Shabby Jen: 2012

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Welcome Fall, and welcome friends!! Come on over and sit a spell.

See how I went from this, to fall.

I added a few very inexpensive fall decorations that I picked up at Family Dollar. They cost me $3 each!! Gracie likes the color.

I bought 2 different color garlands, a pick, a netted grouping of plastic gourds all at Family Dollar.

I just kind of tucked a long garland into my existing flowers. I like the pink in there still.

This is the garland that is more of the yellow and orange colors. I tucked it into my greenery garland that is secured onto my bench back. It really did add some nice fall feel to it. Don't you think?

Here is a close-up of my metal mannequin at the doorside.

I wrapped the other garland around it.

It really added the look here!

I am very pleased.

Would love a few large white pumpkins though. Would put them along the base of the stand.

Pretty, do you agree?

I took my birdnest out of this and replaced with a fall pick and the little plastic gourds.

Around the porch I added more fall colors. A $3 rusty color mum to my rusted blue tin. A $5 live arrangement to an old rusted metal planter. Notice I tucked in the BOO. I'll take it out after halloween.

My little flower bed is going to be so sweet too!! The plants I transplanted are really doing well!! I only added the mums that are in front of the tall wooden birdhouse, and the other little plants I can't recall the name of.

I added a couple of those winter califlower looking plants. I can never remember what they are called. Do you know what they are? If so, please do tell.

Look how well my Hydrangea are doing!! I clipped them off a neighbors bush last year. They made it through the winter and then they made it to my new place and are really doing great!!! I can't wait to see them in Spring! I sure hope they make it through Winter.

So that's it. Gracie and I have our porch all cleared off from our move. I have it decorated and today we are just chillaxin. Hope you leave us a note and tell us what you think and tell us what you are doing to you porch for fall.

Tootle loo for now.

Luv from Shabby Jen & Gracie too.

Here are a few links for you to look at. I have enjoyed them over and over.

Happy Fall Y'all!!

Friday, September 21, 2012

Getting Settled

Moving, seems to be the hardest word.

I was settled here. 1370 sq ft, tons of closets, large 15'x15' workshed, LARGE fenced in backyard. But the landlord was raising the rent and I just couldn't make it anymore. I wasn't finding a job and just couldn't keep it up. I prayed for something to happen. THEN...

I got a job!!!!!

THEN...

A dear friend had a friend with a "storage building" he would let me rent. Yep, a storage building.

It's a 1,000 sq ft little square building he built to store his stuff. Then his MIL was ill and he added kitchen needs, a bathroom and beautiful french doors to the bedroom. She passed on so he started using it for storage again. It was a mess, small and not too cute but had lots of potential and it was AFFORDABLE for me!! WOOHOO!!!!

How though, was I going to make it pretty?
How was I going to get all my STUFF in it?
Where was everything going to go?
How would it all work out?

I tossed those questions around about twice then jumped the gun and went for it. It was the answer to my prayer and I couldn't miss out on the blessing.

Then the hard part was to sort through all my STUFF and keep only what I had room for. That was so overwhelming! I would make piles. Keep, maybe keep, want to keep, don't have to have, sell, giveaway. The piles changed daily. It was so hard for me to decide. So I started moving over what I LOVED LOVED LOVED, and set in place.

I didn't want my quaint little room to change.

And I had so much room in my big workshed.

So I bought one!!! They moved it in.

I made it look like it was mine.

And the moving was going.... oh gee it was so overwhelming!! I mean look at this mess!

Finally, finally it was all falling together.

Using every single thing for a purpose. My tall bookshelf from my grandmother, and my huge fabric cabinet now became a partition in the living room. The other side is where my desk is. All of my books and fabric are in those cabinets. I was very inspired by Rebecca at A Re-Purposed Life

And my kitchen, I love it more here than I did in the other house. I love the floor.I love the nice new cabinets.

I still have my kitchen island I was inspired by Nicki at Vintage Farmhouse.

And I want to fill my china hutch with ironstone as I saw in Rebecca

I love how it's laid out, and how my things fit in place.

I'll share more pictures maybe again next week. I have a few finishing touches on a few pieces.

It's comfy to me. I can't wait to have a few friends over. Soon, soon I shall.

And Gracie is happy again too!! Oh, yes it was hard on her too! Her poor little nerves are so fragile. But I have a little fence up and she can watch all the neighbors through it.
She comes in and out now finally. At first she was very afraid.
And she LOVES the front porch.

We made it Gracie!!! We can breathe now.

I had a lot of help at the end from some good friends.

Thank you friends!

So, in all, we are very happy. Have a very happy day my friends.

Monday, May 7, 2012

Selling venues and events

May show has come and gone.

All that's left now is putting away all the small stuff and cleaning my workshop so I can start all over again.

I sell at this event only. But am considering doing a couple others, soon.

I rent a Uhaul trailer 5'x8' and fill it to the rims. I also load the bed of my truck and and the inside of my king cab, full of treasures.

I make some of my pieces. I always bring 1 or 2 of my Conservatories. At my events I always sell them for $150. This one went to the sweetest family with the 2 most polite and sweet children. I hope they love the conservatory for many years to come.

Other pieces I paint and embellish on. I bought 2 old wash stands this time in which the doors were completely ruined beyond repair. So I painted the pieces complete inside and out, and added some little fabric pieces to make a little curtain. This piece went to a very lovely lady with a beautiful shop in Brevard NC. Her name is Brooke and her shop can be seen at this link. I'm going to make a little trip out there and check it out in person. So I'll add a few photos of what I see, when I get back.

Setting up is always so much fun for me.

I do try to make it like a little mini boutique. And my customers seem to really enjoy it.

My closed sign. LOL

Now here are some of the sights around me.

I set up next to the sweetest most kindest couple I have ever met!!! Joe & Lisa. You can visit their website here. They are just adorable. And boy does Gracie love them too!!!

They have some of the prettiest silver pieces!! And such great prices too!! $5 for most!! WHAT!!! FIVE DOLLARS?? Yep, cheap right??? I mean look at the elbow she put into cleaning all that stuff!!! Just gorgeous.

Saturday at ICA, they hosted an appraisal auction. People were sure lined up for that event! Wonder what item was appraised for an outrageous amount? Wonder if anyone fainted in there from the sheer thrill of their finding!! I always wonder if I have anything worth a ridiculous amount, and would I try to sell it or would I keep it??

This is my friend Tammy, with Refunked Junk. Her shop is a permanent building there, and is so packed.

You can visit her blog here. Get ready for some awesome music while you are browsing her site. She doesn't get time to update it much. But it is an awesome blog!

She has some beautiful pieces of vintage furniture and sweet treasures.

It's an ecclectic combination of anything you would want to look at.

My sweetest friend of all. Love you Gracie. And everyone that gets to meet her thinks the same thing. She just loves being there with all the action. It's a little too hot for a little dog with a black furry coat. Bless her little heart. So she went for opening day and closing day only.

I hope you can come see us next month. We'll be in the same place. Lot #41 along the chain link fence to the right as you walk in the main gates.

A big thank you to

Visit me next at ICA

May 31 - Jun 3

Jul 5-8

Hours:

Thu - Sat: 9am - 5pm;

Sunday: 10am - 4pm

Friday, April 27, 2012

I'm in the mood for change.

Simply because I am.

Think I must have it bad too!!

It all started here with my porch.

Now I'm not done so this is just the start of it.

It all started with Cathy Scalice and her beautiful front porch.

I do things with pennies in mind. Pennies being, that is about all I am willing to spend. lol

Then came Rebecca Ersfeld ~ Oh My!!!

Look at all of her photos here (click here! Do it now Hurry!)

Here is my ugly old mantle that came from TN with me and has been hiding in the far corner of my yard, out of sight. I'm sure you will see why:

Oh don't worry your pretty little head. It won't be staying like this I assure you!! But Rebecca's kitchen photo really inspired me!!

Hey, here's something you might not have known, Rebecca use to sell things to Rachel A.!! I had no doubt in mind that when I looked first glance at Rebecca's blog, I was in love with her style. I bet you are too!! I told Rebecca that I think she is the Queen of Shabby!!! wink wink

Oh boy, then I was inspired by none other than Niki Morrow With The Vintage Farmhouse!!!

You can click here to go to her blog, and by all means hurry and go visit!!

See I saw how thrifty and wise she is with her pennies!! So I fell in love with her too!!

I fell in love with her kitchen island!

Well today on my junkin trip I found a piece of marble for $10!!!

Then suddenly I found this one!! And OMG you better get the tissues out. Because it's so beautiful that it will make you cry. I was laughing, crying, rolling on the floor, smacking myself in the face giddy over these photos from Jennifer Grey from The Old Painted Cottage ~ Cottage of the Month

click here to find out what made me so crazy!

You will not be sorry you clicked it!! I Pa~romise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Which led me to think of having it and making an island of my own.

So I also need my man, Johnny Depp. WELL!!! If you have your own island, you have to have Johnny Depp right? Oh well, wrong kind of island I know. But hey, it's my dream, let me live it!! lol

So I know I got a little corny on this blog post.

But I got so excited with ALL of the beauty! And yes I mean all of it.

I do hope you visit Rebecca and Nicki's blogs. They are such sweet women. I can't wait to start my projects. Both of them offered to help if I had any questions.

I bet they regret that by the first day I start on my plans.

Until next time friends, it's back to my paint. I have a show next weekend.

You know where to find me!!

International Collectibles & Antiques Show

WhenMay 3 – 6, 2012

WhereMetrolina Tradeshow Expo-- 7100 Statesville Road ~ Charlotte, North Carolina 28269 ()

DescriptionMORE INFO Hours: Thurs.- Sat. 9am-5pm Sunday 10am-4pm Regular Admission: $5.00 Seniors Admission: $4.00 *Thursday is dealer set-up day. We are open to the public on Set- up days. Be the first to meet the dealers and see what treasures await!

I'll be in space #41. I'm along the chain link fence as you walk in the entrance and then to your right. Look for my cute little tent space. I'll have many sweet little adorable little cutie pie tables, end tables, coffee tables, night stands and more. I'll even have refresher oils for my ever so famous Crystal Potpourri!!!