The Tattered Cottage

2011-12-24T12:03:00.002-07:00

From our house to yours.........

Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday!

See you in the New Year!

~Toni~

Revamp and a little History

2011-12-08T07:08:00.005-07:00

Revamp;

alteration for better: a change made in something in order to improve its appearance or functioning

And that's just what I did for this sweet piece I picked up for free! A friend of mine, who happens to have the best Junk, asked my son and I if we could help her move a custom made cast iron stove for her. She needed it moved from the back of her property to the front to make it easier for the client who purchased it to pick it up. After about an hour of pushing, shoving, trying to carry this heavy piece, across a plowed field no less, we finally got it moved.

As I mentioned, she has some great junk and I can never stop by her house without leaving with something. I spied this little jewel, literally buried, and asked what she wanted for it. She said I could have it for free, for helping her move the stove.

At first I thought it was a feeder of some sort. But closer inspection told me it was part of something larger. It has a brass plate on the side with: Property of Cherry Burrell Corporation stamped into it.

I don't know about you, but I like to find out what I can about a piece, especially if I'm not sure what it is/was used for, etc.

NOTE: If you want to skip right to the pictures, it's okay. I tried to keep the history lesson short, but I don't mind if you want to skip this part :)

I Googled it and found that the company started as the J.G. Cherry Company in 1800 specializing in the manufacturing of cream cans, dairy machinery, butter churns and ice cream freezers. The company originally began with the invention by J.G Cherry of a jacketed cream can designed to withstand both heat and cold temperatures. The product proved popular and the company soon developed a variety of machinery for processing ice cream and butter including coil pasteurization and continuous ice cream freezers. During 1928 in a merger of the J.G. Cherry Company and seven other regional dairy equipment manufacturing and distribution companies, the Cherry-Burrell Company was born.

The company continued to grow developing machinery to include packaging and processing of food, beverage, brewing, candy, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, chemical and paint. I'm not sure what part of the process equipment my little treasure is from, but I would guess that it was used to process food. There are holes in the bottom, as if what ever it held was washed/rinsed. The company is still in business and is known as Waukesha Cherry Burrell Company.

I knew what I wanted to do with this sweet little jewel as soon as I spotted her.

Nothing fancy, just functional.

I love candlelight and I am always looking for unique ways to have it.

I am also loving the industrial look in small amounts around my home.

This whole project was free, I had the pebble rocks from another project

and the candles also.

Easy Peasy and Free.

Love It.

Until Later,

~Toni~

Changes at the Farmhouse

2011-12-02T14:01:00.035-07:00

WOW....I cannot believe how long it has been since I posted anything on this little blog of mine. I have a good excuse, really I do. And I know all of you can relate. Sometimes Life just happens. I started a new job in March, working at the local hospital and I LOVE it! My schedule is graveyard, which really has discomboobalated this gal! Limiting my time to blog, create, visit friends or be able to see the sunshine. Also in March I moved my dad from California to Idaho to live with me. He is 82 years old and his health is fragile. He had his latest round of chemo in February that really knocked him for a loop and he still hasn't gotten his strength back.

My son, Cody joined the army in August and my youngest son and I drove across the US (literally covering 9 states) to Georgia to watch him graduate Basic Training in October (that's another post). But in between working, taking care of my dad, driving to Georgia, we found some time to update our little farmhouse. I first shared my little Home Sweet Home here.

We rent this house and it has been in my landlord's family for many, many years. I believe my landlord first acquired it around 2000. The first three pictures are what this little farmhouse looked like when they first purchased it. (Sorry for the small photos, my landlord sent them to me via email).

Definitely not a pretty sight. The inside was even scarier, but I'm thankful to say my landlord did a GREAT job remodeling the inside and outside and getting the yard back in shape. There was no yard to speak of, unless you call weeds and overgrown bushes a yard.

The next 3 photos are what the house looked like when we moved in. Blue metal roof with a light blue/grey paint and a darker version for the trim around the windows and doors. Much better than her prior state....she looked pretty good, but I definitely pictured her white from the moment I saw her.

See how nice the yard looks :) Beautiful lush green.

Closer inspection shows that she was in need of paint.

So...after scraping (Gotta love having tall sons!)

And scraping.....

And even more scraping (that's my sweet little daddy)

We power washed. Okay, if truth be told, I didn't power wash anything, my job was to be the supervisor ;)

Here is the front with a fresh coat of farmhouse bright white paint.

The side of the house the boys were scraping in the photo above, with a new coat of paint....

And here she is with her shiny new white coat. Of course she will be getting some new accessories, as in black shutters to complete her new fresh look.

We have plans for next spring to add some color to the yard with flowers, shrubs and treasures.

I love, love our little farmhouse.

Participating in LaurieAnna's Farmhouse Friday

Until Later,

~Toni~

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T07:55:00.003-07:00

Today as with everyday...I'm Thankful for my three wonderful sons, who bring such joy to my life each and every day, to God for giving me the gift of being their mother, for family and friends, our good health and all God's blessings.

Here's wishing to all of you, that your tables are surrounded with family and friends, wonderful food shared by all, good health and happiness.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Until Later,

Toni

Thrifty Treasures

2011-05-09T11:27:00.002-06:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day. Mine was great. After I slept for a couple of hours (I had just worked a graveyard shift) I awoke to a wonderful cake, baked by my youngest. Strawberry cake with chocolate frosting. He is definitely the cake baker in our house and he wanted to try something different. He thought it would taste like one of our favorite desserts, chocolate dipped strawberries. I have to admit it tasted pretty good. And the best part of my day, other than relaxing and getting waited on... was not having to cook dinner. My family took me out to eat at Red Robin's and the pasta I had was delicious!

Wonderful relaxing day spent with the ones I love!

Now for some thrifty treasures.

I picked up this little sweetie for a song. No, really I had to sing

for this one ;)

I know she is missing her bottom drawer but I have

an idea (which includes using the bucket you see in the photo below)

Sweet little vanity, I have the mirror that attaches also.

What I have in mind for this gal........any little girl

is going to want her after I'm done.

The little cart in front is going to get lined and ruffled

with some painter's drop cloth.

the long basket with a handle is going

to have a little work done and

hopefully will sit on top of a locker

I purchased that I will be using as

a mini pantry. I have a back "porch"

just off of my kitchen that is a mud/laundry room.

And that screen that's in back....well I have an idea

for it also.

Hopefully I can find some time between my crazy work schedule to finish these projects and share them with you. Right now, I'm participating in:

Southern Hospitality's Thrifty Treasures

Until Later,

Toni

Made By Me.......

2011-05-01T20:44:00.017-06:00

First I want to say..........I HAVE MISSED ALL OF YOU! I have been so busy with a new job, taking care of my dad, we went to California March 18th and moved him up to Idaho to live with us. In between everything I have been trying to do a little bit of thrifting, junking and crafting. It seems like forever since I have posted anything. I haven't been totally absent from blogland, I have tried to keep up with all that's going on by visiting all of you when I can. I have to say that you are all such an inspiration! While visiting everyone and keeping up with the eye candy in my fav magazines....Flea Market Style, Romantic Homes and Romantic Country , I noticed something that I fell in LOVE with. I have spotted this new love of mine on a couple of blogs and I know the Barn House boys have a similar one, as I spotted it in the beautiful photos of their home in Flea Market style. I have searched for one for awhile with no success. So I figured if I can't find one, then I will make my own!

This cabinet door (from the original farmhouse, that sits behind the farmhouse I live in) was perfect for the treasure I had in mind.

After a little sanding.....and I do mean a LITTLE sanding (not one of my favorite things to do) I could see my love taking shape.

A quick coat of some white paint that I had on hand. So far not a penny spent. I like that :)

There is a step missing here. I forgot to take photos....I know bad blogger. Truth be told...I was tired after this step.....I chose a font that I thought would be perfect for my little project and printed them out...one letter per page. Then I took plain stenciling sheets (the kind you make your own stencils with) that I had purchased at a yard sale for a $1. I think I had about 20 sheets. After laying the printed letter under the clear sheets, I cut each letter out with an Exacto knife. Then I traced each stenciled letter onto my board.

Then I hand painted each letter. Here is a photo of just one coat of paint on each letter. I wound up having to do 3 coats to get the depth of color I wanted.

Here I am putting on the third coat of paint. It really didn't take that long.

Oops! Another step is missing. I really wanted this piece to have an aged look. Like I just dug it out of some one's barn, after it had been there for about 60 years. after distressing the sign, I went over it with raw umber (the same stuff your local paint store uses to tint your paint) mixed with water.

I am so happy with the way it turned out. I have to admit that I get a little intimidated seeing all of the talent in blogland and wondering if I can be as creative. This project turned out just the way I had imagined it.

It may not be the real deal....but I am very happy with it. And it hangs proudly in my kitchen.

The whole project cost about $5. Blank stencils $1 at a yardsale, Paint brushes $4 with 50% coupon from JoAnnes.

Here is another little quick project that I completed. It was super easy and quick. I used my Cricut machine and cut out my house numbers and put them on my front door. Out here in the country we have these ugly green numbers posted on a fence post for our address and I have seen the vinyl addresses in blogland and wanted them for my front door. Easy Peasy...about 10 minutes.

Participating in:

Before and After Party hosted by Thrifty Decor Chic
Saturday Night Special hosted by Funky Junk Interiors
Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays hosted by Coastal Charm

Thrift Treasures hosted by Southern Hospitality

Until Later,

Toni

One Stop Shop

2011-03-11T06:00:00.009-07:00

Remember This Door?

I told you in an earlier post that I was working on a couple

of projects. Well, I finished one of them and it involves

this door.

My friend Susan Fisher designs beautiful jewelry and needed a "shop".

As they say, location, location, location is priority when deciding to

open a business. Also displaying your treasures is very

important. When she asked if I could help, I had

an idea. (I know, scary). I originally

had plans for this old door for myself.

But then, quickly realized that it would

be perfect for Susan.

You see, this sweet little door came off of

the original farmhouse (pictured behind the door) that is still

standing behind the current farmhouse

I live in. This little farm I call

home is actually Susan's family farm.

So, it was perfect to use the door for

her new shop.

My idea for the door was to make it into a little

shop in itself. She will be consigning in a local

shop and space is limited. I wanted to incorporate

enough display options to allow her to

showcase many of her designs.

Transforming the door was simple.

I wanted to maintain as much of the vintage,

shabby, chippy wonderfulness of it as I could.

After deciding against painting it, all that was required

was a good cleaning, adding a few additions and a blackboard

where the original glass once was.

Here she is....

Ginger, Susan's kitty is giving her approval.

Here you can see I took eyelet screws and some picture wire,
creating a place for Susan to display her earrings. Susan came
up with the wonderful idea to use small clothes pins to hold the earrings.

She can display
a total of 21 pairs of earrings.

She makes beautiful necklaces also and I added two white,
shabby finials to display her necklaces on.

A better view of the finials and of the stencil I added.
I wanted to keep the "rustic" of the door but also I wanted
it to have a little feminine touch, so I added the
stencil.

Last but not least, I added this cute, shabby, cast iron soap dish
so she would have a place to put her business cards.

The blackboard allows her to write the shop name above her displays

and announce when she is having a sale.

And the fun part...We came up with the name .....

"White Door Designs"
for the name of her business.

"one stop shop" project completed :)

Susan doesn't have a blog or an Etsy shop......yet, but I'm working on her to get one or both. I will let you know if she opens an Etsy shop.

Linking up with Funky Junk Interiors

Linking up with Savvy Southern Style Wow Us Wednesday

Linking up with Elements Interiors Whassup Wednesdays ???

Until Later,

Toni

Happy 20th Birthday Chris & Cody!!

2011-03-10T18:23:00.011-07:00

Happy Birthday to my twins, Christopher & Cody.

Today they celebrate their 20th birthday!!

I am so proud of my sons.

Not only were they a joy to raise, but they have grown into

wonderful young men.

I made a decision when my twins were 12 months old

and I was at the end of my pregnancy

with my youngest to leave their father

and raise my sons as a single mom.

It wasn't an easy decision and at times

it was difficult financially.

Finances being as they were, I was not able to pay for college for my children.

But that hasn't stopped the twins from securing their

futures.

Christopher has enrolled himself into college, securing loans and

grants to pay for his tuition. All of this he is doing on his own.

I'm sure other kids have done this, but I am so proud of him
for wanting a college degree and for showing such determination & responsibility.

Cody has been on his own, since he was 18, fully supporting himself.

He too, wants to secure his future and has looked towards the military for his education

while defending our great country. I am so proud of him, he has wanted to join

the military since he was about 16-17. The time is right for him and

he will begin basic training in August.

I want to thank my sons for being the wonderful boys that they are, raising them was truly a pleasure, making it so easy to be their mother.

I Love you both with All my Heart.

Happy Birthday!!

Love Mom

My 3 Sons

Cody, Christopher & Tyler

Project #1 and Twins

2011-02-16T08:00:00.010-07:00

Hi everyone! Ok, so in my last post I shared with you that I was working on a couple of projects. The first project I'm going to share with you, is one that I'm doing for a friend of mine. She is designing beautiful jewelry and has decided she wants to start selling it. We all know that once you decide to sell, you need somewhere, a place, a shop to sell your treasures. That's where I come in, I'm helping her to design her "shop".

Below is a picture of the new/old door to her shop. I know, it doesn't look like much......but give me a couple of days and I'll share with you how I transform it into a beautiful new door, most becoming of a new shop ;)

And now for the twins....no I didn't have another set of twins myself. My twin boys are enough for me. But we do have the sweetest new twins on the farm........

Here is the one I call Itty Bitty. She is the smallest of the pair, the runt, the little red head with spunk. She came right up to me yesterday and this morning. Albeit, there was a fence between us, cause momma is protective.

Here is her sister, as you can see they are not identical, :) And this little darling is quite a bit larger than her sister. This one the mother tends to favor. She is protective of both, but she is only allowing this little one to nurse. I don't know if it's because she doesn't have enough milk or what, but cowboy Justin, is now bottle feeding Itty Bitty. Of course, I volunteered to do the bottle feeding. When I was young and living on the ranch, I bottle fed all the calves the mommas didn't want. At one point, I had seven calves that I bottle fed, (it was more like a bucket with a nipple) I call this little darling, Fancy, because I fancy the color of her ;) I hope my landlord doesn't mind that I'm naming their calves ;)

Here is Itty Bitty and Fancy. I was trying to get a photo of them running around, but they would stop, almost like they were posing for me. Last year the mommas were bred with a Black Angus bull, so all of the calves looked the same. This time the mommas were bred with a Charolais Bull, that I of course named Charlie, and the calves are beautiful!

Until Later,

~Toni~

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-13T21:34:00.005-07:00

(photo source)

Wishing all of my friends in blogland.....

Happy Valentine's Day

I know I haven't been around for awhile or posted lately. My sweet dad has been ill and was in the hospital for awhile. He's staying with my sister, but is very fragile. It is so hard being 600+ miles away. He is supposed to be moving in with me, but right now we are just taking it day by day.

I have been working on a couple of projects that I will be sharing later this week. One is a project that I'm doing with a friend and I'm excited about it because it shows my imagination side, which in this case is a good thing :) the other is an update on an item I actually traded for, which means free, I love that part.

I will have photos later this week.

Until Later,

~Toni~

Prayers for a friend

2010-12-25T12:47:00.005-07:00

While visiting blogs today seeing how everyone's holidays were going.....I came across one of my favorite blogs......Edie @ Life in Grace. I know most of you, if not all of you, know her. My heart broke when I stopped by her blog. A blog in which she shares her love of Him, her beautiful family and lovely home. Yesterday she suffered a tragedy. She lost her home and all of her possessions to a fire. Her family all escaped and are safe.

Please keep Edie and her family in your prayers.

God Bless Edie and her family.

Toni

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T00:24:00.004-07:00

(Source - Mary Ruffle)

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight.....

Lunar Eclipse

2010-12-21T09:37:00.013-07:00

Two astronomical events...last night's lunar eclipse and today's winter solstice. Today's winter solstice isn't much of a visual event but if you stayed up last night to watch the lunar eclipse, I'm sure you enjoyed the show. My son, Tyler and I were crazy enough to stay up and watch the eclipse which started about 11:30 - midnight and lasted a little over an hour. I was not able to take any photos of the event.....but at about 10:00 last night we were outside checking to see if the eclipse had started and were amazed at just how bright the evening sky was.

It literally almost felt like it was daytime. Living in the country, we don't have the street lights to light up our property so it is usually very dark around our house at night. But last night with the somewhat clear sky and the moon reflecting off of the snow....it was bright enough for us to see the shadow from the trees on the snow covered ground. I took a few pictures to share.

All of these photos were taken last night around 10:30 without the flash . That's why they are a little grainy and blurred.

Check out the sky, you can see the clouds and

this photo doesn't show it but the sky looked blue.

Shadows on the snow from the tree. And the lights from

town in the distance. Most nights we would need a

flashlight to see this fence. We are talking a

BRIGHT night.

Tyler's shadow.

Look at the sky in this photo....see the blueness of the sky and

the white clouds above the trees?
That is how it looked last night.

I love how the sky looked above our barn.

From the front of our house, across the field looking

at the neighbor's house. Usually we can't see

across the road let alone the neighbor's house.

The lights in the distance to the left is

Bogus Basin ski resort, well over 50 miles

away.

Until Later,

Toni

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

2010-12-08T19:11:00.007-07:00

The three sides to snow....the good, the bad & the ugly.

The Good......

Everything is white, beautiful and pure....

(Sorry for the blur in the center, it was snowing when

I took these pictures and a snowflake got on the lens)

Beautiful......untouched...pristine

Definitely the good......wonderful son shoveling the walk at
grandma's house.

The Bad.....
I had to dig out before I could drive anywhere.
12" of snow on top of my SUV & all the way up to the
bottom of my doors.

The ugly....this is my driveway.
Slippery, muddy, yucky dirty snow.
Of course part of this somehow
always finds it's way
into my house.

This photo is blurry because I was slipping trying to take the photo.

Until Later,

~Toni~

Beautiful

2010-11-30T11:07:00.006-07:00

Jack Frost is definitely nipping.......This is what I awoke to yesterday.......Everything was white with frost. The sky was blue, the sun was rising and everything was shimmering........

BEAUTIFUL!

I thought I would share with you.

Tonight we are expecting more snow.........Winter Wonderland.

I really love the beauty of it......I just don't like to drive in it.

Until Later,

~Toni~

Happy Birthday Mom

2010-11-25T21:03:00.003-07:00

11-25-1928

Today would have been my mother's 82nd birthday.

Happy Birthday Mom!

I Miss you everyday.

Toni

Happy THANKSgiving Day

2010-11-24T19:21:00.003-07:00

Wishing all of you and your families a very Happy THANKSgiving day! Here's wishing your tables are surrounded by family and friends, topped with bounties of food and reflections of all we truly have to be THANKful for.

I am Thankful for my 3 sons, our health, my family and friends and all that God continues to bless us with.

Hope your holiday is as special as all of you are.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Toni

Everything is turning White

2010-11-21T09:47:00.007-07:00

I woke up to WHITE this morning. Not a lot of white, but just enough to put me in the holiday mood. I sat for about an hour this morning with a cup of Chai Tea, watching the snow fall. I love the beauty of it. I still hate to drive in it, but I love how it makes everything look.

This is right outside my front door.

My son's bike outside of the original farmhouse, which is

just behind our house.

(He needs to put his bike away)

Another view outside my front door.

I love this tree! It's so big.

You can see there is not a lot of snow on the ground yet.

My blue metal roof is now white.

Our red barn.

So, with the snow outside and really nowhere to go today.....I am going to finish painting my living room and hopefully start to put some holiday decorations out. I know a lot of you have already started....I know because I have been visiting your wonderful blogs and seeing wonderful ideas that I will be borrowing ;) Hope you are having a wonderful Sunday.

Until Later,

~Toni~

New Fluffing around the House

2010-11-14T11:01:00.014-07:00

Hi everyone.......It's been awhile since I posted anything. But I assure you, I have been around visiting all of you, keeping up on everything that you have been doing. I have just been behind the scenes...so to speak :) Checking out all of the yumminess that is always around blogland!

With the holidays just around the corner, I started to look around my house and decided I wanted to fluff it up a little bit. Get her ready for the holidays. So I went digging around in my junque pile, pulled out a few supplies and started fluffing. Digging around in my junque stashes started to make it feel like Christmas morning, with shiny new packages just waiting to be opened!

Here is the first one I opened

I Love this window, the glass is missing and it is chippy in all the right places. Since everyone else in blogland have made wonderful burlap wreaths, I had to have one.

(Note: I just picked up some wonderful paint that I will be painting my dining room and living room walls with. It's a soft linen color. No more white walls. I know.....I probably should have painted first, but that's how I roll)

Here was the second present I opened.

I have had this 1890's farmhouse door for

a while. She was originally covered in

white chippy paint, that was making

a huge mess, so I took most of it off

(don't hate me)

I think it now has a little

warmth to it.

I wanted to feature the original wood applique/carvings.

I think they are stunning.

So beautiful, I really love the door with a more natural look and
just a hint of chippy paint.
What do you think?

I really do love chippy paint, but this was seriously flaking/shedding/molting all
over my house.

And these little treasures I unwrapped at my local thrift

store, garage sale, and at my friends sale....

http://www.gatheringsattheschool.com/

I love my new little mini scale and numbers.

They make me happy :)

Little $4 rooster lamp.

Perfect vintage platter that will be partnered with this lovely frame on my wall.

And a $2 picture from the thrift store.

Hope you all are having a wonderful day........

Until Later,

~Toni~

Metalicious ...........

2010-10-19T19:08:00.007-06:00

Hope all of my bloggin', junkin', thriftin' treasure huntin' friends are having a great week. I just wanted to pop in for a minute to show you some new treasures I found. I am so loving the industrial, rusty, chippy metal pieces. And so excited about my latest finds. These little beauties are going to fit into my new decor at my little farmhouse. My new decor being industrial/shabby/metal/cottage/french/farmhouse :)

I am soooooo loving my new toolbox!

(Funny story about the toolbox)

I'll share later.

How about this sweet little funnel and oil can.

Doesn't the toolbox have just the right amount of rusty love?

And my sweetest piece.......this little metal cabinet.

I believe it is an old hospital cabinet that would

be used next to the bed.

(You can barely see it to the right of this photo)

My little vintage folding clothes line.

Love it!!

Until Later,

Toni

Just Do It

2010-10-12T09:18:00.016-06:00

Just Do It.........October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and if you haven't scheduled a mammogram for yourself........now is the time to do it! Do it for yourself, do it for your family, do it because we need to take control of our health and be on the defensive against this ugly disease. We are all so busy in our lives trying to take care of everything, our jobs, our family, our homes that we forget to take care of the most important thing which is our health.

My Mom....Helen Marie

This is how I remember her

It's a simple procedure, it doesn't hurt and you could save a life......yours. If found early it is often treatable! You're worth it! So Just Do It! Get a mammogram. I was 36 when I started my yearly mammograms, you are never too young.

14 years ago on October 28th, 1996 breast cancer took my mom. She was 67, I was 36 years old. She had been diagnosed in May of 1991, just two months after my twins were born. She went through a mastectomy, all the treatments and was given a clean bill of health.....she was in remission. Then, just when she hit her 5 year marker, she said she wasn't feeling well, she had pain in her back, it was July 1996. I urged her to make an appointment with her doctor. I will never forget that day in mid July. It was my sister's birthday when mom told us it had come back and she was terminal and was given 3 months to live. The demon was back and it was growing throughout her body, it was already in her bones. Stage 4.

All I could think was .....3 Months!!!!! That is not enough time!!! Not enough time for me to have my mom! Not enough time for her to watch my children grow! How could I possibly put a lifetime into 3 months! How could I share all the things I needed to share with my mom in 3 months. I wanted her to teach me how to make her famous homemade bread and sweet rolls, so I could make them for my children. There wasn't enough time for all the things I wanted. What I did was spend every day with my mom, letting her know how much I loved her. And almost to the day, it was only 3 months that we had left.

Please, schedule a mammogram for yourself......Just Do It!

Until Later,

Toni

Remembering

2010-09-08T11:00:00.001-06:00

With the weather getting cooler I find myself baking more.

Banana Nut Bread.

Just a simple recipe from my 1963 McCall's Recipe Book.

But, oh so yummy.....

I love how my home warms with the delicious aromas.

My boys enjoy the fruits of my labor.....

just as I did when I was a young girl

and my mom would bake.

While I was baking my thoughts drifted to when I was young and I would come home to the smell of my mom's homemade cinnamon rolls. In the country where we lived...she was famous for them and her homemade bread. There would be bowls of dough rising on the stove, always covered with a cloth. Trays of cinnamon rolls cooling, waiting to be frosted with mom's delicious frosting. Once she rolled out the dough on our kitchen table, us kids would be allowed to help spread the melted butter, cinnamon and sugar. With her recipe she would make cinnamon rolls, bear claws and during the holidays she would twist the dough into candy cane shapes and make the stripes out of strawberry jelly and frosting........oh they were mouth watering delicious! We lived in the country and us kids attended a little two room country school. Whenever we had a class party, both teachers and all my classmates begged for me to bring my mother's homemade cinnamon rolls. She would always oblige. I remember one such occasion, I promised my class that my mom would make her cinnamon rolls, only I forgot to tell her until bedtime, which at that time was 9:00. Because she used yeast and the dough had to rise a couple of times, my mom stayed up all night making those cinnamon rolls for me and my classmates.......frosting them as she drove me to school........never once did she complain.

She has been gone 14 years next month...I miss her terribly.....and I cherish the memories of mom's famous cinnamon rolls.

Toni ♥

Vintage Re-Designed Bling

2010-09-07T21:41:00.008-06:00

Winner, Winner.... Chicken Dinner! That was me...the winner of a fabulous giveaway! Recently I was out and about blog hopping, visiting all of my favorite people, when I stopped by Junk Bonanza and Jill was featuring a super talented lady.......Gretchen of Mimi-Toria's Designs, who was hosting a fabulous giveaway of one of her beautiful vintage re-designed jewelry. I stopped by Gretchen's blog to check out her jewelry and immediately fell in love with all the beautiful treasures she created, I mean I was swooning! I quickly became a follower of her blog and I couldn't get back to Jill's blog quick enough to enter the giveaway. Like most of you, I'm sure, I entered the giveaway, never really believing I would win.

Gretchen is so very talented and makes beautiful jewelry, each are unique, created with her junk finds. Just look at the gorgeous necklace that I was lucky to win......Created from an old cash register price key, crown and charm. I LOVE IT!

Here is another one that really had my heart going pitter pat.....but unfortunately it is already sold. This one had me at hello........

I have always loved crosses and this one I know wants to come live with me :)

I truly love the whimsy of this necklace, the cowboy boot reminds me of my never ending search for a Wrangler wearing, boot scootin' tall drink of water cowboy to sweep me away like a Harlequin romance novel!

Another favorite cash register tag necklace, Paris inspired......ooooh la la.....LOVE it!

She has many more beautiful treasures for sale on her blog Mimi-Toria's Designs, so stop by for a visit, I know you will fall in love with her beautiful vintage re-design jewelry like I have.

Thank you Gretchen for my beautiful necklace.....I Love it!

Until Later,

Toni ♥

There's a New Girl in Town

2010-08-12T20:47:00.006-06:00

Yes, there is a new girl in town.......or should I say at my house ;) I'm a single mom, living with sons, all of them 300% boy!! It gets a little much with all the testosterone running rampant at my house! Even the cat is a male! I have, however, managed to carve out some "girly" space in my house that is just for me! So....you can imagine how happy I was to find this sweet gal......who was willing to brave the male.ness at my house and come home with me.

I didn't even have to pay her that much to agree to come home with me, considering her previous home was at a warehouse. She's not a young gal, she's been around for a little while. I wouldn't call her antique....she's like me....vintage.

The best part..... she loves all the things I love.....She was already looking through my stash of lace, old linens, vintage aprons.....She didn't have much when I met her....you could say she was in her birthday suit!

Here she is....my new roomie.......

I haven't decided which room will be her's, but I'll be sure to share when she has settled in ;)

Until later,
Toni ♥

When one door closes.......

2010-08-10T20:17:00.008-06:00

You do like I do and buy a new one!!! I was out and about today doing the not so fun things, like taking my mom's dog to the groomer, taking my son to get his permit....Yikes!.....when I spotted a little sign with an arrow. Being as it was only Tuesday, I was intrigued.

Closer inspection revealed that the sign was pointing towards a "Warehouse Sale" and it was just a couple of blocks away. WooHoo. First item that I spotted was this sweet door with a hefty price tag on it. The gentleman having the sale could see that I was eyeing this treasure of a door and said the words that always sing to me..."make an offer". Sooooooooo I offered him a quarter of what he had it priced at and he said...........Okay :) !!! Music to my ears! I couldn't load her fast enough! And I'm loving her color too!

I don't know how old she is, but I love all of her detail!

Don't you just love her???

The best part is....she is a lovely green on one side and white on the other. Which works out perfectly for me and where I am thinking of putting her.

And the glass is still intact.....love that!

I'm working on my living room....changing the decor and trying to complete a couple of projects. This door will be part of these changes. I will share photos once I have completed more of my living room re-do.

Until Later,

Toni ♥

Thrifty Cabinet

2010-08-01T12:06:00.006-06:00

Hope all of my Bloggy Buddies are having a great weekend. I did not go to any yard sales this weekend...Yeah I know....Can you believe it, not even one! But I still managed to get a terrific bargain that I am going to share with you.

My friend had this beautiful cabinet that I loved and I had a cabinet that she loved too. Sorry, I don't have a pic of my cabinet...but it was an armoire that was built in the late 1800's that I have had about 5 years. I loved it, but wanted to go a different direction and had in mind what I wanted. The new cabinet is a beautiful blue color, but sadly it doesn't match the colors in my living room....so it will be painted white and distressed. I might paint the inside a different color. I have some ironstone pieces I want to display in the new cabinet along with some quilts and other treasures and I think they will display better if I paint the inside a new color. And the best part....we traded cabinets......straight across.......free!

Here's my new love.....

Don't you just love her?? I love the wire mesh on the doors, so cottagey/farmhouse/rustic. I'm excited to get her painted and filled with treasures.

Oh, speaking of treasures.......My friends Marilyn & Art are having their sale Gatherings at the School on August 6th & 7th. Click on the Link for more info. Lot's of fabulous treasures, shabby chic, garden items, antiques, rusty chippy treasures, unique items and so much more. You won't be disappointed.

Participating in Southern Hospitality's "Today's Thrifty Treasures" .

Until Later,
♥ Toni

I ♥

2010-07-31T12:50:00.004-06:00

To Be Different

I love the heart shape rock against the smooth white rocks.

Until Later,

♥ Toni

Who Could Do Such a Thing ???

2010-07-20T11:00:00.006-06:00

I can't believe the cruelty of some people.....I live just outside of town in the country......with few neighbors. Yesterday, early morning, two ladies who were out taking their morning walk, knocked on my door........ In their hands was the sweetest, precious little puppy..... They asked, "Is he yours?".........."No"............"We found him in the middle of the road in front of your house".
"Are you kidding me!" "Who would dump a tiny baby out here?"

I hate to say it, but I'm discovering that it is common practice around here for people to dispose of their pets...dogs, cats, kittens and puppies....in the country!! I can not believe that they have such little regard for these precious beings!! Not caring what happens to them, how they will survive or if they will be the next meal for a wild animal!!

Who could do such a thing!!!!

Look at this precious little face. He is about 5-6 weeks old! Not even close to being big enough to be without his mommy!!!

Look at how tiny he is.......

Absolutely heartbreaking.....that someone could do this

He is such a little love bug too. His tail continuously is wagging.

I wish I knew who did this, I can't tell you what I would do to them!

He is just the sweetest little darling!

Until Later,

Toni ♥

Yard Sale Treasures

2010-07-18T18:25:00.013-06:00

Time to share some Thrifty Treasures. I was not able to check out any of the local yards sales on Saturday. I spent the day driving to Moscow, Idaho......about a 5 hour drive....one way.....to pick up my son Chris. But I do have some treasures to share with you.

This first treasure is my absolute favorite!!! It is going to look fabulous on my enclosed porch! Well....once I layer it in some loverly linens, pillows, and throws...oh my. :) I was at one of my junkin' spots and trying to decide if I wanted the black iron bed that was for sale, when my friend who was having the sale suggested that I might like the bed he just picked up. I thought it was broken at first glance, then I realized that it folded up so it could be easily stored. Loved it, bought it and the black iron bed too!! Gotta roll like that sometimes!

Here she is folded

She is really easy to open up!

Ta Da!! Isn't she sweet??? Her price was unbelievable too.

On the way to Moscow I did stop at a couple of sales and picked up 4 more decorating books, the boxwood wreath and vintage magazine stand. All the books for under $10. Can you believe it? I was so happy.

I can't wait to check out the eye candy in these new books.

I'm linking up with Rhoda's for "Today's Thrifty Treasures"

Until Later,

♥ Toni ♥

Finally a good yard sale...Yeah!

2010-07-11T17:29:00.013-06:00

Is it just me or is anyone else having trouble finding a good yard sale. Most of the sales in our neck of the woods have been children's clothes, toys, baby items etc. Don't get me wrong, when my boys were little, I lived for those types of yard sales. Some of their favorite toys were bought at yard sales! Then I finally hit on a good, what I dream of.......yard sale with vintage treasures!

My first treasure is probably my favorite!! Rusty, beautiful, 5 arms. This is going in my laundry/mudroom.

Three sweet little jars, and egg scale and a vintage bowl that I will be using for one of my plants.

I wasn't sure at first what this was. I knew it was a vice of some sorts. I just knew that I had to have it. I was told it is used to hold a hand saw so that it may be sharpened.

Two cast iron legs off of an old bathtub. Can you believe 50 cents each for these beauties!!

Rusty, chippy, uniquely beautiful!

This little gem I actually picked up at the thrift store. $1.99. I love it because it is divided into three sections and it resembles mercury glass.

Tried to get a close up. It is really beautiful in person.

My new handled dust pan. Lovin' the green.

This will be perfect for farmer's market, the beach.....etc. its

quite large and roomy. Only 50 cents!!

Can you tell what my new favorite color is??

I'm joining Rhoda for her Today's Thrifty Treasures.

Until Later,

♥ Toni

Happy 4th

2010-07-04T09:29:00.006-06:00

Stars and Stripes

(images courtesy of Mary Ruffle)

Wishing everyone a Happy & Safe Fourth of July.

Until Later,

♥ Toni

Wild, Wacky Weather

2010-06-28T21:36:00.007-06:00

So I thought we finally had a "summer" day. I woke up to blue skies, the temperature reached 100 ......it was great!! I was so happy that we finally had summer....not so much for the 100 temp.....but happy that there would be no more grey skies.

Well....that all changed at about 7 o'clock tonight. I thought I would share some photos I took outside my house just a couple of minutes ago.

Here is the western sky, sun is setting, see all of those big dark clouds???

another shot of the dark thunder clouds.......

This is directly above our house.......

And a look at the eastern sky.........

Dark clouds, thunderstorms & lightening to the west.......Sunshine and rainbows to the east.......only in Idaho.......
The locals say if you don't like the weather......just wait a moment......it will change!

Right now the wind is blowing so hard.....I feel like I'm Dorothy in Kansas....Auntie Em, Toto where are you?? I love living in Idaho, but I'm a Cali girl who needs her sunshine!

Until later,

♥ Toni

I'm Late...I'm Late....I'm Late....

2010-06-27T11:11:00.030-06:00

I'm late in posting.....but, I have a really good excuse ;) These past 3+ weeks have been busy. First my sweet daddy came up to visit with me on Memorial Day weekend. I haven't seen him since I moved here almost two years ago. That's him on the right and the cowboy to the left of him is my dad's BIL...my Uncle Tip. Aunt Ruth (my dad's sister) and Uncle Tip came from Enterprise, Oregon, about 3 hours away to visit with my dad while he was here. My dad was able to stay for four days. I wish it could have been longer. He is coming back in September to visit a few more days. We had a great visit!! I miss him soooo much! I was almost ready to go back to Cali with him.

After Memorial Day weekend it was time to celebrate my youngest, Tyler's birthday. He turned 18 on June 5th. I shared his birthday in an earlier post.

In between visiting with my dad and celebrating my youngest son's milestone birthday I was trying to get ready for the sale I was participating in. "Miss Gracies" and Friends sale that was being held on June 11th & 12th. In reality......I gave myself about a week and a half to get items ready for the sale. I know, crazy huh?? I tell myself that I work best under pressure! While I was busy setting up my booth, my son Tyler was kind enough to take some photos of the wonderful treasures that were being offered ....

Here is my space in the red barn. I was working on getting it set up for the sale which was about to open in 3 hours! We were down to the wire......

Another look at my booth in progress.....

It's starting to take shape....only an hour to go before the customers arrive.....

I loved the vintage green door and wasn't sure if I could sell it.

It sold......

Many, Many happy customers with their purchases.......

LOVE this vanity.......

I think I am going to have to steal....errr....borrow this idea with the door and shutters.

LOVE it!!

Another adorable piece!.....

Beautiful.........

I wanted this cabinet and my heart nearly broke when I found out that she was not for sale.....
she was display only....

This beautiful mirror caught my eye also. My son reminded me that there was absolutely no more room for another mirror in our home.

Isn't she beautiful???

Treasures......

More treasures........This is Marilyn's booth from The Gatherings. She will be having a blog soon, which I will share with you all as soon as her blog is up and running.

More of Marilyn's booth......

Marilyn has beautiful treasures......I found a great bowl she had that I had to have ;) It can be dangerous doing these sales as I have a tendency to purchase from other vendors more than I sell!!

Rustic......Love

The green door was my favorite and sold before I could grab it!

Darn!!

I have a lot of catching up to do.....so I'll be posting more. I have missed a few weeks of Rhoda @ Southern Hospitality's Today's Thrifty Treasures. I have found some great treasures and I have a couple of projects in the works. Hope you don't mind a few more posts. I feel like I have been gone forever. I will say that I have found time over the last few weeks to visit with some of you, I couldn't miss visiting with you all ;)

Until Later,

♥ Toni

Happy 18th Birthday Tyler

2010-06-05T10:30:00.008-06:00

Today my youngest, Tyler, is 18!!! I can't believe how quickly the time has gone by. I look at all of my sons and still picture them...............as when I first held them in my arms.

This is the sweet little bundle God blessed me with......I cradled him in my arms and marvelled at the beautiful little miracle I was blessed with.

In a blink of an eye he has turned into a man. A wonderful man who is thoughtful, kind, generous and very loving.........a young man I am very proud of.

From the moment he was placed in my arms......he has taken my breath away!

Happy Birthday son!!! I Love You!

Proud of you and proud to be your momma!

Until later,

♥Toni

Bandit Caught On Camera

2010-06-01T22:37:00.016-06:00

I finally have evidence! Evidence that will prove to my children that I am not going crazy! Maybe I should explain........we have two cats, one that is fat and lazy and usually stays in the house. The other cat is our outdoor, mouse, bird & varmint hunting cat. Every morning I fill both of their bowls with cat food and they usually nibble throughout the day. But for the last couple of weeks I have noticed that the outdoor kitty seems to empty his bowl early in the day and then meows....begging for more. Almost like he is starving. So, I have been giving him more food in the early evening.......I don't want him to go to bed hungry.

Now here is where my children thought I was losing it. I mentioned to them that I thought "something" was eating all of outdoor kitty's food. And apparently, I gave them that motherly look that said.....I know you did it. You know the look, the one that let's them know that they have been caught red handed. Well, I wasn't aware I gave them that look. Nor did I know that when you say "someone" or "something" in kid language means.....I know it's you and I want you to fess up!

And apparently I had made this statement a few times. Enough that they were discussing amongst themselves that since I have turned 50, I am really losing it because how could I accuse them of eating cat food! Seriously, I didn't realize that I was causing such a stir. I just couldn't figure out what was happening! Until..........I remembered when I was younger and lived on a farm that we had nocturnal animals.......opossums, skunks, etc. come up on our porch and eat our dog's food. It took a little while, but finally the light bulb went off and I decided to set a little trap. So, I put out some extra kitty food and waited, camera in hand, I waited. Tonight I wasn't disappointed.........caught in the flash of the camera was our bandit.

And here he is..............

Here is the little bandit....hiding under what was the original farmhouse that still stands behind our house.

Isn't he cute?

Looking pretty sneaky here.

I was really surprised how close I could get to take these photos.

He seems pretty happy to have a meal.

When I was younger, we had a pet raccoon. His momma had been accidentally killed and the five babies needed homes, so we took one in and raised it. We called him Rocky. He would wash his food before he ate it and my sister and I would give him crackers to watch him wash them and see his face when they dissolved! Too funny!!

Until later,

♥ Toni

"Big Fish"

2010-05-27T17:24:00.007-06:00

Once again, I have to brag a little about my youngest son's latest "1st Place" win along with his "Big Fish" win! This is his second year in the Payette River Bassmasters fishing club and he is doing really well and so enjoying it. Next year he will be able to participate in the "adult" category and have the opportunity to win money....which he is really excited about. Last year was his first year of fishing and he was able to place twice ...1st and then championship.

So far this year he has placed 3rd and now 1st and Big Fish.

A wonderful past time that he really enjoys and seems to have a knack for. I hope to be able to go to some of his tournaments this year. My obligations to my ex MIL and her care have prevented me from being able to attend his tournaments.

Look at how handsome he is. Yup...that's my boy :)

Until Later,

♥ Toni

Look what I received......

2010-05-21T22:10:00.009-06:00

I received an award the other day from the very talented Suzanne at Meridian Road. Thank you Suzanne....you are too sweet.......since you are so close (only a 3 hour drive) we really need to get together, have lunch & maybe I can get some of your amazing talent to rub off on me ;) You have got to check out her wonderful blog! She is a very talented lady. When she finds something she likes she just re-creates it! Like her Laundry Rack or the Tin Ceiling for her master bath or my favorite the DIY Art she did. Seriously, this gal is amazing!

Ok, so this is how it works.......I have to share 7 things about myself and then pick some of my favorite blogs to share the award with. Seven things.............this might be hard ;) I don't know if it is supposed to be all good things or The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Here goes........

1. I started driving when I was 7 years old. My dad bought my sister, who was 10 at the time, and I an old 50's Dodge car. We lived on a 200+ acre ranch and our dad was usually in the fields repairing equipment, fence and whatnot and he thought it would be handy for us girls to fetch tools, etc for him. I don't remember helping dad much, but I do remember driving all over the ranch!

2. I am deathly afraid of snakes!! Don't really know why, can't even look at them on TV. I shared an experience I had with the slithery beast here.

3. My children are the world to me. I had suffered many years with infertility issues, caused by endometriosis, several surgeries which gave me a 10% chance of having children. I thank God every day for his blessings and the miracle of my sons.

4. I was born and raised in California. I'm a sunshine gal. I lived in Cali all my life until October of 2008, when I moved to Idaho to take care of my ex-MIL who is suffering memory loss.

5. I'm the baby of my family and the tallest, standing 5'10". I have 2 older brothers and 2 older sisters.

6. I loved horses at an early age. I started riding around 4 years old, a mean and onnery shetland pony. I bought my first horse when I was 10. Paid for him with money I had earned and saved.

7. My absolutley favorite movie in the world is Gone With the Wind. On a stormy day, when you just want to stay in and watch a good movie......that's the movie I'll choose. My favorite TV program when I was younger was, hands down, the "I Love Lucy Show". My mom actually looked like Lucille Ball, just not as funny :)

Well, that's my list of seven.........now here are the wonderful blogs I want to share the award with. I'm sure you know these talented ladies, but just in case you don't, stop by their lovely blogs for a visit.

Mamie Jane's

Blondie.n.sc

Miss Gracies

From My Home to Yours

Until Later,

♥ Toni

Don't Ya Just Love it?

2010-05-21T21:16:00.006-06:00

Don't you just love it when an idea strikes you??? I do, and I will tell you that when one strikes me it's all I can do to contain my happiness. Remember this sweet little piece I picked up a short while ago?? I wrote about it here. I loved her at first sight. Her rusty, sweet, perfection!

I had a couple of ideas for this vintage washstand.......maybe an enamel bowl filled with towels for the bathroom or planted with some pretty flowers for my enclosed front porch........

As you probably have already guessed....I haven't done a thing with her! She was just sitting in a corner on the front porch waiting and waiting and wondering what her new life was going to be in her new home.

Well, like I said when an idea hits me.......it really hits me..........It was like a big light bulb went off. Seriously, I was looking at her, thinking, "What am I going to do with you?" And then, BAM.....I had an idea.........drum roll, please........here she is, ready to party at our next BBQ, birthday party, holiday event, family gatherings, anytime we need an extra helping hand............Miss Daisy, the hostess with the mostest ........

Ok..........so I am a little off my rocker ;) but can't you just see her next to the food table, stacked with dishes (see how she can hold plates and bowls) add a couple vintage jars filled with flatware........

What do you think???

Until Later,

♥ ♥ Toni

It's Like Riding a Bike

2010-05-16T15:15:00.009-06:00

Once you learn how to ride a bike, you never forget it. Nor, do you forget that wonderful feeling when you have found a treasure that you had been wanting , waiting and searching for ....for.ever! And the icing on the cake is that I got it at a FANTASTIC price!

This little treasure is in great condition. My son will be painting it for me (teal & white) and her new home will be by my front door with a basket planted with some flowers.

I'm joining with Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for Today's Thrifty Treasures

.

Until Later,

♥ Toni

Home Sweet Home

2010-05-10T08:00:00.003-06:00

Hi everyone!! I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!! While I'm still working on decorating the inside of my home, I thought I would share with you some photos of the outside of the house we call Home Sweet Home. I can't tell you how much I love the charm of this house and the little country details.....like this darling fence and gate!

The stepping stones leading to our front door.

Our country kitty "Baby" who greets you on the front porch. He is quite the mouser too!

We have a horseshoe driveway and this is to the left of the front of the house. Love the metal roof when it rains.

See those three windows??? That's where my built in window seat is!!!

Beautiful mature trees.....well, minus the stick Tyler removed :)

Lot's of shade for this summer.

Look at the beautiful view out our front door!!

Love all the country accents........

We even have a tire swing......

Tyler trying it out......

Is it going to hold up is what I'm asking......who knows how long it's been hanging there!

The little red barn that I absolutely LOVE!!

The seven Angus cows that reside in the pasture next to us. They belong to our landlord.

And their seven sweet babies that were born here. While their mommas are eating they are watching Tyler. Sometimes in the early evening, Tyler and I will come outside and watch the calves as they run and play. Lately they have been butting heads with each other, which have Ty and I in stitches!! They are too stinkin' cute!!

And this is our view out our back door!! Breathtaking!

Yeah, it's Home Sweet Home.

Until Later,

♥ Toni

Trust Me I Can Do It

2010-05-09T09:00:00.001-06:00

Hi lovely Blogerettes!! Today was such a beautiful day!! We just couldn't stay inside. I cleaned out my SUV, which needed it desperately and then worked on a couple of projects. While I was busy doing my thing...my son Tyler decided he was going to do a project on his own. He decided to take down a dead tree that was in our yard. Not a big tree, but a dead tree that was looking like a big ol' stick in the ground. If you look real close in the first picture, you can see it on the left. (Sorry, but once again I forgot to get a before picture). Can you see it? Yes......that thing that looks like a stick.

Ty loves to work, loves the physical aspect of it. Which is good for me, cause I can always find things for him to do ;) But this little project he volunteered for. This photo is of him putting the lawn back together :) Sorry this photo is a little out of sync.

He's working on the roots in this photo. You can see the "tree" in the background.

Adding some filler dirt to the hole.

Of course, I'm telling him to make sure to get the grass back on top and don't forget to water it so we're not left with a brown spot. He says...Trust Me Mom I Can Do It. I have to ask, when did you go from my little boy to a young man????? He smiles.

My strong son with the "tree" he just took out.

Gotta love this kid! I asked him if I could take his picture while he removed the tree, his reply "Are you going to put it on your blog?"

Yes.

Yeah, it's okay..he tells me.

Until Later,

♥ Toni

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T08:00:00.001-06:00

Happy Mother's Day!

to all you wonderful moms in Blogland.

Wishing you a day filled with pampering, laughter, love and family and of course chocolate ;)

♥Toni

Treasure Found

2010-05-04T09:20:00.007-06:00

I forgot to share with you one of the treasures I found this weekend.....I know...I'm bad like that.

First thing that drew me was the color.......I'm starting to like green.....Can you tell?

Then of course it had the perfect amount of chippyness with more green underneath.......gotta love it

And it is functional........you can use it as a cabinet if you want (it's missing the shelves, but that is an easy fix)

Another attraction....it's old and in perfect condition, the gal I bought it from said it was her great grandfather's......from the war.......WWII that is. I took it to a friend of mine who is an antiques dealer and he confirmed that it was indeed WWII military. Happy Dance!

She had two, one was blue, which was a military foot locker that had been her dad's...I bought that one too. Both at a steal....really I could be arrested :) I'm selling the blue one. But this little green darlin' I think will make a great end table! What do you think?

Until Later,

♥Toni

One Room at a Time

2010-05-01T19:45:00.010-06:00

We are still trying to get settled in the new house. Now that my son Chris, is completely done with his surgery, I can focus on putting everything away and decorating. I decided that I am going to tackle one room at a time. That way......hopefully....I can stay focused and on track. (fingers crossed). So, the kitchen was the first room. I first re-vamped my hutch, then on to a painting project.

I purchased this vintage dresser a while ago and hadn't decided what I was going to do with it. A couple of weeks ago I realized that I could use extra storage and more work space in my kitchen. Idea!!! I can use this dresser as a kitchen island and storage for extra linens/dishes/utensils/etc.

But she needed a little update. I have been wanting to add a little color into my decor and found this great shade of green. It was actually a piece of paper I found that had the exact color I was imagining and Home Depot color matched it for me. It's actually a little deeper than the color of a Granny Smith apple. A new coat of paint, some white porcelain knobs and I couldn't be happier with her new look.

Here she is center stage. And yes, I have a leopard print rug in my kitchen. It's the wild side of me coming out.....RAWR. The photo doesn't do her justice, but she looks great! and she is the perfect POP of color.

I've had this sign for a while and could never find the perfect spot for it.....Now I have :)

I've added a few more treasures to my hutch......more cookbooks I just picked up, an ivy plant, and some flower frogs. I'm really liking the look of my hutch now.

I had to show you this piece I just picked up from a thrift store for 25 cents. I have no clue what it was off of or it's purpose........but it has two elements I love......metal and a heart. (The smallest things can make me so happy). I love my mini frogs too :)

And here is my latest vintage treasure........I'm probably going to paint her......not sure what color. She was a steal at $5 and she is in excellent condition and very sturdy.

Until Later,

~Toni~

Giveaway at Laurie Anna's

2010-05-01T12:00:00.000-06:00

Just take a look at what you could win over at Laurie Anna's Vintage Home.
Couldn't you just die!!!! I have been looking for one of these for a couple of years now. I can't believe she is having a giveaway for this, but I'm doing the Happy Dance in hopes that I might win this!!!!

Until Later,

~Toni~

Time Again for a Little Braggin'

2010-04-13T21:23:00.008-06:00

Before I get to the actual post, I want to say that I had a fabulous birthday, I have to say 50 is off to a great start and I want to say from the bottom of my heart, Thank You to all who came to my BBP (Blog Birthday Party) I hope you all had as much fun as I did. Also a big hug to each and every one of you for your birthday wishes :)

Now, on to a little braggin'. Just a little........ First tournament of the season and my son Tyler is off to a good start. He received 3rd place for total weight of the two fish he caught. He was hoping for first, but still happy to receive an award. I wish he would smile, he never likes to smile for pictures. But, I still think he is handsome :)

I'm pretty proud of him considering last year was his first time fishing and definitely a first for competition fishing and he won a 1st place and Championship during last season. The two fish he won 3rd with. He wants me to go fishing with him, but I'm not one for touching bait or fish. He tells me he will do all of that for me, all I have to do is cast and reel 'em in :) I'm thinking about it ;)

He is really hoping to get another first and another Championship. I just had to share my excitement with you all :)

Until Later,

~Toni~

Happy Birthday......

2010-04-12T08:45:00.019-06:00

To ME!! Yes, today is my birthday and it is a big one!! The big 50! And I think it deserves to be celebrated! I thought I would throw myself a little party right here on my blog.I hope you all can join me.

I already have my party dress on.

It's such a lovely day that I thought we could eat outside. The table is already set....

I've added some fresh picked flowers to brighten the table too....

We'll have yummy desserts........

And Birthday cake too.....So won't you join me in celebrating 50?

I woke up this morning excited to start this new phase of my life....looking forward to the best years and decided right then and there to live my life with the attitude of..........

Until Later,

~Toni~

(All Photos courtesy of Mary Ruffle)

Junkin' Time Again

2010-04-11T11:17:00.011-06:00

Can you feel it? It's in the air.....I was starting to get a little worried.....not a lot was happening in my neck of the woods......but after Saturday.......I think it's official.....Junk Season is here! Woo Hoo and I'm doing the happy dance! I found some GREAT treasures this weekend! I stopped by a couple of my favorite shops and one of them was having a flea market also!

This first cabinet I bought from one of my favorite shops. You are always sure to find something, antiques, rusty chippy treasures, vintage and of course treasures like this great kitchen cupboard that was just rescued from a farmhouse. I snapped this picture just as they were unloading it at my house. I love the color and with a little love (she is missing her backside as she was wall mounted) she will fit right in with the rest of my treasures.

I spotted this next treasure at the flea market another one of my favorite shops was hosting this weekend. She hadn't been unwrapped yet when I saw her, but I knew I had to have her.

I have an old enamel bowl that will look perfect sitting in her and I'm thinking she will either go in my bathroom with additional towels or possibly on my screened porch with flowers. What do you think?

At the same flea market, I found this beautiful wire basket in a yummy turquoise color. I couldn't resist her. And she is quite large too.

See how long she is? This cabinet I purchased from the same shop that I purchased the green cupboard. It's hard to tell by the picture but this little darling has the sweetest light turquoise color. She needs a little lovin and then she will be ready for her new home on my screened porch with the basket on top filled with potted plants.

A close up, still hard to see the wonderful color she has.

I did have one more treasure.....a very large vintage frame. I'll share that with you in another post as I have a little project I want to do with her.

I'm linking up with Rhoda @ Southern Hospitality for Today's Thrifty Treasures.

Until Later,

~Toni~

Surprise.......A little Sunshine

2010-04-10T18:25:00.023-06:00

I received a little sunshine this morning........no not from Mr. Sun, who finally decided to show his face today......no, it was even better than that. I found this wonderful little surprise in my inbox this morning. Sweet Sharon over at My Life at Pansy Cottage, sent me a Sunshine Award. She is such a sweet and talented lady. She sews beautiful pillows and aprons and has a darling online shop......Pansy Cottage and Garden. And her beautiful "Places to Go" pillows are featured in the new May issue of Romantic Homes (page 29). If you haven't been by her blog, stop by and see all of her beautiful handcrafted treasures.

Now I am supposed to pick 12 people to share this award with. You may already know these women, maybe not, but here is my list of women who are extremely talented, make me smile and where I find so much inspiration. Click on their names to visit their wonderful blogs:

Patina White

Garage Sale Gal

Farmhouse Country Style

Sissie's Shabby Cottage

Laughing With Angels

Cynthia's Cottage Design

Artsy Fartsy Junk Finds

Shabby Chic Papirskatter

Lu Lu & co.

Sweet Cottage Dreams

Funky Junk Interiors

Frugal Farmhouse Design

Until
Later,

~Toni~

Updating My Hutch

2010-04-08T20:34:00.007-06:00

I have been living in my new house for a month and little by little I'm settling in. Adding little touches here and there, turning this little space into our "home". One of the spaces I have been working on is my kitchen hutch. I picked it up a few months ago at a great price and I have played with arrangements on it a few times and not quite feeling the "wow" factor.

You might remember this arrangement and I had asked for any and all suggestions........(This was at the old house)

One of the changes I have made to the hutch is to paint the back a very light buttery yellow. (It's a little hard to tell in the photo) I think it helps in showcasing some of the white dishes I have displayed.

I added some of my cookbooks and one of my favorite roosters as a bookend.

Some of my favorite pieces .....white pitcher, bunny jar, grapevine rooster and cloche with a white ceramic pear I added to the top of the hutch.

These shutters I picked up at a yard sale and painted them my new favorite shade of green and added them to the side of the hutch.

I'm still not completely happy with the look.......but I like it a lot better than the "before". What do you think?? Any and all suggestions are welcomed.

Until Later,

~Toni~

It's back.......!!

2010-04-04T20:45:00.006-06:00

Rhoda's "Today's Thrifty Treasures" that is!! I almost missed it! I have been so busy moving and taking care of my son after his surgery, which he is doing very well. A big and heartfelt "Thank You" for all of your prayers. I have been so afraid to leave him, that I have been in this house for 3 weeks. Finally, he told me, "Mom, I'm fine, you don't have to stay here". So I ventured out for about 20 minutes to a yard sale just around the corner from me. And just look at the treasures I found!

This beautiful vintage laundry basket. It's in great condition and will look so good in my laundry/mudroom.

Here's another photo of it. I am so loving this piece and the price was a steal. (Really)

I was so happy to pick up this next little item, a vintage receipt holder, I love the numbers, and excited to see that Junk Girl over at Junk Fest had one too. She had some great ideas on uses for my new treasure.

I don't know what it is about these old barn lights, but I love them. This one was a really great deal and I was told that they have another one and I could have that one also. I love the color and can see them both over my new kitchen island I just created out of a vintage dresser. (That's another post).

Well, that was all I was able to pick up this week. But it is starting to look better as the weather warms, the yard sales are beginning and I can hardly wait to get some "Junkin'" on.

Stop over at Rhoda's at Southern Hospitality and see everyone's Thrifty Treasures.

Until Later,

~Toni~

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T10:37:00.004-06:00

Wishing everyone a Happy Easter.

~Toni~

Prayers Needed

2010-03-17T23:41:00.000-06:00

My son Christopher had surgery today to have his lower jaw broke and re-set. He did very well during the surgery which took a little over 4 hours to complete. He has been in braces for two years and this surgery was needed to align his bite, allowing him to chew better so that his food would be properly processed. He is in a lot of pain and will have his jaw wired shut for 6 weeks. It is the hardest to be a parent and see your child in pain and feel so helpless. We had a couple of moments in recovery that were very scary for him & us. He was finally resting comfortably and I was able to come home for a couple of hours sleep before heading back. I ask you, dear blogging friends, to please say a prayer for him and keep him in your thoughts.

Hugs,
~Toni~

Happy Birthday Chris & Cody

2010-03-10T13:25:00.013-07:00

HAPPY 19th BIRTHDAY CHRIS & CODY!!!!

Love you and love being your momma!!

God definitely gave me double blessings when he blessed me with my twin sons! Being a single mom from almost day one, I was truly blessed to have wonderful sons who are true gentlemen, loving, caring, thoughtful............They continue to take my breath away and I'm very proud to be their mom! I look at them and still see the two little precious bundles I held in my arms. They will always be my precious babies. Happy Birthday my sweet boys.

I will put more pics up later, we just moved and this one I had on my computer. This was taken last year for the Senior Prom. (Chris in back, Cody in front)

Until Later,
~Toni~

Goodbye Sweet Baby Bear

2010-02-03T17:47:00.020-07:00

I write this with a heavy heart, today my son and I had to make a difficult decision regarding our "Baby Bear". We took him to the vet to have his back left leg checked out because he had been favoring it and I thought he might have pulled a muscle. An X-ray showed that he actually had bone cancer. A very aggressive cancer. We were shocked to say the least since we just celebrated his 1st birthday, making the decision to euthanize him, very difficult. The vet explained that he has seen other cases in young dogs of this particular breed, Labradoodles. Our Baby Bear was a true joy to our family, with the sweetest temperament, a big brother to our cat and the kittens we had for a short time. The tears have flowed all afternoon for our family, in his short time he became a very big part of our family and will be missed very much.

Baby Bear seems to be smiling and very proud of himself that he claimed one of my pillows as his own.

Baby Bear staking his claim on my bed.

Playing fetch, he could do this all day long.

My sweet boy posing for the picture :)

Big Brother...........he was so gentle with the kittens even though he was a puppy himself.

Baby Bear trained so easily shortly after we brought him home, and here he is waiting to go outside. Whenever we went to the vet or groomers, I would tell him "what does a gentlemen do?" and he would sit/stay or if I told him "tell the doc/groomer thank you" he would give knuckles. He was such a sweet smart puppy and a joy to everyone he met. Because of his temperment and gentle way, I had often thought that he would make a great companion dog to visit with terminally ill patients.

Napping..........it's a puppy's life.

We Love You Baby Bear.

American Pickers

2010-01-22T18:03:00.008-07:00

Hi Bloggy Friends! Are any of you needing a good Junkin' fix like me?? Are you dreaming of spring and what it will bring? Already looking through the seed catalogs, planning the new flowers or vegetables that will be added to your garden this year? Thinking of Spring Cleaning (or dreading it) Sunshine? Or are you like me and anticipating the start of the Junkin' Season? Yard Sales, Estate Sales, Flea Markets, Barn Sales....oh my!......when all the treasures are revealed?

For me, I can't wait! I've had enough of the snowy, rainy, dreary days. I want my sunshine, new flowers, spring birds and new JUNK!! Today I spotted a Yard Sale sign and my heart went pitter patter!! I couldn't believe my eyes, a yard sale! Unfortunately, there wasn't anything good to be had! But it was a glimmer of hope, the light at the end of the tunnel, spring is on it's way, the junkin' season will soon begin.I have to confess that my lust, desire, want, need for the junkin' season to start has been exaggerated by a new show I discovered on the History Channel. Maybe some of you have already seen the show.....American Pickers? My first encounter with.......... what is now my absolutely favorite show, was a couple of days ago. I stumbled across it while flicking through the channels. Now I scan the TV Guide searching for their time slot. No longer do I covet HGTV, no, HGTV no longer holds any interest for me with their programs...House Hunters, House Hunters International, Virgin Property owners, First Time Home Buyers, etc, etc, etc. Whatever happened to the decorating and gardening aspect of HGTV? Is it now on at an obscure time?With the economy the way it is, I certainly am not interested in spending hundreds of thousand on a new home! I want ideas on how to make my house a home, on a budget.

Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz make up the team of "Pickers" and they travel around the country in search of their wares. Usually travelling off the beaten path, along back roads, seeking out rural towns, meeting collectors, hoarders, antique dealers and an occasional historian who often have great stories about the items they have, in hopes of having the opportunity to search through packed barns, basements and attics in search of buried treasures. All I can say is..I want to be a part of this team!! They get GREAT pieces of junk! I was so drawn to my new found love and the treasures they were finding, that I had to tell my kids "Don't bother me, momma has a new love and unless the house is on fire or you have killed your brother, Don't bother me!"

Mike Wolfe is the owner of Antique Archeology, a specialist shop that sells, antiques, vintage items and folk art in the sleepy town of Le Claire, Iowa.

Frank Fritz is his partner in "Picking" and has been Mike's friend for over 20 years.

Danielle Colby Cushman is part of this crew, but is usually at the shop, holding down the fort, tracking leads or packaging shipments, etc.

If you are needing a "Junk" fix and if you love the chippy, rusty, vintage, unique item, then you will not be disappointed by this show. Check your local listings for times.

In the junking world, those who search, dig and hunt for the treasures, that fill the antique, shabby, vintage shops, flea markets, barn sales, etc. are known as pickers. Isn't that exactly what most of us do?? Pick? Indeed...we are "Pickers".

Until Later,

~Toni~

Happy Birthday Dad

2010-01-19T01:00:00.001-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the most special guy in my life.........my dad! Happy 81st birthday dad, I Love You!

This is a picture of my dad when he was stationed in Austria, how handsome he looks in his uniform.

This picture was taken at my sister Dena's house at our annual Christmas party, 1982.

This is one of my favorite pictures of my dad. It was taken at my wedding in 1986. The look on his face is a result of his surprise, that we got him into a tux. (It took three of us holding him down to get him in that tux, but I think it was worth it as he looks quite dapper, don't ya think?)

Here he is on his 70th birthday with the love of his life.....my stepmom Donna. They shared almost 30 years together. She was such a blessing to my dad and our family. It was hard on all of us when she was called home too early, just one day before her 57th birthday and one month before their 30th wedding anniversary.

My dad and I have always had an easy going, teasing kind of relationship. I remember when I was little one of his friends commented on how much we looked alike and one of us (I can't remember which one of us) said, "Yeah, but he/she is not as good looking as me" That joke has continued my whole life. A couple of years ago, dad was introducing my sister and I to the members of his church and when he came to me he said, "This is my daughter,Toni, who is not as good looking as me". Without missing a beat, I very quickly stood up and asked the congregation if they thought I was better looking than my dad and they unanimously agreed that I was, indeed, better looking. My dad stood there with the biggest smile on his face! I love him. He has worked hard all of his life, in fact, just retiring this past December after working 7 days a week for the past several years, instilling in my sister and I our work ethics. Dad always told us to take pride in whatever job we had and to always be thankful that we had a job. If we were shoveling sh--t, we were to be the best sh--t shovelers anyone had ever seen! When my dad married my mom she already had three children from a previous marriage. Dad was always fair and always willing to forgive our mistakes, which my brothers made a lot of :) My dad always had time for my sister and I and took much pleasure in watching us just being kids. When my sister was 10 and I was 7, he bought us an old 1950's car so that we could drive around the ranch. He said it was just as much a benefit to him as it was a great learning experience for us, for when he was out on the ranch working on equipment, or repairing a fence or whatever, we could drive to the shop and get tools for him :) My sister and I had more fun just driving around the ranch and I really don't remember getting many tools for dad ;)

He was our 4H Beef leader and took us to many a county fair so that we may show our steers and the Angus bulls my sister often showed. My dad was an instrumental part for me in my purchase of my first horse. Dad and I were in the Equestrian Club together, going on wonderful camping trips and riding along fantastic trails. Those were great memories for me that I often recall. We lived a rich life with the love our dad had for us and his pride in our accomplishments. I am the woman I am today because of the loving guidance of my father. I am proud to say that I am the daughter of Ellis Lloyd Palmer!

I Love You Dad, Wishing You a Happy 81st Birthday !

Your Loving Daughter,

Toni

Quote of the Day

2010-01-18T09:18:00.005-07:00

"God puts each fresh morning, each new chance of life, into our hands as a gift to see what we will do with it."

What will you do with your new gift?

Until Later,
~Toni~

Fluffing

2010-01-06T20:11:00.005-07:00

I'm at it again.........wandering .........! I haven't made a decision on the new bed linens for my room, or the drapery material or the paint color for my walls(which I probably should have done first).....so my room is on hold for the moment. Which leaves my little mind to do what it loves to do best....wander! Sometimes it just takes off on it's own and I have no control. This time though I was able to keep a slight reign on it and keep it focused for at least 10 minutes! Remember my wonderful hutch that I got at a fantastic deal?? You can see it here.

I have tried several times to decorate it and each time I re-do the decor, I live with it for a while and then decide to try it a different way. But I'm just not "feeling" it. Ya know??? My kitchen is basically rustic country french, reds, yellows, greens, blues, roosters, etc., etc.,I live in a rental so I can't change the wonderful wood wall behind the hutch or the 1970's counter top or loverly carpet. But I can paint, change the window treatments and decor (all within a budget of course) Basically use what I have or what treasures I might find out thrifting. So if you all can give me some ideas, I can at least have an idea of items to search for while I'm thrifting. Right now I don't have a clue. I'm clueless! I do love my new dishes and the other items, but there just isn't any WOW factor. So, I'm asking you wonderful ladies to help a poor girl out. What would you add, a plant?, cookbooks?, an architectural piece? pattern?, a couple small pictures? Maybe remove something??? Any suggestion would be appreciated . I'm trying to really make 2010 a productive one and the top of my list is to finally (after a year) get settled into my house.

Close up of my sweet new dishes.

Until Later,

~Toni~

New Look for the New Year

2010-01-02T19:42:00.014-07:00

Hi everyone!! Hope you all had a happy and safe New Year's celebration. I spent a quiet night at home with my youngest son watching movies. I haven't gone out in years and really just prefer a night at home cuddled up on the couch, watching movies. We watched the countdown and all the people celebrating in New York and I am always thankful not to be part of that big crowd! :)

New Years day I woke up and watched the Rose Parade and then took my ex MIL grocery shopping. It was nice to have a day to do whatever I wanted. No job, no projects, no schedules. Well, that lasted for a day :) Saturday my mind started to wander about, which is scary in its self! I have been in this house a year now and it still doesn't feel like home. I have been slow to decorate anything ...which is so unlike me. Usually I can't wait to get started and typically have a vision of what I want everything to look like, a reflection of me. My room still had boxes that I either haven't unpacked or found a spot to store them. So that was my first priority.....to make my room a place I wanted to be.

First was a easy peasy quick project. I have a huge dislike to cords (including the unfashionable pants from the 70's). I don't like to see electrical cords, from the TV, stereo, computer, etc..... hanging down in plain view of everyone. And that is what I have looked at for a year now! I did a quick measure of the back of the table my computer sits on, dug out some leftover burlap fabric I had and with a swift wave of the magical glue gun to seal the edges I was ready! See, look how easy that was :)

Then I attached it to the back of my desk with a few small nails.

Voila!!! It's like magic....no more ugly cords.

I'm really happy with the way it turned out and it didn't cost me anything and literally only took about 10 minutes.

Everything back in place and no ugly cords, don't you just love it???

Now here is where my little mind started to wander. I have picked up a few things here and there and wasn't sure what I was going to do with them. I just knew that I loved them and had to have them! I know all of you can appreciate buying something because you love it and knowing you will figure out sooner or later what you are going to do with it.

Remember this loverly piece??

This next sweet little treasure I just picked up on New Year's Eve. I LOVE it!

This little frame was sitting out in my garage for months, but I remembered it during my wandering. It's very detailed and has the perfect whitewash to it.

This is my newest love . She is a vintage sewing cabinet with a little "frenchiness" curve to her. I asked the shop owner to take out the sewing machine ( it was beyond damage). I'm going to add a glass top to her. Chippy in all the right places!
(UGHHH! I know the carpet is ugly, but I'm in a rental and my room was the only one not updated)

Can you see my ideas starting to come together??? Sometimes a little mind wandering is good ;)

It's starting to come together. I want to add a plant in a little rustic planter I have and some old vintage lace and ribbon to the shade.

It's a start and I'm happy with it so far. I also finally put up the bed I bought quite a while back. You can see it here. There is still drapes, new bed linens and a few other touches....like painting, I know I should have done that first, but what can I say...I had a thought and went with it. I will be working on my room more this week and I promise I'll share photos. And if any of you gals have any suggestions, I welcome them all, paint color, accessories, new knobs?? curtains............I have looked at new bed linens that are in a cream/light blue tone that I fell in love with.....we'll see.

Until Later,

~Toni~

Finally....photos of the new shop

2009-12-30T22:01:00.012-07:00

I know I promised to share photos of the new shop and I apologize for taking so long to share them with all of you. In the month and a half we have been open, we have had about 700 customers come through our doors and a lot of items going out the door, making it a little difficult to get any pictures. Right now the shop is a little empty, and will be even more emptier once several pieces that have already been purchased are picked up. Lupe and I are working hard to fill it back up with beautiful treasures. This first photo is actually a picture of a small vintage dresser that is going to be my new coffee table. I just love all of it's curvy, chippy sweetness. :)

This dresser went the very next day after I brought it into the shop. I love all of the inlaid detail and wood trim on the 2nd and 3rd drawers.

Here is the replacement for my dresser that sold.......Lupe's husband took an old dresser and revamped it into a beautiful cabinet using an old window for the cabinet door.

Our shop is located in an old house, this room used to be an enclosed porch, now it is our "Rustic" room. Love the open wood beams on the ceiling.

This view is from the bedroom looking towards the front door.

The bedroom. Sorry it is dark, the sun was shining through the window. Behind the headboard is a vintage door with a full length mirror and a beautiful vintage dress.

Looking towards the "Rustic" Room

The other direction, looking towards the porch (just through the door) Don't you just love the checkered floor??? This next week we will be working on changing things around as we are bringing in new pieces. I will try to have more pictures.

Until Later,

~Toni~

What was your favorite gift????

2009-12-30T21:21:00.002-07:00

Christmas has come and gone, but the memories of family, great food, celebrations and traditions are still lingering. Part of the lingering is the happiness brought by the gifts received. I love everything my sons picked out for me, slippers, new gloves, perfume, bath luxuries, etc.....but the gift that really made my heart go pitter patter was the new set of tools from my SIL. My drill and sander were both on their last leg and I was tired of hoping and praying they would last for one more project! This year we drew names and Cindy drew mine. The set came with a drill, small circular saw (handy for picture frame projects, trim work, etc) and two batteries with a charger. I love that it says "starter set"! And she also bought me the sander that I have been wanting. Christmas night I had both batteries fully charged and ready to start working!! WOO HOO!!! What was your favorite present??

Until Later,

~Toni~

Merry Christmas

2009-12-20T19:41:00.007-07:00

I'm still "new" to all of this snow stuff. We had a little bit last week, then it rained and the snow was gone. Last year we had snow for Christmas and it was beautiful. I'm hoping and praying to wake up to a white Christmas. Of course, I'm still new to driving in it also, so I only want it for Christmas morning! LOL

It has been so very busy around my Tattered Cottage and at the shop, for which I am very thankful for, I sold all of my furniture except for one piece last week. This week I am finishing more pieces to take to the shop. I have a lot to be thankful for and I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you who follow my blog and those who have left wonderful encouraging comments. I truly consider you my friends and I want to wish all of you a beautiful holiday season filled with happiness, good health and family.

Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year !!

~Toni~

Yummy...Dreamy....Pie Recipe

2009-12-04T20:45:00.003-07:00

Hi Ladies!! Just as I promised, I'm sharing the yummy, oh so delicious pie recipe that my sweet SIL made for dessert on Thanksgiving. She is such a sweetie that she made another one today and shared with me!! YUM!

Coconut Praline Dream Pie

1/2 cup chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds (your choice)
1/3 cup margarine or butter
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 9" baked pie shell, cooled
2 envelopes Dream Whip whipped topping mix
2 1/4 cups milk, divided
2 packages (4 serving size) Jello Instant Vanilla pudding
1 1/4 cups (3 1/2 ounces) coconut
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:
Heat nuts, butter & brown sugar in small sauce pan until melted and mixture comes to a boil. Boil exactly 30 seconds. Spread mixture on bottom of pie shell and cool.

Beat Dream Whip topping mix with vanilla and 1 cup of milk in large bowl with electric mixer on high about 6 minutes or until topping thickens and forms peaks. Add remaining milk and pudding mixes, blend on low speed then beat on high speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. With spoon, stir in coconut. Spoon mixture into pie shell and chill for 4 hours or until set.

ENJOY !

Until later,
~Toni~

Transformations

2009-12-01T23:38:00.012-07:00

How is everyone doing??? I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving :) I had a great Thanksgiving, my SIL cooked everything, WOO HOO, all I had to bring was my Broccoli Bake! And let me tell you, she is a fantastic cook!! My SIL made a new pie this year, a coconut cream with a praline bottom....Oh it was sinfully delicious! I'll get the recipe and share with all of you.

On Thanksgiving the local theatre was having a $5 any movie, any time special. So my two boys and I went to see the new Twilight movie "New Moon". GREAT movie......I felt like a teenager, that Edward is so scrumptious! I'm definitely for Team Edward :) My kids are all into the Twilight series and have read all the books. I'm a little behind, I just watched the first Twilight movie the day before Thanksgiving, now I can hardly wait for the next movie in the series! LOL

This weekend I was working on some transformations. The vintage dresser I picked up about a month ago at a great price, but with the opening of the shop, I hadn't had time to redo her. I LOVE all of her curves, she is definitely a girlie girl. After removing about a 1000 years worth of paint, dirt and grime....she was ready for a new dress. I knew she would love blue, so I painted her with Kelly Moore's "Simply Heaven". And I think she looks heavenly :)

We couldn't have her perfectly shiny and new (considering her age) so she received a little bit of distressing. And of course some new baubles. She originally had glass knobs, but I thought white porcelain would look better with her new shade of blue. I think she looks lovely and is ready for her close up at the shop :) Of course there is a little part of me that doesn't want to let her go, she has captured my heart with her new smile.....

This was originally an ugly picture in a gold frame that I had picked up at the thrift store. I knew I wanted to make her into a more useful object and of course turned her into a chalkboard. A lovely coat of Heirloom White then replaced the ugly picture with a new blackboard and Voila!! Another new piece to take to the shop.

A close up of her detail. I think she looks so much better. Trust me, it's a big improvement. (Again, I forgot to take before pics, sorry)

Have a great week,

~Toni~

Grand Opening, Setting the Stage, Fall Cooking

2009-11-22T13:37:00.007-07:00

WOW....what a couple of weeks it has been! First the Grand Opening of Sisters 'N Things went really well!!!! We sold a lot of items, which makes me very happy and excited!! The shop was only open 3 days that week and I was ready for a little rest, but I couldn't because I needed to sand, paint and get more items ready for the shop. Trust me I'm not complaining, I was happy that we sold a lot and needed to bring more to the shop! And we wanted to have Christmas items displayed also, so we have been setting the stage this last week. I'm so happy how the shop is looking, and have been having so much fun decorating for the holidays!! I'm even starting to bring out my Christmas decor for my home. I couldn't have ever imagined how much I would love having a shop and having an outlet for my creativity. It takes a lot of time and work, but I am loving it so much. So many of you made me feel like this was a good choice for me with all of your encouragement and well wishes. I want to say a big THANK YOU to all of you and say I so appreciate your support. Bloggy Buddies are the BEST!

Since I have been so busy lately with shop and even before our Grand Opening I decided to take today off and visit with my friends in blogland, work on redoing my bedroom and a little fall cooking. It has been tradition in my family, since my boys were little, to bake pumpkin pies on the day we turn the clocks back. Well, my youngest reminded me that I hadn't done that this year yet, so today I baked 2 pumpkin pies to celebrate Fall. Since we had snow this morning (which didn't stick) I thought today was perfect!

Don't they look yummy???

I hope my boys can wait until they are done cooling!

Cool days just seem to be perfect for baking and cooking. The house fills up with delicious aromas and feels so cozy. One of my favorite Sunday dinners is to bake a whole chicken in a baking bag (no mess) rubbed with butter and seasoned with lemon pepper. I usually serve a tossed green salad and broccoli bake with it. My boys really love this comforting meal. I'll share my broccoli bake recipe with you:

Broccoli Bake
2 boxes frozen chopped broccoli
1 cup lite mayonnaise
1 can of cream of celery soup
8 oz grated mild cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)
2 eggs
2 tbsp. chopped onion

Topping
1 stack of Ritz crackers
1 cube of margarine or butter

Cook broccoli according to package directions, drain and place in large mixing bowl. Stir in mayonnaise, soup, cheese, eggs and onions. Place mixture in ungreased 9x9 glass baking dish. For topping, crumbled Ritz crackers in a mixing bowl, melt butter and pour evenly over crushed Ritz crackers, stir to moisten crackers. Evenly top broccoli mixture with cracker mixture. Bake in preheated oven @ 350 for 30 - 40 minutes. Dish is done when you see the corners starting to brown.

Enjoy!

Until Later,
~Toni~

I can let the cat out of the bag now!!

2009-11-08T23:42:00.003-07:00

Oh my gosh!! It has been so hard not to yell it from the rooftops. I have never been really good at keeping good news a secret. Don't get me wrong, I am very good at keeping secrets that friends tell me, I'm like Fort Knox when it comes to that. But when I have good news of my own, I want to share it. And boy, do I have some great news that I haven't been able to tell all of my friends in Blogland for fear of jinxing it. I wanted to make sure the ink was dry before I said anything.

Some of you might remember that I mentioned when I first moved to Idaho I found a cute shop, "Sister 'N Things" which was owned by a really fun gal, Lupe. Over the past year I have shopped a lot, and I mean a lot at her store and we have become friends. The first vintage sale I did was with Lupe and then we participated in a local Barn sale together. We both sold our wares and made a good profit. It was after the last sale that Lupe asked me if I wanted to be a consignor in her shop and then recently asked me if I wanted to be business partners!! WOOHOO!!

Well, we found a shop! It's in a house, that once was a gift shop but has been closed for the past two years! We had looked at two other properties but for one reason or another they just didn't work. We have been working like crazy for the last couple of weeks and are almost ready for our Grand Opening on Thursday! I am so excited!! Exhausted but EXCITED!

I have seen many of you in blogland go for your dream and I have dreamed of having a shop for a long time!

I wanted to take a moment from sanding, painting and creating to share my news with you all. I will have pictures that I will share in another post.

Until Later,
~Toni~

Oooo La La Chairs

2009-11-01T22:59:00.007-07:00

I'm participating in Cheri's @ It's So Very Cheri Knock Out Party. You might remember these sad, worn out chairs I picked up at an extremely good price, well ok, GREAT price. They were very sad in their current condition. All 6 chairs were very sturdy but just needed some new threads :)

I removed the seats and sanded and sanded 50+ years of YUCK.

After a coat of primer, they are starting to look better with the first coat of paint.

While I was at JoAnne's I found some fabulous "french" fabric that I knew would be perfect for these chairs :)

I think they look Oooo La La Lovely.

Stop by It's So Very Cheri's to see more Knock Outs.

Until Later,

~Toni~

Happy Halloween

2009-10-30T09:03:00.004-06:00

Happy Halloween to all my friends in Blogland and a BIG Thank You for those of you who joined my "BOO" Party! I have had so much fun discovering new friends and visiting their blogs. I hope all of you had as much fun as I did "BOO"ing everyone. And if any of you used the link I provided and "BOO"ed your neighbors, please leave me a comment and let me know. We "BOO"d a couple of our senior neighbors. Because they are seniors, we did not secretly boo them, we just put together the treat bags and poems and delivered the fun to them. They were surprised and very happy to receive their gifts. When my boys were little we lived in a neighborhood with alot of retired seniors and we would often bake treats and the boys loved to deliver the treats to our elderly neighbors.

I'm still making the rounds to everyone who "BOO"d and if I haven't stopped by your place yet, I promise I will :)

I hope everyone has a Safe and Happy Halloween! Watch out for the Goblins and Ghouls while your out and about on HALLOWEEN night.

BOO!

Until Later,

~Toni~

Boo Party

2009-10-22T21:51:00.010-06:00

Let's have a BOO Party!! A fun way to spread some Halloween fun and an opportunity to discover a few new blogs :)

Halloween has always been a big event in our household and I have been seeing a lot of fall decor and Halloween decor around Blogland. So, I thought I would share a little of our traditional family fun with all of you. This is something we have done in our neighborhood since my boys were about six years old. And typically it is done in secret, but since I can't figure out how to do it secretly, I have altered it a little bit for Blogland. My boys and I had just moved into our neighborhood when our neighbor Renate boo'd us on our first Halloween on the block (12 years ago). The boys loved it and had so much fun trying to guess who boo'd us. After we boo'd two neighbors the boys wanted to boo their teachers. They loved seeing it spread around our neighborhood and through their school. Over the years we have worked to expand the variety of treats we create for each "booing".

Here are the Blogland instructions for participating in the the Halloween fun.

You have been Boo'd. Please keep the fun going by following these instructions

1. You have 24 hours to work your spell

2. Copy and post the Halloween Boo Poem with the instructions for playing.

3. Pick 4 blogs you enjoying visiting and tell why you enjoy visiting them, with a link to
their blog and remember to link back to me.

4. Be sure to ADD your "Boo" Post back to this original post (The Tattered Cottage) so everyone can join in on the fun.

5. Let's see how fast and far this spreads between now and Halloween.

You Have Been BOO'd

The air is cool, the season is fall,

Soon Halloween will come to all.

Ghosts and goblins, spooks galore...

Tricky witches at your door.

The spooks are after things to do,

In fact, a spook brought this "BOO" to you.

The excitement comes when friends like you,

Copy this note and make it two.

We'll all have smiles on our faces,

When we see who Boo'd who's places.

Ladies you have been BOO"d

Deb @ Garage Sale Gal

I love visiting with Deb, she gets the best deals on the wonderful treasures she finds! I seriously would go shopping with her if I lived closer. Deb is very talented and makes wonderful cards. My favorite card of hers had a pretty floral bra on the front with the phrase : "Your friendship is the most uplifting thing in my life without the underwire"!

Kim @ Bella Della

Not only is this gal lucky to live in a beautiful cottage farm house but.... she has her very own General Store next door!!! Yes, the property came with a general store!! She has filled her home with beautiful vintage treasures!! I turn green with envy every time I visit.

Beth @ Patina White

Every inch of this gal is pure talent. It shows in her beautiful home and how she has decorated it and it shows in her beautiful creations. It's magical the way she creates her masterpieces. I dream of going to her summer cottage or one of her events to be able to purchase one, okay let's be honest...LOTS of her beautiful treasures. If only she had an on-line shop :(

Deb @ Talking Trash

Love, Love this Texas Gal!! Her stories are the best and usually have me in stitches! And of course there is her better half "Cat Daddy" himself. I don't know how Deb handles all the women who always seem to surround Cat Daddy. She's a gal after my own heart, who has great taste...we both love big, gaudy jewelry. She is lucky I don't live closer or there might be a ring that could become MIA!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Here is what you do to join the Linky Party. Have your Boo Party Post ready and link your Boo Party URL here on Mr. Linky. Be sure to ADD a LINK back to this POST so everyone can join the party.

~Toni~

(Here is a link for instructions on starting a BOO in your neighborhood.)

I've Been Featured!!!

2009-10-08T21:17:00.005-06:00

I am definitely doing the happy dance!!! Remember my headboard/foot board bench? Well, someone thought my little project was "chic & modern"!! That someone was none other than Stan Williams ( I could just die!!) aka The Elegant Thrifter and author of The Find: The Housing Works Book of Decorating with Thrift Shop Treasures, Flea Market Objects and Vintage Details. If you haven't picked up his book yet.......you are definitely missing a treat. You can buy it at Borders, Barnes & Noble, Amazon or Powell. I feel like I have arrived!!!

His blog "The Elegant Thrifter" , is full of wonderful treasures he has found (he gets the best treasures), beautiful tablescapes, and of course his videos, love his videos!

You can see his "Reuse & Repurpose" a feature he does on Thursday where my bench is featured here.

I'm sure I'm like a lot of people...... when I have an idea..... I'm excited about it & can't wait to get it completed. I love seeing my ideas come to life and then there is that moment..... that moment I wonder if anyone else will see the beauty in it that I see. So to have someone like "The Elegant Thrifter" , the author of the most fabulous book, that is full of reuse and repurpose ideas...I'm on Cloud 9!!! I'm sure I will come down to earth in a couple of days :) But for now, I'm doing the happy dance :)

Until Later,
~Toni~

Another Before and After

2009-09-29T10:23:00.007-06:00

Remember this bench that I had made out of a old headboard and foot board??? She wasn't looking too good when this picture was taken. I think she was a little undressed.

Here she is with a new coat.....of paint that is. And a thrifted pillow in one of my favorite fabrics. A black toile with.......of course......a rooster in the center :)

I have a couple of choices of finials that I want to add also. I just need to decide which style I want. It's between a fleur de lis and a rooster. What do you think would look better???

I think she is looking pretty good in her new coat (of paint) and even better with some new finials and a new cushion.

Until Later,

~Toni~

Before & After Photos - Bathroom

2009-09-29T09:43:00.020-06:00

In my house, everything is always a work in progress. And the bathroom my boys share is definitely a work in progress. You can see what I started with here. It was a 1970's mess!! I'm currently renting, so that limited me as to what I could do to improve it. But I am happy with the results so far.

The next couple of photos show the beginnings of the improvement. I love the shabby black vintage cabinet. I had it for about three months before I decided to revamp the bathroom, the vintage round mirror , metal basket and white rooster were all thrifted finds.

The new "Classic Taupe" paint color by Behr. And a blank wall just asking to be "dressed"

And here are some of the finishing touches I have added. What do you think??

The Paris rose picture I picked up this past weekend. and the candle sconce (I forgot to put the candle on the sconce before I took the picture) awhile back at a yard sale, the new little bird on the tank of the toilet has the perfect blue on it :)

See the new blue pedestal plate? LOVE IT!! I have had my eye on it for THREE weeks at the local thrift store waiting for it to be marked down. I stopped by yesterday and it was finally 1/2 off!!!

Close up, isn't she a beauty??

My sweet little bird with the perfect shade of blue...

I really am very happy with the way this bathroom is starting to shape up, but I still have some more to do. In this last picture, there are two frames that I bought for this bathroom with the idea of having something hanging in the center of them. As you can see I have hung them up, but I can't decide what I want to go in the center of them. So I'm asking you wonderfully talented ladies to help me out. Please give me some suggestions...what would you do???

Until Later,

~Toni~

Some Treasures and a True Beauty

2009-09-27T15:41:00.008-06:00

Have you found a wonderful "Thrifty Treasure"? If you have and you want to share with everyone in Blogland, stop by Rhoda's for "Today's Thrifty Treasures" and share with us, all your thrifty treasures.

I was busy with "Miss Gracie's & Friends Vintage Sale" this weekend, but I was still able to find some beautiful treasures. In between participating in the sale, I was able to pick up some treasures. Of course, I couldn't pass up these two beautiful roosters, you all know I have a small obsession for roosters and these two are great examples of ones that put a smile on my face.

Three very shabby looking frames to add pictures of my sweet boys. I think these will definitely go in my bedroom.

I love this little pedestal and I will soon be painting it white. I already had the glass dome.

This next purchase is a true BEAUTY. I LOVE it! And she already has a place in my bedroom. I have been looking for a mirror and knew I wanted one with some curves. It's always nice to have a mirror to check to see that everything is in it's place before you leave the house :)

Close up of her details. She has a little more antiquing than I want, so I will be touching her up.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and a successful one finding treasures :)

Until Later,

~Toni~

Presto Chango & A WINNER

2009-09-20T13:47:00.007-06:00

This is definitely a record for me!!! Remember this darling candelabra I showed you?? I brought it home Friday night and in less than 24 hours.....I transformed it!! WOO HOO! I am so proud of myself. This is the first piece that needed a change and didn't just come home and sit in my project pile. There is hope for me! It was cute in it's former self.....but I had plans....

PRESTO CHANGO!!!..........She's now ready to star in my Fall Decor. Lovin it!!!

I'm going to put this little dark darling as the star of my table. She will be the centerpiece with a few little added adornments around her.

A close up of her sparkles. I am REALLY happy with her now.

And now on to the WINNER of my Giveaway. First I want to THANK all of you for participating, posting about my giveaway on your blog, being a follower, I appreciate it and to those who became followers...I hope to have posts you will find interesting :) Truly, from the bottom of my heart,I wish I could give all of you a present. I have had so much fun being a part of the Blogging world!! You are the GREATEST!! I am in AWE at all the wonderful talent out there in Blogland and the friendships I have been blessed to receive from all of you.

With my calculations of comments, followers, new followers and for those of you who posted about my giveaway the total was 66 entries. It really was hard to pick just one winner, but I used "Random.org" for the drawing (I wish I knew how to show you the results, but I'm not that tech savvy) and the winner is....drum roll, please....number 34, Twyla & Lindsey @ Two Crazy Crafters

A mother & daughter blog devoted to their love of crafts and vintage goodies. Stop by and visit their blog, I love their Barbie Wednesdays. CONGRATULATIONS!! Twyla & Lindsey. Please email me your address and I will ship your prizes right out to you.

Thanks again to everyone, you really are the GREATEST!!

Until Later,

~Toni~

A little bit of Junk & a Reminder...

2009-09-19T10:30:00.011-06:00

Finally. . . some much needed JUNK!!! I can honestly say that it feels like I have stopped at 100 yard sales . . . 97 of them were not worth the gas to get there! I don't know if any of you are having trouble finding any good JUNK, but around here it is slowing down! I was about ready to throw in the towel and call it an end to the yard sales for this year when I found one worth stopping at!

I picked up this great vintage door, complete with original hardware! Woo Hoo! Then I found the loverly blue bench, that is about 7' long! I love the chippyness of it :) The next two items in the photo made my little heart go pitter patter....an old Victorian lamp shade frame and a piece of vintage bead board! I picked up everything very CHEAP! Yes, I'm doing the happy dance :)

I picked up these little jewels this morning at a yard sale advertising "antiques". I love the three vases, especially the two white ones. I will probably put the blue one in the bathroom. And the roosters I will add to the ones I already have. Since I have more than 3 roosters, I can safely say I have a collection! :)

Here is the best part......I bought the vase on the left at a fantastic price and the gentleman having the sale said he would give me the one on the right for FREE because it had a chip! Ever heard of turning it around so the chip doesn't show?? LOL, that's what I will be doing with it :)

These next two items were bought brand new, I couldn't resist. . . adding to my collection of roosters. . . and both were 40% off!! Their original price was good but I won't complain about the better price!!

The candelabra I will paint black for the Halloween.

These loverly jewels were purchased at the thrift store. I LOVE the pear bowl and ceramic pear!! The big white bowl, frame and two plates were from one of my favorite stores and also 40% off !! and you can't see it but the plate in back has a rooster in the center of it!!! I admit it I love roosters!

Close up of my beautiful pears!! I'm loving the white of it all!!!

That is all the treasures I was able to get this weekend. I'm tellin' you, if I hadn't been able to find any junk this weekend. . . .I don't know what I would have done. Maybe it was the Junkin' Angel who was looking out for me :)

REMINDER. . . . . .My Giveaway ends tomorrow, Sunday Sept. 20th at Noon. I will draw a name at that time, so if you haven't entered, go here and enter. I have picked up a couple more items that I'm including in the giveaway. . . .they are a SURPRISE!!! Thanks so much for all the wonderful comments!

Until Later,

~Toni~

Woo Hoo - I'm Having a Giveaway!!!

2009-09-14T23:47:00.010-06:00

I am so excited to have my FIRST Giveaway!! Woo Hoo!!

I haven't reached 100 posts, or 100 followers

but that's okay. I'm celebrating all the

wonderful people I have met in Blogland

and to all of you who are followers of my

little blog.

When I first started this blog I

wondered if I would have anything

interesting to share.

I look at all of your blogs

and am in awe by all the talent,

inspiration, encouragement

and prayers shared.

I am so happy you all

have let me be a part

of this wonderful world of

Blogging.

So, to say Thank You to all of

you, I have put

together

a few little items

that I hope you like.

Since Fall is my all time favorite

season, I have gathered some fun fall items.

It's easy to enter :)

1. Leave a comment and I'll enter your name

2. Become a Follower or let me know if you already are a follower and I will enter your name twice.

3. Mention my Giveaway on your Blog with a link back to me and I will enter your name again. Giving you three chances to win!

4. If 200 followers are reached, I will pick a second name and give away another pair of the two shelf sitters.

(Black Cat & Jack 'o Lantern)

I will pick a winner on Sunday September 20th.

The new Sept/Oct issue of Somerset Studio and the October issue of Create & Decorate craft magazine. Both have great ideas for fall crafts and decor.

Next are these two adorable shelf sitters. I love the vintage folk art look about them!

And last but not least is this sweet little harlequin Jack 'o Lantern. I think he is too stinkin' cute.

This is just a couple of the items that I am including, there is some that will be a SURPRISE! :)

Hugs,
~Toni~

Needing some JUNK time

2009-09-13T14:30:00.008-06:00

It seems like I have been away for such a long time!! I haven't been able to share anything with all of you in Blogland because one of my sons took.....stole.....uh, borrowed my camera and forgot to bring it back from his friend's house. I have been keeping up with everyone, visiting your blogs, seeing all the wonderful things you have been up to, new projects, thrifty finds, fall decorating, wonderful recipes. Now I have my camera back and I am back on track. I was actually able to go to a couple of yard sales this weekend. I haven't been able to get out to the yard sales for a couple of weeks and I was needing some JUNK time. Seems like they are starting to slow down around here. I was able to pick up a couple of things, for some future projects that I will be selling.

First purchase was the cute cupboard with the wire insert on the door. The blackboard will go in my kitchen, the little fence piece is for a project.

I picked up the vintage basket....LOVE it!! along with the flower bucket at the same sale. The shabby white frame is a favorite also and will be used in a project that I will sell at the shop.

This little lady is not much to look at right now, but the price was so good that I couldn't resist taking her home.

She still has her original springs & webbing in the seat (still in good condition) and I love the nail heads. I can picture her painted a shabby white with a pretty floral fabric with just a little skirting to accentuate her legs. What do you think???

And I want to share with all of you that I will be having a giveaway soon...... My very FIRST Giveaway. I'm putting everything together and will post the giveaway in a couple of days.....

Until Later,

~Toni~

Goodwill.com ???

2009-08-24T09:24:00.003-06:00

I know from reading some of your blogs that Goodwill has a blog of its own and showcases other bloggers that have found thrifty treasures at their stores and how they are being used, revamped, etc. But this morning while watching Today I caught a snippet of what they were talking about. Apparently Goodwill has a website similar to Ebay where they are auctioning items from their store in Santa Ana, Ca.

Have any of you seen this? I didn't have a lot of time to check it out. I plan on looking through it more this evening. It might be kind of nice for those who don't have a Goodwill in their neighborhood to be able to shop from home. (As long as the prices are good and the shipping doesn't kill you) But I thought I would share the link with all of you.

Here it is: Goodwill Shopping

Have a great day :)

Until Later,

~Toni~

Treasures at 1/2 Off

2009-08-23T14:42:00.002-06:00

It's that time again to show off your thrifty treasures!! Rhoda at Southern Hospitality is hosting her weekly "Today's Thrifty Treasures". Stop by if you have a thrifty treasure to share or if you just want to see the treasures everyone else picked up.

Bridget from Bella Rose is closing her doors and she was having a half off sale. She had several beautiful items and I wish I could have taken them all. But, finances wouldn't allow it so......I came home with this little beauty for $200!! I'm LOVING it!! Please don't look at what is on the shelves as I was just trying to get some ideas of what I want to put on them :)

I also picked up the picture to the left and the red and white covered canister on the second shelf at Bella Rose's. Both at 1/2 off. The letters I bought at Kohl's 1/2 off of their regular price.

I didn't find anything at the couple of yard sales I went to. Nothing but junk and not the good kind of junk that we all love. I'm hoping next weekend is better :)

Hope you all are having a great weekend.

Until later,

~Toni~

I have been busy as a little bee

2009-08-23T11:45:00.008-06:00

I finally have received the push that I needed to get some of my painting projects done! I am now consigning in a beautiful shop, Sister's N Things. Lupe is the owner and the first person I met when I moved to Idaho. She has an adorable shop in Ontario, and I had participated in her sale. After the sale she asked if I would want to consign in her shop!! That was the push! I had a garage full of treasures that needed a little Tender Loving Care. I knew what I wanted to do to transform them, but the question was. . . what was I going to do with my treasures after their transformation??? Lupe answered that question for me.

So, this morning I was up early and jumped right into my project list!! First I had a plate rack with five little drawers that had a dark brown stain finish. I sanded and primed and put a fresh coat of Behr "Cottage White". I realized after I was in the middle of everything that I hadn't taken any BEFORE pics. I know, I know, it helps to see what kind of condition the treasure was in before it found it's new life :) I will try to be better and remember to get the Before pics so I can share :) After another coat of paint I will distress it.

I love the new Cottage look of it. (and yes that is my dining room table I'm working on, that way I can have HGTV on while I'm working :)

Next is a shelf that has two doors with glass inserts. It had a stain on it also and was looking a little sad, but I could see potential. Right now it is primed and I will be painting it black.

I love this black and white toile fabric and I am going to put it on the back of the glass inserts. This piece will be getting distressed also. So Shabby French Chic don't ya think??

I will try to remember to post AFTER pics when I'm done.

Until later,
~Toni~

Dreaming of a New Truck for the Tattered Cottage

2009-08-17T08:00:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago Ty & I went to our town park for the annual Shine & Show featuring vintage cars. I told Ty maybe I would find a new truck for The Tattered Cottage. I could see myself tooling around in a vintage truck while I was out junkin' !! Here are just a couple of photos of some beauties that caught my eye.

I know, I know, I couldn't get many junk treasures in this beauty but I loved the color and thought it would be fun just to have!

Now this one definitely would be wonderful to have!! Check out the bed !! Think of how much junkin' treasures I could fit in there!!!!

Here's another little beauty that has Tattered Cottage written all over it :)

I LOVE, LOVE this one!!! The color of this one would bring out the baby blue of my eyes! LOL

Oooooooooh. . . . . .I'm GREEN with envy!

This little gem is black & white and vintage all over!!!

Of course, Tyler found a few he wouldn't mind having parked in our garage!!! Like this sweet vet!!

He can also picture himself behind the wheel in this one!! (Momma can see herself in this one!)

As Ty said. . . . . ."Eye Candy" with some muscle!!

This one is all MUSCLE!!

Gotta love small towns!!! The next few pictures are of the highlight of the day!!! Outlaw lawn mower racing!! We had never seen the likes of this and soooooo enjoyed it!! These lawn mowers have suped up engines and are Loud & FAST!

This guy here was so fast that I was lucky to get a picture of him. See his front tire is starting to come off the ground. FAST!!!!

I had plenty of time to get a picture of his competition! LOL

It was easier getting a picture of this speed demon when it was parked!

A little fine tuning.

Even the ladies got in on the action!! Love the pink mower.

Ty & I think we may participate in the Outlaw Lawn Mower racing next year!! Ha Ha just kidding!!

Until Later,

~Toni~

Thrifty Finds & A Work in Progress

2009-08-16T16:06:00.011-06:00

I LOVE this part of the week!!! When Rhoda @ Southern Hospitality hosts "Today's Thrifty Treasures". Not only do I get show my thrifty finds but, I get to see what everyone else found!! And each week it gets bigger and bigger with more people joining! WOO HOO! So, if you found yourself some thrifty treasures this week, head on over to Rhoda's and share your treasures!!

I actually picked up these two crown crocks a couple of weeks ago at the sale I participated in but didn't get a chance to post them. These were definitely a thrifty score. . . .$5 each!! I haven't quite decided what I am going to do with them, maybe put a plant in one of them?!? Any ideas??

They're both in great condition, no cracks. . . . .

I actually bought six of these chairs. They are in very sturdy condition, very solid and not wobbly at all. I'm thinking of painting them black and recovering the seats in a black & white toile fabric I have. The best part. . . . . .$10 for all 6 chairs. Happy Dance!!

I have a table I bought a few months back and have been looking for chairs for it. Now I have them :)

Remember the foot board I showed you last week??? The one that I want to turn into a cottage sign?? Well, here is the head board to it and it's transformation. I will be painting this and distressing it also. I hope to have this finished in a couple of days.

Hope you all found some wonderful treasures!!! I'm off to do some painting :)

Until Later,

~Toni~

I have to brag a little ;)

2009-08-13T17:35:00.002-06:00

My son Tyler joined Payette River Bass Masters fishing club a couple of months ago. His first tournament was in June. Being a single mom, I didn't have the opportunity to take any of my boys fishing (nor did I really want to, fish. . . yuck!!) so Tyler has not had alot of fishing experience except for a couple of times with his uncle and previous step dad. After we moved to Idaho my boys have had alot of opportunities to hang out with their uncle and enjoy camping, fishing, shooting, quading and other "guy stuff". On one of the fishing trips Uncle Bentley noticed that Ty was a natural at fishing, especially his casting and suggested he join Bass Masters with him and fish competitively. Bentley has been in the club for a few years and has won 1st place several times.

Ty was excited and warned his uncle that he would be the one winning first place!! His first time out he placed 6th and the following tournaments did about the same. Then on his last tournament last weekend he placed 1st for total weight of the fish he caught! WOO HOO!! When he came home and I asked him how his fishing went, he said "I'm #1 !!!!".

Great job Ty!! Look at the smile on that kid's face!!

Until Later,
~Toni~