His Favorite

It all began with a piece of slate that was destined for the garbage dump. I found it in the corner of my in-laws storage room as we were de-cluttering and packing for my MIL's move to a smaller home. It was a piece left over from the entry floor of the house that had been their home for several years."Why do you want that?!?!" my hubby asked as I carted it to his truck (you would think that he would have learned by now that his wife has an eye for good junk).
He rolled his eyes as I gave him a list of reasons.
When we arrived home I hauled my newly acquired piece of slate into our home and plopped it on top of another junk find, an old sewing machine cabinet that hubby had picked at the thrift store. Amazingly the slate piece was the PERFECT size!We cut and nailed molding to the top of the cabinet so the slate would rest inside. I painted it the same blue-gray as the slate.It's now my husband's night stand and his favorite piece of furniture. It's a beautiful reminder of the family memories made in the home of his youth.

He Said I Should

I spotted this huge tray at the thrift store for $1. When my husband questioned my choice I told him that I wanted a big tray for our coffee table and we could either build one or I could invest in this one for a dollar. He said I should spend the dollar (I'm sure he just didn't want to have to build anything in this summer heat.)
The tray is over two feet wide---it's an ugly old restaurant tray that it's previous owner gave makeover using contact paper.

That's one way to improve it's appearance.
But as any good DIYer knows,
spray paint is really the ultimate fix!Now that dollar tray looks at least ten times the price!

A Thrifted Nook

I have an unusual little nook in my family room. It's a small spot in between the fireplace and the hall. One of my first furniture thrift store purchases for this home was this bookcase. I fell in love with it's shape and size the moment I saw it.

It was the perfect piece for this nook. I filled it and topped it with more thrifted items. Yes, everything you see here (with the exception of the large finial)
were thrift store bargains costing no more than a dollar or two. Even the beautiful framed photograph of doorways
was a thrift treasure. It just proves that
it doesn't have to cost a lot to decorate
even the most unusual spaces in your home!

What 50 Cents Can Buy

My passion for thrifting has had to take a back seat lately with finances so very tight. But the other day I had a design appointment in the big city and thought that it would be nice to browse through a few thrift stores on my way home. After venturing up and down the aisles with nothing wonderful to be found, I spied a little package wrapped with cellophane and tape. Upon further inspection I noticed that it contained two small white ceramic quail, with a price tag of fifty cents. I laid down my change and adopted them.They are now nesting happily, basking in the light in my bookshelf.They seem right at home in the midst of all the white pottery.

Lilac Love

My lilac bushes are abundant in blossoms. I thought I'd bring some of that beauty and aroma indoors.

I found that the blossoms last longer if you hammer the ends
of the branches so that there is more surface to drink up the water.

I pulled out this old thing to help weight the vase down and camouflage the stems.

You just can't beat a homegrown bouquet!