Fabulous Finds!

I thought I would join in the fun and participate in Rhoda's Thrifty Treasures.
I have been a follower of Southern Hospitality for over a year. This lady is just fantastic. I don't know where she finds the energy to do so much. I love her decorating ideas and the step by step instructions she gives us to help duplicate a great look!

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Doug and I were up in the Lee's Summit area this past Saturday and I found a new thrift store to haunt. Now this thrift store is about 60 miles away from home, so I won't get to go that often, which might be a good thing!

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I love books.
I am not sure if I ever will have enough books, probably not. So anytime I am in the Thrift Store or the Flea Market I always check out the book section.

Creative Room Styles,
Soft back $.60
It was published way back in 1998, but you know what, there are some absolutely gorgeous room ideas in here. I am finding that true style never goes out of style. There are always great ideas you can use as inspiration

Here is a page from the book. Toile and checks...doesn't this look like something out of one of today's designer magazines! I almost bought a 1970's French Provincial dining room set when were getting ready to build the house. It was on Craig's List for $125. Everyone poo poo'd me, said it would be tacky. Huh uh...with toile fabric, it would have been wonderful!
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Outdoor Living and Gardens by House Beautiful
Hardback $1.60

Gardening books are always in style.
Wicker, Rattan, Iron and Stone... I want them all in my garden!

We are planning on adding a covered porch over the patio next summer. So I am gathering ideas for what I would like to do. Oh some of you are going to cringe at this but, I think I am going to grow vines on the house. Yes, I know they will tear up mortar and they can be destructive, but this girl has got to have a more cottage feel!

Isn't this picture from the book dreamy?
Love the french door out to the lawn
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Simple Flower Arranging
Hardback $.60

You all know how I love floral design.
Some floral design books are not practical.
But this little gem sure is!
I have already found dozens of ideas of what flowers to grow next year in the garden for fresh floral arrangments.

There are several pages like this, that gives you the basic design steps.
What a great book! I'm glad it got to come home with me.

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Music Finds!
I seldom listen to the radio. They just don't play my kind of music.
I like elevator music, soft jazz, big band, 1940's, Broadway show tunes.
I have been keeping my eye out for some nice c.d.'s to keep in the car.
I was tickled to find these...

Michael Buble & Tony Bennet
$.60 each

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As were standing in the check out line, I spotted this wonderful, fantastic, heart stopping candle chandelier. I figured someone else must have found it, and had set it up at the front while they continued their shopping. I asked anyway to see if it was still available.
Whoppee It WAS!
What was even super great was that the price was $16.91, but today everything in the store was 60% off! That is why my books and music were such deals. But boy howdy was this ever a steal! It was $7.00

I definitely have plans for using it on the back porch next year summer. For right now, I have hung it under the umbrella!

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It is so fun finding great things at great prices!
I have lots of posts in the archives about my Fabulous Finds
if you would like to see more!
~Jill~

A hungry dog, chickens and a Shot Gun...Updated Again!

***UPDATED A SECOND TIME ***

On Saturday morning Doug and I took "Snorfus" up to Liberty MO. The man that operates Cowboy's Animal Rescue knew of a home for him. He is going to be a companion to an Amish lady who became a parapalegic when 2 years ago the buggy her and her husband was riding in was hit by a car load of drunk teenagers. Her husband and the horse were killed. She is okay with a big dog, she had a husky who just recently died. God works wonders...this is why Snorfus turned up at my house, why he hadn't already been shot by a neighbor. This big ole 150 pound lug has mission in life. Big ole Snorfus I forgive you for playing with my chickens and trying to eat them (maybe). Doug and I are glad we were able to help you find a home! Gosh this ole heart is a softy.

I had planned on a second post about my visit to Nell Hill's but instead this happened to me....

This morning, I was downstairs on the computer typing up a post about Nell Hill's when I spotted a dog walking by the downstairs escape window. I ran upstairs and he was on the patio. It was a great big German Shepherd. I hollered at him to GO. But he just looked at me. That is when he spotted my Girls. He took off like a flash after my GIRLS!!!
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In my nightgown, I grabbed my metal egg basket and my old plastic green watering can. I am running barefoot through the backyard to the chicken house. YELLING...SCREAMING....GO AWAY. He went straight for the girls. A few were able to get into the house. He started chasing the others around our utility trailer and the barn.
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He grabs one around the neck...I am SCREAMING....banging my egg basket and watering can together...he is oblivious. The chicken is sqawking. He is running around the chicken house, chasing them, he goes in the chicken yard. I try to trap him in the yard to save the chickens that are still out, he sneak out past me. I hurriedly lock the few girls that made it, into the chicken house.
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He spies one under the trailer, he grabs her, I am running and SCREAMING. He drops her and I rush her over to their pen and drop her in. He finds another one... I am SCREAMING and BANGING running around the barn, he runs the other way. He drops her, I grab her up and run her to the pen. One more is left... of course...he goes for her. I manage to get her after banging on the dog and more SCREAMING!!!
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Finally it is quiet, he meanders off from the chicken house. I still haven 't done a count to see if I have saved them all. Off he goes sniffing. I go inside the pen. Honestly I felt as though my chest was going to explode, my little heart was beating so fast. I also thought I was going to throw up. Those chickens are our pets. We love each and every one, and the thought of him killing one....was unthinkable.
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When I felt that maybe I got all of them in, I ran inside and called Doug at school. I quickly told the secretary what happened. She paged Doug. When he got on the phone...he told me to go get the shotgun. I did.
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I went out into the backyard and he told me how to take the safety off, how to load the chamber, and fire. I aimed up into the air and shot! The dog wasn't too fazed by it. So I loaded the chamber and I fired again. YOU are NOT going to KILL my CHICKENS!!! He went and laid down under the utility trailer. I went over and sat on my wrought iron furniture in front of the chicken house, in my jammies with my gun. I was waiting for Doug to come home.
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I turned to look and saw Doug coming down the road. The tears now have started to come. I try not to cry. I'm a big girl, I'm tough, I shot a gun. Doug goes in and gets his rifle. As he is walking around the house toward me, he sees a little girl hiding in the grass. She starts running toward the chicken house. I jump up SCREAMING that he is going to get her, but Doug shows me the rifle. The dog stays under the trailer.
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We do a chicken head count. 4 missing. Doug puts the dog in the barn and we start looking for the girls. I am pretty sure that I saw the dog before he saw my girls. Hopefully they are just hiding. One by one we find them all. Thank you LORD!
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We didn't shoot the dog. That is what people do in the country though. I called the Sheriff's dept and that is pretty much what they told us to do. The dog is very friendly, he is STARVING...he was dumped with another dog in our neighborhood. I called my dad he came out and also our neighbor came down to help. The dog has been up at their house for the past two days.
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NOW DON"T STOP READING
YOU WON'T BELIEVE
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT...
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As I type this, I am waiting to hear back from the sheriff's dept. The dog had a collar of sorts and a rabies tag. I called the vet's number and gave them the tag i.d. number. Well Tike belongs to a lady that lives about 5 miles from us in a trailer court. The vet gave me the three phone numbers that they had. I called all three, not in service.
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I call the sheriff's dept. back and tell them that I know the name and address of the lady that dumped the dogs and that Doug and I were going to put Tike in the truck and pay her a visit if she still lived there. The deputy told me to call him back.
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Get this...we drive into this TERRIBLE trailer Court. I am sure there is probably half a dozen meth labs just in this one area. We spot trailer 18, we are looking for trailer 19. Doug gets out and asks this lady that is in her yard if she knows Donna Johnson. She shakes her head and says no. Doug says the Donna Johnson that is your neighbor in trailer 19. She turns and points to this lady who is walking through the knee tall grass towards us and says, " Oh yeah, her".
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Well come to find out, Donna does have a German Shepherd named Tike but he is in the house and much smaller than the one that is in the back of our truck. How STUPID does she think we are, probably about as stupid as she is, dumping a dog with tags. We get back in the truck and leave.
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Pulling over a couple yards down the road, I call the deputy back and told Donna was home and the whole not my dog story. He is going to pay her a visit this afternoon.
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So right now...Tike is in the barn, we have fed and watered him. The girls are all accounted for and locked up in their house. I am worn slick, sitting here telling you my story. The deputy is supposed to call me back after he visits with Donna. The shelters are all full and not taking any more animals. What are we going to do? Right now the plan is to take Tike home this afternoon whether "Donna" likes it our not. You know what is a shame? He seems like a good dog. He was just literally starving to death.

The saga continues....

I need a stiff drink...

~Jill~

If you never leave a comment....now would be a good time.
I'm a little stressed, well I was now I am just exhausted, my head and throat hurts from yelling.

More to the story ....

The deputy called me...get THIS story she told him...
Donna lived in another town a few years back, the house was broken into and a lock box was stolen. Inside the lock box was dog rabies tags and vet paperwork. She told my deputy to call the other town she could prove her story. Well he called the other town and was told the same story. So this really isn't her dog she claims. She took the deputy inside and showed him a Sheperd Mix that she said was named Tike. Okay....so probably the dog I have isn't Tike, but I think it still is her dog. I also think she dumped a female Rottweiler too!

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So are YOU telling me, that these tags were stolen in 2005 in a town about 30 miles away. And it just so happens that they go put it on this dog who was then dumped on my highway just 5 miles from where "Donna" now lives!

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BULL..

I called the vet back telling her about the "stolen tag" story. She absolutely doesn't believe. She says the dog is definitely Donna's.
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So what to do with this dog.
He loved his ride in the truck, licked Doug's had when he putting his dog tag back on, and he didn't growl at me even once, when I was beating him off the chickens.

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The deputy remembered a man who had called their office several months ago...he was opening a shelter for abused animals. He wanted to let the county know about his shelter. The deputy called the man and he said he will take the dog. So I guess tomorrow, Doug and I and the kids will be driving about an hour north to take this dog to a no-kill shelter. I am not going to dump him again.
I am not sure I am cut out for this rural stuff!
I just want to go to Archiver's and scrapbook!
~Jill~

I promise next post will have pictures. Although mom wanted me to reinact the whole jammies and gun thing so we could really share with you the whole impact of the situation buy I kindly declined! I hadn't done my hair yet ;o)

Designing with Wildflowers 101

I love working with fresh flowers. I have even had the opportunity to work in a flower shop for about a year. At one time, I considered opening up my own flower shop, and applied for a tax number...the name of my store

Forget-Me-Nots

It would be in an old stone and brick historic building with beautiful tall store front windows.
A french garden cart would sit outside the door filled with fresh stems.

Inside the wonderful aroma of flowers would envelope you, just as soon as your foot crossed the threshold. If you have visited a florist recently you will know that wonderful scent. So green and so fresh.


Gorgeous old cupboards filled with antique and thrifty treasures await to be filled with bounty. For wedding planning, wicker chairs and sofa covered in a soft chintz fabric nestle in a cozy corner.

(My mom even found a set of wicker at a thrift store and we bought it to have just in case we decided to open the store. It was the set that I used on the porch at The Cottage.)

I never did open my little store. I have had a chance to buy a flower shop here in town, the lady that owns it would like to retire. But in this economy, it would be a huge risk to open a business. So now I just entertain myself by cutting the flowers in my garden and also the wildflowers that blanket our country road.

Designing with Wildflowers 101
1. Gather up stems of favorite flowers. As soon as you cut them place in a bucket of cool water. We planted zinnia's by seed this spring and we also planted gladiola bulbs. It was really very easy! The zinnias come up real quick. They come in an assortment of sizes and colors. I like the great big ones! They remind me of dahlias. By the road I found daisies and Queen Anne's Lace.

2. Gather up greenery. This is always the base for an arrangment. I don't have much greenery around yet. So I have been using hosta leaves and fern fronds. Most anything will work if you like the shape of the leaves and the color. I am definitely planting more greens next year.

3. Find a cute container and fill with cool water and 1 tsp. of bleach. The bleach keeps the water from growing yucky things that make your flowers die quicker.

4. Arrange your greens in your container first. IMPORTANT> Strip all the leaves that are below the water line! This is an absolute MUST! As you add them to your container criss cross the stems, this will help to secure them and make a grid for your flowers.

5. Add your flowers. I like to make a triangle arrangment. Start with your tallest flower. It should not be much more than 2 times the height of your container. Here again, no leaves below that water line. I like to add drapey things on sides like ivy that droops.

6. If your arrangement is going to be seen on all sides, make sure you are turning it as you are adding your stems.

I love this silver tea pot because the lid is on a hinge,
which just adds oodles of charm!

So my friends, go on a country drive with a mason jar and your handy dandy clippers and find some fresh florals to display in your home!
~Jill~