The Door...

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. 

If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, 

I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." ~Jesus

Revelation 3:20

The screen door of our summer cottage.

Saturday Sightings...

Love me some old barns.  And here in Lancaster Co, PA - we are blessed with them!  Enjoy...

Oh - and note how cropping a photo makes for much more interest...

Union Mill Acres, Elizabethtown, PA

All of the same barn - which is your favorite?

Up High Decor...

I'm showing a bit of my 'country' side today - glimpses of places in my kitchen and laundry that are closer to the ceiling.  We have only 7' ceilings in our home. For 'above cabinet' space, I have only this wooden panel.  I've adorned it with faux (gasp) ivy and vintage kitchen utensils.  This was a quick attempt to hide the wooden knots that are showing through the paint (a project in waiting)...

Years ago my love had made a ladder to get to a loft.  We no longer  have the loft - but I couldn't bear to part with the ladder. 
Now it helps to separate my kitchen and family rooms...

In the laundry - we added an old original paint green wall cupboard to help with needed storage.  It has a small attached shelf - 

a great place for dried florals and little 'found' objects...

 My bird, Scooter, surprised me when I was taking pictures.  

Silly bird; hiding in my clothespin basket...

Linking up with Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home and Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground.  

There are amazing projects and ideas on these sites - 

check them out!

Thrifty Thursday...

Why pay $100 for a piece of clothing when you can get it for $10 or less?  Brands like Chico's, J. Jill, and Coldwater Creek are all readily available on eBay and at your local thrift stores.  Yes, truly!  I have a wardrobe full of them... I figure if I buy it new - and wash it - it's the same quality as buying something preowned.  So why not save all that money so I can go out to eat or on a vacation?

Take this Chico's green Tropical Print Jacket... I found it at a thrift store for $1.50 (half price day) and am selling it on eBay for $9.99.  Still a huge bargain.  And should it not sell - I'll have another cute jacket for me!

Same goes for this little Liz Claiborne purse - I paid $1.50. 

Cute huh?

So don't be afraid of the thrift stores and eBay- 

they are a treasure trove!

A Peek of Lace...

When I see lace hanging in a window - I get all quivery.  A warmth comes over me and I get such a hankerin' to see inside that lovely home.  Of course - I rarely get that chance.  But of the photos below - I have been able to see inside each one.  Oh what fun!

The middle image is the back window to our cottage.  A few years ago, the Lord blessed us with a little summer home in Mt. Gretna, PA.  Mt. Gretna is the home of an old Methodist campmeeting grounds - covered with turn of the last century Victorian cottages.  I'll share more about this charming destination in future posts.  All the images are of Mt. Gretna cottages.

Linking to Faded Charm's White Wednesday.

Making Life Tolerable...

Yesterday was my day to work at the antique mall where I rent space.  The morning was very slow.  To make it more enjoyable - I did some rearranging in my booth...

Tin and Glass - I thought it a fun combo.

This shelf is higher than eye level - giving me more display space.

My 'manly' corner - old bottles and a milk crate.

Today also needs some 'help' - cause I'm working on these...

So I lit my green candle - a bit of my nod to St. Patrick's Day.... 

It makes this task much more doable!

How do you make life more tolerable?

Etiquette & Lace...

It's fun to see what you can do with vintage objects that need a little TLC.  Take this sweet old book...

It once looked like this...

This is a book from 1934 on Etiquette - filled with sweet advice.  I liked the spine and wanted to keep that visible.  So what to do?   I grabbed a piece of old lace and an old tan cotton shirt.  Did a little ironing and stitched the lace to the cotton.  Then with the miracle of a hot glue gun - the rest is history.  I'm loving my lace covered Book of Etiquette.  (which is for sale in my Etsy shop.)

 

And my book was featured in this delightful  

The Sky is Calling Etsy Treasury.  Check it out!

Laziness and a Wall of Ruins...

I went past the field of the sluggard...the man who lacks judgment; thorns had come up everywhere...and the stone wall was in ruins. 

I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson...

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-- and poverty will come on you like a bandit... Proverbs 24:30-34a

A stone wall across the street at our summer cottage - taken yesterday.

Sightings...

There is a little village nearby.  I'm in love with their old sign that greets you as you come around the bend...

Just look at all those layers - is that pink?  I always wondered how that sign is still there - since it looks like it's just laying there.  Turns out it is safely bolted to that concrete.

I  love finding beauty in the everyday.

Favorite Finds...

I found some real treasures this past week - 

and look how lovely they look together...

Several of these finds are available in my Etsy store...

great old Red and Tan Patchwork Quilt - $48

adorable Germany Petit Point Purse Keychain - $19.99

...and a marble cover Ledger Book from 1902 - $19.99

Together Again...

And so, my alabaster lamp base and silk shade 

have been reunited at last...

(not the world's best picture, but you get the idea)

(If you're confused - refer to yesterday's post.)
Linking to Frugal Friday

Paper Roses Lampshade...

It took me a while, but I finally finished making over this lampshade...

I would have never attempted such a feat - but this shade goes with a pretty marble and alabaster lamp.  It had an unfortunate incident that resulted in ugly water marks on that lovely silk...

Since I wasn't planning to buy a new shade - I needed to brainstorm.  I have a ton of free white tissue paper lying around - so my little brain went from there.  I cut some strips - rolled them into roses - used a bunch of hot glue and just kept going...

At the end - I went back and filled in spots or reglued the roses for a tighter fit.  What a grand looking lady!

I'll post a picture later with it's pretty base.

I'm linking up with all the other loveliness at White Wednesday.
And...there's a Under $100 Linky Party at
Beyond the Picket Fence - check it out!

Metal Love...

Is Valentine's Day really over?  I didn't get a chance to share these with you...  Some of my favorite metal hearts from Etsy... 

Hearts on a String - The Keepers House

Valentine Ornament - Hoity Toity Designs

Tin Heart Necklace - Jack Rabbit Flats

Tin Heart - Stella O

Primitive Silhouette Heart - Kittredge Mercantile

Heart Love Letter - Bailiwick Designs

Skiing Sweethearts - Shabby Chic Ski Boutiq

Tart Tin - Velveteen Habbit

These hearts deserve a 2nd chance.  

Linked to Second Chance Tuesday at Bella Rosa Antiques.