Your Little Nest

Need a new pair of tennis shoes

2011-04-09T11:04:00.002-05:00

As much as I love to design and decorate one of the many things I do not enjoy is shopping for tennis shoes. I am not one of the girls that like to cover my cute painted toes. I would rather spend money on another pair of sandals. However just the other day I realized as it was pouring outside that I had a hole in my New Balances. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise as I have had them for years. Tennis shoes make my feet look fat, cover my painted toes, and make me feel guilty I am not really exercising in them. However, my pace of speed has been on overdrive lately and it is exciting! Closing on our first place in May, starting Nest Staging & Designs (more on this next week), first family vacation to Disney, cooking meals for families, counseling, helping Kevin with the ministry, odd projects for the church, and those are just a few. So the running shoes are getting replaced so I can keep running. It is so exciting to see God work! So I better get my "armor" tennis shoes ready!

New Home

2011-04-09T10:59:00.004-05:00

Home sweet home! (finally) So after months of house hunting, offers, disappointments; God gave us the perfect home. Cape cod style homes are my favorite. I love the little character it has and the many hidden storage through out the house. Closing date May 20th! Keep an eye out for some before and after photos as we put our own touches to our first place. (*hint no more sage green on the house)

Make Walls Talk

2011-03-23T14:41:00.003-06:00

I am learning more on design I am realizing things that people can hate in a home have been recreated to the new style of today.

As we are looking for our first home, I walk into the doors I see floral wallpaper-ugh! It is even worse when you see different floral in each room. My first thought is "how can I remove this and how much is it going to cost me?" One of the many things part of my staging business I will face is those out dated walls screaming "I need a makeover!"

Just today we looked at a charming cape cod home with angled walls. My mind races with ideas in each home and I normally fall in love within 5 minutes as I decorate in my head. Kevin, not so much. He looks at every boring detail like foundation, cracks, ex. It is a good thing too, just not as fun or interesting to me. Yes there was wall paper boarder in one room and lots of bold paint. That doesn't scare me-bring it on! I came home thinking about the living room and the angled wall. What would I do? Shelves and wallpaper! Yes wallpaper. There are so many new kinds of contemporary wallpaper. So I searched to show you what I was thinking. Check this link out.

http://www.hgtv.ca/puredesign/theshow.aspx?season=2&sectionid=378&categoryid=5892666534844356552&postid=90735

examples of built-ins

2011-03-18T12:54:00.000-06:00

Built in adiction

2011-03-18T12:40:00.002-06:00

I am addicted to things off of the floor! Every house we look at to buy my first thought is how can I make built- ins. To make a space feel bigger it is better to get things off the floor and utilize wall space. The worse thing you can do is line each wall in a room with furniture and things. Let the floors free to show off! So as you are Spring cleaning think about what clutter you can take out and how can you get your items on the walls. It can also be a cheap way to decorate as you use everyday items and display.
Few tips for bookcases, built-ins, or shelves: 1) group items in color. Take all your books and separate by color. It makes it look like art. I go into Kevin's office often and do this. 2) Buy items in one color (white is classic) then group them in 3 or 4. 3) Don't fill up every shelf. Simplify!

Happy decorating for Spring!

Spring is almost here!

2011-03-15T13:29:00.003-06:00

Who has started there Spring cleaning? I have! I get really excited when I start hearing birds chirp out my window, it is warm enough to open my sun roof even if it is for a second, and colorful things appear on the store shelves.
If you stopped by my house right now you would wonder where the color is in the place. I have stripped it all down to the cream, black, and tan. I am so in the mood for a change in this rental. Still not allowed to paint the walls=boring but I am determined to make it look airy and Spring like. This is the first time I am having a decorating block. Kevin said I could spend money on some new things but I want to be wise with the money and get the best bang for my buck. Any of you like this...you go to the store knowing what you want but see the sticker and change your mind? I don't know how many times I have left a store and wished later I had bought something I saw. So as I am writing this I am sitting on a tan couch with cream pillows all screaming at me to add a punch of color!
I saw this photo and loved the look. Not sure it is what I am going to do but a great start.

Lots of big projects

2011-02-16T18:13:00.002-06:00

Not only am I business planning but working on parties, buying a house that needs remodeled, and still working on decorating projects. Here is my latest. Our church needed a face lift on the kids area, so bye with the tan walls and bring on color. We are designing a town theme. Lots of fun colors and incorporating some train items from the theme before. It is going to look awesome when it is finished! Full with a park, town shopping center, and train station. Pray for this remodel. For volunteers, funds, and for those designing that the ideas come all together. Will post after photos this Spring.

Spring Fever

2011-02-14T13:41:00.002-06:00

It is Valentines Day and it is 60 degrees in Pa with snow still on the ground. Today I woke up with Spring fever ready to hit the house and go through everything. My tips to a non cluttered home.

1) Every 3 months reserve one Sat. morning for each family member to go through their things. Set a timer for 30 mins. to make it fun. Donate & Toss boxes. Donate the items that day.

2) Avoid zigzag cleaning. Get a laundry basket go in a circle around each room picking up items that need to be in another room. The basket helps you from going back and forth. Then all you have to do is dust, sweep the room after it has been decluttered.

3) Figure out the clutter problem areas. (table by front door, kitchen counter, chair in bedroom) Find solutions to organize each space. Put large basket by door for shoes/put them away before bed each night. Mail on tables- go through Toss & Keep. Give each person in family bin for mail. Toss at end of week. Toys-put small shelf with buckets labeled (cars, balls, misc,)

4) Create a repair center for toys, clothes, misc. This is great for when you have free time you can sew a button, put new batteries in, ex. *also saves on budget! I tend to spend less on clothes when my pants have been hemmed, buttons fixed, ex.

5) Do CPR on closets. Categorize, Purge, & Rearrange. *this also saves on budget. Make a list of clothing items you need. White dress shirt, wide belt, brown sandals... When you go shopping or out you know what you need to complete your wardrobe and tend not to over spend with a list. Also mix and match outfits in closet to create a new look with what you already have.

6) Seem overwhelmed by junk? Step 6...plan to declutter a room a week. Drawers, shelves, clothes, decorations, ex. This will help you not be overwhelmed each day. I put it on my calendar each week what room to focus on. At night I put a basket at the foot of stairs for us 3 to toss in anything that goes upstairs. This helps me reset the house each night.

Happy cleaning!!!
Here is a new blog that I love. All about organizing!
http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/p/iheart-before-afters.html

Trying out my sewing skills

2011-02-07T15:47:00.003-06:00

Why spend a lot of money? Why not make it. So a friend of mine is having a princess party for her little girl and Austin got invited. I decided why not make him a prince costume. As I was sharing my excitement with my friend she shared that her son decided he wanted to be Flynn Rider from the new movie "Tangled" and couldn't find the costume. Great movie by the way. I decided I was going to try to see if I could recreate the vest from a photo on line. Believe me I am not a perfectionist by any means so this was a challenge for me since my sewing skills would be for someone other than my guys. Here is the end product! Just need to add his belt and it is set. I even took my stamping ink and "dirty up" the vest. It was so fun!

Have a contract on our first home! Update-we decided to walk away. God will give us the right home

2011-02-02T16:01:00.003-06:00

My decorating projects have slowed down a bit in the rental as I am putting a lot of time into our new place. We should find out in a few weeks if we got the house! All of the flooring needs to be replaced so I am planning it all out. Paint, flooring, kitchen, walls taking down, and exterior. I am so excited to get my hands on it!

Project of the week

2011-01-15T14:12:00.002-06:00

I have this itch to sand, paint, and repurpose something this week. So on my list to find is an old head board for Austin's new tractor room. I am thinking bright red! This might change when I see the old frame. Got my drawing board and ready to put together all the pieces of this antique space, all for a 3 year old to love! Wish me luck to find that right piece for his space.

Inspiration Board

2011-01-12T11:32:00.002-06:00

We are buying a new place! Hopefully closing on the house mid. April. For the past few weeks I have been picking out wood flooring, carpet, paint, and decorations. I always went with more clean line/modern feel in my home. Probably because it is the cheapest way to decorate.
As I have been researching and designing the home remodel I came across this Pottery Barn photo and feel in love with the space. The modern blk frames paired with antique boxes, I just love! The wall colors will be in my living room and all trim in house off white.
So keep an eye out for my remodel projects this spring!

Rental designs

2011-01-12T10:23:00.004-06:00

7 1/2 years Kevin and I have moved to 3 different countries and rented many "different" style homes. It has been interesting to decorate rentals. I have some thoughts on decorating a place that is not your own, to help you feel at home then living in a white box.
Simple things you can do to add detail and personality. Pillows are my weakness! I buy decor pillows any time I see them on sale. It is an easy way to get a new look with a neutral sofa. Another thing is accent pieces. I love to take a bright red vase, red books, and other red things and group them on a shelf. You can make a big impact with pops of color! Thrift shops are the best places to get accent pieces for pennies. So on these snowy days you feel down...go bargain shopping and cheer up that white rental home!

Lets get crazy!

2010-12-31T13:20:00.002-06:00

One of my goals for this year is to live life to the fullest! I want to be crazy! Do things I have never done, push myself to the limits, and make memories with my favorite guys: Kevin & Austin. Why should life be routine? Lets get crazy!
Ok readers so what is one of your goals for 2011?

New Year

2010-12-31T13:07:00.002-06:00

It is a new year! (almost) I am beyond excited to see what God is going to do in 2011. With all of the changes this past year brought it could only get better and better. As I sit in bed (sick with the flu) I can't stop thinking about this past year all the ups and downs. I never would have guessed that God would move us from the people we love in Mexico and move us all the way back to my home town, Chambersburg, Pa. I wondered if God would give me the same love and passion to reach people in our new ministry. We have been in Pa for almost 5 months and I am amazed how God has brought amazing new friends into our lives. The things we have seen Him do through us these past few months have been awesome! Seeing people fall more in love with God is what it is all about! I love our new journey and the people in it!
Bring on 2011 and lets make a difference for Him!

I am still here

2010-12-20T13:07:00.002-06:00

Holidays are here! Are you ready? 4 1/2 days to go. Is your house all decorated? So yesterday Kevin, Austin, and I were returning from a weekend away and I noticed a truck with a Christmas tree tied on the roof. Do they not realize by the time they get that tree up it will be time to take it all down? In my house I can't wait to get all the rubber maid containers that say Cmas on them out! Usually by Nov. I am anxiously waiting for Kevin to give me a sign that says "ok I'm ready" This year it was the week before Thanksgiving. My excuse this year...."Kevin your parents are coming and they are bringing gifts for Christmas so we need to have something up" It worked!!! Within 2 hours the house was transformed. Since we are still renting I did a design on a small budget. My favorite details are the awesome "stockings" I got for .25 and also pulling out our ornaments that we buy for each year representing something that had happened that year. This year I need to find a budget truck ornament for moving back to the US.
Merry Christmas to you all!

Design From The Past

2010-11-09T12:17:00.002-06:00

With a little imagination you can make any dull space and beautiful piece of art. This is the after picture and before. As you can see it was just a patch of dead grass. I wanted something different for our little patio. Went to a concrete business and asked for the squares cut a certain size and one large one for a table. I stacked smaller blocks to make a table. We loved this space in Mexico at night with our coffee and fire outdoors.

Guest room in 5 minutes

2010-11-09T12:06:00.002-06:00

This is the season for out of town guests. My favorite time of the year. This past week my mother from TN came to visit. It was a great time! I haven't spent my birthday with her since I was in high school, great girls shopping trip.
Right now we are renting a 2 bedroom home and there is no extra space for guests. So Austin's room is our temporary space. I wanted to show you how you can make a simple air mattress and bed no one wants to get out of.
In this picture is a queen size air mattress. I added a foam pad, freshly washed sheets, down white comforter and some pops of color.
I have the cutest Pottery Barn bed set but it is very floral and spring. So I ran to Target and found this cute red throw for $9, the cream feather pillow for $5 and used the throw from my spring bed set. All to make a fall color scheme room. What do you think? Bed in 5 minutes.

Fall is here!

2010-10-27T00:49:00.002-05:00

My favorite time of the year. Not only because it is my birthday month but I love watching the seasons change. Pa is so beautiful in the fall. I get so inspired to redo the entire house with reds, orange, yellow, teal, and gold colors. I have had to hold myself back a bit as we are renting and trying to save every penny to buy a house this Spring/Summer. However Target is my weakness. I went yesterday to get one thing and left with a few more. My mom is coming into town and all I had was fiesta looking bedding for guests, so I had to buy something more fall like, right? I bought the cutest accent off white pillow and a throw for the bed with all my fall colors. Will post pictures soon of my guest bed. It turned out cute. Not only have I been adding touches of fall in the house but baking a lot. Pumpkin everything. Now that I am writing this I just remembered pumpkin scones were on my mom's wish list, maybe tomorrow. Anyways check out these wonderful pumpkin cupcakes with maple frosting topped with heath candy bar pieces. Hungry yet?

Back to school

2010-10-10T15:41:00.002-05:00

As many of you know I am in the business planning stage for Little Nest Staging & Interior Design. In this process I felt that having a degree would help me in the long run. I have been self taught by researching, practice, and reading a ton. So this week I enrolled in online classes for interior design! I am so excited. Waiting for my books to arrive and project panels. Here I go! Wish me luck.

No sew curtains

2010-10-10T15:32:00.003-05:00

Recently I have been asked how do you make curtains or window treatments without a sewing machine. Purchase some iron tape in the fabric department for $3 and forget the sewing, just iron the edges. Buy curtain clips to hang curtains from rods. This is a great way to layer fabric. In my livingroom I have white sheer curtains and then to add a decorative touch I added an extra curtain rod and by using clips I hung printed fabric.
Here is one of my favorite ideas in the photo. Use ribbon and fabric glue. Get a simple solid fabric, fold and use iron tape to finish edges. Then get some great ribbon and glue it on.
One of the ways to add a retro feel to your little place is by fabric.
Go buy some Iron Tape, Ribbon, and fabric glue and you are ready to create!

Dessert in 20 min

2010-10-05T09:40:00.003-05:00

Mini apple pies! Can you say FALL?

Crust-
1 1/4 cup Flour, 1/4 tea salt, 1/2 cup butter cold and diced, 1/4 cup cold water

Filling-apples, cinnamon, sugar, water
Or use can pie filling or any other fruit you have in the house

Roll out crust take a glass that is round then roll out the circles bigger. Line your muffin pan with dough, fill with fruit, and add top circle. Austin and I on our rainy day made little leaves for the top to make them pretty. Bake for 20 min at 350. And there you go...mini muffin pies! Great to freeze and pull our for any time. Enjoy!

Day Project

2010-09-23T20:35:00.004-05:00

My craigslist purchase-$2.50! My little Austin and I decided to have a day project and fix up this desk for a friend. With some sanding, paint, cleaning, knobs=new desk.

Your Little Nest Staging & Interior Design -My First Home Stage!

2010-09-18T19:41:00.001-05:00

Home stage...what is that some have asked? It is where someone goes into a sellers house looks over every detail from holes in the walls, decor, organization, arrangement of furniture, clutter, and over all presentation of a home to show to buyers. My first goal is to use what the owner already has and depending on their budget I go shopping for a few items to help.
So here it is my first home. This family were so great to allow me to practice on their home. I started with a consultation meeting-I met with them, went room to room, took before pictures, and explained why I thought their house was not selling and tell them how we together can change it. Then after much homework on arrangements, purchasing a few items needed for the spaces, I went back and 8 1/2 hours of work we did it!
Lots of before and after photos and two tired women at the end of the day. Thank you to this awesome family! Lets pray they sell their house fast!

Bonus space

2010-09-18T19:23:00.003-05:00

Never have a room that buyers wonder what it can be used for. This space is used as a play room but not everyone will have kids. By adding a small desk buyers can see this space as an office an extension of the family room. This desk was a steal! Bought it for $2.50 and repainted it.

Family room in basement

2010-09-18T19:20:00.004-05:00

Check out all that space! All I did was remove the recliner from the room's entrance. By packing all the little things on the ledge you can't even notice the odd ledge there. Kept the smaller couch in the room too.

Living room

2010-09-18T19:17:00.002-05:00

Rearranging the furniture and making decor simple shows buyers how big is the living room.

Kitchen

2010-09-18T19:09:00.003-05:00

Things to do to a kitchen. Clear everything from the top of cabinets, remove things from refrigerator, also move everything on the floors that buyers might have to watch out for.
If appliances come with the house keep them very clean. Buyers will open refrigerator and ovens.

Place with space to eat

2010-09-18T18:32:00.005-05:00

Dinning room: just by moving the table long ways gives more space to walk around the table and buyers can get to the glass doors to see the awesome country view.

Making it a master suite

2010-09-18T18:27:00.004-05:00

I used a comforter they had stored in the closet, brighten the room up a bit. I sewed some pillows for the bed and added long curtains to make people's eyes notice the vaulted ceilings. Took out all the small furniture in the room so buyers can see the floor. The more floor they see the more space they can vision their belongings in the room.

Changing rooms

2010-09-18T18:23:00.004-05:00

In this home the kid bedrooms needed switched. The bunk bed got moved to the larger room making the smallest room now with one bed seem bigger. Easy fix.

Your Little Nest Staging & Interior Design -My First Home Stage!

2010-09-18T17:47:00.007-05:00

Starting Up

2010-09-12T11:43:00.002-05:00

Life has changed a lot in a month. Moved across country, involved in a new church, new house, close to family, shopping is different, and much more. We are loving it here in PA! It is exciting to be used by God and see Him change peoples lives.
For as long as I can remember I have wanted to start my own business. It started out in High School as "Holy Grounds" coffee shop but when I went to Bible college I changed from "my" goals to "His" which sent me to Mexico and now to PA.
Now is the time I feel God is saying "GO FOR IT!" So this spring I will be starting Little Nest Staging and Interior Design.
What am I doing now...filling out paperwork to start interior design school this fall, get my needed paperwork to have a home business, work on marketing, getting practice staging homes on the market, and researching like crazy. It is such a fun time in my life! This has been a passion of mine for a long time and the best part is is that I can do it while being a stay at home mom and being involved in the ministry with Kevin.

homemade art and a memory of the past

2010-09-04T20:30:00.003-05:00

So as we said our goodbyes in Mexico we spent the last day in the historic downtown. I always loved the detail to the doors of the buildings. I went crazy taking photos that day. When we got to Pa I had them printed at Walmart and framed them for our new home. I love it! Total cost $8!

livingroom done!

2010-09-04T20:26:00.004-05:00

This is the room that has been the frustration for us. I wanted to get rid of the red from the last house so I got this cute fabric and went with the idea of birds, doors, twig, theme. I still want to find some old keys, door knobs, and add some more color. I am very much a simple decorator for my home and everything has to have a place. I also tend to go with twos for everything. I don't do this always in others homes.

shopping with $10

2010-09-04T20:21:00.002-05:00

Here is my little corner. We have this big couch but I needed something for an accent. For the past week Austin and I have been going thift store shopping for fun. Here are my finds! $7 chair (I asked for a lower price, yes you can do that) and the painting for $3. The little storage box I have had since Kevin and I started dating. It is full of almost every note or card he has given me. My little love note box.

More kitchen

2010-09-04T20:13:00.002-05:00

I love my kitchen. I am not the type of person that needs a huge kitchen and this one is perfect for us. To add some more storage Kevin added shelves next to stove and hung a shelf to hang our pots.

Kitchen

2010-09-04T20:09:00.002-05:00

My sweet little kitchen. We are coffee crazy, so to personalize our home I add things that we love. It gives people a sense of who we are and what they like when they come into our home. There is always coffee in our house, special ordered from online.

The room I use to call the "ugly" room

2010-08-30T12:31:00.003-05:00

I am not a big fan of wood paneling. I would rather paint over it. But here is what I did to the little space. It is our playroom, reading room, and my office space. Instead of a desk which was not in my budget, I used a shelf I already had and mounted it on the wall. This room I thought turned out great!

Place to make memories-around the table

2010-08-30T11:14:00.003-05:00

Simple and sweet. I always say that the table is a place to make memories. The stories we tell, events from the day, friends over for dinner, holidays, and great food. I always like candles on the table as it is a simple way to add romance to any dinner with my sweet Kevin! It could even be our cheap .10 ramen noodles from college/1st year of marriage days or now our copycat pasta recipes for date night at home; the candles make it even more special.

it is all in the little details that make a room

2010-08-30T11:08:00.004-05:00

When decorating a room or shopping think about the little details that will make the room. Think of storage, theme, function, and price. With this toddler airplane room I bought old airplane magazine from ebay for .99 and framed some photos. Old suitcases from goodwill hold legos, blankets, and others things great. Hope this inspires you!

Room for a toddler

2010-08-30T10:52:00.003-05:00

Yes the toys are out of boxes! Getting a new room for a toddler is like Christmas unpacking everything. Found this cute 3 drawer dresser on craigslist for $20! Still have finishing touches to do which include on my list: 1) sew lime green curtains, 2) make grey headbord 3) hang airplane

So far Austin is loving it. When we find a home to buy he would like a tractor room. I already have it all planned out.

Here it is...our new little nest

2010-08-30T10:32:00.004-05:00

Here is our new master bedroom. This is just a rental house for a few months so I didn't want to put to much money into it. Here a are few little tricks I did. There was only one wall the bed would fit but the windows were behind the bed and not the same distance. So check out the fabric I added behind the bed. You wouldn't even know with an extra curtain rod that there are 2 windows behind there.
See the lamp? Local goodwill buy! It has one piece chipped but who could tell. With a lamp shade for $5=new lamp. (actually got 2)

Busy decorator

2010-08-19T20:31:00.002-05:00

We finally made it to Chambersburg, Pa. As we drove in on Sunday night we felt like we were in the Extreme Home Makeover, overwhelmed by all the church people ready to help us unload the truck. We have rented a small 2 bedroom cute house for 7 months. It has charm. I love the hardwood floors! I have decided since we have made such a big change in our lives that my house needed to have a new look. So gone with reds and in with retro! It is a working process. Haven't done much of the fun things yet of decorating. Hanging curtains so the neighbors don't get a show in the morning and organizing things.
I am so ready for this next step in our lives. We have a whole new outlook on things and really ready to jump right in serving. I am praying for direction for my own time since Kevin will be working from the church. Found a great design school in NY with online classes, in hopes of starting business from home of staging houses or design on budget interior design. Throwing the idea of starting a moms group at our house for non church people. Staging homes for extra money to put in our buy a house fund. There are so many things to be involved in, I am praying God uses me and that I remember to keep my family #1 through it all.
Soon to come....photos of the new little nest.

Moving

2010-08-01T13:21:00.003-05:00

What a crazy month! As many of you know we have resigned in missions and will be taking a job in Pa. We are so excited about this opportunity! So my little nest is not so cute anymore. More like boxes everywhere. Having a big yard sale trying to sell all the big items. So tonight we will be sitting on the air mattress watching a movie on the computer.
We returned to Mexico this past Thursday night and have been working like crazy. The house got packed up in 2 days!
So in the next few weeks you will see a new house that we have rented all decorated. Pray for us as we have this transition. Austin is already asking where is the couch.

Time to Party!

2010-07-28T22:10:00.002-05:00

I love an excuse to throw a party.
Birthday Party ideas:
1) Ice cream party
2) Fairy party tutus included
3) Tonka truck party; dirt, mud, trucks a must
4) All sweets party

These are just a few. Find what your child love and go with it. Here is Austin's 2nd birthday party. All for a boy!

Kids spaces

2010-07-19T11:53:00.003-05:00

My Austin Tyler just turned 3. I can't believe it! Months ago I realized how small his toddler bed had become when half of his body was hanging off the bed. He likes to sleep side ways, weird I know.
This gave me the best excuse to convince my husband I needed to redecorate Austin's room. Love a decorating project!
The only thing I am waiting to do is build a headboard. Look for that in the next months with instructions on how easy it is to make one for less than $50.

My current home

2010-07-19T11:37:00.003-05:00

I love things that are old mixed with modern. I found this great bed in the US for a couple thousand dollars and would never spend that much. So I found a local wood worker and asked if he could build my dream bed. For $250 this is the bed! I love it!!! Looking online at fabric I came across the perfect brown fabric with yellow and teal birds. Trimmed my curtains with it and made pillows. Cheap idea for wall art in a bedroom or any room 1) find something old and hang it. Got this old window for $8. 2) Go take some photos of things you love and frame it.
I love clutter free spaces so to make the room feel more organized and to be cheaper on my budget I found these shelves for beside the bed. So total of my bedroom including the new bed set on sale at JcPenny-$350! Hope this inspires you to make the master suite of your dreams.

On The Road

2010-07-15T20:50:00.003-05:00

Missionaries spend a lot of hours on the road. This week we drove from Zacatecas, Mexico to the border which was flooded. Then to San Antonio, TX to stay with some friends. I love staying with people especially when they say "make yourself at home" and mean it. Not all people really want you to, just the nice thing to say. This was the kind of house where you could come downstairs in your pjs forget the touch of makeup, put your feet up on the couch and curl up with some coffee and their big dog. It was so nice.
Their daughters offered to watch Austin who just turned 3 so I could replace all our worn out clothes and shoes. Girls if you need sales go to Kohls! I saved $200 on just the clearance racks. I was so happy to get such great savings. Ross was next door and believe me I loved it. (Kevin stayed at Starbucks for this store) What is more fun then searching through a rack of random things hoping and looking for a one of a kind shirt?
One thing with shopping I have found is there are coupons online for everything! Couponcabin.com is a great resource and also just googling for coupons for ___ works too. I got free popcorn and drink at Target, 15% off at Old Navy just buy looking online. Happy shopping ladies!

No room for guests?

2010-07-11T12:25:00.003-05:00

Carve out a corner for guests. One of our jokes in our family is that Kevin really doesn't have an office. Every time someone comes to stay it gets transformed to the guest room. Here is a great idea for any room to be made into a simple guest space. Perfect if you have an office.

2010-07-11T11:06:00.007-05:00

Lunch

Chicken salad, chips, fruit salad with dip
(chicken, mayo, s/p, dill, nuts, grapes optional) boil chicken, shred, add ingredients. Can add garlic and onion. Serve on a fresh roll from bakery or toast bread
Fruit salad with dip (1 avocado, 1 banana, 2 tb. frozen pineapple juice, 1/4 cup water) Blend and pour over fruit.

Crockpot pulled pork
(pork roast, 2 beef bouillons, water) place all in crock pot cook for 8 hours on high or until tender. (overnight works well too) Drain water add 1 bottle of bbq. To crisp bbq put in over for 30 min. Serve on bun, with macaroni salad, fruit.

Dinner
Chicken, Vegetable Alfredo Soup
1 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 chopped onion
1 garlic clove, pressed(or you can finely chop it if you don't have a press)
1 can 14-14 1/2oz Chicken Broth
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 Tbsp snipped basil added about 10 min. b/4 serving
1 jar prepared Alfredo sauce
Literally thow it all in a pot or crock pot and let it simmer until the veggies are tender, then snip in the basil.

Bread Bowls
These can take awhile, with all the rising involved...
The easiest method I've used, is buying Prepared frozen White Bread dough. Kroger has it in the frozen food section in the same area as the Pillsbury Frozen biscuits and the Monkey Bread. Then I thaw them over night and cut them in half first thing in the morning, gently shape them into ball shapes and follow the directions on the bag for rising. Then right b/4 I bake them I shred some Parmesan Cheese on top and bake. Then just cut off the top and hollow them out.

Chicken Foil Packs
(chicken breast, moz. cheese, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, s/p) Take foil piece rub oil over it place sliced tomatoes, zucchini, on top. Cut 4-5 slices on top of chicken push cheese inside slices, then place on top of vegetables. Roll up foil, place on foil pan bake for 40 min. 400 degrees. *make mashed potatoes and a cobbler for dessert.

Comfort Food

2010-07-10T16:00:00.005-05:00

When you have guest in your home the last thing you want to do is to be cooking the entire time. Here are a few of my favorite recipes that is going to make your guest feel at home and want to stay longer and you will be able to relax.

Breakfast

Baked Oatmeal (mix 3 cups oatmeal, 2 cups apples pieces, 2 cups milk, 1/4 cup butter melted, 1 egg, 1 1/2 tea. baking powder, 3/4 tea. salt, cinnamon, nuts which optional) Bake 400 degrees for 40 min.

Scones (2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 cups all-purpose flour,
5 tablespoons of butter, 1 egg, 3/4 cup of milk)
Heat your oven to 400º F (200º C). Mix together flour, salt & baking powder. Add in the butter until your mixture is crumbly. Whip milk & egg and add to mixture. Stir until a soft dough ball is created.
Knead gently on a lightly floured board, turning a few times. Split dough in half and pat or roll out dough to one half-inch thick circles. Slice into wedges or use a shaped cutter. Place on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake for approx 15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 10 *can be creative- orange peel with chocolate, cranberry nut, cream cheese, apple cinnamon.

we're right around the corner, be there in a few minutes

2010-07-08T15:47:00.002-05:00

Has this happened to you? You get a call that someone is close to your house, you look around and think I need at least an hour to clean up. One little trick I do for unexpected guests is a laundry basket. I put it at the foot of my stairs and throughout the day I place in it things that need to go up stairs to be put away. It saves me so much time when someone shows up, I just take the basket up and no one knows. Each night I take my basket and go around each room and toss in what doesn't belong and put it away as I go around. (if you don't have a 2nd floor place basket in a room you often go through, then place it in a room to hide it)

Other tips to fake a clean house:
1) Take bathroom cleaner and wipe down sinks and mirrors in bathrooms.
2) Grab a rag and quickly dust the tops of furniture.
3) Light a candle
4) Get your mop and spot clean
5) Go around gather up all the clutter-put it away later

The little red bag

2010-07-05T14:45:00.005-05:00

"Hospitality" means generously providing care and kindness to whoever is in need. As a missionary we have stayed in over 100+ different homes. Some you leave wishing you could stay longer. Others as you're pulling into the driveway you wish you could just step on it and get out of there. On deputation I started what I called the "red bag." This was the bag that when we walked into a home that was not very hospitable I would kindly ask my husband, Kevin "honey, can you also bring in the red bag?" No one knew what it was (except for all the missionaries who we told our secret too). Inside I would have a clean flat sheet to place over the bed, disinfected spray, cleaning wipes, gloves, all purpose cleaner, clean towels, and a thank you gift.

Believe me we used this bag often. I will never forget the time I got busted with Lysol spray in hand. A church was putting us up in a camper for a week and had not cleaned it since the family had gone camping last. Moldy food, musty sheets, and nasty bathrooms. So I got the red bag and went at it. Except what I didn't know was that there was a smoke detector and that it would go off with the smell of Lysol. The pastor came running in and I was BUSTED!

This week I want to focus on making your home a place of hospitality, not one of those "Red Bag" home. Easy tips on preparing for unexpected guests, recipes, and more.

Making wall art with what you got

2010-07-01T21:33:00.004-05:00

I have lived in many temporary homes in my life time. As a missionary you never really unpack your bags for too long and never want to spend to much money for a place you live in for only a year or so. While in Costa Rica we lived in a tiny 4 room home and moved there with 2 check ins each and carried on what else we could on the plane. So you can imagine there was not much room in those bags for decorative things. Here are a few things I did in our home.

framed craft paper .39 a sheet at Michaels craft store
fabric stapled around a canvas or a frame made of cheap wood
traced silhouettes of items I loved (for children's home I traced girlie things-high heel, makeup, purses)
fabric taped with foam tape to the wall. if you have paint around make a boarder

Ugly couch

2010-07-01T10:00:00.003-05:00

Slip covers too expensive? You hate the look of your couch or want a new look?

How to use a king size sheet to recover your couch:

If you can't afford a brand new slipcover, a king sized bed sheet will also work as a low cost alternative for a standard sized sofa. To turn a sheet into a slipcover, you will need a handful of upholstery pins. These furniture pins resemble "T" shaped wires and are designed to hold arm covers in place.

Begin by centering the sheet over the sofa, lengthwise.

Use your hand to tuck the sheets firmly in behind the seat cushions and along the base of the arms. You may have to untuck and retuck a little depending on the size of the sheet in relation to the sofa.

Once everything has been tucked in, use the pins to secure the arms in place. This is done by tucking the sheet around the arm rests, and then holding the material in place with pins tucked beneath the rest itself.

The next step is to gently pull the sheet up and over the back of the sofa, taking care not to untuck from behind the cushions. Use the upholstery pins to secure the sheet in place behind the backrest of the sofa,
beginning in the center back and moving outwards towards the back of the arms. Be sure to leave enough give in the sheet so that your guests don't inadvertently unpin the sheet as they sit down.

Art for less

2010-06-30T12:12:00.006-05:00

Are your walls screaming I need personality?

#1 What do I do with photos?

Great website for canvas art: www.qualitycanvasphotos.com
This site you can order rolled canvas with the photo printed right on it. You can make your own wood frame and staple the canvas around it. For just a few dollars you can have a great piece. Don't frame it just paint a square behind it for more dramatic effect.

If you don't want to do rolled canvas upload photos on picnik.com and edit photos then print. Add thin simple frames. Check out the great photo idea in the photo above with fireplace. I can't wait to do this above my couch!

House taken over by woods

2010-06-30T11:55:00.004-05:00

My cousin who is a missionary to Australia is living in a tiny cabin as they prepare to leave for the field. The house has log wood on each wall and she wants to make the place feel as cozy and cute as it should be.

First room the kitchen: Only wood left in this room is the log walls but paint in between a sage green. Sand all cabinets; paint a cotton white. Replace curtains with a pop of color. See reddish fabric with circles? Use something like that to add a country but contemporary feel. www.fabricguru.com is a great online fabric store.

Hint for kitchens... 1) buy new hand towels to add color 2) add baskets for storage 3) clear the counters 4) add shelves in kitchen to store pans or baskets of spices

Where To Start

2010-06-26T20:55:00.007-05:00

Anytime someone asks me for help on a space I always ask to see a favorite item they want in the room. A painting, rug, pillow, or anything.
Are you wanting to redo a room or have an empty space and wondering "where do I start?" Go to the store and buy one item you love! Anything! This is what you pull everything from. I designed a room once from colors I had on a shirt I liked. The colors were great together so I put the shirt in my purse and headed to the paint store. Then every accent piece was tied into it. Go shopping and find that one piece!

Redesign my room

2010-06-26T20:50:00.004-05:00

Ok, for all you readers that are decorating challenged, I want photos of your places. Send me a photo of a room that you hate and I will post the picture with design ideas. Even tell you where to get what you need on a budget or what to look for. Send it to my email crystal.elworth@gmail.com subject "redesign my room."

Thrifty Decorating

2010-06-26T20:24:00.009-05:00

One of my favorite things to do is go to flea markets, Goodwills, and yard sales. You can always find something "ugly", so my husband says as I bring my awesome purchase through the door. But to his surprise that "ugly" piece can become something beautiful with just a few dollars. Then he is impressed at my skills and savings on his wallet.
A few things I have in my own little tool box that are must haves for woman on a mission to be thrifty decorators are: hand sander, heavy duty stapler, measuring tape, iron on fabric tape, hammer, screw driver (mine is electric, light weight), hooks, double sided foam tape, hot glue gun, black permanent marker, black and brown spray paint and a needle and thread. Always stock up on fabric you like that is on sale too. Now, girl you are ready to fix anything with this tool box!

Swap til you drop party!

2010-06-24T09:47:00.007-05:00

Clean your closets, grab your friends, and trade your stuff at a party where everybody leaves happy and nobody spends a dime.
1) Invite guests and tell them how many items to bring 10 or more. Invitations can be made to look like tags. take card board cut into a tag, paste decorative paper, then print out your party detail and paste on tag. Hole-punch at the top and add string.
2) Tag each item with first owners name and description of item and selling point. Like; "loved the yellow purse just got a new one"
3) Set up. To protect dining table add a wide runner of kraft paper and clean boxes to display items for easier viewing. Give each guest clothespins write name on them. To claim an item clip pin to its tag. If multiple people want the same item, put all the pins in a hat and draw a winner.
4) Box up leftovers-donate

Menu:
Pulled bbq pork sandwiches, fruit salad, chips, pickle.
Recipe for pork: Ingredients; pork roast, 2 bottles bbq, 3 beef bouillons, water
Put roast in crockpot, add water til covered, put in beef bouillons. cook 8 hrs or over night til tender. drain water or save for soup later. Add 1 bottle of bbq, cook 1 hr.

Cute way to display sandwiches; buy small paperbags, cut top of bag with decorative scissors, place long rolls with pork inside each bag. Place bags with sandwiches in a basket on the table. Gives guests something to hold on to and catch all the droppings of meat. Yumo!

Tight budget

2010-06-23T21:10:00.005-05:00

Many times what holds us back from making our home the place we love is our budgets. The first few posts will be on; how can I make my home a beauty without any money?, What can I do with what I have? What you need to get started. Hope you have fun and feel encouraged to make your little nest, home!

Get what you always wanted

2010-06-23T17:47:00.010-05:00

On one of our trips back to the US I was determined to find the perfect office chair for my little space in the dinning room. I looked every where but the prices were crazy for a simple chair with a back. So with my little tool box and hunting in my in-law's house I came across this chair! With just some sand paper, black spray paint, piece of foam, and retro fabric on sale, I got a new perfect chair for less than $15. I love it!

What is "Your Little Nest" blog about

2010-06-23T08:33:00.004-05:00

What is "Your Little Nest" blog about

Have you ever looked at your house and realized it has looked the same since your kids were little? You still have plastic flowers with an inch of dust? You feel like your house doesn't reflect you? Look around...do you have a collection that has over taken your house?
My mom was always into something; porcelain dolls, ducks, Boyd Bears, and now the beach. When people found out what she was into believe me the house became a show case of it all. I can remember bears everywhere. So many that no one could see the cutest pieces of her collection or the ones that meant the most to her. The house from floor to ceiling became overwhelmed by bears. She never got rid of any of them. The problem was as cute as those little bears were, her home quickly became about bears and not her.
So this blog is for all of you that need a little help making your little nest your comfy home. I will be posting topics on what to do when a guest shows up unexpected, quick redesign fixes, fix it yourself projects, before and after photos, family fun ideas, design on less than $100, and more.
Hope you enjoy!