Shutters...yes, more shutter ideas!

Happy Friday!!! Today we're doing a quick post on a couple different ways you can use shutter all around your house!

As a window planter  

On your windows...inside!  

As a jewelry display 

A beautiful headboard 

On the sides of an old window pane 

Bathroom towel hook or purse hook  

A cute table 

In the corner as an accent piece

As wallpaper...ok, maybe this is too much 

I love this beautiful toilet paper holder! 

And don't forget you can use them outside in the garden, lawn or as a fence.

I hope you get a chance to use some shutters this weekend to make your home a little more cozy! If you're ever looking for some of the ideas we post stop by our store for your decorating needs. We have old window panes, chairs, cupboards...and if we don't have it out just ask, it may be in back!

Here's one cute planter that we have with a plant from Mabert's. 

This would be super cute as a wedding shower decoration, birthday party or maybe a sweet tea time with your children or grandchildren.

Wedding Brain!

So like I said yesterday I have a very dear friend getting married in June and her shower is this Sunday at my house. I have been up-cycling, crafting and creating till my brain feels like mush! I didn't have a theme when I started planning my bride's shower which eventually began to overwhelm me so much I wanted to lock my door and pretend no one was home when the guests arrived!

All I knew is, I wanted to throw a 'vintage' themed shower. I was thinking old type writers, jars, burlap, old irons, sewing machines, wooden spools, lace, roses, tea cups.....and the list went on. What began as an honor to plan this party quickly began to feel like a burden. It felt less like brainstorming and more like a tsunami of ideas in my head. So I stopped everything. I began to think 'Love Birds', I have a severe love of birds.
So I cut out a this cute bird, tied a gem on it and centered the rest of the decorations around it.

It all seemed to come together fairly effortlessly after that. I think the key to not getting too overwhelmed is narrowing down your theme specifically. Yes, you may be doing 'vintage' but what kind of vintage? Here's some examples:

A Vintage Carnival Wedding

A Romantic Barn Themed Wedding! 

Whatever theme you choose it should help narrow down all your great ideas and pull them together to make for high class, low cost wedding! 

And...at the end of the day if you're just not sure don't forget that at A Piece of Mine Resale Shop we can come in and help you sort it all out! Check out more info <<HERE>> on our our Services page. Happy creating!

For more vintage theme wedding ideas click HERE.

Weddings and Shutters

Wedding season is quickly approaching. I have so many friends getting married this year and among them is a very dear friend who's wedding shower I am planning right now! Please ignore any typos in this post as I am probably cutting out birds and glueing glitter at the same time! ; ) So, I got to thinking, there has to be a way we can upcycle some cute shutters as wedding decor! As I was making name tags for the shower I was trying to figure out cute ways to display them rather than throw them on a table. Here's what I came up with:

LOVE LOVE LOVE!! I am a sucker for old and vintage! 

Great way to honor special family that couldn't be at the wedding or display the wedding party. 

Write the Bride and Groom a note!  

My bride is having a dessert reception and I can't wait to tell her about this idea!

However you choose to decorate your wedding up-cycling is the way to go, especially if you're on a budget. It's cheap and if done right, can be very classy!

Shutters as Mantle Decor

I think one of the reasons shutters as decor are so appealing is that not everyone puts them on their homes. Maybe you live in an apartment or condo where the choice is not available.  If you do see shutter on a home it is more than likely made out of a fiberglass type material. There is a certain beauty of wooden shutters that we should appreciate seeing as they represent the past, good old Americana or rustic farm days!

I've seen many different ways to upcycle these beauties and here are some of my favorite!

The one below is a bookshelf but the colors are so relaxing I had to share with you!

Have a great day on this beautiful afternoon!

Shutters, Shutters and more Shutters!!

Happy Monday! I know Mondays can be a tough day heading back to work after a fun weekend but hopefully these cute shutter recycling ideas will make it easier! This week we are going to take a look at how to use shutter for decorating and organizing. They are a great way to bring the vintage, shabby chic look to your home at little cost while using otherwise doomed for the trash items. *IKEA as is section is a GREAT place to find random shutters and cabinet doors for a next-to-nothing cost! Take a little sandpaper to them, stain and...voila, vintage! Here's a couple cute ideas to get you started:

Well, hopefully that gets you off to a good start this week! If this blog has inspired you to make any old things new email us! Send us a picture and blurb on what you did and we will feature it right here on our site! Have a great day!

It's the little things!

Last week my mother in law was in town and asked me a question that stopped me in my tracks. As we wandered through the local craft store she said, "What things do you like to buy for yourself or do for yourself?" I froze...I couldn't think of anything. I said, "Well, I....there was that time...once I..." I had nothing. I think as a mom we are so busy keeping up with our family's needs that it's easy to forget to take care of ourselves. We have to do the grocery shopping, balance the budget, clean, make dinner, etc. So that day my mother in law made me leave the kids with her. She stuck a $20 bill in my hand and said, "Go do something for yourself." My first thought was,"I could get 186 diapers!" but knowing I would likely have to report back to her what I got I don't think diapers would have made her too happy. While taking a forced time out I realized how important it is to pamper ourselves every once in a while. Even though I felt a little guilty at the moment I realized how refreshing it was to take care of myself. If this is NOT you, likely you know a mom like this. 

There's a great company you may not have heard of. Their name is Aihu and their mission is simply this, "to minister to women, men and their families about the importance of taking adequate time to take care of themselves." You can check them out  <<HERE>>.  At A Piece Of Mine we carry some of their products in the store so you don't have to order them online and wait to get them. If you're looking for a wonderful gift for your mom or any mom or maybe even yourself stop in, take the product for a test drive, and spoil yourself a bit.  

Happy Mother's Day!

Come on in and test them out! 

Mother's Day 2012

Happy Friday everyone! The weekend is almost here and so is Mother's Day! Did you get mom a gift yet? Well if not, don't panic! You've still got time. Here's my suggestion...stop by Goodwill, a garage sale or rummage through the shed. Hold on, I know what you're thinking. Why on Earth would I give my mom junk for mother's day? Do you know what she would think!? Don't worry, Mother's Day is just another opportunity for you to upcycle something...take something old and make it new! I love when my children make something for me; to know they created it specifically with me in mind. So here's some ideas.... 

Check out these adorable candles! We all have old candles around the house to melt down and old coffee cups! Find the tutorial HERE.

This old water can is perfect for spring! Stop by Mabert's in Kenosha to find the perfect plants to put inside! Check out their Facebook page HERE.

Last but not least, how about a yummy treat and a cute cake stand for display? Here's an easy peasy homemade cake stand....Click HERE for the tutorial...

...and add a yummy cheesecake stuffed strawberry recipe. Check it out HERE! 

However you celebrate, I hope everyone has a great weekend and to all the moms out there, Happy Mother's Day!