There was no line dancing…

But there was beauty, everywhere you looked:

The Opryland Hotel is seriously one of the most magnificent places I have ever stayed. Absolutely gorgeous. And just like last year, I didn’t have nearly enough time to look around!

I only got night shots, and they’re still amazing:

There was plenty of goofing off:

I’m trying to bring Traci to the dark side…that would be giving up the sweet nectar that is soda. It’s not happening. But that’s why I love her! :)

We even fit in some thrifting:

Kate and Chris’s faces are the BEST. (We weren’t too sure about those chairs.) And no, that is not a beer in my hand, it’s a root beer. ;)

I got to meet the man who inspired us to change our lives, and our family tree:

Thanks SO MUCH to Jen for having me along!! (More on that soon!)

But more than anything, there was a lot of smiling:

(Chris and me)

TONS of hugging:

(Marian and me)

Bonding:

(Lorie and me)

A LOT of laughter:

(Myra, Chris, Richella, me, Traci and Rhoda)

Making new friends:

(Shauna and Ashley, new friends; me and Layla, an “old” friend)

And generally having an absolutely fantastic time!!:

I reconnected with the friends I’ve already met over the past year, and I finally got to meet so many bloggers I knew were friends but I had never met in real life. It never ceases to amaze me how I can meet someone for the first time, yet it’s as if I’ve known them for years and YEARS.

It’s instant friendship and love and understanding, and I am so fortunate to call all of these women friends and coworkers. It overwhelms me. What a blessing blogging is.

To say we had a blast would be an understatement. :)

Cheers to all of you – bloggers who were friends before we knew we were. :)

(If we met and I didn’t mention you, I mean YOU too!!)

A special shout out to my roomies – Chris, Rhoda and Beth:

I already miss our late night talks!! :) You are a few of the loveliest, funniest, best women I know.

I got home from Nashville just in time for the storm of the century (echo, echo, echo)…ice, snow and wind for the next couple of days. This was our bedroom window one hour into it tonight:

That would be a sheet of ice. Thankyouverymuch.

We are warming up, hunkering down and planning on staying in for the next 24 hours, at least. I hope to get some projects started and a few finished since we’ll be stuck inside. Stay safe if you are facing the same!!

**Some photos borrowed from Beth and Kate! :)

A little love

Heya all! How the heck are ya? Hope you had a great weekend!

Today I was feeling a little Valentine’s crafty mojo and worked on a couple SUPER quick projects.

Melissa’s cutie Scrabble art last year had me at “love”and I’ve wanted to do it since. I threw it together with a Goodwill frame, some pink paper behind the glass, and the Scrabble tiles hot glued to the top:

It would be way cauuuter with some adorable V-Day paper behind it (and maybe a nicer frame?), but I was trying to use what I had. :)

I wanted to fill the long frame, so I added the “forever” to what Melissa did. Now that I look at it, it reminds me of this book, so I may change this out after the holiday and put it in the Bub’s room somewhere. :) Maybe a navy blue frame and a white background to match his space? So fun!

This one was along the same lines, another Goodwill frame, with paper and a sparkly Target dollar spot heart glued to the front:

Simple but oh-so-precious!

I hope to put a little Valentine’s vignette together soon. (Check out Melissa’s! Adorable!) That little project will have to wait though, because I’m heading out to Nashville this week to hang with many of my bloggy friends at the Blissdom conference. I am SO excited to see the women I know and now consider friends in real life, and to meet so many new ones!

This picture tells the story of last year, words are not needed:

AnNicole, we will miss you!! Kate, when are we going line dancing? :)

Anyhoo – I decided a couple weeks ago that I wanted to share a little love and highlight some bloggers that are NOT attending Blissdom this year. I thought I’d be able to go through some of your blogs and pick projects, but because the response on Twitter and Facebook was so great I need your help.

I’d love to share some of your fantastic blogs while I’m gone!

Here’s the info:

1. Your blog must be a DIY/craft/decor blog.

2. You must be less than a year old. (Uhhh, your blog, not you.)

3. You are not attending Blissdom this year.

4. If you meet all three of those criteria, send me html of a post bragging about your blog. Maybe highlight three of your top projects?

5. Please make it a brief post and no more than three pictures. I’m going to try to get as many of these scheduled as I can, so I need them quick and easy and html ONLY.

6. If I have any issues getting your html to work, I’ll try to communicate with you to let you know, but I can’t make any promises. I have to do laundry before I leave (and that’s gonna take a while).  :)

7. I’ll accept your posts starting…NOW. I’ll take them through Tuesday (January 25th) at 10 p.m. Eastern time. Anything after that won’t be used (cause I have to get to that dreaded laundry.)

8. If you send a post, I will highlight you in the order received. I will get as many scheduled as I can, but yours may not make it. If it doesn’t, I’ll keep it for a Show Her Off post in the future.

9. Send the email to thriftydecorchick (at) gmail (dot) com and put “NEWBIE” in the subject line. (Anyone else thinking of the Scrubs sitcom right now?)

Does that sound good? I want to promote some of you newer bloggers and I figured this would be a great time to do that!

And finally, I’m asking for a little love for me tomorrow (Tuesday). I was called back to do another mammogram, which I know is not unusual. They mentioned about 45 times (or so) that this would probably happen (since it was my first mammogram there is no baseline).

Even though I expected it, getting the call was still a little disheartening. I’m expecting and hoping for good news, but I would appreciate any tiny prayers you can send my way. I know there are so many out there who need prayers more than me, so thank you if you do. :)

Have a great week and stay tuned for some highlights of new(er) bloggers! Unless no one sends me posts. Then there will just be lots of crickets. Chirping.

P.S. Thank you to Daria in Pennsylvania for the extra Scrabble tiles! :)

Looking back and moving forward

Well hello! Hope your New Year’s Eve was great! We spent a very low key evening at home, and it was perfect. (Have I mentioned we’ve become complete homebodies??)

I’m loving all the recaps of the year all over blogland over the past week, and I wanted to chime in with a couple more of my own.

First of all, I have to thank my lovely blog friends – ALL of you who link TDC. I truly, truly appreciate it. I can’t tell you the thrill I get when I’m blog-hopping and I see that you’ve linked to my site.

It’s still surreal. :)

I wish I could link to you all, but in the interest of time and space, I’m listing my top ten blog referrers for the year:

1. 1. Centsational Girl
   2. Hooked on Houses
   3. 320 Sycamore
   4. The Nester
   5. Our Suburban Cottage
   6. Better After
   7. A Soft Place
   8. All Things Thrifty
   9. Southern Hospitality
   10. Ucreate

LOVE THESE WOMEN. This year, I’ve roomed with two of them and met (and had a blast with) four others. I hope to meet the last four this year! (Wanna come over ladies??)

I had fun looking through Google Analytics and figuring out the top posts of the year (not all were written in 2010!):

1. 1. How to decorate your mantel
   2. Dollar store fall wreath
   3. Live like no one else
   4. My biggest DIY project:  The stairs
   5. How to make a headboard
   6. A new dining room centerpiece
   7. Christmas tree party
   8. The hardest easiest DIY wreath ever
   9. Make a sofa table for under $20
   10. DIY drum shade chandelier

FUN! I love this stuff! :)

I’m so excited about 2011 (have to get used to writing that!) and all it will bring. Looking forward, I plan on continuing the Before and After Party the first Monday of every month:

To see all of the parties from 2010, click here.

I failed miserably at my Tool School series last year. (Hangs head in shame.):

But I am determined to be better about it this year! I hope to share my favorite tools, how to use them, and the basic gadgets you should have around the house to accomplish your own DIY projects.

I’ve got some more fun stuff coming in the new year! First of all -- if you are human and breathing, you most likely have an overwhelming desire to throw out half of the stuff in your house and clean every little crevice right now. :) I’m with you. I got you. I’ve already taken two car loads to Goodwill in the past week.

It feels amazing!!!

I’m planning another organization party – it will probably be later this month. I just have to get a button made and then I’ll announce it. I’ll make sure to give you time to prepare, but I’ll be harassing you plenty between now and then so no worries. :) Just be sure to take a before picture before you get all productive, OK? (I luuuurve before pictures!!)

And back by popular demand, I’ll be hosting another Goodwill party as well! It’s been a while since I’ve shared some of my finds, and I’m really looking forward to seeing your treasures and transformations.

Finally, I want to thank you all again – this blog wouldn’t be here without you tuning in and reading my ramblings. Well…it may be here, but I’d be talking to myself. A lot.

It’s been an amazing, unbelievable year for Thrifty Decor Chick. I pinch myself at the fun I’ve had, the connections I’ve made, the opportunites I’ve experienced.

IT HAS BEEN A BLAST.

Thank you so very much. :)

 

P.S. The January Before and After Party will go up on Monday – hope you can join in!

The top ten of ‘10

Well, the end is near. The end of the year that is. :)

I had a great time recapping my top ten posts last year, and this year my friend Rhoda is having a whole linky party dedicated to the biggest and best projects of 2010.

So, without further adieu, here’s my top ten of this year, based on your comments! FUN!

First up was the start of our master bedroom redo. It was all about the bedding and I splurged big time on it. Cause we really like to sleep. Like, a lot.

The previous $25 Ebay bedding:

Was replaced with new duds from Pottery Barn and Target:

We did like the old set just fine – it just didn’t fit the bed. Huh. To say we love the change is a HUGE understatement. We quite literally melt into bed every night.

There’s been quite a few more changes to the room since that post, like new lighting, drapes and accessories. You can see all of that here.

And if you want to see how I used to make our bed, click here. (It still makes me giggle to read that. And want to cry just a little bit.)

Next up was our mini family room redo:

A new HomeGoods rug made ALL the difference in the world in there! LURVE.

Next up, a project that was FREE and made such a huge difference in our dining room. I showed you how I removed this hutch:

And found the beautiful buffet underneath:

I framed out the mirror myself, and because everything else was so cheap, I splurged on those GORG lamps. (From HomeGoods. Shock.)

You and I both loved my incredible Craigslist find in the family room – it completely updated a wall from this:

To this:

My new-to-me Drexel dresser was only $100, and it is one of my very favorite pieces in our house now. And it holds a bunch of toys. All the more reason to love it. :)

I finished a long, long, LONG process of taking our builder-grade kitchen island:

To a beadboard-wrapped, cabinet-painted, Ikea butcher-blocked one:

You can see the details of the transformation here, and the updates I’ve made to our kitchen this year here.

Speaking of the kitchen, you all loved when I took our basic, white pantry door and replaced it with a glass-paneled beauty:

The (awful) night shot above shows it with the contact paper installed for privacy, and the light inside (which we wired up and I’ll show you soon!)

We have an unfinished basement that we treat as if it’s finished. We USE it. A lot. I showed you how my craft “room” looked before:

And then with some organization, fabric, and more lighting:

LOVE it! :) You can see more here.

The next one really isn’t a particular project, but it resonated with many of you (and me!). It was a post about STUFF:

My father-in-law’s passing (and the week’s after) changed me. I’ve learned a lot about the STUFF and my emotional responses to it since then, and I’ll tell you more about that soon too.

The final two projects of the year were the ones you loved the most! First, the transformation of the Bub’s nursery to a big boy (airplane) room:

 

It is so clean and classic and crisp – I fall in love with it again every day. You can see the process to redo that room here.

And finally, my biggest DIY project to date, that was also my cheapest. :) I love when that happens!! I took our stairs from this before:

To this, with just about $30:

Well, the stairs were $30 – the molding on the wall was a bit more later, but the whole project was still under $60. It helped that I had the paint, stain, and beautiful curved treads under that carpet. ;)

BUT…all the hard work kind of evened out the money saved. :) It took some major sweat and TIME.

I’d do it all over again though – it’s still my very favorite project I’ve tackled in our home. SO WORTH IT. You can see the whole slew of posts about the stairs here.

Well, there. you. go. The top ten projects here at TDC, determined by your comments. It’s been a GREAT year! Did you have a favorite? What did you tackle that made the biggest impact in your home/life?

Check out Rhoda’s party for inspiration for NEXT year! :) If I don’t talk to you before then, have a very, very happy, fun and SAFE New Year!!

 

Thank you to my sponsor!:

TDC on The Nate Show!

WHOO to the HOO. I am so excited! I’ve been keeping you in the dark about this fun little news – sorry about that. :) I just didn’t want to say anything till I had an air date, knowing the little I know about TV production…and even now with an air date scheduled, I know it could still end up on the cutting room floor.

But…WHOOHOO!

I’m optimistic and excited so I’m spilling! :)

It started a few weeks ago when I got an email late one night that started:

“Hey Sarah, 
My name is Michelle and I’m a producer on The Nate Berkus Show…”

UM. Hello Michelle!

I woke up hubby from a deep sleep for that one. :)

Anyway, we talked over email and the phone off and on about me coming out, and then I got word early this week that the segment they were thinking about me coming out for was cut.

But they wanted to use my site in a segment called Nate’s Finds – at first I thought it would be just a quick mention, but I think it’s going to be a few minutes worth. (I think. I really have no idea…I haven’t seen what they taped.) So I spent most of the day Tuesday emailing pictures, links, info, and more pictures to one of the producers.

I hear Nate himself was digging one of my project in particular, and did one of his own – can’t wait to see it!

I got word today that the Thrifty Decor Chick segment will be on an episode that airs Tuesday, November 16th.

I have to admit – I was kind of relieved they didn’t need me to come out right now. I’m a planner and the thought of getting the call and flying out the next day was giving me hives. :) At least this time of year -- with the holidays, hubby’s job (three words = marching band season), needing a hair cut, child care, wanting to lose ten pounds. You know.

And now I get to watch and not worry that I look like a total dweeb. It will just be cutie Nate. Showing pictures of my stuff. I can handle that!

Maybe some day I’ll get to go out there and hug swoon over meet Nate in person. ;)

Until then, I can’t wait to see my little “there in spirit” segment! Hope you can catch it!

And as always, thanks for your support! :)

Bloggers in New York!

Well, enough of my bloggy friends have posted their pictures now, so I can finally steal their pics and share my post about our whirlwind NYC trip as well! ;)

I was there for less than 48 hours, but crammed a crazy amount into that time. The evening I arrived, I joined the group of bloggers at the Rue Magazine launch party – it was held at Atelier in the New York Design Center, and I must admit, us DIYers were looking around at the fabulous decor and pointing to things we could totally do on our own:

Doesn’t that look familiar? ;)

I was thrilled to finally meet the infamous Eddie Ross and Jaithan:

(Left to right, Jaithan, me, Rhoda, Eddie, Camila, Marianne and Cristin.)

I was SO excited to finally meet Camila – she is a doll and she worked so hard on pulling so much of the week’s activities together for us!

Many of the Design Star contestants were at the party, and I grabbed a quick shot with Michael:

I have to say – I felt so incredibly out of place at this party! OH my goodness. I’m a t-shirt and jeans kind of girl, and you pair that with having just traveled for five hours, and I just felt SO…thrifty.  ;)

The next day was pretty much dedicated to The Nate Show – but we started out by meeting up with Beth and her friend Kathleen, and were able to take a quick walk over to the beautiful Central Park:

 

Rhoda, Beth and I were perfectly color coordinated!:

Beth was absolutely as sweet as can be – and just like every blogger I meet that I “know” through blogland, I felt like I had known her forever! There are no awkward moments, just immediate friendship!

I LOVE BLOGGERS. :)

Speaking of bloggers I love, we met Megan from Modern Bird before the show:

Um, she is hilarious and FUN! I knew she would be.

I was looking forward to meeting Janell all week!:

I finally met up with her in line before the show and yet again, we felt like instant friends! And did you hear? She taped a segment on the show! With NATE! I’m so thrilled for her – she is such a lovely person and an incredible designer.

The photo shoots continued outside with Lakeitha and Erika:

How cute are they? How is it possible that every. single. blogger there was that gorgeous?

We didn’t have to wait in line for long outside before we were ushered in…but then the real wait started. ;) We waited for about two hours in separate rooms, so everybody was scattered. The staff was SO friendly and kept checking in with us over that time. I was impressed with their patience with us and their professionalism.

Our room was finally ushered into the studio, and Rhoda and I were bummed that we were quite literally some of the last few into the room -- which translated to what were probably the worst seats possible. :)

It ended up being OK, because, of course, the cameras are everywhere, and at one point or another I think everyone ended up watching the big screens above so they could see what was going on.

You may have seen that some bloggers were less than happy with The Nate Show producers and the fact that us, the bloggers, were never mentioned on air. I have to tell you that I never even thought about that – in between segments, Nate thanked us in general and those who had helped to promote his new show numerous times. He was obviously very grateful.

I guess it never crossed my mind that he would say anything about us on air. I mean, the producers did ask us to send in some of our projects, so I wondered if they would highlight some of those, but overall I never expected us to get a shout out.

I found him to be sweet and engaging, and after the show he took time to answer questions from many of the bloggers in the audience. He mentioned that he never does that, so it was a lovely gesture on his part:

Before the trip, I was obviously excited to go to the taping, but the real reason I was so looking forward to going to NYC was to meet and spend time with my blog friends – who are now women I consider friends in real life. The Nate Show was just an exciting extra of the trip!

And seriously – is he not the CUTEST?? Really.

After the show we stopped for some New York pizza:

(My friend Kate and I, deciding between cheese pizza and extra cheese pizza. ;) )

Then walked through Times Square to a subway station:

Darn it, we didn’t see ONE rat!! I was hoping Rhoda would get to see one. ;)

After a very quick stop in at a party sponsored by The Nest, we headed to Little Italy for some dinner, and then a bunch of us went to check out the view at the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center:

My new and old blog friends: Cristin, me, Kate, Rhoda and Janell.
We had a blast!

I have to give an extra special shout out to Rhoda, for inviting me along with her – she is amazing and a blast to hang out with. And my roomies Emily Clark and her friend Katie (I can’t believe we didn’t get a picture together!) were the cutest and sweetest. Between the three of them I was surrounded by southern accents for days and I was all “y’all this” and “y’all that” when I got home.  ;)

I cannot stress what a blessing blogging has been in my life. I have met so many fantastic, strong, smart women. I have had some amazing opportunities because of this blog. And I am ever thankful and overwhelmed by all of it.

P.S. We have no idea when our episode airs -- we were told to watch online, so I’ll keep my eye out and let you know! :)