Filing cabinet makeover

This is one UGLY filing cabinet. It has a grey veneer that was kind of chipped and that helped add to the ugliness.

I looked up filing cabinet makeovers and found this one that I found inspiring.

I had a sample of Vision wallpaper that has a lovely textured suede feel and cost $7.00 (available in NZ at Resene). I turned it into this......

Oh so pretty. I am loving my new, old cabinet.

Winter theme

I have been so inspired by the amazing seasonal themes that bloggers create like this one from Funky Junk Interiors .

S0 I have made a very small version using what I have around the house.

(please excuse the blurry pics)

Winter theme complete. Only one more month till Spring.

No new clothes

I decided at the start of Autumn I was NOT going to purchase any new clothes this season

(free clothes are OK).

And I didn't, cause I really do have enough clothes and I can only afford clothes that are made in less than ethical ways.

I did get some fab items free though at a couple of clothes swaps.

I have to admit that I am suffering withdrawal. There are a couple of items I would really like and officially it is a new season (winter).

So what to do? Such a dilemma.

Necessity is the mother of invention

In my reading today was a quote by a Roman poet written just before the birth of Christ (yes, along time ago).

'Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant'

This is so true for me. I have learnt to budget, sew, paint, cook, wallpaper, knit, recycle, grow vege, bake, organise, parent, make jam/pickle, bottle fruit etc.

What skills have you learnt because of necessity?

Minimalism

I have been inspired by a blog called Becoming Minamilist.

I am not much of a hoarder, but I do have more stuff than I need, and very little storage.

So I'm paring it down. Today I gave away a box of plastic kitchen stuff

and tomorrow I'm going to a clothes swap. I wonder how much I will come home with though?

Hopefully I won't fill back up these 3 bags.

The past few weeks I have been going through our clothes and have already given away loads.

I think this might be the last of it. I also went through our sheets and towels. I've kept 2-3 sets of winter sheets per bed. I figure that's 1 set on the bed, 1 set being washed and 1 set spare for the accidental wets that sometimes happen (kids beds not mine). lol

Eco fruit and vege bags

I was wanting some light weight, reusable bags to put my fruit and veg in when I shop at the markets and found these mesh wash bags at a $2 kinda store.

They are washable, available in different sizes and best of all, no nasty plastic bags filling up my rubbish bin.

A change of direction

I have found it hard to continue blogging as my crafting as taken a back seat to being a mum, recyclist (is that even a word), fair trader, local market supporter, ethical buyer, self sufficient, low carbon footprint woman.

Soooooo, my blog will be changing (it's OK, change doesn't have to be scary). I will be sharing how I am changing my lifestyle to be more who I believe I should be.

I already recycle and cook most meals from scratch. I still am crafting, but it is crafting with a purpose and mainly for my family. I am trying to grow a vege garden from seed and have chooks for eggs but I still manage to produce at least one shopping bag full of rubbish per day.

Having been inspired by these people who managed just one small, tiny rubbish bag for a year.

I am going for one a week.

Ruth in the field

Seasons are a changing.

This was our outlook this morning.

Our neighbours maize fields.

My mid morning the harvest was well underway

And by dinner time our view was well.......

So, I decided to be like Ruth (out of the bible) and go and gather up the left overs

for our chickens and pigs.

There were so many ears of corn that we only gathered from a couple of rows before dark.

This is the reward of a evenings hunting and gathering. Can't wait to get out there again tomorrow.

Pajama pants blog roundabout

I saw some children's easy to make pants on rookiemoms.com who saw them on red current and thought "I can do that".
My 12yr old daughter really needed some pajama pants and I remembered these pants that I had seen (they were made for a toddler though) . I used a pair of pajamas shorts as a template and whipped these up in about 5 mins each. I can honestly say these were the easiest thing to make ever especially with the detailed photo instruction that rookiemoms.com gives.

Thrift store find

This is my latest thrift store find. It is a 100% leather skirt. I just love it and feel wonderful wearing it. It did cost more than I would normally spend on a 2nd hand item, $20.00!!! I stood there doing the 'do I, don't I' and my mum was saying "For goodness sake it's leather". I took her advice and brought it.

Trade me material win

I am in material heaven.
I won all this material on Trade me (on line auction) for $1.00, and pick up was just down the road.
I think the lemon and strawberry material will be aprons and there's some flannelette for p.j's. YEY!!!!

So, so excited. So much to make, so little time.