I finally checked my Post Office Box, and was delighted to find the much talked about first publication of Flea Market Style !   A big thank you to Editor-at-Large, Linda from Restyled Home and all the inspirational contributors from Flea Market Style !

I couldn’t put this down for 45 minutes !  I knew this publication was right up my alley when I read the FMS Mantra:

“Forget what it was, imagine what it can be.”  

Yes, I love that !

Inside are 146 pages of images of everything I adore, from furniture painted in fresh colors . . .

. . .  to plenty of tips on how to make new uses out of old things. 

Even features on favorite bloggers !

My favorite thing about this publication, besides all of the inspirational ideas and glorious photography, is the philosophy that homes and lives can be made beautiful by repurposing old things, and making treasures out of thrift store, auction, antique store, and flea market finds.  I completely subscribe to that. 

Now I have two extra copies of Flea Market Style that I am proud to giveaway to two lucky winners – a $9.95 value ! 

Eligibility to win one of two copies of Flea Market Style:

1)  Simply leave a comment telling us about one of your favorite thrifty finds.  Is it from a fabulous flea market ?  A local thrift store ?  A cool consignment shop ?  Or just a great bargain you uncovered at a local store.   That’s all – just spill the beans about one of your frugal finds in a comment to be eligible. 

One entry per person please.  Giveaway ends Saturday March 6th at 8 p.m. PST.   Winners will be chosen by Random.org.  

***********   THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED  **************

So I bought this little dresser many months ago from Craigslist for twenty buckaroos.   It was the perfect fit for my mud room niche by the back door.  I needed its drawers to store all sorts of family things like those gym membership cards I rarely use, or the computer cords that belong to some contraption lost somewhere in my house. 

I also needed it to store winter scarves, hats, mittens and other seasonal items.  This dresser’s proportions were perfect and its price was right !  So I brought it home and tolerated its chippy white paint job for many moons until it dawned on me. 

This dresser was the perfect candidate for a little experiment I call ‘The Patina Project’.   I wanted to transform this little dresser into something with a little more personality and a Provencal feel.  I also wanted to find out just how two strippers would match up in the ring.  Old school chemicals vs. nouveau citrus paint peelers. 

The victim:   

There were several layers of paint all over this baby, and I had no idea what kind of paint it was.  Since my ultimate plan was to give it a rustic antique French country look, I boldly decided to strip all those layers off.   To me, painting over it would have felt like putting on dirty socks after a shower.  Or clean socks on muddy feet.  Or something sort of like that. 

Enter the two contenders.  In the left corner, weighing in at 32 fluid ounces was the old school KleanStrip, famous for its speed and paint crushing abilities.  Dangerous.  Flammable.  Unpopular with the greener public for its toxic reputation and the methylene chloride pumping through its veins. 

In the right corner, weighing in at 32 fluid ounces, was the young newcomer Citristrip.  A kinder smelling non-caustic version missing the methylene chloride, daring to challenge the old school establishment.  

Read the rest of this entry »

G’day everyone, it’s March, can you believe it ?  Thanks so much to everyone who participated in this past weekend’s giveaway.  And a big thank you to my sponsor Noteworthy  !!

The following two people each won a $50 dollar gift certificate to Noteworthy, based on their random selection.  

#2  Marium

#261 Amy

Congratulations to both of these winners !   

Another post coming later today, so please stay tuned . . .