Gold Dipped Planter

I recently have been bombarding our apartment with greenery. I'm not sure if it's the spring season that just hit me with the desire for more plants, but I love them! I had this pot above in plain black, but I am loving all things white and gold. It was easy to spruce up this pot and give it new life. I'm sure you have something around the house you can put a few new coats of paint on and adore the finished result. 

I used some left over white and gold paint and some foam brushes I already had laying around the house. I didn't tape off the edge because I liked the messy "dipped" in gold look. Being perfect is overrated in decor (and in life sometimes). The pot had a cool design that still shows that I am in love with. I am ready to gold up everything now! 

I just bought two new succulent plants I'm going to pot soon so stay tuned for what I do with these two cuties.

Polka Dots for Days-- DIY Coffee Table Tray

Hello! 

I hope you are all going out tonight to a pumpkin patch while eating carmel apples! Cliff and I will be going to a foodie fest here in Las Vegas with some of the top food trucks in the nation! I'm stoked. 

I am also stoked to share this super easy and adorable DIY project. Cliff and I recently got this coffee table for FREE. Immediately after receiving it I knew I wanted to put a tray on it. After searching for the perfect one, I wasn't satisfied with how they looked or the price tags on the trays I loved. I decided to do what I do best and craft one! 

So here we go! I scored this tray at goodwill for a couple bucks. It was black to begin with. It wasn't ugly, but I wanted to spruce it up a bit. I started by using some left over primer from my desk to entertainment center redo found here if you haven't seen it. Zinsser cover stain primer is my personal fav. This just covers up the black and allows for the paint to stick. 

          

I decided to do white and gray so I painted a few coats of paint. I just used craft paint, but any type would work. I taped off the edges of the white just to give it a clean look before I painted the gray.

Then I used a round foam brush to polka dot away! I started one row at a time. NO formal measuring required, just a good eyeball to make sure it's even.

I wanted it to look a little worn with love so I used sandpaper to sand the actual dots and the corners and edges of the tray. 

 

I topped it off with some flowers, a thrifted old book, and a candle. Tada! Project complete!

Consignment Stores-- My Inspiration of the Week

Consignment stores.

What do you think when I say that? 

This week, I think iNSPIRATION! 

I went home to visit the family this weekend and we ended up stopping in St. George, Utah at the most adorable shop I have every seen. Have any of you shopped at Urban Renewal?? It is the most unique store. I fell in love. And when I say love, I mean like drooling, can't get it off my mind after I leave, twitter-patted, real love. Whew! Glad I told someone about that. 

The only thing I am disappointed with is myself. Why do I forget to take pictures of things I love? I could never tell you. But I did catch a few pictures of my FAVORITE pieces that I will share with you today. 

This dresser above is like my dream piece of furniture. This iPhone photo doesn't even give it justice. I want you to go to this store and just see this piece. You won't regret it. It appears to be a wicker piece that was painted and sanded or used the Vaseline technique. I just love it. 

Also those awesome pieces of artwork on top are perfect. The stacks are books with the covers pulled off. This gives a muted and nude look to the stacks as well as very worn and vintage. The store tied jute around the stacks to give them that cohesive feel and look. Also, sea shell, duh. That's awesome.

This next piece was hard to take a picture of since the store is literally head to toe furniture and decor. There are tables stacked on tables stacked on chairs. It sounds like madness, but it is pure bliss. 

This table is my inspiration for a FREE table I am scoring from my parents. They actually bought a super amAAzing table from this store, and had this smaller table they need to get rid of. I love the two tone look of black on white. I also love the glossy top. 

What do you think? Should I go another direction with my table? 

Do you shop consign and design stores? I would love to know. 

How to Cut Down Textbook Costs

Alright you budget conscious college students. Here is the scoop on buying books. If you want to cut the cost of your books in half, listen to me. I've been there done that, trying various ways to save money.

Here is what I spent this semester on books:

My Price = $66.95
Bookstore Price = $256

Here I am so happy because I saved money on my textbooks. Or because I was graduating. Class of 2012 baby.

1. DO NOT BUY BOOKS AT THE BOOKSTORE. University bookstores are really good at keeping prices high, even if they are used. Although the money is sometimes used for scholarships, sometimes donating your pocketbook for these funds isn't worth it.

2. Rent books if you don't plan on keeping them long term. If you are taking a botany class and your degree is in math, you might not need to keep this textbook for future reference. There are many websites you can rent from. I just rented a textbook from bookrenter.com which saved me over $100.

3. Used books aren't bad. Used books are usually classified this way if they have been bought and sold. Many students keep their books in great condition or highlight the important stuff. Who wouldn't want highlighted pages?? Bright pink and yellow pages are much more exciting to read.

4. Download eBooks. Not all textbooks come this way, but some do, and since they skip printing costs, can sell them for cheaper.

5. Shop around. It's okay to shop in more than once place for your books. I cut costs by buying all of my books from different websites. There are even websites that compare prices from the web for you. How great is that?? Try http://www.booksprice.com/.

Graduate school is a pain in the butt, but buying your books doesn't have to be. Now I have the money I saved to buy a new pair of shoes. :)

Let me know how you save money in college! I would love to hear.

-Jess

DIY Clothespin Magnets

Here's an easy and quick project you can do to spruce up your fridge to match your personality. I lucked out and snagged these cute clothespins in the Target dollar bins (my other true love). I just used my hot glue gun and some strong magnets to complete this project. 

If you can't find decorated clothespins, there are a ton of tutorials online on how to spruce them up. Here are a few:

Click Here for the full Tutorial

Buy on Etsy, or be inspired to make your own

The options are endless. You could do any color, pattern, or style you wanted to fit your life and style! 

-Jess

Healthy Eating on a Budget

Eating healthy. It's the one thing I think everyone tries to do. Some are better than others at it. We all have our excuses. Eating healthy is TOO expensive, TOO hard, TOO time consuming. What I am here to say it that it is possible. For the past 4 years I have been in college, I have learned a thing or two about how to manage my small budget to make room for healthy food. So maybe my first week I delighted in eating Ramen Noodles and Mac and Cheese, but eventually I wanted some fruit, veggies, and a healthy balanced meal.

So I am here to share my wisdom today on how to make the best choices in the grocery store. These are my top 5 tips on how I eat healthy on a budget.

1. Never grocery shop on an empty stomach. You will ALWAYS end up with extra junk food you don't need. Try eating a hearty meal before you go.

2. Plan a menu. If you take the time to plan meals and what ingredients you need for each meal, you will arrive home with what you really need. The worst thing is opening the fridge full of food with no idea what you can make with all the random ingredients you have.

3. Take a look at the grocery store ads that come in the mail. I know, I know. It doesn't sound like the best thing to do with you time, but trust me. You can find the best deals on items you already need like meat, fruit, veggies, etc for cheaper.

4. Don't be afraid to check the dollar store. This may seem odd, but all items found in the picture below were purchased for .99 cents at our local .99 cent store. The produce selection is limited, but you can base your meals around the food that is cheap and good for you! Also farmers markets are a great way to find healthy food for cheap.

5. Utilize pinterest for menu planning. Pinterest isn't just for pictures of well dressed skinny women and home decor. Pinterest is the ultimate place to store all of your healthy recipes you have always wanted to make. Be inspired and follow people who make healthy items on a budget.