Life as a Thrifter

It's time for a break...

2014-12-05T07:08:00.000-05:00

Gosh.
I guess it's been, what...? 4 years? I'm not sure I realized that until just now.
Ha. Not too bad. Not too bad at all.

Well, I guess I've gotta just come out with it.
Because it's been on my mind for quite some time...pushing at me...and weighing me down.
Months, in fact. And, I'm sure those devoted (if you're out there) maybe knew that somehow.

It's time for a break.

Let me explain...
When I started here, I was devoted. focused. excited.
And as much as I don't want to admit it. right now, I'm not.

When I had Ross and Gram, I was devoted. focused. excited.
And as much as I don't want to admit it. right now, I'm not.

My time of trying to truly and whole-heartedly focus here...then there...then here...then there...
isn't working the way I had planned.

I can see that right now I'm just not at my best here and there.
I've got to choose...and to be blunt...
I'll always choose there.

I love it here. Please don't get me wrong.
But, I know I can come back to- here...

Surely you can understand, I'll never have Gram's silly, baby car noise stage again...or Ross's dramatic princess stage again...

The point is, I don't want to look back at this time...this time that is, as we all know, gone in a flash, and regret what (I know in my heart) I should have been doing.
And, right now. there's no doubt. I would.

I told you it's been on my mind for months now...right down in the pit of my stomach...where I've been ignoring it.
And of course, God knew all along.
(You'd think I'd learn. Because this isn't the first time I've been stubborn.)
But, when our computer suddenly crashed last week and destroyed everything...all my precious memories... I finally woke up.

It's time for a break.
Some time to regroup. to focus on the important stuff. and come back strong.

I wish I could tell you how long, but I really don't know. When it feels right again, I guess.

But because He also gave me this desire...to do this to begin with...I know I'll still be at it...changin' and fixin' and redoin' for a long time to come...and I'll need a small outlet somewhere...
so here I am, and here I'll stay...
until the next post...

click. and follow.

Holly @ Life as a Thrifter

Oh, Christmas Tree.

2014-11-28T07:15:00.000-05:00

We made some serious progress after the feast yesterday...

After 2 tree stands and 4 sappy hands, our tree is officially up.
We'll look back and laugh one day.
Surely.

bits about us: and the Christmas catalog

2014-11-26T06:43:00.000-05:00

These two.

Out of curiosity, I put this out the other day...wondering what might happen.

And of course, it didn't take long before there was more marker than paper showing...

Between the two of them, that is.

The $10 Curtain

2014-11-21T07:07:00.001-05:00

I gotta tell you, I really had no idea how this was going to turn out... but now that it's all said and done, I love it.
Like, really love it.

But because, I wasn't all too sure ~~about what in the world they would look like~~, I bought the curtains from IKEA.

This picture actually shows 4 panels (since 2 panels come in a pack), but I only used 2 panels for this project. Each package costs $10...that's $5 a panel.

(Note: they are pretty stiff right out of the package, so I decided to wash them first. There's no doubt that loosened them up.)

The paint I used was new to me. It's a mulit-surface metallic paint, and it cost somewhere between 5-7 bucks from whatever craft store.

I didn't have a triangle stamp, so I made my own out of a foam sheet...by gluing several cut out triangles on top of one another.

Then I just stamped the curtain panels one at a time.
I knew there'd be no way to line every triangle up perfectly throughout the panel, so I intentionally stamped them randomly...as to make sure it didn't look like a perfect pattern.

Based on the size of Ross's room, I realized one panel per window was enough, so I tied them back with a piece of jute and a Command hook.

Crazy, they've only been up for 2 days now... but for some reason they feel as though they've always been there... like maybe her room is complete.

Could that mean it's time for the very first room tour in our new house...???

bits about us: at the table

2014-11-19T06:55:00.004-05:00

Now, let me just preface by saying, Ross was (and still is) an eater. Of course she's skeptical, and vegetables are the last thing on her list, but she'll eat...

Gram, however...takes it up a few notches.

That little saying, "He'll eat you out a house and home!" I just brushed off.
Surely they mean when they're in high school...maybe middle school...

Wrong.
Way wrong.

This particular bowl of ice cream was only after a granola bar, 2 snack cups of teddy grahams, 1 snack cup of goldfish, a squeezie, an entire english muffin, half of a turkey and cheese sandwich, a good portion of hummus and several cups of milk...

I'm really not sure what we're getting into here,
but, I sure hope we're making more money by the time he's in high school...
Wait. Scratch that...middle school.

Christmas? Already?

2014-11-17T06:56:00.000-05:00

Yes.

But, for the record, I did get the curtains done.

Although, as you all know, things happen. And, putting up curtain rods are a lot easier said than done sometimes. So, that'll have to wait for now.

In the meantime, I've started with Christmas... a bit early this year, I know. It was my rotting pumpkins that made me do it. Besides, it's kinda nice alotting a little extra time to get it all done... and actually enjoy it for a while.

Anyhow, I could stand to enjoy Christmas a little longer...

Flea Find

2014-11-14T06:49:00.000-05:00

This was one of those purchases that I didn't actually need...

and quite honestly had no idea where it would go...

but goodness, it sure was pretty.

I thought it could be fun for Christmas this year...

but, being that it's kelly green, it might find a perfect permanent spot too...

bits about us: in the kitchen

2014-11-12T07:11:00.002-05:00

One of the best things about having a four year old, is that they can finally cook!

And, I don't mean just sprinkle sprinkles and cut out cookies...I mean really cook!

Cooking has always been one of my most favorite memories as a child...and doing it with your own really takes it to a whole new level.

In fact, it's times like these where I can kinda see myself a little bit...

hahaha...yeah, totally.

The Girl's Room: the window wall

2014-11-10T07:07:00.001-05:00

As you enter Ross's room, you look directly at a wall of windows.

I'll confess I haven't put the first curtain up...anywhere. So, I was determined to get started somewhere with that.

It's a bit of a weird set up...with no room at all on the far left side for anything. I'm still not quite sure what to do about that. Regardless, this week- I'm figuring it out.

Flea Find

2014-11-07T06:54:00.002-05:00

One of my most favorite finds from last week had to have been these sweet, little crocheted hangers. We saw them piled in a basket on the ground with a signed that read, $1 each.

After my heart skipped a beat, I quickly collected them up.

They really couldn't have come at a better time with Ross's Christmas present already in the works...

Upcycled Photo Display

2014-11-05T06:59:00.000-05:00

If you've been with me for a while, then you might remember this old fence a sweet friend gave to me a while back...
She had several... all worn and weathered and right up my alley. In fact, I used them last fall back in our old house HERE.

I kept wondering how I might be able to use them here...
They're fun to pull out occasionally for things, but they seemed like the perfect something for hanging/changing out pictures...and I soooo need that right now.

So, while my dad was here over the weekend, he was sweet enough to help me hang them.

I settled on the wall going up our stairwell, where it's in plain view in our kitchen.

And, I gotta say, I'm pretty thrilled about it.
There's room for lots of play here.

As always, you won't be dissapointed with the other gals...so go check 'em out!

Pendant Light : bigger than the three of us

Fall "Wreath" Frame : Thrifty & Chic

Wine Sleeve : All Things G&D

Vintage Lampshade : lovely etc.

Fall Flea

2014-11-03T07:08:00.002-05:00

I guess this is my 4th or 5th time at the flea here...and I continue to get more and more excited about it every time. It truly never gets old (no pun intended there).

Unlike in the spring, I went with not one thing on a list...nothing that I had to have, yet I ended up definitely having to have a few things.

In fact, I spy something right here in this very picture I should have had.
Man.

Any of you guys flea it up this weekend?

The Girl's Room

2014-10-31T07:08:00.001-04:00

Okay. So we last left off with "Dogwood White and the half wall..."

Well, this is how it turned out...

and let me tell you, I'd do it all over again...and again...and again.
I don't know how, but it ended up being exactly what I was hoping for.

Oh, but there's more...

bits of us... at halloween.

2014-10-29T07:08:00.000-04:00

I can't tell you how relieved I was to hear that Ross wanted to be a cat this year.

(mind you, she changed her mind at least 6 times once I started putting things together buuttt...)

The "cat costume" could quite possibly be the easiest costume ever.

So then, it was Gram I had to figure out.

Luckily there's pinterest...where I revamped this tutorial to make it work on Gram's hoodie.

It worked, and he loves it...okay- deals with it...thank goodness.

They seriously crack me up.

It makes my life seeing them play so well together right now. I know it won't last forever, but it's so obvious how much they love each other...

...even when that little mouse is constantly chasing around that big cat.

What I'm workin' with... (in the girls room)

2014-10-27T07:36:00.003-04:00

So, it's been almost 4 whole months since we moved in the new house. After our offer was accepted on the house, I frantically took as many pics as I could to help me get an idea of what needed to be done.

This was Ross's room before it was offically ours...

Several things I really loved about the room...but, the paint was not one of them. So naturally, that was the first thing on my agenda...

And although I tried hard to avoid it, I knew Ross's first love was pink. So, for weeks I searched...hoping and praying I wouldn't choose something so overbearing, vomit in your face, pink. Because I've seen it. Too many times. And, it scared me...terribly.

I finally settled on this: Dogwood White by Sherwin Williams. (On the paint strip it's even lighter.)

It still scared me. But, I gave in and went with it.

Next was...how was I going to use it?

I fell upon this Apartment Therapy tour some time ago and fell. in. love.

(It's a precious tour. You should definitly check it out.)

The half wall idea made me change my tune totally!

In fact, I started to even get excited about using the color pink!

From there...the juices started flowing...
Stay tuned.

The Fall Porch

2014-10-24T07:26:00.001-04:00

Well, I do apologize for being MIA this week...
but, if you're a mother...and you've ever been sick...well, then...you understand.

I will say, however, in between chasing children, wiping noses, and throwing together a couple Halloween costumes, I did finally manage to put the front porch together.
Weeellll...I SAY front porch. I guess I should actually call it a stoop.

Oh. And before we really get started, let me mention a little certain someone who couldn't keep his hands off during our small photography session...

You know me, I typically stick to natural. (I said typically.)
So, that's always easy in the fall, I feel like.

After I put out all the pumpkins...

I felt like the doors needed something.

So, I started unwinding jute (that I found at an old thrift store for a couple bucks) and hung it up.

After still feeling like it needed something...I added a few braids to pump it up a bit.

And, the leaves...hahaha. I mine as well work with 'em...because they seem to reappear every time I turn the other direction.

Of course, I haven't minded them too much...

Just a splash of fall...

2014-10-17T07:24:00.002-04:00

in the kitchen.

It occured to me that I failed to take any pics of the kitchen table.

Nothing much, by any means.

Just a splash.

and, quite frankly, just enough...with 2 wild ones running around...

little bits of us... at the computer

2014-10-15T06:49:00.001-04:00

Having a girl the first go-around never, not for one second, prepared me for a boy...

My first was timid in "dangerous" situations and was most often pretty compliant. I never had to worry about what she was climbing on or sticking in her mouth.

No, she was too worried about what skirt she needed to put on or what bag she needed to fill.

This one, however, has much more of a carefree type attitude about things...where what he's wearing just so happens to be the least of his worries...

and the word "busy" is an understatement.

I'm learning, though...something I feel sure I'll be doing the rest of my life.

And well, you know...he's become a pretty darn fun teacher.

Fall Porches (from the past)

2014-10-13T07:13:00.002-04:00

I do miss our old, little porch.

Fall was always my favorite time to decorate it.

We're in a completely different situation with our new house. In fact, I'll admit I haven't even started to decorate it...not even a mat. It's definitely more of a challenge.
But, I've made that my mission this week...

Remember those niches?

2014-10-10T06:36:00.002-04:00

Well, when we last left the niches, I still had one unfinished.

I had no intentions of styling them the same, so I wanted to wait it out and see what felt best there.

And well, you know I have a thing for hanging chairs...

Hahaha...well, to be exact, old chairs in general...

and it sure enough felt right.

bits about us... at the pumpkin patch

2014-10-08T07:15:00.000-04:00

I've gotten obsessed with pictures at the pumpkin patch. I missed it only one year since we've had kids, and I can't tell you how much I've regretted it.

My first couple of years, I wanted so much to have sweet, little posed pictures.
You know, the ones with clean faces and unstained clothes...

but these days, I'm happy just to get then in the same shot.

And you know...

that's pretty much okay.

Our Fall Table

2014-10-06T07:11:00.001-04:00

I've been wanting to do white pumpkins for such a long time...

In our old house it never fit just right, I don't think...

But here, I'm in love with them.

Fall Dining Tables (from the past)

2014-10-03T07:21:00.001-04:00

Gosh.

This really brings back memories. It's crazy to think that we were at our old house for this many years...but this is every fall dining room display we ever had there...

(and even crazier to see all those brown chairs before they were painted white!)

You know I never go crazy...and typically use things I already have (besides the pumpkins), so I hope this helps brings a little inspiration for your table without breaking the bank this year.

Hope everyone's getting into the FALL spirit! We certainly have...

Repurposed Fan Belt Display

2014-10-01T07:17:00.002-04:00

It's the first Wednesday of the month...and you know what that means...

I was pretty excited about this months project- mainly because I've had this old fan belt display I found at the flea market years ago sitting in our garage...outfitting spiders with new digs. It was making me sick I couldn't find a spot for it.

If you remember, it used to hang in the laundry room in our old house...it fit perfectly there. But here, I just don't have the same setup.

Luckily, while I was putting together the fall decor, an idea came to me...

so now it sits.

(And while we're at it...here's a sneak peek of the fall table.)

Be sure to check out the rest of the RRR projects this month. I assure you, they never disappoint.

Sunburst Mirror: Thrifty & Chic

Upcycled Keyhole Necklace: lovely ect.

Upcycled Clothes: Bigger Than The Three of Us

the fall mantel

2014-09-29T07:21:00.006-04:00

I couldn't tell you why...but I've gotten on a major wheat kick this year.

I'm loving it...like really loving it.

It screams fall, but yet it's so simple and natural.

I couldn't go without using the fall banner I got from these girls several years ago...

and of course, you don't walk too far around this place without a chalkboard in view.

Putting it together really made it feel fall around here...even in a place I've never really "felt" fall before.
It's really quite fabulous.