Back Through Time

What a Summer it has Been!

2009-07-30T21:01:00.001-04:00

This summer is going entirely too too fast!! My summer has been filled with working my antique mall, auctions, flea markets, thrift stores, yard sales, creating/crafting, working online and trying to squeeze in the rest of my life. No wonder I am tired, lol. Seems like each week just runs into the next one. I guess my blogging takes a backseat lately. I just hate to post a blog when I don't have time to visit my fellow bloggers, I feel guilty. I need to get over that huh?
My sister I did get a camper weekend in this past weekend, that was a good time! We worked on making some fun things. I am redecorating the camper a bit so will post pics when I am finished with that.
~~Make sure you check out the some of my recent adds in my Etsy store

I am going to leave you with some photos of some of my recent finds and creations. I got this great cabinet at an auction and works perfect in my studio! I have only begun to fill it:-)
Make sure you visit my Friday Flea Market

The photo at the bottom is of "the boys" playing in a box I was tossing out, lol.

Friday Flea Market

2009-06-26T05:12:00.001-04:00

Make sure you check out my new Friday Flea Market treasures~here
and I posted some great vintage finds in my Etsy store
Keep cool this weekend!
Michelle
Go here to see all the gals at Friday Flea Market!!

Vintage Theme Wedding Costume Party

2009-06-14T12:17:00.014-04:00

There will be a lot of photos on this post~We had a wonderful time hosting our 1st ever Vintage Theme Wedding Costume Party!! the weather was perfect we couldn't have asked for a better day. We had it on my patio/courtyard~~There were vintage honeycomb decorations, old cake toppers and photos, crepe paper, a bubble machine, little nut cups we made, lots of fairy lights and bows. Everyone was asked to come as a vintage bride, bridesmaid or anything else wedding related. We even had a grandmother of the bride and a hostess with one of those cute frilly aprons! We all brought our favorite appetizer and I made that old fashioned lime sherbet punch but added lime vodka to it. (Couldn't even tell but I think it kicked in later on, lol. )We played vintage Bride bingo and had a dirty gift exchange. Each person had to bring a cheap vintage "wedding gift" to put on the gift table. We put a number under each nut cup and the lowest number went 1st. they got to pick a gift and then the next person went and could take a new gift or steal a gift already open. That was super fun and everyone got a gift to take home. I think everyone had a great time, I know I did!! The **photo at the top is of me with my friend that I hosted the party with~I am in yellow and blue ~~there is a photo some place on here with me and my sister.

It's the Last Day of May...How Sad

2009-05-31T14:54:00.004-04:00

I hate to see the month of May go. So much has happened this month but we end the month celebrating my birthday:-) This photo was taken at my grandmother's house 41 years ago! Note that pink was the color of choice back then AND my grandmother gave me a fresh flower arrangement, a pink diva in the making, lol. Do any of you remember those doll cakes? My sister and I got those for a lot of our birthdays when we were young.

I have many photos to share but I will have to do that a different post. A friend of mine and I are hosting a Vintage Themed Bridal Costume Party~everyone has to come dressed as a vintage bride, bridesmaid or flower girl. That is this coming Friday and my courtyard isn't finished yet~~ Yikes! Gotta get busy.

I did capture this completed rainbow yesterday after some storms blew through, not often do I see one that I can see the top part OR do I have a camera handy, lol.

Hope to visit everyone soon, until then
have a wonderful week!

Look at what I have!!!

2009-05-21T22:33:00.006-04:00

I have my very 1st grand baby!! After some difficulties he came into the world late afternoon last Friday. He is so cuddly and cute:-) I am going to be called Mimi~I am too young to be called "grandma" lol! Everyone is doing great now.

We have been working on expanding my back courtyard to include the wonderful vintage Cherry Camper~I will be posting photos soon! I have these little fairies that I tuck into the the flowers. They were a bit damaged and I hated to throw them out so they became Garden Fairies.

I picked this bouquet out of my grandmother's yard on Mother's Day. She is going to be 90 this year and still lives at home. She is a very special lady and does amazingly well for her age.

There has been a lot going on lately and not much time to blog. Hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day! We are going to have a cookout at my parents and they live slightly over 60 miles away from Indy so we can watch the Indy 500 on TV. I have been SO many times over the years and it is always fun. I used to love to go but now I just don't care for the crowds and heat. More fun to be with the family. Hope my son and daughter-in-law will come visit with the BABY!
Have super weekend!
Michelle

Happy Mother's Day & The Winner is...............

2009-05-08T20:07:00.006-04:00

I just love this vintage Mother's Day card, it fits me to a T~I have blond hair, 3 black and white cats, and love pink! I wanted to share it with you all:-)
So sorry for the delay on announcing the winner of my post but if you look at the photos of the wallpaper boxes you will understand~I bought all of those PLUS other stuff at a sale!! I had to drive a little way to this sale, my mother called me and told me about it. I opened my store late but it was SO worth it!!! I even got a lot of vintage wallpaper, sewing stuff and trim. I just didn't have the energy to post last night.

Back to the winner~~~~Congrats to Michelle @ I am a Little Teapot~

Happy Mother's Day to everyone!

100th POST GIVEAWAY!!!

2009-04-30T22:37:00.000-04:00

OK I just realized I am one post early~For a change I am going to stick to be early for something, lol. I have a sweet Tea Party towel that decided my color scheme~Blue & White~included ~a vintage lace hankie, vintage blue and white trim, vintage lace, a china pendant, and a Paris chandelier tag. I might even find a few other things to add in to the package!!
I can not believe how fast time goes by and I didn't achieve my 100th as soon as some people do, but I am farther than I ever thought I would be!! I have met so many wonderful bloggers along the way and even made some great friends!!
Thank you for being part of my blogging world and I look forward to my next 1oo!!
Make sure you leave a post on the blog to sign up for the giveaway~I will draw and post the winner next Friday, May 8th:-)
btw~Happy May Day!!
M

Happy Easter!!!

2009-04-10T00:05:00.000-04:00

Me Easter 1968 at my grandparents house:-)

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter weekend. I am going on a short getaway with my "attached" man~HE thinks it is a vacation~I say~~~2 nights=getaway, 3 nights=mini vacation, 4 nights and over=vacation. MEN are soooooooooo clueless.
It should be fun though, lol!
xo,
Michelle

Take trip through my Antique Mall

2009-04-03T14:55:00.004-04:00

I thought I would take you on a short tour through my antique mall. There is a lot more to it than what the photos show but you can get an idea of the fun stuff that is here. I have 14 dealers and I love being able to shop off of them! When I go to redecorate or I am working on project late at night, I can go click a light on and shop!! Even try it before I buy it, lol.

I love old wedding dresses! A friend of mine and I have talked of doing a girl's afternoon mock wedding reception and everyone has to wear a vintage wedding dress. Even if it has to be pinned up the back because it doesn't fit, Wouldn't that be a hoot!??
It seems like all the vintage dresses were all so tiny!

In the photos at the bottom~I bought the cool fabric in the mall and it will look great as my cart liner for the flea markets. And isn't the little metal shelf great? Not sure what I will use it for but I had to have it, lol.

Hope you enjoyed your short tour today and will visit me again!
Have a wonderful weekend:-)

Easter Parade

2009-03-27T08:14:00.001-04:00

I just love spring and Easter!! I didn't realize how much vintage Easter decorations and cards I have been collecting. One of my favorites is the Enchanted Egg in the original box~My parents gave it to me for Christmas.
Don't you just love the bunny post card with the hat boxes??!!
They just don't make wonderful Easter things like they used too.
This past weekend my sister came to visit for part of her spring break~She teaches 4th grade~we got into the CAMPER!! Whoo hoo! Had a great time making things and hanging out. So nice and quiet with no interruptions.
Check out Friday Flea Market for my new tags, vintage lace and trim! Also Check out Etsy for new items as well.
Speaking of bunnies~I look like an Albino rabbit, I have pink eye. Guess it is really going around and lucky me, I got in both eyes. Maybe I should try out for the Cadbury Egg commercial, LOL.
Have a super weekend!!

~Friday Flea Market & Spring~

2009-03-13T05:58:00.001-04:00

\Check out the items I have new for Friday Flea Market~~I will post later today~I am finally back..........I think:-)

Part 2~A Peek At Spring..................
It feels like I have been missing out on so much with my blogger friends. I finally have my computer back and I am working on getting back on track. It will take a while but I am happy to have some of the mess behind me.
I am ready for spring and I think some of you live where you are already in spring. Here in the Midwest we get little "peeks" of Spring that gives us hope. I have started some herb seeds inside and I am so happy to see my basil popping up after only 5 days! You can see my cheery bright tablecloth and the dried rose petals match perfectly! I hated to throw them away there were so pretty.
There is always so much to do in the spring but it is so rewarding. Spring is truly a blessing from God.

If you haven't checked it out yet go over and look at the new website by Polly~Counting Your Blessings~ called the French Cupboard, it is a wonderful! I am happy to be a part of it.

Computer Nightmares

2009-02-27T10:27:00.003-05:00

My computer crashed last Saturday, (I lost all my photos, work info and everything I had saved on my computer, I am still in mourning.) I borrowed my son's computer, nice huh?? BUT............I didn't know Auctiva, ebay listing site, was infected with Trojans, etc. My son's laptop got infected and to make a long long story short it has been nothing short of a nightmare. Talk about a stressful week!! Crashed computer overlapping being sick was not a pretty thing, lol.
Hope to be back to visting and blogging soon!

Mottos of the Past

2009-02-20T18:47:00.010-05:00

I finally ended up getting sick w/fever, sore throat, sore ears and now a cold. I feel like I have been on a roller coaster of symptoms. While I was digging out more Puffs out of the bathroom I decided I need to share all my motto prints that hang in there. It is a tiny bathroom but I have packed a lot into it. The motto prints are some of my favorites~I just love them all! I know there are others of you out there that collect them too. (please ignore any dust, put your white gloves away!) Since I don't have any profound words or thoughts today I will leave you to your tour:-) Happy Weekend, >>sniff sniff, cough snort...blow

Chocolate and Pink Roses

2009-02-13T06:54:00.000-05:00

Shabby in the City wanted to know where the chocolate was so here it is!! I am sharing my chocolates (Godivas left from Christmas, lol, they still taste great!) AND my pretty pink baby roses that I got early for Valentine's Day:-) Enjoy girls!! I love to share and I hope everyone has a perfect Valentine's Day:-)
M

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-06T05:04:00.000-05:00

I am a little early but let me be the 1st to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day!
~M~

Sorting Through My Snow Days

2009-01-30T05:00:00.000-05:00

This winter we have either had extreme cold or a lot of snow. Instead of wasting the utilities I put a sign on my antique mall door that I am open by phone calls. It has been 3 days so far. The weather is horrible for business but great for sorting and cleaning out.
I was really excited because I found some of my old art work! It had been missing for quite some time. I put them up so they would be safe~they were so safe I couldn't find them, lol.
I decided to play show and tell. These were all done years ago~back then I didn't really appreciate my work. I do now that I am older, even if they aren't perfect there was a lot of time involved. The china painted pieces won awards and so did still life water color. The drawing of the little girl was a self portrait~you know when you have to take an old photo then draw yourself? It was a trip down memory lane for me. Maybe I will paint and draw again someday......

Don't forget about Friday Flea Market
I added some cute vintage Valentine's!
~~Have a wonderful weekend!~~
M

Pink Roses......

2009-01-23T00:30:00.003-05:00

These are the beautiful pink roses my attached man brought to me one evening for no reason. What a nice surprise to see so many! he usually brings me one occasionally. I have always said I would rather get a single rose more often than a large bunch only once a year. So this was a great surprise! So cheery in the winter.
Did anyone make it the big Barnes and Noble sale?? I love buying new books to read especially when they are 75% off the marked down price!!
I have been super busy with a lot of my winter projects so far this month. I will share some of those later on.
What does everyone do in the winter to make it pass faster? I am SO jealous of those of you that don't have to deal with the winter!!
Keep cozy!!

Check out this week's Flea Market deal~~ Shipping is FREE!

Brrrrrrr! Jack Frost Has Moved In

2009-01-16T10:46:00.000-05:00

It is SO cold here! -15 and my windows in the antique mall are totally frozen up. I look like I live in an igloo. I know blow a fan on it, well all I get is a teeny little porthole to peek out of. Today I put a sign up that I was open by phone call only. I stayed in the apartment and stayed warm and hopefully not catch a cold! You can't even see my

Valentine display from the road anymore, lol. Only one more day of this deep freeze and that is a good thing! Owning an old building isn't all it is cracked up to be:-)

My friend Linda gave me this award~~Thank you my dear friend!
here is the description of the award~These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbon's of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these kind writers. When you pass the award along please include these guidelines. I am to choose eight friends to share this with.

All my blogger friends are special but rules are rules so...... am passing this award on to~Dena~Susan~Mary~Shabby in the City~Granny Panty Chic~
Sweet Nothings~Dolly~Nora Lee

I thought I would share some photos of my 7 ft cabinet mostly full of my vintage little girl's toys. I love all these and most are all before my time I still love them all. I worked on an estate a few years back and bought loads of antiques out of the house. I told the people if they decided to sell this cabinet I would like to buy it~I offered $50 for it and they said it was too much and sold to me for $25! They were super nice people. It was already painted the cool aqua green too! It is in the entrance to my apartment. I get to look at all that fun stuff everyday:-) I tried to get pics of each side of the shelves but I missed a couple. I decided to post these photos today because they are so colorful in this blah winter with no color!
**I gave up trying to get these photos in any order.

Don't forget about my Friday Flea Market~~~New items have been posted!

Happy 2009!

2009-01-08T22:12:00.007-05:00

~~Friday Flea Market Special~~50% off of
all my items on this site!

I find it so hard to believe that it is already 2009~~
Does anyone have winter projects that they are working on? I am already making Valentine's Day items and keeping busy on Etsy. Don't you just love that site??!!
I use my winter months here in Indiana for my cozy nesting time. I like to get in my flannel pants after work and stay in. I think it makes the winter fly by when you enjoy it! Might as well make the most of the dreary cold winter months~ not like spring will come any sooner being miserable:-)

This is a dish of fun little inspiring things that I keep in my studio. I spilled the entire dish the other day and when I picked it all up this how it turned out.

I finished this lamp shade right before Christmas~~ it is vintage rose fabric on an neat old lamp. I have it for sale in my antique store. A friend of mine~Kathy (a blog spy) loves it but can seem to make up her mind if she is going to buy it or not, lol. She does enjoy reading everyone's blogs and we chat about how much fun everyone is here in blogland. I am trying to get her to start a blog because she has tons of yummy antiques, barkcloth, pink roses, etc!!

Hope everyone is happy and well~Blessings to all in the new year!
Michelle

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

2008-12-19T05:00:00.000-05:00

I decided to share a photo of my Christmas tree. I really love all my antique ornaments. Christmas is almost here and I don't have all of my shopping done. Time is ticking!!
I wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!! I am taking a blogging break until after the new year. I am sure everyone is as busy as I am. I am looking forward to New Years day, LOL. I am going to REST!
Here hoping everyone has a blessed New Year~~Cheers!
~~Michelle

***My Friday Flea Market is on vacation until after the 1st of the year

Snowy Flea Market Friday

2008-12-04T23:05:00.001-05:00

We have already had snow here and it is snowing again tonight. I am just not ready for snowy cold weather~ I don't even have the snow shovel dug out.
I found some really cute vintage Christmas cards so I scanned them and will keep adding them to my blog. I just love this little girl with the packages~
It seems this Holiday Season is flying by like the rest of the year. I don't have my Christmas shopping done and I haven't baked anything yet~ I do have all my decorating done so that is something I guess:-)
I just wanted to post a quick update and I hope everyone is enjoying the Season so far~ Make sure you check out my Friday Flea Market deals!

~~I got tagged by 2 wonderful bloggers, I had the awards all ready to pass along and my computer froze up and blogger did not save my work!! Grrr Guess I will have to redo it and it took me forever to do! poo! I will post it later

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T23:03:00.001-05:00

~~I hope everyone has a wonderful day with family and friends~~
Michelle

Christmas is THAT close?? Amazing

2008-11-14T00:33:00.002-05:00

I decided to add one of those Christmas countdown banners to my blog and then I read how many days it was and I couldn't believe it! Something about seeing how many days it is makes it seem even closer than just looking at the calendar.
I have been busy working on decorating the antique mall for Christmas~I did one cabinet in the old fashioned colors of Red & Green~ I love old Christmas decorations~

Don't forget about Friday Flea Market!!
I have my things listed here......Bargain Beauties

I was tagged by Jean @A Romantic Country Home to play a game of Photo Tag. The rules are, I have to go to my computer photo folders, open the 4th folder and post about the 4th photo--
This is a photo of my 3 black and white cats~this is an unusual photo because they do not normally all gather around each other!!
I will tag a few people next time! If you have time stop over and visit Jean! She is a real sweetheart

Last Camper Weekend

2008-11-06T22:27:00.009-05:00

My sister and I had our last camper weekend last weekend and she even took a personal day off of work on Monday we were getting so much done! The weather was perfect.

My pile the 1st night,

Her pile the 1st night,

And this is the camper table full of our stuff after the 2nd night!! She has a craft show coming up and I am just loading up my Etsy store and putting things in my antique mall. I had some computer problems so if I haven't visited I will be around soon!

If you haven't purchased your issue of Polly's (Counting Your Blessing) Porch Magazine go here to check it out and get your very own holiday issue!! I loved the 1st issue and can't wait to see the Holiday issue!!
Don't forget about Friday Flea Market!! My stuff is here

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T04:44:00.001-04:00

I hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween. This photo is one taken of me by my grandmother on Halloween 1966 ~I was only 3. Even then I had a thing for pink~check it out~ I was a witch with a pink broom~LOL!!

Don't forget about Friday Flea Market~My blog is the Bargain Beauties~click the link on the side bar!

Happy Halloween!!

Friday Flea Market

2008-10-24T00:15:00.005-04:00

Check out my items for Friday Flea Market
Click it and it will take you to my Bargain Beauties Blog!!

~~There are a lot of great bloggers out there so make sure you check them all out! Click the red polka dot icon on the side bar~~

I also have added so new Christmas items in my Etsy store and will be adding more in the next few days~~Here is a peek at a few~~

Pink Pumpkin!

2008-10-13T23:17:00.006-04:00

Nothing much to report. Had a great camper weekend a week ago with who else, but my sister. I got a lot of Christmas/Angel tags and a banners done for the Etsy store. You can find them for sale here.
I am working at getting everything listed.

The pink flowers are from my attached man. He gave them to me for no special reason. Sometimes those are the best times to get flowers, but anytime is a great time:-)

I need to finish up my Halloween decorations, but I am already starting to want to get out all of my pink Christmas ornaments. Wonder what a pink pumpkin would look like? LOL (I couldn't resist so I had to make one AFTER I wrote this post...she is at the top)

OK...Where did September go??

2008-09-29T11:48:00.002-04:00

Wow am I the only one, or did September seem to fly by for anyone else? Does anyone else out there have severe allergies in the fall?? I am miserable even taking all my meds! We haven't had rain for 2 weeks or so, and then they are picking the blasted corn and bean fields in the lovely Midwest. Ugh! Looks like today we might get rain. I love rainy days, they are so cozy. At least NOW I like them again after having roofs replaced this summer on both of my buildings.

This is part of my tiny laundry room and I added the new little vintage clip hanger and it is perfect for drying my delicates. I love all of my vintage children's items and this is only part of them. I will show you more later on. The vintage Stewart seeds sign is perfect since that is my last name:-)

I found the small Royal Winton chintz at an estate sale this past weekend, I am going to keep it. It was such a good price and chintz is always so expensive.

My sister and I did find some time to start new projects. We did
collages and even added fairy dust on them so we could cut them up and turn them into ornaments. That is one of my collages at the top and to the side.

And if you haven't been over to see Polly at Counting Your Blessings she has a wonderful new magazine she has had published called Porch. I loved every page of mine! I can't wait for her holiday issue it will be packed full of more great photos.

One sad thing this month, my attached man's sister died suddenly. She found out she had lung cancer and within a week she was gone. Her husband said she seem to look up towards heaven and then just closed her eyes. I guess it was very peaceful but still sad for her family left behind.

I was tagged a while back by Linda at Somewhere in Time to play a question and answer game, here goes~~~

1~~ Where was I ten years ago? I was here living behind my antique mall.
2~~ What was on my To Do list today? Finish my post I started on my blog, shipping, mop my kitchen, pay phone bill, make a lampshade.
3~~ What would I do If I were a billionaire? I would make sure my family's future would be secure, mom, dad, my sister and my son, of course my attached man, maybe he would become more than that;-) I would really enjoying doing for others that were in need. I think I might start my own charity organization.
4~~ Five places I have lived? Indiana (three different towns in Indiana) Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas
5~~ Bad habits? I deal with procrastination on many different levels, shoving things in drawers or in my closet instead of taking the time to put things away correctly, Hince my nick name my brother-in-law called me~Stuffn'Stash. Open more than one box of cereal after I go the grocery store, because I can and my mother wouldn't let us when we were little, (can you say rebellious? LOL)
Thanks Linda that was fun!! Sorry it took me so long to play, forgive me.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Fall, then Christmas is around the corner again too isn't it? Wow time does fly!

The Winner Is.....

2008-09-07T13:35:00.006-04:00

The winner of my giveaway is............Robin at
Bittersweet Punkin!! I used the Random Number Generator....This is what it gave me, number 4 so that would be the 4th post! Congrats Robin:-) Send me your info and I will get your goodies out to you.

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2008-09-07 17:34:32 UTC

This darling frame I have listed on Ebay right now, I hated to part with it. Also one of the shades and frames that I finished up!

Hope you all are having a great weekend. It is going by fast but then don't they all?

Already Been Done & Happy September!

2008-09-01T15:06:00.000-04:00

Don't you just hate it when someone else has your same idea you have used for years and *poof* there YOUR ideas are in a magazine. I have had that happen to me many times. I have been doing things for years, and then Martha declares it is a "good thing" and I knew it had been a good thing for years but SHE gets the credit. I have been leafing through a few new magazines (not hers) and there are some of "my" ideas! Guess even if I had shared my ideas long ago someone else still would have gotten the credit huh? Don't ya just hate that?

*Up above is one of my jars I did, my vintage altered spoons and one of my frames. The spoons and jar are in my Etsy store, the frame has sold.

The summer has flown by, where did it go? I love fall but I am not ready for it yet. I have had a lot of fun in the camper this summer (just parked out in the back, I don't take it camping) I have had to get a lot of repairs done on my building, I had a tenant move out in the middle of the night so there is that to deal with, the repairs to the apartment, cleaning etc. Lots of sales to go to, auctions, the store to run, blah blah blah, that has been my summer this year. I just survived our town's Summer's End Festival last weekend. That is a very busy day for my antique mall but I am SO glad to have it over. The fireworks were great like always. Nice to watch them from my home and not have to fight the traffic. I watched them in my jammies this year just like a little kid, lol.

It has been a little over a year since I started blogging so I am going to do a little give away for my 1 year blogversary:-) I have several things fun things in this little pile and maybe I will find a few more things to add before I mail it. I also added one of my little cherry camper tags to celebrate my sweet campers one year anniversary too!. I will pick a lucky name next Sunday, September 7th.

Saturday we went to Indianapolis to shop at Half Price books, I got a great retro housewife book, It is full of fun things. Also shopped at Trader Joe's, I love that store, then ate at Joe's Crab Shack. We ended the day at they Symphony on the Prairie, it is an outdoor concert and ended with a wonderful fireworks display. We really had a long fun day.

My sweet friend Linda over at Somewhere in Time gave me this wonderful award a long time ago and I am just now posting it. Thank you so much Linda!! I am always so honored when someone passes on an award to me. I need to pass this along as well but I will research to see where it needs to go.

Hopefully things will calm down around here and I can get back into the swing of blogging again. I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend and I will pop over and visit everyone in the next day or two!

This is a set of neat old wallpaper hat boxes I purchased this summer and this darling little bird cage.

Back Yard Camping & New Projects

2008-07-18T17:42:00.010-04:00

How is everyone's summer going?? To me it seems to be going really fast this year, is that because I am getting old, or does it seem that way to everyone? We have been lucky enough to have some cooler temps this summer so my sister and I got extra camper time in, OH twist our arm, lol! She came up Sunday night at 10pm, it is never too late for us to start our projects! She is making jewelry and we have started soldering. I am just making some charms for fun from vintage findings that you can find in my Etsy store soon. She has started her Etsy store called The Mason Jar, There are some really pretty bracelets made from vintage beads and intaglios. Check it out sometime! Isn't this a neat china piece she did? The photo at the top is our 1st batch of soldering. Not bad for 1st timers, lol.

She also brought me this cute vintage cherry box for the camper:-)

Here are my charms that I did the 2nd time we got together, they would work great for packages or something fun!.......

This photo is my fireplace mantel, I redid to give a fresh summer look. I like it so well I just might leave it like that for while! What do you think?
Gotta run, time to go water the flowers.........What are everyone's plans for the weekend? Hopefully something fun!
*hugs*
Michelle

Happy 4th of July!!

2008-07-03T18:43:00.000-04:00

I can not believe how fast this summer is going!! Last time I was blogging my sister and I were hanging out in my camper for my birthday. (I have been recovering from mono, thanks for all the prayers and well wishes!I am feeling much better!) We had fun making tags and then she threw me a surprise birthday party on my patio that Saturday evening. I was definitely surprised and embarrassed! There we are together, I am the one on the left with my hair up... (I am not sun burned, I turned red from embarrassment. lol)

She made me the cute little pennant that I hung by my little corner shelves.

She made these darling little petifors instead of a birthday cake, aren't cute?! I have added a few photos of the patio.

I made cherry camper tags while we were in the camper. I put those in my Etsy store, along with the vintage dancer tags.

Here are some of the cute decorations, I just loved the twinkle lights I left them out there for the summer!!

My son had his wedding reception and I made the cake, I wondered how I was going to have the energy to make it through but I did. I used my grandmother recipe, sort of a family tradition, she used to do wedding cakes. While growing up I got to hang out and watch her. She taught me a few tricks;-)

I plan on being back into the blogging circuit again, so I will be popping in in the next few days............Until then have a wonderful and safe 4th of July!!!

Taking a Mono Break

2008-06-12T12:44:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to post that I am taking a mono break. It isn't anything I want to do but I don't have enough energy to do anything extra. I have had mono many times in the past so they call it reactivated mono.
Hopefully it will all pass soon and I can come back with some energy. Miss you all and see you soon. Think I will go tell my kitty kids to move over, mama wants a nap too!

Honeysuckle Martini

2008-06-05T22:39:00.004-04:00

Please check back later for my Flea Market Friday, I have been sick with an upper respiratory infection and I am way behind on everything. I have lots to share from the past week and we did make it the midnight movie of Sex in the City, well worth it to us!!

Here are a couple pics of my honeysuckle that went wild this year!! It smells amazing. These photos don't even begin to do it justice.
I found this Honeysuckle Martini recipe in the March/April Victoria. I haven't tried it yet but thinking it might be an interesting flavor.

Honeysuckle Martini~
1 1/2 ounces vanilla vodka
2 ounces Honeysuckle simple syrup*recipe below
1 1/2 ounces club soda
1. Fill cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add vodka, Honeysuckle Simple Syrup. and club soda to shaker. Shake mixture for 5 to 10 seconds.
2. Strain mixture into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with honeysuckle blossom if desired.

*Honeysuckle Simple Syrup~makes 1 1/2cups.
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of water
50 Honeysuckle blossoms(stripped of leaves and stems)
1.In a small saucepan combine sugar water and honeysuckle blossoms over medium-high heat stirring constantly. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved.
2. Remove from heat, and cool completely. Strain into an airtight container. Store simple syrup in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

2008-05-29T17:01:00.002-04:00

Check out my Bargain Beauties
blog for my Flea Market Friday deals! New items added! (they will post at 1:00 am)

It is suppose to storm on Friday night so my sister is coming up for my birthday camper sleepover tonight. We decided we would rather not be soggy while running back and forth to the bathroom, lol. Also around here Sex in the City movie comes out at 12:01 am on the 30th (tonight!) and we are thinking of being "wild" and going out for the late late movie. My son does that all the time but us 40 year olds don't normally do crazy things like that . We might stay up late to scrapbook or create but not out running around, lol. Jammies will probably over rule and will stay in and have lots of camper time, Will let you know which way it goes:-)
Time to close the antique store and tote stuff to the camper!

Check out My Flea Market Friday.........

2008-05-23T01:00:00.001-04:00

Click on this link to see my Flea Market Items....
Bargain Beauties

Fun Finds & Happy Memorial Day!

2008-05-20T23:31:00.006-04:00

It is so hard to believe that Memorial Day weekend is almost here!! I hope the summer doesn't go as fast.

As I was unloading my SUV out back over the weekend I noticed that most of everything I had picked up Saturday seem to match. So I ran in and got my

camera to take a picture of my grouping. I didn't even realize I had been shopping around one color, lol. I do that quite often. The trunk I found already painted white and check out the cute paper lining. I don't have to do a thing to it!!

Here is also a picture of what I did to the little boudoir lamps. I painted pink little roses on the base then added a pink ribbon and bow to the shades. I also found this white mirror and painted pink roses on it. I have them all listed on Ebay right now. They were fun projects:-)

I got a wonderful surprise in the mail this week~My friend Linda sent me some little goodies for my birthday, the little purse card is darling!! Thank you Linda you are so sweet:-)

I plan on hanging out in my camper for part of the Memorial Day weekend. For my birthday my attached man is buying me a red and white striped awning from Vintage Trailer Supply. It even has the scalloped edges like I wanted. It is a super fun site, check it out sometime if you are into vintage camper trailers. He is also repainting my metal chairs red and white to put under the awning. I have added a few things since the fall to my Cherry Camper. I am always on the look out for vintage cherry things for the camper. Here a couple of new pics of it. And I found this old red lantern at a yard sale, it was missing its guts so I put a tea light in it and it will be perfect for going back and forth to the bathroom when my sister stays next week for my birthday. We are nutty when we get together, lol!
I do hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend!!

*********I will be posting my Flea Market Friday but it will link up with my Back Through Time Bargain Beauties.

Mushrooms and Bugs

2008-05-16T00:36:00.001-04:00

As always each week flies by! Never seems like enough hours in a week to get everything done. Does anyone else have that problem? Maybe it is because there is so much I want to do and enjoy doing I just can't fit it all in, lol.

I fixed fresh green beans, potatoes & ham yesterday for dinner and fried fresh mushrooms, you know the ones that look like sponges, Morel mushrooms. I didn't go hunt mine, I just went to the local farm market and purchased mine. When I was little my grandmother always wanted to take me out on her farm and hunt for mushrooms, well this little girl didn't like walking too far and getting dirty or buggy, (I never out grew that by the way, lol) I could never understand why they would eat those nasty things that she soaked that might have BUGS in them, ick! SO now that I am a big girl I have decided they are very tasty....And to think of all the years I missed out!

Here is a photo of a couple of my latest frames~you can find them listed on Ebay here.
The one with watch faces I haven't go listed yet but I hope to in the next few days. It is so relaxing doing projects in my studio. I was an art major and have created art work for years. This type of art is more relaxing because it doesn't have to be as perfect as felt that my paintings had to be. I will have to post a few pieces of my work some day.

In a couple of weeks my sister is coming up for camper time and we are going to do some fun projects out in the camper, spend the night out there and go see Sex in the City movie. That is what I asked to do for my birthday, I think it sounds like fun!

Well girls, I am a slacker and only putting on 2 flea market items. Check my other blog for some great deals!

I hope everyone has a fun Friday!!

5 little push pins that are glass with stars~they look like the tops of Victorian picture nails~in the color of pretty beach glass~
$5~Includes shipping

Fun vintage sewing items~The whole lot for $10 and includes shipping!

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-09T22:19:00.005-04:00

For my Flea Market Friday go to my blog here~Back Through Time's Bargain Beauties
I posted some fun things at a great price! Stop by and visit everyone else here.

I went to my grandmother's house today with my mother. We celebrated Mother's Day early. It was a nice visit and I we dug around and got starts of old established flowers to plant at our homes and gardens. I think heirloom flowers and plants are the best because the have such a nice history behind them. One of the things I brought back is something my grandmother brought from her mother's house in Tennessee when she was a girl and moved away. I hope my new little plant lives:-)

I decided to post some photos of my studio, I am really glad my son decided to move out:-),well not really, I miss him a lot but I always knew what I would do with his room after he left. It isn't even near finished but I love it just the same. I have rhinestones and jewelry
parts all over the place for my frames. Baskets with lace and trims. I used a jewelry organizer for my ribbons. Just getting organized takes forever! I plan on spending some time in there on Mother's Day.

I am off to bed now, going to an auction over in the next state and it will be an early start. Suppose to be a wagonful of jewelry!! We will see how that goes! Wish me luck:-) I am going with a friend so it should be fun.
Happy Mother's Day to everyone!

Check back later on Friday~Time got away

2008-05-08T22:12:00.003-04:00

Happy May Day!!!

2008-05-01T23:25:00.002-04:00

Vintage Fan~ $8 includes shipping~~

Happy May Day to everyone!! This month is the Indianapolis 500 and that is what I used to go to as a birthday gift. My birthday is May 31st. Years ago Memorial Day used to be on the last weekend of May. My mother told me the dr and my dad talked about the race while she was in labor and trying to give birth to me. Some memory for her huh? LOL

I have been so busy lately I haven't found time to blog. Nothing fun really~doctor appointments, colonoscopy, mammogram, back injections.........That has been in the last 7 days! I have Ulcerative colitis and I have to have colonoscopy every 2yrs. This was my 3rd one since I turned 40. Drinking the stuff the day before has to be the worst part but the sleep during and after the procedure is wonderful, LOL . I got sick this time afterwards and ran a fever, that was a 1st for me but things are fine:-)

OK enough of all my medical stuff~The 1st outdoor flea market is this Sunday morning! I can't wait.........a lot of people show up before daylight and bring flashlights. Not sure if I will do that but I get there a daybreak. I am keeping my fingers crossed it doesn't rain!

Have a wonderful May, Enjoy all those May flowers!

I only have time to offer a few things for Flea Market Friday~

2 vintage Pixie Potholders~$6 includes shipping

Peach Rose on Sage Green Pillow Cover~$5 includes shipping~

Footed Violet Trinket Box~$6 includes shipping

Flea Friday & Quote for the Day

2008-04-18T00:03:00.003-04:00

Well gals this is going to be a quickie and I am running out of steam and time. I have to get up early in the morning to hit those yard sales! I look forward to them but I am not a morning person. I can't seem to make myself go to bed at night. Also, Spring finally popped up here in Indiana, Yippee!!
This is a quote someone sent to me and I wanted to pass on.........

"Live is too short to wake up with regrets. So, love the people who
treat you right. Forget about the ones who don't. Believe everything
happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your
life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy. They just promised it
would most likely be worth it."

Here are the few items I have available for today...............Have a Happy Friday!!!

Group of vintage doll clothes~$9 includes shipping

Lucite rose scarf clip~$5 includes shipping

Set of vintage pillowcases~like new!~$8~includes shipping

Vintage hankie bag w/ little roses~$6~includes shipping

Fabulous Flea Market Friday!

2008-04-11T00:02:00.004-04:00

Happy Friday! Again I ask.........is spring EVER going to happen in Indiana??? Snow/rain mix for the weekend! Blaaaaach! On a good note, Amanda over at Jacaranda Cottage
was so sweet to give out awards to so many of her blogger friends, I was happy to be one of them! Thank you again Amanda!

I am happy to report no life drama going on this week, except I fell into a low oak chest and the corner when right into my behind. Talk about sore! I have butt trauma now and walk like an old lady, you know how they walk with their hand on their back only mine is on my upper butt cheek, LOL!

**The pretty rose cake/cookie/cupcake stand that is pictured above, I made it and is for sale for $22~email for shipping quote.

I finally got my Bargain Beauties blog opened up!!
I am still working out all the kinks but stop by once and while to check out some great buys!!

On with the Flea Market......................

Small yellow floral oil painting~$6.50~includes shipping

Old quilt section~measures 19" x 76"~machine sewn~$12~includes shipping

Unused vintage 1920's needle case w/mother & child~3.75~includes shipping

Packing of 2 shade pulls~$3.50~includes shipping

A darling tea pot pin w/dangling cups (one cup is a little cracked)~$7~includes shipping

Vintage framed Beatrix Potter print (from old book)~$7.50~Includes shipping

6" Red crochet pin cushion~$4~includes shipping

Darling tiny little sea shells~$6 for pair~ includes shipping~

btw~thanks for anyone that offered me help on the blogger editor~it worked!!!

Happy Friday & Flea Market Friday

2008-04-04T00:02:00.004-04:00

Here in the Midwest I am still waiting for spring. I hope we get nice warm sunny days soon. Those of you that live where it is warm already are SO lucky! Thank you to everyone that has been so nice and supportive of me. The prayers and well wishes have been very appreciated, blessings to all:-)
A long time ago I was given an award by Linda at Somewhere in Time. She is such a wonderful person and I was so very flattered for the award, Thank you again Linda!
I want to pass this on to Mary at Isabella's Closet
and
Lynn at the Vintage Nest Both are very special ladies!
I have missed SO much in blogland and was cheated out of enjoying my Easter, I will be visiting everyone this weekend for sure!! btw.....Can anyone tell me what happened to the blogging editor? Does anyone have the photos load in all in html? It confuses me and I don't like it, is there a way to change it back? I can't even change the font colors like before.

Items for sale~~~(make sure you check out my ebay listings~several 99 cent auctions!)

Little petite point cloisonne pill box~$12 includes shipping....

Cute little Silhouette of a sailboat scene~$15~includes shipping~measures 3 1/2" x 4" SOLD~thanks Linda!

Small framed rose print~$8 includes shipping

Pretty rose Enesco Bell~$10 includes shipping

Aqua Rose Hankie~unused~$3.50~includes shipping

I am hoping to get my other blog up and running soon with great items for sale. Happy Spring to everyone!!

Flea Friday

2008-03-28T00:31:00.008-04:00

I am still going through a bit of a tough time and can't really talk about it, please send any kind thoughts or prayers my direction. It will all be greatly appreciated and mean the world to me. Thanks to all of you that have already been there for me!

OK here is my Flea Market Friday.......
2 little dolly pillow slips, white and in great condition~~ $4 and that includes shipping.

7 vintage paper dolls~~$7 and that includes shipping~~ Sold!~~Thank you Jenny!

Vintage glove clip~~$6 includes shipping

Blue Bird post card 1~~~$5 includes shipping

Blue Bird post card #2 and it has a slightly bent corner~$4 includes shipping~

Just post a comment if you want to purchase anything!! Off to bed now...........Have a wonderful weekend if I don't get to post again.

Faith.......

2008-03-22T12:02:00.003-04:00

I am have hit a rough patch in my life that just smacked me in the face and I don't know how to handle it. Funny how God works because I got this email shortly after it all happened. It is about Faith. I want to copy and post it because it spoke to me and feel it is worth sharing. Someone should have had faith in me and now in turn I have to have faith in God that it will all work out.

The God Kind of Faith

Today's Scripture

“…the life which I now life in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God…” (Galatians 2:20).

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria

Faith is all around us. People have faith in so many different things: faith that a friend will be true, faith that your job is taking you on a certain career path, faith that the chair you are sitting on is going to hold you up! Faith is simply believing in something. But there are different kinds, or levels, of faith. There’s a difference between having faith in God and having the faith of God. When you open your heart to the God kind of faith, you’re actually allowing Him to believe through you. The God kind of faith will cause you to believe for things when you don’t even know how they’ll happen. And it probably won’t make sense in your mind, but you have to allow your spirit to rise higher than your thinking. Don’t talk yourself out of believing. Don’t focus on all the reasons why not, instead allow God’s faith to rise up within you. Meditate on His Word that says, you can do all things through Christ and you are strong in the Lord and the power of His might. As you allow God’s faith to flow through you, He’ll take you places you’ve never dreamed. You will rise higher and higher and live the abundant life the Lord has for you!

A Prayer for Today

Heavenly Father, today I humbly open my heart to You. Use me for Your glory and have Your way in my life. I choose to believe in You and invite You to believe through me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Flea Market Friday

2008-03-21T00:30:00.010-04:00

Here are the few things that I had time to add for Flea Market Friday~ ~~~Pretty vintage hankie w/ violets~$3.50~Includes shipping.

~~Pretty pink heart pin cushion~$4 includes shipping~SOLD thanks Linda!

~~Unused linen vintage towel with colorful roosters~$5 includes shipping. SOLD!

Spring must be somewhere out there, snow possibly for Easter here, oh ick. Happy Easter to everyone!

A Quick Update....and Flea Market Friday

2008-03-13T23:28:00.012-04:00

Hello Everyone!! Is spring finally here?? It felt almost like it today! I don't know anyone that isn't ready for spring. Someplace on this post I have pictures of my shelves with all my vintage Easter things. well the Peeps are new but they were too cute! Has anyone else had problems with post pictures?
Updates on life here...........My son went on spring break with his girlfriend to the Smoky Mountains and eloped. He told me before they went that is what the were planning but he called me today and said they did it. I hope they have a long happy marriage. They are young but they can make it. I think they were smart to save all that money and didn't get into that wedding trap.
I am now the proud owner of one of the 2 buildings I own. Not me and the bank but ME and only ME! The estate I have been working so hard on was tied into that building (a very long story how it came to be) I finally ended up with the building. It was an old diner and we had it open for a few years (my ex and I) called the Sanitary Lunch. What a name huh? I will post photos sometime of the front. It was exciting for me and I am not even 45 yet:-)

My frames are doing great and that is what I have been doing, as if I needed extra things to do. Here are a few more I have done. All are either sold or listed on Ebay with bids.

I am working on my new blog called Back Through Time's Bargain Beauties~it will fun things for sale at a really good price! Check it out in the near future!
I plan on visiting everyone soon. It has been so long since I have made my rounds. I miss everyone and please forgive me for my lack of blogging and visiting. Have a wonderful weekend!!

Flea Market Friday~~~~ Check out the other bloggers~Flea Market Friday
This might be confusing because I don't know what is going on with the way these photos are going in~all HTML or something.

~~~A cute little vintage bird pin~$7 SOLD~thank you Robin! includes shipping

~~~Vintage Garden Girl trivet~decals are on both sides!~~$9 includes shipping

~~Dainty Pink Towel w/ lace~$5 includes shipping

Flea Market Friday

2008-03-06T22:43:00.015-05:00

I have been very busy lately, more than normal, that is something for different post~I did want to be in the Friday Flea Market so here goes............................

This post might say it is earlier but I promise it went on AFTER midnight, I must be too tired to figure out how to do the link with the widget, (forgive me Polly, I will figure it out!) Here is the link to everyone else Flea Market Friday
I don't have much time this week but thought I would offer a few little things. Just comment if you want anything and I will have to send you an Pay Pal invoice.
Happy Friday!!

These are cute little tiny plastic blue bird buttons~There are darling!
$2.50 that includes shipping.
Sold! Thank you Becca!!

This is a beautiful German Easter post card~brilliant colors!!~$6 that includes shipping.

These are original unused vintage feather decals~colorful!
$4 that includes shipping.

This is a small pair of cottage
prints in little metal frames~
$12 that includes shipping
SOLD~thanks Nancy!

This is a small little 4-leaf clover
press~$4.50 includes shipping

A pretty two-piece
Sterling candle holder w/ insert/both marked Sterling~Great aged patina~
$12 that includes shipping

This Week Went FAST!

2008-02-22T10:59:00.009-05:00

I can not believe how fast these weeks are flying by! It will be spring here soon and I am not even half way through my winter projects. Does anyone else have winter projects? I think it makes the winter go so much faster. I look at winter as a cozy nesting time. Maybe I am crazy but hey it works for me, lol.
Besides working I have had time to design a rhinestone frame from vintage jewelry, you know how I like my collage work:-) You can see it on Ebay here. It is so sparkling in pinks and aquas.
I finished up another lampshade and it sits atop of a cute little terrier dog lamp. It is for sale in my antique mall at the moment but might list it in Etsy or Ebay. Poor little puppy gets lost under the fringe!

I was hoping to make a longer post here but I have customers coming into the store. Maybe I will add another one sooner than I have been!
Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Here is an add.....my business card holder I just finished tonite!! You can find it for sale here.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-13T18:46:00.005-05:00

I haven't had much time for anything fun lately but I did want to make sure I wished everyone a Happy Valentine's Day!! My attached man is taking me to a nice romantic restaurant for dinner and that is always special. No big plans though, the usually candy exchange~hopefully he will get me my usual~Godivas, the dark ones are my favorites!

The Valentine Swap was fun and it was my 1st one. This is what I sent to my swap partner. I had a fun time with it and was hard to stop once I got started, lol. We had a pink theme going for both of us.

this is what my swap partner sent to me~Laura from Laura'sPretties~Isn't that little mailbox darling!? It was filled with all sorts of fun stuff!! She has a really pretty website too!

Gotta run but hope you all have a
Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Pretties & an Award!

2008-02-02T12:34:00.000-05:00

I received a You Make My Day Award from Michelle over at I'm A Little Teapot, Thank you Michelle! That was so sweet of you to think of me!! I need to pass this on and I would love to pass it on to everyone I visit but I will have to pick 2~Lisa at A Thing for Roses and Casii at Granny Panty Chic.

Nothing much has been going on this week, Let's see..........I am still recovering from bronchitis and Tuesday I coughed so hard I cracked my rib, talk about pain! You just don't realize how much your ribs are involved in what you do, and nothing cuts a sneeze off faster than the sharp pain of a cracked rib, LOL. I haven't had a good sneeze in days. We were suppose to get a big snowstorm Thursday but it wasn't big at all:-( we only got around 6 inches, what a bummer I wanted to have the store closed for a snow day. I did open late, no way I could shovel so I had to wait on someone to come in and do that.
Tonight is date night but it will be VERY casual, the only thing I want to be is comfy this weekend. Flannel pants all day tomorrow!

My living room is still full of vintage clothes, linens, hankies, gloves, and lots of other estate goodies. No place else for the stuff to go so for now instead of a Christmas tree I have a clothing rack. I love having stuff to sort!! When I buy, I buy in bulk and I buy it cheap! LOL that is the only way to get it:-)

This photo of all the pink pretties is in my living room. It isn't decorated for Valentine's Day but I think it would work if I just tucked a few pink ones in here and there. I just love pink roses. The lampshade I made out of a damaged Victorian velvet and trimmed it with old metallic trim. The other photo that has the flue covers is also in my living room. I love to be surrounded by antiques and I really like my roses!

I need to get my Heart Swap stuff finished and shipped out on Monday. I do hope my partner likes her things. We are doing all pink and I have had a hard time to come up with all pink Valentine things. As soon as she gets it I will post photos of what I sent. Does anyone ever worry if their partner will like what they have sent? This was my 1st swap and I guess those thoughts have just gone through my mind. Here is a peek of what I have for her.

I don't really care who wins the Super Bowl I just hope there are some great commercials! Have a fun weekend!!

Just Hangin' Around

2008-01-27T12:17:00.000-05:00

Today is a cozy Sunday and I think I will make a mixed berry crostata and top it with a nice big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. For the main course I am going to make chicken with fluffy dumplings. An easy menu but will taste great on a Winter Sunday.
The hanging umbrella photo was taken out in my antiques mall. I took several damaged umbrellas that I had and hung them upside down. They were too pretty to ditch and I just love way they look. It really draws the eye up and you don't even notice the ugly ceiling as much!
Then over here in my apartment bathroom I hung a small piece of trellis and then added a cute framed page out of an antique children's book, a few millinery flowers and some other odds and ends. Neat way to bring the outside garden indoors all year long.
Just hangin' around today and thought I would share some things that hang out around me. Have a Happy Sunday!

Weirdo Facts & Awards Sprinkled w/Valentines

2008-01-23T11:55:00.000-05:00

This is my corner shelf in my kitchen where I love to do little holiday displays. I finally got some of my vintage Valentines out.

Lisa over at A Thing For Roses tagged me to list 7 Weird facts about myself. The other night I was discussing this with my attached man and asking him what was something HE considered weird about me. I sort of kept pushing the issue and he pipes up and says "well it isn't like you are a member of the Addams Family or anything" I KNOW that, duh. We were both laughing at this point so it made for a fun discussion. But get this....All evening he kept saying well how about this?? And what about this? I told him it was no longer open for discussion and to stop trying to think of things that make me weird, lol. Here is what I came up with.........
1. I think dirt stinks, that earth smell, yuck it makes me gag. When I plant flowers I have to almost hold my breath 2. I have vintage ribbons I use for bookmarks and they have to match the book I am reading 3. I have tons of dinner plates because I can't serve food on plates if it doesn't match (ex. green beans on a green plate, NO) 4. I have to be the 1st one to mess up the top of a new jar of peanut butter. 5. I fix my hair before bed that way if there is a fire or emergency I won't show up on the local news looking like a total mess(can you say Paranoid) 6. I can't go on a road trip without having something to sift or sort through, my sister calls it "squirreling" She says I am like a freaking squirrel putting away nuts for winter. (we used to do lots of road trips) OK I quit, that is enough and you all are thinking I am nut for sure.
Not sure who to tag but I will give it some thought.

Brittany at
Adeline's Shabby Cottage
tagged me with the Amazing Blogger award~Thank you Brittany! I believe I will pass it on to Jennifer over at Dust Bunny Hostage

I also received the Nice Matters Award from Robin at Bittersweet Punkin Thank you Robin!! I want to pass it along to Cathy at Treasured Heirloms
It has been a busy week so far but a good one!

Happy Friday

2008-01-18T20:17:00.001-05:00

This is the rose that my attached man brought to me, so pretty and so sweet! I am feeling much better today. I hope everyone has a great weekend and to all you sickies.... Get better soon!!!
Hugs to all and an extra one to those who stopped by to wish me well:-)
Michelle

Sick Day

2008-01-15T15:39:00.001-05:00

Today is a sick day for me. I hate the coughing, hacking, runny nose, runny eyes and fever. I am lucky that I have all the meds in the cabinet to start taking to make me feel better faster. I have asthma so I have steroids I have to start on for that. Guess I knew it would catch up with me sooner or later. You know you feel bad if you don't even want to read new magazines or visit blogs. I closed for the 1st part of the day and then someone came in and opened the store at 1. I don't think anyone wants my cooties. I know I don't want theirs, lol. Maybe later I can get around and visit blogs....... now it is time for another nap, must be the codine in the cough syrup.

Sorting & Sifting

2008-01-10T15:21:00.001-05:00

I can not believe it has been so many days since my last post! time flies when you're busy. I managed to make it to a flea market and found a few things then I went to an estate auction and Hit the mother load!! Filled my Envoy to the top, every nook and cranny inside plus had the bed of a truck full with furniture. I bought box lots of linens, millinery flowers, bark cloth, vintage clothing, furniture, and the list goes on. When it is such a good price I just can't seem to say no. I worry later about how will I get it home, lol. While I was still unloading and sorting from the auction, I got a call to help sort and clean out a local estate. OH boy more fun stuff!! Jewelry, vintage clothes, linens, and I just started. I found a darling vintage wallpaper hat box that goes in my keep pile! I am so tired though, I woke up Thursday morning and while I was eating my bowl of cereal I was checking on the weather, and I bet I refreshed it 2 times and couldn't understand why it was giving me Thursdays weather. I thought it was Friday! Now that is tired huh? I mean I can understand waking up and not realize what day it is but I had already been to the bathroom for Pete's sake!
Here are a couple of pictures, a cute little vintage pillow with geraniums and the tin of millinery flowers that I am keeping. Guess I better get back to sorting! Maybe I won't get too many customers so I can keep looking for treasures!

Off to a Snowy Creative Start

2008-01-02T11:45:00.000-05:00

So far 2008 has been a very snowy start to the new year, We had a few inches of snow and it is now 4 above zero. I love the snow but I don't like it this cold! Yesterday I didn't do the "Removal of the Christmas" I decided I can do that any ol' time, not too often do I get an extra day with my antique store closed. (since I live behind my store it always feels like I have company even if I am not working) So I took advantage of the quiet time, I got a nap by the fireplace, I read a few magazines, (actually looked at the photos, lol) and I spent some time in my craft room making a few things. Some got finished and others are just started. It was a nice cozy day! To me that is what January is all about here in the Midwest, staying cozy. Think I will make some potato cheese soup, sounds good on a day like today.

I have posted photos of some of my projects, finished and unfinished. Also a photo of the lamp shade I made for part of my sisters Christmas.

Last Friday I got out to an antique/junk store and here is the little bit that I found there, can you see a theme going here? Not sure what I am going to do with the metal ice cream spoons but I couldn't pass up 35 of them for $6 and my rose hat box was only $3. I got all of this for less than $20, I think I got a steal!

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

Happy New Year to All!!

2007-12-29T12:03:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, I did and I always look forward to January. Nothing special in the month so it is great to cozy up and start all sorts of projects or just get extra reading in. I plan on doing all of that! Christmas is wonderful but it is always sad to see the decorations go back into the boxes.
I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year!!

Christmas Hoopla Tag

2007-12-19T12:04:00.000-05:00

I was tagged by Linda @ Somewhere in Time to List 12 things about me that are Christmas related...........
1. I love collect vintage Christmas ornaments and decorations, they remind me of both of grandmothers and what they had on their trees
2. I look for vintage Christmas wrap, ribbon and cards at sales, I love all old Christmas paper stuff.
3. I like for Christmas day to be cloudy and dark, not sunny, the Christmas lights look prettier that way:-)
4. One of my favorite movies to watch at Christmas is We're No Angels, It is an old movie but I didn't know about it until a few years ago.
5. I buy a special ornament each year that symbolizes something of the year, this year a friend gave me a vintage glass ornament with cherries because of my camper.
6. I love to drive through the local Christmas light display at night when it is snowing. There is a wonderful huge display on a farm and they play Christmas music. I roll down the windows and turn the heat up!
7. This will be the 1st year I wake up to Christmas morning alone and I have an hour and half drive to my parents. (my son moved out recently, he is a big boy now....sad) So I am going to leave Christmas music playing and lights on so when I get up it doesn't feel lonely.
8. Christmas Eve is a special night for my attached man & me, It is our private cozy Christmas exchange of presents.
9.When my son was 1 I started an advent calendar with him and did one until last year, he is 22 now. I think he humored me the past couple of years:-)
10. I am wanting to start a new tradition by making Kahlua cheesecake, I hope it turns out!
11. I know an older lady that is going to be alone for Christmas and she made the comment that Santa was going to fly right over her house this year. So Christmas morning before I go out of town I am going to leave a surprise package for her and mark it "From Santa"
12. I think Christmas is a magical time of year and it is sad when I meet someone that doesn't like it.

I did it!! Took some thinking on my part but now I am going to tag Amanda @ Cottage Contessa

Christmas Trivia

2007-12-18T11:55:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine sent this to me and I thought it would be fun to tag people and see what the answers were! If you are tagged, tag 5 others. I decided if we tagged 5 it would get around faster since Christmas is so close! I am tagging Lynn at The Vintage Nest, Rhonda at FarmhouseStyle, Robin at Bittersweet Punkin, Kari & Kijsa
and Penny at Lavender Hill Studio,
(it is easy to just cut and paste then add your answers)

Scrooge or Elf??

1.Wrapping paper or gift bags? wrapping paper, I love the bows
2. Tree--Real or Artificial? Artificial
3. When do you put Christmas tree up? Around Thanksgiving
4. When do you take the tree down? whenever I find time, usually by mid January,
5. Like egg nog? Yes
6. Do you have a nativity scene? yes
7. Favorite gift received as a child? Liddle Kiddles, dolls, Coke dispenser, there are way too many
8. Hardest person to buy for? my dad
9. Easiest person to buy for? my sister
10. Worst Christmas gift? Life Saver book when I was in 1st grade
11. Mail or email a Christmas card? Mail cards
12. Favorite Christmas movie? A Christmas Story
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? in the Fall
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I don't think so???
15. Favorite food to eat on Christmas? cheeseball
16. Clear or colored tree lights? Clear
17. Favorite Christmas Song? Carol of the Bells
18. Travel during Christmas or Stay home? Would like to stay home but have to travel
19. Can you name Santa's reindeer's? Dasher Dancer Prancer Vixen Donner Blizen Comet Cupid Rudolph, LOL I know words to Rudolph Red Nose Reindeer.
20. Angel or Star on Tree top? Bow
21. Open presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Both
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? The crowds & traffic

Oh the Weather Outside is Delightful...........

2007-12-15T12:58:00.000-05:00

Well it does look like Christmas here!! Snow is coming down and we are suppose to get a foot to a foot and half of snow by tomorrow morning! The wind is suppose to pick up and be blizzard like conditions, so I am going to snuggle in for the weekend and do some Christmas baking and cooking, watch Christmas movies and just about anything I want! (This will be my 1st snow storm alone, my son moved out a few months back.) So just me here but I am OK with that. My attached man lives 40 miles away and since he is a fire chief, I guess he feels he needs to protect his town. I respect that but it would be awfully fun to have him here to cozy up with:-) he would be handy for shoveling too!

I have been super busy in the store and people have been buying my decorated Christmas trees. If had set out to really sell them I am sure I wouldn't have sold any. It is amazing how many people like buying pre-decorated trees. I even sold my pink one! I couldn't resist, I shot the lady a price and she actually said she would take it! What a fun season this has been. Even today in the snow we are busy. I feel very blessed being able to continue having a business I love and I am thankful everyday.

Here is a picture of my latest shade. It is made out of pink vintage fabric with roses and a splash of pale yellow. I have it on a pink & yellow pottery lamp. I really did like the way it turned out. I have had several things I have been working on and they don't seem to be lasting long around here! I took these old punched reflectors and did some interesting ornaments out of them. Another collage too. I don't know what I am going to use all these vintage little watch dials for but I just think they are cute!

Does anyone remember Jiffy Pop Popcorn?? They had it at Target so I thought, Hey I remember this from when I was little! I will have to try it for a $1. Well let me tell you, It is not as much fun to make as it is to eat, they used to tell us that. It was a real pain to stand there swirling it around waiting for it to pop.
I think it was fun for us to watch but then Mom did the swirling, lol. We always
use to tell our mom, "It tastes better when you do it Mom"
I hope to be able to get around to visit everyone over the weekend, seems like ages since I have had time to visit. I hope everyone has been having a wonderful holiday season!!

Snow on the Way!

2007-12-04T11:26:00.000-05:00

They are saying snow is on the way for us and under a snow advisory for 3-5 inches. It will certainly feel like Christmastime if we get that! Not too good for the antique business but I always have plenty to keep me busy. It is always exciting when the 1st snow comes!
Hey Rudolph is on tonight! It's only me here but I am going to watch it anyway. Always reminds me of being a little girl. Those Christmas and holiday memories are very special to me. I had a wonderful childhood and if I could pick a time to go back to it would be the days when my sister and I had tea parties, played with our dolls, whispering after bedtime when we were suppose to be asleep, and the main thing..............Dad paid the bills and we didn't have a clue what bills were! So I am always thankful of my happy childhood especially at Christmas. I like to get out the old photos with a magnifying glass to check out the toys we got and all the decorations.
I have to get busy but also wanted to include some pictures of more of my decorations and my pink polka dot ornaments. They are so girly, I am going to list those in my Etsy store. I couldn't get a good picture today of my pink front window but you get the idea, much prettier in person. I tucked greenery in my chandelier and then hung glass ornaments from it. The little tree is in my laundry area and I have several vintage kids toys for it. Sure wish I had more bottle brush trees but not sure where I would put them! Hope everyone has a cozy evening:-)

Opening Special!

2007-11-30T13:07:00.002-05:00

I am running a special in my Etsy store in celebration of my grand opening. Half price shipping on any item!! Starts Dec 1st and 2nd but for any of my blogger friends it can start today! I have many so many things to add to the store I just haven't had time, but I am glad to had an excuse to hang out in my workroom and create things!
I made a road trip with my dad on Wednesday and I think we covered 400 or more miles in 12 hours, I think I am still tired today from it! He wanted to see a friend of his that deals in watches. I got several neat old porcelain watch dials and old watches to use for my collages. We stopped a few thrift stores and a couple of antique stores. I found a few fun things. We had a good time and we always goof around teasing each other.
I finally got a half way decent picture of my Christmas tree, it still looks much prettier in person. Hope everyone has fun plans for the weekend! If you have time drop me a line and tell me what you will be doing! I love to hear what others do for the holiday season!

Spinning in Circles

2007-11-25T17:50:00.001-05:00

I actually found time today to get some things in my new Etsy store!! I have several things to put in but everything takes so much time! The pink tags with the little girl in bonnets went to the Etsy store. I finished up a new collage and the wallpaper background came from the sweet Lisa at a Thing For Roses. The Christmas window I did is for sale in my antique mall, I have it hanging outside in the entrance instead of a wreath;-) The other photos are little areas of my vintage Christmas decorations. You can check out the side bar for my Esty store and while you are there check out new banner from Mary at IsabellasCloset made for me using one of my collage photos. I also have a few altered Christmas clipboards I made that I have added in the store. Up there at the top of this post, is a set of Christmas ornaments out of old metal Christmas light reflectors and vintage wallpaper. Those were fun!

Ok question~Does anyone ever feel like they just keep spinning in circles, work and working but seem to be getting nowhere? I have been feeling a lot like that lately. I think there is just so much I WANT to do and trying to make time for it all. But here's a plus for me!~ do I have all my Christmas decorating done!! I am sitting by my tree now with the fireplace on, cozy:-) (wish my camera would take a decent picture of my tree, I will have to keep trying) Tonite I am all alone and plan on spending the entire evening in my workroom so I can get more things done.
Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and who managed to go out on Black Friday? Not me, I remember how scary Kohl's was last year!
Ok this is posting is short, sweet and all over the place, lol, told you I was spinning in circles;-)

I Finally Made it To the Prom!!

2007-11-20T18:10:00.000-05:00

Whew, it has been a busy day and I forgot how long it takes to get all prettied up. Thanks to Natasha for hosting a prom!! I feel as if I have been transported back in time. I just love the vintage pink crinoline dress but glad I have a silky slip underneath, it is starting to tickle, lol.

Wonder if it will be chilly out with the top down on my Cadillac? I better grab my mink stole! I decided to be princess for the evening and wear my tiara, but not sure how long I will be able to keep these long gloves on. What if my nose itches??!! Doesn't everyone look like they are having a good time? Oh look what Lucy gave me! A signed photo of her! (yes it really is mine and real) She must be making the rounds since she was over at Natasha's earlier. Well time to mingle with all the others!!
It has been fun!!

Lots To Do and Christmas is Coming!!

2007-11-15T22:38:00.000-05:00

I have a hard time finding the time to do what I need to do and then on top of it all Christmas is coming, FAST!!! The day after Thanksgiving I have a Christmas work party for my antique dealers, it is a carry in and they all decorate their booths. I am not doing an open house in the store this year but everyone is running some really great sales. I like to have my Christmas tree in my apartment decorated for the party and I set up the food in my kitchen that is connected to my living room. It makes it feel so festive and I hope it inspires them to be in the Christmas spirit. I have lots to do this weekend and I just asked my attached man to help Saturday night with all the Christmas decor. He was a sweetie and said "of course" I almost have my store decorating done. Check out the pink pre-lite tree I got at Walmart for $17.96!! I am doing a pink/white/silver front window. I will post a pic later on, it isn't finished yet. And right when you walk into the store I have a black/white/silver display. How about black and silver snowflakes!? I just wanted to post a quickie and I hopefully I will have a chance to read some blogs soon! The holidays are nice but where does all the time go?? I had a lot more time a month ago!

Gratitude Gala

2007-11-09T17:48:00.000-05:00

I am going to do my Gratitude Gala post along with my photo of myself that I was tagged by Rhonda to post.
I am so grateful that I still have my grandmother with me and she still has a great mind. She is in the hospital right now and I am praying she recovers. The one photo is of the both of us when I was 4 or 5. The other is the photo is of me on the same day. Times were sweet then. I grew up going to visit my grandmother and staying over night. I would read Donna Parker, Cherry Ames, Vickie Barr, all those great old books. My sister and I loved to place dress up in the old clothes, AND buttons!! LOVED sorting the old buttons. I have such great childhood memories of both of my grandmothers. But I only have this one left. I hope to get around to everyones blog over the weekend, it has been a while and I miss everyone! Life has been busy lately. I guess when I think about it, I am doing exactly what I did when I was little girl, as a big girl for my real job. Yes, lots to be thankful for.

Happy Halloween All

2007-10-31T17:51:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to take time to wish everyone to have a spooky fun evening!! I don't do the trick or treat thing now that my son is an adult. So I am staying in and my attached man is coming over bringing pizza and we are going to cozy up and watch a scary movie. Lots of candles too! Here is the rest of my Halloween display I did. (I drew and painted the little cards for fun) I put flicker bulbs in my chandelier but you can't see it but it looks neat.
Have fun all!!

I'm Late but the Winner Is.....................

2007-10-29T10:22:00.000-04:00

Due to my long unexpected weekend I forgot to pick my winner for my give away!!! Oops!! those 3am mornings are tough but the fun my sister and I had was well worth it!! Here is the winner from the random number generator..............Was number 2~Robin at Bittersweet Punkin!!! Use my email address on my profile page and send me your address!!! Congrats!! (take my word for the number~can't seem to get pics to load at this moment)

Sisters Making Memories~Camper Time!!

2007-10-27T15:32:00.000-04:00

Last night it was sister sleep over nite in the camper!! We met our sons at McAlister's Deli for dinner, yum!! Then we went shopping for fun stuff for our paper art. My little camper was full of paper and all sorts of do-dads. Doing our work in the camper meant many trips in and out of the house to use the stove to dry the paper. (camper stove isn't hooked up yet) You see, we didn't start until almost 11pm, so we needed the paper to dry FAST! We ended up in bed at 3am and of course with a bedtime laughfest!! Sisters making memories..........When can we do it again?!?! Hope you are all having a great weekend and making your own sweet memories:-)
***Hey guess what??? She called while I was doing this post and she is coming back with more stuff! We will be half dead by tomorrow evening but oooh we will have fun:-)

Ma & Pa Kettle

2007-10-23T11:43:00.001-04:00

Do you remember those old movies about Ma & Pa Kettle and their leaky roof? Well it was a rainy evening here last night and I love those types of evenings but.............. I was working and getting ready for the barn sale coming up. I had to upstairs for something and was so happy that I was getting so much done, then what a surprise I got~ my bed was soaked on one side!!. I knew I had a little problem with the roof and that it needed repaired but this is a BIG problem!. I had to go up into the loft and station rubbermaid totes all over to catch the drips, each time I thought I had them all I had to go back up because I could hear another one! Then I finally was so tired I just started taking towels and stuffing them around. Which leads me to think I am changing the name of my antiques mall to Ma & Pa Kettle Antiques!! Seems fitting huh?? But I am a Ma with no Pa. Think it would be ok if I cried now? Ok I won't cry but I sure feel like it:-( Maybe I better laugh...........as my grandmother says, this too shall pass:-)

Apron Book Give Away!

2007-10-21T22:00:00.001-04:00

I don't have much time this week for posting or even reading blogs, but I did want to do a give away!! Just because everyone else is doing it and it looks like fun! So here is what I have for one lucky winner~The Apron Book, great little book about aprons~Of course a vintage apron, a small vintage floral tablecloth with matching napkins, and a set of darling little cherub/angel note cards. I am going to pick the winner next Sunday morning, so you have until then to post. And I am going to use one of those online number pickers, <<(I am tired can you tell, lol) Oh yeah, Random number generator. So post as many times as you want, I will plug in the numbers and let it pick one for me. off to bed now!
(click pic for larger view)

Blogging time

2007-10-19T11:53:00.000-04:00

This has been a busy week but then aren't they all?? I love blogging and I have made so many new friends I wish I had more time to spend visiting and posting. I don't know how you all find the time to blog everyday and post blogs as well! I have to MAKE myself not do it so I can get my other stuff done, like work! lol
This wonderful cherry bag was sent to me by the sweetest blog friend~ Michelle at Vintage Pistache Isn't it darling!!! She was so kind to send it to me because of my love of cherries~You remember that cherry camper of mine??:-) What surprise to find at the post office waiting for me! Just like Christmas!! She even packed it in matching tissue paper. That is great since I am such a color junky. I have to use mugs/cups for my tea and coffee to match what I am wearing. (I am baaaaaad on color coordination, sort of an obssession I think lol)

These are the cutest Halloween cards that are vintage inspired. I found them at Barnes and Noble~a box of 24 for only $6.95~What a deal! I love to mail out cards the old fashioned way.
I can not believe that the end of October is almost here! I will have to be digging out Christmas decorations soon to put out in the store! And I am NOT ready to Christmas shop. But I am ready to see all my vintage Christmas decorations! I like to get them out early so I can enjoy them as long as possible

This is a black and white toile lampshade that I finished up this week. I have a thing lately for black and white. Not really sure why that is. I wish I had more time to make these, I have so many designs and ideas. That goes for all my other projects too.

***NOTE***I am planning to do a give away and will be doing a post on it over the weekend so check back!!!
Happy Friday to all!!

My Award Made Me Smile:-)

2007-10-13T23:53:00.000-04:00

Thank you to Michelle at Vintage Pastiche', she awarded me with the "You Make Me Smile Award" What a pleasant surprise! There are SO many wonderful blogs out there that always make me smile and keep me coming back again and again.
The rules to this are to pass this award to 10 other ladies that make you smile.
Here are my picks, I am only allowed 10 so I hope this gets around to everyone!!

*Dena~at Swaddle Cottage
*Lynn at the Vintage Nest
*Robin at Bittersweet Punkin
*Lisa at A Thing For Roses
*Sarah at Misadventures of Sarah and Jack
*Linda at Somewhere in Time
*Mary Isabella at Daisy Bouquet
*Dolly at My Cherry Heart
*Fifi at Chez Fifi
*Angie at Scrapnmomsmoments

There are so many out there that make me smile so these are only a few! Please pass this on!!

A little about me

2007-10-13T12:33:00.000-04:00

Polly had asked me about my dinner date that I had last weekend. Here it is Saturday again and time for another dinner date. Wow that week went by fast!!
About me....... I have been divorced now for 3 1/2 years, finally my life feels peaceful and normal. I got rid of all the drama when I got rid of my ex. I am dating a man that had been my platonic friend for 15 years or so. When we would get together we always had a good time laughing and talking for hours. I never thought anything about it, just happy to have him as a friend. Now here I am dating this man. We still laugh and have a good time and there is no drama and no arguing. Life is peaceful and fun. Things are not perfect though, he lives 40 minutes away and we only see each other 2 or 3 times a week. He must really love me because he had to trade his truck in to buy a new one because the old one had too many miles on it from driving to see me, lol. One Sunday evening this past January he gave me a diamond ring over a game of Scrabble, (told you life was peaceful, lol) I am too old for a "promise" ring, so I named it my attachment ring. So I am official attached! My 22 year old son gave his approval which means a lot to me. He watches out for his mother:-)
Life is good for now and I feel very blessed.

One Autumn Day.....

2007-10-11T23:51:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was the day my sister, mom, dad and I went the Covered Bridge Festival. We all took the day off from everything and had fun just the 4 of us. My sister and I managed to leave our families behind. It was breezy and 40 degrees cooler than it was Monday, It felt like winter! I am sure I kept my winter coat on all day! We actually went the day before it started. Going early has it's pros and cons, mainly pros. Cons~not all the vendors are set up, and not hardly any food booths are going yet, Pros~not hardly any traffic, all the flea market vendors are set up so it is better pickings. We prefer the antique junk dealers over the crafters because we all resale, so it makes sense to go early for those bargains!!! We found lots of stuff and my sister accused me of taking up too much room with all my stuff, she was teasing of course (but I did hog up the trunk, lol) Since there were not hardly any food booths open we found mini doughnuts for lunch~YUM!! They were so hot and just melted in your mouth:-) Something about eating food outside makes it tastes better I guess.
We found the guy that sells all the enamelware. He was on the cover of a past Country Living and they he did the Country Living Show, (some of the comments on this link are interesting to read) We got all the left overs but we got better deals, so that was cool. I love the old labels that are on them. The chenille pumpkin was only $2, can you believe it! All 3 of us bought those. On Tuesday I also picked up this darling little white terrarium, it was only $7. I am keeping it and can't wait to put a Christmas display in it! There were a lot of laughs and we all had fun. I am tired today but it was well worth it. I can't think of any better way to have spent the day there than with the "original"4!

Tricks and Treats

2007-10-06T14:56:00.000-04:00

Finally found time to do my little Halloween display using some of my vintage postcards and things. I had fun playing around with it. This corner shelf is in my kitchen. Not much room in my apartment but I keep it filled up, LOL. My black cat in the outside planter I picked up at the Goodwill for 50 cents! I sprayed him with clear coat to protect him, he is by my apartment door. This is a stack of vintage tablecloths that I just put out in the store. I have a hard time not keeping them all! And the pink little shell girl I am going to sell on eBay tomorrow. Isn't she darling!??? Would be perfect for those of you that decorate by the beach. Well I guess there weren't any tricks only treats!
Off for my dinner date!!

Looks Like Autumn, Feels Like Summer!

2007-10-02T20:57:00.000-04:00

It is SO hot here right now and up to 90 by Friday, this is suppose to be Autumn in the Midwest, but feels like Summer, yuck! How am I suppose to be sipping hot apple cider in this weather? My tan has faded and I packed up my summer things a week ago! I refuse to put my white legs back into my little summer skirts!! Guess I need to break out the bottle.... of fake tan that is! Denial isn't working to make the heat go away. Darn it!!
The Covered Bridge Festival starts next weekend and I am hoping it cools off for that. I used to set up at it for the 12 days but now I am going for the fun of it with my mom, dad and sister. We never get to do anything just the 4 of us. It ought to be a good time! I will have to make sure I take pictures to show you!
This is just a few of the fall displays in and around the store. I will be working on my Halloween displays soon. That is always fun dragging out my vintage Halloween decorations!

Here are a few more.........

2007-10-01T00:11:00.000-04:00

I am putting out a few more photos of my camper. I wanted you to see what it looked like on the outside. I am going to use red paint for the stripes where the gray is. It hasn't cooled off too much here, and of course 10 degrees higher than normal. I hate it! I love fall and it is going to be over and go straight to winter! Hard to "play" camper when it is blazing!
Here is the cherry watercolor I did for the camper. I was just playing around and having fun with it. And I had this vintage frame for it after I dug around in the basement. Wish you could all see how sweet my lanterns look when they are lite up! I have some super cute red Chinese lanterns to hang up under my awning outside the camper. A really nice friend gave those to me, I can't wait to use them!! No awning yet either, bummer.
I was at an auction all day on Saturday and filled my SUV and the bed of a truck. Now I have it all over to sort and price. Looks like my apartment exploded!!
Last night before I went to bed one of my cats, Boris, (note photo, he is the one that doesn't have green eyes,) The green eyes is Sebastian, Anyway he got out last night. I stayed up late and waited for him to come home. I was driving all over my small town looking for him at 1am in my jammies. I had the window down whispering his name, no such luck. I was so tired I was really afraid I would end up running over my own flipping cat or something. So I finally had to go to bed. Well Mr Sassy Pants decided to show up this morning about 7am. Does he realize he cost me a night's sleep??!! I can't keep my eyes open any longer but happy he came home:-)

Keeping Busy

2007-09-25T20:23:00.000-04:00

Nothing much is going on here with me. I don't have any funny stories to tell, no cats in skillet, that was such a funny story!! There are so many of you out there that have lovely things to write and I enjoy reading about them all!! I have been working on lampshades, collage art and some other things. Seems like I bounce around from room to room trying to get several things done at once.
It has finally cooled off here so I can get back to the camper and get my fall displays done in the shop!!! Yippee! Maybe I can even drink some hot tea or apple cider. Yum!! the camper isn't any fun when I get all hot and sweaty out there. that isn't my idea of cozy.
I got another piece of art done and one ready to frame!! The blue and gold lamp shade is my newest shade. and look at what my sweet friend Polly sent me~Cherry Camper goodies! What a great surprise!
I did get my cherry decals for my camper and got those up. I will have to post more photos of the camper. I painted a picture of cherries to hang up out there. Can't seem to find anythat look right, so I will just paint them myself!! I will show you those when they are done!

Saturday Treasures

2007-09-22T23:30:00.000-04:00

I just couldn't stay home and rest my back I HAD to get up and go to yard sales and of course it was Goodwill 50% off day so I couldn't pass that up either. Then why waste a trip to town and not get a few groceries, and oops back track, I needed my sweet tea fix from McAlister's deli, then finally made it back around 1. I didn't have to work my store today and I LOVE days off from the store. But living behind my store, I almost have to leave to get any peace and quiet. I will escape to my camper in the future but today was still too warm.
Here are a few things I found today. That little white cabinet I got yesterday and moved my porcelain buttons & pins into it. The little chintz piece I picked up for 25 cents! And that chair. bulletin board, and white rack were from 3 different places but don't they look good together? Think I am keeping that stuff too, LOL The magazines I paid $1 for all of them. Camper reading tomorrow!! I have other stuff but this is all I could get on tonite.
Oh yeah, this is a framed piece of my recent altered art. I think I will be selling it. Hoping to do fun stuff tomorrow! Have a great Sunday all!

Yellow Rose Day

2007-09-21T19:12:00.001-04:00

Well I know I am not in the contest but I couldn't resist celebrating the yellow rose theme too!! (Polly's contest at Counting Your Blessings )
I had another back injection today so I am having to take it easy and of course I have my laptop with me on the couch. Good time to get to go around and check out every one's yellow rose blog. There are so many wonderful blogs it will be a difficult decision. The only good thing about being Polly's judge is a have a good excuse to blog surf! Happy Friday Night to all! I am watching AMC, an old Alfred Hitchcock movie is just coming on, hope it is a good one!

Life in the Fast Lane

2007-09-18T19:43:00.000-04:00

Seems like there is never enough time in the day to get everything done. Always hurrying to get one thing done after another. I did shut the computer off last night before 11 and was asleep by 11:15. I decided all my work could wait. Even blogging and reading a book!! So now I feel like I have to make up for lost time. For some reason I always feel guilty if I am not keeping busy. I have to MAKE myself take a break. Maybe it is a good thing I have the camper now. It is my little retreat from all the work to be done in the "real" world!!
Saturday I found some great bark cloth that I have listed on Ebay I also found this great foot stool for $5! but I am keeping it and using it in my living room. I think I am starting my fall/winter nesting, LOL. I did find time to redo my fireplace mantel, my version of fall. I didn't think orange went too well, so instead I did the deep rich colors. OK back to work!!
Oh yeah, check out these chartreuse zinnias a friend gave me!

Weekend Pretties

2007-09-15T23:21:00.000-04:00

Here are a few pretty things that I have found lately. I have them listed on ebay right now, they end on Sunday evening. I had a hard time letting the little rose print go!
I went to several sales in the past few days and found some wonderful barkcloth and other things to list! My sister and I found an unadvertised estate sale! We got to go in the house and root around in piles of stuff. OH it was fun!! We had to unpack the SUV and repack it we found so much, LOL. I will get things listed tomorrow and put some photos on here of my finds. Oh by the way, my sister did come up Friday and night and we got to "play" camper! I put my metal chairs outside the camper door, piled up the pumpkins, gourds and candles to make it look festive for fall. We had a great time, but froze in the wee morning hours, (it was sort of like sleeping in a big tin can, lol, No heat in it yet) We got up for sales before 6 and were thrilled to get in the warmth of the car. Not much sleep but it was worth it!!

More Camper Pics

2007-09-12T20:52:00.000-04:00

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Ok I couldn't help myself to go "play" in my camper after work and then take more photos. I am waiting for my cherry decals to put in the middle of the cabinet doors! Then comes the red and white awning and metal chairs. It all takes time and thanks for letting me share it all with you! I had the cutest little chinese lanterns with vegetables so took them out & they blend fine with the cherries. I took out a cup of tea to enjoy while I was just sitting and thinking of what I need to do next. Oh yeah, still have to make more valances. Maybe a pillow or two! The electric or propane isn't hooked up yet but I am still hauling dinner out there tomorrow night! I just can't help myself, LOL Check out my plastic kitty kat mirror, and that cool red tole wooden tray. I have had most of this stuff stashed for years and finally getting to drag it out. Thanks again for letting me share!! Off to bed and maybe I will get up in time for morning coffee in the camper:-)

Sneak Peek

2007-09-11T12:23:00.000-04:00

Well I can give you all a sneak peek at my cherry camper. I got 3 valances and 3 pillows made yesterday in between customers. I couldn't wait until the store closed so I could take my things out to the camper! Did I ever mention that I live behind my antiques mall?? Very handy and I don't have to spend all that time commuting!
Also I wanted to say the tea parties I visited yesterday were wonderful! I think we should all do one for the holidays so we can all see how each other decorates for Christmas!!
Back to work!

Hoppin' Hyper-Mode

2007-09-09T14:48:00.001-04:00

I had a back injection on Friday that is suppose to help repair my back. I had a car accident a couple of years back and I still haven't recovered from it. What does that have to do with hyper you ask?? there were steriods in that injection and I woke up this morning to a red face, HOT and bouncing around like the Energizer Bunny on crack! Ping ping PING!! Guess my back isn't hurting too bad right now or I haven't stopped long enough to find out! I have been getting lots done and being the nice Mom that I am I even went and got my son's laundry from his apartment to wash for him. A good surprise for him and leverage for me when I need his help, LOL.
I am excited because today is the day I get my vintage little camper!! Yippee!!! I have waited years to get one of these. It has already been painted white inside and new mini blinds are up. It is only about 2 miles away so it won't take long to get it back here. I am going to use all of my vintage cherry things I have been collecting over the years and of course add in new stuff too. I am going to put the door opening facing my little courtyard and then eventually have a red and white striped awning over it, string little lights and put my metal chairs painted red and white in front of it. It is very doubtful if I will do much camping but I am going to have a good fun time in my new "playhouse"! Going to have my sister over for a sleepover whenever I get it finished and we can hook up. I feel like a kid but I just can't help it! I will post pictures of it when I get it done. Here is some of the stuff that I have to use. Well I am off to bounce off the walls some more!

Fun Finds & My Stuff!

2007-09-06T14:42:00.000-04:00

I am going to share some photos of a few of my fun finds lately!! I found a pair of these stained glass windows and aren't they are wonderful!! Too bad I already have them sold:-( I didn't have a place for them anyway.

Then there is this stash of hats that I purchased from an estate, they are being listed on ebay. The pink one from the 40's with the black netting is super glam! I just love old hats, they make me think of playing dress up with my sister at my grandma's house! Now those were fun times!

Ok now for some pics of my bedroom "headboard" I love this part of my room! I took an old mirror frame and turned it upside down. It is so much fun to find new uses for what some think is "junk"! I have a collection of powder tins and girly stuff up there.

Well that is all I have time for today. Stupid internet has been giving me fits here. What did we ever do without it? I feel like I am jonesing and in need a of a fix if I can't get online. Sad isn't it? LOL

Name Game

2007-09-05T16:40:00.000-04:00

Dena from Swaddlecottage tagged me for the name game, the hardest part for me will be finding someone to tag since I am new in blogland. And this is also going to take some serious thought...hmmmm....Well, my middle name is Renee. Very frenchy huh? Michelle Renee with the accent on the e. I used to LOVE to tell people that when I was little, it made me feel SO important. I forgot all about that until now! Ok down to the game, R~Raunchy? Na, that won't work, Risky? Ok that might be true, RISKY~It was a big risk to start my antiques mall over 16 years ago. E, Oh great how many things can I possibly say that start with an E? Well I could say Evil, but that won't work, (don't ask my ex tho!) ENTERTAINING~Several of my friends think I am nutty and very funny to be with so that will work! N~NAUGHTY? Yes!! guess I can be that at times but in a Happy Bunny way!! Another flipping E~ECONOMICAL~I cut coupons, look for sales and LOVE flea markets, auctions and yard sales, so that is a good one! Last E~ENERGETIC!~That is a reall good one for me, I am always doing something even if I am sitting still, which isn't too often. Whew, I did it! Now to figure out who to tag, guess that I will have to work on that. Anyone that hasn't been tagged let me know, LOL I can tag you!

Lotsa Labor

2007-09-04T12:10:00.001-04:00

Hope everyone had a nice relaxing Labor Day because mine was full of lotsa labor!! I worked on my new work room and you would not believe the mounds of stuff piled, I felt like a mountain goat plowing through it all. The walls are a creamy white, I even have a cool brick wall, and the doors are painted a great vintage pink color! Looking forward to getting my large chandelier hung! Just what a girl needs in her work room, a beautiful light! Sure hope my son can keep paying his rent on his apt, not sure if he would like my pink and white room to sleep in, lol! It was such fun going around and digging out things I have stashed all over, finally I can have a home for everything. One of my family members nic named me "stuffnstash" because I have things everywhere! It's almost embarrassng where all I do have things put! I will post photos when I get a bit farther along in it. In the mean time here are some photos of a few fun things I found at the flea market on Sunday morning, a great pink rose Wilendur tablecloth , a shabby faded pink rose box and lots of other fun things listed on my ebay page.
I have also posted a few fun pics I took in my store and home!

Update

2007-09-03T13:05:00.001-04:00

Thanks Polly for the info on creating links, nothing like letting the world know how dumb I am!
Here is my ebay user id~myshellstuf
Not much there right now but I will be getting more on soon!

Saturday Morning

2007-09-03T10:38:00.001-04:00

I found these great chippy metal chairs when I went out to sales Saturday morning! I have them sitting outside of my antique mall for now. Really hard not to drag them back to my little courtyard and keep them! But I already have 3 of them back there right now. Guess I will enjoy them while they last:-) Labor Day weekend has truely been that for me. We started cleaning out my son's old room that is now going to be my work room. Yippee!! Finally I get one!! He moved out a few months ago and rents one of my apartments, so he is close but not too far! I will post photos later one of my workspace. I went to the flea market and I have several things to list on ebay. That will have to be later tonite. A couple of really pretty tablecloths, a sample powder tin, jewelry and some other fun finds! If you get a chance go check it out later tonite, I mean REAL late tonite, LOL. user id~myshellstuf ~PS I haven't figured out how to do a link for you to click on

My 1st Blog

2007-08-27T23:44:00.000-04:00

Ok everyone this is my 1st blog and I want a different background and look. I don't know how to do it!! Can anyone help me out here? I have posted a couple of displays that I have in my antiques store. The lampshades are some of my designs.

Back Through Time

What a Summer it has Been!

Friday Flea Market

Vintage Theme Wedding Costume Party

It's the Last Day of May...How Sad

Look at what I have!!!

Happy Mother's Day & The Winner is...............

100th POST GIVEAWAY!!!

Happy Easter!!!

Take trip through my Antique Mall

Easter Parade

~Friday Flea Market & Spring~

Computer Nightmares

Mottos of the Past

Chocolate and Pink Roses

~~Happy Valentine's Day~~

Sorting Through My Snow Days

Pink Roses......

Brrrrrrr! Jack Frost Has Moved In

***Happy 2009!***

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Snowy Flea Market Friday

Happy Thanksgiving!

Christmas is THAT close?? Amazing

Last Camper Weekend

Happy Halloween!

Friday Flea Market

Pink Pumpkin!

OK...Where did September go??

The Winner Is.....

Already Been Done & Happy September!

Back Yard Camping & New Projects

Happy 4th of July!!

Taking a Mono Break

Honeysuckle Martini

Check out My Flea Market Friday.........

Fun Finds & Happy Memorial Day!

Mushrooms and Bugs

Happy Mother's Day!

Check back later on Friday~Time got away

Happy May Day!!!

Flea Friday & Quote for the Day

Fabulous Flea Market Friday!

Happy Friday & Flea Market Friday

Flea Friday

Faith.......

Flea Market Friday

A Quick Update....and Flea Market Friday

Flea Market Friday

This Week Went FAST!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Pretties & an Award!

Just Hangin' Around

Weirdo Facts & Awards Sprinkled w/Valentines

Happy Friday

Sick Day

Sorting & Sifting

Off to a Snowy Creative Start

Happy New Year to All!!

Christmas Hoopla Tag

Christmas Trivia

Oh the Weather Outside is Delightful...........

Snow on the Way!

Opening Special!

Spinning in Circles

I Finally Made it To the Prom!!

Lots To Do and Christmas is Coming!!

Gratitude Gala

Happy Halloween All

I'm Late but the Winner Is.....................

Sisters Making Memories~Camper Time!!

Ma & Pa Kettle

Apron Book Give Away!

Blogging time

My Award Made Me Smile:-)

A little about me

One Autumn Day.....

Tricks and Treats

Looks Like Autumn, Feels Like Summer!

Here are a few more.........

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy 2009!