Friday, March 30, 2012

Top 5 Posts for March

I have had so much fun blogging this past month, and I'm so thankful to each of you who took a minute to stop by and visit and see what I was up to.  ;)
Here are my 5 most popular posts for the month of March:












 



And my most popular post from March was the following:


Again...I'm so thrilled that so many people have stopped by to see what I've been posting about. I can't wait to see what April will bring. I have a lot of ideas that I want to blog about, as well as quite a few projects that I want to work on, so I do hope you will come back to visit me soon. I invite everyone to follow me by one or more of the options in my sidebar.

Have a wonderful day everyone! :)



Pin It

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Detailed Housecleaning ~ Don't Get Overwhelmed!

Links to my housecleaning schedule:


I recently decided to blog about my housecleaning routine that I do, and there have been some nice comments and so far, positive feedback. 
I did however receive this comment today:

"Great list but I'm wondering how I can get this all done before and after I get home from work. Just curious to know if you work outside the home? My house is a cluttered disaster with no kids but several cats. Vacuuming every day is a must but I don't seem to even get that done. I checked out Flylady but the website was too overwhelming. Think I will try your program and see how it goes. Your newest follower."

I felt that instead of replying privately to this comment, that I would write another post for those who may feel that my routine might be too overwhelming, or simply just too much to do on a day to day basis.

First of all, in response to the question, "Do you work outside the home?" The answer is no. I quit my job back in July when I got married, at the request of my husband, bless his heart...and I love staying home now and taking care of the house and having his dinner ready when he gets home from work. Old fashioned, I know, but that's how we roll. Haha!
BUT...it was when I WAS working that I put together and organized my cleaning routine. It was BECAUSE I was working that I felt I needed some sort of written list of what needed to be done in the house, otherwise I just wasn't going to do it. It was motivation to me, and kept me on track. It still does. 

As I said in my previous post, Flylady was a big inspiration in coming up with my routine. If I learned anything from it, it was 2 very important things....

Don't get overwhelmed
and
Babysteps

So how do you get everything done when you work during the day? Well first of all you have to START. 
Print, or write out your routine. Pick something from it, and do it. Sometimes I start with the biggest job, sometimes I do the quick, easy stuff first. 
Break it down and do certain things at certain times of the day.

Let's use one day for an example of how things could get done:
TUESDAY
  • Spray and wipe bathroom mirror and window
  • Spray down and wipe shower walls and bathtub, throw out any empty bottles 
  • Declutter bedroom for 15 minutes
  • Wash/put away dishes
  • Dust all surfaces in house
  • Fill pet dishes/clean litter
  • Clean hot spots for 5 minutes each: Kitchen & bathroom
  • Wash, dry and put away a load of laundry
  • Straighten surfaces (before bed)
  • Wipe bathroom
  • Vacuum
Now, this might look like a lot of stuff to get done in a day. But if we break it down into intervals....it really isn't.
Do a little bit in the morning, a little bit in the afternoon, and a little bit at night.

So today is the day to wipe the shower, and also wash the mirror and window...and everyday I wipe down the sink and outside of the toilet. Well these 3 chores can be done at the same time. I keep a scrubbie, or nylon poof by the shower, just for cleaning. So in the morning, when you are done with your shower....stay in there, and wipe it down. Here's what I do a lot of the time....I use shampoo to clean it. Pour a little on the pouf, soap up the walls and tub, then rinse it either with your removable shower head, or use a plastic glass to rinse it. Soap is soap. It still gets it nice and clean. 
Don't like that idea? Then after you get out of the shower, spray it with cleaner and wipe it. It takes about the same amount of time.
Then there's the window and mirror. Spray and wipe.
Then the sink and toilet....I keep Lysol wipes in the bathroom. So I will use one of those, or grab my cleaner and rag from under the sink, and just spray and wipe.
So all of the bathroom work for that day can be done in less than 10 minutes in the morning.
Then finish getting dressed, putting on makeup, etc.

What else can be done in the morning before work? I'm in the kitchen making coffee and whatnot....so I put away any dishes, then check the pet dishes and fill them, and change the water. Then I sift the cat litter. 
In the morning, I put in my load of laundry for the day...let it wash while I'm at work.
I used to get up 15 minutes early when I worked, just to give me that little bit of extra time to get a couple things done.

So how about after work?

Throw the clothes in the dryer.

Run the vacuum. Don't have time to do the whole house? Do one room. Do the room that needs it the most and get the rest tomorrow.

Set a time for 15 minutes and straighten and declutter the bedroom. Don't have that much time? Then only do 10 minutes, or even 5.
It's surprising what you can really get done in that amount of time. Every little thing helps. And what you don't get done this time, can be done next time. 

Now it's dusting time. Put on some music, get your duster and fling it around. It takes me probably 5 minutes to featherdust the surfaces in my house. If something needs to be sprayed and wiped I do it, but mostly I just featherdust.

So that's what can be done after work.

Before bed, all that's left to do is to put away laundry, and clear surfaces. Before bed I check my kitchen table, my counter and any tables in the living room. I clear away clutter, straighten stuff. Do you have to do this? No. But it's nice to get up in the morning and see clean surfaces. To me it makes the house look not so cluttered. It only takes like 2 minutes to clear surfaces.

Regarding the HOT SPOTS...it's important to do these. A hot spot is any place that attracts clutter. It's where  stuff gets put that doesn't belong. When I do a hot spot, I pick the messiest area in a room. I do the visible ones first....a tabletop, or the top of the tv stand....any place where there's stuff that doesn't belong. If there are no visible hot spots, then I will straighten one shelf on my bookshelf, or clean out the drawer in my coffee table. I throw out what is garbage or anything I don't want or need. I take what doesn't belong there and put it where it should go. I organize what's left.

Regarding DECLUTTERING...this is spending 15 minutes, or however long you have to do it, and fly through the room and straighten and organize.
So if I am decluttering the living room....I gather up any garbage and throw it away. I gather up toys and put them in their bins, I stack magazines, get dirty dishes out of there and put them in the dishwasher. I fold throws and blankets and put them back on the couch. Straighten throw pillows. If the kids or the husband left stuff laying around, gather it up and put it either in their rooms or in the garage. 
I set a timer, and work for 15 minutes.
At first you might not get everything finished in that time. Just quit after 15 minutes. It's good enough until next time. After doing this consistently for a while, I set my timer, declutter, and when I am done I look and sometimes still have 8 or 9 minutes left. Every time you do it....it gets easier.

An important thing to remember is this:
Your house didn't get this overnight, and it's not going to get clean overnight.
Take it slow, do what you can, don't get overwhelmed. Babystep. Consistent babysteps.

Here's another example: the kitchen
In an upcoming post we will be tackling the kitchen. 
I go through EVERYTHING.
And at first you'll be saying, "This lady is nuts, there's no way I can get all this done."
But you can.
For instance...one of the chores is to go through each drawer in my kitchen. I do a drawer at a time. I take everything out, I wipe the inside of the drawer, I get rid of any junk or clutter I don't want or use, then I put it neatly back in.
Now if you haven't done this in a while, it will take some time. But the next time it's kitchen cleaning time, and you have to clean out that drawer....it will be a snap. You might not have to take everything out. You probably won't have to wipe it down. Each time you do a chore, then next time it is easier, and takes less time.
Often times when I have a chore on my list, let's say it's cleaning out the cabinet under the kitchen sink....I don't really have to do anything. It's stayed pretty well organized since the last time I did it...so instead of taking everything out, I basically just have to straighten things up a bit.

So yes, it will be time consuming in the beginning. But each time you do something, the next time will be easier.
Every little step you take, no matter how small....will get you there.
Babysteps.
Consistent babysteps.

Also...there are probably chores that you need to add or omit from my list so that it will work better for you.
Did you notice that I don't have 'Make bed' in my routine?
I don't, because I never make my bed.
It's not that important, no one see that it's not made and I simply don't care. Haha!
If you feel it's something you want add to your list, add it.
I wash bedding once a week on Mondays....and the bed is made up then, and a rumpled mess the rest of the time.
And that is good enough for me.

About washing windows.
Once a week, one of my chores is to wash all windows and mirrors in my house. Do I? Pfffff....no.
I check them all though. I usually have to wash the one above my kitchen sink because of water spots from the sink. Most of the other ones I don't have to do...but I do check them. If one has obviously been sneezed on by a cat or licked by my dog, I wash it. The rest I just leave. So when you see "Wash all windows and mirrors" on the list....don't panic. Just do the ones that need to be done, and leave the rest for another time when they look like they need it. If you don't want to do it...leave it off the list.

I do hope that I've helped to make my routine a little easier to understand, and that I have made it seem a little less daunting than it may look.
If you are like I used to be and your house is a cluttered mess....try this out...I PROMISE you will see a difference in time. Your house WILL get back in order. You WILL feel better about yourself.

And remember....
Don't get overwhelmed.
Babysteps.
Your house didn't get like this overnight, and it's not going to get clean overnight.
Be consistent.

Links to my housecleaning schedule:



Pin It

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Detailed Housecleaning Week 1 ~ The Bathroom

 

I have been wanting to blog about my housecleaning schedule for a while now, so now is as good a time as any.

This is a schedule that I've been devising and tweaking for a while now until it was something that was easy for me to work with, and to stick with...and I think I have it just about right.

First of all...why do I need a list? I am a terrible procrastinator, and will put things off and put things off until they are just not done at all.
What works to motivate me and get me going are lists. I make lists for all kinds of things, but it wasn't until I put together this housecleaning list that I felt I really had a handle on my home and it's organization.

My inspiration for my housecleaning comes from the Flylady website. I followed it for a while, and while some of it worked for me...some of it just didn't. So I took what I learned from it, and tweaked it to fit into my life.

Now before we start, I will explain the basics of it. I have 5 areas/rooms in my home: our main bedroom, the bathroom, the kitchen, the dining area, and the living room (I don't clean the kid's rooms...they are old enough and responsible for their own spaces)....and each week I work on a different room and do a detailed cleaning which I divide up all through the week. Then there are certain chores that are done every day of the week, and finally there are certain chores that I do once a week on a particular day.

How did I come up with the chores for the detailed cleaning? I stood in each room of my house and asked myself, "If I were to do a thorough cleaning in this room right now, what all would I need to do?" I then sat down, wrote out each chore that would need to be done, then divided the chores throughout the week.

I know...it sounds confusing, but I will list each thing I do every day. It will also look like a LOT of work..but once you get into the routine, it really only takes no more than about an hour.

I go into a little more detail about how to get into this routine and how certain things are done here:
Detailed Housecleaning ~ Don't Get Overwhelmed!

Just a couple other things before we start.

A HOT SPOT is an area in a room that is the most cluttered. I always do the visible hot spots first, like tabletops...and if there isn't any visible clutter, I will work on a hidden hot spot, like a drawer or cabinet. So when it's time to clean a hot spot for 5 minutes...I look around, and just straighten the messiest spot in a room.

DECLUTTERING is done each day in a different area of the house. For this, I set a time for 15 minutes, and straighten a room. Get stuff out of there that doesn't belong, throw out garbage, put things where they go. 

CHORES THAT ARE DONE EVERY DAY:
  • Dishes (Load dishwasher and run it before bed, empty it in the morning.)
  • Fill pet dishes/ check and clean cat litter
  • Wash, dry and put away one load of laundry
  • Wipe bathroom (spray sink, faucet and toilet...wipe clean (disinfecting wipes work great too). Swish inside toilet with toilet brush)
  • Vacuum (don't move furniture, just do around everything. I have 2 cats, a dog, a 12 and 17 year old, a 6 month old and a husband....I HAVE to vacuum every day haha!)
  • Straighten surfaces (before bed I make sure the kitchen table, the kitchen counter and living room coffee and end tables are clutter free)
WEEKLY CHORES:
  • Monday: Change and/or wash bedding
  • Tuesday: Dust surfaces (I feather dust everything in the whole house, shelves, knick knacks, lampshades, etc. When I think it needs it, or I have time...I use furniture polish and do tabletops, etc.)
  • Wednesday: Empty all garbage (Bathroom and bedroom cans are emptied, kitchen garbage goes out if full....anything else that has been set aside that needs to go out....gets put in garbage cans in the garage.
  • Thursday: Clean mirrors and glass (Spray and wipe all mirrors, spot clean the inside of each window in the house)
  • Friday: Purge mail and magazines (go through all the mail is laying around, throw out what is junk. Go through magazines and newspapers and throw out what has been read....straighten what you are keeping)

Oh my....ok....is anyone still with me??? Haha! I PROMISE....this is MUCH easier than it looks.

 

To put it simply....the hot spots, decluttering, daily and weekly cleaning are ongoing upkeep, while you are concentrating on doing a thorough cleaning during the week in a particular room.
Easy peasy! ;p


This week....I am cleaning in the BATHROOM.


Ready? Here we go!

 

MONDAY
  • Change/wash bedding
  • Clean toilet inside and out
  • Declutter living room for 15 minutes
  • Wash/put away dishes
  • Fill pet dishes/clean litter
  • Clean hot spots for 5 minutes each: Bedroom & kitchen
  • Wash, dry and put away a load of laundry
  • Straighten surfaces (before bed)
  • Wipe bathroom
  • Vacuum
  • Spray and wipe down plastic shower curtain, wash fabric shower curtain


TUESDAY
  • Spray and wipe bathroom mirror and window
  • Spray down and wipe shower walls and bathtub, throw out any empty bottles 
  • Declutter bedroom for 15 minutes
  • Wash/put away dishes
  • Dust all surfaces in house
  • Fill pet dishes/clean litter
  • Clean hot spots for 5 minutes each: Kitchen & bathroom
  • Wash, dry and put away a load of laundry
  • Straighten surfaces (before bed)
  • Wipe bathroom
  • Vacuum


WEDNESDAY
  • Clean out medicine cabinet (take things out, wipe inside cabinet, throw out old medications, organize and put away what you are keeping. Now is a good time to write down anything you need to stock up on...bandaids, cold medicine, etc)
  • Declutter kitchen for 15 minutes
  • Wash/put away dishes
  • Empty all garbage and put out
  • Fill pet dishes/ clean litter
  • Clean hot spots for 5 minutes each: Bathroom and living room
  • Wash, dry and put away a load of laundry
  • Sweep and mop kitchen and bathroom floors
  • Straighten surfaces (before bed)
  • Wipe bathroom
  • Vacuum


THURSDAY
  • Clean cabinet above toilet (this can be any other storage cabinet or area in your bathroom. Take things out, wipe clean, throw out anything old, organize and restock it.)
  • Clean all mirrors in the house, spot clean insides of all windows in the house
  • Declutter bathroom for 15 minutes
  • Wash/put away dishes
  • Fill pet dishes/ clean litter
  • Clean hot spots for 5 minutes each: Living room and bedroom
  • Wash, dry and put away a load of laundry
  • Straighten surfaces (before bed)
  • Wipe bathroom
  • Vacuum
  • Collect and wash bathroom rugs, curtains and any stray towels laying around in bathroom


FRIDAY
  • Scrub bathroom sink and faucet. Empty out cabinet under sink, wipe clean, organize and restock.
  • Straighten up in the laundry area/room. Take out garbage, organize shelves and cabinets, wipe down washer and dryer.
  • Wash/put away dishes
  • Fill pet dishes/clean letter
  • Clean hot spots for 5 minutes each: Kitchen and bathroom
  • Wash, dry and put away a load of laundry
  • Purge mail and magazines (throw out junk, organize what you are keeping)
  • Straighten surfaces (before bed)
  • Wipe bathroom
  • Vacuum


SATURDAY & SUNDAY
  • Wash/put away dishes
  • Fill pet dishes/check litter
  • Wash, dry and put away a load of laundry
  • Straighten surfaces (before bed)
  • Wipe bathroom
  • Vacuum
Every Monday I print out my weekly list, and I mark off each chore as I do it.

At first, if your house was as cluttered and disorganized as mine....this will take you a while to get through, but if you keep at it, eventually you will be able to get all of your cleaning done in an hour or so a day. You will start to notice a difference in your house, and you won't panic when you hear someone knock on the door because your home will be presentable.


If you follow this, you will of course have to tweak it to what will work for you. You will have to add chores, and omit chores, but this gives you a basic idea of how I keep my home clean and organized.

IMPORTANT NOTE: After hiding my cleaning list from The Kids and The Husband for a long time because I was embarrassed for them to know I needed a list to clean the house.....I started leaving it on the counter so that it was easier to see what needed to get done...The Kids started looking at it each day, and asking to HELP! The Husband has not yet caught on though, ha ha! 

 

Please leave a comment if you have any questions.

For the next 4 weeks, I will detail a different room, so if you want to continue to read further installments of my housecleaning schedule, please make sure you follow me by one of the options in my sidebar.


Other links:

Next week we will clean.....The bedroom.

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Linking to:
A bowl full of lemons ~ A Glimpse Inside ~ At The Picket FenceBetween Naps on the Porch ~ Boogieboard CottageBrassy Apple ~ Cherished Handmade Treasures ~ Chic on a ShoestringCoastal Charm ~ Confessions of a Stay at Home MommyC.R.A.F.T. ~ Craft-O-Maniac ~ Debbie Does Creations ~ DIY by DesignElizabeth & Co ~ French Country CottageHandy Man, Crafty Woman ~ Happy Hour Projects ~ Here Comes the Sunhome happy homeHome Savvy A to ZHomemaker on a Dime ~ homework ~ House of Hepworths ~ How To Nest For LessI Heart Nap Time  ~ little becky homeckylive laugh roweMy 1929 Charmer ~ My Girlish Whims ~ My Repurposed LifeMy Uncommon Slice of Suburbia ~ No Minimalist HereNot JUST A Housewife ~ One Artsy MamaOur Delightful HomePetite HermineRandee's Organized Chaos ~ Sassy Sites! ~ Savvy Southern Style ~ School House ScrapsSerendipity and Spice ~ Serenity NowSew Chatty ~ Sew Many Ways ~ Skip To My Lou ~ Someday Crafts ~ Southern Lovely ~ Stuff and NonsenseSugar and DotsSugar Bee CraftsSumo's Sweet Stuff ~ Tea Rose HomeThe Blackberry Vine ~ The Brambleberry Cottage ~ The Charm of HomeThe Grant LifeThe NY Melrose FamilyThe Project QueenThe Southern Institute ~ Thirty Handmade DaysThrifty 101Tip JunkieUnder The Table and Dreaming ~ Vintage Gwen

Pin It

Celtic Crosses

I have always loved Celtic crosses.



There is just something so appealing to me about them, whether they are the massive, intricately carved stones that are used as a grave marker, or a delicate filigree pendant worn around the neck. I suppose it is because of their beauty, and because I am half Irish.

Although essentially all the same shape, the cross with the circle around it, they are all so different from one another, with the knot work, spirals, key patterns, meandering patterns, and sometimes even human or animal figures. Some are very crude and primitive, while others are overly ornate. The wide variation of styles, coupled with their rich history and how they are interpreted, are the reason Celtic crosses are very often a popular choice for both jewelry and tattoos.


While browsing for photos of Celtic crosses, I came across this wonderful website which goes into detail about the history and symbolism of Celtic crosses, as well as Celtic knotwork in general.


Here are some other examples of  Celtic crosses:

~ celtic cross ~ 

Men's Celtic Cross Necklace 


 


Wall Hanging Celtic Cross 


 Celtic Cross, Killarney Ireland




Red and Gold Celtic Cross (CCH1) - glass tile pendant
{source}

I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Linking to:
A bowl full of lemons


Pin It

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Words in Mini Frames

Hi everyone!
Well I was going to do a little project this weekend, but I was anxious to see how it would turn out, so this is how I spent my afternoon today.

I blogged here about my trip to Goodwill this morning, and how I found these 5 cute little mini frames:

Three of them were 50 cents, and two were 25 cents...so $2.00 total for the 'set'.

The inspiration for doing this craft came from seeing this adorable Mini Framed Spring post on Courtney's blog, A Diamond in the Stuff:
 
So cute, right?

Well I decided that I wanted to make my own version, but it wasn't until I got home that I realized that I had only gotten 5 frames. I tried to think of another word that I could use...but nothing came to mind. Until I remember that my last name had 5 letters..ha!

The first thing I did was to disassemble them. I took the frames into my disaster area of a garage, and spray painted them all with a matte black spray paint:

I already had the spray paint from other projects...so this cost me nothing.
It took 2 thin coats to cover them completely.

While the frames were drying, I cleaned up the glass for each of them, and using Picnik, decided what fonts to use for each of the letters.

Here are the frames all freshly painted. I'm not sure why, but I really prefer a matte black finish for frames instead of a glossy coat.
The frames dried nicely and covered well, except for the one I dropped on the floor while bringing them into my kitchen to work at my counter. (I really need a crafting space/area). The one I dropped landed just right so there was a tiny area on one corner that the paint got scuffed off, so I had go BACK into the garage and fix it...all the while mumbling and cursing.


When I made the Cookie Sheet Bulletin Board, I had gone to Walmart and bought a book of scrapbook paper, so I got that out, and chose 5 different patterns of paper that I wanted to use. Again, this was no cost since it was something I already had.

As I said earlier, I used Picnik to choose which fonts I wanted to use for the letters, and I printed out a different letter on each piece of paper. (I really need a Cricut) Then using the glass from each frame as a guide, I cut out the letters using a utility knife.

Notice how crooked the edges are? I can't cut paper.

I mean I can cut paper....I just can't cut it correctly. Ever.

It doesn't matter what I am cutting....even if I just put the scissors to the paper and make ONE cut.....it comes out crooked!! It's all curvy and wonky and looks like I flunked the cutting and pasting class in kindergarten. 
I know it MUST have something to do with my being left handed. There's simply no other explanation I can come up with. See how there is even a kind of grid patter on the paper above? Doesn't matter. And using the utility knife was an even bigger adventure. I know you're probably thinking.....left-handed scissors. Nope. After using normal scissors all my life, the expensive left-handed ones I have feel just horrible in my hand, and I do an even WORSE job with them, because the paper cuts on the opposite side of the blades. *sigh*

Ok enough of that. 

So after I have all of the letters printed and I schlep my way through the cutting process, I assemble all of the frames back together. Here is a close up of the first letter:

Again the total cost for this project was $2.00...what I paid for the frames. Everything else I used was something I already had.

I am planning on making one wall in my living room a gallery wall with family photos. I thought these little frames would look cute on a floating shelf somewhere mixed with the other, larger photos. For now though, for the sake of taking a photo of the finished project, they sit here on my kitchen shelf:


I like how they turned out, and when I find more little frames I might redo this for my grandson using brighter, bolder colors.

Thanks so much for stopping by to take a look. You are more than welcome to leave a comment, I love hearing from everyone.

Have a wonderful day!

Linking to:
{aka} design ~ 2805 ~ 30 Handmade DaysA bowl full of lemons ~ A Glimpse Inside ~ A Little TipsyAddicted 2 Decorating ~ At Home With KAt The Picket Fence ~ Be Different Act Normal ~ Between Naps on the PorchBoogieboard CottageBrassy Apple ~ Cherished Handmade TreasuresChic on a Shoestring Decorating ~ Coastal Charm ~ Confessions of a Stay At Home MommyC.R.A.F.T. ~ Craft-O-Maniac ~ Debbie Does CreationsDelightful Order ~ DIY by DesignDIY Showoff ~ Elizabeth & CoFingerprints on the Fridge ~ Fireflies and Jellybeans ~ Five Days 5 Ways ~ French Country Cottage ~ Funky Junk Interiors ~ Funky Polkadot Giraffe ~ Handy Man, Crafty WomanHappy Hour Projects ~ Here Comes the Sun ~ home happy homeHome Savvy A To Z ~ homeworkHouse of Hepworths ~ House of GraceI Gotta Create! ~ I Heart Nap Time ~ It All Started With PaintIt's Overflowing ~ It's So Very Cheri ~ Just a Party with My Peeps ~ Kammy's Korner ~ little becky homecky ~  live laugh rowe ~ love notes by laurynMy 1929 Charmer ~ My Girlish WhimsMy Repurposed Life ~ My Uncommon Slice of SuburbiaNo Minimalist Here ~ Not Just A HousewifeOne Artsy Mama ~ Our Delightful HomePetite HerminePositively SplendidRadCrafter ~ Randee's Organized ChaosSassy Sites! ~ Saved by Suzy ~ Savvy  ~ School House Scraps ~ Serendipity and SpiceSerenity Now ~ Sew Can DoSew Many Ways ~ Singing Three Little Birds ~ Skip To My LouSomeday Crafts ~ Southern LovelySouthern Style ~ Stuff and Nonsense ~ Sugar and DotsSugar Bee CraftsSumo's Sweet Stuff ~ Tea Rose HomeThe 36th Avenue ~ The Blackberry Vine ~ The Brambleberry CottageThe Charm of Home ~ The Girl CreativeThe Grant LifeThe NY Melrose Family ~ The Project QueenThe Southern InstituteThrifty 101 ~ Tip JunkieUnder The Table and DreamingVintage Gwen ~ Young and Crafty

Pin It

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Mini Goodwill Haul

Well it was kind of overcast today, a little on the cooler side, but I decided to take a bike ride to Goodwill to see what kind of junk I could find..haha! Shelves were kind of bare, and it looked like they were in the middle of getting their spring stuff out, but I did find a few little things to transform into something gorgeous. ;) 

First I found this bag of decorative excelsior moss for 50 cents. I don't have a use for it right now, but it would be cute in a pot with some little flowers or something eventually. It's a nice dark shade of green instead of the tan color I've usually seen. Would be cute to use for Easter grass in a tablescape or something too...as it's to crumbly and brittle to use in Easter baskets.

Then I found this little recipe box with a hinged cover for 49 cents to decoupage with either fabric or scrapbook paper. It's a cute pattern by Lisa Blowers, but wouldn't go with my decor. Looking on the bottom I see the original price was $8.95!
On the same shelf as the recipe box was sitting this candle pillar for 99 cents. It's finished with what looks like a clear shellac, and for this project I think I will try my hand at maybe the chalk paint I see everyone using....or paint it a dark color then sand it in places to make it look old. 


In the picture frame section I found these little beauties. The larger frame has a nice open criss cross pattern and I plan to paint that as well, although I'm not sure yet what will go in it. I got that for 99 cents.
Next I found the set of framed birds for 49 cents each. I actually like the little bird prints, and they both have cute oval openings in the mats, but I will probably paint the frames.



Lastly, I was inspired by this craft project that I recently saw posted by Courtney on her blog A Diamond in the Stuff:
 
Click HERE for the direct link to her project. It's SUCH a cute idea!

So while I was in the picture frame section, I found these 5 little frames, for between 25 and 50 cents each. I would still need one more to make "Spring"....but I DO have enough to make my last name. On a gallery wall of family photos, they would look really cute on a floating shelf maybe. Here are the frames I found:

The photo of the 5 frames took like 6 shots to get....my daughter thought it would be funny to plunk my grandson on the counter while I was trying to take pictures of them, so the first shots I got had at least 1 or 2 frames knocked over. :p

So that was my mini haul today.
Have you found anything good at Goodwill lately?

Linking to:


Pin It