If only...

I love vintage buildings.

I love it when historical teams take a place at it's current state and give it new life.

Perhaps a new purpose...perhaps this same.

Looking through real estate listings this afternoon, this one just make me think...

...if only.

source

This one is on the market in one of my favorite cities, Galveston, Texas.

It's listed for $1,049,900.

Yes, way out of my budget, 

but,

what if a group bought it and turned it into

an event center

or perhaps

a

bed and breakfast?

Just look at the potential!

It doesn't look like too much needs to be done structurally with this beauty...

hm...

if only.

And the Winner Is.....

I had so much fun participating in the Grow Your Blog party! 

There were about about 400 different blogs on so many different topics! 

What a treat reading and learning from everyone!

Thanks again to Vicki over at 2 Bags Full for hosting such a fun party! 

Meeting new people, some even in my hometown, was priceless!

OK...as promised,

I was offering this give away:

Using lumber from our current building project, 

adding a few seashells from a recent trip to Sanibel Island, 

I was hopeful that this sign would make someone smile!

Ready for the winner?

... drum-roll please...

Congratulations to:

Pam Marion!!!

Pam, I hope you smile each time you look at this sign! 

Please email me with your mailing address and 

 I'll get this sign to you as soon as possible!

Congratulations again

and

thanks to everyone who dropped by to visit!

A New Salad to Try and a Give Away!

Here's a new recipe to add to your list of healthy, yummy salads!

I found it here on Kristina's site. She's a ROC star here in Houston, not just because she's so amazingly energetic but also because she's bring health to the masses. She's even got You Tube recipes for all!

 She's a star in my book!

Raw Macho Taco Salad

Mix the following ingredients together and top with lime juice.

corn - 1 can -no salt, rinsed

romaine - 1 head, cut and sliced 

mango - 1 peeled, cut into cubes

avocado - 1/2 cut into cubes

cilantro - about 1/4 of a bunch, finely chopped

onion - 1/2 finely chopped

cherry tomatoes - 6 halved

celery - 3 stalks finely chopped

lime - juice only

I also added 1 can of Mayocoba beans (they are very similar to pinto beans) - any favorites will do. Kristina has a dressing she used with this, but I liked just using the lime juice.

The great thing about this salad is that you can add or delete any ingredient you'd like...it's that versatile!

Today is the last day for entry to my give away, you can read all about it here! 

The winner will be announced tomorrow, Feb. 1! 

A Little Something Extra

I eat a lot of salads...

usually twice a day.

Lunch and dinner.

It's all due to my quest to be healthier and Dr. Oz.

Do you watch him?

I really like his show...it seems that there is always something new to learn.

Ok...back to salads.

I have tried just about every low fat/no fat salad dressing on the market 

and they just don't cut it for me anymore.

Turning to Pinterest, I found several recipes...

some good 

and

some not so good.

Here are two {I've modified a bit} that we consider keepers!

Enjoy.

Green Goddess Dressing (inspired by Green Cuisine Cookbook)

1 garlic clove

1 c packed avocado

7-8 tbsp water

5 tbsp apple cider vinegar

4-5 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 c packed fresh basil leaves

1/2 c packed fresh parsley

1/2 c packed green onion greens

Put all ingredients in a blender/food processor until smooth. Makes about 1 cup.

This one's a little sweeter.

Nathan Pritikin's Italian Dressing (submitted anonymously on Pinterest)

1/2 c freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 c rice vinegar

1/4 c frozen apple juice concentrate

1/4 c water

2 green onions chopped

1/4 tsp dried sage

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in blender until well mixed. Makes about 1.5 cups.

Now, with something a little extra, and really healthy, my salads are even better!

Vintage Jacket

I found a denim jacket a while back and knew it was a great "starter" for my project.

\

My project: adding a bit of vintage charm.

 It started with a little trim,

a little lace,

a few strands of pearls, a scarf, and a fluffy little flower.

It's been a warm addition to my wardrobe, especially for these winter days...nice and cozy!

Hm...wonder what else I can refashion?

A little shopping...

I'm looking for a few extra pieces to add character to my home... 

finding just the right piece is like a treasure hunt.

And, going on a treasure hunt isn't much fun alone, 

so,

I'm usually part of a trio.

My mother and sister make up the other two thirds.

They love a good adventure too and antique shopping is always on the agenda. 

We stumbled upon an amazing place in Galveston, Texas while on a quick visit.

It's called:

Big House Antiques
2212 Mechanic St.
Galveston, TX 77550
Phone: (409)762-0559

It's not really a house, it's actually and old hotel that has been converted into an antique shop.

Don't you know these floors have some great stories?

The former rooms are actually still there, but are filled with various vintage items.

Aren't those transoms great?

Can you see a peek of the original bead board paneling?

I love the simple trim.

Those wicker chairs remind me of gorgeous Victorian photographs of years past.

Like this one...

source

or this one.

source

Both sides of this room were stacked with head boards and matching foot boards.

Some rooms were set up with full sets.

{Here you can see the original bead board.}

The hallways were filled with loads of treasures.

Downstairs was one large room with tons and tons of unique items.

Heater grates...

and this item.

It looks like some type of teapot, right?

Well, the tag said this:

Nope...that didn't help me at all.

So I looked it up here.

sam·o·var

  [sam-uh-vahr, sam-uh-vahr]  Show IPA

noun

a metal urn, used especially by Russians for heating water for making tea.

Origin: 
1820–30;  < Russian samovár,  equivalent to samo-  self (see same) + -var,  noun derivative of varítʾ  to cook,boil

I was close! 
Wow! Really, the 1820's? From Russia?

See, treasures!

What treasures have you found lately?

Starting again...

Hi all...Welcome to my blog!

 I have been a bit lax for a while...but, after seeing Vicki's post on 

2 Bags Full, I knew it was time to get back to my blog. 

She's having a "Grow My Blog" party. 

What a great idea!!! 

Thanks Vicki for lighting the fire again!

As my title suggests, I tend to write a little about everything. I love decorating, DIY projects, and tablescaping. And you can add to that gardening and antiques...really anything vintage. 

 However we're right smack dab in the middle of building a new "old" home and 90% of my things are packed. {I do still have my glue gun out, just in case!}

But...

I do have something to share today:

simple signs that will hang in my new home.

They were oh.so.easy to make...really.

We've had lumber delivered frequently to the property on pallets.
Did you know that the workers usually throw those away?
I couldn't believe it!
We saved as many as possible and cut off the usable pieces,
just like the slat above.

Following Miss Mustard's Seed steps, {don't you just love her?},

I sanded down the rough spots, dry-brushed paint, and applied stain sparingly.

A font was chosen, printed off, and traced with tracing paper onto the prepared wood.

I used a Sharpie to fill in the letters, Miss Mustard Seed used paint, but my lettering was a bit smaller.
The Sharpie worked like a charm.

Super easy!

This sign didn't take very long so there was time to try a second one.

The steps were a little different:

sanded, completely painted, traced, stained, then sanded again.

It turned out a bit muted...but I love the weathered look.

And finally, I found this quote here on Pinterest and made this last sign.

The wood was from our project and prepped like the ones above.
However, the lettering was printed on a piece of scrapbook paper and ModgePodged to "glue" it down. Adding a bit of jute and seashells from Sanibel, it will be perfect on someone's shelf!
Don't you think?
Would you like to win it?
Here's the good news!
Anyone can enter, anyone can win, regardless where you live!
You don't even have to have a blog...or...you can have one!
See, it's simple!
If you'd like to enter, just leave a comment on this post with your email address.
I'll have the give-away on February 1, 2013 and post the winner on that post!
Happy winning!

So, what do you think? Which "style" sign would you like to try?

Thanks for visiting!

If you'd like to see past posts, you are most welcome to stay and browse awhile. 

There are a few pictures not showing on some of my posts...something happened when I temporary switched from Blogger to WordPress and back again.

{There's probably a button or box that I should have checked or not have checked but I can't get the pictures back.}

Ugh...