DIY: 2 Home Projects

A few months ago while I was at Canton I picked up two cast iron antique handles.  My original plan was to make a rustic serving trey but then I came up with something more useful and better....bookends for my cookbooks.  I took my handles to the shop and had Luis bolt them to two bent pieces of steel strap. 

Voila. 

 

So easy if you have a drill press, blow torch, and strap. LOL  But all those things are just laying around Hendrik's shop and I love the industrial feel that they bring to the kitchen as well as how they tie into the industrial look of the living room furniture.  I took them home and spray painted them black that I had left over from another project.

 

The bookends cost a whopping $6 total and I love their functionality. 


During my last Canton haul, HERE  I got the fixings for a wreath for the front door.... I put it together in a hour or so after I painted my P.  I'm not a professional wreath maker but I do like it and it completed the look for my front porch.

 

 

 

These are just a couple of the DIY's I've completed over the past couple months.  The list goes on and on especially since I've been completing my décor in the house.  More to come...

Canton Haul

First Monday of May Canton weekend I raced to Canton to get several items off my home to-do list.  I didn't want to be there all day especially since I was by myself but I had a ton of other things to do that day so off I came and went in a total of about 2 hours total driving there, back, and all.  I got pretty much everything I went for plus an item or two that I just stumbled upon.

My grand haul

two identical butterfly prints for the master bath

fixing for a wreath for the front door

a big P for my gallery wall and bags of fake lemons for kitchen

two of these smaller stars and 1 HUGE one all for the outside front of house

Well in 2 hours and about $260 later I was leaving one happy gal. 

Stay tuned for my wreath DIY coming soon to computers everywhere.

Update of the Past Few Months

So...yes MOTHER I know you're sick of looking at my realistic wish list but I've been busy living. 

I'm finally making time to catch up on posts that I've had drafted forever!  Although I have been living I don't have many pictures to show for it or many exciting activities so here are some recent iPhone pictures over the past few months.  Overall I've done a lot of ordinary things and have been really just enjoying life (and being in love ;) )

September

Learned how to do my hair with one of those styling rod things!! I look like a REAL GIRL!!! We had a double date with my brother and Lara this night.  We went to eat sushi and hibachi in Paris.

Beautiful early morning sunrises

got plenty of pig hunting in

and got my first pig kill on a Saturday night.  I literally brought home the bacon that night and cooked a four course meal the next...pig back strap included.

September was a great month.  It was jam packed with a ton of hunting, school, and winding down the summer to get ready for fall.

October

Played bunco at my Mom's as a fill in for their group and it was Halloween themed.  Mom as a scarecrow and her BFF, Monica, as super woman.

Hoss (Hendrik's dog) sad that Daddy was leaving him behind in the office

Hendrik's parents were out of town a few night so we kept his mom's dog, Bella.  We went on a little Jeep ride.

Oh I forgot to mention that for the past 5 months I've been dating Iron Man!!!  Just kidding but this teeth whitener is hilarious.

October was super relaxing for me.  I took my last week of vacation from work before the busy season started up and did absolutely nothing.  It was glorious.

November

The above few pictures are of me and Mom's trip to Canton the first weekend of November.  It was the perfect day. My mom and I spent some great quality time together just chatting and being our usual mother/daughter selves, the weather couldn't have been more perfect, and Canton DID NOT disappoint...but when does it ever.  These are just a few of the super cute things I was eyeing but not buying!

a late night cafe mocha from Starbucks on a Wednesday night drive home from Rockwall.  Hendrik and I went to see our chiropractor, a little shopping at Aldi, and sushi eating

Football weather... we attended several of Caleb's football games but this one was the last one of the season!  Senior night...brought back great memories of my own senior night especially when they played the Star Spangled Banner (tear)

Can you believe he's a sophomore already and on Varsity? Seems like yesterday he was just a baby and having a diarrhea diaper blow out on my lap at my 10th B-day sleepover...just a reality check that was 17 years ago...shit that makes me feel old

S.P.O.I.L.E.D ROTTEN that's all

awe so sweet loving on his Daddy!  really just an excuse for him to get his 80 lbs self on the couches

November flew by in no time.  This past weekend was the last of it before all the Christmas and holiday hustle and bustle really went into full swing.  We had a great Thanksgiving at Memaw Sue's and then me and my best girlfriends had a early morning breakfast before we all started our week back up and a new month...December can you believe it?!

That's what I've been up to, what about you?

DIY Perfume Tray

Yesterday Lincoln and I made a trip to Canton.  I had a list of things that I wanted to get and although I didn't find everything that I wanted I did find 2 of the very important items on my list.  I bought 8 more burlap sacks so I can make cushions for the chaise lounges outside...total $16.  I also bought a metal tray that I wanted to make into a perfume tray for my dresser just to add a little something.

There you have it.  This little project took about 30 minutes time with painting it, letting it dry, and then setting it up on my dresser!  Just the look that I was hoping for.  Not too much but just enough.

* Tray- $1 at Canton
* Paint and sponge brush- already had

First 2013 Canton Trip

On Saturday I made my first trip of 2013 to Canton with my Mom, Kaylynn, and my Mom's friend, Monica. 

We left about 9 o'clock and were literally gone ALL day long. 

We had a great day browsing through EVERY nook and cranny Canton had to offer. 

We went through the old, the new, and the old made to look new.  By the end of the day we had 2 carts over flowing with goodies. 

I took $18 ate a yummy homemade 1/2 lb burger, shared a twisted potato fry with Kaylynn, a small coke, spent $4 on 2 huge burlap sacks, bought an ice cream cone on the way home, and still came back with $1. 

 

NOW THAT'S SHOPPING, JACK! 

 

There were so many new stores and new things at Canton that I'm dying to splurge on but I don't really NEED them right now so I refrained. 

Like these new sheet metal letters and & signs.  I love them and can't wait to go back and get me a few.

 

My mom found her some new kitchen canisters and some decor for her bedroom.  I don't think Kaylynn bought anything but got a ton of ideas for their house... furniture wise.  Monica racked up though because she is redecorating her master bed and bath. 

 

It was a great day for Canton even though there were a ton of people the weather was so great it made it all worth it and so enjoyable.  I even saw several old campers.  One had a ton of potential and the other had already been turned into a rolling boutique. 

 

Now if I can only figure out what type of goodies I want to make out of my burlap sacks.  :)

 

I hope you had a great weekend and have an even better fast paced week! 

Sunday Junking

Kaylynn and I have sort of made it a Sunday tradition to visit Canton Trade Days.  We hadn't planned on going this month just because neither one of us needed anything and it was so freaking hot but Saturday Kaylynn texted me and wanted to know if I had plans.  I didn't so we decided to head out early at 8 and beat the heat and hopefully come out with some good finds and if not then we would have fun just browsing.  I have this idea in the back of my mind and hadn't been pursuing it much but when I came across this old globe I figured I better snag it since I had found it.  I also got an old mason jar for $1 to finish another craft.  All in all it was a great day junking it out in the old garage sale area and also browsing the Arbors.

Now I just need to get going on my projects before school starts at the end of this month.  I'm taking a full load so I doubt the laundry much less a craft will be completed once it starts.

sorry about the quality of this picture...it was already fuzzy so I figured why not add on some stashes!? LOL

Ideas...I'm hooked on turning abnormal things into amazing lighting decor

My finds...can't wait to share my finished projects. I hope they go like I have in my head.

Canton

My Mom and I went to Canton on Saturday and it was packed and by the time we left it was HOT!  We had a really good time browsing and catching up.  I only got two things but they were two things that I wanted to get and the total of my two things was a whopping $6.50.

My Mom and a terrible shot of me starting the day

Part of the food vendors

Check out my super cute bracelet my mom got me, herself, and Lara.  It's friendship style even though you can't really see that part.

check out those mannequin legs....I was itching to get them and make a Christmas Story style lamp for Lincoln...but they wanted 40 bucks for some legs..uummm don't think so

This is the junk site that I found my 50 cent candle stick holder

I don't think we will be going back again until it cools off.