Indoor Progress....

So, while I was down and out, sitting in our living room for days, I decided that it was very dark.  With that, I had some time to play around on Houzz.com and come up with some fun ideas to try.   I even contacted an interior designer friend-of-my-parent's in Springfield, Illinois.  (Check out her designs on Houzz.com.  http://www.houzz.com/pro/loismooredesign/lolo-moore-periwinkles.  The are phenomenal, especially if you are like me and *LOVE* bRiGHt colors!)

After talking with my mama about the darkness of my living room and desire to make some changes, we started to brainstorm.  She introduced me to the idea of simply picking out and purchasing a slip cover instead of buying a brand new couch or couches....GREAT idea Mama, thank you!  So, I began researching slip covers:  colors, styles, sizes, etc.  Being frugal minded, I still couldn't justify this purchase because of price (although way) less that purchasing a new couch.  Soooo....we went back to the drawing board.  I got my thinking cap on and got onto Pintrest, which Mama introduced me to while I was sick.  Watch out world!  LOL!  I have some *cRAzY* fun ideas that came off of there!

Anyway, someone had the idea to simply use a painter's canvas drop cloth from Menard's or Walmart.  So, that is what I did.  Plain and simple!  My brown, really comfortable couch, is now a nice, light, cream color and my multi-colored floral couch is the same.  WoW, what a difference that made for only $20 a piece and machine washable!  I talked my daddy into helping move a few pieces of furniture around as well as the dog beds.  Then, got out my sewing machine to make a few *colorful* throw pillows.  Quick, cheap makeover!  (My only disclaimer is that if you have kids and or lots of couch activity, they probably aren't the best because they tend to move around a bit.  I haven't figured out quite yet how to hold them in place.  I'm sure there is something out there that will remedy that issue.)

Living Room Before....

$20 Painter's Canvas Drop Cloth....Menard's or Walmart

.....progress taking shape!

Dad helped me paint our kitchen door.  It came brown which was fine before we remodeled the kitchen and went with the bright theme, so it was time for a change.  A quick couple coats of picket fence white paint and wa-la!  Bright, refreshing kitchen.

Kitchen Door Before.... 

Kitchen Door After!

 Mama gave me a sewing machine several years ago.  Still in it's new box, I got it out and dusted it off.  For the first time in it's life, it was going to be used.   After much thought on colors, I purchased some duck cloth patterned pillow material at our new Hobby Lobby.  What a fun store!  I was able to use some of the pillow forms from old pillows that came with the brown couch.  So....never using a machine by myself before, I set out for help from my neighbor and her kids.  They were SUPER helpful and we had a fun time working through a few different options!

New Sewing Machine

My neighbor had a great idea to make an envelop pillow.  The one shown above is one I made on my own which turned out great, but you have to hand stitch it closed.  With the envelop pillow, you don't have to do any hand sewing and the case can be removed and washed!  Best of both worlds~especially when a certain black dog of mine tends to sneak up on the couch when we are gone during the day.  Evidence:  black dog hair all over my nice white sofa and new pillows!

A work in progress!