Old windows remake

It finally happened.  I used an old window for a project.  I've been in love with old windows for about a year or so.  I've been snatching them up on my weekend bargain hunts.  I have a good collection now, ranging in size and number of panes.  I don't think I have a favorite look yet.  They all appeal to me, (which only means trouble).

Old Window Number 1:

I found three BIG two-pane screened windows at a barn sale recently.  These windows are the biggest I've purchased to date.  The screen had been cut away (or rusted away) and only remnants remained.  I removed all the old screen pieces, sanded the window and painted it a creamy white. 

 

 

I reused the hardware, which is always fun to do, to hang the the wooden spring sign. 

 

I made the wooden SPRING sign by nailing three board together, painting it and then stencilling the word 'spring' on it in black.  I failed at centering it, so I added the three flowers at the end, which I really like.  To me, those little ones finish the look.

 

I reinforced the center cross piece to add strength and to add width so the planters would fit snugly.

 

 

 

I happened to have three matching white planters I found at a garage sale for less than $2 (for them all).  The plastic pots were just hanging around in my garage from last year, and wouldn't you know it, they fit perfectly in the planters.  Now, how often does THAT happen? In go the marigolds and it's a done deal.   It's a great addition to my gardens by my front door.   

 

 

 

Old Window Number 2:

 

Just a plain old single-pane window is transformed into a blackboard.

 

 

So easy!  Paint the window frame a nice color.  Then paint the glass window with chalkboard paint (several times).  I used a foam brush and it worked great. 

 

Then I stenciled this cute little design in each corner to liven it up some, just to give it a little charisma, but not overwhelm it.  So cute!  You could use it as a chalkboard or you could personalize it by stenciling your monogram in the center of it and hang it on your wall as a pretty greeting. 

I'm thrilled that it turned out so well!  I'm gonna make more, for sure. 

So don't ever throw out an old window.  Make it into something else.  I'm sure you can come up with something fantastic that adds that old world charm to your home. 

 

 

A day of thrifting

Okay, after a day like today, I'm a bit junk drunk.  I spent a lovely day with a dear friend thrifting and antiqueing.  A day with no schedule, lots of flexibility and beautiful weather.  Can't beat it! 

I found some great buys.  Here are a few pictures. 

 

 

 

He's a goose with red tin feet and a happy disposition. He's irresistable!

 He's was on sale too! 

 

 

 

I'm a sucker everytime I find a metal tiered shelf.  Sometimes I need to think about it and when I  come back for it, someone else didn't need to think about it and has it home already.  So, I'm learning.  Today I got it right.  So cute! 

 

 

 

I like the look of these old enamal cookware pieces.  They're affordable and come in lots of colors and sizes.  I think I'm beginning to collect them (shhh).  I found this beauty and appreciate her large size and cleaniness.   Here she is from the front. 

 

And here she is from the side.  

 I especially like the little love handle on her back to help with pouring. 

 

 

This pitcher was my first purchase last year.  A big mouth, a big handle, equals a big deal!

 

 

This handsome little guy sold me on his color alone.  Love him!

 

 

 

Okay, this next find had me at hello!  1) it has casters, 2) it's steel, and 3) it's red.  SHUT UP!   And look at her cute shape!  Curvy, sturdy and so unique.  WOW!   I added a piece of tempered glass to the top for now with a piece of wood under it on one side to make a level top.  I'm gonna have fun with this one.   

 

 

So in love with her!   

 

 

I spotted this small antique cabinet at a garage sale this past weekend and nabbed it.  So great for small collectables or keepsakes. 

 

 

And finally, I found this pretty quilted throw at St. Vincent DePaul recently.  Don't you just want to cuddle up with it?  I do. 

 

 

 

The small checked fabric on the back makes a good impression on me too. 

 

I'm pretty excited with my treasures.  Looking forward to finding a home for

them in my home. 

 

Good luck to you on your treasure hunts! 

 

My Sister's Attic

Well, I've been gone a long time, I know.  Some serendipitous things have happened recently.  Let me give you the short story: 

Last fall I rented a storage unit with my sister.  We cleared out my garage, her garage and her attic (well, partially).  Parking our vehicles inside was a must over the winter, said our hubbies.  We found this amazing little unit right off main street in the heart of town.  We call it "the shop".  It's loaded with character.  We packed it full.  All our thrifting adventure finds are now dropped off there.


Then in January, we started renting space at a local antiques mall, Isaac's Antiques.  My Sister's Attic was born.  Small, little space.  We've had some success there.  Just last week, we moved into a bigger space at Isaac's.  Here are pictures of My Sister's Attic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have a nice mix of old and new.  What fun!

 

  So much for before/after photos and details.  Every item has a story, though, be sure of that.  And I gotta say, that's a big part of the fun...finding the treasure...hearing the story...falling in love...calling it ours...hauling it home.   

 

So, that's what I've been doing lately.  And to be honest, it has brought new life to me. 

Here's to new life!

 

 

 

 

Vintage wine shelf

Oh Yeah!  We had a fabulous day driving to LaCrosse WI last Saturday!  Emily is home for a week and UW-LaCrosse is her alma mater.  I have three neices attending there now, so on family weekend we decided to drive up with my sister, Sandy and her husband, Blaine, (mom and dad to two of my nieces.)  Highway 14 is loaded with antique and resale shops and wouldn't you know it...we hit about ten garage sales too, plus a flea market.  OH MY!  A beautiful Wisconsin indian summer day of sunshine and 60 degrees.  Can't beat it. 

They drove their truck and I drove Dory, my Subaru.  We planned to fill them both.  We came close. 

Emily came home with the great idea to make a wine shelf from an old drawer that holds bottles of wine and wine glasses.  We found this awesome old red drawer at one of our stops for $15 and fell in love immediately! Take a good look at her vintage beauty.

We added  two under-the-cabinet wine glass holders (one I found at a garage sale for $1, one we bought for $10 at Bed Bath and Beyond.)  They don't quite match, but they do the job nicely.  We attached them both underneath the drawer.  Together they hold 12 wine glasses.  Nice.

 

Now for the top side where the wine bottles will be stored.  We had to notch out the front of the drawer so the bottles fit.  We measured the inside of the box (30 inches), did the math (!) to fit six bottles of wine, drew lines and started cutting. 

I sawed about an inch down on two sides and then used a drill to go across the bottom of the notch.  I know there is probably an easier way to do this, but I have limited tools, so I used what I had.  It worked like a charm, too. 

Then we used a rasp to smooth the notches, followed by sandpaper.  This is good teamwork!

This shows the underneath wine glass holder. 

We need to get brackets now, so it can be attached to the wall.  Emily will have to provide the finished picture when she gets home and puts it up.  But so we can enjoy it now, we are holding the drawer with empty wine bottles (that I'm saving for something...?) and four wine glasses in the holder.  Pretty neat.  

This is as far as we can go with it.  I love the idea.  I love the look.  It was easy and fun to make.  It will be fun to use.  Can't wait to see it up...we visit Emily at Thanksgiving.  Some Wisconsin cheese curds and James J. chocolates and we're set for a nice visit.    Yummy.

Typing table

Here's a cute little remake that was really fun to do.  I found this wooden typing table at a resale place on our last all-day-Saturday-bargain-hunt.  She was in really good shape, just not very pretty.  She was cheap too.  So a good deal all around. 

 

This is the table taken apart and put on my work table getting primed.

 

 

Her legs all ready for some new paint.

 

 

Here she is all painted up and put together.  We lived together for a few days and then I decided on something different... 

 

...I changed my mind from white legs to black legs.  This change happened because I wanted to stencil this checkerboard pattern on the table and I wanted to use black paint.  Looks great with the pretty green. 

 

The stenciling took awhile, but it was worth the time and effort.

 

A little distressing with a hand sander and she's all finished and ready for some cute little cozy corner. 

 

 

 

Shadow boxes

I found these cute little wooden boxes at Saver's the other day. I looked at them for about 5 minutes before I decided to buy them. Call me stupid. It will never take me that long again to bring home wooden boxes of any size.   They were a blond wood without design.  Two different sizes.  Two of each size. 

I primed them all, inside and out and left them to dry in the sun.  My sister came over and was looking at them and saw the two square frames I had taken apart and was painting.  She fitted one of the frames over the top of one of the boxes and - VOILA - it all came together.  Sometimes its that easy.

So, I glued the frames to the boxes and it was pretty much over.  I taped printed paper to the inside of each box and loved them instantly.  They are about 1 1/2 inched deep, enough for a little vase, or a letter of the alphabet or some other little knack.   Put in pink paper for your little girls room with her initial on it or a black and white photo of you and your honey with a couple of well-preserved dried roses.    

 I will have some fun finding a place for them in my home.  

A License plate remake

I have recently fallen in love with license plates.  We have a stash of 8 or so.  As I look through them, I kinda remember which car they belonged to.  We've had some nice wheels!   

I have also grown really fond of drawers...the wooden or metal kind.  I've been using the drawers from dressers that are beyond repair or from those obsolete tv cabinets.  The drawers are still useful even though the pieces of furniture they were attached to are not. 

So here's my most recent project, putting two of my faves together.

 

The drawer was brown to start with as many drawers are, so I primed it and then I painted it red and then I distressed it a little bit with a hand sander. 

 

 The license plate belonged on Sarah's car, Marvin.  Do you name your vehicles?  We do.  Marvin was purchased from a relative; he was a black two-door 1998 Chevy something...(Cavalier maybe?)   He was in our family about 5 years.  He spent a winter in Fraser, Colorado with Emily, my oldest daughter.  He was buried under a foot of snow for months as his two-wheel drive just wasn't enough power for the Colorado snowfalls.  So when Emily decided to stay in Fraser for awhile she purchased a new car (a sporty 5-door, 4-wheel drive Subaru named Sally).  And Marvin came home to Wisconsin. 

 

 

He was in an accident this spring - one of those slushy/icy/slippery/snowy/rainy/sleety kind of storms. Sarah was driving back to Edgewood College from Mt. Horeb and hit a patch of black ice and rickashayed off the cement divider, carened off the road and landed in the creek some 20 yards from the road. Marvin was totalled. But he did his job - he protected his precious cargo - Sarah was unharmed. We took a few minutes the next day to give him our regards as we cleaned him out and handed over the keys.

 

 

Today, Marvin lives on through his license plate. 

 

 

(Think how cute this would be with a personalized plate!!)

 

So, what is he good for now?  A years worth of your favorite magazine will fill him up.  Or put him in the bathroom with a couple of regular-sized rolls of toilet paper, or some rolled up towels - that would be cute.  He could be your mailbox, if it's on your porch under the protection of a roof.   

Lots of different uses.  He's gonna end up in my craft room toting some IKEA catalogs.  

 

A cute little remake for sure.  Thanks, Marvin.