thrift

Jackpot

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Over the weekend, my girls and I found a garage sale that seemed as if it was created just for us.  It was awesome.  That is why we went back three separate times.  (Yes, this is true.  Three. Times.)  First off, the sale was located on a beautiful property housing a barn, several out-buildings and a cute little home.  The expansive lawn was dotted with gorgeous antiques throughout it’s beautiful flower gardens.  Very Victorian.  I loved it.  Then as we neared the selling area, we discovered it was filled with two main categories of items:  teaching materials and antiques.  Oh boy.  The three of us Fagan girls were in heaven.

We ended up carting home some beautiful vintage towels and clothes pins,  several cookbooks and gardening books dating as far back as 1952, and we outfitted our entire homeschool operation with books and other school supplies.  I would say it was a huge success.

What were you up to this weekend?  I would love to hear.  Enjoy your week, friends.

A Place Of Their Own

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I’m sure all of you mamas out there know how this goes.  The holidays are now over, and space needs to be created for all those gifts that the little ones found under the tree Christmas morning.  Our biggest issue this year was that both girls received a lot of project materials (which is amazing…don’t get me wrong), but the problem arose when each girl wanted her own space to create, discover, and “just be in peace.” (That was my oldest…always wanting her “peace” 🙂 )

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So, I ventured to my parents’ basement, where I can always find a few trinkets that I need, and emerged with an antique desk that my sister and I used when we played “school” all those years ago.  I then went to the thrift store and picked up a table.  I painted both these pieces to match our existing decor in our basement.  It must, of course, all coordinate right?

And yes, that is a sewing machine…for my three year old.  That was the one item she asked for for Christmas.  She never wavered, never faltered.  Each and every time someone asked her what she wanted for Christmas, her response was, “A real sewing machine.”  Oh my.

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I also let my oldest paint the trim on her table, to add a bit of personal pizzazz, and then covered it with a water-based finish to avoid any chipping.

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Now each girl has a bit of space, all her own, where she can get lost in her creative world.  More on the projects created in these spaces later this week.

Old Things

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Many years ago (I believe I was in junior high), my extended family gathered at my grandma and grandpa’s home for our annual Easter celebration.  My grandma, who was always filled with creative ideas, told each member of the family sit in a circle in the family room.  She and my grandpa then proceeded to hand each of us a plastic Easter egg.  Once everyone had two eggs each, one from my grandma and one from my grandpa, we were told to open the egg.  Inside each egg was a tiny slip of paper.  On each slip was written one thing that my grandma and grandpa found to be unique to each of us.

To this day, I have not forgotten what Grandpa “Dit” wrote on my slip of paper:  “You like old things.”  Those four words could not be more fitting to describe me.  I have worn vintage clothes from thrift stores since seventh grade, love old music, enjoy antiquing, and I have been especially obsessed with refurbishing old pieces of furniture since I has in high school.

Over the course of the past several weeks I felt that itch again.  The itch to take something old and unique and make it new again.  So while my husband was on spring break last week and he spent his hours relishing in the time he could spend with the girls, I got to work on some projects.

For some time now, I have been wanting to find antique pieces to refinish and then use to redecorate our outdoor space.  We spend almost every waking moment out there come summer time, and I felt like the area needed a bit of sprucing up.  My husband’s grandmother, gave me a beautiful iron garden table that I stripped and then repainted.

I then went to every thrift store and antique mall in the city (and my husband will attest that there are MANY in our area), and finally came upon a fabulous dining room table that had two additional leaves that could be added.  With a little tender loving care I knew it would be the perfect table for our many outdoor summer gatherings with family and friends.  I repainted the bottom portion of the table, my husband fastened the leaves together so that it would stay together permanently, and I then put several layers of outdoor polyurethane on the table top to add some extra protection.

I have a few more projects in the works, so stay tuned…

“Sew” Much Fun

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It seems that every year when January and February roll around I get this need to do a project.  Last year it was the girls’ new, shared bedroom.  Out with the crib and whole nursery scene and in with the “big girl stuff,” as my girls like to say.

This year when January rolled around I again got this yearning for some sort of crafty undertaking.  I happened to be on a blog that I love and follow regularly, SouleMama.com, and she had some pictures of the most adorable little flannel night gowns and I knew that I had found my project.

In her post she mentioned that she used a Butterick B4910 pattern for the gowns and I began to get a little nervous.  Now you see, I had never actually used a pattern in my entire life.  My sewing skills up until this point consisted of items like one-seam sun dresses, pillow case dresses, quilts, and fabric napkins.  So you can image my surprise when I carefully opened the Butterick package to find those lovely brown pieces of tissue paper with print all over them.  Oh my.  Talk about a flood of anxiety!

But after some work, I realized that I truly LOVED this whole sewing thing.  And then I became obsessed.  I made 6 nightgowns (some for my girls, some for a birthday present, some just to make for when I come across anyone who may want one).  Here are two of the gowns I made for my girls for their Valentine’s Day present.

Then I thought to myself, “My goodness, if I can make this gown, why not try the shirt and pants that are in the pattern as well?”  So on I went with my sewing, a little bit each day, and my how I have realized this is an amazing way to relax and unwind at the end of a crazy day.  Here are some of the PJs I made out of some vintage cotton curtains I thrifted.  I felt like Maria straight out of Sound of Music…ha!

Once I was on the repurposing kick, I found an old sling I used with my youngest and decided to make a school bag for her because she will be starting preschool in the fall.

I definitely believe I have found a new love, and it is my Brother sewing machine.