Not a bad haul for an estate sale I wasn't going to attend.  I arrived two hours after the start
 of the sale and was kicking myself for not going out earlier because their prices were so reasonable.  I have visions of all the stuff that got away.

Advertising hangers from right here in little ol' Tracy.  Notice the paint splattered bench under all the stuff?  I forgot to get a lone picture of it, but it looks like years of yummy paint buildup.  I'm leaving it just the way it is.

When I opened up this children's Picture Word Book it put a big smile on my face.

I love the baby shoes and will probably end up planting these just like the last pair I found.

No frog should be left behind, even the grungy ones.

This Western Electric Company phone weighs a ton.  Unfortunately it doesn't work, but wouldn't it be fun just for display?

Last but not least, a pair of Syroco wall sconces from the early 1960s.  They were kind of an ugly, flaky, shiny gold mess when I found them.....nothing a coat of paint and a little distressing didn't cure.

Last month I had two people at the same show ask me if I had any Union Jack
treasures; I stored that request in the back of my mind.

Remember this I Dream of Jeannie/Aladdin-ish vanity stool I found at a parking lot sale
 last month?

This wasn't my original plan, but it took a fraction of the time and sometimes you just have to go with quick and easy.  Besides, I didn't want to say "no" if I had another Union Jack request.

How perfect is this for size?  I used the down pillow that was originally inside the Union Jack slip cover for another project a long time ago, then stashed the cover away hoping I'd be able to use it for something else. 

A zip and a tuck.  Bye-bye gold.

It took longer for the big box hardware store to unlock the spray paint case than it
 took me to do this makeover.

I'm happy to say that it sold at the Vintage Market last weekend.
I sure didn't need to be packing up a lot of merchandise at the end of the day.  It was so darn hot on Saturday, but we had a good time and it was right here in Tracy.  You can click here to see the pictures I posted on Facebook a few days ago.

Jeanette from Creating a Life used a cereal box for the base of this beautiful wall hanging.

Faye from Wild Rose Vintage used her own childhood Buddy L truck to haul a load of decorated trees.

I was trying to limit my favorites to just five, but these two are so similar and I love
 both of them....
Marie from Spun By Me created this vignette of bottle brush trees and a cute little toy truck.

Andrea from Town and Prairie rescued some vintage photos and brought them back to life.

Gail from Purple Hues and Me shows us how she created this tree from jute twine and
pine cones.

Susan from Homeroad created these adorable Santa blocks with scrap wood, postcard images, and Mod Podge.  Love the addition of the twine.

  Click on over to Bliss Ranch and Knick of Time to see who Bliss and Angie are featuring.  Pin, pin, pin away, but be sure to do so from the original source:-)
Anyone ready for a New Year's Eve party?  No, I didn't think so.

I love a little rust, but the grime had to go.  After a good cleaning, I stenciled numbers on the drawers, then sprayed the whole thing with satin acrylic sealer.  

Still rusty, but clean.  

Another fun find on the same day was this home grown storage shelf complete with nine
 rusty old metal boxes.  

Seven of the nine boxes came with adjustable dividers.  Perfect for storing all kinds of trinkets and treasures.....after they get a bath.

Two coats of paint and a little distressing brightened it up without taking away its
 rustic charm. 

It's a good thing the shelves slipped right out because I wasn't about to paint them.  The numbers were simply stamped on with my vintage Print Craft stamp set.

 The small shelf on the bottom needed a number too.

Both of these and the little boxes will be coming with me to The Owl Box Vintage Market in Tracy on Saturday.  I wish I had room in my fort for another box, but then I'd have to buy more stuff to fill up all the compartments; I guess that's not such a bad idea though.  Now I'm on the fence about the big box.

The Christmas in July link party is still going strong.  Stop by to share your favorites or to look around for some early holiday inspiration.

Knick of Time

Bliss Ranch

Let's get the party started!!

My inspiration came from the folding ruler Christmas trees I shared in December of 2011 and 2012, but I wanted to use something other than rulers this time.

I went digging through my vintage sheet music drawer and set aside all the books with Christmas songs.  These old pages are so brittle and I knew they'd fall apart if I tried to roll them, so I made a color copy of each one instead of using the originals.  I had Christmas music stuck in my head for days!

A few months ago I purchased some cabinet door samples at a yard sale for $1.00 each.  This 12" x 16" door was the perfect size for this project.  

The pages were rolled up and taped together, laid out on the door, cut to size, and attached with Tacky glue.

Just when I thought it was finished, I decided it was looking too blah.  It needed a little something else, but I was in no mood for digging through miscellaneous Christmas decorations in my hotter-than-hot garage rafters.  I had some wood trim left over from another project, so I cut the pieces to size, painted them, and just glued them to the cabinet door.

The Tacky glue gave me time to make sure the rolls were centered before it started to dry.

I love the way it looks surrounded by this antique frame.  This is exactly how I'd be displaying it in December if I planned on keeping it.  I now have gift #1 crossed off my list and it's only July.  I know just who's getting this!!

Check out what my co-hosts have created for the party:
Angie from Knick of Time created this fun Christmas tree garland from old book pages.

It looks like Bliss from Bliss Ranch has a Rudolph surprise.

  You're invited to the Christmas in July link party starting this Monday, July 15 through Saturday, July 20.  Come on over and share up to three of your holiday decorating ideas, vintage and new treasures, craft projects, recipes, etc.  If you don't have a new project to share, we'd love to see an old favorite.  We're looking forward to seeing all of your holiday inspiration in July.