We Can Do It Cheaper - Who Needs A Turkey?

The Virginia House


When you can have a rooster?
Ok, so I know many of you have seen and loved the rooster that has been roosting over at PB. (it has found a new home since they no longer sell them)

I don't know if my recollection is correct, but I think it retailed for around $50. It is a beauty, and anyone would be proud to own a rooster such as this. But....

When my mom and I went to Canton then she picked up 3 roosters and gifted one of them to me. It was actually a mud brown color when she bought it, but after seeing PB's magnificent (if a ceramic rooster can be magnificent) rooster, then I decided that mine needed to be white as well.

The only thing wrong with this rooster is that I have so many places for it to roost. (is that getting old?)


My total cost.. FREE! My moms total cost, $5. Still not so bad!

By the way, have a great and thankful Thanksgiving and if you get a moment, link up!
1. Only link your post URL, not your blogs address!
2. Be sure to take that button at the top with you so that everyone can know where you're linking up!
3. Please only link crafts, DIY projects like furniture, decor and such. I don't want to delete your link!


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My Newest (semi-done) Piece Of Furniture

I picked this work of seventies/eighties art up at the Goodwill a few months back for a few pesos. It was exactly what I had been looking for to store games and photo albums in, but not exactly my current style.

The finish even has the black speckles that some wise designer thought would complete the piece. Really? Stain it then splatter it with black dots? Genius.

First I painted the whole thing with my favorite color (Milk Paint from Lowes). I didn't like it so I started putting Citristrip all over the top and sides. I still didn't like it and the worst part was that when I started sanding the top again then it took of the top layer of "wood" to reveal fibery, ugly particle board.

So I had to get creative.... I didn't actually take all the paint off the top cause I really wanted it to look old. I then took some stain with poly that had kinda gotten globy, a paint brush that was on the stiff side and I used that to recreate a wood grain on the top.

I almost broke my arm patting myself on the back when I was done. Except for one thing, I didn't really like how much I had ended up distressing the bottom of it.

But I went ahead and moved it into the house anyway and let it grow on me like a fungus.

It worked! The fungus spread all over me (loving the mental image) till I have now fallen in like with the piece of wonderful storage!

One more itsy-bitsy problem though... I decided not to fill the former holes from the hardware and just find some the same size (the jute ones on there are temporary). Dumb. The size of the top ones are 4 1/4 from hole to hole. That's a very large handle and very hard to come by. I'm still on the hunt and still not sure what I will do. Your suggestions are welcome.


Now you've heard the whole story.

I will be back to hosting We Can Do It Cheaper (it will be up later tonight) so be sure to stop back in and link up all the things you've done while I've been absent!
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Getting Your Pretty (Easy) Decorating On For Thanksgiving

I for one am not hosting thanksgiving at my home. I actually never have. I have never cooked a turkey either. That's what moms are for.
If I could just decorate for thanksgiving, with none of the cleaning the house or making the food, well that would be perfect. So I've come up with the perfect solution... I'll decorate your house! Just kidding of course, but I will share some pictures I've found to get you started on some ideas if you seem to be lacking.

Let's start with some simple, yet striking table centerpieces to set the tone.

I have no words. You figure out how to do this one. I think you can.

BHG
Grab a pumpkin and a pack of mums. Heat up your glue gun and go to town. Make sure you don't do it too far in advance or you'll have a sad, wilting glob.

BHG
Those of you (us) that have fallen in love with white with just a splash of color... I found your table. I can't tell you how much I love this one, so you tell me instead.

BHG
Uh, any of you have any vintage blue jars sitting around? Tie up some bunches of wheat and set them in the jars. Add some more jars with tea lights to give your table a vintage look.

BHG
Moving on to some great (but yet again SIMPLE) ways to guide your family and friends to their places. Yes people will still stand around in an awkward way for a bit, but this will help in the end.

I love this one. Grab some tags from your local craft store, a ball of twine and you're almost done! All you need to do now is figure out if you're inviting his family or your family. Ahhh, just invite them both!

BHG
Pear + card = pretty

MARTHA STEWART
Now a pumpkin and a flag wouldn't be too hard.

BHG
But if it is, just forget the flag and write it straight on the pumpkin.

BHG

Need an easy way to tie up those cloth napkins. This one caught my eye since it's so easy your husband and kids could handle it no problem. Add in the fact that it's low cost and cute and you have the perfect napkin holder! (if you wouldn't mind just handing me a paper one though?)

MARTHA STEWART
I know that some of you are looking for a table cloth to finish it all off. You want one that is low cost, easy to clean, or even throw away if your nephew Albert decides to grind his cranberry sauce into it. You are also searching for something eye catching but not tacky. Ahhh, stop by your local Home Depot, Lowe's or Wal-Mart. Pick up a big ol' drop cloth that will adequately cover your table. Wash if you have the time, iron if you have the time and then get some leaves from your backyard. Brush some paint on (may need to blot some off before you actually stamp) and go to town with your own design. You can also try it out on some premaid cloth napkins.

MARTHA STEWART
I am really not into most fall wreaths and I'll tell you why. Most of them look like someone scooped up the contents of their yard and glued it to the door. Or they look, fake, fake, fake.
I happened to like this one though and thought that even the "wreath maker challenged" could stuff some flowers into a cone and make it look presentable. Try it out and let me know!

BHG
Let your kids give you a hand with making a sign to greet your guests. My kids are still a little young to do this, since I want my guests to know we speak english and not in scribble.

BHG

So that's all I got folks! Remember though, it's not in the decorating that you do, it's not even in the family that you invite, but it's in Serving The Lord each and every day of your life and always giving thanks!

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It's Quickly Coming To An End...

Enjoy every minute of it...

Photo unknown

Yes, I'm still alive.
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Cleaning With A Toothbrush

I'm going to be taking a small sabbatical from blogging as I read through this book for advice...


Do you think I picked the right resource? When I typed in "how to clean your house for beginners" then this is what came up. I'll let you know if it works!

Stay cool, warm or whatever you need to for wherever you are! Try not to get depressed about "falling back" an hour and come back in two weeks. (yeah, my house is really messy)

Thanks for following and I do promise that I'll be back. Just got to take care of some stuff.
Cheerio!
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We Can Do It Cheaper - Bringing Back An Old One

The Virginia House


I decided to bring up one of the first We Can Do It Cheaper projects from the archives.
Remember these jars?
Read on.....
Have I told you how much I love Pottery Barn?
Well I do.
They have so many great things. Here is one of them...

Pottery Barn

Aren't they cute?
You could fill them with so many things, in so many rooms.

I can't find them on Pottery Barn's website anymore, but I found some on Ebay for $69.99.

Though etiquette tells us never to let one know the price spent on a gift... well, that ain't the we way we roll on with We Can Do It Cheaper. I spent $6 on jars (half off at Hobby Lobby) and $1.99 on enamel paint.

Because I didn't want to spend more money on stencils, I did the numbers freehand, then scratched through them with my fingernail.

Thanks for stepping back in the time machine with me. Show me your projects, old or new!

1. Only link your post URL, not your blogs address!
2. Be sure to take that button at the top with you so that everyone can know where you're linking up!
3. Please only link crafts, DIY projects like furniture, decor and such. I don't want to delete your link!

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Contentment

I've been thinking a lot lately about my house. Looking around and seeing all the things I want to do, all the things I need to do. Wishing I had another window in my living room to let more light in. Wishing that I had hard wood floors instead of dirty, stained carpet. Really wishing that we didn't have a leak in our family room that surprises us with every few hard rains. So many things...
Last night I was laying in bed praying. Thanking the Lord for sending his son to die on the cross for me. Sending his only son. I started to think about sending one of our precious sons to die an awful death for all the dirty sinners of the world like me. It makes it so real. My sons.
I have so much to be thankful for. The leaks, the carpet, the paint... it doesn't matter.

I can hear my sons playing together in the next room (sitting on the dirty carpet).
I am content.

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