Long Time No Talk, Uh I Mean Type

It’s been awhile since my last post and I’ve missed blogging more than I thought I would. Seriously, I did! Is that a sad? You may be surprised to know that I haven't completed a craft project, picked up a can of spray paint, or walked into Goodwill in weeks……ok not weeks (I went yesterday) but it sure feels like it. Things have been a little busy around here. My busyness is a good thing and in time I hope to share what I’ve been up to. If you follow me on Twitter your probably have a good idea and no I’m not pregnant. 
The weather in Texas is beautiful. The sun is shinning, the sky is bright blue. and I just can’t get enough of it. My family and I went to an historic district in Dallas yesterday and had the best time! I’ll be back tomorrow with TONS of pictures from our day.
In the mean time I would like to introduce a new family member………
  

  
              My sister-in-law Kim holding the new baby.

                      My niece Tori giving him some love.

 
You many remember meeting Ellie-Mae HERE. We found out that Ellie-Mae is not pregnant and thought she needed a little friend so my Mom brought baby Jethro home. Do you see trend in their names? Remember the show The Beverly Hillbillies? Ellie-Mae and Jethro were brother and sister on the show. I’m not loving the name Jethro so I call him Bubba J….still sounds pretty hilbillish.
And just to show you how silly my family can be I’ll leave you with one more picture.
 
Notice anything out of sorts? Look a little closer…….do you see it? That’s right it was opposite day. The goat got to go for a walk instead of the dog. At least we were precautious and abided the leash law!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Update 3-15-2010: I stand corrected! Jethro and Elly-Mae were cousins’ not brother and sister as I said above. And I do NOT have anything against hillbillies. I’m practically one myself; okay not really but I wouldn’t mind being one :o)

Craft Room Before and Afters

I recently put together a craft room using mainly thrift store goodies. I thought it would be fun to look at few of the before and after pictures.

Before

After a little spray paint, batting and fabric hot glued to the
back of the original print. A garage sale find turned into an inspiration board.

Before

After a little spray paint and fabric. Antique inspired frames
turned into wall decor.

After adding scrap book paper, and fabric. A Goodwill frame turned into a little workspace decoration.

Before

After a litter primer and spray paint.
A super cheap auction find turned into a an end table.

Before

After adding a drop cloth and hand stitching the sides for a more uniformed look. An old foldout table turned into a perfect craft table.

Thrift Store Tips and Tricks: 2

If you missed the 1^st installment of
Thrift Store Tips and Tricks click HERE

1. Time is virtue: When it’s possible I try to hit my local thrift store right when it opens. It’s usually freshly stocked and not picked over. You may want to ask a friendly employee at your local thrift store when they usually restock. I was told by a Goodwill employee that they restock throughout the week but Thursday evenings they put out extra merchandise in preparation for Friday. I guess Friday is one of their busiest days. If you can’t make it when they open don’t worry you can still find goodies throughout the day but I have the best luck if I get there early.

2. Don’t let the weather keep you in: I’m not talking about snow and ice but if it’s raining or super cold outside you may want to go thrifing. I know this sounds crazy but when the weather makes you want to stay home it makes others want to stay home thus leaving an open store. I love when I walk into Goodwill when it’s wide open. I take my time looking around and don’t have to worry if I’m in anyone’s way. Yet again the items are usually not picked over since everyone is snuggled up at home. If you combine tip 1 and 2 you should be set!

3. Don't forget the glasses: One of my favorite aisles in a thrift store is the glass section; so many great things just waiting to be found. All you need to do is just step back and take a good look. It’s a great place to look for candle holders to make things like this…………

as well as a good place to mix-n-match item to make your own apothecary jars like this……..
Thrift stores have their share of vases some prettier than others. Like many other people out there I’m into apothecary jars but do not love the expensive price tag they come with. That’s when I deiced to try and create my own. Above are pictures of the 1^st apothecary jar I put together using vase and a turned over ice cream dish as a lid.

I was at my local Goodwill the other day and saw a vase that I loved. I carried it around trying to find something I could use as a lid. Here’s what I came up with.

A candle holder, something I’m not really sure what it is, and a vase.

I have no idea what the previous owner used this for. It had some melted wax in it so maybe they used it as a candle holder but it was the good fit and I wanted to turn it into a lid for my apothecary jar. A little hot water and some scrubbing took care of the wax and cleaned it right up.

I used EC-600 glue to attach the small candle holder to the top my makeshift lid. It was super easy and just required a little hunting. Now I have a new (well new to me) apothecary jar for only $3.00!

The perfect place to store my Martha glitter.

The makeshift lid is not a snug fit but it works and I don’t think people will notice that I used a little glue to fancy it up a bit.
Before After

Next time you’re in your local thrift store take a few moments and
peruse the glass section to see what you can come up with.

I'm linking up with:
Tales from Bloggeritaville
The Shabby Chic Cottage