Fall Themed Decor Touches

Hi Lovelies -

Just wanted to give a peek at some of the little pops of fall that I have placed around my home this Thanksgiving season.  We've had quite a few family health-related setbacks over the last two months and as a result I haven't had much time to decorate for either Halloween or Thanksgiving.  So I decided to go with a general fall theme that could be carried over both months with a few adjustments.

Take a minute and come on in...

When we went to the farm (see here) in October I tried to select different pumpkins that would last until December.  My dad was kind enough to give me some of his cornstalks from the garden again this year for a nice backdrop and I added the pumpkins that Mr. Man picked out this year together with squash from our neighbors' yard.  Funny thing... we didn't carve any pumpkins this year!  I placed an old gunny sack (that I purchased for a dollar at a vendor at the Coburg Antiques event in Coburg, Oregon 2 years ago) over my bench cushion for a little more rustic look and added a pot of plants that were out on the patio table over the summer.                                                                                                         




The wooden container I got at a terrific yard sale over the summer and housed potted yellow zinnias last month,  I love the texture of the green pumpkin and white pumpkin (stacked on top of each other with faux ivy garland wrapped around them in the back).  I got this great new
welcome mat at a home improvement box store last weekend to complete the porch.  I love the colors of the mat and its made of recycled tires which will make it durable for the rainy season ahead.





When you step inside our home the first thing that you see is the hall leading to the bedrooms...

The little chippy table I did in our hall (original post here) is decorated with a white table runner with some pretty scalloped edges, a couple of old books stacked here and there, including my Nancy Drew books again, together with my take on a canning jar lid pumpkin (seen on Pinterest).  This is one of my little ones.  I used a piece of a branch from the trees in my yard for the stem.
I cheated on these smaller pumpkins (I made 2) by only doing half pumpkins.  It takes quite a few lids to make a full pumpkin and try as I may making a complete smaller pumpkin wasn't working so I did 2 half ones...  You can't see the back any way and they fit better against the wall for me (I got these random lids at a garage sale and then I left them out in the rain where they received a terrific rusty patina).  I rounded out my little table with a candle with a cranberry/orange scent which I ordered from Mr. Man's co-worker who was hosting a Gold Canyon candle party.  This is a double wick candle that is both pretty and functional.  I bought other candles from them and so far I really like the quality of their product and its made in the USA!!!!  Gotta love that.  The candle acts as a bookend for me and it is pretty when it is lit and smells amazing.

I have a thing for clocks - Mr. Man bought me my own mantel clock last Christmas- I just love it!  It plays several different songs including a couple Christmas tunes like "Joy to the World".  It also has the standard Westminster Abbey chime that will ring on the hour and half hour.  I drove my kids CRAZY with the Christmas tunes last year and settled for the simple chime throughout the year up until the time change.  It also has a volume button on it so we turned it up a bit and put on a peppy melody for Thanksgiving.  Every hour I hear that little melody and no matter where I am in the house I smile...

I decorated the mantel with a multi-colored leaf vine that winds around a little mini pumpkin we picked up on our outing to the farm last month, together with another canning jar lid pumpkin I made.  I added a brown bottle that Mr. Man and I picked up a couple years ago at a progressive garage sale (The gentleman gave us a whole box of misc. bottles for FREE!) and a milk glass lamp that I picked up at a garage sale for free!

JUNKSTERCHICK TIP:  When at a sale, many times the last day of a multi-day sale or the hours right before the close of a sale sellers are more apt to giveaway items, put them in their free boxes or discount larger items they don't want to haul back into their garage.  It is a perfect time to negotiate.

Here is the other corner of my mantel, it includes several different textures and colors - once again I repeated many of the same elements to balance out the total look of the mantel by incorporating the little orange pumpkin, a bumpy squash from my neighbors, the leaf garland and a full size large canning jar lid pumpkin.  This one has a brown paper stem which I twisted and curled to give a more natural look.  I elevated it on a white ceramic candle pillar for some height and added the teal colored glass canning jar for a pop of color.  

Below is the finished mantel - the wood duck to the right of the clock is one of a few survivors from Mr. Man's beloved duck collection that he has collected since he was a teen.  Over the years he's cut down on his collection and packed many away for safe keeping (we have lost a few over the years due to curious little fingers).  Its the perfect fall touch.

Thanks for stopping by may your Thanksgiving Day be a wonderful time full of family, food and fun.

I am linking this to:




Be Blessed ~

 

Welcome Mod Podge Pinterest Pinners!

Hi Lovelies -

A quick Thank You & Welcome to those of you who are pinning one or both of the two Mod Podge projects that are featured on Amy Anderson's Pinterest Mod Podge Rocks! Contributors Board.

I was so excited to see so many of you enjoy the Prayer Chair (the original post here) & Wooden Monogrammed Pendent Necklace tutorial (the original post here).

At last count the Prayer Chair had received 12 likes 29 pins!!

The Pendant Necklace had received 15 likes & 41 pins!!!



As a newbie in blog land this just makes my heart soar knowing that others find these worthy of trying out or putting on their inspirational boards...

A BIG Thank You to Amy over @ Mod Podge Rocks for allowing Podgers to share their projects on the Pinterest Board!!

Im linking this post to Debbidoo's & Fox Hollow Cottage's Power of Pinterest linky party.

If any of you do your own version of either of my projects please come back & share your creation - I'd love to see what you come up with.  Also please link back to my site since it is my original idea & design.

Lastly, if you like what you see, leave me a message or become a follower of my blog - there is always room for more junk groupies.

Be Blessed ~
 

An Autumn Day Enjoyed

Hi Lovelies!

                                     

I thought I'd share some of my photos from when we went to the farm.  It was a beautiful day, sunny and warm at Lone Pine Farms. It was teaming with families of all ages picking out pumpkins and enjoying the many activities that are going on there up until Halloween.

 We went to the U-Pick Flower garden first and I was able to capture Mr. Bumble Bee.  

 The birds were taking advantage of the sunflower seeds that were left and had stripped several flowers of all their seeds.  I liked this little group of flowers that had been picked clean, devoid of their pretty yellow petals and leaves, they reminded me of bristle brushes.  I especially liked the nice color combo with the blues, greens and natural earth tones.

 Speaking of color, I placed a little orange pumpkin on a cart full of white pumpkins.  Loved the contrast.  This little squash (below) was sitting pretty among many.  I had never seen any this color before!

After wandering through the flower garden and seeing all the spectacular produce we headed out back where they had set up two little towns for the kids to play and for photo opportunities.  There was the Lone Pine Trading Post.

 The Sheriff's Office, right next a mine shaft...

 Austyn's Livery complete with old horse tack...

The General Store - I love their little tin roofs and flower boxes...

 Of course, the Lone Pine Saloon complete with swinging shutter doors...

 and Hayden's Post Office & Telegraph.

There are wagon rides complete with draft horses out to the pumpkin patch to pick your very own perfect pumpkin, petting zoo with goats, sheep and rabbits.  Free range chickens to see and more.  Lone Pine Farms has the largest corn maze in the area that is a terrific workout during the day with the little ones as you follow clues to lead you through to the finish but at night it becomes haunted and is a great draw for the thrill seekers, teens and adults as chainsaw welding spooks chase you through haunted graveyards, zombie filled school buses and other spine chilling thrills.  We've taken our youth group several years in the past and it is definitely a creepy scream-filled experience!

But during the day the spooks are resting and after picking out our pumpkins we stopped by their store where you can pick from other local vendors jams, jellies, chocolates, Carmel corn, and sauces that compliment their fresh produce, and of course, carmeled apples, apple cider with homemade apple-cinnamon and pumpkin flavored donuts.

If you'd like more information on the activities at Lone Pine this season you can go here

This is what we do on an autumn day in Oregon, how do you celebrate fall in you neck of the woods?  Comment below and share with me your adventures.

Be Blessed ~

Disclaimer: I have not been sponsored or been provided any compensation for my post or to promote Lone Pine Farms.  The opinions shared are my own and I am not affiliated with them in any way.  I just like sharing great places that I've been with my readers.

In the meantime...

Hi Lovelies -
I woke up Saturday morning with many tasks on my to-do list.  I have so many unfinished projects right now, but it was cleaning day. Time to get serious about...

• Laundry
• Dishes
• Clean the cat box
• Sweep the kitchen

and the list went on...
At one point, with broom in hand I went out onto my front porch to sweep down the cobwebs and got sidetracked looking at how beautiful my hydrangeas were that were drying there...

I noticed the blues, the purples, the greens and the pinks and just marveled at them for a minute.

Ever get that way?
I looked at my half finished dresser that has been sitting under the front walkway (to my neighbors' dismay) and thought I bet the flowers would look great arranged on top of that so I dropped everything else and began to play with the hydrangeas. Nope not quite right, went in and grabbed a vase, too tall. Grabbed a bucket, yep, that works!

Once the flowers were arranged I thought they needed a focal point so I scouted around for something and decided on the little cherub statue holding a puppy that Mr. Man had bought for me earlier in the year representing the passing of our dear Springer Spaniels, Molly and Lucy. I loved the little arrangement once it was finished so I grabbed my camera and took a few shots.

What do you think?
It was a nice break to be spontaneous and creative from my to-do-list.
The dresser isn't done yet but in the meantime when I look at it, its a source of inspiration instead of a source of stress, a project not done, another to-do on my long list of chores, and its a nice tribute to my pups who adored spending time with me in the front yard.

Remember in our journey for perfection, life happens in the meantime. Stop and enjoy it!

Be Blessed...

I Love Freebies...

Hi Friends,

Just a quick post to share with you some of my freebies I've gotten on some of my junking trips this summer and what I plan to use them for...

The hubby and I collected almost all the items below at a sweet retiree's sale one Saturday: 

• 4 clear hard plastic plates which I will be decorating for Halloween, 
• a tea kettle with a missing lid that will be planted come spring with some annuals, 
• 4 plastic blue cups which I used to mix up some milk paint and grout for projects, 
• a spool of curly ribbon in several colors (to add that special something to birthday gifts), 
• a muffin tin that has seen better days (which I will use in a drawer for separating some of my smaller craft items), 
• a glass bottle (for a simple posy holder), 
• a terrifically patina rich green tool box which I haven't decided if I want to use it as a tool box or something else... and,
• a metal box which used to house an Irish adult beverage in a previous life.  I may use it to hold playing cards for the hubby's man-den or give to my son to put his Sharpie pens and Copic markers in.

We also brought home some other great finds from this sale, including a bike for $10.00 for the hubby!

I scored when I saw the Old English Scratch Cover in the freebie box at this sale that I came upon while junking with my girlfriend and S.I.L. (Sista-in-Law). I use this not only to cover scratches but to distress furniture and there was just enough in there to finish a project!  The potting shovel was a cast off from someone but the handle appeared to be in good shape still so I will spray a coat or two of Rustoleum spray paint on it in a bright color and be ready come spring for planting bulbs.

What freebies have you scored lately?  Share your finds in the comment section below.

Be Blessed...

Milk Paint Table Transformation

Hi Everyone!  Just wanted to share one of my recent finds while junking a couple weekends ago.  I went with my S.I.L. and a dear friend and I picked up this sweet little table up for next to nothing!  She is sturdy but light-weight and had such pretty detailed legs and scalloped front that I couldn't resist her.

Here she is in her original state, not bad but I knew she could be so much more!

This was my first time using milk paint so I wasn't sure how she'd turn out. I used Old Fashion Milk Paint in Marigold Yellow.   I applied a coat of red paint first however on the front and sides to see if that would show through after she was distressed.  Then I applied 2 coats of milk paint and was amazed by the results.  I used a wire brush to achieve "maximum chippiness" to her legs and the front.

I was surprised that the red paint showed in some spots but not in others, it was very subtle and gave the piece some depth.  I finished my little sweetie with a generous portion of Annie Sloan Clear Wax to seal her with an extra coat on the table top for added protection.

<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fjunksterchick.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F09%2Fmilk-paint-table-transformation.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-YxoRaVbWijE%2FUErYRrkW3cI%2FAAAAAAAAATg%2F3JEodNqdRgQ%2Fs1600%2FIMG_4269.jpg&description=Milk%20Paint%20Table%20Transformation%20%40%20Junksterchick.blogspot.com" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a>

Here she is complete!  I dressed her up for a night of fun reading, she is perfect for a nightstand or in a front entry way (which is where I'm putting her for now).  Notice the Nancy Drew book?  I picked up a couple vintage ones on the same day I found sweetie - there's nothing better than to snuggle up with a comfy blanket, a good read and a cup of tea.

I'd love to hear from you so please let me know what projects you've completed.

Im sharing this over at Miss Mustard Seed's FFF Party
Im sharing this over at Chic on a Shoestring Decorating's Flaunt It Friday


Be Blessed -

The Prayer Chair

I picked up this adorable little wooden chair a bit ago but I wanted to share my little creation.

It was in pretty decent shape when we found it and I could have just left it the way it was but I wanted to add something to the seat. 

I thought of doing sheet music but decided to go with artwork from a "Little Golden Book" that I had about prayers.  Eloise Wilkin is the artist and I have loved her children illustrations for many years so I chose this page and cut out the outer rim of the flowers that bordered the prayer and illustration and Mod Podged it to the seat.

I love the detail and colors so I bent the overlapping paper to fit into the corners of the chair on the back frame and around the seat as opposed to cutting the art off.

When I got to adhering the leaves on the sides of the seat to frame the edge.  While this technique was labor intensive I really love the effect.  I finished off all the cutouts with 2 coats of Mod Podge to seal them.

While the prayer chair isn't very practical for every day use with kids, it turned out very sweet.  I gave the chair to our aunt as a birthday present.  She collects porcelain dolls and fell in love with the chair when she saw it.  I anticipated her setting one of her dolls on it but she said the chair was too pretty to be covered up... I have to agree with her. 

May you and your children be blessed this school year!

I'm sharing this with Miss Mustard Seed's Friday Furniture Link-up Party!

Some girls dream of diamonds, I dream of galvanized metal

I got to my hairdresser's a little early the other day so with some time to spare I ventured out into the neighborhood to take a look around...

I grabbed myself a cup of tea and a Bhalla roll at a local deli and sat outside and enjoyed the sun for a bit, went into a terrific kitchen store and found a popover pan for the hubby that he'd been wanting and decided to stroll around the Tru-Value store across the street.

From the backside it didn't look like much but after I stepped in I realized I had died and gone to junk heaven!

I'll let you in on a secret, I LOVE METAL! GALVANIZED, NEW, OLD, RUSTY, CRIMPED, FLAT, STRAIGHT OR TWISTED they had it all right here in the gutter/roofing section. I began snapping pics of all sorts of metal and envisioning what it was telling me it wanted to become.

For instance, these gutter guards were whispering,

"Take me home, I'd be a great votive candle holder" and this one shouted to me, "What about us? You know you want to make mini lampshades out of us."

Then I went to the next aisle, there was rolls of metal, big and small. 

These said, "Buy us and we'll keep you busy for weeks with all the uses you can imagine!"

The aisles just kept talking to me...

The numbers - which I adore in so many different colors, sizes and fonts...

There was twine and rope, jute and nylon. Spool after spool all there in neat orderly fashion, baskets or shelves, rows and rows of wonderful raw materials just waiting to be taken home and loved!

Sorry for the wonky photos, I took these on my IPhone and the lighting and clarity are lacking (could it have been because of my hand shaking with pure joy?)

I think one of the reasons I loved the Tru-Value was the organization.  Everything had a place, accessible, labeled and categorized.  This is the bulk section... 

I was trying to figure out if I bought one of these nail dividers (below) what I would put into it.  The question is not what would I, the question would be what wouldn't I?  I had visions of using this in my closet (if I had one that big) and put all my clothes in each bin, twirling it around each morning to make my selection of the day... the upper level for undies, bras, socks and tights, middle sections for t-shirts, sweaters, jeans, pjs, and long-johns.  The bottom level would be terrific for holding my shoes, boots and flip-flops! 

I would love to have one of these nail scales at my house!

Then I realized there was another level...

Upstairs had so much more -

Had to skim this floor, it was time for my hair appointment so I quickly snapped these pics of some handles I loved (Sometimes I will include the price in the photo so I can compare selection and price from store to store.)

And their customer service was terrific!  I asked if they had a section for lighting, wiring and such and the salesman who helped me took me over to a little cabinet full of pieces to personalize any lighting whim I could ever dream of...

While some girls dream of diamonds, I dream of hardware!  

Where are some of your favorite places to search out wonderful finds?

Leave me a comment or a link of your "diamonds".

Be Blessed -