beth schaleben
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greetings everyone! i will let my vast collection of vintage flashcards tell you a short story...
and there you have it! i will be on the road...visiting loved ones + hunting for some unique goodies! if the opportunity arises i will sneak in a post...otherwise i look forward to show & telling you all about it when i return! thank you for stopping...
make it a great day!
...trying to get a nut!
happy monday everyone! for those of you who are familiar with disney-pixar's film "UP"...you will understand why i have this picture of a squirrel prominently displayed as a reminder to stay on focus. and for those of you who are not...let's just say that i tend to be easily distracted!
so getting back on track after that side-note...we have been experiencing some extreme weather these days! outside our bedroom window is a fabulous specimen of simple beauty ~ bare branches highlighted by a coating of snow. {below}
as you can well imagine minnesota is lacking in flea markets & rummage sales this time of the year...so us "squirrels" have to sometimes dig a little deeper to find those nuts! which is exactly what i did this past weekend hitting some forgotten haunts to unearth buried treasure!
so keep on reading for some show & tell about my favorites!
i happened on a store having a 1/2 off sale. that being said...this sacred heart "oil" painting {below} was a mere $1.25. full of both beauty + meaning...it was just what i needed for my ledge heading to our basement! it doesn't bother me a bit it was a tad to short to fill the old frame already in my collection...
what can i say about the bottles i found? well...that they are just one more step in my ongoing attempt at organization! i may have to break into a ditty of {100} bottles of "junk" on the wall if i keep on buying these cuties!
same store - different room. this place has drawers, buckets & shelves FULL of bits & baubles. i'd say i was the WINNER with this score of random trinkets {below}. and don't you want to kiss the sweet little mirrors? or maybe the aqua hued rhinestone bracelet? pucker up!
this glass cake plate {below} was too good to pass by! i already have two but followed the...if one is good then three is definitely better...approach! hmmm...it also appears to be in need of sweet treat...i better get on that one!
this book {below} was in the 1/2 off room. oh, you twisted my arm. i need another old book like i need another cake plate. but i am a sucker for old graphics + typography so consider it mine!
and how's about this? a passage {below} in the "jolly" little book - about squirrels! now i feel so much less guilty for bringing it home! it was just meant to be! sorry if i sound a little "nutty". sometimes i really play into my posting's "theme"!
lastly...but of course not least...the store's proprietress was just unpacking some of her recent acquisitions. a metal bead necklace and...say it with me...PINK beaded number went quickly from her counter to my bag!
now get out there and "go nutz"! finding whatever calls to you and tucking it away for when you need it. or if you're like me...you probably don't need it but it makes you happy anyway!
enjoy!
today i'd like to send some cross-country love to my mom who is celebrating her special day! HAPPY BIRTHDAY mi mama! though we are apart i know you are here in spirit...egging me on to get things done in the house & always keeping the creative fire burning under me!
for those of you who haven't had the pleasure of meeting marian, otherwise known as "beth's mom", at my shady hollow cottage...she is the gal happily chatting away on the front porch! she is always my head cheerleader & faithful worker bee - ready to give me a helping hand {as shown below}
...thank you mom for just being you! and to think...i only have to repay her with my love & maybe one of my "gourmet" salads or two! i hope you have a special day & look forward to giving you a belated birthday hug in person...love ya!
hey all! alright...show of hands here...who loves to peruse around hardware & home improvement stores? well my hand is enthusiastically waving in the air right now! give me a bolt bin to dig in any-day! i am absolutely a kid in a candy store when it comes to tools & gizmos i can use for creating.
this past weekend i went not once...twice...but three times to a local surplus store. i think the gal who was there on all three said days was beginning to wonder if i indeed had a screw loose! at least i was in the right spot for that ailment! and after {3} visits i now vote this eyelet/punch gadget {below} my favorite find of 2010. (well...the year is young!)
and just what is so darn exciting about an eyelet tool? well besides the fact that i now can play with grommets in many medias {paper, fabric, cardboard...oh my!} it was only $3.50 including 500 brass eyelets! a token of my love for my sweetheart {below} was the first creation born from my new find!
also playing a part in above mentioned handiwork was my vintage pinking tool {shown below} mounted to my "make" room table. it was responsible for the wavy border framing my token of love.
until there is an intervention i am off to "tool around" - seeking out both vintage & new gadgets to join my growing collection. i also think it's time to get a bigger tool belt. tool box. tool bench. you get the point!
happy day to you all!
happy monday everyone! today's post doesn't feature my usual "finished" product...but rather a little behind the scenes look at some projects currently underway in our home! i like to think of them as {W.I.P} W.ork I.n P.rogress! so put on your hardhat! here's a peek at the "start of something good" going on!
our laundry room {below} has remained {W.I.P} for sometime now! years ago i was inspired by a wall color i spotted in a magazine. that room belonged to sue whitney of junkmarket style. the project got rolling again with the aid of a handy fellow carpenter! his magic brought to life my visions of a spot to fold clothes!
LET THERE BE LIGHT...ok...LET THERE BE COLOR! i just unearthed this sign {below} from a fellow junk collector's stash! i think it will be perfect addition above the folding counter. it has been fun working outside my usual calm & neutral palette to add a little vibrance to this lower level space!
next in line or a little finish work is that of our basement bath {below}. yet another clean slate waits for more detail work to be completed as we progress thru my clipboard full of sketches + notes. you'll see that lucy is investigating the placement of the tub!
i hope to incorporate these vintage classroom alphabet cards somehow, somewhere into one of these mentioned projects! they have been tucked away anticipating the right time to put them back to use! letter rip!
and there you have a little glimpse at good things happening in our home! be sure to check back for progress as i continue to design & construct these tiny spaces into rooms of beauty + function!
happy day to you!
hey everyone! now don't think i am out lookin' for a fight! this "scrappy" chick challenged herself this a.m. to create some objects from the tremendous stash of scraps tucked in, around & just about everywhere in-between our property!
so with that challenge set upon myself...i cruised up to my wood/metal/junk work bench tucked in the corner of my hubby's shop. one of the first things i eyed was a tote full of wood cutoff from past projects. the old painted colors & perfect patina prevent me from parting with fragments that most people would toss in a campfire. <GASP>!
well not this scrappy chick. i dug out a piece of weathered moulding...unwound some wire and went to town swirling a whimsical border on the edge. added some rustic little hooks in addition to some treasured letters. tah dah! a place for all your keys was born! {see below}!
after that design there was a chunk of wire left. why not sculpt a delicate little word...plain & simple - "LOVE" as you will find {below}
cute but now what? hows about that carton of boxwood left from my holiday decorating? now for confession time - this is the 2nd carton of boxwood that is in hubby's cold storage. the 1st carton is from 2008 - he has been patiently asking me for a year when he can burn it. i suppose no time like the present! out with the old & in with the new.
anywho...there are no rules that boxwood is strictly a christmas decoration (to my knowledge) so i formed a heart shape. now for the hanger i nab a chunk of rusty barb wire + thick gloves & bent a loop for it to dangle from. here it is {below} layered on a mirror adding some texture + providing a "love"ly addition to our dining room!
waste not, want not...packrat...hoarder. i admit it. i tend to "save" alot! but after today's creations i feel pretty good about keeping those bits & pieces around! now if i could just get bill to feel the same way i know there is a lot of space in his storage that i could sure put to good "use". or at least make room for the boxwood shipment arriving later in 2010!
now go ahead - reuse & recycle! of course i had to omit the "reduce" part of that...i think you get why!
happy day!
happy monday everyone! a new year means different things to different people. to me it symbolizes a start to a new season...it is the time that i gear up for the opening of my SPRING COTTAGE...creating fresh whimsies & sourcing out the unique wares that i built patinaWHITE on.
since butterflies are often a symbol of new beginnings i thought this would be a grand time to share one of my newest creations! at an antique mall i found a box with the handwritten note "real butterflies for picture framing". inside was a collection of gathered monarchs. {see below}
knowing these beauties expired naturally...i thought they deserved a second "life". so i paired them with vintage word snippets & a rosary inspired chain...it all came together to look like this {below}. a patinaWHITE original!
here {below} my always inspiring old perpetual calendar had a great quote today i wanted to show you all too!
sometimes a little sweat is needed to get where we want to be! and that could mean a round of intense exercise depending on your interpretation! to me it would more likely be the result of dragging a larger than life chippy-white cupboard home!
ALSO...i happened to do a little freshening up on my sidebar {top-left}. there is the addition of a fancy keyhole under which you will find categories that are a mini "library" of my posts. for example...the "corner of my world" category will feature my home postings. when you have a few moments please have a peek! & a big thanks to hope from PAPER RELICS for her creative guidance!
i hope this finds each & everyone of you enjoying your own "new beginning"!
love life!
greetings everyone! i thought i would cover a little "pillow talk" today. toss pillow that is! i like to find ways to "create" pillows that are casual, a bit outside the box and SIMPLE!
i often snap up old linens & pretty towels oozing with character. and since i don't like to use them for wiping our hands - i commission them to wrap around a basic pillow. for the beauty below, i tied the bottom shut with some jute twine {below 2} i then blinged it up a bit with a vintage rhinestone brooch. presto! quick...easy and darn cute if i do say so myself!
all tied up here...
and as long as we are discussing towels for pillow wraps...this plain white bolster {below} took on new life when i made some simple button holes and sewed on darkened vintage brass buttons. it reminds me of a corseted victorian-era lady with lacey details that are so delicately delicious.
a recent experiment began with a screenprinted burlap tote. a good run thru the washing machine - minus it's handles - plus the addition of a very quick whip stitch (again in jute twine) yielded the creation found {below}. i absolutely adore the texture & rustic nature of burlap. and for $2 i made this pillow in the blink of an eye!
for another "don't blink - you'll miss it" project...
#1. take a pillowcase...stuff a feather pillow into it
#2. gather & tie up the open end with your choice of material. one of my favorites being vintage fabric measuring tapes.
#3. toss it on your chair or sofa and you are finished! here's my old ticking done up just that way~
since i started with towel wraps i think i will end with one ~ again, i encased a nondescript white pillow in a textured towel.
this time i wanted to see the pretty detailed bottom edges so they met front and center...where i wove white seam binding to bring them together & clipped sparkling clip earrings across. {seen a bit closer below} no sewing skills needed!
so there you have it! "pillow talk" made easy! i hope i have inspired you to "whip up" some quick and lovely additions to your home! thanks for stopping and...
make it a great day!
hello hello! the chilly factor has found my neck of the woods which means i like to warm up with a big bowl of homemade soup! i experimented with my own recipe yesterday & my focus group gave the thumbs up! (thanks bill & mary)! so...i thought i would share a big bowl of YUM with you today!
ok...run out and grab yourself a butternut squash! if it's pretty exterior flesh doesn't catch your attention it's brightly hued inside will! got a pen and apron handy? alrighty then...here goes!
crank that oven to 400 degrees and move onto next step.
TAKE...
{1} good size butternut...(around 2lbs or so) peel and cube into small chunks.
{1/2} of a large SWEET onion. chopped...
& pop both into a large mixing bowl.
THEN...
toss the above with
* a generous drizzle of olive oil
* {2} T of brown sugar
* some sea salt + fresh ground pepper - i didn't measure...eyeball it!
once you have it all coated - spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and pop into preheated oven. after about 20 minutes give everything a turn with a spatula or wooden spoon. back into oven. one more stir around 45 minutes. keep your eye on it at one hour and see if it looks something like this {below}.
now you could stop at this step & i promise you will love snacking on the carmelized onions and squash tidbits. if you are craving soup take the cooked product to a blender or food processor and pulse with
{1} 8 oz box of cream cheese. (i used neufchatel cream cheese)
once you have blended the squash mixture with the cream cheese transfer to a large pot and add:
{2} 14 oz. cans of chicken broth. mix together and simmer on low heat until heated thru. (don't boil though)
i garnished with hot pepper flakes and a little dried parsley. {below} i like things spicy so the pepper flakes are a nice compliment to this sweet & savory soup!
as many of my posts tend to be lenghty...this is actually very easy to make and a great way to enjoy a big bowl of tasty winter squash! makes about 6 cups...enough to share with other hungry inhabitants of your home!
from my test kitchen to your's...enjoy!
