Miss Desert Rose's Rhinestones and Pearls

Flea market was Sunday and I found some awesome things that I'll post later.

I found a couple handfuls of rhinestone and pearl jewelry for super cheap so I added more bling to Miss Desert Rose today.

I had an awesome day visiting with my flea market vendor friends and I found some pretty neat pieces I'll try to show this week sometime. 

The days are flying by and the weather here has been nice and cool. We had quite a bit of rain yesterday and last night.

Everything smells so fresh and clean, it's going to be hard to leave here if the weather stays like this!

The forecast is below average all week.

The average high is 86, it's only 74 today and partly cloudy, light breeze and yellow trees blooming all across the desert.

I'm trying to soak in every second as much as possible.

Have a nice week!

Linking to: 

Knick of Time for Vintage Inspiration Party

Pea Pickin'

Nothing like fresh peas from the garden.

They taste so sweet that I eat'em raw.

I just picked them a few minutes ago.

97 degrees today in sunny Arizona

I figured I better before they cooked in the shell :)

Painted Parts Tray

Another project finished!

I bought this revolving parts tray last November with plans to have this finished way before this.

I love the old vintage revolving trays but a little pricey.

Actually I bought two of them. The first one my husband put together, the second one came with me to Arizona for my sewing room here.

I finally put it together and spray painted it with Rustoleum Canvas White (love that color!).

This is what they look like originally. We bought them at Harbor Freight (use the coupon and they are less than 20 bucks). Every box was broken open, I inspected the 2nd one before we left and I thought everything was there but when I started to put it together I found that there was a middle part that was missing, luckily it was for the 3 section tray and not one of the 6 section trays. I like the smaller 6 section trays better.

There are supposed to be two 6 section and two 3 section trays = four revolving trays total).

So I put it together anyway and I actually like the odd number of trays better plus it's not so tall. All in all it worked out just fine. 

I replaced the knob on top with a painted wood knob.

The hard part was finding enough stuff to fill it! 

Also you need to keep the weight in the trays balanced or it will look a little wonky.

Another corner of my sewing room, still not finished though.

I'm not sure I'll keep the child's millinery hat in that frame (I just hung that there last night).

There's a piece of fabric draped over the vintage chest of drawers (under the small black box) I plan to cover that little chest of drawers with that fabric...next winters project...I've already started a list!

And I couldn't resist adding the Cereus cactus flower that opened up full this morning...it's 7" across.

Next I hope to take a few pictures of the dining room, so far I really like how it's turning out.

One more flea market this weekend and then I can start loading up my van to drive back to Minnesota.

Thanks for stopping by!

Linking to:

My Salvaged Treasures for Vintage Inspiration

Converted Gumball Machine

This is something I have wanted to do for a couple of years, take an old gumball machine and fill it with mother of pearl buttons.

I got out the cans of spray paint Sunday and painted this and one other project I'll save for next week (when I'm finished with it) I used Rust-oleum Canvas White because I like the shade of white so well, it looks like whipping cream, about the same shade as the mother of pearl buttons.

My sewing room still needs some work and most of all a new floor.

We're thinking of using strips of plywood to resemble planking in this house but first we'll see if we continue to like them in the bunkhouse this summer.

I picked up the vintage wood horses at the flea market this winter, not sure if they will stay there, just need to live with the room a little while and see how it all comes together, it's all still a work in progress...

I just had to take another picture of my favorite thing in this room, I added the strings of pearls and that just made it even better.

The gumball machine before. I found it out on a junking trip last summer with Deb from Garage Sale Gal for $15! I was so thrilled to find it! 

Thanks for stopping!

Linking to:

My Salvaged Treasures for Vintage Inspiration Party

A few stencil projects and my Big Heap finds

There's not a lot of storage space in this house with not having a basement or a garage.

I'm constantly using my ironing board to press my rug hooking backings but I don't want it sitting out  and had no place to put it so I searched the internet for an ironing board hanger idea.

So simple and super easy to do!

I picked up 2 hooks at ACE and positioned them on a leftover piece of wood that I painted. Attached them and did a simple stencil.

First I did the stencil in blue but it just didn't look right so I sanded and touched up the base paint and did it over again in grey. Then I lightly sanded the stenciled part to make it look a little used.

It now hangs behind the door of my sewing room, completely out of the way and super easy to access.

I purchased the fabric and sewed my own 'pretty' cover.

Onto the next stencil project, again super simple. I needed a liner for my vintage flea market cart.

I took a canvas drop cloth and pre-washed it because I know this will get dirty and will need laundering.

I measured the inside dimensions and added 1" to all sides (allowing for 1/2" seam allowances) Except for the top, I added 1 more inch so I could hem the top.

I sewed all sides together and then sewed the bottom on, next hem the top.

I was in a hurry to finish this seeing as The Big Heap was the next day. I cut off the hemmed sides from the canvas and sewed them to each corner to use as ties to secure the liner to the cart. 

A super quick project.

The Big Heap report...

It was fun and I would go again. There were a lot of people and a lot of selling.  If you saw something and hesitated for even a half minute someone else would grab it. I've never seen stuff move so fast!

I'm sure the people organizing it were happy with the turn out but I hope they have more vendors next time because it was very small...approximately 30 vendors.

I do not need more stuff so I was very well behaved this time.

The old enamel light fixture will be a perfect pendant light in the bunkhouse kitchen and there is not a chip anywhere. Mr. Wild can rewire it for me.

Not sure what the scrolly metal thing was but I have a place for it in the dining room and I hope to take pictures of what I've done so far in that room and get them on here.

The 3rd thing is a newer piece of cast iron but a fun piece for the garden.

Then while driving the freeway on the way home...I must be getting a keen sense for junk...I spotted a building with a lot of junk...yes JUNK outside. I took a quick second glance and saw the name Gerson's!

I saw them advertise on TV last winter but never got there and didn't really know where it was.

I took the next exit off the freeway and found my way back to it and while driving there I was on an old road I believe it's the Old Benson Highway. It was lined on one side with old motels! They looked like abandoned motels...like the owners walked away and left them and they have been slowly deteriorating.

The really old mom and pop kind with the neon signs...just so cool and there were so many, at one time this must have been a main road through town before the freeway. There was even an old trailer park with a few trailers still sitting there...empty and all vintage!

I have to go back with the hubby some day and take pictures.

I found this turbine at Gerson's (used building supplies, I was looking for old doors).  I guess I kind of have a thing for old industrial stuff and this is an old and heavy turbine, in excellent condition, no dents, no bullet holes. I love it!

I can so well see this in my garden with rocks holding down the base (it even came with the original base!!!) I'll plant flowers all around it and it does still spin with the wind!

The following day, Sunday, was awesome! It was cloudy and only in the 60's. I spent all day outside planting. I put in a pink rose bush, gardenia, hibiscus, oleander, a succulent and a cactus. It was a perfect day!

Yesterday we had a brief downpour. It thundered, rained and then a big rainbow appeared, it smelled so good outside!

One more flea market coming up and I am feeling quite saturated with flea markets.

I think I'll be good for a long, long time!

I still want to finish a few projects here and then it will be time to pack it up and head back north and onto the next adventure!

Thanks for visiting, I'm sorry I mostly post my obsession with junk collecting, that should change soon!