Before and After-Outdoor Living Area

We've been busy, busy, busy! Which isn't really an excuse but more an observation. Last weekend, we went to an all-night flea market in Wheaton, IL. I did take some pictures and will have to post them at some point. It was sooo much fun! We stayed at my besties Brandi's house. If you would have told me 12 year ago when she moved there, that you could have a low key weekend in Chicago, I wouldn't have believed you! 

We have several projects we've been working on! Including but not limited to, redoing the laundry room TWICE! Sometimes ideas are better in your head and should stay there! But don't worry we have before, before, and after, after pictures to share. We just need to add a couple more pieces and clean up the walls and it's a blog! 

Sis has spent hours upon hours cleaning the craft room trying to make it a "croftice" (craft room/office). Sis has been AMAZING at organizing and parting with some of her teasures. You would be AMAZED at the amount of stuff we had in there. It was a hoarders DREAM! Which will you will get to see when we are done!

 Mama re-did an amazing 1950s table for us to use as a new kitchen table. It looks so amazing and has helped to complete the room. (She acts like she doesn't like this stuff but she does!) 

We have also been working with an amazing graphic designer and are days way from a logo! I KNOW HOW EXCITING! A logo makes us feel all grown up! 

SOOOO, let's show ONE of the things we've been working on! Anyone else have project ADD? There are just too many shining objects in our house and we can't focus! 

ANYWAY, "outdoor living area" so far has been our biggest, most completed, finished project. Our deck was just a wooden slab that we wanted to make into an extension of our home. A place that we want to hangout and have friends over. Our loving and amazing mother, had it powered washed and stained it for us! Thanks, Mama! (See she likes this stuff)

 All this furniture, really wasn't necessary on such a small space, also we had no privacy and more importantly NO SHADE! SOOOO MUCH STUFF....SOOOO LITTLE SPACE!

Another idea that should have stayed in our heads...The random pallets in the middle. I guess we thought it was a nice table? (Which I'm sure it would've if we put some work into it.) Oh, the pink bucket a center piece? We didn't have pink anywhere else?! I'm going to blame it on the fact that we have NO ROOM left in the warehouse, so we had to do something with it!

 I didn't have a space to garden, which lead to this VERY VERY unattractive Tupperware box. It had to go! With all of the awesomeness in our warehouse, it left very little room for my gardening stuff. I love gardening just as much as I love vintage! I had to find a space for them.

Our first step was to downsize on the furniture. We sold the one of green chairs (the other is still for sale), got rid of the pallets and the pink bucket aka "center piece" was retired. I bought those cute pillows at Meijer for $2.25 each. I normally don't buy new, but I do buy clearance! The flower pots were ones I've had forever. I had bought them at a garage sale for 10 cents each. I went to Ace and got yellow spray paint ($3.99) so they would match,  I also bought it in the turquoise color to paint the plants stands that Mama gave me ($3.99). The yellow glider was Heather's Easter present from the bunny. It was also the color that we worked around, hence all of the yellow! 

This day we were having a jewelry, wine and cheese party. I mention in a post before, the white cabinet is my new gardening table, which also makes a really cute drink station if we are having people over!  I had sherbet punch (in my awesome vintage milk glass punch bowl set that I got at a church sale for $5) and chocolate chip cookies on it that day!

 I put a cute yellow daisy table cloth on the old "gardening" table. I bought it at a garage sale for 50 cents and thought it looked really cute with the yellow chairs and pots. It's only for when company comes over or I'm feeling fancy! On the very very bottom of my to-do list is painting this table. So what I'm saying is...get used to the tablecloth!

Mama found THE perfect cushion for my lounge chair. It's bright, colorful and comfortable! That's is what I call perfect! Just adding the cushion makes the $2 chair look like $200. O.k. so maybe not $200 but you get the idea!

We also put this lattice wall up on one side of the deck to add privacy/shade. I'm sure I have a better picture somewhere...but I'm also sure that I can't find my camera right now! I'll add one or take one when I find it again. I had the butterfly and flowers hanging on my bedroom wall, but I really like them out here much better! The colors and retro feel, tie in perfectly. We were going to stain the lattice to match the deck, but for some odd reason, Mama read the instructions. What she read was...you have to let the wood "season" for at least a year before you stain. So we gladly checked that off the to-do list!

So that is our "Outdoor living area" makeover. Lets run down the cost and where it all came from!

1. Lattice wall was $250. It was done by Mama's "guy"! I was going to do it myself but he did it in two days.  It looks AMAZING and I'm pretty sure I would still be working on it! If you live in the Carmel area and need a "guy", let me know and I can hook you up with Jessie. (That is if Mama says its OK.)

2. The wrought iron patio tables and chairs were free from a house we cleaned. Once again, when I find that camera I'll take a better picture! The old "gardening" now "Daisy" table was free at the same house.

3. I'm going to count all the planters/plant stands as free. I've had those containers for years and have gotten my dime out them already! :)

4. Mama paid for the power washing/staining/glider and lough chair cushion. (THANKS MAMA!!!!!) Which equals free to our accountant. (I'm the accountant)

5. $4.50 for two pillows that retailed for $14.99 each

6. From Goodwill/garage sales: The daisy table cloth (.50),  the flower and butterfly wall decor ($2)  the lounge chair ($2) , the new gardening cabinet (free), a smaller table that is being used as a side table for the lounge chair (not in these pictures, I suck at this) ($2)

7. Two cans of spray paint from Ace ($8)

DRUM ROLLLLLLL PLEASE!
Total of $269 for a total outdoor makeover! And only four items were not reused or recycled!
I think we should pat ourselves on the backs!

So here what we are up to next!
We have to finish this laundry room before it drives us INSANE. Who would've thought such a small space could be such a BIG pain!

The "crotfice". I can't find a desk I want at any garage sale or goodwill! I might have to bite the bullet and buy new (on clearance/sale of course). I feel like we are stuck in the room until we find the desk. Now the room has started to spill out into the loft and then into our rooms. It's just a hot mess to be honest.  It just needs to be done. FAST! Maybe I'll stop looking for the "perfect desk" and look for the "right now" desk ha.

I still have paint samples up in my bathroom. I also have a very very very easy "picture frame" bathroom mirror tutorial that I want to show you!

We have a packed September with A TON of amazing shows.
Sept 1st is Indie Arts and Vintage Marketplace
Sept 8 we will be at my cousin's wedding. (It's invite only) ha
Sept 22 will be at Horton's of Tipton's fall market
Sept 27-29 you can find us at Restyled Furniture's Fall Barn Sale

Restyle is doing something really cool. They are offering a "pre-picking" event. For $5 on Thursday night (9/27) you can come and have first bids on what everyone has. You can click on their website above and get pre-paid tickets.

On Friday and Saturday, the event is free so if you don't want to pay and pre-pick, visit us and just "pick"!

Buffet Bash 2012- Woman Goin' Crazy on Huntington Ct.

Every year, for the past 5,6,7 years (I've lost count) our father (hereafter referred to as "The Dadster")  has thrown THE party of the summer! See he is a little  totally obsessed with Jimmy Buffet! He spends all year planning the "Buffet Bash". The song that inspired this years theme was Woman Goin' Crazy on Caroline Street. Which of course lead to "Woman (or women) Goin' Crazy on Huntington Ct.

This year he went above and beyond! Even pumping up our Christmas tree for the occasion! (I'll insert that picture later. I thought I already had it on here! OPPS!)

Parrots, flamingos, and pirate flags all lined the "Ullman Resort and Park". More burgers and hot dogs then people could possibly eat (which means we ate them for a week after). The guests were as awesome as ever. "The Bash" had the second highest attendance in recorded history. Only beat out by the time the concert was on a Saturday. (This year was Tuesday)

So, The Dadster might be a little totally obsessed with Jimmy Buffet, Our mother (hereafter known as "Mama") is totally unhealthily obsessed with her hardwood floors! She has always, since I can remember, made us take our shoes off at the door, but now she is asking us to walk on our hands. (Just kidding, but I wouldn't put it past her)

We are always looking for creative ways to tell people no shoes, but for this party just no high heels.

Sis made these cute signs

What? Flip-n-get leied. Yep...as you walked in to front door, you could grab a pair of complimentary flip flops and a lei. Everyone that came to the party got flip-n-leied! HA

In order to ease Mama's mind and have a cute, fun party favors, Sis and I bought enough flip flops for everyone. We even bought some guy flips but oddly enough none of them showed up in heels. But don't get me wrong, the men were more then happy to get leied. HA!

With all these cute flips there were no "heels on the hardwoods". The night went smoothly and Mama got to relax and drink her wine. (Or maybe the wine made her relax)

 We also want to give a shout out and HUGE THANK YOU to Cindy for being follower number 3! We are getting ready to head into the big time!
We have had a bunch of people asking us if we can find/make something for them. WE WOULD LOVE TO! So we have started a Pinterest board for make/find things. If you want to be added let us know and we will be on the hunt or start making what you're looking for! You can follow our Pinterest from our blog...Just click on the icon!

We have the rest of the month "off" preparing for next month!  We have three HUGE shows!

September 1 Indie Arts and Vintage Market
September 22 We will be back at Horton's of Tipton
September 27-29 Restyled Fall 2012 Barn Sale

I'm thinking we have something in between but I'll have to check the calendar!

Reduce, Reuse,Craft

Guess who found her camera adaptor? THIS GIRL! Now, I can share my pictures with the world my two amazing followers! I'm still looking into a new camera but for now my point and click will have to do!

A couple weeks ago sis told me about a new company in town called Indy Upcycle.  I checked out the website (which you can do my clicking on the link) and I knew this place was right up my alley!

What's cool about Indy Upcycle is they take donations from crafters/artists for crafters/artists. If you have ever been a crafter or thought about being a crafter, you know you go out and buy all kinds of stuff. If you're anything like us you buy too much or possibly lose interest in the craft. One of my favorite parts of Indy Upcycle is you can either donate what you haven't used (and is taking up WAY to much space) or you can go there and buy what you need.

Buy what you need, who would've thought! An example, you are doing a project and you just need a tiny amount of red paint. You can go to Indy Upcycle and they have small containers that you can put the paint in. You don't have to go to the store, buy the big paint, and most likely not use all it. Then paint sits there for years (because every good crafter thinks they will use it again for something) and you have to throw it out.

Another cool aspect of the store is that you pay what YOU think the products are worth. Which can be difficult. One of my pet peeves is a garage sale with no price tags. Before I went, I checked out the website and it gives you tips on what to/how to pay. I really suggest you check it out, so you will get a feel of what they are thinking and you can kinda get on the same page.


I spent a lot of time looking through all the amazing stuff. This is what I came home with. I got 3 paint brushes, 5 bangle bracelets, two small bags of buttons and a hankie. I thought about what to pay and came up with $10 (plus taxes, this is a for-profit business). I thought I got a great deal!

I've already used the paint brushes (you will see what I did in future posts) and sis went to work on the bracelets.

This place is a must check out! I'm actually getting ready to go back and drop up some stuff off (and most likely buy more)!