junkinjulie

Time for a change!

2011-07-21T12:29:00.006-05:00

There comes a time in everyone's life when they need to take a step back and re-evaluate what is most important and where they want to place the main focus in their lives. After MANY months of soul searching and tossing things around in my head, I have come to the very difficult decision to pull myself out of the Red Rooster in Plymouth, WI where I have sold for the past 11 years!

This was not an easy decision for me considering the fact that the owner, my dear friend, Linda is battling cancer. But I had to be true to myself and my family and go with my heart, which was telling me that I needed to make some changes in my life. I had wonderful success at the Red Rooster and know that I could not have sold as well anywhere else. But I have really lost interest and all the moving and lugging was really taking a tole on me. I plan on being out by the 1st of September, and am having a 20% off sale in my room right now. So if you are in the Plymouth, WI area, go check it out!

Right now my heart is being tugged at by this little guy...
My gorgeous grandson, Jackson whom I babysit at least two days a week. He is the joy of my heart and I'd rather spend time with him than just about anything else!!

I also want to take more time to just enjoy my surroundings. I took this photo after a storm had just past over our farm, leaving us with this gorgeous sunset!

My husband has been very patient with me while I was making my decision. When we purchased our lake home, he gently suggested that I get out of the antique business. At that time I just wasn't ready...but now I am.

Hopefully we'll get to spend more time here...so relaxing!!!

Here's my skipper husband with his little first mate out on the lake in our pontoon boat!!

He is a very loving and patient grandpa!

It's not hard to accept a difficult decision when you have a very supportive family surrounding you. All my kids have been very patient with me as well, and let me take my time and supported me along the way!

More time for some summer fun!

I will continue to sell at my booth in the antique mall in Fond du Lac, WI....lots less stress and demand on me. Although sales are not near as good, but I guess you can't have everything!

I also have been having alot of fun with my Etsy shop!

Sales have been very good and I have been having a ball with it!! Something I can do from home and it gives me a good excuse to keep junking!!

And my last and final decision is to cut down on blogging, which I'm sure most of you have noticed already! It's been fun, but another one of those things that I feel is something that I could eliminate to make my life a little easier.

I hope to keep checking in now and then with my fave peeps to see what y'all got goin' on!

I don't think I can do this cold turkey!!!

Thanks so much for all the love and support I have received in the past!! I'm looking forward to seeing which window will be opened for me now that I've closed this door!

My best regards to all!

Julie

Where this woman creates!

2011-06-13T20:11:00.008-05:00

This post is a long time coming considering I re-decorated the room I now call my own almost 3 months ago! Yes, I hate to admit it, but I did the big move and paint job in March, but in my own defense, I really didn't get it completely done until recently. All the finishing touches are now complete and I'm ready to share my sanctuary with the world!!This room used to be my youngest daughter's bedroom and until March, was a guest room of sorts with the computer and a bunch of other odd junk in it.

It was also painted red on the bottom and white on the top with a border between the two.

When trying to decide what color to paint this room, I knew I wanted something fresh and completely different from any of the other rooms in the house.

Most of the other rooms are earth tones, cream, tan, or yellow.

Here it is mid-mess with the border removed and ready to paint.

The deep red was a little tough to cover, but the paint I bought was a good quality and did a pretty good job. I went with a pretty robin's egg blue ~ so fresh and different!

I also knew I wanted to go with a french theme in here since I am totally enamored with anything Paris!

I have a small collection of little eiffel towers which I hope to add to. I found the tin Paris sign at Hobby Lobby.

The black canvas banner with all the french locales on it was a purchase at my friend Katherine's shop, Fibber McGees in Plymouth, WI

I ordered the black lamp with the french script shade from a mail order called "Country House" and I just love it!!
Looks good with my "manny"!

I spend alot of time on the computer, so I wanted to make sure my view was pleasant! I have alot of fun things on this particular wall.

Tattered old books, sweet Mary Jane's and some vintage pricing tags that I bought on Etsy make up this vignette.

This picture is a little bright, but shows some of my work table and the storage around it. The cute little white book shelf was my grandma's.

I recently bought this old desk from the Red Rooster and knew it was exactly what I was looking for as my work table. It was from an old technical school from the 1940's. I love the shelf on the top...great for extra storage!

This is what it usually looks like with all the jewelry junk laying around! But I thought it looked a little more "real" this way!

I decided to take the closet doors off and utilize this space for storage for crafting and art supplies. I found the old metal brackets and made a shelf above the door to display some of my ivory pottery collection. It really pops against the blue!

I try to keep this organized!

More storage in this old chest, and a great place for the tv too! The black eiffel tower on the wall is a vinyl rub-on that I got at Hobby Lobby ( I adore H.L.!) and the framed map of France on the left is from a 1940's atlas.

Well, that completes our tour! The only other wall I didn't show has a black shelf that I have office junk on and is not all that exciting. But I do have my pincushion display on it that I showed in my last post.
This room was a labor of love and I am so happy that I have a place to call my own!!

I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do! Thanks for stopping by!

Projects completed!!

2011-06-06T15:23:00.009-05:00

As promised, I'm sharing the finished product of some of my latest projects. In my last post I mentioned a table top mannequin that I bought on Etsy and that I wanted to decoupage it with vintage pattern pieces. Well, here is my finished manny and I think I'm lovin' the end result!
I used pattern pieces that were the same color as the mannequin so all that shows is the black lettering. I also tried to match the pieces with the "body parts" ~ kinda fun and made the result a little more interesting. You really need to use a light hand when applying the mod podge as the delicate tissue tears easily.
By the way...the necklace is a new creation too!

I also finished the shelf I mentioned in my last post too.

I used pages from an old German book as the background, then glued pieces from an old tape measure around all the edges.

Finished the top off with a piece of hardware that was in my stash from the Pardeeville Mall.

I've been on a decoupaging frenzy lately! I had this old wood drawer and thought it would look great done with ads from an old Woman's World magazine.

Now I'd like to share some of the other things I brought home from my recent trip to the antique mall.

I found this adorable mini plant shelf and thought it would be a perfect spot to display some of my favorite pincushions.

This sweet little crown pincushion with tape measure on the bottom was a recent Etsy purchase too! That Etsy can be a dangerous place for me sometimes!!

I knew I would find the perfect spot for this cute 2 tiered basket in my craft room. I filled it with old balls of darning cotton and string that I use to make tags.

Last but not least, this is the bulk of the rest of my finds from Pardeeville. I have been looking for some of these gutter screens and managed to find three! I plan on keeping these for a bit and will use them like little cloches! So fun!

Will probably sell the shaving brushes and the Flinch cards in my Etsy shop. The little word cards will be saved for art projects.

Have some plans for some more jewelry on the back burner and have been kinda anxious to get working on all that cool hardware I just found!

So stay tuned and thanks so much for your visit!

I have been visiting blogs lately, but am having trouble leaving comments and from what I hear I'm not the only one!

So know that I do drop in now and then, but have to just look for now!

Scenes from a Mall!

2011-06-01T09:04:00.010-05:00

We spent most of the day on Saturday at our cottage, mowing the grass, planting flowers, cleaning the garage, vacuuming, dusting and sweeping cobwebs. It makes me tired just thinking of it all! But on Sunday...we decided to take it easy and play!
My husband is a die-hard fisherman, and wanted to fish all day. Which was fine with me, because I knew I wanted to head over to the Pardeeville Antique Mall in Pardeeville, WI!

As always, my absolute favorite booth was that of Sadie N' Stella!! So many things in this booth spoke to me! Lots of ironstone, shabby, industrial, garden and sweet little packs of ephemera!

Lu really has a knack for display and uses every inch to it's full advantage! Tucking vintage goodies in every nook and cranny, box, drawer, and cubbie!

Lu is the owner and named her business after both her grandmothers, such a sweet idea and wonderful tribute to them! One of these times I'll take the opportunity to meet up with her and have some lunch and a nice visit!

She has such a great selection of transferware too --I love this pitcher!!

Great chippy paint planter basket!

Like I said, every nook and cranny!

This sweet little tiered basket came home with me! I now have it in my craft room with supplies and some sweet little collections!

One of my other favorite booths had lots of junky guy stuff and drawers full of old hardware!

I spent at least a half hour digging through this drawer full of hinges, hooks, knobs and escutcheons!! Needless to say I came away with some dirty fingers and a pile of awesome junk hardware for jewelry and craft projects!!! THIS WAS FUN!!

This is my haul!

Now for some time and ambition to use some of these great pieces!!

There were some other really cute booths that I liked. I thought this one had a fresh summery look!

This booth had lots of pretty shabbies and some great ideas for repurposing!

Loved the look of these eggs nested in a bed of shredded sheet music!

Simple vintage style!

My next post I'll share some of the other goodies that came home with me and what my plans are with them!

We had an awesome weekend! All our kids came to the cottage on Monday and we had a cookout and just hung out ~ perfect!!!

Hope your weekend was perfect too!!

My latest projects...repurposed trays

2011-05-27T11:28:00.009-05:00

Just wanted to take a few minutes to share some of the projects I've been working on lately.

I've been having lots of fun finding and altering vintage trays. I loved how shabby this pretty tole tray was and thought it would be perfect as a memo board. The reticulated edge was perfect to add a chain for hanging!
I made these magnets using an old earring and a carved ivory brooch. I will be including these old photos with it and plan on listing it on Etsy soon.

This old silver tray did not have an open edge, so I had to drill small holes and add wire and chain for hanging. It must have been silverplated brass or copper so magnets would not stick, so I decided to do a collage instead. I started with a french dictionary page as the backdrop and added other vintage paper ephemera to dress it up!

A folded sheet music fan embellished with an old Valentine die cut.

I love this pretty die cut frame and the sweet little dove too...all old embellishments that I've been saving!

I also found this old tole tray painted with lovely pinks and blues!

It's now complete with magnets I made from buttons and bits and pieces of vintage bling!

Recently I purchased an old table top mannequin on Etsy and I plan on decoupaging it with old pattern pieces. Hope to get around to that soon and will post pics when I get it finished.

I think it has good bones and should be perfect for jewelry display!

I bought this cute little shelf a couple weeks ago at a sale and have big plans for this too. I already have the inside done, but am adding more embellishments as I go. More pics to follow!

My husband and I are planning to go to our lake cottage this weekend. Our 34th anniversary is Saturday and plan on lounging around and taking it easy! That is after we get all our yard work and flower planting done! I'm sure we'll go out for a nice dinner and enjoy the weekend!

Wishes to all for a special holiday weekend! Be safe and thanks for stopping by!

Junk, birthdays and birds!

2011-05-16T09:24:00.007-05:00

I thought I would do one big post and roll everything together that's been going on with me lately! So hang in there with me and enjoy the ride! I have been a junkin' fool the past few weekends and have come home with some fabulous finds!! This beautiful picture will go down in my junking history as one of my best deals and favorite finds!! Genuine shabby gorgeousness!!!

Picked up this lovely lady too...

and on the fence as to whether to keep her or not. I have several cement figures and this one fits right in, but we'll see!

Also found this pretty picture too. I love the details of the frame.

Can never turn down old jewelry. Isn't this floral rhinestone pin amazing?

It's 4.5 inches long and only missing a couple little stones...I love it!!

Bought the sweet little jewelry box too.

Thought I'd do a group shot here! The thing leaning up against my van is a folding laundry bench - very nice! Lots of baskets, cute red box, watering can and a nice shelf that I want to decoupage.

Don't know if you can see very well, but there's a real nice old trunk in there and an old store rack that holds a big roll of paper. Click on the image to get a better look! Fun stuff!

Isn't this a cute little smoking stand? I think it would make a fun bedside or end table!

Not one but two old typewriters!! Does anyone have any suggestions on how to remove the old keys? The one on the left would be a good candidate for that!

A nice wicker tray full of goodies! I love the book bundle-that's how I bought them! I kept the sweet little ironstone creamer and plan on decoupaging the tray. Nice red and white linen too!

Fun little bunch of odds and ends ~ love the glasses and bowties!

Three vintage duck planters - one with a broken beak, but the other two are in great shape!

Saturdays are my favorite day to hop in my van, grab our local ads and head out on my treasure hunts! I have had such good luck lately and I hope it doesn't run out on me anytime soon!!

But this past Sunday, my family celebrated my mother's 80th birthday at my brother's house. It was a perfect day and we had so much fun honoring our wonderful mother! I come from a big family, I have 4 brothers and 4 sisters and we're all really close. It was a great day!!

Then I just wanted to share something fun and exciting that happened at my house the other morning. While my hubs was eating breakfast, a bird came on our deck and kept trying to fly into the window. Believing that it was an oriole, I got an orange out of the frig and slowly opened the patio door and held out my hand. Well, lo and behold the hungry, curious little lady landed on my hand and started having some breakfast too! I handed the orange to my hubs, ran and got the camera and snapped this shot! Amazing huh?!?

We usually get males too, but our apple trees haven't blossomed yet and they aren't around yet. Everything is behind around here.

Well, I thank you for your patience and hope you enjoyed seeing all my goodies that I wanted to share! I am now busy getting everything ready to sell at my booths or on Etsy.

I'm also excited to share that my friend and I are planning a day trip down to Illinois on Friday to go to the Na-Da farm sale that my friend Jeanine of Chippy Shabby is doing! Go check out her blog and get all the info!

I've heard so much about this sale, and I can't wait to see all the wonderful stuff there! There will be several bloggers there selling and buying and I hope to meet some new friends!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Where's my widget?

2011-05-04T21:18:00.003-05:00

I love the image of this little girl, and she looks to be asking the question "where's my widget?"

I'm not sure what happened, or if I did something, but my followers widget has seemed to have disappeared! My dashboard tells me how many followers I have, but they don't show up on my actual blog. Has anyone else had this problem? I don't see anyone else's followers either ~ or is it just me?

I know I have a few new followers, but I can't see who they are --very frustrating!!

If anyone has any advice, I would really appreciate any help in figuring this out!

If you are a new follower, I apologize for not stopping in to say Hi, but I can't until I get this thing fixed!!

HELP!!!

Latest estate sale finds!

2011-05-03T21:36:00.006-05:00

The past two weekends I found some great sales and picked up lots of fun little goodies. I often seem to be attracted to the same type of things ~ vintage spools of string and keys...

and this is just a small portion of the 5 boxes of old sewing stuff!

rustic and shabby finds...already sold the little ballerina ring holder!

I have a real weakness for these little safety pin baskets ~ so kitschy!!

Grungy old softballs...

and funky industrial light bulb covers.

I got a real good deal on these watches. I got to this sale in the afternoon on the second day and everything was half off! Gotta love when that happens!

But my best score was this huge box of vintage patterns. It contains over 150 patterns from the 40's through the 70's. Again it was the end of the sale and they just wanted to get rid of them. Well, let me just say, they practically gave them to me!! Don't hate me!

Not sure what drove me to buy these, but I thought they were so cute. The homeowner was once a cake decorator and had tons of vintage cake decor! Fun and cute!

As soon as I can get organized, all these goodies will be listed in my etsy shop.

I hope everyone is well and finding some fun goodies on their junking adventures!

Thanks for stopping by!

Easter wishes!

2011-04-21T20:18:00.005-05:00

Easter blessings to all!!!

Just wanted to come out of seclusion long enough to wish everyone a wonderful Easter! I have been busy and a bit side-tracked with all kinds of distractions lately.

Just life in general, between babysitting the grandmunchkin and getting things listed in my Etsy shop, I have not really taken the time to do justice to my blog.

But I wanted to share some of my vintage Easter decorations with you all. These are my favorite old post cards. They are so much fun to decorate with!

My one and only paper mache bunny!

Love this post card ~ such cute little chicks!

Love these German paper candy container eggs too!

I will be checking in occasionally to see what's been going on with everyone, but don't be surprised if you don't hear from me again for awhile!

I think I have a case of blogger burn-out, lack of interest and motivation, laziness maybe too! Call it what you will, but I think I need a break.

Take care and hope you all are well and have a very blessed Easter season!

Where has the time gone?

2011-04-03T20:56:00.005-05:00

It's hard to believe, but my little grandson celebrated his first birthday on Saturday...

and I ask myself, "where has the time gone"?!?! It seems like yesterday that my husband and I admired our new grandson in the hospital the morning he was born! We were so proud and overcome with emotion! He has brought us so much joy and enjoy him more each day!

So small and sweet, learning new things everyday!

Chubby and carefree!

From his first Halloween pumpkin...

to his first Christmas present...

it has been so much fun to see him grow and LOVE him more than words can say!!!!

The "torture" of his first haircut!

His birthday party was so much fun! The hat my daughter found for him was so darn cute!

Digging into his first piece of cake!

Four generations ~ my mom, my daughter Sara with Jackson and me...I love this picture!

My daughter has a very special bond with her dad, and he has proven to be a wonderful grandpa to Jackson. I think they will be sharing alot of special firsts together. He can't wait to take him fishing or give him a ride on the tractor! I think they will be real good buddies!

Thanks for indulging me with this little bragfest!!! I think it's obvious how much we adore this little man! Hopefully God will give us many more grandbabes to love!

Prayer Request for my friend

2011-03-22T15:20:00.003-05:00

My mind and heart are very heavy today with thoughts and concerns for my dear friend, Linda. She is the owner of the Red Rooster in Plymouth, WI that I have been involved with for going on 11 years. She is receiving the gift of life in the form of a bone marrow transplant today ~ This store has been her "baby" for as many years and it is going to be a long time before she will be well enough to come around it again. She will be in the hospital for a month and then about 3 more in an isolation apartment. For fear of rejection and infections, she is not to be out in public for MANY months.
This will be very hard on her and her family, since she was the one who gave this wonderful store her special touch. We will do our best to help her husband and daughter with some of the displays etc. but she has pretty big shoes to fill!!!

So I would sincerely appreciate your prayers and good thoughts for her as she goes through this grueling, difficult journey back to good health.

She has become more than just a business acquaintence over these years, I am honored to say that she is also one of my best friends!!

Thanks for taking the time out of your busy days to think of her!

I also want to thank Jeanine fron Chippy Shabby for these pictures. I hope you don't mind that I stole them Jeanine!!

Fun with keys!

2011-03-18T10:01:00.008-05:00

One of my best sellers lately in my Etsy shop has been keys. I have sold all sorts of varieties...

skeleton
and the rusty, crusty kind...

I loved this set and probably should have kept it, but now they have a new home!

Simple, yet pretty all the same.

And one of my favorite uses for them is to add a special look to my repurposed jewelry designs.

I think they add such a special touch!

I have really found some great collections of old keys in the past and have really been on the look out for more! Always a good seller and a fun thing to collect too!

I'm sharing my vintage keys with linky parties this week at

Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday and

Ala Carte for Junkin Finds Friday

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Estate sale finds!

2011-03-13T21:05:00.007-05:00

The reason I haven't posted in awhile is because I haven't had anything going on in my life that was exciting enough to share! Just the usual day-to-day stuff, plus I caught a dandy cold too. But I was feeling well enough to head out to an estate sale on Sat. morning that was being run by Fran, the lady that is the manager of the antique mall I sell in. So, I knew it was gonna be a good one and that she would probably give me good deals!! And that she did! This gorgeous platter, allthough chipped in a few spots was in a box of odd dishes and was only $2- for the whole box! I will be keeping this beauty and putting it in one of my cupboards, so who cares about chips, right?

This is pretty much the whole of my bounty from that sale. I also bought a beveled mirror that has quite a bit of silver loss--YUM!!

I can never turn down vintage sewing stuff and more old patterns too. This bunch of patterns were from the 50's--way cool!

I like to use old ric-rac to tie tags on my items I sell.

I love this old bird cage! It will be finding a new home here in my office/sewing room that I will be sprucing up in the soon to be future! I hope!!
I will keep you posted on that. It involves paint and a whole lot of furniture rearranging!! YIKES!

Who doesn't need more ironstone?

Bought one cute little lone butter pat too. You can spy it in the photo of all the stuff I bought.

Grabbed this lot of old medals and crosses too. Will be saving these for jewelry projects of course!

Bought a bunch of old books, but my favorites were a fun colorful children's story book and a girl scout hand book with great illustrations!

Not sure if this is a doorstop or a bookend, but there was only one so I'm going with doorstop!

At this time of year, it's always fun to get out to your first great sale, and this one did not disappoint!

I must admit that I was having an anxiety attack when I drove up at about 7 minutes after the start of the sale and people were already walking out with stuff!

And good stuff too! Oh well, I think I did pretty well, don't you?

Thanks for stopping by and hope to visit you all more often too!

A History Lesson

2011-03-03T21:12:00.005-06:00

For the past few days, my husband and I have been working on an application to recognize our farm as a century farm. My mother-in-law had all the deeds for the farm, and we have been pouring over them trying to make sense of it all. But I must say, it has been very interesting ~ a real history lesson! My husband's great-grandfather, Theodore, purchased the home farm in November of 1883 for $4,000. That was a pretty hefty sum in those days, I'm sure! I have been enjoying looking at all these yellowed but lovely documents. All the handwriting is so fluid and pretty ~ a lost art!
Ephemera with such a meaningful connection!
Notice the different spelling of Miller? We still aren't sure when it was changed, but this spelling is very German.

Look at these gorgeous receipts that were in with the deeds!

If they weren't so important, I'd use them in artwork! I guess I could copy them!

Here is a picture of our farm taken probably in the 20's...unfortunately all these buildings are now gone! The old barn burned down in 1989 and the house was demolished in 2006 so a new cow facility could be built. The granary on the right would have been a cool building to hold sales, but I would have had to get it exterminated first!!!

Here is our farm today, an aerial view taken in 2009. Quite a change, huh? The yellow house is ours.
See all the little calf huts? Those are where my babies live.
I think Theodore would be proud!

This is my husband's grandpa, John who bought the farm from his father, Theodore in 1914. It was then sold to my father and mother in law in 1940. We bought it in 1998. Now my son in law is farming with us so the family farm continues!

Quite a handsome man, I think! He died the month before my husband was born at the age of 64.

Another fun photo that I found. Grandpa John is the dapper fellow in the middle! I have no idea who the other two gents are!

As a lover of all things old, I really enjoyed this experience of delving into our family history. I am so glad we did this, since my mother in law is still alive at 92, she can witness the farm she helped build receive this honor!

I'm linking this post to the Vintage Inspiration Friday linky party at Debra's blog, Common Ground!

Thanks for joining me as I share my history lesson!

Thrifting finds!

2011-03-01T14:09:00.006-06:00

To try and cure my winter blues, I finally got the chance to get out on Saturday morning and visit a couple thrift stores. I visited a local St Vinny's first with moderate success! I found this awesome wicker covered bottle and bought all the glass domes they had ~ I think they were originally from an anniversary clock. I like to display fun little stuff under them, like my mini eiffel tower!

Found the cute little creamer too!

...and some vintage patterns, that I may use as a fun alternative to tissue paper for my Etsy shop sales!

Then I headed over to Goodwill and had much better luck there!

Got a whole tray full of wonderful vintage goodies!
Sweet little teapot and violet tea cup, darling ceramic baby shoe, gorgeous salt and pepper set, tiny butter pats with pink flowers, lovely lady tin, and a vintage cocktail shaker ~ martini anyone!??

Oh, and the mirror tray too!!

Love the graphics on the tin and isn't the little shoe adorable?

Pretty candy tin with colorful flowers!

I don't think this etched bottle is particularly old, but it sure is pretty!
I think it would be gorgeous filled with glitter!

I'm lovin' those salt and pepper shakers!

Close ups!

Also found a tin litho checker board that is used with marbles. Alas, the marbles were gone, but I think the board is cute all by itself!

Vintage photo was already framed ~ it amazes me what people will give away! Who's relatives are they anyway!??
I also picked up two nice vintage dresser mirrors and some old picture frames for projects!

Sorry I haven't posted these pics till now, but have been busy babysitting for my grandson, Jackson the past couple days and tomorrow too! He has been sick with a cold and fever and can't go to daycare. So grandma gets to snuggle him all day ~ I'm lovin' that part, but not happy he's been sick!

Thought I'd share my thrifty finds for Savvy Southern Style's Wow us Wednesday linky party!

Time to hop on over there and see what others have to share. Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate your comments and follows so much!!

The lust for rust!

2011-02-24T21:00:00.004-06:00

It seems like everything I've listed on Etsy lately that has even the smallest amount of rust was snatched up right away!

These keys sold in about 15 minutes!!

I must say they were pretty cute!

These chippy, crusty hinges sold pretty fast too!

Notice a common theme here?
Worn...

scratched and beat up...

grungy...

crusty and rusty...

and aged to a perfect patina!

Every item pictured, but the scale are items I've sold recently on Etsy. The common element is that worn look us junk lovers, hunters and sellers are drawn to.

The lust for rust is the tie that binds us junkers together!

Am linking this post to the Vintage Inspiration Friday linky party over at Common Ground.

Join in the fun at Debra's blog and see what all the others are sharing this week!

I've got a fever!

2011-02-22T21:04:00.005-06:00

Spring fever that is! It has been snowing alot around here lately! Just after we had a nice thawing and got rid of most of the snow we had, in comes another storm and dumps some more on us!

So my mind wanders toward thoughts of spring, and flowers, and birds and all the wonderful things that we look forward to when the weather warms up a bit! I like to play with my vintage garden stuff and put together new vignettes with it!

... and check out garden websites. Can't remember where I found this one, but I've had this picture of this awesome arbor made with doors in my inspiration file for a while now.

Isn't it cool?

Also been thinking about our cottage...ALOT!

We have it all closed up for the winter and haven't been there since the fall.

But that doesn't mean I can't dream about going there!!

This is our shoreline looking towards our neighbors off of our pier.

I can't wait to sit under our shade trees and read a good book!

Hurry up spring!!

Anyone else got the fever too?

Vintage Inspiration--My pincushion collection

2011-02-17T21:42:00.008-06:00

I've mentioned several times in the past that I have a fairly large collection of pincushions, so I thought I'd share them with you for my Vintage Inspiration Friday offering this week over at Debra's blog ~ Common Ground. So here's the tour...

Some are sweet and a little shabby,

some old and tattered...

Some of the animal variety...

some of the native american souvenier variety...

these beaded ones are my most valueable...

but this little one in the urn is my most sentimental. Back in the early 90's when people actually wrote letters, I had a pen pal from Texas that I corresponded with for 3 years. I flew down to meet her in 1993 and this little pincushion was one of my finds when she and I went junking! So it bears alot of meaning and memories for me of my sweet southern friend and the fun we had those 4 days we were together!

I love the tattered and beat up look of these two!!

Aquired these pink sweeties recently!

Another one of my favorites with the kitty chasing the little mouse out his "hole"!!

I don't recall what got me started with this collection, but it is my oldest and largest and one that I still add to whenever I can!

So, if you're looking to be inspired, head on over to Common Ground and soak it all in!!

The new girl in town!

2011-02-15T21:08:00.007-06:00

I mentioned in my last post that I have been cleaning, re-arranging and purging around here lately. Well the main reason behind all the sprucing up in my sewing/craft room at least, was to make room for my latest purchase... this vintage beauty!!
She's made of gorgeous, amber-colored velvet and is worn to perfection!! I bought her from another dealer in the antique mall I'm in. And I think I love her!!!!!!

Perfect for displaying my junk jewelry
and for photo shoots for my etsy listings.

These necklaces are my latest creations and I will be listing some of them soon, and maybe taking one or two to the mall or The Red Rooster.

I also added another pincushion to my collection. I bought this beauty from another dealer too! I love these "half doll" types...and am always looking for more!

I also wanted to share my latest etsy purchase too! This yummy, gorgeous seam binding was hand-dyed, aged and is now sheer perfection! I can't wait to start creating with it!
I bought it from French market's shop just in case you want some of your own!

And of course, I love their Paris tags too!

Yummy!!!

I want to give my new dress form a name, so if anyone has a good suggestion, let me know!
I'm planning on giving her a good home for a long, long time!!

I decided last minute to join in a new linky party for the first time over at Savvy Southern Style for Wow us Wednesdays! Kim has quite a list of blogs that are ready to WOW you, so head on over and check it out!!!

Vintage Inspiration: Antique books with a family name!

2011-02-10T11:03:00.004-06:00

I thought I'd come out of hibernation long enough to join Debra @ Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday! I have a small but hopefully growing collection of antique books that are authored by John Theodore Mueller, a german writer who shares the name of my husband's late grandfather! Sometime in the 30's or 40's my hubs grandpa changed the spelling of Mueller to Miller. So the first time I spotted one these old books I was quite excited and hence the start of a new collection!

Some versions are in English and often the covers are very romantic and feminine!

This version is in German...

and has beautiful illustrations...

and lovely script.

I've been cleaning, re-arranging and just plain purging around here lately! It's also been extremely cold, perfect weather to stay inside, tweek the nest and enjoy all the wonderful vintage inspiration around me ~ both in my own home and in all the lovely blogs I enjoy visiting whenever I get the chance!

So head on over to Debra's blog and soak in all that great inspiration!!

Recovering!

2011-02-04T13:43:00.002-06:00

During the ugliest storm of the year, I managed to catch a just-as-ugly case of the flu! I felt so bad leaving my farm chores to my husband and son-in-law, which meant tending to my calves for me, all of which are outside!! This can be a daunting task during a storm, since the little huts they live in are VERY exposed to the elements and blowing snow needs to be shoveled so they can move around and get outside. Folks who don't live on a farm usually don't understand why we keep our calves outside, but they do so much better than in a closed-in barn because of the ventilation and bacteria-inhibiting environment. They do much better than their feeder, I'm afraid!! But, looking back, I think God did me a favor, since being sick and in bed was much easier than all that shoveling!
Well, after a couple days, I am glad to say that I am feeling much better. Still a little stiff and achey, but able to go about my normal activities. I also managed to get a few more things in my Etsy shop and work on more jewelry. I received my keyholes in the mail and have been playing with them. I have the necklace pictured above listed now, and will be adding items as I get them done.

I decided to part with some of my favorite buttons and have added a few to my shop. I even sold one set already!
It's a little slow going, but have made several sales and am very pleased and excited!!

I'm glad to be back and hope that everyone else who was affected by storms this week is doing alright and have been shoveled out! Thanks for stopping by!!

Another awesome birthday gift!

2011-01-31T20:45:00.004-06:00

I finally connected with a friend of mine that I hadn't seen for a couple weeks and she gave me an awesome belated birthday gift!! This amazing, huge cookie jar from an old bakery that went out of business... filled with these just as awesome homemade sugar cookies!! I LOVE IT!!!
It looks great on my new island!

They are delicious!
I keep catching my hubby with his hand in the cookie jar!!!

So thoughtful and unique!

She knows I used to collect cookie jars, most of which I have parted with, but this one is different and now so special to me as it came from my dear friend!

Now, the challenge is to keep it filled with something just as yummy!

Gotta love those birthday presents!!!

Etsy purchases and a discovery!

2011-01-28T21:10:00.003-06:00

I must admit I am totally addicted to Etsy ~ both selling and buying!! I'm afraid any profits I make selling will be quickly reinvested in new Etsy finds! I recently purchased the keyholes in the picture above and I can't wait to receive them and start creating more jewelry!! I found these amazing little goodies at Vintage Supply Co. Her etsy shop is full of all types of fun what-nots for altered and mixed media projects!
I hope to soon be receiving this lovely little number too!! Another etsy purchase from a wonderful shop called Kimiko611. Her charms are so unique and look to be of amazing quality! I love it and wish it would get here already!! My ultimate dream sometime in this lifetime is to visit Paris and I love anything with the eiffel tower image!
My new discovery that I want to tell you about is another wonderful etsy shop called the French Circus. I was searching for some assemblage jewelry and Robyn's site came up and I was totally blown away!! Her creations are amazing and so unique. I asked her permission to share some of her jewelry pictures, and she obliged me! You can find her shop HERE.

Gorgeous!!!

Beautiful!!
Robyn also has a new blog and I told her I'd help her find some new friends and give her a much-deserved mention on my blog. You can find her lovely blog HERE.

I love this fun verison of her coin purse necklace. She uses such beautiful elements to create her pieces!

This is my coin purse necklace that I have currently listed in my Etsy shop.

Take a minute to go check out these wonderful and inspiring shops and blogs. I promise you'll be addicted too!!
Thanks for stopping by and hope you have a great weekend!

And the winner is.....

2011-01-24T20:22:00.003-06:00

Before I announce the big winner of my Birthday/blogiversary giveaway, I want to thank everyone for their sweet comments, new and old follows and all the support and inspiration I get from you all everyday!! You truly do mean so much to me ~ each and everyone of you. I'm sorry if I don't always take the time to reply to comments or get around to visit, but I do try to eventually!
So without further ado.........
The winner is ~ Tammy from Art & Inspirations!!!

Congratulations Tammy! Email me your address and I will get your box of goodies out to you as soon as possible! Thanks for your participation and becoming a new follower!!

Last Chance for my Giveaway!

2011-01-24T11:09:00.004-06:00

Just a quick reminder that today is your last chance to enter my giveaway!! I will be double checking the list tonight and picking my winner at 8 pm (central time) I will announce the winner shortly after that! So this is what I was doing yesterday...

My husband and I got together at my sister's house with all my brothers and sisters and their spouses and had a big ol' Packer party!!
And unless you live under a rock ~ our team is goin' to the SUPER BOWL!!! We almost took the roof of my sister's house when they won!! Oh, that Aaron Rogers is such a hottie!!

So today and tomorrow, I will be listing some more things on Etsy (like this beautiful Victorian greeting card that I scanned) and playing catch up around the house. Speaking of that scanning thing, I really need to get some good advice on scanning things and posting them to my blog, cuz they always turn out kinda funny when I try it! Any takers on giving me some help on this?

So, hurry up and get your name entered for my giveaway and I'll be picking your name later tonight!! Have a great day everyone!!

Just Opened ~ My new Etsy Shop!!!

2011-01-20T15:18:00.004-06:00

After much trial and error, research, and by-guess and by-gosh, I have finally got my new Etsy shop opened!!! I only have a few items listed, but I think I have the hang of it finally, and will be listing more items daily!

I am so excited, but I know it may take awhile for this to take off, so I still need to keep my feet planted in the ground! You can visit my shop HERE and thanks for stopping by! I really do appreciate it!

Bartering ~ How did I do???

2011-01-17T12:04:00.008-06:00

While working at the Red Rooster on Sunday, which I have to do a couple days a month, the lady from the antique store next door expressed a great interest in the gorgeous photo album I had for sale in my space. She asked what my best price was and I told her what I could do on it. She then told me she would think about it. We got to talking about some of the things I've been looking for and collect and I told her I would be interested in bartering. Well....after some discussion these are what she came up with.....
5 adorable little bitty oil cans!!

~ and this beautiful pincushion and 2 sweet little strawberry emeries, which I also collect! I was excited when she showed me these because after reading the post that Julian did from Tallulah's Antique Closet, which you can read about HERE I knew I wanted to find more!!

She then showed me these antique pin balls, which she claims are very old. Has anyone ever seen these or know anything about them? I find them very folk artsy and interesting?

She included these in the deal too!

I found this version on Ebay and thought it looked a little similar. If anyone has anymore information about these, let me know. I am very curious to learn more.

I hope I did well on my bartering trade! I feel satisfied with what I came away with and I guess that's really all that matters! :)

A little while later, my friend Katherine came over to the shop from her shop across the street (Fibber McGees) and brought me my belated birthday gift!! When I opened the little wooden box ~ I nearly squeeled with delight!

Isn't it darling?!? She bought it from my friend Jeanine of Chippy Shabby at one of her sales and said Jeanine told her I would love it! Well, Jeanine, you were so right ~ I DO!!!!!!!!!!!

I love little surprises like this!

Hope you have a great week and there's still time to enter my giveaway!!!

Vintage Inspiration - Baby Shoes!

2011-01-14T11:31:00.007-06:00

I have always been drawn to sweet little children's things ~ toys, clothes, and darling little shoes! Especially the scuffed and softly worn variety! They are so fun to decorate with and tuck into vignettes!

This shelf is in my computer room and I love looking at it! I've filled it with my ironstone creamer collection and tucked my favorite pair of vintage baby shoes in as well!!

Well worn and well loved!!

Aged to perfection! Aren't they the sweetest thing??

I have done other fun things with them too!

Like pincushions...

and snuck them into little cubbies!

Laceless varieties in front of a picture of my "baby"!!

I'm sharing my baby shoe collection today for Vintage Inspiration Friday with Debra at Common Ground! Hop on over and enjoy all the other inspiration being shared!
Thanks for stopping by and don't forget about my giveaway!

Winter White Mantel

2011-01-12T11:08:00.005-06:00

After putting all my Christmas decor away, I was trying to come up with something still wintery to adorn my mantel with. I brought back out some architectural pieces that I had put away while I had my Christmas village and bottle brush trees up. Then I added some lovely vintage post cards featuring snowy scenes and a frosty tree and snowman. I love this old post ~ so versatile!

I bought this frosty tree at a Christmas craft sale of a friend of mine and I bring it out every year and can leave it up for several weeks!

Pine cone candle under glass.

Serene winter scene.

My sheep painting isn't very wintery, but the colors were right for the look I was going for!

I'm linking up for the first time in quite awhile to the White Wednesday celebration over at Faded Charm.
Don't forget about my giveaway too!! Plenty of time to get your name in the hat!!!

Blogiversary/Birthday Giveaway!!!!!!

2011-01-10T10:54:00.007-06:00

Even though I celebrated my actual blog anniversary on Dec. 22nd and my birthday last Thursday, I thought I would have a giveaway anyway!!! Even though it's a little belated, I wanted to share my good fortune of celebrating another year with you my wonderful new-found friends!! So to honor the occasion, I made a bracelet using all vintage buttons!

And I will be wrapping it up inside this sweet little vintage wallpaper box!

I will also be adding a wonderful and whimsical vintage photo of two lovely ladies on a ladder, a brown transferware soap dish and 5 pretty, little mother-of-pearl buckles!

I wanted this giveaway to be sweet and romantic and I think I came up with a mix of vintage goodies that exemplify just that!!

I love this photo--such a hoot!!

These buckles would be great in a craft or jewelry project or just let them sit in this pretty little dish too!!

So...here's the deal!
You'll have 3 chances to win...
Leave me a comment... become a new follower or remind me that you already are... share the news about my giveaway on your blog and let me know you did so!!! I will be choosing the winner on Monday, Jan. 24th at 8 p.m. central time.

Simple enough, right!?! So, good luck and thanks so much for your love and support this past year!! You all mean so much to me!!

Fun with Magnets!

2011-01-06T10:11:00.006-06:00

This time of year I always look for ideas for simple projects to while away the hours on these long, cold winter days. While leafing through one of the more current issues of Somerset Home magazine, an article caught my eye that showed something that fit the bill! Using vintage elements such as buttons and jewelry to make magnets! These examples above are some of the ones I came up with!

This is the page I ripped out and hung on my inspiration and idea door!
So simple and pretty. The magnet I hung it with was an old pin that I took the back off of.

More examples I made using earrings and old buttons.

Perfect for displaying the business cards of blogging friends!!

...and my own too! I decided to branch out a little and dug through my stashes of junk, looking for anything I could glue a magnet to. Found this little tart tin and added a clock image from an old book and then glued a glass "bubble" over it!

How about a lone butter pat with a little bling in the middle?

This cabinet in my craft room stores supplies and makes a great spot to hang my clippings and inspiration pictures!

Of course you can use them to hang stuff on your frig too! Like pictures of your adorable grandbabies!!

A pair of old clip earrings now hold a picture of my favorite little cutie!

These little pieces of architectural adornments are the perfect size for magnets!

Funny how one picture in a magazine can start an idea in your head...I guess that's what inspiration is all about!

So I'm joining Debra for her Vintage Inspiration Friday party at her blog Common Ground!
Now I'm heading over to get some more inspiration!

Thanks for stopping by!

My Favorite Finds of the Year!

2010-12-29T21:54:00.006-06:00

As my first year of blogging comes to a close, I thought I'd reflect on the year that is ending too. I took a look through my old photos and realized that I really found some good stuff this year! Hit alot of great sales and stumbled on some real gems in this huge ocean of great junk!!! I think my all-time favorite finds were some vintage crinolines ~ this one being nearest to my heart!
This photo was my header in the early summer and features some wonderful doorstops that I added to my collection. Found these beauties at the Elkhorn Flea Market in mid May. I love the soft, time-worn colors!

I also picked up some awesome ironstone pieces this year too! I've used the big tureen in some fun vignettes and love the sweet little stack of butter pats!

I purchased these cute little guys on a birthday outing with some of my dearest friends. Perhaps thats why they are so dear to me ~ they remind me of a special day with some special people!

This 50's bracelet was so fun ~ sold of course!!

Love the curvy lines of this yummy, creamy lamp! We sell tons of vintage lamps at the Red Rooster! This one went fast!

I enjoyed my walk down memory lane! I hope that 2011 brings me as much luck junking as I had this past year!

May your New Year be full of many good and wonderful things and tons of "junk in your trunk!!"

I am also linking up with Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday too!!

Holiday Wishes!!

2010-12-23T21:26:00.002-06:00

Just a quick and simple wish for a wonderfully happy holiday season to each and everyone!!!

I have been blogging now for a year and can't believe how much I have been inspired, entertained, and sometimes moved to tears by all my newfound friends! Hope you stay safe and enjoy every moment! Love to all ~ Julie

My New Kitchen Revealed!!!!!!

2010-12-16T20:17:00.007-06:00

After much anticipation, I am finally ready to do the big unveiling of my newly remodeled kitchen!!! The furniture store delivered my new table and chairs today, which was the final piece to the puzzle to complete this long drawn-out affair!! So ~ here it is ~ I fall more in love with it everyday!!
For those who didn't know what she looked like before ~ ~ ~ Here are some before shots, plus you can read my farewell post here.

Quite a change, HUH?!?

Pretty good view into my living room and my Christmas vignettes that I've shown before. This pic was taken standing by my kitchen sink.

Madly love my new island...and my countertops...and my floor...and my cabinets!! Oh my!!!

Taking out that penninsula really opened this space up! Makes the room look so much bigger!!!

Thanks for hanging in there with me and patiently waiting til I was ready for the big "showing"! I hope it was worth waiting for!
Since I still have many antique pieces and vintage Christmas on display, I've decided to join in the party over at Debra's blog ~ Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday! Check out all the others that have joined in this week!

My husband and I are taking a much needed little 4 day getaway to Branson, MO! We leave on Sat. and will be back on Weds. Will try to sneek a little look at my blog if I can find a computer somewhere at our hotel! Until then ~ thanks so much for stopping by! I do enjoy our visits!

My Favorite Vintage Ornaments

2010-12-14T20:33:00.005-06:00

The last couple Christmases I've decorated my tree with only vintage ornaments. I have several that have become my favorites! Some sentimental favorites are family heirlooms handed down to me... like this awesome paper Santa which belonged to my dad's mother! He is quite fragile so I handle him with care!
This sweet pine cone was given to me by my mother-in-law and it was my husband's grandma's!

I didn't add anything else to our tree this year but ornaments. Last year I had tinsel on the tree but it was so messy I decided to keep it simpler this year.

The next few are favorites because of shape and style...

adorable little mushroom

love the shape of this one ~ ice cream cone or hot air balloon?!?

I believe this spun cotton turnip or beet is probably my most valuable ornament. I've seen these priced in the $40 range!

Love this cute little duckie!

another unusual cone shape

This chippy paint pine cone is quite large, like the size of my fist!

Every year I like to add some new additions to my tree. But these have been my absolute faves for several years now and I hope to hand them down to my children too!

Hope everyone is having a good week! Thanks for stopping by!

Christmas All Around the House!

2010-12-12T20:38:00.006-06:00

It was such a good feeling to finally get some cleaning done and get the last layer of white dust off of everything after our remodel project!! Then I could really dig into my Christmas stuff and work on some vignettes! I try to put at least a little something Christmas-y in every room! I put this fun basket together on this wonderful old chair in my dining room! You can see a little peek of all the snow we've been getting out the window that looks out onto our deck! We got about 10 inches Sat. night and all day Sunday! Now it's gonna get real cold! Yuck!
This vignette in my kitchen is my favorite that I put together this year!! It features all my Santas--most of them vintage! I also added a cute pair of child's skis and a sweet little tree with some prim Santas and quilt piece ornaments!

My favorite is the bobble-head candy container next to the boot with the tree in it!

I found the string of toy wooden beads and thought it would make a cute garland for this little tree! I can't take credit for making the little quilt ornaments. I bought them at a craft sale years ago and use them every year!

This table sits next to my Santa vignette in my kitchen.

I framed this old illustration I found in an antique children's book ~ perfect to keep out all winter long!

The little sheep are new--and totally cute!

The hooked wool tree in the silver sugar bowl was a gift from my friend Katherine from last year! I love it!

I love post cards with birds and have several!

I've had this old German print for a few years now and I love getting it out every year! It reminds me of my 2 girls, one light and the other dark haired! It hangs in my living room and is such a sweet vintage image!

Added a couple items to this vignette in my bathroom. A sweet little tinsel tree and yet another vintage post card featuring sweet little birdies on a branch!

My next post will feature my tree and some of my favorite vintage ornaments!

Thanks for stopping by and hope you come by for a visit again real soon!!

Vintage Christmas in my Living Room

2010-12-09T20:23:00.007-06:00

I'm joining in the Christmas fun at the Vintage Inspiration party at Debra's blog ~ Common Ground! I have been collecting for years and am decorating more and more with vintage Christmas items. My tree is completely adorned with vintage ornaments and I decked my mantel with bottle brush trees and all my little paper houses...
I have quite the little village now!

Here's what it looks like at night...

Magical!!!

I have been accumulating for so long now that the overflow spilled into the bookcase next to the fireplace!

Counted and I'm up to 30 vintage bottle brush trees of all colors and sizes...truly addicting!!

I added a couple cute little wooden angels on skiis and a sweet little, pink snowgirl to this scene!
(click to enlarge for a better look!)

I bought this new silver tree last year and just love it ~ perfect for my smaller ornaments!

My husband asked me tonight why I have 2 trees?? He just doesn't get it I guess!

Holiday vignette on my hearth.

Downsized my snowman collection to just my favorites.

Someday this winter when I have nothing to do, I really need to thin out some of my Christmas stuff! It's amazing what you accumulate in 34 years and how your tastes change!

This is how I decorated my living room cupboard! I love the soft look of all the muted colors and textures!

Lots of sweet vintage "stuff"!!

I love this cupboard, but not nearly as much as my new one in my dining room!

Next I will be sharing some of the vignettes I've put together in other rooms and hopefully soon will come the big "reveal" of my newly remodeled kitchen!!

All the work is finished and my new dining room set is "in transit"!!

Soon, I promise!! For now, hop on over to Debra's blog and check out all the other wonderful Christmas inspiration being shared!!

Holiday Flea Market

2010-12-05T20:01:00.005-06:00

We had a few inches of snow early Sat. morning and I think that really put a damper on the Holiday flea that I did on Sat. The crowd was pretty thin unfortunately!! As anyone who does any kind of markets, sales or shows knows how much work goes into these it can really be disappointing! Oh well, I think my booth was really pretty anyway!!One side of my booth had a huge window in it and I love how the sun came peeking through later in the afternoon! It cast some lovely shadows on my vintage Christmas!
I made a little village scene inside this antique aquarium. Of course it didn't sell, so I will probably take it to one of my booths.

These hinged windows I put together were the perfect backdrop since my booth was in a corner.

I had tons of vintage Christmas!

I loved this vintage store display basket that I used to display old boxes of Christmas lights!

I did sell the cute little picnic tin and the watering can!

I didn't do horrible, but compared to last year's show this one was not very good! I did have alot of fun buying some great stuff from the other dealers there and got some great deals!

Bought this sweet bottle brush tree that was still in it's original box ~ mint condition!!

Then my favorite buy of the day -- this little cutie............

I LOVE this darling little bottle brush tree! The pink beads on the frosty flocking make it look so sweet and feminine!! I just adore it!!!

I also bought the wonderful little tureen it sits in, one of two I got from the same dealer!
I didn't mind so much having to pack up most of my stuff knowing I came away with such sweet finds!

I can at least take my leftovers to my booths to sell. Hope everyone had a great weekend!!

My New Love!!

2010-12-01T20:56:00.008-06:00

Happy December to all!! Christmas will be here before we know it and I have so much to do!! I have been busy primping and preparing for a Holiday market that I'm doing on Sat., but I'd rather be doing all my holiday decorating instead! But, I couldn't resist adding some Christmas embellishments to my new love...my new cupboard!!
It is absolutely perfect for this spot and I couldn't be happier with it!!
It has tons of storage and I have already filled up the base with dishes and serving pieces!

Here she is in all her glory ~ I'll just take you on a little tour...shelf by shelf!!

These last few photos are some of my favorite items that I've been working on and will be featuring in my booth at the holiday flea I'm doing in Germantown, WI this Sat. next to the Pilgrim Antique Mall from 8 to 3 pm!

My ornament wreaths have been selling like crazy and I'm on the hunt for more ornaments!

I like to give some of them a dusting of "sugar glitter" !!

I have 2 of these gorgeous vintage ornaments-one in green and the other gold! Love them!!

Found this pickle jar at St. Vinny's with no cover, so I added some Christmas adornments and like the results!!

Since I have alot of white stuff in my new cupboard, I decided to join in the White Wednesday linky party over at Faded Charm!

Check out all the other wonderful blogs who have joined in this weekly celebration of white!

Cupboard Re-arranging!

2010-11-27T20:27:00.005-06:00

I've been trying to get my house back in order this week and have been playing "musical cupboards"!! The cupboard that I had in my dining room didn't fit in the spot in my kitchen that I was saving it for. So I did some major re-arranging (again) in my craft room and took one cupboard out that I wasn't crazy about and put my stepback from the dining room in there!! And I really love the way it looks in there!!! I've filled it with my vintage garden collectibles and also added some little touches of Christmas!
This cupboard is much more roomy than the old one...

plenty of room for all my stuff!!

old clocks and sand shovels...just for fun!

seed boxes and sweet little watering cans. I have several more children's watering cans, which I will work in after Christmas is over.

The little gold clock doesn't work, but I still think it's sweet anyway!

Added some bitty Christmas ornaments to my little wheelbarrow!

Found these darling little angels at a sale recently~marked Germany on the bottom. LOVE them!

Set this bottle brush tree inside an unusual flower frog then added my tiny repro sheep as added Christmas adornments!

The last of the really hard work of my kitchen remodel is over as of today!! My friend, my husband and I finally went and brought home my antique cupboard from the antique store that has been storing it for me for almost a year!! It's a big, heavy whopper and it took the 3 of us to get it into my dining room!!! Have been spending the better part of this afternoon filling it up with all my treasures ~ and I am in major LOVE with it!!!

I know I'm being stubborn, but I don't want to share pics of my new kitchen just yet--not until it is completely done!!! I ordered a new table and chairs and they won't be delivered for a bit yet!

But, I may be convinced to share pics of my new cupboard!! So stay tuned and see what develops!!! Thanks for your patience with me as we get to the end of this huge undertaking...we're almost there!!

Little changes and something to share!

2010-11-17T11:26:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to let my followers know that I've made a few changes to my blog regarding my comments section. I have decided to get rid of the word verification, since so many of you find that annoying (and so do I!!) And I have also changed who can leave me comments...I am now allowing anyone to comment--anonymous followers, people who don't have a blog or a google account should all be able to leave me a comment!! I have had a few people email me and tell me they weren't able to leave me a comment and I think I figured it all out now!!
I'd like to thank Vicki from Rusty Rooster Vintage for leading me in the right direction with all of this!! She made a mention of a link in her wonderful blog of where you can go to get advice on making your blog more "user friendly"!! And so I followed her advice and want to thank her for that ~ Thanks sweet Vicki!! Check out her blog when you get a chance! She is fairly new to the blogging world but has come on like gangbusters and has over 200 followers already!! Way to go Vicki!!! I also wanted to share a cool website I've found that has wonderful vintage clip-art images that you can use in your artwork and for your blog. Go to Vintageholidaycrafts.com - that's where my beautiful Thanksgiving image is from!!! Enjoy!

~End of the Year Sale~

2010-11-15T14:48:00.007-06:00

The garage and estate sales have been winding down in our area and once in awhile I can catch an auction or indoor sale. Over the last few years, I have gotten to know a lady that does estate sales for others or does complete estate buy-outs. She gave me a call the other day and told me I could come and buy early before the sale she is having the following week!! LUCKY ME!!! The most fun part of this deal is the fact that she didn't have things out of the boxes or priced yet! After about an hour and a half of digging, I came home with some wonderful goodies!!!
I bought a big tub of beautiful silver and these are the best pieces!
I love the embossed designs inside these large ladles!

Got the cute little chair for $3!! Has cute little cherub decals on the back.

I "married" this transferware lid to this white chamber pot ~ I think they go well together!! This silver plate pot has been repaired several times, but I think it only adds to it's already wonderful patina!!

China pieces, cute little clock and a cloche ~ just in time for a quick Christmas vignette!!

I also bought 8 canning jars of buttons!!

Mostly metal ones, but I feel some pretty jewelry projects comin' on!!!

I'm a sucker for children's readers--the illustrations are always so charming!

Since my house is a total disaster right now, I'm having a hard time finding an empty spot to take some pictures! So I decided to just set the bigger stuff outside my van!

The turquoise cabinet is to die for!! Perfect state of wear to the paint ~ Love it!!!!!
There were 2 of the little blue stools, but only hauled one out. Also got 2 lovely mirrors, a large suitcase and this cute white youth chair!

It makes me a little sad that winter is setting in and will be putting an end to alot of my junking!
Hopefully this load will last me for a little while!

I guess if I need a fix, I can always haunt the thrift stores!

Happy junkin' to all!!

Farewell White Kitchen!!

2010-11-09T15:46:00.005-06:00

I haven't participated in White Wednesday in a long time, so I thought I would share some pictures I took of my kitchen in its former state of whiteness!We are deep in the midst of a major kitchen remodel if you aren't a regular follower of mine! We have been living in a mess for about a week and a half, but we're making progress slowly but surely!!
When we built our house 30 years ago my kitchen cabinets were very dark and about 15 yrs ago I decided to paint them white. It was quite a job, but well worth it as it really lightened things up !! This kitchen has had some decorative face lifts over the years and was still rather pretty. But these pictures do not show all the daily wear and tear of 3 kids and a few dogs over the last 30 years!!

This penninsula is now gone and will be replaced with a free standing island!

This is the current state of affairs--ain't it purty???
The color you see near the ceiling is my new paint color. I call it "sandy mustard"!!!
The floor is in really bad shape and I can't wait to have it GONE!! They will be tearing it out on Friday!!

I will admit that I'm going to miss my pretty red wall just a little, but it was time for a change!

The china hutch is staying, but is being moved to a different wall and will be replaced by a bigger cupboard that I bought last Dec. with this remodel in mind!! The antique store owners are friends of mine (thank GOD) and have been dear enough to hold it for me all this time! But it was just perfect for this spot and as they say "best time to buy an antique is when you see it!"

Edge of the dining room looking into the living room.

The hall to the left goes to the bedrooms and bathroom.

My new cabinets are being delivered tomorrow and will go in next week after they tear out the old floor. Things will be looking very different real soon and I can't wait to share it with all of you!! So stay tuned!

I am linking up with Faded Charm for White Wedneday as I bid a fond farewell to my white kitchen...it has seen alot of happiness and tears in this home of ours!!

Pictures Retrieved!!!

2010-11-06T20:47:00.005-05:00

I thought I had lost my pictures from our open house forever! My memory card was full when I took these, so I had the idea that maybe they would be in the camera's internal memory and yep-there they were!!!!!!! I make at least 6 of these ornament wreaths every year and usually sell them all! I have alot of fun with them ~ the pastel ones being my favorites! {sold my dress form that night too!!}
Sorry they're a little dark, but these were taken in the late afternoon shadows.

You can see that my room at the Red Rooster is fairly large - probably about 3-4 mall booth spaces! Keeps me busy filling it up! {try to ignore the lovely furnace vents!!}

So glad I managed to save these!! Hope you enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed putting all these vignettes together!!

WHAT A WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-11-05T10:13:00.005-05:00

Did anyone out there miss me?!? I sure missed you!! This has been such a crazy, busy week that I don't know where to begin! After recuperating from my last antique show, I had to dig in to my kitchen remodel project and empty out all my cabinets ~ what a job that was!!! My kitchen was completely gutted last Friday and I now have a stove and frig, but no countertops to cook on -- awww shucks!! Then our Christmas open house was this past Weds. evening and I was wrapped up in prep for that too!!! But it all turned out great in the end and thanks to my buddy Jeanine from Chippy Shabby who saved the day for me and let me "steal" her pics from her blog since I didn't get any of my own!!!! This was my favorite vignette in my room, and Jeanine nabbed these sweet little windows! Check out her blog and see what other goodies she came home with!!
I don't think the store has ever looked so pretty & I'm sad I didn't get some pictures. Oh well, the story of my life I guess!!!

We had an amazing turnout with a very steady flow all night which makes all the hard work worthwhile!!

Another scene from my room with a glimpse at the mob of people--I'll admit it was quite a rush!!

Here's a shot of me and the owner's daughter, Kate busy as little bees behind the check-out!!

Thanks once again to Jeanine for helping me out with these pictures! I almost cried when I turned my camera on and saw mine weren't there!!!!

So, please forgive my lack of posts, but my life was spinning out of control there for awhile! I will keep you posted on the kitchen project. We are at a standstill waiting for the plumber right now--kinda frustrating I will admit, but I'm trying to be patient. After all, I've waited 30 years for this!!

It's good to be back!!!

My Halloween Favorites!!

2010-10-23T20:26:00.007-05:00

I mentioned before that I finally got my Halloween decorations out and I thought I'd share some of my vignettes! I have several vintage paper mache lanterns and I always look forward to getting them out!! They set the stage for all my other decor.

Since I don't really go the "spooky" route ~ I like it to be more fun and playful!!

My black cat bucket is my all-time favorite vintage piece!! I bought it on Ebay several years ago and I love him!

This crepe paper cat "doll" was purchased a few years ago at the same antique/craft show that I just did last weekend! There are some talented crafters there!

This jack-o-lantern is a great reproduction!

Funny little pumpkin head man!

Another vignette in the corner behind my "grandma chair"!!

Some new and some old...

another great reproduction jack-o-lantern!

Love this fun primitive scarecrow man...also bought a couple years ago at that same sale! I often ended up leaving some of my profits there!!!!

The majority of my Halloween decorating is being kept to the living room this year, since I don't want to have to move it out of the kitchen when we start the remodeling project.

Next up ~ how I decorated the old cupboard in my living room!!

Stay tuned!

Catching Up!

2010-10-18T20:34:00.006-05:00

The antique and craft show I did on Saturday was a big success!! And I must admit, I'm glad it's over! Now to try and catch up around the house!! Sold almost all my vintage Halloween, the shutters and the lamp.
Also sold the pretty rosary, the pictures and the white ironstone vitamin jar.

It was fun setting up for this show! I love working with the darker fall tones and Halloween stuff!

My altered suitcase was the perfect backdrop for this display. I sold several of my button bracelets...

and my clock case that I sprayed black and added a little baby boo pumpkin!
The biggest sellers were...

my necklaces--YAAAAAYY!!!
I sold at least 10 of them!

and some of my bracelets.

and tons of my photo holder doorknobs!!!

It is so gratifying to sell things that you've made...it justifies all the long nights and makes being so wore out worthwhile!!

I got my living room cleaned today and all my Halloween stuff out! That was fun! Now to take my kitchen clean-out project head on!! We will be embarking on a total remodel project real soon. My cabinets are ordered and will be here within a week. As soon as my contractor can get started, we'll be living in a mess for awhile. I have lots to do first. Cupboards to clean out and wallpaper border to take off!! Makes me kinda nuts thinking about it, but it will all be worth it in the end!

Just wanted to mention that if there is anything in any of the pictures from my show that you would be interested in, don't be afraid to ask...it might still be available!

Hope everyone has a good week!

What I've Been Up To!

2010-10-12T20:56:00.007-05:00

I have been busy creating in preparation for an antique and craft show that I'm participating in this Sat.~Oct. 16th. This is the 12th year I've done this show and it has always been a pretty good one. It's well known for it's outstanding craft vendors and primitive antiques. I will be bringing a little of both.

I've been having fun with these Halloween collages using vintage elements. The one above has an old photo of little kids in their Halloween costumes heading out to go trick or treating!

Painted this little wheelbarrow black and then hand-painted a fun fall greeting!

Will also be bringing all the vintage Halloween I recently purchased and stashed away!

This little toy typewriter has all the perfect colors for a fall/Halloween display!

I have these grungy, black trees for sale at my space at the Red Rooster and am using one of them to display my hand-made junk jewelry!

I have been really enjoying creating these pieces with vintage elements like keys, buttons, clock parts and broken pieces of old costume jewelry!

The possibilities are endless!!!

If anyone is in the Menominee Falls, WI area this coming Sat. the 16th come and check out this great show! A Community Affair is run by a volunteer organization that raises money for various community projects and charities! It is their biggest fund raiser of the year!
Go here for further information.

Hope to see you there!!!

P.S. The food at this show (especially the desserts) is divine!!

Fall at My House

2010-10-08T20:53:00.005-05:00

I don't have a front porch, unfortunately, and I envy anyone who does! But I decided to join in the Vintage Inspiration party at Debra's blog, Common Ground anyway!!! I do have a front step, that's actually about a 4 foot square slab and I can decorate it even though our house is a aways from the road. So I do it just for me!! I found this lightweight plastic urn at a sale this spring and after the flowers were past their prime, I pulled them out and added a nice fat pumpkin and a fall garland.
I have 2 of these urns - one on each side of my garage door. I added the picket fence pieces for a little backdrop! I put evergreen boughs in these at Christmas time--a perfect seasonal welcome!!

I have this rusty garden chair on my deck and I plopped this chubby pumpkin on it for a fall touch!

Moving inside, I would like to share some of my fall vignettes that I've put together!

This one is on a little cupboard in my dining room...

~on the hearth of my fireplace in the living room.

...simple fall arrangement...

and a big leafy garland on my living room cupboard.

I will be getting my mantle "halloweenified" in the next few days and will be sharing pics of all my vintage goodies!!

For now hop on over to Debra's blog and see all the wonderful porches and other inspiring goodies others are sharing!

Autumn Whites

2010-10-05T20:56:00.005-05:00

I love white pumpkins and I often use them to add some fall flavor to my everyday decorating! I tucked this little "baby boo" inside a cute little bird cage that my daughter found for me at a thrift store for a quarter!! Thanks Kim!!
I think this will be fun to play with at Christmas time too!!

More baby boos on my green majolica plate.

Little autumn touches with some of my favorite ironstone pieces!
I love this stack of little butter pats!

I put this crackled paint paper pumpkin in a wood bowl and surrounded it with rose hips and other fragrant spices.

I'm joining in this week with Faded Charm's linky party celebrating White Wednesday!!

Make sure you head on over to check out all the other beautiful whites!

Thanks for stopping by!

Generosity!

2010-10-01T10:57:00.005-05:00

On my way to Plymouth to go and fluff my space at the Red Rooster, I pass this charming little hobby farm. And next to their driveway, they have the most amazingly, gorgeous hydrangea bush with dark russet blooms that make me covet them every time I drive by!!! So I summoned the courage to write them a note asking them if they would mind if I cut some of their blooms to dry for arrangements ~ and told them that I would be more than happy to pay for them! I stuck the note in their door with my phone number, went home and waited and prayed that they wouldn't call me back and scold me for stalking them!!!
Well, just a few hours later, the sweetest woman called me back and told me that I could indeed come and cut as much as I wanted and I didn't need to pay at all!!!

Are these not the most beautiful hydrangeas you have ever seen?????

So I headed on over the next day. Her just as nice husband was out walking their just as friendly dog and told me to cut away- that they were more than happy to share!!

So I brought them home and bundled them up, hung some in the garage on my old grungy ladder and tucked some in white ironstone vessels here and there!

I have been enjoying them immensely!!!

I thought as a gesture of my gratitude, I would bake them a sweet, fall treat and made them our family favorite "Harvest Loaf" bread!!

The man was very pleased, told me it wasn't necessary and I said that "one good turn deserves another"!!

And as another gesture to all my new friends out there I thought I'd share the recipe with you!!
ENJOY!!!
HARVEST LOAF

1 3/4 c. flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp ginger 1/4 tsp cloves 1/2 c. butter, softened 1 c. sugar 2 eggs 1 small can pumpkin 3/4 c. chocolate chips 3/4 c. nuts. Mix all dry ingredients together and set aside. Cream butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs and beat well. Add dry ingredients alternately with the pumpkin until blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Pour into one large greased bread pan or 2 smaller greased pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 65 - 70 minutes or until center is done.

Weekend Sales

2010-09-27T20:09:00.007-05:00

I bought one more piece of my favorite brown transferware from Frannie the manager of the antique mall I'm in! That was the kick-off to a good weekend of junkin'!!! On Friday morning I went to a sale just a few miles from my home that turned out to be both fun and frustrating at the same time!!
I made a pile of some really great stuff and when the lady added up my purchases, I realized I didn't have enough cash on me. I asked her if she would take a check and she quickly replied "sorry, cash only!" I told her that I only lived a few miles away and she said "sorry, cash only!"
I then told her that I would have to put a few things back and she then said --"OK"!!!

Is it just me, or was she crazy, not to mention stupid?!?
What do you gals think? They had some pretty high ticket items, which included a beautiful watchmaker's desk that was $425-. Now who carries that much cash with them? When I got home, I re-read their ad and it did not say cash only! Well, at least I had enough $ to buy some really cute stuff! I love the newel post and the grungy, chippy shutters.

And then on Saturday morning, before we went to the pumpkin farm, I went to a couple sales.
The first one was fabulous!! She was selling some of her vintage Halloween collection--SCORE!!!

I'm not sure if this cat is old or not. It is marked with the Beistle name on the back, but it is in such excellent condition, it makes me wonder! Oh well, I think it has a great look anyway!

New carpet balls in fun colors and patterns!

Pretty red bowls and cake pedestal.

The second sale was at my friend's home. We used to run into each other at sales and auctions all the time and one day I just went up to them and introduced myself and now we've been friends for years! They have a sale every Sept. and I wouldn't miss it!

Lots of great country antiques and fun folk art!

This cat poster is new, but will look amazing in my Halloween displays!
I love what they did with this bird cage-painted black and outfitted with a crow, just in time for Halloween!

Picked up some more transferware! Will be selling these though- not quite my pattern, but pretty!

I also got a super cute black shelf/cupboard to hang on my kitchen wall after I finish my remodeling project {more on that at a future date!} and a wonderful 8 ft. woven rug for my hallway!

I love this enamel pitcher ~ am on the fence whether to keep it or sell it. I guess it could live at my house for a little while if it wants to!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend of junking!! The weather here has been just perfect! Clear blue skies, lots of sun, moderate temps and very low humidity ~ finally!!

Reminds me why I love fall so much!

Our Little Punkin'!!

2010-09-26T11:52:00.007-05:00

On Saturday, my daughters and I took my grandson, Jackson to a pumpkin farm!! Let me tell Ya--We had so much fun and our little guy was just adorable!! He had just had a little nap and some lunch and he was ready to play!!
"Grandma, these punkins are bigger than me!!"
My niece knitted his hat and it had a little green stem on the top like a little sprout ~ too cute!!

He was infatuated with the grass!!

Kinda tickly and yummy enough to eat!

Here he is with his mama ~ my daughter, Sara!

This place is great for kids with a petting zoo, corn maze and hayrides!!
I remember bringing my kids here when they were small...
and it still is a perfect way to spend a fall afternoon!

Grandma and Jackson checking out the goats ~

and posing in "granny's orchard"!!

This wonderful place is called "The Little Farmer" located just a few miles North of Fond du Lac, WI and has been a family-oriented place for decades.

It is family-owned and the homestead is right in the middle of the farm!
Check out this gorgeous house!

WOW!! ~ amazing architecture!!

Pumpkins, gourds of all types, mums, apple cider, and our favorite~~caramel apples!

Pumpkins as far as the eye can see!

They do such a wonderful job with their landscaping and there were many opportunities for photos!

This was just the perfect day! And having a little one to enjoy it with made it just that much more special!!

Next year - we'll be running after him!!

Vintage Inspiration-Transferware!

2010-09-23T20:39:00.004-05:00

I am feeling inspired today by the gorgeous transferware platter that I recently purchased this past weekend. I will eventually be adding it to my collection in the cupboard in my living room. But, for now, I have been enjoying adding some fall elements to it and have it displayed in my dining room.
As my transferware collection grows, I may have to find a new home for my dozen cast iron doorstops! {at least its a dozen for now!}

The plates on the top shelf are green and beautiful!!

Maybe I should focus on one color or one pattern--or maybe NOT cuz that's no fun!!

Because I love it all!!

Especially brown...

aesthetic movement...

plates!

So irresistible!!!

Sweet little cup and saucer!

I'm sharing my transferware collection-the old and the new -as part of Debra's Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground!!
Stop over and check out all the other inspiring blogs joining in!!

Fall Greetings!!!

2010-09-22T10:54:00.002-05:00

Happy First Day of Fall!!! Being the first official day of autumn, I couldn't resist getting out some of my fall decorations and re-arranging and adding more to my mantel!

Just a quickie to send warm autumn wishes to everyone!!
My favorite time of year!!!
Julie

Saturday's Flea Market-Germantown, Wi

2010-09-21T15:08:00.008-05:00

Just a few more quick pics from the flea market on Saturday. This fun folk art broom display was in my friend Joann's booth. She had tons of prims and folk art.
I love this HUGE bowl full of hand-made pumpkins! What a great fall display!

Jeanine from Chippy Shabby's booth was spread out on the front porch of the building we were in and of course it looked amazing!! Great job Jeanine!!
That round cupola still haunts my dreams!! Wonder if she still has it!!??

I love this gauzy curtain she made from vintage, lacey fabric!! Just gorgeous!!!

This is one of my fave purchases of the day...

Very unusual flower frog!!

I got this beautiful transferware tray from Jeanine and I love it!!!

Great trade, Jeanine!!!

Another unusual flower frog purchased from a dealer next to me.

She had great smalls and I bought lots from her including a bag of chandelier prisms and 2 darling children's sand shovels--FUN!

The dealer on the other side of me had tons of great little stuff too and I got this great chippy green tackle box and this wonderful rug in fall colors!

And these littles were from her too!
Hatpins, old sewing supplies and a cute little mirror

I had a pretty good day, and enjoyed visiting with the other dealers and met some new customers as well! Will seriously consider doing the Holiday Flea there in Dec.--we'll see!!!

Flea Market Vignettes!

2010-09-19T20:19:00.009-05:00

The flea market I did has come and gone and was a moderate success--not great, but not terrible either!! We had morning rain and it kept alot of people away and then there were alot of "lookers" too!! Just thought I would share some of my vignettes that I put together!

My bird cage was the first thing to sell!!

I've had this dress form for awhile and can't believe I haven't sold it yet!!

Sold this cute match holder right away too!

This is how I displayed my necklaces.....

and I sold 3!!
Will try them at my next show in Oct. and see how they do there!

Stay tuned for more pics of other dealers wares and what I bought...

I got into alot of trouble with the 2 vendors on either side of me!!!

Bird Cages--amazing projects!!

2010-09-16T21:04:00.008-05:00

For this week's Vintage Inspiration Friday hosted by Debra at Common Ground, I'm sharing some fun and amazing images I've found of using bird cages in your decorating!! The one I've shown above is mine. I snapped a quick pic of my vintage bird cage after I was all set up at the flea market today!
After googling bird cages, these wonderful images came up!! I LOVE these hanging from the trees!! How fun is this?!?!

What a glorious setting for a picnic, bridal shower or afternoon tea!!

This awesome, gorgeous idea came from Margo at Robomargo.com where she shares some great ideas for quick and easy re-purposed salvage junk projects!! I'm going to try this with my bird bath soon! I love so many of Margo's projects that I can't wait to find the stuff to try some of them !*!*!

I snapped this picture of this great red hanging cage with a little birdie inside at my last visit to the Pardeeville Antique Mall--my fave!!!

I found this wonderful project at poetichome.com--what a clever idea!!

...and I love this idea from that site too!!

So pretty!

Isn't this a funky cage?? I don't think I've ever seen one like it!

When I found all these great images, it made me want to run out and find some to try some projects of my own!! I guess that's what inspiration is all about!
Lights a fire under your butt!!

Thanks to Debra for hosting this fun party--I've really been enjoying sharing the things that have inspired me lately!!

Julie

Flea Market Whites!

2010-09-14T21:21:00.005-05:00

For White Wednesday this week I'm sharing some of the white things I'm taking to the flea market on Saturday. I have been busy making some junk jewelry and this re-purposed necklace is my favorite!!
I'm taking some vintage jewelry as well, including this fab 50's beaded bracelet!!

This acorn shaped match holder has such a fun touch of whimsy!!

I decided to part with these two clocks and I love how they look with this framed hand!

The skeleton hand was a recent purchase from one of my favorite dealers at my all-time favorite antique mall--The Pardeeville Antique Mall! You can find Sadie N Stella here on Etsy! If I don't sell it, I think it will fit in great with my other Halloween decor!

Taking along this gorgeous old photo album with wonderful photos inside!

I have quite a selection of old photographs and cabinet cards too!

I've been primping, packing and pricing like a mad-woman for the last few days!
I hope it's a buying crowd on Saturday!!

Make sure you stop over to Faded Charm and check out all the others sharing their whites for this week!!

Thanks for stopping by, come again real soon!!

Flea Market Previews!!

2010-09-12T21:54:00.006-05:00

I have been stockpiling finds from some of my summer junk hunts for a few weeks now. I now need to finish fine-tuning and spiffing-up and get to pricing and packing. My week will be super busy with last minute prepping for the flea market I'm doing this Sat. in Germantown, WII am trying to re-purpose and resalvage in new and fun ways... and am taking my altered suitcase.

I have many old, wonderful books ~ with gorgeous covers!

~ Fun and colorful graphics~

Along with my jewelry that I've been working on like mad
{now have 20 necklaces and 5 bracelets!!}

... I've also got more pincushions in old silver!

I'm scheduled to set up on Thursday already because I'm inside and the building is not being used, so I need to get a move on!!!

Wish me luck and I'll be sharing lots more pics of upcoming attractions!!

Thanks for taking a peek with me!

Jumpin' on the Jewelry Bandwagon!

2010-09-08T16:10:00.008-05:00

There are so many talented and inspiring jewelry makers today that I have found out there in "blogland"!!! They have really sparked my interest and got my creative juices all stirred up! I have started a few of my own re-purposed jewelry projects just in time for the flea market and antique/crafts fair that I have looming on the horizon!
I have been having some fun with keyholes...and I love these rusty, crusty ones especially!

I am a bracelet person, and have purchased many in the past at shops and various sales I've been to. I look at them and say "I could make that!"

Well, here are my versions and attempts...
I took an old charm bracelet with not-so-pretty charms and added some new beads and old buttons
in their place ~ and I like the way this turned out!!

Here is another version ~ just old buttons on this one... A little black, a few rhinestones and some fun plastic too!

I think I'm hooked!!

I will give these a try at my upcoming events and see how it goes.
But who knows~maybe you'll see them back here again ~ only next time they'll be for sale!!

Picked up another little jarful the other day and had fun picking and sorting!!

Looks like some seed for future projects!!

I think these will add just a little touch of "BLING"!!!

Thanks to all those of you who are willing to share your creativity so unselfishly!!

YOU inspire me everyday and therefore.....

Just Added: I decided to edit this post so I could participate in the linky party over at Common Ground!! {you inspire me too, Debra!!}

Black Tole Trays

2010-09-02T22:07:00.006-05:00

Now that the weather has finally cooled down to a more pleasant, liveable state - I've been thinking more and more of decorating for fall.I was inspired by my black tole trays to set the mood for a fall change-up on my mantel. I added a few more autumn-toned embellishments to go along with them! Like this bronzed cast iron doorstop ~ looks perfect with this tray!
~ The full view~

I thought I would add my re-purposed clock case for some warm wood tone!
Such fun to tuck little doo-dads inside!

The patina of this old copper coffee pot is the perfect go-along for an autumnal vignette!

I like to leave these turned candlestands out all year ~ I just change the candles for the seasons!

I'm sharing this mantel change-up inspired by my black tole trays for Debra's Vintage Inspiration Friday and also for Vintage Black Friday with the French Cupboard!

Check out these two wonderful blogs for tons more inspiration for fall and everyday!!

Have a great Friday!
Julie

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Here We Go Again!!

2010-09-01T22:51:00.003-05:00

Just informing all my blogging "peeps" that I have a new email address AGAIN!!!
That crazy Hotmail blocked my account again, so I had no choice but to start a new one--this time I opted to go with Yahoo!! Let's see if I have better luck with them!! So, if anyone of you has gotten a weird, suspicious, asking for money or any other kind of phony email from me, now you know why!! The photo holders above are just a little sneak peek of some of the things I will be bringing to the flea market I'm doing in a little more than 2 weeks--Yikes, lots of pricing and packing to do!! Better get my butt to bed!

White Pottery!

2010-08-31T20:23:00.008-05:00

My collection of pottery, mostly McCoy pieces, is one of my oldest and probably my favorite of all my collections!There are so many different types of Mc Coy that I decided to narrow it down to the ivory matte glaze with an embossed design. Some examples of pieces that may or may not be McCoy ~ but I like the way they fit into the collection!

This is my all-time fave ~ the hard to find butterfly pattern!!
Love it!!
... another small butterfly and some leaves and berries.

This vase has such an unusual shape and a pretty berry and leaves pattern!

Here is a view of my entire collection...

housed in a pretty old shelf that resides in the nook next to the fireplace in the living room.

During the Christmas season, I trade up the pottery for my little paper houses and bottle brush trees...and I love it all!!

I'm sharing my white pottery to celebrate the love of white with Faded Charm for White Wednesday!
Thanks for stopping by!

Julie

More Great Finds!!

2010-08-30T20:49:00.008-05:00

I decided to share some of my latest finds for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday with Coastal Charm!

The garage sale angels are still looking out for me and led me to another wonderful sale this weekend!!
I picked up this cute little alarm clock and gorgeous hand mirror with a wonderful embossed design on the back!
I love this white ironstone vitamin jar ~ would be wonderful in an old medicine chest!!
Also a nice wood box with great old label!

I felt a little like one of the "American Pickers" at this sale! The old gentleman had alot of things hanging on his garage walls that weren't for sale ~ but I talked him out of a few!!!

This old tomato advertising piece was one of them!! I love it!!

Some old globes
...and how is this for a fun lamp???

made out of a parking meter!!

Or what about this one???

-made from an old candlestick telephone!!!

Lamps are a good seller at the Red Rooster ~ especially as unique as these two are!

This brass display shelf is my favorite find of the day!

Wonderful patina!

Very versatle for displaying treasures!!

The old guy told me it was a cigar display case ~ Sweet!!

Thanks for stopping by today! I appreciate you taking the time to check out what I've been up to!!

Now I'm off to check out all the other nifty treasures found out in blogland over the weekend!!!

Julie

Another "Lucky Me" Sale!

2010-08-26T20:42:00.007-05:00

While driving to go tweek my space at The Red Rooster this afternoon, I was pleasantly diverted by a huge yard sale sign!! I have been to this couple's sales before and have always done real well! I guess my streak is still going strong!! Do you hate me yet?!?These amazing baskets were sitting just outside the big shed where the sale was being held. Which one do you think I bought?
This isn't the greatest picture, but I didn't get permission to take pictures, so I was trying to be quick and sneaky!! I am in major LOVE with this wonderful gathering basket that I chose from the group! I think I need to keep it at least through the fall season, since it will be great to put a huge bunch of bittersweet in or a vintage wool blanket!!!
I am really starting to think "fall" and am looking for warmer tones and autumn-type pieces.
I think this little honey-colored stool really fits the bill! {By the way-those amazing shutter/doors you see in the background were found at the barn sale last weekend} SCORE!!!!!

My basket has already moved right into my living room!!

My brother and his wife have the BEST home-grown bittersweet and are always generous enough to share with me!

Also found this darling vintage spice set--the graphics are so sweet!

Now how's this for shabby?

Darling tole painted magazine rack!*!*!

Fun pie server/rack with old enamel pans ... and a pumpkin thrown in for fun!

I have been stashing away most of the goodies I've been finding lately! I have a flea market coming up in about 3 weeks {see my sidebar for details} And I also do an antique show every Oct. that really features alot of prims and Halloween. I think I'm off to a great start!

I hope my luck holds out for a little while longer--my daughter and I are heading out again tomorrow morning! Wish me more luck!

Julie

Tiny Whites

2010-08-25T09:04:00.006-05:00

They say that good things come in small packages! Well, I would have to agree with that! Some of my collections have tiny little parts that are my favorite things in the whole collection! Like this little piece of pottery that stands a mere 3" tall ~ so sweet!
My pincushion lady (which by the way, I dropped once and had to glue back together!) But she survived and I like to tuck her into my vignettes!
This little sheep is a reproduction and reminds me of my greatest case of "sellers remorse"!!
I once found a med. sized ziploc bag of German Putz sheep-some of which were a fairly large size-for just a few dollars at garage sale! I sold all of them and made some really good money, but I would give it all back to get those sheep back!! They are getting so hard to find and are very expensive!

Darling little vintage spool of crochet cotton...

transferware creamer...

itty

bitty

dolly-sized creamers

My favorite transferware pattern in yummy brown...

and a single serving salt button bouquet! Sometimes just a simple, little embellishment goes a long way in a vignette! I am sharing these with you today for White Wednesday with Faded Charm!! Thanks for stopping by!!

Do You Believe in Fate?

2010-08-21T20:59:00.005-05:00

After I ran some errands and went to one not-so-great garage sale on Thursday morning, I decided to visit a favorite antique mall that I haven't been to in awhile. I found a few little treasures there--nothing too exciting, but sorta fun! But, while I was checking out they had a few brochures and fliers on upcoming sales and events. One flier in particular caught my eye---It said "Barn Sale" ~ and it started the next day!! Well, needless to say I was intrigued and pumped!!!!! So I headed out the next morning and while getting ready I kept saying "don't forget the camera...don't forget the camera"!! Yeah, you guessed it--I forgot my camera!! So I had to take alot of "after" pictures!! Of course the locale of this barn sale was a beautiful country scene with a driveway that dipped down invitingly with tall shade trees all over the lawn!! Arghh!! But I guess my new reasoning is--if you forget your camera, the sale will be fabulous!!! Here is a bunch of great stuff still in my van! Wonderful vintage Christmas, a beautiful Eastlake mirror and fun men's straw hat!!
You know how much I love pincushions! I found this super-duper old lady to add to my collection! Do you think her face is creepy? I love her anyway!!

I love primitives ~ especially farm items. This cow from a weather vane was calling my name--LOUDLY!!!

Looks great with my other prims and my piggy weather vane on a lightning rod!

And then I found some fun.......

and games!!

I love all the little game pieces ~ wondering if they are all from the same game??

When I spotted this little piece of architecture--I knew I had to have it!!

I LOVE the chippy blue paint and the flower motif!!!!!

Looks amazing above my little aqua cubbie!!

Sets right ahead of my computer so I can look at it all I want!!

So to make a L-O-N-G story short, I am so glad I chose that particular mall to head to that day!! Otherwise I would never have seen the ad for that barn sale!!

I love "happy accidents" don't YOU ?!?

Happy hunting!!

Fun White Finds!

2010-08-17T20:11:00.004-05:00

For my White Wednesday post this week, I thought I'd share some of the things I found at a few sales this past weekend. First, I bought these adorable head vases!I don't know a whole lot about them...but they are really cute!
The owner was selling her collection and I bought the only 2 left!!

I love the bright red lips!!

Then, on a more primitive note, I found this wonderful spittoon in it's original creamy, chipped-up paint!!

Filled with late summer flowers!

I got this beautiful dresser lamp for a song!!

The gentleman informed me that there were 2, but he dropped one of them!! :(

Like a bull in a china shop I guess!!!!!

I also picked up this cute little vanity stool!
The fabric on top is very dirty. I'm going to try cleaning it first, then if all else fails, I will re-cover it!

I love the curvy legs--they remind me of ice cream parlor chairs!

I only had time on Friday to hit 3 sales, so I guess I didn't do too bad!! I'm grabbing my linky from Kathleen at Faded Charm again for my favorite---White Wednesday! Thanks for stopping by! Come again!

Craft Room Re-arranging

2010-08-12T21:21:00.007-05:00

I finally found the ambition to do some cleaning and re-arranging in my craft room. It's been terribly hot and humid here, so it takes some extra doing for me to round up any ambition at all!! But this room desperately needed some attention! So on the two hottest days of the summer thus far (crazy - I know!) I finally got around to getting some badly-needed cleaning finished!! I didn't add anything new, I just moved around the stuff I've accumulated and gave it a new look!!I've been collecting vintage garden items for awhile now and have fun showing them off!
I'm always on the hunt for more things to add to my collection! You can never have enough flower frogs!!

The inside of the bottom seed box is prettier, but the top one is divided--easier to display my vintage seed packets.

I purchased the cute yellow watering can from my friend Jeanine of Chippy-Shabby
at one of her fabulous sales several years ago. It's a keeper!!

I moved this cute little cupboard to a different wall and hung my repro penny rug above it. I really love the way this all came together!!

This is the spot where I do alot of my photo shoots ~ the sunlight in here is perfect!

I love this ironstone tureen! I think it needs to stick around for awhile ~ lots of display possibilities! Like ornaments at Christmas time!

Sepia-toned vignette!

I bought this jar of tomato pincushions on Etsy - so fun! Made the baby shoe one and the other one is old. I think my pincushions are my favorite collection! Have I mentioned that before!?!

Cute little what-not shelf!

Added this architectural piece to my clock shelf.

I would have liked to participate in the Where Bloggers Create party, but I just didn't have my act together in time! I'm also looking for a few key pieces in this room yet. So maybe when it all finally comes together, I will do a complete showing!!

Thanks again for stopping by!!

Julie

Lovelies and Lace

2010-08-10T20:27:00.006-05:00

For White Wednesday this week, I am featuring a special spot in my bedroom that has some of my favorite vignettes!!I have a couple little doll dressers ~ One is in the bathroom and holds some of my jewelry and this little cutie is empty for now, but it is so much fun to display with!!
I love the little hand painted ducks and bunnies! I'm saving this itty bitty coin, maybe doll purse to make a necklace with.....or maybe not!! It's fun just havin' it hanging around for now!

I love these hands in various sizes and styles. The large one is a rubber glove form.

More shabby pretties on my recently purchased plateau mirror!! I LOVE IT!!

This dresser houses all my "pretties" in here and also my favorite picture of my mother taken a couple years ago at Christmas!

At a couple of the sales I've been to lately, I've found some wonderful pieces of old lace!

This piece has the prettiest flowery pattern!

Fun ducks too!

Creamy yumminess!!!

I'm joining in on the White Wednesday Party once again with Faded Charm!

I hope you enjoyed all my whites for this week and that you get a chance to go visit all the other wonderful blogs featuring their whites too!

My warmest greetings, blogging friends....Julie

Vintage Black Friday-Antique Tintypes

2010-08-06T09:38:00.007-05:00

I love the look of "ancient ancestors" in any form or from any era. But I especially love the black patina of old tin types! They are timeless, even in their advanced state of age, and add such a wonderful aura to any little vignette.Sweet and chubby!
I love how this woman towers over this man!

These dudes look like miners or lumberjacks!

Such a stately fellow!

This guy is actually rather handsome~he probably had this taken for his sweetheart!

Heaven forbid you would crack a smile!

This young woman's hair was plated~and she really "filled out" her dress!

These are my contributions to Vintage Black Friday hosted by the French Cupboard!

Thanks for stopping by...hope you enjoyed your stay!!

Please come again!!
Julie

Early Autumn Flea Market!!

2010-08-04T13:41:00.003-05:00

I just signed on to do an early autumn flea market!! It is being held inside the former Pilgrim Country Store in Germantown , Wisconsin. I am starting to set aside some wonderful vintage smalls and other go-alongs for display and to sell! I am really excited to get out and do a flea market--it's been a long time!
So keep checking back as I will be showing some little peeks at my vintage wares!!