Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Return to the BitterSweet Cabin

I've already introduced you to my new junking friend Jan at the BitterSweet Cabin (A Sweet Time at The BitterSweet Cabin) but I just had to share some of her primitive-vintage junk creations and the beautiful fall decor in her shop.

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The BitterSweet Cabin is located in my hometown of Bryan, Ohio - tucked into the northwest corner of our great Buckeye state!!! And, my new friends, Jan and Duane McGill are the proprietors, designers AND creaters of some beautiful stuff (repurposing, reusing and recycling at it's primitive-vintage best).


I found this little shop on my last visit home on Labor Day weekend - and I think Jan and I have "adopted" each other as junk sisters - almost at first sight - it's so cool how junk does that to people, isn't it?? We've decided that if we lived nearer to each other - we'd definitely be a dangerous team!! She has been a junker forever (like me), and proudly calls her profession "curbside acquisition". She has a knack/gift for finding junk with potential (or some might say things that have "no" potential - ha ha!) - and is recreating/redesigning the moment she comes upon it! She and her husband, Duane, make a great team - vision and design style - AND awesome carpentry skills - and they LOVE what they're doing!!


Hope you enjoy this little tour - it was a fun visit - and it seems the afternoon went too quickly - so much junk, and so little time... But...I'll be back! :)


The BitterSweet Cabin is located at 4889 St. Rt. 576 in Bryan, Ohio

(419-630-7311).


Shop hours are: Thursday and Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday 10am-2pm - or call if you're in the area, and if available - they'll open up shop for you!!


EVENT NOTE: A Christmas Open House is being held at The BitterSweet Cabin on Friday, November 13th (6pm-9pm) and Saturday, November 14th (9am-3pm)!


Drive on up and say hi - you'll feel welcome right away!


See...don't ya just want to sit down for a bit??
(and doesn't a cup of hot cider sound divine??)

Great vintage stuff on display...
And...out back - the picket-fenced area is just too much fun!

The double-decker chicken condo has a security system...scarecrows for hire!! :)

Well, here's another cutie - a little rusty around the collar - but really a snappy dresser (probably some snaps on his backside anyway!)

And these wonderful funnel planters - something "new" and so very cool!

A little sitting area - what a great place to have a party!!!

This old metal container is a great spot to plant a little something - and it already has drainage!

Meanwhile...........inside the shop:


A lake cottage was being torn down, and Jan, the ultimate salvager...saved this wonderful old beadboard from destruction and they created a beautiful check-out counter -and painted it the yummiest color!

A room with a view - and dozens of wonderful creations and collections to behold!

An old metal, banged-up dust pan is perfect to show off some beautiful fall colors!

If the shoe fits...well...maybe not - but Jan created a beautiful aged slipper - and maybe it would fit Cinderella - ya never know! I thought this was just a fun piece! Duane is definitely a master at repurposing/recreating pieces and parts of old, worn out furniture and making them one-of-a-kind keepers - I love the look of the time-worn colors...
A little metal feeder - I think I took plenty of pictures of planters... And don't you just love the sunflowers - Jan made those too - a bit of primitive whimsy (or how about "primsy"??)!!
Aren't they just sweet??
Boxes - you can never have too much storage - and isn't that green minnow bucket the best color ever??
This glass block window was a curbside find - I know...I couldn't believe it either - who would throw away something so wonderful? Well, Jan had just the right spot for it (and the glass is faceted too - it's just awesome!!)

Alright - I found another planter/display piece - a piece of old picket fence, and some corrugated metal - rusty perfection!

The shelving of this cabinet was intact, but Duane gave the outside a complete rebuild/makeover - it's a beautiful piece of furniture. And, do you see what I see??? Yep, she's got some of our clocks for sale!!

And, here they are - Jan & Duane McGill - proud owners of their dream...
The BitterSweet Cottage!


Hugs, Kathy


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Last, but not least - this sweet wooden candle holder was gifted to me by Duane before I left - he had been making it in his workshop (and he tied a piece of their very own bittersweet onto it).

I just love it (and, don't worry - I'm not going to paint it white!!)!

I like it just the way it is!

(THANKS!)

*****

P.S. I know I promised a post on our final clock haul...it's coming - later this week! Just wanted to take you back to The BitterSweet Cabin for a bit! It was the perfect picture of fall - and I just enjoyed it so much!

Sunday, October 25, 2009

HELP! There's a junk monster in my basement!

Well...the junk goblin has just visited me...
aka Candy the "Junk Sophisticator"
She has disturbed the junking monster in my basement --- it is threatening to take over my entire house...one rusty arm at a time...reaching into nooks and crannies and "collecting" and "repurposing" vintage/antique findings - some too wonderful to sell... (You know what that's like...you have to keep a "few" things, right?) Anyway, I know she doesn't realize what she's done (I hear it creeping up the stairs right now...but I'll try to get it back in its cage (but those darned "rusty" hinges aren't very strong...) - and take back control of my little house!
***
(Thanks Candy!) (wink...wink)
***
So, you've finally gotten to the point of my slightly twisted story...
*******
You Have Been BOO'd!



The air is cool, the season is fall,

Soon Halloween will come to all.

Ghosts and goblins, spooks galore...

Tricky witches at your door.

The spooks are after things to do,

In fact, a spook brought this "BOO" to you.

The excitement comes when friends like you,

Copy this note and make it two.

We'll all have smiles on our faces,

When we see who Boo'd who's places.

I was Boo'd by Candy@junksophisticate.



Now...The following 4 ladies have been officially BOO'd...

Sue at Sullivan & Murphy - she's got great style - and is a thrifty shopper! (and - her hubby is her "partner in crime")

JunkerMidge at Having Fun with Junk (and Life in General) - she's becoming quite the "voice" of junkers everywhere!

Katie at SoBo Style - lots of fun stuff to see at this blog - and at her store in Columbus, Ohio!

and last, but certainly not least...

Debi at The Junkin' YaYa - I just love her - what a wonderful jewelry designer and creator of all things beautiful...!!

***This BOO party was started by Toni@The Tattered Cottage.

Please keep the fun going by following these instructions.

1. You have 24 hours to work your spell

2. Copy and post the Halloween Boo Poem with the instructions for playing.

3. Pick 4 blogs you enjoying visiting and tell why you enjoy visiting them, with a link to their blog and remember to link back to me.

4. Go to the original BOO Party post at the Tattered Cottage and add your MckLinky.

5. Let's see how fast and far this spreads between now and Halloween.

HAVE FUN AND BOO TO YOU!

And...(drum roll...)

Kim at The View from White Pine Lane has passed on the HONEST SCRAP award to me - and has said I can make my own rules (I SOOOO love that). I met Kim on my trip to Minnesota this past August - and she's just getting her feet wet in the junking world and taking her daughter with her - what BIG fun!

(Thanks for thinking of me, Kim!)


Anyway, in September, I had been given the HONEST SCRAP Award by fellow blogger, Jane over at Finding Fabulous - check out her blog - She's my kind of blogger - thrifty AND creative - a perfect mix...being thrifty definitely tends to bring out the creativity in a person - be sure to stop by and tell her hi for me!

So, what I'm going to do is to "re-mention" (kind of like "re-gift") the HONEST SCRAP award to the same fabulous ladies as I did in September. See my post to get the honest "scrap" about me...HONEST SCRAP award and check out the blogs of these scrap/junk loving ladies - and tell them hi for me!

1. Candy at Junk Sophisticate

2. Sue at Sullivan & Murphy

3. Gretchen at Mimi-Toria's Designs

4. Kennesha at Me and My House

5. JunkerMidge at Having Fun With Junk (and life in general)

6. Janis at junkdreams

7. Rachel at chippycottagecharmhouse

Have a wonderful day and hope you enjoyed a little blogging fun!

Stay tuned - my next post will be about CLOCKS, CLOCKS & MORE CLOCKS! I've received a bunch of emails requesting information on our clocks - you can check ebay (seller name - terraeoz) to see what we have for sale. And, I'll also be emailing everyone to try and confirm some requests. We haven't started working on pieces/parts yet - still wading through the clocks. Thanks for your patience!

Kathy