an anniversary

Today is an anniversary of sorts for me.  

It will go unnoticed by everyone but me, but it is a feeling of humble pride and happiness today.

Today marks exactly one year since I have had a space at Aunt Bee's House.

It's been an amazing year, and I have learned a ton in one year's time.

I started out in a little L shaped space and was so nervous I wouldn't sell enough to make my rent back.

December 2011

I can't remember how much I sold, but it was a thrill to see items leaving my space in that first month.  

And I made back my rent, plus.
(you can read about the announcement and beginning of this journey by clicking here)

In mid December 2011, I found an amazing piece- a huge, vintage Thomasville hutch.  It was too good a price to pass up, but I didn't know how in the world it would fit into my tight space.

By February I had expanded- a whole 5 feet of wall space.

;)

It gave me more room to add furniture in, but it was still a tough spot to work with.

That same month, after talking to the owner about the large hutch, she agreed to let me put it in the "ever-changing room", as it was called.

A room in the store that was changed out seasonally, and with several vendors pieces featured there.

It was my favorite room in the store, and I was thrilled.

I even mentioned on my blog that it was a dream of mine to be in that space someday.

I'm not sure if Belinda got wind of that blog post, or if it was Providence, but shortly after putting the hutch in the room, I was offered that room as my own space.

Since March, I have had my goods for sale in my favorite space at Aunt Bee's House.

July 2012, freshly painted white walls!

It has been fun to work in, transform, and decorate.

Like my own little shop.

:)

I've gotten to know some pretty sweet and encouraging people there.

People who have inspired me, and helped me out as a newbie.
They are a fun bunch to work with, and I feel so fortunate to have a positive place to be in.

Queen for a Day event at Aunt Bee's House- with the Queen Bee herself, and me, dressed as the Queen Mum.

I'm still so new at this, and I feel like I've been a sponge soaking up every bit I can from those around me.

And there's so much more to learn!

It's been an incredible journey.  

Not without it's bumps though.

The hardest and roughest learning point for me was the summer slump.

In Oregon, when the summer sun finally rolls out in July, retail sales dive.

Including mine.

There's always highs and lows in the retail business.

I just wasn't prepared for how bad it would be, and how much of a failure I would feel like.

It was rough, but I determined to hold my chin up and do the best I could next time.

And you know what?
I did.

(P.S.  the Thomasville hutch never sold.  It was a great piece that attracted a lot of attention to my space, but the word I kept hearing was, "if only I had the room for that big of a piece".  

Well, that was ok, because it fits perfectly in my space, and in July, I took it home, where it now graces our dining room!)

Things picked up again once school was back in, and just last month, I met my first big goal.

It was my best sales month ever.

And I couldn't have done it without you!

I am so...shocked?  amazed?  flattered?  -whatever the word is- when I am working away in my space, and one of you walks in looking around and says, 

"I love your stuff"

or

"your space is one of my favorites"

or

"you have such cute things"

Really?

*blush*

It makes my day.

I love, love, love what I do, even without hearing those things.

So thank you.

Truly.

I have so much more to learn, so many ideas swirling around in my head.

I still feel like my product doesn't have "the look"that I want to portray.  

So I hope to refine that a bit, but still offer what people are looking for.

I hope to improve and get better at staging.

(thanks to Pinterest, I have a board that I am constantly referencing)

I want to get better at managing the amount of inventory I have...

(as in, not buying too much... *ahem*.)

And, I hope to continue setting goals that make me challenge myself and realize that I can be a smart and creative business owner.

Thanks so much for a great first year!

I'm excited to see what the future holds!

Happy Anniversary to me~

xxoo


P.S.  Today is the Holiday Open House at Aunt Bee's House- it was my first day that I was "open for business".  :)
If you're local, it is a fun day of holiday shopping, food, and craft take aways.
Lots of sales on vendors booths too!

crystal sconces for the dining room

Thank you for all the nice comments on my living room post yesterday!  

:)

So nice to feel like our home is coming together.

Today is just a mini update for our dining room.  

It's crazy to see all the photos from what I thought I wanted this room to look like, to what it is today.

When we first moved in, I had a wrought iron and glass sofa table where the hutch is.  

Above that was a large framed cork board that I planned to have photos of all the get togethers hosted in here.

Ugh.  

Looking back on it, I'm sure it could have been executed better, and we were making do with what we had, but it was not a good look.

The most recent update to the dining room is the addition of some iron and crystal sconces.

Everything- from the sconce itself, to the crystals and candles, were purchased from vendors at Aunt Bee's House.

The sconces were already white, I just went over it again with some milk paint and dark wax to give it a more aged appearance.

The giant black birdcage has moved around a bit.  

Since having it in our living room, it made it's way to the corner of the dining room.

Now it is filled with vintage books and flowers.

I also recently added the card bunting.

It was kind of random- I had a full table of projects, and needed to move it out of the way, so I hung it on the cage, and liked the look.

This room now feels relaxed, romantic, and elegant.

I'd like to add more greenery to the room, so hopefully that will be in the near future, but the new sconces were the finishing touch to the walls next to the hutch.

 Just wanted to show you the update before everything transforms for Christmas!

Happy Wednesday!

Living room reveal

It has been a really long time since I've shown any house projects!
I've been in such 'go mode' for holiday shows and business stuff, that everything else has taken a back seat!

First off, let me say that because this has been such a long process getting this room to look the way I wanted, that there will be a lot of photos.
 It's not a warning.  

;)
I always think it's funny when bloggers 'warn' you that they have a picture heavy post....isn't that why we came?
We wanna see pretty pictures!
Warn me if it's word heavy!
ha ha!

Here's our finished room~

At long last, the Beautiful Beast is done! 

 And with the couch being done, it means a series of makeovers is also done for this room.

Here she is with all of the new pillows and cushions:

Here was the before, if you missed it:

The couch was inspired by one I saw in the June issue of Country Living magazine this past summer.  A few weeks later, I spotted one at Goodwill for a steal, and brought it home.

Trouble was, there were zero cushions.
To save money, and because there were no upholstery foam pieces big enough, I decided I would make my own.
Through a series of trial and error, I settled on 2 crib mattresses that were cut in half.  

They made perfect size seat cushions.
I wrapped them in batting, muslin, and white twill.

Next, I bought 24 x 24 pillows to add to the back cushions.
Three felt a little skimpy, so I recently added a fourth.
These are all in a linen fabric.

Because the couch is so deep, it needed extra pillows so you aren't sinking backwards when seated.

This vintage fabric pillow is from a vendor at Aunt Bee's House.  

Great farmhouse style pillow!

I can't remember what it was used for, but I love that it has an Oregon stamp on it of some kind.  There's more writing on the back.

Target had Rachel Ashwell pillows that add a nice pop of pink:

The aqua sparkle pillow tie into the color and add a little texture and bohemian vibe.

I was hoping this post would be ready yesterday, but the crown pillow took a lot of my time.
I made it out of white linen.
The crown is machine appliquéd, and the design came out of the BHG holiday special interest magazine that is out right now.

The ruffle was the most work, but it adds another bit of soft texture to all the square pillows going on.
It's a nice big comfy couch, and is a great addition to the room.

I moved the two armchairs to the dining room side.
They felt crowded in front of the windows.

I like having two mismatched chairs, and making matching pillows for both helps give a sense of cohesiveness.

One big issue I kept having with this room was what to do to fill up the large wall space behind the Beautiful Beast.

 Adding to that, I wanted to incorporate the clock made by my late grandfather.
It's pretty small for such a large room, and it felt swallowed up everywhere I put it.

I hung some plates on the wall, and the bookcase below seemed to help it have a place in the room.

The bookcase was an awesome find at a garage sale this summer.  I kept debating on whether or not to paint it, but for now, it's working for me.

I thought I'd show you this little fall table vignette before the Christmas decorations come out!
The silver pumpkin was from Michael's and it's sitting on a bed of green moss.

The vintage desk hasn't changed.
Still loving the French artwork and stacked suitcases.

I couldn't get any good photos of our other couch- the sun was too bright.
I did add the wicker Ikea trunk as a little side table.

Last but not least- I finally have my own vintage Madonna figure.
I purchased two this last spring, and about the time I was having second thoughts on selling them, they sold.
Since then, I've been on the hunt for another, and finally found one.
So pretty!
I think it is pre WWII, since it has the stamp of 'Japan' on the bottom.

There she is, in all her finished glory.

It is so nice to come into this room, and feel like it is completed and not in an in between or half done state.
I'm sure there will be tweaks here and there, but it is so nice to have this very long process wrapped up!

Looking at this photo, I can tell you that about 85% of this room was thrifted or made by me.
If you'd like to see the process this room has undergone, you can click
here
 here
 here

  here
here
here
for all the between 'almost there' photos.

Thanks for letting me share the process!
Have a great week!
A little dining room update tomorrow.
:)

Happy Tuesday Friends~

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Be Inspired
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POWW
Furniture Feature Friday
Show and Tell Friday

Happy Thanksgiving!

via

Happy Thanksgiving, from our home to yours!

Have a blessed day!

Heritage Holiday Faire 2012

Whew!  what a weekend!

I have been preparing for the Holiday Heritage Faire since the end of the Deepwood Market back in September. 

It was a ton of work- but so much fun finding, planning, and purchasing items for it.

My brain was pretty fried the past two weeks, so I am sure my family will be happy to have me a bit more "with it" now that it is over. 

;)

I was able to snap a very few quick photos of my space on Friday night before it got busy.

I had a huge corner space (thank you so much, Sarah!!)

and although I had a plan in my head of how I wanted it to look, I'm never completely satisfied with the end result.  

I really hope I can continue to evolve in my creativity with booth staging.

{don't you love the sign in the hutch?!
 I saw this somewhere online, and thought it would be funny to frame and put in my space.  It is all too true!}

The very first item to go was the ice skate welcome sign!

I don't have any pics of it since it left so early on, but you saw it a couple posts ago...

Friday night was a fun event- everyone dressed up a bit, and I had steady sales all evening.

I sold out of my initial order of the Wintergreen candle from Harmony Farm, 

and placed another order that same evening.  

Only one piece of furniture sold over the weekend, but that was kind of what I expected.

I had a small farmhouse style butcher block island, and it went home with the family that prayed for Hannah.  

:)

Love that!

Love the vintage Santa mugs!  

I found them at the same estate sale where I picked up the two matching hutches.

This little snowy cabin was one of my favorites.  

The lady who bought it said her family had a log cabin.

I had a set of 4 elves like the one sitting on the roof.  

They were gone in a matter of minutes on Saturday.

Vintage replicas, and everyone said they looked like the Elf on the Shelf!

:)

This vintage black lunchbox was a fun piece too.  

I purchased some red and white chevron goodie bags for customers who want 

bags for neighbor gifts, classroom parties, etc.

All wrapped up in sets of 10!

And last but not least, the two matching hutches:

I was so excited to get these about a month ago.

What are the chances of finding two matching?!

I painted these with a coat of Duck Egg blue, and then two coats of MMS milk paint in Ironstone.

I also used the crackle medium, but it really did more of a chippy look than a crackly look.  I love it.  It turned out better than I hoped.

I also added a light colored design of some leaf medallions.  

I wasn't too sure if I loved the look, but I'm sticking with it for now.

I thought I had some before pics, but I guess not!

They were a pretty uninspired rusty brown color.

I added the moulding to the top, to spruce em up a bit.

They're now hosting all the holiday goodies in my room at Aunt Bee's House.

(kinda glad I got to take them there for a bit!)

The whole event was a blast, and so well done.

Thanks for joining me on a virtual tour of my booth!

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embellished bench

Thank you so much for all of your nice and encouraging comments on my Christmas signs!

Last month I showed you the red headboard bench I painted for the 

My Color Inspired by Pantone party.

I had ordered some embellishments to add to the back and trim but they didn't arrive in time me to show you with the reveal.

I ordered a floral spray to add to the seat back:

...and a bit of trim to the seat edge:

This red really is this bright and cheery in real life.
I didn't adjust the hue when I was editing the photos!  I did feel like my eyeballs were about to permanently see red though!
;)

Here's a look at the new embellishments, and what it looked like a month ago, without:

So fun and simple, yet it really adds a nice finish to the look.

The wood embellishments are from Do It Yourself Chic.
They are a really unique product- they aren't wood, they are a flexible material that is paintable.

I applied wood glue to the trim, and then put them in place with painter's tape until the glue dried.
Once it was dry, I painted two coats of the Tomato Red, and it now has a charming addition to the seat back and front edge!

I didn't receive any compensation of any kind for writing this post, just sharing a product and the results I got using it.

Have you tried any of Do It Yourself Chic's products?
I love some of the crowns I saw when I was choosing pieces for this bench!
Hoping I have a project soon where I can use one of them.
:)

Still working away at finishing stuff for the show!
I hope to get one more post in before set up on Friday.
Talk to you soon~

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signs of Christmas

I feel really bad that I haven't posted in almost a week!

I am up to my neck in holiday faire madness!

Mostly, I feel bad because I wanted to do a post last Thursday to let you know that I was guest posting over at Kristin's blog, for her Attitude of Gratitude series.

It has been inspiring reading some amazing stories from fellow bloggers and the things that have made each of us thankful. 

Although it's long overdue, I invite you to read my post from last week, and the others who have and will be posting until November 21.

****

Over the weekend, I got the two hutches finished, and worked on several fun Christmas signs.

Here's what will be coming with me to the faire:

I found this toboggan recently, and instantly knew it would make a great porch sign for Christmas.
It's actually still in great shape, if you wanted to sled with it still too!

Here's what it looked like when I found it:

Removing the ratty old padding and yellow nylon cord, it is now a fun welcome sign!

I adore old Christmas movies.
One of our favorites is "It's a Wonderful Life".

Last year I made the Bailey Bros. Building & Loan signs
and I hope to have 3 more this year.
They sold quickly, and I had special orders for more.
This year, I won't be taking any special orders.

I hate to disappoint, but I also hate having jobs hanging over my head, when I would rather be making memories with my kiddo and family!
;)

I also have a replica of the town sign that I made:

Fun!

A simple, rustic "JOY"...

I found an old piece of crusty siding, and painted a more traditional look:

I also made this one out of a big piece of barn wood:

This song always makes me weep.
My favorite carol.
I added a bit of sparkly here and there.

This is another repeat.
I'm adding more seasonal versions- these always are a hit!
This is the only one I have available as of right now- ice skates are tough to find this time of year.

I was surprised to see this on the blades as I was putting the sign together:

*sigh*
Is it just me, or are UK pieces easier to find??
I feel like I am magically drawn to anything from Britain!
ha ha!
Love it.

Finally, I made up this rustic welcome home wall hook sign.
I found a neat old wool scarf that I plan to stage with it.
The hooks are vintage, and I love the natural staining on the redwood.

My apologies for the lack of creative staging / so so picture quality.
 Such a busy week, and the grocery store beckons.

Here's a coupon if you plan on coming to the pre-sale soiree:

Just print it off and bring it with you to get a discount admission for Friday night only.
Saturday and Sunday are free admission!

My booth at Aunt Bee's is not looking very holiday-ish yet...

I've put a few things in that I could spare, but they are mostly gone already!

It will be stocked up next week, I promise.

:)

I've got a few more projects to show you this week, but they will probably be short and sweet posts.

See you soon.

A huge Thank YOU to our vets on this holiday!!
You are appreciated today, and everyday!