Thrifty Thursday

I love love LOVE thrift stores. And consignment shops. And flea markets. And Craigslist. Basically I love anywhere I can get awesome stuff for really cheap. And not-so-awesome-stuff-that-I-can-make-awesome-with-a-bit-of-work. Sometimes I challenge myself to find the most hideous things I can and figure out a way to redo it and make it look good.

So I have decided to dedicate Thursdays to all the thrifty goodness. Stuff I've found, tips on thrifty shopping, free project ideas, etc. Thursdays seem like a good day to do this; my weekends are usually pretty full, but mainly because I've got a thing for alliteration.

I have gotten some incredible deals lately. Most of these were in one day at the same store. Score! I went in just looking for the shadow box for another project and hit the freaking jackpot. Will update with some pics later, I'm in bed sick right now. :(

Shadow box: $6
     So glad I needed this. Well not exactly this. I was originally thinking 4 small individual shadow boxes, but this is even better. Plus I found incredible stuff while there!

Bed frame: $15
     Seriously!?! I found a four post bed frame for $15!!! And she was in great condition too! Only work needed done to her was adding some bed slats (wood already on hand, took 5 minutes to do after John brought it back from the barn cut to size for me!) and a hot date with my paintbrush. She was pretty before, dark stained wood, but now? Oh my is she HOT. Just need to coat her with a protective seal, snap some pics and then you can see her in all her glory.

Nightstands: $30 for both
     Normally I'm not a fan of matching nightstands for a bed. I don't like things all matchy matchy (like full bedroom sets where everything is the same. Eww/yawn) But these were just so darn cute I could not pass them up.

Dresser: $25
     Its very solidly built and in great condition. Only problem was a small hole in the top. The store had obviously gotten a bunch of stuff from a hotel recently, there were a half dozen of these babies and one still had the thing a tv was mounted on attached. We've been sanding and painting this girl for a week now and she's almost ready to come home! In fact the drawers are done and coming home later tonight! Hoping to get it all back here tomorrow at the latest!

Mirror: $10
     Obviously came with the dresser originally (can be attached to it) but was sold separately. Not complaining, a mirror this size for $10 is a great deal! Going to hang it on the wall above the dresser though, it will be too low attached. Need to add some illusion of height in the bedroom.

Chair with ottoman: $12
     Got this a while back, just hadn't gotten around to posting about it yet. Or did I mention it when I was talking about what I need to do in the living room? Oh well, I love it and I'll talk about it again. I am super excited about this project. I'm going to reupholster it (obviously not keeping the pink on pink stripes. *hurls*) but the really exciting part is that when I've got it taken apart I'm going to attach the ottoman to the chair and make a chaise lounge!!! Sorta. I can't do the whole one arm thing (but I really want to) because it will mess with John's OCD so much he will not go into the living room ever again.

Bookends: $8 for both
     Saw these and fell in love. Had to had to HAD TO have them. And they look amazing on my (finally!) put together bookshelves. For now I'm leaving them as is, but I may paint them later down the line. Haven't decided yet.

Thanks to that amazing trip to the thrift store and under $100, my bedroom is finally looking like a bedroom instead of a storage space with a mattress on the floor. YAY!!!

In the Works

I've been busy. Busy, busy, busy, BUSY. Did I mention busy? Know how a word loses meaning when you say or type it too many times? Is that the right word? Is it spelled right? It looks like it means something about a bus rather than OMG I have a million things to do and I've been going days without sleep. So what have I been up to?

Well the polebarn now has space to work since there is no longer a car laying in pieces all over it. So I've been sanding. And painting. And painting and sanding. Here's whats going on over there:

• A dresser
• 3 mirrors
• Candle holders
• A bed (well actually I'm working on that one at home, because I am not moving it again. The hatch on the car won't close all the way with this thing in there and the car smells all exhaust fumy. Gag.)
• Picture frames
• Bathroom shelf/organizer thingy 

There's also cleaning, organizing, unpacking, and moving more stuff in. And on top of all of that, I threw a surprise birthday party for John. And I'm trying to squeeze in a social life and visiting family (why do you all have to live over an hour away? Argh.)

And the big one: my craft space. Finally figured out what I'm going to do with this so I have more room to work! Yay! A great big thank you to John for this idea.

Well sleep is for underachievers (that's what I like to tell myself after day 3 anyway.) And I'm getting lots of photos to make into pretty blog posts. Just kind of wish I had staggered things out, so I have 1 or 2 projects done and ready to post instead of a dozen half way done. But that's the way I work, spazzy running from one project to the next. You should see my WIP knitting bag. On second thought, no you shouldn't. 

Drab to Fab Computer Armoire

So we got this computer armoire thing from John's mom. For FREE (my favorite price!). It was in really good condition, even after throwing scooting it gently down my stairs. But it was lacking in the style department. What's a girl to do? Buy some paint of course! It was an amazing transformation if I do say so myself. Such an amazing transformation that when my friend L came over after it was finished she asked me when and where I got it. She saw it in its before state. And didn't even realize it was the same piece of furniture. I'd call that a success! So here's the drab before picture. Super drab because my lighting sucks and there's no way I was waiting until morning to get started on this baby just so I could snap a better pic.

You can see the color better in some of the other photos

Want to see how I turned that into this? 

So much prettier, isn't she?!

First things first the prep work. Not my favorite part. Ok, I hate it. I just want to skip right to the fun stuff (yay for paint!) but for a good finished project you gotta start with the not-so-fun stuff. I took the doors and hardware off and sanded. And sanded. And sanded some more. Took a break. And sanded again. Lots and lots of freaking sanding. The electric sander is oh so handy, but I'm most creative at night when all the normal people (Who am I kidding, my apartment complex has no normal people. I mean, they let me in didn't they?) are fast asleep and would call the cops not be pleased if I used my electric sander.

After sanding, lets get priming! Or start to prime then realize that even with the cats trapped in the bedroom, all the other windows open, and some industrial looking extractor fan on full blast there is no way i can spray paint in this apartment without John dying. Either from the fumes or from my throwing heavy things at his head for singing the "I told you so" song. So decision time. Do I carry this heavy beast back up the stairs and outside, work out in the cold, then bring it back in again? Or do I say forget the primer and change up my idea completely? Guess what option I chose, I'll give you a hint, my back appreciates my decision.

One coat of primer and 2 coughing fits later.

So priming and the black spray paint is out of the picture. Lets go to the store and see what we can find. Oooh, my favorite isle. "Oops paint". I found a really pretty color and it was marked 50% off. Yoink. Yes, I'm using wall paint on wooden furniture. Its all good though, it says it can be used for molding and wood paneling, even metal. Schweet.

Grey with just a hint of purple. Its called amethyst jewel. Isn't it pretty? And only $7. Score.

First coat = done! Yay! But that's not really covering up the red very well. Okey dokey, time for another coat.

Ohh so streaky

Not quite as bad as the door. The door had not been primed, part of this had. See the difference primer makes if you can use it without faceing a murder charge? Also you can see the original color better in this photo. Bottom left corner, without the blotches of primer. 

And still not 100%. Its going to take a lot of coats to get this nice and smooth. So time for another design decision. Paint it over and over again until its perfect? Or go for a slightly distressed look? I do love distressed furniture. And while I love painting, I don't know how I feel about painting 500 coats on this brat fabulous armoire. Distressed it is. And I'm so glad I went with that. It was feeling a bit flat, had no character.

Pretty color, but flat and dull. Such a shame. 

So time to bust out the sandpaper again. Like I said, we're going for a slightly distressed look here. So I gently sand over the whole thing, focusing mainly on the edges. They're the part that see the most wear over time. Plus it looks really cool, kind of outlined.

Nothing super dramatic, but enough to add a bit of character.
The really dramatic stuff comes next.

Now one of my favorite painting techniques. I don't know what its called, or if it even has a name. I got bored and came up with this one night and I've never seen anyone else do it. So I guess I should name it. Hmm... I suck at naming things. Oh well, not important.

I took video of this part and was going to do one of those '80s gettin it done montages, but the video camera  sucks and won't let me get the file off. I got the pictures off just fine, but its touchy about videos for some reason. So no fun montage, just more pictures and words. Yay for crappy video cameras!

Here's what you need for this part.

• A pre-painted surface. It must be completely dry. I went with a really dark gray. You can do this in any combination of colors, but I think it looks best with a dark color for the base with the lighter color on top.
• Paint to go over top of your other paint.
• Paper towels. Important part: they have to be nice textured paper towels. The more texture the better.

And a paint brush might help, but that goes without saying. 

Now we paint again! Don't gob on a bunch of paint, but you don't want it all thin and streaky either. You're going to paint in small sections, you can't give it a chance to dry before the next step.

Small area, Goldilocks on the paint. Not too much, not too little, just right!

Now take a piece of your paper towel and crumble it into a ball. You're going to press the towel down on the paint and then lift up. Be very careful not to pull or push the towel, just straight down and up. If you move it around all you're going to do is smear the paint. What you're doing is removing some of the paint, with a nice pretty texture.

Press firmly but don't smear!

See the pretty design, it lifted the white paint off to reveal the darker color underneath.

Continue doing this all over. Every now and then change up the part of the towel you're using. We're not looking for a consistent pattern, keep things random. If you are very careful you can also roll the balled up towel into a cylinder like shape and roll it across rather than dabbing. It is difficult to do without smearing, but it looks really neat. And its fun to do!

To prevent super obvious lines that show the sections you painted in go back over what you already did just a little bit. Paint right over top of that edge and then go at it with the towel again.

Tah-freakin-da!

And here's the doors done up all pretty:

I also changed out the hardware with some pretties I already had laying around.

Aren't they fabulous?!

And here is the piece that inspired it all. I was seeing how it would look with the jewelry box sitting on top, and I just knew I had to paint it like that. And yes, I was inspired by one of my own projects, that just means I'm awesome, not full of myself, right? :-P

In fact I think it turned out so well, I'm entering it in the Creating with the Stars competition.
*figers crossed*

The Big To-Do: Bedroom

This room needs a lot a lot a lot of love. At least that's what I thought when I first starting writing this. And before I could even finish the post about what needs to be done, I've made a ridiculous amount of progress.

For example first thing on the list was a bed frame. As at the time it was box spring and mattress on the floor.  Followed closely by new nightstands. And a dresser. And while at the thrift store for something completely different we lucked upon really good deals on all of the above. Want to see? Too bad, it was so amazing it worth a whole post of its own, as soon as I finish painting the bed. Which should be soon. I hope.

Still on the list we have:

• Light fixture. Its a bare bulb and omg is it bright. I have to lay certain ways or go blind. 
• Curtains. They are going to be freaking fantastic. Just have to have John cut the wood for me, and find some cute fabric. Lots of cute fabric. Like 15 feet wide and 8 feet long.
• Closet doors must be fixed. The cats can push them open and climb up my clothes. Actually, I might be able to fix them in like 5 minutes with the leftover wood from the bed project. Be right back. It just might work. Once I can find what I did with the screws. Oh well.
• Need art. This room is so white and dull. Must have more color. The curtains with make a huge difference, but I also need some other stuff up on the walls. Maybe I'll pick up a few canvases tomorrow. 

So not nearly as much as was on the list before we hit gold at St. Vincent De Paul. Yay, its starting to look like a bedroom! Rather than a storage room for boxes with a mattress thrown in.

The Big To Do: Living Room

John and I just moved into our new apartment recently. As in so recently we haven't even gotten all of our stuff moved in yet. So most of my craftiness and thriftiness is being put to use putting this place together. There are half unpacked boxes everywhere, but we don't even have all of our furniture yet to put stuff where it belongs. Basically, this place is a wreck! So here's the short list of what I need to get done in this place to really make it ours. And its a rather long "short list".

Lights
Right now this is the only lighting in the room. Of course there is natural light with the nice big window, but not once the curtains go up. And lets be honest here; I'm pretty much nocturnal. If there is sun streaming through those windows, I'm most likely hiding under a blanket snoring. Something has to be done with this problem, the sooner the better.

Coffee Table
This table was my absolute favorite price: FREE (thanks mom!) But it could use a bit of work. Structurally solid, but lacking style. And the top is all scratched up since in its former life it was a place to stack firewood.  Have not decided exactly what to do with it yet, but I've got a few (and by a few I mean 20) ideas.

Area Rug
See the one in the picture up there? The lighting is kinda bad in it (see first point: I need lights!!!) but it perfectly captures the hideousness of this rug. Thats right, its not a trick of the camera. Someone really made an area rug in that color. Its greenish, grayish, blueish. Basically; its fugly. But can't beat that FREE price tag; whoever lived here before us left it behind, and I can see why. Left 3 of them behind to be exact. But its functional. And for now there are more pressing things to be done here. (LIGHTS)

Chair/Ottoman 
Pink on pink stripes? No thank you. Great condition, cute style, $12? Yes please. I'll reupholster this baby and boy oh boy will she be pretty. Well a bit more work than that. I've got plans for this one. (Imagine me saying that in a Dr. Evil kind of voice while stroking my chin. Creepy, huh?)

The Half Wall
I love my little half wall. Well, I love the way I see it in my head anyways. How it currently looks is dull and sad. Imagine this with an L shaped sectional, floating shelves on the wall for my books and pretties, and family pictures all framed in black. Fabulous, isn't it? Or would that be; fabulous, won't it be? Sounds a bit Yoda-ish. You know what I mean. Its going to be ah-maa-zing! .

Also with all that stuff unpacked and put up nice and neatly where it belongs.

Portable Mudroom
Found the term while looking for inspiration on this project. Sounds much nicer than what was originally on the list: "Bench/ Shoe Organizer/ Coat Rack Thingy So I Stop Tripping Over Someone's Size 14 Boots". Portable mudroom sounds a bit classier. And less rambly. Right now I've got shoes on the floor and a chair coats are thrown on.

Not so classy

Entertainment Center
I've been searching all over, but still have not found one that meets all three criteria.
1. Fits the tv
2. Sturdy enough to hold the tv without imploding into itself
3. Less than $100
I'm still looking, but I may end up having to build it from scratch. Doable, but not too high on the list right now, since we have something that functions for now. Looking at the picture though, I can at least run the wires better. Note to self: never let John set up anything that has wires.

Computer Desk
This one is complete! Finished it last night. But no pictures for you! That's a whole post in itself. Coming soon: my first tutorial. Yay! And it is fabulous if I do say so myself. Like such a transformation that my friend who saw it before came in when I was finishing it and thought it was a completely different piece of furniture. Thanks L for the ego boost!

My Crafting Corner
This is the big one. The most important part of the room. I need a space to do all my crafty stuff. I have an awesome desk (again FREE, thanks to my wonderful Uncle) but I need more space. I'm thinking of turning it  so it sticks out of the wall, putting a dresser or another desk against the wall so I've got an L shaped work surface and lots more storage. I need lots and lots more storage. I haven't even been able to bring over all my supplies because there is nowhere to put them where the cats won't roll in all my yarn or paint themselves pink (again). For now, this is what I have to work with. Or work ON I suppose.

That's a nice long list of stuff to do. And that's only the first room. This might take a while. Well back to work I go then.