Happy Memorial Day

THANK YOU to our veterans and service men and women for making the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

May we NEVER forget.

God Bless America!

Plaques

A few years ago I stumbled upon one of these older metal plaques at a church rummage sale.

They were made by A.E. Mitchell Company or Zondervan Publishing during the 1920's and 1930's. They are light weight metal and are decorated with raised letters and floral designs. They are imprinted with various inspirational sayings or scripture on them.

This is the back:

Well that first plaque hung in the house for a while...that is until Hubby found out that they sell for a pretty penny of Ebay. So we decided to sell the one I bought at the church rummage sale. At the time I must have needed the extra money.
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Since that time we have found others, all bought on Ebay, when we could get one for a reasonable price. Since I love bible scripture, I love hanging them around my home.

This is the latest addition and it is my favorite right now. I love what it says. Mark found it for me and bought it for me as a present. The words really speak to me right now as I go through some tough times.

Oh How True!!

God Bless,
KayteeJane

Welcome to the Family

Meet our latest members....

This is Cooper and Bobby. They are Guinea Pigs. Cooper belongs to my oldest daughter and Bobby belongs to my youngest daughter.

Here is how it all began...

Who could resist such a passionate plea? I could! But my husband could not. So when he saw an ad on his favorite website (Craigslist) for a pig who needed a home, he jumped on it. Gaby named him Cooper and she was as happy as could be. Well little-sister Hannah was not so happy as she didn't have a pig of her own. So Daddy (being the softie that he is) went to the pet store and brought home another pig just for Hannah. She named him Charlie. Unfortunatly Charlie had a sickness and didn't last more than a few days. In comes Bobby - just sitting at the pet store waiting for a sweet little girl to take him home. And she did!

Hubby is happy that there are now more boys in the family than girls (if you can count boy animals that is). But the girls STILL rule!

Finished

I have finished painting my family room. Gone are the dark red walls and sectional sofa. The "Red Room" is now just "The Family Room".

This is a small room. The lighter walls and new furniture make it feel bigger. This is the room where we watch television and spend most of our time together.

We got rid of our tan sectional sofa. I will never buy another sectional again. They are just so big and bulky. We offered it up for free on Craigslist and got 15 calls within the first 10 minutes after posting it. Crazy! In its place are 2 EKTORP couches from Ikea. Love the removeable slip covers on those couches...perfect for a home with 2 kids. These were bought used from Craigslist.

The shelves have been filled with collectibles and family photos.

Some of my cream colored pottery and my collection of vintage cameras & old glass inkwells.

This is my collection of metal picnic tins. Years back I saw a similar collection on the pages of Martha Stewart Living. I swear that magazine has inspired so many collections for me over the years. I don't see these around too much at flea markets or yard sales. I usually scoop them up when I see them.

My hubby works for a sign manufacturer. Sometimes he brings home some neat things that are being discarded. This H sign was taken off the side of a bank building to make way for a new sign.

Old washboards replace traditional art.

Thanks for taking a tour! I enjoyed your visit.
XOXO,
KayteeJane

Painting

Seems like I am always doing some painting around here. This week I am enjoying some time off from work so I decided to paint our family room. We affectionatly call this room "The Red Room" because I painted it a bold red when we first moved into our house. No, it is not a scary room like in the movie "The Shining"!
Although I love the color red, I am ready for a change.

I didn't take any "before" photos but you can see the red at the top of the wall where I haven't painted yet. The white paint is primer. From what I have read on the internet, red paint is the trickiest color to cover, so that is why I decided to do a primer coat. It was also the trickiest to apply. It took over 4 cans of red paint to cover this tiny room and it still never really looked finished. I just quit after 4 cans because I was tired of spending money on paint.

The new color I chose is a light beige. Even with the primer on the walls the room looks bigger. As a person who typically buys bright colors of paint, this is a departure. Recently I have seen so many great looking rooms where the color scheme is neutral. The rooms look so fresh and comfortable, so I'm giving it a try.
Because we have been experiencing tons of rain here, I'm not sure how long the paint will take to dry. The people at Lowe's advised me not to paint today. I don't think I'm going to listen.  I see a ray of sunshine and some blue skies so I'm just going to go for it. Hopefully I will be back with more photos in a day or two.

Until Then,
KayteeJane

Being Schooled on Saturday Sales

One reason I love going "junking" each week is the ability to make such a small amount of money stretch such a long way. Most of the items I buy are very inexpensive, so I can start out with $20 and come home with several bags of goodies. For a girl who loves to shop, but hasn't always had tons of money to spend, thrift shopping satisfies my materialism, entertains me for a day, decorates my house and is also a lot of fun in the process. Not only can you score vintage or older things, it is a great way to buy toys, clothing, household goods, craft supplies and many other things at a fraction of retail. You just have to have an open mind and an adventuresome spirit. I found this cute vintage doll for $1 at a church sale. Love her outfit.

Each Saturday starts out the same for our family. We usually make a list of which sales we want to hit and on Saturday we get up early, dress in casual clothes and hit the road. Sales are usually listed in the Pennysaver or on Craigslist. I have also been known to follow a random sign for miles hoping to score something neat. My daughters get in on the act too, looking for Bratz dolls or a game they don't already have. My favorite type of sale to go to is an Estate Sale. These are the sales where an entire house's contents are for sale. I also like the neighborhood yard sales too. These are great because you can park your car and walk to several sales along a street or plan. Because I love to buy vintage things, I am sort of particular about which neighborhood sales I will shop at. I don't typically go to housing plans where the homes are newer and more expensive. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing bad about these sales. However in my experience I usually don't find too many antiques or vintage items at newer homes, so I avoid them pretty much. They are good if you are looking for toys, baby stuff or  household items. Not exactly sure why this is except that many of the people who live in these types of homes are younger families. I could be missing out on some good junk with this thinking, let me know if you have a different experience.

A great hand-embroidered table scarf. I will probably make this into a curtain. It was 50 cents.

I prefer to go to sales in middle-class neighborhoods that are well established. These are the best places to score good vintage junk. If you can find a sale in the home of an older person who is looking to downsize, then you will most likely find something cool. Today we hit a sale at an older home. Most everything that was for sale was vintage and with cheap prices! I bought these Fire King bowls for 25₵ each. I also bought an entire box (40+) of vintage sewing patterns for $4.00. These will be used in craft projects. I love the great graphics on the packages from the 1960's.

I also bought these fabric remnants there for 50₵ each. Much cheaper than at the fabric store. My daughters want to learn to sew. I won't mind too much if they cut this fabric wrong when it was so inexpensive to start with.

 These last 2 items were found close to home at a retail store that hosts a sale before shop hours on Saturday that they call a "garage sale". At this sale the store owner sells "dead" merchandise at deeply discounted prices. The store is located across from a Dunkin' Donuts. While I was in DD getting my morning caffeine shot, my hubby was shopping at the "garage sale". If he hadn't have gone there, I would have skipped it. I figured I wouldn't find anything there because of it being a gift shop. Well I was schooled today. He found this awesome door push-bar from the original grocery store that used to be located in that building. It is for Town Talk Break. These go for high dollar on Ebay so we might sell it, but we are considering keeping it to put on our own door. We like those great old advertising signs that are a little piece of long-gone local history.

These also came from there. I have been looking for these for months to use in craft projects to sell. They also sell for more than I want to spend on eBay. I paid $3 for the entire box. See, thinking "outside the box" sometimes and visiting sales you normally wouldn't go to can yield some great finds.

You may think I might be one of those people you see on the show "Hoarders" based on all the junk I bring home. Well, I also get rid of stuff regularly too. Some things I use for a while, enjoy and then pass on to someone else. I donate to charity and I also sell at yard sales, flea markets and online. I use some things that I buy in craft projects too. I do have to make an effort to purge now and then so that my home doesn't become too cluttered. But to me it is mainly the thrill of the hunt that I enjoy so much. If you live local, I am selling a lot of things that I no longer want anymore at a yard sale next Saturday May 21st. The address is 38 Crystal Drive, Oakmont PA if you are interested. I sell mostly older, vintage things.

So, get out there and hit some sales. No matter what you treasure, collect or are looking to buy, you just never know what you might find. Yard sales and garage sales are a great way to get out and be social with your neighbors and find some great deals!

Weekend Junk

This past Friday and Saturday I went to a church rummage sale, 3 estate sales, a barn sale and some yard sales. It was great fun. Now that spring is here, there are lots of sales to hit. I don't need anything, but it sure is fun when you find something new!

Here are some treasures I brought home:

A "Big Ben" clock and a daffodil cookie tin.

Wicker Basket. If you know what these were used for, please let me know. Where they used at funeral homes?

Tins. The Lard Tin was a Mother's Day gift from my husband.

Cute wicker lamp. I spent a little more on this than the rest of my junk, but I really like it.

Double Sided Checkers & Chinese Checkers Board. This only cost 10 cents!

Here it sits at home with some other "junk".

Glass Cannister Set. I have a soft spot for vintage painted glass. Especially when it is painted with flowers.

A vintage tin picnic basket to add to my collection. I didn't have one with fake basket weave & wood grain.

A metal napkin holder.

A "Simply Shabby Chic" pillow for 50 cents

A crazy quilt patchwork pillow for 50 cents. Please ignore the hay and scooters in the pic :)

Hope everyone had a great Mother's Day. I did and will share one gift in particular next time.

Have a great day!

KayteeJane

Thank You Teachers

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. In honor of those teachers who have touched my life and the lives of my daughters, I am sharing some of my vintage school supplies.

Being a teacher is no easy job. I know this because I am also a teacher. Much is made in the media these days about what teachers don't do. I want to say thank you to teachers for all that they do do.

Good teachers decide to go into the profession because they want to help children and make a difference. It sounds like a cliche, but many educators do what they do because they have passion for the job.

Teaching isn't a 9-5 job as some would believe. A teacher's day doesn't end after the kids go home. Teachers spend many evenings and weekends preparing lessons, grading papers, calling parents and attending board meetings, sporting events and recitals

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A teacher wears many hats. They are nurses for those students who come to school sick. They are counselors for those students who need someone to listen. They are advocates for those students who come to school without a winter coat or with an empty stomach. They are stand-in mothers and fathers to all of our kids while our kids are in their care.

Many teachers spend alot of their own money buying school supplies, decorations, treats and rewards for their students and classroom. Thank you to those teachers who will spend their hard-earned money so that during the hours between breakfast and lunch, a hungry kid can have a snack or a student will be acknowledged on his or her birthday with a pencil and a treat.

Teachers in the 21st Century are trained not only in the 3 R's, but in how to keep our kids safe in case of harsh weather, violence, terrorisim, or bullying. They need to know about Autism, ADHD, speech disorders, emotional & behavioral issues and many other things that kids deal with. They are trained in CPR and first-aid - like how to use an epi pen on a student who is allergic to peanuts.

Teachers are just like you and I. They have their own families at home relying on them. Many teachers go from teaching a class of 25 to doing homework with their own kids around the dining room table.

So not just this week, but every day, I want to say thank you to all of the teachers out there who believe that each child is somebody's son or daughter and a gift from God. Thank you to those teachers who will encourage our children and teach them that they are valuable, worthy and special.

Thank you teachers!