The Thriftress

Fun Yellow Side Chairs

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah AKA The Thriftress) — Sat, 26 May 2012 16:16:00 +0000

I bought these cute side chairs at a local estate sales barn. I saw them online before the sale and knew I had to have them! You bet I got my kids up and out of the house early so I could snag the chairs on the first day of the sale! (Don't worry they got lunch at McDonald's and gymnastics open gym out of the deal!)

The chair upholstery was kind of a mess but I knew some paint and new fabric could bring them back to life. Plus they had great legs!

(There were actually 4 or 5 of these chairs at the estate sale but I only picked up the ones that seemed sturdy. When I went back to the next sale the other chairs were in the fire pit - I could have saved them from that cruel fate!)

I started the makeover by removing two layers of fabric from the seats. These chairs are different from the other dining chairs I have reupholstered in that the fabric was stapled all around the seat and not underneath the seat board.

Next I gave the frames a couple coats of white chalk paint and wax. As the paint dried it naturally created a very cool crackle effect! Not sure how that happened but it was perfect! You can see the crackle in this closeup.

To finish the chairs, I used less than two yards of Premier Prints Twill Suzani Corn Yellow to reupholster the seats and glued white trim around the edges to hide the staples. Here's the finished pair on display at Lucketts.

I am happy to say that the chairs were one of the first things to sell on Saturday! I hope they are happy in their new homes!

Thanks for visiting!

Lucketts, a Bake Sale and an Announcement

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah AKA The Thriftress) — Wed, 23 May 2012 01:40:00 +0000

Last week was truly a whirlwind of preparation for the Lucketts Spring Market! I feel very lucky to have participated as a vendor this year - just one year ago was my first visit to Lucketts! Click here if you missed the pics of my booth.

I was in a very unique position this year as a vendor. Most vendors must work in their booth all weekend - but the shop owners, Sherry and Erin, took on that responsibility leaving me free to shop! Here are Erin & Sherry working the booth and looking fine too!

Photo courtesy of Cassie

On Saturday I had the pleasure of shopping the market with fellow bloggers Angie and Pam. I first met Angie at the DC Bloggers Brunch last Spring and we immediately bonded over a mutual love of fountain Diet Coke (FDC for short). It was fabulous to see her again and to meet Pam from PB&J Stories for the first time. She has model good looks and super cool decorating style to boot.

It was a quick visit to Lucketts and I somehow forgot to take any photos. Here are a few pics I ~~stole~~ borrowed from Angie.

Photos courtesy of Angie

Angie, Pam and I also made time to chat with Miss Mustard Seed a bit about the Haven Conference next month (we will all be there!). I rounded out the day by meeting Susan from Uniquely Yours or Mine and stopping by my friend Kathy's booth for a visit.

After Lucketts I sped home to meet my friend Brooke to prepare for a church bake sale the following day. We tried to pump up your standard bake sale a notch with color! Here are a few of the pics from the sale.

What a busy weekend! I'm happy to say that the styling helped make the bake sale a success. We took in nearly double the $ as last year!

Finally I have some BIG news to share. Cassie and I are expanding the Persephone empire! Starting next month we will be participating in Stylish Patina's monthly barn sales! You can find the upcoming barn sale dates here. Cassie and I look forward to seeing you at Stylish Patina!

Thanks for visiting!

Lucketts Booth Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah AKA The Thriftress) — Fri, 18 May 2012 23:30:00 +0000

Hey there...I've spent weeks getting ready for Lucketts Spring Market and it's finally here! I've painted and crafted and thrifted my heart out to get ready. Today I braved the burning hot sun to set up our booth. And now I can relax because it's ALL DONE!!!

If you want a sneak peek of the Wild Rose booth check out the photos that follow. BTW, I need to say that this all would not have been possible without the other fabulous vendors I work with, Ginger and Spice and The Shabby Chic Girl. We worked together so well to style our space - mixing and matching our different pieces and styles to get the signature Wild Rose look.

Hope to see you at Lucketts!

Petite Buffet Before and After

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah AKA The Thriftress) — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:26:00 +0000

Sand, paint, sand, paint, sand, wax, buff, repeat. That's what my days have been like this week getting ready for Lucketts on Saturday! I have some great pieces to share with you!

But today I'm sharing another piece that didn't make it to Lucketts. Instead it's moving to St. Louis with one of my best friends. I hate to see both of them go.

I found this buffet during a quick trip to the thrift store with my daughter. When I find a piece I love at a good price I'm convinced that everyone else has their eye on it as well. I got a little anxious waiting for the sales associate to write up my slip and put the "sold" tag on it!

When I started sanding the wood grain of the top was just beautiful I decided to refinish the top rather than paint it.

However the buffet had a few problems that required some "surgery". In my joy to find such a cute piece, I failed to notice that some of the feet were square and some were round and that a piece of the front trim had been cut off on one side making it asymmetrical. Undaunted, I knocked the rounded parts off two of the feet so I had four matching feet. Then I removed the extra piece of carved trim on one side with a small saw. The buffet was saved!

A closeup of the trim I removed.

I painted the body of the buffet in Annie Sloan Coco. The top got two coats of Minwax Bombay Mahogany. Here's the after-you can barely tell there was any trim surgery!

Forgive the tone on tone wall color-this is not the buffet's final home. It's actually on the truck to St. Louis as I write this.

Some of the details...

Well back to my sand, paint, sand routine! I hope to see you at Lucketts this weekend!

Thanks for visiting!

Getting Ready for Lucketts...or Not

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah AKA The Thriftress) — Mon, 07 May 2012 21:05:00 +0000

I am participating in the Lucketts Annual Spring Market this year as part of Persephone and Wild Rose. Of course I am both excited and extra frazzled getting furniture and decor ready for the big weekend!

Here is a litte before and after of one of the pieces I've been working on...

This open shelving unit was a dark wood/high gloss number straight out of the 70's or 80's. I gave a lot of thought to how I could bring the piece up to date and finally decided on a weathered wood effect using two shades of paint and a lot of sanding to let the wood tone show through in places.

But my first step was to remove the carved wooden piece at the top. I thought that would give the shelving unit a less fussy, traditional look. Luckily it was only attached with a couple of screws and came off easily.

Next I painted the whole piece with one coat of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Coco. If you are familiar with chalk paint, you know that the first coat does not give full coverage and that's exactly what I wanted for this effect. Next I dry brushed white (homemade) chalk paint all over the pieces. I finished it up with a heavy sanding to reveal a lot of the original wood tone and two coats of wax.

Here is the finished shelving unit styled with some of my recent garage saleing finds. It came out exactly as I envisioned! A few detail shots of the paint up close.

I was really hoping to take this piece to sell at Lucketts. I'm pretty proud of how it turned out and I thought it would provide some great height for displaying small items in the tent.

However, a good friend who is moving in a few weeks (sniff!) came by last week and was poking around in my garage. Before I knew it she had claimed the piece for herself and her new home in St. Louis!

If you don't hear from me over the next two weeks it's because I've got to keep my nose to the uh, paint brush and my friends aren't making it any easier!

Thanks for visiting!

Backyard Chickens

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah AKA The Thriftress) — Fri, 04 May 2012 02:27:00 +0000

Today's post is a little different than my usual decorating, crafting and furniture makeovers. Meet Ginny the chicken...

My husband and I have thought about raising backyard chickens for a while now. We have the space for a coop in the yard but we are just a little nervous about caring for them. We had a lot of questions about cleaning the coop...will it smell? Attract flies? Are the chickens too loud or annoying for the neighborhood?

Well this past winter a local children's daily deal site (Certifikid) offered a one month chicken coop rental from Rent-a-Coop for just $79 and we decided to try it out! I was so excited but my Mom thought I was just a little bit crazy. And our friends are really interested to hear how the little experiment turns out.

So yesterday was the big day. A very nice guy named Tyler delivered our coop, 2 hens and food and bedding to last one month.

The coop is made from recycled pallets - something else to make with that pallet wood!

Tyler gave me the basic care instructions. We open the door each day to let the chicken free range and lock them up at night to keep them safe from predators. Also keep the food water bowls full and change the bedding in two weeks. We should get two eggs per day. Easy peasy.

The kids could not be more excited. This afternoon we collected our first egg!

They are already fighting over who gets to eat it in the morning! I think we will be having scrambled eggs.

It's been a little over 24 hours and so far so good. I was a bit nervous about letting the chickens free range during the day - especially while I'm out - but they were very well behaved and stayed close to the coop.

Word of the chickens brought out all the neighbors and kids today. I guess chickens can foster neighborhood togetherness. That, or they just wanted to check out the crazy chicken lady! ;)

Thanks for visiting!

Black Tie Bathroom Transformation

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah AKA The Thriftress) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:00:00 +0000

I'm extra excited to share this post today!

One because I actually get to check an item off my 2012 to-do list.
Two because I want to encourage everyone to follow their design bliss (Just Do It girls!).
And three because I think this project turned out more fabulous than my wildest dreams!

You might remember my uninspiring old powder room...

Well I finally took the plunge and painted that baby black after thinking about it for oh, only 8 months! Check it now!

It's unbelievably difficult to take a good picture of a small, windowless room that's painted black. But this shot with the lights off gives you an excellent idea of what it looks like in real life.

Along with painting the whole powder room Cracked Pepper by Behr, I also added a silver mirror that I found at Goodwill and crown moulding.

Above the towel rack I added two photos that I took when we were in Hawaii last year. The white mats help to break up all that black.

I also hung two white picture ledges above the commode and accessorized with topiaries, towels and a fun printable found here. I kept the accessories warm and natural to complement the wood vanity and floors and balance the black.

A little side by side comparison...

I think the powder room just might be my favorite room in the house! That sounds a bit weird but it's true.

So got any bold design ideas you're hesitating to implement? Go ahead and do it! I give you permission to make magic in your house!

Thanks for visting!

Spring/Easter Wire Nest Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah AKA The Thriftress) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 03:30:00 +0000

A couple weeks ago I shared my family room Spring mantle. Today I'm back with our living room mantel decked out for Spring. (We are lucky enough to have two mantels - hate me!)

My favorite part is the wire nests made with dollar store floral wire and spray paint!

These little nests are perfect for displaying seasonal printables or photographs or as Easter table place cards!

To make your own wire nests you will need Dollar Tree floral wire and a pencil. A pair of jewelry pliers or wire snips might also be helpful. I could not for the life of me locate mine!

Start to make your nest shape by wrapping the wire around the pencil a few times.
Slide the wire off the pencil and continue twisting the wire into a nest shape. You don't want the nest to be too perfect - keep it natural.
Once you have a nice nest shape and several inches of wire left start winding the wire around the outside, back down to the bottom of the nest.
Push the remaining piece of wire through the bottom hole in the nest.

Next wrap the top half of the remaining piece of wire around the pencil to form a coil. The coil will allow you to display pictures, photos or name cards.

If you're not loving the gold finish of the floral wire, you can hit the finished nests with a shot of spray paint. I used some Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint I had on hand.

Here are the nests ready to be accessorized! To make the larger size nest I used two packages of floral wire and twisted them together.

Thanks for visiting!

Big Girl Bed Reveal and Room Sneak Peek

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah AKA The Thriftress) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 12:06:00 +0000

My daughter's big girl bed has been finished and set up in her room for a few weeks now. I can't believe that it's taken me this long to share it!

You may recall the bed before...

I love that my Mother-in-law passed this antique Jenny Lind bed down to my daughter AND that she was cool with me painting it! The finish was in great condition since it was refinished shortly before being stored by my in-laws.

I brushed on the first coat of Antibes Green ASCP and realized just how tedious hand painting all those spindles can be! So I experimented with running chalk paint through my sprayer. I was able to get the second coat of paint on the whole bed with the sprayer but chalk paint dries so fast that it was constantly gumming up the nozzle. I also wasted a lot of expensive chalk paint in my little experiment! (If you have used ASCP and a sprayer I would love to hear about it! What's your secret?)

I did not distress the bed after it was painted since I wanted a bright, saturated green for my daughter's room. After a few coats of wax and a new box spring and mattress the bed moved into Olivia's room.

Here's a reminder of the before...

..and after-bye bye crib!

So far this room makeover has cost about $65 for paint, sheets and the little bookshelf. Next up: the new dresser!

Thanks for visiting!

Not JUST a Houswife

Spring Mantel 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah AKA The Thriftress) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 22:45:00 +0000

Looking back at last year's posts, apparently I never shared a Spring mantel 2011. This year, however, I'm in the mood to refresh the house for the season and the gorgeous weather we are having is certainly helping!

I don't like a lot of small "stuff" on our tall stone fireplace - it just gets lost. Instead I opted for my ever-present white shutters plus an enormous mirror made from dollar store mirrors (tutorial from Dollar Store Crafts here). We don't have a forsythia bush (a personal fav) so those branches are from Big Lots and the butterfly prints were promoted from an out-of-the-way wall to a place of prominence.

Here's the view of the entire corner of the room.

I wasn't sure what was going to go on the lefthand wall. But one day I recycled a ton of old magazines and somehow the baskets they previously occupied ended up on the wall along with a darling mirror found on clearance at Big Lots. Once the wall was adorned, I turned to the corner below and realized I had two vintage watering cans in the garage that would be perfect with a couple flowering branches from the yard.

How do you decorate for Spring?

Thanks for visiting!

Herringbone Armoire Makeover

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah AKA The Thriftress) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 23:01:00 +0000

It's a woman's prerogative to change her mind.

Well as a thrifty DIYer I can change my mind A LOT and for a lot less $$! You may remember this lovely waterfall armoire that I painted last Spring. (Read more about the first transformation here.)

At the time I thought this armoire was the perfect additional storage for our master bedroom. But a year later it's turning out to be less than ideal. So I decided to give it a fun herringbone paint treatment and send it to the shop. Here's the after-after.

(Please excuse the bad barn lighting)

I couldn't be more happy with the way the herringbone turned out - it was a bit of an experiment. Sort of wishing I could keep it now. The armoire would be adorable as dress up storage in my daughter's room...

Here's a reminder of how far this piece has come.

Thanks for visiting!

Sharing with these parties:

Big Girl Room Bookshelf

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah AKA The Thriftress) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:10:00 +0000

Waaaaay back in September I told you a bit about the big girl room makeover I had planned for my daughter (read more here). Well I'm happy to say I have finally made some progress on the project! This weekend I finished painting her new twin bed and a sweet little bookshelf in Annie Sloan Antibes Green.

Today I'm sharing the new bookshelf which will give you a sneak peek at where I'm going in her room. (I'm hoping to share more on the bed later this week once the new mattress is delivered.) I found this bookshelf at the Salvation Army when I was visiting my parents in New Jersey. For just $9.99 I figured I could find room in the car to bring it home to Maryland.

Adorable right? I was really drawn to it's curves and cute little legs. And the compact size is just perfect for my daughter's room. Here's the bookshelf made over and all set up in her room.

The purple walls and striped curtains are sticking around for the makeover. I adore how the green pops against the wall color and brings out the green in the curtains.

Now I just need to paint the rest of the furniture! Stay tuned for more on the big girl room.

Thanks for visiting!

Have a Seat Sir: Masculine Cane Back Chair Makeover

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah AKA The Thriftress) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 23:40:00 +0000

I found this cane back chair at the thrift store for a great price. The best part is that the caning is in perfect condition! No repairs necessary!

But how do you like the 70's orange upholstery? It was really scratchy and covered in pet hair - maybe that's why I got such a good deal.

I removed the cushion and recovered it in a masculine grey and white striped fabric that reminds me of a men's dress shirt. The frame got two coats of flat black paint and wax.

In my mind this is where a British gentleman reads the Financial Times and sips tea. Can't you see him there in his three piece suit? (humor me, ok?)

Here is a better closeup of the fabric.

I've been working on a lot of furniture makeovers lately so that we can keep Persephone stocked. This guy will be heading off to the shop tomorrow!

Thanks for visiting!

Sharing with these parties:

Piano Bench Makeover

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah AKA The Thriftress) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:21:00 +0000

I spied this piano bench at my local Salvation Army. The scary purple upholstery was covered with cat hair but I just knew those carved legs would look great with a bit of paint and distressing. It also had a sticker from a local auction house which led me to believe it was an older, quality piece.

The catch was the price was a bit more than I would like to pay so I left without it. After thinking about it all night I went back the next day with my fingers crossed that the bench would still be there. It was!

So I brought it home and gave it two coats of ASCP in white and lightly distressed it. The purple upholstery was also removed to reveal hay/grass type stuffing. I thought that it was neat and pointed to the age of the bench so I left it in place and covered it with new batting. Then I tacked on aqua chevron fabric I had on hand from a fabulous sale at Fabric.com.

I think this bench would be perfect for an entryway or at the foot of a bed. I wish I had a better, styled after photo but this baby had to rush out the door to the tag sale where I'm happy to say it sold!

Thanks for visiting!

Sharing this makeover with:
Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Night Special

Lego Party Part Two: Activities and Treat Bags

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah AKA The Thriftress) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:44:00 +0000

I'm back to share part two of my son's Lego birthday party. This time I'm sharing the activities and treat bags with you.

As the kids arrived they each received a Lego mini pack to build. I really wanted the kids to have a Lego set to build and take home with them. The mini packs are pretty reasonable for under $5 a piece. This activity kept the boys busy building for about 20 minutes. It was clear they are all Lego maniacs!

Next we played Lego bingo which was also a bunch of fun for the boys. I used this printable Lego Bingo from Big D & Me. Perfect for a birthday party or any day.

Up next was the Lego head pull string pinata (read more here). Then we rounded out the party with pizza and cupcakes of course.

Now on to the treat bags- my very favorite part! The treat jars are spray painted bulk food containers with Lego faces added with a paint pen. I knew I was ~~hoarding~~ saving those containers for a reason. So, so cute!

Inside each treat jar was a hand stamped key chain, Lego t-shirt, and printable coloring book with Lego crayons.

Key chains are all the rage in Kindergarten dontcha know? I had fun using my stamping kit to make these.

Cleo Livin' Life has a printable Lego coloring book available for download here. I made my own Lego crayons to go with it using silicone Lego molds and my son custom colored the cover for each of his friends.

Last but not least, I made each child a Lego t-shirt using printable heat transfers. This is my favorite way to make customized t-shirts. Just print your picture on the paper using your printer and iron!

Happy Birthday Ben!

Thanks for visiting!

Persephone Grand Opening

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah AKA The Thriftress) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Me, Lynette (Wild Rose owner) & Cassie

Photo courtesy of Gail

Saturday was the grand opening of Persephone, my joint venture with Cassie! We had a great day at Wild Rose greeting shoppers and friends. Thank you to everyone who came out to wish us well, including Gail and Sharon and her daughter Megan!

Here's a little peek at our space.

For more pics you can visit our Persephone Facebook page. If you enjoy the tour and would like to stay in touch with Persephone, consider hitting the like button! You can also see more at The Kramer Angle and Elizabeth & Co.

Thanks for visiting!

Lego Party Part One: Decorations and Food

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah AKA The Thriftress) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:47:00 +0000

Last week my son turned 6 and we celebrated with a Lego themed birthday party. I kept the party small - just 6 friends - so that it was manageable and more fun for everyone!

When the guests arrived they were greeted by this Lego "6" door hanger.

It was super easy and cheap to create this fun door hanger with my son's Legos. It was inspired by a similar door hanger here.

In the foyer I decorated the telephone table with balloons and Legos and stacked up the Lego head "goody bag" containers.

In the kitchen the dessert buffet was set up with more Legos and balloons.

This little guy is my answer to the party store not carrying a Lego pinata. He was completely improvised at the last minute with a coffee can, crepe paper and curly ribbon. Since you can't bash a coffee can with a stick to get candy this is the pull string variety. The curly ribbon was tied to a few layers of crepe paper covering the bottom opening. I held it up above the kids heads, each one grabbed a string and on the count of three they pulled making the candy rain down. I think I'm sold on pull string pinatas from now on!

I also crafted up these fun Lego brick pops. These are waffle shaped pretzels dipped in blue and green candy melts and topped with pretzel M&M's. I think they look just like Lego bricks but my husband had no idea what they were supposed to be! (You can totally tell right? right?) Either way they taste awesome!

The juice boxes were dressed up with free Lego brick printables from here.

And of course we had cupcakes! I made the candy minifigures and bricks with silicone molds found on Etsy.

I'll be back later this week with Lego Party Part 2: Activities and Goody Bag Treats. Till then, you can see all my Lego party inspiration on my pinboard here.

Thanks for visiting!

The Big Announcement: Persephone

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah AKA The Thriftress) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:47:00 +0000

I hinted last week about a big announcement. Well the day is here! I am so excited to announce that Cassie of Primitive & Proper and I have formed a creative partnership to open our own shop called Persephone!

I am so thankful to Cassie for being one of my strongest supporters since I started this blog. We were lucky enough to meet last year and totally hit it off. Since Cassie has moved a bit closer to me we are able to get together for crafting and conversation and that's how Persephone was born! Joining forces to pursue our passion together is the perfect way for us to balance work and home life.

You can read more about Persephone in our "press release" created by Cassie below.

We are pleased to announce that Sarah, aka The Thriftress, and Cassie of Primitive and Proper have joined creative forces in a new retail venture called....

"Persephone" is our new business name for our own little retail space at Wild Rose and Co in Walkersville, MD. Wild Rose & Co was founeded by my pal, Lynette, and is the cutest little boutique featuring vintage finds, furniture, and even cute boutique style clothing, candles, soaps, and more! Here is a glimpse of the shop in case you have never been there...

Sarah and Cassie are thrilled to become part of the creative team of vendors at Wild Rose. We hope to bring even more fabulous upcycled vintage finds, fresh home decor, and even more vintage hip-ness!

We hope to see you there for our Grand Opening on Saturday, February 4 from 10 am until 5 pm! Wild Rose is located at 21 West Pennsylvania Ave, Walkersville, MD 21793.

Sarah and Cassie plan to start up a Persephone Facebook page as well, so we will let you know as soon as that is up and running! Thank you so much for your friendship and support- we would not be doing this without you!

If you are in the local DC area I would be thrilled to see you at the grand opening of our shop on February 4th!

2012 To Do List

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah AKA The Thriftress) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 02:54:00 +0000

I'm very excited to follow through with a bunch of design plans for our home this year. These are all projects I have been thinking about and planning for awhile. I'm putting my to do list out there so you can keep me accountable and so I will be able to track my progress.

1. Powder Room Paint

Bo-ring bath: Paint me!

I blogged about my obsession with black bathrooms way back in August. I even picked up a gallon of dark, inky navy paint and a fabulous mirror. But the project went on the back burner with Summer vacation and Ben starting Kindergarten. The powder room is so small this task should be an easy one to check off the list!

2. Big Girl Bedroom Makeover

My little one is turning three at the end of the month and I would love update her bedroom for her birthday. I've collected the furniture (all free) for the makeover now I just need to find the time to do the painting.

3. Tackle the Foyer

Like the powder room the foyer and hall are lacking personality. Plus we had a leaky pipe repair in the wall so it's the perfect time for a little paint. Right now I'm thinking a light, airy blue to brighten the space - there isn't much natural light. I'm planning to take the paint up the stairs and include a board and batten treatment upstairs as well. (I would love to pull up the carpet and paint the stairs as well but that might be a little too ambitious this year.)

4. Sew New Curtains for the Dining Room
The dining room is currently decorated in cream and red. I'm planning to change up the look by adding in some navy. So I bought this fabric to make new drapes when it was on sale a few months back.

source

This one is so simple. I really just need to pull out the sewing machine already!

Last but not leasat, I've got another goal for 2012 to share with you. However, you will just have to wait till Monday for the big announcement!

Thanks for visiting!

Shabby Apple Dress Giveaway Winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah AKA The Thriftress) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 01:46:00 +0000

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season! I am completely out of my normal schedule this week since we are away from home visiting family.

But I'm not too out of it to announce the winner of the Shabby Apple dress giveaway!

The winner of the Waimea dress is comment #12.

Congratulations Sally! Please send your desired size, shipping address and phone number to thethriftress@gmail.com.

Have a wonderful, happy and healthy New Year and see ya in 2012!

Shabby Apple Dress Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah AKA The Thriftress) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:36:00 +0000

UPDATE: The original post featured the incorrect dress. This giveaway is for the Waimea dress pictured below. I apologize for any confusion this may have caused!

I've got a little holiday gift for you today. Shabby Apple (www.shabbyapple.com) and I have teamed up to offer my dear readers the chance to win one of their fabulous women's dresses!

I love the gorgeous ruffly top and easy fit of this dress. I'm also happy to report that it's available in a wide range of sizes (xxs-xl). The giveaway DOES NOT come with a vacation but I bet this beautiful dress will make you feel like you're on holiday every time you slip it on! ;)

To learn more about Shabby Apple's wonderful selection of clothing, jewelry & accessories click here.

There are three ways to enter the giveaway:

Like Shabby Apple on Facebook and leave a comment to let me know.
Follow The Thriftress and leave a comment telling me you are a follower.
Follow me on Facebook and leave a comment.

That's it! The lucky winner will be chosen on Friday, December 30, 2011.

Thanks for visiting and have a happy holiday!

Quick Handmade Teacher Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah AKA The Thriftress) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:21:00 +0000

This weekend, like most of you, I was super busy trying to check items off my holiday to-do list. One of the projects I worked on are these cute gifts for my daughter's wonderful preschool teachers!

Last week I scored fleece scarves from Old Navy for $4.00 a pop. Then I made three felt flower pins to go with each scarf for that handmade touch. To finish off the gift, I grabbed the candy cane striped buckets from the dollar spot to use as the festive container (no gift wrap needed!). I love how the gifts look like little flower pots!

I made three different types of flower pins inspired by some awesome tutorials. You can find the tutorial for the grey pin here, the pink pin here and the turquoise pin here. I think the turquoise one is my favorite. It's just so ruffle-y and puffy! These are totally addicting to make. I made 6 more this weekend for family members. Consider yourself warned!

Are you making any handmade gifts this year?

Thanks for visiting!

Christmas 2011: Family Room Mantel

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah AKA The Thriftress) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:48:00 +0000

Last Christmas I used a green/silver/white color scheme in the family room. This year I went in a totally different direction.

The red and white are so crisp and bright to me! Loving how this turned out. Let's break it down shall we?

I scored these shutters on Freecycle and use them constantly to add height to the mantel. For Christmas I made a red yarn wreath with thrift store yarn and a styro wreath form. The JOY ornament came from World Market from $4 and makes the wreath! I bought the stockings last year at Target and I'm so glad I chose white. It goes with everything!

The branch is from my yard. I added some sparkle with spray adhesive and glitter. Totally free rocks! But I have to admit that the tall white vase was a splurge. I fell in love with it and searched high and low for a lower cost alternative but came up empty. Luckily when I broke down and bought it at World Market the sales lady gave me 20% off for joining the loyalty program (rationalize much?).

A new element that I added this year is the screen door card holder. The door is another Freecycle find. I painted it black and added the chicken wire. I'm looking forward to displaying our Christmas cards in such an organized fashion!

Last but not least is my absolute favorite mantel decoration: the deer head! The "canvas" is made of shims from the hardware store stapled together and stained. Then I used my silhouette to cut out the deer head in two separate parts so that it would be large enough to fill the canvas. Once the vinyl was positioned on the shims I painted over everything and then removed the vinyl.

When I started the project I wasn't sure how it would turn out but I have to say I'm thrilled! I think I will be keeping my deer friend up all winter!

What's your favorite Christmas mantel decoration?

Thanks for visiting!

Rolled Sheet Music Ornaments

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah AKA The Thriftress) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:26:00 +0000

In case you missed this guest post I did for A Crafty Creative Christmas, I'm sharing it today!

Vintage sheet music is a lovely element to add to your home decor and Christmastime is no exception!

To create these ornaments you will need the following supplies:

Sheet music. If no vintage sheet music is available there are several printable images online. (I've put together a board on Pinterest here)
Scissors
Ribbon
Mod Podge
Foam brush

Start by cutting your sheet music into the desired size. I cut mine into fourths.

Next roll the sheet music up using Mod Podge to secure the seam. Brush the entire sheet music tube with Mod Podge to give the paper some stiffness. This will make the paper less fragile and protect against tearing. I like to use shimmer, sparkle or gloss Mod Podge formulas to give the ornamanets a little Christmas shine.

When the tubes are dry attach the ribbon of your choice. Add a ribbon loop or ornament hanger to the center ribbon to hang it on the Christmas tree and enjoy!

The ornaments are also lovely grouped together for decorating or as a special touch on your holiday packages!

Thanks for visiting!

Christmas Gift Ideas with Nest of Posies

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah AKA The Thriftress) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:32:00 +0000

One of my favorite things about blogging is making connections with women who share my passion to create. And I love to support those who have taken their passion to the next level by selling their handmade wares. Mompreneurs rock!

One such lady is the talented Kellie from Nest of Posies. We met through the Crafterminds blogging group where Kellie has asked us to help her get the word out about her brand new line of handmade scalloped posie pins. These pins are super cute and a great gift for girlfriends, family, and teachers at such a reasonable price - just $5.00! The colors are gorgeous too! Here's Kellie to tell you more about them...

Because we all know that accessories make the outfit.

And 'tis the season for all things merry & bright.

Why not give the gift of handmade to your friends, family or yourself?

Delicious wool felt made into Scallop Posie Pins to coordinate with any outfit.

15 yummy options.

You pick your colors.

Just $5.00 each.

Use 1, 2 or 3 to embellish anything. A perfect accessory to add to your coat, scarf, cardy, purse, hair & ________.

Hurry! Last day to place an order for all wool felt products is Dec 12th.

Visit Nest of Posies Shop to see the entire collection & buy handmade for the holidays.