Weekly Treasures.....

What a fun week of treasure hunting.... A friend and I couldn't find any garage sales advertised (holiday weekend and all) so we opted to hit Goodwill.... then, she suggested a thrift store in Greenville, IL.... I'd never been so off we went. 

Wow.... we spent the entire day shopping.... we both thought we'd only be gone a couple hours.  We left her house at 9:30 in the morning and I didn't get her back till nearly 5:00.

We had a great time.... if you're looking for a fun day check out the little town of Greenville, Illinois there's quite a few resale, thrift and antique stores to look at. 

We did end up finding a garage sale... picked up some fun stuff... not sure what I'm doing with it yet... but fun stuff none the less.

Great Finds...

Great books and gorgeous tins.... so much fun

This lamp was screaming my name.... I am so in love with it!

I am completely in love with quite a few of the things I found... I have a rule though.... it all gets cleaned up, priced and taken to Pinkie (The Pink Elephant Antique Mall in Livingston, IL where I have a shop) for a couple months.... then, if it's still available and I'm still in love with it.... I bring it home and add it to my personal collection!  Yes, I've broken that rule many times... especially with Shawnee Pottery.... but it works very well for me.

 

More often that not it sells and I don't have to worry about it! 

 

Win/Win

 

Vintage Glassware.....

You can't beat the colors and pattern of vintage glassware.... I just love it!  Here's some samples of what you'll find at The Pink Elephant in Livingston, IL (right off I-55 between St. Louis and Springfield).

Pink Elephant Antique Mall.... Livingston, IL

If you're ever traveling up I-55 in Illinois between St. Louis and Chicago keep your eyes open for this mall around exit 33 from the south or 37 from the north..... with Pinkie nestled off the frontage road between the two. 

You really can't miss it..... there's a huge pink elephant out front... a space age "bachelor's pad" and an ice cream shop in the shape of a cone..... amongst other things! 

The building is an old school building with over 50 dealers..... full to the brim with stuff!.... loads and loads of stuff!  We're open everyday from 9:30-5:00.  Hope to see you sometime.

One of our dealers has the most amazing collection of jewelry... this is just the tip of the iceberg!

This is about half of the gym area.... with the stage in the background.  I am standing upstairs and there's more downstairs.... I'm telling ya.... it's huge... so much to see.  Give yourself plenty of time... you don't want to miss a thing!

The other half of the gym and stage.

This is up on the stage.... the shelves to the right are full of tools... yes guys.... loads of "guy" things to look at!

We are definitely more of an antique mall with only minimal repurposed/crafty things.  Rules are the main floor needs to stay antiques with a little more leeway for "fluffier" stuff in the basement and upstairs.  I happen to love the basement where I'm located and am hoping to add repurposed items ASAP! 

 

I am hoping to add pictures periodically giving you a glimpse into a booth or two each time......stay tuned... there's lots to see!

I need One of These.....

I am in love with shelving made from pipe.... here's a few great ideas from Pinterest..... I definitely want to make one someday.

Reclaimtofame Etsy shop has lots of cool rustic/repurposed pieces.

 

This ones my favorite.....love it!

All pictures are from my board on Pinterest called The Chirping Frog.... (from there you can follow the links back and maybe even find directions....) If you're not on Pinterest.... you really should be... tons of great ideas!  You really should check them out.  Great Stuff!

 

Auction Fun!

Found this at an auction earlier this spring.... hopefully it's my next project.  I am debating between two options for the top of the table.....

Bottlecaps with resin or decoupage....  I love the idea of the bottle caps but its a pretty heavy table already.... leaning towards decoupage.... what's your vote?

Bench Fun....

My mom does a "clean-out" every once in a while and I tend to inherit much of what she's trying to rid herself of.  This bench was one of those gems!  At first I thought I'd paint it a funky color but I really love the wood.... I have a hard time painting something that looks good in its original condition.... so, I left it alone.  You can see the seat in the background.... ugh!  I don't think they padded it much at all the first time.

 I added some cushioning and new fabric with a couple throw pillows and its adorable.... perfect in my entryway!  Great spot to sit and put on your shoes when you're getting ready to walk out the door.

Makes Me Want to Sew Again....

I have only sewn a few pieces of clothing and that was nearly 20 years ago.... These ideas from Pinterest really make me want to try again......WOW!

 http://www.remended.com/2013/08/silk-shirt-refashion.html

 

 

 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/redeuxclothing?ref=unav_listing-r
this etsy shop has lots of unique, creative pieces....

Someday, when I find some time.....(hahaha) I'd like to try a few of these ideas myself.... if you're not on Pinterest..... you really should be.  Lots of great ideas and tutorials..... incredible inspiration on just about any topic that interests you.... you really should check it out!

Easy Peasy Backsplash...

I was surprised just how easy these panels really were to install.... they even cut with a pair of scissors.... I purchased them at Lowe's (because that's where I was at the time) they are also available at Home Depot.......

 

This is what the kitchen backsplash looked like before..... very appealing eh? 

 

The tile are a little expensive.... right at $20 each, so I didn't want to waste any making stupid mistakes.... (like that'd ever happen) so I made paper templates.... worked out really good!

 

 I was cutting them with a razor blade first and that was kind of a pain so I thought.... why not give scissors a try.  Voila'..... they worked.  I really didn't expect them too.  So much easier.

 

I still haven't gotten the magnetic latches attached.... soon.  There are a couple minor things (a window treatment and a small patch of paneling still on the right of the picture which needs to wait till I tackle the next set of paneling) but the kitchen is really looking wonderful.

 

 Do you notice the dark shadow between the cabinets by the fridge.... yeah.... gotta fix that as well.  Whoever took the cabinet doors off also removed this section of the frame... why?  No idea... so I'll have to fix that as well.... there's always a long list of fix-ums isn't there?

 

 I've used curtain panels from Target in the eat-in area of the kitchen so I'm going to use a panel to make a valance for this window.... it'll add the perfect little pop of color...

 

Now that "rush week" is over I'll be conquering small projects at a time until Spring when the homeowner will be putting the house on the market.  Still have a pretty long to-do list.  Stay tuned for future projects.

 

What a Relief.....

I recently found this pin on Pinterest...... it reminds me of a window treatment I made for a client years ago.  On their website....royaldesignsstudio.com  you'll find lots of directions for stenciling.... tons of ideas and supplies.  It's a great look with unlimited potential for application.... check it out!

 

Here's the way I used it.... This client had horrible allergies and needed all fabric to be easily washable so we made wood cornice boards for the windows and used Velcro to attach a short ruffle of accent fabric.  It's difficult to see but in the middle of the valance is a floral stencil that was done using plaster and then simply dry brushed with a slightly darker paint color to help accentuate it.  They turned out very cute.