BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR A FLEA MARKET!!!

First, I would to express my heartfelt condolences to all those who have been affected by the devastating storms recently. My thoughts and prayers continue to be with you and your families.

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My home town has a wonderful Flea Market twice a year, called the Fancy Flea, and today was the day for the Spring event.  A couple of city blocks are closed off and vendors set up in the street.  


 



One of my new prim friends, Judi, who is a vendor at the monthly Arcadia Street Fair, came up for the event and we got to shop and hang out together for a while. We like a lot of the same things, so we had a great time looking for those “I need to take it home” items. This market had a lot of Shabby Chic, but I did find a few prim items I couldn’t live without.

This is everything I bought today.


I found two large wooden bowls – these are 16 inches across.  I love the knot hole in this one – not sure where I am going to use this one.


I displayed the other one in a cupboard in the Living Room, along with the bunch of lavender.


Here is a close-up of the molds – wish I had had the bunny one before Easter.


Another crockery jug to add to my collection – can’t ever have too many of them.


After leaving the Fancy Flea my hubby and I went to lunch, and then he drove me to Dundee to visit the Prim Shack - a great prim shop that just happened to be having a sale today!  I found this adorable little shelf sitter doll.  I got another one for a gift but I can’t show you because I am sending it to a blog friend as a surprise.


With their permission I took a couple of pictures of the shop.  Lots of prim goodies to accessorize your home.
 






Visit the Prim Shack website – you can access their blog from there.

I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS

How long do you leave your Spring/Easter decorations out?  I packed mine away yesterday  - I was getting tired of looking at bunnies. 

What do you decorate with next?  I need ideas and welcome your input.

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend.

Blessings,
Sue

TUESDAY DISPLAY CHAIN–“STRIPES”

I am participating in the Tuesday Display Chain hosted by Misi at 1980 Gable House Musings.  This week’s subject is “Stripes”.  

My favorite “stripes” are those on our American flag.  This flag is very special to me.  We were married on Flag Day and on our first anniversary, and each one there after for 25 years, we flew this flag.  It began to show some wear so we retired it and replaced it with a new one – maybe to be retired on our 50th anniversary in a few years.  The flag is proudly displayed on an old ladder in our living room.



This is a ticking stripe feather bed cover.  I love the way this is made, with an opening for adding the stuffing.



I have this displayed behind a guest bed, topped with an old coverlet.

 


These small Wesson Oil crocks, with a stripe on them, are family heirlooms – I inherited one from my grandmother and one from my MIL.  The plain crock in the middle was picked up at a flea market.



The last stripes I have to share are the stripes on my yellow ware bowls, displayed on top of the kitchen cabinets.



Thank you for stopping by and taking a look at my stripes.  Be sure to visit Misi’s blog and check out the other participants.

Spring Blessings,
Sue

ARCADIA STREET FAIR FINDS

On Saturday my DH and I, along with friends visiting from Texas, went to Arcadia for their monthly Antique Street Fair.  In my last post I had mentioned  that I would be going to a Street Fair in my favorite antiquing town and I received an email from a visitor to my blog asking if I was talking about Arcadia.  My new friend, Judi, told me that she had a booth there, where it was located, and asked me to stop by and say hello.  When she told me where she was located I knew that I had purchased from her in the past and was excited to be able to visit with her again.  When we arrived I could hardly wait to locate Judi’s booth and say hello.  She introduced me to Karen, another prim vendor - they both had wonderful prim goodies for sale.  If you are looking for prims in Central Florida you need to visit Judi and Karen – both have booths located in front of Maddy’s Antiques.  The Arcadia Antique Street Fair is held on the 4th Saturday of each month.  

This afternoon our granddaughter, Abbey, helped me take a picture of my goodies to share with you.  I just spread a sheet in the back of my SUV and we set everything out.  I haven’t had time to display any of my finds yet – we babysat grandchildren over night and when they are here there isn't much time for anything else.



I got all of the pewter from Judi and Karen – I also got the adorable little basket from Judi.  That item in the front center is some kind of wrench thingy, with extra parts and a case, that my DH bought – Abbey thought it needed to be in the picture too.  The large basket is pretty worn, but it only cost 25 cents and I thought it would look good on the porch with a couple of plants in it.  

What a wonderful day – the weather was perfect, I found some great deals, and spent the day with dear friends – but, the highlight of the day was meeting new prim friends.  (Thank you, Judi, for contacting me – I look forward to seeing you next month.)

Thank you for stopping by – I hope you have a wonderful week.

Spring Blessings,
Sue

Renniger’s Extravaganza and Blue/Brown Guest Room Makeover

My DH and I went to Renniger’s Antique Market today to take in the last Extravaganza until next November.  What a beautiful day to enjoy an outdoor market!  I was looking for small items to use, to tweak some displays around our home, and found some great deals.  I found two rolling pins, a masher with a black handle, and a few old wooden spoons and paddles; some rag balls, a quilted bunny, and several hearts made from old quilt scraps; an oil lamp, two brown crocks, a pewter pitcher, and a few small molds;  and a small blue granite pail, a blue bowl and a blue bottle.



I added the rolling pins to a crock with a few others I had.



I added the masher to my rolling pin/bowl cubby (on shelf beside bowl).

 

I put the molds in a wooden bowl on my kitchen dry sink, for now.

 

I have had my oil lamps displayed on top of the pie safe in my Dining Room for quite a while and like the way it looks.  I wanted to use the one with the pewter base (right front, top photo) in the Living Room, so I needed one lamp to replace it.  The one on the right front (bottom photo) is today’s find.

 
 

The taller brown crock found a home on a shelf in the Living Room.  Haven’t placed the other crock yet.



I added the pewter pitcher (middle) to some pewter pieces I already had on this shelf.




BLUE/BROWN GUEST ROOM MAKEOVER

AN EXCERPT FROM A PREVIOUS POST - I had a lot of blue in our previous home and when we moved to this house (almost eight years ago) I thought I was tired of blue and did not use it at all in this home.  This fall I took some quilts to sell at a Street Fair that I participated in – and as the day progressed I kept looking at one of the quilts and thinking I don’t want to let that one go.  So I brought it home, spread it on the bed in one of the guest rooms, and fell in love with it.  The problem was that it didn’t go with anything else in the room.  Since then I have slowly been collecting blue and brown items for a room makeover. 

This is the quilt that started the makeover.

 

The room is still a work in progress, but I thought I would share what I have done so far.  After deciding to keep the quilt, I began to go through some things I had in storage and found that I had kept a few blue things.

A blue and brown crocheted rug and a quilt I had in storage.



I found this blue wooden caddy in the garage.  I added the blue bottle, granite pail, and rags balls that I bought today.



This blue cupboard was also in the garage.  I displayed a blue book and a few blue hankies in an old basket.  I added a lamp with a brown crock base, and the blue bowl with the quilt hearts that I bought today.



Close up of display.

 

This is how the room looks so far.

 

I have some fabric to make a brown dust ruffle – I just need the time to get it done.  I would like to repaint the room – maybe kacki – I haven’t talked to hubby about this yet.  And I haven’t decided on window treatments – I would like tobacco cloth curtains, but I don’t know if they are in the budget.  Does anyone know of a source for buying tobacco cloth?  I can make my own curtains if I can find the fabric at a reasonable price.

I hope you have enjoyed this little peak into my day of antiquing and my room makeover in progress.  And I hope you are enjoying a wonderful weekend!

Blessings,
Sue

WHERE DOES THE TIME GO? * A 5K & A COUPLE OF ANTIQUE FAIRS

I THOUGHT that once the busyness of the holidays had past, and Christmas décor was all put away, that I would have more time to post.  But I find that more than three weeks have passed since my last post and it seems like the time is just flying by.

I ADMIRE those of you who post and comment regularly – many of you while working outside the home, crafting for an online business, and some even with children at home.  HOW DO YOU DO IT?  I babysit (play with) our 2 year old grandson weekdays, and as much as I enjoy our time together I am often too tired to do much else once he has gone home.  In addition to babysitting Caleb, we have eight other grandchildren who are in and out frequently – wouldn’t have it any other way!  Three of our grandchildren play soccer - so that means lots of soccer games to attend.  I also participate in a Bible Study and am a Mentor for MOPS – activities that are a joy to give my time to.  Some evenings I like to read other blogs and try to leave comments, but it is hard for me to keep up with all of you.  I had intended to participate in the Tuesday Display Chains hosted by Misi, but I just have not had time to take pictures and get them posted.  For those of you who have not visited Misi’s blog, 1890 Gable House Musings, stop over and check out some of the past Tuesday Display Chains – you will be inspired!

THANK YOU TO MY FOLLOWERS – thank you to my new followers and thank you to those of you who have journeyed with me for a while.  When I find that I have a new follower I try to visit your blog, if you have one, and become a follower too – but I’m sure I have missed someone along the way.  SO, if you are following me and find that I am not following you, please email me and I will take care of that right away.  I had no idea when I started this blog, just five short months ago, that I would make so many friends – but I have been inspired, encouraged, and blessed beyond what I ever dreamed possible!  I appreciate each and everyone of you! 

I PARTICIPATED IN MY FIRST 5K (as a walker) on January 15th.  The purpose of the race was to raise funds for a school in Haiti.  I began training the week after Thanksgiving, thinking I would only do this race, since it was for a good cause – but I am hooked.  I found myself looking forward to training and looking for more races to participate in.  My husband is now on board and we will participate in a race together on Saturday.  I still have a hard time believing that I got off the couch and did it, but here I am crossing the finish line!



I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ATTEND a couple of Antique Fairs recently.  My DH took me to the Renniger’s Extravaganza on January 16th.  It was the first time we had gone on a Sunday – it is a weekend long event – and it was not as good of a day as we have experienced in the past, on Saturdays.  Many of the dealers had left Saturday night, so there was not as much to see .  And it seemed that many of the ones who stayed had priced their goods on the high side – at least the prices were too high for my budget.  Then, yesterday we went to Arcadia for their monthly Antique Street Fair - it was a cold day for Central Florida and I think that kinda curbed my desire to shop.  I did find a few goodies at both fairs though.

At Renniger’s Extravaganza I got:

A couple of small heart molds, a heart cookie cutter, and a small heart shaped wooden bowl.


A small crockery jug - the one on the left.


And three wooden mashers.  (I guess I now have a collection.)  I displayed them on top of the Rolling Pin/Bowl Holder that I won from Firecracker Kid Primitives.
  

At Arcadia’s Antique Street Fair I got:

Several small tin items to add to my baker’s cabinet display – the box with lid, measuring cup, handled biscuit cutter, shaker, nutmeg grater, and cocoa container.


A candle sconce – I had a couple like this years ago and wished I had kept them.  I have been looking for replacements and found this one – at a good price too!


And a book with a blue cover – for my blue room.


ABOUT MY BLUE ROOM – I had a lot of blue in our previous home and when we moved to this house (almost eight years ago) I thought I was tired of blue and did not use it at all in this home.  This fall I took some quilts to sell at a Street Fair that I participated in – and as the day progressed I kept looking at one of the quilts and thinking I don’t want to let that one go.  So I brought it home, spread it on the bed in one of the guest rooms, and fell in love with it.  The problem was that it didn’t go with anything else in the room.  Since then I have slowly been collecting blue and brown items for a room makeover.  Hopefully I will be able to share my makeover soon, but until then here is a teaser – a portion of the quilt that started my desire to do a room makeover.
Wishing you all a blessed week and all the time you need to accomplish your heart's desires,

Sue

ANTIQUING AT RENNIGERS

My favorite place to go antiquing is Rennigers Antique Market, located on over 117 acres north of Mt. Dora, Florida.  In November, January, and February they hold an Antique Extravaganza that brings in more than 1000 dealers.  I have been looking forward to this weekend for months.  

I usually have a list of things I am looking for, but today I didn’t.  I told my husband – let’s just take our time and browse and see what we find.  Well, we did find a few goodies – a crockery jar and pitcher, a small pewter pitcher, a unique round muffin pan, 3 rolling pins, 2 wooden bowls, some beeswax dipped pears, and an awesome wooden chocolate box. 

 

Close up of chocolate box.  The chocolate box is in great condition and has the logo “Daggert’s Chocolates” imprinted on the front.  



Close up of other goodies.  The lady I bought the pears from said they were made from cinnamon dough and then dipped in beeswax – I think they will look great displayed in a wooden bowl.



GRATITUDE
I am so grateful for my husband – he is truly my best friend.  He is always willing to spend a day helping me look for treasures  - and he even carries them for me.

I hope you all are having a blessed weekend.

With A Grateful Heart,
Sue

A Perfect Day for an Antique Street Fair

Today was a beautiful day – mid 80s with a slight breeze.  A perfect day for an Antique Street Fair.  My DH and I picked up my friend, Connie, at 8:00 am and headed to Arcadia, FL.  After about 30 minutes on the road we did a McDonald’s drive through for a biscuit and diet coke (I don’t drink coffee), then headed on our way.  This was Connie’s first time going with us and it was so much fun to watch her reaction as we turned onto Oak Street and she saw all of the venders set up on the sidewalks and in the bank parking lot and the city park.  This is a small town with 24 Antique Shops in a four block area, and on the fourth Saturday of each month additional vendors set up in the outside areas.

A new Prim Shop has opened since the last time we were there and it is a delightful shop full of all the prim needfuls that we just can’t do without.  I found candles, a small peg basket, and a pip berry spray to complete a project I had in my head.  Do y’all do that – have an idea of an area that you want to decorate, and items you need, and then go Antique/Prim shopping with those specific things in mind?   Well I did today and I found what I was looking for - I will post pictures and tell you about it when the project is complete.  Oh, I also got some dried bowl fixins – can’t ever have too much of that.

I took a picture of my goodies in the back of our SUV when we got home – some crocks and stoneware, some pewter, a couple of wooden bowls, a pantry box, some faux pumpkins, a wooden shelf (that needs a little makeover) and the items I got at the Prim Shop.  I will post more pictures when I find a home for everything.

 

Before I close I must take a moment and brag on my husband, my very best friend – he escorted us all over town, carried packages for us, took things to the car, and treated us to lunch.  He is so much fun to be with and is so good to me.  I think I’ll keep him!

Now I am going to say goodnight because my A Primitive Place magazine was waiting for me in the mailbox when I got home, and I can’t think of a better ending to an already perfect day than to peruse this awesome magazine.

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.

Autumn Blessings,
Sue

ANTIQUE FAIR FINDS

A neighboring town has an Antique Fair, on the sidewalks along Main Street, the second Saturday of each month.  It was a little cooler today so we thought we would go and see what we might find.

There weren’t a lot of primitive goodies, but I did find a few things – a cheese box, some wooden spoons, and a CROCK!



The spoons aren’t very old, but there are some unique shapes – hopefully I can figure out how to age them some.  Anyway, I thought they would look good in a crock on the Kitchen counter.

Just couldn’t pass up the CROCK – the price was good and I didn’t have one like it – so I needed this one, right?  My DH said there has to be a stopping point sometime - meaning I didn’t need any more crocks – what was he thinking?  I told him I didn’t think that it would happen any time soon.

It was a nice outing and it is always fun when I get to bring home goodies.  Did anyone else have any good finds today – antique, thrift store, yard sale?  Please share – I love to hear from you.

Hope y’all are having a wonderful weekend,
Sue

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  

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

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?



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!



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!    

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! 

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


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