The Apple Street Cottage

  Everyone loves a good Estate Sale. right? The only problem in this day and age is going when there isn't a crowd.  That's why I went to this one during the last hour of the sale.  It was held in a beautiful Victorian house not far from me and even though it was the last hour, I scored some great pieces.   The first thing that caught my eye was the jewelry.  The dining room table was covered in it and there were two jars filled with random pieces.  Sadly they were marked $10 each.  A little too rich for my blood because, let's face it, I'm cheap  I mean, 'frugal'.   I did get them, but they're part of the story.  Keep reading.... I'll tell you about the scissors in a minute. I kept looking and spied two silver bowls on top of a cabinet. A friend has been looking for bowls like these and when the gentleman running the sale heard me say that, he cut the price in half.  The hunt was on! The next room I went into was the sewi...

  Let's just say, Rosie is not happy.  She wanted no part in writing this post and has informed me that this is the 'stupidest' costume ever!  LOL Rosie was thinking 'Elvira, Mistress of the Dark' while I was inspired by the garden this year.  I had plenty of helpful bugs in my garden and when I saw the ladybug wings in the dollar store I was inspired.   After scooping up the wings and headband, I knew I had what I needed at home to turn this into her costume.  A black t-shirt from my closet and a red tablecloth were all that was needed.  Yes, a tablecloth, but don't tell Rosie!    If she knew, she'd have my head!   There was quite a lot of grumbling as I put together this costume.  As a peace offering, I  added the necklace since we all know Rosie LOVES jewelry.   I thought it added a little 'flair' to the look. Rosie was not convinced.... I thought the skirt needed some polka dots to carry the ladybug look...

This vintage scale has been sitting in my craft room for almost a year - do you do things like that too?  Anyway, it was time to get it out and DO something with it!  I found it at the Estate Sale that I went to 4 TIMES - Yes, you read that right.  Clearly I need help, but you should click over there to see why I went back so many times.   This was one of the treasures I found and, as you can see, the top was twisted, the paint was chipping, there was rust, and it was only $3 - truly, a bargain!   Fixing the twisted top was the easy part.  After straightening it, one quick turn of that screw in the middle took care of the problem,  I love easy fixes....if only they were all like that! The next issue was the chipping paint and rust.   Let's face it, the paint probably has lead in it and it's chipping.  Not being one to take away patina or try to make something old look new, I took it outside and cleaned it with soap and water a...

  That's right - purple!  I've seen so many pumpkins in different colors - traditional orange, black, white, pastel pink and blue - so I decided to jump out of the box and go with purple!   Pumpkins have been harvested around here by the thousands. But, I didn't get my pumpkin from the pumpkin patch, mine came from the dollar store. That's right, one of those bright orange, styrofoam beauties.  This one didn't even have the stem centered!  Ha! Before we get started you're going to notice that my pumpkin is painted light gray.  That's because I thought I was going to do something else with it and then changed my mind.  I know you know what I'm talking about...wink, wink! OK, let's get started..... A friend had given me some beautiful purple corduroy fabric.  It wasn't even a half-yard, so there were limits as to what could be done with it.  I cut a piece that was large enough to go around my little pumpkin and got to work.   I ...

  It's October and Halloween will be here before you know it.  If you're looking for some easy (and inexpensive) ideas for decorating your home, I've got you covered.  Each of these projects have been previously featured on my blog, but I thought I'd round them up and share them with you in one place.  First up is my Wire Pumpkin Wreath .    All you need is a wire pumpkin frame from the Dollar Store, some spider/lace fabric, and ribbon.  If you can't find the fabric, Halloween tights would work too!  This is an easy and inexpensive project that anyone can do.  All the details on making it can be found HERE . This project has also been featured on HomeBNC.  You can see it HERE . The second project is my Witch's Hat .   Start out with a wire frame, feather boa, a black rose, and witch legs - all from the Dollar Store.  Add seam binding and some more of that spider/lace fabric and you're well on your way to a finished projec...