Distinction!

Just a thought for the day!

Tomorrow is junking day....can't wait!  Five estate sales in my area!

Yippee!

Knitting Mill Antiques!

It is official....I now have an antique booth at the fantastic "Knitting Mill Antiques" of Chattanooga, TN!  Yes, it completes me!  After much debate....discussion....and finally consulting the decision makers of this upstanding establishment....I am one of them.  To their dismay...maybe?....but, I am thrilled to be a playing in their sandbox of junk devine.

In a matter of days, this small, but ever so full booth was painted and filled with the goodies I so love.

The sad part about this process....I have not purchased one thing to put in it.  This inventory was plucked from the closets...walls...shelves....and basement of my home.  A pure testimony of fact to confirm what my "Honey" has always said, "our house looks like Cracker Barrel, but you don't get the good food".  Now if you are not a southerner, the humor factor is somewhat lost in this statement, but if you have crossed the hallowed porches of any Cracker Barrel...these profound words uttered by my better half, have mucho meaning.

Time has taught my spousal unit, that yes, our home has the essence of an antique mall..yes, it may seem somewhat overwhelming at times...and yes, if the need to create a junking retail store is needed...yes, WE CAN DO IT!  Stop by and visit if in the area...it a great place to unplug for about two hours and tip toe through many junking kindred spirits!

Daisies!

"Daisies are like sunshine to the ground."

-Drew Barrymoore

Somehow my green thumb, which might I add suffers from the chemical make-up of Round-Up, can generally bring the kiss of death to most anything botanical.  Yet, this same "green thumb" has managed to help nurture the most beautiful DOUBLE gerbera daisy.  

So, put that in your flower pot and Miracle Grow it!

In cleaning out my attic just a wee bit, this old hand painted suitcase was discovered.  I remember reading a whole book on how to paint things "PLAID".  Do your know how difficult that is?  Color choices....width of the stripe...the direction from which to start.....arghhh.  Everyone look at this cute little case, for I never painted anything plaid again.  Way too hard!

This little case was a purchase from the "Ga-Zillion Mile Yard Sale"!  Just want to remind everyone to start squirreling back your bucks for the yard sale.  It is the pinnacle buying expedition of the year.  Plus, I have had the distinct honor of being featured on:

World's Largest Yard Sale Project

Georgia Peachez gal has created this blog to track the experiences...happenings...places...and methods of best wrapping your brain and buying dollar around this awesome event.  Pop on over to both and find a kindred spirit!

Have a great weekend!

Photos of my new adventure coming ASAP!

Eat Your Heart Out American Pickers!

At the very bottom of this stairwell is the entry to my very own version of American Pickers.  A friend that owns a very old, and now semi renovated, building on the square of the pristine city of Sweetwater, TN, called and asked the ultimate question..."would you like to come up and go through some of the junk on the third floor, we are starting to clean out the entire building and I thought you might want some old junk?"  This question is comparable to asking a fish flopping on the sidewalk, if he would like to get back in the water?.   With a minimal attempt at humility and "I would love to"...we set a date.  Had she been in the room with me at the time, she would have been scared of the raging eery look in my eye that reeked of a insane rat ready to set up housekeeping in new digs.  

I knew the renovated portion was stunning and I felt the un-renovated portion would be riddled with junking goodness.  My friend is quite in tune with my ephemera habits, and preferences for the remains of others.  She was inviting me into what I will infamously call a Den Of Love! (secretly I was beaming to the gods of junk....eat your heart out Mike and Frank...I have some how managed to freestyle into third floor heaven!)

The top of the third floor steps had this sweet little safety sign should their be a fire.  My friend said it had been years since many of the boxes had been moved...opened....and gone through.  The first room on the right was once the Masonic Lodge.  

This was where the "going to be Masons" gathered prior to the Masonic ceremony.  Look at the stuff!

The doorway led to the great meeting room of the Masons.  

But before entry into the "big" room this pre-monocle styled peep hole was the key to going further.  It made me wonder, how many times had this simple mode of protection held many a man back from entry?

Upon walking into the room the windows were my favorite!  They were big....beautiful....waffley glasssed windows!  Much light was pouring into the room.

 This is what I coined the "alter" area.  It clearly was a focal point of the room.  Slightly raised stage with a double stairway, framed with this beautiful wood arch.  Bead board surrounded the room.  Even the dilapidated ceiling had its own beauty.

Turn the corner and this was a small room of potties...I think they only provided aesthetic value, for no plumbing was attached...and I don't think water has cascaded down their walls in a long time.

This room said, "woo hoo, I'm full of old goodness, come seek and you will find!"  

Great aged, painted, chippy wood!  

A pile of OLD, clothing... it was like "Little House On The Prairie" clothes.  If only they could talk.

I feel certain this bonnet is saying, "I'm going down to the crick....I'll be back later Paw!"

This is some of the loot!  Great dark green pitcher, odd little art glassy tumblers and a perfect Toby mug.

Great Notre Dame Football book, Menorah, jello molds, ginormous cookie cutter, and meat gauges!

But the creme de la creme....a polaroid camera with flash and these ever so simpleton LSD designed interior inlaid red flowerette white pumps.  

Still trying to imagine how Laura Ingles and Company bonnets were in the same room as the Project Runway whack-a-doo shoes...but, thus the beauty of the hunt.  No explanation....no reasoning.....just a cool union of unrelated stuff.

Eat your heart out American Pickers!

Words Of Me Project!

A recent interview request from the lovely Leslie at Words Of Me Project is posted!  I was quite honored to be featured!  Thank you to everyone with all their kind thoughts...and thank you Leslie for including me.  Go check it out....Words of Me Project!

American Pickers Beauty!

"True beauty cannot be detected 

by the gentle stroke of a brush

or the swiftness of a pen.  

Only in the mind

can it be created and molded into

perfection of form and thought."

-unknown

I drive by this pile of rickety goodness every day.  A part of me wants:

1.  to purchase a bull dozer and mow it down

2.  to ignore the "no trespassing" sign and attempt to create my own episode of American Pickers and see what has been left behind under its hallowed rusty roof

3.  to enjoy the beauty it still has

This little dump has slowly become an abandoned pile of a building.  In its former life, I bet it stored farm equipment....cars....garagey stuff.  Now, the back roof has caved in and the foliage has begun to consume it.  As much as it seems to be an eye soar....it is currently drenched in the most beautiful wisteria. However unappealing the building, the fragrant drape of the purple floral vine seems to bring life back to the rust.  It is just vintagey yummy!

Often we must step back and re-observe. Beauty can be found in the most unusual place.  Enjoy!

Let It Be!

Just getting things caught back up from Spring Break!  

Made this little piece while in the car! 

I had the distinct honor of being interviewed at Binglish Art!

She is herself is quite a creative soul.  Her art reflects the influence of music in her life!

My interview is about the third one down...thrilled to be represented!

Children Photos!

I just love children of this age.  Big bows...layered lace dresses!  Unfortunately, their expressions do not say happy....they just say, "my Mom made me wear this".

Photos are generally for Mom anyway....when are children...and families going to learn that?