Hannah's Garage Sale Birthday Presents...

Since my 20-somethings were big kids, they have opted to get cash for birthdays and Christmas...with small gifts to open. 

Around that time, I somehow become clueless as to what they liked anyway, and when I found out something they DID like, it changed quicker than I was aware.

Cash worked for all of us. Green goes with everything, and it's one-size-fits-all.

Still, the mom in me WANTED to be able to shop for my children. I really needed to know what they liked, so I could bless them. I didn't like being a clueless mom.

But sometimes, my gifts were a bust. They sat in closets unworn, or got returned to the store, which was better than wasting the money spent. 

A few years back, when Hannah was planning to move to an apartment, or maybe it was her house in college, I found out she liked my decorating style. We were sitting in the den, looking at blogs and decor styles of how she wanted to decorate, and she said, "I want....that."  I looked up to the gallery wall behind the sofa, and said, "Well, you can't have that, but we can shop for items LIKE that, if you want."  

And so we did. And it became an opportunity for me to feel like a good mom again. I bought things I wanted to use in my own home, and Hannah liked them. 

It became a tradition for me to go to her new apartment or house and help her arrange furniture and decorate. I enjoyed it. She said kind things like, "How do you DO that? You can just look at a bunch of stuff and figure out how to put it all together so it looks good."

Moms love that kind of stuff. It was a great way to be a parent to a young adult. 

So this year for her birthday, the game had changed. She had a great job making a great salary in a city some distance away. The birthday cash would be...well...sort of a drop in a bucket. 

So I asked her if she'd rather have me shop for things for her house than getting cash. She said yes, which sounded like another win/win situation; I got to go to thrift stores and garage sales shopping for my favorite 23 year-old in the world. 

And sometime before too long, I'll deliver the goods to her, and we'll decide where they go in her house.

We'll spend a weekend arranging things, eating in restaurants, and probably shopping. We do that...my girl and I. Recreational shoppers, we are.

So until that weekend, I'm on a mission. 

I'm looking for elegant, industrial, transitional, metallic, neutral, cool stuff for my favorite young woman.

Word for the Day:

Psalm 37:25-26

I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.

Possibly Linking With:

Sunday

http://www.niftythriftythings.com/

Nifty Thrifty Sunday

http://thoughtsfromalice.blogspot.com/

Sundays at Home

Tuesday

http://www.knickoftimeinteriors.blogspot.com/

Vintage Inspiration Tuesday

http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

http://www.cedarhill-ranch.com/

The Scoop

http://www.astrollthrulife.net/

Inspire Me Tuesday

http://cityfarmhouse.com/

Inspiration Exchange Linky Party

Wednesday

http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/ 

What’s it Wednesday

http://lavendergardencottage.blogspot.com

Cottage Style Party

http://www.thethriftyhome.com/ 

Penny Pinching Party

Thursday

http://www.jannolson.blogspot.com/

Share Your Cup Thursday

Friday

http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/ 

Feathered Nest Friday

http://shabbynest.blogspot.com/

Frugal Friday

An .87c Orange Table Equals Instant Gratification

Less than 24 hours ago, I found this table for .87c:

You may think I grab every free or .87c piece of furniture in my path...but that is not the case. I have criteria other than price. 

This piece had cute bones. Good bones are a must.

Just like nice windows make a house beautiful in my aesthetic, furniture needs lovely lines. I thought this piece had nice lines.

Soooo, I mixed up a few colors of plaster paint and found a series on Netflix, and went to town. 

No stripping required. I WANTED the old paint texture. I even wanted to see evidence of the orange past existence...

This morning, I got up early to take photos. After all, I've kept you waiting on the desk...so you needed a little instant gratification right along with me. 

As I was painting, or actually waiting for the warm gray undercoat to dry...I painted some small things, too. 

The heavy iron mini-planter was one of them. 

I love it so much better now...

I've said it before, and I'll keep on saying it...

Paint is right there...just below the realm of the miraculous.

This is not where the table will end up...I have plans to switch things up; maybe this weekend...Lord willing and the creek don't rise!

Word for the Day:
James 4:13-15
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

Possibly Linking With:
Sunday
http://thoughtsfromalice.blogspot.com/	Sundays at Home
Monday
http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com	Mod Mix Monday
http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com	Make it Pretty Monday
Tuesday
http://www.knickoftimeinteriors.blogspot.com/	Vintage Inspiration Tuesday
http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/	Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
http://www.cedarhill-ranch.com/	The Scoop
Wednesday
http://savvysouthernstyle.net/	Wow Us Wednesday
http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/	What’s it Wednesday
http://lavendergardencottage.blogspot.com	Cottage Style Party
http://tarnishedroyalty.com/	Drop it or Swap it Party
Thursday
http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/	Under $100 Link Party
http://staceyembracingchange.com/	Creative Inspirations
http://www.jannolson.blogspot.com/	Share Your Cup Thursday
Friday
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/	Feathered Nest Friday
http://www.missmustardseed.blogspot.com/	Furniture Feature Friday
http://shabbynest.blogspot.com/	Frugal Friday
http://www.thecottagemarket.com/	Junkin’ Joe
Saturday
http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/	Party Junk

Q - What is Orange and Cost .87c?

A - No, this is not a riddle. It's REAL LIFE. At least at my favorite thrift store...

OK - you probably won't ever guess. It's a table. 

Yes, a TABLE. For .87c.

It's pretty cute, to my eye...except I will definitely paint it! Orange is not my thing, and this little table has been painted a zillion times, so it has that texture. 

Oh, look. A dog hair or maybe it is a paint brush bristle...sweet. 

I see it in my mind's eye...all painted and maybe sanded a bit to let the tiniest bit of orange peek out...that could work.

All I need to do is mix up some plaster paint, and turn on Netflix...it's been a while. I still have that desk from my $20 garage sale morning to do, but I don't want to drag it into the den...

So, my sweet .87c orange table, this is your lucky night! 
You go to the head of the line.

Word for the Day:
Matthew 20:14-16
14 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity? 16 So the last will be first, and the first last.

Possibly Linking With:
Sunday
http://thoughtsfromalice.blogspot.com/	Sundays at Home
Monday
http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com	Mod Mix Monday
http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com	Make it Pretty Monday
Tuesday
http://www.knickoftimeinteriors.blogspot.com/	Vintage Inspiration Tuesday
http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/	Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
http://www.cedarhill-ranch.com/	The Scoop
Wednesday
http://savvysouthernstyle.net/	Wow Us Wednesday
http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/	What’s it Wednesday
http://lavendergardencottage.blogspot.com	Cottage Style Party
http://tarnishedroyalty.com/	Drop it or Swap it Party
Thursday
http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/	Under $100 Link Party
http://staceyembracingchange.com/	Creative Inspirations
http://www.jannolson.blogspot.com/	Share Your Cup Thursday
Friday
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/	Feathered Nest Friday
http://www.missmustardseed.blogspot.com/	Furniture Feature Friday
http://shabbynest.blogspot.com/	Frugal Friday
http://www.thecottagemarket.com/	Junkin’ Joe
Saturday
http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/	Party Junk