Before and After...A Thrift Store Makeover

On the weekend, my good friend and I meet for breakfast.

We talk and catch up and laugh.

And then we go for a walk -

We try to catch a local consignment shop when it is open.

We have failed.

So this last week - we did a local thrift store.

 

I love to go thrifting.

I grew up thrifting and garage saling.

My mom and I spent countless hours on Saturdays and during the summer months looking for treasures.

My mom was an expert at finding something that looked sad and dated and turning it into a one-of-a-kind treasure.

She mastered the art of it long be "upcycling" became trendy.

And I carry that love with me to this day.

I feel a sense of thrill when I find something special.

Some of my favorite clothing items were thrift-store finds.

Most of furniture has treasures that I have found and repurposed.

I love it!

 

Back to this last weekend.

My friend and I pulled into the parking lot and I got a little giddy.

What would I find today? Anything?

Who knew...that's part of the fun!

 

We meandered through all the aisles looking for treasures.

A few gadgets for the kitchen.

A little something to decorate with.

Something to repurpose.

And then I flipped through the racks of sweaters.

I know the seasons are getting ready to change -

but it's still sweater season where I live.

 

I found a nice brown sweater vest -

it's long, will work good for work, and was in good shape.

It looked nice.

And the price was right.

With the colored tag of the day, I got the sweater for about $6.

Like I said ... it's nice.

But kind of...brown.

And plain.

Very plain.

I'm all about dressing it up.

But I decided this time, to do a little extra.

I have toyed with the idea of brightening up clothes with some art for a couple years.

But I never seem to get around to it.

 

I decided that it was time to change that.

So with a little felt, some embroidery floss, a needle and a couple hours for a few evenings watching a movie before bed....

 

This little sweater vest got a little splash of color.

Just a little something to say...

Hey! I'm special.

I'm a little different...

Kind of like me!

Hmmm...I wonder what else is in my closet that could use a makeover?

 



UPcycled Table

I met Mary Jane over 2 years ago.

She came to one of my shows and picked up a few items.

She then called to have me help her with a project -

To redo an old chair that had been her mother's.

The idea was to cover the chair with images that reminded her of her mom as a tribute to her.

 

Several months ago,

she called again.

This time to do another chair - but for her sister.

The chair was just like the first one - it had come from the same set that had been their mothers.

We covered it with images that reminded her sister of her children.

 

Then came the table.

The table had been mom's as well.

However, it had been subjected to quite a bit of abuse and didn't look very nice.

The finish was peeling off.

There are a few cracks in the wood.

It had been left out on a porch and exposed to the elements a bit too long.

But it was moms and Mary Jane could not bear to see it tossed out with the trash.

 

So she brought it over.

She wanted it to have the look of the outdoors since it will eventually live in their mountain cabin.

Mountains, a river, fish, a cabin, ferns -

 all of the things that they love about their cabin were to be included on the table.

 

A little sanding.

A little priming.

A lot of color and . . .

Mary Jane's sad and unloved table has been given a new lease on life.

 

 

This little table is still a work in progress.

There is still some detailing left.

And of course - a good finish to protect it for years to come -

But I think I was able to capture the feel of the love and joy that they experience at their mountain retreat!

DANCE

When I was five, my mom put me in the car one day and told me she had a surprise for me.

We drove for a while - really just a short distance - but to me it felt like forever.

We arrived at an old school and went inside.

I was confused and nervous.

What were we doing?

We stood in a really, really long line.

And then it happened - she signed me up for ballet lessons.

We then went and bought tights, and leotards, lots of bobby pins and the best part of all . . .

ballet slippers.

I went to dance lessons and learned to plie, and releve'.

I learned about first position and all of the other positions.

To this day - over forty years later - I tend to turn my feet out when standing.

I learned about working at the barre.

We practiced during each class to a live piano player who spent her afternoons playing classical music for us to point and kick to.

And then in the winter - the best thing of all happened -

we got dressed up in our costumes, had our hair pulled back into a tight bun, had our faces smothered in thick make-up and performed our routine on a large stage in downtown Portland.

This was the same stage that the best theatrical performances were given on, and concerts and all the best talent in our City performed on.

And I got to do my simple ballet routine on it.

The lights were so bright and hot.

The audience applauded for us.

It was magical.

And I became instantly addicted to performing.

 

I continued dancing for years to come - all the way through college.

Besides ballet -

I experimented with jazz and tap.

I played around with ball room.

If it was performed to music - I tried it.

And as I grew - I discovered my love of theatre and my favorite thing of all was to perform in musical theatre.

There, I was able to satisfy my love of acting, music and dance.

There I found my bliss.

To this day - If I hear wonderful music, it is next to impossible not to move in some way.

 

But somewhere along the way -

I stopped dancing.

I had children.

The family came first.

Money was tight.

Time was short.

Patience were stretched.

I gained a few (ok maybe more than a few) pounds.

And I stopped dancing on stage . . . in public . . .even in front of my family.

The few times I danced, I confined myself to the safety of my own home when no one was around.

 

Recently - I watched a movie on dancers.

It was a documentary about young ballet dancers who are driven, and passionate and desperate to dance every minute of their lives.

I watched as they stretched and practiced.

I watched as they extended their legs.

They made it look so easy and fluid. Yet - having been a dancer, I understood the dedication and hard work involved. The ultimate athleticism.

I found myself longing for the bloodied toes and the aching muscles. Those things were almost like "badges of honor" to us dancers.

My heart and muscles almost ached for the feel of dance while I watched the movie.

And the feeling lingered for some time afterwards.

 

We all have that thing that makes us ache inside -

maybe for you it is music, or a sport, or writing or . . . .?

It was that thing that you loved to do more than anything else when you were young.

It's that thing that makes you feel restless when you ignore it.

It calls to you. It drives you.

 

Do you answer the call?

Do you still do it?

Do you still pursue that passion on a daily basis?

Why do we let these things go as we become adults?

Somewhere along the way, we become convinced that working on those passions is a sign of immaturity.

Or worse yet - it's a sign of being selfish.

 

Really? Being true to ourself and doing that which makes us the best that we can possibly be is selfish?

As I have grown and changed, I have developed new passions - my art and writing. These

 are passions equal to performing and music and dance.

Does that make me greedy to have more than one?

And if I have such strong desires for my art and writing - am I being greedy to want to pursue the old and forgotten ones?

Does that make me selfish? Or self-absorbed?

 

I am beginning to challenge that thought in my own life now.

I am wanting to reclaim those lost passions.

I want to DANCE!

 

Romlin's Chair and Bench in progress

I met Romlin and Amanda a few years back at one of our summer festivals.

Romlin and her daughter Amanda are the types of people that instantly becomes a friend.

I've done several pieces for their home in the past.

These are the most recent items I have been working on for them.

The chair . . .well that is pretty self-explanatory.

It's one of "those" chairs - the kind that I wish I could find more often.

The kind you find in a library or law office.

The kind that is heavy and solid and seems to wrap around you.

Soon - it will be wrapping around Romlin and Amanda.

The bench - that is a more unique item.

Last year I found a large bench on Craigslist that I made over for our living room.

Romlin saw it and wanted one.

She liked how my bench was long and narrow - different from most standard benches.

I have never found another bench like mine - maybe that was because it had been custom designed.

But I did find 2 long and narrow benches.

That's another story that I will save for another post when this is finished.

We decided to take the creative approach and connected them together.

I am working on this right now.

Blocks of base color have been laid in.

Tonight . . .I will start to bring it life.

More pictures to come!

I love taking cast-offs and giving them new life.

A Chair for Diane

A New Chair -

I met Diane during a Holiday Sale that I participated in.

It was a small and intimate pop-up boutique sale at another artists home.

We spent some time talking and she decided that she wanted an art chair for her studio.

This weekend, I completed her chair.

Full of whimsy and tributes to nature.

Lot's of purples and lime greens and tangerine colors.

Hope it inspires Diane as she works in her studio.

Update - Installed Looooooong Board

As a follow up to my earlier post, here is the loooooong board installed in the kitchen of my client.

Looks great!

What a great way to address a plain space - don't you think?

And if you look really close (next to that subtle pink arrow) you will see

one of my photo frames. :)

Thanks, Bill for sharing this picture.

I Love, Love, Love seeing pieces I have created for my wonderful clients after they

are hung in their homes.

It feels like a kind of closure.

More work coming -

I'm working on custom chairs and banners and paintings and mirrors and more!

My cup runneth over and I am grateful to everyone who reads this blog and chooses me to help brighten their world.



Switch Plate Covers can make your room very colorful!!

A few years ago, we repainted our living room.

All new colors.

Then I put the switchplate covers back on - and they were so. . .

beige.

They were like a neon light on the wall - and not a cool neon light.

The kind that is tacky and constantly buzzes.

Not acceptable.

So I found some wonderful plain wood switchplates and customized them in my style.

WOW! I never, ever expected the comments I received.

I couldn't have received more comments if I had painted a huge mural on my living room wall.

And I realized that almost everyone feels the same way about switchplates.

They are so, so boring.

And overlooked.

All of the switchplates above are for a client.

This is our fourth go-round.

She is replacing all of the switchplates and outlet covers throughout her entire house.

We have attacked 1-2 rooms at a time.

I think we are almost done after this set -

Seriously - you cannot go through a day without coming into contact with the switchplate covers in your house.

Shouldn't they receive the attention they deserve?

PS - Custom orders are always welcomed!

Decorate your post in your home, like Bill

Bill met us at one of our summer sales last year.

We had a great time talking with him.

He bought a piece or two.

Then I helped him out with a holiday gift for some friends of his.

Then he called with a special request for his home.

A post that divides two rooms -

you see them in houses sometimes.

They just seem to be right in the middle of things - but since they are kind of important to keeping the roof up, you have to leave them there.

Bill decided -if it has to be there, it might as well be decorated.

So with the help of Mr. Man -

I painted a 4 1/2" x 8 ft board.

Vines and flowers, with a few adds-ons representing his dogs.

Long and narrow.

A burst of color.

Now I am looking around my house for a lang and narrow space that needs a little life.

Thanks Bill!