Buy Only What You Love...and Can Afford

This past weekend, something wonderful happened. I went to a thrift store and was validated for my thriftiness that same day. My father came to visit me and we did what we usually do; have a great meal out and visit a few thrift stores. This time we stopped first at a Salvation Army. He found a few odds and ends, including a ceramic pumpkin just in time for this weekend. I found a lamp. Not just any lamp, but one that I have been looking for since this post. 

   

Next to my other favorite lamp 

This beautiful harvest yellow stoneware lamp put me back $8. Yes, this heavy almost 30 in high lamp was less than $10! Not a scratch on it and (of course I checked) it works. Bonus, I got the light bulb free too! Later we went to one of our ritzier malls and since I never get the chance, went into Pottery Barn for the first time in almost two years. Walking around checking out the fake antiques*, I came across this lamp:

 
Brookshire, $200 online 

Same weight, same coloring, and almost the same height but check that price difference. While I do appreciate the Brookshire, I've also always wanted a curvy lamp, pretty similar to their other offering, the Alexis lamp.

  Alexis, $100 

And with my $8 purchase, I think I got the best of both worlds, what do you think?

 
Just look at that wonderful glazing! 

* Did you ever see that hilarious episode of Friends? 

  Images: My own photos, Potterybarn.com

Makeunder: Metallic beanbag bookends

The minute I saw these in the latest Domino I thought… $70 for a bookend/paperweight?

I can make that! Shiny fabric, square shape, something heavy for the insides and done, right? Right.

Personally, I have no need for beanbag bookends, but I did make something similar recently that might be an even more creative take on this idea.

This is the Purl frog, Rico to show later...

I called mine Rico, the flea market fancy frog. Created from Purl Fabric’s frog pattern, Denyse Schmidt fabric, and filled with lentils, he is actually on his way to a little boy in upstate New York as a toy. But, imagine if Rico was filled with the same heavier aquarium rocks I used to fill my door draft dodger? Wouldn’t he make the cutest bookend for a children’s bookshelf? gold vine brocade, $6

On the other hand, you can also buy a great panel of asian influenced brocade fabric, create coordinating or matching piping, and make more elegant paperweights in the vein of the $140 a pair Sophie Nova ones above. It only takes a little time, creativity, and a tiny bit of money.

Images: Domino magazine, Sophie Nova, Purl Soho, JoAnn Fabrics

SHELTER: Makeunder

Behold these faux novels featured in this month's Domino magazine gift guide. These are created by artist Leanne Shapton and are available for $165.

Here is how to achieve a similar look for less.

• Wooden blocks (ask for leftovers at Lowe's or Home Depot cut lumber sections)
• Acrylic, leftover house paint, or small quantity craft paints like FolkArt or DecoArt
• Satin finish polyurethane (I like Minwax water-based polycrylic)

Paint wooden blocks to emulate your favorite books.
Paint the 'page edges" with gold paint to emulate more high-end tomes (or Readers Digest Condensed books!)
Use them as paperweights or doorstops or stack them on your coffee table or your bookshelves.

SHELTER Retail Makeunder

I just saw these clever and graphic notice boards on Design*Sponge from Swedish interior designer, Caroline Löwgren. Large discs with wrapped thread, the boards are 50 inches in diameter and available in different color combinations. They strongly remind me of my childhood and making yarn pompoms when I was a kid. However, they are selling for 69 pounds in England which equals $140 here!

I don't think so!

Closeup

This is just screaming out for the SHELTER DIY treatment.

1. Create doughnut from a sturdy material such as plywood or MDF.
2. Obtain yarn, ribbon, or twine for the wrapping.
3. Wrap as if making yarn pompoms. (See below.)

Trace out two circles, one inside of the other, on your material. Make the smaller one about half the diameter of the other. Cut out the larger circle, then cut out the inner circle. The idea now is to wind the yarn, twine, or ribbon around the ring. Hold one end on the outside of the ring and feed the other end through the hole, round the back and through the front again. Repeat this, working all the way around, spacing as you go, and end up in the back. Wrap the end of your "yarn" around a few strands in the back and knot it.