Tuesday, October 8, 2013

JUNKIN JEWEL'S - Revi from Revolutionary Life

Please welcome Revi from Revolutionary Life as our contributor for our Junkin' Jewels series.

I have enjoyed the past week - tweaking things in my living room from summer to fall/winter. I think I'm ready to add a few pumpkins, twigs and other fallish things now! Before I get back into the middle bedroom, I'll show you a few more photos of some of the vignettes in the living room...
Family photos in thrift store frames. A thrift store lamp, painted by me, with a Walmart shade. My 3rd grade Bible, open to Psalm 91. A candle bought for me by Mason when he was a little boy...I just can't burn it. 
A mid-century metal tray from Mexico, stripped by me. A vintage seltzer bottle found at Goodwill years ago, a crystal decanter wedding present, thrift store glass decanters, and a glass door knob bottle stopper from one of my favorite Texas bloggers, Tina. 
The table was a curb-side find decades ago, and I made a top for it from boards I had cut-to-size. 
A stack of thrift store vintage wood frames, painted by me. Greenery from Dollar Tree in a wicker plant basket found at a thrift store. 
The basket is great - it is lined in zinc. 
A free storage bench from my church, which I painted in homemade plaster paint. In front of it is a garage sale table painted in ASCP with thrift store items on top. 
Above, a curbside picture frame with a Hobby Lobby cross inside. The throw is all cotton Buffalo Plaid, and I found it for a few dollars at a discount store years ago. 
More stacked frames, painted by me, behind a box (filled with vintage blocks from my children and their grandmother). On top of it, a thrift store file box painted white. It holds scented candles and wax cubes. I love burning nice-smelling things! A thrift store chair, painted in ASCP and recovered in drop cloth. Behind - a vintage chest from a garage sale with more thrifted items on top.
At the front door, I reworked the art on the wall. The previous arrangement had begun to irritate me. 
A contemporary art assemblage by me, a thrift store silver plate platter, a couple of thrift store paintings, re-worked by me, a vintage plaster French frame found at a church tag sale years ago. Thrift store numbers, a T from Hobby Lobby, a souvenir wooden angel from a trip to San Antonio years ago, a ceramic cross from Hobby Lobby, and a souvenir Eiffel Tower bronze piece found at a previous home. The previous owners had a garage sale before we bought the home, and left things there. It was cool, so I kept it. 
Garage Sale silver plate sugar bowls with trophy shapes. Love 'em! Thrift store pumpkins painted white, Hobby Lobby Greenery. An old drawer bought at a garage sale years ago catches incoming mail.
Vintage metal flower frogs. 
A white wooden tray, painted by me. The child's chest of drawers is an oak piece from England, painted in oil. The hardware is original.
Do you know what I just realized? There is scarcely ANYTHING new in my living room. Seriously! A few things from Hobby Lobby, a wedding gift, a few Walmart lamp shades, not really much more. And do you know what else? Given the opportunity to trade it all right this minute for a new set of furniture from a store, with accessories to coordinate - I'd turn it down. I LOVE my old stuff. The furniture is much better than new stuff - solid wood. The old accessories are real, too; wood, metal, glass...I like real stuff. Plastic has it's place, but I really, really like the real, old stuff. 

Be sure to come back next month on Tues., November 12 when the fabulous Tuula from the Thrifty Rebel will be sharing her post!

10 comments:

  1. Nicely done! Love that table in the first shot and all the frames!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow Revi!! You are my kinda thrifter! So much great stuff and you've put it all together with such love and attention. My favourite is the wall arrangement. Just fabulous!! I wouldn't trade all my old stuff for new stuff either. I like imagining the stories that all my thrifted finds carry with them. There are some great ones in your living room I'm sure.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love connecting with like-minded bloggers - aka "Junkin Jewels!" Thanks Anne, and Tuula, for your kind words, and Danni for all your technical support and encouragement! :) I love to be included in the company of such talented and kind folks. I, too, love imagining where things have been and the "stories" surrounding them. I think it should be a LAW that interesting history/information should be attached to every piece of thrift store furniture! (Sort of like those tags that come on throw pillows...) Anybody else out there agree?
    -Revi

    ReplyDelete
  4. LOVE love love!!!! Oh my goodness - where to start? I just love it all - but my absolute favorite is the bench ....or the decanters...or no wait...the frames arranged up against the wall. No definitely the bench.. I love your style Revi, thank you so much for being our guest here at the Cafe - I really hope you return and post for us again. xxx Nat

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love the look so much. the pictures, the mirrors all the interesting things you've got hanging up.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I met someone today who had never been in a thrift store. I am sending her this post to show her what beautiful things can be thrifted. Love your flair for styling your find. I want the frames!

    ReplyDelete
  7. It's so beautiful, how fantastic that everything has meaning, new thing wouldn't necessarily come with that

    ReplyDelete
  8. That was fun to see! I love looking at old things, but don't seem to keep much of anything around here for very long...I get bored too quickly with my decor! LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  9. You bloggers are so dang encouraging! Thanks for that. :) Donna, I can't believe someone has never been to a thrift store!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hey T! I loved seeing your new arrangements everywhere and I'm so glad you love your knobstopper. You have been a busy bee changing everything around- it looks great. I love the plaid blanket- good find. I was happy to see that you added three pics of the painted frames- what is it that is so appealing about them? We just love them, don't we? And oh, boy...I remember you stripping that Mexican tray! Love everything, as always.

    ReplyDelete