This mirrored vanity tray was one of my finds from last weekend’s yard sale run. It was $1.50 at a thrift store. This is not a dramatic transformation, but it is a great example of how simple changes can make a big impact! All I did was clean it up and sprayed it with a few coats of Krylon Ivory in a satin finish. I thought about making it a chalk board or doing something else with the mirrored center, but this looked lovely as a mirror. A key part of a successful makeover is knowing what to leave alone! Here it is as it was made to be – a vanity tray. I loved the idea of using it on the dining room table or coffee/side table as the base for a table scape. Just imagine candles and berries… I love how painting it cream brought out the detail

I forgot to highlight my favorite find from today! This is an antique scale (balance, actually) that I found at a yard sale for $20. Now, that’s a lot to spend on something that’s not a piece of furniture at a yard sale, but I love scales. And this one was a bargain…I think I’m keeping this one.

Well, I headed out this morning…it was gray and chilly, so I didn’t have high hopes. Today was a good reminder to me that you just never know what treasures you’re going to find when you head out on a Saturday morning. I didn’t actually find the dresser this morning, but it was an $8.00 auction find from 2 weeks ago. It’s been sitting in my living room, so I thought I would show it as well. The veneer is bubbled on the top and it needs some work, but it is bird’s eye maple. I loved it…and for $8.00, sold. I found 2 cheap-o silver trays for $1.00. I’m planning to paint it cream and then paint the center like a chalk board. I’ve seen that idea in a few places and it’s so cute! Next to those is a mirrored vanity tray that was $1.50. I’m going to

Ok, this is my basement. Yikes. These are all of the pieces waiting to be painted for the shop that sells my furniture, accessories, and antiques. As you can see, I have LOTS to do! I haven’t talked a lot about “my” shop in this blog, yet. It’s located in downtown Gettysburg, PA and it’s called Accessories – Fashion, Home & Kids. I call it “my” shop, but that’s only because I’m living vicariously through the woman who actually owns the shop, Denise. We started working together in December of 2008 and what started out as a few of my hand-painted Christmas ornaments selling in her shop has turned into a great partnership. We are planning to move to a larger shop in a couple of months, so I am getting geared up for that. Once we’re in the larger space, my goal is to keep this pile MUCH smaller.

Today it’s raining here in PA, so using my paint sprayer is out (I have to open my cellar doors for ventilation), so I thought I would share my love of blue and white. I love Delft, Willow Ware, Blue Flow, even the cheap blue & white urns you can buy at TJMaxx and Marshalls. If it’s Blue & White, I love it! These coffee and sugar jars are a set of three (I have flour) that I purchased at an Antique store for $60. This was a HUGE splurge for me, but I think I used my birthday money. I have loved them for years and it was well worth it. This coffee jar was missing its lid, so I got it for $6. Cheapo TJ Maxx urn and I found the antique pitcher at a thrift store for $4.00. This is the emblem on a 6 gallon crock

Here is my living room when I first moved it. I don’t even know where to start with this room, except to say it was a mess. It is packed with all of the leftover furniture that I didn’t know what to do with. The floors are unfinished (we pulled up some horrible carpeting right after we closed), the pine trim is dark and heavy, no curtains, no blinds…just a mess. I did choose the wall colors, but that’s about all that was intentional about this room. And here’s how it looks now. Ahhh, much better. There’s still a lot I want to do, but I really like the direction I’m going. I’ll break down how much this room cost me… The french provincial sofa on the left (with a down cushion) was $50 at a yard sale. I slip covered it in a white cotton twill fabric and it’s

Decorative painting and murals is my main business, but I also buy and sell antiques & home decor. I LOVE thrifting, junking, yard saling, fleaing (I’m making up a lot of words, here), attending auctions, dumpster diving, and digging through the attics, barns, and basements of my family & friends. I’m going to start sharing with you some of my favorite finds and how I’ve used them in my home. This chandelier was $4.00!! No lie. It was in a box at a yard sale with a piece of paper on it that said “chandelier, $5.” When I opened the box and pulled out the paper, I was expecting some builder grade, nasty brass thing, but I pulled out a huge bag of crystals. Sold. I didn’t need to see the rest of the chandelier. I asked if they’d take $4.00 for it, paid the people, and walked calmly to