Joys of Junkin'

Well, I wanted to share with you one of my favorite "Junkin'" spots! I can't
help it ladies, but this is fun stuff (most of the time!) People are always wondering where did we get this, or that display piece in the store, or something in my house, and most of the time it comes from my "local" favorite shop Lene's Web in Oak Harbor. Marlene is the owner of "the junk barn" as my children like to call it, and she has an abundance of stuff - - and I do mean abundance! On the bottom of Lene's sign it says "Treasures and Trash" and she is not kiddin' - there's a lot of diamond's in the rough out there - but it is well worth the trip! It never fails, that when I go I find a chair that I just have to have!! Check out these pictures that I took this summer........













Lene's Web is located at 11313 West Elmore Eastern Rd, Oak Harbor, OH and the phone number is 419-898-4699. When you see the big red barn - you'll know you are in junk heaven!











Chairs - gosh, I can't get enough of them! I think that my husband will croak if I bring home another.....but can you blame me? I believe that I have purchased seven chairs from Marlene over the past 3 years, pretty crazy! But look at these beauties that just need a little attention and new fabric - gorgeous!










I love the dressers that you find at Lene's Web. They are painted, or not, and they have such character! Sure, you may need a new leg, or a new paint job, or a good cleaning, but - you'll have a keeper that, for the money, will be a better piece of furniture than something five times the amount you spend here!













Just recently I've been hunting for vintage linens. With all of our tea parties and, just a frustration in finding really different tablecloths, I've started searching the piles at Marlene's. This was a great find - check it out when it's open. Won't that be pretty layered on top of another tablecloth? There were two, so I gave mom one to see if it will work on the navy checked sofa for her "Williamsburg room"

I spy a couple of cool plates to hang on the wall somewhere......hmmmmmmmmmmm.....
















Kind of an odd piece at Lene's was this Greek frieze of a Chariot and soldiers....I'm thinking that I should have picked this up for the garden somewhere (I'm hoping that it is still there, I have a gut feeling that it will go somewhere, sometime........but I'm not sure when!) This last little table went home with my friend Cheri the day we went here - it's on her front porch and it is cute as a button on her porch, against her white home, black wicker furniture and red geraniums - very cool!




Well, it's going to be a great weekend, so maybe you can hit up Lene's Web - check and see if she'll be there first!! If not, you can always come visit Karrie and I!

This week we have been getting everything around to do our yearly trek to S.C.R.A.P. (Sandusky County Restorers of Antique Power) at White Star Park in Gibsonburg. If you are looking for something to do this beautiful weekend, besides Junkin', and you like to look at tractors (I know that might be pushing it for some of you!!), come on out for some inexpensive entertainment and great food. Go get some of Mary Groweg's famous homemade ketchup, have the kids/grandkids ride the "train" and make a rope, and keep time with some fancy fiddle playing! For more details on S.C.R.A.P. click on the link above!

When the Cat's away...

Hello! Thanks everyone for stopping while Karrie was on vacation! I had a lot of fun visiting with all of you! Those of you who came, know of my "projects" that I started last week while Karrie was gone, so I thought I'd share them with the rest of our readers. About a year and a half ago Karrie and I started painting the walls on the main floor. We finished this spring with the back half, but never finished up the stairs up the attic, so we got them done this week......this she wasn't surprised about! The big surprise was the floor in the back. We had painted it 9 years ago when we moved in, and it was in need of something. Last year I sketched out a design plan to re-vamp the back, and painting cobblestone on the floor was something that I always wanted to do, so...you guessed it!! Check out the pictures!

The first thing I did was to tape off some cobblestone looking stones. When I lifted the tape after painting, I was hoping that the worn floor beneath it would look like the grout.


















Next I took plastic grocery bags and scrunched them up and dabbed them into paint and "pounced" paint onto each stone. I had three colors, so I varied the paint from stone to stone.
















After it dried I removed the tape - and voila - c'est magnifique!






























By the way - Karrie loved it when she came in Saturday afternoon - and yes, she was very surprised!!




INDUSTRY NEWS
Every week I get emails from our design, home decor, and gift industries. They tell me everything (and more) I need to know about what's going on with everyone. Every week I think, "Gee, I should share this with our blog friends!" So, guess what, I'm going to start to let you know what's happening - so you can "be in the know" with everything.
First off, I am sad to let you know that Fenton Glass will "cease it's operations over the next few months." I couldn't believe it when I read this last Friday. Fenton has been around since 1905. I remember what a big deal it was to have a Fenton piece of anything! We carried a few lamps several years ago and did well with them. It's sad to see a company that's been in business for 100+ years go. Well, if you have some Fenton pieces - hold onto them!


Other news in the business world was that Restoration Hardware is reorganizing and will be eliminating 100 positions at their corporate offices. This sort of surprised me. I don't know about you but, when I get these magazines in the mail (especially Pottery Barn) I think, how can they afford sending out these magazines once, twice, even three times a month out to everyone????
Let me tell you that 2007 has been a big year for company closings and reorganizations in the home decor/design industries. Things have really been tough out there! I know locally we had some really neat shops close that I absolutely loved to shop at! Do me a favor, and tell all of your "fave" shops how much you love and appreciate their shops - everyone needs your support in this crazy economy this year!


Next, the New York Gift Fair was last week, and we always get to see what the "HOT" new "in" things are. Let me tell you something.....Karrie and I usually jump on these new trends, then they will sit in the store for two years until anyone in our area says "gee isn't that new and terrific!" So, we usually try to hold back, or ease a trend or color in with the "old, comfortable looks" everyone is familiar with.
I will tell you, however, that this is a trend that we will NOT jump on - check it out:
According to our email there were "recurrence of pink in many showrooms, very reminiscent of a western sunset or even the stucco homes that dot the landscape"
I think we will leave that "out west" look on the blog only!







You may love her or hate her, but Rachel Ray is everywhere! I don't watch her on
Food network very often, but I guess she always has this towel/oven mitt she throws over her shoulder.....well she calls it "Moppine" (and Italian/American term for towel). Well, there will be Moppine's in the store soon for all of you cooks out there. Ms. Ray is also having a bed and bath line. There will be New Jersey knit sheets in Stay-Brite tones, blankets in 8 colors and the "comfy sheet" - - - a moisture wicking sheet that also comes in a fitted sheet.



Guess who's back, and has still got it?!
My last bit of interest is that
Indiana Jones IV will be coming out in May 2008. Check out the link - it looks like a lot of fun!! Anyway, since Indiana Jones is such a big deal, JLA Home's youth division is linking up with Lucasfilm/Paramount for juvenile bedding, accessories, rugs, throws, and blankets. I guess there will be 4 or 5 different selections to choose from. So, if your looking to re-do little Johnny's room, hold off until Indie comes on the big screen, this will be bigger than "Pirates of The Caribbean" stuff that is everywhere for kids right now. The great part about this (unlike the Pirate theme), is that it will flow over into the home decor industry as well. Look for lots of trunks, and British colonial looks to come back, at least for a little bit!!

Well, I hope you all enjoyed the latest in the industry news, I thought you'd all like to hear what's happening and what's to be expected, and don't worry, there will be no pink chickens in the store, for a long time!!

And the winner is......

Sandy Shoup of Helena Ohio - - - Congratulations! Sandy won a $100 gift certificate to the store - and is very pleased! Thank you to everyone who sent their pictures in! We had several entries, as well as four people who emailed pictures after the contest was over just for us to take a look. Karrie and I had a hard time picking - everyone did such a lovely job! Keep it up - the contest response went well, so we will do this again next year! We will have a display board up next week of Sandy's winning entry (hopefully) and we will get some of the other pictures up on a board for everyone to check things out - there's a lot of clever ideas out there!!
Just to let you know, Karrie will be on vacation next week, so I will be very bored and need a lot of people to talk to.......do I need to say anymore???? Stop on in and see all of the cool new fall stuff! SOOOOOOOOOOOO cute! We have these new screen art pieces that are so neat! It's such an original idea - you'll have to have them! Pumpkins, witches and black cats (with orange and black polka dotted bows) I'll get some pictures, and you'll see that you'll need to get in here and "get 'em before their gone!"

Cool off with Cool Savings

It's that time of the year! Time to take a dip into the store for some Cool Savings!
We started this coupon last year - and it went so well, that we decided to do it again! Isn't our bathing beauty cute - we've dubbed her "Miss August". If you didn't get the coupon we sent via email, and you didn't get a coupon in the store last month, you'll just have to copy our hip chick to the left here, and bring her in to get your 25% off one item during the month of August! I know August is a hard time to shop - you've all got school, vacations, fairs and reunions on your brain - but we do make it worth while - don't we!! Fall will be trickling out here shortly, it's been unbearably hot in the attic to bring down all of that new stuff up there!!
Enjoy your August - I'll be back this month with some pictures of this and that - of things I've wanted to share with you from my vacation!! We'll talk to you soon!