$20 Challenge Round 1

Morning! Did everyone have a good weekend? Just checking in to let y'all know that I didn't forget about my $20 Challenge. We did go out of town last week for a long weekend and so not much was done. But we have been working on several projects here and there around the house and being mindful of our spending. It feels good! Right now I am enjoying sprucing up some fun decor items....

Serena + Lily Lookalike Basket
 I found this basket on major sale (around $5) a few weeks ago at Michaels. I pretty much collect baskets like these. I have them everywhere and they are my favorite for coralling toys. I thought I would spruce this one up with a royal blue, like my favorite Serena + Lily baskets. (Blue is no longer available). I simply taped off the bottom for a straight edge, and then covered the top with plastic bags. I bought the Krylon mini spray paint (30% off at Hobby Lobby) for a few dollars. So easy I don't know why I'm mentioning my method here :)

I haven't quite decided what I will use it for. It might be for paper towels or toys that sit in the kitchen near the high chair.

Here it is in the pantry. Did I ever mention how nice it is to have a pantry? Our last house was with out and it was not fun. 

Ottoman Facelift
I got this ottoman a few years ago at the Antique Barn in Asheville. If you visit Asheville, you must check this place out. It is like a gigantic warehouse full of antiques and furniture. I got it for Stephen's office in the old house, but now it is in the living room. I originally liked the cowskin seat cover, but it had a tear that kept on getting worse. And it didn't fit in with our living room anymore.

First, I had to remove the old cowskin which was really gross. It had deteriorated underneath and was really dusty. I thought I was going to have to get Stephen to pull out the nailed in tacks, but I was able to accomplish that myself. I then took it outside for a fresh coat of paint. I spent $5 on my new favorite spraypaint- Black Lacquer - to give it a glossier, modern finish. It looked rather rustic before.  I bought the ikat fabric (I'm a fabric hoarder) in July, with out knowing if it was going to be for pillows or the ottoman.

I am still finishing attaching the new fabric with nail heads (I ran out last night!) but I am so excited about the new look. I will show the finished ottoman in the room soon!

Have a great Tuesday :)

$20 Renovation Challenge / Thoughts on Thursday

Today I'm linking up with  Annie and Natalie for Thoughts on Thursday, and I'm discussing something that popped in my mind last week. Our spending lately has been way more than what we would like it to be, and it's all being poured into the four walls of our house. There have been far too many times we have gone to Lowe's for "just a few things" and left with $200 less in our wallets. Or, even worse when you make multiple trips in a week, totaling way more! Trust me, I knew things were going to be like this when we bought the house. I know old houses give you literally, a run for your money. I expected it.

On top of that, we had our first big unexpected renovation fix this week. All of our AC units are in good condition and have been somewhat recently updated. Which confused me why I kept smelling a mildewy smell in our bathroom when the air came on. To make a long story short, after cleaning the units and so on, we decided to have our 40 year duct work replaced. Once the mildew smell went away it left behind a musty smell in a few spots that we weren't willing to deal with. And since we had so much work done in the house (read: dust, dust, dust) before we moved in, I almost feel better that those vents are going to be brand spanking new. So thats a big expense we are taking on!

Which leads me to our challenge for the next month: we are limiting ourselves to $20 and under purchases for the house. We aren't going to set a limit of how many we can have in a week, this is to reign in spending altogether, and force ourselves to finish up what we have sitting around the house. I think it is going to make us take a closer look at what we spend on instead of tossing things in the cart that might not get finished that week. So all purchases will be those that are necessary. Maybe make myself more creative with what I have sitting around in the mean time!

I plan on keeping a list of all the projects we complete and will update throughout the month....If you want to join in (even if you aren't renovating) on spending $20 or less make sure to use the hashtag #the20dollarchallenge and tag me @missdixie30 on instagram! I am so looking forward to seeing how much we can accomplish on a budget (a word I used to be afraid of!)

And don't forget to link up your Thoughts on Thursday :)