Detours

Isn't it amazing when life just happens without you planning for it? It's better than we can imagine if we don't get so attached to the little things and just go with the flow...it's taken me 51 years to get to this point...but it's great no less!

Fortunately, I am not referring in any way to the acts of nature we experienced here in NC last week...earth quake trimmers and Hurricane Irene. I felt the earth move under my feet and didn't realize what it was, and the hurricane just blew all the flowers off of my bougainvilleas. Thank God, that was it!

Although the same day as Irene blew through, our daughter called to say she was coming home for a month...or so.

She's been offered a new job and has an opportunity to take an extended trip home...and she's taking it. We are thrilled! She hasn't been home since last December and Sam and I are the only ones that have seen her since. She will be here this Saturday afternoon.

Not only have I been preparing her old room by cleaning out all of the things I have stored in there, I've been getting a plan together for our booth at The Depot. We can start moving in this weekend but we first need to build a couple of walls and paint...and make some other really cool things that I will show you next week.

So, long story a little shorter, we decided it was just crazy to try to open the shop this weekend with all that has changed in a little more than a week...remember if you will, the booth at the Depot came open suddenly and I had no idea two weeks ago that we'd be doing that!

Believe it or not...I am NOT super woman! I can't do it all...boy that feels good to say out loud. Try it ladies, it's liberating in some strange way.

If you were planning to stop by this weekend, we apologize for the inconvenience. Please give us a call next week and we will open especially for you. Seriously! It's all pretty and clean and I'd hate for no one to see it before I start taking things out for the booth.

Oh, and I'm excited to announce that yesterday we had a featured item on Etsy's blog....

Antelope Lodge Floorcloth by Angie Nelson

....and today we sold our first item from Ranch Dressing Online , also on Etsy. Yay! It's been a good week!

Vintage Pink Health-o-meter Bath Scales

I hope you all are having a good week too and I will be back here next Wednesday, hopefully with photos of the construction process of our booth. Take care!

New Growing Pains...

Since last week we've taken another step into the junk antique and vintage business...

We've taken a booth at the Depot at Gibson Mill...We will begin moving in in September. Why a booth?

We are bursting at the seams!

...and this is just two corners! I keep finding the coolest treasures and have continued to make new things as well. Also, we can't continue to work at this crazy pace, wearing ALL of the hats...this is supposed to be fun! 

But, not to worry...we will still be open by appointment here at the Ranch! This is manageable. We would like to have at least one big occasional sale a year, maybe with vendors...but we will see what time actually allows. 


 I'm hoping to thin out and be less cluttered here...and to use the shop to introduce new things so that family and friends get first dibs...but you'd better look quick! 

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Did you notice this little cutie in the photo above? We're getting a nice selection of vintage children's items like this very sweet Margaret Holbrook doll case.

...and these 1930's and 40's framed paper dolls...Snow White, Shirley Temple and Beth from Little Women.

In September some things will be on sale 20% off that are spring-y and summer-y. Give us a call for a private shopping appointment!

...and you will want to come stock up on summer candles to finish out the warm evenings...some are perfect year round in the bath, like Lilac, Cucumber, Sage or Jamaica Me Crazy.

Okay, so....

As soon as the booth is stocked I will post photos and let you know how to find us...our first hint...it's near the diner! 

Once a Week on Wednesday

I could be talking about your mother's hair appointment, your housecleaning day or...well, I don't talk about those topics here...so I must be talking about the blog.

It seems it is evolving into only once a week and usually on Wednesday. It's just all I can manage maybe until winter or maybe that's just all it will ever be again...so mark your calendar for updates at the Ranch on Wednesdays.

I had to have my car serviced this morning and on the way home I stopped for a little pickin'. I managed to get two baskets of Thomasville junk into my trunk and now have it all cleaned up and ready to merchandise into the shop.

All clean and ready for a new home

How cute are the tumblers?...and the Malibu Ware?

I'm such a hog for old tins...do I sell or keep?

These refrigerator dishes are great together...and remember the Chop-O-Matic? 

How 'bout the star colander? ...and the slicer dicer thing? 

Antique hand made rolling pin, can you say very primitive?

These things came from an old cabin in town...yes, in the city...it's the best kept secret in T'ville! The cabin was moved to the back of the property many moons ago to make way for a newer house and has been used for storage for no telling how long. It's still very sturdy and the owners plan to keep it around...unlike the utility company in our neck of the woods...

Love it! 

The sweet little building in the picture below is now long gone thanks to P-R-O-G-R-E-S-S. The power company is clearing the right of way to make way for new lines. I won't go there, for now, but just for the record, I am not happy! I did manage to get a few pieces of junk out from behind those nice doors before demolition.

Beautiful!

Our neighbor, Kathy Godwin, took the photos. She is a great photographer, don't you think? But, now, It is gone. We are Sad....nonetheless....we should save as much of our history as possible, be it in photos or collecting things.

Everything you see here, and much more, will be ready for purchase in September. I'll be talking more about that next week...probably on Wednesday.

Talk to you next week!

Work Table Wednesday - Artisan Boxes

On my worktable are new boxes. I've said over and over...I'm obsessed and I can't stop making them. Last weekend at our opening I sold one of the cutest ever...

Girls Rule Box

I made it with a teenage girl in mind and doggone if one didn't walk right to it and pick it up. We both were thrilled! If you will notice the cute little knob on top...It's from an old pot lid I think...just one of those things in my stash waiting on a job. I thought it was the perfect touch.

Nowhere does it say boys drool, but we all know...they do! 

My boxes have evolved somewhat since the first ones I made out of necessity. (See below). I made them for the jewelry armoire I repurposed from an old clock case. You can read that story here...A Clock Case No Longer. I'm finding that they all need feet of some sort and a special topper that is something recycled and sometimes repurposed.

My very first embellished boxes

Although the stickers were nice at the time I'm  using them less now and only for recycled jewelry boxes where only the tops are embellished.  These little boxes were not finished inside so I decided to use them as gift boxes and made four more for the armoire.

My second set

These are a little more refined with finished insides and hand painted embellishments.

This week I am working on a new 7 inch square box that is also a clock...

Beginnings of clock box

It's a commission and I have until the last of September to get it finished and shipped, but I have to get with it
before my busy season hits full force. This is what I have so far....papers, rhinestones, clockworks, wooden ball feet and ribbon...

...and a hand painted hair hide top.

I've been saving this pink paper for almost a year waiting on just the right box. I love the tooled look. It's already been sealed inside and out for a nice sheen and protection for many years of use.

I have some pretty cool ideas for the rest of it...only I don't actually have all the parts I plan to use yet!  Ebay here I come!

I did, however finish a cowboy box last week and it's going in our etsy shop when I get a minute to list some things. I can see this on a bookshelf with leather bound books and trophies...or up on a chest of drawers to the side of whatever is framed above it. I hope that whomever buys it will let me know how they use it.

7" Square Box

Off to bed, tomorrow's a new day for a new box!

We are open this weekend....

....and are looking forward to seeing you!

Have You Read Our Newsletter?

Just a quick note to let you know our newsletter is up and available to view online...

http://www.thejunkranch.com/newsletters.html

...or you can subscribe to receive it in your inbox from the same page or from the link on our side bar here on the blog.

Personally, I still love getting my mail out of my real mailbox and I will be happy to send you a copy to your real mailbox if you prefer. I like having things in my hands where I can put them on my desk, in my notebook or bulletin board for reference. I'm so bad to tell myself I will "print it later" and then completely forget!

Have a wonderful summer day!

 

For the Locals

Hope it's cooler where you are than here in the hot and humid south! On Monday it honestly felt pretty tolerable at 95 and low humidity. Now, both the heat and humidity are rising and I'm happy to be inside sprucing things up for our opening this weekend.

We recently got in some new local collectibles that I think are quite unique and just may be near to someone's heart....

First is the High Point Bank and Trust 60th anniversary commemorative ashtrays. Ordinarily, I may have passed up something like this but,

My first bank account was with this bank and they gave me my first loan as well for my one and only brand new car....and my best friend worked there for a while. The bank looked like this even when my children were small. I remember going through the drive-thru in the back and my kids getting lolli pops. It was fancy back in the day.

We have two of these smoky glass ashtrays. I still know several people that worked there and am wondering who will scoop these up.

....And on the other end of the spectrum are these little windshield ice scrappers...

From the iconic Fulton's Grocery. It was one of those places everyone stopped by and that had Cokes in a big red cooler outside for a long time.

If you've not been to one of our occasional sales, we have lots more local collectibles you may be interested in...

New old stock North State Telephone Match book

Dial???

First Methodist Church
Winston-Salem
Built 1842

Great Smoky Mountains

Blowing Rock

White Lake - I'm not sure what this is but I like the art...

Tiny little ashtrays from Star NC

I would use them for soap in a guest bath/powder room

More from White Lake - 10 coasters still in package...

Coasters Lable

Commemorative silver plate money clip from Kay Jewelers

Record Cleaner from Greensboro Music

I know...a cat hair. 

Lots of vintage travel brochures from all those childhood vacations.

Post cards...some linen...from the same childhood family trips.

If you see anything you are interested in we will be open this Saturday August 7th from 10 - 5 and Sunday the 8th fom 1 - 5. We'd love to see you!