Vintage Lamp Turned Plant Hanger/ Bird Feeder

My husband was about to throw this lamp in the dumpster when a little voice inside said, "I wonder if Michelle would want this?" So he set it aside to have me look at it. Of course, I wanted it! And of course he knows this by now. Something else inside him probably wanted to toss it before I rescued yet more junk and put it somewhere in our house.

 Please excuse the ugly deck and yard. It's March. Nothing is pretty yet, but I had the T2T bug and had to decorate something!

You may wonder what I decided to do about the rust and such. I actually like it just as is and left it alone. It will be outside anyway. And I like the glass marble looking part near the base.

 

 This vintage lamp has no electric function anymore. The cord was already broken and removed. But, since the base is filled with cement underneath, it's solid, and I saw it as garden potential. The cement gives it stability and keeps it from tipping over and I found it was perfect for hanging and lightweight plant. 

But then I decided it would make a fantastic hanger for my hummingbird feeder (when the weather warms up enough and they come back from migration). I could set an orange in the top for Orioles too. Or, I could put something on top to hold bird seed. We'll see.

I like that I can see it from the dining room window...when the birds come back.

If you found this in the trash, what would  you do with it? It's WWYD Wednesday, so feel free to share what you would do/ make out of it in the comments below.

Reality TV Shows Spawn Trash-to-Treasure Craze - CNBC

Source: aetv.com Storage Wars

Have you caught on to the hype yet? CNBC featured the trash to treasure hype in an article about the reality shows that showcase salvaged items: 

Reality TV Shows Spawn Trash-to-Treasure Craze

Admit it, you’re a dumpster diver at heart. Or at least you would be one if it were socially acceptable.

Thanks to the popularity of trash-to-treasure reality TV shows, however, you no longer need to roll up your sleeves to get your bargain-hunting fix.Indeed, the show that started it all, "Antiques Roadshow," which debuted in the U.S. some 15 years ago, has spawned a whole new breed of TV programming that uses blind bidding wars and junkyard jockeying to up the emotional ante on the thrill of the hunt

Such shows, including A&E’s "Storage Wars" and the History Channel’s "American Pickers" and "Pawn Stars," have frequently ranked among the top 10 cable shows on Nielsen Co.’s weekly TV ratings. ("Storage Wars," in fact, in which teams of eccentric buyers make a blind bid on repossessed storage units, is the most popular series in A&E’s history.)

Their impact goes way beyond the ability to attract ad dollars, says Greg Dove of the National Flea Market Association, noting the reality-based programs have also helped level the playing field between serious collectors and the yard-sale set.

“It’s bringing in new faces, people from all economic strata,” says Dove. “We’re seeing more and more middle-class and upper-class folks coming to flea markets. Some are just curious, others are seeking collectibles and others are trying to stretch their dollar in a bad economy.”

Read the rest of the article:

Alternative Investing 2011 - Reality TV Shows Spawn Trash-to-Treasure Craze - CNBC

Weekend Pinterest Roundup - Lighting Ideas

It might not be all that Pinteresting to you to know that I'm a Pinterest addict. Do they have 12-step programs for crazy crafters like me? Enjoy the weekend Pinterest roundup of my top 5 favorite posts about T2T light fixtures:

1. I love this flour sifter turned light fixture shown on the Unconsumption blog:

2. How about this upside down birdcage turned chandelier featured on Design Sponge?

3. A vintage lamp made from a colander and an antique toaster from The Polished Pebble:

4. These hanging lights are made from spoons tied together to look like blossoms. Showcased on the Purple Homes blog:

5. Apartment Therapy has ideas for turning old kitchen tools into lights:

Fireplace Makeover - Before and After

I missed Transformation Tuesday this week, so I thought I'd share on Friday. Yeah. Makes sense to me. Although Transformation Friday just doesn't have the same ring.

I saw this before and after fireplace makeover online and had to share it with you. The Yellow Cape Cody by Sarah Macklem Interiors shows how easy it is to take a dated red brick fireplace and give it a facelift for only the cost of paint mixed with water!  I love the whitewashed look.

Before

Photo from The Yellow Cape Cod

After

Photo from The Yellow Cape Cod

Be sure to check out the full post on The Yellow Cape Cod for instructions on how you can do this yourself.

Trash to Treasure Sofa from a Clawfoot Tub

I thought I had seen it all until I saw claw foot tubs turned into couches! It's been a long time since the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's made the idea popular...so long in fact that I wasn't born yet when the movie cam out. It was certainly long before we ever talked about trash to treasure or going green.

But modern artists are finding new uses for old claw foot tubs once again. In a feature on the ShelterPop blog sofas made by Ruff House Art reveal just how fun the idea can be.

Ruff House Art

See the full feature on ShelterPop (now called Stylist Home).

My Favorite Most Pinteresting Posts from the Past Week

Pinterest is a treasure trove of ideas for people who love trash to treasure decorating! Here are my top five favorite ideas from this past week. I pin back to the blog post, not the Pinterest link for copyright purposes.

I love this upcycled Coca-Cola tub table from Muddaritaville:

All it takes is a glass table top, and that can be salvaged from another table.

These towel holders from Not Just a Housewife are awesome:

This old window turned memo board was from Little Green Bean:

Aren't these dragonflies from table legs and ceiling fan blades from Lucy Designs sweet?

And this Pottery Barn inspired lantern holder from Unskinny Boppy is fantastic:

The great thing about all of these ideas is that they aren't terrible difficult to recreate! More ideas to add to my "if I had time" list. To see more details about any of these projects, click the blog title link above each photo.