Your friend, Spray Paint.

So, this blog will be somewhat short and sweet! I just wanted to do a quick blog about the beauty of Spray Paint! I think we often see things at Thrift Stores and think to ourselves, “I like that, but not in that color, and it would be a pain to paint.” and we forget HOW SIMPLE SPRAY PAINT IS! So, I just wanted to show you a few things that I’ve done to remind you that spray paint is simple, easy, and relatively cheap!

This first “Simple Spray Paint Upgrade” was crazy cheap! The two picture frames were .45¢ each and the sconces were .75¢ each from my local Salvation Army Thrift Store. HOWEVER, they were super chincy, the off white looked dated and cheap, but I KNEW they had potential! Two layers of metallic gold paint later and they look like this! The picture frames will soon hold ultrasound photos of my little one 🙂

“Simple Spray Paint Upgrade” number two was just as simple as number one! I was given these drawer pulls for my dresser (For Free!) they are a beautiful French Provincial style, but they didn’t look good AT ALL with the dresser. The dresser is pure white and grey, and these pulls were a kind of strange off-white color that just looked completely off with the dresser. SO, just like the above project, I sprayed those puppies gold (since it’s the accent color in my nursery, anyways!) and now they look awesome!

AND on top of the fact that I spray painted the drawer pulls, I also spray painted these drawers grey! The whole dresser used to be white, and I wanted to throw in some grey to make it match my crib, which I ALSO SPRAY PAINTED! So, if you’re keeping up, that’s now number 3 & 4 for “Simple Spray Paint Upgrades.”

I could probably go on for a really long time, but y’all probably wouldn’t actually appreciate that. So I’ll leave you with these simple thoughts:

1. Spray Paint is your friend.
2. If you see something that you’re not in love with the color, remember that changing it is relatively simple.
3. Don’t ever let a color get you down!
4. Spray Paint isn’t just for color, it’s for texture and style too! So don’t forget that you can make something look like stone or metal!

Thrift Haul-January 13th

SO, today I had some time to run out to a few thrift stores and see what goodness I could find, and let me tell you, the thrifting odds were ever in my favor! I was hoping to find some things to help me organize my craft room (my weekend organization project) which I did, but I found SO MUCH MORE!

I went to a thrift store that I hadn’t been to before and y’all, all their baby clothes were .59¢. FIFTY-NINE CENTS. I won’t bore you with pictures, but I got 1 shirt, 2 onesies, 3 pairs of pants, and 4 cardigans for about $6.00. Yeah, you read that right. SIX DOLLARS for TEN items for my daughter.  Seriously, that’s awesome. But, I also got these two vintage pictures for 59¢ a piece and I’m in LOVE with them.

I also picked up this vintage suitcase for $2.00 that I’m going to use in my craft room to store all my wrapping paper, gift bags, and tissue paper.

So, after I left “New Life Thrift Store” I headed over to “Blessingdales Thrift Shop” and was able to find some awesome deals on clothes! Since I’m pregnant, finding comfortable clothes that accommodate my growing belly is harder than it seems. Maternity clothes at thrift stores are usually really ugly, and buying them new is really expensive. And I’m just not paying $45.00 for a pair of jeans I’m only gonna wear for another 3 months! It’s just not worth it for me. So, at the second store I went to, I was amped to find clothes that were cute, affordable, and comfortable. Not to mention! I found leggings that look exactly like Cords. (Like, I thought they were cords until I picked them up!) The sweater was .99¢, Maternity shirt and Vest were $1.50, Leggings were $2.00. Total-About $6.00

I also picked up this little vintage case for .75¢! I’m going to use this for my craft room organization as well.

My “Splurge” of the day was this blue plaid double breasted Old Navy Peacoat that was $6.00. I typically don’t spend that much on any one item but this one fit really well and since I just moved to a MUCH colder climate, warm coats are a necessity, and a necessity that I don’t want to spend $50+ on.

So, there you have it! My Thrift Haul of the day! I’m super proud of my new finds!

My .99¢ Goodwill Chair Makeover

So, I’ve been a little MIA with the whole pregnancy, moving across the country, and the fact that there is NO GOODWILL where I live now!!!! So, I’ve been frequenting the smaller thrift stores in my area, but their hours are shorter, they don’t have as much product, and furniture is definitely at a minimum. There are some great little stores, but chairs and tables seem to be a very real struggle. Which is exactly what I needed! Before we moved, we donated our dining room table and chairs to our local goodwill because they weren’t in great condition and they just didn’t seem worth moving. I figured I’d just get new stuff here at Goodwill. But y’all. Seriously. Tables and chairs are REALLY hard to find here unless you’re willing to shell out some serious cash. Of which I am not…like, ever.

Anyways, a few weeks ago my husband and I drove 45 minutes to go to a larger town because we wanted to got to Barnes & Noble (because, no, we don’t have that either. I know. It’s very sad.) While we were there we popped over to Goodwill because it was just up the road. As I was in the front looking at picture frames, my husband had disappeared to the back. He comes up and tells me “Honey, come look at these chairs they have!) I walk to the back to see these chairs. They weren’t anything special. I’d call them typical “church chairs.” The kind they pull out at church when they need extras.

Not perfect, but, wait until you hear how much. Take a guess. 99¢!!!! Yep. Not even a buck each! So we grabbed those babies up and I figured that I could recover them.

(Yes, that’s my husband with our prize chairs.) The chairs needed some serious love, they were torn, and the metal was a little rusted in places. So we went to the local hobby lobby and grabbed some fabric at TWO DOLLARS a YARD! (Clearance Shelf!) And then I bought some grey spray paint (which I had a 40% off coupon for! Brought the chairs home and used my drill to remove the screws so I could take the cushions off the chairs.

Once the cushions were removed from the chairs, I took the frames outside and spray painted them. The paint was nearly the same color as they were originally, so it only took one layer of spray paint. After that, I had to pull that ugly maroon vinyl off of those cushions. This part was not the easiest thing I’ve ever done. I don’t know how people usually do this (I’m a total rookie) but I used a screwdriver to kind of work the staples out of the wood and then I used needle-nose pliers to pull the staples out. Some of the cushions were really easy, but one had rusted which led to serious issues. Staples breaking in half, sticking in the wood, and my growing frustration. Eventually, I got them all out!

I cut my fabric so I had about 3 inches on all 4 sides of the seat. I laid the cushion down, then put the seat over the cushion so that the soft side is completely covered in fabric. Pull the fabric tight on one of the “straight” sides and staple it down using a heavy duty stapler. (I was using a Stanley T-50.) I am so mad t myself, but I totally forgot to take pictures while I was doing this, but I know there are tutorials online!

The chair backs were more difficult to cover because they were smaller on the top than the bottom and I had to work to keep the fabric from wrinkling. For the back cushion I took the fabric and folded it over the top so that the top was completely smooth. The biggest goal is to keep the staples where they wont be seen, so for the back cushion, that was on the sides and the bottom, but not on the front, back, or top.

I reattached the cushions to the chairs, using the screws that were with the chairs when I got them.

And here we go! Here are my Goodwill chairs! Here’s the breakdown of what I spent:

Chairs: .99¢ each (x3)= $3.00, Fabric: $2.00 a yard (2 yards)=$4.00, Spray paint: 1 can (40% off coupon)=$4.00. TOTAL: $11.00!!!

 

So, I got creative with my front door…

So, I’ve been trying to think of something for my front door for the Holiday season, something kind of Christmas-y, but also just something different for the new season. (I’ve had my Cork Wreath up on my door since we …

Thrift Haul! Christmas Sweaters and Jeans and Shoes, OH MY!

I’m REALLY cheap. So I usually don’t have much to speak of as far as a “Thrift Haul” would go. I tend to walk around at a thrift store, pick up everything I like, then sit down with it all, convince myself I don’t need it, put it back, and buy maybe one or two things.

But not today.

So, today, my local goodwill was TEEMING with Ugly Christmas Sweaters. Ya’ll. People pay a lot of money for these things. So, I was pretty amped about finding a bunch. They are in beautiful condition, barely worn, and I can totally resell them in my etsy shop after I wear them. What is better than that??? Here are my 3 Christmas beauties!

ALSO! For some reason, all the shoes were 25% off today and I found a super precious pair of Sam Edelman Ballet Flats that are my Sister-in-law’s size. Sam Edelman shoes are typically at least $100 at Neiman Marcus, if not more, so finding a pair in perfect condition for $4.00?? I was thrilled!

And then I found an awesome Aztec sweater with a teal dinosaur on it, and there’s no way I could leave it. It was way too awesome. I mean, Aztec AND a dinosaur?? Shut up and take my money.

I also picked up a super cute little frame that was brand new. I’ve been looking for something to put our first ultrasound picture in that was kind of vintage-y and cute. And this baby was only a dollar! It clearly had a sticker on it at some point that someone had tried to peel off without much luck, so I have the glass sitting in a bowl of warm soapy water. That sticker will be gone in no time!

PS: I also picked up a pair of maternity jeans cause sadly, my pants don’t really fit so well anymore 😦 But, I didn’t really feel like taking a picture of them. haha

SO, there you have it. Four sweaters, a picture frame, a pair of shoes, and a pair of maternity jeans all for $38.00. (Which the jeans alone would have cost, had I bought them new (which I never do) and again, I can resell those when I’m done with them!)

What do you think? Decent haul?

Outfit Of The Day…From Two Weeks Ago!

So, I took pictures of this outfit the day I wore it because it was too cute not to, however, I neglected to ever get it posted and I figured today is as good a day as any!

I got this awesome Marvel crop top at Plato’s Closet for $3.00!!!! I don’t typically shop at Platos but I ran in one day and came out with two shirts that are LESS than what they charge at Goodwill! (The goodwill here charges $5 for shirts, I pretty much only buy them on half price days!) I fell in love with the top and couldn’t leave it there.

The skirt is vintage from a thrift store I used to work at in Savannah. Paid $1.50! Got it for half price, but I would have paid full price on this beauty! It matches EVERYTHING!

I threw on a skinny braided yellow belt that I got at that same Savannah Thrift store for $1.00!

I paired it with these Versace sandals that were a gift HOWEVER, they were off a resale consignment website for $50. Which is above what I pay for shoes, but is an awesome deal for Versace 😀

So, there you have it! A whole outfit for $5.50 (not including the shoes, bc they were a gift)!

Outfit Of The Day: With a little DIY thrown in :D

Do you guys ever go to the thrift store and see something that has potential, but it’s a little “oversized-1980’s housewife trying to look cool but not totally succeeding-scary but almost good”? Well that was me with this jumpsuit.

  

Ya’ll. I have a confession. I LOVE Jumpsuits. I’ve been wearing jumpsuits and rompers since before the world decided they were the highest of fashion and I’ve been scooping them up at thrift stores for years. They are my heart and soul (Outside of Jesus and my husband.) Seriously. I love them. I’ve been blessed and found some AMAZING ones without having to do much work, but when I saw this one, I knew it would need a little pick me up. I ALMOST didn’t buy it. But then I thought to myself, I can TOTALLY DIY this mother! So I bought it, brought it home and it sat in my closet for awhile.

I finally pulled it out a couple weeks ago and figured out how to make it my own.

  

As you can see it had this weird dolman sleeve thing going on and the sleeves were literally attached to the same point as where my belly button was, so just cutting the sleeve down a little to make it a short sleeve wasn’t going to work. I had to actually remove the sleeve, sew up the side, hem the sleeve, etc. It was a little more than I thought I was going to have to do, but still totally doable.

So, I started by pinning in a straight line so that I would know where to cut off those awful sleeves. A couple snips and those puppies were GONE!

  

Then I figured out about how far I needed to take the waist in, it was a little dowdy. I took in the waist by about an inch on both sides, then I pinned the sides up to where my arm hole needed to be. To figure out how large of a space to leave for my arm (So i’m comfortable, but so the hole isn’t so large that it shows my bra, that is not my style) I measured one of my tanks that I’m comfortable in and then measured down from the shoulder. So, for me, that was 10 inches.

 

Once I knew how far down to make my sleeve hole, I went ahead and sewed up the sides up to the 10″ mark that I had left for myself. I then turned my cloth under and pinned it so that my arm/sleeve hole would be clean and not look like I ripped the sleeve off, and of course, sewed that.I

And, that was all! It took me, maybe 30 minutes, once I figured out what I actually wanted to do. 😀

                                         

Upcycled Nail Polish Rack

Hello, Hello!

I’ve been feeling a little under the weather lately so I haven’t done much DIY-ing (No, that’s not a word, yes, I used it as one. Oh well). However, I’ve finally got something for you! My DIY Nail Polish Rack!

I’ve been keeping my nail polish in a glass jar

which, looks kinda cool but isn’t necessarily the best. It’s not always easy to find the color you’re looking for, and it’s loud. Glass bottles, inside a glass jar, clinking clanking (possibly waking my husband, since I usually do my nails in the morning before he’s awake). It’s just not practical. I’ve been waiting to find a spice rack at a thrift store for awhile and Ta-da! I finally found one! For $2.92!! You literally CAN’T beat that!!

        

I brought it home and sanded it down. It had a shellac of some sort on it that was pretty thick so I was really just trying to get that off rather than really sanding it down really far.

After I sanded it, I wiped it down with a rag to get all the sawdust off, and then spray painted it. I already had silver spray paint from another project that I worked on awhile ago, and I knew that silver would go well with our bathroom colors. I sprayed two layers of paint and it was done! As simple as that! Brand new Nail Polish Shelf!

My Liebster Award Nomination!

I owe Thrifterlust a GIANT “Thank you” for my Liebster Award Nomination! I was so surprised when I saw her post about it! (PS, go take a look at her blog, she’s got some cool stuff going on over there!)

So, essentially, the Liebster Award is (according to Google) an award “that is by bloggers, for bloggers. It’s passed from person to person to encourage connection and support within our writing community, and to aid in the discovery of new and upcoming bloggers.” It’s an award that gets passed on and on (sort of like a chain letter). Ya’ll I love this concept! Encouraging other bloggers to keep doing what they’re doing! To show people you appreciate what they’re doing, and keep the love going!

Here are the rules of the award:

1. Thank the nominator.
2. Display the award.
3. Nominate 10 more bloggers with 10 new questions.
4. Answer the questions.

My Nominees:

• Twinspiration
• Thrift Diving 
• Centsational Girl 
• House of Hawthornes 
• Thrift and Shout

(So, I’m suppose to nominate 10 blogs, but I’ll be honest, I’m pretty new to the blogging world, and I’m still finding blogs that I love, so I only chose 5.)

Now, you guys should answer these questions!

1. If you could do ANY project with an unlimited budget, what would it be?
2. What is your favorite thing to find while thrifting?
3. Coffee or tea?
4. Favorite movie?
5. What blog has inspired you most?
6. What drew you to thrifting/upcycling in the first place?
7. Dogs or Cats?
8. City or Country?
9. Movie or a live play?
10. Favorite TV series?

Here are the questions I was asked!

1. You walk into a bar, what do you order? Water and a Dirty Shirley!
2. Which celebrity do you wish you had his/her phone number? There are several! Jennifer Lawrence, Stephen Amell, Zachary Levi
3. Are you a dog or cat person? Both! I love Dogs, but I currently have a cat. She’s a diva, but she’s precious.
4. Do you believe in love at first sight? I’d like to say “no” because it sounds ridiculous, but when I met my husband for the first time, I knew he was the one 😀
5. What couldn’t you possibly go a day without? Talking to my Husband
6. What song is currently playing on repeat for you right now? “How to return home” by Kerrigan & Lowdermilk
7. What is your all time favorite quote and why? “Love makes this house a home.” Several reasons, First; Because my grandmother loved that quote and had cross stitched it into a piece of cloth that my mom gave me for Christmas last year. Secondly because it’s just so true! A house is just four walls until you fill it with people you love!
8. What is your favorite body part? On myself? My eyes. On other people? I love a strong jaw. (I know, weird.)
9. If you could throw any type of party, what would it be for and why? I’m an introvert, throwing a party sounds like a lot of stress and anxiety for me! haha
10. What is the ultimate goal for your blog? If I help one person figure out that they don’t have to spend a fortune to look nice, or have nice things, then I’m happy with my blog.

And again! A GIANT Thank you to Thrifterlust for my nomination!!!

Tuesday’s Fashion!

You know those days where you feel really cute and then you realize you’re not going to see anybody and no one will appreciate your awesome outfit?

Yeah. That was me today. I got up, picked out my outfit, and I won’t lie, I was feeling cute! And then it hit me. I was wasting a good outfit!! My boss/co-worker/sister-in-law is out of town and I didn’t have any plans tonight and I was SO bummed that no one could appreciate it! And then I thought to myself…Why don’t I just blog about it? DUH.

All my clothes are Thrifted because I don’t believe in shopping at “Real Stores” as I like to call them. I believe that fashion shouldn’t be expensive! Rent is expensive! Cars are expensive! Looking cute shouldn’t be robbing me of my rent money! It should be versatile, comfortable, classy and cute.

So, here we go! Tuesday’s outfit of choice!

Ya’ll. I won’t lie. I LOVED this outfit today. I started with a simple grey tank top that has a floral Spiderman face on it. (YES, a FLORAL SPIDERMAN.) It was $3.00 at Plato’s Closet!!

      

Then, I picked out this Vintage Navy Skirt. It’s one of my favorites because it seems to go with anything. It’s full, flattering, comfy, and matches a ton of my stuff because it’s solid. And, yet again, it was $3.00 at a Thrift Store!

I added this cute Red Yves Saint Laurent Belt and these Silver and Gold Tory Burch Sandals which were both gifts, so they were FREE! (However, I know the TB sandals were from a Thrift Store in Atlanta for $15.00)

   

Grabbed a Red Clutch from a Thrift Store (at $1.50)

And, My Tuesday Outfit was a total of $7.50 and I felt really good about it!!