Nice and Thrifty

The thrift stores are my favorite place to find books to build our personal library...each book is .89 cents!

Not pictured is a 6 cassette set of our favorite Adventures in Odyssey...which was .50!

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Nice and Thrifty

If you read my family blog, this picture looks familiar...I am planning on doing something similiar over Sophia's crib.
picture from The Purl Bee

And look what I found at a thrift store:

6 of them...2 each of 3 different sizes...now to find some pretty fabric!

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Nice and Thrifty...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

The girls and I had some time today between the chiropractor, picking up some necessities at Target and joining Hannah for lunch at school. What to fill the time with...the thrift stores of course! It's been many months since I set foot in one of these...the girls and the new house have taken up any "extra" time I have, but today it just worked out in favor of the thrift store! I'll be showing you my finds over the next few days!

Above are some Christmas items I came across...on the bottom are 2 placemates (they are the same, just 2 sided) they need a good ironing, but that's about it! Those are the colors I always like at Christmas time...the 2 shades of green and the 2 shades of red. I'm thinking of using them on a tray maybe or under something on a table, or I could always whip them into some pillows...lots of possibilities.

Sitting on top is a wooden box...I had been looking for a wooden box to put a Christmas memory/matching game in, and putting that on a coffee table/ottoman during Christmas time. And the tartan plaid is always a favorite!

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A Nice Little Project...

I originally saw this project here and thought it would be perfect in Sophia's room (in the new house). It seemed easy enough...and it was! The hardest part of the whole project was taking 3 kids into the scrapbooking store :) The project, start to finish, took about 30 minutes.

Gather your supplies: a shadow box (mine was 12 x 12), a white piece of 12 x 12 cardstock, an assortment of papers, a butterfly punch (mine was from the Martha Stewart line from Wal-Mart) and some mini glue dots.

I marked my white cardstock with a pencil every 1 1/2 inches...leaving a 3 inch border around the edge.

I punched out my butterflies

Laid out my pattern first and then attached butterflies to the paper with the glue dots.

While I was attaching I slighty bent the wings up.

Place in shadow box with more glue dots to attach paper to back of shadow box.

That's it...easy peasy...and no butterflies were harmed in the making of this!

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I Heart Etsy...

This weeks etsy seller is

sara + abraham.

I just love how she captures childhood in such a simple and sweet way.

Last May I had her make these stickers for Sophia's first birthday...I packed each guest their own picnic lunch in these red gable boxes and put a sara + abraham sticker on it!

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A Nice Little Thing...

As soon as I saw these lovely headscarves Angel makes I had to pass it on to you (and make a list of my favs)...seriously super cute, no fuss and one in about every color possible (and youth sizes too). The price is good, but the best part about all this...ALL proceeds go to funding this families adoption of 2 children from Africa...go and check her site out now!

AdoptionWings

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A Memory/Matching Game

I helped Ella make this matching-memory game for Sophia for Christmas...it's as simple as buying some wood circles at the craft store (I've found mine at Hobby Lobby and Michael's), placing some cute stickers in the middle (make sure there's 2 of each) and applying a coat or 2 of Modge Podge. Voila...you're done! Sophia who's 1 1/2 matches the animals where Ella who's 4 plays memory with this. This idea can be adapted in so many different ways...different stickers, holidays, seasons or even colorful paper! The possibilities are endless! I even have some mermaid and fish stickers waiting to be put on sea shells! Get creative!

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For My Sister...

picture from Better Homes and Gardens

Every inch of this kitchen reminds me of my sister...

I love the open shelving! (Very economical)

Perfect, sweet kitchen...and easily duplicated with a few cans of paint and the right accessories!

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Tips for Getting the Kitchen of Your Dreams...

Pictures from finishedkitchens.blogspot

Is there a "new" kitchen in your future...either from scratch or a remodel? Here are some tips and tricks to help you achieve the kitchen of your dreams at a price you can afford!

Let's talk cabinets today...

-Paint can solve a lot of problems for pretty cheap! Ask your local paint store for tips and the best products to use. One trend that I have been really liking is the center island painted a different color than the rest...like a mostly white cabinet kitchen with a red or black center island...or like in the picture above with a stained wood center island.

-How about taking a few doors off of some strategic cabinets for more of a display shelf and painting the inside a color to pop the items that are being displayed...run some hidden Christmas lights in the back to light up your display.

-Along the same lines...switching a few doors out with glass doors. Paint the outside to match your cabinets, and either paint the inside a contrasting color or cover a board with fabric or even wrapping paper to line the back...change it when you get bored or with the seasons!

-Replace all the doors! Here are some resources:

Falcon Cabinet Doors-lots of choices!

Naked Kitchen Cabinet Doors

Ebay-try an "unfinished cabinet door" search

-Resurface what you've got! My mom did this and it looks GREAT! Look in your local yellow pages...I've even seen it available at Lowe's.

-Replace all the cabinets...more pricey for sure, but sometimes the best option. Here's some resources:

Ebay-a "kitchen cabinet" search will yield you lots of results! Take some time and look it through...amazing prices!

Ready to Assemble-if you or some you know (who loves you a whole lot) is handy, this could be a great option for you. Here's another option.

Unfinished kitchen cabinets- finish it yourself and save! (Or use to supplement your already existing cabinets) Here's another resource.

Craigslist- look in the material category. I've seen brand new kitchens being sold for dirt cheap because a customer changed their mind after ordering.

Building Supply Auctions- great resource for lots of building supplies...the ones I've been to have many "kitchen packages" to chose from.

That's probably enough info. for one day...stay tuned for more tips and tricks!

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A Good Book and A Fun Activity...

My most favorite book from my childhood is "Miss Twiggley's Tree" by Dorothea Fox

"funny Miss Twiggley lived in a tree

with a dog named Puss and a color TV.

she did what she liked and she liked what she did

but when company came, Miss Twiggley hid."

but the rains come, and it doesn't stop and the towns people need to get someplace warm and dry...where else but Miss Twiggley's treehouse. See how Miss Twiggley gets over her shyness and the towns people get past their "ideas" of Miss Twiggley! Such a great story!

Here's a great project to go with that story...(Swiss Family Robinson is another classic treehouse story)

From a company called Calafant...here's where you can find one for yourself...they also have castles, fortresses, pirate ships and on and on! So much fun!

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I "HEART" ETSY

I thought I would start showcasing a "fav" seller or item from etsy at least once a week....it's my first but it's a goodie...big time...

Sarah Jane Studios

she draws it just how I like it....beautiful soft coloring in a clean, but timeless feel...(and I love how she throws little bits of red in too)

This print tops the list of my decorating wishlist for the new house...probably in Hannah and Ella's room. It's not the only one on my wishlist...check out ALL her prints and cards...they're all so very lovely!

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