New adventures in old Junk!

Ok, so it has been a dream of mine for ages to own my own little shop, but I just haven't gotten up the nerve to do it yet. However, I am testing the waters with a little booth in a new antique mall in Aberdeen Wa. Past and Present Mercantile is located in the remodeled section of the old Cleavenger's building. The spot that Grand Heron was in for a while, while they were remodeling their old location that was damaged by the earthquake. Anywho, I kept going by (it is on the main drag after all), and every time I made a run to Walmart or Ross I would look in the windows and wonder what was in there. Then one day I saw a sign that said "Vendor Info" call..... so I stopped the car and went in. To make a long story short I took the leap and rented a booth August 1st. So it hasn't been quite a month yet and I have sold quite a lot. Today I sold my first furniture piece a lovely vintage cabinet that I painted a soft Tiffany blue. Yeah!! So now I have got to get busy painting up new stuff to put in the booth.

Tomorrow I will be taking in a new load of vintage treasures. Everything from La Mode Illustree antique prints to vintage kid skin gloves and an adorable vintage pillbox hat. First of September I will be bringing the fall and Halloween stuff I have been working on. I will post pics soon!

From Grey to Taupey Beige

Well.... You all know I was trying to avoid a beige house but after several greys we decided on a taupey beige color. It is a nice sandy color appropriate for the beach and I did paint my front door Tiffany Blue! I will take a pic soon to post on the blog.

The perfect Grey?

Well, I just can't find it. The elusive perfect color for our house. On the left top of the pic is a grey that I think has too much green it. It is called Porch Grey. On the right is one that I think is too dark and too much purple. Over both is a lighter version of the one on the right called silver down. I like it especially with the white trim but think it might have too much of a lavender cast to it. So next I am going to try one called Italian Marble. I think it is more of a beige grey, so will take a pic and put it up in a bit.

My pink house

Well, as many of you know, my house is pink. About 4 years ago my husband and I decided to paint our dreary grey house a new color. I fell in love with a paint color at ACE hardware in Ocean Shores called Morningside. I convinced my husband it was beige with a hint of pink. It helped that he is a tad color blind, and my two sons are totally color blind. So we proceeded to paint the WHOLE house Morningside which you can see from the pic is PINK with white trim. I liked it and even they liked it. It is a cheery color. But then their friends would come over and make fun of them living in a pink house so...... Now we are repainting! I am having the hardest time choosing a new paint color. I want something neutral but I hate regular beige or tan or brown etc. So back to the greys. I have tried at least 6 different greys and can't find one I really love. So then I thought why not Tiffany Blue. We live at the beach so I can get away with brighter unusual colors that wouldn't work in a more conservative neighborhood. But then again, I feel I should go with something more neutral. So there we go back to the greys. There is one I kind of like it almost looks like it has a little lavender in it. I will post a pic of it to see what you all think.

Time for a change!

I guess it is fitting that as the seasons change from sultry summer to the crispness of autumn I find myself ready for a change as well. I have been working as a nurse for a wonderful cardiologist and internal medicine doctor in Aberdeen, and as much as I love my job I have missed using my creative and artistic talents. So I am again back into "shabbychicing" . I am exicited about exploring new venues such as junk shows and vintage flea markets. Will update you all soon!!

Words to live by

Love unconditionally.

Don't judge others.

Use your imagination and you never know what you can create.

Good things will come, even if it takes awhile.

Believe in yourself.

The simplest of pleasures can bring the greatest joy.

Laugh.

Remember what is important - people, relationships, faith, hope and love...

Very wise words from a wonderful blogstress Alice W. at paintedwhite.com

Life's Journey

I am so happy to now have the time to devote to creating. I am exploring all new venues of art and have stumbled on to altered art, assemblage. It is a perfect fit for me. I am one of those who love to collect things that I can see a vision for. I feel a thrill in visiting my local thrift store and finding that "diamond" in the rough. Perhaps it is a vintage porcelain cherub with a broken wing, or a cast off milk glass bowl. I have for years stock piled, vintage fabrics, embroidered hankies and bits of lace and ribbon, thinking someday I will use it for something. Then there are the little bits of things that have lost a mate (like an earing) or porcelain butterfly that has fallen off its barrett, but for some reason I stick it in a drawer, thinking someday I know I can use that on something. Well, that someday has come. I am rounding up all my little bits and bobbles and am creating one of a kind pieces. I started using my vintage prints and embellishing them with German glass glitter and ribbon and now I am moving to creating more three dimensional pieces. You can find my newest creations right here on my blog so please bookmark it and check back often. I will be adding more soon as well as listing more vintage treasures. Please stay tuned.