August month in review!

Well hello there! First of all, I need to announce the winner of the Stella and Dot giveaway (I have been bad at this lately!) � the (randomly drawn) lucky winner is Kelsy from We Weren�t Crazy! Congrats Kelsy! Please email me and I�ll get you in touch with Jennifer.

Okie dokie, onto the review of August and the fun stuff that went on around TDC!

At the beginning of the month, I showed you the series of desks that have graced our office, including a DIY desk gone wrong, wrong, wrong. :)

The heavens opened up when I found this farmhouse table through a friend, and it was only $15!:

It was exactly what I was looking for! It was a mess though � more on that later. :)

At the August Before and After Party, I shared how I turned an 80�s clock from Goodwill into a purdy little cloche:

Not bad for four bucks baby!

I shared my debt story and how this guy has inspired us to change our lives:

That was a VERY exciting day � Dave Ramsey�s peeps linked to my post on their Twitter and Facebook pages!! It was a THRILL and an honor. :)

We have since started Financial Peace University and are more motivated than ever to get rid of our debt! As of today I OWN my car outright � we paid it off!! And tomorrow we are paying another credit card. We are so close but yet still so far away�but we will get there and live like no one else!!

I was thrilled to announce my partnership with True Value hardware stores:

I am in great company in the blog squad!! Check out the post for a list of other DIY blogs involved.

I had two fabulous giveaways this month, and the first was from Wuslu.com:

You have to check out the deals every day over at Wuslu! Such a fun idea.

I finally (FINALLY!) finished the staircase project that I started months ago. I used mdf to add some detail to the staircase wall and love it!:

I finally found a good before picture, by the way, from my Houzz interview a year ago:

Lurve, lurve, LURVE. Sigh.

I showed you my transition from white faux wood blinds to bamboo shades throughout our house:

It�s taken a few years, but I�m pretty much done getting the bamboo up! There are pros and cons to the roman shades, but I love them!

I am seriously obsessed with the fall season, and this year was the first I really, truly enjoyed summer:

It was the first summer I was a 100 percent stay at home momma, and I have a feeling that had a lot to do with why I fell in love with it this year.  ;)

Thanks to True Value, I was able to change out some knobs on a couple pieces of furniture, and I showed you the difference they made:

I just love those glass knobs � so much better than the black knobs that came with the buffet!

Towards the end of the month I shared our warm and cozy family room:

I decorated it with the colors of fall and it works OH so well. :)

I swooned, you swooned, we all swooned for the Stella and Dot giveaway:

Congrats again to Kelsy for winning!

It took some help, but I finally got my farmhouse table turned into a desk:

It was covered with lead paint, so I left the paint removal to the professionals. I have to tell you � I LOVE THIS DESK. It is so huge and the absolute perfect height. You can tell I�m already right at home:

;) You can see a sneak peek of the parson�s chair cover I grabbed for $15 at Cost Plus World Market! Love the color � but I�m going to have to make some adjustments to it.

Many of you asked the color on the walls � it�s called Fired Brick from Sherwin Williams. It is a lovely color � but I�m hoping to get the new paint up next week! :)

I am feeling the itch for fall decor, so we all drooled over the latest Pottery Barn catalog:

And I held an impromptu fall linky party � check out over 100 inspirational links to get you in the mood for fall decorating!

Finally, we lost my dear father-in-law last week, and I celebrated his life and legacy with you all:

And again, I can�t thank you enough for your comments and prayers. I miss him so very much.

Yet again, I have to thank my wonderful advertisers for August! You can click their buttons to get to their sites�

ALL items over at Cute as Pie Office Supplies are less than $35 � and they are adorable!:

Every one of the beautiful pieces at Amy�s site are made using fine materials such as sterling silver, gold-filled, gemstones, freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystals:

If you are interested in a photography class that teaches you the basics of beginner photography, how to better use your camera and its settings, etc., then Angie�s class is for you!:

If you need quick, easy dinner recipes and family meals, check out Quick and Easy Dinners for a ton of ideas!:

Dimples and Dandelions is a family owned company that sells the most adorable and unique products available for both baby and child!:

Bomobob�s shop is full of fine carnival, bird, flower, nature and travel photography -- all shot with vintage film, digital, and Polaroid cameras. And ALL unique and original!:

PhotoJewelryMaking.com is the world's largest photo jewelry supplies super store, offering a large selection of photo jewelry making items such as bracelet, brooch, pendant and ring blanks. (And more!):

Need help decorating a room in your house? The designers at My Design Guide will help with everything from choosing the perfect paint colors to picking furniture, lighting and accessories:

And thanks to my additional lovely advertisers for August � The Vintage Pearl, Thirty-One and The Rusted Chain:

And thanks AGAIN for what was by far the biggest month ever at Thrifty Decor Chick � I nearly passed out when I looked at my stats tonight. ;)

I couldn�t do it without all of you!

Have a fabulous Labor Day weekend!!