A Nice Craigslist Story

The blue play kitchen finally sold!

When I first listed the blue kitchen on craigslist there was one lady who was interested right away. She wanted me to meet her in Glendale, about a half hour away, to deliver it. Usually I have people pick the kitchens up at church. That way they can pay the church directly and there is no question of impropriety. There are so many scams on craigslist and I just want every thing to be on the up and up. But, I also wanted to sell the kitchen quickly and this is a recession. So I agreed to deliver it.

All I asked was that she pay me with check or money order made out to the church. She responded by asking me to lower my price by $40. I thought about it for a couple of hours and decided that I wouldn't do that. It takes me some time to make them and I really want to make a good amount of money for the homeless program.

She decided that she didn't want to buy the kitchen, but asked what I would charge to make one out of a cabinet she already had in her garage. I told her the same price. $100. I get my cabinets for free as they come off the curb. Again, I think my time and my cause are worth the money. She wasn't interested. It was a discouraging exchange of emails.

So for a month it sat in our apartment and languished on craigslist without a single bite. I prayed about it and just decided to hold tight. I wasn't being greedy for myself after all.

The week before school started in my mad dash to tie up loose ends, I took the play kitchen over to church and listed it again on craigslist. Within a few days I had five people interested and it sold shortly after.

Then I got this email:

"I have been wanting to make my little girl a kitchen like the one you made. I am in San Diego so most likely would not be able to buy one from you even if you made another one. But yours was sooooooo cute that I thought I would ask if it was still available. Can I ask you where you bought the sink faucet and little levers? I have had my eyes out for a little cabinet for soooooo long!
;)kelley "

I replyed with a link to my flickr set which details all my "trade secrets" in kitchen making.

I got this email in reply:

Hi Jane,
I just have to say,
1.) You are my craft hero.
2.) Thank you so stinkin much for sending me your flickr site link. I am so inspired.
3.) Your kitchens all turned out soooooo amazing.
4.) Love your monkeys too!
5.) I am DETERMINED to make my little girl a kitchen now and will definitely send you a picture once I am finished.
6.) The best thing about seeing your creative kitchens was knowing that you do this out of the kindness of your heart to help the homeless.
7.) If I lived in LA, we'd be fast friends. (Actually, I went to CSUN for college so at one time I did live in LA.)
8.) I promise I'm not some weird stalker.
Thanks again and take care.
;)kelley

I can not tell you how that made my day! First off, she said "stinkin" which I say all the time. So much so that Cliff is constantly asking, "How freak'n stinkin cute is that!" Second, it was such a nice boost after the somewhat unpleasant exchange with the other lady.

(The truth is I don't just do it for the homeless program. Mostly I do it because I like to make stuff and sell them for the homeless program because it gets them out of my apartment. I am not much of a salesperson and hate asking people for money. If I sold them for myself I would have taken the $40 discount I am sure. The cause gives me more confidence.)

Thank you Kelley! You made my day and I can't wait to see your play kitchen!

DYI: Shoe Bench from Reclaimed Wood

My problem: I had this cluttered shoe basket in my entryway:

My Dream Solution: I would love to have this:


However, it's bigger than my tiny nook or my small furniture budget. "Hey!" I thought, "I have a saw and tools! I could make one from scratch!"

Like any good frugalista, I balked at the cost of buying new boards at the Home Depot. So, I came home and looked for wood.


Found some! It's the last of our old futon frame! My woodworking style is what one might call "cobbled together" anyway.

My DIY Solution: I made this shoe bench:


I made a flickr set with lots of notes to show/tell how I did it. Here are some highligts:

For one thing, we were in the middle of bad heat and worse air quality. So, the balcony workshop was moved right to the kitchen table. My table top is formica, so it's all good.

Basically I made a cube out of these boards from the frame. I didn't have enough for a solid frame, so I made it open like this. This is a picture of the early stages of framing. I just drilled holes and used screws to put it together.

I made a cushion from the bench cushion I just retired.





It's far from perfect. I can already see where I could have made it better (I have added that info to my notes in the flickr set) but, I have been using it for a few days now and it works like a charm to keep that nook neat and organized. I am glad I took the plunge and went for it. Total cost $7. Now that's frugal!

Get your DIY fix at ASPTL! More Frugal Friday at Shabby Nest

Happiness is A Good Day Thrifting

On the very same day that I found the ice skates I found some other great deals too.

For one thing, I found a whole new thrift store. The National Council of Jewish Women operates really good thrift stores all around the city. On South Fairfax (near Olympic) they actually have a thrift outlet that has 50% everyday! Across the street is another thrift store. It's a pretty eclectic corner and worth a visit.

Well here was my haul:

I collect vintage sheets with the dream of making a vintage sheet quilt one day. This one was $1. I also got a stash of vintage and newer greeting cards. $4 for a stack of ten cards is a a pretty good deal these days. It feels like a lot for thrift, but still so much cheaper than retail. Here are three of my favorites.


I am powerless to resist un petit chien!

This cork backed placemat was a buck.

My students (and my husband) will enjoy this book. I have some great math ideas based on lists planned already. The mini cupcake pans are something I snatch up whenever I find them cheap. With 30+ students I need a lot of pans to keep from spending the whole night baking. Also, with minis I can usually squeek out a class batch from just one mix. Every penny counts!

I also got a large framed canvas that is still in my car. I have been looking for a big canvas to paint. I've had the project in mind for a while. I am so thankful to have found the canvas for just $4! Now I won't worry if I am not happy with the results.

Before & After: A storage solution

Thrifty Decor Chick is having a Before & After Party today.

I am especially excited by this before and after because it solved a problem I was having with a special collection. Collections can be tricky sometimes. Do you live with them all the time? Rotate them? How to store them?

I collect salt and pepper shakers.

It all started with my trip across country with Kate. These two cheap and kitchy souvenirs became my first in. a collection that has grown to over a hundred pairs.

We even had a bride and groom at every table at our wedding...


and a salt and pepper shaker cake topper.

We got married on the 3rd of July and honeymooned on a tall ship thus the nautical/patriotic
pair.


I used to rotate my collection in this framed shadow box. I really enjoyed coming up with new and different themes. Here is an ode to summer.

However, lately I have lost that love'n feeling for the collection.

A lot of this has to do with the way they were stored. Those with boxes were stored in my trunk/bench in the bedroom. Pairs without boxes were stored in Christmas ornament cases under my sewing table. It took a lot of effort to drag out those boxes and dig through the chest to find what I want. Lately, I've only rotated the collection a few times a year.

Frankly, they were no longer earning their real estate. The collection needs to provide enjoyment or it's gotta go. Space is too valuable for deadbeats.

I have tried honestly, earnestly, to weed out the collection. But each pair holds the memory of a trip or the person who gave it to me and I am a sucker for nostalgia.

So, I am trying a new thing. I found this dresser out in the ally behind our building probably four years ago now.


It went with this cabinet that became the pink kitchen. Since I had neglected it for several years the wood top was damaged beyond my interest in refinishing.

Recently, I decided that it too needed to earn it's keep and started putting my tools in the drawers. But then I thought of a better idea! Salt & pepper storage!

I can not remember which blogger posted about painting the sides of dresser drawers a fun color? If it was you, please let me know so I can link to your inspirational post. Anyway, I was inspired by one of the many blogs I read to paint the insides of the drawers a fun color and I am so glad I did. No more dreary drawers for me!

I had lots of the seaside blue from the blue play kitchen project. I had the black left over from the black play kitchen project.

This was the look of this small window /wall before. Just blinds, a valance and nothing else.
This is the same space!

So far I haven't changed my salt and pepper display at all, but I am enjoying the dresser top as display space. I got the mirror at the Big Lots. It says "Where there is great love there are always miracles." Love it! Also, if you enlarge this picture, you will see that my handsome bundle of sticks has it's own little secret. For the time being anyway.

For more great before and after inspiration, head on over to Thrifty Decor Chic!

IBOL= Iraqi Bundles of Love

The Story of a Box


1. Large Flat Rate Box, 2. IMG_1230, 3. Blue Linen Like & White Woven, 4. Cool Thick Beige Crinkley, 5. Green Burlap, 6. Lots of Baby Blue Satin, 7. Pink Flannel, 8. Striped Knit, 9. Sequin Paisley Outerwear Fabric, 10. Buttons and More, 11. Lace, Fringe and Trims, 12. Favorite Checked Fabric

Thanks to Christy for posting about IBOL. Want to learn more about IBOL and join in while there's still time?

Transformation Thursday: Pair of Chairs

I have had these chairs for a dogs age.

I bought them at a garage sale and we used them in my NJ apartment for many years. The lady told me they were from the 30's. The bottoms are stamped with the words, "No. 1482 Chair Victory Brown." I haven't been able to find anything about them online.


The chairs had gotten really rough with age. Snag your stockings rough. Not that anyone really wears stockings at my house, but you know what I mean.

lI had always hoped to someday refinish them and maybe preserve the decals. Well, I have no idea how to do that, so the other day I painted them with my free Glidden paint.

Hello pretty chairs! Where have you been hiding?

The color is "Sea Glass" and it's a fairly nice shade of sea foam green. It's not my favorite Rustoleum "Seaside Green" which is a bit darker and perfect in every way. Hey, it was free and I had to pick the color from a tiny online swatch.

The seat covers were made from a holey, ripped and stained table cloth that I got for a buck at the Jet Rag Sunday Sale. For years I have wanted to make something out of that old tablecloth. Each time a project came up I would ask it, "Is this for you?" Finally the answer was "Yes!" Miraculously, the pieces fell exactly between the holes and stains. It really was the perfect use for that tablecloth!

Here's a pattern making tip: I used stiff interfacing to make the seat pattern. I laid the interfacing on the seat and rubbed the edges with a crayon. An exact outline shows up! Cut that out and you have yourself a pattern!


For more transformations visit the Shabby Chic Cottage! (I sure hope I win that paintbrush!)

Thrifting Fairy Godmother

Almost a year ago I came home to find three doors on our floor painted three different shades of brown. We are blessed to live in a building that is constantly being maintained and upgraded.
There was a deep dark chocolate brown, a lovely taupe that was almost gray. In fact it was that exact lavender-gray-taupe of a William Wegman Weimaraner dog. And there was an orangey brown that was disturbing.


Here was the conversation with my building manager:

Me: Hey Handy Manny, I see your painting doors. What color are the doors going to be?

Handy Manny: Not the one that looks like sh*t. We are going with the chocolate color.

Me: Oh great! I was worried.


This is my door.

And, folks that is no chocolate I would eat. Clearly we have different ideas about chocolate and poop. That is dog poop brown. Sorry to say.

Notice how well it goes with our ruddy orange brown carpet. The whole effect is really gross.

My mother and I joke about the names for Martha paint colors. So when she arrived for a visit I asked her to give the door a Martha color name. My own mother said, "Poop."

Anyone who knows my tax preparing mother knows- this woman can. not. lie.

Yesterday I was thinking about how this Christmas I am staying home for the very first time in over 8 years! I am actually hosting Christmas! Whoo hoo!

I was thinking about what kind of wreath would look good on a poop colored door. I was feeling kind of bummed out by the whole thing. Then it hit me! A pair of white ladies ice skates hanging on the door would look fresh. Perhaps tuck some wrapped presents inside along with some greens?

And, bippity boppity boo! Look what I found that very same day at the Goodwill! Click on the picture to see the terrific logo on the bag. It's like icing on the skates!


Thank you fairy godmother!