Aliya
Hi! my name is Aliya and I'm so glad you stopped by today! Truly you have no idea how much it means to me. I live in Ohio with my husband and 3 little girls. I believe that once we start opening our doors, that hearts will start to open around us as well. You can head over to the About Aliya page to get my whole story.
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10 Simple & Thrifty Outdoor Deck Decorating Ideas
Spending time outside on the deck is far more enjoyable when the space is inviting so I’m sharing some thrifty outdoor deck ideas for Summer. Before we get into the details of how we gave our deck an inviting and thrifty outdoor deck refresh I have to be honest. This has been on my schedule since June!!! But life happened and now it’s August and we are just now getting our deck ready for the Summer. While it’s something that could really get me down, I’ve decided, “Better late than never!” Not to mention since we’re getting this done late in the season I am starting to see sales haha!!…
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7 Simple Ways to Decorate with Thrift Store Decor
Thrift store decor is one of my favorite ways to give my home charm and character while decorating; so I can’t wait to share a few tips! If you’ve been following along for a while now then you know that I love to decorate my home with secondhand items. Whether it’s garage sale shopping or stopping by thrift stores and flea markets, I love it. I feel like it helps create a one-of-a-kind home. Not that my home is so unique that you couldn’t compare it to another home or suggest that it’s similar to another home. You absolutely can. But it’s not necessarily a cookie-cutter home if that makes…
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6 Thrifty Cottage Coffee Table Decor | Beautiful Simplicity
Coffee table decor can feel so complicated and expensive, so I wanted to share some beautiful and thrifty cottage coffee table decor ideas. Okay, guys. I have to tell you all something completely random before we get into this fun post. Thank you. I always say thank you at the end of the post, but I’m afraid that some of you might miss that because it’s tucked in at the very end. I also think that if you have read that “thank you” it might not express enough how grateful I actually am. So when I say “thank you” this is what I mean. Thank you for being the sweetest,…
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Simple European Farmhouse Barn Beam Fireplace Mantel Makeover
Transitioning our traditional mantel to a European style barn beam fireplace mantel has had one of the largest impacts on our living room. It’s been a long time coming, but we finally did it! We finished the barn beam fireplace mantel in our living room. It only took us 9 months since starting the planning phase of this project to come full circle. But I guess that’s real life huh? You can watch the YouTube video of me sharing about our new mantel here. Things happen, and before you know it, you’re slowed down. But what I try to keep in the forefront of my mind when things like this…
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Thrifty Garage Sale Cottage Decor | Decorating on a Budget
One of the best ways to add European farmhouse style to your home and save money is to use garage sale cottage decor as much as possible. It’s garage sale season which is one of my favorite times of year. The great prices you find at thrift stores never seem to compare to the prices I pay for the treasures I find at a garage sale. So today I thought I’d share some of the tips I’ve learned over the years about garage sale shopping. I also thought it would be fun to show you how I styled all the garage sale cottage decor I picked up over the past…
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How to Paint Over Chalk Paint | No Sanding – Beautiful Results
Chalk-painted furniture is everywhere; but don’t be afraid to give it new life, because it’s easier than you think to paint over chalk paint. Not too long ago, everything was being painted with chalk paint. So knowing how to paint over chalk paint is something I needed to learn in order to continue to transform our home. The best part about it, is that it’s so much easier than I ever imagined! Watch me complete this DIY on YouTube You can check out the Meet Me page to get to know me a bit more and find out what we’re about here at Open Doors Open Hearts. Seriously, I’ve had…
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Simple & Functional European Farmhouse Style Kitchen Decor Ideas
Functional decor in the kitchen is a top priority for me; which is why I’m excited to share some European farmhouse style kitchen ideas. Of all the rooms in the house, the kitchen has to be the most organized and functional for me. It’s the heart of the home, yes. But it’s also the workhorse. With all the goals we set for 2023, the kitchen is putting in double duty these days. So, I’ve been trying to wrack my brain to figure out a few ways that I can increase the storage and functionality of our kitchen area. You can watch me decorate the kitchen on YouTube I’m so excited…
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10 Simple & Thrifty Summer Living Room Ideas | European Cottage
Summer is right around the corner and I’m so excited to show you how I added thrifty Summer living room decor to our living room. There are some affiliate links below, which means I get a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you. I won’t put anything on this page that I haven’t verified and/or personally used. For my full disclosure statement click here To watch the video head over to YouTube and see how I transition our living room for Summer. I feel like this goes without saying, but Summer home decor has to be simple and easy. The summer months are too busy with…
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How to DIY No Sew Cafe Curtains | 2 Beautiful Options
If you’re looking to add cottage charm to your home with curtains then this DIY no sew cafe curtain tutorial will be perfect for you! Lately, I’ve been doing all kinds of things to our main living space to try to give our home a little bit of the change I’ve been craving. So many of the projects we’ve done over the years have been wonderful, but we still have so many to go. You can watch the video of me making these curtains on YouTube if you’d like. My Favorite DIY Projects Over the Years Pot RackOpen ShelvesWooden Peg RailLimewash Paint StoneLighten Stained Wood Curtains probably should have been…
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How To DIY Antique Mirror Frame With Gilding Wax
This mirror was $20 at a garage sale and I’m excited to show you this DIY antique mirror frame project that made this frame look vintage. In my Spring entryway post, I told you I’ve been craving some changes in this space, but I also said that it’s not on the schedule to do a full makeover right now. So since I wanted some change I thought I’d do a couple of inexpensive cottage-style updates. In my mind, even if we don’t do the big makeover I dream about, these little upgrades can have big impacts. To start, I decided to give the black framed mirror in the entryway a…
