Procrastination Reinvented

Hey y'all! (So sorry for all the times I've mispelled y'all, a sweet southern girl set me straight!)

Leave it to me to be LATE FOR A PROCRASTINATION PARTY!

I'm so ashamed of my tardiness. ALMOST as ashamed as I am of the hideous piece of "furniture" I'm about to show you.

This sorry excuse for a bookcase is OLD. I got it from my college roommate, who got it from her parents. When we were moving out of our apartment (to marry BROTHERS, no less), she GAVE this bookcase to me, and I'm just now gettin' the joke.

A few years ago I painted it white and put it in my oldest daughter's room for her books (duh!). She's 14, so it probably hasn't been dusted in, like, FOUR YEARS.

Here's a close-up of the bottom shelf.

YUK!

So why is it in my foyer? WELL...

This short wall in my foyer between the den and the dining room (oh my gosh, you can see the crap on the dining room table!) has always looked like I forgot to dress its bottom.

But hubby insisted that anything I put there not interfere with traffic flow to the kitchen (the hall and stairwell are to the right). When my daughter decided that the bookcase wasn't cool enough for her anymore ( I do NOT know where that girl gets her decor fickleness...), I thought it would be the perfect size for this space and carried it right down.

AND THERE IT HAS BEEN FOR, LIKE, MONTHS. DIRTY AND WHITE.

Thanks to Melissa, at The Inspired Room, and her Procrastination Party, this poor bookcase is FINALLY gonna be reborn. 'Cuz now I HAVE to have it done in 2 WEEKS. Stay tuned!

Check out all of the other Procrastinators at The Inspired Room!

Trash to Treasure Tuesday--Frugal Frames

Whew! Painting $19 pillows is STRESSFUL, let's play in the thrift store pile today.







FRAMES. FRAMES. FRAMES. I think frames are the easiest items to find at thrift stores and garage sales. That must be why I've posted about them so many times! I am amazed at the number of unimaginative people that will sell or donate an empty frame or a piece of "art" with great trim, unable to see its POTENTIAL.







We've worked on plenty of frame projects here on REINVENTED (remember the tray and the message board?), but today's projects are of the QUICK, EASY AND FAMILY FRIENDLY variety.







First up, this little beauty.

Thanks a LOT, that is the after. (you didn't think I'd actually remember the before pic, did you?) This was a plain square wooden frame. $1.99 at the Goodwill. I spray painted it Heirloom White, then let my daughter pick out scrapbook paper and ribbon to match her room. I traced the frame onto the paper, cut it out and Mod Podged it on. The ribbon is attached with hot glue. Judging from the LOVE in my 10 year old's eyes, I'm thinkin' this would make a great gift for a preteen. AND it was less than $5 total.

This next idea works SO WELL for our family. I found this fabulous distressed black frame at a garage sale last spring. I printed out a list of frequently used phone numbers and framed it with some decorative paper. This sits next to our phone and we ALL use it. I could have just programmed these numbers into our phone, but the people I live with don't remember ANYTHING THAT I TELL THEM, so we needed a constant visual reminder.

THAT'S IT!! A couple of quick and easy projects to make your life EASIER, but not more EXPENSIVE.

Link up ladies!!

Welcome ya'll from Mod Podge Mania! Check out the fun projects!

Punched-up Pillows

Remember these? (these linen pillows are on clearance at The Company Store if you're interested)

In case you don't remember, I bought two, the aqua blue and the linen beige color for my family room. Yes, every once in awhile I buy something new.

The pillows were plain, though, and I like PATTERN. I decided to try my hand at fabric painting. Now, usually I just dive in to my projects with abandon, but this time I was nervous. These pillows were on sale, but they weren't the $1.99 price I usually pay for Goodwill stuff.

I ACTUALLY GOT OUT THE TAPE MEASURE. AND I WAS CAREFUL.

But that's not all. You want directions? You got 'em.

1. First, I washed the pillow covers on the gentle cycle and let them air dry.



2. Then I put a piece of cardboard inside for a more stable surface and so the paint wouldn't bleed through.



3. I used stencils and fabric paint, following the directions on the paint bottle. You're right, DIRECTIONS aren't usually my style either.

Here are the finished pillows:

The aqua blue one. Here it is on the sofa.

And here's the linen colored one. Kind of my version of a grain sack look. This one's still drying, so the pillow form isn't in there yet. (See the tape measure? I TOLD you I used it.)

This project was surprisingly easy. The fabric took the paint very well. After they're completely dry, I have to heat set them with my iron (IF I can find it), then they'll be good to wash after 72 hours. Give this a try and let me know how it goes!

If you'd like another idea for the "vintage grain sack" look, check out this post at Joys of Home.

Don't forget, tomorrow is Trash to Treasure Tuesday!!

I'm a Canvas Curtain Copy Cat

I heart canvas drop cloths.





This is NOT news. These babies are WAY TOO COOL to do something silly like catch stray drops of paint.


I use old sheets for that task, SO, I didn't even know these rough textured beauties existed until I saw Layla's curtains!




I bought one to use as a table cloth, and that was great.


Then I started thinkin'. (here comes the smoke again)



I have this window in my family room. With this PLAID valance.




It's okay, but I was ready for a change, and had already removed the matching throw pillows from the room. I decided to give the drop cloth a try, since I love the texture and the color is nice and neutral. I bought some ribbon, and came up with this:

I think they have that shabby French, vintage grain sack kind of look. In an "I don't have any money for that stuff" kind of way.

Here's a close up of the ribbon, trimmed in my new favorite accent color, aqua.

All I had to do was fold the drop cloth over an existing curtain rod, then gather up the fabric, folding it like a paper fan and tied the ribbon around. The knots are behind the curtain.

An easy, quick change. MY KIND OF DECORATING, I TELL YA.

I'm linking up to Frugal Friday at the Shabby Nest, one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE blogs. Check out the thrify decor ideas!

Does This Blog Make Me Look Green?

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE...REINVENT?

This whole EARTH DAY thing has got me thinkin'. Sorry, I'm sure that the smoke coming out of my ears is SO not helping.

Many of the people I've met in this blogging journey have commented on the fact that reinventing helps, or at least doesn't harm the environment. I have to admit, this was NOT my original intent, to have a GREEN blog.

I'm still pretty sure that knowledgeable environmentalists would NOT consider this a green blog, you know, the whole SPRAY PAINT thing and all. But I do think that reusing, or UPCYCLING home decor items not only saves us money, it saves space in landfills, and maybe a little bit saves some of the pollution caused by making new stuff.

What do you think? How green are you?

How green am I, you ask? (oh sure, turn the question around to me!) Well.. we recycle everything that we can, and are pretty proud of the fact that we only put out 1-2 bags of trash each week for a family of 6. But if we started composting, and stopped with the disposable napkins and paper towels, we could do even better.

I carry reusable shopping bags everywhere I go, something I know that millions do. I still forget them sometimes, so I could do better.

We use CFL light bulbs, although I don't think they put out as much light as the old kind. I was thrilled to find out recently that CFL's can be recycled at Home Depot. Sometimes I go with the old standard when I think I HAVE to have better light, so I could do better.

I do use non-toxic cleaning products, and LOVE that I can make my kids clean without worrying about what they're inhaling!! But I still get out the bleach myself sometimes, so I could do better.

Can you tell I've been feeling the nudge to do more? My way of thinking is changing. I honestly think twice now before writing something off as useless, or throwing it away. And not just the decorative stuff either.

Any suggestions?

Trash to Treasure--Scrappy Signs

Good Tuesday morning, everyone, and welcome to Trash to Treasure Tuesday. And welcome all of you visiting from Life in Grace's Painted Wood is Pretty party!

(To those of you who expected me to be here yesterday, I apologize. Had to take a sick day.)

I didn't even have to SHOP at the Goodwill or even a garage sale for today's trashy treasure. I shopped the BASEMENT, specifically my husband's stash of wood scraps. He loves woodworking, and I love WOOD TRASH, what a match made in heaven!

I have literally gone ON AND ON about my love for the letter "B", but I honestly LOVE the entire alphabet, and use typography throughout my home. There are good deals to be had on lettered signs in most home decor stores, but, you know me, I don't just want a GOOD deal, I want a FREE DEAL. And, if I can make something beautiful out of something that would otherwise be thrown away, well, then I'm positively GIDDY.

Leftover wood is perfect for signs. It's already straight, and since I'm CROOKED, I appreciate that. It's lightweight, and easy to hang. And, wood loves spray paint. I can identify with that too.

This sign was made out of a piece of scrap plywood, and hangs above the window in the dining area of our great room. My husband routered the edges. I used a stencil from JoAnn's for the letters. As you can tell, I didn't measure very well/at all, so the letters aren't spaced perfectly. This drives my engineer husband CRAZY.

This sign I used on my table at the business expo last weekend. I thought it would capture attention, and it DID. This is a piece of base moulding that I turned upside down so the flat edge was at the top. I used the same stencil as above.

Some of you may remember this sign, hanging in my kids' bathroom. This was made from a holiday sign I found at the Goodwill, I just painted over someone else's design. I made a homemade stencil with Microsoft Word for this project. Check HERE for the directions.

Now it's TIME TO PARTY! Link up those projects ladies! Please remember to link back to REINVENTED, so that we can spread the love!

(If you're new to REINVENTED, just click on the numbered links below and you'll be transported to other blogs with fabulous Trash to Treasure ideas!)

Saturday Shout-Outs

Welcome everyone to the WEEKEND!

I would also like to welcome all of the new visitors that I met today at the Women Helping Women Business Expo. I was thrilled to encounter such enthusiasm for the concept of REINVENTED, thanks for joining our repurposeful community!

NOW FOR THE LINKS! (I know that's why you're here!)

This fabulous wall art is made from repurposed cabinet doors, with the inset covered in decorative paper, from Down Home DIY.

I love how the door creates a nice wide frame with lots of detail.

Another canvas drop cloth project at Vintage Chica. This awesome mom made these floor pillows for her kids' treehouse. I am falling in LOVE with these canvas drop cloths. I even covered my table at the expo today with one!

Looking for a FREE way to update your accessories for a new season? Kimberly, from Custom Nursery Art by Kimberly hosted an ACCESSORY SWAP! This is one of the best ideas for a party I've seen.

Sarah, from Create Studio, one of my FAVORITE new finds, has a great post on REINVENTING your leftover Easter candy. If only we had some left...

Would there be something wrong with buying MORE Easter candy on clearance, just so I can try these great ideas? No, of course not.

ENJOY THIS BEAUTIFUL WEEKEND EVERYONE, AND MEET ME BACK HERE ON MONDAY!

Creatively Covered Cast-offs

Remember that Top Ten List of Garage Sale and Thrift Store Finds?

Well, these trays are #11, or at least they will be when I find some. Plain old storage trays covered in wallpaper (hmmm, textured wallpaper?), scrapbook paper, tissue paper, wrapping paper, fabric... OOOH the possibilities.

Find the instructions here, at DIY Ideas.com.

Would you believe I've been sitting here for over FIVE minutes trying to think of something that rhymes with PAPER? You know, for one of my famous poems...

I think I'll just go to bed now. You're welcome.

Trash to Treasure Tuesday--Reinvented on the Road!

Treasures, treasures, EVERYWHERE!

I have been on a mad "reinvention" spree. Nothing in my path is safe. I have raided and pillaged every thrift store in town.

Why, you ask? Can't you people just trust me and GO WITH IT? Why are you always asking me to explain myself?

Oh, yeah, I started this blog, didn't I?

The reason for my madness?? I'm taking REINVENTED on the ROAD!

Well, just about 10 minutes up the road, actually. I will be at the WOMEN HELPING WOMEN BUSINESS EXPO at Church of the Resurrection in New Albany, Ohio on Saturday from 9-2pm.

YEAH, THIS SATURDAY. Yikes!

I'm taking this opportunity to introduce our little REINVENTED community to my "in real life" community. And I plan to have LOTS of "reinvented" treasures to share. Why does this make me so nervous?

I even have BUSINESS CARDS! Oh. my. gosh.

Let's change the subject, my anxiety level is getting a little out of hand.

So...Spring is not only the best time for garage sales, it's also the BEST time to shop the thrift stores.

I love it when OTHER PEOPLE SPRING CLEAN! They get rid of stuff that I want. There's one complication to this scenario. Their houses get cleaner, and mine gets more cluttered.

I even found items last week that didn't need reinvented.

Isn't that silver bowl adorable? And the aqua bottle? Perfect for my spring color scheme that I'm liking so much it may be my ALL YEAR ROUND color scheme. I'm not sure what that metal "cage" is, but it reminds me of a beehive.

That glass dome is part of a cheese server. I painted the base and added a crystal bowl with some phlox. Like a mini terrarium.

I have food storage jars with chalkboard labels, and LOTS OF POTS. This one would be perfect for my herb garden. I need a little help sometimes remembering what I planted!

Some stuff REALLY NEEDED HELP. But you'll have to trust me on that, 'cuz I forgot the before picture of this next project.

This chalkboard used to be a 70's wooden plaque with a decoupaged still-life on it that PROBABLY was quite "in" in the 70's. Can you picture it? Good. With a purple "frame" it's perfect for a little girl's room.

Okay, now it's YOUR TURN to do the talking! Link up your projects ladies! Please be sure to link back to REINVENTED, so that your readers can enjoy the projects too!

Curiously Clever Containers

Any container gardeners out there? Can I see a show of hands? Oops, guess that won't work, will it?

I prefer to garden in containers. I live in the land of clay soil, so the only plants that go in the ground are planted by my gardener/husband, the guy with the strong arms and BIG shovel.

I've shared a few of my ideas for containers with personality.

Believe it or not, there are GOOD IDEAS out there in the world that aren't MINE. Lots of them, actually.

Here are a few more frugal but clever container ideas.This is a thrift store light fixture turned upside down and filled with potting soil. Cool, huh?

How many of these have you seen at the dollar store? No drainage problems here. And it's PORTABLE. Just move the plants wherever the party happens to be!






I love the look of these galvanized buckets. Find them at home stores or garage sales.

An old tool box? Adorable, and available at antique stores and flea markets.

More buckets, but this time as a window "box"! Now, if only I can get the guy with the shovel to drill holes in the house to hang them. Probably NOT gonna happen.

Basil planted in a discarded tea kettle? How perfect for a kitchen garden!

I'd love to hear your ideas for clever containers! Share them in the comments.

Don't forget tomorrow is Trash to Treasure Tuesday. Get those projects ready to share!

(all pictures from bhg.com)

Bedtime Stories

Do you like bedtime stories?

I do.

Before I show you today's project, I thought I'd share an excerpt from one of my favorites.

Yes, BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND (seriously, I got an e-mail) it's my mom crush, DR. SEUSS. (you MUST read this out loud for the full effect)

"The news

Just came in

From the County of Keck

That a very small bug

By the name of Van Vleck

Is yawning so wide

You can look down his neck.

This may not seem

Very important, I know.

But it is. So I'm bothering

Telling you so.

A yawn is quite catching, you see. Like a cough.

It just takes one yawn to start other yawns off.

Creatures are starting to think about rest.

Two Biffer-Baum Birds are now building their nest.

They do it each night. And quite often I wonder

How they do this big job without making a blunder.

But that is their problem.
Not yours. And not mine.

The point is: They're going to bed.

And that's fine."

I really can't explain why I LOVE this so much. That brilliant rhyming is so orderly, and calming. And HILARIOUS.

So, ANYWAY, I would read bedtime stores like this every night, if I didn't have THIS by my bed.

See the headless lamp? A little difficult to read by.

I found a plain white shade at the Goodwill, and got out my textured wallpaper and paint. I TOLD you you'd see this stuff again.

Not bad for $1.99, huh? (the shade is a little small, I know)

Now if only I could get my hands on a copy of the Grinch...

Welcome Lamp Partiers! I've linked my silly post up to the Nester's Lampalooza party!

Trash to Treasure, The Leggy Edition

I love me some furniture with curvy legs. Remember Grandma's chair?

Look at those curvalicious legs. She looks great in a micro-mini, huh? Like I always say, only wear a mini-skirt if you've got fabulous legs. (this would be why I don't own any mini-skirts)

For today's Trash to Treasure, I started with ONE CURVY LEG.

What is she going to do with THAT, you might ask. Don't worry, I have no plans to start a business selling one-legged chairs. Or pedestal tables for guinea pigs.

Here I have gathered my supplies. Have you noticed how good I am at taking BEFORE pictures this week?

AND... Here's the treasure! Not the strawberries, silly. See how I painted the candlestick and attached the plate??

Here's another plate and candlestick combo.

The plate isn't attached to this one, so that I can exercise my right to change my mind.

My fat bird lives here.

I heart her because she makes me feel skinny, and I haven't found any jeans that can do that.

Okay, everyone, I'm so excited to see your TREASURES! Link up your post below, and PLEASE link back to Reinvented, so that your readers can enjoy all of the creativity!

A Feature! A Feature! A TCB Feature!

OMG, OMG, OMG. I was just surfin' around, like I always do on Mondays, and I stopped by Today's Creative Blog.

AND. THERE. I. WAS.!!!

I am completely honored to be today's FEATURED BLOG. My heart is still pounding from the excitement of discovery. (does this count as aerobic exercise? I'm thinkin' YEAH)

Go check out all of the great features that Kim writes. But if you find something really cool, don't abandon me, okay?

If you're looking for Met Monday, scroll down, I just HAD to post twice today!

Tray-ariffic!

Good Monday morning everyone!

Did you wake up this morning to breakfast in bed?

Did you serve drinks to your friends on the terrace this weekend?

Me neither. But I'm thinking maybe someday.

I do have an idea to make these hostess duties more fun and PRETTIER.

I started my Metamorphosis Monday project with THIS:

Sorry for the sideways picture, but it's even uglier right side up, so I'm actually doing you a favor.

What I did:

1. I took apart the frame and print, discarded the print (in the recycling box, of course), and cleaned the glass and frame.



2. I sanded the frame. Yes, I actually did the sanding part myself this time.



3. I/my husband drilled holes in the short sides of the frame.



4. I painted the frame with semi-gloss white spray paint.



5. I stapled fabric to the original cardboard backing.



6. I added drawer pulls to the short sides of the frame.



7. I attached a thin piece of plywood to the back of the frame with screws to finish it off and make it strong.

Here's the finished product:

Perfect for a pitcher of lemonade and a snack, don't you think?

Or this:

There you have it, girls and guy (I have to say that because Remodeling Guy might stop by!), the perfect thrifty summer patio accessory!

Be sure to check out all of the other projects on Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch!

Saturday Shout-Outs

Happy Saturday, my friends! I hope you are all enjoying the same sunshine that we are today. The temperature may even hit 60! (I know, that's still pretty chilly for some of you southern babes, but it's downright balmy to us midwestern chics!)

No surprise here, but I found more FABULOUS ideas and makeovers this week in blogland, and I think they are all from bloggers that I've never featured before!

Oh, how I love meeting new friends with cool ideas.

If you haven't been to The Lettered Cottage yet, you MUST GO NOW. Seriously. Layla made dropcloth drapes! These cool curtains are made out of canvas drop cloths! And there's NO SEWING involved!!

Speaking of canvas, and NOT sewing it, I found the directions for making a canvas tote pillow, at Funky Junk Interiors.

How cool is that? And pretty durable for outside use, I bet.

Last, but certainly not least, just LOOK at this breakfast tray, from Infarrantly Creative.

Just click on the link for detailed directions to craft this beauty out of a plain old breakfast tray that you could probably find at the Goodwill, or a garage sale.

Have fun! Meet me back here on Monday for a metamorphosis!

Wallpaper, It's Not Just for Walls Anymore!

Wallpaper. You either HATE it, or LOVE it.

I've had enough bad experiences trying to remove a previous owner's questionable wallpaper choices to KNOW that I DON'T want wallpaper actually adhered to my walls. The fact that I HAVE NO IDEA how to wallpaper has nothing to do with it.

Thankfully, there are other ways to add the color and pattern of wallpaper to your rooms without commiting to cover the entire wall.

AND, they often have wallpaper at the GOODWILL. Ahem, let me pause to contain my excitement.

I used thrift store wallpaper to create the background for these photographs.

I have A LOT left, so you'll probably see this again. and again.

Here are some more great ideas. (all photos from bhg.com)

This picture makes me want to buy more clothes, so that I need another dresser. Perfectly sensible, don't ya think?

Genius here! It's on the wall, without actually being ON the wall.

Cover an ugly frame with wallpaper. I'm thinkin' this might be the next use for my textured roll.

Oh, how I HEART this screen. And the chair, and the sweater, and the floor...

Just adorable. Now if only I had that much jewelry... and nail polish...

Oh my. The GOODWILL has lots of plates and wooden plaques. An entire graphic art display for pennies!

I gotta admit, I SERIOUSLY considered bringing out Dr. Seuss for this post, but I decided to give y'all a break. You're welcome.