Thrifty Decor

I have never been one to have a Martha Stewart home. I love pretty things, decorations and all that... but I suffer from a disease I call "I-can-do-that-itis". I refuse to buy things I can do myself. And combine that with the lack of real wall space in my house... it's easy to see why I don't have anything really on my walls.

No curtains. No pictures. Nothing.

But I am trying to make that change. And we all know I am just a little bit cheap :cough cough: I am trying to do this all while spending as little as possible.

This weekend, I tried my hand at these Book Wreaths over at Living with Lindsay!

I am pretty happy with the end result! And best yet, it only cost me $2! I got my book and wreath form at the Dollar Tree... I had the glue gun and gray paint already.

I am not sure where I will keep it, but for now, it feels at home above this shelf.

Pennies in the Dryer

Ryan has gotten to the point that he has discovered pockets. And money. And he will go into my pockets to get money to put into his pockets.

And I am not used to this... and I forget to check his pockets before they get into the wash. And now I have pennies in my dryer. Well, pennies and matchbox cars. One day I will learn.

As I was cleaning out my findings of 11cents out of the dryer today, I remembered a rule that we had growing up... whoever finds money in the dryer is the owner of it, regardless of whose pockets lost it. It made it much easier than trying to figure it out. And so I realized I needed a little bank to set in the laundry room. And I wanted something prettier than a mason jar with a slot cut in the lid.

I don't know about you... but I got one of these in my stocking... a Tootsie Roll bank. I loved these growing up... and I figured it would be perfect!

I cut some paper to the right length and width, then used my trusty Mod Podge.

First, I covered the bank in Mod Podge, which acts like glue and stuck the paper right on.

Then I coated the entire thing in another coat of Mod Podge to seal it on... mostly since it will be in a more humid room and I don't want it just peeling off.

It looked pretty cute, but I decided to stick a little tag on with a ribbon remnant to cheer it up... and to the Laundry Room shelf it went!

I think I'll use that money at the end of the year (or whenever it's full) to buy me something pretty... just for doing the laundry. ;o)