Pallet Shelf and Coat Hook with a Fantastic Finish

My pallet obsession continues and after being gone all last weekend, I arrived home to a fresh pile of pallets that sweet hubby had picked up for me (the neighbors love me...or not).  I have been asked where I find pallets.  I see them everywhere and have stopped into a few businesses to ask for them.  The businesses are more than happy to get rid of them.

Some of the pallets hubby got were beautiful, others not so much.  One in particular was rough and uneven, and I thought it might become firewood.  But, upon further inspection I realized it would work well as one of the pallet book holder shelves we have all seen.  I cut off the piece I needed with a jigsaw and added a couple of pallet boards--one to the bottom and one across the back middle section to complete the shelf.

*contains affiliate links*

Under $100 Linky Party

Wow, another week whizzed by.  Mine was filled with an out of town dance competition--here is my daughter in her butterfly dance make-up,

and here she is high kicking in rehearsal,

and some pallet playing (pictures of what I made to come next week),

work and preschool, meetings and looking at cars with teenage driver #2,

and the usual--cooking. cleaning, laundry, family time, hubby time.  Geez, no wonder I am tired.  Here is what some of you were up to:

Living My Life on Purpose shared some great looking carrots rolls for Easter dinner.

Remodelaholic shared some great ideas on creating needed storage.

This door couch from At Home With K looks so cozy.

My Repurposed Life's black bench is classic and perfect for any decor.

Fun and easy kitchen canvases from Loopy Loop Creations.

Beautiful lace cuff bracelets from Generation to Generation.

Love this tool tote makeover from Knick of Time.

I am looking forward to all of your links--I look at all of them and try to comment on many (if I don't have to type in words to comment I and others are more likely to comment!)

Thanks for linking up and for sharing you with us :) 

Under $100 Linky Guidelines:

1. Please link to the specific post, not your blog!

2. Please only post ideas that cost $100 or less--it would be great if you share the cost of your project, but not necessary.
3. Please include a brief description in link up.

4. Grab my Under $100 button on the sidebar and include it in your post or a link to Beyond the Picket Fence so people can find you and more great ideas.

5. Please check and make sure your link works. If it doesn't you can delete it and try again.

6. Please no direct links to sales sites, i.e. ETSY or just a plain ol' commercial site, we are looking for inexpensive ideas we can recreate, thanks!

Junky Memo

Gather up some old junk, a side of a roadside dresser (this was written on it when I found it in pieces),

 (here is another project I made with the roadside dresser a few years back)

add a little paint, and what do you get?  A great memo board with lots of things to keep you organized. 

The metal magnet board is from ???, the note or photo holder is a vintage bill holder,

and the "hooks" are a part of a door lock, a trowel, and a window closure or lock.

A bread pan to hold mail and a doorknob plate thingy for a little shelf and even the junkiest girl (or guy) can get organized!

Sunday Verses

Redefined

re-de-fine /verb/

1.) to define again

2.) to reexamine and reevaluate especially with a view to change

I started junking as a business 12 years ago.  I had always been a crafter, learning from my mom to sew and decoupage anything I could get my hands on.  And then HGTV had this little show called Decorating Cents.  My favorite part was the ending segment on trash to treasure.  I was hooked.  In 2000, after the death of our baby son, I took a year off from teaching elementary school to focus on my children and on what I was passionate about.  

I asked a friend who is one of the most creative people I know if she would be interested in selling crafty things with me at our local farmer's market in the summer.  She said yes and thus, we began.  At the first farmer's market I had a cupboard door chalkboard (still a big seller!), some mason jars on a picket fence piece, a chair painted in a dragonfly theme, and other little goodies.  My tool experience at this point was limited--I used a handheld jigsaw to cut out snowmen and hearts and other country things--I hand sanded, did not own a sliding compound miter saw, table saw, or even a drill.  

My friend and I became known as the chair ladies--painting elaborate designs on chairs and other pieces of furniture.  I still used junk and repurposed some of it, but spent a lot of time repairing chairs, sanding all those spindles, and painting.  I enjoy(ed) painting designs, being creative, and the oohs and ahhs were lovely.  Here are some of my earlier items:

Cute? Sure.  My passion?  No, I don't think so.  But in the past two or three years I have redefined this humble junking business, finding my true love--building things from salvaged wood, repurposing junk, painting--not elaborate designs, but in delicious colors.

I am proud of my earlier pieces, I just wasn't passionate about them.  The prep work on the chairs, the hours spent detailing the painting was frustrating to me.  Continuing to work and trying different techniques, learning new things such as working with power tools, gleaning inspiration from blogs and magazines, I have redefined my junking business and have found my true passion.  I know I will continue to evolve, redefine and I hope to always be learning new things and to continue to listen to my heart.  

What have you redefined in your life?  How did you do it and what has it meant to you?  What do you need to redefine?  I look forward to hearing your stories!

Under $100 Linky Party

Happy spring--real spring--yeah!  It is a season of hope and fresh beginnings, a chance to focus on new life.  Think of it as a chance to renew, redefine, rethink those little pesky New Year's resolutions that you have either completely forgotten about or that are still nagging at you.  What do you need to change about your original resolution to make it work?  Don't wait until next January to do it.  It is the season of new life--make your hopes and dreams new again--start today with 1 small step.  But wait, before you do that, check out some of these great links from last week's Under $100 party!

Adorable kid's table and chairs from Lovely, Etc.

 

Oui-Oui French dressing chest from 4 the Love of Wood.

 

Great sentiment on this faux clock from Tattered and Inked.

 

Looking for a project to do with the kids?  Try Red Tart Art's fun chicks.

 

Northern Cottage's spring mantel makes me smile.

 

Accidentally Wonderful shared a yummy and different lasagna recipe.

 

Quick and easy decorative plates from Twigg Studios.

 

Thanks for linking up and for sharing you with us :) !!

Under $100 Linky Guidelines:

1. Please link to the specific post, not your blog!

2. Please only post ideas that cost $100 or less--it would be great if you share the cost of your project, but not necessary.
3. Please include a brief description in link up.

4. Grab my Under $100 button on the sidebar and include it in your post or a link to Beyond the Picket Fence so people can find you and more great ideas.

5. Please check and make sure your link works. If it doesn't you can delete it and try again.

6. Please no direct links to sales sites, i.e. ETSY or just a plain ol' commercial site, we are looking for inexpensive ideas we can recreate, thanks!

Teal Lovin'

I have fallen in love with this new teal colored paint I recently picked up. 

It is darker than turquoise, a little more green.

It is rich, yummy and really quite neutral.  I am excited to layer it with other colors--grey, red, bright green, yellow, orange...What color are you falling for these days?

Good Gossip

No worries, I am not advocating gossip here, but I am all for a cute little gossip bench.   Here is the before on this little one I picked up at the thrift store.

Some red paint and new upholstery, and it is all ready for some good conversations.

 I also made another BIG chalkboard, this time in red.