Hang a chandelier over your stove...or anywhere in your kitchen for that matter!

This may not apply to everyone, but if you have an alcove with a stove (like in my case) or a sink or a cabinet, why not switch out the light for a chandelier!

I picked this one up on a Target clearance not even knowing where I was going to hang it.  In my case this brick stovetop enclosure had an ugly florescent light hanging up inside for task lighting. 

I got a ladder situated to go up in the opening, took the florescent light down, added the new chandelier and completely changed the look of my stove for maybe $15!

Maybe hang one over your island or over your corner sink.  It doesn't have to be an alcove.  You can even change out a can light without the help of an electrician with those new kits they have at Lowes and Home Depot.  Heck, hang it in your pantry.  It's about making your house feel luxurious without spending much!

Now, it's time for everyone to walk around their house to find a place for a chandelier : )

Hanging wall art between drapes (to fill large blank wall spaces)

So with the new trend to hang drapes to the ceiling, I have found that you are often left with large wall spaces between drapery panels if the window your are treating is quite a bit lower than the ceiling. 

To expand upon the post below, once I hung the drapes with the cabinet knobs, I decided the bare wall space in between was just too plain.  I found these cute rectangular wall plaques at Hobby Lobby and hung them in between to help "fill" the gap and just make the window treatment more "complete".  You could hang anything abstract really (an iron piece, a metal piece, a mirror, ceiling tins, etc.)

Who knows, maybe this tip might just give your current window treatments a new lease on life, so they seem "new" without redoing them completely.  Of course, I just use tips as a reason to get out and go shopping : )

Using cabinet knobs to hang drapes

I'm always looking for a creative way to make my windows look different than the standard pole and drape.  I like that look but just don't want it in every room.  In this case I had a window seat in my game room that needed some warming up.  It has a small header above the drapes to work with.  Looking for inexpensive options, I realized cabinet knobs are cheap (or at least some are).  All 15 of these were less than $10 at a local building supply surplus store we have.  Very easy to install. 

You do need to also buy those double sided screws that are a screw on one end and a bolt on the other (They are called hanger bolts).  Just take the cabinet knob over to the hardware section to get the right size double sided screw for your knob.  They sell them individually or in packs (just get the best priced one : )  This is what they look like.

You screw the bolt end into the knob, then the screw end into the wall.  Took maybe 10 minutes to hang these (might take a little longer if you run into metal or difficult studs and need a drill).  Hope this gives you some ideas of drapery hanging alternatives : )

Using an old frame as a ceiling medallion

This is the ceiling fan in my study.  The fan was already this color, but the little ceiling fan caps they hang from always look so wimpy to me on those big plain ceilings holding those big fans.

I found a broken mirror in the Garden Ridge scratch and dent section, but loved the oval iron frame.  Hung it with those plastic mirror clips (took them off of my bathroom mirror before I framed it, so I had them around : )  Painted the clips and the ceiling (between the cap and the frame) to sort of match the fan finish.  I did a base coat of a brown and then dry-brushed the black over it.

I can hardly believe it turned out so well.  I always assume in the middle of the project that it is going to look bad and need to come down.  Thank goodness I liked it : )

I will admit that I also changed the light kit, but that's another post : )

Basketball Cake - Easiest I've ever made!!!

This I had to share.  From my daughter's High School Musical era, but it could be good for any sports themed party.

Bake the cake in a Pyrex Bowl.

Color Cream Cheese Icing with red & yellow food coloring and ice.

Pipe with a very small tube of black ready-made icing (simple plus sign, then add two arched lines)

Add any appropriate "Team" letter in the right color (child's initial, your child's basketball team letter, their favorite pro team letter, etc.)  I again used a small tube of red ready-made icing.

I could not believe how cute it turned out for something so simple.

(I added the four little paper logos for fun from the invitation and thank you note packaging...so those who didn't know what HSM was would get why my girly daughter had a sports themed cake : )

Iphone gloves

Ok, my first "products I love" post. I just love these smart phone gloves, and they are a great price on Amazon! I didn't even realize you couldn't control your phone with gloves until it happened to me. Glad to see a cute colorful option!

Smart Phone Gloves - Amazon.com

Using curtain tie backs as curtain hangers

OK, so I admit I found these curtain tie backs at a home decor warehouse sale for 25 cents each.  So I picked up 16 at that price deciding I could use them for something. 

Well, when I arrived at my new house many years ago and saw an arched window to address, I realized they just might work.  I didn't like the way a straight bar all the way across looked and considered the short bars on each side approach, but I didn't like fighting with the architecture.  I felt the treatment needed to arch, too. Plus, I already had these, so there's that : )

I bought a $2 package of clip curtain rings at Big Lots to clip the panel to and voila!  I love them : )