Happy Spring! (almost)

We took our annual spring break vacation at the Westin Mission Hills Resort and Spa in Rancho Mirage, CA this year. If you need a great place to go before it gets too hot in the desert, February is the perfect time to go. We rested, played, shopped, and gambled. You would not beLIEVE the good junk people in the Palm Springs area donate to Goodwill! Consignment stores are on almost every corner. Exotic finds from across the world, name brand labels, and good junk abound. Thank goodness for luggage limits or my house would be full(er) right now.Our baby boy met us there. He moved to San Diego last summer. What do you think he said when we asked him if he missed winter in Chicago?

One of my latest obsessions is vintage alarm clocks; working ones, broken ones, small ones, large ones, crazy ones. Etsy has lots but it's way more fun to bid on ebay. I found 2 more at the Kane County Flea market yesterday for $5 each! It was only 29 degrees out there but we bundled up and made the trip. (well, some trip, it's 5 minutes from our house!)
I found a great skirt and tshirt in Cali, cut them up, and covered this tiny footstool last nite. It's for sale, need it?
This vintage lampshade has a huge vintage flower taken from a ladies hat. The base is metal and chippy.
This metal trunk was screaming my name at an estate sale lately. A few scrapbook paper labels and distress ink, and voila!
It's getting very difficult to find globes these days under $25. The Flea Market magazines are making my fav little things prices rise, darnit! I painted this one with chalkboard paint. It's currently for sale in Urban Chic Home in Glen Ellyn, IL.
I found this small metal lampshade and could not WAIT to steampunk it up. I love how it turned out, don't you? I think I'll save this one for 3 French Hens market. I've signed up for 4 dates this year. The first one is May 12th. Come on out! Morris IL is just south of I-80 on Route 47, about an hour from Chicago. Ok, maybe an hour and a half but it's well worth the trip.
Thanks for visiting. Happy Spring!

Happy New Year, been busy lately!

Love to you and yours in 2012. This is a tree I saw while on a walk in the lovely city of San Diego while at the SoCRA conference and visiting our son, Garrett in September.

I've been busy in the studio lately. Here are a few of my little projects. I'm in a burlap, chippy, rustic, vintage mood lately. I'm starting to save things for the 3 French Hens markets this summer.

The 2012 dates have just been announced. AND, the market is in the latest issue of Romantic Country magazine as one of the best markets! This little silver platter had just the right size slits for vintage bias tape to fit in. Wouldn't this be a cute little bridal shower chalkboard sign?
I saw some suitcases on Pinterest and decided to try it (with a little help from the hubby).

And this is a tiny little newborn skirt that I found at Baby Gap that I thought I'd cut the flowers off for another project. But when I put it on the lampshade frame, it looked so cute, I decided to go with it! The crystals really show well when it's lit. It will be for sale at the May 3 French Hens market.
Do something you love every day! juliejayne

Calm amidst the chaos

Last weekend, before all the chaos called Christmas starts, hubby and I decided to take a little trip to our favorite place in Galena, IL, The Inn at Irish Hollow.The Inn at Irish Hollow sits on 500 acres in the northwest corner of Illinois, about 20 minutes from Galena, a little town that boasts many Civil War memories.
The living room at the Inn was dripping in red. You can hardly see the grand piano. There are several rooms in the inn as well as 5 cottages on the land that are decorated in the season's finest.

A box of Anna Shea chocolates was in our room upon check in. On Saturday and Sunday we were served a three course breakfast of the finest organic food in the land. Crispy baked brown sugar bacon, steel cut Irish oats, poached eggs, to die for muffins, and more!
The coffee service was atop this antique safe, very unique. They also sell canned jellies, veggies, and various butters. We came home with some lemon curd, hot jardinere, and pickled garlic.

On Saturday we explored downtown Galena and one of my favorite stores there, Ink & Stamp with Sue. We also found a few antique stores and came home with many old rusty rescues. When we were sitting in the Green Street Tavern having lunch, the madrigals from a high school in Dubuque Iowa came in and treated us to the most beautiful Christmas carols! What a treat.

Saturday nite at the Inn we were served a 7 course meal. A few of the courses included Fennel soup, cranberry orange sorbet, pumpkin and crab flan (OMG!) and angel food cake with espresso mascarpone cream. Needless to say we went to bed thinking we'd never eat again!

The next time you're looking for a great weekend getaway, consider the Inn at Irish Hollow.

Give thanks

My new look!

I'm so excited! How do you like my new look? I found an awesome artist on etsy at thephOtospOt who designed several very special things for me, including my new blog header.

Now I need to get in gear and get my own etsy store up and running.

Yesterday I was at Urban Chic Home dropping off a few new things and while I was there several of my little things actually sold! Here are a few things that are still for sale (at least as of yesterday they were anyway)

I painted the front of this HUGE pristine vintage suitcase with red chalkboard paint and Beckie put it in the window as part of her Christmas display.
This is a big tin panel, maybe from an old fireplace?

I went to the 3 French Hens Holiday Market yesterday and it was amazing! I would have to start making Christmas things TODAY if I wanted to be in NEXT year's show, that's how well stocked every booth was. Of course, I forgot my camera so you'll have to check out the pics on Traci's site.

Happy Holidays

I'm so sorry, I've been MIA for the past 2 months. Since my last post I've been busy in the studio, and working on getting my little business off the ground. I've registered my name, juliejayne, with the state of Illinois and now I'm officially in business! On Tuesday, November 29th from 6-9pm the village of Glen Ellyn, IL is having Ladies Night Out. Please come out and support the 20 participating independently owned shops. There will be gifts, coupons, libations, and food as you stroll through the shops in search of the perfect holiday gifts.
These beautiful pieces are part of a collection from A Bella Bead, in Urban Chic Home.

I've been busy pursuing my passion of taking flea market and thrift store finds and altering them to (hopefully) appeal to today's shoppers.
I have been a vendor at 2 of this summer's 3 French Hens markets and have some of my things in Urban Chic Home in Glen Ellyn, IL. Here are a few of the products Beckie carries in her great little eclectic, shabby, vintage shop from a few of the other vendors.
Below is a sample of the lampshades I alter. They're all one of a kind. Everything you see here is for sale. If you can't make it to Urban Chic, just email me if you see something you like and we can make sure it gets to you asap.
Beckie carries the most unique gifts, isn't this little handbag the best?
Every chalkboard I make just flies out the door! I also take special orders.
I've had so much fun bleaching bottle brush trees for the past few weeks. This one is on top of an old candlestick turned upside down, too fun!
Watch this space for a new look. I've contracted with an awesome artist to design a logo for my business. It should be finished very soon! I will try my VERY best to post weekly from here on out. I will also get my etsy shop back up very soon. Thanks for your patience with me. If I only could get rid of this pesky day job......I'd have more time for the more important things in life!

I made a business decision today. I had signed up to be a vendor at 3French Hens market, one of the Top 10 Most Romantic Flea Markets in the U.S. The weather was iffy this morning, the sale was to be from 5-10pm, and I just couldn't picture it this time.

So, I decided to take 4 of my funky lamps to a shop called Urban Chic Home in Glen Ellyn, IL
The proprietor, Beckie Nilles LOVED them! She asked if I had any more so I ran home, unloaded half the trailer that was packed for 3 French Hens and brought her another tub full.
These are a few of the really fun things in the shop.
This is one of my lamps that she had rearranged things in the "main room" to fit in.
This one she put in the "red room" with other things that it matched with.

So, I'm officially a businesswoman! While I totally admire those who set up their shops pre-dawn and take them down at the end of a long day outdoors, I think I'm more of an indoor girl.
Beckie said she wants to put my lamps in the window of her shop. Here's what it looked like today, before my window debut. I'll let you know when it happens.
I look forward to Urban Chic Home being the exclusive venue for my fun and funky lamps! Wish me luck.