KEITH IS IN THE HOUSE...

I am so excited... Tonight the fabulous KEITH JOHNSON returns for season two of MAN SHOPS GLOBE on the SUNDANCE CHANNEL. If you aren't familiar, he is the head buyer of all things fab for who else? ANTHROPOLOGIE...

For me, and this is JUST ME, American Pickers can't hold a candle to this dude. I tried to love the Pickers but enough of the gearhead stuff already...

So if you are lucky enough to get the Sundance Channel I hope you will tune in...

Can't wait to see what Keith's buying this season.

The Minister's Treehouse

Deborah sent me a note saying this oddity called the Minister's Treehouse -- an understatement if I've ever heard one -- is about as Steampunk as you can get using only wood. (For the record, I have no problem with "only wood steampunk.")


It's like a haunted Victorian manse.... only built around a tree. Maybe it's the tree that haunts it?


If you want to visit, it's in Crossville, Tennessee.

Pics via Oddity Central.

Wanna See What I Bought?

I spent about an hour this morning taking pictures of what I bought and just am not happy with a couple of items – not sure why I bought the old tin kitchen thingies but I did and so now will have to decide where they go….or maybe sell them.

Oh it’s gorgeous here today…a cool breezy 71 degrees, partly sunny. Sitting here in the screen room is awesome although I can think of a dozen things I should be doing like cutting out my orders (which I will do after Doug leaves on his trip). Right now it just feels good to let this old body sit and regain some of its strength after yesterday’s first golf day in just ages. I’m feeling it in my lower back – which is a given considering I’m not supposed to be doing things like golf – and up the ribs in the back to the neck. Arms seem to be fine though….maybe they would hurt too if I had swung the club like I was supposed to!

So onto the goodies – it’s close to my last post but I know I’ll be away from the computer a bit this week so I’ll let you see them now.

I bought this because it was a bowl box, not a bowl rack. I already have a rack so this was really different. The color is kind of a blackish brown over oyster.

Here it is on my stove before putting it up – you can see the size of it better.

Next is my wonderful Declaration of Independence – I’m going to get the large George and Abe framed prints next time to go with it and it will go on the wall up the stairs – it’s  14 x 18 inches.

These Red Long Johns are for  Christmas to hang on a peg so it’s going to be put away till then but thought it was rather sweet.

And here’s the Tin ware I wasn’t so sure about – I set it on my dough board just to get a picture of it (and no….the board isn’t dirty, just rather beaten up!)

It’s a little strainer and a sifter – I got the stuffed sheep too….please someone stop me next time…I’m not fond of any of it!

I had this wire basket that had some really cheesy flowers in it for fall when I bought it and put it away a year or so ago but when I found these potted flowers I thought they would work in it and they did.

And for some reason I couldn’t pass up this Confederate Soldier – I’m hoping to put him in with my Americana display

CWI had a 1/2 price Show Special on these huge Tin Containers. I was going to buy a few to sell on my site but being so close to the 4th I thought maybe they wouldn’t move too fast with not much time left….so for $14 I got all three (and they are food safe)
 

CWI also had their long American Flags , I have wanted
one for my dining room table – 8 ft. worked perfectly!

Now here’s my special find….I have been looking for these Snuffer Candle Hooks since last Christmas…we sold so many of these at our show and accidently sold our very own one we had….so I finally found them yesterday and bought enough for the dining room.

They come just plain and I added the battery candle and the little wreaths.

 

I have been blog hopping a bit as well looking at all the 4th displays….very nice and great ideas!

If I come up with anything else this week you’ll be seeing me here, otherwise it will be to visit you!

Hugs, Karen

Milk Crates

I love our local junk store.  It’s run by an old man who only takes cash.  I think he visits garage sales and takes what’s left over at the end of the day… which is mostly junk.  He piles the newest wares in haphazard fashion outside his shop for all to see.  But you know what?  His lazy marketing scheme works. 

We’ve driven by and had to stop more times than I can count.  Once in a while there’s a real treasure.  Remember the vintage desk chair in the boy’s room?  It’s from there.  And my latest drive-by find are these old milk crates. 

They are now sitting atop our fridge and holding my stash of cookbooks. 

OH AND....

I forgot to mention I turned 51 on Sunday...

I would say it wasn't my most memorable birthday but maybe it was.

Wholesale Cash & Carry, 2nd Birthday

Last Sunday my youngest grandson, Aidan, turned 2 – I know, we all say this but it seems like he was just born a while back…how these two years flew by.

Darren and MaryAnn had just the immediate
family at their house for his little party and also Father’s Day.

I’ll just share a few photos of his day
and then tell you what I found at Wholesale!

When we first arrived no one was in the pool but that soon
changed – before Aidan went in he was wet from head to toe
from playing at the edge of the pool.



Darren and Aidan
 

Grandchildren Joe (10), Darren, Aidan (2) and Emily (12)
Em and Joe went in the pool at 1:00 and came out for dinner at 5:00
They came to our house the next day and they were so
exhausted that all three of us read the entire day


Grandson Jesse (21) and Granddaughter Alexandra (17)

Aidan couldn’t take anymore after being in the pool!

His cousin gave him the cutest pair of
black high top Converse Tennis Shoes

(Darren and MaryAnn are as brown as little berries
from being in the pool all the time!!!!)

Today was Wholesale Cash & Carry in Madison – we got there at 7:30 and got in line – doors opened up at 8:00 and the rush was on.

We found a wonderful Wall Bowl Cupboard, Long American Flag, set of Americana Tins, Confederate Doll, Dried Clove scented split Oranges, Snuffer Candle Holders, 12 x 16 Black Framed Declaration of Independence, 2 Potted Lavender Plants

There might be a small thing or two that I forgot about but tomorrow when I take pictures I will put them on here – just wanted to let you know I’ll be showing some American things tomorrow or Wednesday.
Plus, after going to the Wholesale Show we stopped off at a golf course half way home and did ‘9’ holes – that was my first this season plus I got to use my new clubs and shoes!!!
Guess I’m needing some lessons….

I’m going to have 4 full days of ‘ME’ time
this week….husband is heading for Alberta, Canada 
this afternoon ‘till Saturday –
Seems he’s never home anymore - ‘Snap-On Tools’ is doing great business for the number of trucks
they have been making and delivering!

I have a couple
new orders so will probably work on them to keep busy.

Thanks everyone who come visit me – I appreciate and enjoy your comments and visits.

Enjoy!   Karen

ROAD TRIP REFLECTIONS

So, back from the reunion and I have to say it used to be MUCH easier to do a turn and burn road trip...

And factor in a two year old passenger to make it more...well...interesting.

How many times can you watch Monsters Inc. or Finding Nemo in a thirteeen hour period... Or better yet how many times HAVE you?

Not as many as me I bet...

It is an art form to take a two year with you at EVERY bathroom stop, she goes potty, you go potty and she never touches a single dirty surface...

It was super hot in West Virginia... I think it was hotter than Florida...

Not good when you're having forty~five hot flashes a day... Makes group pictures less enjoyable...

But you know what? Unlike here where our air vents are in the ceiling, theirs are in the floor... Do you see where I'm going with this?

How delicious is cold air up your dress when standing over a floor vent during a hot flash?

It truly is the little things in life...

August Fields

When I first started this home décor blog, it was with the intention of documenting the constructing of our new home.  We had grand plans of moving to a village type community and building a historic-inspired home.  I just knew if I was ever going to start a design blog, this would be the time to do it! 

Well, things have changed for us due to the economy and bad housing market, so we are staying put for now.  But Sara over at August Fields has done just what we intended…  They recently put the finishing touches on building a dream home, and documented the process of how they went about it. 

Well, they just  moved in, and their kitchen is jaw dropping:

Check out the painted brick walls and wood beams!

If I ever went as far as to covet a fridge, this would be the one:

You have to see what’s going on in their boy’s room:

This is something I’ve always longed to do…. fill a room with built-in bunks.  Leave it to Sara to actually implement it.  So fun!  Can’t wait to see it all finished.

Remember a few days ago I posted about our drinking glass system?  Well, Sara has come up with the ultimate solution… a water fountain in the house!  Absolutely brilliant.

And I love the framed art above. 

One of my favorite features of her home is their homeschool room.  And it’s not even finished yet in these pictures!  I already know I’m going to love it.  They wrote a lovely verse on the door frame of the room, and I can’t think of a better verse to to have chosen:

And look at the cool, funky flooring they chose for the room:

And from their lovely kitchen is a peek-a-boo window. 

Check out Sara’s blog for the scoop to come on the rest of their now-completed house.  I know I’ll be storing every bit in my inspiration files. 

Thanks Sara for a peek into your home!

Mechanical Iris Peephole

Maker Chris Schaie has created this wonderful irising peephole for his workshop -- and yours too!

Chris says "It was created via a long discussion thread on brassgoggles (Due credit goes to Robo Von Bismark on said forum for the design inspiration) and a lot of trial and error." He's also working to "create a full sized door incorporating this design for [Bruce Rosenbaum's] upcoming 20,000 leagues exhibition in Foxboro."

It's available at Maker's Market for $385.

Halfpenny Home visits the I make fun stuff market in Ipswich

This was the lovely message left for us by Anna today. We're really glad you like our stuff Anna, we love it too!

What a lovely day for a craft and vintage market! The bunting was out and so was the sun in Ipswich today. The Saint's Market was organised by the I make fun stuff people and Loveone who have a very lovely shop in St. Peter's Street.
Loveone were hosting the cream tea parties today, we had 'two to go' and very nice they were too - thanks to Peter and Tracy Ranger for tipping us off! I've been email and blog buddies with Tracy since January but had we hadn't properly met until today and it was such a treat to finally get together as they are usually so busy looking after The Gedgrave Flock - we have their yarn at Halfpenny Home as it is so soft, shiny and beautiful to knit with (can't you tell we're big fans).
We had a little time to play hangman...
make pom pom ribbon bracelets...
and enjoy some refreshments...
before we packed it all back into the trunks ready for Adam to take us back to Halfpenny Home.

Thank you so much Pixieannie for all the giggles, hope the ride back home on your new bike wasn't too wobbly - your basket was very full! Thanks to Adam for putting up with us all and helping pack and unpack and finally, thank you for the lovely button doodles Beth. Nic x

Wonderful Dinner

We had our ‘late’ Father’s Day dinner with my Stepfather and his wife last night and had such a nice time….I know I probably mentioned this before but my mother re-married 5 weeks before me and lived just 5 years after she married…she passed away from Lymphoma Cancer at age 49 but left a very wonderful man to carry on her memory with us – even though he re-married a few years later the both of them still make sure we are part of the family and we do the same for them…
and this has been going on for 42 years!

Boots is 88 and Virginia is 87 and both doing quite well I might say – nothing keeps them down and they go, go, go!

We went to one of our favorite places on the lake called the Buckhorn and as usual had a great meal. This place has been there for 50+ years and I say this seriously – the food has never changed as well as the service and that can’t be said for most businesses, especially a restaurant. The menu is still the same as when we first started going there and their motto is ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’….and that is sooo true.

Now….quite awhile back I posted about a really
sweet, fun blog called Primfills
http://primfills.blogspot.com/ 

Jobeth is just the sweetest Southern gal I know and her posts are adorable and so endearing – please go on over there and visit her…she’s trying so hard to get into the blog world and is also starting up a new website (to open July 4th) and here’s the link:  http://www.primfills.com/  Even though it’s not open yet you can still go check out and maybe bookmark it for next week!

Guess this is a short post today – not much happening in my neck of the woods so it’s a good day to do nothing but read.
Tomorrow I’m heading on up to Madison to the
Market Square Cash & Carry Show
in hopes of seeing some new and exciting products
for the upcoming holidays – if I find anything special
I will post it next week.

Until then, see ya!  Karen