Our New Home

This is just a brief post,

a small post,

about a big step

I took last week.

Our blog can now be found at

http://www.theoldblockhouse.com .

It was time to take the jump,

make a committment,

and begin to build our nest.

Please join us as our blog continues to grow,

adding new features,

new tutorials,

and new pages.

During the holiday season,

I will also be working to grow my shop.

 Handcrafted items are being added this week.Tutorials for many of those items will be found here at the blog. Tons of items from recent auctions are striking their pose,waiting for the camera to catch them in all their vintagey glory. (I'm working to find more hours in each day!) In January, you'll find a new look here at The Old Block House,making it easier to navigate,more pleasing to the eye,more fun,and, of course, educational. As next week officially kicks off the holiday season,life spins into a whirlwind,and the festivities begin,I want to wish you a Happy Holidays. May the season bring you many wonderous joys.  

Getting to Know You

Many new visitors have been stopping by The Old Block House.

I thought I might introduce myself a little.

This is a bit of a repost, so please excuse if you've read it already,

but I wanted to share with anyone new out there.

It's just a little glimpse into my world.

I have two wonderful children, both boys, both taller than I, and growing more each day.
The oldest seems to be plateauing, which means the younger of the two is fast on his heels in catch up.
It's amazing to watch what began as these cute little bundles of neediness grow into self assured young men.


My boyfriend is amazing.
He is kind, patient, and maintains his sanity when I am losing mine.
He is intelligent, spiritual, and always tries to do what is right.
At times I drive him nuts and he does not understand me, but he still smiles and supports me.
Everyone should be so lucky as to have this kind of partner.


I have too many projects going at once.
There are pieces waiting for additional steps.
Projects waiting for the weather to clear up so they can be finished outside.
Then there's something else over there, hidden in the corner.
I'm hoping nobody notices.  Maybe a few somethings in the corner. 
Crafting ADD?  Perhaps.  I'm sure there's a support group somewhere for it.  

My most recent job was as a waitress for thirteen years, I am in no way graceful.
During that time, drinks were dropped, pizza slices jumped onto the floor (one time an entire small taco pizza flew into a lady's lap), and quite a diverse list of items were broken.
These include, but are not limited to, an adding machine x2, four burner coffee maker, soda machine keys, glasses, beer bottles, brooms, mops, and vaccuums.

I break things at home too.
My boyfriend just shakes his head and doesn't understand how one person can break so many things.
It's a gift. One I'd like to give back.


My dream home would be a two bedroom cottage at the beach.
The sand, sun, breeze would greet me each day as I opened the door to the world.
Of course, in the real world, days are sometimes cold, windy, and overcast,
but it's never that way at my cottage.
Everyday is a beautiful 78 degrees, sunny, and low humidity.
This would be my view every evening.

Do you have one or two you'd like to share with me?

Do you dip your apples in ketchup?

Have twenty cats?

Or maybe dream of living in someone else's shoes for just a day? 

Wordless Wednesday - Photo of My Pa

My grandfather passed away thirty-four years ago this month.

A kind relative sent this photo to me recently.

It's the only photo I have of my grandfather and I.

I was so very happy to get it.

There was only one "Pa" and we loved him very much.

Enter Our Old Blue Jar Giveaway

Wordless Wednesday - My View While Painting - Please Link Up!

Andy took these while waiting for me to finish painting.
The sound of the cows walking out of the water reminds me of when we would go to the creek to swim as kids.  The swoosh swoosh swoosh sounds much as we did as we pulled our fully clothed bodies out of the water.  We were exhausted and sunburned and loved every minute of it.

Boxes, Boxes, and More Boxes!

I've been working hard to gain control of my self made chaos.

The chaos has threatened to consume us all.

Well, not consume.

But I really don't like things quite so disorganised.

So the last couple of days have been spent taking photos.

Editing photos.  Making listings.

So that I can refill my shop. 

And unfill my my home space.

Not that I won't be refilling it.

(But we won't mention that too loudly.)

With all the boxes and crates that have been added lately,

I thought perhaps this would be a great place to begin.

I love researching each of the pieces to learn about them.

Their histories are so diverse.

Here are some of the cool "boxes" that I've been working on.

An old milk crate from a nearby dairy

This is one sturdy crate.

I just love this one!

A salesman's seed box that was used to sell door to door

Flower seed packets were toted about in this.

Amazing the work that went into this little box.

It's oak and has dove tailed corners.

Can you imagine how happy a woman was to see these after a long winter?

It had to be a promise of the spring to come.

An old tackle box, still holding some of it's fishing tackle

This reminds me of one that my dad had when we were little.

It doesn't smell as bad though.

Dad used a special "stink bait" he'd concoct.

It was truly stinky.

A little tackle box just waiting to be filled.

I could see a little boy filling this with Hot Wheels.

Then toting it all over with his treasure.

A pair of Pepsi crates circa 1940 - 1950

I love these.

The wood, metal, and red paint are gorgeous together.

A vintage Oak case used by salesman to sell seed to farmers.

No phoning in your seed order to the store.

The men would come out to your farm to get the order.

A trinket or jewelry box circa 1940

These boxes were sold to tourists in India as souveniers.

It's the fourth box that I've come across this year.

All are similiar on the outside,

but the inside is always done in different fabrics.

The handcarving is unbelievable!

 

A salesman sample of a Lane cedar chest

These were sometimes given to customers when Lane furniture was purchased.

The boxes were at one time given locally to graduating classes.

The smell of cedar lingers in this box.

My grandmother had a cedar chest made by her father.

The smell takes me back to sitting on that chest at the foot of her bed.

A lock box.  Wonder what it once held?

I love the patina on the top of the box.

Amazing that the key was never lost.

Simple boxes, only boxes, but all so full of history.I love discovering them.

If you'd like to see more photos of the boxes, please visit my shop.

Booth at the Antique Mall and Flea Market

Today has been quite a busy day.

Today I began moving items into the booth at the Antique Mall and Flea Market.

The space is still a little (maybe alot) bare.

Many more boxes will be sorted to find just the right things for this shop.

This is what the booth looked like this morning when I arrived.

The smaller cabinet was originally bare pine.

The larger cabinet was a stained dark wood.

I painted both of these. 

The white paint made such a difference in both of these cabinets. 

The space is so much brighter now.

Wanna see how far I got today?

After two carloads, this is what I've accomplish.

Do you see the window?

It's wonderful!

I'm so happy to have a booth with a window.

The middle of the row of booths is a little dark.

My booth might get lost in the middle.

Natural light will make everything look so much better.

I'm not thrilled with how this turned out, but it'll work for the weekend.  Monday morning, more items will be brought in and then it'll be time to rearrange and figure out just where to place everything.

Lots more to do!

This is a totally new experience for me.

Like anything, it'll take time.

I'm hoping to have it filled to the brim by next weekend.

Let's Go to the Movies!

When April arrives, my family begins eagerly awaiting the night that the Clark 54 Drive-In throws open its gates for the summer season.  Everyone I know loves the drive-in.  It's a magical place to spend your summer nights.  There's only one other summer opening that is awaited with more anticipation and that is the opening of the Dari Ripple, which has the most delicious soft serve ice cream.  I'll share their story with you another day. 

Our county no longer has an operating "movie house" theater, but we do have an incredible drive-in theater.  The Clark 54 Drive-In was hopping and thriving "back in the day", but sufferred from years of neglect beginning in the 1970's.  About a decade ago, a family purchased the drive-in and began revamping it.  It needed alot of vamping!  I'll show you a couple of the before pics that I found online.

 



Kinda creepy, don't ya think?  It looks like something out of a Stephen King movie.

Check out these photos after the transformation.



Isn't that one mind blowing make over?

I am so thankful for those who undertook this project.

Giving our drive-in back to the community has been a wonderful gift.

I love that I can share the drive-in with my boys.  The grounds, concession stands, and bathrooms are all in excellent shape.  Sound is now transmitted through radio, which is so much better than the speakers ever were.  The screen and picture quality are everything you'd want them to be.

Kids and adults run about and play in the huge grassy area in front of the screen before the movie begins.  They play soccer, frisbee, pitch-and-catch, and tag.  It gets a little crazy at times, but the kids and adults alike enjoy the free-for-all. 

Once the movie begins, it's magic.  Going into a theater and enjoying a movie is a great in the cold months, but in the summer, the Clark 54 Drive-In is the only place to truly enjoy a movie.

Last summer, we were at the drive-in during the Fourth of July weekend and got to view fireworks that were set off at a distance.  Loved it!





This is where I love to be on a weekend night.  Sitting under the stars on a blanket, watching a movie, snuggled up with my honey and kiddies, sipping a Coke, and munching buttery popcorn. 

Are you fortunate enough to have a local drive-in?  If not, perhaps you can find one on a trip.  It's something that was once disappearing from our country, but is now making a welcome comeback.  According to Drive-ins.com, "Currently there are 480 open drive-ins that we know of operating around the world. There are 372 in United States and 66 in Canada."

Looking for a drive-in?  Check Drive-ins.com, which has a searchable database.

I hope we have our drive-in for generations to come.

Morning Visitor

It's a lovely day in west central Illinois.  The sun is out and there's still a bit of chill in the breeze, but we know spring has definitely arrived. 

This is the time of year that I get to again do that one thing that I can't do all winter, unless of course I burn something in the oven, and that is open the windows.  I love the fresh air! 

That first blast of fresh spring air seems to blow away all the staleness, the oldness, the dullness of the lingering winter season.  The front door open.  The back deck door open.  All the windows between wide open.  Makes me so very happy.

This spring morning was a tad bit different.  As I opened a livingroom window, two eyes were peering back at me.  Nobody wants to look through a window and see two eyes gazing back.  Haven't we all been freaked out by this happening in atleast one horror movie?

He was huge.  Isn't he a gorgeous color?

Here he is hiding behind a cherry tree.

Can you see a few of the cherry blossoms?  The blossoms will cover this tree soon.  The tree up the road from here is loaded with blossoms, but it has a different cherry.  That cherry is a bit tart.  This tree has the best cherries - a beautiful red with the sweetest flavor.  I've used them in pies and cobblers, but this year I hope to dry a few and also make some cherry jam.  What do you do with cherries?  Any suggestions?

The bull has taken off now, after hopping over a fence and getting his foot caught in the top wire.  He wasn't pleased at being stuck and neither were the dogs at his delay in leaving.  The dogs just wanted him to go home. 

Sherman, the cat, however, gave little thought to the bull. 

OK, one more picture of the bull.  Here he is for his close-up.  Well, atleast as close as I was getting to him.

Our current giveaway can be found here

Flea Market Finds

My day was planned.  Things to do.  People to see.  Photos to take.  Then Drats!  A flat tire on the car!  Not low, not a little deflated, but all out flat.  My wonderful son again came to my aid.  After much grunting and groaning and threatening of the little stubborn lugnuts, the tire was changed, doughnut put in place, and off down the road we went.

My dear son was rewarded with a burger, fries, and Coke, so he was quite happy in the end.

So for the second time this week, a trip was made to get a tire fixed.  Have I mentioned my favorite thrift store is located next to the auto repair place?  What do you do with yourself while the car is being fixed?  Flip through old magazines?  Watch Jerry or Maury on the television in the waiting area?  Or listen to the farmers talk about how soon the corn, oats, beans can go in the ground?  Not me!  I go digging at the store next door for more goodies. 

It's a rare treat for me to get to visit the store so soon after my last visit, but I'm so very glad that I did.  Three more boxes of blue jars had arrived at the store.  If only they knew how happy these made me.

Mason Jars

Then there were metal crates!  These are old, the tape on them was yellowed and brown, but the metal looked like they'd been tucked away somewhere, perhaps in the back of a closet, for quite some time.  What a find!  Now to find a good place for these.

Metal Crate

The most fantabulously, superamazing, unbelievably astounding find?  Shutters.  Two old shutters, approximately five feet long.  Tickled!  I was completely tickled.  Of course, I casually asked how much they were, not wanting to seem to eager, hoping they wouldn't know how much I wanted these babies.   When the guy behind the counter answered $3 total for both I was shocked.  One way or another these were going to fit in my car.  (My youngest asked when I picked him up at school, "Mom, why are there ladders sticking out of the car?)

These will need some scraping, priming, painting, but they'll be gorgeous when I'm done.  What color am I thinking?  Aqua with some distressing to bring out all the beautiful details.  Any suggestions for uses for these?

Digging for Treasure

Spring is here!  Daffodils are popping up and sharing their bright yellow cheeriness and a hint of green is returning in the stray patches of grass.  Birds are chirping, worms are stirring, and it's almost, but not quite, time for the auctions to begin.

In the meantime, I'll have to humor myself with the weekly trips to the local thrift stores.  Occassionally, I do get to skip out of town for a visit to some lovely little shops, but more often than not, I must limit my searching to local stores. 

One of my favorite stops does not have heat, so if you're going this time of year, you must bundle and move at a pace to keep yourself warm.  Nothing is organised.  Almost nothing is priced, but there are good deals to be had, so I visit them often.

Yesterday, I had an opportunity to stop by for a looksee through their rows of goodies.  Among the precariously stacked, disorganized, hope-you-don't-trip-over-anything stock, I was lucky to chance across a few treasures.

Old Blue Mason Jars

This box of jars was calling my name.  The uses for these jars are limitless, but these will be hung on the deck with a tealight to add a glow on those late summer nights, snuggling on the deck with my sweetie.

Who? Whoo? WhooOOoo?  Something else was calling to me.

  

It was Mr. Owl!  Just what I shall do with him is uncertain, but first a bit of primping is in order.  He was calling out for someone to give him a little tlc.  Do you like owls?  I'm sure he'll find a good home once we give him a little love, perhaps as a protector of my flower garden.

Then there was the "click, click, click" coming from this gorgeous beauty.  Once, and only once, I typed a paper on one of these.  Isn't she pretty?

Royal Quiet Deluxe Typewriter

And finally this little guy

A gorgeous metal finial.  I can't tell you how thrilled this little find made me.  The patina is gorgeous.  I've been wanting to make some finials for my flower gardens, but this little guy will be staying inside with me. 

Not too bad for an hour of digging to unearth some beauties.  The best part of the trip was sharing it with my oldest son.  He loves to search through the boxes of this and that to find the real treasures hidden in their depths.  His treasures are a little different as he's always on the hunt for stereos and such.  He's always great to lend a hand or give me a tip as to something he's seen that he knows I'll love.  Occassionally, he brings me home surprises.

Please take a moment to visit my vintage shop.

What lovelies have you found this week?