Howdy! Before we get started, you might want to grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine here, as I tend to ramble a bit...First of all, let me tell you a little bit about the reason for this blog in the first place. You see, I have another blog called, "365 Days Of The Year." Four years ago, I started it as a challenge to post a photo a day on it for a year, and I did! When my year was up, I thought I could just drop it, but I found I missed it. So, instead of the pressure of taking a "picture worthy picture" every day, I just started to post random thoughts and stories of my family and friends, with an occasional picture. After each year, I would have the entire year made into a hard cover book, to some day give to our son Landon. I also have a handbag business that I do on the side from my full time childcare business. Occasionally, I would post on my blog, things about purses or shows/expos that I was doing and it just didn't feel right. It was business and my blog was for family, friends, and my place to go to vent or just tell my little stories. I would also post a bit about business on facebook and that didn't feel right either. Now, I have started to dip my toes in a little crafty stuff. Nothing major, but a little something here and there and I needed a place to put it along with my purses that felt right. That place is here. Here I will post things about purses, re-purposing, flea marketing, or maybe just take you along on a few road trips with me. Wherever it takes us, I hope the trip is as much fun for you as it is for me. Ready to ride?



If you would like to send a comment/question, shoot me an email at: tdsiegel@hotmail.com



If you would like to check out my other blog, here is the link:
http://www.desireesiegel.blogspot.com/

If you would like to check out my purse blog, here is the link:
http://www.desireeschicanduniquehandbags.blogspot.com/

I know. I know. The length of that purse site link is insane! But, when I created it, I couldn't think of anything short and cute that wasn't already taken, like... "The Swedish Cowgirl." Ha! By the way, I am 1/2 Swedish. On the other side it's a bit Heinz 57. English, Dutch, German, Irish, Chinese and Indian! My dad's side was the wild side! So, it is what it is. I am what I am.

You can also check out my facebook page, at:
https://www.facebook.com/TheSwedishCowgirl?fref=ts#!/TheSwedishCowgirl?fref=ts

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

My Brand New End Tables

My dad stopped by this morning and as he walked in the door, he nodded towards the two objects in his hands and said, "Ya got any use for ah couple ah old cream cans?" Do I have any....well, heck ya!! Check these babies out...

 
 
 
Aren't they gorgeous? Well, they will be! I am currently using two old wooden chairs that I reupholstered (slapped some fabric and poly fill on and staple gunned to the bottom) the seats on, for our end tables in our bedroom. While I love them, they are too short for our big ol' tall bed. (What is up with those pillowtop beds? Why do they need to be that high up? I swear I almost need a step ladder to get in and out of bed! But, that's another post for another day.) I checked out Pinterest for some inspiration and was shocked to only find one table made from cream cans! What is up with that?
 
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Here's the picture. While I think it's cute, I am planning a more white/chippy look for my cans and a smaller square top. I might even experiment with a few old vintage suitcases I've got horded up in my shed for the table. I wish spring would hurry up and get here! (Tomorrow the high is 12 below. I kid you not!!) I want to go outside and play!!!





Say Doc, I Got A Little Problem...

I am so excited! Yesterday, I happen to discover a little Barnes & Noble Nook icon on my laptop. It was way down on the bottom, mixed in with 3,455 other icons that I never use. I was so surprised when I clicked on it, to find that it was ebooks that I could download and read on my PC!(My laptop, for those who are a few years behind in the technology world, as I am.) I am perhaps a bit of a speed reader. I can read a 500 page book in a weekend. How can I do that? I skim. When the author starts to take 788 paragraphs to describe a green, grassy meadow, my eyes glass over and they tend to hydroplane until we get back to the interesting part of the story. (I swear they only do that to fill up the book. If it wasn't for their publisher breathing down their necks to fill up those 500 pages, they would all be writing 50 page books of good juicy stories without the 450 pages of boring "fluff." Like they should be! I know it's all about the $$$$, but that's just my 2 cents.) Anyway, last night I downloaded a book on my computer and I was all snuggled up cozy on the couch, reading away. My cellphone was laying on the coffee table beside me and it "dinged" with a message. I reached over and saw that it was from one of my daycare moms. It said, "I think I have a diagnosis..." and a big blue arrow. I pressed the arrow and it took me to the next page. There was a big word at the top displayed like a dictionary definition. It said,

Vin-tage-itis:
1. A disease that is associated with all things vintage.
VINTAGEITIS SYMPTOMS
1. Elevated heart rate when entering thrift shops,
followed by excitement.
2. Hours of wasted time searching the Internet for vintage inspiration
and/or bargain buys.
3. Almost always causing road accidents after braking suddenly
for a newly discovered thrift shop or garage sale.
4.Starting to experience an immunity to the smell of mothballs.
(If you start enjoying the smell of mothballs,
please seek professional help immediately)
O.k. here's the really funny part. Well, it might only be funny to me, as my sense of humor is a little off the wall at times. If you are a guy, you probably won't think this is funny at all. Sorry. Well, because I was reading a book on my laptop, and my brain/eyes were in "skim mode," when I read that first word, "Vintageitis" my eyes/brains read it as Vagenitis. (Vaginal infection, fellas. Sorry.)
One of the other things about my brain, is it tends to put 344 thoughts into a 2 second time frame. When I thought I was reading about vagenitis, my brain said...."Oh no, **** or one of her friends needs to switch to cotton underwear. I know she didn't mean to send this to me. Do I let her know I got it, or just pretend I didn't get it? Do they know they can just go to Walmart and take care of this? Do I tell them? This is just way to much info!" Then in the 3rd second, while I was reading the symptoms, my brain told me to go back and read the first word again. That's when I realized what I was reading and I really laughed! I wrote back something about confessing to sniffing mothballs or something. (I also wrote, JUST KIDDING! I do not sniff mothballs, or anything for that matter. Well, maybe a few heavy diapers as they walk past me, but that's another post.) Then I asked her what the cure was. She wrote back, Pure Indulgence. I can live with that, Doc. I can live with that.


Saturday, January 26, 2013

Mr. Rogers

Sometimes you just need a feel good story.
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Most people have heard of Koko, the gorilla who could speak about 1000 words in Sign Language, and understand about 2000 in English. What most people don’t know, however, is that Koko was an avid Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood fan. When Fred Rogers took a trip out to meet Koko for his show, not only did she immediately wrap her arms around him and embrace him, she did what she’d always seen him do onscreen: she proceeded to take his shoes off.

Friday, January 25, 2013

The Store Is Open!

I did it. I opened my Etsy store. Finally. It's not the store I planned, but I can still work on it. Come spring when it warms up, I'll go out in my treasure shed and post some really cool stuff. But, until then....this is it. If it sells, it sells. If it doesn't, well at least I can say I tried! Here it is:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheSwedishCowgirl

If you live in my town, (Wheaton) and see something you would like, just send me an email. Don't order online or you will be charged shipping. Just let me know and I'll set ya right up.

Happy browsing!

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Yet, Another Change Of Plans

Etsy. It keeps calling my name. I had decided to hang it up because I couldn't put the big cool stuff on there, and there were so many restrictions, and it just wasn't going in the direction I had hoped for. But, here's the thing. Last summer, I spent many nights/weekends painting and distressing pieces of cast iron. Here's a few of them, so you have an idea what I'm talking about.

Vintage Inspired/ Hand Painted/ Distressed/ Sky Blue/ Retro/ Metal Bottle Opener/ Man Cave/ Kitchen Ware/ Wall Decor
 
Vintage Inspired Bottle Opener
 
 
Cast Iron Vintage Inspired Lime Sherbert Gecko
 
Decorative Gecko
 
Cast Iron Vintage Inspired Hand Painted Wall Decor Anchor
 
Decorative Anchor
 
Cast Iron Vintage Inspired Hand Painted Wall Decor Hooks
 
 
Tie/Necklace Holder Hooks
 
 
This is just a few of several different cast iron items that I have and I only have about half of everything posted on there. But, I have put many hours into taking the pictures, writing the descriptions, posting it, etc... and it's just sitting in my basement. I keep thinking I should open the store to at least try and sell the cast iron. I still have a bunch to distress yet, but I should at least make an attempt to sell what is done. Right? I have other items on there too, but it's not the store I wanted it to be. So, what to do? Open a store that I'm not thrilled about or just forget it? I know if I open the store, I can "work on it," and add more items that I have yet to post, and make it better as I go. It's just gonna take time and patience. (The shipping part of it is a nightmare for me! Everything is a different weight and size...ugh!)  O.k. I think I talked myself into it. Thanks for listening! I'm gonna open the freakin' store!! But, I still have to weigh and measure everything. That could take a few years. Just kidding! Look for the store to be open....this weekend!! (But, I'm not promising. ha!)

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

I Got My Wings

Last night my poor boy, Landon came down with a flu bug. He started complaining of a belly ache at 8:00 P.M. and by 9:00 P.M. he was upchucking. All the way until 3:00 A.M.! Oh, what a night! I had to close my daycare for business today, (I feel horrible about the short notice!) and have spent most of the day cleaning and disinfecting. Today Landon feels much better and will be back in action tomorrow for school. I am so thankful it was just a short little bug, with everyone all around us going through it for days on end, we were lucky! On the bright side... today the mailman brought me my wings!! My angel wings!! Let me tell ya, I spent way too much time rearranging my living room to make those wings feel at home. I'm still not 100% happy with it, but it will just have to do for now. The wings are perfect though. They are made out of solid wood, painted white and chipping just like I like. The top half is covered in little pieces of painted white, chippy tin. I was surprised the wings were made out of authentic old/aged wood. What makes me think the wood is authentically (is that a word?) old?

The cobwebs tucked inside!!
I love them too and might just let them be.

 
Tin.


I decided to try the wings on the ends of my window, family picture. I do like them there, but the trunk I just put up was now distracting. I also didn't like the little chair in the corner and decided to do a little rearranging. For some reason, the pictures make everything look like it is two inches from the ceiling. It is not! It looks perfectly fine, when you are standing in front of it, so I don't know what's up with that. Might be that I am just too short to be taking pictures of things that are up high. ha!



I decided to swap the clock and the trunk. I put the chair and light on the other side and brought the tea cart from the other end of the living room down to this end. My living room is long and narrow. the worst shape ever for a living room! I have tried putting the couches in the middle of the room, at opposite ends, half way in the middle, in a circle, you name it. Nothing looks right. The room is so long that it's impossible to fill it up in the middle. It's just weird. Also, neither the big window behind the long couch or the fireplace opposite of the long couch/window are even close to being centered! It gotta tell ya, it really messes up the feng shui vibe thing. It looks a little sparse here and the pieces are all wrong. I do like the walls though. I need to go out in my shed and get some of my other furniture and change it up. Only problem is, today it's 6 below zero (for real!) and I'm gonna have to let that one wait. I'm also not gonna be able to get out of spackling and painting this round either. Ugh. Not a painter. I'm so not a painter.



The other end. I had the tea cart and a gold chair sitting there. I moved the chair to vacuum. Gonna have to find something to fill that spot too. Guess I can always put the daycare baby's swing and pack and play there for now. It doesn't matter. I got my wings! I got my wings!!! I got my wiiiiings!!!!

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Angel Wings Are Screaming At Me

A long time ago, someone posted a picture of a huge (they are three feet tall!) pair of wooden distressed/chippy white angel wings that were available for purchase on Pinterest. This isn't the original picture, but it's close. It's beyond me why I didn't pin it, as I loved them.
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I mean LOVE THEM! I fell HARD! However a long time ago, I decided that if something was more than $25, it needed to not just speak to me before I would buy it, it had to scream at me, "I LOVE YOU!! TAKE ME HOME!! I WILL MAKE YOU THE HAPPIEST GIRL ALIVE!!!!" (I tended to be an impulsive shopper and this little tibbet here has saved me $5,876,445 bucks. Seriously!) Let me tell ya, those wings were hootin' and a hollarin' at me at the top of their lungs! (Well, wings.)
But, the price tag was over $300, and there was just no way I could bring myself to do it. Apparently the rest of the blog/crafters world fell in love with them too. But, not the price either.


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Next came an Etsy shop that made/copied them and while they were in the "loud voice" range, they were not in the "screaming" range. They looked a little too big and heavy. Also, the price was $180, and that was still way too much for me.

I saw distressed wooden wings at a new store in town for ~$80.  I want them but how much more fulfilling to make your own, right?  And here's how!

Then someone made a pair out of pieces of cardboard. Cute, but that barely gave me a whisper. I was just going to have to accept the fact that they were not meant to be for me. Then one day I entered a contest. (No, I didn't win a set of wings. Although I would bend over backwards and follow 3,477 steps if there ever was one!) Part of the contest (I don't even remember what the prize was.) was you had to "like" the site, Decor Steals. I looked at the site and liked it, so I liked it, like they asked me to do. (Ya got all that?) I actually love that site! They have one or two items up for sale at a fraction of the price and only a limited number available. So, if something pops up that you like, you better be on the ball or you will miss out. I have never ordered from them, but if I like something, I check back to see how quick it sells in the event something should scream at me and it's always sold out quickly. So, the other day I was checking my email and up popped an email from Decor Steals. I clicked on it and there in front of me was....Oh yeah....

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MY WINGS!!! MY FREAKIN' AWESOME WHITE CHIPPY DISTRESSED LOVELY LOVELY ANGEL WINGS!!! And....the price was....are you sitting down? $78.50 with $5 shipping!!! Oh my stars!! Yes, I screamed and flew off the couch and grabbed my purse (cats darted under the couch, and fur went flying!! Luckily no one else was home to scare the goobers out of) and ordered those wings before anyone else even had a chance to consider it. And I was a winner!! I made it in time and my wings are on their way!! Where am I going to put them? I haven't a clue. I'll keep you posted when they arrive and I figure it out. I'm so excited! I got my wings!! I got my wings!!! I got my wiiiiiings!!!! I think I might have just peed a little.




Monday, January 14, 2013

Fergus Falls Family Expo

Looking for something fun to do this Saturday? Head on over to the Fergus Falls YMCA for their Family Expo. There will also be plenty of vendors and shopping! Hope to see you there!! (Yes, I am getting on the phone and telling them they left out a very important event. Shopping!)




*UPDATE
These were the fliers that were sent home with all the school kids in Fergus Falls.
There are other POSTERS that were hung up with a list of all the vendors!
Yay!!


Friday, January 11, 2013

Etsy Update

ETSY UPDATE.... I know I've been going on and on about my Etsy store "Coming soon..." for a long time now and I've decided to put it on the back burner for now. I keep running into so many restrictions and it's causing me a little unneeded stress. So....on to plan b, c, d and e! I will be selling my vintage/funky junk/stuff on... Traverse Country Rummage Sale Facebook Page, Wheaton Farmer's Market, Expo/Craft/Purse Shows, and Ebay! (Ebay will pretty much let you sell anything!)
I am waiting for Ebay to do a special on their "stores" and when they do, I will open one. You will be the first to know! Thanks for bearing with me. :)

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Pinteresting...

Have you checked out Pinterest yet? If not, you really need to do this! It's a wonderful place to get lost for 3,444 hours and acomplish nothing, and still feel good about it. Ha! Anyway...I had this piano piece that I picked up at a church garage sale. I don't know what to call it. It's the front of an upright piano. Where one would place the music to play. Here's a shot of it.





I hung it up above my fireplace, and while I love it just as it is...
I had to see what Pinterest thought I should do with it.
Man, oh man...
Now, I want a whole piano!!


Piano bar


Gives new meaning to the words...
Piano Bar.

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This was another cool idea,
but I'm not too crazy about drilling holes in it.

Think it's just gonna be what it's gonna be.
What do you think?



Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Cafe Press

Have you guys heard about Cafe Press? Not only can you buy cool stuff with funny sayings on them there, if you have a cool/funny saying of your own, you can tell them about it and if it sells, they will give you 8% for every item that sells! I gave them a few of my own funny thoughts and if you are looking for a funny gift for someone or are just bored, you can check them out here. Also feel free to share with your friends or try it out yourself!

http://www.cafepress.com/sk/theswedishcowgirl

 

 

What's Hangin' On Your Wall?

Last August I posted about an old trunk I had purchased. Here is a bit of that post.


A couple of months ago, I stopped at a yard sale. I spotted this old off white trunk. It wasn't in the best shape as the hinges were no longer attached and the box inside of the trunk was starting to peel and fall apart a bit. But, I loved it. I wanted it. I was determined to talk the owner down on the price no matter what it was. I asked the owner what she wanted for it. She said, "Five bucks." SAY WHAT??? I had to force myself to not let my jaw drop. I casually said, "Yeah. O.k. I'll take it." Inside my head I was screaming, "It's miiiiiiiiine!!!! Whooo hoo!!!!" I was so happy! But, here's a crazy thing. The top of the trunk isn't flat. It has a rounded dome like top. I didn't really think about that at the sale, as I was just too busy drooling over it's prettiness. So, because it was rounded, I couldn't set anything on top of it. It had to just "be." I didn't like that. It didn't look right. So, after rearranging my living room 3,466 times trying to find a perfect spot for it, I gave up and it sat in the corner. Then yesterday Landon sat on our coffee table. For the 4,333rd time, I told him to please not sit on the table because the center pieces are glass. I have a quilt over it, so it is easy for him to forget. Then inspiration ran over me like a freight train! I've been wanting to make a coffee table out of pallets, like the 5,444 pictures I've seen in Pinterest, (Have you seen Pinterest? It's a MUST!) but just didn't have the time to get around to that. But, I had a beautiful old, patina'd, trunk just sitting there waiting to be made useful! I took off the lid and took out the box inside. Then I took a wood board hanging off the wall that I had, that were just nailed together to look like a fence. I laid that on top for the table, added a table runner (Actually it's a fire place mantel scarf, but it looks pretty cute!) and bam! I had a new coffee table. Landon doesn't get to sit on this one either, but at least I don't have to worry about the glass anymore. Check it out.


My beautiful new table.


Table top. I wanted to take the hardware off,
but it wasn't painted underneath and didn't look right.
So it stays.
Those books, are my old posts from my blog.
I have them made into books each year.


The lid had a divider in it.
So, I propped it up on it's side and made a shelf!


I love the paper picture glued inside.
I wonder who she is...
 
 
O.k. back to the present. I like change. Change is good. While I liked the top of the trunk as a shelf, I had run into a new problem. I had taken down my shelves from the two walls when I hung up my new/old window picture frame. Here's a shot of that.
 
 
 
 
The picture was taken by Erin Martinek who is the best photographer in the whole wide world!
If you would like her contact info, just shoot me an email and I'll hook you right up!
 
 
Anyway, I was going to hang up a tin tile that I had on the other wall where I had taken down the other shelf, but it was too small and looked dorky. So, I had a problem. For a few months, I looked at the holes in the wall and wondered what to hang up there. (I could have spackled and painted, but I knew sooner or later I would find something big enough to cover it all up. I am not a painter and if I can get out of it, I will!) Then a couple of days ago, I was looking at the trunk cover/shelf and decided it might just look much better up on the wall! And you know what? I think it's perfect there.
How 'bout you? Wadda ya think?
 
 
 

 
 
When I asked our son Landon, what he thought, the only comment he had was...
"You need to put some more candy in the candy machine."
 
The little red machine sitting on the chair is the candy machine.
It's prefect for peanut M&M's.
And he's right. I do need to fill that baby back up!