Blue Bird Circle

     If you live close to Houston, TX and love antiques and bargains, you need to get yourself down to the Blue Bird Circle. Besides destroying rooms and painting everything in sight, Sis and I are avid bargain hunters (there is a missing Picasso out there, and we mean to find it). So this weekend we put down our paint brushes, folded our ladders and went hunting. This is a little glimpse of what we saw: 

     Yes, that is what I am saying. All of these treasures can be yours. Where else can you buy designer clothing and taxidermy at the same time....nowhere, but at Blue Bird Circle. I have first dibbs on the two French chairs and maybe the tea set.
     This is such a nice painted bedroom set, who doesn't like Beatrix  Potter.

     If you have a little boy that loves Captain Jack Sparrow, you have to buy this bed set immediately.

      This painted green chair is calling me.

If you are a clothes horse and appreciate designer duds, this place might be for you. For instance, check out this royal blue 

Albert Nipon suit.      

      My only hang up on not buying this suit is that it only comes in a size two, which I am afraid that I haven't been for awhile. On Saturday, Blue Bird had tons of Calvin Klein, Talbot, and Chico brand clothing. I didn't ask, but I am sure that there is probably a Chanel lurking around on the racks too.
      Also, everybody that shops at a resale store knows that the longer an item has lingered, unsold around the shop, the deeper the item is discounted. Every store has their own policy, but I have to praise the Blue Bird Circle on what they do. They place that information on their tickets. I cannot tell you how much time this simple act saves. Looking for information on an item at a resale shop can be trying. Usually, no one knows, so price information has to be looked up. Time can stand still at moments like these. If Albert Einstein were alive, he would be looking into this resale-store phenomenon and creating an equation to explain it. 

Check out the ticket above. If you wait until February 18, 2012, you would only pay $2,997.50. The information is right there! All resale shops should adopt this policy.
     This item, mahogany table and six chairs, can be found in the better furniture area. For me, the ticket carries a little hint of being an oxymoron, which I like. I don't think my first car cost that much. However, this is what makes the Blue Bird Circle the best at what they do.   ~Sandy~

The Blue Bird Resale Shop location:
       615 West Alabama, Houston TX

For more information: 
       www.thebluebirdcircle.com/ResaleShop.aspx

      

Sewing Niche

One bonus to my vanity area was a large closet opposite the sink counter top.  Some of you may be familiar with the large mirrored sliding closet doors that were popular in the 80s.  Well, they're gone.  The space has been converted into a sewing area hidden by a curtain.

Valance and bench with matching fabric

Plywood covered with marble

 I installed a fabric covered valance made from an 8" wide wooden board to hide an adjustable shower rod that holds the curtain fabric.  The valance fabric was also used to cover an old vanity bench that easily slides underneath the sewing machine.





Curtain fabric.  Love moire!



Easy DIY reupholstery project



When I will find time to sew again is the big question.

Bath Vanity - Making Progress

Called my sister for help installing sink and glad I did since she has more plumbing experience.  Because the sink location  changed we needed to install new pipe so this required a trip to the hardware store.  Hours later after tracking down and fixing leaks we were finally finished thanks to my sister's determination. 

Managed to find mirror I liked at Hobby Lobby.  The price was reduced to $35 because of scuff marks, but I plan on refinishing it so that didn't matter.

We answered a newspaper ad by a local tile installer that was cleaning out his warehouse and offering tile at rediculous prices.  I got this marble tile at a $1 a piece and purchased 20.  My sister has a tile cutter so installing the tile was a pretty easy job, just messy.  The 3 inch decorative tile trim came from Lowes and really compliments the cream color in the marble.

There is nothing like crown molding to dress up a room.  Thankfully we are getting better with our angle cuts and don't waste as much wood.

Please check back for the final results!

Bathroom Remodeling

     My sister is remodeling one of her bathrooms and this is a journal of that process. This is something that she has wanted to do for a very long time. Neither she nor I are licensed in plumbing, carpentry, or wiring so our learning curve was high when we tackle home projects that require those skills. However, over time, we have learned our limits and gained some needed skills.

     My sister's home was built in the 1980s and came with all the1980s' hot trends such as popcorn ceilings, cultured marble vanities, and metallic-speckled white Formica counter tops (I think we found a Swatch Watch behind one of the counters).
     Sis likes Country French and is in the process of changing her home to reflect that design. So the picture to the right shows you some of the progress that we have made. I know that it looks like a mess, but bear with us. As you can see, we have taken down the mirror, scraped the popcorn off the walls and ceiling,  moved electrical boxes and outlets, and are in the process of floating and taping the drywall.
     The plan is to add more cabinet space by stacking at least two pre-made cabinets up to the ceiling; set and grout marble tiles for the counter top; and plumb in a porcelain sink. Also, we will add crown molding and, of course, paint the room French blue.........~Sandy~