Upcycled Kitchen Island from Fence Wood and Pallets

Posted by on May 1, 2013 in Blog, Home Décor, Upcycling & DIY | 0 comments I LOVE custom orders!! I’ve met Courtney at the Trade Days in McKinney a while ago and she has all these great ideas for her cute house. And I am the one who can build all that stuff. Seems like an excellent pairing! I love people who know what they want, working with them is what makes my job enjoyable and so much fun. Finishing a job may take a while because I use what’s already...
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Easy Ice, the Iceologist & Chef Robert Irvine

Posted by on Apr 27, 2013 in Blog | 2 comments I never thought, I’d be this excited about ice machines (I’m not getting paid for this post, but I did the illustrations for this company )! A couple of months ago, I was asked to create an illustration for an ice machine company called “Easy Ice“. I thought that their concept was awesome (I can definitely tell because I am a chef) –it’s a monthly subscription...
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Another Repurposed Bed Frame turned into Bench

Posted by on Apr 9, 2013 in Blog, Furniture Restorations, Upcycling & DIY | 0 comments I don’t know how many benches form headboards I have built in the past, but I know that they sell like hotcakes! And I enjoy building them A LOT. I just can’t pass a bed frame at the curb. Here are some of my benches I have made and sold over the past two years (I know I made more but I sold some even before I had a chance to take a picture…): And the bed frame I found last...
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Beat-up Dresser turned into Bookcase

Posted by on Apr 7, 2013 in Blog, Furniture Restorations | 1 comment Historic downtown McKinney (TX) is the perfect place to find abandoned treasures along the streets! I usually do my trip after my chiropractor appointment on trash day on my way back home. Two weeks ago, we picked up an old dresser without drawers, it had some bad water damage but I liked its shape (and it looked pretty old). I probably put more work into it than I should have, but who cares...
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Vintage Record Player Console to iPod Station

Posted by on Apr 5, 2013 in Blog, Upcycling & DIY | 0 comments It’s not quite done yet but almost! My hubby and I found an old record player console at the curb last week. We were so excited, but man, was it heavy. It JUST fit into my Subaru with a lot of pushing and squeezing… It was pretty dirty and had some water damage but nothing I couldn’t fix. It’s a Victrola model number VGT98LK, I think it’s a 60s model, but I am not...
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Upcycled Balusters to Table Legs

Posted by on Apr 3, 2013 in Blog, Upcycling & DIY | 2 comments I am so sorry, I haven’t put anything new on my blog lately. I am planning to change that (sounds like the new year’s resolutions….) and post more. I am pretty good at keeping my facebook page updated and keep you all informed about my latest projects and I love all your feedback and interaction there. All kinds of jobs have kept me busy and my “how-to” photos are...
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My Trip to Paris

Posted by on Mar 20, 2013 in Blog | 0 comments I really needed this! After a couple of very busy weeks at weekend flea markets, setting up and making stuff (and renovating the house between jobs) I decided to take a trip and leave Dallas suburbia for half a day. And I chose PARIS -in case you wondered, I am talking about Paris in Texas! My friend Kevin owns an antique store, Lillian Kelleys Design, in Paris and what would be a better idea to...
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Things I am Selling at The Third Monday Trade Days in March

Posted by on Mar 13, 2013 in Blog, Living & Design, Upcycling & DIY | 0 comments Here are a couple of items I will have in my booth this month at the Third Monday Trade Days in McKinney, TX. I’ve been busy curb-shopping, upcycling, cutting, sanding, painting and creating. I hope I can make it all fit into my booth! This month, I have: coffee tables, kitchen & dining tables, school chair, newly upholstered chairs, pillows, frames, framed potato sacks, pallet...
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Refurbished Bassett Dresser

Posted by on Mar 10, 2013 in Blog, Upcycling & DIY | 2 comments I just picked up this beautiful dresser made from Bassett at the curb! I was so excited when I found the imprint inside and seen that it’s solid wood and needed only a little fixing. Just glued one drawer, painted a coat of white on top, replaced the knobs and sanded it a little, to have the black shine through for the distressed look. And then I added an image, the fleur de lis. I googled...
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DIY Turquoise Chevron Dining Table

Posted by on Feb 26, 2013 in Blog, Upcycling & DIY | 0 comments I’ve built several tables before but I haven’t done a kitchen table yet entirely from scratch. So, I got these beautiful poles and my hubby came home from work with some great wooden boards that were used to ship equipment from overseas. And so here it is, a kitchen table with turquoise chevron pattern. I first built the frame for the table, then added the poles and finally attached...
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Repurposed Futon: Now it’s a Bench

Posted by on Feb 24, 2013 in Blog, Upcycling & DIY | 0 comments Here’s my little photo tutorial, how I turned a futon into two benches. First, I deconstructed the heavy futon. Then I cut some of the wood, which I used for the seat later, in half and reassembled it with wood glue and strong screws. I added legs and supported the seat with a plank underneath. Then, I painted the entire bench with silver oil paint. After it was dry, I added a coat of...
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Crocheted Summer Blouse & Pattern

Posted by on Feb 22, 2013 in Blog, Upcycling & DIY | 2 comments After rediscovering crocheting (which I learned partially in elementary school and from my mom decades ago…) last October -I made christmas ornaments and little things. Then I made bigger items like doilies, bracelets and headbands and then I got even more ambitious and decided to crochet a summer shirt just to see if I could do it. I found a pattern on pinterest which lead me to a Russian...
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My Bestseller at the Third Monday Trade Days

Posted by on Feb 17, 2013 in Blog, Upcycling & DIY | 2 comments The weekend before the third Monday of the month is probably my most favorite time of every month. I am always having such a great time being at the McKinney flea market with my upcycled furniture and home decor. My neighbors are awesome, I love my returning customers, meeting new shoppers, seeing old friends and making new ones. This weekend, we had such a bad Friday, it was cold, windy and...
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Diy – How to Give Yourself a Haircut

Posted by on Feb 7, 2013 in Blog, Upcycling & DIY | 0 comments Is it a good idea to cut your hair yourself? Absolutely yes! Who needs a hairdresser when you have scissors, a mirror and a sink? It’s not the first time I have given myself a haircut and it’s never been so bad that I needed a big hat or decided to shave the remaining hair. So maybe you can learn something here. Step one: Wash your hair Step two: brush your hair and get sharp...
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Turquoise Chalk Paint Table with Chevron Pattern

Posted by on Jan 16, 2013 in Blog, Upcycling & DIY | 3 comments I got this not-so-beautiful coffee table from my mother-in-law that she’s been using for years as a bench to sit on. A while ago, I asked her if I could store my finished furniture in her empty garage, which would be a relief for me because I am running out of space!! I am selling my furniture on a monthly basis at the Third Monday Trade Days in McKinney since I don’t have a...
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Crocheted Headbands, Belts, Collars….

Posted by on Jan 14, 2013 in Blog, Upcycling & DIY | 5 comments For some reason I got back into crocheting which I haven’t done in (oh man, am I that old already?!?) more than 20 years… I don’t even remember really when and what I made back then. All I remember is that I once learned it either from my Mom or in elementary school, or from both. Never finished anything really but I still know how to do the basics. While I was at home with my...
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Diy Wooden Candle Holders Pottery Barn Style (just nicer!)

Posted by on Jan 12, 2013 in Blog, Upcycling & DIY | 0 comments I wish I still had a photo from those two church pews that I picked at the curb a couple of months ago. All I have is a picture I took after I turned them into two wall tables; I had them in my booth at the antique market in McKinney last month. They didn’t really grab anyone’s attention -if I don’t sell an item one month then I’d usually bring it back the next month, but...
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Taking Down our Christmas Decoration

Posted by on Jan 10, 2013 in Green Stuff, Living & Design, Upcycling & DIY | 0 comments So sad, another christmas is over! Yesterday, I took everything down and stored it in our attic for our next christmas which will be in Portland!! Leaving Texas in October for good, woohoo. So I had to think what should go into the boxes and what I can donate or put on the curb. I decided that all the reds needed to go. When I was little, bright red was my favorite color (my first bike was dark...
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DIY Burlap Pillows, Ruffled Pillows, Pillows from T-Shirts…

Posted by on Jan 6, 2013 in Blog, Upcycling & DIY | 0 comments As I am going through my stash of collected fabrics (old bedsheets, T-shirts, old clothes, burlap, old chef’s jackets, and much more) and I look at the pillows I currently have on the sofa, I started mixing and matching colors and began to think outside the box a little more. So, I am combining all kinds of fabrics with one another but I am keeping in mind that I they need to be washable...
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2013 – What’s your Word of the Year?

Posted by on Jan 2, 2013 in Blog | 4 comments It’s funny, yesterday I was thinking what the new year would bring and what my expectations and plans were. As I was daydreaming about 2013 (I don’t like new year’s resolutions, btw), I decided, the new year should have at least a motto or I should give it a theme. Shortly after, I came across Layla’s blog The Lettered Cottage with “Word of the Year –...
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Wishing You a Happy 2013

Posted by on Dec 31, 2012 in Blog | 4 comments Another year has past, and I enjoy this time of the year to reflect upon the one we left behind. It seemed like yesterday that we have come together and toasted to 2012. But then, it actually doesn’t! How much have we accomplished within those 12 months and how far have we come. The good and the bad, the struggles and the tears of happiness alike. May the new year be inspiring to all of...
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Our Last Christmas in Texas

Posted by on Dec 30, 2012 in Blog, Living & Design | 4 comments So, this was our last christmas in Texas before our big move to Portland Oregon in October 2013. And we even had a white christmas, so romantic and beautiful, serene and peaceful! This year, I decided not to make christmas cookies; recipes from my family in Germany but I didn’t have a chance. My husband’s family insisted, they wanted their stash… so I spent two full days in the...
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My This Year’s Christmas Booth

Posted by on Dec 19, 2012 in Blog, Living & Design | 0 comments How I missed the Third Monday Trade Days! After not setting up my booth in October and November, I am finally back. I wanted my booth to be extra festive, so I brought our christmas tree and decorated it with my crocheted stars and snowflakes, glittery light bulb ornaments, sewn fabric stars from leftovers and other cute items. Here’s some of the other stuff I had in my both: burlap...
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Christmas Star Ornaments from Scrap Fabric

Posted by on Dec 13, 2012 in Blog, Upcycling & DIY | 0 comments Two months in Germany, taking care of my Dad who was in hospital with brain surgery! Between hospital visits, I helped my Mom getting work done in their house and she asked me if she should get rid of their sofa but I suggested that I could re-upholster it for them, so we went to look for fabric… Which was a trip itself already. We went to IKEA on a rainy Saturday morning when fall break...
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German Season’s Traditions: The Advent Wreath

Posted by on Dec 10, 2012 in Blog, Living & Design | 0 comments In Germany, we have the tradition of celebrating the 4 weeks of advent. It’s the 4 Sundays before Christmas Eve. Every Sunday, we light another candle, those candles are typically on a wreath called “Adventskranz” (advent wreath). The christmas tree isn’t up before December 24. These four weeks are filled with all kinds of different events and celebrations. So for the...
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