A Hidden Gem at the Auction

I ventured to the auction one Thursday afternoon. Surprised?

I had purchased this rug for less than $190 two weeks earlier, and a similarly sized rug was up for auction this time, so I was curious to compare their prices.

I sat with my iPad and busied myself reading blogs until the rug came up, occasionally glancing at what was up for bid next. 

An iron pot full of strange seed pods flashed across the screen, and it piqued my interested.  Not so much the typical Southwest-style pot and stand, but those seed pots intrigued me.  What could I do with them?

 Problem with an auction is that you have little time to think and use rational judgment when you just like something spur-of-the-moment like that.  I threw my hat in the ring, and for $50 the pods (and the useless pot) were mine. 

After discarding the pot (and keeping the stand for future projects), I started examining the five stalks of pods.  What were they and where were they from?  And most importantly, what was I going to do with them?  They are so graphic and huge and just plain AWESOME that I decided to redo the wall in my family room, using the seed pods as an art installation.

Here is what the wall looked like pre-pods:

It's been way past time to update this wall and get rid of the shelves. I found a new home for Michelangelo and the pictures, but this is how the wall looks now:

I'm still working on their placement (maybe a little lower?), and they're harder to get straight on the wall than I imagined, but I love how simple they are. Anyone have any idea what these are?  The fuzz inside the pods was orange when the plants were alive, and I can't imagine how cool they must be when they're growing.

And do you remember my "if you give a mouse a cookie" reference regarding these fabrics? I used them to recover my throw pillows.

 The blue geometric fabric is left over from my library curtains (which ties the two rooms together well), and the orange pillow I bought at Target.  The other fabrics I found at our local remnant fabric store for $2.99-3.99 a yard.  With less than a yard for each pillow, I brought updated color to my family room for less than $20.

This bird print is my favorite--just a little whimsy but not too crazy. Plus, most of the fabrics are actually outdoor material, so they just wipe clean.

Not that MY children would get them dirty, but we do occasionally have friends over.

Easy and cheap. For less than $100 I redid a wall and all the pillows and gave my family room a little boost for spring.



Fun, right?

Guess what?  I have another project brewing . . . Hopefully it will be done this weekend!