Burlappy Happy

There really isn't anything soft and cozy about a hefty piece of burlap, is there? But the charm I believe, comes from the unspoken history of a well used burlap scrap.


And who said it can't be beautiful?!

And functional?!

And a peek at a "coming soon to your *screen* post"!

Linked to: SNS #28

A Story of Us

This week is our turn for the Contestant Spotlight over at SYTYCD, go ahead and stop over there and take a peek if you wish. If you'd rather stay, we'd love to have you! Here is the story of us, or some of it anyway. We've had such a great time in the world of junk that the story goes on and on! Make sure to click on all the links to see some of our past FUN posts!!

Cassie, Missy, Andrea and Lynette

Living in a small community, everyone just kind of "knows" everyone else, but it wasn't until Cassie and Missy tried the "antique shop" venue while Lynette and Andrea were trying the "flea market" venue that we discovered our common love of junk! We were all having a blast hunting, creating and selling. Who could ask for anything more!?

Then the antique store closed. The flea market was too far away. Hmmm what to do?! That's when the lightbulb went off!! We joined forces, and started an annual JunkFest, bringing a one of a kind sale to our area. It all started in Cassie’s garage. From the moment we made the decision to have an Autumn JunkFest, we started hunting, gathering, repairing, and painting all the junk we could get our hands on. Time was short so we got done what we could, and to our surprise...we managed to fill Cassie's garage and even had overflow. We threw some flyers around, and bit our nails...hoping someone would take note of our little sale. The morning of the event came and we (along with help from some dear family members) scurried to put finishing touches on our arrangements.

Then to our surprise and amazement...could it be??? Dust in the air down the country road? Not one, not two, not even three vehicles heading our way!!! It was a caravan and we couldn’t believe our eyes as a crowd lined up for the opening!

We wanted everything to be fabulous, including the signs leading the way to the sale. Below, you'll see sweet little Sambo. He was so kind to patiently sit and point the way to our first sale. Then tragedy struck. You see, Sambo so kindly offered to point the way to the next year's sale as well. Something must have gone terribly wrong...because Sambo has been missing since that day. Have you seen Sambo? We would really love to have him back safe and sound. Poor little guy.

After the first year we decided we needed a larger venue for our sale. The local fairgrounds seemed to be the logical choice, providing a large building, plenty of parking and bathrooms. We got ourselves and our trusty and faithful helpers matching t-shirts, and went about preparing as we had the year before. Would "they" all come again for our little sale? And sure enough...there was a line at the door! Once again friendship and laughter filled the day, and the readied treasures found new homes.

Another success. Another awesome day. Would we do the sale again? Absolutely! Year three brought with it a few surprise changes. We decided to host our first ever Flea Market in conjunction with our sale. We also allowed a few local youth groups to set up food booths. It was fabulous...junk, music, food, flea and fun! The day was gaining more and more of a festival atmosphere, just as we hoped it would. And again...they were lined up at the gate!

Every year we tried to be creative with our products. Here is a "piano bar" made out of an upright piano!

Years 4 and 5 have come and gone, and yet every sale day feels like the first sale. Butterflies in our stomachs, and we are just giddy about all the fun. The flea market has grown by leaps and bounds. Year 5 we added an admission charge, with those proceeds going to two local charities. And our lovely visitors still line up!!

We've had such a great time hosting JunkFest and the Flea Market...but some of the BEST times we've had are when we go junking together!

We've managed to score some pretty awesome...and some pretty crazy things! Some of our past faves are a 18 drawer galvanized pheasant hatching rack, an upright piano which became a “piano bar”, and one that became a fabulous console table. And dressers that become wine buffets! Look at our past sale posts for more…we love it all! And we often have “seller’s remorse”.

We've got some exciting surprises up our sleeves for JunkFest 2010! So watch our blog for updates. The event will be Saturday September 11, 2010 at the Foster County Fairgrounds in Carrington, ND from 9:00am-3:00pm. Get there early!

White Doesn't Whisper

The votes are in...and unfortunately we came up a tad short this week.  But we've had a great time over at SYTYCD in the contest and made it much farther than we ever dreamed, considering the great talent of our competitors.  This honor of an opportunity has been full of great inspiration and motivation!  Here is our entry that would have been for week four.  Following is a collection of pictures to make you feel you are in a white wonderland.  Enjoy!

At JunkFest, white doesn't whisper...it shouts "I'M BEAUTIFUL, LOOK AT ME!" No matter what style, what circumstance, *white* has a way of finding its place. Whether tucked in discreetly or bold and upfront, any amount of white brings with it everything from sweet serenity to a high fashion statement. 

Displaying white, on white, on white can be as simple as 1. 2. 3.

1. Foundation. If you're fortunate enough to possess a large wonderful white piece of furniture or mantel, use it as the core substance of your display. Here a fabulous Fairbanks scale anchors the display area.



2. Layer. Multiple shapes, sizes and shades of white, when put together, make quite a statement. Here the circular echo of the PB style clock, the vintage clockfaces stacked in a bowl, and the scroll of the architectural piece play on each other drawing your eye from top to bottom, then back up again.



3. Element of Surprise. Now, mix it up! Vary the heights from tall to short, and the style from functional to funky. Throw in some playful splashes of color. The greenery, the frames, and the book bring depth to the overall mood of the display. The sweet chippy garden statue finds her dream home here, surrounded by elements that make her feel loved.

There are no rules. Displaying white is at your discretion. Have fun, play, enjoy.


White. It Makes us Drool.

JunkFest


Now, grab your coffee.  Sit back and enjoy the following white wonderland...

Hence...from this Day Forward...

...food will no longer be prepared on THIS stove. Oh, I know. That rule will only last until "they" get hungry. But you see, I've finally made a few visual enhancements to the area. Finally!

The first thing I did was repaint the backsplash towards the sink a lighter, almost coconut color. I loved the butterscotch I had previously put there, but seriously, the coconut went better with the chocolate wall and soffit. I love that my walls look like desert a collection of some of my favorite colors. Then added a couple of those plastic faux tin tiles, from a home store, behind the stove. They're awesome...might pick up a few more and do the rest of the backsplash.

Then I added some "L" brackets behind the stove. This is because my counters are extra deep, causing the stove to be over 3 inches away from the wall. The "L" brackets are for a special metal pan I picked up at Second Hand Rose in MN. It was intended for seasonings...but when I saw how nicely this was coming together I grabbed a few of my sweet ironstone milk pitchers and put them in the pan.

Now who would want splattered spaghetti sauce on that?! No. More. Cooking.

Did part of this post

sound like desert?



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Old Never Looked So Good

What a BLAST! Week 3 is upon us and we have the honor of once again participating in the SYTYCD contest. This week's project theme is OLD, and we focused on a project near and dear to our hearts by finding creative and clever ways to display cherished family photos from years gone by. Please take a few moments to browse though the contestants and see their take on this week's theme. The talent will blow your mind. While you're over at SYTYCD, don't forget to place your votes for your faves!!

CLICK ON THE BOX BELOW TO VOTE.



The following project is #1-Old Photo Frames on the vote box this week.

"Old photographs are a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose"...Author Unknown

Displaying old photographs of loved ones and generations past has evolved into something of an art form. When it comes to photo display, we four JunkFest girls tend to take a "junky" approach in our homes and at our sales. We think there's a fun element when incorporating previously used interesting and unusual objects to show off old treasured photographs. It's a perfect combination of old and old.

In this vignette, we've displayed cherished old photos of loved ones in several different ways. Mixing and matching vintage treasures and rustic "found" items to display several photos in one area is tied together with the common elegance of black and white photos. The antique skirt marker pairs well with an old photograph of Grandma Grace. Next to it is an old store receipt holder displaying mom and dad in younger days. **To deter harming original photographs from sun exposure, we have printed copies of the pictures for displaying.
Even though we're not sure what this square metal object was, it doesn't really matter! It is now quite the show piece with snapshots of loved ones. (Perhaps in its previous life it was a receipt or invoice holder, or held cash in a bank teller drawer).

It can easily be hung on the wall, or tied to an old lamp base as seen here. Aren't the small metal numbers great? The picture holder on the right is used farm machinery at its best. The two worn-out sickle mower guards (which just happen to fit perfectly together) are repurposed to hold a photo of days gone by. On the left, the door from a post office box in its perfectly aged glory holds a treasured photo. We think it's much more interesting than a plain picture frame, don't you?

Here's a close-up showing how the mower pieces fit together.

Be creative when displaying groupings of old photos (and use copies!). Mix and match, and think outside the box regarding picture frames. You'll love the results!

Whether it's an old photograph or a great piece of junk used for displaying it...

Old Never Looked so Good!

JunkFest

What is your favorite way to display vintage photos?



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