Success (with pictures)!!

Don'tcha kinda hate it when stuff you're looking for shows up right where it belongs?? It's typically the last place I look, since so many things are always misplaced! So, yes, the camera was right on the desk...just sitting behind a pile of our new insurance information, about a foot from where I was looking for it. But a big "Phew!" that it's not lost!!
So I'm updating my previous post WITH PICTURES!
My mom and I had a wonderful time during our brief mother-daughter weekend getaway in lovely Glendale, Arizona. Get the details about The Gaslight Inn and downtown Glendale from this previous post.
It couldn't have been nicer--especially when we only had to walk about ten steps from our room for an amazing evening with delicious fare and fabulous live jazz music!
The shopping was a HUGE success!! I marked quite a bit off my to-buy list and have a better idea of average prices for the rest of it--so now I can find a bargain!
Let's start with what I was actually looking for, shall we? :)
First is this brand new vignette above my pantry. I found the coffee artwork (the silver spoons are real and the letters are a fuzzy texture) at the coffee shop where we had the best iced coffee EVER. Really. It was just $10. Then I started searching for a coffee pot but they were anywhere from $25 to $50 in the antique stores--OUCH!! So I waited until we could go to Goodwill and sure enough, this one fit the bill and was missing a lid (can't tell that high up!) and was $3. The coffee canister was about $2, also at Goodwill.

I didn't find any large pieces of white ware for the left hand side, but remembered I had this red/flowered Southern Living At HOME platter, which I ADORE, so I just revamped this area. The "Florida" tray is new (to me) and was $3. I couldn't resist since it's my home state! I may move it just I like it there for now. The top of these cabinets are satisfactory to me for now. A work in progress, of course.

I DID find a white vintage shelf for above the toilet--you'll recognize it from just about every bathroom you ever went into growing up. But I love it, both for the nostalgia and the fact that it is exactly what I had in mind. I have it decorated already--I just need it hung!! THEN I'll post a picture. My honey-do list is growing! I also got what I was looking for for the laundry room--a "Laundry" sign for above the door in the hall and an old (probably reproduction) washing board! Again, pictures AFTER it's hung!
Now onto what I wasn't looking for!
This turquoise chair is delightful, it was marked down to $3. I had the pot, oddly enough. Then it occurred to me that it would make a fun place to display jewelry!

This metal pear is just...funky. $10 in a neat little shop. I told Mom, "It's the decorative pear you'd use in a medieval castle." I like it with my pineapple and cross.

At my favorite shop, all I got was this teeny little bird to go on this little chair! But I adore it! I love that he's looking down with his bum in the air!

This adorable polka dot tote bag was like $9, so how could I resist?? The band in the middle is pink patent leather! Heehee. I coordinate the "Polka Dot Tots" group for moms with preschoolers at church so this will be perfect to "tote" stuff around in. The two little buckets were $1 each at Goodwill, great to hold fliers and such on the table at church. I bought the fabric at Wal-Mart yesterday--should make a cute display!

AND HERE IS THE FIND OF THE DAY! a piece of embroidered artwork, framed, with my "Roots & Wings" quote!! It has a sort of Amish feel to it and was only $30!! It's hanging prominently in my Morning Room, in a spot my hubby suggested. I adore it.

Here it is "in context."

After hitting the antique stores, we finished up at Goodwill and Tuesday Morning. T.M. was new for us. I scored this new embroidery book for $5...

...and an Amy Butler scrap booking kit! It retails for $10 at paperaddict.com and I got it for $5.

And there ya go!! I got so inspired with updating things and moving stuff around that I grabbed these items and moved them next to my tub. It needed bigger pieces and the lavender doesn't really work elsewhere--so I love it in here!! Way better than cluttering up my Morning Room.

So if you're local or just interested, we did most of our shopping in these three places:1. The Mad Hatter was more of an antique mall but had a lot of unique booths and lots of goodies to explore. That's where I got the little chair and the shelf.

Click on the link below for their web site.
Mad Hatter Link
2. The Apple Tree was more primitive and country but still had come really fun finds. I got my laundry stuff and the Roots & Wings artwork there. Their web site is under construction.

3. The Cottage Garden. I love that shop but all I got this time was a bird. Here's the link to their web site.
Cottage Garden Link
Then we had THE BEST iced coffee I've ever had at A Shot of Java! That's where I got my coffee artwork, too.
A Shot of Java Link
Any fab finds in your neck of the woods??

Strawberry Cleanser

This is one of my favorite facials--it leaves your skin tingly and refreshed. Fabulous after a long day in the heat! You could even make it in the morning then store it in the fridge to apply later in the day!
You will need 4 very ripe strawberries and 2 drops of yarrow or peppermint essential oil.
Instructions: mash the strawberries and pres through mesh strainer or squeeze through cheesecloth or panty hose. Catch the juice in a small bowl. Then add the essential oil and blend. Apply to face and neck with a saturated cotton square and massage into skin for about 1 minute. Avoid the eyes! Rinse with cool water.
Enjoy!

SUCCESS!!

My mom and I had a wonderful time during our brief mother-daughter weekend getaway in lovely Glendale, Arizona. Get the details about The Gaslight Inn and downtown Glendale from this previous post (copy and paste into your browser):
http://proudgrits.blogspot.com/2008/05/motherdaughter-getaway.html
It couldn't have been nicer--especially when we only had to walk about ten steps from our room for an amazing evening with delicious fare and fabulous live jazz music!
The shopping was a HUGE success!! I marked quite a bit off my to-buy list and have a better idea of average prices for the rest of it--so now I can find a bargain! I got a white vintage shelf for above the toilet--you'll recognize it from just about every bathroom you ever went into growing up. But I love it, both for the nostalgia and the fact that it is exactly what I had in mind. I have it decorated already--I just need it hung!!
I also got a decorative little bird, a turquoise miniature chair, a 1950s "Florida" tray, a "Laundry" sign and washing board...
BUT THE FIND OF THE DAY was a piece of embroidered artwork, framed, with my "Roots & Wings" quote!! It has a sort of Amish feel to it and was only $30!! It's hanging prominently in my Morning Room, in a spot my hubby suggested. I adore it.
I waited on a few items, figuring I could find them at the local Goodwill--and I did!! For about 90% less, too. I got an aqua-colored Mason jar for $1.50 (half of $3) that I'd seen all over the antique stores for well over $10. The same of a black coffee pot that matches a new piece of coffee artwork. They were $25-$45 elsewhere but the one I found was missing a lid and was $3. The coffee stuff is now a cute vignette above my pantry.
YES, PICTURES ARE COMING SOON!! Just wanted to give you an update.
Naturally, I found some things I wasn't really looking for. There was a really cool metal pear that goes nicely with a beaded pineapple and a metal cross in my entry hall. I found a fabulous polka dot tote bag for $9! Then at "Tuesday Morning," I found this new embroidery book for $5...

...and an Amy Butler scrap booking kit! It retails for $10 at paperaddict.com and I got it for $5.

In the meantime, if you're interested, we did most of our shopping in these three places:1. The Mad Hatter was more of an antique mall but had a lot of unique booths and lots of goodies to explore. That's where I got the little chair and the shelf.

Click on the link below for their web site.
Mad Hatter Link
2. The Apple Tree was more primitive and country but still had come really fun finds. I got my laundry stuff and the Roots & Wings artwork there. Their web site is under construction.

3. The Cottage Garden. I love that shop but all I got this time was a bird. Here's the link to their web site.
Cottage Garden Link
Then we had THE BEST iced coffee I've ever had at A Shot of Java! That's where I got my coffee artwork, too.
A Shot of Java Link
Any fab finds in your neck of the woods??

Hospitality

This is going to be a new feature on my blog and on that I am passionate about but have neglected in the last year or so. I consider myself gifted at hospitality, partly because I've learned how to do it from the best and partly because I enjoy it so much. I entertain more in two months than most people do all year! I truly enjoy making people comfortable in my home, tending to their needs, inviting them into a warm and inviting environment and seeing them enjoy themselves. My mom and I frequently host parties and events, despite less-than-perfect houses. I don't even cook!! But we don't let that stop us.
Part of my hesitation is wanting my home to be "just so" before I invite a lot of people in. Part of it is being a working mom with a lot of activities and who wears a lot of hats (I hate the word busy). But I come from the South, where hospitality reigns supreme! Southern women know hospitality. You don't sit in someone's house without having a cuppa and a pieca! Ten years ago, that meant a cup of coffee and a piece of pound cake!
I found this quote on a blog tonight:
"Hospitality is the act of caring for one another. We can entertain all we like, but not until we care does it become hospitality."
Emilie Barnes
I'm afraid, based on this quote, that I've really been doing more entertaining than offering hospitality, because I tend to obsess over the details and not actually get to spend quality time with my guests. It's hard to "care" when you're racing around getting more ice or wiping down the bathroom mirror--again.
To me, the home is the heart of hospitality. I want my home at its best so I can be more comfortable with entertaining, which will naturally flow into true hospitality. So! I'm already in organizing mode and have been ruthlessly getting rid of stuff, with the goal being a true "open house" this December, where no rooms (not even closest) are off-limits. I want a place for everything and everything in its place. Not perfection, mind you! I love a work in progress! But I do want my home at its best for me, my family and our guests. Which is why I just posted a list of links, all about HOME. Some are quirky, some educational and some simply fun. I moved them up to the top so you don't have to scroll.
Now, tell me--where do you go for inspiration regarding YOUR home??

Friday's Find

This gal is a HOOT!! And as a former Southerner, I don't use that term lightly! Her blog is "Nesting Place" and has fabulous decorating ideas that are cheap and practical--and look like a million bucks!! Here's a link for ya:
Nesting Place Blog
She also has an Etsy shop and there are all of these amazing tassles. Really, really cool tassles. Oooooh, the places I could hang them!!
Here's the tassle I want.

OK, I just checked and after she posted on her blog about the tassles, all but one from today SOLD!! Look under "other itmes" and click on the number of sales she's had to see the other beauties. Maybe she'll make more!!
Here's the link:
Nesting Place on Etsy
Check her out--you'll get a good laugh and probably some fun ideas for a weekend project, too!!

On a mission

OK, I have maybe six good hours this weekend to explore all the shops and antique stores in Glendale, AZ while on my mother-daughter trip this Saturday and Sunday. So! Besides the usual items (aprons, children's books, anything botanical, etc.), here are the specific items I'm looking for and the corresponding projects. Of course, any and all feedback is appreciated (except anything mean about my laundry room).
1. The Laundry Room. THE most neglected "room" in our home. Yes, it needs paint. Since I still love purple and all things lavender but don't really want it in the rest of the house, I'm thinking purple in here. I, of course, need to clear it out and reorganize but...
UPDATE!!!! I already did the above mentioned clear out and reorganize, less sweeping and mopping, which I will do tonight along with the kitchen!! It looks so good!! I even hung a framed, dried lavender arrangement I was going to get rid of! It looks so much better already! I have decided that I'm not going to "decorate" it much, since only I would see it. Well, and my SIL that comes through from the garage. But, still, I'd like it to look pretty from the hall!! ANYway...
...I'd also like storage bins for the shelf and possibly a display shelf on the opposite wall, just for fun. I already have a purple wood shelf, oddly enough, that I never used in our master bedroom. I'd love some vintage laundry accessories, too, especially a wood painted "LAUNDRY" sign.

I'd like something like this to be hung on the door in the hallway.

2. An architectural piece for above this picture. This is our entry hall right when you walk in. The photo is of our engagement (that our wedding guests signed) but the niche is HUGE, so it doesn't come close to filling it. I like displaying seasonal goodies on the ledge below but feel like there's still a lot of negative space. I'm picturing a swirly, arched piece, possibly wood. Black or dark wood would be perfect.

3. Pieces to round out above my kitchen cabinets. I've been working on this project off and on for almost a year!! I cleared quite a bit out for my recent yard sale but need a few things to create more coherent vignettes. Maybe more white ware?? More art pieces?? More greenery?? Fake food??

Here's the other side. The wine bottles are being recycled. This is where I took a lot down so, yeah, it's sparse.
4. Above the potty in the guest bathroom. I just redecorated this room but I'm taking my time with the finishing touches. I can picture a run-of-the-mill wicker shelf, painted black...but I'm open to suggestions. Something small with a little display space??
So we'll see what kind of progress I make. I may go ahead and start on the laundry room while my boy is sleeping. I wonder how often Home Depot has purple "oops paint??"

Shopping

This is what my dad wants for Father's Day, the "Knork." He's WAY into barbecuing and grilling and a big time carnivore so, hey, why switch back and forth from fork to knife when you can have both in one??

Their web site says, "In reality this beautiful utensil is unlike anything else on the market. And the proof is in the use. Incorporating critical modifications to the ages-old fork design, the KNORK® enables a user to both cut and spear food using only one utensil – and one hand."
Can I hear a collective "Oooooooo"? :)

I got the four-pack in the due-finish. Evidently, they'll be available online at Target.com soon! My dad actually makes fun of me because I cut all my meat up at once instead of cut, bite, cut, bite. So maybe I should've ordered a set for me, too!
Phew, I'm glad his gift is done. I saw a Nascar grilling book at Wal-Mart I'll probably get him, too.
Speaking of Wal-Mart, I went to get groceries (alone!!) last night and had to check out the $5 clearance clothing rack and, what's this?? A cute, classic sundress in an adorable print...for $5??? Yup, I took her home and she fits perfectly. A bit skimpy for church but perfect for weekends and date nights. They had it in solid black and solid white so for $10 for both, I may go back! I love a bargain!


And here's the fabric close up. My favorite colors!! My DH said, "Oh, are we going to go live on a farm?" Good one, Honey.