The Vintage Nest

Cool to Drool ~ Part II ~ Luckett's

2012-05-30T12:22:00.000-04:00

Just a few days after returning from the mid-West, off I went towards Washington D.C. for a girl's weekend trip. What a blast we had! We took the back country roads instead of the freeways simply because I have never seen a yard sale on the free way. Our goal was Luckett's Spring Market but the historic town of Leesburg, VA. and the surrounding areas called our name too. First stop:

L U N C H

Our group: Sherry of the blog: No Minimalist Here, my sis, my sis-in-love and moi. These girls are so sweet. They would never laugh at me as I drove through a round-about three times.....NOT! (Think Chevy Chase in the movie 'European Vacation' as Clark endlessly drives around the Lambeth Bridge round-about).

When in a charming French restaurant, what do you order? Why, quiche of course! And it was very good! (our cute little French waiter took that awful photo of us.....hey! He was cute and we were charmed by his accent but never said he was a good photographer) :)

If you are ever in Leesburg or the surrounding metropolitan area, try this wonderful real French restaurant: The Eiffel Tower Cafe (remember this place Francie?) in the heart of the historic district. The owner hails from Paris and even a cute little French poodle was dining at the table next to ours. (dogs have to eat too)

Let's Go Shopping

Market Street runs right through the middle of the quaint town of Leesburg. The owner of The Eiffel Towel Cafe said it reminded her of the South of France. And it's where there are a number of fun antique shops.

The Cottage......I think is my favorite shop in Leesburg with truly drool worthy displays. I will let the next photos speak for themselves. :)

You can figure out from the photos what the hot colors are this year.

You know shopping involves eating too......right? Lola's is the cutest little tiny tucked away bakery with divine sweets. And a perfect Pink Saturday photo session. (always thinking of our Pink Saturday party.) You must try the ginger chocolate chip cookies....wowie! We found this shady cool spot to enjoy our cookie. After this sweet respite it was shop, shop, shop some more. Then to dinner.....a fabulous Mexican restaurant, and on the motel to crash and early to bed. The next day was the Luckett's Market, our intended destination. It was the most perfect weather wise day you could ask for. Ha! We were practically the first in line and that line was soooooo long. But it was worth the wait as the DROOL worthiness of this event was just amazing. We saw some of our favorite bloggers/vendors and so much inspiration. Without further boring words here are some captured images.

Says it all doesn't it!!!

Fabulous prop..........looks real doesn't he?

Recognize these gorgeous frocks? ........ Magnolia Pearl

Touches of red ......so French!

Mirror Mirror on the Barn :)

Check out that fabulous French dressing table and seat....it's in a barn! Oh my!

Can you stand it? :)

My very favorite shop from my area was there.......

Through the Garden Gate. I was thrilled to see Pam and her tent. Can you see why? Her shop is where I buy gifts and items for my own home and try to get there as often as I can. From the moment you enter her enchanted store you are entralled :)

Goodness....even the porta-johns were charming. You didn't mind waiting in line when you had the pretty pink umbrellas and beautifully dressed mannequins to look at. And check out the toilet paper stash....in an old filing cabinet....genius!

One of our luscious purchases.....but that's all you get to see today....saving for a future post. I just can't tell you what a great time we had. I was so tired and worn out and I only saw half of what was there. On the way home we treated ourselves to one more guilty indulgent pleasure.. banana splits. :) I have plans to go back in the Fall for the Christmas show. Will I get to meet you? xoxo

~ Next time on the Nest blog...... yard sale finds in my garden ~

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I am so appreciative when you choose to follow my blog and if you do already.....I thank you so much. ♥ It's always a pleasure to join these wonderful parties.....charming hostess and full of inspiration. I know they will love it if you give them a visit.

sweet Beverly's Pink Saturday

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage,

Kathy at Delightsome Life on Thursday, Knick of Time Tuesday,

White Wednesday at Faded Charm,

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style,

The Tuesday girls at Cowgirl Up at Farmhouse Porch

Tuesday's Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia ,

Sherry at her Open House on Thursday

and Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

~ Add Something Special To Your Home ~ your place for affordable vintage flair

Cool to Drool ~ Part I

2012-05-21T20:35:00.004-04:00

thank you for following along on this lengthy post today. And I do hope you will visit my May Day Cottage Give-Away. All comments on this month's blog posts will be thrown in the hat for the win.
PART I

I wish I could say "it's just over the river and through the woods", but unfortunately it's more like "flying the friendly skies of United", to visit my son and his family. With visits so far apart though, it makes each one that much more special!

Welcome sign when we walked in the house. Now I know why I suffered to get here, in that tiny little plane.......stuffed in my seat like a pimento in an olive.

:) :) :)

We visited the famous Gethsemane Garden Center in Chicago (a heady experience) and had brunch at Ann Sather's, serving Swedish cuisine and the most amazing cinnamon rolls (and that's an appetizer!)

We shopped and shopped and shopped some more. I purchased a fabulous red polka dot chiffon scarf ala Audrey Hepburn and Ms. AL found the perfect pair of pink sunglasses. :)

( Happy Pink Saturday! )

We built a spa and patio in the fairy garden and pushed Papa in the swing.

We climbed trees and planted flowers

We finger painted and..... played "school". I got a big fat red "F" on my paper. :( but now know where the thorax of an ant is located. :)

And had high up rides on Papa's shoulders

I even had a hard back book written and dedicated to me! Ask me if that didn't cause a little teary eye.

And we sat on the thinking spot and chatted and shared kisses and hugs and laughter

It Was A Good Day!

For Mother's Day, my daughter-in-law, her Mom, and I had a special treat. We attended the Shop the Shed event founded by the delightful Joy of Savvy City Farmer. We were so charmed by her displays and creations, I have a new name for her now.....Queen of Vignettes. Everything and everywhere you looked, you were greeted by something so special, so captivating and so inviting. (Not to make you jealous or anything but I got a tour of her home....oh WOW! and the reason this post today is called DROOL )

The beautiful "Queen of Vignettes and Creativity" and Me

It's cool to drool when you see displays like this........galvanized metal dreaming!

We're drooling again! My daughter-in-law (don't you love that gorgeous naturally curly hair!?) Oh yeah.....we bought this one :) Gorgeous vintage pink roses painting. You should see it now hanging in her living room displayed in a grouping of old frames and mirrors!

Ms. Joy in the Shed! Look at all that vintage goodness. See that washtub with the restaurant ware in it. My d-i-l bought that too. They are remodeling their bath and she has plans for that old tub. It stands on gorgeous chippy green painted legs.

Another fabulous vignette (and that pretty lady....my d-i-l). Joy's garden is so special. See that arrow? It's pointing to a chandelier outfitted for the garden with terra cotta flower pots and moss. I wanted that piece but Bobby G. insisted on sitting in the seat beside me on the plane going home instead of the chandelier. I just don't understand that! :)

While there I got to meet some other pretty special people. Guess who this is? It's Rosemary from Villabarnes. And she was just as I imagined her from reading her blog...so gracious and charming. Rosemary shares with us the most gorgeous painting techniques and her fabulous repurposed items

I may not have been able to get that garden chandelier in my carry-on but these macarons........oh yeah baby.... went with me. Funny thing ......they never made it on the plane. Angela from Parisienne Farmgirl made these gorgeous confections. The flavors were out of this world and the taste.............can you say double drool?!!! Check out her blog. She's on that French thing diet. Don't know why though. She's adorable and looks perfect as is!

After leaving the Shed, we hit a farmer's market, antique shops, yard sales and had a fabulous luncheon.

It was a Good Day! :)

I have to show you one more thing today. I have had this gorgeous vintage drool worthy French lamp for some time, meaning to sell it on my website, but a month or so ago I decided to keep it. (that happens sometimes :) The old lamp is worn gold and black marbled onyx and rest on little feet. Been searching for the perfect lampshade ever since. And then I spotted it on our shopping spree. Can you guess what it originally was? I love it!!!!!

Next Time on The Vintage Nest blog : Part 2 of Cool to Drool as we head to Washington for more vintage goodness

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sweet Beverly's 4th Birthday Party at Pink Saturday

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage,

Kathy at Delightsome Life, Knick of Time Tuesday,

White Wednesday at Faded Charm,

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style,

Cowgirl Up at Farmhouse Porch

Tuesday's Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia ,

Sherry at her Open House on Thursday

and Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

(In case you didn't guess...........it's a vintage hat complete with fabulous flower) :)

~ Add Something Special To Your Home ~ your place for affordable vintage flair

Cottage ~ May Days Give-Away

2012-05-08T11:49:00.002-04:00

I am continuing the tradition from past years of joining in on the month long May Cottage Give-Away. Our delightful hostess is Kathy at A Delightsome Life. You just have to pop over there and see all the bloggers joining in on the wonderful tradition of commemorating and connecting with kindred spirits through blogging. You can click here to see all participants and sign up.

Open all month long so you should check every day to see what new bloggers and give-awayers (is that a word) have joined the list.

Ends May 31st and I will announce the winner of my give-away that day.

Rules: Pretty easy peasy:

1) I will choose the winner for my give-away from all commenters on all post through out the month of May.

2) If you are not a follower please do so. I would love that!

3) This year my give-away is open to all countries.

4) True Anonymous are welcome to sign up (and I know the difference). Leave a way for me to contact you if you win. :)

SO THAT'S IT! . Okay....let's quit all the jibber jabber and find out what it is!!

I have put together for you a whole passel of old ephemera paper items. There's a vest pocket souvenir, antique Victorian advertising scraps, tobacco cards, scripture cards, an old Spelling award, and pretty antique Victorian post cards. Perfect for digital works, copying and transferring to aprons, totes, etc., scrap booking, journaling....any way your imagination can conjure up.

As Kathy so nicely put it on her blog:

 Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving,

make every day a holiday and celebrate just living

Amanda Bradley

~ Add Something Special To Your Home ~ your place for affordable vintage flair

The Other French Chair

2012-05-06T19:22:00.004-04:00

Remember this chair I redid for my ongoing forever family room makeover?? ( and I'm still not finished) Well....I had purchased its mate also, which someone saw and commissioned a makeover for a room they are decorating. This time I went in an entirely different direction for redoing this fabulous old Louis XV mid century piece. (some asked why I redid that gorgeous old tapestry on the chair. Trust me...it was very stained and had to be changed)

I had painted the one above, with the burlap, birds and ruffle trim, in an antique cream latex/acrylic paint. The second chair, the one I am showing you today, I painted a plain stark white and used Annie Sloan dark wax to antique it. I distressed the old chair just a bit, actually distressing it where it had its original chips and dings already. I applied the wax with a very light touch, only giving it a slight mellow aged effect. I used an artist's angle shader brush to apply the wax just a bit darker in the crevices. This chair has beautiful carving and the light waxing high lighted it beautifully.

Now here comes the fun part or........ the really SCARY part!!!

I had been reading how lots of bloggers have been painting upholstery fabric sooooo I decided to try it. My main tutorial on this was from Kristy at the blog Hyphen Interiors. (thank you Kristy). After reading her tutorial as well as many others, I decided to just use a latex/acrylic white paint. I used a white, adding a dark gray, until I achieved the soft French gray color my client requested. To this you add a Textile Medium, which transforms acrylic paint into a washable fabric paint. And then water it down until it has a glaze like consistency. Spray your upholstery with water until it's damp, and then start the scary part....painting it. :) I ended up doing three coats. Since my fabric has a lot of texture to it, the pattern shows through the layers of paint and gives it an interesting effect....... which I fell in love it.

The start..........I like to hand paint my pieces.

Here...the wood painting is finished and I have frog taped off the cording trim to paint the upholstery. You can see the grunginess of the old fabric here and the worn areas. I used a small roller for the larger areas of fabric and a tiny thin brush for the fabric close to the wood. How did I correct the worn areas on the arm pads? I actually sanded it with a very fine grade paper and it worked quite well. :)

Now...here is the really really really scary part! Look closely at that photo. I was actually standing on the table working on the chair (thank goodness) when that guy slithered by. I didn't even see him until he was as close as you see here, I was so concentrating on what I was doing. (this is where I did my rendition of the scream from Home Alone) :)

Now that you've climbed down off your computer chair........let's continue...shall we? In this photo you can see the difference between two and three coats of paint. Sometimes, it gets worse before it gets better. :)

And the finished chair. I absolutely love it! It's simple and elegant and can adapt to any color scheme. Would I try this method again?? Absolutely! :)

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Got my suitcase packed, the presents all wrapped and my newest shelter magazine ready to do some catch up reading. Heading out on a jet plane this week.....heading out to the mid-west and am tickled pink to meet some bloggers....one being that incomparable lady, The Savvy City Farmer. Gonna do some serious shopping at the SHED! Heck....we're even bringing a trailer!! Will I see you there??

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sweet Beverly at Pink Saturday

Jennifer Rizzo's painted furniture party

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage,

Kathy at Delightsome Life, Knick of Time Tuesday,

White Wednesday at Faded Charm,

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style,

Cowgirl Up at Farmhouse Porch

Tuesday's Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia ,

Sherry at her Open House on Thursday

and Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

~ Add Something Special To Your Home ~ your place for affordable vintage flair

Puppy Love

2012-04-30T15:09:00.000-04:00

Anyone who loves dogs knows they all have their own unique personalities. Some are brave or timid, others placid or hyper, some very playful, and others show a quiet intelligence. But they all capture and quickly wiggle into our hearts and become our loyal best friends.

My youngest visited this weekend and brought my new grand fur-baby, four months old. It was love at first sight! Ms. Penny had a grand time at Grand-mama's. We played and took walks and visited the horses and neighbors and played some more and went fishing. We went out to eat in the village, and went to the Tractor Store, and to the hairdressers. We celebrated two birthdays and planted flowers and worried the chickens and Uncle Ben dog to pieces..........

Oh my....I am going to miss her. (and you too sweetheart!) :)

When I am out on my treasure hunts for the booth and website, looking for sweet doggie items is always a priority. Chippy chalk ware scottie dog figurines, gorgeous old show dog litho prints, or the sweetest vintage plaid child's blouse, printed with puppy dogs, all capture my heart.

While, Ms. Penny was helping me plant flowers this weekend, I took the time to snap a few photos of the pink rhododendrons just coming into bloom. The azaleas are winding down but these gorgeous blooms take their place. Can't wait to pick a bunch along with the pink peonies soon opening. And the roses!..... roses before Mother's Day is something I have never had before. His blessings are never ending. xoxo

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I am so appreciative when you choose to follow my blog and if you do already.....I thank you so much. ♥ It's always a pleasure to join these wonderful parties.....charming hostess and full of inspiration. I know they will love it if you give them a visit.

sweet Beverly at Pink Saturday

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage,

Kathy at Delightsome Life, Knick of Time Tuesday,

Joy at Savvy City Farmer,

Sherry at No Minimalist Here

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style,

Tuesdays at Cow Girl Up

and Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Add Something Special To Your Home ~your place for affordable vintage flair

The Devil Made Me Do It

2012-04-22T18:49:00.002-04:00

If idle hands make the devil's work then he doesn't like me at all because I have been busy, busy, busy........Just a few things I have been working on for the booth. This week I will take away bunnies and tulips and daffodils and make way for the red, white and blue. If something tickles your fancy........let's talk.

Vintage, cloudy and lovely in shape, ....... old glass bottles altered to gloriousness (google tells me that's not a word .....really?? :)

A vintage cream suitcase........a raggy fabric flower, lace, toile, and burlap leaves....we're having fun now and super cute storage :)

Pinwheels......quintessential fun!. I keep them on my front porch all summer, along with tiny American flags. These on a stick, I made from vintage children's song book pages and old buttons....colorful and sweet.

Wouldn't this be fun for someone with a summer birthday? Made a few pinwheels as gift toppers with ribbon streams and a gift tag.

And lots of re-makes going on too. This lady .....so resplendent in all white now....a little chippy, a little shabby and a whole lotta just perfect. She's heading to the shop too........lucky lady!

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Tuesday (4/24) I am going to a party.......yeah and yay! It's a party right here and you can come too! And it's a slumber party so you have to bring your own pillow.....because you just know there's going to be a pillow fight.

My pillow is one I just made.......one to go on the new sofa. I ordered down pillows for the sofas, but they still weren't squishy enough and comfy enough. So I made one. I am seeing the pretty florals and geometric Ikat designs everywhere and wanted to add just a touch of it to the family room but wasn't having much luck finding what I wanted. Then one day, I found a yard and half of this fabric at an antiques store. It's a modern piece but looks like a combination of old red ticking and faux "red work" and it was perfect. I think the red floral has a very contemporary look to it. I just added a simple flange to the borders and made it about half the size of a bed pillow so now in the evening I have a great pillow for watching T.V. on (aka napping).

P.S. Do you know how to pronounce Ikat?? I didn't. Sherry told me. It's pronounced "ee-cot"......not "eye-cat" as I was saying. LOL

So that was my week and along with the party, this week is a busy one too. Will be working on redoing my space at the antique mall, going on a day trip, my youngest is coming home for a few days (happy Momma), and I have an appointment to see about my knee (owie. It's been giving me a fit for a long time.) Hope your week is the best! XO

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sweet Beverly at Pink Saturday

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage,

Kathy at Delightsome Life, Knick of Time Tuesday,

White Wednesday at Faded Charm,

Ivy and Elephants for WIW

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style,

Tuesday's Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Tuesdays at Cow Girl Up

and Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

~ Add Something Special To Your Home ~your place for affordable vintage flair

A Box of Hand Made Love

2012-04-15T19:10:00.006-04:00

The family scattered to the wind Easter weekend. Having grown children and grandchildren living all over the United States makes it tough to get together during the holidays. So....I had brother and sisters and Mom and neighbors over this past weekend for a Spring get together. The weather was absolutely perfect and the company divine!

Hand dyed muslin ribbons, rolled on vintage wooden thread spools and stamped with some of my favorite script and graphics, were presented to my sisters. Simple, sweet and made with a large dose of love. I wanted to create something for those that mean so much me with a gift that might touch them as well as be useful.

Partying with paper ........... when I have a large crowd it's impossible to seat everyone and use china, so I resort to paper and sit where you please. But using paper products doesn't mean the table is not set with love and a little panache. Elevate the lowly styrofoam plates on a beautiful cake plate, put the utensils in a pretty vintage glass pitcher and fluff the paper napkins out.

While I did cook the meal, this time I (shhhhhh.....) purchased store bought desserts but added personal touches, such as fresh flowers, a sweet little rabbit, and again placing the plates on a pretty vintage transfer ware plate (thanks T.P.) to make them oh so important.

I hope your weekend was as special as mine and that you have a sweet week.

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sweet Beverly at Pink Saturday

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage,

Kathy at Delightsome Life, Knick of Time Tuesday,

White Wednesday at Faded Charm,

Ivy and Elephants for WIW

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style,

TTT at A Stroll Through Life,

Tuesday's Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

and Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

~ Add Something Special To Your Home ~ your place for affordable vintage flair

Pineapple Orange Spring Time Cake

2012-04-09T16:42:00.002-04:00

Yum!

This is the cake I made for an Easter invite :). It's perfect for a Spring time brunch or lunch or church pot luck or family and friends 'carry in' get together. I made a "nest" of orange coconut and topped it with a white chocolate covered huge strawberry, tinted orange to resemble a carrot. How fun is that?

I have had this recipe forever. Enjoy and I hope you will try it.....

Orange Pineapple Cake

1 package yellow cake mix

4 large eggs

1 large can mandarin oranges and juice

3/4 cup wesson oil

Mix above ingredients and bake according to package directions. For the above pictured cake I made two 8" layers. It's also very pretty to make three thinner layers. Remove from oven and let cool.

Frosting: Mix one package instant vanilla pudding, 1 large container of cool whip and 1 large can crushed pineapple, drained BUT SAVE THE JUICE.

Poke holes in the cake layers with fork and pour reserved pineapple juice in holes. Let settle, then frost cake. Keep refrigerated.

Tip: this cake is best made the day before and refrigerated over night to let the flavors mingle and the juice to do its job. I like it even better the third day. :)

Yum Yum

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The family room makeover continues. The major changes are finished but it's the finishing touches I am still working on. My thrifty find last week...... darling custom made petite bench. Someone had already done the perfect metamorphosis on it and now it's mine and at almost half price...woohoo. Perfect to scoot under the coffee table as an extra little tuffet for the grand-girls. And it matches the French chair I made over (here) nicely too.

Have a wonderful week and I'll see you later. Looking forward to showing you some fun make-over projects I did for my booth. Until next time..... xoxo

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I am so appreciative when you choose to follow my blog and if you do already.....I thank you so much. It's always a pleasure to join these wonderful parties.....charming hostess and full of inspiration. I know they will love it if you give them a visit.

sweet Beverly at Pink Saturday (okay ...orange is a form of pink, kinda...right?)

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage,

Kathy at Delightsome Life, Joy of Savvy City Farmer, White Wednesday at Faded Charm,

Ivy and Elephants for WIW

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style,

. TTT at A Stroll Through Life,

Tuesday's Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

and Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

~ Add Something Special To Your Home ~ your place for affordable vintage flair

The Bunny Hop

2012-04-01T19:09:00.004-04:00

For God so loved the world,

that he gave his only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth

in him should not perish, but

have everlasting life

"It's A Bunny Hop"

and a huge thank you to the hostesses of the Bunny Hop today......Remembering the reason for the season and having some fun too.....Just a few scenes from around Cedar Hill....our home in the country...enjoy! xoxo

The pansies are blooming......

The old rabbit stands guard ........

sweet birds chirp ......

vintage floral egg......

blooming lilacs and fresh eggs from our girls.........

the old blue watering can ........

a Chrysanthemum bunny......who knew? ......

old wooden eggs............

the front door....Aprils showers bring May flowers........

IMPORTANT NOTES:
I would love for you follow my blog...if you are already, I thank you. xo

*****the floral filled umbrella on my front door was an idea from the blog Eclectically Yours : thank you Kelly!

***** and the Chrysanthemum Easter Bunny I found at Wal-Mart....hurry!..they were flying out the door!

Vintage style chenille Easter hanging.....

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It's always a pleasure to join these wonderful parties.....charming hostess and full of inspiration. I know they will love it if you give them a visit.

Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Through Life, Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage,

Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound,

Kathy at Delightsome Life, Joy of Savvy City Farmer, White Wednesday at Faded Charm,

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch,

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style,

Ivy and Elephants for WIW

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Just found this fun inspirational party for this week too. I'll be there!

April 5-8, 2012 @ Common Ground ~~ Vintage Easter Inspiration

~ Add Something Special To Your Home ~your place for affordable vintage flair

It's A Cinch Party ~ Easy Peasy

2012-03-24T19:58:00.004-04:00

The girls at Mission Possible are hosting a whole bevy of link parties on the last Tuesday of the Month, for the rest of the year....WOW! Now you know the dates .... so no reason not to get the project in on time..... no excuses for the teacher like "the dog ate my project" or any of that nonsense :) This last Tuesday in March theme is:

It's A Cinch

Projects that are easy peasy, take just a few minutes, no long tutorials, no complicated directions, or sanding, or pruning, or hauling, or trimming (oops...that's yard work) or moving or storing or any of that nonsense. Now, you are probably asking yourself what the heck does a cookie with a big ol' bite taken out of it, have to do with an easy peasy project. Well....for one thing, I just wanted a chance to show off (again) my latest yard sale find, this fabulous very tall vintage diner counter pastry stand, ------ only this time it's filled with the most scrumptious chocolate chip cookies. Yummo!

Okay........now for the easy peasy part. As a simple and sweet gift for a friend, I filled a (new) peat jiffy growing pot with some of these yummy cookies, wrapped in some cellophane and simply tied with a ribbon. Now how easy is that? Perfect as party favors when filled with jelly beans, chocolate eggs.....whatever your Easter heart desires. Having a special Spring luncheon? How cute would one of these be at each place setting? I bought my pots at Big Lots. There were 22 in a package for just a little bit of money.

Hold on....not done yet! I have one more easy peasy, really really easy peasy project for you. I bought one lone pink hyacinth the other day in one of those not too pretty black plastic containers. I wanted to create a simple Spring vignette on the library table but didn't have a pretty pot in the right size to put it in. Solution: I just cut a strip from a brown paper bag, wrapped it around the plastic, added a little twine and voila....sensational! It has a Spring time earthy quality about it. Took like two minutes and I was done. --------- so there you are...two simple "It's A Cinch" projects. :)

Thank you to the girls at Mission Possible for hosting these fabulous and fun parties.

Kelly from Eclectically Vintage

Linda from it all started with paint

Karah from the spa
Kari from Thistlewood Farm
Andrea from The Cottage Market

You thought I wasn't going to post that scrumptious chocolate chip cookie recipe, didn't you?? It's not exactly easy peasy because it takes longer than 20 minutes, ...... but here it is. It has a secret ingredient. I got the fabulous recipe from Tracey at Raggy Girl Vintage blog. Thank You!

1 cup salted butter (softened)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
3.4 oz package vanilla instant pudding mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Cream together butter and sugar. Add pudding mix and vanilla. Beat in one egg at a time. In a separate bowl, mix together, flour, salt and baking soda. Combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips until combined. Preheat oven to 350F. Spoon cookie dough onto baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

THANK YOU for stopping by today. I would love for you to follow my blog. If you already are thank you so much. xoxo

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It's always a pleasure to join these wonderful parties.....charming hostess and full of inspiration. I know they will love it if you give them a visit.

Potpourri Friday at 2805, Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage, Open House Thursday at No Minimalist Here

Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound,

Kathy at Delightsome Life, Joy of Savvy City Farmer, White Wednesday at Faded Charm,

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style, and sweet Beverly at Pink Saturday

~ Add Something Special To Your Home ~ your place for affordable vintage flair

Weekend on the Farmette

2012-03-19T11:53:00.004-04:00

I just get giddy with excitement every single time I hit the road for a treasure hunting trip or yard sales. You would think after all these years the enthusiasm would wane but NOT. With the mild winter and early Spring warm weather the yard sales are popping up earlier this year and I'm not complaining. I hit the road early Saturday morning with two sales in mind and I was not disappointed. I scored some pretty sweet things.

The sweetest mid-century pink wire birdcage complete with feeders and perch. How cute would this be on a summer porch for a singing canary or filled with candles or (gasp) at Christmas time, filled with white bottle brush mini trees and silver ornaments?

Now, I don't know the first thing about cowboys, although I like to look at the Marlboro Man :), but this worn white western hat really appealed to me. It has lots of character and it's even signed by some rodeo guy. I will put this one in the booth, unless you want it. Will make a great decor item I think.

Check this out! A vintage diner pastry stand. It must stand a foot tall and the original price tag on the bottom: 69¢ I didn't know anything ever only cost that little bit. This one is a keeper for me. :)

The coup de grâce of the day! Do you know what this is? Back in the 1920's, ladies of grace, had the most beautiful items on their dressing table. Among them, powder puff wands. The wands made it easier to dust behind the knees and other hard to reach places and besides, it just looked so ooh la la to use a wand (in my humble opinion). They were made of silk, with gorgeous ribbon flowers, or rosettes, and pretty laces and the wands were wrapped also. I found not one, not two, but three of these delightful pieces of yesteryear. I rarely use eBay, preferring to put all my items in the boutique, but I did put two of these up for auction and the other on my website.

Now that charming piece of rusty tin at the base of the chair is an old match safe, with a mirror! Now how cute would this be, next to one of those great ornate vintage framed chalkboards being made all over blog land, holding the chalk and eraser. Perfect! The old wood folding table and the bistro chair were not furniture finds on this trip but earlier trips. They reside on the lower patio and make a great spot to sip a cool drink after working in the garden. And speaking of the garden.

See the twig bird cage hanging from the tree branch? How cute is that? This yard sale find is a keeper for me too and I haven't decided where it will end up but for now it looks so sweet where it is. And besides I had to figure out a way to show you our pretty flowering ornamental fruit tree in the front yard. Gorgeous huh? It's blooming about 2 weeks earlier than normal. I wonder ???? what if a little bird decides that's a great place for her nest. Maybe I better not leave it up too long.

What else did I do this weekend? I worked on my booth some, getting it all Springy and Eastery for an upcoming Sale next week. Don't you just love that vintage safety pin bowl? It's made with pink and clear beads and it's large. How charming would that be as an Easter basket for someone special?

My mannequin, also known as flat chested Ava, wears a vintage pansy apron and a necklace......a vintage book bundle topped off with a sepia photo of a sailor girl. Would she be a sailorette? The vintage duck is made of papier mâché and would be charming as part of an Easter table top vignette.

Look at that old bunny riding toy. Too too cute and again, if you had a large table, would be so sweet in a vignette or on the front porch. The seed sign I found last Fall and saved for the Spring time. A local green nursery went out of business and it was the sign hanging on their shed which served as an office. It's loaded with worn weathered character and has a real trowel on it. How can I give that up you ask? Don't worry...I'm not. There was two signs. And one now resides on my small potting shed. I have to show you that soon.

If you are in the neighborhood, have lunch in the village and stop by for the sale. Midlothian Antiques Center, Midlothian, Va. 3/31/2012. I think our dealers have great prices and on SALE, they're even better.

Along with the early Spring flowers, the weeds are rampant. You could barely see my poor mini jonquils for the chick weed and hen bit so we worked on pulling that out and then I picked every last flower. This particular variety has such a sweet scent. You can catch their fragrance in the entire family room. And that's what I did this past weekend....how about you? Now I am off to email a mid-western blogger to get the specifics on her upcoming big Spring event. I just may be taking to the friendly skies for a trip...woot! P.S. If you see anything in the booth you like, ....let's talk and thank you following and if you're not, I would love it if you would. ♥

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It's always a pleasure to join these wonderful parties.....charming hostess and full of inspiration. I know they will love it if you give them a visit.

Potpourri Friday at 2805, Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage, Open House Thursday at No Minimalist Here

Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound,

Kathy at Delightsome Life, Joy of Savvy City Farmer, White Wednesday at Faded Charm,

Furniture Friday at Miss Mustard Seed,

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style, and sweet Beverly at Pink Saturday. Table Top Thursday at BNOTP

~ Add Something Special To Your Home ~ your place for affordable vintage flair

French Chair Redo ~ Saucy & Sassy

2012-03-13T16:40:00.002-04:00

Sherry, of the blog No Minimalist Here, was so sweet this past winter to tag along with me as I was on my quest for new sofas and rugs, and etc. for the family room redo. One day, we traveled up to GreenFront in Farmville, Va. (if you have never been there....GO!). That day was a bust for me on buying anything new but as we searched through the thousands of rugs in the old warehouse, we ran across tons of burlap just lying around on the floor in great piles. I am eyeing this stuff with glee and quickly asked a worker bee if it was free for the taking....yep, it sure was. It was the burlap that the oriental rugs came wrapped in as they made their travels here to the states. And that my friends, was the inspiration on my French chair makeover. It was a much wider weave than your normal burlap and had a red stripe running through it, as well as cream twine, which I loved.

the Before and the After

I was lucky to find two of these vintage mid-century Louis XV copy chairs. I actually liked the tapestry fabric but the colors were all wrong and it was stained. (I see a future handmade purse in my future with tapestry on it). I declare, I don't how you redo girls do it. Everyone talks about how they do this and do that in 3-4 hours. As that famous line in the movie, The Rainmaker, goes, "you (meaning me) must be stupid, stupid, stupid", because there was no way I could do that chair in just a few hours or even a day. Heck, I couldn't even do it by myself. :) There must have been hundreds of staples that had to be pulled out, of which many needed a little extra Bobby G. brawn to pull off and out. Then I needed four hands to re-staple the new fabric,.... somebody to hold, and a body to staple. I took Miss Mustard Seed's wonderful advice and bought and used a pneumatic stapler.

After much aggravation because the burlap too easily unraveled as upholstery fabric, I decided to make a slip cover instead, which I loved even more. I lined it with inexpensive muslin to make it easier to sew on, used store bought already ruffled trim and simple ribbon as the ties.

Since I got the chair seat fabric for free, I did splurge on the chair back. It's a cream silk, with the embroidered tree and birds on it. I fell in love with it the minute I saw it. It was expensive but I only needed a half yard, which also gave me enough to make two pillows too.

The old chair has such pretty carved details in it. I painted it a cream, and then used an old artist brush to put the Annie Sloan dark wax in the crevices to bring out the features and an old cotton sock to wax on the rest of the chair, rubbing it down with a fresh clean sock.

And here she is......... :)

I hope you love her as much I do

Shopping Guide:

cream silk with embroidered birds fabric: Williams & Sherrill Home Interiors

wide weave burlap: free

gimp French Vanilla trim: Jo Ann Fabrics

rayon chiffon cream ruffle trim : Jo Ann Fabrics

paint: Waverly Classic "antique" by Valspar ~ Lowe's

dark wax finish - Annie Sloan

paint brushes - Wooster (always use good good brushes)

old white cotton socks: courtesy of Bobby G.

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Spring has sprung around here this week. This is our pink ornamental magnolia next to the deck. It just makes my heart sing to see it and I think my internet is fixed....yay!!! (but I am not holding my breath). If you are so inclined, I would love for you to follow my blog. If you do already.....I thank you! Okay...I am hanging up now. See ya' next time. ♥

It's always a pleasure to join these wonderful parties.....charming hostess and full of inspiration. I know they will love it if you give them a visit.

Potpourri Friday at 2805, Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage, Open House Thursday at No Minimalist Here

Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound,

Kathy at Delightsome Life, Joy of Savvy City Farmer, White Wednesday at Faded Charm,

Furniture Friday at Miss Mustard Seed, Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch, Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home,

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style, and sweet Beverly at Pink Saturday.

~ Add Something Special To Your Home ~ your place for affordable vintage flair

Bugs & Birds & Bits of News

2012-03-05T16:39:00.001-05:00

It's a tired old cliche....but in this instance happens to be so true. Virginia's motto: If you don't like the weather...stick around....it will be different tomorrow. The poor birds.....they don't know whether to start building their nest or run for cover around here. Woke to this beautiful sight this morning. Wednesday's forecast .... 70 degrees.

(~ Happy Pink Saturday ~ Thank you Beverly of How Sweet the Sound ~)

Around here, we need a good freeze and a good snow during the winter. Gets rid of a lot of the bugs and other critters. I have already seen some butterflies out and some bugs I don't normally see until much later in the Spring. This is not a good thing. Why just look at the size of the bug that tried to light on my hand as I was working in the garden this past weekend. Yowzer!

But you know what takes care of that problem? Just put some "Don't Bug Me" repellent on and zappo...no biting bugs and if one does get ya' just rub a little on the bite for some comfort. Works like a charm! My friend, Alicia, from Eco-Natural Soaps, makes this wonderful product along with a host of other fabulous products. They make all of their skin care items with 100% pure natural organic ingredients and package with the same care. Products good for the soul and spirit and don't break the bank. I tried their lip balm...wonderful, long lasting and non greasy, their soap....lathers fabulous and smells great and so good for you too. Give them a visit.

I won the prettiest necklace from Chateau de Auvergne not to long ago. Thank you! Cher Marie is a magician at making beautiful jewelry for any occasion, including bridal and for any budget. Check out this link to her etsy shop featuring her custom rhinestone starfish hair comb. Can you see a pretty bride wearing this in her updo at a beach wedding or how perfectly perfect as a gift to the bridesmaids. She gift wraps for you too. The packaging she sent my necklace in was so special, ..... even included some hugs. I hope you will visit this special lady.

The power of blogging. If you have a brick and mortar shop or an on-line presence, it's so important to use social media. Your visitors may not leave comments but I have many readers stop by for a visit and then buy from the shop. For that I am grateful. And I, myself, have done the exact same thing. I ran across a new blog to me the other day and immediately hopped over to her etsy shop and bought this.

Is that fabulous or what? An old type writer key set into an art deco style setting necklace. I have worn it several times already and it never fails to elicit a compliment. Betsy, of the blog My Salvaged Treasures and the shop by the same name, crafts her re-purposed jewelry from found objects and ships super man fast too. She says on her etsy site that she hopes you find something that makes your heart smile. I did! Thank you Betsy.

Took these to my shop/booth at MAC the other day. That old metal bucket is an old camp bucket with a great old handle. A perfect planter for a red geranium this summer. And old game boards make fabulous wall art. And that Detecto scale I was so lucky to find. It's not your usual kitchen scale. It's quite heavy, made of cast iron.

The French love vignettes, so every now and then I put one together for the online shop. Instant fabulous decor, if you will. :) The antique Bible is aged to a perfect romantic patina and enhanced by the contrast of the petite white statue. Still experiencing internet problems and I think Verizon has about given up on me. Today it's working. :) I am so glad you stopped by today. I am off to fix supper.....stew and apple cinnamon muffins. Until next time......I will be posting my chair make-over. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's always a pleasure to join these wonderful parties.....charming hostess and full of inspiration. I know they will love it if you give them a visit.

Potpourri Friday at 2805, Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage, Open House Thursday at No Minimalist Here

Kathy at Delightsome Life, Joy of Savvy City Farmer and White Wednesday at Faded Charm

~ Add Something Special To Your Home ~ your place for affordable vintage flairthevintagenest.com

Inventory Update

2012-02-29T14:15:00.002-05:00

~ Still sending apologies for missing your fun posts and not visiting and having my own new blog post few and far between. Still having internet problems. The technician is fit to be tied and so am I! :) ~

Still working on the family room redo. The Louis chair makeover gave cause for my thinner hair, as I pulled quite a bit of it out trying to accomplish my first time upholstery job. I did it!...although in a round about way and I could not have done it without Bobby G's extra pair of hands. I painted and antiqued it with AS dark wax.. and I said I thought I would recover in something monogrammed and worn red but I went totally the opposite. Think chiffon, satin and burlap and birds. :) Just a little sneak peek for now. Not quite through yet. :) I love it! and think you will too! (one of these days I am going to take a picture of me all dressed up....not barefoot and wearing my Mickey Mouse paint covered pants as I always seem to be :)

With computer time down, I read a book! LOL It was just a beach read but it did have sustenance and I thoroughly enjoyed the down time. Have also spent extra time at my mall booth adding "new" old items, fluffing and shopping other booths...bad! I took some photos for you to see. The pegboard walls are great for hanging stuff but not very pretty. I do have an old screen door as a backdrop, a brown craft paper and lace curtain, as well as a chippy worn trellis but the booth walls still need something! Any suggestions? (see something you want.....email me and we'll talk)

Happy Pink Saturday

This is one of those "where did you find that!!??" things I ran across a couple of weeks ago on a treasure hunt/buying trip. Oh my goodness! It's amazing and one of those fantasy pieces of furniture. I am not even quite sure where I will put it.....maybe in the master bedroom or maybe I will sell it. Right now it sits in the dining room, next to the old farm table, which I am kinda liking....really. I am just showing the top of the back support here. It's a gold gilt....not painted gold...but gold gilt rocking chair....pretty fancy....definitely French style. It has the most fabulous hand painted scene on the heart shaped head rest and scrolls and carved wood and its shabby and chippy. It's a small rocker.....definitely a ladies chair. Very unique and just fabulous! Did I say fabulous???

It was good to see you today. :) I would love to have you follow my blog if you don't already and if you do....thank you! There are several ways to follow over there >>>> on my sidebar. Until next time....have a sweet week. xoxo

It's always a pleasure to join these wonderful parties.....charming hostess and full of inspiration. I know they will love it if you give them a visit.

Potpourri Friday at 2805, Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage, Open House Thursday at No Minimalist Here

Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound,

Kathy at Delightsome Life, Joy of Savvy City Farmer and White Wednesday at Faded Charm

~ Add Something Special To Your Home ~ your place for affordable vintage flair

A Peek at Louis

2012-02-22T15:42:00.003-05:00

****** Last night I lost connection again and it's been sporadic since then. The technicians are on their way back out here AGAIN today (1/23)....I will do my best and look forward to visiting you all in between this aggravation....xoxo

Conversation from the other night.....

He: “Why are those strings (cool looking French farmhouse twine) still on the old suitcase handles?”

She: “Because I haven’t taken them off yet.”

He: “Oh… (long pause) …...but they have been there for about two weeks now…so you think they look chic or something….right?”

She: “Actually…..yes.”

He: “Just looks to me like you forgot to take the strings off.”

She: “Sigh”……

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The family room redo is coming along nicely. The sofas, ordered in early January, came in a month early…. A nice surprise! As I treasure hunt for you, my booth, and my website, I have also been looking for special treasures for me too. So here is a sneak peek at what I have found and am working on.

This French Louis XV style vintage arm chair, quite frankly, has been a bear to deal with and I may end up having it finished professionally. I think, in the long run, it may be less expensive to have Mr. Shrum re-holster it then put myself through the agony and defeat, but I am not quite ready to give it up yet. It will be painted a simple cream color and antiqued. I haven't quite decided on the new covering yet....something faded red and monogrammed....... I think. :) I found two of these babies...one for me and one for my booth.

Our family room is divided into two areas, so I need two rugs, one for the "staring at the fire in the fireplace" seating area and another for the television viewing area. I had a devil of a time finding exactly what I wanted but I did and you won't believe where I found them. (later). I think they will do a fine job of adding layering to the “new” softened room. (Did I tell you the new sofas are cream/white? Bobby G. wasn't too thrilled about that) :)

A glimpse at some new lighting, found at a scratch and dent price. I am still looking for some vintage faux chandelier/s to hang from the ceiling beams. And I am sure I will find them, .... when I am not looking for them. :)

If you are redoing, fluffing, and restyling like me, don't forget that free stuff. I went out in the woods and picked these 6 foot branches, gave them a light spray of white paint and voila......some added height where I needed it

Love the tags that were left on these vintage suitcases.......don't you?

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Big Bummer…..I have had no internet for the last two weeks. My ISP could not figure out the problem . It was fixed for exactly one day and then I lost it again. After two new modems, countless hours on the phone with someone overseas who was extremely polite but I could not understand, a house call from my computer guy, trips to the only wi-fi connection out here to check emails, and house calls from our provider, we are back up and running….hopefully for a awhile. On my wish list….an iPhone! My blog readers are the BEST..... so sweet and caring! Thank you so much for your concern as to where in the world I had disappeared to. I missed you. xoxo P.S. If you aren't following already, I would love for you too. :)

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Joining these blogs and their fabulous parties this week. Go take a peek at all the inspiration and fun.

LaurieAnna's Farmhouse Friday, Potpourri Friday at 2805, Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage, Open House Thursday at No Minimalist Here

Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound,

Kathy at Delightsome Life,

and a new party has joined the blogging world, Joy of Savvy City Farmer is hosting Thriftn' on a Thursday

~ Add Something Special To Your Home ~ your place for affordable vintage flair

Lynn & Girlfriends or Carol's Dress Form Party

2012-02-03T13:10:00.004-05:00

***** To be honest I am baffled by all the google changes going on. It seems soon as I learn one thing, something changes and it's something else to learn. I was upset that we will be losing Picnik. I was a premium member and absolutely loved it. And now, it seems we will be losing our Google Friend Connect. Ok...never mind. It seems if you use blogger you will still be able to use GFC for now. I really dislike asking people to sign up for this an sign up for that but I think it's necessary for now. :( I would love it if you would click the "like" button for facebook and the Net Worked blogs thing over there on my side bar. I am grateful for your friendship. xoxo ****

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Carol of the blog The Polka Dot Closet, announced last month she was having a party. I knew Carol, way back when, before she came out of the closet, with her fabulous blog that gives us the secrets of her "how to's". Ms. Carol's party quickly became the "go to" party of the season. And I for one, will not sit home on a Tuesday night, so here I am (actually, I was so excited I came skidding in a whole lot early). We get to show off our dress forms, our mannequins, our head pieces and maybe even our alter ego's. :) All my girls are working girls. Let me introduce you.

Is this blue eyed girl sweet or what? I "found" her not too long ago and she was delighted to come home with me. She told me so! She's hand painted. Her job, for now, is to sit by me as I work at the computer and keep me company. :) She's really good at her job!

This lady is the work horse of my studio. She is in so many of my site photos, dressed in whatever vintage clothing I am featuring. When not working, she makes a fine resting place for the jewels I am using in a project.

Last winter, something overtook me and I got ambitious. Giving this old cracked head a new "do" of vintage dictionary pages took forever. But in the end, it was worth it. Sweet old hats look so fine on her tres chic coiffure now. History Lesson: Today she is sporting a Fascinator from the 1920's, perhaps worn by a flapper girl. Fascinator: small fancy hat, extravagant hair accessory, frivolous head decoration. You may have seen some outrageous fascinators at Kate and William's recent wedding. Dating back from the 16th-17th century, over the years they have fallen in and out of fashion. An alternative to hats, they feature arrangements of feathers, beads, netting, ribbons and flowers. This one, worn by my girl, is quite modest, featuring curved feathers and prong set clear rhinestones.

And last, but surely not least, we have Mademoiselle Ava, also known as flat chested girl. She resides in my antique shop booth, and is dressed for whatever the season may be. Here..... she is all ready for the 2011 Christmas party. Wearing her gorgeous skirt, fashioned from only the best newspaper, her sweet vintage stole (sold) and her best jewelry and holiday waist adornments. Ahhhh....to be that thin.

Thank you Carol for hosting this fun day. I hope you all enjoyed a look at my girl friends here in the studio. Next post I hope to show you my booth at the antique mall, fondly known as MAC. Until next time.... xoxoxo

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Joining these blogs and their fabulous parties this week. Go take a peek at all the inspiration and fun.

White Wednesday at Faded Charm, Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style,

WIW at Ivy & Elephants,

LaurieAnna's Farmhouse Friday, Potpourri Friday at 2805, Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage, Vintage Inspiration Wednesday at A Very Merry Vintage Style, Open House Thursday at No Minimalist Here

Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound,

and a new party has joined the blogging world, Joy of Savvy City Farmer is hosting Thriftn' on a Thursday

~ Add Something Special To Your Home ~ your place for affordable vintage flair

The Romance of Collecting

2012-01-27T11:00:00.000-05:00

It started when she was born .....the most gorgeous baby (I am not prejudice or anything like that :) with the sweetest rosebud mouth you have ever seen. My first grand-child…a little girl. I bought a little pottery baby shoe planter in a soft pink to commemorate her birth.

First there was one, then two....then a collection was "born". The hunt was on! These charming little mid-century shoes in soft pastel matte colors of pink, blue, yellow, green, and creamy white, were filled with a tiny plant or floral arrangement and given to mothers of newborns during their hospital stay. The 1940’s was when I was born, so collecting these sweet baby shoes held a dual purpose and I now have 35 plus of these charming pieces of history .

That’s how it starts, with just one simple item. It may be something that just simply catches your eye, piques your interest, or captures your imagination, or, like me, celebrates a special occasion. The spark is ignited and the passion is born and you set out on what may become a lifelong quest.

There are books on anything you may want to collect, from inexpensive matchbooks to fine French antiques. Some collect for profit while others collect simply for the pure joy of it. It’s an intriguing hobby that can bring history to life. And we don’t stop the hunt just because whatever we collect is not in vogue at the time. In fact, collecting while certain items are not popular may be the best time for you since prices are down and demand is low. Some spend a week’s vacation on a hunt for a special item, while others, like me, are just delighted whenever they may serendipitously run across a piece to add to their collection.

I found this old piece just this past Wednesday while out treasure hunting and enjoying the day with friends. Don't you just love that precious faded pink worn ribbon? Has a sweet hand painted rose on it and that yummy crazing I just love. This one is going on my website in Vintage Baby. How sweet would this be in a new baby's room as a vessel for q-tips and other little one's needs. Until next time.....xoxoxo

Joining these blogs and their fabulous parties this week. Go take a peek at all the inspiration and fun.

White Wednesday at Faded Charm, Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style,

WIW at Ivy & Elephants,

Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound,

and a new party has joined the blogging world, Joy of Savvy City Farmer is hosting Thriftn' on a Thursday

~ Add Something Special To Your Home ~ your place for affordable vintage flair

Life Happens

2012-01-22T16:50:00.001-05:00

Life Happens

Mistakes are Made

Cover It With Love

He didn't mean to do it.

Somehow, ink got on the silk and linen headboard. Oops....... What to do??? Using cleaner she uses, he tried to scrub it clean. He scrubbed so hard.... Oops.....now there's a hole in the fabric and an outline from the cleaner. Time to fess up!

Impossible to fix........she covered it with LOVE :)

"Hers & His" happy again ........

Please join these wonderful parties this week. Always something to ooh and aah over.

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White Wednesday at Faded Charm,

Potpourri Friday at 2805, Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage, and Metamorphosis Monday at BNOTP

~ Add Something Special To Your Home ~ your place for affordable vintage flair

Tractor Store vs. Macy's vs. My Birthday

2012-01-16T16:37:00.003-05:00

I love the Tractor Supply Store. I declare, if I had my druthers, I think I would take the Tractor Store over Macy's. You honestly have no idea what you might find lurking between the ear tags and feed scoops. I went just to buy the "girls" some food and stayed over an hour, perusing the aisles and lookin'. That place is so much fun. Why, there were even copies of Romantic Country there!...... and Who knew there was so much PINK at the tractor store?!!

Warm toasty gloves.....

And pink work boots

Adorable rooster boots.....and horse boots

And cute pink overalls...... I need those to paint in style!

And pink hoodies all in a row........

Warm cuddly parkas and pink watch caps

I did buy ME something......because...........

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY

Happy Birthday to Me! Yay!

(the pink cowgirl hat...not the horse :) (that fabulous creature is my neighbor...his name is Soldier)

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Linking to these fun parties this week. Won't you click and take a peek?

LaurieAnna's Farmhouse Friday, Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound

~ Add Something Special To Your Home ~ your place for affordable vintage flair

For the Love of Old Books

2012-01-13T14:21:00.001-05:00

I have a love affair with old books. Long before the world of blogging and all the fabulous design and decor inspiration we see, I used old books as risers for objets d'art or a lamp I wanted to make more important. Mostly, I used my old college books because they had worn faded colors of red, green and black. I have covered books in French sheet music to use as a riser, even using old books on a dinner table setting.

I know there are lots of kindred spirits out there. Because I see lots more old books when I am out treasure hunting than I used to. Selling them on my website and booth as art, not for their value, it doesn't matter to me if they are tattered, worn, battered, bruised, pencil marked, torn or missing a page. To me, that just shows me they were much read, loved and hugged.

Children's book collecting has grown so much due in part to the classics our grandparents read as a child, our parents read, we read and now read to our children and grandchildren. I once found a fabulous old copy of Alice in Wonderland. My sister's name is Alice. Much to my delight, when I opened that book, it had an old library card in the back, with her old school stamped on it. She got that book as a gift and cherishes it.

My favorites have become the sweet petite antique Victorian gift books or poetry books, charming old Victorian children's books and gardening books. Due to high cost, colored illustrations were a rarity in true Victorian books, with most having beautifully illustrated black and white pictures. But the front covers were a treasure of color with beautiful pictures, often with gold gilt. The engravings and chromos of these old books are a true treasure.

The beautiful patina of this antique Little Red Riding Hood Victorian book cannot be duplicated. I adore how the once bright red fabric has mellowed to a soft pinky worn red.

Aren't these cover illustrations just gorgeous?!!!

So many fabulous monotone engravings added within the stories themselves. If the books are in really bad shape and falling apart, these illustrations are just wonderful as framed art.

These books were my latest acquisitions and will be on the website. Home Stories, Cinderella, and Little Red Riding Hood are exquisite pieces of ephemera. Treat these old books, not for their value, but as amazing pieces of art work displayed in your home.

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Thank you Beverly, of How Sweet the Sound and Pink Saturday, for allowing me to tweak my pink just a bit. Worn and decayed red works beautifully with pink. :) And yep, I do read some of these old books. Just recently I found a gorgeous old copy of Shakespeare's works, written in such childlike simplicity, everyone gets the story. I plan on reading them to my grand-girls when next they visit. It's a Chicago kind of day here today. It's cold, cold, cold and real windy...brrrr. Hope you are having a fabulous day and nice and cozy where you are!

~ Add Something Special To Your Home ~ your place for affordable vintage flair

Nordic Style Front Porch

2012-01-09T19:52:00.001-05:00

When the front porch lost it's holiday look, I was unhappy with the emptiness of it all. While loving the uncluttered and fresh look inside, the outside wasn't happening for me. So, I put the wreath back on the front door. :) Since January is "normally" associated with snow and snowmen and cold and ....well you get the picture, I decided to go with a white Nordic look. Kinda' funny since it's been in the 60's so many days here lately (not complaining one bit!). Now it's winter on the porch, while the daffodils are popping up like crazy in the front yard and I even had a clematis bloom this past week.

I put "snow" on the wreath. :) And added my shabby white glittered snowman on the shelf.

The old painted white vintage sled got some fresh spruce greens (it snowed on them too:) and graced with a pair of old black ice skates.

Lovin' the antlers in the old rusted urn.

Snow tipped pine cones in the rusty white lanterns.

Peeking in the front door, can you see my newest acquisition for the family room makeover? Probably not, since you've never been here before but guess. :)

Keeping with the airy and icy tones of French Nordic, I wanted to show you my paper whites, planted in the old bucket. It won't be long before they will fill the room with their gorgeous scent.

Keeping with the cool winter Gustavian whites, look what I found the other day. Someone made lampshade covers from an old cable knit cotton and silk sweater. They are small, measuring just 5" tall and 6" in diameter and just perfect for a little extra charm and flair in the room decor. Have a winter shade and a summer shade. These I have put on my website. I am wishing you a wonderful week. I'll be out treasure hunting one day and having lunch with some old friends another and sofa looking another.

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Please join these wonderful parties this week. Always something to ooh and aah over.

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White Wednesday at Faded Charm, Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style,

WIW at Ivy & Elephants,

Joy of Savvy City Farmer is hosting Thriftn' on a Thursday and our newest delightsome party, Kathy for Home & Garden Thursday.

~ Add Something Special To Your Home ~ your place for affordable vintage flair

Sweet Antique Side Table Makeover

2012-01-03T16:57:00.004-05:00

With simple curves, gorgeous cabriole legs, beauty and design, functionality and an antique provenance (had to get a little French in there :), this lovely old three drawer chest was so worthy of a makeover. It is a nice heavy piece, walnut, and possesses hand made features. But, and this was a big But, she had not survived the years gracefully. There were gouges in her beautiful wood and badly worn and warped veneer. Normally, I would not paint a piece like this, but having to make repairs and take off the veneer, I decided that it was okay this time.

I bought this grand lady at a farm auction, and anxious to start her makeover before the chill of winter set in, I forgot to get a before shot until I had started painting the front. So, I snapped a photo of the back, in all it's glory.

After a thorough cleaning, because little bits of evidence made me think she had been stored in a barn somewhere for years, I filled in the gouges with wood filler and sanded, sanded, and sanded some more. I am a glutton for punishment and prefer to do all my painting by hand. I like to see the brush strokes and evidence of hand work. It was given three coats of white paint after the primer. This wonderful old piece had gorgeous surface mount brass key surrounds which meant I could not remove them for painting so I had to use a tiny brush for painting around them......not fun!

If possible, I turn my pieces upside down. A compromising position :) but that way I can see any drips or spatters I may have missed. See the beautiful dovetail joinery? You can tell it's made by hand because of the uneven cuts. Fabulous! And love that curvy front apron.

Wanting to give it just a little bit more pizzazz and interest, I painted just a light French blue wash on the drawer fronts only. On each side, using Pratt and Lambert paint pot samples of a very light pink, green and blue, I painted double oval encased simple pink rosebud stems. Wishing for just a light antiquing effect, I went over the entire piece with a maple glaze. A little sanding on the drawer edges and feet for wear and a coat of beeswax finished it off.

When removing the drawer pulls, I was delighted to find them stamped and dated on the reverse side. With one missing, I filled in with a glass ribbed crystal pull, loving the effect and whimsy of two totally different textures.

And with that, 2012 projects have begun. I think she is perfect for the farm house decor, the romantic shabby decor, the cottage look, or the French chic happening. N'est-ce pas? It's heading to my booth at Midlothian Antiques Mall asap. I will be going out later this week to look at new sofas, rugs, and other fun stuff. I am thinking of buying a shag rug! Can you believe that? Thirty five years ago I threw out our red shag rug that you had to rake. :) Have a wonderful week and talk soon. xoxo

P.S. I forgot to show you what I found in a drawer of this piece. Is this not the cutest, so charming and loaded with glorious worn patina? This old chalk ware Scottie dog is from the 1930's. Poor baby....his black paint is wearing off, revealing the warm creamy chalk and somewhere on his adventures, he lost his tail. But never mind, he still wags his whole backside. Just listed in the online shop for your collection.

Joining these blogs and their fabulous parties this week. Go take a peek at all the inspiration and fun.

White Wednesday at Faded Charm, Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style,

WIW at Ivy & Elephants,

Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound,

and a new party has joined the blogging world, Joy of Savvy City Farmer is hosting Thriftn' on a Thursday

~ Add Something Special To Your Home ~ your place for affordable vintage flair

Leftovers

2011-12-27T16:14:00.002-05:00

Do you have special plans for New Year's? I thought I would leave you today with a few Christmas "leftovers". Things I never got around to blogging about before the 25th. :) Hope you are having a wonderful and restful week between the weekends. I am using this time to put some items on my website. I have a lot of sweet vintage items ready to grace someone's home, including this precious early 1940's embossed birthday book....romantic, shabby cream leather, practical and so charming! There is a separate page for each day of the year along with scripture. Most all the pages are still blank, so it's still quite usable. And then I need to scoot to my brick and mortar booth and redo that. I think I am going to feature vintage "baby" in January. I am also planning to redo the family room in 2012, starting Jan. 2, so stay tuned for updates. Be good and sweet and see you soon. xoxo

I used lots of fresh pine roping this year. I really had to restrain myself in not putting it up until the 23rd because it dries out so fast. The house smelled so good and was so Christmasy with all the green.

The country Christmas tree.......we have cow ornaments courtesy of Bobby G. When we first moved here there were cows pastured on the lane, so that year I was gifted cow ornaments and chicken ornaments and tractors ornaments and you get the picture. ... :)

On one of my thrifting "treasure hunts" this Fall, I found this great drum box. I decided to use it as the base for the memory tree.

I was a very lucky lady! I won one of the "give-aways" featured at the Christmas Block Parties earlier in December. Ann of On Sutton Place gave away one of her gorgeous pillows. It arrived Christmas Eve and found the perfect resting place on the old white church pew in our foyer. Isn't it fabulous? I had lots of oohs and ahhs over it Christmas Day Ann. Ann has an Etsy store which will be opening again on Dec. 28th. Pay her a visit!

Ann, also included this darling mini stocking, complete with zinc Christmas tree. How sweet is that?

Every year (along with the cow ornaments and Hokie ornaments) Bobby G. tucks an ornament in my stocking that represents something wonderful and momentous that happened to us that past year. This year, we were so lucky to receive a new daughter-in-love into our family. Her name is Briana (one 'n'). :) She now hangs on the tree. :)

The pink punch I served Christmas Day. I served that punch with trepidation, thinking most people are not into punch these days. Boy, was I wrong. Everyone loved it! The pretty red transfer ware plate was a gift from one of my customers. A very sweet surprise to receive in the mail Christmas week. Thank you T. xoxo I told her this may be the catalyst that starts a new collection for me.

I vowed not to make as many sweets and baked goodies as I normally do this year and I didn't. This was our Christmas Day desserts. An Almond Joy Cake, fruitcake and peppermint fudge along with cranberry tart wedges. Oh yeah....I bought some cupcakes, scared I would not have enough but all was well. :)

I have loved using the big framed chalkboard I made for the wedding party last Fall. It too was a thriftin' find and measures about 4 feet by 2 feet. It makes a terrific menu board and everyone gets a kick out of it.

Unbeknownst to Bobby G., he bought me this gorgeous silver chafing dish for Christmas. Hehe! It's huge and perfect for large gatherings. Not an antique or really even vintage, but I found it at an antiques store and fell in love with it.

A simple hand made dimensional paper star, a pinecone from the front yard and more greenery. Simple and so pretty on the entry table.

Even the bird feeder gets decorated for the holidays. The birds loved it. How do I know??? Because they told me so. :)

Tomorrow I plan to start undecorating. Shoot, one tree has been up since way before Thanksgiving, so I think it's time. I'm ready to clean up and start the New Year fresh and clean, and get going on the family room redo.

Joining these fun parties this week. Some may be taking a break this week and I don't blame them. :) Click on the links for some fabulous inspiration.

White Wednesday at Faded Charm, Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style,

WIW at Ivy & Elephants,

Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound,

and a new party has joined the blogging world, Joy of Savvy City Farmer is hosting Thriftn' on a Thursday

~ Add Something Special To Your Home ~ your place for affordable vintage flair

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T11:47:00.000-05:00

I have one more thing to do before tomorrow. Heading to the Tractor Store for a very important thing, otherwise I'll have nothing to wear tomorrow.. :) Ho Ho Ho and a very Merry Christmas to you all! xoxoxo

~ Add Something Special To Your Home ~ your place for affordable vintage flair

Climbing the Mountain

2011-12-15T19:28:00.003-05:00

As kids, the anticipation of Christmas, was a magical thing. A month before the 25th, we would begin thinking about the night that jolly, plump, red suited fellow, would fly through the skies, leaving us with all those wondrous things we picked out in the Sears catalog. A week before, we could hardly stand still, we were so excited. My brother and sisters and I never slept the night before and were just positive we heard the slight sound of jingle bells and a scratching on the roof. Sneaking a peek around the corner way before dawn, hoping to see the roller skates and new boots I had asked for, then running and jumping back under the quilts in that cold bedroom. Come day break, we'd rush to the living room and squeal with delight, for Santa was always so good to us. But as the day wore on, there was that feeling of let down. Never understanding as a child, I now know the reason why. It was the anticipation, more than the actual event, that was so joyful, so much fun, and full of magic. It was the climb, not the standing on the top. May you and yours experience the climb and the magic of the season, the love, the peace and the joy.

I just had to give you one more blog post of bits and pieces of the holiday finery around our home. Hope you're not full up of decorating yet. Enjoy and have a great weekend. xoxo (P.S. If you can believe it, there are a couple of yard sales and an auction out here this weekend.....so guess where I'll be Sat. A.M.! Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus)

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Pretty potpourri that sits in the half bath. Pink roses and silver pine cones on a worn silver platter. Smells so good.

I still have one more antler available in T he Vintage Nest boutique. The little glass bird was a gift from a blogger, back when I first started blogging. It's an old Avon bottle. How sweet is that?

You can never go wrong with simplicity. The shelf over the sink.

A wreath waiting to be hung. I kinda like it just sitting there in the chair. :) (Update: as I was proofing this post before publishing, I decided that wreath is going to stay in the chair)

Another gift from a blogger......an ornament exchange a couple of years ago. A silver tinsel covered cone with a sweet little white bird nestled inside.

The family memory tree, full of ornaments collected over the years and gifted ones. Some of my favorites...... the children's baby blocks made into ornaments, porcelain teddy bears, raggedy Andy. (and the two million fish ornaments we have :)

Over the summer, I collected old wood sleds, painted them white, and sold them in my booth.....pretty quickly too. I kept one. I found these old vintage papier mache bells this year and fell head over heels for them. Love the worn red flocked ribbon and the gold foil emblem.

I think I have had a love affair with papier mache the last couple of years. Our nativity made from paper. Simple and elegant

We have had this worn white and gold faceless angel for a long long time.Very plain and simple and sweet and a favorite.

A few presents......wonder who for??? :)

Anyone who knows me, knows I have a thing for old worn books....the more worn and well loved the better. My favorites are the late 1800, early 1900's Victorian story books and gift books. I have some beautiful ones to list in the boutique. My "to do" list for 2012 is already a mile long. :) This one has a special spot in our family room.

A favorite find from 2010........sepia bottle brush wreath. It hangs on the old gate.

And Happy Pink Saturday!

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The winner of my English cookbook is: Teresa of Our Southern Country Home and Farm. YaY Teresa!

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Thanking the hostesses of all these wonderful weekly parties. I am so happy you let me join in on the fun. Please stop by and say hi.

White Wednesday at Faded Charm, Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style,

WIW at Ivy & Elephants,

Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Through Life

Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound,

and a new party has joined the blogging world, Joy of Savvy City Farmer is hosting Thriftn' on a Thursday

~ Add Something Special To Your Home ~ your place for affordable vintage flair