The Delightful Eclectic Abode

It's never too hot for a thrifting adventure!

Hi there!

I'm back from my 2 week blogging vacation!  My 3 grandchildren visited from Delaware and they kept us mighty busy. I've also been busy the past week with some DIY projects and of course, a little thrifting. Stay with me, I'll get to that part in just a minute.  Here is a peek!

Are you staying cool?  Half the country is experiencing a heat wave.  If you have air conditioning, I know you are grateful.  As a 50 + women, I still get hot flashes so the additional hot weather makes it unbearable!  Thank god for cooling stations across the country for those who can't escape the heat.

 Source: http://www.weather.com/news/week-ahead-in-weather-20120701

Michigan is on the cusp of a drought.  Some local counties are already instituting watering restrictions for lawns and gardens.

Source: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/drought/

Many areas in the U.S. are experiencing extreme drought conditions. I pray that things get better really soon.  For us gardeners, lack of water isn't good.

Okay, back to the reason that you stopped by.  THRIFTING!!

Today I'm linking to Rhoda's Thrifty Treasures Party at Southern Hospitality  It's a great party and sure to spark some inspiration so head on over and take a look. 

 

 

See that mirror in the upper left-hand corner?  I bought this yesterday at a local consignment store.  It's wrought iron and seems to be very sturdy.

 

I spotted this a couple weeks ago and thought about getting it but found something else instead. If you regulary visit consignment stores, you know that the price goes down the longer it remains in the store.

 

Mr. Delightful and I were driving around looking for garage sales on Saturday.  We decided to drive to one our favorite local towns.  We stopped at the Home Again Consignment store and I found just what I was looking for!   The mirror was still there and it was marked down to $11.00.  The original price was $23.00.  I decided this time that I was going to take it home with me.

 

I love using mirrors. If you've stopped by before, you have probably seen a few mirrors on my deck and in the garden.  Mirrors reflect light and add such a nice element to the garden or patio.

 

 

I love that I can keep the shutters opened or closed.  The mirror creates the illusion of a window.

 

 

Notice all the photos from different angles?  Believe me, the photos don't do this mirror justice.  It looks fantastic from the street view!

 

 

See that little wicker chair?  Free! 

 

I made the little pillow for it a couple weeks ago with some indoor/outdoor material that was on sale at Jo-Anne's Fabric.

 

The afternoon heat was so bad that this is where I sat and edited my photos today.

 

See that big round mirror?  It reflects the garden so I can see my arborvitates from my kitchen table (they are in the far right corner of my yard)

 

Can you tell I'm just a little bit obsessed with mirrors?  I have a few more stored in my garden shed because I don't have any place to put them.  I never pass up a good thrifty mirror deal.  You should see the one I got at a garage sale for $10.00 (regular price $200.00)

 

Hubby says I'm going to need a barn soon to store everything.  I THINK NOT.  I don't want to become a hoarder so now I have to ask myself the following questions:

 

1. Do I NEED it?  Well, of course! You know us thrifty shoppers can always find a place for something new.
2. Do I have a place for this?  Yes!  I can give something away or rotate my collections to make room for this item!

 

The kitchen doorwall opens to the back porch/deck. I'm showing you these pictures because I want to give you a feel for the view that I have from my kitchen dining area.

 

And.....for the grand finale!  Look what I did with the $8.00 table that Rhoda from Southern Hospitality featured a couple weeks ago! 

 

Thanks Rhoda, I've NEVER been featured before. 

You made my day/week/month!!

 

 

AFTER THE TRANSFORMATION

 

 

BEFORE.  Oh, how I love the power of paint!

 

 

I gave the turned legs an antiqued look with some orange paint.

 

 

Let me show you a couple more thrifty finds from the consignment store shopping trip. 

 

 

The skeleton key shadow box was 50 cents.

 

 

The faux pot of oregeno was also 50 cents.  I think they make pretty cute little accessories don't you?

 

 

Stay cool, keep hydrated.  Hopefully, you and your flowers won't wilt during this massive heat wave!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  My garden and home are always open for visitors so please stop by again.

I'd love to hear from you so please leave a comment.

 

 

 

Table and Chair Makeover

 

Welcome to the back porch at the Delightful Eclectic Abode! I'm so excited about sharing my first 2012 thrifty trash to treasure transformation. Stay with me now, because I'm going to tell you a little story about my project.

 

Here is a peek. My thrifty transformation is just to the right of this photo.

Three weeks ago I went to a local barn sale and purchased this little table for $40.00. It's a vintage baking table with an enamel top. I had visions of turning it into a potting table for my back porch.

 

It's a little beat-up but that's part of the charm.

 

A week after I got this table, hubby and I went to a local historic town for dinner and wondered why we were seeing all kinds of items on the side of the road.

 

A pair of old shutters were lying there and I asked hubby to stop. He didn't want to put any junk in his camero so he went to play cards. I drove back to town with our big ole pick-up truck so I could score some loot.

 

When I spotted this I knew it would be perfect for the top of the table.

When I got it home, I discovered it was too wide, bummer.

 

Every year this town has an annual spring clean-up. The residents clean out their homes and garages and put their stuff to the curb for anyone to take for free. Whatever is left on Saturday the city picks up and the junk probably ends up in a land fill.

 

 

Two pairs of wooden shutters were on the side of the road so I painted one pair my favorite color turquoise.

 

 

Here is one of the many chairs that I got for free and knew I could make it pretty again. Love the turned legs!

 

The truck was filled to the brim with all kinds of stuff to repurpose for the garden. My project involves the chair, table and pair of shutters.

 

 

The table isn't your typical potting table but she sure looks pretty on my porch! It definitely has the cottage garden feel.

 

 

The little gap just above the drawer is for a cutting board. Hubby is making me a new cutting board, but it isn't finished yet.

 

SUNDAY EVENING UPDATE!  Look what hubby did for me today.  He was so cute.  He said you can't show a half-finished table on your blog.

 

 

He added a new drawer pull and a cute little glass knob for the pull-out shelf.

 

It looks much better now that it's complete

 

More details about the cost of the table:

I already had primer for the table, leftover turquoise paint from another project and all my paint brushes. Total cost for the paint and material to recover the chair was $28.00.

 

 

The canvas indoor/outdoor material for the chair was on sale for 50% off at Jo-Ann's Fabrics. There is enough left to make a table runner.

 

 

I already had all the little accessories for the table. Total cost for this project $68.00.

 

Today I'm linking to Rhoda's Southern Hospitality Thrifty Treasures. Please pop on over there to say hello, meet some fellow bloggers and get some inspiration! Southern Hospitality is a grand place to visit.

 

 

I'm also linking up to "Wow us Wednesday's" at Savy Southern Style. 

Hope you'll stop by again to see what my next project will be. Please leave a comment so I can come visit you too.