Say Hello To... Tiffany of Living Savvy

I am so pleased to introduce all you "lovelies" to Tiffany of Living Savvy Blog. She's sharing some GREAT tips as a professional in her field. After the post, be sure to check her amazing blog HERE.

Hey there!  I was so excited when Heather asked me to do a guest post for her!  I am interior designer, mother to two boys and wife to an amazing guy, and in my {not so} spare time I write a design blog called {Living Savvy}.  There I try to share all of my secrets to having a savvy life in a savvy space for less.  So I thought I would share my secrets to styling a table top.


I believe there are a few savvy principals to creating a perfect grouping of objects...


 Savvy Principle: Make It Personal

This picture is from my bedroom.  This room is a small departure from the rest of my house... a little vintage tropical, but the hubs and I love it because we were married in Hawaii.  Every time I walk in the room I see this little arrangement it makes me smile!

Before and After: A Classroom Makeover

First of all, let me apologize for not having this post up sooner. This week was the first (half)week of school, and I've worked 14+ hours each day. October is usually the month when things slow down a bit, and I can breath.  There is so much for an elementary teacher to do in the fall that at times you question your sanity for ever getting into the profession. Hats off to my teacher friends with real children of their own; I don't know how you do it. 

BEFORE

AFTER



Yes! Those are Scrabble pieces. I glued two boards together and then glued the letters down with an all-purpose craft glue.

BEFORE


AFTER

DIY: Electrical Spool Stools

As an elementary teacher,  I'm always spending money on my classroom this time of year. When my friend and coworker Jeannie walked by a huge pile of electrical spools sitting outside our newly rewired building, she thought we might be able to use them for something. We plotted a way to turn them into stools for the kids to sit on. Buying bean bags every couple years can get expensive, so I was definitely up for a cheaper option.  

BEFORE



AFTER

TOTAL COST: $24

$8 fabric + $2 ribbon + $4 spray paint + $10 foam mattress pad 



Weeknight Quiche

 

One of my favorite "breakfast for dinner's" is quiche. The great thing about this dish is that you usually have ingredients on hand to make one of its many variations. My husband refuses to admit he likes quiche. I secretly think he does and just wants to keep his man card, at least that's what I tell myself to explain why he's never as excited as I am about it. Tonight, I was cooking for one and had no guilt. I started with a homemade crust (which is not nearly as fancy as it sounds.) I do use a good store bought pie crust when I need to save time. Either way, quiche is an easy comfort food that's great with a light salad or soup for a weeknight dinner at home.

Before & After: Antique Wingbacks Get a Modern Makeover

These wingback chairs were some of the first pieces of furniture that we acquired when we moved into our house over a year ago, and they definitely set the tone for our formal living room. I had done some reupholstering myself before, but knew this was a job that called for a professional. I didn't want to have any part in ruining these chairs that had been so well preserved since the 1930's! Finding fabric and the right upholstery shop were my big tasks.

Found at a garage sale for $8. They were owned by one family since the 1930's. What a S-T-E-A-L!!

After many hours debating fabric options and shopping for the cheapest rupholstery shop around

 

I went back and forth whether the citrine chevron was too much. I decided to pair it with a more neutral wood grain/paisley fabric and white piping.  I realize that for some people the pattern is too much. (Some days shortly after the makeover I was one of those people.) Looking back, I'm so glad I bit the bullet and went for the bold fabric choice. My style tends to merge traditional elements with a modern twist. The lines of the chair are so classic, but the fabric lends a playfulness that keeps our formal living room feeling fresh. You can read more details about this project on Design*Sponge HERE.

Also linked up to :

http://abowlfulloflemons.blogspot.com/

http://www.stuff-and-nonsense.net/

http://chiconashoestringdecorating.blogspot.com/2011/08/flaunt-it-friday-67.html

http://thediyshowoff.blogspot.com/
http://www.iheartnaptime.net/  
http://www.freckledlaundry.com/ 
~Heather
 
Pin It

The "Heirloom" Rug

Searching for rugs, large or small, never seems to be a simple task for me. I feel like I could more easily commit to buying a new car than a new rug. (I realize this probably isn't something I should admit so freely...) After searching for weeks, I couldn't find a small rug for my kitchen. I wanted something with bold color and a low pile, but wasn't willing to delve into savings to purchase the one I really liked. After finding several rugs in budget that were just "ok", I gave up the hunt.

It turns out that the "perfect new rug" wasn't new at all.

A few months ago, a package came in the mail from my aunt. It was full of textiles and nic naks that belonged to my grandma. My sweet "Mawmaw" passed away this fall leaving behind a wealth of memories and indelible impressions on anyone who knew her, especially her grand kids. Her stories were as colorful as her personality.

Three DIY Art Ideas

One of the things I wanted to do when we bought our house was cover our blank walls with unique art and decor. I didn't realize that most of th art I lvoed was way out of my budget. I didn't want the same prints from Target or Bed Bath and Beyond that I'd seen a hundred times, as much as I love other things from both those stores. Thankfully, Etsy provides us with a plethora of options these days. But sometimes even a $30 print from Etsy feels like too much. I've found a few thrifty ways to imitate the look I want for less.

1. Print something you find online on your favorite wrapping or srcapbook paper.

I knew I wanted silhouettes and just couldn't seem to create my own, no matter how hard I tried. I searched online and found two free images that I loved. I scrounged around the house and found some of my favorite wrapping paper left over from Christmas. Ridiculous as it may sound, I was actually excited that I'd get to see this paper all year. If I was a wrapping paper, I'd hope to look like this one. When you love the print of paper that much, you should just find a way to use it in decor, right?

I used card stock as my guide and cut the wrapping paper to a standard sheet size. Feeding it through the printer can be tricky. Just keep trying, and eventually it works.