antiques/junking – Page 35

A Drawer full of Dorkiness and some other goodies

antiques/junking, Books, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Etsy Goodies, paintings, Travel, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / June 29, 2007

First of all, can anyone tell if my blog opened any quicker??? I did some tweaking.

I should be working, but thought I’d show some of my loot from my trip before I get on with my day.

Aren’t these 3 ladies something? Hey, it was suggested that we do a Halloween bag swap!! Good idea. And maybe I will save this photo for my bag, I think these old crones could easily be witches!!

My husband had to work a few hours at Columbia Country Club in Missouri, about half way to St. Louis. (and no, that isn’t a polite way of saying he was playing golf, he really had to work). So, I shopped at a mall there. It is far from my favorite place to go, and I really had to make an effort to stay there long enough to stretch out my time, there wasn’t a lot of great stuff. But I found all this!

Those bottles will be fun to decorate and fill, and I got a lot of old photos for under $1 each.

The best purchase (and Twinkle’s fave) is this set of old drawers covered in wallpaper. How handy will that stylish storage be???

Since I slept in the car most of the day, I was up late after we got home. I painted some more of the outlet covers that I had got in the big bag from Goodwill last month. Only 4 left to paint. I am selling them on Etsy and have sold a couple from this blog. These are not listed yet (the 2 switch plates are sold) so all of the outlet covers are available if anyone wants one. I’ll be listing them later this week, or email me here if you’d like one.

I’m off to work, have a decorating/rearranging job to do today with Beth. http://bethleintz.typepad.com/

REDRUM

antiques/junking, Books, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Etsy Goodies, Food and Drink, jewelry, Travel

By Karla Nathan / June 24, 2007

What a perfect Garage Sailing Saturday! Good weather, lots of sales, good prices, it was just right.

I love the $1 robin’s egg blue frame. I might just put it on the wall and hang plates inside it. I found many 10 cent pieces of glassware, a old pin cushion (with a crown pin!) for 50 cents, a made in Japan pink fish from an aquarium -50 cents, another old floral tray- $1, a solid old chair to paint- $4, a box of Italian framed prints to fix up and add new paintings to- $5,

a bagful of vintage seed packets- $2, 2 dozen old postcards for $1, a beaded purse- $1 and a McCoy pink pot that I splurged on for $20.

I also broke one of my Garage Sailing rules. I usually don’t go to the 2nd day of a sale, but I did to this one, and hit the jackpot. Barkcloth, old table clothes and vintage trim!

I will need some of this silver/grey trim for some Silver Bella projects (and the tiny pin crown too). But I got YARDS of it and will be selling it by the yard at my Etsy shop.

I found old lace too! This crocheted table cloth with fringe will be perfect for my dining room during the Christmas Home Tour. Can’t you just picture the table set up with all white and cream? I have some old white Wedgewood (big stack at an auction for $11), some Ironstone, and crystal. I know it is only June, but I have my Holiday Table all planned!!

Love this trim too. I will be selling it on Etsy, the butterflies are adorable, so I’ll have to keep some. Probably will make an art journal page for Sugarwings with it.

For all that fabric, trim, and a few very old books to cut up, I spent $17 at that sale!!!! I don’t even want to think about the barkcloth I missed by not going on the first day. Oh well, I am happy to just enjoy what I did find, never does you any good at all to be greedy about junk. It comes and goes, I am thrilled when I find goodies, but can’t fret about what I missed.

As if my day wasn’t good enough already, we went to a wedding in Kansas City and stayed over night at the Savoy, where the wedding was held.

This place is a pure faded elegance. It has a run down neglected feel in many parts of it, like this entryway.

And these long, dark hallways make you think that you will meet up with those twin ghostie girls from the Shining around the corner. but around the corner, is- nothing. Empty halls with walls ripped out and doors bolted shut. Very little of the hotel is operational and in use.

The rooms are cozy, and furnished with antiques.

I’d say the bathroom fixtures are original.

It is all decorated in a bare bones way. I think they do the best with the budget they have and let the old architecture speak for itself. There is a lot of charm there, but it is a bit neglected and has the feeling of an old bouquet left in a vase to droop.

There was some fantastic wallpaper in the spooky halls.

And the lobby was pretty much original too.

Since they only have part of the hotel in use, the front desk becomes the bar and the lobby is where the wedding cake was set up.

The cake was delicious, a fudge marble swirl.

The entire front of the old building is stained glass, done by Frank Lloyd Wright himself.

Harry Truman and Harry Houdini used to be regulars here. And the place feels like you could walk up to either one of their ghosts at any time.

I actually had to buy a dress for the occasion. Didn’t care for that. But found this nice, stretchy black one at TJMaxx for $32. Not bad, it was comfy and I didn’t need a new bra or shoes, or have to wear panty hose! What more can you ask for in a dress? I did make a necklace to wear with it.

What the Savoy saved on in renovations, they spent on FOOD AND SERVICE. Oh my god, it was better than being on a cruise ship. We were catered to every second. Great staff, some of them have been there for over 25 years. Our water glasses and coffee cups stayed filled to the brim and we had 2 waiters fluttering about.

Starched white linens, heavy silver, great food. And coffee made just for them from the Roasterie (best coffee in KC), called "Savoy Blend". They give you a bag of it in your room! Along with a plate full of fresh cookies, and a gift bag of sample sizes of toothpastes, and toiletries and candy bars. All complementary.

These are the breakfast choices. Notice my husband chose boring old Bacon and Eggs?? What was he thinking?? I got the Lobster Bisque and Coquille Saint Jacques. and it was wonderful.

Breakfast is included in the room price of only $99.

Amazing. I’ve paid more than that to stay at a Holiday Inn Express.

If you are ever in Kansas City, you have to stay here, it is quite an experience, a one of a kind hotel.

And of course, if you are in KC, you have to promise to call me too. I’d meet you there for a cup of that coffee in the morning!

Bunnies, Ballerinas, and Bears, oh my

antiques/junking, Hand Painted Furniture, hand painted signs, how to's, swaps, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / June 23, 2007

That dumpster might have been yucky and smelly, but I am loving the stuff I pulled from it.

I dug out an old, broken magazine rack and almost tossed it back in. But it had a cute shape, so I kept it. When I got home, I gave it a good whack with a hammer and tore it apart.

This section with the bear painted on it is the center of the rack, with the handle on the top.

Wouldn’t this be sweet in a little baby girl’s room? $20 if you are interested.

I have a thing for ballerina bears. I have painted a t-shirt for Sugarwings with this on it, and did a mural for a friend’s daughter of a cute dancing bear in a tutu also.

My matchbox is ready to be mailed for Natasha’s Swap. http://natashaburns.blogspot.com/

My partner is Debra of http://www.hophopjingleboo.blogspot.com/ who is a talented artist and a collector of bunnies (she is hosting a bunny swap, you should check it out).

I was fresh out of vintage bunny paper (or maybe I never had any), so I painted some bunnies on my matchbox.

My first step was to paint the entire thing pink, and add some striping. While the paint was wet, I dumped a bunch of glitter to the inside of the newly pink box.

I painted a white rose on one end and a brown bunny to the other end. Then I wrapped the sleeve part of the box in vintage sheet music and wallpaper and painted a bunny on the top.

I drew some gold swirls on the bottom, and glued chenille ribbon and crystals to the sides, so it is pretty from all angles.

I thought it was missing something, so glued 3 little vintage millinery flowers to the top. I bought the flowers from Deb Dusenberry of Curious Sofa http://curioussofa.blogspot.com/.

When she was moving from her old location to her new (and magnificent) store, I worked at her moving sale. How cool to style her shop and get the sale set up!!!! Ooh, I felt schmancy working there. She had bundles and bundles of these posies

marked from $1.50 to $3.00 each so I bought quite a few.

I also bought a pair of these columns from her. I have them in a nook of my studio.

I might have spent more than I earned that weekend working at her shop.

Back to the matchbox- those things are tiny, but you can jam a lot into them!

I found some old bunny shaped buttons, rhinestones, and some small ephemera goodies. To top it off, I put in another teeny bouquet of those posies from Curious Sofa and tied them up with black velvet ribbon.

Last week while Garage Sailing, I found an old jewelry box, for almost nothing and it had quite a bit of old jewelry in it (included in the price).

There just happened to be a bunny brooch inside!Just what I needed for my swap partner who loves bunnies. Fate?!

It is way too big for the matchbox, plus I wanted to add some copies of my little fairy girls too, so I wrapped them all up together in old silk wallpaper and tied it with a silk ribbon I hand dyed.

But the trouble is, now I am SWAPLESS!! I am all caught up and have no swaps to do. Although, I saw an art-doll hat swap that looks really unique…… take a look at it here: http://craftingbycandlelight.blogspot.com/

I was still up and working at 4am last night, so missed Garage Sailing this morning. I thought about just working till 6am, then going out sailing, but realized that I am way way way too old for those old tricks and went to bed for a few hours. I can’t go with out sleep like I used to when I was in my 20s and could stay out all night, then work the next morning.

We had company all day (family BBQ) and all I could think about was a nap.

This little nightstand used to be the right half of a desk. I got it cheap-cheap-cheap because it was butchered up a bit in the deconstruction.

Some wood putty, sand paper, primer and paint is all it needed to be a decent little hunk of furniture.

I was going to do more to it, but thought the hardware was so nice, I didn’t want to distract from it. Plus, it was about 3am.

Well, it is about midnight now, and if I want to go Garage Sailing tomorrow, I’d better get some rest. I cannot miss it two days in a row!! Its already near the end of June and my shopping days are slipping by. The season is just too short around here!!

Ps- the wierd mask is spoken for now.

ppss- don’t forget, only SEVEN DAYS till the drawing for the handpainted charm. leave a comment if you want to enter!

Dumpster redos

antiques/junking, flowers, Hand Painted Furniture, how-to projects, paintings, Sugarwings, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / June 22, 2007

Today was mostly a day of primers and base coats. I spread drop cloths everywhere, set up card tables and got out a bunch of junk that needed to be painted white.

I found this little toy vanity/jewelry box at a garage sale last week for $2, and the weird mask thing was in the dumpster that I climbed into.

Presto chango- and abra cadabra- magically these pieces are now transformed.

A light sanding, 2 coats of bonding primer, and some white paint were added to all these items. Then, for the mask and the shelf that I also found in the dumpster, I added 3 more shades of white with a sponge.

Medium grade sand paper, lightly rubbed over the edges of the toy vanity gave the piece an aged feel. I added a vine of roses to the top of its oval mirror, then a garland of flowers to the bottom drawer.

I was glad I got to get some flowers done, because I had so many things to get a coat of white onto, plus visited with Sugarwings for a few hours today, did yard work and went to the grocery store TWICE.
Here is my list of what got base coated today:
the 4′ x 4′ mirror from last week’s garage sale (flowers to be added later)
toy vanity
weird mask thing (finished)
a piece of ceiling tin to add flowers to
part of a desk, cut in half and made into a nightstand -(pictures later, when I add the finishing touches)
the shelf from the dumpster (finished)
4 pieces of a magazine rack I found in the dumpster and took apart to make into wall hangings (pictures later)
a small gold frame that I added music paper and flowers to (finished)
a metal box with a lid to add flowers to later
a watering can to paint flowers onto

I am not sure about the odd mask. It is interesting, but Not My Style. Although, I do like a bit of funky stuff around. Maybe in the garden? Or maybe I’ll sell it, let me know if it is YOUR style.. $15?

Playing with Sugarwings was a good break in the afternoon. After she left, I finished up with the white and then had time to add some flowers.

I had bought this tiny frame (with an ugly picture in it) when I went on vacation last month and shopped at goodwill in Indianapolis. Today, I primed, and painted the frame, then glued down old sheet music. Over that I painted some flowers.

I distressed the frame slightly with sand paper, and coated the whole thing, picture, frame and all, with umber glaze and wiped it off. $35 if anyone wants to buy it. I will add it to my Etsy shop next week, or email me here before then.

My handsome son, Ryan, came down to the studio to talk while I painted. He’s good company and loves to chat. But, he is so shy with other people. I wish he’d meet a girl. He simply will not get out and meet people, and certainly will never find the love of his life playing his guitar or video games up in his apartment, or hanging out watching horror movies with his mom or staying up all night working out with the punching bag or watching wrestling on TV. That is all he does besides go to work.

He is my biggest worry in what I think is a pretty happy life. I just want him to meet someone he can be comfortable with, but he is so reclusive and shy. It certainly isn’t his looks holding him back, is it?? What a cutie.

Typical mom, I worry. I want this son to be as happy as Sugarwing’s dad is with his little family.

Sorry, I shouldn’t be running on like this is a diary and I am pouring out my problems. Back to some eye candy—

Michaels had swavorsky crystals on sale for $2 a bag.

I bought a few bags in different colors and shapes. Love the teardrops.

Oh, I forgot to add this soap dish to my list of what I base coated white today. It was brass before. I might add a glaze to give it some age and depth.

And here is another photo of my new cafe set, just because I like it and it is fun to get new things that don’t need anything done to them! No painting, no fixing, just unload it from the car and enjoy it!

But I did paint the cement cherub statue. She was spray painted gold, uck.

Dumpster Diving, Glittering Bottles and a Shimmering Fairy

antiques/junking, fairies, flowers, jewelry, swaps

By Karla Nathan / June 20, 2007

Some signs are meant to be ignored.

Especially when they are on the side of a dumpster full of good stuff! Well, not all of it was good, but it was all old. Much was broken or ruined from rain on the dumpster the night before or from years of neglect in the basement.

And by the look on my face, some of it smelled.

If only I was searching for polyester, I’d be set.

But I did see an old bottle at the bottom that might be interesting.

Here are my favorite finds from the dumpster. Love the mirror!

The shelf and the rusty wire thing are cool too. I also got a gold Syroco Mardi Gras type mask.

I did manage to dig out the bottle I was digging for too. It is a Johnson & Johnson glass bottle, not all that old, I’d say early 60’s. But it is a cool shape and cleaned up nicely.

I filled the bottle with glitter, added a silver engraved bit from an earring to the top, an aurora Borealis rhinestone pin to the bows, and a lovely tag from Holly Doodle to the neck of it. I tied another of her tags to the Tuesday Morning clearance aisle bottle that I got for 99 cents and am using it for glitter too.

And how was I lucky enough to get these pretty tags with "K"s on them from Miss Holly Doodle?

Natasha Burns http://www.natashaburns.com/ set up a mini fairy swap, with Holly http://hollydoodledesigns.com/WordPress/ and Heather http://prettypetalsboutique.blogspot.com/.

The package that came in the mail today from Holly had the prettiest box, covered in old wallpaper and sheet music.

Inside the box were three vintage wall paper tags with glittering "k"s on them.

And nestled down into a pink tissue nest, was this little ballerina fairy. She is sprinkled with shimmering glitter and seems right at home here at the cottage.

I have her next to the pansy mug I bought at Junker Jo’s garage sale for $2. It is filled with my $1.99 clearance roses from Monday’s floral markdowns at the grocery store. Aren’t they are perfect fit together?

Will Work for Food, and garage sales that make your heart skip a beat!

antiques/junking, Food and Drink, give away, jewelry, paintings, swaps

By Karla Nathan / June 16, 2007

Lawrence, KS is full of beautiful homes, but when I get out of the car at a neighborhood garage sale and the houses look like this, my heart skips a beat. You just KNOW these people will have cool stuff!

I bought this mirror (to paint white with roses) for $7.50. Now, don’t ask me what I will do with it, the thing is about 4′ wide and didn’t fit in my car. I have to go back with the truck this afternoon. I have no place for it, but couldn’t resist. That happens to me a lot.

How can I stop myself from buying treasures when I am in such a pretty setting? It makes everything for sell look even better!

Speaking of pretty places, I had to go back to Junker Jo’s to see what I missed yesterday (the $20 trunk was sold, too bad)

Jo’s husband BUILT THIS PLAYHOUSE FOR HER!! (My husband is a great guy, but far, far from being handy- he’ll never build anything like this for me)

She stores inventory in it between sales and uses it for a showroom for the sale dates.

Look at the antique french doors on it!!

This is the 2nd day of the sale. The first day, her lawn was filled with furniture. I’d say she’d had a good weekend.

The kids were selling ice cold pop for a quarter.

What did I buy from Jo today? A pink chalk poodle ($2). Well, it isn’t a Dorkie, but she seems to fit in fine with the rest of the collection of vintage dog planters and fiures.

Last night, I went to Blue Plate Dinners, a friend, Lori Johns owns it. (her husband, Barry Fitzgerald, a professor of illustration at Kansas University, and a fine softball player, did the artwork on the wall)

Before she opened this winter, she hired me to decorate her public restroom. I used the blue plate theme by mosaicing an antique mirror and a child’s toy hutch in broken Blue Willow. no, I didn’t smash it for the mosaic, I had !eek! dropped a whole box of it. and saved the bits for a project.

My friend, Jen did the faux finish, and I provided the furnishings, custom painted to match.

I added round mirrors from a hobby store to 3 blue plates I found at a garage sale.

A vintage toy stove is a side table. I was glad she let me use these two child’s pieces (found at a flea market for about $50 for both). I thought it aded a whimsical touch to the place.

Lori paid for the supplies in cash, then paid for my labor in food!

So, last night, I made up 12 dinners from their menu and now have a fully stocked freezer. I just have to pull out a dinner, thaw and bake. Her meals have very generous portions and lean meats. Excellent recipes that I would never bother trying at home, but with all the ingredients out in front of you, organized and ready, it is easy to do at her shop.

I’ve bought food from her before and plan on going back again as a customer after we eat our way through this stash.

Lori made us all snacks and we had wine while we worked. My cooking budding, Shanna, and I had a blast. Its like a big night out on the town when you go with friends and cook together. Or am I just getting old? My "big nights" are a different classification than they used to be. I know that I prefer Blue Plate Dinners to going out to hear a band and have a cocktail.

Here is a reminder about my give away for June. A hand painted charm that you can win by leaving a comment or an email. I know that for some reason, some people have trouble leaving a comment with typepad.

And look at how pretty this is!! A little swap from Sonia, how sweet! Thanks, Sonia!!

http://ccraftscollectibles.blogspot.com/

Crowning Glories and Junker Jo

antiques/junking, Chandeliers, flowers, paintings, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / June 15, 2007

Tiara time is ending, it was a fun break from reality making such a frivolous piece of fluff. I loved working on it, and hope my swapper friend, Barb, http://www.123lavenderlollipoplane.blogspot.com/ enjoys wearing it!

I have been looking at the flickr site http://www.flickr.com/groups/400122@N23/ to check out the tiaras as they are finished, and man, what a sparkling group! I just wish we were all having a party and wearing them together.

Funny how my design morphed as I made the piece. I had gathered up a basket of things I liked to use, and as I crafted it, I switched plans often. I knew for sure that I needed to use lavender as a color because of Barb’s email address: lavender lollipop lane. Besides that, it just kind of came together as I glued things on.

I always work that way, I never sketch or plan. I have walked up to a blank 60 foot wall at a hotel and just started painting a mural, figuring it out as I went along.

Today started with garage sailing. Junker Jo had her annual spring sale and I was right there in the middle of it, watching the chaos as everyone grabbed tags off things and wildly picked out treasures. I don’t believe in fighting over junk, but it can be fun to watch other people go for it!

I got these plastic plant tags, I can see possibilities with scrap booking or collage with these. I got a giant box full. If anyone wants a dozen for a dollar (includes postage), let me know and I’ll pop some in an envelope for you.

I got some sparkling old jewels too for $10. These cameos will be wonderful to remake into a necklace and earrings with some old crystals!

This chandelier has no wiring, and I could fix it, but I like it as it is for my garden. I can stick a candle in it when we are eating dinner on the patio. It was only $5 and the drops are plastic, not glass, but are ideal for garden decor.

I also got an old typewriter ($6), a pressed glass compote with a lid ($2), a box of vintage Christmas ornaments ($1), a mini wooden toy vanity/jewel box ($2), and was sorry to miss out on an old trunk that would have made a great toy box for Sugarwings after I painted it. It was $20 and I was feeling too cheap. I am kicking my self now, should have gotten it.

After garage sailing, Sugarwings and I played in the sprinkler.

My little fairy grandbaby wasn’t over to visit for very long, so I was able to get some painting done. I’d bought a big bagful of wooden outlet and switch cover for only $5 at a Goodwill.

I primed and painted them all white, then added roses to these 3. I think I will list them on Ebay unless someone wants any for $6 each? I’d say $3 for postage, though. There are also plain ones yet, if anyone would like a custom paint job on one.

Don’t forget- leave a comment, enter the drawing for the handpainted charm!

I Heart Potatos, and I Heart Beth’s House too!

antiques/junking, jewelry, paintings, swaps, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / June 14, 2007

You know a day has to be a good one when it begins with a heart shaped potato! Now is that a good luck charm or what?

After scrubbing the lucky tater and tossing it in the crock pot with the roast, I went to see Beth http://bethleintz.typepad.com/ and give her the birthday gift. She added this painting of Maddie to her shelf with the painting of Milo along with the Christmas ornaments I had painted their portraits onto as gifts last year.

This is a little charm I made and tied to her package. I had made a dozen of these, vintage paper, an added word, some glitter and a pile of diamond glaze into an oval bezel that I soldered jump rings to. This is the ONLY one that turned out! On the rest, the diamond glaze never set right, it is still milky. It has been months, I keep thinking it will clear up, maybe it will. I keep checking to see, and the words are slowly appearing like the message in a magic 8 ball.

These Marie Antionettish boxes were sitting next to Beth’s computer. She has them listed on Ebay right now, and they are even prettier in person!

I love to poke around her house, she has the coolest displays.

We each bought one of these chalk ladies on a junk day together. I sold a couple and kept one in my bathroom to hang jewels on. I wish I had bought more, there were a bunch of them for $10 each. Some were guys though, I only like the females. The males had hats. And they were pilgrim hats. There is something not right about a naked guy in a pilgrim hat.

This is the mantel in Beth’s living room, she has such deep, rich colors. We painted a gold and bronze faux finish over the china red walls, I don’t know if it shows up too well on this picture, though.

I’ll give you a sneak peek at her tiara. I wanted to add lipstick to the glass head, but we had other things to do.

My tiara is not nearly as far along as hers. I need to glitter it up and add the fooferific stuff.

I’m always touched to see things I painted years ago on display in someone’s home. I gave this to Beth a few Christmases ago, along with a bunch of home made fudge (my specialty).

After messing with the tiaras, we went to Mission Road Antique Mall to redo Beth’s booth, that once upon a time, we shared. I miss working on it with her, so she lets me come and play sometimes. I’ll show photos of it later, we did it in a red, white, and blue Americana theme.

This photo is of Terry’s booth, she ships over containers of wildly expensive and beautiful things from France.

We had to go and visit my old booth there and see if the floor was still the way I left it painted. I miss my ‘garden stone’ floor.

Well, time to check the crock pot and see if the heart shaped potato tastes as good as it looks.

Don’t forget to enter the charm drawing by leaving a comment. And check out the last post if you are interested in a magazine article of your home.

Scents, Roses, and a Drawer full of Bubbles!

antiques/junking, flowers, give away, jewelry, paintings

By Karla Nathan / June 11, 2007

99 posts, almost 4 months, 11,912 hits and counting! I had no idea when I started this blog what it would turn into, or mean to me. I thought I’d use it only to show more of my work to clients. (like this rose painting that I did and then turned sepia in photo editing and this yard long rose painting I did on a door panel)

But, I soon learned, that not only did I get to show and sell my work, and have my family living in other states keep up with what I am doing, I was now in a wonderful social network of people who enjoy, crafts, art, junking, and just plain old surrounding themselves with pretty things!For my 100th post, I think I’ll do list of what blogging means to me

I can tell you right now, though- I LOVE GIVEAWAYS!!!!!

Not only winning them (yippee) but doing them. I think I will try to have one going all the time.

For June, I am giving away one of these hand painted charms. Out of the 30 that I made for the charm swap I am in (I LOVE SWAPS TOO), I have these 3 left over. (The other two are for sale $10 each plus $2.50 postage, if you are interested)

Oh, I forgot to show you a few gems from my garage sailing trip with my life long friends who came to visit this weekend.

I found this book to read to my fairy grand baby, for $3.

We will both enjoy the pop up flowers on each page, but I might save reading it to her for when she is better at looking at things with her eyes instead of her mouth.

And CRYSTAL BUBBLES silver ware!!! A huge box full, maybe 3 sets? Or more, I didn’t count them, for mearly five buckaroos.

So many that my drawer barely closes. I will need to weed a few out and save aside for later.

I often get comments about how much I can get done in one day. Well this silverware drawer is one of my little ways of prioritizing my life. Why sort silverware??? I dump the whole basket straight from the dishwasher to the drawer. I’d rather spend time on something else.

The silver ware, the book, all the fun things I bought out junking with my buddies will always remind me of them. Much as a song will bring you back to the first time you heard it, or a scent will remind of of what you were doing when you smelled it.

Michelle Ward http://michelleward.typepad.com/how_cool_is_that/ brings up that subject in this month’s challenge: "Whats that Smell?"

It is a coincidence for me that this is the challenge for June. I have recently started using scent on my packaging. If you received anything from me lately, and still have the envelope, let me know if it still smelled pretty when it arrived!

I went downtown Lawrence, KS to a cute shop that allows you to make your own scented oils. I mixed up a few old fashioned flower and vanilla ones. For years, I would add a single drop to the inside of an antique dresser before I sold it to combat mustiness and add a happy smell. Now, I am using a drop on the corner of each envelope I send out to someone who purchases my work, hoping to bring a smile to the recipient before they even open the package.

High School Hi Jinx at nearly 50

antiques/junking, parties, Travel

By Karla Nathan / June 10, 2007

My friends are on their way back to Pendleton and my sides are still aching from all the laughing we did this weekend. It was like we were 16 year old school girls again.

It was a weekend full of silliness and fun. This photo just about sums it up. Out on the lake, we were waved over by the patrol for a routine safety check, but my friend, Madonna, who was facing the officers was waving back to them, like they were best friends passing by, not realizing we were being flagged over. So, I just kept driving and we just kept laughing and talking- until the red lights come on and they call out to us to stop.

Those poor officers never knew what they were in for. Lori offered them cocktails, we asked them to pose for photographs, and chatted with them about where they were from, what they were doing, got their entire life stories. Those boys had a deer in the headlight look in their eyes when they drove off.

There was a giant music festival going on at the lake campgrounds this week. I think that Lori’s tie dye shirt is what caught the officer’s attention out on the boat. They must have seen the bright colored shirt, heard the loud laughter and thought we were a bunch of stoners out joy riding!

Here are some signs up at the entrance to the park. Words to live by everyday!

We were able to park in a cove and listen to the music off in the distance. At almost 50, that is a beautiful way to attend a concert! Floating on a calm lake, enjoying a breeze and some sunshine, watching a blue heron along the edge of the water, and hearing a blues band play in the background.

We also had hours and hours being pulled in the inner tubes behind the boat. 3 of us along with my 14 year old niece, managed the trick of jumping from one tube to the other, back and forth at full speed.

On Friday and Saturday mornings we did some garage sailing.

My best purchase is this cabinet for $50, slightly in need of some repairs. I have to attach the top back on to it. Not hard to do at all. I don’t know if I will repaint it or not, I like it as it is and hope to use it in my kitchen next to the fridge to keep my garbage can in. But I have to wait till my husband goes out of town to bring it in from my studio, he HATES it when I get new furniture. The poor man would live with a bed, a couch, and a recliner if he had his way. Well, I guess he’d need his pool table too.

The etched mirror was $10, but well worth it. The white vintage basket was $1 and the linens were only 10 cents each! Two weekends in a row, scoring dime linens!!!

This blown glass frog paper weight will be a gift for my brother-in-law when he comes to visit next month. It was $2, and just made for his collection of frogs.

I met a lady who has been a cake decorator for 35 years who was selling a box full of old items she didn’t want, for only $5. This is just a fraction of it.

I’d like to paint flowers on the cake cover.

All the cake toppers looked looked vintage to me, some older than others.

Sugarwing’s first birthday will be in August. Maybe I will make a tradition of using these little angels on numbers each year for her cake, starting with the blue #1.

Or maybe she’d like a circus carousal with a yellow monkey? My son’s nickname for his little fairy girl is Monkey Stuff.

Speaking of my little Sugarwings (who also got a haul of goodies from the garage sailing adventure), I miss her, since I have been so busy. Her hippy-type parents are at the music festival out on the lake today, so I will get to babysit. That will help me today, I’m sad about my friends going back home to Indiana. But I’ll have my fairy grand baby all day and we’ll have some new adventures of our own.