Prims By the Water

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

Goodies Goodies Goodies


WHOOPEE!
My favorite months of the year
are coming up!!!

Today I wanted to show you
more things I created for the  Fall season.

 


These happy faced pumpkins.
These were done in black, and orange.
I even did pink ones.


Last year one of the stores in the area
carried this color of  real Candy corn.
I decided to make these this year.
White, purple and black.
Do you like the new color?
Do you even like Candy Corn?
I personally do not like these candies.


Made more sock kitties.


Decided to crochet pumpkins
using two color shades this year.


Some I made a leaf, while others just have the stem.


What do you do when you 
have plaid fabric and beads in Autumn colors?
You make Indian Corn.


I finished them using real corn husks.

In other news,
Bob and I have been taking advantage
of the nice weather & eating outside
once again after Thursday's storms.
Sunday morning we even did bacon and eggs
on the new Blackstone grill.
It was Bob's birthday present from me. 
We love this new grill!
Last night ribs with a bean dip.
Today rain, so venison chili tonight inside.

August gift shop sales were better than last year.
Thank goodness as I was getting worried.
Folks love our Halloween room.
Thank you for all of the kind comments on this.
It really does take me many months to prepare.
Orders need to sent in by end of January.
I have an idea for next year's now,
hopefully it will be as good as this year.
Unless of course we find a buyer.
More stores are up for sale and customers
are wondering what is going on with our town.
I just reply that this generation wants to retire,
and its time for the next generation to take over.

Speaking of next generation,
I was flattered when a young lady asked me if
I could come to her house and decorate it.
It is not the first time someone has asked me.
It always makes me feel good.

Please pray for the folks in the path of
Hurricane Idalia.
I have many blogging friends who may be
in her path along with my SIL.

Oh one more thing,
awhile back someone asked me what the previous
paint color was of our guest bedroom.
Unfortunately I do not remember,
but we only get our paints from
Benjamin Moore and it was a tan color.

Well have to my butt to work.
Happy Tuesday all.

Goodie Blessings To All!
Janice





Friday, August 25, 2023

My Inspiration

Bob and I love the old horror movies.
We try to watch Svengoolie every Saturday night. 
We always tape the shows in case we miss it.
Last year we watched the original
Frankenstein movie starring Boris Karloff.
It was then last year as we watched this classic,
that I decided this would be my Halloween 
theme  for this year.
 

I drew up my own version of some Frankie's


Head and body.



I had purchased these heavy springs years ago.
I pulled them out and knew they would be perfect.


I only had 4 springs, so I made four Frankenstein's.


I then used the Boris Karloff image.
Printed on gray cardstock and framed.
These are selling quickly already.


I also had to make the Bride of Frankenstein.
These are selling fast too.


Finally I created this OOAK Frankie.


He had a candy corn necklace.
He sold the weekend opening of our
Mad Scientist room.

Now for a few sneak peek pics.
I took these with the overhead lights off
for a more creepy look just for you.


I used blue rope lights to make it look
like the blue blood was coming out of 
the skeleton into the glass bottle.


Hung this full size skeleton from the ceiling.
Also had more blue lights coming from 
his chest cavity into another glass bottle
on the other side of the room.
I also hung fabric bats underneath him.


I added blue Christmas lights inside
the ribs of another full size skeleton.
Bob duct taped him to the chair.


For the fireplace display,
I wanted it to look like 
blue electricity coming from these
two glass bottles.
Bob found me some blue heavy duty wire
so it looks like it is floating in air in the middle.
I had to twist the wire around the Christmas lights.
The white lights on the bottom are xray images.
Hard to see those in the dark though.

Will show the entire room again
with plenty of pics not seen here in
an upcoming post.

In other news,
Bob and I ate outside on our porch every night
until Wednesday when more storms came in.
Last night we had some doozies come in.
Lightning everywhere.
I thought for sure we would lose power.
Thankful we did not.

Speaking of storms.
Been crocheting up a storm some
stockings for the gift shop and for
my own Christmas tree.
Drew out a Santa pattern that I need to work on.
Then am going to make some different
Candy Canes.
Also been mulling over another rug would like to hook.
Just no time right now for that.

Well YAY its Friday!
What are your plans or the weekend?

Frankie Inspiration Blessings To All!
Janice









Monday, August 21, 2023

Antique Trail Finds

 
On our antique trail this year,
I did not find much for the antique store.
Just one item to resale,
however I pretty much scored
on the home front.


I am 98 percent sure this sampler is 
the real McCoy.
Two of my antique friends also concur.
If anyone thinks otherwise, please share.


I have been seeing antique rugs on tables lately
in displays on Pinterest and in antique stores.
When I saw this one,
 I knew it would fit my kitchen table.


Which is where it is now.
Will remove whenever I have company over.


This mustard piece is from the 1700's.
It is a clay pipe holder.
This would have been used in a tavern
near a fireplace.
Clay pipes would be stored inside for all to use.
Once a traveler was done smoking, 
the clay pipe would be broken off at the end,
and placed back inside for the next person.
I have my eyes on a used set of true 1700
small clay pipes that have been used.
Trying to find long ones is very hard and expensive.


Next I purchased these from an antique friend.
I know I could make these pumpkins myself,
but just opted to purchase from her as I loved
the color of these.


Can you believe I actually found this chair for $10?


Next up is an early red painted candle holder.
I love the  handle on this one.
The round part is metal which
 was grain painted to match the same red.


These beeswax candles were $1.00.
I could not pass them up.


I purchased the candles before
the candle holder,
however they fit perfectly.


Lately I have been seeing document boxes
on the You Tube primitive videos.
When I saw this one, I knew it had to come home.
It will stay on my fireplace mantel for now.
Already have a plan 
for my Autumn display on it.



Early Spanish Brown paint.
Even had a lock at one time.


Shhh...don't tell Bob I brought home another
yellowware bowl.
Again this was a steal for $10. 


Finally I purchased this tobacco.
I was told this was originally purchased in Connecticut,
however am sure the original owner must 
have purchased it in the South where
tobacco was and is grown.
I hung it here temporarily in front of my 
Child's dress hoop.
Will figure out soon where I intend to hang it.

In other news,
Bob and I decided to finally eat outside.
The weather was perfect Saturday night.
I made chicken nachos with mango salsa.
Made Tundra some cheese nachos.
Bob made the margaritas.
We watched the sun set and then went in 
when the mosquitoes were coming out.

The Autumn and Halloween goodies
have been selling good.
Don't want to jinx myself though,
so knocking on wood. LOL 

Please pray for those affected 
hurricane Hilary.
Never been in one and don't want to be.

Trail Find Blessings To All!
Janice
 


Thursday, August 17, 2023

August CupboardScape

Whilst driving 400 miles in three days
for our annual mother daughter antique trail,
I noticed lots of red popping up.
Its that time of year where 
the red flowers shine while
 the trees and bushes start to turn red.


Following Nature's lead,
I decided to just add in some
of my reds for this month's cupboardscape. 


Faux red geraniums and stone fruit.


My red bowl, quilt pillow and more fruit.


Red Firkin (sugar bucket) with 
another red bowl on top.
Vintage tomato pincushions round this out.


The repro red coverlet runner wraps up the red.


Are you noticing the reds popping around you?
Summer is dwindling down it seems.

In other news,
while visiting a fellow shop owner on my mini trip,
she told me that she watched the tornado
from last month rip through her back property.
It toppled two of her oldest trees.
One was over 200 years old.
I was gasping that she was watching this.
She watched it cross the road North of her
and turn into a waterspout.
Her early farmhouse  and adjoining shop
is across the road from 
Lake Huron. 
The view of the lake is amazing there.
You can see water for miles.
If I saw this tornado,
I would have been hiding somewhere.
YOUZERS

Also this really bothers me.
Our president is touting to send $700 to each
household of the Maui fire.
What the heck can anyone buy with $700.
These folks lost everything and some their lives.
Yet he just authorized another $40 million
to Ukraine.
Dont get me wrong, Ukraine does need help,
however we should be taking care if US (Maui) first
dont you think?

Well have to get to work.
More severe storms possible this afternoon.
UGH

August Blessings To All!
Janice
 

 

Sunday, August 13, 2023

Seeing Red

 Hello prim friends and all of my other blog friends.
Hope your weekend is going well for you.
Well we finally got our living room completed.


I am loving the color red lately.
Don't get me wrong, I still love my blues,
but red has been catching my eye lately. 
I traded in my blue throw curtains for these red ones.


The true color is in the previous pic.
I purchased two primitive throws for my curtains.
These are a darker red.


Previously I had these blue coverlet throws as curtains.
These were washed and put aside for the back room.
They will be re-used as throws.


We replaced the antique rag rug that was here.
I purchased this red one now.
We moved the white couch back to the other room,
and put this one here in the living room now.
This was a chore in itself.
We had to put the white one into the hall and carry this one
outside the back door and into the front door.
We could not carry it through the house without
moving more cabinets...so opted to do this.
Which meant we had to keep Tundra in the front
of the house while taking it outside,
then closing Tundra back up in the back room
while coming through the front door.
Same when we had to move the white couch back.
Tundra was confused.


This was our previous antique rug.



I really wanted this as a rug.
It was only sold as stair runners. UGH
Now it is on or table in the front of our couch.


Close up of the new rug with the sun coming through.


I decided to place my new table here in the middle.
The blanket chest we had used as a table
in front of the white couch is now in the front window here.
This will prevent Tundra from barking at everything. LOL


Having the table here now reminds me
of some of the houses we visited in the museums.
A lot of them had a table by the front door.
Also you can see our hickory floor 
with the floor rug gone.


We also swapped out tv's.
The small one is now here on the drysink,
while the bigger one is in the back.
I had to fold the coverlet from the guest bedroom
and place it here before my mom came.
She is allergic to wool.
I picked her up on Thursday and she spent
the night with us and then she and I went
on the antique trail.

So now that leaves the back room to redo.
This is going to take forever.....
I still have my Christmas tree, Christmas totes,
and Fall totes stacked up in there from last year.
Bob promised me this Spring those would go
into the garage.....still in the back room.

In other news,
the antique trail was a bust for trying to find
items for the store.
I did find some things for the house.
Will show in another post.

Torrential rains hurt Bob's parking lot sale.
Mom and I avoided the rain while we were out.
We were North of the storms.

Please say a wee prayer for those affected
in Maui. Such a tragedy.

So far the Mad Scientist theme is a hit with customers.
Hopefully store sales will increase.
Speaking of store, heading out to work
the gift shop now.

Seeing Red Blessings To All!
Janice

Wednesday, August 9, 2023

A Few Milestones

Hello friends.
Boy am I beat.
Spent 11 hours working on the
 mad scientist room.
Then another 8 on the Fall items.
Today the kitchen area and make sure everything's priced. 


As you know Bob celebrated a milestone
birthday last Friday.
SIL to the left.


Those who attended were my
BIL to the left, sister and brother to the right.


Left to right.
Daughter, grandkids and Bob's dad.


Left to right.
Bob's cousin and wife.
Bob's son in law and daughter.


Then Monday we celebrated my grandson's
20th birthday.
I cannot believe Michael is no longer a teen now.
I also teased him about his yellow hair.
Am not a fan of colored hair...
especially the green, purple and pink.
To each his own.


Yes Robin we went out to another restaurant.
We all shared wings and apps.
My daughter Michele in the middle,
Mikayala on the left.

In other news,
I neglected to answer the bedroom color
before we painted.
It was a tan from Benjamin Moore,
however I dont remember the color.

Well back to the store again.
I hope to be done today....
I did have my first sale already.
Grandpa Ed wanted to see the room
and he ended up purchasing a LED skull
for his daughter.
She loves Halloween and just bought a new house.

Summer stores sales were down almost
35% so lets hope Fall & Halloween pick up.
Not good for small business.
A few other gift shops in town already
opened their Fall and Halloween.
They usually wait until after I open,
so it must be bad all around.

Milestone Blessings To All!.
Janice