Thrifting the Day Away

Summer Fun & Family

2011-07-09T18:27:00.003-04:00

Fourth of July weekend was Hotttt - very hot. We spent the long weekend at O'Bannon Woods and of course we went swimming both days. My cousin Chris brought his son, Christopher Jr. a.ka. "Bub". He's a couple of years older than Drew but they play well together. Its always nice to spend time with my family.

These times with my kids and cousins remind me of my childhood. There are times that I wish I could make my boys truly understand how important it is to cherish these very precious moments. Growing up, my friends were my cousins. We spent many days at my grandparents house just being together. If we weren't at my grandparents house, we were driving around to thousands of yard sales on a Saturday morning. I pee'd the bed until what seemed to be the ninth grade and the only place that I would spend the night would be with my aunt Judy. My sister and I spend many weekends with my cousins Amy and Allison in the country - we didn't always get along but we always went back because we loved eachother.

My memories of my childhood are for the most part happy and I want my kids to remember their childhood to be the same. Having a life filled with family is by far more important than any material possession as you cannot put a price tag on love.

We get caught up in the day to day and often times forget how important people are to us. My goal is to always be there - to always show up to that family event but life happens. It seems like I have to really put an effort to see my family. My boys love their family and I hope that I am doing the best that I can do in modeling family values.

My mamaw never had the opportunity to meet Sam. He came nine months after she died - I like to tell myself that he was a gift from her. Sam resembles her side of the family most and is definitely stubborn. Its moments like this that I wish that she were still here with us. I can almost hear her voice or see a specific look that she would get on her face. These memories are so vivid because my sister and I were permanent fixtures in her home. We spent many years with her and I am so thankful for that time because the regrets that I have are few.

I hope that she is proud of all of us. We try very hard to keep her family strong and together.

Why Do I Do This????

2011-05-22T12:05:00.004-04:00

I have boys.... Two marvelous little boys! Brandon and I are in process of discussing number three. Yes I am crazy... but that is not a regret that I want to have. I have never heard anyone say, "I just wish I hadn't had all of those kids". I have heard "that is my biggest regret". I don't want to have that regret.

So, I found the most precious dress for a little girl at goodwill for $1.95. Yes that's right, I'm not even preggo and I purchased a vintage dress. I decided that even if I don't have a girl this time, that I can start an etsy shop with my purchases while I'm on maternity leave with my new baby that I'm not pregnant with and my not be pregnant with for a while. I feel like if I purchase girl clothes that I am going to jinx myself. Even though the rational person in me is very aware that I have no control over the sex of my child. Deep down, I really don't care - we won't know the sex until the day that its born anyway.

I'm freaking myself out with all of this make believe baby talk!

Oh my goodness... Isn't it sweet. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this dress.

What are your thoughts regarding my hypothetical etsy shop???

My new camera strap!!!

2011-03-25T19:42:00.000-04:00

Isn't she sweet!
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Goodwill or Sewing Room?

2011-03-19T13:43:00.000-04:00

How do you decide what to keep in your sewing stash? I have so many things that I could keep! My mind races with ideas but I cannot add hours to the day...

I'm interested to hear your ideas!

Stevie
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Happy St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T19:51:00.000-04:00

Here's a pic of me in my vintage dress! We are still in Myrtle Beach... I haven't spent any time on the computer so pics from my phone will have to do.

Stevie
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My Week

2011-03-15T13:03:00.000-04:00

We are in Myrtle Beach! I actually found a conch shell on the beach... Its the first one ever.

I plan to post some cool shell projects soon.

Stevie:)
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Not Bad for a Nickel!

2011-03-13T18:28:00.000-04:00

Now if I could just figure out how to sew buttonholes. I typically try to stay away from them. Eeekkk - makes me nervous!
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Vintage Dress

2011-03-13T18:17:00.000-04:00

What do you think? I will wear this dress on St. Patricks Day! Yes - the dress is black but I have the cutest green belt to wear with it!
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If this were your canvas...

2011-02-13T19:19:00.001-05:00

What would you do with it? I have been begging my husband to build a new headboard... I wanted something different - well I got different!

Tell me dear readers... What would you do if this were yours to do whatever it is that you do?

xxxooo,

Stevie

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If I Only Had a Daughter

2010-08-28T10:12:00.002-04:00

I found this at Goodwill for $1. It would be great to see this hanging in a little girls room!! Not sure if I will ever have a baby girl... A mommy can dream though...Right?

Another dress!!!!

2010-07-25T13:01:00.000-04:00

I think I'm addicted to stretch & sew 1500!!! Its so versatile!

What do you think?
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Another dress from" one piece wearables"...

2010-07-18T17:52:00.000-04:00

Love this blue cotton. I'm not very good at hems so I use accessories to mask some of the imperfections!

I cut the actual fabric once or twice... Might patch with lace...

Any suggestions!
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Strapless Top! Belted...

2010-07-18T14:14:00.000-04:00

The top was constructed by some brown and white polka dotted scraps from my fabric stash. This piece started out as a dress bit it wouldn't fit over my boobs... Cut it off at the waist and added some elastic... VOILA! Instant cute top.

The belt is made from pink ribbon and a vintage buckle!!!

Love it!!!
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Lace embellished tank

2010-07-01T21:30:00.000-04:00

Do you have any tops in your closet that seem old and boring??? I sure do! In my quest to waste less - I decided that I will try one handmade garment per day.

Obviously, I love making dresses but it isn't always something that can be completed in one evening so I stared to give up on making something today.

When getting my clothes ready for tomorrow, I realized that the blue tank that I had chosen was bboooorrriiinnggg.....

A little light bulb went off and I decided to embellish it with some awesome vintage lace!

Love it!!!
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Another Dress!!!

2010-06-30T20:34:00.000-04:00

This dress was constructed from Stretch & Sew 1500 just like the last one. The polka dotted fabric came from my goodwill stash!

The neckline on this dress has been modified and I omitted the zipper. I added some "anthropologie" inspired flowers around the neck and sewed a quick belt from some red quilting fabric.

This dress is sleeveless so thank goodness for sweaters because the hem around the arms is terrible.

My apologies for the poor photo quality - its just been much easier for me to blog via blackberry... The camera isn't nearly as clear as my rebel!!!
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My third dress

2010-06-28T21:32:00.000-04:00

This dress is made from some vintage fabric taken from my stash. The pattern that I used was Stretch & Sew 1500. Its a basic ladies dress. It was fairly easy to construct!

Its so basic that you can dress it up or down!

Our internet wasn't functioning due to a storm so I pulled out some vintage sewing books and figured out the darts without you tube!

Thank you so much for looking! I really look forward to your feedback!
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Pattternless dress!!!

2010-06-25T14:41:00.000-04:00

I so love this dress that I made with some vintage fabric from my stash!!! What do you think?

I wore it to work this week with a white cardigan. I need to take the left side in but other than that - I think its great!
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Yard Sale Dilema

2010-06-19T10:02:00.000-04:00

So I'm having a yardsale tomorrow... That's right - "Fathers Day Sale". All prices are negotiable!

Would u purchase magazines from a yard sale??? Is five mags for a dollar a good price???

I'm interested to hear your feedback!

Stevie
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Adventures in Dressmaking!!!

2010-05-23T16:17:00.002-04:00

So ummm yeah --- I made this dress with no pattern. The darts are slightly crooked so along with fixing those, I need to hem the bottom. After sitting at my sewing machine for hours - sticking myself with pins and taking that thing off an on, it is finally close to being finished.

Its very basic with a "scoop neck". The fabric is some vintage jersey knit that I picked up at my local Peddlers Mall yesterday.

Once its finished, I'll post photos of it actually "on"!!!

I hope you all had a great weekend! Thanks so much for stopping by!!

Help???

2010-05-22T11:12:00.001-04:00

Does anyone know of where I can have 3 1\2 x 5 photos printed??? I kinda need to put some in these frames???

PB Has a Home!!

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

There is this little space between the boys rooms and the "community bathroom".... Never have I been able to find a piece of furniture that would fit...

Well, I think We've found a permanent home!!!

Please ignore the dust on the floor - the maid is on strike!

This aint no PB Knockoff!!

2010-05-03T20:17:00.004-04:00

You can only imagine my excitement when I scored this bad boy at one of my many FAVORITE Peddlers Malls for $10! I cannot even pretend to be able to afford to shop at Pottery Barn. Their merchandise is beautiful but I just don't have that kind of cash flow.

Still not sure what to do with him.... The drawers are kind of small - this will be perfect for the overflow of vintage buttons and notions that make their way out of my closet on a daily basis. We shall see.

You ask where I've been????

2010-04-24T11:56:00.002-04:00

Wow!!! It has been a while!! I hope everyone has been much more productive than I have around the house--- I've pretty much dedicated my whole day to cleaning this house!!

Tomorrow I will post a list of "to do's" for the summer as well as my plans!

I'm glad that I still have followers! I will be back tomorrow!!!

~stevie

Headboard Dilema...

2010-02-20T08:41:00.003-05:00

A couple of weekends ago, I painted our bedroom. Between my stomach bug and work, I have been unable to finish the touch ups - I plan on doing that tomorrow evening. I have several "finishing" touches that I would like to add but there is not enough time ---EVER.
Brandon's parents gave us their bedroom suite when we moved in to this house. They bought it when they were first married and the pieces are very dated but solid for sure. The detail is intricate and with some new hardware and a coat or two of paint, I think that they will be perfect.

With that being said, I'm tired of the "matchy matchy"... Its just not my style. I had Brandon remove the mirror that is attached to the dresser. We are going to hang some kind of mirror above the dresser but I'm not exactly sure of where I want the furniture right now. The dressers are fine but I will paint them --- probably white but the headboard is where I am having my most major issue. Like I said, I don't "hate" the furniture because it is certainly vintage and it was a gift but I'd like some variety.

I've been researching DIY headboards for a while and I stumbled across this slip covered headboard.

photo by. marthastewart.com

What do you think? I can't decide on what I really want and to be honest - I don't want to purchase an old door or make a padded headboard because I just don't know what I want. I just know that I don't want what I have. Does that make sense? This gives me a very good alternative that can easily be reversed if needed.

I hope you all enjoy your weekend!

Sew...A Dress??? or Two or Three???

2010-02-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

photo from dillards.com

My current day job as a Human Resources Professional, requires me to wear a suit or some sort of professional "ensemble" five days a week. This can be tiring and boring because there are only so many ways to "dress up" a business suit and quite frankly, I'm sick and tired of pant suits.

A few years ago, I had a different job, and not to mention the fact that I was A LOT smaller than I am these days. I used to wear cute dresses with sweaters all the time and it was appropriate - maybe even overdressed for that particular company. I was comfortable and professional at the same time.

With spring right around the corner - I'm thinking that maybe I could try my hand at making a couple of very basic dresses to wear with sweaters or a blazer depending on the day. I found these vintage patterns in my stash. There's only one problem - I have no idea as to how I am supposed to use a pattern. Well two, these dresses are a little more "intricate" than I want to make.

I've thought about going to Goodwill and picking out a $4.00 dress that I like and tearing it apart to make my own pattern. Will this work??? I really hope that it will because I have a tremendous amount of vintage polyester fabric that I practically stole from a thrift store that I could definitely picture as a dress.

Do you use patterns? Any tips?

Vintage

2010-02-15T16:49:00.001-05:00

My mother and I went thrifting the other day.... Look at all of those vintage threads and buttons! The colors are all so bright! It reminds me of Spring!

My Second Step....

2010-02-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

Here's where I laid out my patterened pieces.... I must say - IGNORANCE IS BLISS. At this point, I still don't realize how bad this is going to be.

Sneak Peak

2010-02-14T09:29:00.004-05:00

Look at those crooked strips... I'll post my progress later - It is really sad but it has been a very valuable learning experience for me. I am currently cutting more strips trying to be as precise as possible.

Did Anyone Miss Me this Week??

2010-02-13T08:15:00.002-05:00

O-M-G... This has been the week from - well, you know. Sunday as in "Superbowl Sunday", I went to a small party and brought the kids home at half time. We were in bed by 9:08pm and before I knew it, it was 5:00am and I had been hit with the worst stomach bug in history.

Needless to say, I have not been up to blogging. I did however work on my quilt and it is pitiful! I am my seam rippers new bff as we have spent a tremendous amount of time with each other. I will post photos later. This house is upside down!

Have a GREAT weekend!

Quilt!!

2010-02-06T08:47:00.002-05:00

Good Morning party people... This weekend, the agenda is BIGGGGG --- and LONNGGGG but guess what, I have a sitter so I could stay up all night if I need to. But that is highly unlikely because I require sleep to function.

Yesterday, Loren and I took a lunch trip to Hobby Lobby to purchase the fabrics for our "Easy Lap Quilt(s)" from the book Bend the Rules Sewing by Amy Karol. First of all, the sales lady was rude but whatever - we were pretty giddy from finally finding the fabric that we wanted to use. It was raining terribly and we had to scarf down hamburgers in her car before we went in but whatever--- we just wanted our fabric.

It was less of a challenge to choose once I got in there. I decided that whatever theme that I picked for my boys would be the theme that I used for their room. I went with cowboys! Is this fabric not precious?? I can't wait - I'm not sure that I will get it right away but hopefully I will be patient enough to get through the first quilt and the second will be a breeze. These will be at the end of their bed. I haven't decided whether to use navy or red comforters but I have plenty of time to think of that since I will be painting our master bedroom this weekend!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend! Hopefully, I'll be able to check in with updates!

Dutch Boy Paints

2010-02-05T10:17:00.000-05:00

Has anyone ever used this brand? I bought this at Walmart in the "oops" section for ten bucks! I love the color and plan to paint my bedroom with it this weekend!
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I cheated...

2010-02-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

Forgive me fellow bloggers for I have sinned.... It has been about four days since my last confession....

I said that I would not spend a DIME at Thrift Stores in the whole month of February and I lied... Oh boy did I lie - I spent $2.62 on three magazines and a book of quotations...

What shall my penance be?

Our "Inspiration Wire"

2010-02-04T00:00:00.002-05:00

Working 40+ hours per week outside of our home allows little time for me to connect with my boys on a creative level but I honestly try my best. There were many nights in the very early days when Drew was just an infant that I would finish my work day in the office only to go straight to a classroom in effort to finish my Bachelors Degree. Luckily, my parents helped when Brandon was still working third shift but I have still always felt incredibly guilty over the time that we spent apart during his first year of life.

After I graduated (one month after Drew's first birthday), I wrote him a letter explaining why I did what I did. I want him to be a hard worker and appreciate a little sacrifice and elbow grease. With that being said, there are still times that I think about how empty I felt sitting in a room full of strangers while my husband or mother was caring for my infant. While pushing myself to finish that degree, I promised myself that no matter what happened, I would continue to build a family, work full time and complete my MBA. Well, baby number two came along a year after I completed my Bachelors and he is now 18 months. Would you believe that I haven't even thought about starting the MBA program... Its funny how priorities change.

Despite the fact that we did spend many evenings apart, Drew and I are very close and always have been. Amongst many activities, we read together, draw together, take walks together and still at three years old Drew even sleeps in between his father and I every night. His imagination never ceases to amaze me and I am almost fascinated by his child-like dreams but yet he is still such and old soul.

Samuel, who I hope to one day be the "middle child" is the baby right now. Unlike his older brother, I hold back on pushing him too hard because I realize that he will be grown up oh too soon. Sammy is creative in his own rite - we use kitchen utensils and old tins as drums or empty boxes as cars. Sam loves to put things in his mouth so we have to be careful about giving him small items but I love to fill plastic containers with dried beans so that he can shake them. He really entertains himself well!

At the end of the summer, I purchased the book "The Creative Family" by Amanda Blake Soule. In the first chapter she talks a lot about inspiration... In our home we have mimicked her "inspiration wire" by utilizing what was meant to be a Christmas Card Organizer by Hallmark. It is in our living room and works perfectly! Anyone in the family can put any item up there whenever they want. At Drew's preschool they focus on one letter a week so if Drew wants to, I often will place photos of items that start with that particular letter - if you notice, I said, "if Drew wants". I also carry a ton of guilt about this full time job that I have to work - I enjoy my job so that makes me feel even worse. Drew spends a full, very structured day at preschool so I do not push him to continue to talk about his "letter of the week" if he'd rather forget about it for the few precious hours that we have to spend together in the evenings.

As I grow as a mother, I realize that every family functions differently. What works for one family might not work for another and I try very hard to allow other moms to inspire me. In our family, we love the outdoors. Most weekends through the spring, summer and early fall, you can find of at a variety of Kentucky or Indiana State Parks soaking up sunshine and the nature around us. We are so very inspired by nature and wildlife - away from the T.V., we love to play games, visit various nature centers and hike many of the easier trails throughout the park.

What are some things that inspire you and your family? How do you keep it interesting?

Hello Blue....

2010-02-03T00:00:00.001-05:00

This tray was .75 cents.... yes that's right I felt like I was stealing. It is going to fit right into my blue bedroom that I haven't painted but have all the supplies to get started.

Don't judge me. I'll get it done. Before the end of February. This is precisely why I did not set "resolutions" for the new year - my follow through isn't what it should be.

Tell me something....Should I paint the walls or the furniture first???

Dolly Partons Imagination Library

2010-02-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

What a GREAT program! My kids participate and they each get a brand new book every month! In my opinion, you can never have too many books. I love that our county allows us to add to our collection free of charge! This is especially great for children who live in low income households who may not have the extra funds for recreational items.

I encourage you to visit the website! If your community isn't involved see what you can do to get it started!

What do you think??

2010-02-01T04:00:00.000-05:00

So I have 3 options here.... I want to apologize ahead of time for the poor photo quality. This project has knocked the breath out of me. It has thrown me head over heels into spring fever and there is no turning back.

Option 1. Ruffle the fabric and sew to the panel - see the left panel in the photo below.

Option 2. Sew the fabric on as is and embellish with a ribbon where the two fabrics meet. (I like this one).
Option 3. Ditch the teal fabric all together and lower the panels.

IF I decide to add the fabric - I will probably opt for stitch witchery instead of actually sewing them together - this way I can change it if I get sick of it.

Hubs hates the fabric option but he just doesn't understand where I'm coming from on this... In this case, his opinion doesn't exist.

Coffee Table Upgrade...

2010-01-31T18:03:00.000-05:00

My aunt and uncle gave this to us when Samuel was just a few weeks old. I liked it, it had charm but it had been through about four different families and had been pretty roughed up. My aunt originally bought it for her house and when they were done, it just started being passed around and somehow ended up with her again. She didn't want it, so naturally, I was thrilled to take it off her hands.

I almost forgot the before pic. I didn't sand a lot - I just primed (Killz Original). There was too much snow outside and Brandon hid the orbit sander because he knew that I would use it in the house if he were gone - he has this strange aversion to spray painting or sanding in the house... I couldn't imagine why????

Finished with two coats of Rustoleum Heirloom White! I love it - for some reason, I'm leaning toward the beach theme this time around. What do you think?

Today I Must....

2010-01-31T00:00:00.001-05:00

Purchase one of these.... (photo from target.com).

Because I have moved my craft area from the basement to the living room. I guess you could call it the "formal" living room if there is such a thing in this house! Why do I need to purchase it today?? Well, today is the last day of January! Remember, I am on a spending freeze in February! I must hurry!

The desk took the place of the recliner... Remember that cheap table I tried to paint last week?? There it is to the left. It didn't turn out too bad - It'll do for now. If I want to sew, I just move the computer and pull the sewing machine out of here... The same goes form my scrapbook supplies.

Nope, its not fancy but it will do. I wasn't inspired in the basement. For some reason, I am inspired upstairs!

Window Treatments.... help?

2010-01-30T09:04:00.007-05:00

At first, my thoughts were that I would make curtains out of my favorite drop cloths... Then I realized that all three of my drop cloths were different colors (different brands, different shade of canvas) so I haven't been in a real hurry to try to go purchase a fourth as it kind of defeats the purpose of being "frugal".

My plan was to embellish these drop cloth drapes with this sweet vintage drapery fabric that I scored at Goodwill a few months ago. This very "durable" fabric is a light teal and would add a nice pop to my color palette if added to the bottom of these panels.

For Christmas I received several Target gift cards and still had about $35 left so the other day, I stopped by to see what kind of deals I could get. So I found these.... Now I don't have to worry about making my panels out of my mismatched drop cloths!

I'm trying to decide whether or not to hang them "as is" or embellish them with my fabric... This is the look that I'm going for if I choose to embellish.

photo by Better Homes & Gardens

Your thoughts?? Should I add the fabric or not?

Lamp....

2010-01-27T20:43:00.004-05:00

See this lamp??? Isn't she a beauty? I paid $6.50 at my favorite thrift store... We're painting our bedroom this weekend. Blue --- and I'm also going to paint my dresser ---Heirloom White.

Is it bad to paint all of your furniture white?

"Sew for Toddlers"... by Kerstin Martensson

2010-01-27T00:00:00.001-05:00

So I bought this book from on of my FAVORITE thrift stores the other day. Yes - I did pay a full $3.00 for it which I feel is justified because I liked the book. Considering that it was made in 1979 and is a paperback its condition is superb.

The dress and one piece jumper patters in there are awesome- not to mention that these styles are TIMELESS as far as I'm concerned. I'm sure you could find free patterns on the Internet but whatever... The book was $3.00 and I bought it.

These little outfits may just sell in an etsy store....

Feeling for Photos

2010-01-26T09:00:00.002-05:00

Photography is not something that I ever thought that I would be good at. As a matter of fact, I have had no formal training but people still compliment my photos.

This isn't something that I would ever do for a living. The pressure would kill me - I'm not a perfectionist so I would never be able to charge someone for my services because sometimes my images turn out worthy of being posted or displayed in my home and sometimes they don't.

Photography has however, taught me a wonderful lesson... For me it is powerful stress relief. I can lose myself behind my lens and attempt to blend in with my surroundings. I love looking at my images and to be able to actually watch myself grow artistically. To me this is exhilarating.

Like the books that I read, my hopes are that my children will cherish these images as much as I do. I hope that the photos that I have snapped over the years will be cherished by many to come after me and that they will be able to feel the love behind them.

My grandmother left behind many black and white photos and I love them dearly. While looking at those photos I have been able to learn so much about who my grandmother was as a young girl - before she became a mother to seven children. I cherish those images more than words can explain and I hope that my children and grandchildren will feel the same about mine.

Something like a Miracle...

2010-01-25T12:49:00.003-05:00

Sam's babysitter has the stomach flu... In a sick way, I kind of got a second chance at a three day weekend. I'm embarking upon several different projects over the next few weeks and Saturday and Sunday just aren't ever enough.

I moved my desk upstairs to the living room from the basement. It looks nice but I need some place to store my printer. I've been using this cheap, hand me down, laminate, little cabinet. As you can see, I tried to paint it once before--- UMMM it didn't turn out very well. Today, I am going to try to brush paint my personal favorite, Rustoleum's "Heirloom White" onto this bad boy.

So when I say, "If I pull this off", it will be something like a miracle.

Books....

2010-01-25T00:00:00.001-05:00

I never pay full price for books... Well, rarely ever but for just $5 I bought all of these books! The 4th Harry Potter book is there! I've decided that I'm going to just pick them up at different thrift stores until I find them all! "Where the Sidewalk Ends" is amongst my true all time favorites as a kid!

Some of these books may never be read by me - my hope is that my boys will appreciate these books as they grow and grab them off of our shelf as they feel like reading one.

Not a DIME in February....

2010-01-24T09:02:00.003-05:00

Its raining today... My plan was to sand my coffee table outside so I could apply a coat of primer but I can't because its raining.... Again.

I've collected a laundry basket full of items that I need to transform so I've made the executive decision that I will not spend a dime at any thrift store for the whole month of February. As a matter of fact, I will log my Master bathroom/bedroom progress as I go. I really hope I finish by the end of February because I still have the "public" restroom to paint and the floor in my kids bedroom. Obviously - these projects will not take place in February but I hope to have them complete by May so that when I come back from Gulf Shores I can concentrate on baby-making...

Planning is definately a downfall that I have so we'll see how this goes down. Will I finish it all by May???

How do you prioritize your projects? What keeps you to that plan? At this moment, all of my plans are swimmng around in my head and of course are subject to change.... HELP!!!

Vintage Button Tin

2010-01-23T18:02:00.004-05:00

Did your grandmother have a tin of buttons that looked similar to this one??? These buttons weren't my grandmothers but she did have a tin like this one.

What is your favorite thing about buttons?? I am very partial to buttons of the "vintage" variety! Just like everything else - I love the mystery behind where they came from. I often wonder why would someone sell them/give them away!

If this house were mine

2010-01-23T17:45:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the poor photo quality... This house is one that I pass daily. Seriously, I love the worn/distressed look. Those colors are to die for. It seems that everything is original!

Sure it needs some work... I would give it all the tlc it needs!
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Crafting, Friendship & Vintage Fabric From my "PERSONAL" Stash

2010-01-23T10:20:00.007-05:00

As a working mommy of two boys, my social life is nearly non-existent and believe me I'm fine with that aspect of my life. My social life is my boys and in my opinion - "me time" is while I'm at work. My kids didn't ask to be placed in this world so it is my job to raise them to the best of MY ability. I do on the weekends get away occasionally but those occasions are carefully chosen.

Last weekend, Loren (mommy friend who has a 2 year old boy, Deacon and is expecting her second baby in June, Desi) and I went to a Sewing 101 class last week and learned all about straight stitches, interfacing and even how to create a "blind hem". It was fun and we are both exploring our"inner seamstress" by sewing different things here and there. I spend my time making pillows and window treatments while Loren has made a car seat canopy for Desi and she really wants to make her a quilt - among many other things. Obviously, our inspirations differ but I think its great that we are both embracing "hand made". We share links with patterns and bounce ideas off one another almost constantly.

My friendship with Loren is great because the expectation is the same. We are both moms who work full time and our kids occupy our free time. It was nice to share a couple hours at a class with Loren kid free but it was also cool to not feel the pressure to "got to lunch" as after a full week at work, we both wanted to get back home.

On the "friendship" note...Before I ever even sewed my first stitch - I consulted another very good mommy friend of mine, Deanna @http://funmama-deanna.blogspot.com/. She recommended that I try the book "Bend the Rules Sewing" by Amy Karol. Of course, I ordered the book immediately and loved it. No, I haven't made anything out of the book but I suggested to Loren that she order the book so that she can make Desi a quilt! There are 30 patterns in this book and I love absolutely all of them! There is a pattern for a "lap quilt" and I think this will be perfect Loren!

I found these vintage fabrics in my personal stash! Loren, I hope you love them because they are all yours! It will be awesome to see that quilt! Desi will love it for many years to come!

Oil Lamp...

2010-01-23T09:12:00.002-05:00

This was a wedding gift! Five years ago.... I put it in our living room! What do you think?

Thrifty Find...

2010-01-17T12:01:00.005-05:00

Last Wednesday, I went thrifting... My original goal was to acquire some more vintage buttons for my collection... Unfortunately - I came home empty handed in the button department. I did however, find this awesome vintage fabric that is going to make some AWESOME curtains and pillows for my living room this spring.

This $7.00 find threw me straight into a serious case of CABIN FEVER!!! The colors are very similar to what I'm working with now. They will incorporate nicely in the living area with the greens/teal combo.

I just love the border! Its perfect!

Pillow Issue...Resolved

2010-01-17T11:30:00.002-05:00

With this one little flower that I sewed on... I used leftover "drop cloth" scraps, scraps from the pillow itself and a vintage button from my collection.

You like?

Sorry and yessss another question....

2010-01-16T08:38:00.003-05:00

So I'm sorry because this past Wednesday, i promised you that I would post some vintage buttons that I "just knew that I would find" while out on the hunt... Well, I went to two stores and not ONE vintage button... Maybe I've purchased them all!

I did however, score some awesome vintage fabric that I will use to make a "spring" curtain for my living room - I'll post some pics this afternoon.

What would you do with this photo??? I LOVE it - I took it at this years state fair and it is begging for a place in my home... Where would you hang it?

I'm off to my Sewing 101 class at JoAnn's Fabrics in Louisville! I'm really excited because I really can't even sew a straight line!

I love buttons

2010-01-13T12:55:00.000-05:00

Not really these but I love all vintage buttons...I am going on the hunt for some vintage buttons tonight! I can't wait to post my finds!

Sorry about the photo quality but in order to blog on a regular basis I must use my blackberry!

Have a GREAT day!
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Crooked...again?

2010-01-12T09:35:00.000-05:00

So I wanted to tone down that teal...here's another crooked pillow that I made from fabric scraps and the stuffing came from an old pillow.

Does this help the boldness of the teal?

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Crooked Pillow

2010-01-11T08:56:00.000-05:00

Today I must go back to work...No more snow days! I made this crooked pillow for my living room... Its just a little too teal. Any ideas on how to tone it down?
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Question....

2010-01-10T18:23:00.002-05:00

How do you sew ruffles without a "ruffler" on your sewing machine???? I'm new at sewing and I don't think my machine came with one but I really needc to make a skirt for my couch.

Mod Podge Coasters

2010-01-10T08:37:00.000-05:00

This was a coaster that my husband received as a gift when he was working at his last job. I've always secretly hated them because they just looked like something that belongs in the garage. No disrespect to the American flag but they just looked very "masculine" if you will.

Even with strict instructions to "please don't spray paint in the house" I quickly cleaned my coasters because they were gross and I wasn't looking for the extra "texture"... Once they were clean, I opened the basement door and quickly primed my 5 coasters. I grabbed a tiny paint tester bottle to paint my coasters once the primer dried.

The color that I chose was "Soothing Green Tea" by glidden. It's a shade or two lighter than what is on my walls in the living room so I was sure that once finished, those coasters would blend in just fine.

After the paint dried I grabbed that book of old sheet music, some scraps left from my sons 1st year scrapbook, my x-acto knife, a monogram stamp with a brown marker and most importantly - Mod Podge. I just started decorating - my theme was family. For those of you that know me - I try not to agonize over one thought very often so my ideas change by the second. With that being said, there was no plan here - I just did what I thought was pretty! Here they are with the mod podge drying. I love them. I'll have to be sure to take a photograph when they have found their place in my home.

What do you think??

2010-01-09T09:03:00.000-05:00

Sorry but I didn't photograph myself completing this because I did it around Halloween and its just been sitting in my bedroom waiting for something - that something has been a mystery for a couple of months now...

Back to the beginning, I bought a vintage .50 cent book of sheet music and the one dollar barnwoodish frame (without the glass) back in September at Goodwill. I tore out a sheet and stapled it to the back.

Yesterday while snowed in.... I decided to lightly spray paint the frame (Rustoleum Heirloom White). I let it dry, reattached the music and there you have it. I didn't even have to distress it... The frame just dried this way.

It's hanging in my kitchen. I really like it!

What do you think?

Picture Frame - Upcycle....

2010-01-08T14:07:00.001-05:00

Here's the 11x14 frame that held my wedding photo. I bought it on sale at Michael's Crafts right before we were married in May 2005.

A few weeks ago, I found this gold frame at Goodwill for $1.00. It was missing the glass but for just a dollar, I couldn't pass it up. The gold isn't my favorite but I know that its nothing that I can't fix with a few sprays of Heriloom White by Rustoleum.

So I lightly sanded and primed it gray. I wasn't really concerned about full coverage of the primer because I planned to distress it.

Here it is... I sanned it a little to distress somewhat.

Up close...

Here it is hanging on my wall. I think it looks better - an improvement anyway...

No spray paint today....

2010-01-03T18:27:00.000-05:00

This is one of my thrifty finds though. One of my very good friends, Deanna http://funmama-deanna.blogspot.com/ loves Strawberry Shortcake and I am so proud to have found this for her. The fabric is very thin and it appears that someone made bedding out of it at one time. She has a cute little girl and I'm sure they will make something awesome with it!!

So I have this list of projects that need to be completed at my house. With the weather being well below freezing, none of them will take place in the garage so that rules out spray paint and all of the wooden furniture pieces that I have been dying to sand, prime and paint. I have however, talked my hubby into ripping up the carpet in both of my kids rooms and painting the subfloors!!!! I am sooooo excited as I have researched this project for months!!

Stay tuned --- this will be interesting.

Semi - Re-upholstered Couch with Drop Cloths

2010-01-02T09:49:00.000-05:00

First, let me welcome you to my new blog... There are so many random DIY projects that I undertake around this house and it feels so good to know that I will be able to share my successes with people who have the same interests.

This couch--- well its kind of a "work in progress".... Underneath all of that canvas is an old, tattered and torn couch that I was afraid to snap a before photo of... Not because I was embarrassed because I was terrified that my mother might see it and kill me dead since my dogs were the ones who destroyed it..

This old couch has endured several expensive slip-covers, none of which really satisfied me and then one day I was introduced to the canvas painters drop cloth. For about $40 I have been able to successfully cover this couch. Its not perfect as I'm currently working on ways to tuck, fold, staple or sew to keep it from looking battered. I'm thinking about nail head trim....

Any suggestions??? I'm open!