There's a dryer in our living room.

It's pushed back into a corner, kind of out of the way. But it's still in the living room, and it's a little bit foolish.

Now don't get me wrong... I love having our very own washer and dryer. For the first time in 10 years we don't have to pay to wash our clothes, and it is a fucking luxury and I love it.

So I totally accept the location. I mean honestly, I'd rather have to sleep on top of the damn thing every night than have to go to a laundromat. No lie!

When we moved in, I hung a picture up on a nail above the dryer. It's a weird charcoal sketch we got at a garage sale years ago for a couple bucks.

What with all the "nest feathering" I've been doing lately, it was only a matter of time before I got thinking I wanted something different above the dryer. Maybe something with more colour. I picked up a canvas for really cheap at a discount store, and got busy this past weekend.

Here's what I ended up with...

I do like the red, but all in all I think it's a bit of a miss! I want something bigger. Maybe even a shelf? I'm not quite sure yet. It's definitely going to take some more thought...

I like how it turned out, but I think it's more appropriate for the bedroom wall actually. I'm thinking that's probably where it will end up. Here's a close-up...

I wanted to try something a little different, so I ripped up and painted some sheet music and glued it to the canvas. Ta da.

If I come up with something I like better for the space above the dryer, I'll be sure to post 'er up. So relax. And stay tuned!

So have you heard...

... that I love thrift stores? Jebus. It's all I've been writing about lately! And so it continues. I went to Value Village earlier today and found quite the gem.

It's been a long-assed time since I went to Value Village. Not since the summer. I'm not sure why, really... I just never think of it. Well, I thought of it last night, for whatever reason, and decided I'd take a run in today and look around at their shit. I've been having really good luck at the Salvation Army Thrift Store lately, so I figured what the hell.

It must have been fate. I struck gold, my friends... in the shape of a gloriously ugly, HUGE, macrame owl!

Allow me to introduce you.

Surely you're all as excited about this as I am.

He makes it official. I collect macrame owls.

I had found 2 owls more than a year ago, on separate occasions, at my dearly beloved charity garage sale. But two isn't really a collection, is it? A third of anything is key. I've been watching out for that crucial third for months and months. Nothing. I really wanted to boast a macrame owl collection, and I was starting to think it would never happen...

So here we are. Thanks, Value Village. I have a macrame owl collection! Boo yeah!

Here's a pic of the three stooges in action...

:)

Speaking of nice finds...

I recently decided that I was fed-up with the cushions that came with our love seat. They were huge and misshapen and ugly as sin- and not in the good way, either. I decided I needed to spice things up a little bit. With a WalMart gift card I got for Christmas in tow, I headed out on the hunt.

Well, I was pretty much horrified at the price of cushions there. The very cheapest ones they had were 10 bucks. Which doesn't sound like much at all, sure. But you have to keep in mind just how cheap I am. I am one cheap bastard. Though I prefer to call it "thrify"...

I am one thrify bastard. It wasn't even that the money would be coming out of my own pocket. I had a gift card, man!

But see, I didn't like any of the cushions they had there all that much anyway. They were bland and boring and totally not what I had in mind. It simply wasn't meant to be. I ended up picking up a wine-coloured throw for the couch instead. But I still needed some cushions.

Looked like a job for... you guessed it... the Salvation Army Thrift Store! So off I went.

And look at what I found.

99 cents baby. 99 glorious cents.

I went back a week later and found another one for the same price!

Look at those tassels! Gotta love 'em!

So... it looks like I've started a new collection of funky, ugly (in the good way) couch cushions. I'll be keeping my eyes pealed for more great finds...


Action shot!!


:)

New found appreciation.

I've really come to appreciate my local Salvation Army Thrift Store as of late. Good thing too, what with the demise of my favourite charity garage sale. It's definitely looking like the next best thing.

I picked up a couple of picture frames last night. So I promptly had to come up with something to put in them. Naturally! It's looking like the re-decorated wall is a work-in-progress...


I took a piece of black felt and glued a dried flower onto it. Easy as pie.


This one should look familiar...


Nice finds, huh? The Salvation Army Thrift Store: Gotta love it!!