I REALLY WANTED TO GO

Yesterday was the monthly Antique Fair in Arcadia and I really wanted to go.  I haven’t been able to go for a few months and I was really looking forward to it.  I went, but I shouldn’t have…

On Friday night Adolph and I went out to eat, and a few hours after eating he got sick.  I felt a bit yucky but thought maybe it was just sympathy for him.  (I didn’t want to be sick because I really wanted to go to Arcadia.)  Mind over matter didn’t work – I got sick too.  We were both up off and on all night – not fun at all.  But when I got up Saturday morning I convinced myself that I was okay and could still go…

So, I picked up my friend Connie and we headed out.  The closer we got to Arcadia the more I knew I had made a mistake – I was not feeling well at all.  Since I knew we would not be staying long I wanted to say hello to Judi and Karen, my favorite “Fair” vendors, and visit Maddy’s, my favorite antique shop.  After a brief visit we walked around a bit, but I just couldn’t enjoy myself as I kept fighting being sick.  I had to ask Connie to drive us home as I didn’t feel well enough to drive…

I know – I shouldn’t have, but I am stubborn – and I REALLY WANTED TO GO. 

I did pick up the Fall issue of A Simple Life magazine at Maddy’s – somehow I had missed this issue.  (I was glad to have it to look at this afternoon as I was still recovering.)  As we walked down the sidewalk from Maddy’s we passed a table with a bit of pewter and  I just happened to find something – two goblets, a coffee or tea pot (don’t know which it was meant for), and a sugar and creamer. At least the trip was not totally wasted. 

I have been wanting to do something different with the shelves on my clock, so I moved three of the pitchers from my pewter collection to the clock.  I was able to fill in the gaps in my pewter display with the new pieces I found on Saturday.  (It was hard to get a good picture as this is in a narrow area.)

   

So, even though it was not the best of weekends, it still had it’s bright spots – some new goodies, a bit of tweaking, and we are both feeling better.

Thank you for visiting and have a blessed week,
Sue

A BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR ANTIQUING AT RENNIGER’S

I would like to welcome my new followers and say thank you to my faithful followers.  I appreciate each one of you.

We went to Renniger’s Extravaganza in Mount Dora on Saturday.  I didn’t find a lot this time, but it was a beautiful day.  DH and I enjoyed walking around, and looking, and just being together. 

I looked at a few pantry boxes, but they were pricey so I passed them by.  Then, an unusual box caught my eye and I had to have it.  It is wood with metal bands and has A & P TEA CO stamped on the top.

Another item I have been looking for for a while is a wooden seive.  Late in the day I went into a booth and found TWO, plus another pantry box, and she gave me a group price of $35.  I was very pleased.

While visiting the last booth I found out about a new prim store that had opened in the area.  It is called When Pigs Fly and is located in downtown Mount Dora.  If you live in Central Florida and love prims, you must visit this store.  When we walked in I told Adolph, I could move in here, I love everything.  Visit their blog here.

This is a display I put together today with my new goodies.

Close up of pantry boxes.

January and February are good months for Antique Flea Markets in Central Florida - a lot of Northern vendors come down to enjoy our weather and bring their wares with them.  I plan to go to my favorite antiquing town this coming Saturday for their monthly Antique Fair – I haven’t been able to go for a few months so I am really looking forward to seeing friends and doing some shopping.

Thank you for stopping by, I hope you will visit again.

Wishing you all a blessed weekend,
Sue

NEW E-MAIL GADGET

Would you like to be notified when your favorite bloggers post a new post?  Blogger has added a new gadget just for this purpose!  Check out this post by Karen, My Colonial Home, for details.

I have added the gadget to my sidebar, so if you would like to know when I post please sign up.  Hope you all add one to your sidebar too.

Hope y’all are having a great week!

Blessings,
Sue

A SURPRISE IN THE MAIL & A LITTLE PRIMMING IN THE MASTER BEDROOM

Our Son and DIL bought a new (to them) house and we have been helping them with painting, packing, moving and settling-in at the new house.  And then we’ve helped with painting, cleaning, and preparing the old house for renters.  It has been a busy few weeks. 

In the midst of all the busyness and being so tired at night that I just came home and crashed, I missed a package on our front porch.  But thankfully my DIL came by the other night and found the package and brought it in for me.  The grandkids were so excited, they had to help me tear into it right away – I have to admit I was right there with them.  I was so thrilled with the contents and knew immediately who it was from, by the beautiful stitchery.  The card confirmed that sweet Linda, Parker’s Paradise, had blessed me with a surprise that touched my heart. 

What did I find in the package? 

A beautiful hand stitched pillow…
  

Isn’t the pillow the perfect accent for my black rocker with the red throw?

…and an adorable sheep ornie.


I love how adding the sheep ornie to my tin sifter pan brightens up my collection of tinware.


Thank you Linda, you made my day!  You are a talented lady and have such a giving heart. I am blessed to call you my friend.

MASTER BEDROOM

When I put away Christmas decorations I did a little tweaking around the house.  I didn’t have time or resources to do a major redo in our bedroom, but I did change a couple of things.

This corner still had the leftovers from my romantic/red toile décor.

I’ve loved this grouping of plates for several years, but it was time for a change.

So, I hung an old hooked rug in their place and added a couple of stacked trunks underneath.  A bit more prim, don’t you think?

Close ups for those who would like a closer look.

I also changed up the top of DH’s dresser.  I don’t have a before picture, but trust me it was messy. The old shaving mirror belonged to my FIL.  I hung a framed page from an old child’s book and added a wooden box for his glasses, keys, etc.  So far it has stayed pretty neat.

Thank you for joining me today.  I hope you have a wonderful weekend.  We plan to go to Renniger’s Extravaganza tomorrow.  I hope I will have some goodies to share about at days end.

Blessings,
Sue

I DID SOME MORE TWEAKING TONIGHT

I’ve had some requests to show the trunk that I use for a coffee table.  We got it at an antique flea market a few years ago.  I have old linens stored in it.



My simple dining table display.



I have never been happy with the display on top of the wash stand in our hall bathroom.  I wanted a prim look, but the wash stand is not prim. Tonight I went to my storage shelves in the garage and grabbed a few prim pieces.  I added a couple of old mirrors, some grubby bars of soap and a couple of old linen hand towels.  I think I am happy with this display for now.



Close up of display.  The mirror on the old medicine cabinet is not dirty – it is cloudy from age.

 

I found this burlap potato sack at an antique shop recently.  I put a pillow inside it and added it to the bed in my blue/brown guest room.



Close up of pillow.



I moved the chairs around in our sitting room.  The toile chairs have been on each side of the quilt cupboard for a couple of years and the rocker was to the right of the red cupboard.


The coverlet on the grove ladder hides the thermostat.



The photographs on each side of the window are not prim, but they are very special to us.  They were a gift from a friend that we visited in Jamaica a few years ago.  They are landscape photographs named and signed by the photographer.  One is named “His Presence” and the other one is “A Quiet Place” – when I saw them I was so touched that she took them off her wall and insisted I take them home with me.  Every time I look at them I think of our special visit and my dear friend.

Thank you for visiting with me today and checking out my most recent tweaking.

Have a blessed week,
Sue

A COUPLE OF NEW DISPLAYS

I worked on a couple of displays today.

First, I did a little tweaking in the great room.  I removed the Sweet Annie from the pitcher on top of the book case.  (See header photo.)  I like the simpler look better.

I wanted to do something different, and simple, on my coffee table.  I remembered seeing a wooden bowl with dried orange slices on someone’s blog (sorry I don’t remember where I saw it).  So I thought I would give it a try.  My coffee table is a black leather-covered trunk.  I placed an old coverlet scrap under a wooden bowl and then put some dried orange slices in the bowl.  I liked it, but it seemed to need a little something else.  I added a few dried oranges that I bought last year and it turned out just the way I wanted.  I think I will keep it this way for a while.

Next, I worked on a couple of displays in the kitchen.  I did a little tweaking on my stove board, using a cutting board to cover the clock.



I moved the cubby bin and pitcher of spoons from the counter to my dry sink “island”.  Then I added a couple of butter paddles and a wooden butter mold.  The old jars were a gift from my sister.




The reason I moved the items from the kitchen counter is that my hubby got me a Keurig coffee pot, so I needed the space.  I’ve asked him to build a cover for it – hopefully that will happen soon.  I will post a picture when he gets it done.I am still working on a display for the wash stand in the hall bathroom – I just haven’t found the look I want yet.  I would also like to do something different in our master bedroom - I’m still waiting for inspiration there too.  But the fun of decorating is tweaking, isn’t it?

I hope you are all having a blessed week, 
Sue

A NEW YEAR’S PRAYER

May God make your year a happy one!

Not by shielding you from all sorrows and pain, but by strengthening you to bear it, as it comes;

Not by making your path easy, but by making you sturdy to travel any path;

Not by taking hardships from you, but by taking fear from your heart;

Not by granting you unbroken sunshine, but by keeping your face bright, even in the shadows;

Not by making your life always pleasant, but by showing you when people and their causes need you most, and by making you anxious to be there to help.

God’s love, peace, hope and joy to you for the year ahead.                         Anonymous 

“May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.”                              Psalm 20:4

Wishing you a blessed New Year,
Sue