Mr. Freaky Cheese Dip Head

Happy Halloween morning my friends!!

Our Halloween festivities for this year are complete.  {big sigh}

Trick or Treat has come and gone.  The big inflatable pumpkin that debuts one night a year on Beggars Night is back in its box.  Parties have been attended.  Smores have been roasted over bonfires.  The scent of apple cider and mulling spices has filled my home for weeks.  Our costumes have made their appearance and are now stowed away for future use.  The only thing left to do is hit the Halloween clearance racks to add to next year's decor! 

Last weekend, I joined my friend Nancy at her neighborhood Bunco.

I got to meet some very nice ladies who had great costumes and very

clever appetizers, one of which I just had to share with you this fine Halloween morning!

Michelle made this freakishly cool cheese ball head and won

the Bunco kitty hands down!!

 I laugh every time I look at this picture!  It is just so creepy and fun!

As we were all grazing over the food table, no one would tear into him because no one wanted

to be first to mess him up!   But finally, someone stuck a big knife in the middle of this head and we went to town!  Eventually his eyes were down by his mouth and he was looking even more freaky!

Michelle said she took a Halloween mask and placed Saran wrap inside.  She then

took her cheese ball mixture and loaded up the mask to form the shape of the head.  The

Saran wrap kept the cheese ball from sticking to the mask.  She then used prosciutto to create

the look of skin and added eyes and teeth.  Sorry I didn't get a recipe for her cheese ball, but I'm sure

you can use any kind of thick dip.  It was yummy!!

The photo above was taken with my phone and not of the best quality...sorry!

I have been itching to use Picnik's Halloween textures, and I thought

Mr. Freaky Cheese Dip head would give me a fine opportunity to do so.

I just couldn't help myself...

 Creepy!

Love it!!

A big shout-out to Michelle for this clever creepy cool talk-of-the-party creation!

Enjoy your Halloween!

~ vintage inspiration Friday with Common Ground ~

Vintage Inspiration Friday

with

Common Ground

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lately I've found myself inspired by

neutrals and textures.  Lots of white, lots of texture, and a natural organic feel.

Over the summer I went to a barn sale at the home of a gentleman

I've met through auctioning and antiquing.  He has a Christmas tree farm and hosts

barn sales a few times a year.  I am sooo looking forward to his Christmas sale!!

Anyways, his summer sale did not disappoint!  I found quite a few

treasures and as he was helping me load up the car, I asked if he had any old ladders because

I had been looking for one.  He promptly said "I'll be right back."

I watched him head off towards the big barn that was off limits to customers.

He returned shortly with two 10 foot long ladders in the most perfect weathered patina.

Even though it was way too long for my car, and I'd have to drive 30 miles with the hatch up, 

I couldn't pass up a cool $10 ladder that had been on my "severely desire" list for quite some time!

Got the weathered beauty home and Mickey cut her down to just the right size for our ceiling.

And then started adding lots of layers of quilts and blankets.

All neutral white but packed with texture!

quilted

chenille

popcorn chenille

even ball fringe!

I had almost all of the blankets and quilts already, so it was a low budget addition

to the family room.  But it packs a big textural punch in that corner!  I was also going for height and a

ladder tends to do the trick every time!

I'm very inspired by Lissa's style at Humble Pie.

She incorporates all sorts of textures, patinas and neutrals in her home

in a simple and sophisticated way.  I always love visiting her blog to see what she's been up to!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A big "thanks" to Debra at Common Ground

for hosting this fun Friday linky!

Stop by and visit all the participants to see where their inspiration is coming from!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Have a fun and safe Halloween weekend!!

messenger bag

 Good morning!!

While searching for a special hat as a gift for my husband at the G.I. Depot recently,

I came across this cool vintage inspired messenger bag for just $12.95.

It's made of a nubby canvas fabric and is just the right size for a laptop.

But it was kind of boring and plain.

So I dropped it off at my friend's embroidery and screenprinting shop

to get some work done to it!

He added

PARIS

FRANCE

in black thread in my font of choice, Old World.

I really love how it turned out!

 I want to embroider everything now!!

an old shelf to the rescue!!

About 4 months ago, I was cooking in the kitchen, and Mickey set up a

little project of his on our breakfast bar.  He is creating buildings for his train layout.

It was so sweet that he wanted to be able to chat with me while he worked away!

But, the breakfast bar ended up becoming his choice of work stations for

4 months!  It was covered with all his little tools and paints and supplies, and quite

honestly, I couldn't take the mess any longer!!

So, what's a girl to do?

Figure out a way to let him work in his new favorite spot AND

keep the mess out of sight!

Enter this new shelf in the corner of our kitchen!

I found this shelf and just loved the molding at the top and the fact that the shelves

can be moved to different heights.  It was a light wood color and had lots of stains and discolorations.

I opted for Behr's Ultra Pure White after reading that Lara from Air Kiss recommended it as a nice cool bright white.  Thanks Lara for the tip!

It is a solid oak shelf and it took paint well.  Two coats of primer and

two coats of paint did the trick.  I just shopped the house for baskets and bins

to hold his supplies and tools.

**It's funny how looking at a photo helps you to realize you need to move that Paris wine crate a little to the left!!**    :-)   I had not noticed it before seeing this photo!!

 The new Paris tool box that I purchased at French Hen Farm's Barn Sale holds

all of his little paint bottles.  I am just looking for one more tool box to stack on top of it

to fill the shelf space.

And the galvanized numbered tins sit atop an IKEA rolling plant cart for his

brushes and other little tools....

I'm very pleased with the final result!  I love how the bright white paint

lightens that corner of the kitchen and helps to break up the darkness of the space.

I've been tweaking my kitchen for several months and have it almost to the point of doing a

post about it!!

I think the $50 we spent on this shelf turned out to be a good investment!

On another note, our garage sale was a great success!

We were able to clear out some things and now we're working on

garage organization.  It was one of my 2010 goals, and I am bound and determined

to complete it before the year ends!!  Many friends came by for shopping and visiting, and

it really was great fun!  Thank you friends!!  

Cheers to a wonderful weekend ahead!!

Merci sweet Michelle!

Well it has turned out to be a lovely little week here at the Sassafras maison!

I got home this evening and found a box sitting on the porch

and much to my delight, it was the wonderful goodies I won in

Michelle's recent giveaway!

 

Look at that packaging!

I must say, it is sooooo ME!

A glittery P, fragrant dried lavender, and grey silk ribbon!

The scent of lavender just wafted from the box as soon as I opened it.  Just heavenly!

 

Inside that lovely packaging was this handmade burlap pillow...

 

 It's new home is front and center on my davenport in my "moi" room!

I just love the hand stitching and stencil....

 And then there was this large glass vase embellished with a silver tag labeled DREAM!

love.

 DREAM is one of my favorite words!

I feel so happy to have connected with Michelle through her blog, All That Jazz Vintage!

She comes through the screen as a talented, creative, sweet individual, not to mention totally adorable!

I love the eclectic style that I see in her booth and I am ever so inspired by her photography skills!

It has really been wonderful to find her blog and start following along on her vintage adventures!

Dear Michelle, thank you for this kind gift!

I love the pillow and vase and will cherish them!

~ giving thanks to my friend ~

The 80 dollar Burger King run

 I've been so busy getting ready for my big garage sale this Friday!

Cleaning out cupboards, going through all my seasonal decorations,

and digging through my purse collection deciding on what can go is very

time consuming!  We spent part of the day on Sunday setting up tables in the garage

and decided to make a run to Burger King around noon.  

On the way back we spotted a sign that read:

GOING OUT OF BUSINESS SALE

10am - 1:30pm

TOOLS AND FURNITURE

We'd never noticed this building before, and we had no clue what kind of

business it was nor what might be inside.  But we decided to make a pit stop anyway.

That's when our Burger King run became an $80 expenditure!!

Turns out, it was a small architectural firm with some really cool vintage stuff!

Like these vintage stamps and holder...

 

Layers and layers of dust and dirt coated everything.

We bought one of the old Philadephia surveying tools because of it's graphic appeal.

It's about 7 feet tall and extends much further.

Dates back to the 50's we think.

Mickey noticed this cool old sign tucked behind a filing cabinet...

It was as if we had stepped back in time.

It was a meandering office with many rooms.

Nothing was priced and we just wandered from room to room taking it all in.

In the last room, I found this industrial table to match the industrial chair I had already picked out...

They are going to serve as my check-out counter at my garage sale and then

migrate to my craft room!  We also snatched up the 2 drawer file bin you see there on top

of the table.

This industrial sorter was a find from earlier in the week but

it fits in perfectly with all these things from the architectural company!

I am still dreaming about a couple other things that we passed up.

A vintage drafting table and industrial map cabinet with all these skinny drawers.

Oh and a cool retro desk lamp.

But we're so happy with what we did rescue!

I'm also dreaming about the space itself.

And how it could be transformed into a really cool retail space!

Ahhh, the joy of dreams!

And the thrill of junk!

It kind of makes MY world go round!

~ industrial chic linky party with Margo's Junkin Journal ~

I was so excited to learn of this uber cool Industrial Chic linky party at Margo's Junkin Journal!

Goodness knows I love me a little bit of industrial in my house!

I recently did a post about my most.favorite.find.ever!

My industrial side tables that I had been dreaming about for years and years....literally!

I absolutely love adding a few industrial touches throughout my house.

I like the juxtaposition of ruffles and industrial.

Some people think it's a little strange.

When I got these tables and they were loaded into my vehicle, a friend of mine came out

and took a peek inside.  Her reaction was priceless:  "you're putting THOSE in your house?"

Yep, I am!  And I did!  Front and center baby!

They reside in our most used room!

And they still make me smile every time I walk by!

I'm not exactly sure where my love of industrial came from originally.

I've always been drawn to it.

When Mickey and I first got married, we lived in a 100 year old house in downtown

Columbus.  It was a little brick row house.....three stories tall.....but literally just 10 feet wide!  And only

18 inches of space between our house and the houses on each side of ours.

Our community had an annual home tour, and I think that is where I first saw the house that 

introduced me to industrial chic.  This guy had used sliding barn doors and had an industrial 

spiral staircase and numerous other factory and warehouse salvages in his home.  It appealed to

me then.....that was 11 years ago.....and has always stuck with me!

For those of you who follow my blog, I apologize that you have seen these photos before!

But seriously, I could not pass up the opportunity to share them again at

Margo's Junkin Journal Industrial Chic party! 

You'll have to stop by her blog to see everyone's take on industrial!

And join the fun....add your link showcasing your industrial chic!

Margo is giving away 3 prizes to randomly chosen winners....such a cool way to do it!!

Look at this industrial chic necklace that is one of the prizes!!  OMGOSH!!

Thanks Margo for hosting this fun linky party!

Gotta love a little bit of industrial!!

Happy Friday!

I'm going to the fair tonight!  {finally....I've been waiting all week for a corn dog!}

favorite finds at the French Hen Farm Sale!

 A couple weeks ago, I learned that there was going to be a barn sale

about an hour away from my house.  The teaser came via Urban Farmhouse.

Mickey had the day off and he agreed to chauffeur me to an intensely

fabulous morning at French Hen Farm!

These ladies pulled together a barn sale very worthy of swooning!

Hmmm....how might I describe it?  Let's see here....

. french . farmhouse . country . natural . vintage . stylish .

all rolled up into a beautiful bundle of wares that could make your mouth water!!

Mickey and I both found stuff that we simply could not live without!

For me, my find of the day was this old toolbox freshly dolled up with some stenciling...

 Note:  I used the new textures option in Picnik to add the script....kind of fun, huh?

Here it is without the texture but with a little bit of "gritty" going on...

I also got to cross something off my "severely desire" list!

An old basket grocery cart that I have been wanting so badly!

I wanted to place it next to my old shoe rack to hold all my paper rolls

in a stylish fashion.

 love.

Yesterday I got to cross another item off my "severely desire" list!

It's not the exact item of my dreams, but I think my dreams were amiss because

I love this more than what I had really been wanting!

My mind had been set on a large old porcelain meat scale to set on my kitchen counter.

As you know, they are big and heavy, and much to my dismay, VERY expensive!!

So this petite porcelain candy scale offers the look......for less!  Much less!!

She was just $38.

Compared to a meat scale at the same store for $550!

Yep, I'll take the $38 jobby.

She will be fun to change out for the seasons, but for now she is

content corralling a cluster of little white pumpkins purchased at the French Hen Farm sale...

 I love that they left the curly vines attached!

The ladies at French Hen Farm have a blog that you should click over to right away!

I didn't get to meet them at the sale because we arrived right as they were opening the barn doors

and let me tell you, it was BUSY!!  But I did meet Linda on Saturday when she stopped by

The Olde Shoe Factory!  She's a sweetie!  And she told me that they are already

getting ready for their next big barn sale this holiday season!

I cannot wait to see how they transform the space for Christmas!

Hope you all have a great week!

~ xo ~

fall porch party with common ground

 I had been chompin' at the bit to get started on my fall porch

and I finally got it done just in time to participate in Debra's Fall Porch Party at Common Ground!

Welcome to ma maison d'automne....

I opted for the soft muted squatty orange pumpkins along with a bunch of white ones.

My husband commented that he "really liked the muted tones of the pumpkins".

I was like "huh?"

Did you really just say that honey?

That boy is learning a thing or two!!

;-)

My white plantation rockers went to storage for the winter and out came

this old ladder on one side...

 and an old primitive rocker on the other side.  I just put a bed pillow inside a white

ruffled sham and placed it on the seat...

For my front door, I decided to use my ginormous willow basket and just changed out the

flowers.  I bought 3 white sunflower stalks at Joann's for 50% off and then added a few

cornstalk pieces and white spray painted curly willow.  Filled in with some spanish moss and voila!  

 That was that!

little warty white pumpkins....soooo cute!

Brought out some old pillows for on the chair...

Isn't it amazing how far a $3 bag of spanish moss goes?!?!?!

Thank you for swinging by my neck of the woods this evening!

And don't forget to make a stop over at Debra's to see all the fall porches!

Happy Fall!