~CREATING CHANGE IN YOUR LIFE~

Almost exactly ten years ago I found out my job of five years as a retail manager would be ending.  At the time my daughter, Adrienne, was still in high school and my Mr. AGPMan and I greatly depended upon my income.  When the stationery store (CURRENT STATIONERS out of Colorado) closed up shop in January 2003 I had a big decision to make.  Find another job in the day to day world or take a chance at running my A Gathering Place business one more time.

I chose the latter.

Even though being self-employed has it's drawbacks (like working sun-up to sun-down sometimes), I've never regretted returning to what I love.  I knew then, as I do now, that it was time to get serious about the things I was passionate about in my life.

 Yesterday I read the following quote that totally explains how I was feeling all those years ago.  I hope if you are trying to decide WHAT to do with your life you'll step out on faith and make the changes necessary to return your heart to the things you love!

I believe our talents are gifts from God and

what we do with them are our gifts back to Him. 

You KNOW He's on your side, right?

"You will not create change in your life

until you feel it in your core

that your life must change.

This either happens through crisis-pain or

getting wildly excited

about creating a life you love.

Don’t wait for crisis-pain! 

Start now to get passionate about living

an awesome life…"

 (Karen Salmanhosn)

Hope your day is filled with everything necessary to get you to where you need to be.  

Love to you...

HAND PAINTED PINK ROSES COMING

~SWEET TWO DRAWER CABINET~

I've been busy working over the past few days at base painting some sweet vintage finds!

You can find TIPS on painting your fabulous old finds

HERE!

~THE LATEST CUBBY~

After all the sewing I told you about yesterday I'm ready to get back to my paint and brushes!  Unlike sewing (which I'm happy to do most any time), I have to be in the MOOD to paint.  Otherwise my roses come out looking like, um...something other than roses.  I grabbed my camera AFTER I started removing the glossy finish on a couple of the pieces...that's why my latest finds look dusty and dirty.  THEY ARE!

~THE LAST CUBBY PAINTED~

I was happy to snag another vintage wooden cubby like the one I showed you a couple of weeks back.  This one is already sold so I was really happy to snag another one!  They are made almost identical...only thing I can see that's different is the knob.  This one is brass and the first one was a little ceramic cutie.

~GREAT METAL SIGNS~

 I found six of these sweet metal signs at Goodwill.  All of them had minor surface scratches so I assume that is why they were there.  I LOVE imperfect stuff.  Since I repaint the majority of the things I find it doesn't matter to me what kind of shape most are in!  I used my hand sander to sand down the white lettering so it wouldn't show underneath the new coat of paint!

 ~SWEET SHAPE~

I've finished the artwork on several of these pieces and will take photos of them later this afternoon to share with you tomorrow.  Some are going on my website, a couple on Etsy and even some on eBay!!!

 ~VINTAGE SHAVING MIRROR~

Can't wait to show you how this sweet old mirror came out!  One of my favorite things to paint EVAH..........................

I'll be hiding out in my studio most of the day!  It's so fun to get back to more of what I love!

Have a great Hump Day!

Love to you...

~STRAIGHT TO THE HEART...FRENCH WHITE SACHET PILLOWS~

 A few weeks ago I took a large special order for two dozen (um...that would be twenty-four)

HEART SACHET PILLOWS!

I almost turned the order down because making that many of one thing sorta makes me NUTSO...

But then I remembered I have a KITCHEN to pay for so I said YES!

After the 15th heart I was wondering WHAT I HAD DONE!

Fashioned for family, friends and attendant gifts for the wedding of a longtime customer's daughter, each Sachet was made in soft white cotton and linen and complemented with vintage laces, buttons, heart charms, ribbons, etc...

 Not since my own girl married in 2007 have I worked with so much off-white fabric!  I ended up making thirty-one hearts and the mother-of-the-bride decided to take twenty-six of them!  Whew!!!  The rest have been uploaded to my A Gathering Place website!  You can find them HERE!

That big monkey lovely job:) is now off my back completed so I'm hoping to get back to doing some hand painting on furniture this week!  Soft Pink Roses are calling out my name (haven't forgotten your chairs, Tea!)...

Happy Tuesday!!!

On my to-do-list today:

~ONE LONG OVERDUE MASSAGE~

 Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....

Love to you...

~WHITE KITCHEN MAKEOVER - REMODEL~

~LOVING THESE CABINETS~

(SORRY ABOUT THE COMMENT THINGY!  HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S UP!
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME KNOW,
MISS DEBBIE DABBLE!) 

:) :) :)

Another boring kitchen update for you!

(One day we will be done and we'll all be happy!)

Over the weekend my guy and I worked some long hours ripping out MORE of our 1970's kitchen.  Enough of the old cabinets are now gone for us to move our TEMPORARY counter (on wheels) over to the far right wall.  It's sooo exciting for us to finally get a feel for how large the kitchen is actually going to be.  About 14.5 x 12.0.  Roughly it will be a little more than double the size of our original galley kitchen.

~LOVING THIS PLATE RACK~~

I've spent a great deal of time online looking at some amazing kitchens!!  Found some sweet ones if you want to see them here on PINTEREST.  Most are super-large and are priced way out of our budget.  Still it's fun to look tho!  I'm a firm believer that you can reproduce the look you want for a lot less than one might think...especially when all the work is done by you, the homeowner.

~WHERE WE ARE TODAY~

For us to get the feeling of just what an island is going to be like we placed this small table near the center of the room.  Hopefully this is going to help us decide just where we want the refrigerator, stove and ovens to be.  One thing we do know...we will be replacing our almost new gas stove for a range top and wall ovens.  All the designs we've seen so far that we really love include built-ins.  We are opting for recessed lighting, but still have no clue just what kind of task lighting we will choose.  Still have a lot of looking to do!

~SOMETIME BACK~
(Slow Going!)

See that pot-rack sitting on that temporary table above?  I found that some time ago and just loved it.  I purchased it as an inspiration piece and hope to use it for some of the copper cookware I collect.

 ~LOVING THIS POT-RACK~

A couple of weeks ago I found two small copper pieces at Goodwill...both priced $3.99 each.  They need to be cleaned up a little bit, but they are still wonderful!  For now they'll go back into the garage where almost all of my kitchen stuff is being stored.  (Try cooking when everything you NEED is in a box somewhere OTHER than your kitchen!)  It's are REALITY right now!!!! :)

 ~LOVING THIS COOPPER POT~

 ~~LOVING THIS COPPER STRAINER~

 ~LOVING THIS GREAT PRICE...$3.99~

One thing I can't help but continue to smile about has to do with the profound differences in my children.  They both LOVE to cook and spend hours making the most delicious meals for their families.  It's the one big thing they have in common (can't think of anything else...except both are very vocal about their opinions/children like parents I guess!).  I chatted with my daughter the other day and she LOVES the idea of a covered refrigerator (one that looks like cabinets on the front)!  Yesterday I shared this thought with my son and He absolutely hated it.  :)

(NOTHIN' EVAH CHANGES AROUND HERE!)

Hope your Monday is wonderful!  Another fresh, new week with endless possibilities!

Love to you...

~TO THANK YOU~ Thoughts on a Sunday Morning

 Before I allow the weekend to slip away I just want to take a second to thank you all who commented a couple days ago on the post about the Magna Cum Laude status of my Mr. AGPMan.  Your friendships have been some of the best I've ever known and your encouragment means more than I can say.

In the hustle and bustle of life, in the grand scheme of things the only thing that really matters is that we show love and are loved in return.  Ideally we should have at least one person in this world who continually blesses us and today I'm grateful to say I have many.  Thank you so much for your kind words and for your spirit of friendship. 

God, who makes everything work together,

will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Philippians 4:9 (MSG)

~~*~~

On Saturday we worked at ripping out more of our old kitchen and spent some time cleaning our very aged duct-work as well.  With everything opened up we could see firsthand the 40 years of dust and dirt lurking inside the vent system.  It felt so good to remove the cobwebs, dust and debris from their hiding places...

Clean on the outside and the inside.

Reminds me of how I pray my heart will always be.  May your Sunday be blessed!

Love to you...

 

~WHEN DISAPPOINTMENTS OVERWHELM YOU~

Some personal thoughts today...

I've shared with you in several blog posts over the past year and a half that in May of 2011 my Mr. AGPMan returned to school to complete a course of study.  This November he will finish his accelerated degree program and in December he will finally graduate from SNU.  If you'd like to read more of the story you can go here, here and here.

I've watched the husband of my youth work towards earning a degree in Computer Science for sixteen months while working a full time job as well keeping up with his day to day responsibilities.  It's been more grueling for him to balance everything in his life sometimes, but his steely determination to finish what he began so many years ago has kept him focused on his goal.

About three weeks ago, after an extremely busy, hectic week at work, my guy logged onto his computer to take the Final for his history course (the only outside credit he was missing).  To his horror he realized he'd confused the test dates and missed the last test completely.  He ended up passing the course with a "C" only because he had made "A's" on all the previous exams.  He knew the material backwards and forwards and would most certainly have made a 100% on the test had he taken it.

Yesterday we found out that because of the mess-up with that History Final he's going to miss out graduating Magna Cum Laude (with honors) by four one-hundredths of a point...

He's sick and I'm sick for him. 

Neither one of us could sleep last night and at 2AM we were both wide-eyed and chatty.  Our best talks have always been in the wee hours of the morning and I've always loved being able to share our moments of quiet despair with one another.  Even when our life's sorrows don't include tragedy, I'm still grateful that God understands our hearts as well as our disappointments.  The super-big, big, small or even tiny stuff...

When nobody else 'gets it',

God does.

Today my guy woke up happy and focused on his great life.  It never ceases to amaze me that even when he stumbles, the pathway narrows or the road ahead is unclear, he still fully understands all he has and all he's been given.

(Oh to be more like him!!!)

May your Thursday be blessed.

Love to you...

 

~RING-A-LING...VINTAGE TELEPHONE CABINET MAKEOVER~

You know what?

Sometimes I just love my

tag sale lovin',

junque store huntin',

wheelin'-and-a- dealin',

(YES I'm PAINTING IT WHITE)

and

I NEVAH know when to stop

everyday

LIFE!

:) :) :)

 So...yesterday morning I had some early errands to do and since my Mr. AGPMan was out of town I decided to get an early start.  Grocery shopping  and a trip to the local Dry Cleaners was on my to-do-list.  Nothing fun I can assure you.  My Miss Mollie (Yorkie) was dropped off at the Groomers and since she ALWAYS freaks out behaves so beautifully while getting a "new-do" I decided to hang out close to the pet salon instead of driving back home (you know...just in case she needed her pet-parent!!!).

On a whim (seriously, I mean I didn't PLAN it at all!!!) I decided to stop in for a visit at two of our neighborhood thrift stores while Mo was getting her cut and shampoo.

 Now...I shop thrift stores like I shop for groceries.  I immediately veer to the right and go all the way around the store in a circle before going up and down the aisles.  I don't always find good junque, but most of the time I do!

Towards the back and sitting by a bunch of other mis-fits I found this amazing 100 year old vintage telephone cabinet (found the exact one on Etsy and you can see it here!) you know, the kind that was once built into the wall of a house!  I just stared at it for a second because even though it was dusty and a bit on the dirty side it was in great condition!

(Wish I knew her story!)

 Now...not sure if any of YOU do this...but generally I search for the price tag verwy, verwy carefully!  I guess I'm hoping by being less than eager to find the price it MIGHT end up being less than I'm expecting it to be!  Doesn't usually happen, but sometimes I SCORE big time!

Anyway~I tilted the cabinet forward (kind of looks Pennsylvania Dutch to me!) to find the price and screamed smiled big while lifting the hefty little thing into my shopping cart.

Home it came.

By the time my Mr. AGPMan returned from his short business trip I had the thing completely dry-brush painted with my favorite antique white paint (not as yellowy as Behr Cottage White) and waxed with Annie Sloan's Wax.

I cleaned it up and lightly sanded off the original finish by hand!  Then I blew it off with my air gun and finished the prep work by using Tack Cloth to remove any remaining dust and dirt!

Dry Brushing is easy!  I use those cheap Chip Brushes from Lowe's or Home Depot (about $1 each) and remove some of the paint onto a paper towel before brushing.  This technique is GREAT when used on old pieces where the original varnish or shellac has crystallized or worn off.  Gentle sanding usually removes any that is left.  The paint adheres directly onto the wood this way making the hand sanding of the edges (distressing) look more appealing!

I also snagged a Ralph Lauren

Pink Rose Shift Dress!  It is brand new and still had the tags attached!  I'll be showing you later this week, tomorrow or Friday, just WHAT I'm going to do with it!  And nope...not going to wear it (too big!).

Today I'm linking up with:

Faded Charm for WHITE WEDNESDAY

Savvy Southern Style for WOW US WEDNESDAY

Handy Man Crafty Woman for WICKED AWESOME WEDNESDAY

I love these amazing blogs and hope you'll check each of them out when you find time!  Sure to be inspiring!

Happy Hump Day!

Love to you...

 

~TO PINTEREST or NOT TO PINTEREST? That is the Question!!!~

Thoughts today on

PINTEREST!  

Can we have a

WEE BIT OF DISCUSSION?

I have a PINTEREST account and I have a few things on there.

I'm just curious what

YOU ALL

THINK

ABOUT

IT!

I've read so many pros and cons regarding the unauthorized use of images out there that it makes my head spin.   Honestly it makes me more than a little scared as well.  I'm particularly interested in comments from those of you who are online sellers and/or bloggers and have had your pictures and/or images used without your consent.

How do you feel about it?

Are you liking PINTEREST?

Do you care if your photos are used without your permission?

Do you feel PINTEREST is a marketing tool that drives buyers to your site?

Have you had ANYONE ask PERMISSION to use your pictures?

Do you feel your "DO NOT COPY" statement is honored?

 Before I get any deeper into PINTEREST I'd love to have some feedback from you!!!

Love to you...

 

~PAINTED FINDS! SHABBY WHITE MAKEOVERS!!!~

~OLD CHEST~

I LOVE MONDAYS!  Do you?  A fresh beginning with a brand new week!

~VINTAGE DROP TABLE~

Over the weekend I spent most of my time finishing up several special orders and then base painted a ton of new merchandise.

 ~SIDES FOLDED DOWN~

Today I'm going to show you just what took all my time and energy.  Good thing I didn't go junquing with my Mr. AGPMan!!!  I had enough things to keep me busy without piling any other neat stuff into my already FULL shed!

 

~SWEET LAMPS~

(Destined for Hand Painted Roses!)

 

 ~VINTAGE HORN O' PLENTY~

I love this old wicker Horn O' Plenty!  Someone had painted it gold (ick) and I repainted it with a soft antique white.  You can't hardly find this style anymore.  This one has that great curled end!  LOVE THAT!  Perfect for welcoming Fall!

 ~GREAT SUNFLOWER PEDIMENT~

This sweet piece had been painted black.  I painted it in the same antique white and then added a dark glaze to bring out the details.  Loving this!

 

~GREAT WIRE FINDS~

I just can't pass up wire shoes or teapots.  I use to sell these years ago in my brick and mortar store.  I wonder if that company that manufactured them in still in biz!  Anyone know???

 ~GREAT PICNIC BASKET~

This is a great old find.  It's not truly VINTAGE...but close.  I painted it ONLY because there was an ad/logo on the top for Cigarettes.  :(

~GREAT METAL BASKET~

This metal basket had been a dark hunter green...maybe from the early 90's.  Again...painted it with my favorite antique white paint and then added detailing with a dark glaze.  Yum!

~GLASS JARS~

I loved this trio of glass jars.  The lids are solid wood and also have been painted antique white.  These will have soft pink roses painted on top!

~SWEET FLOWER POT HANGER~

Years ago when I managed CURRENT STATIONERS here in Oklahoma City we sold these flower pot hangers.  This one belonged to my mom and when she moved she didn't have a place for it.  So...of COURSE she gave it to MOI! :)  

~WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?~

Last but not least here is a little LOVE for you!  The original $20 sticker was still on the bottom of this LOVE sign!  I sanded it down with my hand stander and then a new coat of paint!  Love it the way it is!

Most all these things will be taken down to my booth space.  Painted stuff (with and without roses) sells like hotcakes down there and it's so FUN to rearrange and play around in my tiny 8'x10' space!  Later this afternoon I'll be working more on those two fold-up chairs I showed you last week!  Almost done!  

Hope your day is GREAT!

Love to you...