Boyfriend Watch Thrifty Find.

I love "boyfriend" watches. I like them with bling but I also love a woman wearing her man's watch.  ('cause isn't that how it all started?)  My sister, savy trend setter that she is, was doing this in the 70's. 

 

I would love to steal the one I got for Mr. Bill for our wedding a long time ago. But, I just got that one fixed up for him with a new crystal and new band so he is wearing it again. It ran about $100 to get it all fixed up.  Instead, I'll take the one he wore in H.S. It's very vintage looking. It also needs a new band but I won't replace the crystal. Well, maybe I will after looking at this photo.

I hadn't been wearing a watch for a long time. I teach preschool and dainty watches take a beating at my job. I carry my cell phone around with me all the time so I really haven't needed a watch in a long time. But, last summer I decided to try out the look to see if I could pull it off. My favorite thrift store is the perfect place to shop for a trend on the cheap. 

I found this watch for $3.00.

I don't know how old it is but it is a Calvin Klein watch. 

It is two tone which I love! It is hard to see the but the numbers are gold. I don't know why this thing was priced as low as it was because usually their watches start at $10.00.  I was willing to invest three bucks  in a watch I wasn't sure would work. 

With your handy dandy Swiss Army knife (hopefully in a glammy pink color like mine) pry off the silver back. It is a good idea to set your watch on something that won't scratch the crystal.
You can also use a very small flat head screw driver.

There is a little edge almost like a little lip. I actually read that it is called a wrench slot. That is where you pop off the back so you can see what  type of watch battery you need. Walmart has a good selection and that is where I got the one I needed. 
Some of them all look the same but they have different numbers on them. Sometimes, if you are lucky and the battery gods are shining on you, grocery stores will have the one you need. 

Walmart used to replace batteries for you, but they don't anymore. I guess an employee got stabbed taking off the back of the watch. That can be a danger so be careful! 

I was so excited at this point because I got to see if the watch actually worked. 

Yahoo! 

My $3.00 find began to tick. 

Watch a this YouTube video.

Now the band.

 Walmart also had watch bands. 

You will have to know in cm what is the width of your watch. The width of mine was 18cm.

I have perused ebay and they had a pretty good selection of watch bands. My husband prefers to get his bands at a jeweler. His are nice 
faux croc or something. 

 As long as mine was leather I didn't care where mine came from.  I was a little embarrassed to go into a jeweler with my thrifty find. 

To change the band, cut off the old one as close to the pins as you can.  The band is held on by tiny pins that operate just like a toilet paper holder. Once the band is off you can see what you are dealing with.  

Follow the directions on the new watch band.

It is very intricate as you can imagine. It can take some practice moving the tiny pin into place and then releasing it with the band in the way.
I loved this black band because it coordinates with most of my wardrobe.

Here is a breakdown of the cost.

 My watch was 3.00. 

The battery was 6.00 

The band was 7.00. 

I'm no math wizard but that adds up to a good deal. 

When I looked on ebay some Calvin Klein watches were going for $250.00.

Here.

I don't know why someone got rid of this watch when all it needed was a battery and a band. 

I have seen it over and over. I've gotten Seiko and Brighton watches this way.

Here it is in action. 

I am embarrassed by this but here are some other shots of my cute watch.

Will you think less of me if I confess that I corrected the age spots on my hand with picassa?

Ha ha. I didn't think you wanted to see those! 

Okay, enough cheese ball.

The bracelet is Tiffany. I bought it with a bonus a few years ago and I just love it. (To make sure you are getting authentic Tiffany buy from the website or the store. There is no such thing as a Tiffany Outlet!!!)

The counterfeiters are really good at replicating boxes, bags, tags and even receipts. 

Happy Hunting!

FyI: I think you need to go for an older men's watch, the new ones are ginormous!

Sprinkled with watch parts,

Katie 
Linking with;
http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/2012/04/sat-nite-special-130-link-party.html 
& http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/2012/04/beautiful-sun-room-welcome-to-170th.html#more 
& http://my1929charmer.com/sundays-best-27-par-tay/ 
& Newbie Party @ Debbie doos
& Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style

Dressing Room

As of last week my husband and I have an empty nest.

Apparently I only take pictures of my house in the snow. (White Christmas 2009)

 I am so happy for my kids. This economy has made it tough on young adults and they have persevered to get out on their own. I am not really one of those weepy moms. I enjoyed my years raising my children and have very fond memories of the different life stages they went through, even the teenage stages. I miss those stages sometimes, but I am not really one to get all emotional about them moving on. I do miss them, but I know that they will always stop by. They are welcome to my washer anytime. ;)

I don't know why, but I just cannot have company in the house if  I have a room in transition.
Since this last one was fairly sudden, I didn't have time to make a plan for the makeover.  Usually I have a fair amount of warning, so I can decide what the decor will be and what the room will be used for.  I have company coming on Saturday for Christmas Eve. I used it to wrap gifts earlier this week, but I couldn't just shut the door and leave it for another day.
This is what it looked like on Saturday.

Part of me was so tempted to go out and buy a bed for this room. But, I could not spend $500 or so on a new mattress during the holidays. Eventually it will have a full bed, but I have yet to see the bed of my dreams at a price I want to pay. I went thrifting to see if I could find a headboard but no such luck. I found some very scary mattresses, but I just really don't think I want to bring bed bugs into the house at this point! This is the first time we haven't had a headboard in the attic waiting for a room. I have a crib for grandchildren but no bed.

The kids thought I should turn it into an craft room.

But, I really don't need another craft room. I have a little cubicle desk in one of the closets downstairs. (That will have to be another post.) I usually set up my sewing machine in there or in the creepy doll room.

I thought about it and decided I would turn it into a makeshift craft room until we find a bed. The folding table could stay for Saturday. I added some chairs. (I have a chair problem. I like to rescue old chairs.
Maybe I am worried the zombies won't have enough seating during the Zombie Apocalypse.)
I created a little seating group with my daughter's pink vintage chair and one from my Nana.

• The tea table is from my Grandmother.
• The ottoman is a garage sale find. 
• The needlepoint pillow was made by one of my husband little aunties.
• The crochet throw was made by grandmother-in-law. It probably won't always stay out, but since I was going dusty pink I pulled it out.  

This secretary is "Gene". What? You don't name your furniture? We inherited it from my mother-in-law. It belonged to a cousin or uncle that was a Texas state representative. In the years preceding my house it had been a gun cabinet. I stripped Gene back to the original finish because it had been antiqued a red color in the 70's. Rebekah named the secretary "Gene" when she was about 12. Gene is a she. Rebekah didn't know Jean is the way to spell the female version of the name. 

She would have liked to take it to her apartment,  but it is very hard to move. 

I love my little New Home Sewing Machine. I almost got rid of it this past summer, because I had no place to put it in the house. My husband talked me into keeping it and I am so happy that I listened to him.  

It belonged to my great grandmother. I bet she was so proud of that thing. 

Finally, I staged the folding table to look like a dressing table instead of a craft table. Crafting supplies are a little messy. Besides, I have always wanted a dressing table.  

I mean, Jean Harlow looks so glamorous. Maybe I could look like that. 

. 

• The antique curling iron came from my Granny.
• The mock dress form was birthday gift a few years ago.
• The jewel box was an ugly thrifted thing I painted black and edged in gold.
• The mirror and clock were from garage sales.
• The dresser set came from another one of the aunties. 

There you go. Now I can have my company and not be in a tizzy about having an empty room. 

This really should be called the little aunt and granny room. It has so many of their accoutrements.

Here is a sneak peak at one of the other projects I have in the works for next week. 

I can't wait to show you what I am doing with one of those. 

Sprinkled with stuff from little old ladies,

Katie