My Fab $3 Mirror

I needed a new mirror for the bathroom in our new house, and I'm cheap, so I didn't want to spend $25 on the Target one that I liked, so I decided to scour the thrift stores to find one that was more my taste, and cheaper.

Here she was- priced at $6 on sale for half off- that's what I'm talking about!  Don't you just love Music City Thrift in Madison?  All it took was a coat of black spray paint and she's as good as new. Not to mention the fact that I have the coolest bathroom mirror- ever!

Pillow-Makin' Fool

I don't know if I told you, but I found an old school Singer sewing machine at the Goodwill Outlet for $15- and yes it does work.  So after staring at it for 5 months, I decided that I would try my sewing skills.  Mind you, that I haven't sewn anything since Ms. McNeal's Home Ec class in high school.  Now what to sew...

Pillows seem easy enough- right?  I went to JoAnn's here in Nashville, and in the very back of the store they sell the special order fabric samples.  These are perfect for pillows- 18" square and with a finished edge...did I mention they are $2 a piece.  Just mix and match the patterns- since obviously they don't have more than one of the same fabric. 

Then I turned into a pillow-making machine.  All I did was put the squares together, sewed a hem around the edge, leaving about a 3 inch hole so I could stuff it, and voila!

Table dilemma at the new house

I saw this problem, thankfully, before we moved in.  Our current dining room table, a behemoth, is too big for our new dining room.  I'm on a tight budget, especially, since I'm not going back to work.  So, what's a girl to do?  If you remember the green table that I re-did a while back (see the $30 table that broke my heart), I decided to use that table with my current dining room chairs.  The fabric needed to be replaced, so it would match the green.

I found this awesome fabric at The Fabric House here in Nashville.  They have wonderful discounted designer fabric, in the best styles. I had to buy 2 yards of this fabric because of the pattern (I wanted the  circles to be centered on each of the chair cushions- I know, very anal).

Can't always find what you're looking for...so just make it

Originally, I needed a coffee table, and I couldn't find one that I liked, so I got a hair-brained idea to just make one. I got Home Depot to cut the MDF board to the right size because 1. I don't have a table saw and 2. the damn board wouldn't have fit into my car.

Materials:
- (1) 4x8 sheet of 3/4" MDF board, wood glue, wood screws
- (30) pieces of furring strips at 0.89 each and 3 tubes of liquid nails adhesive
- (1) can of fast-drying polyurethane and 3 foam brushes
- (1) bottle of acrylic black paint

I built the base using the wood screws and the MDF board, then covered the entire box with the furring strips. Then I put a coat of polyurethane over the wood, so it wouldn't soak up all of the paint.  Then I mixed 1 part black acrylic paint with 2 parts water and wiped the whole thing down.  It was still pretty black, so then I used steel wool to take off some of the paint and smooth it down.

After all of that, I think I'm going to use this as a bench at the end of our bed, rather than a coffee table.  This thing is HUGE- about 5ft. long x 18" wide and 18" tall- did I mention heavy- I can't move it by myself- oh well, you live and you learn, right?

What have you done with your life lately?

OK, so here's the deal, we had a baby on January 18.   You are not suppose to spray paint, or use any of the other crazy chemicals that I use when your pregnant- so that's the reason for the hiatus.  Have no fear, though- I HAVE BEEN WORKING! 

We have recently sold our house, and are moving to somewhat of a "fixer upper"- which is my dream come true!  I have been busy working on packing up our house, and finishing up projects before we move.  I'll be posting my projects shortly.

Before & After Baby Room

Baby Bed: Craigslist $15

Dresser: Craigslist FREE

Window Panels: FREE from a Friend

Paint: $20

The $2.99 Chair

Just when you thought the $5 chair was the least expensive chair you could find- ha!  I picked up these three from the Goodwill outlet store in Berry Hill.  $2.99 per chair + .99 for spray paint, and you've got yourself a pretty cute breakfast area.

The $5 Chair

Remember high school chemistry class, the wooden swivel stools.  There must have been millions of them, because everyone knows what I'm talking about.  The real question is after seemingly hundreds of years of use (we probably used the same chairs our grandparents used).  Anyway, I found these fab finds on craigslist the other day for a mere $5- what a freaking steal.  Anything that has held up for that long, has got to be sturdy..not to mention a good story. 

Here are my little beauties, I wish I could have bought all 50 of them- oh well.

Oh Bookcase, Where Art Thou

I have been on the prowl for a new bookcase for our office for a while, and I have come up with nothing. Nothing that has the "feel" that I want or the size. Now, I know that this blog is suppose to be about buying things on the cheap, but I did want to point out one thing. It is important to mix in different pieces to your home decor, and by this I mean things that are new. If you continue to add flea market and thrift store furnishings, guess what, your home is going to start looking like a thrift store. Mix it up a bit, add new modern items (think a lamp, picture frame, etc.) with your thrift store decor, and they'll compliment each other.

So today, on my lunch break I'm trekking to Merridian Furniture in Nashville to peek at their bookcases. I LOVE their furniture, and their prices are reasonable, too.

BIG Wall, Tiny Budget

My sister recently moved into a new loft, and while the space is great, there is one huge wall that needed to be dealt with, and of course it needed to be done so on a budget. What's a girl to do...

I suggested that she hang records that run the whole length of the wall to draw your eye to the window at the end of the wall. We bought 50 records from the Goodwill Outlet store, and Velcro to hang them. The result was dramatic, and who doesn't love drama.
50 used Records- $10
1 roll of Velcro- $3

Life and all...

Just a quick update on what I've been doing, and why it looks like I've not been refinishing furniture. FEAR NOT! My husband and I have found out that we are expecting, and I'm due in January. Being that spray paint, and paint in general is not good for an expectant mother, I have not been painting lately, BUT I have my wonderful sister who has been doing my dirty work...and painting.

Here's what I've been working on, my sister moved to Nashville with basically a suitcase, and we have been diligently working on fixing up her new loft and getting a baby's room set up. You guessed it, it has all been done on a budget.

Color Pop

Sometimes an old piece of furniture may not need a total makeover. This chair was bought off of craigslist, in perfect condition. I liked the shape, the fabric, and the size, but something still wasn't right- it still looked...stuffy.

By painting the legs a bright yellow, all of a sudden the chair has a more modern feel. ($0.99 can of bright yellow spray paint).

Keep it simple.

This easy spring/ summer wreath cost less than $5. This wreath was on clearance (left over from Easter) and cost $1.97, I added a simple grosgrain ribbon ($2.38). I looped the ribbon through the wreath, and simply taped the ribbon to the top of the door.

Mid-Century Love on $20

I cannot tell you how long I've been looking for a fabulous vintage sofa. I had somewhat given up, and of course then, I found one...for $20. There she was sitting opposite a torn and tattered rust colored, sorry excuse for a sofa...and I fell in love. The size is perfect, proportions are perfect, fabric is in great shape, it doesn't smell, and as an added bonus...it's a sofa bed. This sofa could not be in more perfect condition. Now the big question, what to do with it....

Be one with nature.

I have recently gotten hooked on houseplants. I say "recently" because I have realized how to actually take care of plants...and not kill them. Houseplants are a great way to add life to a room. They are relatively inexpensive, and make a world of difference, kind of like a mirror. I will preface my next paragraph with, I AM NOT A GARDEN GURU, but here are some things that I have learned.

1. Water plants once a week. For small plants, put the entire plant in the kitchen sink. Water the plant until water seeps out of the drainage hole.
2. Fertilize your plants.
3. Re-pot plants that you buy from the store. (It took me a while to figure this one out)
4. You don't need to buy expensive pots. I buy terracotta pots, and age them. Here is a website that shows you different ways to age terracotta pots. I used the yogurt one, and it worked like a charm, add history to your pots here.

Its the small things that count...right?

I ran across the great article today, and I thought that it was so good, that I would share. Use as many, or as few as you like. Just in case you needed 101 more things to add to your "to do" list. Enjoy 101 easy home makeovers.

When is a floor pillow more than a floor pillow?

Again at Southeastern Salvage, I came across a pile of floor pillows. I am not one to have a stack of floor pillows, but with such great color and size, they have to have another use. I love the pillows, because they are relatively inexpensive, they are over-sized, and they have great shape. Why not get these off the floor and onto your bed, or sofa. What a great way to add a punch of color for the spring and summer.

From Brassy to Classy

I keep kicking myself for not buying all of these at the Goodwill store (they usually have a few, but they had a great selection last weekend). Anyway, this was probably the easiest "makeover" I've done in a while...taking all of about 2 minutes, excluding drying time. Are you ready for the big reveal...I spray painted this plate red...that's it.

Idiot-proof Centerpiece...or Wall Decor?

Keep it simple. My favorite centerpiece? A large bowl or plate filled with a single kind of fresh fruit. My favorites are lemons, green apples, or oranges- you know me, I like bright colors. The plate or bowl is just as important. I found these great plates at Southeastern Salvage, and for $5- what a steal!

TIP: Why not buy 3 or 5 of these large plates and hang them on a wall for a great low-cost focal point.

Art by the Pound?

Is it possible to buy cool art by the pound? I say yes. Check out this cool piece of artwork, about 30"x42", that I picked up from the Goodwill outlet on Saturday. I think it weighs 2 lbs. which would mean that I paid $1.18, because apparently art is considered "housewares". Don't you just love a good deal.

Tip: Buy art that inspires you or is a great conversation piece (like the donkey's stomach in this picture). Please, please, please only buy original pieces of art...pictures of art, framed to look like an original do not count.