Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Petite rack…

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Bought this rack a few weeks ago at our neighborhood garage sale. Thought I might use it in the bathroom for towels or in a bedroom at night for holding quilts that are on the bed during the day. It is cute but I just don’t have the space for it in the bathrooms or bedrooms. This will be in my July 11th garage sale. If you are interested in coming by the sale send me an email and as we get closer to the event I will send you my address. I live in southwest Minneapolis, so if you are close come on by.

Check out my Thrifty Shopping articles on examiner.com.

Thanks for stopping by Cottage Lifestyle and examiner.com.
Renee

Monday, June 29, 2009

Time to vent…

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If you read my post from Monday, June 15, 2009 you know that I have been challenged by plaster walls…but thanks to a cool stud finder I am now able to hang items hassle free. I bought this vent a few years back at one of my favorite local antique stores (which is no longer in business) and it has been sitting on the toilet tank due previous plaster wall challenges. It drove me crazy that it sat on the tank…especially when it came to having to lift it off to dust the tank top. Recently my brother helped me hang it. I have waffled about painting it but I kind of like that it is outside my standard color choices.

Before…

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This is post is part of Met Monday over at Between Naps on the Porch and Today’s Thrifty Treasures over at Southern Hospitality.

Check out my Thrifty Shopping articles on examiner.com.


Thanks for stopping by Cottage Lifestyle and examiner.com.
Renee

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Spectacular cabinet…

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My friend Jayne picked up this beautiful cabinet for $199. I like that there is a glass section for display and doors for hiding goodies.
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Check out my Thrifty Shopping articles on examiner.com.

Thanks for stopping by Cottage Lifestyle and examiner.com.
Renee

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Another item for my garage sale…


Here is another item that will be in my July 11th garage sale. It has been used to stack and display my quilts and to hold a TV. The glass on the top cracked when I was moving it recently…but the glass can still be used and if you place an item on it…no one will be the wiser. It is on rollers. If you are interested in coming to the sale, send me an email and as we get closer to the event I will send you my address. I live in southwest Minneapolis, so if you are close come on by.

Check out my Thrifty Shopping articles on examiner.com.

Thanks for stopping by Cottage Lifestyle and examiner.com.
Renee

Friday, June 26, 2009

These loveseats may be part of my July 11th garage sale…

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I am thinking of selling my blue damask loveseats at my July 11th garage sale. I have had these loveseats since 1987 and had them recovered in 2001. If you are interested in coming by the sale send me an email and as we get closer to the event I will send you my address. I live in southwest Minneapolis, so if you are close come on by.

Check out my Thrifty Shopping articles on examiner.com.

Thanks for stopping by Cottage Lifestyle and examiner.com.
Renee

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Ready for the 4th of July…

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This is one of my favorite homes in the neighborhood. They always decorate for the 4th with flag bunting. This year I dropped in and asked the homeowners where they got their bunting. So now I am on the hunt for some. This home used to be a four-plex and the owners restored it to a beautiful single family home.

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BLOG GIVEAWAY over at Seens from the backs of my eyelids

Check out my Thrifty Shopping articles on examiner.com.


Thanks for stopping by Cottage Lifestyle and examiner.com.
Renee

Monday, June 22, 2009

My best garage sale find EVER…

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I found the chandelier in the picture above at a garage sale this weekend. IT WAS ONLY $5.
It was wrapped in plastic (see picture below) and when I asked how much it was…the owner replied: If I don’t have to unwrap it…you can have it for $5. The crystals are worth more than that. I tried not to flip out. I responded SOLD. Handed over my $5 and put it in the car and hurried on to the next sale. It is missing a few crystals…but that was a risk I was willing to take for my $5 investment. Love that I don’t have to paint or rewire it. I bought a chandelier 3-4 years ago at a garage sale that was $30 and I still haven’t painted that one nor rewired it. This new find has inspired me to fix up the other one.
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I immediately took off the wrapping when I got home and hung it on my front porch as there was an unused hook out there. Thought about keeping on the front or hanging it on the back porch…but the dust and dirt that ends up on those porches would mean cleaning it too often for my liking. Following pictures show it on the front porch.
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Below is the light fixture that was in the house when I bought it seven years ago. I didn’t hate it but knew someday it would be replaced. It will be put in my July 11th garage sale. I personally think it would be great for a cottage or cabin in the woods.
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My neighbor Larry was kind enough to come over and hang the chandelier. Now, before you tell me it is hung too high….I know. We are going to add some links and wire to lower it, but I couldn’t wait to show it off. I didn’t even clean it before we hung it and shot these photos. I have wanted a dimmer switch for the dining room forever…my neighbor was nice enough to put that in as well. Love that I can dim the lights on the chandelier.
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I attempted to take a night time photo.
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Please stop by Southern Hospitality for Today’s Thrifty Treasures and Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday and see what others are sharing.

I truly think my $5 chandelier is my best garage sale find ever. So I am thinking of doing a best thrifty find ever day, where everyone would share their best ever thrifty find. I haven’t used Mr. Linky so if anyone has any tips for me let me know. I would select 10 of my favorites and feature them in one of my Thrifty Shopping articles on examiner.com

BLOG GIVEAWAY over at Seens from the backs of my eyelids…
PJ over at Seens from the backs of my eyelids is having a BLOG GIVEAWAY. Don’t you just love the name of her blog and her blog header? Here are the giveaway details: This Wednesday, June 24, 2009, PJ will post her usual "What's Up For Wednesday". This time it will be subtitled "You Write The Caption." PJ will post a photo and all you need to do to be entered into the giveaway is post a caption for that photo. You don’t have to have a blog to enter, just a valid email address. Anyone interested in entering has until midnight Sunday 6/28 to write their caption for Wednesday's post, but please put the caption on Wednesday's post. The winner will be drawn on Monday, 6/29, by Chef Stu. They will be contacted on or before Tuesday, 6/30. A $50 "e" gift certificate to Amazon.com will be emailed to the winner on or before Wednesday 7/1.
Thrifty Shopping Update
I haven’t been writing many Thrifty Shopping articles lately because I am finding the examiner’s software challenging…I have been doing more event postings than articles. However, I finally have a new article out…called Five Free Cell Phone Features.

Check out my Thrifty Shopping articles on examiner.com.


Thanks for stopping by Cottage Lifestyle and examiner.com.
Renee

Sunday, June 21, 2009

A.P.B. – Pasta Bowls…

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Yes, another All Points Bulletin. You all did so well in helping me find the shower curtain I had seen in a magazine, that I figured you would know where to get the bowls pictured. I bought the bowls a few years back at TJ Maxx. I only found two at that time and would like more…exactly like the ones pictured.
0620 037 I make pasta from scratch regularly and serve it in these bowls because of the depth of the dish, ledge/lip and colors. I also use them for soup and cereal.
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If you know where I might find them, please let me know. I did a search online but haven’t found an exact match.

Check out my Thrifty Shopping articles on examiner.com.

Thanks for stopping by Cottage Lifestyle and examiner.com.
Renee

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Pink quilt with hand appliqué…

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This quilt is adorable and it took everything in my will power to not purchase it. I already have 27 quilts. The soft, warm pink didn’t come through in the photos….but you can get a feel for the charm of the delicate flowers.

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Fellow Minnesotans...check out the following occasional sales taking place TODAY (June 20, 2009).
-How Quaint
-Vintage Treasures Market in St. Charles, MN

Check out my Thrifty Shopping articles on examiner.com.


Thanks for stopping by Cottage Lifestyle and examiner.com.
Renee

Friday, June 19, 2009

One of my favorite travel purchases…

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Since I am extremely frustrated with photographing the item I wanted to show today and out of time to put any more energy into photographing it…I decided to pull a post from December 30, 2008…as I was only six weeks into blogging back then and didn’t have many visitors.

Fellow Minnesotans...check out the following upcoming occasional sales.
-How Quaint
-Vintage Treasures Market in St. Charles, MN

Check out my Thrifty Shopping articles on examiner.com.

Thanks for stopping by Cottage Lifestyle and examiner.com.
Renee

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Summer concerts…

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This is the Lake Harriet band shell which is in my neighborhood in south Minneapolis. Every evening from Memorial Day to Labor Day there is a concert. If you are planning to visit the area check out the concert schedule. I love hearing the music when I am walking the dog in the evening.

By the way, I took this photo and I am surprised that it turned out given my lame photography skills. I submitted it to the local paper…Star Tribune and they published it in their online photo gallery. I also took the one that I posted on June 3rd for Wordless and Outdoor Wednesday.

Fellow Minnesotans...check out the following upcoming occasional sales.
-How Quaint
-Vintage Treasures Market in St. Charles, MN


Check out my Thrifty Shopping articles on examiner.com.


Thanks for stopping by Cottage Lifestyle and examiner.com.
Renee

Monday, June 15, 2009

Blue Shutter Headboard…

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Today is my first time participating in Between Naps on the Porch’s Metamorphosis Monday. I have a mini metamorphosis to share. For those that don’t live in a house with plaster walls…you may even wonder how it could be called a mini metamorphosis. Last year I bought the blue shutters in the picture above to use as a headboard. Until recently they were sitting on the floor and leaning up against the wall behind my bed. I have been wanting to hang them on the wall to give more presence and to showcase the blue of the shutters. However, after the challenges of hanging a rather large item on my plaster walls a few years back, I haven’t had the guts to do it again. The project we did years ago launched chunks of plaster off the wall, baffled us by treating our nails as if they were on a trampoline and even upon using molly bolts caused us headaches.

Thanks to my brother and an item called a deep scan stud finder, the shutter project was a piece of cake as we were able to easily detect the studs and put nails in the wall to hang the shutters. Had we known back then that by using a deep scan stud finder which is designed to work on plaster walls, as the studs are further back and therefore more difficult to detect…we would have tackled more plaster wall projects. I have used stud finders but never one of this caliber. Besides joy of getting the shutters hung…the other good news is that my brother has been wanting one of these types of stud finders…so I bought it and we used it on my projects (yes, you will see another mini metamorphosis next week) and then I gave it to him for his birthday, which is just weeks away! I bought my deep scan stud finder for $20 at my local hardware store.
I have chair railing in this bedroom so we decided to hang the shutters so the bottom of the shutters just touches the railing. In making that decision that left a gap of a few inches between the top of the bed and bottom of the shutters. To hide the gap I tried a couple of different placements of the pillows to see which I liked best.

Pillow placement A: two front pillows propped up against two pillows in the back.
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Pillow placement B: pillows stacked.
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After picture below.
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Before picture below.
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If you enlarge the photos above, please don’t look at the dust on the lampshades…I am the worst at dusting lampshades and blinds.
Metamorphosis Monday

Fellow Minnesotans...check out the following upcoming occasional sales.
-How Quaint
-Vintage Treasures Market in St. Charles, MN

Check out my Thrifty Shopping articles on examiner.com.

Thanks for stopping by Cottage Lifestyle and examiner.com.
Renee