Sorry I've been MIA

So sorry I have been MIA for a while. I have had alot going on, but I do have some new projects coming up soon!

Check out ThrivingWhileSurviving!!!

Check out my cousin Lindsay's blog thrivingwhilesurviving.blogspot.com

She just started, but already has an AWESOME post about tips on how to remove nailpolish from clothing!

Run over, say hi, welcome her to the world o' blogging... and tell her Amy sent ya!

Fall/Halloween Decor

RHONDI at ROSE COLORED GLASSES
is having an AUTUMN PARTY

Just wanted to share my fall/halloween decor in my dining room, I know it's early for Halloween, so I tried to keep it more along the "fall" lines...but YOU KNOW it's soooo hard for a crafty girl to not be able to decorate according to the next holiday especially one as fun as Halloween!! I would also like to add that I got everything for the cheap, either at thrift stores or the Dollar Tree. The most expensive thing was the tablecloth that I bought for $5 at my favorite thrift store.

The Bar...




Side Table



Dining Table







(I love love love really old vintage books and I bought these today for only $1 each!!)


EEEEK! I can't wait to put more stuff up! My husband has laid down the law and said I'm not allowed to put up anything really "halloween" untill October *sits in corner and pouts* But I think this will do for now.

Easy Halloween Decorations

I was browsing the Dollar Tree today and found these frames...



The white one ended up breaking, but oh well...the rest of them I spray painted black and then framed cute scrapbook paper...



Voila! I'm sooo into the shiny black frames and bright cheery paper! I love love love them!

Turn an Old Book Into Something Pretty!

Okay really, I think this has been the easiest thing I've ever done, and I feel like I have a fuzzy memory of making these when I was a little girl.

I bought this book at the Goodwill for $1 specifically for this project. I have never read Anne Rice, so I don't know if this book is any good, but if anyone out there is reading my blog, and this is your favorite book ever...look away, it's gonna be a bloodbath..... Okay not really, but I will be destroying this book.




I bought this book because:

A) it wasn't hardcover

B) the pages were huge

C) It had alot of pages, I think it was over 550 pages.

All I did was I started with the first page, and folded it in half.



and then turned the page



Keep going



Keep going



Until all of your pages are folded




Now open up the book in random spots to kind of loosen the spine from the cover



Carefully remove the cover of the book without ripping the spine (you'll know if you ripped the spine if the pages all fall out one by one.) Use scissors if you need help.




Once the cover is off, the folded pages should push against eachother to spin out like this



If it doesn't, you may need to re open more pages to kind of loosen the spine a little bit more, and if that still doesn't work, use some craft glue to hold the spine together.

I stuck it on a pedestal (that I may or may not be painting a different color) that I bought from Goodwill for $3. It really serves no purpose. I just thought it looked cool on my bookshelf.

More Thrifty Finds

Everyone needs to run...not walk...to their local Target! I found these in the dollar spot there for $2.50 each!



Then get in your car and FLOOR IT to big lots. All of their Jennifer Ferrell stuff (which is pretty nice designer stuff) is all on sale for 70% off!! They had like furniture there that was normally $200 and is now $60! Crazy! I didn't get anything huge, but I did walk away whith this uber cute bowl and filler/smell good stuff!



I got each of these for $6

I just threw one of the packages in the decorative bowl



I love deals!

Awesome!

Today my mod podge comic box got featured on oneprettything.com!! That is my all-time favorite website! I'm excited!!

Turning a $7 Giant Frame Into a Beautiful Chalkboard

I found this framed "Artwork" if you want to call it that at Good will for $7 and I saw it's potential. Something about the frame called to me saying "Amy, please take me home and give me a better life."



YIKES! This needed my help badly!

I cleaned it up a little first with a dry rag, took it apart, and then sprayed 2 coats of white paint on the frame.







When I had opened it up, there was a very stiff cardboard backing that I gave 2 coats of black chalkboard paint.



I was going to leave the frame pure white, but then decided to age it a bit. I first took an ordinary kitchen sponge with the soft sponge on one side and scrubby side on the other and some gold paint.



I put some paint on the soft side of my sponge and smooshed it together so it soaked into the sponge a little bit.




Using my sponge I wiped paint onto my frame, and then wiped it right back off again with a clean part of my sponge, that way not too much gold paint stayed on the frame.




Then I took the scrubby side of my sponge and lightly roughed the frame up a bit.






When everything dried I just put her back together again and hung her up in her new home in my kitchen, and I think she looks mighty fine if I do say so myself!

Thrift Store Before & Afters

I am obsessed with going to thrift stores and Goodwill, buying ugly things and making them pretty so I just wanted to post of a few before and afters.

I bought this little diddy for about $2

Just a little black spraypaint...

Soooo much better! I love how shiny the black is!

Not a huge change for these next 2, but I bought them both for $2.50 total

I just re-sprayed them with a new silver

Good as new!

This next one was an idea from http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/

This sad mirror in a frame I bought for $1.99

Cleaned, scrubbed and re-sprayed

Now it holds candles on my coffee table! I love lit candles on top of mirrors! So pretty!