~Pamela Susan~

Frivolity and Frugality Can Coexist!

I'll admit it.  I committed some frivolous spending last night.  While at Target I came across some jewelry that I loved, so I acquiesced and bought them.  I write "acquiesce"  because never in my life have I purchased fake jewelry--fake as in the metal wasn't real silver or gold. I know, I guess I'm a jewelry snob, but perhaps I'm relaxing a little because I love my new pretties!  Here they are:

Two pairs of earrings and a funky spunky ring.  (Ellen Currans is the potter who created the teeny pitcher.  My sister and I visited her studio about a month ago.  What an inspiration!!  She was one of my mother's favorite potters and it was a treat meeting her!)

I also couldn't resist this ADORABLE owl shirt for my adorable baby...

She seems to be pretty excited about it, don'tcha think?

I also want to show you a couple thrift store finds from over the weekend.  If you aren't a thrifter yet I hope this will entice you!  First off, I scored this leather wallet for 99 CENTS!  Wahooo!  I was  (and still am!) quite excited about this purchase.  I've been needing a new wallet for quite some time.  While in Minnesota a couple months ago I almost bought a cute little wallet but it cost $40 and it wasn't even real leather, so I wanted to hold off until I could find something a little less expensive.  I'm glad I did.

I love the coin compartment.  Did I mention it was only 99 cents??  Love it.

I also found a couple sweaters, but I can only show you one right now.  I want to embellish the other one before I wear/show it.  However, this one is kinda similar to a cardigan I purchased at Anthropologie last year (yes, I payed WAY too much for that one).  I like this price tag better: two buckeroos.

I guess the reason why I love thrift store shopping so much is because:

1.  I love to save money.

2.  It's like a treasure hunt.  It's a lot more exciting finding that one good deal than just paying full price for something, because that's just plain boring.

3.  I love playing the "Guess How Much I Spent On This?" game.  If you know me well you just know to expect that question after I go thrifting.  :)

And speaking of the weekend it was SO enjoyable.  The weather was out-of-this-world-perfect.  I spent Saturday with the family and later that evening I attended a womens conference at my church.  It was incredibly uplifting and inspiring.  My favorite part of the night was this speech.  Seriously--regardless of your religious preference the message given in this is beautiful--all about loving one another and not being nit-picky and spending your time judging other people.  This is something I continually strive for... to focus on the positive, because we don't always know all the details of what another person is experiencing in their life.

Now that I'm feeling all gushy and stuff I just want to say
    thank you to all of you who come to my little corner of the blogosphere to read my ramblings.  I love reading your comments and I appreciate your continued support!

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

 

xo, 

Pamela, a thankful gal who likes to save and spend mula

Fourteen It Is!

Great guesses, everyone!  A couple of you were soooooo close, but $14 is the lucky number this time.  Congrats to Erin, who guessed correctly!  Can you believe Avey spent only $7 for each chair?  This is why I LOVE garage sales.  You just never ever know what you'll find.  :)

And can I just highlight Erin, the lucky guesser, for just one moment?  This gal is one cool chicky, and just happens to be my friend--don't worry I didn't tell her how much I payed for the chairs.  :)  I have a lot of friends who are quite talented but this friend is talented in more ways than one.  Not only is she extremely CRAFTY (I swear that if she ever moved away from LA and closer to me we would have a craft night every weekend!), but she is an AMAZING ACTRESS.  Yes she is.

Now, we don't watch TV in our house (yes, we have a TV, but only to watch movies on), but if we did I would be tuning into General Hospital to watch her latest gig--she plays Siobhan, a spunky Irish lass who is the latest love interest for Lucky Spencer.  So even if you aren't a soap watcher you should tune in just to watch her because she is worth it!

I found this picture of her from soapnet.org...

Cute outfit!  She also currently stars in the movie Heavens Rain in theatres in Oklahoma and Texas.  I hope it hits the theaters here because I want to see it!  Here she is at the movie's premiere on THE RED CARPET.  Go Erin!  

And doesn't this picture have gorgeous written all over it?  I think so.

Also, it's her birthday today, so Happy Birthday, Erin!  

Thanks again for all your guesses and I hope you have a fabulous weekend!!  

Ahhh, just typing the word "weekend" put a smile on my face.  :)

 

xo,

Pamela

A Home for Two Vintage Chairs

Okay, are you getting the hang of the furniture game yet?  Are you ready to give me another guess?  Alright, here we go.  Avey scored a pair of vintage chairs at a garage sale, and I was the lucky recipient of them.  As soon as I saw them I fell in love!  They were unique, fun, and just what I needed for my living room.  Unfortunately, the previous owner's dog had made the habit of sitting on them one too many times and dirtied them up, so I had them reupholstered.  No, I didn't want to tackle that project on my own so a nice local man did it.  (Thanks, Dan!)  

Here is a picture of one BEFORE its fabric treatment...

And AFTER...

I choose a timeless neutral color (though I loved the old one, too!).  If I want to switch up the look I'll just change the pillow(s).

I love the pillows on the red couch--I think they help tie in the rest of the colors in the room.

Okay, how much do you think Avey payed for the chairs??

Whoever guesses first will win either the "Birdsong" necklace (a $32 value) OR...

a set of Songbird magnets!  (a $24 value)  It's your choice!

The winner will be announced Friday, September 24th.  (I'm open to shipping international, too!)

 

Good luck!

xo,

Pamela, a gal who loves a good vintage find

Twenty Buckeroos

Thanks for all your guesses, everyone!  Let's give a big congrats to Marisa, who was the first one to guess correctly!  She guessed 20 bucks and that's exactly what I paid for this dresser.  Actually, it came with a really cool mirror, too, which I think will end up in my bedroom--I'll show pictures when it's painted.  I love a good deal!

So, do you want to know what the dresser looked like before it was painted?  Here it is, with some of the drawers already pulled out...

Not so pretty in my opinion.

Do you have a piece of furniture you want to paint?  I'm sure there are a gazallion ways to do it but this is how I did it.  It's real easy.  This is what you do:

1.  Grab a friend to help you if you really want to crank it out--Avey helped me and we had a grand ol' time!

2.  Remove the hardware

3. Lightly sand the piece of furniture

4.  Wipe it down to remove the sanded particles (we took a leaf blower and blew the dickens out of the dresser--it helped a lot!  I then used tack cloth to remove the finer particles.

5.  Prime, prime, prime.  We used Kilz Primer spray paint--this stuff is awesome!  It covers the wood so incredibly well.  At first I used Krylon primer and it is WEAK compared to Kilz--we had to spray over the same area at least five times to get somewhat decent coverage.  At this point I should also add that I chose to use spray paint because I've been told by various sources that it is much faster/easier than regular paint... I agree.  :)

Kilz leaves a slightly bumpy texture so after it dried, I LIGHTLY sanded it using very fine grit sandpaper until it was smooth--this does not take much effort, so be careful not to remove the primer to the point that the wood shows through.

6.  Spray paint away--be careful not to get too close to the wood!  I used Krylon satin ivory spray paint.  I ended up using about 4 cans for this project.

 

I then used Ralph Lauren Aging Glaze to give it a slightly distressed look--I wiped most of it off with an old washcloth.

I also painted the hardware since I'm not a fan of the brass color, so it went from this...

to this...

Thank goodness for Rust-Oleum Hammered Spray Paint!

In my opinion an old outdated dresser is the perfect project for this.  I love mine. :)

So, once again, here's the BEFORE picture:

And here's the AFTER:

Fun stuff.

Oh, and here is a BEFORE picture of the side table(s)...

And the AFTER:

I like this Guess-how-much-I-payed-for-this-piece-of-furniture-and-you-could-win-a-pair-of-earrings game.  Do you?  How about we do it again on Wednesday!!

 

xo,

Pamela, a gal who's grateful for paint

An Earring Giveaway for the Right Guess!

A few days ago Nie Nie wanted to know what her readers' family rooms usually look like by the time 3:00 pm rolls around.  This is what ours typically looks like...

Yes, the girls love to draw, draw, draw.  After taking the picture I realized I never showed you the projects I finished for that room--it's amazing what a little paint and fabric can do. I better hurry and post a few pics before I switch the pillows up for more of an autumn theme.

Here's a picture of when the room is actually tidied up...

 

Do you remember the sneak peek of the pillow I showed you?  Avey and I made it--I think it's perfect for the old church pew that my Mother purchased at an auction years ago...

 

 

I'm not quite done with the pillow--I think I want to add a few leaves to the flowers.  

Have you ever seen turquoise-colored burlap?  I love it.

  
 
The rosettes were made using the same technique that was used to make the fairy headbands.  So fun.

We also made a few pillows for the couch (the fun multi-colored one was purchased at Pier One--it helps tie in all the different colors in the room)...

I know I'm breaking the "groups of three" rule but I don't care. :)

 

And here's a little table I found for $10 that I repainted...

 
  
  I love the detail on the front...

Okay, the next picture shows my FAVORITE project: the entertainment center!

 

What do I love most about this dresser?  The storage!  Each drawer houses the girls' toys (Littlest Pet Shop, blocks, puzzles, etc.), which helps the room stay organized.

 

The middle of the dresser is filled with movies...

The DVD player is hidden in the upper left drawer--I love not being able to see it.

 

Okay, so I did refurbish the dresser, but how much do you think I payed for it?  Give me your best guess because I want to do a GIVEAWAY!

The first person to guess right will win a pair of the popular Clementine Earrings (a $22 value):

 

 

 

 

 The winner will be announced Monday, September 20th, so hurry up and hit me with your best guess!  At that time I'll show you the different steps I used to repaint the dresser so you can do it, too!

Have a happy weekend!

 

xo,

Pamela, a gal who loves to refurbish furniture!

Random Goodness

Hello everyone!  

Okay, so I have a lot of fun randomness to share with you but first I have to report on the Ray LaMontagne concert.  It was AMAZING!  I wish I had my camera to show you pictures (I did take a few with Aaron's iphone but they didn't turn out so great).  I love his music.  LOVE it.  It is definitely folk rock at its best.  Also, it was surprising how shy Ray was.  He kinda had a hard time looking at the audience and the only time he spoke to us was when he thanked everyone for their applause after his singing.  But you know what?  I was totally fine with that.  His shyness almost makes him more endearing.  He has definitely found his niche.  And luckily the weather was perfect because it was an outside concert at McMennamins in Troutdale, Oregon.  The setting was beautiful.  Absolutely beautiful.

The following day I had the extreme pleasure of taking a few pics of one of my best friend's family.  They are adorable.  Take a gander...

 

Told you they were cute.

Here's the lovely couple, Erica and Brad...

and their three adorable children...

(look at those eyes!)

These next two are twins...so cute!

Thank you, Erica, for letting me play "photographer" with your family!

 

We then visited my dad for the day.  Miss C enjoyed decorating him with flowers...

 

He didn't seem to mind.  :)
    
 

We then strolled through his garden to see if we could find a side-dish for dinner.  And look what we discovered... tomatoes!  This was the first harvest of this particular variety.  Beeeautiful.

 We also picked some delicious corn.  Yum, yum, yum.  Oh, how I love my dad's garden.

Here are a few shots I took of the girls...

Here's Miss A after she realized one of her flowers broke...

And here's Miss C sassin' it up...

 

 Okay--on to more randomness--yesterday I tried out a new cupcake recipe for a baby shower that Avey and I hosted for a friend last night.  If you are looking for a nice basic white cake recipe this is for you.  I also made this buttercream frosting.  I tried this new one out because it calls for butter only-no substitutes.  I don't like to consume hydrogenated oils if I don't have to--not good for the body at all. Let me know if you try out the recipes--I think you'll like them!  

 

(I purchased the pearlized pink balls at Michael's--you gotta love that store!  Here's a * printable 50% off coupon *that is good until 9/18--go use it!)

And have you ever made Martha Stewart's tissue "puff balls"?  Actually, I have no idea what she calls them but "puff balls" works for me.  Avey showed me how to make them a little while ago--I couldn't believe how simple they were to make!  And fast, too.  I made a few for the shower--I think they added a nice playful touch to the room.  Let me know if you want a tutorial on how to make them.

 

 

Ooh!  One more thing.  Look what I scored for the baby shower.  A stack of rectangular glass party plates!  Guess how much I got them for.  Nope, guess lower.  Lower.  Even lower.  You got it--I payed ten cents a plate.  TEN CENTS!  Yes, I love me a good bargain.

 

Have any of you found any great deals lately?  Do tell!  

Well, that's it for today... Happy Wednesday!!

 

xo,

Pamela

Score!

I came across a garage sale today on my way home from a doctor's appointment.  I had to stop.  And good thing I did--I scored a stack of books to add to the girls' book collection!

 

Here's my favorite...

It's from the 1950's--how neat is that?  Yes, I love me a good vintage book. It's about a little tiger who is so kind and sweet he doesn't like to eat other animals, but eventually he becomes so hungry he politely asks different little critters if he can eat them for breakfast.  They all say no, but invite him to a birthday party as long as he doesn't eat them.  He agrees and eventually fills up on ice cream, cake, and frosting.  He loved the frosting so much his new friends named him Frosting, hence the title of the book.  So cute.

 

My second favorite book is about the Tooth Fairy, which was printed in the 1960's.  I have to post pictures for all my former dental hygiene classmates--I think they'll get a kick out of it!  (Doug--this is also for you!  Please show this to Sophia and Elizabeth!)

(I hope it's not too hard to read)

 

 

  

What a find!  Yes, these latest acquisitions have made my day.

I hope you all have a great weekend!  My hubby and I are off to a Ray LaMontagne concert tomorrow evening.  We are definitely due for a date night... I can't wait!

xo,

Pamela

p.s. Thank you for your kind comments on yesterday's post...they made me happy.  :)
  
   

Pamela Susan News

(POST POST EDIT:  In efforts to slow time down and focus on my wee little ones while they're wee little, I'm taking a break from jewely for the time being.  The shop will open occasionally with items already made and ready to ship.  Thank you for all your support!!)

(POST EDIT:  The shop will open the first Monday and Tuesday of EVERY month!!  Yay!  Please visit my etsy store Pamela Susan at that time to order your jewelry!)

 

So I've made a difficult decision.  You know how I said I was going to take a small break from my etsy shop?  Well, that "small" break is going to turn into a bigger break.   By now you know I love designing and creating jewelry--I absolutely love it, but it takes time, and since my business has grown it now takes more time than before.  Being a mother of three young children I have tried to work only at night so it wouldn't take time away from them during the day.  That routine has worked for me until recently.  You see, I can get a little grouchy if I don't get enough ZZZ's.  And lately as I have seen them grow up so quickly I have realized that they are only young once, and I will never get this time back.  Never.  So I have decided to take a temporary break from the jewelry world so I can focus on being the best mom I can possibly be (it helps to achieve this with proper sleep!).  I recognize in the short term I will be giving up opportunities to expand my business (I have recently turned down the opportunity to sponsor some pretty fabulous websites, which was not an easy choice to make).  

With that said, I will periodically open up shop (most likely for a few days once a month).  I will announce here on my blog when the shop will open, so stay tuned! In addition to the custom hand-stamped necklaces do look forward to some fun one-of-a-kind pieces that I will make in my free time.  :)  

So while I take this break I am going to savor these kinds of moments with my daughters:

Good ol' fashion dress up fun...

the girls playing "computer"...

bath time bubbles...

 

and kissing these little cheeks...

 
    

 Yes, there is a time and season for everything in life, and this is my time to focus on my kiddos.

 

xo,

Pamela

 

My Little Girls

So today was the day...the first day of kindergarten for Miss A, and she was ecstatic!  I don't think I observed one ounce of apprehension or nervousness from her.  And she was pretty excited to pick out her outfit all by herself, too.  I encouraged her to wear a cute little pair of pink flats, but nooooooo, she wanted to wear her cowgirl boots.  I'm glad she did.  :)

 

Yes, my little girl is growing up.

Watching her and Miss C give hugs goodbye made my heart swell.  Adorable.

Upon returning home Miss C had her own private "school" lesson.

Miss J wanted in on the action.

    

 Yes, it was a good day.  A very, very good day.  :)

xo,

Pamela