Wardrobe Wednesday: Thrifted or Grifted—Military Jackets + Tights

My very last giving suggestion for my participation in:

…is Giving Suggestion #13: Sponsor a Parental Care Ministries orphan! After an entire month of talking about how deserving these children are and how we want to build them a classroom, I had to share another practical way to help! Only $35 a month pays for everything one of these precious kiddos needs (would that we could say that same!).

Here’s a picture of Harriet, our sponsored PCM daughter (she calls us her daddy and mommy and my children her brothers and sisters..amazing!):

Just don’t be surprised if the child you support blesses your life more than you could possibly bless his/hers.

And…I will now attempt to segue from things of eternal import into the the entirely frivolous!

It’s time again for Thrifted or Grifted, the fashion game where you test your thrifting savvy by deciding whether an outfit is:

A) 100% Thrifted: (adj.)—previously loved and therefore ridiculously cheap…aka Secondhand

OR

B) 100% Grifted: (adj.)—swindled or cheated…aka Retail

…and then you vote and leave me comments telling why you chose the one you did!

(Disclaimer: No, I don’t actually think that you’re getting ripped off every time you pay retail, but I do believe that if you can’t tell the difference, you shouldn’t have to pay for it).

If you’re a Thrifted or Grifted pro, then you know the drill—press your nose up against your screen and scour each outfit for telltale signs of thriftedness (is that a tear I see in that sleeve??!) and then comment away telling me why you chose which one you did.

The commenter I find most entertaining (oh, yeah, it’s as subjective as they come!) will receive 5 free entries into:

Have you entered yet? Today is the ABSOLUTE. LAST DAY to win one of 5 wonderfully fantastic prize packages (below is just one):

And the best par… entering is 100% FREE, but every dollar you donate goes straight toward building a super-deserving group of orphans a new classroom.

Every dollar also counts as an entry into the giveaway AND every dollar is matched (so…$5=5 entries, and $5 is actually $10 when it’s matched…which it IS!)

Allrighty…

Ready to do this?

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Happy guessing!

Don’t forget to comment. I mean, c’mon. When else can being a smart-aleck potentially win you free stuff?!

 

Which outfit is 100% Thrifted?

P.S. I will be announcing the winners of our big giveaway tomorrow, but we’re also doing:

…and the theme is:

Organized Smorganized

I don’t know about you, but I could sure use a healthy dose of this during this hectic time of year. I’d love to see your great ideas, your clever solutions, and even your epic fails.  As always, the post can come from your own experiences or inspiration you find floating around cyberspace.

Linking up:

The Pleated Poppy

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Try-it Tuesday: Easy Glitter Word Ornaments

I’ve been making “giving suggestions” as part of my participation in:

…and Giving Suggestion #12 is: bake up a batch of muffins and pair each one with a note of encouragement or a slip of paper with a verse on it. Try to sneak them onto your coworkers’ desks (or cubbies) without their noticing. Hide around the corner, and watch the smiles bloom. : )

Today’s Try-it Tuesday is super-simple. Nothing fancy at all, in fact, but I still kind of love the results. 

I found these little wooden bird silhouettes in the 80% off aisle at Hobby Lobby the other day and bought every one they had intending to do…something with them. 

I know, for some of you, the bird trend is getting old, and I get that. But really, who could object to a sweet little chunky bird outline?

After some very serious consideration (Della and I had an intense conversation about it), I decided they would be perfect for ornaments, and since I’m on a bit of a glitter kick, as evidenced here and here, I also decided that they would be glitter ornaments (Della was highly in favor of this decision, but I think that’s mostly because she envisioned tossing clouds of glitter in the air with one hand while sucking glue off the other).

Here’s what you’ll need for this super-easy, ultra-quick “handmade” ornament:

• Wooden shapes—mine happen to be birds, but craft stores have no end of these, and I also think these would look great as snowflakes, stars, trees, reindeer, etc.
• Glitter
• Glue
• Spray paint (okay, honestly, this turned out to be a pretty unnecessary item, but I’ll explain later)
• Narrow Ribbon
• **If your shapes weren’t originally meant to be ornaments, you’ll also need a drill with a very small bit so that you can make a hole to hang them from, like so:

1. If you want, spray paint your shapes with the color of your choice. I chose Rustoleum’s Heirloom White, but I have to admit that, because the wood was so light, even after three really good coats, I could hardly tell any difference.  So the picture below (which was taken at night after I ran out of time to finish my pics before heading out to teach class) pretty much looks exactly the same as the picture above. Yup.

The spray paint did give the wood a bit of a smooth sheen, which I liked, so it wasn’t a complete bust.

2. Drill holes. My hubby did these for me while I fed the baby, and he was so quick that I didn’t even manage to snap a shot of him in action, but I’m pretty sure you don’t need a picture to explain the words: “Drill holes.” Message me if you do. We’ll talk.

3. Use your glue to carefully freehand a word of your choice on your ornament (notice how it morphed from “shape” to “ornament” just by getting a hole punched in it?)

4. Now comes the fun part, liberally sprinkle your glue-word with glitter, making sure to have a bowl nearby to catch the excess. Tap off any extra…

…and admire your (blurry) sparkly handiwork.

5. Cut about a 6” length of your skinny ribbon, thread it through your hole, knot it, and trim the tails. Then slid the knot to the back of your ornament.

You’re done!

I told you, easy-peasy today.

Here’s a glimpse of our tree complete with one of our new glitter word bird (hey, that rhymes!) ornaments. You’ll see the whole tree reveal later. I have something fun up my sleeve that I think you guys will enjoy!

Happy Tuesday!

And don’t forget to enter:

Only two more days to enter!

P.S. Thrifted or Grifted is back tomorrow! Get your guesses ready!

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Move-it Monday: Competition = Motivation

I’ve been making “giving suggestions” as part of my participation in:

…and Giving Suggestion #11 is: Adopt a family for Christmas. While most of us will soon be counting down the minutes ‘til the big day, there are lots of folks who are dreading it. Why? Because no parent wants to tell his/her kids that there simply isn’t money for presents or yummy treats. So, how about bringing a little Christmas cheer to one family by providing either the gifts, the treats, or, if your budget allows, both?  Our local Christian radio station provides a list of needy families that my family is going to choose from this year, but you could also make it more personal if you know someone who could use the help.   

Moving on (ha! I crack myself up…not really), today is Move-it Monday, folks!!

Last week, my friend, Kelli, threw down…

\

…a 40 day challenge to encourage all of us to get at least a little bit of exercise every single day between Nov. 15 and Christmas Eve.

Well, I decided to join in on the challenge since, even though I’m a fitness instructor, there are some days that I just don’t feel like I have the motivation or time to do anything physical. 

So, what keeps me moving?

A huge part of the answer to that question is: Competition.

Perfect example:

On Thanksgiving, we spent the day with my husband’s family. At some point, after all of the turkey, dressing, veggies, pie, cheesecake…you get the idea…had been ingested and apparently caloric delirium was setting in, we started talking about various exercises and one thing led to another until, before you could say “Tryptophan,” we were all squatting in horse-stance, determined to hold the position the longest.

(We = me, my husband, my two bros-in-law, my uncle-in-law, and my father-in-law, by the way).

The “Contenders.”

             Feeling good (this is maybe 30 seconds in)       About 1 1/2 minutes in, it really started to burn!

Della, hanging out with Great G-ma, worried about our sanity        I think this is about 3 minutes in…HURT-ING.

Simon decided to jump in on the tail-end (this is right after he and Ezra climbed all over me, and almost made my trembling legs buckle).

So…who won?

I did.

(You think I would have been so eager to post about this if I hadn’t? : ))

So, how long did I make it?

4 minutes on the dot.

At about 3:45, my legs went from on-fire-but-still-solid to uncontrollable shaking. The second Aunt Karla called, “4 minutes!” (the number I was determined to reach once I was the last one standing at 3:30), I tried to stand up and literally couldn’t.

And when I collapsed on the ground, Della started screaming her head off and crawled as fast as she could to my side, climbed up on top of me and wouldn’t let go of me for a full five minutes.  Mama-obsessed? Yeah, a bit..

Okay, so obviously, this is a fun story to brag about…I beat the boys….Nah nah!…and all that jazz.

But the truth is that, without those guys challenging me to “bring it,” I probably wouldn’t have bothered.  

It doesn’t have to be a moment of holiday silliness that inspires you, though.

The concept of competition = motivation is true 24/7, 365.

So, find someone who pushes you to “win” (whatever that looks like), and you’ll be all the more likely to kick not only your competitor’s tail but your own as well!

Here’s to moving it!

P.S. Have you entered:

You only have until Wednesday night @ 11:59 PM!! Better get crackin’!

P.P.S. The theme for this week’s

(the linky party where you post about 5 things—preferably with pictures—on your mind)

is:

Organized Smorganized

I don’t know about you, but I could sure use a healthy dose of this during this hectic time of year. I’d love to see your great ideas, your clever solutions, and even your epic fails.  As always, the post can come from your own experiences or inspiration you find floating around cyberspace.

 

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Happy Birthday, Simon Judah!

If it only seems like one week since I wished another one of my children Happy Birthday…well, that would be just about right.

November is a happening month in the birthday department around here, and I got to spend today celebrating the 4th birthday of my fun middle child, Simon.

This is Simon at 1-day-old. My husband labeled this pic, “Major Dimples.” I bet you can’t possibly guess why.

Simon is the most mischievous, disobedient, and stubborn of my children so far.

But he’s also the most snuggly, cheerful, friendly little guy you could possibly hope to meet. And he was the best baby/toddler imaginable, which was my saving grace since he and my firstborn, Ezra, are only 18 months (and 3 days) apart, and to say that Ezra went through a trying stage between the ages of 2 and 3 would be a little like saying that lava is kind of warm.

Simon’s gotten to be a bit more of a handful in the past year or so as his personality develops and, dare I say it, as his sin nature asserts itself, but he is still the cutest little boy you’re likely to meet, and his rubber facial features keep me in stitches. Seriously, his expressions are priceless.

Want proof?

Told ya!

So, happy birthday to my little doodlebug—the boy with the dimples who prays the sweetest prayers at bedtime and never tires of saying, “Mama, you’re so pretty. No…you’re so beautiful.”

 

I can’t wait to see how God uses your tender heart and your love for others as they both grow with you!

Love, Mama.

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Feature Friday: A Dresser Transformation—from Goodwill to Good Golly Miss Molly!

A couple of months ago, I spotted a dresser at Goodwill.

It was dirty, musty, and ugly.

Here’s proof:

Nothing like an adorable little helper to make a nasty task (see that grimy pink scrunchy from 1973?) a little more fun.

Lots of dings, lots of dinginess.

But also, lots of potential.

Did you see the curvy lines, carved floral details, and those fantastic keyhole plates?

The minute I saw her, I knew that this sad, neglected hunk of wood could be revitalized with just a little love and, of course, a lot of paint.

Plus, when I asked Tamara—the super-nice manager at the Goodwill I frequent—if she could lower the price, she said, “For you, honey? Sure!” and then knocked it down from $25 to $15.

$15 for a potentially fabulous piece of furniture? Sold!

There are definitely benefits to showing up every week or so to rummage around—one of which is that the managers now recognize me on sight and are quite willing to knock a few dollars (or 10) off of my bill.

Of course, there are also downsides (check out #3). 

So, I loaded Collette (yup, just decided that now) up in our totally gnarly van (also #3), scrubbed her down (Collete, not the van; Sienna, the van, stays dirty most of the time), and gave her a good coat of Kilz oil-based primer.

Then, I sprayed the keyhole plates with Rustoleum’s Heirloom White (it’s the shade that Kate of Centsational Girl paints most of her furniture, and, after seeing all of the amazing pieces she’s transformed with it, I just had to give it a try!) because I wanted a little contrast and focus on the details:

Next, I hauled out a half-empty can of Sherwin Williams Quite Coral—the same shade that I used to transform the garage sale chandy in my master closet makeover—and got to rolling and brushing to my little heart’s content (okay, so my heart would have been a little more content with eating cookies and drinking milk while paging through the latest issue of Anthro, but none of that would have gotten get the dresser done, so…).

Here she is, all gussied up, better than new, if you ask me:

I put Collette in the craft room to house my ridiculously massive fabric collection. I got her finished up just in time for Della’s party, and once I’d stuffed her full of fabric, I used her as a sideboard for the party treats.

Two of the drawers weren’t salvageable, so I made little “drawer curtains” out of Premier Prints zigzag fabric + some clearance lace I had in my stash.

I also bought these fantastic knobs for 1/2 off at Hobby Lobby. 6 of them still cost more than I paid for the entire dresser, but in my opinion, they are sooooo worth it!

Here’s a shot of the whole birthday vignette (man, I wish I’d dropped that banner a little lower!).

These shots are not actually from the day of the party, though it looked essentially the same. I took these pictures yesterday after I’d baked up a bunch of treats to take with us to Thanksgiving, but this is what my cake stand would have looked like if I’d managed to cram everything I wanted to get done into the the prep time I had before the party.

Here’s the cost  breakdown for the whole project:

Dresser: $15

Knobs: $27

Primer (I used maybe 1/2): $3

Spray paint (I used 1/4 of a can): $1.50

Paint (already had it): $0

Fabric (already had it): $0

Miscellaneous other supplies: 4.50

TOTAL: $51

So, what do you think? Worth it?

I’m pretty smitten, but I’d love to hear your thoughts!

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

I’ll be soaking up every minute I can get with my man before he heads off on another work-trip. : (

P.S. Don’t forget:

 

…only 6 more days to enter and/or give to win!

Linking up:

Primitive and Proper

Stuff and Nonsense

Common Ground

Shabby Nest

French Country Cottage

Release Me

Meg and Mum’s

Tatertots and Jello

A Bowlful of Lemons

House of Hepworths

Funky Junk Interiors

DIY Showoff

My 1929 Charmer

Tip Me Tuesday

_{Christmas - My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia ~  Southern Hospitality ~ Ten June ~ A Thoughtful Place}

_{Monday ~ The DIY Showoff Project Parade ~ Made by You Mondays ~ Embellishing Life Everyday ~ Just Something I whipped up Monday  ~ The CSI project ~ Menu Plan Monday ~ C.R.A.F.T.  ~ The Southern Institute ~ Making the World Cuter ~ Thrify Décor Chick ~ Metamorphosis Monday ~ Sumo Sweet Stuff ~ Gunny Sack ~ Singing Three Little Birds ~DIY Homes Sweet Home ~ Dittle Dattle ~ 1929 Charmer ~ Everything Under the Moon  ~ ModMix Monday ~ Sew Stylish ~ Coastal Charm ~ Under the Table and Dreaming}

_{Tuesday ~ Get Your Craft ~ Tip Junkie ~ Blackberry Vine ~ Crafty Confessions ~ Me & my Boys ~ A Bowl Full of Lemons ~ Home Stories A-Z ~ My Uncommon Slice of Suberbia  ~ Carolyn’s Homework ~ Sugar Bee Crafts ~ House of Grace ~ Passionately Artisitc ~ My World Made by Hand ~ Uncommon Designs ~ Trendy Treehouse}

_{Wednesday ~ Blue Cricket Design ~ Somedays Crafts ~ Sew Much Ado ~ Sew Woodsy ~ Handy Man, Crafty Woman ~ Savvy Southern Style ~ {Primp} ~ Midweek Fiesta ~ Rae Gun Ramblings ~ Polkadots On Parade ~ Lollipop Cards ~ JAQS Studio ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ My Girlish Whims}

_{Thursday ~ Transformation Thursdays ~ Somewhat simple ~ Show off your stuff ~ House of Hepworths ~ Delightful Order ~ My Simple Home Life ~ The Frugal Girls ~ Thrifty Thursday ~ DIY Diva Thursday ~ Tablescape Thursday ~ No Minimalists Here ~ Crafty, Scrappy, Happy ~ Thrifty Decorating ~ Between U and Me ~ 36th Avenue}

_{Friday ~ The Shabby nest  ~ Show and Tell Friday ~ Finding Fabulous ~ I’m Loving it ~ Simply Sweet Home ~ Whipper Berry ~ Chic on a Shoestring decorating ~ Spunky Junky ~ Delicate Construction ~ Homemaker in Heels ~ Family Ever After~ French Country Cottage ~ Common Ground ~ Young And Crafty ~ At the Picket Fence ~ Fingerprints on the Fridge ~ Miss Mustard Seed ~ Addicted to Decorating ~Bacon Time with The Hungry Hypo ~ Making Lemonade ~ I Can't Stop Crafting ~ Over the Big Moon ~ Shabby Art ~ Answer is Chocolate}

_{Saturday ~ I heart nap time- Sundae Scoop ~ Tatertots and Jello ~ Be different Act Normal ~ Funky Junk ~ 2805 ~ Making Lemonade Blog ~I am Along for the Ride  ~ Lolly Jane}

_{Sundays ~ Homemaker on a Dime ~ Sunday's Best}

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