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September 26, 2012

DIY Dollar Store Fall Pumpkin Centerpiece

I recently decided to make some cute fall decor with the help of some metallic spray paint!


I went to my local dollar store and picked up 5 small orange & white foam pumpkins.


They had little sticks in them, so I just bent them back and forth and they pulled right out.
Since the red/yellow colors of the pumpkins didn't suit my needs, I reached for my trusty metallic silver spray paint and went to town! Using Rustoleum's Chrome Metallic Finish Spray Paint, I sprayed the tops and sides of each pumpkin and then let them dry for 10 minutes.



Once dry, I flipped them over and coated the underside.




After allowing them to completely dry for a full 30 minutes, I brought them inside and admired my new metallic pumpkins!


These pumpkins were $1 each for the big ones and then the 3 little ones were 3 for a $1. Can't beat that!







So, there ya have it: an elegant fall centerpiece!



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September 23, 2012

How To Update A Thrift Store Lamp

If you read my blog, you know by now that most of my decor comes from thrift stores. (You can see my best tips on thrift store shopping here.) Thrift stores are awesome for finding cheap decor. If you can get a bit creative and think outside of the box, you can create really unique pieces for your home. 
During my last thrift store shopping trip, I picked up a little lamp for $3. It needed some work, but ultimately I was able to turn it into a lamp I love.

How To Update a Thrift Store Lamp. Check out how easy this is!


When I first found it, it looked really different. There was a handmade pleather lampshade. It was a tad crooked, but I still appreciate the effort. :)

How To Update a Thrift Store Lamp. Check out how easy this is!

I am not one to be easily deterred. So, I grabbed my absolute favorite metallic silver spray paint and sprayed the base of the lamp. You don't have to prime, as this spray paint adheres really well to ceramics. All I did was tape up the electric parts and cord in a plastic bag before spray painting the base.



I said goodbye to the old lampshade and gathered my supplies for the new lampshade.
I decided to go with a simple drum shade. Target sells great mini drum shades for about $8. They are just the right size for smaller lamps. To spruce up my plain white shade, I decided to hotglue some black satin ribbon around the top and bottom.


How To Update a Thrift Store Lamp. Check out how easy this is!


I absolutely adore the way it turned out. 






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September 19, 2012

Thrift Store Shopping Tips

If you've seen our house you know that I have a love for all things thrifty. I love to search local thrift stores for items I can make my own and save tons of moolah doing so.

So, this is the story of what happens when I go to a thrift store. You'll see what I look for, my ideas for repurposing items, and what I ultimately purchased. I hope it will help give you some ideas for your next thrifty trip. (You can see my top 10 tips here...it's chock-full of thrifty ideas.)

How To Shop at a Thrift Store: tips for finding the best stuff!

I always try to keep an open mind while thrifting. You never know what you'll find, and you have to look beyond what's there. Some items need nothing at all, but most of the time thrift store shopping requires that you get a little (or a lot) creative.

 Every trip is different. Sometimes you find nothing at all, and then there's days like yesterday where I had to walk away with about a tenth of the stuff I wanted. Since I didn't bring them all home, let me show you some of the cool things I found while shopping. 

The first area I started browsing through was the furniture. There were tons of great pieces! I really loved this table and thought it would look fabulous painted a glossy black or even gray-washed. There were also a couple really great dressers. 


There was a really cute smaller white table, too. This would be great in a breakfast nook surrounded by upholstered benches and maybe some industrial metal chairs. Both of these tables were a total steal at just $50.


One of my favorite pieces that I almost brought home was this amazing buffet. It was only $50 and it was solid wood and kinda unique.


I think it would look so stylin' in a bold color like aqua.

I eyeballed these two little end tables, too. They were only $10 and had such potential. I didn't really need them though, so I moved on.


There were some great barstools...



There was a really great armoire for $150, but it was already sold.


That little turquoise lamp is great, too. However, when buying smaller items like that, I try to hold out for pairs. Otherwise, I quickly turn into a hoarder who lives in a house full of mismatched lamps. It's really easy to turn into that guy.
And nobody wants to be that guy.

There were tons of other really cool lamps all over the store. It was a real lamp-a-palooza. Check out this sci-fi experiement.


Lamps everywhere, I tell ya.

Since I was driving a very teeny car, I passed on all the furniture and made my way into the housewares section. There were all sorts of goodies here. Check out this set of 3 brand new Calphalon pans for $40. What a steal!


There were several great mirrors with pretty frames and some interesting artwork too. I thought this print would be really great in a matted white frame. You could even just spray paint the existing frame white to update it. (Like I did here)


These little bowls were neon green even though my phone camera makes them look yellow. They were $1 for the set. I can't decide if they are really cool or hideous. It's a toss-up.


This little gold-trimmed milk glass tray was adorable. I almost brought this home. It was $1.


This real silver set was cool too. It was $10. 


and then there were some great wooden bowls and plates. I love wooden bowls.


After grabbing a couple things from this section (I'll show ya soon), I headed over the the book aisle. Thrift store book aisles are my go to source for finding prints to frame and for finding colorful books to style my bookcases. Yesterday, I was looking for both. I have a gallery wall I'm assembling in my hallway and I need some different prints to frame. I found a bunch of nature books with some options.

There was a weird 'fish breeding' book that had amazing, giant, colorful photos. They would be awesome in some big matted frames.

I also found some colorful maps in a giant atlas. I used maps in my office gallery wall here


some cool cartoon sketches from the 1950's...


another weird fish book...


but, eventually I settled on an amazing old book full of black & white pictures of seagulls. They'll make for great art. Although, the cover of the book is pretty, so it may just become a bookcase book.




My cart was starting to fill up, so I finally weeded through my finds and narrowed it down to about $10 worth of goodies.


Now, let me show you what I bought!
Here's some of my finds with a handy list of what I usually look for when at a thrift store (other than furniture).


 I got the really great seagull book. It's a great blue color and has an awesome indention of a seagull on the front cover.


I also got a really great Beach book with a great aqua cover. Both books were 50 cents.


I also got a simple white ceramic vase for $1 (originally from Pottery Barn) and a clear aqua vase for $2.
I got a really great raw wood tray for $2 (see what I did with that here. ) and a cool convex/round mirror for $3 (also for a project).


I also came home with a small lamp. It had this gross pleather shade, but it had a nice shape for $3. 


You can see what I did with the lamp here.
I also got a little gold bracelet. I thought it would look great with some of the bracelet stacks I wear. It was only $3.


and I really kinda dig it.


I noticed a little signature on the inside with the crown and the trademark sign so I googled 'Trifari'...


I found out that if it had the crown on it, it was more than likely a piece of Tafari costume jewelry manufactured in the 1950's. Pretty cool!

So, that's what I scored at the thrift store this time around!
I hope I gave you some ideas for your next trip.

Don't forget to pin this post so you'll have some ideas for your next thrifting trip!


How To Shop at a Thrift Store



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