Happy Easter Everyone!! It has been years since the bunny has hit our home. Now that we have a little one he has hopped back into our lives. With the bunny comes lots of chocolate and other sugary treats. After a while the peeps get stale and the chocolate doesn’t look so appetizing anymore. I mean really, what are we supposed to do with all of this candy?

After some research I have found some fun ways to flip that same old easter candy into some yummy treats.

COOKIES – Chop up chocolate candies, chocolate bars, etc. and put them in cookie dough in lieu of regular chocolate chips. Use your regular cookie recipe and add in 2 cups of leftover easter candy chopped up.

Robin’s Egg Sugar Cookies

MILKSHAKES – Use chopped up candies in milkshakes. Robin’s Eggs have malt balls in the middles which make for a great malted milkshake. 2 cups vanilla ice cream, 1 cup milk and 1/2 crushed robin’s eggs. Add some whip cream on top and more crushed robin’s eggs.

PEEPS SMORES – Make some smores but substitute peeps for regular marshmallows. They will make cute and colorful gooey treats.

TURN PEEPS INTO FONDANT – I’m not a baker but those who are, give this a try. Melt one box of peeps in the microwave for 30 seconds. Mix with 3 cups of powder sugar. Roll it out with a rolling pin and cut it into fun decorative shapes for cupcakes.

JELLY BEAN INFUSED VODKA – Put 1/2 cup vodka and 1/4 cup jelly beans (all on color) into a jar for 48 hours. Strain. Makes four ounces.

Sparkling Jelly Bean Martini
1 ounce jelly bean infused vodka
3 ounces champagne
1 lemon wedge

I guarantee there are many more wonderful ways to upcylce the piles of candy the bunny brings us. If you have any ideas please feel free to share.

It is so rewarding to get messages from past customers showing off their beautiful creations. I am so very excited to share the first submission of a Flip It Chick customer furniture flip. A few weeks back I discovered this cool, funky and well built Stanley dresser in a storage unit. It was posted up for sale and it sat for a little while. Once the price was dropped in half a long list of buyers lined up for the piece.

Like most of my finds, this item ended up in the perfect home. I was told that it would be sanded and painted but I had no idea the finished product would end up in my inbox. It was such a pleasant surprise to open my email and see a beautifully refinished retro piece.

The owner sanded the laminate finish and painted it the perfect shade. The unique handles were stripped and painted a beautiful copper color. Beautiful work and perfect color choices.

Finding treasures is so much fun but seeing my customers enjoy their treasures makes it 100% more exctiting!

Just about everytime I spot an interesting item I get a rush of a feeling. So when I walked into the Salvation Army’s antique thrift store and saw a midcentury coffee table I almost jumped for joy. Instead I kept my composure and asked if I could remove the items from the table in order to examine the condition of the piece. Mind you this table was COVERED in nice wooden cigar boxes so this took a lot of time.

It was beautiful and in amazing shape for the age. No chips, scratches, rings, nothing. It was as if this table were brand new, never used. It was a laminate material but heavy and solid. I want to say the price was right around $60 so something felt too good to be true. They either had no idea what they had or what they had was nothing special.

I asked the employee over and over again if they sell only antiques. He said they strive for only antique items but he did not know everything about every piece. I crawled on the ground to look under the table to see if a manufacturer label or stamp existed. I paced, crawled and looked, paced, crawled, and paced some more. I even sent a photo of it to my midcentury guru friend from at The Retro Ranch. She was in a meeting so no response. More pacing and more debating.

After 10-15 minutes I flipped the table completely over and WA LA there is was……. an Ikea sticker. Womp womp!! What was potentially a midcentury find of this century was nothing but an overpriced Ikea table. While it was still a nice design, it was not at all worth the price it was listed for.

The moral of this very long and exhausting story is to Flip it before you Flip it. You may think you have a gold mine of an item, then you get the shocking news that it came from Ikea or is a replica. Let me be the one to throw myself under the crazy lady flipping bus and learn from my experiences.

Happy shopping and hunting all!!

What do you do when you find a cool antique dresser that needs some rehab? Either fix it yourself or find someone that wants to take the project on, right? When I dug through one of the storage units I purchased this waterfall dresser appeared. I thought someone might attempt an overhaul so I listed it for sale.

Too bad it fell apart upon bringing it home so I removed the listing and was about to donate the piece. Then it dawned on me that there are many creative people in this world. They may be interested in the just the handles for some random projects. I listed them up for sale and I was right!

After the sale I decided to investigate some projects involving handles and pulls. Here are a few of the ideas that I found.

Stores like Hobby Lobby are so very creative. They suggest using pulls as curtain tie backs, bottle stoppers, misc. decor, and mismatched dresser hardware.

Misc. handles and knobs can be attached to a fabric covered board to display and organize jewelry.

Upcycle an old tin with a drawer handle and some chalkboard paint. Cute & great for organizing.

Turn an empty liquor bottle, or any bottle for that matter, into a drinking mug.

One of my personal favorites!! Decorate a pumpkin with handles and pulls.

If you stumble upon a beat up junker of a dresser think beyond the dumpster and re-use those handles. Send a photo of your ideas and creations and I will try my best to post them for everyone to see.

Have you ever watched Storage Wars? Well if you haven’t you are like 1 in 1,000,000. It seems like everyone I have run into has seen the show. Anytime someone hears I buy storage units they tell me all about the As Seen on TV version. This blog was created with the idea of sharing the ups and downs of storage auctions, re-sales and re-dos. So here is it the first official Flip or Flop post and it’s all about what I would like to call “The Blockbuster” storage unit.

The door slides up, I walk by, I spot sellable items and I bid. Bam!! That easy right? Wrong! WAAAYYY Wrong!

When my dad and I hit this sale we had no idea that when the bidding began I would be the one to buy this unit. This locker looked good for the flipping so I went for it. It was a lunchtime on Thursday that I won this unit. I had Friday and Saturday until 12 pm to clean it out or loose my deposit. I had no one to help me so I was on my own for this one. My husband showed me how to hook up the trailer and off I went to dig. I spent most of Friday, in the rain, pulling out box after box of stuff. 50% of the boxes went into the bed of the truck to go straight to the dump because it was nothing but junk. The frustration and concern built as the trash pile grew.

The furniture and appliances were not anywhere near as nice as I thought so I decided not to list them for sale. As the day moved on I was tired and worried that I had made a huge mistake. A trip to the dump proved challenging as every employee thought it was hilarious that a girl was making circles with a trailer because she couldn’t back it up. Note to self and everyone else, they won’t do it for you so practice, practice, practice.

On to the finds! Here are some of the items that were in the unit that I liked, sold, etc. You may have seen cool stuff on the shows but there was nothing exciting to be found here.

Movies, movies, movies everywhere! That is why this was appropriately titled the Blockbuster unit. Box after box of movies and television series. I could have opened a video store with amount of DVDs I had. We held onto a few of the television series because we don’t have cable.

A storage unit full of storage units! Everyone loves a little organization so these were a hot commodity.

A simple pair of black bookshelves. There were more books in this unit then there was shelf space.

Random list of items: Disney trading pins, a piggy bank with $5 change, strollers, a patio table, a huge christmas tree, photo frames and other random knick knacks.

Favorite item found: It was a simple Melissa & Doug oversized puzzle that J-bird now owns. She had a good time putting the puzzle together with her grandpa.

Here is the real reality of the storage auctions. You need vehicles to haul it, muscles to lift it, places to store it, ways to get rid of it, dumps to dump it and the ability to not go completely crazy in the process of it all. There is also the harsh reality that you are purchasing someone else’s photos, paperwork and anything else they put into that unit. That is the downside to storage auctions that they do not air on T.V.

Enough of the Debbie Downer stuff. So was this unit a Flip or a Flop?

IT WAS A FLIP! It took a lot of work but it did turn a small profit and it was a great learning experience.

Will I do it again? Sure, in fact I already have. So stay tuned for the next Flip or Flop!

This week was CRAZY hectic in the office and I was sick, sick, sick. I was so sick I called out of the office, which rarely happens. That left very little time for finding great deals. I made only one thrift store stop which landed some clothes for the ever growing J-bird. $11 for three sets of footie jammies and two pairs of skinny jeans. This deal was even better than the consignment sales I usually hit.

Today I was still sick but I ignored it like usual and hit the storage auctions. First stop was in Riverside. We showed up a few minutes early so we did a little dog park visit.

The day was slow and the storage units were full of empty boxes and lots of junk. One unit caught my eye but I was outbid so I walked away with no goods and my money to bid at a different storage location. We hit another auction in Riverside which contained the same type of junk. Then it was off to Redlands. When I thought it could not get worse, IT DID. These units were so bare and junky I was starting to think the day would end without a find. J-bird on the other hand stayed optimistic and took a cookie break.

One of the regulars I was chatting with talked me into going to the last auction of the day. We were tired but decided to go anyways. The last auction was in Yucaipa so winning would mean driving a distance to clean out the lockers. Yucaipa treated us well and we ended up with 2 storage units.

This one has a cool antique bedroom set in it. I have yet to uncover it all but so far it is beautiful.

This one may look like a pile of junk but there are some great antique pieces in this unit. There will be a lot to hunt through come tomorrow. The auctioneer gave me kudos for feeding Journey a quesadilla and bidding at the same time. Don’t mess with this Flip It Chick, I am all business even if I am feeding the little one.

I have a busy weekend ahead of me cleaning these out. Wish me luck!! The details of these lockers will be posted on a later date. Note: I would post more photos of the actual auctions but I want to respect the privacy of the attendees.

I have always loved metal pedal cars but they are pricey. So, when I saw the back end of this car in a photo online I called immediately to inquire about it.

The price was right for the picking. There was just one issue, the seller did not disclose the rust on the steering wheel. At first I was a let down but I decided I could either cry over it and create more rust or put on some gloves and take care of the issue. Just because it was rusted does not mean it was destroyed.

Some of you may know this trick but those that don’t here we go. Grab a can of WD-40, a pair of gloves, steel wool, and an old rag. Now you may be saying to your self, I have never seen a can of w-40 like that. Well, that is because it is more fun to use odd cans for normal things. This can was a part of a lot we won at an auction so it became the home to our WD-40.

The process is easy as pie but takes a little elbow grease. Apply the WD-40 to the rusted area and scrub with the steel wool. The more the rust the harder to remove. When you have all the rust removed wipe it down with your rag.

Bam!! Almost shiny and new. If I would have kept scrubbing it would be 100% gone but I ran out of WD-40. The can may be cute but it is small so that is the downfall. Note if the metal is corroded due to the rust this will not fix that problem. It can only remove superficial rust. The more rust the more work.

Now go get a tetanus shot, find some rusty stuff and get to cleaning. If you are in need of some supplies I have included Amazon links below for you to load up. WD-40, Medium latex gloves, Medium vinyl gloves for the latex sensitive, and steel wool.

I write this post from my couch, with my feet up, watching a series that I retrieved from a storage unit over a week ago. The family has been fed and my little one is down for the night so it is now time to recap the week in the life of this Flip It Chick. After all, this blog was created to shine a light on the craziness that goes into finding a deal.

A lot goes on here during the week – 4 days of office time, meeting with clients, looking for deals, and posting finds. Not to mention I’m a full-time mommy and wife. Here are the details of the finds this week, this is how it all went down.

Monday – A lunchtime visit to a very messy store led to a fun find that will be discussed in further detail on a future post.

Wednesday - On the way home I stopped at my regular spot and found a Kroehler side table. It was funky, a great price, and it fit in the Toyota Corolla so I could not pass it up. The future will tell how great of a deal it was.

Thursday – I was pretty sick and we had a major manhunt going on in the area so I laid low, stayed in my office for lunch,  and drove straight home. After the family was fed and J-bird went down to sleep it was time to create my plan of attack for today, Friday.

TODAY - Journey and I woke up extra early, packed our snacks and supplies, and braved the wet weather.

First Stop: Good thing we drove the truck today because we had to travel down a crazy dirt road for our first stop. No small car dare drive this road. Once we arrived at our first location we huddled under an Easy Up and made small talk with the regulars. As soon as the doors opened things got serious and the regulars flooded in searching high and low. They knew what they wanted and they moved at a stealth pace. These people do not mess around so I try to stay out of their way. I am nosey and talkative so of course I had to ask about things they were buying, OF COURSE. J-bird spotted a large half deflated bouncy ball and I went for this chair and ottoman. To be honest I think her treasure may have been more fun but I am hoping my choice is more marketable.

Second Stop: We were late for the first storage auction on the list so we moved on to the second. 5 units were supposed to be up for grabs but it dwindled down to only 2. This is a normal occurance which makes this type of thing somewhat difficult. A lot of people ventured out into the rain so the competition was fierce. I hate to brag but this Flip It Chick tends not to be intimated by the regulars. I may be nice, chatty and have a baby strapped to my back but it’s all business when the bidding begins. Unfortunately, the unit I bid on went too high for my taste so J-bird and I walked away without a locker, the headache of cleaning one out, and money for future finds.

Third Stop: The pedal car pick-up. I had someone hold this car for me. A lot of my friends are photographers so I grabbed this hoping they would like it as a prop. J-bird has one that is all yellow but overall the same design. This will appear in a later post as well.

Fourth, Fifth and Final Stop: There were two random estate sale signs along my drive home, the first one was a bust and the second had these. I call these lumberjack luggage but they are vintage Fleetwood suitcases. They are not in pristine condition but they caught my eye and the guy offered me a deal i could not refuse, so I gnabbed them.

That is when the hail started and it was time to take cover. We had been outside long enough and found plenty of things for the week. Journey and I headed home to show daddy all our fun stuff and to take a long nap.

The rest of the weekend will consist of a garage sale to clear out some stuff around here, random projects, and a lot of family time.

If you are out this weekend looking for a treasure I wish you luck on your hunt. If you are spending time with your family, embrace every moment. Have a wonderful weekend!

Over the years I have taken on my fair share of painting projects which have included rooms, cabinets, etc. I have also always been one to want results like yesterday. I will admit that when it comes to transformations this Flip It Chick has very little patience and maybe a tad of project A.D.D. I am also a frugal person so I try to save money where I can. I think we can all agree that with every project completed a new lesson is learned. It took me a long time and several failed attempts before I realized that skimping on supplies is not worth the dollars saved. Below are the two items that I will never go without.

Did You Prime Those Red Cabinets Before Painting Them White?

Funky Cabinets BeforeKinda White After – No Doors Yet

After reading the above title you may already know where this is headed. When my husband and I purchased our fixer upper of a home the first thing that had to be tackled were the red cabinets in the kitchen. We were, and still are, on a very tight decorating budget so paint was the go-to method. To be honest they really needed to be replaced but it was not in the cards at the time. So, I removed all of doors and lathered on the white paint. My grandmother, father, and just about everyone else asked if I had primed the cabinets before painting them to which my answer was NO WAY!! I may have even added an eyeroll as if they were crazy. For some reason I thought I was the exeption to the primer rule. Well, 4 coats of white paint later and my cabinets are still not perfectly white. With that being said I will forever, until the day I die, use a coat of primer on EVERYTHING. I dont care if I am painting white on white, it will get a coat of primer. One coat of primer on my cabinets could have saved me 2 coats of white paint and left my kitchen with a cleaner look.

The primer I use on my walls is Kilz which comes in latex, oil based and odorless for those that are concerned about fumes.

This product can be found at almost all hardware stores but I buy mine at ACE HARDWARE. My local store has stolen my heart with amazing customer service and convenience!

Leaky Tape = Upset Flip It Chick and Marks on the Ceiling for a Lifetime 

Frog Tape in Action

I know there are people out there that can paint a perfect edge like nowbody’s business. Well take your perfection elsewhere because that is a skill I dispise and one that I will never possess. For the rest of us that need some tape every now and then there is a great product called FROG TAPE. You can walk into any hardware store and find shelves of blue, brown and green painting tape but the tape that I will ALWAYS have on hand is Frog Tape. I have painted my fair share of walls in order to learn this lesson. Every single time I would try to save a buck and buy random tape I would have bleed trough. This meant that my ceiling would forever have paint on it. WHY?? As previously mentioned the Flip It Chick has project A.D.D. The only cure for that is good tape that works right the first time. After reading reviews on this product I found out there are instructions for use. Don’t you just stick, paint and remove? I guess not. I have never followed the instructions for this tape and it still works great everytime. So ignore all other reviews and take my word for it, Frog Tape is worth the extra money.

**Disclosure: The 2 small photos above are affiliate links. If you click on them and purchase these products you will be helping out Flip It Chick. These products were not reviewed or added for monetary purposes, I REALLY do use and love them both.

Over the last few months my newly wed cousin has been outfitting her newly wed condo. She spotted this dresser on Craigslist for $100 and gnabbed it. There was one problem, it did not go with her headboard and the knobs were blah. So, she channeled her father’s amazing woodworking skills and turned this dresser from an everyday look to a sleek black dresser with hardware that pops.

Here’s the step by step of her exciting flip:

The original dresser. It is a clean, nice dresser, but it did not fit the decor in her room.

She removed all of the drawers and sanded the dresser like nobody’s business. After the sanding was complete she taped off the drawers and added a coat of primer to every piece.

Once the primer dried a few coats of black paint were applied. She removed the original drawer pulls and added some fun white ones that would contrast against the dark black paint.

Ta-da!! Here is her finished dresser. Sleek & Clean!!

I asked Michelle how she felt about this project to which she replied I LOVE IT now!! The winter weather made the process harder than she anticipated but she is very happy with the finished project. Now she has a dresser for all of her clothes which means no more storage bins.

This Flip It Chick can not wait to see what else Michelle takes on. Here is to a happy future as husband and wife and a life full of great home decor finds!