DIY Non-Stick Shovel

Hard to believe that just 24 hours ago it was 52 degrees here in Chicago . . . this is what we look like today :(

Do you still SHOVEL snow or do you have a snow blower?  Someone just gave us a little snow blower a few weeks ago so I think we'll use it if the snow is not too deep but we still shovel for the most part.  Ever wonder how to keep the snow from sticking to the shovel? (If you DO shovel, you know what I'm talking about!)

Yes, that's a candle.  Just take an old candle and rub and rub over your shovel until you have a nice coating of wax and the snow will not stick at all but slide right off!  I fondly remember my dad every Fall bringing all of the shovels down into his work room in the basement and waxing them.  Did you know this also works great on sleds? He would bring our sleds in and wax the runners . . . man did we fly down those hills!  So, do you shovel or snow blow?  And if you live in a wonderful, sunny place where you don't have snow, we don't want to hear about it . . . LOL!

 

Check Out My Drawers

With the Christmas decorations down, I just couldn't wait to put up my Valentine decorations! Doesn't it all look so drab after you put everything away?  I am all about multi-purpose decorating and these drawers are just that.  Here is the same drawer at Christmas.

 I kept some of the elements and added some vintage Valentine postcards, old hardware pieces and rhinestone earrings.

 The heart garland is a pack of 3 plastic necklaces from Big Lots (1.25) that I cut apart.

Here's the second drawer changed out from Christmas to Valentine's Day.

Decorating your "drawers" is a great way to use up odds and ends by combining them into one holiday vignette.  Now show us your drawers!

Valentine Tree

 

You may recognize this tree . . .

  This is how it looked for Christmas with faux-vintage photos on it.  This was a big hit with guests who thought these were photos of my family . . . they got a good laugh when I told them I just pulled them from the internet!

 Using Google, I did a search for "Vintage Valentine Cards" and found a bunch of cute images.

 

I added a bit of detail with some ultra-fine glitter, 'aged' them with stamps and ink and  mounted them on layers of card stock.

 I kept the prisms and red beads on the tree and just clipped on the miniature Valentine cards.

I filled the wire base with metallic hearts and placed the tree on a vintage doily.  Multi-purpose decorating saves me a lot of time and storage space.  Take a look around at your decorations and see if there are things you have that can be used for several holidays.  I'll be back soon to show you more of my multi-purpose decorations.  It's hard to believe it's almost Valentine's Day since we're enjoying temps in the upper 40's - low 50's here in Chicago -- but I'm not complaining . . . each day without snow is a gift!

 

 

Charming Shelf

I've had this shelf since I picked it up at a neighbor's garage sale this Summer.  No before pics but it was just a dark brown wood with no back to it.  

I added a back covered with scrapbooking paper, painted with a few light coats of A.S. Chalk Paint and distressed.

I love the details on this -- it's in my Etsy Shop if you feel you can't live without it!  I'm enjoying adding to my shop after the Christmas season and will be adding more soon!

 

One Last Christmas Glimpse . . .

I had every intention of beginning to begin putting away the Christmas decorations today.  Then I looked out the window at the rain/snow mix falling and decided . . . one more day to enjoy the lights.  Here is one of the "Christmas Drawer" vignettes I created this year.

One of my bleached bottle brush trees, a vintage doily and some old hardware. . .

Toss in some ornaments and beaded garland, a vintage book, pine cones and there you have it . . . a simple way to add interest to any corner of the room.

I'll be carrying this idea over into Valentine's Day as well as featuring some of my other multi-purpose decorating ideas.

I wish you all a Happy New Year!