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Free Me Up

Check out my Frog Tape Giveaway! It’s going on through November 30, so make sure you leave a comment. I LOVE free stuff and have received some great things lately. Before you call PETA, I did not knock some baby birds out of their home to steal this nest. The woman who owns my shop had it for sale in a basket. I loved it so much, I decided to buy it and she just gave it to me. I had some blown out eggs on hand (that I use for Ukrainian egg dying), so I placed them in the nest and I put it in a balance I got at a yard sale for $20.00. Now, I need to find a safe place for it where curious cats and kids will leave it alone…hmmm. That’s always the dilemma. In addition, I was surprised a few days ago by a

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Shoe Forms & Trim

I am excited to share that I am the guest blogger for Thrifty Thursday over at Tales from Bloggeritaville . Make sure you go check it out and link up any thrifty finds. Last week, I made the 45 minute trek out to Goodwill & Hobby Lobby to see what I could find. I didn’t find anything that was super exciting at Goodwill, but I did purchase these vintage shoe forms for $1.97 each. I mean, who donates something like this to Goodwill? I love the mix of the mellow patina of the old wood and the cool metal. And this piece with the holes in the toe is really interesting. I like old show forms, but I think I’m going to let these go and sell them in the shop. Hobby Lobby coughed up some thrifty finds as well. This trim was on clearance for… …$2.86. The way it

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Make A Wish

I mentioned in my last post that I bought $50.00 worth of vintage German glass glitter. I received it in the mail yesterday and was so excited to try it out. These pictures really do not do this glitter justice…Comparing it to the banner I did a few weeks ago with spray glitter…well, it really doesn’t even compare. The spray glitter is only shiny and flat. The vintage German glass glitter sparkles and adds dimension to these letter. I am going to glitter everything! The downside to this glitter is it’s expensive and it’s real glass. This means it looks gorgeous, but you have to be very careful when working with it and it’s not for kid’s crafts. I had some Cricut difficulties (and they’re sending me a new housing for my deep cut blade), so I couldn’t cut through the chipboard I purchased to give the letters stability. It

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Decorating with ABCs & 123s

Decorating with letters is a hot thing right now, but it’s not a new thing. Think of antique samplers, baby quilts, hand painted signs, and monograms. As I was looking around my house today, I realized I have several antique pieces where letters are the feature. I’m not usually a huge fan of pewter, but I love this alphabet mug. My mom has the plate that matches. I purchased this alphabet plate at an antique fair. I think it was about $8.00…others had passed it up because it had been repaired, but I think that’s a sign that someone really loved it. We don’t repair things that aren’t really special to us. I love old books. I recently purchased this from my neighbor’s yard sale for $2.00. I love the font on the cover. And it gets even better inside. Wouldn’t this look awesome painted on a wall or dresser?

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Slipcovered Ottoman

I love ottomans. They are so versatile. They can be a foot stool, coffee table, side table, and you can slide them under another table to pull out when you need some extra seating. They are the ultimate multi-taskers when it comes to furniture and they are easy to slipcover. I purchased this one at a yard sale for $4.00. The upholstery was a little tired, but it was in otherwise good condition. I sewed up a slipcover using sanded white cotton twill from Wal-Mart. This took about 2 1/2 yards of fabric, plus piping and thread. I chose to go with a pleated skirt to make the piece look a bit more feminine. I absolutely love how it turned out. I know some of you may be hesitant to use white slipcovers in your home, but I have two toddler boys, two cats, and a husband and all of

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10 Secrets to Thrifting Success

One of the questions I am asked most frequently is how I find such wonderful things at ridiculously low prices. Today, I am going to share the secrets of my thrifting success. Unfortunately, I can’t help with the most important aspect of finding great things (luck), but I do think you can improve your chances by following some easy tips. 1.) A.B.H. – Always be hunting. There are times when I go out to intentionally look for things, but I hunt even when I am not hunting. I even look up thrift store locations to hit when I’m traveling. There have been many times that I have yelled, “stop the car!” or done a (sometimes illegal) u-turn to check out a yard sale or piece of furniture on the side of the road when we’re running an errand. I found this French style sofa at a yard sale for $50.00

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The Dresser, the Rack, and the Wardrobe (and more)

I have some new finds to share with all of you. Before getting sick, I stopped into one of my favorite thrift stores. I rarely walk out of there disappointed and that day was no exception. Some of you might see the vision that I have for these, but the rest of you may need some convincing. I know they’re brass and scream 1970’s lounge wall art, but just imagine them in a fresh coat of white. I am just in love with them and you will be, too. Trust me. They were $1.25 for the set. I also found this vintage milk bottle for $1.00. It just needs a good cleaning and it’s ready to go. A friend of mine sent me a text message while I was in the ER telling me she was at an auction. She asked if I would like her to bid on some

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Slipcovered Chair Reveal!

Well, despite having the flu, I finally got well enough to finish this chair that I started to slipcover last week. Here’s how it started. It was a leftover from an auction, so it was free. Can you believe that no one would even pay $1.00 for this? I mean, it’s dated, but it’s sturdy and the upholstery was in pretty good condition. I guess they didn’t see the potential in it. There loss is my gain! The first thing I did was remove the frilly skirt, so I could have a skirted slipcover and you wouldn’t see the old one underneath. I swapped out the frilly skirt for a more tailored pleated one. I made the slipcover out of my bargain fabric ($2.50/yard) from Wal-Mart that resembles linen or hemp. This fabric was great to work with and I love the nubby texture of it. It really is an

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I’m Marian, a painter, writer, and lover of all things creative. From art and antiques to home projects and everyday life, I share my journey in hopes of inspiring you to embrace your own creativity and make beauty in the spaces you live.

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