Guess Who I Just Met?

In the midst of all this chaos, I had an exciting day. This is what makes all the work worth it! Meeting great people and sharing your stories. As bloggers that is what we do everyday.

Some of us are lucky enough to actually meet the people we talk to on the blogs. I feel I have made some wonderful connections with so many of you. I am blessed to have had the opportunity to even meet some of you at Haven and other blogging venues.

So yesterday I took a load to The Milky Farm in Pulaski, Tennessee. Let me tell you it is one of the prettiest places I have ever been to.

The farm is huge! The sun was setting as I turned into the complex. I had to snap this picture. The ironwork was beautiful. Of course the sun was in my eyes but it was still beautiful!

I traveled down a gravel road to the barn. My partner's husband Dan was hauling our little structure ahead of me. Just then a deer hopped over the road and disappeared into this tree line. Couldn't get the camera fast enough. I could stay here taking pictures all day!!

When I got to the barn a woman was bent down on the ground taking pictures. As I walked by I shouted out a friendly hello! Then she turned to me and said hi.

I have to admit, I was a little excited to see who it was. 

Donna from Funky Junk Interiors!

Then I asked the creepy blogger question!!  "Can I take a picture of you? I have to blog about this!"

We had both been working all day and well we looked tired. So we grabbed our glasses so we could look more presentable for the picture. LOL

Donna was just as friendly and nice as she is in her blog. She is funny too! I felt like I have known her for years.

Then we had fun with a photo shoot.

Donna started posing all over. We laughed and laughed! The pictures came out great though!

This one is titled: The Tourist

(because everyone that visits Nashville thinks they need a cowboy hat lol)

The Poser

(look at the chair)

Peek-A-Boo

She is so funny! It was only half a chair she posed with!

and my favorite....

Bag Lady/Junk Queen

Thanks Donna for a great time!!

Then we went to work!

Dan helped Linda and Donna measure the spaces for the booths.

Another time my tape measure came in handy. Remember the HGTV shoot? I lent my tape measure to Kevin and Layla from The Lettered Cottage! Always be prepared!

It was a great day and there is so much more to do.

If this is any indication of what Bella Rustica is going to be like, I am in for a great time!

Come out and shop the barn!!

I will post more soon!

It is Bella Rustica Week!

Well it is here! The week we get all the stuff we painted, glued, sanded and cut done and loaded. It is a little stressful but that adreniline is what drives me! Keeps me excited!!

This will be my first Barn Sale. Curious to see how it will all turn out. Go to bellarustica.org for details

This week is also when The voting is over for the Craft Room. Vote Here till September 30th!




I am making some signs for Bella too! They loved the Ticket sign I make so they are getting that for their ticket booth. \

 Don't worry if you can't make it you can purchase these in my 

ETSY STORE!

I will also have some directional signs too. I am painting them with chalkpaint so they can reuse them next year!!

What fun these are to do!

Hope you like them Linda?

Time to finish the many projects started and not completed.....I guess it was an ADD moment!

Here is to getting my life and house back next week. Till then I will have a blast selling!!!

Sorry if you don't hear from me. I will try to post. Especially because there are a lot of fun things going on I can't wait to share. I will take pictures too!

PLEASE like me on FACEBOOK! I will post more about the week on my page!

Click HERE or to the RIGHT

I really hope to see some of you there!

Look who is going?

AS you know I have been crazy getting ready for Bella Rustica! This will be my first barn sale and I am filled to the brim in my home with wonderful goodies to sell! I have been looking forward to this for a long time.

Now I feel like it has turned into an awesome blogging event! When I heard Donna from Funky Junk Interiors was going I thought that was awesome. Now there are many more! Some will be vendors and others will be guests.
There will even be a blogging panel on Friday around 1:30 or 4 TBA.

Rhoda my friend from the HGTV pilot shoot and Haven, you know her from her blog Southern Hospitality.
My friends and fellow Tennessee Bloggers Gina The Shabby Creek Cottage Angie Country Chic Cottage, Michele The Scrap Shoppe, Jennifer Southern Junk Chic, Polly Blackberry House, Sandra Sawdust and Paper Scraps.
Myra from My Blessed Life and there may be more that I haven't heard of yet!

I really hope many of you can try to make it. I am praying for a beautiful weekend so everyone can get out and shop!

Please go visit Bella Rustica's site and look at The Milky Way farm. It is absolutely gorgeous. This will be the venue for the event.

I gotta get busy! Here is a picture of some of the things I am working on! You know I couldn't leave these out! Everyone loves them!

Have a great day!

Homemade Basil Pesto

I love Italian food. I make it all the time because I grew up Italian and that is what we do! Cook! Cook a lot and make sure there is food to go around. Eat! This is what I heard growing up. At any occasion there was enough food to feed an army. In my opinion, it was the best food you ever ate too. So we carry on the tradition.

Just because I am Italian does not mean I like going to Italian restaurants. This is a misconception. Especially here in the south. There aren't any REAL Italian restaurants. So I stat home and eat my own.

This is a simple dish that is a delicacy. The garden had beautiful herbs in it. This came from my father's garden. He is an unbelievable gardener. The basil leaves are as big as my hand.

Pesto is great in many things. My favorite is on pasta.

You will need:
Approx 4c Basil fresh
5 cloves of garlic
a handful of pecans, pine nuts or walnuts
1/2 c of fresh pecorino romano cheese
olive oil

There really isn't a written recipe. It is all just thrown into the food processor!

 I fill the processor with fresh basil.

I like using pecans. Pine nuts are the most popular. Then I peel and add garlic.

Then I grate fresh cheese and add it to the mixture.

Cover and pour olive oil will processor is on. While it is spinning the basil will become a paste.

Then it is ready to add to 1 pound of pasta!! You can also spread this on some Italian bread. YUM!

My mouth is watering as I type this post. Very easy and delicious. Why would you go to a restaurant for this when you can make it at home so quick?

Hope you enjoy!

Painted Desk {Praying for an A}

I don't lnow how some of you do it. I look at your blogs and you seem to have it all together. You all do so much and continue to put up posts everyday! I wish I could find the rythym to get in the groove. I think just keeping up with the voting on my craft room is enough!! ( by the way please vote here)

I have been painting till I can't see straight. Furniture is taking over my house like some monster blob from a science fiction movie. All this to get ready for the Bella Rustica Barn Sale Sept 28-30 in Pulaski, Tennessee. The problem is when I get a piece ready for the sale I sell something in the store or to a client and then I have to start all over again! SOMEONE HELP!! I need some pointers from you guys on how to keep this running smooth!

Here is one of those times....
This is a piece I just did for a little boys room. The client wanted a masculine, artsy look, combine with verses from the bible.

The color RED....

I started with the base color of blue. This helped darken the red a little bit and made it nice when sanding The color showed through.

The chair was done the dame way. I stenciled the numbers from a verse in the bible. The drawers where all verses also.

"Beat it up!" was what the client said. They wanted it distressed and I think that is what make this piece stand out. Since the drawer borders where a creamy white sanding the painted words and border gave it the worn out look.

I then went back and added some more blue in painted brush strokes. Then resanded.

Such a great statement to a room. And who doesn't need a little divine intervention when studying for that important test? We have all prayed for a little help in getting that "A"!

Thanks for reading! So glad you stopped by!

Ok back to getting ready for the sale....Let the countdown begin.

Happy 27th Anniversary!

My love story....the short of it!

I met my husband the summer before my senior year of high school. We dated for four years and on September 14th we married. It has not been easy, but nothing is that is worth anything.

Today I celebrate 27years of love!

reunion pic

I believe in marriage and the vows I took that day. That is what has kept us together. Love is a strong bond but you do have to work at it. If I taught my children anything, I hope they remember that!

Enjoy your day!

Remembering.....

Today I will not do a post. I will never forget. I don't want to relive it watching countless shows and media coverage of the horror of that day. The world has changed. Where I grew up has changed. I have changed. I continue to pray for everyone.

 I will leave you with the post from last year if you would like to read something about it.

The day the earth stood still....

Baking Utensil Organizer

 I don't have a lot of cabinets and drawers in my kitchen. This means I have got to be organized and make sure I keep only the things I need and use.

 I don't like plastic organizers for my utensils. Last year I came up with an idea using paint sticks for my silverware. Since then that post "Utensil Organizer" continues to be the most viewed post I have ever done. Funny really. It was free and easy! ...and I used PAINTSTICKS!!!

Since that post I have learned some things. So I decided to create a new improved one for my Baking Utensils. I love the way everything has a place. I don't mind if anyone sees my drawers now. Hee Hee!

I started out with my free paintsticks that I collect from hardware stores. I like the big ones.

I painted them to add some color to the inside. I can always change this if I like a different color. The glory of paint!

Then I gathered all the baking utensils that I use most often. I placed them where I wanted them to go inside the drawer. Then I measured for placement of the paint sticks.

I wanted all my measuring cups and spoons in one area. So I used the biggest cup and lined it up where I wanted to put the stick.

I measured and and mark where to cut with my hand saw.

I only needed to make a few cuts then I glued them with monkey glue. NOTE: I used hot glue with my utensil organizer but after time I would have to re-glue so I went to the monkey glue. I also decided to glue the whole structure into the drawer for more stability.

Looking in through the back of drawer. All pieces connected.

I added a tea cup for the tiny pieces to stay in place like my cake decorating tips.

Then I added the rest of the baking utensils to the drawer.

This is definitely the new and improved organizer! I love the color and how it all fits perfectly!

I have the prettiest drawers in town! Pun intended! :)

What do you think?

Tennessee Barn Sales (vintage goodness)

Barn Sales are popping up all over Tennessee lately! Check out my booth at Bella Rustica Here and Here!

 So I decided to take an adventure yesterday. I traveled to The Strawberry Patch Barn Sale in Hartsville, Tennessee. It was beautiful country with rolling hills and farms everywhere.

Starlite Farm was the backdrop to the event and this barn is where all the artisans set up.
There was vintage goodies, crafts, furniture and more. Food and entertainment too!

Here is a peek of some of the things they had to offer. The rest you will have to go see for yourself!

 

The event organizer Christie must be very proud of this huge accomplishment! Lots of hard work went into this!

So if you want to go head over to The Strawberry Patch for details!

This is Christie with her fabulous upholstered chair! She has many to choose from!

And if you haven't heard already.......

Donna from Funky Junk Interiors is headed to Bella Rustica!

source

OK Donna I am sharing!!! Go check out her post about it HERE!

I just hope I get the chance to meet her in person since I will be a vendor! Not sure how much "free" time I will get. She will also be demonstrating and making her fabulous JUNK creations!

So if you get the chance head on over to Bella Rustica in Pulaski Tennessee on Sept 28th, 29th and 30th! Come by and see me and say Hi!

I will be in the booth marked Micucci Designs!

And yes I will post pictures if you don't get the chance to get there!

All proceeds from tickets go to support AGAPE.

You can purchase tickets at the Bella Rustica website.

Do you have barn sales where you live? If so tell me what you like to see when you go. What is the name of the sale? I like adventures!!!

Grey Hutch with Scripture

Every now and again a project comes along that I fall in love with. This is one of those!

I usually don't go for waterfall style furniture. They just aren't interesting to me. This one had something about it. Loved the shape and the carvings.

I knew this would be the perfect piece to take to Bella Rustica at the end of the month or at least that is what I thought!

I winded up selling this before I even started! One thing about not painting something first is the client has the option to stylize the piece to fit them. I had already decided on paint color and chicken wire.

The rest ...the scripture...was their idea!

Ecclesiastes 

"There is an appointed time for everything.  And there is a time for every event under heaven ~
² A time to give birth, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted.
³ A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to tear down, and a time to build up.
⁴ A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance.
⁵ A time to throw stones, and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, and a time to shun embracing.
⁶ A time to search, and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep, and a time to throw away.
⁷ A time to tear apart, and a time to sew together; A time to be silent, and a time to speak.
⁸ A time to love, and a time to hate; A time for war, and a time for peace.

I couldn't fit it all but found some lines to add to the piece.

The best thing about this hutch was the petite size. It would be able to fit in almost any space!
I like the smaller hutches. I did a red one with papers, but it was an open style front.

This is how it started

I knocked out the glass and attached chicken wire. Painted it with Annie Sloan Paris Grey and the inside in old white. Waxed with both clear and dark. Then painted the words.

I kept the hardware since they looked good and dry brushed over them.

  

The words on the inside I wanted to keep subtle. I used white with a small outline in black. Heavily waxed the inside to look old.

This is what it looked like before the outline.

Just a line on the front in the perfect spot!

I really loved the finish product. I don't believe the pictures do it justice.

It was a huge transformation!

What do you think? Have you ever used chicken wire to replace the glass? Do you think I was crazy getting rid of perfectly good glass?

Remember the Before.....?

What a transformation huh?

The client loved it! 
What do you think?