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Showing posts with label no money creating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label no money creating. Show all posts

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Kitchen Rack From Found Elements

Sometimes all the pieces just come together. Rarely. But sometimes : ) I almost can't even call this a "project" because of the way everything seemed to magically fit together.




Recently we were picking things up from a nearby city's annual spring clean-up. People put their cast-offs {including lots of furniture, construction and garden supplies} out for the city to pick up and dispose of on a certain date. Before that date, it's all fair game and we brought home lots of great "junk".


This baker's rack had no shelves, but I knew I could come up with something to replace them, so home it came. I really don't need this piece in my house, but if I can't sell it, it won't kill me to keep it around either.


Another thing we picked up was this child size picnic table that had fallen apart. I can use all these white boards for something, right? 


Another curbside find-this large wire basket was in a post-yard sale "free" pile.


The white boards from the picnic table happened to be just the right length to form shelves, and the wire basket fit perfectly into the center shelf space! Crazy, huh? Like I said, it's almost too easy to be called a project.



I can think of lots of places a shelf like this would be useful. In a laundry room, a bathroom, as a potting shelf. I decided I'd style it as a kitchen rack, just to show you what it might look like in this space.






The basket is pretty large and could hold so many different things! Dishes, paper goods, pie pans and baking utensils, root vegetables, breads, table linens...


The handle of the basket makes a perfect towel holder, too.



I can fit several of my ironstone pitchers {and my grandma's cow creamer} on the top shelf with some utensils.

 

  
The second shelf I filled with an old basket holding mason jars with silverware, a little creamer holding measuring spoons and my pepper mill atop some small white bowls. I tucked a chalkboard across the back and even found a spot to hang an apron.











On the bottom I put a picnic basket {great for storage, as well} and some of my cookbooks.

 






This little white board panel was another curbside rescue. Not sure yet what it will become.




Making something useful from elements that would have ended up in the landfill totally makes my day. Doing it without spending a dime? Even better!
How about you? Do you have a favorite curbside rescue project? 

We  ***FINALLY***  have some spring weather this weekend, whoohoo! The kids are playing in the park behind our house in shorts, and I spent some time sprucing up our little back porch with some happy color today! I'll have post about that up tonight or tomorrow. 

Thanks so much for coming over, friends!

Jeanette 

Sharing this week over at:


  













Sunday, April 14, 2013

A Little Junk Update

I want to say thank you for all of the encouraging messages I received after my last post!
I am touched more than I can say by the kindness shown toward me and my kids. I am truly grateful for each of you!

Tonight I was working on a little project with one of the items that was in that pile of "junk" in my van, and I just wanted to give you a tiny peek at what's going on over here.



One of the things I picked up was an old canvas beach chair. It is quite weathered and the wooden seat is in the garage waiting to be used for a different project. The canvas wasn't "cool old", it was just "ugly old", so I covered it with a couple of coats of white paint.


Then I decoupaged a vintage beach print, that I've had for many years, onto the canvas.



I added a couple of distressed white hooks. Now the vintage beach chair will become a vintage beach-inspired towel rack.


These photos aren't so great (taken in my poorly lit living room at night) It still needs a couple of tweaks, and some hangers on the back, but I'll be finished with it tomorrow.


Another thing I picked up was two old, large (approx. 24" x 30") heavy cotton bags from a linen supply company. The day I picked the items up it had recently snowed and everything was very wet. 

  
The bags had some metal items on top of them, and have some rust stains. I washed them twice (with bleach!).


What is it about a piece of heavy soft cotton with a frayed edge? Some girls like diamonds, I like tattered cotton. I know, I'm a silly girl : )



I'm going to try and see if I can use the good parts to cover the back of my little chair. It's been waiting to be finished up for months! I have a small feather pillow that I'm going to try and cover with this fabric also, to go with the chair. Then I'll have to let it go!

That's it for tonight. No "biggies", just a peak at what's happening with some of my junk finds. 

Thank you again for holding me up with your dear prayers and words of encouragement!

Jeanette 

Sharing over at:

Party Junk at Funky Junk Interiors 
Monday Funday at Finding Home 
Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House 
Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Knick of Time Tuesday 
Pretty Things at twelveOeight 
The Scoop at Cedar Hill Ranch  
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm 
Budget Decorating at Creative Cain Cabin 
Tweak It Tuesday at Cozy Little House 
Welcome Home Wednesday at Vintage on a Dime 
Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch to Yours 
Creative Inspirations at Embracing Change 

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Just Junk?


 This is a story about a mom.....



A stay-at-home, homeschooling, single mama with three kids still at home. The mama knew that God had called her to this family-centered, home-centered life. She's been living it for 20 years! Once, she was a wife and mom of four. She thought it would always be this way. But now...


it's just the mama and three kids. She is in a scary situation, where she is left to fend for them on her own, and it's hard. The papa, and the money....gone. 
God told her to start a blog (huh?), start a shop and start moving toward creating a new life founded on His grace, and the desires He planted in her heart from the time she was born, and He would provide.


 She's trying. She's really, really trying to hold on to the vision, although some days it feels hopeless! She tries to keep moving, one "grace stepping-stone" at a time. Sometimes day by day. Sometimes hour by hour. There is the voice that whispers to her, "Keep going.....I've got you.."

  
Zero money, broken tools, borrowing a camera for every blog post and shop listing...
"Keep going....I've got you."


Yesterday, this. This seeming pile of garbage. Just junk. She knows this "junk" is a gift. It can be transformed into things that will provide for her family, and it was free.


 She is aware that this junk pile represents how her life has felt for too long. Just as she will transform the junk into something useful and beautiful, so the care of her loving Lord will transform the junk of the life of her family into something useful and beautiful. 

Today? She can't even pay the rent or utilities. 

Sometimes transformation is long and agonizing. 

She pulls herself up, again and again, like a toddler taking her first tentative steps, and moves toward the voice...."Keep going.." Even if it's hard. Even if it hurts. Even if it's scary. Even if you can't see it. Especially if you don't feel like it. Giving up when it looks impossible is not faith. Just. Keep. Going. 


Thank you for being here, friends!

Jeanette


Linking up at:

Creative Things Thursday at The Vintage Farmhouse 
Be Inspired at Common Ground