Back in the Day Primitives

Handstamped Clay Tags!

2011-06-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

My newest addiction is clay tags. I LOVE THEM! There are so many uses for these and they are so cute! I started small with just small words and things and now...wowsers! I have made tags for almost everything! Gift packages, showers, decorations, you name it.

The first ones I made I had gift wrapping in mind. I thought these would put the perfect touch onto my neighbors thank you gift. My daughter just graduated on Saturday so when we got home she had left her the cutest gift on the porch. This was her "thanks".

I then moved on to sprucing up some of my prim items around the house. I made a few with pretty generic sayings on them to hang from vintage bottles, old graters, basket handles, etc. Just to give it that extra oomph! (sorry the picture is a bit fuzzy)

Recently I thought about making a few for a friends baby shower. "Evan" is to be their first child and we were looking to do something a little different. I started making a few of the clay tags to use as Balloon weights and then I plan to make more to tie around the napkins on the tables. These are going to be adorable with baby blue ribbon!

I will be sure to share many more pictures once I get them all finished with ribbons but I was on such a kick to blog I couldn't wait!

Hope everyone has a great week. I plan to be knee deep in clay to see what else I can come up with!

Happy Memorial Day!

2011-05-30T12:13:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone is enjoying their long weekend! I know I have! My son's 15th birthday was Saturday so we had a cookout for him. Today we are going to have another cookout for Memorial Day...any excuse to cookout works for us!I didn't get too many goodies made last week with the Dancing with the Stars and Idol finalies I was busy (shhhhh). I did work a little on some soaps. I have the cutest primitive soap holder in my bathroom and usually have the aged grungy soap on there. Since I have an unhealthy obsession with stars, I thought I needed to put some "star power" in the bathroom.

I made two batches of these cute star shaped soaps. The first was the regular looking soaps. I thought guests would be more willing to use the "cleaner" looking soap! haha

The other was the old grungy looking soap.

I was so happy with how they turned out! They smell sooo good too!

Now, I wonder where else I can put some "star power!"

Candles, candles and more candles!

2011-05-09T19:18:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Mothers Day Weekend! Mine was rather eventful but I think that is becoming the norm around here!

This weekend I received an order from an Ebayer needing a rather large order of candles. I was so excited! Nothing like getting that yummy scent throughout your house .....NICE! I worked on them for a while Saturday night and finished them up Sunday afternoon. She even order a few Rose scented candles with the grubby texture! I had never made a rose grubby but there is a first time for everything!

I also made a batch of Apple Cinnamon candles ....

my favorites were the little grubby tapers....

So at the end of the day, I got to spend the day doing what I love and the house smelled amazing!

Now I just have to get busy making some cute items to put on the box of rusty bedsprings I got as a gift! Can't wait to share what I come up with!

Hurry Up Spring!!

2011-03-13T17:00:00.001-07:00

Today was a beautiful day in the Carolinas! I have been so busy with all of my DIY projects inside I thought I would take a break and work in the yard a little. I stared at the front of the house and tried to get my list of things I needed from Lowes. I thought I had it all planned out. My plan was to find some topiary trees for the old wooden planters I have had for a few years. I have never planted anything in them that I really liked. I get to Lowes and walk around the Garden Dept forever. I saw they had pavers on sale, fencing at great prices...ooohhh I wanted to do a complete overhaul! I came back to reality quickly and remembered I was by myself and did not have my lovely assistants with me (the kids). I picked up my topiary trees and about passed out when I seen how expensive they were! So I kept walking around, the employees had to have thought I was losing my mind because I think I walked up and down each aisle 20 times! I noticed a guy with the most wonderful clearance gun marking down a whole rack of plants. As I got closer, he pulled out a rack of Ferns! He said they were having about another 40 delivered tomorrow so he had to get rid of some to make room. I had to think, where can I put them, what can I do with them?

So I kept walking and thinking and then I thought, what if I put the FERNS in the old wooden planters....would it look right? I put back the pricey topiary plants and picked up the marked down ferns. I thought I would go ahead and get a third one for the building I have out back to hang off of it. I bought all three ferns for the price of ONE topiary! I picked up some dark brown mulch and of course a new spring flag for the porch and was on my way!

The first project was just to try the ferns in the planters and let me say I LOVE THEM! This is with the new Spring flag. It says Home Tweet Home ... how cute!

This is an old milk jug full of sunflowers beside an old rocker I picked up at a thrift store for $15

about two years ago!

The favorite thing about my front porch is my swing. My brother built it for me a few years ago and I LOVE IT! I usually sit out on it and read the latest Country Sampler magazine!

Next weeks project is installing tile flooring in the kitchen. It will not be near as fun as working in the yard today that is for sure! Hurry Spring! I recently discovered a whole new list of projects I want to do outside!

Do it Yourself...

2011-02-26T22:35:00.000-08:00

For the past few months I have become addicted to the DIY Network. They tell you how to do anything! My kids joke that they can't believe I can watch hours of DIY programming!

As I had mentioned before, I live in the home that my family grew up in. It was my grandmothers home so my mother and aunt lived here and then of course, my brothers and cousin and I practically lived here throughout the years. Needless to say, it is in need of a few updates. My ex-husband and I completed a few projects but after the split a few years ago, the progress came to a standstill. That was until I discovered the DIY Network!

I haven't blogged much late

ly because every spare hour is spent working on something around here. I started small and changed out the frosted glass on the front door to a more updated style using Gila Films. This product was so easy! The Lowes salesman assured me I could do it myself but it would be best to buy the application kit. My daughter, (my lovely assistant) and I had all 6 panes completed on the door in less than 30 minutes. I even decided to put the film on the back door so I could get rid of the dreaded blinds!

All evening I kept staring at the door and what a huge difference it made! So much light was able to come through but I still had the privacy I was wanting. From then I have been hooked on the DIY projects. I have completed numerous projects including the largest which was removing my back door, adjusting the hinges so it wouldn't scrub the floor when opened. I then decided to go ahead and paint the door and put in all new molding on both the inside and outside.

It is so bad that now when I stop in Lowes, a few salespeople ask "Nicole, what are we working on this week!" I have even started purchasing my own tools!

My favorite moment was when the salesman was helping me with the exterior door trim and asked who was I going to get to cut it for me. I told him I had a Skil saw and a Jig Saw so I would be cutting it myself. He said "Wow, here you are in a skirt talking about cutting lumber!" IPublish Post told him, "Yes, I am an accountant so I can do your taxes and then help build your house to claim on your taxes!"

I love the feeling of getting these things completed myself. I have to cut back on my DIY Network or I am going rebuild this entire house!

Next project I will try to remember to take pictures so that I can share with my handywork!

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T12:10:00.000-08:00

I came home from work on Wednesday and decided that it was time for the Christmas decorations to be put away. After the kids and I ate dinner we got right to work. They were such troopers...they were putting things away in the attic as I was busy packing the boxes and containers. Of course, everything has to be packed with care so that is usually my job. We worked until well after 10 pm but finally had it all put away! Whew!

Once that was done, I felt things looked a bit bare. Well, we can't have that can we? I then spent the next hour or so just moving things around and giving things a new home.

In September I was at a festival in Marshville and found this little gem in a ladies booth. I walked by and stared at it about a dozen times do the whole "do I NEED that....where am I going to PUT that.." but then I decided...what the heck. I have always loved the grapevine beehives and then said "but I WANT that" so as she was packing up her booth, I went back and bought it.

It sat in a corner for a while until I visited Beth at Olde Tyme Marketplace and picked up these cute lights with the brown cord. They were exactly what I needed! It's new home is in the dining room right beside the old white corner cabinet that my grandpa built 50 years ago. Love it!

Then as my mom and I were shopping a few weeks ago, I came across these cute little birds. They look old and chippy which is what makes them AWESOME! The look perfect sitting in the middle of the dining room table!
Then it hit me, I was gonna add more little birdies to the dining room. I went back to Olde Tyme Marketplace (can you tell I LOVE that store?) and picked up these oh so fabulous metal napkin holders with what else...Birds on them...

Finally, I moved this cute little hat that I bought years ago into the dining room. I reminds me of a hat my grandma used to wear so when I found one at a little shop made into a birdhouse, I just knew it was coming home with me! Well, that was a little tour of the dining room and all the little changes I made. Who knows what I will get into this weekend! I have started a mini bedroom makeover so...there is no telling what will get moved around for that!

Hope you all have a great New Years!

~Prim Blessings! Nicole ~

Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T18:23:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has had an amazing Christmas! I know I sure have! It has been a long time since I have blogged but I have missed it so much and finally wanted to take a little time this evening to show off some of my Christmas goodies.
For the past few years I have been making ornaments for my Christmas tree little by little. The goal was for a 100% handmade tree (except the tree itself of course). The final touch this year was some burlap that I cut and used as garland. I loved the natural look of it! A few of these items were gifts or swap wins from other bloggers that look oh so awesome on the tree! I used some red and white homespun as the tree skirt and loved how it all came together!

Also, I decided to make our stockings this year. I had been using primmed Santa hats upside down but wanted something that would coordinate more with the tree...so I made burlap stockings! I lined them with a softer fabric and added the cutest stars!

I had an old nail barrel that needed a little life to it so I bought a few cheap candy canes from the Dollar Store and covered them in some prim fabric. It was super easy... I just stained some fabric strips and glued them around the cane. Then I added some left over greenery and lights and there it was...I had a few extra strips of stained homespun left over so I just used it around a little tree that I had in my bathroom. I just put the tree in an enamelware bowl that I have had for years....

I made a few candy canes out of pine cleaners and sprinkled with Mica flakes, put them in an cute basket and added some berries that I had picked up from Olde Tyme Marketplace. Found the cutest place for it on an old scale.
I was really happy with how everything turned out this year! Kinda hate boxing it all up in the attic for another year!

I also wanted to share a few of my favorite prim gifts that I received this year! My mom found me the most wonderful prim picture. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Saltbox houses and this one was full of them...

Then my most wonderful boyfriend got me some things that any prim lover would DIE for! First is an old desk that he fixed back up ....
(See the snow falling on it!! We are actually getting a white Christmas here! It has been like 55+ years since we have had a White Christmas here! YAY!)

He also found an old mattress and cut me over 90 something bed springs! He had them in a wheelbarrow there were so many!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! I hope to be able to get back to blogging...I miss you guys! Merry Christmas and have a very safe New Years!

Prim Hugs ~ Nicole

Where have I been all this time?

2009-09-20T21:40:00.000-07:00

I can not believe it has been 5 months since my last post! SO much has happened over the summer!
Over the summer, I changed the color of the shutters and front door on the house. It was tan siding with burgundy shutters and doors but it looked too stark for me. Way too much of a contrast so this time I went with a olive green and I really am pleased with the way it turned out. I actually just painted the garden shed with the same olive green so it would look nice beside the house. I will have to get some good pics to show you.

My kids also had their big birthdays this summer. My daughter, Miranda, turned the big 16. Planning a girls Sweet 16 party literally took me months for it all to come together. This is Miranda with a group of her friends. The place was so big I couldn't get them all together at one time!Miranda is the one is the front (with the Zebra print top) and that is me back there in the brown shirt (yeah, the oldest one in the picture). We are doing a line dance just goofing off. The DJ played it so we danced to it!

My son also had his 13th birthday this summer. His was a little easier. Invite a bunch of teenage boys, take them to a skate park, load them up on Gatorade and Water. Pick them up a few hours later, feed them hot dogs, they go home, SIMPLE!

I went to the beach a few times over the summer, twice with family and once was a well needed girls only trip. Needless to say, plenty of fun was had that weekend!

I am so lucky to have such amazing friends! We only went down for the weekend but I don't think we could have lasted much longer anyway!

Well, that explains why I left blogland for a few months! But I think I am back! Hopefully it won't me another 5 months until my next post!

Nicole

A morning full of yard sales!

2009-04-25T08:47:00.000-07:00

I finally made myself get out of the bed early this morning to hit some yard sales around the area. The paper was full of them so I had to go check them out! I feel like I hit the jackpot!

I usually only take $20 with me to yard sales. That is my limit. Only once have I found something that I had to have and went to the ATM for more money. That was an old antique quilt made from feed sacks - and he was only asking $30! I had to have it of course!

Well, today started off like most yard sale days. They are hit and miss. For the first hour I found yard sales that had nothing but clothes. UGGH! I hate shopping for clothes anyway so I just bypass them.

Then I hit the jackpot! I found a neighborhood having a Community Yard Sale. The first place I stopped I found this cute wooden sewing box. It is stamped "Made by Singer" on the inside. I loved it! It is going to be great beside my recliner to store my stitching goodies! The next one I came to I found this lamp - it looked pratically brand new! I think it is going to look great in the dining room on the piano! The lady gave me those adorable grapevine hearts too! I am going to find something to do with them!I also picked up a bunch of cute tart burners and candle holders! I found this really neat bench - It was covered with clothes but I seen it hiding under there - waiting for me to come along!

Is this not a great wall hanging? It has a place for pictures on it too! What a neat idea! Can't wait to hang this in my new bedroom (once it is finished!)

Finally I came to every prim lovers dream . . . a yard sale held by another prim lover! She had so many wonderful prim things I bought them all! I cleared the whole table!Love these great pillows! One is made from muslin and homespun and the other is an American Flag tapestry pillow. They look great on the sofa now!

She had a table full of candle holders, wax warmers, and this cute birdhouse night light. How could I resist right?

And finally, this was my FIND OF THE DAY! This is a floor lamp made from wood with these great saltbox houses on the arm. It has wooden pegs which let it slide up and down to adjust it to different heights. I couldn't believe it was sitting there all alone when I got to it. It really wouldn't fit in my car but I hung it out the window! (The things we do when we find a great item right?)

Well I hope everyone has a great weekend!
Prim Hugs ~ Nicole

Finally back from vacation!

2009-04-19T19:14:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been so long so I last posted! There has been so much going on!

During Spring Break, my son had plans to go with his best friend, Payton, and his family to Atlanta. Both boys are big into skateboarding so while in Atlanta, they were going to take them to Woodward Skate Park. Apparently it is the largest skatepark on the east coast. Who knew? He had been counting down the days since he was asked to go. Excited does not describe what he was feeling. With all of his Spring Break anticipation, it had me and my daughter a little sad that we weren't going anywhere and were just going to be at home. Then the thought hit us, A GIRLS VACATION!!!

We decided to take a trip to Myrtle Beach for a few days. Now we were counting down the days! It was me, my daughter, her best friend, and my mom. It had been about 5 years since my mother had been on any type of vacation so we made sure she had a good time.

I couldn't wait to share some of our pics with you all! What a beautiful view huh? I could have stayed out there all day!

This was the resort we stayed at.

We had lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. It was so much fun but so LOUD!
This is a cute picture of the girls in front of the Giant Crab Seafood Restaurant.

We all came back a little sunburnt but it was well worth it. We are already planning another trip! Well, I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Prim Hugs ~ Nicole

What a busy week!

2009-03-24T08:25:00.000-07:00

Things have been so hectic for the past week that I haven't even had time to post anything! That is very rare because I look so forward to sitting at my computer and catching up on my friends out in Blogland! I am in the process of adding an addition to our home. We desperately need another bedroom so it has been in the works for a while. Now that it is warming up, I think we may have it finished soon! Every day it seems I am working more on home improvement than crafting and blogging.

I had a plumbing issue and the plumber told me that he would have to bring out his Bobcat and dig up the pipe (which is an additional cost of $300!). I quickly told him to give me a day and I would dig it up with my shovel and save me $300. So, I spent a whole day digging in the yard to get to the pipe that he needed. It was a lot of work but with every dig I knew what I was saving.

I had also been trying to come up with another color for my shutters and front door. The house is a tan color and they were already painted a barn red color but it was just too much of a contrast for me. It had been that way for 3 years and I had enough of it. Yesterday I went to Lowes and stayed in the paint section for over an hour looking at paint samples. I finally decided on an Olive Green color. I immediately came home and started painting and I LOVE the new color! I think it looks more like a little cottage now! So homey looking!

I have been working on a few projects lately though . . .

I made these Spring Birds for my booth at Curious Cat. They started as a Robins Egg Blue color and then grubbied. I love how they turned out!

I have also been working on some large prim pears that still need a little finishing touch. I still have to put on their stems and leaves and prim them up!

I found this vintage table cloth at the Waxhaw Antique Mart over the weekend. I just angled it across my table and put this old wooden bowl in the middle. It really lightened up my dark table!

Well, guess I am off to deal with more Home Improvement issues! UGGGHH! Wish me luck!
Prim Hugs ~ Nicole

Weekend Thrifting!

2009-03-15T15:35:00.000-07:00

We have had such a rainy weekend! I did not even attempt to find any yard sales. I know there were a couple that were advertised as Rain or Shine but I guess I just wasted dedicated enough to go out and find them! I did, however, go to a few Thrift Stores and the local Goodwill. I found a few things that I couldn't wait to blog about!
The first item was this great wooden slat ladder. It came with a strand of grapevine tied to it.

I think I am going to use this to display some vintage towels and linens that were my grandmothers. I just have to find the perfect place to hang it!

My next find was this big green chippy basket. I put it on a side table and filled it with pinecones for now. I have to find the perfect filler for this because it is so big!

I am going to leave it as it is too - I love the paint chipping off!
I also picked up some great prim fabrics but the batteries died before I could get a picture of it to share.
This week I have been working on a few Robins Egg Blue fabric birds and a few prim pears. I am trying to wait until Wednesday to share. (As long as I don't get washed away with all of this rain!)
Have a great week!
Prim Hugs ~ Nicole

So great to meet some blogging buddies and a walk around town!

2009-03-10T19:38:00.000-07:00

On Friday, I had decided to take a few finished projects down to my booth at Curious Cat. I stopped by the computer to check my emails on the way out and I had one from Pam at Antique or Not. She told me that she was closing her store so that she and her hubby could make the big move out of state! I always love going to her store to pick up Pip Berries and Swags! She told me that she was having a big sale - everything was at 30% off!

I quickly decided to stop by her shop before going to my booth. Pam and I chatted for a bit - she always takes the time to make you feel so welcome when you come in. I picked up several pip berry picks for Spring and a few burgundy ones for year 'round. I also found a few primitive blocks and a great basket hanger that holds about 8 baskets!

Of course, I found a lot of other things that I wanted but I am going to have to come back for! I hope that I can make it back to her store before she closes. I love all of her things and she promises to keep her website and blog going after she moves. Good luck Pam!

I worked in my booth all day Friday but had a few larger pieces that needed to be moved in. My friend, Sandy, helped me on Saturday bring in an old prim farm table and 2 old rockers that I had in storage. I still have more work to do on the booth to fill it up but it is coming along nicely I think.

A lady came in to the market while I was there and asked me did I bring my rabbits. I thought to myself "they are in the car but how does she know I had rabbits made?" That is when she told me she saw them on my blog when I had listed my Spring goodies and she thought they were so cute! I sold 2 rabbits before they ever got to my booth!

While at the booth on Saturday, I got the chance to meet Susan from Primitive Preachers Wife. Her family stopped into Curious Cat to do a little shopping and we had talked a bit before we realized who we both were! It is funny that we are on each others blog all of the time but we didn't know we were talking to each other at all! Her family is so wonderful! Her husband, Jimmy, was as excited about the yard sale finds as she was! (Not my husband, he just grunts!)

I have met the greatest folks since I started blogging - I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!

The weather was so beautiful today! It was over 70 degrees here! The kids and I decided to take a walk around town so that we could enjoy the weather (and I wanted a little exercise!) We walked along the main highway so that I could get a few pics of some remodeled Victorian homes in our area.

I remember playing along the sidewalk in front of this house when I was little. I was just remodeled and looks great!

This house is now the location for a Photography Studio in town. I love it!

I couldn't resist taking a few of the kids while on our walk. The sidewalk wraps around this old tree so it just seemed to be a perfect backdrop!

By this point they were getting annoyed with my picture taking! But I love this old porch!
I had the best time just walking around town with the kids. They talked about things that happened at school, I talked about things in my day, I can't tell you how much I enjoyed it. Of course now, they want to make it a daily walk around town. As long as my legs and big butt will allow me to go, I am definitely up for it!

Prim Hugs ~ Nicole

A day at the DMV

2009-03-05T18:55:00.000-08:00

My daughter finally finished Drivers Ed at school and could not wait to go for her Learners Permit. We had snow on Monday so school was closed. She was so upset! Tuesday she went to the Guidance office to get her driving certification and . . . the Guidance Counselor was out that day! Now she is even more upset!

Finally, she gets everything she needs from school. I show up around 1 pm to pick her up to take her to the DMV. I decided to go ahead and pick my son up early too because I wasn't sure what time we would make it home. We make it to the DMV and we don't have the right forms - the birth certificate I have is the "Mothers Copy" and is not the "Certified Copy". Upset is not the word for what she is at this point.

We run to the courthouse to get the Birth Certificate and . . . you guessed it, I forgot my ID. I had to call my mom who lives nearby and ask her to come to the courthouse and bring her ID.

At this moment, my daughter is freaking out! "I'm not going to get my permit . . . It's going to be another day!"

We get the Certificate, race to the DMV, (they don't take anyone after 4 pm) and get in line. She gets called back to take her test and they tell her she can not miss more than 5 on the test. She is so nervous! My son and I are waiting in the lobby for her and then finally she pokes her head out of the testing door. SHE PASSED!

Thank goodness too because she would have wrecked my nerves if she hadn't!

So was so excited to get to drive us home from the DMV. Not me, I was a bundle of nerves! She kept this smile on her face for hours after we left. I can't believe my daughter is driving me around town! I think I have aged 10 years in the past 2 days!

We went by Lowe's tonight and I picked up a gallon of paint. I love the color - it is by Olympic and it is named "Green Tea Leaf". I think it is a great prim green! I am going to paint some shutters that I have at Curious Cat this new color. They are now a barn red and I want to change things up for Spring.

I have a few pieces around the house I want to paint too! It's like I have a new box of crayons - everything is going to get a new color!

Have a great weekend!

Prim Hugs ~ Nicole

Thrift Store Makeovers

2009-03-01T18:06:00.000-08:00

The weather in my neck of the woods has been yucky for the past few days. It has rained so much that my yard looks like a pond! Then to top it off, today, we have started with more winter weather. As of now, it is snowing and sleeting!

My daughter is so upset because she finished her last drivers ed class on Saturday. She has to get a paper from the Guidance Office and then she is off to the DMV for her permit! Problem is, now there isn't school tomorrow so she can't get the paper! I have never seen a kid more unhappy about snow and a school closing in my life!

I have been cooped up indoors trying to be productive with my thrift store treasures. The first item I have finished was the wooden tray. This was the before shot: I painted it a tan color and then added some stain to it for a prim look. I then covered the middle of the tray with a piece of Spring fabric. I think it is going to look great filled with bunnies or eggs!

The other item I finished is the candle box.

I painted it black and added a rusty star!
I can't wait to add my grubby pillar candle to it and hang a homespun napkin from the drawer!

I have a few more pieces in the works but nothing completed yet.

I hope to get those finished and posted this week.

I was in such a Spring mood and now I have the blahs! I hope to get over them soon and get back to work on my goodies!
Prim Hugs ~ Nicole

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

2009-02-25T19:42:00.000-08:00

I have been busy trying to get a few things completed this week. This is the first time I have gotten to participate in Leslie's Whatcha Workin on Wednesday for two weeks in a row! Shocker huh?

Well, as I have been mentioning, I have been bitten by the Spring bug! Last week I started making some prim rabbits. That of course led me to making prim carrots and eggs too!

I still have to draw some little faces on the bunnies. I am going to tie some homespun around their necks once I get it coffee-stained. The eggs turned out cuter than I could have imagined! I have them in great Spring colors too (but of course, had to "dirty" them up!"

I just have to put the green "tops" on these carrots and they will be finished. They are actually a lot more "grubbier" in person but they came out looking bright in this photo.
I am also working on a few before and after projects that I will post about later in the week. I have also been busy painting some of my thrift store finds that I posted yesterday. I can't believe the difference a little paint can make on some things! I bet if folks knew their goodies could look like they do after us gals make them over, they would have never parted with them in the first place! Lucky for us, they don't - so shhhhh!

Prim Hugs ~ Nicole

Thrifting Tuesday

2009-02-24T21:16:00.000-08:00

I had to run into town today to take my son to the doctor. He seems to have a rattle in his chest and a terrible cough. He has had lung issues since he was born so he goes from fine to pneumonia in no time flat! The doctor said he had Bronchitis and Pharyngitis. He now has in inhaler, some cough syrup, and an antibiotic. He went to bed earlier than usual because he was so tired from being up all night coughing.

Also, today was my daughters first day of actual driving in Drivers Ed. It was weird because while we were in town we actually drove right past her! I couldn't believe that my "little girl" was behind the wheel and without me! (Seems I am having a little trouble with them growing up!)

Since we had time to kill while waiting for the meds to get filled, my son and I popped into a thrift store to see what we could find. I didn't have a lot of time to spend so I just picked up a few things..

I love this wooden candle box. I will probably paint it black. The other is a sign that was painted with a Noah's Ark design. I think it is cute put I will probably paint over it. I am sure it will be something with stars on it!
I got 2 wooden candle holders on the left - need to be painted but look very prim already. The tray in the middle is alright but I am going to paint and put some fabric in the middle to cover up the carving. In front of the tray is a little ducky sign with ribbon that I will completely redo - it was only $ .49 - who could resist! The last item is an iron hand towel holder. This is going to look great in my updated bathroom just as it is! It was only $ .99!
I will try to get some things in the works for Whatcha Workin on Wednesday but I have been a busy gal and already have a few things up my sleeve this week!
Can't wait to share them with you all!
Prim Hugs ~ Nicole

My Fortune Cookie Inspiration and Booth News!

2009-02-22T23:27:00.000-08:00

What a crazy weekend! My daughter and I spent time with my mother on Saturday. We took a trip up to Charlotte to pick up her winnings from the Marvelous Mom's contest that I blogged about earlier. After that we hit up a few home decor stores. My mom wants to redecorate her home so we were out getting ideas. I immediately headed to the clearance isles and found some amazing deals.

My mom found a quilt marked down to $15! I also picked up a few quilted pillow shams for $1 each! My favorite find of the day were 2 HUGE barn stars for $8 each!

Today the family decided that they wanted to eat Chinese so we just called in an order. I picked my fortune cookie and guess what it said . . . "It's a good time to finish up old tasks"! Do you think that this fortune cookie writer has been to my backyard and looked in my building full of unfinished projects? Is this God's way of letting me know that I have started a fire hazard with all of the things piled in that building? Either way, I figured I better listen.

I bundled up and went outside to the building - what a bunch of junk! (That is what the dear hubby thinks!) Not me, I see potential in each and every piece. You know, we have learned to "think outside of the box" but I think sometimes my husband would like to throw me into a box! He goes junkin with me but when it comes time to find a place for it in the building, we have issues.

Needless to say, here are a few of my makeovers.

I had a bag of wooden stars that I found in my craft room clean up. I decided to make a small arrangement using the stars instead of flowers.

I wanted to put them in an old milk glass but I didn't have one so for now I am using an old Clorox bottle that I had on a shelf in my kitchen. I may just tie a piece of homespun around the neck and call it finished.

This is a tall cheese box that I have had for 2 years or more. . . BEFORE . . .

AFTER . . .

I love the stars - I am a sucker for stars! This would be great for umbrellas and things!

I had a childs desk that was a bland red color. It had those "lovely" hearts cutout in the legs and some scroll work at the bottom. Of course, the hearts HAD to go so we decided to amputate . . .

A fresh white washing and amputation of the heart legs made this piece into a great lap desk! I was too excited that I forgot to get a before picture!
I also am in the process of painting an old shelf but I figured that was kind of boring so I didn't get a picture of that either!

After careful consideration, I have decided to expand my booth at Curious Cat. Starting March 1st I will occupy all of booth #20 inside the Market. As I mentioned earlier, I have a lot of things in my building and they are doing me no good in there. So I might as well get busy cleaning these goodies up and filling up my new space! After I made my decision on Saturday, I couldn't sleep for redecorating the whole booth in my head! That is also what led to the makeover session between me and my building today.
I am very excited and can't wait to get back to the Market. I will be filling our truck up with all sorts of goodies and piling everything into my newly expanded space. As always, I will have my camera on hand to share with all of you the finished project.

Prim Hugs ~ Nicole

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

2009-02-18T18:43:00.000-08:00

In honor of Leslie over at My Country Home, I am happily getting to participate in Whatcha Working on Wednesday! I have been showing my Spring makeovers throughout the house in my last post so I don't have too many changes today.

I have recently finished this cute little basket of eggs.

I found this bird nest basket at a yard sale a few years ago and just pulled it out of the storage building. It is now part of my table centerpiece.

I heard my hubby and son in his bedroom banging and pounding, so I had to go check it out. My son is big into skateboarding and has been wanting to hang some of his old skateboard decks on his wall. Of course, the bottoms have to show. This is where the graphics once were but have been scraped and scratched off with the "grinding" of rails and stairs. (Didn't I sound like I knew what I was talking about there?)
Apparently, the hubby is still in a home improvement mood so tonight the two of them finally hung the boards in my son's room.

Doesn't look much like art work to me but, hey, my son likes it and is proud of the condition of these boards! He usually gets a new one for his birthday and Christmas so he has been holding on to these for a while so that he could display them.

My daughter has been waiting for this day for a while now! Her class ring finally came in and she picked it up at school today. The picture isn't that great but she was so proud to show it off!

She picked a silver ring with some sort of purple stone. She had me write her name in cursive on the form so that my handwriting was on the inside of her ring. I thought that was so sweet! It is hard to believe how fast they are growing up! She is currently in Drivers Ed and has recently been getting letters from Colleges and Universities! I can't believe it! We are in the process of planning her Sweet 16 party already. Her birthday isn't until June but we are trying to do a little each week so that we are not crazed at the last minute - although I am sure we will be!

Prim Hugs ~ Nicole

Tuesday Tweaking!

2009-02-17T20:01:00.000-08:00

What a great day! The hubby had the day off so we decided to go out for breakfast this morning! This is rare for us! We aren't exactly what you would call "morning people!" We usually wake up, mumble a few words to each other, (I just usually grunt - it takes a lot less effort!) and go on about our day. Usually around lunch time we phone each other to see how the day is coming along. Not today! We woke up and decided to head into town for a bite to eat. After breakfast, we stopped at a small grocery store in town that we had heard ran pretty decent deals. We've never been to that particular grocery store so we just stopped in and shopped around. There were a few things that I found cheaper, so I picked them up, but not much of a savings overall.

Once we got home, I guess we had been bitten by the home improvement bug. We were going to work out in the yard but it was a little too chilly and my hubby is still recovering from Bronchitis so we didn't want to take any chances! He looked around the house and said "Honey, get my drill!" Boy, what great words! You know what that means ladies - a few things are getting scratched off the honey-do list! YEAH!

He hung my new towel holder in the bathroom, put in a new door stop behind the bathroom door, fixed a cabinet door in the kitchen that was loose, worked on a drawer that was sticking, changed out the ceiling fan in the living room, changed out the light switches to white ones (some of the rooms still had the ivory ones), and worked on the back door that seemed to have a little drag to it. WOW! That was a lot of one afternoon!

Of course, since he was busy, I started working on my own to-do list. I pulled everything out under the kitchen sink and organized it, organized the computer desk area, cleaned curtains, and then it started . . . I began tweaking. I started moving this thing to that wall and that thing to the other shelf. Before I knew it, I started bringing out Spring items from the attic!

So here are a few pics of my Tuesday Tweaks!

This is the top of my entertainment center. The old yellow jug was my grandmothers. It sat in the hallway for as long as I can remember!
This is my new little hand towel for my updated bathroom! I love it! I found it at K-Mart over the weekend. It matches my bathroom colors perfectly!

I just love these bright yellow flowers in my grandmother's old pitcher!

Now I can sit back and enjoy my Spring-filled home! Even though it is still cold outside, the heater runs constantly, and I am always wrapped in a blanket . . . at least it LOOKS like Spring!

I may start my own tradition . . . Tuesday Tweaking! I am constantly changing things around but maybe I can keep it to once a week! The husband would be so happy if I would just leave things alone - but, that is probably not going to happen! *wink wink**

Prim Hugs ~ Nicole

My thrift store makeovers and my updated booth!

2009-02-15T18:19:00.000-08:00

A few posts back, I showed you my thrist store finds. I was needing a cabinet or shelf to show some of my goodies in my booth at Curious Cat. I messed with it all week - trying to get it to prim perfection! It was the standard glossy stain color - nothing fancy. I painted it white and then brushed dark stain over the paint once it dried. I then came along with a tan paint and brushed it on - then took a sponge to wipe some of the paint off. After all was dry, I sanded and scuffed for the worn look. What do you think . . .

Before:

After:

I love the way it turned out! The stain and paint really brought out the detail in the molding.I also had picked up a wood medicine cabinet. I gave it the same treatment as the shelf.
Before:

After:

I wanted to put it in our newly updated bathroom but it was too big! So, my daughter and I took it to my booth at Curious Cat.
You know how when you move one thing around, it triggers an entire makeover? That is what happened yesterday. We spent a few hours rearranging the booth so I wanted to show you all how it looked when we were finished.

I just finished the star pillow sitting in the blue basket. I forgot to take a picture of it! I have to put some more goodies on my new shelf. I had run out of "tweak" time by the time we had moved things around. You know, you really never have enough "tweak" time anyway!
Have a great day!
Nicole

A craft area redo and a vet update

2009-02-12T22:42:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, I installed some wire shelves in our hallway. It was a recess in the wall which housed the furnace at one time. Since then, it was a place to store our towels, sheets, and extra blankets. Now that I was finally finished with the bathroom, I had a better place for all of these. Yesterday afternoon I decided to make my former linen closet into a crafting storage area.
Over the past few months, I have realized that I had crafting supplies scattered from one end of the house to the other. Everytime I wanted to start a project, I had to hunt down my supplies. Sometimes I would give up and just go buy whatever I needed. We can't afford to do that anymore so I was on a mission . . . to find all of my crafting supplies and get them organized!

I our bedroom, I had 3 (yes 3!) of those plastic storage things on wheels. Each one had 3 drawers in it and it was the home for the bulk of my stuff. The rest was scattered in the dining room (which is where the sewing machine was), beside the recliner (I had a basket there with things that I work on while watchin TV), and in various drawers.

I pulled EVERYTHING into the living room. Fabric, buttons, paint, sanders, candles, floral stuff, all of it! Needless to say it was a MESS! I didn't want to go buy more plastic bins so I took the drawers out of the ones in my bedroom. This eliminated a lot from my bedroom and I didn't have to spend any money!

It took several hours but I got it finished. I know it doesn't look like a lot but it is all packed in there! Everything except my fabric. I have it stored in a cabinet in the dining room.

Living in a small house means that you don't have the storage that you would like. I have had to find creative ways to store things so they aren't just lying out for everyone to see.

I have so much stuffing and batting that I needed a place to "hide" it. This was my solution . . .

Can't even tell it's in there, huh? It works great because I don't have those big bulky bags showing! Since I became organized - I have started on 3 more projects. I am not a one at a time type gal! I'll try to show you those projects later.
I think one day I am going to do a post and show off my hiding places! I have things hidden everywhere since there is not room to store them!

We took our English Bulldog, Cane, to the vet yesterday. He loves going because he gets to visit other dogs. We got to sit near the scale so he thought that everyone was coming to see him as they were going to weigh their animals. We knew he had an ear infection because of the way that he was acting. Turns out, he has a bacterial ear infection, skin allergy, and Entropion in one eye. Entropion is an inward rolling of the eyelid edges. He said it is a painful condition because the hair on the lid constantly scratches against the cornea.
They gave us meds for the ear infection and he got an allergy shot for his skin. We also got a cream to put in his eye to help with the discomfort but he has to have surgery. We were not expecting that at all!
The vet said that other than the eye, Cane was very healthy. At least we got that good news! So we hope to have his surgery scheduled in the next few weeks.
Right now, he is in the recliner snoring louder than my husband! Makes it hard to watch TV when they are both dozing! I think the curtains are gonna pull off the windows! I am gonna record it one day!
I hope everyone has a great day!

Nicole

Finally . . . A completed bathroom!

2009-02-10T23:24:00.001-08:00

I have been mentioning my bathroom remodel project in my last posts. It has been a long time coming but I can finally say that it is finished! We live in a older home that belonged to my grandparents and it has one small bathroom. When we first moved in, it didn't even have a shower! I remember taking long hot baths in that little bathroom over the years. It still had the old cast iron plumbing so let me tell you, it took FOREVER to fill up the bath! I would start the water, go finish my homework, and then get in the bath about 30 minutes later! Seriously! The water ran that slow!

After we inherited the house, the plumbing was the first update we had completed. We had that done before we ever moved in. I knew there was no way that the four of us would ever be bathed at that rate! We had a shower/tub installed at the same time.

In the corner of the bathroom, we had a chimney. Back then, it was the chimney that went to the furnace. When I was a teenager, my grandparents had the furnace removed and installed Central Heat & Air. Boy, we thought we were something then! The chimney remained and was eventually painted the same color as the bathroom. You really couldn't even tell it was a chimney. It was in the corner and you basically just passed it by when you came into the bathroom.

It is a small bathroom with the basics . . . toilet, sink, tub/shower. However, there was no place for towels or all of your bath essentials. The entire house didn't even have a linen closet. My grandmother kept all of the towels and linens in a hutch.

Fast forward several years when we moved in. I thought to myself, "We could remove that chimney and build a cabinet in that corner to store our towels and stuff!" Sounds easy right? OH NO! REMOVE A CHIMNEY??? WHAT WAS I THINKING! What about all of that soot? Chipped cement? No, I never asked myself that. That would have made way more sense than I had at the time I guess!

The hubby and I go into the attic and start taking apart the chimney. Luckily, it had been capped off years ago so it didn't go through the roof. Brick by brick, my dear hubby chipped away at the cement - breaking them apart so we could get them down the attic stairs (yes, the pull down kind) and out the door into the bed of his truck. We had an assembly line going. He broke them apart, I took them to the stairs and passed it down to Miranda, she passed the brick to Colton who took it out the door and threw it in the truck. It was a little messy up in the attic but not too bad. We get downstairs and get the chimney 1/2 way down. Then we seen it. Black soot was packed full almost 1/2 up the chimney. PACKED FULL! We started shoveling it into trashcans. Sucked it up in the Shop Vac (BAD IDEA) Needless to say, by the time the chimney was gone, the bathroom was black, we were black, the CARPET was black, the porch was black, the poodle was black and the children were black!

In the weeks to come, we had to rip up the carpet and put in new flooring. I had tried everything to clean the carpet but nothing would get that oily soot out! We cleaned ALOT of molding and walls. Had a poodle BLEACHED! Then we built the cabinet for the bathroom. Once that cabinet was in place, I didn't want to be anywhere near that bathroom for awhile - seriously, awhile! Because of the disaster that I call, Hurricane Nicole, we have been working on cleaning up for about a year!

That brings me to the bathroom makeover. I finally got up the courage to give it another try. My daughter and I worked on it over the weekend. We got the old molding torn down and painted. I painted the ceiling a bright white to lighten it up. The rest of the house has more prim colors to it but I wanted something light and bright because of it's size. I still try to bring in some prim pieces so it doesn't look like it completely belongs to another house. Once we got it painted, the hubby helped me hang the wainscotting and new molding. I am very pleased with the results!

Today was cleaning day for the bathroom! I put my hair in a ponytail, put on some sweats, and went at it! The floor still had remnants of black soot! That stuff was in every nook and cranny! I felt like Cinderella . . . not the cute gal heading off to a ball . . no . . . the one with her bucket, on her hands and knees, scubbing the floor. That was me today. Can you picture it?

The hubby cooked dinner tonight so that I could clean the bathroom. (Not sure if he was being nice or if I was being punished! lol) So, after over a year of waiting . . . it is done. I spent the past hour decorating it and moving things from other rooms. I still have a few things to buy to give it that finished look but it was so clean, I wanted to show you before my kids wake up tomorrow and there is toothpaste on the walls! lol

Keep in mind that this bathroom in small so I could not stand back far enough to get the entire picture so I had to take them in sections.

I picked up this shower curtain a few months ago at Curious Cat for $5! It has been sitting in a box every since then.This is the pan I have hanging over the commode. I bought this from Beth at Olde Tyme Marketplace. She has a booth at Curious Cat also and this little gem was there calling my name!

I am going to use the blue jars for my essentials . . . Q-tips, cotton balls, and tweezers/fingernail clippers. I just thought they fit perfect with my new blue! I am going to get some brown fabric to put them on. Just to break up the blue and white. I guess something with texture.

I put this little gathering together on top of an old wood hamper. The brown pitcher belonged to my grandmother. The set of shutters are another of Beth's treasures!

Just a close up of the old wooden hamper. I love it! It holds our sheets and things (shhh!) I am going to put more brown fabric here to cover the hamper lid.

This is the vanity that we purchased last year. I think it is so cottagie (I know that isn't a word!) I allows some storage underneath - thank goodness! Also, see the Maple candle on the sink - another of Beth's treasures! The best smelling candle . . . EVER! I hung this wreath over the wooden hamper. Great brown against the blue!
I took down the medicine cabinet and hung this mirror instead. It was a wedding gift from my Aunt Dot. She even wrote "We love you" across the back. It was a centerpiece at our table during the reception. She had it covered with lit candles and flower petals!
Yes, this is a picture of our floor. Nothing special - except it has NO SOOT on it anymore! Can you believe it! I also wanted to show you . . . it really is a small bath huh? I was not kidding! Thanks so much for taking the tour of our bath remodel! Sorry for the long post but I really felt I should explain why it took so long to remodel our tiny bath! I am sure I will be tweaking it in the coming weeks - but for now . . . IT IS FINISHED! (You should see the dance I am doing about it!)
Thanks to everyone's well wishes for Cane! He goes to the vet in the morning so I'll be sure to let you know how it goes!
I hope everyone has a great week!

Some Thrift Store Goodies . . .

2009-02-09T18:53:00.000-08:00

I had to show off some of my weekend Thrift Store finds! The hubby and I took off early Saturday morning on a mission. I needed a piece of furniture to display my handmades at my booth at Curious Cat. We actually found so many good deals that I couldn't pass them up! The first store we came to had a lot of great things sitting out front. I immediatly pulled in because I seen a hutch top sitting there all alone. We got it and a great bathroom cabinet! It is solid wood and looks great! I can't wait to slap a little paint on it!

The second store we went to had a lot of old prim looking pieces tucked in behind the newer stuff. Everytime I go there I have to look back behind the "nicer" things to find what I am looking for. This time I found this old metal bin - it has a great pull out door on it. It is made like a tater bin (just so you can picture it). It looks like it went in a bathroom or something. I am going to research and see if I can find out what it was for. It is the white cabinet above. I had to have it - only $5!
I found a table that had a handful of wood picture frames - had to have those - $1.00 for all. I use them for my stitcheries - that way I don't have to charge an arm and a leg for the finished product!
Last but not least, I found an old porcelain coffee pot. It is perfect! In great shape - just needed a little cleaning.

All in all, I think it was a great bargain day! I am going to get my finds "prim-tastic" hopefully this week.

We have been making a few changes in our main bathroom. It is a little small so we needed to brighten it up. My daughter worked until late last night repainting. We had a custom built cabinet installed but I never got around to painting it. Miranda took care of all of the white painting - the door, trim, and the cabinet. I decided to go with a lighter blue. It is not really prim but I wanted something a little more lively in there. It always seems so dark and gloomy - had to brighten it up! I will take a picture of it when it doesn't look like such a mess! Hopefully, later on this week I will share it with ya.

I have to take our dear doggie, Cane, to the vet on Wednesday so I won't get a lot done that day! He isn't feeling well lately. I think he has some type of ear infection. He is still running and playing but we want to get it checked out before it gets worse.

Better safe than sorry I guess! I take him to a vet about an hour away because they are a lot more affordable than the ones around here. They have seen Cane since he was a puppy so that way they know his history.
I hope everyone has a great week. I will share my bathroom pics and my thrifting makeovers as soon as I can!

Marvelous Moms

2009-02-06T19:55:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, I sent in a letter to a local radio station for a contest they call "Marvelous Moms". I told about my mom who has always worked 2 jobs to take care for my brothers and I after my father passed away. As with a lot of mothers, she sacrificed a lot to care for us and make sure we had what we needed. I had forgotten all about writing the letter until today. I received a phone call from my mom. I could tell she had been crying. Of course, a thousand things ran through my mind as to what was wrong. She asked me about what I sent to the radion station . . . it took me a minute to remember. She said they had called her and told her she was this week's "Marvelous Mom". They read her the letter I had written.

At the moment she called me, I was sitting inside the pharmacy waiting for my husbands meds to get filled. He is diabetic so this takes a while to fill all of the testing supplies, needles, and medication itself. I wasn't sure if they had played it on the radio yet or not so I tried to get out of there as soon as I could.

About 15 minutes later, I had escaped from the pharmacy and made it to my car. My husband and I were going through the bag to make sure we had picked up everything we needed and about that time, he announced, "Now it is time for this week's Marvelous Mom!" I was so excited! I was actually getting to hear her response!

They told her they were with WSOC and asked if she knew me. (At this moment, I know she was thinking . . . should I admit it or not!) They told her that I had written a letter and asked her if they could read it to her. As they read, she was very quiet. When they got to the end, they told her that they were honored to get to meet someone like her. As she tried to thank them, I could tell she had been crying. The guy reading the letter said that he had tried to read it 2 other times but had to stop because he was choked up. (Now, that must have been a good letter!)

She won a gift certificate to a auto shop for an oil change, a $60 gift certificate to Cabet Cheese, and a certificate for pamering at Massage Envy!

I was so glad that she had finally received some recognition for all that she had done! It got me thinking though - I had wrote that letter several months ago on my lunch break at work. I submitted it online and had forgotten all about it. It never dawned on me that my mom had no idea that I looked up to her so much! She was in shock that I would take a few minutes and write something great about her - like she hasn't done a million things like that for me over the years.

I remember I would find silly notes in my lunch - simply telling me to Have a great day! In college, she would send me post cards from my home town (which is literally 45 minutes away) saying "Wish you were here!). For every birthday, I would get a card with a heart felt note written inside letting me know how much she loved me. But she never expected me to do the same for her! She told me that it made her day. She had been a little down in the dumps lately so it came at the perfect time too!

I tried to find the link so you guys could hear it but the station hasn't posted today's podcast yet. And of course, I couldn't wait to share it with all of you!

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I have some Goodwill Hunting to do!

A New Look For an Old Hat

2009-02-06T01:43:00.001-08:00

Since we all love searching the Thrift Stores and Goodwill - I thought I would share this really inexpensive makeover of a 90's classic. We all remember them . . . the straw hats that we used on the front door to greet guests. The ones with lace and flowers . . . you remember right? Everytime I am at a yard sale or bargain hunting, I run across a few. They still have the lace and ribbon on them, usually covered in dirt and dust and lots of missing flowers.

I seen this at a friends booth at Curious Cat a few years ago. She actually brought life back to the straw hat! I have to give props to Gladys for coming up with this idea - I loved it so much I bought hers right off the wall and have had it hanging in my dining room for 2 years now!

She stripped the hat of all it's 90's goodness. No more lace and ribbon - goodbye rosettes and wire!

Materials needed:

Straw Hat

Piece of Cardboard - size of hat

Small piece of ribbon

Wide ribbon for "band" on hat

Mossy Grass

Small Bird

Twig or small dowel rod

Hot glue

Instructions:

First step is to lay the hat on a piece of cardboard, trace around the hat and cut out. Then she cut a hole towards the bottom of the hat - not very large. Just about the same height as the bird used. She turned the hat over and stuffed some great mossy grass inside. Now you will glue the cut out cardboard piece to the back of your hat. **Be sure you can not see the cardboard from the front!** You can go ahead and hot glue a thin piece of ribbon or wire to the back in a loop in order to hang your hat. Once all has dried, turn your hat over and we can start working on the front! You will hot glue a twig or small dowel rod to the bottom of the hole (this will be the birds perch). You may have to use your fingers to pull some of the mossy grass towards the hole opening. You want a little sticking out from the hole to cover the opening. Once the twig is stable, glue your bird on to the top. Then take your wide ribbon and wrap around the hat. Tie into a bow at bottom. Be sure to hot glue the ribbon to the hat so that it doesn't slide off.

Viola - you've gone from an out of date straw hat to a cute country bird house! This whole project will cost you less than $5!

We've got to get Gladys up and running with a blog - she has the neatest ideas out of some household goodies! I am going to try to get over to her new store and take some pics! I'll be sure to share them as soon as I can!

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

2009-02-04T21:05:00.000-08:00

Technically it is after midnight so I guess it is Thursday but I wanted to get in a post on Leslie's Whatcha Working on Wednesday. It has been forever since I have gotten a Wednesday update in - I barely made it this week!

I have been stitching a lot lately - I enjoy that because I an sit in the living room with the family and stitch while they are watching TV. I hate being in another room sewing but then, of course, if I move it into the living area, they can't hear the TV! I am trying to work on some Spring items for my booth but, it is hard to think of Spring, blooms, and flowers when we woke up this morning to SNOW! I apparently hadn't been paying attention to the Weather Channel because I had no idea it was on it's way! The kids got up for school today and the phone rang. It was the School System calling to let us know that school was cancelled. We looked outside and there was snow all over! Talk about a shock. We all just went back to bed. Nobody even felt like taking pictures or going out to play. We have all been passing around the flu for the past few weeks so we are still trying to recover.

The first item I finished was a Spring Pitcher stitchery. I added a few buttons for flowers and lightly colored in the pitcher with a dark blue colored pencil. It reads "Bloom Where You Are Planted" along the bottom. I am working on sprucing up the frame but it hasn't dried yet. So far, this is what I got . . .

I have had this two part frame since last summer. I picked it up at a yard sale along with a bundle of wooden frames. I finally decided to stitch something just for this frame. I found this stitchery and thought it would be perfect!

It reads: "No matter what, no matter where, it's always home when love is there". I just stitched a Saltbox house to go on the other side. Added some prim to the frame and viola . . .

I also worked on a few hearts for Valentines. I had some red ticking left over from Christmas and thought I would use some of that. I picked up a wooden box with an iron gate like backing to it at a thrift store. I filled it with some white pip berries and my grungied hearts.
It turned out to be perfect for the space I needed to fill!

I am just glad I got to share in the WWW this time. It may be months before I get to do it again they way my memory is!

Nicole

Unique Handmade Pendants!

2009-01-29T22:32:00.000-08:00

I have been a lover of all things handmade for many years. When I get the opportunity to meet a talented crafter or designer, I feel very blessed. I firmly believe in the "Buy Handmade" campaign because there are so many talented folks in this world who deserve to be successful!

I first met Janna, when I had my store here in town. She came in one Saturday and bought a few items. After a few minutes of chit-chat, we realized that we both love Primitives and the love of junking. We also shared a mutual friend who has a WONDERFUL prim store, Beth at Old Tyme Marketplace in Marshville, NC.
Janna had mentioned that she made jewelry. Now I am not what you call a jewelry buff - I usually only wear my wedding ring and my earrings so I didn't think too much about it. She actually was wearing one of her pendants and when she showed it to me, I fell in love with it! She uses old vintage buttons as the base for her pendants. This particular one had an old vintage key attached! I was hooked!

She has a booth at Curious Cat as well as one at the Waxhaw Antique Mart which is close by my house. I would stop in there often to see her newest designs. These pendants are gorgeous! They have a unique vintage look to them and I have not seen anything like them. On my last trip to Curious Cat, my daughter and I stopped by Janna's booth. Believe it or not, my daughter also fell in love with her pendants! Normally my daughter and I do not agree on jewelry so this was a first. It is very rare for the mother and teenager to agree on fashion. I couldn't believe it! She is now saving her money so she can buy more! She loves the fact that they are unique and they have been a hit at her school.

Janna's company, Artsy Fartsy, also accepts custom orders for her pendants.

Can you see the vintage keys on some of these pendants?

You can find her work by checking out her website, Artsy Fartsy Finds. She, also, has her items available at several retail locations throughout North Carolina. Be sure to check her out! I think I may get her to make something for my daughter's upcoming Sweet 16! When I get it, I will definitely post a pic and share it with all of you!

New Quilting Shop in town

2009-01-24T21:37:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, a great new Quilting shop opened in downtown Waxhaw! I am so excited because it is a great place to pick up beautiful fabrics and kits! I have stopped in a few times and met the owners, Beth and Kim. These ladies are wonderful! The name of the shop is The Quilting Nook. They had a sign in the window for a few weeks before they actually opened and let me tell you, Waxhaw was buzzing about the new Quilt shop! No one could wait for it to open so we could get inside! The building was the Grocery store back in the early 1900's and these ladies put in a lot of time and effort to keeps its "old" look but updating things to bring it up to date!
They carry full lines of Robert Kaufmann, Hoffman, Moda, Clothworks, Timeless Treasures and Fabriquilt Fabrics. The walls are lined with many bolts of fabrics and there are lots of completed quilts hanging on the walls for inspiration.

They also offer classes from the inexperienced (like me) to the more advanced. They even offer classes like the Little Diva's class where our kids can jump on the quilting bandwagon.

Isn't this place amazing? I feel right at home everytime I walk in! I just thought I would share this little corner of my world with all of my blogging buddies! Too bad you all don't live a little closer!

Our Snowy Tuesday

2009-01-21T15:40:00.000-08:00

The family and I sat around on Monday night patiently waiting for the snow to come. It was the biggest story on every local news channel - the Big Snow of 2009. The kids were of course looking forward to it so that school would be cancelled and so they could have a little snow fun! Bedtime came for the kids - still no sight of snow. I sent them on to bed and promised that if I saw any snow I would wake them up. Finally around 1 a.m. we started see a few flakes. I rushed off to the kids rooms to wake them up. By that time, my daughter didn't care what was falling from the sky but my son woke up and was so excited. Well, as excited as you could be to be just woke up!

We finally made it off to bed. The next morning, we looked out and this is what we saw . . .This was the view from our front porch. If course, school was cancelled and both my husband and I had the day off due to the weather. I know, a lot of you have much more than this and still go to work but here, everything shuts down with a little snow! My husband and kids took a trip into a local town to run a few errands. My daughter took a few more pictures with her new phone she received for Christmas.

Isn't it beautiful! It snowed on and off all morning on Tuesday but by the afternoon, it was all gone. By the evening it had started melting and there were only a few signs that we had snow at all! At least we had one day I guess!

The snow is on it's way . . .

2009-01-19T18:26:00.000-08:00

Well according to the National Weather Service, the snow is finally headed to our part of NC! I have had fun looking at everyone's pictures of the snow in their neck of the woods but haven't had any to share myself. They say that it will start tonight around midnight (I will have to take their word for it, cuz I will not be up to see it!). We don't see much snow here so when they say we may see some snow, everyone around here goes CRAZY! They flood the grocery stores and stock up on the essentials, breads, milk, eggs, things like that. The problem is, we only have snow for a few hours, then it melts. We have never been snowed in or came anywhere close to what a lot of you have. I think if you guys came here and seen our little snow, you would laugh at the craziness! I went to pick up a dozen eggs, just because we wanted breakfast for dinner. This lady acted like I had taken her only child! She was so upset that there weren't more eggs. I thought we were going to get into an all out brawl over a dozen eggs! I try to be a nice person but I went home with my eggs. (Kind of mean of me not to offer them to her huh? Oh well!)

This weekend my daughter and I decided to spend the day together. It is strange but as she gets on up in teenage years, she WANTS to hang out with me more! My son had made plans for all day skating at a local indoor skatepark. It is a great place where kids can go skate with their skateboards without having to be out in this weather. We went from noon to 10 pm. My legs would have been jello by then but he's only 12 so it doesn't affect him yet. The hubby decided to go mud bogging. Yes, mud bogging. So my daughter and I spent practically the whole day by ourselves.

We started the day by grabbing some lunch. We rarely ever go eat without the guys joining us! It was a great time to gossip and chat. We then went to Curious Cat which is where I have a booth. Let me just say that I love this place! There are so many great vendors and everyone has their own niche. The gals are always so nice and helpful too! I recently had some things to sell so I needed to update the booth a little and bring in some of my latest goodies. My daughter, Miranda was such a big help. We worked on the booth for a few hours until time to head to the movies. We decided we wanted to go see "Bride Wars". What a great time! There were a lot of her friends there (it seems like she knows everybody) and she didn't seem to be embarressed by hanging out with me! How great was that!

Since it has been so cold, I started working on a few Valentines items for my booth. I made these cute hearts out of red ticking. It seems weird to be working on Valentines and Spring items with the temperatures around 15 degrees! I hope to start on a stitching or two this week also.
I also finished up a new batch of primitive sachets. These have great scents and look so prim!

Well, I am going to go cozy up with a blanket and thumb through some stitchery patterns. I hope you have a great day!

Lookie what I got!

2009-01-16T12:33:00.000-08:00

What a cold week it has been here! I woke up this morning to temperatures around 15 degrees! I am not a fan of the cold weather AT ALL! It seems like I can't get warm enough to be comfortable! We still haven't seen any snow - unlike a lot of my blogger buddies out there! Over on Farmchick's blog, she has posted some great pictures of the kids sledding in her snowy fields! It looks like a lot of fun, but we don't anything like that here.

Anyways, enough complaining! I came out of the house on Saturday morning, went to get in my car and found these great old planters sitting next to my porch! My dear father in law had stopped by and brought these 4 old mule drawn planters!

He had come across these somewhere and knew we would love them. I couldn't believe it! I had always wanted one of these in my yard, among flowers in the garden, ya know . . . can't you picture it? Now I have 4! The handles are worn from years of use - so many memories with these! I have a fairly small yard so I am not going to have room for 4 so I will have to figure something out for a few of them. They may have to find new homes since I can't keep all of them. Sad I know but we already have an old set of wagon weels and an old red wagon so believe me when I tell you, there is no room for all of these!

Have a great week!

What a wonderful day spent with my daughter!

2009-01-07T12:25:00.000-08:00

Finally, I am back to blogland! Since the kids have been out of school they have stayed on the computer non stop between the two of them! I haven't had a chance to peek in! They went back to school on Monday so life is getting almost back to normal (depending on who you ask!)
My daughter had a project assigned at school that she had been working on for weeks. Each student was given a Country that they had to research and do a report on. Included with the report, they had to prepare some sort of food from that Country that could be fed to the whole class. She was lucky enough to get France. I say lucky because some kids got Egypt and they prepared some drink with seaweed. I would not have had a clue about that one!
It came down to the night before her report was do so I made a quick dinner and she and I started on our French dessert! Just for the record, I am not a baker. I will craft for hours but I hate to cook!
We found a recipe for Tarte de Pommes a la Normande - which is actually an Apple Tart.
It was actually pretty simple to make and tasted AMAZING!
She and I set out peeling apples. LOTS of apples. She has a class of 30 so I knew we were going to need 2 tarts. Since I am not a baker, I do not have those wonderful apple peelers or apple corers that make this type of job a little easier. She and I worked together like a great mother and daughter team! We laughed, made a mess, talked about our days, and had a great time! It was so nice just to have some time to talk and laugh.
I cheated and used 2 frozed pie crusts. I wasn't even going to attempt to make those!
The following is the recipe:

Ingredients
Crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons sour cream
Filling:
About 6 medium apples, peeled, pitted, and sliced
3 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Glaze:
1/2 cup apricot preserves or jelly
1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate
Mint, for garnish
Whipped topping, for garnish
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
To make the crust:
Place the flour, butter, and sour cream in a food processor and pulse to combine. When the dough has formed a ball, pat with lightly floured hands into the bottom and sides of an ungreased 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and 1/2-inch sides, or a round au gratin dish. Bake for about 18 minutes, until the crust is set but not browned. Let cool while preparing the filling.
Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
To make the filling:
Peel and thickly slice the apples. Arrange the apple slices in overlapping circles on top of the crust, until it's completely covered. Overfill the crust, as apples will shrink during cooking.
Combine the egg yolks, sour cream, sugar, and flour and beat until smooth. Pour the mixture over the apples. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour, until the custard sets and is pale golden in color. Cover with an aluminum foil tent if the crust gets too dark. Transfer the tart pan to a wire rack to cool. When cool, remove the side wall of the pan.
To make the glaze:
Combine the preserves or jelly and orange juice. Spread with a pastry brush over the top of the warm tart. Serve the tart warm, at room temperature or chilled. Garnish with fresh mint.

She took these to school with a tub of vanilla ice cream and they were a hit! She said the kids kept coming back for seconds! She made an A on her report so I guess all was okay. (Nobody was sick the next day, so I am okay!)

I kept trying to post the pictures of the finished tarts but Blogger kept giving me an error! Oh well, I will try to post those pics later!

I hope everyone had a great holiday season!

Peppermint Trees for under $5 each!

2008-12-18T13:47:00.000-08:00

I came across this idea on HGTV the other day and thought I would give it a try. I think they look so festive - a great centerpiece during the holidays! I finally "hunkered" down last night and made a few trees and they were so easy! I couldn't get my camera to download so I found some photos online to share.

~Supplies~

*6-x-3 white Styrofoam cone
*9-x-3 white Styrofoam cone
*12-x-3 white Styrofoam cone
*3 candleholders made to hold 3-inch pillar candles
*Red and white candies: round peppermints, red hots, candy canes
*Hot-glue gun and glue sticks

I picked up my Styrofoam cones and my bags of candy from the Dollar Tree for $1 each!

First, take all of your peppermints out of their wrappings. Lay aside. Plug in your hot glue gun so it can be warming up.

Take each peppermint, dab a bit of glue on the flat side and press it onto the bottom of the Strofoam. You will want to start at the base and go all the way around with peppermints. Once you get all the way around, if a full peppermint will not fit, don't worry, just break one in half. Start on the next row. Be sure to fill in the peppermint in the grooves of the previous row. Do not put them directly on top of each other. Continue going row to row until you get to the top. You can top your tree off any way you like. I stood a peppermint on it's end and glued it to the very top of the cone (almost like a tree topper).

You can do all three cones the same way or you can use different types of candies. The picture shows one tree with peppermints, one with red hots, and one with miniature candy canes.

Tip #1: When making the "Red Hot" tree, you may want to paint the foam cone red before you start gluing the candy to the tree. This way you do not have as much white showing behind the candies.

Tip #2: The miniature candy cane tree takes a little more time because you have to line up the canes and be sure to allow room for the next rows canes to be glued.

The candy cane tree was topped with ribbon just tied in a bow. Any way you want to top them will be perfect!Now, you can put your trees onto your candle holders and enjoy a beautiful centerpiece! If you don't have candle holders, just put them on a plate and sprinkle the base with candies or ornaments! These make great gifts too! Just wrap them in cellophane and top with a festive bow! VIOLA! I think they are perfect for teacher gifts or even a small thank you to the party host!Hope you enjoy!

Lookie Lookie what I got and a Parade!

2008-12-16T19:28:00.000-08:00

I am glad to report that the whole family is feeling a lot better this week! The husband's finger is taking a little time healing. He is a diabetic so any cut or wound takes forever to heal. This one was a doozy . . . I do not normally have a weak stomach. I grew up with two older brothers and let me tell you, there wasn't anything "Girlie" about my childhood! I have seen broken bones, smashed fingers, you name it. But this one grossed me out! He smashed it somehow and split the whole thing open. I will spare you the details but the doctor at the hospital said there was no way to put stitches in it - there was nothing to stitch to. So, he brings this busted finger home and needs the bandages changed out each day. YUCK! I try to do what I can without looking at it but it doesn't work. Luckily, things are a little healed so it isn't as bad.

Anyway, both kids are feeling much better. The bug only stuck with them for a day or two and then it was gone. Thank goodness! As for me, I feel a little better too. I could not hardly move over the weekend thanks to 3 injections the doctor gave me last week. I go tomorrow for the results from my MRI so we will see how that goes. In my wildest dreams, I would have never imagined that a little wreck would have caused so much damage to my neck and back. I feel like I was ran over with the car instead of driving it! I don't think the folks that pulled out in front of me were even injured! That is what gets me!

On to more pleasant things! With the usual hussle and bussle of this time of year, we all tend to forget things! Heck, I tend to forget things even when it isn't Christmastime! I came home from work today to find a package waiting for me. It was the giveaway that I won from Tammy at The Olde Hollow Crow! Of course, being so impatient, I tore right into the box without snapping a shot of how cute everything was wrapped! Boy did I hit the jackpot!

I got a wonderful handmade stitching that reads "He is the Light", 2 star shaped Sleighbell scented tarts, a bundle of prim chenille candy canes, a bundle of pip garland, a bottle of the most delicious smelling Room Spray EVER . . . Spiced Cranberry, and 3 handmade candlesticks glued onto an old clothespin. TOO CUTE! I immediately started setting things around the house and realized, "I haven't took a picture yet!"

This picture shows how I put the candlesticks on my tree. They look great next to the gingerbread man that Suzie sent me in the Honeypot Swap! You can also see the cute Mason Jar light covers that I picked up at the Southern Christmas Show.
This was my first Giveaway win and boy, was it worth the wait! You have to get over to Tammy's website and check out her amazing goodies! You will not be disappointed!
Thanks Tammy for such an incredible giveaway!

I also wanted to share pictures from the Waxhaw Christmas parade on Sunday afternoon.

My husband and I love these guys!

This is our local High School band - GO PARKWOOD!

These guys are with the Shriners - They play the coolest music on these big steel drum barrels! Of course bringing up the rear of the parade - SANTA himself stopped by our little town!

Last but not least, my dear friend, Merrie over at Where the Blackbirds Sing, asked me about our Bulldog, Cane. She has several English Bulldogs and we love to talk about them! I wanted to show everyone that he loves Christmas!

He stands there forever watching the lights. I think he is trying to figure out how to eat those ornaments without getting caught! Sorry for the long post this time but I had so much to share!

I hope everyone has a great week!

My goodies from my Honeypot Swap!

2008-12-11T12:57:00.000-08:00

I was planning on participating in Whatcha Working on Wednesday but during work yesterday I received a phone call from school that my son, Colton, was sick and running a fever. A few minutes later, I got a call from my husband, who had busted his finger open at work and was headed to the hospital for stitches! Needless to say, things were a bit crazy!

When I finally got home, there was a package waiting for me . . . from Germany! I don't know anyone from Germany and couldn't for the life of me think who this was from.

As I tore open the package, I found the cutest Christmas card. Inside it read, "Merry Christmas to you and your family - From Suzie - Your Honeypot Swapie!"

She had all of the goodies wrapped up so I couldn't immediately see what she had sent.

I did find a few packets of German Gummybears on top! My kids and I thought these were so neat. I started tearing into the wonderfully wrapped gifts like a mad-woman! She sent so many wonderful treats - lots of Chocolate goodies - I can't read what they are but the pictures look yummy! She also sent me a Gingerbread Man ornie. He has a gingham pocket on his front and it is filled with Christmas sprigs. I also got a Gingerbread man stocking filled with lots of little pieces of German chocolate!

The other ornament I received was a small Christmas Tree carved out of wood. It is very detailed to be so thin! Wonderful craftsmanship on this piece!I haven't gotten into the chocolate yet - my daughter ate a small piece that was in the stocking and said it was good so I am gonna give it a try tonight. I did get the ornaments hung on my tree but that is as far as I got! Now my daughter and son are both sick. The husband is home nursing his badly injured finger and I am planning for my neck and back MRI tomorrow. There are 4 of us and not one feels like moving! It will definately make for an interesting few days!
I hope everyone has a great evening!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2008-12-05T19:30:00.000-08:00

I know I have been missing in action lately! There has been A LOT going on around here! We hosted Thanksgiving at our house from my side of the family this year. We had a great day! My nephews came over and they are like little tornado's wherever they go! I realize how my house is not child friendly! I start moving things to higher shelves and hiding the breakables whenever it is time for them to come over. Problem is, I forget where I hid things after they have left! I spend a lot more time looking for things I hid than it took me to stash them in the first place!
I started doing a little Christmas decorating before Thanksgiving. I usually do it the day after but I was feeling pretty good so I thought I better take advantage of the opportunity. Every since the wreck, I have terrible neck and back pain so I am at Physical Therapy a few times a week getting things corrected. We got the tree up and the lights strung and the back pain really set in. It was another couple of days before I could finish the tree like I wanted.
This is the first year that I got the tree just like I wanted! I made all of the ornies on the tree and of course filled it with stars. I am not sure if I like the topper or not though. I had a small grapevine star on top but you couldn't even see it. I had this one at the shop so I stole it to see if it would work.
At the Christmas show this year I bought the cutest Mason jar light covers. They attach over the little light bulbs on the strands. I love them! I will buy more for next year. They are so easy to attach and I haven't had any problems getting them to stay on!
I also wanted to do a little something different for my mantle. I wanted to make some old fashioned stockings - you know the long, skinny, grubby ones. Since the accident, I haven't really been crafting so I never got around to it! I bought four Santa hats from Dollar General. I stained them in coffee and cinnamon and attached a hanger inside and am using them for our stockings. I really like how they turned out too! I haven't completely finished the mantle yet but wanted to show off the hats! We have to work "around" my hubby's prized deer, Bucky. I sure a lot of you know what I am going through on that one!
These are the candy canes that I was working on a few posts back. I grubbied them up and put them in an wicker sleigh that I have had for years. They look great sitting on my grandmothers piano!
Finally, I have a little bit of sad news too. I have decided to close my shop here in town. I can't be there most days because of my back, physical therapy, lawyers appointments, doctors appointments, . . . It really has just gotten to be too much.
I moved my goodies to a booth at a local indoor market - The Curious Cat. This is the same place I started out. What a great bunch of people that are there! They have been so great in finding room for me and helping me get my booth in order!
They are having their Christmas Open House this weekend so I wanted to get what I could to the booth for display. I am glad I did! I went by today and have already sold a lot of things!
I figured this way, I could still make a lot my prim goodies as I am able to and can take them by when I can. I think this is going to be the best situation for me so I am just thankful that I have a place to display my items and I didn't have to put everything in storage! I will try to get some pictures of my booth and share them in a future post!
I hope everyone has a great weekend!
Nicole

I've been Tagged!

2008-11-25T13:07:00.000-08:00

I've been tagged by Rondell at Tomatoe Creek Prims. I love this game becuase you get to know different things about people that otherwise you wouldn't know. Kind of what makes them "special!"

Here are the rules:
Rule #1 ~ Link to the person that tagged you.
Rule #2 ~ Post the rules on your Blog.
Rule #3 ~ Write 6 random things about yourself.
Rule #4 ~ Tag 6 people at the end of your post.
Rule #5 ~ Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their Blog.
Rule #6 ~ Let the tagger know your entry is up. So here goes...

1. I coffee stain everything but I do not drink coffee. I never have!
2. We currently live in the house that my grandparents lived in. When my grandmother passed away in 2006, she left it to me because she knew I loved it! 3. My grandmother was the mayor of our town when I was growing up. She was the first female mayor in our county! I always got to attend events with her as a child.

4. I had to have an emergency hysterectomy in 2007. It definately was not planned!
5. My husband has been a diabetic since he was 12 years old. He constantly has to struggle with keeping his blood sugar under control.
6. I have 3 dogs (a Cocker Spaniel named "Winston", an English Bulldog named "Cane" and a Maltese poodle named "Prissy". She runs the show around the house too!

Now I have to pass this tag game on to...

Molly at Molly's Place

Dani at Old Homestead Peddler

Dena at Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice

Jany at Look in the Nook

Sarah at The Simple Country Girl

Joleen at The Primitive Bucket

Okay, now it is your turn! I want to learn something off the wall about you guys!

Candy Cane Land and a Thank You!

2008-11-20T19:12:00.000-08:00

I wanted to say Thank You to everyone that sent messages about our car accident. You all were so helpful in letting me vent. Things are going a little better here - we have been looking for another car. Ours was totalled. I have had to go to the Doctor about my neck and back and they have now sent me to physical therapy. Yesterday was my first appointment with PT and I feel about as bad as I did after the accident!

Each day is looking better so I am very thankful for that. I am also very thankful to all of you for your kind words and generous thoughts! Words can't express how much your words meant!

Okay, Okay, enough of that!

Today, I went to Dollar General here in town and picked up the cutest door mat. I love that the "Primitive" look is becoming more popular. It is getting easier finding some really cute things!

I thought it was adorable! It has a red saltbox house and some cute prim sheep. It reads " Bless this country home!" Best of all, it was only $3! Let me tell you, I almost did the dance . . . you know we all have one. . . the dance that you do when you find a really good deal or something you have been looking for and are so excited. Yeah, that one! Right there in Dollar General! I have been busy working on some candy canes for a few customers. I made some out of muslin and painted them with red stripes. I have several different sizes of those. I also made a few muslin stars. I grungied them up and gave them cute hangers for the tree. I dusted a little bit of mica flakes on the stars.

I picked up a pack of red and white pipe cleaners at Walmart. I twisted them together, grungied them, shaped them into candy canes and dusted them with mica flakes. I think they turned out great. (But what do I know!) I am going to bunch them in groups of 3 or 4, add some Christmas sprigs and a rusty bell and put them in an old grungy jar. I will get more pictures once I get all of that done.

I haven't gotten around to putting my Christmas tree up yet. I wanted to have completely handmade ornaments on the tree this year. I finished my rag garlands a month ago and have been stitching ornies ever since! I plan to try to get our tree up over the Thanksgiving holiday.
I will definately take pictures when I get it finished to share with all of my great blog buddies!

Take care!
Nicole

I want to vent!

2008-11-11T09:59:00.000-08:00

I have been missing in action for a few days due to a car accident. My hubby and I were heading back from the flea market last Sunday (11/2). We were approaching an intersection and everyone was stopped so I thought we were okay. All of a sudden, the car to my right pulls right out in front of me! I had no where to go and slammed on brakes but hit him right in the side!
My hubby helped me drive the car to the shoulder of the road so no one else hit us! My seatbelt locked up (which I guess it was supposed to do), my door was caved in, and the dash and steering wheel were pushed up around my knee and foot. When all was stopped, my husband jumped out of the car to try to get me out. It was not happening!
The other driver got out of the car and came over. It was an elderly couple and they were ok. Luckily for them they were in a bigger car.
I had to go by ambulance to the hospital - have xrays, CAT scans, you name it. I got to come home later that night but with my knee in a brace, a crazy shoe on the other foot, neck brace, the whole works.
I understand accidents happen and that doesn't upset me.
But dealing with these insurance companies make me want to scream! He has Nationwide and so do I. So you would think they would look after me right? NOT AT ALL! My car was totalled and they are offering me some small amount for my car. How am I supposed to buy a reliable car for pennies? Not gonna happen. Then, they wouldn't authorize my followup visit to the doctors until I signed a release! I had no intentions of getting a lawyer even though my mail was flooded with lawyers all week.
But I have had it! All I want is to be in the same condition as I was before the accident and they are not concerned with that in the least! These adjusters have been trying to bully me - threatening to take my rental car back stuff like that! I do not know how they sleep at night! They were constantly calling my phones harrassing me for an answer to their "proposals". When I told them I had an attorney, they didn't have much to say after that!
The attorney is the one who is sending me to the doctor to be checked out. I know people say attorneys are just as bad but it is really nice to have someone on my side through this. My husband and I are like sitting ducks. We don't know what is going to happen with all of this and if it is all going to work out but I guess we will just have to wait and see. We have done a lot of praying about it and will put it in his hands!
I am sorry but I just felt the need to vent. I know everyone just needs to do that from time to time!
Thanks for listening!

Another day at the Festival

2008-10-30T19:39:00.000-07:00

As I was looking through the pictures on my memory card, I ran across a few really neat ones that I never knew I had! These were taken by my husband the day of the Festival in town. (You know, while I was working!) They put on a really neat Civil War Reenactment downtown. I heard the "gunshots" going off but I never got a chance to see it first hand. Thanks to my husband, now I can!
Look at the kids at the back. . . Too cute!

Walking through the crowd were the Civil War Widows. They had the Priest following behind them as they walked with their umbrellas.

He was so excited to see the reenactment they had put on! I had no idea he was running around playing photographer for the event!

During the festival, we also had a local artist, Belinda Muth, set up out front. She painted a beautiful Fall scene in pastels. She has several pieces of her art displayed in the shop as well. She painted spring florals onto an old wooden window that I had in storage. It turned out beautiful! You can see it in the background of this picture. She has amazing talent and I am glad that she chose Back in the Day to display her work!

I will take some pictures of her art and post them so you all can see her talent!

Until then, I hope everyone has a great weekend!

My Weekend And The Winner Is . . .

2008-10-20T17:56:00.000-07:00

This weekend was so crazy! My husband's business held a Bike Show at a local restaurant in town. I was roped into working the Registration table. The hubby helps me at festivals and I help him at his events. We had a great turnout. The weather was great but it did turn off a little chilly. A friend of mine, Chelle, came up and we got to hang out during the event. She brought her 3 kids and I had mine there. We have been trying to get together for over a year and just haven't been able to do it so it was great to finally get to spend some time with her and her family! Her youngest son, Dylan, was such a hoot! He kept me laughing - he was running around dancing to the music. This is him "playing his guitar" to some music that was playing! How cute!

It was so much fun watching our kids play together and getting to know one another! We need to make more time for our friends instead of staying so busy all of the time!

That evening we came home and started a cozy fire! We were so tired we both fell asleep! We never even got a chance to enjoy it! Maybe next time!

Now on to the fun stuff . . . It is time to pick the winner for my birthday giveaway! I know my birthday was a week ago but I think I am going to celebrate the whole month! What a great idea! (At least I think so!) I recruited my daughter to help me with the drawing. I think she decided to help so that I could take her picture!We have everyone's name in the bowl - ready for the drawing!

Finally, she has closed her eyes and is ready to pick the lucky winner!

And the winner is . . . LINDA FROM BEHIND MY RED DOOR!

CONGRATULATIONS LINDA! I hope you enjoy your Fall goodies! I had so much fun with this giveaway, I will try to do them more often! I enjoyed meeting all of the newbies to my blog too! There are so many great people out there and such interesting blogs! So much to read and so little time!

Have a great evening!
Nicole

Quilt Giveaway

2008-10-16T22:24:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth over at Pigtails and Snails is having a Quilt giveaway! Can you belive it? A QUILT! May I say, it is absolutely gorgeous! This is her own design and it turned out beautifully!

Be sure to hop on over to her blog and enter for this amazing giveaway!

Just a Swingin!

2008-10-16T21:22:00.000-07:00

I didn't get to participate in Leslie's Whatcha Workin on Wednesday due to a terrible migraine yesterday! My poor kids were so sweet and took care of me all evening. We had hot dogs for dinner just because it was the easiest thing we had in the cabinet! I took some medicine and seemed to have slept it off because I woke up today feeling much better! Thank goodness!

I don't know if I ever told you all but the house that we are living in is the house that my mother grew up in. It belonged to my grandparents. I always got to stay here as I got to spend time with them when I was little. In the eighth grade I moved in with my grandmother because my mother was moving to another town and I was going to have to change schools. My grandfather had recently passed away and I hated for her to live alone. Also, I really wanted to graduate from the same school my mother did. That is funny because now my kids are going to that same school!

I always loved living here. My grandmother and I would sit out on the front porch for hours watching the people go by and listening to the birds and kids playing around town. I grew up, went to college, and eventually got married. I never really felt as "at home" as I did living here. My grandmother passed away in January, 2006 and left this home to me. She knew I always loved living in this little town. It was always a little too small for my mom and brothers. They liked living in the bigger city where there was more going on. Not me, this was my home.

I have been wanting a swing for the front porch. I wanted a way for my whole family to sit out there and talk and listen like I used to do. I had mentioned this to my brother who is a carpenter. I begged and pleaded for him to build me one. I know I could just buy one at the store but I really wanted something handmade, especially from him. Well, I finally got it . . .

My very own custom built porch swing! I was so excited! He even came out and hung it for me! My sister in law said he worked so hard on that swing! Man, is this thing sturdy too! Me and the kids sit out there all of the time now. We also have a rocking chair out there which is usually where the hubby sits. Finally, we can all enjoy the sights and sounds together! Let me tell you too, we have seen some crazy things while on that front porch.

We came out one morning in our PJs - sipping coffee and talking. All of a sudden, parade floats started coming by! We only live one block from Main street so after the parade the floats came down our road to finish off the parade. We had no idea! Next thing we knew, people came by waving and smiling - we were still in our PJs! I hadn't even brushed my hair! I ran back into the house and my husband couldn't move for laughing! Another time, same situation, sipping drink, PJs (you would think we would learn our lesson!) here comes a Marathon! Hundreds of people running by, police escorted, the works! Again, I run back into the house to get dressed. It seems now if I come out dressed, nothing exciting happens! I'm gonna have to slip back into my PJs and see what else comes down the street!

I am gonna get to work on some pillows for my swing! I will post pictures when I get them finished!

Talk to you all later!
Nicole

Amazing giveaways!

2008-10-14T18:12:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a couple of giveaways that are going on in blogland! First is Dani at Olde Homestead Peddler. This is her first giveaway. She is new to blogging and wanted to welcome everyone over to her blog! What wonderful items she is giving away!

The winner will be announced Monday, 10/20 so you still have plenty to time to get entered!

Look at these great grubby apple candles! I bet they yummy! I have my name in the hat so you should too! Just pop over to her blog and give her a big hearty welcome to blogging!

The next great giveaway is from Tania at Fresh From the Farm. She is celebrating her 100th post and how sweet of her to celebrate it by showering us with gifts? Her candles are amazing - 100% soy and oh so yummy! She also is giving away some handmade tarts and a wooden sunflower candle mat. Too cute!

She will be picking the winner Friday, Oct 17th so you better hurry!

I am off to work on some new projects for the Wednesday project blog. I have to have something to show you guys or else you'll think I have been slacking!

I also wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone for my birthday greetings! Everyone has had such kind words and great wishes for my birthday! You really know how to make a girl feel special! I never knew I would find such great friends when I started blogging! THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!

What a great day for a Birthday party and my FIRST Giveaway!

2008-10-13T19:22:00.000-07:00

Today was my birthday - and I turned 34! I came home from work today to find a big party set up in the dining room. My hubby had made my favorite dinner, Spaghetti, and also baked my all time favorite - Strawberry cake! Everything tasted amazing! The kids had decorated with Happy Birthday banners everywhere. I couldn't believe they had went to so much trouble! As soon as dinner was over, I couldn't wait to jump into the Strawberry cake! Literally! It had been sitting on the table in front of me the whole time so it seemed to be "taunting me" as I finished my spaghetti. They all sang Happy Birthday and each of the kids had their own funny card they had picked out for me. Of course, they both had something to do with being old but that was okay!

They bought me a huge bag filled with all of my favorite goodies! I got a huge bottle of bubble bath, lotions, hair accessories, and my favorite candies of all time . . . a box of Whoppers and a bag of Nerds! Do these people know me or what?! They said they bought me a bunch of stuff to pamper me since I won't take the time or money to pamper myself! It seems us moms always spend time taking care of everyone else, we put ourselves last. It was such a thoughtful gift!

After dinner, I quietly tip-toed off to the bathroom and took a very relaxing HOT bubble bath! I don't know how long I was in there but I was definately wrinkled when I got out!

As promised, I am hosting my very first blog giveaway today! I want to celebrate my birthday with all of you! I have some great fall items that I have included!

Included in this giveaway are 2 Candy Corn candles, a Autumn Blessings stitchery, and 3 prim pumpkins! A perfect Fall Gathering!

To enter my giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post and you will be entered once. If you would like more chances, you can post this giveaway on your blog and I will enter your name two more times. That's three chances to win!

If you do not have a blog, you can still enter . . . just leave your email address in my comments so that I can notify you if you are the winner!

I am going to keep this giveaway open for one week. I will draw the name of the winner at 8 pm (eastern time) on Monday, October 20th.

Good luck to all of you! Have a great week!

~Nicole~

A Day at the Festival!

2008-10-11T18:05:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of our town's Autumn Treasures Festival. The weather was beautiful - not too hot, no rain, what more could we ask for! The morning started out cloudy and there was a little sprinkle but by noon all had cleared up and the sun was out - finally! Our little town was so crowded! The streets were lined with vendors and you could smell the great foods all the way to the shop!

There were so many wonderful vendors and such amazing talent! We had lots of jewelry makers, candle makes, wood turners, basket weavers . . . you name it!

These are just a few pictures from my end of the street. I never actually got a chance to walk to the other side and see what was down there!

This is one of our great local talents - Tim Emore. He and his wife own the Leather Shop in town. He is an excellent bluegrass singer! I actually play his CD in the shop. I think it is great to represent your home town. There is so much talent out there and I love showcasing local artists!

The shop itself was VERY busy. We have everything in the store on sale so that we could clear the way for more great items. I couldn't believe how busy we were! I was going to make more items tonight but I am way too tired!

I told you all yesterday about the hutch that I had been working on - trying to get it ready for the festival. We finally got it in the shop late last night so I wanted to share the picture with you:

As you can see, it is filled with all of our handmade goodies. The quilt hanging off of the front was made by a local quilter. We have several of her pieces displayed throughout the shop. I think the hutch turned out nicely. It really makes a bold statement in the front of the shop!

Well, I am off to read some of my favorite blogs. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Last minute goodies!

2008-10-09T21:07:00.000-07:00

With our towns festival fast approaching, I have been down to the wire getting all of my "ideas" finished. I came across a really nice Maple hutch last weekend and, of course, decided that it should be painted! I thought a great Colonial Burgundy would look nice as a back drop to my new candies and goodies that I am bringing in. So, within the matter of a week, I have sanded and painted the hutch. This wasn't really in my schedule but I wanted to have it finished and in the shop by the festival. My dear hubby helped me and we have it almost finished. I will try to post pics as soon as I have it completed.

As I have mentioned earlier, I have been planning on having some homemade treats in the shop this weekend. Tonight I finished the candy and caramel apples and my hubby helped me finish the popcorn balls. I suddenly came down with a migraine last night and my dear sweet husband helped me with the rice krispy treats! He would probably kill me for telling you that but he did!

His business is hosting a Bike Show next weekend so after the festival I have to help him get things ready for his big event! I think this is his way of kissing up! lol

I have been thinking about the outside of the shop and really wanted something different for my screen door. This weekend is going to be SO busy that I wanted a little Halloween look outside. I have a Fall wreath out front that was store bought but it just wasn't doing it for me. So, I decided to make a witches stocking and fill it full of Fall florals and hang it on the door. I haven't added the berries and twigs yet but I wanted to go ahead and share what I have so far.

I am also finishing up a few witches brew bags to hang on peg hooks and cabinet knobs. I only have one more day left so Friday I will probably be MIA! Once this festival is over, I will get to work on my Christmas goodies! I know a lot of you are ahead of me so I have some stitchin to do!

My birthday is coming up on Monday, Oct 13th and I think I am going to have my first blog giveaway! I will get together my prizes this weekend and will start the giveaway on Monday. Be sure to stay tuned and get your name in the running!

I will take lots of pictures of the festival this weekend and will be sure to post them for all of you as soon as I can!

Have a great day!

Giveaway!

2008-10-07T10:12:00.001-07:00

My friend Tammy over at Country Girl at Home is celebrating her 100th post with a wonderful giveaway! Look at the amazing Fall goodies she is giving away!

Be sure to stop by her blog and enter for your chance to win!

Finally . . . a vacation!

2008-10-04T21:09:00.000-07:00

The family and I drove to the mountains for a little get-away. Boy, let me tell you, it was a well needed vacation! My husband owns a Motorcycle shop and I have the little country shop plus work full time. Therefore, vacations seem to be few and far between! We could only go for a few days so we headed to Maggie Valley, NC. I love this area because of the gorgeous mountain views.

We didn't get to head out until we closed so we didn't get there until late. We picked a little motel and settled in for the night. The next morning I came outside of our room to this site . . .Is that amazing or what? This was right across the street from our hotel but because it was dark when we arrived, we never knew it! We headed out to tour the area. I couldn't wait to stop in all of the cute shops! Of course, the kids and hubby weren't looking as forward to shopping as I was!

We found a "Lookout" spot while out riding around and had to get a few pictures. I wasn't exactly dressed for family portraits but, hey, it was vacation. The kids really had a great time. I was surprised that a 3 hour car ride didn't produce more fighting! They had never been to this area before so there was a lot of OOOHS and AAAHS! We couldn't have picked a better time of year to go. The weather was a little chilly at times but not too bad.

We stopped at a neat spot to see live bears. For 50 cent you could buy a tray of lettuce and apples and even feed them! I could not believe how big those guys were! Some were a little more active than others but they all really put on a show! This big guy was actually in a tree just perched on a limb. I thought it was the perfect photo opportunity!

We made our way back home, safe and sound. That is when the REAL fun starts. All the laundry and clean up from the actual vacation! So, I am off to get back to reality and back to the huge amount left to do for the Fall Festival!

Have a great day!

I love Candy Corn!

2008-10-02T21:55:00.001-07:00

In my last minute rush to get ready for our Fall Festival, I have been a MAD WOMAN! I have started on a few stitcheries but decided that I could do them from the shop tomorrow. So, I pulled off of that to finish my apples and pears but then I realized that I could put the stems in while at the shop tomorrow. (Are you seeing a pattern here?) I got it! I can finish more candles! I had just finished a pile of grubby candles but I was looking for something with a little more Fall life to it!

Viola! Candy Corn Grubbies! I tried to "pose" them in this basket for you all to see!

Does anyone else start out with something in your mind and you end up with a totally different project or is it just me? I had a bread basket at the shop that I wanted to fill with something Fall-like for the Festival. I think these Candy Corn Candles will be perfect! I am going to add a piece of homespun and maybe even a tag to each one. (Of course, I can do that from the shop . . . tomorrow!)

Procrastination . . . one of my many assets!

I also wanted to share a picture of the Window box my hubby made for me. This old window came out of a house that was being renovated in the area. The wood for the box is from an old house too . . . OURS! We are adding on a room and they had taken some old pieces down to cut the entryway. I couldn't bear it going to waste so we are using it little by little on different projects. I meant to clean the window before I took the picture but forgot! (Again, procrastination!)

I am going to hang this one on the side of our garden shed. He built me another one to put at the shop and I have that one sitting on a table filled with goodies! I will post a picture of the one here at home as soon as the the hubby has a chance to hang it for me!

Talk to you all soon!

Whatcha Working On Wednesday!

2008-10-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

In honor of Leslie over at My Country Home, I am finally back to participate in Whatcha Working on Wednesday! Be sure to check out her blog to see what everyone has been up too! Things have been so crazy with our town festival comin up that I have been busy working on all sorts of goodies!

My poor sewing machine has been down for a while and my dear hubby helped work on it last night. Thank goodness! I have been handstitching like a mad woman but we all know things move A LOT faster with a machine!

My first project was a trio of pears. I love primitive pears with their skinny shapes so I decided to draw some up and get to stitching! I made 3 different shapes and sizes to look more natural in a bowl. I thought these would be great pin cushions or just to stick out of a basket or bowl! I am going to grubby them and add old rusty pins, bells, and raffia. I also have to add leaves to each of them (I hope to finish that tonight!)

My other project was a bowl of primitive cherries. I wanted these to fill a small bowl that I had at the shop. It just looked so empty so I had to fill it up with these cute cherries with their little stems and gingham leaves! Seems I am in the mood to make fruits this week! I am going to start some fabric apples this evening so I will try to get them posted by the weekend!

I hope everyone is having a great day!

My latest projects

2008-09-27T20:08:00.001-07:00

I have been fairly crazed trying to get things ready for the big festival coming to our little town in October. Today was a pretty busy day at the shop, despite the rain, and I sold out of my Grubbied Coffee candles. So when I got home this evening I figured I better make up another batch before we reopen tomorrow. I made up about 12 votives and 8 pillar candles. I love making these candles! They make the house smell soooooo good! Don't they just look so prim?

While at the shop today, I finished making my Pumpkin Centerpiece that I have been working on. I don't know why but I have suddenly gotten swept into panic mode and have been making all sort of Fall goodies for the shop. What good is a Fall Festival without the shop just loaded in Fall goodies?

I also finished this small Fall stitchery late last night.
Well, I think I will get off here and maybe finish another project or two! Have a great

day!

Autumn Treasures Festival

2008-09-27T14:42:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, October 11th and Sunday, October 12th, the Town of Waxhaw is hosting Autumn Treasures. This has been a tradition in Waxhaw for several years. There will be lots of vendors, concessions, and good old fashioned family fun!

I love this event more and more every year! The weather is always better than the Spring Festivals so it isn't a chore to be outside walking around with the kids.

They are planning on having 2 full days of music at the Bandstand (which is located in front of Southsiders Deli). There will be lots of great Bluegrass and Gospel music!

Vendors come from all over to set up for these shows in town. It is great to see them coming back year after year! There are so many talented artists and crafters out there and these festivals are a great way to showcase their work.

I am getting started on my "Festival Foods". I want to have a Mini-festival in the shop during those 2 days. We are going to have Popcorn Balls, Candy Apples, Carmel Apples, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, and so on. I am going to have a few giveaways going on as well.

Seeing as I am a crafter and not a baker, getting foods prepared isn't something I am looking for to! But, I think I am going to give it the old college try!

If anyone has any recipes for easy treats I can make to serve, please send them over! I need all the help I can when it comes to this stuff!

One Happy Customer

2008-09-26T15:19:00.001-07:00

Every Friday, I get a visit from a dear friend of mine, Mandy. She usually places orders for new things and then picks them up the following week. This weeks pickup was Sunflowers. I had made some a few weeks back and had them sitting in a little water pitcher that I had on hand. I blogged about my creation a few posts back. She bought all 5 that day and ordered 12 larger ones. She wanted a few with pink gingham centers for her daughter, Layla's, room.

I finally talked my dear hubby into building me an old wooden window box to sit inside my big window at the shop. I wanted to fill it full of Sunflowers - different materials and sizes. So, as I worked on Mandy's order, I continued making Sunflowers for my window display. I am not sure how many I ended up with but my house had begun to be taken over by Sunflowers!! They were everywhere - some were in the kitchen waiting to be stained and primmed. Others in the dining room where I had to finish stuffing the centers! Seriously, when I said everywhere, I meant it! I finally finished the whole bunch late last night.

So, I get to the shop today and immediately start on my new window display. My hubbby helped me carry my window box in while I toted in the bags of Sunflowers. I worked and worked - arranging and rearranging. It was a good day to mess with it cause it was raining so I am in and out of the rain checking to see how it looks from the sidewalk!

My friend, Mandy, shows up to pick up her sunflowers. She loved them! I was telling her how I was in Sunflower land for the whole week and then . . . it happened . . . She looked over at the window display and fell in love with it. She said, "Sorry, but you know I have to have all of them too!" She waited patiently while I picked each and every sunflower from its brief home and put them into a bag. So, while I thought I was safe from Sunflower land for a little bit, it seems I am going to have to slip back once more.

I even took my camera to take a picture of the display and it was gone before I could get one! I am glad they were such a big hit though! With the ecomony as it is right now, I would sell the front door off of that shop if someone wanted it! lol

Mandy always brings her two kids with her when she stops in. Her son, Adam, always gets a swirl pop for behaving. I did manage to snap a pic of him with his favorite candy!

After she left, I mustered up the energy to start on . . . more sunflowers! I finished a few before the day was over . . .

I promise next time I get the display finished, I will snap a picture before anyone gets a chance to fall in love with it!

My weakness . . .

2008-09-25T18:52:00.001-07:00

I must admit - everytime I am at a yardsale, I find myself sifting through piles of used picture frames. I always think "I can paint that" or "I can put a cute picture in that one!". The last yardsale I went to, I left with a GARBAGE BAG full of used picture frames. Little ones, medium sized ones, large ones, jumbo ones, you name it . . . I had to have them all!

My favorite ones are that ones that stump me. I know I can do something with it . . . but what? How can I prim that up a little? I pulled this little gem out of the bag over the weekend. It was already cute - it was a light blue frame with a strand of small blocks across the bottom reading "Baby". Cute enough right? Well I stared at it . . . and stared . . . and stared until it hit me.

Well, I do not need any BABY frames at our house since the youngest is 12 so I had to do a little something to it! I cut the little baby blocks off of the front and started sanding. So, here is my project - I am thinking of painting some trusty stars on the frame to add some punch but I haven't gotten to that yet . . .
I painted it a Barn Red and used an old piece of homespun to hang a rusty bell from the front. I love the way it turned out . . . don't you?
My husbands gets on me for having so many junky yard sales items around but I remind him, if I am going to have a lot of something, aren't you glad it is 10 cent items and that I am not out shopping at the name brand places for my fix?
Have a great day!

My Parade of Homes!

2008-09-15T17:05:00.000-07:00

I took my camera with me today, which I rarely ever do. I took it to work so that I could show off the Pageant pictures for this weekend. (One of those proud parent things!) Anyway, as I was driving to the grocery store and running things to the shop, I realized that I always drive a certain route so that I can look at some of my favorite houses around town! I thought if I like them so much, I should share them with you guys!

This house is actually located in Monroe, NC which is about 20 minutes from my house. It isn't far from my mothers house so I stopped and snapped a pic! I was in their driveway and I was trying to be quick so no one would notice me and my camera! I love the green color of this home and the red front door. This is my "Inspiration House". I LOVE it!

This home is just across the street from mine! I grew up playing in this house and swinging on their front porch! They just recently changed the door and outdoor furnishings to black which looks so good against the white house. My grandmothers dear friend still lives here with her daughter. Their porch just looks so inviting doesn't it? Wonder if they would mind me coming over to swing! lolThis home is also located in my little town of Waxhaw. It is an older home that has been renovated for that perfect cottage look! Sorry, it is a bit blurry. I started driving while my daughter was snapping! My favorite part of this house is the windows. They have been updated but they still have the look of the older wooden windows. I know these people think I am a stalker, I just ride by reallllllly slow, checking out their latest updates!

Lastly, of course, this one isn't a house but it is the Waxhaw Tack Exchange. It is THE place to get all of your tack goodies. I am not sure of its history but it is an old barn that has been renovated inside. It still has the old rusted tin roof that you can see perfectly from my shop window. We were driving around after everything had closed but I hope to get in there soon and get some pictures of the inside. This is right off of Main Street in downtown Waxhaw.

Well, that is pretty much my evening tour! This is just a few of my favorite sights around town. With it being a town known for Antiques and Country Living, I hope it always stays as down to earth and warm as it is today. I know the hussle and bussle of bigger cities is coming but hopefully I have a few more years of the country life!

Pageant Time!

2008-09-13T19:59:00.000-07:00

My daughter Miranda has joined the Ms Parkwood Pageant at her high school. Now, my daughter isn't normally the pageant type. She loves to ride dirt bikes, and fish, and just recently decided she wanted to give this a try. Her best friend, Jessi, joined too so they could do this together. This meant several weeks of rehearsals, not to mention hours of dress shopping, jewelry and shoe shopping . . . I didn't think it would EVER get here! Well, today was the day. We were both up at 8 a.m. this morning. The high school students had to be "interviewed" by the judges individually. Of course, this meant we also had to have the interview attire. So, this morning by 9:30 we was at the school meeting the judges.

We were back home at 10:30 and immediately starting getting ready. The photography appointment was at 3 pm so we were rushing around getting her ready. I worked on her hair for 3 hours! We had over 60 bobby pins in her hair when we were said and done! (That was okay as long as she didn't have to go through a metal detector!)

Then come the time to get dressed. Whenever she came out of her bedroom, my mouth hit the floor! She looks absolutely beautiful! There stood my baby (so I thought) looking more like a woman than my child!

We rushed off to the school - loaded with curling irons, hairspray, makeup, cameras, batteries . . . you name it, it was in my bag! The whole pageant was beautiful. It was wonderful seeing so many adorable kids and teens struting their stuff! They all did such a great job and the school did an amazing job putting it all together!
My daughter was going out for Ms Sophmore and her friend, Jessi, was going for Ms Freshmen. All of the girls had an "Opening Number" which involved a dance routine and they all looked great up on stage. Even the little ones were dancing and twirling like the older ones!
As it turned out, neither my daughter nor her best friend won their titles but I still was amazed and what they had accomplished. As I mentioned, my daughter has never been in a pageant before but she picked right up on walks, waves, and smiles that go into a pageant. She was beautiful up on the stage! She smiled the whole time she was out there! I was so proud of her!

Both girls were disappointed that they didn't win but they really had a great experience! This was one day that I am sure neither will ever forget!
I was just so proud and I wanted to show off my gorgeous daughter to all of you!
Thanks!

A Visit to Anna's

2008-09-10T21:08:00.000-07:00

This week, I had the opportunity to visit the home of one of my dear customers. Anna owns a salon in Charlotte but just bought a home in Waxhaw - just a few miles from the shop. I met her right after I opened. She was actually the first customer to sign the mailing list!
She stops in every week or so to see what new goodies I have picked up. At first, she would come in her small sports car - not having a lot of room for her purchases. The past month, everytime she comes, she drives the truck - and boy do we load it down! Last week she purchased an old Hoosier cabinet from me that I had just moved in to the shop. She was so excited and couldn't wait to get it home. I offered to deliver it to her so she wouldn't have to worry about getting it home. (My poor husband, I volunteer him for everything!) We decided that I would bring it over Tuesday evening. Her home is one of those that you pass all of the time, wondering what it looked like on the inside. The yard is beautiful, the porch looks cozy, but I wanted to go INSIDE!!!
Anna and her friend, Judy, were inside working hard on Fig Perserves when we got there so of course, everything smelled wonderful.
After we unloaded the truck and got the cabinet in its new home, I pulled out my handy dandy camera and snapped a few pictures so that I could share with all of you!

This is a picture of the Hoosier cabinet that she purchased from me. We painted it a beautiful Coral color which matched her decor perfectly and looked great against her walls! She said she couldn't wait to get it decorated. I will post more pictures when she gets it finished!

I wish I could have gotten a better picture of this bathroom! It was gorgeous! The walls were a pale blue with white wainscotting. The light fixture was a beautiful chandelier and she had "bubbled" glass windows on each wall. I have never been amazed at a bathroom before!

This was another beautiful chandelier that she had hanging in her stairwell.

Look at this great old farm table! She has several wooden school chairs too!

Antique brass bed -the quilt folded at the bottom came from my shop too!

The bed, above, is her favorite Flea Market find - she picked it up at Habitat for Humanity! The antique chest sits at the foot of her bed.

Beautiful framed hooked rug and Anna's collection of blue plates

Love the Rooster wall art!

The cabinets are original - she just refinished and stained. I love the old scale on the counter!

This is an old pewter table lamp that was changed to a light fixture! She got this one at Habitat for Humanity for $25!

This is the batch of Fig Perserves they were working on! Doesn't that just look so yummy! (Do you think they would notice one missing? lol)

The views from her home are beautiful. I will try to get back over when I have some day light left so I can take more pictures!

I am so grateful for the wonderful people that I have met at the store. Just like the saying "Enter as strangers, leave as friends" - that seems to be our moto. Maybe it is because of the small town shop and the laid back atmosphere. A lot of folks drop in just to say Hi, pet the dog (whenever I bring him!), or bring by their goodies from the Farmers Market. Either way, I have had the chance to get to know some amazing people. Anna is one of those - she has turned out to be a great friend whom I will always cherish!

Happy Birthday - RIP

2008-09-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

Today is my oldest brothers birthday. Mike helped raise my brother and I after our father passed away and he always seemed to be there for us growing up. He especially looked after me since I was the only girl and he always had to play the "big brother" role! At school he would "scare off" anyone who was mean or rude to me. I was always known as the girl with the scary older brother - which caused a little havoc on my social life! Even when I was older he would ask my dates what they had planned and gave my curfew with a stern look to let us know he was serious! (I wasn't scared but boy my date was!)
When he got his first job, he saved up for months to buy our Christmas gifts. He bought my other brother, Brian, his first BMX bike and bought me an electronic keyboard. (You remember when those were popular!) I always played the piano with my grandmother so he thought I could still practice even when I wasn't at her house. I will never forget that Christmas!
We all grew up and started our own lives. We didn't get to see each other as much. Mike was dating a girl from another town and moved there to be closer to her. Brian pretty much stayed close to home with mom and I went off to College and got married. We all got together for birthdays and such. Always thinking, we'll get together later . . .
July 25, 1997 - I received a call from my mother that Mike had drowned. He had went swimming with a few friends at a nearby lake and had gotten caught in some underbrush. No one could believe it. We had never thought anything would happen to one of us - I guess you never do! The years since his death have been very hard. He was always the clown - the goofball - never took anything seriously.
I am lucky to have had him for 22 years of my life. I have two children who I wish knew him like I knew him. I see him in a lot of little things they do. My daughter looks so much like him, it is a little scary. She has turned out to be the goofball and the clown of the family now. My son is now into Rock and Roll and I think, "Mike would laugh to see him playing the air guitar just like he used to!"
Today would have been my brother's 39th birthday. I just wanted to share a little bit about him and how much he meant to me. I wish I would have never taken for granted that we would have years to "get together".

Robert Michael Wolfe

9/2/69 - 7/25/97

Great giveaway!

2008-08-29T19:32:00.000-07:00

My friend, Pam, at Antique or Not is having a great 100th post giveaway! She is offering a $25 gift certificate from her store or website. Her store is right up the road from my work and let me tell you . . . it is awesome! Jump over to her blog at Antique or Not and get your name in the hat! Although, I hope I get it so I can do some Fall shopping! Her stuff always looks so inviting!

Change of Plans!

2008-08-26T19:45:00.001-07:00

Well, I started the shop with the plans to be open Thurs-Sat. I work part time as a Bookkeeper for an Electrician in Indian Trail, NC. I was just informed that they need me to start working in their office on Thursdays. I am looking for an alternative so that I could still open the shop on Thursdays but it looks like, until I figure something out, I will have to change the store hours.
I will be open Fri - Sun.
I have been talking to a lady who has some great handmade decorative jewelry. She is going to be bringing some items to the shop and says she may be able to work on Thursdays in return for placing her items in the shop. This actually would work out great for both of us!
I am going to start this Thursday to help them out. Of course, it is more hours so that equals more pay but I won't get to open the shop!
I am sorry about this and hope to have something figured out pretty soon. Until then, please stop by our website, Back In The Day, to shop 24/7!
Thanks!
Nicole

Sunflowers, sunflowers!

2008-08-22T00:47:00.000-07:00

I found this cute sunflower idea and they were so easy to make! I sat down with my muslin and Fall fabrics and got to work! I think they turned out so cute! I am going to make a few more for pin cushions and attach them to springs and clay pots but for now - these are the ones I finished. I just inserted little white lollipop sticks into the bottoms and VOILA instant flowers!

I had this cute water pitcher on hand and just stuck them down in it. I couldn't believe how easy they were to make. These are perfect to make out of those scraps of fabric we all have around!

A new giveaway!

2008-08-22T00:25:00.000-07:00

It is Jen's birthday and she is celebrating by having a giveaway! What an adorable doll! I can't believe she is giving her away! Be sure to go over to http://purtygirlprimitives.blogspot.com/ to register!

Thanks Farmchick!

2008-08-21T23:03:00.000-07:00

I participated in Farmchicks "Pay It Forward" game a week or so ago. I opened my mailbox today to find my package of goodies that she sent out! First was a tube of her handmade soy chapstick. It was her "Honey Bee Mine" scent. This stuff is amazing! I am hooked! The second item was a rusted tin Christmas tree with Santa painted on the front. It came with a wire hanger.

I was so excited! I immediately took a picture of my treasures before I tore open the chapstick! I couldn't wait to try it. I have never used Soy chapstick so I was interested. She makes these as well as lots of yummy candles. You can check out her blog at "Fresh From The Farm" and her website "Prairie Acscents" for more of her great homemade treats!

Thanks Farmchick!

I LOVE YOUR BLOG AWARD!

2008-08-19T09:40:00.000-07:00

WOW! I just received my very first Blog Award! I am so excited! I received this award from Sandy at For the Love of Prims and Farm Chick at Fresh from the Farm! Thank you so much guys! I read both blogs daily and love thm! You should jump over to their pages and check them out! They are awesome!

Now for the rules of the award are as follows:

1. The winner can put the logo on her blog.

2. Link the person you received your award from.

3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

4. Put links of those blogs on yours.

5. Leave a message on the blogs of those you’ve nominated.

So, here is who gets my "I Love Your Blog" Award in no particular order:

1. Linda from "Behind My Red Door"

2. Covered Porches and Wooden Screen Doors

3. Carolyn at "Cranberry Crossings"

4. Farm Chick at "Fresh From The Farm"

5. Mandie from "Life in the Craft Lane"

6. Merrie from "Where the Blackbirds Sing"

7. Rondell from "Tomatoe Creek Primitives"

8. Tiffany from "Tiffanys Primitive Place"

This was very hard to do and I really wanted everyone to get the chance to have this award because it is so true. I think everyone has already received this award in my blog list - (I am not the only one who knows how great these ladies are!) In my favorite blog list, I believe that everyone deserves this award because I try every day or every other day to visit everyone's blogs. I just LOVE them all.

Thanks!

Nicole

Customers gift

2008-08-15T22:33:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, a lady came into my store on a Saturday afternoon. She had been in before when my daughter was working so this time she was just "popping in" to see what new things I had gotten in. Her name was Flora or Ms. Flora as I call her. She was retired and loves all things primitive and country. She is from El Salvador and we instantly hit it off.
She had told her husband that he was in need of a haircut! Come to find out, she only did that because I am beside the Barber Shop in town. She thought she could pop in while he was getting a trim. She was telling me that she and her husband had just moved to North Carolina from New Jersey because their daughters had moved here. They didn't know many people and wanted to know the best places to eat, shop, and so on.
Once her husband had finished at the Barber Shop, he stopped over to get her. She invited me over to their house so that I could see how she had decorated her home in Country and Primitive goodies. I told her I would love to. She gave me directions and we made plans for me to come over after I closed the shop.
About 5:30 or so, I headed off to Ms. Flora's house. I pulled in her driveway and noticed all of the cute buckets filled with plants and a set of old rocking chairs on her porch that were the same set that my grandmother always sat in. As soon as she opened the door, she gave me a hug! She took me on a tour of her beautiful home! She kept joking that she loved Country and she wasn't even from this country! Her husband just let us do our thing - he paid no attention to us roaming all over the house! Finally, we all came to rest in the living room. We talked for hours about decorating, her life in NJ, my life in NC, . . . .
She had a stencil that read "All Because Two People Fell In Love" and she showed me where she wanted to put it in her living room. Her husband, Mr. Louie, expressed how he did not like the look of the stencil directly on the wall in the living room. We tried to think of other places she could use the stencil and left it at that. After a few hours, my own family was starting to think I was missing in action so I thought I better head home.
A few days later, I started thinking about them and how nice they were. They welcomed me into their home as if we had known each other for years. They even had joked that I was younger than their own children.
I wanted to repay them for their hospitality so I started thinking. I made Ms. Flora a stitchery for her wall . . . in her living room . . . just like she had wanted. It was the saying that meant so much to her . . . "All Because Two People Fell In Love". Except this time, it was framed, just like Mr. Louie had wanted.

She came by today to visit with me. I pulled out the stitching and gave it to her. She was so excited! She couldn't wait to get home to put that up on her wall!
I never knew when I opened the shop that I would get to meet so many amazing people! I love talking to each and every customer that comes in! There are so many stories told in that little shop! I feel blessed to have met so many wonderful people in the three months that I have been open!

A Great Fall Giveaway!

2008-08-15T21:43:00.000-07:00

Ok folks! You have to check out the wonderful Fall Giveaway over at Behind My Red Door. She has a great selection of Fall goodies that she is offering. If you want to play in the giveaway and you are on my blog BUT you are NOT listed under favorites on her blog leave her a comment to say I sent you. You only have a few more days to get your name in the hat! Good Luck!

Whatcha Working On Wednesday . . .

2008-08-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

Man, what a dreary day! It has been raining all day - not that we don't need the rain but it sure makes for a sleepy day! I have been so busy getting everything ready for Fall! I have been working day and night on new items for the store and website. I couldn't wait for Wednesday so I could show all of you!

Anyway, I love crows. I guess everyone into prims probably does! I wanted some to "stand around" on shelves, tables, etc. I have been looking into the rusty bed springs but they seem to get a bit expensive. I hate spending so much in material - then you have to charge more for the item just to recoop your costs! I started looking around the house for something to make them stand on their own . . .and then it came to me - I have a whole bag of old wooden spools that I bought a year or so ago. These would be perfect!

My final project . . .

I gave them some cute buttoned eyes and I think they are adorable! I think I am going to make a few more (without the spools) and put them in a fall wreath. Who knows? That may be my project next week . . . lol!

Pay It Forward!

2008-08-11T14:11:00.000-07:00

My dear friends, Rondell at Tomatoe Creek Prims and Farmchick at Fresh From the Farm posted this "Pay it forward" on their blog and I decided to play along. It looks like it will be a lot of fun!

This is how it works: I will send a gift of my choice to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this "Pay it forward" exchange. You must make the same pledge on your blog! Please keep the item small so that it can be mailed in a mailing envelope or small box. So, if you want some goodies from me and you are willing to do the same on your blog, leave a comment and let me know!!! I will need your email and mailing address from each of you so that I can get your goodies out in the mail.

Let's PAY IT FORWARD!!!

Some alone time!

2008-08-09T21:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my husband helped a friend move some tractor trailers from Charlotte to Georgetown. Each trip took about 7 hours! On top of that, both kids were gone for the weekend! Finally, I was home alone! What am I going to do! No dinner to cook . . . Nobody to clean up after . . . Nobody needing anything! WOW!

Now it has been a long time since I have been home alone. The first few hours I managed the remote. I watched all the HGTV and TLC I could stand! At one point the cable froze and there it was . . . silence! The kids TV wasn't on, there was no one tapping on the computer keys, no phones ringing, no text messages ringing . . . silence! At that moment I realized one thing . . . I did not like it! I missed the kids, the husband, the mess, the noise, all of it!

So, to distract myself, I did the only thing that would get my mind off of it . . . I started crafting! I grabbed some Muslin and started going through my pattern book. I stitched this cute saying that I found online a few months ago.

Then, I started on my Candy Cane Ornies. It didn't take long to do these - just a simple pattern, paint and stain.

I then started on a set of 5 sunflowers. I had a cute pattern for these and started on them but they aren't quite finished yet. As soon as I get them completed, I will be sure to post pictures!

All in all, I had a good night. Finished a few projects, watched a little tv, good times! I probably shouldn't have watched so much HGTV though. I started looking around the house and noticed things I needed to paint, rearrange, update . . . UGGGGH! I guess as long as I have projects to do, I never have to worry about being BORED!

I hope everyone has a good weekend (what is left of it!)

Whatcha Workin On

2008-08-07T19:16:00.000-07:00

Well, as usual, I am a day late. I am supposed to write on Whatcha Workin On Wednesday but, as you can see, it didn't happen. So . . . I wanted to share with you all these new pillows I am working on. I had some of this red gingham fabric left over from my curtains at the shop so I decided to make a few small pillows! Once I got the pillow itself made, I handstitched different sayings on the front.

I thought these would be so cute on a shelf, bed, just about anywhere! These were a lot of fun to make! My daughter came to the shop and helped me stuff them! We had the best talk while stuffing!

I thought about how ironic it was that the "Bless Our Home" pillow actually allowed us the opportunity to sit and chat! With the hussle and bussle of teenagers, working full time, dinner, and so on, there isn't a whole lot of time to "catch up". We had the best afternoon, sitting, stuffing and chatting! I can only hope that these pillows bring others as much joy as they brought me that afternoon!

Getting ready for Fall!

2008-08-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

We have been busy getting the shop ready for Fall and let me tell you guys, it has taken a life of it's own! Every time I would think "Okay, it is time to bring out the pumpkins" I would look around the store and think "Well, let me paint that first" or "That shelf would look better over there". Both of these required assistance in getting it completed. My wonderful children came to the rescue!

My daughter, Miranda, opened up with me on Friday. She painted a table for me and helped me move the Americana stuff to another wall. Of course, that required moving the items from that wall to another wall and so on! By the end of the day, I believe everything in the store had been moved at least once!

Then today my son, Colton, came up to the shop around lunch time. (I only live a few blocks from the shop so they stop in from time to time when they are bored!) I was busy finishing my candy corn ornies. We then took everything off the tables (yes, the same stuff my daughter and I set there the day before) and put the Fall tablecloths out. I couldn't believe the difference with just a little bit of fabric! We went to the back room and pulled out ceramic pumpkins, fall leaves, grapevine wreaths . . . Finally, it all started coming together!

I am still busy working on my handmade fall stuff (pumpkins, candles, ornies and bowl fillers) but for now, Fall is among us at Back in the Day!

We are planning our Fall Open House on August 14th-16th. We still have a bit to do but if it wasn't for the kids coming by, I would still be knee deep in fabric and pumpkins!

I have posted a few pictures to show what we have finished so far . . .

Not too much finished here - still a work in progress!

This is the shelf we painted black on Friday. A much neater way to display stuff!

I love the old watering can filled with the birch branches!

My favorite corner! So Shabby Chic!

Well, there you have it! That has been just a glimpse into our busy weekend! Keep in mind that I may post pictures next week and everything will be moved again! I get bored and move stuff around all the time so . . . you never know what it is going to look like! I have customers ask me all the time "Is that new" and I tell them "No, I just moved it from over there!"

Whatcha Working On Wednesday

2008-07-23T20:40:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine called me and told me she was wanting to change her son, Adam's room. She was going with the Sports theme but, of course, couldn't find anything primitive in that style. She had found a bedspread that she liked but needed pillows, curtains, wall hangings, etc. We started brainstorming and she told me what she was looking for and the ideas were flowing! She just wanted a valance so that there was plenty of light still coming into the room. She gave me the measurements needed and I was off to work!

I used muslin and then tea stained it. It was such a large window so it took a bit to get it stained and dried like I wanted. I then drew out several different sports items on paper. . . Bats, balls. . . I have never been much at drawing so I wanted to try it. Once I had them the size I needed, I traced them onto different fabrics. Of course, those pieces had to be stained too. I stitched each of the items onto the curtain leaving a little space between them. I had a bat, baseball, basketball, football, and a jersey. I stitched his name on the jersey with the number 4 (His favorite number). I then stitched his name again above the bat. I went back and handstiched little burgundy stars all over the curtain! When I was finished with the front, I lined the back with another piece of muslin. After all of the handstitching, the back wasn't very neat!

Once I finished it, I couldn't wait for my friend to see it! I called her and had to take it over to house right then! (I am a little impatient that way!) She LOVED it! I asked her to send me a picture once it was hung up in his room. I am now working on a matching wall hanging that looks like a jersey. I think we are going to make a few pillows shaped like some of the items on the curtain too!

She went ahead and placed an order for curtains for her laundry room and loft! I will be sure to post pictures of them in the weeks ahead!

Our crazy dog!

2008-07-19T21:35:00.001-07:00

Well, yesterday I told you how my sister in law raises English Bulldogs right? My husband had a favorite from the first litter right from the start. He was a little brown puppy with a white chest and a little white on his face. Everytime we went over to see them, he played with that one more than the rest. When they got up to 6 weeks, we were a little sad because we knew the puppies would be going to their new homes. My husband and I stopped by to see them one night and there comes that little brown puppy walking towards us, with the cutest little bow tied to his collar. His sister decided to give my husband that puppy because it was his "pick".

My husband was so excited! He played with that puppy and couldn't believe he got to go home with us. It took a little bit of an adjustment . . . after all, we didn't know we were getting a dog so we didn't have anything ready. We named him "Cane" - after a few more weeks of "Hey you" and it was official . . . He was ours! He was so wrinkled! People thought he was a Sharpei! He stayed in our laps and got so spoiled! My husband took him everywhere - to work, to the store. He is even known in our small town - cashiers at the stores send him Beef Jerky whenever we stop in!

Well, now that precious little puppy has grown up. He is now about 60 pounds and thinks he is still a lap dog. You can not sit in the recliner or the sofa without him sitting ON you! We created a spoiled moster! We are expected to bring him to the shop anytime there is an event in town! People have actually just stopped in wanting to know if Cane was with me today! I never knew that sweet puppy would bring us so much joy! As you can see from the picture, he is a chunk and we have learned to share our home, our hearts, and our recliner with him!

I just wanted to share this sweet story with all of you. A little something to remind myself that I still like him . . . (we came home tonight from dinner to find that he had gotten into the trash in the laundry room!)

Take care!

Doggie Cake

2008-07-18T21:12:00.000-07:00

My sister in law raises English Bulldogs and she has a female that will soon be having puppies.

Her dog "Chopper" was going to have to have a C-section so we knew when the pups would be here. We were all so excited and since we had that day off anyway, my husband and I went with his sister to the vets office. (They mentioned they may need a few extra hands to "rub" the pups after delivery so we tagged along). We met them at the vets office and I felt like I should bring something with us. I have always gotten "roped" into making diaper cakes and towel cakes for everyone's showers so I decided to make a funny spin on it . . .

I made a "Puppy Training Pad Cake". I just bought a pack of training pads and rolled them up, one after another. I went to a local pet store in town, Furry Godmother, and bought lots of different flavored treats (they sell them individually in all shapes, sizes, and flavors!). I included chew toys, baby shampoo, bones, and rawhides. I wrapped it all in cellophane and topped it off with matching ribbon. It was so cute!

We carried it to the vets office and we got a ton of laughs about it! She brought it home and believe me, she used those training pads FAST! We made smaller ones and gave them to the new owners of the puppies! It was so fun to make and really brought everyone a lot of laughs!

I had to share it with you guys!

Another great blog giveaway!

2008-07-18T20:22:00.000-07:00

I wanted to let everyone know that Tammy over at Country Girl At Home is having her first blog giveaway! Her and her husband created an adorable set of shutters and are giving them away on her blog! They also just opened their Etsy store and have some amazing items listed! Be sure to check it out!

Finally, the website is up and running!

2008-07-09T17:15:00.000-07:00

Well, my oh my! It has taken a few hundred hours and many sleepless nights but we finally have our website up and running! YEAH! We have started getting our products listed as fast as possible but most of our handmade items are on there!
I tell you, there were so many nights that I couldn't sleep because I had html codes running through my brain! What is the code for yellow? How can I center that? Jeez - it almost drove me nuts . . . BUT . . . I finished it. It took some help from my 15 year old daughter (which really makes you feel silly) but . . . it's out there!
Please check it out and tell me what you think. I have gotten into the whole bee and bee skep thing lately so, of course, that is the theme I went with on my website!
So . . . (drumroll please) http://www.shopbackintheday.com is ready and available 24/7 for you to browse and see some of the items we have available.
I will be taking pictures of the shop and will list them on there in the upcoming weeks. There is a link for our guestbook - please sign it and let us know you stopped by!
Thanks so much!

Happy 4th!

2008-07-04T10:37:00.000-07:00

We had our parade here in Waxhaw this morning (it started at 10 am) and let me tell you, it was so much fun! We had all of the town board, Parkwood High band, clowns, hillbillies, and . . . Uncle Sam himself! He came by in a new Mustang (just to show ya where I tax dollars are going! ha! ha!)
There were so many kids out and about and they were so tickled everytime a clown came by or candy was given out to them from the floats! I had just as much fun watching the kids this year as I did the parade!
I wanted to get some pictures to post but . . . you guessed it. . . the batteries went dead in the camera as soon as the first Fire Engine came by!
So, to all you out there . . . I hope you have a Happy and Safe 4th of July! I am waiting patiently for this evening when the fireworks come out!

A special thanks to the town of Waxhaw for the great parade and the fireworks show later this evening!

Blog Giveaway

2008-06-26T20:35:00.000-07:00

I was surfing around the blog world earlier and found a great giveaway. http://farmchickskitchen.blogspot.com/ Fresh From the Farm...Farmchick. She is giving away a soy candle with the scent of pears & berries. I bet it smells AMAZING! Hop on over there and get your name in the hat!

Great sale on all Americana!!

2008-06-26T14:49:00.001-07:00

Scrapbooking Class

2008-06-26T14:34:00.000-07:00

We will be hosting a Scrapbooking Class on Thursday, July 24th at 6 pm. We have a great instructor coming from Charlotte (the big city, lol) to teach us the latest craze!

Wedding? New baby? Special Vacation? Big Party?
We will be making a 20+ page "brag" sized book for the event in one night! It will be ready to add pictures!

Class includes:
*6x6 linen-covered scrapbook (your choice of post or ring and choice of colors)
*10 page protectors for the scrapbook to make 20 pages
*Any one of 10 scrapbook kits catalog which makes 30+ pages
*Precut cardstock and borders for your convenience
*You don't have to have pictures on class night, they can be added later

Cost of class $40 - this covers all materials and instruction

It's perfect - you choose your kit and scrapbook design

Refreshments will be included!

Registration deadline is July 14th! Space is limited (of course if you have seen the shop, you know that, ha ha!) Call us to reserve your spot! 704-320-3659

Independence Day Celebration

2008-06-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

Back in the Day will be hosting our first annual Independence Day Celebration on July 4-5th from 10-6! We will be serving refreshments, giving away door prizes, as well as offering face painting to the kids!

On the 4th, the Town of Waxhaw parade starts at 10 am and we plan to open EARLY to crank the air conditioning so anyone is welcome to come inside and get some AC and free lemonade! Normally, the streets are filled by 9 am with parade watchers so it may get a bit warm while waiting!

We plan to keep the fun going all day Friday and Saturday with music, games, drawings, and food . . . lots of it! We have all of our Americana items on sale now through the end of July.

Lots of pillows, table runners, flags of all sizes, stitcheries, and more!

We also have our recent additions to the store . . . Homemade Potpourri! We have some amazing Apple Pie Scent available in candles, potpourri and rosehips! It smells great! So many people come into the shop asking about the great smell! What is more perfect for summer than the smell of homemade apple pie? (They will never know at my house so the potpourri is the closest they will get!)

Be sure to stop by and say hello!

Back in the Day Primitives

Handstamped Clay Tags!

Happy Memorial Day!

Candles, candles and more candles!

Hurry Up Spring!!

Do it Yourself...

Happy New Year

Christmas 2010

Where have I been all this time?

A morning full of yard sales!

Finally back from vacation!

What a busy week!

Weekend Thrifting!

So great to meet some blogging buddies and a walk around town!

A day at the DMV

Thrift Store Makeovers

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

Thrifting Tuesday

My Fortune Cookie Inspiration and Booth News!

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

Tuesday Tweaking!

My thrift store makeovers and my updated booth!

A craft area redo and a vet update

Finally . . . A completed bathroom!

Some Thrift Store Goodies . . .

Marvelous Moms

A New Look For an Old Hat

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

Unique Handmade Pendants!

New Quilting Shop in town

Our Snowy Tuesday

The snow is on it's way . . .

Lookie what I got!

What a wonderful day spent with my daughter!

Peppermint Trees for under $5 each!

Lookie Lookie what I got and a Parade!

My goodies from my Honeypot Swap!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I've been Tagged!

Candy Cane Land and a Thank You!

I want to vent!

Another day at the Festival

My Weekend And The Winner Is . . .

Quilt Giveaway

Just a Swingin!

Amazing giveaways!

What a great day for a Birthday party and my FIRST Giveaway!

A Day at the Festival!

Last minute goodies!

Giveaway!

Finally . . . a vacation!

I love Candy Corn!

Whatcha Working On Wednesday!

My latest projects

Autumn Treasures Festival

One Happy Customer

My weakness . . .

My Parade of Homes!

Pageant Time!

A Visit to Anna's

Happy Birthday - RIP

Great giveaway!

Change of Plans!

Sunflowers, sunflowers!

A new giveaway!

Thanks Farmchick!

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Customers gift

A Great Fall Giveaway!

Whatcha Working On Wednesday . . .

Pay It Forward!

Some alone time!

Whatcha Workin On

Getting ready for Fall!

Whatcha Working On Wednesday

Our crazy dog!

Doggie Cake

Another great blog giveaway!

Finally, the website is up and running!

Happy 4th!

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