Salvage Style...

A fellow blogger, Margo, recommended a book, Salvage Style ~ 45 Home and Garden Projects Using Reclaimed Architectural Details on her blog and I just got it today! You're right, Margo! It's great! I've only gotten to skim it as life is CRAZY right now, but here's an excerpt that starts to explain why we crazy T2T people do what we do! :o)



The Thrill of the Hunt

“While wading through a salvage warehouse one day, I overheard the store manager ask a customer if she needed any help. “No thanks,” she replied. “I’m just looking for something that’s looking for me. And if you asked this salvage seeker why she spends hours at a time rummaging through old details, getting her clothes dirty, and coughing up 100-year-old- dust, she might reply that she enjoys the beauty of fine craftsmanship. Or, she might say that the antiquity of the piece draws her in. She might even say she enjoys the satisfaction of knowing she is reclaiming pieces of the past her predecessors so carelessly threw away. But if you’ve ever spent an afternoon with an avid salvage seeker, you know that gleam in her eye signifies the excitement of possibilities- the thrill of finding something unique and extraordinary and wonderful- That serendipitous moment when those hours of get-your-hands-dirty adventure pays off with a perfect fit: a decorative iron bracket that cries out, “We’re meant for each other!” You can ask her what she’s going to do with an decorative iron bracket, but she might not even understand the question. It doesn’t matter. And even if she doesn’t find anything that day, she still has splinters in her hands to show for her efforts.

Then there’s the guy who wants to build a table. He’ll scour every inch of the warehouse picking up pieces and putting other pieces back, until he has a conglomeration of what a novice might call junk. But with just his vision and a couple of nails, that guy will have a one-of-a-kind table.”
-An excerpt from Salvage Style ~ 45 Home and Garden Projects Using Reclaimed Architectural Details by Joe Rhatigan and Dana Irwin


I love doing what I do! :o)

I met my "Knight in Shining Armor!!!"

Okay... Okay...


So not exactly MY knight... But I did meet one this weekend!!! :o) lol

I've never yet posted about my other life. The 5-months-out-of-the-year "weekend life!" While most people work during the week and have the weekend off... I work the weekends, and well... Am supposed to have the weekdays off. (That never seems to happen!!! lol) We have a family entertainment business. http://www.sonshineandcompany.com/

Normally I wouldn't post about my usually boring weekend, but this last weekend was anything but boring!!!



We were at the Renaissance Faire in Omaha. I kept busy making Shaved Ice, Bavarian Glazed Nuts, Cotton Candy and avoiding the flirtatious pirate that kissed as many girls as he could. Scary!

The storyteller was really fun to listen to... She had a knack of pulling the audience into her stories!

As far as the Faire in general... I think the whole Renaissance time period has been romanticized. You only see the glory and charm in something like this. None of the poverty and hardship. Even those dressed as peasants and gypsies had no idea of what it really must've been like. And... Um... Let's just put it this way. It was definitely called "the time of immodesty" for a reason!! Wow.

Caleb offered nuts to people as they passed by. He was too cute with the feather in his hat! :o)

We all had to dress in Renaissance era while working there. It was kind of fun, although stopping to get gas afterwards before heading home was interesting!!! I wasn't quite "normal!" (Although... Am I ever?!) I got a lot of 2nd looks!

Mr. Larsen, Alathia, Me and my cousin, Kristin

I opted for the Gypsy look since it runs in my blood. :o) (My great-great grandma was a gypsy! lol) If you really want to look authentic though... For starters you need to be about 50 pounds overweight!

Alathia, trying her hand at face painting. This was her first one!! She's naturally very talented, I think!!

Overall... it was a very interesting weekend! :o)

Hope you all had an interesting weekend too!!!

~Nicole

Garage Sale Finds...

Well... We went garage sale-ing last Saturday! Which means I'm only 4 days behind with my posting! :o) lol

It was FUN! I got some good stuff too!

An old lamp for $5. I probably wouldn't have spent that much if it weren't for the really pretty lampshade. It was just an ordinary mauve ceramic lamp that even had cracks around the base. Which was okay, because all I wanted was the lamp hardware!! It made breaking the lamp in the dumpster easier!!! :o) lol (BTW, the lamp hardware is already being used in a project! Stay tuned for pictures when it's finished!!!)

A BEAUTIFUL comforter set. I'm talking gorgeous!!! Mom's guessing that it was well over $200 new. I got it for $20! This lady had it in her spare bedroom and was thinking that no one had even slept in it. They were moving and it had to go. It looks brand new! I forgot to take pictures before I stored it. It's gold, with a few Burgundy rosebuds here and there. It has the bedspread, a dust ruffle, and shams. The only room it matches is Mom's room, but she didn't want it because she... "Already has a comforter." So I packed it away for "someday, when I have a house of my own." Did I mention it was GORGEOUS?!? :o)

And... I got this:

The lady I got it from said that it was an antique adding machine. But I did just 5 minutes of research before I fell asleep a night or two ago and I think it's technically a "calculating machine." And definitely antique! I got it for $10.

And, can you believe it... It still works!!! :o) I'm wanting to check and see on resale value, because it's got to be more than $10, but I honestly don't know!!! :o) Even if it isn't, I've spent $10 in worse places, right?! :o) lol I really think it's pretty neat though!

The sad part though... It looks like it used to have a plate on the front which probably had names, numbers, or something on it, but it's gone now. I wish it was still there because, #1 it would make researching a lot easier... and #2 it probably isn't worth as much.

Oh well... I like it! :o)

Funny story here too... Last week I was at Target grabbing some groceries for mom, when I browsed through the clearance section. I found some adorable white baseball caps. One said "bride" and 4 more said "bridesmaid." I grabbed them thinking if I ever got married or was a bridesmaid again, that would be awfully cute to go out for ice cream or something beforehand wearing those. So I got them! I brought them home and when I showed them to mom, she looked at me in kind of a strange way... Then the questions started coming. "Why? Do you think you're going to get married anytime soon?!?" "Do you know something I don't know?!?" "What's going on?!" LOL I just about died laughing! She was serious!!! LOL

Okay, so that was early last week. Later that same week, (Saturday) when we went garage sale-ing, we came to one that had a sign at the end of the lane. It plainly said that there were only girls baby clothes there. I asked, "Should we move on?" "Move on?" She said. "Of course not! We're here... Let's check it out!" "But mom, there's only baby clothes! We don't need any baby clothes!" But nevertheless, we checked it out anyway. Pretty soon I hear, "Oh! Look at these little shoes!! Aren't they adorable?! Oh! This dress is TOO darling!" Finally, over $20 later, she finally pays for her big bag BRIMMING with little girl's clothes and shoes. I shake my head, wondering what on earth she's doing. As we walk to the car, I ask her, "So what are you going to do with all that stuff? Do you know someone that's going to have a baby?" Get this... She said, "Nope, they're for my first grand baby!" Honestly... It took me FOREVER to stop laughing! When I could finally talk, I started asking HER questions! "Why? Do you think I'm going to get married anytime soon?!?" "Do you know something I don't know?!?" "What's going on?!" LOL

Yup... It was good for a laugh! Now, I guess the race is on! Who has the first granddaughter... Micah or Me! :o) Of course... Considering the fact that he has a "significant other" and I don't, does give me a disadvantage... BUT... Maybe he'll have all boys!!! Muahaahaahaa! I might have a shot yet!!! :o) LOL Then... What about Caleb?! Who knows! Maybe he'll beat us both!!! :o) LOL

Anyhoo... Better get a move on... But... Try to hit a few garage sales for me this weekend! :o)

"He which began a good work..."

As I look at some of my projects, I see myself all too many times...

This poor cupboard isn't even started yet... We brought it upstairs when we moved, and in all honesty, it looks downright dreadful.

BUT... That's because I'm not done with it yet.

First it needs the peeling paint scratched off, first with the putty knife, then with sand paper. Lots of sand paper. That's most painful part.
Next comes the primer. It looks better... A little cleaner. It certainly shows evidence of work being done on it. I don't quit on it. I keep going.

I get out more brushes and paint. Layer after layer goes on. I take my time with each stroke I take. I want it to look perfect when I'm done. I want it to be beautiful. I want it to be able to be used for my purpose when I'm done with it.

Days pass. I still work on it. Coat after coat of sealer goes on. More time passes. It dries. I move it into place. Liners get put on each shelf.

I put glasses, mugs, mom's beautiful crystal bowls, and casserole dishes neatly inside the freshly painted masterpiece. I step back and smile. Now... Now it can be used for my purpose.

I saw the gem underneath all the dirt and chipping paint. It just needed some unrelenting work. Isn't that so like me?

God sees me. He sees what I am. He sees what I could be. He begins to work.

"Being confident of this very thing. That He which began a good work in me will finish it to completion." Phil. 1:6

He works, relentlessly. Stripping away my pride, layer by layer. After He's done that, He begins to change me. To make me clean. But it takes time. Sometimes it's hard. Sometimes I think I can't go on. BUT... He's not finished yet. Still, He works to make me into the woman that He wants me to be. So that I can be used for His purpose and glory.

“LORD, Help me to trust in you, and do good. Help me to delight myself also in you that you may give me the desires of my heart. I commit my way unto you. I trust in you and I believe that you will bring it to pass. Help me to rest in you and wait patiently. Help me not to fret. You say that those that wait on you will inherit the earth. You also say that the steps of the righteous are ordered by you. Help me to delight in my way and may you uphold me. I will wait on you and keep your way, for you are my strength in my times of trouble. You will help me and deliver me. You will save me, if only I trust in you. Help me to trust in you Abba Father.”

Paraphrased from Psalm 37:3-5, 7, 9, 23-24, 34, 39-40

ANOTHER BABY!

We had ANOTHER baby this morning!!!

Brandy's a mommy!

It's a boy this time and he is SO cute!

And LOTS spunkier too! :o)

Now with Brandy, we've always done "Indian Tribe names."

We've had: Apache, Cherokee and Little Sioux.

Any ideas? We had thought about Winnebago, "Whinny" for short. Any other ideas?

Just one more mare that'll foal here soon! I'll let you know when that one arrives!!

WE HAD A BABY!!!!

Maggie's a mommy!

Don't you just love her little polka dots all over her backside?! :o)

Sleepy baby!


The 'lil one was born sometime between 8:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m.

Isn't she sweet?! She seems to be pretty calm and not too feisty yet, which is kind of nice! ;o) lol We're excited with how pretty she is!



Now we're deciding on names! Can you think of any good ones? We always name Maggie's babies "flower names." We've had Sweet William (Willy), Dandelion (Dandy), Baby's Breath (Baby), and... there's one more... I can't seem to remember what her name was. Hmmm....

Let's hear your vote!
What should we name her?!

Remember my lamps??

Hey ya'll!

Remember the really cool lamps minus the lampshades that I got a couple weeks ago? Check out what I did!

Gave this one to mom for Mother's Day (Along with a really cool tall lamp that I got at my favorite Thrift Store. It still had the tag on it! It was a VERY expensive lamp!!! Got it for 30-something!!! Yeah!) I LOVE how it turned out! I'm having mom get another lampshade like it at Wal-Mart today so that I can do the other one! (The lampshades that I'm using are the beige faux suade ones) It's just an ordinary lampshade that I added the beaded trim to. (I had the trim beads on hand that I had grabbed out of the bargin bin in the fabric section a year or so ago.) It was REALLY easy! I'm making the other one for myself. I'm excited!!!

YAY!

A Tribute to our Couch:

A Tribute to our Couch:
It’s a sad day here at the Wissmann home. Our faithful couch is gone forever. It stood the test of time. Looking back… It seems like only yesterday it arrived at our house out on the dairy farm, proudly perched and tied down to the back of the old pickup. In reality, it was over 12 years ago. We were delighted! Mom and Dad had gone to the Leavenworth KS garage sales for the day. We’ve been through a lot together. I have many fond memories linked to that couch. Ones that I will cherish forever. It will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Now seriously… lol :o) We got a new couch!!! Yay! Okay, so it’s not brand new, but it’s new to us! It’s really nice! It’s bigger than the last one, isn’t so lumpy, and you don’t sink halfway to the floor when you sit down in it! ;o) lol

We like it!

Boy, it's nice out!!

Isn't this weather beautiful?!

Last time I posted a bit about the “outdoors-gardening-fingers-in-the-dirt” stuff that I’ve been doing. Here’s a bit more of a glimpse of what we’ve been working on.

I wanted to be more involved with the planting/watering/weeding this year. I’m not sure why, but last year I was busier or something. I didn’t do a lot with it and I missed it. It’s a fun thing that mom and I can do together.We bought about 4 flats of flowers... Petunias, Geraniums, Vinca Vines, Impatients, spiky grass things, and more. We still need to get a bunch of Wave Petunias.

I got the hanging baskets planted, but I have the rest of the flowers to plant in pots, planters, and in our flower beds.

We also got a flat of veggies. Tomatoes, Peppers, Lettuce, Broccoli, Kohlrabi, Cabbage etc… We planted those in our raised beds northeast of the house.

Unfortunately, our pony, Buddy got out yesterday and we found out that he likes lettuce and broccoli. He ate 3 out of 4 lettuce plants and 3 out of 12 broccoli. Sad day.

We planted a bunch of seeds too. We had planted peas earlier, but that long hard cold killed most of them off. *Sniff Sniff* I love fresh peas!!!

My crazy cousin, Rachel, (Yes you!) likes to pick tomatoes straight from the garden and eat them… But that’s just plain weird! Peas on the other hand… Now peas… Fresh, right off the vine is the only way to eat them! ;o)

Last of all… That brings us to my beloved herb bed.

It too suffered last year from my neglect. *sniff sniff* Hopefully it’ll take off this year with more faithful watering and weeding! What do I have in my herb bed? I have Dutch Mint, Chives (My favorite!), Lemon Balm, and I just planted 4 parsley plants and another Lavender. The key word there is, another. The reason I say that is because this is my 4th lavender plant. My first was lovely. It lasted 2 whole years. Then, we moved to our current house up here in northeast Nebraska and I opted to leave it there. Then it died. I think it missed me! :o) lol My 2nd one I planted by our front door off to the right. Sadly, the dogs “did that one in,” and it succumbed. My 3rd one, I planted in my beloved herb bed and there it flourished all summer. Just before winter arrived, the dogs must’ve decided that it had been around to long and that they needed to do their beastly duty and get rid of it. Either that of they were after a “critter!” Whatever the case, when I found it, it was turned upside down several feet from its previous residence on the cold, hard ground. I replanted it and gave it a bit of water, but this spring when everything else was turning green. It stayed in it’s brown, vegetative state. (Or would that be herbative?) So, again this Spring, I got another Lavender plant and got it safely planted where the last one lived last summer. I think Caleb’s pony is trying to do his part to kill this one though too, because I went out there yesterday and it had a neat little hoof print right in the middle of it! ;o) *Sigh* We’ll see…

But that’s what my beloved herbs are doing. So if you ever call and ask what I’m doing, and I say that “I’m on a date with Herb,” you know what I’m doing! Weeding!My wish list for herbs: Chocolate Mint, Berries and Cream Mint, Apple Mint, Pretty-much-any-kind-of-mint, (I love making tea!) Chamomile, more Lavender, and any other herbs that I don’t have yet! :o)

Have fun this week, ya'll and enjoy the weather!

~Nicole

'Tis the Season!

Wow! What fun!
I love auction season, you know?!?

Auctions and Garages Sales... The best sources of fun on this planet!


A coule Saturdays ago, Caleb went with Dad down to a friend’s house to roof. That left mom and I at home… Without a little man… (Don’t get me wrong, I love Caleb! He just tires of auctions after the 1st hour.) And an auction going on a mere 15 minutes from home. What does that mean? A LOT OF FUN!!!
I got lots of fun stuff that I really didn’t need but I got anyway! Hey! It was only a dollar, right?! LOL

I got:
* A ton of older and vintage magazines - Going to try to resell on Ebay. (I ended up getting them free!)




* 3 chests… (2 for $1.00 each, 1 for .50) I've already got 2 of them full of things I don't use very often but want to have close on hand, and sitting beside my bed. They're my new side table! I love them! Can't decided where to put the 3rd. No more room in my bedroom. Having my own home someday will be such fun!!! :o)





* 2 stools… (1 for $2.00, 1 for .50) (This is the $2.00 one. They usually go for over $10 at the other auctions I've seen them at. I always wanted one 'cause they're just so cute, but never wanted to spend $10 or more for it! ;o) lol)


* 2 glass lamps – I’m hoping to find some really pretty old-fashioned lampshades! ($1.00 each)



* And 1 black antique doctor’s bag ($1.00) (It's in my room now... I want to fill it with pinecones, christmas lights, and pretty ribbon come next Christmas! I think it'll be ADORABLE!)


Also got a bunch of old books. Hard-back. Various titles. What does that mean? A NEW PROJECT! I saw the COOLEST things that this guy did with old books. Check it out! Now… Problem: I have lots of old books… But how does he do it?!?!?!? If you have any thoughts before I start tearing into these new books of mine, let me know!!! LOL
I got a lot of stuff for mom too. Every time she left and came back, I had bought her something else! It was all good though. She had asked me to keep an eye on that stuff. I won some… Lost some… That’s the fun of an auction. The atmosphere… Reading people… Deciding how much you’ll pay for something… Bidding higher than what you decided on previously… Getting outbid anyway… Got to love it!

Anyhoo… Better go…
Here’s to auctions… and junk… and all other fun!

~Nicole

No... I'm not "lost forever!"

Well... Ahem...

Just in case you were wondering...
Yes, I got back from Florida! ;o) lol

Life has been CRAZY since then! What's been happening?!


Well... Let's see...
I had NCHEA Kid's Conference... That was SO FUN!!! Can't wait to start planning for next year!

Candles have wound down. We'll start those back up again in September. *Whew!* One less thing on my list!

Fairs have started up. In fact, we'll be doing fairs 5 out of 7 days this week!

We got our whole house re-wired! HALELUJAH! Gone with all the fuses! In with breaker boxes! No more switching blown fuses for me, baby! (Excuse my excitement, but last time I changed a fuse, I had smoke and sparks everywhere!!! SCARY! Someone told me that no one ever died from getting "just scared." I beg to differ! I was very close to being the first 20 year-old woman to have a heart attack!)

And it's very much gardening weather! We got our very small garden planted... All the flowers weeded... My own beautiful herb garden weeded and some additions planted... The hanging baskets done and hung on the front porch... And yet 4 more flats of flowers to plant. YAY! I love this time of year!

I'm not sure what else has kept me busy lately, but I've been busy doing it!!! :o) lol


That being said, I'll try to post a bit more than every two months now! Granted, I won't be working on a lot of projects this summer, but I'll try to keep you posted by keepin' posted! :o)

~Nicole