Nothing says Merry Christmas like driftwood

You had to know these were coming...  Thanks to my friend Carrie Parente for the inspiration! 

Project completed, finally.

Here are the before and after shots of the sad little table I fell in love with at an estate sale in the fall. It was in a dark corner of a dirty garage and it was in need of a make over. The original paint was a light yellow and the beveled glass top was clouded with years of grime, but otherwise in very good shape.

I think every room can use a touch of black, and I love the hint of Asian flair this brings to a traditional space. I purchased the table for $15 and used three cans of spray paint to bring it up to speed. Building on the original yellow base color, I sprayed a reddish coat lightly over it. Then, a coat of black spray paint. I rubbed, and sanded and buffed to expose all three colors and when I was satisfied with the look, I sprayed a clear coat for a little shine.

Setting a holiday table, on a budget

It's time to get festive. I'm having some friends for a holiday dinner party and wanted to set a beautiful table, but wanted to spend money on filet mignon and good wine and not on decorations! I started looking around my house, thru my craft bins, and extra holiday decorations to pull together a nice table scape. I only spent a few bucks, and made things work on a budget. Dollar store, thrift shop, craft store, and TJ Maxx came thru for some glitz and my 16 year old china from my wedding registry is making an appearance from the dark storage closet just in time to celebrate old friends this Christmas.

Here is how I layered the parts to make a whole.  Here is my glass dining room table.  I don't love it, never really have loved it, , but I will hide it and dress it up to look lovely for a dinner party.

 First, I layered a plastic table cloth - picnic style - to cushion the hard, unforgiving glass. 

 Next, a large, round, plain white table cloth.  Basic cotton restaurant style.

 Okay, the table cloth was wrinkled.  Here is my cheat - I love this stuff.  The cloth had been cleaned and folded last time I used it, but I obviously didn't fold it very carefully.  I use Downy wrinkle releaser to freshen the fabric and it magically removes the wrinkles!  No iron needed!

 The next layer is a roll of wide metallic mesh I picked up on clearance from Hobby Lobby a few years back and never had the occasion to use it. 

 I'm only serving six adults at this dinner party.  For each place setting, I started with a plastic, metallic place mat I purchased at Target years ago for just a few bucks for the whole lot of them.  They have the look of a charger, but are super cheap and super easy to clean up after spills and drips of a yummy dinner and store in your drawer. 

 I'm mixing silver and gold, white and cream on this table.  On top of the gold place mat, I stacked a silver charger.  These were dollar store finds. Dollar Tree, baby!

 These beautiful bowls were my inspiration for this table setting.  They are a pair of metallic sculptural bowls from TJ Maxx.  The smaller one was $15 and the larger one was $17.  I think they are amazing.  At a round table, I like a relatively low center piece.  This way, my guests can see each other and converse without the obstruction of a huge floral display.

 Here is my old wedding china - Lenox - which I use almost never.  Also, I folded the napkin old school - just so I didn't have to iron it!  The silver is repeated in the charger, flatware and napkin ring.  The gold is repeated in the rim of my china, the place mat, and the gold mesh.  It all mixes and matches and looks cohesive.

 No cash for fresh flowers at this time of year - I'd rather upgrade the menu.  Instead I used lots of fun things to make a cheap and interesting center piece.  A disco ball, gold lame poinsettias, gold glitter balls, and some glittery twigs.  The candle sticks are from Dollar Tree.  I decided to use low water glasses - no stems, and my guests will bring their wine glasses to the table from the kitchen where we will have had appetizers.  I can't wait.

This is a shout out to my friend, Christine Morse, who is battling breast cancer.  I am excited to entertain her and her husband to celebrate her completion of a difficult 6 months of chemotherapy and to gather for the holiday season!  I can't wait!

Early Paparazzi

I created this little vintage vignette that reminds me of a 1950s news reporter on the road - getting the scoop, following the newsmakers from town to town...possibly on the campaign trail snapping photos of of political candidates and their scandals.  Can you make believe with a vintage vingette in your space?  It's like being a kid again - playing pretend!  If you want it, it's all on Etsy.com in my shop.

Business or Pleasure, Mr. Draper?

Are you a Mad Men fan?  I hope so, but if you're not, I'll give you a little background on this awesome period TV series set in the 1960s.  The show Mad Men is on AMC and it has won tons of Emmy's and the main character is Don Draper (Jon Hamm) who is super hot.  Mad Men chronicles the life of advertising execs who were surprisingly slutty and alcohol soaked in both their business and personal lives.  It's fantastic. 


Since this is a period television show - completely set in the 1960s - it is important to both producers and viewers of the show to be historically accurate.  All of the sets are filled with real vintage furniture and real stuff from the 60s - not many things are reproductions.  Here is where I fit in to this Mad Men world...As you may know by now, I am an estate sale regular and I come across 1950s and 1960s stuff all the time in basements and living rooms of people wanting to liquidate their stuff.  Well, I sell these great finds on Etsy.com in my shop called Affordable Adornment.  I recently sold this piece:

And the lucky buyer was the Property Master for Season 5 of Mad Men in Los Angeles.  Next time you see January Jones crying the blues about what a terrible ex-husband Jon Hamm was - she may be wiping her eyes with these vintage tissues!!!  FOR REAL!

Behind Closed Closet Doors

This week, my husband was out of town on business.  When he is away, I end up watching television and doing projects into the wee hours of the night.  Case in point:  Tuesday night, I stumbled upon one of my guilty pleasures, the show Hoarders: Buried Alive.  Well, I tuned in mid way thru one episode, then stayed tuned thru another episode and, what do you know, the next one, too.  After a mini-marathon of shock and awe, I was moved and motivated to then clean my MBR closet until nearly 2am - which needed a straightening and a once over.   I am lucky enough to have a good sized closet, but that just means it allows me to fill it and hold on to things that are no longer part of my wardrobe repertoire.  Time to purge.  It felt so good and there is a little high that comes from clearing floor space, emptying shelves and throwing things out. 

Here are some tips to make your MBR closet look decent enough to keep the door open:

Unify your hangers.  Choose a color and go with it.  Get rid of all the junky wire things that come from the dry cleaner and rickety hangers that came from the department store.  Target, dollar stores and any grocery store carry plastic hangers for around $2 for 13 hangers.  Load up on one color and go home and unify the look.  If you are fancy and can afford wood hangers, they look very sharp, as well.

Organize the way you want to shop in your closet.  Some people like to organize by color, but my brain does not work that way.  I hang just about everything because folding things always looks sloppy and unorganized.  Sweatshirts, sweaters, jeans, t-shirts, tank tops, scarves, etc. all hung up on white hangers.  It saves me from digging in my drawers for something wrinkled, as well.  So, in my closet, I group like items and that also translates to seasons.  T-shirts are together and sweaters are together.  When I walk into my closet, I feel like I can shop for things to wear as opposed to digging or finding things.

Keep what's practical at hand.  We used to keep our suitcases in the basement, but my husband travels so much for work that we now keep the suitcases in our closet.  Which means I had to move out some things we don't use often, like an extra comforter, extra pillows, and empty shoe boxes.  I made room for what we need by putting other things in more practical locations elsewhere in the house.

If you have extra space, put it to good use.  I actually had enough room to organize my wrapping paper which is no longer in a dark corner of the closet leaning up against the wall (and more often falling down on the floor).

Add something beautiful.  After all if you have a walk in closet, it is a room in itself.  Why not treat it as such.  Hang a beautiful full length mirror with a great frame.  How about a cool waste basket for your tags and pocket trash.  Why not a chandelier to bring a little glam in there and really make it look like a store you'd want to shop in.  Add a small bench if you have space, or a narrow console table in the middle to act as an island for folding or pulling an outfit together. 

Paint your closet a fun color.  I know that painting your closet might be the last item on your to-do list, but it might make a big different.  If you weren't daring with your bedroom wall color, this is your chance to do something bold or happy. 

If you don't have a ton of space, and your closet is small, you can still do these things on a smaller scale. Still paint, still hang a pretty light fixture, still hang a mirror (on the back of the door), still add a trash basket, and still unify your hangers and organize your wardrobe!  But, scale down your clothing selection.  Keep the good stuff, keep the basics and the essentials, but get rid of the old trendy stuff, the red satin dress from that wedding last year, and cocktail dress you wore to so-and-so's birthday party...chances are the next function you go to will want a fresh new dress anyway!   

I Caved In - I'm Tweeting

I'm embracing social media like you might embrace a stray dog - first, at an arms length, but kindly acknowledging it, taking it in until it finds a home in your heart and your routine.  Since you can't ignore it (your kids won't let you) and it's not going anywhere you might as well give in.  So, TWITTER can quit with the puppy dog eyes already, because I am now tweeting about Affordable Adornment.  I'm tweeting about my thrift finds and estate sale rounds.  Follow me if you want!  I'd love it!  Find me @AffordableAdorn.

Next TUESDAY Meet Mom for lunch, Get Senior Discount

It's nice to meet your mom for lunch.  Next time, schedule it on a TUESDAY because many thrift stores offer senior discounts of up to 20% off one day of the week.  Look what my mom and I found when I secretly asked her to join me for a quick stop in the Goodwill after lunch! 

Dining table with leaf and 6 dining chairs.  Awesome paint color and patina.  The wicker caning was in great condition and with mom's discount, the whole shooting match was $150.  Recover the seat cushions and you have an amazing set for cottage or kitchen!

This dresser was at a different thrift shop and I think that I am drawn to green, because I thought this piece was great.  Add it to a foyer, kitchen, end of a hallway, whatever - it's a great piece.  It was marked $75 but they offer senior day on Tuesdays as well.

World Mission Thrift stores give 50% discount off ALL merchandise on the last TUESDAY of the month.  Stop in there, you'll have to wait in line to check out, but you can't beat the discount!!  See you there.  My mom and I will say 'hello.'

New Addition to my bag of tricks

I blogged once before about the tools you might want to carry with you when you go antiquing, thrifting or salvaging.  Well, I took my own advice and tossed in this pair of garden gloves.  They are my most utilized tool now!!

Loved it so much I couldn't set it free!

My Etsy.com shop has really taken off and I am having so much fun finding great vintage home accessories to share with others.  I have been out on the prowl, scouring the thrift stores, estate sales and some secret haunts and have unearthed some amazing vintage pieces.  If you're looking for any cool vintage accents to bring your home to life, please check out my shop! 

But, as I have been out on the town, I found some pieces I just can't sell or set free.  They have made their way permanently into my home.  My kids and my husband even think these new additions are great - especially when they find out how much (or how little) I paid for them!

This is a spool cabinet.  I found it at an estate sale in this great apple green color.  The old men at the sale were commenting about how sad it was that it had this awful color painted on the beautiful wood and hardware.  I just smiled and paid them and secretly knew that was the EXACT reason I bought it!

My new pride and joy.  Welcome to the family ROYAL 1938 typewriter!!  Doing research on this piece after I snagged it for a whole $8 at an estate sale (you heard me, EIGHT dollars) I learned that the manufacturers of these pieces of machinery were so proud of their state-of-the-art mechanics that they put glass on the sides so you could see the inner workings.  This is a piece of history.  I wonder what great literary works were created on this.  Another fun fact about it - it has no number 1 key.  They figured you could use a lower case L. 

This baby is the real deal.  It is from the 1960s and I paid just $4.99 for it (plus the new shade which ran around $50 bucks).  I love the patina on the brass base.  I think it is so crazy how style comes back around.  These gourd shape lamps are extremely popular right now straight out of the 60's.

Snap, Crackle and Pop

I'm talking PATINA here!  If it doesn't have chips, or crackles, or rust - it's just not for me!  Love this cute "industrial chic" (yes, it is a new term and I LOVE IT) metal side table with pink paint and black legs.  It just had to go in my girl room!  The small table lamp was a thrift find - $1! Looks great with my Rachel Ashwell books - the original queen of flea market style and the one who coined the term Shabby Chic.

Add Something Shabby to Your Chic Decor

I talk a lot about this, but I had to show you a few pieces of furniture and accents I came across recently to drive this idea home.  Look at these amazing finds from a great store called Amsterdam in Saugatuck, MI:

What a cool piece for a foyer, mud room, potting area, or kitchen! 

Pull up a seat!  These old stools had a life of their own and were just waiting for you to take a load off and have a cup of coffee with the girls at the kitchen island!

My favorite stool with curvy legs and a spinning top!

This chippy, shabby workbench would be the ultimate kitchen island.

Chubby cubbies!  Great for kids homework or shoes!

HUGE statement piece.  Amazing old piece of history from a hardware store or tool shop. 

Order UP!

Do you ever feel like you are a short order cook feeding children and husbands round the clock?!  I sure do.  I recently added this rustic red bell for a bit of whimsy in my kitchen.

Drive A Few Miles to Get Inspired

Well, it's time to hop in the car and go for a color tour.  Actually, it's not what you think...I'm not talking about all the beautiful leaves that peaked with the colors of autumn in Michigan (although that is a great idea on a sunny October day).   I am talking about getting inspired by color in a different way. 

Do you find yourself shopping at the same old haunts?  Every day to the same places...Target, Costco, and the grocery store maybe tossing in a Hobby Lobby visit here and there?  I do love, love, love Target and I always pick up something there that looks great in my home, but when your car automatically drives there and your red cart goes up and down those same isles you stop noticing the new and exciting things offered.  I want you to go another direction and try something else.  Cross town.  Drive a little.  Go explore the next city over.  They will have the same stores over there, but will have it presented differently and you might even stumble across a cute boutique or fun mom-n-pop store that speaks your decorating language.  This is the color tour I am talking about. 

When I returned from my girls weekend to New York, I realized how narrow minded we get in our own little world and how it stifles our creativity and inspiration.  It is so energizing to step outside of your community and see how the world works on a different main street.  It inspired me to get out and see more!  A different view, a different perspective, and a different shade of the same colors we are used to.  I highly recommend changing up your day and seeing the same things in a new light.   You don't have to go to New York, or on a plane, just go for a drive.

I did this just the other day.  I drove about an hour from my house to the Lake Michigan lake shore community of Saugatuck,MI and then headed north to neighboring Holland, MI.  On my way home, I stopped at a different Target off my usual path and discovered so many new things.  It was an eye opener.  Here just two ideas that stemmed from from my trip into new pastures.  I got so many new ideas just stepping across the county line.  I'll share more soon.

This beautiful greenery has the effect of a topiary, but it in fact is just a bird bath with a huge pot of flowers placed in the bowl.  I thought it was genius because it lifts the focus off the ground and creates a beautiful statement.  I am totally going to try this next year.

A mirror on a hook - who would have thought?  It creates so much more interest.  The composition of this vignette is perfect (minus the surveillance camera).  I love the shine of the chrome and the reflection of the light when the lamp is placed directly in front of the mirror.  So often we place lamps and accents to the side, but in this case the designer put the lamp smack dab in the center of the mirror and I think it looks great.  It's just a different approach.

Wallpaper and Justin Bieber

Wallpaper is an old concept that got a bad reputation and went by the wayside in recent history.  I for one vowed to never use it EVER as I was painstakingly removing it from every wall in a previous home.  I kid you not, that Chicago Bulls wallpaper (with coordinating BORDER) in the guest bedroom was the bane of my existence in that home.  It took a full week of serious peeling, scraping, and swearing to get that stuff off the walls.  But, wallpaper is back and I am the first to admit that in this instance "never" meant "temporarily."  As my mom and Justin Bieber say "Never say never."

I recently ventured into Lowes to look at paint and found myself lost in the different wallpaper books instead.  They have it conveniently organized in books by color and even one dedicated to metallic papers - gorgeous.  If you don't want to order it and you need instant gratification at the check out, they do have a selection of ready to go rolls.  Each roll is less than $30 and for that price, the effect is outstanding.  Try it!  If you hate it, you can take it down!  It's not as difficult as it used to be.  Go slow - don't jump in and wallpaper your whole house.  Try an accent.  How about the back of your bookshelves, the inside of a cabinet, or in a few frames like art work.  It is a very cool way to bring some color, pattern and texture into your room.  And its not a huge commitment.  Look at this great wallpaper I found at Lowes:

It's all in the details - get your carpet CLEAN!

Your home could be decked out with nicest furniture and accessories, but if your carpet has spots and dirt, and (gasp) pet odors, that's the first thing your guests will notice. 

If you have one of these...


You are gonna need these...


The Woolite Stomp 'N Go pads are miraculous.  Seriously, you're not going to believe how well they work and how little work you have to do.  I swear, I use them all the time to clean up after the *&%$ dog and after the boys' spills and messes, too.   It's kind of like a paper towel, kind of like a wash cloth, but it has carpet cleaning juice in the pad.  You lay it down on top of the spill and step on it.  Then leave it there and it sucks up the mess.  Easy and efficient - and leaves a fresh clean scent! Try them - and then thank me! Find 'em at Walmart!

Scrap Metal or Decor? Use Heavy Metal and Farm Equipment and Old Tin in Your Home!

A vintage anchor, some old pad locks, vintage copper, old cookie cutters and a sack holder used in an old barn for loading grain in burlap sacks.  You would think I was going to fill my pick-up with junk metal and cash it in at the scrap yard.  Well, I have thought of that...but, instead I am going to show you how you can use these things in your home and get a cool look.  Yes, you can use these as decorative items and I think they are GREAT!  Before you pitch something made of metal, see if you can re-purpose it.  Scrap metal pays off, but look at the treasures I saved from a melt-down!

Collection of vintage padlocks that don't have keys.  Purely decorative, but really textural and cool.  Plus, a vintage anchor.  So heavy and rusty and awesome.

    On the left are the vintage copper pots I found at the Paris flea market.  On the right is the barn sack filler that I am going to use for a pot rack - YES I AM!

Found these while rummaging...Shabby Chic at it's finest.  They are from Italy and they are fab.  Definitely not scrap metal!  I have a pair.



This cute old recipe tin has tons of charm and can be used to store or display vintage cookie cutters!



Does this remind you of your grandma's house or your parents' 1975 rambler?  Well, it's officially back in style.  Don't scrap me!

These vintage Jell-O molds would be darling as small lamp shades for a string of lights.  Just drill small holes ta-da you've got a one of a kind party light string!  They are readily available, and too cute to throw out.

This hand painted tole tray is all metal and all girlie.  It would be so cute in your bedroom for your watch and rings and loose change before bed.  Perfumes, toiletries, whatever - so sweet.

Cute little aluminum salt and pepper shakers. 

More metal!