I wanted to share with you one of the gifts I am making this year. I love to make homemade gifts for my family and friends. Every year I come up with many ideas and this is just one of them that I have planned to gift to two people. This Patchwork Soup in a Jar will accompany a set of five bamboo utensils that I hand painted. … [Read more...]
You may have noticed that I am doing a bit of home decorating. Sometimes it feels good to just update a room just a little bit. I find you can change the feel of a room by just changing up some accent pieces or decorations. Little changes can be easier on your budget than doing a complete room makeover, although I do have one of those planned and I am going to use my thrifty ways to stay in under budget. But today, I am going to show you how you can easily a recover a dining room chair, or … [Read more...]
As far as bathroom makeovers that include new flooring go, this one is inexpensive, relatively easy, and not too time consuming. This is the bathroom the kids use most of the time and I thought this would be a good place to start to try out this flooring to see if I like it for other bathrooms. I had areas of the current flooring that had stained due to a candle exploding and hair dye and it has bothered me a long time until I finally made time to replace the flooring. … [Read more...]
I live in northern Minnesota, in a unique part of the world called the Iron Range. This is a place where iron is mined to make steel. It is a place rich in history and a melting pot of cultures. It is a place that drew thousands of immigrants from countries like Finland, Sweden, Germany, Norway, Slovenia, and Italy to live and work. And with them, they brought their food and traditions. Potica, môjakka, lutefisk, porketta, lefse, and the pasty are just some of the foods of the people of … [Read more...]
Do you love sushi but don't like the cost? Then you will love this post! Do you wish there was someplace to buy sushi in your area, but there isn't? Why not make it at home? … [Read more...]
Do you have a piece of furniture that has good bones but is in need of an update because the fabric is outdated or ruined? That’s what this ottoman is to us. We bought it over 10 years ago and it has good bones but the leather had worn, then cracked and finally started to be torn away by children. Do you know what I mean when I say “good bones?" I am talking about the solid structure of a piece that is quality made. It is a piece that continues to stand up to the rigors of its use. … [Read more...]
Want to change up some of your home decor but not spend a lot of money? Take a look around and see what you have available to use. If you have some empty old bottles in the recycling and some spray paint, then you're in luck, and can very quickly put together an arrangement that is appealing to the eye and the pocketbook. … [Read more...]