White Wednesday...PLUS

I'm joining in Kathleen's "White Wednesday" at Faded Charm again. The last time I told you how I really like White. Well here's even more proof...SOME of my ironstone collection. My favorite ironstone comes from England, there's something about the color and weight of the pieces that I like.

This is just a few of my plates, bowls and platters. I have more plates and cereal/salad bowls in my cabinets. Now here's something you need to know...we use these dishes and the ones in my cabinets everyday. I also use them when we have company, of course very little of it matches. But that is my favorite part, neither does my silverware. Our flatware is a hodgepodge of sterling and silver plate I pick up here and there. If you had dinner with us your plate wouldn't match your bowl and your fork wouldn't match your knife or spoon. Once you get to know me though, you wouldn't be a bit surprised!!! I do try to have my clothes matching but I can't guarantee that either. ;-)

Before you start thinking I need help with my ironstone habit, you need to know I only have five pitchers. (Of course that is all I have found so far at a price I'm willing to pay.)

(We don't have bars on our windows. I have a small iron gate sitting in my kitchen window to try and disguise the ugly aluminum windows. Which is on our re-do list!)

NO!...these aren't pitchers...they are creamers...okay they are cream pitchers, but they aren't big like the five I just showed you. I believe the last two in the line up, the two smallest ones there on the end are actually from child or doll tea sets.

Looking at these pictures and knowing what I have that I didn't show you, I'm thinking I need to revisit the "Basket" post. Ok, I did...it's all good! I have actually sold some of my ironstone and I am more selective with what I buy now. I even gave some of my plates away, never mind it was because I replaced them with better plates. But at least I didn't just stack the new ones on top of the old ones. (Have y'all caught on yet that Mr. E.A. reads my blog and this last paragraph is for him? Really though he does tease me but he never fusses...he loves me..quirkiness and all!!) Don't forget to go check out all the other White Wednesday entries over at Faded Charm.

Now here's the PLUS.... Just a few new goodies I added to my booth.

Isn't it wonderful...I really like this vintage mannequin. It is child size and covered in gray and white ticking. (By the way the big window is sold also.)

I paired this small cloche with a piece of antique bulls eye molding as its base. Inside I put an antique door knob and skeleton key all for one price. I really liked the other cloche on the vintage silver plate compote but as you can see someone else liked it also.

Sorry for the tease but just had to show you the locker baskets. You would have laughed at the HAPPY dance I did when I found these. Truthfully though, I LOVED putting the SOLD tags on these pictures.

Sorry about the blurry picture, my camera's battery was getting low. But I just wanted to show you the pretty aqua bottles I found. The big round one in the back is my favorite. Wouldn't these make great bud vases?


I found ten of these Mail Bags. They were used by the Leonard Peterson & Co., Inc. to actually mail items. I think these would make great small gift bags. You could use the address tag at the bottom for your TO: and FROM: put in a little colored tissue paper and close it up with the draw string at the top. All your "Junky" friends would love it!!!!

One last thing for you horse lovers. This is actually an ash tray but could be used on an easel like I have it displayed. It is a signed vintage piece that was cast in aluminum by a famous artist in the 50's.

Thanks for stopping by!

Joyfully,
Elizabeth Ann

Let's Learn About Water

Water was the theme of the literacy camps my church planned and ran at the public libraries in Union Town and Marion.

At first we out numbered the campers!

But as the word got out, our numbers increased everyday.

As the children arrived we had several games to keep them busy while we waited on the other children to arrive. The favorite was the "I Spy Bottles". I love the I SPY books and saw this idea in the Family Fun magazine and decided this would be good for the camps. You need a large bottle with a lid, (2 liter soft drink bottles will work, but a bottle with a large opening is even better), rice, and small trinkets to put inside. Because of the camp theme everything in our bottles had to do with water. But you can put anything in the bottle, you are only limited to what will fit through the opening. I put lots and lots of stuff in the bottles. I even put some SCRABBLE tiles in ours. After you have put everything in the bottle fill it with rice, but leave room so the rice and the objects inside can move around. As I gathered the items I kept a list of what was going in the bottles. Afterwards I made a "clue" sheet with a box next to each clue so it could be checked off as it was found. I even had words spelled out, some with the SCRABBLE tiles and some I just wrote on craft sticks. Here's an example of a few of the clues: □ Blue Sea Turtle □ Red Sea Turtle □ SWIMMING □ 1 Fish □ 2 Fish □ 3 Fish □ Make Some Lemonade □ W (scrabble tile) □ A □ T □ E □ R

To find the objects on the list just shake the bottle and the rice falls away revealing the items.

(I SPY!!!!)

"Needle in a Hay Stack" was another fun game. This is really simple, a tub full of shredded paper (hay) and words written on craft sticks (needle). You need two craft sticks for each word. Bury one stick in the paper and put the other in a cup. The children draw a stick then look for its match in the paper.

We gave each child a notebook to use as a journal and every day the children made journal entries. Some would draw pictures, some would write but most did both.

We did experiments!

(How many drops of water will fit on the head of a penny?)

We played charades and pretended to be aliens from ZORK.

We played water games!

We also learned about the weather, read books, and made books, but mostly we enjoyed being with sweet, smart, funny children that made us happy to be there everyday. We went to share the love of Christ with them but like all the mission trips I've been on I came away with so much more than what I gave.

Joyfully,
Elizabeth Ann

New Stuff

Have you ever gotten ready to take pictures and realize that you left the memory card in the computer at home? Please say yes! Well it happened to me today. I took my camera to work with plans to take some pictures of the new goodies I put in my booth yesterday. You guessed it... memory card...at home...*#@^! So I resorted to my phone camera, they aren't the greatest pictures but hopefully you can stand looking at them.

I also had intentions of taking the pictures this morning before we opened that didn't work out either. By the time I got around to taking the pictures several things had sold! SupeR Happy! But that means you missed seeing the french enamel bucket I had where these two buckets sit now.

I even had to borrow the library table from the owners of Consigning Interiors because the bench I had there sold. Happy, Happy, Happy!! I have a garage full of furniture but it all needs work. Since I'm leaving Sunday for the mission trip I knew I wouldn't be able to get anything done. Now I have to just resist taking this home because I really like it.

I think I need to put something behind that bakers rack to block out the booth behind it. She has nice things but our items just seem to blend together. I've got some ideas.....

Okay, last picture hopefully you weren't bored.

Don't forget about the Blog Coupon on my side bar. To print it all you have to do is right click then click on "print picture". If your in Consigning Interiors and see me there please say hello, I would love to meet you. I'm off next week for a mission trip but I'll be back the next Monday.

Joyfully,

Elizabeth Ann

Two Weeks...REALLY?

Has it really been two weeks since my last post? When I started this blog I knew I wouldn't post everyday, but two weeks. Cheri from Cheri's Chatter even emailed me to tell me she missed me. I think that was so sweet? She commented that she sometimes gets BLOGGERS BLOCK. I must admit that was some of it, but I have really been busy lately also. I'm still working at the church but I'm also working two days a week at Consigning Interiors and trying to keep up my booth. I'm not used to working five days a week on a regular basis anymore. I know...those of you that work full time jobs are thinking...boo whoo! Rightfully so! But it's wearing me out and it's messing with my creativity!!!

I've also been getting ready for another mission trip. My church will be making it's second trip to Perry County, Alabama. This year we will be holding two literacy camps each day; in Union Town in the morning and Marion in the afternoon. I've been busy coming up with plans and activities for the children to do at the camp. I must give kudos to some very special people, SCHOOL TEACHERS! My sister and another lady at my church have been invaluable when it comes to doing this. They knew immediately how to put all this together. School teachers rock! This is going to be a lot of fun. I always enjoying working and hanging out with the children and youth from our church. But I also get to be with many of their parents and other adults next week. We even plan to go to Selma and walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. We did this last year and it was very meaningful. Especially doing it with some of my African American friends. Even though they were too young to have actually marched they did have family that was part of it all.

Our Story: It begins with a name. Sowing Seeds of Hope exists because of names. It is about the names of individuals who preceded us - their stories, hard work, and vision for a new day. It is about the names we know now -- names of students, volunteers, community leaders, business owners, pastors, and teachers. And it is about the Name above all others -- in which we serve, labor, and plant our hope.

When poverty has a name and face, it becomes real to us. It is no longer just an issue of economics, control of resources, or policies. It is about relationship. Poverty is the result of broken relationships. It breeds isolation and a loss of hope. "With a child poverty rate of more than fifty percent and an unemployment level of higher than ten percent, Perry County, Alabama, is one of America's poorest counties."*

Dr. Wayne Flynt, Professor Emeritus, Auburn University

Please add us to your prayers as we read and play with the beautiful children of Union Town and Marion next week.

Joyfully,

Elizabeth Ann

A big THANK YOU to a new friend, a WELCOME to new friends and some NEW stuff.

First for the THANK YOU!My first blog post was on June 03, 2010 and on June 26, 2010 I got my first COMMENT...Happy.. Happy.. Joy..Joy!!!
It was like my birthday and Christmas all rolled into one...well at least that is what it felt like to me. Who was the bearer of that gift...the lovely Mrs. Judy from Gracious Southern Living.

Go ahead check it out, just click HERE, I'll wait for you to come back.

Y'all she was already a customer of mine! How awesome is that???

We have been emailing back and forth and have plans to meet face to face..very soon I hope.

Judy told me she had taken some pictures of my booth....

(Yes I stole this one from her blog...please say it was OK Judy.)

and if I didn't mind she would do a post about my booth

and link it to my blog.

Oh, I don't know let me think.....are you KIDDING me!!!!

Of course I didn't mind. I was thrilled but of course I played it cool...

"Oh that would be very nice of you."

"Thank you so much."

(In actuality I'm sitting at my computer dancing in my chair.)

Here it is, the wonderful post she did about my booth and my blog. Please go on over to Judy's and check it out.

After you finish here of course.

4th of July, A New Blog Friend, & some Good News!

You are in for a treat, you will also find a recipe for "Low Country Boil" some good ole' Gracious Southern Living cuisine!

If this will be your first time visiting Judy please leave a comment and tell her I sent you.

Second..the WELCOME!

If you are coming over from Judy's blog, WELCOME, please take your time and look around. Also leave me a comment and let me know you were here. Actually, WELCOME, no matter how you got here. If you're from this area and think you might be going by Consigning Interiors before the end of the month be sure to print out my Blog Coupon at the top of my side board.

It's worth 20% off anything in my booth!

Now - the NEW stuff

Just a couple of new goodies I added to my booth.

This is a baker's rack I found in it's Rusty/Chippy/Gloriosity state! (Yes I know Gloriosity isn't a word, heard it once and I just like it.)

I also added this great little chair, I think I will call this rustic-chic it has great curvy lines but with a little rustic/rusty iron goodness. The door/window isn't new but isn't wonderful? It has the same small panes on the bottom as it does on the top. I keep having to talk myself out of taking it back home with me.

Well thanks for hanging in there, I know this was a long post. I really appreciate you visiting and I hope you will come back often.

Joyfully,
Elizabeth Ann

P.S. Monday I start working a few days a week at Consigning Interiors..hopefully I'll see you there

"PEACE" White Wednesday

I'm participating in Kathleen's "White Wednesday" at Faded Charm Cottage. I've always liked the color white, especially when used in home decor. I find it calming and very relaxing.

(No there isn't a ghost in my mirror, I just smudged my self out. I was in my pajamas when I took this picture, not something you want to see!!)

Above is a vignette I created this past spring and for Easter, but I still have it up. The mirror layered on top was a thrift store find, it has an arched top and perfect amount of imperfections. The one behind it is new but bought on sale.

The picture is a garage sale find that had a brown frame and a rose colored mat. I flipped the mat over then painted and distressed the frame.

The white platter and the lamb were also thrift store finds. The PEACE and cross were gifts from dear friends.

The cloche was purchased at 50% off and the rosary was another thrift store find. The contents inside were things I had around the house and yes that is a real fern. (I think I need to paint the base white.)

My most favorite item in this vignette is the real bird's nest that I've had a couple of years. Happily it was empty when it fell out of our crape myrtle ! When I'm not using it I store it in a plastic container to protect it. Mr. E.A. thinks I'm nuts, but he's used to my nuttiness. ;-) Now head over to Faded Charm Cottage and take a look at all the other participants in White Wednesday. If you aren't already, you may just fall in love with WHITE also.

Elizabeth Ann

Finally!

I finally got into my booth to add some new

merchandise and rearrange.

Even after over a year of doing this I'm still surprised how long it takes me to get everything ready. I really agonize over pricing; Is this priced too high?- OR - Can I make anything on this? (I love doing this but honestly I want to make some money also. Don't most people?)

Merchandising or setting up displays is my favorite part. No wait, the shopping, yes the shopping for everything is really my favorite.

Ok, I do get a thrill when I walk into the booth and items are gone!!!! Especially when I just put them in the day before! Yesterday I brought in a medium size step ladder, a really cute dining/side/desk chair and a neat vintage rolling market basket. I went back today to take pictures and they were gone!

HAPPY DANCE!

I also enjoy actually making some things.


(Thanks for indulging me with two more pictures, I hope I didn't bore you to tears.)

You have probably come to the conclusion that I do enjoying "junkin" and what goes with it. But really, my favorite part is when I'm in my booth and I get to meet the customers. So next time you're in Consigning Interiors and you see me please say Hi!


Elizabeth Ann