Summer Vacation Treasures

I gushed about the lovely chandelier I found while on vacation last week.

Remember how I said we could only buy smalls after that?

Check out these letters which happily enough fit in the car as well.

Now available in my sadly neglected Etsy shop which is also on my list of things to be less lazy about.

I'm getting myself together folks.  One baby step at a time!

A Side of Furniture

I look at a lot of blogs and am continually amazed at the furniture transformations you fine people accomplish.  I pick up pieces and have every intention of doing something but usually cop out and sell them as-is leaving the work to the new owner. 

No more (or at least less more)!  I'm challenging myself and the only way to do that is to get out there and do it.  Check out my upcycled coffee table if you please.

Since I tend toward lazy (and fast) solutions I knew I had to buy a piece that could only sell with a makeover.  This way I wouldn't fall into old patterns!  Here is how it looked when I brought it home.



Yikes, you are a bit ugly.  But you've got good bones.  There's a beauty hiding in there!

Since I'm lazy I actually did three pieces of furniture at the same time.  I'm slow to start but man, when I get going, I go BIG!  I'm saving those for another post.
In another attempt to challenge myself I've put this up on Craigs List. I think I want to branch out into selling furniture that way.  I won't have to lug it to shows and it can GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!  Here's hoping it works and thanks to all of you for the continued and fabulous inspiration!

 Linking to:

Wow us Wednesday

White Wednesday

Share the Love

Power of Paint

Transformations and Treasures

Furniture Feature Friday

Smalls ONLY For the Rest of the Trip!

Yesterday we returned home from a lovely trip to the Jersey Shore.

Most of the trip was accompanied by the sounds of "clink, clink, clink" from the back.

No, not the clink of wine glasses but rather, the gentle reminder that I found this at a thrift store on our way to the shore hotel...

Not sure yet what it is yet?

Let's shed a little "light" on it shall we? (OH, I am SO very funny.  No, really I am!)



Isn't she grand?  Not missing ONE SINGLE prism!

I won't even tell you what it cost because I don't want to upset you.  She was just waiting at the counter as I went to check out.  I had seen an even larger one at the back of the store earlier and was already a bit grumpy over the fact that I knew it wouldn't fit in the car.  And then she appeared.  I flipped over her price tag and felt certain a trip to the ER was going to be necessary.

A quick glance over at my husband and a whispered, "Can we get it in the car?"  He rolled his eyes.  I heard him sigh and then he mumbled that he thought so.  For a few moments I thought about leaving her and then I knew I would spend the rest of the trip, the rest of the year, the REST OF MY LIFE kicking myself so when the clerk rang me up I practically shouted, "And I'd like the chandelier as well".

A quick count puts the prisms at over 100.  So even if I gut this for parts and sell the prisms for a ridiculously low price of $2 each this is a $200 piece and will net me an extraordinary profit.  Yippee!!! 

For now she's getting a cleaning and a listing on Craigs List.  Although she would be quite the stunner at the top of our stairs or the most amazing centerpiece of my September Springfield booth...

The rest of the trip was spent with the following mantra to guide my shopping adventures - SMALLS ONLY.  Remember, smalls only! No more room for large pieces!

Linking to:

Thrift Share Monday

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Bead Swap

A while back Sarah over at My So Called Junky Life offered to host a bead swap.  I happily jumped on board and today we are sharing our swap items.

I was paired with Marsha from Sassy Mini Dolls who sent my beads in this fabulously decorated box.  Love those little flowers.  I'd love to show you what I sent but naturally I packaged them up and sent them out without remembering to take photos.  Hop over to her blog to see!

A bit of junque karma was to be had inside.  See the iridescent milk glass bit in the center left side?  I have one of those.  Thrifted it years ago and often wear it on a chain.  Until it fell off one day and crashed on to the hardwood floor.  BIG crack in the center.  It's been living in my drawer ever since because it's so pretty I couldn't bear to part with it.  Well now I have a replacement and I'm trying to think of the perfect way to set it in to some of my repurposed junque jewels.

Ah the power of junque.

Thanks ever so much Marsha!  And special thanks to Sarah for hosting!

Chalk Obsession

I'm a bit late jumping on this trend.  My cheap thrifty self didn't want to fork over the money for chalkboard paint (which means I'll NEVER get the new rage of chalk paint because that's even pricier!).  Sure I had a million ideas for how to use it but I kept putting it off.

Well after I picked up this piece from the lovely Sue of Sullivan and Murphy during her porch sale I got off my rumpus and bought a quart.

The before

 I've been a chalkboarding fool ever since.  Much like my glitter addiction I can't stop putting this paint on.  I've made tags and trays.  I put some on the niche in the Master Bathroom.  No surface is safe!  If the kids stay still long enough I might even give them a chalkboard make-over.  Think how easy it would be to clean them up after a wet soccer game or melty popsicle on a summer day!

The After
Why did I wait so long to get this stuff?!!!

Linking to:
Rednesday

Wow Us Wednesday

Share the Love

Transformations and Treasures

Open House

Thrifty Thursday

Furniture Feature Friday

Flea Market Junque

Our laptop inexplicably died this weekend.  I was feeling rather irritated over the whole fiasco until I met this beauty at the flea market today...

Oh you rusty, crusty, chippy charmer you!

I actually had a slightly girl off her rocker moment as I initially walked away from this gorgeous slice of heaven.  I was talking to myself (out loud mind you) wondering if I should get it.  Could I lift it?  Would it sell well?  Could I make a profit? My son informed me that I'm quite strange to get this worked up over an old stove.

And then I had the brilliant idea of how to use it in my home.

Turn around and head back to the booth.  Turn around...

Then I had a panic attack wondering if my husband was going to like it because he has this crazy idea that he should have a say in what goes in the house where he resides.  Preposterous!  This was going to be a problem. Having handed over my money I was attached.  I knew that selling this was going to be physically painful for me.  I am seriously in love here and my mind is actually spinning with the ideas for how to use it.

Nail biting all the way home plotting planning my strategy to make him see how absolutely necessary this is to my very existence!

Into the driveway I pulled where he sat watching the young Princess ride her bike.  Delaying the moment of truth I unloaded everything else (you didn't imagine I only purchased this did you?!).  The cool street sign, the metal AV cart which will soon be a bedside table for young Dr. Jones, the groovy baskets with buckles straps and then our young soccer star decided to tell Dad that the best item of all was waiting to come out.

AND HE LOVED IT!  Right away.  No persuasion or haggling necessary.  He just got it.  Saw the potential and knew it was destined for us.

Oh I am such a lucky girl!! 

Linking to:

Thrifty Treasures

Thrift Share Monday

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Would You Buy It Wednesday

Getting It Done

I'd like to tell you how long I've had this bench.  Really I would.  I know it is at least a year but I'm no longer certain of when it took up residence in the corner of the garage. 2010?  End of 2009?  Not sure.

It's not very big and probably was meant for dolls.  Didn't need much help to transform into this either...

Ah the power of paint and sanding.  What took me so long?

Procrastination you are my middle name.  Or maybe my first name...

A thrifted bird, nest and wreath finish it off nicely don't you think?

Linking to:

Transformations and Treasures

White Wednesday

Open House Party

Thrifty Thursday

Feathered Nest Friday

Blowing Hot and Cold

These little junque beauties have me singing Katy Perry's Hot and Cold!

Got the KampKold cooler from an auction.  Even has it's original shelf insert.  Thinking of using it for some porch decor this summer and then taking it to Springfield for the September show.

Spied the Hot Shot mugs at a yard sale as I was taking my daughter to a birthday party.  They made me giggle a bit so I tucked them in the car along with a pretty Homer Laughlin bowl.  My poor daughter wondering WHY we ALWAYS have to stop for a yard sale!

Because treasures await my chickadee.  Treasures await...

Linking to:

Thrift Share Monday

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Rednesday