Thrifty Thursday

I started this Thrifty Thursday post at Dollar Tree. Dollar Store Crafts that is! I read a post about a cloche made of picture frames then I set out to find what I needed. After playing in the frame aisle to find 4 frames for the walls and 2 for the roof that fit together this is what I came home with:

And a couple of weeks later this is what I ended up with:
There are better directions here. But the short version is-

1. Take out glass and use wood glue to make a box of 4 frames.

2. Use painters tape to hold in place until they dry.

3. Have Husband cut 2 triangles out of scrap wood for the ends of the roof and a rectangle for the base (he added the routing around the edge!)

4. Glue roof together. Add a HL wood fleur de lis on the roof end.

5. Glue 4 old wooden spools on the base for feet.

6. Spray paint everything.

7. Replace glass, glue in place.

I have not decided what I want to put inside it yet, but for now I've got a little blue bird hanging out there!

Thanks again to Leigh for hosting Thrifty Thursday. I always come away with more ideas than time! I am working on burlap bunnies and a topiary made from a wool sweater from last week!

Chug Update

I was watching the "Pet of the Week" last week to see if they mentioned that Chug had found a home. They did not say the name but they said the SPECIAL NEEDS dog had been adopted by one of their viewers! OK, our work is cut out for us!


We knew that adding another animal to the pack would not be easy! They have been getting to know each other...alliances have been formed...territory has been marked....and we are being trained! We have learned that a rescue dog comes with baggage and issues! Chug has separation anxiety issues. He does not like to be confined or left alone! He is a "people" dog and does not like to be without his people! We are trying to get him used to the company of dogs!

He is perfectly content to sleep in a chair as long as I am in the room. Of course he would prefer to be in my lap but we have made progress there. We are struggling with leaving the house without him! He gets hysterical in the crate. I came home to find the crate locked and Chug missing. He chewed the metal bars and bent them enough to get out...the hole was no more than 4 inches!!! He was partying upstairs in youngest son's room!

Next we tried the double baby gate in the kitchen since he can jump the gate that keeps the pugs in. It worked for 1 day! On Sunday we came home to this:

He chewed a hole in the plastic gate and let Eli and Bitsey out! We were gone about an hour! His destructive acts are limited to when he is confined so we are going to start letting him roam the house when we go out for short periods!

And the crate is fine as long as the door is not closed!!!

He also has some issues with housebreaking. Luckily we walk the pugs a lot so he goes with them whether he wants to or not! We have seen great improvement there. He seems to copy Eli! The first week we had to carry him outside and he just sat and shivered. Now he runs to the door most of the time when someone picks up a leash. He has also learned to chew dog toys and sticks. He and Bitsey have argued over toys some and he does not back down!

He is the most loving dog I've ever seen, even with his issues, I can't imagine who could give him away!

Thrifty Thursday

Welcome to Thrifty Thursday hosted by Leigh! This is my Thrift Store "Fabric" Edition. Years ago I was just learning to love thrifting and I was also learning to work on costumes for the Victorian Porch Tour. My friend, who was the costume chairperson, taught me to shop for fabric at thrift stores. You can get great, expensive and vintage fabric by looking through the cloths and linens! Last week I bought these 3 things with ulterior motives-

An apron and a towel (new) that has mis/monograms on them and a linen skirt. I was going to use the apron for a pattern but the monogram was easy to pick out so I did. I remonogrammed my own initials and added some ribbon to make it my own. Total cost $3.99

Same with this wrap around towel. Cost $4.99 I'll use it as a swim suit cover-up this year. It already has the cute zebra ribbon and the elastic and Velcro top. I just had to redo the monogram. At first I was going to cut it off - it is very hard to take the monogram off terrycloth! But it came off .....eventually!

I got a remnant of burlap that I used to make this pillow. It has ribbons woven into the fabric where I pulled out threads! Look at this post by The Country Chic Cottage to see how it is done!

I've been so inspired to make pillows by Rhonda of Blue Creek Home lately. She has a giveaway going on right now! I noticed that she used a stencil that I had on one of her pillows. I just needed some linen. Have you priced it in fabric stores? $21.99 a yard!!!! Not Thrifty!!! So the third thing I bought at the thrift store was a $.50 linen skirt!!! It was a wrap skirt so I got at least a yard. Always look at the larger size skirts and dresses to get the most fabric for your $$$.

I paired the linen with some black and white check I had. Wish I had taken a picture of the back! I used the hem of the skirt, overlapped the back pieces and used the buttons that were on the skirt to close the pillow! Nothing goes to waste!

Still using that same skirt and a different stencil, I made this applique to put on this burlap pillow. I dug in my button jar for some vintage buttons to anchor it.

I really had fun playing with pillows this week! In fact, I went back to fabric shop again and bought a great white cotton skirt with hemstitch embroidery and a pleated ruffle....and a huge natural tent like linen dress! More fun!!!!!

Sewing and Snuggling

During the Snow Day I had a touch of spring in my sewing room!

I loved the contrast of the blooming flowers and the snow covered trees outside the window. The bluebird is fake, but he looks real enough for Lulu to stalk!

I have been working on some cute baby shower gifts for the long awaited grandson of my BFF! I guess you can tell where his parents went to school!

And of course I have spent most of the weekend bonding with the newest member of the Swamp- seen here overlooking the Facebook action!

He prefers to be held 24/7 - that's right - all day and all night! He cries when I leave the room. He jumps the baby gate like a cat. Screams so loud when I put him in a crate that I can hear him in the car as I drive away from the house! HATES to go outside. But, he sure is cute!

Meet Chug

Here is the second surprise of the day! The first is SNOW- more about that later. Could you resist this face? I couldn't. Chug was the featured pet yesterday on WTVM from the Lee County Humane Society. He is half pug, half chihuahua- so the name Chug. I briefly thought "I need to rescue him" briefly..... then I took the Pugs out for a walk and noticed the piles of pug fur all over the kitchen floor and I came to my senses.



Then this morning as the snow started coming down I asked my Hubby to just check to make sure Chug got adopted. He works with the father of the director of the Humane Society. You know, just to set my mind at ease and all.



Hubby came home for lunch with Chug. He needed a home now....he was at the end of his time and the shelter is full.....he found that home!



I always said my next pug would be a rescue... I guess this counts...he tilts his head when you talk to him and then there's the tail....


He is asleep in my arms as I type.

Seven (in the Snuggie) is not amused.

Lulu found the hand towels I was getting ready to wash in the sink. Eli and Bitsey has sniffed out the newcomer and are only concerned that we will be snowed in and run out of dog food.

It has been snowing for 4 hours! I should not have complained about the rain!

Rainy Days

I know I should not complain about the rain....at least it is not snow! But, my pampered Pugs do not like to go outside in the rain. They have been snuggled up asleep for the last month!

Last night the pillows on the bed looked disheveled....

Bitsey dug a little nest under the pillows so she could curl up in my pjs!

On a bright note, the Love of my Life came home with these to pick up my spirits!

Thrifty Thursday

I've missed Thrifty Thursday at Bloggeritaville for a long time....in fact, I've missed thrifting at all. The mess in my attic has put the brakes on my need to add more clutter to my house! But I've gotten so many ideas from blog reading that I had to get back in the stores. Last week I went to Angel's with my junkin' partner in crime. I saw this pile of little milk glass dishes with my name on it.

Don't tell anyone- but I think these were supposed to be ash trays- yuck! They did not appear to have been used and I put them through the dishwasher. I've seen some really cute cupcake stands made from butter pat dishes or toy china plates. I've collected 4 or 5 ....but here were 9.....and they were the perfect size and cheap($2.99 for all of them)! So the next day I was off to Harvest Thrift to find candle sticks to give them some height.

I gathered this collection of old brass candle sticks ($.50-$1.00 each) and waited for a nice day to get out the white spray paint.

I glued the dishes on with Loc-tite glue. If is does not hold I'll try Gorilla Glue. So far it has held-

I'm going to make Red Velvet cupcakes for Valentine's Day. In the meantime , my fake cupcakes will have to do!

Don't forget to go by Leigh's place to see more "Thrifty Thursday" ideas!