Two'fer One~

Its a two'fer one post....and.....

I am making over my front patio area for the upcoming summer months. Most everything on my patio is from thrift stores or yard sales! Here is the messy/unkept before photo~ Here is the after photo..... It doesn't show up well, but there is a huge flower ball hanging from the center of the gazebo :-) Alright, it is not a HUGE difference... but I did do a lot. I added stuff, pulled the weeds out of the brick, built an arch/planted some climbing roses.... and added some fabric to the table! Scroll down to see the photos :-)I don't do anything to the porch area during the winter months as it is toooooooooo cold for me to work out in the yard! I purchased the round gazebo a few years ago from Big Lots for only $200 buckeroos~ The white chairs are from a thrift store.... (I once had them inside my house) The metal table was another thrifted find ($40 bucks) All the "extra" odds and ends and doo-dads are things that I don't really want anymore-- and wouldn't be to terribly upset if they were stolen misplaced. I used a duvet cover from the Pottery Barn to make a table cloth and I also covered some pillows and covered a small bench and used some of the fabric as ribbons on some of the statues.... I think its cute. Again, my thoughts are "more is better" The little metal fence pieces I picked up for $1 buck each. I got a total of 5!I used wire to attach them to the gazebo and then I covered the wire with a torn fabric ribbon-- caute! This little angel I wired directly to the small rose bush as our paper boy man is probably a retired pitcher from some baseball team because he seems to hit everything I put outside. The bird bath was $15, the bird house was $2, the 2 miniature rose bushes with the pottery pots were $3 each.This cement urn was a dollar at a yard sale.... I added the nest, moss and the dried flowers & eggs...Here is a bunny wearing a matching ribbon made with the same fabric as the table & bench~ (I bought 5 bunnies for a dollar each) the white wire bird cage was $10 bucks (still working on straighting that sucker out) The "welcome" sign was $2 bucks...Here is a little rusty tricycle given to me by a friend that I spruced up... I don't really have a place for it just yet...but it will work its self into some little spot. The basket was $1 buck lolThis wooden "object de'art" for lack of a better word is just filled with more odds & ends. All of this "stuff" was free or nearly free. The broken shovel head says it all "Garden of Weedin" A rusty wagon also given to me by a friend..... filled with stuff sits in a planter near the gazebo... all the pots also were given to me~Here is a little half table that has no place inside anymore...so out it went onto the patio. (yes, thats dirt on the top of it, it just recently rained!) The rose in the pot was $1, the metal candle stick with the glass top was .50cents, the bunnies with the pots were $2 bucks (I have two) The heart wire bird cage was $3 bucks, the table itself was $3 bucks... the metal bird feeder on the ground was $7, the blue flower pot was $3~This two balled wire topiary form is one of 3 that I picked up for $1 dollar each. I just used some silk ivy greenery I had stashed away to make it come alive~ see my two wooden cats in my window.... I love cats.This wrought iron bakers rack my dad made.... now it holds a lot of my overflow from my house. The white truck behind it is a 1964 (year I was born) Falcon truck it was a gift for one of my birthdays from my hubs.This white basket was a freebie at a yard sale. It is perfect for holding long stemmed roses and cuttings from plants that I can easily transport to my gardening bench. (which is the table lol) this summer I will cut a piece of wood for that big whole in the middle. I think I'll drill around the wood circle and lace it to the metal basket with wire~This white metal stand was $5, the bird house $1, the vintage wooden 7-up crate on the bottom shelf was $1. The large blue pot was $5-- which holds another one of those 2 tiered topairy forms ($1)

I picked up the wire tray for $1, the wire teapot was .50cents, the wire cups & saucers .25cents and the metal plant stand $2 .....and just attached everything together with wire for this little vinette. The black garden thingy was $1.If you would like to see more make-overs stop over at Jens blog "Sanctuary Arts at Home" she is hosting a monthly Mr. Linky for make-overs! *woot-woot*

If your wanting to see other peoples Thrift store finds check out the Mr. Linky over at Dianes blog "A Picture is Worth a $1,000 Words" If you have linked here and wish to view more of my blog you can click here!

2nd Time around Tuesday~

This week I am sharing a bowl and matching candle stick set I picked up this past weekend for a mere $5 bucks for the three piece set. It is kinda hard to see the "before" photo of the set as I've got it up against a bunch of "clutter"--- but hey, my house is full of clutter, so anywhere I put it you'd get the same look! I took the hanging crystals off, took the bowl off of the center stand.... placed tape over the white marble base and simply spray painted the set white. I cleaned and rehung the crystals, reattached the bowlie...and taaaa daaaaaa instant caute!If you'd like to see more 2nd time around treasures please visit Diane and her blog "A picture is worth a 1,000 Words" If you have linked here from Diane's blog and wish to view my blog you can click here I just posted a fabulous recipe for Apple Muffins-- YUM!

Hall tree~

This hall tree I have had for about 5 years. It was originally a dark-dark wood which I painted white. I closed in the bottom part and made it into a cat bed :-) It has been like this for a looooooooong time. Never quite finished.... I've dragged it out to sell at yard sales...I guess $30 bucks was to much to ask for it...cause I always had to drag it back in. Now that I've added some brown paint to it making it look a little more "shabby" and of course covering the cushion for the cat bed (not that they have EVER slept in there) I'm liking it! and its no longer for sale lol

Here is a close up of the cat bed.... it doesn't look so "obviously" distressed with paint in person!

Centerpiece party~

With 3 indoor cats...a 22 month old grandson and my grandaughter's impending birth tomorrow! and worst of all...a "hashy-husband" this is all I could muster~ I'm keeping it super-simple! The candlesticks are my favorite! They are heavy metal that have been painted white.... I know, kinda dismal~ but things are hectic right now! lolCindy at "My Romantic Home" is one of the hosts for this centerpiece party. Susan who is in Between Naps on her Porch lol...is also hosting this party! If you've linked here... you can view my complete blog here.

Playroom~

I finally got around to hanging up my shabby chic curtains in my computer/play room :-) I think they look darling~If you look on the wall to the right, I created that wall treatment :-) I saw a photo in a magazine once, tore out the picture as a reminder... and I just whipped it out. It truely was easy-peasy. (this has been up for quite sometime) I first found the center of the wall and nailed the first board up with paneling nails. Here is a view to the left.....I just measured, cut, and nailed it all together. I did add those square doo-dads as well. I got a bag full of them for $3 bucks. (I think at the hardware store they are $3 bucks each) I then added the shelf to the top of it to house all my extra "stuff" that I buy from from various places. I then just painted it all white, everything looks better with a fresh coat of white paint! Here is a view to the right..... I need to take down the wreath...it is centered over one part of my sectional couch, but it looks kinda out of place now lol-- it is the glittered balls on it that speak to me..."keep me up" they say lol

Granny cart~

I finally finished the fabric insert for my "granny cart" I like to use this when I go to some of the mile long yard sales we have here in town. Some months it is every weekend that they are held :-) I used an old worn quilt instead of new fabric... the backside of the quilt (which is now the inside lining of my cart) is a lovely rose print. I love the old look of this quilt. It was a very worn-old quilt, but I don't think it was an "antique" I picked it up from one of my local haunts for 5 bucks. I had previously taken the back fabric off of this quilt, which worked out well since the two pieces now have hidden seams. It has a very "shabby" look to it, which I adore!I also covered two bungee cords to match~ I would like to make a cover of some kind as I notice people like to peer inside my cart when its full of treasures lol-- which keeps me from delving deep into unopened boxes of treasures that have things for sale because I'm trying to keep an eye out for looters lolI often buy loads of magazines while hitting yard sales...but, what the heck do you do with them all? They start breeding when your not looking and before you know it, they are everywhere!

Over the years I've come to realize that most magazines only have a few things that I'm interested in ever seeing/reading/or trying (recipe wise) so, I've come up with a solution that works well for me. I rip out pages of things I want to view again-- and place all pretaining pages together into a single plastic binder page. Then I place all like things together in different binders. I have one solely for recipes, crochet patterns, art ideas etc. The remainder of the magazine I either pass on to friends or I donate to a thrift store-- I always mark the corners with a slash mark so I don't rebuy magazines lol

I'll post this recipe for snowball cupcakes when I make them, don't they look delicious?

Pretty little Christmas Party~

Heather at Pretty Petals is hosting a Christmas party... since dust doesn't show up so well in photos...I thought I'd join in! lol Here is my new white tree...which is tied to the mantel because I have it wedged in the corner next to the fireplace :-)
My two silver glittered deer from the dollar store sitting atop my chenille scalloped mantel runner I made~A silver beaded bowlie holding some vintage ornaments~One of two angels sitting on my mantel~ and noooooooooo there are no ashes in that urn~ dust yes, ashes no :-)My hall tree (which I converted the bottom into a cat bed) holding Santa's hat and balls...no, not HIS balls~

Trash to Treasure

Tuesday....

Here are two matching hand painted pictures I picked up this past week at a local thrift store for only $7.50 each. Are they not fabulous? The photo doesn't do it justice, the flash washed some of the color out of the painting--- these are cute, I'm talking super cute!I was needing two larger pictures to go on either side of my $10 dollar antique hutch that I picked up long ago. The two paintings fit perfectly with my shabby chic style! I shop at thrift stores (I call them boutiques lol) allllll the time and I have a house full of treasures that others have discarded as "junk"....hooray for me! Diane over at A picture is worth a 1,000 words is hosting this Trash to Treasure Tuesday~

Paper party!

Jen over at Sanctuary Arts at Home is hosting a "I made it with scrapbook paper party." How fun is that?

Here are some things I've recently made using scrapbook paper.

Firstly, my Christmas cards.Now, these are not your typical cards--- I've used 3 scrapbook paper sheets per "card" which I've glued together and folded to create a photo album of sorts. (photos are of my grandson, I'm a proud Nana! lol)Each one holds 10 photos-- next year I'm going to put some on the backside as well. (second grandchild is a'coming!) Instead of using actual photos, I photocopied the photos so everything folds nicely and is less bulky~ I used foam core which I covered with wrapping paper as the front and back covers. I'll just tuck in my Christmas card under the bow and taaaaaaaaa-daaaaaaaaa cute as a button!Paper pinwheels-- These were created with the leftovers from the papers I used to make my Christmas photo albums.

Lastly... A paper covered tray--I picked up this small "table top" for .95cents from a local thrift store... at one time I had it painted white and on top of a stool as a impromtu table. Now its pink with a paper glued onto the center of it... edges sanded of course *love that shabby chic look* I have this next to me on my sectional sofa to use as a table to hold things so nothing slips between the couch cushions lol. It is small, only 14 1/2 inches across-- perfect for the t.v. remote control & a soda! lol

Treasures!

Since I had my grandson this past weekend, I didn't get to go out & about and visit as many yard sales & thrift stores as I would have liked this past weekend. I did go to a few yard sales with him.... and it was a chore! Anywho, my hubby was home today so he chauffeured me (and my grandson, I had him today for a few hours as well!) to two thrift stores. I come across some major cute stuff, you just have no idea!

I spotted this silver 4 tiered number from a distance and squealed with delight all the while thinking it was going to be big-bucks. Hmmmmm $24.95.... eek. (I am so cheap lol) My husband said, "Ah, your worth it.... lets just say Happy Christmas" I chuckled and said, "Sweetie, this isn't Happy Christmas, this is just plain ol' happy Monday." I had visions of this holding ooodles of crafting stuff, my husband had/has visions of this holding candy LOL. Soooooo I hummed/hawed and looked over at the check out girl...hmmmmm I can surely get a discount from her lol. I took up the rest of my loot, did what I like to call my "razzle-dazzle" (seriously, I've got this down to a science) and got it for $20 bucks lol I could have gotten it cheaper, probably around $15, but hey, the money is for veterans and I don't want to take from them--- to much lol

The wicker two tiered number-- $2 bucks (has a tag on it from an antique store reading "Swedish Srensk B. Soljd" serving tray $25) The gold metal house--$1 buck (soon to be pink & glittery)

I got a lot of flowers & Christmas trees for $2 bucks

A lot of other things as well, all put away and forgotten already lol

Lastly, another photo of something that made me squeal~

A mouse outside my house--

in my bird feeder that I made awhile back. Look at how chubby he/she is! I think its getting fat off of the sunflower seeds! The photo is not that clear because I shot it through the sheer curtain & screen door... its cute, but... you know... eeeeeeeek!!