Giveaway Reminder and Road Trip Finds

Hey everyone - time is running out to enter the Great American Grain Sack giveaway!  Enter by leaving a comment on the giveaway post.   Link to the giveaway post on your blog and note it in your comment for a second entry, and tweet a link to the giveaway post and note it in your comment for a third entry.  Easy-peasy!

Entries close at 8 a.m Central Time, Monday, Nov. 1st.  Entries will be numbered in the order they were received.  I'll then head on over to random.org to generate the winning numbers and post the winners.  Good luck everyone!

Now, back to the road trip.  Our getaway weekend included only one junker. Me. So, I consider myself quite fortunate that not only did I get to shop at Gold'n Country, but we also went into Waupaca where I shopped 44 North and Dane House Antiques.  I chose my first purchase thirty seconds after walking into Gold'n Country:

 Isn't this a handsome cubby?  It's wood, clad with metal. 

 There's only one little problem.  It won't fit in my van. Who would have guessed? It's waiting for me in New London until I can figure out how to fetch it.  Fortunately, the rest of my treasures did come home with me.  I love these early locker baskets...

 made from "crinkly wire"...

...and these "cathedral window" tin panels.

The chippy gray paint is delicious.

Someone labeled this old classroom stool so it wouldn't walk away.

You know how I love letters. 

These hand-made goodies spell a special word:

In Waupaca I found another 'cubby shelf'; pigeonholes from an old desk.

You'll see it at Grayslake in a couple of weeks.

When CG saw me carrying this:

...he commented,"I really hope she didn't buy the rest of the dresser".

(If it had been there you know I would have!)

Those wood balls in the drawer are from Victorian porch spindles.

They'll look great piled in a jar or bowl

And there you have it - weekend treasures.  (Can't wait to see what YOU found!)

 

Road Trip - Gold 'n Country - Weyauwega Wisconsin

 

The start of a few days away with CG and friends happened to coincide with the Christmas Open House at Gold'n Country Gifts in Weyawega.  How fortunate for moi!  The shop is located between New London and Waupaca, pretty much in the middle of ...nowhere. 

 I'm not usually a fan of shops that mix old and new, but I always find something to love at Gold'n Country.  The main building is loaded with vignettes featuring well-chosen new items, with some genuine oldies mixed in. Another building houses vintage furniture, and the yard is filled with a wonderful mix of primitives and garden art. 

There weren't many Halloween items left but I loved this funnel Jack o'lantern

...and this one

There were bird cages...

...this charming old wagon

...and a bottle tree

But this was the Christmas open house and inspiration was everywhere.

This watering can looked so festive in a most natural way.

My favorite pieces were the snowmen.  

This one is made from a bucket.

...and this one has old propane tanks for the body...how clever!

That really is frost on his head so we can only conclude that his name is 'Frosty'

If you are ever in the area, you must stop and shop at Gold'n Country.

You won't be disappointed. 

I'll show you my finds in the next post.

Reminder:  There's still time to enter The Great American Grain Sack Giveaway!

Click HERE for the details...and thanks to all who've already entered!

 

Great American Grain Sack Giveaway

It's time for a good ol' fashioned American junker giveaway!  It seems that the whole world is enamored of those expensive French grain sacks. I've got nothing against them, except that they cost un bras et une jambe, (pardon my French).  And, I love America and American made products.

Earlier this year, hundreds of American feed, seed and flour sacks found their way into my possession. I've been selling them on eBay, etsy and at shows in Wisconsin, Illinois & Minnesota. Hundreds of them have gone to new  homes.  I only wish that I could see how they've all been used.

Made of heavy cotton, most measure about 20" x 40".  Because they are seamless, there is a whole lot of fabric to work with.  They are perfect for pillows, upholstery, table runners, window treatments, totes, sachets.... You can incorporate the logo or ignore it.  (You can even stencil them with your favorite French motif!)

These are freshly-laundered authentic American "farm-used" grain, seed & flour sacks that are 60-80 years old. There are minor imperfections or small stains or marks on most of them; the imperfections are a part of the character and history of the sack.

We're giving away the three sacks pictured above. You could win one! 
1.  For one entry, leave a comment on this post.  (It's not required, but we'd love to know how you'd use it if you have one of the winning entries.)
2.  For a second entry link to this post on your blog and note that in your comment.
3.  For a third entry Tweet a link to this post to your followers, and note that in your comment.

Anyone can enter, (even non-U.S. peeps), but you need to use an ID, (entries from 'anonymous' will not be accepted).

The three winners will be picked using a random number generator.  The first winner drawn will receive the Fulton sack.  The second winner will receive the Bemis Seamless and the third winner will receive the Bemis Seamless 2 1/2 Bushels with the stripes.  On Monday, November 1st, we'll announce the winners who will then have until Friday, November 5th to contact us with their shipping info.

Spread the word and get your entry in!

We're linking ups with Faded Charm for White Wednesday... be sure to check out all the beautiful whiteness featured there!

My 'Type' of Auction - Letterpress Fun

Letters and words...love 'em!  It's been awhile since I've found any fresh ones to offer my etsy buyers.  At a Saturday auction I found mid-century letterpress type from the estate of a gent that had worked for JC Penney.

There are numbers

 lower case letters

 UPPER CASE letters

...and fun descriptive words like Nylon and cotton.

The dreaded Polyester even makes an appearance!

What was your favorite find this weekend?  

***Watch for our next post this week - we are getting ready for our first ever giveaway! 

She's the Gracie in Gracie's Cottage

Gracie sleeps in the sunroom, (also called Gracie's Cottage or Graceland). When I moved a desk and my laptop into "her" room, she was a little offended by the intrusion.  After mediation, we reached an amicable settlement which included naming my etsy shop and blog after her.  I'll let her tell you a bit about herself.

Favorite field trip?  The bank, hands down.  They give me a treat there, but I won't eat it until we arrive home. 

Favorite season: winter

...I love snow

Favorite channel:  Animal Planet. (duh!)  This was taken the day they got me the big screen TV.  I love, love, love to watch my shows.

I know I don't look it, but I'm 84 years old.  A cushy bed, loads of treats and a walk each day are all I need.  I'm slowing down a bit, but I'm still Jan's best friend.  My favorite blog?  Confessions of A Junkyard Cat. ... check it out!

Buckle Up Baby!

Now that things have slowed down a bit I'm starting to work on my tiny sunroom again. It's been undergoing a very s-l-o-w transformation from a reading nook to a studio/office.  We're not yet ready for prime time, but I'll give you a peek at my old wallpaper table as I link up with Margo's Junkin' Journal for Show Me Your Industrial Chic.  

At 33" tall, it's a great height for standing or perching on a stool as I work. See that pile on the table? I've been working on sorting a collections of NOS buckles & belt tips.

They range from about 1/4" wide to 1 1/2"

I'm feelin' some jewelry coming out of the tiny ones...

This little tote is one of my favorite pieces.  At the moment it's holding old watch parts.

It's easy to pick through it to pull out whatever I'm seeking.  

Speaking of watches...does anyone know how to use this old bronzing powder? It seems that there must be some great possibilities here..

 The little green parts bin is great for storing tiny items, and everything else gets tossed into the locker basket when a quick clean-up is called for.

There you have it, my bit of industrial fun. Now have a great weekend and don't  forget to check out Margo's Industrial Chic party!