Thrifty Thelma and the Three Dollar Lamps

Do you have one of those friends who loves to get all her clothes at the thrift store so she can tell you all about it?

 You know the kind I mean, the Thrifty Thelma who can't receive a compliment on her  blouse without  assigning it a dollar amount followed by an outfit yakabout that sounds like a clip from The Price Is Right.

This blouse? It's Ann Taylor, and the tags were still on it.  It was only $5.00.

These Michael Kors shoes were $5.00 too.

 And this Kate Spade purse? Two bucks.

Wow. Just wow. 

I've never purchased an article of clothing in a thrift store in my life. I have enough trouble finding clothes to fit me in Retail Land where they have not yet begun to shrink. I'm sure enough not going to buy preshrunk clothes in a a place with neither a dressing room nor a return policy. That would be a trip to the crazy patch for me.

No, I'm not a Thelma in the fashion department. I totally get her, though. I get her because I'm a Thelma in just about every other department, especially in the home decorating department. I don't know what it is, folks, but I get a serious thrill (I mean a serious thrill...) out of finding stuff for my house on the cheap and then yakking it abroad to anyone who will listen.

But then, you knew that, didn't you?

 Very soon, I'm going to be finished with the Great Living Room Adventure that I've been working on for months, and I'll give you a tour. When I do, you can be certain that it's going to sound like an episode of The Price Is Right. 

Coffee table...$20.00.

Some sconces... $5.00 for the pair

Table lamps...

Three bucks.

About the cost of a pumpkin latte.
(Thrifty Thelma always throws in the comparison cost. It makes it even thriftier. )

I paid a latte apiece for the matching lamps in my living room,
and today, I'm going to yak about them.

I didn't buy them because they were pretty.  I bought them because they resembled the lamps living  in my head. Of course, the lamps in my head didn't have rusted lamp parts and a body coming apart in several places.

 And they didn't have a harp almost as tall as the lamp itself. 

What in the world is up with that harp?

But they were tall and skinny. I was looking for tall and skinny. And they weren't metal. I wasn't looking for metal.  I was looking for a modified baluster style.

And they worked.

That part's kind of important too.

So they got cleaned up, and the brass parts got polished and Rub n Buffed.  Gorilla wood glue fixed all the loose parts, and I bought new harps. (Which technically adds five bucks to each lamp, if you're keeping track.)

 I painted them with poor man's Annie Sloan in a shade  that I call taupelicious.  It's a combination of 423 different taupe rejects from my very large stash of taupe reject testers.

Because it's nearly impossible to find the perfect taupe for a project, that's why.

It's hard I tell you.

It's so hard that I have nearly broken up with taupe three times this year. When I finally created a shade that worked, I made a paint chip and took it to the paint store.  

It looks really pretty white washed with some soft white.

At least it looks pretty to me.

Kind of a latte color, don't you think?

 I could very easily sand it down in parts to distress it if I have a mind to. 

I don't really have a mind to.

The shade was actually the biggest pain.  Every lamp shade that I tried came up a bit short. Literally.  They were all ten inches in length, and they tended to make the lamp look like a gawky preteen.

See?

Longer shades were all too chiffony or pleated for the lamp in my head. 

I finally found these simple barrel shades at Target of all places for $22.00.  Lucky me, I happened to have a fifty dollar gift card to Target in my stash of unused gift cards.

So in Debbie Land, that means these shades were free.

They're a soft white, which is what I wanted, 

and they stay white even with the light on, which was important to me, too. 

I like them. 

Yes, I know it's plain. Plain happens to be exactly what I was going for here. I like to call it simple instead. Soft, restful, and simple. Those are the watchwords for the new living room.

And taupe. Don't forget taupe.

So in the end, the lamps ended up costing me about eight bucks each. Even if you add in the cost of a shade, which I didn't,  that's still only thirty dollars for the lamp and shade. Not  too shabby for a lamp that is so very much like the one living in my head, is it?

No, I don't think so either.

And that's all I have for today. I think it has stopped raining enough for Mr. Backhoe Man to begin the terrible, horrible, very bad, no good lawn destruction, and I need to go upstairs and put on the big girl pants...

... which I can assure you would never come from a thrift store. 

What about you? 

What will you buy from the thrift store?

What won't you buy?

And yes, dear Farm Sister. You do not need to answer this question. I know the answer fully well. Shhh.

.

Flower Power Tools

The current COPY CAT challenge at Debbie Doos couldn't have come at a better time for me.  I actually have something to share, and it goes with my current crafting space project.

Several months ago,
I saw this idea to give your tools a little personality
on the blog  A Fish Who Likes Flowers

She used duct tape on hers.
Cute, huh?

The minute I put up that peg board in my Siberian craft space,
 I knew that I had to give my tools a little personality too.
Unfortunately, I didn't have any cute duct tape.
 I decided to do something else instead.

Boring tools...

White Fusion paint.

Tissue paper and Mod Podge

And there ya go:
Flower Power Tools

Go ahead and laugh.
That's what the husband did.

He kept laughing even after I explained the logic behind it. (There is some logic, you know.) Not only are they fun and festive, but they will be much easier to locate when they go off on scissor and tool adventures and leave their assigned post.

For some reason, my scissors and tools are prone to meandering.

This little project will keep me
from invading the sanctity of his tool box
on such a regular basis.
That's exactly what I told him.

The husband isn't so sure about that.
He did assure me, however, that it will definitely keep him from invading mine. 

*****
In case you're interested:
I used two coats of Fusion paint and then cut out the individual flowers. I'm giving them another protective coating of  Mod Podge, and I might give them a coat of clear varnish as well. I haven't decided yet. 

Siberian Facelift Part Two

If you've been following my Siberian lifestyle lift, 

this is the part where it should all start to make more sense.

There's actually a method to the wackadoo madness and crazy colors. You see, I'm a firm believer that bright colors stimulate creativity.

And I caught a little contagious creativity not long ago in blog land.  

Many of you have probably seen how Ange@The Blooming Hydrangea turned an unused closet in her home into an office space. If you haven't seen it, click HERE. She dubbed it The Cloffice. 

Well, here's my own version of a  re-purposed space.

I'm calling mine The Crathroom.

Part bathroom.

Part craft space.

You see, I don't have a single space around this joint to organize craft and painting supplies. Oh, I had them stored in an orderly fashion, but to a completely right brained person, storing and organizing are two very different animals.

If I have to pull things out of a bin that's stashed on a shelf in a garage or other such space, it's stored. If it is openly displayed and at my fingertips, it's organized. And if it's organized in a climate controlled environment, it's more likely to stay organized. 

My craft and painting supplies were stored,  but they were not organized. They were hidden here and there like munchkins. Every time I wanted to do a project, it was come out come out wherever you are.

Seeing all the great craft spaces in blog land whet my appetite for a fingertip space. Unfortunately, I didn't have a  room to sacrifice for the cause. (And don't even bother suggesting The Practical One's room. It already has a job; it's a shrine.)

This is the space I chose.

It's small, but doable.  There's a sink for washing out brushes and enough counter space to work on small projects.

Or even small pieces of furniture.
See?

I wanted it to function as a craft space, but not lose it's ability to morph back into bathroom if needed. Just because we haven't used that shower in 15 years doesn't mean we never will.

So...

Shoe bags were hung over a tension rod for spray paints and other supplies. Yes, I know that they don't match. This project had to be done without spending a dime, remember. Therefore, I used what I had, and what I had were two more members of the graduating class of 2011.

Three members actually. That little white shelf between them came from her college room too. Please picture it all grown up and twice its size. I'm planning to get a second one to stack on top of it next month. I have a few more things in the garage still waiting for a home.

The rest of it is just collected junque from around the home place and the power of paint. That's because I hoard my remnants and buy random, obscure things at the ReStore.

I had bought that peg board at the Restore in the spring, and we happened to have just enough of that molding to frame it.  I painted it with more of that green paint.

Yes, I know I haven't put anything on it yet.

 I haven't finished organizing the stuff in the cabinets and drawers yet either,

 but I'm showing the room anyway.

 This post is long enough so I'll save something

 for another day.  

That's where Siberia is this morning. Maybe not magazine material,

 but considering where we started...

Plus the fact  that I did it all without spending a dime,

 I'd say it's close enough to perfect for me.

By the way, did anyone notice where I'm storing the extra noodles?

*****

I'll be sharing at Inspiration Friday
'cause I know you're all inspired to go create a
Crathroom now, right?
Right?
Yeah, that's what I was afraid of.

Free Funky Handles

Just a little update on my progress in the cold and remote bathroom that I like to call Siberia. I'm nearly finished with it, at least as much as I can do without spending any money in this No Buy July.

It has been fun. 

Actually, No Buy July has been fun.

 Really...

 The fact that I had to rely on what I have on hand has been good for the brain.  

Joining this zero cost makeover already in progress...

Cabinets before

Stained "oak-ish" cabinets were painted Heirloom White. 

I might have picked  a more adventurous color,
but I didn't happen to have an adventurous color around here.
 I did happen to have about a quart of Heirloom White 
and the matching spray paint for a smooth finish. 

So Heirloom White it is. 

I used the existing handles since that's the only style I have on hand. (Actually, I have a whole basket full of this style. They were on every cabinet in the place and have been hoarded as I replaced them room by room. 

They come apart which makes this project so easy.

I used this stuff.

(Hope that Mod Podge lasts until August...)

I sprayed all parts with some Universal satin to give them some stick 'em. (Would have just used spray primer, but I'm out of it right now. )

Metal parts got a coat of this limey green from a kitchen project.

Ceramic inserts got a little Mod Podge

Polka Dots for the drawers

Stripes for the doors. 

And Ta Da.

Free funky handles. 

Yes, they are a little wackadoo,
 but wackadoo is the look I'm going for
so I'm giving this the thumb's up. 

I'll be finished with Siberia this week so I'll show the rest of the project then.
In the meantime, enjoy the other projects on
Metamorphosis Monday


*****
By the way,
can I just take this moment to shout out the auction
 at My Place To Yours?
It's for a very worthy cause.

Dollar Tree Noodling

Am I the only one with a precarious pile of cheap, old, beach towels taking up space in a closet?  Honestly, I don't know where they all come from.  We're overrun with them around here, and we don't even have a pool.

 Thanks to Blog Land, I've figured out a way to reuse them.  

Just cut them into strips and wrap them around a
Dollar Tree pool noodle 

for an beachy door wreath. 

That way, you can join the other bloggers who have gone completely

 off their noodles at a crafting party.   

                                                      

It's embellished with some terrycloth flowers made from washcloths which also came from the Dollar Tree. The petals were just adhered to some card stock with spray mount to keep them from being floppy.  

In a big surprise, I used yet another painted Dollar Tree 
sand pail to finish it off.

They love me at The Dollar Tree.

You might want to put on some sun shades for this one. 

I warn you, the colors are kind of   

bright and hot. 

But it's summertime in southeast Georgia, people.

Bright and hot are the only two colors we know.  

Total cost:  

One dollar each for the noodle, pail, towels, and sunglasses

 for a total of $4.00.
Don't you think it looks like I spent at least $4.50?

****
See other noodle tricks at the  Noodle Party  

Mod Podge Monday

With everything that I need to be doing around here, I chose to spend time crafting an inane little valentine craft instead. It's nothing much to yak about, but that has never stopped me before.

I had hoarded these little cubes which came as packing with some curtain rods last fall, and I wanted to use them.

I decoupaged them with some Valentine-ish tissue paper 

Then added some wooden hugs and kisses

What I'll do with them, I do not know. 

I was thinking maybe a cloche

Maybe some candlesticks

I haven't decided.

In other news,
 apparently, I'm psychic.

Remember my beautiful Japanese magnolias from Friday?

I had no sooner predicted an arctic blast
when The Duchess informed me that one such blast 

was on the way.

Well, of course...

She suggested that I bring in a few blooms if I wanted to save them.

I woke to a temperature of 29 degrees this morning.

Yep.

Always listen to your mother...

Mod Podge Therapy

It's a busy,  busy, week around this place, folks.

On Thursday, Miss Whimsy leaves to begin the new year at Mercer University, and we're just not ready. Not that I'm ever ready to pack up a daughter, of course, but this year we've taken procrastination to a whole new level. Where in the world did the summer go?

I'm trying not to panic.

You see, her digs will be a lot more sprawling this year. She's done her time in the dinky dorm room and is movin' on up to an on campus apartment. She's sharing with three friends, and they're pretty excited. The texts are flying back and forth as they scrounge together the necessities.

I have a list a mile long in the pocketbook, and a pile a mile high in the living room.  Going a little crazy here, folks...

That's why I've been playing with this stuff. 

Really, it wasn't a waste of time. 

Around here, Crafting for Dummies is creative therapy, 
and nothing fits the bill any better than decoupage.
 I mean, really, is there anything any more relaxing
than gluing random pieces of paper onto unsuspecting hardware?
I think not.

That's why I offered to help her with a little project.   

She wanted to make some picture frames out of these cheap little wooden ones
and photo copies of a favorite pattern. 

Don't tell Lilly Pulitzer, but she's hanging out with the thrifters. 

So she painted,
and I went to therapy.

And after an hour or so, I was rejuvenated 

and ready to tackle the ever growing lists
and piles.

Mod Podge: The key to my  happy place. 

What's yours?