JunkFest

This Bathing Beauty has great legs!

2012-01-27T00:32:00.017-06:00

This vintage bathtub didn't start out nearly as cute.
Actually, for quite a while, I wondered why I had even purchased her.
She had a unique shape...she was an interesting find...
but she was just so plain!
I had no idea what I could do to bring out her inner beauty....
She definitely needed some help!
See what I mean!?

There was a thick, sloppy coat of white paint on the exterior.
I scraped off a bit to see what kind of metal I was actually dealing with.
I figured that raw metal would be much more appealing
than gloppy white paint, so the stripping began.
I not only got a good workout, and I mean a fabulous workout,
(..that paint was industrial strength!!)
but I got a speck of remover in my eye...so wear those goggles girls!!!
I certainly learned my lesson.

I cleaned and sanded the interior, sealed the seams
and gave it a fresh coat of white paint....

But she still needed something....
hmmm...she definitely was not a claw foot tub...but
maybe claw foot legs would do the trick.

Oh Yeah!
This was a case where the raw metal & the legs made all of the difference!
Now she's got some style...some patina even!
...and the legs made her one of a kind.
I love her now.

Here she is displayed at JunkFest, where she was sold.
I have no idea what her new owner decided to use her for.

I could picture her in a garden filled with flowers.
...or wouldn't she make a fabulous prop in a store window?

Or maybe she was purchased to hold ice and bottles of wine
or champagne at a junk-styled wedding!
...now, wouldn't that be awesome!?

A year and a "hack" later....

2012-01-08T13:06:00.034-06:00

Back in January 2011, I bared my soul with you all in this post about my sewing room....vowing to get things in order and show you the "after."

Here's a shot of the "before" to help jog your memory. If you're not too afraid, I suggest you go back and read the original post.

One year later, and a really cheap PB hack, here's how the room looks today:
I knew I needed some better storage solutions to hold the necessities for all the hobbies I keep diving into: sewing, quilting, paper crafts, etc. After doing the research, I decided the Martha Stewart craft room furniture from the Home Decorators catalog would fit the bill. While waiting for the (un-assembled) furniture to arrive, I painted the room a warm tan. With the shutters closed, and at different times of the day, the color appears a little more fleshy than it actually is.

I am proud to report that I put each and every piece of this furniture together BY MYSELF, thankyouverymuch. The instructions were very easy to follow and I'm quite happy with the storage each cabinet provides.

I built a shelf from a simple board and wooden brackets and painted it white. My intent was to run a dowel through a hole drilled in each bracket to hold spools of ribbon, but the weight of 40 spools of ribbon made the dowel sag in the middle! So the ribbon is now neatly stacked on the shelf, which works just as well.

Below is the desk I made using some unique old table legs found at an auction, and an old 5 panel door.

A comfortable place to blog and surf...

Wire baskets hold future projects and past issues of magazines that I can't part with.

My little sewing corner. I can pull the sewing cabinet out and extend the table for more room.

Or sit and smile at the sweet baby face of someone dear...

The cabinets on the other side serve as storage for sewing supplies (fabric, serger, etc.) and my cutting table.

Thrift store frames painted black house graphic black & white scrapbooking paper for a wall collage.

Here's where the hack comes in. Both Ballard Designs & Pottery Barn sell bulletin boards covered in burlap. I found just the size of bulletin board I needed at the 2nd hand store for two bucks. I had the burlap on hand from another project, so all I needed were the upholstery tacks.

All I did was remove the wooden frame from the cork board,

and cover in ivory colored burlap, staple the back side and glue on a picture hanger.

Twenty minutes and $4 later.....

Below my cutting table are a couple of vintage suitcases that hold quilting patterns and magazines.

In the corner sits a chair that my husband used as a child. On the chair is a pillow crafted by my mother that depicts my childhood home.

Hand stitching, applique and embroidery give the pillow dimension. I love this!

The entry to my sewing room. The cabinet is very special to me as well, and holds some prized heirlooms.

The cabinet was once my grandfather's and refinished by my mom. The sewing machine on top came from Norway in 1880 with my husband's ancestors.

Old photos of my parents and vintage McCoy pottery that holds fabric, notions and other vintage trinkets:

Vintage quilts sewn by both mine and my husband's grandmothers:

My goal was to get this room done in 2011, and in all actuality, I did. Just needed to tweak some things here and there. I'm happy with how the room came together and I finally enjoy spending time here creating.

Thanks for your patience! Had I not posted "the ugly truth" I would never had finished it!

Linking up to BNOP's Met Monday here.

January Wreath Change-up

2011-12-31T09:23:00.014-06:00

Linking up to Becky over at Beyond the Picket Fence!

What do you get when you mix a salvaged grain bin door, an iron pulley, silver tipped garland, wintery trees, an old metal tool box, a Mason jar resting on casters (purchased at JunkFest 2011!) and an old locker basket? Well, let's see now...

...a fireplace mantel and hearth all dressed up for the remainder of

WINTER.
Stay cozy!

Time to ring in 2012!

2011-12-26T08:00:00.004-06:00

We are linking up to Becky over at Beyond the Picket Fence!

Now that Christmas is over, it's time to start thinking about the New Year and all the parties that go along with it! I saw this sweater sleeve idea on the internet, so thought I'd try my hand at making my own version of a wine bottle cover. I think it turned out pretty sweet.

Best part, no sewing required for this girl who despised Home Economics. But, I can embellish - ha!

Since I don't want to buy wine charms, I decided to create my own...from my junk girl stash...

My motto holds true for this old door bell button: Never throw anything away!

They are all so unique in their own way. That's the #1 rule, when you're talkin' wine charms.

So, if you aren't invited to any parties this NYE, create your own!

When the Spirit moves...

2011-12-20T09:31:00.015-06:00

When the spirit moved for me the other day, I knew immediately I had to pull up my boot straps and move with it! And, in case you were wondering, I'm referring to Christmas decor...
I've had my tree and decorations up for a while now....just wasn't feeling very inspired or creative this year. Until I found these stockings I sewed last year and threw in a drawer! My goal for 2012 is "finish what you start" so what better time than the present to start!

The stockings are not your standard size....more for elves I would say. They are made out of osnaberg fabric and embellished with some fun bits and pieces.

I adhered some old watch faces to some pleated ribbon, as well as the numbers 2 and 5....a nod to my junk sister Andrea.

Next up, an aluminum "C" for "Cassie" or "Christ" or "Christmas" and some jingle bells....for dashing through that snow we don't have just yet....

In secret anticipation of said snow, how about a sparkly snowflake ornament with a vintage button taking center stage?

What could be prettier than a vintage mother-of-pearl buckle? How about a m-o-p buckle with some rhinestone bling added?

I used twine to make loops for the stockings, and added some evergreen from one of my shrubs. Yes, the evergreen is dry. We need snow....shh...

They're small enough to hang almost anywhere...

Here they adorn a chippy, open shelf cabinet bottom....my make-shift mantel for the season!

Dear Spirit.....please move me much earlier next year!

Find more holiday spirit here:

Happy Holidays everyone!

Let Heaven and Nature Sing!

2011-12-16T08:00:00.001-06:00

Greetings Junkers!

Hey, my dining room table centerpiece really came together thanks to some outdoor elements...First, take one honking-heavy rusty urn from the garden... Fill with branches and twigs...

Pinecones and logs...

Plus,
A little touch of candlelight

...love!

And as far as Heaven goes....

...in memory of my mother's only sister, Auntie Jean Larson, (my namesake!) who passed one year ago this month. Your family loves and misses you very much!

Holiday Mantel...with a little touch of junk!

2011-12-14T11:00:00.002-06:00

Good morning!

I thought I'd share my dining room mantel with you today.

Are you sick of my "holiday" posts yet?! Yikes.

Do you "spy" the junky elements?

We are really enjoying this nearly snow-free December and mild temps here in North Dakota! Woohoo!

Our last couple winters were simply a nightmare.

We used to have winters like this one, and in my opinion never appreciated them!

Happy Day!

HOLIDAY INSPIRATION

2011-12-13T12:00:00.003-06:00

Where do you find your inspiration? The Bachman House in Minneapolis is all decked out for the holidays! Someone's blog (sorry, I don't remember which one) posted many pictures from the house, but this one caught my eye. I have a LARGE wall above my basement stairway and decided to try and do something similar to this JOY in that space...okay, let's just say "copy it"!Funny thing was, as I was literally hanging over the stairway, balancing by the tips of my toe nails against the railing and wall trying to hang it (and center it all), my 17 year old son gasped and INSISTED on helping me! (Have I mentioned before the child is a peach?!) I did say "no" initially, but then contemplating my situation and realizing his over 6' height would be an advantage, I quickly took him up on his offer! I really like the way it turned out!Not that these are "inspirational", but here are more photo's of my holiday decor, just thought up by my little old self. Hanging above the beast of a tv upstairs:I used fishing line and straight pins to stick them in the ceiling. The two narrow wood windows came from an old hotel.The monster tv sits on an old wash stand but underneath is a vintage suitcase filled with lights and greens.The birdcage sits in the dining room, filled with a beautiful poinsettia plant. I scrubbed up this old rusty chair from my garden, sprayed her with poly and filled her seat with a red poinsettia. Love her.Surprisingly, there is no "junk" on the tree, but it is sitting in a piece. I love this rusty old basket!And last but not least, I had to throw in a picture of my "JOY" hanging helper - son #2 on the left and our even taller college boy on the right. We surprised them early with their Christmas present: GB Packer tickets to last Sunday's game!
May you find the inspiration you need

and much

JOY this holiday season!

Winter Greetings Basket

2011-12-05T09:13:00.006-06:00

It was a wintery weekend here in Carrington, North Dakota! Last week I started decorating my house and admit it has taken me SEVEN days. SEVEN days?! I am a winter/Christmas decorating maniac. This cute little basket I received from junk sis Cassie a couple of years ago. It is adorable, but I decided to change it up a bit and add a little junk to it this year. I started with this buckle-looking item in my stash of small junk goods.
I did consider spraying the buckle white, but hated to wreck it if it didn't turn out just right! I love this white ribbon I bought years ago...still had some left on the roll.

In addition to the junky buckle, I decided to add a couple other old pieces I've acquired, like this old metal cash register number.

Here's the finished product! My alternative to a wreath, all wintery looking and hanging pretty by my back entry door.Welcome Winter!

(Whether we like it or not!)

Hello Winter!

2011-11-29T20:00:00.000-06:00

According to the calendar, winter is here! The Thanksgiving leftovers are gone, and the shopping and decorating are well under way for many. How about you? Have you started?

I'm s l o w l y getting there. Had to have a little chat with myself about my Christmas decorations.....not buying anything new this year. It's so tempting. There's always something new and shiny that catches my eye! I'm easily distracted like that. So, I reluctantly agreed with me. Nothing. new. this. year.

But then.....I saw it. It may not have been shiny, but it caught my eye.

It's not very big. And didn't cost very much. So I broke my own agreement.

Can you tell what it is?

All fluffy and white....just like our ND winters....

No. That's our dog Mollie. That's not it.

This is it! An adorable little feathery white tree! Table top size.....can you see it in a white iron urn? With some white lights, and maybe some silvery or frosty ornaments? Which I won't have to buy because I already have some!

Ok, I caved. But for $2.49, I HAD to buy it. It's just what I needed to get myself going....just in time for winter!

Tell me, do you buy something new each year? Do you stick with a theme for Christmas decor? Are you traditional? Rustic? Junky? Do tell~

Wagons and Dolleys and Carts...OH MY !

2011-11-27T21:48:00.001-06:00

Nuff said.

Before and After, Dining Table Delight

2011-11-21T23:35:00.001-06:00

It's hard to pass up a good ole chunk of wood furniture like this at a garage sale!

The chairs have such sweet detail. (and yes, scratches count as detail too)

The drop leaves make this table perfect for every occasion.

Unfortunately, a previous "very" over-zealous varnish job required paint stripper and lots of sanding.

Ahhh...the chairs are looking much better! And might I say, would look good with either fabric on the seats.

Hey, those legs don't look too shabby!

I mean they look fab shabby.

I mean...I SHABBIED the legs!

And several coats of durable poly later...

TA DAAAA!!!

LINKED TO:

Met Monday

Sometimes being NAKED is better !

2011-11-21T23:22:00.001-06:00

I really never considered that being "naked" would be the better option.

But indeed, these chairs prove me wrong!

Check out our FACEBOOK page, look through the posts, and encourage Tesa to show us what the chairs have been up to...

Harvest Table and Pie

2011-11-07T22:28:00.001-06:00

Harvest is complete, the leaves have fallen from the trees, and....

IT'S TIME FOR SUPPER!!!

This table once stood proud in a school library. But just like the leaves falling from the trees, time for change crosses our path once in a while. And this one needs some serious attention! The high gloss "locker room grey" has got to go.

And oh my goodness, look at that wood on top. "Wood" appear I have my work cut out for me!! (tee hee)

With the rough style and chunky legs, I knew exactly the paint treatment I wanted to try on this table. Not sure what the proper name is for it but I call the technique "dragging" the paint. It's tricky and a bit messy but often gives a nice layered look with the application of a few different shades of paint and a bit of sanding.

Basically you brush a thick layer of paint on a scrap board, then DRAG it along the surface to be painted. EZ PZ, right? Well, you have to watch for drips and streaks but the nice part is that you can continue with more layers until you have the look you desire.

Unless...

You get started and realize it's NOT the right technique for this project. And the oops paint turns out to dry a bit more vomit green than the autumn gold you thought you saw in the can.

Now that's a drag. Pun intended.

Anywho, let's move on with the project! Massive sanding was bringing out the beauty in the wood top. Things were looking up, finally. I did run a bit of Formby's Furniture Refinisher over the top also to get the varnish out of the grooves. Then more sanding!

I love the age that still shows in the freshly sanded planks!

And now I must throw you an apology. You see, as the sale got closer, things became a bit hairy scary at my house. And as surprised as I am to have gotten a few before and "in progress" photos, the "after's" are a bit scarce. Here's the table with wheels added, a wonderful coat of walnut on top, a fresh non-vomit color on bottom, and surrounded by other fabulousness at the sale. Wish I had a better picture for you but it looked divine with all the autumn colors surrounding it!! Almost made me want to bake a pie. Almost.

Linked to:

Furniture Feature Friday

Met Monday

Can this door be saved?

2011-10-28T09:51:00.013-05:00

My brother recently gave me an old door from a house that was destined for demolition. I love everything about this door (except for that brass deadbolt!) from it's chippy white paint, frosted scenic window, perfectly patina'd hardware to the ornate mouldings.

Here's a close-up of the scenic window....absolutely gorgeous!

Here's my problem: The window is cracked in several places and was held together with clear packing tape, which has yellowed with time. All of the pieces are still in place, and the breaks appear to be straight, with no shattering.

Does anybody out there know of any miracle products that will seal or repair the glass as close as possible to its original state?

Or am I better off taking the glass out?

The door is very heavy! If I am unable to repair the glass, I guess I have a few options.....chalk board, cork board, mirror, clear glass with a photo or paper behind.

Any other options? What would you do with it? And where in your house would you put it?

Were You There?

2011-10-24T21:19:00.000-05:00

Were you one of the lucky ones who got your tickets in time for the JunkFest Tickled Pink Friday Evening Event? Because boy oh boy, did they go fast!! We felt SO fortunate to have such a wonderful junk-lovin' bunch of fabulous people that wanted to share the evening with us...and the best part:

A portion of the ticket proceeds went to a breast cancer awareness organization!!

How great is that?!

And...

Each and every ticket holder in attendance received a gift from the JunkFest girls, and if they wore or brought something PINK , they were eligible for door prize drawings too!

*a few pink sticky notes came into play here ;) *

Here's another great thing about the Friday event....

They get the chance to CHECK OUT THE GOODS!

And check out the goods..they did!!

There were some crazy fun doorprizes...

Our guests were greeted by a fairly new local business called Dakota Sun Gardens. Their wine tasting was divine!

We "might" have had a toast or two before the doors were opened. heehee

And the pièce de résistance of the evening (by popular vote) were the hors d'oeuvres, specially prepared by Megan of Culinary Creations-The Chef that Comes to You!

I believe those attending had a nice time chatting while enjoying the wine, hors d'oeuvres, and surroundings.

And to top off our event every year is a secret ingredient.

Our devoted and beautiful family and friends...who we lovingly refer to as

"The Talented and Wonderful Sales Associates of JunkFest!"

(here are just a few of them)

(They look so FAB because they always remember to check their hair in the mirror!)

The biggest payoff always...is the smile on a happy shopper's face, when they find the item that's perfect for them!

I do believe Miss Angela wins the vote of "Miss Photogenic" for this year's event!! Doesn't she look gorgeous!

And don't forget those awesome frat boys who gladly carried the heavy stuff!

Were you there?

Remember a few posts back when I asked if anyone could guess what was up with our fingers? I couldn't help but chuckle when I saw the photo and realized that Cassie and I greeted the guests with ORANGE fingers from marking the flea market areas with orange spray paint! Silly us.

LUCKY GIRL!

2011-10-21T20:56:00.034-05:00

Ahhhh,

Fall is in the air!!

It's time for the autumn colors that we LOVE!
The pumpkin pies!
The crunchy leaves & crisp evenings!
What a fabulous show Mother nature has put on...
Aren't we LUCKY
that we get to enjoy it?!

We want to introduce you to someone else who is LUCKY!
Someone with a great smile and a fun spirit
Someone who entered the North Dakota Travel Sweepstakes...
and WON it!!

Meet Amy Patzer of Jamestown North Dakota!

Yep, she won the awesome Sweepstakes package
that was put on by the ND Tourism Department
and Country Living Magazine.
Amy was nice enough to ask her mother, Joan, to be her guest on this little adventure.

I think Joan was enjoying herself! :)

Not only did they get at attend both the Friday Night "Tickled Pink" Event
and JUNKFEST & the Flea Market on Saturday...
but they also got one nights lodging at the Carrington Inn & Suites
and a private wine tasting at the new Dakota Sun Gardens Winery.

She also got to attend some other local attractions
including a tour of a Minute Man missile site
and luxery accomodations at a cabin on the Reservoir.

It was a great little prize package
and we want to thank everyone who read about it on the blog
or saw it in Country living
and then took the time to enter!
We wish you could have ALL won!!

For the fun of it, I conducted a little interview with Amy:

What did you say when you heard you won the sweepstakes??
At first I thought it was a scam, until he asked me if I remembered signing up for the Country Living/ND Sweepstakes? I said, "Oh, you mean for Junk Fest?!" He laughed, and said that Junk Fest was one part of the prize!

What was the best thing you ate at the Fairgrounds?

I had the most amazing hamburger made with onions fried in Coca Cola!

What was the coolest thing you saw?

Hmmm, that's a tough one. There were so many neat things at Junk Fest! I just love how the talented Junk Fest girls can change junk into beautiful treasures. Dressers, tables, chairs, benches all had beautiful new finishes ready to decorate any home. I especially loved the displays and little accessories scattered throughout.

What did you think about the Main Street shops in Carrington?

We had a wonderful time shopping on Main Street. We found many unique items and the people were so friendly.

What was your most awesome purchase?

I got the cutest pumpkin made out of twigs that is sitting on my mantel now. I also bought some jewelry and a few other things, but boy oh boy, you have to be fast! The shoppers know what they want, the items are gorgeous, and everything sells out very quickly! My mom bought a very unique table that is sitting in her living room now. She also found some really neat accessories.

Are you coming back next year??

Absolutely!!! It was such a fun day!

I just wanted to say, thank you again for such a lovely prize! We had so much fun and really enjoyed our trip to Carrington. We had a nice room at Carrington Inn and Suites. We also had a fabulous time at Dakota Sun Gardens Winery! Everyone was so welcoming and friendly. I'm excited to come back next year!

AMY

Thanks, AMY...we are so glad you and your Mom enjoyed it!!
See you next year!

Until then...
HAPPY FALL!

A quick "Before & After"

2011-10-14T09:01:00.009-05:00

Now that the dust has settled (I think) it's time to get down to the business of before's & after's!
Unfortunately, each new year of JunkFest produces its own brand of crazy, and getting pics of our finished products seems to fall by the wayside. Which means, also unfortunately, that I have a lot of ugly 'before' pics....and not so many 'afters.'

Such is the case with this beautiful oak table I refinished. If you can peek through the white chairs, you'll see that the top has been stained a warm walnut color, and the bottom was painted in Annie Sloan's Old White chalk paint. I used a clear Minwax finishing paste over the chalk paint and did some light distressing.

Here she is before....

This gal has some history....

That we don't even want to know about!

Clearly, some TLC was in order.

Another shot of her at JunkFest 2011....or at least the top of her anyway.

I paired her with some cute white chairs with aluminum numbers on the back (in case you forget where you were sitting).

Yes, that's it for 'after' pics. Sorry. If the sweet woman with the discerning taste who purchased
this lovely has any shots of her in her new home, we'd love to see them! Meanwhile, I'm linking up with Donna's SNS, and MMS's Furniture Feature Friday.

Thanks for stopping by!

And More...

2011-10-11T16:47:00.000-05:00

Just a few more pics of the displays in place for the Friday Event. Please excuse me if I've doubled up on a few!

Up next...the Evening Event...

As Promised...Sale Photos

2011-10-09T23:39:00.009-05:00

Here they are...finally!! The 7th Annual Junk Fest has come and gone and we had a blast. Here's a sampling of the displays set up for the Friday Evening Tickled Pink Event.

(disclaimer: The JunkFest Girls assume no responsibilty for junk photo overload. Proceed with caution!)

***Photos in this post and following sale posts are possible in part by the photography talents of Judy Keller and Amanda Ockert.***

The tables are set, and we've freshened up a bit ...ok, maybe we look a tad worn. It's been a long week! But we're ready for our guests!!!

What's that? Were Cassie and Missy helping Peter the Pumpkin Eater pick his nose? or WHAT! If you can guess what we were doing, I'll show you more photos!!!!

Leave your guess in the comments!!!

Litte Things are Big Things in Disguise.

2011-10-02T00:19:00.002-05:00

With JunkFest 2011 under my belt, I've decided it's time to take a deep breath, back up, regain my focus on what's important, and take note of the little things (that are really the BIG things in disguise).

On a recent family journey for a beautiful wedding celebration for a FABULOUS couple...I wanted to take the opportunity to show my kids a memorial on which my baby brother's name and photo is forever inscribed. His photo is on the right, at the age of 23.

I wanted this short visit to remind my kids, and myself, that how we spend our days is more precious than we know... and sometimes we get caught up in the crazy chaos around us without even realizing it.

So once in a while, we have to remind ourselves to

S L O W D O W N ! ! !

Got it? OK.

Enough of me being sappy and all. And I think I speak for all the JunkFest Girls when I say...that even though we are in "back to family" mode now, we had a BLAST at JunkFest! And we are super excited to be making plans already for next year...with some exciting changes to come with it.

Up next....SALE PHOTOS !!!

JunkFest Heroes

2011-09-27T08:13:00.005-05:00

(JunkFest '09)

It's time to disembark from the roller coaster that is JunkFest and pay tribute to our friends and family who take this crazy ride with us! We had another incredible year, thanks to YOU! From getting down on your hands & knees to scrub something, running errands, hauling heavy objects, bringing us food (junk girls gotta eat!) helping customers, and knowing when a hug is needed......you help us realize our dream each and every year. For that....for YOU, we are amazed, humbled, and eternally grateful!

To our dear readers: thanks for your patience over the lack of posts.....we've been resting!

Stay tuned though....great pictures coming soon!

The facts about JunkFest!

2011-09-14T08:45:00.021-05:00

HEY! IT'S ALMOST

TIME

FOR

JUNKFEST!
WOOHOO!

FOLLOW THE

SIGNS...

LET THEM BE YOUR GUIDE!

YOU'LL SEE MANY SMILING FACES!

PLUS
YUMMY EATS
FROM FOOD VENDORS

ON SITE!

JUNK HUNKS

TO HELP YOU CARRY OUT YOUR FAB PURCHASES!
(AND THEY'LL LOAD 'EM IN YOUR VEHICLE)
OVERFLOWING

THE FAIRGROUNDS

AND OUT-BUILDINGS WILL BE

!!!
FLEA MARKET VENDORS GALORE

!!!

SHOWCASING SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE!

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST

YOU WILL FIND GREAT

JUNKFEST MERCHANDISE!

(Note: All photo's from previous sales)

ONE-OF-A-KIND ITEMS!

This year promises some amazing

industrial

items like these pieces sold at

a previous JunkFest sale!

INCREDIBLY

COOL SCALES
you will find tabletop ones too!

ONE-OF-A-KIND ITEMS!

(Oh, did we say that already?!)

UNIQUE, INTERESTING and FABULOUS!

DESKS, TABLES, CHAIRS...

and SERIOUSLY FUN DRESSERS!

LOTS OF "NEVER THOUGHT OF"

REPURPOSED ITEMS!

YOU WILL GO HOME

WITH SOME

SERIOUSLY FABULOUS

JUNK IN YOUR TRUNK!
7th Annual Autumn

JUNKFEST and Flea Market

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Foster County Fairgrounds

Carrington, North Dakota

"The Central City"

***

9:00a.m. -3:00p.m.

$5 Admission

Kids and parking are FREE!

Never Forget

2011-09-11T08:10:00.000-05:00

Presto Chango

2011-09-09T22:18:00.003-05:00

Ta Daa!!

JunkFest...Be There or Be Square!

2011-09-08T07:37:00.005-05:00

Is your stomach all in KNOTS thinking about winter around the corner?

Feeling like you're UP AGAINST THE WALL with your busy schedule?

WOOD you like something totally festive and fun to do to take your mind off your troubles?

Well.....SPRING into action!! Make your plans to join us at JunkFest! Saturday, September 17th, 2011, at the fairgrounds in Carrington, ND. 9a-3pm, the JunkFest building filled with junky goodness, and over 75 Flea Market vendors will fill the grounds!

So hurry! Make your plans to spend the day, or the weekend...before you're all BOTTLED up in the house for winter!

You will KNOT be disappointed!!!

Time For School!!!

2011-09-05T13:42:00.003-05:00

Signs of autumn are just starting to be all around us, and with the kids going back to school, two things are for sure...

...the grocery bill will be less,

...and JUNKFEST is just around the corner! *WINK*

These desks once stood in the Sykeston Parish School. I'm thinking they held some pretty mischevious boys by the names of Dennis, Gary, Richard, Jimmy, Jerry, Duane, and more! ( I hear tell that the Nuns would do their best to keep these boys in line but occasionally had to give them a slap on the hand with the ruler...those silly naughty boys!)

Words of Advice for the JunkFest girls...

2011-08-30T11:12:00.021-05:00

COUNTDOWN TO JUNKFEST!!!
Here are just a few words of advice for my JunkFest girlfriends who've been slaving away these spring and summer months creating awesome junk masterpieces for ya all!

FIRST OF ALL REMEMBER:

YOU HAVE ALOT OF FANS!

(And I'm your biggest cheerleader!)

Even though time is ticking away and getting closer to the big day...don't "pressure up"!

Take time to smell the flowers...

Don't forget to eat!

Cause soon there'll be time for this...
(I can taste it!)

BUT...JUST STAY FOCUSED!

...Cause Autumn is almost here!

So, junk lovers everywhere!

ARE YOU AS READY FOR

JUNKFEST NO. 7

AS MUCH AS I AM?!

You read that right - NO. 7!

Be there or be square:

Foster County Fairgrounds

Saturday, September 17th

9:00 - 3:00

$5 Admission - kids are free!

Summer Wine Storage

2011-08-25T09:15:00.000-05:00

Good morning junkers! My junk buddie, Cassie, gave me this awesome colored hose reel for my birthday last year! She knows me well as I have Robin's egg blue as an accent color in my family room. When summer finally rolled around, I decided to bring this cutie upstairs to use for wine storage. A little re-purpose, so to speak. It worked great for keeping bottles close at hand when friends popped in for a visit.And since I have a little blue in the dining room, it matched well with the rug under the table.

I refuse to think summer is over just because school has started again! We up here in the North are praying the remainder of our summer days are warm and dry. How about we toast to it?!

Look hard, the "Pretty" is in there!

2011-08-18T23:22:00.006-05:00

Did you ever just step back and take a good look at the SHAPE of an object? It's often the shape that gives a piece character...

As I sit here ~~washing away my gray~~ doing yoga... I decided to share a cute little thing I saw earlier this evening. While working on some goodies for JunkFest, and wearing the ugliest, but "easiest to slip on" shoes, I happened to notice the adorable footprint these ugly little shoes leave behind!

(Now wouldn't it be grand if every footprint we make on this earth were as adorable?) It just goes to show that if you judge by what's on the surface instead of what may be hiding underneath...you might miss out on something fabulous!

Our junk projects aren't always beautiful when we start with them either. Some worse than others. But we pull up our sleeves, get to work, and bring them back from doom to the point where they can move on to a new home and start a new set of footprints.

This bedroom set isn't starting ugly at all, like some projects do, but is tired and ready for a much needed facelift.

You'll have to come to JunkFest to see the results!

Speaking of JunkFest. You've probably noticed our absense lately. We've been working on some goodolejunk, and taking calls from vendors. The Tickled Pink Event is sold out so I hope to see many of you on September 17th!

Oooh...we're Tickled Pink!

2011-08-04T23:33:00.007-05:00

Once again...the JunkFest Girls will be hosting an evening affair...

~~Tickled Pink~~

We'll be Junkin' for a Cause! Because...

a portion of the ticket proceeds will go to

Breast Cancer Awareness.

(google images)

We've teamed up with some young men from Pi Kappa Alpha, at the University of North Dakota, and in exchange for some "junk hunk" tasks, we will be making a charitable donation to their philanthropic cause...

Breast Cancer Awareness (through Altru Health Systems)

We think this is a Win-Win!

The Friday Evening Tickled Pink Event is private to ticket holders only!!

~Shop~Sip~Savor~

The event will be held on Friday September 16th, 6:30pm-8:30pm.

You'll be able to browse and shop the JunkFest building while enjoying hors d'oeuvres and a wine tasting. Each ticket holder will receive a gift.

To make the evening even more fun...you must wear or bring something PINK to be eligible for doorprizes.

Tickets go on sale August 6th and can be obtained by emailing hafner5@daktel.com, but quantities are limited!

$35 (includes Saturday gate fee)

The JunkFest building will be restocked for the Main Event, Saturday September 17th.

The FLEA MARKET, also on Saturday, has grown by leaps and bounds and will knock your socks off this year! It's bigger than ever...and we'll share more about that soon!

As these photos show...a good time was had by all last year!

Wine crates: They aren't just for breakfast anymore! :)

2011-07-31T23:46:00.019-05:00

...Ha Ha

Do you ever get tired of stripping, sanding and painting?
And you have a piece of furniture staring you in the face,......
just begging you to do something "out of the box"?

I did.

This little white dresser was in great structural shape, but she definitely needed a face lift!
(And paint alone wasn't going make anyone give this girl a second look, she was pretty plain.)
After looking around in my stash o junk, I thought i might have the answer...

Wine crate panels!
They are graphic and charming and the pine is easy to cut.
I decided to attempt to make a wine crate "slip cover"!

I began covering all the edges in assorted pine trim pieces from the local lumberyard.
It was kind of fun actually...because I. LOVE. MY. NAILGUN!
Measure, cut, glue and nail....repeat as necessary.

Laying out the top, I tried to make it visually interesting
and showcase some fun graphics on the wine crate panels.
I added some trim to act like a frame and give it a nice finished edge.

Most of the drawers just got covered in plain pine wood.

Except the top drawer, i added a wine crate panel to her and some more detailed trim pieces.

Now on to the hardware.
It had to be kind of rustic like the pine crates, kind of masculine
...and yet I kind of wanted to use something unexpected.
Hmmm...how about leather straps!

See those colorful belts from the thrift store? Perfect!...Really!
I just cut away all of the colored belt material and attached the leather pieces.

I thought they were pretty darn cute...and fit the piece so well.
(forgive me for the poor quality photos)

A light stain rubbed over all toned down that new pine look.

Here she is in all of her new found rustic beauty.
Earthy and mellow, with just a hint of sweetness...just like I like my wine! HA

(She sold at JunkFest 2010...
but you never know she could have a sister showing up in 2011!)

Go drink some wine, people...there are naked dressers everywhere!!

Before and After...a quick fixer upper.

2011-07-26T08:23:00.003-05:00

Wanna sit here a while with me and have a glass of wine? Oops, it's still morning...make that COFFEE! We can chat about our love of junk, right?! Tell me what you like to do with your junk...do you usually love it as is, all natural in it's former self? Or do you like to give your junk a bit of a fresh facelift? How do you decide?

That decision for me is sometimes quite easy, but sometimes also quite difficult. I love the natural time worn elegance and "life" marks most pieces present to me. Sometimes, however, a fresh look is in order. Take a look at the picture below. The wood trim on this room divider is dark and gets lost between the sweet toile panels. I debated. Facelift won.

And below is the after. The wood now frames the toile and brings out a lighter tone to the entire look of the room divider. The pictures really don't show how gorgeous this is (had to flash, sorry!)....and it looks SaWeet by my bistro set.

Tempted. To. Keep. It. But since it blocks the view out the door, I won't. You'll find this item at JunkFest! And a whole lot more!

Christmas in July!

2011-07-15T13:56:00.014-05:00

When you only have one sale per year, not only do you have to appeal to the masses, but you have to cover each holiday as well! Sometimes when you look at a piece, you might not know what you're going to do with it, but you may have a certain holiday in mind...

Last week I showed you this piece, in my "name that junk" post....

No definate answers, but some good ideas. No matter. I thought it was cool and had a vision that included fresh greenery, candle light, and shiny, reflective baubles.

That was the before, this is the after:

After a couple rounds with some white spray paint, and some "distress" sanding it was starting to look like exactly what I had envisioned.

I found some chunky glass votive or tea light holders that fit perfectly in the holes.

For some added elevation and bling to tie in with the glass balls, I added some cut glass knobs that I had in my stash.

Some freshly plucked Juniper berries fit nicely in the otherwise vacant holes...

This mix of textures is pleasing to the eye...

Almost makes me anxious for Christmas.....but I'll wait!

Have a great weekend!

Now Dat's One Whoop A$$ Bar

2011-07-10T18:00:00.003-05:00

If you're going to have a can of Whoop A$$ Peanuts...you'd better have a heck of a bar to serve them on! And you'd better not hesitate...or you're a damned fool!! Mae West said it best!

After aquiring this door...thank goodness for store owners who call before discarding...I spent a bit of time scratching my head wondering what best I could accomplish with it. This was not your typical door. Once a store front entrance, this door was grande...and HUGE. It stood extra tall, was extra thick (almost 3 inches), had an enormous beveled glass window, and took THREE adults to get it out of the basement of the store in which it once resided.

It was fabulous.

But maybe a tad unsightly.

So I went to work. Starting by removing some of the hardware and stripping off the old layers of paint.

A little less green...a little more wood!

By this time the door had spoken to me like only junk does, and a vision of a bar was rolling around in my brain.

It was going to take more than the door to make a bar, so I pulled out the heavy wood sides of an upright piano that had been waiting for it's turn at a new life. The veneering was not in good condition so had to be scraped off, and the wood had to be sanded down for staining.

The stripping, the scraping, the sanding...by now the bar was worth about a gazillion bucks in sweat equity. And there was lots more to be done!

I really felt my creation needed a fabulous focal point. Think, think, think. Yes...etch a name right into that awesome beveled glass window.

"Bar"? too plain

"Wine and Spirits"? too fancy

"Social"? only my silly family would "get" that one

"Saloon"? PERFECT!!

So I went on a search for the perfect font to fit the name, then graphed it out on a sheet of paper so I could graph it larger on contact paper for etching the glass. (this was in my pre-projector days)

It took a bit of time to get the graphing drawn bigger, apply the contact paper to the glass, then cut out the wording with an exacto knife. Then after the etching cream had been on long enough I had dear hubs help get the door out where the etching cream could be rinsed off with the garden hose. Love. The. Results. !

Now time to stain all the wood a warm, dark walnut. Then protect with polyurethane. OK, I'm thinking it needs to be several gazillion bucks by now and I'm not even close to being done! Oofda.

The entire time I'm working on the door and the piano pieces...my mind continually wanders further into the project to determine the best route to finish it.

This is a constant for Junker Fixer Upper People. We don't often just automatically start and finish a project. They're usually a work in progress and as we move along the ideas keep flowing. Some get tried and tossed by the wayside.

For instance, the bar needed a TOP. How about another door? Ok, I tried a few I had around. Nope. I just wasn't feelin' it. Then I remembered some old lumber I had around...ahhh, perfect.

I also added some half porch posts to the front, the patina they added was FAB!

Some glass shelves and a wine glass rack on the back side for perfect display and storage. And the bar was assembled with brackets, making the heavy beast perfectly portable by simply separating into sections.

What do you think???

Would anyone like to see another bar at JunkFest? We've had several varieties and no two will ever be alike! Perhaps another will be conjoured up from the junk piles.....

And did I charge several gazillion bucks for the bar? No, I did not. It was a labor of love and I am SO happy with the results. It's by far one of my proudest junk feat moments, and I wanted the new owners to be happy with their new bar...and it's price!

Linked to:

Met Monday 129

Furniture Feature Friday

Vintage Inspiration Friday

Name that junk..and a vendor update!

2011-07-01T20:50:00.005-05:00

Greetings fellow junkers and readers! Summer is finally here in ND, and with it comes the junking. And there has been some really good junking going on! On a recent haul I found this "object" and have great plans for a repurpose, but I have no idea what it is. Do you?

Looks like a repair job was in the works before it was abandoned....lots of wood filler here and there...

See the entire length of the side in the below pic? Yes, that's wood filler. I'm guessing the project ended when the wood filler ran out!

Stay tuned for the reveal. I've got lots of projects in the works...unfortunately not too many are near the completed stage!

On to the vendor update: We have over 70 vendor spaces sold so far! All indoor spots are SOLD OUT! Plenty of outdoor spots left, but hurry! They're filling fast! We have a great line up this year...something for everyone. Watch for some vendor spotlights coming this summer.

Give me a holler if you know what my mystery object is! Enjoy your weekend!

Head over to Donna's SNS #88 for some great indoors-out inspiration!

Riddle me This...

2011-06-14T20:14:00.004-05:00

Riddle number 1: What tasty delightful yummy beverage do the JunkFest Girls often ~~drink~~ speak of?
Answer: Hmmm...let me think....uhm....WINE!

Riddle number 2: What is wood, red, and has holes in it?

Answer: A "SUPERB" wooden granery door....weathered to perfection!!

What do you get when you put it all together????

A RIDDLING RACK!

After aquiring this fabulous naturally patina'd wood door, I knew exactly what I wanted to do to reinvent it. I've seen Riddling Racks in magazines and in the web world and adore them, but the price tags are usually WAY out of the ballpark.

This was not the time for cordless tools...so I pulled out the Big Dog Drill.

I mapped and planned and dabbled with the placement and number of bottles it could hold.

Kinda looks like a woodpecker with OCD, doesn't it?

I sealed her up with good ole durable polyurethane.

I also built a back rest so it could stand (teepee style). That way it could be be a stand alone piece and not need to be against a wall. The "Superb" is from an old ringer washstand...cute huh?

I hope it's happy in it's new home!!

It's hip to be SQUARE...

2011-06-14T16:26:00.037-05:00

I don't know about you, but I am not the most fond of octagonal shapes...

...especially in my furniture.

Exhibit A:

I'm more fond of squares and rectangles...

JunkFest 2009

...But after seeing these legs, I knew she had potential!

The octagonal top was the first thing to go.
...as far as I was concerned, it was an instant improvement!

Some minor repairs and she was ready to be topped with a piece of travertine tile (left over from a bathroom floor project).

A coat of oil rubbed bronze paint gave her a nice crisp finish and some moulding was applied as a frame around the tile...

A little hardware made her more useful so a towel or some utensils could be hung from this much cuter and much squarer little gem.

She was sold at last year's JunkFest...I picture her in someones kitchen as an additional prep counter....or holding some neatly folded towels in the corner of a bathroom...but she could be useful almost anywhere.

I think this project proves beyond a shadow of a doubt:

Sometimes, just sometimes, when life throws you an octagon,
the only right answer is...... going topless!
Ha Ha
;)

My Three Hours of Bliss.

2011-06-09T23:10:00.010-05:00

I don't generally post many of my current finds...in an effort to keep the suspense and element of surprise for JunkFest.

But a recent morning of garage sale success has me bubbling over with glee and gratitude, so I'd like to share.

You see...a fact about junkers that is commonly overlooked is our appreciation.

For without the time and effort a homeowner puts into having a garage sale (instead of tossing to the trash)...

or the courtesy call from a business owner, neighbor, or farmer down the road (instead of opting to discard)...

we junkers would have no outlet of opportunity to unleash our creative juices.

These goods are the canvas of OUR art.

Without them we can't do what we do, and we can't be who we are.

We express ourselves by repairing, restoring, refinishing, repurposing, and reinventing.

And so we say "Thank You" for making it possible for us to find our canvas, work our magic and in turn allow you to enjoy a piece that may have been destined to be discarded and forgotten.

Fireplace screen fun

2011-06-06T09:30:00.001-05:00

Call me crazy. Yep, I'm a crazy girl. Crazy Junk Girl. That's me! This found object - the front "face" of a tractor - in my mind was an awesome junk-yard find from the moment my eyes caught sight of it- bird poop and all!

I gotta admit I knew exactly what this cool item would be "repurposed" into. When turned over I saw it had this cool "shelf"...hmmmm!

After a dang good cleaning and a few coats of polyurethane, she was ready to go!

Ahhh...rust perfection!

Now, ideally this tractor grill-turned-fireplace screen would be perfect placed in front of a faux fireplace. But, after spiffing her up I placed her in front of my working fireplace, just to give you the idea of how she looks.

***

I think she's pretty darn cool.

Another thought I had is to hang it above a boys' bed (minus the candles), or on a wall in an office or den...whatcha think?

Hey - don't be afraid to show your crazy side!

If you can't make it....

2011-05-31T16:46:00.017-05:00

Hello readers! I want to start this post off by letting you all in on a little secret. Or perhaps a misconception, if you will. If you're a junker, then you already know this and can skip down to the next paragraph...Junkers are very clever, resoursceful people. We can pull rabbits out of hats. We make things out of other "things" that most people would discard. Give us some string (vintage, of course!) a couple rusty hinges and some dried out barnwood and we've got the makings of the most gorgeous bar, hoosier cabinet, or bench you've ever seen! Did I mention, some of us exaggerate a bit? Anywho, when we can't make it or find it....we buy it!

Case in point:

I have long been pining for one or many of these curvy French-style chairs. The vintage variety seem to be almost non-existent here in NDWOJ (North Dakota world of junk). During a recent stop at a TJ Maxx store, I spotted a pair of these lovelies. The chair gods were smiling down on me!

These girls were already dressed in creamy canvas fabric and bedazzled in swirly, stampy, illegible typography! I didn't have to do a thing to them, except load them into my vehicle and take them home....serendipity!

Graceful, subtle curves....

Distressed in all the right places...

Sigh.....

The resident pooch even gave her nod of approval.

It's my new favorite spot in the house! Her partner is residing upstairs in my sewing/craft room....which you'll get a peek at soon.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great week!

Romance in Photos...Your Votes are Needed

2011-05-23T23:48:00.008-05:00

(Google images)

There's just nothing more romantic than a young couple in love.

(I know this because I see it often in my son and his wonderful bride-to-be!)

I recently got an email from a VERY proud Mom of a local hometown sweetheart who is also engaged to be married.

(Mom images)

Their names are Allison and Luke, and their story is very sweet and very genuine. As young as they are, they've both endured their share of challenge and heartache. And yet they endure, and their bond is strong because of it.

To top off the excitement of a wedding, this couple has been chosen as finalists in a wedding photography package! Time is short, and they need your VOTES to win this package!!

(Mom images)

Check out the contest and finalists at Katie Lewis Photography, inc. The photography on this site is absolutely stunning. I think I drooled while perusing the site.

(Google images)

And don't forget to VOTE!! for Allison and Luke!!!

Framed Art

2011-05-20T08:30:00.003-05:00

Here's a little project with a long history in the making. I've had this tin ceiling tile for what seems like ages. While working on different JunkFest projects, it never quite fit or created the look I was going for. Low and behold in my "to throw" pile I eyed this glass-long-gone window frame that looked to be about the same size...yesiree - it appeared a marriage was about to occur!Simple nails with heads large enough to grab the tin where attached to the frame and holy cats, folks - I actually had a nice piece of "art"!But I couldn't stop there. Maybe I needed to add a few black and white photographs?

This photo of my little nieces was perfect. I added magnets to some old earrings for a bit of sparkle, even though these little girls don't need any more sparkle - they are adorable just the way they are!

A quick spray of poly so more paint won't peel was the ticket.

***
It makes a pretty big "statement" now all framed in my spare bedroom!

I also glued magnets to these random numbers...I adore the look of black, silver and white together.

***

Sure hope you're having a great junky day!

Win a trip to JunkFest!!

2011-05-18T12:05:00.028-05:00

If you've never been to JunkFest....here's your chance! ND Tourism, in conjunction with Country Living Magazine (yes, Country Living!) is offering a vacation package for 4 nights in our great state of North Dakota! Two of those four nights include lodging at the Carrington Inn & Suites, a private tour of the beautiful Dakota Sun Gardens Winery, and passes to the 7th Annual Autumn JunkFest & Flea Market!! But wait, there's more! Those passes to JunkFest include exclusive early-bird shopping (beat the crowds!) AND 2 stylin' junk totes filled with goodies!

Also included in the prize package is 2 nights lodging at the scenic Lakeview Meadow Resort, Jamestown, a historic tour of the Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile Site, $200 in travel vouchers, as well as food vouchers for some fabulous area restaurants!

What are you waiting for? Even if you're a ND native, this would be a great girls' getaway weekend! Who doesn't want to be wined & dined and sent home with some great junk in their trunk?!

For more information or to enter, click here......but don't delay....sweepstakes deadline is Monday, May 23rd!

Tablescape #3 - Andrea's Table!

2011-05-13T12:30:00.001-05:00

We hope you've been following along with our Tablescape series!

Next up is Andrea's Table:

"Remnants of Spring"...
***
She incorporated "spring" into her table in several ways (and we all know we could sure use ALOT of spring right now!)

First, were the old music sheets with springtime song titles...

Her centerpiece was the seat frame (and springs!) from a rusty old farm truck. Thrift store juice glasses filled with water held birch branches and cut flowers.

Old door knobs were filled with water and a single stem of a flower...

another touch of SPRING!

Her mis-matched cream and white dishes and coffee cups went well with the chocolate and Robin's egg blue colors.

Here's a shot of the birch branches she used in the centerpiece - they had just recently budded!

She used her favorite paisley tablecloth for a vintage look.

For a bit of whimsy, she added metal cow tags to the glass stems.

Next up we will be sharing a few of the other tables at the event!

Please stay tuned!

You guessed it.....we're linking up to Donna's SNS 81!

Tablescape #2 - Cassie's Table!

2011-05-11T08:59:00.019-05:00

We are back today as we continue our Tablescape Series! As we mentioned in our previous post, Cassie, Lynette and Andrea participated in the Carrington Auxiliary Tablescapes last weekend. See Lynette's table HERE.

***

Up next is Cassie's table, entitled:

"Garden Party - Vintage Style!"

Her centerpiece was this large, lovely cloche atop a base made from old wood-stove legs attached to a round piece of wood. Under the springtime bulbs is a fabulous round grate. Gorgeous, huh?

A close-up surrounding the base of the centerpiece are some garden rocks, sprinkler nozzle heads and plants, fun, fun!

A few vintage photographs were tucked in here and there...

Even the chairs were spruced up! Love the vintage garden tool!

The fern leaves under the stoneware plates were a gorgeous touch! The white and green were simply stunning together.

The lucky ticket holders at her table received a special gift of flower bulbs!

***
Up Next will be Andrea's Table!

We'll be hanging out with Donna over at SNS 81.....join us?

Can you say Tablescape?

2011-05-09T19:15:00.007-05:00

Hello all you tablescape lovers, we have a special treat for you this week! On Saturday a tablescapes luncheon was held by the Health Center Auxiliary in our community of Carrington, ND. The funds raised at the event will be used to help purchase medical monitoring equipment for our ambulances.

Cassie co-chaired the event (on a fractured foot, no less!). Lynette, Cassie and Andrea each participated this year by decorating their own tables. It was so much fun!

We will start off this tablescape series of posts with Lynette's table.

It was called "Springtime Flea Market - Open Rain or Shine".

***

This lovely, heavy statue was part of the centerpiece for her table. She was perfectly worn and weathered and adorned with some junky jewels and a flower. Awesome, huh?

At the base of the statue stood, well, another statue of course!

The bow tie was the perfect touch!

Around the base of the statues were all sorts of great, interesting objects she has found at flea markets and thrift stores. It was all so stunning together and these pictures really don't do it justice - it was colorful and F-U-N!

The details on her amber-colored glasses were beautiful. Lynette attached metal numbers and letters to the stem - the perfect touch!

Her plates were a grey and cream, and in between them and the top glass plate was a peacock feather. Cool.

Another fabulous detail: Old wrist watches used as napkin rings...

Oh, didn't I mention over the table hung this umbrella? Crystals hung on fishing line to resemble raindrops. Wow! (Get her theme now? - Springtime Flea Market - rain or shine!)

As if that wasn't enough, the luncheon guests at her table each received a small homemade pecan pie made by Lynette! (It was yummy, by the way!)

"Carol could never be sure if it was her sexy glasses that kept Howard lingering at the table...or if it was her pecan pie."

Hilarious, Lynette, and your table was over-the-top!

*Stay tuned to our blog: Cassie's table is up next!*

We're partying with Donna at SNS 81....come along!

My Farmhouse Table

2011-05-01T00:01:00.011-05:00

See anything you like? MEEEEE TOOOOOO!!!!!!!

That ruff and tuff table with the chippy white legs....she was one of my picks. Yay!

Ironically, it didn't look in any better shape once it was in my barn. :( Isn't there some magic "trailer fairy" that fixes up your junk while in transport? If anyone knows of one please share!

The top was a bit rough so I sanded. And sanded. And sanded.

Then I sanded with both hands! Enough already!

Just look at that chippyliscousness though. So worth it!

Kind of reminds me of my own legs...and their imperfections. HA.

On to the staining. I used my all time FAVORITE stain (with sheen included) in Plantation Walnut.

To my dismay this product from a company that rhymes with MINWAX has been discontinued and replaced with a waterbased alternate....which is no where close to the same color. Uhg.

(I would say a few more things about how I really feel about that particular company discontinuing my favorite stain, but I decided to keep my post clean.)

A few coats of satin poly to make it "eat and drink" ready and straight to my kitchen it went.

Taa. Daa.

Linking to:

A Greeting...and a wall word do-it-yourself.

2011-04-24T09:02:00.003-05:00

I promised to share how I made my wall word out of vinyl without a stencil cutting machine...

but...

first and foremost...the JunkFest Girls would like to extend a heartfelt Easter greeting to all of you! Whether this is a special Christian holiday for you, or not, we want to remind you to take some time today to REFLECT.

Reflect on the goodness in your life and the family and friends that surround you.

On to the "home made" wall words. I don't have a die cutter and have an ongoing offer from a Junk Sista to cut anything I need. But of course I was a bit impatient and decided to give a few small projects a try.

I started by printing my intended fonts, then taped them to adhesive back vinyl.

With an exacto knife I cut through the paper into the vinyl. Make sure you use a cutting board for this!! (for some reason I missed a picture of this step) After you've cut along every line, remove your paper and look over the word or number to make sure you've cut through the vinyl as well.

Now peel away everything BUT what you want to use.

You'll notice here that I'm not so steady with the exacto knife. This is where the die cutter's have the advantage, but for a quickie job I decided this will do for now.

Here's the trick to this project. Press'n Seal. (no endorsement intended) If you've ever used vinyl wall words you know that there's a top and bottom layer over your vinyl. The press'n seal acts as your top layer. Rub it over the vinyl, then you can peel off the adhesive backing.

This way you can carry your stencil and work it onto it's new placement. Rub it in place very well, then carefully peel the press'n seal off.

Taa. Daa.

This would be better if I had more patience and a steadier hand for the exacto knife! But it's good for a quickie job to spruce up for company.

Happy Easter!

My mind wanders...

2011-04-18T22:54:00.004-05:00

I needed light. I needed vintage.

And this is how the post started.

So...I hung a display of vintage mirrors on my living room wall. And they do help a bit reflecting some light around the room.

And then the post took a turn... because I have some exciting news I just have to share. While I was goofing off at an auction last weekend, my hubby was checking out the latest and greatest (but not the most expensive!!) in digital cameras.

My trusty SLR was doomed to spend the rest of it's days in the camera bag since we got a digital several years ago. I missed the versatility of changing lenses but soon became fond of being able to delete the "bad" pics with the touch of a button.

Who wants to get film developed just to even see if the pictures turned out!?

But Sweet Man-O-Mine found out that those old SLR lenses of ours would work on a new fandangled Sony digital camera!

Well holy bean soup, who'd a thunk it.

Of course me being me....I protested.

"I don't want to carry around a HUGE camera anymore!" I said.

But when I got that new camera in my hands...it was like apple pie fresh from the oven. Yummy.

I can CHOSE when I want to focus myself. I can CHOSE when I want the flash to go off! And those poor lonely lenses got dusted off and put back to use.

(sorry old Minolta...you have to stay in the bag.)

Meanwhile, I'm playing with hubby's new camera (yes, he's a keeper!) and this is what it's STILL looking like in good ole North Dakota. Good grief.

Even this poor little bird is wondering where spring is but was ever so photogenic.

(this pic taken with the new camera through a thick glass paned door)

Oh yeah, and that auction I was at...here's my prize purchase. Say what?!

Me thinks this one went to the birds!

(And of course I had to color out my messy garage so I could show you!)

And so the post ends. Now, what was I posting about? Oh yeah, mirrors. Will post next on a trick for doing the vinyl wall words if you don't have a fancy dancy cricut machine.

Linked to: SNS #89

Cha cha cha...chalkboards!

2011-04-13T23:25:00.011-05:00

I totally DROOL over chalkboards...

There are so many ways to enjoy them, and so many options to even make your own! I've done a bit of both. I love me a sweet vintage chalkboard like this one.

But. If there's a flat surface in my way...WATCH OUT! It just might get smathered with chalkboard paint!

And now...there's a linky party over at Whisperwood Cottage that is sure to make my heart go "pitter-patter"! Shall we go check it out????

(I threw this little vignette together in my kitchen and tweaked it by "stealing" from other displays in my house just for this post....but hey...that's how we do it right? Staging at it's best for a blog photo, heehee.)

My pantry door chalkboard is one of my faves! It has shown everything from:

Mom's Chocolate Cake Recipe...

To simply doodle...

To young people art...

To classic Christmas stories!!

With Rudolph!

And then there's my GIRL. She's a hot babe, dontcha think???!!!!

I really wish I could show you the rest of my old kitchen(not a kitchen anymore)/laundry room/sewing room/ craft and painting room/and unfortunately "catch all" room, but I haven't worked up the courage to share this mess with the world yet. When my sister said it scared her...I knew it was bad!

Vintage crumbs of course!

Even dated old wall art can become fun and functional with chalkboard paint!

Oh yes, and then there's my other GIRL. I don't think I've done a post on her yet.

I've tried several brands of chalkboard paint, brush on and spray, some better than others. But in the end...it's just a great fun way to jazz up a surface!! I can't wait until I WIN some Americana Chalkboard Paint from DecoArt...cause Amy's gonna pick me!!!! ;)

My One Day Texas Dream

2011-04-08T08:44:00.067-05:00

Yep! I did it! I finally got to Texas for the infamous "Antiques Week" and made my way down to Zapp Hall! Just like my post title says...I had ONE day to spend at the show, so I had to make it good! Now that I've been there, I know better! Next time I'll spend a week....and take a trailer!

The reason I came to Texas is this beautiful, silly, crazy girl below! She's my niece and lives in Austin. I talked my sister, mother & daughter into taking a little trip to see her and managed to convince them that we should take in the antiques show. I didn't have to try to hard to convince them....they're just fun like that! The weather was a bit overcast and drizzly on our way to the show, but that never stopped any die-hard junker I know! Driving through Texas hill country was beautiful! There were vendors spread out for miles. Seeing this Round Top population sign made me laugh...I was pretty sure I had already passed at least 77 people in the last 1/8th of a mile!

By now I was getting a little excited! Ok, that's not true....I woke up excited! Following this truck was just enough to really get my adrenalin going.

Here's a question: Where's this dude gonna put his purchases? Who goes to an incredible show like this on a bike? Seriously.

Still driving. By now I'm about to grab the wheel and just pull over somewhere. Anywhere. Everywhere.

But I knew my time here was limited so I tried to be patient until we got to Zapp Hall. Where the stars are...

We finally get to our destination, park the vehicle and start wandering. I may have had a little more spring in my step than the others...it's hard to say....they were so far behind me! I knew I was in for an interesting day when I spotted this sign:

With the words from the above sign still fresh in my mind, I run into this fellow. You may be familiar with his face....or his pose.

That's right...it's Cat Daddy. And his better half, Debbie from Talking Trash. O. M. G.

But wait...there's more! It's Mindy! From the Primitique! With her boyfriend David, who put on his last clean shirt just for this occasion! Get out!

Wait again! It's her....the one-and-only Red Neck Chic Robelyn! By now I'm a tongue-tied idiot, unable to do more than stare at these blog celebs! All right here in the same venue....and right in front of me! I came to this show hoping to meet a handful of people from blogland that I love following. Now here I was in front of them and didn't quite know what to do with myself! So, I chatted a bit with each of them, asked some questions and basically tried to absorb it all....while wondering where my family went and if I'd ever find them again!

Below is a shot from Mindy's space. Don't know what it is, but I know I've never seen one before!

The makings of a creative mastermind...

I was noticing that there were a lot of naked body parts around. I guess in Texas they call them gypsies. Who knew?

There's no shortage of cowboy boots in Texas!

Down south they like to tell it like it is...as evidenced in the next photo...

This next booth caught my eye. Rust and bling all wrapped up into one beautiful fixture!

So, I'm casually strolling along when I spot Theresa, from Garden Antqs Vintage! Yahoo! I wanted to ~~see her booth~~ meet her too!! I got a 2-for-1 'cause along came Sue from Vintage Rescue Squad. This was turning out to be the BEST. DAY. EVER.

Sue, Theresa

Here's a little eye candy from Theresa's space:

After drooling all over Theresa, I thought I better get moving along. Still not sure where my family is, but pretty confident they're ok wherever they are....

Something pink catches my eye....but then, it'd be hard to miss the Junk Gypsy wagon! This must be what they brought all the naked body parts in!?

I've never seen pink awnings, but I think I need to get me some.

By now I'm getting kind of hungry....and a bit confused as to where I am....I've always wanted to see Paris....just didn't know I was this close!

I stopped to ask these ladies to point me in the direction of Royer's Cafe....but they weren't talkin.

Whadda-ya-know....there's my sign. I just got in line behind the lady in shorts. Sometimes it's good to be a follower.

I finally found Royer's Cafe AND my family! We grabbed some lunch and settled in to listen to the most incredible group of men singing....the Harbor Light Choir. These guys were incredible! And who should be rockin' the house, but Mindy herself!!

Mindy wasn't the only one stirrin' up the crowd! The trio-of-trouble below belted out some tunes while bustin' a move as well! You'll just have to wait for the movie to see that!

daughter Sydney, niece Kelsey, chauffeur extraordinaire Allison

My mom was quite a trooper! She had pneumonia, but you'd never know it! She's not one to miss a good time!

Me, Mom, sister Joni

My only purchase so far....body parts! I was just tryin' to get ahold of myself. And yes, I did have a beer. Maybe 2.

Our time here was drawing to a close, but Debbie pointed me in the direction of Gloria's spot, from Sweet Pea Collection. Here's the view on the way:

And here's Sweet Pea Collection. NOT a disappointment!!

This was truly one of the most memorable junkin' days I've ever had! I am so thrilled to have meet these incredible people and see how they do junk "Texas-style!" Be sure to click on each of their links to check out their blogs...and maybe catch some more shots of the show! See ya all next year!