Let's Pretend it's Spring! Sale!

I can't believe the many items I already have displayed for the sale. And...I am going to be bringing more on Monday. We generally have the sales outside,but we have opted for warmth and coziness. There are vintage aprons, primitive oil lamps, globes and we haven't even packed up the china hutch, basement or attic. The path that my husband has strongly urged to remain clear has diminished in size. We have even made overnite reservations at our dear neighbor Pearl's house!
Barntiques is always happy to meet new friends. But our old (not the age of the owners)friends at JB Knacker in Gilbert are also throwing out the welcome mat for all of your shopping pleasures. You need to check out her great website and blog, jbknacker.blogspot.com. If you have ever been there and for you that have not visited, the shop is actually a two story house. They have a fabulous array of items. She often offers classes. The jewelry soldering class has been my favorite. It is great to have the opportunity to get together and throw some ideas around the round table! Brenda is a great person to work with and I really admire her knowlege and experience. She has mentioned forming a Guild and I think that sounds very inticing! I am sure we will have to don our vintage hats and broaches while sipping tea out of beautiful china tea cups. We will have sale fliers here at our house and at JB Knacker!
There are some old camping chairs calling my name. No, not to sit in, but to get priced and displayed! Yes, the old windows and garden decors is hollering from the yard, so here's to a great Saturday to you all. I will keep you posted with updates. Thanx for stopping by. Please let me know you were here, as a new blogger, it really is exciting to see who all has been by. For now, Let's Pretend it's Spring!

Let's pretend that it is SPRING!

Living here in the middle of Iowa, with forecasts of MORE snow makes one a bit crazy. We need to see and hear the birds. I have not even seen a robin yet. There are still piles of snow, smaller than two weeks ago when we had a tease of 60 degrees. I really want to see the grass greening up, the daffodils and hyacinth peeking up through the ground. SO, I have decided that I am going to pretend that it is SPRING! I know that we many of us are visual people, and I promise to get photos up and going this weekend. That is my goal! I have decided to have a PRETEND IT IS SPRING sale. I have been gathering and I can't wait to see people go through bins of vintage aprons, linens, 1947 Pioneer corn seed sacks. I am sure excited about the vingtage (what am I talking about-they are the games I played!) board games, antique wooden cradle, brass baby doll bed,marble top tables, lots of windows, large screens from a house built in the late 1900's, lots of ephemera, loads of old kitchen tools and a whole lot of junky fun. The actual sale is Saturday, March 7th from 9-5 at my acreage. Too cold in the barn, so we will be inside the house. I have evicted the child day care for two weeks so I don't have the helpers rearanging my displays. And in mentioning all of the items and more, I may have to move out too! My acreage is at 2000 5th street, Nevada, Iowa. I PROMISE to keep you updated on items and fun! Stop by and see our funky junk and junky fun! I hope you will take time and let me know you stopped by the blog! I would ask that you include your email address or blog. I don't know how to contact some of you by just leaving a post. Thanx alot for checking us out! What! OOOPS! I think I hear a bird chirping in the tree!

I tried, but I just couldn't let my LEAST favorite day of the year go by without venting! I can hardly type the occassion without letting out a deep groan and a mean scowl across my forehead. I have always felt that this is the one occassion that is sooo over rated! I worked in the floral industry for many years and we even owned a popular shop in our hometown. Most customers think that the event was conjured up by some bored card making, flower poking, chocolatiers, that needed to rack up some sales between Christmas and Mothers Day! And if I would have been able to cancel it, I would have! It was the costliest, least profitable event. The prices of roses were at a premium, staffing the design room a sheer headache, scheduling the delivery trucks, and this was in the days before credit cards, so then the billing and the blah, blah, blah. Wow! That felt good to release all of that negative energy! Anyway, now I get to make fun stuff out of old junk, have little overhead, make people smile and no one has to pay an arm or a leg. (Maybe a table leg!) Little did I know then, that there are alot of people lovin the rusty junk as much as I did! That is really the point I have been trying to get to. We have all heard that the economy has had the bottom ripped out, chewed up and spit out. But, through it all, finding ways to say or show that you love someone or appreciate friends and family does not have to have a dollar amount. In fact, some of the best gifts that we get, are giving our own love to others. Forget the 110 million red roses that will be sold in a three day period, the 1330 different selections of greeting cards, or the eight BILLION conversation hearts sold between January 15th thru the 14th of February. Even at a very young age I always knew that I was loved. And, I also knew that some people were loved but weren't told or shown. Call it peer pressure, but I did not know how many people bought and sent themselves roses. All in the name of St. Valentine. The important thing to do is let others know that they are loved. And if you happen to show it with a little rusty, chippy, shabby or junky treasure, it will make your own heart glow! Lastly, I want to express the appreciation I have for all of you fellow bloggers, readers or stumblers. You are all loved.

The girls at the table

Last week, we had what I think should be called "A Roundtable". No, I am not talking about a round table. I am referring to a little session of 'come on over to my house, let me throw some junk on the table and let's just see what we come up with. My sidekick Sheri, Brenda from JBKnackers and her sweet baby Cecelia, and a fellow friend and customer, Amy were here. We had a great time of getting an idea and building off of it. We took apart a few things and wiggled 'em around. There were alot of ideas and a few head scratchers. The cinnamon tea was flowing and we were so busy talking that I forgot to get out the little nibbley things. The conversation moved quickly from old keys, pearls, bed springs, vintage Valentines, cooing at precious Cecelia to filling little glass bottles, ephemera, old storm windows and clothes pins. I have had time to ponder the roundtable. I would say that each of us added to every conversation. Some of the ideas were no brainers that made at least one of us crack up! It is very evident that no two heads think alike. And, that two heads are better than one. I have entirely too much stuff! We all are looking forward to spring. Each of us admitted to having the most understanding if not just plain tolerable husbands. Today, as I sat down to write this entry, I figured out one more thing. We don't have to work at creating the newest idea using the oldest of items that will rock the trash to treasure world! We only have to surround ourselves with friends, old stuff that bring back good memories and the chance to be comfortable. So, here's hoping that you have a roundtable of your own real soon. And, when you do, share it with us.