found chemistry set

Have you noticed the “new” thing in stores and catalogs like Pottery Barn are these “found” items for sale? Sure, I want to buy just about every one I see, but those prices… ouch! Well, I found my own treasure this past weekend while out on a girls’ shopping afternoon with Peggy. This super cool vintage chemistry set! I can only imagine what “finding” it at PB would have cost me… I paid $25 for it. Why I thought I needed a vintage chemistry set, I do not know, but it was one of those things that caught my eye and I could not pass it up. It is perfect for Halloween decor, so at least it has a purpose for the next few weeks.

Since I decided to place it on the living room fireplace hearth, it inspired me to go to town on the mantel. I spent an hour or so this morning at the .99 store looking for cheap stuff to accessorize with.  Another thing that I’ve been admiring at Pottery Barn are these News Text Pillar Candles, but then again, do I really need another candle in this house… the answer is NO… so I made my own text candles.

I purchased a 2006 World Almanac for .99 and cut out pages, taped them around some battery-operated candles, and voilà! (FYI: If you have a child born in 2006, run to the .99 store on Cactus and Tatum and grab one, someday they’ll surely have to do a report on the year they were born and you’ll have a great book to tear pages out of!)

One bag of webbing was also .99, and I didn’t even use 1/4 of it on the mantel. The silver glitter spiders (I bought black glitter ones too) were .99 for a 3-pack.

I’ve had the black spider-web fabric for years. I bought several yards back in my kids’ elementary school days when I was room mom.

For the silhouette pictures, I purchased 2-packs of .99 black picture frames.  Then went online and searched “silhouettes” and just copied the pictures I liked and printed them off. That was easy!

Finally, the black roses, yep, .99 for a stem of 6. For only $7, the mantle went from every day to Holiday.  Here are a few more pictures of the awesome chemistry set, and some closeups, because it’s just too cool!