Garage Sale Pieces

Two weekends ago our church and their Preschool had a Garage Sale and Children's Expo. There were no early entries into the sale and I popped in once the line up had made it inside at 8am. I spotted a wrought iron and wood wall table straight away, paid and took to my car for only $15.

The wall table now with some gorgeous waratahs on display

 I also found these delicate floral water colours for only $2 each.

So when I got home these two purchases went nicely together in our front entryway. Along with a nice seat I'd picked up from an op-shop last year.

Then I returned and found a gorgeous cupboard that no one had snapped up. It was already painted both inside and out. Apart from 2 dodgy hinges there is nothing wrong with it. They were nice enough to put my name and a SOLD sign on it for only $40! It was too heavy to carry and so my husband picked it up later in the day.

It was good enough to use by itself as a side table but I had other plans for it. Thankfully it was long enough to hold my box shelving. So everything just moved up about 80cm.

At the foot of the bed I added an extra basket to balance out the look and my need for storage for large postage envelopes, bags hanging on the bed posts and other sewing materials.

I was also accumulating a heap of oversized Preschool paintings and craft from my daughter and they were a pile threatening to avalanche at any moment. So I bought a slightly smaller cane basket to hide them all in until I can find time to sort, keep, photograph or throw them.

I also sorted out the shelving issues we were having in the ensuite and upgraded to a glass unit from Aldi.

Before

After

And the suction shelves have been put to good use elsewhere. We rent, so we cannot have permanent wall fixtures.

Here one was used in the main bathroom above the bath

And the other in the ensuite shower

These three adorn the laundry wall

Here are my cleaning products. 1/3 cap detergent, 1/2 cup bi-carb soda and white vinegar for the rinse cycle. Also my very helpful chart that tells me how treat stains on fabric and carpets, available from Shannon Lush's Spotless and Stainless range.

Mug Rug Swap

I have a great online quilting group through Facebook called 'Quilt Club Australia'. It grew out of  the 'Quilting for Queensland' group, established after the January floods, when some of us wanted to post other quilting projects. 


I don't have quilting friends where I live, so it gives me access to a group of ladies where we  share our tips, questions, fabric sales, blogs worth reading and also opinions about our projects. Just this month, my gorgeous friend Marieka of 'Bespoke Bites', set up a Mug Rug swap. It's run a bit like a secret Santa, in that you make a mug rug for someone but don't know who is making you.


On Father's Day weekend earlier this month, my husband took our 2 sons camping and so I took my daughter to visit Marieka. While her 2 sons played with Fran, we set about making our first mug rugs. These we gave to eachother...

Mareika sewing on her vintage machine

I used up some charm and 2" squares I had purchased from one of the members of our group.

Then we had a cup of tea and one of Marieka's cakes together.

We made them double sided too.






Then we started on a second one each for the group swap.

Declutter #3

Inspired by some ideas on Pinterest 


Ensuite Vanity

Before and After

Bathroom Vanity

Too much stuff on the sink

Now simplified

Toothbrushes in easy reach

 Laundry Cupboard


We have regular swimming lessons and soccer games, so I wanted some shelves set aside for these items.

This side of the cupboard was a complete mess but some linen boxes, with peekaboo windows, made all the difference.


Linen Cupboard

It wasn't all bad because I de-cluttered a heaps of unused/old/unwanted linen and towel last year. I made a vow to only keep three sets of towels, for each person, in the cupboard.

But the linen boxes helped with the mess of mattress and pillow protectors that haunted the top shelf.

 Cupboard Above the Fridge

 A had already sorted these items into containers but I finally got around to labeling them.

I saw this idea on Pinterest and had an unused box in the sewing room.

Batteries Sorted into sewing/tackle box