For the Love of it

30A Style - A Book of Beach Houses

2012-02-17T14:20:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to learn I've won a signed copy of the book 30A Style over at Flea Market Trixie.

Stylist Lynn Nesmith and photographer Jean Allsopp do photoshoots for Cottage Style magazine.

Their book highlights gorgeous beach homes in the historic communities and new towns along the scenic highway 30A, located in northwest Florida in the Gulf of Mexico.

If you'd like to purchase a copy go the 30A Style Website to order.

Bench Redo

2012-02-14T12:28:00.001-08:00

I picked up this bench at a yard sale last spring for $5. I've tried repeatedly to sell it at shows and on craigslist but didn't have one bite. I didn't want to reduce the price under $30 so I gave it a makeover. It was hard to take it apart knowing how long it must have taken someone to do that needlepoint. I was somewhat justified in refinishing it since it sagged really badly.

When I removed the bottom cover I discovered the webbing was falling apart. It was full of grass. This baby is old.

I sanded, primed, painted and distressed the frame. I redid the webbing and added two layers of quilt batting. Then I reupholstered it with a painter's dropcloth. I had a very old piece of ticking I used for the pleated ruffle around the bottom. It is so fresh and updated now.

I'm linking to Primp Your Stuff Wednesday.

A Pair of French Grainsack End Tables

2012-01-30T09:20:00.001-08:00

I picked up two french style end tables at a yardsale for $5 each. This one looked like it had slight water damage on top. The finish was rough and it had a couple cracks were the wood had split. I filled the cracks with wood putty then sanded the top smooth. I also removed the shell cutout on the front of each table. Other than that they are solid construction and the draweres have dovetail joints. They are built very well.

It was too cold to spray them outside and I didn't want to have to sand them. I decided to try the chalk paint recipe I've seen around blogland. I mixed 1 cup of flat latex paint and 1 tbsp white nonsanded grout and started painting. They turned out great and love how easy the chalkpaint is to work with. It adhered very well to the unsanded finish. Then I stenciled the tops to look like a vintage grainsack and sprayed the handles oil rubbed bronze. Love how they turned out.

Not bad for $5 each.

I'm linking to Furniture Feature Friday, February's Before and After Party, Primp Your Stuff Wednesday, Transformation Thursday and Frugal Friday.

A Hidden Treasure

2012-01-18T12:40:00.000-08:00

I've added several more vintage suitcases to my collection over this past summer. I bought all of them at yard sales. I paid from $1 to $8 each. Bargains. I tried them in several rooms in different arrangements and decided I liked them best grouped together in the living room.

They were empty and merely decorative until recently. When I was taking my fall decorations down I decided to store them in these suitcases instead of three totes in the garage. I always hate digging in the garage to get to my seasonal decor. My husband especially liked that they are actually functional as well as decorative.

As I was packing stuff away I looked in one of the pockets and found a yellowed card with a quote on it. I began to wonder who did this suitcase belong to? Was it a man or woman? What was their life like? Where did they live? I can envision someone sitting at an old typewriter typing this up.

It really made my day and got me thinking. It makes me value my old suitcases a little more.

I'm linking to Primp Your Stuff Wednesday, Frugal Friday, and Weekend Wonders

Holiday House - A Barn Sale

2011-12-09T14:54:00.000-08:00

Saturday, November 19th, my friend, Stacy, and I hosted our very first barn sale. We held it in her large shop just outside of town. We had tons of painted furniture, vintage items, home decor, and Christmas decor. It was lots of hard work but it was fun seeing her shop be transformed. Despite all the snow we had a steady stream of customers and sold a lot of stuff. We think it was worth the effort. Here are lots of pictures!!!!

All of the furniture you see below was painted and refinished by the two of us over the past couple months except a few chippy antique pieces that were already perfection.

We made lots of german glass glitter letters and word garlands.

We made vintage sheet music wreaths and ornaments.

And the day of. Full of customers.

For our first ever very own show I think it was a success.

I'm linking up with Primp Your Stuff Wednesday.

Duncan Phyfe Table and Lyre Back Chairs

2011-11-11T20:59:00.000-08:00

I picked up a small duncan phyfe dining table and two lyre back chairs at our local thrift store last week. The table was $7 and the chairs $1 a piece. To say they needed some tlc is an understatement. The joints on the chairs were loose so I spent a good hour glue, clamping, and repairing them.

One was upholstered in green and cream stripes and the other was red with cream swirls. The fabric was filthy. This is after the chairs were repaired and sanded.

The table base and top were also sanded.

Then I sprayed them with black paint in an eggshell finish. This is always the easy part. It took me about 10 minutes to spray everything. I was fortunate to get a warmer day to paint outside last week.

And after three hours work here is the finished product!!!

I used scraps from a painter's drop cloth for the fabric on the chairs. Then I used masking tape to tape off and paint the stripes and stenciled on the laurel wreath and year. I wanted them to look like they were recovered with an old grain sack.

Wish I had room to keep them!!!

I'm linking to Primp Your Stuff Wednesday, Furniture Feature Friday, and Frugal Friday

Another Vintage Scale!!!

2011-10-26T20:04:00.000-07:00

I was at a friend's house a few days ago and saw this scale sitting on her table. She was just getting ready to go to a show on the weekend and was going to take this scale to sell in her booth. I absolutley loved everything about it and bought it from her. I have never seen one like this before. I love the patina, the wood top, the lettering on the side.....everything. It is large too. And for $40 I couldn't pass it up.

It resides on the "new" dresser I added to the living room. It really compliments and helps break up all the

white. A friend was at my house last night and spied it sitting there. She asked if it was for sale. I told her this was a keeper for me. My collection of scales is now at four!!!

I'm linking up with Show and Share Day

A Beachy Dresser Redo

2011-10-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

I purchased this dresser off Craigslist for $40. It looked good in the picture below but the finish was pretty rough but it is a solid very heavy piece. I sanded, primed, and painted it white. Then I heavily distressed it and dry brushed it with a light grey color. I sprayed the handles with oil-rubbed-bronze paint.

I love the beachy coastal vibe she gives off. This one sold right away!

I'm linking to Primp Your Stuff Wednesday, Transformation Thursday, Furniture feature Friday

Two Matching Beauties

2011-10-05T21:15:00.000-07:00

I found a set of two antique dressers on Craigslist. The white paint had yellowed and paint was peeling. I sanded them and gave them a coat of primer and bright white paint.

They are both keepers!!!!

I dry brushed the shorter one with a light grey color and added glass knobs (I need to get one more).

It replaced this small table in the living room. I love this table and this look but I needed storage. The girls and I have mountains of piano books and sheet music that was piled on the floor next to the piano.

The taller dresser I left bright white and swaped with another dresser in my daughters room. It holds more clothes and is cuter that the one that she used to have. I'm loving both of these new pieces.

I'm linking up with Furniture Feature Friday, and Frugal Friday.

An Awesome Find: A Kitchen Light Fixture

2011-09-28T12:54:00.000-07:00

I went to a yard sale just down the street from my house a week and a half ago. The first thing I noticed was this light fixture sitting on a table. It was only $10. I love the industrial feel to it. I debated on spraying it an old rubbed bronze to match the finish on the fixture over the dining room table but I decided against it. I installed it myself a few days ago. I couldn't be happier with it. I love the look and it was a steal!!!!

I'm linking to Transformation Thursday.

The Elephant in the Room and a Vintage Scale

2011-09-02T20:42:00.000-07:00

Remember the elephant in the room? It is finally done! It was a nightmare but the orange door is gone.

I wanted it to look like an old paneled door so I used strips of wood left over from the kitchen cabinets to create four rectangles down the door. I mitered each of the pieces before glueing and nailing them down. I filled the corners with wood putty and sanded them smooth. I primed it by hand because I had just enough primer in the bottom of the can.

I had to piece the three bottom horizontal strips because that is all the trim I had. Once I filled with wood putty, sanded, and painted I couldn't even tell they were pieced.

Here she is primed and ready to paint.

This is where it starts getting frustrating.

I didn't think the door should be white since the kitchen was so white so I sprayed it with a grey oops paint from Home Depot. It looked great......outside. I took it into the kitchen and propped it up. Ugggg. It looked like it had a dark green tint to it. It clashed bad. No wonder it was an oops paint.

.......So I sprayed it a very light grey blue. I love this color on furniture I've painted. And since I'm going for blues and greens in the kitchen it should look great. Right? I brought it in and propped it up and it looked waaaay to bright. It didn't look good with the wall color. So I dry brushed over the blue with white. Still didn't look good. Hmmmm.

Fine. White it is. I glazed it with my good ole Ralph Lauren tobacco glaze. It really looks like an old door now!!!! I can't wait to have hubby hang it! Whew. Two days of work and it's finally done.

Hubby added the hinges as I was tinkering around the house. Pretty soon I came back to the kitchen to see an orange door hanging in the kitchen........WHAT?????? Seriously. "You did the wrong side of the door. I'm sorry honey. I can't flip it because of where the door knob and hinges are located."

You know that Leann Womack song that says "It's like someone takes a pin to your balloon." And the opening scene in Despicable Me where Gru pops the little boys balloon. That is how I felt. I didn't care what the door looked like on the other side at the moment. I just wanted to have a pretty kitchen door. Besides that, I was out of wood strips. My husband felt my pain. He told me he was sorry several times throughout the day.

I still had some wood sheets left but I didn't want to ask my neighbor to back her car out of her carport so we could pull her table saw out and cut more strips. (The motor died on our table saw building our addition). Then hubby had a great idea. "Let's cut out the rectangles with a jigsaw. Then you won't have to piece them and miter the corners. That will save you a lot of work."

I didn't marry my husband soley on his good looks. He is a smart man. I took four sheets of wood and measured and marked the rectangles. I brought them in and gave them to him. "Here you go." He looked at me like I'd gone mad and replied, "We don't have a jigsaw." WHAT??? "Why did you suggest it then." He said, "I thought we'd buy one when we go to the hardware store in a couple days (25 miles away)."

Long story short......well shorter......

We bought the saw, hubby cut them out, and I refinished the door. This small project took a week to complete. Have I ever mentioned I am not a very patient person. If there is a bright side to this story I have a pretty door in my laundry room and we now own a jigsaw!

I found this vintage scale at a yard sale for $7. Love.

I'm linking with Show and Share Day, Frugal Friday, Primp your Stuff Wednesday, and Transformation Thursday

A few More Pieces Recently Sold

2011-08-22T23:51:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pieces I've recently sold.

Oak White Clad ice box cabinet

Farmhouse table

Antique dough boy

Nine vintage locker baskets

Pine sofa table

Antique chairs

Grainsack table

Antique cashiers table

Desk and toile chair

Maple twin bed

Antique iron bed

As of right now my living room is almost empty!!!!! I still have several more large pieces that need to go but I've made good progress.

Recently Sold Items

2011-08-19T20:27:00.000-07:00

These are a few of the many pieces I've recently sold. It's hard to let some of them go but I have no more room for furniture.

Antique Montgomery Ward vanity with toile covered stool.

Robins egg blue dresser

Robins egg blue desk and chair

Black sofa table

Antique Chest

White dresser

Chippy desk

Tall table and chairs

Two identical coffee tables

Old chippy window

Old chippy stool

Antique cupboard

Kitchen Remodel

2011-07-29T19:57:00.000-07:00

I have shared many rooms in our home over the past couple years on my blog but have never shown the kitchen. It is attached to the dining room.......

Which I love........

There is a reason I have never shown you what's on the other end of the dining room.

We have lived in our home for nine years.This summer my goal was to attack those orangish worn cabinets and bring the kitchen up-to-date. The hood above the range was avocado green. It's just a dingy out-dated kitchen. I had to do it on practically no budget. I spent less than $200 on everything.

So here goes.

The lower cabinets were pretty beat up and the finish very worn.

Two and a half weeks ago I started the tedious task of stripping the thick orange top coat. I had heard good things about Cirta Stripping Gel and it didn't disappoint. I'd brush it on and within 20 seconds it would bubble. This stuff saved so much work.

Then everything was sanded smooth. What a dusty mess this was. The entire kitchen was covered in a thick covering of sawdust.

I added trim to all 15 cabinet doors and 19 drawers. These were sheets of some kind of pressboard my dad and I cut into strips. I glued and shot 3/4 inch nails in with my gun. Some of the doors were not square. I'd cut a piece of trim for one side and fit it to the other side to see if it matched. Some of them were off by 1/4 inch in length.

The drawers after being stripped.....

....and after being sanded and trim added.

Then came the task of adding wood filler to the nail holes and mitered corners (because they weren't square). Then I sanded the trim smooth again.

I had 3 inch mdf board strips left over from the board and batten treatment I did on the living room walls last summer. I used those to make frames around the bar and the ends of the cabinets. Then I added beadboard inside of those. I wouldn't have needed to strip the bar and cabinet ends but I was unsure at the time exactly what I was going to do. Oh well, I'm sure the glue stuck better than it would have to the glossy finish it had (I also nailed it). I had to caulk around the inside of the trim where the beadboard and trim meet. Again, I had to fill the nail holes and mitered corners, then sand.

I primed everything with Kilz oil-based primer. I wanted to lock in the orange stain and have better durability. The only disadvantage is that I had to clean my brush each day with paint thinner. I also learned the second day to wear gloves. It does not come off skin very well.

After priming I gave everything a light sanding.

After priming came the easy part. I sprayed the doors and drawers. It went quickly but took several days since I didn't do them all in one day and had to spray both sides. I got impatient waiting a day for one side to dry so I could flip it over and spray the other side. I hung a couple cabinet doors and decided it was to much white. I wanted the trim to pop so I lightly sanded the edges of the trim to make it stand out. Then I gave everything two coats of matte polycrylic to seal it.

Here's one more look at the BEFORE

And the AFTER

It's so bright and cheery

I did 95% of the work on this redo. My husband made over the oven hood. He sprayed it down with degreaser and scrubed it. Then took it to the car wash and pressure washed it before spraying it black.

I have plans for the door. I am going to add some decorative moulding and paint and distress it. It's like the elephant in the room but I couldn't wait to share pics.

I also added beadboard to the kitchen and dining room walls and painted the upper portion a tan / gray color.

I made three beadboard panels with chunky moulding on the back side of the bar. The left panel is actually a cabinet door. It holds games.

There's an empty space where a cutting board used to be. It was gross and we threw it out when we moved in.

I found these three vintage moulding frames at a yard sale last summer for 50 cents each.

I used to hate the soffits until I added the bead board and trim. Now they are one of my favorite parts of this make over.

I found the old enamel wash basin at Goodwill a few months back for $4.50.

It's hard to see with the sun but I picked up the black and white toile valance at a yard sale for $2.

The accesories were fun to come up with. I shopped the house for things I already had.

I love the ends of the cabinets. The beadboard and trim add so much to the once flat ends.

A view from the family room.

I scored 6 large metal stars at a yardsale last week for $3 for all. The blue rusty one is my favorite. The antique feather duster was at another yardsale for $2.

I have about a half days work touching up paint and such. I still need to refinish the door, change the outlets to white, and install a new kitchen light fixture. It has been an exhausting almost three weeks but I couldn't be happier with the results. It is just as I had imagined.

I'm linking up with Strut Your Stuff Thursday, Transformation Thursday, Open House Thursday, Furniture Feature Friday, Frugal Friday, Show and Share Day, and Feature Friday.

These Two I'm Keeping

2011-07-09T12:20:00.000-07:00

I saw in the paper my neighbor a few doors down was going to have an estate sale on the weekend. So Wednesday evening the girls and I went on a walk and my neighbor was outside in the garage getting ready for the sale. Her father-in-law had just passed away and they were selling his stuff. She told me to come on in and take a look. When I saw this french curvy buffet my heart started racing. I was almost afraid to ask the price. When she said $65 I couldn't say yes fast enough. It is in mint condition. Not a scratch on it. She also had the matching dining table and four chairs for $100 but I decided against it since my living room and part of the family room is full of furniture I need to sell.

I replaced the table in my family room, under the large picture wall, with the buffet. This will be so much more practical to hide magazines, games, and stuff. Can't have too much storage space.

I also bought this table from the same place for $20. It has claw feet and a loins head pull. The top has a couple spots that need to be refinished. I'm keeping this one too.

I'm linking up with Rhoda's Thrifty Treasures

Desk and Toile Chair Make Over and an End table Redo

2011-06-09T19:51:00.000-07:00

I picked up this desk at a yard sale for $4. The front was pretty beat up. It needed lots of tlc.

I love the curvy legs!

I picked up this $1 chair at a seperate yard sale. It folds up too.

And here they are with a fresh coat of primer and paint. I removed the vinyl from the seat of the chair and replaced it with toile upholstery fabric. I sprayed the pulls oil-rubbed-bronze.

Not bad for $5 and a couple hours work.

I picked up this little end table for $4 at my local thrift store. It also got a coat of primer and paint.

I left the finish on this pull. It looks like bronze so I didn't touch it.

I'm linking up with Frugal Friday and Furniture Feature Friday, Thrifty Treasures, and Primp Your Stuff Wednesday.

Transformation of a Craigslist China Hutch

2011-05-31T15:27:00.000-07:00

I picked up this china hutch on Craigslist for cheap. The picture below was the one listed on the Craigslist ad. It looked great. I thought I wouldn't have to paint it. When I picked it up however I realized how decieving the picture was. The finish was terrible, the painted chipping and a back leg broken. You can not see it in the picture but the back had large gold swirls painted on it. The indentions in the doors were also painted gold.

I ended up repairing the leg, spraying it black, and removing the gold grids in the glass doors.

The Before

And the After....

Love the crown moulding and the dental moulding across the top of the buffet in the above photo.

This piece took more time than I originally thought but it turned out gorgeous.

This one sold right away.

I'm linking up with Show and Share Day, Frugal Friday, Furniture Feature Friday, Thrify Treasures, and Primp your Stuff Wednesday.

French Country Hutch Redo

2011-05-09T13:42:00.000-07:00

I picked up this hutch at a yardsale on Friday and gave it a make over. I love it and would like to keep it but it is up for sale.

I didn't forget to take a before picture of it. I just couldn't get a picture before I started working on it. It was loaded into my minivan with the seats down. It barely fit. I wanted to get to work on it right away Friday morning. I was barely able to fit a screwdriver between the top of the van and the hutch and removed the doors. Those were already painted and fitted with chicken wire when I got help that afternoon moving it out of the van.

The finish was the same as this hutch below I finished earlier this year. You know that dark 70's look. Only this hutch had orange pop bottle glass doors. Ugggg.

I painted it a very light blue grey, lightly sanded the edges, and wiped it down with Ralph Lauren tobacco glaze. I love the hammered hinges and the chicken wire in the top doors. I added glass knobs and stenciled a laurel wreath and year on the bottom drawers. I think it all came together nicely.

I'm linking up with Show and Share Day, Twice Owned Tuesday, Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays, Thrify Treasures and Primp Your Stuff Wednesday.

Furniture Finds

2011-04-29T12:58:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few of the items I've recently sold.

Three Piece Set

Items for Sale:

Antique Side Table

Vintage Oak Ice Box End Table

Sewing Machine Cabinet Table - will be refinished

Maple Dresser - Bought $30. Keeping this one for my daughter.

The Story of a Dresser

2011-04-22T21:20:00.000-07:00

This is a bitter-sweet tale of a craigslist dresser.

I bought a neat old dresser off of craigslist. I loved it so much. It was painted a creamy white and had toile wallpaper covering the drawer fronts. My hubby and I drove 30 miles to pick it up. On the way home we stopped along the freeway to pull the tarp off the dresser since it was about to blow away (it had stopped sprinkling). When we got home we were missing the second to top drawer. It had blown out. I almost cried. My husband drove back 20 miles to where we pulled the tarp off and retraced our route. He couldn't find the drawer or even the drawer front. He got home at midnight, exhausted and not very happy. He got pulled over for turning around on the freeway in one of those turn around spots for emergency vehicles and the officer threatened to give him a $500 ticket. Luckily he let him go. You can see why he wasn't in a very good mood when he got home. LOL.

Bright and early the next morning I drove back the 20 miles and took my daughter with me to help look. I drove the entire way 35 mph on the side of the freeway with my hazards on. I spied a cooler, many cardboard boxes, a mattress, a lid from a rubbermaid tote, a gas jug, a shoe, and all kinds of stuff. I had never paid much attention to the liter along the freeway before. There was not a sign of it or any broken lumber. For a couple days I was so bummed.

I would have replaced the wallpaper anyway because it was poorly done. The dresser had a wood veneer on it and it had peeled in several places on the drawer fronts. That's why she covered them up. It looked bad because the drawers were very bumpy. So I spent a couple hours one day ripping off the wallpaper and peeling, chiseling, and sanding off the veneer until the drawers fronts were smooth.

My dad, who is a carpenter, built a new drawer and I found pulls in my stash that were almost identical to the ones on the dresser.

I looked online for days and couldn't believe how much wallpaper cost. I wasn't about to spend $35 or more on a roll of paper when the dresser only cost $50. But I wanted toile. That's why I liked the dresser so much in the first place. Then I went to Melaine's Blog, which I frequent often, and she posted about toile contact paper she found at Dollar Tree. I couldn't get to Dollar Tree fast enough. I bought all 7 rolls that were left and covered the drawer fronts and bottoms. I was worried it wouldn't stick but it is stuck really well. I actually like the dresser better now!!!! It has been a true labor of love. Melaine's post about the contact paper came at the perfect time. Thank you Melaine for helping a girl out!!!!

I've attatched a picture of the dresser before (with cream and green toile) and after (with the black and white toile contact paper).

THE BEFORE

This was the picture listed on Craigslist

DURING

The lady had slapped the wallpaper over the peeling veneer.

After a couple hours peeling, chiseling and sanding smooth.

THE AFTER

She has been a real labor-of-love.

Thank you Melaine for featuring my dresser on your blog

My Sweet Savannah. Go HERE to see her post.

I'm linking up with Primp your Stuff Wednesday

2011-04-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

This is part two of the furniture I scored from a lady on Craigslist. You can see the other furniture in my previous post. When we went and picked up the first load of furniture I saw that the woman had the exact same dining table and chairs as I did. We both got them at the same furniture store. We have had our set for 6 years and love them. They are very sturdy and we've never had one break or become wobbly. I've had several people ask if we purchased them from Pottery Barn. Nope. We got our table, six chairs, and three matching barstools for just under $1000. And that was a very good sale.

I asked the women if she planned on getting rid of the set. She said yes and that she just hadn't posted them on CL yet. I asked her how much she wanted for them and she said $200. She also had a matching buffet. She wanted $150 for that. I thought about it for a whole day and finally called her back and said we wanted the table and chairs. When we went to pick them up she told us we could have the table, chairs, and buffet for $250. YES, YES, YES!!!!!

I sold the table and chairs for $500 and the buffet for $250. I made a profit of $500!!!!!!

Oh how I love this table.

My friends kept asking why I didn't want the buffet because it matched my table. It has a wine rack in the middle section and the middle drawer holds wine glasses. We don't drink wine. I thought about taking the wine racks out and adding a shelf and a couple baskets but I don't have anywhere to put it. My house is full.

I have just started buying furniture, fixing it up if it needs it, and reselling it. This past week I've made $800 in profits. I've had some lucky streaks lately finding furniture. I hope that keeps up!!!!!!

Look What I Found

2011-03-25T08:58:00.000-07:00

Last week I scored big!!!! It is one of those finds that only comes around once in a lifetime. I found these two pieces on craigslist for $50 each.

A beautiful antique highboy dresser

An antique dough boy

Turns out I was the first to contact her about them. This surprised me since she listed them at 8:30pm and I didn't email her until 9 am the following morning. We drove 30 miles and picked them up that evening. She had been bombared all day by people wanting these pieces.

It gets better!

As we pulled into her driveway I noticed the house was for sale. Her husband passed away seven years ago and she is moving into a small condo. She was selling most of her furniture. I walked into her home and had to take a deep breath as not to hyperventilate. This women's home was beautiful!! I was like a kid in a candy store. The first thing I noticed was the beautiful antique table in her entry way. I asked her if she was keeping it and she said no. I asked her how much she wanted for it and she said probably $75. My husband and son began loading the two pieces we came for and she said, "If you want all three peices you can have them for $125." YES YES YES!!!!

She had tiled the table years ago and had not added grout in the seven years since her husband passed away. She even gave me the grout. I grouted the next day and it made a huge difference in the appearance of the table. Here she is......

Mid-grouting. What a differance. Just look at those legs.....

If that weren't enough, it gets even better!

She told me to come to the garage, she had another table I could HAVE. She bought it at an antique place in Lake Tahoe with plans to refinish it and never got around to it. There is a neat green paint under the white. I plan on stripping this piece. The paint usually comes off in layers and then you have to apply more stripper to the next layer. I'm thinking I may leave the green and sand it down the the bare wood in spots and it will be heavily distressed piece with the original green paint.

I love the wood knob. It is as big as a door knob.

She had lots of rooster decor and I told her I had rooster decor as well. She told me to follow her to her car. She pulled our a wicker basket of rooster decor that was going to Goodwill. There were two cast iron, super heavy roosters and two ceramic ones. On the bottom of one rooster the price tag said $17.50. She gave me those as well.

I came home with four pieces of furniture and four roosters for $125.

The next day I must have walked into my living room 20 times just to look at all this. I still can't believe it.

That is just the begining!!!! In my next post I'll show the rest of the furniture we went back and got!!!

It's in the Details

2011-03-08T14:24:00.000-08:00

I find that details make a piece. In this case I am talking about knobs and pulls. I have four pieces of furniture I have recently refinished. When Hobby Lobby had their knobs and pulls 50% off I gave each of these new pieces the hardware they deserved.

China hutch before:

China hutch after:

knobs: $2.50 each

Please excuse the shadows from the chandelier

I wanted the knobs on the china hutch to match the ones on the buffet.

Vanity before:

These are the knobs that came on it.

They are white porcelin but I didn't care for the flowers on them.

Vanity after:

knobs $1.50 each

Table before:

a small wooden knob

Table after:

knob $2.00

Armoire before:

It had 6 wooden knobs originally.

I painted them oil-rubbed-bronze but didn't like them

Armoire after:

door pulls $2.00 each

drawer bin pulls $1.00 each

I purchased the bin pulls on the drawers online at Cripe Distributing. They come in a pack of 25 and cost $14 plus $11 shipping. That's only $1 a piece. I saw these on another gals blog. She used them in her kitchen. I have to admit I had my doubts about the quality since these pulls are expensive at the hardware store. But I couldn't be happier with them. They are very good quality and heavy. I sprayed these with oil-rubbed-bronze paint so they would match the upper pulls and hinges. The only downside is they don't come with screws. I took one to a hardware store and got screws that fit for 5 cents each. I plan on using the rest of these pulls when we refinish our kitchen this summer.

I'm linking up with TDC's Before and After Party , Wassup Wednesday , Furniture Feature Friday, and Frugal Friday.

China Hutch and Dining Room Reveal

2011-01-24T14:28:00.000-08:00

As long as I can remember I have wanted a china cabinet. Growing up my grandma had two of them and I always knew I wanted one someday. I have been looking on craigslist off and on for quite a while. I kept seeing them in Seattle for a reasonable price but not locally. I happened upon one a couple weeks ago nearby. The lady was asking $150. I emailed her and asked if she didn't sell it would she take less. She emailed me a week later and said she would take $100.

My husband and I went and picked it up. It is solid wood and very heavy. It's the perfect size, not to big. So last week was spent refinishing it. It was a huge job. I had to sand the top of the buffet because it had some minor water damage. Then after a thorough cleaning I gave it 2 coats of primer, 2 coats of paint, 1 coat of antiquing glaze, and 1 coat of polycrylic. All the effort was worth it. I love the way it fits in with the rest of the dining room furniture.

After one coat of primer.

I cut pieces of bead board to fit the back of the upper portion. I used liquid nails to secure it to the dark wood paneling. Then put these heavy cans on top of it overnight. I had to caulk around each of the panels to fill in the small gaps.

I used Ralph Lauren antiquing glaze (in Tobacco) to give it a bit of an aged look and it really made the details pop. I just brushed it on and wiped it off.

And these were taken this morning in the natural light. Isn't she gorgeous!

I love all the detail especially the dental moulding.

It fits in nicely with the dining room furniture.

Another look at the BEFORE

And the AFTER

I'm linking up with Transformation Thursday and Frugal Friday, and Show and Share Day, and Miss Mustard's Seeds Copy Me Challenge and Wassup Wednesday.

A "New" Vanity and Chandelier

2011-01-11T14:47:00.000-08:00

I picked up this cute desk /vanity several months ago at a free swap that our church held. It needed some tlc. The scrolly architectural piece under the left drawer was missing so I got out the jigsaw and cut a new one. We have had the saw for over a year and never used it. It was fairly easy to use and was perfect for cutting a detailed piece of wood like this.

Both sides were rough as if the piece had once had a laminate or other finish that had been pulled off. I sanded them down as best I could with my electric sander but they still didn't look good. So I took some scrap beadboard and cut out rectangles and glued and nailed on each side. It fit perfectly since the legs stick out 1/8 inch from the side. The beadboard is flush with the legs.

Then I sanded, primed and painted the entire piece.

And here is the after! I bought new glass antique looking knobs but haven't changed them out yet. She resides in the family room and is very useful. Oh and I bought the candlesticks at a yard sale this summer for $2 for both. They were oak colored solid wood and still had the tags on the bottom for $18 and $15 each from Target. I worked some magic on them.

The beadboard on the side is hard to see with the light from the window but trust me it looks much better.

I also got this iron light fixture at the free swap meet. I replaced it myself when the hubby was at work. I love how it looks over the dining room table.

We've got many projects on our to-do list for this year. The biggest is doing something with those ugly orange kitchen cabinets. On a budget of course. Stay tuned......

I'm linking up with Transformation Thursdays, and Furniture Feature Friday.

Living Room Redo - Board and Batten

2010-11-04T09:24:00.000-07:00

Here are some Before shots of the living room.

With the addition, the dresser moved into our new master bedroom and the couch moved into the new family room.

I replaced two of these coffee tables ......

.....with two of these. You can read about their transformation here.

This tv armoire was exactly the same height as the fireplace mantle so I replaced it with a larger one. This one is now in my craft room and holds fabric and such.

After two years sitting in my garage this $15 garage sale armoire needed a new life. I painted it a robins egg blue, distressed the edges, and rubbed it down with an antiquing glaze. I also gave it new pulls. It now resides in the living room.

Here are the Afters. During the summer I added a board and batten treatment to the walls. It took me about a month from start to finish but I did the entire thing myself. I used sheets of MDF. The guy at Home Depot cut them for me. It took him over an hour and they didn't charge me a thing to cut. I primed, painted, nailed, caulked, and painted again. I thought it would never end. But I love the results - so worth it!!!!

My collection of vintage suitcases is growing. I found my third one this summer for $5 at a yard sale.

I love the vintage sheet music wreaths that Miss Mustard Seed makes so I got busy a couple nights ago and made one. It turned out better than I thought it would. It was very time consuming cutting, rolling, taping and glueing. I love the yellowed papers. I found the vintage moulding frame and the bullseye architectural piece at a yardsale for 50 cents each.

Since moving the couch into the new family room, we just have a bunch of mismatched chairs for the time being.

Someday I would like to redo the mantle. Something more chunky.

This trunk is very sentimental. It belonged to my husbands grandfather. It is full of pictures and mementos from WWII. It was passed down to my father-in law. My FIL passed away 10 years ago of cancer at the age of 52. My husband then aquired the chest.

The rocking chair was my husband's grandmothers. It had dark green fabric on it when we inherited it. It was falling apart so I recovered it years ago. Recently I made a faux grainsack pillow for it.

A view from the fireplace - looking out of the living room.

The moulding around the doorway adds so much.

I'm linking up with the following parties: Show and Share Day , Furniture Feature Friday, Frugal Friday, Feathered nest Friday, Transformation Thursday, and Wassup Wednesday

A Chandelier Redo

2010-06-15T21:44:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to replace the ugly light in my girl's room for a looong time.

So I headed to my local thrift store and picked up this beauty of a chandelier for $4. No I'm not crazy. I just worked my magic on her.

First job was to get rid of those ug.a.ly orange light covers. I found five of these mini lampshades at GW for 50 cents each. I had my daughter paint them white before I covered them in fabric because the brown showed through the fabric.

Next step. I painted the entire fixture heirloom white. I didn't like it. I decided the plain straight wood piece in the middle just wasn't pretty. The entire thing looked too plain. So I went through the $1 box of furniture legs I picked up last summer and decided to replace the middle part of the chandelier with a "fancier" one. It was the perfect height. Of course the leg had to be drilled all the way through for the wires to go through. Then I sprayed the entire thing "Ballet Slipper Pink."

I sewed a pink satin cord cover and added crystal pieces I got at Target after Christmas for 50 cents each.

SO WHAT DO YOU THINK!!!

I'm missing a light bulb on the far left (only had four). So the shade is sitting lower than the rest.

And here is a picture of my girl's room last fall. I hadn't quite gotten all of the polka dots done around the top. I picked up the two antique twin beds at a yard sale several years ago for $25 for both.

Now the bedroom is complete with the exception of replacing the door and closet doors.!!!!!

I am linking up with Show and Share Day, Transformation Thursday, The Inspired Room, Frugal Friday, Met Monday, Thrifty Treasures and Thrifty Decor Chick's SHow and Share Day.

Old Spools and Thrifty Finds

2010-06-04T08:54:00.000-07:00

Last year I bought this set of three vintage looking spools at a yardsale for $2. The colors weren't quite my style so I changed them up a bit yesterday.

Ahhh. Much better. I removed the colored yarn and wrapped different sizes of jute around them. They are thanking me.

I picked up these decorative balls at a yard sale last week for $2. The metal basket was given to me.

At the same yard sale last week I got four of these large baskets for $10. They fit perfectly on the shelves of my $3 yardsale table.

This shelf sits above the above little table.

I just found this cute topiary at our local thrift store for 50 cents!

I also picked up this vintage mirror and the large suitcase. I got these at a yardsale free. The mirror was marked $2 and the suitcase $1. I bought two large items for $10 each. My total was $23. All I had was a $20 so I asked the man if he would take a check or if I should go to the ATM. He said I could have the mirror and suitcase for free!!!! I guess I can say I now have a collection of vintage suitcases since I have two.

This little table was $5 at a yardsale. The finish was in really bad condition so I sanded and painted it and rubbed it down with walnut stain to tone down the white. It turned out so cute.

One more show and tell item. I made this pillow from a drop cloth and black paint. It turned out so cute.

Have a great weekend!!!

I'm linking up with Frugal Friday , Thrifty Treasures , I made it without my hubby, TDC's Before and After Party, and Met Monday

Headboard turned Bench

2010-05-02T17:31:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to make a bench using a headboard and footboard for a loooong time. It was just a matter of finding an inexpensive set that I liked. I picked up these two pieces at a thriftshop for $10 for both pieces. I love the simpleness of the design. There were no side rails with them. I used scrapwood (tables leaves from an old broken down table) we had in the garage to finish it off. My husband helped my put in a few long screws I couldn't get to go in but other than that I did all the cutting, putting together and painting.

Remember the box of furniture legs I got at a yard sale last summer for $1. I used two of these to make the sides higher. I thought about using fancier legs but these plain boxy ones match better.

I sprayed a coat of Kilz primer on it yesterday. I'm still not sure what color I'm going to paint it but I love it already.

Total cost of bench: $10

Edited 5-7-10 to add this pillow

I really wanted to make a cushion for the bench but foam is so dog-on expensive. Tonight I had a clever idea pop into my head and it worked like a charm. I started with this table runner that I picked up at a yardsale last summer for $1. Someone handmade it with coordinating fabrics so it is reversible.

It was about a foot longer than the bench so I cut the extra length off and sewed the ruffle back on. A lady from church had given me about 15 yards of quilt batting that she had used as "snow" at her daughter's wedding reception. So I took some, rolled it up, turned my pillowcase inside out and rolled it onto the batting.

Instead of a cushion I have this great reversible pillow that cost me $1!!! The bench with the pillow cost me a grand total of $11.

I still haven't painted the bench. It has a coat of primer but I'm waiting till this horrible wind dies down to take it outside and spray it with paint. I am going to paint it an ivory color like the mirror hanging above it.

I have this beautiful old piece of wood I cut from the middle of the footboard. It is almost three feet across. I think I will make a sign to hang on the wall. Maybe I will paint "Antiques" across it. So many options.

I am linking up with Frugal Friday, Thrifty Treasures, Made By You Monday, Met Monday and Do it Yourself Day, Show and Share Day, Transformation Thursday, I made it Without My Hubby, Furniture Feature Friday, Saturday Nite Special, and TDC's Before and After Party

Armoire Redo and Thrifty Treasures

2010-04-22T13:11:00.000-07:00

Check out this sweet little table I picked up last week at my local thrift store. It was $3. It had obviously been sitting outside and had a layer of powdery dirt on it. I brought it home and got out my air compressor and blew the dirt right off. I love the finish on this piece it is already shabby distressed white. Just my style!!!

Please excuse the ugly brown linoleum. Someday we'll have new floors.

A month ago I finally painted this amoire. It has been bothering me for quite a while. I bought it several years ago at a yard sale for $30. It was unfinished pine in excellent condition. I painted it a light celery green color. It really was a pretty color. (Wish I had a before picture). But I have been wanting it to be white. One morning I decided to just do it. I took the doors off and didn't even take the tv out to paint it. I distressed the edges and wiped it down with dark walnut stain. I also sprayed the goldish-colored hinges my favorite oil-rubbed-bronze. My only regret is I wish I had done it sooner. I'm loving this "new" peice.

Here's a picture of my winter mantel. I need to make it brighter for spring and summer. I love those sticks and pheasant feathers though. I'm really into natural decor items. (My husband shot those pheasants and had some feathers in the garage. I stole them).

I'm loving old keys like everyone else out in blogland. I picked up this set at a craft store for $4. And turned them into..............

.......these. I found the door plate at a different craft store for $4. The keys were more of a brown color so I sprayed them with my ORB paint and they match perfectly now. I wasn't sure what to do with them until I stumbled upon these two picture frames at my local thrift store for $1 each. They were new and still had the Target tags on them. The love the distressed black finish on them. I just cut some scrapbook paper I already had and mod-podged it to a piece of cardboard. I simply hot glued the iron pieces to the paper. Both pieces cost me a total of $10.

I did this project a few months ago but wanted to share. Remember this mirror with hooks I got from a yardsale for $5?

I gave her a coat of ivory paint, then rubbed her down with stain. I sprayed the brass hooks ORB. She now resides by my back door. I'm hoping to find a bench to put under it so the kids can sit and put on their shoes when they go out to play.

Here's another project I have been procrastinating. My sis-in-law gave me this vinyl saying over a year ago. I had my dad cut a board for me and it just sat until now. Part of the problem was I didn't know what color to paint the board. I loved my sis-in-law's with tan paint under the brown lettering. My walls are tan so I decided to paint it ivory. The other problem was my board was two inches to short. I could have just bought another board but I didn't want to waste this one or spend the money on a new one. So I cut the words apart and took out a little space between each word. Then I had to get it all even. It turned out perfectly.

I love this font! I love the impact this makes being four feet long.

Just a couple pictures of fun things I bought. I got the cute birds nest at Tai Pan on a recent trip to Utah and found the urn for 50 cents at a thrift store the same day.

I also picked up three of these galvanized buckets at Tia Pan. Maybe they will replace the current decor on my mantel. I can see them filled with white tulips!!!!

I'm linking up with The Shabby Nest's Frugal Friday Party, Rhoda's Thrifty Treasures Party, Met Monday, The Creative Girl, Motivate Me Monday, Made By You Monday, Making the World Cuter, Just Something I Whipped Up, It's so Very Creative, Kimba's Do It Yourself Day, Toot Your Horn Tuesday, Trash to Treasure Tuesday, Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays, Transformation Thursday, and Furniture Feature Friday.

Thrift Store End Table Makeover and Beadboard

2010-03-03T14:10:00.000-08:00

I picked up these two end tables on Saturday at our local thrift store. They were only $5 each and are solid wood.

I sanded with course and then fine sand paper. The painting took a lot longer than I expected. I applied two coats of Kilz primer and three coats of white semi-gloss paint. I did all of this with a 2 inch foam brush for a smooth finish. Then I took my sander to the edges and applied dark walnut stain over the entire piece and wiped it off. I sprayed the brass colored handles on the drawers with oil rubbed bronze spray paint. I picked up the baskets at Michaels today for half off. I couldn't be happier with the results. I love them!!!

I was getting tired of the red on the back of my built in shelves so I decided to brighten it up with some bead board.

It ended up being a bigger project than I expected. I pretty much did this by myself. I am getting good with the skill saw. I went and bought myself a nail gun last week. It was on sale for $20 and I had a coupon for an additional 20% off so I got it for $16!!! I had to chalk all the seams and nail holes. i never got it repainted but I was getting tired of all the glassware on my table so I just stuck it all back in today. I really love this new look.

I'm linking up with Thrifty Decor Chic's Before and After Party, and The Shabby Chic Cottage, Miss Mustard Seeds, Twice Remembered, Between Naps on the Porch, Shanty 2 Chic, and Southern Hospitality and Nester's Collections Party

A Fun Weekend Project

2010-01-25T11:30:00.000-08:00

Remeber a few months ago when we moved the buffet in the dining room here where the computer desk was, and built the cafe shelves above it.

This is where the buffet once stood. For the past few months this has been a blank white wall.

Enter a piece of beadboard and some leftover paint and trim. I painted the top half of the wall the same beige color as our family room.

We still need to change the outlets to white. The berry wreaths look yellow in the pics but they are cream colored. I got those for 25 cents each at a yard sale! The clock came from our local thrift store for $2 a few months back.

It cost us about $20 to do this wall and the impact is huge. I looooove it. I'm dying to start on the kitchen redo. I bought stripper several months ago and am waiting for warmer weather to start on the cabinets.

I took five of the gold frames that have hung on this wall for years and painted and distressed them. I have been wanting to do silouettes of the kids for a long time and I finally broke down and did it. It cost me $1 for the paper.

I am so pleased with how this wall turned out for very little money. I can't wait to get started on the rest of the dining room/kitchen.

I am linking up with Twice Remembered and Between Naps on the Porch

A Last Christmas Project

2010-01-05T20:15:00.000-08:00

I undecorated the tree to take it down but I wanted to see how the tree skirt I just made looked on it. I used a canvas dropcloth from Lowes. I used my new ruffle foot for my sewing machine and ran 12 yards of fabric through it in about 2 minutes. I love it. I didn't iron it because I'm just going to fold it up and store it for next year. Then I wanted to see how the new ornaments looked I got on clearence after Christmas. So we put those on. I like how simple it looks. Can't wait to put it back up next year.

I got my idea for the tree skirt from the Shanty Sister's blog. I had never heard of a ruffle foot until I saw it on their blog and I had to have one. I paid $9 for it at my fabric store. I love it.

Remember the cute little vintage tree in the white urn from my previous post. I went to the local thrift store last week and there was a second one!!! I snatched it up fast. Now I have a pair. And for $1.50 each. (The tag on each said $45). I also snatched three of these flocked bird nests on branches for $1 each (tag said $12). I put my glittery Christmas cardinals in them. I also got a bunch of other vintage looking items with the tags still on. The local nursery donated the rest of their inventory to the thrift store the week of Christmas. I'll have to rememebr that next year!!!

I picked up the pine/berry picks at the craft store for $1 the day after Christmas. They add so much to this shelf.

I packed up Christmas yesterday and with all my new finds I can't wait for Christmas to come this year!!!

Happy New Year!!!

Christmas Decor

2009-12-18T12:32:00.000-08:00

I made the Jute covered cones and the tall topiary below!!!

The tree is mostly decorations the kids have made in school, scouts, etc. over the years. It's a very sentimental tree.

I also made the jute covered balls below.

I'm having fun with my newish copycat Ballards Designs cafe shelves we made. This is kind of a dark corner in the dining room and the flash really makes the photos look washed out.

All of the embroidery you will see in this post I made. I am addicted!! It adds a beautiful and personal touch for next to nothing

My local thrift store has a very large wood box out front that they put free items in. For some reason they must have thought this vintage santa boot was to shabby. I have found the best stuff in that box.

I got this cute snowman at TJ Maxx ($6) and the glittery cardinals at Shopko ($2) this year.

My Williams Sanoma knock-off hurricanes from the dollar store. See my previous post for how I made these beauties for $3 each.

I found this large berry wreath at the local thrift shop for $2. Score!!! The noel I found a TJ Maxx this year.

I found this square boxwood wreath at Goodwill for $2 and added the ribbon.

I found the cute little vintage looking tree at the local thrift store this morning. It was half off. I paid $1.50. The women behind the counter said the local nursery donated the rest of their Christmas stock several days ago and this was the last item left. I am so mad I didn't go in early in the week. The sickening part is they donated a 7 foot pre-lit tree with pine cones ( a very fancy tree) that sold immediatley.

My 50 cent snowman decoration on my $2 thrift store cake stand.

Did I mention I love doing embroidery!

How much easier could embroidery get than this pillow.

It was so easy!!!

I made this cute santa.

MERRY CHRISTMAS
I'm linking up at the Shabby Nest's Frugal Friday Holiday Edition and Nester's Christmas Tour of Homes.

Edited to add:
Someone asked about the embroidery pattern with the star. I got it from an awesome website with free embroidery patterns www.homeberries.com. She has freebies for all the holidays and seasons. I have done a lot of her work. Here is the link for the star pattern. I shrunk it to fit into a 5 x 7 frame. Enjoy.

http://www.homeberries.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/glory-to-god-in-the-highest.pdf

Dollar Store Knock Off

2009-11-18T12:26:00.000-08:00

As I was reading Melissa's blog the other night I loved the glass hurricanes she made using dollar store materials. Yesterday I made it to the dollar store, and I am not kidding, there were two candle sticks left and only 6 glass hurricanes. There were probably 20 candles left. Last night I glued my candle sticks to the bottom of the hurricanes with an epoxy and let them dry over night. I love how they turned out.

Then I decided to play with some burlap scraps I had left over from the project in my previous post. So I tied a strip to the bottom of each hurricane.

I finally decided on burlap around the hurricane itself.

It will be so fun to change these up for different seasons and holidays. Thanks Melissa for the inspiration.

I am linking up at A Soft Place to Land for Kimba's Do-It-Yourself Day.

Family Tree

2009-11-11T14:19:00.000-08:00

I've been working on a big project while the hubby has been gone hunting for the week. I wanted to get it all done and surprise him when he got back. It has been a lot of fun and I finished last night. It was actually hubby's idea to have this large wall (the stairs are behind it) in the new family room be a family tree wall. I was all for that idea.

Figuring out what to do with it was the hardest part. I knew it had to cost next to nothing. Most of the frames I already had. I painted 8 Goodwill frames I've had kicking around black then sanded the edges. Originally I was going to do all black but decided that would be too much. So I brought in some off-white and celery green ones I had in the bathroom and I loved the color combination. I only ended up buying 5 frames (the cream colored ones) at TJ Max for $4 each.

I made the family tree below by cutting out the tree and leaves on heavy cardstock. Our kids' names are written on the trunk and hubby and I's on the large branches. Each leaf has a name on it. It is six generations of our ancestors.

I wanted to do some vinyl words but that was out of the budget so I came with my own version. I printed my words from the computer and taped them to the window then taped my burlap over top and traced around the letters with a black sharpie. Then I took a small paint brush and filled the rest of it in with black paint. They turned out so cute. I LOVE this wall and hope hubby does to!!!

I also made this B and olive branches on burlap the same way as the others. I found this frame at Goodwill. It was $2. I just painted and sanded it. I loooove it!!!!

I'm hooking up over at Just a Girl, The Shabby Chic Cottage and Between Naps on the Porch. Go check other fun projects!!! I am also linking up at A Soft Place to Land for Do-It-Yourself Day. I'm also hooking up with Layla's Favorite Post Party and Nester's Collections Party.

Master Bath Sweat Equity

2009-10-22T22:46:00.000-07:00

Here's my $2 yard sale mirror

I removed the criss cross pieces that ran through the middle.

Then had my dad add some moulding we had left over from our addition to beef up the frame.

I painted it all and sanded the edges a bit. Then I used a rag and wiped dark walnut stain over the entire piece before wiping it off.

Not bad for $2. It will hang on the wall in our new master bath. (We're still under construction)

Everthing we did in our addition was done on a budget but not cheaply. We bought two unfinished oak cabinetry pieces at home depot for a reasonable price About two weeks later I was in HD making a return when I noticed all of the unfinished oak cabinets were on clearence. I had the receipt from our purchase in my purse and asked the lady at customer service if I she could refund me the difference since I had bought them two weeks prior. She did. I got $80 back. Whoo-hoooo.

These were buggers to finish. Let me tell you it was a loooong process. I sanded the heck out of the unfinished oak and it was as smooth as a babies bottom. Then I primed with Kilz primer. I got a good thick primer. After I primed, little slivers of wood stuck out everywhere. I couldn't believe it. Is that typical of unfinished wood??? So I sanded them all again. Smooth as can be and primed again. Still a little rough but I painted them anyway. Then I randomly sanded along the edges to get a slightly distressed look. I took a rag and rubbed dark walnut stain on the edges and very lightly on the entire piece. The final step was sealing them. If you are sealing a painted piece of white furniture NEVER ever use polyurethane. It will turn your furniture yellow. You must use polycrylic. It's about twice the cost but worth every penny. There how's that for a bit of free advice. I know you're all going to go out and paint something white now. I'm sure some of you are also hyperventalating because I painted oak. But I love how these look. They turned out exactly like I'd envisioned and was worth all the work.

So here is the BEFORE

And here is the AFTER (before I painted and distressed the frame)

Oh yeah, and the brushed nickel light fixture was from Walmart for $35.

There were similar ones at Home Depot for $70.

I love our new master bath and better yet I love the price!!!!!!

I'm linking up at The Inspired Room, Between Naps on the Porch, Today's Creative Blog, and A Soft Place to Land.

More Yard Sale Finds and Transformations

2009-10-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

I've been busy!!!! I find myself not posting so often anymore as I post regularly on my private family blog. But I love sharing and getting ideas in blog land so here we go............

Do you remember this wood frame I picked up at Goodwill for $2.50?!!! It now looks like....

.....this. I saw something similar to this over at Joys of Home and I loved it. So I got online and printed out a large B (for our last name) and also printed an olive branch. Then I taped the paper to the window and taped the burlap over top and traced around everything with a black Sharpie. I used a small black paint brush and filled in the rest with paint. I painted the frame black and roughed up the edges and I coudn't be happier with the way it turned out!!!!

Next transformation is this recipe holder I turned into a mail holder for my desk. I sanded it down and painted it black. Then I cut out some cute scrapbook paper for the front and sides and mod podged it on. It now sits proudly on my desk and holds my mail.

I hit the jackpot a couple weeks ago at a christian thriftstore. I saw these two Christmas deer and made a run for them. This particular store is a bit overpriced and I thought they would have some outrageous price on them. I was pleased to see the $3.99 tag on each. I snagged them up quickly. I love the antlers and especially the bells. They are around 2 feet tall. I can't wait to put them up at Christmas time.

I also found this Waverly Garden Room valance for $1.99. I absolutely love this print.

This table reversible table runner was also $1.99 and is similar to the waverly print. I also got two place mats that match for 25 cents each.

Remember this 8 x 10 shabby picture frame I picked up for $1. It was from Target and brand new. I whipped up this embroidery a couple nights ago and it fits nicely in my frame. The little fall flower bouquet I picked up for $1 and the pumpkins were 25 cents each at my local thrift store.

O K. Now for the big project I've been working on. I'm kind of embarrassed to show the next picture. I think everyone has a place where things accumulate (I'm hoping so anyway). Ours is the desk in the dining room. It doesn't matter how often I clean and sort and purge. It always ends up a mess. It is the dumping grounds for mail, contents of the kids backpacks (papers, papers, and more papers), and all sorts of stuff. We haven't used that desk top computer for ages. It doesn't work for high speed internet and it is 8 years old. It just sits there taking up valuable space. The printer lies buried in a mountain of debre.

This huge junk pile sat next to my display of milk glass and did it no justice at all. Well, a couple weeks ago we moved the desk into the new family room and this mess now looks like...............

.........this. Notice my cute mail holder on the desk doing its job.

So what happened to the void where the desk used to be??? The buffet which was on a different wall in the dining room was moved into the cubby where the desk stood. So she moved from here to........

...............here. And my biggest project this month was building these copy cat cafe shelves from the Ballard Designs catalog. I did have the hubby help me with this one.

Every single thing on these shelves was bought second hand for very little.

After a week I decided to fall-ify the buffet. I was getting kind of tierd of the toile runner on the buffet so I purchased a piece of burlap from Walmart and made a runner. I love the rustic-ness of it (is that a word). Remember the $3 birdcage I found a few weeks back. I have always wanted a black crow for Halloween and I finally broke down and got one at Michaels last week for $4 (normally $10). So here she sits in the bird cage atop a pumpkin. The little haunted house was 50 cents, the candle holders $1 each, and the berry vine (I got two of these) 75 cents all at Goodwill. And the best part is the buffet - she really loves her new look.

And the wall where the buffet used to be I'm still working on.

But I will tell you the gold picture frames are no more. So you'll just have to wait.

I'm linking up with Between Naps on the Porch, The Shabby Nest !!!! Happy Fall Y'all.

Community Yard Sale

2009-09-27T20:43:00.000-07:00

I scored big this at our community yard sale. Check out these iron beauties. They are heavy. The tallest is six inches. They were 10 cents each. That's right 60 cents total.

Cute wire bird cage was $3

Pine garland with pinecones was 50 cents. This look great on the mantle or banister.

Wood pumpkin blocks $2.50

Rooster picture 50 cents. She got a little makeover to look more French country. The frame was falling apart so I had to glue it back together. I painted the frame ivory and gave the picture itself a black border. Then sanded her down, wiped her down with dark walnut stain, removed the wire and added a ribbon. I love how she turned out!!!

Here's the before....

Here is the after....

This old fan was $2.50

I scored big on storage items. They work great in our new spare bedroom / craft room closet. This wire shelf was $3. I have all 100 sets of my rubber stamps stored on them. The plastic Rubbermaid drawers were 50 cents each. I got eight of those (four large and four even larger) and stacked them up. My scrapbooking supplies and ink pads are stored in these.

These two four drawer units were $2 each. They will hold scrapbook paper. All of these storeage items look brand new and only $8 for all of them.

Perhaps my best find of the day was this antique mirror for $15. The lady said she bought it several years ago at an antique store for $40.

This iron candle holder (heavy) was $2. Obviously I need to get another candle.

This red berry Christmas vine was 50 cents

I have been looking for some of these styrophome balls. This bag was $1. And the roll of moss was half price at Craft Warehouse for $2.50. I plan on making some moss covered ball and maybe a couple more jute covered balls like the one in the basket I made.

I debated whether to get these wood bunnies but for 25 cents each I decided to go for it. I removed the old ribbon around their necks and may add some moss around the neck or set them in a bed of moss for Easter. I love the finish on them.

The silver shower rod hooks were $1. They will be great in our new master bathroom.

And last but not least - curtains for the new master bedroom. I went to Ross and got two of these Waverly swag valances for $3.99 each. I bought two large panels for our sliding glass door to the deck. I also got an extra panel to make pillow and a runner.

They will match the blue bedspread I got at Shopko for $25 (reg. $70). I can't wait to move into our bedroom THIS WEEK!!!!!!!!!

I got many more items but I'll have to save some for next week. And maybe I'll show the big reveal of the addition then. Go check out more thrifty treasures at Rhoda's.

I'm also posting at Between Naps on the Porch of my rooster picture makeover.

Yard Sale Transformations!!!

2009-09-12T17:04:00.000-07:00

I found this couch table Friday at a yard sale. She was very neglected. She had been sitting outside and her paint was peeling really badly. I asked the woman how much she was and her husband piped up and said "a thousand dollars." I just smiled at them and the wife said "how about $3" I said "SOLD". Since I couldn't be in the house today with the carpeters I sanded and primed this little lady. She has yet to be painted but I brought her in for the evening and put her on the landing at the top of the stairs. She feels right at home.

I got this pine shelf at Goodwill for $4.50. Originally I was going to paint it and put it in the girl's room but I changed my mind. It goes great in the bathroom with all my beachy decor.

Remember this boat I got at Goodwill several months ago for $2. I finally hung it in the bathroom last night.

I made this shell and sea grass arrangement. I saw some at Michaels that I loved but they were $100. So I picked up a few greenery items (sea grass and mossy stuff) and used three shells from a basket of shells I got at a yard sale. I used wood scewers and wrapped green floral tape around them to disguise them against the greenery and then hot glued a shell to each. It turned out so cute and cost me next to nothing to make. I found the basket it's in at Goodwill for $1.50 the same day I found the boat.

Go check out Rhoda's and Between Naps on the Porch for more thrifty finds!!!

ROOSTERS!!!!

2009-08-28T14:05:00.000-07:00

I completely spaced the rooster party until this afternoon. I have been busily painting on our addition and came in for an afternoon rest. I hopped on the computer and realized that Barb is having her rooster party today and I signed up to participate. So here are my roosters, better late than never!!!

I found the following three roosters at the same yard sale for $3 each. Each one stands around 12 inches high. I looooove them.

I found this napkin holder and recipe box at Ross several years ago. I can't remember how much they were but I remember they were inexpensive. Something like $3 or $4 each.

I found this rustic rooster picture at Goodwill several years back for $1. I love the old weathered wood frame. It is an original painting some made and signed. I just had to show you this cute crate of eggs. I found them at a craft store. I probably paid too much for them ($22) but I had to have them. Each egg is sitting in a little wire basket thingy.

Gotta love them ROOSTERS!!!!!

8-23-09

2009-08-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

I have always wanted some of these balls in a bowl or basket. The balls were on clearence at Craft Warehouse for $1 and $1.25 each. The one covered with jute I made myself out of a styrophome ball. The basket I picked up at Goodwill for $1.

This tin plaque was $1 at a yardsale.

I found this new 8 1/2 x 10 picture frame at the local thrift store for $1.50. It's distressed black.

This large mirror was $2 at a yard sale. I don't know if I will keep it as is or paint it. It would go well with beachy decor.

I didn't find a lot this week. The yard sales weren't very good.

We're getting close with our addition. I primed all 1300 square feet yesterday. It took me 6 hours with a spray gun. We also finished the deck off our new master bedroom. It won't belong now. I can't wait to decorate it with all of the thrifty treasures I've been accumulating the past several months!!!!!!

Go over and see Rhoda for more thrifty finds.

Give Away

2009-08-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

I'm as excited as can be. I won my first giveaway ever. Click here to see my new goodies and go on over and check out Bella Vista. You'll love it as much as I do!!! And if you feel so inclined sign up for the Rooster Party she is hosting.

Table Redo

2009-08-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

I know many of you would probably never do to this cute , green, drop-leaf table what I did to it. It really was a lovely little table the way it was. When I bought it I intended to keep it as is. It just works better for me as a couch table. Sorry if this offends anyone out there. I bought the table at an awesome yard sale a few months back for $20.

Before:

After:

I really needed a couch table and I didn't like how the table leaves covered the pretty legs so I removed the leaves, hinges and extra legs. It took about an hour and a half to sand it down really well. Then I glued this wood scrolly cut-out to the front and gave her two coats of black paint. I loooove the way it turned out. Now I will have to come up with a project for the extra legs and leaves. Any ideas???

Go Here to see more fabulous redos at Between Naps on the Porch.

8-9-09

2009-08-09T17:13:00.000-07:00

Went to a couple yard sales and an estate sale and picked up a few things.

Old Scale = $1

Brushed Nickle Paper Towel Holder = 50 cents

Box of Furniture Legs = $1

Wreath = 75 cents. I cut the yellow flowers off it.

Huge Basket = $3. I'll store blankets or toys in it.

Stop in at Rhoda's to see more thrifty treasures.

Yard Sale

2009-07-31T15:06:00.000-07:00

Man did I score this week. Each week I think to myself There is no way I can possibly do as well as last week. And then I come home with so much good stuff I can't believe it. I hit 5 yard sales today and the thrift store earlier in the week. Here's my stash.......................

Three primitive spools. $2 for all. I plan on removing the colored string and just keeping the bare spools.

Large outdoor lantern. New in package $5. The lady bought it and it was to big for where she wanted to put it. She kept forgeting to take it back so she threw it in her yardsale. Hello? Do you know how much this is worth? Around $75. This will work great with the patio off the new addition!!!!

Country Living Book 25 cents. This is a large book. The inside flap says $25. It looks like it may have been looked through once.

Country decorating book 25 cents. Like new condition.

Ivy plant/topiary $2. Berry vine 50 cents. Large cast iron birdbath $2. It matches the small cast iron birdbath I got at a yard sale a couple years ago for 50 cents. From the same yard sale as the outdoor lantern.

Ceiling fan for the guest bedroom in the new addition $15. Looks brand new. This is Hunter brand (not the cheapy $39 one from home depot).

Brushed nickle light fixture $2.

Large decorative ball 50 cents. Bowl $1.

Children's rocking chair $4.

Distressed Plaque $1.

Dresses $2 each. For the girls. The blue, pink and brown silk one will look so cute with brown leggings.

Shirt $1 new with tags. I have been needing a new white shirt.

Two zoo themed scrapbook kits 50 cents each. Rocket engines 50 cents. These engines are around $7 or $8 bucks a package at Walmart. The hubby and son love to launch their rockets.

Check out some other great finds at Rhoda's.

July 26

2009-07-26T15:11:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted my thrifty finds for a loooong time. Summer has kept me busier than a bee with the kids and the addtion on our home. I have found some great deals recently and can't wait to show you a recent yard sale table redo. Let the fun begin!!!!

Old carved chair with down stuffing $2. Local thrift shop. Not sure what to do with this (redo or resell). Any ideas?

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Large 13 inch milk glass serving plate = $2. English transferware plate = $1. Local thrift shop.

Jars = $1 each. I have them full of cotton balls and Q-tips on the bathroom vanity. Goodwill

Corelle plates = 14 @ 75 cents each. Large Corelle serving bowl = $2. I have been wanting these very plates for a long time. They are $3 a plate and $10 for the serving bowl at Walmart. I was in Goodwill and the employees wheeled out several bins of new stuff. I snatched these up fast. Two women in the checkout line were drooling over them and wished they had got to them first. They look brand spankin' new.

Cake Platter = $3.50 Goodwill. Is an off white color and 12 inches in diameter.

Large French Toile Clock = $2. Local thrift shop. There was also a blue one I didn't get. I don't think they have ever been used.

Large wood frame = $2.50. Local thrift shop. I can't wait to paint this heirloom white.

Christmas bird nest = $1. New in box. Our local thrift shop is having Christmas in July.

Two foot topiary = $3.50. Goodwill.

Now for the table redo. I know many of you would probably never do to this cute , green, drop-leaf table what I did to it. It really was a lovely little table the way it was. When I bought it I intended to keep it as is. It just works better for me as a couch table. Sorry if this offends anyone out there. I bought the table at an awesome yard sale a few months back for $20.

Before:

After:
I really needed a couch table and I didn't like how the table leaves covered the pretty legs so I removed the leaves, hinges and extra legs. I sanded it down for 1 1/2 hours then glued this wood scrolly cut-out to the front. Then I gave her two coats of black paint. I loooove the way it turned out. Now I will have to come up with a project for the extra legs and leaves.

Be sure to stop by Rhoda's to see some other thrifty treasures.

Weekly Deals

2009-06-20T13:49:00.000-07:00

I found some great deals this past week!!! This cake pedestal was $2 at the local thrift store. It's 10 inches wide and has a cute black and white gingham ribbon on it. I have waaaay to many cake pedestals but I sure love them.

I hit a yard sale this morning in the parking lot of a motel. It was a fundraiser for the class of 2010 so it was quite large. I got this little suitcase for $1. It's 15" by 11" by 5 1/2. Small and cute.

It fits nicely on this three shelf table I got there for $3. I can't decide if I'll sand it down and repaint it or keep it as is.

This little guy was 75 cents. It's a nice size at 6 1/2 " tall and 7 1/2" long. I have found some great Easter decorations at yard sales this year.

I found this five piece set of camp cookware at the local thriftstore for $3 for all. It looks brand new.

This flag wall hanging was $1 at the yardsale this morning. It is made with a thick off-white canvas fabric background and thick dark red grossgrain ribbon for the red stripes. The blue part is (very dusty) tin and the stars are magnets. I think it is probably missing a few stars but I love it anyway. It is quite large at 15" x 23 1/2".

Be sure to check out Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for more great finds!!!!!!!!!!!!

Once Again Yard Sale Fun

2009-05-30T17:26:00.000-07:00

I hit Goodwill a few days ago and this is what I found. Our main bathroom is nautical themed so I grabbed this sail boat for $2.50 and the basket for $1.50. The basket sits on the toilet and holds extra toilet paper and air freshener. I believe the candlesticks are nickel. They are heavy and will go nicely with the two brushed nickel ones I already have. They were $2 each. The flower ball was 25 cents. I plan to set it atop a small white cast iron urn in the girls' room. The bird was 50 cents. I'm thinking I can use it at Christmas time too. Is it a partridge or a dove maybe

I hit two yards sales this morning.
Clock $1, Topiary $1 (it is 17 inches tall and I love the basket it's in). Vintage fan $4 (it purs like a kitten).
Moss rabbit $1 (will make a nice addition to my Easter decor), Twiggy nest thingy 50 cents.

Vintage (1956) toy 50 cents. I love this. When it's pulled all the wings spin and it quacks.

Home Interior flowers and letters $2 for all. For the girls' room.

Dance leotard and skirt (Both New with Tags) $2. Because I have three girls in dance.

George Washington book about his life 10 cents. Saturday Evening post 1963 of Kennedy's assassination 10 cents (because my hubby's a history teacher). The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe 1.50. The Grasshopper Trap by Patrick McManus 25 cents (hubby loves these redneck stories).

Check out my other finds and redo's on this past week's post!!!!!!!!!

The Lamp

2009-05-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

I'm joining Nesting Place today. She is having a lighting party.

I found these things at our local thrift shop a few weeks ago. This is the inspiration for an upcoming master bedroom redo. We've had the same decor since we have been married and it's time to freshen things up! I'm going for a romantic chic kind of look.

I've always liked the saying "Always kiss me goodnight." This framed art was new with tags. I paid $4 for it. I have seen these at Craft Warehouse for $30. The flowers were $2. I love how delicate and wispy they are.

And then there's the lamp. I bought the black lamp the same day for $4. It is solid wood and very heavy. The glossy paint is in perfect condition. The problem was it had no shade. I knew if I kept my eyes peeled I could find one. The very next week I found a shade for 50 cents. It was creme colored. Nothing fancy. I knew I wanted it to be black toile. I could hardly wait to get to town to get some fabric. A few days later as I was going through my closet I found a toile skirt way at the back. I made the wrap skirt about 5 years ago. Problem was I used a thick upholsrtry fabric for it and it never laid the way it should have. I only wore it a time or two. I was so excited. I spent 30 minutes unpicking the black and white gingham ribbon from around the bottom of the skirt. But I knew it would look nice around the shade. About an hour later I was finished. I love the finished product. My friend came over and saw it sitting on my kitchen counter. She said "That is a $60 lamp."

The little wood Paris sign was 50 cents!

I bought these two pictures years ago after our family returned from living in England. I found them at Target and fell in love. They have been hanging in the living room for years. They will make a nice addition to the master bedroom.

This is another lighting fixture that I spruced up. I wish I had a before picture but I don't. This was an ugly old light in the dining room when we purchased the house. Just imagine it without shades and the middle wood part being a dark brown stain. I really wanted to change out this fixture but we were on a very limited budget so I revamped it. I sanded and painted the wood part white. Then I was on a hunt to find lamp shades to cover in toile. I went to Goodwill on a mission and still can't believe my find. They had 5. Not 4. Not 6. But 5. I Couldn't believe it. They were white and still in the shrink wrap. Brand spankin new and 50 cents each. I bought a toile tablecloth at T.J. Max and used it to cover the shades. I also made a runner for my bufftet and a valance for my kitchen window from the tablecloth.

Visit yesterday's post to see more pictures of my dining room with all it's transferware and milk glass!!!!

Milk Glass

2009-05-27T12:29:00.001-07:00

It started innoccently enough. I visited a friends house and she had a large collection of milk glass. I thought well that's real pretty. I didn't think a whole lot about it until I went to a yard sale a week later. There were five pieces of milk glass for 10 cents each. I bought them, brought them home, and washed them all sparkly clean. My intention was to give them to my friend for her collection.

They sat on my kitchen counter for a week or so and the more I looked at them the more I liked them. I decided I must have my own collection. That was it. I was hooked. I never noticed how many of these were at the thrift stores until I started collecting them. I probably aquired 50 pieces in the first two weeks.

I must admit it became an obsession. I ended up with way to many pieces. I couldn't even display them all. I finally pulled out about 2 large boxes of my least favorite pieces and sold them at my yard sale. I have only bought a couple pieces in the last few years. This (and a a few cake pedestals) is what I have left.

When we bought our home this was a ulility closet in the dining room. It had ugly dark wood rolling doors. Only the left side had shelves so we added shelves to the right side. We still need to add trim to the new shelves. (I shouldn't say new shelves since it has been 6 years ago). The milk glass didn't stand out against the white wall so I used the left over red paint from my front door and added red and white transferware plates behind and viola. It makes the milk glass pop.

I also love my transferware collection. I picked up many of these pieces in England 12 years ago when my hubby, son and I lived there. (Hubby used to work at the American Embassy in London).

Today we are breaking ground on our addition!!!!!! The patio was ripped out a couple hours earlier. They are digging now for the foundation and it will be poured tomorrow. Yeah!!! After two years of talking, planning, and saving it is becoming a reality!!!!!!

Yard Sale Season!!!

2009-05-24T22:17:00.000-07:00

Yard sale season is here and I'm as giddy as a kid in a candy store! I didn't get out yard selling this weekend because I was the one having the yard sale. And it was our most successful yard sale ever. But I will show you what I found a few weeks ago when a friend called and said "Get over to this yard sale." Of course I jumped in the car and headed over. A couple ladies were practically giving stuff away. The one gal used to sell At Home America (which I've never heard of) and was getting rid of all her inventory. Keep in mind all of this stuff is new with tags. The berry wreath and vine were 75 cents each. The lantern with candle was $2. And the sampler with the distressed black frame $3 (it is 15 inches square). I love it!

The 18 inch metal star wreath and wall sconces were $1 each.

The picture I actually got at Goodwill for a buck a few weeks back. It had a red frame that was just the wrong color red. So I painted it black and sanded the edges. It will go perfectly with the rest of this decor.

Another samlper I got at a thrift store a year ago. She will go well with her larger just-adopted sister.

This large red platter was $2. I can't believe how well she matches the bowl I already had on top of my fridge!

I got this frame at the book store about a month ago where my mother-in-law works. It was on clearence plus with an employee discount she wasn't much (about 70% off). I took out the embroidery kit of a train that was in it.

Back to the yard sale...... The two white berry wreaths were 50 cents each. I tied a piece of toile ribbon to this one and hung in the hallway.

I hung the other one on our hat rack in the hallway.

Now for the big splurge. I paid $8 for this plaque. It is $40 new in the catalog. The letters are wood cut outs so it's 3-D. This baby is 35 by 10 inches.

Up close and personal

O.K. another splurge. This mirror with hooks was $5.

My 5 year old daughter also came home with a whole new wardrobe. All clothes were 25 cents. She had lots of dance leotards (some were new with tags), dress up clothes (which I plan to sell on ebay at Halloween. One I know will be a hot seller and probably pay for the entire yard sale splurge).My husband keeps telling me "Enough already. No more things for the addition until we have the addition." I know space is limited but these deals don't come along every day!!!!!! And besides the boys will get a not-so-femenine family room. We start digging for the foundation this Wednesday!!!!!!!!
Be sure to check out other thrifty finds at http://southernhospitality-rhoda.blogspot.com/. Can someone tell me how to click on a specific word and have that word take you to a website. For instance, Check out Rhoda here. And when you click on the word here it takes you to her website. Thanks so much.

Got it figured out. Thanks Marianne!!! Go here for more thrifty finds.

Spring Decor and Easter Eye Candy

2009-05-20T09:29:00.001-07:00

I know Easter has come and gone but I wanted to share this post from my private family blog. Enjoy!!!!

This bird nest was in the top of the large pine tree we cut down in our backyard (to make room for the addition). I love it. I would like to keep it if I could find a bell jar large enough for it.

I am a thrift store addict and found some great Easter treasures at our local thrift store. These 12 inch bunnies were $1 each. I took off the ugly ribbons on them and replaced them with more neutral colors. I also took the rabbit off the pole and cut a couple inches off of it. It is just the right height now.

This little moss and chicken wire bunny was also a buck.

I always go through phases in my decorating. As of late that has been cutting wood blocks and mog podging scrapbook paper on them to spell a name or holiday. I may embellish these a bit if I can find some cute flowers or something to go on them. The two bunnies to the right are my favorite. They were 50 cents each.

These little bunnies were also 50 cents each. But the tags on the bottom say $2.50 from Pier One Imports.

I love spring time and all the new baby animals. I especially love decorating with nests and eggs. To me it goes along with Easter and the ressurection since we are celebrating "New Life."

HAPPY EASTER!!!!!!!!

This weeks finds!

2009-05-18T13:43:00.000-07:00

Friday morning I decided to hit a yard sale. The paper said "Moving Sale with lots of furniture - Huge." It was a few miles out of town and I almost decided not to go. Boy am I glad I did. It was HUGE. I'm a sucker for painted furniture and brought home lots of stuff. The big find was this antique dresser with mirror. It was $35. It is charcoal and cream colored. It is distressed so the white shows through from underneath. It is in excellent condition. The drawers slide easily and it is built very solid.

This cute little drop leaf table was $20. It is also very solid and in excellent condition. I love the sage green color it is painted.

The $5 chair. It is very similar style to the kitchen chairs we already have.

You may need to live in the state of Washinton to appreciate these next two finds. A steamer/juicer for three dollars and an apple picker for $2. I already have a juicer. My parents gave us one for Christmas several years ago. They bought it at the end of the season and paid $70 for it on sale. I have always wanted two so I can have two steaming at once. This will cut the time I spend making grape juice in half.

A cute reversible table runner with ruffles at the ends was $1.

Three roosters for $3 each. Each one stands nearly 12 inches tall. I have some rooster things in my kitchen. These will compliment them nicely.

The vinyl plaque was $1 and the basket waS 50 cents. I love its wood handle.

I paid $1.25 for the set of two baskets and 25 cents each for the twiggy pumpkins with metal leaves.
My splurge totalled $79. I usually don't spend that much at yard sales but who could resist this. There were two more pieces of painted furniture I would have loved. A black sofa table was snatched up by a lady who got to it first. I figured I had spent over my limit so I had to come home without a cute corner table. They also took me to a shed out back and showed me at least a dozen old chippy windows for $10 a piece. They were white, red and green. Again I had to do without even though it was a great deal. I just need to be happy with what I did come home with!!!! See Rhoda at http://southernhospitality-rhoda.blogspot.com/ for more yard sale finds.