{31 days} pallet xylophone

October 22, 20143 Comments

~secondhand and created~

…pallet parts and pieces…

…power tools…

…paint…

…and a puppy dog helper.

{You can see another spray paint project that I have been working on…trying to add more color to the backyard!}

Once all the boards were painted I just screwed them into the partial pallet.

I just lightly spray painted the pieces so that they have a weathered look.

The final product makes me smile.

home is…{31 days} a secondhand and created pallet xylophone.

Join me while I link up with The Nester every day in October for #write31days.
Click here to find a list of all 31 posts as they are published.

{31 days} love rocks

October 21, 20144 Comments

~secondhand and created~

Ryan’s mom found this rock while we were finishing up Magiquest at Great Wolf Lodge last weekend.

I immediately thought it was a Love Rock.

Yesterday, I noticed Love Rocks posts popping up in my Facebook Timeline…it’s been a year since a terrible tragedy started this incredible gift of sharing love.

If you aren’t familiar with the Love Rocks story, please visit the following pages to learn more:

Love Rocks Facebook

Love Drenched Life

Today, Lorelai and Nana (Ryan’s mom) had a special day to spend together. Lorelai wanted to play Candyland and do crafts. So, I bought rocks and pulled out my stash of thrifted vintage sheets and secondhand fabric.

And, even better, they invited me to help them make some Love Rocks!

You can learn how to make the Love Rocks here.

home is…{31 days} secondhand and created love rocks.

Join me while I link up with The Nester every day in October for #write31days.
Click here to find a list of all 31 posts as they are published.

{31 days} world globes

October 20, 2014Leave a comment

~secondhand and thrifted~

It all started when I bought this map at IKEA…it’s not secondhand, created, or thrifted, but it started me on my thrifting adventures.

I put it up on the wall and knew instantly that I needed a collection of globes on top of the tall toy storage in the playroom.

I bought a couple of the globes secondhand on Etsy, but if I wanted a collection I needed to find a way to spend a little less money.

So I went to Goodwill for the first time on a mission for globes…I found three that first morning.

Now, I had a collection.

From that point on, I snatched up any and all globes that I could find. I really have NO idea how many I have bought over the last few years.

If I find a duplicate, I make them into globe pendant lights.

I’ve given some away.

I’ve even sold some on Etsy.

I pretty much have a globe in every room in the house.

{31 days} a quick stop at goodwill

October 18, 20142 Comments

~thrifted~

As I sit at our craft table and write this the kids are huddled on the pull out sofa in the playroom awaiting their Nana’s arrival. It is dressed in vintage sheets and a vintage quilt…all found at Goodwill.

It’s dreamy.

Today, I played the roll of “courier” for my husband and found myself halfway to downtown Portland with an hour before I needed to volunteer in the little guys classroom. I figured my time would be better spent {read: “I would have more fun”} at Goodwill than I would cleaning up more messes before Nana’s arrival.

So, I tried to figure out how quickly I could make a spin through my favorite Goodwill and get back to the elementary school to take care of Friday Folders…who doesn’t like a challenge?!

I filled my cart…I almost always do at this Goodwill. However, I’m going to show you a few of the things I collect that I actually passed on…

These two typewriters were in great condition in their original cases, which were also in great condition. I passed on them because I have two typewriters in my collection almost exactly like them. They were each $29.99…not cheap, but definitely worth it if you want to add one to your decor.

This scale was OK. Again, I have a big collection and can be choosy, but if you were just starting a collection, or really wanted to add to your collection this one would be a great addition. It was $13.99…more than I would be willing to pay because I have found others that I like better for less money.

Globes. I almost ALWAYS buy them when I see them at Goodwill. I didn’t buy this one because the stand was plastic and they wanted $13.99 for it.

Vintage Fisher Price. I don’t have either one of these in my collection, but I have gotten picky about what I want to add to my collection. I went through about six months where I bought anything and everything vintage Fisher Price. I kept a lot and sold a lot in my Etsy shop. Right now, these are not items I want in my collection and I am taking a break from selling vintage Fisher Price at colton+cadence, so I passed. They were $4 each.

Tomorrow I will show you what I DID buy.

Stay tuned…

home is…{31 days} thrifted, or not, during a quick stop at goodwill.

Join me while I link up with The Nester every day in October for #write31days.
Click here to find a list of all 31 posts as they are published.

{31 days} globe pendant light

October 17, 20145 Comments

~created and thrifted~

It’s much like my tutorial for the mason jar pendant light, but easier!

Supplies:

globe
pencil
exacto knife
light kit (i get mine at IKEA)

How to:

1. Cut globe in half…most globes are made of cardboard or chip board and are put together as two pieces at the equator. You can cut along the equator with an exacto knife, but there usually a supporting ring of thick chipboard at the equator that you cannot cut through. I actually put pressure on the equator (with my hand, elbow, or knee) like you do with those pop open cans that cinnamon rolls come in. I do it all the way around the equator…careful not to crush the globe…and it usually comes apart on it’s own without any cutting!

2. Trace around your light socket at the top of the globe and cut a hole with your knife. There is usually a metal ring in between the layers of the chip board at the top and bottom of the globe (where they usually attach to their stands). This is usually the same size as the socket, so if you hit metal, just cut to the outside of the ring and you should be OK.

3. Insert your light kit into the hole and secure.

4. Insert light bulb. I always use a low wattage (40 watt) or fluorescent bulb for safety since the globes are made of paper.

You can also embellish you globe on the inside or outside like I did with these…

You can also see my “how to” in the October 2014 issue of Old House Journal…

home is…{31 days} a thrifted and created globe pendant light.

Join me while I link up with The Nester every day in October for #write31days.
Click here to find a list of all 31 posts as they are published.

{31 days} joy all year

October 16, 20147 Comments

~secondhand and created~

These are back at Target…

This year there is also HOPE, LOVE, a heart and a star.

Last year I bought the JOY…

When I brought it home and opened it I was in love, but I knew it could be better.

So, I painted it.

Then I hung it on a piece of wood that had been outside since we moved into our house almost 6 years ago. It’s nice and weathered.

I thought I would like the “JOY” to be horizontal, but the letters were taller than the board.

So, I went vertical.

And, I love it!

It hangs next to our fireplace year round.

Last year I displayed it in our front entry as a Christmas vignette.

I also used it in our fall decor.

Today, I purchased LOVE and the star as they can also be kept out year round. I hope to paint them and hang them on some more salvaged secondhand wood!

My mother-in-law arrives tomorrow night, so I am hoping that I can get some fun posts up while she is in town, and I might have some extra time for projects like this one!

{FYI…last year a lot of the stores ran out of stock on this item. Best bet is to check online and see if you can do an in-store pick up…they will hold it for you for 2 days!}

home is…{31 days} secondhand and created joy all year.

Join me while I link up with The Nester every day in October for #write31days.
Click here to find a list of all 31 posts as they are published.

{31 days} top of the fridge

October 15, 20143 Comments

~secondhand and thrifted~

This is the decor on the top of our fridge. I change it out through the seasons. It’s my version of a mantle…we have a mantle, but it is not very deep, so it stays the same except for minor changes.

This ceramic jack-o-lantern was my grandmothers. I love pulling it out each fall and always think of her. The globe is just one of my collection…there’s at least one globe in almost every room of the house!

This is part of my vintage thermos collection. I love the plaid and the fois bois for the fall. {After being away for the weekend, my flowers need to be changed out…just keeping it real.}

So, how about a little secondhand and thrifted fall decor in the kitchen? Do you decorate the top of your fridge?

home is…{31 days}secondhand and thrifted fall decor on top of the fridge .

Join me while I link up with The Nester every day in October for #write31days.
Click here to find a list of all 31 posts as they are published.

{31 days} interrupted

October 14, 20144 Comments

~secondhand and thrifted~

I interrupt this program for a little bit about our weekend road trip. We went to Idaho to see long time friends. We are dog people…namely, Grand River Labrador people.

Each year, we meet up in a small town in North-Central Idaho to talk and learn about dogs. It’s been a couple of years since we had been. This year, we took Ben and Oak’s ashes up there to scatter in one of the rivers. It was a beautiful tribute to the dogs that have been a part of our lives since before we were married…really, Grand River has been the only constant in our life for 15 years.

The kids explored…

…and played with puppies.

{I bring a thrifted quilt in the car wherever we go…it comes in handy at parks, on vacation, for baseball/football games, the beach, etc. You might also spy one of my thrifted thermos’…for hot chocolate, of course!}

Eight week old puppies.

Almost two week old puppies…their eyes weren’t even open yet.

I don’t think I have ever seen her smile so big.

They learned about dogs.

They met lots of new people.

It was a much needed retreat for heart and soul. I like to call it the “church of dog”.

I did make a stop at a local secondhand store…

When I get a chance, I like to stop at thrift stores in the places we visit and bring home something to add to my collections.

Hoping to spray paint this fixture and hang it near the craft table where we need more light!

This was the LAST thing I picked up after about 10 rounds around a tiny little store packed with stuff. It is a chip and dip set with a nut bowl…all three for $10. It is GORGEOUS!

And, of course, another thermos to add to my collection!

home is…{31 days} secondhand and thrifted with a good dose of puppies.

Join me while I link up with The Nester every day in October for #write31days.
Click here to find a list of all 31 posts as they are published.

{31 days} vintage fisher price

October 13, 20146 Comments

~thrifted~

Welcome to our playroom.

It’s a happy place.

It’s where our vintage fisher price toys live.

They are classics.

I found most of them on shopgoodwill.com. Did you know you can shop Goodwill online?

Well, you can. It’s like an auction. You can choose a local goodwill and pick-up, or pay shipping for items coming from other locations across the country.