A Southern Belle with Northern Roots/Junkflirt

If your looking for a fun little dessert stop by my kitchen blog, North Dakota Kitchen for a cute cake idea!
Jack the Pumpkin Cake










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I had thought the sales were over, but I spotted an estate sale, 33 degrees and windy, thank goodness it was inside!  I have long wanted to get my hands on some buttons- let's face it, so does everyone else because the prices are high! I have passed up many the last few years because of price tags of 25-30 dollars or more for a jar full.

These....were half price so $7.50, since I knew finding more this year would be nearly impossible, I went ahead and got them.





Second layer


 Grandma's Buttons

   I remember being a child and my grandma had an old tin full of buttons. Probably an old candy or fudge tin, she kept it in a walk in closet that was packed with books, one being medical which always made my eyes bulge at the various disease photos, puzzles and grandpa's dress shirts that hung on the back wall.

   It had shelves made of wood resting on cement blocks and at the very bottom was the button tin.
It made a pleasant sound when shook,  I would move them around with my fingers, letting time escape.
 Buttons went in and buttons came out.
Grandma could sew, crochet and knit anything; although she would tell you she wasn't very good at any of them.
I have quilts, afghans and other things from here now that she is gone, but I wish I had that button tin.

 Someone loved these buttons, at least that is what I like to think. I don't know why there was an estate sale, everything was for sale and it seemed as though it belonged to someone barely old enough to be a grandma.
  There was a little closet closed off, with a sign saying nothing for sale. Do you think a little girl ever sat  in that closet looking over treasures. Do you think she knew the precious things that were inside?
Do we ever know when we hold a button what it will mean to us in the future?
When we look at the pages of a book, or pass by someone's shirts...do we know that soon they will be gone, that the shirt will no longer smell of tobacco and Auqua Velva?

I loved that quiet little room, I spent hours there.
I loved those buttons- everyone of them.





PS
about a week after this was posted, my wonderful aunt dug through Grandma's boxes and sent me her button tin.
A treasure indeed!.



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Fargo, ND  The Hotel Donaldson's  annual Bras on Broadway.
The new tradition
decorate and donate a bra, with a monetary donation.
Bras are then auctioned off and money goes to help those fighting breast cancer.
You can read more about this event HERE and see some past bra photos.










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For this project I used an enamel ware tray with chalk board paint. This would work on any silver serving tray, cookie sheet or other magnetic tray, covered with a coat or two of chalk paint and it is ready to go. -Note- there is magnetic paint sold in stores now also.
It had hung just like that with various things tacked onto it. Honestly I am not much of a menu planner I just wing it everyday, but since  planning seems to be a good thing (in general) I decided to transition the board into a functional easy to change menu board.



I bought magnets at Michaels and affixed stickers to them. I used address labels and color coated them for "at a glance" convenience. Pink for meats, yellow for casserole type dishes, green for side, blue for special things.  For now, I simply wrote in my chicken scratch handwriting but one day will print off something from the computer (maybe)

Before color coating

Easy to move and change, keep some plain magnets on hand to add items you think of later and be sure to make a couple for dinner out!!



Open House Party
Feathered Nest Friday
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What's It Wednesday
Vintage Thingy Thursday
Time Travel Thursday
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Creative Things Thursday
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My neighbors bought a storage unit and one little treasure inside was this unique piece. A wooden stepping stool that turns into an ironing board. I will be using it as a display piece for the time being, not sure where it "fits" in my house because I have a teensy laundry room and my kitchen dining is crammed to the max! I really have to start selling things I think!




 Here is the before, nice wood finish with a retro country blue print! Don't we all remember those days! That had to go, it can still be transformed back with padding on top but I will not be using it for ironing- cuz I don't even use the ironing board I have if I can avoid it!




I used some gray home made chalk paint for the back and some touches. Make your own chalk paint by adding diluted plaster of Paris into your paint! See HERE and HERE


A little roughing up....not enough, Note to self- need sand paper!





There it is....it was believe it or not....destined for firewood! gasp!! but my sweet neighbors let me sift through the stuff first!!


I also grabbed from the pile-

old mirror

Both of these pieces have damage. Most of the antiques in the unit were water damaged, very sad! It was full of great dressers etc but much of it molded terribly. But we together saved some!!




Open House Party
Feathered Nest Friday
Vintage Inspiration Friday
What's It Wednesday
Vintage Thingy Thursday
Time Travel Thursday
Treasure Hunt Thursday
Creative Things Thursday
Share Your Cup Thursday 
Home Sweet Home
Funky Junk
Home and Garden Thursday
Shabbilicious
Simple and Sweet Fridays
Potpourri Friday
Miss Mustard Seed
Tweak it Tuesday
Be Inspired

Tabletop Tuesday






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What things really get you frustrated, flustered and freaked out about the Holidays?


Where do you waste your time?  Your money?


What would you like to know to save your time, your money and your sanity?


Basically what helps would you like and what information would be helpful to you going into the Thanksgiving Christmas New Years holiday season?
Decorating ideas....
Food prep...
gifts?






Please please leave a comment!


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Last week I told you I would have more from my step mom, Rachel's home. Her latest project is a real keeper!


A while back she acquired this great piece from her niece, lovely as it was she wanted a lighter look to go with the dining area.
 
With an already in place black undercoat, she only painted a butternut yellow and roughed up edges for the black to show through.



She is a fantastic seamstress and uses this for her sewing cabinet. She and dad overhauled the inside to customize it for her needs. Affixing peg board to the door allows for storage of threads.


Be sure and add spacers when mounting for a project like this so the pegs will have room to slide in the holes.


Drawer organized with odds and ends.





Functional and beautiful!!


I think she likes it!


Her cute little chicken feeder used as a utensil holder.






Open House Party
Feathered Nest Friday
Vintage Inspiration Friday
What's It Wednesday
Vintage Thingy Thursday
Time Travel Thursday
Treasure Hunt Thursday
Creative Things Thursday
Share Your Cup Thursday 
Home Sweet Home
Funky Junk
Home and Garden Thursday
Shabbilicious
Simple and Sweet Fridays
Potpourri Friday
Miss Mustard Seed
Tweak it Tuesday
Be Inspired

Tabletop Tuesday


blessings and thanks for visiting

If you have been reading here long you know my step mom Rachel, I am sharing with you one of her latest projects. If you like this one....just wait until you see the next post from her house!!
She had previously painted and dad inset a piece of marble on a nightstand. Inspiration never ends when you have an unfinished piece, which lead to the cutest little corner set ever!


Yes! Isn't it sweet! Just love it myself.



Purfet little touches! and see that vintage bottle topper? You would add water to your old soda bottle and then cap it with this to......use when you steam ironed your clothes! Never seen one myself but she finally got her hands on one after years of looking thanks to her sister Ginger- the antique queen of Mississippi! Hey Ginger (high five)



Rachel's master bath has a couple cute ideas, see that great cart below? She only has it because she got to  the garage sale faster than I did or it would be mine!- 25 cents- I know! get outta here she made the liner and she is an extraordinary seamstress.

 Cute little toilet paper holder made from a hinge- inspiration from none other than me 'ahem. excuse the modest moment


Hope you enjoyed this little peek into Rachel's Mississippi cottage.
You can see her small bathroom make over HERE
and her photo wall HERE


If you are looking for an idea to refinish and armoire or looking for a sewing station.....the next feature from her will knock your socks off!
Here is a peek


Open House Party
Feathered Nest Friday
Vintage Inspiration Friday
What's It Wednesday
Vintage Thingy Thursday
Time Travel Thursday
Treasure Hunt Thursday
Creative Things Thursday
Share Your Cup Thursday 
Home Sweet Home
Funky Junk
Home and Garden Thursday
Shabbilicious
Simple and Sweet Fridays
Potpourri Friday
Miss Mustard Seed
Tweak it Tuesday
Be Inspired




blessings and thanks for visiting