Orange Avocados

Flower Clip Tutorial

2011-04-05T15:49:00.001-07:00

Have you noticed these cuties for little girls? I figured out how to make them for about a quarter. That's right 25 cents. Pretty incredible I know!!! Forget making ribbon bows they take much longer and these turn out so much cutier.

You will need the following:

Flowers- I've found them at the dollar store, but this week they are even cheaper at Michaels. I got these bunches for 79 cents a piece this week!

Hair clips-Get them from a beauty store. I bought this 100 pack for 5 bucks!

Jewels--Michaels has a good selection, plus use the 40% off coupon for an even better deal.

HOT glue gun-this thing always burns me, but the other type won't stick the flower to the clip.

Now for the steps:

1. Pick apart a few flowers you think will go well together.

Keep the "bud" because now you are going to layer the petals back on the bud.I'll show you...

Use smaller petals first.

Add more layers...

and more...

and more..

untill you like the fullness.

Now sandwich the bud together. The front and back.

Like this...

Now carefully glue the jewel in the middle. Have an ice cube ready to relieve any dang burns!

Almost done!

Now use a little felt to glue the flower to the top of the clip.

I like to put some ribbon around the bottom of the clip to it's safe on baby's head.

Last enjoy all you creations. One you get it down you can make one in about 5 minutes. I'm due with a girl in about a week, and I can't wait to get these cuties on her!

The ribbon ones were fun, but took a lot longer and I don't think they look quite as good.

Coming out of hiding...

2010-06-30T17:48:00.000-07:00

I feel like I'm coming out of hiding. Sorry I haven't been blogging lately, but to tell the truth I haven't done any remakes since last summer. I just finished a few projects and I thought I'd share with you a cute sconce set and giant key that I remade from the thrift store.

Before

(Still haven't finished the middle flower hanger thingy)

After

Isn't it fun! These were super easy to create. I love the look of oil rubbed bronze, but I had a hard time figuring it out. I went from rubbing acrylic gold paint on black to buying "oil Rubbed Bronze" spray paint color. Then I tried this last method. It is the easiest and cheapest way to get the look. I will break down this method just for you!

1. Spray the item gold.

2. Lightly spray the item black or brown to desired look.

3. Let dry.

4. Spray with clear flat spray paint.

5. Done and done!

Super easy and super fast. Love it!

Junk Party

2009-06-21T16:11:00.000-07:00

I know I'm a little late on this junk party, but I guess I just lost track of time. Well here's the update on the chairs. I really enjoyed this project and finished them in only two days. We have had a BBQ with them and my guests were very comfortable using these $1.00 chairs. Who woulda thunk?? Well here's the rundown of the entire transformation.

This is a close up of what kind of shape they were in before the transformation. As you can see there is paint spilled all over them. That was annoying to smooth out. I used steel wool to scrub it away.

This is just after I gave them a thorough washing. I took the chair pads off and set them aside to reupholster.

Added a coat of primer. I just had one can of primer so I had to make it last. I decided if I needed more I would just seal it with another coat when I was all done with the painting.

Okay I have to brag about this deal. If you are lucky your dollar store will get spray paint, and if you are really lucky you will get a brand name. Well I guess I was really, really lucky because I bought this BLACK KRYLON spray paint on 88 cent Tuesdays at my Honks Dollar Store. That's right people $0.88 for name brand spray paint.

Here's another tip for reupholstering outdoor furniture. Get an outdoor table cloth and use it at your fabric. I got this bag for $4.00 at Walmart.

Be sure you get the most for your money. Get the largest oblong shape. They all cost the same no matter the size, so get the largest amount and you will have enough vinyl to do a dozen chairs!

Darn birds! This chair was out only 15 minutes before it became the target.

To reupholster, I added a little more fluff and stapled the fabric tight around the edges. This was truly one of the easiest project I have completed. The hardest part was the painting, it always seems that is the hardest, but I can't complain for it only was $12.00 for these chairs! That's right $4.00 chairs, $4.00 paint, and $4.00 covers. Pretty great day I must say!

Isn't it just so cozy! They are just the right size for the table. If I didn't know any better I would have thought it was a set. SWEET!!!

Another outdoor chair remake!

2009-06-12T10:47:00.000-07:00

Went to the thrift store yesterday and low and behold I found a set of outdoor chairs. They are really grungy and I could see people throwing these out to the dump, hence the price tag:

I'm so glad I found them. They are well made, without any of the feet missing, and they are very sturdy. They have been used as painting chairs I suspect, but I could see their potential, and for only one dollar, I could not just pass them by. I got four chairs for only four dollars.

And I'm thinking they will go nicely with this sitting area after I remake them. As soon as I am finished with the transformation I will post the after pictures. In the meantime check out Joys of Home's apartment transformation here. It is fantastic! Also join the party, it's going to be fun! Just click on the icon at the top of my blog and it will take you right to the junk party makeover.

Oh I am so giddy!

Lilacs and Updates

2009-06-03T15:58:00.001-07:00

The lilacs are blooming and it just so happens that purple is my favorite color. This space needed an update with flowers, so a little pruning on the lilac bushes and...

A splash of color! Doesn't the space just look brighter? Now my home smells of a garden! Don't you just love my microwave in the corner? Just keepin' it real!

I love this space and it is so fun to change it up. I'll be sad when I have to throw these out, but the orange mini-rosebush is beginning to bud and orange will also be a great color for the space. Nothing beats a free update and bouquet of fresh cut flowers.

I wish I could send you the fragrance of a lilac bush! Summer is now just around the corner. I just love this time of year because it isn't too hot and we don't have frost every morning. I hope you all now want to get out there and do something outside!

What I've been dreaming of...

2009-05-17T21:21:00.000-07:00

I love to garden, and this is hard as a renter. I live in the country, so I can have a garden and such, but it really isn't mine. Well I have started to change my attitude. I will be living here for probably another year, so I am trying to make my surroundings more enjoyable. Lately I have been redoing flower beds and and making a sitting area. I want to spend a lot of time outside this summer, and I want to enjoy what I'm looking at.
Today I was dreaming of a beautiful yard and new projects for me to conquer. I went to Better Home and Garden to look at all the beautiful pictures. This week is supposed to be beautiful so I know I will be working on the yard. Here are a few pics for you to enjoy!

Finally a new post

2009-05-12T17:29:00.000-07:00

So I know I haven't been blogging lately, but I've been keeping myself busy. This is what I have been up to lately...

Isn't it fun. Totally new chairs! Just think, these easily could be rotting at the dump right now!

Because this was such a huge transformation, I'm gonna give you the rundown. First I took them completely apart to see what I could do. Even after rusty screws, bugs, and spiders I saw the potential of the chairs.

I was kinda freaked out about how I would be able to reupholster them, until I saw these little claws. Now I wasn't sure how I was going to lift them out, but I was going to at least try.

Success!
The key was to push them from the front to the back with a pair of round nose pliers. I think I hear the birds singing!

Now I had to figure out how to hide those holes. I'm not a welder and duct tape wasn't going to cut it.

I went ahead and did the primer, and meanwhile went to the store to figure out what to do with those holes. I asked a person in hardware what they recommended, and they showed me a putty that is used for steel and metal. So I ended up putting it over the holes and letting it cure for about a day. I then took my power sander and let it work its' magic. Seeeeee the difference!

Look no holes!!!! Don't you love the fabric! Just perfect. I didn't want it to get too weathered, so here's a little tip:

Dollar Store vinyl shower curtain cut to cover the fabric!

Brilliant!

I know your dying to know how much this cost me... the total was $6.00 for paint, $5.00 for metal putty, and $10.00 for fabric/vinyl. That's a total of $21.00 for two like new outdoor chairs! Happy Dance!!! The cushions were free cause I just used fluffy blankets that were going to go to the thrift store.

As a side note I found those pillow for clearance at $2.50 a piece, and if I get tired of them I can just used them as a pillow form for another pillow case!

Project Procrastination

2009-04-29T22:33:00.000-07:00

So I was just looking at the inspired room blog, and they are having a project procrastination party! I have two weeks to completely remake these two chairs. I know I probably should have just thrown them out the window, but lets see how things go first. Wish me luck! Here are the before pics...

Pretty sick, but you cant beat a couple of free chairs!

A much needed facelift

2009-04-28T09:46:00.000-07:00

My kitchen doesn't have a ton of storage, so a few years ago I bought this shelf. It worked great for the space, other than it was an eye sore. My excuse was that I was renting and I didn't need anything to look nice because it would be too expensive and too much work. So this sat in the kitchen for a few years just like this, but with more stuff on it...

I wanted to give it a face life and needed accessories. I have been buying white plates galore and I found this sweet little spice rack at the thrift store, but I could get more use out of it than just spices. So after giving everything a quick coat of black spray paint...

TA DA!!! Now it looks more like a hutch. I have made more space in the cupboards and I am in lurve every time I look at it.

It may not be a real hutch, but I love it! Now I used mostly things I already had. The spice rack was only three dollars and it makes the perfect top to these shelves. Total cost of project was under $15! Now what do you think of that??

Can I just say white plates are amazing! Every time I go to the thrift store I look for cute white plates, and usually am successful.

A needed shelf

2009-04-27T18:59:00.000-07:00

I have been looking for a shelf for a while now. Nothing fancy, just something for my storage room. It is funny how you see thing differently when you are reusing and thrifting. This shelf has been in the garage since I can remember, and I never really looked at it. It was garbage. Left for the birds in a woodpile. Can you see all the grime and dirt. First I nailed and screwed it back together, then removed any loose nails or staples. Then got out the scrubber and cleaned out all the dirt and bird poop. This was not for the faint hearted. I had to put on the big rubber gloves for this job.
After I was done I needed a little snack and break. Yum chocolate milk and granola bar.

This is just after cleaning it up. After cleaning out all the dirt and removing the plastic from the shelf I found out that this used to be a Doctor Scholls shoe rack. Funny how things can be used.

Next I applied a coat of Kills, and white paint. I have used this for various projects over the years. It has been four years and I'm only 1/3 of the way through!

Wow what a difference! Perfect for the storage room and didn't cost me a thing. Now look through those junk piles, you may see thing differently when looking a second time!

Grapevine Topiary

2009-04-16T20:38:00.000-07:00

Okay so I'm not sure if that's what these are called, but I love decorating with 'em. I have seen these made with larger branches and love it as well, but the grapevine I had on hand was this smaller size.

Here's a quick tutorial on making these. They come together pretty quick, but if your vine is prickly WEAR GLOVES! This vine was fine without gloves, but to be safe and splinter free put on the work gloves.

I like how versatile it is to decorate with these. I just put them on a candle holder or large vase. They just bring nature to a scene and complement the design.

The first step is to SOAK. I let them bath in the water for about an hour. Don't worry, the water maybe swamp like looking, but there weren't any bad odors.

After soaking it pull some of the branches apart. This part is probably the longest step and the most annoying, but this depends on how spindly your branches are.

Next wrap a branch around your finger, like making a yarn ball. First you twirl it around two fingers.

Then take another branch and twirl it around the the circle of branches. Keep adding branches and you will see the ball start to form.

Like this...just keep adding more branches to the ball, and it will get bigger and bigger just like a ball of string.

As you go along put the ends back inside the ball. This will keep the shape.

The last step is to put all the ends back into the ball. Just weave them back into the ball.

Viola!

And there you have it!

I bought the grapevine at the thrift store for $2.00, I have made four balls so far and used less than half of the total vine. Always keep your eyes peeled for a good deal on vines, because the possibilities are endless with a little vine and creativity!

A Renter's Wall Art

2009-04-08T10:24:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting some wall art for a while without doing something permanent. I rent so I need to take it down when I leave. I wanted it to be less than five bucks to make. Well the total cost of this project was less than $2.67! I am so happy with this and even happier with the price.

The first step is to find some wrapping paper or contact paper. I looked everywhere for black contact paper, but when I came across this black wrapping paper at IKEA I knew I could make this work. So I used Sticky Tac ($1.00), wrapping paper ($1.67), and scissors on hand for this project.

It is time consuming for me to cut out a perfectly made flower, so I have a process. To make the flowers cut various size circles. I like to trace around canning lids.

Then fold over and cut out the circles.

To create the petals cut small triangles around the circle.

Keep doing this all around the circle.

How easy was that!

Now you have all these scraps. I use these to make the small branches.

See...

I cut out a large branch and stuck it to the wall.

Sticky tac goes a long way. use lots of small pieces all around the shape.

And place the flowers on the small branch.

See it coming together! I extended the large branch with another piece of wrapping paper cut to size.

Make little starts using scraps and place it onto the main branch.

This is the main branch and you can see the cut. To cover it up use ol' reliable Sharpie.

The corner needed something. A little chair would be perfect, but I didn't have one that was quite right.

So my night stand will do. It didn't fit well next to my bed, but perfect here!

Pretty great look for only $2.67!

LOVE IT!

Thrift Store Finds

2009-04-04T22:03:00.000-07:00

I went to the thrift store a few days ago and found some steals, white dishes, decorating ideas, diaper bag, and an update on my media bookcase.

I absolutely love this magazine. They have the greatest ideas and they are filled with information. Whenever I buy one, I treat it like a book, and look through the pages over and over. So these babies are about $4 each, but at the thrift store only $0.25. Plus they gave me a free one, so four for $0.75 I found four inspiring books that I will read until the pages curl.

I have a huge bookcase that has DVD's. We have hundreds of DVD's, it is really an obsession, but I hate them staring back at me. I want to add some doors to hide the clutter. It's really easier than it seems to add a pair of doors to a bookshelf. I ended up paying $0.50 for the lot of them. There are eight good hinges, so I can make at least three doors. I am SO excited I found these.

Don't you love the look! It's Ralph Lauren, so you know its worth hundreds. I bought it for $4.00. I have needed an update on my diaper bag. The poor thing is peeling and stained. Well I got a lot of use out of that old bag, but I'm excited to get to know this new stallion of a bag!

Lastly are the white dishes. I love this style. It may not be a complete set, but it sure is a great update on my current white plates. Think 90's diner plates. For 7 dinner plates, three ramekins, and two salad plates it was $9.50. This was my big buy of the day. I was actually in there a few days before, but I wasn't sure I wanted to spend the money. But when I saw that most were still there, I knew it was meant to be!

At the end of it all I spent $15.00. Pretty good for all those finds!

Before and After

2009-04-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

Yes I know I am a renter, but I just don't want to sit around and keep my surroundings frumpy. My mother has always said, beautify your life no matter where you live. I have permission to change my surroundings for the better, so I will take advantage of that. Here is a small, sad, abused cabinet. I decided to give it a face lift.
You see the veneer shining through? It has been like this since the day we moved in, and I have been bothered by it for four years now! Time for change.

I repainted some hard wear, sanded, primed, and painted. Now look a the difference!

Even though it is completely the same piece, it looks like it took a day at the spa.

Loven the new hardware! I really do enjoy the chrome finish. I will have to look into other metal colors. So exciting!

Easter Topiary Tutorial

2009-03-28T08:17:00.000-07:00

A little egg, leaves, grape vine, moss and kazzam a sweet and economical (REALLY CHEAP) Easter topiary!

I first saw an Easter Topiary like this at Freddy's, and I fell in love. I knew I would be able to make it for much, much less than the retail price. So I went next door to the dollar store and looked for goodies that would help me make the topiary. Total cost for this was $5.00. I was so excited when I was done that I decided to do a tutorial. If you have any questions just let me know!

1. Use a sphere of foam and cover it with moss. Joys of Home has a great tutorial here.

2. Stick three wooden long bamboo skewer on the bottom of moss ball. Make sure it is centered. As you can see there is still foam poking through my ball. It okay, you will cover that up with other things.

3. Now before you stick the tree into your floral foam, cover the skewers with green floral tape. I didn't do this and I had to use a new floral foam cube. If it doesn't seem very secure glue it in place with a glue gun.

4. The next few steps use the glue gun a lot. So plug that bad boy in!

5. Glue on your eggs. Now I recommend using the mini eggs for this project. They fit better with the size of the moss ball. These were $1.50 for 24 eggs. I will probably put up a tutorial for making these eggs. Yes I know I'm cheap, but a girls gotta be right now. I place them around randomly and used about 20 eggs. The first time I made the tree I used ten eggs, which turned out badly, so I recommend using at least 20 mini eggs.

6. The next step is optional. I took some branches from outside and spray painted them brown. I then cut the branch into smaller sticks and used it as a filler. I wanted it to be very full and tangle. I then took little green balls and glued them to cut ends to make it look like tree buds on the branch.

7. Then I added some regular old leaves and glued them right onto the tree to make it even more full.

8. This is what I ended up with.

9. The last step is using floral picks and tacking grape vine to the tree top. I first used a hot glue gun, but the grape vine wouldn't stick to the tree. If you don't have floral picks, just use a toothpick and wrap one end with some wire, leaving a tail of wire to wrap around your grape vine.

9. Wrap the wire around the end of the vine securely, and push it into the tree top. I like to place it in the bottom. I had to push this pretty hard, but don't worry your sticks shouldn't break.

10. Here is a pic of me pushing it through the tree top. I did this several times, for a full effect.

Viola! A way fun inexpensive Easter Topiary!

f you have any questions just leave me a comment and I will get back to you. Thanks for reading!

One of My New Favorite Things...

2009-03-27T08:17:00.000-07:00

I have had this little sewing table for a while and, now that I have my wild hair for spray painting, I decided to finnally redo it. I love to sew, but this table doesn't fit either of my machines. I love the repeating squares on the front and it is just the right hieght for storage. It had a lot of wear on the top so I first had to sand it. This is my little boy helping.

I ended up taking the whole thing apart because I wanted to redo the hard wear. I was going to paint it all black, but then I thought I should try chrome paint.

It was a bit too shiny, so I wiped some of the paint off the front of the harware. It helped some, but once it dried I used some fine sand paper to take some more off and let the natural shine come through.

Here it is after three bottles of spray paint, and some sealer. I put it all back together and am very pleased with the result.

My husband loves blankets, so now we have some storage to keep them in the living room. The suitcases were another great thrift store find for $2.50 each. They also have blankets in them. I know, I know, but it gets cold in a dreary basement apartment, and I have no windows to help me keep warm. We use blankets to make up for it!

There's the sweet little birdie taking the spotlight again! I decided the pretty new table was perfect for the pretty little birdie.

I am really happy with the way the hardware turned out. I was worried that the chrome would look way too fake, but with a little sanding they match perfectly. Now I don't think the hinges would work too well with chrome paint. I guess the originals will have to do for now.

Four Dollars

2009-03-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

Can I just say four dollars! Four dollars to a great keepsake. Four dollars to decorating. Four dollars to fun storage and displaying. Four dollars spent the thrift store! Isn't it fun and out of the box. I have been wanting a fun birdcage, but when I found this I saw potential. I'm sure you can guess what it is meant to be used for, but I think it works better used as this:

This little birdie I found at Freddy's (Fred Meyer), and I couldn't just pass him up. He is so sweet and endearing. He was also four dollars, but he was worth every penny!

I love the ornamental details this piece has. It was originally off white with brown smudges all over it, but I thought why not give it a face lift with classic black. Since then it has stolen the spotlight of the kitchen.

Easter Find!

2009-03-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

I was thrift store shopping the other day and I found this sweet little bunny for .75 cents.

I knew that I could make her look like these with just a few coats of paint.

Pottery Barn

Watch the transition!

Isn't she fun! I think it was a fantastic face lift! All thanks to 1.99 spray paint, and I only used a fraction of the paint! Hopefully I can find another similar one so she can have a buddy!

Chair Remake

2009-03-23T14:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I live in an apartment and it came with these chairs. I think they are terrible, and I asked my landlord if I could remake them, he said he didn't care what I did with the furniture, so I bought some fabric, invested in a nail gun, and bought black spray paint. Here's the before and after:
I love the french garden toile fabric. My kitchen has spurts of red, black, and cream, so when I was going through my fabric stash, this screamed to me. It makes me dream of simpler times, reading books, Jane Austin, brunch, and picnics.

The main fabric was cut a little short, so with a little extra fabric sewn to the back, it is complete. I actually like this added. It flows nicely with the chair legs.
Not too shabby. Only $10.00 to remake this set of chairs!

Chili Fries

2009-01-01T18:08:00.000-08:00

These chili fries are pretty healthy. The fries are oven baked and the chili has lots of fiber and not much fat. The fries take about 30 minutes to cook in the oven, so I cook the chili while the fries are cooking.

Oven Baked Fries
5 small potatoes
3 Tbs Olive Oil
Seasoning Salt

First cut potatoes and lay them on a cookie sheet.

Next add some Olive Oil and seasonings.

Bake at 400 F for 15 minutes and then stir. Return to the oven and bake until fries are tender, about 15 minutes.

Quick Chili
1/3 lb ground burger (beef, turkey, whatever you like)
1 12 oz can "chili ready" tomatoes
1 12 oz can pinto beans
2/3 cup tomato sauce
Taco seasoning

Brown the hamburger.

Drain fat and add 1/2 an onion.

Cook until onions are tender.
Add drained pinto beans and chili ready tomatoes.

Add some tomato sauce and stir in taco seasonings to taste. Bring to boil and then pour over oven fries. Top with cheese, sour cream and your favorite salsa.

Yum Yum!

Caramel Corn

2009-01-01T17:59:00.000-08:00

Candy Cane Caramel Corn

Candy Carmel Corn
5 qt air popped popcorn
1 cup butter
1/2 cup Karo syrup
2 cups sugar
1 Tbs molasses
3/4 tsp salt
Bring to a boil and let boil without stirring for three minutes.
Add 1 tsp soda and stir together until foamy. Pour over popped popcorn and bake at 200 F for 1 hour stirring twice while baking. After cool add melted chocolate and crushed candy bits. Store in airtight container.

Heath Chocolate Caramel Corn

chicken salad wrap

2008-11-16T08:53:00.000-08:00

I got this idea from a friend. They used grapes, but apples are also great. This is a quick and easy lunch or snack. I first cook some chicken in olive oil. Meanwhile cut some apples or grapes and place in a bowl. Add a little mayo and salt and pepper to taste. Put in a wrap, pita or make a sandwich. Enjoy!

A few things I have sewn

2008-09-30T12:26:00.000-07:00

I have been looking at some of the sewing creations on the Burda website, and decided to post some of my own on this site. I created a profile and posted the items on this site. I decided I should also let my blogging buddies see some of my creations. I'm still working on the shirt that I posted about on my previous post. Well these are all very simple fun items that I have around my home.

Child's Blocks

Corner Toy Storage

Toy Storage

Knife Edge Pillow With Cording

Thanks for looking!

Best Sewing Website Ever

2008-09-21T11:44:00.000-07:00

I have been looking around the web for some fun sewing websites, and I found the perfect one! It has hundreds of sewing patterns, and not just those dumb craft patterns. It has some cute adult and kid clothes. I'm going to try and make this shirt:

Here's another cute pic that someone made with the pattern:

The website is here. So stinkin cute!!! Have fun looking around.

Ham and Bean Soup

2008-09-14T16:40:00.000-07:00

I made this for dinner in about 30 minutes. I love canned beans for this very reason. I didn't have celery so I used celery salt. Use celery if you have it on hand. I topped it with those great high fiber crackers.

Ham and Bean Soup

1/2 lb cubed ham

1 Onion

2 Carrots

2 stalks celery or 1/2 tsp celery salt

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 cans Great Northern Beans

2 cups water

olive oil

fresh herb and crackers (optional)

Brown ham with olive oil in stock pot. Meanwhile chop onion, celery, and carrot in food processor. Add vegetable mixture to stock pot and lightly cook for five minutes. Add beans, water, garlic powder, pepper, paprika and celery salt if you don't have celery. Add salt to taste. Top with any fresh herb you have on hand and crushed crackers. Yum Yum!

First Post and New Diet

2008-09-14T13:28:00.000-07:00

Well I have decided to make this new blog. My family blog is now private. Email me or let me know if you would like to see my family blog.

Today I started a new diet. Right before I got married, I did the South Beach diet and I lost 20 lbs in about three months. This was my perfect size. I am almost to my pre-pregnancy weight, after having a baby about year ago. I confess to weighing 158 lbs. My perfect weight is 130 lbs. That is 28 lbs to lose. I know through hard work I will be able to do it, and your support will help me through it. Wish me luck!