Horse Show Ribbons

Where are my horse show friends? Equus Villa? Five O'clock?

Sarah has been riding since she was four and showing since she was nine. She doesn't show all the time but does compete in several shows each year. She has accumulated quite a collection of ribbons over the past few years but I have always been at a loss as to what to do with them.

Recently, while working on her room it came to me out of the blue. She has a couple of walls in her room that are 'dead walls'. They're in areas where you really can't put furniture and artwork feels awkward. Odd walls and bags of show ribbons, hmmmmm....

I decided to hang the ribbons on the dead walls. I bought some black gimp at the local fabric store and stopped by my favorite upholsterer to pick up some tacks.
I measured the ribbons and the wall. I found that most hanging ribbons are about 14" long so I made the lengths of gimp 14" apart. I measured so that a tack would be at each end at at every foot between.

Then the show ribbons just hang on the gimp with the little metal clips on the back of the ribbon...

And the finished product! The only problem is, I'm going to have to go straight onto the other dead wall since this one didn't hold them all. Not a bad problem to have!

Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes

Yes, I changed the blog. I felt like playing around a little and switching things up. I've had the dots for a long time and felt like going minimal for a while. I hope you like the new, fresh look.

I also changed the name since I don't post daily, Dunne's Daily News seemed odd. I fully intended to post daily but life gets in the way. I love to blog. It not only helps me keep in touch with friends and family, it brings new friends to me, plus reading other's blogs are a huge source of inspiration and entertainment.

Thanks to everyone who follows me, both public and private, you guys mean a lot. Be sure to check out some of my favorite blogs listed below!

Sunday morning

Inspired by Flea Market Style http://fleamarketstylemag.blogspot.com/, I decided to go to the Nashville flea market, take a walk and have a look around. I saw so much I could have spent a fortune. I only gave myself a small amount to spend and stuck to that. Let the dealing begin!

My favorite finds were these two old cameras. The kids thought they were the coolest ever and wanted to take pictures with them. Umm... Even if they worked can you get film for these? I also found this old box for $2.00. The seller wasn't sure what it was, he thought maybe it was a bait box. Does anyone know? It has a few nails inside of it.

I couldn't pass up this globe, I'd like to start a small collection. This one isn't very old, but it has Russia intact!
Doesn't everyone need a working, oscillating fan from the 1930's?
Or an old wooden cigar box? Love the latch.
How about a working lock and key? It's perfect on the cigar box sitting on the coffee table.

What about an old produce scale? We all need one of those don't we? For $2.50 I couldn't pass it up. Now I just have to figure out where to put it.
I hadn't visited the flea market in a long time. It was a nice was to get a different walk in.

Quick Redo

A couple of weeks ago I had some time to do a few things around the house, so I decided to tackle the rest of Sarah's room. I'll post some more photos later but for a start... Sarah's old dresser. With her new, larger room, I decided to keep her dresser to use it as a night stand. It couldn't stay the old distressed cream of her toddler days, it wouldn't work with her new style.

Here's the piece before (actually during transition).

Since her room is black, white and turquoise these great knobs from Anthro were perfect.
And the dresser/nightstand now. It has an aged, rubbed black finish and those cute knobs. I think if you click on the photo you may be able to see the finish better when it's enlarged.

13 Candles

Well 14 actually, one for good luck. It's hard to believe that as of August 5th, little Sarah is now a teenager. It goes by way too fast. On her special day we went to Pete's Sushi for a family dinner, then came home for homemade chocolate cake.

Sarah loves to light candles.
Sarah and Dad.
Sarah and Delaney
Sarah and Michael with his cheesiest smile.
Later on the weekend, we went to my parent's house for a visit. Friday night we went to The Irish Times Pub in Knoxville. Dinner was excellent. Two peas in the Shepherd's Pie, Delaney and Sarah.

Then on Saturday night we had a cookout with most of the family. Kathy, Sherri and Aunt Sue here...

Waiting at the dinning table for even more birthday cake. From left to right - Sarah, Delaney, Chrissy (facing other way) Mike, Clark and Joe.

Everyone hung out and relaxed most of the evening. We had a great time catching up. L-R, Norm, Bubbles, Sherri, Rob, Kathy (Rob's girlfriend) and Aunt Sue. Rocky is seen walking out of the photo. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU...

Crushing...

Lately I've had a hankering for a small collection of antique gaming wheels. We have a large wall that is just screaming for some of these. Too bad I can't seem to find any for sale!

The nation's longest yard sale http://www.127sale.com/ is this weekend and I'm going to drive straight past it. I wish it could be another weekend, I'd like to drive a few miles just to see if I could spot one of these.

Image - www.flickr.com/photos/stgrundy/

Shopping around online, I thought I'd hit the motherload on http://www.capitolsalvage.com/ but when I looked further, everything was sold! Who is out there buying all those gaming wheels? Anthropology?

This one is listed as sold on http://www.johnbrownsantiques.com/ I love the worn details.

This horse racing wheel is so different, but was sadly already sold on Three Potato Four. http://www.threepotatofourshop.com/

The zodiac wheel and the French wheel from http://www.amusement-supply.com/, are nice but they aren't antiques. I think I want to hold out for the real thing.

I guess I could buy one of these and antique it myself. I'm going to search just a little longer.

Too cute!

My photography is horrendous, but I wanted to share this adorable little chest of drawers. This piece dates from the 1920's, as does the crazy quilt, cut up and applied to the front and the lovely, soft blue silk on the sides. The appliques are padded with batting. I wish the picture did it justice. If I had anywhere to put it I would have bought it on the spot. I happened on it at Cristin's in Brentwood. http://www.cristinsdecor.com/index.html

Click on the photo to enlarge!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

...to me...

(a little late)

I hope everyone's birthday is as great as mine was.

Sarah asked me what I wanted for my birthday, so I told her I wanted a birthday cake. It was absolutely delicious and fabulously decorated.
Mike always sends me a gorgeous bouquet. I loved the sunflowers, they lasted until today! See Sarah peeking through the flowers?
Mike and the kids made of of my favorite dinners, raclette. We had it our on the deck. The weather was perfect. Raclette always drives the dogs crazy.

Bubbles - always in hope of something falling to the floor.
Max - always hopeful he'll get to it before Bubbles.

The candles Sarah picked were too cute. Good thing she didn't put one for every year, you wouldn't be able to see the cake.

Chocolate cake, chocolate frosting, studded with white chocolate chips. Who could ask for more?!

After dinner, I was treated to a Dunne family percussion concert.

What a perfect day.