framed, I'm sure

In both our study & craft room,

are bulletin boards simply made with:

   1.  Vintage frame

   2.  Foam Core board (from craft store)

   3.  Fabric or wallpaper 

Easy to make: cut the foam core 

board to fit, cover with the fabric or

wallpaper & attach to the frame!

I always know what to do with 

those beautiful old frames I find!

and summer is here...

Summer has arrived, like that special friend you have awaited.

And today is that long long day, when the sun seems to shine into the night.

Homages to sweet summer can be found through our home.

One of my favorites, a vintage suitcase packed with a flag & a pasture of sheep!

Other suitcases also reside in the living room, pale brown, with green to welcome summer.

Summer has indeed arrived, brimming with warm days, flea markets to attend, a local 

parade or two....and days that take a while to come to a close.  

Welcome home dear friend!

suppose I might find another?

Always on the hunt.....you understand I am certain.

So if three constitutes a collection, I need just one more

of these sweet Majolica creamers.  Smaller than the pitchers,

I find these a tad harder to come by, especially in the 

colors I adore....softest of pale green, pink & brown.

For summer they live in my living room on the trunk that

works hard as a coffee table.  On a mirror that substitutes 

for a tray.

          Sweet~~~check!

       Charming~~~check!

        Adorable~~~check!

Always on the hunt, feel one is just waiting

to be found this summer!

How about you, what are you hunting for?

morning has broken

One of my favorite features of our farmhouse

are the floor to ceiling windows.  We have three 

such windows in our bedroom.  And living in

the country, curtains are just for framing the view.

We typically do not need an alarm to wake us,

daylight does the job quite well.  There is no better way

to greet a new day than sunlight streaming in.  

Now, mind you, a cup of coffee helps too!

Happy Friday!  Happy weekend!

vintage finds

Dave & I traveled out in the pouring rain Saturday...

several citywide thrift sales on our agenda.

Many garages were closed up, just too wet ~~

but on we journeyed.  After lunch at a cafe in Bloomer,

we traveled back toward home. Typically I assume that 

by noon on Saturday, thrift sales are often picked over...

but that didn't keep us from stopping at one last sale.

Bingo!....several pieces of Ironstone were waiting. 

The vintage finds I am keeping: Ironstone bowl & pitcher &

butter pats, glass door knob and stacking heart boxes. (pictured)

All for about $10.00.  

Now a little note I feel I should make...

We spent the day out, soaked shoes, car miles, time.

Of course we loved every minute, but if I was to turn around

& resell any of these items ~ this all adds in, just does.  

The pitcher would easily be found at an antique mall, 

auction or even flea market at a price of $28.00 or more.

If I sold it, you would find that price on it, which would be fair.

I love finding treasures on my antique travels, but know that when

I add in travel & time costs, my price basis goes up.  As an Antique

Dealer, I track my mileage - which is pretty significant each year. This 

is why I always honor antique dealers & their prices.  This is why

I often scratch my head when Dave & I work at the Hixton Mall

and have a customer bring up a $10.00 item and offer us $5.00 for it.

Dave responds appropriately, "Tell you what, we will take $10.55 with tax for it."

Yes, it is always wonderful to "score".....get that great deal. For instance, my

Ironstone will always remind me of the fun day Dave & I had on Saturday...

jumping puddles, going through 20 garages until we find one with more than 

just baby clothes.  And, I will always say with some pride how I paid only $3 for

the sweet pitcher....but I also know that if I had paid $35 in Stillwater for that

same pitcher, it would still be a great vintage find at an appropriate price, I would 

just tell a different story about my day at the antique mall, & my feet would be dry!

sorting, organizing, prioritizing

As a kid, I honed my organizational skills by sorting out 

our lazy susan full of spices, dad's tackle box and mom's jewelry.

I loved that my parents were always O.K. with this.  

Didn't matter that they might not find the cinnamon or that favorite pin

in the spot they had placed it last.  Their Kari was redoing their order,

sorting & establishing a new placement~~a new system.

I think I learned to not even ask, unloading & reorganizing the outside

storeroom or the medicine cabinet when the mood struck.  I needed

to empty it all out then put it all back.  

Such is life, we sift through stuff all the time....setting this aside, letting

go of that, establishing new order.  

I have learned, with time, to be less tidy with my systems.  

Like a Magpie, gathering pretties to line my nest may feel more cluttered than orderly.

Yet it is always with intent: this here, that there. Keep, keep, keep, let go.

Such is life.