Upcycle, makeover, recycle and transform that trash to beautiful home decor treasure. Check out these ten fabulous ideas for your home. Well, folks, it's hard to believe, but we've come to the end of another year. What's even harder for me to believe is that this is my sixth...yes, sixth...Exquisitely Unremarkable wrap up. And even more unbelievable is that today's installment is the 500th article I've published. 500. Yikes that's a lot of words...

Create a custom wall hanging or painting by transferring your design onto a stretched canvas with iron on fabric sheets. Super simple DIY... With each Christmas that passes, I seem to simplify my holiday decor a little bit more . Gone are the days of ornaments stuffed in baskets and Santas on every surface. I'm done wasting precious hours setting it all up, taking it all down and dusting it all in between. That doesn't however mean that I'm a decor Grinch. On the contrary. I still love to decorate my home for Christmas . I'm just a whole lot more discerning now.

Trends come and go, but it can be exhausting and expensive to keep up. I prefer a timeless Christmas decorating approach for a classic holiday season home. When I was a little girl, Christmas decorating was the highlight of the season. Our everyday home was transformed into a holiday wonderland full of tinsel, lights and great anticipation. My brother and I would rifle through boxes of red and green, peeling away layers of newspaper to uncover sentimental favorites, while my sisters assembled the tree . It was a lovely time that I can still recall in great detail, even though I was less than a decade old. There were no rules, my mom gave us free rein with the decor and we always went crazy, covering every surface with elves and Santas and nativity sets. In my childhood home, there was no such thing as too much Christmas.

Check out these six things you should consider when renovating a bathroom. Good planning will save you time, money and possibly tons of regret after the fact. This post is sponsored by Premier Surfaces of Buffalo NY While my Christmas shopping may be just about wrapped up, my husband hasn't even started. Sound familiar? He usually asks me what I want around the third week of December and shops on Christmas Eve. He's very efficient. This year in preparation for the big question, I've been gathering my ideas, because rather than a sweater or something from the jewelry counter, I'm asking for a bathroom update. Romantic, huh?

Turn a placemat into a pillow cover in about 10 minutes with this simple home decor craft. Easy, inexpensive and gorgeous. Come see how to make one of your own. Today I have a tale to tell about the perils of decorating ~ the difficulty of getting something in your head, but being unable to find it. While it's not a dangerous story, although I did prick my finger with a needle, it is one that starts out with frustration. It does, however, have a happy ending. But let's get back to the beginning, shall we?

Here's how to make an adorable picture frame Christmas button tree in no time with this simple craft. It's an easy DIY, makes a great gift or a sweet home decor accent. It's a well known fact that Christmas is my favorite time to craft. Well, second favorite, really. Summer is my favorite time to...well, to do everything. Period. Island life revolves around the beach, you know. But even in summer, toes in the sand and iced tea in my hand, I'm crafting for Christmas .

Looking for Christmas plate decorating ideas? Why not add a few napkins for a unique way to create your own DIY display dishes for the holidays. It's an easy craft with stunning results. And it won't break the bank. Hello friends. So it may be a bit early, but I have to confess that my Christmas decorating is done. I went with a simple theme (again) this year, so it didn't take long to complete the task and now I get to move on to the fun stuff... Christmas crafting !! It's my favorite.

Decorate old mason jars or bottles with your own stickers and make a custom home decor accessory or party favor in no time. It's the perfect way to dress up a table for any holiday or occasion. Come see. Every now and then I get the purging bug. I go through my craft closet or a kitchen cabinet, see items I haven't used or have been meaning to use...for years...and donate them. Well, last week when I was looking for some supplies to make my placemat apron , I found a few old jars and thought, well, it's now or never. And you guessed it. I finally chose now.

I have never been one to blindly follow trends or take public opinion into account when decorating. I think if you took a peek around my house, that would be evident. I live in a very old and very small 1920's cottage, I have laminate countertops in my kitchen that I adore and not a stitch of grey paint in any room. I'm a super hard sell, you're never going to talk me into buying something I don't love, so  your opinion, Mr. or Mrs. Salesperson is falling on deaf ears . I'm a New Yorker and a Sicilian one at that.

Whip up a darling patchwork apron for the holidays with this simple DIY. Sew or no sew that's up to you. Come check out the tutorial! Several Christmases ago, my sister arrived at my home with four of the prettiest Pottery Barn placemats for me. The holiday hostess!! I instantly fell in love.

Did you know that you can make and ear of corn by stacking candy corn? Shocking!! But does it really work? And how can you use it for a fun Halloween game? Come find out... A few days ago, I was on Facebook and a shocking post came across my screen. Candy Corn stacked up in the shape of an ear of corn, with the tag line, "How old were you when you realized it's called candy corn because if you stack it up, it looks like corn?" Um. WHAT???

We were late for a birthday party, but that was nothing new. Working, renovating and taking care of the kids had me on the ropes. I was trying to do it all and semi-succeeding, but I was never on time. The party was a good thirty minutes away at a bakery. A bunch of five year olds, their parents and any tag-a-long siblings were going to make a dozen of their very own, custom created cookies. It was going to be a messy endeavor and the outfit my daughter was wearing was definitely not appropriate. Brand new and black. When I asked her to change, she was fine with the idea. Ever agreeable, she pulled out a little pink dress that we were both happy with and I said, Great. Let’s go . No.

Several years ago, I sat at the computer and wrote down some of the DIY jobs on my seemingly never-ending to-do list and called it The Project Pile . I carefully chronicled what needed to be repaired, completed or totally made over in this tiny little cottage of mine, in the hopes that by putting it out there for all the world to see, it would provide me with the motivation to find the time I needed to actually get it all done. Did it work, you ask? Well. Sort of.

Decorate your house for Halloween with a dollar store treat bag banner. Make the kids happy and still get the elegant look you like. It's like having your decor treat and eating it, too... I am not a big fan of Halloween. As a matter of fact, last year I was thrilled that everyone here was way too old for trick or treating and I no longer had to participate in this, my least favorite holiday of the year. Even better, I was finally able to decorate my way in October. I ignored Halloween altogether and dressed my home for fall instead. There were no spider webs on my front door, no cardboard cats, no vinyl cling witches and no orange. Well, very little orange.

My sister is an amazing second hand shopper. She finds the most unique and valuable items. She has an eye for it and great instincts and she often brings me home very cool thrift store treasure s. So I was not at all surprised when, last year, she presented me with this Christmas craft book that she picked up for a buck. Debbie Mumm's 12 Days Of Christmas. Fabulous.

Can you see grief? How long is an appropriate length of time to grieve after the loss of a loved one and just because you can't see someone doing it, does it mean they're done? My mom passed in January. She'd been sick for a long time and while her passing was not at all unexpected, it was still jarring. As death most often is.

Decorate your home for pennies this fall, with these ten fabulous home decor crafts.  Oh fall.  While it certainly isn't my favorite season, being the devout summer girl that I am, I do love the extra time for crafting and decorating I suddenly have, as I'm forced indoors. There's something about all those jewel tones that get my creative juices flowing. I think I do my best work in fall.  And I certainly do a lot of it. 

Grab an inexpensive plastic Adirondack chair from the local hardware store and give it an elegant makeover with black spray paint for your shaded garden or patio area. This weekend, I was having brunch at my friend Liz's house. It was a beautiful late September day at the beach so we ventured outside for a bit to her elegant patio area. Nestled into the hillside, overlooking the water, Liz created a fabulous sitting area, complete with a fire pit and four very stylish black Adirondack chairs.

Growing up, if you had told me that I'd live in a house filled with braided rugs , I would've laughed and said no way. Too old fashioned.  Ironically, as an adult, my tastes and needs have changed and I've become the queen of braided rugs. One became two, two became four and now I think I have multiples in just about every room. 

The term "Easy DIY" seems to be everywhere lately, but what exactly does that mean? And when most online how to's are accompanied by magazine worthy shots, is it more inspiring or intimidating? Here's my take. I recently reorganized my kitchen pantry as part of my fall cleaning routine . It wasn't a fanfare filled activity. It didn't require hours of my time or any great skill. I didn't call my family over to witness the result of my hours of toil, because, honestly, there wasn't any.

Not sure what to do with your old cookie sheets? Don't throw them away! Turn an old cookie sheet into a brand new home decor accessory with a little paint and some old kitchen hardware. It's an easy and elegant DIY. Check it out. You may have heard me mention from time to time that I do not like to cook . But decorate the kitchen? Bring it on.

I bought at glass cutting board at the thrift store and gave it a crafty makeover for fall. It was a super easy craft that will dress up your kitchen and decorate your table. Check out the tutorial.  So last night I was crafting at 1:00 am again. I was working in the kitchen, balancing a glass cutting board on my lap, decoupaging with a foam brush...and trying not to get it on my pjs. I used to think I crafted this way because my kids were small and there wasn't any other time during the day to get it done. But now that they're in college that explanation doesn't really hold water. Nope. Turns out, I'm just crazy. And a night owl .

Kindness isn't measured by the dollar, it's the thought that counts. Here are 10 random acts of kindness that you can do for under $10. And some of them are free. Come pick your favorite and start spreading some cheer. This week, as summer begins to wind down, our Ten on The Tenth posts resume. Our focus is Random Acts of Kindness for Under $10. I have to admit that when the topic came up, I thought it was truly worthwhile, but life's been a bit busy around here lately and I just wasn't sure if I'd have time to come up with a crafty and creative way to be kind for under ten bucks. So I declined.

Whip up a sweet apple candle ring to dress your home for fall. Lately, online, all I see is pumpkins. Orange, white, purple and green...they're very pretty, but it's hard to take them seriously when outside my window it's summer. It's 90 hazy and humid degrees here, the flowers are blooming in a burst of bright colors. There's not a orange leaf in sight ~ and I suppose that's the way it should be since technically, it is still summer.

Fall cleaning is a real thing. Why clean in spring when we spend all day inside in the winter. Get the tips for a clean house before the holidays hit. Am I the only one who cleans up and out in preparation for fall? I know, I know, spring is the time we're supposed to get organized, open the windows, clean out the cobwebs and vacuum behind stuff. But honestly, I much prefer to do it as the chilly weather approaches. Who wants to be stuck inside on a warm May day after being cooped up for several months. When the sun shines and the mercury starts to rise, this girl wants to get outside.

We painted our old concrete patio and now it looks amazing. It totally transformed our worn, cracked and faded cement. And we did it in one day. When we first moved into our sweet beach cottage , the backyard was a blank slate, filled with trees and grass. While it was very picturesque, there was no place for a patio set or any seating for that matter. We knew things had to change.

I'm no good with plants and I didn't want to rot the siding of my home with a traditional flower box, so I covered an old board with painted flowers and made a faux window box instead. Super easy DIY...and no dead flowers. This summer in between walks on the beach and dips in the pool I have been crafting ...nothing big, just doing things that make me smile and feed my soul. Last week, while I was sharing all the details about my new teeth and my summer of yes , some of you noticed a floral board and asked about it. What was I making? Where would it go? What would it be?

Hello friends! It's August, can you believe it? I certainly cannot. This summer has been flying by, as summers do, and I've been busy doing a myriad of things...most of which have kept me far away from the computer. While I generally try to stick to the DIY updates, I've received so many kind emails wondering where I've been, I decided to share. I wish I could tell you that I've been off traveling the world or that I've been toiling away, making progress on the book I've always wanted to write, but the truth of the matter is, I've just been home. Saying yes.

Summer is the perfect time to get a jump on my holiday crafting. Especially when I can spend time on the beach, collecting seashells for a beautiful coastal inspired Christmas wreath ornament. Of course, I don't really need an excuse to hang out on the beach. It's my all time favorite place to be. It's actually the reason why I've been dodging all things computer and blog related. I'd much rather spend my days in the sunshine, staring at sand and sea, instead of a screen and I highly doubt I'm the only one. However, this craft was just so cute, I had to log on and share it.

I've always had a vision for the front of our home ~ charming, elegant, welcoming ~ but for some reason, I was never able to get it right. Until now... Decorating has never been a challenge for me. From the minute I walked into this house, a little over fifteen years ago, I knew exactly what each room needed to get me from vision to reality...

Corn on the cob is one of my all time favorite foods. It's grown locally and always tastes amazing, no salt or seasoning required. Growing up , corn was a treat saved for big family gatherings and summertime barbecues. When we saw the farm stand bags in the kitchen, we knew there was a big party on the horizon. With the festivities in full swing, we would sit on the grass in our bathing suits, shucking the ears, in between cannonballs and jackknife dives, before handing them over to my mom who would boil them in a giant pot...for what seemed like forever . Great memories.

Hello friends! Thank you all so much for entering my half a pig bowl giveaway! Wow, there were a lot of entries! I knew this little piggy was popular, I just didn't realize HOW popular. I will certainly keep my eyes open for more of them and if I see them, I will grab them for a future giveaway.  In the meantime, we have a winner...

A few months ago I was out and about and picked up this sweet rooster plate rack for $5.00 at the thrift store. I couldn't pass it up even though I knew there wasn't one blank wall in my home to place it. However, there was plenty of room in my garden , so I grabbed it.

Several months ago, I shared this vintage boho lamp I found at the thrift store . I had originally planned to paint it or make it over in someway, but when I got it home its true charm emerged. It didn't need anything, but an old red shade.  Super charming...and I thought that everyone else would think so, too, but really all people wanted to talk about was my pig.  Or should I say, my half a pig.

Do you have a window sill that's too deep. Does it interfere with your kitchen faucet, stick out too far or need to be trimmed back? Me too. Here's the simple, step by step DIY so you can cut your sill. Hello friends ~ Oh boy, it's been a busy month! I've been away from the computer for much of it enjoying a bit of real life. Summer is upon us, there was a lovely ocean vacation to celebrate that, family visits and while school wrapped up for much of the country weeks ago, it just finished today here.

I've found the best way to clean a white porcelain sink. Restores it in minutes without a lot of scrubbing and even removes those awful dark gray scratch marks. Check out how to do it and keep your own sink looking brand new. Ok before we start here, I have to tell you that I didn't set out to write a post about cleaning my old sink. That my friends is a byproduct of a long, long story about finally getting the sink of my decorating dreams. So if you're here for the cleaning, feel free to skip to the end of this tale. However, if you like drama, grab a cup of something and sit down, because have I got a sink saga for you. 😉 Big, white, workhorse style, porcelain sinks have always been my favorites. They remind of old farmhouses, my grandmother's comfortable kitchen and the kind of character filled homes I have always loved. When we added our kitchen , about twenty years ago, apron front/ farmhouse style sinks were just starting to show up in mainstream magazines and

When I was a little girl my mom shared a story about a friend who had fresh flowers delivered to her home on a regular basis. She was rather well off and her home was her haven, so she would drop several containers off at the florist each week and they would return them to her brimming with color. I always thought that was the coolest thing. 

Want a farmhouse style kitchen sink skirt that functions as well as your cabinet doors?  This one is pretty and practical. Check out this easy DIY. I've always loved the look of a skirted farmhouse sink. It's reminiscent of a simpler time and adds so much charm and character to a cottage style kitchen. It's been on my decorating bucket list for as long as I can remember. Unfortunately, when we replaced our faucet , we discovered that apron front drop in sinks for laminate countertops were no longer being manufactured. Grrrr. Monkey wrench...

Makeover an old table and add a little charm with a sheet of beadboard and paint. Trash to treasure table. My living room has looked exactly the same for over a decade. It's super pretty and the red has always made me swoon, but this weekend after we made some changes in the kitchen , painted our  patio and replaced the front door, the room looked a little tired. You know how that goes. Renovation and remodeling tends to be contagious.

For as long as I can remember, I've wanted a farmhouse style sink. It fits my cottage style aesthetic and there's really nothing more charming, but it was beyond my budget, so here's how I faked it with a few cabinet modification and a new kitchen faucet. * Pfister Faucets provided me with this beautiful faucet, but all opinions expressed here are my very own. Unfortunately, for me, it just never seemed to be in the cards. When we moved into this house and renovated , my husband and contractor both conspired against me citing cost, construction and leaks, so I abandoned the battle. Well, sort of.

Whip up a warm and welcoming sign for your front door with an old ceiling fan blade and some dollar store flowers.  It's an easy DIY that packs a very colorful punch! I've always been a huge fan of simplicity. Whether it's my wardrobe or home decor, fussy has never been my style . In my closet , you'll find jeans, white t-shirts and little black dresses that I pair with a single strand of pearls. In my kitchen , there are vases and wreaths filled with all the same bloom, no mixed bouquets, and my rooms are decorated with a pairing of one color and white. So it makes perfect sense that when I decided to make a new fan blade sign, I went with sweet and simple sentiment. Hello.

Create a unique piece of home decor with an embroidery hoop and a placemat doily. Sometimes when I go to the thrift store, I find items I like, but have no idea what I'm going to do with them once I get them home. That was the case with this embroidery hoop.  It caught my eye because it was unusually large. Huge actually, so I picked it up.

Whip up this cheap and easy Dollar Store Daisy Wreath in no time and for about six bucks. Plus it can do double duty as a candle ring. Check out the super simple DIY. So spring has finally shown up, unfortunately the sun has not. It's been raining here for several days and the forecast doesn't look any different for the next week or so. Bummer. That's ok, I decided to make my own sunshine...and for about six bucks. Take that, Mother Nature .

I went to the thrift store to see if I could find something fabulous in the fashion area for under ten bucks. Here's my tale. And it isn't pretty. So I've been talking a lot about thrift stores and my fun finds lately . Hunting for treasure and then displaying it in my home or transforming it into something new has become somewhat of a passion . I enjoy browsing and I love every square inch of my thrift store. I dig deep into each and every corner. Well, almost every corner. True confession? I stay far, far away from the fashion.

Finally...spring has arrived in my neck of the woods and I am ready to shop! Ok, well, not really shop, shop, but thrift shop and as far as I'm concerned, looking for buried treasure during the warmer months is the best. Why, you ask. Well, the short answer is because I am not in an actual shop. And what could be better than that after a long, long winter?

What Your Hair Style Says About You Clickbait .  I hate titles like that and the articles that follow. It's no different than the ones that want to tell you about the ten decorating mistakes you're making right now. Complete and total hogwash. They make me so mad. They're just there to sell magazines, full of nonsense, made up by some "expert" who needs to fill their word quota. And it frustrates me beyond belief.

Tea cup planters are super cute and a great cottage style accessory. Grab a plain cup at the thrift store and embellish it with a vinyl decal. Check out the easy DIY! Not too long ago, I found this giant tea cup at the thrift store. If you're a regular reader, I doubt you've forgotten its despicable condition. I fell in love immediately. Its size, shape and price drew me right in, at a dollar fifty, it was a bargain. Plus it was a matched set, hard to come by at second hand shops...and probably most importantly, it needed a good makeover. I'm a sucker for a lost cause.

Starting an exercise routine at fifty is tough, especially when you're woefully out of shape. I thought a geriatric yoga class would be a great place to begin. Boy was I wrong... The invitation came over text and it was very tempting. I love sweet treats, so meeting a friend for a chat and chocolate was a hard one to turn down. nope, can't today. i have old lady yoga. but thank u! ❤️ what's old lady yoga? yoga. at the library. with old ladies? just one...

Are your dishes scratched and marked up from silverware cuts and the dishwasher? Here's how to get rid of those black and gray scratches easily. And make your plates look like new again. Last week Mother Nature let spring out of her cell for a few short days and I left the house. After running some boring errands, I decided it was too nice to go home. So I hit the thrift store instead . I didn't expect to find anything fabulous, but I stumbled upon a very cool cup and saucer. It was totally scratched and anyone else probably would've walked right by, but not this girl.

Fabulous Five Minute Easy Blueberry Pie Recipe that makes you look like master baker. No crust to make, sweet with less sugar, no boiling fruit, just mix and go. Check out the super simple recipe and peek at the cute crust! So it's a well established fact that I do not like to cook. I've mentioned it throughout the years, over and over again, that it's just not my gig. That's why this five minute blueberry pie recipe is perfect for me.