Small Balcony Changes on a Budget

I did a bit of redecorating on my small condo balcony this summer - the pillows I'd used for the last two summers were pretty shot and I needed a comfy chair and some shade out there.

I had this pretty aqua fabric I'd picked up in the remnant bin at Joann's that I used to make my pillows. I didn't bother with zippers or anything fancy this time as I just wanted to get them done.

I also purchased a new chair to replace the sling chair, which was getting pretty rickety. I've always loved chaise lounges, but the space is small and I didn't want to give up that much room. This chair and ottoman set for $99 (check your store, I don't know why the price is double online) from Home Depot seemed to fit the bill - the ottoman slides partly under the chair (or all the way under if you turn it around backwards) to save space when it is not in use.

The dark faux wicker is easy care and I thought a nice compliment to the oil rubbed bronze backs and legs on the other chairs. The chair pad ($16ish, sold individually in the store) wasn't intended for this style chair - I thought it fit better when I picked it out, but it isn't too bad - I'll probably just make my own next time. I loved the bright, pretty colors and the aqua tied in nicely with the other pillows. The patterns work together because they share a color and one is busy and crazy while the other is simpler, and calmer. I'm still looking for a new rug in either a small geometric or a stripe - probably in the aqua.

The umbrella is a cute 5' one from World Market. I ordered the frame and cover last year at the end of the season on deep discount. They shipped the frame and then informed me the cover was out of stock - the frame was so cheap ($12ish I think) I went ahead and kept it, thinking maybe I could make my own cover for it or something but when I checked this year they were still carrying them so for $28ish (with shipping) I just ordered again. The base I picked up for $18 at a local Produce Junction. It has plastic parts and doesn't hold together as tight as I'd like, but I guess that is the difference from the ones that cost $50+

You may remember my two tables from years past were navy blue. I spray painted the bamboo-looking one, along with the coral wall pocket, a more traditional gold - the other I was going to spray paint in oil rubbed bronze, but I picked up a cute double-decker plant stand for just $3 at Goodwill to use instead. I love the multiple layers, and while it could use a coat of new paint as well, let's face it, by the time I get to it I'll probably be onto another color scheme, but the color at least works for now. The old table folds so it was easy to store if I want to pull it out again later.

The old globe lights were burned out (I seem to get about 2 years out of them, using them year-round on a timer about 4 hours per night) so I went with rope lights this year. I've found Big Lots to be the best place to get them - they always have long strings (the globe lights were 25', with 40 globes and the rope lights are around 18'), and are inexpensive. They're up to $12 this year, I think I've paid $10 in the past. They're a nice warm light.

My tropical plant (I don't know what it is) is still going strong and I tried growing a zucchini in a pot this year - it is doing well, but I should have given the tomato its own pot. 

Overall we love this small little space - it's great for lounging (all of us), reading, eating, drinking (me), and snoozing (kitties). 

Halloween Hat

OK, so it's a little after Halloween, but I realized I never got this posted and I'm still pinning Halloween ideas for next year, so what the heck. Here is the witch hat I created using an old crunched up velvet hat, some tulle ribbon, and a seasonal floral bunch from the craft store. I think all told it was  about $8 worth of materials and 10 minutes with a glue gun. I cut the flowers apart so I could arrange them the way I wanted and just glued them in place.

I did actually wear it, but it was cute as a display on the candlestick lamp too (just don't turn on the lamp while the hat is up there.) Someone also suggested using it as a centerpiece - I'd maybe put it on a pumpkin if I were going to do this.

Halloween Door Decor: Take 2

When it comes to seasonal and holiday decorating, I don't feel the need to reinvent the wheel every year just for the sake of doing something "different." Sometimes inspiration strikes, and sometimes I loved what I did last year and will recreate it or tweak it just a bit. So with that in mind, this year I just built on last year's front door arrangement.

I couldn't find the gold ribbon I'd used before, so I left it out. My pumpkin had a cute curled stem that I didn't want to cover, so I stuck some branches in the back and propped my crow on those, and I added a second pumpkin - a vertical one to offset the round fat one in the bucket - to the side. Initially I'd planned to hang some vintage Halloween photos from the branches, but decided that would be too busy, so I'll maybe find another way to use those. Even without the gold ribbon, I think this turned out just perfect and I think I like it better than last year's version thanks to the height and interest added by the branches.

Pssst. I'm linking up to the following Halloween blog parties. Stop on over and see all the great ideas for a spooktacular Halloween.

Two Chics and a Blog

A Pretty Life in the Suburbs

Mom Fuse

Haunted Halloween Dollhouse

Even though the official, unofficial Pinterest Challenges have ended, I was smitten with this little haunted dollhouse and wanted to try something similar on my own. I used an existing set of cubbie shelves that hang in my bathroom and normally house pieces of jadeite, ironstone and milkglass, but I knew the nine little compartments would work perfectly for what I had in mind.

I spent about $8 at the craft store for some scrapbook paper and a few Halloween themed scrapbooking stickers and mixed them up with doll house furniture I already had (some from my childhood, some my grandmothers) and a few other little Halloween items and I'm thrilled with the results. Starting from the top, the mini pumpkin is real, the orange mum is a clip on pin from the dollar store.

The first cubbie has a crow from the scrapbooking sticker set, a mini fake pumpkin from the craft store and a chair and spinning wheel from my collection.

The one below it has I made a little banner from the leftover background paper. I think the kitty needs a witch hat or something to add just a touch more Halloween to the scene. While some of my wallpaper was out and out Halloween themed, other pieces were just orange or black in classic patterns so things didn't get too crazy and busy.

The bottom has another mini pumpkin from the craft store, the crows are scrapbooking stickers I perched on a slightly opened drawer of a dresser from 1952! Next door is a pumpkin shirt I made years ago from a pattern for a doll - I stuffed a tissue up in it to make it stand. The hat I think came in a floral arrangement and the broom I whipped up with a broken off wooden skewer and a brown paper lunch bag (cut a strip, cut slits in it and wrap around the handle and tape). 

Back up in the attic I have the last scrapbook sticker and another older wash stand.

The bedroom has a mini brass bed, clock, chamber pot, another craft store pumpkin and a teeny, tiny metal mouse. This could use a little more Halloweening in the form of a coverlet for the bed or maybe a skeleton to lay in it.

The last few cubbies I just filled with pumpkins real and fake and the center square has an awesome haunted house sticker.

I'll be back (hopefully) with a few more Halloween decorating posts - I realized this week I prefer decorating for Halloween over other holidays because dusting is optional!

Pssst: I'm linking up to the following Halloween blog parties. Hop on over to check out all the great ideas.

Two Chics and a Blog

A Pretty Life in the Suburbs

Mom Fuse

May eBay Update: What's Selling

For those of us who survived Winter of 2014, spring was a long time coming. Usually this means people are anxious to start shopping for new spring clothes, even if it means it isn't quite warm enough to wear them yet, but I found spring sales on eBay to be a little slow in getting started this year too. Maybe it was because I was having a hard time sourcing things - my thrift stores were still stocking winter coats as of a week or two ago. But May finally brought out the spring buyers and I've been selling light weight, springy dresses and skirts in pastel colors. Here are a few of my favorite sales.

This white April Cornell dress sold fast for $30. April Cornell is always a good find, although this one wasn't the usual rayon floral so I wasn't sure how it would do, but it sold faster and for more than the rayon floral one I had listed that just sold yesterday.

This sweet little Gymboree bermuda bag also sold pretty fast, but only for $15. I try to balance how much work something is to list with what I think I can get for it. The purse was easy because it did not require washing and ironing or extensive measuring, so I could list cheaper than a suit, which requires the time and expense of a trip to the dry cleaners and a lot of different measurements - I wouldn't even consider a suit that I could only get $15 for. With brands like Gymbo, Lilly Pulitzer, Hanna Andersson, etc. it is worth doing some research to find the pattern or "line" name. Google "gymbo id" and there are a bunch of different sites to help you do this. This bag was called "Sunflower Fields" and was from their Spring 2007 collection

Key West is a brand that always tricks me into thinking it is Lilly Pulitzer. This little top sold for $19 and sold fast. I love selling preppy stuff and it always seems to sell well for me.

Max Studio is an iffy brand for me, but I loved this sweet yellow sundress and it was NWT (new with tags). It sold for $32.

Another of my favorite items to sell is pajamas. I didn't know anything about the brand PajamaGram when I picked these up, but seriously, how fun are these crossword puzzle pjs? I knew they'd appeal to someone. They were a cotton knit, so not exactly spring/summer weight, but I don't like having unlisted stock hanging around so I listed them anyway and they sold fairly fast for $25.

While spring was finally in bloom in eBay-land, some of my best sales this month were newer listings for decidedly unspring-like items. This Ballantyne cashmere cardigan was one of them - I would have loved to keep this because navy.cashmere.gold buttons, but I knew it was too good of a find to not list. It sold for $150.

This Eileen Fisher velvet tunic was also a nice out of season sale at $60. 

And last, while they are sandals, these Kelsi Dagger shoes looked more like something I'd wear going into September. I love the leather feathers on them - they are just so unusual. They sold for $43.

New Thrift Store Plates

I picked up a few cute plates on a recent thrifting trip - I liked the slight texture, color and pattern - and when I got them home realized the color wasn't half bad with my kitchen walls, so instead of putting them in the cupboard to use for salads or sandwiches, I dug out some old spring loaded plate hangers and put them up in a blank space on the wall. 

I couldn't find out anything about the maker but they're nice and heavy, like an ironstone, and fairly deep. 

They were $1.90/each but were a half price color, so $1.90 for the pair - can't beat that! I'll be on the lookout for a pair in a complimentary color/pattern, and then you may see them crop up on my table too.

Easter Place Settings

Just a quick post to showcase my Easter table settings. I started with a new set of Food Network placemats from Kohl's in the Spring Garden pattern. I had one of those $10 off any purchase coupons, and since I'd literally used a gift card online two days before getting the coupon, I went in search of something nearly free. The placemats were something like $13 but they're nicely made and the pattern placement is well done and consistent across the four placemats. 

On top of the placemats I used my vintage oval Fire King Jadeite plates, which I turned vertically so they would look like eggs. I also set them a little off center so the birds (the cutest part of the placemats) would show. The napkins are ones I've had forever - I think originally from Pier 1 - I just love their vintage charm and the colors reflect what is in the placemats without matching too exactly. The silverplated napkin rings are Pier 1 but I found them at a thrift store.

The silverware is older Pottery Barn (also thrifted) which I like for spring because it looks like ferns or new leaves unfurling. I only have three of the pink bowls so I used two and mixed in two milk glass goblets. 

The serving pieces in the center of the table are both thrift store finds - the rabbit with the carrot is a tea pot and the rabbit with the cabbage is a small tureen.

After Easter I can just swap out the centerpiece and the other elements work fine for spring. For my Easter table from three years ago, see here.

Halloween Door Decor

Well summer pretty much got away from me, but I wanted to share a quick and cheap front door arrangement for Halloween and fall. 

I started with a real pumpkin I picked up at Aldi for $2.99 and added two leaf garlands and some natural and gold ribbon from Michaels. The leaf garlands were $7.99 each and 60% off and the ribbon (which was from the Christmas aisle) was $3.99 and 30% off, so they all came in at $2.79 each. 

My enamel bucket was a thrift find and even though it is trimmed in red, I have no where inside to store it, so I use it in all seasons and just don't worry about it not being absolutely perfect. Inside I turned a flower pot upside down and then put a plastic bowl on top of that to hold the pumpkin at the right height. I stuffed some newspaper in around it to support the leaf garland then just wound one garland around the base. For the second garland, I just loosely wound the ribbon around it, letting it naturally curl as I wound it off the roll and then wound it around the pumpkin on top of the other garland. 

On top of the pumpkin (whose stem wasn't great, the pumpkins were marked down and they  only had a few left and this was the best one) I sat one of my black feather crows (from Michaels a few years ago) and stuck a thumb tack between his toes and down into the pumpkin to hold it. Then I layed a few leaves that had come loose from the garland on top to cover the tack. And voila! Cute, cheap, and fast. 

Styling the China Hutch in a Beach Theme for Summer

Recently my neighbor finally got around to taking down her Christmas garland, which in turn inspired me to finally get the fall/winter china out of my hutch. Oh yeah, and the few Easter items I'd stuck in there too.

I restyled it in a beach theme with shell dishes, fish, starfish, shells and a few pieces that reminded me of coral and seaweed without being too literal. Most of the items have been collected over the year during my thrift shopping journeys and there are a few dollar and craft store items thrown in for good measure.

The blue candelabra, which was thrifted but I believe still had its original HomeGoods sticker on the bottom, looked like seaweed to me, so I popped that in along with a resin starfish from Michael's Crafts. The little blue fish is a vase or planter and the dishes are 

The green fish I think is one that is supposed to sit on a sink to hold a sponge or scrubby and he's sitting on my favorite wooden pedestal which I shared in this thrift store shopping post.

The white pedestal bowl has a ruffled edge that reminds me of waves, so I filled it with small shells from Dollar Tree (they're from the vase filler section). The gold chargers add some shine and iridescence (inside of a sea shell anyone?) and take up space and balance out the plates above. 

Oh, ooops, I do have a few retail purchases in here: the green vase was actually a gift and I thought the color and shape worked as a seaweed inspired element. The round candle lantern had a coral or sea urchin vibe. We're not being too literal here, just using what I had on hand.

This little fish plate I thought was cute layered up with another of the resin star fish - I think they came two or three in a pack for $1 or $2 and are reasonably realistic looking.

So there you have it, a bit of a summer remix for the china hutch. Hopefully I'll get this all packed away and Halloween in there before March, because I'm nothing if not predictable 3 years and 5 months behind schedule.

Balcony Makeover: Phase I

Well, it's been a long, rainy time in coming, but I'm finally about done with the first phase of my mini balcony makeover. I pretty much used what I had on hand, rehabbed my old sling chair, made some pillows with some remnant fabric and an old shower curtain I had laying around, spray painted a few small tables, and tossed down some rugs. My color palette is navy blue, green, and coral with a little orange by way of the pillow fabric and terra cotta flower pots (and a certain orange boy-kitty).

It is a small space and gets direct sun all day, so I mostly use it early in the morning or later in the day. The cats like to hang out and sniff the air and look down on the dogs going for walks around the block and I sit out there to either read or eat breakfast or dinner or enjoy a beer.

One side has two (totally cheap-o) plastic chairs - they were "temporary" chairs I bought last year until I can find something I really love - I think they were less than $5/each. The color works and they're low maintenance but I'm certainly not trying to present them as anything great. I made two pillows with a remnant of Richloom's Little Ash Birds in navy blue on the front and a blue and white striped backing made from a thrifted canvas shower curtain. I'm pretty impressed with myself that I actually put zippers in the covers too! Between the chairs is a thrifted metal patio table I paid $3 for and spray painted navy blue. The flower pots were all ones I had on hand and are planted with coral petunias and the one on the floor has mint, catnip and cat grass in it for the you-know-whos so they don't try to eat the other plants.

And here is what it looked like before:

The other side of the balcony has my sling chair which I repaired by filling in weathered areas with wood filler and painted white. The old cover was shot so I made a new one with the blue and white striped shower curtain and the stripes running horizontally. When I laid it on to figure out the length I liked the way it looked with the extra fabric hanging down, so I just left it. I only had a small bit of the bird fabric left, so I used it as the center panel and patched in some of the striped on the sides so it was wide enough, and it is backed with the stripes too.

The little side table was also a $10 thrift store find I spray painted blue - it looks like bamboo, but was not one of the nice brass ones - it had some sort of antiqued looking silver finish that I didn't feel too bad painting over. The top is mirrored, but since it is outside and I didn't want to accidentally blind myself, a kitty, or random passing pilots, I put some frosted shelf liner on it. It needs spray adhesive or something on the back because it gets moisture underneath but otherwise it's not a bad solution.

And here is the before on this side:

The etage in the background is one I used to have inside and was over, it fits well in the space and seems to be holding up well in the weather. The wall pocket was another thrift find I painted coral and stuck some white petunias in. For rugs, I used two green rugs I got on clearance at Target last year and just randomly layered them (you can see where I shifted them around a but and the color has faded a bit unevenly, but I think it will even out again in the sun).

I still need to finish wrapping the old plastic crates in twine and work on a canopy of some sort. I'll get there. Eventually.

Balcony Planning and Progress

I've finally started working on my outdoor space, which consists of an approx. 6' x 10' balcony and after a night spent perusing Pinterest, I'm pretty excited about it. Some of the examples I really loved included the following:

I think the color palette in this example is just lovely. I will incorporate the orange/coral into my space, but have already picked out fabric in a navyish blue. I also like the natural wicker texture and color and may look to eventually replace my chairs with something similar to these low, comfy looking examples if I can find them. I'm working on an idea for a canopy and like the closed in feel it creates and the overhead lighting - saw a cool pendant light from Ikea that runs on solar and wind power.

I have globe lighting similar to this, and think lighting is a big amenity in any outdoor space. I love and use timers so they just go off and on on a schedule. I also really like the low, comfy looking seating in this space - maybe sometime in the future. Of course I'll be accessorizing with a cat or two.

This is another space I really love- the neutral color palette seems so serene and calm and I love the texture of the wooden crates, which is an element I'm envisioning for my space. I'll definitely be keeping my eyes open for a pair of chairs like these at a thrift too.

I didn't get any true before shots of my space, so let's take a look at the part-way-there pictures. My mini-makeover started with the utility closet door - it had some rusty spots that needed sanding out and the doorknob was antique brass oversprayed with brown - not pretty. Our regulation color is what I like to call "Poo Brown" - when I opened the can it looked more like purple poo, but did dry more on the brown side. Painting is really no fun when you're forced to use a color you hate, but it is what I'm stuck with so will make the best of it. I had a thrifted wall pocket I wanted to use on it - it too was a brown color, which would have been fine on another color door, but obviously wasn't going to work on the brown one, so I picked up a small bottle of coral colored Patio Paint at the craft store - it is like the typical craft paint but said it was OK to use outdoors, so for a few bucks I thought I'd give it a try - spray paint is sometimes tough to find in the exact shade I want and takes up more space in storage too when I just need a little. The pocket still needs a coir liner or some sheet moss so I can plant it - maybe with white petunias or a trailing sweet potato vine (the more of the door I can cover the better).

I'm pretty much trying to work with what I've got, so this side of the balcony also has my baker's rack which is an indoor piece I'm pretty much over, a sling chair that needs some restoration work, and a new $10 thrift store table in a faux bamboo look, which I will most likely paint a navy-ish blue to go with the blue and white striped fabric I want to use on the sling chair. The baker's rack clearly needs to be styled with plants, maybe a colorful plastic tray or plate, a big jug of water (for the plants), lanterns, etc.

For the sling chair I thrifted a blue and white striped canvas shower curtain and will run the stripes horizontally like this example I pinned which seems to be the less traditional way of doing it, since examples were  hard to come by.

The other side of the balcony will pretty much stay as is, except for spray painting the little $3 thrift store table blue to match the bamboo one. The green plastic chairs are about as cheap as they come, but I like the color and they will do until I find something else. 

I want to figure out a way to cover the plastic record crates with wood to look like old weathered crates, something like the below, rope handles and all (from here) which will then serve as small ottomans or additional seating. 

 I also have a few bright green cotton flat weave rugs that I'll toss out there. A few of the examples I pinned had them just randomly layered, which I like.