I Need Help...

While everyone else is posting such lovely vignettes and wonderful table settings I thought I would jump right in and show ya'll a few snap shots of what my home looks like right now.  Yep, we are in the throws of moving.  When I asked for help with this overwhelming task this is the response I got....

Are you kidding me?? Woman, you know that I am Chinese royalty!  Bred to guard the royal temples and palaces not to help you clean up and pack this place.

I can not even look at you after such a request!


So then I asked our other Shih-tzu.  Oliver is kinder and not quite as stuck on himself.  I knew he would jump right up and help me....

Aww...shucks mom.  You know I'd help you cause I love you so much but right now I'm taking a nap with Mr. Froggy.  Maybe later.

Well, I guess I'll keep trudging through this awlful task.  But I do know that eventually "everything is gonna be alright."

Fondly,
Ann

My Fancy Reds...

Today I will be showcasing a few of my "fancy reds."  This to me means pieces that are not vintage kitchen or rustic reds, which I dearly love.  Red carries over into every single room in my home.  I LOVE IT.
I hope you enjoy my picture presentation.

Just in case our guests need a refresher course on the great city of Atlanta(since I am from Georgia) or need to brush up on their manners, we do have a couple of reading options available!

Isn't this quite the handsome rooster?  I just love him.  I purchased the painting in Beijing for $4.00 and then had it framed in Seoul for $12.00.  I know, I know I'm breaking the bank here but I just had to have him!  You see, our middle son has red hair and a cowlick(hope I spelled that correctly) if his hair gets too long.  When he was little we used to call him rooster because his hair always stuck up on the top of his head.  So actually this lovely rooster painting is for our son...one day.  But for now, he's mine all mine!!

Another wonderful painting that I purchased and had framed while in Korea.  Again, not expensive at all. Just $20.00.  I should add that all the frames I purchased while in Korea are Larson-Juhl frames.  One of the best deals going in Korea, in my humble opinion.  Have you priced a Larson-Juhl frame lately??

This vase is made by an artist in Tucson, Don Swanson.  He produces some beautiful pieces of pottery.  Hopefully next week I will have a tea set to show you.  I am going to Tucson on Friday to pick it up!!


Please join Sue at her blog, It's A Very Cherry World, to view other fantastic reds. : )

Here He Is....

A thing of beauty, solid oak and a little wavy glass mixed in for good looks.  He is so masculine yet has beautiful feet.  I have coveted him and his kind for 16 years but never felt that the price for him was within my budget.  That was until this past Saturday.  I saw his picture in an advertisement for an auction.  His feet really enticed me.  For you see, I have only seen his specific kind one other time over the years.  Most of his cousins have a drawer or a solid base on the bottom.  No not my new baby, he has beautiful claw feet.  Sadly, one foot is missing part of itself.  Never fear though, that will be repaired and delivered back home by the end of next week!
Enough of this, I know you all want to see my newest "treasure"....I present to you Humphrey the Barrister Bookcase. Brace yourself ladies and gentlemen, he is quite handsome to be 106 years old!

I named him Humphrey after the manufacturing company on the label, Humphrey's Stacked Bookcases, 1904.  Like I said earlier, I could never afford his kind in the antique stores.  Depending on how many stacks the price ranges between $500 to $2000.  I went to the auction with the thought that I would not pay more than $350.  He was lot# 216 which meant I would wait almost 2 hours with my stomach churning in anticipation.  I was about to pass out with excitement when the bidding started.   My girlfriend, the auction queen, told me to wait to see what the bidding would be and not jump in too soon for I would just raise the price.  Well, when the bidding had stopped at $35.00 I started bidding.  I won Humphrey for $40.00!!!!
Then I started to cry, the anticipation and excitement and the fact that I had just won him for a mere $40.00 was just to much to handle. However, I did quickly recover, and went on to win a few more treasures that I'll share at a later time.  Humphrey deserves a post all to himself!


So, because I think  Humphrey is such a special  find I'm linking up to several blog parties this week.
Please check out:
Rhoda's blog party, Today's Thrifty Treasures @ her blog Southern Hospitality.
Linda's Nifty Thrifty Tuesday's @ her blog Coastal Charm.
Marla's WooHoo Wednesday @ her blog Always Nesting.
Suzanne's blog party,Vintage Thingie Thursday @ her blog The Colorado Lady.

I've never linked up to this many blog parties at one time.  I know I will be spending most of the week viewing many wonderful thrifty ideas and treasures out there in blogland.  It ought to be a fun week!
Come on and join in all the fun with me.
Fondly,
Ann

I WON IT!!!

Pictures will come tomorrow of my latest treasure and much welcomed addition to our home!!!  It has been a long day.  I was at the auction for 7 hours and then went straight to my youngest sons baseball game which was 2 hours and then to dinner.  I am finally back home, exhausted but jubilant!!  I've a glass of reisling and am headed to a hot bath.  But for now I just want you all to know that I WON the Barrister Bookcase.  This piece of furniture has been a desire of mine for 16 years.  Brace yourselves, hold on to your computer....I was willing to pay up to $350.00.  I paid $40.00!!!!!  Shoot, dinner cost more than that. : )

Good night and sweet dreams~

I Love Blogland...

I love blogland!  I have met so many wonderful, sincere people within the connections of blogland. I find and follow blogs that are inspirational to me.  People that will pray for you, laugh with you, and shed a tear with you. People that share treasures, recipes, and decorating ideas. Ideas that I would not have thought of in 199 years!! I also stay caught up on the lives of many a military family that have crossed our path throughout the years.  I know, I know it is all computer based but this is the generation in which we are living.   

One blog that completely inspires me is my friend Dena in Iowa.  Dena uses her talents to draw and produce inspirational cards.  Not only are her drawings adorable but she posts many inspirational verses and quotes. Recently, she posted a recipe that I knew I had to try because it had very little ingredients and sounded delicious. You can about it here.

We had a function(do you see the word fun??) to attend last night!  Actually, we did have a wonderful time but sometimes military functions are not necessarily fun!  We were to bring an appetizer or a desert.  I opted for the desert.  So Dena here is your mom's recipe made with a box of chocolate cake mix, 1/2 bag of chocolate chips and walnuts added for a healthy heart. . . .

I know they look like brownies but certainly do not taste like a brownie. I think they are much better tasting.

To all my friends that I have met over the past 2 1/2 months, thank you for your kind comments and for providing such inspirational blogs that I thoroughly enjoy reading.

 I'm off to an auction on this sunny Arizona Saturday morning.  Hopefully, I will win a lovely 3 stack barrister bookcase with a clawfoot base.  I really, really, really want it.  This is only the second one that I have seen with clawfeet.  I'll let ya'll know the outcome later on this weekend.

I hope you all have a great weekend.

Fondly,
Ann

P.S. The hammered aluminum tray that the cake bars are resting on is a new find.  I purchased it along with 5 other trays in a box last weekend at an auction for $1.00!!

I Have Bugs. . .

Yep, you've read the title correctly.  I'm just laying it out there for the blogging world.  Trying to keep it real.  I have bugs.  BUT, these bugs are kinda cute.  Look and see and tell me what your think....

The three little pipe cleaner bugs along with the lovely butterfly I purchased last week at a thrift store for 50cent.

The blown glass red and black ant I purchased 2 years ago in Bisbee, AZ.  I think it was $12.00.  I know, kinda pricey but so darn cute.

The beaded spider I found at Tuesday Morning 2 years ago.  I think it was $4.99.

They don't all reside on this one flower arrangement but for the photo shoot I thought they looked cute.


Do you have bugs?

Rednesday aka Wednesday!

I know I say it each and every week BUT man time sure does fly!!  I can not believe it is Rednesday so soon.  Seems like I just posted some red treasures.  Wait, that was last week!  Please join Sue at her blog, Sue Loves Cherries, to see other great and wonderful red treasures. I am also going to link up with Leigh at her blog, Tales From Bloggeritaville for her fun meme, Thrifty Thursday.  So on Thursday head on over and check out the thrifty finds for the week.

OK~ here we go with this weeks red and thrifty treasures.  On May 4th I posted a lovely red milkglass apple treasure that I had picked up out junking.  I love it.  I had a comment left by Sherrie @ A Conversation at Goodwill, that she too had posted a milk glass fruit only it was a strawberry.  She had never seen a strawberry much less the apple.  How exciting that we would both post milk glass fruit that we had recently found!  I left a comment for Sherrie on her blog, you can see it all here, and told her that I loved her strawberry and I would certainly be on the lookout for one.  WELL, guess what??  I found one!!  I went to Tucson the following week and hit a couple of thrift stores after my appointment.  I was delighted to find it. However, it almost broke my thrifting bank, it was $3.00!  Now I have two milk glass fruit pieces.  Wonder if there is more to be had?  I did a search on EBAY and came up empty handed.  Does anyone know?

And here she is with her new girlfriend.  All my treasures make friends with the new ones and no one ever fights!

You know, being apart of the military, we have a saying "It sure is a small world" because someone always knows a friend of someone, or attended the same schools, or were stationed at the same place at the same time, or in the case of three of my neighbors on my street, our oldest children were all born in the same hospital in Germany within a 2 year time span.  Well, I'm here to say that "It sure is a small world" in the decorating/thrifting blogging world.  Who would have thunk that 2 bloggers on opposite sides of the United States would find the same milk glass strawberry within 2 weeks of each other. : )  Now I can not speak for Sherrie, but I have been thrifting for many, many years and have never, not ever, seen either one of these two lovely fruits until May 2010!

Just for giggles I picked up this pair of Gnomes at a recent yard sale for 10 cent each. They stand 2 inches tall. The little red and white polka dot mushrooms I purchased that same day I was in Tucson for 50 cent at a thrift store. It measures close to 1/8 inch high.  It was still in the original 1962 package, Made in Hong Kong.  I'm sure that I shouldn't have taken it out of the unopened package, retaining value and all, but how I am going to love it and enjoy it all wrapped up in plastic??  Anyways, don't have a clue how I'll decorate with this little 70 cent vignette once I move but I knew I needed them in my life.  Isn't that all that really matters??

When I was a little girl I lived in Germany with my parents.  Yes, I'm proud to say that I am not only an Army spouse but also an Army brat!!  Anyways, we used to participate in Volksmarches quite often.  These hikes would be 10km through the lovely German forests.  I am almost positive that I remember seeing the red and white polka dot mushrooms growing wild.  I keep meaning to ask my mom if this is in fact a true memory or just a figment of my imagination.  I have lived in Germany for 9 years of my life and have seen these mushrooms decoratively so many times that I'm not sure that they are actually real!!  Does anyone know the answer.

Well, I've asked you all quite a number of questions today.  I didn't intend for this post to be an informative one for me but if you know any of the answers, give a shout out in the comment section!

Thanks ever so kindly~
Ann

A Someday Project....

Someday in the near future I'd like to make a wreath.  I'd like to make the wreath with parts of what you see in the picture below.  BUT for now all I can do is take a picture of some of the components of said wreath and then pack them up. : (

The idea for the wreath came to me when I realized the Artichoke I had purchased to steam and eat was drying away on my kitchen counter.  Can you believe that I was just to busy to eat??  Yep, life has been so crazy around our home.  Anyways, when I saw the Artichoke happily drying away I decided instead of throwing it away to continue to let it dry out and use it to decorate with in some way. I had no idea that an Artichoke could be dried.   One evening the thought came to me to make a wreath.  I have lots of Pomegranates that I have dried while living here in AZ. They grow really well here and there are plenty of trees to gather them.   I had purchased the jute for another project but then thought....hmmm....it might all go together.  So we will see.  Like I said in the first paragraph, it might be awhile before this DIY project is complete.  Please don't hold your breath!!!

I would also like to apologize for not blogging more.....life is so hectic and crazy with this upcoming move.  It is a HUGE move. Also, throw into the mix all the obligations that I am wrapping up here in AZ and my children's activities.  No wonder that poor Artichoke dried up on my counter.  Like I said, who has time to eat???   I will try and post a couple of entries a week.  My goal is to post as we travel from AZ to GA, so you can all see our family vacation, Griswold style!!!

Thanks for being so patient.  I hope everyone is having a great start to what promises to be a wonderful summer. : )
Fondly,
Ann

PS Even the King Shih-tzu, Chui, is exhausted from all the activity....

Outdoor Wednesday and Rednesday

Well, today is a tough post for me.  Sometimes I am able to post one post that can relate to more than one wonderful blog party.  Not so today and I reeeeally wanted to participate in both Outdoor Wednesday and Rednesday today.  I just didn't take any outdoor pictures that had red in them.  But never fear both parties are well represented with many photos today!!

Grab yourself a cold drink and a snack, you might be here awhile, like I said there are many photos!

    Let's get started with Outdoor Wednesday hosted by Susan at A Southern Daydreamer. 

I have wanted to share with everyone for quite sometime the wonderful neighborhood that my husband and I have been so fortunate to call home for the past three years.  We move out of our quarters in 27 days.  So today I grabbed my new Olympus camera(thanks daddy)and headed outside to take some pictures.

We live on Fort Huachuca in southeastern Arizona.  Our quarters are on the historic parade field at the base of the Hucachuca mountains and at the start of the Huachuca canyon.  We are 5090 feet above sea level.  This sign is at the beginning of the parade field.

 In this photo, I am standing just to the left of the sign looking down the parade field at the canyon.  See the trees to the left, that is where a row of 12 historic homes are located.  We are currently living in one of them.

Our quarters is the first one in the picture.

Our quarters, The Winans House.  Named after COL Edwin B. Winans, who commanded the post from 1920-23.  The house just celebrated its 125th year, as it was built in 1884 at a cost of $4500.00.

I am going to miss living in this wonderful old home. I am going to miss waking up to the bugle call first thing every morning(and I do mean first thing!) and I am going to miss falling asleep to Taps every night. I am going to miss having such fantastic mountain views.  I am going to miss Fort Huachuca.  This has been one great assignment.


Now on the Rednesday.  This fun meme is hosted by Sue at Sue Loves Cherries.  I know that May is a long way from December.  Heck it isn't even Christmas in July yet.  But I just had to share with y'all a wonderful thrifty Christmas treasure that I found at an estate sale on Mother's Day. 

It is a wonderful old candle holder set in the original box.  I couldn't get a clear picture of the little sticky tags on the bottom of each piece but it says NAPCO.  Made in Japan. 1956.  I paid $1.00 for the set.  I'm lovin' it!!!

As long as I've started a Christmas in May theme, I'll go ahead and share with y'all a wonderful mixing bowl set that I found this past Christmas at Ross.  Did any of you see it too??  I love the colors and the designs so much I have decided to use it year round in my kitchen.
Photography note: these pictures were taken with my old camera. : (  Sorry for the glare.

Wow!  I don't know about y'all but I gotta go to bed.  Too much blog posting for one night!!
Have a wonderful Wednesday and a safe week.
Fondly,
Ann
@
The Tattered Tassel