Around The House

We have some junk around our house that I would like to show you.

This stuff is in our dining room.

Old suitcases on an antique hutch.

A lamp, that my husband made, from an old reel type, push lawn mower.

And some baseballs in an old ceiling light fixture on a set of piano mover casters.

Spring Flowers

I just love fresh flowers.

Last night, my husband brought home these beauties.

There's nothing like the smell of fresh lilacs!

Chalkboard Art

My latest obsession is chalkboard art.
Like the work done by Dana Tanamachi.

I have seen her work on Pinterest and also featured by The Nester in her blog.
Miss Mustard Seed just mentioned Dana and chalkboard art in her blog as well.


Being an art major with a little typography under my belt, I decided to give it a try on the kid's easel chalkboard. 

Not too shabby for my first attempt.  I really like how it jazzes up a chalkboard. 

Obsession - Maps & Globes

Images from my Pinterest Boards

Antique Metal Glider

We found this glider at a Flea Market in Venice, NE.

They had a big photo of it on one of their tables with a $50 price tag.

Once we said we would buy it - the lady had to call her husband and tell him to load it and bring it to the flea market.


It was worth the wait.

This is what it looked like before my husband sandblasted and painted it - he does that for a living.

This is what it looks like now. . .

It's amazing what a little paint can do.


It has new chains and 'S' hooks.


Looks like I need to make a few new pillows - right?


I can't wait to have it on our front porch so we can sit out there and enjoy it.

Lemonade Yellow Picnic Jug

I found this little cooler jug at a thrift store.

It makes me want to fill it with lemonade and take it to a picnic.

Plastic Picture Frames Before & After

Sometimes it seems that no matter where I look I keep stumbling across the same type of items.

My latest finds have been plastic picture frames.

Some ugly and some ornate.

Different shapes and sizes.

I knew I wanted to paint them but wasn't sure on how to get the paint to stick to plastic.

My husband decided that he wanted to try his little sandblaster that he has at work.

He took the frames to work with the spray can of Rust-Oleum Gloss White and brought them home looking like this. . .  

Aren't they gorgeous?   I love how they turned out.  They don't even look like the same frames.

Lucky Find of the Day

This little beauty was sitting out in front of Goodwill today.


Isn't it yummy?


And it was only five dollars.

I am thinking about planting flowers in it this summer.

It would look great out by my potting shed.

Anthropologie Windows in February

Paper sewing patterns.

Wooden hangers hung from measuring tapes.

My daughter and I stopped by the Anthropologie store
 in Omaha, NE

to check out the latest window displays.

They did it again.

We were inspired.

Teen Bedroom Redo

My daughter turned 13 and decided it was time to update her lavender room. So we took everything out and painted the walls her new favorite color - lime green.

The dresser pictured above was my mother's when she was young.It has a big mirror and a bench to match.We sanded it down and painted it white, gave it new knobs and new fabric for the bench seat.

We also had a buffet that was given to us by a friend who was cleaning out his garage.

We sanded it down and painted it white. We gave it new knobs to match the other dresser.

She decided that she didn't want her double bed anymore.

                  We happen to have a twin bed stored away.

It used to be in her room when she was little.This will open up some more space in her room for other things.

Of course she needs a new quilt to match the new colors in her room so - I am now working on a quilt for her bed.

We picked out some fun fabrics in her colors - turquoise, lime green, and chocolate.
I will post more pictures of that as soon as it is sewn together, quilted, and on her bed.

Merry Christmas!

Ruler Star

Junk Ornaments

Christmas Is Coming

Gas Can Birdhouse

Is gas can one word or two? And bird house?

Remember the gas can from an earlier post - from the garage sales in Nebraska City?

Well my husband immediately took it to his basement workshop and made it into a birdhouse for me.

What do you think?

Should I take the cap off so the birds can use it?

I just really like the shape of it but it sort of defeats the purpose.

I guess I will just have to use that cap for another project.

I just love the look of junk hanging from the trees.

Catalog Inspiration

I was looking through the latest edition of the Pottery Barn Teen catalog for some inspiration when lo and behold - there it was - a boy's room with a lit up Exit sign on the shelf.


I LOVE it! It's like a night light for teens. And - I just happen to have one in my basement that my husband brought home from a construction job. Can you believe they would throw something like that away?!


Immediately after I saw this - I had to go to the basement and dig mine out of my "junk room". After a little cleaning and removing the reserve battery pack that was connected to the top - we were able to connect a cord that my husband saved from an old hair dryer that went bad. He found a couple of night light bulbs to fit and viola - we have a lit up Exit sign of our very own.


Have you ever noticed that when you are thinking about something it appears? Can you believe that I was at Thrift World this week and just happened to find another Exit sign?! Lucky? I think so.

Time for Flowers

I waited until May 1st before I planted my flowers - just like Mom always said to do.

This old wheelbarrow is one that my husband dug out of the creek and hauled home for me.

He is such a good junker.

The flowers are a hanging basket that I bought from Home Depot for $15.

I think that is cheaper than buying a flat of single plants to fill such a big container.

And it is full right away which beats waiting for the singles to fill in the gaps.

Instant gratification.

I think it filled it up rather nicely.

Hopefully they keep spreading, cover the top, and start hanging over the sides.

Arbor Day Garage Sales

We went to Nebraska City during their Arbor Day Celebration. NOT for the celebration . . but for the garage sales. :)

It was a beautiful spring day and prices were LOW. We had good luck and found some really great finds.

The quilts are cutter quilts.

The little table was $1.

The suitcases are Skyway and were $1 each.

I found some vases for my white pottery collection and a cool pop bottle for my pop bottle collection.

The little black handweight was $1. I just saw those in the Restoration Hardware catalog.

Have you seen that catalog lately?! It's fabulous!

One Lucky Mirror

Since it is still winter and there really aren't any garage sales in Iowa and Nebraska right now - I have been combing the local thrift stores for treasures. My latest find was on a shelf at Thrift World in Millard, NE.

It was cheap and in great shape. Can you ever have too many mirrors?

I took it home and immediately took it out of the bag. The mirror was pretty dusty so I found some glass cleaner and a rag. I also have some great, citrus, adhesive remover from 3M for the sticky residue from price stickers.

You won't believe what happened next. I started to slide the back off - like a picture frame - and a twenty dollar bill fell out. I slid the back off some more and four more twenties fell out. Yeehaw! It was my lucky day!

That was a heck of a buy. Nothing like that has ever happened to me before and probably never will again. But I will keep trying.