Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I've been feeling extra crafty lately...after all it is Christmas & the first one in our new home!

We have decorated our home for Christmas in red for the past several years...our tree has always had red and white lights, and I'm naturally drawn to red decorations.

I had an empty frame on the wall by my entry way, so I decided to make it all Christmas-y using only what I had in the house.

Here is the previous color of this frame:

I had some old burlap laying around, so I cut a piece of cardboard and a piece of burlap.

Simple, right?  Luckily, my 13-year-old knits, so she had some red yarn. 

I loved that red yarn!   & "JOY" is one of my favorite words for the season, sooo...

 

I just whip-stitched it, took about 10 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas! Celebrating Jesus' birth here in Northern Ohio!

 

Rustic Initial Crate

Love this old crate I found at a yard sale for $5...had to snag it and glad I did because the friend of the seller had her eye on it too...too late!

I knew right away that I wanted it to be a simple project involving burlap and white paint.

I dry brushed it (which took seconds) with antique white colored acrylic paint.

Burlap ribbon can be found at any craft or hobby shop now, but it is in demand, and I had to ask the employee for this...luckily, she found more in the back for me..it is 6" ribbon, makes a great table runner too!

Thennn...had one of my BFF's, Misty*(see below), use her Cricut to make me this awesome stencil of a cursive "L".....I love how it turned out!!!  Used black acrylic paint and a stenciling brush to apply it....IT'S TRUE!!!

Ok, so here is the finished product...such a simple project but I love it!!!

It'll be perfect to change for the seasons, can't wait to fill it with pumpkins & gourds soon!!

Tiff the Midwest Mess

*If anyone's wonderin' about Misty, she is the awesomest RAD/Surgery tech & she is an amazin' crafter in her spare time....she is a master "etcher" so if ya need anything etched for special occasion, LMK...It's true!

Turquoise Book Shelf

As a junker, every once in awhile, you find something that makes the Heavens open up and shine down upon you with a chorus of angels in the backround...this turquoise bucket of paint was just that find!
&...it was a mis-tint...$7.98!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy snap, I love it!

I had to put this stuff to work ASAP!
Found this book shelf at an estate sale for only $2!!!  It had the teacher's name and RM # carved into it. It started life as a dirty light blue, needed some TLC!


Sneaky Seargent creeping toward the newly black shelf...he can't resist a beautiful paint job!
Decided to paint it black, so when I distressed it, black would show through.

So I painted the turquoise over the black, then applied a stencil with craft paint.

My favorite part, distressing with the mouse sander.

 

So in the above shot, you'll notice that the stencil doesn't line up as it bends around the curve (as my awesome husband pointed out) . I did not mind at all! In fact I love it off-set!

Hmmmm....dreammmmy!

Ok, so do I sell it or keep it as a shoe shelf???

I Heart Tag Sales!

I am loving this summer weather here in Northern Ohio!  With it comes lots of great yard/estate/tag sales usually every Thursday-Saturday.

I try to get out each weekend, but limit myself to one morning visiting these sales or I'd bring home way to much!

I usually give myself a pretty tight budget too and spend less than $20 in a day, unless I would happen to find a large furniture item, which has proven unsuccessful this season so far.

This was one of my first finds of the season in May...it has a great story too!  I was browsing at a neighborhood sale, when I ran into a co-worker, this lamp was at her home...didn't even know she lived there!  Anyhoo...she told me that this very lamp was in the little gift store we both work at and she bought it years ago.  She had $10 on it and (without me even asking) gave it to me for $5!!! 

Should have taken a close-up, but it has chippy paint girls!

But...I need a shade for it!  Any ideas out there???  I'd like something unconventional, not store bought.

This will no-doubt go in my guest room which will also be decorated with momentos from our grandparents.

This was such a treat for me to find!  It is the Starflex Brownie vintage camera from the 60's...It has a Kodalite Midget Flashholder.
The owner had $10...I asked if he'd go $7 and he said that his wife said to not let anything go cheaper on the 1st day of the sale, to which I replied "Oh, I won't be able to make it tomorrow" ...(true story, I had to work)...he said "Oh go ahead and take it but don't tell my wife!"

It is for decor purposes only, but it's sooo cute!!!

LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!!!!  What can I say?...hand painted and bought for 50cents at an indoor estate sale...no doubt going in the guest room...just BEAUTIFUL! 

& ohhh yes, my Ham of a daughter! Wow, I thought Sarge the furry hound was the only one hamming for the cam! 

Ok I am diggin this crate!!! Aren't you?  $5, had to have it!

And look!  It already has holes drilled on the ends...I have big plans for this, but that's a whole other post!

Love this candle stick holder...never seen one like it, the base looks like an old coke bottle, but it's not.

For $1, I felt I needed it! Now I just need an old, drippy pioneer candle...any other ideas out there for it??

This is a tank cartridge crate from WWII...I bought this one for my husband and his hippy, eclectic man-basement...

 Really love the old hardware on it!

Unfortunately, the gentleman who sold it to me wrote "$5" on the end of it in magic marker...gonna need the sander!

So have you been adding???  These items altogether were only $23.50!!!!!  I am just that good! (& so modest about it too!)

What have you all been finding???

Lime & Lovin it!

Ok, so I'm sure you know where this idea came from, just sayin'...
But, I love it anyway!  Had this dresser for about 4 years or so, it originally came from a yard sale for $5.
It definitely needed either A) A New Life or 2) Put on the curb....
Do junkers ever really put anything on the curb???

Original form>

Yep, that's my hound...he's not camera shy...total ham!

So this was one of my 1st adventures in painting laminate, nasty stuff to work with!

Had to remove the drawer roller tracks on the inside.

I filled the screw holes with DAP and sanded smooth...not lovin' this sandpaper, need a new sanding block!

Absolutely HAVE to apply a primer over the laminate before you paint! 
I chose a spray primer for this project...I was kinda lax about it too since
it's just going in my daughter's room and she's not picky.

Even with the primer, this was very difficult to paint, I already had some green spray paint from
a desk I'd previously done, but I did have to purchase a few more cans.  It did not go on very
evenly...could be the wind...could be me...who knows?

Yes Sarge, we notice you!

I chose a retro-patterened fabric at a local craft store, it was the perfect combo of colors for my teenager's room!
The fabric was attached with spray adhesive...very interesting stuff to work with...word the the wise, move quickly once you spray! Then trim the edges with a razor blade.

Left the drawer in the bottom to use for shoes/accessories, could have put a shelf above it, but loved the exposed fabric I lined it with!

Because I have an affinity for junk, I collect little treasures such as this knob, just had it laying around the house, think it came off a cupboard years ago.

Love the chrome look of it for a more modern look...

What's missin'?  A clothing rod of course!  Found this great curtain rod at, you guessed it, a yard sale...notice the price...hehe>  Had to cut it with a jig-saw... Tiff + power tools = yay!

Went to the home improvement store where a lovely gentleman directed me to these closet-rod holders.

Of course they needed a paint job!

Very nice warehouse worker man then gave me a tip to glue those suckers down with some good adhesive

while screwing in for a better hold...I love to glue stuff...so ok!

And yes, I used a drill...

Not bad!

Had this trinket lying around from an estate sale, had to throw it on for some additional character and place to hang stuff.

While I'm not a great photographer, you can see the finished product!  Yippee!

disclaimer* While this project appeared to move quickly, it was actually several days of trial and error...as is normal for a person with junk-issues...