tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22657071693472898332024-03-13T13:21:16.468-07:00Bee DomesticFrugal DIY and thrift store savvy.DevLeeBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15294943594115505724noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2265707169347289833.post-8583327259627753962013-07-16T10:41:00.004-07:002013-07-16T10:42:27.253-07:005-Minute DIY Trendy Statement NecklacesI've found that a great solution to the "I have nothing to wear" complex is adding the right accessories. And the quickest and cheapest way to do that is to repurpose something I already have on hand.
Back around 2005 we were all wearing long beaded necklaces that hung down to our belly buttons. Nowadays, the cycle of accessory fashion has rotated back around to short and chunky. Trendy DevLeeBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15294943594115505724noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2265707169347289833.post-58288826005679325812013-07-03T21:26:00.001-07:002013-07-03T21:26:59.074-07:00Thrift Store Fashion for the FourthUnlike last year, I'm not playing host this 4th of July, so my thrifting focus lately has been on fashion. This post is inspired by Lindsay Turner at Thrift & Shout. She always finds the cutest and trendiest clothes at the thrift store, so I had to show off a few of mine.
First up, a halter dress I've had for about a year, snagged for $8 at Goodwill. It may be hard to see, but the pattern isDevLeeBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15294943594115505724noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2265707169347289833.post-60044155491620979172013-07-01T17:34:00.001-07:002013-07-01T17:39:11.931-07:00West Elm Inspired DIY Part 3: Red Lacquer Tray
I'm serious when I say I'm a perpetual DIYer. So perpetual, in fact, that sometimes there just isn't time to share everything here! I'm playing catch-up on projects that have fallen through the cracks, starting with this third installment of my series of DIY projects inspired by West Elm. (Part 2 a.k.a. Rope Lamps was just featured on Copycat Crafts! Yay!)
In addition to my love of lamps, I DevLeeBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15294943594115505724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2265707169347289833.post-33733262038766806852013-02-18T00:34:00.000-08:002013-06-19T21:55:25.689-07:00The Magic of Varnish: Thrift Store Table Makeover
One of my favorite things about thrift store hunting is finding the unexpected. The other day when I was searching for a vase, I found this delicate and simple end table.
I tend to wander through all the departments of a thrift store, even when I'm searching for something in particular. On a clothing mission I'll check out furniture, on a knick-knack mission I'll poke through the shoes, and I DevLeeBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15294943594115505724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2265707169347289833.post-30134472813662552282013-01-04T19:30:00.000-08:002013-02-17T22:06:12.872-08:00Polo Shirts into Geometric Throw Pillows
It has been a long time since I posted regularly, so I'm playing catch-up on a few posts that I started at the end of the summer. My roommates and I have moved to a new house since then (more on that later) so most of the photos in this post were taken at the old place. I'll be showing you more of the new house as it comes together. In the meantime, here's a project with a little summer color toDevLeeBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15294943594115505724noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2265707169347289833.post-41493519158514455682013-01-02T11:32:00.001-08:002013-01-02T11:33:12.618-08:00Wrap Your Gifts With ThriftThough the holidays are behind us, I thought I'd share with you a project that was well received this past season of cheer. With all the time and money that we put into finding the perfect gifts for our loved ones, we naturally want to present those gifts in wrap worthy of their purpose. But after all that shopping, who wants to spend another fortune on gift wrap?
If that sounds like a sales DevLeeBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15294943594115505724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2265707169347289833.post-88234776683088513762012-09-19T15:17:00.002-07:002012-09-19T15:20:23.060-07:00Thifty Find: Clutch PursesFashion trends tend to repeat themselves. What's in fashion now is probably going to fashionable again down the road, whether fifteen, thirty, or fifty years from now. I think this is one reason bargain-hunters like me get so addicted to thrift store shopping. If it was popular ten-plus years ago, chances are you can find it in a thrift store.
Right now, popular fashion strikes me as a whole DevLeeBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15294943594115505724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2265707169347289833.post-52069100076851480572012-07-18T23:52:00.000-07:002012-07-18T23:55:03.111-07:00DIY Blues: Closet Your Inner Shopaholic
The title makes it sound like this is a gloomy entry, but stay calm and read on.
There's one place I shop that's even cheaper than the thrift store. And by cheaper I mean free. It's my own closet. It makes me feel like a bit of a hoarder to admit it, but there are plenty of clothes in my closet that I forget about or that I don't wear very often. So sometimes when I get the urge to shop, DevLeeBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15294943594115505724noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2265707169347289833.post-42924657226625728692012-07-15T22:46:00.003-07:002012-07-15T22:53:23.892-07:00Thrifty Find: Dark Brown Lace TopThis top was one of those things I found when looking for something completely different. I was trying on skirts and found it on the re-stock rack while waiting for the dressing room. It turned out to be the only flattering thing I tried on!
The top was $4.99 at Goodwill. No label to tell me who made it, but it is good quality material, so it could have been from a store like Macys. I wore it DevLeeBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15294943594115505724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2265707169347289833.post-42331237052650376092012-07-08T21:08:00.000-07:002012-07-13T22:44:57.696-07:00Frugal Fourth of July Party
We had a pretty un-festive Independence Day last year, so this year I decided we would make up for it by throwing a party. With a large lawn and huge deck on the roof of the garage, our rental house begs to be used for entertaining. It wasn't long before red, white, and blue decor started catching my eye at the thrift store. This post is about all my finds for our party, and how awesomely littleDevLeeBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15294943594115505724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2265707169347289833.post-24418809310362113112012-05-20T23:32:00.005-07:002013-06-19T21:53:13.722-07:00Mid-Century MakeoverA little while ago I came across a sort of holy grail of thrift store finds. It's one of those items that I've always pined for but never found. One of those items that I figured had been snatched up by collectors and re-sold by trendy interior designers to their meticulously stylish clients. In other words, I never dreamed of finding one.
I found a vintage student's chair.
A great part of DevLeeBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15294943594115505724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2265707169347289833.post-90321590222657685812012-05-13T23:03:00.000-07:002012-05-16T01:06:34.709-07:00West Elm Inspired DIY Part 2: Rope LampsFinally, the long- awaited second part of my West Elm inspired DIY series. It only took about 7 months! There are a few reasons for that, which I'll explain in a bit.
My inspiration for this West Elm knock-off is their Round Rope lamp. This lamp would have been right at home in some of the seaside houses my family rented on vacation when I was a kid. They make me think of tidy little guest roomsDevLeeBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15294943594115505724noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2265707169347289833.post-67680806395706193782012-04-27T00:58:00.001-07:002012-04-27T00:59:06.222-07:00Pottery Barn Knock-Off - Faux Spring Flowers
Spring has been in the air since February here in Southern California. That's when the cherry blossoms came and went, and when my seasonal allergies started. But even someone like me who has a love-hate relationship with the first seasonal blooms can appreciate their beauty. What better way to enjoy seemingly perpetual spring than to bring a little of it indoors?
I mentioned in the last post DevLeeBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15294943594115505724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2265707169347289833.post-76528844357164924642012-04-19T23:00:00.000-07:002012-04-27T00:59:44.653-07:00DIY Dye: Bootcut Mint Green Jeans
I work in a dangerous area. I don't mean hardhats and power tools dangerous, I mean spending-grocery-money-on-clothes dangerous. That's right, I work in a shopping district. Within two blocks of my office there are Banana Republic, Zara, Forever 21, Urban Outfitters, and H&M, just to name a few. Lunch breaks can be a time of great temptation.
I'm proud of myself that I usually come back DevLeeBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15294943594115505724noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2265707169347289833.post-38516162556079732482012-02-04T14:00:00.000-08:002012-07-13T22:28:12.841-07:00The Green Clean TestI'm very good at making up excuses not to clean the bathroom. I'm happy to say that this post is a sign that one of those excuses has been eliminated. I hate the smell of most home cleaning products. So I decided to try some of the home-made green cleaning recipes I've seen around the web.
First up was homemade glass cleaner. I was always a fan of Windex until I found out there were other ways DevLeeBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15294943594115505724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2265707169347289833.post-81438334432272309302011-12-11T15:27:00.001-08:002012-07-13T22:26:51.018-07:00Christmas Wreath FrenzyMy holiday decor shopping this year is reaching near-hoarder levels. The shelves in the garage are already full, as is the spare closet...I honestly don't know where it's all going to go once the season ends. But I can justify it all, because I got it for ridiculously cheap at the thrift store, and it doesn't look it.
So, this is the second post in my Thrifty Christmas series (the first was the DevLeeBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15294943594115505724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2265707169347289833.post-5324078040353141252011-11-28T21:25:00.001-08:002012-07-13T22:29:51.383-07:00Festive Holiday ShrubI am particularly proud and excited about this project, because, unlike many of my posts, this one is not inspired by something I saw on Pinterest or someone else's blog. It's entirely of my own creation...at least as far as I know.
The magnolia bush in our yard is always the first plant to lose all its leaves as winter draws near. I love the shape of the shrub, and the color of its dry DevLeeBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15294943594115505724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2265707169347289833.post-6431667633528507902011-11-06T22:40:00.000-08:002012-05-07T00:08:25.809-07:00A Touch of FallWe usually get our first cold winter storm about a week after Halloween. For bodies still used to early fall heat waves, it's real cuddling weather. And even when I can no longer keep my toes warm, I keep my spirit warm with touches of autumn color around the house.
I started with a few packs of leaves from the dollar store. When I grabbed these off the shelf I couldn't tell there were so many DevLeeBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15294943594115505724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2265707169347289833.post-11233155956389334112011-10-26T00:03:00.000-07:002012-05-07T00:08:11.331-07:00Trendy Feather EarringsThis project falls under the category of "Things I won't buy if I can make them cheaply myself." The materials for making your own feather earrings are cheap enough that the ones you see in stores are a shocking rip-off. Thanks to my friend Stephanie for inspiring this little adventure in thriftiness.
You can get all the supplies you need at a craft store like Michaels. (Prices are estimates DevLeeBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15294943594115505724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2265707169347289833.post-4756599439804663902011-10-03T22:22:00.000-07:002012-05-06T23:36:32.276-07:00How to Make Pipe Cleaner SpidersIt's officially October and I have no more restraint when it comes to Halloween crafts. The inspiration for this how-to comes from the Wired How-To Wiki on building a giant spider web. I followed Wired's instructions but made a few modifications.
For this project, all you will need is a pack of black pipe cleaners. Michaels sells a pack of 100 for a just a few dollars.
Make a DevLeeBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15294943594115505724noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2265707169347289833.post-38969311614262086212011-09-25T11:40:00.000-07:002012-05-06T23:28:11.994-07:00Mini DIY: How to Easily Remove Price StickersHere is a mini how-to for removing price stickers quickly and easily, without gunking up your pretty fingernails. I learned this trick from the manager at Webster's Fine Stationers, where I worked once upon a time.
This works best on the little price label stickers that come on things from the thrift store or smaller mom an pop places that still use old-fashioned price guns. However, it also DevLeeBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15294943594115505724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2265707169347289833.post-52392727124355170162011-09-22T13:15:00.000-07:002012-05-06T23:19:09.312-07:00West Elm Inspired DIY Part 1: Black VasesEver since West Elm appeared on the scene, I've admired their crisp, modern designs, but haven't found much to get me going. Their latest catalog was an exception. While giving it the obligatory flip-through before the recycling bin last week, I found myself pausing more than usual...and maybe even drooling a little. Here and there, I found things that really appealed to me, and while I DevLeeBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15294943594115505724noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2265707169347289833.post-38646257779475451672011-09-18T20:39:00.000-07:002012-07-13T22:31:08.925-07:00Thrift Store Table Turned Custom OttomanAt the end of a long day at work (or cruising the local thrift-store), I'm a fan of putting my feet up and relaxing with a good book. Problem is, the only place to put my feet up in our living room is the glass coffee table, and footprints on the glass is not something I want to worry about.
But that's nothing a little DIY project can't fix!
Just like my Dress Dyeing Adventure, the inspiration DevLeeBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15294943594115505724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2265707169347289833.post-28567494242902080442011-09-15T13:59:00.000-07:002012-05-06T22:17:05.716-07:00Dress Dyeing AdventureI think dyeing your own clothes counts as an adventure because it takes a certain amount of bravery to undertake. My clothing dye experience up to this point was limited to tie-dyeing t-shirts at summer camp as a kid, but I was inspired by the daring project Sherry at Young House Love undertook to dye her wedding dress! Now that's bravery.
I had no plans to potentially ruin anything quite DevLeeBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15294943594115505724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2265707169347289833.post-75167337065276120362011-08-10T19:10:00.000-07:002012-05-06T22:09:23.109-07:00Bathroom Cabinet MakeoverThe house I live in has almost everything a renter could ask for: spacious bedrooms, mahogany laminate floors, granite countertops. That is, everything but decent bathroom storage! The master bathroom has not a single drawer or cabinet. Time to use my thrift store and DIY savvy to solve this problem.
I found this fugly brown cabinet for $20 at the thrift store. As far as I can tell, it was DevLeeBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15294943594115505724noreply@blogger.com0