Patina White

leap into life! {chance 4 a PRIZE!}

happy leap year show & tell! since this occasion only happens once every {4} years...i felt it warranted a post. so to start i will take a leap back in time! nearly 30 years ago {way back!}! i can remember it as clear as if it were yesterday. which considering the many fleeting thoughts in my head...it's really quite remarkable.

anywho...my mom hosted a park lane party. upon which i was allowed to pick out {1} jewelry item. now most young girls would opt for a sparkling pendant. or their initial. nope. not me. i picked a frog necklace. because i was the kid who chased down garter snakes& traipsed thru the sand in search of toads. so it only seemed fitting that i would want the frog. which i still happen to have in my possession to this day {below}. once a collector...always a collector.

now let's leap to present day. i thought a token might be a nice surprise for one of my lucky blog visitors...so i put together a little cluster in honor of our "leaps". the collage charm front sports a happy girl in action w/ the verse ready, set go! and on the reverse is a reminder that we sometimes need to just take the leap into life! you never know what you might be missing otherwise! i then added a bit of sparkle w/ a stack of ruby gems + hand stamp'd up a favorite saying of mine on a tiny sterling disc. end result {below}

prize * prize * prize

all you have to do to have a chance to make this your own is write a comment @ the end of this post! simple. that's it! you can be as long or short as you like. share a little story of something that makes your memories take a leap back...or just a shout out of "hey...i really want this!" i will sign you up & randomly select a lucky "leapster"! you've got til MARCH 6th so hop to it!

now i must mention that i spend a little less time chasing toads these days. though i won't deny i peek @ one in the garden now and then. but there is still a frog i am always hunting. and that would be those darn flower frogs. i have scores of them. infact you may have noticed them in the photo of the charm back {above}. maybe in another 30 years i will be talking about this collection. goodness knows what the new one will be @ that time!

take the leap my friends! i look forward to hearing from you!

just razzing ya!

hello and happy top of the week to you! if you have been to shady hollow & visited my shoppe, you may have caught me taking a quick lunch break. and my go to choice is always a salad. actually...that is my go to choice ALL year long. bring on the leafy greens smothered in an array of fruit, feta and whatever sweet nut variety i can get my hands on. and if there's room...a helping of seasoned chicken is a welcome addition as well. oh. and don't forget the dressing. {plenty of it, thank you!}

last summer, one of the sweet neighbor girls showed up on my doorstep with a giant carton of overflow raspberries they were growing. i was happy to take the extras off her hands. i am looking forward to plump garden fresh varieties like that i was lucky enough to get {below}

my favorite dressings are fruity, zingy and super sweet. almost like a dessert for the main course if you will. i've been making my own version of a "semi-homemade" raspberry vinaigrette that gets rave reviews from my family + friends. so i'm going to share it today for those of you interested!

you will need...

* one bottle of kraft light raspberry vinaigrette

* one 12 ounce bag of frozen raspberries {or fresh if ya got 'em}

* raspberry wine vinegar

* honey...fruit preserves...sugar... just some sweet stuff.

* array of seasonings...read how to for more...

now that you have your supplies {below}

...grab yourself a blender and...

pour in entire bottle of dressing.

throw in 1/2 the bag of frozen raspberries. 

add 1/4 cup raspberry vinegar {i like it vinegary...adjust to your tastebuds}

time for the "sweet stuff". my sweet tooth never minds a heavy hand in this dept. 3 TABLEspoons of honey does the trick. or a couple spoonfuls of fruit preserves. sugar. you get the picture.

seasonings are subjective. as i guide i would recommend...

1-2 TABLEspoons of poppy seed

1-2 TABLEspoons of minced onion flakes

1-2 TABLEspoons crushed red pepper. oh wait. that's for my tastebuds. i not only like sweet but a raging amount of heat. you may want to cut that back. or add more which i will likely do.

little bit of salt and a dash of pepper does the trick.

blend on low speed til frothy and you're done. it's a thickened up...super fruity variety of dressing that is quite good for you. and definitely tasty! add to your greens {baby lettuces, spinach}. top with fruit on-hand. apples. grapes. banana. pear. pineapple. strawberries. blueberries. of course raspberries. any or all them will work. just get a bigger plate!

and like i mentioned...some seasoned chicken is always @ home here. add a sprinkle of feta cheese and finish with a nutty topper. {glazed walnuts anyone??} oh. and in my land...more pepper flakes. i want heat with the sweet!

room for dessert? leftover fresh raspberries? well then give this a try. white & choco chips stuffed into those berries {below}. i found on pinterest. courtesy of a fun blog by the name of saucy sprinkles.  - you're set! no razzing here! just sweets for the sweet! i can't wait to give it a whirl!

are your tastebuds tingling? mine are. infact...i think a salad may be on the menu for lunch again today. i never tire of it. and pretty sure i would enjoy a candy stuffed raspberry chaser too! i wonder how i can incorporate my pepper flakes into those?? 

make it a GREAT day!

crazy {4} corrugated

hello hello! hope you all are having a great week! not too much longer and i will be back in the swing of shady hollow season! and with that brings the arrival some fun new wares to showcase @ my grand reopening the weekend of memorial day! to wet your whistle til then i will share a couple recent favorites that made their way into the line-up!

when i saw this necklace {below} i was instantly drawn to it's heavy-duty, industrial flavor. the wavy corrugated backdrop sets off the big bling. and check out that chain. it's deceivingly lightweight for it's larger than life look!

i love me some corrugated metal. when i see a shed cloaked in it...my instinct is to grab a crowbar & start yanking. since this building {below} belongs to my friend, woody, i best steer clear as i would be the 1st one he'd suspect should the roof disappear! unless a chance tornado moved thru the area.

this wavy material adds instant texture to ordinary objects. and makes a fine wall dressing too! as shown here as the backdrop to a clock.*please note* no metal was "lifted" for the making of this post.

it also makes for a great mix of materials to become a tote {below}. have to thank my friends @ bergen's greenhouse for the use of their succulents to liven this little cutie up!

also spied while on location @ bergens was fields of greens! the thought of spring and flea season don't seem too distant when viewing the tables of vinca vines and other seedlings growing away {below}!

my love of corrugated isn't just limited to the use of it in metal. if i get a package with corrugated cardboard cushioning...i roll it up up and save for paper crafting as in the little wrap-up i did awhile back!

and with that..i will sign off today with a big "wave" good-bye. as always i sure appreciate you taking the time to pop over to my corner of the world.

wishing you a wonderful weekend...

an OLD reflection

greetings everyone! we meet again! this past weekend hubby & i took a trekk to minneapolis {the "cities" to us county folk} where i made a visit to a favorite shoppe...hunt & gather. this occasion found me doing more hunting than gathering...but..a pile 'o letters did catch my eye. after multiple combinations of words...i did come up for air w/ an OLD selection {below}.

 

 i know...i know. **yawn**...you've seen letters of the sort on my blog. and you're probably wondering why it's it worth mentioning these. well - because ultimately i used them in a way that made me smile. and i like to bring a smile to your face. so here's hoping i will do so!

without much thought to any meaning {beyond my fondness for "old" stuff} i popped them on top of a floor length mirror in our spare bedroom -  next to which i stack my pre-planned apparel selection...like this getup {below}

but after {3} days of looking in a mirror with the word, OLD, on it...i decided that wasn't a very positive "greeting" to start my day on. so i added a few small alphabet flashcards & took to the mirror with my giant black marker. amazing how the addition of two words changed the whole message {below}!

now when i do my spot check in the mirror i chuckle to myself...because i am reminded that you are only as old as you feel. despite what the former message above the mirror told me! 

act old later, my friends, or maybe never @ all!

 

{1} potato...{2} potato...

hey there everyone! are you ready to burst into child-like singsong with that title? it's all i could chant as i was working on a project for my spare bedroom. i wanted to replace the teeny tiny lamp on the bedside table. upon which i remembered a chunky wood spindle lamp i had. thing was i didn't want an ordinary shade to top it. visualizing a wire frame minus the fabric...a dig thru my "stashes" yielded nada. then i caught a glimpse of the pile of potato baskets hiding in the shadows. literally a light bulb "aha!" moment!  

and as the lyrics go...{1} potato...{2} potato...{3} potato...

and don't think i forgot the {4}! because here it sits {below}...

i took random pages of ephemera & wove them thru the wirework of the basket. then popped it on top of my weathered lamp base...left the handle dangling for a bit of whimsy and finished it off with a diminutive wood ball finial. now it's one hot potato if i do say so! exactly what i wanted. casual character galore! and just so you get the big picture...here's what it looks like {below} as a whole!

almost makes me want to burst into yet another song - you light up my life! but i know where my strengths lie and singing is not one of them. so i will stick to the kiddie singsongs! in which case the stack of little tablets in the crock may jog another tune...and i think you all know his NAME-O! 

i will send you off today with a medley of songs that will soon be stuck in your head like they are mine! maybe they will inspire a project or two of your own! or at least make you skip to your lou...

happy day!

live a life of love

hello there show & tell friends! valentine's is all about love...so i thought i would take a moment to send out...

and take the opportunity to tell you all how very much i appreciate each and every one of you. i am honored by your visits...and the notes + comments you send my way. i think it's very "sweet" of you to think that much of my corner of the world! it continues to inspire me...

someone else i am pretty sweet on is, of course, my hubby. so i was thrilled when i found a vintage valentine to give him. the back was penciled in with "to rob & karl...from bev & fern...1940". which left the inside blank for my message that ended with {2012}. my hope is that this "second-hand" greeting might be passed on again down the road! 

they say the way to a man's heart is thru his stomach so i took cue and got a gift certificate to our local meat market! who needs chocolate when there's a rib-eye waiting for his selection!

so with that...i hope your every day is filled with much love. because as my little pendant necklace {below} reminds us to do...LIFE THE LIFE YOU LOVE....LOVE THE LIFE YOU LIVE! 

keep on spreading your love around today...tomorrow and the rest of the year!

❤...share and share alike...

sunday drivers

hello hello! last sunday hubby and i engaged in a partial day spent being "sunday drivers". you know the type. that car meandering in-front of you when you have somewhere you need to be quickly and they...well...they don't!

yep. that was us! because that day the coating of heavy frost made for some scenery too lovely to pass by. so buckle up and join me for a little recount of the sights! and you don't even have to chip in for gas money! enjoy!

 s u n d a y sight seeing...

BREAKDOWN of what's going on {above}

top left corner...despite the gray day this swamp was spectacular! the white forest in the background was set off by the earthy colored reeds.... 

clockwise. a tree from within. this silo is home to that tree you see. yes. it is growing right out and above it. how many years do you suppose that took?? or maybe they built the silo around it. which sounds silly but you just never know. guess this will be the old thought of which came first...chicken or the egg??

ok. cheating a little with the next one. this truck was actually spied in nebraska on a past road trip. but had to show today. because i'm enamoured with its charm and color. darn good thing its securely fastened to the building. 

lastly...the leaning tree. it's skeletal silhouette highlighted by the blanket of frost.

oh there's more...continue on my friends...

here we go again!

the large photo {above} was what started this all. i spotted this earlier in the day by my lonesome. and just about caused a pileup with my rubber neck glance and hasty u-turn. the weeping willow nearly made me do just that. truly...i have never seen something so simple and yet so spectacular. and the red fire hydrant was like the cherry on top. it just made it that more special! 

right column...

top. this pig has more than fair share of bullet holes. but spending years being used for target practice can do that. still a fine looking ham if i do say so...

middle. windmill in the distant background...offset by a run of barbed wire fencing. green acres is the place to be...

bottom. i'm just a fan of how this sign popped against the scenery. and the fact that it once was used for a four way intersection and since recycled for a different location. minus the fourth street. 

glad you tagged along on a little road trip today! hope you enjoyed the journey! all the while doing so from the comfort + safety of your own "seat". with not one person honking their horn @ you! that was saved for the girl making the abrupt u-turn in the street. guilty as charged. but what a sight to see!

have yourself a fabulous start to your week!

back in command

hello everyone! wishing you a wonderful start to the weekend! my recent office project has inspired me to address another area lacking in the attention department. i am in full on organizational mode! 

upon entering our home is our "command" station. it's better known as a drop spot for coins, keys, mail...+ a little bit of this and a whole lot of that! well i had lost command of this spot and found the army of dust bunnies and random keys had taken over! 

as luck would have it...last weekend i found a "new" vintage magnet board to replace the former functional, but boring, number i put there to "get by". here's a peek @ one corner of the "newbie" put to work {below}

you'll see the whole enchinlada in it's new home {below}

the magnet board i believe was a former metal table top. it had a cove on one end that i popped a piece of weathered lumber into and proceeded to hammer in some railroad date nails {from 1933!} as a spot for items to hang out! lovin' how it turned out {below}

so...last night i had good intentions of sorting thru all the bits of paper and objects that had collected over time. but when i pulled out the collection of magnetic word poetry {below}...i found myself distracted for a great deal of the evening playing with phrases. oh well...figured i could always carry over my task to the next day! why rush...

back at it early this morning i wanted to catch hubby before he was off to the races and quiz him on what was really important to keep of the scribbles + assortment of saved bolts & whatchamacallits. turns out he didn't keep any of it. makes me wonder why it was saved @ the time! but who i am i to judge - being the queen of all things collected and saved. 

now...onto those keys. neither one of us were really sure where they went...but neither one of us were ready to part with them. so my solution was to stamp a brass tag {below} and hang 'em up for the next cleaning session. and they will still be a "mystery" then!

we are now back in command of our little area. with an old cash register coin tray {below} sorting out the "necessities". {word poetry anyone?} that and an old glass mailbox + general store receipt "poker" to catch the media to be sorted later. often times MUCH later. 

so there you go! i am moving on to other corners with their own "mysteries" to unravel. well see just where that gets me. and how many days of distractions it will take to play detective! i sure appreciate you popping by...

make it a great day!

office ree-doo re-vealed!

happy monday everyone! ok...i know it's late in the day but it's still monday! and i said i would reveal my office redo so here we go! are you ready? i am! because i am talking a project that has been put on the back burner for many moons. so it's with great excitement i present my office with a "shady" past...and a now bright looking future!

come on in!

have a seat if you like!

there's a big {smile}on my face right now...

..brought forth by all the little details that have finally come together...

i am sitting in this very spot right here {below} clicking away on my keyboard...

and i've got my week figured out. or @ least the highlights {below}!

as seen from my perch {below}...i kept the "window treatment" simple. i felt it was "key" to not block the view.

a grouping of loved ones {below} keep me company...

and incase i feel the urge to procrastinate on my filing...{which i am doing by the way}...i can always scribble on my "slate" canvas {below}

i set my standards high...

or should i say the STANDARD brand stamp holder is now high on my custom created cubby unit {below}. you might remember the re-purposed window now hard @ work!

open sesame. my second computer {AND printer} i can't let go of has a hidden home now!

last year 'bout this time i showed you this cabinet {below}.

where i painted the orange interior and started the process of sorting + organizing that still continues today. and tomorrow. and so on...

incase you missed it...here's the belly of the beast {below}

and another collage of this-n-that {below}. the crowning glory of the room would have to be the globe light encased in chicken wire. just right for my little hen house! thanks rejuvenation hardware!

2 days. 2 cans of "fast acting stripper" {they lied} + 2 bags of steel wool later and i FINALLY got the black, yellow & drab olive paint off my steel rolling cart. with the added element of vintage yardsticks & office implements....it rolls out from it's hiding spot under my desk to lend a hand when i need a bit more work surface! a real labor...now love!

have you picked up on my fondness for vintage office supplies? old staplers, wire bins, paper punches...the list goes on...love 'em all! not to mention the many metal containers {like this one below}!

is that the phone i hear??

good thing this space is right around the corner from our bedroom. 'cause i have been working on this reveal post since the early hours of the day! i may very well crawl on over there for a nap!

with that being said...i hope this was all worth your time! now i will let the retired time card holder & old school flashcards finish out this post! 

got some feedback? would love to hear it! becuse your comments make my day! according to my DON'T FORGET list on my corkboard...i have plans of blogging later in the week. now i best be on my way to figuring out exactly what that might be! thanks so much show & tell friends for sharing this special space with me!

what i wore...london fog

hello everyone! i know it's cliche to continue to talk about the weather...but we have had some crazy fronts that just seems fitting to talk about! case in point. my usual drive home this morning was hindered by a very thick blanket of fog. if it wouldn't have been for that mysterious arrow {below} i may still be driving in circles!

with the mild weather i find that i am able to wear the less bulky cold weather gear and enjoy some lighter layering combinations. today was just such an occasion! so have a peek below @ what i wore...and join me after the photo collage for some commentary!

driving the last couple fog-laden days have definitely been on a wing & a prayer just as my artisan crafted spoon pendant {above left} indicates! i had a handful of these works of art @ my holiday event last november and the response was so overwhelming that i am working with the talented couple who makes them to have a new flock for the spring reopening of shady hollow! 

next up is the whole shebang. hubby teases me that my vest is conan the barbarian-ish. he may be a little bit correct but just incase...the faux "animal instincts" continue on with a leopard scarf over my newly acquired harley zipper tunic. and intentional holes in my jeans carryout the "primitive" vibe! you will recognize the studded boots from before. haven't taken them off since the last what i wore segment!

ladies...hold onto your purses! i had been eyeing this canvas bag online for AGES. then...a gal @ my holiday event happened to have one on her arm. i circled her for a couple minutes before moving in and asking if she'd mind if i inspected closer rather than continue stalking her around my studio. well. that hands on visit was all i need to cement that i did indeed need one! and not only did i grab one for myself...but i brought in some stock to be a part of patinaWHITE's new line up!

well that about wraps it up for today. no more talk of the weather. at least for this week. {now that's it's nearly over}! hot on the heels of this post will be my office reveal on monday. incase you were wondering. i haven't lost my way. because i have signs along the way to guide me!

have a great weekend my friends!