A new (old) coffee table {thrifty find}

Hi all! Hope you had a fantastic weekend! We are having some nice, sunny spring days, and I'm totally loving it.

I've got a couple random things to share today, and I'm super excited about the first one. Our living room has been really evolving over the last year and a half, beginning with our purchase of our sectional coach and more recently with our decision to repaint our living room blue. I'm really loving where the space is at now, except for one problem: a too-big-for-the-space oak coffee table.

This table is solid wood and has held up very well over the years. But style-wise, it doesn't have much anything going for it. And it makes the space in front of the couch feel crowded and we're always pushing it out of the way.

I've been itching to replace it with something smaller and round, to help break up the boxy lines of the sectional. If you follow me on Pinterest, you can probably tell I've been eyeing something gold and glass. Well, after a lot of searching around, I wasn't able to find a table like this in the size and price I wanted.

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Plan B was to find a wood coffee table, but let me tell you, it's been pretty hard to find a round coffee table that's only 30 inches in diameter, is made of real wood (no veneer) and is in my price range. We use our coffee table a lot, so I knew I needed something sturdy, which means anything veneered is out. I tried Craigslist a few times but couldn't find anything that fit my criteria.

I kind of gave up for a while, hoping the right thing would come to me. And it did!

This lovely little thing was on Craigslist for just $15! I had to drive over an hour to get it (which the hubs thought was crazy) but I'm glad I did. It's just 30 inches around and made of real wood except for some decorative veneer strips around the edge that are broken and peeling, so I might have to pull them off.

It's been badly refinished at least once, including this nice black matte paint job on the top.

It's definitely seen better days but I think I can fix it up and make it purdy again. I feel like it has a similar feeling as the glass tables I was looking at with its simple lines and its midcentury modern feel.

I'm not 100% sure what I want to do to it. I feel like our living room has a lot of dark furniture, including two wood-toned end tables and a black TV stand and media cabinet. So I think I'll stay away from more wood tones and black. I'd like to do something fun with it, like maybe even stencil the top. I'm thinking something kind of tone-on-tone, to keep it subtle.

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Or maybe I want to paint it a fun color...

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I also like the two-toned look, whether both the top and legs are painting, or when one half is stained.

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And how cute are these casters?!

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I'm also really digging the dipped paint trend. I worry it might be too trendy, but I keep envisioning those slim little legs dipped in gold.

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Okay, obviously I can't do all of this, so which style do you vote for -- subtle stencil, bright color, two-toned or dipped legs?

What came home with me the other weekend {thrifty finds}

Hey, hey! Welcome to another week! Hope you all had a great weekend.

I made a little trip to the flea market the other weekend. It's like one of my favorite places. I could spend hours just walking around in there looking for those little gems -- it's like a grown-up scavenger hunt!

Last year I shared some of my tips for flea marketing (can that be a verb?? I'm making it one!), but I'll recap one here -- go with a list of things you want to keep your eye out for. Otherwise you'll be wandering around aimlessly and come home empty-handed or with something you don't really need.

I'm always looking for pretty glass bottles that aren't too expensive. They're my total weakness, and I love the way they look grouped in twos or threes. I found these two bad boys and made them mine.

The one on the left was $8 and the one on the right was $5. I was really excited about the demijohn because I already have its big brother!

Family reunion!

I love the shape and color of this one.

I was really curious to know what it was for, especially since the bottom says Sunsweet. A bottle for...raisins?

Nope, prune juice from the 1930s and 40s! I found this old ad for it from 1935. Love it! It was $3.

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Now, this item wasn't really on my list, but as soon as I spotted it, I knew it would be perfect for our office.

It's an old navigational chart of the entrance of the Kennebec River here in Maine (which I was calling a "map" until the hubs, who happens to work in a nautical-related industry, politely informed me that it was in fact a chart. I didn't know there was a difference!). The vendor had a bunch of these charts, but this one was older and had all these pretty colors -- the others were just flat yellow and white.

I also picked it because it shows two of my fahh-aavorite beaches here in Maine, Reid State Park and Popham Beach. It only cost me $6! And it's from 1947.

I'm not sure yet how I'm going to frame it, since it's bigger than a poster and custom framing will cost me mucho bucks. Lucky for me, my father-in-law is a jack of all trades and has the equipment and access to materials to make me a frame and a mat for it. The glass will probably run me $50, so it won't be super cheap, but it's worth it for such a cool piece of art. I was very happy to bring home something from the flea market the hubs actually thought was cool!

This last item was more of an impulse buy -- I drove by this little flea market place (the same place I got my convex mirror), saw it outside and literally turned around to check it out. This item has always been on my list but I wasn't actively searching for one because I don't reaaaally need it, and they are usually a bigger chunk of change than I like to drop at the flea market. I like to keep my purchases under $15 because it makes me feel thrifty -- am I super cheap or what?! :) But once I saw this amazing price tag, I had. to. have. this.

An antique trunk! I just think these things are beautiful no matter how beat up and dirty and ugly they actually are. But all the ones I've seen have been upwards of $100 and I just couldn't justify it. But this one was, get this, only $10! I kind of thought it was a mistake, but apparently not. I bought it with a tinge of guilt because I knew the hubs wouldn't be thrilled with me bringing another piece of old furniture into the house waiting for a redo. But with a $10 price tag, you've just gotta go for it!


I'm no antique trunk expert, but I have figured out that this guy is probably made of pine, covered with pressed tin that could have been originally glazed or painted, and the wooden slats are probably oak.

It also has these adorable little casters on the bottom that I just love to death!

Its leather handles are deteriorating and some of the metal pieces are rusty, and it needs a very thorough cleaning.


And let's not even talk about the inside...

Yep, it needs some work, but I'm hoping it'll look pretty cool when it's all done. It could also go in the office, or maybe our bedroom.

So, that's all the old junk awesome stuff I picked up recently! Have you done any good thrifting lately? Have you ever refinished an old trunk? Got any tips? I sure could use them!

Convex mirror revamp {before and after}

Remember that federal-style convex mirror I picked up a month or so ago at a thrift store?

A couple coats of spray paint later, and here she (he?) is now!

I thought about spraying her (yes, I've decided the mirror is a she now that she's all purdy!) a fun color, but in the end I just couldn't picture it anything but a nice glossy white -- especially after Megan at House of Goodin shared her lightened-and-brightened convex mirror. Doesn't it totally pop against that gorgeous navy wall? I'm totally in love with it!

The mirror is held in the frame by six screws, so I just unscrewed those and popped the mirror out. The frame was dusty and grungy, so I cleaned it with some 409 before spraying it with some Rustoleum primer, then two (three?) coats of Rustoleum Painters Touch gloss white spray paint. I already had the paint on hand, so this transformation was free...my favorite kind!

It's not a perfect paint job, but no one will notice unless they've got their nose pressed up against it. Which I really hope no one does. 'Cause that would be weird.

Let's see a before and after side by side, yes?

And yes, that is the same wall in the kitchen, just different lighting! I love how that paint color shifts depending on the light -- sometimes it looks gray, sometimes green. It's Behr's Ocean Foam, in case you're interested.

I've got the mirror in the kitchen right now, but eventually I think she'll end up in the office...if we ever get around to finishing that redo... I think it'll pop even more against the darker gray walls we have in there.

If you look really hard in the reflection, you can see a sneak peek of another project I'm working on. Can't wait to show you the final results!

I hope you all have a fantastic Labor Day weekend, and get to soak up that little last bit of summer.

Linking up!

Chic on a Shoestring Flaunt it Friday

Anatomy of a flea market shopper

Hey, all! Hope you're having a fantastic week so far!

As I mentioned last week, I was hoping to make it to the flea market this weekend -- and I did! I swear, I could go every weekend and still stroll through that place for hours...the allure of finding some secret treasure and turning it into something fabulous for your house -- it's just so appealing! But my wallet keeps me from going back every weekend...'cause then I'd be broke. Which is no fun.

I'm fairly new to this whole thrifting/flea market thing, but I thought I'd share some tips for hunting for treasures -- a few things I've picked up along the way.

First up -- what to wear. If you've never been to Maine, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret: we're a pretty casual bunch. For some people in more hip urban places, a day of thrifting might mean a day on the town in a cute sundress and heels. I guess I shouldn't generalize about Maine, so let's just say that is not how I roll.

I like to wear something simple, but not schleppy -- you want people to take you seriously when you're haggling, so looking put together is important. (I feel kind of icky saying this, but looking nice can also help you get some good deals, especially if the dealer happens to be a guy! It can't hurt...). But, since I usually end up crouched on the floor, digging through dusty piles, I don't wear anything I'm too worried about getting dirty. On this particular day, I picked a simple gray V-neck tee from Banana Republic and a (not too short)! Gap denim skirt, and accessorized with some big, fun silver earrings. I like to skip anything bulky or flowy, like scarves, that might get in my way while I'm browsing.

Full disclosure: It was super muggy on Saturday, and the place isn't air conditioned, so I ended up losing the tee and just wearing the black tank I had on underneath and pulling my hair back.

I've thrifted in heels, and after an hour or two, it's no fun, and all I can think about are my aching feet! I love these metallic flip-flops, also from Gap -- they add a little glam, but they're comfy too.

As for my purse, I try to go small, so I don't have to worry about it banging around and knocking stuff over. Bonus points if you can find something that's cute AND has a strap that you can wear across your body, so you don't have to constantly try and keep it on your shoulder. This brown purse is from Maurice's.

What's in the cutie purse, you ask? Here's what I always like to bring:

A list of what I'm looking for. I don't always stick to it, but it helps focus me and keep me from coming home with a bunch of stuff I don't need or want.

A notepad -- either to keep a list of things you want to look for, or a place to write down a dealer's contact information if you want to get in touch later, or even something you see and want to remember to circle back for. I like this one from Wellspring.

A tape measure, especially if you're looking for something to fit in a specific spot.

I always bring a snack, because sometimes I just get so caught up thrifting that I can't tear myself away for food, and I'm super cranky when my blood sugar gets low. The Quaker Oats guy is optional.

Cash. It's best to have a variety of bill sizes, because nothing irks a dealer more than you haggling the price down from $20 to $10 and then asking for change (trust me!). It goes without saying that you shouldn't bring more than you actually want to spend, because, well, if you're anything like me, you'd spend it all. :)

And, of course, I always bring a camera, so I can snap photos of things I like and may want to buy before I leave. If a dealer looks a little uncomfortable with you taking photos, be polite and ask if it's okay.

So, now for the really exciting part -- what I came home with!

Per my list, I brought home three glass bottles. The two clear ones I plan to fill with sand from our various beach trips this summer, and the big green one was just too cool to pass up. The two little ones were $5 for the pair, and the big green one was $2. They all need a good cleaning.

Wondering where our shed window boxes are? We had already brought them inside in preparation of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene when I took this photo, and we laid our birch arbor down too to keep it from blowing over in the wind and getting damaged.

And, an impulse buy -- this apple barrel that the dealer bought from an orchard. I love how it still says Cortland! It was $10, and I'm thinking it'll look great on our porch with some fall-themed decor. I was thinking about building it a top and then stacking gourds and pumpkins on it. Anyone have any other ideas?

I picked up something else, but I'm keeping it a secret for now. :)

Find anything good at a flea market or thrift store lately? Got any tips on thrifting to share -- I'd love to hear them!

Linking up to Home Stories A 2 Z's Tutorials and Tips Tuesday!

Check out my first round-up of flea market finds here!