Current Projects...

This is a bad picture... but it is an ugly brass swing arm lamp. Who would buy this? Me!

And, I sprayed it with this... and, as soon as I find or make the lampshade, I'll show you the finished product!

Also, in the works.... (in my mind, only)... I am looking for the perfect steal of a table... round, coffee table to put in the kids' tv room. I'm going to paint the top with chalkboard paint. They will love it!!!! I can't remember where I saw this done... was it HGTV or while surfing blogs... if it was you, thanks! I'm also currently on the prowl for a nightstand for Bryce's room but have yet to be inspired.

Modge Podge

I spent most of my summer vacation in Michigan, so I wasn't really doing many projects but I did attempt a modge podge project for a family reunion gift exchange.

Junk Party!!!

I'm part of the junk party!!!! After looking at my junk, click here to be inspired by some other junkers... we should form a support group!!!

I took along my 9 year old son who also found some of his own treasures... books and rollerblades, and had a very productive day at the Salvation Army store... here are my finds... I spent 16 dollars, including the wooden shoe organizer which is already in use by my garage entry door. Check out the spray paint cans in the background just itching to go! Incidentally, my trigger finger is kinda numb today... no lie... I guess I'll need to toughen up!

To the lawn with the spray paint I go... anxious to start my repurposing!

This old popcorn tin will be my new dogfood tin... it soaked up an entire can of spray paint and still needs more, so stay posted for the final reveal.

I decided to start collecting white dishes... at the beginning of the week I had none, now look at them all... I spent no more than 10.00 on this entire collection!!! I'm so excited because I've never had nice dishes for this hutch.

This candid family shot finally has a frame for 99 cents and some black spray paint!

Jars from the SA sore.. cleaned up, just waiting to be filled with something fun!

Decor Diva

It's the only kind of Diva I'll probably ever be, so I'm going to claim it.  I'm not just into Decor, it has to be thrifty, creative, and fun. Recently, I've found some very cool blogs of others like me who always have their eyes open for "someone else trash."  I love thrift stores and garage sales, and my favorite is repurposing something to be a one-of-a-kind accessory.  Since I've recently been inspired by some cool thrifty diva blogs, I thought I'd share some of my favorite thrifty finds.

This is most recent "creation." Nothing fancy, but on a whim I decoupaged old book pages that my dog had chewed out of one of my antique books (ahhh! a whole other story) to a spaghetti sauce can. Today I clipped some flowers from a bush outside and used it as a vase. Not too shabby... well, it is shabby, that's kinda' the idea!

I can't really take credit for this one. My husband made this headboard for our foreign exchange student. We were really excited to decorate a teenage girls' room. Now that she has been here almost a year, the memo board style headboard is covered in pictures!  

My black frame collection is only because of the power of spraypaint. I spraypainted my mix matched collection of frames and hung them all over the house. 

Aahhh.. the red chair. One of my thrift store finds. When I bought it, it was cream colored with stenciled flowers. We made it match our decor with red spray paint.  Don't kids love furniture in their own size? This piece cost a couple bucks!

Curtain in my old bathroom (Oh, how I miss my former master bathroom!). I never did get around to dying it chocolate brown before we moved unexpectedly, but I was still proud that I waited until I found the perfect valance at my favorite thrift store for $1.99. It's hung in my "new" house, but I don't have a picture of it. My 1960's master bath is a work in progress, not yet ready for pictures!

That's just a few of my "treasures!"  My whole house is decorated with like items. We have the basic quality items that we purchased many years ago, but everytime I get "itchy" to change my style or try something new, it's always done with these kind of fun items.  Maybe since I can't seem to give up water bottles, this is my way of being "green!"

Not Nesting, Just "Spring Cleaning"

The other day my husband asked me if I was "nesting?" Funny. I haven't heard that word in relation to me in well, almost 4 years. (My youngest's 4th birthday is at the end of this month.) No! Not nesting, just Spring Cleaning! And, in very small doses, believe me! Every once in a while I get the bug to purge and organize, but mostly I just like to look through cool ideas on the internet. :) Here are a few I happened upon tonight. I'll let you know if I actually try any. I REALLY like the accesory board. I'm thinking it would be really cute to put cork board in a fancy frame and hang it in my bathroom. I'm going to keep my eyes open because I love to pull together projects like that from thrift store finds. It makes me miss living down the road from McKinney Trade Days.

Pleasure in the Flowers

Excerpt from A Prayer in Spring
by Robert Frost (1915)

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

I had actually never planted flowers myself before today. Well, today I had two little helpers, but I've never been in charge of the project before today. I'll keep you updated on how my little flower garden grows.