thrifting rules...

I used to love visiting garage-sales when I was a kiddo and then my friend Heather got me hooked on thrifting.  We have quite a bit of variety here in Portland including Goodwill, Gospel Mission, Salvation Army and also your high-priced "vintage" shops which Portland is known for.

When Heather and I used to shop for furniture that we would re-do, our rule was to never spend more than $50 on any piece and that has always stuck with me.  Although you certainly could spend a lot less on any given piece, $50 was the max.  We were able to do quite a bit with that $50 as you can see:

We had a lot of great projects (I only pictured a few)!  Here were a few rules we had when scouring thrift shops for new pieces to refinish:

• Under $50
• Good condition with no major repairs
• If we couldn't sell it, would we be willing to have it in our own home? (we actually sold every piece for at least double what we paid for it but most of the time it sold for a lot more).
• Good lines and good style (If it was from the 70's, could we modernize it?)
• Could it be staged nicely?
• If it needed to be re-upholstered, could we do it ourselves or would it require a professional?  Professionals can mean $$$.
• Had to be 100% real wood.  No particle board allowed :)

When I am looking for thrift finds for the etsy shop, here are the rules I follow:

• Good condition and easy to ship (I try to stay away from ceramics and glass although I have sent them before and they have been fine)
• No repairs needed and no chips, cracks, etc.
• If it doesn't sell, would I use it in my own home?  If not, I pass.
• Can it photograph okay? (sounds weird, but something may be gorgeous but can I photograph it?  I am a total amateur and some things are really tricky to get a good shot for).
• Can it be used in numerous places in the home?  If its a dish, its just a dish and can probably only work in a kitchen.  If its a brass item, can it work in a nursery, in an entryway, etc?).
• Can it be cleaned?  
• Is it unique?  One of a kind?  If yes, then take it to the register!  

When I am looking for thrift finds for our home, here are the rules I follow:

• Good condition with no repairs needed and no chips, cracks, etc.
• Can I get it home easily?  If it doesn't fit in the good ol' S.U.V...pass.
• Can it be used in numerous places in our place? I try to not buy pieces that work in only 1 room.
• If I want to change it, can it be updated with minimal effort?  (So like this map project, can it be done in a weekend and easily?)  If the answer is no, its not worth storing it until you think of something to do with it, because by that time you may already be bored with it :)
• Can it be cleaned?  
  
• Is it unique?  One of a kind?  If yes, then take it to the register! 

My best piece of advice is to have a plan when you are headed to the store...what are you looking for and what is its purpose?  Have a handy tape measure and your wall measurements if you are looking for a specific furniture piece for a specific space.  I am by NO MEANS any expert, but these are the rules I try to follow.  Happy hunting!!!

master bedroom refresh...

 

I found that recently I am gravitating more towards a 'mixed' look and as Paetyn would say "coloring outside the lines."  I am being drawn to the style of SchoolHouse Electric and their collected, and unconventional look.  I bought some of their pillowcases a few months ago (the white pillow case with dark green +'s on them) and wanted to go a little funky with them.  (Sorry for the crummy pics...I took them with my phone).

The dark green walls in our room are super moody (which I adore) but I needed a little brightness to the bedding and found the pale peach sheet set at Wayfair.   The lamp is from Target and I was lucky enough to find 2 on clearance and then replaced the white shades with these gray herringbone ones that I had on our old brass lamps.   

I found the posters at Paxton Gate here in Portland for $5.95 (I got another one with butterflies for the other side of the bed) and got the frames for $20 each from Ikea.

The cute little wooden box is from Goodwill for a measely $2.99 and so is the shiny brass apple.

Not entirely sure it will stay this way but for now it will do.  And this is what it looked like 2 minutes later:

TOAST event!

I am back from Seattle and we received the pictures from the Toast Event...they turned out beautiful!  I think Jason Wasinger  did an AMAZING job capturing the event and he was so nice too :)  Please check out his website and book him for your special event.  He and his wife were so easy to talk to and work with!

The lovely ladies featured in the booth that I worked with were Black Sweet Raspberry, Selva Floral Design, The Lambs Table, and Commonwealth.  Everyone was a real delight to get to know and they are all so passionate about what they do in the Pacific Northwest!  The following pictures were from our booth and the above partners:

These are pictures from the rest of the event and other booth projects:

Elli hosted the event and you can follow them on Facebook here.

And right now, Elli is giving 15% off all stationery products by using the code ELLIGIFT at checkout.  Have a great weekend and enjoy!

taking a time out...

Hello all!  I know its been a little while since the TOAST event and that I haven't reported much.  Let me just say it was a lot of fun and I was so glad to be involved!  We had a pow-wow last night with the great ladies involved in the event and when I got home I said to Jeremiah "would you believe it if I told you I was the quietest one there tonight?"  He didn't believe it, but I was.  So many great ideas flowing for business plans, great ideas, decorative visions...I was a little out of my element, but it was so much fun to watch.  As soon as I get pictures from the event, I will share but they haven't come my way yet.

Also, I am out of town again for the next few days and then when I return I don't expect any blogging for a little while :)  It's been beautiful here in Portland lately and I need to get my 'playin' in.  Also, we signed the contract for our landscape install today and they will do the project the first week of April!  Yipee!!!  We are using Lewis Landscaping for the backyard, and we are excited to be partnering with them.  

See you all next week sometime!

etsy love...

I just adore it when Etsy shops pop up on my home screen and Etsy says something like "We think you would like this shop"...and then I do!!!  I just love the products at Studio Liscious for your sweet cabin in the woods, nursery, or fun wall project that could incorporate some 'paint-by-numbers' pieces.  Everything in this shop I just want to snatch up!  Take a look: