Welcome to my blog about things I love to collect, refinishing furniture and decorating using flea market finds (with a few crochet projects now and then).Thanks so much for visiting!




Saturday, October 29, 2011

I Won Sandi's Giveaway...

Thank you so much Sandi!
I won something that I really can use! Sandi's blog is A Cottage Muse, she offered some neat postcards from uprinting.com and I was the lucky winner!


As soon as I get them I'll be sure to post them...I can't wait! This is going to be fun!

Thanks Sandi!

Be sure to stop by Sandi's blog, she always has something interesting going on and is also one of my favorite blogs! 

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Beat up old suitcase full of pretty treasures!

 I found this old suitcase a few months ago and planned to fill it full of old lace and crochet...


It's one of those gloomy dark days that looks like it will rain any minute...but doesn't.

Taking pictures was not working too well, I sure prefer sunny days for this plus I'm solar powered and need those sunny days!

Have no clue who the young girls are but they are all just too sweet!


My fave is this pair of butterfly brooches. They belonged to my mother and I'm sure they came from her mother. My mom would be 99 if she was still alive so the butterflies have to be quite old. (She was born 3 days after the Titanic sunk!)
I have been crazy about them since I can remember, I assume they are just garnets but I would love to find out if they are anything of value...other than sentimental...


An old string of mother of pearl (mop) beads...


Crochet flowers and other pretty laces...
That's a teeny emery strawberry made of silk near the millinery flower.



The old beat up suitcase has a black top, I'm thinking when I have a little more practice at painting flowers that a few pink roses would be perfect! When that happens...I'll post it...if it turns out!

Thanks for stopping!
Linking to;
Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Faded Charm for White Wednesday
Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday
From My Front Porch To Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday
Common Ground for Inspiration Friday
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home
2805 for Potpourri Friday
French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Fabric pumpkins with my old chippy white door...

I finally brought out some of my fall decorations...for some reason I'm not in the 'autumn' mood. 
Maybe it's because of what is to come...our long cold winter...


Many phases of my pumpkin making since the early 80's with the larger plain orange pumpkin to the more current wool pumpkins...there's more but I can't find them all...


An old crow that is noise activated...it flaps it's wings, eyes flash red and makes a 'scarry' noise...he's always out at this time of year...until he drives us crazy and then gets shut off...


Finally....I got Mr. Wild to bring in my chippy white door!
This wall is still slowly coming together. Once the snow flies I'll be able to get him to hang an old architectural piece or two on the wall and there is one more door that needs to be brought in.
Maybe by next week I'll be more ambitious with the fall decor....

Thanks for stopping!


Linking to;
Faded Charm for White Wednesday
Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday
2805 for Potpourri Friday
Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
French Country Cottage for feathered Nest Friday
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home
My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

My Vintage Camper

I finally found a vintage camper!!!

Next summer I plan to paint the outside white, the middle "quilted" part between the windows will be yellow and the shutters and door will be white.

After searching for months out west and here I finally found exactly what I wanted.

I still have to pinch myself...I can't believe I finally have my very own vintage camper!!!
These will be the "before" pictures...I plan to keep 'decorating' it and posting as it progresses.


It's a 1969 Trailblazer made in Spencer, Wisconsin.
Not very common but I was sold on the floor plan, the shutters on the windows, the louvered windows on the door, the yellow Formica table and cupboards and it's in great condition. 

I've never seen another camper model with window shutters!

It's so bright and cheerful inside even if it's cloudy, it puts me in a good mood as soon as I step into it. I spend most of my days inside fussing over how to decorate it or just sitting there crocheting a giant yellow rose pillow.


You can't read the tan cardboard sign very well but it says "No Boys Allowed!"

Everything works, it's clean and looks like it was hardly used.
Only the front burner on the stove was used and very little, the sink looks barely used and the ice box just a little. The old linoleum floor is in great shape and no leaks or rot or funny odors.


The inside is cluttered while I try to decide what fabric to use to recover the seat cushions and curtains.
I found my Grandma's old transistor radio and it still works...AM only...but how appropriate for the era.

The Formica has a paisley pattern, not visible here but if the image is enlarged it's easy to see and it's in beautiful condition.

Notice the Coleman gas lantern in the middle of the upper cupboards.



The cupboard doors open up like an airplane overhead compartment, I love that!


I also found my mom's old Melmac set for 12 and a few Pyrex bowls and her old coffee pot.


I'll cover the drawer doors with birch bark wallpaper to give it that up north cabin feel.

I was trying to decide on a theme but there are so many choices. When we went up north to pick it up (200 miles north) we went right past Bay Lake where I would spend many weekends as a little girl at my Grandparents cabin. Lots of good memories and all the familiar scenery.

I wanted to bring in that cabin feel yet add chenille, crochet and vintage fabrics. I'll add my mom's old fishing poles and tackle box...the women were the fisherwomen in our family. Myself, my mom and her mom, I was practically raised in a boat. None of the men cared much for fishing including Mr Wild..


There's an overhead bunk that is folded up and out of the way. I wrapped an old chenille bedspread over the couch/bed cushion because they are an ugly orange and gold upholstery.


The logo for Trailblazer, this is on the awning and faded. the one below is a photo off an older Trailblazer.
A design so typical of the 60's. There was a small grocery store/bar that the neighbor girl and I would walk up to at the lake. It was called White Hawk...maybe I'll call the camper that...not sure.


Sort of fits with the Indian logo.

We do intend to use it. I hope to tow it when I go to rug hooking camps and Mr. Wild says we can use it in the mountains, it's so light and tows so easily. I'll have to box up all my breakables and pack them away each time though....

Thanks for stopping by...

Linking to:
Faded Charm for White Wednesday
Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday
From My Front Porch To Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday
2805 for Potpourri Friday
Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home
My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

The rest of my weekend treasures....

Here's the rest of Saturday's garage sale and flea market (from yesterdays post)...I don't know why my pictures are fuzzy....they look great when I Photoshop them but then when I get them on blogger they look fuzzy!


3 lovely vintage tablecloths...2 at $4 each and 1 at $7


A beautiful white vase marked Abingdon, a little creamer form the flea market from Germany and an old bow tie in the box from the garage sale...from $2 to $5


A pink chiffon purse form a little girls "coketail" party. The invitation, flowers and pink velvet  hair bow were all inside. 
This is exactly what I needed to go along with my $5 pink prom dress posted here.

2 round linen table cloths with crochet edgings are underneath.


A beautifully embroidered Redwork with expertly crocheted trim, it has a few light spots and I can't tell if it's faded or a variegated thread...but it's still so beautiful. I'd like to hang it above my bed. 

The design is me all the way...early to bed for sure...and the branches and flowers. It's exactly what I would pick if I had 100 different designs to choose from.


I love this most...a linen table runner with the prettiest design I've seen yet.

Those pink clusters are solid french knots! And the colors are to die for....





An old beaded purse that has seen it's better days but for $2! Look at the tip of the clasps...they glow in the light.


A cotton crochet heavy bedspread that is coming apart at the seams.
Now I understand what the 4 pieces of crochet were intended to be when I made that giant crochet rose posted here.
They pieced a bedspread together using the crochet strips and cotton....the wide crochet is like giant insertion lace. Then they edged the entire thing with the crocheted scalloped lace.
The lace is hand sewn onto the cotton and I can remove it and make another giant white rose using the scalloped crochet!!! It was 5 bucks!!!


From the flea market I found this tall wicker hamper...I think it's a hamper..with a little neutral stain I can brighten up the wood. For some strange reason I just love this thing even though it's a little shabby.
And a small basket.

A cool wire paper basket with little springs on each corner...why? I don't think they show up very well here.

We think the foot stool may have been used in  a passenger car of a train?

I had to have the shell backed child's rocker!!! Mr. Wild will sand blast it and paint it a nice color

 A couple of guys were selling mums that were at their peak for $2 each or 3 for $5...I started with one and came home with 3!

A wicker basket and a beautiful crochet piece...yes that's the back of the price tag but I kind of like it there and was thinking of stamping something on it.


A cloths line winder for dirt cheap, the sugar bag and the perfect pink pillow ticking came from the garage sale.

All of these treasures were not pricey. I don't buy it if it's too much unless I just cannot live without it. I try to be frugal at sales and I truly have more fun finding a bargain. But it's terribly addicting so it adds up anyway!

Someday, when I'm old and ready to unload some things I'll start selling it but for now I just want to enjoy it all.

Thanks for stopping by to look at my 'junk'!

Just when I finished posting and walked away this guy was perched on the top of the open window and flew to the tree so I grabbed my camera for this pileated woodpecker.


Linking to;
From My Front Porch to Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday
Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
2805 for Potpourri Friday
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home
French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday