Thrifting Makes Me Happy :)

I was finally able to go thrifting the other day with my mom.  I have been extremely disciplined in not spending any money right now and utilizing the things I've already bought and stashed away.  And it has been so hard to stay away from the thrift stores!  But since I start my new job on Monday we absolutely had to squeeze in one more day out. 

I started off by finding this wood giraffe.  He was $5 but so cute, and I couldn't leave him there.

He matches my living room decor so I think he'll look pretty cute nestled up on top of the armoire... where evil toddler hands can't reach and destroy him!



Then I found this totally cool candle lamp.  I think that's what they're called.  You can't tell by the picture, but this thing is BIG and HEAVY!... and was only $15.  I still need to find a home for it and then I can decide how to paint it.

I love these little spice tins that I scored for a couple bucks.... I'm working them into the ensemble for my new kitchen hutch. 

Also going in the hutch is this cute rooster picture and plate stand.

And my most recent find is this awesome old fire pit.  I picked this up at a yard sale for $2.  Yep that's right only $2 for all of it!  My husband took dibs on this project.  So that's cool with me.  One less that I'll need to worry about! LOL!





So many reasons why thrifting makes me happy!  It's addicting too.  But I think I'll be good for a while..... at least until I start getting a few paychecks!

I'm wrapping up some other projects I've been working and will have lots to share in the next couple weeks.  Have a great weekend and Happy Thrifting!

Thrifty Spring Planting Idea's by Guest Blogger

Hello! I'm Jennifer's Mom Marie.  Her computer crashed last week and is still in the shop.  She asked me to let you know that she'll be back online next week. In the meantime, she wanted me to post a couple of my thrift store finds and what I like to do with some of my unique treasures.  I've never blogged before, so here goes!  I'm also a thrift store junkie and have been going for... well lets just say a very long time, long before it became so popular.

I pick up ornamental birdcages for a few bucks when I can find them and love to put a fern or other happy trailing plant in them using unusual pots that I find on my travels.  I have some inside year round and also use them outside during the summer, they look pretty cute on my front porch, deck and patio.









Most seem to have some sort of rather ugly fake dusty plant in them.

Guess that used to be popular?





This cute cage was stuffed full of this artificial plant, which camouflaged it so well it made it almost impossible to see the detail in the cage.  Must be why nobody else saw it's potential and passed it by.  



I'm planning on painting it a lovely rust color. I love Rust! But that's a whole nother story! I'll need to get some tips from Jen on her painting techniques.





I love how this thrift store rustic pot turned out planted with a happy Spearpoint Ivy that will fill out with time. It made the perfect Birthday gift for my daughter-in-law.

Sitting on a metal rusty plant stand really seem to compliment one another.

For some reason I've been on a kick lately of collecting old teapots and kettles to plant outside this spring. I scored some really good deals on eBay and from our local thrift stores.  I have several ideas of what I'd like to do with them, now I just need some ambition and warmer weather to put my plans in action.  I'm thinking of hanging them from rustic plant hangers mounted on a 6' weathered, distressed post so they tip like they are pouring from their spouts with carefree flowing flowers.  Unless I can make them into a solar powered fountain, that could be an entertaining project.  Or perhaps just hang them on my old wooden fence or set them on an old tree stump.  Since they are metal they will get pretty hot in direct sunlight, so I will have to keep that in mind where I place them and also what types of plants will survive in them.  We've had an unusually long cold winter and wet snowy spring, so I'm extremely anxious to get outside.  I have lots of garden projects waiting for me! If they turn out I'll have Jen post them.  Thanks for looking!

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Recent Thrifty Finds

It's no secret that I love to shop at thrift stores for my home decor.  I get such a rush when I score something totally cool for almost nothing.  These past few weeks were pretty good to me too... so here are a few of my recent thrifty finds.


I SCORED this hutch for my kitchen off our local classifieds for only $25.  I had been looking for one for quite a while and they were either too far away to drive and pick up, or too much money.  So I pounced on this as soon as I saw it.

I can't wait to refinish it and get it in my new kitchen!

Next up, I found this really cool wall decor piece.  I'm not sure what it's made out of... but it has a carved detail to it.  The price tag said $15, but it has a small hairline crack in it so I talked them down to only $10.  SCORE!

Lastly, this cute little wall picture caught my eye... and when I saw the $0.75 price tag I said "that's mine!".  

What's funny is I saw this same piece at my friend's house when we had Bonko a couple weeks ago.  (Yes it's Bonko, not Bunco, but that's another story).  Anyway, I told her I found the same thing at the DI for $0.75 and she couldn't believe it.... she paid $25 for hers!  But her home is absolutely gorgeous and she definitely has good taste.... and a talent for DIY projects.  I'll have to get some photos from her to show you.

But like I said before, I love a great deal and good decor doesn't have to cost a fortune.  Happy Thrifting!

Thrifty Finds

Well, I don't have a project for you today.  Actually the one I was going to post FAILED big time!  You know when you have a great idea and get to work on it.  Then it turns out totally different than you imagined.  Or one of your family members makes a comment on it and totally ruins it for you?  Okay, so you do feel my pain :)

Anyway, rather than starting on something else yesterday I decided to go thrifting with my sister-in-law and her girls.  It was a lot of fun... and I got some great deals.  Here are some of my finds:





Do you love the 70's wallpaper in the back ground?

 


I found this great big metal star for only $1.50!  A couple of old looking pots for $1 each..... this cute red frame for only 50 cents, a little wooden toy box for my sons room (it was $3 but I couldn't resist).... Then these scrolly metal things for $2 each.  Not sure what I'll do with them yet, but I know I'll find a place for them!

Then I SCORED these super heavy metal candlesticks.  They were a little pricey in my book at $4 each.  But they have some killer potential.

This lamp is pretty cute, but I have plans to revamp it into something different.  It was only $5.

I think I found some great stuff... and didn't pay a lot (I think I got out of there for under $25).... and now I'll have some super cool projects to show you.  HOPEFULLY!  Since I failed my last one I'll have to redeem myself.  Stay tuned!... and have a great weekend! 

2 For 1 Friday! ~ DIY/Thrifty Finds For Under $10

Part 1 ~ DIY How to hang a shelf


If there's one thing I hate more than anything, it's hanging a picture or shelf with keyholes (or asking my busy husband to help me do it when I just want to do it myself). So I've come up with a fairly easy way to get it done without a bunch of measuring.

First things first, get your tools lined out. You will need a level, cordless drill with a Phillip's head screw bit, a drywall drill bit (size depends on your anchors), drywall anchors with coordinating screws (make sure these fit in the keyholes before hanging), painters tape, a hammer, stud finder, and a piece of paper of some sort.







I found this cute little shelf (at the DI of course) and it had 4 keyholes on the back.













Basically all I did was make a template of the back of the shelf. Line your paper evenly across the top and tape it on. Locate the screw holes and puncture them to create the template. Easy right! Then carefully lift the paper off and tape it up on the wall. Use your level to ensure it's straight. Then just mark where the holes will go on the wall.











Making the template on back side of shelf










Next, use your stud finder to determine if there are any studs where your holes will be drilled. (I skipped this part cause it was like 5:30 in the morning and way too cold to go outside and look for it in our MESSY tool box). Anyway, then use the drywall drill bit and pre-drill your holes. Tap in your anchors where needed and insert the screws part way.












To attach the shelf, tip it up and align the keyholes with the screws, tip it back down until the screws insert into keyholes, then slide it down until it's firmly in place. (Sorry there's no picture of this part.... couldn't hold the camera and the shelf at the same time!... I'm good, but not that good LOL!) If the keyholes are not aligning with the screws, you can remove the 2 inner screws and just leave the outer ones in place - (with the drywall anchors in place, 2 should be strong enough to hold the weight of whatever you are placing on top of the shelf, and if you're screws were level, the shelf will hide the other 2 holes, make sense?). Check to make sure it's level. If not, make your adjustments and realign. Tip: shove a little bit of toilet paper in a keyhole that is deeper than the others. That's it! Yay!








Part 2 ~ Thrifty Finds









Here's the fun part! Of course I love finding deals at the DI... but this just goes to show that you can decorate on a budget, it just takes a little searching and imagination. This ensemble cost me less than $10. No joke! Everything came from the DI or was free! Here's a breakdown.


The shelf I just installed was only $2. It was probably donated because it was a project gone wrong for somebody else. Unfortunately I don't have any before pics... but it had gobs and drips of yellow paint all over it. So I removed what I could of their awful mess, and applied a coat of black paint I already had. Then I just sanded it in a few places to distress it and sealed it with shellac I also already had. EASY! Total cost, $2!


This is the ultimate Trash to Treasure... Free vase! - I got this little tube in the mail from Staples which had some promotional items in it for a new local store. So I just took off the shipping label, adhered some scrap booking paper I had and used some twigs from my backyard to create a vase. Total cost, FREE!








The letter C (for Create, or Carter...or Cool, cause I'm cool!) came from the DI and again, I just used some black paint and scrap booking remnants I already had to doll it up. Total cost, $1!


Then lastly the clock was only $5 and the Believe sign was 50 cents. Grand total, $8.50!

Addicted to Thrifting

As many of you out there, I am addicted to thrifting. Maybe it's the thrill of the hunt, finding that one of a kind piece, or scoring something awesome for almost nothing. Well I must say that it's definitely catching on. You can't go into a DI these days without a crowd of vultures waiting to pounce on the new carts as they roll out. Okay, so I'm totally guilty of doing that too... how do you think I get so many great finds! hahaha! But aside from thrift stores, there are ways to get great deals on new merchandise from those expensive home decor stores. I always shop the clearance racks. It is a rare day when I pay full price for anything. Mostly because I know I can get it for less. Even if it's something that I don't "need" at the time, if I like it and it's drastically marked down, I'll get it... cause I know I can always find a home for it someday. And it's a good idea to ask the department manager when they mark down their items so you can get the cream of the crop. Not only that, but it pays to ask for additional mark downs if an item is in less than perfect condition and isn't being sold as-is. Another great resource are the local classifieds. I've found some amazing deals (one of which will soon be featured) for way less than retail. Yes some of these are definitely projects waiting in the wings... but if you have to paint, stain or tweak an item or two, it then becomes your very own thrifty creation. Here are just a few samples of some of my recent finds. All of these came from the DI except the wooden globe lantern. I'm proud to say I got this for less than $5 at a local craft store. It was originally $40 marked down 60% off, but the glass piece was broken inside so I asked for another discount and she didn't hesitate. YES! I love those kinds of deals... I am addicted to thrifting!