We live in a world of conspicuous consumption. People make money to buy the things to make us happy enough to make more money to buy more things. Even the penny has value, as much as we treat them as useless; in great quantity, they can buy happiness too! I am equally guilty of it conspicuously consuming, I make no bones about that. I work hard, as does my husband; it took a long time for us to get to a place of comfort—we are not rich, but with a little saving and careful money management we …
10 Essential DIY Tools for DIY Success
After buying our first fixer upper house in 2009, transforming it on a zero-budget, and then recently tackling a large-scale addition and renovation in 2014/15, we have tackled do-it-yourself projects big and small. You can catch most of them over at my blog, THE SWEETEST DIGS. There is nothing I love more than rescuing a piece of furniture in the garbage pile and giving it new life by sanding it down, staining or painting, and replacing the hardware. My husband, on the other hand, loves …
Thrift Store DIY – Upcycled Mail Holder
Are you a thrift store junkie? I am. In a big way. I have major “stop the car!” moments whenever hubby and I are driving in a new town and we pass by the local thrift shop. I just can’t help myself. You never know what kind of treasures might be lurking in there for a serious bargain. One of my fave spots where I regularly feed my thrifting habit is Value Village (for you Ottawa folks, I love the one at Merivale and Baseline). Their prices are great, the stores are usually big and offer a …
DIY this: Favourite IKEA Hacks
The IKEA Hack. If you have spent any time at all on Pinterest, you have no doubt come across a few. The idea? You take a piece of IKEA furniture which, although modern and well designed, is probably in both your neighbours and pals’ places too. And who wants their stuff to look like everybody else’s? For me, a well-designed space doesn’t have to cost much, but really should have personality. Interesting artwork, re-furbished pieces, souvenirs from travels, etc all come together to put the …
Five Best Holiday Hostess Gifts
‘Tis the season for entertaining and going to parties and racking your brain for a gift that shows genuine appreciation for your hostess. Riffling the back of the drinks cupboard for the bottle of Jägermeister won at a stag party, and that’s lasted longer than the marriage it was meant to herald, is not showing appreciation. In fact, why don’t you just crack that bottle open and de-ice your walkway with it? The best holiday hostess gifts serve two purposes: They’re thanks for getting you out of …
