Thrifting for Sconces

Every time I look at this title I see "scones." I wish I saw scones every time I looked in the kitchen.

But back on track: I finally hung the second sconce in our bedroom.

I did the first one a few several weeks ago when I built our new crate nightstands... and it didn't go great. There was trial with too much error, and way too many holes in the wall. All of which I chalked up to a combo of bad planning and user error. My bad, guys. It took me a while to work up to doing the other one. 

But after a few weeks of a lamp sitting on my tiny nightstand while the sconce took up my whole dresser, I was ready.  And this time it went much smoother. So hopefully you can learn from my mistakes from the first time around.

But before we get to all that, let me tell you about these scones. This is the recipe I use: Kevin's Famous Scones. And now for the sconces. I knew I wanted something either wall-mounted or hanging since our nightstands have so little surface area to begin with. I had a vague idea of what I wanted - something with moveable arm that would make it easier to reach from bed - but honestly hadn't even started shopping around. Then one day at goodwill BOOM a pair of sconces for $5 each.

Polymer Clay Stud Earring Tutorial

Flashback to last Christmas: I'm hunched over my laptop, scouring the interwebs for a pair of "solid color flat circle earrings." It's my sister's Christmas list request. And for the life of me I can't find a pair under $25. As I sat there searching, all I could think was, "There has to be a way to make these."

And sure enough, there is way. It's much cheaper than $25.

These are so easy to make. This is all you need:

• polymer clay - we used black, gold, green, teal, and pink (you can get them for about $1 at craft stores with a coupon, or order a multi-pack of 24 colors for $10 on Amazon)
• super glue
• earring studs and backs (I order them from Crafty Mountain on Etsy)

I used brown cardstock and a tag punch to make display-style cards for earrings, but it's definitely not necessary.

My BFF (hint: it's in the laundry room)

I have a new best friend. A friend who cleans up messes, washes paint brushes, and catches dirty laundry. She lives in the laundry room.

It's my utility sink! I am a firm believer that any household with little children needs a utility sink. I need a nice big tub to soak muddy pants, wash muddy shoes (we have a lot of mud), and pre-soak stained clothes. Did I mention little children? We lived here several months without one, but between running all the way to the kitchen to treat a stain and soaking things in the bathtub, it was time.

We bought the sink at Home Depot and found a great all-in-one kit with sink, pull-out faucet, and drain parts all together for just $99. It saved quite a bit over buying those pieces separately. We also found a rocking horse.