My Table Was Framed!

I found this big frame about seven years ago at a garage sale for $10. I liked the raised design on the frame. I didn't know what to do with the frame, so I leaned it up against a large mirror that was sitting on the floor propped up against the wall. It looked kind of artsy, I thought, but after I decided to change things around, It went to the basement for a few years, then I brought it back out and just looked at it and still did not know what I really wanted to do with the frame. This frame went back and forth to the basement so many times, I almost got rid of it, but could not bring myself to discard a perfectly good frame that I paid $10 for to the goodwill. (Remember I am 1 frugal queen OK). Then I decided to give it an eclectic guilded look by antiquing it with a black antique stain. After staining it I took off some of the excess stain so that some of the raised features would come through. While I was staining the frame I had an epiphany. What if I made this into a table! So, I had my husband to cut a piece of plywood to fit it, then I painted the plywood with the antique stain that I used on the frame and took the legs from another table that I no longer use. So, there! My table is framed! I hope you like the results! Until next time, be frugal and live like a queen!

My Little Black Tray

I decided that I wanted to make a tray to hold my jewelry when I take it off. I went to the craft store and found this unfinished wooden tray for 2.99

I painted it black with an antique stain kit that I got from the local hardware store. I got the kit for about $10. The paper in the tray is a piece of scrap booking paper. The picture of the Eiffel Tower was printed from clip art from my computer. Then I got out the good ole hodge podge. I spread hodge podge on the bottom of the tray, put the paper in and the picture of the Eiffel Tower on top. I hodge podge the top of the pictures together. I did the whole tray. I did do the tray in sections. I would let one side dry before I did the other side. My tray is french inspired, but you can make your own tray out of what inspires you or whatever matches your decor. This is a very easy project to do. Be frugal and live like a queen!

Hanging A Throw

I decided that I wanted to put something up at the window in my master bath. I found this very pale lime green throw with fringes on the edge up in the closet. I am not sure where I got it or how much I paid for it. I think it may have come from the goodwill. I have had it at least four years now and just never knew what to do with it. It took me longer to put up the valance rod than putting on the throw. Putting the window together took me less than 30 minutes. The white ties are actually an old light beige curtain that I had. I cut the curtain in half and folded the ruff edges in. Wha Laa! Look around, be creative. Be frugal and live like a queen!

The French Connection

Bonjour!

To all the french loving Americans! You know how I love to get a bargain on whatever I buy. I love french anything. I realized that over the years I had been collecting a lot of french or european home decor items. Everything from furniture, pictures, accessories and etc, you name it. This is just a few of the many, many things that I have come to acquire over the years. The iron cast Eiffel Tower came from an antique shop. I purchase this for $12 because I had to have it. The french phone was a cheap thriller, because it is not the actual real french telephone, but that was ok with me considering I wanted it for more of a prop in my french looking boudoir. I only paid $20 for it. I found the poster art at a local craft store in the reduced price bin for $12 bucks. I grabbed it! I love french art! I guess you can say I really, really love french art when I bought the Eiffel Tower picture. Hold on to your seats! Yes, I spent $200 for that one, eeeeeeek! That was definitely a splurge for me. It almost killed me, but I made it through, only because it looks soooo good on the wall in my boudoir!(Right now I'm smiling like a cheshire cat!)
So, I guess you're wondering if I've ever been to France. No, not yet. All this frugal living is allowing me to save up, hoping that I will have enough to take the trip in 2010. (This is a hint to the husband also.) Believe me, I am looking early for the best deals. I will let you know what I come up with. I am open for ideas about my trip from anyone who has been to Paris, France. Be frugal and live like a queen! Au revoir!

The Frugal Waterlooian

OK, I guess the title might be a bit confusing, right? Let me start by saying that my husband is from a town in Illinois called Waterloo. I always teased him by referring to him as a waterlooian. He tells me that it is the sister city to Waterloo Germany. In Germany it is pronounced, Vaterloo. When we are having fun with each other, I call him the crazy Vaterlooian in my best German tongue. When I met my husband, he wasn't much of a dresser. He felt comfortable in jeans and tee-shirts wherever we went. Well, that got old with me real fast. I told him that he could get really nice clothes for less even though he was intent on spending money on me, trying to woo me. I guess I was impressed by that of course. He did know how to woo me I must say. Anywho, I remember the first time I took him to a thrift store. He was soooo surprised at the things we found. He told me he had never shopped in resale stores before. I told him that when we were kids, my mom shopped at resale stores before it was the in thing to do. My mom would buy things and mend them like brand new. No one never knew that we wore second hand clothes and I don't think that anyone cared back then. It was nine kids in our family and we all seemed to be very well adjusted as kids. We didn't live in a world were you were valued by the price or designer name on your clothes. Yes, life was like Leave It To Beaver back then. Now don't get me wrong, I do love expensive designer clothes, I just can't afford it. No, let me correct that by saying that I refuse to pay the full price on some things.....OK most things! If I can find a bargain, I'm on board! Back to the husband OK. He loves his designer clothes at the bargain price. Look at these Ralph Lauren shirts that we found on eBay for $30 for all three shirts. They are in mint condition. This was a great deal. My husband was really excited. I found the jacket at a local resale shop for $15. Keep shopping and look for bargains wherever you go. Be frugal and live like a queen!

The Blue and White Lamp

It was one of those days when it was raining and dreary looking outside and I had not much to do, so I decided I would get in the car and visit some of my favorite resale and thrift stores. Well, today was one of my lucky find days. High up on a shelf, (one that I could not reach because I am short, that's another whole story) this blue and white lamp caught my eye. I knew immediately I wanted it! I was even more excited when I saw the price. It was only $6. I got on a little stool that was nearby, climbed up and grabbed it! After I bought the lamp I couldn't find a shade that I liked to go with it. I knew I didn't want to spend any more money because of my budget, so the lamp sat in the basement for 3 weeks. Then one day I was changing things around in the house and notice that I was unconsciously collecting blue and white things. That's when I started thinking about the blue and white lamp again. I went down to the basement, retreived the lamp and brought it up and sat it on the dining room table. I just looked at it, not knowing what type of shade to put on it. Then it hit me! I had a lamp that I wasn't using, with a beige like shade on it. I wondered how it would look on the lamp. I tried the shade on. Holla! A match made in heaven. I was excited. Now my beautiful $6 lamp sits beautifully with the rest of the blue and white collection. Be frugal and live like a queen!

The Frugal Bouquet

Over the summer months, I am lucky enough to have my own flower garden. I love everything about flowers. The vibrant colors, shapes,sizes and the wonderful aromas. Even though I love flowers, I don't care for my husband buying me expensive bouquets. That's one of the reasons I decided to grow my own. In the beginning (when we first started dating) he would spend $85 and up for a bouquet. The flowers didn't last long enough for me to justify the price. I did love the thought of him buying flowers, but the price would always make me cringe. Well over the years, his getting to know me quite well impresses me. This bouquet that he bought me today cost only $3.99, and I absolutely love it. He says being married to a frugal queen makes him rethink how he spends money. Hearing him say that puts a smile on my face everytime. We both agreed that the money could be used wisely on something else that we really need. Be frugal and live like a queen!