Giveaway - Free One-of-a-Kind Piece!

Time for another giveaway!  This is a great little gift box just in time for gift-giving season!  It is a wooden box that I sanded and repainted white with black and sage green stripes.  Finally I distressed it for a shabby chic look.  This is a small box with a hinged lid that is perfect for holding tiny trinkets like rings and other small jewelry.

Contest starts now and ends Friday, December 4th at midnight.  Winner will be notified via e-mail (so be sure I can find your e-mail address) and will have this box shipped to you.  See the rules below for the many ways to enter this giveaway.  Good luck!

RULES:
1. U.S. and Canada residents only.
2. Post a separate comment for each entry.
3. Enter 3 ways: comment on your favorite item in my shop, follow my blog (and let me know), tweet about my shop or this giveaway and put the link in a comment. This is a total of 4 potential entries into the giveaway.
4. Giveaway ends Friday, December 4th at midnight. Winner will be notified via e-mail the following weekend so please be sure I can locate your e-mail in your profile or comment.
5. Winner chosen at random from qualifying entries.

For more One-of-a-Kind shabby chic pieces, visit: http://www.shabbynchic.etsy.com/

Craft Fair Tips for Reducing Costs

In honor of the craft fair I have coming up this weekend, I have decided to finally blog about what I have learned already.  The focus is Saving Money when preparing to do a craft fair.  The costs add up (I learned), so you have to save where you can!  My first stop?  Our local dollar store! 


I found white paper bags with handles in different sizes...cost = 2/$1.00.  I then bought some tissue paper to place inside, hole punch, and tape ($1.00 each - dollar store, remember?).  I then used ribbon I already had to tie my business cards to the bag handles.  Total cost was less than $0.60/bag.  *I use small white or colored paper bags for smaller items.

Next, I needed pieces to display my creations on in my booth.  I called family and friends for table cloths to cover my ugly tables.  Cost = free and some I was told I could keep!  So my tables looked good, but I need to go vertical.  I found this shelf on craigslist and paid $5.00 for it, then painted it white with paint I already had sitting in the garage.

Last 2 ideas (for now):

• a coupon holder to hold your cash so that you can sort it by amount and not have to search for change ($1.00 at...yep - the dollar store!

• business card holder from a garage sale = $1.00!

I am very happy with my finds, but am always looking for new ideas.  Feel free to leave your ideas here to share with others!

How I Lost 10 lbs in 2 Months...and Kept It Off!

Last May I was finally motivated to lose the baby weight from my then almost 2 year-old.  I had 10 lbs. to lose and had not been motivated enough to lose it before then.  I had a bet with my husband of who could lose 10 lbs first (he had baby weight to lose too).  Winner gets a prize of their choice determined at time of bet.  This is very important as it is very motivating!  Well we tied, so we both won - I got a new outfit and he got to go to a sporting event with friends.

But how did I do it???  I just started eating less - really, that's it.  It was that simple (this time around).  The best trick I learned that worked for me was eating off of smaller plates.  Think about china and your grandmother's dishes.  They are much smaller than what we use now and they did not have weight problems like we do now.  So I eat almost all of my meals off of salad plates instead of large dinner plates.

Look at the difference in size.  We can't help but want to fill our plates.  Well if that plate is smaller, then you eat less, but are still satisfied.  A salad plate full of food is the quantity we probably should be eating.  Had I put this meal on a dinner plate, I likely would have eaten 2 bagel sandwiches and a lot more chips and a cookie would probably would have fit there too...  Make this a habit and keep it up and you will maintain your weightloss.  (For me, this is all without increasing exercise...that's my next goal.)

Before and After - Mail/Desk Organizer

Found two of these mail organizers that desperately needed help.  One was red and white, the other was this green.  Both with a glossy finish - yikes!  (The picture is after some sanding.)

So after a lot of sanding, a coat of primer, and many coats of paint...it starting looking much better.  I painted one black and stencil painted a floral design on the front. 

The other I painted white and added a transfer to the front, then sealed with a matte finish seal.  I love how they turned out!  Both are available in my shop where you can see more pictures.

www.shabbynchic.etsy.com

What is it???

So all of you sharp readers must have an idea about this one!  I found this great wooden...something or other at a thrift shop.  I love wood and it was in good shape, so I bought it.  I bought it not having a clue what it was! 

So now to the point of this blog post. . . I would love to know what this is!  Or you can tell me what great upcycle piece I could make it into.  I have some ideas, but would love to read yours.  Please comment with any ideas you have.  Thanks!