Showing posts with label Thrifting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thrifting. Show all posts

Friday, March 25, 2011

Upstairs Renovation: Kids rooms & Playroom

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I always enjoy seeing other people’s remodeling projects, and I thought you might like to see our latest completion. Remember this trip when we left the project in full swing? Well, we actually finished the renovation just after Christmas. I just never got around to posting pictures. And since I’m still mending, I haven’t got anything else to do today. ; )

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Before the renovation, the upstairs was actually a huge master suite. It was a wonderful space. You can see the before shots here if you scroll down through my old sewing posts. My sewing machine was parked in front of those gorgeous windows in Sara Lynn’s room.

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You may be wondering what would make a person be willing to give up such a wonderful space. One word: STAIRS. My bones need all the TLC they can get these days. And the kids aren’t complaining about the swap one bit. Everyone’s happy with their rooms now.

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Every piece of furniture in both of these rooms came from estate sales, yard sales, or flea markets. I much prefer the character and craftsmanship in older pieces. And the money I save buying things secondhand is a nice bonus. But mostly, thrifting is just plain fun. It just takes a little patience waiting to find the right piece at the right price.

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Daniel’s bedding came from TJ Maxx on clearance and Sara Lynn’s came from an estate sale. It looks brand new and was obviously barely used on someone’s guest bed. I still need to deal with the walls and windows in both of these rooms, but they are for the most part done. Whew!

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Are you familiar with Quercetti? Daniel received this gift for Christmas and he and all his friends love it.

It was just the right gift for a boy who feels he’s getting too old for toys but enjoys games and building things.

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This is the view of the playroom from Daniel’s bedroom door. It’s never this clean, which has a great deal to do with why I never posted pictures before.

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We have lots of books. (Mostly thrifted books). I can never seem to get enough of them, either for myself or the kidlets. We do use our local library frequently, but I don’t mind buying books either. Come to think of it, I can never have enough books, fabric, or seeds. Oh, and put a gardening book or crafting book in my hand and I’m in heaven!

With this remodel done, we have only the bathrooms left to tackle. Here’s what we’ve done so far:

Living room & Kitchen

Dining room (I don’t have a decent shot of this room – how did that happen? This is the before shot. Basically all that changed in this room was the installation of wood floors. But I can’t wait to show you my farmhouse table that seats 12! Next post?)

Sewing studio (Did I mention that this was the garage in it’s previous life?)

And of coarse, the upstairs. I’d love to see what you’ve been up to around your house lately!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Thrifty Treasures

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I’m a frugal girl. I’m not ashamed to admit it. I absolutely love shopping at estate sales and thrift stores.

We use cloth napkins around here, and I adore silver… so these gorgeous napkin rings made it home with me from the last estate sale I visited.

Also purchased was a vintage silver and glass coaster (in which my glass of water is now resting!) and beautiful handmade doily.

It really breaks my heart to see once treasured items going so cheaply. Really. Someone spent countless hours crocheting that intricate doily which I purchased for $1.00. So sad to me. But, I will treasure it.

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I also picked up a cute little picnic basket that someone lovingly lined with fabric. We’ve already used it once for it’s intended purpose, and I’m sure we’ll use it many more times to come.

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Have I told you how much I love vintage sheets? I like to sew Sara Lynn and I pajamas out of them. Recently, Daniel even requested his own pajama pants made from a sheet he picked out of my stash. I can’t imagine anything more soft and cozy to sleep in. Not to mention, you can get amazing yardage for very little money with sheets.

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My heart leapt with joy when I saw this piece! I can hardly wait to make pancake balls.

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Last, but not least, are these fabulous soup bowls and saucers. I love the poppies! And the two little handles. I can imagine soup (of course), oatmeal, or even grits (I’m thinking of you, Maura!) served up in these.

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For under $25, I’m feeling really good about my treasures.

I wonder, do you enjoy thrifting or purchase items secondhand?