This is something I can really get into...

I'm ba-ack!!

Finally! I have something to blog about! I hit my first rummage sale of the season this morning. Bright and early...first one through the door! Not a "jackpot" per se, but I did find some things that deserve a second chance.

Oh yeah....I also got my mom some scrapbooking stuff...

I'm loving the playing card embellishments! But, I may have to steal the potentially tacky cute Christmas light stickers. We'll just have to see.

Now. I like my stuff to look old. But moldy??? Ummmm....no.

When I brought this baby inside to prep for its new look, I also noticed these annoying gold splotches. Ugh. Why???

I like how this candlestick is a near cousin to a previous project:

But I have something else in mind for my new find.

Well, look at that, my dears. If I hurry I'll have just enough time for a quick trip to Hobby Lobby and the Dollar Tree! Maybe I should wait until after my other rummaging adventures I've got planned this weekend?

Dry my eyes

Well, today was the day. I finally got my letter from the University of Illinois School of Social work. I've been checking the mail since January. The envelope was thin. I don't even know why I opened it. Anyway, someone at the United States Postal Service loves me: I also got a new Ballard Designs catalog. I guess it was enough to distract me, at least from my (temporarily) shattered grad school dreams.

Now, I'm on a mission. There's a lot of inspiration in there that I need to translate into my own home.

Ok. So maybe I don't need THREE burlap pieces in one room. But, they could all live comfortably under the same roof.

Husband doesn't quite understand how I see the ottoman in HIS living room. Silly boy.

It would be a nod to our love of boating. Granted, our boat has never needed anything quite as large as the original inspiration for this piece.

Oh my. I VERY much love this plaque. But, if I'm truthful with myself, I believe I will one day be "over" these kinds of pieces.

I probably really only need one of these lamps at this moment. Not that I am in love with the quality and quantity of the lighting we already have; but, I'm showing restraint in my day-dreaming. Really!!?? What is wrong with me?

Sweet little birdy. My new greige bedroom NEEDS this guy. Oh. By the way...I will post pictures of my bedroom transformation soon. Just need to get it put back together. Which means, I should probably quit living in it for a week. My mere presence just makes a mess, I swear.

Umm. Yeah. I've never been much of a fountain kind of gal, but I need this.

I think I may have convinced Husband that he would be most helpful and supportive by taking me somewhere tomorrow to buy me some happiness. We'll see how that goes.

Ironic discovery

My S'Kid (stepson) has an inquiring mind. He's always looking at things, trying to figure them out. His specimen of the day is this framed coin set I found for $1. I included it in this post and this one, too. I just thought someone framed them because they were cute.

His eyes are apparently better than mine (or Husband's). They are 1968 Summer Olympic-edition 25pesos from Mexico City. Just one brief search on the internet tells me they have an approximate value of $13.50 a piece. Of course, mine aren't in mint condition....nor are they for sale.

They're all mine, Buddy!

My husband such a tricky guy. He doesn't even do it on purpose. Um, well...yes he does. But this came as a surprise...even to him. He's been hiding things from me! His wife!!

He's lucky enough to have his very own shop. Complete with a hydraulic lift in the floor for working on cars when necessary. Actually, its best used for seeing how high he can lift me into the air before I freak out. He always thinks he needs more tools and equipment. I think he has plenty. Except for a paint booth for me and all my big dreams of new projects.

I decided to visit him out there the other day and found myself a couple of things to steal.

I can't wait to get my hands on them!! He thinks HE needs them. Whatever. It's a SHED for cryin' out loud. He can use shoe boxes for all I care. These things are lovelies. With a little TLC, they'll be perfect additions to our house. I need cute storage; he just needs functional. A shoe box would work for him, doncha think??

Snow Day = S'No Money

This is what I got for Christmas...

If you remember, I asked for them here.

Okay, maybe I should tell the real story. Christmas morning, Husband and I woke up at my mom's (yes...I'm 30 and still wake up at home Christmas morning). It was my turn to open presents....lots of goodies in there. Husband tells me there's one more in the basement. Hmmm...what's he up to? As I'm carrying the box upstairs, I'm figuring out what was in that last present. Husband tells me: Open the box first, then the card. A little backwards, but .....okay..... Unwrap familiar-shaped box. Open the lid of said box. Angels begin singing.....There they are. The particular Uggs I requested. Tears, tears, tears....and, I mean, I am not the Christmas crier; I leave that business to Mom.

Here's what the card says:

Hollie,

The world is filled with beautiful things, and I just wanted you to get one of those things for you, because I Love your smile, I Love your laugh, and I LOVE YOU!

Merry Christmas!

Love, Matt

Then.....the P.S.:

P.S. I'm going sledding January 6-10

Tears stop at this moment.

Fast forward to January 8, 20TEN!! Husband is away in Wisconsin with his friends. Snowmobiling all day; drinking all night; posing with dead, frozen wild animals (don't ask). I decided how fun it would be to get snowed in at Mom's house. After two nights of mother-daughter time, I convince her we should check out the antique shops up town. After all, I am driving Husbands 4-wheel-drive pickup; which means, I am officially capable of driving in the snow.

Here are a few of my finds that day:

Those two large ironstone dishes?? Yep...$1.50 a piece.

The old grayness of this book had just the right look. The Snowflakes sign and mini-basket were after-Christmas sale items. Not exactly junk or vintage, but they were oh-so-Me!!

My little precious....this was a little over my thrifty threshold, but I. had. to. have. it.

Of course, after I convinced myself to splurge on the first wire filing tray, Mom discovered these for $5 a piece (at the typically overpriced antique shop in town....bargain for us!!)

What started as a great weekend snowed in at home my mom's, quickly turned into the start of the worst week of my life. We got the call at 2:30am Saturday morning from the nursing home that my grandma was being taken to the emergency room.

We lost her 6 days later. But, to avoid ending this post on a sad note, we made the most of those precious six days.

I love snow days.

A whole day stuck at home.

What to do....what to do??

I could clean. Hmmm. Nah.

I could start "unpacking". I've been married for 8 months, but I still have almost a whole room-full of my life in boxes. There could be forgotten treasures in there! But, when I open the door, I see this:

Yep. Too overwhelming. I need a companion supervisor to tackle this.

A whole free day would normally make me want to go thriftin'/junkin'. But. If I can't make it to work -- I probably shouldn't venture out.

So...I'll work on my blog. Well. If I can stop reading other blogs.

My goal is to finish the posts I've started. It'll be like a blog post blitz! Uh huh. We'll see  how that turns out.

Here's hoping for another snow day tomorrow!

Moving on and holding on

Wow! I haven't posted since December....and I wasn't that frequent before. I've got two posts started, but not quite ready to publish.

Time has sort of stopped for me this last week, two weeks, seven months. Shortly after my wedding last June, my grandma was diagnosed with stage IV renal cancer. We lost her Friday, January 15.

I don't think I've fully "dropped my basket" (as my lovely S'mom says) quite yet. I'm sure that will come with time. I've got a couple things in the works, but I truly enjoy blogging, and I don't want to let Rustic and Sparkly slip away. Maybe I'll get better at this blogging thing. Maybe I'll learn to take better pictures. It would be great if I remembered to dust before taking the pictures. Grandma Karen wouldn't have cared (neither do I, actually). But, that's what I'll do. Someday, I'll be "moved in" to my new home with my new husband. Hell, I might even have a consciously decorated home to share with you.....some day.

In the meantime, here's the beautiful lady that's so much more than "Grandma":

Karen Sue Harlow 9/14/39 - 1/15/10