Creepy Vintage Cat & A Rocking Chair Makeover

I picked up this old concrete kitty at an antique shop about a month ago.

It's all chippy and kind of creepy looking.

Great for Halloween.

This old rocking chair belonged to my mother.

She bought it when I was born and passed it on to me when my daughter was born.

It was an ugly red with gold cushions.

I had thought about donating it to Goodwill, but changed my mind and gave it a fresh coat of paint and made some new cushions and a slip cover for it.

I recycled some old muslin drapes for the slipcover and made a pillow from an antique egg mash bag.

Now it's good as new.

See ya soon.

Karen



Sunday's Flea Market Finds

This summer has been filled with flea market adventures for me.

My sweet husband has found a passion for pocket watches which means we now go treasure hunting together almost every weekend.

I've been gathering junk (treasures) for my art projects and home decor, and stock piling them for the long winter months ahead (like a squirrel gathering nuts).

Yesterday I hit the mother load!

Here are just a few of the amazing things I found.

This huge pile of wire baskets will be used for holding lace, ribbon and bits of fabric.

I like to be able to see what I have to work with and these baskets are great for that purpose.

The red wooden box will be for holding tools in my studio and the large wicker basket will be for yarn.

This deer skull has just the right amount of creepiness for one of my art projects.

The sectioned wooden box in the first photo will be for displaying some of my small treasures.

This sweet French sign is going in my kitchen today.

I found so many fabulous trinkets yesterday and will be posting photos of the rest of my finds soon.

I found some wonderful things to share with friends as well.

Have you been treasure hunting lately?

I'd love to see your finds.

Have a wonderful week everyone.

Karen



A Bird In The Hand...

is cute, don't you think?

And the bird in the bowl is too.

They are needle felted and you can buy them HERE.

Thanks for stopping in.

Karen



Making My Own Spring

I've heard so many of you mention this week that you are tired of winter and I'm right there with you.

It's cold and snowy outside my window and I'm just not going out there.

Instead, I'm playing with my plants indoors and trying to create a sort of Spring garden look in my dining room.

Of course it's still a mess as I sort through tons of stuff, trying to decide what to keep, what to get rid of, and what I can use in another room to change up the look a bit.

Here are some of the keepers.

 The bell jar was a Christmas gift from my daughter and I just love it. There's a little pot of ivy in there, a clay bunny and a little birds nest. It is sitting on a beautiful silver tray that was a thrifted find from a few years ago.

The mercury glass candle holder was a remarkable thrift find from last week. It was a 50 cent item and I just love it too.

The silver leaf was a gift from an old friend and the wool acorns are something I made after purchasing a few from Lisa at http://www.lilfishstudios.etsy.com/.

 I've had this old stick wreath for years and just can't part with it. The little ceramic bird hanging in the center was something I picked up at an art show a few years back.

 This antique print was a thrifted find too. It reminds me of spring. Can you see the little bird at the bottom of the print?

This old cherub statue has a place at the top for a plant. Now I just need to get a small plant to put there. 

 Another bird nest under glass. You can never have too many bird nests!

 Another thrifted antique print. It has the most beautiful frame.

This little garden girl was a gift from my mom a long time ago. She's a little chipped and weathered, but I love her just the same.

Wow! After writing this I realized that most of the things I love enough to keep are thrifted finds and gifts from people that I love.

Well, I'm not finished cleaning and decorating the dining room yet, so I better get back to it.

Keep thinking Spring.

It will be here before you know it.

Hugs,

Karen

Upcycled Decorating

As winter approaches, I am compelled to change the look and feel of my home to something warm and inviting. You can create a whole new look without spending a lot of money just by moving things from one room to another or upcycling something old into something new. I've been finding some interesting pieces at my local thrift store for next to nothing, as well as some forgotten treasures packed away in boxes in my basement. Crafting with things found in nature is another way to freshen up the look of your home and it doesn't cost a thing. I'm having a lot of fun with this idea...a sort of challenge to do a home makeover for free or almost free. I'd like to share my ideas, so I'll be posting some of my decorating tips here on my blog. I'd really like to hear about your upcycled decorating ideas as well.

The first project I'd like to share is a new set of kitchen curtains that I made from some old muslin tab panels. The panels were my living room drapes about ten years ago and were stashed away in a box in my basement. I cut off the tabs and hems, stitched two of them together end to end, then folded the top down to form a casing for the rod to go through. That's it. Fresh new curtains that didn't cost a thing.

The windowsill needed something new too. I filled 4 thrifted spice jars with some moss and pebbles from my backyard to create some tiny terrariums. They will keep me thinking Spring during the long winter months ahead.

Total cost for these window makeovers was about 50 cents for the thrifted spice jars. I love the new look and it inspired me to wash those dirty windows.