CUCINA TREE..

Every Thanksgiving weekend... I pull out my 20+ tubs of Christmas decor.  I try to do a different theme every year.  But one thing I  always do is to create a new Christmas decor piece and also to use family pieces throughout the house.

This year I used my Nonna's eucalyptus tree and then went into my box of her father's old baking tools.  They had a bakery back in the 1930's in Brooklyn New York.   I decided to use the cookie press discs again as ornaments, I also added some of his vintage icing tips and then to top off the tree.  An awesome piece with a RED handle.  Red/Pink mini cupcake liners just for a little holiday pop of color.

Here are the supplies for my baking themed family tree.   Cupcake liners, Vintage Tips, Vintage Cookie Discs, Italian linen towels (cut in strips)

Che bella!    I love this tree like this and think this will be a permanent tree in the collection.

How is your holiday decorating coming along??

-MJ

FEATURE FRIDAY & A GIVEAWAY BY.....58 & GRACE

Okay so Ive been waiting to share this fabulous chick with you all.  Her name is Whitney and she is the creative mind behind 58 & Grace.

You know I have mentioned her Etsy Shop before....I could live there.  It's the most inspiring little shop I've seen.   It's filled with the most amazing little treasures and she presents them in such a way that I just want them all.    She inspires me to want to create things from these treasures....in fact Im working on some pieces for my Junkin Jersey Mama line that will incorporate pieces purchased from Whitney.  Her eye for vintage is crazy cool and Im so happy to have met her.     Im excited to share her with you and she is excited to because since we originally discussed this it went from her being a giveaway guest to me featuring her on my blog.   She wanted to still do a giveaway and has added items continuously up until today.  I mean that is just a passionate perfectionist and I love that about her.  

I could go on for days about her but here is how she tells her story.........................


Hi, I'm Whitney, the thirty-something Midwestern gal behind 58 & Grace. I'm a wife, stay at home mom, homeschooler and after all that a photographer, crafter, artist and obsessed treasure hunter for all things vintage, lovely and repurposeful. I'm always on the search to find new vintage goodies that delight and inspire you to create. 

Running 58 & Grace has been an absolute blessing for me for it has not only allowed me to share but also to connect with so many artists and creative souls that I would have otherwise never met. I feel that a large part of my creative "self" that was once empty has been abundantly filled since starting 58 & Grace and I can only hope it continues to grow and nourish the artistic needs of those out there that come across my little shop. 

Smiles & Happy Creating!!


You all know that I CAN'T do a post without the most delicious eye candy, so here are some of the treasures in Whitney's shop!

I believe this word sums up Whitney and her shop.  

She does inspire me and I hope she will inspire you all too!

Here is what Whitney has put together for all of you vintage lovers out there.   I mean this seriously is a little treasure chest of goodies!

In this giveaway:

  lotto cards

 keys

 spoons,

  ceramic watch faces

bingo numbers 

white and yellow ruler ribbon 4' each

  french milk bottle caps

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY :

Mandatory Entries:

YOU MUST BE/BECOME A FOLLOWER OF LUCKY 7 DESIGN!!!!

Like 58 & Grace on Facebook Fan Page

Additional Entries:

Like  Lucky 7 Design on Facebook Fan Page

Share this giveaway on your Facebook page

Share this giveaway on your Twitter page

(HEART) Lucky 7 Design on Etsy

(HEART) 58 & Grace on Etsy

Go over to 58 & Grace and tell me what your favorite item is in Whitney's shop.

If you make a purchase from Whitney's shop I will give you 5 ENTRIES for it.

Enter once or do them all..it's up to you!  Im giving you as many entries I can to win this fabulous giveaway. (just make sure you do the mandatory one...wink wink)

FAMILY NAME SIGN GIFT FOR REDESIGN....

Okay so I know signs are all the rage, I love me a good sign too!   I have some from Kristi from Barn Owl Primitives, Brittany of 41 West Designs, and Holly of Word Whipped.   I love wooden signs, they remind me of an old general store.

Since I had just received my newest sign from Holly...my "JOSEPH" sign.   It inspired me and I thought it would be the perfect gift to my good friend Liza who asked me to help redesign her living room.   Some of you know Liza through my posts, she is my junkin buddy.   So of course this was a no-brainer...we like the same styles but I wanted to customize and surprise her with some things.

So......................a family name sign it is!   I wanted to do this project keeping within the NO COST mindset that this project was created.    So I started with a free find:

Scrap piece of wood (free)

It's actually a drawer front to some kind of dresser or buffet

It's nice & weathered already...but here it's  getting a coat of Valspar paint (Seagull gray) it's really an off white and its left over paint from my dining room.

Looks nice & fresh...I didnt fill the nail holes purposely to keep it original and to look as if it was just ripped off an old store front.

It was hard but I freehanded the letters...I dont have stencils, vinyl or cricut machine.  This is old school art class...I inherited drawing from my parents.

I used my daughter's crayola paint brush marker to make the edges wispy

 

I then went over the letters with Barn Red craft paint

I used a chocolate glaze to get into the nail holes and look old

I also sanded over the painted letters once they dried again to make it weathered.

Here is my finished project with the rest of the pieces for the redesign.

And here it is now hanging in their newly redesigned living room.

So the next time your drawer breaks or you junkin a dresser you might think twice about throwing away the drawers! lol  Challenge yourself to re-purpose something not only to explore your creativity but to lend a hand in being kind to Mother Earth. I will take an old piece of furniture over new any day.

I want to say thank you to Dave & Liza for being awesome friends to me throughout the years (they've seen me go through the good and the bad).  It's amazing years later how situations change and we are closer now and our husbands maybe more than us. lol    

You guys are awesome and I hope this sign will hang in your home and make you smile!

Im a housebound party girl....so Im linking up here:

-MJ

Hey its' made from a piece of furniture

 

SAFE SHOPPING.....CRAIGSLIST SCARE!

Okay this is my public safety announcement.....


Im a HUGE Craigslist fan and shopper and have never had any issues or problems............UNTIL NOW!

The other night my junking buddy Liza and I traveled about 30 minutes south so that I could pick up another antique sofa (yes another one....and this one was free)

Upon arriving at the home....the man came to the door and we stepped through the doorway and were taken back.   The room was practically empty except for the antique sofa, a recliner, a box with a laptop on it and a beautiful secretary that was filled with junk.   I almost passed out from the smell and immediately made eye contact with my friend.  It was a horrific combination of urine, stench, old stale and whatever nasty smell you can think imagine.

The man is standing there in shorts and a t shirt but is looking at us kind of weird.  It was like a Jack Nicholson  in The Shining....you know "HERE'S JOHNNY".  

My first words were "oh I dont know if it's going to fit" and I looked at my friend.   So my friend asks the man if he has a tape measure....thinking we can run out.  (We were right in front of the door and didnt enter into the room any further).  He says oh maybe in the car and was going to go behind us to his door....NO WAY WERE WE LETTING HIM BY THE DOOR AND BEHIND US.     

So my friend then says...."dont you have one in your car?  I say "I think I do, lets check and we can measure the back to for the length".   He says okay.... and we walk out go to the back of my minivan.

"So are you ready to run.....she says.   I say OMG...is he watching us.  We jump in the van, start it up and I back out of the parking lot as my hatch is still closing. lol

IT'S REALLY NOT A FUNNY SITUATION...WE LAUGHED AND MADE FUN THE WHOLE 30 MINUTE RIDE HOME AND WHEN WE TOLD HER HUSBAND AS I DROPPED HER OFF AND MINE THE NEXT DAY.  BUT IT'S NOT FUNNY!!!!

Nobody knew the address where we were going and this guy could've really been dangerous.

I have a houseful of things from Craigslist but realizing now that most of them have been picked up by my husband.   The ones that I have picked up have never been indoors....either from a porch or a garage or driveway.

The antique sofa I got last week was picked up inside but it was from a young wife and mother who was holding her 1 1/2 yr old daughter.  I was actually surprised that she let me in the house and left me in her living room as she went up and changed her daughter's diaper.   I guess she like me....thought I was a trusting person.    Thankfully for her that I am..because it's very dangerous to let a stranger in your home.

I wanted to share this story with you because I know a lot of you shop Craigslist and also sometimes junk.   Just be aware of your surroundings and never go alone if at all possible.

I definitely will be more cautious next time, it only took one incident to make me realize the danger I put myself and my friend in as well.   We are both mother's and furniture is great but not worth getting hurt of losing your life over.  And besides we have her living room makeover to complete on Thursday night. lol

Had to make a little haha in this serious post people.....but do know that Im serious and this is a true story!

BE VERY CAREFUL AND SHOP CRAIGSLIST SAFELY!

TRANSFORMATION TUESDAY

A week or two ago I cleaned up (literally) on garbage eve. lol   I found 6 doors to those bookcases that have horizontal doors that open up.  My wheels were turning to make something with those.

You see them in the pile of junky love.

I choose 2 of the 6 doors for a friends project and 1 for myself of course.

After a coat of Valspar Historic Woodrow Wilson Linen with a chocolate glaze and bronze sprayed hardware.  Hanging hardware added to the back....and ta-da.   Oh did I mention I did a mirror finish I the center too.

Here is the finished product...I hung it over my buffet as a trial and for photo purpose but it will be going in my living room (update post coming soon). 

-MJ

 

TRASH TO TREASURE

This is a simple little project that started with a stool that I got from a sweet lady who gave me some FREE finds!  I actually purchased this from her with a few other items and I knew when I saw it what I would do.

Old Red Stool with paint marks, scratches, scuffs and all

Quick coat of black spray paint

Here it is after fresh coat of black paint on seat and backrest

I decided to add a inspiration word on the backrest.  I painted on FAITH!

Finished  trash to treasure project!

Hope you all enjoyed this quick and easy junk trash to treasure makeover...sometimes you just need to look  past the ugly to see the true potential.

-MJ

SHOW AND TELL FRIDAY