Some Finds and Some Favorites

As I am working on the finishing touches to my bathroom and creating a wrap-up post about it, I thought I would share some fun finds – from thrifting to clever DIY ideas I have found and included on my DIY Daily page.

I think of my Daily DIY page as my personal Pinterest of all things clever, creative, and pretty.  I would like to get better navigation for it someday, but for now the “link party” interface is the best I can come up with to show what I have found on other blogs and am falling in love with.

Every week I do a quick dash in/out of my favorite thrift store – 2nd Avenue.  It is the highly clean and organized store I posted about in my “I Love Thrifting” event post.  When I passed it on my way home last Thursday I thought to myself– “I was just here last week”, and wasn’t going to stop, but then the little voice in my head said  – “ No, go in as you never know what you are going to find as they re-stock the aisles and shelves daily.  It will only take 10 minutes – tops!”

I am so glad I went in as I found 2 baskets and an Ikea duvet with big orange dots.  What a FUN find!  It kinda looks like an orange Twister game mat.

I collect baskets and use them to organize stuff in drawers, shelves, and cabinets. I just love them.  I am amassing quite a collection. One is a picnic style basket, but I plan to take it apart and only use the bottom.  It is deep. It is hard to find and deep, square, or rectangular baskets.

The duvet which is approximately 3 yards of fabric was a steal for $4.90.  It makes me smile that this thrift store always uses 90 cents for all of the items they sell.  Never $4.50 o r$4.39  every item’s price always ends in 90 cents.

I am going to hang onto to the orange dot fabric to make something for my older daughter who is currently serving in the Peace Corps. When she finishes her service next Spring she is going to Med school and will need furnishings for an apartment. She loves orange and I know she is going to love this fabric. Depending on what she needs once she finds a place – it will stay a duvet, become pillows, chair covers, a window treatment, or something I can’t even imagine yet.  Fun finds for under $5.00.  I do love thrifting!

I also wanted to share with you a few of the pretty, clever, and fun ideas I have found recently.

I just love how Junkin Junkie made over a thrift store table.  It is a very traditional piece, but after she waved her magic wand over it – it now sports a fresh and modern two tone effect –  I love it.

I wish I had found this tute  from lil blue boo for making a DIY monogrammed tote when I was back in high school. I wanted to be like the “cool” girls who had embroidered monograms on their book bags. Backpacks when I was in high school were still something only Army recruits were issued :)  I had the book bag everyone had, just not the monogram.  Creating a one of a kind monogram with paint and a computer print out of my initials would have been the coolest thing ever back then and still is.

I collect corks  as a filler for a big glass pedestal canister that I bought from Costco one Christmas. It came  filled with Bob’s peppermint candies.  Once the candy was gone I started filling it with corks.  Since the canister is filled with corks now, I am always on the look out for ways to re-purpose them. I knew I found a way when I saw these spreaders over at Yarni Gras.  I thought they looked like something I would see in a food layout in Gourmet, Bon Appetit, or at William Sonoma.  I can just image how chic and unique they will look in my favorite artichoke dip at my next get together with friends and family.

Paint chips are fun, colorful, and best of all -free. Look what Lindy over at Itsy Bitsy Paper did with them.  So clever!  My mind is already into Autumn mode – my favorite season. I am imagining these made up in fall colors –  wouldn’t they look extra special on a Thanksgiving table?