~WHITE BASKET MAKEOVER...A LONG LOST FIND~

  Some sweet things to share with you today!

Christmas is still a ways off, but this tree basket is very special to me...here's why~

   In the late 1980's my Mr. AGPMan handmade at least fifty wood Christmas Tree Baskets for the wee little booth space we had at a local Folk Fair Festival.  We ended up selling every single one of them (save for a few for family and friends) and I distinctly remember them being priced at $9.99 each.  That was a pretty penny all those years ago...

 A couple months ago while helping my mother downsize for a move I spotted her basket in a box of things to keep.  I couldn't believe she still had it after almost twenty-five years.  It was still painted a dark pine green and the raised red heart appliques were still attached to each side.

 I brought the basket home (a happily returned gift) and over the weekend I gave it a facelift.  Nothing super special...just removed the hearts, roughed it up a bit and then slathered on a couple quick coats of soft white paint.  I love how it came out...simple, clean and uncomplicated.  I'm keeping this one forever even though my guy informed me he still has the pattern for the design...

 

 A couple of weeks ago I found a vintage hanky holder at Goodwill!  It was a ridiculously low price ($1.98) so I brought it home!  Only problem I found with it was with the rose base.  The piece was made in Japan and the base seemed really small given the height of the stand.  Sure enough once a handkerchief was attached the entire thing wanted to lean forward.

 

Then I remembered earlier in the month I'd found another neat metal stand with a super cool base.  It was also only $1.98.  Only problem with it was there was nothing attached to the metal rod.  Just a rod with a stand...I'm not even sure what it was supposed to be...

 I asked my Mr. AGPMan if it was possible to marry the two pieces together to make one and about 15 minutes later he returned with only one piece.  He's just amazing!  One was metric (I think that what he said) and one wasn't.  Anyway... I love how the thing came out!

 I painted it with my favorite spray paint and then added dark wax.  The excess wax was removed and this is how it looks today!

  Isn't it fab?  I'm keeping it...at least for a while!

My last sweet find was a set of four candle cups with the word HOME cut out!  They really look lovely on our bookshelf holding faux tea light candles.  Not enough space for real votives...

 I'm off to work in my studio this morning!  I'm in the middle of finishing up another special order Gathering Case (Train Case) with another one to do in the wings...  I'll be sure to share with you soon.

Hope your Tuesday is wonderful~

Love to you

~ONCE UPON A TIME...A TALE OF VINTAGE WHITES~

Once upon a time there was a lady named Rebecca who loved to shop for white junque treasures.  Whenever she had a free moment she would visit as many second-hand shops as possible in hopes of finding gently loved pretties wonderful new homes...

Her favorite little friends come in all shapes and sizes.  Some are new...but not many.  Most have been abandoned for one reason or another~  :(

 

Her little friends speak to her in the faintest of whispers, but Rebecca still hears them!

"Rebecca! We've been so excited about seeing you again!

GET OVER HERE GIRLFRIEND!!!!

 Here we are!  Come get us!

We've been waiting for you to come back for soooo long now!  We've been jumping up and down sitting perfectly still just hoping for a chance to come and live at your white house!  We've all tried to look as unattractive as possible so no one else would try and take us home!  We are counting on you to show us lots of love by giving us a warm bath before shining us up to perfection!  We can't wait for you to rescue us from these shabby, dusty, grimy thrift store shelves!  They are bulging and overflowing with

MISFIT DECOR!"

Miss Lefton Tureen continued:

  

I cost only $4.99!  I'm a three piece steal of a deal and I know you can't live without me!

 Will you please put me in your cart..xoxoxo"

 Rebecca just said:

"Um...OK!" 

 

Miss Lefton Tureen should have been joyous but instead she was broken-hearted over the thought of leaving her BFF, Miss Rosy Pot behind!  And since Rebecca didn't want her to crack under the disappointment she said:

"Even though you're a sassy little thing you make my heart sing!  OK!  You can come, too!"

 Just then Rebecca noticed Miss Rosy Pot  begin to pout!  She wanted her latest vintage friend, Miss Vaseola to come, too!  She begged for her to be included!

Rebecca thought for a minute and then said:

"I think Miss V is worth ninety-nine cents!!!  OK...you can come!  But you're going to have to share a room!

 As Rebecca rounded the last corner of the store she heard one last tiny voice call out to her...

"Rebecca!  OVER HERE!  Don't forget me!  My name is Miss Tubby and won't take up too much room!  You can put pretty soaps inside me and I'll make your bathroom smell wonderful!

Can I come live at your house, too??? I'm cheap!  I, too, cost only ninety-nine cents!"

Rebecca smiled big and was sure she could find a place for Miss T!  And so she said:

"Um....OK!  Sure you can come!  Just don't beg to bring your friends!!!"

Rebecca drove home happy and content.

The lost and forgotten had been found.    

THE END

Hope your day was mah-vah-LESS!

Love to you...

~ROMANTIC SHABBY WHITE CONES~

~~OOooooh La La~~

You know...it never ceases to amaze me how much great junque I can find when I'm pressed for time.  On Friday I only had about an hour to tag-sale-hunt and incredibly found more neat stuff than I can tell you.  But, since my guy's been busy working hard on my new booth space I didn't DARE bring one more thing home in need of his attention.  So...I passed on several items I would have loved to have in my space!  Seems like when I have days and days to tag-sale-hunt I find NOTHING and then on the days when I only have an hour or two to shop I find everything under the sun (and more!).

Anyway...today I'm going to brag a little about my latest SCORE!

My town only has a few thrift shops, but I make the rounds enough for the peeps behind the counter to know my first name. :)  Not sure that's a good thing or not.

Anyway...such is life on the junkin' circuit, right?

Do any of you remember the neat Victorian-ish looking company called THT (Tender Heart Treasures)?  They were based out of Omaha and they also had a retail division called Tender Heart Designs.  The company closed in 2008/09 and since that time I haven't seen anything like the products they sold which has been disappointing.  So many of us who love cottage decor bought from them so it was very sad when the company sold and/or folded.

Well, while out thrifting on Friday I found these sweet METAL CONES tossed in a large bin of metalware.  I knew immediately they were from THT because I purchased some just like them several years ago.  Incredibly there were fourteen CONES with twisty-wire-handles for the picking and so I brought all of them home with me.  Some have the little ruffled edge at the top and some do not...but, I love them all!

Not sure WHAT I'm going to do with them.  I may save them back for a Christmas project, but who knows!?  I think they'd be darling filled with dried hydrangeas because they really remind me of old Tussie Mussie bouquet holders!  But, for now I've filled them up with reprinted vintage music shreds and I'm loving how they look!

Pretty sweet huh?

Now...I own a good cross-cut paper shredder (good for destroying the gajillions credit card applications I get each month) and also one that just cuts in 7mm (about 1/4") strips.  I made the music shreds by scanning some vintage sheet music and then printing it on both sides of my paper.  Then it was fed through the shredder!  It makes WONDERFUL FILLER for lots and lots of sweet projects.  Can't remember where I got the idea (it certainly isn't new or my own), but I thought I'd pass it along just the same!  Try it....you'll love it!

I'm off to work!  Hope your Monday is filled with good things!

Love to you...

~MORE OF OUR ROMANTIC WHITE COTTAGE~

 Today I'm showing you a little more of my La Chaumière de Briarwood now that we have some of our remodeling work completed!

We've finally finished a big chunk of our home makeover and now that the wall we opened up has been trimmed out and painted I thought you might like to see it all together instead of bits and pieces!  Before the wall (on the right) was removed there was nothing to see except a big over-sized TV cabinet and a lot of closed-in space!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE this wall opened up and so glad we actually thought about it and planned it out before installing the wood flooring!  Since it was load bearing it took a little bit more time to finish, but well worth the effort.  We now get the north and south sun streaming directly through the windows and so the entire house is lighter and brighter!

One thing you MIGHT find interesting is this...

Almost everything in our home was purchased USED.  

It's true!

Almost everything!

Oh there are new things like ceramic white dishes, candles, lampshades, freshly made pillows, linens, etc., but nearly all the furniture, lamps and complements were purchased second-hand or were pre-owned like in CARS!  In the downstairs area of our home, with the exception of our formal dining table set and the occasional chairs in my den, nearly everything you see was purchased either at tag sales, estate sales, garage sales, auctions or Craig's List.

When my Mr. AGPMan installed the vintage French Doors directly off our entry a couple of years ago I never dreamed one day they'd be visible from the family room.  When the wall was closed up it made for some pretty decorating on the dining room side, but it was very crowded when all my family was over!  Now with the wall removed we have lots of room to move about on both sides!

I took some new shots of the downstairs CAREFULLY omitting our ripped out kitchen (you'd faint if you saw it!).  You can't tell it in the photo above, but I'm standing just outside of our torn-out kitchen.  It's functional, barely tho!  My stove is in place and so is the sink and fridge...but nearly everything else looks like, well...kinda like a war-zone!!!  Even the ceiling is out and the original studs are showing!  It's making me crazy, but we have to live with it like that for now.  Still lots to tear out and when you are do-it-yourselfers you work when you can and then leave the rest until another day.

Lots of another days lately!

Lots more coming, too!  We hope by next year at this time we'll be done!

For Friday, May 11th, I'm linking up with Kerryanne at
Shabby Art Boutique 
for the very first
Shabbilicious Friday!!!
Hop on over there to get some great ideas!  We are sure to be totally inspired!

Hope your day is fab!  I'm off to work!

Love to you...