Crafting and Recycling Almost All the Time!

It seems that my kitchen table is always full of projects.  (The two of us always eat in the living room in front of the TV - bad right?  The marriage is almost 20 years old so it works for us!) 

Anyway - I was just realizing how much I reuse/recycle...as we speak I cut a plastic cover to fit an old metal spring project I'm working on.  The jute wrapped tree is made on an empty thread cone and of course the spring is from a chair I guess.

In the dish drainer is a Pringle's can drying so I can Mod Podge scrapbooking paper on for a treat can for a Christmas present.  I thought I'd finish it so you could see...

I just finished using a sheet of music from an old music book and parts of an old doily to decorate an old ice skate that will hang on someone's door or wall or lamp post.

A choir of salt and pepper shaker snowmen are sitting on a mantel or a table.  Each year I whine about making more but once I start rolling the clay, sprinkling the glitter and otherwise decorate their cute selves - I feel joy in their faces gazing to the heavens!!!

And yes, I do keep toilet paper and paper towel rolls, too!  I have some ideas...

Take care,

Bonnie

It has been 50 years...

My tears fall every time I see the films of the events of November 22, 1963.  It's been 50 years today that our President was murdered.  I weep for what could have been.

I was a senior in high school - I was in Art class.  It was an awful day and the days after were spent in front of the TV.  I didn't think I could shed another tear but every part of those ensuing days brought more tears and sadness.

Every one was in disbelief...President Kennedy was so young - he was our hope for the future.  Our first President that was regularly in our homes on our TV's.  His beautiful wife and precious young children were familiar to us.  The pictures of our first family in the White House and his kids under his desk in the Oval office  - we felt like we knew them.

Fast forward 50 years...the sadness is still there and the tears still fall for our loss.  He never saw us get to the moon...his challenge was met but he wasn't here to see them take that first step on the moon for the USA.  And then again, we can hope that he did see what went on after he left this earth too soon.

We remember him today and remember the risks and threats our President faces each day.  Even with his loss 50 years ago, we can't protect our leaders 24-7.  I am thankful each day for our President and his ideals that are so hard won.

Take care,

Bonnie

Kicking It Into Gear Again!

Picture taken when it was almost dark out and misty!

Time to gear up again...just picked up a load of auction winnings and pickings at an occasional sale in the town I used to live in.

We met my old friends for breakfast - funny how you just pick up where you left off years ago.  Fun to ask how this friend or that friend is doing.  So much to talk about that we interrupted each other...

Since we moved to our farm in 2000, we have met many new friends.  Some I met while quilting and some at church and some at exercise.  I can't believe how easy it was to slip into this community and settle down here knowing no one!  Good times with old and new friends.

We just had out last sale in our little red barn - it was a difficult decision but seems to take too much energy now to have sales here.  We still have an outlet for our stuff so we will continue to make our repurposed and recycled things.  The stress level will be more level - the pressure more evenly distributed through the year instead of a heaping load of it when we have all the responsibility of our sale at our farm.

Fun things a-brewing in our barn now that she's retired from sales!

So now its time to get working again - the supplies keep coming in with the UPS and FedEx trucks so I better be creating stuff right and left!!!  After all, the Holiday Open House is only 5 weeks away!  Yikes!

A great day of fall colors and old friends and new treasures!

Took this picture way past dusk...

Take care, 

Bonnie

 

 

Two Projects Completed! So many more to go...

Close up of distressed finish...

With a little more than a week to go, I'm busy, busy and more busy sanding, painting and varnishing furniture.  Both my hubby and I work together in this adventure...he fixes and I finish...well, he finishes too!

Here's a couple of projects that are now ready for the sale.  The side table is actually a vintage sewing cabinet...but now its a great side table and opens to make a nice serving table or maybe a mini bar!!!

Chair with cushion removed for recovering...

Finished chair and side table

Fall Activities...

Annie and I spent the better part of the day in the barn getting stuff ready for our Farmgirls Country Sale Sept. 26, 27 and 28.

Annie - my faithful assistant and friend!

 
I hauled paint out to paint things where they are!!!  A huge table is on her side so I can paint her legs Country White while leaving her top wood - I think.  You just never know how things will turn out until paint brush is in hand dripping some sort of paint color.

The other day I painted 5 chairs and today I began recovering their seats.  I finished 3 seats with 3 more to go - I know - the math is off - there's an extra seat for a rocker that Hubby painted.  Yay!

The first seat I recovered today!!!  

 

Red rockers and a tray with new red legs!

Time for supper - chili dogs and refrigerator pickles and hash browns!  Then its back out to paint - so nice when everything is set up and I just have to open the paint and brush!!!

Take care - I'm going to try to regularly blog again - we'll see with 15 days left before our sale!

Bonnie

Pretty and Spunky too!

My new ride!!!

Today I said goodbye to my little bright red HHR.  She served me well on my quest to travel my world and find junk.   

I've loved each and every car I've ever owned...well, I didn't care for my Buick Terraza so much but  I'm not a mini van kind of gal.  Lots of women are but I like odd car models.

Remember the Pontiac Aztek???  It was so different looking that I was stopped after getting out of it more than once to have a guy tell me how odd looking it was...like something from outer space he said.  Love those opinionated guys...not!  Anyhow it became my badge of courage or something.  I called her my SUV wannabe.  When I wanted to buy another one, they had stopped making them.  Referred me to a Buick Rendezvous...but I wanted a new Aztek.

So I tried a mini van for less than a year and then I had two Chev HHR's in a row.  I called them the poor relation to the Chrysler Cruizer.  Now they don't make the HHR anymore.  I sound like the kiss of death to a car model...but this time I decided I needed something a little bigger/taller with more cargo space.

Today I walked into the Chevrolet dealer and drove out with a new 2013 Chev Equinox...red...a pretty candy apple red kind of color.  Now I owe my soul/pension to the company store - again.

She handles very nice and I can pack in a few more things when I'm out and about gathering junk and treasures!!!  Wait until my grandkids see the rear view screen - put her in reverse and I can see - no! I can literally see a screen with the view behind and 6' to each side of my backside!!!  Woo hoo!

And i have OnStar for 6 months and my dear car salesman hooked up my dumb phone to my car so when you call me, I can talk to you thru my dashboard and not fumble in my purse for my phone!  I won't have to call everyone back because they hang up before I answer!!!

I do have love affairs with my cars...she's pretty and spunky too.  She handles some decent curves at 55 mph...which is one of my priorities.  This gal still has some spunk left too!

Take care,

Bonnie

Another Pretty Sleepless Night...

Trying to rest in my NEST! 

I know this is a common complaint but why is it we have so many good ideas when its time to go to sleep?  Why do I fall asleep and then wake up in a few minutes with multiple creative ideas running through my head???  Why is it I can sleep sound around 7 a.m. when its close to getting up time?  Why - oh - why - oh - why???

So last night I finally got up and decided to empty my head so I could go to sleep.  I started writing things down that I wanted to do in the morning...take all the jewelry supplies off the kitchen island and move them to my vintage trailer or should I just bring all supplies out to the barn so I could really spread out and organize them?  Maybe I should work on my trailer but bring out my smaller class sewing machine so I could start decorating as soon as I wiped the inside down.  What should I use?  Finally it dawned on me - Murphy's Oil soap.  Whew!  That's at least settled.  I need to make some nests for the springs that I bought...I'll bring that stuff out to the screen house and work on them there - then the moss I'm going to add to the nests won't make a mess in the house but on the deck.  Yup!  Good plan!

I finally fell asleep who knows when - The Thomas Crown Affair was on with Steve McQueen - it was good and kept calling me from my list.
 
Anyway - woke up tired of course not wanting to do any of the stuff on my list.  And when I started thinking about hauling everything out of the house and to various locations, hardly any of it sounded right.  Too hot or cold in the barn and the same in the trailer.  Making nests in the screen porch was the only bright early morning idea that might work.

Or maybe I'm just too tired to work through the thought process today.
 
So I dyed my drop cloth teal/aqua and made Italian sausages with green peppers and onions on a grilled bun and primed the bench that should have been painted or stained last year.  And now I better write up my bills.  The best laid plans...or so it goes.

It's a gorgeous evening out there - I should be making nests in the screen porch.  I did get a few things accomplished...
but all the project boxes I took out of our bedroom are now scattered around the diningroom and kitchen.  Two more shelves of books are on the shelves...I did that about 2:30 a.m.

Now I'm thinking about bringing my daughter's turquoise ladder up on the deck so I can hang all my plants from it.  Later - maybe tomorrow.  

Take care - praying/planning for some sleep!

Bonnie 
 

As I Sit And Consider...

All week long we've been expecting more heat and humidity at the end of it!  But it's been so lovely here - a nice cool breeze and overcast skies.  I love spring and fall so this is so perfect for me!!!

I've finally found someone to help me get my gardens and yard in order and she did an amazing job this week.  She spent 6 hours getting things back in order around the house.  My gratitude is overflowing!!!  

Next week its the raised gardens in the middle of our circular driveway.  She already planted beans and Morning Glories in the middle bed so we're going to hope everything blooms and produces before the frost.  We are really late but we're willing to give it the old Minnesota try!

The cardboard will kill the grass - no grass to mow around!  We'll mulch. 

 I planted my three tomatoes in vintage wheelbarrows..they all have tomatoes on them!

 

Too many plants - all perennials and a volunteer daisy made herself at home!

  

My two Early Girls!

My Stellas are in full bloom today - so pretty!

Now I can sit in my screen house and not feel so guilty about not being out in the gardens!  I thank my lucky stars for my new helper!!!

Take care,

Bonnie

That Annie...

Annie will be one year old to us in a couple of weeks.  She's brought lots of joy to our household in this past year.  Pets seem to bring out the best in us and our cat and dog have done just that.

A little over a month ago, around Mother's Day actually, I breezed through the kitchen looking for some kind of snack.  I vaguely remembered having a few extra muffins left over from our Mother's Day brunch but when they weren't on the counter, I figured I had put them in the freezer.

So I continued into the livingroom to sit down and watch TV  for a while.  Thinking I'd take a little nap too, I was about to sit down in the recliner...but on a whim looked for Annie who's little bedroom is behind the recliner.

Well - there she was looking up at me with those big brown, innocent eyes.  And beside her was a plastic zippered bag of muffins...as I picked them up I couldn't help but laugh and motion to Hubby.  Upon closer scrutiny, I found not a hole or tear or mark on the bag.

Norma, the cat did it!!!

What?  Hoarding a bag of muffins for later then, Annie???  We laughed so hard and still laugh when we think of her hiding her stolen treat for a midnight snack maybe?  

Love those pets who bring fun and laughter and love to our lives!!!

Take care,

Bonnie

Stay Calm and Get to Work!!!

 

Ok - its less than a week before it's Farmgirls Country Sale time!!!  Now the pressure is on!

I bought a stripped down, high back chair at a thrift sale a few weeks ago.  I've sanded it, pulled out a few tacks that were left and primed and painted it.  Hubby cut a solid board for the seat and that is installed.  Last night I cut the shabby chic cabbage rose fabric for the cushions and tonight I'll finish that part.

I painted things red...the legs of a small stool, a window insert (6 pane), a brown table, a chair and a shelf with pegs.  Part of that shelf is now painted with black chalk paint so it will not only hang three things on pegs but will record messages! 

I also painted a large flat basket aqua.  It will be cool filled with flowers.  

I upholstered the three chairs I painted...two cream with cream colored seats with huge French words written across them and the other is just the opposite for a black chair where the seat is black background with white French words written across it.

  

 

Well - its back out to the barn to paint so I can be done painting today and start pricing and finish cleaning and then staging!!!

Take care,

Bonnie 

Rain, Rain, Raining!

My Memorial Day and 4th of July garland!!!

 
It's been raining for 6 days now - we just had 8 months of snow.  We live in Minnesota so like I said previously today - love it or leave it and I'm staying.

It totally makes it difficult to get ready for our spring Farmgirls Country Sale....I have so many painting projects.  Can't paint - too cold and damp.  I could haul everything into the house but I don't have the strength or energy to do that.

So I will go sew...and sew...and sew!  Then I could finish all the jewelry I've started and not finished.

Have a great Memorial Weekend...thank a veteran!!!  Fly your flags!  Drive safe!!!

Bonnie

I Think It's Fun To Be Me!!!

I never in a million years thought I would be this busy in my retirement.  It's been 12 years and there hasn't been one day that I've been bored!!!  A little crazy, maybe, but never bored!

My latest challenge for myself has been to make chicken wire crowns.  As I type this, I just giggle a little.  Now I'm a 66 yr. old wife, mom, gramma, and great gramma, and my newest creations are chicken wire crowns.  Who would have thought???

I love creating them.  I've only made three so far but I'm thinking I will obsess about them for a while.  The first one I made was mostly lace...lace flower, German Glass glitter, pearls and a little bling.  I thought it would be a special gift for my daughter's 40th birthday.

The second one I made was half of a doily, a light green flower and pearl pin I purchased years ago for my jean jacket, a glitzy heart barrett, lace and faux silver beads.  This one sold right away at coffee today.  Thanks to our awesome wait person extraordinaire!  Yay!  She will be wearing it up north, fly fishing,  and all around camping!!!

The one that I got to the shop today is made of a calendar picture, chandelier crystals, lace (of course), book page leaves and lots of German Glass glitter.

I bought the chicken wire at a garage sale down the road...I told the garage owner that I would make her one.  I might have to see if she has more chicken wire that she'd sell me!!!

I actually should be painting furniture and stuff for our sale that is four weeks away.  But you just have to have a little fun in between all that work!

Join me - go find something fun to do in between all that drudge work!

Take care,

Bonnie

P.S.  Here is Annie - just looking out the window where it is raining lightly.  She's never far away from me! 

Wandering Through the Day...

An array of pillows - done!

I feel the pressure to write a new post...let's see what will I write about?  The weather is icky...snow, sleet and rain are in the forecast.  Nope - that's too depressing...don't want you to be depressed too.

I've written enough about my dog...and my cat, Norma - well, she just doesn't do much except beat up on the dog periodically.  She's doesn't have any front claws...she came to us that way - so its more humiliating that hurtful as Annie, the dog, wags her tail like mad when the cat is let up from the basement in the a.m.  This is when the cat beats her up or when she comes in from outside.

I could tell you about getting ready for my quilt retreat with the Stitchin' Chicks on Wednesday through Sunday - nah - that's pretty boring too.

Well - I finished making a pound of bacon and Jimmy Dean sausage in my George Foreman grill.  So you know how good it smells in here now!

I guess I will show you what I completed to take into the shop on Tuesday:

    

Another vintage spoon necklace steampunk'd!

A soft leather cuff...

Another soft leather cuff...

So now I've completed another post...see you again sooner!




Take care,

Bonnie

Oh That Annie...

Annie is our Australian Shepherd/Shetland Sheepdog mix dog.  We rescued her from a Humane Shelter nine months ago where we have adopted our last three pets...two dogs and our cat, Norma.

Annie is a gentle girl with big, brown, gentle eyes with a demeanor to match unless you enter our house/yard or you're a bunny or the neighbor's dogs.

She is a alpha female except a night when its dark and she is outside and the dogs bark across the neighborhood.  Then she acts timid and returns to the house...without completing the task she was outside to do.

She's perfect for us - acting as a watch dog and adoring companion.  Running through the deep snow is her passion...she can't get enough of the white stuff and rolls and rolls and runs and runs through the drifts.

At home in the snow...

Her coat protects her...

 

 

Queen of her mountain

Loves her ball...

Makes us laugh when she sleeps upside down...

We love our dog...and can't stop talking about her.  Amen.

Bonnie
  

Will I Ever Be Organized???

Last weekend, we started to get organized.  I had help from my grand kids, John and Addy.  Oh to have their energy.  They came in the door asking to help me and we got started.

Now who doesn't need a colander hat?  with ears?

Looking a little like Caesar with his crown of roses!

We did have fun but we did work!  All the upholstery sample books are now down from upstairs and out to the barn for our next sale.

Then we started on the little bedroom where all kinds of boxes are stored with all kinds of treasures waiting to be painted, assembled, and/or marked for sale.  I had to sort so now the kitchen is a mess and the little bedroom looks better.  The ironing board is almost empty so I can actually iron on it again.

We always take time to make something so they made journals with leather pieces and Scrabble pieces.  Cool!

They also got to make a snow track to slide down on the mound system...using cardboard because of course all of our sleds are for decoration and are hanging on the pole barn wall.  They had fun and it was fun to see them out in the snow!

Back to organizing my taxes and then more organizing!

Take care and hug a kid!!!  I did!

Bonnie

My First PSA or My Crazy Dream...

This is my first PSA (Public Service Announcement).  I have to write about this so it gets out of my head!!!  It will help me and I hope it might help you!  Remember this was only a dream but it occurred weeks ago, it still bothers me and I still remember it so well.

Well - I know you won't believe this part but I was shopping (dream)...at an old fashioned but upscale department store.  Yes - a department store - I bet you haven't heard that term in a while, at least I haven't.

As in real, conscious life, I was browsing and listening to conversations around me.  There happened to be an older woman - ahem - with a small dog - in a carrier.  She was well coiffed and talking loud to this dog in baby talk until she wasn't.  Then she was kinda yelling - grown up talk - because the little white fluffy specialese doggy had jumped down and was running away!  Doggy owner was running too!

So there was confusion and other store patrons were wondering what to do and scattering to pursue this ball of fluff.  It seemed somewhat odd to me all of a sudden.  All this noise and confusion.  Out of habit, I looked down at my purse - which I have a (real) habit of not zipping closed.  I felt the ice in my veins when fear rushes in.  I searched for my billfold...and (real) I sometimes can't find it but then I do - but it wasn't anywhere to be found (dream).

So one or more crooks (possibly a team) were creating a diversion and then took advantage of the staged confusion to take what wasn't theirs.

Now - feeling stupid and vulnerable (real) - I decided it was time to wake up.  I do this regularly when my dreams get too much to handle/fix.  I know how much work it is to replace all those important things we carry around with us and I didn't want to go through all that work in my dream.  I haven't had the experience of calling credit card companies and banks and replacing a drivers license but I have friends who have had to.  

So the first thing I did after I got up was go zip up my purse.  A rude awakening (real) but at least I was dreaming through this event!!!  

So there you go - my first PSA.  Now its off my mind and on yours!!!  So zip it!

Take care and sweet dreams!

Bonnie

I Won, I Won! Online Auctions and Me!!!

I'm in love with online auctions.  Actually I love auctions, but I prefer not to spend a whole day waiting for the items I want to bid on so I've taken to online bidding.

And the other reason I bid online is - its safer for me - I think.  When the end of the auction nears, I still get kind of hyper and watch the clock and watch the incoming bids and then try to stay at the maximum I've set for myself for each item.  Sometimes I'm successful and sometimes the excitement has me going over the line - a bit.  

I never get to the inspections that they schedule before bidding begins so when I win, its even more exciting.  Usually I can tell by the pictures online what the item is like.  At one auction house, they will go measure and give their opinion on age, quality, etc.  That auction accepts my absentee bids and bids for me up to my maximum-its a real, live auction but I'm not there.  Usually I know if I've won something a few hours after the auction begins.

The ones I am involved in more recently don't offer that service.  In these auctions, I actually bid online and can increase my bid as the end draws near...where all the excitement begins!

So today I will show you some of the things I won this week...

This item turned out to be lots bigger than I
 anticipated  and is so gorgeous!!!
 Its semi porcelain and 11 1/2" tall
 and about 10" at its widest part.

A nice yellow Sears metal scale.

A wonderful advertising piece - 1912 Cream of Wheat ad.

Pretty sure this is a reproduction and advertised as
 a cast iron string holder...probably made for a candle.
I still like it!

After about an hour of investigation where I couldn't find anything
like it - I think this is still an authentic Weller Ware 5 1/2" vase.
Some crazing but no chips or cracks..

These pieces were just a fraction of what I won - some of the other things were a crockery jug, cracker jar, maple spindle bed frame and about 45 45 records!  So you can see how eclectic my tasts are!

I will keep some things, sell some things at the shop or at our occasional sale in June.  It's a win/win!  And I get to shop around the clock!  Yay!

Well - time to get to work!  Have a great day and take care!

Bonnie