MY WEEKEND FINDS

Thanks for tuning in to another episode of My Weekend Finds, the continuing saga of one girl's quest for more junk!
Well I must say that it's been very hard finding junk recently, because I haven't really been looking! Normally, I would stop at every single thrift store when I'd pass them, but I guess I got burned out doing that at Christmastime. However, that break was very short-lived, and now I'm ready to track down junk with gusto!
I've been looking at this little Crown bird cage for a few months now, and finally decided to bring it home and trap some pottery deer in there!
Vintage seed packets, some with seeds still in them. They're like little works of art, aren't they?
I couldn't pass up that tray. It's just goes too perfectly with the green and yellow pottery!
Nor could I pass up this cute record to go with my old record player. SING & BE HAPPY!
I finally found this issue of Coronet magazine, after years of searching. I LOVE anything Halloween-y!
I also had to have these cute little school books.
The illustrations are just adorable!
I'm always looking for additions to my holiday collections, so I was quite pleased to find that old valentine planter. And on my front porch, I found a package with that elf inside. Geez, he's cute! Maureen, of Nest 'n Feathers, sent him to me. She said that when she found him, she thought of me. Isn't that one of the nicest things a person can ever hear? Thank you Maureen, for thinking of me!
Well, there seems to be some red in every single picture, so I'll be linking up to REDNESDAY over at It's A Very Cherry World too!

PAINTED HUTCH

About two weeks ago, I did some painting!
You might remember a while back when I brought the lid from this vintage picnic tin to the hardware store so that they could color match it and whip up a gallon of custom paint for me. It's my favorite jadeite green color, and I used the paint......
to transform this cabinet......
to this! I absolutely love it, and I've never regretted painting it.
But across the room, there lurked this thing. This secretary hutch, which I've hated almost from the moment I brought it home. It serves it's purpose, which is to hold lots of junk, but I've never been crazy about the way it looks. So I got that paint can out again....
and now I love this piece too! It feels like I can see everything behind the glass doors so much better, although I'm thinking about painting the inside a cream color, to make it all stand out even more.
Aren't the polka dotty knobs fun?! They're from Hobby Lobby, and when they have their knobs 50% off, I could just go nuts!
The bottom drawer holds placemats for every holiday.
And sometimes it's a cat bed! Not really though. That would be gross to eat off of place mats full of cat hair!
The middle drawer holds part of the vintage tablecloth collection.
Which takes some of the burden off of the other green cabinet. Yikes, what a mess! You've just seen one of my dirty little secrets. All of my tablecloths in a jumble!
And while I was in the painting mood, I tackled this ugly lamp.
Spraypaint is our friend! I used Rustoleum Moss Green, and now I like this lamp. But I'm not real sure about the shade yet.....
So which do you prefer....the BEFORE or the AFTER? And should I distress it a little? I'm no expert, but I have to recommend painting a piece of furniture, especially if you hate it. And if it's not valuable or a family heirloom. Oh, and do it without telling your husband. That would be my number one recommendation!

REDNESDAY!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!! I've got all kinds of reds to share on this day of love, including some gifts from bloggy friends. That valentine above is my absolute favorite, because it was given to me by my parents when I was little!

I found these canisters at a thrift store a while ago, and after realizing that I had no room for them, I always meant to sell them. Now they hold pet food, and it's the official Pet Feeding Station! There's cat food in the big one, birdseed and millet in the other two for the parakeets. The trash can underneath holds more cat food. The pretty crocheted potholders are from a giveaway that I won from Nancy Jo. More on her in a minute!
I'm pretty sure that these paper dolls were originally my sister's. I loved spending hours playing with them! I wonder why, when I had tons of Barbies as well. Maybe because it was easier to put clothes on them? Anyway, there's a bunch of other paper dolls in that box too, that I'll share another time. Isn't the box itself the cutest?!
My sweet pal Jackie, of Once Upon A Fairyland, sent me these. Just because! I especially love that tray on the left, with all the deer....

These were also in the box. I can't wait to craft with them!
Ok, I don't think that there's any red in this shot, but I had to share it all. She really gets how I love decorating for every holiday!
I also won this pretty beaded purse from Nancy Jo, and I've tucked a couple of vintage valentines in it. It's hanging on the door to the attic, the only glass doorknob in the house. Who decided, when this house was built 85 years ago, that the pretty glass doorknob should go on the door leading to the attic??? Holly, who also has one lone glass doorknob in her house, will appreciate this shot!
I also received this bag from Nancy Jo. Look at the little red hearts on the umbrella!
And inside the bag were all of these gorgeous buttons! Lots of crafting possibilities there. Can we all stop what we're doing for just a moment and thank all of the women in the past who so frugally snipped off every single button from a garment before getting rid of it?!

If you would like to see more reds, please visit Sue at It's A Very Cherry World, where she hosts this red party every week!