Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Legolepsy....

An obsession with words......not an injury caused by stepping on a Lego.
 
I have always been a reader. One of my favorite things to read (other than books) are definitions of less commonly used or obscure words. A bit nerdy, I know.
 
Recently, I was reading an article on the topic of beautiful words of the English language, it gave me an idea.
 
And a new "spoon line" was born!
 
 
 
Just saying these words aloud is relaxing.


 
Of course, I do live in the South, so I have to make sure I have a few "Southernisms" thrown in as well.
 

I have a long list of "Southernism's" to hammer out.

 
I am having a lot of fun with this.
 
 
I am not sure what I enjoy more, researching words, or hammering them out. I predict that this "spoon line" is going to have a wide selection.
 
Well, that is unless I am alone in my love of obscure words.
 
Hoping you are having a prodigious week!


Sunday, June 26, 2016

Melting at the Nashville Flea

The South is experiencing a very hot June.
 
Hot, as in you start sweating the minute you walk out the door at 6:30 in the morning hot.
 
Flesh melting Southern heat.
 
I am tired just describing it.
 
I was back and forth about going to this months market because of the heat, but I know the June Flea market is one of the last really good ones until September and I did not want to miss it. So, up I got early on Saturday and headed out there hoping to get through the majority of market before the sun burned the clouds off. Typically, the market is pretty quiet this early on Saturdays, but I think everyone was thinking the same thing I  was. Go early before the real heat hits. I got there to find half of Nashville decided to join me.  
 
Darn it I could not even park in my usual spot.
 
grumble, grumble.
 
Anyway....I did make it almost half way through before the sun came out to brutally beat us down. Lots of vendors, lots of good stuff, but I only came away with a few things. Still totally worth the trip out. Even if I did turn red as a lobster and sweated about two gallons.
 
A couple little Pyrex finds. The fridgie is pink and since I have been on a pink Pyrex kick lately I had to grab it.
 
 
 
The light in the kitchen really showed the flaws, they actually look much better than this.

 
Of course flatware to hammer and a couple aluminum cups that caught my eye.
 
 
 I think they will look cool filled with spring violets.

 

 My daughter loves the Blue Azurite Fire King and has a pretty nice miss matched collection, so I was excited to find this serving bowl for her. She was very happy with it!
 
 
My main goal for the day was a nursery appropriate book for the next arrangement I wanted to work on. Found what I think is a PERFECT book to use, and a couple more odd books to add to my old book collection.
 
 
From 1951, I love the funky somewhat creepy graphics of the book. I think it will make a wonderful arrangement.
 
 
 I love really old books, they are so cool. I found a copyright date of 1888 in this one.
 
 
The cover was pretty beat up, inside was much better condition. It promised that it could teach anyone to sing...from a book. That made me laugh.
 
 
 
I really loved the graphics in this book.
 
 

 And another milk bottle. Like my cottage cheese bottle this one has a beautiful pink tint. I love how they look filled with flowers sitting on the window sill.
 
 
Of course I walked out with my favorite peaches from the peach truck and fresh farmers market veggies to have with dinner. 
 
 
Then home I went to drink a couple gallons of water and cool off  in the pool.
 
The first of my Zinnia's have bloomed! Perfect color to come out first since my garden Dill is also in full bloom.
 
 
 The heat is keeping me out of the garage to do my hammering...but I will have to deal with it to get some spoons finished this week for my wholesale order. Whew..I am glad I did so much hammering this spring so I have a decent stock built up or I would be seriously behind.

 Hope you are keeping cool!!!

 





 
 
 

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Destoying history...

I love vintage. I love restoring vintage and up cycling vintage things that are damaged. But I hate destroying something vintage that is in perfectly good condition. It just kills me.
 
So when a friend of mine asked if I would make a center piece out of vintage sheet music for her son's 18th birthday party, I groaned. No way I was going to turn her down, but, my gosh...it was almost 100 years old. AH!! MY HEART!
 
It even smelled amazing, like good vintage books should. I don't know what it is about that smell, but I love it.
 
But, it is what she wanted. Her son is a very talented musician so it could not have been a more perfect choice for a party center piece.
 
So I cut it.

 
But not after doing some research and making sure I was not cutting some priceless music document. I was not, average value, 6.00.
 
 
Still, so beautiful. I saved the cover and some of the prettier pages so she could frame them.

 
Once I started working on making roses out of this beautiful paper, I got over the pain pretty quickly. The paper was old, which means it can be brittle. It was a pain in the backside to work with.
 
 
But I think it turned out pretty well.
 

 
A willow branch from my beloved tree, some hydrangeas with sheet music leaves and my favorite, the butterflies. I could have done nothing but butterflies and been totally happy. They are my favorite part of the whole arrangement. Some are all paper, three butterfly punches to make almost a 3D butterfly, and some with an aluminum punch spray painted black for the center. I was so happy with how they looked perched on the twisty willow branches.
 
And, working this project not only got me out of my creative energy slump, but it also inspired a couple more ideas like a whole branch made with fairy tale butterflies!
 
That one will be this weekends project!
 
And...one more idea...
 
"Gutterflies"
 
 
As I started work on the roses and butterflies for the nursery themed arrangement, I learned that the subject matter of the book you are using DOES matter. Ummm this is why the nursery arrangement is on hold until I get out and find a kids Fairy Tale book. But it gave me an idea to make an arrangement made with more of an....adult theme for Valentines day. Oh myyyyyyy.
 
This is gonna be fun!
 
I have been so busy at work that I totally lost track of the fact that this is Nashville Flea Market weekend! It is going to be very HOT but I think I need the Flea Market Therapy, so first thing Saturday before it gets flesh melting hot, I am going to have to make a run out!
 
Hope you are having a great week and are looking forward to an ever greater weekend!
 
 

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Another "set" complete

A couple years ago my daughter spotted the most adorable syrup dispenser at our favorite indoor flea market. Of course we bought it and my children, for some reason, LOVE it.
 
It is really funny to me how they both tend to get attached to some of these vintage items. I am not sure why  they love this syrup dispenser so much, but they do. They are both pancake and waffle addicts and will both will get irate if I forget to clean and refill it. Honestly, it kinda cracks me up.
 
Of course when I realized that the syrup dispenser was part of a set, the rest of the pieces hit my "watch" list. And in what, three years? I have never seen another piece in "the wild". So for whatever reason I decided it was my mission to finish this set this summer. With no luck at the flea market or thrifts in years, I turned to Ebay. And was successful!
 
 
Back together again!
Syrup (or I guess it could be used for cream), Sugar and the most adorable salt and pepper shakers ever! They are so tiny and cute!
 
 
Problem is, I have one set, but two kids. And they BOTH like the set. I am afraid like my big yellow Pyrex bowl, I will have keep looking so I have a set for each of them.
 
The big yellow Pyrex bowl is their favorite popcorn bowl, they would literally bicker about who's bowl it was and argue over who held the bowl. Having two made them both happy.
 
I suspect they will both grow up to be very sentimental adults.
 
A friend of mine asked me to create a center piece for her son's 18th Birthday party and include some vintage sheet music she had found. It was so beautiful It KILLED me to cut it, but I think the arrangement turned out pretty well. I am not quite finished with it, but will be by tomorrow night. I was so happy with how parts of it turned out, it has really motivated me on a couple other projects.
 
In other words, it gave me the creative shot in the arm I needed! I am feeling the summer laziness starting to melt away. I like relaxing, but I like feeling energetic even more.

I am enjoying my hydrangea blooms this summer, I don't have a ton, but I have more than I have had in recent years.

So beautiful!




I hope you have had a great weekend and are ready to tackle another week!

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Vanilla Check

Almost two months down on my Pinterest Vanilla experiment.

Looking pretty good so far!



The color is great on both, but I still smell more booze than vanilla.



More so with the vodka based than the bourbon based. The bourbon based is taking on more of the vanilla scent. I suspect  the bourbon is going to turn out to be my favorite!


One more month, I may leave it longer if I am not 100% on the flavor.  I am excited to see if this turns out to be a Pinterest win!

Hope you are having a great week!!

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Paper flowers

I am still trying desperately to break myself out of this sudden bout of summer laziness. It really has me in it's grip right now. Maybe bouts of laziness like this are just your body's way of telling you to slow down and recharge for a bit. I don't know, but I do know the last couple weeks I have been slow. Lay in the pool with a magazine, sit in the shed with a book or lay in bed with an old movie and Pinterest on my iPad kinda slow.
 
Not that I don't do these things when I am in full energy mode, but the last couple weeks, everything has been an effort.
 
And I cannot afford to let this mood linger. I have wholesale orders to work on.
 
One order is for my hydrangea boxes. I love them the way they are, but I also like the idea of mixing things up a bit. Hydrangeas and roses are one of my favorite flower combinations (who am I kidding, all flowers are my favorite flower combinations) but I digress...I love the look of  paper roses made with the yellowed pages of old books. And since I have a couple boxes I need to create for a wholesale order, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try my hand at incorporating them into an arrangement.
 
They turned out to be very simple, and surprisingly fun to make!
 
First things first, a run to Goodwill for an old book that will not tear my heart apart to ruin. I love old books and I was afraid that I would not be able to bring my self to cut one up.  No problem, find a really dumb story and it is not hard to cut them up. Easily found one.
 
Then, sit down with my scissors, and let my daughter teach me how to make them from the tutorial she watched on Pinterest.  I think she is a very good teacher.
 
 
Not only are these fun to make, they are strangely relaxing to make as well.
 
 
I think they would look very cool with a tiny pearl glued into the center.
 
 
And of course the leaves must be from a book as well.
 
Three down, 12 or 13 more to go. Funny, sometimes all it takes is a simple new project to break you out of a lazy slump and get you motivated again.
 
Hope you are enjoying a lovely and productive weekend!

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

I don't need your attitude, or, A story about a bottle....

Our main goal at the May Nashville Flea Market was to find tiny vintage bottles for our air plant display. And we found some that we liked for very good prices. But, there was that one that got away.
 
My daughter and I were enjoying a really lovely stroll through the flea market and were down to our last shed before leaving when we spotted this tiny cobalt blue bottle. We both spotted it at the same time and my hand shot right out for it, it was EXACTLY what I wanted. I turned to find the seller and ask what the price was on it. I was thinking maybe around 5.00.

Well the guy, who was still unpacking after10:00~long after the flea market opened, was extremely rude to us. "I just got this from an estate sale, I am still unpacking and don't even know what it is worth" he said very rudely to me. He huffed and  puffed while tapping away at his cell phone, looked back up at me and said "Well I suppose you only want to pay a couple dollars for it", I just kind of smiled, probably looking a little taken aback,  I mean, this is a flea market.
 
 There are always rude vendors, but in my experience they are not the majority, and I was not about to offer anything because I had already taken a very strong dislike to this rude dude. Finally after another disgusted huff he says "Well, I have to have at least 15.00 for it". Now, I am not a big vintage bottle collector, I have very few and only know a little about them, I know they can be very pricy, but I am not an expert and there is no way I am paying 15.00 for it, especially since I think the guy is a jerk. So I put his bottle down, gave him my best "I think your an asshole" nose wrinkle smirk combo, turned and walked away.
 
As we walked away, I whispered to my daughter, "He was such a jerk, I don't think I would have given him a dollar for it, heck with him we will look on Ebay" she agreed, and we did. And I found the EXACT same bottle the jerk wanted 15.00 for in equally perfect condition, for 5.99, including shipping.
 
It is obviously not a rare uncommon bottle.
 
Two lessons here, don't be a jerk to people when you are trying to sell and don't spend a lot of money on flea market stuff that you know nothing about, unless you totally love it and just don't care about spending the money.
 
Tiny Antique Cobalt blue Bromo Seltzer, Baltimore MD bottle. All over Ebay. A few are overpriced, but the majority are listed for around 5.00.
 
Dude should have been a  little faster on his Ebay search. Had he been nice about it I would have happily paid him 6.00 no argument just because we both liked the bottle that much.
 
 
As  it happens, the seller I got it from on Ebay was very sweet, letting me know that he had dug it up himself, making the extra effort to reach out and send me a note and tell me he would be a day late shipping it because of the holiday. Thanking me, telling me he hoped I enjoyed it, packaging it up nice and safe and leaving good feedback. Sometimes Ebay is worth it.
 
And we do love our pretty little bottle!
 
 

I have an air plant the will sit perfectly on top of it, but since I have tiny pink hydrangeas blooming right now....I think it will be a flower vase for a little while.
 
The blue of the bottle is so pretty sitting in the window with the sunlight streaming through it.
 
I can't help but wonder if the people who bought these products when they were new, would laugh at people like me happily displaying flowers in their garbage.
 
I have to admit, the thought makes me giggle.
 
Hope you are having a wonderful, jerk free week!
 
 

Sunday, June 5, 2016

Lazy summer days

I have had a very bad case of early summer laziness this weekend.
 
Last weekend, I knocked it out of the park. Out and about doing things, running errands, cooking,  entertaining, crafting, tackling projects. This weekend? Not so much.
 
After a Saturday morning run through Trader Joes, Breakfast with my sister and a couple minor errands on the way home. I have been useless.
 
Don't get me wrong, I have managed to get the house cleaned, laundry done and kept everyone fed. Maybe it was yesterdays rain, but I have been easily distracted. Starting one task, trailing off to another, before noticing I have lost an hour....or two. Finally today I just gave up and popped into the pool to read. The sun was out, so I figure, why fight it.
 
I think sometimes you just need a lazy do nothing weekend. It's good to recharge. So recharge I did, I  grabbed one of my favorite pink Pyrex plates and current favorite spoon and indulged in my new addiction. Trader Joes Hot and Sweet Chili Jam with Brie and rosemary crackers. OMG...so good. I went a little heavy on the jam. It is amazing! Now I have to stop at the grocery store tomorrow for more brie. Did I say indulged? I should probably say over indulged.
 



Then after a couple hours spend standing in the pool, nose in a book enjoying the peace and sunshine, I spent another hour lost in thought taking pictures of flowers. I could spend hours doing this.
 

 
 
I suppose it is time to stop being lazy, get some dinner on the table and prepare for another week.
 
Sometimes I wish all weekends were three day weekends!
 
Hope you have had a chance relax and enjoy your weekend!

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

What a lovely weekend!

Starting back to work after a long Holiday weekend is always rough, especially when you had a really great weekend.
 
I took a vacation day on Friday to extend my three day weekend to four days and managed to really pack in a lot.  It was so nice starting the days relaxing in my shack with the dogs and a cold Coke, having lunch and going shopping with my kids, hitting the Nashville flea market, spending our evenings back in the shack roasting marshmallows and making smores, yard projects, craft projects, and a delish cookout and swim party visiting with friends, what better way to spend a weekend?
 
We kicked off the weekend on Friday morning at the Nashville Flea and this month did not disappoint. Although we really did not come home with a huge load.
 
One of the main things on our list were tiny vintage bottles. Late last year my mom brought me this  hanging planter. As soon as I saw it I thought that air plants would look great in there. Found a deal for 10 plants on Ebay, filled the planter~ and still had several left over...what to do with them?

+
 
My daughter and I decided that tiny vintage bottles would look really cool with the smallest of the air plants sitting on them. And I think we were right! Really like how they look!
 
The blue is a Noxzema jar, the milk glass, I think may have been a cold cream? The green and clear I believe may have been pill bottles. I think they make a nice display with the plants.
 

This funky air plant on the left is my favorite of the bunch! Love the long curls.

 
Next on the list was another lasagna pan, I really wanted pink, and I really got lucky and found one!
 
 
There was no getting a good picture of this. 13x9 pink Pyrex, a little scratched but I got a deal on it, 6.00. Compared to what I am seeing them go for, I consider that a bargain. Got it home, cleaned it up and filled it with no bake Oreo cookie dessert. Which did not last 24 hours after my son and three of his football playing buddies got into it. Not that I minded, nothing makes me feel better than seeing people, especially kids, enjoy food that I prepare.
 
I joked with my daughter that we were really on a glass kick. Found this pretty glass jar and decided it would look great in the bathroom. I was right, fit right in!
 
 
But I think my favorite purchase of the weekend, even more than the pink Pyrex, is the Real Lemon jar. At least I think it was Real lemon, at least some kind of lemon concentrate originally.
 

Looks like Anchor Hocking, still had the price tag on the lid 1.18.  Now, mind you I did not use this lid, gross. As it happens mason jar lids fit this perfectly so I do not have to be grossed out thinking of what 40 year old germs may be living in that top and leaking into my lemonade. That top will be used for display only~ LOL
 
I pretty much lived on lemonade and watermelon all weekend.
 
 
 
Of course I picked up a handful of flatware to hammer. I have a couple wholesale orders to fill and I need to get hammering fast.
 

A couple of these are so pretty, I think I may just make them into necklaces right away.

 
We picked up Sunflowers for our kitchen table this weekend. They were a perfect choice for such a beautiful weekend.
 
 
And of course hit the farm stand for tomatoes and veggies and to get MORE peach truck peaches.  I can eat a lot of these peaches before I get tired of them. And I make sure to freeze a few bags. There is nothing like eating hot peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream during the deep dark cold winter months. It is one of my favorite winter treats.
 
 
One nice thing about a long weekend, is the shorter week that follows! I am already looking forward to this weekend.
 
Have a great rest of your week!