1.99 Thrift Store Finds

Gussying up my front porch with a few thrift store finds. I put a fresh coat of black paint on my old bench and dug out a few things I had tucked away for summer. These embroidered (crewel maybe?)Pottery Barn pillow covers where a steal at the Goodwill for a $1.99 each. I used some feather pillow inserts I had on hand and just popped them in a trash bag before inserting them. I also added a few rocks so they don't blow away in the wind. It has been crazy windy here!



The vintage cotton tatted (is that what it's called?) tablecloth was 1.99 too! I'm usually not a lace girl but I liked the texture. I'm thinking I will dye it red with some Rit.

I still need to add potted flowers to the yard, I had a little bit of sticker shock this week at the nursery. The price of flowers has really gone up compared to last year. Is it that way in your area too?


It will be a cozy spot for my morning coffee. I hope everyone has had a nice week. My youngest and I are off to see Speed Racer at the IMAX. Should be fun!!!

Big Lots...I Love You

Susie left me a comment yesterday that in fact Big Lots may have the same Black and white pillows I am searching for. So of course I had to go check. The pillows were no where to be found but I did find some wonderful deals on my favorite brand of scrapbooking supplies.
I have loved this ribbon since I saw it a year ago at a swanky scrapbook store but just couldn't spend full price of 12.00. I'm a cheap-o.

I thought all this stuff would be neat for some home decor projects. Not just scrapbooks, oh no.
I can see these book plates on some of my storage boxes.



And maybe a little piece of painted chipboard on a picture frame.
Bargains are so much fun!

Working on Our Outdoor Space

I hope everyone had a wonderful long weekend. We have been busy working outside setting up our outdoor living spaces. I will be planting and planting next, our last frost is usually the end of May up here in the mountains. The growing season is only about 4 or 5 months long. A heck of a lot different than my native Southern California weather. I do miss the that and the ocean.

This is the patio space right off the kitchen/family room. I want it to blend with the inside so I'm keeping it neutral and adding color with flowers. I 'll post pictures when I get all of my pots planted.

I'm on a search for another of this pillow. Tues. Morn only had one and I couldn't resist.




This table I used in the dining room for a while. I love having things I can re purpose and use in other spaces. It could be a desk or large sofa table too. Since it is a indoor table it doesn't have the little hole in the middle for a umbrella so we found a really cool offset umbrella for shade. I'll get some photos of it all set up later on. I'm off to the nursery for red geraniums and ivy.

I was excited to find this brown trunk at the Goodwill this week. It has lots of cool stickers from different hotels and great red monogram letters on both ends. Still trying to work out what I want on top and on the wall above them. The mirror isn't doing it for me. I added a apothecary jar full of shells and other natural materials some books, pictures of the boys and a chippy lamp.







Changing the accessories in the dinning room for a lighter summer look. My weekend painting plans where put on the back burner because the pond took the whole weekend to fix. Maybe this weekend I'll get it done. I found the great Toile lamp shades at Tuesday Morning for a song. I also bought burlap for the window treatments. Yes burlap! It is going to look neat I promise. I'm going to add some fringe from my stash so the burlap looks fancy. hehe.



Wishing you all a safe and fun holiday weekend!

Hey Everyone!

I'll be back to post the promised pictures in a little bit but I wanted to share some Blogs I have recently stumbled upon that have got me wanting to move to Sweden or at least sell everything i own and decorate my house in this Swedish Country style. How in the world are they able to make so much white so absolutely warm and inviting?!?! If I didn't have three teenage boys 2 dogs and a car loving husband I would have white everything!!!

http://lillablanka.blogspot.com/

http://vitahjartan-anna.blogspot.com/

http://vitaranunkler.blogspot.com/

http://www.underenvind.blogspot.com/

I hope you find some inspiration too. I know I did!

Oh and to answer a couple of questions, the lemons are "faux" from Home Goods, the table I sprayed first then brushed, my kitchen is Sherwin Williams Totally Tan and I am definitely going to look into windows Live Writer.

A Short One on What I've Been Up To

Besides moving rocks, diggin holes and hauling sand. I've....

found another vintage trunk!!!





And Painted an ugly table. I'll be back with a long one later on today. Blogger is being fussy about my pictures this morning.

Finally Feeling Better
*UPDATED 5/16 PICTURES AT BOTTOM*

Today I am finally on the upswing from the horrible neck thing. Yay. I'm so exhausted from lack of sleep, and trying to get caught up on all the house stuff that gets neglected when Mom is sick. I was so happy to go do a little thrifting today. I started a little plate display/collection on the kitchen wall, on either side of the window. It's a work in progress and I've already changed and rearrange since I took these pictures but I thought I would share my process.




Reasonably priced brown transferware has proven a bit elusive around here. So I mixed it with some creamware and vintage silver. I'm liking the bit of glimmer and texture the silver gives.

In the end I put 4 plates on either side of the window. Mixing silver, ceramics, size and shape while try to keep it uniform. I'll post pictures of the finished wall tomorrow.



The little finial thingy in the center of the table was another junk store find for $4.00. I haven't decided where to put it yet, so it's kind of hanging out on the table while I make up my mind. I bought the table and 6 chairs off CraigsList for 150.00 in November. It is in like new condition has big chunky chairs and a great "shabby" finish. I love CraigsList.


I decided to paint my dining room "totally tan". So that is on the to-do list for the weekend. We also need to work on our little goldfish pond in the backyard it has seemed to have developed a leak. It should be a busy weekend. I hope you all are having a lovely week!


*UPDATE*

Here are the promised pictures of the finished (for now) display. I can't seem to figure out how to get a decent picture of the whole wall because of the window glare. Anyone have any photog tips for me??

The More is More Mantle and My Favorite $3.00 Thrift Store Find

Texture is the word of the day. The more the better I say. I go through phases in my decorating style and I'm definitely in a more is more kind of phase right now. To facilitate this multi-decorating personality of mine I do a lot of bargain shopping. Thrift stores are a fav right now. Funny thing is 6 months ago you couldn't pay me to go to a Junk shop or thrift store. Now I find myself doing just that 2 or 3 times a week.


A little red pot stuffed with greens, feathers and a tiny rusty watering can. A stack of old books with peely edges and worn pages.


A chunky obelisk with chippy plaster and a weather worn vintage bird cage.


A shiny obelisk for a bit of bling, 100 year old books for texture and height and a chunky ceramic rooster.


I have been searching for some antique ceiling tin to cover the "builders choice" tile surround that I don't like. Of course it needs to be cheap and chippy, and I will probably install it with Velcro. You know so I can change it in about 3 months. As I type this I am feeling the need to switch out the round mirror for something else. But my neck still hurts so that will have to wait.


My favorite $3.00 thrift store find are these sconces.

They are chippy, rusty and romantic.

Normally I would have passed on these being a little too on the foofy side for me. But with the texture and age they blend in very well and don't seem overdone.

Motherhood is pricedOf God,
at price no man may dare
To lessen or misunderstand.
~Helen Hunt Jackson




"You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother."
-- Albert Einstein





Happy Mothers Day

I' m Fussy and Drugged

I awoke at 6:00 am with a stiff neck and lopsided shoulders. I had plans today, big plans!!! I was getting together a garage sale for tomorrow and I had projects to do and things to make! Instead I'm stuck on the couch with a pillow propping my head in a semi comfortable position. Ugh. I hate this. Thank goodness I had a left over pain pill from my last stiffy. It barely knocks the edge off and just makes me loopy.

So I thought I'd post a picture of my happy place. My black and white studio where I really wish I could be right now. Hopefully this dang neck thing will let up soon and I can get busy. Someone send over a masseur would ya?

Rush Street Pillows

I had about 2 hours this morning to sew some pillows for the family room. I reused the old pillows, the left overs from the mistreatments project and some coordinating fabric from my stash. Most of which I bought out of the 50% off remnants bin. Because I reused the old pillows some of my new ones are a little lumpy and a couple are a little flat. But they look used and loved and that is exactly what they should look like in a family room. Don't you think?



I try to buy neutral materials for my projects when I find them on sale and keep a stash. Things like nubby cotton fabric in neutrals, tan and blacks, off white matelasse and trims. It makes it really easy and inexpensive to change things when the feeling hits. Which in my case is quite often. So for a few dollars I have a nice fresh look on my dark, not so fresh, very used sofa.


My favorite pillow is the one with the raggedy frayed raw edges. It was the easiest one to do. I didn't even have to turn the fabric inside out. The pillow with the tea pot and number 1 are dishcloths I ordered from Sadie Olive a few weeks ago. Pillows are one of my favorite cozy touches to add to rooms and so easy to "do it yourself."