This junker's favorite scents...part 1

Even though spring and warm weather have been slow in getting to these parts, their arrival never fails to appeal to my senses. With that said, I'd like to share with you some of my all time favorite smells....courtesy of mother nature.

Is there a better scent than that of the lilac? I think not! I only wish their beautiful blooms and heavenly aroma would last longer. Along with summer, their season is much too short here in North Dakota! Second in line, only to the lilac, is the peony! Both of these flowers bring back memories of visiting my grandparents as a young child, in their sleepy little town, with flower gardens that seemed to cover an entire city block! It was tradition, each time we visited in the summer months, to walk through the yard and take in all that my grandmother's beautiful flowers had to offer (both visually and aromatically) before we ever made it into the house. She had many different blooming beauties, but these are two of my favorites.

Another favorite scent, is that of freshly laundered linens and sheets drying on the clothesline. Although I was never too enthused about hanging them out to dry, gathering them and inhaling that sunwashed linen scent was well worth the risk of crossing the path of a garter snake or two! (sort of)

What better than to combine those two scents by hanging a mason jar or milk bottle on the line with a freshly plucked bloom or two?
Have a great weekend!

Junk Fest Wine Basket Donation!

Here's a peek at our "Junk Fest" basket donation for tomorrow nights' wine taste and auction at the Putnam House!

Our Junk Fest "basket" consists of an antique bicycle - royal blue in color with a hint of rust! A neat piece of garden fencing shaped into a basket is wired on the handlebars and filled with lots of junk goodies! You'll find a vintage tablecloth, an "American Junk" book (filled with lots of cool pictures and ideas), a wonderful bottle of Moscato wine (yummy), and to top it off an antique cork screw tied on a rusty spring.

Tied to the back tire is an old glass jar overflowing with fragrant lilacs. Look closely to see old silver keys embellishing the glass container... This old wine carrier holds two pretty wine glasses and another bottle of wine...love how the old house number looks tied to the basket! Hopefully our donated "basket", along with the twenty-one other baskets donated by area businesses and individuals are a hit tomorrow night! All proceeds from the auction help to preserve the Putnam House, which is a much needed cultural center in our community of Carrington. Hope you can make it tomorrow night!

Wine Taste.... 7 p.m....Auction beings at 8:30...

Everyone loves garage sales, don't they?

Well, I have to say I LOVE garage sales. And congrats to Cassie and Andrea who each hit a jackpot of awesome treasures! I did a little bumming around this weekend myself, and although I didn't find things as sweet as theirs, I did find a few fun items. That's the thrill of the hunt right there...you just never know what's going to be around the corner!
On my morning ventures I had begun to get a bit discouraged. The item of the day seemed to be clothing, and I had not come across any furniture, silver, or good "junky" junk. Then by chance I turned a corner and came across a sale tucked back in an alley. I found this wonderful antique carpenters trunk. I bargained with the seller for a deal on the trunk, minus the tools that were in it. We quickly came to a deal and started to unload the trunk. After asking where I was from, he then asked..."Do you know JUNK FEST?" I quickly replied..."I AM JUNK FEST!!" (1/4 of it anyway) He was thrilled, I was thrilled. It's so rewarding to run into our fans when we're out and about. This gentleman and his wife were vendors in our flea market last year and can't wait to "flea" with us again!My sister was so sweet to do a little junk shopping for me too. She found a cute treadle base and a great writing desk. She'll have to come over and help me transform these into "junk" treasures!

The postage scale was another favorite find of the day. And the vintage hacksaw is tiny and oh so cute!! I couldn't resist.

I can see some chalkboards in my future. These frames are each sweet in their own way.

This chandelier just couldn't be ignored. It's seen a few hard times but has some gorgeous details and deserves another chance to shine.

I'm so glad so many of you lurkers are finally commenting!! We've anxiously been waiting to meet you!!

Show 'N Tell

Yes, as Andrea mentioned in the previous post...garage sale season is among us! You got some great stuff Andrea.....here's a peek at mine:

I seem to gravitate toward the same things every time I'm out.....white ironstone, vintage frames, and wonderfully tarnished silver! But that's okay, there'll be plenty to go around at JunkFest '09!

Oh yeah, and chairs! Love those chairs....especially those begging for a little attention and TLC! This one is oak and in great shape, minus the caning.

This last find actually came from a great little shop in Lingle, Wyoming.....I was passing through recently on my way to Denver and spotted a teeny tiny little sign that said "flea market." Well, you can understand to need to stop and check that out, can't you?! I spotted this vintage dress form and promptly made room for her in the car! I've never seen one made of heavy paper, but this one was assembled and resting on the adjustable wire stand it came with. My family thinks she looks a little "Madonna-esque!"
Aside from the dress form that I had to go all the way to Wyoming for, I did pretty well for only stopping at 2 sales!!

What did you find this weekend? Check out Today's Thrifty Treasures, hosted by Rhoda at Southern Hospitality.

City-wide rummage sale finds

Rummage sale season is upon us! Here are a few things I found when out-and-about on Saturday! How adorable is this plant stand...chippy green paint and rusty!? I said, "Hello, sweetheart, you're comin' home with me!"Love this casserole dish and holder, especially the handles and little "feet"! Seriously, I've always wanted one. The nice lady that sold it said she'd had it for years.This Hibachi grill is perfectly rusted and has definitely seen better days. It will no longer be a grill when I'm done with it though. I wonder if you'll recognize it after the transformation I have planned when you see it at Junk Fest?

Honestly, I was probably most excited to find myself this nice white Christmas tree for only ten bucks! So, get out there and rummage-it-up! You just never know what you will find!

Let there be light...

Think outside the box when entertaining your guests outdoors this summer. Take normally found indoor objects outside to illuminate a special evening.

This $4 heavy candelabra thrift store find shown here sets the scene for a festive evening on the back patio.

Another idea for additional lighting are candles in old silver jello molds. Sand, pebbles or crystals can be added for more visual interest on the jello mold bottom, but just the reflection of the candlelight off the mold is really all you need. It's actually quite stunning, don't you think?

This white three-tiered candleholder was a Minnesota occassional sale find. I actually purchased two of them. Great finds! Instantly I imagined them warming up my patio on a dark night. They can be easily stuck in a plant like I've done here, in a pail of sand or right into the ground. How fun does this look?!

Six things about me?

My dear friend, Cassie, a/k/a fellow Junk Fest 1/4 partner-in-junk, has tagged me! You darn girl, you! Gosh, I guess I need to come up with SIX people to "tag", mention them here and notify them on their blog, along with revealing six things about me. This is darn hard, people!

Well, first up I'll try and come up with six things about me...hmmmm...

1) I have been happily married for almost 23 years. Holy smokers! I wonder if he's still happily married? I bet he would be if I'd move my junk from his side of our garage! Sorry, dear!

2) The boys. We've got two of them and they are the true joy of our lives. What the heck did we do before they were born? Five years...no idea what we did. We are the type of parents who refuse to re-live our childhoods through them, know what I mean? It is their life and they need to live it; we are just trying to lead them down the right path. (Cross your fingers; it's a work in progress).

3) I am the 6th of seven children, raised on a farm with a strict catholic up-bringing. Even so, we had A LOT of fun! I am especially close to my three sisters and to my youngest bro. He and I played together and got along great, as long as he played what I wanted! Poor guy; dolls and all. I like to think we were preparing ourselves for our futures...me having boys...and he has two girls! We named our second son after him.

4) I have worked for the same company for 24 years! Most days I actually still like it, which also amazes me.

5) I am licensed to sell crop and hail insurance in the State of North Dakota. Sounds like no big deal? Well, picture me with a kid on each hip at the time, trying to study for a test I was told loan officers flunked many times...I must love pressure cause I passed it on the first try! That STILL amazes me.

6) Wow! #6 already? I may just make it! I love wine. Mostly Moscoto's and late harvest Rieslings. Also love Italian food. Fortunately it goes well with wine.

7) Cassie, your family really left you at a rest stop? Ouch.

Alrighty, now MY turn to tag some of my favorite folks! Thanks for being you!

1) Sweet Melissa @ Junk-Fest, my junk sista on this site!
2) Mindy @ rockinm.blogspot.com/

3) Lori @ roundbarnpottingco.blogspot.com/
4) Missy @maluukkonen.blogspot.com/

5) Linda @ funkyjunksisters.blogspot.com/

6) Dixie @ funkyjunksisters.blogspot.com/

Happy blogging!