Please note:  I don’t have any “before and after” photos, or tutorials.  The itch makes me manic, and I just jump in and DO, and forget to take pictures.  Plus, I still have a crappy camera.

My favorite part of the whole makeover is this bookshelf.  Our living room is small, but we have vaulted ceilings, so I try to incorporate height where I can.  We previously had our smallish leather couch against that wall, with a large mirror hanging over.  BO-RING!  I wanted a way to break the room up a little more without making it look smaller, but I knew I had NO budget.  Then I remembered this old jelly cabinet I had bought years ago at my all-time favorite thrift store.

(“STOPPPPPPPPPP!  Never, ever paint this!”  I can hear the store’s owner, Sarah, telling my younger self.  Sorry, Sarah, don’t think this piece is ever going on the Roadshow.)

This cabinet/shelf had been sitting in our garage, gathering dust and smells and serving as storage for all kinds of junk.  I cleaned it off, wiped it down, and proceeded to go through 4 or 5 half-cans of spray paint before I realized that wasn’t going to work.  ”What to do, what to do, can’t spend any money”–I grabbed the gallon of bright white exterior enamel and coated that bad boy down.  (Aside:  if you plan to shake the can, and are holding it with the lid side down, be sure the lid is on tight, or you may drop the can, sending sprays of pant ALL OVER your garage.  Not that I did that or anything).  Then, when it was dry, I grabbed the burly, surly teen and together we hoisted it into the house.

Next came the fun part, decorating!  I have always wanted one of the scripture signs from Red Letter Words, and so I decided to try to make something similar on my own.  I took an old ClosetMaid shelf from Rick’s stash, and painted it the same white as the cabinet.  When it was dry, I stuck on the vinyl letters I had bought a long time ago on clearance at Michael’s.  Then, I coated it with a mix of  teal blue acrylic and the same exterior white, and painted over the letters.  When it was totally dry, I removed the letters.  I hand painted the “through”.  After that I sanded and distressed, and then sealed with a spray clear coat.  I love it, and it reminds me to remember one of my favorite verses, Ephesians 2:8:  ”For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God”.

The fabric tulips are in an old Crate and Barrel vase.  They were on sale at Michael’s for .79 cents or something like that.  I love the additional touch of orange they bring to the room.

On the shelf nearest the top, I placed pics of the boys.  These were all taken by my lovely sister-in-law, of Daly Photography.  I used a coupon for Wal-greens and printed them for a total of $3.87.  I put them in clear plastic box frames from Michael’s, which is way cheaper than the wrapped canvas idea I wanted to use, but looks just as good to me.  I added three glass birds, one is a special one from a friend, and the other two are blown glass I found at the thrift.

The next shelf holds shell balls from Crate and Barrel (have had forever), sand from some of the places we went when we lived in Florida, and two big jars, one with shells and coral and one with rocks.  These are large pickle jars that I wrapped with white garden string.

I am trying to keep my decorating more simple, for a cleaner look.  That’s why my favorite Hager vase is all by itself on the next shelf.  The other two shelves hold our devotional books, and baskets for the kid’s books.

I used the same teal, undiluted, for this “art” I made to complement the colors in the living room.  I was inspired by this large canvas from Crate and Barrel.  I love my version of that art, but it was funny when Rick’s buddy asked me if Thomas painted it.  Sort of.

All in all, for the living room, I think I spent less than 20 bucks.  I moved pictures around, took things out, de-cluttered, and cleaned.  I love this new look, and it is fun having the walk space behind the couch.  I also removed one big dirty brown recliner, and so our seating is more limited, but our living space feels much more ready for the sunshine-y days ahead.

How about you?  Do you have the itch?  Are you going to do something about it?  Well, are you?!!?!?

Have a great weekend!

Molly B.

I’m linking up to these great parties:

Friday Free For All at Five Days, Five Ways

The Shabby Nest

Tip Junkie’s Tip Me Tuesday

Tater Tots and Jello Weekend Wrap-Up Party

I found this lovely granny-square  lapghan at my favorite Virginia junk shop:

Paper birdies:

Glass birdies:

Signed by maker, but unable to distinguish

I’m linking up to Apron Thrift Girl’s Thrift Share Monday!

Here are a few recent finds:

Sweet little blood-red and gold tin, made in Holland:

Goodwill: .50 cents

will hold buttons and such in the laundry room

Lovely $3.00 candlesticks from my favorite top-secret thrift store in Virginia:

Original price: $69.00

I can’t distinguish the name of the company, but I believe these were made in Portugal.

Candlestick markings

One of my favorite finds ever, a Wedgwood plate in the Harewood pattern.  I want to have the whole set (dream big, Molly!)

$1.00 at the GW

This plate is so absolutely gorgeous.  I wish I had a better camera to photograph it (and other things).  It is displayed on a Pier 1 plate stand, which funnily enough also cost $1.00 at the GW.  I just love their pricing system!  At the Goodwill I go to the most, I can even tell when certain people are pricing.

So glad to finally be back here in the blog world. . .Can’t wait to see everyone’s finds!  Linking up to:

Her Library Adventures

Apron Thrift Girl

Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays

Magpie Mondays

Club Goodwill 

What I Love About the Thrift Store

Infinity scarves for sisters and sisters-in-law and maybe a friend:

I am making these with Caron’s Country wool/acrylic blend, which is lovely but taking a bit longer due to its fine weight.

Owl hats for my younger nieces and nephews:

Pattern is from the lovely Kat at Slugs on the Refrigerator.

Rustic  wooden nativity from Learning to be Me:

I am making these with the smaller peg dolls from the craft store, gluing them together, tying with twine, and adding a ribbon to make ornaments.

Also working on chalkboards from cheap pictures I found at the GW, and about a million different desserts/cookies for all the upcoming Christmas events.

Plus, potty training our toddler.

Yep, crazy times around the Byrd house!

from:

…and I’m so excited that Molly is having me by for a visit to tell you about an opportunity to for you to win some fantastic stuff AND helps others.

It’s cool.

Pinky promise.

You see, I’m hosting a “giveaway for good” to help build a new classroom for a ministry to orphans in Uganda that is home-grown in East Texas where I live.

There are FIVE prize packages, chock-full of fabulous handmade goodies and gift certificates (Lisa Leonard, anyone?) that you can win just by visiting and getting your name in the hat!

Here’s just a small taste:

Here’s where the really cool part starts: for extra entries, you can also donate to PCM using a special button on my blog which will track your entries so we can see how much we raise and who wins!

Honestly, folks, these kids are incredibly humble and deserving! (Their idea of a special treat is an apple…I’m not kidding).

So, if you want to help raise the money to build these precious children a new classroom + have the opportunity to be one of 5 lucky folks to win some awesome loot, please come check out The BIG PCM Fundraiser/Giveaway on my blog.

No amount is too small, and every dollar you give is matched up to our goal of $5,000 (wow!) and counts as unique entry into the giveaway (i.e. $5 = 5 entries).

Which means, if you give up Starbucks just once, you’ll be donating not $10 but $20 (just kidding…but at least $8, right?) to a truly worthy cause.

Hope to see you soon!

Thanks again, Molly! You’re a true friend!!

P.S. I’m also having a “Shop My Closet for Good” event to go along with the giveaway. Cute clothes, cheap prices, FREE shipping, and every single dollar donated is matched and goes toward our PCM classroom fund. Each item you buy is also an individual entry into the giveaway! SCORE! ; )

Illinois

Indiana

Kentucky

West Virginia; and then:

FAMILY IN VIRGINIA!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. . .it may be a while before I post again, but I hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday (my favorite of the year!)

~~~Molly

PS. . .I’m also pretty thankful for pecan pie.

Linking up with Abbie over at Five Days, Five Ways this week!

Pyrex 444 in Sandalwood

I found a few things this week.  I don’t know what is going on, but every Goodwill I have been to in the past few weeks has smelled AWFUL!  It has been so bad that I have been discouraged to shop.  And I love to shop at the GW.  And, having four males in the house, I also have a high tolerance for bad smells.  Hope they fix it soon!

404 and 402 in Butterfly Gold

I am excited, though, because we are (hopefully) going to Virginia, and (hopefully) I will get to go to my favorite, top-secret, junk store that has been the source of my best finds.  I love the owner, and I even lived above the store for a time (it has since moved to a larger location).  I can’t wait–the last time I found some great stuff.  I will be sure to share when we get back!

Dansk salt/pepper mill

I love this Danish mid-modern salt shaker/pepper mill.

The November Collectibles link-party is just getting started–don’t miss out!

What do you collect?  What would you like to collect?  Do you have collecting tips or knowledge you would like to share?  Blog about it and return here, and link up!  Don’t forget to track back to this blog by grabbing the button or displaying a link within your blog entry.  Be sure to check out what others are posting as well, and comment to tell them what you love about their special collection.  This link-up will be held the second Wednesday of each month, so you have the whole month to post your link. And if don’t worry if you don’t have that many collections, you can share a new find that you have added to a current collection, or even something you want to collect in the future.  

And, while you are at it, won’t you donate to my friend Abbie’s fund-raiser to benefit Parental Care Ministries. . .you could win some great prizes including a scarf made by me!

Her Library Adventures

Apron Thrift Girl

Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays

Magpie Mondays

Club Goodwill 

What I Love About the Thrift Store

Such a timely post, as November 6th was Orphan Sunday, where Christians come together to support orphans around the world.  Did you know that there are over 140,000,00 orphans in the world?  Yes, that is millions.  Half the population of the United States.

What can you do to help orphans?

ADOPTION

• Identify a trustworthy Alliance member adoption agency

• Engage important beginning questions with the Hope for Orphans’ “Welcome Home” booklet

• Visit the Alliance Resource Library for quality books and resources for the adoption journey
  

• Support organizations that help with costs of adoption, including Lifesong, Caroline’s Promise, ABBA Fund, Show Hope and the MICAH Fund

See if an Alliance member agency facilitates foster care in your area.
(If not, visit Adopt Us Kids)

Learn more about the Safe Families Program for churches as an alternative to the foster system

Learn from Alliance member Embrace how to create a foster ministry in your church

Visit the Alliance Resource Library for quality books and resources

Support and partner with Alliance member organizations that help the Church serve and mentor foster youth:

• Focus on the Family

• Royal Family Kids

• Teen Leadership Foundation

• The Mentoring Project

GLOBAL

Support trustworthy Alliance member organizations serving orphans around the world

Use the Next Steps Booklet guide to identify organizations that can help you engage, from mission trips to church-to-church partnerships

Prepare for effective engagement with the “Journeys of Faith” Booklet and other reading

Visit the Alliance Resource Library for quality books and resources

Help student groups get involved through the Heartwork Campaign

CHURCH MINISTRY

Check out recent Alliance webinars (free) and Summit sessions (at cost) on key orphan ministry topics

Join church orphan ministries from across the U.S. and beyond for Summit VIII

Visit the Alliance Resource Library for quality books and resources

Read Hope for Orphans’ “Launching an Orphan Ministry in Your Church” and consider hosting an “If You Were Mine” Conference

Order Answer the Cry: Faces of Hope, a 30-minute DVD that challenges Christians to see orphans as God does and to be willing to do whatever He asks to serve them and to bring them hope. You can also view it LIVE online.

Learn from Alliance member churches with growing orphan ministries

Some great books on the Biblical foundation for orphan ministry:

• Fields of the Fatherless – Tom Davis

• Adopted for Life – Russell Moore

• Reclaiming Adoption – Dan Cruver, et al

• Passion for the Fatherless – Daniel Bennett

• Orphanology – Tony Merida and Rick Morton

GROW A HEART FOR THE FATHERLESS IN YOUR KIDS

Help student groups get involved through the Heartwork Campaign

Explore the Alliance Resource Library for good children’s books:

• Children’s Books: Global Orphan Care

• Children’s Books: Foster Care

• Children’s Books: Adoption

Check out Alliance Member Caleb Resources’ “Red Card Kids”

Order Answer the Cry: Faces of Hope, a 30-minute DVD that challenges Christians to see orphans as God does and to be willing to do whatever He asks to serve them and to bring them hope. You can also view it LIVE online.

Compelling movies to watch and discuss:

• Emmanuel’s Gift, 2006 (Rated: G)

• War Dance, 2008 (Rated: PG—13, some very intense scenes)

• Beat the Drum, 2007 (Not Rated)

• The Gladys Aylward Story, 2008 (Animated, Rated: G)

• Orphan Themed Movies

Won’t you find a way to help an orphaned child?  One sure way you could help is to donate to the month-long giveaway/fund-raiser that Abbie is hosting, to support Parental Care Ministries.  This ministry does so much for orphaned children in Uganda, and you can help by donating. . .there is even a donor who is going to match donations–so what you give will be worth even more.

Will you be His hands and feet?

PS. . .I want to say how proud I am of my sons for serving others:  Our teenager is a member of Invisible Children through his school, and we all go and “feed the Grandmas” (take a meal to the elderly) the first and third Fridays of the month with our church small group.

Gorgeous Pyrex:

from http://thoroughlymodernvintage.blogspot.com/

from http://thoroughlymodernvintage.blogspot.com/

Vintage Aprons: (LOVE!)

from http://thoroughlymodernvintage.blogspot.com/

from http://thoroughlymodernvintage.blogspot.com/

from http://thoroughlymodernvintage.blogspot.com/

And these sewing patterns, which remind me so much of my mom and grandmother, sitting at their machines making dresses and skirts:

from http://thoroughlymodernvintage.blogspot.com/

from http://thoroughlymodernvintage.blogspot.com/

You really should stop by Jenifir’s blog. . .I love the Christmas Pyrex she is blogging about today.  Lots of great information and vintage finds to check out!

So, wanna join the fun?  What do you collect?  What would you like to collect?  Do you have collecting tips or knowledge you would like to share?  Blog about it and return here, and link up!  Don’t forget to track back to this blog by grabbing the button or displaying a link within your blog entry.  Be sure to check out what others are posting as well, and comment to tell them what you love about their special collection.  This link-up will be held the second Wednesday of each month, so you have the whole month to post your link. And if don’t worry if you don’t have that many collections, you can share a new find that you have added to a current collection, or even something you want to collect in the future.  

I can’t wait to see your collections!

from justalittlesouthernhospitality.blogspot.com

from justalittlesouthernhospitality.blogspot.com

love the lid storage rack

Check back for another featured blogger’s collections. . .and if you missed this month’s party, you can join tomorrow for the November link-up!