Cobalt Blue Glass in a Sunny Kitchen Window

The Welding Man made me this pretty baker's rack over 15 years ago and I placed it

 in a big window loaded up with my blue glass.

Loved it!

When we moved to our retirement house there was not a window just right 

for the baker's rack. So I decorate it seasonally. 

On Pinterest the photo of my rack with blue glass in the window keeps popping up all over and reminding me how gorgeous it was, so I asked The Welding Man for some shelves to 

display my blue glass again. 

He built shelves in the west facing window at the end of our kitchen. He used cedar boards with old yard sticks for the molding on the front of each shelf.

Now that end of our kitchen and especially that window are just aglow with beautiful 

cobalt blue color. I added a few green bottles also.

Loving it!

I have not bought any new cobalt blue pieces for years but now I'm going to start keeping my eye out for new glassware.  Thrift stores, church sales, estate auctions and yard sales here I come!

At least for me, everything old is certainly new again.

This was a fast, easy and inexpensive project that is paying us dividends 

in pleasure and beauty.

That's a win win in my book!

Low Low Under $100 Budget Master Bath Redo

When I say LOW BUDGET I mean LOW BUDGET.

I love before and afters of beautiful bathrooms and kitchens but folks, please.

Your $10,000 remodel of one room is not low budget. 

It is a project with a $10,000 price tag.

 Yes, I know you replaced all the fixtures and

 moved the tub and tiled everything. It is beautiful. 

But..

it is all a matter of perspective and I know the internet needs 

some projects that are truly way down in price.

Forthwith, I give you the low low budget cosmetic bathroom redo/refresh/upstyle for under $100.

Here is the AFTER.

This bathroom in our old mobile home needed some serious help.

Below is the before showing the new wall medicine cabinet built by

The Welding Man and the existing vanity.

The vanity, shower, flooring and commode were still serviceable, but the whole room needed an update.

BEFORE-

I used the ivy stencil everywhere in that house. Kitchen. Hallway. Bathrooms. 

The mixed mirrors decor just wasn't cutting it anymore.

And below is the old medicine cabinet. Yowza, what a beast!

But hey, is that a cheap $3 golden oak light fixture? That's a good start!

Here's the new room, four days and less than $100 later.

Loving it!

Step by step, here's what we did and spent-

$16 vanilla white semi gloss latex bathroom paint for walls and ceiling. Just do it.

$10 chocolate brown semi gloss latex paint for the vanity and all the woodwork, including the light.

$4 for two pine boards that we used for the mirror shelf and the high wall shelf.

$2 for metal shelf brackets.

$8 plate glass mirror from a contractor friend. Four foot by two foot.Total score!  

$10 bulls eye corner trim and flat boards to frame mirror.  Four foot by two foot.Total score! 

$8 light bulbs

$4 gloss brown spray paint

Total cash outlaid was about $62.

Everything else we used was from our stash. Including the raspberry colored towels which were still in perfect shape and didn't need replaced. And the textured wallpaper on the door of the medicine cabinet and the tall vase holding drieds on the mirror shelf. Here's a link to the story behind that vase.

http://makethebestofthings.blogspot.com/2016/02/vase-repair-with-wallpaper-yes.html

Below is another view of that wallpaper covered vase and

 the bulls eye corner blocks and framing around the mirror.

After all the painting was done and the shelving in place, it was fun to shop the house for all kinds of decor and knick knacks and baskets and art and STUFF. Glossy brown spray paint pulled it all together. 

Man, I LOVED the new look of that bathroom!

This is what I like...a project that comes together on a low budget

 with creative thinking and some clever restyles.

You know, until I can afford to spend thousands of dollars on a room project!

My next bathroom redo is in the works...with a vintage

 vacation/driftwood vibe and loads of fun details.

On a budget, of course!

Twig Wreath Redo for Spring

I'm a bit of a wreath fanatic. There, I've said it.

When I found this twig wreath for $2 at a yard sale I knew it's 24" size 

was perfect for my front door. It came with bits of dried eucalyptus branches and fake roses and I kept them in place.

So first, I spray painted it glossy black and added Dollar Store leaves and flowers for fall and Halloween.

LOVE!

See the black roses and dried eucalyptus? 

Then for winter/Christmas I spray painted it gloss white and added lots of glossy turquoise. 

I am always on the look out for more turquoise bits and bobs 

plus glittery snowflakes and Christmas bulbs.

And there are the eucalyptus and roses painted bright white.

And now for spring, the white wreath is ready to shine in beautiful shades of green. Courtesy of the Dollar Store, thrift stores and yard sales, of course.

This time the white roses are under the ferns and butterflies.

Here are some of my finds during the year. I used some for this wreath. 

I have a list of things I am always looking for.

When I couldn't find green curlicues I just painted some curled wire. I do believe in making things I need/want and then making things work without spending loads of money.

Ooh aaah!

This year I've even turned it over and tried it out on this octagon window.

I removed the nest and added more butterflies and a wind chime. 

I painted the wind chime butterfly as a Monarch for a pop of color. 

What do you think? Should I add a wreath on the door, too? 

Can I ever have too many wreaths? Lol.

What are you doing for your spring decor?