Pharmacist Recommended :: Pinterest

If you're a reader of any craft/hobby/decorating blogs, I'm sure you've heard of Pinterest.

I really wish I would have thought of the idea, it's brilliant.

There have been so many times where I've been browsing the web and come across a great idea, picture, recipe, inspiration, etc and if I'm too lazy to bookmark it with the hundreds of other bookmarks that I never look at, it gets lost and most of the time, forgotten. {If I don't forget about it, it's nearly impossible to try to locate again and there is much wasted time looking!}

Pinterest is a virtual pinboard, allowing you to "pin" the things you love to one specific place on the web.  You can organize it to different pinboards however you wish.  The best part is, it keeps the original site that the picture came from so you can easily refer back to it, whether it be for the recipe, how-to, printable, tutorial, idea, etc.

You can also view and follow other people's boards and pins; getting inspiration and ideas from what others have already found. 

If you place the "Pin It" button to your toolbar on your browser, you can easily pin anything you want while browsing your favorite blogs, websites, or even shopping!

Warning, this can be addictive...I've stayed up past midnight on more than one occasion...but it's so fun!  I can't wait until I get back to my desktop computer back home so I can put all my "bookmarks" on my pinboards!

Right now it is still an "invite only" website to join.  However, it's very easy to join:

1} You can request an invite from the Pinterest website

2} I can send you an invite, I just need your email!

3} You can visit Beth from Home Stories AtoZ like I did and get access right away by clicking her link.

You won't regret it! Here's just a few of my recent finds on Pinterest:

flip flop hangers, brilliant!

Source

Bored in the bathroom?

Wouldn't it be fun to do this in a friend's bathroom?

I think it'd be a pleasant surprise...

Adorable pillow:

I love this braid, and must try it with my hair:

Adding bookshelves to a dresser:

 

I'm already thinking about Halloween!

How cute is this?

Pinterest is in no way endorsing or paying me to recommend it.  I just love it, and think you will too! Check it out if you haven't already!

Prettied Up With Modge Podge

I love a good bargain.  

I found some wall hangings for my daughter's room on clearance in T.J.Maxx.  

I wasn't fond of their original state, but knew that I could fix them :)

They were a honey colored wood with cute cut-outs attached:

First, I painted the sides of them with a dark brown acrylic craft paint.

 

Then, I pried off the cut-outs.

This was probably the hardest part...it was partly stapled and partly glued, and I didn't want to break it!

The best tool was a plain old butter knife;

Oh, the multi-uses of a butter knife! Worked perfect!

{and of course I don't have a picture of the blank wood}

 I picked out some cutesie scrapbook paper that would match my daughter's room and modge podged it on there! 

{side note: my husband HATES the word modge podge, so I try to say it around him as often as possible...haha}

I distressed the edges a bit with some ink/paint/chalk...I couldn't decide what method so I tried a few.

Then I glued the cut-outs back on

 

ahhh...So much better!

Chandelier Remorse?

If you read my last post you know that I found a fantastic chandelier at a thrift store.

I usually don't ever suffer from "buyer's remorse" but I started to wonder if I was crazy for getting it:

1} We are in Seattle for only the summer while my husband is doing an internship for grad school; we fit    everything we brought in our car, and we used every spare inch of available space, so I have to figure out how to get it back home

2} We are still renting a home at least for the next year until my husband graduates and we know where we are moving to...

3} This means that I don't even have a place I can hang it yet, which means it's going to be sitting in a box in our basement for at least the next year 

4} On top of all this, my husband came home from work and told me that I was a topic of discussion during his lunch break with a bunch of guys from the company.

[I went to the thrift store with 2 of my friends whose husbands go to the same school and are interning at the same company as my husband.]

Quick recap of lunchtime conversation:

 "Soooo, I heard your wife came home with a chandelier..."

Hubby's response, so matter-of-factly: "Yup!"

This caught everyone else's attention..."Wait, your wife bought a chandelier?!?"

Again, "Yup!"

"...And you're okay with that?!?"

Hubby: "Oh yeah."

"So you own a house back home that you're going to put it in?"

"Nope. We're still renting."

"So your wife bought a chandelier that you have to take back home with you and you don't even have a place to put it?!?"

"Yup."

"So...does it look cool? What does it look like?"

"I dunno, I haven't seen it yet." (he got home late)

"Wait, so your wife bought a chandelier and you didn't even ask to see it or care what it looks like?!?"

"Nope. I trust her."

Then he proceeded to tell them about this

 And told them he wasn't worried...and I would eventually do something cool with it.

I was laughing hysterically as he told me this story

He thought it was pretty funny also, and had a great time feeding the frenzy and getting the others all worked up.

I'm pretty sure his coworkers think I'm some sort of crazy...

Side note: How awesome is my husband? It totally doesn't even phase him when I come home with giant chandeliers...

So, I decided to do a little online research.

I set out to see if this chandelier was still available to purchase new.

I wanted to see how much it was, or at least ones similar.

I found it!

 {okay, google found it}

The EXACT same one!!!

Wanna know the price?
Here, let me show you:

That's right, the exact same chandelier I got for only $10 bucks is still selling for $464.20!
Say Whaaaaaaaaat?!?!!!!
I feel great about my purchase again!
{even if I can't use it right away...}


Have you ever felt "buyer's remorse"?

I Knew It Would Be Amazing

I was itching.

Itching to go to a thrift-store before we leave our summer abode in Seattle.

Well, I scratched my itch.

Except, you know how most of the time when you scratch something, it usually itches more?!

{speaking of all this itching is reminding me of some of the nasty skin issues people come and show me at the pharmacy, I once got flashed by a lady attempting to show me her "itchy" rash}

ewwww.

Back on track:

It was FAAAABULOUS! {just like I knew it would be}

And remember how I was scared that I would find something great and not be able to take it home?

Well, if there's something about me you should know;

it's that I'm usually right!

This case was no exception! 

Let me show you just 3 things that I couldn't have:

Exhibit A)

 See this chair right here?  This amazing, sturdy chair with such great features?

I about died when I saw the price:

$3

yes, you read that right...

I didn't take a close-up picture so you're just going to have to take my word.

only THREE DOLLARS!

Next up, we have a gorgeous chandelier:

 Okay, it might not be gorgeous to the untamed eye, but I see great possibilities when I look at this!

Have you seen some of the great chandy makeovers out there?

And, the price on this one?

$10

One more thing about me, I love chandeliers.  

Not brass chandeliers, per se.

I dream of having a gorgeous chandelier in my bedroom, daughter's room and yes, even my laundry room.

Someday...-sigh-

Next up, this cute glass cake stand:

So pretty. 

I don't think I even own a cake stand, but I think I should start collecting them.

I bet you want to know what thrift store I went to.

You want to go snatch these things up?

Well, I can't hide it any longer...I already snatched one!

I just couldn't contain myself.

Sometimes you just can't pass up something so great.

  (now I just have to figure out how to get it back home...hehe)

I left with perma-grin

I couldn't contain my excitement

I had a fantastic day thrifting!

{So did the girl who found that $3 chair as I was leaving} 

Sometimes when you have an itch, you use Cortisone; 

other times, you go shopping!

Jewelry Box Re-do {A Mini Makeover}

I have never liked my jewelry box.  

It's always been the wrong color. 

So I fixed it.

I gave it a makeover.

It's a mini-me of my dresser now.

I LOVE it! :)

Silly me, I didn't take a before picture...or I can't find it...

I did find a similar one online though:

This isn't my exact jewelry box, but the color and the brassy knobs are IDENTICAL to what I had.

I started my "mini makeover"

I took off the mini-hardware with a mini-screwdriver,

taped off the glass,

took out the mini-drawers,

primed everything with Kilz:

and spray painted Krylon Ivory gloss:

I sprayed the mini-knobs with ORB:

The project wasn't complete until I added some glazey goodness (I used BEHR brand from home depot and mixed 1 part paint to 4 parts glaze):

I didn't take a picture of the "before glaze" jewelry box, but found this identical one online:

Wish they would have had this color when I bought mine...

And the "after glaze" finished product:

 

It looks great on top of it's master (see here):

It sort of reminds me of when my mom used to make my dolls the same outfit as me...
That was so cool.

My jewelry box finally looks like it belongs after being a misfit for 7 years. (Of course, my whole bedroom used to be a misfit so I can't blame the jewelry box)

I can't even describe how FUN it was to work on this!  It was just soooo...petite. 

{Stay tuned to see my other jewelry storage options for long necklaces and earrings!}



Linking to:
Remodelaholic: Remodelaholic's Anonymous
Tatertots and Jello: Weekend Wrap Up
Sassy Sites
 I Heart Naptime
Not Just a Housewife
DIY Showoff
Lil' Luna 
Restore Interiors
Domestically Speaking
Primitive & Proper
Thrifty 101 
Perfectly Imperfect
Shabby Nest
Fingerprints on the Fridge
Chic on a Shoestring
Finding Fabulous
Remodelaholic 
I Heart Naptime

Confession

I used to be afraid of thrift stores.
Seriously. Like, deathly afraid.
To me, they were smelly, dirty, murky, and repulsive;
I didn't want to rifle through someone else's stuff;  Let alone, buy it and take it home...
I thought it was all just junk.

I was also scared that my image would be marred or something...like, what if someone I know sees me there? I don't want people to think I'm poor.

I'll just say it because I know you're thinking it: Shallow much?

I was raised to be very frugal, but I didn't grow up "thrifting".  (unless you count snooping through my grandma's stuff and asking her if I could have it).

To be fair, I grew up in a very small town and the nearest thrift store was an hour away. The first time I ever remember going there was with a date.  We chose each other's outfits to wear ice-skating.  I wish I had a picture.  We found some extreme clothes there...

I'm pleased to admit that I am now an avid thrift store shopper.
I love the thrill of the hunt.
I love tapping into my creative powers, thinking to myself...what could I DO with that?
I love that you can take something meant for one purpose and change it to serve a totally different purpose.
I love making things new again
I love making them MINE. And knowing that my next door neighbor isn't going to have the exact same table/chair/dresser/etc. as me.
I love not spending a FORTUNE to get what I want.

I don't remember when I changed or why I changed, or even what the first thing I bought was.
But I'm glad I did.
And now, I'm proud to say, "I bought that at a thrift store" and watch people's surprised reactions.

I bring this up, because,
I think I'm going through withdrawals.
I haven't been thrift-store shopping since we moved to Seattle for the summer.  
Not that there aren't great stores here (they have a Goodwill OUTLET for crying out loud)
I'm just scared that I'll find something that I absolutely love and I won't be able to take it back with me.
(we fit everything for the summer in the trunk of our car)

I will go. This week. I hope I find something great! (and small)

Have you found anything great at a thrift store recently?

Lamp Revamp

I love it when you are looking for something and it turns out to be right under your nose!  That's what happened when I expressed to my mom and dad that I was looking for a pair of lamps for my newly refinished nightstands. (here)

My dad just happened to be restoring one of his rental homes and said that he had 2 lamps out on his trailer headed for the trash! WHAAAAAT!?!

I raced outside right away, and sure enough found these beauties:

Ceramic mint green bodies {plus} golden swirls {plus} glittery leaves {plus} bases with spurts of rust

 {=====EQUALS=====}

SPLENDID CANDIDATE FOR MAKEOVER!

I'm pretty sure my parents thought I was insane.

(But glad at the same time that they had raised a daughter to be so thrifty!)

QUESTIONS:

First things first, do they even work?

[check, even have a 3-way dimmer]

What color do I paint them?

[how about some sort of coral color]

like say,

Krylon Coral Isle...

And the base?

[that's easy, ORB]

 I sanded the base a little bit with some steel wool, and since there were some raised paint splotches & splatters on the ceramic, I sanded and scraped those off so I had a smooth surface

A few coats of spray paint, some lamp-shades, and a couple finials later:

 One last question that I haven't resolved yet...

 Do I paint the patterns or not?

 I did on this one:

But didn't on this one:

Soooo, paint or no paint?

 What do you think?

{I've also got some plans in the works to pretty up the shades a bit}

Linking to:
Domestically Speaking

A Tale of 2 Placemats

Once upon a time there was a placemat.

{okay, 2 placemats.}

They lived together in the land of Kmart.

There were so many other pretty placemats in the kingdom that they were never chosen to leave.

So they got out-cast to the dreaded CLEARANCE section.

dun dun duuuuun...

Wait, have no fear,

For they were rescued one day by a beautiful maiden looking for a great deal.

She took those outcast placemats home and stuffed them with poly-fil,

saving the day and making them feel comfortable and welcome!

And they all lived happily ever after...

 

 

 I just love a good fairy tale, how about you?

Colorful Canvas Wall Art

I bought some 12x12 canvas packs at Big Lots before moving for the hubsters grad school.

I thought I would use them to modge podge decorative scrapbook paper on for a cute, cheap wall art.

While I was browsing paper selections at Micheals, I happened upon a cardstock lace pattern,

Similar to this one:

 I immediately knew exactly what I was going to do!

I painted the canvases bright solid colors to match my pillows and curtains.

Then I took the cardstock paper and placed it on top of one of the canvases

I used it as a stencil and painted black paint over it

(at first I tried spray painting the black, but then found I got cleaner lines if I just used a stencil brush and did it by hand)

It was exactly what I had envisioned!

I painted 5 canvases

5 different colors

with the same stencil

then hung them above my TV.

Here's an up close of one:

 

And the whole group:

I think they go well with my green TV stand! :)

(Yes, that is a picture of my family on the TV screen, I didn't put it there on purpose, it's the home screen on my husband's PS3 that he had on)

 This is the way I bring color into my rented, white walls house!

Being in this room makes me happy!

Do you need to add some color to your home?

Linking to:
Lil'Luna
Thrifty Decor Chick 
Tatertots and Jello 
I Heart Naptime 
Home Stories A to Z 
More the Merrier Monday
Domestically Speaking

Curtains and Pillows

Because I decided to paint my TV stand a green apple color (here)

I felt I needed additional color to tie it in and balance it out :)

I chose some coordinating green and white fabrics and a bold colored print from JoAnns.

With the help of my mad-sewing skills mother,

I made some simple curtains to help tie the room together.

I also made some pillow covers.

I love throw pillows!  They add style and flair to the space and totally tie the room together.

And the best part is that they are EASY, CHEAP, and CHANGEABLE anytime!

I actually still need to make more, but here's a sampling:

I realized that this is the only picture I have of the space and it's not the greatest, 

but since I'm in Seattle for the summer, it will have to do for now! 

I LOVE color!

  (I don't so much love the love-sac in the corner though... -sigh-... someday we'll have a man cave/theater room we can stick it in)

Pharmacist Recommended

Once in a while you find a product that stands out against all other products.

I just have to share my new, favorite STAIN REMOVER!

Ready for it?

It's called the MAGIC WAND!

Yes, the name is very fitting because it does indeed work MAGIC!

You don't believe me?

Let me show you just one example:

This is the result of my daughter + ball point pen + couch cushion

I hope she'll never do it again...

each time she saw it she pointed and said, "no no"

maybe that means she learned her lesson? I don't know...

Anyway, I don't think I've mentioned that we are in corporate housing for the summer in Seattle while my husband is doing an internship.

It's not my couch.

I have to admit the thought crossed my mind to just turn the cushion over :)

But instead, it gave me a chance to try out the MAGIC WAND on pen...

Let me just say, the magic wand reminds me of a big fat glue stick

I applied a small amount to the cushion, wet a rag and started wiping.

It came right off!

I'm not even lying.

It took me about 37 seconds to clean the entire cushion spotless!

Here, see for yourself:

I swear this is the exact same cushion in the exact same spot.

There is no evidence of pen at all!

I got this primarily to use for laundry, but I think I will start carrying one with me in my purse for on the go stain treatment as well!

I have used this on food stains (set in) carpet stains and ring-around the collar

It works magic.

If you don't believe me, try it for yourself.

I am not being sponsored by or compensated in any way for recommending this product, I just like it.