Tuesday Display Chain~ Patina~

Each Tuesday Misi, of Gable House Musings, chooses a theme and invites bloggers to play along with her Tuesday Display Chain. "This weeks theme is ~ Patina ~ old finishes or new surfaces... patinas that you just LOVE."

I am thrilled to be participating in the Display Chain again! It's always so much fun to peek into each others homes and share our treasures. It was a little tricky for me this week as we are still painting and rearranging rooms to make more space for my studio/sewing area. I can't really complain...I am truly blessed to have my own creative space. But it does make photo ops a little more difficult for the time being. Anyway, here goes:

My first real primitive antique, this old tool carrier was a gift from my Mother-in-love almost 30 years ago. I spotted it while we were shopping and it showed up under the Christmas tree for me that year. I love the big chunk cut from the end...and of course the great patina.

 

My Gram's old sewing box, atop an old blue bench in the living room. The perfect place to put your feet up and stitch. 

  In the same room, this craigslist find keeps my sewing needfuls close at hand. I think this is a new piece, made with old wood. Either way, it has a great old finish. I've aged the walls using a rolled rag technique...still trying to decide if I like it. I'm thinking it may be the wallpaper that needs to go. The old basket on the floor has a great green painted finish. Love it!

 Mr. Kattywhompus & have attended Indiana's Covered Bridge Festival every fall for over 30 years. We found this old pie safe in deplorable condition "a long time ago". After stripping away layers of (gross) old pain, reinforcing the interior shelves, and repairing the doors, it became one of our favorite pieces. The tin is original and the sweet punch needle heart is from Ronda Tedder at Simple Thyme Prims.

A stack of old wooden bowls atop the kitchen drysink.

 Pewter salt & pepper, a gift from my Mom.

This Old Hickory Ottoman is part of a set I found at a garage sale for $25. The sisters I bought it from thought it was ugly. My motto? The uglier the better! I love the finish on both the wood and the woven seats. 

 Early morning sunlight casts shadows on finishes both old and new. I like the way the red faux finish on the pewter cupboard compliments the "attic" finish on this old trunk. An elderly friend who knew I "liked junk" gave me the trunk many years ago, and the cupboard was a tag sale find, $50. I scurried out of a thrift store in Galesburg, Illinois with the lavender and gold coverlet for $7. It's big enough to fit a queen size bed and in perfect condition. I love the unusual colors, especially for springtime displays.

 Old spoons at rest in a newly painted spoon rack.

Lots of patina here. A great old firkin sits among old green and brown spatterware on the buttery shelves. See the little spice cabinet to the left? The one with the great distressed finish? In my enthusiasm for faux finishes, I painted over the original finish, complete with stencils. Yeah, don't do that. To redeem myself...I did  find the wonderful little yellowware bowl on top for 25 cents at a garage sale.

And speaking of patina...

Until next time...

Rhonda

 

I'm Late! I'm Late! For a Very Important Date!

Are you tired of me yet? My tardiness, my lack of posts, my excuses... All I can really say is, this year summer is kickin' my behind. Of course I'm trying to give as good as I get...but every year it gets harder and harder to get my leg up high enough for a good swift kick. And so, I'm late...again.

Like some of you, I participated in Misi's "Days of Summer Swap". Misi always comes up with the best ideas. :) Last week I received my swap package...a very thoughtful gift from Patti at Raspberry Lane Primitives. And I haven't even mailed a thank you card yet. *sigh* But still, such a lovely gift should be shared. I think you'll agree.

Patti sent me so many wonderful things...on the left is one of her rustic tea light holders, just perfect for tucking in a cupboard or on a shelf. She also included a packet of sweet annie seeds (I was tickled to death to have them as my sweet annie has not returned this year). Next were some cute little hand painted star fish...Patti (obviously) knows that beach house decor is IN right now! Then there was a bag of spiced apples and wax fixins, they smell fab-u-lous, and have found a home in one of my old spatter ware bowls. And lastly these, so stinkin' adorable, ears of corn! And just look at those cute tags!

And even though Patti hates sewing on that pesky chenille fabric, she did it for me...because that's just how she rolls. :)

~Patriotic Goodies From Patti~

Thank you Patti for such a generous gift...and also to Misi for being the hostess with the most-ess.

I suggest you scamper over to both these ladies blogs for great recipes, amazing decor ideas and wonderful fellowship with kindred spirits.

Until next time...

Rhonda

~Coming Home Again~

"There's nothing half so pleasant as coming home again"  

(Margaret Elizabeth Sangster)

I've missed you. It's true. I'm so grateful that you've stuck around.

I really have been a blogger of the worst kind, and for that I must apologize. Spring here has been wild and wonderful...but mostly just wild. I suppose some of you are curious about what I've been up to. And for those of you who don't care, just ignore me...go ahead and scroll through the pretty pictures. 

Here's one to get you started.

This lovely ironstone pitcher was a gift from my sweet friend Emily. She arrived at my house just before Mother's day and presented me with a huge package. I have often coveted admired her beautiful collection of ironstone, and was shocked when she gifted a number of her pieces to me because, "You are such a good Mom". Her loving words and kind gesture sincerely overwhelmed me. 

These are few of the other pieces Em shared with me. 

I'm not worthy!

 

My new collection inspired me to de-clutter the buttery shelves and go with something simpler for summertime. But I'm such a clutter-bug...I have so much trouble keeping things to a minimum. I'm still not sure I got it right.

 

 Sometimes I wonder why I do the crazy things I do. What I mean is...why do I choose the busiest time of the year to embark on a huge home improvement project? Since the two oldest "boys" moved into their own place, Mr. Kattywhompus and I have been rethinking the way we use the space in our home. He encouraged me to move from my small studio sewing room, into two large rooms on the second floor. That might sound simple, but in reality it's quite an undertaking. Although he encouraged me, Mr. Kattywhompus, has been unavailable to help me accomplish such a daunting task. Between raindrops, he has been sowing and reaping (and mowing). And with my built in help cozily settled into their own bachelor pad, I am pretty much on my own. I have been painting, shampooing carpets, moving furniture, and sorting through the seemingly endless array of crafty "needfuls". 

When my back hurts and I am tired and whiny, I envision how it will look...all beautiful and pink and spacious, with room to invite friends over to play. 

It will be so worth it...but sometimes I still whine.

When I simply cannot force myself to sort through another box (or whenever I can sneak away) I have been hitting some wonderful summer garage sales. I bragged to Misi about one of my best, most amazing finds this year, and promised her a picture. 

So, this one's for you Misi.

You should have seen how fast I moved when I saw this on the table...and then I saw the price...$200. No, it says $20. NO- it says $2. !!! I thought I was imagining things. 

For less than I pay for a cup of coffee...it was mine.

Speaking of Misi...you may have noticed some of her delicious, scented wax fruit in the foreground. She very sweetly send me a delightful package including these. They are rustic and beautiful...and they smell wonderful.

I also purchased some of Misi's pansy bowl fillers for myself and for my Mother. They make an entire room smell heavenly and Mom loved them.

To experience Misi's wares for yourself go here.

Between Emily and Misi I have been very spoiled these last few weeks. I have one other wonderful thing to share...but it will have to wait, as I used it to create something special for my swap partner. Don't fret, you won't have to wait long, my package goes out tomorrow.

And for sticking with me...here's one more pretty picture for you.

~An ironstone pitcher filled with lilacs from the side yard~

Until next time...

Rhonda

Keep Manhattan, Just Give Me That Countryside!

Each Tuesday Misi at Gable House Musings issues a challenge to her readers...for this week's Tuesday Display Chain she left it up to each of us to pay tribute to any subject we choose.

I chose the theme, Farm Livin'. Now, I haven't always lived in the boonies...as a girl I lived on Main Street, just one block from the bustling metropolis that was Lowell, Indiana...population 2,270. It was as a young bride that I moved to the country...to a hundred year old farmstead, complete with a dilapidated barn and a chicken coop. Those first few years, out of fear that someone would call me a city girl, I learned to glaze windows, butcher chickens, grow a garden, can tomatoes and make jelly. I embraced country living with gusto...and still do.

Many years and quarts of  tomatoes later, we built a new house and moved from our little farmstead. We didn't go far, only a few miles up the road. And even though the new house has ample closet space and electric outlets in every room...I  sometimes miss my old yard with the apple trees and the chicken coop.

Just when Mr. Kattywhompus & I were beginning to think how nice it would be to have animals again, and that we should think about building a barn and putting up fence, something unexpected happened to remind us that animals, although wonderful, are hard work.

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon and we had company after church. We had just finished eating lunch and were enjoying tea on the back deck with our "city friends", Barb & Amy. Mr K. & I were sitting with our backs to the driveway when suddenly Amy's eyes grew huge and Barb mouthed the word, "Goats". When I turned to see what all the excitement was about, I saw this...

A veritable goat stampede...about two dozen in all...turning in at the drive, heading up the hill, and coming straight for us-fast! Just as we sprang out of our comfy chairs and got the door closed behind us, the goats began to congregate on the deck. It was soon apparent that our deck could not accommodate such a large number of goats. No problem, one by one they jumped over the railing and found their way to the side yard. At this time, I should point out that we don't have goats... and our closest neighbor is over a mile away.

After we gathered our wits about us, we realized that no one seemed to be looking for these goats...and that it was up to us to herd them back to whence they came. Mr. Kattywhompus found a length of rope in the garage to use as a lead. He explained to us that where one goat goes, the others will follow. How he knew this, I'm not sure...but it turns out he was right.

By this time, city girl Amy, has been bewitched by the lost goats and begs us to allow her to "walk" the  lead goat. What can we do, but allow it? After all, Amy is our guest. She is handed the rope and off she teeters in her high heels and church clothes, behind "her" goat. Four adults, three children and two dozen goats start down the road, hopefully heading for home.

All is going well until two young girls from the neighboring farm ride up on bicycles, shouting, arms waving...each with a tiny chihuahua dog tucked under her arm. The girls are from migrant families and neither of them speak English. We have no idea what the girls are saying, but the WAY they are saying it makes the goats run faster. I gotta hand it to city girl Amy, she never lets go of the rope. The girls with chihuahuas lead the way and we scramble to keep up with Amy. At this point we must look like some deranged version of The Bremen Town Musicians.

When we get the goats back to the neighboring farm, we find no one at home. Between hand gestures and my eighth grade Spanish, we surmise that the girls have accidentally let the goats out of their pen. The girls showed us where the goats belong...but we would no sooner get one goat in the pen, than another would jump over the fence. We finally realized that we were putting the goats in the horse pen. My Spanish was rustier than I thought.

Let's just say that through a series of unfortunate events, the horse got out...and while we were corralling the horse, a few pigs got loose, and then some sheep wandered. Eventually we (Mr. Kattywhompus) got all the animals inside the various pens.

Farmer Bailey had a nice day at the county fair...but was confused when he came home that evening to find his livestock rearranged. 

 

Mr. Kattywhompus is rethinking that barn. 

And city girls Amy & Barb sent us the nicest thank you note...said it was the best time they'd had in a long while. They can't wait to be invited back.

  Farm livin' is the life for me.

Until next time...

Rhonda

Many thanks to Julie King, for graciously allowing me to use photos from her blog. It was she who captured the comical images of the goats that you see here. You can visit Julie and her beautiful art here and here.

Scavenger Hunt #4~ Parts 1,2 & 3

As the scavenger hunt at Gable House Musings comes to a close...I must say I'm surprised to still be in the running. It's been a lot of fun-and some weeks it's been a real challenge to find just the right items on Misi's list! There were a few times I just knew I was on my way out...but here here I am, coming into the home stretch. Yay!

I want to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU to Misi for hosting the hunt and offering such a generous prize to the winner. And although it might sound corny, I already feel like a winner...because in the last few weeks, I've made new friends, shared some laughs, and even learned a few things along the way. And you can't beat that. Misi's game has entertained us, spurred our creativity, and even encouraged us to pamper ourselves a little bit now & then. So, thank you Misi...it's been F.U.N. 

Now, on with the show...

 ~Part 1~

For part one, Misi gave us her personal shopping list. We were to find at least two items on her list, and one item from her hubby's list. I'll tell you, honestly...I panicked when I first saw the list. Although I'm a girlie girl...I had no idea what half of the stuff was. Add to that, Misi is a brunette-I'm a blonde! And I have really curly hair...I don't paint my nails...and who on earth is Bill Compton!? What's a girl to do?

The save for me was soap. 

Yes, beautiful soap is my weakness, my Achilles Heel.

I set out for TJ Maxx with Misi's recommendations in hand...

I not only treated myself to three bars of the CST soap that Misi so esteems...I bought an extra bar of soap by Laura Ashley. Who could resist scents like Vanilla Tangerine, Lavender Rosemary, Eucalyptus Aloe, and Lily and Aloe Leaf? Not I. 

Do yourself a favor..."awaken your senses"...buy this soap. These are huge, silky soft, moisturizing bars...and they come wrapped like a present-just for you. You have to get clean with something, it might as well be this.

I added a small bottle of Bed Head brand hairspray for my second item, and finished part one with Bero's movie choice...

~Part 2~

Now this part wasn't required, but participating means an extra chance to win the grand prize. So you know I'd be crazy not to give it my best try, right? I needed four out of six items from the list. Here goes.

Ruby Slippers/Shoes

"I'm a little muddled. The Munchkins called me, because a new Witch has just dropped a house on the Wicked Witch of the East. And there's the house. And here you are. And that's all that's left of the Wicked Witch of the East."

"Their magic must be very powerful, or she wouldn't want them so badly."
~Glinda, the Good Witch of the North~

Wooden Shoes

It's obvious that these shoes are adorable...but, do shoes made of wood = wooden shoes? I'm hoping Misi thinks so.

Biscotti

Triple chocolate, no nuts...the perfect accompaniment to a cup of Earl Grey tea.

Christening Gown

Antique cotton eyelet gown with millions of tiny tucks...OK, not millions, but you've got to admit, that's a lot of tucks.

Here's a closer view. Just look at the amazing detail!

Dried Apple Gourd 

Nope, don't have one. I have every other kind of gourd, but not this one.

Heart Pantry Cakes

This was one of the things I learned along the way. It was high time I tried making pantry cakes. An easy project with almost instant gratification. I made several batches...these pretty hearts were my favorite.

Which brings me to the final part of the hunt...

Part 3

~Fun with Flowers and Furbabies~

Narcissus, Daffodils, call them what you will...they are one of my very favorite flowers. If you read my story in the spring issue of Mercantile Gatherings Magazine, you know that some of my best memories include these perky yellow blooms.

On the day our sons moved away from home, my sweet Mother-in-love, thoughtfully shared the first blossoms from her garden with me.

Now I'd like to share a few photos of my furbabies with you.

This is my Murray on the first day he came to live with us. He'd just had a bath and wasn't too sure about his new surroundings. He was twelve weeks old.

And this is Murray now, resting his chin on Edith. This is the first thing I see every morning when I wake up. It's a beautiful sight to this dog lovers eyes.

My kids know how to make me laugh...sometime they use cats.

 

Mattimeo fighting zombies.

Well, that concludes the scavenger hunt...best of luck to all of my worthy opponents! It's been such fun seeing what everyone comes up with each week. To be linked to the other participants please visit Misi at: 

http://1890gablehousemusings.blogspot.com/

Until next time...

Rhonda

Scavenger Hunt~ # 3

It's that time again...

Life is changing dramatically for us this weekend. It's all very exciting and just the tiniest bit emotional. Everything here is in disarray, so I was lucky to squeak by with four out of seven items needed for the scavenger hunt. But I do believe I made it to round four. Whew!

As I cruised down Misi's list I thought, "no problem", until I came to a dead halt at item #5. And that's where you'll find me still.

List #3

#1 Stool with Hooked Top
#2 Old Tin Funnel
#3 Putz (or style like) Lamb/sheep
#4 Crow on a stick
#5 Wooden Cigar Mold
#6 Silhouette Box

#7- Bero’s Bonus- Pure Maple Syrup Sign or OLD Syrup Can

 A close up of my items.

Follow me to Misi's blog.

Until next time...

Scavenger Hunt~List #2

 

I am so relieved that I have what I need for Misi's scavenger hunt this week...no giggles or running from house to house for me. I'm afraid I was stricken with a case of the vapors over the past few days. Thankfully, it seems to have passed.  

Here's the list for week #2...

 

~A Child's Chair~

As a boy, Mr. Kattywhompus sat in these chairs during Sunday school. When the new church was built, we inherited two of the chairs from his childhood classroom. Later they were used by our three boys.

 ~Blue Willow China~

 ...which inspired me to make these wonderful lemon-blueberry scones. (Thanks Jenn!)

~Tin or Metal Tree~

A little wire tree dedicated to the birds and bees(wax).

Close up of the delightful ornaments I bought from Linda.

~Wooden Toy Boat~

I rescued this toy boat from the sell pile...sure glad it's not garage sale season yet.

~Corn Dryer~

A friend made this corn dryer for me using her homegrown popcorn.

~A Colonial Print (featuring a boy and a girl)~

Even though both children depicted are wearing dresses, there are a couple of subtle differences in their clothing that tells us that we are indeed looking at a boy and a girl. The young boy on the left wears a low-neck dress, with coat sleeves and a complete front opening to the hem. The girls dress has a higher neck (which is difficult to see here) and a closed front.

And for Bero...

~A Wooden Buggy Yoke~

Not nearly as nice as his...but a buggy yoke none-the-less.

Please stop by Misi's blog to share in the fun!

Until next time...