Guest Post Tutorial At It’s So Very Cheri

Today I’m guest posting at I Followed The Tute over at It’s So Very Cheri.  I’m talking about using The Graphics Fairy site to make beautiful things, including this little lovely.

Hope you’ll come visit and see how I made it!

Unexpected Weekend Finds

Saturday was a beautiful day here on Long Island!  Temperatures in the 70’s! A great way for Mother Nature to make-up with us for the horrible Winter she put us through.

I made a quick trip out to the supermarket and on my way back home passed a yard sale.  I had no intention of stopping, and probably wouldn’t have, except it was a family that I’ve known for years through our kids’ friendships. One of the things they had set out was some baskets.  Various sizes and shapes.  I found these three and while the daughter said “$1.00”, I gave her $5.00 {I felt bad}.

As soon as I got home I ripped off the lace, ribbon and Christmas embellishments. 

I grabbed my can of Heirloom White spray paint and got to painting while the weather was in my favor.

Looking better already!

I “see” these being used for plants and flowers.  I thought the flat one with the two handles on the back would make a nice one for hanging somewhere outside.  A little plastic inside for a liner and couldn’t you just see sweet potato vine, some allysum, purple salvia or some other flowers softly hanging over the sides of this one.

I’m trying this one as a toilet paper holder in the main bathroom.  Not sure if I like it yet.  I was thinking of adding a tag of some kind to it, too.

The last one I’m not too sure about yet, but sometimes I buy extra flowers just to make sure I have enough, or maybe a few pots of geraniums.

Linking up to

Thrifty Thursday at Tales from Bloggeritaville

Frugalicious Friday at Finding Fabulous

 

Toile ~ It’s Not Just For Fabric

I had some time to look through my current issue of Country Living magazine recently and came across some toile that caught my eye. 

Love the scene on this pitcher!

 

Photo courtesy of Country Living

Drinking glasses.  How neat are these ~ love them!

Photo courtesy of Country Living

This great cake server.

 

Photo courtesy of Country Living

This tea set.  I could just picture a plate of muffins alongside this.

How about a mouse pad?

Courtesy of Zazzle.com

Or a toile hamper?  Okay, it’s fabric, but I’ve never seen toile fabric used in a hamper.

Courtesy of TinyTotties.com

I’ve seen toile or transferware on dishes and think it looks so pretty.  I know that locally {in my area} you can find those retail at Home Goods, Marshalls and TJ Maxx, but you could probably also find some at Good Will or thrift stores.  I think I’ll be keeping an eye out for the toile drinking glasses!

 

Guest Posting At Pixie Dust!

Today I am guest posting at the lovely and creative Heather of Pixie Dust’s blog!   I hope you’ll come over and check it out. 

Heather very graciously asked me to contribute to her series on cross-stitch, which was something I just loved doing for the longest time, and something which I need to slow down and pick up again.

While you’re there, check out Heather’s wonderful creativity!

Oil Rubbed Bronze Giveaway Winners!

How exciting!  I’ve never had multiple winners to pick for a giveaway before.  So using my friend, random.org, here are the 4 winners.

Sylvia at Lily’s Pad and Petals

Marsha (Sassy Mini Dolls)

Bridgette (All Thingz Related)

Barb (Dogmom Diva)

Congratulations!  I’ll be needing your mailing address to send you each your can of paint and will send you each an email {but if you see this post first and want to just send your info onto me that would be great, too}. 

Again, many thanks to Rustoleum for supplying the paint!

Plain Pine Armoire No More!

My next furniture project is this plain pine armoire.  It started out in our living room and then moved upstairs to a spare bedroom.

Using some wood appliques {that I got from the gift certificate I won from a Centsational Girl giveaway back in November to Cabinetknobs.com} I attached them to the doors of the armoire.  I turned them upside down because I liked them better that way.

Having no wood glue on hand, I tried it with Gorilla Glue and used blue painters tape to hold it in place until the glue dried.

Using my trusty {and free} can of Glidden Onyx black paint, this is getting transformed!  Besides the paint, I used a sponge brush, regular brush and foam roller.  The regular brush actually worked better than the sponge brush with all the little areas I needed to hit.

Here she is ~ looking quite lovely, although not totally finished!

I. Love. It!   Just like with my coffee table, I feel like I’ve got a brand new piece of furniture!  I am thinking of adding some clear glass knobs to replace the wood ones that were on it.  A coat of polyurethane and it will be done!

So glad I did this {even if it did take up a whole Saturday, and then some for touch-ups}!  Here is the before and after side-by-side.

I’ll show this off again once I get knobs and accessorize the top, but I did want to share it now.

Linking up with the following linky parties:

Furniture Feature Friday at Mustard Seed Creations

Saturday Night Special at Funky Junk Interiors

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps On The Porch

It’s So Very Creative at It’s So Very Cheri

DIY Day at A Soft Place To Land

 

Hopping Down The Bunny Trail ~ My Collection

 

I think most people have a collection of some sort.  Since I’m kind of in between projects right now and need to rest my brain from projects a little, I thought I’d share my bunny collection.   This is about 1/3 of my bunny stuff, the rest having been packed up last year when we were putting our house on the market.

The great thing about collections is that you can add to them while on vacation or sometimes just from a visit to your favorite store.  The first picture above is a bunny in my master bedroom that I bought in Maryland while visiting my parents several years ago with my sister, One Cheap B*tch {who by the way broke one of the ears off while we were taking stuff out of the car and I had to go crying to my Dad to fix it for me}.  But I digress.

This little bunny and leaf plate is holding bolts that my hubby, apparently, could not find anywhere else to put.

This one is on the wall and holds a roll of paper and a pen/pencil for writing down messages. 

A little bunny container in my living room that I bought off ebay several years ago.

Another ebay find from several years ago; love the cabbage and I love it with my green dishes.

These bookends I just got recently from Rhoda at Southern Hospitality’s Open Sky shop.

These two are new this year from Tuesday Morning.

This little guy I got about ten years ago and it was the only thing I could afford in this particular store I went into.  They had one they were using to hold pencils on their counter and I just fell in love with him.  He has a little basket on each side and I use him on my desk.

Finally, my current dining room centerpiece for Spring and Easter.

Most of these bunnies stay out all year, but the obvious Easter ones I put away.  I need to find the ones I packed away ~ some of them need to come out again!

Collections can be a personal part of your interior decorating so don’t be afraid to use them.   

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway for Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint.  I will be picking 4 winners who will each get one can!  Ends Friday, March 19th!