PRIMSUE'S HEART AND HOME


…thoughts from my heart on my love for God, family and the care and decorating of our home

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Fall Swap and Sweet Annie

I can’t believe I’m doing two posts in one day but I wanted to share my goodies with y’all.

I participated in a Fall Swap on The Olde River Road Forum and received some awesome Swap goodies from my Swap Partner, Judy.  Look at the beautiful Fall arrangement with an electric candle!  And the little pantry box with cheesecloth wrapped and painted stones is so cute!  Thank you, Judy!  I love them all!


Fall Swap 007

I received another box in the mail yesterday.  I had ordered some Sweet Annie from Patti at Welcome to Raspberry Lane.  I could smell the wonderful scent before I even opened the box.  Patti was so sweet to include some extra Sweet Annie with some little dried flowers and yummy smelling tarts.  Thank you Patti!

Sweet Annie

It is so fun to get packages in the mail, isn’t it?

Autumn Blessings,
Sue

Tuesday’s Display Chain

Misi of 1890 Gable House Musings is hosting a Display Chain.  This week’s subject is an Autumn Candlescape Display.  This is the first time I have participated in something like this so I am trying it out with just a couple of photos.  (Actually I don’t use many real candles since I discovered the battery operated ones.)

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Don’t forget to link back to Misi and check out the displays. 

Autumn Blessings,
Sue

Sunday, September 26, 2010

What a busy, fun, productive Saturday!

To me, any day spent shopping and getting good deals is fun and productive!  I just needed to fit all this fun in with a family dinner and babysitting our youngest granddaughter.

I had received a flyer from some local girls who were having a Fall Gathering at one of their homes.  The flyer listed antiques, crafts, handmades, furniture from 200 year old logs and more so it sounded interesting and was near our home – this made my to do list for the day.  Then there were two Antique Fairs in different towns and I couldn’t fit in both so I had to decide between the two.  One of the towns has a monthly Fair and I go frequently, but the other one only has a Spring and Fall Fair and is closer to our home so this is the one I chose – another thing on my to do list.  Also, my favorite clothing store, Coldwater Creek, was having a sale and I had birthday gift cards to spend – how do I fit this into my day?  Oh yes, my brothers and SILs are visiting from out of town and we are invited to my parents for dinner and I am asked to bring my Red Velvet Cake.  And my daughter has asked us to babysit our 8 1/2 month old granddaughter for the evening – an added joy for sure!  Well, I didn’t miss a thing  - it was just a long, busy, fun, productive day!

We started our day by going out for breakfast.

(Yes, I said we – my sweet husband is usually my antiquing, junking, Saturday outing buddy.  I have the absolute best husband!  He enjoys going antiquing with me and is willing to indulge me in some of the other outings I come up with.  He is my best friend and I am so blessed to get to sure the share the joys of life with him.)

After breakfast we went to the Fall Gathering home show.  I had wanted to go because the flyer said antiques, but there weren’t many, and the things I liked were already spoken for.  They had some nice Fall and Christmas crafts, but I do not need another “cute” thing for our home.  I did buy a small snowman to add to my collection – I decorate one of the guestrooms with snowmen for our grandchildren to enjoy through the Christmas holiday season.


This is the one I chose   Snowman

Next we were off to a neighboring town for their Fall Antiques Fair.  The vendors were setup in the downtown park under huge oak trees and the weather was pleasant – so let the shopping begin!  Right away I spotted a nice crock – the lid really didn’t fit – but the price was good, so I made my first purchase and DH took it to the car since it was close by.

Here is my first crock of the day Crock

While DH went to the car I strolled through the first section, but didn’t find anything else.  The next section had a better selection of primitive things – but more pricey than my budget allows.  I did find a couple of wooden spools to add to my collection.  I had never seen a black beehive spool before – this one was coming home with me for sure!  I also got a couple of wooden spoons for cheap so I needed these too – right?

Spools & Spoons

At the same booth I found this cute little red cubby bin.  It was full of wooden blocks, which I didn’t need - so I asked the price for just the bin, but she wanted to sell all of it.  Well, Caleb needs the blocks to play with doesn’t he?  That bin is coming home with me!

Bin

All along the way DH has been looking at old tools, but he is very frugal and selective so he usually just looks.  He finally comes across one of those walking lawn sprinklers that kinda looks like a tractor – he has been wanting one for a long time, but they are usually pricey.  Well, he asks the price and I could see the twinkle in his eyes when the man said OBO.  DH made an offer and the man said yes – that sprinkler is coming home with us too!  And it’s time for DH to make another trip to the car.

This is the love of my life with his prize sprinkler! Adolph with Sprinkler   

While DH was gone to the car I spotted a booth with several crocks on a table in the back.  As I approached the table, the man said, “All of the crocks on that table are half price”.  Now I love a good bargain, so I start checking prices – some have already been marked down, so I ask “Is it half off the lowest price?”  Yes, it is!  OMO, where is my husband, how much can I spend, how can I contain myself – I’m in crock heaven!  As I kept looking at the crocks and pacing and looking for my DH to return, the man actually said to me, “Relax, they aren’t going anywhere.”  And I’m thinking, “What if someone else comes along and wants them before I make my choices?”  Honey, hurry back – I really need you!  (It is times like these that I need my husband’s help, to get past the excitement and think through my wants and needs, to make a wise choice.  I already had some of the crocks so it was easier to pass them by - but the 8 gallon crock with the cracked lid, the 4 gallon butter churn, those cute little jugs – why can’t I just have them all?  Well, there is a thing called a budget – so I had to make some choices.  OK, I really want that butter churn and the price is missing – surely it is not in my budget, but I ask anyway.  By now we are on a first name basis – so Arthur says, “I had already marked it down to $125, but you can have it for $60.”  Well, it’s a good thing DH returns about now, ‘cause I’m about to do a happy dance – that butter churn is coming home with me!  After DH and I talk, we decide I can get the butter churn, the 8 gallon crock (I don’t mind the cracked lid) and a cute little jug with a wire handle – Arthur says I can have it all for $120!  ALL THREE CROCKS ARE COMING HOME WITH ME!!!  Arthur even helps us carry everything to the car.  At this point I could have called it a day and gone home.  But, just in case we missed something we went back and walked through the remaining booths.  I did find a Ginger Jar at Arthur’s booth and DH bought that for me too.

Here they are!  Crocks

So all totaled, I got five crocks in one day – a very productive outing in deed!
Crock Haul

By now it is past lunch time, so we visit a great little cafe before heading home.  DH usually sticks with something comfortable, like a burger – but I like to try different things, so I had a Fried Green Tomato and Bacon sandwich with Pasta Salad – yummy!

On the way home I mention the sale at Coldwater Creek to DH.  He says he doesn’t mind if I want to go by myself, but he is ready to go home.  Well, sometimes shopping by myself is good – especially clothes shopping!  So we go home and unload the car and DH says he will clean up all of my crocks and bring them in the house for me while I am gone – I tell you this man is a KEEPER!

Now, I only have about 3 hours to go shopping and get back home before baby Carlie arrives – but I can’t miss a good sale - so off I go!  They are doing this sale up big, with snacks and fashion tips and a lot of hoopla – but my time is limited, so I grab a bunch of things, try them on and finally decide on one outfit – black jeans and a really cool top!   The neat thing is, that with their discounts and my coupons and gift cards, I bought a $125 outfit for $26 out of pocket – my kind of sale! 


I actually got home and had some time to rest and catch my breath before Carlie arrived!  Which is a good thing, because as soon as she got here we were off to my parents for dinner and some family time.  My parents fixed another good ole southern meal – pork roast, corn, black-eyed peas, sliced tomatoes, and biscuits!  There was also apple pie and my Red Velvet Cake for dessert.  (I am the oldest of five children - one brother lives in South Carolina and I don’t get to see him very often and my other brother lives about an hour and a half away, so thankfully I get to see him a little more often.  I have a sister who lives in town, so of course she was with us – but sadly my baby sister, who lives in Pittsburg was not able to come this time.)
 
On Sunday we all gathered at my parents house again.  We ate - we visited - the guys did some repairs on my parents screened porch, while the girls supervised – we ate some more  - we visited some more and we finally said our goodbyes and called it a night.  What a blessing to be able to celebrate still having our parents with us and spend time together with my family!

Well, I have rambled on long enough so I am going to say “Good Night”  I hope you all had a great weekend!

Autumn Blessings,
Sue

Thursday, September 23, 2010

A Couple of Makeovers & A Small Craft Project

I finally finished the makeovers on a couple of goodies I found at the Bittersweet Antiques Gathering earlier this month.  I forgot to take before pictures so I cropped the items out of the group picture I took of all the goodies I found at the Gathering.

First, is this table top desk.  I painted it black, sanded it a little and finished it off with a coat of Minwax dark walnut stain.
Table Top Desk Table Top Desk After
The other makeover is a makedo basket that had been painted a blue gray.  I gave it a heavy coat of Minwax dark walnut stain – I liked the color but it dried with a glossy finish.  I made a trip to Walmart and picked up a can of Krylon Matte Finish craft spray.  Now I love the way it turned out.
BasketBasket After
Today I made some Salt Dough Pumpkins to hang on the wire tree that sits on my Kitchen counter.  The house sure did smell good!  I also added some Dried Orange Slices that I picked up last weekend at one of the Prim Shops I visited. 
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I found this little wire tree at an Antique Shop last February and have been changing the ornaments out for each season.  This was the last indoor Fall decorating project I needed to complete.  I would still like to plant a few more Mums outside and then I can relax and enjoy the season.

Saturday I plan to go to a couple of Antique Gatherings in the area.  I hope to find some goodies to add more of the Prim look to our home.

I hope you are all enjoying the beginning of the Fall season and looking forward to a great weekend.

Autumn Blessings,
Sue

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Celebrated All Weekend!

My birthday was on the 17th, but I celebrated all weekend!

FRIDAY - My sweet husband had planned to take me out to eat at my favorite restaurant on my birthday, but my Mama called that morning and said that my Daddy wanted to cook a steak for me.  I couldn’t say no to that!  Last year my Daddy had a hemorrhagic stroke and we almost lost him.  He had a long road to recovery but is doing quite well for his 84 years.  He is a great cook and steak is his specialty.  Mama made a salad and vegetables to go with the steak and strawberry cheesecake for dessert - yummy!  I am the oldest of five and a bit spoiled – and it seems no matter how old I get I still love being spoiled by my Daddy and Mama.

SATURDAY -  My husband took me to a couple of Prim Shops.  I had received a gift certificate from a friend to one of the shops for my birthday and the other one was having their Fall Gathering.  I didn’t buy much because I already have a lot of Fall decor and I really want to focus on primitive accessories that I can use everyday.

This is what I did find: some Pumpkin Apple Butter Soap, a few scented and grubbied candles, a bag of dried orange slices, a candle wreath, and a hanging battery candle.

Prim Shop buys 013

After the prim shopping we ate lunch at our favorite barbeque restaurant.  It’s one of those places that is very “primitive” to say the least – both inside and outside.  But the food is to die for – ribs, sliced pork, potato salad and cole slaw.  I made sure I ate the small plate because I had dinner plans.

After lunch my sweet husband took me to pick out my birthday present.  He bought me a new camera – a Nikon COOLPIX.  It has 12.0 megapixels, 4x zoom and a 2.7 inch LCD screen.  (This is a super improvement over the Kodak Easy Share camera I have been using for the past 7 or so years.)  I am enjoying learning to use it.

Nikon camera

(Oh, and we also bought some mums – I plan to get those planted on Monday.)

One of my birthday blessings – 14 years ago - was having one of our granddaughters, Hannah, born on my birthday.  Hannah calls me her “Birthday Buddy” and we always try to do something together for our birthdays.  For her birthday celebration her Mom took her and a few friends out to dinner and a movie on Saturday, and Hannah asked me to join them.  It was a lot of fun hanging out with 6 teenagers.  Times sure have changed since I was a teen!

This is a picture of me with my “Birthday Buddy” Hannah.

Sue's Birthday 2010 001

SUNDAY – Our entire family – all 17 of us – met at Carrabba’s for lunch.  I had Steak Marsala, Mediterranean Salad, Garlic Mashed Potatoes and of course lots of fresh bread with the seasoned olive oil dipping sauce.  I won’t need any dinner tonight.

After lunch my husband took a picture of me with all of our grandchildren.  They are: Alexis – 19, Briana – 17, Hannah – 14, Kaley – 14 in 2 weeks, Abbey – 9, Kevin – 7, Caelyn – 5, Caleb – 2, and Carlie – 8 months.  I am a proud Grammie!

Sue's Birthday 2010 002

What a busy and fantastically fun weekend!  Now I need some rest – I’m not as young as I once was!

I hope you all had a great weekend.

Autumn Blessings,
Sue

Sunday, September 12, 2010

A Prim Perfect Day

Yesterday my sweet husband took me to the Fall Open House at Bittersweet Antiques in Brooksville.  I had been looking forward to it for several weeks and I was not disappointed.  They are only open for Seasonal Gatherings and by appointment – which is probably a good thing because I could spend way too much money there.

After a beautiful drive out in the country we found the shop, which is located in an adorable little cabin.
Bittersweet Antique Open House 001

We arrived early and walked around outside enjoying their Fall yard displays.
Bittersweet Antique Open House 003Bittersweet Antique Open House 002

While I was inside shopping my husband wondered around outside and found a pair of donkeys outback.  They were standing by a fence which just happened to be located by the old outhouse.
Bittersweet Antique Open House 007 Bittersweet Antique Open House 006 

Another fun twist to the outing was meeting up with my new friend from the Central Florida APJ Chapter – Mary of Starry Nites Farm.  Mary is the Director of the Orlando Chapter and I am the only other member, but we met some fun prim gals Saturday who seemed interested in joining.  Neither of us could meet on the 18th, so we decided to make this our outing for the month of September.  We had a fun time visiting and shopping.  My DH took a picture of us on the porch of the cabin.
Mary & Sue at Bittersweet Antiques

I bought an old basket and tabletop writing desk – both of these will be receiving a make-over.  I think I am just going to use a dark stain on the basket and the desk will probably get a coat of black paint and some distressing before staining.  I also got several types of gourds, a little prim fabric bird with a wire hanger, a couple of small battery operated candles wrapped with wire for hanging, and a Shoofly Cover that I have been wanting.  I also got a couple of things for a swap that I am participating in, but they are not pictured.
Bittersweet Antique Open House 011

An our way home we stopped at a couple of Antique Stores in a little town that we drove through and I found a few more goodies.  A crockery jug, a tiny crock, some Indian corn, an “S” hook that I wanted for hanging a basket from a cupboard door, and a Fall garden flag.
Bittersweet Antique Open House 012

A day spent with my DH and best friend, shopping and meeting new prim friends, and lots of goodies to bring home  - what more could a girl want?  Oh yea – good food!  We stopped at a little cafe for lunch and had pressed Cuban sandwiches and Greek potato salad – yum, yum!

I hope your weekend has been everything you desired it to be.

“Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart.”   Psalm 37:4

Autumn Blessings,
Sue

Friday, September 10, 2010

A Bit of Fall

I love the Fall season – the colors, the textures, the tastes, and the cooler weather (when it finally arrives).  It seems that not only is the cool weather slow in getting to Central Florida, so are real pumpkins and mums.  But I don’t let that stop my Fall decorating – I just use faux when I can’t get the real deal.

I’ve worked on putting out my Fall decorations this week and thought I would share some photos.  I hope you enjoy looking.
Fall Decorating 001
  Fall Decorating 007
Fall Decorating 003
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I still need a few things to fill in here and there, but I will be going to a Primitive Gathering on Saturday and hope to find what I am looking for.  They feature antiques, primitives and handmades in an old log cabin in the country – it should be lots of fun.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven…”  Ecclesiastes 3:1.

I hope you are enjoying getting ready for the Fall season.  Celebrate God’s creation and His blessings in your life.

Autumn Blessings,
Sue

Monday, September 6, 2010

Fall Decorating – Making-Do & Making-Over

“But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”  I Corinthians 15:57-58

I hope you all had an enjoyable Labor Day!  I spent the day working on Fall decorations.  As I mentioned in my last post, many of my decorations were just not prim enough.  But I couldn’t justify replacing it all, and I had an idea for making some of it work.  I like how the Minwax stain gives the perfect finish to wooden make-overs and I thought surely there must be a spray stain for pieces that I couldn’t use a brush on.  So off I went to Michael’s and sure enough I found stain in a spray can.

This is an artificial pumpkin in a fake yellow orange.  Don’t you think the spray on stain is a big improvement?  (I’s not shiny like it looks in the picture.)
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These old luminaries were faded by the sun and these berry sprigs were a shiny bright orange.  A coat of terra cotta craft paint on the pumpkins and spray stain on both gave them a much needed make over.Fall 003 Fall 007                 Fall 055
This fake bittersweet was very bright, but the spray stain toned it down.
Fall 005     Fall 006
These are some other items that I repainted and/or spray stained.
Fall 051  Fall 047
And this is the transforming can of spray paint.Fall 056

I am pleased with how everything turned out and have started doing some decorating.  I will post pictures when I get it all in place.

Have you started your Fall decorating?

Blessings and Hugs,
Sue