Bird Feeders - Op Shop Style!

As you all know, we really enjoy op-shopping and making things for our home. During the holidays, we saw an idea on Pinterest (where else), for making glass bird feeders with second hand glass ware. We hunted through our local op-shops for glass pieces that we thought would work well for this project, then headed home to get started. 

Our family really enjoys birds. They are such beautiful little creatures and their variety is a testimony to the creativity of our amazing God. Having more of them around our home is definitely something that all of us like the thought of!

The feeders were so simple to make. 

All we needed was ...

• the second hand glass ware
• a hot glue gun (with spare glue sticks)
• some wire
• a pair of pliers

I also found in the shed, a black wrought iron candle holder that once held a glass bowl in the top for wax melts. The glass bowl had long since shattered and so I thought that re-purposing the holder to make a bird feeder would be an excellent use for it! It gives the garden a bit of a quirky touch too, which doesn't bother me in the slightest!

As I was sifting through the shed, I also found two wire brackets that I ended up using to hang the wire hanger on as well.

We sat out on our back patio as a family, while the rain drizzled all around us, and happily made the feeders. We tried different dishes stacked on each other and chose the layouts that we were most happy with and the ones we thought our little feathered friends would most appreciate! 

They've turned out so beautifully! I am yet to fill them with seed, as it's been raining for a few days here now and it'll just be a waste to get the seed wet. But, we have seen a couple of birds already drinking from them, which is very exciting! 

All up, these four bird feeders cost us no more than $5! A very inexpensive way to provide a little refreshment for the sweet birds, and add some extra beauty to the garden.

Off In Another World

My days of late have been filled with daydreams of days gone by. Of a slower pace of life; back when things where simpler and life was sweeter. I long to re-create that kind of atmosphere in my home and while I'm well aware of the advance in technology and all the modern things and trends of this world (and believe some of them have benefits), I cannot erase the fact that I am old-fashioned to the core. 

I often wonder how it would be to live a life before electricity. Granted, their lives were full of so much more intense manual labour, as no electricity means no power tools, no washing machines, ovens or dishwashers, etc; but it would have been (well to the best of my imagination) much more free from distractions. Maybe more time to smell the roses? More time to sit back and fully absorb the satisfaction of a full days work under the hot sun. A sense of high value in filling the kitchen with aromas sweet and strong; knowing bellies will be filled to the brim with the work of your hands. Just a sweet, simple life. 

I've really been lost in this 'daydream cloud' and I think it lingers over me more at Christmas time, although I don't really know why. I've seen shows on television about families who have agreed to live 'as the pilgrims' for a whole month. It would be nice to join them. Beatrix Potter comes to mind as I think of the old ways of life. The movie Miss Potter increases my desire to visit England with it's thatched roofed cottages, country gardens and cobblestone paths leading to lakes with downy ducks cooling their feathers in their morning bath. Reading by candlelight, or lamp light, snuggled under hand-made, loved stitched quilts and blankets (maybe with a kitten to snuggle too). Gardens filled with blooming beauty and home-grown bounties of produce everywhere the eye travels. 

Yesterday, I took the opportunity to capture some of this 'feathered brain' thinking by taking some old-fashioned style photographs of my oldest daughter. We had a lovely time choosing clothes and putting makeup on and then heading out to take the photographs.

Come and have a look ... 

I'm really finding it hard to choose a favourite; all of them are just so sweet and very much my girl, who also loves everything old-fashioned. I have no idea how long this olden time thinking is going to last, but I intend to enjoy every minute of it!

I hope you're having a beautiful week!

Taking The Stress Out Of Meal Times

Can anyone relate when I say that sometimes meal times with a large family can feel more like 'feeding time at the zoo' then it does a nice quiet family meal time?!

Kids up and down getting water, getting knives and forks etc and the whole process of getting ready for dinner taking about half an hour with mum wanting to pull out her hair before the meal even begins?! Well honestly, that's what was beginning to happen around here and far out, it just wasn't pleasant! So I knew that I had to change things up and get back to a simple system that actually works. Meal time rosters don't work for us, and I was wanting something that would foster 'co-operation' and working together as a team. Something that would hopefully lessen the 'but I set the table last night' response that I'm sure most of us have heard!

Enter the 'Dinner Servery' ... 

... this is not my original idea! I 'borrowed' it from a very good friend of mine who also has a large family and has one set up in her home! I knew that it would work so well for us, so I came home from time at her house and immediately set one up in our kitchen! Let me tell you, for something so simple, it's just made things so much easier and calmer at dinner time!

I also love that it gave me a reason to visit the op-shops again (does anyone really need a reason though!) so that I could find some glass jugs for our water. I already owned the one with the orange flowers, but I picked up the two clear ones for just $3.00 each. Now the kids just grab the jugs, fill them with water, and carry them to the table, along with everything else that's on the dinner servery!

Underneath the dinner servery is the cupboard for all of our plates and bowls etc. We have trivets permanently down the centre of our dining table with place mats out as well, so once everything is brought over from the servery, and the food is on the trivets, we grab our plates and sit down to our meal! Everyone does it all together and it's very quick and very enjoyable!

As the dishes get done (either by us or the kids), we need to make sure that we 're-stock' the servery with enough cutlery for the family, fill the napkin holder ($1.50 at op-shop), sometimes top up the salt and pepper, and wash and put the jugs back for the next meal. 

This really isn't anything fancy, and it's certainly nothing that's been expensive, but I would really recommend it to you if you are finding meals times a bit of a stress as well! 

Honestly, feeding the hungry hoard here has just gotten so much easier! 

Have a great week!

Op-Shop Clothing Bargains!

I'm sure that it's no secret by now that I love op-shopping. The past couple of weeks, I've been visiting our local op shops with specific purchases in mind. Kids clothing. My eldest daughter is growing so fast her clothes can't keep up with her! While my children are in the season of turbo growth spurts, I'm not really wanting to spend a huge amount of money on clothes only worn for a while! Anyone else agree with me on this?!

And so therein lies my addiction enjoyment for op-shopping!

I personally don't believe that clothes are the be all and end all in a females life! I don't believe I/we have to have the latest and greatest brands names to look nice when I/we go out. But I do want us to look nice and dress appropriately. These things I teach my children too, particularly my daughters. They love coming with me to the op-shops and grabbing a beautiful summer dress, or a nice skirt or pants.

Another reason op-shopping is so exciting is because I'm providing what my family needs without spending hundreds of dollars of my husbands hard earned money. Most times we put together beautiful outfits for under $10.00! I do have a few 'rules', so to speak, that I keep in mind while rummaging around for a bargain!

1. I never buy second hand underwear, socks etc ... for me that's just eeewww!
2. I make sure I/kids try it on first before buying. It might only be $2-$3 but if you take item after item home that doesn't fit, you will actually end up wasting a fair amount of money over time.
3. I thoroughly check the item over for damage (missing buttons, tears, rips, stains, fading, stretching etc) and only purchase if they're in very good condition.
4. When buying shoes, I only buy the ones that look like they've been worn very little. Or sometimes I can even score brand new ones, with the original shop tag still on, for only a few small dollars! 
5. I try and purchase items that can be mix/matched with other pieces so that our wardrobes stretch even further!
6. I go into the shop, most times, with a fixed amount and come out either having kept to it, or paid under my budget amount.
7. I always re-wash clothes, and spray and wipe out shoes with glen 20 (just in case!)

Not only have I been able to find my children some lovely clothes and shoes for this coming summer, I was able to find myself some too! I've also been able to find four new pairs of shoes for myself for under $20.00! For me, op-shopping is the things dreams are made of! 

Over the years I've decorated our home with beautiful art from op-shops for only a few dollars at a time; kept my family warm in winter with crotchet blankets (slightly obsessed!), lots of brilliant books, and brought kitchen odds and ends when needed (as with kids, things can sometimes get broken! When you only pay 20c, it doesn't matter!)

I am so thankful for op-shopping. I am so thankful that through them I can both provide what my family needs and use our income wisely. I know there are many people out there who are just as obsessed as I am with op-shopping! Are you?!

Some of our clothing finds ... 

Left dress $3.00, Middle dress $4.00, Right dress $4.00

Pants $5.00, Top $4.00

Left dress $3.00, Right dress $4.00

Top left $3.00, all others $4.00. Handbag, $10.00.

Shoes $4.00, Skirt $4.00

Pants $4.00, Top $4.00

Top $4.00

These cute little shoes $2.00 brand new!

All of these were only $4 each!

I do sometimes purchase things new, but only when they're on a fantastic special! 

I hope you're encouraged to see you don't have to spend lots of cash to look nice!

A Feature Wall On A Budget

Plain. Boring. Old. Ugly. These are the words that I would use to describe the wall in our main bedroom.  

See? ...

But, seeing as we're renting here, I couldn't go about changing the paint colour, as much as I would've liked to. I also wasn't wanting to spend a lot of money transforming this wall from ugly to beautiful. So, I headed out to visit my favourite shops in the world, op shops, to see what lovely bargains I could find among them!

I wanted the walls to have a personal feel. And so I decided to add some of my own artworks to the collage wall too. I only used canvas boards (the thin, flat ones) and two boxed canvases that I already had in my art cupboard and set to painting a couple of pieces. I scoured the house and found some paintings I did that were under our bed and have a 'history' in our relationship, so to speak. 

It is very possible to create a beautiful wall with very little cash spent at all. 

I absolutely love buying and making art for my home that hasn't broken the budget and adds the personal touches that tell the story of my family.

1. A favourite photograph of my man and I that I printed onto canvas paper and framed in a basic white frame. The frame doesn't even have glass in it! I like that though, as I can feel the texture of the canvas paper that way! 
2. A beautiful stitched piece that I found at Vinnie's, I only paid $5.00! I love the bright yellow happiness it adds to the room!
3. This cute little birds nest is, I think, the most expensive thing on this wall ... it is new, and was $7.00. Adding three-dimensional pieces was something that I really wanted to do, and the size of this nest is perfect.
4. My husbands initial. $5.00 chipboard letter, painted turquoise and stripped with black and white polka-dotted washi tape (I've got to put washi tape in there somewhere!)
5. Another piece that I drew using oil pastels and a light blue water colour wash for the background swirl. It's also in a glass-less frame & I like the reminder the verse gives us.
6. My husband loves sunsets and sunrises. So I painted this on a boxed canvas with acrylic paint to remind us that His mercies are new every morning.                                      
    
7. When we were dating, I painted this piece for my husband of the Twelve Apostles. I used oil paints on a flat canvas board. He loves the ocean, and he loves this painting too. I was actually going to get rid of it when the frame broke, but I'm so glad I didn't. It is something that we both love.
8. Another 3D little piece. A butterfly glass, lid thingy ... very technical name I know! It was only 20c at an op shop, so I don't really care about its name, it's just beautiful!
9. My initial. Chipboard letter painted cream and lined with a strip of yellow patterned washi tape and a thin strip of turquoise washi tape.
10. I really love trees. This is a simple little artwork that I painted, using acrylic paint and cotton buds! I already had the boxed canvas, so it cost nothing really!
11. A cute little country cottage that I painted on a tiny little canvas board with acrylic paints. I like that the lights are on inside the home, I imagine a family living in there all warm and snug.
12. Another 'tribute' to my husbands love of the ocean! This is a canvas that I painted at our children's school in an art lesson (before we began homeschooling). It is painted in acrylic and I just love it!
13. Last but not least ... a very cute little oil painting that I brought at an op-shop for $3.00. If you look closely you can see a lady sitting under the tree wearing a lovely dress. It is just peaceful and pretty, so I had to add it to the collage!

I love what Myquillyn Smith writes in her book 'The Nesting Place' ... "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful" ... I think I tend to agree!

Have a lovely day!

(Linking up with Amaze Me Mondays)

Playing With Dollies ... At 33?

I'm nearly 33 ... is that too old to be playing with Dollies?! 

Well, I haven't been playing with them, more so 'making' them. Let me explain. I have been completely inspired by the work of Tasmanian artist Sonia Singh. Everything her Tree Change Dolls stand for is just beautiful. Giving these over-sexualised dolls that are mass produced by big toy companies, a more natural down-to-earth appearance. A little dolly that might look like someone a little girl actually knows! Sonia calls the process a 'make under', which is fantastic!

You can watch a bit of her story here. She also has some tutorial videos available so you can get started on creating your own! Sonia has an etsy shop too, if you'd prefer to purchase directly from her. I will not be selling mine, I'm just doing it as I think it's a much nicer way for my girls to play dollies!

My girls were given a few Barbie Dolls over the years, and I went op-shopping for some more of them (and some brats dolls, which I have strictly NEVER bought because of their sexual appearance) and I managed to find some for only a dollar each. 

Sonia not only changes the faces of her dolls, her very skilled Mother knits new clothing for them too, making them look even more innocent and adorable! I'm not the worlds best sewer, so that part of the make under won't be happening around here any time soon (I may be able to pay one of our Church ladies though ... hmmm) 

So I've just stuck with giving them new faces for now.  I've only done three so far; one I will probably take off and re-do again. She was my first one and I'm not all that happy with the end result of her. 

So, here they are! ...

This is Hope ... she likes sewing and working in the veggie garden!

And this is Claire, she loves climbing trees and baking! 

I have to be careful actually, because this could become quite addictive! 

As well as giving these two dolls a make under, I have been making 'Pocket Pals'. What are they you ask? 

I'll show you ... 

... they are cute little paddle-pop stick people (inspiration from Pinterest!) that I've decorated with washi tape clothes and drawn on their little hair-do's, legs and faces! These are perfect for putting in my handbag and taking them with me to places where my children (well my younger ones) need to play quietly. So far, they've been to the beach, the zoo and the shops! 

I love how easily portable they are and how they stir up in my children the love of innocent imaginative play! 

You may also remember that I love naming things. So, naturally, I've named these Pocket Pals too! ...

These dolls are definitely a frugal little toy! With the sticks only costing $2.00 for 80 (I even found 35 at an op-shop for $1.00), and a small amount of washi tape for their clothes, they are very inexpensive. 

The many hours spent enjoying these two different types of dollies? ... priceless.

Have you tried either of these before? Did you become addicted too?! 

I hope you're having a lovely week!

(Linking up with Amaze Me Mondays)