Well-storied homes often belong to well-storied discount shoppers, dumpster divers, thrift store thrifters, and roadside wranglers with well-storied lives.
All in Upcycle
Boho-style Felt Trivets that Protect Your Dishes and Table in Style
The holiday season is here, and Winter weather is settling in for many of us. The cooler weather and the thoughts of upcoming celebrations lead many of us to think about sinfully scrumptious foods that warm our hearts and souls. My favorite dishes, bread stuffing, bread pudding, my Dad’s oven-baked applesauce, and green bean casserole, bring back memories of family celebrations and make me pull out my most treasured casserole dishes to begin planning. Yes, just like I pick my outfits based on what shoes I want to wear, serving dishes often dictate the holiday menu at our house. I consider myself a foodie, so the right menu is essential, but I am first and foremost a visual creative, and how a meal looks and is served is at least fifty percent of my holiday experience. I also enjoy when form and function come together beautifully, and this project ticked all those boxes.
Upcycle Old Photos and Send a Message of Love this Mother's Day
This gift idea for Mother's Day is beautiful and simple to make, and it won't clutter up Mom's bookshelf or give her more stuff to dust.
At some point, most of us end up having too much STUFF! Some people really like stuff. Others are mindful of getting rid of stuff. If your mother is mindful of getting rid of stuff, give her stationery made out of upcycled photographs of flowers. Not only are you getting rid of old photos, but your mom can feel good about getting rid of your gift.
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, how lovely are thy branches? Adorn with snow and mistletoe, diamonds, pearls from long ago….. O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, how will you tell my story?
Perfectly Imperfect Jeans
Perfectly imperfect describes me “to a T”, and I relish in it.
Butterfly Jean Jackets - Off On a Tangent
I ended off on a tangent with this project much like a flittering butterfly’s flight. A bundle of calico fabric cut for a quilt commonly referred to as “Parasol Girl” inspired these butterfly jean jackets.
Vintage Bingo Chip Necklace
These vintage bingo chip necklaces pay homage to both of my grandmothers. The bingo chips were my granny’s, and the beads came from my grandma’s costume jewelry.
Warm Hearts this Valentine's Day
Warm your Valentine’s hearts this Valentine’s Day with microwave, heat packs filled with jasmine rice. Not only are they useful for soothing aches and pains, but they provide an opportunity to include memorable fabrics from family members who have passed that will soothe souls as well.
When you bought all your gifts online but forgot to buy wrapping paper... - Upcycled Wrapping Paper
I forget to buy something every year, and this year it was wrapping paper. “@*&^%!!!”
Good-Girl Scout Jacket
The recent dip in Summer temperatures has me yearning to wear jackets and boots and has prompted me to begin planning my winter wardrobe. This good-Girl Scout jacket is definitely at the top of my must-wear list this Fall.
Preserving Memories
This blog is about preserving memories.
Hats Off to Mom
I’ve always credited my creativity to both of my parents, but my mother’s influence over the years has been constant, copious and this project is typical of the kinds of things she made when I was a kid. I found these drawings in a box in her basement.
Bleach Tie-dyed / Indigo Over-dyed Napkin How-to
As promised, here’s how I made thirty, 19 x 19 inch, bleach tie-dyed indigo over-dyed napkins out of a king-size sheet that my cat damaged with his back claws.
Embroidered Jeans
I gave these old jeans new life with crocheted doilies and embroidery thread.
Revisit the 80's: Friendship Pin Napkin Rings
Here’s a new way to use an old idea. These napkin rings are made out of friendship pins.
String Jar How-To-Video
I have gotten a lot of requests recently to make videos for some of my older blogs. This is the first of those videos. It is a How-To on making “String Jars”.
Hoard the Cord Keepers Not the Toilet Paper
These cord keepers are made out of toilet paper tubes, and I got this idea from my mother. She has been using toilet paper tubes to wrangle her hairdryer and curling iron cords for decades. I never really considered it a particularly brilliant idea, because my mother was always ingeniously, well organized in aberrant ways.
Upcycled Door =
A repurposed door turns a hallway niche space into a quiet workspace with style.
Early American Attic
Early American Attic Reveals Unconventional Tables
Gucci, Pucci, Paige
I painted the “Apple” and “Pear” chairs several years ago. They are reinvented, second hand chairs. I wish that I had photographed them in their before state. Nobody would ever have believed the complete transformation they took on.