Jackie the Junk Junkie

Sorry for the short notice. . . .

2010-08-02T11:42:00.000-06:00

Anyone interested in setting up a craft or food booth on Saturday, August 7th in Firth, Idaho should contact me imediately for details.

Thanks!!
jackielikestattoos@yahoo.com

Braggin' about the finds. . . .

2010-07-30T13:14:00.018-06:00

I haven't stopped thrifting but it seems like I haven't been finding many things that inspire a revamp. Thats ok though. . . .

Over the last month or so I have been finding some super cute, super cheap pottery/planters and have added to my collection.

. . . like this one. . . .

. . . 50cents and is now the home to some chives. . .

. . . and these. . .

.. . .those were 75cents each. . . .

. . .and these were 50cents each. . .

Last but not least. . . I paid $3 for this Jack Daniels pitcher. . .it is HUGE!

Awww. . . .I love me some sa-weet finds ;)

Its for the birds. . .

2010-07-30T13:07:00.000-06:00

Check out this Sa-weet bird cage. . . .

I got it at the DI for $3 and it was full of crazy plastic greenery crap and birds. . .
I went to an aerobics class the night that I bought it and was showing it off to a friend of mine. We had a bored/creative/crazy moment while waiting for classs to start and came up with this ultra-cool (yeah right), trendy (tacky), decorating idea. . . (hahaha. It still makes me laugh. . . )

Oh yeah. . . I know you all are super jealous of my hot bird art thats turning heads on my truck. ;) Its made it done the freeway a couple of times and I'm only down the roadrunner. Magoo thought it was the greatest thing in the world so I thought I would leave it on there for awhile. Who knows. . . maybe it'll turn into the next 'big thing'. hahaha

Ok. . . .On to the real revamp project. . .

Kind of cute, huh??

I really wish I would have taken a pic with all of the goodies in it before I started tearing it appart. It was too funny. :)

Crazy Cheap Rustic Wreath

2010-07-08T09:35:00.000-06:00

HUGE bunch of flowers. . . 50 cents. . .

Twig Wreath. . . .$1. . . .

Put them together with some hot glue and jute. . . .CUTE!. . .

How's that for cheap and easy?? My two favorite things. . . hahaha

New Blog needs some LOVE :)

2010-07-07T10:38:00.000-06:00

Hey. . . check out this blog!!

There is only a couple of posts but there are more to come :D
Leave them some comment love and make it one of the blogs you follow!!

Shepperd's Hook Repair

2010-07-06T08:55:00.000-06:00

We had a crazy, violent windstorm a while ago and it destroyed my mom's brand-new sheppards hook :(
It was made of a heavy gauge metal but appartently wasn't welded very well at the bottom and it snapped right off.
I wanted to try and salvage it so I filled an old planter with concrete and braced the hook in it until it could cure.

I left a little space at the top of the concrete to fill with potting mix and plant some flowers in.

Ta-Da!!

All in!

2010-07-01T13:19:00.000-06:00

Christmas in July??

I found this serving tray at the DI for $1.50.

A little black spray paint, a deck of playing cards and some Mod Podge turned it into this. . .

One of these years, I am going to host a poker night or a casino party and use this to carry drinks and stuff in.

Grill Master Competition and Tips for Grilling Great Steaks

2010-06-29T08:22:00.000-06:00

This Saturday was the Grill Master Competition and my Stepdad Jim did fantastic!! He took 2nd place but his Teriayki Tri-tip was definately 1st in my book :)

Jim took home 1st place last year with super secret steak rub recipe. . . his own blend of herbs and spices. Last year the competetors got to choose their meat and had the option of grilling steak or tri-tip. This year, everyone had to do a tri-tip so Jim came up with a new recipe.

Here are some tips he posted . . . take it away, Jim!!

These are some tips for great Steaks. Follow these simple steps and always remember to use them and you will have great barbecue every time.

1. Always purchase meat that has good marbling. and little fat around the outside, if it does you can always trim it later when preparing it.

2. If you freeze it make sure to use a Food Saver or something along the lines that sucks the air out of the bag to ensure keeping the freezer burn away. Bags of meat in the Freezer can last about a year, in the fridge usually about 4 to 5 days past the sell by date.

3. For good cuts of steak (New York, Ribeye, Top Sirloin) you may want to add flavor with a Seasoning marinade. The longest to marinate these steaks is 2 hours. Thickness on these steaks here are around 1" to 1 1/2 inches thick. So the two hour mark is a good cut off time. Thinner steaks less time. You want a tender and juicy steak not mush that tastes like steak, you still want the texture of the meat.

4 Other cuts of meat ( chuck, round, flank, skirt) You will want to use what is known as a tenderizing marinade. This is because those cuts of meat are tougher and need a little tender care to help soften them up. Here are some helpful things to remember when using a tenderizing marinade:

A tenderizing marinade contains a food acid or a tenderizing enzyme.

Acidic ingredients are lemon and or lime juice, vinegar, Italian Dressing, salsa,yogurt and wine

Tenderizing enzymes are present in fresh ginger, pineapple, papaya, kiwi, and figs

Tenderizing marinades penetrate down about a 1/4 inch into the meat.

For these cuts of meat the marinade process is longer. Anywhere from 6 hours minimum to no longer than 24 hours. After that then the meat may start to become mushy and remember we want steak not mush. There are tons of marinades out there on the shelves or you can make them yourself. Check out online as well, you will be amazed at what you find.

5. Always marinade your meat in either a Non-Conductive glass or stainless steel bowl or in a good Zip-Lock baggie that is then stored in a bowl in the refrigerator.

6. Before cooking the meat you need to allow it to warm up. SPECIAL NOTE: This is where most people will tell you no you cannot take it out and let it get to room temperature, it will get bacteria and hurt you. Well that is true if you do not clean your counters, but if you keep your area clean (kitchen work area that is) and work with the food with either gloves on or washing your hands frequently you should keep that from happening.

The reason for getting the meat to room temperature is, well have you ever had a good steak but the middle is a little tough? Well that is because it was not warmed up before throwing it on the grill. If there is a cold spot in the middle of your steak let it sit a little longer. I usually have mine in a baggie on the granite counter top that helps extract the cold out of the meat. ( yes it really does help get it where it needs to be on temperature). The baggie helps keep it safe while it warms up.

Now I KNOW there are people that will argue with that till they are blue in the face, but I will let you test it out if you want. All I can say is, if you allow the meat to warm to room temperature (65-70 degrees not above that) and when you are ready to grill, if you touch the center of the steak ( with gloves on or washed hands ) and it feels not cold cold but like about the temp of the room, your steak will be very juicy and not tough in the center.

With the grill ready you will want to have one side of the grill on a medium high to high heat and the other side either on low or off. Gas grillers one side on and one side off, Charcoal grillers coals on one side none on the other. This is Direct and Indirect Grilling.

Use a old CLEAN rag and put some EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) on it and coat the grates on the grill. This will help keep the meat from sticking. Then place the meat over the hot side for 45 seconds. Lift rotate 90 degrees and another 45 seconds. Repeat this on the other side. This will give you those great grill marks.

Once that is done then place the meat on the other side and let it cook with indirect grilling turning only once or twice.

There are two ways you can check to see if it is done. The first way is to do the finger test. If your fingertip presses into the meat too much then it is not time. If you press it in and it feels spongy and has some bounce you may be done. You can use a thermometer, but remember any holes on the meat will let the juices leak out and give you a dry steak. Here is a site that describes it a little more for you:

http://www.bbqreport.com/archives/barbecue/2005/07/24/how-to-tell-when-a-steak-is-done

Once the meat is then cooked you will want to place it all on a plate and then cover with foil tightly and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the steak and not leak out and give you dry steak as you cut into it. Also the steak will cook about 5 degrees more than when you took it off, so remember that when you use a thermometer checking the temp.

Well this is a sampling of how to grill a great steak. I may add something later on. My brain is currently shutting down for the weekend. OH, one last thing. NEVER, and I mean NEVER (my personal opinion) use any instrument other than a thermometer to poke the meat. Get a good set of long handled tongs. Any holes in the meat will defeat the purpose of a good juicy nicely done steak.

Ok now I am done...for now...

Thanks, Jim!!

Oh crap. . .

2010-06-28T08:12:00.000-06:00

Son of a. . . . !!!!
I had a slight accident a few days ago with my poor computer chair. (I re-upholstered it a few years ago to match an ottoman I re-did.)
I honestly don't have an idea how, but, I tripped over this sucker when I was attempting to walk through to the bath room and CRASH!!
The back was distroyed as well as the eardrums of 10 of my neighbors. . .

But-- The best thing in the world happened. While setting up for a garage sale, a good friend of mine wheeled in an identical one that was broken also and marked it with a sticker that said "FREE"
(OoOOooooh Thank You, Brit. You are a life saver!!)

♫♪Hal-e-lu-YAH!!♪♫

I only needed the plastic part on the back rest to fix the chair and I was left with this. . . .

. . . .Lightbulb Alert. . . .

The kids are always looking for a hard surface to color on at home or when we are in the truck. . . (its no fun to sit at the desk or the table, ya know?)
I took an old pant leg from some jeans I cut off into shorts and then just slid it on and tied off the ends with some jute.

Too bad I didn't have a few of these. . .
The girls are in love with their new little 'lap desk'. :D

Stepping Stones

2010-06-25T09:00:00.000-06:00

What have I been up to lately? I have still been crafting but its basically more of what I have already posted so I didn't want to bore anyone with multiple posts of the same old-same old.
Here is something new though. . . .
Garden Stepping Stones!

I've been putting a lot of time in with helping my mom in her yard and I absoulutely LOVE it!! I just wish it was mine and not hers though. . hahah.

We all had fun putting these together and I think they turned out great! They were really easy to make too.

Here's what you'll need to make your own:

-molds to make the stepping stones in. You can buy these cheaply at craft stores or at a dollar store like I did.
-Concrete. I used quickrete. One bag goes a loooonnng way!!
- Water to mix the concrete with.
- An old serving spoon, to fill your molds.
- A large plastic tub to mix the concrete in. I used an old kitty litter container.
-stuff to decorate your stones with. I used glass gems I found at the dollar store.

There are two types of concrete that you can use for the manufacture of stepping stones. One, quick-setting concrete, is available at hardware and home improvement centers. The cheapest to buy is Quikrete, at about two dollars for a 60 pound bag. It is, however, a bit pebbly, and you may wish to purchase a large sieve to filter out the larger materials. I was fornate enough to have been able to borrow a large sifter so it worked out great :) . . . Thanks Jim!!

The second is stepping stone concrete, available at many craft centers. This type of concrete is made especially for stepping stones, so is of course a bit more expensive. You are in to it about $5 per stone if you go that route.

The best way to mix concrete is to measure the concrete first and place it in the mixing tub. I used a 5parts Quikrete and 1part water and it worked well. Add the water last - you want to end up with concrete at the consistency of cake batter. Too much water, and the concrete will fail to cure.

Allow the concrete 15-20 minutes to rest before adding your choice of decorations for the stepping stone. You have to use a little bit of force to press in the stones so they'll stay in there after the concrete has cured.

I found these molds at the dollar store. The plastic ones were plant saucers that came 6 to a package and the foil ones are mini pie tins that came 4 to a package but were a little bigger in size.

Allow 30 minutes of drying time before you attempt to write your name or a witty slogan in your stepping stone. If the imprint fills with water, then simply smooth it out and wait an additional 5 minutes or so and begin again. Allow 30 minutes of drying time before adding hand or foot prints.

Allow the stepping stone to dry for at least 48 hours. Turn the mold over, placing an old towel on the work surface. Gently tap the mold, and it will release the stepping stone. You can now paint the stone if you wish.

I think it would be fun to decorate some using those plastic glow-in-the-dark moons and stars too. The possibilites are endless. I can't wait to do some more of these!!

DollarStore Key Holder Makeover

2010-06-24T11:50:00.000-06:00

Here's a quick little makeover. . . .
I found this key holder at the Dollar Tree

and turned it into this. . . .

A little Mod Podge and paper dressed it right up :)

Freezer Paper Stencils. . . Fun Stuff!!

2010-06-18T09:44:00.000-06:00

Have you seen these yet?
Stencils you can iron on made from freezer paper?
I have seen a lot of people doing them lately and had to give it a try.

I printed out an image and then traced it onto the 'paper' side of the freezer paper, cut it out, and ironed it on to a tank top for my little Magoo. (The tank was on sale at WallyWorld for a buck. Score!)
I used the 'synthetic' setting on my iron which is a medium heat with no steam. Then I litterally squirted some paint into the middle of the stencil and smeared it around with my finger. I waited a minute or so and then pealed off the paper.

I was impressed that even with a ribbed tank, the paint didn't bleed at all and the paper was super easy to pull off of the shirt!
I added some little spots and what-not to the frog and Magoo LOVED IT!!

This was really fun and easy to do. . . I think I'll have to start stocking up on blank shirts and do some for gifts.

The top looked a little naked so I added a dots around the neckline to finish it off.

You could use this idea for just about anything. . .
I saw a couple of people do it on canvas tote bags with spray paint, too.
Cute Cute Cute. . .

DollarTree Makeover - Bird Tealights

2010-06-14T08:14:00.001-06:00

The glass tealight holders were glued in these puppies and they were in there GOOooOOOooD. I didn't want to risk breaking these while trying to pry them out so I just stuffed them with paper and used painters tape to cover all the exposed glass.

I gave them a couple of coats of Ivory spray paint and hit them with some sand paper to rough them up a bit.

Lucky for me, I had the little tan candles from a gift set someone gave me a long time ago and they went perfectly in the candle holder.
My little birds have a happy new home amongst my crazy "Bowl-O-Balls" :D

Confession: I absoulutely HATE birds. . . ask anyone who knows me. . .I can't stand them and I'm scared to death of the real ones. I honestly don't know why I thought these were so cute the other day. Hmmm. . . Maybe I'm having a change of heart about those horrid creatures. . . Maybe not.

Upcycled Soda Tabs

2010-06-10T08:29:00.000-06:00

I saw these bracelets made from soda tabs the other day and wanted to give it a try.
They are easy and kind of fun to make. . .

You can make a belts too. My daughter was trying to count how many tabs were in my belt until I stopped her. . . I didn't want to know how many tabs WIDE I was. Hahaha

I used some pink ribbon for Magoo's and threw on a flower for good measure.

She loves to be my little model. :)

The tutorial I used can be found HERE.

Or. . . you could even make a purse like this!

The tutorial for that is found HERE.

Martha Stewart inspired Window Greenhouse

2010-06-08T08:40:00.001-06:00

I am linking this to The CSI Project this week:)

As well as The County Chic Cottage's Window Party :D

I was totally inspired by Martha Stewart's GreenHouse window project.
Heres a picture:

I have a window in my kitchen that always grows the best plants but my silly dinning table is there. The table is usually full of whatever I'm trying to sprout at the moment so there isn't much room for everyone to sit for dinner. What a great idea to put some shelves in and stack the plants right in the window. (I use my sill now but there isn't much room. . . only enough for a couple of pots at a time)

Check out Martha's Greenhouse idea and tutorial here.

I really liked the clean look of the glass but didn't really want the headache and hastle of having the pieces cut and edges sanded. Plus, I didn't know if it was worth all the brackets mounted into the window frame or not. . .
Here's what I came up with as an alternative.

I used some old scrap wood that had been hanging out in my mom's backyard since last summer. (You can't complain about FREE. They were planning on hauling it away soon so I salvaged some just in time)
I measured the pieces to fit inside of my kitchen window. I was so proud of myself for actually getting the pieces cut right the first time and not losing any fingers in the process. . . . and WITHOUT any adult suprevision, I might add. hehehe.
This is the frame with a coat of primer on it.

It took a couple of coats of white paint to get the wood so it looked even and clean. . .even AFTER I had primed the sucker. (I also salvaged the paint from left overs my mom had from painting her house. Score!!)

. . . My neighbors probably thought I was a totally weirdo and taking pictures of them through my window. . .
They were standing on the deck and all I could do was giggle to myself imagining what must be going through their heads. It must have been about 11pm or so when I finally got the this up in the window and I was so excited it was done, I whipped out the camera to snap a few. . . in my fuzzy pink bathrobe and everything. . . hahaha

You can't really see it in the pictures, but the top of it is a little thicker and wider wood to make it like an awning. (a little decorative affect, I suppose)
I also added some 'rails' to give it more personality and to prevent the pots from tipping out. (I have cats and kids that like to knock things over so its better safe than sorry I suppose.)

Now all I have to do is wait for them to grow. . . thats the toughest part ;)

Here are is a close up on a couple of pots I painted and made the charms for.

This project barely cost me anything. . . the wood and paint were salvaged so all I was into it was a few nails and screws. . . plus a couple of planters to fill up the shelves.
Awww. . . . I love freebie projects . . . and Martha Stewart. . :)

Canisters. . . aka Boxes-O-Stink

2010-06-07T09:38:00.000-06:00

Sweeeeet deal at the DI.
Set of 3 . . .Price $4.00

In my immense excitement, I failed to look closely. . .literally look closely and hold my face down by these. I got them home. . .snaped some pictures. . .started ripping them appart. . and then the SMELL hit me. . .

@#$&$%$#@$^%)^%^$#!!!!!!!!

These had some little plastic inserts and as soon as I pull them out, I figured out WHY they were at the DI and marked $4.

@&*#@^$%^%$!!!!

Seriously- The only thing I can think of is these were once used to store ~~cat shi~~---. . . used kitty litter and vomit. Holy Smack!
I really considered trashing these stinky things but I knew they had potential.

Baking Soda. . . and time. . .

awww. . .much better.

The little glass pieces that were glued in the tops were el'gross-o too! I popped out those puppies out and tossed them right where they belonged.(the garbage dumpster)

After a little TLC (sanding and spray paint) on my fresher smelling little canisters, I added some chicken wire and they were complete. . . . almost. . .

I think these are going to need a little vinyl on the fronts to finish them off. . .

I found a sweet deal on etsy from The Artsy Nerd and knabbed some crazy cheap stars. (She was fantastic to work with. . . super quick shipping, too)

Saw-weeet. . . . :D

Chunky Wooden Magnets

2010-06-04T08:47:00.000-06:00

These magnets are super easy, fun, and inexpensive to make.

Start with a chunk of wood and router out a place for a magnet.

I used a two inch wood circle, some small magnets I found at the dollarstore in a 10pk, and a 3/8" drill bit.
I didn't drill all the way through the wood. . .just enough to give the magnet a place to sit so it was even with the back of the wood.
I threw in a little locktite to make sure the magnet stayed put too.

Then comes the fun part. . . DECORATE IT!!

I painted the wood black and then Mod Podged some paper and embellishments on.

I think these fun little magnets are just what my little reminder board needed.

These are so entertaining to make that it won't be long until I'll need another board just to hold them all . . . hahaha.

WTH?

2010-06-03T08:06:00.000-06:00

What the heck is this??

Besides a big, fat, rusted out mess??

Hmmmm. . . .
I don't know either.
It was in the bottom of a 'junk' box my mom ended up with at an auction. . . Blue Mule Auction of course :)

I still have no clue what this once was suppose to be but its a place to empty out my pockets and hold my keys now :)

Herb Garden Charms

2010-06-01T08:53:00.000-06:00

I finally got myself a metal stamping kit the other day and I am totally in love with this thing. It was super inexpensive too! ($12.99 at Harbor Freight tools)
I got some roof vent material and cut it into strips so it was easier to work with.

I also broke out the beads and wire for some embellishment on this project.

I used a stick pin washer for a stencil of a circle. . .it was just about the perfect size for each of my tags.

I used a black sharpie marker to darken the lettering a little and used the awl to stamp a hole in the top of the charm so I could hang in on my herb planter.

I think it turned out super cute. . . I was in love with my little planter already but these really finished it off. Check out my transformation post on the planter here.

I was having so much fun tagging all of my plants, I even did one for my strawberries. This tag is square and hung with jute though. . .
PS-Jute is soooo much cheaper when you buy it at a hardware store and not a craft store. . . Just thought I would pass that one if you guys didn't already know. Its around $5 at Michaels compared to less than $2 in the paint and home improvement section of Wal-Mart.

I'm linking up to the CSI challenge on this one. . .

Addin' to it. . .

2010-05-30T09:04:00.000-06:00

I found these goodies at the DI. . . $.75 a piece. . . not too shabby.

A little black spray paint and some sandpaper to the edges and they were ready to join my made-over Dollar Store signs. :D

See how the Faith-Love-Peace-Dream plaque was made HERE

Teacup Bird Feeder

2010-05-28T08:21:00.001-06:00

What a fun little idea to turn a teacup, saucer, and spoon into a charming bird feeder/bird bath!!
Brit, at Esbe Chic posted this idea a little while ago on her blog and I just had to try one for myself. Cuteness. . . .
A tutorial on this can also be found here on Cap Creations.

Note:I tried a few different options on the posts and none of them were successful.

I thought I found a real steal with the aluminum pole from this flag set but it was a big fat fail along with some other materials I tried.
Let me know if you try one of these and make it work with something other than the copper pipe. I finally got digusted and went and bought a stick of it ($9-something at Lowes and then caps were $.48 each)

I found the teacups and acessories at the DI (big surprize) for dirt cheap.

I used Locktite Extreme to bond the cap to the saucer and let it set and cure for a couple of days.
It does make quite a difference when adherring the copper to the ceramic if you sand both pieces first. . . make SURE you sand it or you'll be pealing off the glue and doing it over the next day anyways. . . (trust me)

This is what I ended up with. . . Cute but I wasn't really happy with it.
Lucky for me, I had already Locktited the ~~Damn~~ darn thing together. . . .

Grrr. . . .

I decided the post would look much better in an Ivory color. . .(I just wrapped the completed teacup with a plastic grocery bag and spray painted the post)

Aww yes. Much better. . .
You are suppose to fill the cups with water but I was too lazy to get some in there before I took the pics.

Check this out. . .

My mom had this wreath up on her front porch and a couple of robins thought it looked like a mighty fine spot to build a nest.

Now they have a cute little spot to grab some lunch too :)

I'm linking this at

Stop by and check out what others have done this week :)

Doin' the Herbal. . .

2010-05-26T11:39:00.000-06:00

How cute is this??

What a find at the DI! I paid 150pennies for this cutie-patootie :)
The only thing that could have made me like it more would have been if I came with the pots. I found some that were the perfect size at Wally World for 75cents a piece (not DI prices but I needed them. . .BAD)

It didn't quite have the look I wanted it too with the terra cotta colored. . . er. . .a. . . terra cotta pots so I decided to try my hand a cool crackling trick with some Elmer's glue.
One of the most wonderful blogs I read had a fantastic tutorial the other day on this and I knew I had to try it .. .on something. . . and here was the perfect oppurtunity!
Please check out 'Make the Best of Things' and leave her some comment love. She does some pretty amazing things. . . I am soooo jealous of her painting skills!!!

Here's the after of one of the pots I tried.
I was surprized I pulled it off and it was super easy!!

I am so in love with this!!
I am putting it in my window sill and starting an indoor herb garden.

I planted some chamomile, lemon grass, and spearmint and can't wait until they sprout!!

DollarTree FlipFlop Makeover

2010-05-25T16:13:00.001-06:00

I'm linking up to The CSI Project this week :)

I saw this idea on 'Or so she says'

and knew my daughter would absolutely love a pair.
Watch out Dollar Tree!! Here I come!

The only color of flip flops that would fit my little Magoo were gray but I found some pink and purple colored balloons that would make up for it.
(Magoo has to have EVERYTHING pink and purple! She's such a little DIVA)
These are the easiest things ever to make. . . easy if you can tie a knot that is.

You just tie a double knot with each balloon and continue adding one by one until the strap is full. I bought a package of 100 pink and 100 purple and used all of them in making the pair. (Make sure the knots lay along the top of the straps)
I did mine in a (kind-of) pattern with 2 pink, 2 purple, 2 pink, 2 purple. . . I'll be saying that in my head for the rest of the day.
The pair took almost an hour to tie but I think it was well worth it.

I think they turned out Ca-UuUUute!

They definately were 'Magoo Approved'

Winner!

2010-05-25T08:15:00.000-06:00

You'll have to excuse the crappy pic- I still haven't quite figured out the ins and outs of random.org.

The Lucky number was 21. . so that means Jamie is the winner of a Wal-Mart gift card!!

Jamie said...
How could you think of throwing it out? Of course you gotta revamp it! Worst case, you hate it and sell it on craigslist! lol

I'll be contacting her via email and she'll have 48hours to respond or an alternate winner will be chosen.

I guess my cabinet is GOING BLACK!! Stay tuned to see how it turns out :D

Hey-Hey- Its the last day :D

2010-05-24T14:45:00.000-06:00

Last day to enter my giveaway. . .
Hurry over and leave a comment for your chance to win my super secret prize :D
Click Here
I'll be choosing the winner later on tonight using random.org and emailing them shortly after for shipping information. Be sure and leave an email address so I can contact you if you are the WINNER!!!!

Easy Peasey Auction Redo : Kitchen Pictures

2010-05-24T08:50:00.000-06:00

I got these little fellers in a huge box FULL of junk at an estate auction not too long ago. Cost of the 'Box-o-Goodies': $2.50. . . Score!!
If you have never been to a BLUE MULE auction, you are definately missing out. The next one is on June 5th and rummor has it, that there will be some fantastic revamped furniture there. . . hahaha.

Easy as that. . . from red to black. . . .

Who doesn't love country folkish art in a black frame??

Seriously. . . its not another black piece this time. . haha

2010-05-21T08:26:00.001-06:00

Remember to enter my giveaway. . . There is only a few days left.
Click Here!

How fun is it to get a set like this for $1.50?
Cupboard + Shakers?
Yesss! What a super find at the DI!

I took the hand saw to the cupboard door because I knew it would be super cute with some chicken wire in place of those spindle things.

. . . and. . . it went red this time!

Are you having a heart attack that I actually did something other than black?

. . .hahahaha. . . .

The wire looked awesome but the inside looked crappy and unfinished. . . boo.
A couple of strips of black felt did the trick though. . .yay!

I should have taken a picture of the inside after the felt was on. . .oh wells. .

Spice Rack

2010-05-20T08:14:00.002-06:00

Dag-Nabbit!
I was so excited to start on this, I spaced taking a BEFORE pic.
You'll just have to use your imagination, I suppose.

It WAS just plain wood. . . brown and boring. . .
I sanded it down. . painted it sage green. .. distressed the edges. . . added some chicken wire.

I think it ended up turning out super cute.
The pictures just don't do it justice.

Whats up, McCormick??
Just giving a shameless shout out . . . and some free advertising on my blog. . . you guys should definately send me some free samples or something. . . its the right thing to do.

Hey!

Have you heard about this fun promotion??

Soleil 100 Days: "There are thousands of fun, sharable prizes in the BIC® Soleil® 100 Days of Sunshine promotion. Join now! www.FeelTheSoleil.com"

I went to a house party sponsered by Bic Soleil last night and heard about this little contest.
You should definately check it out.
PS- I got some freebies last night (score!) and one of them was a shaver. . . I used it this morning and it was fab. Gotta give Bic some props and a big thank you to Brit for letting me come :D

Anotha' Stinkin' Breadbox?!?

2010-05-18T08:13:00.000-06:00

Seriously?
Another bread box?
Yup. Its MINE this time though. . . Happy Mother's Day to ME :D

I really liked the way the other bread box went for my mom and I decided I was a little jealous. I found this one at the DI. . . it was marked $5.00 and I paid $6.00 for my mom's so I was already feeling better about the whole thing.

Uhh. . . yeah. . . THIS one needed a little more help though. .

I started taking it appart to sand and repaint but when I popped the the little plastic/glass window thing out, I just about lost my lunch. I actually took a pic of what was hiding around the creases but I've decided not to post it. . . .trust me. . . it was NASTY. I didn't even want to try and wash it. . . OH MY!!

I had some issues with the paint too. I didn't prime it (should have probably) and it took 4 coats to get the red so it was decent.

I liked the existing hardware so I washed them (BLEACH!!) really good and screwed them back in place.

My buddies up at Bennets Paint and Glass gave me a screamin' deal on a new piece of glass for my little goodie. They cut it right there in the shop and it seriously took all but 2 minutes. I ended up buying a glass cutter ($3.89) while I was there so I could attempt to slice my hand off doing it myself next time. ;)

Wanna know a tip? Dip your glass cutter in a little bit of motor oil and it will run across the glass easier and give you a better cut. (Bennets hooked me up with that little tidbit as well)

Don't mind the little finger prints on the glass. I should have cleaned it before I took the pic but I have a house full of kids and I'm sure it will be that way most of the time. Who has time to wipe everything down 50+ times a day?!?

Rooster Peppermill

2010-05-17T08:20:00.002-06:00

These peppermill projects are getting more and more popular and I thought I might have to try one. I found quite a few at the DI and have been hoarding them for later use. EsbeChic did a super cute version not too long ago sooooo. . . what the heck- Here goes. . .

I forgot to take a picture in the very beginning but I'm sure you get the just of it.
I gutted the peppermill down to the base(the grinder knob was on the top and I took out all the metal insides)and I primed the little ceramic rooster.

A little JB WELD Epoxy and then wait. . .
and wait. . .
and wait until it cured enough to get another coat of paint.

I distressed the base and sealed all the paint with some acrylic clear gloss.

I'd like to think its a little cuter than it comes out in the pictures but this wasn't one of my favorite projects. . .
They can't all be winners. . . .

You possibly could be though. . . .enter my giveaway!!

Dollar Store Sign goes Garden Decoration

2010-05-15T07:18:00.001-06:00

I fell in love with this little turtle-dude the other day at the Dollar Tree. I wasn't so much in love with the sign he was on though.

Hmmm. . . .

I came across some super cute ideas on what to make from these signs on Cute as a Fox where she took one and made it into a message board.
It ~~was~~ is a cute idea and I love her matching magnets but I didn't want to cover over my little evil-eyed turtle. . .

It sat in my craft trunk for quite a while and then it hit me!
I'll just cut him out and stick him outside in my garden. . . (that's where turtles belong don't they?)

And it was just as easy as that. I used some tin snips. . . cut around my turtle. . . .folded under the edges with some pliers so it wouldn't be so sharp. . . and stuck a metal stick up his b----back.
(I found a set of two hummingbird feeders with just the right kind of metal props to use on this for a dolla' at Family Dollar)

I also cut out some of the flowers from around the sign and coiled up some 16gauge craft wire to give it a little bobbley 3-D effect.
Locktite Extreme worked well to adhere all the goodies to my turtle.

He hasn't quite made it out into the garden though. Its been too cold and nasty to even START a garden this year so he'll have a repreve until the sun comes out and stays for awhile.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway!

I like Lemons. . . .

2010-05-14T08:02:00.000-06:00

I really liked the frame on this little clock thing and the price was right so in the cart it went. . .

I have other plans for the frame but I thought I would share what I made in the clock parts.
At the same trip to the DI, I came across a plastic trivet/plate thing for fittie-cent. . .

I drilled a hole in the center. . . gutted the clock I bought. . . lockited the battery part onto the black. . . put the clock arms back on. . .

and. . . .

and. . . .

This is what it turned out like :)

I am planning on getting it its own little plate stand but I stuck it up there for the time being. . .

Ok. . . got a little stand thing. . . worked out pretty well. . .

Don't mind the rotten flash on my camera. . . grrr. . .

Shadow box bank- Inspired by Cute as a Fox's Girly Bank

2010-05-13T08:34:00.001-06:00

Here's my take on a shadow box bank I saw on
Cute As a Fox.
PS- She has some of the cutest ideas on her blog! Definately a good one to follow

I searched the Dollar Stores religiously for about a month and always came up empty handed as far as shadow boxes were concerned. (Notice I said "as far as shadow boxes were concerned". . . I never come out of the Dollar Stores completely empty handed)

The DI came through though!

What a mess after all the "cotton stuff" was removed. . .
(Yeah. Take a close look at the picture above. . . . enough said.)

A little sandpaper and paint fixed it right up!

Isn't that little puppy the cutest?!? I found all the little cut outs at Michaels for super cheap. What made them even more fantastic than being super inexpensive, was the fact they were all ready painted!

This little bank found its new home in Magoo's room. She was so excited to see it and was impressed with the fact that it already had a little money in it :)

Don't forget to enter my giveaway. . . click here!

Welcome Wednesday with Take it from Me :)

2010-05-12T10:43:00.000-06:00

Head on over to Take It from Me and have the opportunity to see some really cute blogs.
You can use the linky and post yours for easy way to get some more followers!

Magazine Rack goes Black

2010-05-12T08:24:00.000-06:00

The culprit:
. . . .Old Magazine rack. . . .

Handy and useable?. . . yes

Cute and trendy??. . . not so much

Simple fix?. . . . most definately.

Whip out the sandpaper and spray paint. . .

. . . . much better. . . . .

This post should have probably came before my secret giveaway one. . . hmmm. . . whoops ;)

BTW- You should really enter that if you haven't already. I'll give you a hint on the secret prize. . . . it fits in your pocket and I've never met a person that didn't enjoy getting one. :)

I'm scared, Coach . . . .+Secret Prize GIVEAWAY!!!!

2010-05-11T13:59:00.000-06:00

Here's the deal. . . I have been redoing/revamping my living room for the last little while and I got to this and I'm a little nervous. . .

Your job is help a sista out. . .

Should I rip it appart, sand it down, and turn it black??

. . . .or. . . . .

Should it stay the way it is?

Leave me a comment telling me I'm crazy and I'll totally screw up my little curio cabinet and have to revamp the sucker into firewood. . . . .or. . . . . that I should quit being a baby and just go for it!

I'll take all of the comments and throw them into a random number generator and whichever one comes up, I'll take their advice and they will win a prize.

Sound fun??

Make sure you leave your email address if its not on your profile so I have a way to get a hold of you for shipping info!!

This will end on May 25th at 11:59pm MST.

Ps- the secret prize is something GOOD. . . its not handmade. . .it has monetary value. . . Nothing cheesey, I promise. Do me a favor and pass the word along about my giveaway and leave me a comment. It'll be worth an extra entry into the giveaway.;)

Altered art. . . Thanks to Jim and Jerry!!

2010-05-11T08:31:00.000-06:00

This was some kind of a wall hanging I suppose. It had a hanger on the back, the outer part is tin, and the center piece is ceramic tile.

It was $1.50 at the DI. I didn't really have anything in mind for it at first and then I ended up with some decrepid picture frames from Blue Mule Auctions a couple of Wednesdays ago. I got two different ones in the lot for $2.50.

I papered and taped off the tile piece and used some Italian Olive spray paint.

I took some fine grit sandpaper and rubbed off the paint over the tin's embossed details.

Next came the tricky part. . . . .
The frame I chose to use was made out of wood but all of the ornate detailling on the top was a type of plaster. . . .not fun to cut. . . It was so old that the pieces on the top would chip of really easy and it was a nightmare to get the 45s to line up.
Long story short and huge props to Jim and my Step-Gramps, we got it so it was useable.
Oh yeah. . . there was a crazy little lip along the back of the frame that was a bear to get to line up on the tin piece too. . . I should have looked closer at everything before we started marking and cutting. . .HIND SIGHT. . . .

There May. . .or May not have been several "Sailor type" words used durning this process. . . .

I think it turned out pretty dam-----dang good.

Wanna know the best part?

I was in Michaels last Saturday and saw a very similar one (except a little smaller and not quite as heavy) priced at $29.99!

Total cost of mine with paint and everything? $4.75!
Wah-BAM!!

Yee-HAW!

2010-05-10T08:18:00.000-06:00

♪♫♪ Like a Rhinestone Cow~~boy~~girl!!♫♪♫

I wasn't even going to post this but oh wells. . . here goes. . hahaha.

Confession:I orginally was bidding on this at the auction (BLUE MULE) because I was planning on redoing it for myself to wear. Come to find out, IT WAS WAAAAAYY TOO SMALL for my fat head. Lucky for me, I have an adorable little girl with a head just perfect enough to wear it.

The top was kind of goofy and too tall (I hope I don't have any REAL cowboys reading this-BLASTPHEMY!!)
I squished the top down a little and hotglued the sides together and then cut off the excess that was hanging down inside.
I braided some 1/4" ribbon and threw that one wear the black ribbonie-thing use to be.

I pulled appart a few fake flowers I had lying around and layered them onto the front.

I had some little silver metal star brads that I cut off the clips to and glued them over the "vent holes".
(You can't really see them in any of the pictures but they are there. . .trust me. . .)

Yeah- I know. . . not one of my more glorious projects. . . .

Magoo got a kick out of it though.
The little buck-a-roo rodeo is coming up at the end of the summer so maybe I'll enter her in it this year. I'll seriously cry if she comes home with a chicken (real one)though.

I suppose I could always revamp him into dinner ;)

Crusty Rusted Mess

2010-05-09T09:35:00.000-06:00

Another goodie from the DI.

Cost was $1.00. . . not too shabby. . . .

. . . I bought it. . . brought it home. . . .

And then I took a closer look. . . .

Shhhhh---&*^%@!&!!-oot.
I hate rust and crud. It irritates me. . . .

. . . then I remembered where it came from and how I didn't take the candle off and look it over before I bought it. . . I hate when things are my fault even more than I hate rust. . . .

Ya wanna know something that I LOVE though???

Rustolum Spray Paint. . . .awwwhhhhhh. . .

No sanding or anything. Just spray right over the top of that mess.

PS- The little deer bookends were fifty cents for the pair and I also got two huge bags of the white deco rock for fifty cents each.

Winners!

2010-05-08T07:16:00.000-06:00

Ok- So I couldn't figure out how to post the little generator thing on here from random.org so you are just going to have to trust me on this one.

The follower count is up to 20 so there will be 2 hair clips to give away.

The first # that came up was 3 so that means. . . . .Julie! From "A Journey, Not a Race".
Congratulations!!!!

The second # was 8 . . . . . Gwen!
Congratulations to you too!!

I swear those were the numbers. . . *raising right hand in the air*.
Next giveaway I'll have someone show me how to post the generator so everyone can see!

I will be emailing both winners for shipping information and they will have 48 hours to respond or an alternate winner will be drawn.

Thanks everyone for following my blog and leave me the most wonderful comments!!

PS- You should stop by both of the blogs of the winners. . . they both are wonderful!!!

Mother's day gift - Bread Box Revamp

2010-05-07T08:26:00.002-06:00

Shhhhhhh----
Don't tell my mom that her Mother's day present came from the DI!!

Ok- So its not a huge secret because I already told her to make a place on her counter for a bread box and she is very well aware of the fact that I can hardly force myself to pay retail for ANYTHING.
Buuuut- She is a wonderful mom and puts up with my strange personality and anticts so its all good.

It wasn't as easy to pull appart as I had thought or hoped. That puppy was nailed together GooooOOOooood.
I finally got it and started sanding off all the varnish.

Spray paint, Distress, and Laquer. . . . .

Finished!!

Its going to look fabulous on her black granite counter top!!!
I am going to stick a big ol' fat loaf of bread from Great Harvest in there too. That should count for something and counteract the DI present, shouldn't it?!?

Psssttt- Today is the last day to enter the giveaway! Make sure you leave a SEPERATE COMMENT for EACH ENTRY! Leave a comment if you are a follower. . . Leave 3 seperate comments if you have the button!
Click Here to Enter :)

Makin' the best of things.

2010-05-06T08:19:00.002-06:00

I was stoked to find this little cheese dish at the DI the other day. I saw the cutest thing on House Of Hepworths the other day and wanted to try and make my own.

Ps- She has them for sale in her etsy shop. . .click here

My poor little Clouche didn't quite make it to being finished though.

Due to a mishap (dropping the dang lid and having it shatter--as well as my poor heart) I was forced to try and make the best of things.

It not like I needed ANY MORE candle holders. I suppose it works though.

Its something a little different and it has a story behind it. . .

Hey!! Don't forget to enter my giveaway. . . click here!! I mean it. . .click it, click it, click it.

Sponsor!!

2010-05-05T12:43:00.001-06:00

I was super excited when Kurt Coates of Blue Mule Auctions in Shelley, Idaho asked for a sponsor spot on my blog. How freakin' awesome is that?!?!
Of course I said it was fine. Its at his auctions are where I find a lot of my goodies to revamp and refinish. (plus. . .its not like I had a million sponsors ready to mud wrestle for a place on my blog.)

Check out his website and see what he has for the upcoming auctions or for a map so you can go to one yourself.

They are a kick in the pants to attend and Wednesday night auctions are fitty-cent hotdog nights!!
Come on down and I'll buy you a weiner- (Inside joke but I had to include it. hahaha)

Thanks again Kurt and Becky!!!
You guys are FANTASTIC!!!

Check out this super cute table on humble sticks that came from one of his auctions!!!

Long Live the DECO BALL

2010-05-05T08:58:00.001-06:00

Who doesn't LOVE a cute Deco ball?? They are super easy to make and what makes them even MORE FABULOUS is they are a fraction of the cost of what they are priced at in the store!

Here's another style that is messy but fun.

Get your balls ready. . . (hehehe. Balls.)

I used some styrofoam ones I found at Kings that were pretty inexpensive. I think there were 12 in a pack for $1.33 or so.
I am a little messy when it comes to crafting so I stuck the ball on the end of a bamboo skewer so I wouldn't get the glue all over my hands (yeah right. . . I still got glue everywhere. .. )

I found the moss at the Dollar Tree and seperated a little out into a container so I could roll the ball in it without much trouble. I doused the ball with the glue and went to work.
After I rolled it in the moss, I had to use my hands (got glue EVERYWHERE!)and kind of squish it on there tight. (Like I was forming a snow ball)

Ta-Dahhhh!

I made a few and threw them in my "Bowl-o-Balls"

Hey!! LOOK!
I made a bean ball like House of Hepworths :)

PSSSsssssTtttt- Don't forget to enter my giveaway! Click Here:)

First Giveaway

2010-05-03T22:10:00.002-06:00

Ok. . .I'm feelin' pretty lame with only 13 followers. . . I suppose its QUALITY and not Quanity but I would really like to give some incentive to follow my blog.

I just made a button (after much hair pullin' and some talk fit for a sailor) and I think it is finally working.

What I am planning on doing is giving away a crocheted flower hair barrette for every 10 followers. . . meaning, there are 13 now so that would be a giveaway for 1 flower. . . .when the follower count hits 20, I'll add another flower. . .thirty followers, I give away 3.
The more followers the more flowers. . .

I'll choose the winners by using random.org and this giveaway will close Friday, May 7th, 2010 at 11:59pm MST.

How to enter?

-Be a public follower of my blog (1 entry)
If you are already a follower, leave me a comment and tell me you are :)

-Add my button to your sidebar (3 entrys)

Please leave a comment for EACH entry along with your email address so I can contact you if you win. (If you add my button to your sidebar, leave 3 seperate comments!)

Winners will have 48hours to respond to the email or an alternate winner will be chosen.

If this giveaway goes smoothly I will definately by up for doing some more in the future. I LooOOooOooove FREE STUFF!!!
Good Luck!

More Candle Holders and a PROUD Momma ;)

2010-05-03T09:01:00.000-06:00

Not too long ago, I posted a Living room Makeover and was happy with the way it turned out. . .kind of.
The antler horn candle holders just weren't fitting in like they should so. . . .

Off to the DI I went. . . .

The candle sticks were already painted black but not very well. I sanded them down and found out that they had once been a hunter green color as well.
I finally got them sanded down to where I could work with them and painted them black again. I distressed the edges and gave them a coat of varnish too.
I locktited the dishes onto the candle sticks and threw some white candles that were found at the DollarTree.

I think the makeover for my shelf and picture display is finally complete. . . .Maybe. . . until I found something else that might look super fab up there ;)

Ps- Isn't that the cutest picture of Magoo up there now?? I mean, she is ALWAYS super cute looking - sometimes not cute ACTING or BEHAVING- but that is her dance pic for this year and I think it turned out wonderful! Her recital was last Saturday night(May 1st) and I'm soooo PROUD of her!! She did a fantastic job.:D

Ok. . . I couldn't help myself. I had to post her dance pictures. . .

DollarStore plaques REVAMP

2010-04-30T13:36:00.001-06:00

I found these at one of the dollar stores in town a few years back. I liked the sayings on them and had them hanging in my hallway.
I've been updating my decor a little by little and thought I would try and revamp these little goodies.

I found some scraps of MDF and Trim and spary painted them black.
With the help of my wonderful step-dad, we laid out the pieces and figured out kind of a framed in pattern. . .kind of. . . the pieces were scraps so we had to make do with what we had.

A little bit of locktite and some drying time later. . . .

The middle section was done and then the sides were added.

Does any one know where to get some ALMOST INSTANT drying glue? Hahaha. . . I am super impaitent and HATE waiting for things to dry. . .

Here it is. . . I hung it up in the hallway again where the sayings were to begin with.

I think it turned out pretty nice.
Big props to Jim for all his help:)

Easy Hair Bow Holders

2010-04-29T13:43:00.000-06:00

I came across a similiar idea on someone's blog the other day but I can't seem to remember where I saw it. (I follow a TON of super talented, crazy creative blogs)
I knew I wanted to try and make one so I made a trip to the dollar store to see what I could come up with.

I found some large, unfinished wood certificate frames that I figured would work just fine. (In hind site, I wish I would have held out for a bigger frame at the DI. . . . Like one that would take up most of a wall in the kid's bathroom)
I also found some decent ribbon there so I grabbed a few spools of that as well. After a little spray paint and some hot glue, I ended up with this. . . .

I left the glass in the frame because I knew that it would probably end up in the kid's bathroom and for some reason (Wild and Crazy Kiddos Splashing in the TUB), the walls in there get a little wet from time to time and I didn't want the paper to get ruined. Well, its not actually paper either. . . .I took a gift bag that I liked the print on and chopped it apart to fit the frame.

Super cute hair bows, huh?? I have to give props to Sadie for the Organza ones. :) She gave them to me but I've been forced to share with the girls. . . I have my own secret stash of hair clips and flowers in my bathroom but apparently its not such a big secret since they find their way into the girls's hair every now and then.
Here is another holder I put in the kid's bathroom. It has a little more room for storage with the pieces of ribbon hanging down.

I planned on taking a picture to show what it looked like with some clips on it but Magoo was being such a wonderful little helper with the decorating and had it so full you couldn't see anything but FLOWERS. I couldn't talk her out of taking a few off JUST for a picture but I think you get the point.

This one also has a fun little spray paint Faux-Finish on it.

The picture really isn't showing the finish very well but its kind of a fun one to mess around with sometimes.

-Paint your item your base color and let dry.
-Take your secondary color and spray over the top of the first.
-Then take a spritz bottle and mist some water over the paint. It will kind of seperate and bubble.
-Let your water/paint coat dry and then take a paper towel or a cloth and blot the item to break the bubbles. It might need a little more drying time after this step if the bubbles had any water in them.
I usually seal mine with a coat of clear laquer or poly urethane.

Half undone Fixer upper

2010-04-27T09:30:00.000-06:00

I think this was on of those 'finish it yourself' wood tables that never got around to quite being finished. I found it at the DI and I think it was marked 5bucks.

It looked like someone had attemped to slap some stain on it but pooped out about a third of the way done. It was super easy to sand this lil' feller down and get the little bit of stain that was smeered on the top off. I ended up having to prime this though because the legs were all still raw unfinished wood.

I think it turned out pretty good.

A little change in the living room. +an UPDATE

2010-04-26T08:17:00.002-06:00

My poor little shelf has been red since about 2002 so it was seriously time for an update. I just got (some of) the new pictures of the kids up there and tore it all down to try and give it a little makeover. . .

I sprayed the shelf black along with the picture frames and distressed them a little. . . .a coat of poly uthretane and done!

I probably should update Magoo's baby pic up top (since she's 4 1/2 now) but overall I am liking the little overhaul. . .

A slight change can sometimes make a big difference.

UPDATE:
I finally got Magoo's dance pictures and they turned out fabulous so I decided to change out the picture up top.
I had also been working on some candle stick revamps and added those to the mix.

. . . .Ta-Dahhhhhh. . . .

Shelf Makeover

2010-04-25T09:42:00.000-06:00

I'm sure someone spent a lot of time and effort on this little shelf. It kind of made me sad to have to destory it. . . . kind of. . . .

It wasn't as fun cutting it appart as I thought it was going to be. The wood kept splitting and splintering everywhere so the back looks like total sh . . . . . .crap. (What a job keeping this blog rated PG13 when you have a mouth like a sailor)

It had a ton of varnish on it too and I sanded it until I was sure I would wake up the next day with biceps like Arnold.

The lighting in the kids room totally sucks too but colors are watermelon and grape. . .

. . . .fruity colors for a fruity little shelf. . . . .

Tested but not Bested- and an UPDATE :)

2010-04-23T09:06:00.001-06:00

I've seen quite a few of these weird little bowls at the thrift stores lately. I haven't figured out what the doo-hicky in the middle is for though.

I decided to chop this one out but it wasn't such a grand idea because the hole when all the way through and it was a hefty one. Grrrr. . .

I then took a hand saw and proceeded to cut down the knobby thing I removed into a disk to cover the hole.

Not such a good idea either. . .

Instead of using a clamp or a sturdy table to hold the knob while I was cutting, I just held it in my left hand and managed to slice more off my thumb than I did said knob. . .grrrrr.
A few bandaids and some splintered wood later, I salvaged a chuck of the knob and got it loctited in.

After I had stopped bleeding and the loctite had time enough to cure, I whipped out the sandpaper and showed my evil bowl who was boss. (Pay back from the day before).

Now to decide what color it was going. Black? Eh. . . I have tons of black. . Cream? Maybe. . .
To make a long story short and save you most of my complaining, it got a coat of every color of paint I had and I hated every one of them.
By this time, I'm not having so much fun and was really considering chuckin' my bowl in the trash. . .

One more try and if it turns out like crap, its getting burnt. I had had enough trouble out of it and thought it was my duty to spare any other revamper the heartache of this horrid little monster.

This is what I finally ended up with.

I actually made the twine ball from a styrofoam ball I found at the DI for $.50 (had a Roberts Craft price sticker still on it for $4.49. Score!) I had a roll of jute and had seen another blog where they had hot glued some twine onto a nerf ball so I decided to try and make a similar one. Two words: Time Consuming!
The other ball I also found at the DI for $.75. I saw the exact ones in Wally World about twenty minutes before hand priced at $10 for 3. Score again!

UPDATE: It was Allison at HoH that did the nerfball to deco-ball. She is fantastic! Check out her tutuorial and make a few for yourself. Like I said before though. . . .they are super time consuming but totally worth it in the end :)

PS: Those weird bowls are for nuts. The little do-hicky in the middle with the little holes are to hold the nut cracker things and tools to get the shells off. I saw another one of these at the DI and it had all the pieces to it and I had one of those "OOooooOOOoo. I get it now moments" when I saw what it was for. hehehehe

Plant Stand Revamp

2010-04-22T09:19:00.000-06:00

Here's another little goodie I found to fix up. . .

I constantly have the Rolling Stones - "Paint it Black" blasting in my brain walking through the thrift stores. . .

You can't go wrong with black distressed furniture. . .

I may be doing some rearranging so I can keep this one. . . I really like how it turned out.

Bench Revamp

2010-04-21T09:21:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure if this was a sewing bench or what. I found it at a garage sale and the guy told me it was a piano bench. . . its awfully short and narrow for a piano bench but whatever.

Here's the after photos. . .
I really am going to have to break down and get a new camera. I couldn't get a decent pic to save my . . .uh. . . .neck. . . .

Mod Podge Fairies

2010-04-20T08:51:00.000-06:00

These plates were $.75 at the DI.

With little bit of paper, Mod Podge, and time, they transformed into these. . . .

I love me some Mod Podge!!! :)

Uhhhh. . . . The FISH

2010-04-20T08:17:00.000-06:00

I couldn't help myself. . . .

Yup. . . I bought it alright. . .

My excuse for this one is, Magoo was with me at the thrift store and she was egging me on to get the 'Fishie'.
I would put it in the cart and take it out and put it back on the shelf. . . .Back in the cart. . . .back on the shelf.
"We should just get the fishie, Mom"
. . . Awwhhh. . . . sweet validation from a 4 year old. . .
"We should, shouldn't we?"
And there you have it.
This was another one of those things that my mom gave me her famous 'one eyebrow raised tsk-tsk' manuevers. The only answer I had was "Just wait and see. . .Just wait and see"

Ok. . . so its still is a little strange. . . I put it in my bedroom where there was room for it to have a nice, happy, tacky little home. I guess I was feeling some tacky withdrawls since I painted my mirror. . .hahaha

Tacky Mirror Confession

2010-04-19T08:55:00.000-06:00

I have a small confession to make. . . I bought this mirror at an auction about 4-5 years ago and its been hanging on my wall in all its golden, ornate, tacky glory ever since. I hate gold but I loved this mirror. I got if for a real steal too! $2.50

I decided it was time for a change. . . .

Awwwhhhh. . . so much better. . .
The decorative part of the mirror's frame was a weird kind of plastic so I made sure and got paint that would adhere to it. It also has a coat of laquer gloss for some extra shine. . .

Easy fix for a wooden bowl

2010-04-15T09:15:00.000-06:00

Here we go again--
I found this goody at a local DI and knew immediately that it would look fab in my mother's kitchen. (I love that woman to death but the last time I was over there I was not so much digging her wire fruit basket)
Here's what I started with. . .

I sanded all the previous varnish off and sprayed it with matte black spray paint. I roughed it up on the edges and sanded with the grain to try and give it a more textured look. I sealed the deal with some poly urethane top coat and there we have it. . . .

The picture wasn't really what I hoped it would be though. Its kind of got a zebra stripe feel to it but it didn't come across that well in the pic. (BTW-Those are real fruit in there. . . delish. . .)

Shabby candle holders

2010-04-13T10:53:00.000-06:00

About a week or so ago, I found a goldmine of goodies at my 'south thrift store'.
4 unfinished chair legs for $2.00 and some wooden flower bowls for $.75 ea.

I kept one leg the original length and cut the second into two unequal pieces so I would end up with 3 staggered lengths.
You know the drill. . . Whip out the sandpaper. . . shake up the spray paint and BAM!

I found some candles that fit perfectly in the holders at the dollarstore so when all was said and done, these 3 shabby candle holders were under $7.

This is how they were arranged after they found their way to their new home.

You'll have to excuse the poor picture. . I haven't mastered taking pics when the object is up against a mirror. I'm sure you get the general idea though. . .

Blow the Frugal Bugle, Baby!!

2010-04-13T09:26:00.000-06:00

I love reed diffusers but I have a hard time spending $8+ on a little jar with some scented liquid in it.
You can make your own, less expensive,(and probably better) from a few items you might have kickin' around the house or that are at the dollar store.

Cut some skewers down to desired length, hot glue some ribbon and embelishments to the jar/bottle, pour in some liquid potpouri, and WAH-LA!!

Total cost:
Less than $2.50 and I still have TONS of potpouri left to refill with and plenty of skewers to make some to give as gifts.

Whoooooo are you kiddin'??

2010-04-12T19:36:00.000-06:00

I had to post this one--especially for my mom. I made her go thrifting with me on Saturday and we came across this. I was dying to get it but I had no idea what I was going to do with such a thing. . . .then today, it hit me!! I rushed back to the store hoping no one would have stumbled upon this little treasure and luck was on my side. It was still there!!!

Ok- stop laughing. . . .
A little sandpaper and some paint is all it took to turn this funky little wine rack into a coloring book holder for the kids room!!

Wanna know the best part?? This crazy purple paint only set me back 50cents! I found a can that had never been used at a garage sale a couple of days ago. SCORE!

Seashell basket given a new life. .

2010-04-12T08:56:00.000-06:00

I found this little guy hiding at the DI for 2bucks. I wasn't really sure how to fix it up but I got it with the hopes some fabulous idea would come to me.

I sanded it down and gave it a coat of black-high gloss-spray paint. I printed one of my mom's favorite sayings off of the computer and Mod Podged it where the funky little seashell thing use to be.

'Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, its learning to dance in the rain.'

Mod Podge is suppose to seal everything but I figured this would probably end up in my mom's bathroom and decided a coat of poly urethane wouldn't hurt anything just in case some water ended up splashing.

I had a black distressed picture frame that the back was broke on and a black mirror that was from the dollar store and I locktited them together. I then locktited the mirror/frame to the inside of the basket and c-clamped it until it cured.

This is what it turned out to be. . .

I probably should have taken a picture without the towels and lotions but my mom took off with it shortly after it was complete and I didn't want to mess up her 'arrangement'. I have to appologize for the fuzzy-not-so-great pictures. . . I think I'm going to have to splurge and get a better camera. . . These pictures don't quite do it justice.
Total cost of this makeover? Under 5bucks!!
(Not including all the extras she had displayed in the basket)

Rumage Sale Quickie

2010-04-11T08:54:00.000-06:00

I grabbed this little candle stick at a rumage sale yesterday and gave it a quick make over. . .

A little sandpaper took off all the painted flowers and sealant. . . .

I liked the vintage-look of only sanding it part way and then gave it a quick coat of poly-urthane sealant.
What a find and an easy fix!

Cute but needed something a little more. . . .

2010-04-09T15:35:00.000-06:00

This display cupboard was ok to begin with after I got it cleaned up a little but it lacked personality. I decided to sand it down a little and cover it with some scrap book paper. I cut the pieces to fit, used a some spray adhesive to mount them, and then some Mod Podge to seal the deal.

I decided that this should probably live in the kids room and would be a perfect seat for Magoo's fairy girls.

Ta-da! Quick and easy makeover for a swell thrifty find. :)

Anything's a planter. . . .

2010-04-09T14:56:00.000-06:00

I'm also a big believer in recycling and came up with a new purpose for all my empty yogurt containers. In gearing up for this year's garden, I've turned them into seed starters and they work well. (They are also good for brush water while painting. . .that's one of the reason and hang onto the things.)

Empty your yogurt container and rinse with plain water.

Make a little hole in the bottom so the water can drain through and the dirt would mold. Fill it with some potting mix, pop in a seed, and Wa-Lah!! A cheap and easy way to start your seeds for your garden. When you are ready to transfer them outdoors, you can turn the container upside down, gently press on the bottom and the plant should slide right out.

Another thing I do is recycle my kitty litter boxes into seed trays. Cut off the top 2/3 of the container, poke holes in the bottom, and there ya go. Its a little harder to transefer the plants though. . you have to dig them out and untangle all the roots. . . I like the yogurt containers better.

And what else? Another fabulous thrift store find turned into a planter??!

This one is ceramic and its hard to poke a drainage hole so just use a little bit of gravel in the bottom. I usually just go outside and pick up a handfull of pebbles but you could use a little bit of washed aquarim rocks too.

Dollar Store Revamp

2010-04-09T13:50:00.000-06:00

I am definately a regular customer at a few of the dollar stores around town. Here's some goodies I found yesterday and what they ended up to be. . .

My lovely daughter, Magoo, loves to help and today she wanted to be the 'glue model'. A little of this loctite goes a long way. It typically takes 15-20 minutes to set and 24 hours to cure. I found this at Wal-mart in the home improvement section.

Apply a thin line of loctite around the edge of the candle stick holder and press onto the bottom of the glass. It dries mostly clear but be careful and wipe away any 'spooges' with a damp cloth.

Finished product!
Two glass candle stick holders -- complete with the scented (cinnamon and cedar) candles for 6smackers. Try buying those puppies at Pier 1 for that price!!

I know. . . I know. . .

2010-04-09T13:13:00.000-06:00

I'm starting this blog to share in some of the insanity of my junk addiction. I've keep it pretty much under control up (yeah right- my house is FULL and so is my storage shed. . . .a lot has leaked over into my mom's garage too) up until the last couple of months --I dove head first into almost daily thrift shopping.

I usually just go to Wal-Mart and stroll down the clearance isles--searching for something on SALE that I can't live with out or trips to the dollar store with high hopes of getting something worth $20 for a BUCK. Its recently escalated into thrift shopping at ALL the local 'Junk Stores' and attending most of the local auctions.

If I know what the retail value of something normally is and its priced at least 50% below that, there is little voice inside of me that screams 'ITS A DEAL!!! GRAB IT BEFORE SOMEONE ELSE GETS IT'

I know. . .I know. . . I'm addicted. Its gotten crazy but I've ended up with some pretty cool JUNK and I'd like to share some with you :)