Smile, Please! Treasures from AAJMS Spring 2010 Show

"Smile Please" was a special photography book gifted to me by Kathy.

Smile, please! It's junk time! While at the AAJMS Show in early May, I picked up a few special things. A couple were gifts, a few were freebies, and two were special purchases.

Freebies from Rockler, a book and sculpture from Kathy, and a patinaed antique brass bath holder.

My friend, Kim of Rockler Woodworking and Hardware, was there to help teach people about their products. Must-haves for any junker or DIYer if you ask me!! She and my new friend, Linda, were handing out some great freebies. I can't wait to put the foam brushes and painter's pyramids to work! Where have those pyramids been all my DIY life?

One of my purchases was the the soap/sponge holder. It is made of brass and will fit with the vintage bath I will someday own! It has the perfect patina, shape, and design. Love it!

Kathy's creative handiwork.

Kathy of Sylvia's Vintage Daughter surprised all of us with her fabulous sculptures made from clock parts, buttons, keys, and wire. Quite ingenious and beautiful. Look at the close-ups for some of the special details...

The dial and numbers...awesome!

Vial of miniscule clock components.

A favorite key labeled "JUNKUNC BROS"...the perfect gift from one junker to another.

Thanks so much, Kim and Kathy, for making my junking trip a successful one. Now, there is one more thing I have yet to show you! It has quite the history!! Here is a photo teaser for you to ponder...

Any ideas what it is?

P.S. Want to see photos of the rest of the AAJMS show? View the AAJMS posts on my Junkologie blog.

Dinner Cruise for Two: An Anniversary Celebration

A diamond-studded corsage...a surprise from hubby.

May was a month for celebration. RJNJ and I celebrated our wedding anniversary by enjoying dinner on a Vista Fleet Harbor Cruise. Highly recommended if you ever get to Duluth, MN!

Thar she blows!

We enjoyed our time together over dinner and wine. Part of the trip was narrated to provide facts about the shipping and waterways around Duluth. It was very interesting!

It's the Vista Star...one of the Vista Fleet ships.

It was a crystal clear evening. A little brisk in the temperature yet, but that is typical May weather for Duluth.

A view of Canal Park from the ship.

Canal Park is full of shops, restaurants, and tourist venues. At the end of Canal Park, you see this bridge...

The aerial lift bridge.

Under that bridge is a short canal to Lake Superior. In its current position, cars travel across the bridge from Canal Park to Park Point. When a ship needs to come into or leave the harbor, the bells ring and the center part of that bridge raises up. It is quite a sight to see the 1000-foot ships come in through that canal and under the bridge!

The cruise was a wonderful way to celebrate our years together and our love for one another. RJNJ really is a special man, and I am grateful to have him as a husband. I look forward to many more years to come!

DIY Club June 2010 Project: Crystal Prism Cabinet Pulls

THE DILEMMA

Remember that medical cabinet (below left) that received the Decorator's Version of Health Care Reform? Well, while the upper part of the cabinet received some care, the lower part was still in ICU. It had one loose pull and one unattached pull. It looked like this (below right)...

 

I thought and thought and thought and thought and thought...how can I solve this dilemma in a unique and fun way? Enter...Gorilla Glue and some crystal prisms rescued from this lamp back in November of 2008.

Tutorial: Crystal Prism Cabinet Pulls

HERE IS WHAT I USED FOR THIS PROJECT:

1. Gorilla Glue Super Glue
2. 2 vintage crystal prisms
3. Original hardware (2 pulls and 2 bolts) from the cabinet (note: these pulls have holes in centers)
4. Scissors
5. Raffia saved from gift wrapping

PREPARATION

1. I always refer to Gorilla Glue's official "Glue Guide" to make sure I am using the right product.
2. For this project, the Gorilla Glue Super Glue was ideal because it is a small indoor project and it has only a 30-60 second drying time.

STAGE 1

1. Remove old hardware & wipe the area clean to remove debris.
2. Apply Gorilla Glue Super Glue to one pull, place carefully, and count to 30 while glue sets. Repeat for second pull.

 

STAGE 2

1. Fold the raffia in half to form a loop.
2. Estimate the length of the raffia to feed the loop through the hole in the center. Cut to length.
3. Twist the looped end of the raffia so that it can be fed through the pull.
4. Feed the looped end through the pull so that a portion of the loop appears at the front of the pull.

  

STAGE 3

1. Hang the crystal prism from the raffia loop.
2. Place the bolt inside the cabinet door right behind the pull opening. 
3. Pull the raffia gently until the prism is hanging where you want it.
4. Tie the raffia around the bolt.
5. Repeat for other pull.

 

There you have it!
A little glamour to "pull" you through!

{ Pun intended. }

Disclosure: Products for this project were provided free of charge from the sponsor.

Linking up to these fabulous parties!...

Do you have your June DIY Club Inc project ready? Enter your link here starting June 3 at 7 pm EST (6 pm central). For details on participating in the June party, visit diyclubinc.com.

Vintage Corner Hutches for the Dining Room

I've mentioned here and there about a change in the dining room. It all started with an innocent search on Craig's list. Okay, it wasn't that innocent. I knew what I was searching for. But with Craig's List, it's generally fewer hits and many more misses. You know the rules of the game though...if you don't search, you'll never know! Well my search for "corner hutches" came up with a hit! Perfect for my dining room. 

This is what the dining room looked like...

BEFORE...hooks and lanterns in each corner...

DURING...items removed from corners...

AFTER...vintage corner hutches in place...

LEFT SIDE...before, during, and after...

  

RIGHT SIDE...before, during, and after...

  

ONE LAST BEFORE...

ONE LAST AFTER...

What I like about the hutches is that they add tons of extra display above and storage below. They are currently just set in place. Until they are attached to the wall, it is unsafe to put much of anything in them. If you open the top or bottom door, the weight pulls the hutch away from the wall. 

We will need to remove the trim, place the hutches, attach them to the wall, and then cut and replace the trim. I also need to adjust the drapery rods by bringing them in away from the hutches.

Anyone come across any great Craig's List finds lately?

Linking up to Jen's Hook Up Your Hutch Party at JenniferRizzo.com.

* Remodelaholic: WhisperWood Cottage Home Tour

 

Thank you to Cassity@Remodelaholic for featuring WhisperWood Cottage today. Please stop in for the tour and say hello to Cassity...Remodelaholic: WhisperWood Cottage Home Tour.

"I Can Do Anything Good"...Lessons from a 5 Year Old

Smile and enjoy! I saw this over at Red Door Antiques and had to share it with you here. This is Jessica getting pumped for bedtime. Imagine if we used such affirmations in other areas of our lives! Such a great way to kick off a new week!

Sunshine Delivery

Have you ever had sunshine delivered to you via email? Ms. Katie@On the Banks of Squaw Creek delivered some sunshine to me recently via the Sunshine Award. Thank you, Katie for making me smile!!

Some of you have noticed the lack of excitement here on this lil' blog lately. Sometimes life whispers..."pssst...slow down." If you ignore those whispers, it speaks louder and louder until you pay attention. That's what's been going on here. I've finally been heeding those blessed whispers...and I'm feeling much better for it.

With that said, life has not completely stopped. My big girl job is always a priority of mine, so that is always on my to do list. Now that the launch of the Art + Architecture, JUNKMARKET Style event is officially over, I'm kicking into gear with the DIY Club Inc., and I just completed a home tour post that Cassity@Remodelaholic will be featuring soon. At home, we've made progress on the never-ending fireplace project, gave the guest bath a facelift, added some new storage to the dining room, and found a new fabulous antique piece that has inspired a future project in our living room. I simply haven't had time to post about them! In addition to those things, I am preparing for a garage sale to be hosted by a friend of mine in early June here in Duluth.

Meanwhile, Junkologie will be hosting some of its own sales this summer in conjunction with Snowman Hill. We've been talking about a "shop hop" in June, a Duluth flea market at Snowman Hill in July, and another "shop hop" in August. If you've been to my Junkologie blog, you know that I have great junk that needs to be adopted! Follow or subscribe to Junkologie to keep up on the latest and greatest junk events.

As I read all that I'm doing, I understand why life is telling me to slow down!! With that said, I'm off to enjoy some of that sunshine that Katie shared...I heard I can find it outside somewhere!