Happy new year, blog friends. As 2018 winds to a close, I'm taking a look back on some of the past year's blog highlights.
2018: The year in review
Making another thrift-store junk turkey
I finished building another junk turkey, just (barely) before my self-imposed Thanksgiving deadline. This was my starting point this time. You know how some people look at clouds and see animals or objects in them? That's how I look at thrift store kitchen gadgets. But instead of seeing animals or objects, I see turkey parts. When …
Building a turkey-bot assemblage from vintage kitchenware
If it's November, it's time to make the Thanksgiving bird. Here are the ingredients I used to make mine: And here's what he ended up looking like when he was all done: I call him "TurkeyBot 2018." The idea for this guy started with a vintage aluminum juicer that I found in a thrift store. …
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Bathroom remodel | A do-it-yourself farmhouse-style makeover
When I left off in my last post, our downstairs bathroom looked something like this: We had just tiled the shower -- and it looked fabulous -- but the rest of the room was still stuck in a 1995 time warp. We wanted to update the room with modern materials but also make it look …
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DIY bathroom renovations
Today's post is about bathroom decor, which, if you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know is a topic I don't write about very often. If you're wondering why, allow me to introduce Exhibit A: "My Downstairs Lavatory, circa 2017." About the only good thing I can say about the room …
Welcome to the new, improved Wisconsin Magpie
Welcome to the new, improved Wisconsin Magpie. The blog, that is, not the blogger. Sadly, I am still the same old angst-ridden, out-of-shape, puddle of indecision and self-doubt that I have always been. But the blog is all bright and shiny and new, thanks to a move from an antiquated beginner-level Blogger template to a …
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Crafting | Newspaper chicks wreath
Hello, blog readers. I'm going back in time today to make a new home for some old friends. Loyal readers (with good memories) might remember the newspaper chicks I made back in 2015 by decoupaging newspaper onto some yellow plastic Easter chicks. Back then, I had them displayed under glass... .. and made them their …
Painting | A home address sign for the porch
I made a new sign for my back porch. If you think it looks familiar ... ... it's because this is what's on the other side of it. I made the "noel" side of the sign back before Christmas (and blogged about it here.) After I put my holiday decorations away, my porch looked a …
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Makeover | Giving a dark, dated curio cabinet a new look
I had some leftover milk paint after last week's jewelry box redo, so I decided to use it on a sad little curio cabinet I had stored away in my basement waiting for inspiration to strike. The cabinet was a thrift store find -- although calling it a "find" might be a bit of a …
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Makeover | Mini chest of drawers
Here's a little chest of drawers that I redid this week. (I think it's supposed to be a jewelry box, but I've been keeping it on my desk to store office supplies in.) This is what it looked like when I first got it. I picked it up for a dollar at a garage sale …