Thrifty Miss Priss

A box of puppies

Today I had to go to Walmart as my daughter needed film for her photography class.  I hate Walmart.  Sorry...for those of you who swear by it...but I can count on ONE HAND how many times a year I go there.  Target is my go to place.

As we are approaching the doors we see this

oh my GOD.....a box of puppies!

I was pretty sure this little sweetie was going to end up in my car.  Two young guys were selling them for $50.00.  They are part pit bull.  Who cares if it grows up to rip me apart...I really wanted one!  

   My daughter picked one up...I knew better than to do that.  I felt so awful for them.  I kept saying out loud...we have to walk away!  My daughter did her BEST job of begging throughout the store but I held firm.  When we came out they were gone. Sad to think of what will happen to these little guys.  Probably end up at the animal shelter.   

We were in the store maybe 10 minutes...I swung by the magazine section and I found this

I couldn't believe it.  I've heard all over blogworld how hard it is to find.  Walmart had about 6 copies.  

I was so curious to see this...to see if it was worth the money.  I've pretty much stopped buying magazines now that I read so many blogs.  All my favorites are gone anyway.  This one did NOT disappoint!  I'm VERY choosy when it comes to magazines.....and I was going to buy this one no matter what...just to do my own little critique...and WOW.  I'm savoring every page...every article....every photo....but I did find this and had to laugh...

a magazine rack used as a plate rack.  A magazine rack that looked VERY familiar

Two years ago I found this:

and turned it into this:

I LOVE that they are using it for a plate rack!  I might have to clean out all my dusty magazines from the past two years and re purpose this again!

So yesterday I cleaned off my dining room buffet.....shopped the house for all things cream and white.....and came up with this

I just found this plate rack about 6 months ago and I'm just now getting around to using it.  It was $3.00.

then I remembered to turn the twinkle lights on that I have underneath the fabric....makes it much nicer.

a set of two cute ceramic birds....2.99

I wanted some height on those crackled pointy things....and couldn't find ANYTHING to lift them up.  Then I remembered all the books I disassembled when I hosted the Winter White Fat Book swap....all of these were in a bag in my basement.  It worked perfectly!  I didn't want anything with color to compete with the white/cream theme I was doing so I was happy I'd saved these.  I left them as they were...ripped spine and all.

 I turned over the little mercury glass votives (thrifted for $1.00) and the lights under the fabric illuminated it as if a candle were inside.

(bird salt and pepper shakers from Target last year)

 see what a difference those lights make?

I turn them on at night....and it's just beautiful.. Not like having Christmas all year or anything...but just enough sparkle.

I found this glass house at a flea market at the beach last year....$5.00.  It's been sitting on top of my armoire for a year gathering dust.  It's about time I take it down so I can see it.  The fake flowers are the ones I got a few weeks ago to embellish a tshirt with eventually.  I'm glad I didn't cut them off yet!

The metal stand was a thrift store find a few years ago.  It's so big for the table...I bought it with the intention of selling it some day....

And the flowers....I made from tissue paper a few years ago and just rediscovered them packed away.  I guess I'm anticipating Springs arrival...even though there's still about 10 inches of snow on the ground...but it's melting every day.

Make time to enjoy the things you have...to gather the things that make you happy.

(my cute thrifted little Baby Ben clock....$2.00 at Goodwill) and it WORKS!  

Have a terrific week!   

Pottery Barn Knock Off...sort of....

Well, with a new snow storm blowing into town....and my office was closed for the day....I decided to start the day off with a cup of coffee and some blogs.  My intention was to finally stop avoiding my art room and get in there and clean it up.  I stumbled across a blog Artsy Crafty Babe.  She is the most amazing seamstress..makes the cutest purses and can knit like nobody I've ever seen before. I saw a beautiful pottery barn chandelier that she recently purchased.  I was instantly in LOVE.  I was also instantly inspired to make one on a smaller scale myself.  The ideas started swirling and I started hunting down my supplies.

How beautiful is this?!  I wanted one...and I wanted it NOW. How lucky that Artsy Crafty Babe has the REAL DEAL....so I did what any thrifty person would do... So what if we are in the middle of a blinding blizzard...I was going to FIND a way!

I remembered I'd bought this last summer..

 I gathered up all the clips I could scrounge up from the junk drawer.  If it hadn't been snowing I would have rushed out to buy the permanent type clips in the pottery barn picture above.  But I had to make do with what I could find.  If I were to ever make another....I'd definitely buy the spring loaded clips and glue them to the frame.

 
I had a very very special bag of vintage ephemera that Beth sent to me last year..."just because".....I've been hoarding this stuff forever...and have not wanted to use it on just any old project....but this one was WORTHY!

I hung it upside down from the ceiling fan in my art room.  I had it at shoulder level so I could attach all the bits and pieces.

 

I made a pretty good dent in the bag that Beth sent me.  I also gathered bits and pieces of things I already had.  I also added some chandelier crystals that I bought last summer at a thrift store but had no idea what to do with.

I wired it right to the small white globe hanging in the hall.  The globe doesn't get hot enough to be a fire hazard to the papers hanging here.  I wanted to remove the whole globe and have the light bulb bare but the papers were too close to the bulb.

 It's really hard to get a picture in a dark hallway...on a day when it's grey and blizzarding outside...and the light is off.

How fun this is to have hanging in my hall now!  

I left the inspiration photo from Pottery Barn up on the computer all day...just so my family wouldn't think that cabin fever had finally gone to my brain- and that I REALLY was making something! After an entire day of NO COMMENTS from my 16 year old...just eye brow raising....she finally walked into the hall and yelled "hey!  your little lamp thingy is cute" (not that I NEEDED THAT confirmation!)

Check out some other great transformations at The Shabby Chic Cottage!

Tomorrow is another day home...sigh.....using up all my vacation time on this darn snow!   

Family picture wall with thrifted frames

I don't have much to share....just counting down the days until my daughter gets married!  One week and I'll be a Mother In Law!

I've been collecting these frames from yard sales with the intention of doing a family picture wall.  An updated wall that is....not baby pictures and first days of school........

I think every frame I came across recently was gold...or teak.  The long one at the bottom had a decent mat but I didn't care for the pictures or the color.  That pressed wildflower one at the top is nice because it's two pieces of glass....no mat needed.

this old flashcard is temporary.  I'm expecting lots of nice family pictures next weekend and will find one for this frame.

   

I'm pretty happy with the way they turned out.  I didn't spend more than a dollar for each one.  I used my home printer and did all black and white on glossy photo paper.  Now if I can just stay motivated to keep collecting frames......I'd like to fill the whole wall.  This teeny tiny hall is SO dark, using the hall light made everything glow a little.

I've been itching to get some more journal pages done too.  Thanks for all the sweet notes and comments on my last spread about my mom.  You guys are so sweet!  I know some of you are going through the same things with your parents and it makes it easier if you have someone to share it with.

SInce I was on a roll with pictures of my mom....I did a few more of her.  These aren't completely done yet I don't think.

I love the quote on the left page..."Hope sees the invisible...feels the intangible and achieves the impossible" Not even thinking about it until JUST now....how perfect on the page next to my mom!  She had more obstacles in her life than anyone I know but she remained upbeat and positive and her favorite saying was "it's NOT fatal"!  I have to be reminded of this occasionally.

This is what I imagined the dress to look like that my mom was wearing in the picture.  A few days later I was digging through an old photo box and found a tiny picture of her in the dress!  So I had to incorporate it in my journal of course!

Some of you asked if I used a spiral bound journal.  This one is spiral bound.  It's really a sketchbook.  I don't like using this and prefer to use the three ring binder version (which I will call my pretty book (ha-ha). I thought I'd have this spiral bound version finished in a month and move on.  NO WAY.   Using the three ring binder allows you more elbow room working on one page at a time.  I use card stock as the base page in that journal...and paint, glue, and paste on that. 

Typepad has done some "updating" and I wasn't able to respond to a lot of my comments.  Or when I did try it bounced back.  I think that is fixed now, but if I didn't respond last time it wasn't because I wasn't trying!  I think if you are nice enough to visit and leave a comment I certainly want to reply and try to visit your blog too.  I think it's rude when bloggers don't respond or at least attempt to respond to their readers.  It's like walking down the hall at work and saying hello to someone and have them look down and not answer you back!  RUDE! Anyway....when that happens to me I say, "Oh fine thanks, and you?"

And speaking of work.....we are going ALL electronic on Tuesday.  It will be a huge time saver (it's a doctors office) but lots of work at the beginning.  In fact....I brought work home this weekend and have not even started working on it!  Know why? here's the reason(s)

1) Because it's my birthday!

2) Because the weather has been beautiful and I can't stop sneaking outside!

3) Because I LOVE to wait until the last minute to do things....

Have a terrific week !

Ta-Da!

It only took me about 15 hours.....half gallon of paint...an entire pack of sandpaper.......a lot of cussing and swearing....beating myself up for taking on a huge project like this...but it's finally finished! (almost)  I still have to distress...but it's in the house and looks great!

 

I first covered the seats with a muslin fabric.  I had intended on using a white/grey linen that I found at a thrift store but I ended up liking the muslin better and I think it's more durable.  This cut the recovering time in half to a mere four hours....... (I had to remove all the old staples and welting from the pink upholstery.....but covered the pink with the muslin, only removing the welting.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

I still need to distress all the chairs (except this one) and attach the seats. (they are just resting on the chairs here)

 

here I'm distressing it with my fingernail.....while the paint is still sticky...

Overall I'm really happy with the way they turned out.  Would I do it again?  Not for maybe ten years!  This was a lot more work than I envisioned.  I kept saying to myself the entire time I was painting it....."be careful what you wish for".  I'd been looking for a set like this forever....and my heart was racing when I found it on sale.....I jumped in with both feet not realizing how much work it would be.  It gives me so much more room in my dinning area now...and the big mammoth modern table has been dismantled and stored.

The light in my house is terrible...too many shade trees....but one of these days I'll try to get a picture of it inside.

Happy Independence Day!  Have a safe and fun weekend!

I've been a lazy blogger.  I have a good excuse I guess.....I've been working on my own little piece of heaven.  No more crafting in the dark stinky basement.  I moved all my stuff upstairs into my sons old bedroom!  It's still a work in progress and probably will never be "done"

 

The walls are 1970's paneling that we painted white.  How do you like my storage?  The blue shelf was left in my basement by the previous residents.  I just spray painted and distressed it.  The Big blue contraption on top is my scissor and marker storage.  It's supposed to be for utensils at a fast food place I think. 

The wooden carrier on the right was purchased at a yard sale for $1.50!  It has holes drilled into it....i think to hold screwdrivers.  It's perfect for paintbrushes.

 

 

here is the shelf before I painted it-

 

It's just a cheap dirty shelf from the 70's...I would have thrown it away a week ago...but now it's got a new life!

The two beautiful books on my shelf are from Dede....One is the Valentine Fat book I participated in and the blue one n the right is one she sent to me last year when  I was starting my journaling!  I love and treasure them both!

I've been planting a LOT of flowers....lots I grew from seed, but still had to go out and buy more.  I ran out of planters and beds!  I had this old bamboo-ish looking tray/stand.  I had planned on using it for some other project back in the fall...and never got around to it.  I left it out and it rusted.  I actually  like the way it weathered.

 

I taped off the edges so I could save the patina and spray painted it...

 

This is my spray painting "station" in my back yard!

 

 

 

This old frame for a mirror was free.  I took it thinking I'd make an "inspiration board".  It was missing it's emblem in the middle at the top.  I found the perfect one in a junk box and sprayed the whole thing pink.  It's been sitting in my basement since November.  I finally got to hang it!

 

The collage hanging in the middle happened purely by accident.  I was working in the dark dirty basement...I was in a raunchy mood...so I decided for the sake of my family's safety I better stay down there for a while.  My husband sent me a message on the printer (it's kept in the basement)  he was trying to set it up to be wireless.  Computer upstairs...printer downstairs...ANYWAY...I heard the printer fire up and something was printing while I was down there.  I looked over and he'd printed out a note..."Perry Loves Robin!!" so it made me smile.  You know the saying "If mama aint happy....nobody's happy?"....I'm just sayin.......So I grabbed it and started playing with some new watercolor crayons I got.  I thought I'd make it kind of high schoolish and cut it into a heart...just because.  It kept evolving and in the end I put a picture of my husbands great grandfather at the top of it.  It has an UNBELIEVABLE resemblance to my husband...it's really weird! (he never knew his great grandfather)  so I foofed it up and it's the first thing I hung in my new art room! 

 

 

I found this really neat "book of days" it's really old.  So  I tore out the page for that date...May 29 and collaged right on top of that.  After being creative I was in a MuCh better mood....so my family is probably safe until about oh....June 29th or so.....

I also made this skirt.....I cut an old pair of jeans off right below the pockets....and I added the vintage pink material to make the skirt part.  The pink fabric was a bedskirt that I fell in love with a few years ago but never had a bed to use it on.....I was saving it for SOMETHING but didn't know what........

 

See that lace on the bottom?  I was doing laundry the next day after I made the skirt and the lace from the top of my sheet started to rip off.  I impulsively just tore it all the way down off the sheet before it went into the machine...and I thought..HEY!  This can go on my skirt!  So I'm a little like Scarlett O'Hara, using bedskirts for clothes and sheets for trims!

 

I really like to sew...but not from complicated patterns where pinning is involved!  Not one pin was used in the making of this garment!

I've always LOVED the Rachel Ashwell Union Jack flags...but who could afford that!?  I whipped up my own little pillow using scrap fabrics from my rag garlands......and some muslin fabric I had.  Now I want to make a hundred of these.....

 

Saturday was such a terrific day!  My sister and I took our mom to an antique mall.  We forced her to try on vintage clothes and hats.  She was the only one tiny enough to fit into those tiny clothes!  I wish I'd taken my camera!  It was lots of fun!

I hope you have a wonderful week........I'm looking forward to shopping and spending time with some blog friends that are coming into town!  I'll have LOTS of pictures to share next weekend!

Design on a dime part 2

Last winter I found this at a thrift store for $50.00.  I bought it and then didn't get around to painting it until last week.  It sat in my basement ALL winter!  Each time I saw it I had a twinge of guilt...because I'm so good at buying projects but not so good at finishing them!

 

Now if this had been the ONE piece of furniture that my Great Grandmother had carried on her back escaping the fire that destroyed her home...I would not EVEN think about painting it....but since it was sitting in the dusty corner of a thrift store....and I had no EMOTIONAL ties to it...I knew instantly that it was going to get a coat of white paint!

I was trying to paint it in my dark basement...at night...so today I brought it upstairs to see all the spots that needed repainting.

I still have some work to do on it...more distressing...more paint on the drawers and sides....but I'm happy with the way it turned out.

 

I'm using a small screwdriver to carve out the detail work on this.....but just takes a long time.  I was happy the original hardware was still on this piece!

 

There was a little damage to the drawer as you can see here...there are several layers of wood putty here....just some more sanding and one more coat of paint and I'll be done with it!  I know it sounds like a lot of work, but aside from that one damaged area...this piece was in great shape!

 

I pulled out all my white things to put on top....

 

These teeny tiny little vases were purchased yesterday at Goodwill for $2.99 each...they are so thin and delicate I can not believe they were never chipped!

 

I pulled over on the side of the road and pulled several branches off a Lilac tree...it was wild and neglected....even though I had a fresh new vase full of flowers at home for Mothers Day!

 

I'm slowly transforming my decor into whites and neutrals.  We bought this table and a matching china cabinet 4 years ago and now I want to get rid of it!  I found the perfect replacement yesterday in the thrift store...cane back scrolly chairs with lots of carvings...and a table to go with it...for $250.00.  Right now it looks like its straight out of the 70's and I WONT pay that much.  If it lasts until the end of the month it'll be 50% off so we'll see.  It will require LOTS of work!  I usually keep this table covered but like the contrast of the light and dark wood....

And I thought I'd show you a picture of the Lilacs I picked from the side of the road....

And here you can see my new hair....I went against NORMAL and got a perm!  I know!  WHO perms their hair these days?  I had enough bad perms in the 80's to last a lifetime!  But the perms today are NOT your mothers perms! It's very soft...and I can wash and go!  My kind of summer style!

Hope you all have a terrific week! 

Finally FInished!

 

This was the before picture taken when we moved in last year.

We've been working for a few weeks on this project and I'm SO glad it's finally done!

 

 

Each of these boards had to be cut and measured individualy.  The floors are uneven so each piece was a different measurement....not.fun!

 

My husband recently "upgraded" our operating system and I can't find my editing software....the colors are way off here....the wall on top is taupe and the bottom is white

 

I put candles in my milk glass vases tonight and my daughter asked me WHY?  "it's for ME" I told her!  She also thought I was certifibly crazy for hanging that sheet in the hallway entrance! 

And finally I'm busting at the seams because this year I will get to experience all the fun at this event-

I

November can't come soon enough!

Have a terrific week! 

More Design on a Dime....

So....after I re arranged my bedroom last weekend and went shopping in my own house...I decided that the wall behind my bed needed paint.  I mixed a bunch of paint I had on hand and loved the color.  I thought the plate wall needed something to make it "pop"

 

I collected WAY more plates than this....but after I decided to hang my "footboard" that I found in a junk store...it limited that amount of real estate I could use for the plates.

Friday night I stopped at my usual thrift store on the way home....and found those two little silver Ikea lamps!  I was planning on hitting Target this weekend to find something NEW to hang above the bed....since the space is too tight on the right for a night stand.....we lost our bedside lamps.  I couldn't believe my luck with EXACTLY what I was looking for!

 

I made it a lot harder than it had to be hanging these!  Lets just say measure once...hammer 30 times......so there are just a FEW little nail holes that have to be fixed.  I didn't like the bright white cords showing on the wall so I painted them the color of the wall.

Saturday my sister and I took mom to a brand new salvation army..this place is like a MALL and beautiful.....clean...organized.....and I found this comforter.  I loved it...the colors.....everything.  Then I saw it was Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic....no wonder I liked it so much!  It didn't have a tag as to what size it was.  I didn't care...I wanted it anyway! 

 

That mocha color is the EXACT match to my newly painted wall!  Serendipity!

It didn't quite fit...it must be a queen.  So I washed it...hung it outside in the sun all day......and just layered it over a popcorn bedspread that I already had.

 

And the final thing I've been searching for is a LONG king size bedskirt.  I've had no luck...unless I wanted to buy new and I didn't.  I found this shabby one in my fabric stash.....it was so worn in the center...I thought I'd use it for pillows one day.  I ended up cutting it down the center.......and tucking it in under the top mattress on both sides.  So now I have a bedskirt!  I was worried it would shift around but so far hasn't.  Now you can't see all the dog hair floating around the wood floors!

So this is my version of Design on a Dime....or maybe I should say Design on a Nickle!

Long time no see

I've been missing in action for a while....I've been checking out new blogs and TRYING to trim my time on the computer.  Even though it's full of inspiration...it does no good if all my time is spent looking and not doing.  Some of you even emailed me to ask if I was OK...(you know who you are!) That is so incredibly nice.  To know people out there wonder whats up...if things are good.....and yes they are!

One of the first new blogs I came across was From House to Home......this blog post made me frantic to change my living room into this....

within a week we had the top portion painted (including ceiling) and the bottom portion is well underway.  Since I first saw this...I've seen a few other bloggers out there doing the same thing....is this a new trend?  Or is it serendipity?  Does that ever happen?  You see something so unique, one of a kind...you run with it and then it starts popping up in different places?  That's ok......I'm STILL excited about the transformation and I give all the credit to From House to Home!

Did you know that you can't return custom colored paint?  WHO KNEW?  (duh!) but I stomped my feet a little at Home Depot and they exchanged it.  The color I had picked was a nice beachy tan...or so I thought.  We got it on the wall and it looked PINK.  This color is more of a taupe...I'm trying to stick with neutrals now....just easier on the eye.

 

So after this project was put on hold until the rest of the supplies are bought....I decided I was sick of my bedroom....I never give it any decorating attention, in fact it becomes a drop all for everything.  Our room is TINY so I wanted to declutter and move things around.

 

I went shopping in my own house...and dragged the old door in here.  (You can see the unfinished hall to the right)

I decided I'd finally use my Grandmothers embroidered pillowcases that look like they've NEVER been used....and I found the bedspread in a box I brought back from my moms.  It's not a king, but it covers most of the bed..and my spread hangs underneath.  Now I think of my mom and Grandma when i walk in and see how bright it all is!

 

 

I did all re-arranging Friday Night...after I'd worked a ten hour day...I just couldn't stand it one more day!  My husband finally came looking for me while I was in mid swing...bed sitting sideways etc...and asked me what on earth I was doing!  I told him "re decorating using what I have" and he said "Is that like Design on a Dime?"  he's forced to watch too much HGTV with me!  This is more like design on a penny....because I just shopped my basement to bring things in here.

 

I found this old wood ironing board in my basement.... I bought it years ago for $5.00 and never knew how to use it.

 

 

my daughter and i found these old books to use as lamp stackers.  The bible has someones name and date...1895.

 

These plates will go on the wall behind my headboard.  I fell in LOVE when I saw it on The Nesters blog....so I'm copying her.  And speaking of the Nester...remember my scrappy garlands?  I was all worried because I thought they were all my great idea until I saw them on the The Nesters blog...I emailed her and told her I obviously got the idea from her but didn't remember and I told her I would not sell them anymore...she wrote me back immediately and said POOEY!  MAKE THEM!  ENJOY THEM! EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN VERSION!  Wasn't that sweet? AND The NESTER goes shopping all the time  in her house...so she's always changing things up!

So after all these pictures were taken today..and I did a few projects...I decided I needed TO PAINT THE WALL behind my bed where the plates would go....only problem was..it was 5pm and I was not presentable to go out in public to buy paint.  I shopped in my basement again..started mixing a bunch of paint and came up with a nice toasty tan.  So it's now painted and ready for plates....hopefully I'll get pictures this week after the plates are hung.

One last project.....I got two of these at the thrift store for half off.

  I think the others shoppers felt a little sorry for me.  They made comments like..."how interesting!" as I poked my way through the isles with these things hitting anything and everyone.  I finally got them primed and painted today.

 

 

Sorry about the glare from the candles on the right....I decided I didn't like the look of that one with candles so it became this....

 

 

Thanks so much again for reading my silly thoughts and hair brained ideas...and for checking on me when I'm MIA!

Have a terrific week!

Too cute for words!

Remember this?

you have to hop over to Karlas and see who's wearing it!  Oh she is adorable!

I wanted to send Karlas little sugarwings grand baby a little gift for her bday.  I made some scented play doh and decoupaged this little box.  I tucked the apron inside.  I'd been wanting to practice on something to try the decoupage....It is a long process!  Guess you need to go into it with the idea that it will be an ongoing project...not something to be completed in an evening!

 So of course It was late for her birthday...but I think she is enjoying it now!

A few more projects in the works...

 

all of these pictures are in various stages of completion.  Except the big white mirror......I dropped it and it broke a few nights ago...I was distressing it and it became distressed all right!  I guess now I'm in for 7 years of bad luck.  That would explain why I gained two pounds in the last two weeks instead of loosing!