I recently made a trip to Corvallis, OR for my niece's wedding. Although it was a short trip, we did manage to sneak in some time for one antique store and a Goodwill store. Anne was a beautiful bride, absolutely glowing!

Not only is she a peach of a gal, she's extremely talented and artsy in many ways! I was drooling like a fool while at her apartment, but unfortunately I didn't get any photographs of her incredibly fun decorating style....I smell another trip in the (near) future! From what I could tell just driving in from the airport, Corvallis has many second hand, junk, and thrift stores, in addition to the fabulous boutiques and shops downtown. If you're ever in the area, or have reason to visit, there's plenty to see and do!

Anne gave me some fabulous Bingo cards while I was there...I'm sure she saw me eye-balling them in her craft room! Thanks Anne! Love the color! Time to get my game on!

At the antiques store, I managed to scoop up an awesome vintage sterling silver trophy! Number 2 in my collection, here it is with it's "sister." Since these trophies are going for a small fortune on ebay, I felt like I hit the mother lode at just $9 for this one.

I also scored some sweet "instant ancestors" that may, or may not make it to JunkFest '09. I just love the expressions on their faces, each has a story to tell. I wonder if they ever scoured junk shops for old photos!

That's all I've got for now. Stay tuned for pictures of the JunkFest girls' road trip next week....if we can get across the Red River!!

"Quirky" Junk Item...

Okay, here's the deal. I saw this item in an antique store and thought it was sorta neat. My first thought was, "what a neat looking serving utensil"...sorta fancy-dancy, you know? I love anything silver and that's what caught my eye to begin with. Well, guess what? I turned the tag over and it said, "silver antique dust pan"....HUH? I think it's too high-end looking to be a dustpan, don't you? Could it have been used in some rich person's house by their maid? It was only $2, so figured I could come up with some idea to do with it other than use as a dustpan (especially since I own a Swiffer sweeper!) Ha!

Here's an idea of the size of it...not very big.

So, tell me, blogging friends, am I just a dork and the only person who didn't know this was a dustpan...?

For now, I'll just use it to serve up a picture of my boys. Maybe this summer I'll sanitize it and use it to hold cheese cubes at my next party...with a side of crackers...to dust of up later, of course.

Hey Spring, where are you?

The sweet smell of flowers...the warmth of the sun...the sound from a rusty, junky chair-turned-water fountain...

Can't you just hear the water "tinkling"? (Is that a word?!)

SPRING - WHERE THE HECK ARE YOU?!

I'm getting worried...

Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.

Objects in mirror ARE closer than they appear. Do you see what's following me? Shhhh....don't tell my junk sistahs or they'll make ME drive next time. (oops, I bet they read this...)

Anyway, my Sweet Man-o-Mine thought it was about time I invest in a trailer. I think it was his way of saying he's tired of having to tote around in a vehicle full of treasures...only that's not really what he calls them! We traded off my junk mobile recently and thought we'd give this a try. It's not a monster size trailer but will hold a good share of junk when cleverly arranged. I think I need to do some junkin' now...if only winter would go away!!

Repurpose/Reuse/Recyle...Junk Girl style!

While antiquing in Bozeman, Montana last week on vacation, I found this perfectly rusted croquet set on cute little wheels that was sturdy as heck. My first thought was the frame would be adorable at Christmas with a pretty wreath on it as a "welcome" in my back entry. I've got a couple floor-standing wreath holders, but this would be a unique one, don't ya think?

But wait!! Since Christmas is months away, I couldn't bare to leave it sitting idle. So, I filled a clear glass cylinder vase with hydrangeas purchased some time ago, slid it in where the balls would go, (can you believe the vase fit perfectly!), threw on a garden seed embroidered towel for some color and filled a decorative sash with sunflower seeds. I've got quite a collection of old flash cards and picked a couple that go perfectly with this spring/summer theme...

Here it is in my back entry...

Or, is it cuter hanging on the door as a welcome?

Hey, it just hit me!...this would be cuter than crap in my half bath as a magazine holder...gotta go see how that would look...signing off for now! Happy Junking!

Life is good in Montana!

My family and I just returned from our yearly ski trip to Big Sky, Montana where we enjoyed five days of skiing, two days of driving and one day of junkin’! Big Sky Country is alive and well! In my opinion, there is nothing more beautiful then the mountains of Montana. Yes, God did good!

It’s an eleven hour hike from our home in Carrington, ND to the base of Lone Mountain at Big Sky Ski Resort. The drive is particularly beautiful from Bozeman to the resort. We ended up staying overnight in Bozeman the first day. I simply cannot say enough good things about this town! It's nestled in a valley with snow covered mountains completely surrounding it…who wouldn’t love to wake up to that scene every morning? This is definately a retirement option for us! Aside from the to-die-for scenery, there are neat downtown shops, (Main Street is awesome) excellent restaurants and of course, antique, thrift and home interior stores aplenty.

Hubby and I took one day off from skiing to drive back down the curvy mountain to enjoy the day in Bozeman. And with cool street names like Bear Canyon Road, Jack Rabbit Lane and Trail Creek Road, you know you’re in for an adventure. My main objective though was visiting some of my favorite antique stores I’d found over the years in previous visits. First stop was the Antique Market and adjoining Montana Country Antiques. From the highway a person is drawn in simply by the desirable objects and cool looking stuff on the wide porch! Man, if only we’d have pulled a trailer…

The Antique Market has eye catching merchandise and so many things I wanted to buy, but with so LITTLE room in our vehicle, the big stuff was left behind...(sob, sob)...

I had an enjoyable visit with the owner, Jackie, of Montana Country Antiques after I quickly eyed a “must buy” immediately after walking in the store! (I’ll post the transformation at a later date). This place is cozy and welcoming with wonderfully displayed vignettes of antiques and old finds. One entire table showcased old scales so attractively, I was drooling all over the place - it was embarrassing!
Next stop: Little Bear Antiques and Interiors. This used to be strictly an antique store, but not any more. This home interior store hosts rich textures and colors of furniture and accessories that would be perfect in any home or mountain cabin. Here’s an armoire with an interesting paint technique which I hope to be able to copy!
The last stop of the day (and we were running out of time!) was the Antique Barn. This place is very large and there’s no way you could see everything in a mere hour (I tried really hard though!). There is stuff galore! Outside the building are cool old bathtubs, chippy doors and other awesome junk – or junque, as their sign displays.

A friendly, junk loving girl named Missy rang up my purchases (oh yes, I found a few things here), and of course I told her about our Junk Fest. I have a sneaking suspicion Missy will soon be heading up a Junk Fest, Montana style!

Is this wrong?

I have a slight fascination for picture frames. Okay...I'm a frame freak. I love them, love them all!!! I have a slight procrastination issue, though. It would appear my family is invisible, because I just don't seem to get those great frames filled. My friends say "bring back the family", or perhaps I heard them wrong and they were actually saying "get your act together"...can't remember for sure. I'll set a goal, I promise.

A recent visitor...

I had a visitor the other day while I was away at work. Know how I could tell? The tracks came right up to my door, as if he had stopped by for a chat (chirp?, squawk?, what DO pheasants say??)

I've had a wonderful time watching the wildlife out the window this winter, but I'll be happy for them when they get their much deserved SPRING.

I thought I should get this post on soon since it officially "is" spring now. Well, that's what the calendar says anyway. There's still quite alot of snow on the ground here but a forecast of close to 50 degrees tomorrow will take care of some of that and some rain next week might really get the job done....of course we might have to get out the boats then!

Speak to me JUNK...

After any junk jaunt, we junkers find ourselves standing amongst what appears to be a "pile of junk". What to do. What to do. Now, mind you, this "pile" might be a little less than desirable when we first get it home. Finished product? Far from it. Clean? Nope. So....now what? What do we do with all these things?

Well, I personally stand there for a while and stare at the pile. I shift occasionally to put my weight on the other foot. Cross my arms and put my hair behind my ears to think better. Nope, didn't work. Okay...move a couple things. New perspective. Nope, that didn't work either. Go in the house and eat some chocolate, drink some coffee, check e-mails. Head back out to take another look at the pile. Anything???? Okay, I know what the problem is. I can't decide what to do with this stuff. It has to speak to ME!!

SPEAK TO ME, DEAR JUNK! Then, in the blink of an eye....the creative juices start to flow, ideas and possibilities are flying through the air!

Time to dig in. Sort first. Each piece of junk starts showing its individual personality, its potential. Clean, scrub, scrape, saw, glue, clamp, cut, sand, strip, stain, prime, paint, sand again, wax, poly, so on, so forth. (And...the junk and I reserve the right to change our minds at any time about the process and the intended end result...BwaHaaHaaHa!)

Some junk finds are great as they are, little effort needed. Some need a bit more attention. They've fulfilled their former life and have been discarded, sold, given up on, or simply set free from their previous owners. They might simply need a face lift. OR, they might need an entirely new personality, a new purpose. Here are just a few pieces of junk that have spoken to me. I had a blast getting them to their "new" reason for being. Okay, I'll be honest, some of them took a bit of effort, back-breaking effort....ooof. But it's all worth it in the end. Seeing the finished product is great...but seeing a customer light up when they see something they love...now that's the ultimate reward.

Cute little coffee table...I think there's a life left in this one...

A little blood, sweat and tears...from "dear friend"....
A few special treatments...and WaaLaa! Pretty!Now, what do you do with an antique mirror frame??? Speak to me!!!I heard it say in a tiny squeaky voice..."make me into a fireplace!" What do you think?Wow. What can I say. This cute little cupboard has been given a bit too much attention.Some elbow grease, some paint, and a little "less" paint. Cute as a button!I just love these vintage stereo cabinets.Now I love it even more!!!

Cherished Vintage...

The best things vintage are those close to your heart. There isn't a much sweeter thing than a vintage object that holds a cherished memory. It's beauty, it's charm... makes you stop in your tracks, forget about "today's" troubles, and takes you back to another time and place. Back to a special place, now meant only for you and you alone.

Perhaps it was my stroll through the house, picking a few of these cherished items to share with you, that sparked my dreams last night of a place and persons who are no longer with me. How wonderful to relive those wonderful memories...even if only for a moment. I awoke feeling renewed.

Hello gorgeous!

I trekked through the snow the other day to get to my junk workshop and I'm glad I did. Look what I found! Yes, I realize that it may be just a weed, but it's GREEN isn't it?

CRAZY FOR CLOCHES!

Andrea's Top Ten Obsessions:

10) glass cloches!

9) grates

8) ANYTHING rusty...

7) birds/nests (must be a spring thing)

6) scales

5) hydrangeas (summer is when?)

4) glass cloches - love 'em!

3) lamps (I own 847)

2) topiaries (any size or shape)

and my #1 new obsession:

1) glass cloches (oh, did I mention that already?)