Ranger 911

This, that, and the other thing.

2012-03-07T17:38:00.000-06:00

March is by far my least favorite month of the year.

Cold weather.

Gray skies.

Dirty melting snow.

Yuk.

This was the view in front of our house this morning.

Well, maybe I'm exaggerating a wee bit. This is actually a view of the world's largest open pit mine about a mile from our house. A little closer to home, we have a growing body of water covering the sidewalk in front of our house. During the winter months in northern Minnesota, this is not a good sign. ( possible broken underground water line )

We may be needing these.

Bill called the city garage yesterday to have them check it out. I vaguely remember him telling me (when I was still half asleep) to go outside and ask them what the verdict is when they came by today. But, darn if I wasn't smack dab in the middle of my foxy transformation with a bottle of L'Oreal 5CB! Now that the deed is done, I think the color is not actually foxy, but more like a black bear. Anyhoo, I just looked out the window and the water they cleared earlier this morning hasn't returned, so I'll take that as a good sign.

To brighten up our dismal house, I dragged my spring storage bin out of the basement and dusted off a few treasures to display.

I think this is an original watercolor, but I've never had it looked at by an expert.

I've been admiring this lamp for several years, and finally bought it. It was only $20 and coordinates nicely with the accessories I've picked up for the bedroom that we've spent the last 2 weekends working on!!! ( It has stood untouched for the last 9 months! Can you spell p-r-o-c-r-a-s-t-i-n-a-t-e ? )

I am quite shameless when it comes to decorating with faux flowers.

These flowers came from Pottery Barn, so they can't be that bad.

There. A little birdie. Some gardening books. Good to go.

Look what came in the mail today! I'll be spending some quality time visiting with my good friend Martha tonight.

Even Henriheada received a mini-makeover with a $3.00 vintage spring hat.

On second thought, this is just what I need to cover black bear.

Hats off to hairdressers who can perform magic!

This foxy mama.......bear is signing off.

Vickie

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Common Ground Vintage Inspiration Friday

Mystery Solved

2012-03-01T18:58:00.000-06:00

I picked up a set of old porcelain faucet handles awhile back to use on a play sink, but I couldn't figure out a clever way to attach them without the whole faucet.

The other day, while rummaging through my hardware bins for finials, I thought of a new use for them.

I needed a glue that would create a strong metal-to-metal bond and this stuff did the trick.

It dries in under a minute!

I glued a handle to each end of a galvanized pipe fitting.

Then I screwed 2 hooks into the bottom of my cabinet for hangers.

Ta da! My new towel bar made from old plumbing parts.

Before with makeshift twine towel hanger.

After.

I topped the cabinet with my March angel......

...and this 1950's recipe box complete with recipes from that era.

Anybody need a recipe for prune whip?

Did you notice anything different inside the cabinet? I just now noticed that my ironstone pitcher collection seems to have multiplied and I have no idea how that happened!!!

Time to call in the expert. Any Pink Panther fans out there?

Google Images

Hmmmm. Just as I suspected.

Yes, Cato, it would seem these pitchers are part rrre'bitt.

Inspector Clouseau, do you mean rabbit?

That's what I said, you idiot! Rrre'bitt!!

You heard it from the expert. Proof that I did not buy any more pitchers.

Another mystery solved.

Have a great weekend,

Vickie

Linked to:

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I'm dreaming of a white.........

2012-02-26T19:17:00.000-06:00

February 26 and we're getting the first real snowstorm of the year. Earlier today I had high hopes that I would get a "snow day" tomorrow and have the luxury of staying home from work. I pictured myself relaxing in my jammies in front of the fireplace sipping coffee and .......pinning!

View ( from indoors ) around noon today.

Just before dinner, I looked out and the snow had stopped. Darn.

My groundskeeper ( aka Bill ) shoveled this morning......

and cranked up the snowblower this afternoon.

Just when we thought the snow was done.....

Here we go again!

I just bought my new tow truck yesterday and not a moment too soon! Eight dollars well spent.

The announcement will be made at 6 am tomorrow.

I'll be listening to the radio with my fingers crossed. And the coffeepot on.

I'm dreaming of a white......Monday!

Vickie

Monday morning update:

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes.

2012-02-23T21:16:00.000-06:00

Last week at work we were given the opportunity to participate in an online personality evaluation. After answering a number of questions about our personality traits, we were categorized into color groups.

I am a gold.

The survey says I live by the motto, "A place for everything and everything in its place." Our daughters can surely attest to that. I'm also a rule follower. True. I always return my shopping cart to the cart corral. I'm organized, dependable, punctual, blah, blah, blah. Okay.

Now for the part that wasn't quite so flattering.

How others perceive me.....

Bossy!

Controlling!!

Rigid!!!

Boy they sure don't sugarcoat it!

They really hit the nail on the head with this one.....

Lags behind in technology!!!!

How do they know this stuff ?!

( And what else do they know about me? )

They are right. I don't have a Facebook account. My decade old cell phone doesn't twitter. Well, not that I know of. No texting. No Kindle. And most importantly no Pinterest account!!!!

That's it. Time for a change. Rigid! Set in my ways! Afraid of change! I'll show them!

I took the bull by the horns and set up a Facebook page. Yes. I. Did. It's now floating around in cyberspace and I don't care! I never wanted one in the first place. I only set it up so I could open a Pinterest account!

Open Facebook page. Check.
Start Pinterest account. Check.

As we all know, Google Friend Connect will soon be history. So, I joined Linky followers and added it to my sidebar if you'd like to follow me that way.

Add Linky widget to blog. Check.

April 19 will be a sad day for many bloggers, myself included. Picnic free photo editing will be history. Gone. Finito. I'm sorry to say, I haven't found another easy-to-navigate, free, photo editing program, so I can't check this item off my list. I'm hoping a tech savvy blogger ( probably a Blue personality ) will help us all out and blog about a wonderful new photo editing site they've found!

Now, I will say, this survey wasn't completely accurate. It said I was frugal. I guess that's true in some cases. It also said I have a tendency to drive under the speed limit. I only know of 3 people in the whole universe who drive under the speed limit and I'm not one of them....... unless, of course, I happen to see this....

or this......

( All images with the exception of sunflower photo courtesy of Google Images )

In the end, I feel I've grown immensely as a result of participating in this personality evaluation. Oh yes, I'm happy to say, I'm no longer the rigid, controlling, bossy person I once was. Well, gotta go. My cell phone is honking, I mean tooting, or is it tweeting? Whatever.

No longer afraid of change,

Vickie

One more thing.

Julie and Megan, you can now remove this from your Pinterest boards.

Come on baby light my fire.

2012-02-19T20:48:00.000-06:00

When our daughter Julie showed me an outdoor chandelier she wanted to buy for 40 some dollars, it finally lit a fire under me to start the chandelier project that's been on the back burner for well over a year.

I already had plenty of glass insulators.

They were practically giving them away for 50 cents apiece at an estate sale.

I sent my hunter and gatherer out to the garage attic for a roll of old garden fencing.

It's not vintage, but nicely weathered. We used it along a lilac hedge to keep our little Fergie from sneaking out of the yard and it's still sold by the roll at most home centers. The insulators and the fencing are the main components of the chandelier and the rest of the items are things you probably have on hand. I was determined to complete this project without spending a dime!

A few pieces of chain, some 20 gauge wire, an outdoor faucet handle, a screw eye and nut, a large S hook, some bending and twisting and voila!

An outdoor chandelier ready for an alfresco dinner. Well, maybe after the snow melts.

I wired the insulators onto the fencing.

I turned the fencing upside down and curled the straight ends with needle nose pliers. I cut 3 lengths of chain and threaded them, evenly spaced onto the curled sections of fencing.

The other end of the chain is attached to a faucet handle. A screw eye is inserted into the center of the handle and secured with a nut.

I used a hook for a pot rack and a short piece of chain to hang the chandelier from a tree branch.

To avoid any unpleasant surprises, I gave it a trial run. Megan and I bought well over a hundred vintage blue jars in 3 different sizes for her wedding. The plan was to have lit candles in all of them on the tables at the reception. There was just one problem. When the candles were lit, the jars overheated and cracked. We went with Plan B which was fresh sunflowers in the jars instead of candles. And yes, Megan, I have enough supplies to make you a chandelier, too. :@

We ( I sent my assistant ahead of me with a lighter ) had to wait until nightfall to try it out.

Success! Although, it was only 30 degrees outside, so the insulators were unlikely to overheat.

This chandy needs a sturdy branch. It weighs 6.8 pounds. Without candles.

Time to call it a night. I'm missing Downton Abbey!!!

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Five Little Monkeys

2012-02-18T17:41:00.000-06:00

*One year ago today I published this post and I'm still in the same situation. But not for long.

There comes a time in life when one must explore alternative pathways. Working 40 hours per week is seriously cutting into my creative time, so I thought I would present to you one of my "work-from-home" ideas.

Virtual books for children!!!! ( Please scroll down to my Playlist and choose 5 Little Monkeys.)

Five Little Monkeys

Five little monkeys jumping on the bed,

one fell off and bumped his head.

Mama called the doctor, and the doctor said...

No more monkeys jumping on the bed!

Four little monkeys jumping on the bed,

one fell off and bumped his head.

Mama called the doctor and the doctor said....

No more monkeys jumping on the bed!!

Three little monkeys jumping on the bed,

one fell off and bumped his head.

Mama called the doctor and the doctor said....

No more monkeys jumping on the bed!!!

Two little monkeys jumping on the bed,

one fell off and bumped his head.

Mama called the doctor and the doctor said...

No more monkeys jumping on the bed!!!!

One little monkey jumping on the bed,

she fell off and bumped her head.

Mama called the doctor and the doctor said...

No more monkeys jumping on the bed!!!!!

So you be the judge, shall I quit my day job?

Nope.

I just bought this magazine today and look what #6 of the top 10 finds is for 2012!

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The 36th Avenue

Collection complete.

2012-02-13T20:43:00.002-06:00

The photo above has absolutely nothing to do with this post other than the fact that I'm writing it on the night before Valentine's Day. It is the only heart I finished for my heart garland, yet another unfinished project awaiting my attention. I would have finished it, but we were much to busy traveling to and fro, transporting my latest find and then moving furniture up and down stairs to make room for it.

I've kept you in suspense long enough, so here it is.......

Oops! Wrong picture!

Although the Ranger pinball machine has wonderful graphics in all the right colors and is priced to sell, we couldn't possibly fit it in our already overstuffed, small basement.

This is what we hauled home on top of our Matrix.....

What!?! Another fireplace?!

I know, I know!! Less than two months ago Bill's major award of an electric fireplace was delivered to 911! But, the scale was much too small for the dining room, so it has been moved to its rightful place in the award winner's cave. In fact, I'm writing this post with the fireplace warming my backside. :@

I do have plans to paint the walls and trim in the dining room after we finish a few other projects. My blog friend Lesley ( The Homeless Finch ) suggested I place something under the windows to ground the room. She was right, and the room finally feels cozy to me. Thanks, Lesley!

Don't worry, I'm not collecting fireplaces. I like to think of it as replacing them. You see, I had to leave behind two vintage fireplaces as part of the purchase agreement when we sold our previous house and I've been looking for reasonably priced replacements ever since. So, this particular collection is now complete.

In honor of tomorrow's holiday, I'll leave you with a few photos of my Valentine collectibles.

It looks like she's trying to remember something.

A Little Hint: Russell Stover French Chocolate Mints

Happy Valentine's Day!

A fireside post by Vickie.

I think I can, I think I can........

2012-02-10T10:37:00.000-06:00

Have you ever gone to an auction, estate sale, or antique shop and found an item you really wanted, but it just wouldn't fit in your car? Did you buy it anyway and tie the trunk shut? Or let part of it hang out a window and cross your fingers that you wouldn't get pulled over on your way home? Or maybe call in a favor from a truck-driving friend?

Come on, fess up! I know you have!

Well, it happened to me last weekend. My daughter Julie and I drove to the monthly sale at Second Hand Rose in Buffalo, MN and there it was. It ranks high on my list of things to find and the price was right. BUT, we measured (twice) and although it was close, we didn't think it would fit in Jeremy's SUV. DARN!!! I may have tried to force it into my vehicle, but I didn't want to mar his pristine interior. You're welcome, Jeremy.

Of course it haunted me all weekend. I could just picture it in our house. So, I called to see if it was sold. Not only was it still there, the price was reduced! What's a girl to do?! I bought it.

There was just one stipulation. We had to pick it up within the week. It's a four-plus hour drive TO Buffalo and then home again, home again, jiggedy jig.

I won't reveal what it is just yet (in case it doesn't make it home in one piece), but it's in one of the photos below. And this is just a sample of the treasures that were there to tempt us! ( Photos below courtesy of Buffalo Rose blog.)

Some lovely bling.

It's got my name on it! And only $200 plus change.

Check out those mounted doll arms on the wall. Who needs antlers?!

Shabbylicious!

Big ticket items and small trinkets, too.

This was from the December sale. How did I miss that drum table?!

Now, where could I put that wheel?

It's hard to make it past the outdoor display without picking up a few items!

By noon tomorrow, I surely hope our cargo is safely strapped to the top of our Matrix. The owner has kindly offered to meet us at the store AND help us hoist that baby up! Oh, ya, we'll be heading down the interstate Beverly Hillbilly style......

To be continued........

here.

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Take good care of my baby.

2012-02-05T16:39:00.000-06:00

During my weekly visit to our neighborhood antique shop, a dealer mentioned another upcoming estate sale. When I told her I was working that day, she said, "Don't worry, there's nothing you'd be interested in anyway."

As it turned out, I got the day off and went to the sale after all. While I stood outside for 30 minutes in the cold waiting for the sale to start, I talked to a few older retired women who knew the owner of the house. They said she had a lot of good stuff, but no antiques. Huh?! "What kind of stuff?", I asked. Well, it seems she had a lot of health issues, so she had 3 or 4 of everything. Everything meaning walkers, bathtub/shower chairs, those grabber things for hard to reach items. This was not sounding good.

As I entered the house, I quickly scanned each room and came to the conclusion that the dealer was right. There was nothing I was interested in. I had to push my way into a bedroom that seemed somewhat promising by the number of people in the room. Hmmm, the big collection in that room was approximately 32 pairs of size 9 Easy Spirit white shoes.

As I was leaving, I spotted one lonely item that was totally out of place in that house.

This composition baby doll.

She was not in the best condition.

But, just look at that sweet face! And those pretty turquoise eyes.

She even has a few pearly whites.

So, it just goes to show, you never know where you'll find your next treasure. As disappointed as I was that there were no size 7 Easy Spirits, I did leave with a treasure, after all. She was $14 plus tax.

She sits on a dresser where her raggedy dress is a perfect match to my dried hydrangeas.

Happy Thrifting!

Vickie

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Royal Flush

2012-02-01T20:48:00.002-06:00

It's been a very unproductive couple of weeks here at 911. Since we had such a belated Christmas, I'm way behind the rest of the world and I'm just now trying to organize a very disorganized household. I get overwhelmed just looking at the mess I've created in our basement storage room!

The rest of the basement has been cleaned and undecorated. I even got a new old sign I found hung in the perfect spot in the man cave.

I think I see a trend in the signage decorating the space. See if you can pick up on it.

My latest find.

ER sign mounted on the door to the man cave bathroom.

Most likely a reproduction, but perfect for the laundry room.

My personal favorite hanging above the computer desk.

This is the sign that started it all and points in the direction of Bill's golf course.

I'm sure by now you've picked up on the theme of vintage red and white signs.

Now, where do you suppose I hung my latest find?

Here's a little hint:

Right over the royal throne.

Happy Birthday to His Royal Highness!

( aka Bill )

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Toys in the Attic

2012-01-25T15:43:00.002-06:00

I've been buying girl things my whole life, and when Mack came along, I thought it would be difficult to find vintage boy things. Au contraire! Here are a few treasures I stored in our attic until our Christmas celebration last weekend.

I literally tripped over this box in the basement of the last estate sale I attended. It was marked $7.00.

I thought it was a homemade toolbox until an elderly man informed me that it was in fact an army ammunition box. I didn't photograph the bottom, but it's stamped "Cedar Box Co./ Cedar Avenue, Mpls." It didn't take a huge stretch of the imagination to see it would make a perfect toy box for the little guy. I cleaned decades of dirt and grime off and gave it a light sanding to remove the loose paint, followed by a coat of polyurethane.

It already had the perfect rope handles.

I added a safety hinge.....

...and casters to make it easy to pull around. Or put the cats inside and give them a little joyride. meow

The finished toy box for the little man has come full circle and is back in Minneapolis where it was created.

Oh, wait! Let's personalize it.

The tin letters were 5 for a dollar.

Might as well get 10 for $2.00! I'll let the P family arrange them.

Now, if you've followed my blog for awhile, you know I have a weakness for......

....rusty old toy trucks! Don't you love the colors and graphic detail on this tin truck?! I would guess that it was an advertising promo for the Glendale Wrecker & Repair Company.

I almost kept this beauty for myself, but decided not to be selfish and settled for playing around with it for a few weeks. It will look adorable in Mack's room.

I also found....

...mini bowling pins photographed in a rare moment of sunshine.

And Julie's favorite....

...a tiny harmonica!

For the little mademoiselle.

Her very own...

...barn!

It's got large sliding doors and windows for light and ventilation.

The interior is nicely whitewashed so Finley's dollies can have a barn dance.

But for now.....

...some age appropriate animals to inhabit the space.

I found this leather souvenir compact sporting the family name of St. Pierre from Dave's side.

And my personal favorite for ~~Mack~~ Julie.

A bargain at only $1.50.

Little Tommy Tucker. Just look at ~~those teeth~~ that face! Julie can place it on her desk at work. It will be sure to bring a smile to her coworkers.

Now I need to start looking for next year's Christmas presents!

Thanks for stopping by!

Vickie

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French Nordic Prize

2012-01-22T18:19:00.001-06:00

We've finally hosted our belated Christmas celebration at 911. It was a fun, chaotic weekend and now it's time for me to pack it all away. Why is it so exciting to unpack Christmas decorations, and such a chore to put it all away?

I'm taking a little break from packing and cleaning to show you some pictures of the gift I bought for the dice game we play on Christmas Eve.

Cute button nose.

Big brown eyes.

Mona Lisa smile.

Meet John. John Deere.

Now who wouldn't want to win this prime piece of French Nordic decor! I went slightly above our price limit of $25-30 for the purchase price of $33. I couldn't resist his charm! And neither could the winner, Jeremy. He has plans to hang him over their living room fireplace. His wife has other plans. :@

Congratulations Julie and Jeremy! Hehehe.

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Eat in chicken.

2012-01-19T09:39:00.009-06:00

I've got 2 whole days off to grocery shop for our belated Christmas dinner, get my hair cut, clean the house, make sure all the presents are wrapped, etc. You would think I'd have finished that stuff weeks ago, but no. I left everything for the last minute. As for the post title, it's one of my favorite lines from "Girl Interrupted".

What do I do when I'm under pressure? Oh, sleep in, play on the computer, you know, important things.

Pictured above is a cutting board I found recently that is dated 1961 on the back. I love her little suit, hat and purse! And it looks like she is Christmas shopping to me, with the packages in her cart and the green and red coloring. I just realized she is 2 years younger than me. Yikes!!! I'm giving her to our city daughter to hang in her kitchen during the holidays. Since I can't share any of the other vintage goodies I found until after they are opened, I thought I would share some photos of a kitchen from the same era as that cutting board.

Here it is. Our kitchen as it looked when we moved in just over 7 years ago. The pictures were taken with our old 35mm camera, so there's not much I can do to improve the quality. The photos actually soften and blur the loveliness. Many of the cabinet doors had broken hinges and were hanging kittywampus (a term my old neighbor liked to use). I know you'll find this hard to believe, but those are NOT real butcherblock countertops. Yummy laminate reproductions. But they look so real! The backsplash is NOT subway tile. Nope. Painted Z Brick. Try cleaning spattered spaghetti sauce off of that.

Looking in from the dining room. The vinyl flooring came up in less than 30 minutes.

One redeeming feature. The large bay window.

When I first viewed the house, my heart sank. I was so disappointed that it didn't have an open staircase. And all the plaster walls were cracked. And it had original 1921 plumbing. And the updated wiring was a fire hazard. And I had to leave my two beautiful (to me) bathrooms behind.

On the other hand, I was finally getting out of the hood!!! And the kitchen had this wonderful window overlooking the back yard. I didn't have to see the neighbors junk cars out of every window of the house. Well, I guess you can see our neighbor's truck. But, it's parked in his driveway and not in his front yard.

The cabinets are maple and although I would have chosen a different style, we were on a budget (2 daughters in college at the time) so they were there to stay. The soffit houses wiring, steam heat pipes, and range hood venting, so it was also staying.

Let's start with the lighting. Fluorescent box lighting. That was the first thing to go and the start of what was intended to be a simple face-lift. If you're wondering why there are utensils hanging from the pot rack, it's because there were only 2 drawers in the whole kitchen, and pots and pans would hit you in the head when standing near the sink.

The curtain was my addition . I pulled out the dishwasher that was shoved into an unfinished opening in favor of storage shelving. I'm one of the few women who don't mind washing dishes. For me, it's therapy. I know, I'm weird that way.

This view is looking up the stairs from the back entrance. I wish I had taken a picture of the basement stairs before I painted over the John Deere green paint that was everywhere. The steps, the risers, and the accent trim. High gloss John Deere green.

Country green mini-floral wallpaper. And under that another layer of 1960's wallpaper applied with glue. Which pulled the paper off of the sheetrock. You can see a little corner of the pantry cabinet on the left.

As you can see, the vintage black clock is the only item I kept from the before kitchen. I will do an after post in the next week or two of our kitchen remodel that was meant to be a simple project and snowballed into a much more complex and expensive project than planned. My mother came up with some helpful money saving ideas during the renovation. She knows my cooking skills ( or lack thereof ) and suggested I forego splurging on new appliances and just go with a simple hotplate, microwave and dorm fridge.

That being said, it's time for me to plan our holiday meal. I'll just Google "How to cook a ham". :@

See y'all next week!

Vickie

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Love Potion No.911

2012-01-14T15:25:00.009-06:00

One month of nasal congestion. One week of non-stop coughing. One bottle of Nyquil. One bottle of Robitussin DM. Six extra-large boxes of kleenex. Irritating people for miles around with my annoying cough. It's time to stop the over-the-counter home remedies and see a doctor!

I've taken the first two doses and I'm impatiently waiting for the magic to begin. ( I just hope the real culprit isn't the dust accumulating on our Christmas tree! I conveniently chose not to mention this possibility to my doctor.)

There is a silver lining to this whole fiasco. I'm well on my way to washboard abs from all that coughing!

Or a hernia.

As long as we're on the subject of medication, here's a before and after of a medicine cabinet I picked up a few weeks ago. I knew it didn't need much work, since I already liked the color for the spot I had in mind.

Very simple construction and nice distressed finish.

Cute little latch.......that actually works! I just scraped off the paint with a ~~good kitchen~~ utility knife.

I like aged mirrors, but this was a bit much for me.

Ewww.

Basically, I just cleaned and disinfected the interior and, forgive me, removed the silvering from the mirror. I soaked the mirror in hot water and scraped the silver off with a putty knife. I removed the stubborn residue with my ceramic stovetop cleaner and was rewarded with a flawless piece of beveled glass. I mounted the cabinet on the kitchen wall where a framed calendar once hung.

I filled it with Santa mugs that are missing their original paint.

TJ Maxx discount coffee canister I picked up years ago.

And this one-eyebrowed cranky looking fella. He's mad because he's missing his salt and pepper shakers AND somebody just dropped his adorable hat and broke it into a million pieces. :{

The good thing is that now he fits on the shelf.

I filled in the empty spots with 2 cream colored pitchers I ~~just picked up this week~~ had in my stash. Shhhh.

This cutwork tea towel is hanging from a piece of twine strung through the mounting brackets.

This is temporary until I get supplies to mount a towel bar to the bottom of the cabinet.

And that's it. A quick and easy makeover for my first project of 2012!

Have a (cough, cough) good (sniffle) weekend!

Ah-choo!!!

Vickie

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Major Award

2012-01-11T14:35:00.001-06:00

Last week I received a call from Magnum Trucking Company informing me that they would be making a delivery to our house with a 56 foot semi-truck. Huh? Maybe Santa couldn't fit the new living room couch I requested in his tiny sleigh. Yes, Vickie, there is a Santa Claus!!!

Then I remembered Bill's major award. After 35 years of service, he was given a catalog from which he could choose one prize. What to pick. Hmmm........surround sound system? No, the TV in the man cave is already loud enough. Wine refrigerator? To hold Diet Dr. Pepper? Nah. Elliptical? Been there, sold that. Electric fireplace? Now we're talkin'! We already have a fireplace in the living room, but I've been wanting an electric fireplace in the dining room to make it more cozy. So......that's the prize ~~Bill~~ I chose. :@

I must have overlooked the fine print that said assembly required.

There it is. Fruh gee' lay. Yup, major award.

The fireplace took less than an hour to assemble. I placed it under the church window in our dining room after I drilled 3 new holes in the plaster walls so I could move the window 5 1/2 inches higher to accomodate the height of the fireplace. I'm not totally sold on this location, but I wisely added felt furniture pads under each corner so I can easily slide it around the room.

Even though we aren't hosting our family Christmas celebration until the 21st, I couldn't stand looking at my Crhistmas decorations in the dining room any longer! So, I switched out Santa for some green and red that doesn't shout Christmas.

I even hauled my old typewriter out of storage. I probably should have dusted it first.

Nice cozy faux fire.

I do have plans that involve painting the fireplace and all the windows and crown molding a warm white, but for now this will do. The fireplace also includes a kit so it can be placed in a corner. I would like to try it in the corner where the secretary is, but I would have to switch out the current secretary for a smaller one in an upstairs bedroom. And that would involve the help of the award recipient who is currently at work. Five or ten years ago, I would have tackled the job myself. I am older and wiser now and can patiently wait for my moving assistant to get home. Not only that, I don't want to damage the stairway that took over a year to refinish!

And I really don't think Bill wants to come home to this.......

Ouch!!!

Professional Shopper

2012-01-05T21:21:00.008-06:00

I'm always dreaming about "fun" jobs that would have me jumping out of bed in the morning, excited to go to work. What would you consider to be a fun job? Last year, with my Five Little Monkeys post I tried my hand at creating a virtual book for children. Not only was it not profitable, it actually cost me money, since I made the post into a book through Shutterfly and bought 8 books, myself, for friends and family! I now get an email every day from Shutterfly. It seems I'm their all-time best customer. :@

I've got a new plan in mind. Professional Shopper! I think I would be excellent at this profession. I love to shop. Okay, we all do, but that's beside the point. If somebody is having trouble finding a particular item, I can usually come up with several shops that carry said item. If it's a vintage item in question, I'm your ~~man~~ woman. Case in point, we have a daughter looking for a vintage dining table on the cheap. What she really wants is a farmhouse table, but I've been looking for one for our other daughter for several years with no luck whatsoever.

But, look what I found...

Look at those legs!

Looks like a farmhouse table to me. Slightly worn, mellow finish.

Center legs to hold the weight of Thanksgiving dinner.

It comes with 4 chairs. Nothing special, but old and sturdy. A little paint, new muslin skirted cushions....

It may be missing casters, but those are easily replaced.

As you can see, the center leg is a little wonky, but I don't think it's anything serious. Once it's straightened out the table won't sag in the middle. I've got just the expert to check it out for me. AND, the table comes with 6 leaves to expand from 42 to 102 inches long! The leaves don't have an apron piece, but that is the way these tables are made. The chairs will be in front of that area anyway. It is very similar to my dining table pictured to the right on my sidebar.

This is a trial run at my new fun career. What do you think, was I successful in finding a cheap vintage farmhouse table? But more importantly, will my ~~daughter~~ new client go for it? If you look closely, you can see the price on top of the table, which includes 6 leaves, and 4 chairs. $350. It's on hold until Monday.

So, that is my 2012 fun career idea.

Wait a minute! Deja vu. Once again I'm not going to make any money shopping for our daughters. What was I thinking?! I better keep my day job. And keep contributing to my retirement fund by pitching in with coworkers for our weekly lottery tickets. I'll be sure to write a post about.....

duh, WINNING!$!

Linked to :
LaurieAnna's Farmhouse Friday
Common Ground Vintage Inspiration Friday

Twinkle Toes

2012-01-02T16:40:00.006-06:00

I'm sure everybody is so DONE with Christmas by now! Everybody but me, that is. It's still another 19 days until we gather our family together for a belated celebration! While the rest of you are buying up all of the storage bins on sale everywhere and decluttering your homes, I'm just now buying gift wrap (at least it's on clearance now) and starting to wrap the gifts I've purchased so far.

Since I've had a little extra time on my hands, I made a tree ornament for each of our grandbabies.

For Mack.

I made a number of full-size felt baby booties before Finley was born, but the ones pictured on this post are quite a bit smaller at only two inches long. They are the perfect size for tree ornaments.

The pattern for the booties above came from a free downloadable pattern from Martha Stewart. I made a few changes along the way, but basically resized the pattern to half the original size. I didn't do any machine stitching as it hardly seemed worthwhile hauling out my machine when they could easily be sewn together in a few minutes with 6 strands of embroidery floss and a simple blanket stitch. I used fusible webbing to attach the ivory and green side pieces together, but they could also be hand stitched. I tacked on a little jingle bell for the finishing touch.

I stitched the green toe on with contrasting ivory thread and didn't try to be too exact, obviously. I think the slightly crooked stitching adds to the homespun look. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I do not need reading glasses......yet.

For Finley.

The pattern I used for Finley's ornament is the same Simplicity pattern I used in my Bootielicious post back in September of 2010. Once again, I resized the pattern to about half the original size.

I'm sure most of you have made the simple felt roses that I've used to embellish this bootie. I added a few stitches as I rolled it up and then stitched the flower to the top of the bootie. In retrospect, it would have been much easier to stitch it on before I sewed the top and bottom together. I then tacked on two simple green leaves to finish it off.

For the ties, I made two small holes, looped one piece of red satin ribbon through and tied in a bow.

This year's Christmas ornament from Grandma.

If you are into pink and blue for baby, the colors can easily be changed. Wouldn't they be cute tied to a baby gift with curling ribbon? Or sitting on a shelf in baby's room? Click here to see a variety of colors I used and styles I created for the full-size booties.

To hang the booties, I threaded a large needle with satin ribbon and pulled it through the back of each bootie and knotted the ends.

Merry belated Christmas!

Linked to:

The 36th Avenue

The Brambleberry Cottage

At the Picket Fence

Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Nite Special

Goodbye 2011. Hello 2012.

2011-12-29T20:55:00.023-06:00

I spend way too much time dreaming of projects I'd like to do, and too little time actually doing those projects. Or so I thought until I did an inventory of my 2011 posts. Now I don't feel so bad. When I put it all together in one post, I feel as though I've accomplished quite a lot.

I published my first book! ( created from my Five Little Monkeys post )

I brought 5 new sock monkeys to life.

Created some blog inspired decor.

I even did a few tutorials.

And just try to name a blogger who doesn't Love a good Before & After!

An inexpensive ReStore window....

becomes a mirror with spray paint.

A cute baby wardrobe........

gets personalized for Finley's nursery.

I even got featured!

Children's kitchen cupboard redo.

Some good advice that I just didn't take.

And a little light hearted humor.

I started some big projects.......to be finished in 2012. I hope.

And shared some quick-fix tips......

with help from the IKEA Supermaze.....

which I completely forgot about until a little rug rat found it. :@

I took you in my kayak.

I dedicated a few posts. My Baba who I will mention from time to time.....

and my sister-in-law Debbie who I remember every October for National Breast Cancer Awareness.

I featured some very special guests.

Finley.

Mack.

I hosted two blog giveaways.

I won a contest at The DIY Club and received a truckload of prizes!

I also won 2 random prize giveaways. Artful Blogging Magazine from Anne at Fiona and Twig and Dog Trots Globe to Paris & Provence from Debbie at Confessions of a Plate Addict. Thank you ladies!!!!

I bought a new SLR camera that I've yet to change out of the automatic mode.

I've shared countless vintage finds.

But mostly I've made some wonderful blog friends that are truly kindred spirits and share my passions of creating, collecting, and storytelling.

xxoo,

Vickie

Linked to:

French Country Cottage Feathered Nest Friday

Common Ground Vintage Inspiration Friday

The Charm of Home Home Sweet Home

Baby It's Cold Outside!

2011-12-27T20:40:00.004-06:00

What do you do when the temperature is a chilly 16 degrees on the last Saturday before Christmas? I've discovered that it's the perfect time to attend an estate sale!

Estate sales during the winter months up north are few and far between, and a sale that starts on a Saturday (when I'm not working) is even more rare. This sale was being held on a Saturday and Sunday, so I planned to be one of the first in line. Also, the house is a twin to ours, so I wanted to snoop around the house a bit, too. I got up before the sun and was parked outside the house by 7:00 for numbers at 8:00. I was number 2!!!

An hour later, they opened the doors and there were less than 20 people in line, so everybody got in anyway. I could have slept another 3 hours! Live and learn.

I don't know about you, but I never know where to go first. Basement? Main floor? Upstairs bedrooms? I hit the basement last and that's where I found my purchases of the day.

This thermos in a nice Christmas plaid is perfect next to my ski boots.

For $2.00, I'm thinking gift bag.

An older gentleman said $3.00 was waaay to high for this folding ruler.

Now this is not your ordinary vintage potato masher, it's child size! It was in with the tools.

50 cents and I'd already removed all the pink and silver balls to add to the wreath I made!

Very heavy old mirror. The owner removed the art and replaced it with a lovely page from a 1960's House Beautiful. I'll probably paint the frame and I found a few ideas at The Graphics Fairy that I could add instead of the current photo.

For a powder room........

or a child's bedroom. Future project.

I still had room in the plaid picnic bag, so for 75 cents, why not?

The Find of the day!!!

56 inches of architectural beauty!

I completely forgot my manners as I ~~shoved~~ nudged aside a very large man to get to this gem tucked in a dark corner of the basement! He followed me around for the rest of the sale, probably hoping I would get tired of lugging it around and put it down. He underestimated my superhuman strength when it comes to holding onto my stuff! Ha!

Now it was time to go back upstairs to see if I'd missed anything good.

I probably paid too much for this set of books at $10.00, but after waiting in my car for an hour listening to Christmas music, I thought they would look festive on an end table.

The perfect red.

Pretty graphic border.

What good are books without a bookend? Sorry, only one bookend, but two dogs! Woof! Woof!

I couldn't resist this Schnauzer art! Mmmm, hmmm. Finley is going to LOVE it!!! ( 50 cents )

Now here's a piece of sequined red fur deliciousness that any girl would love!

Just look at that handwork!

A drawstring handbag? A nightcap for Mrs.Claus, perhaps? Why no, it's a....

bright red faux fur tiolet seat cover!!

Even Santa would remember to put the seat down!

I did find one more thing in that old basement, but it's a Christmas present ( Jan. 21 at Ranger 911 this year ) and the secret's safe between me and .......

Mr.Bunny. Or is it Sir Squirrel? Either way, he's not telling.

Linked to:

Knick of Time Tuesday

A Christmas to Remember

2011-12-25T05:53:00.006-06:00

Many years ago at a Christmas party, the guests were asked to tell about their most memorable Christmas. I volunteered to tell my story first. While the others were scratching their heads trying to come up with something, I knew exactly which story I would tell. It was the year I spent Christmas in the hospital. The story even made the headlines of our local newspaper!

Christmas Eve, 1981, was celebrated at my in-laws and we got home about ten o'clock. At around 1:00 am, the pain started. We drove to the hospital, but by the time we reached the parking lot, the pain had stopped. Back home we went.

At 3:00 am, the pain was back. Only much worse. So, back to the hospital we went. The doctor arrived still dressed in his holiday suit and red bow tie. We obviously interrupted his Christmas Eve festivities, but he was jovial, nonetheless. He estimated we would deliver our baby by 6:00 that morning!

Date: December 25, 1981
Time: 6:18 am
Due Date: December 8
Temperature Outside: 30 degrees below zero
Nurse and Doctor Predictions: 100 % boy
Weight: 8 pounds 10 ounces
Sex: It's a ..........GIRL!!!
Name: Julie Ann

Thirty years ago today, on a cold Christmas morning, our first child was born and what a wonderful gift she has been!

Happy 30th Birthday Julie!

xxoo,

Mom & Dad

Behind the scenes:

Scroll down to my playlist and select song number 2.

Look at that smile!

We haven't changed a bit.

Home Sweet Home on 3rd Avenue.

A sweet child.

Silver and gold decorations. Silver braces and gold rimmed glasses.

A queen of a daughter.

Two peas in a pod.

Fun times.

And now.....

(Photo by Jen Meneghin Photography)

The newest mommy on the block!

We love you and wish you were here!

Wishing each and every one of you a Merry Christmas!

xo, Vickie

Linked to:

Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Nite Special

These are a few of my favorite things.

2011-12-21T22:05:00.017-06:00

Our kitchen is the least decorated room of the house during the holidays because of the terracotta color of the walls. I'm hoping to remedy that situation before next Christmas, but for now, I just add a few neutral items in the bay window. I even made some glittery snowballs to pile in my ice cream maker.

My ice skates that haven't been worn in years got a makeover with some faux fur and leather laces. I just love the stained glass colors of the vintage bubble lights.

I don't have an ounce of pink in my house, but I collected vintage pink ornaments throughout the year to create this ornament wreath for a friend who loves pink.

The only pet currently in our house is this stuffed bird bought at Target a few years ago. The little soldier lamp was a vintage find. Don't you love that his big hat is also the shade?

This armoire has gone from unfinished pine to panels painted with pink flowers to the design you see now. I've been thinking this is the piece that could most use an Annie Sloan Chalk Paint makeover and some chicken wire in the upper doors, but it does add some festive red in an otherwise dark corner of the living room.

Sequined ornaments top my Iittala candlesticks

The tiny wood Santa and the composition gnome were estate sale finds from years ago.

As you can see, I do love my red! The tree is decorated with mostly vintage glass balls and a few ornaments made by our girls when they were younger. I divided up all of the ornaments bought for them over the years and now they hang on their Christmas trees. Every year we bought Julie a cat ornament and for Megan a dog, which is pretty funny because those are the pets they now own.

The mantel doesn't change much from year to year. This year I added the little elves in the turquoise jeep and you know what a mistake that was. Who knew?! The Santa on the pedestal table on the right was the very first Santa I painted and the beginning of Vickie's Folk Art, my cottage business from which I have happily retired. I'm hoping to find more time to do some painting just for family.

There are still 2 more leaves to be added to the table, but since we won't be hosting our family Christmas until mid-January it can wait a few more weeks.

I've kept it simple with cinnamon scented pine cones and mercury glass votives on the table. The toy barn was moved to a rustic bench at the top of the stairs for now. The blue Santa above and tavern sign below were painted by me during my decorative painting years. The three Santas below on the left were hand carved by my sister. The two little girls held by the carved red Santa on the right represent our daughters.

You've already seen my angel collection on our buffet and the sheet music wreath got a more

festive look with the addition of a pomegranate and pine cone corsage. You will always find chocolate in my candy dishes no matter which holiday we're celebrating!

I made this stained glass window years ago at a local studio where I took beginner classes. While I now gravitate towards more simple vintage designs, I got plenty of practice cutting and grinding over 300 pieces of glass for this project!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Linked to:

The 36th Avenue

The Brambleberry Cottage Time Travel Thursday

Common Ground Vintage Inspiration Friday

The Charm of Home Home Sweet Home

French Country Cottage Feathered Nest Friday

Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Nite Special

Making Memories

2011-12-19T21:23:00.005-06:00

Do you have Christmas traditions? Maybe a favorite family recipe. Or a classic Christmas movie you watch with your family. Have you started any new traditions with your loved ones? A new ornament added to the tree every year for each of your children. Or venturing out into the woods to cut your own tree. Ah, we tried that last one once, and it was enough for us. The snow was up to our thighs, the girls were cold and crying, and Julie got a rash wherever the freshly cut pine tree touched her. It was not a scene from a Norman Rockwell painting. No, it was more like the flat tire scene from "The Christmas Story".

A tradition we started a few years ago is to line the snowbanks along the sidewalk with luminaries on Christmas Eve. I put them together with simple white paper bags, an inch or so of sand to keep them from blowing over, and inexpensive candles in a glass votive cup.

For some unknown reason, it has become our son-in-law Jeremy's job to go out into the freezing cold night to light the candles. And he does it so well!!!

He lights the candles at dusk and they will still be glowing in the early morning hours.

A tradition started at Bill's parent's Christmas Eve celebration is one of our favorites that we are now carrying on at our house. The dice game. You know, the one where each guest brings a wrapped gift with no tag and you sit in a circle around the gifts. You then take turns shaking a pair of dice until everybody has a prize. To win a prize, you must shake doubles or a combination that adds up to 7.

We set a price limit for the gifts, which I usually exceed when I find the perfect vintage item to wrap for the game. And, let me tell you, this year's gift is a doozy!!! Bill traditionally buys lottery tickets that our son-in-laws fight over ( it also includes a golfing photo in a frame that they have to display in their home for the upcoming year :@ ). Oh, I forgot to mention that after everybody opens their gift, we set a timer for 2-3 minutes. Once again we pass the dice, and if you shake doubles or 7's you can switch your gift for one that you would rather take home. This is a fun game that will liven up any party!

Last year, with the arrival of our first grandchild, we started a brand new tradition with a visit from....

Santa!!! He looks vaguely familiar to me. As you can see, Finley was not too impressed when she was just a few weeks old. This year she will be 14 months and Mack will be almost 8 months old when we finally have our Christmas in mid-January! I think their reaction to Santa's visit will be quite different from last year's nonchalance. Actually, I'm putting my money on lots of.......well, crying.

Time will tell.

So this year, bring back a tradition from your own childhood, or better yet, start a new one!

Written by Mrs. Claus. :@

Lena's new home.

2011-12-18T10:46:00.000-06:00

Before I announce the winner of my "Ranger" giveaway, I want to thank everybody who participated and left me a humorous or heartfelt comment. I truly appreciate the comments left by you, my readers and followers. The winner was chosen by a random number generator and here are a few photos of Lena's new home.

Lena just loves shabby vintage decor!

What little sock monkey wouldn't love a playhouse that looks like this!!!

And to top it off, she even has a new puppy to keep her company!

The winner is.......

Lynn from Shabby Story blog!!!

If you haven't visited Lynn's blog, be sure to check it out here! Lots of great ideas and photos!

Lynn, please email your mailing address to mesaba911@gmail.com and your package will be in the mail!

Merry Christmas!

Vickie :@

Good elf, bad elf.

2011-12-15T13:47:00.007-06:00

I know many of you have these 1960's elves in your collection of Christmas decorations. Last year I noticed that Target started selling a new updated version of this elf that comes with a book. I didn't really pay much attention to these elves until our daughter Julie emailed an article and photos to me, knowing it would be right up my alley. The story told is that once you adopt an elf and give him a name, he comes to life at night and journeys to the North Pole to report to Santa.

It's during these nightly excursions that these mischievous elves get into all sorts of predicaments. I found the following photos on Pinterest that show how much fun they have when nobody's watching:

This is totally something I would have done to entertain our girls when they were little! We had one of those very realistic looking fake arms that the girls and their friends loved to find in the most unusual places! More recently, I've been known to surprise unsuspecting guests with my mannequin head laying on a pillow in one of the bedrooms.

I guess my elves have lead a sheltered life. Until this year, they've been placed on top of an old cupboard in the basement and pretty much forgotten. I don't think they've been up to any hijinks, but then again, I don't pay that much attention to stuff in the basement unless I'm dusting. This year I moved them upstairs and propped them in a funky turquoise jeep on our fireplace mantel.

I've been gone a few days, and when I got home, something seemed to be amiss in the living room. I knew something was different, but couldn't quite put my finger on it.

The new tree lights are working. Yes, we had to remove the faulty lights from our pre-lit tree and add all new strings of white lights. So, that's not it. What could it be?

I sat down on the couch to catch up on the mail, and something felt weird.

Then, I looked up at the mantel, and something was out of place.

What in the world?!#

It can't be.....

It is!!!!!

They broke my couch!!!

I knew it! That trouble-making green elf was just waiting for me to leave the house!

Bill, did you drink all that milk I left out for Santa?

Busted!

There are still 3 days left to sign up for my sock monkey giveaway!

Linked to:

Common Ground Vintage Inspiration Friday
The Charm of Home Home Sweet Home
French Country Cottage Feathered Nest Friday

"Da Ranger" 911 Christmas Giveaway

2011-12-11T15:41:00.002-06:00

When I started up my blog, I was ready to go live only to find out that a website named Ranger 911 already existed! Go figure. I was not about to start from scratch, so I just added da to my blog address creating http://daranger911.blogspot.com/.

If you've seen this address and wondered why, there is a method to my madness. In the 1970's somebody coined the phrase "I'm from da Range" to poke fun at the Iron Range dialect. Well, we Rangers took it all in stride and embraced this idea. We proudly wore our T-shirts with the phrase emblazoned across the chest and slapped stickers onto the rusted out bumpers of our homemade El Caminos. Picture if you will, a beat-up old junker with the rear passenger seat and part of the roof removed to create a unique car/truck. Quite ingenious, actually. You might even say the ultimate repurpose.

So, now you know the story behind daranger ( not to be confused with deranged). It's time to get to the point of this short history lesson. I'm embracing my Range roots and hosting a Minnesota Iron Range themed Christmas giveaway. Without further ado, let me introduce you to the prize.

Meet Lena.

As you know by now, I have a collection of vintage sock monkeys and I create new vintage inspired monkeys from the original Rockford Red Heel socks that are still manufactured today. Lena loves to shop at Rummage in the Park, our local vintage clothing shop, but unfortunately they had nothing available in her petite size. So, off to my artist studio ( kitchen table ) to design a stylish winter coat and hat for her.

She is wearing a festive red corduroy swing coat accented with faux fur collar and cuffs. When her hands get cold, she warms them in her fur-lined muff. She is feeling very "Jackie O" in her retro pillbox hat edged in the same fur with a black feather peeking out.

To keep her tootsies warm, I made her a pair of Steger Mukluks. For those of you unfamiliar with these boots, they are manufactured by the Will Steger ( most famous for his polar expeditions ) family in Ely, MN, gateway to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. They are guaranteed to keep her feet warm in even the coldest of weather!

There are many styles and colors to choose from, but Lena thought the blue Navajo design brought out the pretty blue color of her eyes. So stylish and warm!

I considered making her some leggings or snow pants, but there's always the problem of what to do with her tail. And, really, would you cover up this cute tushie?

I almost forgot to show you her thrift store find! She is quite a saavy shopper as you can see by this vintage suitcase she found at the local Goodwill.

And to complete the prize package, I'm including a 1 pound bag of Minnesota wild rice along with the recipe for Lena's favorite hot dish. After all, this is Minnesota, dontcha know! And you can put away your deer rifle. There is no venison in this particular recipe.

Before I finish this post, I have a few disclosures to make.

Lena does have those button eyes, so she is definitely not a toy for small children.
She has already picked up the Range dialect, but don't worry, I've been working with her.

Me: Now Lena, you must remember to say yes, not yaw, and no instead of nope. Got it?

Lena: You betcha.

As Uncle Uno always said, "You can take da Ranger outa da Range, but you can't take da Range outa da Ranger."

Lena's got her suitcase packed and she's ready to go!

To enter this drawing, simply leave me a comment to this post. If you are reading this post, you are eligible to enter! The random drawing will take place on Sunday, December 18. Alrighty then, let the game begin!

My name is Vickie and I'm from da Range.

Mini Me

2011-12-05T17:02:00.007-06:00

I got an unexpected day off today and I was bound and determined to get the tree up and decorated. The tree, unfortunately, had other plans. It's one of those "pre-lit" ( and I use that term loosely ) trees that are supposed to be so convenient, but this year 2 of the strands of attached lights aren't cooperating with moi. I'm tired of wiggling and jiggling wires and handing the whole mess over to Bill. Maybe he'll have better luck than me. I can only hope.

Plan B. Finish the outdoor decorating. Hmmm, it's nine degrees above zero.

Plan C. Find something else to decorate.

Here it is. I bought this little barn earlier this summer and put it up in the attic for the grandbabies to play with when they are a little older. I was browsing through old Country Living Christmas issues the other day and saw a similar barn decorated for Christmas, so I hauled mine down and shopped around the house for accessories.

I had some leftover Princess Pine, so I made a little wreath to decorate the roof. It needed to be flocked with snow to pop against the green roof, so I used wall spackling that I have on hand for filling the many holes I pound into our walls. Underneath is an old crocheted dresser scarf that looks like giant snowflakes.

I have an abundance of trees from my Christmas boutique days, so I placed a few near the side doors.

This side has a more ornate gable end.

The barn fits perfectly on this table that is in need of a makeover.

The table has two sides that can be propped up to make room for tractors and farm animals.

The roof opens to reveal stalls for the animals which I will be scouting for at upcoming sales.

For now, Frosty will guard the main entrance.

As for the post title, this barn bears a striking resemblance to.......

Time to check if Clark Griswold is having any luck with the tree lights.

Linked to:

{Primp} Your Stuff Wednesday

LaurieAnna's Farmhouse Friday

The Charm of Home Home Sweet Home

French Country Cottage Feathered Nest Friday

Christmas "Belles"

2011-12-01T20:28:00.005-06:00

December first. Time to get all those boxes and bins unpacked and decorations up. I leave the outdoor ladder climbing and light bulb testing to Bill, while I concentrate on the indoor decorating. The first box I unpack contains my band of angel bells that I have collected over the years.

I arrange them in a snow white cloud of angel hair on top of the dining room buffet, interspersed with a mix of old and new bottle brush trees.

My collection started when this mischievous trio was given to me as a newlywed and remains my favorite set to this day.

The little choirboy doesn't have any wings, but fits right in with his cherubic face.

A jazzy gal.

The angel on the right seems to be lighting the way with candlelight. But, on the other hand, that could be a very large tube of lipstick.

What these two lack in the beauty department, they more than make up for in bling.

The star of the show.

Dressed for the weather in their pink and blue babushkas.

Even angels have presents to buy!

" Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings."

Linked to:

French Country Cottage Feathered Nest Friday

Common Ground Vintage Inspiration Friday

The Charm of Home Home Sweet Home

LaurieAnna's Farmhouse Fridays

Faded Charm White Wednesday

Double Trouble

2011-11-27T18:05:00.005-06:00

No, you do not have double vision.

Meet the newest member of my 1950's Santa collection.

He stands about 34 inches high and has a rather friendly face.

His brother, who I'm quite certain has starred in a Stephen King movie, has a more sinister look.

Just look at those shifty eyes!

They reside in the basement during the Christmas season along with a few of their smaller helpers.

On the left is a Coca-Cola Santa ( the scariest of all, in my opinion ) which originally sold for $3.00, and the elf in the middle may have been a 7up promotional doll. They keep a close eye on snacks eaten in the man cave. :@

I have no idea why these two are pouting. Maybe they are having a "time out".

The smallest of the collection, along with 2 little elves from the 60's.

They see you when you're sleeping. They know when you're awake.

They know if you've been bad or good,

so be good for goodness sake!

Linked to:
{Primp} Your Stuff Wednesday

A "Sign" of Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T19:07:00.006-06:00

It was such a pretty, frosty morning that I couldn't resist taking a picture before I left for work.

I've been so busy cleaning and baby proofing our house that I almost forgot to take out the Thanksgiving decorations! Truth be told, I don't do a whole lot of decorating for Halloween or Thanksgiving. I decorate for Autumn and pretty much leave it at that until the day after Thanksgiving. Then the fun begins!

I do add a traditional cornucopia to the fireplace mantel.

I wasn't particularly looking for Thanksgiving decorations while browsing the local antique shops this weekend, but look what I found............

Can you believe my luck?! Does this not shout " Happy Thanksgiving" to you!?

No?

Come on! Think about it. A houseful of people. All that eating.

You do the math.

Door to the man cave bathroom.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Linked to:
Faded Charm White Wednesday
French country Cottage Feathered Nest Friday
Common Ground Vintage Inspiration Friday

Something Old, Something New

2011-11-18T22:32:00.003-06:00

"When you plant beans, you get......beans."

In our house, we call this "The Bean Theory". I'm sure you've heard many versions of this old adage, but this is our personal favorite. We use it in a joking manner to make fun of negative traits that our girls have inherited from us.

As I was shopping for birthday gifts for Finley's first birthday, I wondered if she has inherited a love of all things old like her girlie relatives on our side of the family. I decided to put my theory to the test and buy her something old and something new and see which she preferred.

Something old.

I spied this toy stroller hanging from the ceiling at Second Hand Rose in Buffalo, MN.

Can a 1 year old possibly see the beauty in these well worn wheels?

Does she see the patina that time has created?

Will she wonder who it belonged to before her?

Let's sweeten the pot, shall we?

Look at this face!

Woof.

Can she sense that he was very important to another young child long, long ago?

Megan asked each guest to bring a book for Finley's library.

I found this century old classic book for just a few dollars in an antique mall. Will she appreciate the beautiful illustrations and think about the others who have read this book in the previous 100 years?

Something new.

Hmmmmm..........

Somehow I don't think this will still be around for another generation of children to play with.

So, which one did she choose?

The jury is still out on that one. She really took off walking with the security of holding onto the bright yellow plastic handle of the shiny new toy. She also loved the vintage stroller. Until she flipped it over on top of her, and tried to climb into it, and almost got her fingers stuck in the wheel spokes. It has been put away up high, out of reach until her beans develop.

Happy 1st Birthday Finley!

Linked to:

Common Ground Vintage Inspiration Friday

LaurieAnna's Farmhouse Friday

Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Nite Special

Free Scandinavian Knitting Pattern

2011-11-13T11:12:00.006-06:00

Last year I posted a photo of the Scandinavian Christmas socks that I knit for all of our family members. Since then, I've noticed many web searches for knit Christmas stocking patterns on my blog. This particular pattern is from a 1979 issue of McCall's Needlework & Crafts, so I'm pretty sure it's safe to share it with you.

Here it is, slightly worn from years of use:

The changes I've made:

Rather than embroidering the names, reindeer, paper dolls, and snowflakes with a duplicate stitch when you are done knitting the stocking, I knit them right into the pattern.
I leave a long tail of yarn when I cast on to be used for a crocheted loop for hanging.

As you can see, it's been written on and repaired, but I think you can still read it. If you can't, just leave a comment and I can mail you a copy. The accompanying photo went missing years ago, so you'll have to use my photo as a guide. Beware, these socks hold a lot of loot! The socks pictured above belong to these two who are celebrating their 2nd anniversary tomorrow!

Happy Anniversary Julie and Jeremy!
(Photo courtesy Craig Dirkes Photography)

I'm baaaack!

No, I didn't keep the display shelf for myself. But, I did have some fun playing with it before we brought it to Megan and Dave two weeks ago. IF I had a studio for my ~~craft~~ art ( my girls know how much I hate that word ) supplies, I would have a storage shelf like this just for my yarn. No more tangled yarn to pull apart. Sigh.

Now that you've got your knitting needles out, you might as well whip up a few hats from my favorite book. Here are two of the hats I made for our grandbabies.

Megan used this little red hat to transform Finley into a garden gnome for Halloween. Isn't she sweet!

Here's Mack sporting the striped stocking hat. Don't you just want to pinch those cheeks?

All of the items pictured above are really quite simple to knit. The stocking pattern looks daunting, but if you just jump in and start ( that's what I did ) it will all make sense!

Happy knitting!

Vickie

Linked to:

{Primp} Your Stuff Wednesday

The 36th Avenue

The Artsy Girl Connection

Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Nite Special

Oh, those Buffalo gals!

2011-11-09T21:18:00.005-06:00

Can it be?! My first Annie Sloan Chalk Paint transformation?

A lovely green painted farmhouse table with matching sideboard AND...

Four matching chairs!!!

Does something look a little off in these photos?

Could it be that this is dollhouse furniture and I bought it this way?

Yes, I confess, the dollhouse furniture came in this lovely shade of green. Who knows, they may not even be manufacturing ASCP by the time I get around to tackling my first project.

This year, my girls and I discovered the antique shops of Buffalo, MN. They are only open on the first weekend of every month, and are jam packed with fabulous and reasonably priced treasures. Last weekend, I got to check out the November stock, while Bill read the newspaper in the car. And probably took a nap, made some phone calls, balanced the national budget...............I think you get the picture. So, what did I find? Well, for starters, the new miniature dining set pictured above.

How 'bout this chippy cream and green shelf?!

Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm. I'm hoping it will get me motivated to finish that bedroom redo that we haven't been working on. I'm planning to use it instead of a bedside table that would be too big for the small room.

Isn't this the prettiest little tortoise shell clock?

I didn't even notice the slightly crooked face until I uploaded the photo. I'm sure it's meant to be this way so I don't even have to lift my head from my pillow to read the time. If it worked, that is. And there is that little chip in the corner. And it seems to be missing some sort of ring around the face. Funny how I never noticed ANY of these imperfections until I posted the photo! Love is blind.

I paid $12 for this little clock. So, what do you think? Would you have paid that price?

I did find a few more items, but they are Top Secret Christmas presents, so I can't share those just yet. Lots more to come in the next, oh......45 days!!!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Linked to:
LaurieAnna's Farmhouse Fridays
Miss Mustard Seeds Furniture Feature Friday
Junker Newbie Would You Buy it Wednesday

Burlap and Toile?

2011-11-04T17:19:00.011-05:00

Amy, over at Whisperwood Cottage is hosting a "Burlap Week" challenge on her blog. I have quite a stash of burlap in my fabric bins, and also yards of red and white toile I bought on clearance years ago, so here's what I came up with.

Throw in some red piping and it looks like Christmas to me!

Without measuring, I sewed a length of burlap together with the toile (right sides together), and sandwiched the piping in between. I made 2 of these, folded the toile around to the back to create a cuff and ironed the strips flat as shown it the picture below.

Next, I cut them into five 3 1/2" x 14" strips and layered them onto a rectangle of burlap.

To create the pockets, I stitched 4 vertical seams, evenly spaced, from top to bottom.

I stamped the numbers on with black ink.

I cut a rectangle of toile for the lining and sewed the front to the back, right sides together. I left an opening in the seam to turn it right side out. I sewed 3 red and white gingham ribbons into the top seam, turned it right side out, pressed it, and tied the ribbons onto a bamboo purse handle.

A little jingle blingy.

Here it is, my burlap and toile advent calendar.

Linked to:

French Country Cottage Feathered Nest Friday

Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Nite Special

The Brambleberry Cottage Time Travel Thursday

Creative Things Thursday The Vintage Farmhouse

The Charm of Home Home Sweet Home

The 36th Avenue

How do you like me now?

2011-10-30T00:47:00.012-05:00

As I was working on this project I found myself humming "How Do You Like Me Now" by Toby Keith. Does it look familiar to you? Well, this is how it looked when I first spotted it at the antique store....

As you can see, it had some issues. The dealer was asking $40 , but I talked her down to $30. Even at $30, I was still on the fence about buying it, so I submitted a photo to Junker Newbie's "Would You Buy it Wednesday" linky party to get some input from fellow junkers. I received comments from one end of the spectrum to the other, but in the end, I just couldn't pass it up and paid the $30!!!

When I got it home, I was pleasantly surprised how sturdy ( and heavy ) it is. I cleaned it up, ripped off the rotted canvas that was thumbtacked to the top, and carefully removed pieces of trim to replace the broken or missing glass panes. I brought a piece of the trim I removed to Lowe's and had the paint color-matched. The paint color matches the faded finish perfectly and is called pillow mint. I didn't want it to look new, so I gave it one coat of paint just to even things out and lightly sanded it to bring back the patina. Since it's going to our youngest daughter's house, I added three wood strips over the glass panels on each side to keep little hands and paws from harm's way.

I also added beadboard to the back and a new wood top to give it a more furniture-like appearance.

I looked high and low for book plates and finally found them in the scrapbooking department at JoAnn Fabrics, but they were a little too shiny for my taste.

So, I aged them with a solution I use to blacken bright silver solder lines on leaded glass windows.

A local carpenter made me a new wood divider. Thanks, Dad.

The bottom corner wasn't broken as I originally thought. All of the corners are pieced in this fashion, so I borrowed a corner from the back and attached it with "L" brackets.

I left this ....decorative painting intact.

And here's the finished piece!

Now, some Pottery Barn inspired accessorizing.

Here it is accessorized with bits and pieces from around our house.

Today we are delivering this piece to its new home. I know Megan will have fun adding her own vintage treasures to the cubbies. And someday when shabby, chippy style goes out of vogue, it will still be a utilitarian piece. It could be used for storing canned goods, boots and shoes, paint cans, any number of things. Who knows, it may even come full circle if my dream of having my own little space in an antique shop when I retire comes true.

Linked to:

{Primp} Your Stuff Wednesday

French Country Cottage Feathered Nest Friday

Miss Mustard Seeds Furniture Feature Friday

The 36th AVENUE

Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Nite Special

The Brambleberry Cottage Time Travel Thursday

Laurieanna's Farmhouse Fridays