Fabulous Goodwill Finds

One of my NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS was to complete several decorating "projects" that for various reasons had gotten placed on the backburner. However, because of my addiction to treasure-hunting and thrifting, instead over the past couple of weeks I have succeeded in finding new projects to add to that to do list.

I have been searching to no avail for a vintage chandelier for my bedroom. Well, I still haven't located that perfect one, however, I did find this wonderful candelabra at the local Good Will store for $2.00. It holds ten pillar candles and will be a wonderful source of ambient lighting on the desk I am PLANNING to paint and use as a nightstand. Now I just need to decide what color to paint it, hopefully before I go back to Goodwill.

Another fabulous find was these Dollar Tree photo frames. I absolutely LOVE the detailing of the appliques. I plan on painting them white and possibly antiquing them for a wonderfully distressed look. So Shabby Chic!!

My last little treasure of the week was this cute 2-drawer chest that I picked up for a mere .50. It will add a little extra storage for small items and will look great after a centsibly chic makeover.

So now that I have added three new small projects to my plate, I really have to get some of these finished so I have something to blog about next week. Stay tuned for the transformation. It begins now.......

Southern Snow

We don't often see this much snow in western N.C., much less two major storms with major accumulation within 6 weeks of each other. The first snow caught people by surprise and created a lot of havoc, putting Interstate-26 at a complete stand still and stranidng motorist for hours.


After experiencing the 14" blanketing of Dec. 19, everyone was much better prepared for the Jan. 29 snow. Even though they were predicting a foot or more we actually only got around 8 inches the second time. However this is still much more accumulation than normal.

So the area has truly been a winter wonderland lately. Look at this wonderful view view from my front porch. I have found that it has been a wonderful time to stay home, build a fire and get to work on some of my decorating projects.

Floral Pillows

Bright, colorful, patterned fabrics can make dramatic changes to any space, indoors and out. Small splashes of color from throw pillows is an excellent way to lighten, brighten, and add vitality to your decor.

There are several options to cover your existing pillows and some don't even require any sewing knowledge at all; howver, I did sew these.

Look for fabric remnants at various fabric and thrift stores, and even yard sales. If you really want to be creative, you can use pillowcases, sheets, shower curtains, or old clothing items to create unique, one-of-a-kind handmade designer pillows for your space.

I really love the additional pop of gentle color that the fabric adds to my front porch, and how it softens the hard lines of the wrought iron railings and metal bench.

Inspiration

"Faraway in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead."
Louisa Mae Alcott

The above quote expresses perfectly how I feel about my Centsible Chic decorating projects...seeing the possibilities of something worn, dated, or discarded, to believe in my vision of what it can become, and taking the necessary steps to transform it into a thing of true beauty that enhances and brightens up my space.

These photos from Country Living magazine are perfect examples of this kind of creative revitalization and serve as a great source of inspiration.

Stenciled TV Cabinet Makeover

One of my favorite pastimes is searching for treasure. No, not buried treasure, but the troves of household treasures that long to be discovered at thrift stores, estate sales, and yard sales. They lie in wait buried underneath awful out-dated paint jobs, or nicked and scratched surfaces. All they need to return to their former glory is a little imagination and alot of TLC.

For example, this beautifully antiqued and stenciled television cabinet was a $35 thrift store find.

When I brought it home, it was battered and bruised. It was plain brown wood, had a few dings and scratches, and the doors were off-track and uneven. I nursed it back to health with some sandpaper and a little elbow grease, then transformed it  using paint, antiquing medium, and stencils.

Unfortunately, I was so anxious to get started on it that I failed to take a before picture, but I love how it turned out...just beautiful!

Bedroom Curtains From Sheets?

It has been extremely cold in N.C. the past week with windchills below zero, so I took advantage of my warm and cozy workroom to catch up on some delayed decorating projects. I decided to make curtains for my bedroom, a project that I had been putting off since last summer.
Part of the reason that I have procrastinated is that I have oddly sized windows that measure 36" by 48". This makes it almost impossible to find ready-made curtains. I have used blinds with valances and short curtains; however, I really love the elegant foor to ceiling look. So sewing my own custom curtains was my best solution.

In the picture you can see my old short curtain on the right, and the new curtain on the left. WOW!! What a difference!! I loooooovvvveeee them!

I chose sheets with a creamy beige background that complimented my wall color, but they also have thin vertical black stripes which add contrast and coordinate well with the other black accents in the room.

I fashioned these panels out of four full-sized flat sheets that I purchased for $32. These curtains were a HUGE SPLURGE and are one of the most expensive items in my bedroom. Twin sheets could have been used, however, I like the fuller look. Also when using this method, it is important to keep in mind that most sheets are thin and do not offer much in the way of light filtering. 
 

This was an extremely easy project. The edges of the sheet are finished, therefore it is not necessary to hem the sides or the bottom unless you desire a short curtain. Also, these curtains are hung just a few inches below the ceiling level to trick the eye into believing that the window is really much larger. It also causes the edges to fall at exactly the right length so no hemming is required.

The majority of labor is from making the rod pocket which is used for inserting the curtain rod for hanging.   
 
HOW TO MAKE A ROD POCKET :
1.  Measure your window and decide upon the desired length leaving approximately 5 -6" additional inches of fabric at the top for the rod pocket., and another 2.5'"for the bottom hem. Cut fabric accordingly if needed. (NOTE: I did no cutting whatsoever for my project).
2. From the top, fold the front side (the side which you will look at from inside the room) of the material  over onto itself 3"',  2.5' from the top , and sew your seam. (The band at the top of my sheet was white so I made that my turn line, as I didn't want the white to show.) Put your pins in horizontally every few inches along the seam line.
 
HEMMING INSTRUCTIONS: (For those who altered the length of the original sheet)
1. From the bottom, fold the front side over onto itself 2.5". Pin in place and sew 2" from the edge to complete.
 
*** f you don't sew, or want to make it even easier, you can use hemming tape. Just follow the instructions on the package.   

Fabulous Frugal Find: $5 Table Lamp

BEFORE

This striking table lamp is another one of my fabulous frugal finds. There is a Kirkland's pricetag on the bottom of $59, but I only paid $5 at a local yard sale. The lamp was in fairly good condition with only minor imperfections; however, it didn't come with a lampshade. I originally thought that I would leave this item as is but it was just too dark for my space.

In order to lighten it up and make it a little more Shabby Chic, I decided to paint the whole thing and give it a complete makeover!

First, I primed the base and body and taped off the cylindrical ball in the middle. I then painted the metal part with some Rust-Oleum, Heirloom white, satin spray paint, and the ball with a sage green craft paint. However I felt the green finish was too lackluster, so I then added a pearlized paint finish over the green and now it glistens under the light. I love the way it turned out but I am still scouting for the perfect lampshade.

AFTER