Friday, June 30, 2017

Shivering in Summer: It's Shopping Weather!

I woke up this morning wondering if I was still dreaming. 
Ron had gone camping and I had the bed to myself. Well, except for Roxy who had snuggled up against my leg. I had pulled my comforter up under my chin and was still shivering. 
The air was definitely cool, no, make that cold.

Didn't I go to bed last night with the windows open and the fan on 
in hopes of cooling the upstairs bedroom?
Hadn't it been a record-breaking 100+ degrees yesterday?


Resisting the urge to stay in bed, I got up, wrapped up in my thick bathrobe 
and pushed my cold feet into my sheepskin slippers. 
I made my way to the coffee grinder downstairs and whirled the beans into a frenzy. 
While they were transforming into nice hot coffee, I stumbled into the sunroom and peeked at the thermometer outside. 42 degrees! What? Isn't this still June?


As I sipped my steaming coffee, I thought about summer and how once warm weather arrives, 
I forget about decorating inside the house.  I'm always outside in the garden, tending flowers, watering the lawn, transplanting young plants and designing outdoor rooms.

But when the weather turns cool in the fall, or unexpectedly in the summer, I start thinking 
about the interior and how I can change things around with new finds
like this unique old "Electrically Controlled Time" clock.


So when this cold front blasted through, what did I do?
Closed up the windows, put on my jeans and sweatshirt, and went shopping!
Lucky for me, some hearty souls had forged ahead with their estate and yard sales
and I found some unexpected treasures.

For the kitchen, I grabbed this sweet little cheese plate. 
Of course, the cows caught my attention but I also loved that fresh green color.


At the same sale, I found this cool French tea towel.
Okay, it's not actually French but it has French words on it and that's good enough for me.
Total: $5.


The next sale produced this beautiful Florentine table.
You know how little tables always follow me home and,
even though I had no place to put it, I couldn't pass it up for $5.
The heavily distressed top grabbed my attention and my heart.


Once home, I found a perfect spot for it in my foyer.
This little table from Italy gave me a push to change up the foyer, still looking a bit wintry,
so I pulled some straw-wrapped bottles from the top of my china closet
and added a vintage clock for a whole new summery look.


Still on the hunt, I found this old sled in a run-down garage under a pile of rags and greasy tools.
It had been on my watch list for a long time so, even though it was summer, I snagged it and
stored it in the attic with dreams of how I'd use it on the front porch or in the foyer this winter.
It costs $20 but I'd seen similar ones in antique stores for $75!


When I returned home, Ron had come home, and we took Roxy for a walk in our neighborhood
once she stopped dancing around him on her back feet.
Then, we spotted another sale in an alley. It didn't take long to find this lovely old mirror which
I stole for $2. It had a few broken pieces of trim where someone must have dropped it
but Ron repaired it with his trusty JB Weld.
Good stuff! In fact, Ron just repaired his glasses with JB Weld. "So long masking tape!"

You can't even tell it was ever broken. 


The mirror filled an empty space in my guest room beautifully.


Ron always seems to find things that I miss.
This time he spotted a small concrete urn about a foot tall hiding behind the garage door.
It looks beautiful in my garden planted with pink calibrichoa.
Another $2. I couldn't believe that price for the real thing. 


Ron bought a set of four rustic coasters and gave me the "Paris" one for my desk. Thanks sweetie!
Grand total for this shopping trip was about $35.


This shopping day is over and hopefully the weather will be back to sunny blue skies and warm temps tomorrow. Or maybe, if I'm lucky, it will be cold again and we can hit the antique malls!

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Linking with:
Little FarmsteadDwellingsBetween Naps on the PorchCoastal CharmCedar Hill Farmhouse,
A Stroll Thru LifeSavvy Southern StyleHave a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson21 Rosemary Lane,
French Country CottageKatherine's CornerMy Thriftstore Addiction


18 comments:

  1. Oh my word, we were 122 last week and you are freezing. Isn't it strange how the weather can be. Love all of your new treasures, you did good.

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    1. Thanks Marty! I can't imagine 122! Yikes! You must have to have air conditioning and a pool nearby! Today it's almost 90. Think I'd rather have the heat than cold. Happy 4th! Hugs, Pat

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  2. You truly got some great finds!! It's been chilly here the past few nights also, but hot and sticky has returned today with a vengeance!

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    1. Thanks Debbie! As long as the evenings are cool (nice for sleeping), I'm ok but I want some sun and warmth during the day. Happy 4th! Pat

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  3. I'm from the Midwest and used to extreme swings, but 100 to 42 is a lot. It cooled down here, too (where your tea towel says "cassoulet") and we're taking advantage to catch up on physically taxing chores before it warms up again.
    As for your clock, check out the podcast 99% Invisible, which did an episode about how California had different electricity frequencies, and that when they unified to 60Hz, people had to retrofit their 50Hz electric clocks. The frequency itself was what kept time.
    I like your shopping finds. We also have been out on the hunt. It's so much fun.

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    1. Thanks so much for the info on frequencies; I had no idea that even existed. I appreciate your info. Wish I could go "hunting" with you; I'm sure you must find the best goodies. Hugs, Pat

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  4. Some fabulous steals on your shopping trip! Well done. It'll be back up to the 90's by Sunday so never fear on the cool morning. The poodles think it's a pleasure to walk a few miles in the cool morning air in their fur coats. 😁

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    1. Thanks Monika! Yes, my pup enjoys those cool mornings too. Hope you have a great 4th! Going to Wash Park to hear the concert and watch the fireworks in the country club. Hugs, Pat

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  5. What great finds, especially that mirror.

    Happy living each day, no matter what the weather. 42 sounds nice. :-) FlowerLady

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    1. Thanks Lorraine! So glad you like my bargain mirror. If you look very closely, you can see the thin gray line where it was repaired and there were some curlies missing on the bottom but I just love it too. It's in the 90s today; that didn't last long. Happy 4th. Hugs, Pat

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  6. Love your pictures. My name is Marjorie your sister is my most favorite aunt in tithe whole world. At the farm today ❤️

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    1. Hi Marjorie! So glad you checked out my blog and decided to subscribe. I really appreciate it. Happy to finally "meet" you. Happy 4th. Hugs, Pat

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  7. I just love the way you described waking to the coolness and pulling on your robe then going down to grind your coffee. :)

    Also, we don't have fabulous alleys like yours!

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    1. Aww Stacey, you always say the sweetest things. It's warming up here so I'm glad we had that little reprieve. Happy 4th. Hugs, Pat

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  8. What wonderful finds, Pat. I adore that little French towel! Thanks for sharing @Vintage Charm!

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  9. Thanks for checking out my loot. I'd never seen a towel like that one before and had to snap it up. Missing Diane but still lovin the party. Hugs, Pat

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  10. What a fun shopping day you had! Oh my, that table!! I would love to run across a couple of urns like that. Growing up my mom always had a couple out on our front porch. Don't know what ever happened to them. I'm thinking that maybe they finally fell apart, not sure. Oh, and that mirror was a steal!! A few weeks ago my neighbor knocked on my door with a darling small sleigh. She asked if I wanted it. It had been her husbands grandfathers. I questioned her as to why she would want to part with it? She said it's all dirty, and that Rich said to give it to you. I couldn't believe that a bit of dirt made her not want it. $20 was a good price. I paid $30 for one at an estate sale, but nothing beats free from a neighbor. :) Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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    1. Hey Jann! We have to go thrifting together some day. Of course, we'd probably be fighting over the same goodies. Enjoyed your story about the sleigh. What a steal! Good thing there are still some people around who appreciate old dirty stuff like me. Hugs, Pat

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