DOUBLELY BLESSED THIS WEEK!!

Earlier this week - the doorbell rang and when I opened the door I was very surprised to see a FedEx truck driving away.  I was not expecting anything – but there sat a big box, with my name on it, on the front porch.  I couldn’t wait to open it and see what was inside.  Oh my, I was blown away.  My sweet friend Lori, theblackcrow, had sent me a “just because” gift.  

There was a book – Country Decorating – to add to my American Country collection.  And then, Lori had sent something for my Blue/Brown Guest Room – a huge old blue wooden bowl and a few brown rag balls.

Here they are just out of the box.


Here is the bowl on my quilt.  I hope you can see the wonderful patina and how great the colors are for this room.


I placed the bowl on my great-grandmother’s sewing machine, that I use as a bedside table.  I love it!  Lori, thank you for being so thoughtful - it is perfect!
 

Lori has been going through a busy season of life lately and hasn’t been able to post on her blog for awhile, but I encourage you to visit her blog anyway and check out her past posts here - you won’t be disappointed.

Yesterday - when my husband checked the mail our mailbox was empty, so we thought we had just not received any mail for that day.  Later in the afternoon my sister came by and when I opened the door there sat a box, with the mail tucked underneath it.  This box had my name on it too!  

Now that is two packages (for me) in one week – this is definitely out of the ordinary.  Again, I couldn’t wait to open the box and see what was inside.   It was a gift from my dear friend Linda, Parker’s Paradise.  

Linda had posted a picture of a sampler that she stitched (here), with the name of each grandchild, in a heart, around the words “Grandma’s Blessings” - and my grandmother’s heart was touched.  My “grands” are one of the great delights of my life and I just love that Linda feels the same way about hers.  I had posted a comment on Linda’s blog and she emailed me about my grandchildren – and then this wonderful gift arrived in the mail!



This picture does not do it justice.  It is beautiful!  Thank you, Linda,  for being so thoughtful – I love it!  (I  will be rearranging a wall display to make a special place to hang this – need DH’s help for this, so will post a picture later.)

Linda is a dear and her blog is delightful –be sure to visit her here.

GRATITUDE - I have made many dear friends through blogging. I had no idea when I began this journey what to expect, but I have been blessed beyond measure.

Thank you to each of my followers - and a special thank you to those of you who take the time to comment.  You touch my life with your friendship, as you encourage and inspire me.

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