Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Fun & Unique Planters

When it comes to planting flowers for outside, I am all about thinking outside of the box or the clay pot, if you will. I love repurposing items to create fun and unique planters for brightly colored annuals and herbs. Here are a few ideas that will all be for sale at my POP-UP SHOP this weekend.
Fun & Unique Planters
I made these five wood planters from pallet wood and cedar fence boards. I made them the perfect size to fit a plastic show box or container in them to plant in. I decided to paint each one a different color.
Fun & Unique Planters
This thrifted, weathered, push style, Radio Flyer didn't have a bottom on it. I added cedar fence boards. This would be so cute on a porch or patio with different sized pots sitting in it.
Fun & Unique Planters
A reproduction, red, metal, Sun Drop cooler or a vintage, metal, bread box will make great planters. Holes can be drilled in the bottom for drainage or plastic pots with saucers can be placed inside these.
Fun & Unique Planters
An old, oak chair missing it's caned seat holds a round, metal hanging planter perfectly. I zip tied the wire planter to the chair so it will stay in place.
Fun & Unique Planters
Vintage items can be repurposed into unique planters. A firkin or ice bucket (it came with a plastic bucket in it) , a wood shoe shine box, or a metal Bundt pan or pail all make interesting planting vessels.
Fun & Unique Planters
I have a variety of brightly colored, metal buckets that age beautifully over the years and are great for outdoor planting.
Fun & Unique Planters
Plant herbs in a thrifted crate with rope handles. I stenciled the herbs on it. It holds two plastic shoeboxes for planting in.
 
When picking out planters for your spring and summer flowers, try something different and original to create gorgeous, cottage style displays on your porches and decks and patios.

Saturday, March 23, 2024

Dried Peonies for a Spring Display

One thing leads to another so when we cleaned up our shelves in the sunroom to start vegetable seeds, I re-discovered the peonies I had cut and dried last summer. These were the last of my 2023 prolific peony blooms and I decided to try and preserve them by hanging them upside down. They dry lovely, but are quite fragile. I will use them for a month or so and then they will go into the compost bin. 

I decided to make a spring display for the sunroom coffee table with the dried peonies.
Dried Peonies for a Spring Display
The peonies add a hint of a soft pink color, perfect for spring. 
Dried Peonies for a Spring Display
I put three of the peonies in a vintage Beatrix Potter mug and set that on a couple vintage books. The books add color and height and helps to connect the mug to the basket display. Plus, we do have binoculars and a spotting scope in the sunroom to spot birds, so the bird book might come in handy.
Dried Peonies for a Spring Display
I placed some floral foam on one half of the the thrifted basket and added the rest of the peonies. I tied a white velvet ribbon in the flower side of the basket.
Dried Peonies for a Spring Display
The thrifted, bespeckled, white rabbit sits on an overturned, metal mug. I added some moss to hide both the mug and the foam block.
Dried Peonies for a Spring Display
The flowers are right at home in the sunroom with my collection of amateur, floral paintings.
Dried Peonies for a Spring Display
A vintage, hand-painted, floral tray sits on the coffee table too, with a plant in a vintage, yellow, planter and a candle on a pink saucer.
Dried Peonies for a Spring Display
The sunroom is cheery and comfortable and ready for a new season. I love sitting here in the afternoons when the sun streams in. I am so glad I chose to dry the peonies last July. I will dry more this year when they bloom. Until then, I will enjoy the color and reminder of warmer days ahead that these bring to the space.

Thursday, March 21, 2024

A Thrifted Easter Tablescape

I have to admit, we don't sit at the dining table nightly for dinner. We are empty nesters and often sit wherever to eat--the counter, the couch, the table, the library. But, I do love setting a pretty table for a holiday meal, when family and friends will join us. I decided to give my Easter tablescape a trial run, complete with some staged food.
A Thrifted Easter Tablescape
I decided I wanted a bright, cheery tablescape for Easter this year, rather than the softer pinks and greens I set the table with last year. So, I went thrifting for a brighter tablecloth, napkins, and supplementary dishes. I plan on using my vintage rose and floral print Easter dishes that I thrifted a few years ago, but want to add a few, brighter pieces.
A Thrifted Easter Tablescape
I found these bright green salad plates and decide they would add a nice pop. An orange planter and brightly colored napkins were perfect. The napkins have parrots on them which is not Easter-like, but they will work. I will keep looking up until Easter for something else and keep these for summer dining. The striped tablecloth, that I think is brand new, has all of the colors I wanted--pink and green and yellow and orange. I wash all thrifted linens in hot water and use Lysol laundry sanitizer on them.
A Thrifted Easter Tablescape
I also found these pink candleholders at the same time as the other items.
A Thrifted Easter Tablescape
I melted some wax in them to get the candles to stand up. The white, ceramic bunny was thrifted last year. The vintage books add to the cheery color scheme and they help to create different heights which is more visually appealing.
A Thrifted Easter Tablescape
Vintage thrifted Fiestaware and Le Creuset dishes bring more color to the table setting.
A Thrifted Easter Tablescape
The orange planter will get REAL tulips for Easter brunch. The bunny spreader is perfect for butter and the green Le Creuset olive jar holds strawberry jam. 
A Thrifted Easter Tablescape
The stemless wine glasses that hold the yellow napkins are plastic  cups that we use for sipping wine in the hot tub. They are the perfect colors--lilac, orange, green, and aqua blue. The pink water goblets were a gift from my sister.
A Thrifted Easter Tablescape
The mix and match dishes are all from the thrift store. The spring colors are just right for Easter.
A Thrifted Easter Tablescape
Other than the glasses and the silverware, this entire tablescape is from a thrift store. I can't wait to serve Easter Brunch here next week. Do you like setting a pretty table?

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Stretching Your Thrifting Dollar

I have a confession--I am thrifty (i.e. cheap). So, while I save loads of money by thrifting, I am always looking for a way to make that thrifting dollar go a little further. When I spied a $7 large, sturdy basket full of faux greenery and at least 6 floral foam blocks I knew it was a good deal and that I could "part it out" to create several centerpieces.
Stretching Your Thrifting Dollar
On the same day I also bought two fake tulip bouquets in heavy cardboard containers. The tulips are silk and not what I consider good faux flowers, but I knew they would be perfect on my front breezeway porch area that is uncovered and gets a lot of weather.
Stretching Your Thrifting Dollar
There was so much greenery in that large basket. I took the tulips out of the cardboard containers and added the greenery to them. 
Stretching Your Thrifting Dollar
I added0 the pink berries to one of the containers and more of the budding flower clusters to the other. These were all part of the original basket.
Stretching Your Thrifting Dollar
I arranged more of the greenery and pink berries in a very vintage (it has a heavy wood bottom), thrifted wood basket. I used one of the floral foam blocks to secure the stems.
Stretching Your Thrifting Dollar
More of the greenery went into a mint green market basket that sits on my front covered porch. There is also faux baby's breath in this basket. It is also from a thrift store.
Stretching Your Thrifting Dollar
The pink, fuzzy faux stems that were in the large basket look lovely with the thrifted baby's breath in an antique vase.
Stretching Your Thrifting Dollar
Some of the greenery is being displayed in a watering can.
Stretching Your Thrifting Dollar
The silk tulips are a bright addition to the mailbox on my porch. Some are also in a bicycle basket on a vintage Schwinn that sits next to the porch.
Stretching Your Thrifting Dollar
The basket that the greenery came in is perfect for books, real plants, or bathroom toiletries. 

I will take and use real plants any day over faux. But, they do have their place and are perfect for outside when it is too cold for real or in areas of your home that don't get good light but need a little "life" or if you have a black thumb and can't keep plants alive.

The centerpieces and basket will be for sale in my POP-UP Shop this weekend. I was able to create FIVE pieces for sale plus use a lot of the stems in my own home all for under $12. I still have floral foam blocks for future use. I would say I got my money's worth, wouldn't you?










Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Sourcing Floral Finds

I have said it before, but I will say it again--when thrifting, have a few key words in your mind and you WILL better see and find those items. This week I have been thinking FLOWERS and just look at these floral finds from the past few days!
Vintage Floral Finds from the Thrift Store
From the floral fabric piece that I thrifted for $1 (and that I will use to recover something or make pillows) to the vintage, amateur floral paintings, I have been sourcing all the flowers this week. 
I met a gal who was an amazing picker when we lived in Idaho for a year. She told me she manifests her picks by saying aloud what she wants to find. I am not sure that always works, but I do know that we see what we want and what is in our minds and I do believe in the power of positive thinking. This week I have been thinking grow and spring flowers.
Vintage Floral Finds from the Thrift Store
The tall pitcher is an antique, Bennington Rockingham, hand-painted piece from the 1800's. It will make a lovely vase. The vintage stationary set with bird and floral art on both sides of the box is a sweet memory for me. As a preteen in the 70's we often received stationary sets as gifts and is a reminder of slower times when letter writing was commonplace. The orange juice cup is a 1950's Napcoware piece. i thought it would be cute for toothbrushes in the guest bathroom. The divided floral dish is Czech Slovakia Erphilia and will go on my wall. It originally would have had a handle on it.
Vintage Floral Finds from the Thrift Store
The three, amateur floral paintings will go into my sunroom, I think (I am running out of space for florals in there). The basketweave pitcher holds faux flowers for spring.
Vintage Floral Finds from the Thrift Store
The smaller, tall stool came from a friend that is moving. She used it as a plant stand and currently it is sitting in my entryway with the fake plant on it. 

I often think of Field of Dreams and "If you build it, they will come," while thrifting. If you think it, you will find it! It doesn't always work and sometimes I have to be more patient than I'd like, but I do believe I find more of what I am wanting to source because I think I will.




Friday, March 8, 2024

Recent Thrift Store Finds

This week has been sparse for thrift store finds. I did source some great items in the two previous weeks. Some of them I have already shared how I am using them and styling them, but keep reading for the specifics.
Recent Thrift Store Finds
This vintage circus tray was an advertising giveaway piece for a California Credit Union. Why the circus for a bank? I am not sure, but the colors caught my eye. The blue colander makes a great planter and the amateur artwrk is in my entryway. The embroidered tea towl is perfect in a spring vignette.
Recent Thrift Store Finds
The brass desk calendar still works. 
Recent Thrift Store Finds
An amateur painting pf the local mountains has great colors  A floral plate is for my collection and will eventually be on the wall with others. The watering can may get a paint job to brighten it up.
Recent Thrift Store Finds
The art deco, stainless candy and nut dish with a little whale in the middle was a fun find. The green vase sits on my windowsill.
Recent Thrift Store Finds
An outdoor, butterfly pillow sits on my green metal chair on my front porch andds a much needed bit of color.
Recent Thrift Store Finds
The metal, horsehead bookends would be perfect in any library. I loved the chrome coffee pot with the teak handle. I am not sire what I will do it with it, but I think it will be for sale.
Recent Thrift Store Finds
This black forest carved wood bread dish is fairly old and is in great shape, In it sits the two green men that I am using as bud vases.
Recent Thrift Store Finds
The vintage apron and rainbow tray are being used in my kitchen. The large tablecloth underneath will most likely be sold. The sectioned, floral tray is plastic, but I think it is vintage. I like it for a dresser for jewelry and coins or for entertaining for nuts and candy.

These fun, colorful finds took work to source. Some days I find plenty and others nothing, but I do love the hunt.

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Simple Spring Decor Touches

The one thing I quit doing a few years ago is completely changing out my decor seasonally. Because I wanted less stuff and fewer items to store away in plastic tubs for 75% of the year, I simplified my seasonal decor and found better ways to store it. But, it doesn't mean that I still don't love adding small, simple, seasonal touches to my home. 
Simple Spring Decor Touches from the Thrift Store
Back in January when we started working on updating and redoing our kitchen, I told you I wanted the UN-kitchen look. The UN-kitchen has more decorative touches and items that you typically wouldn't find in a kitchen--framed artwork, lamps, and other decorative pieces.
This kitchen corner is basically unused for anything utilitarian so it is the perfect spot for some seasonal items.
Simple Spring Decor Touches from the Thrift Store
I switched out the painting I had here for something a thrifted, vintage watercolor with more green and pastel colors in it.
Simple Spring Decor Touches from the Thrift Store
I removed the stack of old kitchen cookbooks and vintage tea tin (and put them in one of my glass-fronted kitchen cupboards that I have space in), and added a stack of vintage green dishes. A pair of Target dollar spot gold bunnies sit on top of the dishes. These are last year's bunnies, this year's are a bit smaller.
Simple Spring Decor Touches from the Thrift Store
A vase of faux tulips sitting on a tray replace a brown pottery bowl. This corner is so cheerful and cozy when the ginger jar lamp is on. Other than the bunnies, everything yo see is from a thrift store.
Simple Spring Decor Touches from the Thrift Store
I changed out a few items on my snack tray that sits year round on my upper kitchen counter corner.
Simple Spring Decor Touches from the Thrift Store
A vintage green vase with faux spring stems replaced a blue bottle with branches. A gold bunny jar lid that I made last year was added. 
Simple Spring Decor Touches from the Thrift Store
I found these vintage, cabbageware, candy dishes this year. They hold some Christmas candy leftovers--wintergreen life savers. They sit atop a stack of springy colored dessert plates that stay here all year, except at Christmas.
Simple Spring Decor Touches from the Thrift Store
A covered Cabbageware casserole dish holds wrapped candy. The blue and white candy jar and other items that sit out here most of the time are in a cupboard. Having enough cupboard space is a key to storing seasonal decor in an easy and convenient way. If it won't fit in my cupboards when I am not using it, I won't buy it anymore. No way am I wrapping and storing dishes in the attic or basement.
Simple Spring Decor Touches from the Thrift Store
A couple of the smaller Target bunnies from this year were added to my all season, kitchen table centerpiece.
Simple Spring Decor Touches from the Thrift Store
Keeping holiday decor simple and small makes it so much easier and less stressful to change seasonally. Adding colors and objects fitting with the time of the year makes decorating for the seasons effortless.