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!!!

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!!