Friday Shenanigans

HAPPY SATURDAY! 

New, Pretty, Colorful Things! For CHEAP!

I made absolutely SURE to pack everything I would need from work to bring home to hang my newest completed projects. 

Made ABSOLUTELY sure.

AND I DID! 

So, without further adieu...

The before

How sad is that! I mean.... Let's face it, it's pathetic. The window was ONLY put there because it was an empty nail and I needed it off of the floor so the boys didn't break it. 

So it hung there. All alone for months. 

Sad. 

But now..... NOW! 

COLOR! 

Lots and lots of color! Well, not lots and lots, but a lot more than there was!

And let me just say... I am COMPLETELY in love with this record cover wall hanging. 

Beyond in love.

I would buy it an engagement ring and plan a trip to Bora Bora for this thing. 

Ok, the Bora Bora trip is more for me, but that is unimportant.

Look at it! In all of it's $14 glory! 

It's quirky and eclectic and cheap and colorful.

It's everything that I love.

It's ME! 

And this.... Well, this I love as well, but we had a very tumultuous "coming together."

My hand is STILL sore from this. 

Still. And no, old dresser mirror frame turned jewelry hanger, I have not forgotten about the trouble you gave me. 

But your bright red loveliness is helping. It is also helping that you only cost me a whopping $5. 

It doesn't show up well in the photo (especially because we get hardly ANY natural light in here), but the hanger is a pretty bright, lovely red. Stinking lack of windows! I swear this apartment was designed by a vampire. Everyone loves windows! That is the only reasonable explanation. 

Mmmmmmm.... Much better.

Now, who wants to sew me some bright, colorful, throw pillows for my bed!

I'll bake you some cupcakes! 

New Opportunities!

If you haven't noticed yet... I am an avid thrifter.



(All items in photo were thrifted. Both stuffed animals, that I love, and gorgeous old suitcase WITH PanAm tag still hanging from the handle. The kid would have been thrifted too, if I didn't get to grow him myself.)



This amuses me considering my extreme hatred for the Goodwill as a child/teen. I despised any thrift/resale/junk store and while my mother (being the avid thrifter she is) took me into these places, I HATED it.

I hated the smell. I hated the idea of having to sift through things. I hated everything about it.

Now.... Well, now I am a tad bit obsessed. 

The Vintage Farmhouse in Fairhope, Al. So many GORGEOUS things. That ladder hanging from the ceiling.... PRECIOUS! Just like the majority of the things in their amazing store!

I have grown a lot since my GW hating days. My eyes have been opened to the amazingness that is thrifting.

And I am basically turning into my mother.

Which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Now, with this thrifting obsession fondness comes stuff. Lots of stuff. Stuff that I don't always have room for at home, but CANNOT leave behind.

My mother has this issue as well....

We may have found a solution! Or opportunity if you will, to put this love of thrifting to good use!

A local establishment has some vendor space available!

How perfect is this! A place to give the items I no longer have room for a new and loving home and also a place to showcase and sell some of the crafting projects I have done with some of my thrift store finds!

I am so excited to quite possibly have a new opportunity for more thrifting!

Wait, I meant..... Offering some of my neglected items a new home.

And maybe more thrifting....

Definitely more thrifting.

But we won't mention that part to my husband. :)

Record Covers, Dresser Mirrors, and Blisters... OH MY!

Who finished not one, but TWO projects this morning....

You're darn right!

ME!

So this is what being productively creative feels like!

I FINALLY finished up my record cover art, and to say I love it would be a serious understatement!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!

It's so colorful and bright and fun! JUST what I love!

Not too mention it is going to look perfect on my stark white walls above my purple comforter covered bed.

And what will join this new piece of wall art????



My new jewelry holder made from the frame of an old dresser mirror!

Now, I am all for redos and repurpose projects, but chicken wire is the devil!

THE DEVIL!

My hands are so red and abused right now, that I can barely write my name! All of the pulling and tugging and wire cutting and industrial stapling has reduced my hand to a wimpy, sad excuse for an extremity.

Poor hand! You can't see it in this picture, but it's abused!

Right now they are just randomly hanging in my office, but as soon as they take their positions on my wall at home, a better picture will be posted!

Oh, I can hear my bedroom screaming for the color as we speak!

WE'RE COMING, BEDROOM! We are coming!

Have I mentioned how much I love finished projects.....

Well I do!

Re-Covered...

A story of covers no longer covering their intended subjects, but having new life breathed into them through covering something new.

AKA- Wood.

To go on my wall.

In the form of art work.

Have I explained that title enough yet???

Well hello and Happy Tuesday to you!

As previously sneak peeked, I have been collecting some of a certain common thrift store item for a project I have been wanting to recreate!

The second I saw this project on Life as a Thrifter... I was smitten.

I mean, come on, how precious an idea is this!

At that moment, I knew I was doing it. (a huge thank you to Holly for the idea and many more that are now in my "have to do it" memory bank!!!)

Well.....

I FINALLY found enough interesting record covers to get started!

Thanks to my favorite thrift store I managed to find 6 of them that tickled my fancy at $1 a pop ($6 so far).

Then I found the wood. Thank you Lowes... 1/4 inch thick, 2X4 sheet of Birch- $7. (I chose this because it was thin and light weight, therefore, in my mind, easier to hang. Also, it was cheap. And I like cheap. If I could have found a sheet of wood at a thrift store I would have done it that way. And don't think I didn't ask!)

Now, instead of trimming this down and using the 6 that I had.... What did I decide was easier? Just finding 2 more covers.

So the search began.

And continued....

And continued......... 

Goodwill offered up ONE. ONE! How did they only have ONE decent one in the entire pile! Not too mention it was more expensive! Goodwill record cover $1.19. (Plus I bought one children's one since I plan on doing one of these for the boys room, and a Christmas one since I plan on making a Christmas themed one to use during the holidays, and an old fashioned egg basket that at 99 cents I couldn't leave behind, AND an old fashioned pie tin that I plan on making a tiered dealio with once I find some of it's distant relatives... But those prices are not included since they are not related to the project at hand. Also, I may have noticed a slight thrifting addiction through that list...)

Then... TADA!

Salvation Army comes to the rescue! AND at a whopping 1.77 for THREE OF THEM! THREE! (Why didn't I go there first!)

SO now we could get the ball rolling!

I used a pencil to mark out the grid for placing the covers. OF COURSE I didn't take a picture of this because I usually get too antsy to finish during a project and completely space on the picture taking....

And then start spreading some glue out and putting the puzzle together!

I probably should have used a glue a little more suited for cardboard to wood fusion, but this is what I had, so it better work!

And then..... We wait! Which is not easy for me because I don't like to wait. I like immediate results!

I flipped the whole thing over and placed some weight on top to help the glue adhere.

Hopefully all is well under there!

Now, don't worry about the seemingly staggering pattern you see from the back. I assure you that from the front all looks well and symmetrical.

Now.... I have to wait for my hangers to get here since they are currently en route. Then it is time to get those babies on there!

Do I sense a hanging and a photo of a finished project in the very near future?

I THINK SO! 

Fingers crossed it looks ok! I am optimistic and it better, because my husband is doubtful and an I told you so from me to him would be phenomenal!

YAY for new finished (almost) projects!

Things I Love... The Photo Edition

Lacking on the random post front? No fear! Here you go!

A current array of photos from my phone for a glimpse into our lives. Otherwise known as...

Things I Love, The Photo Edition.

1. My Hooded Boys

Prepped for a rainy day! (Something we have definitely not been lacking on lately.)

 2. Tiny Munchkins who are too smart for their own good.

Days of heavy raining brought about many flooded roads around town. Ethan Cole being the proactive individual that he is, prepared by situating himself into his very own personal canoes.  

3. Do I REALLY need to explain the photo...

Mornings made possible.

4. The sound of rain on the windshield. 

Not so much the soaking wet, frizzy hair cat lady look after running through the rain to get to my car.

5. The sky as the storms move out. 

Not so much the humidity and heat that those storms moving out bring.

6. Those sweet little fat cheeks. 

Isn't he a doll!

7.  Seriously tiny things.

Case in point this frog that was outside our house! Is he not adorable!!!! That is literally no bigger than an eraser. I almost thought it was a bug!

8. Sunshine after rainy days...  

Gorgeous.

9. NEW PROJECTS!  

Found this at my favorite thrift store and paid $5 for it. I am thinking either chalkboard or ripping the back off and attaching chicken wire for a little clothespin photo/art display to hang on the wall....

10. Hall and Oates.

Seriously.... Do I NEED to say anything else?

11. Afternoon snacks.

Marble Slab peanut butter ice cream with hot fudge. Mmmmm...

Happy Tuesday!

Samantha

Saturday Shenanigans

Well Happy Saturday Night! 

This weekend has been SO laid back so far. Without leaving us cooped up in the house. 

A balance that I LOVE! 

We had planned all week on spending Friday at the beach. 

Friday came and..... It was raining like crazy!

Us being the risk takers that we are, opted to load up and take a chance anyway.

And boy are we glad that we did! It didn't rain a drop while we were there! 

The boys love the beach so much. Or should I say, the bay. The bay , for me, is so much easier than the beach when it is just me and them. So we will be frequenting the bay this summer. With a few beach trips sprinkled in there... Man I love living near the water and having that choice!

And then today!  

I hit the mommy jackpot today and had a babysitter for my day of thrifting. Of course, the Mobile weather was not cooperative. It literally POURED all day long. 

ALL DAY LONG.

I, of course, didn't let that deter me. 

I dropped the boys off with my mom and headed off to my favorite thrift store. 

Of course, I went on a mission this time. I was looking for pieces specifically to tackle a new project I found on one of my newest favorite blogs that I am SUPER excited about.

Now... A little sneak peak photo. Or two.

Oh I am SOOOOOO excited about this project! 

More on that soon...

Until then... Everyone enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Only one day left! 

Samantha