Mini Makeovers, with Plants!

I am not extremely gifted in the agriculture department, but I wanted to give it a go with some fun plants in the living room. They really do complete the look, and of course improving the air quality is a bonus! A couple months ago I was looking for something to hold a sansevieria (“snake plant”) and of course I wanted a mid century feel. I came across this beautiful project on Pinterest using an Ikea pot and some spray paint:

My birthday had just passed and I had received a Visa gift card, so once again I was able to complete a fun little project without dipping much into my own pocket. The Pinterest link only led me to this photo and the name of the Ikea pot, CASHEWNÖT. The top and bottom of the pot separate, and you can style it two ways simply by turning the bottom part over. Since the bottom pan is not very big, one of the miniature sized spray paint cans was more than enough to cover the piece. And voilà! A fabulous planter!

When I purchased my super cool metal cart, I also picked up a mid century plastic plant pot for a mere 50¢. The burnt orange color was not bad, just not a color used in my current decorating palette. (Please don’t hate me for painting it!) I thought the geometric design was stunning, and would pop even more in white. Now that it is finished, it reminds me of the Disneyland building that houses It’s A Small World.

I already had paint left over from another project, so the most expensive part ended up being the plant, which was only about $7.

These were both small and simple projects, but they enhance the overall look of the room tremendously. Now I just have to try my best to keep them healthy!

A Vintage Makeover

If you are a regular blog reader or pinterest enthusiast, I am sure you have seen this all over the place:

The Ikea RÅSKOG cart! Beautiful, isn’t it? Industrial look, great color, functional, easy to move, and even better, the price has gone down quite a bit since it first debuted. It currently retails for $49.99, making it a pretty affordable piece. Even still, I am a bargain hunter, vintage lover, and I can’t resist a project so when I saw a chance to make my own alternative I took it!

Last week I found a beautiful plant stand at an estate sale. I usually do not go to estate sales on the first day. I like to scoop up the half price leftovers and get the best deal. I took a chance on this one since it was on my way home from work, and their ad said they were open to “reasonable offers” on any day as they were motivated to sell. So glad I went! They really didn’t have any of the kitschy/crafty little junk I usually scavenge for, but they did have this gem:

I just couldn’t believe that no one had snatched it up yet! It had such character and potential. They had it priced at $35, but I only paid $30. Not a big difference, but I wanted to shave a little bit more off since I knew I was going to need to buy some paint. Luckily, the top tray is detachable, which made the painting process much easier. The feet were also easy to remove, so I did not have to tape off anything. Each foot has a rollerball, so that the piece can glide. I cleaned and oiled them, so they do move, just not very smoothly.

The big paint lesson I learned here was that I should have bought a cheaper can of white primer to start, then moved on to the color. Though the can did boast being paint and primer in one, I was going from black to light blue and a primer coat may have really helped save time and money. Always learning! The paint was very fast drying, which is ideal for outdoor painting since little critters can’t seem to stay away. This caterpillar was so happily nestled in, I felt bad moving him away!

I ended up spending just under $11 for three cans of Krylon “Blue Ocean Breeze” paint. I could have used more for sure, as I skipped painting the underside of the shelves in an effort to save paint. So, my grand total for the project was about $41. When compared to the Ikea cart, my vintage piece is less expensive, more interesting and unique, and an overall better fit for my space.

It is the perfect size to go in front of the window, which is something I had been hoping to find. The top comes in at sill-level,  and the height of the legs allow for the air flow from the vent. I always need more storage in my studio. I am still working on arranging items on the shelf, but I have plenty of things to choose from!

I am just so happy with how this project came together!

Dress for Digging

I love estate sales. (I bet you knew that already!) I scout out the ones in old houses, with lots of mid century items. That is my jam. I stopped going to garage sales now, since they are usually small, and I don’t find much. Estate sales are big, and I almost always find something. You can’t be afraid to dig and get dirty. If you pick the big sales that are packed to the gills, you have a much better chance of finding good stuff that nobody else even knew was there! Although the sight of this may seem intimidating:

 

Just look at what I came out with!

I did have to do A LOT of very heavy duty cleaning to get most of the stuff to look this good, but it was worth it!

Festive Finds

I have not posted my finds in a while! Mostly this is because I have been purchasing a lot of thrifty gifts and don’t want to ruin any surprises! I did go to an estate sale a few weeks back and got these great items:

So many fun holiday finds! The fiber glass tray and pitcher are the highlight for me. I spent quite a while digging through boxes at this one, those are the best sales. How cute is this guy!?

I have still been crafting like a mad woman to get ready for the holiday rush. Today really kicks off the shopping season, but I already have so many presents bought and wrapped. I like having them done early so I can put them under the tree. Bonus decorations! This will be our first official Christmas in our new home, so many fun firsts this past year!

Monday Milk Glass

I made a quick and fruitful stop to Goodwill on Monday. Such cute eyes on the little owl! I’m crazy about the holly berry pattern on that cup!
The cashier said “You really like this white glass, huh?” Ha! You have no idea.

Estate Sale Digging

This weekend I went to two sales in tight, maze-like houses. There were narrow stairs, tons of people, and mountains of stuff.

The first sale was small, and picked over. I only got a few things.

The hat needs work, and I don’t know if I can even get it clean. I don’t have a lot of experience with wool felt, but it has no holes or issues besides the stains, so for 75¢, I took a risk.

The bigger sale was a digger. There were so many un-sorted boxes. I came out with some real goodies.

The furry thing draped over the box is actually a mink collar. This is something I never thought I would own. I am not into the whole animal pelt thing. I will spare you my soap box rant about animal rights. However, while digging through boxes of christmas decoration in an attic, I discovered it and thought I ought to rescue it. An animal died to make that collar, why let it get destroyed? I had intended to make a (faux)fur collar for my coat, but this one is perfect, just needs a little freshening up.

I was happy to get a handful of good Christmas craft supplies. I can put those to use right away. There was a giant box of the wooden cut outs. They were handmade by someone who lived in the house. The tiny storks and camel are birthday candle holders. So fun!

The bank and the planter are probably my favorites.

I also found a nice shelf for my kitchen. It is already painted white and has grooves for plates, major bonus for the kitchen. My ingredient containers from the first sale will look great on here. I plan to add hooks or a dowel rod to the bottom for hanging towels and utensils.

And now I go back to my studio for more Christmas crafting!

A Few Treasures

I found a few fun items this weekend. These christmas things are from Goodwill. Not sure why a panda was impaled atop the tree.

It looks much better without all of that junk. I love the mercury glass garland, and wooden base.

These are from an estate sale. A box of brass brads for crafts, and a Fire King Peach Luster dish.

Rockin’ Retro Relics

I was very excited to visit one of my favorite mid century neighborhoods for another estate sale. It is worth going just to see the houses!

I love the sweet message on this cup holder!

I think that the tiny dog might have come off of a cuckoo clock. Chris did seem to enjoy this sale more than the other two he accompanied me to, but he only came out with one item. Right by the checkout, he spotted an un-labeled candid snapshot of a 1978 Rolling Stones concert.

More awesome packaging!

This molded tin reindeer needs a little antler/hoof trimming.

My recent mission has been to gather more ornaments for making holiday wreaths. With this batch I am almost finished with my red and gold wreath!

Estate Sale Mega Card Haul!

I like to go to estate sales on the last day, when they are slashing prices. I found a few scandinavian goodies, some paper coasters and a dala horse deck of cards.

I was drawn to this tiny box because of the graphics, but once I read the fine print I was even more excited about it. This is a souvenir ash tray from a 1933 automobile expo in Chicago.

This egg cup has such a sweet rosy cheeked face! It must have had a spoon with it at some point, as there is a little hole on the side.

The best part is this cigar box full of miscellaneous vintage playing cards. There are over 500 cards in here!

It is way too many cards to try to photograph at once, but here are some of the highlights.

Did you see that spaniel in the corner? This is my favorite card. She looks just like my June!

Uncanny!

The Master Bedroom

Ah, the master bedroom. This room turned out to be much bigger than I thought when we originally saw the house. The previous owner had lined the walls with furniture and a king size bed, making it seem quite tiny. I was pleasantly surprised when we put our furniture in and still had plenty of room to walk around.

I have to point out that so far, June has photo-bombed every one of my shoots. I did not actually pose her myself for any of these. If I try to take her picture, she is horrible and will not face me, but if I am paying attention to something else she just can’t stay away. What a goof.

As you can see below, this room was originally pink. Not a good pink, but a dingy 80s washed out pink. I didn’t even realize it was pink until after we bought it because the room was so dark and crowded. We did three walls with an off-white color and a plum accent wall. I have to give Chris the credit on this one. Purple is not a color I ever think to use, but he loves it. He came up with the colors for this room and his office and really hit it out of the park.

We left the woodwork alone in this room as well and it looks great. Thank goodness! Painting trim has got to be the most difficult and tedious part of redecorating. (I still have a couple of spots left to do in my studio that I have been putting off.)

We absolutely love our bed, which has been a slow upgrade over the last two years. I bought a new Simmons Beauty Rest mattress right before we got married, then we later purchased this upholstered frame from World Market.

I have to say that there are some good deals to be had a WM. There are quite a few items with outrageously high prices, but then there are some surprisingly low ones too. This bed cost a lot less than many similar headboards, and included a footboard and side panels. Plus, you can get discounts by signing up for their free rewards program, which took about $40 off of the cost of this bed. Score! I did well on the Nate Berkus bedding too. Target has two different options online for printing coupons, and you can stack them. I was able to find two different percentage off coupons to use on this set, and it is unbelievably comfy! Next, I need to buy new pillows. Ours are looking, and feeling, bad.

Our dresser is a perfect fit! It is from the Broyhill Brasilia collection, which I am enamored with. You just don’t see this kind of character in most furniture today, and not to mention quality craftsmanship. You can probably tell already that we have an affinity for all things vintage. Our home was built in 1961, but did not have quite the flair one might expect for that time period. Most things appear to have been upgraded in the 80s, which was, in my opinion, the worst decade in terms of decorating or style in general. I like the feeling that I am reuniting more appropriate pieces with our swingin’ 60s ranch house. Broyhill began manufacturing their Brasilia line in 1962, so it is right at home here.

I know it is hard to stop staring, but we really should move on now.

More Alice. I told you, she is everywhere in this house.

I absolutely love old paint by numbers, and I know I am not alone. These things have become crazy collectible, but I lucked out a few years back and scored four unusual ones, with frames, for free at an estate sale. I have to admit, they were not in great shape. Most had some amount of water damage, but still look fantastic to me. I decided to cut one apart and get crafty. The little deer was the best part, and seemed a bit out of place with the rest of the scenery. When I showed my Mother that I had cut one up, she gasped, but had to admit that the finished product was an improvement. What with the purple and brown tones, you would think I bought it special for this room, but sometimes things just work out that nicely on their own.

Now we are a little more than halfway done with the first floor. Our house has two full baths, and while they are very exciting to have, they are not much to look at. (Let’s refer back to my 1980s upgrades comment.) So I will be skipping over those, and our next stop will be my office/studio, followed by the kitchen.