5.21.2013

Making a come back...

Would you believe we've gone from this...


to this...


...already?

I'm still in disbelief. Things are moving so quickly. (Granted, I wasn't saying that at 3am in the morn...but you get my point.) We've made some major strides around here. No more late night feedings, better napping schedules and one super, sweet and happy baby. There's really not much more you could ask for (...except maybe someone on-hand to put his plug back in).

With that being said, I'm hoping to finally get back in the swing of things...
I've missed you all.


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3.20.2013

Life as a Thrifter...Mom.



Things have certainly changed around here. 
My happy-go-lucky thrifting ways have definitely slowed down. Most often you'll see me nursing or pulling up pull-ups or calming down the baby...then maybe tieing shoes or wiping up spit-up...and calming down the baby...or maybe reading stories, putting on jackets...and calming down the baby.

I'll be honest with you, it's been non-stop. I barely have time to breathe...and when I do have time to breathe, I'm still holding a baby.


Of course, this little one melts my heart at the very sight of him...but I'd be lying if I told you he was easy.


We'll get there. I know.
But, I just wanted you to know, I'm still here.
Eventhough I may be a bit slow at getting back in the swing of things, I don't plan on going anywhere.


images done by Stacey Quattlebaum.

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3.18.2013

Repurposed & Redone: saf affect



susan forintHello fellow thrifters! I am Susan and my blog is saf affect - now and then musings about then and now, with a thrifty, sustainable perspective, through which I share my passion for affordable and inventive design. I search Toronto (or any place I visit) for inspirational and frugal finds at design stores, flea markets, thrift shops, and rummage sales, and relish in reinventing and constructing a piece that I just couldn’t find. I'm honoured to share this Repurposed & Redone project on the fabulous blog that is Life as a Thrifter. saf affect
diy pendant light

John D. Rockefeller believed that thrift is essential to well-ordered living. I believe that thrifting is essential to a well-decorated home. Frugality is in my blood, passed on to me by my grandparents who emigrated to Canada with little money but a lot of ingenuity for making more of what they had, a trait that my parents instilled in me. I approach home decor with this mindset, enjoying the thrill of the find and creating modern design elements from thrift store diamonds-in-the-rough - such as this pendant fixture that I reinvented from a languishing light.

 

 Utilizing a $4 vintage pendant light I found at a Bibles for Missions thrift store...

 

 ...and, with some hammered metal effect spray paint and electrical supplies readily available at any hardware store, I transformed the tired, dated original into a fixture I'm thrilled with.

               


Inspired by on-trend clear pendants with a vintage-industrial vibe, I set to work creating my own fixture at a more thrifty price-point. Without a light junction box in the ceiling above my sink and being that ceilings in my condominium are concrete (making adding a new box impossible), I swagged the new light from an existing box just in front of my counter peninsula that I wasn't using. All in I spent about $50, including $9 for the specialty spray paint, $6 for the vintage looking white ceramic socket assembly, $20 for a dimmer switch, and $7 for the sculptural halogen bulb that is reminiscent of the currently popular 'Edison' bulb but at a fraction of the price, and providing much more wattage. And while I'm thrilled with the result of this thrifty project, I continue to search thrift stores to find a fixture to replace that wretched track light...

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3.15.2013

Repurposed & Redone: C.R.A.F.T



Hi Life as a Thirfter readers! I'm Jamie from C.R.A.F.T. (It's an acronym for Creating Really Awesome Free Things), and I'm excited to be a part of Holly's series!
Jamie Dorobek C.R.A.F.T.
Thrifting is one of my very favorite things! It's like a treasure hunt where you can find the gold over and over, ha! Here are 5 of my best and favorite thrift store projects...

1. Reupholster a chair- This is kind of a lie because I did not find this chair at a thrift store. I found it my FL apartment when we moved to last year! This sucker cost nada! Re-upholstery on a chair like this is not that hard. I am currently on the hunt for a similar to chair!

Dremel project chair

  2. Interactive travel map- I found the cork board at Good Will for couple bucks and used a Dremel to shape into the United States.
travel map  Jamie Dorobek

3. Thrift store side table makeover: I bought this little beauty at a thrift store for $15, and gave it a complete makeover! I love how it turned out!paint wood furniture

4. Organize your kitchen on a door: This might bem y favorite thrift store project! That door cost me $5 and saved my tiny kitchen.
Kitchen organizer on a door CRAFT

5. Shot glasses: I found an entire set of shot glasses at a thrift store for $1.99. I gave them a little glass paint, and voila... brand new!
Thirft Store Makeover

Happy thirfting, friends! If you want to see more thrifty C.R.A.F.T.'s, check out the C.R.A.F.T. tutorial page!
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3.13.2013

Repurposed & Redone: Thrift Diving






Serena Appiah is a blogger and owner of Thrift Diving, a blog about thrift stores, DIY, home improvement, and turning what is "expensive" into the "affordable." She's a mom of 3 young boys (ages 6, 3 and 15 months), and has been blogging for 7 years. For the past year, she has been finding the best thrift store scores and turning them into beautiful, functional pieces for her home. You can find her on Google+ and Facebook.





So what do you do when you want an amazing craft room, but there's no way in heck you can afford to buy retail furniture?? Shop THRIFT stores, that's what! And that's exactly what I did. I've been working on my craft room so diligently lately, and I'm making progress! I haven't had a lot of time, because I've been with writing articles for my other blog, Get Your Life Straight, so, yeah, I've been busy! The amazing thing is that 90% (if not more) of everything in this crafting room (slash "office" since hubby and I need to share) has come from a thrift store or is second-hand. It's true. But that's what so cool--being able to put a cozy room together on a shoestring budget! Now, let's have a quick look, shall we? Here's the BEFORE of what the room looked like for the first year that we lived here: cold, bare, and poo-poo brown. ICK!    

Thrift Diving Craft Room


  Here's the run-down...
  Thrift Diving Craft Room Vintage Anco Bilt Drafting Table 

This $30 vintage Anco Bilt drafting table that I found from the thrift store (which I later found out was really worth over $300!) feels right at home perpendicular to the wall. And thank GOD I didn't paint it before researching it! Anyhow, I love the vintage, rustic look.   Now, for that shelf hanging above the table. I am so excited about it! It was only $5.00 at the thrift store! It's perfect for storing my paints, die cutters, and stamps. I've been collecting tin cans, actually, which fit perfectly, and plan to jazz those up a little bit, for FREE :)

Thrift Diving Craft Room Shelf_BEFORE

I painted the shelf with Annie Sloan Old White chalk paint, and then waxed and distressed. Next, I added contact paper from Target, which was super cheap--about $5.00 for a big roll. Much cheaper than crafting paper or wall paper!

Thrift Diving Craft Room Thrift Store Shelf

  And this beauty here.....this is my sewing cabinet that I found at the thrift store for a mere $40.

IMG_5939
 

Sitting on the desk, I have this cool vintage shoe shine wooden kit box. Loved it! Thrift store, about $6.00. I just store scissors or note pads in there.

Thrift Diving Craft Room Vintage Shoe Shine

These beautiful butterfly prints were cut out from the packaging of the computer paper that my company was using temporarily. I wish I could find out which brand of computer paper it was, because I want more of these glossy prints! What a pretty logo! :) See--I never let a great idea pass me by. So.....the super "UNPRETTY" part of the room is the ghetto shower curtain that I have hanging at the window. I have on my agenda to make curtains. I even have the beautiful fabric (hiding under that brown box, which HAPPENS to be the new Silhouette Cameo that I haven't yet unpacked because there's no safe place to store it out of the hands of prying children). So, yeah, I'm working on it! And I am planning to change out the curtain rod to BLACK. And the cream wool rug came from Home Goods. It was a steal for $80 (5x7). 'Cause if you've been following this blog for any length of time, you know I don't buy rugs from thrift stores, right? ;-) I love cream-colored ru And last but not least, my pretty little DIY card catalog has been moved over near the door. I like that it helps to create a little walk-way when you come into the room.


Here's the AFTER:




And there you have it, folks-- my "in progress" craft room! If you like my craft room, be sure to check out other fun ideas over at my blog, Thrift Diving! I love to hear from you silent, lurking readers ;) Plus, any suggestions for you have for the room! :)   Pin It Now!

3.11.2013

Repurposed & Redone: Bungalov

A big hello to all you fabulous readers of Life as a Thrifter.
 
I'm Jen from Bungalov and SO excited to be here!  I've been a long time admirer of Holly's work so this is just the icing on the cake!  And as a new momma who recently welcomed a second baby myself, I know how the first weeks are such an adjustment.  I am happy to help in any way I can!
 
Oh, and here I am.  I always feel it helps to put a face to the name!
 
 
 
 
Now, for why I'm here.  I too am a girl who repurposes and upcycles.  For my sweet Annie who was born this past July I filled her room with vintage and repurposed items.
 
My fav is the barn wood sign I made and hung over her bed.  There is not a better way for my princess to wake up. 
This was my inspriration.
 
 
 
I LOVed how the sun looked but I did not want any words.  Only the image.  The sun in all its glory.
I first used some barn wood from our family farm.  My Mr. put them together and created a canvas for me to work on.
Tracing the image with chalk and painting it with a bright yellow paint on hand I came to this.



I LOVe the rusticness. How the barn wood peaks though the paint.  And how it all fits in so nicely in Annie's nursery.  Best of all...it is from me!
To see more about my sun I hope you'd come on by here and follow along!

About The Sun
 

Thanks again and please have yourself a LOVely day!

Jen
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3.08.2013

Repurposed & Redone: The Front Poarch




Leah Poarch

Hello! My name is Leah and I write The Front Poarch, my story about the low-cost renovation of our 1950s ranch style home. I love all things mid-century especially if I can get them for free of next to nothing. The hubs and I are Craig's List junkies and are always on the hunt for a good deal. Enjoy this story about my re-purposed baby crib railing!



When I revealed my updated front entry, I mentioned a small ladder with big plans. A few nights ago I took the ladder down, (side note: the ladder is really an old baby crib railing) and prepped it for staining.

  

I chose Minwax Classic Black in Gloss. I was hesitant to go with the stain and poly again but once I started staining, I was glad I made the choice! This bad boy got 2 coats of stain per side, and I definitely wouldn't have had the patience to go back and do poly as well.


I cut out the numbers using my Silhouette Cameo, glued them to some heavy cardstock and gave everything a coat of Modge Podge so that it would stand up to the elements. So without further adieu, here's the finished product!



Pretty dreamy, huh? At the sake of sounding like a broken record, isn't astounding how a few little changes can make a BIG impact? Here's the entryway, with just the new planters. . .


  . . . and here it is with the water hose tub and new house numbers!

  
Thanks so much for allowing me to share today! 

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