want to be as frugal as possible when it comes to purchasing new curtains. … Continue reading →

I just came across a cool article about tables make from books. I have always wondered about ways to make something out of nothing. I have explored furniture made from pizza and delivery boxes but somehow it never looked sturdy or sanitary. They do serve as good supports for temporary bookshelves though. I’ve looked at furniture made from plastic or wood crates as well too, but it’s just appeal to anyone over 21. (You can use them as the base of a bed though without anyone ever knowing they are under there. Just make a platform out of the plastic … Continue reading →

With this economy, there have been some interesting developments regarding the buying and selling of furniture. Read this post so you can take advantage of buying and do the best you can. We had been looking for a new dining room table that would seat all five of us and maybe a couple of guests as needed. We survived using a small game table for two years, because we didn’t want to spend too much. We finally did get a great table along with the matching six chairs. The economy has really affected the used furniture market. Here is how. … Continue reading →

As the weather gets warmer and you start planning for guests and parties, you may be wondering if your home needs a quick update. Without spending much money (or even any in some cases), you can update your home and give it a new look. Here is how. Raid the whole house Shop in your own home first. You might find some things that would go better in a different room, or create an impact if they were arranged near each other. This is the first step that many decorators do. The look around for what the client may already … Continue reading →