Thursday, July 22, 2010

Just Maybe...


... Mother Nature does listen!
We luckily escaped the thunder
storms on our first day of our
Summer Home Show!

We had a wonderful turn out
despite the hot, humid weather.
Many "Rescued" Furniture pieces
have found new homes and many
flower stakes are blooming in
friendly new gardens!

Here is the picture I promised.
What was the successful marriage of
old, new & in-between?



A potting bench!
Recycled tin, an old enamel top
kitchen table, parts & pieces from
days gone by & a new coat of paint make
this a very functional, yet fun place to
hang out in your garden! It has drawers
for soil, hooks for string & drying gloves.
A fold down door with screen to air bulbs.
A little box to put your clippers or your
phone so you know where you put them!


Heartfelt thanks to those you came to
support our little country store today!
We really do appreciate our customers!

That's all for now...
this old gal is tired and tomorrow we get
to do it all again! If I want to be able to
count back change I'd better get some sleep!
More pic's of some awesome
furniture will post soon!
Night, Night!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Rain, Rain, Thunderstorms



GO AWAY!
THE WHISTLE STOP
has much to do today!


This is the forecast for our show weekend...

TODAYTOMORROWFRISATSUN6-10 DAY

Scattered T-storms

Isolated T-storms

Scattered T-storms

Partly Cloudy

Partly Cloudy
Extended Forecast
High: 82°
Low: 73°
High: 93°
Low: 74°
High: 88°
Low: 72°
High: 83°
Low: 67°
High: 85°
Low: 68°


We have a large tent going up this afternoon,
with more than 40 pieces of furniture that
are supposed to go under it for our
Summer Home Show. Our shop is only
500 sq. feet and so to have more furniture
we rent a tent from our local Boy Scouts.

Not so sure that it's safe for the Boy Scouts
to put up a tent in lightning. I know they
are Boy Scouts and they are prepared
for everything... but, metal poles and
lightening... doesn't sound
like a good idea to me!

The grass is soggy, the rain is running down
the patio to the door of the shop, I have three
days worth of work to get done in one.
(and so my kids would say...
so what's new? )

Give me patience, give me strength,
Give me a go with the flow attitude!
Mother Nature is one that won't change
her plans just because I ask her to.

The show must go on... and it will!

Thursday, July 15, 2010

A Creative Marriage...

Here is a peek at project that the
master carpenter (aka...my husband)
has been working on!


Any ideas of what it might be?


It is a marriage of many many things...
... old, new & in-between.



It will be sitting front & center on
The Whistle Stop's patio

Come check it out if you can... if you are a
visitor from "blogland" I will post
pictures after the show.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Mark Your Calendars...


The count down is on!
is less than two weeks away!




Our storage unit is filling up with
Rescued Furniture, things of old and
the market orders have begun to arrive!

We have just a few more days to wrap
up the projects and then it's on to setting
the stage for all these "wonderfuls" in
the tent & our little bit of a country store!

If you're in the area, we'd love
for you all to stop for a visit!
We'll have the sun tea brewin'!

Monday, June 14, 2010

A Big Surprise...




My mom turned 85 this past April.
She had a trip planned to California
to visit her granddaughter, grandson
& some old friends.
She ended up ill and was hospitalized
for close to a week.
Which shut down our plans for a
BIG surprise!

Happy to say...
after several weeks she
is on the mend and was able to take her
trip to California after all!

We took the opportunity of her being
on vacation to do a surprise make over
in her quilting room!
She lives to quilt!
She makes small quilts & table
runners for the shop.

The goal was to spend very little money.

{before}


First...
we emptied the room, tore down the
old wallpaper boarder & painted the walls.
I had no jumping off point for a paint color
so I just headed to Lowes and browsed
paint chips. Pulled up one and it said...
"Cloth" ... Perfect!




Next...
We went on a hunt for an old dresser to rescue.
We found a monster of a piece that my
husband transformed. I so wish I would of
remembered to take a before picture!
He removed doors & drawer panels and
added wainscot. He painted it a funky
blue & gave it his famous worn finish.
It has 6 drawers & 3 pull out tray
for all her fabric.

{after}


Then...
He built a shelf unit for the wall above
the dresser. It has a row of little chicken nest
like boxes. Handy to nest fabric strips &
started project. He painted it Linen with the
same distressed finish.





Finally the fun begins...



... putting all the decorative touches
in the room. I found some shams I had
bought a couple of years ago and never used.
They were a quilt pattern with many
colors to pull from. I chose a khaki color
quilt for the bed and dressed it like a day bed.




I had bought a Wall Word decal of flowers
that I had stashed in a closet for a year or so.
I took three pine boards, painted them
with layers of green, blue & linen paint.
Distressed, stained & lacquered them
and applied the decal. It hangs over the bed for
an inexpensive piece of simple art.

We had enough done to make it a surprise by
the time she got home! Although, there
is still more to do... curtains, sorting of the
piles & boxes of fabric, a cutting table &
a few more decorations.
She is enjoying it and has made several little
quilts since she's been home!


Thursday, June 3, 2010

I Can't Watch!

What we won't do in the name of
The Whistle Stop!!!

A custom built stepback cupboard 6' wide & almost 7' tall.
It's bigger than the bed of our little truck
and we said we'd deliver!

Good thing we didn't have to go far.
At first I thought...
I can't watch...
then I thought... I need pictures of this!

Laid on the top of the bed... no straps... no tie downs
... just the balance & muscles of my youngest son
& the careful driving of my dear husband.

Across the highway, around the block, down the hill
and...


in the driveway.

It made it's way safely to it's new home.
It just slid under the door frame of this little
cottage and fit snugly in the dining room
ready to serve it's owner with strength & grace.
(Oops... In all the relief of getting it there safely
I forgot to take a picture of it, maybe it's owner
will send me one once she has all her pretties on it.)

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Rescued Furniture at The "SToP"


Transformation... Whistle Stop Style!

This corner cabinet had seen better days,
until we rescued it and gave
it a new "do"!

Removed the top doors & drawer,
added wainscot backing & new doors.



Black paint and my husbands
famous distressed finish & this
corner cupboard is ready
for a new home!

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Happy Memorial Day...

Happy Memorial Day!

For those near & those far...
Blessings

Monday, May 24, 2010

Old Greens...


This old spring green stool & cupboard
set the stage for all the birds to
gather & nest!

It hasn't felt like Spring the last few days... it's
more like late summer with heat and humidity!
That's the midwest for ya... hope to see spring temps
return soon! And the airconditioner man!
Our air is out & it's just a little bit sticky. Uhhh!!!

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Everything's A Bloom at The "SToP"...


... or was!
Time to fill the little ol' gal up again!

Pictures of our Spring Show are
now on the website...

... have a look

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Spring Open House...

This Friday & Saturday
May 7th & 8th

If you are in our neck of the
woods stop and say hi!



Saturday, May 1, 2010