Before and After of Mom's Chair

My mom had a chair.  It was a nice stately chair.  Looks more like a Dad chair.  Like the Papa Bear chair in the Goldilocks and The Three Bears.  For someone who says they "hate" reupholstering, she sure has a lot of reupholstered stuff in her house.  I know when I hate something, I generally avoid doing it.  Like cleaning my house.  Just kidding......  Or am I?

I'm lovin' the geometric pattern she chose.  I'm glad she left it wood - I'm a painting fiend, and probably would have destroyed the value of this chair by giving it a good couple coats of Valspar!  Good job, Mom.  Teach me how to reupholster, perty please!

Thrifty Thoughts #26-28

26. Clothing:  Buy clothes on clearance.  To me this is a no-brainer, I'm pretty sure I've never paid full retail price on a clothing item or accessory in my entire life.  Unless I bought it at the dollar store.  (what?  clothes at the dollar store? Tori's first swimsuit actually came from Dollar Tree, and boy was it cute!  And didn't fall apart, either.  In case you were wondering...).  But it's March, and new spring/summer merchandise is pouring into stores, NOW is when you buy jeans, sweaters, coats, etc. for less than Goodwill prices (think Kohls)!!  School shopping in August?  No, no, no.  Buy the kid's clothes now (just a size bigger of course) and pay up to 90% off!!!

This pic is a few years old, but if I remember correctly, the shorts were $4, $2 for the top, and the hubby's were about the same!  I try not to spend more than $5 on an article of clothing. Unless it's a dress that I LOVE.  Then I might pay $10 tops!  I tend to be a little trendy too - you don't have to look like you just stepped out of St. Vincent De Paul, but you can pay those prices (and even shop there!) and still look marvelous!  Click HERE for my "fashion on the cheap" post.

27. Produce: Look for the "priced for quick sale" produce at your grocery store.  Probably 75% of the time, the shelves are filled with unrecognizable fruits and veggies, but maybe that's cuz I'm a hick and don't eat things like avocados, Artichokes, and Kumquats, but on some rare occasions I hit the jackpot and find a shelf or two full of bell peppers.  Now folks, I've never bought a bell pepper from their regular home on the produce shelf.  Just one of those things I love but won't pay for.  So when I find 15 peppers all for pocket change and in need of eating within the next three days, I STOCK UP.  How do you "stock up" on a perishable you ask?  Am I really going to eat all those in the next couple of days?  'Course not.  I slice them allllll up, toss them into containers and freeze them.  Then when I'm making a dish that calls for red bell peppers, hello convenience!  Double smiles around the house.

28. Handsoap.  Buy a huge liquid handsoap refiller (when it's on sale of course) and use your old pump bottles.  Like the foaming soap from Bath and Body Works?  Did you know you can use the pump over again by using both liquid refill soap and water?  You gotta make sure you get the right amount, or else it won't pump out right.  Fill it about 1/4 full of soap, and then add water slowly, leaving space at the top for the pump.  So much less wasted soap and much cheaper!  Especially if you have 2 little boys who think their hands are dirty enough to necessitate 5 pumps of soap!  (Thanks Sarah, for enlightening me with this handy tip last summer!)

obviously, I've used this bottle more than a few times! 

And those are all the money saving tips I feel like sharing with you today!  Actually, I had a few more, but the boys are yelling in the bathtub, and water is starting to drip out of the light fixture in the ceiling.  Just kidding.  But that has happened.....  Ta ta!

Chair Redo

before.....

Last time I went to the Goodwill As Is store, which was last fall, which was way too long of a time period to be away from that place, which is where I purchased all three of the above for a total of $5, I saw that chair and knew it'd be cute any way other than the way it was in it's present condition.  I'll take a breath now.

after.....

With some white paint, and a fresh swatch of fabric, doesn't it just look like something you'd want to sit down on and holler, "WELCOME, SPRING!"?  Actually, I hollered it today while gallivanting around outside with my boys, but I could do it sittin' in that there chair too.  Happy Almost Spring, Ya'll!!

Black Distressed Mirror

Goodwill find.  Five dollars.  Google Image, since I forgot a freakin' before.  Great in grandma's house, but I'm not a grandma.

Sooooooooo I painted it red, let it dry, and then did a coat of black over top which I wiped off here and there with a rag while it was still wet.  Easy peasy and I loved the updated distressed look!!  The nice thing about mirrors is, if you get paint on the glass, it's easy to just scratch right off with a fingernail!  Mmmmmm hmmm...  I like that.  :)  Can you tell by my short, choppy sentences that I'm in a hurry?  It's nice out and I'm in a hurry to get out to the barn while my kids are napping.  I'm out, yo!

Want Two Free Kam's Kards??

Just grab a Kammy's Korner button on the right side of my page and post it on your blog!  Send me the link so I can verify and I'll contact you.  Who doesn't love to be on the receiving end of a hand crafted card?  Well if you're me, I like any card - even if it's on a yellow sticky note.  Does that count as a card?  My hubby is awesome with cards.  Never forgets a special occasion.  Me on the other hand... better not go there.  Wait a sec.  I think we got this thing mixed up.  The husband is supposed to forget, while the wife remembers the day of the first kiss, the first argument, the day we picked out the baby's name, the anniversary of getting our first mini van....  Speaking of momentous occasions, does anyone else out there agree that getting a bouquet of flowers from your spouse is soooo sweet and thoughtful but such a waste of money?!!!  They're gonna DIE in a few days!!  I mean he could have gotten me a new pair of shoes with that money!  Or a few pairs, if you shop like me. :)  So all that to say, grab a button and get some cards!*

*must keep button on your blog for at least a month to be eligible.

Danette's Painted Counter Top

I don't think I exactly started a new phenomenon, but since I posted about my kitchen counter top painting project, I've gotten several calls about it and even a visit (from Danette!) to check mine out.  I am in no way an expert!  But it's been a few months and it's still holding up great and I still love it very much!  Hugs to my counter.  Okay, I don't love it that much.  So anyways, when Danette decided to tackle hers, I told her to make sure and get me some before and after pics of it and she graciously did.

Danette's outdated counter tops BEFORE.

Beautimous I must say!  Maybe the best counter top paint job I've seen!  But then, I haven't seen many....  It's not exactly a popular thing to do - yet.

An up close and personal look at all the texture and color.  I'm pretty sure she said she did this all from three colors.  You out there Danette?  Care to expound? :) 

cabinet - black, white, and a stencil

Introducing Mr. Before Picture.  He offers a firm handshake.

This was a beast to paint.  The fake wood, the bubbly top, it just wasn't very friendly to me.  After giving it a few coats and it still not looking good, and having the paint scratch just by thinking about touching it, I discovered the amazing ability of Wil-Bond (liguid sandpaper).  I applied that, and gave the whole thing another coat of paint.  MUCH BETTER!  It didn't take away all of the little blemishes, but so goes the life of refurbished furniture! 

I took off the hardware and spray painted them silver.  Then after going through my favorite blog on earth, BetterAfter, I got the idea to use my stencil for a little fun decor!  I condsidered finding my measuring tape to get the design just perfect, but then oh sheeesh I'll just eyeball it.   So I learned that with this stencil, eye balling works.  I learned on a previous piece of furniture that eye balling does NOT work with a plain checker pattern.  Nu - uh.

A Cute Surprise

Ain't she darling?  Thanks for your business, Amber!!

So last week, or was that two weeks ago?  I can't keep track of days anymore.  Does having 3 little ones, and being a hermit, do that to you too?  Well whenever it was that I did the craft show in Brooklyn, I just gotta share a few photos from that day.  Cuz shucks, I got an awesome surprise.  I was rearranging some stuff on my table or something and I look up and there is the girl that lives down the road from me (we have a few odd connections - like I found out through my blog that my dining set was hers that I picked up free on the side of the road, stuff like that!) was pushing her adorable little baby girl in her stroller.... and she was wearing a Kammy's Korner Headband!!!  She had bought it at the Western Craft Show back in December.  I was beyond thrilled.  I snapped a picture of her and asked Mommy if it was okay if I posted it.  I also took one of her in the new one she bought that day.  I love repeat customers.  Maybe even more than first time ones!!  Although I love you too, of course!  Because if I didn't have first timers, there would be no such thing as repeaters!  Well,  She said it was okay to post (YAY!!!) so I thought I'd share these little cuties on this lovely sunny Friday afternoon.  Isn't the sunshine GREAT?!!!!!! HELLO WEEKEND!!!!

This was another little Beauty that bought a headband.  She just about made me melt into a puddle with those gorgeous brown eyes.  I LOVED this big yellow posy on her, but Grandma was with her and seemed to think it was a bit much.....

Trying on another.......  still not what Grandma wanted.....

I think she settled on this headband!  Though I'm not sure how many seconds litte Miss actually kept it on!! :)
Remember you can buy headbands for your own little sweetie in my online store CLICK HERE!

Bookcase - A Surprising Before and After

And here it is.  Typical bookshelf.  Blah.  Necessary.  Everyone has one.  Dad was visiting from Iowa.  I wanted a shelf mounted along the top of the wall in my new baby's room.  But he couldn't find the boards he wanted in my hodge podge pile out in the corn crib.  So...  he dismantled this bookshelf that I had paid a whopping $2 for at a garage sale and WA LA - A cute near-the-ceiling shelf to add some pizazz to the nursery. The brackets I had purchased at IKEA at least a year before.  They were so cheap and I just knew I'd use them some day, so I bought 'em and stashed 'em. So have a look-see!  Too bad I just have her brother's pictures up!  You can tell she's the third child - never been to a professional photographer and she's almost 11 months old!  GASP. Terrible Mommy, I tell ya.

And wouldn't ya know it, when I went to take this picture today, I realized - I never finished painting the top of it white! OOOOPS!  When you're short, you don't see things like that.  Outta sight, outta mind....

Tacky... But Temporary!

This is the "door" I have to look at for every meal.  I gave my 4 year old and his friend some crayola paint and told them to make some beautiful art on it for me.  They started with the orange (as you can see), but soon discovered it was fun to paint their hands and clap.  Then put it on their feet and walked around the floor, making orange footprints.  So.... that's as far as the door artwork got.  Until my mom came to visit for a few days and begged me to paint it white.  I refused.  It's only temporary, I said!  I'm not wasting my white paint.  Haha.  So she stuck that big framed picture over it to help ease the big eyesore.  And the reason I have a "door" like this in my kitchen?

BEFORE!!  Because we're getting an addition built at the moment and that little "lean to" laundry room got torn off.  And Since we don't live in Belize, leaving it open to the elements wasn't an option.

The progress as of yesterday!!!!  Maybe soon that eye sore in my kitchen will be a thing of the past!!!

Creamy Ham Chowder - New and Improved! :)

 

I tried to whip this soup up real quick today and invite the construction workes in to have a bowl, but just as I was about to invite them in, I saw their truck roar out of the driveway.  Too late.  Maybe they'd like some for an afternoon snack.  :)  I reeeeally want this addition done by the time my family comes next month!  And if I butter them up with food....  haha...  Anyways, here is my ham chowder minus the can of Progresso soup (I posted a recipe for a soup similiar to this awhile back using a can of Progresso soup as a spring board, but that stuff is expensive!  And I decided Kammy's Chowder didn't need that processed stuff anyway!)  So give this a try and tell me how your family likes it!  As you can see, my boys LOVED it!

Kid approved!  The boys asked for seconds and thirds!

Creamy Ham Chowder

4 potatoes
3 carrots
1 can creamed corn
1 can whole kernel corn
2 cups cubed cooked ham
6 oz cream cheese
3-4 cups milk (amount depends on desired consistency)
onion powder, salt, pepper

Peel and slice potatoes and carrots.  Cover just barely with water and boil for about 15 minutes or until veggies are really soft.  Add remaining ingredients.  Stir often on medium heat.  Do not let boil.  When Cream cheese is completely melted, and steam is wafting up into your nostrils, SOUP'S ON!!

Black Carpeted Night Stand?! Before and After

Someone already decided to give this a makeover - WHAT WERE THEY THINKING!!!  Black carpet on the top?  Maybe it was for a cat play house...  At any rate, it had potential so I snatched it up for a couple bucks.  But whoa.  First, I had to scrape all that black and blue textured spray on paint stuff.  It was awful.  Then after I removed the black carpet top, I had to go on a hunt for something to replace it.  I found this:

yeah that's right, one of those things I bought, got it home and then thought... was something wrong with my head?  The legs are falling apart, it's not worth a dime.  Well hey.   I pulled it out of the pile of junk in the barn (where I throw other things that I probably shouldn't have bought) a couple days ago and....here's where my hubby comes in.  Honey....  will you please take off THIS and put it on THIS?

And what do you know?  It made the perfect top for this nightstand!!  Just put some screws in and it's sturdy as the Eiffel Tower.  The whole shabang got several coats of white paint, a new door knob, and silver paint on the hinges.

The inside was downright frightful.  It was rusty metal...  So I gave it a good scrub.  And then another.  And another.  Then made a mixture of Elmer's glue and water and used a paint brush to coat the inside and cut some scrapbooking paper to fit and.....

A welcoming little cubby!!!  Hope Joanna likes the other half of her birthday present special ordered from her sweet Mom!  It's supposed to match the desk I posted for her yesterday.  Click here to view the before and after polka dot desk.

Desk Makeover - before and after

My great friend's daughter was having a birthday.  She wanted a white desk and nightstand with purple polka dots (as she had seen on previous posts on this here blog!).  I sent her a bunch of shots of the scruffy lookin' stuff I had, and she picked out this desk.  I finally finished it!  Here's how it turned out!  I desperately hope she likes it!!!  This is one of my first "custom" furniture orders, if I recall correctly!!

I majorly sanded the top with my electric sander.  Man I love that thing (awesome garage sale find)!  Then it got several coats of white paint, and I put Wil-Bond on all the shelves on the left to insure against scratching before painting those.  We'll see how that works.  My friend Paul swears by it, so if it gets a scratch, blame him! :)  And lastly, the drawer pulls all got a shot of silver spray paint.

Another angular. :)  Happy Birthday, Joanna!

Book Shelf Before and After - Calm and Cool

I did this before blog days and so didn't get a before pic.  But thanks to google images, it's not hard to find a pic of a plain ole' book shelf - just like the one I had (although mine was rather beat up)!  There is so much you can do with a book case...  But this is what I chose to do with this one:

I thought the aqua green/blue made quite a beautiful backdrop - a calming effect that made other colors (cobalt blue in this case) pop.  There we go again with pop - I haven't had any Mountain Dew in a loooong time.....  Oh it's calling my name.....   Anyways, the other reason I chose that color?  It's what I had!  From my stash of mistints/oops paint of course! And I'm all about using what I got.  You should be too.  Until next time, happy creating!

Hair Bow Display

So I did a VERY last minute craft show last Saturday and wanted a way to display my new hair clips.  My friend who is cleaning out her house just keeps lavishing me with these wonderful treasures - like a table top art easel!  So I thought it would be great to use at the craft show.  I took a plain 16x20 canvas and used a staple gun to secure a wide pink striped ribbon on the back of the canvas frame - top and bottom.  Gave it just a little slack so the clips would slide on easy.

I considered covering the canvas with some funky paper or paint but I think leaving it white makes the colorful clips just POP.  And I love pop - specifically Mountain Dew. :)  Mmmmmmm.

Half Circle Table Before and After

 I did this one a few years ago.  Just fell in LOVE with it at a garage sale and I think I paid $5 for it.  Maybe less.  It got dressed up with some simple black and white paint.  I haven't seen this style of table since and I'm sure hoping I stumble upon one this summer when I'm out junking! 

Introducing Little Miss Classy.  Seeing this pic makes me looooong for my summer flowers!!!  Hubby, why does your job have to be in such a winter-dreary state?!  At least I live in the best spot in the mitten!

Curly Top

I don't  usually post about my kids..... but today I'm making an exception!  I was really hoping for a curly topped kid, but alas, they all have hair like mommy and daddy - stick straight!  BUT that doesn't mean we can't break out the ole' foam rollers....  I stick a dab of mousse in her long shock on top, roll it up in 2 curlers, and poof - outta control froofy curls!!  I'm still not used to fixing a girl's hair!  But it looked SUPER CUTE in this little pony tail and I couldn't resist having a quick photo shoot last night with her before putting on her jammies.  She's 10 months old and I'm still pinching myself to make sure I'm not dreaming - I really have a sweet little baby girl!!!!!!  Thanks waitress in Indianapolis for letting me in on your little secret or I would never know this blue eyed lil' darlin'!  :)  Hee hee.....

Did your sweet mama ever make you wear these curlers?  Ha, I actually still do... but the really fat ones.  Nothing gives you curls like old fashion sponge curlers.  Nothing gives you that really ridiculous ugly ridge from where the straight peice of plastic clips on, either!  Man, I never know what to do about that.... then end up plopping all the curls on top of my head cuz shucks, that ridge....

The Old Lady Clip-on Earrings

I will never forget the garage sale I bought these homemade clip on earrings at.  It was huge.  And messy.  And cheap.  There was so much stuff to go through we spent an hour or two there, then went back again the next weekend and spent another hour rummaging through the "junk".  I even got some of my favorite pieces of furniture there - $2 each!!  Anyways, all that to say...  about 5 years later and I've finally found a use for those earrings!!!  They are the perfect center to these baby hats I found to embellish!!

I am highly excited about these hats!!!  I think I'll sell them for $5 each.  ANDDDDD  If you're in the area, I'll be selling my stuff (plus lots of excellent used condition baby items at garage sale prices) at the middle school in Brooklyn TOMORROW!!!  The ad reads: GIANT CABIN FEVER garage sale/flea market/craft show.  Now how fun does that sound???  So hop in your four wheel drive since snow is predicted and come on out! And let me know if you came because of this post - I'll give you a discount! :)

Hot Fudge with just 2 ingredients!

Almost every woman I know loves chocolate. I don't just love chocolate, I LOOOOOOVE CHOCOLATE!  I do chocolate for breakfast, lunch, and supper.  In fact, if it's supposed to be dessert, but doesn't have chocolate?  It's not usually worth eating.   There are a few rare exceptions, like cherry crisp. But on the whole, it better have chocolate in every bite or I'd rather not add those calories to my bod.  So here is my favorite hot fudge recipe.  We eat ice cream most every night, so my fridge is almost never without a bowl of this quick, easy to make hot fudge!

ONE CAN sweetened condensed milk and ONE 12 oz bag of semi sweet chocolate chips.  Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the chips in a microwave safe bowl and heat on high about 1 minute.  Stir until all the chips are melted.  If it is too thick for your liking, you can add 1 tablespoon of milk. 

Serve hot over your ice cream - with a cherry on top of course! :)