Cost Breakdown and Thoughts on Japan

Hello friends. I apologize for the long absence.  I have been directing all of my emotional energy towards Japan for the past few weeks.  My youngest brother and his beautiful wife, as well as all of her family, live in and around Tokyo. 

Thankfully, they all managed to escape serious harm from the quake and tsunami that struck on March 11, but as you can imagine, it was a very scary couple of days for my entire family.  We continue to monitor the news for new information regarding the Fukushima nuclear reactor, and we pray that the worst case scenario does not happen. My brother has assured me that he and his wife are taking all measures available to protect themselves (only drinking bottled water, eating imported foods when possible, staying indoors, etc.) and he feels that they are as safe as they can be considering the situation.  He also stated that with the exception of rolling power outages and the scarcity of gasoline (in an effort to reserve those resources for the recovery effort in Sendai), things are continuing on as usual in Tokyo.  He has urged his Stateside family to go about our normal lives, enjoying our families and our homes, as we never know what tomorrow may bring. I will continue to watch CNN and get updates from my brother, but it is time for me to take his advice and get back to my everyday life, for every day truly is a gift. 

* If you are interested in donating to the relief efforts in Japan, I have included a tab at the top of my blog labeled "Help Japan".  Just click on it and you will find links to some wonderful sites aiding the relief efforts. 

So, in an attempt to get back to normal around here, I thought I would finish the post I was working on when the quake happened.  I had just revealed my entryway makeover and was starting a post showing the cost and materials breakdown. 

If you remember, I was trying to keep costs as low as possible.  Because I knew I already had some of the pricier items needed (bench, rug), I had given myself a $100.00 budget to complete the rest of the project.  Here is where I spent the money:

$ 0.00   Bench- I already had this as part of a dining set not being used

$ 0.00   Rug- I already had this, too

$29.99  Shelf - ready to hang, purchased in the perfect size (6 feet) from Home Depot

$12.99  Brackets- package of two

$39.98  Wall hooks- I used two 27" long wall mount "racks", $19.99 each, from Target

$7.00    Framed numbers- Six frames from the Dollar Store plus one tube of paint ($1.00) from Wal-Mart (I printed my own numbers on the computer, then cut them out, painted them the same color as the wording in the Subway Art, and glued them to black card stock before framing.)

$23.98  Baskets- Two at $11.99 each, on sale at Michaels

$9.00    Subway Art- (cost of materials)

$15.97  Accessories- I already had most of it; I purchased three lanterns from Marshalls ($4.99, $4.99 and $5.99) and the tote bag ($1.00 on clearance) from Wal-Mart


$138.94 + tax  =  Total Cost

Yes, I did go over budget by $38.94 and some tax, but considering how much the PB version would have cost, I still saved a considerable amount of money by doing it my way... and that makes this thrifty gal very, very happy (and organized!)

*  Several people have asked me how I made my Subway Art.... I am working on the tutorial right now; it should be ready to post soon!

     

In the meantime, please keep the people of Japan in your thoughts and prayers!

Until Next Time!

RX for the Soul

"Happiness held is the seed; happiness shared is the flower."

- Unknown

RX for the Soul

"What each must seek in his life never was on land or sea. It is something out of his own unique potentiality for experience, something that never has been and never could have been experienced by anyone else."

-Joseph Campbell

Entryway Reveal

Hello everyone, it's good to be back!  I had to take a longer than anticipated blogging break to help get my kiddos caught up on all of the schoolwork they missed while they were sick.  They have state standard testing this week and I'm hoping they are prepared enough!  Let me tell ya, we have all been busy little bees. 

On a different note, I am excited to say that I am finally finished with the entryway makeover I posted about here.  It only took me forever....but, the important thing is that it is done and that part of the house is organized.  Here's a little sneak peak....

I was inspired by these pictures from Pottery Barn...

and these great entryways from BH&G.

I love the long, comfy benches and the basket filled shelves above.  And of course, the coat hooks are a must....

Sadly, I do not have a PB budget,  so in an effort to keep down the cost, I repurposed my dark wood furniture that we brought with us from Arizona.  I have a beautiful farmhouse table with two benches that doesn't fit in the dining space in this house.  Instead of putting it in storage, the table has been re-purposed for use as a desk in the den/craft room and one bench found a home at the foot of my bed.  The other bench was a perfect fit for the entryway.  Here's what the entryway looked liked before...

The bench was definitely useful, but not very organized.

And certainly not pretty to look at.  Here's what it looks like after its makeover:

I already had the seagrass rug so I moved it into the entryway.  I added a shelf, some coat hooks, and a couple of large baskets for storing small stuff like gloves, scarves and umbrellas.

A pillow was added for sitting on while putting on shoes...

And some accessories were added ....for fun...





One more picture before:





And after:

Entryway problem solved.





What do you do to keep your entryway organized?


Until next time,

Amy


*Please click on the "Linky Parties" tab at the top of the page to see all of the fabulous parties I'm linking this to!