Movie Monday...

It's that time again!  Being back on the hamster wheel the school schedule hasn't left much time for movies,  but we're hanging with the in-laws this weekend and it's a tradition for the women folk to ditch the kids with the daddy's and catch a chick flick.  Even better... we decided to hit Austin's uber cool SoCo district for a little window shopping before the movie.  The people watching alone is worth the trip... in case you are unfamiliar with Austin, here is it's unofficial motto...

Nuff said... LOVE me some Austin (Hook 'em!).  

Anyway, we started our browse through SoCo here...

Kendra Scott  jewelry is absolute eye candy... 

just not as cheap as candy.  HEAVY SIGH.

On down the road I was thrilled to finally visit 

I don't even know how to describe this place except to say that it's an antique mall on crack steroids.  WOWZA... some of the most bizarre junk treasures I have ever encountered... and all styled so beautifully that you might think nothing of plopping down $25 for a dirty, cracked mason jar.  AHEM.  

Almost forgot... the MOVIE!  Some of you may remember my book club, The Lit Wits, review of the "One Day" book.  Good book, but we weren't quite feeling Ann Hathaway being cast as Emma Morley for the movie version.   So, after our SoCo stroll, the SIL's and I headed off to check her out in

I will grudgingly admit she was better than I expected... I have nothing against Anne, she was just NOT Emma Morley.  She was cute and quirky, but her British accent came and went and came and went... really, there are plenty of excellent BRITISH actresses who could have played this part beautifully.  I loved Jim Sturgess as Dex... just cute enough but not so good looking as to be distracting.  He has the charming bad boy down, think early Hugh Grant.  

I thought they moved through a few years a bit too quickly, and there were a couple of plot points unnecessarily changed or left out... but overall, a very decent book adaptation.  Oh, and the big plot twist towards the end?  Just as shocking even though I knew it was coming... 

And not to be a downer... but our beloved Texas is on fire this weekend.  My BIL is a firefighter and thousands of people in the Bastrop and Austin areas are losing their homes as I type.  Prayers for their safety and for this to come to a quick end would be ever so appreciated...

DIY: Junky to JAZZY!

Working on goodies for our booth yesterday and got a creative wild hair... I needed something seasonal and eye catching but didn't want to spend any money (trying to MAKE money here, people!).  Remember those Redneck Wineglasses I spied on vacay?  Well, that got me thinking... here's what I started with:

I'm sure you have a couple of old mason jars in the back of your cabinets... if not, they are uber cheap at the grocery store or Wallyworld.   

I have about a million lone candleholders, and again, if you don't you can find them for next to nothing at a thrift store or Dollar Store.  

The curtain finial is a castoff from a rod that now has new decor to match Dear Daughter's room.  I shoved them in a drawer hoping I would find something to do with them someday, and here is SOMEDAY!

Next I dug out a couple of varieties of clear but ever so powerful glue, my trusty Mod Podge and some coordinating scrapbook paper...

I hammered a little hole in the mason jar lids and then screwed the finials right into the lid with the screw that was already attached. I applied a little Super Glue to the screw to keep it securely in place.  

Since I only had two finials and wanted to make three jars (groupings always look better in odd numbers, don't they?), I Mod Podged (that is a verb at my house) the matching scrapbook paper to the top of one of the jars. 

For all of them I glued the inner lid piece to the outer lid so that it became one solid top.  

I found the actual Super Glue worked best to attach the jars to the bases (and I suppose you could then hang yourself from the ceiling from them).  I got a little crazy and for one used an upside down soda glass as the base, and for another a $1 thrift store pewter candle holder that had no partner.  I filled them with some bright colored Halloween candy (but any seasonal candy would be cute), and VOILA!

Baby Booth... Phase One

This weekend marks the beginning of a new adventure at our house... the opening of an antique/vintage/gift booth at KT Antiques.  Mimi (my mom) and I decided on Friday (you read that right) to lease a space... and move in on Sunday.  Yep, from conception to birth in two days... ARE WE CRAZY?  

Here is how the booth looked on Friday... right before the lovely gentleman who had been the proprietor arrived to start clearing out.

I like to call this style Early Clutter.  Not exactly the vibe we are going for... and not really the vibe of most of the rest of the store either, thank goodness.

Here is our little corner of the retail world on Saturday when Dear Daughter and I stopped by to take measurements and steal  glean some set-up ideas from our fellow vendors.

Does it surprise anyone that DD has inherited the junk vintage gene?  I am going to have to keep her out of here or my profits are TOAST.  But I digress...

I should also mention that despite her occasional shopping breaks, she was a GINORMOUS help on MOVE-IN DAY... as were Mimi, Big Daddy, Handsome Hubby, and Sweet Son.   Makes me feel like bustin' out a little "It's a Family Affair"... digressing again.

My Sidekick

So here is our Baby Booth at the end of Day One... still so much to add and do, I have three boxes of goodies headed over today.  But we've got a good base, just needs to be fluffed but that's the fun part. 

I found a few blogs that offered tips and tricks to setting up this type of booth.  Tip Number One... put something in the middle to create an "aisle" for your customers to browse... CHECK.

Next I'll show you how I created our very own "vintage" price tags... stay tuned!

T.G.I.F.

Find Beauty in the Chaos Pendant

Seriously... I don't know that I have ever been so happy to see Friday.  Ok, that is maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but this week has been brutal (hence my blog neglect)... Back-to-school and could we just EASE into it?  Oh, that would make entirely too much sense.  NO.NO.NO.  We have flat out thrown ourselves sizzling into that frying pan.

Varsity swim try-outs at the butt crack of dawn for Sweet Son (who is such a JOY at 5:30 a.m.), the start of junior high for Dear Daughter (Week One=SUCCESS), PTA volunteer responsibilities, dance classes for DD, substitute teacher training, my parents moving, trying to get things out of my house to make room for my "new" furniture on permanent loan from Mimi and Big Daddy (who sadly thinks he will get that dining room table back from the Bermuda Triangle my house someday), working on opening a booth in a local antique mall, getting back to my C25K after a 2 week break (Week 8, Day 1 DONE today... WOOT!) and Book Club today(will post about that next week).  SHOOT.ME.NOW.

Onward and upward... until Monday my friends.  

Enjoy your weekend.  I KNOW I WILL.

I Love This Crazy Life Decal

Back to Monday...

First day of school today... first day for Dear Daughter to step out of the safe haven that is elementary school into the big, bad world of JUNIOR HIGH.  Ugh.  She's ready, and I'm excited for her... but she's my BABY and that school is BIG and girls are MEAN and... well, I could go on and on but I'm trying very hard not to be a helicopter mommy.  And I can't even talk about the fact that Sweet Son is now a JUNIOR.  Really?

But there is a bright side... and I do mean BRIGHT.  Check out DD's locker...

Wallpaper, lamp and rug by Lockerlookz

Yes, that IS a lamp that LIGHTS UP when you open the door, and WALLPAPER and a SHAG CARPET.  SERIOUSLY.  And here is the million dollar question... WHY, OH WHY did I not think of this first?  Rumor has it two mommies came up with this stuff while hanging out in their garage... and they are apparently now two RICH GENIUS mommies, because our local Learning Express can't keep it in stock.  GENIUS, I tell ya'.  Pure genius.  Go to their website and you can virtually design your very own locker... it's oddly addicting.

The Magnetic Mesh Vanity Bin is from The Container Store.  The turquoise bin, fun little chipboard flower magnets and magnetic dry erase markers are from Target.  The bright colored locker shelves are from Walgreens, but you can find similar online HERE.

I made the dry erase board by painting an old frame lime green and putting some pretty purple scrapbook paper behind the glass.  You can find the tutorial for a similar version HERE, paint it whatever color you wish and make it your own.

I would have been ALL OVER this when I was in 6th grade but since we were stuck taping up pics of Leif Garrett and Shaun Cassidy torn out of our "Tiger Beat" magazines, I will just have to live vicariously. 

Happy Back To Reality School everyone...

Friday Finds...

Of course we had to spend a day antiquing on our recent vacation, here is our crazy crew on the way out the door...

My Aunt Dorine, My Mom, me, and their BFF since high school, Jane Ann

I didn't do much actual BUYING (no room in the Clampett truck to take anything home, unless I left one of the kids at the beach)... but I did get some interesting ideas I thought I would bring back for you all.  I'm really am going to attempt my own version of these once school gets back in session and I have time to putter (did I really just SAY that?  WHEN do I ever have time to PUTTER???).  ANYWHO... 

Mimi (my mother) saw this adorable table... the top is covered in burlap, with large upholstery tacks (I think that's what they are) around the sides and glass on top.  Totally chic and what a great way to jazz up an old scratched up side table... Really any kind of fabric would look great, but I just love, love, love the texture of the burlap with the glass.

I spied these stunning candle lamps on the way out of a shop... 

can you figure out what they are?

Yep, if you look closely you can see these are just bunch of inexpensive random glass vases, cups, bowls and decanters all fused together and hanging by a chain.  I have about 10 of those cheap florist vases under my kitchen sink. Wouldn't these be lovely on a covered patio?  So pretty, easy and CHEAP!!!  Oh, and I think they were selling them for about $75!

Finally, and I have no idea WHY these grabbed my attention, but I just think they're FUN...

Redneck Wine Glasses

These are just old Mason jars with inexpensive candle holders attached to the bottom... wouldn't these make a fun gift filled with some Skinny-Girl Margarita mix or candy and tied with a big bow?   Now, if I could just find some time to PUTTER.   Heavy sigh...

Semi-Wordless Wednesday... Back to the Beach

I wish.  Not quite ready to admit vacation is over.  

A few more of my fave Hipstamatic pics...

And finally, sunset at Tacky Jack's in Ft. Morgan (not so tacky, huh?)...