"she's crafty" take 2

updates on my craft projects:

 2 ceramic candlesticks

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all black, i put one up on the hutch above grady's (((super messy due to finals...))) desk.

 
don't you love the exposed brick?!  ahhh!
there's that HUGE "S"! 

the green yarn balls are from this tutorial i found on pinterest.  i found the elmer's glue on super sale because it's back to school time.

the big star is from this tutorial i also found on pinterest.  i personally used poster board as opposed to cereal boxes...seeing as we don't eat cereal.  the poster board was also on super sale for back to school.  i made 3 smaller stars too and attached them with hot clue to some skewers.  i put those in a hobnail milk glass vase on the shelf i repainted.  pictures below.

the small frame i found at one of my thrift shops for $0.50.  it was not the right color, but has a bomb double matting on the inside, so i just pray painted that one too.  i'm going to print a free printable and throw it inside the frame.  

 the big frame i bought in a 2 pack at Costco.  it's an 11x16 frame with an 8x10 mat.  i bought 2 packages because i needed 3 frames from the project below.  so this was the leftover one.            (((btw, 11x16 frames are pricey.  before you have a grand idea of a cheap print blown up to 11x16, price out the frames.  yikes!)))

the pleated looking vase i found at home goods (love...) for like $5 on clearance.

here's that print project i was talking about:

 i bought the rights to these prints from this shop on etsy.  i think all 3 were $22.00, i think it was worth it.

 

 the whole wall.  i'm working on putting something on the right side of that cabinet.

 those hideous cherub oval picture frame things

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AFTER: (still needs our silhouettes)

 
spray painted all black.  i found some scrapbook paper super cheap.  using the cardboard backing inside the frame, i cut out the ovals on the paper and used spray adhesive to attach them to the cardboard backing.

 

 found this mirror at an antiques mall i just discovered.  it was $2.50.  crazy right?!  it's incredibly heavy and incredibly nasty gold.

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AFTER:

 so here's the reason it was $2.50.  it has a 2 chips in the corner.  did you even notice in the finished project??

 


super cheap hobby lobby shelf

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 All black...  i'm going to paint the "s" lime green to match my couch pillows.  did you recognize the mirror?!


ok i'm saving the pictures of my finished dining room chairs for last.  because i think they turned out the best!  BUT, here's a few more purchases i've made recently that i think i got a good deal on!

boat propeller.  it was $2.50 at this antiques mall i just found.  it's about 20" tall.  i'm going to either set it up on a shelf, or hang it up on a wall.  to be determined.

 isn't that color bomb?  (((side note:  yes i'm completely OCD, but i'm not going to clean it.  i love the dust and dirt on it.  it'll be like therapy, right?)))

 tall spaghetti jar.  $1.50.  ok, so i know a spaghetti jar seems like NBD, but my mom found a jar like this at a antiques mall filled with old bobbins, cut up fabrics, buttons, thread and spools.  it is SOOO cute.  so i'm copy-catting it.

my newest obsession is milk glass.  specifically hob-nail milk glass.  my entire dining room table is filled with the stuff. 
i found this gem at that same antiques mall for $6.  it's the cutest candy jar.

 

this is a candle holder.  it holds a large center candle and 5 smaller ones on the outside.  isn't it cool?  i paid $5 at my fav thrift store here.  

this is a cologne bottle.  i found it at a "rummage sale" for a church here.  i think i paid between $3 and $5.  

this is my favorite of all of them!!!  a freaking pitcher!!  ahhhh!  found it at that same sweet thrift store for $4.  i almost wet my pants.

two cute vases.  the skinny one i found at a Goodwill outlet in the most sketchy part of st. louis i've encountered yet.  i would estimate 93% of the people in the outlet are homeless and ready to shank anyone who comes between them and their awesome finds.   ANYWAY... they sell glass by the pound.  it's like $0.30 per pound or something ridiculous.  so i bought that skinny one and like 4 others for maybe $1.50 total.  kills me.  the wider one was given to me for my birthday by my co-worker friend pam.  she knows my super obsession with hobnail milk glass.



my whole collection.  smiles!!!

lastly, my dinning room chairs.

 drum roll:

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 (i like that you can see some of the grain through the white paint on this one.  another one turned out like this too and i think it gives the chair a little character.)

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 (this is the other one with wood grain coming through.  i've considered sewing a little cushion for the butt part.  thoughts?)

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ok so this one i need some help with.  it was the ugliest to start with by far.  i felt like it was weird all the blank space on the chair back.  i made up my own "template" and upholstered it.  i attatched one to the back and it looks like this:

  
don't look too closely to the taks, one of them is majorly out of place.
so my question is this: do i add the other one to the front?  i've been so nervous to mess it up.  here's an idea of what it would look like:

so here's the finished project (kinda.. i need to buy 1 more chair):

  

cute right?  i'm really proud!  i still need to stain that dang table!  maybe while grady is at one of the 50 chiropractic conferences between now and christmas i'll eventually get it done.  i think i'm going to go buy paint for that cute little chest thing i bought (in my last post) tonight.  wish me luck.  this is what my living room looks like amidst paint choices.  ahhhhhh!

she's crafty?

ok... so i have officially gotten over my head with crafting.  i may or may not have purchased NUMEROUS things to "upcycle" from thrift stores/rummage sales/craigslist.  tonight was no exception.  (((more on this later)))

here are my upcoming projects and a few prices (because i'm proud of my cheapness!):

cheese tray.  so 1970's right?  this baby was $2.50 at my fav thrift store here.  never been used.  i had this super idea to paint the wood white, maybe put some little wicker balls in it and set it up on my dining room table with the rest of my milk glass collection.   Before:

after:

has it's own little place amongst the whiteness.  see my painted chairs in the background?!  ahhhhh!  only 2 more to go!

 these hideous "everybody loves raymond" throwback, vomit green, kitchen utensils (enough adjectives?) were $0.50 each.  so $1.00 plus a little silver spray paint and i'm super happy!!

before:

after:

 these huge cardboard letters were on sale at Joann's for $5.00.  i know.  it's probably 20" tall.  ahh!  used a little craft paint and voila!  super cute up above grady's (((super messy))) desk.  opinions needed:  should i distress it with black and white paint?

before:

 

 after:

 future projects. 

found these ceramic pillar candle holders at the thrift store ($3.00)  they are about 20" as well.  someone tried painting over them with craft paint (...which peeled off in about 3 seconds).  i'm thinking of spray painting them black... thoughts?

ok these bad boys were ALSO purchased at a thrift store.  i still can't get over grady's face when i showed them to him.  never in his wildest dreams would i bring in framed ceramic cherubs to hang in our house.  well, he knows me well.  look at those oval frames!  $0.75 each?  yes.  i'm going to do our silhouettes inside the frames.  i know the cherubs will be missed, but i feel the silhouettes will fit better!  maybe some fabulous scrapbook paper in the background.   my dilemma?  what color to paint the frames?  i was hoping to get the color pop with the scrapbook paper so i think i want to keep the frame neutral-ish.  gray?  black?  white? 

 grady's the harp player

 i got the guitar.



this is proof that Hobby Lobby has good sales.  REALLY good sales.  (((have you noticed hobby lobby has every item on sale in the store at least once a month?  i never pay full price anymore b/c it'll be on sale in the next 3 weeks anyway)))  here's my lucky deal.  $3.00  for this super detailed shelf.  i love it.  same dilemma.  what color to paint it?  i think i'm going to put colorful things on it, so i'm thinking neutral again.  black?  white?  gray?  all of the above?

 

 i'm pretty sure it was $3.00 because the color is hideous.  nothing a little spray paint can't fix.

here's my other super Hobby Lobby find:  also $3.00 stands about 20" tall.  has a SMALL chip in the back.  setting that chip facing the wall up on a shelf.  shh!  don't tell!

 i do have a sad event i need to document.  this way i will remember next time to go with my gut.  Hobby Lobby was clearance-ing out SO MUCH STUFF.  they had this HUGE mirror.  for $18.  the frame was sick-nasty.  brass looking.  but super thick.  i should've bought it.  i kick myself everytime.  i still look for that frame, hoping it will appear out of thin air since the last 15 times i was in the store.  10 min of spray painting that frame and it would've been so great!  moral of the story:  go with your gut.  sadface.

and now, the craigslist piece that was worth every penny, but will keep me occupied for many hours on end.
drum roll please......

 those doors slide in & out!!!  inner excitement!

 oh the details!

 that there carving down there... that's metal!

BTW it cost me $40.00.  it was $50.00, talked her down to $40.00 because it was all the cash i had.  it's an antique and super special and unique.  i'm putting it in my dining room!

the plan?

painting it the color of blue in that fabric from my dining room chairs.  remember?  i'm going to put some wallpaper on the inside (must be a light color to brighten up the inside) and i THINK i'm going to paint the detailing silver...oh i still don't know!  i'm going to buy some crystal knobs to attach to the front and finish off the paint with some furniture wax. 

i'm promising myself that i won't start this mammoth of a project until i finish all those little ones.  maybe then i'll be motivated enough to finish my spray paint and dining room chair endeavors!  wish me luck.   opinions welcomed.

upcycle

my newest addiction?  spray painting little treasures from the thrift stores.

last summer i had this amazing (psychotic) idea to sell all of our stuff... you remember.   after suffering a panic attack 3 mos. later, i came up with this grand idea to "build our own farmhouse table"...and by that i meant, "grady build me a farmhouse table".  he did.  what a little handyman.  it turned out super fab.
 
 (we spent less than $200 for all lumber, hardware, etc.  but grady's time... priceless)




 am i the only person who loves those "imperfections" in the wood?  i think the people at lowe's thought i was crazy, i kept saying, "NO!  i want the boards with knots!  this one doesn't have enough knots!!!" grady wanted to pretend he didn't know me.   (he has pretended not to know me before...)

i also demanded i get carriage bolts.  it's this idea that it'll look more "farm-house-y-ish"...we'll see.





no he didn't turn the legs.  although, we like to tell people that! ha!



OK.  so i'm going to stain the table gray.  yep, i wrote gray.  i haven't found a gray stain that is "just right"  but i think i'll just try charcoal gray.

so back to my "brilliant idea" i decided it would be super cool to thrift some random chairs and "upcycle" them into the same color and fabric.  sweet.  i found 8 chairs and have started spray-painting them all white.  i found the following fabric on here for really cheap and started re-upholstering them all.  btw, i ordered 6 yards, they sent me 18.  no complaints.  SO... here are the sick-nasty chairs i bought:

 (chair: $12.00)

 (chair: $7.50)

 (chair: $8.00)

 (chair: $10.00)

(chair: $7.00)

 (chair $12.00)

 (chair: $5.00)


i know.  there's only seven.  i'll get to the 8th one in a min.  here's my fabric that i now have a plethora of:

 
 (fabric: $30.00)


 fab right?!

ok so here's the deal on the 8th chair.  it was a desk chair.  and very weathered.  i love the natural distress from people's butt cheeks and arm skin.  i don't want to paint it now.  what do i do?!  i think i'm going to buy a different chair for the dining room table and put this one in a corner somewhere with a cute pillow. 

 (chair $15.00)

 

cool right? 
ideas and opinions welcomed.
after pictures to come.
(((***side note:  this was my idea of saving money...in the end we probably are going to spend more than if we purchased brand new, but it'll be a one and only***)))

so i spent around $300, which seems a little higher than i wanted, but i'm getting excited to have something that is only in my house and is EXACTLY what i want.

i'm going to blog again about the other $0.50, $0.75 and $1.00 items that i'm currently spray painting.

gratitude attitude

  this last week... well, month has been hard.  last month i accepted a job at costco.  love my costco job, kept my other job.  i worked 2 jobs for a month.  out of the blue, the dealership offered me a higher paying, better hours, full-time job.  i accepted.  i quit costco.  i'm working my last two weeks, life is still crazy.  my costco badge reads:  employed since May 3rd, 2012.   my last day will be June 10th, 2012.  how pathetic hahahahahaha!  i've been blessed with the dealership job.  i can fulfill my calling in our ward now.  we might actually be able to go home and see family now.  i have days off now.  i'm happier now.

i can't help but think back on our time in rexburg. think about how different it was.  not better or worse, just different.

• in rexburg i found myself jealous of grady's time.  upset if he studied too much.  sad if he spent time at school, rather than come home.  now, i try my best to allow him to study.   i'm grateful for every minute he spends prepping for school, quizzing himself for a test.  it means he cares and that we're in the right place.
• in rexburg the workload of keeping up the house was very shared.  i was happy to come home to a spotless little apartment after a long day of tanning in the sun outside the office.  somedays i would take the 13 steps to our apartment and spend 30 minutes picking up the place before grady got home from school.  he was happy to come home to a spotless little apartment because he found it impossible to study in a mess.  life is different now.   i try to keep the apartment up, clean, cook, etc.  i'm not doing a great job.  fingers crossed, getting down to one job will help in that department.
• in rexburg we were very social.  having all of our dear friends live a few footsteps away was so easy.  and perfect.  now, my time with grady is so precious.  yesterday we had 15 minutes together.  today grady will be in bed before i get home.  its hard for me to lose moments grady and i can have alone together to be overly social.  my hope is that our schedules will change and allow for more time building friendships in the future.
• in rexburg having one car was easy.  grady was within walking distance of the school (not that it mattered, i dropped him off and picked him up most days).  with my two jobs, the car situation has been a challenge.  poor grady bums rides off everyone who will allow.  i feel terrible about it.  next week i'll be at the dealership most days and should be able to walk there, hopefully that change will free up our vehicle so grady can have a little freedom.

i'm happy for change.  i've recognized the importance of gratitude in our marriage.  i'm grateful for the stacks of papers piled up all over our living room, it means grady is taking advantage of his time here.  i'm grateful for the nights when i actually get a meal prepared, it means i'm not working until 11 pm and will get to spend dinner with grady.  i'm grateful for days when we can get together with some friends.  i'm grateful for the means to be able to afford our vehicle.  life is good.

next to godliness

per Kiya's request:

my last job being an apartment manager, i learned a lot of quick and efficient ways to clean.  (also, i am OCD about cleaning)  here's a list of tips, tricks, and my favorite cleaning products.

all around best cleaner:

simple green is the best.  it's only sold in the automotive section.  non-toxic, safe for pets and kids. 

floors:  a stiff brush and a little higher dilution of simple green to water.  it's awesome for grout and tile.
baseboards/walls: i use the 10 to 1 dilution on this.  just be super gentle because cheap paint WILL come off (first hand experience speaking here). 
 ****This is not a disinfectant, so after i use this product, sometimes i'll do a once over with lysol disinfectant wipes or Clorox Clean-up with bleach.  which brings me to my next fav. product.

great disinfectant:

it smells exactly like bleach, but i love the smell of bleach.  kinda reminds me of the baptistry at the temple.

counter tops, inside of the microwave, inside the fridge, bathroom.  love it.

hard water/rust/lime/etc. stains:

pumice stones are my fav.  they even make them in cool shapes now that are more ergonomic (big word alert). great for toilets and rings around the sink.  not in that order. gross.

CLR is awesome for nasty soap scum on the showers.  i like to spray this stuff all around the shower, let it sit while cleaning something else.  come back 20 minutes later, scrub a little, rinse, then use that clorox clean-up once over.  if the toilet is super nasty, i'll spray this stuff in the bowl, let it sit, flush, then scrub up with the pumice stone.


tips and tricks:

• kitchen
• sink:  i use that clorox clean-up in my sink and thanks to my friend brock, i've started using a TINY amount of baby oil on my stainless steel to make it shine.  works like a charm.
• oven:  for those without self cleaning ovens (i'm included in this sad group), i think steel wool works best.  all that oven spray crap leaves the most frustrating residue and makes me gag (literally) from the smell.  sometimes i'll boil a pot of water, turn the oven on to low and set the pot of water inside.  it'll help loosen the grime a bit.    also, fyi, all oven doors lift off.  PLEASE don't bend over the door.  it makes me sad when people don't know this.
• ****side note, every few months i like to pull my oven knobs off, soak them and clean the nasty grease that lurks behind them.***
• microwave:  might be common knowledge, but oh well.  put a glass bowl with water inside, turn on high for like 3 minutes, everything will wipe clean.  i do a quick once-over with clorox clean-up.
• drawers & cabinets.  vacuum everything out first.  you'll love me for it.  once you get crumbs, dirt or hair wet... you'll never get it out.
• fridge:  my biggest OCD.  i hate dirty fridges.  i like to clean my fridge every time i grocery shop.  i wipe everything down (inside and out) with the clorox clean-up.  if you have serious issues, you can use q-tips in those little crevices...i might do that...
• bathroom
• chrome:  i clean all my chrome first with the clorox stuff, then windex.  i just like it to look shiny and streak-free. :D
• ***also, i clean my toilet paper holder A LOT.  it gets super dusty and people forget about it. ***
•  toilet:  the hinges are super nasty.  i use qtips and straight bleach.  hahahahaha!  i may or may not have spent more time than i would like to admit cleaning toilet hinges.  i also like to take qtips around the caulk line around the base.  that's SUPER gross.
• everything else
• baseboards:  i vacuum all baseboards before cleaning them.  it's just 1000 times easier getting the dust up.  i use simple green on the base boards because i think it works best.  i personally like to clean my baseboards once a month.  i think clean baseboards make your house look so much cleaner.
• dust:  i use the vacuum for this too.  i vacuum ceiling fans, air vents, light fixtures, etc.  so much easier.
• windows:  i vacuum blinds and the track of windows first (see a recurring theme?).  i'm all about simple green in the tracks with qtips. i also spot clean blinds with a rag and simple green.
• light switches/outlets:  qtips and simple green.  finish with clorox clean-up.

as far as smells go, i Febreeze A LOT.

i also love Scentsy products.  i change my scentsys all the time and i think it keeps the scent strong.

there ya go kiya!

can i see your membership card please?

recently:

• i was offered a job at Costco
• i was told it was "part time".... evidently this means 32-38 hours per week.
• i am continuing to work at the Toyota dealership
• i'm pretty sure my boss wants to kill me.  calling in 3 out of 5 days in a work week because i have work at Costco probably is not helping anything
•  my normal lunch consists of one of the following:  berry smoothie, berry yogurt, a hotdog  and soda.  on some Saturdays i will cruise the store and check out the samples.  pretty sweet.
• my arm muscles are toning up and despite the daily berry smoothies i've lost a few lbs.  i lift everything out of member's carts and then place it back into a new cart.  i am also personally responsible for running back EVERY SINGLE individual item that a member either chooses to not purchase, gets a broken/rotten/not up to par item, or the item has no tag on it.   and when i say running... i literally mean running. plus side?  i no longer need a gym membership.
• in a few months grady and i will again have health insurance.  and it is thee best health insurance.  medical, dental, vision that will run us about $100 a month.  i know.

here are some Costco secrets that i will share with the 4 people that read my super secret blog:

• for every dollar spent at Costco, the company profits only $0.02.  insane.  the company chooses to make less money in order to show the staff their appreciation for hard work.  in turn, the employees are usually top notch.  if someone is not busily working every second of their shift, they probably won't make it.
• they start pay out higher than any other competitor in their category, and give consistent raises.  so, that person who is on their hands and knees cleaning the coffin cooler holding the pork loins, they are probably making like $18.00 an hour.  the same with the person pushing carts, cleaning the toilets, and wiping up the tables covered in pizza sauce and loose strings of melted cheese.
• the cleanliness of the store is top priority.  there is a "procedure" for how granola bar boxes are stacked, how they face the aisle, etc.  it's actually really stressful.  also, not a single droplet of condensation on the floor can be left, a loose petal off a plant stomped into the concrete or a nut off those dang hand dipped ice cream bars not be swept up.  it's dramatic how important the upkeep of the store is.
• all managers of Costco are promoted from within the company.  every manager has had to load and unload carts, push carts, clean up messes, etc.  it's been nice for me to know that my manager had to do the same stuff i'm doing.
• if they are sampling it, i'm willing to wager over 80% of the customers will have at least one of those items in their cart.  samples work.

here are some annoying things.  please don't do the following:

• when they ask for your membership... they actually need it.  we can't start a transaction without it and it hold up the line.  it's really annoying.
• when they ask for your coupons... they actually need them.  the manufacturers are threatening to pull coupons from Costco because they don't have the physical coupons back.
• don't be annoyed when you pick up 1 pack of muffins, but they come in packs of two.  it's not our fault you were willing to pay double what we are willing to charge.
• please don't randomly throw/knock/move every single book in the ridiculously high piled book stacks.  it does take me and hour and a half to sort through the stacks at the end of the day.
• please don't try to pack your own cart when there are people there to help you.  it is the most intricate game of tetris, and we do it for 8 hours a day.  i'm pretty sure i know how to pack those boxes 1000x better than you can.
• don't complain when we are trying to upgrade your membership.  it is not a credit card.  it's not a gimmick.  it's not a commission based job.  Costco is actually trying to thank you for purchasing a ridiculous amount of mayonnaise and wet wipes, they want to send you a check so you can spend MORE money on an above ground pool and 4 bottles of 600 count ibuprofen.  if you spend enough money, the executive membership is a killer deal.

here are some items we are currently carrying that you should try out:

• organic carrot juice.  comes in a 3 pack.  in the refrigerated section.  it's bomb.
• chicken kabobs in the freezer section.  they come in these weird vacuum sealed plastic packages.  pre-cooked and sell like hot cakes...er sell like kabobs?
• teriyaki pineapple meatballs.  freezer section.  they are amazing.
• notebook packages.  if you are stocking up for work or school, the binder packages are ridiculously cheap.
• blintzes.  they are sooooo good.  deli section.

i think i was made for this job.