The Country Life

Deep down I am a simple country girl. I have always loved to decorate with country finds. But country means different things to different people. It is personal. You can go rustic to sophisticated, simple to elegant.



My decorating style has definitely changed over the years, from a very rustic, colonial country to a more sophisticated country. That must be because I am so darn sophisticated now.

There are different country decorating styles. There's colonial country, English country, Italian country or Tuscan, and the very popular French country and different variations within each.

If I had to define what country means to me and why I like the country style, I think it is because when I surround myself with country things, they transform me to a different place and time. When life was simpler, unplugged, slower paced, more natural, more meaningful. Things were made by hand with purpose for a purpose, whether utilitarian or decorative. The purposes may have changed now, but the beauty of handmade things will not change. A new use can make these things as useful as always.



All of these finds in these photos were found this weekend while yardsaling with Dona. I don't care how many linens, pieces of ironstone or milk glass I have, I will continue pick up more.

What does country mean to you?

My Style

I have passed the 60 post milestone and the 6 month mark. The infamous 100th post will be here before I know it. I am taking this time to look back on my blog and reflect on where I started from, where I am now and where I want to go. Although it has only been 6 months, I feel I have grown so much, learned so much, doors of awareness and possibilities have opened. I have taken many steps towards my goal of owning my own business. They may have been baby steps but at least I took the steps.

In addition to selling at sales, which I have been doing for a couple of years now, I have ventured into selling on ebay, I have brought items to auction, and just starting this blog is an accomplishment. Through this whole learning experience I have been trying to find my niche in the business and blogging world. With so many people doing the same thing, yet in their own way, I kept asking myself, how do I fit in, what can I do and how can I do it. What should I blog about? Do I have anything to blog about? What can blogging do for me? There are bloggers that have the gift of crafting and could teach Martha a thing or two, bloggers that are photographers and should be photographing for world famous magazines, those that could write professionally with the wonderful stories that they tell, those that have a great sense of humor and make you laugh, those that celebrate their love of their faith and family first above all, those that balance their business on their blogs, those that post everyday, once a week, here and there.

I have been trying a little of each, trying to find my niche, my style. I now realize that I have been trying too hard, that I shouldn't be trying anything, I should just be, be me. This was my intent in the beginning, but I didn't trust my gut and got sidetracked. I started Magnolia Street Style to share my style of decorating. Not only do I love to shop for treasures and I love the interaction when selling, but I also love to decorate with my newly found treasures. So you will begin to see a difference in my postings. I will continue to share my finds with you, but in a different way. I will be focusing on my decorating style of incorporating finds. My hope is that others will enjoy my sense of style too, my Magnolia Street Style.

Spring Break is over

I was on Spring break. Oh, I didn't go anywhere. I just took a break from the blog. I spent time with family and friends. I've been working very hard at work since the beginning of the year and I needed to just "chill" from the computer. But my break is over. I feel refreshed and focused. It is time to get down to business and START MAKING SOME MONEY. I am beginning to confirm my sales for the year. I have them listed with my first sale scheduled for April 13th. That is only 2 weeks away. Can you believe that? I will be sharing space with Dona at the Delaware County Community College Flea Market. We had a successful year last year and hope to do even better this year.


Before I start making money, I will be spending more money this Saturday. Just like old times, there are oh maybe 20-30 sales in the area. Everything from moving sales, estate sales, flea markets, community yard sales you name it, we've got it.




Before I go, I wanted to share with you photos of Germany that my son took while vacationing there last week. He went to visit a friend, drink, and skateboard. He had a blast.

Auf Wiedersehen

Have a Hoppy Easter

More signs of spring

I am in need of color, sunshine, warm weather, and flowers. Although there is nothing blooming in the garden, I can bring flowers into my house in my decor. I found another Italian flower pot for my collection. I did a count as I was putting this away, I now have eleven flower pots in different sizes and colors. I thought I was the only nut collecting these items, but my friend Sue also has a few pieces. She got hers from her mother and grandmother. My collection also started with one little cup from my grandmother. All it takes is one thing.

I also found these 2 handmade pillows.

Oh, and yes only 9 months until Christmas. It's never too early to pick up even MORE decorations.
I paid $3 for the entire box. I was happy to find the vintage finds below inside. Well worth $3.


Here's the collection of the finds for the day. I didn't find alot, but then there were only 5 sales. It was fun to be out and about with Dona again. We haven't had a shopping trip together for a while.

Signs of Spring

A time of rebirth and renewal

Mission Accomplished

I am so glad that I have finished my dining room project. This weekend I worked on recovering my dining room chairs.

I started out with this...

...and ended up with this.

Here is the final product. I have done all that I can do for now.

another view

This project all started because of this chandelier. Dona found this one day at a yardsale a couple of years ago. My husband had a knee replacement 2 years ago this May. That year I had to stop yardsaling for a while to stay home with him. Dona already had a crystal chandelier and she knew that I wanted one also, when she found this one, she brought it over and asked me if I wanted it. I fell in love with it, but putting it up had to wait. It ended up waiting for over a year. I was so afraid that it would get broken, I moved it from one safe place to another. I finally couldn't stand it anymore, and I asked a co-worker's husband if he would take it apart, check it out and rewire it for me (he's an electrician). He was kind enough to do this. In exchange I made him pizzelles and gave them movie tickets for the family. (His wife doesn't have a pizzelle iron). Then the chandelier waited for another couple of months. My husband was in no hurry to put it up. He liked the brass chandelier that we had better. So, after a yardsale morning, Dona asked if the chandelier was hung yet. I told her no. She took care of that for me. We both stood on the dining room table, me holding, her hooking the wiring up, hurrying before my husband got home. You see if he wanted it down, he would have to do that himself . The chandelier must have grown on him, because he doesn't say anything about it anymore.

Tonight I just broke the news to him that I wanted a chandelier hung in our powder room. He gave me a most definite NO it won't be done. I just said...ok honey.

My next project...paint the powder room. Pictures to follow at a later date.

A Power Lunch

I can do some damage on my lunch break. It only took 45 minutes to get to the sale, scope out what I want, grab it, pile it up, go back for more, pay, load up my car, and get back to work. What a load of finds.
Another book. You can never have enough books.
This little metal tray is so cut. I will save the transferware gravy boat for Thanksgiving. It will be a wonderful accent to my turkey platter.
More milk glass of course. The vase is Lenox. The tray has a big crack in it, but it was free, so what the heck.


I just love this tray.
An Italian vase. The colors go wonderfully with my dining room. I just need a plant to put in it.
And yes, Pyrex. I never saw this pattern before. It is called Balloons. I found this website that is a great resource for Pyrex fans.

But the find of the day is this chest of drawers with a marble top. They said make an offer. I made an offer and they accepted. If I had known that they would take the offer so quickly, I would have offered lower. But I got a good price, actually a great price. The marble alone is worth what I paid.

Would you believe that I fit all of this loot in my little Honda Civic? Where there is a will, there is most definitely a way.

Spring Fever

I'm dreaming of sunshine and flowers.

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

I love linens.
That being said, I picked up this linen quite a few years ago...and I'm not even Irish.

I can date this linen as post 1949, because The Republic of Ireland was formed in 1949.While going through my linens this weekend, I thought this would be a good time to post this on ebay.

To-do list for the weekend

Before I went to work on Friday morning, I stopped at a moving sale. I told my boss I had an appointment in the morning and that I would be a little late. Well, I did have an appointment. I'm usually in at work by 7:30 and the moving sale started at 7:30. It was one block away from my house so how could I not go. I bought a few things that I have since washed and already put in their new home. I was a woman on a mission this weekend so I didn't get around to taking pictures.

After work I went to a book sale at a local high school and brought home about 10 new books. I didn't go shopping on Saturday. I slept in a little later and then went to work in the dining room. Come hell or high water I was going to get some projects COMPLETED.

First I had to make room on the book case for the new books, so that means dusting and while I was at it, I rearranged the entire bookcase - one thing DONE.


Now, onto the dining room.

Next I was determined that I was going to hang all of my pictures.

These 2 pictures I bought a few months ago. As soon as I saw them, I knew exactly where they were going to go. Does that happen to you too? I was just waiting until I painted and rearranged so I could hang them.

This is called Landscape With Farm House by French artist Paul Emile Pissarro.

This one is called Bridge at Creteil which is a bridge in France, by artist Cezanne.

The pictures are hung - two things DONE.

I rearranged a few more things.

I boxed up things that just didn't fit or I didn't have room for - three things DONE.


I took a few trips of extra artwork and frames to the attic - four things DONE.


This only took about 6 hours.


Next weekend, I have to complete reuphostering the chair seats.


Wish me luck.