A Mirror Makeover & A Little Reader Trivia

I LOVE CHALKBOARDS....they are cheap and look cute in the house. Better yet,you can walk past inspiring quotes 100 times a day. 

Check out this $5.00 transformation. Can you all guess who said this famous line on the chalkboard? 

A can of chalkboard paint, chalk, and some scrapbook paper for the heart garland...and whalaa...a beautiful chalkboard :)

                             

                             

                        

$10.00 Thrift Store Makeover; Framed Baby Pics :)

Check out my before and after thrift store makeover. I snagged these 1970's frames for $1.00 and the 8 X 10's from Shutterfly for under $10.00.

     A little paint & the arrival of my orange Shutterfly package...

    

    Transformed into two beautiful portraits of my newborn babes....to go alongside the baby pic of my first son :) And all for ten dollars!

If I Was Rich, I'd Still Shop at Thrift Stores!

For those people who know me quite well, they know that the only place I shop is the thrift store ...except for food of course!

There are many reasons I shop at the thrift store:

1. It saves the family money, big time. A $20.00 shirt versus a $1.00 shirt. I'll take the $1.00 shirt and it usually looks just as nice. We also buy wonderful Christmas presents here! And, usually shop on half off week.

2. Most of the proceeds go to charity. I feel happy that my hard earned money is going to a good cause...Haiti. Plus, my kids are getting clothed. I'd rather support thrift stores than put more money on the big Target executive's table.

3. You can get creative with thrift store finds. A different coat of paint on a frame or a blanket turned pillow will spike your creativity!

Vintage 1960's Dress~ Just $2.00

4. For those passionate about vintage, it's a treasure hunt! This is me, I love old things...and decorating with old things...which is nice, because it's also cheap!

5. It's teaches your kids a valuable lesson. Showing your kids that they don't have to have brand name clothes is priceless. Name brands don't matter, as long as your warm and clothed.

I thought I'd share some of my treasures I find here...this week I found this super cute vintage 

60's dress for my daughter!

 Stay tuned for more frugal

finds!             

                  God Bless

                    +JMJ+

                     Jenny

Our Newest Purchase...Antique Desks for Homeschooling

Yay! I've always wanted antique school desks....thank you Saint Anthony for helping us find some :) And at an amazing price.....three for $27.00. Can't wait to rearrange our front porch into a schoolroom :)

Making Your Child's Silhouette

Step 1: Buy a pair of Italian frames at a thrift store, garage sale, www.etsy.com, or spot a pair in your grandmother's attic.

Step 2: Remove pictures from frames and save to trace for a new background for silhoutte. If there is a backing that is securing the picture in, just pry off the staples or screws. 

Step 3: Remove glass and paint frame with Martha Stewart's Ballet Slipper pink paint. Let dry. 

Step 4: Take a picture of your child's face in their profile view. Upload picture to Microsoft word on your computer. Change the saturation of the picture until your child's face is darker (this will make it easier to cut out and trace). To do this, right click on the picture in Microsoft Word, go to the format picture tab and adjust the brightness until it's really easy to see the outline of your child's face.

Step 5: Print the picture out and cut out the profile.

Step 6: Trace the profile pic to paper of your choosing and cut out. 

Step 7:  Choose background paper for silhouettes. Place old oval pictures on new background paper, trace, and cut out. 

Step 8: Glue silhouettes on new oval background paper. 

Step 9: Place ovals in dried frames, apply backing, hang, and enjoy :)

A Nautical Boy's Room

Designing my son's nautical room on a pea-size budget. 

Step 1: Find a cheap french provincial dresser on Craigslist, a thrift store, or garage sale. This one was $20.00. 

Step 2: Take all hardware off.

Step 3: Pull out drawers, sand down dresser and drawers

Step 4: Paint the dresser and drawers, let dry

Step 5: Install same hardware or new ones to your liking :)

Before

After

Step 6: Hang an antique shipping crate as a creative shelf :)