blue moon

If you haven't heard, there is a blue moon tonight. A blue moon is the second full moon in a calendar month and in case you skipped astronomy class...there is one full moon each month.

Blue Moons occur once every 2.5 years . But a New Years Eve blue moon, only happens every 19 years...another great reason to celebrate. The term is over 400 years old and the word 'blue' was originally meant to describe the 13th moon of the year, not the color. A few other definitions have since been adopted, but probably the most common is the "once in a ...".

So whether you spend it at home or away, with family or friends or just relaxing solo, enjoy! Celebrate the passing of another memorable year and toast the fantastic possibilities and good fortune that finds you in 2010.

buddah's hand

When I was at Whole Foods yesterday, I couldn't help but put one of these in my cart. Even at $5.99 each. I had no idea what to do with it, but it had the most captivating smell (like lemons and honeysuckle) and of course its odd appearance.

The Buddha's Hand Citron looks like a cross between a sea anemone and that scary captain's beard from Pirates of the Caribbean. This member of the citrus family, originated in Asia over a thousand years ago. Besides being used to infuse vodka and make marmalade, it is also a symbol of good fortune for the New Year. Many even use it as a natural air freshener on their counter.

I don't have enough time to do the infusing, but I do plan on using the zest and rind in a cocktail for our New Years Eve celebration. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Cheers !

play ball

I never know when I will find my next victim. It's one of the many things I love about salvaging. The thrill of the hunt, discovering the unexpected in the most unlikely places...I just love it ! And that is precisely what I found on an very early morning this month.

I had to go to the store at 5am, to get an ingredient, to finish the cupcakes we were bringing to MN 4 hours later.... I know, ridiculous. BUT, on that last turn on to my street, I found this perched on top a snowbank in the cloak of darkness. All of the sudden, my pre-dawn trip was not nearly as annoying.

In a side story, I had recently found my 1984 Critter Sitter's 3 ring binder, that oddly enough was filled with my collection of baseball cards featuring the 1984 Chicago White Sox. The year after they won the AL West championship.

See, when I was about 14, I wanted to be the 1st female in the major leagues. Seriously, I did. Now, this dream lasted about 6 months (until I became preoccupied with more important things, like boys) but, in that short phase, I accumulated some cool memorabilia. Once I found out they were worth about a buck each, I thought of someone who would appreciate their value as much as I once did. Enter my brother-in-law John, one of biggest White Sox fans I know.

Here is how it started.....

A decent knee-high side table with a sturdy structure. A light varnish and an etching of an eagle were on the top.

After a quick roughing up with some sandpaper, I covered the entire table with some left over white house paint. Low VOC in fact.

A high gloss black on the legs provided some contrast.

I had I feeling this would be a feature in their sports themed basement, so I had a little fun with the design. For the top, the cards. Nothing fancy, just evenly lined up, where the owner could still appreciate the players.... Harold Baines, Tom Paciorek and my fav, Ron Kittle, in all their glory.

I attached them with YES paste (a bookbinders and crafter's friend) but any clear drying white glue would work , especially when using a heavier cardstock. After waiting a day to dry, I used a foam brush to apply a thin coat of white glue, or you could use Mod Podge. It provides a nice barrier between the cards and the final top coating . For that, Alene's triple thick spray. Just 2 coats will give you a fantastic, glossy, durable top layer... almost glass like.

He loved it, and so did this little sweetie (my nephew Evan)....Abby's obligatory appearance too of course.

Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside when I can share something once so important to me, with someone who can appreciate it equally. Good for me, good for them and good for the planet.

6 degrees of salvage

I briefly showed you this chair before my show last weekend, but once I found its origins I just had to expound.

So, about 2 months ago when driving down Milwaukee Ave, over here on the east side, I see this chair on the curb. As usual, I made a u-turn and popped open the back of the truck. The intricate scrolling and tall back were just too good to pass up.

I wanted the transformation to be fairly drastic, so a new vibrant color choice was the first step. Left over, of course...from this project.

Once that was on, it was easier to see my end vision. I went thru my stash of scrap fabrics to recover the seat, but none really jumped out. I scoured the local fabric stores and although I found a few that would work....not that perfect match. Since I only needed a 16 by 16 inch square, I stepped outside the box and used this fantastic old bath towel, picked up a a thrift store.

The color was just what I was looking for and the dual texture added a nice upolstered touch. After stripping the original seat to bare wood and re-padding with high density foam and the towel. The chair was complete.

I named it the Verona chair because at the base of this wooden wonder was a stamp reading 'Made in Italy' . Thought it was a nice reminder of its origins....but that would soon be thrown a big loop.

When I arrived at the show that morning and started setting up all my wares, the organizer of the event came up to me, and said 'that is my chair.' At first I thought she just meant that she had one like it, but after further investigation, we discovered it really was her chair....even down to the doggie chew marks on one of the ball feet. Her ex-husband had inherited it and must have put it on the curb, as he lives in the neighborhood where I found it. Now really...what are the odds?

I always like to tell my customers, that these items come from our local streets, and something you toss out today might become tomorrows treasure, but I didn't think I would ever see such a close connection. I couldn't have made up a better story if I tried.

At the end of the show, the previous owner, Maureen, came over and whispered..."I think I need the chair" and I replied," I think you do too".

I love this story and it is one I will surely be telling for years to come. As for the chair....it has appropriately been renamed 'the Maureen.' In honor of it's previous, and now current owner. I hope she gives you many years of happiness. Enjoy.

Write on! Hippie Christmas # 4

The finale. Just 4 short months ago I was rescuing all these treasures from a landfill fate during student move out and now the finale is here.

So here is our before....

A pretty cool coffee table to start with, and with a groovy paint choice, it would have been an easy quick fix, but I thought of one just as easy and even more groovy.

Chalkboard paint ! Readily available at your local hardware/paint/craft store and really easy to apply. But first the prepping. If you want a nice, smooth surface you MUST sand. Nicks, gouges and overall gook will only intensify once the paint it applied. A belt sander can smooth it in seconds, otherwise just a medium grain sandpaper and some elbow grease will do the trick too.

Now the paint. When I want a really flawless finish I use a roller and when I want it really, really smooth I use foam. No nap to create high and low points.

After just one coat, the table looked like this. Easy, easy and a real professional appearance too. I ended up doing two coats, just to be safe, but as always, follow the manufacturer's directions.

Although it would be a great game table for score keeping or just general doodling, after a conversation with my mother, we discovered it was also perfect toddler height. Nate and I have two 1 year old nephews and they were definitely the inspiration for this one. Saturated primary colors (from left-over cans) were the color choice, and I simply alternated the paint colors to create an appealing order.

I finished this the night before the Artists Open House, so I was not able to get a lot of sunny shots, but I think you get the idea. After inscribing a little message for the fair goers that morning, I wrapped up a small bundle of colored chalk to complete the package and we were off.

It was the second sale of the day and was attracting lots and lots of toddlers. It was instant advertising. The lucky buyers were a couple getting it for their grandson for Christmas. Ahhhh, my thought exactly.

I'll be sharing more photos and stories about the show and all the new transformations later this week.

Fresh off the workbench

Better late than never right. Here are two transformations that you can pick up at tomorrow's Artists Open House at the Goodman Center..... as well as many others.

Telephone table BEFORE

Oldham telephone table AFTER


Roadside chair BEFORE.....

Verona chair AFTER...
More details on their transformations later, I just couldn't wait to share.