whatchamacallit bouquet

I was inspired by a magazine photo recently, like THAT never happens!  The picture showed 3 small blue bottles inside a large clear vase with strait sides, maybe you saw the same one?

Cute, huh?  Is it possible to be bored with a "normal" flower arrangement?  Maybe this is just a classic case of   monkey see ~ monkey do . 

Theirs did not have the antique plate underneath, ok?  And those little "vases" are actually salt and pepper shakers.  This might have to go on the table runner after we all eat our very own pear.

I like this new "method" of flower arranging.  I tried it with a couple of clips of crabapple blossoms and it was beautiful!  Didn't post that one though.  one more picture.....

These are just clippings from a bush.  No trekking out to the flower shop here, in fact I leaned out the kitchen window!

something unexpected

I'm joining the Frugalicious Friday party at Finding Fabulous blog today, go check it out.
I was unexpectedly blessed while garage saleing a few weeks back!  I've been wanting feather pillows for my couch for a    l--o--n--g     time.  I looked up some prices and they were ONLY $50 each!  OK.....waiting on that one......

So, a friend invited me to a nearby citywide garage sale outing.  I could have easily done without spending a dime that day, but jumping at the chance to chat it up with a friend, I went just for that.  I found not just a couple, but 5 in all! 

I was actually having a hard time believing I actually found 5!  The first 3 were amazing enough.  The fabrics for these slipcovers was something I had laying around for years.  Not to mention that it all looks great with my shabby green shutter with picture!  perfect

 



Ever feel like GOD is just blessing you?  with things that matter to you?  I mean I didn't mention lots of other goodies, like my 25 cent new favorite shirt.......... So I got the 5 pillows for $7, the fabric I used I'm guessing was around $10-$15 dollars, I had one of the zippers and my MIL got me the other 4 for Mother's day! So for sure~less than $25 dollars for 5 nice feather pillows and washable slip covers.  wee!

While the fellas in the household didn't understand my excitment about feather pillows;  they do admit that they are comfortable.

this is the before-before picture



My two latest projects.....

My freebie shutter from the neighbor-because she was moving and was sick of going through her stuff and exhausted over deciding what to keep and what not to keep/ whew! / has been sitting bare for a year now.  

The results that my springy green spray paint would have were making me a little nervous, but I had four more shutters I could use if need be.  But after rubbing some dark brown stain over the paint I got these results.

And then after hanging this botanical print on it, can you do that?  Do people hang pictures on shutters?  I must have gotten the idea from somewhere.  Monkey see, monkey do.  I love it.  The shutter pulls the color of the stems out perfectly.  As for the other project....it's big and messy and you'll have to come back tomorrow.  :)

Linking to this party today.

Lamp makeovers: old brassy to shabby chic

One of my living room lamps broke.....quite a while ago.  So, I finally gave up on retaping it every few weeks and found a solution.  Yes, it literally had electrical tape wrapped around it and I don't have a picture.  It had gotten knocked off the table when the kids were younger and we lived with it for a long time. I got these for a mere $3.97 each and swiped the shades from some other lamps that I had. 

lamp number one.....and lamp number two.......

ok, how was this done? 

• prime first
• then I followed with a textured stone like finish which was kind of rust colored
• then I top coated that with heirloom white
•  and finally I took some very gritty sand paper and scratched off enough to make it look like they fell off the back of a truck and rolled down the road. 

I do like them.  They were cheap and they are very neutral.  I could put them anywhere in my house and they would look good.  Yes, they were ok the way they were, but I do like this better.  We had a two day window of 40 degrees last week and I've been staring at old brassys since I picked these up last summer. 

I have to do something creative every now and then or I shrivel up.  A good old lamp makeover was just the thing.  So, there you have it.

They don't really match, but they make a pretty good pair. 

this is the best before picture I could find of one of them and since this post I distressed this one a little mo' betta!

I'm linking to A Stroll Through Life's 50th tabletop party. 

"Oh, it looks like Country Living"

Someone came to my door and saw my living room goodies and said it looked like Country Living!  Compliment City!

 

So then this morning I had to go polish it all up....just in case they call..........



There's the spray painted wreath.

and old books are one of my very favorite things to decorate with.

Dropcloth slipcover for the Goodwill couch.

It is finally done.  It's not that it took so long, it's just that it took so long to get to it!  argh!  But that's one more project down.  And I'm really trying to keep the new ideas to a bare minumum.  Browsing blogs makes it REALLY hard though.

 

I do need more pillows, working on that.  I want to get some feather pillow forms.  I think they make much better couch pillows.  This is the couch I got from the Goodwill for around 40 bucks!  It took 2 large $19 dropcloths.  I'm really pleased with it!

The before picture:

completely yucky, right?

Another thing done....

My cute footed ottoman finally made the "done" list.

This is a slipcover and I can pull it off and wash it any time!  Underneath is just a plain dropcloth new cover which is very dirty by now.  It has an odd mushroom shape to it.

Here it is with the chair that is "matches".

 And here is the sunken in mess it was before!  It was only a dollar though and probably five dollars worth of fabric.  Now I have a great little foot rest with cute feet and a washable cover!  I like it and I'm glad to have one more thing done! 

   
Linking this to MISS MUSTARD SEED'S party  and STYLE FEATURE SATURDAY party.

Lovely Picture with a Frame Makeover

linking this to "power of paint party" at Domestically Speaking

I zeroed in on the picture for a dollar at a garage sale.  I have seen it many times before and always liked it.  It's called "The Helping Hand".  I did give the frame a little makeover though, couldn't leave well enough alone.

 

Boring wood before and exciting distressed and black.  Exciting, huh?

I like it with the typewriter and unique blue lamp that I just haffta have in the LR.

I think it looks nice with this one.  I think they are both artists from Holland.  Funny.  I seem to like artists from Holland. The hughs are just lovely.

Old Box for a Coffee Table

Here folks, is my great find from yesterday.  It still needs cleaned up and maybe a clear coat on it.  I also think I will put some utility type wheels on the bottom.  My bro. and S.I.L. came to town and just HAD to go antiqueing, darn.  Well, so, they drug me along.  I was kicking and screaming the whole way, you know.

I think I'm gonna like it as a coffee table.  One side opens up like a trunk.  That's even better.  I'll show the finished product later.  The best part is that is was half off the original price.  I go to this shop frequently and never saw this trunk before.  hmmm.  Too bad that couch slipcover wasn't done yet.  I need to get some projects done.  Going to link over at Funky Junk Interiors for the Saturday Night Special LINKY.

Also linking to Southern Hospitality for her THRIFTY TREASURES LINKY

Slipcover Party!

here's the before, eek. sorry I didn't warn you. but it was 7 bucks and I really needed a chair!

Here she is.  I'm linking to the slipcover party put on by Pink and Polkadot today.

It's the prettiest chair in the house.  It all cost around $40. 

In context now....

just a little picture love here...

love this picture, oh yeah, this was about slipcovers....I still love this picture

I posted this same slipcovered chair some weeks back.  I don't know if I would have found the COURAGE to tackle this without the help of so many crazy, blogging, home decorating ladies out there.  I'm seriously thinking of devoted a link list just for tutorials.  OK, hopefully soon I can show my next slipcover project:

I got this for $39. huh? yeah. I want to use dropcloth for this. the lines............. 

Thank you Pink and Polkadot for hosting your slipcover party!