Another Junker's Paradise- The Apron Chicks Barn Sale

Earlier this month, on my way over to the Twin Cities for a big weekend of garage sales, I swung through Stillwater, MN for a visit to The Apron Chicks' barn sale. I'd heard about it from a friend and was glad my travel dates coincided with the sale. Temre and Amy have their sale just 5 times a year, and if you live in the Stillwater area, or you're passing through, I highly suggest you stop by.

Let me give you a little tour.

The Apron Chicks: Temre Pugh and Amy Peterson. You'll find their shop on Facebook at Apron Chicks.

Aren't they cute? Um, I'm not sure who is who. Sorry gals! I'll ask next time.

I pulled up to the driveway and fell in love with the house before I saw the barn.

Dreamy!

Then, I wound my way up the driveway to the barn.

The barn sale overflows into the yard and there were treasures everywhere.

 I wanted one of everything, but I restrained myself.

 

 

I could have stayed all afternoon. But I'll just have to stop again next time.

Want to stop by the Apron Chicks Barn Sale yourself? Here are the dates for the three remaining sales of 2012:

• July 25-27
• September 19-21
• November 14-16

If you've never been to Stillwater, you'll find it's a town with lots of fun places to spend a day away from the normal grind. Such a quaint town full of shops and restaurants.

If you visit The Apron Chicks, be sure to tell them that you heard about the sale here, on Trash to Treasure Decorating.

 Thanks for a pleasant visit, Temre and Amy!

Easy Office Storage - Transformation Tuesday

Today's transformation isn't much of a transformation, but I want to show you anyway. Last week, I showed you my closet door improvised desk. This week, I got to thinking how cluttered my desk is, despite my organizing. I wanted to do something about all the little stuff on top.

See what I mean?

I remembered that I had these plastic drawer bins from another project that didn't work out quite they way I had hoped. So, I decided to see if I could attach them somehow under the desk.

 By the way, these have decorative scrapbook paper in the fronts so that they look pretty. Plus, I had already spray painted them with plastic spray paint for the other project. They came in white when I bought them.

I removed the plastic drawers and screwed the plastic to the underside of my desk. I recommend using a screw and a washer to make the plastic hold up under pressure (the washer absorbs some strain on the screw).

 I put a couple of screws in each.

And then I filled it with my clutter.

Better! Um, except for the trash can that is so prominent in the picture. Sorry. Guess that's keepin' it real. Thank goodness I didn't zoom enough for you to see the dust bunnies!

Budget Office Desk

I've had an upcycled desk for quite a while, but I needed to make some changes to get more space. My main office desk is a small desk (the kind you buy in a box and assemble at home) and it was was too small for what I do. So, I put an old door on top of the desk and I use the hole from the door knob for my computer cords.

For a while, I've had a cabinet door along the side for more space to put stuff. But there just wasn't enough room.

 

So I hunted around for another door. My husband found me an old closet door that was just skinny enough to fit the purpose and long enough too! I propped one end on my current desk and the other on a file cabinet.

The lamp cord goes right through the hole left behind by a handle.

 My L-shaped configuration.

Now, I can spread out my papers and really dig into a project. I love my Trash to Treasure office!

Need a bigger desk surface in your office? I've seen many doors at garage sales, so I bet you can find one.

Transformation Tuesday: Vanity Table Rescue

I love stories of when someone finds something in the trash and saves it. Those jaw-dropping transformations that most people wouldn't believe possible. That's the heart of Transformation Tuesday!

Aubre Rice from The Rice's World sent me reader mail to show me two items she rescued from the trash and revamped.

First, she took a pretty beat up vanity that looked like this: 

 And turned it into this:

The poor thing had just one knob when she rescued it. Looks like Aubre took care of that!

And then she rescued this chunk of weathered wood that most people would toss in the firewood pile (by the way, it's bigger than it looks here):

And turned it into this:

Indeed, that transformation reminds us that anything is truly possible. I love it! Thanks for the inspiration Aubre. 

Know what I love even more? Aubre did this all for a friend who is redecorating on a tight budget. Sweet. Be sure to stop by The Rice's World to see more about these projects.

Photo of the Week - Spring Blossoms

Weekend Most Pinteresting Roundup

Here are my most recent favorite blog posts that I discovered on Pinterest:

1. I love this vintage rolling pin turned into a towel bar. There is a tutorial on the Olive Bites blog.

2. I had to hunt around to find the original blog post for this pin!* I guess the problem was it's in a language I don't speak. But the idea is cute! Here's a spool holder made from and old frame and you'll find a picture tutorial on the Trois Fois Rien blog.  Well, if you speak French, you'll have more than a picture tutorial!

3. If you have a vintage window with broken glass, you might find this idea useful. If you replace the panes with chicken wire, you'll have this little memo center. See Rusty Rooster Vintage for the tutorial.

4. I hadn't thought about painting my old suitcases before but I really like this whitewashed look. I'll keep it in mind when I'm shopping at yard sales this season. Sometimes I pass them up because they don't look vintage enough. Problem solved! 

See the Songbird blog for the rest of the story.

5. I just picked up a giveaway crib (just the headboard and footboard) at a yard sale and I can't wait to try this! So cool. A crib turned chalkboard. Great way to use those ones that aren't considered safe for babies anymore. The Red Kitchen has the full post.

Want more? Check out my Trash to Treasure board on Pinterest.

*One note about Pinterest. Too many pins lead to just a JPG photo, rather than a blog post. I try to fix that and only re-pin to actual posts. Once in a while, I miss one that doesn't have a link, but I try to make sure I give credit to the person who took the time to post these fantastic ideas.

Transformation Tuesday...One More: Amazing Mosaiac Shutters

Our final Transformation Tuesday Friday feature comes all the way from a reader in Cyprus. I had to look that up on a map to see where it was. Geography isn't my strong point. But I do remember reading stories of Paul the Apostle in Cyprus, so that got me curious. It's a little island in the Mediterranean Sea near Turkey.

Curious now too? It's directly below the K in Turkey on the map below.

 Reader Amber Zacharia says a lot of old stuff gets tossed out where she lives, so she "came up with an idea for old cupboard doors.  A bit of paint, broken tiles, and broken mirrors" and she created these amazing fake window shutters.

Before

 After

I love this! Thank you for sharing Amber!

Have a project to share? Just shoot me an e-mail and I'll feature you on a Transformation Tuesday sometime soon.

Quick Decorating Idea: Furnace Grate and Vintage Window

I wanted to make a small change on my kitchen wall. The wall is the back side of a built-in china hutch and so there is a window peek-through to the dining room below the wall. I had some stuff up, but wanted something less cluttery.

I decided to use on of my vintage window creations, but then couldn't decide what else to add. I scouted around in some of the junk my husband has rescued for me from his scrap metal pile, and saw this grate. It seemed like the right thing to balance out the washboard I was considering for the other side. I like it. At least for now. 

 

I've actually considered painting that wall a darker color, but for now, I'll live with the cream. I love the rusty finish on the grate! I hung it from a drywall screw in the middle since it needed something heavy enough to hold it up. It's very heavy.

Transformation Tuesday...Continued: Repurposed Farm Pantry

I've featured projects from Deborah Jean's Dandelion House before, and she just doesn't disappoint with inspiration! A little while ago, I got some reader mail from Deb and I can't wait to show you. She reorganized her kitchen pantry in a big way with repurposing. 

Without further ado...more Transformation Tuesday fun--on Wednesday!

Isn't that fabulous?! I love the red! You'll have to check out the blog for Deb's complete makeover, including the chalk labels on vintage jars, the wire baskets, the terrific cabinet makeover and more.

I love that Deb reclaimed the cabinet from the living room and turned it into this. Do you have an armoire or TV cabinet sitting around that you could use for something similar?

Transformation Tuesday - Decoupage Metal Tray

I've abandoned my  poor readers too often lately! Travel and to-Do list have made me set aside the blog for a few weeks. Again. But I'm ready to get back in groove and chat with my reader friends again.

It's been forever since we had a Transformation Tuesday post, so this week, I'll be featuring a couple of posts in a row featuring projects from reader mail.

This Transformation Tuesday project comes from Linn at The Home Project. Sometimes, the simplest transformations are the best! She took this sort of tacky tray (my apologies to the state of New Mexico and the manufacturer of this souvenir platter if I have offended you).

Linn took this metal tray from drab to fab and she has the complete tutorial on her blog.

Isn't that pretty? Who knew it could be so awesome! Well, Linn did, obviously.

She says, "I wanted to share a smaller, more manageable project that anybody can do, even if you don't have a lot of tools or supplies: transforming a metal tray with decoupage.

"I picked up this old metal tray at a thrift shop for $1.50 and bought some pretty paper at the craft store with matching paint for the sides. After doing just a little painting, cutting and gluing I have a brand new tray to use for organizing or carrying things!

I love small and doable projects like this that don't take too long and that give instant satisfaction!"

Check out her blog to see the full project.

I think I have some old serving trays around here somewhere that could use this transformation!

Thanks for the inspiration Linn.