August 1, 2011: Kitchen Makeover Recipe

It’s hard to believe another month has gone by in this busy year. Here in Arizona, since the largest metropolitan areas get so hot earlier in the year, the kids will start school while for much of the rest of the country, there’s still another month of summer to enjoy. Since I don’t have any little ones, I’m with the latter group – although I’ll have to remember to slow down for school zones!

With the fresh new beginning of another month, I thought I’d share with you my kitchen transformation. It didn’t happen overnight; in fact it’s taken us a couple years to buy things here and there. But in true thrifty Candy fashion, I was able to redo my kitchen – including appliances – for just over $2,000. Take a look at the before and after pictures.

What did I spend money on? Here’s a list:

Double ovens $800
Refrigerator $500
Stove top $40
Counter tops $580
Gallon of paint $30
Chef’s mats $36
Cabinet knobs $30

All of the décor and furnishings were bought at yard sales for measly prices. It’s taken me a long time to collect things in the particular shade of green I love but it was well worth it. And the cute rooster dish rack? That was a gift from my mother-in-law.

The only thing left for us to replace is the range hood. And the one last thing I really want? An island to give me extra food preparation space. Right now I’m on the hunt for a piece of marble leftover from an order or installation job that I can pick up really cheap. My dad volunteered (ok, actually, it was my stepmom who volunteered him) to make the island base so it shouldn’t cost much.

For me, the kitchen is the most important room in my house and I’m pleased with the results of my makeover!

February 24, 2011: Recipe for a Broken Mirror

I’d hazard to guess that many of you readers have at least one mirrored surface in the bathroom (or elsewhere) that has a crack in it. For me, it’s the medicine cabinet doors in my bathroom; ever since we bought our house there’s been a large, jagged crack at the corner edge of one door and we just never got around to replacing it. Honestly, I think we’d have to replace the whole cabinet or do some delicate surgery and we can’t afford that at the moment.

So what can you do to get rid of that unsightly crack? My friend Kathy gave me this idea. You’re not really fixing the crack, but you are covering it up and preventing someone from cutting themselves if the fissure extends to the edge of the mirror.

The solution? Wallies.

These are basically cutout shapes of wallpaper that you moisten. They can be placed on just about any kind of surface – and they work particularly well on mirrors or glass. Now, I’m not being paid to endorse this product and in fact, there may be other similar alternatives, but Wallies are reasonably priced and they also come in a wide variety of styles and shapes – there’s something for any kind of décor.

Because my home is decorated with western and mountain décor, I chose these cute brown bears and pine trees - plus they were on sale for half off. Can't beat that with a stick! Although the mirrored door on the right side wasn’t broken, I added Wallies there, too, to make a balanced design.

Sorry for the somewhat confusing photo - because the Wallies are on my mirrored medicine cabinet and there is another mirror on the opposite wall, I got this unending mirror in a mirror photo effect! But you can see the Wallies best on the very upper right hand corner of the photo.

I still have several bears and trees left over from my mirror fix and I’m thinking of ways they can be used on other items in the bathroom to pull together my decorating theme. I haven’t come up with anything yet, but I’ll let you know when I do.