A NEW "ROOM CHANGING" PIECE!!!!

WOW!! Would ya look at what just came into the shop!!!! It is an old apothacary with.....get this....24 drawers!! Each drawer has it's own original porcelain knob and some of them have old labels on along the tops. Right now I just have it sitting on the counter and while it doesn't look bad there I have visions of it all over the shop. I LOVE this piece and have been wishing for one of these for ages!. I can already predict that this is going to be one of those "room changing"pieces.....you know the kind....you get this great item and you start walking around the house and deciding where to put it and the next thing you know the living room has now become the bedoom and the dining room has been moved into the den and so on ....you get the picture!! LOL!! I know that has to happen others...not just me! But I can also see that , while I might move this baby around a dozen or so times in the shop...it's likely to end up right back here on the counter where it started!! Whatever the case maybe ...it's gonna be fun! Hope your day is great!!!

Spring is coming...I have proof!

My first sign of SPRING!! This little ole daffodil is always the first one to greet me after her long rest. She is a little late this year though...last year she was here and blooming on Christmas Day!! She just opened up yesterday.I thought all you gals would like to see that there is HOPE! Spring is right around the corner and you know what that means.......GARAGE SALES, YARD SALES, FLEA MARKETS....and of course more darling daffodils!!

Let the countdown begin!!

BETWEEN BARBARA STREISAND & TOM JONES......

Who doesn't like a freebie??? Well on my "junkin escapde" the other day I came across this old bread board that still had the original old chippy ivory color paint along the edge. It was sitting in a box of old records...between Barbara Streisand and Tom Jones! I yanked this out so fast that the whole box of records fell apart but it was TOTALLY worth it!! Anyway.....I went to get a price and the guy said "what are you gonna do with this thing??? .....WEEELLLLLLL , I told him that I had no idea at the moment but I would for sure figure out the perfect place for it to go and he needn't worry! LOL..Then he said the best four letter word that starts with "F " ever to be heard............you can have it for FREE!!!!! Yep FREE!!! So, inside I am like doing cartwheels and jumpin for joy and all that but outside I am the calm cool business woman and said "well okay that sounds good..thanks....." and turned around and ran to put it in the truck!! When I got home I put some paste wax on it and cleaned it up a bit and then walked around the house thinking and looking on where this baby might land....As you can see it landed under my cloche on top of my chippy side table!!... A way better spot than being stuck between Babs and Tom don't ya think! Til next time........

AS PROMISED...MY "JUNKIN" ESCAPADE FINDS!!

CUTE OLD TEA KETTLE....WILL MAKE A GREAT PLANTER!

FABULOUS OLD CHIPPY WHITE CUPBOARD!

SHOULD GO TO THE SHOP...BUT I AM SURE

I COULD FIND A SPOT AT HOME!!! THIS

WAS MY FAVORITE! IF IT'S CHIPPY ..IT'S ME!

LOVED THIS OLD CHEVY! FOUND IT UNDER A

TREE.....WOULDN'T START THOUGH...LOL!!

SOMEDAY I REALLY WOULD LOVE TO HAVE

A REALLY OLD PICK UP LIKE THIS!

THIS OLD GARDEN GATE WILL MAKE A

GREAT DISPLAY ADDITION TO THE SHOP!

THIS FABULOUS OLD RED WICKER ROCKER WAS

JUST SITTING THERE LOOKING FABULOUS!

IT'S IN WONDERFUL SHAPE AND JUST NEEDS A NEW

SEAT CUSHION...NO PROBLEM! ONCE I GET THAT

DONE IT WILL LOOK GREAT IN THE SHOP!!

FINALLY...SOME SNOW!!

Ally in her sweater!!

Front Porch

YIPPEE!! Well girls.... my junk market "finds" pictures will have to wait a day or so because we FINALLY got some snow here in NC!! I spent a good part of the day outside filling birdfeeders and birdbaths plus taking a bunch of pictures and playing with Ally in the snow! It was great. I got to shovel off the deck and sidewalk ( I love to shovel and plow!!!) then Russ and I went for a walk up and down the street to see the winter wonderland! It's days like this when you really appreciate the simple things in life ....warm hand knitted mittens, a heavy flannel jacket, birds in the yard, snowflakes, shovel, central heat, warm boots, thick socks, hot cocoa, and hat hair...LOL!! Hope you all found some simple things to enjoy today!

I always wanted to be an archeologist........

I know what you are saying......"it looks like she just went to the dump!" But I swear it isn't...(not that I am beyond doing that either...our dump won't let you take anything...I've already tried!)

This is just a field of junk laying everywhere! I would have to say that about 75% of it is too far gone even for me to be able to do anything with but you HAVE TO DIG & RUMMAGE! That's where the fun part comes in. So many things are just laying on top of other things and you really have to be careful because there is broken glass, nails ,you name it. Hey, junkin ain't pretty BUT you can find a few treasures if you are willing to put in a little time. In a way I feel kind of like an archeologist, digging up the past! That was just kind of an AH-HA moment! COOL! I wanted to be one as a kid but you had to study science and be good at math and bla bla bla PLUS it would seriously get in the way of junking and antiquing so I just put it on the back burner. Anyway, I did walk away with a few things and I will post some pics of those in the next few days! Hope everyone is warm and snuggy! Looks like I might finally see snow here in NC tonight and tomorrow! Lisa from HomeThrown Pottery and I have been wishin pretty hard! Have a great day!

WHAT DOES 14 DEGREES AND 2 ROTTEN BANANAS EQUAL??

HOMEMADE BANANA BREAD!! Yep, when it's cold out I love to bake! I was so happy this morning when I let the dog out, I looked at the temp and it was 14 degrees!! I then looked on the counter where the 2 rotten bananas were (okay...we'll call them over ripe ) and I said with a grin...today is the day!!

The recipe I used came from The Ashtabula County Master Gardeners Cookbook. I have never used one that called for sour cream and I have to say...it turned out super! Very moist and delicious...fell right out of the pan too! It will now be my "go to recipe" for Banana Bread. What was that???? You wanna make some too?..well I won't leave ya hangin any longer..here's the recipe:

HOMEMADE NORTH CAROLINA BANANA BREAD FROM AN OHIO RECIPE!

1 c. sugar

1 stick butter or marg.

1 lg. egg

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 or 2 very ripe (aka rotten) bananas

1/2 c sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease bread pan. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in egg. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture. Mix until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream and vanilla. Mix until combined. Stir in nuts if you wish. Pour batter into greased pan. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes in pan. Invert and cool completely. Slice and enjoy!!

YUMMY AND DELICIOUS! I had to cut a piece while it was still warm though! I highly recommemded it! Have a great day and stay warm!

P.S. From previous experience ..... If you do make this be prepared to hear " what kind of candle are you burning??" Apparently candles get burned more often than homemade goodies come out of the oven. Just be prepared to show the evidence to prove that the smell throughout the house is indeed authentic!! LOL!.....true story though ;)

What's got square nails and three boards???

This is just a quick post to show you a display in the other antique mall that I am in in Waxhaw NC. This old farm table is great with three wide boards on top and square nails. The old dough bowl on top is HEAVY and completely handmade. The crocheted lace tablecloth used to be WHITE so I tea dyed it and love how it turned out. As I type this is is only 19 degrees here in NC. I am on my wayout to a flea market to go pick up an antique primitive cupboard today for the shop...no this one hasn't been stolen....LOL... and I will take some pics for the next post.I am definitly going to have to dress warm today. That means.... turtleneck, sweater, wool coat, boots, scarf, hat, mittens, heavy socks...Yep I still got it all! You can take a girl out of Ohio, but you can't take the Ohio out of the girl! I LOVE IT! Now if it would only snow!!!! Hope you are all having a great day today!!

THIS ONE HAS QUITE A STORY!

You aren't going to believe this one!! It all starts out with a fun day of shopping after being released from "Christmas Jail" (that's what my friends have started calling it because I can never do anything during the Holidays because I am so busy with the shop!) Anyway, I came across this FABULOUS old, old ,old huge primitive base cupboard in OLD RED PAINT none the less. It is all toungue and groove pine with handmade latches and knobs, four doors and did I mention yet how HEAVY this is?????? ( That part is really important to the story). The day I bought it I couldn't take it because I didn't have the truck, so no problem I could just come back another day and get it. It would be convenient to because it was already sitting outside(another important part to the story) and I wouldn't have to make special arrangements with the shop owners...just come on back and load it up. Well Russ and I were running errands a few days later and he said that we may as well just drive on over there and get it. After that comment the transmission in the truck started slipping (we had just had a new one put in a few weeks earlier...THAT'S another story for another day...) so we decided we better just get home ONLY we wound up getting there in the backseat of a TOW TRUCK!! Talk about frustrating! I called the shop back and told them that we wouldn't be able to get the cupboard that day and that I would have to get back with them after the truck was repaired. The next morning I get a call from the shop...it goes like this....." Hi Beth, hey did you come and pick up the cupboard last night????" ....me "Um no...remember I called to tell you that the #$%*!! transmission was giving us trouble again?? "...them "Uh well then it's been STOLEN and we are going to call the police and we will call you back to tell you what needs to be done. " me UHHHHHHHH, Your're kidding??? Um alright , let me know what happens!'' So we hang up and I am just shy of having a breakdown then just realize there is no use in stressing about it and what will be will be! WELL LOW AND BEHOLD......about half hour later I get a call from the shop again...."Hey Beth....WE FOUND YOUR CUPBOARD!!!!!! Apparently....the guys who stole it were in the process of getting hernias because it is so heavy that they dumped it in the front yard of a house two doors down!! There she was laying on her side in broad day light!!! I was so HAPPY!!! To try to picture them carrying this thing and just saying the heck with it makes me laugh because it just goes to show you that having some extra bulk on you can pay off sometimes!! LOL! So now she is safe and sound and looking FABULOUS in the shop. I have bought many a piece of furniture in my day BUT none of them have as exciting a story as this one....at least that I know about!

SURPRISE SURPRISE!! A FRIEND AWARD!

What a nice way to end the day.....A Friend Award from Pam at Antique Or Not! How sweet!! Thank you so much Pam! According to Pam the
"Friend Award is given to blogs that are exceedingly
charming .These bloggers aim to find and be friends.
The purpose of the award is to reward and propagate new
friendships!!"
Well, I am all for that sooooooooooo...................................................
I would love to pass this award onto some wonderful ladies that I have had the pleasure of meeting through this fabulous world of blogging!

Lisa from Pots N Prims
Dawn from Back Door Primitives
Susan from Primitive Preachers Wife
Lisa from Prims From Above
Jennifer from Taylors Farmhouse Attic
Kelly from City Wife to Country Life
Here's hoping that 2009 brings you all the joys of new friendships and happiness! Have fun!!

THE FIFTEEN DOLLAR MAKEOVER

As I was going through all my pictures , I came across these two of some decorating I recently did in one of our bathrooms. I found these wonderful old barn shutters in Pennsylvania last fall. They are the most perfect shade of barn red and have just the right amount of "chip-i-tude" ! During Christmas I had them on either side of my fireplace. When I took all the christmas decorations down they just didn't look as good left there but I was determined to find a spot for them.....SOOOOOOOOO I walked around the house with them and took a look at the vanity in the bathroom and said...hey wait a minute.....maybe if I just set them on the vanity????? Well the rest is history...as soon as I did it I really liked how it turned out and started "shopping"around the house for other goodies to complete the look. This whole "make-over" cost a whopping $15.00 bucks......yep...that was the price for the pair of shutters! Plus I didn't have to haul out any power tools! Now I need to tackle the computer/craft room....ugh!

What I Did This Holiday Season!

curious cat booth

curious cat booth

curious cat booth

kiosk at mall

Kiosk at mall...can you say

looooooooooooooog hours???

Southern Christmas Show

Southern Christmas Show

At the shop!

At the shop again!

olde tyme snowman at the shop!

antique skate wreath

One of the candle displays

still shop...........

I know that this is LATE with a capital "L" bit I just now had the time to sit and download all my holiday pictures. So many of you have emailed me requesting pictures of the shop, my booth at Curious Cat, the kiosk at the mall and the Southern Christmas Show booth. I tried to give you a good sample of each. It was a very blessed holiday season being busy non-stop and running ragged some days...espicially with having the kiosk (cart) at the mall. The hours were KILLER! We only were there for a month from Nov. 27 to Dec. 27 and that was long enough!! UGH! With that said we were so glad we did it really. It was nice knowing that there was and end in sight. We met a ton of new customers and were able to send them down to the shop! It was wonderful advertising and now we have met some great new shoppers for the store! Well, enjoy the pics and Happy New Year to All!!!