Beautiful Things

One of my favorite things to do on a Saturday morning is hunt for old junk that I can make awesome. I like to hit the Habitat for Humanity ReStore first and then I head to The Salvation Armies. That's right, we have TWO in Champaign - W. John St. and N. Market St.! Then, the last stop before heading home is usually Lowe's, in case I need some more sand paper, primer or paint.

I think my love for old stuff first began my freshman year of college where I lived next door to, my dear friend, Maria. Maria has this incredible gift of taking old, worn out stuff and transforming it into something stunning. Every time I hear the chorus of  Beautful Things by Gungor, I think of her (not because she makes people out of dust, like God, but because she makes beautiful things out of vintage clothing, worn furniture, dusty antiques, etc.) Click here to see a portrait of her delightful home in Kansas City, including her studio where she runs her own online vintage clothing business - Adelaide's Homesewn. So, thank you, Maria, for teaching me to see the potential for beauty in people's unloved junk. It is my favorite hobby and much cheaper than golf.

Every room in our house has at least one piece of furniture that I found on Craigslist or at Salvation Army, Goodwill or the ReStore. I know Tyler is so thrilled when he gets a text in the middle of his homework or sermon prep that says "I found something for $8.00 at the ReStore. Yippee!"  and he has to spend his afternoon recruiting a buddy to go with him in the church bus to pick up a 100 lbs. piece of crap (they have to use the church bus, because there are a shortage of trucks in Illinois).

Here is a house tour of some my finds:

I always see these chairs when I go antiquing with my mom in the Hill Country, but I can never buy one, because I don't think Southwest Airlines would let me carry it on. I found this cute little lady at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore for $7. I've got my eyes peeled for her sister.

This piece was a $35.00 Salvation Army find. I didn't do a darn thing to it. Except wipe it down real good and line the drawers with shelf paper. It houses bills, scarves, table linens and candles and is located immediately to your left as you enter through the front door.

This is probably my favorite piece. It houses all of our fiction books, cookbooks, photo albums, favorite board games, seasonal Better Homes & Gardens magazines and, my favorite, a green notebook full of ripped out pictures and articles with DIY projects and decorating ideas. I just had to touch up a little of the white paint. I also made a backing out of foam board, fabric and a staple gun. Simply measure the back of each shelf, cut the foam board to those measurements, wrap the board like a present (I used a black fabric scrap first and then my pretty patterned fabric to give it a little more dimension).

This dresser is in our bedroom. We used to have two cheap-o IKEA ones, but they didn't make it through the five million moves we made over the course of the past few years. I love IKEA, but when it comes to dressers that you open and shut at least twice a day, the old fashion wooden track ones are the way to go. The bird print, pewter lotus bowl and mirror (pictured above) are all from the ReStore. The mirror is the most recent thrift find. I'd been looking for one just like it all summer and I finally found it yesterday (yay!). I sanded it and painted it with some leftover green paint I had  from the bathroom remodel.

 

Each of these worn out items paints the portrait of my home. Do you have any treasures like this in your home?

Portaits of a Home

This is my entryway. I just love it.  This piece was a Salvation Army rescue. We use it as a credenza to drop mail, hold keys, store table linens, house scarves, stash candles, etc.  I got the lamp base and shade at Target (tar-shay boutique, as my mom and I call it). The boxwood topiaries and brown iron bird are from my new favorite place to rummage through and find deals - Tuesday Morning. They have a lot of crap, but also a lot of neat items. They have really cute inexpensive tea towels - oh how I love tea towels.The green birds are from Pier 1. My BFF Laura got them first and then I decided I had to have them too! The photo was a Christmas gift from my Uncle Tom. He is a stellar  photographer.

That is me and my favorite tea. My former professor, Linda Lawson, got me started on this tea. I never knew I liked tea until I tried PG Tips. Just add a little bit of milk and sugar (okay, I add like 2 whole tablespoons of sugar) and it is warm and delightful. And it's caffeinated! Finally, a caffeinated beverage that I enjoy that's not Dr. Pepper. I feel really grown up drinking it. I always want to like coffee, but I never do. Drinking tea and carrying around a travel mug makes me feel like an adult. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because I'm such a kid when it comes to drinking - I love root beer and apple juice, but can't manage to swallow coffee or wine. Or beer. Yack! You can find PG Tips in the International section of your local grocer.

Say hello to Callie the Cat. She is so darn cute. This is how she lays on the floor all the time in the spring and summer months. I think she sprawls out like this to enjoy the heat while it lasts. In the fall and winter, she sits with all four legs underneath her chubby belly to keep her warm. But in the hot months, she cuts loose and suns belly up. When you walk past her, she meows, which in cat, translates "stop and scratch my belly."

There is my sugar britches. He is working so diligently to complete all of his summer school assignments before he leaves for Canada tomorrow. This is where Tyler spends most of his time after work and on his days off. The boy loves to study. He's the smartest boy I know. And I am so proud of him for being half way through his Masters. Study your heart away, my sweets. I'll see you when it's dinner time.