A thrifty find from the files of "Who Knew?"

I have this mental list of things I look for when I am out and about shopping. When I go to the grocery store I often (ok, always) buzz over to the home goods side of the store and check out the clearance racks. If I have a little extra time while I'm in town I swing by the Goodwill or Habitat ReStore to take a gander at what new items have popped up.

Some of the things I keep my eyes open for are creative storage pieces. Large, small, and anything in between. I pick up small baskets with straight sides as drawer dividers. I found an old dresser I spruced up to store extra place mats and table linens and candles near the dining room. I have learned that you can use just about anything in your decor - if it is useful or something you love, it works.

On a recent stop at Goodwill I was in the mood to dig. I'm not always. There could be treasures unknown at the bottom of a pile of plastic picture frames and old wooden coat hooks, and I have no problem leaving them for the next person. But that day something made me squat down to see what might be tucked in the back of a bottom shelf. There I found this:

It's glass.

It's Pyrex.

It's French.

And when I picked it up it was ... oh, less than sparkly clean. But it has all those little indentations and I pictured using it as a paint palette or as a little holder for jewelry - maybe rings and small earrings. Plus, I have this affinity for good, sturdy, clear glass. It goes with anything. What's not to love?

I thought the $2 price tag was a little steep for a second-hand item, but I liked it and was curious enough about it I decided to buy it. It took some searching on-line to figure out what it is.

I love teh Interwebz. Almost as much as I love thrifting.

My little jewelry sorter is actually an escargot plate. Snails! How fun is that?

Here's something even more fun: I've actually tried escargot. It wasn't bad. And the fact that I've eaten snails (well ... ONE snail) cracks my kids up.

An escargot plate. Who knew?

It's cool finds like this that make the search for thrifty treasures worth it.

Swapping out a light fixture.

I did it! I hung a light fixture. All by myself. And it works!

This is a big thing for me. I have this fear of anything having to do with electricity. I like being able to hit the switch and have the lights come on, but I don't really want to have anything to do with what happens within the walls to make it work.

Alas, my go-to guy (Steve) isn't around and the last thing I want to ask him to do when he finally gets some time at home is to hang a light fixture. (Although I did find out it's pretty uncomplicated, it just helps to have another set of hands to assist. Which I didn't.)

I've been on the lookout for lighting fixtures for ... ever. Our house is full of builder-grade brassy, cheap-looking fixtures and I'm tired of looking at them. But rather than spending hundreds of dollars for a bunch of new fixtures, I have kept my eyes open for fun, funky, used (or clearance priced) fixtures with character.

A few months back I bought this one at the Habitat ReStore:

I wasn't sure where it would end up, but I knew it would look better than any of the lights we had in the house. I purchased it with the idea that I would spray paint it, and once I decided where it would go I chose Rust-Oleum's Metallic Oil Rubbed Bronze.

$15! Not bad. Maybe not as great as a garage sale price, but certainly better than new. 

And yes, the glass really was that dirty.

Here is what I was replacing:

Looks safe, no?

And classy.

I don't even remember how long that "temporary" fixture has been hanging there. It's one of those things that we got used to, and it started blending into the background.

Well, NO MORE!

I luuuuurve this new light.

And though I can't say I am totally over my fear of working near electricity, I can at least tell you I will attempt a similar project again, with a little less trepidation.

Neat detail, huh? It has almost a Moroccan feel. I likey.

The glass cleaned up fine (but even if it hadn't I wouldn't care - I'd put the light up without it), the paint looks good (though I do have a couple touchups to do), and best of all the light actually worked when I turned it on.

I do have a couple of adjustments to make. The screws that came with the crossbar that attaches to the box in the ceiling weren't long enough, so I had to dig through my toolbox to find some replacements. They'll work for now, but if you look closely - in person, maybe not on the pics - you can see the canopy isn't quite flush with the ceiling. Definitely gotta' fix that. But overall, I think I did pretty good!

So now I can add something to my list of possible projects I can do myself. Win!

I have a love/hate relationship with dollar stores.

Particularly places like Dollar Tree where everything really is $1.

Last week at the lovely Dollar Tree I spent $5 (plus 30 cents tax) which meant I went home with ... you guessed it: five items.

Here's what I bought. Because I know you're dying to know what people buy at the dollar store.

1. A 3-pack of plastic ramekins (like what your mayo-on-the-side comes in at a restaurant). I bought some of these a while ago for the kids because they don't like their dipping sauces or ketchup or whatever touching their other food. Nevermind that they eventually dip said food into the sauce anyway. Listen, for $1 I found a way to avoid at least one dinnertime grumble, so I'm happy. They're also nice to portion out snacks so the whole bag of goldfish crackers doesn't get eaten in one sitting. Love.

2. Multiplication flashcards for Rachel. Because she had a homework assignment to make or buy some by Monday, and it was worth scrounging around for spare change to not have to make them. Love. Even if they do have Disney princesses on them.

3-4. Wire ribbon! In my favorite color blue ... and I love that the two rolls I picked up are winter-y instead of specifically Christmas-y so I can keep the bows I make with them up long after the holiday. Two dollars got me two different patterns, three yards each. Love.

5. Battery-powered lights. Love!

I've always wanted some sort of wreath or other door ornament with LIGHTS in it.
Here it's on the closet door in our entryway because when I put it on the front door the lights quit working.

I thought maybe it was the cold.

Pretty, huh? Ever since I was a kid I have loved to squint at the Christmas tree so the "focus" becomes the glowing lights ... and a blurry, but colorful background.

Am I the only one who does that?

Oh.

Anywho, those battery powered lights? Worked for about an hour after I brought them inside. Hate! Dislike very much!

Grrr. Stupid mass-produced-in-China pieces o' crap. Really. I should have known better. Not only did I waste a buck, now I'm contributing more junk to a landfill.

I have now created a rule about the dollar store: NO electronics.

I still love it though. Most of the time.

Are you a dollar store shopper? I'd love to hear about what you seek out ... or if browsing is just a time waster ... or if you avoid the places at all costs.

Easy peasy DIY: Spray-painted sconces.

I am constantly on the lookout for frugal finds that can add character to our home.

As if, considering the personalities who live in this house, we need any more character. But I digress.

I've gotten into the habit of stopping by a local thrift store or three on a weekly basis. I do things a little differently than many thrifters; instead of having a list of items I watch for, I have a mental list of spaces I am trying to brighten up and I stay open to using anything that might work for any of those spaces. It could be a mirror, a piece of furniture, picture frames (with photos, printed quotes, or even empty), old wood or containers repurposed in some creative way.

One of my recent  finds was this pair of sconces.

I picked them up at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore for $2 each.

  Nice little detail.

A little wood ... a little metal.

 A little rust, even.

 Now, before I show you what I did with them I just want to point out a few reasons I choose second-hand items whenever I can.

1. It keeps stuff out of the landfills, and that's important to me. I need to remind myself of this when I am disappointed by a rather hefty price tag on a thrift store item. ($5 for an old Mason jar with a glass lid? REALLY?) Often the prices are similar to those for which I could find an item NEW on clearance at Walmart. Sometimes I'll pass. Sometimes I really like the second-hand item and I will go ahead and buy it. It just depends.

2. It's cheaper. Nevermind what you just read above. When you get down to it, if I outfitted my home via a Pottery Barn catalog ... or even the JCPenney catalog, it would cost a small fortune. Buying most of our decor from thrift stores and garage sales (and yes, the occasional clearance rack) lets me stretch the budget a little further. Plus, it often means we're supporting a good cause, too.

3. Quality. Many of the things I pick up second-hand have been taken out of old houses or donated to Goodwill because they appear to be past their prime. Old. Outdated. I love it when I pick something up and there's some heft to it. I love it even more when I flip it over and see an old, faded sticker that says "Made in the U.S.A." (I like to find "USA" on new stuff, too.) Craftsmanship and quality just aren't as popular these days as cheap (inexpensive) and readily-available.

OK, ready?

Spray paint is our friend.

I particularly like the Krylon Fusion because it sticks to just about anything.

I didn't even sand these - just wiped them clean with a damp cloth.

Nice, huh?

And since I have about a bazillion places I could use them and haven't decided on their permanent placement yet, I swapped one out where I had easy access to a wall hanger, just to see it up on the wall.

(Forgive the photo quality - it's rainy and dreary this morning, so not much natural light.)

Simple, shiny black.

*Love!*

 Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

 Yes! They're gonna' need some bling!

Maybe a simple teardrop crystal hanging from the bottom tip.

Hmm ... I'm going to keep my eyes open.

I'll try to remember to post a picture when I get them up on the wall for realz. Just remember, spray paint is a quick, inexpensive, easy way to make something new! When you're shopping around for items to spruce up your home, don't cast something off because it's ugly. Try to imagine it cleaned up and with a fresh coat of black or white or teal or red or your-favorite-color paint.

Good stuff.

And TGIF! Enjoy your day, y'all.

Adventures in Domesticity.

I finally did it. I used tomatoes I grew in my own garden to make salsa, and then canned it.

Two whole pints.

Yes. TWO.

For years - YEARS - I have said I am going to learn how to preserve my own produce like my mom did. In summers past I have had bumper crops of various varieties but never had the time or energy to can it. This year I planted only enough vegetables for us to eat, with the possibility of maybe having a few extra tomatoes. Late in the summer I did share a baggy of grape tomatoes with my dad because I just couldn't eat 'em all, but I didn't think enough of the larger ones would ripen at the same time to make canning worth the effort.

Well. I ended up with a bowl full of romas in the kitchen that were screaming to be made into salsa, so last night I decided it was finally time to dust off the canning supplies I purchased last year.

Rachel gleefully served as my sous chef. She gathered ingredients, chopped garlic and cilantro, and measured out spices while I peeled and diced the tomatoes, jalapenos and onion.

We destroyed the kitchen. I fretted that I would miss a step or the timing would be off. The kids stayed up past their bedtime because I was too engrossed in de-ribbing hot peppers to march them off to bed. And I marveled at how the bowl of "stuff" headed for the scrap pile outside (where I will hopefully have a compost bin next spring) was more abundant than the good stuff piling up in the pot.

But oh, it will be so worth it when we pop one o' these babies open in the middle of January.

At least I hope it will be worth it. That's the thing about canning - you don't really know until it's time to try out the finished product, and that could be months down the road.

I can tell you last night my dry, cracked hands were not feeling the love. I'm too ornery to dig out a pair of gloves to wear while chopping jalapenos. Yes, I am one of those people who wrinkles my nose and waves off the warning in the Ball Book. "I don't need no stinking gloves!"

Eh, some advice? When working with hot peppers, find some gloves. Wear them. You can thank me later.

Also? If the activity immediately preceding your canning adventure had anything to do with leaving half your groceries stacked on the countertops, or washing dishes and leaving them stacked on the countertops, or unless your kitchen is the size of the Iron Chef's Kitchen Stadium, empty your sink and clear your countertops first. You're gonna' need the space.

Oh, two pints of salsa does not take up much room; it's the prep work. Washing, peeling, chopping, measuring. All that good stuff.

And don't make any appointments. Give yourself plenty of time. (Yeah, canning on a whim? Probably not my best choice, but it worked out OK.) I'm sure as I gain experience my process will be a little more streamlined, but dang! I was exhausted and in need of a shower by the time I pulled those jars out of the water bath. Since I was so exhausted, I did not take the time to clean up after myself before I shuffled off to bed ... so now it's time to do that. Olé!

We can't do everything.

The other day I was blog hopping and found a post from a mom who has gone scratch-cooking-gluten-free-no-sugar-and-I-can't-remember-what-else, and the gist of her post was this: we can't do it all. And ya' know what? She doesn't feel so bad about that.

It was a relief to read this from another mom. She has made the choice to feel good about the positive changes she and her family have made, and to not feel badly because they choose not to do other Potentially Really Good things. I totally dig that. Because for heaven's sake, who are these people who make us feel all sorts of guilty because we don't recycle our glass bottles or cloth diaper our children or make homemade bread from sprouted grains (whatever the hell those are)?

I read that particular post at the same time I was kicking around the idea of writing a sort of stream of consciousness post here. I thought I'd set a block of time, like "preparing dinner" and jot down every(unrelated)thing that came to mind while I did that one seemingly simple task.

Uhh. I decided my somewhat ADD self didn't need one more distraction while I'm cooking. But I couldn't get over the idea, so I thought I'd try a "virtual" stream of consciousness. (Does that even make any sense? Ha!)

OK. Imagine I'm making banana bread. Which I really am going to do today.

Here's what's happening in my head:

Banana bread. Good way to use up the bananas we didn't eat. Score one for not wasting food. Too bad we can't grow bananas closer to Michigan. That whole "eating local" thing. Too many bananas, need to double the recipe. Two cups times two is four cups. Rachel needs some help with her multiplication. Add flashcards to the shopping list. No, we have 3x5 cards, we'll make some. We don't need to buy things we can make ourselves or do without because eventually everything ends up in the trash. I wish we didn't create so much trash. I wonder how much of a difference it makes that we burn our paper instead of putting it in the trash. Definitely a good choice to toss all the fruit and veggie scraps outside instead of in the trash can. Maybe someday I'll actually have a compost pile again, to use on the garden. Deer ate it all last time; bad location. Deer ... I'm so proud of Sam for bagging his first buck. Venison will be back from the processor in a few days. I wish Steve was here 'cause he'd cut it up himself and save the cost of processing. But at least we have the cash to pay to have it done. We have the cash because Steve is working, and having a job is a good thing. Do I miss working? What am I talking about? I still work every day, just not "out there." I work for my family. Part of what I do is home cooking and making shopping lists and following a budget so we can live on one income. Add flour to the shopping list. I should probably start stocking up on baking supplies with the holidays coming. Lots of flour 'cause I want to try my hand at making pies. With crusts from scratch. How can I be 35 years old and never made a pie? There are moms out there teaching their 5-yr-olds how to make pies. Mmmm, apple pie. Do I have enough apples for pie? What are the best kind of pie apples? Note to self: look up pie recipes next time I get on-line. Or maybe I should forage for apples. We have lots of trees around here. Then they'd be free(!) and we all know the best kind of apples are free apples. I'll check into that. Even if they're not good for pie I can make some applesauce and freeze it. Freezers ... I really need to make an inventory of what's left in the freezers and make sure there's room for venison. Make sure to add cinnamon to the applesauce if I make it, 'cause Rachel loves cinnamon. I'd love some nuts in the banana bread but the kids don't care for nuts. Maybe some with chocolate chips and some with nuts? I should just make it how I like it and if the kids don't like it they don't have to eat it. But this is what I planned for an after-school snack. What time is it? Will these be out of the oven before the kids get off the bus? Hey! I bet I can find a flashcards app on my phone. I really need to cut back on the kids' TV time. Some people live without TV and survive just fine - better, even. So they say. Ah well, my kids love TV and it's a great reward after they do their chores. Chores? When was the last time I paid them for their chores? I need to make a new chore list. Maybe it should include helping make dinner. But I'm home all day, I can make dinner. And breakfast, too. I should do a menu plan and do once-a-month cooking. Then we'd definitely need freezer space. Where's the damn dog? On my bed again. I give up! She needs a bath, though. Has she had her heartworm medicine this month? Check the calendar. Crap. School pictures coming up. Another check to write. What a racket. I really want to have family pictures taken sometime. I'd like to lose some weight first, and I'll never do that if I eat this banana bread. 'Cause I like mine with a lot of butter. But it's so much better than buying boxes of snack foods at the store; at least I know exactly what goes into this bread. Sugar. Like my kids need more of that. Maybe we should try cutting back. I can't control what they do when they're not here, though, so they're gonna' get sugar anyway. What time is it? They'll be home an an hour and a half. Should I be driving them to school? I'm not crazy about some of the things they hear on the bus. But it would be crazy to use all that gas when they can ride the bus for free. Man, I really wish I had a stand mixer. Definitely need to invest in one before we start making our Christmas cookies this year. Gotta' stock up on those supplies. Wouldn't it be fun to do a cookie exchange with some girlfriends? I'd really like to have a get-together. Need to do some cleaning, though. Put spray bottles on the shopping list so when I use up all the cleaning supplies I have I can make my own. Natural cleaners are a good thing. But I'm not crazy about the smell of vinegar. What's that candle over there? I should swap out summery scents with fall scents. I like these candles that are made in the USA. Pumpkin pie candles make me want pumpkin pie ... hmmm ... maybe I can teach myself how to make pumpkin pie. And make several, and put them in the freezer, for the holidays, when we'll be making cookies, and budgeting so we don't spend too much on stuff we don't need, and I'll be using that new mixer (hopefully) to whip up some bread dough but I'll be damned if I'll use sprouted grains. I can't do it all! Oooooh, warm banana bread.

And it goes on like this all. day. long.

Aren't you glad you're not inside my head? You'd probably get motion sick, or at least a little dizzy.

I hope all that blather helps me demonstrate a few things.
1. We can't do it all. Most of us have to make choices about how we're going to contribute to saving the planet and/or humanity. Are we going to go "green" with our choices in building materials, household cleaners, transportation, food consumption? Are we going to become activists for wildlife? Are we going to focus on the political aspect and encourage others to only elect leaders who make the environment and/or high moral values their focus? Will we homeschool our children? Start a farming co-op? Fight the power?

2. Parenting is tough. Mom, dad, single, married, co-habitants, alone, surrounded by family and friends, whatever. It's hard. A few years ago I flooded a social worker with questions upon questions about raising children and you know what I was told? Just the fact that I was thinking about how I parent and questioning some of these things was a pretty good indicator that I'm a good parent. Whew. Hello, validation. My children are fed and clothed and have a roof over their heads. And they eat red meat. And boxed cereal and chicken nuggets. And they drink Kool-Aid and juice boxes sometimes. And milk! And I don't make them wear bicycle helmets. But I let them use power tools and occasionally drive my pickup down the driveway. I say "I" because for the most part I do the parenting while Steve is away. *shrug* I think we're doing fine.

3. Perfectionism can be incapacitating. I like to call myself a recovering perfectionist. In the past, if I didn't have time to do something perfectly (or whatever my vision of perfect was), I wouldn't even get started. Dieting, hanging pictures on the wall, writing a letter, folding towels ... any number of things I wouldn't do because I didn't have the time or energy to make it perfect. I have learned that it's OK to do some things "good enough" and save the pickiness (is that even a word?) for the things that really matter to me. Bonus: this has freed me from being judgmental of others' imperfections. *ahem* Mostly. What can I say? I'm a work in progress.

4. Don't take it personally. If I don't see you stopped next to me at the light, or I don't look up from my list when you walk by me in the grocery store, I'm probably having one of those stream-of-consciousness moments. Go ahead and nudge me. (Well, not with your car, but tapping me on the shoulder in the grocery store is alright.) I might just appreciate the escape from my own brain.

Aaaaand, this seems like the perfect spot to stop rambling for the day! At least publicly. Rest assured it will continue in my head. And I really do need to get baking. Ciao for now!

Fluffing the nest.

It's the first day of autumn!

Do you know what that means? Mmm. Nothing, really. But since the weather has been very autumn-like, I have begun that fall "nesting" thing. This time of year is when I start doing more cooking and baking and I look for ways to make our home a little cozier ... the afghans all get fluffed up in the dryer and draped over living room chairs ... I stock up on teas and hot cocoa mix and yummy coffee (bonus! because Sam is selling coffee packets for a school fund-raiser this year) ... the candles smelling of pumpkin pie and apple cider and fall leaves come out.

It's also the time of year I look around the house and think to myself, "Whoa. I really let this place go over the summer, didn't I?"

Some weeks ago I was bemoaning to my mother the fact that I hadn't found taken the time to mop my kitchen floor all summer. Ya' know what she told me? She hadn't either! "I can do that when it's too cold to go outside," she said. "It's summer and I've got things to do."

I felt marginally better.

But now that the air is a little more crisp most days I'm spending more time indoors and definitely seeing all those little things that need doing. Like the pile of dog hair that has gathered under the breakfast table and might grow legs if I don't vac it up pretty soon. And the rug by the front door that is so awesome at capturing sand from our shoes? Yeah. I think somebody somewhere is missing the sand in their sandbox.

Beyond some of the basic cleaning tasks, I would love to bring out some fall-ish decor. I'm not into holiday-specific decorations (except for Christmas) so whatever I use has to be ... well ... useful. Or at least have some staying power because whatever I bring out now will be around until Thanksgiving.

While I surf the Web for inspiration I can't help thinking don't these people have dust in their houses?

Or pets?

Take a suggestion from Martha Stewart, for instance:

 Beautiful mantel decor with a wreath of feathers and leaves.

This would last about 42 seconds in my house.

Well. I don't have a mantel, but that's beside the point. CATS! I do have cats. And they would have this arrangement scattered hither and yon in no time. 

Here's an idea from Better Homes and Gardens:

It's a cute way to add some color to an entryway, or wherever.

Again with the animals. Is my dog the only dog that would be gnawing on those gourds?

Or do I just have the most ill-mannered pets on the planet?

I do love the mums, though. Mums are always good.

One more, from Country Living:

Gorgeous centerpiece.

Two thoughts:

1. Dust

2. Kids

I'm envisioning flying pine cones. Dusty, flying pine cones.

I know, I'm such a buzzkill. I'm generally not the type of person to look for reasons not to do something, but I do look for ways to streamline our days. Dusting gourds and rounding up errant feathers is not on my list.

So I'm still on the lookout for easy, inexpensive fall decorating ideas. I'm going to "shop" my own house a little today and swing by the dollar store and thrift stores while I'm out running errands. And then I'm gonna' come home and finally mop that kitchen floor and do some decorating.

A sweet little 'before & after' in the entry.

The entryway in our house was one of the first areas I painted after we moved in. I didn't think much about the paint color beyond wanting something that a) was relatively neutral, and b) hid all the little toddler fingerprints.

A tan color called Sheepskin accomplished both, but I didn't take into account the color of the closet door and trim which ended up blending into the paint. So the entryway has always been rather blah and not at all a reflection of the cottagey style I've grown into.

But at least it hid the fingerprints.

The other issue I've had with the entryway is I've tried to corral the entry "activities" there with a chair for putting on and taking off shoes, a place to put said shoes, a place to hang/store coats, jackets, the dog leash, and drop keys and mail.

Oh, and if I could make it feel welcoming when visitors enter our home, all the better.

I think it's been a decor and functionality fail. Even my own family wouldn't use the chair; they'd grab their shoes and walk through the living room to sit on the couch and put their shoes on. Umm, HELLO??

So the entry has been my latest project. I decided to re-paint it with the lighter tan (or is it beige?) I used for the hallway and kitchen, and I've been keeping my eyes open for a small table I could tuck into a corner with a lamp and maybe a dish or basket for odds and ends.

At the same time, I've been helping my mom and aunt clear out my late grandma's house in preparation for selling it. While hauling some stuff out to the garage the other day I found this tall, slim piece of furniture stuck in a corner of the garage.

Perfect! I asked my mom if I could take it. And if I got it home and it wasn't perfect for the entryway I would make it work someplace else in the house. Five drawers! How could I pass up the opportunity for more storage?

You can probably see this piece had a hefty layer of varnish on it. What you can't see is how it smelled like moth balls.

It seriously smelled like moth balls.

I took all the drawers out and left the whole thing sitting outside in the sun all day, which took care of most of the smell.

And then I sanded it. I despise sanding with a passion, but I wanted to paint this baby and nothing was gonna' stick to that.

My paint of choice?

I have this thing for Flat White lately because I tried it on one piece of furniture and loved it. I should buy it by the case.

Anywho ... ready?

Piece of furniture: free (spiders and all ... *shudder*)
Two cans of spray paint: $7
Another can of spray paint for good measure: $3.50
5 new brassy-looking knobs:  $15 (Totally worth it.)
Total: $25.50

 *Swoon!*

I think this piece must have been part of a larger set because one side was unfinished and had holes in it like it was screwed to another piece. I don't care. And I'm going to have to take it back outside on another sunny day and let it air out a little more because there's still a hint of moth ball smell when you open the drawers. But that's OK because I love it! (The furniture, not the smell.)

We now have a place to store extra hats and mittens within the kids' reach instead of in a box on the closet shelf, which in turn frees up closet space for bulkier items like sleeping bags and whatever else needs a home.

I also love how a prettied-up piece of furniture and a lamp make this space feel like part of the rest of the house instead of a doorway to hurry through to get to someplace more comfortable.

(Yeesh. These pictures are not the best quality but you get the point, right?)

I'm still working on collecting some items for the other walls in the entryway, but this little makeover has given me some wicked cool inspiration. I love it!

Fun with fabric.

I have been a pillow-making fool this week.

Yes, excitement abounds in the Pipe Life household. *groan*

Why pillows? Well if you watch any DIY home decorating shows on TV, what do they always use to add "pops of color" or "texture" to a room? Pillows!

I've been slowly-but-surely working on cozying-up a couple spaces in our home and those spaces were begging for more interest. I get a lot of inspiration from fabrics in various colors and patterns, but if I bought enough to make drapes out of all the ones I liked I'd go broke. So rather than just drool over them in the store, I buy a yard or two so I can take the inspiration home and find a way to use it. Pillows are easy to sew, the kids enjoy stuffing them, and I get some added interest in my decor without breaking the bank.

What makes the Sit Here To Take Off Your Shoes chair more appealing?

A pillow!

 Don't you just want to squish your lower back into that cuteness and relax for a sec?

I cannot tell you how much I adore this fabric right now.

 *Love!*

 What makes the little conversation corner more inviting?

Pillows!

Oh, and formerly very lodgey-looking red and green plaid cushions recovered in something bold and fun.

Boring, slip-covered couch? *shrug*

Looks much better with pillows!

I made seven pillows - let's call them "custom" because that makes them sound very important - for less than $30. I've looked at pillows in department stores and the ones I like are $15-$30 each. EACH! Seems like I got a pretty good bargain, eh?

I would have given you a how-to play-by-play here but a) I didn't take pictures while I was working, and b) I am not someone you want to take sewing lessons from. I pretty much fly by the seat of my pants when it comes to sewing. Pillows are easy, though, so if you're considering ideas for sprucing up your place, check out your favorite fabrics shop (or find the fabrics section of Walmart) and be inspired!

On the search for lighting.

We have a lighting issue in this house. The fixtures that were here when we moved in were (and still are) functional, but are cheap and ugly.

Not even the kind of ugly that could pass for retro or vintage. Think 1970's trailer park kind of ugly. And where there isn't something cheap and/or ugly, we have no light.

So I've been on the lookout for lamps and other lighting fixtures. This is not my forte, but I figure it doesn't take much talent to find something better than this:

I have hated this brassy beauty in our dining room since Day 1. I dislike it so much I've blocked it out of my brain; I don't even see it anymore when I look in that direction.

Until some random point when I do see it, and then I become obsessed with replacing it.

But my frugal nature won't allow me to just pop into Lowe's and pay $150 for a new chandelier. So I've been scavenging local thrift shops in hopes of finding someone else's castoff that I can recycle and spiff up for my own home.

The fun thing about shopping thrift stores is you can find all kinds of other cool stuff on your way to finding what you're actually looking for. Not great for hoarders. Great for people like me who have a mental list of items I'm keeping an eye out for.

Last week I stopped at our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore. I did not find any sort of lighting fixture I couldn't live without. I did, however, find a neat old picture frame I'll show you later.

I also took a few minutes looking over a set of lighting fixtures that were cool enough I decided to take pictures in case I figured out some way to use them in my home.
 

I'm guessing these are leaded glass. They're pretty heavy, and the glass has a detailed pattern. I wonder how much light they give off.

And I wonder if I could think of any other way to use these globes, other than as light fixtures. They're just so cool!

I didn't buy them. But if someone more creative than I (which doesn't take much) can give me any ideas, I'd go back and snatch 'em up if they're still there.

Anybody?

Or am I fooling myself and these are the ugliest things you've ever seen?

 

I'm in love with The Graphics Fairy.

Ever stumble upon a web site and immediately fall in love and think "how did I not know this existed?!?"

No?

Perhaps you don't surf as much as I do. No matter.

I found one of those awesome-where-have-you-been-all-my-life web sites last night.

Check out The Graphics Fairy when you have a minute. Make that many minutes. If you have a particular interest in vintage-y looking stuff and you're looking for some help with an artsy project, you might want to set aside an afternoon.

Seriously. It will suck you in. I've already been going a little crazy with the virtual bookmarks this morning, and I'm not even into the "vintage" look. But I'm finding all kinds of cool stuff to print out and use in a little display I'm pulling together for a wall in our front room.

It has a butterfly theme. Sorta.

I'm having a hard time deciding between this piece with the gorgeous butterfly wings and this piece with the gorgeous butterflies and moths and some fat ol' caterpillars. I'm leaning toward the second one. But oooooh, there are so many others to consider and they're all free(!!) and so easy to print off to create instant art!

I'm gonna' need more ink.

The dresser makeover.

I found this little gem at a garage sale last summer.

Actually I found both of those gems - the dresser and the lamp - but today I'm going to tell you about the dresser.

Consider it a Valentine's Day love story.

It was obvious the dresser had been well-loved at some point, but she was looking pretty shabby by the time I found her (yes, I've taken to calling the dresser "her" because I saw some personality there right from the start) under a bunch of other junk in the back of a poll barn.

I imagined a father or grandfather carefully cutting and sanding and gluing the pieces together in some bygone era.

And then staining the wood a dark, rich brown. Because yes, under a layer each of (probably lead-based) blue and green paint, there were drips of wood stain.

I had dreams of grandeur. Of restoring this piece to her original beauty. Or better.

Actually, I was just looking for a little more storage near the dining room and this sad-looking, dusty, musty-smelling relic had the perfect bones.

Turning this baby from her current state into a simple, cheerful, cottagey-type chest of drawers would require some fresh paint. I carefully considered several options, but in the end I chose the color I had originally planned on using. Can you guess which one?

 

Oh, and somewhere in the process of peeling off those old layers of paint and revealing a beautiful wood grain on the top of the dresser, I heard a voice in my head. 

"You want to paint that? You're not going to paint that are you?"

 

And so I relented. I left some of the wood bare and stained it, then primed the rest of the dresser for paint.

The stain actually looks pretty decent here, right?

Well let me tell you, I hated it. I painted the rest of the dresser in the color I chose and I hated how it looked with the stain. I had a vision in my head of what I wanted and that wasn't it. And there was no way I was going to live with something I didn't like just to save the look of some wood grain.

Someday when I sell this piece at a garage sale, the next owner can curse me for the layers upon layers of paint I put on it.

But I don't see myself parting with this baby anytime soon.

 

Orange! I painted it orange. Dutch Boy's Bouncing Ball, to be exact. 

And I LOVE IT!

 

I painted the insides of the drawers with the white primer to smooth them out and brighten them up a little. I also put a layer of orange on the sides of the drawers because they don't fit quite perfectly and I didn't want the imperfections to be really obvious when the drawers are all closed.

In a last minute wild card decision, I even decided to paint the rusty old casters a glossy white. My other option was to cut them off, but I decided the fact that the wheels are wood adds a little charm.

This photo washes out the color of the piece, but shows the cute pewter knobs I found at Lowe's on clearance for $1.02 each! They weren't what I originally had in mind, but a sweet clearance price made me fall in love with them.

So I took it from this:

 

 To this:

 

From this:

 To this:

Ain't she purty?

What you don't see here is what a time-consuming job this turned out to be. And what a complete mess I created in our front room (because we don't have a garage or basement, and I couldn't go outside in the snow). It was a little more than I bargained for, but definitely worth the effort. I ended up replacing the bottoms of two of the drawers with some wood glue and an inexpensive, thin sheet of wood from Home Depot (I asked and they took me right to the stuff I needed) that I was able to score and snap myself.

I used an eco-friendly paint stripper that I could use indoors. I ended up buying a second can because the paint on the top of the dresser was pretty stubborn ... and I am not patient enough to let the stuff sit and do its magic. For the pieces I sanded (the fronts of the drawers) I wore a dust mask because I really don't know how old the thing is and I wasn't interested in inhaling any more lead dust than necessary. Safety first, ya' know. When the weather outside hit ... oh ... maybe 27 degrees, I cracked the windows open just for good measure. That was a must on the day I applied the doomed-to-fail stain.

All in all I invested about $60-$70 in this project, and I'm good with that. I bought the dresser for $22, two cans of paint stripper, a quart of primer (and I have some left), a quart of paint (and I have a little left), and the knobs. I'm not counting the stain, the paint rollers, or anything else I can now consider part of my general decorating/sprucing up stash.

And of course, I can't put a price on my time. I'm guessing if I scrunched together all the hours I worked on this it would add up to a good three days' worth. I'm totally happy with that. I luuurve this piece! I'm doing my best to be patient and give it a good week to get really really really dry before I leave the drawers closed and actually set something on top.

Did I mention how much I *heart* this ORANGE chest of drawers?

I did?

Well then. Happy Valentine's Day!