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Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Our Booth at the Maple Syrup Festival

This last weekend, we had a booth at the Vermontville Maple Syrup Festival.
So I just thought I'd share a few pics of our booth with you today. 
Our booth was set up in a classroom.
It was kind of fortunate for us to be in our location because I was able to use the bulletin board to hang some signs on. 
 But it also made for a really pink background... lol
Below you can see the pennant banner I made for us.
I love the burlap and teal.
The letters are painted in Aubusson Blue. 
 We had a really great show and will definitely be attending again next year! 

Now we have to transport our goodies to our permanent booth, which will be at the Caledonia Vintage marketplace. So excited to have a permanent location!
I will post pics of that when we're all settled in.
Wish us luck :)

Monday, April 29, 2013

Vintage Crate Turned Desktop Paper Organizer

Today I'm sharing a vintage crate project with you. 
I love vintage crates, don't you? 
This crate was an estate sale find. I'm not sure why I couldn't just let this old girl stay a plain-old crate. But... I just couldn't. I guess I figured she'd been a crate long enough.
Now it was her time to shine!

Here she is before (almost before anyway! lol). I realized after I'd started painting that I forgot a before picture. Again! So I quickly snapped this one to show you.
I used Virginia Chestnut on the outside of the crate.
Its such a wonderful, rich brown!
I also waxed it with dark aging wax to make it an even deeper shade.
For the inside, Barcelona Orange with a coat of Johnston Daffodil over that, brushed every which way so you can see the strokes. And only lightly coated in some spots, so the Orange would show through.
I painted the edges with (are you ready for it...?) Santa Fe Turquoise.
Sorry, can't help it. I just love these colors together.
I guess lots of other people must like them too, judging by the response to our
I then applied clear wax over all of that.
Eric then made some cleats and shelves so this little gal could hold papers on the desktop.
We gave her three shelves, all of which got the same paint treatment as the rest of the original crate.
This old gal is just the perfect size to hold regular size paper and a few pretty accessories too!
I'll be talking about the little goodies in these pics this week too, so be sure to stop back by. :) 
I'm so glad I decided to give this crate a new life as a pretty office organizer.
She fits the bill just perfectly!
See that little box there on the right of the crate in the pic above? That's my cool new ruler box. It's got sentimental value for me. If you missed the post, you can check it out here.

If you haven't liked our facebook page yet, you can do that here.
And you can follow me on Pinterest with this link.
To get my new posts at bloglovin', just click this.
Getting new followers and comments absolutely makes my day! :)


Everyone loves a good party!
Check my project out along with other great inspiration, at these great blogs...

One Project at a Time at A Bowl Full of LemonsTransformation Tuesday at The Ironstone NestMonday Funday at Creatively LivingNifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal CharmThe Scoop at Cedar Hill RanchProject Inspired{d}at Cupcakes and CrinolineYou're Gonna Love It at Kathe with an ETransformed Tuesdays at PJH DesignsTweak It Tuesday at Cozy Little HouseTake a Look Tuesday at Sugar Bee CraftsPrimp Your Stuff Wednesday at Primp JunktionBe Inspired at Elizabeth and CoPretty Things Link Party at twelveOeightTime to Shine at A Diamond in the StuffToo Cute Tuesday at Funky Polkadot GiraffeThe Power of Paint Party at Domestically SpeakingCreatively Tuesday at The Rustic PigShow Me What You Got at Not Just a HousewifeShare It Link Party at The Winthrop ChroniclesTasteful Tuesday at Naptime CreationsTutorial Tuesday at Hope StudiosTrash 2 Treasure at Kammy's KornerFluster's Creative Muster Party at Fluster BusterThe Creative Spark at Clean and ScentsibleTuesdays at Our Home at Our Home Away from HomeHomemade by You at Made to be a MommaTrendy Tuesdays at Sweet Little Gals

Wildly Original Link Party at I Gotta CreateWow Us Wednesday at Family Home and LifeWhatever Goes Wednesday at Someday CraftsWhimsy Wednesday at Smart School HouseWhat's It Wednesday at Ivy and ElephantsWednesday Whatsits at White Lights on WednesdayWhat We Accomplished Wednesday at Green Willow PondUnder $100 Linky Party at Beyond the Picket FenceShow and Share at Southern LovelyWow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern StyleWow Me Wednesday at Gingersnap CraftsFrom Dream to Reality at The DIY DreamerIts' a Party! at A Creative PrincessShow Off Your Stuff Party at Fireflies and JellybeansLook What I Made Wednesday at Creations by KaraCreate and Share at The Trendy TreehouseA Little Bird Told Me Link Party at The Life of Jennifer DawnOh What a Happy Day Link Party at Not Done Growing

Simply Creations Link Party at My Simple HomelifeFurniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard SeedInspire Me Please Link Party at Liz Marie BlogFrugal Friday at The Shabby NestFeathered Nest Friday at French Country CottageWhat Have You Redone at Redoux InteriorsHome Sweet Home at The Charm of HomeThrifty Things Friday at The Thrifty GrooveSimple and Sweet Fridays at Rooted inThymeBe Inspired at Common GroundFaunt It Friday at Chic on a Shoestring DecoratingFrugalicious Friday at Finding FabulousFabulously Creative Friday at Jennifer RizzoShow and Tell Friday at Romantic HomeJunkin' Joe Vintage and Thrifty Finds at The Cottage MarketWeekend Wrap-Up Party at Tatertots and JelloShabbilicious Friday Link Party at Shabby Art BoutiqueTickled Pink at 504 MainAnything Blue Friday at The Dedicated HouseRustic Restorations Weekend Link Party at Homespun Happenings,  Great Idea Thursdays at A Handful of Everything

Friday, April 26, 2013

A Sentimental Ruler Box

Today I'm sharing a cool little project with you.
I think it's especially sweet because it has some sentimental value for me.
I grabbed this old ruler at an antique show at the Lake Odessa Fairgrounds last summer.
It was a must have for me when I saw where the ruler was from.
This particular old ruler, which was in excellent vintage condition, was from a business that was once located on the street I grew up on.

See the address there... 
Turner Street is where I lived my entire life until I moved away to college.
And here, on the inside of the box, you can see the Lansing part.
How cool is that? :)
I asked Eric to make it into a box,
which I'd seen during my Pinterest travels.
He sized it so that I could fit post-it notes in the main compartment.
Of course, I didn't have any regular size post-its when it came to taking these pictures! lol
And I'm going to put paper  clips in the other compartment.
I love my new ruler box.
Vintage. Repurposed. Sentimental.
What more could a girl like me ask for? :)

Be sure to come back next week for some more desk accessories, including an old crate we turned into a paper organizer! 


If you haven't liked our facebook page yet, you can do that here.
And you can follow me on Pinterest with this link.
To get my new posts at bloglovin', just click this.
Getting new followers and comments absolutely makes my day! :)


Everyone loves a good party!
Check my project out along with other great inspiration, at these great blogs...

One Project at a Time at A Bowl Full of LemonsTransformation Tuesday at The Ironstone NestMonday Funday at Creatively LivingNifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal CharmThe Scoop at Cedar Hill RanchProject Inspired{d}at Cupcakes and CrinolineYou're Gonna Love It at Kathe with an ETransformed Tuesdays at PJH DesignsTweak It Tuesday at Cozy Little HouseTake a Look Tuesday at Sugar Bee CraftsPrimp Your Stuff Wednesday at Primp JunktionBe Inspired at Elizabeth and CoPretty Things Link Party at twelveOeightTime to Shine at A Diamond in the StuffToo Cute Tuesday at Funky Polkadot GiraffeThe Power of Paint Party at Domestically SpeakingCreatively Tuesday at The Rustic PigShow Me What You Got at Not Just a HousewifeShare It Link Party at The Winthrop ChroniclesTasteful Tuesday at Naptime CreationsTutorial Tuesday at Hope StudiosTrash 2 Treasure at Kammy's KornerFluster's Creative Muster Party at Fluster BusterThe Creative Spark at Clean and ScentsibleTuesdays at Our Home at Our Home Away from HomeHomemade by You at Made to be a MommaTrendy Tuesdays at Sweet Little Gals

Wildly Original Link Party at I Gotta CreateWow Us Wednesday at Family Home and LifeWhatever Goes Wednesday at Someday CraftsWhimsy Wednesday at Smart School HouseWhat's It Wednesday at Ivy and ElephantsWednesday Whatsits at White Lights on WednesdayWhat We Accomplished Wednesday at Green Willow PondUnder $100 Linky Party at Beyond the Picket FenceShow and Share at Southern LovelyWow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern StyleWow Me Wednesday at Gingersnap CraftsFrom Dream to Reality at The DIY DreamerIts' a Party! at A Creative PrincessShow Off Your Stuff Party at Fireflies and JellybeansLook What I Made Wednesday at Creations by KaraCreate and Share at The Trendy TreehouseA Little Bird Told Me Link Party at The Life of Jennifer DawnOh What a Happy Day Link Party at Not Done Growing

Simply Creations Link Party at My Simple HomelifeFurniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard SeedInspire Me Please Link Party at Liz Marie BlogFrugal Friday at The Shabby NestFeathered Nest Friday at French Country CottageWhat Have You Redone at Redoux InteriorsHome Sweet Home at The Charm of HomeThrifty Things Friday at The Thrifty GrooveSimple and Sweet Fridays at Rooted inThymeBe Inspired at Common GroundFaunt It Friday at Chic on a Shoestring DecoratingFrugalicious Friday at Finding FabulousFabulously Creative Friday at Jennifer RizzoShow and Tell Friday at Romantic HomeJunkin' Joe Vintage and Thrifty Finds at The Cottage MarketWeekend Wrap-Up Party at Tatertots and JelloShabbilicious Friday Link Party at Shabby Art BoutiqueTickled Pink at 504 MainAnything Blue Friday at The Dedicated HouseRustic Restorations Weekend Link Party at Homespun Happenings,  Great Idea Thursdays at A Handful of Everything

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Oh, What Love Can Do!

You may remember our Card Catalog Inpsired Table. If not, we'd love for you to check it out. But. long story short, before that was an eight-drawer table, it just a simple cubby bin. We actually flipped it sideways from what was intended to be the top in order to make the table. Well, it had this piece of wood on the top that we removed.

Now, it's this pretty little sign!
I just love making signs for our business.
What can I say...
I'm a sign maker by day so I guess it spills over into the evening as well. :) I enjoy designing pretty little signs without any restrictions put on my by the customer. These signs are all my handy work. I think that's why I enjoy them so much. 
 This little piece of wood was a dark color, not quite green and not quite brown. Pretty much mud! I liked the look of the wood and the way it was weathered and chipping a little on the edges. So I decided to work with the color.

I painted some Ce Ce Caldwell's Traverse City Cherry over the original color.
I immediately fell in love!
Once it was dry, I applied my vinyl stencil and began painting the love part of the lettering with Santa Fe Turquoise. I decided to use a different color on the rest because I wanted the 2nd part of the saying to stand out from the first part. So I used Johnston Daffodil on the other lettering and then on the flowers. Once dry, I simply dry-brushed some Turquoise over the Daffodil to give the flowers a softer look.
I couldn't have been happier when I took the stencil off!
This is one of my favorites :)
Hope you've enjoyed it as well!

If you haven't liked our facebook page yet, you can do that here.
And you can follow me on Pinterest with this link.
To get my new posts at bloglovin', just click this.
Getting new followers and comments absolutely makes my day! :)


Everyone loves a good party!
Check my project out along with other great inspiration, at these great blogs...

One Project at a Time at A Bowl Full of LemonsTransformation Tuesday at The Ironstone NestMonday Funday at Creatively LivingNifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal CharmThe Scoop at Cedar Hill RanchProject Inspired{d}at Cupcakes and CrinolineYou're Gonna Love It at Kathe with an ETransformed Tuesdays at PJH DesignsTweak It Tuesday at Cozy Little HouseTake a Look Tuesday at Sugar Bee CraftsPrimp Your Stuff Wednesday at Primp JunktionBe Inspired at Elizabeth and CoPretty Things Link Party at twelveOeightTime to Shine at A Diamond in the StuffToo Cute Tuesday at Funky Polkadot GiraffeThe Power of Paint Party at Domestically SpeakingCreatively Tuesday at The Rustic PigShow Me What You Got at Not Just a HousewifeShare It Link Party at The Winthrop ChroniclesTasteful Tuesday at Naptime CreationsTutorial Tuesday at Hope StudiosTrash 2 Treasure at Kammy's KornerFluster's Creative Muster Party at Fluster BusterThe Creative Spark at Clean and ScentsibleTuesdays at Our Home at Our Home Away from HomeHomemade by You at Made to be a MommaTrendy Tuesdays at Sweet Little Gals

Wildly Original Link Party at I Gotta CreateWow Us Wednesday at Family Home and LifeWhatever Goes Wednesday at Someday CraftsWhimsy Wednesday at Smart School HouseWhat's It Wednesday at Ivy and ElephantsWednesday Whatsits at White Lights on WednesdayWhat We Accomplished Wednesday at Green Willow PondUnder $100 Linky Party at Beyond the Picket FenceShow and Share at Southern LovelyWow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern StyleWow Me Wednesday at Gingersnap CraftsFrom Dream to Reality at The DIY DreamerIts' a Party! at A Creative PrincessShow Off Your Stuff Party at Fireflies and JellybeansLook What I Made Wednesday at Creations by KaraCreate and Share at The Trendy TreehouseA Little Bird Told Me Link Party at The Life of Jennifer DawnOh What a Happy Day Link Party at Not Done Growing

Simply Creations Link Party at My Simple HomelifeFurniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard SeedInspire Me Please Link Party at Liz Marie BlogFrugal Friday at The Shabby NestFeathered Nest Friday at French Country CottageWhat Have You Redone at Redoux InteriorsHome Sweet Home at The Charm of HomeThrifty Things Friday at The Thrifty GrooveSimple and Sweet Fridays at Rooted inThymeBe Inspired at Common GroundFaunt It Friday at Chic on a Shoestring DecoratingFrugalicious Friday at Finding FabulousFabulously Creative Friday at Jennifer RizzoShow and Tell Friday at Romantic HomeJunkin' Joe Vintage and Thrifty Finds at The Cottage MarketWeekend Wrap-Up Party at Tatertots and JelloShabbilicious Friday Link Party at Shabby Art BoutiqueTickled Pink at 504 MainAnything Blue Friday at The Dedicated HouseRustic Restorations Weekend Link Party at Homespun Happenings,  Great Idea Thursdays at A Handful of Everything

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Pallet Wood Shelf

I found these really cool brackets at Hobby Lobby a short time ago.
I just loved how they look and the finish they have.
And they were half off,
so how could I resist? :)
 I asked Eric to grab some pallet wood and make a shelf with them.
Not only did he grab some pallet wood, he grabbed the best, most rugged pieces he could find and made this little beauty!

All I had to do to it was throw some brown paint on the screwheads so they would match the brackets.

Easiest job ever!  
I thought this rugged little shelf  would be a great compliment to the new sign I had painted.

I grabbed a few odds and ends: some vintage bottles, a couple of color coordinating spools of thread from the thrift store, a few red springs (that I'm sure are going to make something wonderful in the near future!) , and this cute little jar  I got at the Rehab store for 25 cents. I filled her up with some vintage buttons to go with the spools of thread.

 I'm thrilled with how they look together.
My dainty, pretty sign and this old, rustic-as-can-be shelf make a pretty nice couple!

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Love, Cherish and Adore Pedestal Signs

Today I'm sharing with you a quick little project made from frames and some old stool legs.
These little pedestal signs were created from 3 thrift store frames of roughly the same size. All I did to the frames was paint them with a  little Graphite ASCP, distress them and add dark wax. 
I also used Graphite on some leftover banner material from the shop where I work. 
I then applied a vinyl stencil (I must have had weddings in mind when I made the stencil. lol) and painted the letters with both Coco and Old White.
After that, I got out the staple gun and attached the banner material to the back of the frames.
Pretty simple process.
I pulled some old stool legs out of my stash in the garage and painted those with Graphite as well. 

I had purchased a few pieces from the Habitat Rehab store that we used for the base on these. And Eric cut a piece of wood for each so that they would be more chunky. 
The stool legs already had threaded hardware on the bottom so, after painting and waxing them, I simply drilled holes through the base pieces, added some glue to each and the threads themselves, and screwed them all together. 

Eric attached the frames to the pedestals with screws from the back, attaching one slightly lower than the other two. 
I then added some sisal and a button over the frame that was sitting lower on the base, securing it all with glue. 

I think they make a cute little set. :)


Everyone loves a good party!
Check my project out along with other great inspiration, at these great blogs...

One Project at a Time at A Bowl Full of LemonsTransformation Tuesday at The Ironstone NestMonday Funday at Creatively LivingNifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal CharmThe Scoop at Cedar Hill RanchProject Inspired{d}at Cupcakes and CrinolineYou're Gonna Love It at Kathe with an ETransformed Tuesdays at PJH DesignsTweak It Tuesday at Cozy Little HouseTake a Look Tuesday at Sugar Bee CraftsPrimp Your Stuff Wednesday at Primp JunktionBe Inspired at Elizabeth and CoPretty Things Link Party at twelveOeightTime to Shine at A Diamond in the StuffToo Cute Tuesday at Funky Polkadot GiraffeThe Power of Paint Party at Domestically SpeakingCreatively Tuesday at The Rustic PigShow Me What You Got at Not Just a HousewifeShare It Link Party at The Winthrop ChroniclesTasteful Tuesday at Naptime CreationsTutorial Tuesday at Hope StudiosTrash 2 Treasure at Kammy's KornerFluster's Creative Muster Party at Fluster BusterThe Creative Spark at Clean and ScentsibleTuesdays at Our Home at Our Home Away from HomeHomemade by You at Made to be a MommaTrendy Tuesday at Sweet Little Gals

Wildly Original Link Party at I Gotta CreateWow Us Wednesday at Family Home and LifeWhatever Goes Wednesday at Someday CraftsWhimsy Wednesday at Smart School HouseWhat's It Wednesday at Ivy and ElephantsWednesday Whatsits at White Lights on WednesdayWhat We Accomplished Wednesday at Green Willow PondUnder $100 Linky Party at Beyond the Picket FenceShow and Share at Southern LovelyWow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern StyleWow Me Wednesday at Gingersnap CraftsFrom Dream to Reality at The DIY DreamerIts' a Party! at A Creative PrincessShow Off Your Stuff Party at Fireflies and JellybeansLook What I Made Wednesday at Creations by KaraCreate and Share at The Trendy TreehouseA Little Bird Told Me Link Party at The Life of Jennifer DawnOh What a Happy Day Link Party at Not Done Growing

Simply Creations Link Party at My Simple HomelifeFurniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard SeedInspire Me Please Link Party at Liz Marie BlogFrugal Friday at The Shabby NestFeathered Nest Friday at French Country CottageWhat Have You Redone at Redoux InteriorsHome Sweet Home at The Charm of HomeThrifty Things Friday at The Thrifty GrooveSimple and Sweet Fridays at Rooted inThymeBe Inspired at Common GroundFaunt It Friday at Chic on a Shoestring DecoratingFrugalicious Friday at Finding FabulousFabulously Creative Friday at Jennifer RizzoShow and Tell Friday at Romantic HomeJunkin' Joe Vintage and Thrifty Finds at The Cottage MarketWeekend Wrap-Up Party at Tatertots and JelloShabbilicious Friday Link Party at Shabby Art BoutiqueTickled Pink at 504 MainAnything Blue Friday at The Dedicated HouseRustic Restorations Weekend Link Party at Homespun Happenings,  Great Idea Thursdays at A Handful of Everything

Friday, April 12, 2013

Coffee Anyone?


Last weekend I had some pretty severe pain in my diaphragm. I've had gastro-intestinal issues before so I was pretty certain that's what it was stemming from. At any rate, I ended up having to go to the urgent care clinic on Sunday as the pain hadn't ceased much since Friday night and I wasn't really able to stand it anymore. 

Long story short, I probably do have a peptic ulcer. And possibly a bacterial infection that caused it to flair up. So I'm on some medication now for awhile and hopefully that will help.

The real reason I'm writing to tell you all this is because I was told that my condition is probably past the point of being able to enjoy some of my favorite things any longer. Namely, coffee and soda! I live on coffee and soda people! So this was quite disheartening news for me, and a little hard to digest.

But I've been coffee-free for seven days now and have only had about 6oz of pop, and that was only to try to ward off the caffeine-withdrawal headache I was suffering from. It's not easy. In fact, it really stinks! I enjoy getting up early in the morning, grabbing a cup of coffee, and sitting down to watch the news or read a blog or check out Pinterest.
Truth is, I've felt a little like a fish out of water lately without my coffee  cup in-hand...

So, I've decided to live vicariously through some really fantastic coffee recipes that I've found. 
I figure, if it's just an ingredient in something, and I'm not chugging it by the pot-full, how bad can that really be? lol

So check out these delicioso recipes that have coffee as an ingredient.
{make sure to pin anything directly from the original source}
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I'm pretty sure these will satisfy my need for coffee (for at least a day! lol)
Don't they look and sound wuuuunnderful?
Lyuba at Will Cook for Smiles shares this recipe on her blog. 
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Brown Eyed Baker gives us the recipe for these fantastic cupcakes.
She says she always uses at least a 1:1 ratio of frosting to cake when frosting her cupcakes.
I really like her way of thinking! 
Mocha Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream Frosting
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Jen at Savory Simple shares her recipe for espresso brownies.
Can't go wrong with a brownie in my book!
The ingredient list is not long and the recipe seems easy.
Espresso Brownies
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Chocolate. Coffee. Ice Cream. Cookie.
Enough said.
You must check out these ice cream sandwiches at Heather Christo Cooks!
and here's the recipe for the Coffee Ice Cream.
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How about some donuts and coffee?
Always a good combination, right?
Check out this recipe from Will Jog for Food.
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Who doesn't love a good coffee cake?
Especially when it's coffee-flavored cake
like this recipe from The Bite House!
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Who can resist cookie dough? I know I can't.
Combine it with cheesecake and it's a definite must-have!
This cheesecake from Willow Bird Baking sounds amazing!
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And how could I not include a cookie in this list?
I adore cookies!
This one from Bake Your Day sounds like my kind of cookie!

Hope you enjoyed these. I sure know I have enjoyed looking at them!
(all the while just itching for a cup of coffee too! oh well!)