Decorating for free...!!

I think most of us, who share a love of making a house a home, love a good deal. In fact, the better the bargain, the happier I am. I have always loved achieving a great look for less, and it doesn't come any cheaper than using that which we already have! So, in that mindset, I decided to go poking through boxes in my basement and garage, and sifting though the stacks of linen in my linen closet. I discovered happily that I have a veritable treasure trove, albeit modest, already in my possession...just waiting to be pulled out of storage!

I have shown you my apron collection before, and lamented that I really don't have a proper spot to display them. Although I picked up a great wooden rake that is just calling out for me to hang them there, I don't have a great spot for the rake (which probably means I shouldn't have bought it, but it was such a good deal!!). So, my poor aprons have been languishing in my linen closet, and I longingly take them out and hold them up to admire from time to time...


Well, today I decided I would add some spring colour to my home, as the weather is so nice, and I am putting off raking the rest of my grass. I decided to wrap the aprons around the frame of my dining chairs for a cheap and easy slipcover of sorts! They look so pretty, but do clash a bit with the rest of the room...so I may only leave them there for a while. I will, however, start looking for gauzy white aprons that would look so much more fitting. ***by the way, if anyone knows where I can purchase some, please let me know...keeping in mind, I live in rural Nova Scotia, Canada!***

I also made a checker board and a few tic-tac-toe sets to share. I used a leftover floor tile for the checkerboard, made the grid using permanent marker and a crown stamp, and used some pretty blue rocks and miniature sand dollars I bought last week (in a bag of 100) for $10 as the pieces. I want the games for outside, as my kids love to play while they sit around the outdoor table. The XO'S game is played on another left-over tile, that I cut into four equal boards. The tiles were backed in mesh, so I simply used scissors to do the cutting.

Sometimes you can find things to decorate in the funniest of places. This glass jar of old marbles was hidden behind the cafe curtain in my bathroom. I think I stuck it there a while back, while cleaning, and I just rediscovered it while I was spring cleaning. The marbles became mine when they were left behind in the little old house we renovated a few years back.

Now for some incredible artwork!! This painting was done by my daughter. She painted it last year, and I found it inside the piano bench. When I showed it to her, she exclaimed, "My little robin bird!" Needless to say, I wrote that on the back of the painting and framed it using a cheap, but effective, plastic frame from Walmart. I perched it on the piano, and it makes me smile at the sweetness of it.

The top of this little armoire was very bare after I took away the Easter decorations. The other day, while walking with a friend, I picked these pussy willows and stuck them in a vase. Pussy willows always bring me back to my childhood, when I'd pick them alongside the road and rub the bud between my fingers, pretending it was a lucky rabbit's foot (which I'd never touch anyway!). Again, free and easy ...and readily available in ditches near you!

As promised, here are the tiles I bought from Joy. These frames I already had hanging in my bathroom. While they could be prettier, sticking to my motto, they were free and readily available for immediate use. I simply put a pretty scrapbook paper behind the glass, and mounted the tiles directly to the front of the glass using double-sided tape. That way, I can change the frames when I see some I like, and also remove the tiles when I find my "forever home" and then permanently attach them amongst some pretty tile in my kitchen or bathroom.

Now, aren't you inspired to go "shopping" in your own home??

For no reason...

I think the best kinds of gifts are for no reason...given to us just because, when we are least expecting it, and when we have zero expectations. One of my favourite childhood memories stems from just such a gift. As I have mentioned before, I come from a large family (six children) and, as is often the case in large families, hand-me-downs abounded - and new clothes, bicycles, and the like were few and far between. We were by no stretch spoiled, and grew up treasuring our things and taking considerably good care of them. That trait has remained with me and, in fact, I hate to lose something...anything...and am very careful to give a final glance around when I go anywhere with the kids... making sure we are all "packed up". It is funny what we carry with us from our childhoods, and an appreciation for belongings is one of my "quirks"...one that I seem to have passed onto my children (at least most of the time...).

Well, like I said, one of my favourite memories involves a gift, and not just any gift. I think I was six years old or so, and my sister was ten. We lived in a wonderful round-about subdivision, where we could call on friend after friend and ride our bicycles with considerable freedom.

As my father needed our car to travel to work each day, our mother would often walk about a mile to the nearby K-mart to run errands. One day, as my sister and I were playing outside, we could see our mum walking down the long hill towards us carrying a K-mart bag, in addition to her usual grocery bags. We ran off to greet her; and to our surprise, as we reached our driveway, she announced that she had "gotten us something" at K-mart. She was grinning rather mischieviously, and we bounced up and down begging her to show us.

Not expecting what she would pull from the bag, we gasped as she pulled out a beautiful new outfit for each of us!! Now, you see, we were used to getting new clothes only at Christmastime, and would get one new outfit each to begin the school year with. My young mind began straining to think if there was a holiday I had missed, and coming up with nothing, I cried, "But Mummy, why did you get us these??" My mother shrugged, and said, "No reason...they were marked down in price and I thought they'd be pretty on you girls." Still stunned by our good fortune, I breathed..."For no reason?"

I couldn't believe our good luck, and to this day I vividly remember those outfits. Mine was pink: pink polyester gauchos and a swirly pink peasant top...the kind that had an elasticised neckline that would sit on your shoulders, but pop back up once you moved your arms. My sister's was nearly the same, but in pale blue. While hers was very pretty, mine was PINK, and I squeezed my mum's waist with a huge hug for knowing my favourite colour. I don't know if she ever knew how much that pretty gift meant to me, but I think that for once, I felt like one of those "spoiled girls" who often got things for "no reason". Looking back, I am glad that I wasn't though, as I think it has left me with an appreciation for that which I have, and a respect for the dog-eared and tattered that need a little help to reach their full potential. I firmly believe that just because better is out there, it doesn't mean that I need it...or necessarily even always want it. The frugal side of me will never leave, even though it sometimes scatters on a shopping trip. Still, the things I buy now "for no reason" are pretty minor in the scheme of things...

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I recently got some beautiful gifts in the mail from some very kind ladies. The first, this pretty basket filled with bath needs and chocolate (which is long gone) was from Angela @Cottage Magpie: In my mind, this gift definitely qualified as given "for no reason", although Angela claims she gave it to me as a thank you for being supportive of her and her beautiful site. Indeed, Angela has encouraged me in my endeavours...and I so appreciate her great advice.

I also received this fun gift from Lanny @ Simply Me as I recently won her blog give-away. I don't know about you, but give-aways are one of the greatest things "invented"...and certainly qualify as a gift for no reason! Lanny made these beautiful letters, customized for me using gorgeous paper (another great use for scrapbooking papers) to match my kitchen. She also sent me a big bag of Jelly Bellies, which my kids are gobbling up as quickly as they can. I think they are taking the EAT sign at face value...Thank you Lanny, for going to such trouble and work for a fun give-away!

I also received four tiles from Joy,

...and although I purchased them through her online shop, she wrapped the package so beautifully and also threw in a lovely vintage label for me. I immediately adhered it to a glass jar of glitter that I had, and I will think of Joy's kindness each time I look at it. I will also show you soon what I did with three of the tiles I bought from her. Basically, all of these gifts were for no reason, and I challenge you to give someone you care about a gift of your time or talents with the same intent. Feel free to drop me a line, message or link to your blog if you post about it, telling me of your "just because" gift.