Thursday, December 8, 2011


Oh great birch tree, how lovely is your bark.  And your branches, they reach high to the sky (insert sound effect of me clearing my throat).  Okay, okay.....so I'm certainly no poet by any means.  But I do love the look of the birch tree, and its bark, and so I decided to do a little vignette in ode to it and well...nature in general.




When you add birch into your indoor home decor, it brings a little bit of nature into your space.  So when I decided to change up the little alcove I have as you first walk into my house, I found myself putting a little birch theme together. 



This little twig tree was purchased new, but it fit right into my "theme".  The planter was made for me by my good friend Sue Wolfe.  One of her Destination Art creations.




You could probably create your own version of this tree if you want to.  Just decoupage' newspaper or book pages around some twigs.




How about a real birds nest placed in a vintage drinking bubbler.  Can't get much more le'naturale than that!




And how about bringing a bird bath inside?   Filled with these huge pinecones, it seems to be the perfect addition.




I decided the bird bath needed to be raised up a bit so this old iron grate fit the bill.




Birch wallpaper added over an old picture was the perfect backdrop, also created by Sue Wolfe.  It hangs next to an old English Bus Roll.  




Hey!!  Herc, move away from the birds nest!  Ooops...I think keeping this here may be a problem!




And of course I do have birch branches mingled throughout my home.  I love the thicker branches that are mature enough to have the white bark on them.




And then why not put a tree in your house?  You could have a whole forest in there!  Hahaha.   Well then again...maybe not.  

Until next time...





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Sunday, December 4, 2011

Where Have I Been and What the Heck Have I Been Doing?



So some of you have been wondering where I've been and what the heck I've been up to lately.  Actually, something quite crazy overcame me (and I mean crazy)! My husband was complaining (what?...a complaining husband??)  That never happens now does it?  Ha!  Anyways, he was complaining that all I did was go out for lunch (who me?).  So I sat down at my computer and applied online for a job....at Target.

Mind you I hadn't applied for a job in over 30 years so I really didn't think I'd get it.  And I know, like I really have the time.  But guess what?  They hired me!  Seriously?  It must have been my charming personality.  Or maybe it was my striking resemblance to that crazy lady in all the Target Christmas commercials (I even had a customer insist it was me...hahahaha  It must be my psychotic personality!)  But I have to say the extra Christmas money is certainly pretty handy (let alone the discount).  Mind you it's only seasonal.  But it does seem like they've had me working quite a bit of hours.  So my time is definitely limited.  And let me tell you, for the fashionista in me, it has been a little bit of a challenge making khaki and red look chic!

But in all the craziness of my life, I've been busy working on a couple projects.  Seriously!  What is it with me and over extending myself!  But these are a couple of pretty darn big and exciting projects!  But you'll have to stay tuned.  In the meantime, I'm going to try to catch up on some project posts I've been working on.  Plus I have to get my Christmas decorating completed!  Darn it anyway.  Anyone want to help a girl out.  LOL!

Again, stay tuned......


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Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Well Another JUNKMARKET Under Glass is Behind Us


We'll another JUNKMARKET Under Glass sale is behind us.  Can't believe it.  All the preparation and anticipation.  And it's done.  It's all so bittersweet.  I met so many fun and creative people.  And the time spent with them was a great bonding period.  These are truly the best group of dealers and vendors out there.  We all felt like those in our "quadrant" were the greatest group. And our next sale in March is way too far away!

But on the last day of the sale I was able to sneak away from my booth to capture a few of the moments to remember it by.  The pictures aren't great by any means, I was way too tired.  But you'll get a hint of the beauty we had here.  And it was beautiful.  Both customers and vendors alike will attest to that.  What a superb venue.  The plants seemed to add the icing on the cake.  And I also have to recognize the superior staff at Otten Bros. Garden Center and Landscaping.  They were above par.  Seriously!  We would not have been so successful without them. How lucky could we be!

Again, these pictures may not be the best, and may not do the sale justice, but I wanted you to get an inkling of how beautiful it was.  But don't take my word for it.  Come and see for yourself at the spring sale which will be held March 1-3, 2011.  It'll definitely be worth the trip.  Also, if I forgot to credit anyone, please don't hesitate to let me know.  They all deserve recognition.  PS  We actually even had someone travel from Japan just for the sale.....seriously.  How amazing!



The picture at the very top is the amazing work of Sue Wolfe of Destination Art.  Julie Pierce, her partner in crime from the Loft on 2nd, brought her hand painted pots, along with some of her great vintage finds, to the show.  They certainly made a great pair.  


Okay, how excited was I?  I was right across from Heidi Comfort!  If you are not familiar with her handmade bags, you need to be!!  I LOVE her things!  You have to check out her website.  I wanted everything in her booth.  And not only did I love her bags, but I got to be able to know what an amazing person she is.  What a talent!


I felt like I really scored!  Yes!


And then kitty-corner from me was Kari Blackwood from Shabby Chick.  Like I said, we all thought our little quadrant was the bestest!  Before I knew her I loved her things at Haupt Antiek Market.  They're lucky to have her!


Once again, Gretchen Schaumann of Mimi-Toria's graced us with her talent and her fabulous jewelry.  Sounds like she had an amazing show!


And then there was Annie de Jongh of Grace and Corazon.  Her religious inspired jewelry inspired me.  My favorite piece (which I own) was a metal given to someone for their faithfulness....aaaahhh.  Love that!


And her leather cuff's?  To die for!


Stunning!


And then there's another favorite dealer of mine, Jan Berg of Summerspell.  I love her industrial look.  I'm surprised she had anything left!


This was Cindi Halverson's first visit to JMUG.  Her style is impeccable.  If you've ever been to her store in Carver, The Nature of It, it is one of my favorites.  Her style fits perfect in the greenhouse.


She has amazing style, doesn't she.


Here they are!  Cindi is on the front right, her friend Barb is on the left, and Tracie of Histories is in back.  Wait until you see Tracie's booth!!!!


Love Julie Broshat of JULZ.  Her claim to fame is her belt buckles made from vintage finds.  But she also has wonderful metal cuffs, bracelets and necklaces.  She's great at whatever she put's her mind to!


And then of course there are two of my dearest friends.  Marge Utley of Emma's Nook and Granny on the left.  And on the right is Sharon Vreeman of the famous Pfarkel sisters and Junk Re-Defined.  I have the best time with them.


 Remember I was telling you about Tracie from Histories?  We'll this is her booth along with her husband Lee.  They have great industrial stuff.  And better yet?  They are two of the nicest people you'll ever meet.


This is her husband, Lee.  


What a great stash of gears they have!


These gals were her for the first time from Iowa. Becky Hiatt and Jenny Boevers, a mother and daughter duo.  The name of their business is called Junk Revised and it has a retro flair to it.  I wanted this Minnesota sign!


Her I found Sue Whitney of JUNKMARKET, the show organizer, taking a well deserved break!


Some great vintage signs from Judi Shackelford of Rubarb Co.  


What a fun display this was!


These gals, Jolie Raimondo of JolieRaimondo.com and Linda Morall of Northwoods Boutique, were taking a break.  Sorry, I'm not sure the gal behind her, but she was another fab dealer who joined them..



This light, courtesy of Otten Brothers had my name written all over it.  What a fun piece!


This wood box was seen in one Sue Whitney's Country Garden Magazine articles.


Sarah Smith, from Kansas, was my neighbor and I was so glad to be by her. We've become fast friends and she has great stuff!  Did I just say great?  It was AMAZING!  Her WWII French Army bags were a huge hit, along with her reconstructed vintage jewelry and English Bus Rolls.  Another LOVE!


This is her friend Meloney's booth from The Seed Box Antiques.  She is another one with impeccable style.


This little cabinet of Meloney's was wonderful!  You know me....I love industrial!


I was able to snap a picture of Sarah Smith (left) and Kari Blackwood (right) taking a break.  Love these gals!


And how could I forget Shayne Barsness of Style Minneapolis.  She has great Style!  Fab is the word!


And l saved the bestest for last.  Judy Hill from Texas was here!  Seriously!  The Judy Hill!  How did we rate?  Thanks Judy for making the long track from Texas.  We loved having you!


How could you not want to spend time in this beautiful booth.  Judy has the touch!


Here's a picture of Judy on the left with Laurel Putnam of Chipping with Charm on the right.

Like I said, my pictures aren't the best, but I hope I was able to give you an feel of how amazing the space, product and people were.  It was truly the best of the best!







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