design on a dime :: a double diy post

Lately I've been feeling like my home needs a little sprucing up.

And seeing as we live in an apartment, with limited space and no painting allowed, and  finances are limited, there is only so much that I can do.

Time to get creative.

Using stuff I already had on hand, and less than five dollars, 

I came up with a couple of DIYs that changed two walls in my home. :)

The first thing I did was create a space for a very special painting that my sister-in-law did for us.

Previously, I just had this painting hanging on the wall, frameless, with thumbtacks. Yuck!

Although I had frames that didn't have anything in them, this painting was just a tad too big for them.

So, I took a frame that has housed a bridal portrait of mine for the last 8 years and spruced it up a bit.

I covered the original mat with a piece of fabric that I already had (the opening in the mat was too small for the painting); turned the frame sideways; fixed the painting onto the fabric.

And, PRESTO!!

A brand new piece of artwork for my hallway!!

I absolutely adore it.

And, yes. That is a black broom hanging on the other wall.

Stay tuned for a peek at my Halloween decor.

Now that I had this new piece of art hanging in the main hallway into the apartment, 

I needed something to fill the space that my bridal portrait previously hung in.

Enter some Pinterest inspiration.

I had seen this idea on Pinterest awhile back and was just itching for a moment when I could recreate it.

{via}

SO pretty!!!

I went and bought 4 embroidery hoops from my local Hobby Lobby, for about four dollars,

and, again, using fabric that I already had, I started my "hoop wall".

I LOVE the way this turned out!

I definitely plan on adding more hoops to this wall.

Not only is this project super inexpensive and easy peasy,

it looks awesome and you can add to it as time and finances allow.

Also, you can throw caution to the wind and add fabrics in as many 

different colors and patterns as you want.

Do you have any super simple DIYs that you have done or are wanting to try out?

eye spy

A few months back I became OBSESSED with Pinterest.

I can literally spend hours on there perusing and pinning.
And it makes me oh so happy. :)

One of the things that I LOVE to pin is pictures of eyes.
Well, eye make up to be exact.
Eye shadow is definitely my favorite kind of face make up and the one I own the most of.
I had to clarify "face" make up, because I consider nail polish a make up of sorts, and I own a TON of that.
Although, I did notice the other day that even though I have a lot of eye shadows, they are all very similar in color.
This will have to be rectified in the near future.

The norm for me is to wear very little and very natural looking make up.
I think I look funny in anything too heavy.
But these pictures give me inspiration to take a bit of a risk.
What's the worst that can happen.
It washes off, right?











And how awesome is this eye makeup?!
Perfect for Halloween or a costume party.


All photos are courtesy of Pinterest.

The two makeup "secrets" that I think are the best have to do with the eyes.
1. Tweeze.
A shaped eyebrow with no scraggly hairs can transform your face.
I know that I feel prettier once I've tweezed my brows, even if I have no makeup on.
2. Curl your eyelashes.
Unlike the other 3 people in my household, I have to accentuate my eyelashes.
I don't have long, thick, curly eyelashes (enter gloat from the hubs).
I've curled my lashes on and off since I started wearing makeup, but in the last few days, I've become kind of obsessed with it.
It just makes your eye more striking, even if you don't have mascara on.

What are your favorite makeup "secrets"?

yellow & gray

I often find myself thinking about how I would outfit my home, if money and space were no issue. Pinterest does nothing to help me get out of this daydream state.

One of my current obsessions is a yellow and gray bedroom. Now, these are two colors that I wouldn't have necessarily envisioned together myself, but after spending HOURS scouring the interwebz, I've come to find that this is quite the popular duo right now. And I too, have jumped on the yellow and gray decor train.



How pretty is this room?! I absolutely adore the rug. And I love the "sitting" area at the foot of the bed.



A lovely gray and yellow inspiration board.



Yellow nightstands? Yes, please! And that curtain behind (and over) the bed adds an incredible layer of texture and depth to the room.



Okay, maybe this is more for a nursery, but I love everything about it. From the colors, to the font, to the word placement, to the lyrics themselves. By the way, this song holds a special place in my heart, as it is the song that my own mom sang to me when I was little.



That chair is almost too pretty to sit on. Almost.


Now, no matter how much I love this, or any other, color combination, it will probably never happen in my house. I've come to realize that tying myself down to specific colors is WAY too limiting for my "living in" decor style. I like mismatched stuff. I don't want to tie myself down things of a certain color or design. I have WAY too many knick knacks and memorabilia-type things that I want to display. I like my home to look lived in.

But, that won't stop me from daydreaming.