Great Cafes and Good Bargains

On our new year's vacation, we strolled up and down Oxnard's downtown shopping corridor in search of great cafes and good bargains. I found both! After sipping a delicious latte on an outdoor patio, I happened upon a busy thrift shop. In less than a minute, I found this sad-looking wooden box marked down to $1.50, with its original store tag still attached. Well, I couldn't exactly leave it on the shelf in its sorry state, so I bought it, and vowed to put it to good use.

After a light sanding, I chose bright red and chocolate brown acrylic paint to cover the entire surface. When completely dry, I mod podged a vintage-style dotted paper on the long edges and a mini print on each end.  Another coat of mod podge, added a few tags and ribbons, and...voila!  I reincarnated this drab box into a stylish tea and candy tray.  I can't wait to use it at next week's book club meeting, although I doubt the chocolate candy will still be there (yum).