My super fab sister-in-law, Anne, called me a couple months ago and filled me in on her latest creation. I have been meaning to post it  for all to enjoy and be inspired by (a picture will follow shortly). Anne found an old cabinet, looks like about three feet tall. It was missing the doors. Her girls love to dress-up and have costumes galore. So she painted the cabinet, put a hanging rod in the middle and viola - an instant closet for dress-up clothes for her kids! A pink and purple costume closet for under $30! Way to go, Anne.
I am so thankful to be a part of a resourceful family. We have a good time bouncing ideas off each other when we can.  Anne and my good friend and family member, Leah, always inspire me. They are always working on some new projects and are so creative.
When she's not chasing two kids around, Leah has recently taken to making skirt aprons out of old men's button-up shirts. She sent us some for Christmas and they are way cool. What a simple way to repurpose discarded shirts. And when you hunt through the thrift stores, there are so many patterned shirts to choose from, you never know what great color and pattern you might encounter. You can find some of these aprons, along with other cute things she's made on her Etsy site: www.harpersmarket.etsy.com.
She and Anne will be selling their goodies at an arts and crafts fair in Memphis in March. I'll post the specific information as soon as I have it. If you are in the area, go check them out!
Enjoy!

I've got to brag on my husband, Kevin. This guy not only supports my dumpster diving tendencies, he hops right in the dumpsters with me!

He has great vision when he sees something he knows we could fix up. He is an amazing craftsman and I am learning so much from him as we find things and fix them up together. He has been a huge contributor to the Dumpster Diva initiative and has put a lot of his time and talent into making found items unique and special.

Thanks so much, KP, for all the love and support you've given me! And for sharing your work space with me. Looking forward to seeing what we fix up next!

Here are a few things KP has recently worked on that were in the Good JuJu sale. Maybe you are one of the lucky people who now owns some of these pieces...?? If so, enjoy!

Come check out Good JuJu in December 4-6 for all things unique, funky and repurposed! I will have a space there and will have all kinds of revived items. This store bursts with inspiration. There is something for everyone.
Come see it and prepare to be recharged with all the creativity that will surround you.

Good JuJu
www.goodjujukc.com
1412 W. 12th Street
Kansas City, MO 64101
816-421-1930

Happy shopping!!

I like to find ways to display my supplies so that they blend into my décor. Here are a few ideas on ways you can spice up your storage.

• Find an old deep metal tool box and paint it a fun color. Hang some file folders inside and you can put all kinds of supplies in the folders. I use my funky teal-colored metal box to hold fabric swatches, stencils, paper samples, and anything else crafty that is flat. This is a fun and organized way for me to keep all my “stuff” in one place and add a splash of color to my creative corner.
• An old frame makes a great ribbon holder! I took this frame and painted it. Then, I strung several rows of jute along the back and stapled them to the frame, pulling the jute taut. Voila! You’ve got an cute, functional piece to hang your ribbon on. Consider using dowel rods instead of jute for a more firm structure to hang things from.
• It’s amazing what an aluminum colander placed on top of an aluminum lazy Susan can do! I found a colander with three feet that fit perfectly in the middle of a lazy Susan and it holds all my stamping ink pads, beads, wires and other small crafty things. All I have to do is turn the lazy Susan for easy access to whatever I need.

Use the ordinary to your benefit.

I find myself forgetting what dangly earrings I have when they are sitting in a jewelry box. I decided to find something that would help me display them. I found that an old aluminum cheese grater works perfectly! You can fit quite a few dangly earrings in the side that has the larger holes. You can also hang bracelets from the middle handle. And if you really want to want to spruce it up, you can paint it a fun color!

Just another way to turn something mundane into something useful.

I love finding items that are begging for a new purpose! Even at a very young age, I loved going to antique stores with my mom and Aunts - looking at all the old stuff and making up a story about where it came from.
Now that I'm older, I like to find things and fix them up. This is why I started this site and will update this blog as often as I can about things I'm seeing that are inspiring to me. My hope is that I inspire you and give you something to act on.

Sometimes it's easy to get "stuck" when you have a creative fire in your soul, but don't know where to start. The best way to overcome that is:
1). Go somewhere new and look around. Observe art, listen to music, talk to people. There are inspiring things all around you. One of my favorite places to go when I need a little perk-up is Anthropologie. Their window displays are so awesome and their store is like a home away from home. I could spend hours in that store admiring the fixtures, clothing and soaking in the set-up; and
2). Try, try, try! Don't be afraid to make a mistake or have something not turn out exactly the way you want it to. This is hard for me, being a perfectionist. But if you don't try, you'll never know what might have been. Have a little faith in yourself.

Here are some things that might help to get you "un-stuck." Enjoy!