ephemera and ironstone

I usually stop by my booth on Mondays to drop off new inventory. Tomorrow will be no exception....the car is packed full of bins and baskets and boxes loaded with tons of smalls! Here's a sneak peek....

victorian autograph book....there is just one entry dated 1893 inside

an old McGuffey spelling book and a carved organizing box titled the Little Red School House (school house box is sold)



a framed set of family photos from 1908 to 1917

framed photo and two grade cards dated 1886

ironstone soup tureen

black and white aesthetic transferware plate

I'm looking forward to spending tomorrow afternoon giving my booth a little much needed TLC!

peace ~

hello happy

Hello dear sweet blogging friends! I have missed you these last few days, but I've been feeling a little...
Life got me down. And I was in a funk. Several reasons really. But I am feeling better today. And I am ready to be.....

again. I don't think it will be a natural high kind of happy. But more of an "ok funk, get the funk out of here, I'm ready to smile" kind of happy. I'm kicking funk to the curb!

So, thank you Donna of Donatella Style for gifting me with the "happy" award! When I started thinking about the 10 things that make me happy, I realized that those things are so much more powerful than the yuk things the funk was bringing into my life.

Thanks Donna! I needed that! Happy 101 here I come!

My random dollops of happy....

~ yum yum sauce at the japanese steakhouse Mr. Sassafras took me to to help relieve these funky doldrums

~ french burlap ruffled pillows that should arrive soon from Aimee's Etsy shop

~ big jugs of my favorite Cranergy cranberry raspberry drink for just $2 at Big Lots

~ that American Idol is FINALLY to the top 24!

~ getting gas for .84 cents a gallon thanks to my fuel perks

~ my little mouthguard that wards off headaches for days, sometimes weeks, at a time. This thing has literally changed my life.

~ new friends who love junk!

~ cake

~ In Bloom (Reese Witherspoon's new Avon scent)

~ and, of course, Mr. Sassafras and pup-pup. They're always there to pick me up and make me smile!



There are some blogs that make me uber happy.....

Salvage Dior
Open Market Style
Sweet Pea
Urban Farmhouse
Fiona and Twig
Dusty Lu
Laughing with Angels

These gals inspire, lift spirits, and bring joy to my day! And just might do so for you too! Stop by and say hello!

Here's to happy days, smiles, and giggles....

bargains at Big Lots

Good evening all! I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend!

Mr. Sassafras and I hit Big Lots this afternoon to stock up on stuff. I worked for the Big Lots organization for nearly 10 years, during which time, I became a huge Big Lots shopper! Even after leaving, we still frequent Big Lots, and I mean frequent literally, because we stop in there about once a week!

They had some great deals this visit!! We stocked up on our consumables such as t.p., dog treats, cat food, laundry detergent, dryer sheets, and paper towels....


and then a few decorative items caught my eye....

white ceramic bird just $8

neutral bird print in ornate frame only $15

vintage look bird canvas for $5 (I think it was $5, maybe it was $8)

But my favorite purchase was a stack of Ralph Lauren bath sheets in the prettiest pale turquoise color for just $10 each!! They are so big and soft!

I also picked up a bunch of Christmas wrapping supplies for next holiday season....brown paper and white paper bags, twine, tissue paper, and pale turquoise fabric bows!

The great thing is that Big Lots now offers a rewards card called the Buzz Club. You build up points and then earn a 20% discount coupon once you meet the guidelines. Their prices are already great, but the 20% discount makes it possible to get a few extras!! Lovin' it!!

Until next time,

Junkin' with Janet of Open Market Style

"Because we both love junk, we will always have a friend" ~ famous and profound quote by me


So I spent the day yesterday with two very sweet, fun, junk-lovin' friends - Janet of Open Market Style and her dear daughter. Despite spitting rain, wind, and frigid temperatures, we braved it and started on down the junking trail!

Before I share photos of our finds, I wanted to tell you a little about Janet. She's a brand new blogger at Open Market Style. Go check out her blog! She is an insanely talented visual merchandiser specializing in cottage style and chippy, shabby salvaged goodness of all shapes and sizes! Janet is not afraid to tackle the challenge of painting and fixing up a piece of tattered furniture and making it functional and pretty once again. Over the past few years, I have purchased quite a few items from her....

the chippy old white window that resides in my office

a set of 4 white scalloped plates that hold various jobs around my house....

this robin's egg blue cabinet door that is waiting patiently for Mr. Sassafras to hang.....

.....and this old frenchie chair that sits in my guest room. That should give you a great idea of what Janet is capable of finding! She has a great eye! I always get so excited to stop by her booth to see what's new and how she has it displayed!

So without further adieu, here's a few photos of what we found while we were out and about yesterday (and a few other recent finds)...

We had so much fun filling our buggies with all this great stuff! A few of the items will be staying with me such as the farmhouse toile blue and grey napkins (however, I don't have a need for the tablecloth, so it will be for sale). The rest of the loot will be heading to my booth before long!

If you're feeling blue and have the winter doldrums, I'm telling you, a day of junking with a favorite friend will renew your spirit and uplift your mood! Get out there and find some treasures!!

Happy junking!

the office...

went from this....
(messy, dark, and green)

to this.....
(tidy, lighter, and brighter)

The two tall dark shelves were hand-me-downs from my mother-in-law. Though they are dark, they seem to work ok because they highlight all my creamware pieces. My husband won't let me paint them, so dark they'll stay!

this chair got a new nubby linen seat and fresh new pillows....

my ipod seems to be stuck on matt nathanson lately.....
i heart him

this dresser is from my childhood bedroom set...fresh cream paint and ceramic
knobs gave it a new look

the old surveyor's table got a dry brush technique with leftover creamy paint

I couldn't be happier! I can't believe I waited this long (six years) to get rid of that green paint! It feels so much better to me now! It's amazing what a can of paint and some rearranging can do for a space! Literally, I only spent money on one can of paint. Every other change was just moving things around, borrowing from other rooms, and using leftovers. Tomorrow, I will share some up-closed, zoomed in details!

Hugs,

White Wednesday - it made me smile!

Not a typical one of my White Wednesday posts where I feature ironstone, old chippy furniture, or other rescued wares.....

Have you been out and about and saw a little something something that just simply made you smile? It may evoke a fond memory, or be a cheerful happy color, or say something funny. Or it may just be something, that for no real reason, just made you smile. That's what happened when I saw this phone at one of my favorite thrift stores in the "showcase" area. It didn't bring back any memories or make me think of my youth. I just liked it. And it is not something I would typically gravitate to. I brought it home a couple months ago and let it sit. I finished up my office restyling last night, and I thought....THE PHONE!! I must add the phone! It adds a little bit of whimsy to my french inspired cottagey office space.

A smile for all of $8.99! Photos of the completed office space coming soon!

Stop by Kathleen's blog, Faded Charm, for more White Wednesday! You can find her on my blog list!

Keep smiling!!

the icing

I was looking out the back window this afternoon as the snow drifted around. I am in awe of the beauty of snow. To me, it is like watching the earth become covered with icing. It creates a softness and serenity that is like no other. It is an amazing natural phenomenon that I long for.

When I stood there breathing in the snowy splendor, I also took notice of the glass prism that hangs in my window. This was a gift from my mother-in-law many moons ago....it is so simple and so pretty. There are still some prisms available for sale at my booth....


I'm enjoying the snow, are you?