Simple Pendant Light

One vintage blue egg basket,

...one light cord, one vintage round bulb, (works!).

Simple!

I'm linking up with Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays  and Beyond the Picket Fence for Under $100 Linky Party

Happy Friday!

Isn't spring wonderful?  If  you aren't from the Midwest, you may be tired of some of us going on and on about spring.  The fact is, we have had the kind of weather this past week that we don't normally see until late April or even May.  To see green grass, flowers, and God's little creatures outside is making some of us giddy, so please indulge us!  I passed a little lake on the way to Waterloo and couldn't resist pulling over for a moment to enjoy the wildlife.

You're probably also tiring of hearing about my booth at the Waterloo Antiques Mall, so I've posted the latest photos on my Facebook page. If you want to see what's new, click here.   I update my page more frequently than I blog, so if you'd care to "like me", I'd be grateful!   I also want to mention that if you have a Facebook page, please feel free to post a link to it on my page.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend....

,

A Good Day Pickin'

Today was a wonderful day, and not just because it started with a long overdue visit to the dentist!  We're having the warmest stretch of March weather on record, daffs are blooming, birds are singing and the picking was great.

 Here are a few things I picked up.  If you are reading this Olive, (Olive Out), I'm sure that big green funeral basket caught my attention due to your recent post.  You'll see how I'm going to use it in my next post.

This door is fabulous...I can't get the color to 'read' right on my monitor.  It's creamy yellowish-off-white over green.  If you are a girly-girl you'll like the other side even more. P-I-N-K!

The sweet little black wire table has a removable tray top, perfect for serving lemonade or sweet tea this summer.

From an old pharmacy cabinet, comes a slant-top unit, complete with dividers for holding medicine labels.

And for you sports fans, we've got this 'films' & 'score pads' cabinet.

On the top you can just make out "Training...library".  Is that not cool?  I wish I knew where it came from.

There's more, but I've got to get this all loaded up and ready to roll out to Waterloo tomorrow.  See ya!
P.S.  Follow me over to Faded Charm for White Wednesday  - you'll find drool-worthy posts all linked up there!

Restocking Waterloo

I'm happy to say that things are flying out the door at the Waterloo Antiques Mall.  I can't say enough about the owners, Sherry & Bob, and their staff members Lou & Noah.  This team knows how to work with vendors and customers, doing everything they can to make the wheels turn smoothly.  I now know why they have such a roster of fine sellers that have been with them for years.

This beautiful old farmhouse cabinet that I found last week is on hold until tomorrow, while someone measures to see if it will fit.  If it doesn't, you may have a chance at it.

Easter grass is now available!  When the grass is done, the posies can be  used in other containers.

Mall owner Sherry Rehm with Ed Liermann of Wisconsin Country Life  magazine, working on an upcoming ad.

AND NOW IN THE 'HOOD...
My new neighbor, Candyce of Altered Ever After is all moved in, right next to me!  Click here for more pics of her space.

This could be dangerous for me, as I have always loved Candyce's finds.

Your spring garden is begging for some of these adornments.

That little cultivator is the sweetest

Candyce's art is just a little off-center, totally charming!
For the rest of the photos from today's visit to Waterloo, click here to go to my Facebook page.
...and to stay informed of all of the happenings, go "like" The Waterloo Antiques Mall page !

March 17, 1998

Early on March 18, 1998, the news came on the radio.  I thought 'how sad', as I heard that two young men had died the night before in a horrific car accident, broadsided by a speeding police car. 

Moments later, a friend called. "...did you hear about Eddie & Andy?..."

Their Mom, my 'junksista' Kathy, and I had just begun to get acquainted.  She worked at the school that our boys attended and after discovering a mutual love for 'old stuff', we'd recently teamed up to do our first show together.  

Andy, (top right), was still in high school.  He was quiet, artistic, and had a gentle heart for the less popular among his classmates.  

Eddie was out of high school.  Eddie was 'out there' in life, all action and full of fun. He and my oldest son were friends and played baseball together.  My fondest memory of Eddie is him standing at the plate, waiting for a pitch, wearing a grin as big as the moon.  

Half of Kathy's children were gone in an instant.  I don't know how she's done it, but from the start, Kathy simply chose to go on 'living'.  The grace of God  has sustained her these past fourteen years.  The difficult days are tempered with the knowledge that Andy & Eddie are not gone 'forever', but are waiting in heaven for her.  Her two younger sons are now fine young men.    

Hugs to you today, my friend.  We will never forget your sweet boys.

Farm Sale - Part One

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, it's going to be a glorious day in Wisconsin!   Monday wasn't so pretty.  It rained.  For a short time you would have thought we were in the midst of a hurricane.  I got drenched when I stopped at Bed, Bath & Beyond.  Sitting in the Pilot, I was waiting for the rain to let up when I saw a shopping cart blow out of the cart corral and head straight for my front bumper.  I jumped out, pushed it back in, jumped back in the car, only to have to repeat the process.   At that point I went on in to buy what I needed, literally dripping. I've never been so wet, outside of my shower.  Not pretty.  I headed straight for home.

Kathy called to give me a heads-up on a farm sale in my area.  Do you think I went home to get dried off and  'presentable' first?   Are you kidding?  A farm sale?  She must have stayed on the phone with me for 20 minutes, sitting by her computer, giving me turn-by-turn directions.  What a true friend!

This sale wasn't for a casual picker; you had to be a 'digger'.  The big old farmhouse was full, as were several outbuildings.  I ran into Pam, (Vintage Girl Stuff), and her son Cody, (Young American Picker).

Pam and I decided to go check out the loft in one of the barns, even though Cody warned  us that the 'stairs' were sketchy.  Going back down, Pam reached the bottom and hollered to Cody that we'd survived, just as my wet foot slipped off the edge of one of the steps and I came crashing the rest of the way down.  

Fortunately, the biggest injury was to my dignity!  I was sore yesterday and am really sore today.  Nothing that a good massage won't improve.  Yep, 'happy-first-70-degree-day-of-2012-to-me', I'm going for a massage this afternoon.

But first, I've got lots of work to be done.  I have an old bench that needs a little spiffing up before it goes out to Waterloo.  

 I'm off to accomplish something.  Here's hoping that your day is sunny!

(All photos are things found at the farm sale....more in another post, soon!)

It's the Little Things - B-o-i-N-G!!!!

Some days it takes very little to amuse me.

There I was thinking about how very, VERY happy I am that we get to turn the clocks forward tomorrow night.

"Spring forward"

Some of my friends hate giving up an hour of sleep.

Not me, no sirreeeeeeee!

To me it means more light at the end of every day.

The real 'Jan' that goes into hiding each fall comes back to life.

The slug that sits on the sofa and does nothing all winter goes away.

The technical term for the laziness is Seasonal Affective Disorder. 

SAD, for short.  Goodbye SAD, hellooooo happy!

I found this little bag of springs, started snapping photos and could NOT stop smiling.

Don't forget to spring forward Saturday night...yeah  baby!!!!

:)

Apothecary Treasures...And A Liebster

Truth is, I've been a very bad blogger lately!  Getting Waterloo all set up has consumed me.  And then there's my storage area.  I moved out of my rented storage when I moved into Waterloo, but I still have a large area of my basement devoted to my stuff. It's overwhelming when it gets out of control.  My mission today is to do a little neatening.  I won't show you the mess at the moment. Instead, I'll show you some recent finds from the estate of a local pharmacist.

Isn't this  Art Deco show globe a beauty?  She stands a regal two feet tall!   Show globes were to apothecaries what poles were to barbers; a symbol of the trade. They were placed in front windows and filled with colored liquid; often several of different sizes were grouped together. Can you imagine how that would stop you as you were walking down the sidewalk?

These ribbed lab funnels have a charm of their own.

I love the ground glass.

There are a bunch of these old "Homeopathic" remedies, unopened.  The graphics are to-die-for.  They have a 1920's vibe.  So there you have it. Now, on to another topic:

I was recently nominated by Dicky Bird's Nest for a Liebster award. Here's what I know about the Liebster:

Liebster" is a German word meaning dear, sweet, kind, nice, good, beloved, lovely, kindly, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.

The Liebster is awarded to spotlight up and coming bloggers who currently have less than 200 followers.

How fun!! Now for the rules:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.

2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.

5. And most of all - have fun!

You need to know that I'm not very good with these pay-it-forward type posts and usually don't participate; not because I'm not grateful, but because sometimes I just don't get it done.
I do really enjoy some blogs that you may not know about though, and do encourage you to check them out.

Liz Loves Vintage  The name says it all, and you'll enjoy her photos.  Delicious!

Olive Out  Olive is the friend I've never met; her photos are beautiful and her writing is inspired.  Mostly she shares her vintage finds and moments at her beloved "Yellow House".  She's just started a series that she's pulling right out of the depths of her heart and I can't wait for each installment.

Fresh Eggs Antiques  Pamm and I first corresponded when she sent the sweetest note when my beloved Gracie died last year.  Since she lives within driving distance, we've had the chance to get together several times and I'm pleased to call  her "friend".  She sells on etsy and and the Columbus Antiques Mall.  She's got a great eye and I know that you'll enjoy her finds.

Simply Iowa  Barb "simply" finds the best old soul-filled pieces and they find their way into her shop, "The Rabbit Hole".  I made a special effort to visit last fall and I wasn't disappointed.  If you are ever in Iowa, look her up.

Confessions of A Junkyard Cat  Romeo is a cat that posts occasionally about "her" finds and his misadventures.  I have my own confession, I am not a 'cat person'.  But Romeo has won me over. He's a charmer - what can I say?

So there you have it, five blogs that deserve more followers!  If you stop and visit, tell them I sent you.
***If you are one of the five bloggers mentioned above, feel free to do your own Liebster blog post...or not.
I would never be offended if you chose not to participate.

I'm linking up with Kathleen at Faded Charm for White Wednesday; come on, let's all go over and check out the inspiring links there!