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Monday, April 30, 2012

collectible

One thing that always makes my heart skip a beat is collections of beautiful vintage dishes.

Vintage Pyrex containers

Vintage pyrex.

Vintage dishes hwilkes

colorful vintage dishes

vintage pyrex.

I have a few favorite patterns that I like to collect myself, but everything else I find seems
to find a treasured new home after going up in the shop.
Check out some of my pretty finds from the weekend:

Do you collect anything for your kitchen?

Friday, April 27, 2012

Thursday, April 26, 2012

this & this

Pick up some pretties from the shop like this
SALE - Set of 6 Vintage Scalloped Plates - Mustard Yellow Design
Set of 6 scalloped plates $11 on sale

SALE - Set of 2 Vintage Pyrex Tea Cups - Citron Stripe
Set of 2 citron striped Pyrex tea cups $4 on sale

or this
Set of 6 Vintage Home Sweet Home Mugs
Set of 6 vintage home sweet home mugs $22

and consider displaying them in some open storage like this!
storage

Remember, public honeysuckle followers always get a discount!
And locals can always message me about free shipping through local pickup.

Friday, April 20, 2012

room redo's: staying under budget

Yesterday I shared our office/craft room makeover. One of the things that intrigues people the most is how I am able to do this kind of stuff with such a little budget.
So here are my little nuggets of thrifty design knowledge to impart on all of you.

Give old pieces new life.
Ideally, I would have loved to give this guy the boot and get something more like those white modular systems you see at Michael's, but that would come with a hefty price tag. So I opted to recover this piece for a grand total of $0. And now, I love it.

I got this hand me down printer cart at the same time that I got the paper storage from my parents - it was the same brown particle board. Particle board is not easy to spray paint, it took like 5 coats, but where there's a will, there's a way. (I had already painted this last year.)

Get resourceful.
I needed some sort of easy access storage for project pieces that I sometimes need but other times just want to shove out of the way. Instead of going out to the store to purchase a bin or basket, I just wrapped a regular old cardboard box. 

I can tuck away project pieces without it being an eye sore in the room.

When you need pen/pencil/marker/scissor storage, look no further than your pantry. These pen holders are just aluminum soup cans wrapped in my favorite scrapbook paper. 

Save old pasta sauce jars and spray paint the lids - more economical storage. 

Take advantage of yard sales.
This chair cost me $3. Enough said.

Shop within your own house.
When you're in need of something, look around your house and see what you already own that you can take advantage of. You might find a stool that fits perfectly in a little nook.

Or some random frames you can use.

Or some friends to keep you company.

Shop at thrift stores.
You might have to go often or be a little more diligent, but the reward is usually great.
I got this metal storage cabinet for $10.

A perfect home for all my fabrics.

Got this filing cabinet at the same time - also $10.

These individual file drawers are the perfect card storage solution. $5

A huge bolt of vintage floral shop paper that I use to wrap up etsy sales. $10.

Make do with what you've got.
The cork board that is under that fabric has seen way better days - it's missing chunks and has about one million holes, but it still gets the job done. And hey, it's hidden.


Maximize your dollar.
I toyed with several different ideas for organization, but found that I could get a large piece of peg board for only $8 and it stores the most stuff.

Be unconventional.
An old drawer and a cheese box as storage? Yes.



And that's how it's done, folks. Our grand total was just under $100 and includes all the wood and supplies to build the L-desk and all the additional storage pieces purchased.

Have any budget friendly tips of your own? Do tell.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

office/craft room makeover

I am so excited that we have one room down in our craft room turned guest room/guest room turned baby room/craft room & office combo switch-up. phew.

Without further ado, I present to you the new office/craft room combo:



Let's take a closer look, shall we?
This is the office side.

This is where I sit to work on my computer, write letters, and work on etsy. I have access to stationary and letter writing stuff, etsy files and tags, and can sit back and admire some of my favorite pieces of art, and most appropriately, my 'I love you blogs & coffee' print by MadeByGirl.

This corner is where the office and craft spaces collide. 
On the right are office-y things like business cards, a stapler, pens and pencils, and sticky notes but it gradually turns into envelopes, ribbon, markers and washi tape.



You already met this guy and saw how he got a makeover to fit in with the room, but here he is in all his organization glory.


This is the side where I sit to work on sewing, make craft projects, and hot glue things.


In this corner is my tool station.

Peg board may be my new favorite organization piece.


And of course, there is the necessary organizational pieces that sit under the L-desk.
Fabric and project storage.

Files and sewing machine.

Printer and paper storage.

And then behind door #1 we have all the items neatly stored for my etsy shop.

And the thing that makes it all possible...
my fabulous vintage chair that lets me slide easily all over the room.


Accomplished, that's what I feel. One room down, two to go.

Shared at: Not Just A Housewife, Blackberry Vine