Cheese Grater = Earring Holder

Well, I'm headed out to dominate some thrift store shopping again but first I wanted to share a little sumthin' I picked up from a consignment store a couple weeks ago. I saw this old cheese grater, for a whole $2.25, and had an idea....

This has got to be the most inexpensive "jewelry holder" I've ever had.

 My first thought was, "that was so ridiculously easy! and it's so cute!" My second thought was, "is that really ALL the earrings I own?" Looks like I know what to look for while out thrift store shopping....

Have a fantastic Monday!

 

Today's Verse for Monday, November 28, 2011

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.

—Philippians 2:14-15 (NIV)

http://www.thethriftyhome.com/

I've been Featured!

I normally don't like to blog on Sunday's, but this is some exciting news for me! Rustic Living has been featured at It's So Very, Cheri ! This is my first feature. My DIY Picture Frame and Antique Dresser made her Saturday Showcase. Check it out and thanks so much for the support!

 

Today's Verse for Sunday, November 27, 2011
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15:4 (NIV)

Turkey Overload

I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving! As I type this my husband and I are scarfing down some turkey day leftovers. Ah comfort food. Here are some scenes from our wonderful holiday...

 My father-in-laws rolls are un-buh-lievable.

My hubby received the turkey carving honors. Go Michael Ray!

A few of us needed a nap after a full day of festivities.

Thanksgiving Day was a success to say the least. I picked up some furniture projects over the holiday and am looking forward to getting these hands covered in paint! I also have a new idea for this blog I'm going to introduce this next week, and boy am I excited! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

 

Today's Verse for Saturday, November 26, 2011  

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 

—Psalm 34:18 (NIV)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Since I will be taking a break from blogging the next few days I want to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving! I hope it's filled with crazy delicious food, belly-deep laughter, gratefulness, and loved ones that warm your heart every single day.

  I'm so grateful for all the blessings in my life. This especially means my hubby and our puppies...

~Michael and Banjo snuggling in the warm sun~

Happy Turkey Day!

They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
Psalm 145:7 (NIV)

Love for Link Parties

Since it is Thanksgiving week, I'll tell you what I'm grateful for in the ever-growing world wide web of BLOGS.

Link Parties.

I'm so grateful for the abundance of fabulous bloggers that host a smashin' party for all the crazy talented folks out there. Some of you veteran bloggers out there are probably thinking, "she's just NOW discovering link parties?"

yes. yes i am. and why didn't YOU tell me about them sooner!?

Whether it be painting, cooking, creating, sewing, building, scrapbooking, whatever awesome skill you've got-ing, Link Parties give you the opportunity to share it with the world. Yeah, awesome. For example, I spent the morning sharing this picture frame I created out of an old door.....

I also spent what turned into hours checking out other people's creative projects! So I've compiled a list of parties I've discovered so you can start, or continue, sharing your treasures. You can find it here or click the "Link Parties" tab I've created up above.

Have a great Tuesday!

But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:31

Beautify Any Room

Happy Monday!

I'm so excited to share that I'm so close to hitting 10,000 page views for my Rustic Living blog! WOW.

With Thanksgiving this Thursday this couldn't be a more perfect time to say THANK YOU for you're all your support! Painting, decorating, and creating brings me so much joy and I'm so grateful that people actually like what I do, it makes my "job" that much more fun! It's gonna be crazy this week (I'm sure it is for everyone!) so my blog posts will be pretty simple. I'm having a hard time finding motivation to paint a new project when all I can think about is cooking and eating all that scrumptious food with family and friends! So for today, I want to share what NEVER fails to beautify a room....

Starting with fresh flowers. Well, they kind of speak for themselves. Always beautiful. Always classic and feminine. I like to get the 3 bunches for $10 at Albertsons or Fred Meyers.

 Pillows and blankets. They always add warmth and texture to a room. I love finding pillows at thrift stores to mix and match.

Candles! Everyone loves to gather where there are candles lit, they are always so inviting : ) I got these pictures from Pinterest, I love how you can always get creative with different ways to use candles.

 

I'm always putting candles in mason jars, simply beautiful... 

What do you always love to decorate with?

Yay For Friday!

Aaahhh Friday, how I love your sweet presence! The hubby and I both work Monday-Friday, so we embrace the feeling of relaxation setting in for two full days. Even with a wet forecast in store,  we're looking forward to a weekend that usually includes pizza, football, and snuggling puppies : )

Before we start our celebration, I want to share some thrift store finds and a magazine rack that I picked up from a garage sale a few weeks ago. Once again, the color was just a bit much! I don't usually decorate with bold colors so the task was to tone this cutie down...

Much better! This magazine rack has enough character without the crazy green color, so I went for something neutral. I used spray paint in the color "Boulder" with a satin finish. Notice the adorable wheels?!

Speaking of magazines, here is what I picked up from the Idaho Youth Ranch today. Why pay $3-$5 when you can pick them up for just .25 cents at thrift stores! I can always find Martha Stewart, Better Homes and Garden, Woman's Day, Cooking Light, etc. I also got some CUTE flannel fabric (I'm gonna use this for xmas presents) and a really cool half-bottle thingy (not sure what to call it) to hold cookies and other sweets! Total for all this was $9.54

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend!

Paintin' Pals

Let me introduce you to my paintin' pal...there isn't one project I've done since the beginning of my Rustic Living business that she hasn't been right by my side. My golden retriever Whiskey isn't just there for moral support, I swear she's got the skills of an interior designer. 

I know you're laughing right now. So am I.

Whiskey not only watches every paint stroke, every swipe of wood stain, every knob replacement...she sits by my side for hours until every project is complete and gives her puppy stamp of approval with a swish of her tail and rests her paw on my knee as if to say, "yup, she looks great mom...I really like the Dark Walnut wood stain you used and your sanding skills are improving!"

Call me crazy, but I love having her as my paintin' pal : )

Here's one of my favorite dog quotes:

"I think we are drawn to dogs because they are the uninhibited creatures we might be if we weren't certain we knew better."
- George Bird Evans

Mrs. and Mrs Choate's Bedroom

I'm feeling pretty accomplished this last week for not only finishing our guest bedroom but also the master bedroom (if you can even call it a master, its maybe a few extra square feet)! I grew up loving "Tuscany" colors...lots of deep reds, golds, olive greens...but I've gotten bored with it and have wanted something more rustic that feels cool and calm. I've never really liked decorating with blues, and now I can't get enough of it! So after purchasing a beautiful turquoise quilt from Target (on clearance of course!) for our bed, I started collecting other things from thrift stores, auctions, consignment stores that would complete the room...

My favorite purchase? Definitely these old barn doors I picked up from a antique store for $45. As soon as I saw them I thought....yep, that's our new headboard. I picked up some letters from Hobby Lobby for our names and spray painted them white.

I got the chandelier from an online auction. I'll have to get a better picture of that later

Whiskey snuck onto the bed during my photo session, too cute to move her ; )

 Our bed is ridiculously high, like "Paul Bunyan slept here" high....so I was having a hard time finding nightstands that were tall enough for each side of the bed. I saw these antique folding chairs at a consignment store in Boise. *lightbulb!* With help from the hubby, we nailed them to wall to create the most perfectly rustic nightstands.

LOVE IT

 Once again, I had hideous sliding closet doors to do away with. I sewed these paisley drapes to make the closet more chic.

I loved the window treatment I did in the guest bedroom and it was so so easy. Why not do it again?

Love this blue chair I picked up from an auction for $30...it goes perfectly in our room : ) The pillow came from the Goodwill for $1

This is still one of my favorite pieces I've done : ) You can read about that project here.

I got this old window frame also from an auction for .50 cents! Just added a couple things that pull the look together...

Have a great Tuesday!

Antique Dresser

Completed a paint project over the weekend, and boy do I love it! My mom got this oh-so-cute antique dresser from an auction. I loved the hardware and the color wasn't terrible, but I wanted to tone it down a bit. 

 I wasn't too sure the color I wanted to paint the dresser, so when I get "painters block", I let the hardware decide for me...so off I went to Hobby Lobby. Out of dozens and dozens of knobs, these are the ones that grabbed my attention. Seriously, how cute! I love the crackle blue/grey look. I also knew I had paint at home that was almost exactly this color, so I saved money there. WIN WIN

Time to get started! Here are my tools for this project...

  After sanding everything and using some tack cloth, I painted the entire piece. Then I finished up with a wood stain and added my adorable new knobs!

 DONE!

I love how it looks under my DIY photo frame, but I'm not going to get attached because this dresser is for sale (find it in the Rustic Store for more info)!

 I kept the metal plates from the old knobs, they matched the new ones perfectly and it adds WAY more charm to the whole piece.

I really enjoyed transforming this dresser : ) If your interested in bringing this into your home, check out my Rustic Store for more information!