The Ugly Side Table I Used To Pass Up

You can find these side tables at any thrift or estate sale and I always passed them up until I was looking for a bigger side table for by my couch and thought this might fit the bill

It had a lot of room on top which was what I was looking for and although I usually see them without the drawer I really wanted drawers to throw all of the TV remotes and dental floss in LOL!

It was not much of a looker, but I thought I would see if I could spiff it up

I used a grey paint I had Ace Hardware custom mix

Well, it didn't turn out to bad!  I will definitely pick another one up from time to time to sell in my booth.  

Unfortunately I didn't end up keeping this one because It was way to low when I put it next to my couch.  

So, here's my question......... are couches higher than they use to be  in the 50's and 60's? 

This one went into my booth and sold in a three days for $45.00. I'm still on the look out for the perfect side table for my couch.... It's always fun to be hunting for something!

Happy Creating!

Carol 

Wedding Table Center Pieces

  My future DIL and I are full speed into wedding DIY projects.

It's just 3 1/2 months until my son's vintage themed wedding (The wedding is Thanksgiving weekend...Hello Thanksgiving is 3 1/2 months away!), first up table centerpieces

Here's how the vision came to life....... For a year we have been thrifting mirror trays, picture frames, and silver tea pots

The trays and frames are all different sizes and shapes, but they were all unified.......

By using the "Official" wedding color, Heirloom white

We printed table numbers on vintage sheet music and framed them

And here's the completed centerpiece....She LOVES it!  OOps, you see that little green votive on the tray, that's what will be used instead of the white votive

This is going to be a morning wedding with a brunch reception, so we think the teapots are perfect!

You may have noticed that I said my future DIL and I have been working on the wedding projects......Well, how can that be if she and my son live in DC and I'm in Orlando....News flash, she is staying with me until the wedding.....Why you ask?   Well, she works for the Senate in DC, but is in Florida working on the Senator's re-election campaign.  Since my house is less than a mile from the campaign headquarters this was the perfect place for her to stay and how great is it that she can work on wedding plans and projects while she's here...It's a win, win!   My baby boy is still in DC and will be  down to visit, but don't worry Dora (The Flower Girl) is keeping him company

Happy Creating!

Carol

More Paper Towel Holder Hat Stands

I'm continually making hat stands for my booth at Orange Tree, I thought I would share my latest batch

These old paper towel holders are pretty easy to find at thrift stores and I'm sure they are thrilled to be given a new life all dolled up!

I did a full tutorial on making them HERE  The cliff notes are to take a paper towel holder and glue a half styrofoam ball on the top

It's so fun to pick paint colors

Then have fun choosing fabrics and do dads to dress them up

Of course this is my favorite because it's pink

These will go in my booth at Orange Tree, I price them at $25 and they've been a good seller......Just saying for all my friends that have antiques booths and online stores.

Plus....They are soooo fun to make!!

Happy Creating

Carol

Signs For The Rehearsal Dinner

I needed a couple signs for my sons vintage themed rehearsal dinner in November.  The dinner will be at a little cafe around the corner from my house and since parking is limited at the cafe I needed to direct my guests to the abundant parking by the lake.  I actually thought...Pay a professional sign store to make the signs!  

But, I just couldn't, not without giving it a try myself

It's not that us "Do it yourself" folks are cheap (Ok, maybe), it's that we know we can turn something from ordinary into unique and fun....Well, basically we can do a better job!

Bless the Graphics Fairy, this was a new graphic that Karen posted of a hand holding a piece of paper

I took the hand, enlarged it, cut it out, then glued it on foam core

Now, I took my garage sale sign (We all have some of these) and painted it a light blue

 I then printed out "Parking" and using some  old tracing paper

 Transferred the outline to the sign and filled it in with paint pens

And hot glued the hand on top

I needed another sign at the cafe to announce that this was a private party

Way back in March I found this sign at the thrift store for $8.00

After a transformation, I used it at my booth when I was a vendor the Fancy Flea

Time to transform it again for the rehearsal dinner   

I mod podged sheet music and then printed off the words onto paper and used a heart rubber stamp in the middle

So, there you have it......Park by the lake

And no party crashers allowed

And this is why I love blogging.... Because I think you all "Get it", sure I could have paid someone to make professional signs, but we love doing something different and thinking out of the box, we refuse to settle for the ordinary !

Happy Creating!

Carol

Transforming A Barrel Magazine Holder

I transformed this old barrel magazine rack a few years ago

It was pre-blogging so I don't have a "Before" picture, it was basically brown and ugly 

I gave it a coat of white paint and added authentic vintage decals I found at an antique store

I'm showing this to you now because I am going to sell it in my booth.  Remember the kerosene heater table I transformed.....

.....Well, I loved it so much I wanted to keep it, but I have a rule, if something comes into my little house, something has to go out to make room so........

...........Out goes the magazine rack! 

I've also decided it's time to start selling all of my decorating magazines, I have boxes of them.  For years I would flip through old magazines for inspiration and now with Pinterest and blogs, I'm finding all of the inspiration I need

I will never stop buying them because sitting with a cup of coffee and reading my favorite magazine is something I really enjoy

The truth is I've run out of room under the guest room bed to store them and I never go through old copies any more.

This brings me to a question, do you keep all of your old magazines, or do you find yourself turning more to Pinterest and blogs for inspiration?

Happy Creating!

Carol