A few of my favorite things

Everyone has their favorite things. Weird or not, here are some of my favorites...things that make me happy or have some sort of significance to me. I know - they are just "things"...but they are my favorite things.

 

This is the absoutely wonderful wall clock my best friend got me for a birthday present. It is the perfect touch in my retro kitchen..

Another retro find.

 I love this neat little glass...um...what would you call this...a vase? Found it at Goodwill - for $3. I have cut roses very short and arranged them inside. I've also cut the head off of a sunflower and placed it inside. Very cute!

 I made this door hanging from red burlap. I found a similar one at a local gift shop for around $40. (Too much!) So, I figured I could make myself my version of one for a lot cheaper. I made this for around $7.00 (look for a future post on how to DIY this fab door hanger).

The cutest apron ever! And yes, I actually wear it. Wore it today actually...while cleaning...and listening to En Vogue's "Never Gonna Get It". (Hey...wearing it makes me feel sassy!)

 Found this last week at a local antique store for $5. You can't read it too well, but it's an old milk jar that reads "Please keep me healthy mom. Always buy my milk in glass bottles." How awesomely retro is that? I'm going to use it as a vase for some flowers as soon as I hit up a local flower shop...or my dad's flower garden (which is free!)

 My mom's old recipe tin. (It matches my red, green and turquoise retro kitchen wonderfully!) It has some of the best hand-written recipes inside. It's the best and most meaningful gift I've ever received from my mom.

Loving this little set-up. From the old pics to the whimsical birds, it just makes me smile. And I can't get enough of these cute bird candle holders. (Pier One). I'm thinking of creating some bird wall art...

 My salt and pepper shakers. Got them at Target - and they are magnetic!

 Another retro kitchen find at a local antique store. The little older lady said "Well, oh my...this is only $5. That is a good deal." And she was right.

Bought this in New Orleans. LOVE it. I have such appreciation and admiration for out-of-the-box artwork like this. The artist is a creative genius.

 This is an old gate that was left at my house. I added some light blue paint...and hung it on the wall as art. Almost everyone in my family wants this...I am selfishly keeping it (:

 This is my view out of my front door. Why, hello lake!

 I.love.quoteable.napkins. This one is my favs. It reads, "That's the look she gets just before she goes into 'full-on bitch' mode."

My vast collection of owl necklaces. My favorite is the peacock feather one. 

Another New Orleans Art find. Thanks to my BFF for the gift. 

Perfect find for my kitchen. P.S. That green is the color of my kitchen walls. Minty fresh. And very 50s retro...just what I was going for. 

 How absolutely cool is this? It's an old napkin holder. Another find for my kitchen. And I randomly found this while standing in line at Big Lots.

A very girly and shabby chic chandelier my sister got for me years ago. Now I finally had a place to hang it...and a dad to hang it for me. And if you are wondering what to do with all of those fake strands of pearls you got at Mardi Gras...well take notes. 

Do you ever have one of those things that is sorta ugly...but its ugliness is what makes it cool? That's how I feel about this vase. (Wow, I probably shouldn't have "feelings" about a vase.) So, that's what I think about this vase. My friend gave it to me and I love its 70s feel. I bet it once lived in a home with lots of shag carpet.

Hope you enjoyed this edition of a few of my favorite things. Stay tuned for my edition of a few of my not-so favorite things.

The beginnings of my dream shabby-chic master bedroom

I have a rather large space upstairs - it has a sort of pseudo-room where you first walk up the stairs - I'm thinking I will make this into a reading nook or possibly remodel for some extra closet space. Then comes the big open space of the bedroom. Which I totally see as my future master bedroom. I live in a small barn-like house in the country where the bedrooms are small and the closet spaces leaves much to be desired. However, upstairs is an absolute haven. Unfortunately, I have not had sufficient funds to begin the remodeling project. But that has not prevented me from dreaming and researching on how I would like to design this space. 

Two words come to mind: shabby chic.

When I think of shabby chic, I think of girly, feminine, vintage with modern twists, floral elements, light pink, silver or light blue walls with silver/white/champagne accents and ultra soft bedding. 

After taking much delight in researching images, I have found a few inspirations for my future bedroom. 

Modern beach-themed bedroom with a color twist

Here are some pics of a re-design project I completed for my bedroom a couple of years ago. Of course, it has changed since then, but it has been one of my favorite designs. 

So, this is the before pic. 

Where I found my inspiration for the room...

Some random throw pillows that I found to be appropriate for my color scheme

I found this rug on sale at Pier One Imports. Quite a find!

Inspired by coral reef, I painted this wall art to hang above my bed. 

I purchased a single curtain from Pier One Imports. With it, I cut it and created a smaller cafe curtain for my window, a bed skirt and this wall art. I hot glued three squares of the fabric onto three small canvases. I then hot glued a pattern of twine onto the canvases to give it a cohesive look. This twine pattern was also repeated onto the dresser. 

Starting out with an inexpensive plain colored pillow purchased at Wal-Mart.

Adding some twine to the pillow gave it character and helped me connect various design pieces throughout the room.

This shelf was a central focus to display decorative items that added to the room's modern beach theme. 

More items were added later.

This antique dresser was about the get a major makeover.

Dresser is complete! I painted the drawers white and hot glued twine in a circular pattern to add a whimsical touch. The top of the dresser was painted with a variety of different turquoise-ish colors and sealed with a clear glossy protective coat. I replaced the bottom drawers - which were actually broken -  with lime green baskets for extra storage. I have also taken the baskets out and used the bottom space as a bookshelf. Don't ever throw furniture away if it has scratches, dents or is missing a drawer or two. Re-purpose it by adding baskets or fabric to cover up the space. 

The room is complete! I love the simple white blanket against the vibrant yellows, oranges, greens and turquoise blues. My modern beach room is finished. Oh...p.s. if you can't tell, I re-painted the room. I left most of the walls a sandy tan, but painted the wall against my bed turquoise. I also painted the plywood floors turquoise, as my budget did not allow me to add carpet or any type of additional flooring. I worked with what I had!

Attention Wal-Mart shoppers...

So...during a recent trip to Wal-Mart, I was inspired to write a few thoughts about my...shall we say...irritations with the famous chain's customers. I have a feeling everyone reading this will be able to identify with at least one of the pet peeves I have with the following Wal-Mart shoppers. 

Not-so fashionistas at Wal-Mart

Well...this speaks for itself now doesn't it? I know your local Wal-Mart is not exactly fashion week in NYC, but come on, now...have some sense. Here are some basic tips for appropriate Wal-Mart attire: If your crack shows, just say no. If your thong shows, just say no...and I mean the underwear, not the sandals. Keep pajama pants at home - where they belong. If you want to tell the world to F*%$ themselves, that's fine...but do it at home and not on your t-shirt. It's tacky. Perhaps no one told you so. But...now that I think about it, keep wearing whatever you want to when you go to Wal-Mart. You may make your big debut on  peopleofwalmart.com soon. Bless your heart. And if you are wondering if the people behind you in line are secretly laughing at you...I'm sorry to tell you...but they probably are. Just sayin'...

Cell phone users at Wal-Mart

I don't want to hear what is going on in your personal life via your extremely loud and obnoxious cell phone conversation. Save it for the privacy of your own home. I shouldn't know that you (the stranger next to me) has a sister-in-law whose brother's cousin has kidney stones and that you are picking him up cranberry juice on aisle four for his chronic back pain. Or that tacos are apparently being served at your house tonight for dinner.

Unsupervised teenagers at Wal-Mart

A quick note to all parents with teenagers: you should view Wal-Mart like you view R-rated movies: children under 18 not allowed without parental supervision. And P.S. - Did I miss something? What happened to riding around? Or hanging out at the mall? Or having sleepovers? When did it ever become popular for teens to hang out at Wal-Mart and wreak their havoc? Don't get me wrong...I love teenagers. But they become strange aliens when left unsupervised at Wal-Mart. Really, it's a freak of nature. I swear I saw two teenage girls get into an actual pushing/pulling hair fight at Wal-Mart. I was just trying to buy some shampoo. Geez. You don't need cable to watch soap operas these days. Just drive down to your local Wal-Mart.

Creepers who stand too close at Wal-Mart. 

I saved the best for last. WHY do some people find it necessary to stand so close to you in line at Wal-Mart?! It doesn't magically make the line move faster. This is one sure-fire way to get a response from me. Just last night at Wal-Mart, this gal was standing WAY too close for comfort. I stepped away from my cart for a few seconds to grab a candy bar and when I turned around, you would have thought she was pushing my cart...that's how close she was. And she didn't even move. I had to stand to the side of my cart to push it. Arg! "Seriously, are you kidding me?" I said (under my breath). It's America. We like personal space. I don't want to smell your perfume. I don't want to feel your breath against my neck. The only thing we have in common right now is that we are in the same line at Wal-Mart - we aren't on a first date...and if we were, you would definitely not be getting a second one. Because apparently you are the creeper that stands too close to others at Wal-Mart...and no one wants to date that guy...or girl.

Rock on! Cool projects with vinyl records

I LOVE thrift stores. I especially love checking out the home decor, furniture, books and music sections. I have done so many cool home projects with the buried treasures at a many Goodwill and Salvation Army stores. One of my favorite projects was making some bowls made of vinyl records for an 80's themed birthday bash. I put candy, chips and various items in the bowls. I don't have the actual pictures of the bowls I made, but I was able to find a few pics on the internet of other creative souls who were inspired like me. In searching for pics of the bowls online, I also found a few other crafty projects inspired by vinyl records. So...rock on! And get to creating!

Tips for vinyl record bowl-making

1. Heat oven to approximately 300 degrees.

2. Use a oven-safe bowl or pan for molding the bowl. I used a small bundt pan and turned it upside down and used that as a mold to shape my bowl. It works best if you turn the pan or bowl upside down to mold the record to.

3. DO NOT leave the record in the oven for long...we're talking like no more than 30 seconds. I wore some heavy duty gloves and shaped the bowls. They mold and harden quickly.

4. Enjoy!

 

 

Cool, right? A record bowl has so many uses - hold cookies, chips, candy or use to organize home office items such as paperclips, pencils, etc. I've also used some in my bathroom to hold cotton balls and my make-up brushes, etc. Pic taken from goodwillnee.org

To make this, you could heat the record and shape the bottom with a rolling pin. Wha-la! Instant mail holder. You could make 3 or more and use them or organize various papers such as outgoing mail, etc. in your home office. Pic taken from 11seconds.com

Who knew a record could be a clock? Simply drill a hole in the center and add a clock kit (found at most craft stores). You could also stencil in colorful numbers or hot glue wood numbers on the clock if you preferred. Pic taken from 11seconds.com

Why being 30 and single DOESN'T suck

So...in taking a break from all things decor...I want to share a little life with you.
Being in your...(gasp)...30s...and (bigger gasp) single and living in the South is quite possibly the equivalent to having a catastrophic disease. People secretly want to know what you are hiding that has left you an old maid. A lot of times, I kinda feel like the 3rd, 5th, or 7th wheel. But that's ok. I've gotten used to it. Because, I mean, let's face it - I didn't marry my high school sweetheart. I didn't meet "The One" in college. But, I am still hopeful (not desperate) that I will one day walk down the aisle with my MAN!  Overall, I still believe in romance and believe my man is out there...and boy, does he have a lot to put up with when he meets me - but that is an entirely different novel. But for now, instead of playing to the tune of "Woe Is Me" in A minor, I thought of a few reasons why being 30 and single is actually not that bad...
1. I do not have to listen to anyone snore.
2. I do not have to explain why it's crucial that I have approximately five decorative throw pillows on my bed. Nor do I have to admit that I have even more in my spare bedroom. Hey, at least I do not collect creepy porcelain dolls.
3. I can paint my room pink and do not have to emasculate anyone in the process. P.S. This new fascination with pink has now sparked my interest in all things shabby-chic.
4. I don't have to explain why half of my paycheck goes to Target...and I only brought home one bag. 
5. Should I do the most unfeminine thing and forget to flush...I'm the only one who sees it. Thank God. P.S. And no it does not happen that often.
6. I can hang out with my friends anytime...we can go dancing...and I don't ever wonder if someone is sitting at home sulking about it.
7. Lucky Charms definitely qualifies as a dinner option.
8. I am the only one who gets to answer my own questions such as "Do these jeans make me look fat?", "How was dinner?", and "What do you want to do tonight?" Which, by the way, the answers are: "Of course not; nothing makes you look fat.", "Dinner was awesome. You're such a great cook!" and "Whatever I want to do."
9. I never, ever, under any circumstances, have to watch a western or football against my will.
10. I can leave dirty dishes in my sink until...well...until whenever.

So...For now, I am 30 and single. Thanks for the compliment.

My first project of the new year

This was an old washing bin that was left at the house I now live at. (More pics soon of the old farm house where I live.) So...this is the before pic.

And the after pic. A little white spray paint gives it a more modern look. I also distressed the paint to keep it looking antique-ish. So, it's a modern antique? An old window frame resting on the top makes it the perfect side table.

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