Some times No words Speak Louder...

I was in a restaurant this afternoon having dinner....

This Budweiser commercial came on that captivated me right away... By the end of it....

I was in tears.

I looked around....I wasn't alone.

Such a powerful moment of reflection.

No words...just action.

Fall Shop Pics!

Good Morning Friends!

Don't have alot of time to chat today.

I have a mountain of feed sack pillows to sew up......

Some framing projects to finish up.......

A table to finish off.... (my first project with Annie Sloan paint!)

and that's just what I'd like to get done BEFORE I head into the shop this morning!

I leave for Nashville in 4 DAYS!!

Ackkkkkk!!!

So much to get done because I want it all to be perfect ya know?

I have that booth display in my head so I need it all to come together.

I feel like I am a bit out of my league and want to shine.

Sooooo Nervous!!

Anyway....I am happy to report that I was able to get at least 5 photos of the inside of the shop before the second batch of batteries died on me! Geez louise.

Apparently I need to cough up some cash on some new rechargeables.

So here is a mini tour of Fall inside the shop.

Fall definitely brings out my primitive side....

That Pumpkin Patch sign is made out of old barn wood and rust...a perfect combo!





The NEW CROSSROADS CALENDARS are HERE!!

The quality is amazing.

The photos are fantastic.

We even have the handy dandy wrought iron calendar holders.






The sweet face little pumpkin girl, I made. She has on an antique dress and looks to be quite happy nestled among the bittersweet garlands.

I got the porch all decorated yesterday!

Corn stalks.....

Hay Bales......

and

50 mums!

Pumpkins arrive Monday then we'll be all set!

Have a great day!

Junk from the Truck!

Well I got three pics in before the camera batteries died!

This is just a small part of the truckload that we got on Sunday.

One of my favorite things is this crazy pumpkin!

Yep...it's real! They called it a peanut pumpkin.

I loaded up on pumpkins to take to Nashville with me to use for display. I bet this one will be a hit! All the other stuff in this picture will be heading to Nashville as well!

That chippy orange metal tool tote is gonna be hard to give up.

I was desperate to find a big piece for the shop and the junk gods shined down on me big time!
This old step back cupboard has barn red on the outside and mustard on the inside.
Perfect colors for holiday decorating.
It is already in the shop and all dressed up!


I got the batteries charging so there will be more pics soon!

Introducing BOWS!

Good Morning Friends!

This post is out of order.

It was scheduled to come tomorrow because I had grandiose plans of getting up bright and early this morning and taking photos of the TRUCKLOAD OF JUNK that we scored yesterday.

That didn't happen.

Instead I found myself sleeping in and dreaming of the hot dog I ate yesterday!

No joke...it.was.that.good.

Seriously...dreaming about a hot dog.

Funny thing is...when Mr. OTM woke up he comes into the living room and says

"Boy that hot dog we ate yesterday was really good!"

(Things like that just reconfirm we are meant for each other! lol!)

Okay...sorry don't click off just yet......

I wanted to share with you my new addition to my Etsy shop.....

BOWS!

Meet my first introduction...

The Gingham Burlap Bow in Brown and Cream.THE perfect addition to your autumn decorating......

not to mention weddings!



For the item specifics, just hop on over to my shop!

Any questions....please feel free to ask.



Well, I am off to the shop to unload that truckload of junk! WE WILL BE OPEN TODAY so come on down!!! Pictures to follow!

Flea Market Style sighting !!!

Hello Fellow Flea Fanatics!

I found the magazine tonight in my local Food Lion grocery store!

Whew!

One less thing to worry about ....ya know?

Almost forgot to get the cat food I went in there for!It was exciting to see the Top 80 Readers Antique Malls.

When I flipped to North Carolina.....

I flipped OUT!

There they were....The Sleepy Poet & The Depot!

If you've been following me for awhile then you know that I have booth spaces at BOTH of these awesome malls! How cool was it to see them in this super cool magazine!
AND.....

Then I saw the Insiders Guide to Treasure Hunting in Nashville and the first section was on Franklin....which is where the Bella Rustica Barn Sale is in a couple weeks...which is where I will also have a booth!

Pretty~ darn~amazing!

I swear this magazine has super powers!

This afternoon I get a call from one of my customers who called to tell me that she found this "unbelievable magazine" at her grocery store and she knew I'd love it!

Wellllllll.......BINGO was his name-o~ she was right on!!

She's gonna try the suitcase shelves.

Come" hell or high water".

Her words!

She's 82.

A little Etsy excitment!

Hello Friends!

Just a bit of excitement that I wanted to share with you today!

( Forgive me as I am about to "toot my own horn".I'm not usually comfortable in that position but this made me smile and feel pretty darn good!)

A few weeks ago, I was asked to join a team on Etsy called Etsy Lush. They stand for promoting the BEST stuff on etsy. I was happy to be asked so I accepted the invite.....and that was it.

Frankly, I didn't know what to do after that. So this morning I decided to nose around and realized you have to actually submit your items to be featured. So I did .....the Welcome to Our Porch Pillow.

When I got home I went to the site to see if in fact everything went thru okay and then THIS happened.....TA-DA!!!

Not only did everything go thru okay....I LANDED SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FRONT PAGE!
Now , being new to etsy lush this might be the norm there and I just don't realize it. So for now I am just going to bask in the fact that out of 208 pages....I am on #1!
Again..a bit uncomfortable with all the braggin...but the other purpose of sharing this news is to inspire YOU!
If you have an etsy shop and feel like it's been neglected OR you've been wanting to start one up.....shake a leg and get goin! Get involved, promote on your blog, join teams. You will be completely amazed at all that you will learn.
Now...if I could just land the front page of ETSY itself!
Gonna keep tryin......

The Count Down to the BELLA RUSTICA BARN SALE IS ON

Hello friends!

Many of you have seen this button over on my side bar.

Because of this, I have been hoarding some of my BEST JUNK FINDS all summer long!

You will find me here.....

In the barn........

Selling......

All that junk! Bella Rustica Nashville is going to be da bomb!

You've got to head on over to their blog to read the vendor list!

I can't believe I am going to be with all these super people.

I am excited.....

Nervous......

Anxious.....

and have already started losing sleep......LOL!

(Seriously...it's part of the whole experience. If I didn't lose some sleep trying to figure out how to set up the booth...it wouldn't be the same!)

What am I taking you ask??????

Stay tuned!

Better yet....plan on coming to the show!! *wink*

WEDDING PHOTOS!!!!

Hello Friends!!!

Finally had a minute to go thru some of the photos of the BIG DAY!

It was beyond wonderful.

The weather was perfect.....

We were surrounded by family and friends.....

We danced for HOURS.......(like say maybe 10...no joke! FUN!)

There were fireworks....

The food was amazing....

The cake was beautiful.....

Everyone was smiling.......

Pure Joy!

I didn't want it to end. Ever.

what.a.day.

Here are some pics that I hope you enjoy........

This pointed to the wedding site down by the pond....
Me and my new hubby!

The buckeye favors were a subtle nod toward my Ohio roots...but also a subtle "in your face" to my new family full of Penn State fans! {I love um all anyway!}

Buckeyes are for good luck but I still had to tell them not to throw them at the bride.

Guest book and cake table...

My brother and sister in laws house where the whole shin-dig took place.

They were sooooooo gracious in letting us take over the place. I mean the kitchen was in constant use....I don't know how many times we had to go in and out...I was always asking my BIL for something(christmas lights, blocks of wood, scissors.....)My SIL had the house spotless, the yard looked amazing. SO much went into this "simple" wedding. I can't even begin to say thanks enough.

Pointing toward the partay!!

a great little photo spot......

the centerpieces had clay tags with the words that were on our invitations...

she did.....


he did..........

gifts from our girls ~ Erin and Shawna and their guys~ Brian and Phil

they also are getting us a "mini-moon" to Folly Beach South Carolina (where we met!)

Can't wait to go!

Coconut wedding cake. Let me tell you....DELICIOUS! Erin made it and it took her two days. She worked sooooooo hard but it was worth it. I wish I had a piece right now

We also had chocolate and vanilla cupcakes!

Each daisy was hand made....

I hated cutting into it!

I have so many more photos to share. It will take me a while to get thru all them but I hope this gives you an idea of what it was like.

THANK YOU to all of you who had sent emails and left comments full of best wishes.

We appreciate each and every one!
Hugs!

Remember me?

Hello Friends!!!

Remember me???

Mr. OTM and I are are officially back from wedding week and

LET ME TELL YOU..........

It was WONDERFUL!

I have tons of pictures to sort thru and share with you.

In the mean time, I thought we'd have a little fun with this guy.....Be honest....who had one of these???

(I did...lol!)

Glad to be home.

Gettin Hitched!

HELLO Friends!!!

This week is pretty darn exciting! This coming Saturday on Aug. 20th I will officially become MRS. OTM !

Yep...that's right Mr.OTM (olde tyme marketplace) and I decided it was time to do it up!

So many people thought that we were married already that it has come as a shock to some...wondering who we were marrying!!! So to set the record straight....we are in fact marrying each other!! Pretty hilarious!

We can't wait!!

It is going to be a small country wedding ~ by a pond ~ on a beautiful mountain in Friendsville Pennsylvania. Russ's brother and Sister in Law have graciously offered there beautiful home to host our event.

We are getting married by the Mayor of Friendsville.

Isn't that the cutest thing? The Mayor.......of Friendsville. It sounds like something that would happen in a movie. I love it!

Anyway, planning the decor was FUN! Keeping in mind that I wanted to stay on a tight budget , and I didn't want to have to bring a U-Haul from North Carolina, I kept all my decorating simple but sweet.

I thought you might like to see the items that I used for my inspiration!

I will be taking plenty o' photos of the real deal ...don't you worry your pretty little heads bout that!

Let's take the stroll down Inspiration Lane

(Not to be confused with Inspiration Point....remember? on Happy Days? hahaha!!)

Okay...here we go...birds....cloches....moss....eggs.....
cash.....didn't want to spend a boatload of it so this was the REAL inspiration in what I did!
*wink*



weathered wood....






Burlap ribbon.....










old wire baskets......

twigs and hearts.....not necessarily together...but you'll see what I mean later....*promise*

Beth Quinn Jewerly...*sigh*

white flowers.....

burlap by the yard......

feed sack pillows........

nest and eggs.....

more birds.....

canvas.....

vintage blue mason jars!

So there you have it! I will be so excited to share with you all the photos and how it all came together. If the vision in my head even comes close...it will be wonderful!

Just to have Russ, my family, my new family and friends all together is plenty.

What a day it will be!

Stay tuned.....