Organizing Revisited

My very sweet friend, Kat, has just passed on these two lovely awards to me. Thank you SO much Kat! I'm amazed at all these awards, so I'll proudly add these to the others I've received.

Wanted to properly thank Kat for that first......






***********************************************Look....I did it!

Remember those recipes I was desperately trying to get organized? Well, I did it! After all the great suggestions of using a binder, I went out and bought a pretty green binder (to match my kitchen, of course) at Walmart, as well as dividers and sheet protectors.
I have 5 tabs to divide everything.
Aren't these dividers cute? I just handprinted the dividers with my choice of labels with a Sharpie. It should come as no surprise that the Dessert tab has the most recipes! And following Manuela's lead at The Feathered Nest, I stopped by Hobby Lobby and got scrapbook paper (and it was on for 1/2 price) to slide in the front and back of my binder. I printed that oval label in Word on my computer on plain paper, cut & glued on. All under the plastic insert. I love it! and now all those pesky recipes are all nice and neat and ready to use.
Harlequin for the end spine.

When you happen upon a good organizing find at a yardsale, don't ever pass it up! I'm always on the lookout for extra bookshelves/storage pieces to put in the house. Found this bakers rack right here in my neighborhood at a yardsale for $5 last weekend and quickly snapped it up. It's not a great piece, rather lightweight metal, and I could repaint it & use it in a room very easily too, but right now don't need it anywhere. I could see it out on a screened porch for a useful purpose later on, but for now it's going in my craft closet. We have this great little room under the stairs that I took over when we moved in (you can see the door in the above pic). It's all mine & that's where my "junque" lands, along with old books, fabric stashes, craft goods, glues, and any misc. things that need a place to sit. I have lined it with old bookcases & yardsale finds, so it is quite useful for me. I had a smaller old wood bookcase in here, which will now be moved to my hubby's little closet in his office, so now he will have more storage space. You can't get too many of these pieces.
Here it has found a new home in the craft closet & actually gives me more room than the older smaller one did. Can't beat that for a find. I can even hang bags off the sides of it for more multi-purpose organizing. This is where things land that I can't let go of, along with a filing cabinet and the vacuum cleaner. It's nice to have a little space that's all mine. I can close the door & it disappears! And when I need to find some quick inspiration for a project, this is where I go.

Estate Sale Goodies

ESTATE SALE

The sign caught my eye as I was heading to the gym last Saturday morning. OK, I thought...I'll check it out on my way back home, as you know I can't pass up a sign like that. I drove up and parked, got out and went in the house. It was obviously owned by some older people. Most everything was old and shabby looking and not in a good way. I didn't see much of anything that caught my eye, except this cute soup tureen for $2. I needed that for my creamware collection. This is my first soup tureen and after seeing some of your collections of tureens out there, I would say this won't be my last, if I'm lucky enough to find more.
Maybe I can serve soup in this one day.
And then I spotted this pair of pictures in a back bedroom. I absolutely do not need them, but the colors called out to me & I had to take them home. They were $4 each.

They are obviously old and are marked Bernard Picture Company, NY. The colors are what drew me in. According to Ebay, they are not worth much, probably what I paid for them, but I loved the vintage feel of them. I think they're from the 50's. So, I painted the frames black (left the raised inside part white) and decided to hang them in my office nook, right outside the laundryroom.
The colors go so well with both my office nook and the laundryroom, so now this wall is filled too. I don't have much wall space left. I think I will really enjoy looking at them every day and wanted to share, since I figured y'all would enjoy seeing my finds too. Yardsale season is right around the corner in our area! Oh, boy....

What you can buy for $5 and a Flippy Do

This might be my last weekend hitting the yardsales for awhile. With the holidays coming and Winter biting in January & February, I probably won't be so anxious to get up early & freeze, so I can safely say that they will just have to wait til about March, when I'll be chomping at the bit to get out there again to find the bargains. So, with that in mind, I did go to a few on Saturday morning. Spent a grand total of $5. This pretty book about needlepoint in Venice caught my eye. Lots of gorgeous pictures & I've always loved needlepoint. Maybe one day when I don't have any other hobbies, I'll give it a try. 50 cents.
50 cents for this pretty little blue and white plate.
I actually bought this pair of pretty birds from my neighbor's yardsale last week for $1, so it's not in this week's total.

Another creamy white urn, this one was $3, my big spend of the day. I have some plans for my Christmas decor in the diningroom & hope to showcase all my creamware collection. It's rolling around in my head right now. These pics are a little blurry, but this white painted picture frame was $1. I think I have plans for this one too to do something for the frontdoor similar to Heather's creation at Past Present Collection. Check out this post & pic...that girl is very creative & I love what she did for her frontdoor! This one will be perfect for that.

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On to other news...why is it that hair is such an important part of a woman's life? We thrive on good hair days & angonize when it's not doing well. I have been trying to find a good hairstyle for myself for awhile now & it seems to be getting shorter & shorter & I don't have the patience to keep it longer anymore. Has anyone else experienced your hair changing as you've gotten older? Mine sure has...it used to be SO curly & now most of the curl is gone on top & on the sides. I used to hate my curl, but didn't know how good I had it til I started losing some of it. Still have curl in the back, but nothing like it used to be. Guess I can chalk it up to hormones, that's the only explanation I can find. Anyway, I'm liking it shorter now, as when I let it get longer, it just feels like a mop!

Got my hair cut about 8 weeks ago & it was past time for a trim, so I decided to take a cue from my friend, Debra, at The Bunnies' Bungalow, and do a drop-in & try out one of those chain hair salons. I chose one near my house called Supercuts. I had it cut in a shorter flippy do last time I went & the other girl did a good job, but honestly I have gotten tired of paying almost $50 for a haircut. The girl I've been going to for about a year just moved salons and last time I was in there she told me her rates would be going up after the first of the year, so that will mean with a tip, it would be $50. Maybe that's average for many areas, but I just hate paying that much every 6-8 weeks for a haircut. I'm a city girl, so know how it is, but I didn't even pay that much in Atlanta. So, back to my big plan. I just loved Debra's new do that she posted a few weeks ago, so I decided, what the heck...I'll stop by this Supercuts & take my chances. I need a trim... right, so the worst that could happen is I hate it & don't go back. My hair grows like a weed anyway, so I'd just have to suck it up for a few weeks until it grew some.
So, I stopped in after work on Friday night, went in & sat down to wait on someone to get to me. Saw a young girl with blue streaks in her hair working on someone. I think to myself, please Lord, don't let that girl cut my hair...she's got blue streaks. Oh. my. goodness...I think I'm making a mistake. I could just get up and leave, but I figure I'm here, I'll give it a try. So, who comes over to get me but blue-streaks herself. She's really sweet, her name is Sheena. She shampoos me, I show her Debra's picture that I have printed off (told you I loved it, Debra!). She says, no problem, she can do that just fine. She really takes her time & cuts it & is very precise about going around my hair cutting all the layers. Comments on how much hair I have (which every hair stylist always does!). She loves my hair & has fun working on it. So, after the blow drying and styling, I take a look and absolutely LOVE it! She has nailed my hair perfectly & I'm so happy with it. I'll take Ms. Blue Streaks any day! The girl knows how to cut my hair. Now, if I can just manage to fix it like she did....those stylists really have a way with hair.
So, this is my version of the flip....YESSSSS, I'll be going back to her and saving money too! I had to come home & take pics so I can remember how she dried it. Total for this shampoo, cut & style was $30, including tip...now that's more like it! So how expensive are haircuts where you are? I know they vary all over the country & $50 is nothing to a lot of people, but I happen to be cheap on stuff like that. Now, I hate bad haircuts just as much as everyone else, but if I can get a GOOD haircut for less, why not! I even do wet cuts often too, as I could care less about getting it styled every single time. I'm at the gym a lot & have to wash it often anyway.


One extra special thing about this story I want to share with you. Our precious pastor at our very large dynamic church has been urging us all to share the gospel with those we come in contact with. That's always been a difficult thing for me to do, to get out of my comfort zone & to be more aware of those around me that I come in contact with & what needs may be there that I can speak to. I can cocoon with the best of them & just stay in my little world around my close friends & not let the outside world get in too much. But, our pastor has really been talking about world & community outreach this whole summer & I've felt the need to be more open to what God is trying to do around me. I so much want to let God use me to impact people that I meet. I know that he will always open those doors, if I will be obedient and open my mouth to speak.


So, Ms. blue streak and I had a nice conversation. She's very young & told me about the relationship she is in & it sounded like it wasn't very healthy. She mentioned that God was important to her & her boyfriend had just acknowledged that there is a God...well, that's step one. I asked her if she is a Christian & she said she was. I asked her if she had a church she was part of & she said that no, she hadn't been going for a long while. I invited her to our church & she told me that her mother has been trying to get her to come to that church, as well as a few other people. I explained to her how important it is when you are a Christian to get good teaching & surround yourself with others who are Believers too. She said she knew it was important, so I hope she will come. I will keep talking to her & keep inviting her, now that I'll be going back to get my hair cut there. I just think it's neat that when you least expect it, God will open a door for us to go through, even when it is just a spur of the moment decision. I want to be open to more of those opportunities & they are everywhere if we just look & listen.


Hope y'all have a great week!

Bookcase Project & Giveways

Recently, I met a new blog friend named Joy, The Joy Of, and if you haven't already met her, you must check out her beautiful blog. She's all the way up in Canada, so really far away, but I just love her creativity & love of thrifting like mine. We are kindred spirits with the yardsale finds & bargains & I love to see all the beautiful paper crafts she comes up with. Well, she just celebrated her 2nd year anniversery of blogging with a giveaway & I was the lucky winner! Above is the stash that Joy sent me, a pretty handmade clipboard adorned with vintage wallpaper & postcard, buttons, ribbons & stickers, glass glitter which I know I'll have fun with (I haven't used glitter since grade school, maybe?!), a Paris eraser (at least that is what I have deduced from taking it out, touching & smelling it), a cute Halloween sign, & a set of oh, so pretty fall leaf napkins, which I will have the opportunity to use very soon. Thank you so much Joy...you made my weekend with all of this! Go & visit Joy, you won't be sorry!

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I did get in a small bit of yardsaling on Saturday, nothing too wonderful, so don't get too excited....I'm easily amused.
My 2 old tired beach chairs that were over 10 years old, finally gave out & we really needed some new ones. We sometimes go out & listen to outdoor concerts & needed some chairs to take, so I figured that eventually I'd find a pair that would work for us. They need to be sturdy, as my hubby is not a little guy. So, I found a pair of these on Saturday for $5 each. They are sturdy, have a cup holder & they're in great shape too! I'll take 'em.
Fitz & Floyd brand new, still in the box, Christmas plate for $2. I think I'll keep this one for Christmas this year, it's really pretty.
I'm always on the lookout for cheap (but good quality...let me clarify that) jewelry. The black necklace was $2 (made by Premier) & the other set was $2 (brand new too). You know I love leopard stuff, so this necklace & earrings will be great with my outfits...and I love black.

The weekend was the beginning of the paint projects...the bookcase got some moldings added & the painting has begun. Remember, this is the before pic. I decided to paint both the bookcase and the TV cabinet with a chocolate brown paint that I already have on hand, called Turret Stairs by Ralph Lauren. I used this color awhile ago in one of my guestbaths on the bathroom cabinets. It's a rich chocolatey brown shade, very yummy.
Picked up the rope molding and the little feet at Lowes. I figured out how much I would need on each side of the bookcase for the rope & being cheap, would have had to buy two 8' lengths of rope molding, so I looked around in the staircase & railing wood section & saw these 2 little pieces that are perfect for a base on my bookcase & added the extra 5-6" I needed on each side. The rope piece was $12 and the little feet were $6 for both, so for an additional $18, my bookcase will be tricked out just right & be a whole lot more interesting.
And you'll remember the nightstand I bought?

It got a good coat of primer and will be ready for it's coat of black satin paint. I still have to buy that yet.
My trusty miter box that I bought 2 years ago has really come in handy for these little projects. It's an easy way to get things done if you don't want to mess with power tools. I would love to have some power tools, so maybe one day I'll get a few.
Rope molding & feet in place on my bookcase. Used wood glue to hold it all in place til dry. Remember when you're doing a project like this, the caulk gun is your friend. I used lots of it in the corners of the bookcase shelves to fill in the gaps & also around the molding I added. Really makes a finished look & the paint just looks better when everything is caulked. Just a little tip for ya!
There she is waiting for the wood to dry. As of right now, I already have one coat of chocolate brown on both the bookcase & the TV cabinet & they are both looking good! I use a small 2" foam roller on my furniture painting. They work great & get in small places, really puts the paint on smooth. If I was really on the ball, I would pull off the cardboard backing on this bookshelf & replace it with beadboard. For now, I'm leaving it as is, but somewhere down the line, I just might do that! Esp. if I find a small piece of beadboard laying around somewhere that will fit.
TV cabinet primed & ready for the brown paint. One coat down already & I can't wait to show you the finished product. I'm lovin' it already! My hubby has already mentioned to me how much he is enjoying his office. Since we are getting a new TV in there, we needed to get another DISH receiver, so we are upgrading to a duel DVR. Can you say wooo-hoooo with me!? I've heard all about Tivo & DVR's, but we just hadn't done it yet. I think we are both excited to have this new little gadget in the house & it will be loads of fun skipping through those commercials.

Stay tuned....I hope to get this office together in the next couple of weeks! Still have to get that valance hung and all the furniture in place. I won't have artwork yet, but I'll share it as soon as I can. Have a great week! Oh, I have some Open House pics to share with you this week too. Bye for now......

Yardsaling Bonanza

Was I excited when I opened the Yardsale section in the paper on Friday and saw that one of my favorite neighborhoods was having their Fall yardsale. Mt. Laurel is a really neat planned community on the outskirts of town, out in the woods. It has a real Craftsman feel to the homes & things are left very natural, with lots of rock walls, and pretty landscaping all around. The streets are set up like an old fashioned little town & as you enter Mt. Laurel you go through a small town square with shops & restaurants. Really neat concept. The homes have alleys in the back & that's where the garages are, so everyone opens their garages & has a sale right in the alleyway. I've been several times to their sales & always come home with plenty of loot. Saturday was no exception!
You can see the winding alleyways behind the houses. As you can tell, it's just getting light out. It's pretty tight quarters in here, so folks have to maneuver to get around. There's usually plenty of people shopping at their sales & they start bright & early at 7:00 a.m. I was there by 6:30. I am a yardsale junkie, I admit it.
Another shot of one of the streets with brick sidewalks.
An example of one of the houses. I didn't take too many of the neighborhood, I was too busy shopping!

So, it's still dark when I pull up to the first stop. This girl had some really neat things out there, pillows were kind of pricey. I spotted a 27" TV for my hubby's office & we quickly negotiated $40 for that. We are not high-tech people, so a regular tube TV is fine with us for now...we have not bit the bullet & bought any of the flatscreen Plasma or LCD TV's yet. Maybe one day when these all die. We are getting his office set up now that we have that nice big desk & he likes to stay tuned to all his finance & news channels during the day, so TV in there will come in handy, since he works at home. I'm loving getting all of his stuff in there (and out of the bedroom & den), so that it's not all over the house. He promptly moved in there after I got that big desk for him. And after today, I think we're about there! That was my first purchase. Now I'll show you all the stuff I saw, but didn't buy....see below.
This was a very nice all wood china cabinet/hutch for $75.00. Would be a great buy for someone.

This was an adorable kids bed with window treatments, rug, etc. Of course, this adorable bunny rug got my attention. It was $20. The bed was really cute too & had complete headboard, rails. Didn't get the price for the bed.

This pine piece was already sold for $75.00
Nice custom window treatment for $10.
Lots of dishware, good prices on these too.

More dishes. I just don't need any more!
Some old silver pieces. I doubt she'll get those prices marked for them.
This was a neat old mirror for $10 that came off a dresser.
Waterfall chest of drawers. Didn't see the price on it.
Of course, I did a doubletake on these 2 chairs, since I have 2 already. These were $10 each & nope, I didn't get them. No more room!

Cute little end table, I think it was around $20 maybe & that little slatback chair was $10.
This was an old wood hopechest, very well made for $40. That lady standing there bought it.
Lots of pillows & pretty birdcages.
Wine prints.
This was a pretty piece for $125.

Blue/white mosaic demilune table was $40.
Lots of blue/white pieces at this sale. I just don't have anymore room for this either.
I think this dropleaf table was $75.00.
OK, here's what else I bought. Just down the alley was this piece for $25. The new TV for hubby will fit in here perfectly & it even has storage. It's solid oak which I do not love, so I'll probably paint it. I'm thinking black would look good. Any suggestions?? It's going in his office with the deep blue walls, but black would probably look good with those other wood pieces in there. It's going to be an eclectic look.
And lastly, I found this old, but sturdy small wood bookcase for $10. It needs a little repair work & a new coat of paint, but will work fine for him to put books on. I'll probably just repaint it white & add a little trim to it. Let's see...with the new desk, TV, TV cabinet, bookcase, & window treatment, I've spent a grand total of $101.00 on his office so far. Not bad!

So, that was my haul for this weekend! I was really excited to find all these pieces for hubby's office. I think we are set now. There's no more room for more in there. He can get organized & hopefully keep it looking good. I've got a lot of painting in my future with the nightstand, bookcase & TV cabinet!