Thrifty kicks

Most of my readers know that I love me a good bargain.  And by bargain I mean virtually free.  It's kind of a problem actually.  Anytime I consider a purchase, I usually find myself saying no because I could either make it myself, or buy it thrifted from someone who gave it away virtually brand new.  Does anyone have a cure for this???

I've mentioned before that the DI (Deseret Industries) by my house is a goldmine.  I have found some incredible steals there. 

This week, I stumbled upon three pair of shoes for a total of $11.

This sassy little set of Via Spiga pumps caught my eye and reeled me in with it's hefty price tag of $5. 

 I'm pretty sure these shoes have never been worn. The soles are untouched.

 I also scored on these darling little baby cowboy boots.  They are leather, and in amazing condition.

A whopping $3.  I'm saving these for Travis' little sister (please be a girl, please be a girl...)

Travis didn't go home empty handed either.  We found these leather cowboy boots in his size.

Once again, a whole $3 splurge.

He had fun running around in them playing cowboy with his best bud today.  Yes, we sometimes stay in our jammies all day.  Don't judge.

If you think you just don't have any luck when you thrift, think again.  I visit my DI on average at least once a week and I certainly don't find something every time.  I have a quick run in/ run out system down where I browse the furniture and shoes in about 5 minutes, and every once in a while I'll take the time to look through the kids clothing and home decor/plates/linens/ etc.

One of my favorite finds to this day is this pair of mustard brown leather boots that I walked out with for $6.

Are you ready to run out to your local DI/ thrift store?

~PW

Frenchy sofa worth the drive

It's been a long day for me.  I have been searching on ksl for a French or Victorian sofa, but haven't been able to find one that was just what I wanted, and within the price range that I wanted to pay (I'm kind of a tightwad if you haven't already gathered that).  So, I was ecstatic when I finally found this baby the other night during my evening browse.

Here's the best part.  The owner intended to reupholster it, but decided that she was in over her head and changed her mind.  BUT not before she stripped the whole thing!  YES!  I can't tell you how much I dislike pulling a billion staples out and have yet to do it on a full 7' long sofa, so I was just tickled pink.  The only bad news was that she lived pretty far away from me....like 3 hours away.  Fortunately, her hubbs met me about half way so it was an hour and a half drive for me. 

Here are a few shots of her close up as soon as I got her home.

Little Trav loves it just the way it is!  He was pretty sad when I took it straight downstairs...

Here are a few inspiration pics I have found recently on pinterest that may aid in my final decision for this sofa's upcoming makeover:

Source

I love the cream linen, the nailhead trim, and the two large cushions.

Source

I am absolutely smitten with everything about this one... the creamy frame, the light gray fabric, the plump single cushion... ahhh beauty.

Source

I love the charcoal fabric, single plump cushion and original wood tone on the frame.

I have to be honest, this project isn't going to happen very soon because we're working on our custom built in unit for my living room right now as top priority, but I'm really excited that I finally have the bones to create a piece that we'll love.

Lastly, I want to thank Apartment Therapy for the feature this week on my Easy and Affordable DIY Table Transformation.  I was thrilled with the recognition, but kinda bummed that my shining moment was on a project that I'm not all that proud of.  It was certainly not my finest piece.  Also it's pretty amazing to me how rude some people can be.  Apparently they didn't ever watch Bambi as a child... Thumper wisely taught, "If you can't say nothin' nice, don't say nothin' at all".  Amen, Thumper.  Amen.

Thank you so much for your support and kind words.  I can't tell you how much they brighten my day.  I appreciate you all dearly.

XO

~Penny Wenny

Heavily Distressed Desk

Ever since I saw this gorgeous piece that Miss Mustard Seed did a while back, I have been dying to create a super distressed piece myself.  When I found this antique desk on ksl the other day for $25, I didn't feel so bad about experimenting on it and not being terribly sad if it didn't turn out as well as I had hoped.

 The desk had certainly seen better days but was just pleading for some TLC.  That is just what I gave it.

 Let me tell you, the experiment worked.  I am absolutely 100% smitten with this piece.  My intention of course was to sell this to help fund the living room makeover I am working on, but I just don't know if I can let it go.  Wouldn't this be the perfect desk for me in a craft room someday?  Hopefully sooner than later... ahem...My Sweets are you listening? 

In terms of speed, this was the fastest transformation I have done yet.  I picked up the piece in the afternoon, got home around 2 pm with it and was completely finished with it that evening.  You can totally do this yourself, my friends.

Soooo, here's how I very quickly achieved this look. 

First, I sanded the surfaces with a coarse paper on my ryobi corner cat sander.  I intentionally didn't sand all of the previous stain off.  I wanted it to look splotchy and aged.

 

Next, I painted the whole thing with one coat of very watered down Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (the same combo of Old White and Paris Gray that I used on my dining room table)

The key here is to let the wood still shine through with a very light coat.  Don't spend a lot of time trying to achieve a perfect coverage. In this case, less is more.

Then I went over the full piece again with my sander, focusing on the high points.

I followed this with Annie Sloan dark wax on all the areas where the wood was exposed and then covered the full piece in Annie Sloan clear wax.

I cleaned off the hardware using my wedding ring cleaner, and replaced the top two pulls with little glass knobs.  I would have used all the original hardware, but as you may have noticed the piece was missing one pull so I opted to replace the center drawer and am very pleased with the touch of feminism this added. 

I also lined the drawers with some leftover wallpaper I had from the cute little antique dresser I did back HERE.

What do ya think?

Sigh... pure love over here.  I think I'll just keep this little photo shoot in my living room for the next month or so just so that I can stare. 

In case you haven't picked up yet on my number one message that I hope to convey by writing this blog, that is to remember that you don't have to spend a lot of money to make your home look good and reflect your style... not your neighbors or your moms or sisters, yours.  Have fun, be creative, and go into a project with an open mind.  For me each piece is like an artist's blank canvas when I begin.  I have an idea in mind of how I would like the piece to end up but it evolves into its own beautiful piece as I begin "painting".  You may even end up with something you absolutely love in the end.

Thanks so much to all who read and continue to leave such sweet comments about my work.  I appreciate each and every one more than I can say.

Sending so much love from Penny Wenny.

Xo 

Darling little birdie chair

My sister in law found these darling little pink chairs at the DI for $15 a piece.

Chair on the right is the before

She asked me to paint the legs for her with some light distressing.  I used some of my leftover light gray sample paint I picked up at Home Depot for my Master Bedroom, and then dry brushed over it with the paint that was a shade lighter.

After a quick sanding over the high points, the cute little legs looked like this:

My sister had one of these chairs upholstered in a darling little birdie print.

and it now resides in her music/ reading room.

Doesn't it go perfectly in there?

Try to see past the ugliness of some pieces as-is, and start to look at their potential.  Who would have thought a chair like this would turn out so beautiful?

It's amazing what a little paint and fabric can do. 

~PW