Thursday, March 17, 2011

Ooooh La La!


LOVE these French Provincial Nightstands...a must have for any classy bedroom or powder room. I started with two structurally perfect pieces, handpainted them in one of my favorite springy colors and distressed them ever so slightly. The hardware is all original and very sweet!










I am busy searching for someone else's "junk"...to make my (and eventually someone else's) "treasure!" I LOVE finding a piece that is screaming for me to take it home, give it a little TLC and then send it on it's way to a home where it will shine. I know it sounds corny...but, it's true. Why would you want to buy from that "other barn" that has pieces that are mass-produced, made in another country and are SO outrageously expensive. When, you could buy from an artist right here in the WONDERFUL United States of America, who has saved a piece from the dump and revived it into something fabulous!

Okay, so back to these lovely nightstands. As I was painting this springy blue, I was getting hungry for one of my favorite things...homemade blueberry muffins! So, my sweet little toddler and I whipped up this easy recipe...so easy and so delicious!

Blueberry Tea Muffins

Blend together:
1/2 cup real butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs

Sift and add alternately with 3/4 cup buttermilk:
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional...I love nutmeg, you might like cinnamon)

Fold in:
3/4 cup fresh, rinsed and drained blueberries
*(if using frozen, rinse and let thaw for a few minutes before adding)

Grease muffin pan. Bake at 375 for 20 - 25 minutes. We like ours a little more on the moist side...so you might check them at 18 minutes or so. When they are done, let them cool for about 10 minutes. Dip in melted butter and roll the top in sugar...so delicous and so pretty!


Love & Junk~
Julie

Linking to and ParTYinG with..........

Furniture Feature Fridays

TidyMom













Thursday, March 10, 2011

Sring Fling





I am in LOVE with this beautiful weather here...absolutely in love! Flea Markets, swap meets and yard sales are here!!!

What a way to spend a day...walk with my lovely little 2 year old girl, lunch on the patio then she is off to sweet little nappy land. Mommy (that's me) rushes around and finishes a paint job, packs a table for shipping and snaps pictures of this chalkboard before listing...all before (hopefully) before my sweet baby wakes up. Which is why every mom needs a reminder somewhere (okay, everywhere!) to people who insist on ringing the doorbell!!! "Shh...Sweet Baby Sleeping!!!" Check out my most recent chalkboard on my website www.thevintagebarn.etsy.com

Just a normal day in my stay at home mommy life! Wait, I am not just "staying" at home...who else runs to the grocery store, post office, cleaners, Dr., dentist, does light yardwork...I am not "staying" anywhere, that is me doing all those things. But, I LOVE it!!! I wouldn't change living on a budget, checking out the new ways to save money, being home with my sweet baby, being able to make lunch for my dairy-farmer husband when he comes in, the tantrum throwing, the days when my ANGRY dairy-farmer husband farmer comes in for lunch, wondering how I am going to pay that bill...nope, still wouldn't change it for ANY paycheck in the world!!!

Life is good, spring is here! Check out my website for new pieces featuring some of my all time favorite spring colors...Robin Egg Blue, Sunny Antique Yelllow...and my new favorite Misty Morning Gray...inspired by my friend Misty!

Have a SIMPLY CHARMING day!

Julie