DIY // A Trash to Treasure "I Told You So" Cabinet

If ever a moment deserved an "I told you so" this would be it.

I packed this sad looking oak cabinet home from my friend's mom's house and was welcomed with laughter and exclamations of doubt.  I don't know how many times I've heard it referred to as firewood from my husband, brother and dad.  Oh ye of little faith.  It's honestly hard to blame them for their lack of vision.  This cabinet was in ROUGH shape.

Houzz: DIY: Easy Outdoor Cushions

Happy Independence Day!  Hope you're enjoying the holiday and celebrating comfortably outdoors!

Speaking of comfort...

Style and comfort go hand in hand when I'm designing a space. Whether it's a bedroom or the outdoors, a bit of texture can transform an austere space into an inviting retreat. Pillows in bright colors and beautiful patterns are one of the easiest ways to do this.

Other design by Media And Blogs Meg Padgett

But there's no need to spend a lot on them at your local home decor store — instead, save some pennies and make these versatile cushions yourself. Does the thought of sewing give you an anxiety attack? Don't worry, even a beginner like me had it easy with this project.

Check out my Houzz Ideabook to see how I did it.

July Sponsor Love

Happy July!  I have a great list of sponsors for you this month.

First up is Linda at burlap+blue.  Linda is a fellow DIY-er and all around talented lady with her own etsy shop. Linda was featured in the July Featured Sponsor post.  Be sure to check it out to learn all about Linda & burlap+blue and enter the giveaway to win a $25 credit to Linda's online shop!

Next up is HomeZada, a killer online and mobile software program to help organize and manage your home.  This software program is amazing!  I recently signed up for the free membership and can't wait to use it to organize our home remodeling projects and catalog my home inventory to be one step closer to being prepared for any emergencies.  Also their multi-home management tool is sure to keep us on top of any maintenance and care for both our condo and current home.   Stay tuned for an in-depth feature and giveaway in August!

DIY // A Home for It All Kitchen Organization

Clutter!  Do you suffer from it? We sure do.  I like to have everything put away in its place, but for some reason everything always finds its way onto our kitchen counters.

Before the little kitchen remodel, we stored our dishes and food in the cabinets (like most sane folks), but we also had to add a buffet to store all of our little appliances, such as the crockpot, rice cooker and blender.  And then the food also found its way into the hallway closet.  There's just never enough space for it all. So we copied the cool kids and installed some open shelving to showcase our white dishes and maximize our cabinet space. Check out the open-shelving tutorial I created for Houzz.

We also added a few other key wall storage items to help us say adios to the countertop clutter.  Ikea hit the mark again with their wall storage options.  We implemented their Grundtal magnetic knife rack {$8.99} and their Inreda glass rack {$10 for 5-pack}, which we still have yet to put up.  We also used Ikea's Bygel rail with a couple old refrigerator baskets for some additional wall storage.

July Featured Sponsor & Giveaway: Linda at burlap+blue

Hey there!

We've got a great lineup of sponsors for the month of July and I'm so excited to share our first featured sponsor, the super creative Linda from burlap+blue.  At burlap+blue you'll discover etsy finds, DIY projects, tutorials and other home inspiration.

Does this blog sound familiar?  You might have seen her in...BRIDES magazine-April 2011, Eco-Beautiful Weddings Magazine-Summer 2011, Richmond Magazine’s R-Home-Nov/Dec 2011,  Apartment Therapy, Handmade Spark, Mammamoiselle, & The Plunge Project.  Yeah, she's big-time, folks!

Linda is a woman after my own heart.  Along with decorating her home, she also shares a fondness for spray paint and thrift stores.  Plus, she's a big fan of DIY.  And anyone that argues that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get a lot of style is sure to be among my besties.  It's  just too bad we live on opposite sides of the country!  In addition to Linda's blog, you can also catch up with her at twitter, facebook, and pinterest.