Before & After

I found this sweet little foot stool today on a thrifting date with my sweet friend Kelly.

It was right there staring at me when we walked in the door.

I was initially drawn to the beautiful blue fabric.

I knew it would look spectacular with my new rug, picking up some of the blue,

and the slight striations in the fabric were so pretty.

Well then I got a bit cheeky with the stool and flipped up her skirt.

Her legs were to die for! 

Who would cover those beauties up? 

I snipped the stitching on the skirt and carefully pulled it off.

Then I gave the legs a good rub down with Old English.

The stool was perfect.

(pardon all the dog hair! Stella is in dire need of a hair cut and my vacuum took a crap!)

I'd have to say that I think this stool passes the test! 

I'm in love!

30x30

Day 6 was devoted to 

fulfilling the quest for the perfect white shirt.

This crisp clean beauty was a thing of perfection 

hanging there on the thrift store rack.

I feel like I have been searching for this shirt for a life time,

although I really only looked for a few minutes.

#wherehaveyoubeenallmylife

The white button down can be paired with so much,

and something about it instantly made me feel sexy-ish.

See what I wore here!

It was the perfect blank canvas for my new Firmoo glasses,

and my new Lorna Ruth gold glitter earrings!

Thrifty Finds

As promised, here are the goodies that I thrifted at Atomic Living.

I am a sucker for a good vintage skirt.  Being so long waisted and busty I can almost NEVER find a vintage dress that fits me correctly.  So over the years I have learned to just stick with the skirts.

My new "Collette Tours" bag had to come home with me.

It's the perfect size for carrying lots of things and it is super light weight,

but what really got me about it was the fact that it reminds me so much of the 

Paddy Noonan bus tour of Ireland

I went on with my great grandmother as a teen.

Ah memories.

And that vintage Darth Vader action figure carrying case.

You know that I couldn't pass that up for the boy.

He actually spotted it buried in a heap on the back porch of Atomic.

It was filthy, but I knew we had a gem.

I used the same technique to clean it that I talked blogged about here.

These two cuties were found at another local favorite of mine, The Bee's Knees.

This place is a great little treasure box in downtown Lake Worth.

The juice pitcher had been calling my name for a long time now.

I think that I looked at it about 5 different times. 

The last time we were there the sweet old man that works there 

told me he'd give it to me for half off...

he knew how bad I wanted it.  

And that pretty little necklace just spoke to me.

There is something so special to me about a vintage necklace that has stood the test of time.

And I may or may not have plans for this looker!

30x30

Webster Flea Market! Ah day 21...

It's sort of become a pre-birthday/MLK day tradition to hit up Webster.

It's one of my happy places.

You can find random art.

Pretty little things.

Lots of vintage.

And TONS of toys.

Lucky for me, the boy loves it too.

Side note:

This year the boy and I made a list of three things each that we were looking for.

We both found everything...gotta love that!

I'll share soon on a thrifty finds.

30x30

I was so excited about today's 30X30! 

Today the boy and I were to visit a local thrift store that we have never been to.

When making this list I knew exactly which establishment I wanted to visit!

ATOMIC LIVING!!!

I have been eye balling this store front for a few weeks, and could no longer 

use the excuse of not knowing where to park.

For those who need to know....

parking is around back.

Entering a store through the back door always feels special to me.

It's as if you know some tiny secret. 

As we walked up onto Atomic Living's back porch, 

I knew that we had stumbled upon a real eclectic gem.

We opened the door to this fantastic site, and my heart started to pitter patter.

Then we heard Gooch's sweet voice from around the corner inviting us in.

This place is like a treasure trove full of goodies.

 Gooch, the owner of Atomic Living and one of the coolest people I have met in a while, quickly took a liking to the boy allowing me to hunt for finds!

I found myself lost in a sea of vintage bathing suits.

When I poked my head around the corner to make sure that my child was behaving himself and being respectful, I was shocked and delighted to find that 

he and Gooch were submerged in a heated game of Operation.

This one tiny detail alone (among many others) has gained her a customer for life.

This store is a perfect combination of vintage, kitch, PBR towers and a whole lot of humor.

Any place that has a feature wall with a bald mannequin wearing a gas mask and a dear head smoking a cigarette has my name written all over it! If you are in the area, you must,

 I repeat must stop at Atomic Living!

You can find Gooch and Atomic Living at

619 N. Dixie Hwy

Lake Worth, FL 33460

Want to see what I bought? 

You will have to stay tuned for my Thrifty Finds post later in the week.

thrifty finds

i had some serious luck the other day at the thrift store.

i think it was the thrift gods in my corner...i haven't been in a really long time, 

so i was due for some seriously amazing stuff.

i have been crushing on pyrex a lot lately and when i saw this

beauty from across the kitchen isle i freaked out!

i was just shy of pushing little old ladies out of my way

so that i could guarantee that mine would be the first hands to grab it.

it was filthy. but under the dirt, caked on grease, 

and chunks of questionable dried food bits, i knew she was a beauty.

so i tried the old baking soda peroxide trick....and viola! 

perfect. 

i also saw this beautiful pot tucked into some other larger ugly pots.

i first noticed the beautiful turquoise color popping through a crack in some lids.

i literally crawled on the floor in between two ladies arguing over a blender,

(did i mention that all this took place on senior citizen day?)

and dug it out of the mess of wrinkled up panty hoed legs, pots and pans and mismatched lids.

i pulled it out and jumped to my feet and shouted from excitement! 

this shout was like firing a gun in a field full of zombies! 

a really good way to draw attention to your fabulous luck. 

by the time i had made it back to the cart that was parked 2 feet away from me...

the vultures were swarming.

i actually had a man take the pyrex bowl out of my cart

and tell me that i shouldn't buy it.  he then tried to take the pot out of my hands.

i must of shoot him an "i will cut you" look. 

i am sure i said something smart assed to go along with that look.

i was a great trip. vintage kitchen goods, old ladies legs, and zombie vultures. 

10 things i couldn't live without this week:

1. broken car A/C i wish i had car A/C
2. the hubs did the easter basket shopping this year.  i just couldn't find the time to get alone and too the store. but i will tell you what...he may be doing it every year! he got great stuff for the boy, but here is the kicker....he knew that we were not going to be able to fill that basket full of candy with out devouring some our self, so he bought candy for us to eat while we were playing easter bunny! love that man! he knows me and my sweet tooth far too well!
3. i borrowed a pattern for some super cute shorts from a friend...they are almost finished!
4. i had a great all day date with the boy on wednesday.  gym, coffee, story time, happy meals, thrift store, ice cream....it was a great day!
5. i can't tell you how excited i am about my amazing vintage kitchen ware finds! i was so lucky this week! i can't stop starring at the cabinets! haha
6. we met up with my dad, stepmom, and baby sister on thursday at Seaworld! it's my new/old favorite place! it was my favorite as a kid and now it's my favorite place to take my kid!
7. the hubs had a friend over for a paint/skate man-date. it was so nice to see him getting "him" time.  doesn't hurt that his buddy sam is a great guy!
8. surfing is not like riding a bike. it's been around 8 years since i have surfed on a regular basis. needless to say it felt great to get my board in the water on sunday, but i got my butt kicked! drank a lot of sea water. at one point when the life guards started blowing their whistles at me i thought it was because they were going to come rescue me....they just wanted me to move. i felt a bit defeated and the hubs had to have a conversation with me about my "bad attitude" (which i was later able to laugh at - i was really embarrassed by my poor performance). moral of the story....i need to surf try not to drown practice more.
9. i can even begin to tell you how lucky i am to have a husband that is good in emergency situations.  the dog ran full speed into the boy last night, resulting in a face slammed into the concrete.  needless to say there was a skinned face, busted lip, and a whole lot of tears.  what do i do? panic, turn white at the sight of the boys blood, and have to leave the room while the initial assessment is made so that i don't freak the poor kid out. the hubs, on the other had, must have been a paramedic in a former life. he just jumped right into that bloody mess and saved the day.
10. we had the most unconventional easter sunday supper of my entire life.  after all the chaos settled down with the boys face, we were hungry and it was late.  too late to really start cooking dinner. a good fact to know: chinese take out delivers on easter.

10 things i couldn't live without this week

1. this week i marched my butt into a gym and signed up for a membership.  i have been feeling fat and tired lately and there is not point in just sitting around in my misery.  gyms are really intimidating to me and especially now that i am older.  it seems that the older i get the more insecure about myself i am becoming.  walking into a gym to me is like that classic movies where girls are being hazed by their sorority sisters and they are circling all the fat on their bodies with markers. ugh.  all the hard bodied girls who wear makeup to exercise and have a more fashionable gym attire than my normal everyday wear. yikes. well i decided that i wasn't going to let any of it get to me. i was going to face my fears and insecurities and i was going to exercise. in a gym. with other people.
2. one of the best things about being a gym member is having access to group fitness classes! and i took the best yoga class this week.  i can't wait until wednesday so i can go back for more.
3. my crafting productivity has been at an all time high lately.  the hubs and i have been powering through some projects. keep your eyes peeled this week for my new jewelry hanger, magnetic make up frame, and next week i will share some goodies that i made for a friends baby.
4. i have been trying to cut back on my diet coke consumption. and surprisingly i am doing very well. i am down to one a day and killing it! and best thing about it....i am substituting all that diet coke with about 64 extra oz of water a day.
5. we have been having some crazy weather lately. i am not going to lie... i really love it. we went for a hand full of days with constant rain, then a few days of 90° blue skies and today we woke up to some very chilly 40°.  mother nature is keeping us on our toes down here in south florida.
6. we had a super family fun day saturday. we woke up early and headed to the city diner for breakfast, scooted over to bed bath and beyond, then decided that it was the perfect day for the beach.  we got home threw together a picnic and cruised down to the ocean.  this was the first time this year that the beach was genuinely packed with people. holes were dug, waves were rode, sandy sandwiches devoured.  a great day was had by all.
7. the hubs and i went on the best date night ever saturday! i think that we agreed that it really was the best date ever. we met up with some friends for dinner at an awesome burger joint, burgerfi. then we went to see the dropkick murphy's at the pompano beach amphitheater.  this was the first show the hubs had been to since before the boy was born. and boy we were going out in style.  my girlfriends, who are long time friends with the band, got us all access backstage passes. we were on stage, in the green room, and post show hanging out at the busses drinking the band beer. it was all a dream come true for the hubs and i was so happy that i could make it all happen for him! best date night ever!
8. oh and where was the boy this whole entire date night? at his first ever slumber party. my fantastic friend christine offered to take the boy. he proclaimed her little girl to be his girl friend. so cute! he spent the night with their family, partied it up, and from what i am told was an angle! he was so tuckered out the next day that he actually passed out on the sofa....so cute.
9. the boy and i had some serious luck garage sale-ing this weekend. he scooped up a hand full of matchbox helicopters and airplanes, and i found an adorable mid-century side table....for only $1. it needs some serious work, but for a dollar....i'll buy that project!
10. my friend christine passed me on some seriously amazing vintage fabric for my birthday! i am so excited of it's possibilities! and there is a lot of it too so i am thinking that there may be some larger projects in my future! can't wait to share them with you!
9.

thrifty finds

i couldn't be more excited for this weeks thrifty finds! and with the grand opening of my new etsy store i am finding myself thrifting through a whole new set of eyes. it used to all be for me and the boy, but i am seeing the potential all around me! 

the first thing that  i found....literally sitting out side the door of the store just waiting for me... was this beautiful watering can.  i don't think that it's old, as a matter of fact i am pretty positive that it's not. BUT i have been wanting/needing a watering can for years. i refused to spend the money on a brand new, generic looking can. i told myself that i would wait until i found one at a garage sale of thrift store. currently i have been using a recycled milk jug...you know i am only kinda ghetto sometimes. hehe. but look at this beauty! oh she is just so cute. and $2. perfect. see ya later milk jug.

then i was pleased to find these super cute vintage seafoam green earrings. they remind me of gum balls. they are enamel coated metal, and while huge (they are literally the size of large gum balls) and kinda on the heavy side, they are super unique and retro. and with my current obsession with the color i am not sure if i am going to put them in the store or in my jewelry collection. 

also not pictured, due to the fact that he insisted on taking it to bed for his nap, the boy found a pretty cool monster truck. the owner of the store was kind enough to pull in down out of storage and gift it to him. i think that it was because he was so impressed with his chattiness. the old man and the boy sat on a sofa and talked for a good ten minutes about cars and life while i perused the store. love that place! hope you have a great weekend and happy thrifting!

10 things i couldn't live without this week:

1.  i have really been missing the cool air and beauty of north carolina. my dad called me this week to inform me that dates were set for a family reunion this summer. it's far off, but it really gives me something to get super excited about! north carolina here i come (in august).
2. we had been going through a few weeks of extreme poor behavior from the boy. not sure if it's because he's not in daycare anymore or maybe it's the behavior sticker chart that we are using, but he's has been an angel lately. when he's good, he is just awesome to be around. he's funny and silly and polite and super smart. i just can't believe how fast it's all going by. he's getting so big and independent.
3. speaking of how big he's getting....i was reading him one of his favorite books (lady and the tramp) the other day, and he surprised me by "reading" it to me. so i went with it. we took turns reading it to each other. i'd start the sentence and he'd finish it (word for word). i know that he's not actually reading the words on the pages, but repeating words he's memorized...but that's how it all starts right.
4. i have had some amazing luck with my thrifty finds lately! i am really excited to share some awesome news with you guys soon! i'll give you a clue...turquoise violets is expanding!
5. are you guys addicted to pinterest yet? i am. i so am. it's so inspiring and awesome to see all these images in one place. but i'll tell you what's really awesome....when complete strangers start pinning images from your blog onto pinterest.  the succulent wall garden DIY that i did a few months ago seems to be gaining some serious pinterest popularity. i think that i need to do another succulent project soon!
6. there has been some seriously good food coming from my kitchen this week. but i can't stop thinking about those banana bread bites. i am pretty sure that i ate my weight in chocolate and bananas this week. any suggestions for the next baking project?
7. the hubs and i finally did it. we got a years pass to the zoo. are zoo is awesome. not too big, not too small. it is mostly shaded which is great for the summer, and there is a giant water fountain for the kiddos to play in. so excited to spend the year at the zoo!
8. the hubs and i had an amazing craft night the other night. i may have tricked him into it, but it sure was fun.
9. have you seen the movie "warrior"? holy smokes....if you haven't your really should. it's a fictional story about two brothers who are mma fighters. such a great story, amazing soundtrack, and half of the movie is fighting. so good.
10. had a great play date with the boys best little boy buddy the other day at gumbo limbo. this place is amazing. acres of natural florida wildlife, a serious observation tower, FAU's marine mammal research facility, and a sweet butterfly garden all in one place. if you are ever in the area i suggest you check it out.

thrifty finds

had some serious luck at the thrift store this week. i was so excited to find this vintage "p" cloisart pendant and the adorable vintage strawberry broach (that i am going to jazz up to make it double as a pendant). both of these items are going to come with some future fantastic news for you and turquoise violets.

i also found this shirt that i love oh so much. well i actually saw it on the sale rack at the bee's knees on sunday and didn't get it. then i spent the next 24 hours thinking about it and lucky me it was still there when i went back. and now it is mine in all of it's oversized bright red glory!

10 things i couldn't live without this week

1.  a double dose of dance class again this week. so my classes are on monday nights, and i am still sore from last monday.
2. wrapped up an amazing week long "stay-cation" with the hubs. we got so much done around the house and so many fun family moments!
3. got to join the amazing davidk space crew for staff movie night at the blind monk.  chris rock's good hair was hilarious and my new co-workers are awesome!
4. got some amazing thirfty finds this week! check them out here and here.
5. i found myself up to my elbow in potting soil a few times this week.  i finished my hanging succulent wall garden, added a ton of new succulents to the garden family, and repotted a ton of clippings.
6. the burton's hosted a kids craft day where we started to make paper mache pumpkins! i can't wait to share pictures from this super fun day! unfortunately we didn't have time to finish the pumpkins, but i guess that means that we are going to have to have another play date!
7. i would like to proudly state that we are out of diapers! the boy has proven that (with the exception of sleeping time) he is a big boy who doesn't need those stinkin diapers any more!
8. i don't ever really do much shopping for myself, but with the new job comes new work attire! i have had so much fun this week seeking out the best deals and steals.
9. the annual stitch rock was this weekend! i just love to go see all the crafters and talented people. we ate yummy gourmet watermelon popsicles, i picked up some spicy pickles from our lady of perpetual pickles, and found the perfect earrings at the lemoree booth!
10. with the first cold front of the fall season there is nothing more perfect than heading to the beach.  a "cold front" in south florida basically means you won't die of heat when you walk outside....it's still hot, jut not as hot.... i may try to convince the hubs to take a late afternoon bike ride to the beach today!

thrifty finds

dropped into the massive "walmart-esque" thrift store down the street today. got luck and found these black enzo angiolini flats ($3) for myself and a backpack with detachable lunch box ($4) for the boys first day of school! score.

thrifty finds

hit up my favorite little gem of a thrift store today.  once again i have left there just giddy with my finds. i have been dying for a skinny belt and made out like a bandit with this mahogany vintage gucci belt ($0.75) and this amazing turquoise vintage pierre cardin ($1.50).  in the quest for more black and white work clothes i found this super cute men's style blazer ($1.00), it may need a tiny bit of altering, but for one dollar we can make that happen.  i can't really say enough about those sunglasses ($2.00). you know when you try on a pair and you just know they are perfect before you even look in the mirror....yup that's these glasses. so for a whopping $5.25, i'd say i had quite the score.

back to buisness

woot! woot! look who's going back to work! i am motivated, inspired, and immersed. (oh yeah and that's my new painting in the back round! thanks brandon!)

blazer: vintage thrifty find

tank: victoria's secret

skirt & shoes: target

neckalce: family vintage

belt: vintage pierre cardin, thrifty find

DIY: craft desk

oh that hubs has been up to it again! blowing my mind with his craftsmanship! 

we started with this $10 thrifted desk. 

busted out the elbow grease and added some wood and screws and paint.  

now i have my very own custom craft desk.

thrifty finds.

oh man this past weekend i went to another one of those fantastic vintage yard sales that we are so lucky to have here. the house of vintage was cleaning out there shop and they had some pretty spectacular deals. i was lucky enough to bring these little beauties home!

this skirt is exactly what this summer heat is calling for. it's comfortable and such a great airy fabric. not to mention it kinda looks amazing blowing in the wind (or doing twirls).

i just fell in love with all these necklaces and it wasn't my intentions at first, but i absolutely love them all together.

did i mention that the ever so delicious ps561 truck was parked out front?!?! yum. there's no better way to end some fantastic shopping then with an avocado covered hot dog.

10 things i couldn't live without this week:

1. the boys best little lady friend is back in town! we spent the whole week hanging at the beach and water park with v and her mommy! so happy to have our friends back.

2. the cutest little puppet show at the lake worth library.

3. taco tuesday at tijuana flats. yummy.

4. fixed up those bracelets. don't forget to check them out and leave a comment for your chance to win.

5. sock monkey surgery.

6. road trip to longboat key....my favorite beach in florida. the hubs family had a little beach weekend getaway...it was amazing, even if it did rain most of the trip.

7. florida thunder storms. not only did we really need the rain, but there isn't much better to falling asleep to a beautiful lightening storm over the ocean.

8. the mote aquarium. if you are ever in sarasota, you should check out this amazing aquarium. the boys face was just light up the whole time we were there.

9. my new kitchenaid mixer! well new to me anyway. my sister-in-law is an amazing cake artist. with demands growing for her beautiful and delicious cakes, she needed a bigger mixer, so that meant it was time to retire he 30+ year old mixer to me. i have dreamed about a vintage white mixer for years and years. it is beautiful and i can't stop staring at it.

10. thrift store shopping in a new city. we went to an amazing estate sale in a retirement community...wait until you see the cutie pie dress that i added to my collection.

10 things i couldn't live without this week:

1. getting my new mk watch sized so i can finally wear it.

2. a long over due water park play date.

3. the boy stealing mangos from the neighbors tree...i will continue to send him on covert missions for the rest of the summer.

4. some fantastic thrifty finds from vita nova, and an amazing $2 yard sale find.

5. my amazing new double whammy dress. i have been doing some research on fabric, trying to price out the best quality jersey so that i can make some of these for you guys! the first run is going to be all black.

6. a ton of fantastic homemade alfredo sauce. the hubs had a hankering for some yummy alfredo, so i combine a couple of recipes and oh boy was it amazing! and there was a ton of it so we have been eating it all week.

7. friday evening swimming with the ladies. there may have been spiked crystal light.

8. a long night of laughing till we cried with the hubs.

9. all my freshly repotted plants. finally separated my violets, repotted the plumeria, and made a beautiful arrangement of succulent clippings.

10. my super duper clean car. the hubs got freaky on the cars today, and boy do they look and smell amazing.

thrifty finds.

this weeks thrifty finds come from that same amazing thrift store that the hubs found. if you are into old lady fashions like i am this is the place to be. here's what i got:

$3 for a set of two of the cutest and squishiest pillows. i just love this shade of mustard yellow, and our couches could use a little makeover. $0.50 for this vintage elastic belt, couldn't turn that down. and i have been wanting a pair of moccasins for as long as i can remember. found these for just $3 and by the looks of the soles they have never been worn. too bad i will probably have to wait a few months before i can wear them...it's too hot now.