Tag: thrifting/flea market finds


Sep
2017

Fixer Upper Footstool

categories: DIY, Flea Market Finds/Thrifting

I am not a person to sit all day, I feel guilty, as if I am wasting the time in my life.

Of course, I do sit and read with my morning coffee, but most of the rest of my day I am working on projects or doing the things needed to care for a home and family.

When my brother-in-law retired he said to me, “I work half of the day, and I rest half of the day”.  I like that, and always remember his words.

I found this footstool at the thrift store, it fits into my plan to try to take my thrift store finds to the next level.

A larger piece for me, but so easy to fix up with really nice results.

It actually appeared to be an old piece by the older type brackets and the very hard wood.

Cleaned the piece inside and out, sanded just a bit, touched up with a light coat of stain.

My original plan was to paint the stool, but after cleaning the wood, I could not justify covering it up, it was quite beautiful.

The fun part of the project for me was finding a colorful print fabric to cover the top.

Surprisingly, the top was easy to cover, a first for me.  I love first time things at my age!

Worried a bit about the corners when covering, but it looks nice.

I am so pleased with my efforts.

Cleaned, sanded, stained, covered. Boom, finished!

Love it, love looking at my accomplishment when I rest my feet.

As I have mentioned before, finding inexpensive treasures to fix up, those things someone no longer wanted, makes me happy!

We all have things we do in our spare time to relax, this is mine.

Hope you all have happy things that fill your days, things that give your life peace, and relaxation.

Till next time!

 

 

 

 

 


Sep
2017

A Tray for “Puss Face”

categories: DIY, Flea Market Finds/Thrifting, Home Projects

“Puss Face” is the name of our little cat.

A silly name my husband calls our kitty which is beginning to stick.  So cute!

We adopted her after our last two cats were killed by coyotes.  It is still so painful for us to believe such a horrible thing happened.  Needless to say, kitty never goes outside.

Puss Face is always so thirsty.  I keep a large bowl of water in the kitchen, but for some reason, someone is always running into her bowl and spilling her water, and of course, we all step in it!

I found an ugly tin tray at the thrift store for next to nothing, decided it would be perfect for kitty’s water bowl.

Just spray painted it flat black, no big fuss, and bought a large new enamel water bowl.

So now, kitty has her own chic, black and white water station!  Silly?  I know, but fun just the same.  Gotta have fun in life!

I also made Puss Face a cute tin for her “treats”.  Just a bit of paint and some stick-on letters added to a small tin can, that was it!

Puss Face is happy, me too!  No more water on the floor, just in the tray.

Special love to all you pet owners. They give us such unconditional love.

See ya all next time.

Blessings


Aug
2017

Adding Whimsy To My Yard

categories: DIY, Flea Market Finds/Thrifting, Home Projects, Summer

Whimsy is defined as, “playfully quaint or fanciful behavior or humor”.

Add whimsy to your life when you can, it’s happy stuff!

That is what I did this past Saturday, I added some whimsy to my yard!

No need to go into much detail for this fun project.

I purchased two unfinished decorative dowels at Home Depot, sanded and painted.

Selected a small birdhouse from my garage stash of unfinished wood items, and again sanded and painted. Small birdhouses can be found at Michael’s or Hobby Lobby.

Added extra whimsy to the birdhouse by attaching an old knob.

Nestled the birdhouse in my vinca vines for just the perfect spot.

For the birdbath, I simply added a rescued tin pan from the thrift store to the top of one of the dowels.

I pounded the dowels into the ground first, and then using E6000 glue attached the birdhouse and tin pan.

Love the color of the birdbath dowel and the contrast with the old tin pan.

This was just a simple, one day project, that has added a colorful, delightfully friendly, and of course, whimsical touch to my yard that I will enjoy the rest of the summer.

They make my heart smile.

As the week goes on add some “whimsy” to your days, giggle, laugh at yourself and by yourself, wear some color, be yourself when no one else is looking, let your heart smile.

Love and “whimsy” thoughts to all!

 


Jul
2017

Splish Splash!

categories: DIY, Flea Market Finds/Thrifting, Home Projects

We recently painted our upstairs bathroom and vanity in shades of gray.

Gray seems to be a popular neutral color these days.

I have been looking for wall items for months.  Surprisingly, it has been very difficult for me to find something I like that doesn’t say “flush, brush, floss”.

Just not for me, so I made a pretty cute one myself!

It is words from an “old school” song,“Splish Splash”, recorded by Bobby Darin, from years ago when I was a teenager.

Lots of folks use “old school”, so I suppose using those words with music, reflects your age.  Yikes!

It cost me next to nothing to put this together.  I used a thrift store frame that I cleaned, painted black, and finished up by printing out the words, using a “whimsy” font.

Pretty simple!

Fits great between the towel rack and mirror, perfect size.

What’s so fun is that when you read the sign, and know the song, you can’t stop humming it!

Fun for guests to read too!

Hope the week ahead is a blessed one for all!

For those of you who aren’t from my “old school” era, the song is below!


Jul
2017

Frames to Trays

categories: DIY, Flea Market Finds/Thrifting, Home Projects

Hello, happy Monday!

Today I want to share a really easy, creative, DIY, thrift store flip, turning old picture frames into trays for your home and entertaining.

This first tray, was a beat-up wood frame that I sanded, painted black, added some cute watermelon wrapping paper under the glass, and some simple handles.

Really cute for summer, so colorful, so whimsy.

I love whimsy!

The second tray is quite different.

Forgot to take a before photo, but it was all wood, with a picture decoupaged on one side.

Removed the picture, cleaned up the wood, and sanded both sides.

I stained one side of the wood insert, and I decided to paint the other side with chalkboard paint.

Added some really nice handles, and I was finished.

This frame was a really unique thrift store find, that was turned into a one of a kind tray.

The fact that it now has a reversible insert is amazing.

Turning frames into trays is so simple.

Next visit, or maybe your first thrift store visit, take a look at all the inexpensive frames, some are new, and try creating a tray.

Endless possibilities using paper, fabric, or even photos under the glass, a little paint, and some wonderful handles.  Hobby Lobby has an entire row of handles and knobs.

Gifts?

Have a creative week, love to everyone!


Jul
2017

Musical Note Plates

categories: Celebrate, Flea Market Finds/Thrifting

One of my nieces introduced me to a wonderful antique mall and flea market.  She and her husband have a booth in the mall selling vintage toys.

It is a really large mall and takes hours to get through the hundreds of booths.

It’s heaven!

On my last visit I found these unique, fun, dessert, salad size plates.

Aren’t they great?  I have never run across any like these before.

There were only 6 in the set, but enough for any small party or celebration. Can be used for dessert, or as side plates on a table setting for accent pieces.

The black and white will go with so many other colored plates and napkins.

Finding items like these fun plates is really why I love antique malls and flea markets. You really never know what you will run across.  They were inexpensive, but now very valuable to me!

If I see that I have a free day I try to visit the mall.

When I tell my husband that I am going, it’s sweet how he says,”take your time, enjoy yourself”.  Maybe it’s “music” to his ears!  Alone time?

I cannot read music but I am sure the notes on these plates has to be “Happy Birthday to You”!

Don’t you think?

Hope your day is filled with beautiful music and love!

 


Jul
2017

DIY Chic Desk Organizer

categories: DIY, Flea Market Finds/Thrifting, Home Projects

Yesterday I gathered together several items from my thrift store, dollar store stash, to make a chic desk organizer.

It was a fun, easy project, that I was able to finish in one day!

The wood tray and the file box are from the thrift store, and the jars from the dollar store.

I love that the inner section of the jar lids can be removed, but the jar rings can stay, allowing the jars to be open at the top for scissors and such.

Cleaned the file box, sprayed painted it and the jar lids with my favorite gold paint.

Sanded the rough spots on the wood tray and spray painted white.

To tie the items together I added angle brackets to the corners of the tray and painted the same gold.

The set looks great on my desk.  I love the way it all turned out!

Right now in my life I really feel the need to create and accomplish little things every single day.

Makes me happy!

I have a sweet little book written by Gunilla Norris, Being Home, in it she writes, “As I age, each and every day appears more and more as a gift. I want to live every one of them.”

That’s me!  Every one of them!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Live!

 

 

 


Jun
2017

Filling My $2 Basket

categories: DIY, Flea Market Finds/Thrifting, Home Projects

Every morning before the sun is too hot I have been working in my yard, potting, planting, weeding, just enjoying the alone time.

So much yet to do, but no complaining.  My home is my happy place, my place just “to be”!

I found this twiggy basket at the thrift store and immediately knew what it could “be”!

The $2 tag was hard to pass up.

I lined the inside with an inexpensive foil pan, poked holes in the bottom for drainage, and filled it with garden soil, geraniums, and vinca vines.

To finish up I added more soil to cover the foil pan.

The thick twig handle is what I noticed first and sold me on this basket.

The pink and white geraniums are so beautiful and I knew that this basket would be just a lovely welcome on my tiny front porch. On my trips to visit my brother in New York City, I loved all the small shops that sold flowers, the ones that lined the fronts of their stores with pots and baskets of plants and flowers.  No doubt my $2 basket could be displayed perfectly in front of any lovely, sweet, flower shop.

New York, NY: flower shop

Have a lovely Friday, hope you “fill” your day with joy and love!