My Cow, Rhoda

We locked eyes from about twenty feet across a floor at an antique mall.  

The beauty of her ebony and cream pattern beckoned me to come closer.

I could almost hear the little bell suspended around her neck ringing, calling me to her!

One look at the perfect conformation of her Holstein hind quarters said "Grand Champion"!

And so talented! She could move her head up and down, her horns could rotate and her tail could lift - where had she come from?

Her underside provided a clue - the cog under her belly and the holes in her hooves told me she may have been the star of a point of purchase display, with perhaps a motor driving her animation from a stand she freed herself from many years ago.

It was love at first sight and I

 brought her home. 

 Her name is Rhoda and she's very glad to meet you!

Aurora Mills Architectural Salvage

 

Just 7 miles off Interstate 5 and south of Salem, Oregon, is the quaint little town of Aurora, with a giant barn full of treasures!

Aurora Mills Architectural Salvage is a Picker's Paradise! 

I happened upon this jewel about 12 years ago by accident. A friend and I were on a road trip and were looking for fresh marion berries, when we spotted a roadside sign and pulled off the road to find the berry stand. The road twisted around, we bought our berries and then we had to try to figure out how to get back to the Interstate and ran right into the town of Aurora and a neat barn that looked intriguing.

I thought it was wonderful back then, with its piles of salvaged windows and doors, and I've been dying to make a return trip!

Owner Mike Byrnes, has in the ten years since my first visit, taken the barn from picker's piles to a beautiful, well organized showroom, without losing the original character and intrigue of searching among the barn's contents for incredible finds. 

I was in search of vintage knobs and the multiple cases lined with the knobs looked like precious gems under the glass.

Inside this vast structure, some rooms look like a Hollywood prop shop!

Anyone trying to restore an old house can find everything they need here! 

Gates and Fencing

 
Corbels

Stained glass windows

 

Pressed tin ceiling panels and accent pieces

Porcelain tubs, sinks, and other bathroom fixtures,                                                                           

including towel bars in green glass, crystal, porcelain, you name it!

 Mantels, spandrels, bannisters and more, oh my!

There are found numbers and letters galore!

Mike carries all sorts of vintage lighting fixtures and has the vintage bulbs as well.

  Interior designers specializing in the urban farm feel would have a hey day here!

Or how about Industrial Chic?!

There is one huge industrial shelving unit filled with vintage locker baskets of  hardware; hinges, latches, knobs, etc.  I found some wonderful knobs here that I needed - more about that on another post!

 Set your GPS to 14971 1st Street NE, Aurora, Oregon now, and plan to stop by Aurora Mills Architectural Salvage if you find yourself on Interstate 5 in Oregon.  

 The town of Aurora also boasts a large concentration of little antique stores, which are homes to cafes, and one even has a gelato counter, so there is plenty of grub to sustain your pickin'!  I could easily spend a whole day in the "Mill" and another searching for antiques so this would be a great weekend destination depending on where you live. 

When you get to the Woodburn Factory Stores just off I-5, travel the short 7 miles east to the real treasures in Aurora!  If travel is not in your plans, then visit the "Mills" website here and start dreaming as you surf through the images of stock on hand. 
 I wish Mike continued success and look forward to my next visit to Aurora Mills - 
a place to cherish!

Before & After: Beachy Cupboard

 

Sometimes I have things that just don't seem to find a home, even though I think the piece would be perfect for someone!  This cupboard was one of those pieces!

Now, I thought it was great in my space when I did a Halloween display - the cupboard held all sorts of little pumpkins, scarecrows, owls, etc.  with the red interior I thought it would work in a country home or boys room - but maybe it was just too 'sorcerer'! 

With the Twilight movies so popular you would have thought this would be a hot item! 

But noooo!  I had this item for too long so it was time to do a makeover!

Maybe it was the star - so i decided to take the star off to make the design more neutral. But the cupboard looked really plain so I went in search of something and found a seashell embellishment and decided to transform the cupboard into 'Beachy'

I painted the inside an aqua color that is so popular right now and painted the outside in Annie Sloan's Old White chalk paint.

I added the seashell to the outside -Voila!   I'll be bringing this beachy cupboard to my booth at our Annual Nicolaus Labor Day Parade!

It can hang on a wall or sit atop a table and It has so much to offer in terms of display space - perfect in a bathroom to hold little perfume jars or lotions - 

Or maybe in a bedroom to display a cherished collection!

I hope it finds a loving home!

I've linked up to http://snapcreativity.com/show-and-tell-linky-092612/

Detours in Life!

Life has a way of creating detours day to day.  I've been on sort of a detour since January!  With my husband undergoing major back surgery, which involved installing two rods on either side of his spine and twenty screws, I've had a little readjustment in my daily life! 

Mike is doing great and I have a new found appreciation of all the daily chores he did before surgery which I've inherited over the last six months!  Remembering to take the trash out on trash day has become a major focus for me on Wednesday nights!  God forbid we miss trash day - we only have one toter and sometimes it just isn't enough!

On top of major surgery, we've also been busy creating a new home for my mother in law!  There was finishing the building of the new home, cleaning out the old home, moving all the stuff to the new home, disposing of debris on the property and now selling the old home, and getting her boxes unpacked at the new home! Whew! 

 We make a living by rice farming, so despite major surgery and moving my mother in law,

 the crop still had to get in the ground!  Our eldest son, Max, was offered a leave of 
absence by American Airlines where he is a pilot, while they go through bankruptcy 
structuring,  and it came at a perfect time for him to help on the farm during Mike's 
recovery!  

With all the bumps in the road, it was hard for me to get out to Melange, the store in Historic Folsom where I rented a space to sell my treasures.  I was able to find a new space to rent, in a store in Marysville, a short 15 minutes from my home. So between 

nursing my husband, moving my mother-in-law, and farming rice, I managed to relocate 
as well! 


 
If you find yourself in Marysville, CA come on by Fabulous Finds, 506 D Street in Historic Marysville - I'm in the "Boutique" room!  I adore my new space as it has a used brick wall
 that adds to the 'shabby chic' feel!

I have so much to catch you up on!  Before and after furniture projects, new artists and crafters, and new stores I want to feature!  I've missed blogging and telling you about the amazing creations and talented people I've come across in the last six months!  I feel so blessed by all the community members who have helped us out during this time.  Detours happen in life - but sometimes you need to go down a different road to appreciate all you have, and I am truly blessed!

Hawaiian Pancakes!!

OK - I'm a little late ringing in the New Year - but better late than never!!  Christmas came and went and I never managed to get a post done! Lots of good intentions and lots of posts started - some of which I will be able to use and some will have to wait until the next holiday season.  We took a quick trip to Hawaii to visit our son Sam, an Army RN stationed at Tripler Medical Center on Oahu.  It was a week long respite before my husband undergoes back surgery - and it was, well - Paradise!!

Our visits to Hawaii are a bit different than the typical vacationer is some ways. We stay with our son in his two bedroom apartment in Kailua, on the opposite side of the island from Waikiki.  It is the rainier side but this year we were fortunate to have only two short rain showers in the seven days we were there so the humidity was much more bearable than last year.  Sam works the night shift and has to catch up on sleep a few of the days we are there so Mike and I set out to explore on the days he has to sleep.  But after a twelve hour shift, he is pretty hungry so first, we go to breakfast!

Hawaiians love their pancakes and Cinnamon's is the place to go for some of the best pancakes on Oahu!  Cinnamon's is known for their famous Red Velvet Pancakes served with White Chocolate Sauce - decadent! It is hard to go to Cinnamon's and NOT get an order so we decided to get a short stack of two just so we all have a taste!  Unbelievably good - I have to try to recreate them at home!

I knew I couldn't eat an whole order of those so I ordered the frittata breakfast - another fantastic gastronomic creation. Artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, basil, zuchinni, a bit of pesto, along with cheddar and some parmesan cheese all mixed with some scrambled eggs and cooked up into a blended omelet of sorts - so divine and with all those veggies I felt I offset the bites of the red velvet pancakes!!

The other crowd favorite at Cinnamon's is the Guava Chiffon Pancakes.  We had never tasted them before and when Sam's other favorite breakfast place in Kailua was closed for the yearly kitchen clean up and maintenance we headed back to Cinnamon's and ordered a short stack.  The Guava syrup is so sweet and along with the Chiffon whipped cream makes an impressive dish!  Super sweet - the Hawaiians definitely have a sweet tooth! We all decided there was no way any of us could eat a whole order by ourselves and we marveled at the customers who could!

 Sam used to live in Kaneohe, also on the windward side of Oahu, but when his house mate got married last year, he had to find a place of his own.  In Kaneohe, one of the best breakfast spots was the Koa Pancake House.  It was here Sam would order the Banana Pancakes!  Yes Banana!  Sliced Bananas fried right into the pancakes and then served with papaya or coconut syrup to pour over all - a tropical breakfast treat!  You know you are in Hawaii when you take a bite of these!

After breakfast, we took Sam back to his apartment to catch up on his sleep and we headed towards our destination for the day - North Shore - home of the big waves! More about that tomorrow! And more about another Hawaiian breakfast favorite!