Monday, October 18, 2010

Need a Photographer?

Look no further. Amber at BellaRay Photography is seriously amazing. Look what she did for us!

I mean, we're not chopped liver, but still...miracle of miracles, we look cute!


You can find her here and here {on facebook}.

Book now for Christmas cards, friends. Or for any of you preggos out there, maybe you should schedule a c-section around her schedule. {kidding}. [kind of]

Monday, October 04, 2010

Other Goods of the Thrifted Variety

Running on the fumes of a good-buy high, I schlepped my carcass to an estate sale in KCMo last week-ish.

What I found was the house of a modern-day hoarder. Walkways throughout the house from room to room. Claustrophobic...it's a good thing I'm not.

But down to the goodies. No one really cares what one leaves behind at an estate sale, only what is brought to a new home.

Velvet-like ribbon. Technically it's flocked satin, but untechnically it's fab. Bright colors. Unusual assortment. All for $6.

Brooches-cum-magnets. $1.50-$2 each. Pricey, but so much sparkle! I'll repurpose them for headbands. They'll be freaking adorable.

Porcelain plates. Oh how I wish there were four more of these. I'm trying to replace my current salad plates with something more matchy-matchy to my milk glass dinner plates and bowls...these will do for a start. $3 for four.

FRAMES! I can't get enough of old frames. The more ornate of the two needs a little glue and maybe a nail {for good measure} to bring it back to tip top pre-paint shape. Then it will turn into a memo board or calendar and sold off in the spring at our HANDMADE MARKET
Finally, two old mirrors. One spoiled, one soiled. Both will clean up and be the perfect addition to someone else's house. Again, goods for our Spring Handmade & Vintage Market!Those little cardboard boxes used to hold slides. They're a great size and very sturdy. They'll be perfect for altering.
The one on the left is a plastic frame and the one on the right is possibly a resin. Definitely not wood, but I'm not too terribly heartbroken about it. I have an awesome mirror I paid way too much for that has a plastic frame. It's hanging on my mirror wall and has done its job {of being pretty and reflective} perfectly. Two mirrors for $21{? I can't remember}

This is the top half of a rocking chair. I lugged it home from my Chicago Trip and I'm sooooo glad I did! Old Mr. NorthWind on its back, keeping the rocker going with each blow.
I'm debating staining him a darker color or painting him an antique white and distressing him to bring out his details. What do you think?
And these are nothing new, but they kept showing up in the background of my photos today and I remembered I never blogged about them! These are old evidence lockers. Cool, right? They look like they've done some hard time but still stand strong. The sections on the top hold a pair of shoes and the tall lockers are perfect for coats.

I LOVE them. My sister, Tara, was gracious enough to help me pick them up from Topeka when she visited about a year ago. My plan is to make them a barnish reddish color and actually use them as a coat closet in our front room. But...I think the best way to accomplish this is to have them professionally powder coated. I have no idea how much it would cost. Probably a pretty penny. So...in the meantime...they stand tall and stalwart in the garage.

The kicker? They were $10.

Stella the Sofa and a Dresser Named Dot

Anyone who knows me for 5 minutes knows I love vintage and I love good deals. Seriously, it's an addiction. I'm in a twelve-step program...well, I should be.

So it's no surprise when I saw a mid-century sofa on Craigslist I let out an audible gasp. Four email attempts to contact the seller later {she said she never got the first THREE?} and a jaunt to the countryside to inspect Ms. Sofa and SOLD! She was even delivered free of charge. Suh-weet.

Now, don't you mind her dirty exterior or her rough edges. This little lady has a few years to her name. And she gave up smoking a few years ago but never completely aired out her dress. I'll fix that. Right up. (with my handy little steamer Ro-WENTA)

Just give her a month to get into her proper party attire. She'll shimmer and shimmy for all. In the meantime, she's still quite comfortable. She just has to sleep in the garage.


Now Dot. Dot just seems like the perfect little kind of project for me. An old dresser, with nondescript details just so. So you can't really tell when or whence she came. But look at those lines! And that mirror. It took me all of 3 minutes at a yard sale on Saturday to march up to the seller and declare, "I'll take that dresser!" Then sheepishly, "Can I pick it up tomorrow?"


Someone down the line painted Dot an unflattering greenish-blue hue, which has since been stripped off and all that remain are stripes and streaks in the little cracks and crevices, like a bad hair coloring trying to be corrected.

No worries, Dot. I think you are grand.

And you'll look great in white.

Saturday, October 02, 2010

Louisburg Cider Mill



I love exploring local events and festivals. I saw pictures from a friend's trip to Ciderfest last year and the promise of Apple Cider Doughnuts! was too tempting not to plan a trip to this year's 'fest.

The weather was gorgeous. The company was fantastic (I'm not posting pictures for privacy of a wee li'l babe). The smell was AWFUL, but the sparkling cider and micro-brewed root beer was redeeming.


There was a fantastic little band playing and haybales to sit on to listen.

We didn't get there today until 10:30am and left around 1:15pm, which seemed to be the perfect amount of time. It was BUSY. The rows were crowded and I think we'll need to make another trip out there without the throng of people getting in the way of cider fun.
Of course, I had to take a picture of the cupcake vendor. I didn't buy any but they were pretty and they seemed like they were selling tons!


Next time I go I want to see some of that cider milling!

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Why I'm So Lucky

I get to wake up to this handsome man every morning.


It's pretty much the greatest thing ever.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Lately I...

...have been all over the place (more on that later) in a figural and literal sense.

...have been enjoying this awesome weekend weather. Cool to the point of cold and I love it. favorite time of the year.

...love having my toenails painted. Pedicure has lasted a month {with every other weekly touch-ups}.

...hate being a girl.

...am so grateful for the place I am in my life. It's not where I would have thought I'd be 5 years ago but I'm content for the time being.

...think my husband is pretty much the best person ever. {but not just lately}.

...have been dressing in cuter clothes and feel pretty when I make an effort.

...love the scent of sunless tanner, not to mention the effects!




More updates to come. Hopefully soon.

Monday, August 02, 2010

Chicago CHA Girls' Weekend!

I love looking through all these pictures. My friend Heidi and I and our new friend Rebecca drove to Chicago at 4am on Friday morning to attend the summer CHA.

It was sooo much fun. The trip included:
  • Delicious pizza at Giordano's
  • A fabulous hotel room
  • Estate sales and church rummage sales
  • CHA!
  • $$ leaving my wallet in exchange for crafting supplies
  • a drive past Navy Pier (parking was $24! - NO thanks)
  • Gorgeous Japanese craft books from a Japanese super market
  • IKEA!
  • Make and takes from CHA - love freebies!
  • Sleeping in
  • THE best estate sale finds (Heidi would agree, I think!)
  • Slurpees from 7-11
  • $22/day for parking at OUR HOTEL - yikes.
  • Hours and hours talking and cultivating friendships
  • Learning how to use my new camera (uh...work in progress?)
  • Rearranging all our purchases in the parking lot of IKEA so we could fit it all in my Rodeo...that was a sight!
  • A picnic basket that leaked and stained the carpet of the hotel -oops!
All in all it was a whirlwind trip. So much fun in such a short time. I really hope Heidi and Rebecca want to go again next year. I'd definitely be up for it!