Top Decoration

Well....sort of...

I mean, clearly they are gorgeous!

And festive.

And romantic.

And just...so darn pretty!


For me, there's just something about globe lights strung up, illuminating the night.

So I decided that I needed some...

Except, (you know me) I wasn't about to buy them.

Nope.

Not a chance.

Those suckers are pricey!

So, naturally, I came up with a solution...

because I was bound and determined to get the glow!

So...

I went faux!

Ha!


Confused?

I know.

Faux globe lights...

what in the world does that mean?

I'll show you...



First, I needed something to string the lights on. We always have a healthy supply of 2 x 4's out in the garage, so Will split a few of them in half on the table saw, to just under 1 and 3/4" each.

Then (just for looks) he ran them through the table saw again, cutting off each corner. Definitely not an essential step, but worth it if you have the time. Each one got a quick coat of white paint to blend in on our deck...

Once all of the posts were secured to the deck, we went under the house to dig out the Christmas boxes.

(Still confused?)

Instead of buying several boxes of expensive globe lights, I decided to use strands of Christmas lights we already own!

Totally FREE!

Perfect!


I used picture hangers nailed at the tops of the posts to hold the wire, and then we began to hang up the lights...

I wasn't sure how the green wire was going to look during the day, but as it turns out, it completely blends in with the surrounding landscape...

Once we got the strands of Christmas lights up and plugged in, I couldn't wait for nightfall to arrive to see how they were going to look...

As soon as it was dark, I flipped the switch and...

Viola!

The exact look I was going for, without any of the expense...

A free makeover that made a huge difference in the look and feel of our deck.

All we had to invest was a very small amount of time.

Does it get any better than that?

I mean, really?

If you are my husband, the answer is a resounding NO!

No, it does not get any better than that!




P.S. I am posting this over at Hooked On Houses
and DIY Day over at A Soft Place To Land
and at Between Naps On The Porch for Metamorphosis Monday

While browsing through my favorite blogs today, I came across a post that showed nothing but the text that you see above.

First, I loved how it looked.

Second, I loved every...single...thing it said!

The print is called

"Lovely You"

and you can find it at...

by dazeychic on Etsy.


She has an adorable shop!

And I want one of just about everything she's made!

Here is a very small sampling of what you will find when you visit Studio Mela...

I am Hooked, for sure!

When you visit her shop, be sure to read her Bio.

She sounds just as adorable as her art!


Off to do more browsing...






P.S. To see what others are Hooked On this week, head over to Hooked On Houses! And if you care to participate, link up and share what you are Hooked On too!

A couple of weeks ago I posted about some great Thrift Store finds and my plans to change them up a bit.

Want to see what became of them?

First, there was the hand carved wooden bowl that I found for $1.99...

I sanded down some really rough spots...

...and the whole thing got a few good coats of Walnut colored Danish Oil.

I have it sitting on my entry table holding some hand carved wooden balls that I bought a few years ago.

Remember how it looked before?

It was as if someone had carved it, but was unhappy with how it turned out and tossed it in a bag to give to the Salvation Army.

It wasn't finished at all. Just raw wood.

I sure am happy they decided to get rid of it!

I love how it turned out!




Then there were the Shoe Forms, purchased on the same day, also for $1.99...

I could have sat them on a shelf somewhere, simply for display, but I really wanted to make them function in a unique way, so here is what I did...

They got mounted on beaded board and my husband built a frame that I distressed and white washed. I added a quote that seemed appropriate to go along with shoe forms...

It hangs in our hallway which is where all of the dressing for outdoors occurs.
Coats, shoes, scarves, hats, keys. etc...

The knobs on the shoe forms are perfect "hooks"...

...to hold miscellaneous items!

I like how it turned out!

Just a little bit quirky and functional at the same time!



On another note, the headboard project is going better than I could have hoped for! My husband is a Rock Star carpenter and he made it absolutely perfect! I like it even more than I had imagined!

I'm working on getting it painted and finished and then I'll post pics.
Can't wait to show you all what it looks like!
And I really can't wait to find another "FREE Stuff" headboard and do it all over again!

Pictures coming soon!
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Flea Market Style is having a party!

If you're a "Flea Marketeer", link up and show off some of your favorite flea market finds!

Daffodils make it so easy to add some sunshine to any room.

This is what our days have been looking like up here in Seattle...

...day after day after day.

So a few rays of sunshine are a welcome treat!

I found these lovely rays at Trader Joe's - 10 stems for a little over $1.00.

Placed in a simple glass jar on the mantel...

...and near the front door, you can't help but cheer up when you look at them.

The weather reports are teasing us with the potential of sunshine over the weekend. While I don't want to get my hopes up, I am optimistic - we are all desperate for a change and a chance to soak up some good old Vitamin D!

But for now, Daffodils are an easy and inexpensive way to remind us that spring will, in fact, be making its appearance soon....we hope!

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To see what Julia is Hooked On this week head over to Hooked On Houses! And feel free to join in on the Party!

My best friend, Kelly, and I went thrifting again yesterday in downtown Seattle!

She walked away with several pairs of new jeans, a super cute jacket and various other items that were just too good to pass up, and I came away with these...

A hand carved wooden bowl..

...that has a twist to it...

...but I'm calling it "character"!

I rubbed it with Danish oil today and I really like how it turned out. I'll post pics tomorrow!


I was thrilled with that find, but I am

really,

really

excited

about these:

Vintage Shoe Forms!

A pair of them in great condition!

As soon as I picked them up I knew what I wanted to do with them...

...but you'll have to wait to see what I've got going on!

I should be done with the project tomorrow!

I think they're very cool!

The absolute BEST part about these finds were their prices...

*drumroll please*

I paid a whopping $1.99 for each!
My total was $4.00!
Nice!

I had spent time browsing the store, but decided to make another quick go-around through the "home decor" section before we left. These were on the bottom shelf (basically, on the floor!) and I had completely missed them the first time!

Lesson learned!
From now on, I'll get on my knees if I have to because the best finds may be hiding just out of sight!

Can't wait to show you the finished projects and how I am making them even better!
Check back tomorrow to see the "after" pictures!

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I think it's safe to say that Kelly and I are definitely Hooked On Thrifting!
To see what Julia is Hooked On this week, head over to Hooked On Houses and visit her weekly blog party!
What are you Hooked On?