TV Trays To Patio Tables

Last week Daughter #1 sent me a text asking if I wanted some old TV trays, and I don't think she thought I would say yes. She was cleaning out a closet and if she didn't have a use for them why would I?

But her text was timely, and I did have a use for them.

When I was a kid tv trays were made of metal, and in my mind I can still hear my mom's set clanking as they would hit each other on the stand. These days the trays are wood and I don't think they are called trays, the youngsters call them tables, but to me they will always be tv trays.

So a few days after the original text the six tv trays and their stands landed on my front porch.  I knew what I would use them for, and I knew I would paint them but I did have to think on how I wanted them to look.

Antique Chamber Pot Planter

You never know what you'll get in a box of junk from an auction.

Like a pot to piss in.

Sorry if that's blunt, but back in the day before the advent of indoor plumbing and bathrooms, lots of folks weren't about to take a walk in the snow in below zero temps, just to make a little water in the middle of the night.

And the saying "didn't have a pot to piss in" meant you were pretty broke if you didn't even have a pot to do your business in.

When I went through the box of auction items I hauled home last spring, I pulled out this cute little antique red and white enamelware pot, but really all I saw was a planter.  It wasn't until after it sat on the steps holding a plant last summer that I realized what it really was.

The little red enamelware pot was actually an antique pot to piss in. Gross!

How to Make Metal Tags Look Like Mini Enamel Signs

Is it March?  April?  Soon to be June?

The previous months probably seemed long for most folks, and looking back I guess I squandered much of that winter time.  And now that those months are gone, it is still as if they have disappeared in the wink of an eye, but because of that squandered time my to-do list has been left mostly untouched even with all the "stay at home" time.

In December I promised a 'how to' post on cute little eye fooling tags that mimic an enamel look.  I made them for the markers of a 25 days advent calendar.

Dog Feeder Project And Elephant In The Room

Sooooo.....

About that elephant in the room.

It's in my room, your room, big brothers room, all the way to the room of a remote isolated indigenous tribe in the rain forest, so I thought I'd just address that prior to sharing a project.

Bliss Ranch has very loyal, engaged, and sweet readers, and I thank you all.  And based on the amount of email I get, (which I finally checked) when you don't hear from me for an extended time via blog posts or on social media, you worry and ask if I'm alright.  I am.  But are you?

Those instant messages and emails have prompted me to acknowlege the elephant in the room; that ever big, ever present, sort of hazy gray cloud hanging over us all in everything we do right now.

Office Update With A Photowall Mural

I'm pretty excited about today's post for a few reasons....

1)  Something was checked off the to-do list
2) Something looks pretty darn awesome with a mural from PhotoWall (but who wouldn't want to remove a 26 year old teal paisley couch from a room?)
3) The man of the house can quit using the dining room table for paperwork
4) There is a discount code at the end of this post for any readers that would like to order their own mural from PhotoWall.

Back when this house was built it was popular to have a more formal living room area if there was the space, I guess to entertain guests. You know - one room without a TV and toys. 

Fact: with six kids there was never a room that was without toys, and the people we entertained usually brought more kids and more toys.

Thrifting At Occasional Shops

It's time for the February Thrifty Style Team lead by Julie from Redhead Can Decorate, and for my thrifty post I got out from behind the computer and thrifted my little ♡ out.

I'm sorry Mr. Bezos, there will be no deliveries for me this week.  I no longer need a basket for my mail, which was my thrifting goal.

Thrifting didn't just happen on Saturday, I actually went out twice, once on Saturday and then again on Sunday.  No that's not how I usually roll, but I went to half of the local shops on a date with Daughter #2, and then again to the other half of the shops the next day with a new date.

And I know since today is Valentines ♥ Day, that there is a burning question in your heart♥.... you want to know did I purchase on both days?

Yes I did.  I ♥ myself.

I'll be showing you the items I plunked down some dollars for, as well as the lovely stuff I left behind, and make sure to click the links at the end to visit the sweet members of the Thrifty Style Team.  Both they and I would love it if you do.  It's Valentines Day but there is no particular theme to our posts this month, I just felt like including all this love ♥.  

I have written before about the occasional sales in a small town a few miles from me, although I'm not necessarily the kind of shopper the owners want as clientele.

I wander around the 15+ shops to get ideas, then come home and figure out how to recreate the look myself, of course for less.

The shops are all open for four days starting the 1st Thursday of the month, and some are open full time.  I don't go each month, and many times I don't come home with a single thing.  What I really like is going along with someone and watching them spend their money.

Thrifty Style Team New Year Giveaway

Update....Friday, January 17, 2020; 

***This giveaway is now closed, thank you to all who entered.  The winner has been contacted and I will be mailing a set of tags #1-10 in the next couple of weeks.***

New Year new stuff going down around Bliss Ranch.

And when I say things are going down around here you can take it literally.....  five walls to be precise are the things that are now gone.  I'm up to my eyeballs cleaning messes and finding temporary locations for items that came out of cabinets that no longer exist.

What we have got going on is the snow ball effect.  One project leading to another to another to another, and before you know it there is an open concept floor plan where a person can see all the way across this 70' long ranch house.

But all that mess are posts for another day, because today it's all about the Thrifty Style Team Giveaway, and when you visit each of the participating blogs you'll have a chance to win something from their thrifty stash. 

Top Five Posts of 2019

Another one come and gone.  Year that is - another year is over.

As I get slower the years go faster.  Wasn't it just a couple years ago we were worried about some terrible computer thing when the clock struck midnight and the date changed to 2000? Whattttt that was 20 years ago?  Hmmmm.

Whatever.  I don't alter my life over predictions and I have pretty much quit making New Years resolutions -  both for the same reason; neither usually happens.

But before I move into 2020 I did some reminiscing of the projects past here at the ranch and picked the top 5 fan favorites.

As I looked back on the Bliss Ranch happenings I realized I spent more time outside sprucing stuff up in 2019 by working on little outdoor projects.  I also enjoyed the completed things I spruced and the quiet time painting outside in the sun was nice.

Handmade Advent Calendar By A Pint Size Crafter

This year I crafted a bit more than usual and unlike big furniture makeover projects, sometimes I didn't craft alone.

Last year I created three Christmas countdown calendars that took way too much time for what was basically a single use item.

So this year I wanted to create countdowns that could be reused each year.

Recycled Metal Seat Holiday Door Wreath Thrifty Style Team

It's the holiday season, so whoop de do and dickory dock and don't forget to hang up your....... metal stenciled front door wreath.

The original version of the song didn't mention a metal door wreath, but socks are overdone right?

It's Thrifty Style Team December Edition and I've got a feeling when you and I visit the other blogs at the bottom of this post, we're gonna see some holiday thrift'n going on.

Advent Calendar & Old Sign Stencil Giveaway

WINNER WINNER AND WINNER.....

The generous sponsor of the giveaway, Old Sign Stencils, decided to pick three names, to receive a stencil of their choice. This giveaway is now over. 

Winners are: Sandy at Primitive Skate, Marie at Interior Frugalista, and Linda at Itsy Bitsy Pieces. You'll be contacted shortly to claim your wins!

Many thanks to everyone who entered and visited these wonderful projects!



Have you ever tried your hand at stenciling?  Well don't think you can't do it, you can, and you can make some fun stuff by mixing the stencils up.

And what better way to give you the confidence to try, than to band together with other bloggers who have been around the stencil block a time or two, and who will inspire you with the possibilities.

AND at the end you have a chance to win an Old Sign Stencil of your choice!

Homemade Stenciled Woodsy Gifts

It's the most wonderful time of the year.  The season of bloggers gathering together to showcase talents, twenty to be exact, on this tour of Christmas ideas.

There'll be table-scapes for hosting, porches and decks for boasting, with two gift wrap ideas to be had.

Christmas mantels are glowing, and I will be showing three homemade woodsy gifts out in the snow.

All the links at the bottom, so you can click on 'em, more ideas than your brain can now stow.  It's the most wonderful time of the year.......

It's ok if you're rolling your eyes at my song parody, I never claimed to be a lyricist, only that there would be occasional silliness.

FlyOver America at the Mall Of America

Last weekend we set out on an adventure to explore some sights in our own neck of the Twin Cities woods.

Since I'm not native to Minnesota, and even after 30+ years living here, there is still a lot of uncharted territory and places to visit right in my own backyard, and within an hour driving distance.

We don't paint and build every waking hour around here, we do take time to play, and when I find something away from DIY that I think my readers will enjoy I share it.

One of the places that is not uncharted territory is the Mall Of America.  When it first opened its approximately 600 doors, we went there often to shop. My daughters went for the clothes, my sons everything else.

Thrifty Holiday Decorating Ideas

When it comes to Christmas decorating I lean toward the tradition of what I've always done.  I only see those decorations once a year so I like to use them every December.

Sure my tastes may change or I see something at the store or on Pinterest that I think would be a nice addition to what I have, but I certainly don't want to go out and buy new decorations every year.  Our memories are caught up in the familiarity of the season, and the decorations I have always used set the scene for that.

To change up the look it can be as simple as using what I have in different areas or give something a new look without adding cost to my wallet.

November's Thrifty Style Team has a holiday theme, and I'm offering up 7 decorating tips to frugally turn your home into a place that says Christmas is coming.  From easy instant atmosphere and reusing what you have, to making it yourself for simple DIY.

It doesn't have to be expensive to change up your holiday home, but it might take an investment.  What do I mean by investment?  Well for example seasonal pillows.......

White Ikea Bin Turned Dog Food Container

I'm a fan of the bins at Ikea.

I've had a bunch of Ikea galvanized tubs for 15+ years that I bought for toys, and those are still keeping the Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head parts corralled.

When we had large dogs -as in Great Dane and Rhodesian Ridgeback size- we kept a full size trash can in the garage filled with their kibble.  The local chipmunks appreciated that and their offspring are probably still eating from the stash of dog food that their ancestors hoarded.

The previous spoiled puggle had a wooden half barrel bin that he knew how to open, and it wasn't quite big enough for a 20+ pound bag of dry dog food.  So when the girlfriend of #3 son wanted to go to Ikea it was perfect timing to pick up a new dog food bin for Honest Abe the 8 month old ranch dog.

Little Shed Makeover

We've got this little shed in our backyard and I'm going to take you on a 4-season tour of it, with a painted update and a sign.

The shed has lived 26 years in the same place and was moved to that spot from a different house, putting the actual age of the build at about 31.

The wood was hammered together back when men wore short shorts like Richard Simmons, which was the style while they were getting physical and listening to their body talk.

I didn't invent the length of the shorts or that song, but both were popular in the 80's when the little shed was born.  I'm not going to include the picture of my husband wearing that style, his children have already ridiculed him enough.

Thankfully mens shorts have since gotten a makeover, and it's time the little shed did too.

Behold the shed in the glory of early Spring. We took out a large shrub to the left and planted some hostas and grass and that's about the time I got the ambition to finally paint it.

Working right up close to it made me realize how really crappy it actually looked.

Before the Summer miracle that is paint

Step Stool Makeover, October Thrifty Style Team

In September's edition of the Thrifty Style Team,  I gave a vintage enamel bucket a makeover and explained how a local auction house groups things together so if you win the bid you come home with other treasures you may or may not want.

Same scenario for Octobers step stool - it was grouped in the same winning bid as the enamel bucket and sat in the garage til I took a paint brush to it.  A thrifty update to a thrifty castoff.

And speaking of thrifty, this month there are 16 Thrifty Style Team projects to check out, those links come at the end after I'm done blabbing.

Vintage School Chair

I've got some factual tidbits today from back before dirt was invented.

OK perhaps not quite that long ago, but long enough that it was hard for me to remember much about when I was in 2nd grade.

Fact; this metal and wood school chair did not belong to me during my elementary years.

My rear end never hit that seat to read about Dick and Jane or to see Spot run, and I think this style was in use before my days in the classroom.

Fresh Cut Flower Wreath, 29 Bloggers Fall Ideas Tour

Is it getting Fall-sie where you live?

Do you bring the outdoor colors inside?

At my place there are crisp nights, apples galore, and tons of Autumn decorating inspiration from the group of bloggers in this tour of ideas.

This is an annual tour for five days with 28 other bloggers, and I'm excited to be part of it.  There are links at the bottom so you can come along on the tour with me and see what each day of the week holds in store.

Imperfect Pumpkins Sign

One thing I am positive about is that there is never a dull moment around here, and there is also never a shortage of things to do, work or otherwise.

Along with my new found love of growing dahlias, we have a couple of kids with green thumbs growing their own veggie gardens, and this year Daughter #2 is throwing her hat in the pumpkin growing field.

Last Fall  D#2 decided she wanted to have a pumpkin patch so she saved seeds to sow in spring from her unusually shaped pumpkins and gourds that were sitting on her porch.

Vintage Bucket September Thrifty Style Team

There's a hole in the bucket Dear Liza, Dear Liza.....

Well not really.

The vintage enamel bucket below is very solid with nary a hole and I'm giving it an update for the September Thrifty Style Team, along with a second update using the inside metal cylinder from an antique ice cream maker.

You will find links to the other Thrifty Style Team members below, so stop in and see how thrifty they are this month.

Bliss Ranch Dahlia Garden

There are flower farmers, and then there are FLOWER FARMERS. 

There are people who plant flowers, and there are people who plant, grow, and tend flowers.

There are people who take their passion for growing flowers very seriously, or make an income from it, and some who grow tons of blooms for the pure enjoyment of the whole process from start to finish.

And there are also people like me.