I'd like to pause for a moment and ramble about my blogging adventure thus far. It's been just over a month since I started and I am amazed at how much I've learned, the new friends I've met in blogland, and the fun I've had participating in a variety of posts hosted by creative and talented bloggers. I must have bookmarked a hundred blogs. I have so many favorites and I find more and more each week. Most of all, I'm tickled that there are so many women out there who share similar interests as me. When I first discovered the world of blogs, I told my hubby, "There are actualy women out there who get just as excited about a yard sale or thrift shop find as I do!" Oh, and the talent and creativity so many of you possess - what an inspiration! I feel like I've been invited to tour your homes from all over the continent, share recipes, crafts and decorating ideas, receive words of spiritual wisdom, get giddy over a $100 item found for $1, and on and on. I'd also like to thank all of you who visit and leave comments on my blog. They're so encouraging and fun to read. I'm still at my infancy with blogging, taking one baby step at a time, but I'm soaking it all in like a sponge and loving every minute of it!
Okay, thanks for bearing with me, I digress. Now for the fun stuff. Today I've joined Barb at Grits and Glamour for
What's on Your Wall Wednesday. I don't have too many walls (dh and I have torn down so many walls in our home while renovating) but I do have a couple special things I'd like to share with you. I purchased two reproductions of medieval art of the Madonna and Child during a trip I took to Spain back in 2000. I purchased them from one of the many ancient cathedrals we toured. They are both painted on a heavy board of solid wood. I hand carried this one all the way back to the U.S. My hand almost bled carrying it by the packing twine, but it was worth it. You can click on the pictures to enlarge them.
They hang in our music room against red walls. The Virgin is flanked by angels playing instruments.
This smaller one fit in my suitcase. It hangs opposite the other, next to an antique English armoire (my very first antique I purchased when I was 21).
Though I can't boast that I got them at an estate sale, flea market, or thrift shop for a dollar, there are some things that are priceless or worth every penny.
Till next time,
Lorna
Today I'm joining 2nd Time Around Tuesday hosted by Diane @ A Picture is Worth 1000 Words. I had a successful yard sale-ing/thrift shopping day last Saturday and I'd like to share some of my finds with you.
This first one is one of my more unusual finds. It's a bamboo ladder. I stood on the driveway, hand on my hip, and wondered what I would do with it. For $2, I didn't have to think too hard. I decided to use it as a magazine holder in my family room for now. I'm forever moving things around and finding other uses for things in the house. In time, it may end up in the garden with ivy growing on it.
This has to be my favorite find of the day. I found it at our church thrift shop. It was marked at $6, but it was half off for a whopping $3. You know how much I love tea (that means teapots and teacups, too) but if I don't watch myself, I can get too carried away with every teacup or teapot I see, and believe you me, I see many. So, I try to get only those made in England or Germany, to keep my obsession under control. As luck would have it, this one is made in England. Hooray!
I also got a pair of these bunny pillows at the same yard sale as the ladder. I think it's perfect for spring. And get this - 25 cents each!
Okay, I changed my mind. THIS is my favorite find of the day. I've been eying these pillows in magazines, but they're so expensive in the stores. I pulled this off a top shelf at yet another favorite thrift store. It's feather filled and in perfect condition. But the best part is, drum roll please...$3!
Last, but not least, is this postcard holder I found at the Goodwill. It's perfect to display some of my vintage postcards. Oh happy day! Don't you just love the thrill of the hunt!
Till next time,
Lorna
If walls could talk, what stories would they reveal about the things in your home? Would they speak of beloved treasures handed down from generation to generation? Perhaps a china set which belonged to your great, great aunt or a painting from your ancestor's homeland before they set off to the new world. Maybe a quilt sewn by your great grandmother or your grandmother's wedding gown. If you were not so fortunate as to inherit treasures with a history, maybe you were lucky enough to find one. Such is the case with my dining table. My hubby is a contractor who does some work for the University of Southern California(USC). About 10 years ago, a fraternity got evicted from their fraternity house and left the place in shambles. My hubby spied this table, which was broken into pieces and saw a diamond in the rough. He brought it home, but all I saw was a pile of wood. "What are you going to do with that?" I queried. "It's not going in my house, is it?" So, it sat in our basement for at least a year. As our family grew, so did our need for a larger table. My dh reminded me of the table he had brought home, but I still wasn't convinced that I would want it inside my house. Well, he got to work piecing together and refinishing this table. Well, the scales came off my eyes and I could finally see! I wish I had some before pictures, but trust me, it was just a heap of wood. Here are some detail shots.
It's a very old table. I wish I knew where it originally came from.
It maintains its rustic charm with all the dents and scratches made over time. Don't designers take chains and screwdrivers to furniture to give it that distressed look? No need here, its been quite distressed by use and also by abuse by a bunch of rowdy fraternity boys.
The beauty of it all is that my children can't do anything to harm this table. They would just add to the charm.
Have you ever watched the newer version of Pride and Prejudice? Well, if you have the DVD, look closely at the Bennett's dining table when they are having their breakfast. It's my table!
I even saw a picture of a table with the same carving and legs in Architectural Digest.
I love this table. It's my most favorite piece of furniture we own. The best part is that it didn't cost a cent, just like a family heirloom that's been handed down. But I'll give credit where credit is due. If it wasn't for my hubby's great eye, I wouldn't have this wonderful piece of furniture with a great history and a story to tell. Good job, honey!
Till next time,
Lorna
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Hey all, this is hot off the press. I just got home from the market and quickly uploaded these pictures. No, an alien ship has not landed in Wildomar, CA, but just when I thought I had run out of pictures to post, look what showed up in front of our neighborhood grocery store. It was a spectacle to behold. Ever since I started blogging, I've kept my camera in my purse precisely for these "just in case" moments.
The Oscar Mayer people were offering free wiener whistles to kids who would sing the bologna jingle. Remember that? My bologna has a first name, it's O-S-C-A-R,
My bologna has a second name, it's M-A-Y-E-R. Oh, I love to eat it everyday, and if you ask me what I'll say...Well Oscar Meyer has a way with B-O-L-O-G-N-A!
Unfortunately, my kids got stage fright and came home whistleless.
Here's some fun facts about the Wienermobile. You can click on the picture to enlarge.
It even has a voice activated GPS system. This baby is fully loaded!
Can you see the hot dog buns on the dashboard?
Here's a view of the back passenger seats.
Command Central
It even boasts of a design feature of a trompe-l'oeil sky ceiling.
The Oscar Mayer people said that this was manufactured in Wisconsin, and there are 6 in existence in the USA. So keep your eyes peeled, an Oscar Mayer Wienermobile might be headed to a neighborhood near you!
Till next time,
Lorna
I love double posts! It's just like multi-tasking, which is pretty much what I do everyday. Thank you to Chandy@ What Now Tablescapes for hosting this week's Thrifty Thursday and to Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch for another Tablescape Thursday. Please be sure to visit these lovely ladies to view their posts and see more participants.
This was one of my most challenging posts because almost all the tableware is made of clear glass, which I found most difficult to photograph.
Now, I know you must have seen a lot of these glass luncheon plates at antique shops and thrift shops. They must have been very popular at one time, because they're everywhere. I have about 24 of these plates which I've picked up at an estate sale and thrift shops. I didn't pay more than $8 for all of them. They're cheaper than paper plates!
The napkin ring is made of very delicate capiz shell from the Philippines.
I hope you're able to see these next pictures okay. I have a number of these etched plates that I found during my thrift shop jaunts for roughly 50 cents each. This one is my favorite with the Victorian lady etching.
I got this white footed dish at a yard sale for $5. I know, it doesn't sound like much of a deal, but I've seen them at antique dealers for about $26. I'm not really sure what it is. It's shaped like a taco. I'm guessing it's a fruit bowl.
Last is my little cow creamer that I picked up from a discount home store for a couple of bucks.
