FIVE DOLLAR fabulous (3)

As a result of my

$5 FABULOUS series,

apparently some of you want to go

shopping with me...

and I say

PERFECT.

Let's hit the tag sales along the backroads

and the musty aired thrift stores full of fresh treasure.

Speaking of treasure....and FREE at that...

entered my giveaway yet?

On with the 5 dollar finds:

my photo

1.

St. Annie of Beaupre.

Is she not loverly in her plastic fabulousness?

my photo

2.

Flea market shell for a shelf.

my photo

3.

The $5 thrift store rhinestone brooch.

Um. You can see I have a fewwwwwww.

my photo

3.

Original oil painting.

I found this at the dirtiest antique mall

you've ever seen in the tackiest

frame known to man. It's brilliant.

my photo

4.

A jar of rapid rise yeast.

It's alive, magical,

and this otherworldly image depicts the

beginning of my homemade bagels.

5.

A 1920s postcard from France.

Via eBay.

photo by Aimless Olive

(love how the photographer captured me in action!)

6.

A delicious gourmet entree cooked at home.

Less than $5 per serving for my chicken/mushrooms/spinach dish

which to me always feels like spa food.

Fabulous white bowl is

about $8 from Crate and Barrel.

Williams Sonoma goblets...um...not five bucks.

photo by Garance Dore

7.

Dream on.

These are the most precious shoes on the planet.

Designed by Giuseppe Zanotti and Chopard.

The jewels are for REALZ.

And the only reason I tease you now is for the

opportunity to brag...dude...found a pair of hardly worn

Zanotti's for 20 bucks recently!!!

Plastic St. Annie says:

"YOU ARE ONE RIGHTEOUSLY

FRUGAL CHICK."

And who am I to argue with Miss five dollar fabulous?

bitty budgets

Andrea Shapiro's Amagansett, NY art studio - MB Architecture

Budgets are on the brain today.

Specifically, teeny design budgets.

As my 16-year-old was drifting off to sleep in front

of the TV last night, he mumbled "...shipping container."

"What was that?" I asked.

"Really wanna live in one."

A big smile spread across my face.

My kids rarely have any interest in my

blogging topics, so this was a gift.

***inspiration no. 1: shipping containers***

This artist's studio which captured his attention

utilizes two 40' by 9'6" containers - I love the idea of using

something that would otherwise go to waste.

The bitty budget for the work/live space in the woods? $60,000.

coooooool

The containers cost $2,500 each, including delivery.

***inspiration no. 2: vintage accessories***

Thornton and Bregazzi

Easy to afford and chic

books, vintage frames from the flea market,

and a disco ball (I'm watching one on eBay)

add instant charm.

***inspiration no. 3: renegade wall finishes***

When I first spied Kelly Wearstler's entry

I assumed she handed her young sons a paintbrush

and said 'have at it' but apparently not.

BUT.

If you like the effect,

you could go with my renegade 'have at it'

method for the cost of a little watered down pink paint.

***inspiration no. 4: art from emerging artists***

asked the artist for: a peony, a bee, and a crown

The internet makes it so easy to find affordable art.

Above is one of four drawings I commissioned

from Alicia Lynn Carrier ($10 each!)

then matted and framed.

***inspiration no. 5: DIY photography***

my photo - my kid (he occasionally smiles)

It's fun and free!

I know almost nothing about photography

but I've always been a good picture taker.

If I don't have natural light, dude, I have no idea

what to do with my camera, but my point is

GO FOR IT

and experiment taking artful photos of people...

dang...not my photo

or lingerie...

my photo

or stuff in your garage.

******************

Would looooooove to hear

your ideas for chic without the bankruptcy.

  

linking with coastal charm

6 cheap chic secrets...SHHHHHH!

Welcome to our home!

I am soooooo grateful to Wendy of Shabby Nest

for featuring my guest room on her beautiful blog and

makin' me feel all FANCY--

that ooh la la, today I'm SHARING SECRETS

for how I saved a bundle decorating...

$$$$hhhhhh. It'll be our little secret.

all images mine

1.

Dollar-wise Dining.

Hallway table (48"): $69 and ugly until I painted it Benjamin Moore White Dove

Sisal rug: $20 at Target on sale, and I painted the formerly green border white.

Parsons chairs: $8 each at a tag sale.

Art: FREE. I create these panels and sell them.

2.

Cost-licious Kitchen.

Bar stools: $14 Pottery Barn knock-offs from Shopko.

Chandelier: $10. Yes! Ten bucks at Lowe's.

Vintage table on wheels: rescued from trash, $25 for wheels eBay.

Breakfast table: $99 new and u.g.l.y. in cherry wood before I painted it.

3.

Let-there-be-light Spending.

Chandelier: $400 via eBay. It's HUGE and dripping with femininity.

(ugh. some bulbs to change.)

4.

Boudoir Bargaintastic.

Chaise: $200

Lamps: $30 a pop

Bench: $99

all via J. C. Penny outlet

Farmhouse chair: $3 at tag sale, covered in $5 of Dupioni silk

vintage hamper: FREE for helping a friend with gardening/garage clean up.

5.

Beer Budget Bath.

all plumbing fixtures: under $50 each via eBay.

Soaking tub: $500 via eBay.

vintage Dutch cafe chair: $11 on sale at flea market.

6.

Laundry Room of the Loot-Left-Over.

Resin shelf with dentil moulding: $5 display at Menard's.

Thanks for joining me and celebrating my frugal finds!

Visiting from one of the linky parties?

Cooooooool! Hope you'll follow this lovely journey.

Hugs.