Patina White

happy new year + {2} birthday blessings!

happy 2010 everyone! another year has sped by! it seems like yesterday we were bracing for the millennium waiting for power grids & computers to fail worldwide! of course they did not and here we are a decade later! just a quick note to wish you all a happy, healthy & wonderful year to come! i appreciate each and everyone of you taking the time to stop by and peek! 

i'd also like to send a birthday shout-out to not just one but TWO special people in my life! both my father & uncle in-law are celebrating their big days today! this has to be one of my favorite pictures of them {below} which is why i was inspired to add some whimsy to it! i know...i am not letting go of that christmas spirit yet!

can you imagine having {2} new years babies? well grandma charlotte did just that! and they are great guys i am happy to know! happy birthday bill sr + uncle val! we love ya! 

again, sending out a heartfelt wish for a fabulous 2010...start to finish!

project JUNKdrawer

greetings! yesterday i thought i would get a bit of a head start on some of my new year's resolutions! topping my list is to divide & conquer some little corners of chaos. one of them being my much neglected JUNKdrawer. and we are not talking "good junk" by any stretch of the imagination! 

{STEP ONE}  when in doubt...throw it out...

and throw i did. coupons + flyers from 2006 were tucked at the back! don't think i will be needing those anymore! now mind you, {below} is an AFTER the tossing. looks good from afar but far from good!

 

my JUNKdrawer has always been an outlet for me to have a REALLY messy little spot in my house...totally justifiable in my mind. but i was tired of never being able to find something when i needed it! so after the initial purge my first thought was to go online and look at neat and tidy dividers + containers. i closed the drawer to ponder on it...

{STEP TWO}  gather the goods...

this morning i came to my senses. why on earth would i go out and buy MORE stuff? i have the best shopping in my backyard! so i threw on my boots & went on a treasure hunt! i knew the vicinity of what i was after and a few moments digging in the snow unearthed a crate of old baby jars. i have been saving these cuties for awhile. remember, us junkers are never at a shortage of goodies...just places to tuck them!

a good scrubbing plus the addition of stamped tags strung with pretty twine and here's what i have {below}

{STEP THREE} bring it all together...

i then made my way into the depths of my studio's back room. shelves of trinkets stacked on each other awaited! i pulled out a rusty silverware tray, small square baking pan, aqua rimmed enamel bowl + some metal containers and when it all came together it looked something like this...

 

and another view here {below}

now the greatest challenge has yet to be faced. and that is...can i maintain this tidy little space? and since it's now full of darn "good junk" - i can still call it my JUNKdrawer! check back with me again in the new year. there are more areas of somewhat controlled chaos that i may be inspired to redo for you!

remember the steps above if you are up to the challenge of bringing some harmony to your own junk drawer (it's ok, we all have them). you can make a lot of progress with a big garbage bag!

happy day~

it's a GIANT world...

hey everyone! well, the holidays have yet again come & gone so quickly.

that being said i found myself wondering what to post about! a pass by our bathroom window made me remember just what a grand + giant world we live! and so - i snapped some pictures of the somewhat "worldly" goodies that i adore! would you like to see? alrighty then...enough chatter!

the inspiration behind today's ramblings...a room with a view!

 

and today's title came from a small part {below} of the truly GIANT map in our hallway! (see more of it HERE)

the fleurs of my "winter" garden {below}...some millinery flowers gathered in an old tote. many of them with their made in GERMANY tags.

 

here we have {below} a precious spiral shell in my favorite hues of grayish blue & white. i know it is a long way from home nestled among my bottlebrush trees!

you've seen this ITALIAN beauty before if you follow my ramblings. but not with the lovely additions dripping from it's arms {shown below}. they were thoughtfully given to me from a dear friend. she knew i was very found of them when their glint caught my eye in an antique store. she snuck back at a later date & gifted them to me. thank you kami...you mean the world to me!

 

there was a time in the not so long ago past that i made some trips to an "out of this world" flea market in mt. dora florida. on one such occasion - i happened on a stack of vintage locker baskets. {one put to use below}

i packed them in my suitcase (who needs clothes when there is rusty metal in question??) only to be stopped by airport security to search my luggage. the look on the little fellow who cracked that case open was priceless. i smiled & said "don't ask"! well he didn't and then gave me the go ahead - allowing me + my good junk on the plane. 

here we have a collage canvas i have been working on....this letter {below} is not from around here! any ideas?

 

now remember, there's a giant world just waiting to be discovered. and it doesn't even have to be outside your window! 

enjoy your day & all it's offerings!

we wish you a....

a very merry christmas to all of you! christmas eve is held at our home and is a small gathering of loved ones. it was full of food, music, children's laughter and fun! the stage was set below for the "big" people...

 

and the very

little ones as seen {below}

 

a vintage game tile affixed to some corrugated cardboard scrap {below} directed everyone to their "place".

 

while photos & cards of those close to us in spirit were clipped to a vintage chip display nearby!

 

did i mention santa remembered to fill my stocking??? and i must have been very good to get this box of homemade caramels. note the already empty spaces on the top level by photo time! yummmmm...

 

i will let the cards of christmas past {below}...

and art of christmas present...(thank you jessi...love it!)...do the talking.

 

wishing you much love, hope, joy & peace this holiday season...i am glad i could send this message + a little bit of our home out to all of you this special day!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

from our house to your's + porch tree makes {4}

season's greetings everyone!  i wanted to share a few views from the outside of our home. i trekked out during a recent light snowfall to try & capture the twinkle of our outdoor decorating!  here is the snowy scenery {below}. if you missed my online weekly {corner of my world} tour this past summer...you can take a flashback to a greener landscape HERE.

highlighting my {4th} & final tree - you are greeted at our front door by yet another "charlie brown" tree. {below} it doesn't take much to make a statement w/ inexpensive ornaments collected to endure our sometimes harsh minnesota winters! i let the grand, crusty old urn take center stage! i don't think it's a secret what a fan i am of all things chippy white!

 

an organic NOEL coming your way...just a little play on texture...

 

every year i toy with the notion of planting some trees in our front yard...and since we still haven't...twiggy towers {below} wrapped in white lights make a good stand in.

 

hanging on the carriage doors to my studio is this giant wreath {below} that i embellished with a patinaWHITE staple - an authentic amish crafted barn star + a wooden sign i created. and of course...more white lights!

 

so from our house to your's...a joyful greeting...hoping this finds you enjoying the final countdown to christmas! thanks for popping by today to enjoy a little bit of our winter wonderland! 

tiny tree makes {3}!

season's greetings all! i am continuing on with another one of my decked out trees from our home. i have shown y'all the heavily adorned feather tree...my main floor charlie brown tree and residing in our basement gathering room is the little cutie seen below. (if you'd like to tour the room more in depth click HERE).

 

i named it our "family tree". my intention was to make ornaments featuring our family, but, alas...time has gotten away from me! something to look forward to creating next year though! for the time being what appears to be random letters resting in vintage candle clips actually spell out our last name! see below for a little closer view...

another accent highlighting our namesake is an old clock weight {below} suspended from our tiny vintage italian milkglass chandelier. when i found this lighted lovely it was minus it's center "drop". a quirky alternative to be sure! 

and not wanting to forget our beloved family member who is still with us in spirit is a photo of our first "child" - better know as sadie monster! she & lucy are like night and day! hopefully she is enjoying romping around the fields of doggie heaven! we miss you poo...

 

and absolutely nothing to do with my tiny tree or christmas in general - but fun nonetheless - is my window and it's unique "treatment". a shiny silver window well wasn't visually pleasing. i found a vintage window with a frosty texture. it is fabulous! allows the light thru but provides a buffer. 

well, it was about 8" shy of the top so another quick fix was needed. i found it in using a very reasonably priced honeycomb shade. ok, actually it's not a honeycomb shade - but a furnace filter that i removed the pakaging and cardboard from. i then gathered up the ends and tied them up with, what else, vintage sewing tapes! enough said! here's the end result!

and there you have it! i hope you have enjoyed taking a little peek today! and to close...i will let the ledge {shown below} of said window do the talking...

i truly appreciate your comments & simply stopping by! make it a HAPPY day!

do you know the birthday girl?

well...SHE is having a birthday! that's right folks...the little girl below is celebrating the big day today! do you recognize her?

                     

here are some hints if you're stumped...

SHE likes (loves) cake! angel food with buttercream frosting...oh heck...just give her the frosting & she'll be happy.

SHE has a wonderful husband, family & friends that SHE adores.

SHE is a bit of a tomboy - riding her harley + working with powertools. but SHE also has a girly side that loves jewelry & covets the color white + aqua...w/ a heavy dose of rust (there's that tomboy showing again)!

SHE lives where it is currently darn cold. and not the north pole...you're thinking of santa!

SHE loves to create, gather & reinvent fun goodies to share with her fabulous customers + is so very thankful for their excitement that makes it all possible!

SHE is excited to have not {1} BUT {2} meals out today...favorites of course...chicken quesadillas followed later by mango chicken salad - all in the good company of loved ones!

SHE is 29 today! give or take. alright...give more than take!

ok...you probaby have it figured out by now...so if you run into the "girl" shown above remember to have a heavily frosted cupcake waiting...SHE will be thrilled!

thanks everyone for stopping by & have a wonderful day...i know i will!

random bits of christmas cheer!

hey all you good boys & girls (naughty ones too)! today's post highlights a little bit of this & a little bit of that! just some random snapshots of things to bring some holiday cheer to your day!

here is a full on view of the living room...take note of the pillow "present" on my sofa! i tied up some rumpled jute webbing to make a bow! and don't you love the old european grainsac? this is my "winter" cover for my summer ticking bolster.

here i made a little gathering of simple elements to add some zing to my stair-post. it's fun to grab everyday items and create the unexpected! 

 

my dining room table it quite FULL! not really the best spot for playing pictionary man i realized after my little gathering at our home last week. and to think only one ornament was broken the whole evening...by me no less! us "wild wimen" really get into our games!

an old radiator belt rack holds ironstone pitchers + my boxwood star - it's earthy presence adds some color and texture! vintage flashcards urge you to WISH upon a star...

 

well not exactly full of holiday cheer - but since there was a rare moment of an organized kitchen i thought i would seize the opportunity to share! it is the hub of the home afterall!

 

below you'll find glass cake stands ready to be put to commission on christmas eve at our home...and a bowl full of apples are begging to be turned into a gooey pan of caramel apple crisp {click HERE for that one...yum!} and if the apple crisp doesn't make you feel better - a good "smile" always seems to do the trick!

so off we go for the day! spreading some christmas cheer in the form of decorating, baking + just being happy! it's the holidays...slow down & enjoy them!

happily yours!

merry christmas charlie brown!

alrighty then!  i said i would post pictures of my tannenbaum this week and since officially the week isn't over ... here goes!

i have a fondness for trees that most folks would rather see made into kindling than stand proud in their living room. every year i trek around pining (no pun intended) for the perfect blue spruce tree. and by perfect i mean long lanky branches begging to be draped in oodles of faded glories! 

i posted the "before" a few posts back & i will just get right to business...here is the "after" {below}

 

now don't laugh at my pumpkin "presents"! i have a hard time every year letting go of these fabulous hued honies...just ask my hubby who gives me the command at the first sign of decay! plus they fill a much needed void until i get around to wrapping gifts. which would mean i need to start shopping!

here is the foundation for it all {below}...an early victorian era urn. oooh boy do i love it's heavy white paint chippin' away in all the right places!

 

a spattering of some of the glorious old baubles strewn around it's branches. 

this list is my "must meet" criteria to join the ornie "family"...

#1. old. vintage. antique. however you like to say it - they gotta have a past!

#2. it's all about COLOR. must be *sorta blue & or *sorta aqua. also, *silver - but not shiny - i prefer mottlings + crazing in the finish.  the palest of *pale gold. oh, and *frosty white. sounds like a lot but i pass by many pretties!

#3. other acceptable fancies would be silver beaded garlands,  tarnished gold tinsel & ANYTHING with glass glitter. heavy on the patina please.

some of my favorite "family" members seen {below}

 

&

climbing to the top...my crowning glory this year {below} happens to be two glinty glass snowflakes tucked behind a big wendy addison glass glitter star - all highlighted with a sprig of silvery spikes. 

 

it took a little while to turn my tree from scant to marvelous, but i am so tickled with the results and stand in awe of it's grandness everyday. so...merry christmas charlie brown! good 'ol "chuck"...he had the same vision i do...beauty is in the eye of the beholder. and as long as there are lonely trees out there i am determined to hunt them down and make them my own! 

one final note for today...a little verse with alot of meaning!

Wouldn't life be worth the living 
Wouldn't dreams be coming true 
If we kept the Christmas spirit 
All the whole year through?

the stockings were hung....

...by the chimney, staircase & iron bed with care! i am pretty sure that's what they meant in the story but they just shortened it. afterall...who doesn't have {3} sets of stockings hanging up? i may sound a bit greedy waiting for santa to fill that many socks with goodies, but truly...i am happy with just {1} being filled. to the top. with lots of candy! ok, really i just love holiday decorating!

so, just what do my {3} sets of stockings look like? well...just keep on reading and i will show you! my spare bedroom is decked out with socks created from vintage chenille bedspreads shown {below}.

 

the one in the middle was fabricated by your's truly! i had the other two custom made by a most talented gal many many years ago. i tied them up with jute upholstery webbing & when i ran out of that i used a pinkish vintage sewing tape which you can see in the closer view {below}.

moving right along is my mantel with "decorative use only" vintage wooden sock forms. not entirely sure of their original purpose. maybe to stretch those wool socks out after a wet day in the snow?! i do know i like 'em. i never thought i would be so happy to find socks with holes in them!

and the following set of socks makes {3}. three sets for three people! well, two people + one four legged child. 

 

they are hung on my staircase so that i can check and see if santa has made an early visit to our home. somehow he always forgets my goodies on the first trip thru when he fills up bill & lucy's stockings. but when i mention to hubby to pass onto to santa that i have been a good girl...that usually works as things turn up at the last minute! 

again i had them custom made - by a very talented gal by the name of karen pfaller. i first saw karen's work in country living many moons ago to which i contacted her & requested some neutral socks to be made for our family. she lovingly created them from repurposed wool sweaters & i couldn't have been more tickled with them. thank you again karen!

ok santa! we are ready when you are! now - with a houseful of "wild wimen" fast approaching this evening i am off to the races to get in full on party mode! thanks for peeking today! 

may your day be merry & bright...and your stockings FULL!