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http://loulousattic.com/elsmore


Thanks, everyone!!!

Brick By Brick

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Why am I doing this? Why do I think I have anything to contribute to your day? Let me tell you.

When Jim and I got married in 2008 I had just graduated with a BFA in Interior Design. It's the only thing I felt I could focus on for the rest of my life. I had switched my major many times. But, when I found this it was an explosion.

I couldn't sleep at night. I discovered a part of my brain that I never knew existed and I was excited to utilize it. Everything looked differently. Everything had new meaning. I immediately, and much to my parent's agony, started attending Harrington College of Design.

Everyone told me not to. I was labeled "finicky" and this was just another step down a path that I was going to lose interest in. I was determined to prove them all wrong. And I did. I graduated, with honors.

Graduating "with honors" from an Art school sounds feudal to most. But it meant a lot to me. I had never done well in school, mostly to an undiagnosed dyslexia diagnosis. School was TORTURE. College sucked and was relentless. Until this.

As soon as I graduated I married my childhood sweetheart. He's the opposite of "artsy" but appreciates my creativity (most of the time). We found a house that I LOVED and I had buckets and buckets of ideas. Then, I got pregnant.

I've always dreamed of being a mom. Above design, it is my most treasured gift.

The day I became a Mom.

Around the same time is when the recession hit us hard. Jim is in construction and, as you all know, that was the hardest hit. However, we were determined.

We were passionate about Emmy staying home with me. This tested my creativity and ingenuity to the core. It taught me the value of a dollar and it taught me how to thrive on very little.  I will always hold onto this and value it deeply.

I want to share what I've learned. I know there are more out there like me. Those that just need a little push to get the ball of creativity rolling. I also know that there are some that are lost when it comes to decor and I feel it's my mission to bring their best out of them. Whatever the budget.

Please hang in there with me while I get this set up. It doesn't look anything close to how I'd like it to. But I am still a Mom and my budget is still tight! Brick by brick, my friends. Brick by brick.

Thrifty Thursday --- Artwork

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Our wall art tells a lot about us. It is our way to express ourselves without saying a thing. When we were remodeling our family room, I wanted something on our wall that was bold, timeless, and made me smile every time I saw it.

My parents were both born on farms. They were both members of the FFA (Future Farmers of America), have shoveled manure, and milked things. I have ridden in tractors and combines with both of my Grandpas and have very fond memories of playing in barns with my cousins. 

Barns have always captivated me. They seem so uniquely Midwest. They come in all sizes, seem to last forever, and hold so many memories. Memories of family bonding, hard work (as my dad recalls), and strong heritage.

I decided that I wanted those reminders of my lineage in my suburban home. And now I have it. Whenever I see this wall I think of my Dad's "Lonesome George" stories, the hard working men that my Grandfathers were, and my everlasting roots in country living. 

While this wall was my dream, as always, we had a strict budget. This entire wall was established for around $100. And now I will tell you how I did it.

Each of these pictures was handcrafted by an actual artist. I have a thing about "real" art. Prints or ready-made wall art is fine for some. I prefer the real thing, however.

The real thing can be attained if you look hard enough. When I knew this is what I wanted I started keeping my eye out for paintings that I loved. 

I searched estate sales, flea markets, and thrift stores. When I found something, I would only look at the painting. A lot of oil painting out there are wearing horrible frames. It's hard for a lot of people to see past them. Which is usually why they end up in the "give away" bin in the first place.

So I collected, collected, collected paintings. Then, I de-framed them. I kept a list of dimensions of frames I was looking for and searched the art aisle whenever I was perusing the thrift store. 

The whole process, casually, took me about 6 months. I planned ahead while we were remodeling and it worked out great. 

If barns aren't your thing, there are tons of different types of artwork out there. In my opinion, your artwork should be unique and one of a kind. It should last decades. It should be something you're passionate about. 

You shouldn't limit yourself to paintings. There are so many companies out there that can do wonderful things with photography. I snapped this picture while hiking with my family. It was a day that this message was really needing to find me. It means so much. I found a Groupon and had this made for under $30!

Also look for things not normally considered art. Architectural salvage (like wrought iron fence pieces) always looks unique. When I was single I hung an old door on the wall of my apartment. It was the most talked about thing in our place. In fact, the realtor asked me to leave it because the new tenants loved it so much. I might add that this door was acquired for free.

One of my favorite things to find is primitive art and old advertising. Old signage really knocks my socks off. I found this sign on Craigslist years ago. It came from a church that used to host a fundraising carnival. I love it!

This is the most fun part of interior design, in my opinion. You can really let your creativity fly. Your walls should be filled with treasures. Now go out there and find some!!!

Makeover Monday --- Potting Bench

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Mondays are the worst. Before and after pics are not. So I thought I'd dedicate Mondays to some makeovers that I have given over the years. Hopefully, I can bring a little inspiration to the rest of your week.

This is a work bench that was in our basement when we moved in. My guess, from hardware and construction techniques, was that it was from the 60's. It's an OK piece, but not something I thought we could really utilize in the basement. So I did what any smart woman would do and asked my husband to bring it outside for a potting bench. 

It had a simple plywood top that I meant to poly for outdoor use. But, much like my dishes, that never got done. As you can see in the Before picture the weather got to it pretty quickly. I loved the base, which was still in great shape, and thought the chippy blue paint looked so charming. 

So I threw myself into the trenches of our garage and pulled out some barn wood. I used our miter saw to cut all the pieces evenly and nailed them to the base. I slathered on some lemon oil and this is how it came out. It is one of my favorite places in the yard and gets used all summer.

The drawers came from my old potting bench. I put them on a couple of bricks I found in our yard to keep the earwigs at bay. I store my fertilizer in an old mason jar. The picnic basket houses all my tools. That watering can came from my grandpa's barn. All other accessories are from the thrift store. When it gets dirty, I spray it down with the hose and it looks good as old.

I know that not all of you have a pile of barn wood hanging out in your garage. I'm lucky enough to have an uncle who is a farmer and gives me a lot of his cast offs. Every time I have a new request he shakes his head and says, "Why?" But, he's always generous enough to go along. 

So, if you don't have a farmer-uncle with a trailer and a lot of patience, I recommend Craigslist. You can download an app that searches the free section for whatever you need. We have gotten so much this way. See that shed in the mirror? Free off of Craigslist. It just takes a little time and a quick response.

There are ways to make things happen. Just talk, ask, and smile. You'd be surprised how much people are willing to give you. Especially if they think it's garbage. 

Happy Monday, everyone! Now go make your home a palace!!!

A Cluttered Mind

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My mind is often in 10,000 places at once. This is not because I'm super busy, stressed, or insane(maybe a little). But I have found that creative people are often scattered. I have so many projects I want to accomplish that my mind is often reeling.

Walls move, fabric is changed, objects change color, nothing is accepted as it is. This has always been my way. It's hard to get anything done when so many things are flying through my head at one time. It can be annoying, exhausting, and frustrating. I've battled this my whole life. I long for  compartmentalized living full of organization and simplicity. I dream of a day when I can get started on a project, know where ALL my tools are, and complete it in a timely matter. So far I have yet to do that. 

Although my patience has worn thin of this I have recently learned to embrace it. I may be cluttered, but in that chaos comes a sort of uniqueness. I am learning to harness my ideas and implement them rather than getting overwhelmed. I'm actually starting to enjoy the chaos. Below is a perfect example.

This is my office. While testing my camera this morning I took this shot. I was planning on writing a segment called "Friday Find" but instead, I thought I'd show you my Happy Place. If you were to ask me where I feel most inspired, calm, and organized this would be it. It may look like an insane mess but it's the place where I feel most productive. And, believe it or not, it's the only place in my life where I know where EVERYTHING is!!!!

To get this I (meaning Jim) screwed two pallets to the wall in front of my desk. I found all of the accessories at thrift stores or around the house. Most of them are secured using "S" hooks, or balanced in between the slats. It's perfectly me.

I'm not be perfect, but I'm so proud of who I'm becoming. Happy Friday, everyone! Thanks for coming along on this journey with me. I can't wait to show you all what I've got.

Thrifty Thursday --- PILLOWS

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Have you ever walked into some one's home and thought, "Jeez, they have way too many fabulous throw pillows?" No? Me neither!!!!!

I have to put my hand to God and admit that I'm obsessed. My home is filled with at least 100 pillows at any given time. We live in a modest bungalow, so you can imagine how lounge-y our home has become. Isn't that the goal, though? To create a vibrant, comfortable environment? A place that we can't wait to get to at the end of the day? Stuffy has never been my aesthetic or goal.

This is not to say that I don't enjoy a very well put together minimalist environment. But if it's not comfortable, I truly feel the designer has failed. Frank Lloyd Wright was the master of minimalist comfort. When visiting Falling Water in Pennsylvania several years ago, I just wanted to sit back and take a nap surrounded by the landscape. Take a look:

Look at all of those pillows! I believe if Frank were alive today, he'd be sitting there binging on Netflix. That man, albeit cray cray, knew the human condition. He knew that above all things a home should be comfortable. He knew the power of the pillow.

Phew. You still with me? Good. Let's get started. I want to share with you my secret to a home full of beautiful pillows for an itty bitty fraction of what it normally costs. This secret doesn't involve sewing(thank God) and it doesn't involve some crazy website from China that takes a month to deliver. 

Since day one I have shopped at thrift stores for everything...except underpants. Our home is clad in thrift store wares. This is not limited to our pillows. But, it's not what you think. I don't just scour the thrift stores for perfect pillows and call it a day. No way. Most of them are too worn or dirty. No thanks (although, it's hard for me to pass up a vintage handmade gem).

What I do, instead, is look for the inserts. And not just any inserts, but the down feather inserts. I don't much care for poly-fill pillows and try to avoid them (again, there are exceptions). They usually fall flat after a year and there's no repair. Down pillows, on the other hand, can last you forever. Plus, when it falls flat, you get to beat the crap out of it. Poof. Good as new.

Finding the down-filled pillows (in a pillow haystack) is very easy. I have perfected a massage technique that tells me whether it is down or poly-filled. It is a quick process and I can usually cover the entire pillow section in about 30 seconds. This strange act comes with great cost benefits. I have paid as little as $.50 for a pillow and up to $3. But most of the time I find them at Goodwill and they cost $1.50. Supes cheap. 

Down feather throw pillows are almost always sold with a removable cover. This is handy for many reasons, including (but not limited to) cleaning. With three dogs and a five year old I need something that can be washed. My guess is that you do, too.

Also, the covers can be changed! You can change them with the seasons. You can change your covers for a party. You can even change your pillows to match your mood. Isn't that fabulous? You can change the whole look of a room with just changing the covers on your throw pillows.

So, thrift store down feather-filled inserts. Check.

The next step is to find your covers. I have researched heavily and the place with the best/cheapest covers is Hobby Lobby. Their covers usually go on a 50% off sale once a month. The original prices range from $3.99-14.99. That means that you can get a pillow cover for just two buckeroonies!!!! 

Check out their selection here.

So, let's review. Go to your local Goodwill and massage all of the pillows until you find a down-filled one (you'll get funny looks when you get really quick at this). You pay $1.50 for that and head to Hobby Lobby where you find yourself a fabulous cover for $3. Done. Now you have a brand new pillow for $4.50. Let's compare this to the typical $25-50 you could spend per pillow and raise a glass to the companies that will no longer be making money off of your comfort-seeking desires.

Isn't that exciting?! Ok. Now stop drinking, we have more to cover.

After I replace my covers I throw the old ones in a tote and revisit them the next time. If you get bored with your decor often, this is a handy way to face lift on a budget. It might take a minute to build up a pillow inventory. But once you do, you'll be so happy with the ease and cost-effectiveness of the process.

Below are some pics of the pillows around our place. No "before" pics because, much like a goldfish, I think in 5 second bursts. Now go make your home a palace!!!

The four square pillows were covered in Hobby Lobby's selection. The one in the middle is a knit number I couldn't pass up at Goodwill.

Here are two vintage pillows picked up somewhere for very little money.

The chevron pillow is the one and only pillow I've ever paid full price for.  I justified the purchase because it was made in the USA. I think I found it at TJ Maxx. The other is a H.L. cover.

Here is our attic sofa!!! The colorful one is a thrift store find that I loved. The owl came from  Earthbound Trading Company(deep clearance, of course). The circles are H.L. And the stripe is my one and only attempt at showing you my sewing skills.

'Ello Gov'na!

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Hello, friends! This is my official intro post! I have been a stay at home mom for 5 years now. Next fall our baby will be heading to kindergarten. This sad event has left me pondering the future. I have so much to accomplish and soon will have time to do it! I am looking forward to sharing what goes on in my crazy little mind with you and possibly putting to use my over-priced education.

I will be documenting all of the creative things that go on around our home. Our attic will be a focus as that is the latest in a string of renovations that we are set to complete. I will continue to work on my eBay store and will give updates on that, as well.

I hope to spread my knowledge of thrifty home decor, DIY projects, mild construction techniques, as well as wacky things that I come across. I am excited for this next chapter and can't wait to see you all there!!!