My most recent thrift score is this lovely Dansk Kobenstyle Vintage Enamelware Pot in red.
I paid $4 for this little beauty. While it’s in poor condition to use for cooking, it’s perfect for
display and even to use for storage of some sort. I seem to always have lots of small items
floating around that could use a pretty little home like this.

Does you have any tips for cleaning up the inside of the pot? Is there some way to
restore it?

If you’d like more information on this style of vintage enamelware, check out this post over
at The Kitchn.

Tomorrow is Foodie Friday and it’s going to be a good one!

Yesterday, our local thrift shop had a 50% off sale on EVERYTHING. I snagged this pot for about 80 cents. I have a fondness for these colored pots. Currently, I’m using one as a hanging planter seen here. Typically, you’ll find them in bad condition for cooking, but they make wonderful holders and containers for other things! And, I don’t mind the “worn” look at all. It adds a bit of character.

Here, I’ve taken an item otherwise destined for doom and repurposed it into a lovely fruit bowl for our kitchen. Simply remove the handle, and give it a good scrub in hot soapy water. Rocket science? No. Instant cheer added to kitchen? Yes! Who says you can’t buy anything for a buck these days?

Tune in tomorrow for Where We Live Wednesday!

A while back Dustin bought me this lovely hanging plant. I didn’t realize in the hurry to hang it in it’s new home that there was nothing to catch the water. That is, until I watered it the first time and it came pouring out of the bottom! It was a pretty funny moment, trying desperately to catch all the water with cupped hands.

Since then I’ve wanted to find a cute container so I could hang it up again. I never see anything I like, nor do I want to spend any money! Today, I came across this small vintage pot that I’ve been wanting to convert into a planter anyway. It was a whopping $1.91 at my local thrift shop, and the wooden handle simply unscrews. This little plant fit perfectly in the vintage pot! Next, how do I hang it?

A couple days ago I came across Megan’s new book Generation T: Beyond Fashion, and there was a project like this. I have no idea how it was made according to her idea, but I decided to try something similar! I am really pleased with how it turned out. And, I love the little extra bits hanging around the top, it makes me happy.

Hope you enjoy the photos. I guess I went a little crazy! If you want to see more, click here.

I am a sucker for a lovely, useful vessel. Whether it be glass, metal or any other material, I have a very hard time refusing it. And, around $1-$2  a pop (some as low as .69 cents!), I certainly can’t turn that kind of a deal down! I splurged a little on the white tea tin I found on Etsy ($6). But, it was totally worth it!

I’ve decided to share some of my favorite pieces that I’ve accumulated over the last 6-8 months or so. I find these jars and tins so useful around the kitchen as well as the rest of the home. The glass flip top jars are perfect for food storage. I like to keep my nuts, seeds, snacks, dog treat, and baking items in them. Everything looks much prettier in a glass jar! These metal tins I typically use to contain my numerous teas. However, I have also been know to empty a few containers out and use them at a Craft Show as seen in this post.

The possibilities are endless. Enjoy!

Have I ever mentioned I might have a bag obsession? It’s been going on since childhood. I’m sure I’m not the only one. Anyway, I wanted to share a few recent finds.

Dustin took me thrifting on my birthday a couple weeks ago and I scored this fabulous American Tourister Weekender Bag for a whopping $3.99! I just love Greta (that’s the bag) in all of her avocado green glory. Greta is in great condition with a minor stain on the inside lining. However, it seems to be something I can easily clean up. Now, I need an excuse to take Greta somewhere fabulous!

Another travel suitcase I found back in April. Unfortunately, I do not recall how much it was, although, I’m sure it was under $5. This is the exact same avocado green as the Weekender Bag above. I love this small suitcase. It’s in pristine condition, and my favorite part is the inside. Makes me want to sit in front of it and get ready for a night out! I love the little mirror and the stitching detail. And yes, I should have cleaned off the mirror BEFORE shooting pictures. Not sure what her name should be. Suggestions?

Now I must take a quick pool break before finishing up my work for the day! Enjoy your Tuesday. Can’t believe it’s almost Independence Day already. Any fun plans?

I love this shirt refashion! It’s taken me about a year to photograph this and share it… Slacker. I know. Well, I am sharing now, right?! Right. So, both of these shirts were from The Salvation Army in Honolulu (when we lived there). I loved this red t-shirt simply for the geta sandals (close-up image below) on the front! However, it was a little snug for my taste. I believe I saw this project in one of my t-shirt project books, Tease, I believe it was. Well, it’s simple, obviously. Slice up the middle, add in the buttons and collar from another thrifted shirt and…Voila! New fun super comfy shirt! I especially like the rough, unfinished edges that I left on the white shirt, and the red thread is also pretty fun. I love collared shirts, but this one has the yummy comfiness of a t-shirt! Can it get any better? Oh yeah, and my husband has requested one!! Can’t wait to make his and share that too!

The past couple of weeks my favorite thrift store has been very good to me. Take a look at some of the steals we snagged. Some of these we will be revamping, just not sure how yet. Any ideas? 

Chair on the left is the new addition. Only $7! And surprisingly comfortable!
*side note: Dustin snagged chair on right for $4 back in August. 
Oh, and the ashtray was $6 purchased a few months back.
 

I love this piece. It needs some TLC but I’m loving the look of this old nightstand.
I already replaced the bent up drawer pull with one I had lying around from IKEA.
Not sure if I want to paint it white or maybe try to clean up the existing finish.

Bonsai liked it too!!

We’ve been needing a file cabinet for quite some time.
When we came across this one, we knew it was the one… and for $7.50!
Who could resist?
 

Dustin spotted this piece, and I fell in love with this old kitchen cart
complete with a dish towel bar in the back.
Downside, you can’t tell from the photo,but the DIY spray paint job is horrendous.
Again, do I paint it white, maybe red or even a retro 50’s teal? Thoughts?
This piece we “splurged” on a bit. Can’t recall the exact price, but it was about $20.
 

This lamp I loved when I saw it, with the exception of the gold base
which I may end up doing something about.
Any thoughts? Suggestions on dealing with the gold metal base? 
It also came without a shade… well, we chose to take it without the shade. 
For now, an IKEA shade that I had lying around will suffice. How much? $11. 

What’s on my mind now? How can I get paid to shop at thrift stores for the rest of my life? I just adore it. What’s your view on thrifting? Love it or hate it?
 

Our local thrift shop every thursday gives 25% off your entire purchase. Last Thursday I talked Dustin into taking me over there. You see, he knows me too well. I can ALWAYS find some hidden treasure, so it’s best sometimes to just not go at all. Anyway, we scored some great stuff on that trip. When I saw these avocado bowls complete with the plastic lids my heart skipped a beat! But, ouch, $24.99! That’s a little steep for my frugal ways. Thank you Jesus, it was 25% off day!! Got these bowls for around $18.

Where’s the catch? Well, I opened a couple of these lids and (wow!) I could smell the years and years of food storage in them. After a run in the dishwasher they still stunk! So, next step…. white vinegar! My weapon of choice. I simply plugged the sink and soaked the lids in the vinegar overnight. Now they don’t smell at all! 
 

And when I got home, noticed they matched pretty perfectly with these goodies I’d picked up the week before. The fondue pot, fondue sticks and pot all came in around $5! Unfortunately, the small pot’s handle won’t stay on anymore. Also, the inside is pretty worn and will not stay clean. Might turn it into a plant pot since it matches my kitchen/dining! Will share results.

Happy Wednesday!

Dustin bought this Tom Clancy book a few weeks ago from our local thrift shop for about $3. He bought it for the purpose of making a secret Book Safe. Last night, he finally started it, but I might have taken over after he was about halfway through. I was not trying to do it for him, but simply offered to help. Either way, it was definitely a joint effort! We are both really pleased overall with the outcome.

This was a very easy project, just took a little muscle to get through the pages with my Xacto knife. We also went through a couple blades. The sharper the blades, the easier it was to get through the pages. The corners are a bit of a nuisance. Hard to get them really clean. However, the roughness just gives it that handmade quality we all love, right?

Can you tell from the above photo that the watered down Mod Podge bled onto the top red page on the outer edges? I may go over that page with the Mod Podge to just finish it off. I think it would look nicer this way. The opening is pretty deep. Could it hold your secrets? 

I think I prefer the book safe to be displayed like this,
with the pages facing out towards you as you walk into our kitchen/dining area. 
 

This project was a lot of fun, but it sure was messy! Nothing that wasn’t easily cleaned up. 
 

If you’d like to try this project, Bre Pettis has a great video tutorial here.

So, I’ve been majorly lusting after this Philosophy Jump Starters Kit for a while. I’m 26 now, which I know is still young, however I am starting to see that it’s time to put more effort into my skin care in a preventative sense. The wrinkles are starting to appear, and if I can postpone it a while that would be really nice. But at the same time, if I try it, I might love it so much that I’ll want to keep using it. What’s the problem with that? It’s a bit out of our budget. Hm, maybe I’ll stick to the thrifting for now, what with the state of the economy and all. Speaking of thrifting, check out these goodies I picked up last week. 
 

I’ve been wanting a fondue pot for a while, and Dustin bought me a new one for Christmas. It’s nice, it’s new, it was very thoughtful of him. However, this one I found for a whopping $2 has a lot more character than the brand new one from Christmas. I don’t normally go for brown, but I couldn’t resist this little guy. Dustin is insisting I keep both so we can use one for chocolate and one for cheese at the same time. We’ll see, I could get a lot of little gadgets for $20 at Bed Bath & Beyond if I return it. 
 

And, oh, how great is this fabric?! I adore it. Not sure what I’ll make from it. Looks like a child’s duvet cover, so there is a decent amount of fabric there to use. It was about $3, maybe $4. How sweet are those purple trees? VERY!

Hope the weekend was as lovely for you as it was for me. The 60some degree weather was certainly a nice change!