Renee's Chirpings

Merging Blog - Follow Me At Rustic Crafts And Chic Decor

noreply@blogger.com (Renee Hanlon) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:06:00 +0000

Since the majority of my home decor projects are now fitting into the category of shabby chic, I have decided to only maintain my site at Rustic Crafts & Chic Decor (rustic-crafts.com). If you don't already, I would love for you to follow me there! I will miss you if you don't. I think you will enjoy all of the craft tutorials and shabby chic decor ideas

I am keeping this blog's arhives open, rather than moving them over, since there are a lot of my "chirpings" ...you know the extra fluffy personal stuff...that I didn't need to move over.

To make it easier for you to navigate through to my most popular posts, I am making a nice little list of links right here:

Bedroom Decorating Ideas Using Vintage Accessories
A Cheap Window Treatment For The Laundry Room
My Wonderful Funky Junk Finds
My New Shabby Chic Trunk Table
My $15 Chair Made Over
Wine Glass Holder From A Rake
Vintage Hunting This Weekend At Garage And Yard Sales
Shabby Chic Bookcase Design
Choosing A Fabric To Recover A Sofa
A Salvaged Craft Project Fail
Dumpster Diving To A New Table Treasure
Words Of Encouragement

For more topics check the labels down below.

A Salvaged Craft Project Fail

noreply@blogger.com (Renee Hanlon) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:15:00 +0000

A couple of week's ago, I had an idea for a Christmas ornament craft. I was going to decoupage a vintage song sheet to a Styrofoam ball. What some of you may have already seen at my website, Rustic Crafts, is the second attempt at the project:

The second attempt had worked perfectly because I had learned a few things from the first go around. When you decoupage to a circle, it is best to use small pieces!

With my first attempt, I had started out trying to cut perfect pieces to fit together on the ball. First I cut two circles for the top and bottom and then some narrow rectangular strips for the sides. My plan was to have the strips going all the way around with the tops and bottoms meeting at the two circles.

The only picture that I had taken of the ornament most finished was this one where it was drying. You can't really see how the seams match up. For trying to make a pattern, it definitely wasn't uniform and I wasn't happy with the wrinkles. At this point, I was ready to throw it away but I hate to do that so I just tossed it aside until I could figure something out.

A fix did eventually come to me. It would be a great camouflage! I am a big fan of burlap and I just happened to have some burlap garland staring me in the face. It was very loosely woven so I figured I could decoupage that over the song sheet and still get some of the sheet music to show through.

Well, I went a little crazy with the burlap and applied it quite heavy. However, I do think that I can now use it on our rustic Christmas tree this year. We decorate two trees every year. Our main floor tree is a bit more elegant and our downstairs family room holds a very rustic tree.

This is what I ended up with:

I think it will probably blend nicely with the rest of my rustic ornaments. If not, it will become a cat toy for my little buddy, Kirby!

Recipe Ideas For A Fall Meal

noreply@blogger.com (Renee Hanlon) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 22:45:00 +0000

When the weather gets cooler, especially when I can here the wind blowing through the trees outside, I get the yearning to start cooking some of those warm comfort foods again. I don't spend a lot of time in the kitchen in the summer since we do a lot of grilling. So, when Fall hits I need to get a little inspired again. The first thing that always comes to my mind is my favorite white chili. It is so easy to make and I love having the leftovers the next day. But, I was interested in finding a few new things so I did a little searching and came up with a few that I am definitely going to try.

I make regular lasagna all of the time, so this recipe for seafood lasagna would be a nice change of pace. Plus, I LOVE seafood!

Seafood Lasagna

My mom used to always make a great enchilada casserole but neither of us have that recipe anymore. I went on a search for a good looking enchilada casserole recipe and am anxious to give this one a try. That cheesy topping looks delightful!

Cheesy Enchilada Casserole

And I like this idea for chicken pot pie in a 9x13 pan. It definitely looks like it could feed more or provide some leftovers, which I like!

Chicken Pot Pie

In case you are interested in my white chili recipe, I'll end with that. It is super easy it's almost embarrassing.

White Chili:

Ingredients:
1 pound cooked and cut up chicken breasts
1 16 oz. bottle salsa, I use mild but make it as hot as you want
1 8 oz. bag shredded pepper jack cheese - it comes in a bag now so you don't even have to shred it yourself!
1 48 oz. jar Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
**you can add 2 T cumin but I don't bother.....too much effort

Mix everything together, throw in a crock pot, and simmer all day...Wa La!

Expanding My Etsy Store

noreply@blogger.com (Renee Hanlon) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 00:56:00 +0000

I started an Etsy store several months ago called The Rustic Attic. It was a little half hearted I will admit. After all, I wasn't banging out truck loads of merchandise to sell. A lot of the crafts that I make I end up keeping for myself. However, then I began to make a few duplicates and decided to put them up for sale.

I was so excited when I made my first sale that it spurred me on to make a couple of more things and then... Summer happened. Everything came to a screeching halt. But now I am getting the bug again and have been slowly expanding my inventory.

My plan is to get real busy with some Christmas decor and gift items. So... I will be locked in my craft room whenever I can.

If you would like to check out my store, it won't take long to get through the inventory :). You can also find my inventory listings on my sidebar at Rustic Crafts.

Time To Organize And Start A Dresser Makeover Project

noreply@blogger.com (Renee Hanlon) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:52:00 +0000

"If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful."
William Morris

We have a couple of places in our house where we go with everything that we currently do not have a use for. Those are in our bonus room above our garage and in a spare walk in closet upstairs. Both of these areas have gotten extremely out of control.

I really shouldn't show you pictures but as punishment to myself I am going to. Are your ready for it? Ladies and gentlemen welcome to our bonus room:

I quickly slammed the door again after taking that picture! I WILL get to organizing that again one of these days. Salvation Army here I come!

The closet outside the bonus room is almost as bad:

The top shelf still looks pretty darn good though! This area is supposed to be for things I want to keep for future grandchildren but I'm seeing a few extras. And what is this on the other side?

This poor dresser has been through more makeovers than Joan Rivers. It started out in my nursery when I was a baby. I'm not even going to tell you how many years ago that was! At one time it was painted dark brown and in my brother's room. I did the last makeover for my daughter. At that time it had one broken drawer which I just removed and covered up with cork board. I'm wondering if it can handle one more makeover? I'm thinking of using it in the hallway just outside my craft room. It will have to have a much more sophisticated look which could be challenging. However, I am up for it and even have a couple of ideas.

I will be starting the sanding today and the project I have in mind for the knobs. You may get a few sneak peeks as I move along with the project.

Watch for the completed project tutorial over at Rustic Crafts once the makeover is complete. This is where I post all of my diy projects and craft tutorials.

Link Parties And Updating Directory

noreply@blogger.com (Renee Hanlon) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 23:48:00 +0000

I am currently going through the process of updating my link party directory. If you host a party or know of a party that is not included in my directory, you can send me an email to renee.rustic.crafts@gmail.com and I will gladly add it in.

You can click the link party directory tab at the top of the page for the current listing. There are some great parties listed that you will want to check out! It is always inspiring just to see what other people are creating or cooking up.

This week is also the third week of the new Saturday Shabby Shares link party that I am hosting over at Rustic Crafts. The party will now be running every week from Friday noon until the following Tuesday. So, start linking up your crafts, home decor and recipes now!

My Wonderful Funky Junk Finds

noreply@blogger.com (Renee Hanlon) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 18:20:00 +0000

The last couple of weekends have been great for finding mostly junk and some nicer vintage items. All of it I hope to turn in to wonderful treasures of some sort. I don't really think of any of the pieces as junk since I can see so much potential in all...well most of them.

I'll start with my most favorite. I didn't even have to buy it. Some of you may look at it and say "good thing!" My husband found this while walking in the woods up north and brought it back for me:

I absolutely squealed! And then he said "and look honey, it has metal corners and everything". He knows exactly what I like! I just love him. Who needs flowers or candy? Just give me the junk. I have a few ideas formulating for a project for this one so it won't be long before you see a project over at Rustic Crafts.

Then there is this little guy:

It's a vintage net float. I bought just one because I need to fiddle with it a little bit until I come up with a good idea. The manager of the antique store said she would sell me several for a good deal if I wanted more, so we will see.
Another favorite purchase of mine is this great cafe sign:

It was located out in back of one of my favorite antique stores in Newaygo, MI. There wasn't a price on it but that was typical of a lot of the items there and I was prepared to negotiate. However, I was surprised when the owner started to laugh and said that it wasn't for sale because it still got used for a charity event. She was kind of enough to sell it to us though for making a donation to the church.
We bought quite a few things from her that day so she through in these letters for free:

We had found these in the back yard of the store as well and I think she was a little surprised that we had wanted these too, based on her chuckle. However, I love numbers in wall art. Plus, both my husband and I were born in 64 so how cool is that?

I planning on using this old door or shutter probably just for the wood slats:

I have already decorated my office with the other items that I purchased at her store:

I think these were old jail keys. I don't feel like I am in jail when I'm in my office but thought they looked cool hanging in there.

And, the red picket fence was a great find especially since I didn't have to do anything with it. The color already coordinated with my office colors and it was naturally distressed.

My last purchase was this vintage sheet music:

There is so much that I will be able to do with this in various crafts!

All of this should be able to keep me busy and thinking for a while.

Saturday Link Party

noreply@blogger.com (Renee Hanlon) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 11:37:00 +0000

Link party start today! Enter your links for crafts, diy decor projects, or recipes here. This party will remain open through Wednesday. Don't forget to vote for your favorite entrees.

New Link Party Hosted By Rustic Crafts Starting This Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (Renee Hanlon) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:45:00 +0000

Starting this week saturday there will be yet another link party for you to enjoy and share your great creative projects. I figured that saturdays would be a good day to share what you have been working so hard on all week!

The party will take place at Rustic Crafts and will remain open for your links from saturday through wednesday. You will have a chance to vote all week long, up until friday night, on your favorite projects. Then, on the following saturday's party, I will feature the readers favorite along with an editor's pick.

All of the links shared should be crafts, diy projects, home decor or recipes. The theme does not have to be rustic or shabby chic unless you want to be considered for the editor's pick.

Please help me spread the word along so that this link party can be a success and we can get lots of ideas shared.

Thank you so much!

Inspiration From New York City Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Renee Hanlon) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 19:05:00 +0000

I love to travel and to get inspired by the new things that I see. When I was just in New York for a girls weekend, I particularly enjoyed seeing the architecture and design of Chelsea Market. This is an indoor market that included a winery, bakery, basket store, etc..

I love all of the brick walls, rustic signs, and open duct work and pipes.

This just inspires me to find some kind of pipe and wrap some grapevine around it! I love the rustic look.

These crates are fun! I would love to find something like this to use as storage in my craft room.

The rough arches of the brick walls are so cool. And, isn't the clock great?

I'm not quite sure what this light fixture is made from but it is quite an interesting look.

If I posted every picture, even just the ones of cool architecture, I would fill up pages and pages. Everything I saw just kept filling my mind with inspiration for new ideas for crafts or decorating. It really was fun to get a change of scenery, especially in such an artsy place as New York.

We spent most of our time in either Manhattan or Brooklyn. I really liked walking the streets of Brooklyn near Williamsburg. Even the graffiti was fun to see (as long as it wasn't obscene).

This wall made a fun backdrop for a picture of me with my two daughters. My daughter to the right side is the one who lives in Brooklyn. My other daughter, with the camera, has much better pictures I am sure. So, I will probably be posting a few more when I get her pictures.

I love the chalkboard table in my daughter's apartment. It's an inexpensive way to put together a coffee table but the look is so fun and hip.

I may put together a table of my own in this style if I can find the right size crate! I'm looking forward to getting back into the craft room.

Did Anyone Make It To A Good Arts And Crafts Fair Yet This Year?

noreply@blogger.com (Renee Hanlon) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 21:15:00 +0000

I am very disappointed to say that I did not get a chance to go to this year's art fair in Ann Arbor, MI. I was totally planning on it but that week the average temperature was in the high nineties and I couldn't bring myself to walk around in that heat.

There are still a couple of smaller fairs that I hope to hit this Summer so all is not lost...hopefully. Even if I don't get out to a fair though, I absolutely love seeing all of the great arts and crafts for sale on Etsy. It's good to know that I can do some on-line shopping whenever I want, even if I can't get that instant gratitude of walking away with my new treasure!

Oh..and yes I do sell some of my crafts on Etsy. But, no that wasn't really a shameless plug. I only have about a dozen items currently. My main objective is to provide tutorials. However, someday I may get serious about selling. When there are about twenty days in a week!!

If you did get to a fair, where did you go and what did you buy? I would love to hear about your experience!

This Week's Vintage Find...Antique Cowbells!

noreply@blogger.com (Renee Hanlon) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 17:38:00 +0000

I was so excited to find these antique cowbells, for just pennies, at a shop in Pentwater, MI this past weekend:

This was not something I was actively going out to search for. In fact, I didn't even know what kind of bells these were until I got home and researched them on the Internet. I just knew when I saw them that they would be a great accessory in a future project.

Now, I am putting my thinking cap on. A Christmas project comes to mind but I would love to be able to use them all year round so I'm going to think on that a little while longer. What do you think? Does a vision come to your mind?

I could always make collars for my son and my cat so that can't sneak up on me..haha! As soon as I come up with something I will be posting it on my website, so stay tuned for that....

Before And After Pictures Of Home Office Makeover

noreply@blogger.com (Renee Hanlon) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 17:26:00 +0000

I am happy to say that I am finally done with my office makeover. Or at least as done as I am going to be for now. I'm sure I will be adding more, especially when I am ready to pound nails into the walls once again!

Once you go through the agony of filling in nail holes and large screw holes and holes that came from who knows what, you definitely feel a little leery of once again pounding anything metal into drywall.

The room I made over used to be a playroom/game room and then mom and kid office. It was a brilliant color of lime green that only teens could really appreciate!

Here are some before pictures:

I guess you could say it was energetic but I wanted something a tad bit more relaxing. So once two thirds of my kids moved out and I remodeled one of the bedrooms into a new gaming room for my son, I tore the room apart and started over.

Here are the picture of the newly remodeled office:

I changed the look of the couch by covering it with an old quilt and holding it in place with upholstery tacks. I used the throw pillows that I had from the old bed and added a new burlap throw pillow to the mix. My end table was a thrift store rescue that I refinished in a soft mochachino color. You can see that project at my Rustic Crafts website. I switched out the curtains for some simple soft white cotton panels with some detailed stitching at the bottom. Originally, I was thinking about painting the wood on the sofa, but in the end decided not to.

I used the same desk but switched out the chair and added a floral cushion to coordinate with the sofa pillows. I also added burlap tie backs for a fun look.

The green bulletin board that you can see resting on the floor in the first picture has now been painted and put on an easel.

The styling of the whole office is very simple and serene. I feel that I can now relax and think clearly. It is so nice to have my own space to go to and work. I just love it!

Office Makeover Begins - Painting Is Complete!

noreply@blogger.com (Renee Hanlon) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 11:51:00 +0000

It took me a while to decide on a wall color but I wasn't in a hurry and that was a good thing. My initial thought was to go with a soft blue and I was on the search for the right fabric to recover my sofa cushions until.....I was cleaning out some boxes in our bonus room. ?????

I may have mentioned before that my plan is to have a comfortable shabby chic style office. Well, I pulled out a quilt that had been on my daughter's bed when she was home. It had a Waverly flower pattern in deep rose on one side and rose checks on the other. I had always loved that quilt! And, I loved the colors. This was now my inspiration for the office.

I decided to use it as somewhat of a slip cover for my sofa. I used the checked side and simply draped it over the cushions and used upholstery tacks to hold it in place. The flower throw pillows add a nice pattern and work well for a shabby chic style.

Now, I had to decide if I wanted to go with red, pink or neutral walls. A dusty pink was out. That would just be silly since I just painted my daughter's old dusty pink room brown for my son. We could have easily made that my office and given him the room I am working on now!

I considered a deep rose for a little while but I already have a red dining room and a deep burgundy family room plus I was afraid it would be a little to stimulating for a place I wanted to be comfy and relaxing.

I'm glad I finally decided on the more neutral "Garden Wall" which I picked up from the leaf color in the throw pillows:

This is just a little peak at the paint color. I have a little more work to do around the trim where the paint bled through the tape----aargh!!!!! As I was dozing off a little, watching the news last night, I heard an info-merical voice saying "just when you thought your paint job was over, you notice that paint bled through your tape----you should have used frog tape..." How did he know??? And, why was he being so sarcastic?

Too Much Summer Fun!

noreply@blogger.com (Renee Hanlon) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 14:11:00 +0000

So far this Summer has been great! I've gone golfing, canoeing and kayaking. I have enjoyed my time up at our cabin and have had some fun events at home.

Unfortunately, I have spent less time doing home decorating and keeping up with this blog. I have started a room makeover project but it is slow going.

I have, however, been adding craft tutorials, recipes and other fun posts to my website, Rustic Crafts. The crafts featured use mainly natural elements or recycled materials. Most of the projects fit in well with rustic or shabby chic decor. I would love to have you join me there!

I will still be posting to this blog but it will be a little sporadic for the Summer.

Visit The Ann Arbor Art Fair In Michigan

noreply@blogger.com (Renee Hanlon) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:53:00 +0000

It is getting close to the time for the annual Ann Arbor art fair and I am getting excited! This year the fair is held from July 20 - 23. The hours open are Wednesday through Friday - 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and Saturday 10:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m.

Artists from all over the nation will be selling their creations in the highly selective booths of about 175. Ann Arbor's fair was first established in 1960 and has been growing in attendees ever since with last year being at about 500,000.

Each year the fair features an artist and sells a poster and t-shirts with the current theme. I like this year's poster:

The empty pants mean more than just pants hanging on a line. They have a special meaning in that they signify the human character and presence without a literal figure.
I have to admit that I don't think that deeply when looking at art and would probably hang this in my laundry room. I do, however, like the simple art and it's always fun to see the new poster each year.

In the past, I have purchased several great items at this art fair. Most of them have been pottery. Here are a few of the examples of what I have found:

This apple and plate go perfectly on my breakfast nook table:

My chair cushions, wall art, and wall swag all have fruit on them as well and in the same color scheme. It's like the artist made this just for me!

Two more items I found go perfectly in my living room and coordinate well with my wild and crazy rug:

You can see that this little tray on my end table coordinates with the rug below:

And I even found a pottery shelf that is low profile and a perfect addition behind my sofa:

So, needless to say, I am excited to see what I can find this year that will practically be custom made. I normally don't find items in a store so unique and I now know why the Ann Arbor art fair was voted number one in the country by American Style magazine in 2004. And, since then it has been in the top ten fairs and festivals every year. The fact that the jury process is highly selective leads to great quality art for the consumer.

If you get a chance, make sure to visit Ann Arbor, Michigan and their annual art fair.

Shabby Chic Bookcase Design

noreply@blogger.com (Renee Hanlon) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 16:34:00 +0000

After my vacation, I am now feeling ready to tackle the job of making over an office for myself. The room originally was a small play room with lime green walls. I started to make it into a kids/mom office but now I want to give it a shabby chic style, just for me, and so it is going to take a lot of changes.

My husband is going to make me a bookcase - I just have to tell him that yet! Actually he offered to a while ago and I'm thinking it is a good idea.

First, I went shopping on-line for a bookcase that I liked in a shabby chic design. I found one that is already sold:

This looks easy to make and I really like the rose appliques and glass knobs. Since I don't really need the drawers, I'm thinking my husband can easily make this with fake drawers. Once the bookcase is painted a white linen or cream, I plan on distressing it a bit to give it an older look.

This will be a much better look than what I had in there previously:

The tall bookcase is already gone and in my craft room for storage shelves. All of the videos and games are now in my son's gaming room. The room right now is total chaos with books piled everywhere and some new shabby chic accessories lying about giving me inspiration.

It's time to clear everything out and paint. One small step at a time ---- I keep having to tell myself!

Back From Vacation And Revived!

noreply@blogger.com (Renee Hanlon) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 01:22:00 +0000

There is nothing like being out in nature to slow you down, give you perspective, and ignite your dreams.

I just got back from a wonderful ten day vacation at our cabin in the northern Michigan woods. Our cabin sits high on a wooded hill overlooking a serene fishing lake.

We don't have a television or a computer to distract us. Our phones barely get service and there is definitely not an X-box or Play Station for our son to be sucked in to.

What we do have is conversation, silent thoughts, and laughter. Of course there are also activities. I love to read, with the sun on my face, and get lost in the words and adventures. A ride around the lake, in our quiet motorized row boat, is pure beauty. And, watching and listening to the many species of song birds puts a song in my heart.

Dirt bike riding, for my husband and son, is exhilarating. As they rip through the trails, they are constantly aware of the nature around them. Not only the hills and trees but also the wildlife. They have come across lots of deer, turkey, and of course squirrels.

We have a new "pet" that we named Bandit:

This raccoon has been hanging about eating the bird seed off the ground and playing around on our porch.

Here is a bit of nature that was interesting to watch:

This snapping turtle made her way up from the lake, probably to lay some eggs. It's funny to watch a turtle. They are so slow and methodical. It looked as though she was completely focused on her task as she kept plodding along looking for the right spot to bury her eggs. There was no need (or ability) to move fast. The job would get done eventually. Persistence and patience seemed to be the key. Eventually she found the perfect sandy place near our patio. What a way to stick her neck out and get the job done!

After such a serene week, I am definitely feeling inspired to complete my daily tasks with gusto. I have a new energy to create and am looking forward to doing some more home decor. There are lots of mundane tasks to complete like laundry, bills and appointments to make. But slow persistence will lead to tasks complete!

Wine Glass Holder Made From A Rake

noreply@blogger.com (Renee Hanlon) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 16:59:00 +0000

I am always looking for ideas for projects I can make with items that I find in thrift stores or have around the house.

One item that you may not think of using inside your house is a garden rake. I had seen an idea in a magazine for a wine glass holder using a rake. The problem for me was that the short handle was welded to a metal plate for a holder that would sit on the counter. I don't have a welder and am not sure I would want to use one.

I just ran across another idea by Country Living that simply has you hanging a hand rake upside down on a wall. This I could do! Once you mount the rake, you just simply slide the glasses in between the rake tines.

Since I don't have a lot of cabinet space up at our cabin, I'm thinking something like this would be perfect for storing my wine glasses. I may need a couple of rakes! Now I have one more item to add to my list while shopping yard sales and thrift stores.

Check Thrift Stores For Authentic Coach Purses

noreply@blogger.com (Renee Hanlon) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 20:16:00 +0000

While shopping with my daughters this past weekend, we stopped at a thrift store to see what treasures we could find.

My middle daughter won the prize. She is always looking at purses and handbags and found one that she really liked. It was priced at $20 which is a bit higher than most of the purses we were looking at. There were no markings on the outside of this great vintage looking black leather purse. We took a closer look at the inside and found that it was a Coach purse. The label was engraved into the leather patch inside. My daughter was thrilled! She could already tell that it was a quality purse and now knew that it was for sure.

This is the purse she found:

You just never know what someone is going to donate to one of these stores. You have to look carefully though. I had seen some before that I could tell right away they were not authentic Coach purses. Check out this link for how you can determine what is real and what is a knock off.

A Fun Weekend With Daughters

noreply@blogger.com (Renee Hanlon) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 11:30:00 +0000

For those of you with grown up kids, you know how much fun it can be to spend time with them as friends. Both of my daughters live on their own, one living in New York and the other just 25 minutes from home. Obviously I get to see my oldest daughter a little more often than my middle daughter, but when I get to spend time with both of them at the same time it is wonderful.

This weekend my daughter from New York is home visiting and my oldest daughter took a day off from work. We are going to spend today shopping, laughing, eating and a little more laughing! I remember when both of them used to groan when my husband and I would stop at antique stores while on vacation. Now, however, they are coming my way. Both like to shop vintage and one likes thrift stores.

Since my middle daughter wants to steal my vintage buttons that I found on a previous trip, I think we will be looking for a stash of her own! She likes to make button bracelets by sewing them to an elastic band. I will try to post a picture when she finishes one.

Having the whole family together for an entire weekend is so special and our entire weekend is packed with plans. I hope everyone has a great weekend and I will be posting again on Monday.

Completed Up-cycling Project From Some Great Vintage Finds

noreply@blogger.com (Renee Hanlon) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:32:00 +0000

As you know, I was on a hunt this past weekend for some great vintage finds that I could use in craft projects. I didn't have a lot of luck at the few yard sales that I went to but I did make some purchases!

Since the yard sales that we found were fairly small - or we were a little late! -, we decided to check out some of the antique stores in Pentwater, MI. Like usual, I was finding quite a bit that I liked but the prices were too high. However, I don't have a problem with holding out for a good deal.

Just as I was getting a little discouraged, I spotted one more store at the very end of a side street. I shuffled my feet over to yet one more store that I was pretty sure I wouldn't find a deal at and started looking around.

The first thing I found was a great board game with letter tiles called "Keyword Cross Word Game". I had never seen this game before but it was produced in the 50's. Since I had been looking for old Scrabble games, with no luck, I was thrilled to find something just as good if not better. The original price on it was $20 but that was scratched off for a lower price of $10. I looked through the box and discovered that it looked like some of the letter tiles were probably missing. Still, I wanted the game - just at a lower price. I hate negotiating and asked my husband to negotiate for me. He is always wanting me to try it and insisted I give it a try. This takes me totally out of my comfort zone but I gave it a whirl. To my amazement, the sales clerk said she would knock it down to $5 - oh yeah!!

I had also found a small drawer that I knew I could use. This was only priced at $4.50, so I took it. I was getting very excited because I had a plan! I previously purchased a heart shaped lock with key that I was going to put on some sort of wall hanging. Now I knew what I was going to do.

Here is the completed project of what I made from my great finds:

You can go to my website, Rustic Crafts, for the craft tutorial.

Join Blog Frog And Enjoy A Fun Community

noreply@blogger.com (Renee Hanlon) — Tue, 31 May 2011 16:23:00 +0000

I just started a Blog Frog Community for my blog. This is a great way to interact with other readers and share ideas on common interests. You can share in discussions or start your own - all you need to do is sign up!

Another benefit is that you get to read the blog posts of all the members of the community. This is a wonderful way to find more blogs that you enjoy reading and more friends with like interests.

I encourage you to join my community by clicking on the "visit my community" button on the right column of this page.

I'm excited to get to know all of you even better and hope for some fun and lively discussions.

Vintage Hunting This Weekend At Garage And Yard Sales

noreply@blogger.com (Renee Hanlon) — Fri, 27 May 2011 12:38:00 +0000

Over the winter I had been shopping antique stores and resale shops looking for some great vintage finds. Although I found some pretty good deals at resale shops, antique stores tend to ask top dollar.

Now that summer is officially starting, I am looking forward to finding some deals at garage and yard sales. Sales have been popping up all over and I love to check out as many as I can. If you look real hard you can find a few treasures amongst the piles of toys and clothing.

Here are a few great items that I have purchased in the past:

This kitchen scale is a fun item to decorate my kitchen. I also had found a great bushel basket and meat grinder which I also display above my kitchen cabinets.

Since we are heading up north to the cabin this weekend, I am hopeful for finding a good selection of antiques to decorate the cabin with as well as some vintage furniture.

The fishing reels and boat oars came from a yard sale, up north, last year.
And, I recently re-purposed an old hose reel into a fun snack cart for a little rustic whimsy. I love to create something new from something old. I can't wait to see what I can find this year.

While you are traveling about, you may want to pop into a few of the many yard sales and see what treasures you can find.

Blogger Comment Problems

noreply@blogger.com (Renee Hanlon) — Thu, 26 May 2011 11:58:00 +0000

I have been trying to post comments on blogs and am always taken to the google sign in screen. I'm signed in but still can't leave comments. Apparently, a lot of people are having this problem (according to a Blogger forum).

If you have been having problems too, you are not alone!