Pinterest Inspiration

I loving decorating and accessorizing my home. But in this economy, money is tight and we are trying to live on a budget so there's not a lot of extra money to spend on home decor. I get a lot of inspiration from Pinterest. It's amazing all the wonderful ideas that are shared on that site. However, like a lot of other people, my time is very limited, what with working outside of the home at least three days a week and then having to keep up with all the household chores we all have to endure. So I'm all about projects that are simple and don't take a lot of time to complete, but do make a huge impact. Here's some of my favorites I've pinned and plan on completing this year.

This is a super cute idea using wooden utensils to create a paper towel holder.

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I've seen versions of this next idea all over blog land. I was recently gifted two old salvaged windows from a friend and I'm seriously considering transforming one of them into something like this.

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This next idea is one that I have already put my own spin on and will share with y'all in an upcoming post. It was simple, quick, easy and has really made a big impact on my bedroom wall. I'm in the middle of a small cosmetic master bedroom redo so this idea was perfect for my "new" bedroom.

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And, finally, this little chalkboard tray is so cute. I think it would be perfect on a kitchen counter or baker's rack for grocery lists or a favorite recipe. The link to this has been removed so unfortunately, I cannot share credit for where this cute project came from.

There are tons of other projects I've pinned that I would like to attempt someday. There are just a few of my favorites. How about you? Does Pinterest inspire you to create?

Until next time...

Secret Ingredient Meatloaf

Meatloaf is one of my hubby's favorite meals. And I've made it several times over the course of our marriage. I like meatloaf as well as the next guy, but after a while, I get tired of the same old, same old. So one day, while perusing Pinterest (which I do A LOT!), I found a link for a meatloaf that used a "secret ingredient". It looked good and sounded simple, so I decided to give it a try. This is my finished product:

Looks yummy, don't ya think? And it tasted just as yummy as it looked! So, what is my "secret ingredient"?

Here it is:

Yep, Stove Top stuffing mix! I bought the herb seasoned flavor. And just substituted this for my breadcrumbs/oatmeal that I usually put in my meatloaf. It was so easy AND flavorful! Hubby loved it and so did I. The seasonings included in the breadcrumbs really gave the meatloaf a wonderful flavor.

So, what's your take on meatloaf? Do you have a secret ingredient to make it taste even better than a tried and true recipe? I'd love to know!

Until next time...

A Lampshade Redo

I have had this sad little lamp sitting on my kitchen counter for quite some time. She has served me well. But, alas, she has paid the price. As you can see, she is a victim of kitchen mishaps. She's been moved around, she has stains on her and yet, she just keeps on shining.

Cute, but sad. So, to thank her for all her hard work, I decided to give her a little makeover. I searched the internet for inspiration and when I saw this photo, angels started singing! I kid you not.

Isn't that the most gorgeous lamp you've ever seen?? This was done by Jeannine over at The Concrete Cottage. Now, I know what you are thinking. My little lamp could in no way, shape or form ever look like her full sized "sister" lamp. And you'd be right. But, I knew I could take some inspiration from Jeannine and that's exactly what I did. First, I gathered my supplies. Jeannine details how she copied images and taped them to the inside of her shade and traced them with a Sharpie pen. I loved that idea, but let's face it. I ain't got time for all that! So I decided to use a script stamp I've had forever and just stamp my shade. I also wanted to bling her up a little bit so I decided to use some hairy ribbon (my husband's term, not mine) around the top and bottom of her.

In choosing to go this route, I was aware that my script would not look perfect and would be more of the faded look. And I was ok with that. So all I did was stamp her all the way around, hot glue the ribbon to her, and voila, she was done!

I was so pleased with how pretty she looked, I decided to create a vignette starring her on my kitchen counter top.

What do you think? Isn't she lovely??

I'm linking to these parties this week:

Debbiedoo's Copy Cat Party and Marty's Table Top Tuesday Party over at A Stroll Thru Life.

Until next time...