The Creative Connection...

While I had a great time at the Junk Bonanza, for me, the excitement truly set in when I took a side trip over to the Creative Connection. For a first year it was amazing!

 There was so much to see at the Etsy marketplace! I wish I had signed up for some classes after I saw how cool it was and who the speakers were.

 It really made me want to go home and create.

  I met such nice artists and bloggers.

The gorgeous and talented Lisa Leonard who was sweet enough to give us a little present.

Lovely booths and wares.

 Traci the supermodel who never take a bad picture ( I'd hate ya if I didn't love ya ;)  and the famous Fancy Farmgirl herself!

 And my most exciting and star struck moment of the day! One of my idols, Mary Jane Butters herself 

who is as real and organic as she comes across in her magazine! It was a big day for this organic girl grass-fed eating girl!

Super sweet Jennifer Hayslip

Artwork by my good and talented friend Debbie Egizio

 Here's another one that NEVER takes a bad pictures. Rebecca's booth was incredible!

 Tamara came all the way from Australia for the Junk Bonanza show and I met the super nice Margo.

 And Suzanne and her daughter  who I met at the first Nada farm sale. Which reminds me, wait till you see what we are doing at the barn!

 I have to say, sign me up  for next year! I am soooo there!

It's a crazy week. Nada Farm sale is coming up fast. My kitchen floor was ripped out yesterday and the cabinets are going out tomorrow. There's nothing like being stuck with 3 kids in a 400 square foot sub-level space while chaos and dust swirls around you and you prepare for a show. I have to take back all that I ever said about wanting to live like Little House on the Prairie. I am going to change that to Medium-sized house on the prairie... with lots of wine. 

If you are in the Illinois area October 8th and 9th stop by and  say hi to me at the Nada Farm Sale.

Jen

Junk Bonanza and the Creative Connection....

As promised, here are some of my pics of the Junk Bonanza and the Creative Connection.

I have to say after  a six hours drive, I don't know what I was expecting... but I was more than happy when I got there.

Anytime you pull up and there's a glamper out front you know it's gotta be good.

Did you know I went with two supermodels?

Traci and Tracey have some super fabulous posts and pictures on the event as well  as the blogger get together.

There was a lot of this going on... I'll tell you, once you get that white balance thing figured out, it makes  world of difference... thanks Traci!

 There was so much to see and do and buy...

 There was fabulous and creative Jill who organized the blogger get together and is Ki's right-hand girl.

 She was a fantastic host for all of her business and someone I consider really talented.  This is her super clever budget table scape.

 And The uber-talented jewelry maven Beth Quinn. I love Beth not only for her fabulous things, but the fact she is "standard sized" like I am. :) My new BFF.  :)

By the way, does every one know I am really short? When people met me  they seemed surprised at my height. I was wondering is I looked loomingly large on my blog or something. Just wanted to check, I mean, I am not leprechaun-sized or anything; but your average junior height student is probably taller. :)

I'll be back next post with the awesome Creative Connection Pictures. Wait till you see who I met there!

 Jen

Hey, I'm on Design Sponge!

Hey check it out! I am so honored and excited! My girl's room make over was

 featured on Design Sponge's Before and After!

Jen

Welcome to the Hook up your hutch party!

Link up your hutch, china cabinet, and more! The more creative the use, the better! Do you have  a kitchen hutch? Do you have a china cabinet you are using in a kids room?

                                                    

My china cabinet I converted to use almost as a side table.

It was as easy as removing the shelves and doors.

I would love to see yours! The only rules are to link back to this post and make sure you are linking to your exact post not just your blog. If you are using an old post that's fine as long as you amend it to link back to here.

Home again....

We got home late last night after  a fun weekend at Junk Bonanza and The Creative Connection.

I have lots of pic to share with you once I get them sorted through and some laundry done :).

Don't forget to Hook up your Hutch at my cabinet party on Wednesday!

Jen

Blogspiration...

Since I have to work my real job bright and early tomorrow a.m. (4 to be exact), and Friday morning I am headed out  with some fab ladies for Junk Bonanza, I wanted to leave you with some weekend inspiration...

Have you ever visited the super- talented Lulu at Dustylu?

Or how about been inspired by Rachel at French farmhouse 425?

There's always something wonderful to drop in on at  Julie's Little Red Shop.

And Anne's fantastic new place at Fiona and Twig will leave you speechless.

And for a wonderful, fabulous new read, Mimi Bleu of Bonjour Romance has a new e-magazine called Belle Inspiration.

Be inspired!

And have a wonderful weekend! I'll fill you in on all of the gossip and pictures from Junk Bonanza next week! :)

Jen

Kitchen hutches are the new black....

What's old is new again...

Hoosiers, hutches ,china cabinets and the look of...

All back in style baby.

And I think we need a linky party to celebrate it.

In doing out mini-kitchen remodel, I am considering many things. One of them is cabinetry, what I am finding to be really, really expensive cabinetry. Those cabinet people want my kids college fund.

One thing that I discovered in shopping, is that for the same amount of storage but a third of the price, I can get a used hutch.

So we are actually going to rip out some cabinets out, and put a hutch in for a more furniture/historic feel.

I know a lot of you clever girls are already onto this. I think we need a cabinet/hutch party.

I won't have one to share yet, but I would love to see what all of you have done with yours and how you display with it.

I need some inspiration....

Here is my recent Craigslist purchase...

It's so big it almost didn't fit on my van, but it needs a coat of paint or two, a few new handles, and can't be moved in until after everything is done in October.

So for now, I want to enjoy yours! Let's call it Hook up your Hutch!

Mark your calenders for next  Wednesday September 22. We'll link up! I want to see all of your china cabinet make-overs, hutch displays and clever, creative, pretty cabinet  ideas! Do you use them in a bedroom? Laundry room? Kitchen? Let's see! Go ahead and grab the button as a photo if you want to put it in you sidebar. You'll just have to paste and copy to link it.

See you there!

Jen

images are from house beautiful, county living and this old house

Estate sale finds...

I want to thank everyone for sharing their stories and journey's with me on Friday; I felt so inspired when I read your comments! We all have so much potential that lies in our hearts, don't we?

This weekend, I was able to get out  and hit a few garage sales and estate sales.

I had found the vintage bottle carrier when I went to the flea market last weekend with Tracey,

but the blue vintage canning jars I found this weekend, for 50 cents a piece on half price day and they fit perfectly!

I am supposed to be buying stuff for the Nada Sale, but I might have to keep this baby.

I found an old ironing board and enamelware pitcher. The lady wanted to sell me the matching urinal, but I had to "just say no" on that one.

A vintage milk bottle carrier with some on the tiny milk bottles. Again, I might not be able to part with it.

Plus the bottles look so cute lined up on my window sill.

The old oil can was a flea market find. I think it would be so pretty with some lavender or roses in it, or even dogwood or crab apple branches for fall.

And I loved these silver platters,

Especially this one.

Did you have any good finds this weekend? 

Jen

Inspired Friday....

This post is about YOU.

I want to know; From blogging to today, what is your inspired journey?

Did you start as just someone who liked to scrapbook and now you have an on-line store?

Were you a SAHM  who now does what you love?

Or maybe you were just a blog reader and your big step was starting  a blog.

How did you get there? Where are you now?

 It always amazes me now that I've seen 3 years of blogging I've changed myself, and seen what other people have gone through... and become.

I started off as someone who painted furniture and did the occasional mural or faux finish,  with 3 little kids,  feeling kind of isolated, uncreative and a head full of crazy. Looking back now, I am not that same person... well ,maybe the head full of crazy.

We are just ordinary women doing extraordinary things. 

Blogging has brought me the chance to be published, and sell for retailers and be able to explore creating. It's opened me up to all kinds of mediums, creative ideas and wonderful new friends.

Blogging brought my the opportunity to feel like I could go from calling myself a crafter to an artist.

and a writer.

So as you peeled back the layers of who you were, what did you find?

What was your journey? Where is your destination? Your dream?

Share it in your comments today so we can all find inspiration.

How are you inspired and do you have any advice for someone who wants to do more?

What a have you found?

Mine is just... try.

~Jen