Would you Buy it Wednesday...

I'm linking up over at Junker Newbie for "Would you Buy it Wednesday". What do you think of these two little red folding kiddie chairs?

I bought them! Would you?? I just love their red chippy sweetness and couldn't resist. The seem really sturdy too!

Check out other "Would you Buy it Wednesday" link ups over at Junker Newbie! Post yours too!

It''s Amazing What You Find...

It's amazing what you can find when you are out and about doing other things! On my trip north to my parents house in the U.P. last Sunday, I stopped at the Goodwill store in Gaylord, to stretch my legs and see if there were any treasures inside.

This is what I found...

 A white Fiesta disc pitcher--$1.99!

 A Pyrex casserole that I found out from some very knowledgeable blog buddies on Pyrex Collective, is called the Tree of Life pattern.

Another bamboo "Florida" bowl. The first one I got sold in two days.

Yesterday, we went to Cheboygan to take my Grandma to a doctor appointment, and while my Mom and Grandma were taking care of that, I tried to visit the two antique shops...but they were CLOSED! One of them had a sign on their door advertising the Bargain Bin a little shop on the outskirts of town. Since I had already struck out at the Salvation Army, and I knew I had at least an hour to waste, I decided to check it out. I found a couple of things and had a nice chat with the owner (I think he was lonely! I heard all about where he used to work before he retired and how he runs the store for his wife until she finally decides to retire). He reminded me of my father in law and chatting with him still brings a smile to my face today when I think about it.

Here is what I found...

After that, we ran to a tiny little place called Brutus, Michigan to pick up some parts for my Dad's boat motor, and on the way back to the bridge we stopped at my all time favorite northern Michigan antique shop. It is called Antiques, Art & Collectibles and it is in Pellston, Mi. It is a neat little shop, and I always find something I can't leave behind. My mom has actually spent more than I have every time we go, and she's not really into antiques! She is more into rustic.

This is what she found this time...

Their house is all pretty much rustic with a few antiques thrown in-see the pine cone couch in the background?

This is what I found...

Today, we went to Pickford to a junk shop. It was so packed with stuff I almost felt neauseated just looking at it all! There really wasn't any order to it-just junk everywhere! The prices for the most part were like antique store prices-not what I was looking for at all! I did find this little Pyrex Snowflake Cinderella bowl, with a lid that goes to a casserole dish. It was taped to the top.

We went to several thrift and junk shops today between Moran, Michgan and Saulte Ste Marie, Michigan and this bowl is all I came home with. My mom was the big winner again today! She got a chair for $6 and then we went to JoAnn and she picked up some material and plans to recover it-she's done a LOT of re upholstery work over the years.

Here's the before shot and the new material...She has promised me an after shot-so stay tuned!

Looking forward to a new place and a new adventure tomorrow! We are driving to Traverse City to visit a childhood friend and maybe hit a couple of antique shops while she is at work and then we'll meet for dinner and catch up.

Friday, my Mom and I are heading west to Manistique for a couple of garage sales, a junk shop and a couple of antique shops. There is an auction at 5pm that we may stick around for-if she doesn't get too bored. She's not into the treasure hunt like I am! ;)

My Mom may need a long nap after I leave, or at the very least a few days of just sitting still (although that will never happen!) We've been running around alot the past few days and our plans for the next two involve a lot more. That's the problem when you live int he U.P.-nothing is very close--but the gorgeous scenery makes up for it all!!

What a Day!

Yesterday when I left home to go to my parent's house in the Upper Peninsula, it was such a beautiful morning! I drove through Howell and this is what I saw in the skies...

You have to look closely, but you can see hot air balloons in the sky. I got to watch them for about the first 20 minutes of driving. There were 15 of them-all from the Michigan Challenge Balloonfest.

The rest of the drive was very peaceful, and very much needed! I spent a lot of time praying and singing praise songs along with the radio. Just seeing the beautiful surroundings as I drove, and lifting my friends and family up in prayer and praising God for His goodness made yesterday such an awesome day!

Here was my first glimpses of the Mighty Mac...

More beautiful things to look at...

 Maddie loving a boat ride last night.

 An eagle in the tree...see it?

Loving the slow life here in the U.P.. Hoping to hit some antique and junk shops later this week!

Heading North!

Eric got off this morning on his mission trip, I put a few new things in the booth, stopped at a flea market at a local church (not worth parking the car for), went to Costco, packed, cleaned the house, did 5 loads of laundry...and now I'm heading north! Woo hoo!

Bright and early tomorrow morning I'll be heading off to some R & R in Michigan's great Upper Peninsula-accommodations courtesy of Mom & Dad! I'm hoping for lots of sunshine, fishing, and kayaking-and no work! Kevin and Adam are holding down the fort at home since they both have to work.

Here are some pictures I took last year...I'm sure I'll have plenty more to post in a few days! Have a great week everyone!

Fun Night!

What do you do on an evening that is on and off rain, on and off sun? You head over to the next town to a tiny little pub and listen to a friend's son compete in a karaoke singing contest held by a local country radio station!  It was a fun night...(yep! we're home already!) it was from 7-9pm, but he was the second singer-and the rest sounded like someone stepped on a cat's tail! We left while we still had ear drums.

It was fun and so nice to see the surprise on my friend's son's face and how happy he was that Eric and I came out to hear him sing and cheer him on! He got to pick which judge he wanted to give him feedback after he was done singing, and unfortunately,  he picked the jerky judge. The guy was just mean-maybe he was supposed to be the country version of Simon.

Pretty Pink Peonies!

Hope you're having a great week! It's been crazy busy over here-especially since I am getting ready to visit my parents for 2 weeks and getting Eric ready to leave for his mission trip. Also trying to get Kevin and Adam all set with groceries and whatever else they might need while I'm gone-on top of work and the booth and the sun room-whew! I am sooo ready to veg out in the U.P. for a couple weeks!

Inventory Reduction Sale...Family Stuff...

This morning Kevin and I got up and headed out to a tent sale in the parking lot of a bathroom supplier who promised prices 75% off-HA! Even their supposed 75% off prices were about 75% higher than anything I've ever seen!

Can you imagine a kitchen faucet that is $928? After discount? It looks like the one at Home Depot for $249. Vanities for $4500, plain old non-jetted tubs for $2000, and people were swarming and buying things up so fast you'd think they were giving it all away!

We walked away empty handed, but agreed that you never know about stuff like that. It had just as much potential to be an incredible sale.

Today we are cleaning up the mess the tile guy made yesterday when he grouted the tile, painting the outside doors and Kevin is putting new brakes on his truck. Both boys are off house sitting for a week, then Eric leaves on his mission trip and I leave to visit my parents for a couple of weeks in the U.P..

My mom had big ideas of traveling all over the U.P. visiting all of the antique shops. I think it will be fun, but I'm not so sure it will happen. My grandma is getting much worse since her surgery a week ago yesterday. She just hasn't gotten back mentally. In fact, she is scary off mentally. My mom's on her way to take her to the hospital again-she's "talking" to her deceased mother, yelling, screaming, panting like a dog, seeing non-existent things like herds of deer, grasshoppers, bugs, spiders and playing with non-existent strings.

She doesn't know the Lord, and doesn't want to. So with everything going on, that causes and extra heavy-ness to settle in our hearts. My mom is exhausted and stressed beyond belief trying to see to both grandparent's every need. So, if you are a praying person, please pray for my grandma and my mom. Being so far away, that's about all I can do-other than just listen when my mom needs an ear to vent to.

Wonderful Wicker!

Look what I found today!

It is in incredible shape-no damage and very sturdy with a cane seat.

An oak chair $1.67.

A box of old ornaments-for my jar.

Souvenir plates.

Two tablecloth/napkin sets, a glass candy thermometer, a saki cup, 6 white egg cups a little chair and two vintage dish towels.

A carved wooden box.

A little three-legged table, an old basket and some doilies.

An old nativity blow mold set.

A couple of bread boxes and a couple more chairs.

A pink pill box hat and an ice bucket.

A 1936 print, a vintage hairdryer in the round case, a couple of lamps an old cast iron frog and a measuring cup chopper.

I got up extra early to hit two sales that started early and promised great things from their ads. I didn't have much time for sales today because I had to meet my mom in West Branch to pick up Eric. That's the half-way point to my parent's house in the U.P..

I spent $40 and had my car filled to the roof from behind the driver's seat-all the way to the back hatch! I raced home, dumped it all off and took off to the north. It all happened so fast, I still can't believe it happened! I didn't get pictures of everything I got, I skipped a few things (like a wooden kiddie rocking chair, a couple of vintage souvenir trays and a light up blow mold Easter bunny and a few other things I can't remember right now).

We visited two antique shops in downtown West Branch, but the prices were really high, and nothing different or unusual popped out at me-so nothing came home with me. We stopped at a giant outlet mall on our way home and checked out a couple of shops, but didn't get anything there either. All the driving and stopping made for a longgggg day-I'm glad to finally be home!

Eric has been on chicken duty since he got home. One of his girls has a hurt leg. It might be broken. She doesn't seem to be in pain, but he says her whole thigh is green under her feathers, and the leg just dangles. She doesn't seem to be in pain, she is still eating and drinking and laying eggs. We are concerned that it might be gangrene.

Our antique mall is having a sale next weekend to celebrate their 9th anniversary-Auntie and I signed up to participate in the sale-I'm glad it is only a few days long and not a week and a half like the last sale! I'd like to put the high chair in the booth for the sale, but have no idea what to put on it. What do you think? I've seen them on the internet from $65 to $229.

Decisions....Decisions...

We are nearing the home stretch with our sun room project (I never thought I'd get a chance to type those words!) and we need to make a decision about the built in cabinets that Kevin is going to make. You may remember a cabinet I fell in love with last year...

The wall between the house and sun room is the perfect size for one of these on either side of the patio door. I'd like to have him make it in knotty pine, but paint it the same color as the one in the picture. Do you think that would be too much of the same color since we have the knotty pine ceiling?

I think the two sheets on the right are too yellow, so I was focusing on the middle section of the two left samples. What do you think? Or should we go with stain? I think I'm all out of decisions right now-there sure have been a lot to make lately!