junque Archives - Keeping With The Times

Side Trip to Sisters Roadside Treasures

August 16, 2016 by Barb 10 Comments

This summer I was finally able to take a side trip to Sisters Roadside Treasures. I had three of our five grandchildren with me and they were as eager as I was to see it.

After turning off the highway, it was a short and pleasant drive down a gravel road, bordered on each side by gorgeous canola fields in bloom. When I first drove up to the hip-roofed barn, my jaw dropped! The huge front porch was filled to overflowing with so.much.stuff. Gasp!

And now, looking back … I’m wondering why did I not take more photos? I’m so disappointed in myself (that I might have to return ;) … but the photos of the kids with the barn kittens … now that I can’t recapture … major bummer.

All I captured was the car …

… and the kid capturing the van …He looks so comfortable with my phone (10 pics in 5 seconds comfortable :)

Snowy Days and Snowy Nights

January 9, 2016 by Barb 9 Comments

Snowy days and snowy nights.

Teeny, snow-covered trees.

Roaring fires.

These are some of the things I love about where I live.

After Christmas I moved my little Charlie Brown trees outside, and set them on a barn wood table on the deck.

I was thoroughly enjoying the view … and then it snowed; light, feathery flakes, drifting slowly downward, settling on the branches and catching in the birch logs I’d propped up beside the table.
… be still my heart … it takes nothing more than a tiny branch, a tin can, and some snow to make me happy …

I store a bit of wood in a rustic old crate for use in our fireplace. It’s much more convenient than what we did last winter, which was stack it out of sight on the side of the house. It was the biggest pain ever to go out and get, which resulted in less fires.

But now … I don’t want to disturb it ;)
What do you love about where you live?

Photos processed with kk_Lilly by Kim Klassen.

Upcycled Toolbox Planter

June 11, 2015 by Barb 12 Comments

About two years ago I purchased a rusty old toolbox for $5.00 at a garage sale, thinking I would use it as an upcycled toolbox planter. I felt a little sheepish when I got home (especially when the hubs told me he thought it should have been free … haha … I thought so too.) But at the time I had a plan … a plan that did not materialize for two years … in fact, this spring the toolbox almost went to the dump because I couldn’t figure out how to fit any plants into the shallow trays.

But, miracle of miracles, something happened to stop me in my tracks!

I was at the garden centre at Home Depot when I spied a sedum mat … I’d never seen such a thing and was quite intrigued … it hit me right away how perfect it would be for the old toolbox …

I basically cut off chunks and stuffed them into the partitions … and quite unceremoniously too …

So my junky toolbox …

was saved from the dump!

… at least for another year.

An Upcyled Link Party at Funky Junk Interiors

Featured at Rodale’s Organic Life

Pretty funky …

Ladle up Some Succulents!

May 16, 2014 by Barb 21 Comments

Yesterday I spent the day potting up all the flowers and plants I had so recklessly purchased, knowing full well that frost is lurking at every corner until June 1st.

But we had sunshine, warm temps, tinges of green in the trees, it was spring at last! I was supposed to be grocery shopping but those people are smart … setting up little greenhouses right in front of the store … .

As I scooped up pot after pot I could hear the little voice in my head telling me to go ahead! buy it! buy it all! just be prepared to cart it all indoors every night for the next two weeks …

Well, it’s not like I haven’t done it before and this weekend is our May long weekend here in Canada. We have company coming and I want it to be summery! So I did go ahead and do it.

Here’s a cute little Echeveria Shaviana potted up into a rustic old ladle that I found at my local Junque Store.

ladle succulent pot, keeping with the times

So fun!

ladle succulent pot, keeping with the times

My potting bench. This is my space. This is where I go to play.

Ladle up some succulents

Love.

ladle succulent pot, keeping with the times

Some of our family is coming to spend the weekend with us. I feel a bonfire and s’mores in our future!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Vintage Tin Jelly Mold Star Wreath

December 4, 2013 by Barb 28 Comments

Here’s the scoop on how I created this vintage tin jelly mold wreath!

Once again as I was browsing my favourite junque store, I came across a treasure! Sitting in a cupboard (I think it was hiding) sat this wonderful old tin jelly/cake mold and it was shaped like a star… a star, people! And what time of year is it?? and what could I possibly do with a star?? perhaps put it on a wreath?

vintage tin jelly mold wreath

After I got it home, it sat on the counter for a week as I pondered how I was going to make this thing work.

I thought about making a twiggy wreath, but it’s so darn cold here I couldn’t bear the thought of going out into the bush to gather branches, so I bought a fresh pine wreath instead.

To attach the star (mold), I made the quick executive decision to not bother even trying to hide the (kite) string that I used. It somehow seemed to fit.

Thinking hard about what would go with a kitcheny (kitschy) theme, I suddenly thought of all the vintage spoons I’d collected… I giggled the whole time while I was arranging them.

You see, a long time ago, I took a course in floral arrangement and I reminisced about all the effort our instructor had put into teaching us how to create pretty sprays. I wonder what she would think of this? I don’t think she had spoons in mind…

Vintage Tin Jelly Mold Wreath

I gave some poppy seed heads a very light spray of silver paint, and simply stuck them into the greenery.

Vintage Tin Jelly Mold Wreath

It now has a place of honour on our front door.

Vintage Jelly Tin Mold Wreath

Ummm, yes, on this particular day we were under a “winter storm warning”, a “heavy snowfall warning”, and a “blizzard warning”. Our forecasters covered all the bases.

Vintage Tin Jelly Mold Wreath

Isn’t she lovely?

Vintage Tin Jelly Mold Wreath

I hope you are having a wonderful season, and are having as much fun as I am!

Thank you for stopping by!