Happy Earth Day everyone! I found these flower-shaped plates at a thrift store while hunting for dishes with which to make cake stands. I loved the shape of them so much that I bought them all. I have plans for the rest, but these three were destined to become mirrors. As a friend pointed out, they could be cute in a little girl’s room: painted, glittered, with a fake butterfly attached. Which reminds me of Heika’s flowers. Read more »

I told you I have a lot of doilies from my great-grandmother. I decided to frame a few more for Christmas. I bought these 12-inch square collage frames at Michael’s. I replaced the mats with $1/yard Walmart fabric. I love how the doilies look like snowflakes. (That monster wall heater is the sole—and inefficient—source of warmth in my drafty apartment. Maybe I should knit some mittens next—to wear indoors.) Merry Christmas everyone!

I love these glitter-encrusted Christmas ornaments. I plan to leave them up past the holidays. It’s nice to have a little sparkle around. Here, I mixed my mom’s antique oval mirror with a couple of large mirrors I found on Craigslist. For the small rectangle one, I cut a 12- x 12-inch mirror tile (found at Lowe’s) to fit an 8- x 10-inch thrift-store frame.

Got a balcony or porch railing and some jam jars? This is a cheap and easy way to shed some light for trick-or-treaters, or just create a mood for nighttime porch sitting. Best of all, you don’t have to worry about the wind (or little feet) knocking them over. Read more »

A few years ago, I achieved my dream of owning a Yamaha DX7 keyboard, the synthesizer behind that bell-quality sound of 80s pop music. But, I couldn’t just plop it on top of any keyboard stand. A former roommate gave me an old piano bench, and I found an unfinished Shaker sofa table to match. I shortened the table legs three inches (for correct piano height), then painted both pieces black.

To finish off the scene, I bought black frames at Michael’s and grouped photos of my favorite pilots—including my grandfather—on the wall. Now all I have to do is learn to play something other than Jingle Bells.

Got drawer pulls, pants hangers, and photos (or your children’s artwork) lying around? With a few supplies, you can hang them on the wall in minutes—and easily swap them out when the fancy strikes. The best part is drawer pulls look like antique picture hangers—for a fraction of the cost. And the girls? Three of my adorable nieces. Read more »

What do you do with an ever-expanding tool supply in a small apartment already packed to the gills? Answer: toolbox side tables. I found two of these locking file cabinets on Craigslist and loaded them up with all my tools and paint.

For the smaller tools, I divided the drawers with Ikea’s Antonius basket insert. It’s amazing how much you can fit in these little file cabinets. And they look kind of industrial modern too, n’est-ce pas?