Timeless Southern Home

Pictures from Greece

2011-08-24T21:36:00.000-04:00

A few years back I went on a trip to Greece

and wanted to share some of the pictures with you

I got to meet family members that I have never seen,

and a country that is truly breathtakingly beautiful!

These first set of pictures are from the Island of Karpathos.

You sometimes feel that time has stopped in the past,
so much tradition still lives on.

A view of the Karpathian Sea

If you will look close at the below picture, you see a cat on the roof,
and a goat in the shadows of the Church.

A stray dog that followed my Son everywhere!

This is a city on Karpathos called Olympos.

It is isolated from the rest of the Island
you can only get there by boat.

Views of Athens

A line from a traditional Greek song is:
"Many have sung your beauties,
and many more will
they will always have
many praises to tell"

How about you, any far away places you have been?

or maybe a close by place that is near and dear to your heart?

Thanks for stopping by,
Traci

A basket to hold Magazines

2011-08-22T13:45:00.006-04:00

I love to get free stuff....you know the kind of free stuff that you actually really like!

Since I have been saving my coke rewards and entering the codes,

I have earned enough reward points to get free magazines

such as:

Better Homes and Garden

Traditional Home

and

Country Living

along with the Southern Living magazine I order

adds up to a lot of magazines each month.

Here is what my coffee table looked like before I got the basket

I really needed something to contain all those magazines!

So,

I bought this huge basket for $20.00 at the Woodstock Market,

a beautiful Home Decor store in Woostock, Ga where I sell my Decorative Tassels,

you can also find them through my Etsy store.

I love how I can add about 3 months worth of magazines and still look pretty good.

Isn't it funny how when you contain anything in a basket or tray,

it just looks better,

Kinda, looks like I am more organized than I really am!

I'm linking to:
Table Top Tuesday

Thanks for stopping by!

Traci

Old Plate with style

2011-08-21T10:45:00.001-04:00

I needed something with a touch of red

to finish up the plate wall in my bedroom,

I found an old plate in storage at Mom's house

it was the perfect shape but had the old gold trim around the edges

So, what's a girl to do?

I took a colored red pen and went right over the gold

It certainly is not perfect - but it works for me!

Here it is up on my wall

You really cannot tell that I colored outside the lines

I'm loving it!

So, have you done anything crazy with a colored pen lately?

I'm linking up with Kim for Wow us Wednesday!

Thanks for stopping by,

Traci

A Pleasant Surprise

2011-06-02T17:11:00.000-04:00

Don't you love a great surprise??

Patty over at Patti's Peach Basket

featured one of my tassels

she recently bought at the Woodstock Market!

I wanted to say a big Thank You for such a sweet surprise!!

I will also be at Lenoir City Arts and Crafts Festival this weekend...

This is the 49th year and it is one of the best around...

So...

I am super excited!!

It is going to be hot....

and a lot of fun...

Maybe, I'll see ya there!!

Traci

Oakleaf Hydrangea....How I love Thee

2011-05-17T14:59:00.006-04:00

You are such a Grand plant

You give me such joy while I am sitting on my front porch

You delight me with cut blooms on the mantel in my guest bedroom

Oh, How I Love Thee

I also love that both of my guest bedrooms have a small fireplace

I can only imagine, so many years ago, getting warm at night by the fire as you were drifting off to sleep.

Some details on the mantel are:

A vase brought back from Thailand by my oldest Son, A clay jug, made by someone in school, that my youngest Son found while digging in the yard of our old house, The ceiling tin I found on Ebay several years ago.

And,

This is, by far, one of my favorite pictures.

This is when my youngest Son played baseball (he is now 25) and my Husband was the coach, we were at an 8 year old All-Star game, this was taken right before a big game.

I love that I can read each child's last name and the way they are all looking at their coach.

Fresh cut blooms and memories - always make me smile

Linking up with
Wow us Wednesday

The Lettered Cottage - Home May'd party

Thanks for stopping by!
Traci

Just a Simple Barn Wedding

2011-05-13T14:06:00.000-04:00

We'll......

Can I just say

I have missed ya'll!!

I took a break from blogging

but it is so hard to leave something

that you enjoy (if only you had enough time)

My Son, Clay married his best friend, Jamie on May 7th.

I will be sharing some wedding pics over the next few post

'cause....it was a DIY wedding that was beautiful, special and cheap!!

And

So easy for anyone to do!

this old window that Jamie used

for a wedding program

And

special wedding advice for each guest

Here's a close up of some really good ones

"Let the little things go! (personal advice)"

And

"Shower Daily"

Haha

Jamie cut all these bird tags out of kraft paper

and used twine as a hanger.

These will be special treasures for her and Clay to keep

and use!!

She also made her sash on her wedding dress, her veil,

she had a homemade dessert table,

all her wedding favors, Bridesmaids gifts

and Groomsmen boutonniere were handmade

by Jamie herself!

She even designed the arbor

that my dear sweet hubby made out of cedar and old windows

My Son and a band that he plays in (he's the drummer) came up from Valdosta.

A live band on a real stage in a barn!

And

Special touches of painted dressers, vanities and even an old sewing machine!

Can't wait to share them all with you!

Well, I have to get my SUV loaded for the Strawberry Festival in Dayton Tn

this weekend.......

So, if your in the area - stop by and say hello!!

Traci

Kitchen Cabinet - Friendly Neutrals

2011-03-01T13:52:00.001-05:00

I want to paint my kitchen

I love my Apollo Gold (SW) walls

but

I want to go more neutral.

I have to tell you that I do love my kitchen

but

I have always loved painted cabinets that have been distressed and glazed

I just don't have the heart to paint these cabinets

maybe by changing the wall color

I can make these cabinets work

better for me

While I was trying to find inspiration

I came across an article

in Better Homes and Garden from a few years back

about no-fail neutrals for whatever state your kitchen is in

Here are some color choices that work with wood cabinets

Svelte Sage SW6164

You can pair standard-issue oak cabinets with soft green on the walls

courtesy of the garden web.com

Also you have Dusty Miller GLN38

I'm not sure where this picture came from,

but, walls in gray-blue are a made-in-heaven match for natural cabinets

And, Notre Dame 5006-1B by Valspar

courtesy of myperfectcolor.com

This gray goes with virtually any cabinet finish, it looks incredible with Walnut

Then you have Sandy Oasis DW14

courtesy of dutchboy.com

A pretty-not-so-white, this is the color to fall back on

when you can't make up your mind.

So, there you have it.

and

because I just happen to have a painter

for a husband

I will be getting samples of all three

so I can slap some up on the wall

and make up my mind.

Okay, I know I am amongst friends who love color

So, I need to ask.....

Do you have any other suggestions?

Welcome Spring Craft Shows

2011-02-25T15:47:00.001-05:00

Here we go......

aren't you coming?

Spring Craft Shows are here!

I will be in Forsyth Ga for the Forsythia Festival

March 12th & 13th
This was listed in the Southern Living Home March Calendar for Georgia

I will be at the Big Shanty Festival in Kennesaw, GA

April 16th & 17th

May 13th and 14th I will be in Dayton TN

for the Tennessee Strawberry Festival

Then June 4th and 5th will be the

Lenoir City Festival in

Lenoir City, TN

Also,

Chattanooga Market on Sunday's

and

Knoxville Market Square on Saturday's

Not every Saturday and Sunday

So, I will keep you informed on when and where

I also wanted to show you my new craft apron
which I totally LOVE

My best friend gave this to me for Christmas
she had it custom made from a lady on Etsy to match my tableskirts

And......
here is why

So,
come on by if you live close
or
if you are on a spring road trip

What a great way to say Welcome Spring

Are we there yet??

Traci

Antiques, Consignments and Unique Finds

2011-02-19T09:04:00.001-05:00

Yep, that is what they advertise

and Oh My!

I am talking about Woodstock Market

in Woodstock, Ga

they are located on the

corner of Hwy 92 and Canton Rd./Main Street

in the Woodstock Place Shopping Center

Just look at these architectural pillars

Just like Pottery Barn

but they are $79 and $59 compared to $250

They are stunning

Then you have this huge gorgeous square coffee table

And very unique benches with very unique pillows

I am loving this look!

Fireplaces, chairs, dressers, buffets

the cutest white desk for $95

And the lights, from wire egg baskets to old feeding cans

And very girly lamps in pink flowers and feathers

A twin bed bench full of pillows in pretty shades of green

Red and Yellow Rooster Toile Table linens

And of course, I can't leave here without showing you

my little space at the Woodstock Market

They also have an Outdoor Market the first weekend of each Month

starting in March

Thanks for shopping with me!

Traci

Copy Me Challenge - FJI Style

2011-02-11T13:45:00.000-05:00

I wanted to join in the fun over at

Donna's Copy Me Challenge

Funky Junk Interior Style

Donna has a way of taking an item

that she is drawn to

that has some history

that another person would throw in the trash

has thrown in the trash and makes it

work in her home

beautifully

I worked in yarn textiles for 26 years

I am drawn to anything that was used in a mill

I can almost envision someone

using these bobbins to doff yarn off a spinning machine

Now

I enjoy them in my living room with a picture of me and my Dad

I just hot glued on a small clothespin, which I aged with some glaze

If you have some old spinning bobbins and they have painted tops

that is the way yarn operators could tell their yarn counts apart

Since most yarns are white, you use different colored bobbin tops

so no yarn gets mixed

How could you do anything Funky Junk Style without some rust

A rusted egg scale holding a speckled egg

and some flowers made out of carnival tickets

I posted on these flowers yesterday

It's kind of a repeat with just a few different angles

I actually bought my carnival tickets at Walmart,

glued the ends together

added a button

it's quirky, it's fun, it looks like something Donna would do!

This lamp is actually an antique oil can turned into a lamp

I bought a pair...yes, a pair of these at a yard sale

several years ago

I.love.them.

I use them to display tassels at my craft shows

and at every show

someone ask to buy them

Down below my display,

I brought my dairy milking jug inside

I know Donna leaves her outside so her cats have fresh water

And I normally do to

but today it is filled with boxwood

and enjoying it's place beside a basket filled with

grainsack pillows

What do you have that you can

re-purpose

re-use

re-cycle

in a funky junk kind of way?

I am linking up with:

Funky Junk Interiors

Copy Me Challenge

Flower Power

2011-02-10T20:36:00.002-05:00

Don't you love it when you go to a store and come out with some great ideas!

While shopping in downtown Chattanooga

I found a store that had some really cool looking things

like these carnival tickets made into flowers

I just fell in love with these and thought they would be super simple to make

I bought my carnival tickets at Walmart for around $2.50

I used hot glue and put just a dot of glue on the edges
to form the petals
then I hot glued the button in the middle

If you want your flower to have a stem, just glue a stick or branch

to the underside

These flowers would also look great hanging on branches

I can think of so many ways to display these quirky little flowers
but I like mine sitting on an old sewing machine
in the corner of my living room

Carnival ticket flowers

Simple
and just, oh so cute!

I am joining Kim's first Wow us Wednesday
And
The Lettered Cottage How To's Day

Thanks for stopping by!
Traci

Wall Plaque Re-Do

2011-02-02T18:51:00.002-05:00

Well, my Son and his Bride-to-be just bought a house

and need lots of things for decorations

So, we have been hitting the thrift stores for bargains

and going through my stuff that I have in boxes

I had really forgotten about some of the stuff that I had put away

but, I found this distressed wall plaque that I have had for years

don't even know where in the world it came from

but I always like the feeling of it

You know, that there was something really good about it

if you could get past the dainty painting on it

I had some leftover Sherwin Williams paint in Garden Sage

I just painted one coat on and rubbed some of it off

then I applied some bronze glaze

This looks so much better!

And the best part

it was totally free

And, I'm getting my basement cleaned out!

I am joining Kim's Boring to Better Party

Stop on over at Kim's to see what else has been Redone, Sanded, Glazed, Painted, Distressed, Updated, etc.

Thanks for stopping by,

Traci

Sometimes, it's the little things

2011-01-27T12:56:00.003-05:00

that make me smile

now, I really love to look

at a dresser or buffet

that has been made beautiful with paint and glaze

a chair that has been beautifully transformed

with a slipcover

But

sometimes...just a simple change that didn't take a lot of effort

has a huge impact

on how I view my house,

a change that

makes me want to paint and glaze and slipcover

Take a look at these brass handles on my closet doors

these are on the left side of the wall right as you walk into my bedroom

I really would love to have panel doors that open up

instead of sliders

with 6 panels on each door

but

I don't

So, to make a low effort, low cost,

updated feeling to these doors

I spray painted these handles Oil Rubbed Bronze

I love this change

But, now

I noticed these doors are in need of a paint job!

What small changes can you make to you home

that are low cost, low effort but

make you smile?

Traci

Josephine & Zoie

2011-01-23T21:16:00.001-05:00

I am joining in the PET PARTAY over at Debbiedoos

So,

Dear Blogging Friends

I am happy to introduce to you

Joshephine and Zoie

My two furbabies

Zoie is a Jack Russel Terrier who is 11 years old.

She is slightly on the stocky side and needs to lose some weight.

We were doing pretty good, until the Grandbaby throws her food from the highchair.

Her favorite thing to do in the whole wide world is to go fishing.

Here she is patiently waiting for a fish to be on the other end of that pole!

One thing about her is - she is deaf.

So, we flip the porch light on and off to get her to come in when it is dark

And

We have to look for her when we get home, since she can't hear us come in.

One day, I had looked all over the house for her and couldn't find her -

she was not in her usual spot in the recliner.

I had already looked in the bedroom but thought I should take a second look

Who happened to be asleep snuggled down in the black & white pillows

It was Zoie

She just blended right in!

Some other wierd places I find her is

Laying in a box under the computer desk

Her partner in crime is

Josephine

She is a rescue from Hurricane Katrina

We think she is about 8 or 9 years old

and a poodle mix

She loves to go on bike rides in her basket

Her favorite sleeping spot is on the arm of the recliner

Here is a typical Saturday morning

Josephine, Zoie & Johnna begging Grandpa's biscuit

Ahhh,

Life is Good

Grain Sack Love

2011-01-16T07:06:00.001-05:00

You just gotta love some Grain Sacks

They are so adaptable, you can use them in nearly every room

with every color scheme

with every decorating style

I don't have any bona fide ones

but the ones I have are perfect in my space

These pillows came from the Woodstock Market

They have several more that I am drooling over

I bought the grain sack that I made into a lumbar pillow

at a flea market

and the best thing about them

they are puppy approved!

So come check out all the other ingenious ideas and projects

on Grain Sacks at

Funky Junk Interiors

Thanks for stopping by!

Traci

Updating a Classic

2011-01-11T19:26:00.001-05:00

The story behind the dresser in our bedroom

is that my Father in Law got it back in 1930 something

We've had this dresser for over 25 years

and my husband used it everyday when he was growing up

I'm sorry that I don't have a before picture

but trust me when I say that it was in need of an update
but
A quality piece of furniture never goes out of style
A little paint and new hardware

can transform a classic piece of furniture

I had to really talk my Husband into letting me paint it

of course, my favorite color,

Black

but I added these really pretty glass knobs that I found at Home Depot

that just sparkle when the sun comes into the bedroom

Now, this is and has always been my Husband's dresser

although, he does allow me to put some of my things on top of it

I do not have anything in this dresser

And

He has a tray on top of the dresser for the items that come out of his pocket

which, he swears is going back in his pocket the next day

which, never seem to.......

This dresser is not perfect

one of the glass knobs will occasionally come loose

and it still has some dings in it

but it has been such a part of our home for so many years

that I truly cannot imagine us without it

It is our comfort dresser

How about you - do you have comfort furniture?

I am joining the fun over at Kim's Boring to Better Party

Thanks!
Traci

My Stuff

2011-01-10T17:00:00.003-05:00

My Mom always comments on how much I love stuff

And she is right....I do love stuff

I wanted to show you some of my most most favorite stuff

I love this goose that sits on top of my Hoosier cabinet

There is a funny story about this goose, my Mom and I saw this in the store
we both were like "we love this duck" and the salesman would say
"Yes, this is a great goose"
I guess that we said duck so much that when we got in the car and looked
at our receipt - he had written "Two ducks"

That always makes me smile

I love my stackable boxes in the corner of my dining room
they have every name you would ever call chicken feed

my favorite is Pullet Grower and Egg Maker Grain

You can see part of the huge
tobacco basket
that my Sister n Law and I found in an antique store

It is also my favorite

I love these pictures that I brought back from Greece

It amazes me each time I see these pictures
just to know that I walked down this same street
and saw these same buildings

And they haven't changed!

I love my Groceries sign in my pantry

I love the self portrait

of my son while in kinder garden

He is now 27

He has about 20 fingers and lopsided ears

I love the Chicken and Hen
sitting on top of the jelly cabinet
in my kitchen

I love this black shelf my Mom gave me
it fills up a large wall in my kitchen

My lamp in my bathroom makes me feel special

I simply love the accessories
that are on top of my armoire
in my bedroom

A fern on its side fills up a lot of space
two of the cutest rabbits
stacked toile hat boxes
and a metal scroll

I know the New Year is always about eliminating stuff
that you don't need or love

And although, as Mom says,I have a lot of stuff

I do purge quite often

Even though wall colors may change,

these are some of the things that I love and will probably always have around

What kind of stuff do you love?

I am joining in the fun over at Marty's for Table Top Tuesday

My Etsy Store is Open!

2011-01-03T14:27:00.002-05:00

The last of the Christmas decorations have been boxed up

and put away until next year

New Christmas decorations and wrapping paper

at 80% off

have been bought

And now
My Etsy store is OPEN!!

The perfect aqua/teal green glazed bird tassel

A weathered bird tassel

that is distressed to perfection

A lime green pear tassel with red toile ribbon

for that perfect Country French touch

The cutest black and white Cow tassel

You will also notice that I have an Etsy button on my sidebar
You can click on it and it takes you directly to Etsy

So,

Come on in and browse awhile!

Thanks,
Traci

A Country Christmas Tree Filled with Metal Signs

2010-12-10T11:56:00.001-05:00

I love putting up my Christmas tree

Although, I cheat a little

I have big ornaments

mostly metal tin signs

so.....it is quick and simple

I could not get a good picture of the entire tree

so, I took lots of pictures

Up close and personal

These snowflake ornaments are huge

A snowman hat for a topper

A big red set of skies that I bought several years ago

I have always had a Christmas tree with

colored lights

it just fits my house better

My favorite part of this Christmas tree

is watching my Granddaughter's eyes when we turn on the lights

Come on over and join in the fun with
Thrifty Decor Chick: It's a Christmas Tree Party

Merry Christmas!

Traci

Market Days in Tallahassee

2010-12-06T13:30:00.001-05:00

Wow and Double Wow

Market Days is the best show I have ever attended

not only as a vendor, but as a visitor

Six large buildings packed full of handmade creations

all so unique

everything was a true work of art

I have been working non stop to get ready for this show

I knew it was going to be a big one

but I was wrong

it was like - gigantic!

I sold 128 tassels in two days!

A lot of Christmas tassels sold

but I sold a lot of tassels with roosters, birds, bunnies, pelicans......

you name it and I think I sold it!

These are some pictures of my booth

before the show started

it looked quite different when the show ended!

This reindeer tassel was one of the first to sell

it was the biggest tassel I have made so far

My display tablecovers are actually Waverly window drapes

most of my candlestands come from Goodwill, Hobby Lobby or yardsales

I found the lamps at a yardsale about 10 years ago

they are antique oil cans made into lamps

I found the 3-tier round table at our local Ace Hardware

Here I am,

before the show started,

wondering if I was going to sell anything at all!

My dear friend Patty came to help

the show started at 8am on Saturday morning

and I think we finally were able to sit down for a minute

and get a drink of water around 2pm

It was fast, furious and fun!

Don't you love days like that!!

A Peek around Woodstock Market

2010-11-19T03:48:00.001-05:00

Have you ever walked into a store and loved it at first sight?

That is the way I feel when I walk in Woodstock Market in Woodstock, Ga

It's not just my new display either, although - I am totally lovin' it!!

I had a show in Winder, Ga last weekend, and couldn't make it by Woodstock Market

So, I was pleasantly surprised when I walked in and saw the new display

I can't stop saying that I am lovin' it!

I so want this red cabinet - the color is beautiful!

Just look at those huge Christmas balls sitting on top!

I wish my pictures were better,

but my Granddaughter was not going to sit in her stroller one more minute

so all these are taken while I was holding a one year old

This is the creamiest prettiest cabinet with curvy legs

Woodstock Market is having their Christmas Open House this weekend

So, I stocked up on a lot of Christmas Tassels

Okay, enough with the new booth display - that I am just lovin'

This is as you walk in, there are small areas set up as rooms

You can totally see how something would work in your own home

I wanted to get a closer picture of this yellow cabinet that is probably over 5 feet tall

It has that chippy paint that we all love

colors that are gorgeous

dovetail drawers

It's like there are three storage cabinets sitting on top of each other

This space in the back of the store is so much my favorite

Red walls

Roosters

And look at the light made out of an antique red can!!

A really cute black distressed bed with tons of details

The colors in this room are too perfect for words

Sage greens, blues, browns and those pillows!!

I can't tell you how beautiful this armoire is in real life

To give you some idea the scale of it

My Mom bought that stain glass window hanging on the wall

It is a little over 60" tall and look at it compared to the armoire

By the way, the stain glass window was only $145

which I thought was an excellent price for such a huge window

With my Granddaughter's help, I could only took a few pictures of this neat store

but I hope you got some good decorating ideas

I will be a vendor at the Chattanooga Market this Sunday

And

I will be having a tassel party at my dear friend Jo-Ann's house

can't wait to tour you around her beautiful home!

and I'm also getting ready for Market Days in Tallahassee Fl

Thanks for stopping by!

Traci

Dear Sweet Memories

2010-11-11T10:31:00.000-05:00

Why is death so hard?

Although you know it is a part of life

and you are so grateful for the time you do have

with your loved ones

It is still so very painful to let go

I will forever cherish

the dear sweet memories

My Sister, my very best friend

My NanNan, whom I dearly loved & respected

My Dad, I so wish that I could have told you Goodbye

and now,

My Father-in-law, who I am eternally grateful for accepting our ready made family as his own.

My Father-in-law raised 4 amazing children, 3 girls and 1 boy

He was married to their Mother for 55 years

I admired him so much for his commitment to marriage,

not one of his children have ever been divorced

No one ever heard him curse,

not once

He always wanted to make you feel special,

like telling me I was his Favorite Daughter-in-law

when we both knew that I was his only Daughter-in-law

My Husband & now my Children are strong men,

loving & kind to their Mother,

and devoted to their family

because of this Great Man

I wish that I could tell him one hundred million times

Thank you

Thank you for raising my Husband to be a great Dad

Thank you for never making a difference

Thank you for loving your wife

Thank you for loving me

Down on the Farm Wedding

2010-10-25T14:16:00.004-04:00

The past few weeks have been filled

with hard work

getting ready for a Barn Wedding

My Niece married her best friend on Oct. 23rd 2010

In the distance

you can see the arbor and haybales

used for the ceremony

Groom and Groomsmen

anxiously awaiting

the arrival of the Bridal party

On the John Deer Tractor!

Guest have all arrived and been seated

On haybales covered in borrowed quilts

A beautiful Flower Girl pulling a wagon with a very special Flower Girl

who just happens to be my Granddaughter

And it just happens to be her first birthday!

The Bride being walked down the aisle by her Dad

The barn filled with special people and memories

Reception included a low-country boil

with potatoes, corn, sausage and shrimp

Can you say Yummy!!

My Niece, dancing with her Daddy

Grandma Pat's quilts hung on the wall

Wooden barn floor

covered in hay

My Granddaughter in the Congo line

we start 'em early in North Ga!

Saying their Goodbye's

After much dancing and laughter, we all said Goodnight

There is just something

so special about a wedding

especially when you find a very comfortable place to have it!

I'm joining the party for Inspiration Friday over @ Southern In My Heart,
Come on over and check out the fun!

Traci

New Salem Craft Show this Weekend

2010-10-08T17:09:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to show you what I've been up to this week

with many late night hours to get caught up

from last weekend's craft show where I sold 61 tassels!!

I have Roosters.........and lots of them

Getting started on Christmas tassels

And...You just have to have a crooked squash

Especially one that is wishing you a Thanksgiving Blessing

Some HUGE Autumn roosters

I have yellow lemons, green pears and red apples in this distressed finish

Now it's time to get the SUV loaded,

get my tags on,

and try to get a good night sleep!!

Ya'll have a super weekend!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Traci

Around the Farm

2010-10-06T00:56:00.001-04:00

My Granddaughter's favorite part of the day

is to ride the golf cart around the farm.

We check the pond to see how many frogs, fish, or lizards we can see jumping in the water

She gets so excited everyday to look at the cows. She only knows a few words but she knows the word pretty and that is what she thinks the cows are - they're just pretty.

You can read here about the cow that I have in the china cabinet

And here is the cow we have........ too funny, they look just alike!

There is a creek that runs all around the farm - awww, it is so relaxing

The dogs love to jump in and cool off

You can see my house in the background and then there is a barn, couple of chicken houses where we store hay, a workshop, and a potato barn

My Mom and I are neighbors,

here is a picture of the back of her house that I took while I was coming up from the creek

Here is the awesome view from her back porch

I still have several more craft shows coming up and my booth was bare after last weekend

It was an awesome show!!

So, I promise I do read the blogs I follow,

I will just be slow on posting until these Fall craft shows

are over.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing this special part of my day!

Traci

It Feels like Fall Y'all......and a little bit of Haint Blue for good measure

2010-09-30T15:11:00.001-04:00

It finally feels like Fall in North Georgia,

and I wanted to get some Fall decorating done, even if it is just a small bit.

I have a side porch that I like to keep decorated for the Seasons,

a big white gourd bought at Home Goods last Fall,

some pumpkins & a red pear finish off the wicker table.

It has been a busy week.....

some of you know that I babysit my Granddaughter during the day,

so I am limited on my time to craft.

When I have craft shows every weekend, it makes it a bit busy, but I do enjoy it!!

The craft show was great last weekend - sold almost everything so I have been super busy this week trying to make more tassels for this coming weekend, and trying to get a jump on next weekend.

But I couldn't let the Fall get by me without doing a little something........

so I added some red pears to an old Kraft cheese box with a few gourds laying around.

My Mom and her Husband bought a 100 acre farm about 20 years ago,

they built their dream home and we moved into the old farmhouse that is original to the farm.

I love living next to my Mom - although, I can only see her rooftop if I go way out into the far right front yard. But I know that I can stroll up there anytime for a cup of coffee and she always has something sweet to eat!

When we moved into the farmhouse, this side porch was a screened in porch with sliding glass doors leading in from the outside - needless to say, it really dated the house.

So we removed the screen and replaced the columns,

added porcelain tile right on top of the concrete floor. It made the house look so refreshed.

Painted the ceiling Haint Blue....it is mostly a Southern thing.

Haint Blue is meant to look like water and keep the Haints out of your house keeping you safe,

cause you know, Haints can't cross water.

Haint Blue can also fake-out insects and birds too.

The story is Haint Blue looks like endless sky to the little critters and deters them from making themselves at home on your exterior.

So, Happy Fall Ya'll and Thanks so much for stopping by.

I am linking up with The Shabby Chic Cottage for Transformation Thursday.

So please come on over and have some fun!

Traci

Fall Craft Shows - Gotta love 'em

2010-09-24T12:56:00.000-04:00

Wow! I have had a great past couple of weekends and have more to go.....

Did I mention that I love Fall Craft shows.

There is something about the people, the vendors, the food, the smell....

it is just a fun place to be!

I have shows this weekend at a Hot Air Balloon Festival

In Oct. I will be at the Nillie Bipper Arts Festival,

New Salem Arts Festival on Lookout Mtn, also at the Chattanooga Market & a Yacht Club Show

I am also Consigning with the Woodstock Market in Woodstock, Ga

I have added my Fall & Christmas tassels to my shows and they are selling really well

And you have to love some Roosters & Birds

I have been asked about selling online.

So, I need your advice about what would be the best site for me to start selling.

Etsy, Ebay or is there another site that you have used and liked.

So, just leave me a comment and let me know what you think would be the best(est)

Thanks for stopping by,

Traci

A Wimpy Fall Wreath made Beautiful

2010-09-20T00:09:00.002-04:00

I have gotten some comments about my Fall wreath and I wanted to show everyone how easy it was to update by using a swag and orange ribbon.

I have used this same berry wreath (in the picture below) as my Fall decor on my front door for the last couple of years, and since I added my new front porch light here,
I wanted something different

You know, kinda like when you buy a new outfit you want the perfect pair of shoes........

So, I started pricing some wreaths and they were very expensive........way out of my price range.

On Friday, I was shopping at Trees N Trends and found that I could afford 1/2 of a wreath, or a swag as they are officially called.

The swag was originally $19.99 and at 40% off was a really good buy, and then they send these nifty little coupons in your email for an additional 20% off. So I got 1/2 of a wreath for under $10.00!!

Here is the berry wreath - just hanging on the door looking kinda wimpy

And here it is with the swag added to the top, and the neat thing is that you can still see the berries underneath.

I just wrapped some wire around the swag to attach it, I also had some orange ribbon that I tied up in a big bow for the top.

I knew the bow would be crammed in the swag so it did not have to be perfect.

Yep, I really like it!!

I am linking up with:
Between Naps on the Porch for 88th Met Monday
and

Cottage Instincts for Make it 4 Monday

Thanks for stopping by, I sure hope you enjoyed it!
Traci

Front Porch Light Reveal

2010-09-18T19:11:00.002-04:00

Whoo Hoo!!

I wanted to thank everyone who suggested here that I spray paint the front porch light black......

it looks one million times better!!

To keep from taking the light back down, I unscrewed the set screws that hold the light in the wall just enough to get the tape behind it, then added some newspaper so the spray would not get on the brick.

The trick to getting a good spray with no runs is to use nice even strokes and pull the trigger slightly before your stroke so the only paint that hits what your painting is the continuous spray

Don't start and stop the spray on what your painting.

I hope I made sense.....

So, here is a close up before of the tan(ish) color

And now......painted black to match the door.

A before shot of the very small....diminutive.....pint-sized light

And After with the much needed...humongous....whale of a light

So......I love it, and Thanks a million for helping me choose the light to paint instead of the door.

It looks so much better!

I hope everyone is having a great weekend and Thanks for stopping by,

Traci

At the Woodstock Market

2010-09-15T08:07:00.000-04:00

I wanted to show you what I was busy doing today.

I am now consigning my tassels with Woodstock Market located in Woodstock, Ga.

So, I went and got my tassels all prettied up and ready for the weekend.

They have created a gift area, and I think I got the best spot!!

Just look at that display hutch, it is for sale at the Woodstock Market - click here and you can read all the details.

I added a few Halloween tassels, pears and a cute rabbit

A few Christmas tassels and I am in love with these Fall tassels - they are so much fun!

A chicken in her nest, birds, red pears and a little red robin on the bottom shelf.

Airplanes that look like they are ready to take off.....

I really was not sure what size tassels to bring, how big my area was going to be or how the display was set up. So, I may bring some more tassels this weekend and fill up some more spots.

So, say a little wish for me that Woodstock Market will have a great weekend!

And

I wanted to thank everyone who gave me some much needed advice on my new front porch light.

It will be painted black this weekend and updated pictures will follow!

You guys are the greatest!! Thank you so Much!

Thanks for stopping by,

Traci

New Porch Light leads to changes, or Does it?

2010-09-13T20:50:00.001-04:00

I will admit it, I am not crazy about my front porch - no character, slightly boring.

I tend to look at the big things to change - columns, cornice, side lights.

That I don't notice so much the things that I can easily change.

While I was reading an article in Southern Living,

it listed common mistakes that homeowners make.

One that caught my attention is having a front porch light that is too small.

It's seems funny that I have never noticed this before.......

but indeed, mine was too small.

I started looking around and found this light at Lowe's - during a sidewalk sale for $10.00

It was HUGE........I was so excited, I grabbed it up and headed home.

When I opened the box, I found the porch light was a taupe color with distressed edges.

I really liked the color but not sure that it would go with my door.

I am hoping this might look better once my fall wreath is up.

A before / after picture of the porch light

So, I need your help my newest....bestest.....blogging friends

Should I :

Paint my front door? If so, what color....gray, taupe, red, white...Oh my!

Paint the porch light black to match the door?

Or does it look okay......and I need to leave it alone, already?

Thanks for stopping by and please let me know what you think,

I would love to hear from you!

Thanks, Traci

Tablerunner turned shower curtain

2010-09-11T22:40:00.000-04:00

Does anyone in your family take baths anymore?

Have they gone out of style?

During a recent bath remodel,

we added a shower to our shower(less) bathroom.

We kept the old cast iron tub - which is super deep and in great shape.

Before the remodel, the bathroom was very quaint with beadboard running from floor to ceiling wrapping all around the tub, (this was pre-blog so no pictures, sorry!)

We knew this would have to be replaced with tile in the tub area, so we cut the beadboard out just around the tub and found the perfect tile at Home Depot.

The shower caddy came from Hobby Lobby. I love the black metal, it just fit the spot perfectly.

Also added another black metal piece from Hobby Lobby to store hair dryers, curling irons and brushes.

As you can tell, this is a very small bathroom - with no windows. That is one reason the pictures are not very good, the other reason is the photographer!

Anyway,

To add some height to this small bathroom, I wanted to hang the shower curtain higher,

but I wanted to use the shower curtain I already had which was your standard 72 X 72.

I cannot sew, so I knew I needed to find something that was already finished to add to the bottom of the shower curtain. I thought a valance would be great but never found one that would fit.

Then one day, I was looking at some items I had on my dining room table and the table runner was the perfect color I needed.

I got my tape measure and the table runner was - you guessed it........72 inches!

I used some heavy duty Heat n Bond I bought at Michael's to attach the table runner to the shower curtain.

The fit was perfect and it added so much to this small bathroom.

It made the bathroom actually feel bigger by hanging the shower curtain higher.

I need to replace the shower rod and paint the wall cabinet,

but for now this bathroom is back in style

with it's very own shower.

Thanks so much for stopping by,

Traci

If it ain't broke......

2010-09-09T10:46:00.001-04:00

And you break it anyway, you don't always have to fix it.

And, in my case,

It could not be fixed.

I bought two birds at Hobby Lobby, one yellow & one red.

The cashier wrapped them both up snug and tight for their ride home.

Then, when I was unwrapping......

the red bird smashed to the hardwood floor.

One leg was broken off and the tail was half missing.

Here is the yellow bird - with both legs and a perfect tail

After I held my breath for 10 seconds and had badword thoughts.....

I threw the red bird in the trash can.

A little later I was still thinking about this bird.

Wondering if there was anything I could do with it.

So I got it out of the trash can and broke off his other leg, and plopped him in a Pothos plant.

It perfectly hid his broken legs & tail.

And added a much needed pop of color to this plant.

So although, I would have rather had my whole bird - legs & tail included,

I still think it all worked out okay in the end.

Thanks for stopping by,

Traci

What's in your China Cabinet?

2010-09-08T09:31:00.005-04:00

My dining room has a built in china cabinet........

but,

I don't own a pretty set of China to go in it.

Heck, my everyday eating plates do not even match,

And,

I would rather use plates on the wall.

So, What's in my China Cabinet?

This is what is on my top shelf,

A cow - which we have one on the farm with the exact same markings,

a picture of my two dogs riding in the bronco

and a fresh egg tin sign.

On the second shelf

My favorite two pictures of my boys,

A plate that my Aunt gave me before she passed away

and then just added some fillers.

On the bottom shelf

A picture that my hubby made when he was in the 3rd grade,

a red lantern given to me by my Father-in-law,

Souvenirs brought back from Greece

and some of my collection of yarn bobbins.

So,

Who said you had to have China in a china cabinet?

There is no right way or wrong way to decorate your home - just use what makes you happy!

Thanks for stopping by,

Traci

Metal artwork from a screen door

2010-09-02T14:51:00.009-04:00

During a recent cleaning in one of the barns - I found this screen door with a hidden treasure.

Just look at that pretty metal scroll work on the door.

I remember an article many years ago - it may have been out of a Better Homes & Garden magazine -

they took a piece of metal scroll work, painted it and used it as artwork.

So, I thought I would give it a try.

The piece of scroll work is held on by rivets which just popped out with a flat head screwdriver.

A quick spray with some black spray paint and it was ready for its reveal.

Now, this metal piece is extremely light weight - which is a good thing for hanging on the wall......just a little finish nail is all you need.

So, I wasn't afraid to try it out in different spots.

This is a picture of how my mantel looks now.....

And I wanted to show you the size of the metal piece, it is really pretty big.

I didn't realize until I took it off the door, that this metal piece is adjustable.

You can have it wide or narrow.

You can also change the pattern of the scroll work depending on how you hang it.

Here is the wide version.

Here is the narrow version with the scroll work to the inside.

Here is another version with it narrow and the scroll work to the outside.

So, an old screen door becomes a versatile piece of metal artwork.

Now I just gotta figure out where I want to put it!

I am linking up with Thrifty Decor Chick: Before and After Party

and Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday.
and

So glad you stopped by,
Traci

Same; just better

2010-09-01T08:53:00.008-04:00

I am in the process of moving my craft room downstairs and I need a table for my drill press,

which is currently disguised as a kitchen appliance.

There are many jokes made about my cooking,

so having a drill press on your kitchen counter doesn't help.

My Mother has a rental house that just became empty and they left this neat cabinet/hutch looking thing that would be perfect for my drill press.

Once I got it into the workshop,

I kinda liked the color of the green paint that it already had,

but since I have been looking at lots of blogs lately,

I wanted to try something different.

I thought Why Not?

If I don't like it - I can just re-paint.

I got so excited about my project - I did not take any before pictures,

but I did stop and take some in-between pictures.

You can see the cabinet drawer on the left has not been distressed.

Look at the difference a little sanding and glaze can do!

I was truly amazed.

Another close up

It made all the details just stand out.

So a big Thank You to all my new blogging friends for letting me join in this wonderful world of blogging and showing me that a little sandpaper and glaze is indeed a good thing!

Thanks for stopping by,

I hope you enjoyed looking at my same; but better cabinet!

Traci

A letter from her Son

2010-08-31T09:03:00.009-04:00

Looking through boxes at my Mom's house, I found an envelope from my Uncle to his Mother, at the time he was stationed at Fort Campbell in 1955.

The letter inside to my Nan was long gone, but I loved his handwriting and to know how special this was to my Nan that she kept it all these years.

I can just imagine how thrilled she was getting this in the mail knowing it was from her Son.

Both my Nan and my Uncle are no longer with us, my Uncle died shortly after this letter was written.

I loved my Nan so much and I love seeing her name so I had the envelope enlarged at Wolfe Camera to a 18x18 and framed it.

Update: When you have a letter like this enlarged, don't scan it to enlarge it - take a picture of the letter with your camera and then have that enlarged. This will keep the integrity of the original letter.

Total cost was less than $20.00.

Now it proudly hangs in my living room and brings me joy everyday.

I am linking up with Rhoda over at Southern Hospitality.

and with Gina at The Shabby Chic Cottage for Tuesday Transformation.
and Funky Junk Interiors for SNS.

Thanks so much for stopping by,

Traci

Storage in the Master Bathroom

2010-08-28T16:59:00.003-04:00

This is my master bath

probably the smallest room in the entire house!

But I just love it.

It is me.......

I love the bead board ceiling and walls.

I love the hardwood floors that are original to the house.

I love all the nooks and crannies of an old house.

I took out a vanity in the small nook and my son built the shelves.

The vanity had three small drawers and that was the only storage in the bathroom.

Now with the open shelves and baskets - I have all the storage I need.

I just lined the top shelf with wallpaper and added plexi-glass to each shelf to allow the baskets to slide out without scuffing the paint.

I also turned one of the bigger baskets on it's side for the bath towels.

Remind me to fluff the bath towels next time I take a picture.

There is a square tub/shower to the right of this nook that is also original to the house.

It is always a treat to come in here!

Hope you enjoyed

my bathroom!

I am linking up at It's Everything but the Kitchen Sink Time.

Thanks for stopping by,

Traci

Mantel Headboard

2010-08-05T22:08:00.004-04:00

Ahhh.....the master bedroom.

I still need to replace the nightstands and paint a dresser but this is my favorite room in the house.

One of the reasons is this huge fireplace headboard that came from the dump........can you believe it!

My Mom was unloading some wood scraps at our recycling center and noticed this fireplace propped against a stack of wood.

She ask the attendant if it belonged to anyone and he said nope, someone dropped it off because it was too big for their room.

He even helped her load it in the back of the truck.

She did not have anywhere to use it , so she gave it to me.

Mucho Gracias Mom!!

A little paint, padded with 3 pillows hung vertical and some leftover Waverly material.

And it is perfect!!

So, although I would have liked for my bedroom to be perfect

before I let you guys have a sneak peek...........

Here's to my

Trash to Treasure

Headboard!

Linking to The Shabby Chic Cottage for Transformation Thursday

and Fabulous Friday Finds Party
Come join the fun.........And I'm
so glad you stopped by!
Thanks,

Traci

Missed Opportunities

2010-07-28T14:35:00.001-04:00

You never know when you are going to have a missed opportunity to bring a small bit of joy to someone. The kind of joy that sneaks in and you don't even realize it at the time.

This weekend I was a vendor at the Monteagle Mtn Arts & Craft show......the show was a slow one for a lot of vendors - I'm so new to the craft show, my expectations are not high and I thought I was doing really good. Mom and I had a perfect shaded spot with a slight breeze most of the day, with some great vendors around us. There were some vendors though weren't so lucky and they packed up Saturday and did not attend on Sunday.

My craft is making tassels - and one thing you can always count on when you have a craft booth is meeting so many different people - I love to listen to the comments people make as they walk by or stop in to see what in the world a tassel is.

On Sunday, a lady came in with her daughter and said she loved my tassels - I thought oh yes, she gets it, she knows! We talked for a while about where to buy fringe, ribbon and finding those toppers. She said she had made one tassel, but needed some inspiration. I told her to look around and get all the inspiration she needed and get home and make herself a tassel! She bought the prettiest bluish/white bird with azure fringe and a big brown ribbon with blue piping.

Later that night, I got an email from my new lady friend who knew all about tassels, she said it was the first time in two weeks she's been out other than her chemo treatments and she has had 16 weeks of chemo so far. She was in a lot of pain when she got home but she said seeing my booth with all my beautiful tassels made her trip worthwhile. It was such a sweet email, it still makes me sad and happy all at the same time.

So, you just don't ever know when you are going to have an opportunity to meet someone and maybe make their day a little more bearable. I am so glad that I was at the right place at the right time to meet this incredibly strong & sweet women who was enjoying her day at the craft fair with her daughter.