Art and puzzle table

Our little play corner was begging for some TLC. I really wanted to have a space for the kids to sit comfortably to create art and work on puzzles--ideally something with some toy storage.

Look no further than IKEA for the basics, I say!

For under $60, I snagged a couple of ottomans, coffee table, wall lamp and some craft supply storage.

IKEA 365 44oz jar with lid (three for $2.99 each)

We keep the jars in a basket tucked away with paper and other art supplies in the adjacent cabinet.

LACK coffee table ($19.99) with Target's Sterilite Guacamole Green Plastic Basket (3 for $2.99 each)

SOLSTA PÄLLBO footstool (two footstools for $14.99 each). These have removable, washable slipcovers--perfect for cleaning up art messes.

SNÖIG wall lamp (green color was on sale for $7.99 in store; white and pink lamps are $19.99)

Budget
Stools = $29.98
Containers = $17.94
Table = $19.99
Wall lamp = $17.99
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TOTAL = $57.96 + tax

Organized craft closet

I suppose most people have catch-all closets, which is what became of this closet, originally intended for craft and sewing supplies. Crammed with clutter (although the perfect hide-and-seek spot for my kids), this closet was begging to be organized!

And, voila! Not a really dramatic change, but oh so much more functional. All I did was shift everything around into zones using existing drawers, boxes and other organizational tools.

SEWING ZONE: Color-coded fabric in an organizer right next to my sewing machine.

SEWING ZONE: Three drawers stash small sewing supplies like thread and needles, cross stitching miscellany and scrap fabrics.

GIFT AND CARD ZONE: A simple slotted rack on the wall displays greeting cards to choose from more easily than if stored stacked in boxes. I can also see, at a glance, which occasion I need to restock (anniversary, birthday, get well).

GIFT AND CARD ZONE: Rolls of wrapping paper and gift bags are stowed in a corner, along with tape and tissue paper.

GIFT AND CARD ZONE: Extra envelopes, address labels, standard thank you cards and stamps are tucked away on the wall adjacent.

IN PROGRESS ZONE: I tacked up some corkboard tiles on which to pin projects in progress, as well as magazine clippings and ideas. A tray on the desktop just below holds bulkier unfinished projects.

FILING ZONE: A row of magazine files are labeled according to my most frequent filing needs.

ART SUPPLY ZONE: I reserved the top middle shelf for miscellaneous art and craft supplies. Labels on the outside of clear drawers cut down on wasted time spent digging for stencils, stamps, scrapbook paper, etc.

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It's nice that everything has a "home" now, so I'm much less tempted to just pile things on the desk or shove them into a corner on the floor. I can walk in and find what I need quickly and have more motivation to put things back where they belong when I'm through.

How do you sort and organize a closet? Does "zoning" work well for you?

OLIVIA party :: Budget and where to buy

This is the fourth and final blog post about the now infamous Olivia party! :) I thought you readers out there might like to see a list of where I bought supplies and such. Where you see "free" that means I already owned the product.

FOOD & SERVEWARE

• Cherrybrook chocolate cupcake mix (36 ct)... $10, Kroger
  
• Strawberries... $6, Kroger
• Watermelon... $5, Kroger
• Popcorn... $3, Kroger
• Mini-pepperoni pizza... $8, Kroger
• Chips and salsa... $6, Kroger
• Beverages... $12, Kroger
• White Beverage Napkins (50 ct)... $2.49, Oriental Trading
• Baking Cups & Picks (100 ct)... $4.99, Oriental Trading
• Polka Dot Napkins (40 ct)... $2.29, Target
• Square Red Plates (36 ct)... $3, Walmart
• Reusable Red Kids Cups (12 ct)... $4, Target
• Reusable White Adult Cups (12 ct)... FREE
• Red & White Straws... FREE

DECORATIONS

• Red Balloons... $10 for one dozen, Kroger
  
• Red and White Polka Dot Ribbon... $2, Hobby Lobby
• Foamcore for Lifesize Olivia... $5, Hobby Lobby
• Red Pennant Banner... $7.99, Oriental Trading
• Paint and brushes for art project... FREE
• Exacto knife... FREE

ACTIVITIES

• Egg Olivia Craft... $3 for Easter eggs, Target
• Olivia Coloring Pages... FREE
• Dress-Up With Red Mirror... FREE
• Basketball, tee-ball, croquet... FREE

FAVORS

• Red Pails (12 ct)... $8.99, Oriental Trading
• Red and White Swirl Lollypops (24 ct)... $9.99, Oriental Trading

MISC PARTY SUPPLIES

• Invitations (20 ct)... $7.60, Target
• Postage (18 ct)... $7.92, USPS
• Red Polka Dot and Black Damask Gift Wrap... $2, Target
• Black cardstock for thank you cards... $3, Walmart

TOTAL= $147

We had 12 children and 16 adults (28 guests total), so I thought the party was fairly affordable to feed and entertain a crew of that size! To get all the Olivia party posts, click on the tag, "olivia" below.

Retrofitted Baby Changing Stations

I'm a big fan of just using what you've got, whenever possible. You can creatively repurpose almost anything; it saves money, reduces waste and just makes sense.

When you have a baby, there's a big push (no pun intended) to buy all new furniture, including a changing table. I really didn't want a matching nursery set anyway, so I looked around the house for what would work for a changing station. Virtually any sturdy piece of furniture that is about waist-height can be retrofitted for that purpose.

For our firstborn, I ended up using an antique table I had in storage. I painted it white and situated a changing pad on top. To allow easy access to diapers and other necessities, I purchased a stand-alone cabinet with shelving and hung it above the changing table.

For the second iteration of the changing station with Baby #2, I updated the cabinet with some discounted paint. I used my grandmother's sewing machine cabinet, changing out the hardware for a more contemporary look. I like the extra storage that the drawers provide. A new changing pad and a wall lamp complete the ensemble.

Always look for ways that you can repurpose existing furniture. Do you have any ideas or links to share of projects you've pulled off?

Seasonal Color on a Budget

Planting perennials as the core of your landscaping and filling in with annuals based on the season can be a cost-effective way to ensure interest and color all year long. In my front bed (shown above), the perennials are already well-established and consist mostly of shrubs and groundcover.

Since I was on a tighter budget this year but still craving that burst of color for spring/summer, I got resourceful and divided two large mounds of perennial white Mexican petunias into 12 smaller clusters and spread them throughout the front of the bed in a checkerboard pattern. Then I purchased 24 dark purple salvia plants and four 1-gallon snapdragon mixes to fill in the gaps (shown below).


Like icing on a cake, you don't want to skip the mulch! It not only provides vital nutrients to the soil and captures moisture for the plants, but you can't deny it's aesthetic value. When I put down a fresh layer of mulch, it makes everything look new even though only a few of the plants have changed.

All in all, I spent $21 on flowers and $6 on mulch for the front bed that should last me until the fall. Not a bad price for instant curb appeal!