Frugal Fairy grants 3 wishes

Today is an exciting blog for me - as we have completed our first "something for nothing" project. Now being a frugal fairy, there is a big purple bubble floating around me - warding off any feelings of shame and embarrassment when asking for freebies, scrounging for treasures, looking for free stuff. Sure, sometimes a little tear in the bubble allows a sliver of shame/embarrassment to attack my ego, but then I quickly use my frugal fairy magic wand to repel or destroy this in-bred prejudice against asking for free stuff.

As a frugal fairy i will need to be a waste warrior - honing in on items going to waste, not being used and trying to get them for free or as little as possible. This is part of the adventure and a skill I need to practise and excel at.

So I have had 3 amazing adventures over the past week, and will include a short tutorial one each so you can follow the same journey if you so desire.

Usually fairies give you 3 wishes, so let me stick to that theme:

1) "I wish I had a beautiful bench to sit on in the garden and sip wine with my loved one (Les - that is you my sweetie pie)"

As with all wishes, I did have a picture in mind, and just to make 100% sure, I also had a picture from a book.

Most of us have had the terrible experience of going to a "hairy fairy" to get the most amazing hairstyle ever! You know precisely in your head what it should look like, and to make 110% sure, you also have a picture from a magazine of some famous/beautiful creature with the desired hair-do. And then what happens - the "hairy fairy" swings her scissors, her colour brush and her blow-dryer, and like magic - you look the same but with an unfamiliar hair-do that now requires some magic tricks of your own to keep it looking good (read special potions, lotions, techniques, clips, bows, hats, etc)

 So I put my bubble in place - asked for some free pallets and got my 2 elves to do their own magic after the Husband Wizard has drawn up all the templates, sizes and instructions.

This bench is so comfortable - Lucas and Edwin did not want to get up, so I had to put some of my dogs on them (hie-hie-hie)

So I could either leave it in its raw state, or I could paint it to go with my herb garden. You decide which one looks the best!

2) OK - so wish one done - I had to go for wish 2: A scullery with enough place to pack the dirty dishes, so they do not stack up in the sink, threatening my sanity and scaring Sandra when she walks in every morning. Somehow when they are spread out in a more horizontal position, dishes are not as intimidating as when they are stacked vertically!

And I remembered Mirilene offering my an old piece of timber that is lying around her house. So floating forth in my purple bubble- I phoned and asked her to deliver on her promise, and now her old piece of timber is a stunning workspace where I fill the dog's dishes, and pack the dirty dishes. And this all for free!

Thank you Miri - I know that you will be happy that you helped me serve up 7 dishes of dog food every night on your old piece of wood. (Korrels are in the ugly container, water in the silver dish, dogs on my bed!)

3) And lastly - wish 3. I wish oh I wish for a organising unit for my sewing room. Something to show me what fabric I have, to store all the millions of balls of wool that i never use but will one day when I am an old lady. And then I saw her. She was hiding in a dark, wet and smelly alley - next to some other suspect characters. Her shoes and feet got wet from standing there for so long, and she was ready to give up and fall down - just about dead on her feet.

So I made an offer, got her included with a bunch of other alley orphans, and she basically came for free as the other items will cover the expense of R500 I had to fork out.

We made her new shoes, got her back in balance, and so I made all my own wishes come true.

 

 

I challenge you to ask for something for free - and do not be surprised if the answer is YES!

 

Lucas and Edwin agreed to the following:

- if you supply the pallets (7 in total) and paint, they will charge you R500 to make the bench

- if you want us to source material for you, the bench will cost you R1000

 

If you want some BUNTING like the the example in my scullery - Melida will make it for you in your colour scheme, with vintage hand sewing detail for R100 a meter.

 

If you want my dogs or my husband or my elves - tough luck, they are not for sale

 

Talk to you tomorrow about saving money on milk, and how to make a chicken last for 3 meals (without getting food poisoning or getting divorced)

 

Lovies

Lizette

 

ps - i just LOVE my bench, so here it is again!