Timely collection

Where has the summer gone? School is in and hints of fall color are everywhere.  When the season's change I get the itch to redecorate. It's easy to change the look of a room with a collection of like things. I love, love these little vintage alarm clocks.

The true north project

I walked through a narrow pathway of nic nacs and boxes of items never used. I was part of a few hundred people who showed up for a tag sale. The house was packed to the ceiling in merchandise with price tags and still in their original boxes. The house was part of a hoarder's Estate. This woman's life was consumed with shoppping.
      I felt sad as I fought my way thru fellow  junkers looking for a good deal. Nothing in this house had a soul or a story. The place felt abandoned and cold.
Just as I was convinced that I would find nothing that spoke to me I saw a little compass. It was nothing special but somehow I needed to take it with me. I felt compelled to make it come to life with purpose. 
    This little compass has become part of my true north project. This project is about finding passionate living and leaving your mark or legacy. More on that later.  I encrusted the compass with old chippy paint, birch bark and the words true north. There is a map inside and secret message. This compass joins my antique urn that holds special thoughts and wishes.  A jar of good spells just waiting to become reality.

 What does true north mean to you?

The thrill of the hunt for vintage treasure

I find the perfect shoes, a comfy pair of jeans and a bitching bag. It's time to focus on my list of must haves. I'm so easily distracted with the the Shiney babble in the corner or that table with the perfect patina. A sucussful hunt is an art.
        My last junking trip across three states was a success because I finally found my mermaid. I've searched for Mercy for years. I had the perfect name just waiting for the perfect find.  Although I swooped in and grabbed her before she became somebody else's score, I managed to play it cool with the vendor and haggled the price down $50.
Tomorrow's adventure is a little shorter commute to an estate sale 140 miles away. Roadtrip!

Possibilities

My toe slowly peeks it's way out of the softness of my toasty bed. The floor boards are cool to the touch. This crisp awakening guickly shapes my ward robe for a chaotic day of picking.
      The barn is simple and neatly packed.  The man who proudly claims it's eclectic contents is fair  and anxious to strike a bargain.
     My pick is swift. I know within seconds what I can't bare to leave behind. My heart beats faster,  images of a past life race by.  The moments are fleeting as the voice of possibilities speaks to me. This old door that once graced the milking room of a pristine dairy farm will marry well with the weathered skull of a proud steer that long ago freely grazed the ground beneath my feet.
       I am drawn to the the history and stories of my salvaged finds. The organic simplicity of the pair is perfect for my vision of a shabby chic porch. Layer upon layer of earthy patina with just the right pop of color will transform an urban deck into an eclectic oasis.
   I have several days of work to come before this perfect transformation is reality.
   Stay tuned...

Lost and found

The yard is damp and  the air feels crisp and cool against my bare legs. My heart beats heavy in my chest as I stroll passed piles of a life unfinished and a past untold. My mind is full and my hands twitch as I ask myself; where did the journey begin for these discarded items. Who would dare part with such intriguing relics? Surely this stretch of patchy grass is not the final chapter.

        Each and every shade of patina holds  a secret and hints of a life unimaginable to me. It's hard to contain my excitement at the thought of re homing and the idea of writing a new chapter for the discarded treasures in the sunset junkyard.