Garden Memo Board

Hi there!   Cheap bulletin boards are pretty easy to come by these days and can be transformed so easily into something much more easy on the eye and useful.   I picked up this bulletin board for 90 cents at one of our local thrift stores and really liked the smaller size.   Here's the before shot:

I painted the trim and glued-down some pretty drawer-liner paper:

Then I cut some garden fencing down to size but kept the end pieces long.   (Found a big roll of this fencing at an estate sale for $1.00!!! luv it!)

I then drilled holes along the bottom and sides where the fencing pieces are long, then bent the fence wire into the hole and curled up the back to hold it in place.
Added a few cup hooks along the bottom, some clothespins to hold memos, photos, seeds and of course, some thumbtacks.

I think it's just adorable and am anxious to try another one, maybe bigger this time.

Inspiration for this project is courtesy of Becky at Beyond the Picket Fence.   She recently posted about several bulletin board projects and the one using the garden fencing really spoke to me.  

Give her a visit; she is extremely creative and always has loads of great projects to show.   She also holds frequent "linky" parties where other bloggers can post links to their projects, which is fun to check out.

More Flea-Market Finds

Can't seem to get enough of the flea markets lately.  Partly because of the weather; it's too yucky to be outside doing anything yet in the yard, although today was pretty nice!

All these items were 35% off;  this vendor was moving out.   I love the black painted tray!   The colors are gorgeous and it was 35% off of $5.00 original.   (Sorry, no calculator handy! ha)

Check out this large linen kitchen towel.  It appears to be rather old and was only $2.00 less 35%!

It has the cutest little sayings on it too.   Check out what it says about lavender:  for devotion; to soothe tremblings and passions of the heart.

And rosemary is pretty funny too:  "grows well in the house where the mistress is master".

I also found a couple of old farming newspapers, from 1916 and 1925.   I just love all the old gardening ads in them.   Great for crafts.

This one says to send 10 cents in; I've always wanted to try that and see what would happen; think I would get anything??   That reminds me of Hee-Haw.  How many of us dialed BR-549?   I did at my grandma's house once; it started ringing and I quick hung-up before I got in trouble!

Here's a few shots of the flea-market.   This is inside Ceasars Creek near Wilmington, Ohio.   If I went there every weekend, I'd always manage to find something to drag home.  

I usually find a few things in this lady's booth but she doesn't restock enough and I'm getting tired of looking at the same things.

Looks like a lot of tools in this booth but it also has old craft items, holiday items, etc.

This lady actually put together a cute country craft store; a little pricey but some nice stuff.

I'm really anxious for the outside vendors; hopefully it won't be long!  

(For those of you still looking for the Flea-Market Gardens magazine, I saw a big stack tonight at Krogers.)

How about a Quickie?

A quickie makeover, that is!   I bought these two framed pictures at the flea market last month for a quarter a piece.   Wasn't crazy about the pictures or the frame but they were in great shape and a nice size and who can beat that price?

A quick paint job and a beautiful rose print glued in and you now have this:

My original plan was to also add some cute garden sayings and other items to them but I'm liking them just the way they are; very sophisticated looking.   I think I might have to redo my bathroom just so I have a place to hang these beauties.

The rose prints are actually from some file folders I found at the thrift store last year; I'm going to be really sorry when those are all used up!

Flea-Market Garden Magazine!!

Oh my gosh! I am totally in love with this magazine!   This is the premier issue and it combines my two favorite things:  good-ole junk/flea market finds and gardening!  When I first saw it, I literally just wanted to 'transport' myself INTO IT!!

(click on any picture to enlarge it.)
  

It is definitely pricey: $9.95!  But I couldn't help myself.   (What is it with the price of magazines these days??   But this mag. has hardly any advertising in it and that's probably why.)

(Edit 2/10/11: I have received numerous requests on where to find the magazine. I bought mine at a Meijer store in central Ohio.  Good Luck!)


Don'tcha just love those posies tucked in those drawers?!   I'm going to try that this spring.   What I'm wondering:  do you plant directly in the drawer or place a pot in the drawer?   I suppose either way would work but I'd love to hear from those of you that use unusual containers for your posies.

I love rusted metal pieces in the garden that look like they've been there for years.

Check out the above desk!   Looks too good to be outside and have plants in it!   But it is gorgeous!   And that little planted chair is just too cute!

And what about this shed??!   One of these days, I swear I'm going to have my own little garden shed, decorated so cute I won't want to leave!  Just call me when dinner's ready.  Or better yet:  bring it out to me! ha!

And check it out!   Glass totems and plate flowers are becoming very popular!!  (That amber one looks almost identical to one I made about 4 years ago and it's still shining in my flower bed.)

Look:  they even give you instructions on how to make one.

Check out this shoe rack of succulents!   (I apologize for the glares!)

Here are a few more pics for your viewing pleasure!  

This magazine has gotten me so excited for spring.   But honestly, there's just no way I could ever have a beautiful garden like these, and I'm ok with that.   Unless you have 1 or 2 people able to help and can be out there all day long, I just don't see how it's possible.   I don't want my garden to consume me; I want to ENJOY it!   I just need to figure out how to have a great garden but on a smaller, more manageable scale.   If anyone has figured this out, please, do tell!!