savvycityfarmer

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE ...

2012-03-09T08:01:00.000-06:00

NEWS FLASH ...

wait

are you sitting down?

If you've been reluctant to order

Jeanne d'arc Living Magazine

because of the price ...

today is your lucky day!

We, as dealers were notified this week

that the price JUST came down, way down ...

AND the publication is going to MONTHLY issues.

Too much good stuff!

for all of you who had placed a pre-order for

April at the higher price, we will be issuing a refund

included in your shipment ...

not to worry we stock the English version

if this doesn't rattle your cage ... nothing will.

so don't delay

I will be closing my April order by the end of March.

Spring is in the air

and you won't want to miss any upcoming issues!

Check the sidebar for paypal options ...

you're on your way to be addicted to this

beautiful publication ...

it's too good to be true!

due to my trunk show this weekend, I am out of time

and energy for a link party today.

PLEASE stay with me for the next

"thrift'n on a thursday"

a week from today.

hello and a big thank you to a lot of new followers

in the past month!!

hoping to meet some of y'all this weekend

in Lake Forest ...

EDGES, CORNERS AND CLOSE UPS ...

2012-03-06T07:03:00.001-06:00

it dawned on me while we were

tagging and taking inventory

last evening ...

I've been refinishing and
painting furniture since the 8th grade.

mini history lesson here ... when I
was a kid, my Dad let
me tag along to the farm auctions,
and taught me the art
of bidding ...
I won't bore you with all of that ... but the roots
run deep.

I'll be 59 in September ... you can do the math.

My Mom and I collectively still have the
pieces I redesigned, some are at
her old farmhouse

and some here.

whew

you'd think I'd be weary of this 'vocation' ....

NOT

part of the process as I paint and redesign,

apart from letting each piece 'speak' to me

trying to imagine where the piece will end up.

Will Mr. and Mrs. Client love it as much as I loved

designing it?

for the sake of surprise

I'm only going to show edges,

corners and close ups ...

Susan, the owner of Romancing the Home

informed me she sent 3,000

full color mailers of the spring gala this weekend.

As humbly as I can possibly utter the words,

"this may be the biggest selling event

in my history of redesign" ...

which dates back to the 8th grade ... haha

so, for any of you lurking here

who will be attending the event ....

perhaps, just perhaps you were the client I was daydreaming

about as I redesigned,

sanded, painted and lovingly stained each piece.

The "pile" is tally-ing up to app. 150 pieces ...

including, but not limited to

frames

mirrors

french chairs

industrial cubbies

clock face coffee table

hand lettered/ fatigued signs

upscale repurposed epherma

re-upholstered benches and stools

vintage German bee skep

bistro finds

tarnished silver

lovely smalls

and a limited stack of garden journals

depicting our potting shed ... signed by Fifi O'Neill

edges, corners and close ups!

See y'all Friday ...

Romancing the Home

Lake Forest, IL

10-5

March 9-10

SNAP DRAGONS ...

2012-03-03T07:39:00.000-06:00

meandering thru Friday ...

it's really starting to feel like spring in the midwest ...

truth be told, I'm having dreams about

snap dragons ... my gramma's favorite flower
(more on that later, and
how to grow these forgotten
beauties)

I should be at the workbench

BUT my load for

Romancing the Home is

ALMOST FINISHED

yeah ... you should see the living room, it looks like a store!

and no, sorry I can't show you ...

Susan, the store owner is 'sheeting' up her front

windows and plans to to a "reveal"

Friday morning, March 9 at 10:00

Can you stand it?

this is the typical flavor of my booth

when I do a show

garden, industrial, romantic farm antiques, painted furniture,

french, rustic, and a mish mash of out of the box wonderful junk!

Next week at the trunk show, I'll be adding fresh greens, as always ...

I'm convinced they add a certain

"come on in" to the already fabulous flavor of a trunk show or
an outdoor market venue ...

oh and btw ... I had three of these trophy planters

for sale at stuff in the burbs ... sold them all!

what do you think?

is a re-order in order??

have a beautiful weekend
linking with
vintage inspiration Friday

THRIFT'N ON A THURSDAY #14 ...COME JUNK WITH US

2012-03-01T11:55:00.000-06:00

this is stylists' dream

to host a show and be able to create

all the stunning vignettes.

welcome to thrift'n on a thursday

please take a moment and visit

'come junk with us!'

LINK up your favorite blog or website

if you've featured them on your blog

if not ... then some favorite thing of beauty!

number fouteen

WOW!

when I grow up I want to be a part of this dynamic team!

come junk with us ... what a concept!

what's your pipe dream?

link guide lines

cut and paste the URL of the post you are featuring, not the entire blog

create a VISABLE LINK back to this blog or use my thrift'n picture ( I'm asking politely, but many of you fail to do this)

no crafts or crafting projects please

say hi to some of the link players!

have fun

see ya next week

random photo credits

the fancy farmgirl

MIRROR MIRROR ...

2012-02-29T10:24:00.000-06:00

There are days when I feel like a doctor.

One of my clients ( who happens to be a shopkeeper)

hands me 5-10 projects a week, and usually adds the tag line ...

"see if you can fix this" ...

okay, right, how?

I think not!

yes, you're seeing this right ... a frame missing about 50% of it's carved molding.

And you want me to fix that?

I think not ...

Each week we pull together 3-5 old frames, touch them up with

paint

stain

and gold leaf ...

put glorious pieces of art in them.

They sell instantly.

BUT

we're talking broken, missing and downright ugly ...

and you're telling me to "do something with it" ...

that leaves me wide open doesn't it?

as in pitch it ...

Not so much.

I took a little snooze and woke up with the remedy right on the tips of my fingers.

tattered shreds of

old ledgers glued to all the missing areas of the frame ...

an ah-ha moment to be sure.

let me just add ...

You'll need the patience of JOB

here.

tatter the paper, glue, sand, stain and let dry ....

this took two or more hours.

but worth all the fretting and stewing ...

wouldn't you say?

magically transformed ...

just call me Doc ...

ledger ledger on the wall

Tell me ... who is

fairest of all?

please mosey on over to Lake Forest

next weekend

I will be showing 'piles' of these frames and mirrors, along with more finds

too many to mention.

"the reveal" is Friday morning at 10:00 am

hope to see you

at Romancing the Home

March 9-10

YOUR AD HERE ...

2012-02-26T20:49:00.000-06:00

Why you might want to consider a sponsor spot at savvycityfarmer

~twice/three times weekly blogging since 2005

~approximately 5500 page views a day

~1300 plus followers

~app 35,000 plus page view a week

readers from the leading countries of US, Canada, Netherlands, France and Italy

~statistically heavy traffic sources are derived daily from

Cote de Texas, SavvySouthern Style, Fiona and Twig, My French Country Home, Vignette Design, It's Me, VillaBarnes, and Faded Charm among many

~scf's online shopping at stuffintheburbs attracts

app 500 hits a day

~featured by sought after photographers, publishers and periodicals, including but not limited to:

Fifi O'Neill, Romantic Homes, Jeanne D'Arc Living Magazine,

Well Wed, Crescendoh, ParisienneFarmgirl Magazine,

Belle Inspiration and Romantic Country Magazine

~locally known and featured by numerous Chicagoland

home and garden shops

scf hosts a brocante style

twice yearly sale, 'Shop the Shed' co-hosted by

Parisienne Farmgirl

~scf features the weekly link party

'thrift'n on a thursday' and participates in many weekly link parties

~scf hosts a 'blog pick of the month' for the last three years

~scf is randomly, but routinely scouted by editors and the media looking for product, content and photographs

If you know me at all,

you know I love to promote.

With each new sponsorship

I will offer a one time formal introduction , a picture

and short interview,

linking your blog in the blast ...

~blog content must be compatible with

scf's design ethics,

i.e. colors, format and style portrayed here~

~ scf reserves the right to finalize sponsors

~sponsor spots will appear in random

order on my sidebar and will never be mixed with

national advertising sponsors, only my own creatively designed sidebar

10 juried sponsor spots available

March 15, 2012

email me for pricing and all details

comments disabled for this post

STONEGABLE ...

2012-02-25T13:34:00.000-06:00

STONEGABLE

THE RETURN

on December 4

Yvonne from Stonegable closed her beautiful blog.

We were sad.

Many many of you read her daily and followed

faithfully.

It was like your favorite bistro shut its doors or something!

Not only stunning photographs

but a complete menu for each week

AND the recipes

along with mouthwatering

place settings complete with flowers ...

we're talking

like lots of hours blogging!

an unabashed love for her Lord

AND

she commented back!!

on one of facebook chats, I asked her if I
could post this snippet ...
drumroll

on March 5

Yvonne is back is open for business!

so peeps,

don your sur la table aprons ... and get cookin'

be ready for some

new chef specials!!

let's do lunch!
yvonne, yvonne, yvonne ... chant with me now

THRIFT'N ON A THURSDAY #13 ..

2012-02-23T07:46:00.000-06:00

SHE'S THE 'WON'

ANNE from whitelacecottage

was the official winner of my three day giveaway.

Come to find out we live in each others' back yard.

check out her beautiful blog

here

get to know Anne!

lunch was great ... can you tell we had a good time?

hhmmm, do we look alike?

~~~

onto some thrifty fun finds

please note link party guidlines at the end of this post

here we go

one of my favorite girls for a long time now

is Judy

over at

French Laundry

she's on a mission for some cute tags to

show off her organizational skills

I think she nailed it!

you've got to see this entryway over at

knick of time interiors ...

a little bit of everything

and a chalk board wall!

stop over and oohh and aaahhh.

here's a snippet of what's lurking in the shed

for my

shop the shed sale in May

hot off my workbench!

this last blog I had never viewed until

today

it's a winner and a keeper ... see for yourself

handmade hand soap!

I want that by my sink, don't you?

cecillia ross lee

stop over and wish her success.

link guide lines

link only the URL from the post you are featuring

place a visable link back to this blog

and I thank ya!

please no crafting projects

show us your thrift'n finds or thrifty ideas

snoop around and visit one another

let people know how you found them

that's what makes this fun.

grab my button if you wish

now taking pre-orders for the

April edition of

Jeanne d'arc Living

(it's on my sidebar)

TALK TO ME TUESDAY

2012-02-22T05:33:00.000-06:00

there's something wonderful happening in the world of design ...

the economy continues to struggle ... but as I write these words,

emails, and work inquiries keep coming in.

~families are considering their nests~

they are

design-ing

redesign-ing

re-model-ing

paint-ing

antique-ing

reclaim-ing

repurpo-sing

creat-ing outdoor spaces

fluff-ing

and so on and so forth.

SO FORGE AHEAD ON A SHOE STRING ...

cut a branch and place it in your kitchen

branches are free ...

remove a cupboard door and hang a fabric curtain

paint a scheme in your bedroom or guest room

paint is the most BANG for the buck!

condsense your collection to one central location ...

that costs nothing!

even Walmart and Target sell pure white bed linens!

there's those darn branches again .. paired with a sheet

... some pallets (they can cost upwards of nothing)

oh, and lest we forget stumps ...

stumps are free

look-ee what transpired here

cattle roping

most likely from Farm and Fleet ... or a farm supply store near you

it's clear this family splurged a little, but you can SEE the thought and planning

here, can you not?

It's not over the top, but warm and inviting,

or should I say cool

and inviting!

c'mon

let's keep it real

flea market season is upon us ... most likely a bank of lockers

in somebody's booth!!

spray paint and some Home Depot stencils and you're THERE!

talk to me

tell me your shoestring stories

see ya Thursday

for thrift'n on a thursday and the giveaway winner!

join-ing the fun at

white wednesday

and

wow us wednesday

photo credits from pinterest

brooke gianetti, recycle art, thrifty decor chick, bhg.com

whisperwood cottage,diy ideas, shabby chicks,

white ironstone cottage

YOU CAN FIND ME HERE ...

2012-02-20T07:36:00.000-06:00

It was warm enough today to do some staging outdoors ...

staging a photoshoot for an upcoming trunk show ...

if you live anywhere within driving or metra lines distance to the lake shore burbs, we could meet.

I've been invited to a trunk show at

ROMANCING THE HOME

it gives me goosebumps to even say these words.

This shop is beyond description.

Perhaps the "Bountiful" of the midwest!

Owner and designer extraordinaire

Susan Hawthorne hosts this

'Ta-Da' gala every spring, intruducing her

newest market lines.

She features a local artist/designer at each event.

the rest is the goosebumps part

because she invited moi to show off my latest spring finds!

~ nordic French

~ Italian

~ industrial

~ garden

~ euro style painted furnishings

~ upscale repurposed

~ bistro selections

~ scf's famous frames and mirrors

and more

this is literally just a snippet of what I'll be bringing ...

so plan a day on the beautiful North shore

... stop on in and say hi

experience for yourself

this magical destination

March 9-10, 2012
10-5

ROMANCING THE HOME

825 S Waukegan Rd # C6 Lake Forest, IL 60045

(847) 615-1900

GOOGLE FRIEND CONNECT

2012-02-18T06:58:00.000-06:00

change doesn't set well with me ... but you already knew that

there's a big bad rumor google friend connect is going away ... last night as I dug deeper,

it sounds like it's going away to any blog that's not a google account ... i.e. wordpress, typepad ...

some of you out there have thousands

of followers, some just a few and have worked hard at it!

blogging is a full time job

if you want to grow it

and be known and followed.

in the event that google

pulls the friend connect rug out from all of us,

I added a new venue ... linky follow ...

if you're so inclined you're welcome to join me there, too.

I believe we're in for a bumpy ride in the near future ...

a ride that will consist of major changes on the www ...

all out of our control.

all that said

what are your thoughts?

we're headed in the low 50's here today

have a beautiful weekend, my friends

joining in the fun at
debra's vintage inspiration friday

THRIFT'N ON A THURSDAY #12 ... THE THREE DAY GIVEAWAY

2012-02-16T13:12:00.000-06:00

I just opened my shipment of

FEBRUARY JEANNE D'ARC LIVING

omgoodness

how can each issue get better and better... I ask you

I had this impulsive thought to give one away
it's been months since I did a giveaway

there's a catch or two ...

first, you must join the link party and leave a comment!

if you purchase the April issue on my sidebar, join the link

party and comment

there's an extra chance at winning the February issue

celebrating Easter!

AND I'll add a candle featured in my last post
not just any candle mind you!
scroll down and get skinny on these babies.

PLEASE

let me know in your comment ...

... jump in ...

If you chose to become a follower I'd be honored!

let's review ...

to be eligible to win the magazine and a

Linnea's Lights candle

you must

join the link party

link back to the post

and purchase the April issue on my sidebar ...

to be eligible to win the magazine

you must join the link party and leave a comment.

We'll party for three days and close it out at the end of the day

on Feb 18

show us your thrifty finds!!

shipping to 48 US states only please

images of JDL are random magazine shots

joing Debra
at
vintage inspiration Friday

LINNEA'S LIGHTS

2012-02-15T07:32:00.000-06:00

I will confess, I am addicted to candles.

When I had a retail store

we sold TRAPP ...

please do not misunderstand me

when I say, I loved them

BUT ...

they burned smoke-y and left a residue.

I came to the decision that I NEEDED

a candle line for Shop the Shed

and my on line store

here

AFTER much digging around and research

THIS is what I found

I could not be more PLEASED!!

in the first week I sold eight candles ...

not bad for a month old on line store

proudly stocking

"Linnea's Lights"

as featured in Country Living

made in the Midwest, USA

you simply must experience these soy based beauties

to believe ...

~lavender~

~lemon verbena~

~belgian linen~

~mimosa ~

(a mix of garden shop florals with sandalwood)

catch spring fever, try them all

beautifully presented in a kraft brown gift box with lid

app 60 hour burn time/9oz/ double cotton wick

complete with matches

if you MUST make me chose a favorite ...

LAVENDER

this scent sends me to the moon and back.

There are alot of candle lines that boast lavender in their line up

but no one does it quite THIS good!

joining in the fun at
white wednesday ... faded charm
and
wow us wednesday ... savvysouthern style

NO PICNIK IN THE PARK ...

2012-02-14T16:34:00.000-06:00

DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU,

but I don't set well with change ...

now when it comes to shuffling my house stuff around I'm fine,

but major change leaves me rattled.

thru the grapevine and now on their website

it states that

PICNIK

is closing

shutting down

leaving the building

and leaving all of their DAILY users

stranded.

oh yes they refunded our money

BUT

it is the quickest, most creative editing

I've seen in a long while.

So this Valentine's Day

I'm sad

I mean really sad

will they replace it with something better?

more expensive?

UNTIL they do, did you know you can use it all for

FREE?

yes the premium features and all ...

here's a "few" of the hundreds of collages I've made

with picnik

YES

I super-imposed the white roses in our wine glasses

and blurred out the background

via picnik, see what I mean about creative?

(taken a year ago today at our favorite Italian hangout)

happy valentine's day

to y'all

please don't aske me to chose a favorite!

do (did) you picnik??

CHALK PAINT and THE WINDY CITY

2012-02-13T08:09:00.001-06:00

it's a wee little bit of a let down

coming home to the burbs from high city life.

I'm tellin ya' ... it's a whole 'nuther world downtown Chicago.

subways, the "L", valet parking, screaming sirens, drag racing minded cab drivers,

Bentley's and Maseratis, full length furs, and a Starbucks

literally on every corner ...

it is good to be home, but I'm whipped ...

and wondering what in the world to post.

with that said and thoughts of city life ... I thought I'd

show you a Paris Tramway sign I just reproduced

and

a chalk paint project ...

yes, I know some of you are chalked and painted to death ...

but seeing that this is my first ...

I'm geeked.

chalk paint before my stain

chalk painted edges and my developed stain

AFTER

my magic potion stain

ledgers and my magic gooe-ies

I'm taking orders for the tramway sign

stuffintheburbs ...

have a beautiful new week.

WHERE WOMAN CREATES ... LINK PARTY #11

2012-02-09T06:45:00.000-06:00

thrift'n on a thursday

show me where you create

or your home office ...

I feel nosey today

dining room just a few short weeks ago

un-useful space ... we eat there three times a year ...

come, pull up a Louis in my new home office.

yes, my desk is a garden zinc top table

because of my mini holday, I did not have the time to go scouring

for blogs to link to

SHOW ME WHERE YOU CREATE!

link guide lines

only post the URL of the post you are featuring

link back to me with a visable link and or my thrift'n logo

( no matter how nicely it's stated, many of you forget to link back ... not fair, this is for everyone's benefit)

no crafts or crafting projects please

flit around and make new friends

THE WINTER THAT WASN'T ...

2012-02-07T07:39:00.000-06:00

family homestead

Indiana "snow days"

(back in the day when kids didn't have to "makeup" time

at the end of the school season)

1954 family Ford

Juls, Joy and Ruth

yes, I'm the oldest

circa 1999

me thinks it would be fun to make a six figure income and be wrong most of the time ...

uh hum ...a meteorologist

we get our knickers in such knots

over their predictions

scary stories were flying around the midwest most of last fall

as to how brutal the winter would be ...

it is well upon us and I'd say the average temps

since November range in the high 30's to mid 40's ...

notice the vintage Indiana snow drifts from the 1950's ...

that's me and one of my sisters posing as

cute farmer's daughters!

I'm off to the MILD weathered Windy City

for a couple of laughter filled days

with my two sisters.

Everything is on hold for this brief holiday...

the paint brush is laid to rest,

nails are freshly polished ...

hair trimmed

crest white strips have been applied ...

it's rented condo time

for these farmer's daughters

... high time for some fun.

so, unless you live in the Rockies ...

how's the weather in your neck of the woods?

LAKE SHORE DRIVE

2012-02-06T18:46:00.000-06:00

mornin' peeps

I will be away from my desk

for the good part of this week

party-ing with my sisters in the

Windy City ...

please enjoy this re-post ...

one of my best read to this day

For some strange reason this puts me

in the mood for

Shop the Shed

can't imagine why ...

have a great week

I'll see you for

thrift'n on a thursday

link party #11

get ready to show me your stuff!

~~~

SO, I'M OUT thriftin' on a Thursday ...

stumbled upon a great estate sale ....

can you guess where I'm going from here?

yep, I'm either taking Lake Shore Dr.

or B Street ... that's where I'm going ....

~seriously~

this old street sign was screaming to me ...

my wheels were a' turnin'

why you ask?

because in my stash back at the ranch I had this

your typical, shabby, crusty, chipp-y newel post ...

and now there's smoke pouring out of my ears ...

after three hours of sanding, de-cob-webbing, building a steady base, steel wool-ing the rusty sign ...

darling McGuyver husband and I produced this ...

fully attached, a steady firm base, no loose rust, no cobwebs ...

a free standing work of art

ready for "SHOP THE SHED"...

I'M BLOWN AWAY at the end result ...

and I only want one thing ...

TO KEEP IT!

IF you're so inclined to take a Sunday drive ...

you'll have to chose

LAKE SHORE DR. OR B STREET ...

OR head on over to "SHOP THE SHED"

(see sidebar)

My imagination runs wild ...

I can just see this in a sleepy little lake community ...

coming to a fork in the road ... casting a glance at this charming piece of history!

YOU WASH ... I'LL DRY ...

2012-02-05T06:14:00.000-06:00

growing up in a farmhouse with two

sisters,
my Mom always claimed she had

three dishwashers .. haha
funny Mom ...

a myriad of events can erupt from a sink full of tempting

suds ... not to mention the 'snap' of a dishtowel

when the other guy isn't looking.

we laughed sometimes, until we cried ...

Juls the middle sister always had to use the bathroom ... she still gets teased that she

was avoiding the cursed sink full of Sunday's greasy dishes.

To this day, I have no dishwasher.

I've lived in a few homes that had the luxury ...

but face it,

if it it's not a reputable brand then I don't want it.

( my dream is the newer drawer style machines)

I can have these babies washed, rinsed and dried

by the time the pre-wash cycle

is finished on any dishwasher.

and if by chance they come out of the machine

just about as dirty as they went in

then what's the use?

Besides, my sink overlooks the back yard.

I can bird watch,

re-landscape,
pray for the kids,

daydream and do dishes

all at the same time ...

rubber gloves are a staple here ...
I rinse in the most extreme

hot water I can find.

oh, and lest we forget

a pretty glass decanter for

the liquid soap.

there is nothing as nasty looking

as a plastic bottle of dish soap.

I step away from the sink for a few minutes,

let the steam settle

... then lovingly tuck each dish back into the open cupboard

from whence it came ..

all in lightening speed.

Most dishwashers are just gettn'

goin' by that point ...

are you in need of a good counseling

session

or a thigh slapping laugh ...

perhaps a good old fashioned water fight ...

then grab the soap

... and the towel ...

you wash

I'll dry

THRIFT'N ON A THURSDAY ... LINK PARTY #10

2012-02-02T08:06:00.000-06:00

THRIFT'N ON A THURSDAY

time flies

does it not?

link party # 10

whew

no matter where I serve my guests

it seems they like my kitchen best ...

it's bistro link party time
Goa
loves white dishes
who doesn't?

hhhmmmm, does she have a STORE?

we'll have to find out won't we?

visit her
HERE

this week, show off your bistro finds!!!

link party guidelines

1. link only the URL of the post you are featuring

2. link back to savvycityfarmer with a visable link and or my button

3. no crafts or crafting projects please

4. be nosey, flit around and visit the rest of the links

DINING ROOM TURNED HOME OFFICE ...

2012-02-01T08:48:00.000-06:00

I was bored ... so much to do ...

got sidetracked along the way

I'm pleased as punch!

join in the fun at wow us wednesday
and white wednesday

join me tonight for thrift'n on a thursday

THREE GUESSES ... THE REVEAL

2012-01-31T07:53:00.001-06:00

any more guesses before the reveal

scroll to the bottom and let's see if we can have some fun

w _ _ _ and c_ _ _ _ _

more takers?

wood and canvas

dry cleaners cart

be still my heart

~~~

still pondering whether to sell

at shop the shed

perhaps the highest bidder

heeehee

your thoughts now?

linking with vintage inspiration friday

THREE GUESSES

2012-01-30T06:50:00.000-06:00

I'll give you three guesses to

figure out what I unearthed this weekend ...

hint#1

it has to do with laundry

hint #2

it consists of w_ _ _ and c_ _ _ _ _

your thoughts please

check back Monday evening

for pictures and reveal

STUFF IN THE BURBS RE-LAUNCH

2012-01-28T08:17:00.000-06:00

I cannot tell a lie ...

(wanted to slip this post in before my industrial french post)

I am excited ...

for the re-launch of

"stuff in the burbs"

truth be told

I do not know if I can wait until February 1st.

I've looked into some really fancy schmancy web developing ...

and geeeesh, I would rather pass my savings onto YOU.

Perhaps someday

my little blog/store will grow up into a big girl

fancy schmancy on line shoppe .... but for now
I'm powering thru blogger and trying to maximize its'
pages and tabs features.
(oh and thank you paypal for 'add to cart' buttons)

I've sold my fair share of goods
(since it opened 2007)
with the humble
little page

powered by blogger and paypal
... u'hum for free ...

with that said ...

and now I'm really giddy ...

"by this evening there will be merchandise added to
a few of my nine hand picked

categories ... "

there is a contact link ...

I'd adore your feedback

you can expect

a timely reply if you email me with questions

or inquiries

stuffintheburbs@gmail.com
have a great weekend

THRIFT'N ON A THURSDAY ... LINK PARTY #9

2012-01-25T18:08:00.000-06:00

I will be away from my desk all day tomorrow,
so I started the link party a bit early

~~~
THE hunting SEASON IS UPON US

did I say the season is upon us?

saddle up all of you
thrifty cowgirls ...

whaddya' think of these

fabulous

bargains?

join in at the end and show off your
thrift'n finds!

LA DOLFINA

this chickie hunts and gathers up and down the California coast

snoop around to see all of her $1 treasures ...

I have never seen creativity put to such good use
as at
MAMIE JANES

this kindred spirit repurposes every thrifty morsel she finds

and takes the most stunning pictures, to boot

peek in

HERE

and say hi to Jane!

sizzling sensations

over at some new friends of mine ...

they show their hot wares all over the midwest!

HOT HOUSE MARKET

(we met at an Illinois blogger bash)

love old books??

who doesn't?

my dear friend Lynn has been faithfully reading my blog for six years ...

you MUST

stop over and catch a glimpse of her old books

HERE

~~~

naturally, I've been thrift'n too ...
it's what I do ...

take a peek
and then tell me which treasure you think might be headed for a makeover?

linky guide lines:
this can be the icky part ... many of you play along
but
fail to link back with a visable link
... this is not about pride my little cowgirls, but about endorsing each other!
please be so kind as to create a visable link back to
savvycityfarmer

link the URL to the actual blog post
you are featuring, not the entire blog ...
please no crafty crafting projects ... (save those)

~~~

scf
calender of events:
Feb 1 ... re-launch of stuffintheburbs

my next post
"Industrial French" with a Midwest Flavor

Fox River Cottage Wedding
and all the details featured at
Belle Inspiration Jan-Feb , 2012

April 1, launch of the
sparkling new
parisiennefarmgirl E-magazine
subscribe today if you haven't!

and
as always
you can expect a
timely reply if you email me with questions
or inquiries
stuffintheburbs@gmail.com

POTTING SHEDS ...

2012-01-23T15:59:00.001-06:00

I believe

I BELIEVE

I believe
in a squeaky chanting voice

spring can't be far away, right?

once February rolls around my heart starts humming

a little song ... way down deep inside ...

if there's any time in my 24 hours for daydreaming,

my thoughts head toward my shed ... and the frozen perennials

struggling to make their way back around

for spring and summer pleasure.

take a cue and some inspiration from these pinterest images ...

I searched potting shed

and this is what sprouted...

hhmmm ... I have most all of this wonderful junk laying around here

just needs me a zinc wrapped cubbie ...

collections en masse

make a serious statement ...

terra cotta pots grace almost

every garage sale ...

haggle til you can't haggle ...

buy them all

love, love, love the dirt floor

I'm a born and raised Hoosier farmgirl ...

in all of my daydreams, there's a greenhouse

be still my HEART

in this small delight, you can say your prayers while you pot

repurpose

hhhmm ... wheels a turnin'

use what you have ...

keep adding elements, until

you achieve the look

find a corner

and start potting!!

REALLY?

do you have a fave?

images:

country living

martha stewart

movie: it's complicated

google

unknown

joining white wednesday

GRAM TO SIX ...

2012-01-21T13:24:00.000-06:00

weekend update ... read on

ot take a guess

what this post contains?

we're gonna be gramma again ...

my baby's having a baby ...

come July, we'll be snuggling

grandbaby numbr six ...

it doesn't get any better than this ..

"HEY ... YOU SEEN THIS YET" ... TWITTER SPAM

2012-01-21T07:22:00.000-06:00

or not ...

... I joined the ranks of twitter-ers
a few weeks ago
it seemed harmless ...
social butterfly-ing ...
networking for the sake of
business and all
~~~
sigh... I'm sinking fast into the
quagmire
of
"why did I ever do this? "

instantly
I was hacked
and started receiving 'spammed' tweets
from most all my followers ...
may I say, respectable and honorable friends!

okay ladies, aren't you quite sick

of it all?
I guess someone is getting their jollies
coining the phrase,
in very poor English I might add:
"hey ... you seen this yet?
horrible rumors about you going around online ..."

and of course a bogus website attached
#I'mmadasahornet
why?
because there's not a darn thing to be done ...

I reported it ...
went to the help desk ...
changed my password
yadda
yadda
yadda
are ya with me here?

please know that if you "seen this"
come across as twitter from me ...
it's origin is, well
your guess is as good as mine ...

JEANNE D'ARC LIVING

2012-01-20T08:16:00.003-06:00

We're on the threshold of spring, aren't we?

the mild winter (thus far)

in the midwest make ones hopes really high ...

time passes quickly though

... as long as the earth remains there

will be summer and winter

seed time and harvest

rain and snow (Genesis)

I'm filled with delight ... in the February issue

Spring will be a major focus ...

reserve your copy today

(many of you have already)

quanities are limited ...

breathe in

breathe out

the earth is groaning for Spring!

be blessed this beautiful winter weekend

joining in at

vintage inspiration friday
and the french cupboard

THRIFT'N ON A THURSDAY ... LINK PARTY #8

2012-01-19T21:23:00.000-06:00

SHOW ME YOUR CHANDIE ...

... let there be light ... one of my favorite Bible verses ...

with a handy-dandy-hubby, a stepladder, electricians tape

and a trip to the flea market, you can transform any room

into an opulent, visual feast

link up and show me your chandie

or favorite lighting in your home!

submit the URL to the blog post you want to feature ...

link back to savvycityfarmer with a visual link
... this is how it works girls ... we endorse each other, right?

no crafting projects please ... !!

shop around and peek in to others linked

you may make a new friend ...

show me your chandie!

you're next!

PATINA STYLE

2012-01-18T07:44:00.000-06:00

P is for Patina

call me crazy, call me silly, call me weird ...

I adore surface(s) ...

crusty, rusty, not so much dusty ... but anything

that evokes the word patina ...

in my surroundings you'll find everything from rusty, crusty AND some dusty ...

... here are some of my favorites ...

three farm ledgers

that will be available via my online store

February 1

my heart flips at the sight of the cloth and leather

resting next to the metal

heavy metal cubbie drawers chock full of old bristl-y art brushes

watch for brushes in my store, too!

I bought this cubbie from my really good friend Rosemary

she's become a household word in blogland ...

pitted clock face I bought on etsy

proudly frames a picture of my grandpa!

I thought this up myself

haha

kitchen hardware

like I said, call me silly and weird for finding pleasure in gazing at this

there's that metal trim again!!!

... this could perhaps be the biggest heart throb in the farmhouse ...

a meat cloche dome resting on a gi-normous silver plate tray

would you just look at that ...

this is patina with a large P ...

curved metal leg of my dentist cabinet ...

oh boy, heart beating fast and faster ...

lurking beyond this pair of great legs ...

the rubbed wood handle of a wire basket

and a fabulous one of a kind burlap

moving pad stenciled with the name of the shipper!

somebody stop me please ...

I could go on for days

last but certainly not least

one of a pair of zinc finials atop my chicken wire curio ...

my good friend Brooke Gianetti

and her husband have a beautiful book on the market

I'm sure you know of it

PATINA STYLE

loaded with inspiration and much better photos than mine ...

do you see this book in your future?

my dear friend Pam gifted me with this book last fall ...

I will never be the same

thanks to loads of new followers at
stuffintheburbs

joining in at nifty thrifty tuesday
and kim at wow us wednesday

MOVE THAT BUS ...

2012-01-16T15:33:00.000-06:00

isn't it funny how we change?

I thought Rosemary Sprig by Benjamin Moore was the be all end all color a few years back ...

actually it is a lovely shade of mossy green ...

after living with it for five years ... not so much.

here are some photos from those bygone years ... and my most well read post in the history of my blogging ...

fast forward to just last week when I got an email asking how my home was 'discovered'

for the recent flurry of magazine coverage ...

my 1000.00 kitchen makeover and that post called

MOVE THAT BUS ... MOVE THAT BUS

thrust this old farmhouse in to the photo shoot

magazine-editor-frenzy that occured a year and a half after that blog post.

Little did I know that magazine scouts were reading my blog, let alone interested in a farmhouse with so many flaws one couldn't count them.

it all started with removing said cupboard doors ... mr. savvy
USUALLY goes along with my zany ideas ... I didn't have to pitch this one very hard ... he complied. Notice how uber ugly they are before the white ironstone went in. (photos are pre-Canon camera)

and how about that layered old wallpaper mess?

the staples and canned goods that resided in those now open cupboards found comfort in this pine Iowa farmcupboard that was a prop in our retail shop.

I've made ooodles of changes even since Christmas ... first I unclutter my counter tops and then I find me junking them up again.
...instead of thinking I need something different, I just move things around ... it works like a charm.

It's a cozy cloudy Monday ... I'm savouring being home all day and basking in the nostalgia of that January makeover five years ago ...

and oh for the record, I don't have any heart throbs other than said
mr. savvy ... but I do loves me my TY ...

thanks for riding along down memory lane ...

GOT COWS?

2012-01-15T08:56:00.000-06:00

GOT COWS?

corny, yeah yeah

I know

take a very, very, very ordinary estate sale frame

hit the edges with gold leafing ...

splice in a piece of corregated framing supply ...

turned backwards ...

add vintage cow plate

~~~

sum total

JUXTAPOSITION

fun

techy

glitzy

french industrial?

farm picutre

why of course the back is finished with my point shooter
and designer ready to hang ...
(12 x 15)

'GOT COWS '

is HEADED FOR the grand RE-OPENING

stuffintheburbs ...

I'm making baby step progress

stop in and see ..

are you a cowgirl?

PANTONE SHMANTONE

2012-01-13T08:52:00.000-06:00

YEAH YEAH YEAH

I heard the news about the color tangerine

being the color of the year and all ...

and while it doesn't surprise me ...

I have other ideas in mind, but nobody asked moi ...

this settee knocks the little white socks off my midwestern feet ...

I'm off to look for the bare bones and then I'll be heading to my upholsterer!

your thoughts please

I honestly do not know where this photo came from

help

linking with

vintage inspiration friday

THRIFT'N ON A THURSDAY ...#7

2012-01-12T10:47:00.001-06:00

all though this hasn't much to do with

thrift'n on a thursday

I thought about this subject last

evening ... and maybe just maybe some of you

have a post to share right up this alley!

KEEP THE BEST AND SHED THE REST ...

some of you are looking for ways to 'grow' your blog.

Some of the big dogs out there have two and three thousand followers and comments

up the ying yang ...

don't know 'bout y'all, I find this

very interesting.

Some days I have fifty comments

and some days I get 6 ...

keep the best and shed the rest ...

what's a girl to do that wants to grow

her baby blog into a big girl blog?

here are some thoughts

straight from my mactop!

1) pictures, pictures, pictures ...
but not too many pictures, haha

not just any old pictures, but

clear, edited and as large as possible
blogger has a button for this

2) themes, themes and more themes ...

be cohesive/short and to the point/most of us don't have much time ...

3) interact with the reader, ask questions ...

tell your own answer to your own question

4) and speaking of telling ...

tell funny stories ... be silly once in a while

shoot from the hip, and be honest

5) join link parties ... blogs get discovered

this way!

6) blog often and for heaven's sake

keep your camera with you always.

7) please don't ask how I feel about ads
and buttons
smattered all over beautiful blogs ... did I just say that?

so now, link up if you have a post about

blog growth

and if not link up anyway!

you know the drill

no craft projects please

only the url to the post you're featuring

link back to savvycityfarmer

keep the best and shed the rest

happy blogging

linking with laurieanna's vintage home

a must see post!

STUFF.IN.THE.BURBS.

2012-01-11T16:03:00.001-06:00

... introducing the grand re-opening

'stuff.in.the.burbs'

my online store

open 24 hours a day
~~~

filled with merchandise
from the categories
shown in the collage above

debuting February 1st, 2012

please link over
here

and 'follow'

if you wish
pssssssttt ...if you tag along on twitter
you'll be first to view new merchandise

pleasant surprises are lurking

at the workbench
and on the storage shelves ...

~impeccable shipping~

~terms via paypal~

~ultimate customer satisfaction~

... your thoughts please ...

linking with white wednesday
linking with wow us wednesday