Cheap Art- There’s an App for That!

Real quick, I wanted to show you a framed print/ poster I bought over the weekend.  It was in a really cheap frame with Plexiglas over it. I bought it because it was a copy of Van Gogh painting; Cafe Terrace at Night and I only paid five bucks for it.



Some of you probably wouldn’t have bought it.  I know there are lots more things out there to spend money on; but, taking art this semester and knowing for years that I like his work; I thought it was a small price to pay. Really, I’m in a ARTSY kind of mood, after visiting a museum on Saturday with The Honey.

I had a frame in mind when I got it home and measured it. I also already had a sample jar of Valspar (…we’ll call it Mid-night blue) from the Ooops! paint at shelf at Lowe’s.


I love how it turned out. For now, there isn’t a mat. The name of the museum where the original is housed and the name of the painting and Vincent Van Gogh’s name can be seen on the front. I sort of like that. I’ve left the cheap scruffy plexiglas over it to protect it until I get a glass  replacement. 

What do you think, should I place a mat around it covering the title and other information, or should I leave it and just get a new glass for it.  I also don’t have a permanent spot for it yet. 

I just bought it yesterday using the 5 mile app on my ipad.    I wanted to give that  a try and see how I liked using it. The transaction went pretty smoothly… The Honey went with me to make the deal. It was close and pretty easy? Have you tried it?

If so what are you thoughts on 5 mile? 

My thoughts at the moment are:

1.  Gee, this app is addictive.
2. Don’t buy anything else until I sell something.
3. Gotta check 5 mile and see if there’s anything, I can’t live without! (before it’s gone…sssshhh!)
4. Don’t tell the Honey… Ooops! he’s addicted too!

Anyway, this is my frame before I painted it ‘midnight blue’.  It was green and covered in dusty doilies… they needed washing anyway.



‘Til next time, be blessed.
Patricia

My grace is sufficient for you; for My Power is made perfect in weakness.
~ 2 Cor. 12:9


“Cafe Terrace at Night” Vincent Van Gogh (print copy)

Frugal Fodder: no. 32—Do you Dye? Dye your Rugs

****** affiliate links to follow

When we thought we were selling the house I splurged and bought a more up-to-date shower curtain.


Taking advantage of warmer sunny weather for laundry days, had me clearing out yet more linens this weekend; and I found these rugs—held over from the coca-cola-theme days.


Sorry it’s blurry, …but there is no going back now! but you get the idea!
Because I dyed them!

It’s an easy fix for fluffy cotton rugs, that still have some life left in them—except maybe the color is either faded or not suiting your tastes any longer.


Purchase Rit Liquid Dye

 …in your choice of color! Purchase enough for your product X dry weight. ( 1 bottle per 2 pounds of fabric) 




Following directions for your type of material—cotton or synthetic



Rinse in cold water ‘til the water runs clear.


Wash on warm in the washer with detergent.

Dry.
…and Bob’s your uncle!  Or Brown’s your rug…or whatever color you choose for yourself! Oh yes!  lots of fun colors too…

Easy peasy. Just follow the directions on the bottle.

Mine are no longer red and cream now they are a nice warm chocolate-y brown and they look pretty good with my new shower curtain.
 

What do you think? Do you die? Have you died and had failures? Have you been pretty successful dying? I love the way these look. It only took about an hour and a half, maybe two hours to complete.

The cost of fluffy bathroom rugs can run anywhere from about $8 to $12 dollars for two—from the dollar store; and more if you shop elsewhere.
This cost me less that $4 bucks.
It comes in lots of yummie colors too! already said that… ;)

‘Til next time, blessings!

Patricia
I'm linking here:  CaCC @ myrepurposedlife ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Drop Cloth Project—Roll-up Shades

I mentioned the other day I was working on a DROP-CLOTH PROJECT for my living room. This has been a long-time place holder on my TO-DO list!


I know it’s been that long because one event stands out in my mind and I never wrote about this;  but in October of 2013, I was FINALLY doing it. FINALLY, I was upholstering my couch. I got it done. I had watched tutorials-- and I YOU TUBE'd myself silly.   

PLEASE, Notice the Mini-blinds and the Drop cloth curtains.


That same year we had been on the receiving end of a "drop off dog" and now TOP DOG- Buster

November came and we had to make a trip to the V.A. For the Honeys 6 mos check up. We had been gone total about 4 hours. I came home to this ...

Not only did his anxiety cause him to chew on my NEW couch…
But he KILLED  my mini-blinds. (there’s a whole video…but I don’t know how to orient the video and make it vertical) You get the idea. K-I-L-L-E-D!!!

That’s when the idea hit me—roll up shades. I had salvaged rescued some match-stick blinds for parts—I don’t have a picture, but they looked similar to this--

I kept the hardware, the rope and some of the bamboo.

Fast forward to this week.

This (below) is the IN PROGRESS picture--  I am using my drop cloth drapes in the picture…here and way up top, to make these roll up shades.  I have one window where the A/C is and I’ll be finished with them. Oh, I have to find and a dowel rod for the middle one… it droops a little. ;) 

 

I’m leaving the curtain rod—because I want to make some light softer curtains.  Something with color!  I need to remove the old hardware from other shades too, for now…they keep the rope away from Vincy.

I finally get to check
✔️ New Shades
Off my list!

That’s it.  I took lots of pictures and will be putting together a tutorial for them pretty soon. Right now I’m gathering information on hardware, prices etc.  I realize not everyone will make these from scraps… but you know here at Corn…

that’s my M.O. 

unusual, unexpected and deviation from the common rule.

‘Til next time.

Be a blessing, bless the LORD and bless your home!

Patricia

Listing this here: 
Tuesdays with a Twist @Stone Cottage Adventure

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Our Anniversary and Our Day out!

 

Yesterday was our anniversary. The Honey and I have been married 32 years! We’ve had good ones and bad ones—but the fact that we’re still together means something. We’re either truly in love…or crazy!  Our kids sometimes think we’re crazy! ;)

We had no obligations the day was ours!  It was slow paced and wonderful.  Nothing over the top.  We had coffee in the morning and breakfast of bacon, eggs, and biscuit for me.  Coffee and a Bear Claw for Honey.

Afterwards we attending the “ 2nd Annual Wild-flower Festival”  a local event.  I had my camera but didn’t take many pictures while there… I was enjoying the moment.  Right before we left I took some pictures of the old tractors.  

We left there and went to a big yard sale – Honey had seen it advertised in the paper—It was a fund raising sale.  I have a funny story to tell you about this.  As we were walking back to the car from the tractors—I was telling Him, I’d like to find a different chair for him;  to go in the living room.  I quickly ran through a list of features for a this chair. 

• Comfy
• Wingback
• Reclining (would be nice, I said)
• Reasonably PRICED
• Leather (while I’m wishing)

We arrived to the OLD nursing home… OLD…because we have a new one built in town as a replacement! It’s about to become a Women’s Shelter with the help of Volunteers and Lowe’s Heroes…. More on that later. 

Anyway—back to the chair. We pulled up and there it was!  The exact chair I was describing.  It had everything I’d just told him I was looking for in a chair, not even a half hour earlier.

(before I cleaned it)

What?! 

BLUE, you say?   Minor detail.  Had I known, I was going to get what I wished for ON OUR ANNIVERSARY… I’d have asked for BROWN LEATHER.

OR…! 

Well A ton of other things come to mind too.  ;) Has that ever happened to you?  Getting what you wished for …sorta?

We also went to the flea market and had Chinese Buffet later in the afternoon. I’ll share more with you on that later.

 

‘Til next time, Be blessed!  

Patricia

 

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:: The Last Week of 2014--

 

Hi Y’all   I’ve been on VACATION! 

(cute shoes my daughter got me)

no not really…NOT A REAL VACATION.  But we did NOT have our Littles (ie: the grandkids) this week and there has been one project I’ve been wanting to get done around here for a while! I knew I could not do it with them here.

Our Kitchen floor.

This is what happens when the LITTLES are here AND I TRY AND DO ANYTHING. They want to help!  Last Year, when I was trying to decide what to do with our floor in 2013  and  when HAIDEN HAPPENED…

 

 

Paint was put on the maybe list.  ONE-THIRD of my kitchen is as far as I got with that, THANK YOU HAIDEN.  It didn’t hold up—it didn’t last… and it NEVER SEEMED CLEAN TO ME!   The other TWO-THIRDS was the same way… never seemed clean. 

If you’ve read here for any length of time you know about my bathroom floor.  I covered it in PAPER AND POLYURETHANE almost 3 years ago—come February.  I’m happy to say—it has held up so nicely.  It has taken a lot of traffic and a lot of POOL TRAFFIC in the summer.  Still … it holds. HERE and HERE  

That was the deciding factor.  The durability.

 

So that’s what I’ve been doing this week.  I said it would take 5 days… and thought really…REALLY, it could and I MUST get it done in 3.  It took FIVE!   Over-all I’m pretty pleased with it.  It was hard work.  I wasn’t expecting the cold to come on as fast and cold as it did…and seemingly to LAST!  We pretty much camped out in the back part of the house for 2  of the 5 days… but it was fun!  In a weird—QUIRKY sort of way. ;)

So, there’s no TOP 10 posts for the year… No RE-CAP… none of that.  I’ve exhausted myself and am going to have a rest. (soon, I’ll be having to paint these walls and trim…but not this year!)

Tomorrow NEW YEARS DAY- we have our Annual Family Gathering at my daughters home.  Friday I have her 2 littles for a few hours in the morning (doctors appointments…OH! THAT IS GETTING CLOSE… NEW BABIES WILL BE HERE BEFORE WE KNOW IT! Then Saturday and Sunday--- MORE REST. 

I’ll pop in and show you a few things that took place in the middle of all the PAPERFLOORING… some surprises.  I will also try and get my “how to”  updated.  This being the second floor to paper—I used some new techniques to make it go more smoothly.  KEY POINT:: watch the weather HAS ALREADY BEEN COVERED. ;)

 

‘Til next time, Be Blessed!

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

           Patricia



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Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.                ~ 2 Corinthians 9:7

:: Home Again, Home Again…

Hi Y’all!
We’re back.  I’m rested.  Refreshed and encouraged.  We had a wonderful time with our daughter and son-inlaw and the boys too.  We got back late Tuesday; Wednesday we spent getting ready for Thanksgiving… then supper at my oldest daughter’s house on Thursday with the whole family—except one son who couldn’t make it. It was a good crowd despite the fact that this year…some of our older grand children were with their Dads. 

I didn’t do much on Wednesday after returning home.  Relaxed and got settled back in here at the house—and cooked my corn bread for Thanksgiving Dressing, did a little bit of shopping bought all the makings for a HUGE BOWL of Fruit Salad.  Yum!  It was delicious. 

So, let me ask you?  do you put COOL WHIP in your Fruit Salad?  Do you add NUTS and Marshmallows?  (making it AMBROSIA?)
I was all set to add the cool whip--- and once I was at my daughter’s house, I got vetoed…by several people!
So… it was just fruit, nuts and marshmallows.  But STILL YUMMIE!

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Today I got all of the laundry from our trip washed- it took no time to dry the wind was blowing so hard and the sun was shining!  I also got the sheets from both the beds washed and dried too!  Other than that…we ate leftovers…and sat around looking at property online—using the realtor.com app on our phones!

One of the other cabins where we stayed—looking up from the bottom of the hill.  -just lovely!

Ok… so—we had a wonderful time up in Arkansas.  The trip up, lit a fire under us; we were able to look at some property while there! We didn’t find anything yet however,    we are both so excited to be moving there (LORD WILLING);  and hope to be selling after the first of the year--- and getting up and out of here.

I find the whole thing exciting and scary.  I know you’re probably tired of hearing about it.  But honestly, I never thought I’d be this thrilled about a move.  The biggest thing for me--- is the DEBT FREE aspect.  I have thought and thought about the move; and really- we never did get to finish everything here that we wanted to do; before we ran out of money to do it.  I know that once we sell this house—and no longer have a mortgage payment;  and hopefully find something and pay cash for it, that will free up some money to work on things.

 
The old Parker-Hickman Homestead, near the Buffalo River—on the Erbie Trail. We walked the entire property …they thought of everything! 

Yes… we’ll be moving from a ‘FIXER-UPPER’  into a fixer-upper.  It sounds strange I know.  To most, it probably doesn’t even make sense; but for us—with our budget and needs (and wants)  it makes perfect sense.  I say wants, because well, of course we want a little land, for gardening and chickens.  The idea of sustainability is always appealing to us.

The wood shed at the cabins—Isn’t it nice?!  I’d love to have some place like this to put our firewood! 

I’m grateful to be home; for my health and getting better everyday.  The trip was especially nice—and just what I needed for a little bit of R and R…
I have a ton of pictures – You’ll be seeing more of them over the next few weeks.  I’ll try not and bore you all to tears—with the slide show! ;)
I had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I hope you all did too—and just wanted to wish you a belated Happy Thanksgiving Holiday, as we all counted our blessings this week—I want you to know—I counted  all of you, my blog readers and friends, as part of those blessings.  :)

‘Til next time, Be Blessed!
           Patricia



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May the LORD bless you from Zion; He who made Heaven and Earth.  ~Psalm 134:3

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:: In the Way of Projects-

Just when I started feeling bad—The Honey got the bright idea to start on the pallet wood wall—without me.

:: From Barn Junk to Craft Cupboard

OR-
"Some More High Quantity Junk from my Barn" 




I am finally getting somewhere in my craft space!  Just looking at this colorful little cabinet; it makes me feel somewhat accomplished!

Occasionally, Chairs

So, I went to town on Monday, to meet my daughter and drop of her children to her after work. On the way home, I just had to turn into the Resource Center. I am still looking for a phonics book. (Abeka Blue-Back Speller, 2nd hand) …that’s my excuse story and I’m sticking to it. :)
Anyway- I found this chair.

:: Entertaining an Idea--

I never ever in my wildest dreams thought I’d show you this picture again.
But… here it is.

:: One Thing Leads to Another…::

So I know everyone is busy showing all the ways they are decorating for Christmas. Not me. I’m just plugging along. Doing what I do. Taking some opportunity to work on inside projects while it is too cold to be outside. Once the weather gets warm—we’ll be back outside, and inside things will fall further down the list.

This is a picture of the dining side of my kitchen. I’ve told you before, in our small home, we have an eat in kitchen with no formal dining room. 
I showed you last week.

 

I told you I had gotten the urge to paint the wall a “LATTE” color by Valspar.
The reason for this …I think it was this little sconce style lamp that I purchased on Saturday a week ago. (well, partly)
The other reason, T.H. has been saying more and more in recent years how dark our house is…he especially thinks the kitchen is dark.
I decided we need a lamp in this corner.  I didn’t want another piece of furniture crammed in the corner on which to place a lamp. 
I’m trying to eliminate furniture NOT gather more.



So I found this little ‘franken-lamp’ at the thrift store for $3  and I decided I could use it.
I say ‘fraken-lamp’ because, well, it was obvious someone had taken this LANTERN- drilled a hole in the top and bottom …and impaled it on this SCONCE ARM!
Even the cord had been spliced and pieced together rather haphazardly;  it was already old and cracking.(equals= not safe) 

Yes, I realize $3 is a bit much for a ‘fraken-lamp’
… but wait ‘til you get a load the .75¢
damaged shade, before you judge me. 

  

Viola! I know…

Well I spray painted the sconce black and only disassembled the lantern and parts …washed it and cleaned it up really good; because the lantern had just the right amount of natural patina (a.k.a.: rusty/chippy)  then replaced the plug-wire with a newer model…

By the way, do you cut the cords off your ‘less than viable’ appliances?   I do. If I have an appliance that is questionable and no longer safe or working…WHACK! off comes the cord. 
So … I used a cord that I had in my stash.

Then I put it all back together…but what to do with the shade? 



Well, first I cut the paper shade away from the top and bottom rings… the top ring has the little clip to the bulb piece; the bottom was just a ring.
I used 4 pcs. of baling wire (not pictured) to hold the top ring to the bottom ring (and keep it in place)
then I began cutting that green twine into lengths to go around the shade and tied them at the bottom, giving the shade a shabby little fringe.



I know this picture is somewhat dark…but over-all, between the lamp and the new paint.  My kitchen is much brighter.
Right now I’m keeping it. I’m thinking on painting the frame on the chicken picture and when I do, I’ll probably have a do-over with lace on the shade. For now…it works and it cost me less that $4 bucks.


If you read the story about our Nameless House guest… and are interested in the outcome…
you can click here to read the edits at the bottom of that post.



Til next time, Be Blessed!




“For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  ~Isaiah 9:6