I Can't Help Myself

I planned on staying home and stitching yesterday. But I had some errands I needed to run. My son decided to go with me. Yea he's only doing it out of sheer boredom. His friend went to his Dad's for an entire month. So now I am suppose to keep him occupied. Anyway, I went to the drug store and picked up two new magazines. I got the Do It Yourself and Create and Decorate ones. Even Steve liked looking through them. But I digress... We decided to drive through town to go home. The street I normally turn on was closed due to road construction. Dang it!!! Well, then we just turned in the shopping plaza and HAD to drive by the Goodwill. You know me I can't pass it up. I asked my son and he was all for stopping. He of course went to look for clothes and me, I went straight to the home decor section in the back. People must be taking everything they don't sell at their yard sales because there was a ton of stuff.

Here are the things I found.

Can you believe this is one of those awful plastic placemats? I remember we had these as kids and in the summer they got all sticky no matter how many times you washed them. I bought this one for the pattern. I think I can recreate some of these things on cloth.



Of course I had to buy this horse. If you'll remember I have a horse weather vane and a horse in my header picture. I thought this little one would be awesome.



Then I saw this one... I think it use to be a rocking horse but someone tore off the rockers. It is a lot darker in person.



Then I spotted all this unfinished wood... Can't you see all the possibilities?



Then I found a bag of pegs for peg racks.



Last but not least some cinnamon sticks to put in a jar.



I also bought two sweaters. Yes really I bought them even though it's 90 degrees out. My son has the thrift fever. Yesterday while we were looking at jeans for him he saw one of the workers have a pair of jeans that "are in style Mom". He was pacing. He kept looking at me hoping she would put them down. "Mom" he whispered " I wonder what size those are?" "I don't know" I told him. Then of course I said "Well, maybe she is putting them aside for one of her kids." She had like 4 pair in her hand that she kept looking at the sizes. She walked up front and we went about our shopping. He just kept talking about those jeans. I happened to go up front and started looking through the racks that they put up front for different seasons. Like July 4th, swimsuits for summer, so on and so forth. I happened to spot the jeans my son was drooling over. He grabbed them and went sprinting off to the dressing room to try them on because they were one size bigger than what he wears. He comes back and throws them in the cart. He claims this is how they are wearing them big and baggy. OK who am I to deny my son a pair of designer jeans for $4.00? As of today, in the 90 degree weather, he is wearing them. He even had to try on his work boots with them to show me that they are suppose to bunch around his boots. Good thing is they actually fit his waist so I don't have to worry about droopy drawers. LOL. So one pair of jeans for school bought. LOL. YES!!!! I've started school shopping.

Well, I need to get going we are going to the movies to see "Despicable Me". Then we will meet my parents for dinner after for my son's birthday that was on Sunday. Look out Ryan's here we come.

Projects Finished and Started

I've been trying to get some projects finished up since I have so many things I've bought from the thrift store and not done what I said I would. So I took the opportunity this weekend to work on some things. I worked for the most part, but in between and late into the night I got some things done.

First off was this baby... No this is not how I'm going to leave this. LOL. It looks great in my dining room now.



Next, were the molds I just bought that were unfinished. I would normally use a really dark stain walnut, but I like the warm richness of the chestnut for these.





Ok those are done. Now for the things I'm working on.

I started this sampler a few weeks ago and slowly, but surely I'm figuring it out. I put my peacocks too low so now I need to put something above them. This sampler is a combo of a bunch of free designs I've found on the web. I have been working on it at work.



Next my fall wheels are turning. Now sure I like it. Kinda not my style, but I was just trying to get some kind of mojo going in my head. It's not done of course because I ran into a wall trying to decide what other than coffee stain I want to do to it.



My son and my Dad like to go and watch trains. They go and sit along the tracks around here and just see how many trains they can see. My son came home with all these lovely treasures from one of his excursions. He thought I might like to decorate with them. Ummmmm, I'm drawing a blank. They are steel so there is no way I'm drilling holes in anything. So, I have no idea what to do with them. LOL. Any ideas???



Sorry this is short, but the landlord is coming to fix my bathroom counter top. I'm going to work on my sampler hopefully today if all goes right.

Don't Hate Me Because...

I found all this great stuff for FREE!!!!



Steve took me to the closest Hobby Lobby which is about 40 minutes away on last Saturday. I finally got to see what all you girls are talking about. LOVE their fabric!!!! I did buy some of course. One of my dear friends and fellow blogger emailed me awhile back about making her some bonnets out of the same fabric I made my last customers out of. I told her I didn't have any and that the customer mailed it to me. So, while I was at Hobby Lobby I saw the same exact fabric purchased it and emailed her to see if she still was interested as I was having it cut. LOL. Anyway, I found tons that I liked. But you know I didn't really see any fall fabric. Maybe I'll have to check elsewhere.

Anyway back on track. We stopped at a few other places and decided to go home the "backway" as we like to call it. It isn't highway driving so we call it the back way. We were driving through a little town when we saw this old building that looked like an old gas station. There were some old shutters, a small, table, and some pieces of wood out on the tree lawn or devil strip as we call it. Normally, whenever anything is put out there it's for the trash and everyone assumes you are welcome to it. Steve and I both saw it at the same time. We whipped the car around and went back. We parked beside the building and noticed a huge pile of stuff in the front of it. There were no signs in the windows, looked as if it was a storage area of some type. Steve got out. OH you thought I was going to didn't you? I didn't want to look stupid. LOL. So he walks around looks in the building windows because the door was locked. He is just taking way to long... So I get out and he says there's a sign here that says FREE!!!! with a phone number. I make him call of course!!! The lady says she had to get her stuff out of the building and that everything in the pile to the left was free. What??? nothing is free anymore... So neither, me, Steve, or my son hesitated. We started going through the pile and loading up my truck. LOL. This is what it looked like when we pulled in to my home. I gave my son a seat. I did think twice and said we'd leave him there and come back for him later. LOL. Just kidding.





There are tons of wood shutters, trim and molding pieces, old drawers from cabinets, doors, from cabinets, table legs, just all sorts of junker goodness. I can't wait to transform this stuff.



My most prized piece is this enamel table top most likely from a Hoosier cabinet.





Steve got started right away. I wanted to wait to show you , but I can't... I'm not showing everything just the beginning... LOL.



And I used one of the drawers for this...



I also worked on this Saturday... Remember those bowls I bought a few posts back that I said I was going to paint them? Well I decided not to and stripped the wooden one. It was painted white. YUCK!!!! Anyway, I got out my trusty oven cleaner and went to work.





I think it's wonderful!!!

Well, I'm am off today and have lots to do. OH and starting Aug 1st... I am only working Sundays and Wednesdays on 24 hour shifts. That means more time to craft and create and blog. I found out this week. So at the most I will be working 3 days a week. I am so excited because I will now be working closer to home in Wooster, which is maybe 15 minutes away. Woohoo!!!!! Thanks again to all of you who read my ramblings. LOL.

My Vacation Treasures...

While on vacation of course I made some time for us to go to the antique stores in Wheeling. There were 3 or 4 within a block of each other. Some were high priced some just junk. I now have certain things I am looking for. I would like some old baskets, of course pewter, and coverlets. Oh and let's not forget wood bowls too. The first antique store was pretty big and I only had 1/2 hour on the parking meter. Talk about some power shopping. LOL. I'm sure I missed a ton. Steve and my son were looking around in this far back room when Steve tells me to come back where he is. He's like look at this...

My heart skipped a beat. Then reality slapped me in the face. Ummmm... how much is this beauty??? I'm sure way out of my reach. So I cautiously turned over the tag that read woven blanket $28.00. WHAT!!!!???!!! HELLO seriously????? What's wrong with it???!!! Steve and I unfolded it. Alright typical male answer... "There is something wrong in the middle. Like it's been folded for awhile." NO that's suppose to be there it's a center seam still perfectly intact. No holes rips or stains smells like wool. This thing is in pristine condition!!!! I hang on for dear life to it and take it to the register. She is writing up my receipt when I see she's deducting something off. She gave me 20% off too. I ended up paying something like $24.80 with tax! WOOHOO!!!!!

Other than that after we came home on Wednesday Steve and I had to run to the town where he lives so he could pay his bills. He then took me to the antique/thrift store, two prim shops, and one of my favorite candle stores that just opened a shop Kinfolk Candles. I won't bore you with the details I'll just show you pics of my awesome finds.

Flour sacks are my new obsession...

Blue striped linen towel...

The coffee can and the grey enamel strainer.

The salt bag and the corn mold that I've wanted forever.

Some kind of wood mold that I'm going to stain.

The second set of boxes. If you'll remember I bought these same ones without the chickens on it a few weeks back.

I'm going to be painting the candle holder and staining the mold(?)

Not sure what this is, but Steve had to have it because it was made in Yugoslavia. LOL

My new pewter plate I got for $.30.

I also hit the junk jackpot on Saturday. I'll show you that on Thursday. I am sooooo psyched. Steve and I will be busy for a long time. He said pretty soon we're going to have to open a prim shop. LOL.

I have been tweaking my dining room into more of what I envisioned it to be. I will post pics soon. Although you see some of the chnages in my pics above. Right now I am at a stopping point because I'm stumped on some things. I've been sending pics to my ex-SIL for help. Imagine that me out of ideas. LOL. Anyway, as always thanks for stopping by!

I LOVE This Style

Hi everyone!!!! I am back from vacation. OK I've been back since Wednesday, but had to be back at work bright and early Thursday. This is the first chance I've had to get on the computer. I had a great vacation! Other than my children getting on each others last nerve and MINE we had fun. LOL. My son was just amazed at how you get a credit card key to open your door. So of course he always had to be the one opening the door when we went to the room. Then he would have to check every 15 minutes after that to be sure it opened. You'd think I never took him anywhere. Then the other most memorable moment was when he got to see a deer pee. Yep he thought that was the best too. LOL. He never really talks about anything else we did. Only my child. I tell you these deer would let you get withing 3-4 feet away. They were everywhere!!!!



I even got to go to some antique shops in Wheeling. I will show you my treasures another day. For now I'll show you the Oglebay's Summer Home... A lot of the pictures were taken through glass so please excuse the flash. I have a ton of pictures this is just a taste.

Steve and my daughter...















One of everything please... There were three cases full of pewter!!!!





I just want the bed!!!



This is the ceiling!!!! Could you imagine?



You knew I couldn't resist...

















If you have never been to Oglebay, WV it is really nice and there are tons of things to do for all ages very close to the park and in Wheeling.

Better get moving I am waiting for my back to loosen up this am so that I can craft all day!!!! I'll visit all of you soon.