Furniture Shopping and Hints of Fall

I mentioned in a previous post the our youngest now has his own apartment. This is his first unfurnished apartment so we gave him some of our furniture and are now on the hunt for new kitchen chairs. It has been more stressful and time consuming than I thought it would be. Here's the style I had in mind:

 

 

However, DH had a different style in mind:

As you can imagine making a decision is not easy-LOL! We will eventually find something that we can agree on!

We are getting rain today but I had to water over the weekend and was happy to see this beautiful goldfinch enjoying the mint flowers. Bet he had good smelling birdbreath after that meal!

 

I'm trying not to count my mini pumpkins before they're harvested but I love seeing the Baby Boo's forming on the vine.

 

 

Finishes

Finished and framed! The last design from the first year of the Prim Sister's Club.

Design by Pineberry Lane

My friend Leslie stocks up on great old frames whenever she comes across them and I've started doing the same. I was happy to repurpose this rustic pine frame and loved its warm patina with the Prim Sisters piece.

Design by Brenda Gervais

The second piece is one I finished probably two years ago, I'm embarrassed to say. I just couldn't find a frame that would work with this piece so I had it framed at Michaels. Both will go in my laundry room which overlooks our fenced in vegetable garden.

I was bit by the cleaning and organizing bug.

I know it's time for a sweep when I dread walking into my craft room because it's so disorganized and messy. Now I love opening the door and actually being able to see the carpet!

 

Moving day for our son! Setting up a new apartment means hitting local thrift stores and rummage sales, as if I need an excuse. It also makes me feel old when I run across pieces that we owned 30 years ago that are now considered to be "antiques".

A Summer Weekend

Don't the weekends just fly by?  We hit the road early Saturday to be among the first to browse the booths at the Bingham Waggoner antique show in Independence, Missouri. Leslie and I have rented a booth at the show for many years, but decided to forego the booth this year and just concentrate on shopping.

 

 

 

A trip to Independence is not complete without a stop at Brown's Emporium. It may look a little nondescript on the outside, but inside is brimming with well stocked, artfully arranged booths.

 

 

 

 

For most, the 4th of July marks the middle of the summer, but to me, its the Bingham-Waggoner show. There are many hot, summer days ahead, but once this show is over my thoughts turn towards autumn. 

 Today I finished a little piece from Notforgotten Farm from the Primitive Sisters Club. Instead of framing this, I decided it needed to be a little pillow.

Hope you had a great weekend!

Lexington, MO

While rambling home from Arrow Rock I took the backroads and made a stop in Lexington, Missouri. Having missed lunch, my first stop was the River Reader where I enjoyed an excellent latte and homemade blueberry crumb cake. 

It was a sleepy afternoon on Main Street. 

Greeter at The Velvet Pumpkin

 

A shop with the unusual name of The Purple Turnip caught my eye.

As I looked at the display in the window I thought it looked like the work of Maggie Bononomi and wondered if she had a booth there, only to find that it is her new shop and studio space!

 

After a nice chat I left with an original Maggie carrot and the hope of returning to take one of her upcoming classes.

Here is my other find of the day. After recently whining lamenting I can no longer find vintage Army blankets, I actually found one in Lexington for $3!

The label identifies it as having been made in 1942!

Recharging

Sampler From Arrow Rock Visitor's Center

We are fortunate to live in an area with many charming small towns nearby. I think my love for small towns goes back to when I was growing up. We didn't go on big vacations, but my parents liked doing little day trips around Iowa. I still have wonderful memories of our visits to small town attractions such as Spook Cave in McGregor, Iowa, the Bily Clocks Museum in Spillville or the Nordic Fest in Decorah. So maybe that's why I still love the unique shops, museums, historic houses and festivals that give each town its flavor.

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of visiting Arrow Rock, Missouri. First stop was their excellent visitor center which explains the history of this one time bustling river town. The size of the town waned when it was bypassed by the railroad and it might have disappeared off the map. But through the dedication of its residents the entire town was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1963 and it is a treasure!

The Academy Boarding House

Artist George Caleb Bingham's House

Private Home

Best Lily Border Ever!

Even the Post Office was charming

1800's Security Doors

Love Old Wavy Glass

The uneven brick path really helps carry you back in time and you can imagine horses clip-clopping along on the road as you head downtown to do your daily shopping.

Well sandals kind of spoil the effect but I was glad to be wearing them instead of tight, button-up boots.

Tomorrow I'll show photos from my stop in Lexington.