Clean a Carpet Without a Steam Cleaner

This weekend I decided to tackle our area rug--my husband bought it about 4 years ago and it really hasn't been cleaned since (obviously it's been vacuumed).  Since this rug lives in our living room, it sees a lot of traffic and had some pretty ground in dirt.  I couldn't afford to rent a steam cleaner (or the want to haul it up 3 flights of stairs) just to clean this one rug. 

So I started doing some research online to find a way to clean it without using a steam cleaner.  Being fair, I do believe I would have been able to get the rug much more clean with a steam cleaner, however, the method I used definitely helped spruce it up and it's much cleaner than it was before!

Side Table Revamps, A Cautionary Tale...

Ok, so I can be a bit of a go-getter (not always in a good way).  Once I get an idea in my head I have a hard time not just going for it.  So this is a cautionary tale...sometimes it is far better to stop yourself and do your research, think things through, before you jump in!
The story begins with 3 side tables (2 bedside tables and 1 in our living room), that were all a little too dark.  So, after re-doing our dresser, I decided they needed some lightening up.  Here's what I started with...

6 Ways to Add Color Without Paint...

Hello All...

SSo this week I wanted to share some more of my rental secrets...when you're faced with the dreaded white walls and tan carpet it can be overwhelming...how do you make those white walls disappear and make the room feel intentional?  Like you actually meant to have those white walls and tan carpet!

So here are my 6 ways to color without paint!

Curbside Dresser Before & After

A month or so ago I walked out of our apartment building to run to the store and I saw this great dresser sitting out front with a "Free" sign on it!  I immediately saw potential and lugged it up to our 3rd floor apartment!

Before...                                                                    After...

      

5 Movies to Watch for Inspiration

So Fall has finally hit, at least in Seattle, and it's getting dark super early...so for us that means we're spending a lot more time inside right now.  Well, the other day I watched one of my all time favorite movies and suddenly realized how inspired I am by the decor and design of the house!  

So now that there's a bit more night-time to spend watching movies, I thought I would share my top 5 favorite movies that inspire my decor...

Easy and Affordable Rental DIYs

I was recently asked by Hometalk to put together a board full of great DIY ideas for rentals!  I was so excited because it can be really hard to find affordable DIYs and tips for people who are renting and deprived of wall paint!! 

If you've never heard of Hometalk it's an awesome website--it's a place to check out some amazing DIYs (you don't have to have a blog to post projects or questions!).  You can clip your favorite posts to your own boards (similar to Pinterest) to keep track of your ideas!  So definitely check it out!

Without further ado...here's my new Hometalk board!

10 Ways to Decorate a Tiny Rental...on a Budget

I've learned so much since we moved to Seattle a year ago...how to properly dress for rain, how to not only decorate a home--but make it feel elegant and grown-up (on a seriously tight budget), that I absolutely LOVE the Pacific Northwest...I've also really learned how to use the space you have and sometimes create a little more!  Turns out that a lot of times you have to figure out how to store something in plain site without your place looking like you live at a storage unit.

So I wanted to share a few tips with all of you on how to not only use your space efficiently, but to make it feel elegant and comfortable at the same time...