Plum Perfect Friday - Deck the Halls!

I have been counting down the days, and looking so forward to this week, for my oldest daughter, Kaitlin, to come for Christmas this year! I left a lot of the decorating undone in anticipation of her assistance. Sometimes ya just need a fresh young mind to play off of...plus it is so much more enjoyable than doing it all yourself! AND, she is pretty darn creative, in her own right!

Decorating my mostly white Christmas tree...I love this picture...they are both stunning!

What a lovely job!

We tried the nativity in a new location this year.

It was her idea to hang the silver bulbs randomly under the long shelf...I love the end result!

Attaching the glittery twigs to the picket fence was another one of Kaitlin's fabulous ideas...

Very cool!

The girl is also a skilled photographer, check out these vignette photos...

She's got a good eye,

and a good heart!

We are fond of gleaming ornaments in ,many unexpected places...

The plate rack decked out with some festive Christmas plates and bows.

I'm really liking the hurricane grouping and...

...I'm real happy with the new place for the garland! Kaitlin came up with a fantastic way to fasten it, is there anything she can't do?

The best part about it all is the time spent together, and enjoying the beauty of the season...But, I'm glad it's finally done!

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!










Share some of the ways you have "Decked" your "Halls"!

Rusty Rave Monday - Candleholder Revamp

Time to be amazed once again...I got my hands on this FABULOUS candleholder for $1 at a garage sale last Friday. It's astounding, I know! I love the base, but right away, I knew that I was going to dispense with the black "holder" on top!

Before I bought it, I checked to see if would unscrew easily. (However, I think I would have purchased it nonetheless...how can you go wrong with $1? I would have figured out a way to remove it, anyway!)

After I got it off, I thought it looked out of proportion, so I got the idea to add a small metal plate to the top. I had a gold, 5" diameter one on hand and just painted it, scuffed it up a bit, drilled a hole in the center...

then screwed it where the former mounting had been.

Done! I think it's much more attractive this way, and it was such an easy fix.

(I think I'm OBSESSED with searching for inexpensive objects to restyle...I really am!)

It's a great new addition to my anytime decor, but I especially like it with the Christmas trimmings...


...and it will unquestionably amuse me to discover what I can do with it after the holidays!

Now, please take the opportunity to post your raves!

Plum Perfect Friday - Collecting Chairs!

I LOVE cute chairs, so I collect them! In my opinion, you can never have too many chairs...(the more the merrier, I say), have them on hand for family and friends...you never know who's going to want to sit down!

I, of course, found many of the following at Garage Sales, Thrift Stores and Goodwill, others have been given to me, but each one has a story behind it--the item's history is one of the things that makes secondhand objects so endearing to me.

This is one of four that belongs to a table and chairs set that I picked up at a garage sale a year ago at this time of the year. (A Christmas present to me!)

I got 3 of these bar stools, plus the table and chairs all for $100! They were in fantastic condition and came from a lovely little family. I always imagine their children sitting at the table and on these chairs.

These were a nice little Goodwill find--I have always liked this type of chair back and figured that I might always find a use for a couple of barstools...I got two of them for under $10!

Another one of my favorite chair backs, haven't found a use for it yet, but believe me, I will, eventually! My older children may be in need of some home furnishings sooner or later, OR here we come Rusty Plum store!

This one will definitely have to stay in the family...I acquired it when I had my firstborn child and used it for all the others thereafter. That makes it 22 years old already, wow! It was getting a little scuffed up after years of use, so I distressed it up a bit more a few years ago...
I LOVE THIS CHAIR!

My brother-in-law gave me 2 of these antique chairs which he had repaired. They are fairly delicate so they are not used for sitting, "just for show", because I think they are so cool. I think that pillow may be very close to being an antique too...my sister, Michele [Something Special] made it many years ago and I have held onto it because it is one of my most favorite keepsakes.

My $4 chair...another Goodwill find that I repaired and repainted, I have always liked ladder back chairs, as well.

These are just too cute...I've got to have some whimsy in my life!

This is part of my most favorite duo, and I came by the table and chair set for free! It was used for display purposes at a former job, so when it came time to obtain new store fixtures, I was the lucky recipient before it got thrown out. Yay, for me!

Now, lastly, there is a story here, but it doesn't have a very happy ending for me... :(
During the past week, I found this new website, similar to eBay, (but with FREE listings) called upillar.com and spotted this chair, which I just adore. Not only is it beautiful, and perfect for my decor, it also belonged to Glenn Beck, (which is pretty cool, if you like Glenn Beck).

Anyway, it was being auctioned, along with a lot of Mr. Beck's former possessions, and, I ultimately lost it in a bidding war. Oh well, I tried...for someone who prides herself on being thrifty, and usually will not overpay for ANYTHING, I surprised myself. But, this was for a good cause, since all the proceeds from the sales go to charity, AND, admittedly, I was interested in owning an item that once belonged to a celebrity! Hence: my fascination with history, and another tale to tell...

I'll just have to keep looking. Who knows maybe I'll find something I like even better! A lot of it is about the thrill of the chase anyway, is it not?

Happy chasing!!!

Now it's your turn...show off some of your fabulous collections and the stories behind them.

Rusty Rave Monday-Less Than $20!

I found some unbelievably great treasures AGAIN this past weekend! Take a gander at the fabulous items that I scored this time...

This is absolutely one of my most new favorite things...A tiny little frame with a vintage picture already in it. Is this not adorable? It is perfect for my current (ongoing) frenchy bathroom makeover...and the best part is that I picked it up for a quarter!

I love the simpleness of this small little silverplate tray, cute, cute, cute!

And, how perfect is this small ceramic tray to go along with my theme in the bathroom. I'm not sure what I will do with it yet but I will find a use.

Who could resist these for $5 each, you can always use a little table somewhere, and they will be so easy to refinish!

You may not be able to tell, but this is a small child's table and chairs and it was only $5! It is in need of some repair and I will recover the seats, but what a great little find. My youngest daughter wanted it for her room so she can have tea party's...and when she outgrows it, this will be ideal for "grandma's" house! (Can you tell that I look forward to being a grandma? It's because I have teenagers!)

I will have to spruce up this Christmas Wreath a bit, but not shabby, considering that is was only $2. I think I will put a big white bow on it!

Whew! I'm getting to the point where I have so-ooo many projects to redo and fix-up, my garage is getting overrun! I may have to take a break from "treasure hunting" for a few weeks! Thankfully, my oldest daughter is coming home for the holidays and she has promised to help me complete some of these "commitments" that I have taken on. (In the end, I think I will end up posting some of the items on Craigslist!)

Happy holiday refurbishing!










Okay, now it's your turn...show off some of the projects that you've got going on!