Reuse!

Here's another way to go green...reuse! I applied this method with the flowers that were used in my daughter's wedding last November. She chose hydrangeas, which are a wonderful flower to dry and use in arrangements. I chose to make a grapevine wreath with some of the hydrangeas left from her wedding. This is a shot of her bridal portrait that sits on our piano. Notice her bouquet of hydrangeas. Hydrangeas were used in all the floral arrangements throughout the wedding and reception decor, so I had a lot of flowers to work with.


After the wedding was over, I took the flowers and placed them in vases--no water--and allowed them to dry. Once dry, I took a grapevine wreath and attached the dried flowers. Here is a pic of the finished project. (That odd looking strip in the center of the wreath is actually the side of her bridal portrait. I have the wreath propped against the side of her portrait, creating a 'wedding' vignette.)

Do you have something lying around your house that can be reused, repurposed and given a new life?

Going Green...Renew

Going green is a fast growing trend right now, and a good one! In hopes of encouraging others to travel the 'green' route, this week I'm going to post some ideas on how I'm greening up my life. There are several ways to contribute to the green movement. My first example is one of RENEWING!

We are in the process of building an outdoor room. I have lots of outdoor furniture to use in my future space, but most of it is showing it's age. Rather than buy NEW furniture, I decided to RENEW what I already have on hand. Here is a pic of my wood patio furniture before I gave it the 'green' treatment.

See? I told you it was showing it's age! But check out how it looked after I gave it a fresh coat of stain.
And this is after only ONE coat of stain! I'm thinking I'll apply two, just to make sure all the dry wood is amply covered.

Stay tuned for more 'going green' tips!

Once a Week Wonder!

That's me! I don't know how you bloggers do it. Blogging daily, that is. If I can squeeze a once-a-week blog, I'm setting the world on fire. Pitiful, I know. But I'm grateful to all of you who take time out of your busy schedules to blog daily, and to those who stop by to see what's new at Cow Palace.

To give you an update on what's happening, I've been scouring the countryside in search of new items to place in my booth. I've been to Dallas, to Tyler, to Waxahachie, to Austin, to...well, I've been a lot of places! I've been putting miles on my truck---oops, sorry, honey, YOUR truck. And I've been coming home with LOTS of loot! Check out some of the vignettes currently in my booth:

Is this not the cutest vintage apron you've ever seen?! Blue and white, handmade, and ready to wrap around YOUR waist or decorate YOUR kitchen! Behind the mannequin, is a peek at a really cute table runner...brick red and appliqued with sunflowers. I also have matching placemats!
Okay. You're right. If you've been in my booth lately, you've seen these gorgeous canisters, as well as the darling crocheted apron. I can't believe they are still there! When I acquired the canisters for my booth, there was a price tag on the largest canister that read $89. And I've priced the ENTIRE, four-piece set for $75! And they are blue and white! I know the picture is a little blurred, but if you look closely in the lower right-hand corner, you will see some pieces of Hadley pottery. Straight from Lousiville, Kentucky, and highly collectible!
This piece, too, has been in my booth a couple of weeks. If you missed seeing it, it's because it's tucked in a corner and loaded down with other treasures. This piece was designed as an outdoor accessory...perfect by the barbeque grill or for serving drinks on the patio. Handmade and on casters. Who could ask for more?!

You can't see much of this piece of furniture. It's loaded with all kinds of what-nots and vintage pieces of china and pottery. But it's a beautiful china cabinet, with a hutch on top and storage below. And it's seeking a new home!

Are you seeing a pattern here? First, I mention all the NEW treasures I've been finding and hauling home. And I'm only showing you things that are already in my booth. It's because I need room for all the new 'finds!' To create that room, I'm sponsoring a BIG Memorial Day Sale!! So drop by Paply's Gifts and Antiques this weekend and look for the US flag markers that indicate the items on sale. Many of the vendors are offering sales this upcoming holiday weekend, so make a point to stop by Paply's. And take home some treasures! You'll be glad you did...and so will your pocketbook. :>)

Look what's new!

If you haven't dropped by Cow Palace's booth at Paply's Antiques in the last week, then you are in for a BIG surprise! I've brought in a lot of new merchandise and my space is near bursting!
The first item is a wingback chair made by Sherril, a high quality furniture manufacturer. The chair and matching ottoman are currently upholstered in a flame print of blues, grays and brick red, but would be even more beautiful re-upholstered in a fabric to match YOUR decor!
And this display cabinet! Have you ever seen a piece as gorgeous as this? I found this beauty at an estate sale in Dallas and hauled it back to Killeen. It has a huge glass front and glass doors on both sides for loading your treasures, plus drawers and doors for storage below...with a key, no less! I currently have the cabinet filled with vintage glass and crystal...punch bowl, wine and tea goblets, platters, vases, candelabras, even a clock!

This next piece isn't new, but it is definitely worth mentioning. I placed it in the booth a couple of weeks ago, and I just know that it is going to find a new home soon. I can just imagine in a bathroom, billed with fluffy towels and beautiful linens. The bonus? You can check out your reflection in the mirrored door, after dressing for the day!

Mother's Day!

As a mother, I feel totally justified in adding a hearty "Amen!" to that statement. I have two of these pillows in my booth at Paply's Antiques and Gifts, but I'll bet a dime they won't last through Mother's Day weekend!

And yet another pillow perfect for Mother's Day! This one is a tapestry design and has an added garden theme. And is that not the cutest teapot you've ever seen sharing the spotlight with the pillow? It is so totally 'shabby chic!' Delicate porcelain, adorned with scrolls, dainty pink roses, and a gilt handle...it looks like Lenox, but it's not. The teapot can be found in my booth at Paply's Antiques and Gifts, too. And speaking of shabby chic...these plates are oh-so-perfect for shabby chic decor! The feminine gathering of flowers in pastel hues and the plate's scalloped edge would make a beautiful statement in a shabby chic dining room or kitchen.

Are you familiar with this Wedgwood pattern? I had never seen it, prior to purchasing it for my booth at Paply's. The pattern is called 'Medallion' and I have a variety of pieces, including dinner plates, bread and butter plates, salad plates, cereal bowls, serving pieces and more! The accent colors are gold and a dark green. Beautiful!

This Wedgwood pattern is called 'Quince.' It would make a gorgeous Thanksgiving table...or any tablesetting, for that matter. The plus to this particular pattern that it is oven-to-table. So convenient for the busy cook!

Here's wishing all you mothers in blogland a wonderful Mother's Day surrounded by family, love and laughter!

Valentine's Day

Today is Valentine's Day, but we started our celebration a little early. Last night we had some friends over for dinner. I went a little crazy decorating for the occasion, but the results were well worth the hours spent preparing for the event. Our guests were greeted at the front door with this:A giant, red tin heart, with streams of pink satin ribbon and beaded hearts.

Here is a shot of the dining table and the centerpiece.

How fun! The 'love birds' were a 25th anniversary gift from my mother (Lladro) and took center stage, perched upon a glass pedestal cake plate. Beneath the pedestal is a Brighton glass tray with silver hearts for handles. I scattered pink and red glass hearts over the tray top. A variety of glass candlesticks added to the festive look. I placed bobeches over the candlesticks for additional bling. Red candles were inserted into the taller candlesticks, white candles stand in the shorter ones. Red silk shades with a glass bead border adorn the tops of yet another pair of glass candlesticks. You can see only a bread plate of the dishes I chose to use. It's Shakespeare in the Country and is a red transferware pattern that once belonged to my grandmother. It's colors offered the perfect backdrop for a Valentine dinner. For my flowers I chose tulips and roses and arranged them in silver cups. They almost look as if they were planted there! The red goblets were purchased at Dillards several years ago, but I can't remember the pattern name. The glass coasters were scored at Goodwill years ago and there were twelve in the set. What a find! I used my kitchen island to serve as a buffet. This photo is before the food was set out. (No time for pictures once the food was ready.) The white ironstone pitcher was a flea market find and is filled with pink tulips and pink stock...love the fragrance of stock! I spread a cloth of joined yo-yos over my granite countertop. Each row of yo-yos is made out of a different fabric, all in red and/or white.

And the food...delicious! I cut heart-shapes out of wheat bread, spread them with cream of mushroom soup and tied a strip of bacon around them. After baking at 250 degrees for almost 2 hours, they were just the right crispness and filled with flavor. Our main course was an unbelievable chicken casserole, wild rice and cranberry salsa. For dessert, I served Chocolate Ganache Cake. Yummmm!

Hope your Valentine Day is as wonderful as ours!

Busy Bee a Buzzzzzzing

I have been so busy lately. One project seems to lead to another, then another, and yet another. I crocheted this afghan/throw for my daughter and her new husband. It's actually the second one I've made in this pattern, and I have to say I love it! The pattern is free and offered at the Lion Brand website. The name of the pattern is Crochet Sampler Afghan. It's made up of three different patterened squares, then joined together, with a picot added around the border. I've also busy at my booth in Paply's Antiques. This is a picture of a lampshade I made out of tulle and ribbon, tied on a vintage shade form. The ribbons create the perfect spot to slip photos for display.

I just added this vintage fireplace mantle to my booth today. This isn't a very good picture, but I wanted to snap one quickly before I left. There is a mirror inserted where the logs would be, so that it can be used as a faux fireplace. It's simply beautiful with a cluster of lit candles placed in front.

And here is something else I recently added to my booth. Isn't it wonderful?! I don't know it's age, but I believe it's from the 1950's. It currently is painted beige, with chrome legs and handles. That's the way I found it, and I left it that way, thinking someone would want to paint it to match their personal decor. If it doesn't sell soon, I may paint it myself. What color, though? A warm yellow? Fire engine red? Decisions, decisions, decisions.
And did you notice the shelf or tray that raises for an serving area? The second photo displays it in its lifted position. This would be a wonderful piece to add to a kitchen or a patio and used to serve food and drinks.

While I've been in crochet-mode, I whipped up several bracelets for my daughters and nieces for Valentine presents. I used an ecru thread on some and adorned them with vintage buttons---think charm bracelet, as that is the effect of the finished product. I also placed a couple in my booth at Paplys Antiques. If you're looking for a Valentine present for your sweetheart, it would certainly be a treasured gift. I also have these in my booth...

Sequined slippers! I have them in pink, yellow, blue, green, ivory and peach. There may be a pair in UT orange left, though that particular color sold really quickly.

Well, I better buzzzz on out of here. I've got a Valentine dinner to prepare!