Today's project

So many ideas were running through my head while I was in Hobby Lobby this morning. I bought things to work on several projects that can be completed indoors, with no regard to weather! Here is one that I completed today.



Yesterday, at the ReStore, I purchased a glass/brass light shade for $5.00. While at Hobby Lobby today, I picked up a gold charger plate for $1.99. I also used a knob that I previously purchased at Hobby Lobby, for about $1.50 on sale. Total cost of this project is about $8.50, excluding the hot glue gun/sticks, which I already had.

This was so easy! I just removed the knob from the screw and hot glued the knob to the hole in the top of the glass shade. I'm going to add a decorative beaded ribbon of sorts around the spot where the knob meets the shade. (Just to clean it up a bit and make it look more fabulous!) I'll post another picture once I have that done.

There are some great glass shades out there.....go find one and make one of these for yourself!

Come on warm weather!

Most of my projects require weather over 50 degrees, so that the paint won't run and drip.  I'm so ready for spring - for that reason and the other obvious reasons!  In the meantime, I've got a few other projects in mind that don't depend on the weather.  So, I'll get moving and get them going!

Chair Is In The Works!

I've started on the chair that I picked up at ReStore this week.  The seat fabric and padding have been removed; revealing a whole lot of staple holes - this chair seat has been reupholstered quite a few times!

I found some great fabric last night and bought enough to do the chair and perhaps make a pillow or 2 for the couch.  The picture doesn't really do the fabric justice, but it's a dark red, with a tan-ish/gold color. Tonight, I picked up 3 paint colors that I plan to use on the chair.   Above is the before picture of the chair and the fabric picture.

I hope it looks as great in real life as it does in my head!

Glass Shades Repurposed

I know Christmas is over, but I had to get out the beautiful garland that I bought last year, at an after Christmas sale.  I bought the bronzey, glass shades at ReStore, for $1.00 each,  to go with this garland.  All I did was put a battery operated votive down, and place the shade over it.  I have 3 shades, so I spaced them evenly along the garland. I love it and can't wait until next Christmas to get it back out again!  I really enjoy the look of candles, but don't love the fear of them getting knocked over or something catching on fire!

You could also use these shades on a mantel, or bookshelf without the garland.  I guess there's no need to wait until Christmas, so mine may get used again way before then!

Enjoy!

Oooooops, I Did It Again!

I swore I wouldn't do it again for at least a week, or maybe two weeks.  Apparently, I have no willpower!  I went back to the mecca of re purposing today....ReStore.  I bought some things.  Bigger things.  Things I didn't go there in search of. Things that made my heart sing when I saw them!  If only the basement wasn't completely cluttered (I say this lovingly, in case my brother ever reads this!) with my brother's musical stuff.  If it weren't, I would have a huge space to spread out my treasures, to work on them all and breathe new life back into them; making them MINE, instead of someone else's castoffs.  Alas, this is not the case, so I'll have to find a spot to work on them, one at a time. (After all, I am I guest in my brother's home right now!)

As I said, these things made my heart sing when I saw them.  The ride home was a different story.  It was raining.  The chair fit into the back seat of my small car, but the cabinet would only go about 95% into my trunk.  It wouldn't close.  The ReStore man used string to try and keep the trunk lid down......unfortunately, it wasn't tied tight enough, so the trunk lid kept bouncing up and down.  All the way home (About 8 miles.) the trunk lid flew up and then banged down every time I stopped at a traffic light or went up/down a hill.  If I had to stop at 1 traffic light, I'm sure I stopped at 20. BANG BANG BANG.  Then there was the train.  A LONG train.  All the while I was stopped at that crossing, I kept thinking "OMG....it's raining on my new cabinet......that's okay, it's just like a little bath for it.  I'll be home in just a few minutes."   Once I got moving again, and got closer to home, another red light, followed by waiting for an ambulance, followed by waiting for a Dollar General semi driver to figure out that he really couldn't swing that turn like he thought he could.

I'm FINALLY home with my treasures. I know a parent shouldn't have "favorites", but I think I love today's treasures more than the first ones.  In any case, I will show them all the same love and attention so that they feel at home in their new place.

My final thoughts on today's adventure are:

• Save trips to ReStore for less wet days.
• Go with a bigger vehicle.  (I may need a spare key to my sister's SUV, so that I can trade vehicles with her if she's at work and I get a hankering for a trip to ReStore!)
• Learn how to tie down objects myself.

Love the chair....love the cabinet.  there are shelves inside the cabinet.

The 3 shades on the left are a beautiful bronzey color.  The one on the right is that old timey "milk glass" look with nubs all over it.

My First Projects

Here are the "before" pictures of the items I picked up earlier this week.  Can't wait to take the "after" pics!



Oak Cabinet Door

Oak Cabinet Door Inserts/Panels

Wooden Window Panes

My New Addiction.....As If I Need Another One!

Last week, I was my brother's "Back-up Date" for the theater.  That night changed my life.  Not because I found something profound and life-altering in the performance (Although it was good!), but because on the way there, we passed a Habitat For Humanity ReStore.  

I have always been the kind of person that gets some hair brained idea for making something out of something else.  When it hits me, there is NOTHING that can stand in my way.  I will walk through blizzards and tornadoes to get the last thing I need to make my project come to life. I will stay up all night working on these projects, or spend an entire weekend perfecting them.  I become obsessed! 

I've heard of these ReStores before, but have never visited one.  So, when we drove by it last week, I made a mental note of where it was; because I knew that I would be back......SOON! (As I made this mental note, I wiped a bit of saliva from my chin.  It had apparently escaped my mouth as it was wide open; you know, in that mindless, open-mouth daze that we never realize we're doing!)

Three days later, I was there - the DSW of re purposing!  I started off just walking around.  Within 5 minutes, I had several items in my arms and then realized that I would need a cart.  Yes, this was going to be wonderful.....orgasmic even!

I spent about an hour there, wandering the aisles over and over again.  I went there hoping to find some wooden shutters, but didn't find them.  What I did find though, was the realization that for far too long, I have let work consume all of my energy and emotion.  Over the last 5 or 6 years, I stopped getting hair brained ideas.  There was no creativity flowing from me, no project that inspired me so much that I would devote a weekend, or even a day to it. I was not me anymore.

So, in order to ReStore myself, my creativity and help Habitat for Humanity, I'm going to spend a lot of time in the ReStore shop.  I'm going to get those juices flowing again and re purpose some great stuff; some for myself and some to gift to others.  I'll be sure to post before and after pictures here, so that you can see what I've been up to.  Please share  your ideas and comments with me....I'd love to have your feedback!

Now, it's time for me to get going to Hobby Lobby and pick up a few small things to complete the re purposing on the first few pieces I bought last week!