After the Sale!!! New Goodies!!

I want to say first off…THANK YOU ALL MY FOLLOWERS…I see I’m at 580…WOW.
How did I get so blessed – I so appreciate each and every one of you so much – you all are why I keep doing my blog.

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I am so glad this week is almost over although the rest of the month is going to be busy as well but at least the Rummage Sale is DONE!

What a fantastic sale it was. We were surprised at what we sold – we can actually say we SOLD OUT!
We had just a tiny little box by the end of the sale on Saturday that we took to the thrift shop.

I had two guests who came from Illinois – I had met Carole at the Wilmot flea market a year ago and we found out we loved the same things and she knew also knew someone who worked at the little Prim shop by me and she was at the flea market with her  – Well Carole came and she brought a friend with her…Molly – who is a wonderful customer of mine (sent by Carole!) from the internet and she wanted to come and shop and meet me…I was thrilled to finally meet her and what a sweetie she is. And I must say she was eager to shop!

This is MOLLY on the left, me and CAROLE!
Nice backdrop huh????  Horrible garage walls!

The day started slow and we thought it was going to be a huge bust…it was a cold and windy day too – temps never reached over 65 the entire day – nothing like the 90+ days we had been having.

But I will say I’ve never had a rummage sale where the majority of the sales were $30 and over, and several sales were even 3 digits.
I think because of the kind of ad we put in the paper and the things we advertised it brought people who weren’t looking for the typical rummage.

Our business inventory went WAY DOWN…which was our goal. We’re trying to sell out what we can of the retail products and concentrate on our own products and also Hand Made products.
We sell a lot but always have too much inventory just sitting – not good business sense.
Yesterday the sale ended at noon and by 2:30 we were packed up, cleaned up and pooped!

Remember the pictures of the rummage in previous post – this is what was left Friday night – not much left for the Saturday sale.

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This last week I received my new calendar I’ve been wanting but just never can find it but I received an e-mail from Sherri Hinson that she had them and was selling them…It’s PURE AND SIMPLE…and just gorgeous.

And Sherri added a special little gift for me…a sweet ‘Harvest Blessings’ grunged towel – LOVE IT SHERRI…Thank You!

I was looking forward to today so I could just lay on the sofa and rest my horrible aching lower back and hips but instead we went to a street fair in Milwaukee (large crappy flea market)…nothing like walking miles with your back and hips hurting but I felt like he did so much here this week with the sale that I had better do something he wanted to do…So I stood it as long as I could (2+hours) and said this is what I want…a Hot Fudge Sundae, a Vicodin and the car!  I got it all!
I did buy a wonderful piece of jewelry – it’s a hand made necklace and for the life of me I can’t remember the name of the stone. It measures 1 and 1/8 x 1 and 5/8 – pretty good size and is bound with Sterling Silver. I took two different pictures in different light.

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But we had to grocery shop first before coming home because tomorrow we’re having company for afternoon lunch/supper.
I decided to serve them…BLT’s…I know it’s not company food but it sounds good and we have so many wonderful tomatoes we grew and want to use up…they’re coming on fast now and don’t want to waste a single one.
Plus I just love them…so that’s what we’re having.
I did buy Ribs to make…but changed my mind in the middle of grocery shopping. I can do that can’t I???
(this is not my sandwich…just wanted to make you hungry with a picture) 

I’m wishing I had more fun things to post about today but when nothing but the sale has happened this week it’s pretty hard to come up with something.

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Oh, Our friends who live in St. Kitts had Hurricane ‘Earl’ hit the island this past week but they didn’t get any real damage…lots of large palms down. They came out of it quite good compared to some around them…thank the Lord no one was hurt.
Linda was to fly out of St. Kitts on Wednesday the day of the storm…she was coming to the States to her sisters place and they were going to the Adam Lambert concert in Rockford, IL.
Well she made it in spite of the storms and last night they went to the concert…we’re waiting to hear if the trip was worth it – but knowing Linda she’d find something to make it worth the trip…there’s not a negative bone in that girls body!
So Linda…we hope you had the time of your life after risking your own life just to get here!
ADAM LAMBERT last night in concert.

So what’s happening in your part of the world on this holiday weekend?
I’ll be checking in on your blogs soon!
Hugs, Karen

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VEGGIES EVEN THE KIDS WILL LOVE.........Really!

 

Veggies that taste like a snack...........a snack you cannot put down

Like Potato chips but better tasting and a SUPER food, who knew? Who even thinks of Kale?

Who guessed Kale chips? Wait, stay with me! 

Not the ornamental kind but the variety found in the produce section or farmers markets

Ok, let's go, this is easy............Wash thoroughly. Cut off the tops, discard the lower stems. For a full baking sheet plan on approximately 3 heads

Separate the leaves from the stems, tear into bite size pieces.

Rinse well. Dry well.

Thoroughly coat with Olive Oil............... but lightly,  place on baking sheet and put in the oven at a preheated 450 degrees. Notice the leaves are mounded, no need for single layering.

Bake for 5 minutes, remove and stir to thoroughly mix. Return to oven for another 5-8 minutes until crispy but not browned. Sprinkle the kale with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and liberally with Kosher salt to taste. Stir well.

That is it...........I know it still does not look like a temptress. However the earthy flavor of the greens, crisped with a salty/sweet crunch is irrestible.

Better than popcorn, better than kettle corn and the best part, healthy........shhhhh don't tell them that part!

Ralph says it best!
xo
Debra

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I am SO not a decorator...

Fall is popping up all over the blogging world! It is my favorite time of year. I love the changing colors, and I *love* the cooling temperatures! I am not a summer person. In fact, I don't think I can even be a summer-decorating person! I love looking at pictures of all those beach-y cottage-y homes in the whites and pale blues...but it is just not me. I am a fall person all the way!

But...I haven't gotten out my pumpkins yet! And I do have a few (not many). But before I do get them out, I thought I might as well show a couple of things as they are right now--as long as you promise to understand that I am NOT a decorator! I am an engineer by training, a wife and mother and homeschooler by choice (most days), and a furniture painter by happy accident!

Do you remember this table that I painted? Well, it's still sitting right where I took the picture. I couldn't bear to sell it, and my husband has learned to walk around it! This is what it looks like today (crooked pictures and all):

I fell for the numbering craze along with everyone else! The tiny planters were $.25/each at Target. They used to be bright colors; I painted them black. I think Hobby Lobby supplied the greenery. The numbers were cut out of cardstock by my Cricut, and I used spray adhesive to attach them to the little planters. And the birds? Yep, they're from Dollar Tree. These were some of my first ever spray-painting projects!

The little galvanized metal & glass cloche was a garage-sale find. I am madly in love with it! (Don't tell my husband!) My daughter doesn't understand why I put one of a set of plants under it...I don't know why either. I just like it!


I also love these scales. The first one I bought is the one on the right, with the eagle on top. It was ugly brass when I found it, but I loved the shape of the thing. I sprayed it with Krylon's Oil-Rubbed Bronze spray paint, and it found a home on top of my bookshelves. The one on the front right came from DI--it got the same treatment. The one in the back (in its own case) was an auction find. I paid more for it than the other two put together--and I think I like it the least. Serves me right for getting caught up in auction fever!


Besides not being a decorator, I am also NOT a photographer. Regardless, here's the whole top of the bookshelf. I'm still not in love with it. I kind of scrambled to get some things up there after Christmas, and I'm not crazy about everything. I love the metal urn on the left, and the white urn on the right. They are old things I found at a local consignment shop, and they spoke to me. I like the tray and the platter, but I purchased those new, so they don't have the same appeal to me. Is it because I know 764 other people have the same things? Maybe.


Here's a picture I tried without the flash. It really is much prettier (and less out-of focus) in person!

Maybe I need to take a photography class!

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A little of this A little of that!

Well this has been a busy week and it’s not over yet!

Starting with Monday we had Emily and Joe for our last ‘Monday sitting’ – they started school yesterday (Wednesday) and were very happy to be back and they said hot lunch was ‘awesome’…lol
They sent us a picture taken just before leaving for school

 
Aren’t they getting big????

Then Doug and I headed into Milwaukee to JoAnn’s on Tuesday so I could get some more supplies and to use my wonderful ‘gift card’ – which I certainly did…wow did that ever help…I rang up quite a hefty bill!
I didn’t have to use any coupons this time either because their wool felt was on sale at 40% off – this is probably the 2nd or 3rd time it has been on sale in the years I’ve been sewing with it….so I took advantage of that for sure.
Canvas boards were also 40% off so I bought several of these.
I bought some 5x5 this time too – for some really small Presidents.
And then my usual DMC (53 skeins!).

Oh I totally forgot that we went to a flea market on Sunday and I found a couple wonderful items.
A $5.00 Pewter Pitcher and a $4.00 Rowe Pottery Crock
The pitcher isn’t really as bad looking as it appears…but it is very well used looking though.

I’m really backtracking here…last Thursday I had lunch with my best friends, Renea and Joyce -  they both had ordered some items from me so this was a good excuse to go to lunch.

So that afternoon we started right in getting ready for our Rummage/Craft Sale for tomorrow and Saturday.
Got the garage rummage priced and set up, and then yesterday and today we got the screen room business merchandise priced and set up.

And wouldn’t you know tonight it started raining and turned into a driving rain so we ran out and covered everything with plastic in the screen room – it was blowing in sideways through the screens…but we saved it!!! Now tomorrow we’ll have to hurry and push all the furniture and tables back into place – more work than we wanted but necessary to keep everything dry.

Everything isn’t in its place yet because tomorrow we’ll put lots of the rummage outside in the driveway and not be so cluttered in the garage.

So here are a few photos…and like I said…it’s kind of cluttered at the moment

 

Now on into the screen room for the business sale – my goodness this was hard to set up…there are no walls to use!

 

 

I really don’t know what this holiday weekend will bring for rummagers but normally the people having them have pretty good traffic so hoping for the best.

If there’s anything left that’s worth it, I just may have an ‘On-line Garage Sale’ after things settle down around here…I’ll let you all know.

September is going to be a heavy month here

• Our sale
• Family Golf Outing
• Craft show in Milwaukee I soooo want to go to
• Market Square Wholesale Cash & Carry in Madison
• My Nephews wedding
• Warren, WI CranFest – I thought Lititz had a huge show….this one has over 800 vendors
• 3 Birthday Parties in One
• Our Anniversary
• Our daughter in-laws birthday

And I’m sure there are a few other things I’ve forgotten…oh yeah…Doug will be doing some deliveries in between all these.

Now if I have forgotten to mention anything here that I was supposed to I’m sorry.
My head is so foggy the past few days with my back and hips hurting so – I’ve been taking something for it but the pain just wears me out completely and this is a good reminder of WHY I STOPPED HAVING MY IN-HOME SHOWS!

Have a safe and wonderful holiday weekend everyone.
If I’m not floating around blogland you now why!

I’ll leave you with a sweet picture…or is it a devilish picture?
Mr. Aidan

Hugs, Karen

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How to Combat Bedbugs

Well, if you don't know about the bedbug explosion - uh, the explosion of bed bugs, you've probably been unconscious for the last year. These small, biting bugs are voracious, very hard to kill and, if you listen to the news reports, almost everywhere. This would include hotels, movie theaters, retail dressing rooms, offices, dorm rooms, airports - you name it.

Eradicated for the most part by

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I was featured!

A big THANK YOU to I'm Topsy Turvy, Remodelaholic, and A Creative Space for featuring my bench!

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Basic Basil Pesto Recipe

I've encouraged you to try a flavorful and wonderfully aromatic pesto, so here is my recipe entry. It's basic but delicious. You can find all the ingredients at your local market with the possible exception of the pine nuts. They're more popular than they used to be, so try the gourmet section or the baking aisle where they keep the other nuts.

Pesto is best fresh, but you can freeze it in a

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