Thrifty Finds

I've become a self confessed thrift junky! I can't go past an opportunity / thrift shop without running inside (unless I have Emma and Harry, and then it all depends on the day where having!) to have a look. And don't get me started on curb side trash treasures... I've been really lucky!

This week I found one great suitcase, and was given another! I had planned the red one for Emma's room, but I can't make my mind up (damn that pinterest!). Not sure about the navy one, it's really big, so will have to think about to (ie spend more time on pinterest!)

And then there's the table soon to be a desk that I found on the side of the road. It's a terrible photo, but as mentioned in my perfectly imperfect post, my camera seems to have died and I'm using my phone.

And finally, this stool I got from a lovely lady on freecycle. Can't wait to make it over!

How's your thrifty business going?

Emmas' Gallery Wall & the Beauty of Imperfection!

One of my home goals for the first half of the year is to decorate Emma's room. I started with Jacqueline the Ombre Dresser...

... and have just finished a gallery wall.

With this project I tried to use only things I could find around the house. Spray paint - check. Old frames sitting in a box - check. A bucket load of pins ready for printing - check! I was half way through this one, and feeling a like I just couldn't get it right, when I read a post over at The Nester about the beauty of imperfection. And then I gave myself a kick in the butt and finished it.

I admit I'm guilty of not finishing because I'm holding out for perfect. I looked for beautifully ornate frames - couldn't find any. Every time I brought the frames from the garage into the house I some how seemed to chip them (walk into the wall, trip over toy, leave it for my 11month old to drop onto the ground etc etc). Now they are on the wall there is something not right... I think the colours aren't balanced. I don't know. Something. Oh, and the paint is really really uneven in parts. And then there's the photo - I took one and my camera died.

BUT - when my husband came home today Emma took him into her room and said 'Look what Mummy made me', and then it didn't seem so imperfect any more.

Here's some of the details...

1. Bee Happy print - This is from Sprik Space. Check this site out, there are loads of wonderful freebies and great project ideas.
2. Button heart - a really simple project, but I think it looks so cute! All it is is buttons glued onto calico.
3. The Dandelion print is from here. I put 'hand in hand' on it, quoting the photographer.
4. 'E' for Emma - I plan to cover it following this tutorial by Little Things Bring Smiles. When I get to it. Or maybe I won't. We'll see.
5. 'Love' print - This is another free printable, this time from Makoodle.
6. Birth details poster - another easy one, created in Publisher.

Emmas' room is starting to take shape. I'm loving working on it, asking what she likes (pink) and doesn't like (anything that's not pink), and seeing her smile when she sees something new.

I'm sharing my beautiful imperfection at The Nester.

'Our' Desk

A post or so ago I mentioned 'we'd' been lucky enough to be alerted to a desk sitting on the side of the road by one of Danny's colleagues. The guy had put it in the school bulletin hoping someone would collect it, and was actually complaining that no one did, and that he'd left it out on the roadside and still no one had claimed it. Until we came along...

There were some serious stains on the top of the desk, and no amount of sanding seemed to be getting rid of them (and I was worried that too much sanding would worsen some of the cracks!). So the plan for a lovely re-stained desk top were thrown out, and the desk sat in the garage waiting paitently while I worked on Jacqueline the Ombre Dresser.

What I really like about the desk is that it comes in pieces. It's really easy to move, so snatching it from the side of the road was easy. Since it is destined for my husbands work station (I have promised not to clutter it too much) he got to choose colour and style (with my input of course!). We did loose a few paint chips in the process ;) but finally decided on Deep Ocean and White. Here he is...

Our kitchen / informal dining room is big enough to fit the desk and we found a perfect spot for the map of Asia. I'm hoping for a few other items to make the area 'work', but right now, here it is!

Now I just need to find the right chair....

I'm sharing at The Haby Goddess, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Primitive & Proper Miss Mustard Seed, Meg & Mum's and Sugar Bee Crafts.

Doing a Happy Dance - Thrifty Thursday

To say that I'm a little excited is an understatement. For a while now I've been asking Danny to check out whether there are any old school maps hiding in his store room at school. You know where this is going right? My own Mr Geography delivered these to my very happy little hands yesterday afternoon...

I'm dancing while I'm posting. I love these. And what makes them better is they were free! Not $250 like on eBay - FREE! He spoke to the faculty head who said 'Just get rid of 'em'. So he did. The world map is destined for Harry's room, the map of Asia (which includes where we honeymooned!!) for our family room.

 
So this has prompted a post on some of my recent thrifty scores. I mentioned this gorgeous gentleman a week or so ago that arrived via freecycle... I'm imagining a bright cobalt blue pattern of some kind.

... and how about these barstools for a bit of retro cool... (not free, but $20, so almost!)

 ... and then there's this mirror ($18)...

I feel like I'm on a roll and I'm very grateful. While you're visiting I would love thoughts on those bar stools - the seat must be recovered, but do I leave them or paint them? White or completely knock your sox off? Any thoughts will be painstakingly considered!