Free Find.... Saturday.

ok so I missed yesterday...
but it's all good.
I didn't forget... I was just in a mood yesterday.

I should be thrilled on Fridays... no work and yard sales abound in the area
I got a "warning" from a cop because I parked in the wrong spot while I went to a yard sale for charity (give me a break dude!) and then came home annoyed and grumpy... at least until my Lee came home and things perked up.

anyway.  I did get something free this week!!
:) :)

it's going to need a little tlc but that's all I've got.

 

The seat is a little saggy.  Needs some support, but over all it's a really nice, good quality chair.
I actually love the fabric on it so I'm going to do my best to save it! 
I'll keep you updated on it's status, lol, right now she's sitting at the dining room table because I needed a 4th chair and it's not like we have anyone coming over anytime soon anyway, so no fear of someone caving through :)

Thanks sweet old man at a sale :)
I also scored some devotional books, a yellow necklace, and gold bracelet - for free!!

Free Find Friday: Duvet trick

I found an adorable duvet cover at a thrift store nearby {originally from Ikea} for $1.50 {basically free right}!! I had to have it.... but it was only the cover.  I figured for $1.50 I could someday buy a new duvet to go inside.
I brought it home and laid it on the bed to see how the pattern worked with other patterns that I have {LOVE to mix patterns} and then noticed that in the corner was a comforter that a friend had given me recently and I was planning on using in the spare room but I didn't really love the colors {but like I said, it was FREE}

I got the idea to see if I could just shove the comforter inside the duvet cover...... and you totally can!

I figured since I already shared part of my bed with you in my last post {DIY Recycled Art} I could go ahead and share about whats on the bed even though the room isn't "finished" just yet.

 my colorful patterns. ALL thrifted or free.

love love love to be able to say that. 

So if you have a comforter that you love, it's warm and cozy.. but is looking a little drab or doesn't quite "go" with the rest, just cover it up :)

Free Find Friday!

Since moving to this awesome new neighborhood I have decided to start a weekly series called Free Find Friday because I keep finding awesome stuff!!

I'd like to start off with this amazing photo I found on the side of the road on our way home from church.  On the curb there was a huge pile of stuff - couch, boxes, chairs, and this.
My sweet husband took one look and said "you want to stop"
So out I got in my dress and heels and rummaged through and found this gem.
A photo of the Flatiron building in NYC professionally framed and in perfect condition.  It is about 24 x 36 inches.

It now lives in my kitchen.
My not completed kitchen..... but I'll share a little peak with you.....

It's not finished yet, hence why I can't show you a whole view of the room or even that chair in the front or the floor :/ haha but soon!
This is my little craft area I've carved out for myself in our kitchen, since the spare room is dominated by my husband who apparently has to study because he's going to be a doctor or something.......


Do you have great garbage in our town?? Find anything great on the side of the road lately?? Or maybe something "nearly free" from the thrift shop?? Share with me!

DIY Halloween Party

Last year I threw a little Halloween party at our house, mostly just because my friend Amber and I wanted an excuse to dress up.
I thought I'd share a few ideas from the party.

I was a watermelon smoothie from my favorite local shop here in Grenada called Native Foods and Fruits.

 My husband was reluctant to dress up and so he was "thinking Arby's"

I saved all my pop bottles for weeks to use as decorations.

a little bit of nail polish and electrical tape and wha-la - Halloween decor!

My banner is made from cereal boxes and drawn on with a sharpie.

Mummy utensil holder is a tin can wrapped in toilet paper.

Keeping with the ever so classy theme, we served pumpkin poop to our guests.

Scary pizza

Bones and blood
and that carved piece of pumpkin back there is the best you're going to find in Grenada.  They don't sell whole pumpkins, just portions for cooking, so we carved our little chunk I used to make pumpkin bread. 

And finally witch's brew to drink.
Want to have a frozen hand in your punch? 
Fill a surgical glove with water, freeze it, and then cut off the glove and you have a frozen hand!

I'm wanting to have another Halloween Party this year but I now have way too many friends in Grenada to host at our teeny tiny apartment so I'm looking for other options! Stayed tuned for more Halloween decor to come!

Find Halloween costume ideas for couples over at Newlyweds Bliss today!

Hardware store adventure

I did a post on my Grenada blog all about the stores here in Grenada where you can find crafting supplies.  
There is a fabric store, there is a tiny store where you can buy beads and jewelry makings, and then there is the hardware store.

The hardware store is home to a lot of gem's one might not normally find.... because you aren't looking with the right mindset.  Grenada has changed the way I look at everything!

I have been joking with my friends that Grenadians think that I am insane.  They see me coming and think what is this crazy white girl doing today.

Case in point:
I was wasting some time waiting on a bus at the hardware store last week.  I was roaming up and down every single aisle looking for inspiration in anything and everything.  In the back corner I stopped to examine the area where they cut keys.  Keys are a favorite thing of mine (what isn't right?) and so I was looking at them and an employee approached me and asked if I needed assistance... here is the convo:
How much is a key?  
Which key? - any key
You just want a key? - yes
A automobile key is $20EC -  yikes! do you have any mistake keys?  Keys you have cut and the person didn't buy?
You want a key that doesn't work? - sure
*pulls out a box of damaged keys* - yes! how much are those keys?
I have no idea... let me ask someone
*3rd person enters*
She wants a damaged key? - yes
Why? - I like to make things.  I think I could hang it on a necklace or put it on a picture
.....................
I guess you can have one. - for free?!
Yes...

And that is how the exchange went.  Two Grenadian men think I am crazy, but I got 2 free damaged automobile keys out of it! :)

They're about 3 inches long.  I haven't decided what to do with them yet, I think I'm going to paint them and hang them on a chain.  I'll be sure to let you know.

Have you gotten anything damaged from a store for free before?? Have you ever thought about asking for damaged keys?  It's worth a try!  This is something I will for sure be trying again!

That darn cabinet.

Do you remember that horribly awkward cabinet I have dividing my living room and kitchen?
I am still on the mission to cover up the glass panes and hide all my dishes and food that fills these cabinets.
but I think the cabinet is winning.

This is our apartment on the day we moved in.
I can't believe how empty it looks.  Where did I get all of this stuff?!
oh yea. from the trash...

Halloween Party Last year
the cabinet looks slightly less cluttered because I was literally using all our dishes for the party.
and um like jello much?

Christmas snowflakes

so apparently the bottom looked so bad I just cropped it out.

And this is what it looks like today:

I only had 2 sheets of tissue paper left, and they're not even the same color, but it is more noticeable in this photo than it is in real life, and they aren't big enough to cover the entire glass, so I added the newspaper to tie into the newspaper roses I made and for more texture, but I still don't know about it.
I want it to look full and complete, but not cluttered, you know?

Glass panes aside, I love the top shelf. 

that wine bottle again! 
I don't even drink wine, I just like the bottle.  I picked some flowers and berries & bam fall decor!
That triangle is a piece of wood I found wrapped in twine & the basket really deserves a post all of its own... it is a Calabash.  A fruit  that I picked, carved out like a basket, and let dry.  They sell them in the markets here.  When I get home I'm probably going to paint it. or not. I like the color and texture.

remember when I made magazine roses? well newspaper roses are even better!
I love the texture and they are much easier to mold into shape.

love my sign from the ditch!

Do you have a problem area in your home that you're always trying to cover up or fix?
I'm open to suggestions for mine!  But remember that I don't have a Target or Goodwill to run to buy something...

beauty from the rubbish

You're going to think I'm crazier than ever... but last week when I went on my twig hunt {and came home with that sign} I also came home with a random piece of metal wire, kind of like that used for a cage or something.
When I first saw it I thought it would be great to hang my earrings on, I've seen similar DIYs all over the internet, but once I started looking at it, I got a different type of inspiration. 
I have been drying some different flowers and leaves for fall decorations and decided that the rusted wire and the dried flowers would be a great combination.

Putting the fear of tetanus aside I began flattening out the wire and trimmed it down to about a 10x10in square.  After cutting the wire I bent the sharp edges down.

Arranged the dried flowers and hot glued them to the wire.

Added a little lace across the top for a hanger.

And since my hanging options are limited... I temporarily hung it from the light switch.

side note: see that red switch? it's to turn the heat on for our shower! crazy!

This week I'll be sharing some more of the little bits of fall I'm bringing into our home! 
Who's to say that because it's still a tropical island outside it can't be autumn in inside? :)

Wall Art on the cheap

 

This is the wall over our tiny little kitchen table (only big enough for 2 chairs)

and I thought I'd share with you what this array of random stuff is!

• The painting of the man and woman dancing is cut out of a magazine.  I just loved both the painting and the long vertical shape of it.  (free... not my magazine :)
• The silverware is drawn on black paper with white chalk.  don't touch it or it will smear. lol (cheap and easy!)
• The black square is electrical tape (cheap)
• The picture is my husband and I from our engagement pictures stuck inside of a card and taped to the wall. (cheap)
• The bird is cut out of a grey paint sample (free!)
• The chain of flowers is made out of toilet paper rolls!  (free!)
• The purple frame is also a cut up paint sample (free!)

Wall art for pennies!  

And.... it is all paper products and light weight because our walls are concrete so everything must be taped up.. or hot glued. which I have found works great! 

Hanging above is my $4 Ikea paper lantern light.  I brought this in my suitcase with me because I just knew the lighting in this apartment would be horrible.  and I was right. we basically have outdoor porch lights inside.
you can read about how I covered up one of those lights here.

My favorite thing about this wall is how it all came together from random scraps and the ascending flow.
note don't be afraid to play around with the placement of  your wall art.

decorating with beach finds #4

I am constantly collecting shells here in Grenada.
but what do you do with them all? 
make art of course.

I started with another piece of wood I found on the side of the road (lots of wood lying around here evidently)

Then a collection of random shells in various sizes and colors

Then armed with a hot glue gun I created a heart out of the shells.

and finished it off with some twine wrapped around the edges to frame it.

it is not perfectly square and I like that about it, so I used to  twine border to emphasize it.


want some more shell projects?
shell windchime
shell display 
conch shell planters 

Linking up with :
The DIY Showoff
Craft Confessions 
Tip Junkie
Handmade Tuesdays @ Ladybug blessings 
Take a look Tuesday @ Sugar Bee Crafts
Funky Polkadot Giraffe 
Reasons to skip the housework
Coastal Charm 
Christina's Adventures

subway sign-ish art

I found this piece of wood literally on the side of the road.
and drug it home.

and it sat here for probably 2 months. until I brought some paints back to the island with me & got inspired to paint it like a subway sign.
well.... it's kinda hard to paint perfect letters you know. so I went for something a little easier.
Lee and I's song (kinda) is Firefly by Jimmy Needham.  we have like 5 songs. but this is one of the best I think.
It's fun and sweet.
so I used a line from it and wrote it out on the board and Lee loves it!
:) it makes me even happier when he approves of my antics.


before. I just washed it off and took the nails out.





so it's a little huge. I literally have no where else to put it.... and I think it kinda balances things out. just ignore that half of it is hanging off the edge of the desk.




linking up with:
http://iamalongfortheride.blogspot.com/
http://iamonly1woman.blogspot.com/

free find friday!!

While doing that photo shoot with the VW Van I spotted this in a trash heap nearby!
I obviously risked tetanus and rat sightings to save this awesome piece from the trash!