DIY Pom Pom Flowers!

So I have been wanting to do Pom Pom flowers since I saw them in Country Living Magazine! Well I did them! And I am totally obsessed with them.. Great, another obsession.. Sigh. On today's blog I'm going to give you a quick tutorial on how to make them for yourself! So let's get started!

First you'll need yarn, any color you want, and any type you want! I went with some of my favorite colors, mustard yellow and a light teal. The mustard yellow was a regular yarn, the light teal was a wooly thick yarn. 

Step two of this process is to figure out what product you'll use to make them. I used something called, Doodle-Loom by Bucilla. You can find these at Micheals or Hobby Lobby and they cost around $10. You could probably get them for less on Amazon. This tool made making these Pom poms super easy and quick! 

Obviously the instructions on how to make the Pom Poms are with the package. Don't get discouraged when first attempting them, it gets easier once you've made a few!! The smallest "loom" was my least favorite, because I could never get the Pom Pom to look right! However, the medium and large sizes worked like a charm! 

I made my mom Valentines Day "flowers" instead of buying the typical roses. Here is how they turned out: 

Of course they were showcased on the mantle in a vintage Floraline pottery piece! Cute and vintage seem to go hand and hand perfectly! 

Here are the ones I made out of the original yarn I got: 

They turned out great! 

Step three is to go outside and find some smaller twigs. I used these to give it a rustic feel. Then I simply hot glued the Pom poms onto the small branch. See, super easy! And cheap! 

Of course once I got into the rhythm of making these cuties I went a tad bit crazy.. 

You may want to use more spring type colors. I prefer teals, grays, oranges, and yellows! 

So guys, I hope you enjoyed this post! If you have any questions or comments on tonight blog entry please comment below or feel free to email me! 

Happy thrifting, Y'all! 

Love,

The Old Soul

PS - make sure and be back here tomorrow night at 8PM for my first ever food blog! We will be joined by Kim Teasley, owner and operator of Kim in the Kitchen! She will be talking to us about her newest item, Sea Salt Dusted Caramels! Yum!! Perfect timing for Valentines Day, right?? :) more info tomorrow night on how you can order these for your sweetheart! 

Rainy Day Finds!

It is a gloomy and rainy day here in northeast Georgia.. So of course, I went antiquing. What a better way to spend a rainy day?! 

I woke up feeling nostalgic, thinking of past rainy days. Thinking of rainy days as a child and how they were miserably boring. Thank God for being an adult and having interest that don't revolve around being outside, although I do still enjoy getting lost in the outdoors sometimes. Sometimes I like to think I am very outdoorsy, but if I am honest with myself I am only outdoorsy in a sense that I get drunk on patios. But this is all beside the point! 

Back to my finds of the day! Here is one that I particularly fell madly in love with:

A complete set of vintage glasses WITH the original carrying tray. Um, do you see them?? They are fabulous! Perfect addition to anyone's bar or if you're serving lunch on the patio with friends! I think they'd make great Bloody Mary glasses, right? Or maybe just sweet tea. But this was a bargain for only $15! Plus I have an in with the owner of this antique store so after haggling I could probably get them for $10(or less!). 

Next up on the rainy day find is: 

This vintage metal record case is PERFECT for storage, picnic basket, or if you're a teacher, a teachers bag!! $10 is a small price to pay to be fabulous, right??

Sigh.. Old theater folding chairs. They stand alone in any room. I've even seen people hang them in laundry rooms and use them as places to hang drying clothes and extra shelving! Talk about cute and functional!! These were a bit of a budget breaker coming in at $185 for the row. But they were too awesome to pass up sharing! 

This small stool would be perfect for a kids craft area! It was $25. I couldn't get over the detail in the center holding the legs together! Totally adorable. 

For that special coffe lover in your family or friends this is the perfect vintage gift! This vintage enamel coffee pot was in great shape and still completely functional! In my home we use a vintage coffee percolator and it makes the hottest coffee ever! And at $8 it won't break the bank! 

Is anyone else out there a lover of vintage stained glass windows? I sure am! These windows make perfect wall art with little work to do it! In my home I have mine hanging above the kitchen sink. By hanging these in front of ordinary windows in your home, you are adding character! While these are generally a pricey item, this particular one was only $35.

Who remembers going to your grandparents or great grandparents house and seeing these cuties hanging?? I know I do. These are a total nostalgia inhibitor, and for $2 a piece you can have that nostalgic look in your kitchen anytime you want!

This vintage clothes hamper snagged my attention right away! Now a days clothes hampers are so modern and so blah. So instead of paying an arm and a leg at Target or Walmart just stop by a thrift store or antique market and pick one of these babies up! $20 was a total steal in my opinion. The bones of this hamper were in amazing condition and the teal paint adorning the outside would make the perfect pop of color in any drab and boring bedroom! Who said doing laundry can't be fun?? 

So my thrifty friends, these were my finds of the day! I hope that you can take what I've told you today and make a statement piece in your own home. Try seeing the world through the eyes of an old soul, you'd be surprised what you'll find. Happy thrifting, y'all! 

Love,

The Old Soul

It's All About The Pyrex

I have been pondering for two days on what my next blog post should be about (because I have so many ideas!). Well, it came to me in the kitchen while I was cooking dinner. One word: Pyrex. Oh the wonderful colors and patterns that filled kitchens of the past. Pyrex is my FAVORITE thing in the world. My aunt, Alison, turned me on to vintage Pyrex years back and since then I've searched high and low for any sign of Pyrex in thrift store, antique stores, and consignment shops. Over the past few years I grew my collection from 2 or 3 pieces to about 35 pieces. They've decorated the top of my cabinets and served as useful tools of the kitchen. I see so many blogs that feature vintage Pyrex simply as a design element and nothing more. And while that is fine and dandy, Pyrex is so much more than that. I bake, mix, and cook in all of my vintage Pyrex! If you take care of it properly you can do this without it showing any wear or tear. NEVER put Pyrex in the dishwasher, this will dull the color and shine of the pieces.

If you grew up in the 40's-70's you experienced the joy of Pyrex. When patterns were bright and vibrant. This is one of the many reasons why I love it, the story. In every vintage piece you obtain there is surely a story behind it, right? While in the kitchen cooking with your vintage Pyrex do you ever catch yourself thinking of who touched this? Or how many meals were prepared in this? I know I sure do! Whether it was a millworker who struggled to bring food home to the socialites who served all their fabulous parties in the latest Pyrex design. Whatever the story is behind these gorgeous pieces of the past, they are still very useful to this very day. I guess what I am trying to say is, don't let your vintage Pyrex collect dust on a shelf or in a cabinet. Whether you bought them at the thrift store or inherited them from your parents/grandparents, put them to use. Don't let their stories stop with you. Build memories and more with these goodies from the past. 

Well that was my thrifty advice for the day! I hope you found some inspiration in this posting. And maybe you'll think of the stories that lie within those "old" things in your home. 

Much love, 

The Old Soul 

Finds of the Day!

Today I hit up one of my all time favorite thrift spots! A little store in my hometown of Hartwell, Ga called Haven of Rest. I am always sure to find great things for even better prices! Plus the staff there is top notch! Haven of Rest is a nonprofit organization here in Northeast Georgia that provides food, clothing, shelter, and financial assistance to women in need. I try to always remember thrift store when beginning my day of hunting vintage goods, not only for the price value but also for the cause they support. It is a great feeling knowing that you are helping those in need all while finding awesome treasures! 

Just in one visit I found several awesome vintage goods for super low prices. When I am out and about searching for the next project, decor piece, etc I always try to keep in mind, "how many purposes can this item serve?" I am all for getting cute things just to serve the purpose of decorating but it is always so much fun to me to be able have one thing that can be multipurposed! 

 One of the first sections I go to at a thrift store is the glassware! Glassware can be a statement piece in any collections all while being useful in our everyday life. Also, instead of paying outrageous prices are big box stores you can get a set of awesome vintage drinking glasses that are unique, cute, and a great value! I recently tried my hand at glass painting. I used Martha Stewart glass paint, stencils, and brushes. They turned out great! It was so much fun adding my touch to vintage drinking glasses. Plus I got a about 20 or so vintage drinking glasses for around $5. Here are a few of my creations: 

Other great finds can range anywhere from glassware to vintage lighting! 

Hello! $5 a piece and the wiring was in great condition! I do believe I will be returning to buy a few of these lanterns. Also, if you don't want to use them as actual light fixtures repurpose them as candle holders or a simple design element to your mantle! 

I am 110% a vintage barware junkie. Go figure. A set of these awesome high ball glasses for $4?! These glasses are sure to spark conversation the next time your friends or family join you for that much needed cocktail hour(s). 

Oh hi there, cute vintage serving tray! I love love love this tray. At a price of $10 it can make any coffee table a focal point of the room. And if you have my current obsession, rig it up as wall art! I am a sucker for wall groupings of vintage trays. 

Well my little thrifty friends, these were my finds of the day! I hope you enjoyed them and were able to find some inspiration! And always remember that most thrift stores WILL price haggle with you! To me it adds a fun elements to junking! Plus I've gotten out with some even better deals because of it! 

Until next time, 

The Old Soul 

P.s. - leave some comments on what you'd like to get from reading my blog. Open to all ideas! :) or if you'd like a certain vintage item featured! 

Welcome Junkers!

Hi, my name is Daniel Hix. I am a southerner through and through. In this blog I will show you all the tricks of the trade in all things old, vintage, and thrifty! Giving daily tips on how to spice up your decor with vintage finds from junkyards, antique stores, and thrift stores! I have a passion for "old" things that are still to this day fully functional and cute of course. I want to show you how functional doesn't always have to be ordinary. The name of my blog is The Old Soul simply because I feel as though I have been tossed out of a different era. So stick with me as I design on a dime! I won't disappoint! Have a great day!