Saturday Morning,lots of pix and a contest!

Happy Saturday morning! As soon as I finish with this post, I'll be out the door and on the way to the new antiques mall to begin preparation for my space.

This was an old auto shop in Elizabethton, Tn and the building is triple huge. Just thought you might want to take a look at what it looks like right now. When Robin first decided to rent this building and take on the challenge of cleaning and repairing it - and this is gross but true - the floor was covered in 2" - 3" of pigeon droppings.

This is the front area where there will be some booths, an ice cream stand and a sandwich area. The picture below shows part of the back of the building (there's a few hundred square feet between the front and the back that I didn't photograph). The red bricked area will be home to an auction.

The next photo is part of the upstairs where someone has erected a new wall. A few of the upstairs vendors have started bringing in some of their wares. You can drive a large vehicle upstairs (remember, I said this used to be an autobody shop) but, once the mall opens, vehicles won't be allowed up here.

The floor, of course, is concrete throughout. I just wanted to show you a floor treatment that was done by someone who is bringing in some outdoor furniture.

This is just a simple application of two different shades of paint - random shapes were painted on the floor to similate the look of stone. No shading was applied but I think this simple little task adds a lot to their display area.

Here's my spot: Next to the box is a working door. The building owner didn't want it removed for fear of either losing it or losing the knowledge of where it "belongs". (This building has many interior doors.) Next is a glimpse of the inside of my space:

The outside wall areas are also mine, so I'll have more space to hang things. Plus, the interior of this little "caboose" (as Robin calls it) area is small and I'll need the outer area for furniture.

Today I'll be cleaning the area, washing the windows and adding some wallpaper. I'll also move a few things inside.

I've added coat hangers to the bottom of the sign I previously showed you, also redid the writing on the second line.

Have you noticed the coat hangers look a little, er, different? I was going to buy the decorative double hooks and fasten them to the bottom. But those things are 'way more expensive than I thought they'd be - almost $7 each! I didn't want to put $28 (plus tax) in hooks on it so I ended up improvising.

Here's a closeup. Can you tell what they are? Tell you what: The first person to guess correctly will get a little surprise package from me.

And here's a pic of another pregnant project:

I've started working on this one. Maybe I'll be far enough along next post to show you its update.

And one last picture before I head out. This is the first year for this vine and I can't even remember its name. It is prolific with little red trumpet-shaped flowers that the hummingbirds adore. But look how the vines have grown around the screen door, leaving a perfect oval so I can view the 2-story birdhouse from our back patio.

Last but not least, I want to thank each of you for your good thoughts and prayers for my family. My brother is having his surgery Monday morning. I truly appreciate you keeping him in your prayers.

Thanks again! Have a blessed day!