Thrifty Thursday: Salvation Army Family Store

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Have I ever mentioned that there are quite a number of thrift stores in my town? Some are better than others and I of course have my favorites but since starting my Thrifty Thursday series I decided that I would revisit each and every thrift store in town, giving some of the ones at the bottom of my list another chance to impress me. This week I took a trip to the Salvation Army Family Store. This year they actually moved to a new larger location and honestly I think the new place has reinvigorated the store. It is still not my favorite thrift store, but I think it may have moved up in the ranks a few places.

So without further ado, let’s get on with Thrifty Thursday and all of my thrift finds.

Please excuse the blue tint on this photo, that is what happens when you take a picture from inside your car in an attempt to not look like a fool standing out in the parking lot taking pictures of signs, but forget the the top portion of your windshield is tinted.

The first item I spotted was this vintage recipe box. It had great colors and was in great condition and marked at only $1.99. You probably don’t know this about me, but I hate to cook! So I don’t really have any recipes and on the rare occasion that I am in the mood to cook something fancy I just look it up on the internets. So I didn’t buy this cute little guy, but now I am regretting that decision because as I type this I realize I could have used it as a storage box for anything not just recipes.

I also saw this old index card file which would also be great for recipes, especially in a kitchen with a more industrial look. It was marked at 5.99 which is also a really good price.

There was a large basket of these Sally Hanson Salon Effects nail stickers. You know I love nail polish, right? There were only 3 or 4 different kinds, most likely discontinues colors/patterns but t 1.99 it was a great deal so I came home with both the pink polk-a-dot one and the green plaid one. I haven’t tried them out yet, and have actually only tried nail stickers once in the past without success so I am hoping that these work out. If not it is an inexpensive way to practice.

They also had a very large selection of decorative and vintage plates. Remember in my last Thrifty Thursday post when I passed up the little bird plate at Wacosa Thriftworks and later regretted it because I would like to do a plate wall in my kitchen? Well I didn’t pass these two up! The filigree edges plate was $3.99 and the little starburst one was only $1.99 a good deal for both and so both came home with me for later use. I have officially started my plate collection!

Both of these items, the vintage box with a sailboat on it and the large black floor vase were great finds. I can see both of them making great additions in the right spaces. The large box, though I don’t know it’s original purpose, would make a cute storage box. It was in pretty rough condition and priced a little high at $19.99 but I have never seen another one like it before so that may be a good price for something like that? The black vase was a little high as well at $9.99 but it was pretty large.

My last find of the day was this adorable little shelf which I think would be super cute in a small bathroom, especially if spray painted white. It was only $1.99 and if I could have thought of a place to use it, you can bet it would have come home with me.

So there you have it, my recent finds and purchases for Thrifty Thursday. All in all I was impressed with the Salvation Army Family Store and their new location and bigger store. They really had a lot of great things to offer and I am sure that I will be back to look for new exciting finds.

Have you made a recent visit to any thrift stores? Are there an unusual amount of thrift stores in your town… seriously I think we may have 9 or 10 different thrift stores here. That seems like a lot for one town?

Chrissy

Something Borrowed, Something Blue

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Hello All! So last week I alluded to the fact that I had a huge photo project coming up. Well, last Thursday I was honored to photograph my sister’s wedding! No, this was not a full blow wedding with the bridesmaids, tuxes, and over the top cake…….well, there was some cake – come on it was a wedding! It was a simple elopement at the court house with a small reception after with close friends and family – it couldn’t have been more perfect and exactly what the bride and groom wanted.

So yes, this was my first “big deal” shoot though and although I have gotten more comfortable with my camera let me tell you I was nervous! I knew she didn’t expect much as I am by far still a newbie to photography, but none the less I wanted to knock her socks off. And you know what – I totally did! We had the idea of going downtown in the small town we live to take a few pictures in the allies between the old brick buildings. All I have to say is I. Love. These. and so does the bride!

So what did I have for gear you may ask – well I had my DSLR with the 18-55 kit lens, reflector, and close up filters (for detail shots, ie rings). The reflector came in handy more than I anticipated, especially in the ally, mainly to illuminate the face however it has many other uses which I plan to cover in an upcoming post.

Leading up to the date I did a lot of research and planning – especially in terms of posing. Every photographers dream is to have amazing photos just happen and be lucky enough to catch the image, but incase that didn’t happen I needed to be prepared. So I scanned Pinterest and filled my little head with ideas so that if that chemistry didn’t happen or I got caught up in my manual setting I would still be prepared and get at least one good image. But on this beautiful day I was lucky, the wedding was perfect and my photos followed suite. Here are a few sneak peeks – none of which went through Photoshop let.

PS: Wondering where that DIY Blackboard Prop is hiding, stay tuned and I will show you what I did with it!

Jen

Make Something Monday: Capiz Shell Art

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I moved into my new apartment last summer, the walls are all painted a very dark tan color, which is a million times better than the normally all white very sterile feeling that most apartments have. But this also meant that many of the items that I brought with my from my last place didn’t really match or work well in my new spaces. Well, one of the non-working items got replaced this weekend because I bought myself a new shower curtain, white with sequins on it, totally girly! But I can get away with it; that is the beauty of living alone! But a new shower curtain means that none of my old bathroom accessories match, so I created a new wall hanging out of a bunch of old materials I already owned and came up with this Capiz Shell Art.

I had this framed piece of fabric hanging in my bathroom already so I used the frame, along with an old capiz shell garland that I have had for years. It was actually an after Christmas clearance find as TJ Maxx like 3 or 4 years ago. And some simple burlap to create this new bathroom art.

The frame is from the Goodwill, it is actually a cartoon puppy collage framed print originally from Target, but I got it at the goodwill a few years back because for $3.99. So I had already disassembled the frame once before. Framed prints often have the back of the frame covered in that brown paper stuff, but you can just use a razor blade to cut along the inside back of the frame to expose the staples that hold the back of the frame in place. Once they are exposed it is easy to bend them up and disassemble the frame to use it for something other then what was in it when you bought it. Buying ugly framed prints at a thrift store is a great way to get a nice large frame and mat for a very low price.

So for this project I just disassembled the frame again and removed the fabric that was in it. Then I cut a piece of burlap about a 1/2inche smaller than the frame on all sides and taped it onto the mat.

Then I cut all of the capiz shells and other sea shells free of the garland. It was really just a bunch of shells strung together with a long piece of fishing line so it was east to cut them all free. I also cut the top tabs off of the round sea shell things. The metal edge on these is just foil so it was easy to get under the little round tab and cut them free.

Next I arranged all of the shells on my burlap, making sure that everything was nicely spaces before I hot glued them all in place.

The last step is just reassembling the frame and hanging it back on the wall. Simple and easy and completely free because I already owned all of the materials! Now I have some new art in my bathroom which is a far better match then the previous one. Oh and I should mention that I LOVE capiz shells, and have for years and years, long before they were all the rage and everyone was hanging capiz chandeliers in their house. But now I am super excited to attempt one of those faux capiz chandeliers for my bathroom!

What do you think? Have you been framing anything that was not originally intended to be put in a frame? Or maybe you have reused some items that you have had around the house to create something new and fun? Share your projects in the comments I would love to see what everyone has been up to!

Chrissy

May Fashion Favorites

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It is a new month and summer is well on its way, finally! If you are here in Minnesota with me then you know that earlier this month we were all convinced that summer was on strike and we were all going to be stuck in perpetual winter. But the snow is officially gone and the weather is warm, and it is time for some May fashion favorites. So I put together a list of things that I am loving, and wishing I could add to my wardrobe this month, and of course I want to share it with all of you.

  1. Jean jackets are making a serious comeback this season, they always sort of live on the outskirts of “in style” somewhere between cool and grandma bit this year I have seen them in several places. This white cropped jean jacket is a nice alternative to the traditional colored denim. I found this one at Old Navy and it is currently on sale for only $25 bucks.
  2. Cork wedges are really a summer staple, well maybe they are second to flip flops, but I already have a hundred pairs of flip flops! I love the fin bright color of these strappy sling back wedges and because they are from Payless they won’t set you back too much cash. I am holding out for BOGO of course.
  3. This OPI polish just recently made it onto my “to buy” nail polish list. Seriously, I have a list in the notes section of my phone of polishes I covet. This one is from OPI’s Euro Centrale Collection and it is called My Paprika is Hotter than Yours! Looks like a lovely bright coral color to me.
  4. This sand colored lace embellished tank top is from my favorite plus size clothing store, SimplyBe.com. Simply Be is European fashion so there are always tons of cute things that are harder to locate here. I love easy yet but together-ness of this tank.
  5. A girl can never have too many earrings, the bigger the better really. This year I have been all about big statement earrings and finding new fun colors like these greens ones from Target is always fun
  6. I am in love with this purse from ModCloth! It is called the Savoir Faire Share bag and at $88.94 it continues to stay on the wish list. It is a great color for summer and has really cute lace detailing down the front.
  7. This last item is just for fun, cell phone cases are accessories right? So the total count as fashion When I was looking around on Urban Outfitters, which is one of my most favorite stores, I found this funny iPhone case with all the reasons coffee is amazing on it. I love coffee and am a strong believer that a good quality cup of coffee can make any day better!

There you have it my May fashion picks. Just some of the items I have been in love with this month and wishing I could add to my wardrobe. Is there something you have been repeatedly adding to your online cart and then later removing because you just couldn’t justify it, hello Savoir Faire Share bag. Share your most recent summer fashions loves in the comments, I would love to see what you are loving this month.

Chrissy

Easy Peasy Blackboard Photo Prop

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Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezie! I back with an easy DIY blackboard photo prop project for you today. These cute little blackboard have been popping up in photos everywhere lately and I have been looking for one for a HUGE photo project I have coming up. Yes I know you are all dying to know what I have up my sleeve, but you will have to wait….patiently……while I burst over here with excitement!

Anyway back to business, I haven’t been able to find one that I am happy with so I decided to make my own of course. So off I headed to my local craft store to find a simple blackboard with a unfinished frame I could paint. Was it that easy? NO. I found the ”thing” below.

Ugh. A gray blackboard – yeah that isn’t right. So I ended up getting this and a small jar of blackboard paint and proceeded to paint two coats on the surface of the slate. After I let this dry for 24 hours I needed to prep the board, but we’ll get in to that later!

So during my 24 hour wait I painted the frame. I settled on this shade of robin egg blue, so gorgeous! It is kind of my jam lately, well that and Hot Coral – google it, it is a REAL color and is REAL awesome!

Once I finished and allowed the frame to dry – which was super fast after using acrylic craft paint – I decided it needed a little more. Luckily I had this Distress Ink on hand. Typically used for scrapbooking, it comes in handy more than you know! It is basically stain on a stamper pad that you can rub directly on your project to give it a distressed or antique look. I used it very lightly as well as wiped back over the areas with a paper towel to give it a very light distressed look.

And here is my finished product. After of course I prepped my blackboard surface by rubbing chalk all over it and then whipping it off. I have no idea why they suggest to do it, but must stay it was much easier to write on after I completed that step. I just love how it turned out and it is going to work just perfect for my upcoming project!

 

So let’s hear it – have you made any photo props? What trend have you been seeing lately that you love? What do you think my big project will be?

Jen

 

New Kid in Town

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There is a new kid in town, or rather, a new polish in my every growing nail polish collection… OPI You Don’t Know Jacques! If you remember this post where I shared with you my nail polish collection and current favorites as well shared the fact that I had been working on growing my collection after an episode of “I have been watching Horders all day and now I need to get rid of all of my things”. So I thought I would share with you one of my newest additions and why I love it.

OPI’s You Don’t Know Jacques! It is a nice stormy dark neutral brown color with gray undertones. Ideally it is a great color for fall, but I feel like I can rock it year around too. That and the color choices were limited where I got it. Let me explain. The beauty college here in town does, mostly sub-par, manicures for only twelve dollars. Why would I go there if the services are sub-par you ask? Well because you get to keep your polish! That is right, a twelve dollar manicure and you get to take home an eight dollar bottle of OPI polish with you. That is a great deal no matter how you are! Plus, sometimes you get lucky and get a really good student and end up with a great manicure.

That is why the color choices were limited when I got the last bottle of polish. They usually only have 5 to 10 colors to choose from. And of those I usually already own more than half of the colors. So, that limits the color choices for me. But it also forces me to take a risk and choose a color I maybe wouldn’t have normally picked out, like in this case.

There you have it my most recent nail polish purchase. Have you recently found a new color you are in love with? Or maybe found an adventurous way to get a new polish for your collection?

Chrissy

Make it Monday: Fancy-Smanchy Mod Podge Picture Frame

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Happy belated Mother’s Day to all you beautiful momma’s out there! I hope you all enjoyed your day as much as I did. Now I bet you all probably thought I forgot how to do projects! Frankly, it has been awhile with all the photo projects I have been doing lately, so I thought it would only be fitting if would make a fancy smanchy mod podged picture frame. Hold on to your hats friends, this is a super easy, super cute project sure to spruce up your home!

So this is what I started with. I found this mdf composite frame at my local craft store. What I love about it is the different levels on that frame that make a somewhat 3-d effect. It came with both a back “leg” to place on a table and also saw tooth hangers to hang on the wall if you choose. I love having options!

Next I broke out the craft paint and painted the edges and places that would show once I affixed the scrape book papers. Looking at it now makes me laugh, I pretty much painted the entire frame.

Then of course I broke out the coordinating scrapbook paper to figure what pattern I would use them in. I clearly wanted one to be more boyish and one to be more girly.

Once I got my pattern down I proceed to measure and cut. Measure twice and cut once – or in my case, eye it up and cut a few times till you get it right! No I kid, see I had my ruler out!

Once everything was laid out I went head and broke out the mod podge. Once lesson I continue to remind myself when using this product? Less is more. Remember this is not paper mache! I first put a thin layer directly on the frame, made sure my paper was affixed with no bubbles, wrinkels, or imprefections and then once done with the entire frame I added a glaze layer to give it a finished “sealed” look.

I then placed them in the warm sun to cure for a hour or so before loading my pictures in them and placing them on the wall. I can not tell you how happy I am with the way they turned out! And it was an easy enough project that Miss Addy could help me which she loved!

And not to brag, but look at that awesome Mother’s Day gift I snuck in this shot! Those kids sure have great taste (**wink, wink**).

So what fancy smanchy mod podge projects have you been up to lately?

Jen

 

Fab Finds: Milk Jug Tug Boats

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So you remember last Friday when I told you about my Fab Family Rules Find? Well, I was holding out on you all! On my kid-less weekend get away, in a shop literally called The General Store, I found an amazing toy line called Green Toys. Sidebar, why is it that as mom’s we (at least myself) always seem to shop for or find stuff for the kids, especially when they aren’t even with us? I mean my husband has never brought anything home for them when he goes away on his kid-less guy weekends. Haha, that is a whole can of rant for another post, back to the subject at hand. Green Toy’s entire line of plastic toys are made with milk jugs and are eco friendly right down to their packaging made with recycled paper. However that isn’t want initially drew me to pick up their product, it was the fun durable design. I ended up wanting a number of their products for my kids, but settled on this cute little Tug Boat.

green-toys-yellow-tugboat-detail

With summer coming up it was the perfect choice for the pool, beach, tub, or just playing around in general. My 9 month old loves it because of the handle and loves, loves, loves to beat it on just about everything, including his sister. But you know what – it hasn’t shown a bit a wear, this milk jug tug boat is amazing! But don’t get me wrong this toy is not only for babies, my 3 going on 8 year old loves it too! Much more for the pouring feature as you are able to fill it with water and do as you please. Yes, this tug has been here and there, in the tub and out of the tub since we got it just a few short weeks ago. Next on the list might be the dump trucks as they would be nice in the sand box or at the beach…..

Have you found any eco friendly products lately that you are crazy about? Kid or adult products welcome!

Disclaimer: I was not spiffed or compensated in anyway for this post. Simply put this a fab find!

Jen

Thrifty Thursday: There’s a New Thrift Store in Town

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There is a new thrift store in town, and I have been impatiently awaiting its grand opening!! WACOSA Thriftworks opened on May 4th and if I hadn’t had an out of town wedding to attend that day you best believe that I would have been first in line at 8am to enjoy all the new thrifty goodness! You know I love thrift stores right? But Sunday morning my sister and I sat in the parking lot as the seconds ticked down to 11am so that we could be the first people in the store when the doors unlocked. Ok, so maybe we are a little crazy about thrifing, but we just love a good deal!

 

WACOSA is a non-profit that helps individuals with disabilities receive training and support that leads to rewarding employment. You can visit their website and learn all about them here. They have been a part of my community for many years and their new thrift store gives me an opportunity to support a great company with a great cause. And of course the opportunity to share more of my thrifting adventures with you. So let us dive in and see all the things I found at WACOSA Thriftworks.

The first thing that I spotted when I walked in was this beautiful handcrafted, hand glazed serving bowl. It was a good size and priced at only $4.99 it was really a steal! I really do not need another bowl, I have tons I already don’t get any use out of so I didn’t bring it home with me, but I have been regretting that decision all week so I may have to go back and get it. If it is still there that is.

I also found this cute little plate with little tiny birds painted along one edge. I think that it would be a really cute addition to a plate wall. I have been pinning hanging plate arrangements like a crazy person on Pinterest for the past several days and am now also very sad that I left this guy behind as well. At the time I just didn’t think that I had a use for him. It was marked at 50 cents people and I walked away without it. I was apparently practicing my restraint that day!

I think that this green vase with faux Gruber Daisies in it would make a super cute addition to a little patio furniture set It is perfect for summer with its bright colors. They were asking $3,99 for it which is a more then fair price, these things sell for more than triple that at the craft store and thins one was in perfect condition!

This Burts Bees gift set was also marked at $3.99, unopened with several full size products inside. We all know that Burts Bees can be on the spendy side so this was a great deal. I however am not a huge fan of Burts Bees so I left it behind. But my sister thought I was crazy for passing it up and she snatched it up in a second and brought it home with her.

There were two of these flocked damask patterned candle holders available. They don’t match any of my decore but in the right room they would be really pretty, especially when a lit candle illuminates that pattern. They were $2.99 each, a little higher then I would have expected, but they were in great condition.

The last item I found, and the one I actually brought home with me was this gold purse. It is by designer Kathy Van Zeland and I scored it for only $5.99 which is a really great deal. It just needed a little cleaning up and it was perfect. It is leather with flecks of gold; almost glitter in it with a solid gold leather strip down the center. And of course some cute silver studs and hardware. I have been looking for a new purse for months and you can’t beat a deal like this!

There you have it my latest thrift store adventure. I have to say that this new thrift store may be my new favorite, dare I say almost better than the goodwill? The prices are much lower and there was a better variety of unique item. Though the store is much smaller it is still one the best I have visited in a long while. Have you been visiting any thrift stores lately? Share your spoils in the comments; I want to know what you have scores and what you are sad you walked away from

Chrissy