Bathroom Makeover On A Dime

Before: The bright and cheery had to go.  Not because I was over and done with it since I hardly ever go in there (and hardly anyone uses this third extra bathroom upstairs anyway, except my five year old's occassional middle-of-the-night potty breaks), but because instead of the nice long window that had been over there on the left that allowed the bright morning sun to shine in, it was a big fresh hunk of drywall, nicely mudded/sanded/primed and ready for the rest of the walls to join him with a new color.  Even though our addition has been done for a few months, I still have so many other little things to "fix".  I'm so happy to have this bathroom checked off the "to-do" list!

Remember what you're seeing here.
The wood cabinet with the boring drawer pulls, the white towel ring...

My Dad came to stay with us.  I figured if I drew a picture, he wouldn't notice the mirror was missing. (Those are nose hairs, in case you were wondering if my dad grew a mustache.)  Forgot to take the before pic with the mirror up.  We took it down in a hurry to sell on our garage sale!  But it was just one of those boring wood framed, tri-fold, mirrored medicine cabinets.

I had picked this up at least 3 years ago at a garage sale for $2!!!  It had collected a lot of cobwebs out in my chicken house those last few years!!  Hold your breath, I'm not letting you see the after quite yet....  haha

Saw this at a garage sale this summer for $1 and figured it'd probably go with what I would eventually do...  so glad I grabbed it!!

Now for the part where you wonder if you should just go for easy over the wow-factor.  Nope, it's going to be on the blog!  Gotta make it special.  Horizontal stripes it is.  To do this, ditch the measuring tapes and rulers and use a level.  I did my stripes 16 inches apart.  For the most part.  These houses from the 1800's weren't built straight, yo.

Using the level, put it on your 16 inch mark, get that little bubble centered, and draw your line.  Then put  that wonderful, famous blue painters tape around..... and do your lighter color first, as it's harder to cover up dark paint.

Painted the cabinet some weird white I had.  I mixed a few other light colors in with it, but the bathroom is kinda dark and you can't tell.  Notice the drawer handle/pulls.  I was rummaging around in my chicken house to see what I could see and came upon that fancy old handle.  I LOVE IT!  On it went.  I think it came off an old end table I bought years ago.  It pays to be a hoarder.  Then I just painted the other knobs and the hinges black.  The mirror got painted turquoise and I covered it with silver glaze.

Yes, Angelina, I really do reuse my painters tape.

That ceiling is a very. high. cathedral ceiling.  I managed.  Just barely.  Stretched as far as I could go, with a  long paint brush.... uuuuuuugh... reeeeeeeeeach.......balance.......

 

Entire cost of project:
orange paint: Free - Mixed what I already had
white paint:  $20 but lots left for other stuff
drawer pulls: already had
towel ring: $1
mirror/medicine cabinet: $2
Towel hooks: already had
new turquoise rug purchased after pics took: $5 at Big Lots
Grand Total: $28


Oh yes.  Please weigh in.  My friend Debra says my light over  the mirror needs to go.  I don't think it's that hideous... what say you??  I would like to know.  But only if you side with me, cuz I don't want to go searching for a new one.  haha.


New Giveaway from Design With Life happening until October 10!!  Click HERE to get entered!!!!

Less than $200 a month for groceries

Okay, so I went over in January.  But check out February and April!!!!

How do I do it?  I've been dreading this post.  I don't know why really, I just have my way of doing things and I've been too lazy to type it out, I guess!  BUT I've been asked several times how I manage groceries for a family of five and guests over for meals at least once a week and keep it under $200.  So instead of taking the time to reply to each of you individually, I'll list some of the ways I make this happen and maybe someone else out there can benefit! In no particular order, here we go:

1. Limit the coupon usage.  Use them BY ALL MEANS, however ONLY use them paired with a sale AND if you will use the item.  Sometimes you can get things nearly free when you remember this.  I don't like to take a lot of time coupon searching, but sometimes if I have a paper coupon, I take a moment to pop over to coupons.com and see if there's also one for the same item that I can print.  This is when you get super cheap food.   We always have about 15 boxes of cereal in our cabinet, but I never, ever pay more than $2 a box.  Preferably around $1.  Just hang on to those coupons until there's a good cereal sale!

2.  Learn to go with out.  No, not starve yourself.  But do you really need that fancy steak?  I was just wanting some good hamburger real bad last month, but I was out of it and every time I go to get some, I'd look at the price tag and put it back.  So I make due with ground turkey until there's a super duper sale on ground beef. (See #5 for more on meat).   Even then, I don't buy the ground turkey unless it's like buy 10 for $10, get the 11th free (Meijer frequently runs these kinds of sales and when they hit - it's STOCK UP TIME, BABY!!). Which leads me to number 3.

3. STOCK UP.  If there's a mega sale, and it's not a perishable item (obviously, most normal humans can't consume 20 bags of spinich in a week), buy alot.  And remember, always grab from the back, as they have longer expiration dates.  Older stuff gets shoved to the front.  Every great once in a while, Meijer will actually have four boxes of pasta for $1!!!  THIS, folks, is when you stock up.  Talk about eating on the cheap.  You can have enough to last you until the next good sale.

4. Never throw out leftovers.  Seems like that should GO WITHOUT SAYING!  But I can't believe the people I hear that say that don't do leftovers.  If you can't eat the same thing twice, make something new with it.  Ours either get eaten for lunch (yes, into the hubby's lunchbox for work even), made into something new, or frozen and pulled out at a later date! When people are at my house I often get this "you're going to save that small amount?!  It's not even a whole serving!"  When my kids want a snack, guess what I just might pull out?  They didn't eat it at supper, but they're hungry now.  Guess they'll be having the rest of their supper for a snack!  No, I don't buy them fancy little Go-gurts, crackers already spread with peanut butter.... yes, my children are highly deprived.

5.  Meat.  If I have to buy meat from the store (I usually just purchase a whole pig from Joe Brandt and have it made into what I want at the locker) I never, ever pay over  $1.89 a pound.  This goes for anything.  No exceptions.

6. Here is a food that's super duper cheap and if you're struggling with money, you need to take a look at:
Potatoes!!!  You can buy a huge bag of these for just a couple dollars and there are endless amounts of things to do with them.  We eat a lot of potatoes, not just because we like them, but they're cheap.  (Eggs is another one of these cheap foods you can do a lot with).
Potato Ideas:
-Cut up leftover ham and make scalloped potatoes and ham.  Hello, comfort food!!
-Potato Soup
-Baked potatoes
-Mashed (garlic, cheesy, etc.)
-Crunchy potatoes (My all time favorite....recipe coming soon)

7.  Buy frozen concentrate juice.  Stock up when there's a sale, and Old Orchard occasionally has printable coupons to boot.

8. Buy off brand.  Get off your high horse and try it.  Most of the time, there's not much difference.  My frugal friend Cilla once told me her that her kids would only eat Heinz 57 ketchup.  Sneaky Cilla, she would pour the cheaper brand into the Heinz bottle and her kids would never know the difference!  (They might tell you otherwise, the color was different and they were on to her!  But she'd get sneaky again and mix them together....)

Let me know how you do with your next grocery bill! :)  Happy Saving!!!!

New Giveaway from Design With Life happening until October 10!!  Click HERE to get entered!!!! 

Before and After Photo - Trey

Photo Before:

Okay, this little guy is cute.  Stinkin' cute.  Not just cute.  STINKIN'. Cute.  But those few things on the carpet distract from his gorgeous eyes.  And who's tan pants are in the corner?  You don't have to take your kiddo to the studio.  Just take a few minutes and mess with a photo you got!  This took all of about 2.3 minutes.  Cropped it, faded the edges, changed the coloring to sepia, and "cloned" the carpet over the toys and nameless legs. :)

Now we have nothing to distract us from this little darling!!!  Oh, and I use Roxio Photo Suite.  It's pretty uncomplicated, which is perfect for me!

Upcycled and Stenciled Canvases

How obvious is it that I love me some turquoise?!!!!  I just can't help but sneak it in there.  

There were originally my pal's that my mom picked up at her garage sale for me.  They were black n' silver.  I gave them each a simple new look with leftover gray wall paint and a stencil.

In case you aren't into turquoise like me.... this one's for you.

and lastly, my favorite stencil.  Which is pretty much obvious if you're been a Kammy's Korner fan for long.  You can see it on my furniture, canvases, hubby's chest....  just seeing if you were paying attention.


New Giveaway from Design With Life happening until 


October 10!!  Click HERE to get entered!!!! 

http://todayscreativeblog.net/

Nursery Wall Decor

Okay, I'm trying to redeem myself after yesterday's awful leaf mirror!!  Haha!  BUT just to show you that this leaf thing I got goin' on CAN be cool, I did this one.  The mirror was a flop.  I admit.  Bad.  However, with some spray paint, a print out, and cute 3D owl sticker....  It can all go right!

After hot gluing all the artificial leaves around the wood 8x10 frame, I spray painted it all light pink.

Then typed out a little saying on Microsoft Word and printed it, adding a cute 3D owl sticker and put the glass on.  Wa la!  See, you don't have to necessarily love the project, but you CAN get inspired by it (as Jenna did when she also so my ugly mirror from yesterday!  haha!)  Click HERE to see yesterday's flop.

This will be for sale at my craft booth this Saturday at the Tompkin's Center Freedom Festival.  You don't want to  miss this!  Civil War encampment, tractor show, old cars, flea market, bake sale, and more!!!  Over 2,000 attendees last year!

Well, what do you think??  Let me know if I've redeemed myself!  :)  And I promise.  No more ugly mirrors.  Well, at least for awhile..... 


New Giveaway from Design With Life happening until October 10!!  Click HERE to get entered!!!! 

http://kammyskorner.blogspot.com/2012/01/and-lastly-well-stencil-footstool_04.html

What Kammy does with an artificial rose bush

The first thing I thought when I saw this rose bush at a garage sale?  "Those are the perfect roses for hair accessories!!!"  It was only 50 cents and I got a mother load of beautiful roses off the bush.

Here's one simple headband I made with one of these "flowers of love".

  (Purchase these headbands  HERE)

After I pulled all the roses off, I was going to toss the basket and greenery on the burn pile when.... I started thinking about what a waste it would be to just trash all those nice leaves...  ahhhhhh I can be such a hoarder!!!!  Anyways, I snipped them all off with a scissors and stuffed them in a baggy then I got the idea for gluing them around a mirror.  Now tell me, is this just CHEESY????  Cuz I'mmmmm not sure.  I guess we'll see since I'm planning on bringing a couple of them to my craft booth at the Tompkins Center Freedom Festival Saturday.  I used jute twine to hang the mirror from.

Then I hot glued some around a frame and spray painted them black.  Kinda liked that effect!  Better than leaving them green, in my big fat opinion!  Next I think I'll do some pink, red, turquoise...........
http://todayscreativeblog.net/

It Is Well With My Soul...

Yeah, so this was my lousy attempt a couple years ago to make a sign for my back porch.  Boooo, Kammy. 

Anytime you see me do something with words, it's probably going to be this style of lettering since it's the only letter stencils I own!  I was actually inspired by one of my bestest Iowa friends in the whole world, Heather Brandt, with this word art.  (Check out her etsy shop if you get a chance for awesome prints starting at 2.99 and click HERE to see how I used some of them in my son's room).  So for this here work of art, I just painted the whole sign dark gray, stenciled on my saying (I had to think of one with words containing four letters or less since it was such a narrow piece!) and then sanded off the edges just a little bit so some white shows through.  And you know what?  Because of John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" it is well with my soul!!!

Coming soon: A Heather Brandt GIVEAWAY!!!  Credit to her etsy store or a print.  Be on the watch for this great opportunity!!!

A Table Inspired by her Comforter

An old co-worker of mine is very creative.  This works great in her profession as a teacher!  I had the privilege of working with this wonder woman aka Kris (and believe you me, that's an understatement! or would that be underdescription since it wasn't exactly a statement? oh sheesh)  for two years in a Michigan School Readiness classroom full of rambunctious and wonderful four and five year olds.  Those were the days.  Practically straight out of high school, a newly wed in a new state, and I knew nothing!  Goodness, oftentimes I look back now at that poor teacher I was an assistant to and wonder if she felt like I was a burden rather than an aide!!!  Well, ANYWAYS, now I have rambunctious and wonderful little ones of my own!  And I love how Facebook reunites people.  Kris told me about a table she painted a hibiscus on that was inspired by the comforter on her bed and I said well shucks, that's right up my alley!  Send me some pics!!  She didn't, however, think to get a "before" shot of the table, but that doesn't really matter I guess.  Here is the Tommy Hilfiger comforter on her bed that inspired her: 

Sorry it's a little fuzzy, FB pics are so not good!!  Just wanted ya'll to see the super cute shape of this darling little table!  I think my mom has this exact same table, still in its shiny wood 80's glory. :)

And here's the delicate painted hibiscus painted on the to.I love how she striped the edge of the table!  Super cute, Kris!!!

Giveaway Winner! Congrats, Lorie!

We have a winner!  A signed copy of Seasons: a real story of an amish girl goes to....

Lorie from The Smith Family 

And that's Lorie when she reads this (except I think Lorie's a woman, not a man.  Use your imagination.  After all, this blog is all about vision!  haha).

Lorie was randomly selected as the winner of our giveaway. Lorie, you have 3 days to claim your prize before I randomly select a new winner.  Please contact me with your name and address.

Thanks to all of you who entered!!  My apologies if you're not Lorie, however you can still purchase the book (and make Elizabeth Byler Younts a very happy author) on Amazon by clicking HERE.