Back. And armed and dangerous.

I haven't blogged in a while ... and I don't have a good excuse for it either! All that matters is, I'm back now. With lots of photos.

I had to go to Michael's last night for some supplies and decided to stop by the Goodwill that's across the street. Am I glad I did? You be the judge. Most of my purchases will be listed on my Etsy shop soon, but I might not be able to part with some.

I loved these coffee mugs. I think the pedestal and handle are what did it for me. Another mug. Loving the rooster. You'll see a little more of this later.

A creamy ironstone gravy boat. Complete with gravy ring around the rim... no kidding.

Another creamer. This had a tag from an antique store on the inside ... wonder how it got to Goodwill?

Loved this, Tiffany blue goodness. Bowl? Ash tray? What is it?

I squealed a little when I found this tarnished champagne bucket. I love me some polished silver, but I think I'm gonna leave this guy as is.

This little plate matches the mug from above. The print and colors are so appealing to my eyes!

And a cute little bowl to round out the bunch.So these little garden tools ... I don't know if they are old or not, but they had some chippy goodness going on. Another multiple ... these great little flowers are kind of screaming for a paint job.

Last but certainly not least. I had a good feeling that this was Nippon and it is. A little sugar bowl that is staying with me. No matter what. The best part? It was f-i-f-t-y -- c-e-n-t-s.

Like what you see? Check back and I'll let you know when they are available for sale!

Wish List Party!

I couldn't let this party go by ... I started my post last night but didn't like it, so I decided to sleep on it. I'm kinda glad I did. I checked out Michelle's Wish List and (no surprise here) we had a lot of the same wishes! I didn't want to copy, so I decided to use to truly use this post on me! I have this 'thing' ... a trait/flaw. I'll see something I want to try, read through the tutorial then back out because its got too many steps. If I do go ahead with it, I normally end up completely flustered. I know practice makes perfect and if I started out positive, I think my results would be better. So, my wish is to be a little more open minded ... or maybe adventurous ... not afraid to try new things. Whatever you would call it!

Why is this important to me? Because I love this. Organic, homemade soap. Seriously ... I can't stop looking at the stuff! I've never really used any of it before, but my goodness it looks like it would be fun to make! So why haven't I? Too many steps. How cute is this?!
Not sure what I would do with all this soap ... use it, sell it, give it as gifts?

Be still my heart ... I love this crumbly goodness.
I wonder what it takes to just do this? I'd definitely need time, patience and the "I'm doing this because I want to" mindset.

Be sure to visit the other particpants (by clicking on the party button) and let me know ... have you ever made soap? And even better, what's that thing you want to do that scares the you-know-what out of you?

Dream job?

I saw the previews for a program on the Sundance Channel and I'll tell you, I'm in love. Man Shops Globe is probably a good answer to the question 'what's your dream job?' Keith Johnson is the Buyer at Large for Anthropologie. He scours the world for pieces to be sold in stores and that they can use for merchandising purposes.

He goes to flea markets, thrift stores - just like we do! He finds one of a kind pieces, some that need to be refinished - just like we do! Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, right? I'm sure it's stressful, hard work at times but to me ... it sounds like a dream come true!

Be sure to check out the Sundance channel and the website for a little more info. For now ... enjoy a few pictures of some of Mr. Johnson's finds.

This bed is something he found on the road in Paris. Get a closer look at Anthropologie.

One Word @ Etsy 8

I participated in a chili cookoff today and since it's been super cold in the Midwest, I thought it would only be appropriate to dedicate an Etsy post to: CHILI.

As always, click on the picture to be taken to the store! Keep warm!

What's for dinner?

My menus came in the mail today and I couldn't be more excited! I didn't think I'd like them as much as I do and I cannot wait to frame them. I'm really hoping to find some neat scrapbook paper to put in the frames ... has anyone seen anything diner-ish out there?

I have a wide variety of menus ... breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and cocktails, all with lovely graphics and fonts. And the prices?! Meals for 40 cents! Those were the good ol' days, huh? So, take a minute, look over the menu, and enjoy a trip down memory lane.

Enjoy your weekend!

Paint it black

I'll admit ... I don't have a lot of all black decor. Ok, more like none. I prefer colors or wood. I wear black almost everyday, but for my home? I feel like its too modern. That's why I was especially surprised when a couple of my most recent Goodwill finds screamed "PAINT US BLACK!"

The results? I love them ... and want to keep them, but would feel like I needed to change the rest of my decor. So, you get a sneak peek before they go in my Etsy shop this weekend!

I found this great (plastic) wooden key. I thought about painting it almond or pebble and doing a little sanding, but I had the inkling that black would really set it apart. I also found this frame that I am completely in love with! Same situation ... I debated between leaving it as is or painting it one of my favorite got-to colors but I just knew that black would suit this. In between coats, some of the gold would show through so I considered gilding it a little after I was finished. But jet black? Oh, so chic!
A while ago, I hinted at a little project I wanted to do with these parts. Its been rainy the past few days, so I haven't been able to finish but I'm excited for some sunshine and a reveal!

Until next time!

A picture's worth ...

I'm a little jealous of professional photographers. I try to take creative photos and I'm getting better, but I still like to use my friend Photobucket. They have a lot of effects you can use to edit your photos ... sepia, grayscale, soften, and a couple of my favorites - old photo and inkstamp.

We have a big pile of old wood at our house, so I thought it would be an interesting backdrop for some pieces I revamped over the weekend.

This is a wooden key that I repainted black ... edited with the old photo effect.

A close up of the detail of a frame, in the inkstamp effect.
Here's a shot of the whole frame ... can't decide if I want to keep it or not!
While we're on the subject of photos ... what's your method for taking pictures and editing them? And - does anyone have advice on how to make my photos larger for my posts? Also sometimes they are clickable to make them bigger on a new page, sometimes they aren't. Any helpful hints?