Bar Carts

I love the idea of having a bar cart at the ready in my home. I've been musing about this for awhile, (click here for a previous post) but common sense tells me to wait until my male teenage son is older. Still, there's no harm in looking!

Bar carts offer a lot in their smaller size, portability and wide range of design possibilities. Best of all they can be found secondhand and customized to to

personal preference.

image via apartment therapy

I like the yellow and industrial style of this cart. I could see a wood soda crate on the bottom for bottles or glasses and another wood box for supplies.

image via SZ Interiors

Here's an idea I wouldn't have thought of, using a vintage trunk for a bar

stand. With the accompanying accessories this vintage trunk's stature has

really been elevated.

image via Design Crush

Vintage bottles with nice typography

image via Starbies and Sangria

Isn't this a pretty setup? This brass bar cart has nice functionality with the bottle  and wine glass holders. I think the red chair and animal print are very nice touches. What a great use for a chair with a lot of character. It's easy to find them at sales and on craigslist. One can of spray paint is all you need.

image via casasugar

So many different styles of bar carts can make deciding difficult.

image via MODERNFifty

Industrial design is always a big draw for me, love the green.

image via NATHAN & CO.

Really nice mid century style on this wood bar cart.

image via edmajo.info

The bright red orange color modernizes this rattan bar stand.

image via houzz

This steel cart has heightened functionality with three shelves, like the pop of blue at the bottom.

image via One Kings Lane

This wood cart has some nice storage and the bonus of leaves. Plus it's style would fit in many different types of decor.

Upcycled Entertainment Centers and Armoires

Just like the vcr, entertainment centers and armoires went out when the flat screen TV came in. Scads of them can be found on Craigslist, begging to be sold for a mere pittance of their original price. Let's take a look at what some creative people are doing to give them a new life.

image via sew dang cute crafts

Tam of sew dang cute crafts turned this entertainment armoire into a sewing

center and a very nice one at that. Tam has other brilliant ideas for upcycling

on her blog.

image via ser.en.dip.i.ty

Great redo on this entertainment center and fabulous reuse. This would be great in a home office or craft room.

image via Thread in Her Hair

Could this be any cuter? How fun for these lucky kids to have a play kitchen like this. Beats those small plastic ones.

image via Pickin' Greens

A little segway here, an entertainment armoire made from old doors.

image via My Repurposed Life

I like the rustic look of this dresser that has been repurposed, it would

be great in a smaller space. This one require skills (they cut a dresser in half), but you could also do this with a chest of drawers. What a great use for a chest or dresser that has a drawer or two that doesn't work!

image via Glimmer & Grit

Great upcycle on this entertainment armoire - this could be repurposed as a

dresser or gorgeous linen closet, in a dining room or kitchen - just about any room.

image via Baer Home Design

The great thing about repurposing these large pieces of furniture is giving them a new lease and a new purpose. Changing furniture that is tired or out of date into something attractive and functional is very satisfying. The armoire above has great style, but even greater functionality - look at all it can store. How nice to have everything in one place, easy to see and get to.

Upcycling For Outdoors

image via fed up with lunch

Who'd thunk painting tires bright colors would actually make them look fun

and attractive?

image via Project Minify

This cinderblock garden wall looks upscale.

image via nest full of eggs

Using old mailboxes like these for planters is industrial and charming at the same time.

image via dornob

Here's a bench that almost anyone can make, made from old discarded chairs.  

Places like Home Depot or Lowe's will cut your lumber to a specified length.

This idea has so many possibilities!

image via Lotus Editions

I really like these tables that would be great on a porch or deck. You need some skills for this one...

images via dishfunctional designs

I really like these outdoor ideas for shutters, but there are many more ideas

for old shutters on dishfunctional designs.

Vintage Tea Towels

I like the charm of vintage tea towels, especially those from the 60's and 70's. I don't come across them very often thrifting, not sure why that is, but I keep looking. Here are several nice designs.

via my life in mixed media

via Pretty Dandy

via Wooden Donkey

via sew katie jean

via Pretty Dandy

via Pretty Dandy

via gracious, good

via flickriver - this site has a ton of tea towels to look at

Virgil Thrasher, 3D Clocks

Lately I've been drawn to 70's art. It's groovy man. I found the small picture below at an estate shop I like to go to. It's a signed piece by Virgil Thrasher, a silk screen print with reverse painted glass overlay on it. I paid $10.00 for it, so I was pretty happy with that. The Elgin clock on the left was purchased at a thrift store for a mere $3. Actually it was pretty dirty. Cleaning made a huge difference. Not sure if the clock works, it's pretty corroded where the battery goes. 

It's probably going in my son's room, he really likes it. I think it will look nice on his gray walls, it looks a little barren here on the cream color. I think it beats anything you could buy at Urban Outfitter for a lot less.

But Virgil stays with me.

Another example of Virgil Thrasher art via thriftytown

Serigraph by Virgil Thrasher via UncommonEye

Thrift Finds - See What Thrifting Can Do

My apologies for not posting for so long. Had a bout with tendonitis in my thumb and wrist. I had physical therapy for it which helped quite a bit. 


I recently changed  and rearranged a bookcase in our family room which had been the same for too long. It feels like a new space now. And of course, most of it has been thrifted.

I love sunflowers. I first saw these plates several years ago in a Mary Engelbreit

book about decorating. There wasn't any information about them in the book and I hunted them down on ebay. I found that they're MOMA plates and I have four of them now and one bowl, all from ebay. Each plate is a little different.

I also bought the majolica like pitcher off of ebay. Blue vase on the top is a recent find, it's pottery barn, which I bought for under $10.

This ball vase is a recent find, the books are all thrifted too. The baskets

are from T.J. Maxx and were not expensive.

I found both the brown pitchers at Goodwill at different times. More thrifted

books (had to buy the Peacock Manure & Marigolds just for the title), the little pewter sunflower frame I bought years ago at a gift shop.

It's funny how changing one area can change the whole room. I need to spiff

up the rest of the room and will post more pictures when I get that done.

Tall Vase

Over a year ago I purchased this vase through Craigslist. I responded to an ad for a mid century dresser that didn't work out, but the seller, an older gentleman, had numerous other items for sale that he didn't list. I purchased this striking vase for a very reasonable price of $35.00. 

Over time I realized that it doesn't go with my decor, but enamored of it, I didn't want to let it go. Now I'm ready (this is starting to sound like a relationship) and would like to try to sell it on craigslist. Here's my problem: I know little about vases, there are no markings on this vase and I have no idea what kind of value to put on it. 

Here's what I do know: This heavy vase is 21" tall and measures 35" in circumference at it's widest point. It is in excellent condition. There are light reflections in the photo on the center, right and especially the left, that do not exist on the vase.

Any help at all would be very much appreciated!

Cruisin' on Craigslist

I haven't done this for awhile - so let's take a look at what my Madison, Wisconsin craigslist has listed today. The seller above has four nice items for sale: an ikea lamp (like that shade) for $20, red industrial folding chair - $30, a chrome lounger chair for $75 and a EQ3 desk for $250.

This seller has a full size brass bed for $45 - sounds like a great deal and I'm assuming it is not solid brass.

The seller titled this listing "totally ok table and chairs" which I found humorous.

The price of $75 seems to be totally ok too.

This seller has these tabouret chairs listed at all four for $100. For some stylish chairs that looks to be in very good condition, that seems to be a very reasonable price. I've noticed that these chairs have been on craigslist awhile and have been reduced in price. I would have to think that's due to a style that has a more limited appeal. But what a great deal for the person who eventually buys these!

Some lucky buyer is going to get this six piece bedroom set for $75.00. The wood grain pattern is interesting and reminds me of chevron. For the money you get two dressers and two twin beds! Wouldn't this be great for two boys sharing a bedroom?

Finally, someone can own this Queen Nefertiti Lamp for $150.00! It looks like quite the deal if it will fit it with your decor. She looks very regal, but also a bit imposing to me. I don't think I could buy something as life like as this for my home. At night things like this start to look real and play tricks with your mind. Queen Nefertiti might even start talking to me: "Jil, why has it been so long since you have dusted?" Gasp. I might have to obey her commands which could involve painting her nails, fanning her and keeping my house spotless. Double gasp.

Upcycled Plant Tables

JUNK MARKET Style

Since my recent fail at a plant table I have been looking for ideas to make my table more sturdy. I like this old treadle sewing machine base with a custom top made from metal flashing and vintage wood blocks. The red paint really makes it zing.

cosa verde

I don't see any reason why these suitcase tables couldn't be used as a plant stand. I would pick a quirky plant to keep with the theme.

Pica Particularis

How lovely is this ladder plant stand? I like that it's painted a pretty blue. Makes me wish I had a corner like this too.

Online Courses

I would totally use this desk as a plant table, like the legs and narrow top. It's supposed to be a diy, but they seem to skim over the how on the site. Anyway,

I need to fix what I have.

the alternative consumer

I like this funky plant stand/ bric a brac holder and it's quirky charm.

avant garde designs

I love this trio of stools, they could take the weight of my slab of wood. This is the idea I'm going with and I've been looking for some stools that are interesting. I've been going to thrift stores and watching craigslist, they haven't turned up yet, but it's just a matter of time, right?