Did you do any work in the yard?

We did.  And we gave a $10 thrift store find some new life and a new home on our front porch.

My mom and I were at a thrift store a few months back, following up on a Pyrex tip (yes, really), and we saw this teak table.  It was $10 and we both NEEDED it.  She drives a tiny little 2 seater and couldn’t actually get it home, so I won.

See how you can turn that middle part over?  Fun, right?

Structurally, it was in great shape but the wood needed some love.  And by “love” I mean “child labor”.

Yes, my 4 year old is wearing a Santa shirt in May…what of it?

And then we planted the shallow tray with some succulents

and added some gravel.

And a before and after shot:

Totally worth $10, right?

To see the rest of my $100 porch makeover (and some prettier shots of the table), come back tomorrow!

I’d taken some ratty old thrift store doilies (I’ve recently spotted doilies at Dollar Tree and JoAnn’s, if thrift stores aren’t your thing) and dyed them with Dylon dye.

I told you I was going to make pillows.

Well, I finally did.  And it only took me 433 days.

Supplies:

Canvas drop cloth (or other fabric for the body of the pillow)
Doily (dyed or not…your choice)
Sewing machine and thread

Random blah blah blah about the body of the pillow:  I had an 18” pillow form, so I cut my front piece 18” X 18”.  I used the already hemmed drop cloth edges to cut two 12” X 18” (this was the hemmed edge) pieces for the envelope closure on the back.  If you don’t have a hemmed edge, you’ll want to cut yours bigger to allow for hemming.

I centered the doily on my square of fabric and pinned it in place.

I used a zig zag stitch to sew around the edges and to tack down part of the middle as well.  Since I used matching thread, you can hardly see it.

Here’s a shot of the back, to give you a better idea:

And, that’s it.  Put the pillow together and you’re finished!

And I wanted to hurt people and/or myself.

BC spent lots of time looking at golf clubs. My boys enjoyed the other sports equipment. Macy and I saw a sign that said “FABRIC” and got excited, but it was a lie. There was no fabric.

As we were about to leave, I saw one of these:

(Image from Pottery Barn)

Only it was Antique White…like the rest of the furniture in my craft/sewing room. Retail price? $419, but currently on sale for $379. NPS price? $149.

But wait!

It was an additional 70% off! That means I paid $44.70…for real live Pottery Barn! I think it’s going to be my official Silhouette storage solution. Stay tuned for more on that.

Did your husband order every. single. thing. in the $5 subscription section on Amazon?

Mine did.

And suddenly that little crate from Lowe’s just wasn’t cutting it.

I was thrifting this weekend and came across this:

Covered in stickers and crap, but definitely worth the $10 they were asking for it.

I got some Goo Gone and a razor blade and went to work this morning whilst chatting with a friend. I also installed some casters to give it a little height.

So, so, SO much better….except for that little spot on the wall where I need to touch up the paint. Oops.

And because it’s my house…

Much improved,right?

Bygones….

(Did anyone used to watch Ally McBeal?)

What was my point?

Oh yeah! The Pyrex. I enjoy vintage Pyrex. I’m not nearly as obsessed as my neighbor Jami (of The Smelly Barn Adventure™ fame), but I MUST look for it any time I’m at a thrift store.

Yesterday was a good day.

I’ve never seen the one on the left before.

Any ideas what it’s called?

Here’s a closer look:

I blame Pottery Barn Teen. Theirs are SEVENTY NINE dollars. SEVENTY NINE!!!

We have an outlet near here that sells Pottery Barn stuff that’s damaged or mis-monogrammed. We picked up this one for $10.

(Hey Matti…I have your desk!)

I removed the screws and took the lid off its hinges.

Then I sanded the top. The letters were painted on, so I need to make sure to get rid of any ridges. I also wanted to rough up the old finish a bit.

Then I wiped it down well with a damp cloth. I don’t really think this next step is necessary, but I did it. So, I’m including it.

I taped off the bottom, just so I wouldn’t get any overspray.

And then I went outside and sprayed.

I used spray chalkboard paint. I’ll be honest with you…I didn’t love it. If I wanted a chalkboard finish again, I’d use the brush on kind and just do a couple of light coats with a sponge roller. If you don’t care about it chalkboard-ness of it all, just go ahead and use regular spray paint.

And then I reattached the lid.

Finished product?

Now we’re both happy…for way way WAY less than SEVENTY NINE dollars.