Shabby French Country Cottage Basement

St. Simons Island Lighthouse

2013-09-05T22:18:00.000-04:00

The St. Simons Island, Georgia Lighthouse is always beautiful, but especially so at dusk. My husband and I were walking along the pier a couple of weeks ago when I caught this scene.

St. Simons Island, Georgia

TREE FROGS AND CATS......

2012-10-17T22:51:00.000-04:00

Tree frogs are the cutest little things, aren't they? Yeah, but, at 5 a.m., not so cute. My husband and I were awakened at 5 a.m. by a LOUD crash in the living room. We ran/stumbled down the hall and into the living room where we saw a large picture had crashed to the porcelain tile floor, sending glass into a million pieces all over the room. One cat was hiding under the coffee table. One cat ran out the pet door to the sun porch. One cat was still all, let me at him! let me at him! to the biggest tree frog I have ever seen, which was on the wall above the big empty spot where the picture should be. My husband reached up to retrieve the tree frog, lost his balance and fell to the floor. The frog jumped out of his hand and the cat went after it. I grabbed the cat, whose name by the way is Mojo. It was like trying to hold an octopus. He was squirming and reaching out in every direction trying to get away from me and grab that frog! Meanwhile the frog was climbing the wall and my poor husband was trying to get up from the floor while I was saying, get it! get It! It's climbing higher! It's going behind the curio cabinet! Hurry! So, he got the frog. I put Mojo down. I opened the front door and my husband put the tree frog out in the front garden. That little fella will have a wild scary story to tell his frog kids and grand frogs some day and I bet he will never venture inside a house again.... at least not this one.

Sunflowers along the way

2012-09-05T22:44:00.000-04:00

On a drive along a country road a couple of months ago I spotted a field of sunflowers. "Stop. Pull over. Turn Around!" My husband just looked at me like I was joking. I don't know where he comes up with stuff like that. I finally got him to turn around and go back. It was a huge field of beautiful sunflowers. Now really, who doesn't love sunflowers?

We drove down the road beside the field and got out of the car for a closer look. I jumped the ditch and got right up close to those spectacular beauties. I have never seen such a large field of sunflowers ouside of the state of Kansas.

This field is in middle Georgia.

This is one crop that wasn't ruined by the heat, the rain or drought this summer. Thank you Sunflowers for your rays of sunshine!

Oreck Magnesium Vacuum Cleaner Giveaway at Southern Hospitality

2012-08-07T23:31:00.002-04:00

I just saw this and there is a very short time, I mean only minutes left to enter. So go to Southern Hospitality blog, Southernhospitalityblog.com and enter to win the best vacuum cleaner ever. It weighs only 7 pounds! Seven pounds! I have cats who weigh more than twice that!!!!! Go now!http://southernhospitalityblog.com/giveaway-winners/giveaways/the-oreck-magnesium-giveaway/

Amish Community Market

2012-08-06T00:26:00.001-04:00

During my visit to Tennessee this weekend my mom, my grandson and I went to a produce market owned by an Amish family. This family bought a farm which adjoins a farm previously owned by my mother's family. The trip itself was a beautiful drive along a winding road through
the countryside.

Around every bend in the road awaited more delights.

Huge old barns which have sheltered animals, stored hay and provided play areas for children for generations still do all of that even though they show signs of neglect.

These horses still appreciate the old barn, the generous pastures and the big shady oak trees.

A lot of beautiful weddings and receptions are held at this wonderful place we passed along the way.

I guess they'll finish this fence later.

Fresh eggs for sale. Self serve, eggs were in an ice chest and a box was provided for payment.

This lovely cow needs milked! She's waiting patiently.

They have such a beautiful garden.

This is the Amish community swimming pond. It is lined with a canvas like fabric and has a filtration system of some sort. They don't use electricity. There is a platform and a rope swing. Some little boys were swinging out and dropping into the pond. I took this picture from the road, then turned down the drive beside it. I walked over and ask the adult with them if I could take pictures of the children swimming. He said, "We prefer you not take pictures. We believe pictures are to be of objects not people." So, I didn't take any more pictures of them and I edited the children out of this picture out of respect for their belief. But, they were beautiful. They wore knee length pants and tank tops to swim.

Roomy airy chicken coops.

Flower beds in front of building.

They built their produce market on the top of a steep hill overlooking the most beautiful country vista you could want to see. This is the view from the deck on the side of the produce market.

I didn't take any pictures of the beautiful building with its wide front doors and wide side door opening onto the deck providing a cooling breeze inside.

There were too many people inside and I didn't want them to think I was taking their picture.

Bounty from their garden.

Buttermilk Soap, Peppermint Salve, Corn Relish and Pinalope Preserves (Pineapple & Cantalope)

Banana Bread and 100% Pure Comb Honey

Lots of good fresh food from the Englewood Community Farm Market

We had a wonderful time and enjoyed a beautiful day.

Bye bye!

FLASH MOB THRIFTING - July 28th 2012

2012-08-01T22:19:00.003-04:00

Okay, we've all been thrift shopping, right? But, have you ever been Flash Mob Thrifting? That's what it was. Eight high energy, zealous, purpose filled women on a mission. A mission to find the best stuff in the store. We swept in, wearing our blue and white @Hometalk tee shirts, our eyes taking in everything at once, like eagles, or hawks, maybe buzzards. Scanning everything as quickly as possible in order to get the best items first, we walked quickly, heart in throat, almost out of throat when we saw that special item. The adrenaline was pumping, it was exhilarating. We started at 8 A.M. and didn't stop for a break until 4 PM. We had accomplished our mission. All vehicles were full.

Flash Mob Thrifters

L-R Debbie of @Refresh Restyle, Ann of @Shabby French Country Cottage Basement, Kim of @This is my Someday, Debbie of @The Smart Set, Sarah of @Unto the Rainbow, Cherry of @Cherry's in the Garden and More, Mary of @Cotton Wood Furnishings, Karen of @The Smart Set

Don't let the smiles fool you.

Debbie getting ready to load up at the first stop, The Bargain Box.

Debbie, Cherry and Sarah in the loading line.

Loading up!

***

Plotting the course and re-living the moment. We got a lot of attention wearing these Hometalk tee shirts. Don't know what Hometalk is? Oh, you are in for a treat. Check it out on facebook and go to the site and join. Several shop personnel were interested and asked us about Hometalk. One took our picture. I guess we're Thrift Shop Celebrities.

A musician was performing in one of the thrift stores. That was pleasant and different!

Two words I can't pass up. I bought a beautiful brand new set of white dishes in Vintage Market. Yes, of course, white. It is a seven place setting. I assume the display set was never returned to the carton so it went to the thrift store. Lucky me! I love them. Pictures in another post!

Off Island Thrift Shop

Mary and Kim proud of their haul and their loading skills.

And we aren't finished.

Debbie and Sarah surveying their treasures.

So many wonderful things.

Mary and Karen sorting the goods.

Debbie of The Smart Set reloading.

Gorgeous hydrangeas photo

Debbie and Karen of The Smart Set

Mary and Kim

Rusty old heavy wrought iron bakers rack. Isn't it beautiful....

Treasures, treasures and more treasures!

Score!

Hidden treasures. It's like pirates, only we didn't steal.

Yes, that is a kitchen island on the left. Kim grabbed it and practically climbed on top of it and wouldn't let go until someone came to mark it sold and carry it to the front. Trust me, don't mess with her when she has that look in her eyes.

We all fell in love with the beautiful Australian Shephards and Welsh Corgi. Briefly.....

Look ma! No tail! Oh, come on, everybody has a good butt shot.

Can you spell WONDERFUL???

Can you believe there is more???

These are two heavy cast iron plant holders. This was a prized and coveted purchase!

I'm going to write a separate post about my treasures. I didn't take pictures of any of them during the shopping day. It didn't occur to me to do that! We plan to get together again in a few months and do this again! It will take me that long to rest up.

bye bye!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

2012-08-01T02:05:00.000-04:00

Monday was my birthday! My husband said, "Let's go to Jacksonville." Being the more practical of the two of us, I knew we had a lot of things we need to do at home, so I said, "Okay!". I had a Pottery Barn gift card with a balance of $93.00 on it. My daughter gave me the card for Christmas and it was time to spend it. I wanted almost everything in the store. They have the most beautiful things. It was hard to narrow it down but I finally did. I enjoyed talking to a couple of the ladies who work there and oooing and ahhhing about some of the unique gorgeous things.

I got a milk bottle carrier...

I've never found an old one, so I have a new one that looks old. I'm very happy with it!

I got a glass dome food cover.

Same story-never found an old large one.

I got some hang tags and small blank cards.

I can always use these.

Then we went to another of my favorite stores.

YES!

I wish I had taken my camera. Anthropologie has the most beautiful and unique displays and merchandise. I picked out a white scarf with crochet fringe and flowers. Then a very nice lady said hello to me and ask if I was finding everything okay. Her name is Kelley Cooper and she is a great asset to Anthropologie! I ask her about a big burlap coffee sack. It turned out to be a display item.

Then I ask about a blue comforter which I loved but wanted in white. She had one and it was on sale! I thought it was the one I have wanted for over two years since I saw it in Country Living Magazine featuring the Martha's Vineyard cottage home of Tony Shalhoub, star of the hit television series, Monk, and his wife, actress Brook Adams. That was a jersey comforter with pulled pleated panels all over it. Well, the one they had isn't the one I've wanted for so long but I love it. I got the comforter and two pillow shams! Happy birthday to me!

Here is our bed with the old comforter. I love it too.

But, the new one just called out to me. It was saying, "you love me, buy me".

So, we did.

It is so soft and poofy.

Night night!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

2012-07-30T03:21:00.000-04:00

What a time I had last weekend! On Sunday, I was walking to my car to go to Goodwill and Wal-Mart, minding my own business, when my husband asked, "Need some lamps?" Across the street our neighbor had 3 table lamps, 2 floor lamps and 2 of those little round 3 legged glass top occassional tables in the yard.
I went over and asked the price. The table lamps were $5.00 each or all 3 for $10.00. I chose the lamp I wanted and carried it home to get $5.00. Then my husband asked, is there anything wrong with the lamp on the right? So, I took $10.00 and bought all 3. Two are pretty as they are but need different shades. The other one will have to be painted. It's mauve. So, I carried home the other 2 lamps and the crown on one of my very back teeth fell off. Darn.

Then I went to Goodwill and Wal-Mart. I came home with my 4 treasures from Goodwill and my purchases from Wal-Mart and told my husband they had a table at Goodwill I wanted but it wouldn't fit in the SUV. He said if you want it, I'll go with you and take the truck. We walked outside and the same neighbor had a chest of drawers out with the tables and floor lamps. It must be my lucky day! I said I would like to have the chest but felt funny about going over again. But, it was just $20.00 so I checked it out and my husband got the dolly out of the garage and came over and rolled it back to our house.

Nice looking chest of drawers!

Corkie likes it. I love my sweet little Corkie.

So, then we went to Goodwill and bought the table. I was really nervous that it would be gone. Now we have a dining table in the living room and a chest of drawers in the living room and I need a new crown on my tooth. Fortunately my Goodwill and neighborhood purchases only came to $69.00 because my crown will probably cost a kazillion dollars! I dread it so much! It has been only about five years since this one was put on. It never fit right and I remember the whole thing too vividly. I just need to focus on the good deals I got today! Focus, focus, focus, focus, focus, focus, focus........
When I got home, I checked out the chest of drawers. It was so wobbly we laid it on its back to keep it from falling over if we bumped against it or the cat jumped on it. Yes, it was that bad. The back was just that hard cardboard-like stuff and it wasn't even connected right. It looks brand new, even the drawers look like they've never had anything in them. I think it is one of those you have to assemble at home. I bet they bought it and after putting it together it was so wobbly they didn't want it. My husband took the drawers out, the back off, put stablizing wood bars across the back top and bottom, then put the back on correctly. Now it is strong, sturdy and nice! We put it in one of the guest bedrooms. So, now we only have a spare dining table in the living room.

This is the table. It's solid wood with turned legs and curved corners. Unfortunately the leaf was no longer with it. I can't wait to paint this baby!
Then I took a good look at the lamps. They were soooo dirty! He must have stored them in the shed. I apologize for the poor quality of these photos. I didn't realize the flash didn't work. The lamps were on the table beneath a light which prevented the flash and the shades blocked the overhead light. When I was editing the photos I almost deleted them because they were totally black. I thought they didn't take! I decided to try adjusting the brightness, low and behold there they were!

I love the lamp with the hand painted flowers and curved handles. The metal base has carved designs in it . This one is beautiful and classical.

This solid white lamp has beautiful curves. It reminds me of a 1920's dress.

There must have been something on the top of the shade. Notice the dirt line!

This is the mauve lamp. It's big and heavy and will be beautiful again after it's painted. I loved mauve twenty years ago. Done that- moved on. I put the shade in the garbage can before I even brought the lamp into the house. Then I had a thought to remove the cover and make a new one with the same frame so I ran out and snatched it out of the garbage can!

Not where I want to see rust.....

Oh, yes! My other Goodwill purchases!

.

I love this clear glass water pitcher. It has some pretty unique features though. Take a look.

WATER

ICE

I'm no gourmet chef but even I don't need a recipe for ice water!

I really like this blue stemmed wine glass too.

And my favorite purchase of the day..........

This beautiful gravy boat!

DREXEL

I haven't found any history on this yet. All I found was furniture but I will investigate more.

Oh, and first thing Monday morning I called my dentist and got an appointment for Tuesday morning. He did the drilling with a jack hammer and pounded around with a sledge hammer and dug in with a pick axe. That has now been five days ago and it still hurts. He prescribed pain meds which made me sleep most of the week and made me very sick. It was a bad week! But!

SATURDAY TOTALLY MADE UP FOR ALL OF THAT!

I spent the entire day thrifting with 7 of the most fun fabulous women whom I have ever met.

I will tell all (well, most all) about it tomorrow!

Love ya!

bye bye

SUNDAY AFTERNOON DRIVE -PART TWO!! -KRAZY KARS!

2012-07-17T01:33:00.001-04:00

SUNDAY AFTERNOON DRIVE - PART TWO, KRAZY KARS!!!

KRAZY KARS

We had such a good time investigating things we have seen along the way for years but never stopped to explore. Look at this fascinating car restoration and customizing shop!

KRAZY KARS HAVE SO MUCH CHARACTER!

BIG SMILE! :)

I SEE A DISNEY MOVIE IN THE WORKS....

GIVE IT UP FOR THIS FANTASTIC VINTAGE FIRE TRUCK!

I LOVE THIS ONE! SURELY THIS HAS BEEN IN A DISNEY MOVIE!

READY TO ROLL, BABY!

I GOT GRILL! VROOM!!!

STEPPIN' UP IN A LAREDO!

THIS PINK CHEVY TRUCK IS A REMINDER TO FIGHT BREAST CANCER.

SAVE THE GIRLS!!!

I LOVE THIS TRUCK!!!

WATCH DOG!

YES, I'M WATCHING.

MY BROTHER HELPS, TOO.

GREASED LIGHTENING!!!

TEMPEST! YEAH, BABY!

I STILL GOT IT, MAN!

COOL

I HAD TO GET ANOTHER SHOT OF COOL!

CHECK ME OUT!

STREET ROD!

GREAT COLOR!

IMPALA ALL THE WAY, MAN!

SEE YOU IN PART 3! LOVE YA! BYE BYE!

~Ann~

SUNDAY AFTERNOON DRIVE

2012-07-16T22:30:00.000-04:00

SUNDAY AFTERNOON DRIVE

A hot, sunny, summer day streched before us as we hit the road. The sky was the most amazing blue with big puffy clouds floating about. The universe beckoned us to come explore!

I took my camera because there is a beautiful, old brick building which I have wanted to photograph for years. I was finally going to take those pics!

Here it is! FANCY HONEY, The Altamaha Apiaries.

Click on the pic to get an enlarged view.

When we first "discovered" this old building the front was all covered by overgrown shrubs, trees and weeds. Someone cleared it away and gave the world this view.

It has some serious cracks in the brick front.

A perfect address!

Wow, don't you wish you could go inside?

The shed behind the building, where the drawers from the bee hives are stored.

Relics of days gone by... but there was more to see along our way!

Bamboo fields are so beautiful.

Pine trees and Palmettos.

A ceramics studio along the way.

Hmmm.... this door reminds me of an Appaloosa Horse.

Here is a wonderful little out building with an attached shed.

Great little building!

Ohhhh, what have we here?

Closer...

And closer...

Ahhhh, DRINK COCA COLA....

I absolutely love this old building! Mmmmm-wahh!

Oh, yeah! If we could just go in here!

An old gate which used to keep animals in or out maybe.

I think I'll go back and see if they want to sell the old metal lawn chair.

Such a comfortable old house. I could rock on this front porch for hours.

Life is good here!

I love this house. I would trade the lattice for brick or stone and live happily ever after.

And this is a very beautiful house of worship.

We had a wonderful day and took in a whole lot more than what I have shared here. I'll split the rest of the trip into a couple of more posts to keep from monopolizing all of your time! Check back for the "crazy cars" and sun flower fields! Love you, bye!

Ann

FRESH FROM THE FARMER'S MARKET

2012-07-11T00:29:00.000-04:00

One of the best joys of summer is fresh fruit and vegetables from the Farmer's Market!

I love to shop in Farmer's Markets. One of my favorite vendors at our local Farmer's Market is a wonderful woman who grows her own fruits and vegetables and also makes jelly, jam and chow-chow. Her name is Maxine and she amazes me!

There is no better food than locally farm grown and fresh!

Especially FRESH RIPE CHERRIES!!!

And FRESH RIPE PEACHES!!!

Okay, I have to slice some peaches now. I'm hungry!

IT'S SO HOT!!!

2012-07-10T16:45:00.000-04:00

IT IS A GAZILLION DEGREES OUTSIDE!!! And with the heat index factored in that's, well, I don't know what that is. What is hotter than a gazillion? The air conditioner cannot cool the house enough in this heat. Sitting still doing nothing is the only thing that feels right. So that is about all I have done yesterday and today. And I'm good at it!!! Stay cool, ya'll!

4th of July Celebration!!!

2012-07-08T19:35:00.000-04:00

Relaxing and having fun in the great Smokey Mountains.

I had a wonderful Independance Day Celebration! My husband and I are spending the week in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee with part of our family. Our room has a balcony overlooking the little river that winds through Sevierville and Pigeon Forge. We have spent a lot of time on that balcony this week! Coffee and conversation lasts for hours while we watch the birds, squirrels and ground hogs.

This is a BIG squirrel!

These two squirrels and two birds are dining nicely together.

Another beautiful, peaceful view from our room balcony.

We love just sitting and looking down upon this peaceful vista.

The evening of the fourth of July we watched John Williams perform onstage during the Patriot Festival in Patriot Park in Pigeon Forge. He was really good and we enjoyed it tremendously. Then the fireworks started! They were fantastic! They played patriotic music by various artists as the beautiful fireworks display went on. We don't mind the crowds and the busy roads to get to and from the fireworks display. It is all worth the effort. We love them!

Why Can't The Yard Just Stay Pretty???

2012-06-29T03:43:00.000-04:00

We work really hard every spring to get our yard looking nice. We pretty much let it rest during the winter months. We don't have snow here, but we do have frost and some freezing temps. Back in early March we cleaned up the yard and flower beds and filled the planters with beautiful spring flowers. I took all of these pictures then and posted them to my facebook page, so you may have already seen them.

Clean flower bed!

I painted the front door because I fell in love with the door color on the cover of Southern Living Magazine's March issue! It's called Quarry by Pratt and Lambert. I took the magazine to Home Depot and the paint guy brought the color up on the computer and made it for me. My hero! The bucket on the front door is an old one that had a paper label on it at one time. I painted it white and added Le Fleurs which I learned should have been Les Fleurs! I added the "s" but didn't re-shoot the picture. (I'm lazy like that sometimes.)

I added an old little wooden chair with bits of aqua paint still showing and a couple of porcelain bunnies from Pier One Imports for fun.

I sanded, took apart and painted the bench which has been sitting in front of our house for years.

It must have gotten this bad looking overnight! Surely I wouldn't let something like this sit beside our front door!!!

That's better!

We live in the deep southeast of the United States along the coast of Georgia. We have Live Oak trees in our yard. Live Oaks keep their leaves all winter, which is nice. But in spring they start shedding and replacing leaves. Not so nice! The shedding is called "weeping". I think that's because it makes people want to weep since they do this until mid to late May! After several weeks of either being out of town or deluged with rain, we finally worked in our front yard yesterday. It was a mess! The Live Oaks have the yard looking like late fall, except we have tall green grass! The planters of flowers look kind of bleak due to no water for two weeks while I was out of town, then tropical storm Debby brought torrents of rain! The flower beds I had painstakingly cleaned in March looked like jungles again. We have briar vines, dollar weed and every other weed known to earth! I weeded one flower bed, but the other two will have to wait a little longer. I am tired! Maybe in a few days it will look like these pics again....minus the spring flowers, of course!

Hey, I'm back and I have a lot to say and do!

2012-06-26T22:11:00.001-04:00

Well, look who's finally writing again! Yes, over six months have passed since I last wrote a blog post. A lot has happened since then. Yes, I did get the Christmas cards out before Christmas and get all of the decorations up, gifts bought and wrapped. My husband bought me a wonderful camera for Christmas. I still have not had time to figure out how to REALLY use it. It takes great pictures anyway. Oh, and yes, I took the decorations all down on or near new year's day. One month ago I was laid off from my corporate job of 8 years due to restructuring. I was given eight or nine weeks notice so I had plenty of time to get over the shock before the final day came. It will take a little longer to get past the hurt. :( I have long wanted to just work DIY projects and refurbish and paint furniture for my income so I am looking at this situation as my big opportunity. Some background info here---Five years ago my husband took a job promotion to a small town a little more than three hours drive from our home. Our plan was to rent or buy a small place for him to stay during the week. He would come home on weekends and we would get our house ready to sell and put it on the market. Well, um, he retired last year. We never did get the house ready and sell it. Now we are going to do that! When he first took the new position he came across a little house for sale just outside of the town he transferred to. It had everything wrong with it. We bought it. It is tiny. 695 square feet tiny. Living room, kitchen, one bathroom and two bedrooms. One bathroom.....even if I lived alone, I would want more than one bathroom. Oh, and that bathroom was falling in. We had to gut it completely. If you remember from my previous blog posts, usually when I say WE did some hard task, it means He did the hard part and I hauled out debris and cleaned up the messes, went to Home Depot multiple times daily and handed him tools. So, we gutted the bathroom and hired a carpenter recommended by one of my husband's new staff who has lived there all his life. We bought floor tile, tub, tub enclosure, sink and vanity, faucets, shower head, light fixtures, commode, plumbing, bead board panels for walls and ceiling, and every nail, screw, adhesive, and caulk which would be needed. The bathroom walls were covered with those little clear flower shaped plastic things that you put screws through. They are supposed to make it prettier instead of covering the screw heads. There must have been two hundred of them! We tossed them all in the trash pile with all the rotten flooring and walls. The carpenter had never worked with bead board panels and didn't know how to cover the nail holes. My husband walked in just as he was attaching them with little clear plastic flower things. Ha! The carpenter said, "These will make it pretty." My husband said, "You can't use those! My wife will have a fit if she comes in here and sees those." So, he put the panels on with little nails which he didn't cover. He put the panels on the ceiling with nails he didn't cover or use enough of. It sags. He broke a tile when installing the commode and didn't replace it. He didn't leave the cardboard cover in the tub while installing it. His helper dropped a hammer on it and chipped it. We had to buy another one. He and his wife are raising their grandchildren and are really in need of money so we wouldn't let him pay for it.
We paid him to build custom cabinets for the kitchen which is only 10 x 15 feet. I reminded him about the dishwasher which he would need to install and ask if he should get the measurements of it. He said no. My husband walked in one day as he was about to cut the countertop for the sink. He was going to put it halfway under the sink and halfway under the cabinet!!! What in the world was he thinking????? He didn't allow for the height of the dishwasher and he didn't take out the little stubs in the ends of the countertop before installing it. The next day was Saturday so we took the cabinet out, took the whole thing apart and rebuilt it. The man came in while we were working and saw what we were doing. My husband told him everything was done wrong and we would not need him any more. So, we had paid him to do all of this work and nothing was done right. It was usable though. We could use the bathroom facilities and we put the dishwasher, cabinets and sink in the kitchen so it's usable too.
I wondered though why the little shelf on each side of the shower stall was curved on top making it impossible to set anything on it other than a small bottle of shampoo or soap on the center of the curve. One day I was lying in the tub and wondered why the underside of the shelf had ridges on it like for putting soap on it. .........The side panels were upside down! Can you believe it? I was amazed. How do you do that??? We had to special order a new panel. The panel which had the faucet holes cut in it had to be trashed. It was the left panel. Well, it was really the right panel which he had put on the left side. So, we took down the three panels and ordered a new one and put it all up correctly. That house is still in need of a lot of work!
So, we have two houses which need fixed up! I will blog about both of them as we work our way through them. First, we need to get our primary house ready to sell. Stick with me as we work on it and give me encouragement. I am ready to get it done! I'll post some pictures too. Some are kind of scary though, so you've been warned!

NEW FIRM RESOLVE!

2011-12-09T14:23:00.001-05:00

Okay, so I haven't written and mailed our Christmas cards, decorated the tree or the house or finished any of the projects I have started. I did make the Christmas wreath, although looking at the pictures it looks like it needs more "stuff" at the top. I did hang a Christmas thing on the front door. Come to think of it, I believe it needs a little something added too. And I need to take it down and wash the front door. I need to clean the house too. The 13 big plastic tote boxes of Christmas decor are still stacked in the hall. My husband just said we need to get these out of here. "We will", I said. SO! I had better get busy. I have a lot to do today!!!

THIS CRAZY WEEKEND

2011-12-04T14:37:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we went to Hobby Lobby and Joann Fabrics which are about an 80 mile drive from us. I love those two stores! I have a hangover today from over indulgence! We didn't have a lot of time because it was mid afternoon when we decided to go, so I was looking as fast as my eyes would let me. My neck is a little sore today.
I had a list of things to buy from each store. At Hobby Lobby, among other things we were going to buy a wreath and all the stuff to put on it to make it ourselves. In my mind this was a dried grapevine wreath or one of those which look like hay formed into a circle. This simple circle would have a swath of wide white ribbon and some white soft fluffy things on it, just a beautiful cloud to love and adore. When you see the pictures later this afternoon, you will see nothing of that description except MAYBE the wide white ribbon.
My husband went straight for the big evergreen looking wreaths. They look so real! So I decided that's fine, we can have a green wreath. I like green wreaths. Then while I looked for just the PERFECT ribbon he went to pick out the trimmings. Everything he chose was bright red and gold. They were all beautiful, but.....
Okay, we can have a green wreath with bright red and gold trimmings.
I bought so many pretty things at Hobby Lobby; wooden appliques, fabric paint, pretty papers, ink stamps, glue sticks, new mini glue gun with a finer tip than previous one, fabric, trinkets, and I don't even remember what else!
At Joann Fabrics I had one paticular fabric and one particular trim to buy. I was thrilled to see they had a partial bolt of a fabric I found at another Joann Fabric store a month ago. That store only had a couple of yards or less and I bought it all. I thought I would not find it again. So, when I saw it yesterday I bought all they had on the bolt. Then I found two more fabrics I need for my pillows which will be going on etsy as soon as I get some more made. Then the trim department. You know how you should never turn a child loose in a candy store or a drug junkie loose in a pharmacy? Well, I should not be alone in the trim department of a fabric store. My pillows will cost $98.00 to make and will sell for $30.00. It's Christmas. It's the thought that counts.
You know when you have 100 specific things you are going to do and you do 200 other things instead, then you try to get the first 100 done in the time you have left? That is what I have done this weekend. I end up working all night long then sleeping from 6 AM until almost noon. Certainly have my days and nights switched! AND not getting enough sleep! Since I spent a fortune (to me anyway) for supplies yesterday I should be working diligently on items to sell. So, now I sit on the sun porch with my second cup of coffee after a delicious hot breakfast of biscuits, eggs, bacon and hash browns. I buttered the biscuits, so yes, I helped. Husband is watching football, no wreath made, tree and all other Christmas decorations still in the attic, I am still in my pajamas at 2 o'clock on a Sunday afternoon, wait, this sounds like a perfect Sunday afternoon.... Whirlwind of "getting busy" to come later, stayed tuned.

TYBEE ISLAND - SEASIDE SISTERS

2011-11-26T02:39:00.002-05:00

Tybee Island, Georgia is one of my favorite places. I would love to have a little house there, preferably oceanside but anywhere will do just fine. We rented a place for a little more than a week a few years ago and didn't want to leave. I went to my first pottery painting studio there. That was a lot of fun and I love the platter I painted. It's on a shelf in our living room. And I'm no artist! There are so many fun, neat, quirky and some crazy, fantastic shops on Tybee. One of my favorite shops is Seaside Sisters on Highway 80 on the left as you go into town. This is a group of vendors who each have a booth but the whole place flows as if it were one store. I bought several things there including at least one Christmas gift. I guess I am greedy. I want to keep everything for myself.

This is outside the shop. There are a lot of booths set up out front. I want that pillow, and that table, and that candle lamp, and those chairs, and that other pillow, and.....

One of the indoor booths belongs to Mary Kay Andrews, the New York Times best selling author, (and one of MY favorite authors). Her books include Hissy Fit, Savannah Breeze, Savannah Blues, Blue Christmas, Deep Dish, The Fixer Upper, Little Bitty Lies, and her latest, Summer Rental. I have them all. She also wrote several murder mysteries under her real name, Kathy Hogan Trocheck. I bought a couple of those at Seaside Sisters. I love, love, love her books. They are the kind of books you can't put down and stay up all night reading, knowing you have to go to work the next morning. When Blue Christmas came out, Mary Kay had a book signing at one of our local bookstores. It was a weekend I had to be out of town. Without letting me know, a dear friend of mine went to the store, bought the book, stood in line to have it signed and gave it to me for Christmas. You know, as adults we don't get many "good" surprises. That was truly a good, wonderful surprise. When Summer Rental came out my husband and I went to our local Books A Million to buy it. It was late, we had just had a really bad storm, parking lot lights were off and the store lights were dimmed. I thought they were closed. Husband went to check, I stayed in the car. He was gone FOR-EVER! When he finally came back he had the book. The power had been off and they were waiting for it to come back on so they could ring up the sale. They had emergency lights and that was all. He tried to get them to let him take the book and come back the next day to pay. Oh, that man...

So, here are some photos of Mary Kay Andrews' booth. She has some fabulous items and as you can see, her niche is VINTAGE. Got to love that!

I want this cart!

Well, look here!

I want these two boxes!

I love wooden boxes. Everytime I buy one my husband screams, "You bought a BOX? I can BUILD you a box!" I think that is just so funny! I don't know why, but it makes me laugh. Sometimes I buy boxes just to make him say that.

Don't you just love these little vintage toys?

I want this lamp!!! This one is not in MKA's booth.

This is the very nice lady who was working the day we were there. I should have written down her name! I wondered if she had to bring all of that stuff in from out front by herself.

Bye bye, Seaside Sisters. We love you...

KELLER'S FLEA MARKET

2011-11-23T01:42:00.000-05:00

I need a bumper sticker that reads, WILL BRAKE FOR FLEA MARKETS.    Keller's Flea Market in Savannah is a special destination! You can find almost anything at Keller's! We went Saturday and again Sunday! You know that one item you passed up because you just didn't want to pay that much for it or weren't sure what you would do with it? Yes, that happened to us. A little wobbly table my husband said couldn't be fixed just wouldn't leave my mind. I told him the little table is very old and has obviously always wobbled because of the way it is made. It is a very pretty design and just needs scrubbed, sanded and painted and maybe a little felt tip on one leg.   A beautiful antique armoire with a missing drawer the vendor was sure he could find in his storage unit was also weighing on our minds. What if he finds it and then somebody else buys it?!? So, obviously we had to go back. What choice did we have?

This is the little wobbly table. The two slats that cross at the bottom are not notched properly. We can fix that. And by we, you do remember than means my husband. The top looks like an Appaloosa Horse. I CAN fix that!
The vendor looked for but didn't find the drawer for the antique armoire. We gave him our name and number to call when he finds it. How do you lose a drawer you wonder? Well, he repairs furniture too. I think he took the drawers out to work on it and as things got shifted around in his work area and storage areas it just got moved to a different place. That seems to make me stop wondering about it anyway.
                                                             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just a little information about Keller's Flea Market- Keller's opened in March 1985 with 60 stalls, 30 were enclosed and 30 open air, but under roof. Keller's now has over 400 retail spaces, 6 food concessions, RV and bus parking, showers for traveling vendors, handicap access, heat & air, ATM machines, and barber shop. Set up day is Friday. Keller's is open Saturday and Sunday 8 AM till 6 PM. The number to call for set up information is 912-927-4848.

We struggled for a long time over this piece. It weighs about a million pounds, is very thick and was originally well made. It has beautiful dove tail joints in the drawers and cabinet. I believe it has been dropped.  It is completely out of line. Out of whack as my grandmother used to say. See the gaps between the drawers and the fluted front. The little black thing on the front is the base of a drawer pull. No handles or pulls are with it. We were concerned this piece needs more repair than we are capable of.  The beautiful dove tail joints I mentioned- someone has NAILED through them! The vendor named a price we felt we could be comfortable with losing if we have to turn it into shelf boards. So we backed up the SUV and brought her home!

We bought this white table Saturday. You can see the top needs repaired and the whole thing is very dirty. If you can look through the dirt and grime you can see some fine detail work in this pretty table.

We bought a couple of wine boxes. Beautiful boxes!

Aviator sunglasses for husband.

Man stuff

Small hand tools and small baking pan. We love these little pans!

I can't wait to start working on these great furniture pieces! Watch for before, during and after shots. Then they will be up for sale! (maybe. Those tables are really pretty...and that dresser is going to be fantastic.....

Bye bye, Keller's. We love you...

Savannah, Georgia Trip - The Lady and Sons Restaurant

2011-11-20T22:58:00.000-05:00

We had plans for dinner at another fabulous and famous Savannah restaurant. We were walking to The Paris Market when my husband noticed there were no people waiting on the sidewalk at The Lady and Sons. "Are they closed?" We saw there were people inside so he ran over to see if we could get in for dinner while I continued on to The Paris Market. They told him they could take us right then but he said, "in thirty minutes". Now, just 30 minutes for me to be in The Paris Market? He is a little dense sometimes. I take that long in just half the first floor! I don't know about that man. I had to do my shopping and looking fast but I managed to buy a few things for myself and a couple of Christmas gifts! All of that is covered in my previous post, except the items I bought. I might show those later in the week!

THE LADY AND SONS

We took the elevator to the third floor where we were seated near the beautiful old bar.

We were immediately served hot Cheddar Biscuits and Hoe Cakes.

We have always had the buffet here. I forgot they even had menus. It is hard to pass up the chance to have Paula's fried chicken. It is so-o-o good. Actually, I make really delicious fried chicken...but I don't like to. Seems The Lady and Sons like to make fried chicken. They also make delicious mac 'n' cheese. The buffet also includes Low Country Boil and about a thousand vegetables! But when our server told us the day's specials we couldn't pass them up.

~~~~

Grilled Salmon

Topped with Cilantro Butter

Served with Creamy Risotto

and Zucchini au gratin

~~~~~

12 Oz. New York Strip

With Chimichurri Creme Fraiche

Served with Shredded Parmesan

Twice Baked Potato

Sauteed Snap Beans

With Purple Onions

~~~~

Everything was incredibly delicious! I love Grilled Salmon but the Creamy Risotto was so good I filled up on it and couldn't finish the salmon! We have dinner in the fridge for one night now! We shared a piece of Gooey Butter Cake for dessert. This was one of the best meals we have ever had. I have to say our server was top notch! She was so attentive and nice my husband wondered if we were her only table!

After dinner we went to the adjoining Paula Deen Store for a little looking, shopping and wishing! We bought one Christmas gift and got some creative ideas!

That was fun! Bye bye Lady and Sons...

We love you!

The Paris Market and Brocante

2011-11-20T02:34:00.005-05:00

The Paris Market and Brocante is one of my very favorite stores!

Located at 35 West Broughton Street in historic downtown Savannah, the Paris Market is within walking distance of dozens of fabulous shops and restaurants. Owner, Paula Danyluk started this magnificent shop 6 years ago. They had not been open long when they were featured in a magazine. I believe it was Southern Living, not positive which magazine it was in, but I do know that I tore out the article and kept it for my next trip to Savannah. I have been there several times since then and always, always love everything about it!

Sit outside and chat while sipping a coffee or soda from the Brocante and peeking at the beautiful window displays. Look at the big pumpkin in the window!

Ah, those open doors beckon all to come in.......

Can you just take it all in? Everything in this room is so fabulous I don't know where to start! But, I stick with my pattern of starting on the right and going up and down each isle methodically. My eyes keep jumping from item to item there is so much to see!

This gorgeous table is set for an unforgetable dinner party with a long piece of driftwood spanning the length of the table! Chippy paint old metal garden chairs and silver serving pieces nestled in moss bring a relaxed elegance to this amazing tableau. This setting would be perfect indoors or out. I wanted to sit down and have a glass of wine....

Beautiful ornaments for the tree or anywhere! I gathered several of course!

Silver tray filled with silver birds

I have a cabinet very similar to this! I love the way they displayed the beautiful items on it.

For your own beautiful bath, they have wonderful smelling soaps and lotions. Pamper yourself with a thick soft bath robe and candles.

Isn't this so fun and pretty?

I love this entire vignette. I want that and that and that and that and......

This beautiful chandilier is one of many for sale at The Paris Market.

This chandelier is large, open and airy feeling. And it's for sale!

Doesn't every little nook filled with baby clothes have a crystal chandelier?

~MUCH MORE DOWNSTAIRS~ Look at the stairs, rails and brick wall! Each step has a stack of old books on each end.

The building itself is a total architural work of art. I never tire of admiring this old beautiful building.

This beautiful area is the landing between two sections of the staircase.

Bountiful display of beauty!

This beautiful table is laden with a treasure of delights underneath a gorgeous chandelier.

Notice the beams and the old brick wall.

One window has been bricked over. This is common in a lot of old brick buildings.

This old downtown Savannah building is incredible and so proud to be home to such beautiful items.

There is a little bit of everything to see here!

This picture doesn't do this magnificent tree justice. It is covered with the most realistic looking snow I have ever seen. What better setting than on a sled!

This just says Christmas to me. I hear Christmas music! And sleigh bells!!!

Another lovely setting.

Lots of poofy pillows.

You'll love this. The headboard is a huge mirror centered by two old French doors.

An old cart makes an amazing display table as do the other fabulous pieces in the background.

Bye bye, Paris Market....

I love you......

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA

2011-11-19T03:03:00.000-05:00

A couple of years ago there were a group of women behind me as we all waited to board a boat for a river cruise. One of them previously lived in Savannah. As they all chatted about parties and other experiences in Savannah, one of them said, "I ain't nevah had a bad time in Savannah! (pronounced Su vau nuh) Well, I just have to agree with that statement. Today was not a bad time in Savannah! We got a late start but still hit a lot! We went to The Paris Market, Paula Deen's The Lady and Sons Restaurant, Paula Deen's Store, World Market, JoAnne's Fabrics, and Wal-Mart. It is 3:00 AM as I write this. I hope to get some sleep and then go the Keller's Flea Market in Savannah! I will post more later....I have pictures!!!

Weekend Flea Market Treasures

2011-11-14T23:49:00.001-05:00

I had big plans for the weekend. I always over plan. Always. I plan to clean the house, clean out the garage, do the laundry, make products to sell, go to flea markets and yard sales, clean, sand, & paint furniture, paint the shop building, buy stamps, write/address/mail Christmas cards, work on facebook page, work on blog, catch up on my sleep, watch television, read books, glue broken things together, and clean out the flower beds. Usually by Saturday morning I am running a bit behind.

So, we head out on the highway, looking for adventure! When we passed a small Goodwill store my husband asked if I wanted to stop. No, last time we went there I didn't find anything. (Yes, I know that is so incredibly stupid.) But, in my defense I was reading the new issue of Cottage Living Magazine. Seconds later I reconsidered and we went back! First thing right inside the store was a big wide wooden picture frame double matted and a pretty water color inside. $19.99! In the same bin was an unused gold frame for an 8 X 10 picture. $3.99! Next up, an unused twin size white sheet, 2 yards of blue linen, a carved letter sign, a little white vase with blue flowers on it, a blue & white toile tin tea canister, and a "Main Stays Home" white curtain panel with crochet valance! Husband told me there was a sign in the window, 25% off for Veterans. Sweet! He's a veteran. The total was $24. 38! Turns out the big frame was 50% off! Score!

1st Haul!

Blue & White Toile Tin Tea Can

Carved letter Sign.

2 Yards of Blue Linen!

Twin White Sheet

Curtain Panel

Gold Picture Frame

Little Blue Vase

Big Wooden Matted Frame & picture. Cat is "Button". We already had her.

*******

So, once again, I'm ridin' around in our automobile. My baby beside me at the wheel. WAIT! What's that? STOP!

We Love Angel's Wings Mini Mall

Okay, Mini Mall is a stretch. It's a small building pretty much as full as it can get. Outside were 2 high back upholstered dining chairs. One is a little loose but I pretty much expect that with used chairs. Fabric is a little dirty but I expect that too. Inside I found a heavy little wood and wrought iron sleigh. I ask if she wanted to keep the glittered leaves that were in it. Someone else might want them. She had a lot of fabric but only one that I wanted, an off white with dark blue or black stripes. Total $60.00!

Score!

2 High back Chairs

Wood and Wrought Iron Sleigh

4 Yards Fabric $5.00

********

On the road again, just can't wait to get on the road again....

McRae Marketplace Antiques & Flea Market

Nostalgia at McRae Marketplace

Nostalgia At McRae Market Place

Beautiful Blue and White Bowl from Nostalgia

3rd Haul!

Sheep Bank

Could not resist! I love round farm animals!

Hen Basket

Blue and White Floral Bowl

American Flag

Score!

********

Saturday, November 12th

BIG Z GARAGE SALE

This is really a flea market, never understood why they call it a garage sale.

Marvelous cast iron outdoor furniture.

Missed out on this! Already sold.

Sigh.......

Mmmmmm!

Twin Oaks Park fire pits

Total Haul!

1930's Hand embroidered Apron

Little Hand Made Crystal Angel

Little Cast Iron Bird Bath and Birds

4 French Tin Tiles

Score!

We searched through several surrounding yard sales but didn't find anything. We were disappointed not to find more at this huge sale, but we were pleased with the treasures we found.

Tired, but happy!

Set a Nice Table ~ Sunday Breakfast

2011-11-13T23:01:00.002-05:00

My husband is a wonderful cook. A truly good cook is one who enjoys cooking and creating a good meal. I am a truly good diner. I think that needs no description. So after his trip to Walmart this morning which led to the photos of the makings for dinner, he cooked breakfast. So, already in the gotta snap a picture of everything mode, I snapped this picture!

I believe we should always set the table nicely. We use a table cloth or placemats, sometimes both, for every meal. Exept those meals we eat sitting in front of the television of course! We sure do that occassionally! Both of my grandmothers always used table cloths for every meal. And they were not fancy women or socialites. They were farm women who new how to make a home comfortable. It only takes seconds, absolutely just seconds to throw on a table cloth. And they are easy to throw in the washing machine when they get dirty. We use cloth napkins too! Make your meal presentation attractive and it makes meal time even nicer. A simple table setting made this simple breakfast of eggs, bacon, hash browns and biscuits feel special!

What's For Dinner?

2011-11-13T22:32:00.000-05:00

After my husband came home from Walmart this morning, he put several items in an oblong cake carrier & ask does this look like a good dinner for tonight? I said, "Yes, and you are so smart! That looks like a great picture! I put in a few more items, poured the food out and snapped this shot.

Ah, yeah! Low Country Boil is on the table tonight! We are eatin' fine!