BECAUSE YOU ALL ASKED SO NICE.......RECIPES!!

I just wanted to give a HUGE THANK YOU HUG to all who made it for out to my OLDE TYME CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY GATHERING. For those of you who were able to come to our First Candlelight Night.....WHAT A BLAST HUH??? All of your support, kind words and compliments were so sweet and meant the world. When I had a minute to look around, I must say that it was magical!!! Everyone had smiles, yummy treats in their hands, the glow of the lights were so peaceful and then it occured to me....there was just pure JOY filling the shop! What a treat to be apart of something so special. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. Everyone looked so nice and festive and HAPPY! I thank you from the bottom of my heart for making it such a great evening!
Speaking of the yummy treats.....we had a slew of um!! I need to thank my friend Janna for whipping up these bacon/sesame stick appetizers, and Lisa for the chocolate dipped cherries, mini pecan tarts and chocolate covered mini pretzel sticks rolled in walnuts! Everything looked so great it looked like I had the thing catered! My friend Gail brought her friend Leslie and they were a HUGE help in putting it all together! Many of you requested the recipes for the Graham Cracker Pralines and Pumpkin Dip so because you all asked soooooo nice , I will post them for ya here in a bit!
We have already planned that next year we are going to have a contest to count how many candles were lit!! Gail....thanks for helping to light them all!! I will admit that I must have walked around the shop at least a DOZEN times before I left to make sure they were all blown out...we did good! The winner of the $50.00 gift certificate will be announced in the next post!
Okie Dokie...now for the recipes!!!!

PUMPKIN DIP

4 CUPS POWDERED SUGAR
2 8 OUNCE PKGS. CREAM CHEESE (SOFTENED)
1 SMALL CAN OF PUMPKIN
2 TBS. CINNAMON
GINGER OR NUTMEG TO TASTE
COMBINE THE CREAM CHEESE AND POWDERED SUGAR 1 CUP AT A TIME WITH THE MIXER IN A LARGE BOWL. ADD THE PUMPKIN AND SPICES AND BLEND THOROUGHLY. CHILL FOR TWO HOURS BEFORE SERVING. BEST SERVED WITH GINGER SNAPS OR MY PERSONAL FAV....CINNAMON GRAHAM CRACKERS! (This makes a large amount of dip and could easily be cut in half)


GRAHAM CRACKER PRALINES

GRAHAM CRACKERS (plain)
2 STICKS OF BUTTER
1/2 CUP DARK BROWN SUGAR (LIGHT BROWN MAY ALSO BE USED)
1/2 TO 1 CUP CHOPPED NUTS..(I use pecans mostly)

LINE YOUR COOKIE SHEET WITH THE GRAHAM CRACKERS. MELT BUTTER AND SUGAR IN PAN. LET IT BOIL FOR THREE MINUTES. TOSS IN THE NUTS. POUR MIXTURE ALL OVER THE CRACKERS. SPREAD WITH A SPATULA FOR EVEN COVERAGE...BUT WORK FAST!!!
BAKE AT 350 DEGREES FOR 7 MINUTES OR UNTIL NICE AND BROWN AND BUBBLY. CUT APART AND REMOVE FROM PAN WHILE THEY ARE STILL HOT!!! YUMMY!!!

WELL THERE YA GO! THANKS AGAIN AND CONTINUE TO TO BE FILLED WITH THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT! IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!!!!

OLDE TYME CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY GATHERING!!

YOU HAVE BEEN INVITED TO THE 2ND ANNUAL OLDE TYME CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY GATHERING AT OLDE TYME MARKETPLACE!!

DECEMBER 5TH 10-5 THEN 6-9

DECEMBER 6TH 10-5

Come to our SPECIAL EVENING HOURS on Friday the 5th and shop under the glow of twinkle lights and candles. The shop will be filled to the brim with the best in primitive and rustic holiday decor. Bring a friend along to enjoy all the Sights, Sounds, Scents and Spitit of the holidays!!

AN EVENT YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS!!PRIZES, FUN, GOODIES, TREATS!!!

ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE CALL 704-942-6258

123 N. White St.

Marshville, Nc 28103

THE SOUTHERN CHRISTMAS SHOW!!

NOVEMBER 13TH THU THE 23RD!!!!!!

COME SEE ME IN INDEPENDENCE HALL SPACE 2153!!!

The booth will be bursting at the seams with all the best in primitive and rustic holiday decor!For more info just go to www.southernchristmasshow.com. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!!!

GOT JUNK???? TELL ME ALL ABOUT IT!

Okay gals!! I thought this would be a fun post to do!! WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIECE OF JUNK that you have ,where did you get it and how much was it??!!
My absolutely favorite piece I found was about 10 years ago at a yard sale. It was this old looking base cupboard that had a round hole cut in the top. Apparently there had been a table saw bolted on to the top and the customer right ahead of me had just taken it off and bought it and was loading it into his car. He was getting ready to leave and I asked him if he was taking the cupboard and he said no! So, jumping for joy I hopped on over to the gal that was having the sale and asked her 'how much for the cupboard??" She proceeded to udder the best four letter word on the face of the earth......FREE!!!!!! HOLY COW!!!! Well I loaded that baby up in the trunk of my Chevy Cavalier (yep it was hangin out the back with a bungee cord to hold the trunk lid down) and couldn't wait to get it home and fiddle with it! Well after unloading it I hosed it off in the backyard and I opened the two doors to clean inside and LO and BEHOLD.......right there , nailed to the inside to was an ANTIQUE WOODED SPICE CUPBOARD!!! The kind with eight little drawers and the spice names stenciled on . Whoever put it there had used it for nuts, bolts, nails and screws. I was totally freaking out and just blowing a gasket!!! I had to reload the whole thing back into the car and take it to my Dad's so he could get it out for me. I spare you the look on his face when I pulled into the drive way.......................Anyway, he rescued the spice box for me and I was back home to now decorate! Remember the round hole in the top of the cupboard?? Well I wound up putting an old enamelware bowl in it and filled it with potpourri and a candle. It sat out in my sun porch and I have never had a piece of furniture that received more compliments than that. The spice cupboard hung on the wall in the kitchen where I could gaze it while I slaved away preparing meals! So there ya go....can't wait to hear your story!!

LOOK WHAT I FOUND!!!!

Well I am still on a flea market high and had to share it with you all! I had hardly any money to spend today and most of what you are looking at was only 1.00!!!! My most expensive "splurge" was the little one drawer stand that looks like it had a mirror on it at one point. Needless to say it was a great day. I almost didn't go at all becasue as you know, when you decided to go flea marketing with no cash is when you find absolutly everything you have been searching for since you were born. I have been up to my ears preparing for the Southern Christmas Show and I just needed a distraction for a bit. This really helped let me tell you! As soon as I got home I got everything unloaded from the truck, got the camera started arranging it all it in the driveway and started taking some pictures. Just as I am doing all this my neighbors decided to go for a walk and I can feel them looking my way. So I just wave and say hi and they say hi back to me but it sounds more like a question!! Do you know what I mean? They must think I am nuts! I could understand this maybe had I been talking to my new found treasures or hugging them or something....geez! So I can imagine their conversation on their walk..."so what EXACTLY was she taking a picture of? All I saw was a pile of junk......no, dear that pile of junk is always there.....no this was a new one...well she has a shop or something, maybe it was for that.....Do you think she ever really sells anything?? ......everything looks like it needs a new paint job or it's all dirty and rusty........I don't really know what she does with it, I can't imagine using it for anything other than firewood...hahaha Oh that was a good one honey!!!...maybe we should move..................???"

Like I said ...I needed a distraction for a bit!! Back to work!!

HERE'S THE LINE UP!

So just to give you all an idea of what I really use my deck for , here ya go. On any good nice sunny day you will easily find a menagerie of projects set out to bake in the sun. This line up consists of stockings, snowman hats, there's a sheep in there, a snowman body and a tree topper! Quite the mix! All these goodies are getting done for the Southern Christmas Show which starts on Nov. 13 and goes til Nov. 23 at the Charlotte Merchandise Mart now known as The Park. To see the finished products, come on down to the show and scoot on over to booth 2153. I'd love to see ya!

THE NATURAL BRIDGE

This is really interesting! Russ and I had a wedding to go to in Pennsylvania two weeks ago and we took the opportunity to stop by and see The Natural Bridge in Virginia. To say the least it was beautiful! Thomas Jefferson bought it for about 2.50 cents years ago and George Washington helped him survey it and even carved his G.W. initials on the side of it. You can still see them to this day. We walked the entire path to reach the waterfall and it was just so relaxing and beautiful. We practically had the whole thing to ourselves. You could hear the birds chirping, water rushing, leaves crunching, squirrels scampering. The temperature was cool and crisp....PERFECTION!
I was in heaven...the only thing that could have possibly made this any better was if there was something like the Natural Bridge Primitive Shop, or a Thomas Jefferson's Primitive Goods, along the trail! I know there was like no chance of that, but a gal can wish can't she?? I should have put that on the comment card!
If you ever get a chance to go, I know you will enjoy it! Now I have to get back to work!!

WAXHAW AUTUMN TREASURES SHOW!!!

I just love this time of year becasue that means fall festivals!! THE WAXHAW AUTUMN TREASURES SHOW IS THIS WEEKEND OCT. 11TH AND 12TH! Be sure to stop by my booth located inside the Waxhaw Antique Mart to see some wonderful primitive fall goodies that I recently brought in along with some great primitive furniture pieces! My booth number is 151!

HUGE STREET SALE
SATURDAY OCT. 11 TH 7 TIL ?????
VENTURE OAKS LANE
MONROE NC!
TAKE 200 N (MORGAN MILL) TO OLIVE BRANCH AND MAKE A RIGHT, GO ONE MILE TO HELMS POND RD. AND TAKE A RIGHT, GO ONE MORE MILE TO VENTURE OAKS LN. AND MAKE A RIGHT!! YOU MADE IT!
I WILL HAVE STUFF THERE THAT I HAVE TAKEN FROM THE SHOP AND BOTH OF MY BOOTHS. PRICES WILL BE CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP!

I'D LIKE TO THANK THE ACADEMY...................

CHECK IT OUT!!! MY FIRST BLOG AWARD!! I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS MOMENT TO THANK MY SUPER DUPER FRIEND LISA FROM HOMETHROWN POTTERY WHO HELPED ME GET THIS WHOLE THING GOING IN THE FIRST PLACE! AS PART OF MY AWARD I AM TO TELL Y'ALL 6 THINGS ABOUT MYSELF AND TAG SIX MORE. I AM STILL NEW TO THE BLOGGING COMMUNITY SO I WILL BE SURE TO PASS IT ON AS I GET FAMILIAR WITH OTHER BLOGS! WELL HERE GOES...........................

1.) I LOVE COLD WEATHER! YEP MOST PEOPLE THINK I AM NUTS BUT I GREW UP IN THE SNOWBELT ALONG LAKE ERIE IN OHIO! I LOVE THE SNOW AND ESPICIALLY BEING SNOWED IN!!

2.) WHEN I AM HOME BY MYSELF I LOVE TO JUST TURN ON THE INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC CHANNEL ON THE TV....THE OLD SONGS FROM THE MOVIES LIKE SUMMER PLACE AND GONE WITH THE WIND...IT REMINDS ME OF MY GRANDMA AND IT DEFINITELY IS RELAXING.

3. ) I AM A WORRY WART!!! ENOUGH SAID!! ...maybe I should explain, oh i don't know, what will happen if i don't go into detail.....oh!!! LOL!

4.) I OPENED MY FIRST STORE A YEAR AFTER I GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL IN 1987. I HAVE OFFICIALLY BEEN DOING THIS NOW FOR HALF OF MY LIFE!!! ugh!!!

5.) I LIKE TO VACUUM....INSTANT GRATIFICATION!

6.) IN SECOND GRADE I WAS THE SPELLING BEE CHAMPION!!! THE GIRL BEFORE ME SCREWED UP THE WORD " MORNING" AND I NAILED IT!! YEP WON A FABULOUS ID BRACELET FROM SPIEDEL AND EVERYTHING!! ha!!

PUH-LEEZE!! WHERE IS YOUR PRIDE???

Okay now IS THIS NOT PATHETIC??? This is what I turned around and saw laying on the dining room floor while I was trying to get dinner ready! This is Kitty....(I know pretty original huh?) He could literally eat all day long, and won't leave me alone until he gets some food in his bowl! He is particurally relentless when I am in the kitchen where his food is stored and I have to constatntly keep shoo-ing him off. Well on this particular day after a long day at the shop I just wanted to put together something quick for dinner and be done with the day. He would NOT leave me alone and I shushed him out of the kitchen only to turn around and see him playing dead in the dining room...totally wasted away to nothing...!!!! I mean he even waited while I went to go get the camera to take the picture!!! I mean really.....he is such a phony but I love him like crazy! He has been with me for about 14 years after I took him in when someone had shot him with an arrow in his tummy. As you can see the tummy is doing just fine!! Just so you know, no kitty was harmed during the photo shoot....as soon as we were done, he got some din din! Spoiled little cat!

MUMS THE WORD!

This is just ONE of the reasons I love this time of year!! I wish I could say these are in one of my flower beds but to be honest these are 24 pots of mums loaded into the back of the pickup! I use these to put inside old maple syrup buckets that I paint up and sell at the shop. If you'd like to see the buckets...come on down to the shop! I've got them all sittin pretty on the big ole front porch! Buy the bucket...get the mum free!! Just mention you saw it on the blog.....mums the word!

THANK YOU....THANK YOU...THANK YOU!!!!

Just wanted to THANK ALL OF YOU who were able to make it out to the Olde Tyme Harvest Gathering! I can't tell you how happy it makes me to see you walk through my door. Many of you should have had fun this weekend decorating for fall once you got home!!!! I really appreciate all your support. Just reminder.....Marshville is having the Annual Boll Weevil Festival this Saturday Sept.20th from 9 am to 10 pm. In case you missed the Harvest Gathering , we will be restocked and ready for the Festival! Come see us!!

OLDE TYME MARKETPLACE
HARVEST GATHERING!!
SEPT. 12TH & 13TH 10-5

The shop will be all set to welcome in
the fall season with LOTS of rustic and
primitive goods for your home & garden!

We will have yummy treats, prizes, FUN!
Bring a friend and enjoy a day in the country!

121 N. White Street
Marshville, NC 28103
Located one turn off Hwy. 74 behind BB&T bank


SEE YOU THERE!! Beth

I thought you might get a kick out of this story, here goes..................................

When I go to Holmes County, the restaurant I go to is in a little, tiny, teensy, bitty town called Charm. I luv luv luv going there because I luv the drive even more. It's just heaven to me driving those country backroads, getting behind a buggy, looking at all the beautiful flower beds the Amish ladies slave over. So once I get to the restaurant, Grandma's Homestead, I park in the last row behind all the buggies and it overlooks this adorable covered bridge. I am still on cloud nine at this point because I am about to go inside and order Pan Fried Chicken, sweet potatoes with maple syrup, homemade bread with homemade strawberry jam , and warm tapioca pudding for dessert with homemade whipped cream! As always , I eat every item put in front of me there and roll out to the truck. Now.....to get the full effect of the story you must go to my first post and see how full the truck is loaded down! Okay....so hearts are still popping all around me because I am so in love with this beautiful place and I take a few photos and get ready to start the truck.............nothing.....try again....nothing......ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Now what the heck am I gonna do, I am going to be stuck here, looking like Jed Clampett, with no one to help me....EXCEPT a poor guy weed wacking across the street. So off I go, a damsel in distress , to ask for some help. He was so nice...shut off the weed wacker and came over to the truck. He tells me to try to start it again and again nothing. So he takes a look around and then says, " I don't really know much about fixin cars mame, but try putting it in park and she what she does!!" Good Lord I didn't have the truck in park!! Sure enough she started right up! Can you believe it????? The whole truck,load and all could have easily rolled down the hill and smacked right into my adorable covered bridge!!! How on earth could I have ever lived that one down???? I was so excited to get there I just guess I forgot to put it in park! Lesson learned for sure! Til the next story ...and I'm sure there's gonna be one............................!

NO COOKIN ON THIS GRILL!!

Don't be expecting to get hamburgers and hot dogs off this grill!! This is just a nifty idea I thought I would share with you. I saw this old tractor grill at a flea market just leaning against an old table and it caught my attention. I thought "what could I do with that????." Then all of the sudden this voice says...."NOW WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THAT THING...YOU DON'T NEED THAT!" That voice would be Russ.....Well now I HAD to buy it even if it sat in the garage for the rest of my life! SOOOOOOOOOO , I brought it to the shop and hung it up, grabbed some old clothespins and VOILA....a very simple message board salvaged from a long forgotten ole tractor....now if only I could find the rest of the parts, Russ WOULD have somethin to say about that!!

It'll just take a minute...I promise!

Meet Jake and Bandit! They are my adopted sheep that live with dear friends Lisa and David Shelton who have Homethrown Pottery in Trinity NC. (if you haven't been there...it's worth the trip!!) Anyway, while visiting I mentioned my "plan" to Lisa about these two darlings! I told her all I want to do is get them to cooperate with me and let me put a big evergreen wreath around their necks with a big red gingham bow and let me take their picture so I can use it on my Olde Tyme Christmas Open House invites! Sounds easy enough right?? In this picture they look so willing and excited about helping me out. I tell them how it will make them famous and it will look good on their resume and frankly give their career the boost it needs. Pretty much all they have going on right now spending their days meandering the pasture, eating and being nosey as to what Lisa and David are up to. I hope I have convinced them after my pep talk. We'll see how it goes...........................................

Butter Maple Syrup Candles....yummy!

WHAT IS THAT SMELL????!!! Do you know how many times I hear that from customers and It's a good thing.....I don't mind at all! For all my Ohio customers who have been asking if they can get more and faithful North Carolina ones too.. here are the ever poplular...famous around the world..Butter Maple Syrup Candles! You get 26 ounces of the most yummy, feel good, smells like you just got done makin pancakes, most aromatic, smells up the entire house candle for only $18.95! If you would like to order one just send me an email and I will get you a total including shipping. If you have ever bought this I would love for you to share your thoughts! It is honestly THE BEST candle I have ever bought or sold. LOVE IT! Even men love it! I had these two big ole guys come into my shop at different times and wanted to buy " one of those big brown candles that smells gooooooooooood." I asked where they were from and they worked at this local trucking company and the gal that works at the front desk had one burning . She told them where they could get one and I'll be darned if they didn't come in in their Carhartts and all wantin a little ole candle! See what I mean?? .....p.s. even if you don't live in Ohio or North Carolina you can buy one too...you won't be sorry!

So this is love...........

I can't say enough about this old primitive cupboard except that I am in LOVE! As soon as I saw it ,little hearts started floating and popping around my head!!! As soon as I got it back to the shop, I stuck this baby right in the front window! I think it makes a great display. It has it's original black green paint, and the boards that make up the back are a wonderful old painted brown. The top has been scrubbed and the whole thing is ONE PIECE! I could just look at it for hours. Funny thing about window displays though.....and all you other shop owners let me know if you have noticed this....alot of the stuff in the windows gets overlooked! I find myself doing it too. I get so excited to get inside and look around at the rest of the shop, I forget about all the wonderful stuff in the windows!! Plus chances are that is where some of the best stuff is! So the moral to this post is : Give window displays the attention they deserve, they have feelings too!! As a bonus, you just might walk away with the best item in the shop! Happy shopping!

Front Porch

So if you come inside and get an ice cream ,the front porch is a great place to sit and watch the world go by.....keep in mind it would be just a small piece, more like really tiny, it is Marshville and we are but a dot on the map....but small town life is where it's at if you ask me!
What was that???? What kind of ice cream do I have?? Welllllll let me just say , we usually have about 7 differnet flavors....right now we have Peach, Vanilla, Chocolate, Cherry, Choc. Mint, Cookie Dough, and Strawberry. If you want a great refreshing treat that is DELICIOUS...you need to come in and try a Purple Cow! What the heck is that???? If you like root beer floats, it's just like that only with grape soda and vanilla ice cream. Tastes great with orange soda too!
If it continues to be 180 degrees outside you all might just want to stay inside the shop and enjoy! Hot weather makes ice-cream eatin even better!!

Oprah come back!

Once the ole Dodge makes the trip home from Ohio , she gets unloaded here at the shop! This picture is of opening day June 1st 2007. If you read the sign hanging up there you'll notice that it says The Olde Tyme Design Co. When I opened , I only had this unit at 123 N. White St. As of May this year I expanded to the other unit next door as well and thats when The Olde Tyme MarketPlace began. It was built in 1910 and is reaching the century mark quickly. The building is best known for being used in the filming of The Color Purple. Downtown Marshville was used as the Downtown scenes in the film, most of them being shot right on my street....White Street! Yep ...it's true....OPRAH HAS BEEN INSIDE MY SHOP!!! But.............and theres ALWAYS a but.....I didn't happen to own the shop at that time and I didn't even live here and I was still in high school and the list goes on and on....but she has been here and you can see it in the movie. There is a great scene where Oprah and Whoopie Goldberg come into the General Store during Christmas and it's fun for me to watch and know they were there at one time. PLEASE COME BACK!!! OH.....Did that sound a little desperate???....I'm not proud....I think they'd really like what I've done with the place. If anyone knows how to get in touch with them please feel free!

Well here is how it all starts! I am the happiest when I have the ole 93' Dodge loaded to the max drivin, down the road all Jed Clampett like with stuff shootin out the top, the sides all over the place! This happens to be one of my Ohio trips to my favorite location...Holmes County! I could live there in a heartbeat. On this trip I had to take everything out and reload the truck three times because I kept finding great stuff! I kills me to have to pass on somethin ya know what I mean??? Funny thing though....even though I may not have any room left...that never stops me from going into yet another antique shop or primitive shop. I've got it bad.................................!

Ta-Da! Well it's literally taken me all day, but I am finally doing my very first blog post! I can't believe it (and I know my friend Lisa won't believe it either... she has patiently helped me get this going..Thanks a bunch Lisa!) I have spent the last hour trying to upload some pictures but i keep being told "there was a problem during your upload...unable to upload images at this time due to an internal error." Well to me that sounds pretty serious and I have NOT A CLUE what to do to get that fixed so I just decided to get on with it without the pics.
The log cabin in the picture is too die for don't ya think?? I chose to put it there becasue that is my goal someday......my dream house!I have wanted that ever since I read Little House in the Big Woods! Maybe not that exact cabin as it is a historical marker in the town of Winesburg , Ohio but hey...they just might want to sell it someday and I'll need to be ready!
When the computer allows me to upload some pictures I will show you the shop and what I am all about. Inside you will finds primitive goods all over the place including, fabric goods, candles, tart warmers, pottery, furniture, signs and more! Heck we'll even feed ya lunch! No kiddin! We now have fresh deli sandwiches, salads, muffins, cookies , pound cake , sweet tea and ice cream served daily on our long store counter! Grab a bite and go sit on the porch with the old tin roof and enjoy! Til then.........................