Alphabet blocks bookmark

Hey everyone out there in bloggy land! I've had a very creative week, so I thought I'd share another project with you.
You know I love 'em easy peasy, so here goes! We're making bookmarks out of old wooden alphabet blocks.
You'll need some old wood alphabet children's blocks, copped from a thrift store or yard sale. (or maybe your baby!)
Look for old books that have small illustrations you can cut out, to fit on the sides of the blocks. I used an old Little Golden book I found at the thrift store.

I layed the block on the pictures I thought would fit, then cut them out. You'll need 4 pictures.

I then used an antique colored decoupage glue, and glued them onto the 4 smooth sides of the block. The antique colored matches the color of the wood, making it look more original and old.

Make sure you coat them on the outside as well, once they're glued on to the block

.I trimmed as needed, and overlapped edges as I went, so there was no bare wood showing. The glue will help you seal it all up nice. My blocks were from the 80's, but looked brand new and too shiny, so I took my Mouse hand sander, and just made it look a little worn on the painted parts, and a little on the glued edges, to wear it.

Then I took a small eye and hook attachment, but first drilled into the bottom of the block with a very small drill bit, to get it started. Screw it up into the block, until tight. I got these at Home Depot, in the hardware dept.

See how the edges overlap?

I used fat ribbon, trimmed as long as I needed, and strung through the eye hook, then knotted and finished. I did one hook on the bottom, and one on the top.
How cute is that?

Hope this sparks your imagination to create one of these little beauties. I'd love to see them, let me know if you do!

Buttons and a poodle skirt?

Yesterday I was looking at the thrift store, for important purposes, of course. My daughter's school is having a fun 50's dance next week, so I was trying to find a couple of things for our costumes.

I've decided to dress up as a 50's beautician, complete with ugly white smock top, bouffant hair, and cat eye glasses. My husband will be a greaser, and my daughter of course, had to have a poodle skirt. (More on that later).

I cruised the store, and in the back craft area, I found the most amazing buttons.

I bought 2 bags that had old buttons still on the cards, and a whole bag of loose buttons. There are some really old ones in here!

I may put some in my soon to be Etsy shop, so let me know if you're interested

I know! There's more!

The rhinestone pin in the middle of the picture was mixed in with the loose buttons. What a nice surprise!
I also found the missing pieces that I need to start my silverware project I promised was coming! Yay!
I will be working on that tomorrow, and hopefully posting on it soon. It's snowing here in Colorado, and our garage my workshop is freezing, so no spray painting unless I get brave.

So for the 50's dance, I decided I could make a poodle skirt myself, although technically I don't really sew! I do have a great old Singer sewing machine from the 1970's, given to me by my MIL. It was her husband's mom's, and is really a great machine. I've done small things here and there, nothing big.

Here she is, in all her 70's glory. I've actually been told to hold on to this old machine, because they were built so much better than the new ones! I think it's true, what do you think?

My friend came over and helped me get it going again, and explained a few fundamentals of sewing. So today I got out the pattern, and put it together pretty easily. The only part I got stuck on was the waist piece. I only pinned and unpinned it about 16 times, trying to interpret the pattern to get it right! Then I had to go back and shorten the length, which was waaay to long for a 6 year old! What do they think 6 year old are supposed to be, Amazons?

My daughter decided upon looking at the pattern that she wanted a kitty skirt, like the pink one in the picture (did I mention she'd CRAZY about kitty cats?) No poodles for this little miss!

So here it is!

The kitty turned out so cute, and reminds me of a stuffed cat my Aunt gave me when I was young. I think I'm more excited for her to wear it, than she is! I can't wait to get her all dressed up, and show her what the 50's was all about. (Of course, I wasn't there, but you know!)

Ugg, my husband just informed me we have a leak somewhere, 'cause there's water coming down from the ceiling where our window seat is situated. Off to see what's up!
Have a super weekend!

Shelf project idea and laundry area 95% complete!

Happy Easter weekend, ya'll! It is rainy and very windy here today in Colorado, but that persistant ol' sun that we enjoy so much is trying hard to peek through the clouds! I really wanted to go out and work in the garden this morning, but it'll have to wait for another day!

We are going to my niece's house this afternoon to have an Easter egg hunt and enjoy some good food and good company.

Here is the shelf makeover I promised you. Remember the before from my last post? I bought it at a thrift store, and didn't look on the back until last night, when I went to spray paint it. It's marked Longaberger! What a cool find! I almost was afraid to paint it, and then thought, well, I hate it the way it is, so here we go!

Here's another pic of the before:

First, removed the pegs. To do this without losing your mind, take a kitchen towel, and wrap over each peg to protect the wood. Take your hammer, tapping firmly on the end of each peg, to loosen from the hole. Wahlah! Pegs are out!

Then I spay painted it black. Note to self: DO NOT buy the cheapest spray paint, thinking you're saving money cause well, spray paint is spray paint, right? WRONG! I had to do about 1,000 coats to get it to cover, and I just about threw the shelf across the room. (Just kidding, but close!)

2nd note to self: DO NOT think that matte spray paint, and flat spray paint are the same; they ARE NOT. Flat is awful, so I had to finish the shelf off with a satin finish spray paint. Then all was well in Chickadee's land.

After everything is painted to satisfaction, measure your shelf, and pick a coordinating scrapbook paper to accent your shelf with. I settled on paper #3, after trying assorted prints that would go with my family room downstairs.

I then decoupaged the paper onto the flat front under the shelves edge. Feel with your fingers for the original peg holes, and push gently to open the hole back up. Then take your pegs, and pound them back in with a hammer, making sure again to protect your wood by covering the peg top while pounding.

Here is the finished shelf. I love the vintage look of the pattern on this paper. It is old letters and postcards

A close up

Here it is on the wall, complete with all it will hold. Underneath is two metal bins I got at a thrift store a few weeks ago, that are marked PotteryBarn (I'm all about the name brand!). They are perfect to hold all of Macie's shoes.

This area I created with the shelf and the bins sits just as you walk in from the garage into the family room. It's the perfect spot for her to hang coats, her backpack, and drop her shoes.

I feel so organized, what can I say?

My laundry room makeover is also almost complete. Read about it here. The only thing we haven't yet done is to move out the W/D and use our stick on tiles to complete the floor. We did finally get the cabinets hung, and I put my knobs on the doors last night.

I don't have a pic of the before, but trust me, it was bad.

The walls had so many nail and screw marks, and it had never been painted since before we moved in. There were open shelves, so you could see all the junk we were storing on them, all jumbled and messy.

I painted it with a color called Navajo White, took the shelves down, and replaced it with my Craigs list cabinets. Added knobs, put a clip on shade over the bare hanging bulb, and added a nice pull chain.

I pulled all the metal together, color-wise, by using my oil-rubbed bronze I talked about previous.. Like I said in my other post, really underwhelming for most people looking at the pics, but HUGE for me, with how bad it was before!

My lovely new pull chain!


New knobs with new finish

My clip on lamp shade with spray painted finial

Now I just need to add a cute little sign, or some rub one vinyl lettering, to spruce it up a bit more. Thanks for tuning in, and let me know what you think!

Have a safe and fun Easter, everyone! God bless you all!

Thrift store Thursday

No, I'm not starting another weekly tradition (I don't think) but it's pretty catchy, don'tcha think? I went thrift hunting, it's Thursday.... you do the math!

I thought I'd share pics of the cute things I found today. Someone commented to me that I needed to go down to Lakewood and check out Mile High thrift, which I did today. I also stopped at Savers, too, cause it was about 4 minutes from there.

Here's what I found:


A yummy decorating book by Jo Packham. If you've never seen her stuff, you just gotta! Price: $2.99

Love this layout, with the bird's nest pillow and the bird bath statue in front of the plants.
Nice mantle layouts.


I'm a sucker for holiday items. I already have too much Christmas stuff, so I need to step away from accumulating more! This is a cute quilted table runner (folded in half) and a Hallmark Christmas CD featuring Amy Grant. Price: Runner,$ 2.99, CD $1.99.

A silver tray, price tag visible so you can be jealous, that I'll use somewhere, just had to have it!
Price: $ 2.95

Lots more trim, I just couldn't resist, because there were colors I don't yet have. Price :$1.99 for all!

A wooden shelf with peg hooks. This will get a makeover, which I'll be sharing this weekend, so stay tuned! Price: $3.95
Cute vintage style glass jar. This will hold my cotton pads in the bathroom. Price: $1.95
A super cute silk belt, the flowers are more of a watermelon pink that orangey like the pic looks. Price: $.95
Little china man planter. This will be made over into a pin cushion, and put in my soon to be Etsy shop! Price: $1.95

Nice large basket, my current plan is to corral my daughter's many stuffed animals, to keep them off of my family room floor! Price: $5.95

Vintage style heavy glass green bottle. I didn't need this at all, but it was only.... .95 cents!

Awesome white glass compote. I've wanted one of these for awhile. I think I'll use it in the bedroom or eventually the bathroom. Any great decorating ideas for this one? Let me know!

Love the detail on the stem! Price: $5.95

I had fun searching for treasures today, but the funnest is bringing it home and decorating my nest with the perfect new touches! Happy thrifting, friends!

Please forgive me

Spice up your life Sunday

Yes, it's Spice up your life Sunday once again, and yes, it's been a week since my last post! I also must ask forgiveness for those of you reading, for I myself, did not even get around to taking last week's challenge! My week was so busy, and we've had record breaking warm temperature's here in Colorado, so I had to play a little outside!

You'll have to just enjoy a picture of the current arrangement on my kitchen table of my silk sunflowers!

The cute little bunny with his festive ribbon next to the flowers came home from the thrift store on Thursday with me. (Of course I had time to thrift shop!) I will get to your new challenge in a sec, but I thought I'd share a couple of other things I've repurposed and now enjoy in my house, as well. This small aluminum wear tray with scrolly handle I bought for 99 cents, and now holds my napkins at the kitchen table. Cute, Eh?

I copied this idea below from the blog the happy homebody. If you haven't yet checked out this adorable blog, go one over and tell her I sent ya. She has darling home decorating ideas. This was my version of the hanging pitcher. I already had the pitcher and flowers, and I scored the hook at you know where, and spray painted it black to match my kitchen decor. The rooster tray above it I bought just this week at Ross on clearance for $2.99! Super cool!


I love this cute little silver creamer. It is now used to hold the very necessary dixie cups we use everyday in the bathroom. Adds a cottage look for very little money.


The next several pics are of an old paper cigar box someone gave me at a yard sale for FREE last summer. It was just waiting for the perfect redo, so here's what I did:
I measured the box, and when I say measured, I mean loosely (I suck at numbers!) Then I used two coordinating scrapbook papers to cover the sides and the inside lid. For the top I used a graphic from a book I love by Memories of a Lifetime, called Florals and Nature. It comes with a CD of all the vintage images, and you can print whatever you want right away. The quality of these images is unbelievable, and I love old images!

I added some gold trim around the entire edge with tacky glue, and then finished it off in the front with an old clip in earring. I stamped the word "trims" with yes, my mini alphabet stamp set.
On the inside, you can see all of my darling trim that I have found at various thrift stores, all neatly tucked in.
Here's a view of the inside lid, where I glued an original library pocket, then stamped it with an image of a vintage key, and added a butterfly sticker. Tucked in the pocket is a scrap of paper my 5 year old doodled on, practicing writing her name over and over: Macie Macie Macie Macie. So cute!
Hope I gave you some great ideas for treasures to look for when you're out thrifting!

O.K., so I didn't get to the florists this week to pick up some fresh flowers to fill my home with cheer. If you're just joining us for Spice up your life Sunday, you can go and get some flowers for yourself this week, and take me up on this week challenge, which is....

Go to your local library sometime this week, and I want you to check out a totally different book than you normaly would. Sounds easy, right? Well, maybe, but there is a world of books out there that are so out of my realm, that I never even knew existed. If you haven't been to the library in eons, it's time to head on over and see what you're missing!

Don't make a safe choice as you browse, but do look for something that peaks your interest. You might not normally glance twice at something, if you had to buy it, but just remember, your borrowing it.

At the library, it's cake! It's not like you're wasting money on something you're just borrowing . No harm done if it sucks! Think outside the box and start on a journey to try something new this week. Maybe a how-to book, or a biography, or a self-help. (I like those, cuz I need a lot of help!)

I want comments, comments, comment! I want to know WHAT you checked out, and HOW it went. I will be updating you this week, too, on my flower purchase, AND my book choice.

Good luck, and Happy Sunday!