Patina White

a quickie to start your day...

greetings!  the sun is shining and my to do list {like my lawn} has grown considerably! i have a # of fabulous projects coming together to showcase @ the flea this weekend but nothing quite finished to show...yet...so here's a little peek @ one of my patinaWHITE original designs in the early stages...

 

 

and if the check marks on my list start taking over...i hope to give you a little more eye candy later today to get your weekend going! so i'm off to the races....right after i find me my cappuccino to get me rolling!

wishing you a good morning...

an elemental weekend

hello there! i sure hope you all had a wonderful memorial weekend! this year marked my {8th} official start to summer @ shady hollow and the annual opening of my little cottage where i showcase my wares. it was a weekend full of the{4} elements to be sure. 

let's start with WATER.

part of the charm of shady hollow is that there are both cottages {which i inhabit} and then the field vendors offering a wide mix of goods. so when the threat of rain is in the forecast we all hold our breath. because an overly wet day can put a dampener on the fun meter. and as i sat waiting in my truck for the torrential downpour to stop on sunday...i snapped a picture {below} that did bear a striking resemblance to an actual "water" painting. but the day ended up being quite nice despite it's damp beginning. 

 

 

moving onto to AIR. the weather as i mentioned was damp on and off. then there were moments that the sky literally looked as though it were falling. {below}

 

not that i'm chicken little now. but to give you an idea of the how ominous the weather was monday...my ma had a plan on where we were going to run to if the murmur of a tornado became reality! so it did get a wee bit nasty @ times. again...we worked thru it. but the next elements were probably the ones i personally struggled with the most. 

so...why beat around the "bush". bring on the EARTH & FIRE! 

an innocent project turned bad is my representation of earth. a couple weeks ago i found myself tackling what i thought was a wild grapevine gone awry. turns out it was actually a poisonous vine.  a few days later and just before the start of the flea ... i was a raging hot mess to say the least.

since the burning "bush" is now gone i don't have the culprit to photograph. and taking no chances these days...i suspect it will be awhile before i rescue some forgotten rusty relics in the back 40 {below}!

 

 

another "earthly" element would be wildlife. and a recent visitor to the hollow wasn't invited but decided to drop by. seems my cottage provided some shelter for pepe le pew. and though i'm certain he didn't "mark" me a threat...there was some residual "odor" lingering around @ times. how ironic that a part of a project i'm working on for this weekend happens to describe said odor...

 

 

burn baby burn. the last of the {4} major elements. to which i will spare you a view of the "fire" i dealt with. that being the fiery red welts + rash that took over a major portion of my body from my "gardening" excursion. and instead show you some flames from a grouping of tractor spools i managed to fish out of the back forty before the green undergrowth moved in...

 

 

some wisdom i gained from this experience. if you don't MAKE time to take care of yourself in the beginning...you will be forced to TAKE time later. which is exactly what happened to me. but this week finds me feeling much better and more like my old non-scratchy self. 

i think i covered the {4} major elements. seems that the powers that be forgot {1} more important one in my opinion. the sweet element of sugar. leave it to the wonderful handmade goodies of my amish neighbors @ the flea to fix me up in that department. the only shopping i did all weekend was @ their stand. i wasn't feeling up to walking the paths of the fields this time but a bag of old fashion hard candy {below} made up for the lack of junky finds. 

 

good thing the summer is young! there will be many more weekends of shopping opportunities for you & me alike! because with this past weekend under my belt...i'm fairly certain i can tackle just about any element thrown my way. except maybe pepe le pew. i'm hoping he was just passing thru the neighborhood. there's enough PU in the form of my wood letters!

thanks for popping by...both 2 my cottage + show & tell...i appreciate each & every {1} of ya!

if you were waiting for a sign...

hello there friends! with the shady season starting tomorrow for the next {3} days...my post is going to be short & sweet! so...to quote the saying from my cool new postcards...

 

 

 

because fun times will soon be had @ ....

 

where everyone is ... 

 

 

i hope if you are planning a visit to my neck of the woods you will pop by & say hello! because if you having been "waiting" for that sign...THIS IS IT! let the summer games begin!

wishing everyone a fabulous holiday weekend!

my days are numbered

greetings show & tell! shady season is about to officially start. this saturday. thru monday.  then let the summer games begin! because i will officially be back in full on patinaWHITE mode.

so. there may be a few of you curious...what's shady season?? well then have yourself a little click {HERE}.

then there's those of you wondering when exactly does that all happen?? alrighty...click away {HERE}!

and who the heck is patinaWHITE & why are you getting in the "mode"?? then you'll want to have a gander {HERE}.

and that's why my days are numbered! this countdown has inspired a "number" of many projects as well! like the addition of numbers to my always popular rustic wood letters...a patinaWHITE original!

 

 

armed w/ vintage house #'s from my stash...i finally checked off the mental TO DO list the project of gussying up my basement steps {below}. a little deviation from patinaWHITE but still fun none*the*less. 

 

ok. back on track. hard for me to focus these days. ok. it's a stretch for me to stay focused ANY day...but...oops...staying on track.

so. baubles. a big part of the patinaWHITE puzzle. i have a wide selection of collected + created goodies that are silly...sassy...sentimental. love these number bubbles {below}

 

cute, huh? well then hold onto your socks...because i think they look extra cute when paired w/ another patinaWHITE exclusive design...my handstamp'd flag tags {below}. all you need is complimentary birthstones and you'll have a one-of-a-kind custom cluster necklace!

 

 

at patinaWHITE you never know what you might find! i like to think that my "less than serious" wares will bring a smile to your face. i love making people happy with happy things. like the whimsical canning jars accented with castoff number snippets. {below}

 

another thing that makes me very happy is seeing all the familiar faces @ the flea. the excitement of the new season brings out the whole "family". i even made up a rack {below} in planning...

 

since i only had room for {4} coats on the salvaged board...i better get busy on the extra hooks! want to make sure there is a spot for everyone! can't wait to see you if you are planning a trek out. remember...the season is young and there will be lots of opportunities to see what i come up with next. 

counting the days...til we flea away!

mini MAKEover part#1

hello there! thanks for popping by! lately my days are filled w/ much activity as i prepare to open my cottage @ shady hollow flea market MAY 26th for the summer! thus...i have been spending a great deal of time in a favorite spot in our home. that would be my MAKE room as indicated by a gathering of faded alphabet blocks. {below}

 

the name MAKE came about because i MAKE a wide variety of treasures here. jewelry...collage cards...signs...to name a few! and recently i've done a little MAKEover adding some elements to this already packed little room. but i like the inspirations and if it means a little {or alot} of stuff showing...this is the one room i embrace the chaos. 

i've had the spinning industrial like rack {hanging below} for years. found it...fell in love...and bought it without a spot planned. enter in my collected rosaries that up until a couple months back were being housed on hooks and doorknobs or wherever i could tuck them away. now they dangle on display as a sparklin' halo over my manni.

 

 

don't you think it's neat when someone just "gets you". well that would be the case with my cottage neighbor @ shady hollow. an artist by the name of bracken rourke is a ceramics wizard {cottage lake tile}. anywho...one day he walked over with an outlet cover and handed it to me stating "this just looks like something you'd like". i was blown away this fella who i've only chatted with a handful of times had nailed my "look"! and he was right...i do love it! and found a perfect spot in my "artsy" space.

 

 

another person who "gets me" is my close friend tami. she has an impeccable eye for the most thoughtful gifts around...and finds things that i couldn't have picked out better myself! for example...she gave me this rack on the end of my work table {below} constructed from cast off washers. it's industrial fabulous and functional all wrapped up in one package! 

 

more function is found in my collection of random sizes + styles of metal alphabet punches. rather than tuck them away...they sit proudly on display {below}. their old boxes + rugged used look are too cool to hide.

 

oh heck...i'm on a roll. continuing w/ the function theme would be my solder station {below}. it also doubles as a satellite desk for my order book + the occasional blog posting. {guess where i am planted as i type this?!} the plethora of tiny drawers are fabulous storage. but i have to admit they are still a W.I.P. {work in progress}. but they look darn nice in the meantime! 

 

 

i am sure i have shown you all this picture of my tiny bottles {below} enough. but they are one of my favorite little things in here...plus i am pretty fond of the fact that i can see what is in each rather than searching for that certain bead!

 

 

another little area of storage {below}...a rusty old stacked bin now houses rolls of wallpaper and other odds*n*ends...it looks right @ home next to it's big neighbor...a giant crackling paint cupboard. {patinaWHITE @ it's finest!}. and those bin pulls on said cabinet...ooooh...do i love original hardware!

 

you may have noted that the title states part#1...due in part to the time constraint i am facing today as my rustic wood letters wait patiently for finish work. but that just means this will be continued and we all have something to look forward to! hey...even dancing with the stars can't cram it all in {1} night!

so with that...it's time for my dickies. there's some sand paper with my name on it. and since i don't want to be "voted off the show"...i better get @ it! hope you've enjoyed this taste of my mini MAKEover!

make it a great day!

go ahead & take @ least {1}

hello and happy day to you! ok. so i am probably not a real big risk taker. i get grief from my favorite restaurant for always ordering the same thing. which for me means a customized dish to my liking. so tweaked from their menu offerings that they actually programmed a button to send out the order to the cooks that beth is in the building. and she wants the "usual". 

so when i spotted a saying on pinterest awhile back with little tear off "tabs"...i recreated my own version and hung in my kitchen. {below}

 

 

reminding me that it's ok to break out of our safety zone once in awhile and take a chance now and then. you'll note that i took one immediately. and even though i didn't deviate from my "usual" main course this past weekend on our dinner out...i did happily go for the cheesecake. there was a "chance" it wouldn't have enough caramel on it. does that count? 

hope you are inspired to take some chances of your own. a glance @ my tear sheet {above} indicates i have more opportunity @ taking chances. guess i will always leave room for dessert!

here's to chances..big and small! 

i've got no "morels"

happy day to you! i feel that i have been as scarce these days as today's subject matter. with shady season a couple weeks away i have been ironing my wonder woman cape in preparation for that fun start to summer. but even a super hero needs a little time unwinding. so i put on my trusty bogs...

 

and in the company of my hubby...took a walk in the woods...

 

in search of the elusive morel mushroom {image courtesy cracked pot gardener}

 

and since i didn't use my own photo above...it's a pretty good indication i didn't find a thing. or should i say i didn't find a morel because throughout my hunt i was constantly distracted w/ other interesting objects as well as my surroundings. so i thought i'd share a little walk on the minnesota wild-side! 

 

the early start of some fern fronds... the heart shape caught my eye...

 

saw plenty of other varieties of mushrooms along the way. like these...

 

 

plus this gathering...

 

and check out this guy!...

 

 

and i'm still laughin' @ the thought of this "fella". now that's one stylish rock and mossy "hairdo"! {below}

 

there were plenty of fungus among us. just not the delicious variety i had hoped for! i did stop to appreciate other little things like a web covered in the droplets of the early morning rain...

 

and this lone pinecone from last years shed nestled under some leafy growth...

 

patches of moss always stop me dead in my tracks. i love to use this earthy element for my potted plants...but i left everyone alone this time around...

 

even though i still have no "morels"...i do feel fortunate to have a room with such a great view so close to my home...

 

i hope your weekend is a wonderful one! i may very well find me on what would be my third quest for the mystical mushroom. although i think i would have better luck searching for a unicorn!  glad you popped by and hope you enjoyed your woodsy trek with me!

take time to enjoy the little things...

growing a junk{iary}

hey there show & tell friends! we all know what a topiary is, right? well mix in a little junk and you have yourself a junk{iary}! which is just what i did this past weekend while bringing some lively accents into our home.

the fragrant aroma of rosemary tickles my senses. i've always fancied the look of the topiary version but they tend to be a bit more costly than the humble potted variety. so i brought home the latter of the two and decided to pop it in a cool piece of pipe for the "trunk". now a make shift junk{iary} resides on our kitchen counter {below}

 

 

when the time came to trim some snippets of ivy from my large plant for a project...i took a few of the extra tails and "planted" them in of {1} of the {3} ironstone pitchers that hang from an old radiator belt rack in our dining area.

you'll note the wire cage to an old fan is now the foundation for a junk{iary} in progress. we will see if they continue to grow and weave their way about the frame. i am a big "fan" of how it looks right now {as shown below}.

 

 

an unplanned {but much enjoyed} visit to bergen's greenhouse on saturday yielded me a spattering of cheery annuals for my container gardens. i was captivated with the looks of the traditional topiary shape of what i learned is a lavender swirl trailing lantana. the tag states it attract butterflies...but it sure attracted me! 

so much so that i had to make one of them mine. i nestled it in a rusty sap bucket...covered the pot with moss and piled in some glass aqua fishnet floats. it's right @ home on our porch. just waiting for those butterflies {below}!

 

 

a little junk goes a long way! especially when combined with the happy texture of plantings! and like the butterflies....i must flutter my way back to tasks @ hand. the shady hollow season is coming up in less than {3} weeks! so off to the pile 'o projects i go! until next time...

make it a great day!

dear john...

hello hello show & tell! i am writing a dear john letter today...because i have put away my tool box, paint brushes + cleaning supplies and am happy to report that my "master disaster" is finally finished! that disaster was the vanity in our master bathroom that turned into a much bigger project than i had dreamed it would be. 

right about now you'd think i would show you the finished project. but there's a reason i'm holding out. and though i can't say why or what...just know that you all will get to enjoy the fruits of my labor...guess i can't even share a when with you either! remember that absence makes the heart grow fonder. ok...i've said too much already. moving on...

i would like to share with you a view of our toilet though! or some would say "john"..."biffy"..."commode"...you get the picture. i know...i know. show you my toilet?! really...is that the best you can give us, beth? well...i'd like to think the porcelain "throne" can be quite decorative.  the addition of a partial piece of a windmill tail + metal alliums {below} really made this "work zone" industrial fabulous!

 

 

next...i am highlighting another bathroom necessity! yep. toilet paper. there's something you won't see on every decorating blog or magazine. infact i am willing to bet there is little homage paid to this staple! well in my corner of the world if you've got to see it...it better be eye pleasing. i continued on with the industrial flavor w/ an expandable pipe apparatus for lack of a better term. and when i discovered that giant tissue rolls stack perfectly inside it's walls....i was ready to squeeze the charmin!  i think even mr. whipple would be impressed!

 

 

i'm pretty sure you could add a little vessel of fresh flowers to any ordinary object and make a statement! which is what i happended to do here {below} with a ball jar and assortment of happy blooms! and before i forget...the metal "cage" around the rock filled glass vase is really a former rodent trap. yes...you can officially say i have lost my mind @ this point. but it's really quite cool! {and clean thanks to a good power washing!}

 

oh what the heck...since i'm on a roll..how about a repeat of all the above features with the main floor powder room the area of focus?  well then...if you're still with me...here we go again! this time a gathering of dark oil paintings takes stage. a bit more "girly" if you will...than upstairs.

 

and in an effort to do mr. whipple proud with my very public display of t.p. ...this time i have piled up rolls in a locker basket. {below} there has never once been a scuffle in our household about replacing the roll of toilet paper! now landing back where it belongs...that's another story...

 

not to deviate from today's "format"...i put some cheerful stems in a glass vintage cottage cheese jar {below}. i bet the milkman didn't see that one coming!

 

 

well i guess that brings me to the end of this dear john letter. since usually they are intended to bid someone farwell that is exactly what i will do! but i will not be "gone" for long! just until the next time the moment is right. or there is a roll of toilet paper worth mentioning!

make it a great day everyone!

Happy MAY day!

hey there everyone! wishing you all a...

 

a sometimes forgotten celebration that occurs on...

 

may day is an astronomical holiday, one of the year’s four cross-quarter days. or day that falls more or less midway between an equinox and solstice – in this case the march equinox and june solstice. {ok...i'm sure you're thinking WHAT is she talking 'bout? well...that little factoid is compliments of earthsky.org....not my usual lingo but seemed easier than me rambling on about the origins. not that i'm not rambling currently!}

nowadays it is a good reason to justify a sweet treat. personal fav of mine.. salt water taffy....

 

and the use of flowers is considered to be another form of may day expression...my baskets will house seed packets {below} to point the recipients in that direction.

 

so the goods came together in my paper sacs {HOW2 make these was my last post if you recall!} with the addition of a candy swizzle and sprig of fern...add in a little shredded paper + a stamp detail & doorknobs are suddenly looking much more lively in our home! 

 

and since i can't possibly eat another piece of taffy. {well...maybe ONE more...} i best get these cuties to their destination. because MAY day is slipping by @ a quick rate! but i guess there are 30 more "may days" if you want to catch me on a technicality!  that means i really should make another trip to the candy store just to be stocked and ready!

 

happy {MAY} day to you all!