Old Time Me Artist aka Grinnin Gramma

A Surprise and Some Reprises

2011-11-15T22:58:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was my day to get my stitches removed; I thought that was a pretty good thing in itself but when I came home this sweet surprise was waiting for me in our mailbox!

Deb, aka Garage Sale Gal made this get well card for me! She knows I love her cards. I also love her blog and of course I love her! She is such a thoughtful gal and I appreciate her! Thank you, Deb, for all your sweet thoughts and prayers.

Are you on Pinterest? It's become one of my web obsessions and it was Pinterest that lead me toward the cutest paper angel, posted on http://chocolatecraftsandbearsohmy.blogspot.com/2010/11/paper-angel-ornament-tutorial.html.

I decided I had to try my own versions. I don't have paper punches but I do have plenty of lace and fabric that I can use to "dress" them up!

Remember the estate sales we bought out? Although most of what we purchased was clean and immediately useable other items were geared Spring and holidays like Valentine and Easter. Those, of course, had to be separated out and packed for more appropriate times to use in the shop. Still other items need some help or repurposing. For example, this sweet basket below was among our goodies; however, baskets by themselves are not normally good sellers.

Craftsperson that I am, of course I have lots of pine sprigs and "picks" that I've saved from other sales or auctions. I cleaned up the basket and planted some of those sprigs, mixing in some beads, pinecones, etc. I love the way it turned out, if I do say so myself. I'm tempted to keep it but will take it to the shop.

China is something else that doesn't necessarily sell really well. If it has silver or gold in the pattern people might buy one piece and use it as a decorative wall hanging but not for use on their dinner tables. It's a sign of the times - if you can't "nuke" it in the microwave, customers are slow to purchase it. The plates below are beautiful but are only a one place setting - dinner plate, salad and dessert plates. We could put them in the shop with a cheap price and hope that someone will come in and want a one place setting of the pattern or it could be coupled with a couple of the thousands (okay, a slight exaggeration) of candlesticks we have.

It's now a cute three-tier serving dish with a reasonable price. This is the time of year people want pieces like this for finger foods and I'm thinking this re-do will sell much quicker.

This little seamstress is one of those items that just has to stay with me. Okay, it will probably eventually end up in the shop but for now, it's mine to enjoy.

Until next time...Enjoy your lives!

Post Op, We Did it Again and Future Thoughts

2011-11-08T12:43:00.000-05:00

Here we are, 8 days post-op. My doc removed part of both meniscus and did some repair work on a ligament. Some bruising is showing up and I still have swelling but nothing like the swelling I had before the surgery. It still hurts to put much weight on my right leg so I'm using either crutches or a walker. The walker is pretty handy; I have a ready seat if my leg gets over tired. All in all, the surgery went well and (I think) I'm doing well with recovery. Thank you, Lord!

Yep, we did it again! We didn't buy out an entire estate but we did go to an estate sale last Saturday and ended up buying a large number of box lots. So, I'm back on the couch surrounded by boxes upon boxes of things that need sorting and tagging. Most items are clean but not everything is "shoppable". For example, take a look at this familiar-looking brother and sister.

The boy looks pretty good but I'm not sure what happened when his sister was getting her eyes painted.

She looks downright possessed. I think I can fix her eyes but this isn't a set that is headed to the shop.

Our annual open house is happening Saturday, December 3. If you live in the North Carolina, southwest Virginia or east Tennessee area, put us on your calendar: the CORNER NEST, Elizabethton, TN. The shop is looking even more beautiful, in its festive dress. Sweet Hubby and I were there until late Sunday night. I was adding to our merchandise, replacing sold items and Hubby was working on the display for one of our booths.

My Hubby and his coworkers yesterday were told that the Exide Battery Plant they work at will be "idled". I guess that's a new term for "closed". The work they do will be transferred to one of the other plants over the next 12 to 18 months. The department Hubby works in has an unknown future. Decisions will be made within the next 90 days; we have no idea what that means. Could be that their jobs will be closing out earlier, maybe later, maybe never. Please pray, not just for us, but for all the over 400 families that will be affected.

I've been kinda "Under" lately - literally!

2011-10-27T11:06:00.000-04:00

Hubby and I last Friday bought the remains of an estate sale. We didn't buy out the furniture - we bought all the "smalls" (lamps, pictures, glassware, etc. basically, everything except furniture). I plopped myself down on one end of the couch and began sorting and pricing. Estate sale items have a tendency to be clean because they've been more recently used as opposed to consignment auctions. Many consignment items are unearthed from forgotten corners of garages, basements, even abandoned houses. Sooo...I had fewer items that needed scrubbing and laundering. The picture above was taken from my perspective on the couch AFTER one full day of sitting there working. Most of the items were still in our box truck, which was packed completely full, all the way back to the door.

The lady was a super-seamstress as well as a wonderful crafter. This snowman is a jar that she had covered. The nose was sewn onto the snowface before it was glued to the jar. I thought this was just too cute and had to show it to you.

We've since taken two loads to the Corner Nest. Most of the remaining items have been moved from the truck into the office where I can sit at the computer desk and work on them. The living room is once again ours!

My goal was to load our booths in the shop to almost overflow status as my surgery is MONDAY and it may be a few more days before I can get back there to restock and "fluff".

The results of my MRI? Are you ready for this??? I tore both ligaments, both menisci, fractured my tibia (hairline), have bone spurs behind my knee (which I already knew) and have quite a bit of swelling from not only the injury but from my OA and RA (osteoarthritis and rhematoid arthritis). My ortho had to wait for my Orencia infusion to be worked out of my system before he could operate. As you probably already know, rhematoid meds reduce your immune system to pretty much zero so the meds had to get out of my system in order to fight any onset of infection. I should be able to resume my meds two weeks post op (if no problems arise).

See you again soon!

No Excuses, "New Boots" and a Waiting Game

2011-10-11T23:41:00.000-04:00

Nope, no excuses. I've been a bad blogger and I admit it. I've decided the best way for me to blog is just to do it when I feel like I have something worth sharing and have the time to blog. And, I'm hoping you all understand.

This will be a quick post. Sweet Hubby and I are always going to estate sales, auctions, tag sales, etc. in hopes of finding wonderful things for the shop we're in (The Corner Nest, Elizabethton,Tn) and I must admit that we do find some great deals. We recently scored a box full of vintage Christmas ornaments and this cute boot was included:

The boot has an old coffee can inside. I've seen a lot of crafts but have never seen one quite like this before and thought it was just too cute. Clearly, this "boot" survived many Christmases and was well loved by its family. Its can could have been filled with candy, Christmas money, florals or even a little Christmas tree. I decided I wanted to try my hand at making a similar one.

It somehow ended up looking like an old-fashioned boot, kind of like shoes my grandfather wore in the early 1900s.

I decided it's okay, but of course it's nothing like the original. I think I may have gone a little overboard when cutting the side flaps. *giggle* This was my first attempt; here's hoping my next try looks more like the original shoe.

Tomorrow is Wednesday and I have another visit to my orthopedist scheduled. Sweet Hubby and I will find out the results of a knee MRI I had done Monday. We'll learn whether a knee replacement is in the near future. Personally, I'm hoping it is. Everyone I know who has had the surgery is grateful for it and I'm hoping to get this knee pain behind me.

Meanwhile, take care and if I don't talk to you before Halloween, don't let the goblins getcha!

We are Strong! We are Rebuilding! But we won't Forget!

2011-09-11T13:17:00.000-04:00

God bless America!

A Quick Re-do and a Quirk in Canning

2011-08-06T10:07:00.002-04:00

It's been awhile since we've had a new puppy in the house so every time we sense an unfamiliar odor we turn our attentions toward Sam. I mean, does this look like an "Honest, Mom, it wasn't me!" look or what?

But, alas, this time he was actually innocent.
I've been canning tomatoes and I canned one group using an unfamiliar canner. (I'm one of the strange breed of women who prefer the cold pack method) A couple of the jars I canned "failed". It's been several years since I've had that experience - probably about 30 years. Wish me luck on my next batch!

Look what my hubby found while mowing: Isn't it too cute? Of course, when it's all grown up and nibbling in our gardens, the cuteness has a tendency to go away.

Anyway, it was missing part of one foot. We never know how the animals we find get injured - it could have been trapped in something, attacked by something - or, it could even be a birth defect.

How's this for a cheap makeover? We all have an idea of how expensive chaise mattresses can be. We've had these for at least four years.

They're still in good condition (comfort-wise) because they really don't get much use. But, the colors have really faded and they look pretty haggard.

I've had a large fabric bolt of this wonderful Waverly fabric for quite awhile; it came in a box lot and was so pretty I knew that (eventually) we'd have a use for it. I did a quick cut and sew (a simple 3-sided sew, shaped like a super-huge pillowcase) and voila!

A new look for the patio! I had enough left over for a table cover, too.

We had just painted our patio and it sure freshened it up. The cost of the makeover? Less than $1, since it came in an auction box lot!

Shoulder Spurs, Surplus and Sewing Patches

2011-07-21T21:25:00.001-04:00

Shoulder update: Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts. The diagnosis my orthopaedist gave me was pretty much what I anticipated - I have shoulder spurs and minor rotator cuff damage. He did give me an injection to help with the pain but it turns out that the numbness I've been experiencing in my arm, hand and fingers have nothing to do with my shoulder and everything to do with my neck. Several years ago I was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease (along with, sadly, several thousands other people). I was told that my spine had quite a bit of damage and the damage seemed to be excelerating fairly quickly. The numbness I'm feeling is from those pinched nerves in my neck. I'm doing some exercises that will hopefully help to alleviate some of the pain and tingling. An MRI will better define what's going on or, more specifically, what treatment paths we'll be taking. Continued prayers are appreciated.

Anyone who knows me knows I've been ~~diligently working~~ trying to use up and otherwise get rid of my ~~miscellaneous mess~~ extra supplies of fabric and needlework supplies ~~for the last four or five years~~ recently. Believe it or not, I'm actually starting to see success somewhere in that dark hole I call my sewing/art studio. But, as I was sorting through dresser drawers, I started seeing another hoarding trend that I didn't even know I had started.

Pillow cases. Not sets or pairs of pillow cases, mind you. Just pillow cases. One at a time, no matching partner, no fabulous story, just single pillow cases. Lots of them. A few of them are vintage (very few) with some pretty embroidery work or trim on them. I can probably recycle and turn some of them into potpourri pillows or the like. But others are just plain ugly.

I have no idea what to do with them. Do you have any ideas? Aside from donating them to Goodwill or trying to hide them in a box and send them to the auction, I mean. (By the way, I didn't include the ugliest of them in any of the pictures. Yes, they are THAT ugly.)

Speaking of ugly - does your husband insist on keeping a certain pair of jeans? (Not accusing your hubby of being ugly, just a possible given pair of his jeans.) Sweet Hubby has a pair of jeans that I have patched and repatched so many times that the only original part of them is the zipper. Why do I patch them? Because he would wear them anyway and the holes are, well, in areas that could cause him to be arrested. And no, I won't show you those particular areas! I'd love to hear your favorite jean stories. They don't have to be YOUR favorite jeans, as obviously the above pair are not mine.

My Hubby Hates our Property

2011-07-16T18:13:00.002-04:00

No kidding. He's been wanting to move for years. I think it all started when I fell down our hill and broke my ankle. That was the first or second year we lived here. And, today, I took another hard fall. He blames it all on our property, which is mostly situated uphill. (or, downhill, if you're falling...)

Most of you know I have RA (rheumatoid arthritis). You may not know that I have almost all the other "itis"s, too - osteoarthritis, tendonitis, bursitis - and as each summer approaches I find it more difficult to give proper attention to all my flower gardens. As a result, I seem to never get all the work accomplished in the "big garden". The west end (above) is a sad combination of weeds, some perenials, vines and more weeds.

Today I decided that THIS would be the day to clear out said weeds, vines, etc. Well, it sure is easy to fall when you're pulling stubbornly-rooted weeds while standing on a hillside. The good part is, I already have an appointment with my orthopaedist for Tuesday morning. The bad news is, it's for the shoulder I fell on. The area between my neck and right shoulder has been sore and swollen for about a month and lately, my entire right arm, hand and fingers, have been numb. (Crazy-bone hit kind of numb.)

Anyway, Sweet Hubby and youngest stepson had just returned home from running errands. Hubby made sure I had no broken bones and insisted I let him and s-son work in the garden. (Sure, Honey, if you insist...)

I did manage to pick up a broken flower (phlox) on the way to the house. Don't you think it looks nice against my lace kitchen curtains?

Shop Talk, Garden Stuff and (more) Sam

2011-07-11T17:42:00.000-04:00

Two posts in two days? Wow, I'm on a ROLL!

I was going through some of my photos this morning and thought I'd share some shop photos with you. But first, get a load of this bumper sticker:

Can you read it? It says, "Peace Hon". Southerners are so friendly.

This is one of our booths (Hubby and mine). I bought the little white cabinet at a garage sale, brought it home, cleaned it up, painted it and Hubby replaced the drawer front for me. The original drawer front was (we thought) too thin and cheap-looking. I had the teapot drawer pull in my stash and voila! Cute, huh?

Would you believe I found a supply of these plates at another garage sale?

These are only a few - some of the sayings were too funny or too true to pass up.

This dress form is to die for - but it's neither for sale nor is it mine! It's the creation of Gail Schmidt of Shabby Cottage Studio. I love her creativity! She made the skirt out of paper that she rolled into cones. She said she bought the wings off Etsy. This table isn't ours, either; I saw it in another area of the shop. I've seen similar on HGTV but thought this was just adorable. It didn't last long - it sold within a couple days. Now, this sofa IS one of ours:

It's in absolutely beautiful shape! We have a price tag on it of only $399. I'm surprised it's still in the shop, as merchandise there sells so quickly. It sits like a brand new couch, looks like a brand new couch but it is antique! I told some friends that, if I didn't have a husband and parrots, I would keep this piece. (I obviously chose my hubby and birds over the couch)

Now for a few photos of my cottage garden - these are all of the largest garden:

I never get tired of taking pictures of this angel.

Puppy Sam seems to really enjoy running into the garden through the gate and out of it under this corner border, trampling my plants and everything else in his path. I resolved that by "planting" a few boxlot plates that nobody wanted. This fence is a recent addition:

Actually, it's an "unfence". Sweet Hubby scored them at an estate sale. They were twin beds in their previous life but the rails were nowhere to be found.

Sam, by the way, loves to "help" me pull weeds. (I do have fingers on both hands, by the way. The angle from which this pic was taken looks otherwise.)

Problem is, he generally tries to pull the weeds out of my hand. But, surprisingly enough, sometimes he gets it right on his own!

Puppies,Potatoes and Ponderings

2011-07-10T18:00:00.003-04:00

Okay, so this little shed doesn't fit into my post title. I couldn't find a synonym for shed that starts with a "P".

Did you know that the words "want", "covet" and "desire" don't have "p" word synonyms, either? (I really want a shed like this one!)

I saw it at a yard sale the other day. No, of course it wasn't for sale and I was by myself so I didn't have anyone to scheme with me on how in the world one of us could distract the owners while the other one loaded it onto the top of my van without being noticed. So, instead, I just complimented the older gentleman who had built it what a cool looking shed it was. Don't you agree it would really look at home sitting next to one of my gardens?

Speaking of gardening: I was tending to our veggie garden the other day and thinking about the first time I followed my former mother-in-law into her garden. I watched in awe as she stuck her shovel into the ground and unearthed a crop of beautiful golden-brown potatoes. We had a small garden when we were growing up but everything we grew happened above ground - you know, tomatoes, green beans and the like. I was so impressed that she knew exactly when to harvest something that couldn't be seen. I was later told that you delay the harvest until the green part of the potato that grows above ground dies. So...would someone like to tell me what in the world happened to my crop?

It would be difficult to find a pebble smaller than this!!!

Thank you for your cards, comments, emails, etc.of condolences you sent when I told you about losing Frankie, my pal and furry child of 17 years. I now understand the pain one goes through when a beloved pet dies. I still tear up when I think of him; we literally traveled alongside one another for the past 17 years. I told my husband I would never have another dog. Not ever. And then... We had to go to Knoxville for my rheumatologist appointment. It was on a Friday and we stopped at a flea market on the way home. It was there we spotted a young man carrying two very cute puppies that he had to sell. The mom was a full blooded pug, the daddy a combo pug and bulldog. Did I mention how very cute those puppies were? Long story short (okay, so the story isn't so long), we brought the black puppy home with us and named him "Sam". Here is Sam and Doc Jones. You can't even tell Sam is getting his first puppy shot; he's being so good. Yep, Sam and I are now an item!

Gardens, Goodies and Good-byes

2011-05-10T14:59:00.005-04:00

Isn't this a cool old door? The large middle pane and the bottom pane are broken out; the others are green with mold. Hubby said it was useless. Aren't men silly? After cleaning the glass, I painted some "fantasy flowers" on one side of the panes and lightly sprayed the opposite side with white. (I knew I'd be using it outdoors and didn't want the wild birds to injure themselves flying into the glass.) Once the paint was dry, I took some clear packaging tape and adhered it to one side of the glass - that way, if the glass gets broken we won't have a lot of shards to clean up. ...and - voila! A new door to replace the old screen door that had long ago served its purpose. Remember that box springs frame I put in my big garden a couple years ago? It serves a great purpose as a large trellis and for hanging baskets and items used for dressing up the garden. This coffee pot and cup were added this morning. How do you like my special hooks? I twisted an old spoon into an "S" hook; works great! We went to an estate sale Saturday and came out with a lot of vintage China and some great figurines. I especially love this old powder box/trinket holder! She's cleaned and tagged and on her way to the shop! The three figurines in front are all from occupied Japan. They've been cleaned and are waiting for their turn for tags.

The Colonial figurines were my Hubby's find from a thrift shop! I've said it before: He's a Keeper!

Our one large purchase for the day was this dining room table and chairs. We also bought the dinnerware, tablecloth and napkins at the same sale. On a sad note, my Hubby and I had to say goodbye to Frankie, our Chow/Collie mix. I pulled him out of a crawl space almost 17 years ago. He was only 5 weeks old when he came to live with me; I could hold him in the palm of my hand. We knew something was really wrong the night before he died. The next morning, I put him in our van and headed to the vet. I was stroking his head when he died. He didn't make it there alive. He's now buried in my biggest flower garden next to the angel. We put a solar light over his grave; he was always afraid of the dark. RIP, sweet friend and furry partner.

Lists and Lies Told to Me Growing Up

2011-04-17T13:06:00.011-04:00

Bluebird in back of our house this morning. A branch is covering most of his head but it's the best shot I could get before he flew away. WHAA? Has it really been seven months since my last blog post? Yes, Sher, it has been. Stop acting like you're surprised. You know you've been doing other things ~ other things on your LIST and several other things that never made it to that almighty list. Yes, blogging has actually been sitting on my list of Things to Do for, well, at least six months. Other things like find, clean, repair and take items to the shop remain there as an ongoing task. Let me tell you, the antiques business is not one for get-rich-quick schemers nor is it a non-time consuming business. Actually, it's been a very busy winter for Sweet Hubby and me. The shop (the Corner Nest, Elizabethton, TN) continues to stay busy and our spaces have done extremely well. We ended up buying this made-over former U-Haul truck (It's either a 14 or 16 ft long truck, depending on how you measure) so we'd have a better way of hauling furniture. If you're on Facebook, I hope you "friend" the Corner Nest and me (find me under Sher Sison Miller). BTW, we're not D&D Hepard ~lol! ~ getting that lettering off is (hopefully) on my hubby's list. Something else accomplished: We finally got rid of that old hideous, embarrassing, worn and stained carpet that was probably in style at one time. We now have hardwood (okay, laminate, but we found it wears better and won't tear up under the stress of big bird cage wheels) flooring, a freshly painted room and a new couch! The wall is more yellow than it appears in this picture - I'll take more pics when I get everything back in place. Our NE Tennessee weather has been shifting almost as quickly as Hubby switches the TV channels. This morning was really nice and I took an opportunity to wander about in our yard and survey some of the havoc caused by winds we've had the last couple days. I kept a careful eye out for snakes. You know how terrified I am of the long, slithering, fangy things. This thought brought back one of the outright lies alleged truths I was told in my childhood. You know, the one about snakes being more afraid of me than I am of them. I'm also convinced that, if I I won't get hit by a truck if I don't have on clean underwear. (I choose to wear clean undies for other reasons. lol) While I was outside I shot a few more photos and made several mental notes. I'll share a few of my thoughts and notes for my "To Do" list. I sure wish I could blame this mess on the wind. Here's another clean up item for my list. (This is the NW corner of my largest garden) OMG! The most easterly end of the big garden. Having one of those "What was I thinking this time last year?" moments. Small flower garden between the house and back drive. Lots of weeds and wild strawberries in here. The wild birds like the strawberries. Am now wondering whether I should leave the strawberries alone. How did this happen over the winter? Where in the world did that broken bike come from? Why is Hubby dumping stuff in my garden under the old dogwood tree? (Adding to my list and not bothering to cross out bad words.) If you live in the area and feel like pulling weeds, come on over! Okay, even if you don't feel like pulling weeds, you're welcome to stop by!

Mixed Blessings, Mixed Media and Woman-Eating Snakes in Tennessee

2010-09-10T18:01:00.003-04:00

Cell phones. They fall into the "Mixed Blessings" category here in the Grinnin household. We finally bit the proverbial bullet and changed our T-mobile plan from one that offered unlimited talking to one that offers unlimited talking, texting and web stuff. The texting is actually for the grandkids and myself. It seems to be the best way to stay in touch with the under age 25 bunch. My eldest grandchild is 17 so I thought I'd better get into the groove of things. Wait, they don't say that anymore, do they? Basically, I decided to get into the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" texting movement. We traded our handy-dandy flip type phone for a Nokia Nuron. It had one of those touch tone screens that turned into a disaster. Both GrinninGrampa and I hated it. We now have a Samsung Gravity3. It doesn't have a touch screen; it has numbers on the front so Hubby can make his calls and it slides open to expose a keyboard so I can text the grandkids and occasionally play on Facebook from the phone. Half of us hates it. I, on the other hand, am getting used to it. GrinninGrampa wants the now outdated flip type phone we had before back. That's one thing about cell phones - they are outdated quicker than you can say "SIM card". Okay, now for the scary stuff! Look what I spotted when I was pulling weeds next to the house this afternoon: (SHRIEK!!!) A snakeskin! Thank God the snake wasn't still in it. To make things worse, Hubby wasn't home to save me from it. Yes, I DO need to be saved from a snakeskin. OMG, I am SO afraid of snakes! And, look how BIG this thing is! Hubby tried to tell me it's a Black Snake. I don't care if it's Black or White or Oriental or Swedish. A snake is a SNAKE! And, I happen to know that Black Snakes bite. One bit my friend, Steve, who lives in Nashville. It was apparently trying to get back at him for stepping on it. Anyway, I've decided to never even get near that side of the house anymore as I'm 100% convinced it's either an Anaconda or a Rattler. Either way, it's bound to be a woman-eating snake. Well, my cell phone experiences left me totally weirded out as I pondered all the things it is supposed to do. My brain needed a release and I ended up making this mixed media piece. Here's a closeup of the highlighted definition above the man's head - it defines "thinking" and regardless of how smart these phones are, I really prefer to fall back on the old tried and true brain power that the good Lord gave me. While I was feeling creative, here's another piece I did using a piece of house painter's canvas that I stretched and stapled to an old wood picture frame. The woman's picture I used is a vintage photo that I plucked off the net several years ago. I've used her image many times in my art; this time, I aged her somewhat. A more mature beauty just seemed to be more at home in this garden. Oops, gotta run - our dog, Frankie, managed to get sprayed by a skunk and Hubby and stepson are giving him a tomato juice bath. No, I'm not hurrying out to help. This is an event that HAS to be documented in photos! lol

Furniture, Forms and Funny Witches

2010-08-23T16:57:00.003-04:00

You know what it's like to wander into a shop stuffed with all kinds of cool items but ONE thing jumps out at you, clings to the hem of whatever you're wearing and begs you to take it home? Good! I knew you'd understand! I couldn't refuse this sweet little child-sized wire dress form when it somehow attached itself to me this afternoon. Isn't this just too cute? It's sitting in our home office right now, in back of my chair on the credenza. Just look at that metal pink bow! (*Sigh!*) I love it! Something similar happened a few days ago when Hubby and I wandered into a little nearby shop. This plastic form spotted me and told me to give it a makeover. It really did need one, too. She had a few knicks and scratches, but bless her heart - she had a punctured booby. I knew that old Readers Digest book that was missing some pages would come in handy one day. So...out came more pages that I tore in various sized pieces and... here is what she looks like today, sitting in one of our booths in the shop. (I could have never gotten that handmade leather belt around my waist, anyway.) Did you notice that she lights up? She has another light above her waist but we didn't have another low enough watted bulb (Okay, there's no such word that I know of but this is how new words get coined) that we could use. Look what my Hubby ~~dragged in~~ brought in from a thrift store the other day: Thank Goodness he can look past the flaws and abuse some of these pieces have experienced and know they can be cleaned and fixed up to look like this: It had been left in a damp place, maybe a basement or barn, etc. and the wood was warped in places, making it nearly impossible to open and close the drawers. The color had faded, the wood itself was really dry but he worked his magic and customers have already shown quite a bit of interest in it. Finally, Halloween is a holiday I don't get overly excited over (unlike Christmas, for which I've been working on several weeks) but I did make a couple little decorative items. Here's a little witch I just finished: She is sitting on her broom which is attached to an old bed spring so she has a little "bounce" to her. I sculpted her head out of air-dried clay. As of right now, as I type this, I don't know whether to list her on Ebay, Etsy, or in the AB4B Marketplace OR put her in the shop. If you want her to come live with you, contact me and you can have her for $24.95 plus traveling fee. Thanks for visiting, see you again soon!

Frames, Feed Sacks and Frail Fruit

2010-08-09T17:44:00.007-04:00

There's one thing about working in or around antiques - you always have an abundance of "stuff". If you're one to frequent estate sales or auctions you know how easy it is to walk away with boxes ~~loaded down with junk~~ filled with wonderful treasures.

Such was the case a few weeks ago - okay, so it was about three years ago - that I ended up with about a truckload of wooden picture frames. It may have been more like 20 frames but when I got home and unloaded them it sure FELT like a truck load.

Anyway, my creativity instantly kicked into gear. Okay, so you caught me again. They've been shoved under my sewing table ever since I bought them. BUT, my creativity finally kicked into gear a few days ago and I basically decided to potty or get off the pot. Translation: They would have to be sent to another auction with ~~all our other unwanted junk~~ a truck full of our other really valuable items we no longer need or I was going to have to turn them into something saleable for our shop.

This is what I had to work with: Before you ask, yes, they are all the same. More than moderately ugly, wouldn't you agree? I had previously painted one black, added black and white toile and a few other things to turn it into a really cute bulletin board. It sold pretty quickly; I have no idea why I haven't made more since then.

Anyway, you may remember the pile of old feed sacks I have (several have sold but we have what seems like another hundred or so more to go). I decided an old burlap feed bag would make a really cool primitive style memo board. Here's what I ended up with: I'll try to make a long story a little shorter. Do you have any idea how BIG an old feed bag is? Well, I don't have the measurements here handy, but trust me - they're REALLY big! And, by the way, have I ever told you about all the lamp shades in my storage room that need recovering? Trust me (again), there are a LOT! (Are you beginning to get a grim idea of how packed our storage buildings are?)

Well, anyway, we have a lot of lamps, too. Here's one of them: Not necessarily ugly but not my style and probably not one that would quickly sell in the shop. So, a can of black paint and the remainder of that feed bag later...

Well, I think it's kinda cute. Ya gotta admit it's DIFFERENT! Now I have to think of something to do with the lampshade I took off of it. Meanwhile, I decided to paint another of those frames black... and give another a white wash... and hope that one of our customers will be in the market for a naked wooden frame.

When you have a couple thousand identical frames, you decide that selling one at a time might take awhile. So, I attached two of them together, decoupaged various papers and wallpapers to them, added some lace fabric and... ...ended up with a shadowbox of sorts. I like the look, think it's pretty but have no idea what to put behind it. Maybe a vintage embroidery?

By the way, if you are drooling over having an old feed sack, I have plenty left. Email me at miller.sher@yahoo.com if you want one (or more). They're $5.50 each (such a deal!) and I'll pay for the postage (such a better deal!).

You all know how hot it's been but it's been just as dry here in the south. The other night we had a pretty fierce storm. It literally ripped apart a tent my husband had put in our yard (he was going to use its shade for working on furniture) and everything under the tent found homes somewhere else in the neighborhood. This table was one piece he planned to work on: (Note the remnants of tent fabric hanging from shortened poles) And, of course, our peach tree suffered even more than it suffers every year.

Because of the drought here, this year's crop of peaches looks more like crab peaches (no, there wasn't such a thing before this year).

Pretty pitiful, huh?

That's all for now, folks! Stay cool and be a Blessing to your neighbor! Love you all!

A New Group Venture, Stupid Human Tricks & Gee, it's HOT!

2010-07-23T12:28:00.003-04:00

Okay, I'll admit that I've been slack at blogging but even more of a slacker at posting things on Ebay and Etsy for sale. So, I surprised even myself when I was super-excited to be notified that the one Ebay group I joined several years ago, AB4B (Age Before Beauty) was starting a new marketplace. (See the button in the right margin) The grand opening is August 1. This group of primitive crafters and artists are so sweet, so fun, and so talented! The new venture has me designing and sewing up new primitive creations. I do hope you check us out by clicking on that button - but don't expect to see a lot in the shoppes until August 1! I just listed this pumpkin patch nightlight:

And, did you happen to see the child's bed coverlet I added to Etsy? If you like pink or Scottie dogs, you'll probably like this! I hope you run over there and take a look when you get a chance. Okay, Stupid Human Tricks - no, we're not going to be on David Letterman's show. This is way too stupid for that. See this mess?

Do you recognize that it's an old door with glass - lots and lots of glass - scattered on and around it? Well, it was in our driveway. Why? Because the door was one that was "donated" to my hubby. It had so much damage that even we couldn't do anything with it. So, Hubby decided to saw it up and use the wood elsewhere. Trouble is, he didn't know quite where the glass that was in the upper part of the door started or stopped. One slight touch of the saw in apparently the wrong spot and *WHACK!* - glass was everywhere! I was indoors when my slightly red-faced Hubby told me what had happened. He managed to get most of the glass up with a broom and dust pan (it filled almost two medium-sized boxes) but when it came to the smaller pieces, the person formerly known as the Brains of the Family (that would be me) suggested that we hose-vacuum the remainder. Yeah, uh-huh. My bright idea was to hold the hose slightly above our graveled driveway and let the vacuum pick up the light-weighted glass. It may have even worked if the glass hadn't punctured a hole in the vacuum hose. (*Sigh!) Until those little shiny shards out of our driveway, we'll be parking our vehicles a little further up the drive. At least the temperatures were in the mid-90's (as opposed to being in the upper 90's) when this happened. It's hot everywhere, folks!!!! I don't know about you, but I'm spending most of this summer inside where it's air conditioned. August is supposedly the hottest month of the year and guess what? It's only a week away! Until then, keep hydrated with lots of liquids and try to keep cool!!!!

The End of Adventure Lane

2010-07-08T11:41:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was our day to travel to Knoxville and see my rheumatologist. It's about a two hour trip one way so we generally stop for lunch or dinner and maybe wander into an interesting looking shop or two. We turned off the interstate to check out one of those tourist info places when we spotted this street sign:

Well, of course, we had to drive down Adventure Lane, which turned out to be a dead end street. But look what was at the end:

Can you make out those blue letters? It says, "THRIFT SHOP"! This is what I came home with:

This sweet little ceramic napkin holder has a tiny chip in it but it spoke to me and somehow ended up coming home with me, as did this wonderful 1950's Hull vase: The vase will go to the shop with me this afternoon. Of course the news right now is the heat. This is what registered on my van's thermometer as we were driving to Knoxville: Here in the South, it's not just the high temperatures, though - it's the agonizing humidity, which is hovering around 90%! Even the birds are staying in the shade of the trees. Until next time, stay hydrated - drink lots of water and stay healthy!

Happy Birthday, U.S.A.!!!! ...and a Couple Easy Re-do's

2010-07-04T09:53:00.005-04:00

Today is the day Americans celebrate the 13 colonies who came together and signed America's first treasonous document, overthrowing King George III. I'm paraphrasing, but this is how I heard it described on the History channel this morning. Did you know that Benjamin Franklin's son was imprisoned for two years afterward? He continued to support King George and, apparently, Benjamin Franklin and his son never reconciled. It was an interesting documentary. For a little history refresher course, check this out: Sparknotes

Meanwhile, have a safe and happy Independence Day. I would also like to thank everyone, past and present, who has ever served in our U.S. military for keeping our country FREE! I have several publications from the National Education Association (the one below is from April, 1945) that I have for sale. Can you see the writing on the front cover? It is a prayer written by Stephen Vincent Benet, read by President Roosevelt at the United Nations Day Ceremony at the White House on June 15, 1942. The bottom caption next to the photograph states, "This prayer may well be used at every commencement program this year. Here's my political statement for the year as well as for the rest of my life: I SUPPORT THE RETURN OF PRAYER IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS! And now, completely changing the subject: This now shabby flower pot used to be a very boring looking terracotta pot: All it needs now is a cool looking plant to go inside. I'm kinda leaning toward a fern - what do you think? But, before I get sidetracked on choosing a plant, let me tell you how easy this transformation was! It was really a simple decoupage project involving spare paper pieces (wallpaper and craft papers), glue and glaze. I had some of this textured wallpaper that I think added a little special something to it. (Don't pay attention to the pot-in-progress in the background. It's not the same pot. In fact, after I started attaching the torn pieces to the background pot, I decided I didn't like the direction it was taking and tore the pieces off.) After I attached the papers and made sure the glue was thoroughly dry, I glazed it. Glazing isn't really all that necessary. I did it to protect the papers because I know myself - I will, at some time, either spill water on it or leave it outside and forget about it until a torrential rain beats the paper to bits. In other words, if you're like me in this sense, maybe you should also consider glazing. Modpodge would probably also be a good choice. Cost to complete: Next to $0. On to Simple Project #2: Sweet Hubby found this GLASS and MARBLE lamp curbside!!! Someone had thrown it aside because the shade was trashed - the fabric had dry rotted, was dirty, torn - you get the picture. But, the lamp (except for the finial part being a little bent) was in great shape. I ~~ripped every shred~~ removed all remnants of the old fabric and simply hand stitched strips of eyelet lace (I've had the eyelet lace for at least five or six years) vertically on the frame. Voila! The lamp is now in one of our spots at the Corner Nest (Elizabethton, TN) and sits in front of an ornamental metal thingy stretched across the window that separates this booth from the one next to us. Cost to complete: Next to $0. Until next time: Wishing you and yours many Blessings and happiness!

This is OUR World!

2010-06-29T11:41:00.003-04:00

(Photos taken in my garden) The first time my precious son, not yet three, saw the ocean he stood still as a statue for several seconds. Finally, pail and plastic shovel in hand, he looked out at its vastness and proclaimed, "They should have made a baby pool." That was just three short years before we made the move to California, where we would live for several years before moving back to the midwest. Yesterday was his 32nd birthday. I posted a picture of him on my Facebook page - tall and handsome, and on the eastern shores of our nation he stood on pristine sands as he enjoyed a vacation with his family. Little did any of us know at the time that, due to bad decisions of CEOs , our own government, as well as the greed of many, ocean shores would be covered in thick black goo and that the majority of us would look on helplessly as innocent, beautiful sea animals would be suffocated to death and families depending on the sea for income would have similarly have their livelihoods smothered. Many of us may not have the physical ability to help and may be limited financially but all of us have the greatest power of all - the power of prayer. Please join me in praying for a resolution to this mess that has been created. Pray for all the families affected and for their futures, for the animals and our environment and then please - let us all be diligent in making better decisions for our earth and its future and in electing officials who have similar commitments.

The Absentee Blogger

2010-06-04T13:28:00.006-04:00

This is what I should rename this blog. I've been a terrible blogging slacker lately, although I do have an excuse - err, reason. I hate to complain (but will, of course) but my rheumatoid arthritis has been giving me tremendous problems. My rheumatologist has switched me to Orencia and I am looking forward to great positive changes from it. However, it sometimes takes several infusions before enough of it is in your system to make a difference. I've been having problems doing daily chores. He added Prednisone to my drug cocktail and at least now I can raise my arms above elbow level and can walk to the mailbox. I'm on a self-imposed driving restriction because I still have problems and a lot of pain using my hands. I'm afraid that, if there is an emergency, I may not be able to properly handle the steering wheel. I've been looking forward to an upcoming all-year high school reunion next weekend in Indiana but am fearful that I may have to skip it. Maybe the Prednisone will kick in enough by then that we can still go, but I'm apprehensive. Well, enough of that. The Ebay/Etsy group I belong to, AB4B, is having a special altered art swap with a theme of "Let Freedom Ring". The very talented Sandi Ramirez (www.shweetpotatodolls.com) was my partner. It was her first time to make altered art and the results were simply outstanding. She made this altered journal for me as well as the sweetest scrapbook: Here's a closeup of the journal cover and its inside cover as well as the scrapbook: See what I mean? Lucky me!!!! In turn, I sent her an altered tobacco tin and a felt window valance. I forgot to take pictures before mailing them out so I swiped the ones Sandi posted! And now for the big announcement: I've decided to suspend my monthly giftaways, at least for now. I can't rely on myself to post regularly right now and don't want to mislead anyone so I've removed it from my sidebar and hope you understand. So, until next time - lots of hugs! Sher

Hubbies! Yard Sales and Yard Finds

2010-04-19T11:46:00.006-04:00

MEN! You can't live with them and you can't live with them. ; ) That's okay, I'll live with mine, anyway! *Hee* I just had to share this with you: We have a primitive-type cabin birdhouse living outside and he apparently discovered that the wind whipped three of the decorations on it off. Missing were a butter churn, a chair and a barrel (probably would have been filled with moonshine if it was real). He found the items (yaaaay, Hubby!) but instead of handing them to me or simply placing them on the kitchen counter or table where I would see them, he put them in one of my candles: Now - what I want to know is, would anyone else's husband have done this? Would your husband have secured them back to the birdhouse, given them to you, left them on the ground, etc. I'd like to know whether any other man in this whole world would have stuck them in the middle of a candle. Okay, moving along: I found these two table covers (that are large enough to fit on a youth bed) at a yard sale this weekend. There are some minor stains (most washed out) but I thought they were pretty enough to share with you. The covers, not the stains. Saturday was beautiful enough to hang them outside in the sun. Problem was, so was Sunday when I washed them. I broke my Sunday rule and hung them outside. Don't look at the stains on the vintage dish towel. They obviously didn't wash out. BTW, the covers were $2 each. Remember my Peace Garden I showed you last post? Look at the difference a few days have made: My lillies of the valley have really started springing up. They'll probably be fully grown and maybe in bloom in just a couple weeks. I uncovered this little angel in my largest garden: Notice that she's broken but her unbroken arm is still raised in praise! She didn't just "appear" in my garden - I remember putting her unbroken body inside one of the glass garden decorations I made last year or year before. I'll now recycle her where she'll be more safely tucked into another creation. Lastly, my daughter's birthday is the 23rd. I don't think I'm allowed to tell you that she'll be 39 years old. Amazing that she won't tell her age but I always share mine. And why not? We're the same age! Okay, maybe I'll be 62 in July but I'm still shocked when I pass a mirror and see that I'm not. Anyway, I can't tell you what I got her (just in case she decides to read my blog) but I can show you the wrappings. I covered a tag with green vintage wallpaper found in the attic of an old home. The large middle tag says "Memories" and the little glass bubble reads, "Baby of Mine". She may grow to be older than me but she'll always be my baby. I made her a pink felt "envelope" and put a little note inside. The envelope fastens on the other side with a piece of vintage lace and an old button. It can be reused later for probably absolutely nothing, as I failed to make it a pouch that she could have used for makeup, etc. Nope, it's just a flat envelope that she will probably hate to throw away but really has no other good common use. (*sigh*) ...and I'll never know why mothers do these things. Have a blessed week!

When Piddling and Working Become as One

2010-04-14T12:48:00.005-04:00

Per the online dictionary: Piddle: pid·dle (pdl)

v. pid·dled, pid·dling, pid·dles

v.tr.

To use triflingly; squander: piddle away one's time.

v.intr.

1. To spend time aimlessly; diddle.

2. Informal To urinate. Umm - let's discard the informal definition, aka #2. When piddling and working marry, it is a marriage made in Heaven. At least, that's my take on it. And when the weather is beautiful as it is right now, piddling/working in my gardens are as one to me. Anyway, I spent a few minutes outside this morning and worked on one of my gardens. This time I chose half (okay, more like 1/4) of the one behind our patio also known as the pond garden, aka the patio garden, aka the garden behind the patio. Tomorrow is my day to receive my Remicade treatment (which, by the way, my body is no longer responding to) and I am hoping I can get more done in next week. My Rheumatologist is getting permission from our insurance company to switch me over to Orencia. Meanwhile, I've been receiving "dose packs" of Prednisone to get me through the month. But I digress...enough about rheumatoid arthritis. I started this little garden a couple years ago. Ironically, it paralleled the day a beloved neighbor passed away. I wanted something really soothing so I gave it yet another aka: the Peace Garden.

There's nothing really special about it except for the fact that I have a more intimate attachment to it than my other gardens. The background is lushly planted with weeds. The area I worked in this morning has a little figurine of a girl with a basket. My MIL gave her to me for my birthday a couple years before she died. I put a broken pot under a lilly, hoping a toad will find it to be a comfy spot to relax in the shade while waiting for tasty bugs to catch. I scattered a few little seashells and a sweet little garden sign that I found during one of the shopping trips my MIL and I used to take. It says, "Come into this garden for here you'll find Peace." The rest of the plants are mostly lilies of the valley and hosta with several daffodils thrown in for early color. I had to squeeze in a shot of these sprigs my sweet hubby brought in for me the other day. And for now, I need to rest for awhile. Hoping for more energy and less pain next week!

Pepper Steak, A New Product and Spring at our Place

2010-04-10T12:39:00.005-04:00

We added a new product to the shop (Corner Nest, Elizabethton, TN) this week - key chains! Yeah, I know - what's so exciting about key chains? Well, as you know, it doesn't take a lot to get me excited but these particular chains are sooo darned CUTE! We've never carried key chains before and the first time I saw these, I knew I had to at least give them the ol' college try: They're not just key chains, they're little books! And they seem to celebrate every occasion. Here's a peek at a couple pages inside one of the "Friendship" type chains: Now, how cute is that? They almost look like miniature purses. Just had to show 'em to ya! Now, a look at what our place is looking like as of this morning: The creek in front of our house - it runs through the front part of our property and always sounds so well, creek-like. I love the sound but it's not so fun to keep it clean. Speaking of which, looks like I have quite a bit of cleanup of wintry dead stuff along the wall. (I have a small garden of Iris growing next to the wall to the right) Time for the Hubby to get all his equipment uncovered and literally "in gear" (actually, I hear the mowers running outside as I'm typing this). Okay, this is a little prettier: A closeup of some of the blooms on one of our Dogwood trees ...and a look at the pink blossoms on our peach tree. And this is a picture of the pond behind our back patio - the one I should be cleaning out right now! Going on to yummier things, I fixed pepper steak last night for dinner. Remembering that I'm Filipino-American, I cook my Asian dishes using American veggie substitutes. (This is also primarily done in restaurants as well.) Start out by frying some beef strips in olive oil. Fry them quickly. You'll want them to be nice and brown on the outside. The amount of beef you use depends on how much you want to make or how large your family is. This is the time to season the steak. I like to use fresh black peppercorn - you can buy them at the grocery in those little bottles that have lids that allow you to grate the pepper as you turn the lid. You know what I mean. I also like to add a little garlic and some ginger. While that is frying, slice a couple bunches of green onions, including the tops. Lower the heat a little and add the onions to the beef. Cut a bell pepper into strips and add some sliced carrots for color. Serve it over a bed of cooked rice: Have a wonderful day! OOPS! I forgot to add - season to taste with soy sauce!!!!!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-03T20:23:00.000-04:00

He has risen, indeed! Praying for a Blessed and wonderful Easter for you all.

We Have a WINNER!

2010-04-02T19:50:00.003-04:00

The winner for my February/March blog Giftaway is (drum roll...) new grandma MICHELLE of COUNTRY VINTAGE! Congratulations, Michelle! If you don't know Michelle, please stop in at her blog and tell her hi!

Michelle will receive the cute little vintage stationary chickens shown HERE and this sweet little cottage pot (it's not perfect, it has a tiny chip on the spout)

and this scalloped apron. (Plus, I like to enclose a surprise or two! ;) ) Michelle, be sure to email me (miller.sher@yahoo.com) with your snail addy! Winning my Giftaways is easy - just follow my blog and leave a comment for me at least once a month!

Our New Neighbor, A New Condition and Not Much More

2010-03-30T18:36:00.004-04:00

Not that I'm one of those neighbors who keeps who nose pressed to the window watching our neighbors comings and goings, but I do have to admit I wish I had gotten a recording of this new neighbor's arrival: Actually, Hubby is the one who spotted the little guy/gal lying down in the field so of course I grabbed my camera and literally leaped out the door. Hubby is talking to me but you can't hear his voice (didn't want you to think I was talking to myself, although I often do). My monthly Giftaway is back on! Yes, a name will be pulled from the scant list of people who commented during the months of February and March. The scant list is my own fault - I took a blogging break and know that several people, believing I had either died or broken both hands and was unable to type or manipulate a microphone stopped reading and commenting. But, both the Giftaway and I have both returned! Look for the announcement of the winner's name April 1 or 2! The April Giftaway and those following, however, will have a New Condition. In order to be eligible for the monthly drawing you must not only leave a comment for that month, you must be a follower of this blog. Simple enough, eh? I've noticed that most of Blogland has been sharing their home Easter decorations. I'm not one to decorate much for Easter but here goes: This is a little vignette I put together for my office. The Peter Cottontail plate in the background is something I made several years ago simply because I like bunnies. Yes, I'm a bunny lover. Well, except for when they raid our garden. Then I feel like Elmer Fudd ("Kill the wabbit...") I made these eggs from felt the other night and threw them in a heart-shaped basket. I'll put them on our kitchen table whenever I clear it of a new batch of items that are awaiting their turn to be priced. As you can see, I obviously didn't go all out for decorations. I must confess, though, that the felt eggs do look better in person. Actually, they're quite beautiful and rival the Faberge' eggs. Okay, so I exaggerate. But the bunny in the basket with them IS quite cute...

The Reveal: Ta-DAHHHHH!!!!

2010-03-26T12:04:00.003-04:00

As promised in my last post, here are some "after" pictures of the bedroom furniture Hubby picked up curbside. These were taken in his workshop, the shape of which I will make no apologies for! (It's a man thing, ya know!) And a closeup of the mirror: Finally, the chest: These pieces had been actually painted by the factory, so we made the decision to repaint them a similar color. However, the floor linoleum tiles that were scraped off was done by someone OTHER than the factory! Looks pretty good, especially for something that started off like this, don't ya think? ; ) Yep, ol' Hubby's a keeper! We just celebrated our anniversary Wednesday, guess we'll keep each other a while longer. ...and, to answer Deb's question - we were both trash pickers before we met! It was a marriage meant to be!

Cleaning and (re-)Conditioning Curbside Cache

2010-03-22T12:24:00.006-04:00

I just love Spring cleaning!!!! It's such a fabulous time of year! Oh, wait a minute - no, I didn't mean that I personally love to Spring clean. No way! I just love it when others do. Wonderful things are tossed to the curb as people discard their unwanted items!

The Hubby was elated when he spotted a lady and her young son carrying an old chest and dresser (complete with mirror) to the curb the other day. She happily told him she had purchased a brand new bedroom suite and was giddy with the thought of getting the old set out of her home. It worked out perfectly. The Hubby giddily loaded it into our van.

It had been painted brown (easy to deal with) but someone had glued linoleum floor tiles to the tops. The set now looks like this:

After scraping off the tiles, removing the sticky residue and giving it a good sanding, various kinds of wood was revealed in the construction. You can see a green Poplar on this top, with a kind of white Poplar at the bottom of the picture. Oak was used in some of the drawers. Other than having to remove the linoleum, these pieces proved to be in pretty good shape. Some minor sanding on the drawers corrected some warping that created problems in opening and closing a couple of them: We'll get it all ready for painting and then this set will be as good, maybe better than, new! The "after" photos will be posted later!

You've all seen those black ugly (yet functional) metal mailboxes that everyone once used. I find them curbside all the time. Anyway, here's one I just finished - it's no longer black and no longer functional (as far as the post office is concerned). It's now pinked-up and blinged-out and can be used to hold bills, family notes to one another, washcloths, etc. Closeup of the flower. It grew a button with a vintage picture of a little girl on it.

If you get a chance, check out my Etsy sales (in the sidebar) and EBAY ITEMS. We have a talking deer listed on Ebay but also made a video of him singing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON1Z2iel9GU (Beware of Tasha's screeching in the background)

Have a blessed week and happy Spring cleaning!

Spring has Sprung, Shop Sales and Seniors with Spring in their Steps

2010-03-20T18:27:00.006-04:00

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day! The temps actually reached 70°! There is no more snow on the ground! I must be really excited - just look at all these exclamation marks! I took advantage of the nice weather and drove into Elizabethton to check on the shop (aka the Corner Nest) and was happy to see that everyone's sales have picked up substantially!!! (Note the use of three exclamations here) Actually, things have never been slow there and we all thank our lucky stars for that. But when I say things have picked up, trust me - it's incredible. For example, I love it when we bring in something like a solid wood table with four chairs Tuesday night and we get a call Wednesday morning to let us know it sold. Especially after we just sold a huge dry sink a couple days before. If you want to see some recent photos, click HERE for my Flickr album. It was still nice and warm when I got home, so of course I had to play outside for awhile in the dirt with the flowers. Amidst all the dead debris of winter, this caught my eye: Do you see it? Here's a closer look: This lone yellow crocus is the only flower (so far) to nudge above winter's debris in my biggest garden. However, there are several other beauties scattered about on the property. An example is this purple crocus: It looks more lavender in the picture but it's really a deep purple and look at its center: Who but Nature would have thought to combine orange and purple? We have daffodils growing all over our yard. They look like a happy flower to me. Before I close this post, I want to share a special couple with you. Known affectionately as "Mom" and "Dad", both work at the shop and they are two of my absolutely favorite people as is the shop owner and manager, Robin Blackwell. Robin threw a Valentine dinner and dance for all us vendors, complete with a live band. Mom and Dad danced the night away and put the younger people to shame! Dad will be 83 years young on Monday and I am blessed to witness their devotion to one another.

Properly Picking Perfect Pineapples

2010-03-11T18:15:00.005-05:00

Few people enjoy fresh fruit more than me. Produce managers around here probably cringe as I (literally) pick through their displays, examining each piece of fruit before it gets placed in my bag. Living in NE Tennessee, you can only imagine how "fresh" the fruit is before it arrives at our local Krogers. As I was shopping for pineapple this morning, a young woman looked at me curiously as I picked what I thought was the best from the selection before us. She grabbed one, shrugged and said, "They're all the same, aren't they?" I gave her a quick lesson in pineapple picking and of course that light bulb over my head went off. You know, the one that radiates "Blog this, blog this!" from within. Regardless of what the cartoon lady in the flouncy skirt says, it's not this (this is only an advertising tag): It's not the smell, the firmness or the coloration: It's not the pretty stalk or the greenery: It's the fact that the little designs on the outside are round all the way to the top. If they aren't round all the way up to the greenery it's not a ripe pineapple! Simple, huh? Yes, I know I could have said this at the start of this post but what fun would that have been?

Playing Catch-Up, Downplaying and About That Credit

2010-03-05T15:54:00.004-05:00

It's been a while since I've posted "fresh" pictures of the shop (Corner Nest in Elizabethton, TN) and thought you might want to rest your eyes with a little eye candy. Most of these pictures are not of our booths - I like to take pictures of all over the mall so you can see the diversity of antiques, gifts, and handmade items offered there: What's an antiques shop without quilts? And here's a new addition: home made preserves! YUM! Here's a little something special for you (us) shabby chic lovers: And here's a chest we just added a couple days ago: If you want to see more pictures of the Corner Nest, click HERE. And here's a twist on an idea I picked up from Joy at Joys of Home! I've had this olde ~~battered and severely discolored~~ tray with this cool patina and character scars for several months. It looked like it could be easily made into a frame but, uh, I couldn't figure out how I wanted to do that. At least, not until I saw Joy's post. Long story short, remember that flower fairy that had been sitting in the midst of my studio mess? Well, now she has a permanent home - one where she is safe and prettily framed on a background of aged wallpaper. Finally, I promised you I would share some of the things I learned during my 20+ years of working in the mortgage industry. There is so much that goes into credit that it would be impossible to put all the information into one little blog post, so let me share a few things that seemed to surprise a lot of people while I was pouring over their credit reports with them: 1. The history of how you pay or paid an account will remain on your report for ten years. (Used to be seven, now most creditors are keeping the info there for ten.) If you were ever 30 days or more late paying a bill, your report will code not only how many times you were late but the dates you were late. This history WILL stay on your report after you pay off this bill. (I can't count the number of times people would look at me and say, "But I paid that off!") It doesn't matter. History is history. 2. Tearing up a credit card and never using it again does NOT close that account. Unless that card had an expiration date that was not renewed, the account remains open. If it's one of those lousy charge cards that charges $39 or whatever annually just for the "privilege" of using it, that charge will be billed to you and if you don't pay it you COULD be charged late fees. If it's your intention to close an account, call or mail the creditor to inform them of such. Simply not using the card doesn't do it. 3. The credit of similarly named individuals in a family could show up on your credit report. It's not unusual for "Senior" and "Junior" accounts to criss-cross. Expect this to happen - another reason to stay informed of what is on your report by pulling it yourself once a year. (Especially if the other individual has bad credit.) 4. Using a company that helps you reduce the interest on your accounts WILL affect your credit history. Although you may be making payments on time to one of the many nonprofit organizations designed to help you, you are NOT making on time payments under the rules of your original agreement with the creditor. Yes, I am saying that those creditors affected will still report you as making late payments to them. 5. Making your rent or mortgage payments late is basically the "kiss of death" when it comes to mortgage loans. Mortgage lenders expect you to ALWAYS put the roof over your head first; don't expect them to grant you a mortgage if your car payment is always on time but you run late on your mortgage. As always, thanks for stopping by and God bless!

Re-stocking Our Antiques Spaces!

2010-03-01T18:51:00.005-05:00

Just a quick post today to share some pictures of what it looks like around here when we're getting ready to take "fresh" merchandise into "the shop" (the Corner Nest, Elizabethton, TN). We have three large spaces there. If you have thought about going into the business of antique selling but have never quite gotten your toes inside, let me tell you that it IS a lot of fun and is quite addictive. However, it's also a LOT of work! I love these little doll-sized teacups and saucers! (I set our sugar bowl next to them so you could see their size) My kitchen counter this afternoon is lined with kitchen towels so I'd have a place for them to sit while they air-dried. (Vintage pieces really shouldn't be put in the dishwasher.) This is a closeup of the detail on this sweet pin holder: It is unsigned (no marks on the bottom) so I have no idea where it was made, etc., but I love it. And here is the mark on the bottom of this plate: I haven't finished researching this "signature". I've seen it before but can't remember the manufacturer's name. It's easy to see that it's a very old piece (can you see the crackling on the plate?). The plate will make a nice decorative piece for someone's wall or china cabinet; I doubt if it will be purchased to hold someone's dinner. Here's a partial view of my kitchen table. Lots of stuff goes on here except dining. Once everything is washed it needs to be priced. If it's not priced and tagged with your name, it can't be sold. What a mess, huh? Underneath the items in this basket are pages of old magazine ads. Yep, they are individually packaged in clear pages and priced, too! The shop we're in has not only antiques, but gift items and handmade goods. I learned very early that if you're going to sell your arts and/or crafts you still have to have lots of other items mingled in! Booths with nothing but crafts will unfortunately often get passed by! This is a pitcher-shaped basket that holds a bouquet I made last year. I brought it home at the end of the season and have been storing it but just recently un-buried it, gave it a redo and am getting it ready to go back to the shop. Hubby worked on these shelves - I've had so many problems lately with RA (Rheumatoid arthritis) that I couldn't get my fingers and hands to do anything without major pain. Thank Goodness for prednisone "dose packs" that are helping me get through a severe flareup. If it wasn't for the additional meds, I wouldn't be able to clean glassware or get these olde hats ready to go! This isn't, by the way, how the hats will be displayed when they get to the shop. They are just enjoying a temporary resting place after I tagged them. (Don't ya just love 'em???) You've seen lots of "before" and "after" shots of much of the furniture we've sold. (If you're new to this blog, just scroll back and you'll easily find them!) If it's a piece in really bad condition, I let my husband fix it up. (Isn't that sweet of me?) He does a super job of repair and restoration. THAT'S where the major work is! Then, of course, once you get everything to the shop you still have to maintain the space, keep it clean and organized, etc. By the way, it will be a couple more days before everything is ready to take to the shop so if you see anything here you might be interested in, let me know! God bless you all!!!

Confessions, Sales and a Finance Lesson

2010-02-27T11:34:00.004-05:00

OMG, is anyone else ready for this Winter to be over??? Hold up your hands, let's have a count...okay, never mind. I can't see beyond all those hands. It's been rough for those of us who have illnesses affected by severe cold (yes, I'm talking about my rheumatoid arthritis. I haven't hurt so badly in my entire life) and rough for all of us paying heating bills. Whew! And, no, that's not the confession I was referring to in this post's title. Actually, my confession isn't much of a confession; it's been so obvious. But, here goes: I've become a terribly tardy blogger. Here it is, the end of February and this is my first post of the year. It doesn't seem like it's been that long. I have had some depression with the pain I've been feeling the past several months and just haven't been able to get into blogging. I've also become terribly addicted to some of the games on Facebook; they help take my mind off things but now I have to conquer my Farmville and Mafia Wars addictions. Okay, on to other things like auctions and estate sales!!!! Take a look at this calendar from 1993! It's a wilderness calendar from the Sierra Club and it's almost like new, with mostly unused dates and beautiful photographs. And, as luck would have it, the 1993 dates correspond with this year, 2010! I love that there are so many ways to recycle and reuse, but look at what else was included in the same box lot: Yes! Similarly almost-unused calendars from 1994 and 1995. I'm now calendar-set for three years! (It's the little things, you know...) There were also several pages of this sweet stationary: Isn't this cute? Happy little peeps (baby chicks) on stationary that folds into its own envelope and stickers for fastening. It will be included in the March Giftaway. (Yes, we'll be doing that again!) There were plenty of other cool things at that last auction but we'll save those for another day. Meanwhile, here are a couple of little projects I've been working on: I love the picture of this lady flashing the City of Paris in front of her window. Okay, I just realized that's what she's doing. Maybe nobody can see into her room. But back to the project - I'm not finished with this altered bottle but am thinking that it might be a part of the March Giftaway, too. I lifted this lovely lady's picture from the net. She looks so serene so I decided she should be a sweet fairy. I fashioned little wire antennae for her, gave her some color and a set of wings and plopped her into the middle of this silk rose. She's become one of those items that I just enjoy looking at. My sweet friend, Vickie, over at Sand Flat Farm was sharing personal experiences about foreclosure sales and hard luck stories she's been handed in her business. She confessed she doesn't have a lot of sympathy for people who "can't" pay their bills but can somehow manage to continue getting manicures, drive flashy cars, etc. I completely agree with her; many people don't seem to be able to tell the difference between a "need" and a "want". Many of you know that I was in the mortgage business for over 20 years. You wouldn't believe (or, maybe you would) the percentage of people who literally DO live from paycheck to paycheck and are simply one paycheck away from being homeless. With so many people now enjoying tax returns, I'm reminded of a great number of people who have good intentions of how they will spend that money - pay off bills, catch up bills or put it in savings - but, when they get it in their hands, decide to instead "treat" themselves with an expensive night on the town, new outfits, etc. Why? Because they've decided that they DESERVE it. It's the same line of thinking they had as they loaded their charge cards with things they "deserved", yet couldn't afford when the bills arrived. I'll get off my soap box but have decided to later share some things with you that I learned during my mortgage career, specifically, about your credit report. I think most of you will find it interesting. At least, I hope so. Until next time, stay warm and be Blessed and be a Blessing. And don't forget to leave a comment to be eligible for the upcoming Giftaway!

Christmas at Our Home: The Unabridged Edition

2009-12-15T23:03:00.004-05:00

...And the stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

Ah, who doesn't recognize even a piece of the classic poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas"?

Oh yeah, that's exactly how our home is at Christmas. All is quiet and peaceful, not even a mouse moving about. Everything is beautiful, neat and sparkling. Grinnin Grampa is wearing his cap, sound asleep, breathing ever-so-quietly.

"Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse"...NEVER would he snore on Christmas Eve!

But the pictures you see are the sheer truth of it all, at least around here. This is what our bedroom floor has looked like for a couple - okay, a few nights now. The middle picture is what our bed looked like this afternoon, as I was frantically trying to wrap a couple things before a certain someone got home.

Wrapped gifts under the tree in the living room.

However, the next few pictures are what I prefer to leave you with; these are bits and pieces of what the inside of our home looks like if you throw a magical sheet that makes the mess around the bits and pieces disappear.

The lime green tree in my office with pink and white decorations.

A musical snow globe I've had for years. If you look closely, you'll

notice that the shepherd boy is missing the bottom part of his arm.

It's floating around at the bottom, close to Baby Jesus' bed of hay.

I'll never know how something can get broken inside a snow globe, all

cushioned in glycerin. There's no damage to the outside. This, by the way,

is how I bought it and why it was probably something like 75% off at the time.

Porcelain ornament that is one of my favorites; another that I've had for years.

Our neighbors get baked goodies from us every year. This is

what their gifts consisted of this year. You saw the wrapping mess.

No way am I sharing my kitchen mess.

It snowed a few days ago and I managed to capture this

cardinal sitting a few feet from our back door. It was/is

the only semblance of peace and order around our home

for several weeks.

As Lily Tomlin's character on Laugh-in would say, "And that's the truth...!" (insert raspberry sound!)

Baking, Goofing Around and Shopping

2009-12-07T21:44:00.005-05:00

We had our annual Open House at the Shop this weekend. This is one of the goodies I picked up for my self. She sits next to my monitor.

I thought this was just beyond cute and, for $3.00, couldn't pass it up! Do you think she looks like me?

Cookie baking filled a good part of one day this past week. These are brickle cookies that I made for my neighbors but they seem to be disappearing before I finish the rest of my cookies for the neighbors' cookie tray that I give them every year.

And here are a few of the tags I made. Some will go on the cookie trays, along with a little handmade ornie. Others will hang on gifts under our tree. The reverse of the tags have a stamped "To" and "From" on them. The above tags and the ones directly below are one and the same but the one above shows a little more depth and detail.

I'm not even half way through my shopping! Why is it that, when I was younger, I was usually finished early - sometimes before November 1! How are your lists coming along?

Finally, I have to show you this next photo before I finish this post:

I took it coming back from shopping the other evening. It was about 5:00 PM and it had been raining - hard! The corner of the building in this shot belongs to the gas station that sits next to a parking lot that I pulled into to photograph the rainbow. The attendant outside stood and stared at me, as though he was wondering why in the world I would take such a photo.

As I recall, rainbows were in the skies after almost every rain when I was a child. They seem like such a rarity today. So, as the attendant was wondering why I would take the time to capture this image, I was wondering how he could turn his back on such a jewel. I'm sure there's a moral in this for all of us.

God bless you all, and may you enjoy your rainbows.

Thanksgiving, Videos and Here Comes Santa!

2009-12-04T08:46:00.004-05:00

Hubby and I had another great Thanksgiving with my side of our blended family. I'm so proud of each of them and would like for you to meet them, albeit video style!

I hope you like videos, because here are a couple videos of the shop that we're in (Corner Nest, Elizabethton, TN). I hope you enjoy your mini-trip there:

This one is of the cabin upstairs in the shop. Yep, a real faux-cabin! This isn't my booth but it is one of my very favorite booths within the shop: the Cabin

This one starts in the back of the first floor, at our booth. My memory card ran out waaaay before I could finish even the first floor. I hope you enjoy! CLICK HERE to view!

Just Looking Around this Place and That, With some Greek Tales

2009-11-18T11:19:00.009-05:00

This past Thursday was my day for Remicade treatment. Trust me, those are days in which absolutely nothing else gets accomplished. The infusions take three to four hours and they give me a dose of 50mg Benadryl. I look forward to a nice looong nap on those days. We are provided with nice comfy Lazy Boy lounges and TVs with headphones; other than that, this is about all there is to look at: ...which is why I generally take a magazine to look through. Last week, I brought the Premier edition of Where Women Create. It had been awhile since I read through the pages of this issue, so reading it again between zzzz's was a real treat. A couple days later, we had a refreshing cold wave come through the area. I always look forward to Fall but each year when the leaves start to turn, I remember the Greek mythological story of Persephone. She was the young daughter of Demeter, who some know as "Mother Earth" or Mother Nature and Zeus, King of the Gods. Demeter is responsible for keeping the earth fresh and fertile, with lush crops and flowers. Zeus is responsible for, among other things, law and order, thunder and such. Persephone is a beautiful maiden and of course, everyone loves her. Hades, the King of the Underworld, is no exception and he kidnaps her one day, dragging her to the Underworld with him to make her his bride. Demeter is wrought with grief and can no longer perform her duties as Mother Earth. The world turns cold and Persephone's parents grieve and search for her. The earth is no longer fertile; fruit and trees fall from the trees, the skies are grey and the crops all die. When her parents finally discover who has taken her and where she is, it is too late. She had eaten some of Hades' fruit (pomegranite seeds) and therefore must spend at least part of her life with him. The three (Demeter, Zeus and Hades) finally come to an agreement. Persephone will spend one third of the year with Hades and the other two thirds above ground. There is much more to this rich story, but you get the picture. Fall is the time when Persephone must leave her above ground home and return to Hades. Thus, this is when the leaves begin to dry and the world starts to turn cold. Demeter, during this time misses her daughter so much that the world gradually turns to ice until Persephone comes "home" in the Spring. Photos: Barn is next to our property; the picture was taken from our garden. Rolled hay (last photo) is on another neighbor's property. Olde windows were taken from a turn of the century house and are waiting for me to decide their destination. The Japanese Maple lends its beauty and color to the small flower garden that is immediately adjacent to our back patio and the washtubs and tools hang on our smokehouse. The picture appears to be black and white but was actually taken in color; the colors you see are "natural".

A Few Random Thoughts to Share

2009-11-07T17:35:00.002-05:00

My childhood girlfriend, Joanna, sent this to me in an email. Although I thought the email was fun to read, it was also quite true - but, if my Dad was still alive, I would never confess that to him. Just wanted to share with you:

Random Thoughts for the Day: 1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die. 2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong. 3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger. 4. There is great need for a sarcasm font. 5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet? 6.. Was learning cursive really necessary? 7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on #5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died. 9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired. 10. Bad decisions make good stories. 11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day. 12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again. 13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to. 14. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this -- ever. 15.. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damn it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away? 16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

17. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

18. My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the hell do I respond to that? 19. I think the freezer deserves a light as well. 20. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.

Shop Photos, Christmas Ornaments and an After Shot

2009-11-05T21:53:00.004-05:00

This is one of those seasons. You know, a season that you feel you've been working either on or toward all year? I bought several small artificial Christmas trees last year when everything was marked down to something like 1/3 of the original price. I finally finished this one and before you look, let me apologize for the fuzzy grain. Yes, I could shoot a better picture but it's getting late and I'm getting tired and am hoping you'll just roll with me on this one. Okay, and yes, it's just the bottom part of tree I decorated with a primitive feel. Told you I'm tired. Here's the upper part: If you look close, you'll see itty-bitty pinecones that I unraveled from old Christmas picks and wired onto the ends of some of the branches. There's also some fake candy that I grubbied up to look old (oh yeah, yum!) a couple little boy and girl gingerbread people, bits of berry garland and, of course, some stained homespun fabric to help it look more old timey. The tag is really cute - an old picture of three sweet infants looking up at the Christmas tree. This will be part of my primitive display that we're putting up in the shop (Corner Nest, Elizabethton, TN) tomorrow. This little trio of primitive houses was actually just a frame of twigs that my DIL gave me several years ago to "fix up" and sell. Yes, you read right. Several years ago. You've seen my sewing/craft studio so you shouldn't be surprised. This will go on the wall and will become part of the primitive hangings for sale. Finally, this is a tiny trio of scented dolly ornies (ornaments) that I placed in a bowl of pinecones. They smell like pumpkin pie and are really cute. I have several bags of these (three each) and will put this picture on the label to give customers an idea of how to use them. They'll look really cute hung on trees, too. My studio is an ongoing work of, well, work. I'm forever trying to get it ~~better~~ organized. Do you remember waaay back when I showed you this old library card file that I was using to hold pens, glue sticks and the like? Well, I'm finished enjoying it and it's now time to take it to the shop. Last but not least, here's the updated photo I promised you. Remember the grungy-looking leaded glass wall cabinet from a couple posts ago? Well, here it is as it looks today. It, too, will have a place in the shop and I don't expect it to last long at all. I uploaded a few new photos of shop pictures (a couple are our booths, most belong to others) on Flickr if you want to click HERE and take a look. ...and that's what I've been up to the last few days. What have you been doing lately?

Flu Shots and A Few Shop Photos to Share

2009-10-31T15:05:00.003-04:00

Yes, I have had mine! Have you had yours? Flu shots, that is! Hubby and I took advantage of the free flu shots that Exide Technologies (battery plant where Hubby works) offered to their workers and families a couple weeks ago. Then, just yesterday, I was able to get my H1N1 shot. Neither of us had a reaction to the "regular" flu shots. I had a little fever with my H1N1 but will happily fight that in lieu of the actual Swine Flu!

We are, of course, still active vendors with the Corner Nest Antiques and Gift Shop in Elizabethton, TN. If you live in NE Tennessee or SW Virginia or North Carolina, you may be close enough to treat yourself to a day of fun there. Trust me, you will love it! We get visitors from all over the world. There's even a little cafe there on premises. You can literally browse and shop for hours without having to leave the building!

Those of you who know me know that I love all things old, primitive, shabby and shiny. I took photos of just a few items and displays that caught my eye when I was there last time to drop off a "fresh" load of items and to "fluff" up our displays.

I think this is a charming little quilt that may just end up on my newest grandson's bed!

Does this look like a scene straight out of an old-time general store?

True, today's windows are more energy efficient and may be easier to clean but the old windows have so much character! I'm still puzzled as to why I didn't bring this chest home with me!

This primitive display is surrounded by autumn leaves and pumpkins - so very fitting for a fall day like today!

Have a blessed weekend!

Trying to Get Better, a Few Things to Share & Smelly Bags

2009-10-29T11:01:00.004-04:00

See? I'm already getting better!!!! Two days in a row, two fresh blog postings! I did fail to THANK YOU for the well wishes you offered both my friend, Mary and myself. As you may remember, she was bitten by a rattlesnake and suffered severe consequences. Thanks to the many prayers offered up for her, she says she is near normal once again. As for myself, I did go through a couple really tough months with my RA (rheumatoid arthritis) and, although I have finally come to realize that my body will no longer move as fluidly as it did thirty years ago. If you or someone you know has RA you already know that we are never pain free but can reach a point where you can work with and through the pain. Again, I thank you with all my heart for your past and continued prayers. If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you've already seen this photo:

Yes, they are mostly feed sacks, and most are made from burlap. Some are old and others are not. I don't know which is which. Just being honest! I hung them out NOT because I washed them (because I didn't!) but to air them out. If you have ever met up with a feed sack you know that the odor is not one that you would expect, say Reese Witherspoon, to adapt as her own. IF you're interested, I'm selling them for $7 each which includes postage. They'll be available for awhile, as I won't put them in the shop until (probably) next week.

This photo and the next one, in case you're wondering, are being included here simply because I like the way the pictures look. The flowers are ones that I dried in our attic and I'm now wondering what to do with them. Any ideas are appreciated!

Meanwhile, I've been turning some of my attentions toward Christmas items, both to put in the shop and to include as gifts or within gift wrappings. For example, I have been able to hand dip some pine cones in scented wax (oh, yummmmm!), attach some faux sprigs of pine and some ribbons, etc. - well, here are some of the finished products:

Can't see them very well, can you? Darn. Well, okay, so I packaged these perhaps prematurely but I wanted to make sure the fragrance stays in tact. Trust me, they look really cute in a bowl with fruit (real or not), potpourri, etc. They're also really good to use on a gift instead of (or along with) a bow.

I've also been working on some tags and I'm not too sure what I'll do with them, either.

This snowman is one that I can't very well brag about. Poor guy. I started out with this great idea of stamping a Christmas tree on chipboard for his background, then stamping his image on a piece of cardboard, color it all, sparkle him up and attach him to the chipboard. Well, first of all I didn't off center the tree enough. It kinda looks like he's using it as a backpack. Then, I used sugar sprinkles on him and mica flakes for the snow behind him. The results are just okay. He needs more glitter everywhere. Maybe I'll take another pic of him after it's added and you can give me your honest opinion of the final product. This next tag is a different story.

I actually like this one but wish I had cut out more of the white surrounding the child she's carrying. I left the angel print itself un-glittered, glued her to lime green chipboard and glittered around her after giving the chipboard a pink border of paint. You can't really tell in this picture, but the pink ribbon trails down below the chipboard and is looped and attached at the top with a pink bead. Okay, now you've seen everything I've accomplished in the past five months and now I'm off to finish catching up on YOU and your blogs! Thanks for stopping by! Love ya!

Oh, My Gosh!!!!! Has it been that long????

2009-10-28T15:14:00.003-04:00

It certainly doesn't feel like it's been almost five months since my last blogging post. Oh my gosh! I've shocked myself! Nothing earth shattering has really happened during the past few months. I've spent quite a bit of time on Facebook (okay, with the games on Facebook). There is one thing that I have to admit to realizing, though. Are you ready? Here goes: I am not as creative when I'm not blogging. True. I haven't even been thinking very creatively and you know what else? I miss that part of me. A lot. Oh, true, I've been doing a few things - making cards, re-thinking projects, rearranging displays at the shop - but my creative activity of the last few months is but a tiny percentage of my "normal" brain activity. Additionally, I've missed all of YOU! I've been remiss not only with my own blog, but visiting yours and that absence really has created a void in my life. I love reading your words, keeping up with you and your families, being so impressed with all the various ways you direct your own passions. Thanks so much to those of you who have chosen to stay in touch with me during this "break" of mine. Now, because I really don't have any photographs specifically meant for today's blog, let me just share a few that I have managed to take lately.

Imagine opening up your bluebird house, hoping to find a nest of baby bluebirds and finding - YIKES! A mouse and nest instead!!!!!

Our next project: Re-do this vintage wall cabinet! It doesn't look like much now but expect it to look wonderful with a fresh stain on its wood, a new handle and cleaned up leaded glass. Yes, I did say leaded glass. Wonderful, isn't it?

These luggage tags at Books-a-Million cracked me up!

And, finally: The beginning of a Halloween display I was setting up in the shop. It didn't quite get finished. The display, including the boxes, were sold before I finished! Always a happy occasion!

Prayer Requests and Gardening Tales

2009-07-11T09:57:00.003-04:00

Many of you know my dear friend, Mary, of Mary's Meanderings. She was bitten by a RATTLESNAKE and, although she is home, has had terrible reactions to antibiotics. The time she has to spend with her foot elevated has also caused her fibromyalgia to flare. Please pray for her and, if you have a few extra moments, stop in and say hi. I'm sure she'd appreciate the visit.

Here on the home front, things have been moving at a fast pace. Well, things AROUND me have. I've been having some major problems with my RA (rheumatoid arthritis) and although it appears that things are finally on the right track, my joints are still quite swollen and causing me pain. I'm behind in everything. Everything! And much of our garden is ready for harvesting and canning.

I've spent the last several days playing computer games and that's about it. Today, however, I'll venture outside and try to get my body moving again!

Thanks again for all your prayers. Love to you all!

New Family Addition, New Confession, and a New Camera

2009-06-24T15:13:00.004-04:00

Pretty bird!

She's a baby.

A very TINY baby! I took this picture the day after she came to live with us. Coco was about 8 - 9 weeks old at the time. She's a Green-cheeked conure who will remain small (not this small, though) and will learn to talk. She won't talk as prolifically as Bailey (whom you met in the video posted a few weeks ago) but that's okay. What she can't say, she makes up in sweetness.

As you know, we HAD four parrots. Two of them (the Amazons) were "rescue" birds and were meant to only be with us for a few months. Those months turned into years. They were previously a couple (Amazons mate for life) but we kept them in separate cages. They REALLY wanted to share one cage. Hubby and I aren't bird breeders and didn't want to be. Then, at the bird fair we attended a few weeks ago, we met a couple who were interested in our Amazons. We thought it would be a happier home for them and as a result, the Amazons have a new home and we have a new baby.

NOW - are you wondering what I'm about to confess?

Let me ask you a question: Do you notice anything different about my blog photos?

If you do, there's a reason. I left my "old" camera outside one night. As luck would have it, it was a night of heavy rain. No, it wasn't raining when I left it out there.

Long story short, the camera got drenched. Turned it on, it flickered a few times, then went black. Deader than the proverbial doornail. Responded as vigorously as a river rock. You get the idea.

SO.....I researched cameras and actually found a nice, affordable Canon, with which I photographed these flowers from my garden.

I later discovered that, if you remove the batteries and memory card from the drowned camera and bury it in a bed of uncooked rice, the rice may just revive it. (Evidently, rice will absorb all the moisture. But be patient! It may take 3-4 days.)

I now have two working digital cameras. One has been very reliable for several years; the other takes better closeups and handles macros and because it's new, is really neat-o! The reliable one now belongs to my Hubby.

The rice trick, by the way, works with cell phones, too.

Didn't I once state that rice is the answer to everything? (Spoken by a true Filipino-American!)

Have a wonderful rest of the week!

Staying Green, Remembering and Miller Cuckoos

2009-06-16T09:46:00.006-04:00

Go ahead and laugh at that top picture. I know my kids will make fun of it and me but I'll bet I'm greener than them! I can't really claim it as a trash to treasure item, but I CAN call it repurposed! It's an old mattress spring frame that is (for now) being used as a trellis for a gourd plant that the wild birds planted for me. (The ones I planted are on the other side of the garden)

Below is one of my daylilies. It looks like bugs have nibbled on the edges of the bloom but I still think it's pretty:

We've been pretty busy the past several days. Our area was fortunate enough to have the traveling Viet Nam Memorial Wall (aka the Wall that Heals) nearby and we took step grandson Joseph to see it. I had seen it before but it's always good to be reminded of the men and women who served in Nam and those whose lives were ended way too early.

I lost a lot of friends and high school classmates in that war, as did most of us babyboomers. For those of you who were either too young to remember or who weren't even born: This was the time of the military draft and all single, healthy young men (excluding students) were classified by the government as 1-A as soon as they turned age 18. This meant that they would soon become property of the U.S. government (drafted into the Army). Any time someone was sent to Fort Bragg (one of the training camps) we knew they were most probably going to be sent off to fight.

Below are some of the photos one of our Veterans brought with him to "the Wall" to share. They depict some of the conditions our soldiers lived in at that time. See the picture of the two young soldiers to the left? That is ringworm on their bare bottoms, contracted because of the wet conditions they endured while in "the field".

The name below that appears above the white paper is just one of my classmates who was killed there. We were classmates all the way through grade school and high school. I think it's important for you all to know that NOT ONE senator's son was sent to Nam.

On a MUCH lighter note, we also took Joseph to an exotic bird fair. Below are the two cutest cuckoos there! One of the vendors gave caps to my Hubby and Joseph! GrinninGrampa is a really good sport and wore his most of the day.

Oh - I almost forgot about another step we took for the good of green. Not only environment, but the green in our bank account. We had a huge street light in our back yard that had been installed before we bought the house. The light was nice to have but it was on a dusk-to-dawn timer and this time of year cost an average of $11 per month. Obviously, the bill was larger in the winter with the longer nights. We had it removed and, since I blog just about everything, this picture is especially for you.

It was really hot that afternoon. I gave the workers a bottle of cold water each and a headband designed to help keep them a little cooler and to keep the sweat out of their eyes. They were extremely polite and seemed very grateful, telling me that most people don't even offer them a cold drink. If you have workers on or around your property, I hope you remember how hot it gets out there.

Until next time, be not just blessed yourself - be a blessing.

...and this is BAILEY!

2009-06-10T14:57:00.003-04:00

Lots of things to talk about, so little time! Meanwhile, here's a little something to entertain you - our Cockatoo, Bailey, during bathtime. He usually sings and dances. Today he decided to show off by shouting, "Touchdown!", calling a kitty, then answering himself.

In case you can't see the video here, it's posted on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28833201@N08/3614703760/

Giftaways, Hideaways and Getaways

2009-06-04T07:36:00.002-04:00

Yes, it's been awhile since I've been here (again) but I'm hoping you remember last April's Giftaway, won by Michele of Country Vintage. Thanks, Michele, for posting pictures of your gifts! Another hearth thanks goes to Vickie of Sand Flat Farm, who posted photos of her candleholder in her beautiful farm home. She won the candleholder when her name was pulled for our special 200th post Giftaway.

As much as I work outside on our property, you would think that I would know where every little bird home is so I could be careful not to disturb the fledglings. But the other day I was working in one of the smaller gardens right next to our home - the one where two of my lilac bushes are - and I thought I saw something a little different buried deep in the branches of one of them. Sure enough, 'waa-a-ay in the back of the largest one, buried deep in the foliage, I could barely see a nest. Hoping I could get just one picture of a baby bird or two, I grabbed my camera and str-r-retched as far as I could and snapped this picture.

As much as I would love to be a nature photographer, my skills obviously do not feed into that field. I think the nest is probably a robin's nest but unless I can somehow wiggle a tall stepladder safely next to that lilac bush, it's doubtful that I'll be able to see any perfect little blue eggs or baby robins. Not in this nest, anyway.

One reason I enjoy working in the yard is the wonderful aromas I am treated to. This honeysuckle vine grows wild alongside our property. A gentle breeze blowing through these vines surrounds you with the prettiest of natural scents. If you get a chance, pluck the stamen from the middle of the flower blossom and lay it on your tongue. You'll get a tiny drop of juice; it won't quench your thirst by a long shot - but you'll be treated to a really delicious taste of honey-like syrup. It's even better if you have a child with you to share the experience.

I'd be embarrassed to call this next shot a picture of trash-to-treasure.

This old chair was missing its seat, a rung or two, and had been ill-repaired several times over the years. And, you know my propensity to turn every seatless chair we pull out of someone's trash into a garden chair (of sorts). I decided that I wanted a pink chair in my garden, so out came the brush and the little bit of pink paint that I had been ~~hoarding~~ saving. I attached a little wooden box (one of those things I had been holding on to for such an occasion) and filled it with wild geraniums and baby hostas. The geraniums promptly wilted and will probably stay wilted until next Summer when the new shoots come up lively and healthy.

Are you wondering about the May Giftaway? We pulled a name on June 1 but didn't blog it! The winner of the May Giftaway is Janet Fish of Janet's Art Journey! You will soon have a special surprise package at your door! Congratulations, JANET!

AND, expect scant posts here for this month and next. We'll be going on a little Getaway with my two kids and all the grandkids next month (Yaaaaaay!) and the days surrounding it will be filled with LOTS of gardening chores and CANNING! So, I'll be around but just not often. Hmm. Sorta like what you've seen here lately.

Meanwhile, I hope your summer is FABULOUS!

Sweet Babies, A No-Brainer Makeover and Gone to Therapy?

2009-05-22T16:36:00.002-04:00

Aw, admit it! All of us need a sign like this at LEAST one or two hundred times in our lives. I saw it on display at the Shop (aka, the Corner Nest in Elizabethton) and just had to share it with you.

And, how is this for a cheap, no-brainer makeover? It's my "new", romantic outdoor candle-whatever:

Okay, maybe it's not a true trash-to-treasure item.

In fact, it might look a little more like Phantom of the Opera (although that's my favorite musical), but adding some old candles is keeping it out of the landfill and gives our friends something to giggle about when they see it. Personally I like it. Adds that little extra to the patio at night, you know?

Oooh, oooh, I almost forgot to tell you: I bought a Magic Jack a couple weeks ago. Have you seen them advertised on TV? Magic Jacks are just simple little attachments for the back of your computer that you plug your phone in and VOILA! You have practically free phone service! What a deal! The Magic Jack is about $20 and the annual fee to use it is about the same. So, for an investment of $40, you get a landline for the rest of the year! That's it! No monthly anything! And you get free calling to almost everywhere in the WORLD, free directory assistance PLUS it's completely private. Nobody will have your number unless you give it out because Magic Jack has no phone directory. Yes, you still get 911; you have the option of setting that up (free, of course) when you plug in your phone. It's great. I'm excited, can you tell? We're saving about $70 monthly. I love it!

And, what you're waiting for: The babies!

Check this out: She has a baby (in the middle of a field, no less), cleans it up and nonchalantly walks to the fence. Wow, what a woman! Uh, I mean, cow.

And this little Sweetie flew in to our basement, right behind me. He's a baby BlueJay. The adults are meaner than tormented snakes but this baby is just so cotton-picking cute!

I had to run for the camera before I took him outside. He perched on my finger! Of course, I apologized to him for getting the camera and his picture before letting him return to his awaiting jabbering daddy.

AND, congratulations to Kris Allen, the NEW American Idol! The top three (actually, top four) contestants were all exceedingly talented. It was great to see Kris and Danny Gokey, both Christians, in the final three.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

2009-05-10T09:43:00.002-04:00

Proverbs 31: Portrait of a Godly Woman

http://www.wcg.org/lit/bible/poet/prov31.htm

The Proverbs 31 woman was the wife of a city elder (verse 23) and a respected figure in her own right (verse 31). Some of her many responsibilities included buying and selling merchandise. Illustration by Larry Salk

For thousands of years, God-fearing women have looked to the noble, or virtuous (KJV), woman of Proverbs 31 as their ideal. Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, probably had this role model of the virtuous woman in the forefront of her mind from earliest childhood. Most Jewish women did, for this poem was traditionally recited in the Jewish home every week on the eve of the Sabbath.

But what about today’s woman? Of what value can this ancient poem be to the diverse, complex life-styles of women today? To the married, to the single, to the young, to the old, to those working outside the home or inside the home, to those women with children or without children? It is more relevant than you might at first expect — although it is also too good to be true.

When we examine this ancient biblical ideal of womanhood, we do not find the stereotyped housewife occupied with dirty dishes and laundry, her daily life dictated by the demands of her husband and her children. Nor do we find a hardened, overly ambitious career woman who leaves her family to fend for itself.

What we find is a strong, dignified, multitalented, caring woman who is an individual in her own right. This woman has money to invest, servants to look after and real estate to manage. She is her husband’s partner, and she is completely trusted with the responsibility for their lands, property and goods.

She has the business skills to buy and sell in the market, along with the heartfelt sensitivity and compassion to care for and fulfill the needs of people who are less fortunate. Cheerfully and energetically she tackles the challenges each day brings. Her husband and children love and respect her for her kind, generous and caring nature.

But with all her responsibilities, first and foremost, she looks to God. Her primary concern is God’s will in her life. She is a woman after God’s own heart. Let’s examine the characteristics of this remarkable woman — a role model for Christian women today.

"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies." The Hebrew word chayil, translated here "noble," or "virtuous" (KJV), means a wife of valor — a strong, capable woman with strong convictions. This description of the ideal wife does not agree with those who associate femininity with weakness and passivity.

"Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value." Her husband trusts her management of their resources. Her industriousness adds to the family income.

"She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life." This woman does not do right only when it is convenient and profitable. Her actions are not based on how she is treated by others or by what others think. Her character is steady. She is reliable and dependable.

"She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands." This woman enjoys working so much that she plans ahead for what she needs in order to accomplish her responsibilities.

"She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar." The trait not to settle for the mediocre is portrayed by a woman who goes the extra mile for quality items.

"She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls." Though the woman described here has servants to take care of many of the household duties, she sets the pace. She understands that good managers have a responsibility to take care of those under their authority. That is one of her top priorities.

"She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard." Every woman doesn’t have to go into real estate and horticulture — the principle here is that this woman uses her mind. She does not act on a whim, but logically analyzes a situation before making a decision. Her goals are not only short term — she envisions the long-range benefits of her decisions.

"She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks." We get a picture of a woman who vigorously goes about her duties. She keeps herself healthy and strong by proper health practices — good diet, adequate rest and exercise. Many people depend on her.

"She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night." She knows that her merchandise is good and takes pride in doing a good job. Night or day, no one worries that her responsibilities are not taken care of.

"In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers." The example she sets is one of skill and industriousness. Whether this woman would be a computer programmer, a concert pianist, a mother, or all three, she develops her talents and hones her skills through education and diligent application.

"She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy." Although it’s good to donate to needy causes, this means far more than writing a check. This woman shows personal concern. She visits the sick, comforts the lonely and depressed, and delivers food to those in need.

"When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet." Providing clothing for the family is one of her responsibilities. She takes this seriously, and plans ahead. She does not practice crisis management.

"She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple." This woman has high standards and dresses properly for the occasion.

"Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land." This man does not have to spend half his time trying to straighten out problems at home, and his success in the social world comes partly from her support, just as her success comes partly from his support. The original woman of Proverbs 31 couldn’t phone her husband for his opinion on matters. She made many of the day-to-day decisions about their property and goods. He trusted her to manage the estate efficiently.

"She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes." This woman runs a business from her home. Her efforts and industry add to the family income.

"Strength and honor are her clothing; she shall rejoice in time to come" (NKJV). Not only does this woman benefit each day from her wise and diligent actions, long-term lifetime benefits and rewards lie in store for her.

"She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue." This woman is well read and has the facts. She knows what she is talking about. Whether about her job, her personal values or her opinion on world events, she is able to express herself intelligently, tactfully and diplomatically. People come to her for good advice.

"She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness." She is an organized, energetic person who carries out her responsibilities.

"Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her." This woman is not a doormat, slavishly trying to appease and please her family, no matter how unreasonable their demands. She is honored in her home. Here we gain an insight into the character of her husband as well. He teaches their children to respect here and the virtues she personifies.

"Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." High praise for this extraordinary woman — a role model for women of all time.

"Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Here is the key to this woman’s effectiveness. Her priorities are determined by God’s will, not her own. She is concerned about what God thinks, rather than with what other people think. Physical beauty and clever conversation are admirable qualities. But if a woman’s beauty and charm are the extent of her virtues, what happens when time and the trials of life take their toll? This woman does not depend on beauty and charm for her success. She recognizes her need for God.

How to Tell Whether That Tree is Too Close to the House...

2009-05-05T10:34:00.006-04:00

Here's a tip: It shouldn't block the entrance to your porch. I TRIED to tell my husband to move it out more but...okay, OKAY! So I'M the one responsible! But it was such a sweet, LITTLE Japanese Maple when we first brought it home and the description said that its width wouldn't be this large.

I guess I COULD hang a sign on the railing warning of an unfriendly Japanese Maple that eats door to door salespeople and other unwelcome visitors.

Have you ever noticed how photographs reveal things you really didn't want revealed? Like the extra ten pounds and a double chin that the camera always adds? Well, I've noticed a few other things that are revealed as well.

For example, when did this birdbath become heavier on one side than on the other? I'm SURE it was level when we first ~~pushed and grunted~~ placed it in this garden.

Well, here's an area that definitely needs sprucing up... ...especially since it's right next to the house.

Look what happened to this rose trellis when I wasn't looking!

On second thought, maybe I'll leave this alone. I kinda like it this way. This chair, on the other hand... My neighbor can use the boards from the seat in his wood stove this winter. (He uses it to heat his garage) I can repair the rest of it and replace the broken seat with a planter.

The brick path I started laying in this garden a couple years ago doesn't look too bad. And, when you consider the fact that I've spent the equivalent of about 90 hours weeding (so far this Spring) and consider the size of this particular garden AND the fact that I'm a little old lady (well, according to my son, I am), this garden is starting to come along.

However, SOME day, I WILL move this pink azalea from behind a lilac bush to a place where it can more easily be seen.

This orange azalea will have brighter, prettier blossoms in another day or two. They will, of course, fall off the bush and mound on my head as I viciously tear remove those pesky weeds from under the branches.

This lilac bush was looking pretty before the rain beat all the flowers off.

The yellow azalea in front of our house looks good. It looks especially well in this picture, since I cropped all the unwanted growth aka weeds out of the picture.

Thus ends today's mini-tour and swift tree-planting lesson.

A Win for Me, A Win for You, A Bird Bug & A Dodo Bird

2009-05-02T11:15:00.007-04:00

I had to show this off first! It's a gorgeous, beautifully designed and crafted pillow that I won by spinning the Make Mine Pink slot machine! The pillow is from Janets Creative Pillows! It soo reminds me of the beautiful florals and dresses in Hawaii. I just love it and appreciate all the work that went into every stitch! Many thanks to Make Mine Pink and to Janets Creative Pillows!

Speaking of Hawaii (did you like that segway?), I was in a mood the other day to do something creatively different, something with an underwater theme, something with melted WAX...and came up with this strange looking can. You know how you start out with something obscure and know what you want to do but have no idea what you want it to look like or how you're going to do it or what you're going to do with it once you've done whatever it is that you kind of had in mind?

Well, this is one of those projects. I think I accomplished the underwater theme and it definitely used a lot of melted wax. And, I actually like it. I'm not too sure what I'll do with it or where I'll put it. But, I really like that I found the cute little plastic fish with the big eyeball during my gathering process.

Last week was an exceptionally busy week. Ever notice that, during an exceptionally busy time, something major happens in your household that has to take priority over everything else? Our cockatoo, Bailey, got sick. He stopped eating, stopped playing, stopped talking and his stool droppings were discolored. This was reminding me too much of years ago when my children were little. He was definitely one sick birdy and if you don't know much about birds, rest assured that it doesn't take a long time for them to perish from dehydration or lack of nutrition.

Our feisty, strong-willed cockatoo had become relatively docile; he generally doesn't hold still for his checkups but didn't argue much about having a cold stethoscope pressed against his body and barely flinched when our vet, Gina Robinson, checked his nasal cavities and throat (...say "ahh-h-h-h...").

Blood and stool samples were taken. Thank Goodness he didn't have anything immediately life threatening, but he did have a nasty staph infection that we are treating with antibiotics and now he's back to his noisy, raucous, playful self.

This next picture probably looks very boring. Big deal, sheets on a clothesline, right? Wrong! It only took me a few short years of begging before Hubby finally got around to finding some laundry poles (that part happened early last summer) and getting them cemented into the ground (this happened last week). I celebrated by annointing the lines with just-washed bedding. Yaaaay! I've said it before, I'll say it again - It's the little things, Girls...

You've seen my win, my bird with his bug and now to reveal the dodo bird part of this post. Maybe I should call it dodo bird brain. See this cute little clothespin bag I made? Isn't it sweet? This is the front side...

(BTW, if you know me at all, you'll know the only time I use a pattern for anything is when I'm making clothes for myself or the grandkids.) ...and here's the reverse side...

Notice anything strange? Here's a hint: Do you see an opening for the clothespins? *sigh* Me, neither. An easy fix, but I still can't believe that I did that! Or, didn't do that, whichever way you want to look at it.

And finally, what you've REALLY been waiting to find out - the WINNER for my March Blog Giftaway is: MICHELE of Country Vintage! Michele is a great gal and a loyal commenter, just several of you and this is the first time she's won one of my Giftaways! So, congratulations, Michele and as for the rest of you, keep reading (I miss you when you don't come around) and commenting (I love to hear from you!).

Hugs and blessings,

Sher

Touching Base & Listing Etsy

2009-04-26T19:57:00.003-04:00

It's been absolutely gorgeous this weekend! Hubby was off work, so together we got quite a bit of yard work accomplished. He and my stepson even put up the clothesline poles I've been wanting for the last five years. Woo-hoo! (It's the little things...)

Do you know anyone who likes or collects Avon jewelry? These cute little earrings were made by Avon back when who knows when and I've had them forever. Never worn them NOR the matching ring. One of those hoarder disorder things. Anyway, it's time to pull them out of my "stash"; I just listed them on my Etsy. The ring is listed, too, but separately.

And this earrings and necklace set? So cool - one of those things that I just couldn't pass up in the '70s. And, guess what? Yep - you guessed. Never wore them. They're listed, too!

I'm hoping to get up the courage to list some of my huge stash of fabrics, too. No promises here, but I'd LIKE to get it done this week. There is absolutely no way that I can use all that fabric during the remainder of my lifetime. No, I'm not planning on going anytime soon, especially when I have so much excess STUFF here. I would be so embarrassed to have someone else come in after I'm gone and go through it all. So, if I have any say in it, I have a LOT of work to do before I go.

Hope you had a great weekend, too!

SURPRISE - It's not a surprise!

2009-04-22T16:28:00.003-04:00

Isn't this vintage cream pitcher adorable? And this ceramic serving dish was made (well, painted) by someone in 1969. How do I know? It's signed and dated at the bottom. But those two items aren't the surprise that isn't a surprise. I just listed them and an oh, so sweet dolly outfit that someone took the care to crochet on my Etsy.

HERE is your non-surprise (part of it): ...a feedsack towel and a wooden-and-ceramic trinket box... ...a vintage apron (don't look too closely, I haven't ironed it yet - but what a great pocket it has! You can look at it, it's pleated and kind of moon-shaped)... ...and this tiny little pitcher and saucer (it's only about 3 1/2" tall).

Get it yet? Okay, I'll tell you. The last three pictures are items that are included in this month's blog giftaway. The surprise is, this month's items aren't a surprise because I actually remembered to post them! Thus, a nonsurprise.

To be eligible, just post a comment.

Warning: This is disgusting. Really.

2009-04-15T15:31:00.004-04:00

This is one of those things that I really hate to pass on; however, I definitely want to protect my kids and grandchildren against this type of downright meaness and thoughtless, unsanitary actions and am sure you feel the same way about your families. These employees have evidently been fired, but this video provides information enough to convince me to never eat in a restaurant in which you can't watch the food preparation. This IS disgusting! Really.

The Winner - #2!

2009-04-12T13:10:00.003-04:00

Blurry image, I know! But, it's the only picture I took! Congratulations to the second person who commented on my 200th post - Vickie, from Sand Flat Farm! Vickie, please email your snail addy to me: Miller.sher@yahoo.com .

Thanks to ALL of you who commented!

Celebrating Easter

2009-04-12T09:22:00.000-04:00

One More Day to Sign Up and DEALS for under $1!

2009-04-11T19:01:00.004-04:00

Sometimes I feel like one of the old carnival callers. You know, the people who used to stand outside the carnival shows and yell something like, "Hur-ry, hur-ry, hur-ry! Come and see the Gorgator, the only creature on earth with the head of a gorilla and the body of an alligator!"... okay, so maybe I don't quite fit myself into that category. BUT, you do have one more day to sign up for my special 200th blog post Giftaway. If you haven't already, be sure to read yesterday's post and leave a comment to qualify! The drawing will be tomorrow afternoon, before Easter lunch but after church services. Roughly, around 1:00 eastern standard time! Remember to let me know your favorite colors when you post!

And, speaking of Easter, don't forget to take advantage of some of the Easter markdowns! Look for things like marked down chocolate (excuse my slurping, happens every time I think of chocolate), baskets and such. Remember, you can freeze chocolate and use it throughout the year. If you don't like the idea of serving chocolate bunnies for your July 4th gatherings, melt them down and pour them into more suitably shaped candy molds, or chop them up and use them in cookies, as sprinkles for cake decorations, etc.

I like to buy the marked down stuffed animals, too. You can always use them as birthday or get well gifts.

AND, look what I found today: http://www.tiphero.com/tips_1174_17-healthy-foods-for-under-1.html

Yep! A list of seventeen healthy foods for under a dollar! This site has plenty of other money saving tips, too!

Now, a question for you: Have any of you tried Magic Jack? I know there are places on the web that offer pros and cons but would really like to know if any of YOU have had experience with it.

See ya tomorrow!!!

Really? My 200th Post? A surprise for YOU and the Candleholder Remake!

2009-04-09T13:52:00.002-04:00

Yes, I've been at it again - or, I'm still at it! Working on candleholders, hat is! The one above is for my friend and neighbor, who had hip surgery yesterday. She's had both hips replaced now, and this is the fourth surgery (I think) on her right one. It keeps popping out of place. I'm wondering if this is typical of hip surgery or of her doctor's work.

She likes yellow and, because she has pets in the house, I decided to put one of my extra (unmatched) bowls on top instead of a chandelier bowl. This way, if she doesn't want to put a candle inside (possible fire hazard with pets, you know!), she could use it for jewelry , candy, etc. I hope she likes it.

And, although I was liking the white candleholder but still thinking it looked too much like a wedding thing, I started adding some pink and pink-ish blossoms before some of you responded and agreed that you, too, liked the white look.

Guess what? It still reminds me of a wedding!

Meanwhile, Ms. Space Cadet here didn't realize until I started to write this post that THIS is actually my 200th post! (*Shaking my head*) Sometimes I feel that I'm getting more strange and more spacey with each passing day...

SO...leave a comment on this post and tell me your favorite color. If your name is drawn, I will make one of these candleholders just for you! The winner will be drawn Easter Sunday! If you don't like these candleholders, leave a comment and tell me what your least favorite color is and, if your name is drawn, you can give it to someone you don't like. ;)