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Monday, June 29, 2009

Thrifty Treasures on Met Monday, if by "thrifty" we mean FREE

Have you ever visited a house that just seemed perfect? I don't mean that it was grand or spectacular, but that it was perfect for what it was -- someone's very special home -- and a true reflection of its owner.

I was lucky enough to visit such a home on Saturday.

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Today I'm double-dipping in Blog Party Land ...
Metamorphosis Monday
(click here!) and Today's Thrifty Treasures (click here!).

Thanks to Susan of Between Naps on the Porch and Rhoda of Southern Hospitality for hosting.



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I have a new friend -- Barbara -- whom I met last month at the home of an old friend.

Barbara invited our family (including Dion) for a barbecue on Saturday. If I had been bolder, I would have begged to take pictures of her house (and her pups, too!), to share with you.

Barbara's house is a 1930's era Sears kit house, and it is perfection. It nestles cozily into a beautiful established garden, crazy with bloom, with a tall hedge that I've already forgotten the name of, but that I need here at That Old House to screen out a new house next door. I would love to hire Barbara to give me garden design advice!

Inside, the house has been beautifully and carefully updated, and a wonderful room added across the rear, with built ins and big chunky rows of windows. . . but what makes this house so special is that it could only belong to Barbara; it is that personal.

I just loved it. Maybe I'll be invited back, and this time,
work up the courage to say, "May I invade your privacy, please?"

As we were leaving, Barbara told us she had something
she thought That Old House could use; she was right.
She gave us two of these:


I asked my daughter Anne if they could qualify as Thrifty Treasures,
and she said, "What is more thrifty than free?" She has a point.

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So . . . on to the Metamorphosis, using our Thrifty Treasures. . . .

Here, $8 worth of supermarket flowers, beginning to lose their oomph!


Time to bring in a shorter vessel:


A pair of clippers, a steely resolve to toss the past-their-pull-date blooms,
and voila! A new look.


The dining room, meanwhile, looks a bit austere -- a big dark leafy philodendron
on the table, and two side windows looking rather bare, square and plain:


So. . . let's put a little color on the table:


And take the philodendron and put it in one of the plant stands from Barbara:


Take a pothos, swiped from the parlor, and pop into the other
plant stand, and in front of the other window:


And we have our metamorphosis --- a softened look,
with colorful flowers, healthy plants, and two lovely old iron stands!


From another perspective:


So it's a simple change today, or, as Anne put it, "Not much of a Metamorphosis, Mom."

But it's a change for the better -- albeit a small one -- and that's what counts. Right?

I am looking for a place for these plant stands in the sunroom, too, for the colder weather. Stay tuned; I have a feeling they will turn up again, and again. -- Cass

26 comments:

  1. Very pretty Cass!
    The iron stands are gorgeous.
    Your created a beautiful MM post and a great use of a thrifty treasure.

    I would also enjoy viewing Barbara's Sears home.
    I've never seen one before.

    Have a happy day.
    ~Melissa :)

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  2. The DR is lovely and I like the addition of the iron stands.
    Joyce

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  3. Cass-One of my guilty pleasures is fresh flowers in my house almost every week ( I raid the sale bucket!). I think they add so much. I love the stands from your new friend! They add a lot to the dining room. Now that was just mean to tell us about the house and not show us pictures!! Return with a camera!!!

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  4. great plant stands! they look perfect in your big window

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  5. I love live plants so it looks beautiful to me! I think plants are a great to any room, they give a instant lift to a space.

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  6. Those free plant stands look a million bucks! You have such a lovely home!

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  7. Can't get anymore thrifty than free! Really like the plant stands and your dining room is pretty. I snipped the stems off of the glads last week and got a couple more days out of them.
    Glenda

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  8. Love the iron stands! They look wonderful in your dining room! Love the bowl of flowers! Hurry and go back and take pictures of the lady home. lol I think mine will never reach perfect stage. I got my parlor all torn apart to make a library in. Double duty! I said we were not touching the parlor until the rest of the house was finished. I been given bookcases, Oh I could show those and my tea table I was given. I received so much this week Free. I can't name it all. I love your free iron stands, Now I love some of those too! lol

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  9. I just love the plant stands. They are gorgeous and perfect with the plants in front of the two side windows. I think it's a fabulous MM. Hugs, Marty

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  10. A fabulous metamorphosis. And free is definitely thrifty.

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  11. Beautiful Metamorphosis and fabulously Thrifty, Cass! What an absolutely gorgeous dining room you have!!

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  12. Very pretty Cass !
    I am loving that plant stand - so timeless !
    Hugs ~ Kammy

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  13. I end up moving things around all the time. Your plants look pretty where they are though. they will love the light.

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  14. Such a small change can add oooomph to a room!! Have you ever noticed that when you move a plant from a room, it always looks like something is missing for awhile?

    The plant stands are fabulous and it sounds like Barb is going to be a great friend!

    Love your post, Cass! :-)

    xoxo
    Jane

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  15. Great plant stands --

    I do hope you can get pics of the Sear's house. We have a couple here -- very small ones and a Gordon Van Tine House -- very grand. In the little town 20 miles east there is a really big Sears house.

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  16. I do like those plant stand and the plants by the windows! The room is so much warmmer!

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  17. Hi Cass, Your dining room is very impressive -- warm, with rich colors and sumptuous-looking, without being overdone. I love old houses. I grew up in a 19th century farmhouse, and live in a newer house that's a replica of one built beginning in 1795 -- the original was a work in progress for around 30 years.

    Now I want to see dishes -- lots of dishes! Thank you for visiting Affordable Accoutrements today. I enjoyed reading your nice comments. We'll have to visit each other often!
    Warmest regards,
    Bill

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  18. Very nice post...that's why Met monday is all about... transformations like that! I really love that flower arrangement! Its just so cheery! Stop by my blog for my 100th post giveaway if you get a chance!
    Have a great week!
    ~Really Rainey~

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  19. Very pretty. We had a Sears home in Guthrie, OK, never had the opportunity to go inside but it was so pretty outside. I hope one day your friend will let you take pictures!
    Valerie

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  20. Wow, three simple additions and no way does your Dining Room look austere now.

    I so enjoy the visits you gift us with to That Old House. Hedges will only add to its beauty. For your own sake plase ensure the hedges can be easily managed. You need them to be a joy, not a chore to maintain.

    Michelle in Wellington, NZ

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  21. I just now today found your website! I am IN LOVE:) It is just wonderous and I am going to take great pleasure in reading past posts. THANK YOU for such a labor of love. Oh - and I too have been married 31 years! Have been with my husband since we were were 15 - so this year will be 40 years we have been together. A friend asked me, "and you STILL like him??" (I'm just as sappy about him as I was as a fifteen year old:)

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  22. Hi Cass :)

    I love your new stands! I think they made a big change :)

    I have one from my great grandma, but I was told she used it for a large golfish bowl and that the bowl broke. I use it for a plant now though. It's in my foyer pics.

    Thank you for your sweet comments about Shiloh and my unknown visitor. It was a strange week last week, wasn't it? Anyway, I'm taking a blogging break for a week, but I hope you have a great 4th of July sweet friend.

    xo,
    rue

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  23. Hey Cass forgot the most important point about the Saturday Barbecue. Yes the house was nice. Yes it's way cool that it's a Sears kit house. Yes the gardens were fabulous. But Dion and I think the steak was the best part. That and the Sam Adams Summer Ale.

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  24. Hey Cass forgot the most important point about the Saturday Barbecue. Yes the house was nice. Yes it's way cool that it's a Sears kit house. Yes the gardens were fabulous. But Dion and I think the steak was the best part. That and the Sam Adams Summer Ale.

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  25. Hello Howard --- not everyone gets her husband to comment on her blog... twice!
    And next time make it clear that Dion did NOT share the Sam Adams Summer Ale.

    At least, I don't think he did...

    Your loving wife Cass :-)

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