salvage chic...

Relaxed and a bit rejuvenated I might add ~ that is how I feel today! Browsing through my lovely book and reading your comments did the trick and soaking up some sun did not hurt either! So thank you very much! Today I am picking up my son Jake from soccer camp. We dropped him off last Sunday and on the way home stopped at one of my favorite little shops. Salvage Chic is one unique shop to find antiques and might I add very cool retro and vintage goods. That is exactly how they describe themselves and I agree. Christine was kind enough to let me take some photos to share with all of you. They have pieces that are unique... And they have some wonderful retro displays...Looking at all this brought back lots of memories...those were the colors in my house growing up! There are so many treasures to look at and rooms to browse through. Need something for your kitchen, right this way... Love the wall color ~ it is a cheery welcome to this wonderful room... Sweet old refrigerator in the corner... By now I am sure you are saying they have everything! They even have the kitchen sink... Of course while in the kitchen you need to have a cute apron on... I don't think their shop girl mannequin minds standing in that cute corner!! If you think having the kitchen sink was cool check this out... Cute little bath with some great vintage "stuff"... They don't just have one "powder room", they have two... Spied anything you just have to have yet? You can call ahead and put it on hold! They do a great job on their website showing you what's new and what has just sold. Whether you are looking for something shabby... Or unique... Or classically vintage... Salvage Chic has something for everyone! Take some time and visit Christine's blog too, "Diary of a Mad Antiquer". Love the blog name!! Of course you know I picked up a few treasures which I will show you tomorrow. Well, thank you Christine for letting me share your wonderful shop with my friends. And dear friends thank you for visiting today and when you visit Salvage Chic let them know I sent you!

looking for inspiration...

Well it is halfway through the summer of 2010 and I find myself feeling the same way I do every year at this time. While I am very, very lucky to be able to be at home and enjoy every single summer day either at my home or at my campground I have a feeling of being unsettled, disorganized, unproductive and uninspired. Do any of you feel the same way? I do not want to wish the rest of the summer away but I am eager to get back to being creative and doing some dreamy white makeovers and I want Jim to help me revamp my booth. I need to remind myself that the rest of the summer will fly by on it's own and any big booth makeover "will have to wait 'til fishing season is over". So with all that in mind today I plan to relax on my back porch and browse through one of my favorite books while I soak in some sun and some inspiration... Although my back porch is not as fabulous as this... Or this... I will be reminding myself as I relax that it will someday... Right now, today is a beautiful, sunny day and I should sit and enjoy it... It is time to breathe in some fresh air and some inspiration for my living room...

And my bedroom...Hmmm ~ do you think if I get a pillow with a fish on it he will help me with the booth makeover sooner... I don't think so either! So for now I will sit and enjoy the day... Summer is here for a short visit and soon enough I will have my craft room back to being organized and ready for new projects and my inspiration board will be full of new ideas for my booth and Etsy shop. Well, thank you for visiting and listening today. As I type this post I am feeling better already! Blogging has brought so much to my life ~ wonderful new friends, inspiring ideas for my home and my booth as well as new dreams to tightly hold on to along with my old dreams. Thank you to Victoria's book "At Home With White, Celebrating the Intimate Home" for all the beautiful photos I am using today that are full of dreamy whites so I could join in on White Wednesday over at Faded Charm. Hope you all have a relaxing, inspiring day!!

personal shoppers...

It has been a while since I visited Linda over at Coastal Charm where she hosts Nifty Thrifty Tuesday so today I thought I would join in on all the fun. Have you ever had a personal shopper? How about a personal shopper that loves to go thrifting? Well I happen to have two!! My good friend Sue from our campground and her Mom, Martha have been spoiling me with wonderful treasures lately. Just look at what they have found for me... How sweet is this pink cookie jar! It will go perfect with the pink "Patisserie" sign that I got from Paula. Ok, ok...the cookies will be from the store...you know my secret. At least they might look homemade if I put them in this sweet jar. Oh and look at the other two pink pretties that came with it... Look at the sides...

These will be perfect storage in my craft room (which so needs a makeover). Knowing I love all things pink and rosy, check out this lovely dish...

I have been looking for a petite dish to fill a little wall space in my bathroom ~ hopefully it works! Then, just when I need new pillow shams for my bedroom look what came next...

I just love white linens on my pillows! I know I should have ironed them but I was so excited and wanted to show you them this morning! I have also been looking for old books. Old and worn with aged to perfection pages. Books with wonderful covers, illustrated or plain. Books with covers falling off so I could make up some book bundles for my home and my booth. My personal shoppers didn't even know these were on my list but look what they found for me... What a perfect patriotic trio!! And just in time for the holidays, the green one (which just happens to be "Tale of Two Cities" by Dickens) will be added for a simple holiday vignette... For now I have the red one nesting here... And the others here... One night around the ol' campfire Sue mentioned that when they moved into their house they found some old letters. She has let me borrow them to share with you ~ look how wonderful they are... There are dozens of them post marked from 1923 to 1924 some with great old 2 cent stamps. Old letters and telegrams to street addresses and hotels in Rockport, Fall River, New Bedford and Taunton...

I have not read them yet but I am imagining they are holding a romantic love story from the past. I am going to take my time and gently read through them soon and share the secrets they hold with all of you. Maybe I will come across some old photos to go along with the words. Thank you to Sue and Martha for thinking of me while out treasure hunting. Your thoughtfulness touches my heart! Also, thank you for visiting today to see our thrifty finds ~ and thank you Linda for hosting this nifty get together over at Coastal Charm! Enjoy your day ~ I am off to make my wish list for my personal shoppers!!

slightly shabby...

Happy White Wednesday everyone! I finally got around to painting up a couple of yard sale finds just in time to fill a few empty spots in my booth. Remember these two... Here they are now...

I gave them a shabby coat of white and slightly distressed them. Now this beautiful clock is saying that it is time to announce the winner of my giveaway...

I have actually been hinting at who the winner is. It is the lovely newlywed Victoria over at Slightly Shabby!! Congratulations! A $40 gift certificate to CSN Stores and a little Marie Antoinette inspired surprise from me will be heading your way! Thank you to everyone who entered! Now go have fun over at Faded Charm where Kathleen hosts the best day of the week! Also, don't forget to stop by Slightly Shabby and say congrats to Victoria too!

summer beauty...

Today I thought I would share some of the artwork around my home. You know I love vintage mirrors and have quite a collection feathering my nest but I do have some beautiful prints too. I inherited them all from my Mom except two (one that she bought for me and one that she helped me pick out!). They all are quite special to me, each with it's own memory. Like this one she bought for me when we moved into this house and I needed something over the mantel...

Then, there were two fabulous prints in the Ballard catalog that I had been eyeing forever. After saving and saving, their artwork went on sale and she and I picked this one out together... I just love the colors in this! I am going to be repainting my front door this fall with a shade from the door in this print. Has anyone noticed that my fall to do list is getting longer and longer?! Another to do on that list is to tidy up the downstairs and give you all a tour. I showed you my old fashioned yellow bathroom already but I promise to show the rest soon. Just a little peek now to show you this beauty that hung over my parent's mantel. It was the first thing I saw walking through the door each time I visited...
It rests atop the mantel on the fireplace in my downstairs living room. I've told you before that we bought the house Jim grew up in. I'm pretty sure his Dad and Grandfather built this fireplace. My Mom had this next one in her den or her "garden room" as she liked to call it. She bought it because it reminded her of my daughter Jaclyn when she was little... You know it reminds me of her too. This next one my Mom bought when Jaclyn and I used to watch Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea together. It reminds me of scenes of Anne and Diana spending time together sharing their secrets and dreams with each other...

All of these prints are light and airy with flowers in bloom showing off their full summer beauty. Thanks for stopping by today for a little stroll through my art gallery! Before you go, don't forget to enter my giveaway. It ends today and I will announce the winner tomorrow. Have a wonderful day!