DIY Plank Wall Mantel

The mantel in our house has more or less been a giant eyesore since I can remember. It didn’t always look as bad as it does in the before picture, though. It had a bunch of cheesy square mirrors on the top and sides. We took those off, and it sat in that sad state for longer than I’d like to admit. The stack of wood was purchased probably two months ago. I had the idea for a plank wall and we saw a nice bunch of wood in the discount pile in Home Depot. In total, all of the wood for the project was less than $9. There was a few things that I had to do, before cutting and mounting the wood…

There were giant holes where the shelf was bolted to the wall, and also one of the fake bricks was missing from the framing of the fireplace. I used Rock Hard to fill in the holes, and (more or less) made a fake, fake brick to blend in the gap. The “bricks” around the fireplace aren’t actual bricks, so that’s why it’s a “fake, fake brick.”  It’s not perfect, but it did the trick for now. Before painting the bricks, it’s also important to vacuum and wipe down all the crevices. It’s easy for dust to hide in there and ruin the paint job.

Cutting the wood was surprisingly easy. I give 100% credit to the nice miter saw that I got at an estate sale for $20. I got the idea for the chevron shape of the wood from a friendly older gentleman at Home Depot. I was telling him about why I was collecting all that wood and he said, “You know there’s a really simple way to make your wall look really fancy…” You just set the miter saw to a 45 degree angle, measure and cut. All I needed to attach the planks were 1.5in finishing nails and voila! It was up!

Next came the caulking…

Then the paint…

The bare wood looked great, but I wanted to try the white wash treatment. We’re also supposed to install some marble on the bottom, so I thought the raw wood and the marble might be too busy. I didn’t use an official measurement for the paint, just a plastic cup with some paint and added water until the mixture seemed about right. Very precise…

I’m in love with that incense jar…

So that’s that! I’m not brave enough to try to do anything with the marble right now, but I’ll post pictures of it when it eventually gets done. If you’re thinking of doing a plank wall, do it! It’s easier than you’d think and they look fantastic. For another great tutorial on planking an entire room, check out Domestic Imperfection… Leave me some comments with questions or suggestions. It’s always appreciated!

An Excuse for the Beach…

There are two benefits from thrifting for beach equipment. 1. What house doesn’t have a few things that were bought for a family beach trip, used only one time and then stored in the garage for the next however many years? This means you can buy those things, barely used, and at a fraction of a cost. 2. Once you have it, you have the perfect excuse to go to the beach!

For example:

$2 for both of those watermelon umbrellas. They aren’t just regular “Stick them in the ground and hope they stay put” umbrellas.  They’ve got nice clamps on the end, so you can attach them to your beach tables or chairs.

$1.50 for the beach blanket / tablecloth. Much nicer than a towel because you’ll have room too move around and set down your things without covering them in sand.

In the event that the weather turns gloomy while you’re out at the beach, as it did with me, don’t worry. That’ll just give you time to check some of the local thrift stores where you’ll find things like super groovy cowgirl boots…

A large, shaggy, pleather jacket…

Or a nice straw hat for your next beach trip…

Happy Summer!

Key West on the Cheap

I already posted about my favorite things to do in Key West. Now, for all the things that you can do on a budget…

1. See all the typical Key West landmarks.

The Southernmost Point. Get your picture taken with the famous monument, and grab a snow cone from the vendor that is always there on the street. Trust me, you’ll be hot enough to want one.

Mile 0 of highway 1.

The Sunset Celebration on Mallory Square.

2. Shopping! Both window and otherwise.

There are plenty of touristy stores where you can find souvenirs and handy travel underwear..

Or you can pop some tags in one of the many thrift stores…

3. Go see the Key West Aquarium.

It’s tiny, but well worth the $15 entry fee. You can even get cheaper tickets if you pre-purchase them online.

There’s a petting tank with stingrays and other ocean critters..

You can feed some fish and see some pretty large sharks…

4. Grab a cheap book for charity and do some reading in the sunshine.

On your way down the Keys, you’ll pass Baby’s Coffee…

…stop in and grab a drink, I recommend the chai iced latte, but all the drinks are good..

… then grab a book and give a donation. If you have any books with you that you’ve already finished, here is the perfect place to drop them so another traveler can enjoy them…

… Then go sit by your hotel pool or the beach with your chai iced latte, read your book and work on your tan.

5. Play pool at the Green Parrot.

The Green Parrot isn’t right on Duval, which makes it more of a locals hangout. “Locals hangout” can also be translated too “full of strange Key  Westers who make for good entertainment via people watching.”

I’d love to hear any other suggestions!

Tennessee Thrifting: Part 2

I mentioned in my last post about the really cool mod clothing store where I couldn’t buy anything because I had already purchased too much. Here are a few of my favorites…

Anthropology Skirt- $10

Plaid Old Navy Shirt- $5

I have to admit, I wasn’t 100% sold on the skirt, until I found out that it was from Anthropology. Have you been to that store?? It is my absolute favorite place, but I can’t afford anything there. I first discovered Anthropology in the Chelsea Market and I’ve been dying for something from that place ever since.

Columbia shirt- $12

That’s normally more than I would pay for a shirt, but Columbia fishing shirts are pretty popular in Florida. I’ve been looking for one for a long time and you never find them in thrifties down here.

Brand new Tommy Hilfiger Bermuda Shorts- $5

These are nothing exciting, style-wise, but they are perfect for work. They were actually $10, but this particular thrift store was having a half-off sale and I needed some new work clothes.

Priceless V8 Sweater- $6

We also got this for half price. It was just so ridiculous, she couldn’t pass on it.

$75 pants from The Limited outlet store- $17

I know this isn’t technically a thrift store find, but they were such a great deal that I had to include them. The outlet store was having a 30% off sale AND these were already on the sale rack. So, just a re-cap, that’s 30% off jeans that were on the sale rack and already discounted by the outlet store. How ’bout them apples. I also got a few other shirts, but no pictures of those, unfortunately. I did so much shopping that week, but it was hard to pass these things up!

Tennessee Thrift: part 1

I bought so many clothes on this last trip to Tennessee that I had to buy a second bag to get them all home! There were many great thrift stores, so it was hard to resist! My favorite one BY FAR was called “Pre to Post Modern,” just outside of Nashville. They had so many adorable clothes from every era..

I didn’t actually buy anything here because I was already over spent, but there were such good finds. I LOVED this jacket, but leather jackets are far from optimal in Florida.. 😦

Bed Jacket anyone?

Hats? Yes, please.

I need this light…

I took mostly video (go watch it!) here, so my photos don’t do it justice. I promise if you’re in the area and you stop in, you won’t be disappointed. The address is..2110 8th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37204…

A Coronation, a Road Trip and Your Suggestions!

For all of us Dutchies out there, don’t forget to wear your orange today! There’s a new King in the Netherlands for the first time in over a century!

The shirt really is orange, I promise. Two Thumbs up for the House of Orange!

In other news, tomorrow I leave for Tennessee…

I’ll be staying within the triangle of Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga. I think we’ll be heading right to Nashville to catch the memorial service for George Jones on Thursday. For live updates, be sure to follow me on Twitter and Instagram. Other than that, I want your suggestions! Where should I go? What should I see? Are there any good races happening? What things are purely Tennessee, that we definitely should not miss?? I can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

If You Lack The Hospitality Gene Like I Do…

In my post about traveling with only a carry-on, I mentioned packing hotel toiletries instead of buying them at your destination or packing full size bottles. Another great use for them is in your guest bathroom…

I keep a jar filled with all kinds of hotel goodies and disposable razors, in case I have friends or family over and they have forgotten something. It’s convenient for them because they don’t have to ask for anything or waste ten minutes in the shower (while the hot water runs out) trying to squeeze the last few drops out of a shampoo bottle that I keep forgetting to replace. Cold, half-washed guests are much less cheerful, I’ve found.

I don’t get credit for this idea, though. I stayed with my cousin in her student flat and when I went to use the shower she said, “Here is my shampoo and if you need anything else, you can probably find it in here.” Then she opened a little jar filled with an assortment of whatever toiletries anyone could ever need. Brilliant! She’s a smart one, that cousin of mine. There are a lot of benefits to doing this.. It makes you seem like a much better host than you might actually be. It gives a purpose to any empty jars lying around your house. Most importantly though, it dresses up your horrendously peachy, 1960’s style bathroom… OK, maybe those three things are directed mostly at me and my hospitality ineptness, obsession for ground glass jars and my out-dated bathroom… but you get the idea…

I’m still looking for the best way to dress this bathroom up and the jars are a good start. If anyone else has any suggestions, I would love to hear them!

Travel Tip: Zip-Lock Bags Are Your Friend

I’ve said before I try to only travel with a carry-on bag. One thing that is really important, especially when you’re trying to fit a lot in a small bag, is organization. First of all, if you get randomly stopped by security (which has happened to me the last TWO times I have flown!) you don’t want to open your bag and have a bunch of underwear fall out because you shoved it in at the last-minute when you realized it was almost forgotten. (I will neither confirm, nor deny that I have had that happen to me.) Secondly, you don’t want to have to dig through the entire contents of you bag to find that one bottle of lotion for which security stopped you, because it MIGHT have been bigger than regulation. And thirdly, if you’re going to be living out of a suitcase for a few days, it is just much easier and stress free to know where everything is. Plastic, sandwich sized bags make all of these things so much easier.

Yes, I keep the courtesy hotel toiletries. Don’t judge. For weekend getaways, when you don’t need to bring a full bottle shampoo, conditioner and body wash, they are the perfect travel size. Some hotels are even getting really fancy with it. I stayed in hotel last summer that only had Bath and Body Works products. Fancy!

I normally use three bags to separate my stuff: Electrical/Chords (Camera, Charger, Laptop Etc..) Hair stuff (Clips, Bobby-pins, Ties) and toiletries.

They keep everything organized, prevent your clothes from getting ruined if a bottle breaks, and (the best part) the bags are clear, so you can see everything that’s in them. No digging! Once you’re done packing, put them all right on top. Chances are, anything that looks suspicious will be in these bags, so it makes the security check easier.

I know I am not saying anything groundbreaking here, and a lot of people already do this, but I thought I’d share. Traveling can be exhausting and stressful, so every little bit helps!

NYC Coat Thrifting

On our recent trip to NYC, my mom and I discovered just how much we are nancies about the cold. After nearly turning into Popsicles on our first night there, our mission the next morning became finding better coats. There is an area near Morningside Heights, and near my bagel shop, that has three or four really good second-hand stores that are all within one block of each other. One is a fancy store that only re-sells expensive brand name clothes (It’s a bit pricey) and the others were the usual Salvation Army/Church types. Our coat prayers were answered in church… well below the church building, in their thrift store…

A whole wall of $5 coats!

This one was my favorite, but it was a little big. 100% wool though and so warm!

Then there was the leather jacket for anyone that wants to look like an extra from The Matrix..

There was also a TERRIBLE ’80s coat that was purple and hand enormous shoulder pads, I lost the picture of that one though sadly.. I didn’t really need a coat anyway, but my mom definitely did. She found this one… She loves having her picture taken…

Also 100% wool and made in America. Perfect for New York, but not so much for Florida. Because she only paid $5 for it, she was able to leave it behind for someone else to use! No trying to somehow stuff that thing into our luggage. No guilt in wasting the money since it was so cheap AND you get to help more people by re-donating the coat! Win-Win-Win.

New York Designs

Just a little design inspiration from NYC…

Central Park..

The High Line Park in Chelsea… LOVED this place, and found it by accident! It’s an old, above ground railroad line that they’ve turned into a park. The whole place was blooming, Absolutely gorgeous.

A locksmith in Little Italy… who wouldn’t want a sweater for their padlock?

Seriously though, where do I get one?

Urban Barbed Wire..

Chelsea Market..

When I have my own kitchen, I think I need a wall like this…

New York. Effortlessly chic..