Christmas Crafts and the Time of Giving

I was able to work on four major Christmas crafts over the past couple of weeks. I would have loved to accomplished more, but had way too much on my plate this year.

I mentioned the Hanging Christmas tree in my last post. It was the first of the four crafts I was able to finish.

Next I decided to work on a picture frame I picked up at a yard sale. After a little cleaning, paint, ornaments, and a bow she was all ready to hang on someone's wall.
 

I moved on to wine...wine bottles that is lol. I had collected several from friends a few years ago with the intent to make something or another, but never got around to them. So I stumbled upon the idea of snowmen, and went to work. I love spray paint it can transform anything into something else.

 

Running out of time, I decided to put an ornament wreath together. I loved the ornament tree on the pallet board, so I decided to do the same for the wreath. These were my favorite to make, so my plan is to do several more before next Christmas.

 

Once all the crafts were complete (at the last minute I should say...Christmas Eve). I had decided from the beginning I would give these crafts to very special people in my life, so the recipients were my own family. Smiles make all gifts worth while. It is better to give than receive, and the feeling it gives you is heartwarming.

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas, and I wish you all the best in the coming New Year!

Kelli

Long Time No Boggin'

It's been forever since we have posted on the blog, but its been a busy end of summer and start of fall. The best thing that happened....I went on vacation!!!!

 



It was a great trip to the sunshine state! I have loved Florida since I was a kid. I used to carry the directions of how to get to Daytona Beach in my wallet because there was no such thing as the internet, GPS, cell phones or Apps. This way if I ever decided to run away or when I turned 18 and decided to move, I'd be prepared. In my Senior book I wrote that in 10 years I would be living in a beachfront condo in Daytona Beach, working as a travel agent, unmarried, and driving a 1979 (I did not graduate in '79 just liked that year's model) midnight blue Corvette Stingray. HAHAHA!!!!!

By the time I was 28, I was married living across the street from were I grew up and had a 6 year old son. Funny how life works out just the way we planned. LOL

Anyway, on this vacation I had told my husband I wanted to go pickin', so we hit flea markets on the way down I95 to Florida and on the way back. We also stopped in several shops in Daytona and surrounding little towns to see if we could find anything unique.

The haul wasn't huge, but the finds were fabulous.

We first found the flip-top table in a little shop in Daytona. The shop owner had just gotten it in, and didn't have any history on it, nor did he know what the inlay was made of. I'm still trying to some research to see if I can find out exactly what it is, but it is a beautiful piece.

 

 

We then found this awesome antique smoking table at a wonderful cluster of shops in Holly Hills. I had never seen anything like it in my neck of the woods. See how it has the drawer on the side with the ash tray and cigar holders with a kerosene lighter, then the humidor on the front. Whether you smoke cigars or not the piece is just fascinating to me, and would make a beautiful side table in your living room or bedroom.

 

 

We stopped at this huge shop on the river in Daytona that was packed full of antiques and repurposed items. It was a paradise. I noticed this corner chair just sitting along a wall, but it had no tag or info on it. The seat was not attached and was obviously upholstered over, but it was something I had not seen before at all. I was intrigued...then this little old lady spoke up and asked if I was interested in her chair. I said yes that it was cute. I didn't want to sound to eager and her throw out a HUGE price that I couldn't afford, but instead she said she was the owner's mother and offered me the chair for a decent price. I was hesitate because though I thought it was a unique piece, I was unsure if the price she was asking was really the deal she made it out to be. I decided to think about it, research it, and if it was meant to be I'd be back on Friday and pick it up. So.......I went back Friday and sure enough there was the chair this time tagged with the price she had quoted me. I snagged it up and brought it home with me!

 

 

On the way home we stopped by the St. Augustine Flea Market. Loved this place. It had such a variety of stuff to look through, but unfortunately I didn't score anything. My husband however found this great old fishing pole. His intentions were to use the guides off the pole on an antique rod/pool cue he is fixing up for his brother, but after being stopped by a man at the flea who informed him it looked like a valuable antique rod that he got a super deal on.....he is thinking he's going to keep it for himself and find something else for his brother.

 

 

Now lastly on our pickin' excursion my husband and I had stopped at a flea market in Jacksonville on our way down, and had seen a small telephone table and chair. It was a corner table, something we had not seen before. We couldn't make up our minds on whether it was worth picking up, so we left without it. Then as the week went by and we were out pickin' my husband kept bringing up that telephone table, and how he thought we should have gotten it. So on the way home we stopped again at the flea market and picked up the table. The gentleman selling it was the only antique dealer at this flea market. This was one of those knockoff fleas meaning there were lots of purse dealers, sunglasses, cellphone cases, socks, sheets, just all the stuff I am not really interested in finding at a flea market. I figured this is why the little table was going unnoticed. Everyone coming to this flea market had a cell phone and no idea what a telephone table would ever be used for.

 

 

So now we are back with our little haul, and eager to get started on the next phase of Homespun and Redone. New and exciting things coming next week! I can't wait to share with you!!!! I am SOOOO EXCITED!!!!

 

 

Kelli

Another Happy Princess

At the recent "Princess" birthday party, a friend of my cousin's asked if I would be willing to make her little princess a dress up station for her birthday. She needed it by the end of August, so that didn't leave much time. However, nothing makes me happier than seeing those little smiling faces when they are playing with their new present, so I was more than happy to do it for her.

I came across this one time entertainment center at one of my local thrift stores, so I took it home and got started right away.

First came the sanding, and then the priming. I don't care what anyone says. The actual paint goes on much better if you just take the time to lightly sand and prime your piece. I know people hate doing it, I don't think its all that fun, but if you want your piece to look like it should....take the time.

Next came the paint. I had the Mom go online to Lowe's website and pick a color from the Valspar color selector. That way I was sure to get exactly what she wanted for her little princess. Once the paint dried, it was time to decorate.

The little princess likes butterflies, I was told, so we went with that theme. I love the "BeYOU*itful" sign. Every little girl needs to know that being yourself is the most beautiful person in the world. Finally came delivery day, and smiles all around. So happy to see another satisfied princess!

Kelli













Desk Redo and visits from Arendelle

Another birthday under my belt...

The little princess turned 4 years old this year, and my husband and I had decided she needed a desk to get her ready for school. We found this old school desk at a local antique shop. It was exactly what I was looking for cause I have been dying to try chalkboard paint.

It had a few cracks and scratches, but we only wanted to fix issues the might hamper the use of the desk. Keeping most of those cracks and scratches is what gives the piece character.

Next I sanded both the chair and the desk and started painting the chair.

It took several coats of paint to cover the chair, but that is my fault as I failed to prime the chair first. The more I refurbish furniture, the more I realize that if I just take a moment to prime a piece with spray primer the actual paint goes on much easier and takes a lot less time to cover.

I did not make that mistake with the desk. I took 5 minutes to spray prime the desk the was able to paint the desk much quicker than the chair with only 2 coats....the chair took 4 coats plus touch ups.

After all the pink paint, I got the top painted with the chalkboard paint and got the desk put all back together. My husband felt all the pink needed something, so we added a few decals along with the name on the back of the chair.

 

Finally finished and off to the "Princess" birthday party. There were little princesses everywhere, and even a visit from Queen Elsa and Princess Anna.

 

 Kelli

 

Easy Picture Frame Redos

Ever noticed when you go to a yard sale or browse through a thrift store the number of old pictures and picture frames people have decided to get rid of? Maybe the picture in the frame no longer matches their interior, or they just decided they don't have room for that picture anymore. Well, I have found that every picture frame has a purpose and can be repurposed into many things. I recently picked up several old picture frames, and hope to show you several ways that you can redo those pictures before you just though them out.

Picture Frame Haul....

And More....

The first project I decided to do is super easy that anyone with a computer or a quick stop by your local craft store can do. I decided to work with this little frame first. The lady I bought it from at the flea market said the picture inside came free with the frame. LOL

 

 

Seems all picture frames are either brown or black, but I can easily change that with some spray paint in one of my favorite colors.

 

 

After a couple coats, and cleaning the glass she was ready for something special.

 

Thanks to my trusting computer, I decided to print up a little saying that I know to be fact. I love my family!

 

 

Only thing about taking a picture of a picture is it never shows the details as they really are, and there is always a glare or a shadow or your reflection. It was such a beautiful day outside, so I decided you could best see this picture off of my back deck.

Stay tuned for more great picture frame projects!!!

 

 

Kelli