A recap of the after's from thrift store finds

Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick is having a

She wants us to spill the beans on what items we've decorated with from garage sales, thrifts, free, whatever. Yikes. How many days do you have?

Ladder - used goods store. Pedistal sink - free from a friend's barn.

Step ladder from a thrift. Now is a light holder for my island until the real deal light is installed. Then I get to invent a new use for it again!

An old sign scooped up from a local gas station boneyard which is now my headboard. Oh. Free.

$10 worth of matching pillows and / or cases from the thrift.

Lamp is a scoop from a local thrift. It had two strange finial things that stuck out like ears so a friend helped me grind them off. I've yet to paint the lamp. The lamp is too busy to be painted it seems.


Lattice piece from someone's front curb waiting for garbage pickup. I refabbed it to cover a phone cord. The SADY sign is an old original cow sign from my dad's farm.



A couple screens morphed into temporary curtains. But now I like them! So I have visions of painting them white and perhaps burlap in behind. I love how the light penetrates through them now so I don't want to diminish that aspect. But I'd like my boy to stop calling them the Japanese things, so they need a new look. Soon!




The black box is actually a trunk that I got from a closing out sale at a flower place. The woodsy box is from someone's curb. But they actually have a purpose other than adding funk to the room.


The black trunk turned over on it's end holds my stereo and woofer thing. The woodsy box holds two speakers stacked one on top of the other.

This is a little greenhouse I have out back. The wood I'm using to create a character building out of is from someone's fence on the way to a burn pile. I asked him to drop it off in my driveway instead so he did! This is how far I've gotten so far. The gate is from the dump that will hold up trailing flowers one day. (I asked if I could take it from a guy hucking it onto the pile. I have no shame) The small old window is from a friend that he took off an old barn himself, and the bigger window is from a thrift.

The door is made out of the same wood but turned on the other side so you see more greys. Also because on the right side there were vines STUCK to the wood I couldn't remove. It's freaky lookin' inside. Whatever. The door turned out cool...



Canning jar lid wreath for $1 from a garage sale. Yeah, it was already made up like that. All I did was pay the $1 and hang it up.




Metal stuff is cool in a garden. The square one is from a thrift. The can is what I found buried way back in a shed when I bought my place.



This adorable little birdhouse came with a post and was going to be burned. It was buried under all that fence wood that was delivered. I squealed when I saw it!

Oh my gosh. I feel like I should join a Junkaholics Anonymous group or something.

All the progress of these projects are on this blog so feel free to snoop around to spot more info on them.

I'm rather pleased at how I'm supporting the local thrifts which is always a good thing. Decorating on a budget has forced me to be ultra creative with used finds. And honestly, I go into Homesense now and walk right out thinking I can make that. Regular retail is such a thing of the past.

Simply buying isn't fun anymore. But buying to create most certainly is!

The front entry - Part One

I am soooo impatient! I always thought it was a joke to hear someone say they'd rather watch paint dry. But here I am actually doing it! I need a life...




See this awesome find? It's an old horse gate that I captured for free before it was taken to a burn pile. This is going to be mounted on the wall with hooks for coats. The chew marks are indeed staying. Character built right in!




This is not a fancy two-tone effect. This is how yellowed the doors were in the entry. Wow. So I went to town (literally, to get paint) and painted everything in sight. My new mission - one room at a time so I'm not dapping or painting for months on end. This is more fun! Shake it up abit if you will.




Everything, I mean everything got hit with white. I have a vision!




This sorry little dresser with great lines I might add, I scooped up for $5 from a garage sale a few weeks back.




So fresh and pretty now! This dresser will come in soooo handy for mitts and hats and keys and mail and whatever you find accumulating at front door entries.

This hugely long bench I found for $15 at a garage sale. It was fabricated to fit inside a truck of all things and there were two, one for each side. See that weird little cut thing on the left? I chose this bench so the cut thing on the left would be hidden behind the front door. The other bench had the cut thing on the right. Ain't I clever.

This bench is about 7 feet long if you go by the tiles in the pic. It's massive and perfect for what I have in mind! But ugly. The ugliest grey ever. The kind of beat up grey you may see on an overused ice rink bench maybe. Never mind, I know how to fix that. As much as I would have loved a beautifully lined vintage bench (with a vintage price to match no doubt), when I saw this, I knew I could make it work.

You can't see it all here, but at least you can spot I've cleaned it up some and it sparkles with everything else going on.

And now I must wait for the paint to dry. Grrr... Last night I was in a hurry to set up the room and ended up repainting the top of the dresser again. Ever layer wet paint on semi wet paint? Know what happens? Your curing time has morphed from hours to days. Serves me right for not just going to bed already instead of decorating too soon.

I'll be working on the tiling too, so I'll report in how I'm going about that. I'm not taking an easy route there so that's why I procrastinate so badly with all things relating to tile. I'm my own worst enemy at times, but I thrive to try new things and patterns. I'm betting a few of you get that, no?

This week I'll pick up some hooks and install the gate. (can't wait! coats on hangers gets so old and is waaaay too much work for this busy household)

So, stay tuned for Part Two of the entry way coming to a monitor near you shortly!

And tell me. Am I the only one here that rocks back and forth glaring at the curing furniture with accessories in hand WAITING for the moment the timer for curing goes off and I can race and stage it all? Sigh... I think I need more friends.

Edited to add:

I have thought of the BEST way to cure paint... put a fan on it. wow... I'll be decorating in no time at this rate!

A few of my favorite things

I happen to have an ever increasing favorites area I simply lable 'decorating inspiration.' When I glance at a picture, I don't simply look at the obvious. I look at every detail and analyze why I love it and what I could do to incorporate that 'feel' in my own home.

Some pictures have direct links to the websites I found them on. Others don't, so if you recognize any of these images, please feel free to give the owner's full credit in the comments section! However, I so wanted to include them, link or no link.

I love this fireplace for the white grout. Grout is generally dark, but the grout highlights each and every brick. That mantle would look wonderful in white too! What a great way to bring out the whites in the rest of your home.

The texture captures me with this picture everytime. I love the warmth of that rock wall. The thickness of the island creates such an unusual and substantial place to plunk yourself down.

This one is one of my coolest finds ever. The wall separating the kitchen from the rest of the house incorporates a very unique pantry that houses a metal sliding door. This is funky to the hilt!

What is not to love about this driftwood coat rack?

Ahhhh. I can sink into this by just looking at the pic. I LOVE the burlap against the whites. So refreshing and casual.


This one got me. Reason being, I was dreaming up how I could incorporate a gazebo in my own yard that would stand up to the high winds and pounding rain we get. I desire a special place to plunk my propane firepit that would somehow block off the wind. This inspiration has me thinking, fabricate a gazebo based on what kind of folding doors I can scoop up for that wind block in the desired location at any given moment! That way on a windless day, you still claim your full view. Awesome!

I LOVE the finish on this piece. It's white, yet looks so great weathered in very dark tones. I know exactly where I'll be adding this touch! I have a special reveal coming up one day soon! In my main entry, I scooped up a massively long bench and a horse gate, as well as an old dresser. That's all I'm giving you for now. :)

I LOVE how the surround is treated in this soaker tub area. This look has me holding off on the tile I had planned and on the lookout for something that is waterproof yet can have this look for my shower surround. I have no idea if there is such a thing, but I'm going to create it if it doesn't exsist! And isn't that barndoor exquisite? You can incorporate that door anywhere. On hallway closets, pantries, as a headboard... gosh I love those barn doors!

Do you have a few of your favorite things stored up somewhere? And what have you done with that inspiration?

If you care to share, post your link in the comments. I'd love to see! (one day I'll figure out the Mr. Linky deal, but not today. It's hot and sunny out and I need to press on with that entry way furniture today!!)

Have a great weekend, all!

This week's finds

Rhoda at Southern Hospitality would like to know what thrifty finds we scored this week. Here are mine..


This microfiber offwhite sofa for (drumroll.....) $30! Included delivery to boot! Do you notice anything missing in the picture? Look one more time before you continue reading.

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If you noticed there's one arm missing, you've earned an honorary hawkeye award! Truth be told, this is a chunk of sectional in NEW condition. It's beautiful and perfect and was only $30 because of the missing chunk. I've been in a dire need for good back support and had been sitting in a lawn chair of all things while watching the tube, so this was a lucky score for the timebeing. The sellers also pointed out that I may land the missing component at a local furniture store as the piece isn't that old. Won't hurt to check it out! And in the meantime, I'm left with a lovely cushy place to rest. The colour is perfect with the walls! Teddy Bear (the cat) loves it too it appears. Why do cats always have to test run something new the moment it lands in the door?!?



At the same garage sale, they had these two bark covered candles for $1 each. Love them! The other is in my bedroom. The little wire mesh/wood trimmed basket was free at someone's roadside pile.

My friends/neighbours Geraldine and Hank gave me this old ladder which I promptly placed in the garden to create my birdie hotel.

I had a GREAT weekend! And look very forward to relaxing on that sofa with my son tonite!

What did you score lately? Join in Rhoda's party and let's see!

The Birdie Hotel - addition to the birdhouse garden

I made a little addition to my bird house garden today. I call this one, The Birdie Hotel.


Thanks to friends Geraldine and Hank, I'm now the proud owner of that old rustic ladder! Cool! And naturally, I ran home and put it right to work within minutes. Thanks guys! I love it! And so will the birds.

I love evening sun photos.

It was just such a beautiful day out today, I couldn't resist snapping a couple shots of the mountain view out back. My property is fortunate to be backed onto a city owned park, so my yard appears much larger than it is. It's a great place to kick a soccerball if you desire abit more space. There is a little creek that runs along the taller grass.

This willow sits right behind my house. It's truely as glorious as it looks. A single rope swing with a loop for one's foot is attached to a branch. I'd so love it if it had a seat swing for the not so adventurous. (that would be me!)

Here's hoping you enjoyed sunshine in your neighbourhood today too!

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Kimba at A Soft Place To Land is having a Garden Party - June 15 2009 edition! Go check out other gardens in the making!

Benches

Benches have long been a love of mine. They are beautifully simple to construct, look at, and have so many uses and spaces you can sneak them into due to their tiny square footage. Whenever I see a bench, I'm halted in my tracks, my mind busy at work wondering where I would tuck it into place.




The above and the next few benches I spotted at The Back Porch. The first bench is my alltime favorite. It's plain in shape, yet old fashioned in construction and just simply talks about a time long ago.



What a glorious backdrop for this little moss covered barnwood special! I hope they don't sell it... it's too perfect right here.



Perhaps a more feminine touch is more of your personal choosing? Pick your colour and you're off!

This little number happens to sit in my own backyard. I purchased it from a feed store long ago. I allowed the wood to grey and age rather than treat it as they instructed me to do. It powerwashes up beautifully and is as sturdy as ever. The soft greys simply blend in to the outdoor surroundings.

Have you ever entertained the idea of making your own bench? I sure have! But I keep finding what I like premade, and in mose cases I can buy cheaper than making. But if I happen to come across the right chunk of wood, I'd certainly love to give it a whirl!

This funky idea comes from Country Living. I'll admit I would have never thought of something like this, but it's clever all the same!

This bench is probably one of the most looked at benches on the net today! Karla at It's The Little Things That Make A House A Home came up with this beauty creating the backing from an old headboard! Click on the pic for the full tutorial of this bench.

Benches have all sorts of purposes. Tucked under a tree, at the foot of a bed, in the entry mudroom, in place of kitchen chairs around the farmhouse table, used as a unique coffee or side table, hung on a wall for a unique shelf, I could go on and on.

So, let's talk benches! Do you have a special one you could never part with? Have you used one in an unusual place? Or perhaps you have a direct link you can share towards a really neat one or one that you have working fulltime in your own home? Benches are meant to be shared! Let's see yours. :)

Character outbuilding project - Part 2

Yesterday I posted Part One of the character outbuilding project. And here's today's progress.



I have a door! And I cheated yet again. The wood strips weren't perfect width wise and my attempt at ripping one down to fit didn't go so well, so because of the magic yet again of all those screws, I undid my work and simply respaced the boards out abit to fit. I kinda like the gaps. I hope they look intentional...




I laughed when I saw this at a garage sale for $1. and stashed it away... and I laughed as I hung it up today. Anyone else like me, where the project is FAR from completion, however it's urgent to pretty it up right away?!? Naw, I must be the only one that does that. (snicker... I know all of you better than that)


I think this was meant to be a coat hook or something. The doorknob was on it's own board so I just screwed in the whole works.

Bees are WEIRD. For most of the day they buzzed and scolded me for hangin' so near their digs, having me scream and swat and then give up on the siding. My son was on guard and he was to tell me if they started swarming around me as I worked. It got to the point where there was too much damage control, so I left for abit. Upon returning, the sun had moved leaving the building in the shade and the bees were GONE. So that's how I got to work on the door! Whadda trip.

Regardless, there's progress today! I hope to continue with hopes of getting near a finish tomorrow weather permitting. (right.. shade vs no shade LOL)

I'm liking the door very very much. :) We shall see what I do with it tomorrow. A whole new day you know...
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A late entry, but better late than never! I had intended this to be a part of Melissa's Procrastination Party After Photos for this one. Eh.. what's a few days late?

Character outbuilding project - part 1

This is a little greenhouse I have tucked in my backyard. I use it to store my firewood. And it's currently an eyesore. I knew I wanted to eventually do something to it, but wasn't quite sure what. When my friend Vic gave me that old window, I knew exactly what I needed to do. Put the window to great use!

I then visited The Back Porch that houses many adorable character buildings for the perfect inspiration.



Today my little pile of free old fencing wood came out of hiding.


I took a scrub brush to it and removed all the moss and yuck while my son removed the nails. It was a beautifully warm overcast day, perfect for such a project.

Meet my best friend of today! I love this saw. If you don't have a circular miter saw, you need one. Just do it.

First thesmall window got a home... yup, looks good right about there. I predrilled holes first, then used screws to gitter done. Always use screws. It makes repositioning effortless. I positioned this window approx. 4 times if not more. Trust me, use the screws.

Anyone that knows anything about real wood construction would definately cringe. I don't have alot of building skills, but I'm pretty comfy with a cordless drill and measuring tape and the saw became 2nd nature fairly quick. I simply premeasured each board, and cut them to size, tapped the tonque and groove wood together and screwed them in with wood screws. I think they were wood screws... they were black, is that enough info? I don't care if they rust. All part of the added charm. I ensured I staggered the board joins where longer lengths were required.

Look! Cute!! I scooped up that funky gate from the dump too.

I had another old window with no glass in it which can be easily taken care of later glasswise. Remember, I screwed the window frame in so it's easy to remove! Then I cut the wood to fit around the positioning of the window.

The proper way to add windows would be to cut into the framing and add the right supports. I didn't desire to LIVE in this thing, so I didn't care about that part. The eventual glass will hide the framework. And I plan for the glass to get really dirty and stay that way, like that little window. It's all good!

I'm off to a great start! I plan for homemade shutters, window boxes with flowers, and a pretty little garden of sorts around this building. Perhaps even hang my garden tools on the outside during the summer months. And to find some old relics to decorate the outside with. I'm also on the lookout for some broken pathway stones. I have loads of dreams for this building!

Stay tuned for part 2, after I land abit of extra wood. A neighbour may replace their old shake roof shingles. How cute would the above effect be?!? Remember, I used screws. Anything is possible. Even partial redos...

Visit all parts of the outbuilding posts HERE