TONIGHT on Early Work Mercantile!

**gobble** **gobble**



I've got more primitive pumpkins too!





So be sure to stop by!

:> )

It was a year ago today...

we had to say goodbye to my beloved, loyal best four legged friend I've ever had.
(I know many of you can relate)

There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about my Darla. She taught me so much in those 12 short years the good Lord above gave me with her.

She set the bar high and is the reason we'll always have a Boston Terrier in our lives.





























♥

No more white knuckle driving...

I no longer have to worry about having a rogue airbag unexpectedly go off while driving my Jeep. The problem was fixed yesterday. Hurray!!



So what if it took almost a year for the company to make the part to fix the problem after sending out the recall. What's a few more crashes?? Happy. Happy. Joy. Joy. Ummm. Please note sarcasm.

So now I can safely bring myself and Stella places and not worry about it.
Man, she LOVES to go for rides too. I swear, she's like a celebrity wherever I take her. People go crazy over Boston Terriers.

There's always someone who has a funny story about a Boston Terrier they once had, or their grandparents had or their neighbors had. Some of the stories I've heard are hysterical.

My sweet Stella can get all the attention she wants as long as she doesn't start putting her ears in little knots, wearing a flesh color skin tight bikini and carrying around a foam finger.
BUT the tongue wagging is acceptable.
Especially after playing with her Frisbee.



Happy Thursday!!

:> )

You know you’re getting old...

when you burn the midnight oil until 9 P.M.

It's over folks! I didn't want it to happen, but it did anyway.

I'm officially as old as Tennessee Tuxedo.



Yes, he and I turned a half century old this week.

Truthfully I'm not bothered by the number. It's just a number. Besides, I definitely don't feel 50.

Although I really hate not being able to see up close.
But my biggest complaint is my once hourglass shape is now more like a bowling pin. With a pot belly... and wrinkly knees... and chipmunk cheeks... and back fat... You get the gist.

No big shindig. Just a tiny, simple family gathering.

Coming from a tiny, family of crackpots, my family didn't disappoint either.

Here's how my big sis wrapped my gift. Be sure to read all the clippings.
Leave it to her to take the "Abilify Gal" and give her gray streaks in her hair.
Thankfully, as depressing as turning 50 can be, I have no need for the Abilify Gal's "sidekick."



My sis would be great at making ransom notes, wouldn't she??
(I'd better not give her any ideas)



What she thought would be a gag gift turned out to be something I'm thrilled to have!
As I mentioned, I can't see anything up close anymore, so this keyboard with gigantic letters is perfect! No more fumbling for my readers!! YaY!!



It's also a good thing because I somehow wore most of the letters off my old keyboard!
Maybe it's because as my sweet hubs puts it, "She bangs on those keys like Schroeder." Some of you will get that.

Hmpf! I just don't have a light touch.

So here's our tiny motley crew.



My big sister, yes, I'm the mayonnaise face in the middle with the birthday crown (who really needs a tan) and our mama.
I must look like the milkman.
((giggle))

I had to laugh. As my mama was leaving and my hubs was walking her through the house and out the door, I hear her yell, "HEY!! WHEN DID YOU GET A DOUGH BOX????!!!"

Man, I can't get anything past that woman. Even at 75, she can still spot the "goods."

So overall it was a great day like every day of my life. Hey, when the good Lord above allows you to wake up every morning, every day is a great day, right???

Soooooo..
Does anyone want to go bowling?!
I'll happily stand in the lane.

:> )

Got my Dough Box End Table...

I was a tad disappointed in the condition of it. I guess my idea of "very good condition" is not the same as others.

But after our road trip from hell, I was determined to bring it home. Even if it was charred in a fire, missing a leg, and was held together with duct tape it was coming home with me!
If you'd like to read more about our road trip from hell, my sweet Stella describes it to a tee HERE.

So here is the final destination for the old dough box. Since I had to use the small tavern table I had in front of the daybed as part of my new/old coffee table, I figured it would look fine here.





I thought about painting it with milk paint, but I'm still unsure. I would like to try and remove the sheen and leave the exposed maple. Not sure how to do it, but I'll figure something out. I always do.
If there's a will, there's a way.

Happy Monday, everyone!!!
:> )

Okay. Now what do I do?

I listed my oak coffee table on Craigslist the other day.
Truthfully, I didn't expect to sell it, but I did.

I sold it so fast, I don't have another coffee table to replace it.
But I want something small instead of the "Cessna" I had parked in front of the couch.

With Stella in this crazed "Terrible Twos" stage (but she's not quite 10 months old) I need something on my braided rug. Otherwise she will yank, pull, tug at it even more. Have I mentioned I'm ready to kill her?!
**ahem**
Figuratively speaking, of course.
**cough**

So I have to make do with a make do coffee table.

Notice Miss Congeniality (Gracie) and Twinkle Toes (Stella) in the background.




It's a small antique barn door from our dairy barn on top of a small tavern table.

Hey, don't laugh.
If it holds my coffee cup and keeps Twinkle Toes from gnawing on the rug, it's a perfect coffee table.

Happy Thursday!!

:> )

A horse is a horse, of course, of course,

And no one can talk to a horse of course.
That is, of course, unless the horse is...



a gossip.




He's available on my Countryfolk Keepsakes selling site.

Happy Wednesday!

:> )

Another Craigslist score!

I can honestly say I just happened to stumbled across this one.

You all know I scour Craigslist on a daily basis. What am I looking for???
I have no idea!
But I'm always looking.

My latest mission is to find a coffee table. Mind you we have a lovely, solid oak coffee table. But it's too big. I want a small coffee table. Like back in the old days. Remember?? How things used it be?
Before we started to "Super Size" our lives.

Since my style is Country/Americana/Colonial, I am drawn to the vintage Early American Reproduction furniture from the 60's and 70's. I love the old stuff. It's solid, well made (in America) and not over the top expensive. Unlike the stuff that's made now.
I have quite a few pieces that I've transformed with paint and some I've left well enough alone. Like my Duckloe Brothers Windsor dining room set for example. I still cannot believe I found that set!

Well today, I came across a dough box end table! I've always loved the look of them. I remember my aunt and uncle had one. Do I need and end table? Absolutely not.

If you're unsure what a dough box end table looks like, have a gander below.



The top is hinged and opens.



This one is in a little rough shape, esthetically. But the price was right so I told the gal "SOLD!"
The only other problem is, it's a bit of a hike to get it. So what if it costs me more in gas than what I paid for it. It's worth it! Right?! I can't wait to pick it up!
((giggle))

So where am I going to put this?
"I have no idea!"
What am I going to use it as? **all together now**
"I have no idea!"

But I do know when I get done with it, it will look perfect somewhere in this old farmhouse.

Now the million dollar question is...

How do I keep my hubs from finding out I'm bringing home yet another piece of furniture??

Maybe he'll believe in the "Dough Box End Table Fairy?"

It's worth a shot!
Wish me luck.

:> )

Quite a productive Saturday...

I started out my day pulling yet another "lil' something" out of Stella's spay incision.

This time it was a small suture left behind. Unlike the human hair I found in there last week.
I will bite my tongue from saying anything else other than I guess I should be thankful I didn't find a Junior Mint in there. (Some of you should get that.)

Then I tackled a big/little job.
For years, I've been wanting to repaint our little Jotul wood stove in the kitchen. It may be a little wood stove but it was a big production to get it painted.

When I told my hubs "we" had to disconnect it and drag it out on the porch, he asked me if I had a mouse in my pocket. Hence the "we."
After he stopped laughing at his own joke, we got the job done.

I spent most of the day prepping it. Cleaning, sanding, wire brushing, vacuuming and using the air compressor.
Lather. Rinse. Repeat. About a hundred thousand times.

Then a couple of cans of Stove Bright high temp spray paint in Satin Black, did the trick.



I must say, I am quite pleased with the outcome. The lil' bugger looks brand, spankin' new!

Not bad for 23 bucks worth of spray paint. YaY!

Happy Saturday!!

:> )

Even though it was a record breaking, humid 91 degrees yesterday...

I decided to start my Autumn/Halloween decorating.

I don't decorate like I used to.
From top to bottom.
Left to right and everywhere in between.
Nope.
I prefer a more subtle decor. Tuck wonderful handmades here and there. Something to make me smile as I walk by.

Here's just a sample...

A precious lil' autumn dollie from sweet Sherrie of Symple Tymes.



The dapper pumpkinfellow sitting on the chair was made by dear Audrey of Bay Ray's Child and the little scarecrow was created by the dynamic duo Joee and Dylan of Cart Before the Horse.



Whooooo made this owl? Why it was silly Stacey of Tattered 'n Torn.




Here's a happy spider.



Goob aka Cookie of Curds-and-Whey made this smiling, ghoulish guy.



Little Bartholomew the Bat made by your humble Countryfolk Keepsakes blogger.



Yep, I like to smile...

a lot.



Happy Thursday.

:> )

Never Forget.





Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, Foreign Service Officer Sean Smith, and former Navy SEALs Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods were murdered in Benghazi, Libya.
Still no answers.


Never Forget.

Drumroll please...

and the winner is...

TA-DAH!!!

Oh wait a minute... You can't tell from this photo, huh??
**snicker**



Door #1: Handles in the center!!!!
(and the crowd goes wild!)



Yes, I chose handles in the center because our old, dairy barn we had, had them centered.
My guess, it distributes the heavy weight of the doors evenly. I remember wrestling our massive barn doors open. I had to throw my whole body into it.

I also thought they looked better centered.

Yes, I know these doors in my kitchen are cheap, hollow, light as feather bifold doors, but I wanted to stay true to our old barn.

So to all of you who guessed #1...
You're all getting a new car!!!!

No. I'm lying. You're all not getting a new car.
But it was a nice thought.

((giggle))

:> )

Survey Says...

Okay all you bloggers, time to chime in and give me your opinion.

First, I FINALLY got around to getting the handles for my genuine imitation beadboard "barn" doors.
((giggle))

But now I need to decide if the handles look better centered on the doors. Or look better lower on the doors.

These are the only choices I have since I already have holes where the old knobs were.

READY???!!!





#1: Door handles centered...





#2: Door handles lower...




I know which way I like them. I also know which way my hubs likes them and of course we don't agree.


So tell me what YOU think and the majority wins!
Nah. It'll be my way. But hey! It will be fun to play along anyway!!
But maybe, just maybe you can persuade me otherwise...

So let's hear it.
Don't be shy.


:> )