Floor Decor

Ever heard of floor decor? Well, I made it up. It's not a good thing, let me tell ya. This is what you call your decor when it is on the floor, instead of where it should be. Follow?

Today, I come to you with a confession. My dirty little secret. My house is a mess! If I were to sit on Santa's lap right this very moment, I would ask him for about 3 extra days this week. Ahhh...the absolute FUN I could have, and the accomplishments I could achieve in 3 extra days...to have the decorating done and the boxes all tucked away in the barn....to enjoy my new decorations without clutter!

See the chain o' balls? I improved it today with more balls and I evened out the swags. Yes. The harvest table is a mess.

OH. Yeah. The harvest table is a mess and, in fact, the entire dining room is a mess!

Well, the den is a mess, too.
A mess, indeed. But, do you see the creativity happening?

Floor decor. See what I mean?
Re-doing the top of the entertainment center took some time.

Boxes! I need boxes to store all this extra stuff!

And then, on my way to work, I stopped and picked up this boot that I have seen on the side of the road for the last week. It is super cool. I'm bummed the other boot didn't fly out with the first one. How, by the way, does that happen? A boot ending up on the side of the road.

The silver vase. In my search for more balls, I stopped at a thrift store today. While they had no balls, they had this for $1.91. Love it! I can just add it to the floor when I get home.......ugh

Sharing

I absolutely love me some free curb finds! I just had to share. These two pieces of luggage had been literally kicked to the curb. The tall one is the kind that hanging clothes can travel in, hanging up. Both old. And I betcha they could tell some tales.

Would ya look at this sticker? Love it!
These are both for sale at Primitiques. Come and get 'em!

When I first started selling antiques in the 90's, we all kept secrets from each other. You know what I'm talking about. We'd find a wonderful source (not the curb, in this case) and we would get our goodies there and never tell a soul where we got 'em. Then one day, our source was gone. Quit. Closed down. Know why? No business. We, alone, were the only one shopping with them!

I see absolutely no reason not to share good stores with you, my friends. Sure, one day you might pick up something I'd have liked. But, those stores and those good people will still be there, due to good business, the next time I wanna go visit! It's a win/win situation.

The post below this one is for Ethel's in Tyler. Some folks commented that they will check her out. I am thrilled for her and for the buyers! I, alone, cannot pay Ethel's rent and bills.

Do y'all know Rodney White, the artist? You ought to. I emailed him in September of the year Two Thousand and Seven. Bless his heart, he emailed me back today. Check out his gallery on his website here. And he also has a blog here. Cool stuff! I am not about to copy and paste his artwork. I might have to pay him a royalty or something. Once you've seen his stuff, you'll just love him like I do! Talent out the wazoo.

And that, my blogging friends, is all my sharing for today.

~Mindy

Ethel's Treasure Quest

Listen up. I am about to share with you one of the best kept secrets in east Texas. If you are ever in the Tyler area, and even if you're not, it is well worth your while to travel on over to 731 N. Bois D'Arc, Tyler, Texas 75702 for a visit to Ethel's Treasure Quest. Ethel is always around and she'll tell you to call her, even if the doors are locked. 903-830-8173. She's usually inside tinkering around, or not too far off and she'll be glad to come let you in.


Did you check out that statuary? I'll be darned if it wasn't already sold! Lucky buyer.
Ethel carries a variety of goodies. Always appealing to the masses. Check out these photos.

She can display and set up vignettes just beautifully.

You'll always see something new, as Ethel sells and buys quick as a whip.

It's always fun just digging around. You never know what you'll find.

Now, let me introduce you to this beautiful, Christian business owner. Bloggers, meet Ethel. You absolutely have to love that smile! She is just delightful and you will be glad you stopped by, to visit, much less dig through all the treasures.

Here are the goodies I got on my last visit. Good stuff, good prices. Gotta love that!

Ethel is not a blogger, and in fact, is not real comfortable with the computer. But, when you go, tell her Mindy sent ya. She'll be tickled!

Y'all. She is at Canton, too! I totally forgot. I just got off the phone with Ethel. She is still bewildered by this whole "blogging thing", but she wants to meet all of you! She plans to set up at the Lewis Side in the covered, wooden porches (for lack of a better word) this next First Monday. She suggested that you call her to confirm, as she isn't always at the same place.

Hard at Work and Dressing Like a Girl

Christmas is starting to happen at my house. It has been a slower process than in years past. I think mainly because I am switching things up. Not doing the same thing as every other year. My creative juices are flowing after attending the Unique Unique Home Show and then Judy Hill's Home Show. How, I ask you, could one not be inspired?

I must credit Ki with the balls in the bottles idea. She actually clustered her bottles on a tray. But, I took her idea and ran with it. Easy, which is a requirement for me, and perfect for the look I like! The colors aren't looking as vibrant as they really are. Maybe I should have taken these pics during daylight hours. Oh, well. You get the idea.
Now, the chain idea came from Margo. She clustered her balls at the end of a chain. Again, I twisted this idea into my own version. My first thought was to use just green and red balls. But, I realized that I don't have many green balls! So, I did one window pink, one red and the other green. I may pick up more green before the season is over.

I think I'll ditch the icicles in the window. Those stay up year round. But, I think it's a little "too much" with the balls and the green lighted star. Whatcha think?
(This picture was taken after the first posting...thought I'd show you the most recent picture with more balls and better swags.) This could be done with icicyles. All the same color balls. Mixing colors. Mixing sizes. Go wild and crazy with it. I had fun putting it together and revamping it. And, of course, you don't have to use a heavy tow chain. A lamp swag chain would serve the same purpose. Just depends on the look you are going for.

And my Christmas tree corner is continuing to evolve. But, I thought I'd show you the aquarium I acquired from Snakelover. This aquarium was home to many snakes in Snakelover's youth. I put a glass brick down flat for the tree, then flanked it with upright bricks. I'd like to have enough silver and gold balls in there to fill it. But, again, a sneak peak at what's happening at my house.

I got to dress up like a girl last night. Check it out.

Snakelover has season tickets to the Dallas Symphony Pops and last night we went and sang Christmas carols and enjoyed some beautiful seasonal music.

Isn't he just incredibly handsome in that leather jacket?

Judy Hill's Home Show (and then some)

Ahhh...Judy Hill's Home Show. Wanna see more pictures? Ya know, it was a virtual Who's Who Among Texas Dealers and Designers at this show. I probably have no idea what talents I was surrounded by! Of course, I met Judy. She told me she reads my blog! How exciting! Comment, Judy. Comment! Melonie and Bryan were set up in the potting shed. I informally met Bryan, but never met Melonie. I also met Linda and Ludmil of Willow Nest Farm. Very delightful! And I met Margo. She's my new East Texas running buddy. And Mayron and Marcie of Unique Unique Design were there. Mayron pointed out a few tips to me that I might try at my own house. Considering she usually gets paid for such advice, I was thrilled! OHhhh! And Theresa of Garden Antqs Vintage was there. She is such a sweetheart. Seriously, everyone there looked very important, and I am sure that I should know them. But, I didn't! And silly me...I snapped over 200 pictures, but failed to take any intentional people pictures. Dang! When else do all these famous people gather in the same place I happen to be?

Ready for pictures? I know some of you look at pictures and skip all the writing anyway! Lovely Mannequin Arrangement.

This next picture, look close. It is a turtle shell with beautiful feather dusters sticking out of his holes! And the bottles with old book pages were great!

I know. I'm no Snakelover, but I think this is a pretty decent shot.

This wall piece with the funnels is one of the few things in the house that was NFS (not for sale)...but, I liked it a lot! Bummer.

These books were in suspense. Just hanging around. All tied up! Aren't I a card?

Wanna see more pics from the show? Well, I'll go ahead and let you check out my flickr. Again, I'm no Snakelover. So, clear your mind of expectations and Click Here.

OH! And go with the Slideshow. It's nice to watch that way.

Now. Last night, I told you that I found a 99 cent bag at the Goodwill with Margo. What was inside? These Made in Italy Nativity figures. Baby Jesus, Joseph, Mary, the angel, and two sheep. Suweet!

I actually have several different Made in Italy Nativity items. Wanna see? Check out what else I got at Judy's. See the white urns? See the silver pom pom tree limbs? I bought them separately and married them up. Not too bad, eh? OH! And see the Acorn Holder? It has been transformed into a Silver Christmas Ball Holder.
I think that'll do for now. My house is coming together. I just uploaded 50 pictures of new things going on at my house. he he he See you tomorrow!

~Mindy

Field Trip!

I took a field trip today. It all started with a drive to Kilgore for Judy Hill's Home Show. Wow. And I'll say it again. Wow. Judy is skilled. Talented. Blessed. Go here to see some pics that Theresa took. Wow.

Check out that lovely little feathered angel. She will soon be found on top of a tree in my house. She is just one of my finds at Judy's. Such a sweet face! Maybe I'll show you more tomorrow.

I met fellow blogger, Margo, at Judy's and we decided to head to Ethel's in Tyler. After a little shopping and visiting with Ethel, I decided to blog her. Check back later this week for that. She is just a delight!Check out my goodies from Ethel's. Not the white frame with cross...but, all the rest. Cool stuff, eh?

I absolutely fell in love with this lady. While Margo and I were taking guesses at what the holes were for, Ethel chimed in that this beauty is a flower frog. Seriously. I thought maybe she would hold hat pins. What do you think? She has wonderful crazing. No cracks. And she is mine! Look at her poochy tummy. She's a real woman. I like her a lot!

Margo and I left Ethel's and went to the Tyler Goodwill. Mind you, I had never met Margo before today, but we hit it off like old pals. We walked in the doors of Goodwill and Margo got busy! She is a power mover. Her game plan is to walk briskly and get a quick overview of the situation. I, personally, could stand at the same rack, looking at every tiny thing for a very long time. But, it's a good thing she is a mover and a shaker. We heard someone say something about "fresh Christmas stuff being rolled in". Before I knew it, Margo sprinted back and started digging through the fresh stuff. After my jog to catch up, I started digging, too. And I'll be darned if I didn't find a baggie with 99 cents on it. hmmm...ok...check back tomorrow for what was inside the baggie. he he he

Hey! Too much to tell and not enough time to upload pics on my dial up!

After a short visit to Margo's home, and might I add, she has a very cool look going for her, I headed home. It's always fun unloading and unpacking found treasures. I took lots of pictures. And have been finding new homes for what I won't take to Primitiques to sell. Back to it before I fall over from exhaustion!

~Mindy

A Day in Poetry

The warmth comes with the morning. Winds blow leaves and cats chase imaginary mice hiding under the moving blanket in my front yard. Mother Nature works and I watch. The neighbor's momma hound, whose tits never seem to dry up, comes to steal cat food from the garage. My clapping and stomping don't seem to leave a lasting impression, as she comes almost daily. I find myself sitting, watching the waterfall on the pond in the back yard. Near the pond, the chickens scratch through the leaves and earth, hopping back, looking for unearthed treasures. Worms. Bugs. Nutrition. It's the dance of the chickens. The girls waddle to their coop and they deposit tomorrow's breakfast. Eggs. Fresh eggs. Free range, wonderfully, wonderful eggs. As the day matures, the winds grow like little children who eat their veggies. The cold comes, as reports predicted. The chickens hide under the bushes for warmth. I open the front door and Jethro, who resides inside, attempts to join his feline cousins outside. He wants to chase the invisible mice, too. I bring in wood for a fire and soon, am listening to the crackles. I sit at my desk, Jethro jumps in my lap and I wonder, "What will I blog today?"

photos courtesy of Snakelover

Acorn Holder

Check out this acorn holder! This is that "find" that I mentioned from our roadtrip to Bandera. This big ole bowl was in a little junk store that was painted like a cow. Snakelover very kindly pulled a u-turn when my neck almost broke looking back at the bovine building. The proprietor was a smoker. The stuff was covered in dust. There were Made in China brass things and country decorations. As we perused, we overheard a discussion about the cost of pure bred Spaniel Doggies. I was about ready to walk out for some fresh air and peace and quiet when I spied this glass bowl on pedestal. Yes, it is one piece.

The bowl was filled with dusty white and green marbles. Upon close examination, I could see cracks in the bottom of the bowl. It mattered not. This baby was priced right and I picked it up as Snakelover raised his eyebrows.

At the next stop, a Thrift Store, I found a bag full of these painted Burr Oak Acorns. I think that's what Snakelover kept calling them. So, again, I get the raised eyebrows as I walk to the register.

When we made it to Bandera, I married up these finds and THEN Snakelover smiled.

I sure do like it when he smiles!

I haven't decided if I will keep the Acorn Holder, but the man just might be a keeper!

I know. I know. It's official name is probably not acorn holder. And I think it's wrong for a punch bowl. I'll tell ya...there is green floral goop stuck on the bottom. Reckon it was intended to be just a floral bowl of some kind? Someone tell me...what was it born to be???

Introducing...

I have gotten so far behind in y'alls blogs. I miss you! After being out of town, I haven't had a chance to sit and catch up with y'all. But, believe me, I want to. You'll get my comments soon. Seriously.


In the meantime, I have to share more pics and more peeps. Here is Miss Talking Trash, herself, Debbie. Isn't she just the dadgummed-most-cutest-thing-you-ever-did-see? The woman works the hair and the bling. Just a doll, she is! And talk about sweet. Man, she says she is shy...but, I just don't see it! I met her one day when another dealer, Richard, sent her and Cat Daddy out to buy some stuff from me at my house. She tried to play shy, but once she saw something she wanted, she sparked right up! We got to play a couple months ago, and we plan to hit Judy Hill's show this Thursday together. Look out Tyler, here we come!

Now, meet Aunt Nancy and my very own Mom. My aunt had to blink in this picture. But, we are all smiling, so, I decided to share it anyway. Aunt Nancy is the taller lady on the right side of the picture. And the lady with the cute, one button sweater is my Mom. Don't we all look festive? Mom brought Aunt Nancy out to Poetry for the Open House. I got to show off to my kinfolk. Good times!

Check out the woman in the apron. That is Snakelover's very own Momma. We dressed to coordinate with Oreo, the Longhorn. Snakelover and I played Taboo against her and Snakelover's GirlChild last night. This woman is sharp! We couldn't get anything past her. But, we tried!

And now, I'm going to introduce you to my Primitique's business partners.

On the left, is Kathie. Kathie is the Queen of Sets. She puts stuff out, and then she listens for it to speak to her. We just let her. Cuz, it seems to work pretty good for all of us! She just joined us a couple months ago, and I am feeling a fresh, new spark. Thanks for coming out to play with us, Kathie!

In the middle is Jeannie. Jeannie is the Head Queen Proprietress. This is the woman who owns Jack's Town & Country and Jumpin' Jack's. Primitiques is located inside Jack's Town & Country, the local feed and seed store. Jumpin' Jacks is the grill, convenience store, gas station, with the self carwash next to it. Jeannie and her now deceased hubby, Jack, built this complex from scratch and she continues the legend. What a woman!

When I approached Jeannie with the idea of turning the storage room into an antique store, she said she followed her gut and she told me to "run with it". Bless her heart. When I told her to remove all the displays, empty the room, paint it and then we'd go from there, she just nodded her head and said ok. God Bless Her. She just let me run free like a naked blue jay in the lawn sprinklers! Thanks, Jeannie! Look at how much fun we are having now!

Now, you know I have got to share one more picture of me and the Snakelover man! Isn't he just a hunk of burnin' love? He is! He is!

So, there you have it. Some fine folks whom I have the privilege of sharing life with. Thanks, everybody, for letting me know you. I sure do enjoy y'all! ~Mindy