Pruning Shrubs 101

Can you believe this winter? It has been so mild that I have been itching to get into the garden. How about you? Well as I was driving today I had my first sign that I could get started in the garden. The sign? An orchard had workers out pruning the fruit trees. Late winter and early spring are a good time to prune trees and summer-blooming shrubs. Please do not prune the spring-blooming shrubs, such as lilacs, they have already set their flowers and if you prune them you will not get blooms. Prune these as soon as they are done blooming or cut plenty of blooming branches to fill vases in the house. Also leave butterfly bushes and roses until the leaf buds are showing to see how damaging the winter was to them.

Here are my Summer-sweet Shrubs before pruned.

They only tools you need are a good pair of work gloves, high-quality pruning shears and a hack saw. The reason I say high-quality pruning is that I have tried cutting thicker branches with inexpensive pruners and they broke apart with higher quality pruners they just stop cutting and stick in the branch. They still work great after you pry them from the branch. That’s the cue to go to a hack saw. Now I must confess I purchased a battery powered Hackzall from True Value Hardware. This will allow me to prune an over-sized burning bush in my backyard. This bush has one stem that is at least 6 inches across. I can not wait to try my new saw out.

The basic reasons to prune are plant health, size control and entice blooming. I took the Master Gardening program offered by the Montcalm County Extension Office back in the 1990’s and learned a few tricks of pruning.

  • Prune the 3 D’s – dead, damaged and diseased. They need to be taken out first. Then step back and look at the plant.
  • Does the plant just need pruning to encourage flowers? This is often the case for hydrangeas that bloom on new wood (Paniculates (Hydrangea paniculates), Endless Summer Series (Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Endless Summer’) and ‘Annabelle’ (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’). Cutting it back will help the plant produce more stems which means more flowers. Prune each stem back approximately 6 – 8 inches but not to the ground just the stem ends. If you trim them back to far the stems will not be strong enough to hold the blooms. Do not prune old-wood hydrangeas like Mopheads (Hydrangea macrophylla), Lace caps ( Hydrangea macrophylla) and Oak leaf (Hydrangea quercifolia) hydrangeas because they have already set this summers blooms.
  • Next, is the plant over-sized or misshapen? I consider pruning these shrubs a three year process. This is to encourage new growth and not shock the plant. The first year trim 1/3 of the plant. Cut these branches to the main trunk or to the ground being careful not to go below the ‘branch collar’, this is the wrinkled area of the trunk. It is good to start with the thickest branches. Then next year trim out another 1/3 of the branches being careful of the new growth. Then the final third year trim the whole shrub down a 1/3 of its size. This encourages new growth and revival.

Pruning now is a good time for the shrubs since they are still in winter’s sleep. It is very stressful on them once they start the sap flowing and leaves budding. This can also leave them open to more bugs and diseases. Plus for me it feels good to get out in the garden once again. I hope this helps. If you have any questions call our local garden supply stores, Montcalm County Extension office or for bigger help tree service companies. Another good source is a PDF handout from the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Office (www.durham.ces.ncsu.edu or 919.560.0525) called Pruning Basics. Happy gardening!

Here are my Summer-sweet Shrubs pruned.

Bird watching – a Winter Sport?

Winter has been mild so far this season. This has left many of the snow activities on hold until we get the white stuff. But there is still one activity that I enjoy more in the winter than in the summer – bird watching. I enjoy watching the birds in the backyard. The joy of all the flutter. I know it sounds corny but it is fun to see the cardinals’ fly in and the nuthatches to fly out. All of the birds are a source of entertainment to our greyhounds. Gracie, newly rescued from the race tracks, is enthralled by them and runs out to join them at the feeder every morning. Of course they don’t like to hang out with her but she keeps hoping. Did you know that according to the US Fish & Wildlife Service 48 million Americans are identified as bird watchers? (Plus two greyhounds.)

I’m mentioning all this for a few reasons.

  1. Now is the time to provide extra food for the birds. Tom Petney of Wayside Gardens in Greenville says, ‘A tube feeder filled with black oiler sunflower seeds are a good place to start.’ This is a simple way to start feeding the birds.
  2. Now is a good time to plan this spring’s garden or landscaping project that welcomes songbirds and butterflies. Your backyard needs; food, cover and water to attract them. This may mean adding a few evergreens that can be taller than a cat can jump. And also provide protection from the wind and snow. Many small ornamental trees and shrubs offer berries that birds love – a serviceberry tree works well and has beautiful flowers in the spring. Perennials offer food in the form of seeds. An example is the purple cone flower. Just don’t deadhead after the bloom is spent and the gold finches will be jumping head to head snacking. Another nice addition is a bird bath heater to keep open water for the birds. My parents looked out one late winter afternoon to find their heated birdbath full of bluebirds. Oh what a glorious site! Robbins Booklist in Greenville has many books available to help you plant a garden for the birds.
  3. The 15th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) will be held February 17-20, 2012. This can take place in your own backyard or as you walk your neighborhood. This is brought together by the Audubon society, Cornell University and Birdsource.org. Birdsource.org has information, how-to and a great checklist for the birds in our region. You can mail or email your results into the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. I know this sounds very high profile but it is easy and fun. It takes about 15 minutes one day or all four days. Just sit by your window and count the birds you see at one time. It may take a bird book to identify a newcomer but the library, internet or Robbins Booklist can help with books and/or pictures. Birdsource.org is a good place to visit to view past years results and some of the pictures people took of their birds. I have to tell you when I got on the Birdsource site and looked up last year’s results for our zip code I had to look up a few birds I had not heard of before. Another place for more information on the GBBC and helping your children take part is on the Audubon.org website.
  4. Again, Bird watching is fun – warm inside while it snows outside.

Part of the reason for this article is to give you time to get a feeder up and give the birds a few weeks to find it so you can be part of the bird count. Part is that I hope this inspires you just to look out the window a little more often to view the activity outside. Maybe start a new hobby and lastly to enjoy nature. Happy Birding.

Resolutions for 2012 – Creating a Home

The end of a year and the start of a new one – it’s a time for resolutions. Most of us start the year with resolutions to lose weight, to slowdown, stress less or to stop smoking. I’ve made them and broke them. So this year as I was thinking of what my resolutions would be I realized that all my ideas lead back to home. I’d like to get organized, eat healthier, be more creative, slow down and enjoy life. Yes, these all begin at home. If I was more organized I’d have a better menu, better grocery list, healthier meals. See the same could be that if I slowed down I could create more (I use to paint everything in sight from furniture, to walls to canvas.) and enjoy moments of life more. All these ideas, again, lead to home. I have moved many times in the past years and need to get settled. An old fashion term but still works today. Settled. Organized. Comfortable. Accommodating. Peaceful. All are words we use to describe home. So my new resolution is to create a home for myself and my family. And I am going to invite you to join me. Each month let’s tackle a room in the house and fit it to us. You can share pictures on this blog, send in at West 57 Design or email ideas, questions and comments.

Over the next year Ill ask experts questions, I’ll get friends advice and pool our resources at hand. Our homes are works in progress and there is no right or wrong way to do something (unless it is structural or electrical or plumbing – this is essential for not causing disaster.) I have bullet points that I believe every room needs to be addressed but the answers are personal yours alone. Here they are:

  • What is important to you? A specific style – Arts and Crafts, Modern or Traditional? Colors? Natural light? Comfort?
  • Is there a functional need for this room? Office work? Exercise? Kids play? Cooking and/or Baking?
  • What are the trouble spots in this room? Not enough light? Is it chilly? Too many doorways? Not enough storage? Is this room used?

Please don’t over think these questions your first gut response is normally the correct answer. And you don’t need to search for style you already have one – we are going for our own personal style. Let’s start with the home office in January. If that room is organized bill paying is easier, homework has a place to get done and for many us business gets done.

Over the next week work in your space and I’ll work in mine. We’ll answer the questions and see what we need before investing money. We can see what we have hiding in the basement that may be used. Maybe search out freebees from friends and family. As Emily Dickinson wrote, ‘I dwell in possibility.’ Another tool I use is a small file box (you could use a three ring binder) as an idea box. I fill it with magazine clippings, color swatches and fabric samples. This gives me ideas of things I like or am drawn to. I also put a color wheel in there – this is a useful tool to have on hand.

With these tools in place I am drawn back to my resolution – home. They say all roads lead back home. So let’s go home. I guess I am getting off track with home puns. The one thing I do know for sure is that, ‘Home is more than an attractive room and doesn’t take major remodeling. It is to be enjoyed.’ Let’s outfit our homes with things we love as an expression of our families. My goal is to create an atmosphere in my home that is comfortable, beautiful and enjoyable. What is yours? Remember to enjoy what you have, fill it with what you need and add what you believe beautiful – that is your style. Please share, let us enjoy the process and we’ll talk next year. Happy New Year.

Refurbishing 101

I enjoy revamping things – from cleaning up an antique, making over someone else’s junk (now my treasure) to creating something new. And apparently I am not alone. As I earlier wrote about all the television channels, magazines and blogs dedicated to it, I know I am not alone. Last September, Meet Downtown Greenville held an antiques event. There were antique and collectible vendors in an open air market and many of the antique/collectible stores were open extended hours. That was the weekend I picked up my latest project – a bar cart from Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore. A deal for $5.00! Why a bar cart? Many have asked that same question. Flexibility. It is a table on wheels. It is going to solve many problems. Great for cookouts on the patio – just wheel it up to the grill and it is a prep table. A movable snack table for Danish Festival gatherings; this last summer we keep moving a small table inside and out of the garage with drinks and munchies on it as our party went through the day and evening. Then at Thanksgiving it will be a great dessert table that can be wheeled up at the end of the meal. In the past we have used a small living room table for desserts but that causes more juggling of space. So when I spotted the bar cart I thought this will work for so many activities in our home.

The Bar Cart Before

The cart needed just a little touch-up so I thought I would talk you through an easy refurbishing. I’ve included before and after pictures. The cart is early 1970’s, a few rust spots and two sticky wheels. My first step was to see about new casters but that was to no avail. Because of the construction of the legs (small and square) I had to keep what was on it. My reasoning for new casters was I wanted an all-terrain type of casters to roll around on the grass when outside. So my next step was to talk to Dave at Jerry’s Paint Store. His suggestion was to apply WD40 on the wheels to get them moving smoother. (This worked well.) Then to go after all the rust spots with naval jelly rust remover and light sanding. After this I washed the cart with diluted TSP cleaner and let it dry.

Now came the hard part figuring out the finish. I knew I didn’t want the original scheme of bronze metal legs and wood shelves. The rust had taken a lot of the bronze off and the wood had water spots. The other consideration was the pitting from the rust on the legs and the gouges in the wood. If I was going to use this more than a few times a year I would take more time and energy to fill holes but I wanted to get it done quickly. So I went looking for a paint that would have a little texture to it to cover the imperfections. I found Rust-loeum has a universal paint and primer in one. I bought the Hammered Silver ($7.99). That was the hard decision I leaned to black – black is a great neutral for blending into different uses. But the silver leans to the clean edge of the cart and blends nicely with my kitchen. A note is to check your paint to see if it needs a finishing coat of sealer.

The Bar Cart After

Last touch is a piece of glass cut for the top that can be lifted out when necessary. The reasoning behind the glass is it will be a barrier for the top from a humid pitcher of ice tea and a good trivet for a hot plate.

This process of repair, clean and paint can be used on most found objects. This process also works for mismatched night stands, painted in the same color brings unity in a bedroom. Same idea goes for a collection of tables in the living room. So what’s next? More junking, maybe I’ll see you around the ReStore or Peddler’s Market and we can share ideas. Happy Hunting.

A few Pictures of using my Cart

Halloween Trick or Treating

Thanksgiving Dessert Cart

Advent Photo Calendar

In an earlier blog and the Buzz newspaper I promised to put more detailed instructions on the advent photo calendar. So here it is…

  1. Cut a piece of mat board to roughly 16” x 20” and cover it with decorative paper. Use a glue stick, photo tape or white glue thinned down with water (this is my least favorite way because it can cause the paper to wrinkle or color to run on fancy tissue paper).
  2. Then using a large paper punch cut 25 solid pieces of paper 2” x 2” this will be the paper behind the photos and the side with the countdown numbers – so use one that accents your background paper. I used black. I decided it was a great neutral for the photos when flipped over.
  3. Then using one size smaller punch 1 ½” x 1 ½” cut out photos of family members. These punches can be found at hobby, stamping or scrap-booking shops. Using photo tape I glued the photos and the paper together and wrote the numbers 1-25 on the back. I used a gold metallic thick point marker and added thin silver metallic lines to accent the numbers. Just play on a scrap piece of paper until you get the look you want.
  4. Arrange them on the board in order. One of my ideas was to have a larger picture of the previous Christmas as number 25 but it didn’t work for this one. I used sticky photo corners as one way of holding the photos and allowing them to be flipped each day. Just stuck them to the board. A note, these corners do fall off with time if you wish for more security use glue that is photo safe.
  5. Decorate the top board anyway you wish, I used alphabet stickers to spell out ‘tis the season for family’. Embellish the rest of the board as you wish with stickers and markers.
  6. You are done and ready for a family member to greet you each day of December. Merry Christmas

Counting Down to the Holidays

Have you noticed the Christmas decorations are going up everywhere? The big box stores have had merchandise out since early October. This past week as I drove to Grand Rapids; Ada, Cannonsburg, and Cascade townships were stringing up lights and flags on downtown lampposts. I know at our store we are gearing up for the upcoming holidays and counting down for Christmas. All these are signs that build up the Holiday excitement. And to put it frankly I am getting excited about them also. I have always loved the holidays – the smell of pine, twinkle lights and the family all together. I was a lot like the little girl in the new Hallmark commercial – Christmas is in 41 days, 5 hours, 12 minutes and . How does she know this? Hallmark has a new ornament that has a countdown clock. How great is that – to even know the seconds. That had leaded me to think of al the different ways to countdown to Christmas. One of the most popular ways is an advent calendar.

There are many different kinds – a hanging poster with doors that open to small gifts on a string to an herbal wreath with four candles. I thought I’d share a few ideas to help countdown and make it a new family tradition. My mother when I was little made an advent calendar using a bell and a long ribbon. On this long ribbon she had stitched 24 small ribbons to it and filled each ribbon with a different small gift, note or piece of candy. I must admit my brother and I liked the note that stated, ‘Tonight you choose what we are having for dinner’. It was a sure bet we were getting our favorites that night! It was a special way of counting down with small surprises each day.

When I moved into my first apartment, I made my first Advent herbal wreath to celebrate the seasons. Earlier that year I heard a lecture from Don Haynie about Herbal Advent wreaths and was intrigued by the idea. There are many plants that have symbolic meanings that are included in the evergreen wreath. Then 4 candles are added to the wreath. One candle is to be lit the fourth Sunday before Christmas with another added each following Sunday. This makes a beautiful dining room table centerpiece the whole season long as long as you put a platter under it and keep it watered.

Another idea is evergreen or twig wreath on the platter then add four of your favorite candlesticks and candles for a quick DIY centerpiece. Greenville Floral offers holiday classes for wreaths and other table decorations starting before Thanksgiving if you’d like to make your own.

Another idea is one takes a little more work but it is a great early gift for a Grandparent or family member that lives faraway. It is an Advent Calendar using photos. I cut a piece of mat board to roughly 16” x 20” and covered it with decorative paper. Then using a large paper punch cut 25 solid pieces of paper 2” x 2” then using one size smaller punch 1 ½” x 1 ½” cut out photos of family members. Using photo tape I glued the two together and wrote the numbers 1-25 on the back then arranged them on the board. Using photo corners is one way of holding the photos and allowing them to be flipped each day I stuck them to the board. Decorate the top board anyway you wish, I used stickers to spell out ‘tis the season for family’. You are done and ready for a family member to greet you each day of December.

There are many more ideas; Martha Stewart Living November 2011 has an article about advent calendars and instructions. I’ll also have more information on my blog www.west57design.com/blog for links to Don Haynie and step-by-step instructions for the photo advent calendar. If you have any other ideas you’d like to share please comment on the blog, I’d love to hear them and pass them on. Happy Holidays let the counting begin.

Cozy-up for Fall

The signs of cool fall weather have truly arrived – the first frost, my maple tree has dropped its leaves and I pulled the warmer jackets out of the hall closet.  It is time to cozy the house, snuggle in for the winter.

First is to check around the house is see what winterization needs attention. Many good checklists can be found on-line just Google winterizing the house’ to find different options.  These tips help not only our creature comforts but our energy bills too.

After we have the basics are done we can turn to the things I enjoy – decorating.  A change of seasons is a good reason to change the house around in my opinion.  It is true we use our homes differently in cold weather verses warm weather.  Now that it is cooler we move further inside away from the porch to the fireside.

So let’s start there – the fireplace.  Let’s order that cord of wood, pick up the case of Dura logs or fill the hearth with candles.  The sight and scent of fire is warming to the soul as the days get shorter.  If you don’t have a fireplace you can purchase one without building a chimney.  Many stores offer electric units – please check the manufacturer’s directions to see if your electrical system meets the unit’s needs.

Pulling up a comfortable chair close to the fire is a cozy spot for winter reading or Sunday afternoon naps.  Be sure to have a throw blanket that fills all your senses.  Does the color coordinate with the room?  Does the feel of it please you – no itchy wool?  Personally, I like one that is monogrammed to compliment the room’s style. Once in our chair all snuggled in what is better than a hot drink? Add a small accent table within arm’s reaches to hold your cup. Do you need a reading light? Be sure the lamp’s shade is around shoulder height for ease of the eyes.

If you wish to really move things around, move the dining room table next to the fireplace.  Sharing a meal with a fire roaring compels everyone to linger and talk a bit longer.  Maybe you don’t want you big family table here but a small drop leaf table will work also.  You can enlarge it as you need it for whatever you need. This way it is great table for a quiet evening dinner for two, family game night or winter’s on-going jigsaw puzzle. Cover this table as your needs change. A heavy textured tablecloth works for all these activities and to add interest to the room. Just be sure any accessories are easy to move on a moments notice.

Now I’m going to keep going down the cozy path. Finishing touches for a cozy evening in – candles, a good book and some great music – settle in and enjoy the fire.

Decorating your Entry Door for Fall

Here is part of a column the Daily News asked me to write for a new paper they are starting. S.H.E. (meaning Style • Health • Empowerment). After writing it I thought of ways to expand on every detail; so I thought I’d let you have a peek of the article and my added ideas. Step-by-step decorating for the entry door is the excerpt I’ll build on…

The seasons are changing and the earth is putting on a spectacular color show as the trees turn to the deep rich hues of autumn.  The crisp air brings to mind cozy times at home are ahead and dressing up our homes to celebrate autumn is an irresistible pleasure. I enjoy decorating for fall.  When I think of decorating for fall, three spaces pop into my mind.  First place is my entry porch, then my dining room table and finally my fireplace mantel.

I look to nature for my decorating clues.  Wood, stone, colorful leaves, blooming mums, pumpkins and gourds are some of my favorite elements from nature.  Pick your favorite elements and rich warm colors then find complimentary ribbons, table linens and props that create lovely spaces for everyone to enjoy. Each area needs something tall or vertical, something to break the edge which softens the display and something unexpected to add excitement. Here are a few step by step ideas for each of these areas.

Front Porch or Entry Door


A friendly welcome starts here by way of colorful wreaths, bright orange pumpkins and blooming buds.

1. Bring the front door into the display by adding a vertical element.  You can accomplish this by cutting tree limbs full of beautiful autumn leaves and propping them by the door or putting them in galvanized pails. Or set up traditional corn stalks with beautiful autumn colored bows, twine and burlap strips. Or twine grapevines or bittersweet with twinkle lights around the door frame. You can also hang a wreath on the door or an interesting sign.

2. Decorate beside the door by adding bales of straw, pots of mums, kale, grasses, bright colored pumpkins and wire baskets of gourds. A forgotten plant that is great for fall planting and pots is pansies. (In the ground they will pop their smiling faces out at the sun all winter long.)

3. Then tuck in a prop or two that adds an interesting spark of your personality.  You could add a grapevine tree, old birdhouse, garden sculpture or a scarecrow wearing your favorite football team jersey. Remember to look around your house for items that you can retrofit into the fall season – glass hurricanes, metal votive holders strung with twine from the porch ceiling or railing, cast iron and wooden candle holders are easy to set gourds on top of instead of candles. At West 57 Design we have awesome decorations that are made from recycled metal and hand painted, a great accent. You can see a few on our facebook page. If you are carving pumpkins an idea we like is to carve out your monogram on a few of them.

4. Twine grapevines or bittersweet around the pumpkins and mums to soften the edges and drape the vines down the steps. Tuck in Spanish moss to fill spaces between pumpkins and pots. The last element to add is lights for a little twinkle in your display, whether you use Holiday string lights, spot lights or candles, all will add a glow.

I’ll have more next time on fall decorating, so it’s time to light the fire, sit down with friends and enjoy a new season.

Fall’s Landscape in Bloom

This past week fall has winked its eye at us with cooler temperatures and the leaves in the trees are starting to change color.  As I was walking to the store one morning I noticed my neighbors beautiful ornamental grasses.  They were swaying in the wind and the “flowers” were fluff on a stem.  Along my way I saw more beautiful landscapes and gardens.  It leads me to start thinking about what my yard needs for fall interest. Does your garden need a blush of fall?

At the moment, Hydrangeas, Rose of Sharon and Butterfly Bushes are blooming beautifully.  Roses, Hibiscus and Summer Sweet are showing their final blooms of the season.  These shrubs come in many colors and sizes. Jensen’s Garden Center in Greenville has a good selection of shrubs that you can walk through and pick the one fits in your landscape. One of my favorite hydrangeas that I’m adding to my side year is the oak leaf hydrangea.  It is a large shrub that grows to about six feet tall and wide. It has gorgeous white cone shaped flower that turn pink to red as they age.  Their leaves are shaped like an oak tree’s leaf and turn a beautiful deep red in the fall and stay on the stem after the leaves fall off and winter comes.  Their stems add winter interest as the stems peal their bark like a paper bark maple tree. This shrub offers many seasons of interest. Be on the look out for shrubs laden with berries. These plants, such as a variety of viburnums, offer multiple seasons of interest. Pretty flowers in the spring turn into outstanding berries in the fall.

Also offering multiple seasons of interest are ornamental grasses. Now is the time, in my opinion, to purchase these sensational grasses.  They are currently in full bloom and it is easier to determine the height, shape and flower type you want and need in your garden in the fall.  Take a look around and you will notice some grasses stand straight and as tall as 7-feet while others are 2-foot rounded powder puffs with straight cat-tail shaped flowers.  There are so many varieties to choose from that it can get difficult to pick which one fits your space.  My advice is to look at the bare spots in your yard.  Is it a wide space?  Or does it need some height?  Do you need a shot of color? Zebra Grasses have golden yellow markings on the blades of grass and reach around 4-feet tall. No bare space, you could plant the grass in an ornamental pot by your front door for a fall foliage display.

Besides the shrubs and grasses now is a good time to add fall blooming perennials.  Wayside Gardens, Jensen’s Garden Center and Michael’s Farm Market have a good selection of flowers in bloom. Just walking among the gaillardia, asters and mums in bloom will bring ideas for plantings to mind.  Slip them in by the foliage of summer blooming perennials such as peonies to add a splash of color to the June-blooming flower bed. An under-used flower is the fall-blooming anemone. It is a perky flower that floats above its foliage that adds a shot of color floating on the fall breezes.

I’d like to mention one last note on fall planting.  If you are thinking of planting a tree in the near future now is a good time to pick one out. Take a walk through the garden center while the trees are turning color and find a leaf color you love.  You have now found your new tree that will add beauty in your yard for the years to come.  Maybe you don’t need to add to your garden I would suggest just a walk or a drive to enjoy fall’s fabulous colors. One that is note worthy is as you drive into Greenville from M91 North is Jensen’s Garden Center has a beautiful autumn display by their sign.

Refurbishing? Or call it Repurposing? Just call it Fun!

“Do you like to make new things out of old items?” was a question asked to a group of friends recently. And ‘Wow’ did the answers fly! “Yes, I love to re-purpose furniture,” was one response. Another was,”It’s my form of recycling – goin’ green you know.” Yet another was, “I live to junk!” No matter what one calls it – reuse, re-purpose, redo, remodel, recycle, reinvent – refurbishing is hot right now. Even using the term refurbishing doesn’t fit what is going on in homes and gardens across the country. Some call it a ‘new trend’, others call it ‘plain old common sense’ and many others say it is ‘environmentally correct’. However you wish to state it, it is still putting old items to new uses. In my opinion it doesn’t matter what you call it or why you do it, it is fun. During our conversation, my friends eyes lit up and stories began on where they found ‘the find’, how they created something new then the pictures pop up on cell phones and from purses to see what it looks like now.

When you stop and look around re-purposing/remodeling is all over the airways – HGTV and DIY stations plus a host of other TV shows demonstrate how to remodel and redo our homes and gardens. Blogs and websites are springing up with ideas and how-to re-purpose and refurbish garage sale and thrift store finds. (If you have some time Google vintage + home decor + re-purpose then follow the BlogSpot or Wordpress sites that pop-up. Magazines such as Martha Stewart Living, Fresh Style, plus many others show more ideas and detailed how-to projects. These are all great but how do we take the beautiful picture and make it ours?

We start with a need in our home or garden. Do we need storage? Is another place to sit in the living room needed? Or is there a blank hallway wall needing a beautiful collage of pictures and found objects for interest? After we can name our need we can get started on the fun of the hunt.

During the hunt be sure to take along the measurements for your space (a pocket tape measure is helpful to check out items before you purchase), color chips, fabric pieces and your budget numbers (this should include the cost of your item plus supplies to refurbish). I asked Larry Pettit of Back Street Alley Antiques in Greenville for a few pointers when purchasing items for re-purposing. He said, “Look at the condition of the furniture. Is it sturdy? Are the legs or back loose? Does it have veneer? Veneer is harder to refinish yet is easier to paint.” He then went on to say “Whatever you buy needs to be functional in your home. Re-glue, repair, and repaint so it works in your space. Items don’t need to match; the eclectic style is popular now.” If you have questions on how to prepare your items talk to Jerry’s Paint Store for painting advise. Or go to True Value or Ace Hardware Stores for repair tips. These are great local sources to help with any idea you have.

The hunt can take us to Garage Sales, Outdoor Flea Markets, Peddler’s Markets, Antique Stores or Grandma’s Attic. Many of these types of places are here in Greenville and Montcalm County. One place to look is in Greenville September 10th.  Meet Downtown is hosting an Antique Event that day showcasing local businesses plus welcoming open-air vendors to locations throughout downtown heading north to the Peddler’s Market. Check out MeetDowntownGreenville.com or Meet Downtown on Facebook for more information.

Once you are done with your project, be sure to take a moment and snap a picture. So that the next time someone brings up their newest redo; you can show off your work as well. Happy refurbishing!