I've got a few minutes...

That is pretty much the mentality of my daughter.  It makes me laugh and living here up in the Northwest it is a strong mindset.

So with that in mind I knew her room had to be part recycle, thrift, and colorful.  Also artsy, can not forget artsy.

 

On one of our expeditions to thrift stores in town we cam across some very dated, vintage, bamboo chairs.  I took pictures, I know I did, but can not find them for the life of me.

I even spent hours searching on google and bing for a similar chair but Nooooooooo.  It is so rare that it only exists in this little town. in an old thrift store. 

Ok, so picture this in brown instead of turquoise.  Kinda shabby where the varnish wore off.

 We then tried them out and loved that they not only rocked but spun as well.

How fun is that?

But it was part of a three piece set, two chairs and a coffee table that was at least 4 feet wide.  The chairs were not that wide or large.

There just no way all of it would fit in her room.  Plus they wanted 36 dollars for the whole set.

I know that isn't a lot but it was for me, at the moment with payday another week off.

So I asked if they would be willing to split up the set and let me buy the chair.

They said "yeah" and offered ten dollars for one chair.

I said YES and grabbed the chair before they changed their mind.  I did feel a little bad because I knew there would be no way they could sell the remaining as a set.  But I was on a mission to finish this room.  A week later I strolled back in with a few minutes to kill and low and behold the other chair was still there.  Not to my surprise and I inquired to how much they wanted for just the chair.  The person was saddened to say that someone else had broke up the set and sold the chair for way less and so she had no choice but to sell the remaining chair for 9.99.  I told her I would buy her chair!

 

  I felt like Snidely Whiplash and if I had a mustache I would of been twirling it.

At the register the cashier admitted they were relieved it was being purchased because they thought it was the ugliest chair they had ever seen.  I smiled because I knew it wasn't.  It was only in disguise. 

Because I think it's pretty beautiful now. 

Even though the fabric I bought to recover the cushions is not going to be used (my daughter preferred the original) maybe I will turn them into curtains. 

She is delighted with these chairs and they are good sturdy chairs that have survived decades.  I think they can handle living in her room.

The other day I was driving by THE thrift store and in the window all by it's self. was the matching coffee table.  My daughter was with me and we joked that we should go in and inquire about the price of table and then state that if it was a set we might of bought it.  We laughed all the way home because that would of been a funny skit come to life.

We did stop to find out the price but refrained from voicing the troll comment.

I also realized that if I did not live in this little town I would of never found these awesome chairs for such a cheap price.

Looks Geek-Chic to me

This is what it was.  A long forgotten memory of Paris.

When I had originally decorated this room it had many things going for it.

New activities and growing older made it......well.....cluttered.

The bed broke and the mattress was on the floor. 

I did not take pictures of the floor because you could no longer see it. 

Just imagine all the stuff in her dresser on the floor. 

Her bookshelf was exploding and fell apart at least every other week. 

 

I tried for a couple of months to convince her to let me re-do her room.

She was not having it.   She does not like change and was in fear I would throw away some of her beloved possessions.

One day I was talking about her having a loft bed and filing cabinets for all of her papers.

She was intrigued and accidentally gave me permission to do her room.

(Stuff and Ideas I was using for inspiration)

 

Within an hour I had a storyboard done up with ideas and colors she liked.

She got scared and cold feet and wanted to back out but being a mom I pushed her.

This is the  first wall I tackled, a purple brick faux wall.  She loved it!!

I did too and it was so much better than the broken down Paris. 

I continued the grey and purple by recovering the necklace holder with duck tape.

The curtain was on sale at Walmart and I loved the pattern but after staring at in on the brick wall I changed it.

Since she was still living in this room I could only work on one wall at a time.  The bricks were covered in purple glitter as well and I did the grout lines in a paint that simulated concrete so it feels like grout.  I was excited about that. 

 

Ok, so here is the room now.  I still have to build her bed and find a rug for the chairs.  The chairs have a great story I will blog about at a later date. :)  I hope you come back.

So without further ado ....so Hipster it's really Beatnik GeekChic Teen

TAAAADAAAAAAA!!

It is not completely done yet.

But it is definitely at BETTER.

 

Just a few updates

I did it I did it I finally did it!! 

I have finished my pillows,...whew, thought I was gonna procrastinate for another year.

I figured it was time to put on my "big girl panties" and "just do it" and any other get off your butt quote can be added

Nothing amazing, or major talent, just plain ol straight stitch and stuff it.

 

I did do reversible to save me from making more pillows. 

Tadaaaaaa  :) 

 

Then after a healthy chat about my blunders I revamped the one wall a bit. 

Still kinda working on it but I do know the furniture placement is solid.

I think I just need to adjust the art placement.   

Also thinking of putting mats around the letters to beef it up a bit.

I also took the white thing off the stove, it looks better.

And I took the throw off the chair and folded it on the chest.

It's just gonna take some tweaking before I get it right.  I know something isn't right but can't see it.

 Ok enough of that.  I am excited that my daughter is allowing me to re-do her room.

We were going through her clothes before school and I suggested I could help her by re-designing her room for better storage and use.  She said yes (I've tried for years) and then I asked her what style she likes or wanted.  After many questions she's decided on "Geek Chic" with a touch of hipster.  This project I know will get done as I'm the one who's going to be doing it. 

I immediately jumped on the laptop and started gathering my ideas for the design and inspiration

Amber's Room

I already started gathering, found a dresser to revamp and some action figures to turn into knobs.

I am very excited and I did kinda scare her with how fast it came about but I am just a bunch of ideas waiting to explode.

Don't throw ideas from glass heads

Back in my teenage years I first saw a glass head.

I loved it and really wanted one buuuuuut it just never happened.

Thanks to wandering around a discount store I finally scored one for about 7 dollars!!

Isn't it terrific?!?!!

I am so excited about all the possibilities it could hold.

Flowers for spring, a hovering light bulb, Christmas lights, the ideas just flood.

The only dilemma is how to keep it in there?

So I found a candle and the top cover thingy fit pretty good. 

I then added a little duck tape to thicken it up a little and then wrapped rubber bands around that for a good seal. 

So can you guess what I stuffed it with? 

No?

Ok I'll get closer 

Figured it out yet? 

yeah, old school media aka cassette tapes. 

I also threw some silver glitter in there and a couple of guitar picks.

I love it :) I even found a pair of really old school (70's) head phones to put over her glass ears.

It's just plain fun.

Oh and to answer any questions about the Kiki Throne he has not slept in it.  He has slept next to it a few times.  Rooo  being who she has decided it was worthy of her nap time and has now claimed the throned. 

The king has lost his throne, truly.

Apath, apotho, apithaca....cool coffee table find and redo

First off, my leg is on the mend!!  whoop whoop

So being able to, I went hunting for a better proportioned coffee table.

I searched in all the places, I thought I would find one, but I didn't find one to even try to like.

A whole lot of end tables, though.

I was leaving the last store and heading home, tired, disappointed, cofffe tableless.

coffeeless, hmmm

I really needed some coffee and I didn't know of any, in that part of town.

So I took a side trip and stopped at another store I had given up on months ago.

I figured what the hey, I had a nickel for parking and it gave me exactly 5 mins to look.

Then, giving up I spied this little gem for 15 dollars!!!

I think I literarly jumped for joy, and squealed a little.

I ran to the cash register and told them I would love to purchase the coffee table and I only had 2 mins left to do it.  They told me to pull into the building and they would load me up.

That was when I did the happy dance, to their amusement.

It's not often I can out hyper a 16 year old, but I did at that moment.

So here it is

What do you think?

It's solid wood and a little flaky but I see visions for it. 

Kinda like this. 

Thinking it looks a lot better than the previous one, that was longer than my couch. 

I switched out the knobs,and did a paint treatment to fake the metal look on the drawers.

Although I am not completely done (end of feet still not painted) 

I am pleased with it and now need to seal the top and maybe pin-stripe around the drawers.

Maybe put a stencil on top before I seal it.....hmmmmm

oh the paint color is a darker gray than seen, can't ever get these photos real to color.

Another Goodwill Treasure Hunting Find

Ok, so ever since Sunni over at Life in Rehab shared her amazing ideas and tools with me.

By tools I mean "Goop" and I do not mean the stuff you clean your hands with.

I say that because when I went looking for it, that is what my friendly Walmart worker lead me to.

I finally found it at Homedepot.  Since then I have been searching for things to glue to things.

This hurricane style vase with the giant G was only 1.29......It did not matter it had a giant G on it or it had a slight chip on the edge.  I knew I was going to glue things on it.  Muwaaauhahahahahaha  I had gone glue crazy O.o 

Finding this discarded broken necklace was the beginning.  I removed fake jewels and glued them to the rim. 

Then  went back to Walmart and bought some vase filler that went with fake jewels.

Then I let the glue fly!!!!

Can I get a

Taaaaaaaa-Daaaaaaaaa! 

And a thank you Sunni (go to her blog and see things first and then check back and see if I stole any of her ideas :D lol) 

Can't even see the giant G any more.

Mark it off as a win! 

I'm still thinking about putting some glitter on there, or maybe fill it with black sand with an awesome white candle.  Or maybe fill it with brighly colored candy, or chocolate......(drool chocolate)  Ok, maybe not something I will want to eat.

I don't always steal other peoples ideas.  Sometimes I am inspired to make something original.

It's usually not fabulous or something I can teach.  Half the time I'm not sure how I did it.

With the weather warming up, we've been leaving the door open to let in a breeze.

Hence unwanted visitors......take a guess what that is. 

Maybe if we look like them they will obey us and leave..... 

(please know I an not talking about teenagers but insects)

Or maybe not.

Summer is finally here!!

It's been raining up here, until this week that is.  It has been HOT!! like in the 80's.  Ok for all of you who do not live in the Pacific Northwest and are now throwing things at your screen.  For us that is hot.  So I've been trying to stay in the shade and have been piddling around the yard.

Remember the wall my son built upon my instructions that looked very much like a pallet?

No? ....well look below

Kinda lacked something.

Wasn't sure what but foraging I found some paint and wood and altered a few things.

Taaaaa-Daaaaaa 

Whatcha think?

Is it too much?

I'm not good at subtle.... 

The cost was free, just stuff around the house.

There is a hippo underneath, think it needs some color too. 

Over by the pond needs some work.  A couple of painted flamingos are there to distract you. 

Dug out my bistro set, looks like it needs paint too.

So it looks like painting is on my agenda but not before I build a roof for my patio.

Where's my cape........