Ruler Table

Jim and I found ourselves checking out a couple Estates sales and I ran across these yard sticks.  It's amazing how expensive old wooden yard sticks can be, I've see them for as much at $5.00, these were 25-50 cents a piece.  Before we left town, we made our normal stop at the Goodwill shop and picked up this little side table for $3.00.

I always wanted to remake a piece of furniture using yard sticks.  I needed to first strip the ugly  brown, green, and white paint from the table.  Once the paint was stripped off I then went through and sanded all surfaces.  I painted the base a red barn color that I had on hand.

I had to figure out how to place the yard sticks on the top.  The yard sticks could cover the entire top of the table from end to end but I wanted to add a different look to it.  I thought it would look better by staggering the yard sticks.   I lucked out as I stacked the yard sticks next to each other, it worked out perfectly, I didn't have to slice a yard stick in half!

I first stacked and cut the yard sticks in random lengths.  There were a lot of yard sticks that had very blonde wood so I took different shades of stain I had on my paint shelf and stained some of the pieces.  Once I got the look I liked, I started to glue and nail each yard stick down.

Once it was put together and a couple coats of poly on the top, I like how it turned out.  Now it is sits perfectly in my entry way.  So with about $8.00 total cost, I have a great piece.  I just love it!!

I have plenty pieces left over an can't wait for the next thing I can use them for.

Head Board Bench

My son Jake and I made this bench together.  It was one summer when my small town tried to start a summer flea market.  I had a few items made through out my summer days but I had always wanted to try to make a head board bench. 

I found a head board at a Goodwill store, yes that good ole Goodwill store, it's amazing what you can find there!  It had such a large flat surface that I thought it would be neat as a bench and then to paint something on it. 

My son was bored one weekend so I had him build a bench out of scrap lumber we had.  We attached the headboard and I painted it up.  Wow, there is some weight to this bench but it looks great sitting on my front porch.

sewing cabinet to side table

I ran across this old sewing cabinet at a Goodwill store.  It's those old cabinets that had your mothers sewing machine bolted down and when done sewing, you could then store it within the cabinet.  The top was a little rough and it had a little wiggle to it but I thought it had potential for just $6.

I removed the lid and bars that would bolt to the machine.  I also unscrewed the drawers from the cabinet.  A little sanding and tightening of the screws and I was ready to go.  I wasn't sure what I was going to do for the top but as I was walking through the local lumber yard I found a slab of board that would work PERFECT for a table top.  It was the right width and length, now that luck just doesn't happen for me.

I primed the bare wood and attached it to the cabinet.  With a little Robin Egg Blue color paint and white little knobs, it turned out pretty cute!

She's a star

My daughter, Emma, is a huge Pinterest fan.  She sent me this picture she found of her on Pinterest of her running bases during one of her Softball games.  Even though the other girl tagged her out, Emma felt like a star being on Pinterest.

By the way, this was the night our Lisbon Lions became Co-Conference Champions.

Are you ready for some football?

It's that season again, football season that is.  This past weekend I spent the day watching my boys play football.  Our youngest son, Sam, played in a 5th/6th Grade football league jamboree all day on Saturday.  Ten minutes after Sam's last game, we were on the road for a 2 hour drive to see our oldest son, Jake, play his first college varsity game.

What makes it easy for us to follow our boys, they both wear #90.

                                                              Go Lisbon Lions!

                                                Go Graceland University Yellow Jackets!

OK, I know this has nothing to do with re-purposing but this is my little "Proud Mamma" time.

First to leave the nest...

Well, it happened... that dreadful day that every mother goes through, sending my first child to college.  All summer I spent time gathering all the items my son Jake would need to live 9 months at his college that is over 3 hours away. 
After a great High School senior year for Jake, he was lucky to receive a scholarship to play football for Graceland University.  Jake had to report early for a two week football camp, this was the time he had to prove what he could provide to this program.  Was it hard to leave him behind, OH YES, but am I excited for him, YOU BET!
My biggest mistake was looking back as we drove off, it was supper time and my son was slowing walking to the cafeteria by himself, my heart was breaking.  A week later and it's getting better.  With Jake's schedule of 6:30am-9:30pm, he doesn't have a lot of time to be lonely but did state he wished his roommate was at school.  That will all come soon and then he'll be in the hustle and bustle of college life.
I can't say that I like him being away but I know it's an exciting new chapter in his life.  So now it's putting on the blue/gold attire and attending Saturday football games.  Go Yellow Jackets!

My Little Treasure

Isn't school summer vacations suppose to be relaxing?  It's the third week in July and I've only had a few days off.  The best time this summer was to watch my daughter have a great softball season.  Now with a few days off, it was my time to do a little Estate Sale shopping this weekend.

I found this little treasure in the 25 cent box.

When I see this table top calendar I look at it as a goal.  You see, I have this little goal... to open a shop that has all of my favorite things.  It could be antiques, flea-market finds or my reuse/salvaged projects.  I don't see this goal happening soon as I will be following our kids for the next seven years in school  but I can always have this goal.

So in the meantime I will keep looking at my little treasure to help me remember that one day I will reach my goal and if that goal is met, this little calendar will be next to my register.

"Your goals are the road maps that guide you and show you what is possible for your life."

-Les Brown