A true treasure and a perfect find.  I grabbed this old barn loft door from an early spring yard sale up in Wisconsin and had the exact spot mapped out in my kitchen!  The door itself is deceiving because it's actually a very long piece and has plenty of writing space on the inside.  With Rust-Oleum's Specialty Chalkboard Paint I was able to turn this piece into a functioning aspect of our kitchen.  The best part of the chalkboard paint is that it's available in over 10 tintable colors to match basically any decor be it for an office or at home!   I use it for a quick grocery list, appointments for the day or daily fun reminders for the kids!

I left the original coating on the frame and love the rustic grooves as well as wear and tear.  I barely used any of the chalkboard paint and have plenty to complete my next project! 

Easter time is a great time to celebrate the whimsical pastels such as this French Lilac from Painter's Touch 2X!  This is a wooden old fruit stand which I quickly turned into a spirngtime center piece!  Added a few friendly chicks along with maiden grass and we are now ready to celelbrate spring and Easter.  With Painter's Touch 2X, even if  you find the right piece but not the exact color you had in mind you can simply spray paint your piece and enjoy the perfect color for your project! 

As you can see the deep cherrywood needed to be sealed and with Zinner's BIN Primer it was quick and easy.  I did wipe the bowl down with paint thinner and allowed it to fully dry.  Spray two light coats of the primer and saw that the deep red cherrywood was bleeding through the first coating.  By the second coating, the primer had done it's job and sealed it in.  No bleeding.  Here is how the process went along:

With one last final coat - It was easy to dress up the bowl and have displayed the napkin holder with greens and closer to Easter I will place whmsical "real" eggs in them!  Happy Spring.

Never hesitate to grab those clearance frames from any major retailer!  I found these in the super clearance and I'm sure you'll be able to identify which store.  I have been looking for a series of frames that are stand alone as well as under six inches!  Yes, they are wedding frames which were marked down to $1.24 each - yes, $1.24!!  Check them out :

On the bottom of the frame there is a saying "The Sweetest Story" and some really pretty sage green scrolling.  I was hoping to tape around the scrolling and prime and paint the wording.  After much debate, I decided to go solid Satin Ivory in the Painter's Touch 2X line.  This way I could use the frames in any room or area with the basic buttery warm color! 

I went with the Zinsser BIN Primer and felt that by rolling I would be able to apply a bit of a heavier coating around the wording and the scrolling.  I applied the primer to those areas first twice and then reapplied the final coating of primer overall.  The drying time in between was short about 15 minutes. 

Here you can see the final primer coating as well as the first coat of Rust-Oleum's Painter's Touch 2x in the Satin Ivory Silk.  It's warm and buttery and with it's neutral tone, can be placed in any room or area! Keeping neutrals allows these frames to be versitle and not only can you add pictures, add your kids artwork, birthday cards in the cutout area without using the glass cover by simply taping them to the inside.  Here is the final five for under $15 on the mantle waiting for my pictures!  Here is the breakdown of the $15 - Frames $6.60; Painter's Touch 2X in Ivory Silk $3.97; Zinsser BIN Primer spray (quart size more expensive) $4.24 Total $14.81!

Fill these festive Shamrock Pots with gold chocolate coins, change or even fill with grass seed or an herb for your window ledge!  Celebrate St. Patty's Day by using them as place markers for your dinner table - while serving Corn Beef & Cabbage!  Fill with a napkin and with a black sharpie marker write your family member's or guests name in the middle of the clover.  With Rust-Oleum's 2X in Meadow Green Gloss these pots glisten and I barely  made a dent in the can.  I applied 3 light coats  on the outerside of each pot.  Quick tip - stuff the inside of the pots with newspaper - this way you can still use the pot for planing or even M&M's.  If you are using the pots for food - be sure to cut a piece of foil or wax paper for the bottom so that the chocolates do not slide out.  Enjoy this quick project which has many versitle uses! 

Pink is it!  It is the color of the season even in it's light mild state or bright, vibrant stance.  Yes, all four walls can be painted in a pink hue, it gives and overall glow to your room, especially at night.  Pops of color in pink can also add that top trend to any space - with Rust-Oleum's color palette you can add that perfect color with Painter's Touch 2X in Candy Pink, Berry Pink and Sweet Pea.  Take those bland picture frames, lamps and spray away - Add a decorative chalkboard wall to your pantry with Rust-Oleum's ChalkBoard paint in the tintable version of Raspberry.  Add in hot pink jeweled pillows, a new lamp shade and spray those squared wooden baskets with Berry Pink!  View a few of my "Pinked Out"projects such as the Children's Mirror, Decorative Watering Can - which is one of my favorites! - Coming up for Easter...The Easter Bunny Shutter - his Petal Pink Ribbon makes the project!  Trio of Recipe Card Holders and warm tuft of Easter Eggs in a nest.  Pink is timeless, full of Passion and ultimately flattering for every room!

Celebrate with the Luck of the Irish!  Rummaged through Good Will and found this white plain glazed pot for $1.99 and loved the shape of it for my POT OF GOLD!  With Rust-Oleum's Universal you can spray paint just about anything - even over fired glazed pots!   For St. Patty's Day I wanted to add a bit of the Irish Charm to my mantle and went with the Universal Metallic Pure Gold for the pot.  Added a free hand four leaf clover and took that good old sharpie marker and add my Luck of the Irish!  I'm considering adding in a shamrock plant - live from the grocery store - they sell them for under $5.  Check out the pot before & afters!

Creative and quick with a fast drying time and no primer necessary!  The gold metallic glistens and hopefully will fill my Pot of Gold with lots of loot!  Happy St. Patty's Day!

Keeping up with the Reduce, Reuse & Recycle programs, I purchased about 2 dozen canvas bag which we use for gift bags, markers and even storing coupons.  As a gift bag, I needed to jazz it up a bit with spray paint.  Figuring I had nothing to  loose - I went for it.  Taping off sections of the bag and spray painting in layers was pretty easy - the paint dried really fast on the canvas allowing me to finish the bag quickly.  Using leftover cans of Painter's Touch 2X I was still able to add a splash of color - love the Gloss Real Orange and Aubergine!   Check how great this Creative Canvas Bag turned out!

The one thing I did learn, you have to be sure that the tape is tight against the canvas when you are spray painting and that you spray from at least 10 inches away.  I let the kids pick the colors for this bag and used it as a gift bag for a birthday party filled a fun gift and topped off with orange tissue paper.  The process itself was easy and I think next time I will line up a dozen or so bags and complete them at once.  I was also thinking of personalizing each Birthday bag with number stencils and spray painting on the inside of the numbers showing their birth dates.

Since I can remember, my Mom had this jewerly  box on her dresser and for years being the curious little girl, I would always open and try on all of the rings, bracelets and fancy necklaces.  As my parents have decided to move to sunny Florida, it was time to part with many different heartwarming items that have been in the family for a very long time.  This jewerly box was one of them!  These before pictures show the damage, wear and tear as well as loss of gloss on the finish.  Take a look -

As you can see, the box itself is in sturdy good condition, but needs a bit of TLC.  I have decided to keep it to pass on to my daughters as my Mom had given to me - and she even left my favorite necklace in it!  I lightly sanded down the jewerly box with a mild grade of sandpaper, wiped it off lightly with paint thinner.  I went with Rust-Oleum's Universal Metallic Aged Copper.  I love the glistening gold running throughout the paint and with the universal brand - you can basically spray it over any type of base - since I was not sure if this was wood or veneer I played it safte with the Universal brand.  I also found it great to spray the jewerly box with Universal because I did not have to move it at all...just sprayed at any angle and wow!  Check out how beautiful the finished project turned out - literally salvaged a beaten up old jewerly box that I now can pass along to my daughters - I'm also going to stick a little note in the box with the full story of how it ended up with me and so on!  Great treasures need to be kept a part of the family heirloom forever...just revamp them with a Rust-Oleum's Universal and those keepsakes with be passed on forever!

After winter's long days have kept us inside we found great projects to conquer!  We have organized our kitchen drawers - and yes, the famous "junk" drawer has been tackled - we gladly went through our front hall closet - coming up with 6 bags of outdated hats, mittens (some only half there!) old coats that no longer fit or we just simply have no use for.  As the motivation set it we moved into the laundry room - yes, we have bins and wall racks of coats and hats - found another 5 bags of old caps, warm hats and an additional few coats.  We contiued our organizational quest by hitting the basement where all of our electronics are and decided on a few old ipods, phones and even ipod speakers we no longer were in need of.  I researched our best option and found www.Gazelle.com you basically can get cash for your old-but WORKING electronic gadget.  You can check on the website and enter in the make and model, condition and they will usually offer you approximately $100 per trade-in.  They mail you a box to send the item in, and a free shipping label.  Once they receive it and check to see if it is in working order, you can accept a money check, giftcard or credit on Paypal.  The kicker - you can also donate the money to about 50 + different charities - which is what we did!  No worries regarding the personal info on your device, they wipe it clean of everything!  Great way to donate and have your kids choose the charity of choice!  Giving does make you feel GREAT inside and out.  My girls were pretty happy with their decision and found that even a so-so IPod can make someone very happy. 

The inspiration here was a ledge that is about 20 feet up in the family room and was basically bare.  These wooden pre-cut flowers are from Ikea but they had colors that just did not co-ordinate with my colors.  My first instinct...I can spray paint them and I did!  Taped off the top half of the flower and sprayed the stem and leaves with Rust-Oleum's Painter's Touch 2X in Leafy Green.  The flowers in Painter's Touch Brilliant Blue, Honey and Painter's Touch 2X in Sun Yellow.  The terra cotta pots can also be painted but I decided to place the pots and see how they looked...I was happy with the end result!  Basically stuffed the pots with styrofoam blocks and then wedged in the wooden flower.  This project came in under $30 including the paint.  One consideration I had was that I did not want to spend a ton and felt that I may even make this upper ledge a "seasonal" type of decoration.  Possible to line pumpkins in the Fall, Mini Christmas Trees for the winter or even recycle the terra cotta pots, dry out branches over the summer and spray paint them silver, gold or white for the winter ledge! 

Here He is...the last of the discount pieces of wood from Home Depot.  With Painter's Touch 2X in Gloss Apple Red, I designed a Valentine Snowman to melt your heart!  You can turn this into a an indoor piece of art for your walls or hang circular grommets with decorative ribbon for your front door!

Once again I used simple circular pieces to trace and then paint in with white acrylic paint.  Paper plate, plastic coffee lid and a pickle jar!  I did free hand the heart, scarf and branch arms.  Carrot nose and eyes are pretty simple as well.  You can also write your house number in the heart or last name.  For that - once again that magic Sharpie Marker!  I think this one is a keeper...I have applied the Painter's Touch 2X in Gloss Clear for added protection!  ENJOY!

Using the discounted boards I purchased from Home Depot, I decided that making a custom Valentine Welcome Sign would be perfect!  I did apply Zinsser 123 to the bare wood to seal in the knots.  Added two coats of Painter's Touch 2X in Gloss Berry Pink  and WOW... the color is vivid and matches the lid perfectly! 

Simply trace a heart shape (I used a plate we had) and then simply paint the inside with acrylic paints - allow that to fully dry and then paint on your love message!  This one will be a keeper for years to come!  This can of Painter's Touch 2X has been going and going...only used a quarter can for this sign! 

I found these raw wooden hearts through my local craft store for a quarter each and figured the kids would love to make a Valentine Craft!  It's great to see how kids want to add their own twist of color on the Valentine Holiday - no traditional Red Heart here!  I had half and quarter cans of spray paint and set up a spray painting booth inside my garage for the kids.  We threw some rubber gloves on and went through spray painting steps with great success!  Here we used Painter's Touch 2X in Satin Green Apple and simply glued on traditional "Sweetheart" candies.  This project including paint cost just under $1.25!  You can also let them personalize the inside of the heart with names, cute messages and even decoupage a picture of your favorite Valentine!  Express your love with COLOR!

Adding that piece of expensive "looking" art to your decor is pretty simple.  With 6 X 9 white frameless canvas you can turn 3 simple squares into a retro pricey "looking" piece of art!  This Heart Art makes a beautiful bold statement for Valentine's Day!

Add simple messages of love in the middle of the heart or simply line the edge of the heart all the way around using a black sharpie marker - true love, my one and only, a family is love, etc.  Using Painter's Touch 2X to give the canvas a bright, glossy base was perfect.  At this point using this one can of 2X has lasted me over 4 projects and still have a quarter can left.  

You can print off these three pictures and use them as a stencil to copy onto the canvas.  I lined the heart using a black sharpie marker.  Happy Valentine's Day to all!                                                  

Add a dash of color to your front entry or simply hang this colorful sign on your front door.  I found these pieces of wood at Home Depot for just under $2 - these are left over pieces that are left behind and I simply asked for them - worked out well, I did not have to buy a huge peice of 4X4 and Home Depot was able to get rid of their trash inventory.  I simply love color...basically everywhere and  with Rust-Oleum's Painter's Touch 2X in Aubergine I was able to add that mad dash of color to my front door!  I did have to seal the knots in the wood with Zinsser BIN Primer.  Sealing ensures that the knots will not bleed through the Aubergine.  Once dry I added two light coats of the Aubergine - which is also available at The Home Depot!   - For the round snowmen - I penciled them out using paperplates - added a few freeehand snowflakes with white paint - I always have Black & White in quarts - Painter's Touch Satin on hand.  To customize the name - I once again stenciled out the name and then using a pencil transferred it directly to the finished board.  I used a sharpie to outline and then filled in with the black paint.  Be sure to mix a bit of white and black to add to the rim of each snowman - this gives them each a bit of separation and add that carrot nose and warm eyes!  Customize as you wish! Add to "A" gromets to the top and a decorative ribbon to hang.  Check out the process below!

Spending a little more on a custom piece of built in furniture for your  home can pay off not only for your family but if needed you can add "custom" to your home if you need to sell.   Acer Creek Services helped me design this fantastic built in bench which added a ton of extra storage to my kitchen.                                                                                       

This custom built in bench was the solution my kitchen so needed!  For years we have been struggling with this coved area in the kitchen.  We tried a round  and square tables only to find that the space was too small for the chairs and of course all of us seated just simply was tight.  Next we moved onto a smaller sized island with two chairs which seemed to work for a bit but was also an inconvenience because we had to keep sliding the island back in order to get around the kitchen.  Finally my idea for a built in bench came to life!  I also needed extra storage space and when I found Frank who is the owner of Acer Creek Services came up with this lift up unit that has two separate areas inside the bench for storage. 

I ended up cutting a better deal with Frank after I let him know that I am willing to put the final touches on the raw bench.  I used Zinsser BIN primer for the raw hickory wood and then American Accents in the Satin White.  Perfect for my clean white kitchen cabinets! Here are a few pictures of the construction itself.

This is the before space -bland!

Frank even cut out the outlet covers for the inside use of any type of electrical needs.  The best part...it's hidden!

The storage area is 8 feet by approximately 4 feet wide. 

This was the old island that we struggled with and cut the legs down to table size, primed with BIN primer and added two coats of Painter's Touch Satin White.  Now the island is a narrow table that sits in front of the bench!

I also sprayed the handles of the old island with Universal's Aged Copper to co-ordinate with my brown seaglass.  I have a light beach theme going in my home and found these great pillows at my favorite discount retailers - the crab pillow was a must and I grabbed it from clearance for $5! The cushion was a custom piece through cushionsource.com.  Cushion Source helped me measure and the fabric selection was a tough one...hundreds to choose from.  The delivery date was exactly on time and the end result for us...FABULOUS! 

It's official...January is National Soup Month!  With winter well under way, warming up your home with a fresh pot of homemade soup will bring everyone to the dinner table.  We wanted to share a few very easy recipes that you can toss together when you get home that will give your family the home made feel!  After dinner, consider playing a board or card game and be sure to lite that fireplace for added warmth!  Here are a few different 1 2 3 recipes that are staple in my home and we enjoy!

Black Bean & Salsa Soup

2 - 15 oz. Cans of Black Beans drained & rinsed

1 1/2 Cups of Vegetable Broth

1 Cup of Chunky Salsa

1 Teaspoon of Ground ***in

1/2 Cup of Sour Cream

2 Tablespoons of Scallions cut into rings

2 to 4 Tablespoons of Shreded Cheese

Heat in saucepan over medium heat until hot

Serve with green scallions, a teaspoon of sour cream & cheese to garnish

Turkey Meatball Soup

1/2 Lb. Ground Turkey

3 Tbsp. Seasoned Bread Crumbs

3 Tbsp. Milk

2 Tbsp. Fresh Chopped Parsley

1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/8 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

1 Quart of Water

1 Quart of Reduced Fat/Low Sodium Chicken Broth

1 1/2 Cup Slied Carrots

1 Cup Diced & Peeled Potato

1 Cup Chopped Onions

Combine ground turkey, bread crumbs, milk, parsley, garlic powder & pepper. Stir until blended.  In a 5 Quart stock pot, place water and chicken broth & bring to a boil.  Roll meat mixture into 3/4 inch balls.  Drop in a single layer into boiling chicken stock.  When meatball have lost their pink color, stir in carrots, potato & onion.  Bring to a boil again.  Reduce heat to a gentle rolling boil - no lid for about 25 minutes.  Serve with a slice of crusty french bread and garden side salad! Terrific!

One last quick tip - open a can of Tomato Soup, prepare per directions and add goldfish as a garnish instead of croutons or saltines...Kids love fishing for them!

We have a great photo ledge arched around our home which is placed about 18 inches from the top of the ceiling line.  This ledge has served us well and we decorate it seasonally and now I was searching for the front part of the ledge to descibe our family with color, initials and dates.  A bit vintage and shabby chic with added color.  I came up with the "Initial" theme and added many great single letters to the ledge along with dates that represent birthdays.  I dug through many different retail stores as well as etsy.com for eclectic letters but had to make due with whatever finish or color was on them.  With Rust-Oleum's Cranberry I was able to paint the letter "J" which added warmth and depth.  For a shabby chic touch, I added Rust-Oleum's Green Apple to the smaller, chunckier piece.  This is where you can pick up that perfect piece, even though it may not be the exact color ...you simply can spray paint your piece with Rust-Oleum's spray paints - available in over 24 colors and a wide variety of finishes!  Check out the Initial Family Ledge!

Design your kitchen cabinets with Rust-Oleum's New Cabinet Transformations Kit!  This Do-It-Yourself System has four easy steps and is available in over 24 dark colors and 11 light colors.  Kits are under $100 and available through your local Home Depot.  Here is one of our DIYer's Kitchen which she transformed from worn, old honey oak to a sharp, modern Kona.  I just can't say enough about this product and find that the ease of process helps in making your decisions easy when it comes to redoing your entire kitchen/bathroom or repainting.  The toughest decision will be choosing one of the many colors that are available with this Cabinet Transformations Kit.

She prepared the surface with the Deglosser - applied the Bond Coat and Decorative Glaze.  The Decorative Glaze is optional but this is where you can totally customize the look you desire.  The Protective Top Coat provides superior stain and stratch resistance - easy clean up and durability.  

The kit includes the Deglosser, Scrub Pad, Bond Coat, Decorative Glaze, Glazing Cloth, Protective Top Coat, Stir Sticks and Instructional DVD and Pamphlet.  Imagine, just in one weekend you can transform your outdated kitchen from so-so to WOW! The kit covers up to 100 Square Feet or 40 Linear Feet.  One of the selling points for me is that this product is durable and the color spectrum is unbelievable - which basically covers ultra modern, shabby chic, simple, contempo as well as a few trend colors.  For more information regarding Rust-Oleum's Cabinet Tranformations, please visit www.RustoleumTransformations.com

Add a few more organizational tips to your list of things to do by inverting all of your recipes from your recipe box into one binder.  I purchased sports vinyl clear sheets - which are basically  two 4X6 sections per sheet - giving you four slots for 4 recipes.  This makes your recipes splatter proof and easy to wipe off as you master your recipes!  I actually have two binders, two inches each one filled with just desserts and the other with apps, salads, and main dinners.  Keep in mind that you can categorize these binders to your fit.

Now, on to school projects that roll home all year long!  I'm sure your child like mine is the master of all creations when it comes to artwork which has taken over the front panel of your fridge - Here's a great and easy tip - Lay the artwork out on your floor, kitchen table to ticky tack them to the wall - take a few different pictures of the entire collage.  Next, take a few up close pictures of your favorite piece or your child's favorite piece - making each picture into a whole 5 X 7 or even 8 X 10.  Then turn these fabulous pictures into a yearly s**** book - labeling each book First Grade, Second - etc.  Do keep your favorite pieces and have them professionally framed.  Professionally framing them preserves them and will not allow the colors of waterbased paints fade.

Same theory with Tax Donations - take a picture of each pile of clothing prior to bagging them as well as that old coffee pot, couch or linens.  Take pictures of them in groups and save them on a flashdrive or in your picture file on your computer labeled Tax Donations 2011. 

And always a great rule of thumb - recycle it.  Contact 1800recycle.com to check on what items and chemicals can be recycled through local centers. 

Ring in 2011 with health, happiness and organization!  A few great tips that I have tackled in our household that truly help keep us organized! 

Shoe Rack Storage for Winter Gear

My kids love to go tubing, sledding and skiing - living in the midwest you need to always be prepared for the cold and snow.  In my mudroom I hang a canvas shoe rack on the back of the door.  Each individual pocket is stuffed with mittens, hats, scarves and yes, sunblock and chapstick.  Personalize each pouch with either fabric marker or sharpie marker. 

Jewelry Organization 101

Organize your jewelry by sorting, separating and going through what is no longer "hip"!  Set each set into ziploc snack bags and lay them back in your drawer.  For post earrings, use your old buttons with 4 holes and post each earring into a button - it's easier to grab a button then search for a set of earrings.  Bagging your jewelry also helps keep silver bright and because air tarnishes silver once you bag it - the silver will stay shiny.

Clothing Donation Rules

Basic Rule of Thumb when it comes to clothing...if you haven't worn it in the past two years - feel free to donate it.  Chances are...it's a bit dated or just never fit exactly the way you wanted!

Habit For Humanity

Going through all of your old paints, including those quarter cans of spray paints can be donated directly to the Habitat!  Log onto to www.habitatforhumanity.com for drop off centers.  Keep in mind that a quarter can of spray paint can add life to an old mirror, frame or vase.  Just the exact touches the Habitat can use when finishing or rehabing a home!

Be sure to check this week for more organizational tips, tricks and ideas! Happy 2011!

Last year I scored big at a yard sale and picked up this wrought iron shelf along with a gate door.  They both needed a little TLC and ended up paying $6 for both pieces.  I sanded them lightly because they had layered visible rust.  Wiped them free adn clear of the dust and sprayed them with Rust-Oleum's Rusty Metal Primer - two light coats just to be sure!  Rust-Oleum's Universal in Wrought Iron had that perfect smooth black finish that gives these pieces the perfect end result of wrought iron.  I've had this shelf up with the gate above it along with my concrete angel and everyone loves how perfect the welcome is when they enter the front door!  Be sure to always give a yard sale item a third look even if it needs a bit of elbow grease, believe me that is a true treasure!  

Here's a quick fix when you get that phone call Christmas Eve that your favorite Aunt is bringing an unexpected guest - your table setting is only for 10 and now you need to pull off 11! Use a similar pattern of dinnerware - if possible, mix and match plates to distract from the pattern.  Turn white wonderful paper napkins into silverware holders by rolling mixed silverware into larger sized paper napkins - rolling a one inch by four inch piece of decorative wrapping paper around the silverware stack - taping the back.  Be sure to add embelishments of holiday holly or even trim off pieces from the Christmas tree to tuck into the wrapping paper.  You can also alternate each silverware setting giving the table a bit of flair!  Quick spray paint a decorative pinecone as well for that new guest - dries quick and makes wonderful place settings!  Check out the Pinecone Placecard Holders under our November Blog and adapt spray paint colors to Rust-Oleums 2X Gloss Red, Metallic Gold or Crisp Clean White!

Turning a collection of family vacation shells into a shimmering wreath was simple with Rust-Oleum's Universal Spray Paint!  We have been collecting these shells from vacations varying from Florida all the way to Belize!   In order to display them, I hot glued them onto a grapevine wreath.  As I tied a co-ordinating ribbon on, I just was not satisfied to the "Blahness" of the end result.  I grabbed a can of Universal in the Metallic Line - Titanium Silver.  The shells glisten and remind me of the many great vacations and beach time it took to collect all of these detailed shells.  Consider adding Gloss Cobalt Blue from the Universal line or Rust-Oleum's 2X Spa Blue, Aluminum or Gloss Apple Red! 

After the kids have gone through years of gaming, music and movie CD's we have plenty that have suffered the wrath of frisbee playing, tossing them and accidential scratches!   We've been saving them and decided to recycle them by using the damaged CDs as gift tags for friends - simply by using colored sharpie markers directly on the CD and then tieing it onto the gift bag or wrapped box - along with our theme to recycle we generally use brown grocery bags as wrapping paper - cutting the bag in half and then using the plain inside of the bag as gift wrap.  We also enjoy condensed OJ and juices and try to recycle the top lid.  I wanted to pick the kids brain and see what type of project they can come up with using these recycled items.  Well, here it is!  A contemp funky CD Snowman that can be used as a winter decoration or ornament.  You can also customize the snowman by using a sharpie marker.  I was pretty impressed with the use of the dark green pipecleaners as ear muffs and old buttons from our button jar.

We used Rust-Oleum's Universal in Titanium Silver and you should see how the silver glitters!  Another great family gift is to make as many CD Snowmen as family members, of course customizing each one to fit the personality of each member.  Direclty glueing them onto a wooden yardstick and tieing a decorative ribbon to each end to hang as a picture or decorative plaque.  Check out the process in between steps one, two and three.  We loved this project!

The perfect winter project or holiday gift for Grandma's & Grandpa's !  Recycle your kids socks and turn them into a birdseed snowman for years to come!  With simple 1 2 3 steps your kid can complete this winter decoration all with a bit of direction and tons of fun!  Customize his hat with another smaller sized sock and co-ordinate his scarf with leftover pieces of fabric or ribbon.  Be creative and add buttons from your favorite winter coat your child used to wear!  Log onto "Projects" for our ingredients and directions for this whimsical Snowman decoration!

I have been making this recipe well over 15 years and my friends and family anxiously await their tin of this lucious, crunchy melt- in- your mouth toffee.   It's one of those recipes - once you get it...you get it.  One trick is basically burning the sugar in your butter - the color which should be a warm caramel - once you've mastered the color of the butter - your golden! 

Homemade Toffee

• 1Cup of Butter
• 1Cup of Sugar
• 3 Candy sized Hershey Bars
• 1/2 Cup of Chopped Pecans

In a medium GLASS bowl melt butter (about 3 to 4 minutes) in microwave.  Stir in one cup of sugar.  Microwave 3 to 4 minutes - continue to microwave - 10 to 20 second intervals - stir well in between until it looks like thick foam and then starts to turn into a carmel colored ball of butter.   Pour off extra butter - basically swirling the bowl and holding back the butter ball as you pour off the butter.  Once done, spread on a cookie sheet - break all candy sized hersey bars on top - spread with a spatula - sprinkle on chopped pecans.  You can also put another cookie directly on top of the completed toffee, this will help melt the chocolate faster.   Place in fridge and then break into pieces.

Enjoy!

I was approached at the Country Living Show in Columbus, Ohio this year by Kerrie - who owns KR Designs and is the creator or these wonderful "Memory Blocks".   As Rust-Oleum was a sponsor this year for Country Living Show both in Atlanta and Columbus,  she came in to the booth to share her positive experience with Rust-Oleum's 2X Ultra Satin Clear Finish as well as the Matte Clear Finish.  These blocks truly are the perfect gift for any and all occasions.  It's amazing how she can crop basically any picture onto these wooden blocks be it black and white photos or color.  You can even just email her the pictures and she will crop and print them off.   A could not resist and put an order in for my friend and went with her last name "CESARIO" huge family - one block per letter and Kerrie even spliced one picture into two and with that we were able to include one photo of the entire family.  Check out the blocks!

I wanted to show the back of the wooden block as well.  The workmanship is very nice and clean.  These blocks can be given as gifts for birthdays, Christmas, Anniversary, Vacation Blocks, Mother's Day - Special milestones such as Graduation or even a sporting championship.   Check out her blog at www.krdesignsoh.weebly.com or email her at KRdesingsoh@gmail.com   By the way, each block runs about $5 each delivered to your door via USPS.  I hope you enjoy these as much as we did!

Every year I receive about 120 Christmas cards from family and friends through out the United States and Europe.  I love opening the card with the excitment of stories they love to share from the past year to the ever so loving picture of the kids either loving Santa or showing sheer fear of him!  It truly is still the best gift anyone could send which includes a warm message and best wishes for all!  I decided this year to come up with a simple ladder type of card holder that you can tie cards onto, switch it's place is necessary and yet be able to display the majority of your prized cards.  I purchased a wooden cabinet trim piece - which basically is a decorative molding that is placed above cabinets generally in kitchens or if you are working on a custom piece of furniture you can add it as a shelf border.  They run around $20 and believe me, I have spent more on decorative boxes which you throw your cards into.  I like this concept because I am able to move the cards around as needed when new ones arrive.  You can tie them in in rows, stagger or hang them by themes.   Example, pictures on top and larger cards on the bottom... personalize your own card ladder and now the kids are thinking it may look great in their rooms as a simple message board or reminder ladder with a Monday thru Sunday daily list! 

We hung this on the back of our front door to show everyone all of our holiday wishes.  Enjoy all of the well wishes you are going to receive this year!

Here is the third and final centerpiece using the same base vase.  I sprayed the branches with Rust-Oleum's Specialty in Gold - I did apply three good coats.  i filled the vase about 1/4 way with bright orange, deep pink and gold ornaments.  I also dangled smaller sized ornaments on the branches which really brings out the gold.  Explore color variations and you'll find the perfect fit for your home decor! 

Using the same glass vase as in the Winter Wonderland Centerpiece, I wanted to show that you can use the same base and come up with a variety of wonderful centerpieces that you color co-ordinate to your home.  Here I used Rust-Oleum's 2X in Gloss Cranberry and Rust-Oleum's 2x in White on the branches and added pizzaz by filling the bottom of the vase with fresh peppermints.  The mints act as base for the branches and hold them in place.  Felt accessories are a growing trend and I found this ornament to be a perfect fit for the piece. 

I focused on creating a simple, yet elegant white winter centerpiece for the holiday season.  I  used a ton of branches for my Halloween outdoor pots which I spray painted in golds and browns - instead of cutting more branches, I decided to repurpose the old ones.  I had extra spray paint in the garage and sprayed the branches with three good coats of Rust-Oleum's Universal in Flat White.  Instantly they went from fall to winter!  I had the cylinder glass vase and filled it with ornaments in sparkling silver and shiny silver - these were basic extras that I had in the decoration box!  The centerpiece itself seemed as if it needed a bit of depth and I decided to spray paint  the extra clear glass ornaments with Rust-Oleum's Specialty Frosted Glass.  Once dry, I dropped them gently into the bottom of the vase along with the silver ones - building a decorative base for the crisp, clean white branches.  As I arranged the branches, I found white butterfly ornaments which I did use last year on my wreath and added them to the branches - WOW !  With a touch of spray paint and you can turn any type of home decoration  exactly to your liking!

Turn last years holiday cards into kitchen placemats!   Have the kids cut out their favorite shapes, messages and characters from last years cards - simply glue them on a large piece of construction paper and if you have a lamination machine at home....laminate it!  If not, many office supply stores laminate surfaces for a couple of bucks.  You can make specific ones for example like for Grandma, Unlces & Aunts.  Great personalized gifts for under the $5 mark.  On the back prior to laminating have your child sign his name, the date and add a special message.  It's great to look back at all of the creative years your child had!  It's hard to add any type of embelishments because the lamination machine will leave a "bubble" so stay away from anything that is going to give it depth. A flat surface is what you want for solid lamination.  Enjoy your holiday creativity!

 Just another quick and easy way to recycle and add pizzaz to your Christmas Tree or Holiday decorations!  Recycle your old lightbulbs and with two quick light coats of Rust-Oleum's Universal in Flat White you can customize your ornament.  You have a basic blank canvas and you can add any type of embelishment such as red starry ribbon to a black to hat for Mr. Snowman.  Sharpie Marker work wonders as well...which are available in over 25 different colors!  You can have your local Girl Scout Troop makes these and customize them for family members.  Recycling all sorts of household items now can be turned into decorations which will last throughout the years.  Be creative and add your own twist on each lightbulb!                                                                 

Recycle those cans and turn them into Snowman Ornaments for your tree or decorations for your home!  Recycling has become such a large part of families these days and this is just another way not to not toss it out!   Crush your can in the same direction and spray paint with Rust-Oleum's Ultra Cover 2X in Gloss Deep Blue!  Be sure not to break off the tab - I flipped it forward to tie on the decorative rope.   With simple craft paints in a few colors, you can create a snowman, santa or snowflakes!   This is a a great kids project as well..allowing them to create their own ornament for the holidays!  

 Happy Hanukkah to all!  Celebrate the Festival of Lights with a homemade menorah made out of recycled glass jars sprayed with Rust-Oleum's Universal in Titanium Silver.    This is a great project for kids as well as adults of all ages...be creative and add The Star of David with pipecleaners and edge the rim of each jar as well.  Fill the jars with sand to hold the candles or marbles from your local craft store.  Display on your dining room table, fireplace mantel or your front entry table.  For those of you joining friends and family for the holidays, craft an additional menorah for your Grandma, Aunt or friend and customize the set by adding favorite sayings, family traditions or have the kids place the Star of David on each holder.  Some great additional "Giving Gifts" - check out the Starry Eyed Star of David ornament which looks great hanging in a window or as a gift topper at www.michaelaram.com or for your Latke Lover or the Hanukkah hostess who has everything... a beautiful stainless steel latke server (for under $10) at www.shop.thejewishmuseum.org!  For the techie lovers in all of us - download your free Menorah App - Light a candle for each day of Hanukkah along with festive music! 

I wanted to show just show the silver titanium glistens and this was sprayed with only one coat!  Dried within an hour and I was ready to place my candles into place and add the pipecleaner decorations. 

Turn your holiday string of lights into cash!  Check with your local utility company but many of them are now offering rebates if you turn in your receipt for newley purchased "qualified" string lights - The LED lights generally cost anywhere from $12 to $22 - generally the utility company offers you credit on your bill.  It's a basic win-win stiuation where you help reduce energy costs which helps the utility company run more efficiently and then in return you can get a few bucks back!   Double check with your utility carrier - I have even heard of a light exchange where you drop off your old lights and they give you new LED Energy Savings lights !   By far worth the 10 minutes to check either on line, your utility bill may have information or call their 1-800 No!

With kids and technology in today's world, we have more electrical devices in our home then Best Buy!  I have short circuited my patience trying to figure out which "charger" cord is mine and finally decided to put an end to the frustration of trying to simply charge my phone.  I took a silver sharpie marker and labeled everyone's charger cord and then stuck them all back into our so-called junk drawer!  Finally, I can grab the right charger cord the first time around!  Simple, quick and easy organization tip which is getting us geared up for 2011~ check out my cords!

Decorating for the holidays can be quick and easy with a few cans of spray paint.  With Rust-Oleum's Specialty Metallics you can turn a thrift shop two dollar find into the perfect bold gold vase with that retro flair.   Every so often I get what we call "cap hesitation" - you take the can off the shelf, look at the cap color, consider taking it off and spraying the shelf at the store (which is a "no-no") and hope in the end that it is the exact color you need for that project you have been working on so diligently !  Here is proof - The Specialty Metallic in Brass could not have been any more to the exact color - check out the vase and how the cap matches the final finished project! 

I left the picture very large so that you can see the color detail right up against the cap.  With this golden treasure, you can  bring it as a hostess gift for the Thanksgiving Holiday filled with willows, save it for the Christmas Holiday and fill it with Holly branches or fresh Spruce greens.  You can further add metallic brass accents to frames, ornaments, and candle holders -  I ended up only spraying out about half of the can for this large vase.   My thrifty decorating came in under $7. 

With the holidays just around the corner, I have started the enjoyment of baking with the kids.  Since I bake over 12 different varieties of cookies from crispy florentines to moist oatmeal raisin cookies, I always start early and make the dough for two types of cookies and then the next day bake them.  My Mom for years has always dropped on thick slice of green apple into her cookie tins for the moist cookies - it keeps them moist and fresh - changing the apple slice every two days.  No worries, it does not add any additional flavor just simply moisture so that you can wrap up cookies throughout the holiday season!   If you are an avid baker, consider grabbing a bag of Granny Smith's to save the self life of your cookies!  Happy Baking to All!

I have a grand seasonal ledge to display all sorts of artwork, be it seasonal or personal right as you enter through my front door.  My friends always comment on what a great way to display kids artwork, my personal artwork as well as treasures.  This past summer one of our favorite family treasures our oak tree of four**** years was struck my lightening and came to it's sad demise.  I decided to keep a variety of leaves and press them in to a book, I kept a few in a quart size ziploc bag adding moisture almost every day to keep the leaves from curling.  Basically wet a cotton ball and dropped it in the bag.  I needed to keep the leaves moist until I could decide how to transform these leaves in a permanent piece of artwork.  Well, placing them on plain old white canvas just did not bring out the warmth that this Oak Tree had brought us over the years and I found that I needed to add color to the canvas - I added three different shades of color with Rust-Oleum's Specialty in Metallic Copper, Painter's Touch 2X in Satin Ivory Silk and Rust-Oleum's Satin Classic, Low-Sheen Finish in Black.   Check how I turned the bland white canvas into a piece of our family's history !

The Metallic Copper illuminates a beautiful glow against the leaves and the black draws out the veins in each leaf.  The ivory sets the tone for fall and allows the vivid shades of orange and yellows to blaze on the canvas.  I decoupaged the leaves on with modge podge and allowed them fully cure.  On the back I printed off the year we planted the tree and the year it was struck down.  I referred to the family photo album with found memories and great pictures of the tree and the kids next to the tree year after year.  Treasure your memories for many years to come!

Pinecones are extremely versitile - you can add them to your Festive Thanksgiving Day Decor, sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg on them - place them in a bowl for homemade potpourri.  Here I have turned them into placecard holders for your table along with Rust-Oleum's 2X in Satin Cinnamon adds that festive flair to the table setting.  I keep a bag of pinecones around especially throughout the holidays season .. for those just in case guests that pop up - you are ready then to quick spray paint an additional pinecone and make room at your table for that unexpected guest!

With a quick ribbon and a note tag from my notecard supplies we have created a fall medley of colors for your Thanksgiving Day Table.  Consider adding different colors to each pinecone! 

As Halloween comes to a close, turn your bright orange pumpkins, gourds and other decorations into a fall festival of rich golds and warm coppers.  I use many styrofoam pumpkins as well as real ones and every year spray paint them with colors which will be displayed on my Thanksgiving Day Table.  Check out how great these Halloween pumpkins turned out and are ready for a festive Thanksgiving Day decor!

I wanted to show how Rust-Oleum's Gold Spray paint has a glistening glitter to it.  It is beautiful and makes for a wonderful centerpiece throughout the entire Fall Season!  Let us know what you think about these pumpkins!

These Pilgrim Placecard Holders add just the perfect personalization to your festive Thanksgiving table.  My kids love making these special crafts for the holidays and find that setting the table is no longer a chore!  You can customize each Pilgrim Placecard Holder to the personality of each individual and add just the perfect touches with extras from Halloween!   Check out how great they are!

From simple candy corn glued on to ribbon wrapped around a two inch terra cotta pot.  With a quick can of Rust-Oleum's Satin Black Spray Paint you can create many different placecard settings!   Be sure to gift these placecard settings as your friends and family depart for the evening!

It's a great time of the year to show family and friends how much we truly appreciate them in our lives.  With this easy to make "Grateful Garland" you can have everyone post a sentimental saying letting everyone know what they are grateful for.  With one can of Painter's Touch 2X in Real Orange yoiu can turn the basic $5 grapevine garland into a Thankful Garland for your fireplace hearth, entry way into your home or family room center piece. 

I wanted to show you how you can customize this garland by simply using wooden clothes pins which I spray painted along with the grapevine decorative spheres.  Added a few pinecones in the same color as well as a beaded vine.  I leave a pen and tabs along with the spray painted clothespin in a cute weaved basket next to the vine.  Encourage everyone to jot down a Thankful Moment!

My kitchen is a bit on the smaller side so I tend to store bakeware in the oven to save space.  Yes, a little bit of a hassle to remove them when I use the  oven, but the neighborhood alone is a gem!  So last week the kids and I were in the mood to bake cookies and as I was unpacking my heavier baking ceramic baking dishes, one almost slipped and dinged the top edge of my stove!  I knew just as the edge of the pan hit the semi-rounded corner of the stove that it was chipped!  That moment of frustration was clear in my tone of voice and immediately started thinking about how to fix that VERY apparent chip smack dab front and center of the stove!  Check out the damage:

As you can imagine I was pretty upset and needed to cover up this huge DING!   Going through the paint library in my mind I remembered that Rust-Oleum has many touch - up kits - one being Rust-Oleum's Specialty Appliance Touch Up which is ideal for repairing scratches and chips on the exterior of stoves, refrigerators, washers, dryers and other metal appliances - also great for porcelain and enamel surfaces!  It is a one step process - quick and easy available in Biscuit, Almond, Black and White.  Check out how I made a ring of "Warning" signs with painter's tape so that everyone could see it and not lean into the stove - I kept that obnoxious sign there for a full 24 hours until the surface fully cured!

Check out the final Touch Up and how great it looks.  I have cleaned the stove since and use my regular 409 degreaser on it but I do not recommend scrubbing it or using a cleaner such as comet or even soft scrub.  Mild cleaners are the way to go!

With Halloween creeping up right around the corner, here is a great tip when it comes to "Faux" carving your pumpkin!  Simply use a power drill to make holes in your pumpkin - it's fast and easy!  I do recommend that you experiment with different drill bits as well as patterns to create different effects.  Consider drilling an overall line of dots down each rib of the pumpkin, creating a perfect luminary - which you can then drop a string of lights on the inside and have that pumpkin glow away all evening long!  No fire hazards there!  You can also drill your family initial using dots or your house number which would be perfect for all of your family and friends during Thanksgiving!  Happy Halloween to all of our Ghosts, Goblins, Witches and Werewolves!

Why go with the basic browns for Fall?  Welcome your family and friends with a splash of color!  My home is a bit more eclectic and broad in the decorating category...meaning I'll try a new color and always get the "wow" factor when it's complete!  I decided to add Rust-Oleum's Painter's Touch 2X in Lagoon Blue to a generic grapevine wreath.  Since my front door is basic - this Lagoon Blue looks absolutely fab on the door.  I tied in trend colors with the ribbon and added a few fall schemes - large brown acorns and dainty feathers to tie in the turqoise and browns from your local craft store.  As the wreath went up on the front door...my next thought was Painter's Touch 2X in the Gloss Marigold...simply stunning!

Turn a standard grape vine wreath into a silver shimmer with Rust-Oleum's 2X in Aluminum.  Add a few ghostly touches with thin foam sheets as well as a silver ribbon which dangles on the wreath - giving it a soft touch!   Spray painting the wreath any color can turn that dull grape vine wreath into a silver shimmer all the way to a bright orange with Universal's Gloss Sunset Orange! 

You can also recycle this wreath by gently pulling off the two foam ghosts and then add a touch of November by spray painting a few pine cones, nuts and acorns.  Tired of the generic traditional colors - add Rust-Oleum's Aubergene to the pine cones along with 2x Gloss Marigold!  Add color to your home with a few splashes of spray paint!