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Easy Fruit Salad
It’s summer time! And the most delicious and refreshing thing to eat in the summer is fruit. This easy fruit salad is perfect for those days when you can’t decide if you want to eat an apple, or strawberries, or grapes because it combines all three! And, you can add any other fruit your heart desires.
Here are the ingredients that I used:
- 1 container of frozen strawberries with sugar
- 2 apples
- 2 cups of grapes, halved
Yes, that is it! That is all you need for this delicious fruit salad.
Not only is this fruit salad tasty, but it is also pretty inexpensive to make. All of the ingredients were less than $10. You really cannot beat that!
I cut both of the apples into bite sized pieces. I used Granny Smith apples for a little bit of tartness, but you can use whatever variety is your favorite. You can also use fresh peaches and/or pears.
Next, I sliced the grapes in half. These three types of fruit are what I typically use, but you can also add bananas, blueberries, or even blackberries. Once you have all of the fruit sliced and diced, combine with the strawberries in a large bowl. The strawberries will still be frozen, so place the bowl in the fridge to allow the strawberries to thaw and the other fruits to soak up the sweet juice!
Yum! How good does this look? Once the strawberries have melted, give everything a good stir and enjoy! This is perfect to make for parties, or just to eat at home. This is also delicious to eat on waffles with some whipped cream! If you try this recipe, let me know what you think. Also, if you want more recipes to enjoy you can get a copy of my Simple Summer Meals ebook!
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DIY Potting Table Makeover
Are you ready for another furniture makeover? Good, because I’ve got one for you! This is a DIY potting table makeover. A couple of years ago my parents sent here potting table home with me. They used if for years in various places outside, but it had taken a beating from being exposed to the weather. When I brought it home, I placed it on our covered and screened in back deck. It had been sitting there untouched until a couple of weeks ago.
My dad had sanded and stained it a couple of times, but I felt like it was time to go a different route. I had some leftover furniture paint from Lowe’s and decided to use it. Right now, I am really liking the look of black and brown together. I used the black paint on this dresser. It gives a really nice finish, so I decided to use it on the potting table.
What do you think about the after? I love how it turned out! It looks great against the brick and we will be cleaning and staining the deck soon. Once I got it painted, I knew I wanted to fill it with green plants. I love how green pops against black!
This adorable little frog came from the Dollar Tree and he might be my favorite item on the potting table. He adds a little whimsy and I love that. It’s important to have fun when decorating.
The pot you see here came from Goodwill and the plant came from Walmart. They look great together. The flower plate came from Dollar Tree and the other vase came from Goodwill. You cannot go wrong with inexpensive decor for your home!
Walmart doesn’t disappoint when it comes to cute decor for the patio. That is where this adorable propagation station came from. I am excited to see the roots sprout and I love the character it adds to the potting table and the porch.
There was even plenty of room on the bottom shelf to add more plants and more decor. All of the items you see here, I already had. I love pulling things out of storage and from other areas of our home to reuse and repurpose. It definitely helps to stay on budget as well!
Well, that was a fun project! Now it is time to sit back and enjoy the deck and take care of the plants. Stay tuned for more furniture makeovers coming very soon! And don’t forget, you can see more projects at Heather Loves Home on Facebook and Instagram.
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Summer Front Porch Refresh
Summer is a great time to decorate your front porch with flowers, plants, wreaths for your front door, and cute furniture! At least, that is what I used for my summer front porch refresh! I love the bright colors, the patterns, and ALL the flowers! It is such a nice change from the winter blahs.
Every year I have some fun and try different color schemes. This year I went with pink, green, and black. And, I always like to keep it simple and low maintenance. I don’t have a green thumb, so I want to be careful about how many plants and flowers I commit to taking care of!
I have always been a fan of green and black together. It is actually one of my favorite color combos. And then, add in a pop of pink and you have perfection! Here is a fun fact, apple green and fuchsia were the colors at my wedding. These colors are perfect for summer!
Not only did I choose pink and green for the flowers in the planters, but I also used it in the wreaths for the front doors. My sister-in-law makes wreaths and I told her my vision and she brought it to life. I think they look so good! What do you think?
Here is a closer look at one of the wreaths! Aren’t the different shades of pink so pretty with the green? My SIL did such a great job. I love the cheerfulness these add to the front doors. They are perfect to welcome our guests.
I’ve had the table and chairs for a few years now and they are from Target. The cute black and white pillows came from Walmart this year and I love the pattern. It keeps the look a little more modern. I topped the seating area off with a succulent in a black planter of course. Also, all of the planters I used are plastic and inexpensive.
Here is another photo with the lights on. I love that time of night when the sun is setting and turning on the lights makes it feel cozy. I hope this has inspired you to give your summer front porch a refresh. Keep it simple and fresh and have some fun with it!
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Budget Dresser Makeover
I love a good before and after! Especially, when it is a really nice dresser that your neighbor gives you for free. When my neighbor posted on social media that she needed to get rid of a dresser to make room for a new one, I jumped at the opportunity to take it. I needed more storage in my office, and the other dresser I had in there was not getting the job done. It needed some TLC, but I am always up for the challenge! If you want to see a good budget dresser makeover, keep reading!
Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of the dresser before I took the drawers out, but you get the idea. It was a honey color that did not look good with the floors in my office. The dresser is solid wood and heavy, which I love. The only thing it needed was paint, new hardware, and some of the tracks for the drawers needed to be tightened.
Here she is with a fresh coat of paint and new hardware! I used the furniture paint from Lowe’s and I love how it looks when finished. It dries really nicely and really doesn’t even look like it’s been painted. I used a roller on the majority of it, but used a brush in the hard to reach spots.
Not only did I have a lot of fun making over the dresser, but I also had a lot of fun styling it! These lamps came from a yard sale and I love their shape. Originally, I was going to paint them, but then I decided to keep them as they are for now because I love the pop of color. I already had the other items in this photo, so that was a win!
Here is the other side of the dresser. If you have spent anytime reading Heather Loves Home, then you know I love to decorate with plants. I already had this fern, so I gave it a new home on the dresser. I always love a fresh pop of green in a space. I also love green and black together. It might be my favorite color combo!
What do you think of the black on black? At first, I was going to use gold hardware, but it just didn’t feel right to me. That is when I decided to use black and I love it! I think it actually gives the dresser a sophisticated look. I am really happy with this budget dresser makeover and I was excited to share it with you. If you ever come upon a piece of free furniture with good bones, grab it! There are so many ways to bring an old piece back to life!
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Decorate A Bookshelf On A Budget
The question I get asked the most is where do I shop for home decor? You all have asked where I get pillows, frames, artwork, and furniture. There is no quick answer to that question as I get the decor in our home from many different places. That being said, I thought it would be nice to go room by room and do several posts telling you all where my home decor is from. Today, I am starting in my office and I am going to give you ideas on how to decorate a bookshelf on a budget.
I had a lot of fun decorating my office; especially the cubby bookshelves. The main reason for that is because my office decor is one hundred percent me and my style! I love plants and color and books. I also love decor that has meaning. My favorite thing in my office is the butterfly wall art that hangs over the cubbies. It is from World Market and the colors are beautiful!
Ok, let’s move on to the shelves! I think books are great to use as decor. They are colorful and they also have meaning if you decorate with books that you love. I get a lot of my books from Amazon, yard sales, and Goodwill. A fun way to mix in decor is to use it as a bookend, or you can even sit it on top of the books. The cute flower and vase in the photo above were on clearance at Anthropologie. I found it on a shopping trip with my daughters and when I look at it I am reminded of that day.
Some of the best decor items come from Goodwill and yard sales. This milk glass bowl came from Goodwill and was less than three dollars. Always be on the lookout for unique items like this to use throughout your home.
Who loves plants? Plants are great to use as decor on a bookshelf. The fern and succulent above are both from Walmart and the planters are from Hobby Lobby. Plants add color and they bring a room to life. In my humble opinion, you cannot have too many plants!
Artwork is another great way to decorate your bookshelf. This piece belonged to my late aunt which makes it extra special. Plus, I love the beach, so that gives it even more meaning. You can also frame scrapbook paper, or pages from a photo book that you love.
Practical items are also great to use to decorate your shelves. This pen holder came from Hobby Lobby and I love the pop of color it adds. Plus, I don’t have room for it on my desk, so sitting it here is perfect. Shelves are a great place to hold practical items that you don’t have room for in other places.
Always be on the lookout for unique pieces whenever you are shopping. You never know when you might find the perfect item for your home. And remember, have fun with decorating and incorporate your style and what you love into your home!
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Decorating With Plants
Do you have a green thumb? Don’t worry, I don’t either, but I love decorating with plants anyway. If you love nature it is a great way to bring the outdoors inside. Also, most plants are inexpensive, so they are perfect for decorating your home on a budget. Plants are also a great way to make a space come alive and freshen it up. Now, let’s take a little tour of all the plants I currently have in my home.
In my sitting area I have this pothos plant. It is probably the easiest plant to care for (in my humble opinion). You can forget to water it and it will be ok for a period of time. From what I can tell, they do love sunlight and grow very fast. The best part about this plant is you can take cuttings from the plant and root them in water. This is a great way to take one plant and create several others which is very budget friendly!
There are two plants sitting on the table in my foyer. The bigger plant is real and was bought on Amazon and the smaller plant is a faux plant and came from Michael’s. I was a little skeptical of buying a plant from Amazon and didn’t know how well it would do, but it has grown so much and looks great! If you have ever been skeptical of buying a plant online, give it a try. This one is so pretty and easy to care for.
This plant is the newest addition to the family and it is also my favorite. I have it sitting right next to my beach art because it is tropical and reminds me of warm and sunny weather. This plant is from Walmart and was very inexpensive. So far, it has done great and I love pot it came in also.
One of my other favorite plants is the Christmas cactus which is on the left. It blooms every year at Christmas and is beautiful! The other succulent that you see on the right is small and easy to take care of. I water it sparingly and also use some succulent food once a week and it has done really well.
I’m not sure what I like better in the above photo, the faux plant or the cute bicycle planter that it is sitting in. If you are looking to add some green to a space that doesn’t get a lot of light, then use a faux plant. And, in case you are wonder, the cute bicycle planter is from Target. You’re welcome!
And last, but certainly not least, is the faux fern that sits in the great room. Real ferns can be hard to keep alive, so I caved and bought this one from Target. I do love it and it is a great alternative to the real thing. I hope you enjoyed this tour of all of the plants in our home. Decorating with plants is an inexpensive and great way to decorate your home! Hop on over to Facebook or Instagram and let me know your favorite plant!
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Simple Bathroom Storage
You know what I always say, storage is important in your home; especially, simple bathroom storage. There is no better feeling than having a place for everything and having everything in its place. Am I right? I especially like to have a good amount of storage in the bathroom for towels, washcloths, toiletries, and beauty products. Because you cannot have too many beauty products!
I have shown you this cabinet in our bathroom many times. You can actually see a full tour of our bathroom here. This cabinet came from Pier One about ten years ago and I have used it in three different homes. In our first two homes, I used it in our office and now it made its way into our master bathroom.
The drawers in this cabinet are the perfect size to store all of our bathroom items. Each drawer has a purpose and this one holds extra razors, soap, contact solution, toothpaste, floss, and anything else we use a lot of. That way when we run out of something I can grab another one from this drawer. And once the last one is used in this drawer, I know it is time to buy more.
This drawer holds first aid items like bandaids, a thermometer, ointments, and anything else you might need for minor injuries and illnesses. The other drawers hold washcloths, feminine hygiene products, extra toilet paper, and our steamer. I love how easy it is to grab anything we might need and also keep track of what needs to be replenished.
On top of the cabinet there is a decorative bowl that holds cotton swabs and a decorative jar that holds cotton balls. Again, it keeps things we need within reach, but also looking stylish. I am going to refinish the cabinet soon and give it a little update. I will be sure to share that process with you all soon! Now, who is ready to go organize their bathroom?
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Simple Master Bathroom Tour
It’s only February, but I started my spring cleaning early and thought I would take you on a tour of my master bathroom. It is one room in our house that we haven’t decorated much since we moved in almost five years ago. Since it is a room that only my husband and I use and see, we decided to keep it simple with not a lot of fuss. This also makes it easier to keep clean and organized. I hope you enjoy this simple master bathroom tour!
The bathroom is actually pretty neutral with the tile being a cream color and the vanity being gray. I chose to keep all of the walls white since there is only one window and I wanted the room to feel open and bright.
I’ve shared this corner of the bathroom before, but it is actually getting ready to go undergo a simple makeover. And by that I mean I am sanding down the cabinet and giving it a fresh look. I love the extra storage this cabinet providers as it hold extra toiletries and first aid items. All of the artwork on the gallery wall came from Hobby Lobby and I love the pop of color that it adds to the space.
The artwork above the bathtub also came from Hobby Lobby and again, I love the pop of color it adds to the room as well. Also, if you are low on storage space a basket next to the tub, like the one I have here, is a great idea to hold bath towels.
The one window above the bathtub lets in a good amount of light and I love how bright it makes the room feel. The light fixtures above the vanity are some of my favorites we picked out when the house was being built.
One good thing about keeping the main pieces in the bathroom neutral is it will be easier to redecorate down the road. We can bring in different artwork, rugs, and towels and they will look good with what is already there. So, what do you think about our master bathroom? I would love to hear your thoughts over on Instagram or Facebook!
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Great Room Builtin Cabinet Storage
Hello and thank you for visiting Heather Loves Home! Whether you have visited before, or you are new, I am so happy you are here. Today, I am talking about great room builtin cabinet storage and all of the items I keep in mine. Let’s be honest, we can never have too many places to store stuff, right?
I have two cabinets on either side of my fireplace. Of course, I keep the shelves filled with pretty and meaningful decor, but the cabinets are where I can store all of the not so pretty items. If you have builtin cabinets and you aren’t taking advantage of the storage they can provide, you will after reading this.
Have you ever went to someone’s home and wondered what they have hiding behind their cabinet doors. I am now going to give you a peek at what we keep behind ours. In our last home, I didn’t have our cabinets organized very well, but in this home I took full advantage of organizing them perfectly!
Here is a look at the cabinet that is on the right side of our fireplace. This cabinet holds board games and decks of cards, which is a convenient spot for them since it is in the great room and that is where we play games most of the time. On the bottom shelf, I have a bin that holds all of the owner’s manuals for products in our home. We also keep items needed to dust and clean our tv.
This is the builtin and cabinet on the left side of the fireplace. Again, the shelves are filled with simple decor items, but the bottom cabinet is used for storage. Let’s take a peek inside.
In this cabinet, I keep extra lightbulbs, batteries, command hooks, and tools. It is really handy to keep a hammer, screwdrivers, nails, and other items to grab for a quick project. This keeps me from always needing to run out to the garage, or the basement storage room to grab something.
Honestly, there are so many different things you can keep in cabinets like these. Some other ideas are items needed for school, arts and crafts, toys, blankets, dog toys, books, magazines, cleaning supplies, and the list goes on. I hope you found this super helpful! And please, be sure to check me out on Instagram and Facebook at Heather Loves Home. Happy organizing!
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Dining Room Storage Ideas
The dining room is a great place to get creative with storage. This is the room where pretty dishes, vases, and candlestick holders are kept. And if you are someone who loves to entertain, then you probably have a lot of dishes and glassware to store. I love to entertain and have a lot of dishes, so I am sharing some dining room storage ideas with you.
My favorite way to store items in the dining room is by displaying them on a pretty piece of furniture. When I buy dishes for entertaining, I like to keep them neutral and stick with white, glass, and gold. When I stick to neutrals it makes it easier to display them and it also means the dishes will match any decor when we entertain.
Here is a closer look at the left side of our dining room cabinet. As you can see, I displayed a variety of dishes and trays. I also found the perfect basket that fits on the bottom shelf and holds lot of goodies! I will give you a closer look into that now.
Let’s take a peek inside of the basket, shall we? This is where I like to store smaller items like cloth napkins, tablecloths, table runners, candle holders, battery operated tea candles, and other items for entertaining. I love having all of these items handy in this basket for parties, dinners, and showers. I have used all of these items multiple times and definitely got my money’s worth!
This is another look at items I store in the basket. I forgot to mention plate holders. Also, you cannot see them very well, but I have several small square mirrors that I bought at Dollar Tree. I love sitting them on the dining room table and you can see what that looks like here.
Now back to the dining room cabinet, let’s take a look at the right side. As you can see, there are more dishes, a cake plate, and some candle holders that were found at the Goodwill. I love how all of these items look together and I love that they are all useful!
I hope you found these dining room storage ideas helpful, and they inspired you to get your dining room organized. If you aren’t already following Heather Loves Home on social media, I would love for you to pop over to Facebook and Instagram and give us a follow for more inspiration on how you can live better in your home!
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