After much work, two truckloads of trash, and a van load of stuff for the thrift store, the basement workshop is clean. We still have some organizing to do and a few projects to finish, but it will be so nice to have a clean and organized place to work.  I would’ve taken before pictures, but it was terrible.  Embarrassing, really. So, instead of showing pictures of my basement, I’ll share a few other things.  First of all, I bought this really cool postal scale a few weeks ago off of one of my fellow Wild Rose vendors.  I have a soft spot for scales and I really loved the petite size of this one.  We had a little photo shoot together. Couldn’t help myself.   Next, I have to share another act of kindness from one of my readers.  I am constantly overwhelmed at how generous people have been with me (and other bloggers for that matter.) 

I wrote a post in September of 2009 about my favorite things.  I spotted Donna’s Favorite Things SNS Link Party, so I thought it was time for an update.  Here we go… French provincial style and slipcovers Old doors and architectural pieces Antique baby dresses Blue and white and a little bling German glass glitter Ironstone Black and white family photos antique grain sacks Scales and balances Linens, silver, china and other hospitality pieces Bakelite flatware These are a few of my favorite things.  How about you? 

This morning we bundled the kids in coats and hats and set out for the Raleigh Flea Market.  I came home with a lot of great things, but I did do my fair share of complaining.  “Why don’t people put prices on their stuff?!”  “Are people seriously trying to sell THAT for $50?”  “That is waaaay over priced.”  I must confess, I even got a little snippy with one lady over some silver plated spoons.  Yes, I did.  She told me they started at fifty cents, but none of them were priced, so I carried all of the spoons up to her to find out which ones were fifty cents each.  Well, as it turns out, none of them were.  They were all at least $1.00 and I was irritated and fed up with that booth, so I moved on.  Don’t mess with me when I’m hunting for bargains!  Despite my griping, I did have a great time.  I fell

I am staying with my in-laws in Raleigh, NC and I can hardly resist the opportunity to hit some antique stores while in a new area, so I didn’t.  I dragged my mother-in-law and mom across Raleigh to hit some spots I was told about.  I didn’t come home with any super crazy amazing exciting pieces, but I had a great time and did find some good pieces for myself and to sell.  We started out the morning at Suzanna’s Antiques, which is in a little collection of antique store cottages.  Brittany from Pretty Handy Girl was there to meet us and act as a tour guide.  We also hit the Thieves Market Mall, Gresham’s Antique Mall, Pier One, and Panera bread for lunch.  There were cool pieces everywhere we stopped.  I loved this dresser, but it just needed more work that I wanted to take on at this point

I am not waking up at 4 AM to hit the local department stores to buy electronics and slippers and small appliances.  I am not going to elbow people for the last door buster on the shelf and I am not going to wait in a line that wraps around the store.  Now that I have that out of the way, let me tell you what I am going to do.  I am going to wake up whenever my boys wake me up.  I’m going to shower, get dressed, feed the kiddos, and wait until my husband gets back from breakfast with the guys.  At that point, I am a free bird.  I have declared that tomorrow is my day to hit as may thrift and antique stores that I can handle.  Some local readers and bloggers have shared their favorite places with me and I’m planning to hit the highlights.  I’m

Those of you who get it, get it.  There is an addiction to the thrill of thrifting.  The joy of junking!  The awesomeness of auctions! It is a drug and it’s my drug of choice.  Hook me up to an IV and open the line.  I love hunting for treasures.  I set out for a morning of hitting yard sales and I don’t know what will be in my van when I come home (much to the dismay of my husband.)  Maybe nothing.  Maybe something I’ve been longing after for ten years…and it was only five bucks.  You just never know.  I have admired these industrial shoe carts for a long time, now.  Gail has one in her space at Wild Rose and I’ve admired that one as well.  I’ve never found them at a reasonable price, so when I spotted one on the porch of a local antique shop, I was

I bought a French chair at a yard sale a few weeks ago and the gentleman I bought it from mentioned having an entire storage unit full of his mother’s furniture, much of it French provincial in style.  HELLO!  I handed him a business card and held my breath.  He called and we scheduled a time to meet at the storage facility to see if we could make a deal.  We had to reschedule twice due to rain, but we finally met last Thursday.  I was not disappointed.  I bought this beautiful French settee… …an antique chest of drawers… …a small Bombay chest… …a pair of French chairs (Don’t even ask to buy these chairs.  They are mine.)  …and a small empire shelf, a pair of nightstands, and a couple of luggage racks. I didn’t drive off with any crazy steals (like a truck load of antique doors and furniture for

Here’s the reveal on the pedestal I made yesterday.  Oh, I can’t wait to refinish my orange speckled dining room table.  All of my clients and retail spaces are keeping me way to busy for that!  Anyway, I simply used some super glue to affix a silver candlestick to a small plate.  I’ve had these two pieces for sale on their own, but they really weren’t special and they weren’t selling.  Putting them together makes them special.  If you’re making one of these, give the glue plenty of time to cure.  The glass cloche just happened to fit perfectly and I love it!  I’m tempted to keep it, but I won’t.  I can always make another one down the road.  I spent the afternoon with a friend at the Apple Harvest Festival.  I live in orchard country, so it’s a huge deal and I’ve never been before.  I did find