Thanks Evie!

My house is not what anyone would ever call glamorous. Handsome is a better word. So when we got our new (very glamorous) couch I knew that I had a fair bit of tweaking to do to make it fit in. While the couch needs to be (slightly) glam-ed down, the rest of the room definitely needs to be glam-ed up. I know that just a couple of key pieces will bring it all together to achieve the eclectic mix I am looking for. I found the perfect start thanks to Evie at Post College Working Girl. I saw this gold chevron lamp shade on her blog and hustled out to Target to get one for myself! Thank you Evie you are an inspiration as always!

That's a Nice Pear...

I'm a bad blogger! I have been very uninspired and it shows! Add to that a broken computer, a very sloooow net book and a new iPad (not very blogger friendly) and you have the perfect storm of bad blogging! To all of my 26 followers, I'm sorry! We finally got a new family computer and I will do my very best to be inspired and inspiring. Thanks for hanging in there with me! Meanwhile I have noticed a theme in some of my Goodwill finds of late...Pears. I found the print about a year ago and blogged about it here. The silver pear came later and the studded bronze I picked up the other day. I saved the print for myself but the other 2 went to a good home, a client of mine who has a son named Per! She will love them more then I ever could!

Back to School Time!

I Heart Teachers!!

A Mini Make-Over!

When school lets out and summer begins, I am always excited to spend lazy days with my children, going to the library, strolling to the store for fresh fruit and spending cool summer nights on the back deck with my wonderful husband, sipping margaritas. Ha! About 2 days in, I am racing off to work leaving a list of chores for my kids, while trying to figure out how I'm going to keep one of them occupied while the other is at camp, then coming home to discover that the library books are over due and I forgot to take anything out of the freezer for dinner! I love summer but summer is certainly not easier! My point is this: I have had very little time to work on any projects, visit Goodwill or blog about it! I did do a mini-make over on this college bound little dresser a few weeks ago. It was languishing in a spare bedroom at our lake house, getting little or no use. When my son moved to a smaller place I decided this could be the new home for this compact gem. My son is fairly immune to my many attempts at transforming cast off second hand furniture, so when I asked him how he would like me to overhaul this, and keeping in mind that it would likely end up stashed in a closet, he said it was up to me. So I pondered, and sanded, and pondered and primed and then just pondered. After being completely uninspired by anything I came up with, I decided to do a much smaller version of another dresser I had transformed. Can you steal an idea from yourself?

Hay There!

I've been working on my free chairs and when I took them apart I found the seat cushions were padded with hay! It's a little creepy! Needless to say I will be using nice, new, clean chair padding when I put them back together!

A bird in the hand...

I found yet another reason to haul out my new sewing machine. Yay! While at the Goodwill a while back, my sister found this needle point wall hanging and commented that it would make a great pillow. That was all I needed to hear! At the time I was looking for any excuse to sew more stuff! Because the needle point is so old fashioned and quaint I wanted the back fabric to be more modern and graphic. I like the contrast and that it's reversible. I just wish I had added some pink trim or tassels...maybe next time!!

Drama-dary!!

I hit up the "Goodwill" yesterday with my sister. That is always a fun time! We stroll down the isles cracking each other up with the random things we see, and then find the most outrages, dated and crazy clothes to show each other! It's so fun! Mary is a "Goodwill" Pro! She goes for the clothes (she owns a clothing resell shop) and I gravitate towards furniture, so we don't compete. Later that night I talked to her and asked what she did with the rest of her day and she said "went to another Goodwill!!" What a life! Oh...and I got this great stuffed camel...totally random!

Post-College Working Girl Rules!

Hustle on over to Evie's Blog to win this lovely scarf:
Post-College Working Girl
...but if you win, you have to let me borrow it!

You had me at "Free"

I was driving back from Target the other evening, making my way up a steep, winding hill on my way home, when I spotted a grouping of chairs set on the side of the road. There was a home made sign taped to them...."Free" it said, and I drove on. "I have too much on my plate right now" I said to my self. "I don't have time for another project" I reasoned. "I already have way too many chairs" I muttered. But before I could say "hand sander" or "staple gun" and before I really knew what I was doing, I had whipped that truck around and headed back down the hill. Yes, I said truck, I had left my own beautiful car at home and just happen to be driving the old truck we keep for hauling stuff and for loaning to friends who are moving. Those chairs were meant to be mine, they were just waiting for me and my truck to roll by and take them home. They are sturdy, made of solid, hard wood and the removable seats are just begging for an infusion of lovely fabric. I could not leave them behind. I threw them in to the back of the truck and was on my way, up the road to yet another chair project! The gods of free stuff were smiling on me that day.

Do It!

I believe this with all my heart!

Thank you for reminding me Honeycomb Print Shop

Welcome to the Jungle

Because the Rino was lonely!

Rock It Resell

When I was pregnant with my daughter Clare, my sister Mary began her own business. Beside the fact that I was proud of my baby sister for having the smarts (and the guts) to do this, I was thrilled with the fact that it was a consignment shop for maternity and children's clothing called "Baby and Me". What perfect timing! Along with her friend and partner Anita, they have since opened 2 more "Baby and Me" locations. They have a thriving business and in this economy it has continued to grow. They have lately taken on a new endeavor, in a new market. Last October they opened their 4th consignment boutique called "Rock It Resell" which serves their "aging" demographic: young people and adults. Another coup for me as my children get older and I haven't been pregnant for years! I had the privilege of helping them design their new shop and it was truly an honor and so much fun. I loved every moment of it, from roaming Goodwill looking for fun art and props, to taking a "field trip" with them to Anthropology to get ideas. Between multiple thrift shops, IKEA and "HomeGoods" we got it done and it looks so great! It is a space I am very proud of and when I go there, not only do I get to see my sister and shop for amazing clothes at a great price, I get to hang out in a place that I had a hand in creating. I love it!

I Heart Book(end)s!!

I think I may have uncovered another addiction of mine. Along with dressers, chairs, pillows and lamps I believe I may also be hooked on bookends. Admitting it is the first step, right? I found these at the Salvation Army on 1/2 price day for $6.00, which I know is a lot for me, but I can tell they are old and along with holding great stories in place, I know they have a story of their own to tell. They will telling it on my bookshelf from now on.

Form Over Function!

Do you remember this dresser I got back in July? It was a mega-bargain at Goodwill and I could not pass it up despite the very clear lack of need for another chest of drawers of any sort!! As you know that has never stopped me before! Well, I have finally finished, found a home for, and photographed said dresser, and here it is! It was a bit of an experiment for me, I hadn't done much decorative painting before, but how hard could it be? Right? Turned out it was easy and fun. I just cut out a shape and traced it on and started painting. The hardest part was knowing where and when to stop, I could have covered the whole thing but I thought less was more in this case. I got new drawer pulls and its better then new, except for the fact that the drawers stick so badly I can barely open them! Oh well, it looks great!! Form over function!