New Website in Full force

If you're stopping by this page, I'm in the process of converting over to wordpress blog.  It is a process that is taking me a little while to figure out.  You can find my new website at www.countrystyleaccents.com   If you are looking for Event Rentals you can find pictures and a list on the website.    For more recent activity find us on facebook www.facebook.com/countrystyleaccents

If you have any questions feel free to contact me at Countrystyleaccents@yahoo.com

Country Style Accents has a webpage!

I have started a webpage finally!  I have not posted everything on there yet but working on it and it's still in progress.  You can start checking there for more photos, blog posts, for sale items, etc. 

Please note that I am starting a collection of items I have that I will have available for rent for events.  I do NOT have everything listed or pictures up yet but if you are looking for anything in particular please send me an email. 

Thank you and hope you enjoy!

www.countrystyleaccents.com

Sondra

Exciting news about this page!!!

After hours and hours and lots of stress and headaches from trying to figure out how to use Blogger, I am finally making the switch and in the process of building a website!!!  The new one is more user friendly and after only an hour and a half, I'm probably almost half done!  Soooooo much easier for me!  I can not wait to make the switch!  Keep checking back I will let you know when I'll be making the switch. 

(So excited!!!)

Wouldn't it have been something to see a woman 60 years ago using a miter saw or a circular saw!!  I have to giggle at myself everytime I use a big tool.  The fact is though, I LOVE IT!!  No wonder men had garages and they would sit out there for HOURS 'tinkering'.  My grandpas did it, my dad did it, my own husband tries to do it.  It is such an incredible and successful feeling of not only using a power tool but to know how and to do it good.  I've never been really good at trim pieces.  We have been replacing all of our trim in our home and my husband usually does the cutting and measuring.  But lately I've been doing more practice due to details on a piece of furniture.  It just adds so much more to a bland cabinet or dresser or end table just to add a piece of trim.  Check out this before and after picture of this cabinet.

BEFORE

AFTER

Add a little paint and it's going to look Refreshed!  Just a side note, I do fill in ALL my nail holes.  Call it personal preference but it just looks so much cleaner and professional with out being able to see them. 

Here are some (very old) past projects I have done in the past that have required me to use a lot of tools.

This was a desk that I cut up to make 1 tall cabinet.

A bench made from an old dresser.

A corner bench made from a king size headboard. 

I hope you enjoy!  And I hope you get the joy of using a power tool or two. 

Maybe something new???

Boy oh boy is this industry fun!  There's just something about getting your creative juices flowing!  I love the painting, I love the decorating.  I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about something more.  Something new.  But still has the same concept of what I'm doing now. 

I truly enjoyed planning my wedding so much!  I actually miss a little of the planning part!  So I was thinking of stepping into the wedding industry with my furniture industry!?!  (Yes, that was a question mark.)  I have so many ideas and thoughts running through my head about wedding decor, set up, unique ideas, and how to just put personal touches into your wedding. 

If anyone has any ideas, comments, concerns I would LOVE to hear about them!  I would love to take the things I already have (or find) and be able to have them to help people decorate their weddings the country, shabby chic, vintage etc way to make their day special. 

So please, leave a comment or any suggestions to help me make a decision!  (I'm so indecisive!)

Thanks all!

Sondra

Homespun Stitches fall show 2012

Now the summer is here I have been gearing up and getting ready for fall??  My mother and father-in-law own Homespun Stitches in Jackson, Minnesota.  They only open 2 weekends in September and then they work the rest of year getting ready for the next year!  They own a wonderful building over 5,000 sq ft filled with great pieces!  I am honored to be invited to participate in the show this year.  I have posted pictures on my facebook page as well as hers.  Be sure to check them both out! 
www.facebook.com/countrystyleaccents
www.facebook.com/homespunstitches

My father-in-law makes such beautiful unique benches!

Hope you enjoyed!

Sondra

Moving on....

It was an exhausting last 3 days but lots of success and got to meet a ton of great new people.  I do love doing the shows.  I love the people that I get to meet.  My next show will be in Slayton MN, September 7th & 8th.  It is a EXCELLENT show!!  I love the variety of vendors that come and the talent is amazing!  As always, as it gets closer I'll post more pictures of items I will have there. 

However, until then, I will continue posting pictures of items that I work on throughout the year and that will be available for purchase.  Please feel free to email me at countrystyleaccents@yahoo.com with any questions! 

Now I must get busy cleaning the garage!

Sondra

Still lots for sale!

The last 2 days at Anne's show have been great for my friend Rochelle and I, but we still have a lot still left and 1 more day of the show!! We're going to be at the Benton County Fairgrounds Sunday from 10-4pm. If you see anything you like stop on by or give me a call or email!

Anne's Spring Show and Flea Market!!!

Who is ready for a good spring show??   I sure am!  It's hard not being in a store anymore but I sure love the excitement of getting ready for a show!  There will be over 100 different vendors, myself included, as well as outside vendors!  It is held at Sports Arena East 1410 3rd Ave S. Sauk Rapids, MN.  Hours are Friday 2-7pm, Saturday 10-7, and Sunday 10-4.  Hope to see you there!

What to do with old Iron legs and a table top?

My dad left me long before his time should have been up at the age of 45.  He may not have had enough time to teach me a lot but the quality of what he taught was much better.  He taught me how to teach myself.  That's the best gift he could have ever given me.  With the wonderful world of internet you can pretty much put a few words of whatever you're looking for into google and you will find endless pages of stuff.  Or in my dad's case you can 'hoard' stuff until you may one day have a use for it.  I inherited all my dad's "stuff" in his garage and shed.  Let me tell you it has been a long 3 years going through his "junk".  However, there has been some good. 

I've been doing a lot of rearranging of my workspaces in the garage to try and be more productive.  I have cleared a nice workspace for pretty much everything except my miter saw.  I just put it on a work table (inconvenient) which only left it buried and unusable.  I was trying to think of where I could put it or how I could use it etc.  Then it came to me.  I MADE my husband keep a few things that we found throughout our process of getting rid of some of my dad's ..... "treasures".  This is what I found and the light bulb went on!

You can even see my dad tried selling these at a garage sale for only $3!!!  I would have bought them!

How perfect would these be together to make a great saw table!!  Then the wheels in my head started turning on how to make this work.  I needed wheels.  This miter saw probably weighs 60lbs and I couldn't imagine having to move this thing just to move the table with even heavier legs on it if it got in my way.  Then my husband made it a point to suggest wheels that lock once in place after moving them.  GOOD ONE HUN!  So off to Home Depot I went and got the perfect ones. 

So building I went and made my table.  I have to say I'm pretty proud of myself and I reused everything from my garage.  Except the wheels of course. 

As you can see I couldn't help myself but to paint the top to pretty it up a little.  I still have tweeking I need to do as well as repainting the legs.  It stands high enought to put my miter saw on and should never have to take it off.  

Hope you enjoyed!

~Sondra~

To have a Minnesota Barn Wedding! The Edgewood Farm

Hello All!  I've been getting a lot of people who find my blog or other pictures of my barn wedding that I had in August.  I get a lot of questions about the great barn that we used.  So I thought I would put a little update on here in case anyone is interested. 

The barn is on a private residence in the GREAT town of Henderson.  It's a great quiet rustic feel the whole way out there.  They do rent the barn out.  The couple who own the barn are such a great easy going pair.  They were so much fun and so easy to get along with, we've made life long friends with them.  They now just got up a website on facebook as well as on Shutterfly.  All the contact information will be there.  Here are the addresses.
 http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Edgewood-Farm/283718608359143

http://edgewoodevents.shutterfly.com/

If you have any questions for me please email me at countrystyleaccents@yahoo.com

I can also help/assist with any planning or needs for great vintage items like barn doors, old windows etc for decoration. 

Painted vase with an attempt with the glass mirror look

The new hot thing right now is the glass mirror spray.  You can spray it on just about anything to get a mirror look or in some cases a mecury look.  So I found the spray and tried my hand at it.  I used 2 vases I had laying around (for awhile), washed them out, let them dry, and watched a few tutorials.  It said to spray light coats around the vase letting it dry in between coats.  I don't have any before pictures but I came to the realization that these vases just weren't going to work.  They need to have a very wide opening so you don't spray too much in there otherwise, like in my case, it just looks water and all comes off and refuses to stick. 

So with that being said I've seen others where people just painted the inside of vases.  So without taking off any of the mess I previously made I poured some red paint that I happened to be working with yesterday and this is what I got!

One thing I learned though, is to have it tipped upside down for awhile.  Maybe a few days to make sure all the excess paint has drained out.  It does take a few days for it to dry but it looks so cute afterwards! 

Enjoy!

Sondra

Fun Spring plant pots and other things

It's been a crazy 'Spring' here in Minnesota but I'll take it!  I couldn't help but do a few cute spring-y projects to really get in the mood. 

My husband is a hunter and really hates to shop.  This sign is perfect! 

This beautiful (and very old) buffet has really turned out nice.  This was one of those multi layers kind of buffet.

Here is the finish product of this very old dresser.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE finding really old pieces!  This dresser is actually very large, completley handmade/carved, and has large square head nails that keeps the whole thing together.  These pieces always take up so much of my time due to fixing, glueing and whatever else that needs to be done to keep it around for another 100 years!  But I love the time it takes.  These pieces are so worth it for me.  Still haven't found the perfect baskets for the inside yet. 

Here is my little helper!  Had to through this picture in.  He gets very serious when I give him a job to do!  I only teach good work ethic!  Hehehe....

Hope you enjoy! 

Sondra~

A whirl wind of a Spring!!

Well I have been MIA due to so much going on lately!  Between working like crazy and getting ready for a show in May (I'll talk about that later), we've had a bunch of yard clean up, showers, weddings, birthdays, kids' school stuff, garage door break down, truck break down.....I'm not sure if that's it?? 

That's life and yes it does happen.  However, with all the craziness, I've still been burying myself in my garage here and there trying to get something accomplished.  I seem to be coming upon a lot of hiccups with some pieces but challenge helps me learn (I guess). 

I usually take a lot of pictures of mostly big pieces of furniture but I've been trying really hard to get more of some smalls I've been working on too!  That's where I get most requests as well.  So by the end of this week I'll get some more pictures and post them. 

Now about my show coming up!  I will be doing a craft show/flea market in Sauk Rapids May 4-6 hours will be Fri 2-7pm, Saturday 10am-7pm, and Sunday 10am-4pm.  It is being held at the Sports Arena East, address is 1410 3rd Ave. S. at the Benton County Fairgrounds.  This will be an AMAZING show!  Not only because I will be there but a good friend of mine will be sharing my space and adding in a bunch of her pieces too!  Also, there will be other very talented vendors there.  It really will be worth the trip! I will be there working at the show so I hope you stop by.  I won't be doing another show until September and the pictures I'll be posting are mostly items I will be bringing to the show.  So don't miss your chance!  ;)

Sondra

Hoarder or Just a Furniture Junky?????

Hello fans!  I have been MIA for the past few weeks for a perfectly good reason.  I've been pondering if I'm really just a Furniture Junky or just a hoarder.  For the past few weeks, I've been loading the trailer up of finished stuff and hauling it somewhere else then bring the empty trailer back home only to fill it up AGAIN and bring some unfinished new finds out to my storage units.  (yes, plural)  On my recent run out to my storage unitS I just finish up unloading the trailer (again) only to step back and look at 2 10X22 storage units FULL!  I thought to myself I still have a garage full too!  (This is the part I started wondering if I'm just a hoarder or really have a furniture addiction)  After a day or so, I came to the conculsion that I'm NOT  a hoarder and I just can't pass up good deals when I see them, AND the pieces look so good after I finally work on them.  So I'll just keep plugging away and stop buying for a little while.  (At least that's what I told my husband) 

So now for the past few days, I've been working my tail off in my garage.  Rearranging and finishing up some projects to try and get a dent in my furniture tower.   Anyways, I don't have pictures of everything I've been working on but here are a few previews...

Cute little console table.  Sorry for the dust on the bottom!  Didn't realize it until I posted the picture.

This dresser was so fun to refinish!   It just has so much history!  These old pieces are the real reason I love furniture!

This great butcher block sat in a basement for a long time!  Has a cutting board and knife block and wheels are always great!

I had to add this picutre of the handles to the dresser above.  Here's a secret, I love old pieces just because of the hardware!!  These are solid and so cute!  You can't buy these at Lowe's!


Hope you enjoyed!
Sondra

Cute hutch that ALMOST wasn't bought!

Hello fellow fans!  So if you follow me on my facebook account then you already know the story.  If not keep reading!  About a month ago I found a hutch on craigslist and thought it was super cute!  So I emailed the sweet lady and she offered to hold it for me until I could come pick it up about a week later.  So finally, when I got there to pick it up it was not what I had expected.  But I felt so guilty I bought it anyways.  So when I got it home and put it in my garage I thought I'd better work on it right away because if I'm not excited about a piece (or hoarding it because I like it too much) it will sit in there and just get buried.  So I worked on it right away flying from the seam of my pants.  Didn't really know what to do with it, what color to paint, etc.  This is the outcome.....

I actually love it!  I should paint more often from the seam of my pants????...  Anyways.  A little bit of paint and a super cute stencil made this beautiful!  

Hope you enjoy!
Sondra

Truths of the Average Adult!

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the heck are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

9. Bad decisions make good stories.

10. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

11. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

12. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

13. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this - ever.

14. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Darn it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voice mail. What did you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

15. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

16. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

17. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

18. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

19. Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.

20. I would rather try to carry 10 over-loaded plastic bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

21. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.

22. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

23. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

24. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

25. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

26. Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber & dumber every year?

27. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

28. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate bicyclists.

29. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

30. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my life everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!

I didn't write this but it was like they read my mind!!! 
Sondra

The Souix City Journal table!

The Sioux City Journal from 1954!  Small story, but I love stories behind pieces.  A couple of years ago my mother-in-law and I were in Iowa going to an estate sale she had heard about.  Out in the middle of no where stood this gorgeous old farmhouse!  White with flowers everywhere!  There were 2 boxes of canning jars for $2 each box!  I couldn't pass them up!  Anyways, they sat in my closet for close to a year now and I decided I was going to need them for my wedding.  So I took out all of the jars to clean them up and I noticed dirty yellow looking newspaper at the bottom of the box.  This was the paper!  It was VERY brittle and falling apart every where I touched it but I have kept it for the last 6 months trying to figure out what I was going to do with it.  I couldn't bring myself to through it away!  So this is what I finally came up with almost 2 years later from buying those boxes of canning jars. 

As you can see some of the wrinkles in the paper, because of it's age and that it was sitting in the box wrinkled up it was very difficult to try and smooth the paper out without tearing it.  So some of the wrinkles I just had to leave and put enough chemicals over it that would make the paint store look small! 

I hope you enjoy.  I loved creating this table.  It just made me giddy! ;)

Sondra

A New Beginning!

I am sadly announcing that Feburary will be my last month selling at Yesterday's Charm in Buffalo.  I am going to miss being in a store and miss all the wonderful vendors there and it was a hard decision to make, but sacrafices have to be made for my family.  I will still continue to paint and sell!  I love it so much!!  I don't think I could EVER turn my crafty mind off.  I will continue to post on the blog as well as my facebook page when items become available for sale.  If you are looking or any special requests please email me at countrystyleaccents@yahoo.com.  I'd love to take on any new challenges!  Thank you for being fans! 

Sondra

It is hard work!

The last few weeks I have met a lot of new people while selling some of my pieces.  Surprisingly I get a lot of questions on how to paint something, how to distress it and a lot of 'you just buy, repaint, and resell? Wow that's easy'.   First and foremost, I have to say, THIS IS NOT AN EASY JOB!  This started out as a hobby for me, then into a obsession.  Here's the truth of this 'easy job': I practically live in my truck, my house is always full of crafts, I haven't been able to park in my 3-car garage in almost 2 years, half of my wardrobe is paint stained, I work probably more than 8 hours a day, I can never keep my hands manicured let alone moisturized, my kids call me a junker and pretend to go 'garage sailing' in my garage, I barely take a shower before noon, my husband has turned into my own personal mover, my house ALWAYS takes the back burner, and my bank account replenishes then drains faster than I can say 'I'M A JUNKER'!  I guarantee this is not all of it but this is what I came up with for now.  Anyone in this 'job' will say they agree 100%!  This really is a lifestyle and obsession!  I can't even go shopping without looking at something and thinking 'what could I make that into??'.

I really love repainting, repurposing, crafting, fixing, and just using my power tools.  I pretty much do it every single day and every second I get.  I've talked with others and we all seem to even wake in the middle of the night with ideas running through our heads.  (I know someone who keeps a notebook by her bed for these times!)  We are truly dedicated to what we do and the biggest compliment we could ever get is for people to understand how hard we really do work and to appreciate it.  We all put so much thought and labor and sometimes even product into a piece because we just want it to put a smile on someone's face when they bring it home! 

So when you buy that piece you just can't live without, remember someone's love went into that wonderful piece just for you to enjoy!

(I must get back to sanding now. Heeheee!)

Sondra

Nicole Curtis from HGTV's Rehab Addict in Buffalo, Minnesota!!

Yesterday was all but boring!  I was working at the store Yesterday's Charm in Buffalo and we were busier then ever!!  I don't think I walked out of the office for more 5 mintues!  Crazy!  Sue, my 60 year old something partner in crime for the day, comes almost running in the office and says she thinks there's someone famous here.  I said 'yea right'!  Then right in front of me there she was!  I couldn't believe it!  How exciting she was shopping around the stores in Buffalo!  She was very modest and very sweet.  She said there will be another season of her show coming up and she just finished up on 5 more houses!  Wow!  I can barely finish my one.  Well you go girl! 

So that was my excitement for the day and now I can say I've met someone from HGTV.  Yea!!!!

NOVEMBER 16th was my last post!!!  Sorry followers, guess I'm not a good blogger!  LOL!  So finally the Holidays are over and back to some what of a normal life.  I haven't taken a break but I've just been so busy I keep forgetting to take pictures!  Well here's a sneak peek at what I've been working on lately.

This turned out so much better than I had planned.  I came across a few bumps but they were fixed and this sweet thing just found a new home today! 

These are 2 old built in cabinets.  Right now these are my pride and joy so far.  Do you ever find those pieces that you just fall in love with!?  These are it for me.  I've had to replace a lot of the trim and top but they are going to be magical when they're done!  I can't wait to finish them and show you the end results!

Old headboard made into a shelf! 

This bench is super cute!  It has storage under the seat and it is super deep.  I added the hooks and done!

This was a Christmas present for my sister-in-law!  She had been asking me for a table for months. 

I had 2 of these and sold faster than I could have probably put tags on them!  These were old radio cabinets.  I took about 10 shelves out of them!  They still have the lights inside as well as a built in plug ins inside!  They were really neat. 

Add caption

I'll add more pictures of other pieces I'm working on hopefully sooner than later.  We've been lucky so far with not much snow yet and the Husband really wants a garage spot. So I'll keep working and hopefully quit buying.  Heheehee.....  Until then hope you enjoyed!