Thrift store find of the week

This week's treasure is a cute little two tier table.

It needs to have a leg reattached but that is an easy peasy fix.

I was informed that it is an antique.

It still had the antique store price tag on it.

The tag read $55.

How much did I pick it up for?

$3

I know

Sigh of bliss...

Check out the parties for lots of inspiration!

Garage Sales

I don't do much in the way of garage sales.

I am of the mindset that the best stuff goes in the early hours.

Which means that I would have to get up early.

Nuff said...

That doesn't mean that I won't stop at a sale or two, if time permits.

About 10 years ago I bought this cameo at a garage sale.

It cost me $5.

It is my most fav piece that I have ever purchased.

I rarely wear it.

Only a couple of times, actually.

I think I should probably put on my thinkin' cap and figure out a cool way to display it.

Then, I could enjoy it everyday.

Next to my most fav chapstick ever, to give example of her size.

Isn't she purdy?

Thank you Goodwill

Have I ever mentioned that I love Goodwill?

Oh, only a million times?

I found this globe on a stand there, just the other day.

$10!

Thinkin' that I might spray the metal globe holder a oil rubbed bronze to cover up the bright gold though...

But, still, lovin' the price!!!

Internet Romance

Yes, I know...

I'm married.

And this will probably create some kind of scandal, but...

I fell in love.

Over the Internet.

I know that I shouldn't even be looking at the ads on Craigslist.

To do, with the intent of a pick up, would be cheating on my obligations here at home.

But, nevertheless, I was looking...

And then it happened.

The way "Paul" had himself marketed was not to his favor.

The ad should have read:

Tall, dark and handsome. A little beat up around the edges due to life in general, but still a lot of life left in me. Hardworking, great character, well built, and totally hot.

But, just from a photograph, and very few words, there was a physical attraction for me.

So, I decided to meet "Paul", in person and see if there was a spark...some chemistry.

He had lived with a woman for years and years and years...but she didn't want him anymore.

I traveled out to his house and imagine my surprise, he was so much better looking in person. His photo online really didn't do him any favors.

The best thing about him?

He had an identical twin.

It was love at first sight.

So, I brought them home to meet my family.

Here they are with Corey.

I'd like to introduce...

Paul Bunyan Bedposts I and II.

And no, sorry, I don't share.

But you know how it is with any romance...

After awhile you find some things that you want to change.

Make better.

Fix.

So, with a little cut...

A little paste...

A little paint...

A little distressing...

Add cheap candles from Wally's World...

Aren't they heavenly?

I am living proof...

Internet romances really can work...

P.S. Have you seen the big candle holders like this at Pottry Barn? $149 each. Ouch! My total cost for this project? $15...total.

Lots of great parties to link too-check them out here.

Repurposed Candle holders

I've been in the market for some plant hangers.

I needed them to hang up a couple of cute lil' lanterns that came from my BFF, Goodwill.

The ones I liked were $10 each.

I need two of them, so we are talking 20 smackerals.

20 bucks to hang up $4 worth of Goodwill lanterns?

I think not.

Just when I thought that this story was not going to have a happy ending...

I found two of these wooden candle holders at GW for $1.99 each.

I dismantled them.

We filled in the holes with putty and painted over them.

I picked up the really cheap metal plant hangers at Home Depot for $2.97 each.

And...

ta-dah!

For a total cost of $10 for both!

And I still had my spindles left over.

Side view...

Ya know when I said that I picked these candle holders up so I could make hangers out of them?

Well...

I lied!

Liar, liar, pants on fire...

I really just wanted an excuse to bring home more spindley thingies.

Just don't tell Corey I said that.

But, here are my spindles.

In all their distressed glory.

I think I'm in love...

Look here for the parties that I link to-lots of inspiration!

Keep on going till you get it right

Or, until it doesn't bug you anymore...

I bought this vase at Goodwill (big shocker, huh?).

I totally wasn't digging the gold but I liked the shape.

The first paint job covered up the gold with Oil Rubbed Bronze.

It made the vase look like it was wearing prison stripes.

Since it was sitting by the front door it would kind of lend to the atmosphere.

Ya know, when kiddos try to escape out the front door and we yell "Prison Break!"

Oh...

You don't do that?

Then, forget I said anything.

I tried to soften up the white by painting it heirloom white, which is a fancy name for cream.

It made the vase look like a buoy.

Every time I looked at it, I swear I could hear seagulls and bells in the distance.

So, it was painted again.

This time the gold turned Oil Rubbed Bronze was turned into Espresso.

Do you fall asleep in class or are you following me?

I think it is much better.

If it reminds you of anything else...

Please keep that to yourself...

Bleh to Nice

The Before...

I so could not have ever found a place for this scratched up, Asian motif wannabe, vase in my home.

But...

The After...

Much better!

Thanks to a little oil rubbed bronze spray paint.

Still thinkin' that it needs something.

Maybe a Fleur or ten two?

10 signs that you might have a Goodwill shopping addiction

10. You know the layout of the Goodwill store in your town like the back of your hand.

9. The staff there knows you by name.

8. Your idea of a perfect "Girl's Day Away" involves shopping at every Goodwill in your area.

7. The staff at Goodwill is aware of what project you are working on at home and have seen pictures of your finished projects.

6. Your kids closets are full of items which came almost exclusively from Goodwill.

5. When someone mentions that you need to join a 12 step program for your Goodwill shopping addiction, you immediately start fantasizing that your local Goodwill is only 12 steps from your front door.

4. When your son calls your cell phone, the first question out of his mouth is, "Which Goodwill are you at?"

3. You daydream about being at Goodwill.

2. Working at Goodwill is your idea of a dream job.

1. You have shopped there so much that you have cracked their "color of the day" code and know what items will go on sale and when.

In case you haven't figured it out by now...

I love Goodwill!

And what is not to love?

See these glass candle holders?

World Market's price? $70 (for the big one)

Goodwill's price? $10

Retail price on a brown leather, king sized headboard? $1000

Goodwill's price? $60 (yes, I know, I totally scored on that one!)

The fact of the matter is, that I wouldn't pay retail for those things.

Nor can I afford to.

But, even if I could...

Why would I?

Me lovey some Goodwill!

I have come over to the "D"ark side

But "D" does not stand for dark.

It stands for distressed.

I was never really a fan of distressed stuff.

Why would I take something nice and make it look old and beat up?

My kids do this the natural way.

I had jokingly said that if people wanted to distress something, I'd pay them to take loan them my nine kids and they would take care of it in no time.

But, then I saw a distressed finial in the Pottery Barn catalog. It was so stinkin cool, but, unfortunately, it was $39.

I just couldn't bring myself to spend $39 on an old beat-up piece of wood.

But, then I came across the perfect chunky, old, beat-up piece of wood at my main squeezie, Goodwill. It was $2.99

Be still my beating heart...

It was missing a finial, which made me feel very sorry for it.

So, I marched myself over to Michael's Crafts and picked one up for $3.

Here are the two pieces, side-by-side.

I was reeeeaaallly hoping that they would get along and play nicely together.

I glued them together with some Liquid Nails and spray painted the finial Espresso to match the bottom part.

After it had dried, the entire piece got a coat of Heirloom White American Accents paint.

Then, I roughed it up. Ha! Makes me feel tough when I say that.

Relax, I only used a bit o' sandpaper.

A layer of Ralph Lauren glaze (tinted Old Violin) over the top and then wiped off left it looking "distressed".

I think it looks like it belongs in my home.

Don't know what that says about me though...

Come and check out the following parties that I link too-lots of good stuff there!

Eagle Before and After

Our four older boys have man caves bedrooms in the 3rd story.

That way I can't see them or smell them and they will have a harder time sneaking out.

I thought this through, ya see?

Anywhoo,

In between their doors was a large, blank wall, begging to be decorated.

Because the twins are already Eagle Scouts and the other two are well on their way, we thought that a patriotic, eagle theme, on the wall and in the stairwell would do nicely.

I came across the coolest eagle picture ever at the local Goodwill.

I loved the detailing...the way the eagle was 3-D...the large picture size...the heavy duty frame.

It was a quality piece.

Unfortunately...the colors screamed, "I was made in the 80's!"

But, then it went 1/2 off.

So, I picked it up for a measly $7.50.

Now we're talkin.

We took it "down to the studs" and repainted each piece with vibrant colors.

We used American Accent colors for the background and eagle pieces.

For the rock piece we picked out a really cool spray paint by Rust-o-leum that actually looks like stone with the texture and everything. I love that stuff!

It was very easy to put back together, which usually means that we did something wrong, but not this time. Thankfully.

What an improvement!

Me likey!

Craft Binge

I have totally been on a crafting binge.

It's been kind of nice actually.

I picked up these two vintage picture frames at a local thrift store for a total of $6.

Please don't tell my BFF Goodwill that I cheated on her and shopped elsewhere, K?

These two pictures were solid wood with a beautiful mother of pearl background and were dated 1962 on the back.

I totally fell in love with the mother of pearl background. The wooden people nailed to the front...not so much.

Whoever attached the people apparently were concerned that they would fall off somewhere along the way, before the end of time, because they were on there good.

They finally came off, kicking and screaming, not literally because that would have been very creepy but they were off.

The frames got a face lift compliments of an American Accents Canyon Black spray paint can wielded by Corey.

I used my cricut to cut out letters and then glued them off. A thick, textured layer of modpodge over the entire thing finished it off.

I so love the way they turned out!

This could totally be done with really cool scrapbooking paper for the background.

You wouldn't need mother of pearl pictures. Because, how would you ever find any? But if you do, tell me. So I can try to talk you out of them.

Just kidding.

Kinda.

Globe redo

Recently, I picked up this globe at a Goodwill shocking, I know for $6. They sell the exact same globe at TJ Maxx for $30 so this was a really great deal.

I've been looking for a globe with more muted colors and this was perfect.

Someone tried to rip the globe off before removing the bottom pin so I had to do a little doctor work.

Then, I took painted the stand and end circles. I used the Rust-o-leum Oil Rubbed Bronze color (I can only find this brand and color at Lowe's) which is my fav.

I thickly mod-podged the entire globe to give it some texture and to make it harder for the kids to rip the paper sections off.

I then put a bunch of BB's inside it so it makes a really cool water-like sound when you turn it.

A tip: be sure and plug the hole on the bottom of the globe before adding the BB's.

Unless you like picking up hundreds of BB's off the floor, then go ahead and leave it unplugged.

The final touch was the addition of a swarovski crystal where we live. An "X" marks the spot.

The final "ta dah"!

Hope it lasts awhile before the kids destroy it...

My Goodwill obsession

This is one of my latest find.

They were at Goodwill...waiting for me to come along.

I swear they spoke to me.

They said, "Take me home!"

So, even I know that they don't actually talk because their lips are painted shut, I listened to the voices in my head and scooped them up.

I think they look like a sea captain and his peasant wife. I like to imagine that they are happy in their new home in my entertainment center.

They didn't even need to be painted. I left them just the way they were.

Total cost $12.99

I love me some Goodwill!

Before and After aka My attempt at "Decor for Cheap"

I saw this totally fab idea on the Shanty2Chic website for a really cool picture frame.

So, I stole it.

The idea, that is.

First, I started with a bunch of frames that I picked up at Goodwill and the Dollar Store. The big one I totally scored at Goodwill when it was "The color of the Day" so it only cost me 4 bucks. My kind of deal.

I whipped out my can of American Accents Canyon Black and sprayed all the frames. I say "I" but what I really mean is "Corey". Because he doesn't think I can spray paint the correct way. sigh...

I took the back out and cut out a piece of drop cloth (from Lowe's) to fit. I then took my spray-on glue adhesive and glued it on.

I discovered that standing between what I am photographing and the light source will make a large small, skinny dark area on my item.

Just passin on what I learned, that's all...

I turned it over and hot glued the edges down.

Next, I put the canvas covered backing into the frame and put pieces of foam board (from Dollar Store) in behind it to make it sturdier.

Then, I pushed on the frame, cracking it. At that point, I had to ask Corey for help in putting it back together.

That step is totally optional. You might want to skip it actually.

I'm just sayin...

Next glue on the frames and whatever you want to use to hang the pictures with . I went with really strong magnets which were kinda pricey (from Staples) but you can use cheaper hooks or close pins if you desire.

I also added a fleur that I cut out on my Cricut. I love me some fleurs.

Just add prints and voila!

This is a really big picture. Just to give you an idea because I am too lazy to go upstairs and measure it the four big frames are 8 x 10 each. Nice.

Frames $10

Drop Cloth $5

Foam Board $4

Magnets $9

Total cost = $28