Cheap Style 101

Now let's get this straight...I don't mean "cheap" in the negative sense. This is all about making your place  look great without your wallet turning to dust before your very eyes.

I don't know about you, but being an Army wife allows me the blessing and curse of moving and setting up a new space over and over and over and...well you get it. I love to decorate so unpacking can be a lot of fun, but it can also be expensive when all of a sudden a piece of furniture doesn't work in your new space for WHATEVER reason.

MAYBE you are a serial re-designer who just can't stop yourself from reorganizing, pitching, and buying whatever inspires you in the moment. That can get expensive my friend. Take it from me...I am all of the above! I have lost so much money on changing my mind or moving. If there was a Redecorator's Anonymous I would (for damn sure) be signing up. Whatever the reason for your Design ADD, Style on the Cheap will give you tips and tricks for true inexpensive (even free at times) home makeovers. It might not be EXTREME, but take it one step at a time.

I would get excited about one Do-It-Yourself show after another on the many home makeover channels only to be ultimately disappointed when their definition of Designing on a Dime added up to a LOT of dimes that I didn't have. One show convinces the person to have a yard sale with all their junk (typically targeting varying types of hoarders for the most WOW effect at the end) and says they can redecorate with the yard sale money. I thought I had found gold with that show...that is...until they brought in truck loads of furniture donated or sold at cost (not sure which) by companies that wanted to advertise through the show.

Not only that, most of us don't have a team of people helping us to do something in ONE day. This stuff takes time people! Especially if you have a job...kids...you know any real life thing happening day to day. That will REALLY slow you down. That part of it really isn't the main point. You COULD have a bunch of girlfriends or family members help you out with a project to get it done faster, but don't fret if you can't completely give your home a face lift in 24-48 hours. That's just not normal.

I have been in apartments since college and am finally in my first house (who cares if it's a rental?). I'm determined to design, build, and redesign on pure thrift this time around. Can she do it? The occasional splurge is okay, but I thought if I'm going to be DIY-ing it, I might as well pass on the projects I try out. Especially since a good percentage of us are categorized under "novice" on most of these things. I'll make mistakes you will get to see along the way, but hopefully you will learn from my mistakes and maybe I can learn from YOUR ideas too!

Let's create some Style on the Cheap!