More eye candy...

Eye candy...

Sister's Garden is having a shop hop Friday and Saturday, so I delivered furniture , candles and soaps today, but just had to give you a sneak peak at some of the new stuff she has out...WOW...the stores look FABULOUS...way to go girls. All you gals out there in blogland should be eating your hearts out now and wishing you were closer, right...enjoy...

What next...a plague of locusts...

Remember the picture of the clam digger statue I posted earlier...here he is today, with the crest of the river coming tonight...I HOPE, the sandbags are on the business behind me. Living on the Mississippi is always a challenge. But I am no stranger to it, when living with Mr.X we frequently had to canoe into our home. For a brief moment in time your yard looks as if you are living on the edge of a lake, fishing off the deck, the sparkling water greeting you each dawn, but then comes the dying off. Plants begin to wither, the chickens have nowhere to free range, the trees are browning, having no root oxygen...but the newly hatched ducklings are reveling with the pen turned pool. But as the river goes down and the heat of the sun dries up the water, you are left with the mess of polluted mud and dead vegetation. We lived near a Monsanto plant, so you can imagine the pollutants in the water. But you move forward, as always and life is good...again.

Website...

Well, I am up and running...sorta...I don't have everything downloaded just yet, but I'm taking photos constantly and learning how to set my site, but at least you can order candles and soaps now...but I warn you, they are very addictive and if you have never used pure glycerine soaps or burned soy candles, are you in for a treat. My lil' shack is what I always kid my folks is what my next house will look like....they have learned to accept and not say a word, but I know what that raised eybrow means, uh huh...

So many of my current out of town customers were wanting me to start the site back up again, because their soap supplies were dwindling and with the price of gas now, they just wanted to order online...so there ya have it gals...I am back on.

Love them buffets...

There is no statement like the statement a buffet makes painted white, what a transformation. It will make a room pop and pull the rest in place. The funky old styles really add to the beauty...love to paint'um.

Thanks Dads...

Our friend Vikki at the shop just lost her Father unexpectedly this week, please remember her in your thoughts as she picks up the pieces and reflects on the past.

This shot is my wonderful 'Pops' and his pal Scratchy fixing the loo at Granny's house. I love you 'Pops'...you can never say it enough, life is short...and thanks for the life. Sharon Kay

This is me...

OK, the crazy gals at 'Chippys', I'm afraid are starting a trend...be afraid...

This is a shot of me after the accident, I lost my arm in a dumpster, you can't trust those lids...don't feel sorry for me though, I was doing what I love...and no that isn't a diaper...it's a Depends...

Hmmmmmm...

And where do you get your adventurist spirit from...say no more...my Dad. At 80 years old, you never know where you will find him AND where did you get your love of old things...well, I won't show you a shot of his basement...it goes without saying...at least it has a path...

To restore or not to restore...

I've been in love with shabby ol'lampshades for years. Some I purchased to tear apart to see just how the gals in the sweatshops actually made the shades and some I just love, holes and all. This one will never be remade, by me anyway, I just love it's golden hue. I have discovered many secrets as to how they made some of the embellishments, like the rosettes and their varieties and the vibrant colors you wouldn't believe under all of that faded elegance. When I redo a shade for someone, they always say, I want it the original color that it is...WELL...if you peal back the fabric on the wires, you will see that many of the original colors were robins egg blue and fuchsia pink, not the muted tans that the sun and time have subdued. But the fantastic shapes are an amazement to me...who came up with these designs back in the day, some so difficult and time-consuming to hand-sew...must've been a man...

To paint or not to paint...

You know, it's a funny world out there in the land of shop owning. This great little buffet has been a sleeper at two shops now. It is adorable, so small, with a great finish, but it just won't sell...what's a girl to do??? I reflect back on a piece, a Victorian chest of drawers with a beautiful serpentine mirror, had it for two years and a no sale. Beautiful refinished golden oak, but dated...soooo, I took the plunge and forced myself to paint it white, doubled the price AND...you guessed it, sold the very next day. I really don't like to be put in this position, but when you know the piece will sell if you paint it white...what is the big deal. The big deal is I can hear every man on the planet scream..."NO, don't paint the wood." Like I ever listened to 'THEM' anyway...but again, it would look great in MY house. Do I sacrifice my own love of this vintage patina or do I fold to the masses(us girls) and paint it white...this is hurting my brain!!!

Love old built-ins...

The great old cupboards of the day were such great works of carpentry, can you imagine all the dry goods piled in there. Why is it that every piece you acquire, you go through the pains of imagining the piece fitting into your own home??? To quote 'the man phrase'...now where can I put that? But alas, you need the money more than you need another cupboard...but the old wallpaper...and the extra space...I could put all my soap making supplies in there...alright, alright...it goes to the store. Sometimes you are just so hard to deal with...but it won't be cheap, so there!!!

Let the garage sales begin...

Sometimes you can really score...most people will just pass on these beauties cause of the work to recover, but not us die-hard "ooh, I love it just the way it is" nuts. I gave the guy my cell # and told him to call if he hadn't sold it by 5:00...YIPPEE...mine and for $50.00 bucks for the set!!! Sold them a week later at Sister's Garden to some lucky gal, but boy did they look cute in my parlor for the night. A little hard for Scratchy to perch on though...

How about a trip to the beach...

Well, not exactly...but you can have a little bit of the beach in this vintage toilet seat cover, we are testing your sense of humor here...just love the funky flea market scores, sad thing is I remember these from back in the day when my Grandparents moved to Daytona in the 50's, what a great place for the Grandkids to vacation for the summer.

Now the question is...how do I work it into the shop???

Let me hear it for the awwwww...

I did mention the 'other job' right...well, 25 years as a master pet groomer, semi-retired for 11 years, you can't quite give it up. The love of the lil' furry beasts started my career, but today I am down to a select few (small dogs only), second job status, but by popular demand I started back up...you can never find a good groomer these days. My shop 'Doggy Style' is based out of my lil'pink chateau, in my spare room...painting/grooming studio and Scratchy loves it...new hair to sniff (and bark at). But I get to stay home with this set-up and enjoy the beauty of the day in my cozy environment.

Just shots of some of my buds and last but not least 'SCRATCHY', not too happy at having the facilities so close to home...cramps her style...

A moment in time

As I clicked on a new email message, this wonderful quote from another new friend appeared...
"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life."-Mary Oliver

Thanks so much for the quote Nina--www.ornamental.typepad.com as these Sunday morning musings ramble on...

I plan to watch the iris bloom at my little pink chateau...

Where is she now Wilson...

This goes on my tombstone daughter...OK, the reason for the nick-name is the fact that I have moved shop so many times...and for lots of reasons, mostly seeking that perfect location. Had one too in LeClaire, Iowa, at least until she sold my building...on the road again...but I have the move down to a science now. Having had a great shop in Lake Placid, Florida too, that was my most fun shop, because...after all...Florida, give me a break, if you think painting furniture in the middle of February outside was a burden...right. My Daughter back in the frigid Iowa hated my phone calls to give her a weather update...cruel, yes, but it gave me a little payback on those teenage years of sleepless nights...but my new found friend Sue from Vintage Rescue Squad had mentioned that so many of you are thinking of getting into the biz...my advise, as always, is go for it, but get used to the fact that most likely you will have to have a back-up job or a husband to make ends meet. I chose the back-up job(s), but having to shop 24-7 for your love is worth the pain of being broke all the time. It is truly a wonderful outlet for your creative soul and you are never too old to start. I have been doing this for 15 years and have weathered the ups and downs and have not regretted it at all. But in today's economy (what economy) I think that location is the key, know and research your location, just because the place is adorable doesn't mean you will have traffic and as Lorie and I found out in LeClaire, two blocks off the beaten path can be a killer.

I also have stuff in another shop, Sisters Garden, (in my posts), I have been in her shop for 14 years, we have developed a sisterhood of the soul, but we are constantly battling the economy. That is a huge issue today. Maybe with a new regime in power over us, we will have a fighting chance again. Ahhhhhhh...the days when you could paint dirt white and it would sell (to quote Barb at Sisters)...but again, we live in the conservative Midwest and people just clam up and hunker down (and take CNN to heart).

AND definitly do a blog, you meet the greatest people, Sisters of the Soul, and you are never too old or too young. At age 58 I am still going strong (out of shear stupidity) and the creativity is pouring out and always looking for the next vision. If I would've had access to a computer back in the day, what tales I could've told. It is hard to believe that when I was in my 20's we still had only 4 TV channels...ahhh, the good ol' days...

Oh yeah...notice the kickstand is down on the Harley...I'm not completely stupid...have fun...sharon

Say hello to my little friends...

OK, I did mention my stint with taxidermy right...well after being married to the Marlboro Man for 20 years, I did develop a few eccentricities, to say the least. He was(still is)an avid hunter of all things edible. So my skills developed as the booty came in. Not wanting to waste any part of the poor creature, I started 'Feather in the Wind' taxidermy services. But as that husband and that career went by the wayside, the fascination with old taxidermy did not. I have vowed on every antiquing foray, to find the most unusual piece out there (and I have found some humdingers). OK, it isn't for everyone...but then again, neither am I...by the way, the rattler is one of my daughters first attempts at reptiles...pretty good aye...

White and lavender

Isn't there something so calming about these two colors, so light and airy. Along with the sweet green scent of hyacinth soaps and candles, even on a rainy day they are enlightening. Love the look of stripped woods with no finish, very earthy and natural and topped with pure white frames, you got the look.

The ol'timey downtown

As you can see we have a lot of wonderful old river city buildings in our downtown. My daughters shop, 'Friends Candle Shed' is at the end of that block, we were actually talking to each other on the cell and waiving back and forth like a couple of fools, what else do you do on a rainy day. This town was really hoppin' back in the day. The streets were filled with shoppers and walkers, model A's and T's, horse and buggies and even a trolley went down the middle of the street. It looked like a street out of Chicago, very bustling with a once thriving lumber and pearl button industry. The stature is of a 'clammer' and his boat. They dragged the bottom of the river to snag the clams to make the wonderful pearl buttons we all lust for.

New spring window

Don't ya just love the blue, it is 'Blue Bayou', Benjamin Moore paint. It makes the window look so springy and provincial on a dreary, rainy day. This color was featured in Country Living magazine in an article about the cover. Don't know whether it will sell, but it sure brightens up the place, if not I will be forced to take the pieces home...darn...

Throw-away-society

Thank God for all of us junkers, otherwise the landfills of America would be mountain ranges. These two grand pictures were actually thrift store finds, love it, what a find. We all have those finds of the century moments at the thrifts, mine was finding this beautiful chocolate brown glazed jardiniere, with a hand-painted iris on the front...you guessed it, WELLER...and in perfect condition. What a find and it sits in MY house, for now anyway, after all, it is just stuff...right...

Beauty in the eye of the beholder

To me there is nothing more beautiful than the patina of the ages. I have such a difficult time releasing these pieces to the public. I just write out the tag and walk away...OK, maybe with a little tear... I have found that when I am out junkin' and my truck is full, I can look at my booty and see a pattern and a definite color palette going on, like I could just unload right in the parking lot and set up shop and have a great vignette going on...always amazes me. AND, it always amazes me how you can always find the space at home for one more piece, but then again, I don't have to worry about that 'man saying'...now where do you think you are going to put that...HAVE FUN...

Just found this one

This is one of my favorite shades and I'm having a hard time putting a price tag on it. But at one time I had 17 lampshades in my livingroom, so I guess I can give it up, just like all the rest. Now I just have shades in need of a remake in my home, they are just more fitting for me. My style is less refined and more earthy now and in constant flux, so I don't get too attached anymore, but it's still like giving up your kittens to new owners.

Just like Granny did

Always wanting to try something new and a quest for natural, handmade stuff, I thought I would try my hand at ol'timey soaps. What a blast and when you have successfully concocted your first bonified batch of lye-soap...another biz is born. I have been making soaps ever since. Our pure glycerin soaps are the most popular and come in a multitude of scents, most matching the soy candles we also produce at the shop. It does sound like my plate is full, right, but life is short and I want to try it all and me Granny would be proud...but we'll save the taxidermy business for a later post...to quote Lorie...GROSS...

One little passion

Have I mentioned my passion for Victorian lampshades, didn't think so. About 15 years ago I thought I wanted one of these jems to grace my old lamps, so I investigated and found out that they were totally out of this country girls budget. But, not to be detered, I said, 'I can do that'...so, 'The Fabric of Sweet Repose' was born. Many, many shades later, I am still asked to do special orders, but the running of a shop and painting furniture for three stores has limited my sewing time. All shades are hand-sewn and hand-dyed and are major time consuming projects, but when finished, your vintage lamp will never look the same. Enjoy...