Fall Creek Cottage

New Year's Eve for two

2011-12-31T15:56:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year's Eve! This year, we will be celebrating alone at home, the love of my life and me, just the two of us!! No parties, friends, or dressing up...but that's okay. In fact, it's better than okay!! Here are the plans:

The Menu

Cold Sliced Roast Beef w/ Horseradish

Havarti & Swiss Cheeses

Crusty French Bread

Warm Spinach Salad with Bacon Viniagrette

Fresh Pineapple
Pastries

Moscato D'Asti (Italian Sparkling wine)

A big bowl of Cherries

Followed by old movies

And games

Pure heaven!!

Have a safe and fun New Year's everyone! See ya in 2012.

Victorian Trading Company Love

2011-09-17T16:22:00.000-04:00

Have you discovered the Victorian Trading Co catalog yet? I absolutely love it; it's full of charming, vintage-inspired items. Here are a few things on my wishlist.

The Art of French Country Living

Pollyana Bed

Bethany Lowe items

Coal Bucket Match Striker

Nantucket Bicycle Basket

Rose Wellies (Wellingtons)

Red and Cream Wagon

Harvest Moon Thermometer

Postale Waste Bin

Cameo Tea Service

Chicken Wire Basket with 19th Century Seed Packet

Slate Flower Boxes

Slate Heart Tags

Shopkeep's Bell for inside Front Door

Retro Refrigerators

Some of their items are a bit pricy, but they do markdowns on a regular basis. All of their items are on their website, but I just love getting their catalog in the mail. If you get a chance, stop by their site and order a free catalog.
Last month for my birthday I received the Harvest Moon thermometer as a gift. I hung him on one of my porch beams that face the house so I see him whenever I go outside. He is so adorable, he makes me smile everytime I walk out my front door.

Thanks for stopping by,
Valeree

Yea! Look What I Won!!

2011-07-28T22:02:00.000-04:00

Look what I received in my mailbox earlier this week! I had entered a giveaway that Patti from the adorable Pandora's Box was throwing and I was the lucky winner! I hope you go and check out Patti's wonderful blog. She has great recipes, projects, and just plain ole fun eye candy. So, go visit!!

Look at how cute the envelope is!

Here's what I won...4 vintage, linen, hand embroidered tea napkins.

Aren't they just precious?

Sweet little hand embroidered berries.

They've been pressed and smell so pretty.

So what to do when you receive the gift of adorable vintage tea napkins at your front door????

Have tea, of course!!

We had scones and zucchini and pumpkin bread from the farmers market.

Homemade lemon curd.

Tea in my old brown transferware tea pot.

Yummy scones!

Mr. and Mrs. Baileys definitely love them too. They look like they're meant to be together, don't ya think?
Thanks again, Patti!!

Thanks for stopping by,
Valeree

Indianapolis Farmers Market

2011-07-27T21:15:00.000-04:00

Today we spent the morning at the Indy Farmers Market.

We got red and green maters, Indiana sweet corn, peaches, eggplant, green beans, cukes, onions, peach & lavender jam, zucchini bread, watermelon, roses & Philly cheese steaks. There were so many gorgeous things to choose from! Especially the flowers!!

Sunflowers! My favorite. I keep meaning to get a tall French flower bucket so I have something large enough to put these beauties in.

So adorable!

I wanted every single one of them.

These flower carts were in an inside stall that is still being built. Can't wait until it's done. Aren't they just so charming?

I just loved this stall...it's called "My Dad's Sweet Corn" and she sells it right out of the back of her pick up.

Yummy Cheesesteaks. I've never been to Philly so I don't know how these compare, but they were awesome.

Here's some green maters we brought home for Fried Greens.

A baby eggplant.

Here's what for dinner tonight! Grilled corn, zucchini & eggplant.

Green beans & smoked hamhocks.

And these are going to be for dessert! Have you ever seen more gorgeous peaches?

Peaches and cream on angel food cake.

And zucchini and pumpkin bread with Indiana peach & lavender jam. So yummy!

And shabby pink roses. They were a little wilted and starting to fade but huge and just beautiful. I stopped to smell them and they begged me to take them home. How could I say no??

Aren't they just lovely? I left them fairly tall so I can trim them a bit each day to make them last longer and in case they get droopy.

It just feels like pure summer at my house right now. Hope you're having fun & eating lots of yummy summer food too.

Thanks for stopping by,
Valeree

Candles, Cookie Cutters, and Yellowware

2011-07-24T16:51:00.000-04:00

I bought some new candles this week and I set them up on my kitchen counter with a few other things that I love.

A little spatterware bowl with old cookie cutters.

Old Japan salt and pepper shakers with cork stoppers. Their happy little faces always make me smile.

1803 and Old Crow candles in a basket full of tea towels.

Old cookie cutters in yellowware nesting bowls.

McCall's Country Candle.

Ceramic eggs in bowl from Cracker Barrel.

An old pitcher, little card and some Susan Branch books.

Hope everyone is having a great summer and staying cool in all this heat!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Valeree

Linking to:
Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Show off your Cottage Monday

Vintage Spoon Garden Markers

2011-07-10T21:58:00.000-04:00

I've been seeing tons of these cute garden markers all over blog land lately. You can also buy them on Ebay & Etsy. Been meaning to make a few of my own for awhile now & I finally got around to it. They were super easy. You just need some old silverware. I got mine from the antique store a few blocks away from me. I made sure they all said silver or silverplate (s.p.) on the back. I've heard stainless steel is much harder and is more difficult to hammer into.

You just take a mallet or hammer and pound em flat. Pretty easy, but I did manage to break one by trying to bend it back and forth to get it perfectly straight. Oops!

Get your metal stamping kit (got mine for $8.00 at Harbor Freight) and hammer in each letter. I put black markers with a Sharpie roughly where I wanted each letter, but I didn't worry about spacing or getting all the letters in a straight line too much. Imperfection equals charming, right?

Then I colored in each letter with the Sharpie and let it dry.

Then I wiped off the excess.

And that was it. I've seen some really cute ones done with forks also where the tines are bent into different shapes, so I'm thinking I'll give those a go next. In the meantime, I'm really happy with these.

Thanks for stopping by,
Valeree

I'm linking to: Between Naps on the Porch
Show off your Cottage Monday

Happy Independence Day!!

2011-07-03T15:01:00.000-04:00

Image(s) courtesy VintageHolidayCrafts.com

Wishing everyone a safe and happy 4th of July. I hope everyone enjoys the picnics, bbq's, reunions, fireworks, and parades and is able to spend time with their family and friends. It's also a time to be so grateful to all those who have sacrificed so that we can all enjoy our freedom. Happy 4th!!

Old Pickle Jar for Birdseed

2011-06-28T00:09:00.000-04:00

Today my husband and I spent the day antiquing in a cute little town about a half hour from home. We spent a few hours shopping and then stopped at a Cracker Barrel for dinner on the way home. Such a fun day!! We picked up some great stuff, but this is by far my favorite:

An old pickle jar

It has a great lid and wood handle

I love, love, love this jar!! I've been looking for one for a while; I was lucky enough to find one that was a good price, and (Bonus!) it has a red lid and handle, which is perfect because it will match the other stuff on my front porch. And it's BIG! It can hold lots, which is perfect for what I am going to use it for. I also found a small old metal scoop. The two just seemed destined to go together.

Small metal scoop

I tied a piece of twine around the scoop's handle.

I got a 12 lb bag of birdseed, filled the jar up, and hung the scoop from a piece of the metal that is holding on the jar's handle.

Really happy because it fits in great with the other reds.

I'm so thrilled with pretty, squirrel-proof way I can store birdseed on my porch now. Hope everyone is having a great summer!

Thanks for stopping by,

Valeree

I'm linking to:

Making the World Cuter Monday @ Making the World Cuter,

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Show off Your Cottage Monday @ The House in the Roses

Motivate Me Monday@Keeping It Simple

Tutorial Tuesday @ Hope Studios

Happy Summer!!!

2011-06-21T11:41:00.000-04:00


Yummy Sangrias!

Today is the first day of summer and I feel a little bit behind this year. Usually by this time, all my porch flower pots are overflowing, my hanging Boston ferns are thriving, and the herbs and veggies are happily growing. This year, I've yet to buy the ferns and I just planted the porch geraniums last week.

I decided to put a variety of herbs all in one pot. So far, they're doing great.

I've also decided to try tomatoes in pots as well. I have a Jet Star and an Early Girl.

I have a list of about a million projects I want to get to this summer. Now all I need is just the time, money, and energy!!

Happy Summer!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Valeree

These are a few of my favorite things.....

2010-12-01T00:55:00.000-05:00

Yes, I love raindrops on roses and kitty whiskers just as much as the next girl, but I thought I'd add a few more fun things to the list........

LIP BALM

I loves me some lip balm--especially in this weather--and these three are my very favorites. I always have a few stashed in my bag, in my desk at work, in my nightstand, & in my makeup bag.

AVON PEARL SHINE NAIL POLISH

I love, love, love this stuff!! It has a beautifully subtle sheen and a barely-there pink color that makes your nails look healthy and groomed. It dries instantly and now matter how messily I slap it on, it never looks streaky or sloppy. Buy some....you won't be sorry!!!!

BEN & JERRY'S CREME BRULEE ICE CREAM

I am in love with Ben & Jerry's in general, but I discovered their Creme Brulee ice cream a few months ago & I just can't get enough.

CANDLE IMPRESSIONS' FLAMELESS CANDLES

I was initially a little skeptical when I ordered these from QVC. I was afraid they would look artificial and tacky. After living with them for the last few months, I can't imagine being without them. I have them in and on both of my fireplaces and in a few other places around my house. I love that they're made from real wax & "wick" inside them and that they have timers so they all come on for 4 hours at the same time every evening. They really do an amazing job simulating real candlelight and the warmth they bring to every room that they're in has been so worth it.

TJ MAXX & HOMEGOODS

TJ Maxx & HomeGoods just does it for me. There is always such an array of beautiful, unexpected, often high-end merchandise at great prices. It's such great fun to go into one because you never know what you're going to walk out with!!

HOMESTYLES LIQUOR CABINET

This is a ready to assemble piece, but it's made of poplar wood (no MDF) and I just love it. It was fairly easy to put together & it looks just like the picture. I finally have a nice place to keep all my glasses and store our spirits. And it so Mad Men!!

SUSAN BRANCH

I received this book as a birthday gift nearly 15 years ago. I'd never heard of Susan Branch but after just skimming through the first few pages, I was hooked. I have collection of all of her books now, and it's rare that more than a few weeks go by that I don't browse through one of them. I get them out to look for ideas when the seasons change or a holiday is coming up, or sometimes when I've had a rough day at work or I'm feeling down & just want to crawl into her sweet little world for a while. It always reminds me to slow down, take a deep breath, and be grateful for the simple things in life & for the love that is all around me.

ARNOLD PALMER HALF & HALF

To be honest, my husband is probably more devoted to these than I am. I'm pretty fickle when it comes to drinks (except for my beloved sweet tea) but he could drink these 24/7. Half tea, half lemonade and all low cal. What's not to love??

BARE MINERALS

Just great stuff! I love that it's fast to go on and I never have to worry about if it's blended well enough the way you do with liquid, cream, etc. And it lasts!!

THE ENCHANTED APRIL

Elizabeth Von Arnim's romantic, funny, liberating novel is my all-time favorite book. It starts in gray, cold, dreary London and only a few pages in you'll find yourself so chilled to the bone you'll want to reach for a blanket. But then......San Salvatore. A castle situated on the coast of Italy, filled with sun, warmth, beauty and color. It's as if the castle is a character itself and you can feel its warm breezes and smell its gardens and the sea. It was written in the 1920s & there have been plays, movies, & radio programs some of which I've seen but I love the book the best. Grab a cup of tea, a cozy blanket, your favorite furry friend and prepare to be enchanted.

So, there it is. A sampling of a few of the things that make my little heart cry out in happiness.

Thanks for stopping by,
Valeree

Mason Jar Pantry

2009-12-20T20:23:00.000-05:00

As soon as my pie safe was finished (see my last post), I decided to tackle a project that has been on my to-do list for a long time. I cleaned most of the grains, baking goods, and spices out of my kitchen cabinets and got rid of the half-empty boxes, bags, and containers (yea!!) and put everything into brand new Mason Jars.

I can't believe I waited so long to do this project!! I am so happy not just because of the way everything looks, all nice, neat, organized, and pretty, but because now I can actually see what I have. And I love the idea that everything is all sealed up so it will stay fresh.

This project was super easy, fast, and cheap.

The materials:

Mason jars of various sizes (I used both Ball & Golden Harvest)

Tags (I got mine at Walmart for a few dollars)

Some twine (either Sisal or Jute)

A few teabags to dye the tags if your store only has the bright white ones, and like me, you aren't in the mood to go tag huntin'.

And a marker

I threw a few teabags into a cup of warm water until it got pretty dark. Then I dunked the tags into the water for a few minutes until they took on an aged look.

I got out a cooling rack, put some paper towel underneath to catch any tea drippings, and laid the tags out to dry.

After the tags dried, I snipped the little string that was on them off and wrote the names of the spices, etc on them. A quick tip at this point...don't wait until you put everything in jars to do the labels...it will be quite a pain trying to remember which jar is powdered sugar, which is cornstarch, and which is baking powder...trust me on this one!!!

Then grab the twine, attach the tag, wrap it around the jar a few times, tie, snip, and there you go!!

There ya have it. I can't believe I waited so long...now that I have this done, my kitchen almost looks semi-organized. I did decide to leave a few of the most common spices we use (garlic salt, basil, oregano, etc) in their original containers, but I'm so glad to have the seldomly used stuff (ground mustard and cardamom, anyone?) all neatly stored away.

I'm linking up with Susan's Metamorphosis Monday and Kimba's DIY Day. Stop by them both to see everyone's inspiring projects.

Merry Christmas everybody!!!

Antique Pie Safe Restoration

2009-11-22T18:44:00.000-05:00

I have wanted an antique pie safe for as long as I can remember. I am always lusting after them at antique stores, where they're set up with charming displays of ironstone bowls and platters, vintage aprons and tea towels, primitive candles and twinkle lights. And the finishes!! They usually wear coats of milk paint in barn red, mustard, county black, or a crackle. But alas, it's seldom that I've run across one for less than $500.

Until.........

One day, I pulled up Craigslist and put "pie safe" in the search field. The very first item that came up was an ad for a vintage pie safe for sale, in MY little town, for $80. Yep, $80. It had a small pic with it and I could see that it was two different colors...and the ad said it was in rough condition...but who cares???? it was right here in MY tiny town....and it was $80!!!!! I answered the ad and a day later, it was mine.

The lady I bought it from said it had come from her aunt's farmhouse, and after she received it, it had been in her pole barn for quite some time. And so, yes, it was in pretty rough condition, but its "bones" were still good. There was no rotting of the wood. Just lots and lots of dirt and grime.

I was hoping it had punched tin on its doors or cabinet sides like many pie safes have, but instead it has a small circle with a screen in it at the bottom of each side, which now that I have lived with it for a little while, I think I actually prefer.

The drawers were in particularly bad shape. I'm pretty sure at one point some furry little creatures were using them for a cozy warm house. They were pretty bad... unfortunately, in no way did it resemble the cute little mice houses you see on the old cartoons where Mama mouse is tucking her little baby mice under a pretty quilt in their little matchbox bed.

The first thing I did to the drawers was to clean them in bleach water, then ammonia, then Murphy's Oil Soap, and then let them sit in the sun for days. The rest of the it, I just cleaned and cleaned.

When I finally got it all clean, I treated the whole inside of it and the drawers with wood conditioner.

And then I stained the whole inside and the drawers with a dark wood stain.

After it dried, the inside looked like this:

The next step was to chose a color for the outside. After much handwringing and indecision, I finally decided to go with a dark barn red. I knew that I was going to distress it a bit though, so I was concerned about the two different colors on each side.

Why was it two different colors anyway??? At first I thought someone had experimented with the dark brown paint and painted over the original finish. After further inspection though, I realized what they had done was strip the original dark brown paint off but they only got halfway done.

With such detailed trim, I decided that stripping was not an option and the best thing to do was to match up the dark brown as well as possible, paint the whole thing, and then paint all over it with red milk paint.

Wonderful husband went to the paint store with me, and I was so focused on finding the perfect red, I told him to just pick out a brown that was as close to the original as he could get. I found my red, came home, and started slapping on the brown paint.

It was a little light, but then again, it didn't really matter because it was going to be covered up anyway.

But the more it dried, the darker it got....until it was almost identical to the original paint (Wonderful Husband!!). By the time I got it all painted, I had completely forgotten about the red. This pie safe wanted to be brown...it just suited him.

After it was dried, I lightly distressed the carvings on the doors,

and around the door pulls, and then prettied it up some...

Here's another shot of the BEFORE and AFTER

I still need to find some drawer pulls and I'm thinking I'll probably line the shelves with fabric, but the hard part is done!!

I can honestly say this is probably the best $80 I have ever spent. I love it!! And all the extra storage!! And it motivated me to finally start a project I've been meaning to do forever....put most of my dry goods in Mason jars with cute little altered tags (which will be next week's post).

I'm linking this up to Susan's Metamorphosis Monday & Kimba's DIY Day.

Thanks for stopping by,

Valeree

I'm a WINNER!!!

2009-11-12T11:33:00.000-05:00

Fabulous Fun Finds

I'm so excited....I never win anything but today I did!!! I entered a giveaway over at Heather's Fabulous Funs Finds and won...................

these sweet Ho, Ho, Ho letters from A Touch of Sunshine's Etsy Shop. How cute are they??? The shop has quite a few other fun decorations that are "primitive handmade woodcrafts for your home." They are all very whimsical. Love them!!

Kitty-Cat Dining Area

2009-11-08T20:50:00.000-05:00

I have a small little nook area between my newly-aquired pie safe and a small wall jut-out that separates the kichen from the dining room. I decided it would be the perfect place to put my kitties' food and water since where I keep it now (at the end of the island) it is always getting kicked or knocked over. I thought that since I was going to relocate it, I would try to dress it up and personalize it a little for them.

I started with a frame from Goodwill.

I took a small cardboard canvas that I got from Michaels (I got a 3 pack of them for less than 5 bucks).

I cut it to fit the frame.

Made sure it fit.

Got out the chalkboard paint.

Sprayed a few coats on and then after they dried, "conditioned" the whole board by rubbing it all with chalk and then wiping it off.

Took some pretty ribbon I found on clearance at Michaels.

Attached it to the back.

Wrote all three kitties' names on it.

And hung it on the wall.

I also made another little sign to go with it that I forgot to take before pics of. I got a plain wooden plaque at Michaels for 99 cents, spray painted it with a dark red paint, and then used acrylic paint (antique white with a little burnt umber mixed in) to write on it. I also strung a peice of ribbon on it and hung it up.

Here are both new wall hangings.

I got them some new food and water bowls from GW (49 cents each) and a few placemats in different colors from the Dollar Tree.

Here's the whole area. I hung the wall hangings quite low--kitty height :-)

Here is Sir Oliver Winston Crinklemeyer III (aka just plain old "Oliver" to those who know him well enough to be on a first-name basis with him ) trying to decide if he approves of his new dining room.

Apparantly he is completely ok with his new eating area, which I wasn't really concerned about since he never lets anything come between him and his dinner. And I'm happy to report that like him, his two sisters, although not in the least bit impressed with my attempt to pretty-up their dining room, seem to be ok with the relocation of it as well.

I'm linking this up to Susan's Metamorphosis Monday and Kimba's DIY Day. I'm excited to see everyone else's projects too!

Metamorphosis Monday

Chalkboard Paint Menu Board

2009-11-03T10:37:00.000-05:00

Today I made a framed chalkboard that I will use as a menu board to announce what's for dinner whenever we're having something yummy.

I found this framed corkboard on sale at Michaels. I really wanted to just buy a framed chalkboard already made, but I couldn't find one that was what I wanted, and this corkboard was exactly the right size and frame color.

The only other supplies I needed were the paint and some painter's tape.

I was a little worried about if chalkboard paint would work on corkboard. The back of the can says that it should be used on a non-porous surface, but i decide to try anyway...I figured the worse that would happen is that I would end up with a framed corkboard that had black cork. That could work too, right??

Here goes...

I sprayed and sprayed and sprayed. In the end, I think I put on about 7 coats of paint, allowing each coat to dry before I sprayed on another. And guess what??

It worked out just fine! Yes, the "chalkboard" is a little bumpy, but overall, I'm very happy with it.

Here it is on my buffet table, which you may notice has been stripped of all color on its top...yep, on to the next project :-)

I'm linking this up to Susan's Metamorphosis Monday and Kimba's DIY Day (and there's a giveaway at Kimba's too!!). Can't wait to check out everyone else's projects!

Metamorphosis Monday

DIY Day

It's All About Me Day!!

2009-10-22T15:10:00.000-04:00

It's reveal day again! This time it's for Natasha's All About Me party.

My project was the dark red basket I keep on my entryway table for all incoming mail. I got this basket just a few months ago and it has simplified my life so much. Before, people would get the mail, open it (or not) and leave it anywhere and everywhere...the dining room table, the kitchen island, the entryway table, my bedroom nightstands, and on and on. AAAAHHHH! Now the rule is, ALL mail goes in the basket until we have time to either file it, throw it away, pay it...in other words, just deal with it. You can open it, but if you're not able to deal with it at that very moment, back in the basket it goes.

BEFORE:

I decided I wanted something to dress it up a little and I came up with the idea of attaching letters that were painted and distressed to a piece of twine and stringing them across the front.

AFTER:

I did "MAIL" in antique white on one side and "POST" in sage green on the other so that when I get bored with one I can just turn it around for a new look.

Now to be honest, I think I liked how this looked a lot better in my head than I do in real life so I'm not sure how long it is going to stay like this....I'm actually already thinking about maybe stenciling letters on to an old piece of tin and attaching that to the side instead.....then again, I've got so many other projects on my to-do list, it'll probably stay like this for quite some time. hehe! Thanks again, Natasha, for your great party. Can't wait to check out everyone else's projects!

Procrastinator Party Reveal

2009-10-20T19:04:00.000-04:00

Yea!! It's party day! Here's the BEFORE pic again:

And the TADA!!

The picture isn't that great, but I'm really happy with the new fabric. I debated painting the chair, but I decided in the end that I like him as he is, a little scuffed up and with a little wear and tear.

The seat was pretty scary. It had two icky layers of fabric and then the original leather (although it absolutely could have been pleather).

I took a few of these...

and some of this...

and started doing this...

until I had this...

I'm so happy!! That's one thing off of my pesky, neverending to-do list. Thanks again Melissa!!

Procrastinator's Party

2009-10-18T11:01:00.000-04:00

Melissa over at The Inspired Room is having a Procrastinator's Party!!

In true procrastinator style, even though I read about her party almost two weeks ago, I'm just now getting around to picking out a project (oh yeah, this party is definitely the one for me!!)

I decided to finally reulpholster the seat of the little old chair that I found this summer.

I found this gorgeous fabric remnant on clearance at Joann Fabrics.

It should be a big improvement, don't you think?

I'll be back for the big unveiling on Tuesday. I can't wait to see how everyone else's projects turn out too!!

My "New" Buffet Table

2009-10-10T06:48:00.000-04:00

Look what I found at the Treasure Store (aka GW) today!!! Nothing less than the perfect buffet table for my dining room!! Don't you love him?

I'm not sure how old he is, but he looks quite vintage to me.

I love his curvy drawers,

and his funky drawer handles.

Some of his drawers have separators,

and they're dove-tailed!

He does have a few rough spots here and there (but don't we all?? hehe!),

but for the most part, he's in great condition.

For the time being, I'm going to leave him alone, but in the future I may refinish him.

I have another old sidetable in the dining room that was a golden oak color, but I refinished it and I love the color (Red Mahogany) and how it turned out.

This table has a lot of red in it and I think it just looks so much warmer, so we'll see how long the new guy lasts before I haul him out to the garage for a make-over.

In the meantime though, I love him just the way he is....and oh, I almost forgot...he was $99!!! How I mentioned how much I LOVE GW??????

My Wine Rack

2009-10-04T17:15:00.000-04:00

Here are some pics of the wine rack that I got 50% off last year. He was only $99! The top piece of marble is one solid piece, which you don't see on items like this too often. It's usually those chopped up little squares that they glue all together to make one big "marblestein" piece.

This is a picture of my husband's Grandfather ("Papa") when he was a little boy. Don't you just love his little outfit?

A little cloche with a sweet little bird in a nest of vintage sheet music on a stoneware plate, some faux pears in an old silver cup, and a candle, all on an old silver tray.

I found the little cloche for a quarter at the GW--there WERE three of them but I dropped one as soon as I got home and broke it :-( The sheet music was left over from a vintage songbook that I used for another project. The silver cup and tray were also from GW.

The huge glass piece is from HomeGoods (love that place!!) and most of the wine corks are from ebay (although I have personally contributed plenty of the corks you see here!!). The ebay seller is a restuarant in Oregon who sells all of their corks and donates the money to a charity who helps the wildlife in coastal OR. So I'm not just decorating my home, I'm helping all the little birds and seals and other critters :-)

Old Pink Treasure Chest

2009-09-27T20:05:00.000-04:00

I'm lucky enough to live in a quaint small town that has cute antique stores within walking distance of my house. I stumbled into this pretty sewing basket today and had to (HAD to, no choice in the matter, you know what I mean) buy it because you not only got the basket, but everything inside it as well.

This was in the top

Here's what was under the top tray on the bottom.

This is one of my favorite things in there. A little booklet from 1957 from Purdue University with sewing tips and instructions in it.

It's a bad picture, but can you see what she wrote on the boy with the ripped jeans shirt?

It makes me giggle to wonder who Mike was. Her son? Or may her husband?

I also love this cute little thread book.

Here's the back, where you are instructed to ask yourself a very pertinent question. Is the shirt you need to mend most like a worm, a plant, or something out of a test tube? hehe.

You then choose a thread made of silk, cotton, or nylon.

Here are some of the other bits and pieces I found inside.

What fun! Definately worth every penney of the 10 bucks I paid. After all, how often do you get to go dig through a treasure chest?

Two Little Finds

2009-09-26T05:10:00.000-04:00

Two quick things today.

First, here is this little guy happily filled up with these yummy bath salts.

Here he is in his new home.

Next, look what I found at Wally World today.

BH&G curtains for $3.50. With a free year's subscription to the magazine. I don't know if I have a window I want to use these on yet, or a project I can use them for, but if not I will just pass them on to someone else. I already have a subscription to BHG, so the free one in here is going to be an X-Mas gift. Goodness, I do love a good bargin!!!

My Latest "Treasure Store" Find

2009-09-25T01:49:00.000-04:00

I have two Goodwill stores that are on my way home from work that I regularly stop in. I just started doing this a little while ago but I've already found some things that I absolutely love...such as, this guy:

I love, love, love him!! I had been looking for something pretty to put bath salts in for a while now. I wanted something that would go well with the tray of glass & silver I keep in my bathroom.

And something that was similar to the vintage crystal salt shaker that I keep powder in.

As I pulled into the parking lot, I was mentally reviewing my never-ending wish list of things I am looking for whenever I go junking and I thought about how much I wished I could find something for bath salts. And then I walked in and there he was (oh, how I wish it was always that easy)!!

I love the bent, crooked wires on his top.

While I was waiting in line, I met the nicest lady who was there buying clothes for her mother who was in a nursing home. She said the home kept losing her mother's clothes so she would come to GW to replace the things they lost but that she didn't mind because her mother was so happy to always keep getting pretty "new" clothes. I just thought that was so sweet.

She noticed my jar and I told her what I was going to use it for. She asked me if I knew what it was and when I said I had no idea, she said that her father used to keep bees. She pointed out the honeycomb pattern and told me that the jar was used to keep honeycomb in. The wires at the top were so that you could pour out the honey but the comb would not fall out.

Who knew?? But the best part of all, the part that's ALWAYS the best at the GW (or "treasure store" as I've been calling it lately), is that he was just .99 cents!!

Goodbye Summer!!

2009-09-20T17:26:00.000-04:00

Most of the time I don't have the heart to yank out my red geraniums until at least the beginning of October. While all the other flowers are fading, knowing that fall is on the way, the geraniums seem to be blissfully ignorant, continuing to bloom away as if it was the middle of July. But this year I was determined to not wait until the last minute to autumn up my front porch. So I bravely plucked the geraniums out (poor babies!) and replaced them with these.

I also bought some corn stalks and pumpkins. It's September 19 and I've already decorated my porch for fall. Definately a first for me!

Pumpkins and cornstalks by the bird feeder.