Top 10 - Room Revitalizers

Tired of the same old room but have no time?  Or money?  Or both?  If only David Bromstad would sweep in with his HGTV team (and biceps) and transform it! And while I am constantly checking HGTV and DIY Network to see how to make that happen, I never seem to even live in the right city to apply, much less get picked for the shows.  In the meantime, here are 10 affordable and easy ways, in no particular order, to make you at least fall in "like" with that room again.  Most of these tips can be used for ANY room in the house.  Be a rebel and use two. 

1.  Deep Clean - I'm talking auto detailing clean.  Dust the fan, clean the corners, vacuum the drapes!  Just like your car looks brand new, your room can too.

2.  Make it smell nice - What a difference a Glade plug-in makes!  Rotate the fragrances to reinvigorate the senses.  The room you used to avoid will now be the place to take a deep breath before attacking the day. 

3.  Two words - Fresh Flowers

4.  Rearrange  - This can apply to a completely new furniture layout or simply rearranging the accessories. 

5.  Change the throw pillows - Want to save money?  Make or buy slipcovers.  

6.  New window treatments/curtains - Even putting in new budget friendly aluminum or vinyl mini blinds can make a big difference. Add drapes to an undressed window.  Rods are inexpensive and I like to make panels using hemming tape and curtain rings.  No sewing required!  Have the time and money?  It's hard to go wrong with plantation shutters. 

7.  Add or change the rug - Yes! You CAN put carpet on carpet. 

8.  New light fixture - Don't be intimidated by electricity.  If you turn it off, you have won.  Every new fixture comes with instructions, but if you need a visual, here is a video to help. 

9.  Change out all the pictures - Keep the frames and put in new art/photos.  *Hint: calendar pictures and scrapbook paper are art.*  A fresh take is to change out art collages for mirror collages. 

10.  Paint - I know you know that paint makes a difference.  Use your current furnishings to pick a color on the opposite side of the color wheel to make the most impact.  To save time, paint an accent wall.  Even better, paint a single polyurethane stripe around the room or multiple stripes on one wall.  The difference isn't as subtle as you might think.  If you are going to paint stripes, invest in a laser level.  (Mine was free with my Hercules Hooks.)

Happy revitalizing!

Pinned There, Done That

Once a month, I share a "pinspired" project!

I'm sure many of you have, or have seen, the cute decorated keys blanks you can buy. In fact, this is what my house key used to look like.

 Source

That's right. Used to. After countless door lockings and unlockings, adventures at the bottom of my purse, and baby slobber showers, my house key has seen better days. Which wouldn't really have been a problem, except, my other cute key was in pretty bad shape, too. And it was getting tough to tell them apart. I know...poor widdle Sawa. After wallowing in self-pity for about half a second, I decided to take matter into my own crafty hands!

There are a million and twelve glitter tutorials on Pinterest, including, keys. Since I couldn't seem to find my actual pin - what is with that? - Kaylie and I just winged it. Don't worry, it's not rocket science. In fact, it's easy enough a four year-old can do it! (However, I googled this tutorial for you just in case you like to read instructions.)

Our supplies

"I'm already ready already, Mom!"

My super-fancy-key-holder

Killing time while we wait for the first coat to dry. :)

 

That key is too pretty for that door, no?

A big "toes up" for the awesome new footwear! :)

Kaylie and I are pretty happy with how this one turned out. It was practically instant gratification. (It took less than a hour. And we did two coats of modge podge and glitter. Although, I did make her wait about an hour before letting her try her flip flops on...just to be safe.) Plus, there's glitter! While I'm not one of those girls who puts glitter on EVERYTHING. I do still love a good glitter craft. It makes me feel like I'm about eight years old. Not bad for an afternoon, huh?

Funny Story of the Week - Silly Things (My) Kids Say

Welcome to Funny Story of the Week! Where every week, we tell a funny story! :)

This is my 4 yr. old daughter, Kaylie. (In case you can't tell, the picture is supposed to be of her cute, little sweater. Because, in her mind, what could possibly say "cute sweater" better than 3-D glasses? Nothing! That's what!) 


Sometimes, she says the funniest things. 


Case in point: Yesterday evening.
         "Whoa! That scared my craps right out of me!"


How about you? What silly things do you hear kids say?

What's for Dinner?

My husband wanted burritos for dinner tonight. So we had burritos with rice. Here's my dinner making routine from start to finish. Don't forget to wash your hands!

Let's start with the rice.  I have a rice cooker (thanks to my husband) which makes it super easy to have flavorful rice in little time with minimal effort. 

I put 1 cup uncooked white rice, 2 cups chicken broth and 4-5 large tablespoons of salsa verde in the bowl. 

Set the cooker to COOK and let it go.  While the rice is cooking I started on the burrito meat. 

I used ground turkey, a taco seasoning packet and two bell peppers (I know only one is pictured).  The refried beans, cheese and tortillas will be used later on. Here's a tip: to make grating cheese even easier, put the cheese in the freezer until you're ready to grate it. 

Cook the ground turkey until all the pink is gone and the meat is cooked through. Drain any fat from the meat. Dump the taco seasoning in with the meat and add whatever amount of liquid is listed on the packet. Stir the meat so the seasoning mix coats the meat evenly. Simmer the meat until the liquid is absorbed. The meat is ready at this point. 

If you're like me and enjoy poisoning your husband with vegetables then this next step is for you. I didn't have any normal burrito fixin' vegetables so I added some chopped bell peppers into the meat mixture. 

I cooked a can of refried beans in a sauce pan and thinned them out using some milk. You don't taste the milk and the color still looks natural enough to eat. This picture is during the in between stage while the milk is still being mixed in with the beans.

When the rice was done cooking I took the cheese out of the freezer, grated it really fast and make myself a tasty and quite filling burrito. 

Gossip Bench - Let's Talk About It

  

I revive furniture.  It's what I do.  A pretty house cannot be filled with gross old junk and tearing upholstery!  That said, not everything has to be brand new either.  Well made furniture has a life of its own.  It can be passed from generation to generation (case and point, the beautiful brass bed that I have that once belonged to my great-grandparents).  It's not a part of your life; you are a part of its. 

 

And, this gossip bench is not done talking!  A little elbow grease and VOILA:

This project was pretty straight-forward.  First thing, I unscrewed all the upholstered pieces.  SAVE YOUR SCREWS!  Once I had the frame by itself, I realized that some of the nails were missing or falling out.  Not uncommon for a 50 year old piece.  A little hammering here and little screwing there and the frame was once again sturdy.  

Next step, a good cleaning.  I start by vacuuming all the dust and spiderwebs off.  This piece had a rare treat, A LIVE SPIDER!  Like I mentioned before, life of its own.  Following spider removal, I turn to my secret power-through-grease weapon, Dawn.  It's a successful slogan for a reason.  It shouldn't be a shock that something that houses eight-legged friends is covered in years of dirt and grime.  A quick pass with a non-scratch sponge and the difference is amazing.  I keep a towel handy to dry as I go.  Standing water is not good for any type of wood.  Allow the furniture to air dry before applying any oils, etc. 

  

**Please note that I only use soap and water on wood furniture that has a protective finish.  Also, for this particular piece, I am restoring it, not refinishing it.  Refinishing would involve stripping the wood to its bare state, thus making cleaning the existing finish unnecessary.  I do not recommend Dawn for everyday wood cleaning.**

Coming up, reupholstery.  Unless there are extenuating circumstances, I remove all old fabric instead of just putting on a new layer over it.  Try to remove the old fabric carefully to use as a guide for how much fabric is needed and as a pattern.  Cut the new fabric and secure it using a staple gun.  Corners take some practice but, I second the advice, wrap it like a present.  

 

 

 Once the frame had some time to air dry, I used Old English Scratch Cover to hide the scratches and nicks in the wood.  If possible, I like to keep the original wood as original as possible.  I don't mind if a vintage piece is a little rough.  I see that as character.  (However, if it was too far gone, a total refinish would have been in order and that would have evened out the stains and scratches to make it like new.)  Follow the directions on the bottle.  Apply the polish directly to the scratch and then buff the whole area.  Eventually, I covered the whole frame.  It does stain, so be careful!  I allow the piece to dry overnight just to ensure I don't get any polish on my freshly upholstered pieces.

 

Finally, it's time to put the piece back together.  Just screw the upholstered pieces back in, and admire the before and after.  Go ahead, sit down and chat awhile.

Top 10 - Things in my Ravelry Queue

1 - Millie

2 - Smitten

3 - Bella's Mittens

4 - Cabled Boot Topper

5 - Lace Napkin Edging

6 - eternalism vest

7 - Snuggle

8 - Correa Hoodie

9 - All-Over Eyelets Top

10 - Mystic Pullover

(If you are a knitter or crocheter and have never heard of Ravelry...go check it out RIGHT NOW! Do not Pass Go. Do not collect $200. It is an invaluable yarny resource. You will not regret it. And it's free. That's right...free. You've got nothing to lose.)

Welcome to the Nut House!

Well, technically, I live in the Crafty-type house...but most days around here are pretty crazy. :) I'm Sara, the oldest (and therefore, BEST) sister. This blog was my idea, so it only seems fair and right that I start things off. 

My sisters and I often joke that if you could somehow take the three of us and make us into one person, we'd be the ultimate woman. Delicious meals for dinner every night, a beautifully decorated home, and a "Huh, I could make that" attitude. (Not to mention, well-dressed, well-coiffed, and witty.) :) 

See? Don't we look witty?

Since science has yet to catch up with our brilliant idea, this blog is our next best thing. Here, all three of us will share our mad-skills with you. (And hopefully, you'll share back!)

I'll be posting on Mondays with all things handmade. 


In the middle of the week, Audrey, the middle sister, will share tips, tricks and tutorials to achieve our dream house. 


Jenni, the chef (and the baby), will serve up some tasty recipes just in time for weekend meal planning and grocery shopping.

Plus, there will be other random and fun things going on during the week. 

So, direct your browser to threestronghouses and join in the fun...because if the three of us are great together, imagine how awesome we'd be with you in the mix!

Doesn't that look like fun times? Come on, you know you want to hang with us! (So, apparently, the three of us TOGETHER are kind of elusive. This is the most recent pic I have of all of us. I was pregnant with my daughter. She's four now.)