Repurposing and Redecorating

So I have this old wooden Ironing Board that I love - I got from my Mother. It was in the first house my grandparents house in Morrisdale when they moved in in the 70's, it wasn't theirs, it was in the house so it has to be from at least the 50's, it still has the adorable paper ad attached to the top of the loving housewife ironing.... I iron, I don't like it as much as the woman in the picture- nor do I wear such nice clothes while ironing- I am usually in a robe screaming at the rest of the household to finish brushing their teeth, find shoes, belts and brush hair OTHERWISE WE ARE GOING TO BE LATE FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL!!!!!!!
Regardless, I love that ironing board and what that ad looks like, I have often said I was going to give it to my friend Jenny for her mother to paint, which she does for a living~ I can't part with it, I want to be that happy ironing, I never will be, but here is how I found a way to utilize the Ironing Board .....

I love sofa tables, I have always thought they looked so ritzy though- I am sooo NOT ritzy, I am country and rustic, dare I say shabby? The Ironing Board works perfectly as a rustic country sofa table....

Brian hates the ironing board-basically cause it just floats around and I never know what to do with it. He also hates how everytime he is out of the house for longer than 2 hours, I rearrange the house or at least a corner of it, well I think that it keeps me from purchasing new stuff all the time- I move things around, I use different items for things that may not be used for their intended purpose. It is very frugal... think about it- all the decorating shows do it- they use what a person has already. In the closets, garage, attic. There is no reason to purchase tons of things to make the house look new and fresh. Look around in the things you have stashed.
When our bathroom upstairs needed redone- and beleive me it wasn't just for pretty reasons- the toliet wouldn't flush- I live with 3 boys- this is not an option... we knew we wanted to do it on the cheap but make it nice enough to be something we could live with for a looooonnnggg time.
Both Brian and I were impressed with the dresser looking vanities. Well- those run about 900 buckaroos- not actually in the budget! We had a antique dresser that we got at a yardsale for about 40 bucks ( they wanted 60.00~ but of course I offered less) Which Brian turned into a sink for about 200.00 it would have been less- but the actual faucet was so pricey. I was using the large crock looking thing as a trash can- but I couldn't keep the boys from slamming the lid, and I didn't want it broken- it's home is now on the Hearth next to the fireplace. I got it at the Goodwill for like 30 bucks- which when I saw how much they normally cost ( it has a a spout to use as a drink dispenser, i just had it turned around) I think I got a pretty good deal.
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The summer before our bathroom needed fixed and redone, our dishwasher stopped working- actually it started leaking, I so rarely used it- cause I figured it wasted electricity, when I finnally did use it- the gaskets or something had dry rotted, our neighbor looked at it and said- "Unless you love this and want to spend about 200 dollars getting it fixed, I would get rid of it and get a new one"
I looked at Brian and said- rip it out, I don't want it- I can use more cupboard space..this is what he came up with- it cost all of like 25.00

The baskets I got at the Memorial Day celebration here in Boalsburg- a wonderful nice lady makes them - she is also at People's Choice festival. They are also dirt cheat the large one on top was like 22.00 and it has leather handles, I keep my bread in it. the small one- onions, the tall one- potatoes... and finally a home for my mixer.
I really didn't do much cooking today- I made cold cut sandwiches for lunch and chicken tenders for dinner- I was going to get the heck outta the house cause of the Steeler Game and Brian is a lunatic during it, but my plans fell thru. Thankfully, we have a family room in the basement- otherwise I am sure the neighbors would be calling the police about now......Lord help me and the kids!