FLEA MARKETING with my DAD!

Last week my father told me about a nearby flea market and I assumed it was a bunch of new stuff from vendors because we don't seem to have the super cool flea markets that everyone else seems to have.  Well...AU CONTRAIR MON AMIE!  This morning he called me to tell me he was bored and wanted to know if I wanted to go there with him. I wasn't expecting much but as I said... THERE was certainly some SUPER COOL STUFF!  I'll let my photos speak for themselves.  BUT I will tell you I did get that white outdoor faucet/sink.  I thought it would be awesome on the PERGOLA with a planter in it, then when we have a party I can fill it with ice and put juice boxes in it (WINK!)  My father INSISTED that it was an old urinal.  I knew better of course!  THEN I sent Cole out to the Jeep to get it and he and his friend came in with it and asked why I bought a URINAL?!  Matt looked at it and said, "Yep, it's a urinal!"  It's NOT. IT. IS. NOT. A. URINAL.  PLUS I got a great deal on it...look at this VINTAGE OUTDOOR FAUCET/SINK  My father pitched in and I got it for my EARLY birthday for $70.00  So tell me does it look like a urinal? Since I do NOT make it a habit to hang out in the mens room, I'm really not sure.

That's my Dad checking the price of that console.  It was HUGE, the photo doesn't do it justice! He LOVED it!

  Here's some other posts about my father...I LOVE HIM!  One of my favorites 3 1 2 4 5

Linking and Doing a little blog hop at Flea Market Friday At Lemoncholy's 

Time for odds and ends

I'm going to a flea market today with my Dad, and taking the camera!  So come back later to see what I found!
One of my favorite antique malls closed this spring, much to my dismay.  It was housed in a HuGE old mill and I really LOVED it.  Luckily we discovered it was purchased by new owners and just opened.  I was able to talk Handy Husband into checking it out recently.  I wanted to know what I "NEEDED" LOL!  I told him I have been looking for antique alarm clocks (I really need 3, 'cause I like to have 3 or 5 of things. Yeah, I'm a freak.)  We walked into the almost vendor-less space and the first booth had about 7 different kinds.  It was FATE, I tell you!  Now to get 2 more...

HEY, BTW...I added a TRANSLATE widget for my friends across the big pond!

ALSO: THERE is a GREAT giveaway at the FABULOUS blog Urban Farmgirl where she is giving away a 50 GC to whiteflower farmhouse! YES!!! GO check it out!

During our back to school shopping escapades, one morning we drove to Lancaster, PA and had a wonderful breakfast at Willow Valley Resort.  Willow Valley is actually in Willow Street, PA which I think has the claim to fame of being John and Kate plus 8's original home.  We didn't see Kate. sorry. ;-) 

We DID however get to go into the RESTORATION HARDWARE outlet which was still VERY pricey but set up like a TRUE outlet store with boxes and bins of stuff.  It was very exciting until we saw the prices weren't all THAT.  We went to the Pottery Barn outlet and that was MUCH better.  Resonable prices with a nice mix of store/outlet feel.  It's worth the trip.  The other outlet worth the trip was the UNDER ARMOUR outlet. WOW! Cole, Matt and Peyton all got new running shoes.  Cole's size 13 BOATS were MSRP $118.00 for $34.99.  All three of them were $34.99 each!  Good deals!  Callie in her skinny little frame was able to get size 0 Jeans at American Eagle for $10.00.  We finished up the day with 5 big Sonic Slushes (we do NOT have a Sonic...yes, it's sad!)

If I owe you a photo from a giveaway, they shipped out today. SO VERY SORRY FOR THE DELAY.  Speaking of giveaways.  There is a site I was contacted by that puts giveaways all in one spot.  You might want to check it out! It's www.giveawayscout.com 

Sorry for the NON exciting post...I do have something FUN up my sleave for you in the next couple days!

Hazy Summer Days and a Peytonism

EDIT:  I was getting ready to eat a bowl of blueberries before I blogged.  So I figured I snap a shot of them first.  Blueberries and summer just go together!  I think blueberries are beautiful!  ...and yes, I ate EVERY SINGLE FAT JUICY BERRY, except for the ones that spilled and my partner in blueberry crime (Cosmo) gobbled them up double quick!

Hot. Sticky. Humid. That's Maryland in the summer for sure.  It's been especially THICK the past week, so much so that our amusement park day trip turned into an "in the mall" day trip!  The handy Husband took off of work and we took the punkettes and the punk to the CHEESECAKE FACTORY for lunch. YUM. DOUBLE YUM! Then we bustled our over full bellies around the mall and dropped cash like we had it in Holister and American Eagle and Justice too.  I felt like the harried mom of twins for sure in Holister (the store really has the AROMA).  It's divided in two halves, the girls and the boys.  Having Callie and Cole hand me back jeans and ask for different sizes and washes and whatever else as they cooled their high school headed heels in the dressing rooms was chaotic to say the least.  I felt like a chicken with it's head cut off.  A happy chicken, but STILL a crazy one!  Peyton's a bit easier.  The UNIVERSE could not handle two Peyton's so it's a good thing she's our "plus one" as in twins plus one. 

Speaking of Peyton, I have a new Peytonism for you. Two actually.  One of Cole's friends has an exchange student from Spain named Hector.  We've spent several days with Hector this summer and it has really interested the kids in the exchange program.  I had an exchange student from France while in high school and I think it's the coolest experience and I hope that our children get to experience that as well.  (NOT them going abroad...this nervous Nelly Momma could NOT handle that)  Anyway, one day Peyton was posing questions about Hector and Spain and she said, "Did he drive here?"  I'm assuming (and praying) that they havent' done a lot of geography in 1st and 2nd grade. 

A day or so later, we were on our way to my physical therapy and Peyton asked when her half birthday was.  So I gave her the date.  Immediately she said, "and when will I be 8 1/2?"  Ummm, I thought that was the point of the original question!  She's just like her Momma, smiling with her head up in the clouds!

Drop Cloth Love, again.

Ode to the drop cloth, oh how I love thee! Seriously, you might remember from the post about the upholstering of our reading nook bench, just how wonderful I discovered drop cloths to be. Now my love runs ever deeper!

This is the pergola off of our stamped concrete patio. Last year we added a little one step up deck to the patio. We love the stamped concrete still after about 13 years but it's difficult to add onto and we had sort of outgrown the size of it. Plus we didn't have shade in the late evenings. We luckily have that stand of pine trees all the way across our back and that helps most of the day. Even with the pergola, Matt felt that we weren't getting quite enough shade so we started brainstorming. After several trips to JoAnns to look at muslin and oilcloth and $unbrella fabric ($44.00 a YARD, OUCH!) We gave up and picked up 2 4 x 15 drop cloths for about 6.00 each. Matt tacked them down with white pvc firring strips on top of the pergola pieces. Even if we have to replace these every year, it's a better deal!

SPEAKING OF DEALS!!! We've been wanting a chaise but they are a bit hefty on the wallet. As I pulled into Goodwill (I'm on the search for something special!) I saw a green one outside the door with a mildew covered cushion. $35.00. I dropped my money and the cushion and called Matt to tell him our good fortune! 2 cans of heirloom white later and she's good as new! Do you see her up there on the left? We did get a new cushion and pillow at HD on clearance so double bonus points! OH, before I left GW, Peyton and I spied a bunch of dress forms. We picked out the oldest one (she has THE most character with a silver oblong head and lovely silver legs that end in little paw feet~!) She's just gonna be GAWWWGEOUS with a coat of white paint standing in the corner of one of the girls rooms! (I'm holding this over P's head so she get's her room clean!) Isn't she lovely?

Inking to these great parties! todays creative blog 

6th Street Design School and a sweet little surprise

Don't you just LOVE sweet and happy little surprises? Like finding a forgotten $10 in your shorts pocket after washing or coming across a blog that you ADORE that you've never seen before. You know the kind where you think, "Where has THIS been hiding?". Here's a Blog like that!

 

Kirsten from 6th Street Design School contacted me about posting a few photos of some of our projects on her blog. After quickly agreeing, I checked out her blog....WOW! LOOK at everything I've been missing! She's a fabulous Interior Designer in Utah and frankly, her design blog ROCKS! Run over there now and check it out...and yes, she was SO SWEET to feature Whimages! How cool is that?


These sweet sunflowers were on SALE at Safeway. Of course I snatched them up, plopped them in my favorite BIG vintage enamel pitcher. Then I gave Handy Husband a big smooch for buying me FLOWERS! He looked a bit confused for a moment. ;-)


He's been busy staining the back wall of our pergola white. I think it's gonna be dreamy! Not quite done so don't mind that, but I think it's pretty already!

More Beach House Delights and let's visit a friend!

If you would like to see more photos of my friend Donna's sensational home in the sand, I'm blogging for my friend Missy of My Cottage Charm where there are more photos.  ...and how could you NOT want to see more of this lovely retreat?

Beach House Goodness

My sweet and always wonderful friend, Melissa asked me to guest blog for her here www.mycottagecharm.blogspot.com  If you want to see more photos of my other dear friend Donna's DELIGHTFUL BEACH HOUSE go there!  I'm going to be posting more pics tomorrow as well!  This INCREDIBLE home in the sleepy yet unique and fun seaside town of Bethany Beach, Delaware is available for rent in the summer.  Donna's home has been featured in SEVERAL magazines and I believe 2 books, one of them being Barbara Jacksier's Waterside Cottages. If you happen to have this awesome book, her spread is called "by the beautiful sea". Her very sassy sister, Carol also has her Bethany Home featured as well, it's called "The White House".   So go check out some vignettes I photographed at Donna's and experience Beach House Goodness Her home is so welcoming with it's warm whites and it's sea-air washed tones, I'm sure you'll love it!

I think this is the longest lull in blogging I've had in a long time!  But hey, who doesn't get busy in the summer?  Well, I'm sort of back from my little blog hiatus but I still might be a tad absent.  I've been going to physical therapy 3 times a weeek for 2 hours and it's kicking my booty.  If you are one of those lovely people I'm supposed to be mailing stuff too, I hope to have it all out by the end of the week.  So incredibly sorry for the delay.  I feel like this surgery has sloooowed me down and I just can't get wound back up quick enough! ;-)

Linking to White Wednesday at Faded Charm

Visiting Friends and Beauty In The Everyday

My Fairy Blogmother (even though I'm older than she is, but with fairies you never know how that's gonna work because age is not relevant) was sugar-sweet enough to invite me to blog over at her delightful bloggy-land today. Come visit me here:REMODELAHOLIC and check out ALL of her other extreme GOODNESS in her archives. She is the best Fairy Blogmother EVER! I heart Cassity!

Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we will not find it. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I'm still tweaking the shelves of the built in...I don't want too much clutter because it's a bit busy with the walls in their modified SALON fashion. My father had picked up this crystal door knob set at an antique fair...(OH MY GAWSH, I just remembered the FUNNIEST story, I'll include it at the end, YOU MUST READ IT) he was hoping it would fit our antique pantry door because the crystal knob mechanism in it doesn't work, so it won't latch. Not really a problem until you find Mr. Pudgie McPudgerson (that's Cosmo's other name) with the lid up on the dog food container, going to TOWN. ANYWAY, it didn't fit so we've had it sitting around a couple weeks waiting for inspiration to strike. The other day I walked it over to one of the more sparse shelves in the built in. I twisted her little body and she sat up in there like a lovely piece of industrial vintage sculpture, if I do say so myself. And. I. Do.

Look around, beauty surrounds us in the most simple things. The way the light glints off the mercury glass candlestick. The sweet curlicue's of the flower frog on top of the rusty old scale. Shop your house with a new eye. Find some goodies and move things around. It doesn't cost a thing and it's FUN!

Funny funny story, or at least I think so!  My father has been restoring an antique Packard.  It's a HUGE old car like you see in the movies about gangsters and prohibition.  He's almost done and has recently traveled far and wide for specific parts or pieces he needs to make it as authentic as possible.  A few weeks back, a friend excitedly called him to tell him about a Packard Show he saw on the Internet at a County Fair Grounds in West Virginia.  Now remember, we live in Maryland and Northern Maryland to boot.  My father and the friend Google directions to the Fair Grounds and set off early on a Saturday morning.  They finally arrive SEVERAL hours later and hastily park and make their way into the Show.  The Fair Grounds unfortunately did not have a PACKARD in sight, however, they were FILLED TO THE BRIM with ALPACAS! 

LUCKY LADY and man I'm getting freckly!

I've been SO extremely fortunate lately. You know how EVERYONE always says, "I never win anything", I really am that person. However, my LUCK has changed! From the incredible www.annettetatum.com duvet cover a couple months back to the two fun and wonderful treats in the past couple weeks. Stephanie Lynn Under The Table And Dreaming, had an awesome giveaway from One9Designs. I also won a signed copy of the uber fab FLEA MARKET STYLE with Ki Nassaur sweet message in it plus next springs copy as well! I am so LUCKY, HAPPY and BLESSED!

The necklace I chose is special to me. It's a hand hammered silver disc with a sweet little bird (I LOVE birds) and it says SOAR with the birthstones of my three children. It symbolizes that I want them to be ALL that they can be!
Kristin from One9designs was so sweet to work with and added those delightful little birthstone crystals at my request. She has GORGEOUS handcrafted artsy goodies in her ETSY shop. Check it out, it's just wonderful! My current issue of FLEA MARKET STYLE is so dog eared and tattered because I've looked at it so many times and a couple friends have borrowed it. It's so awesome to have a PRISTINE copy with the JUNK REVOLUTION GURU Ki Nassauer signature right there inside! THIS one is not getting passed around! ;-)

Thank you Stephanie, Kristin and Ki (Margo from the blog too) for my wonderful LUCK and goodies...I'm smiling ear to ear!

BTW, the husband took the photo on my neck and it's kinda hard to see the sweet bird but it's there. MAN I'm getting old...look at that skin! BUT if you look real close I have a freckle shaped like a heart..that's kinda cool!

yummm!

This just screams SUMMER to me! The 4th of July is right around the corner...hamburgers and hot dogs and potato salad, OH MY!

Books as cheap decor!

I don't know about you, but I feel like I have more books then a small town library. Most of the time I pass them on to friends who pass them on, etc and so on. SOMETIMES, I'll have a book that I can't part with. I book I LOVE and I'm afraid I won't get it back unless it's from the most dear friend. The Twilight series. Oops, did I just type that out loud?

Using your scrapbook paper (YOU all have some, right?) is a GREAT INEXPENSIVE way to add a little color and interest to your shelving. OR you can unify all your books by covering them in the same paper. I wanted mine to add some interest because my nook is painted ALL WHITE so the papers are shades of white with a bit of blue and black thrown in.  Kraft paper, clearance wallpaper rolls or rolls of kids coloring paper are just a few ideas you can use as well. These covered books are also a pretty way to lift a decorative piece you want to have more prominence.  So get out some of those books you have laying around, some FUN paper and spruce up your bookshelves!

That's a quick way to make a change to your bookshelves! Plus it's CHEAP, who doesn't like that?

Linking to these fun places...check them out to see everyone's goodies!  WHITE WEDNESDAYS at Faded Charm Blue Cricket Design ,