Flea Marketing in Branson, MO

A couple of weeks ago, my junkin' friend, Sue and I headed for Branson to do a little treasure hunting. I knew just the place to go; Mrs. Cadwell's Downtown Flea Market. Not only is this the oldest flea market in Branson - it is also my very favorite.

Down the steep hills of old Branson on Hwy 76 (also known as 76 Country Blvd) you will find many eclectic shops including the one just next door to Mrs. C's called Main Street Flea Market. If you are not familiar with the Ozarks; this is what it looks like when you build on one of the 'mountains'. You definitely get a workout walking up and down the street!

Just inside the entrance, I spied these neat railroad date nails. They were $1.50 each. I didn't buy any but I thought they were neat.

Something I did buy was this shoe box packed full of all colors of chenille pieces. The seller had $8 for the entire box and then ran a 50% off any purchase from her booth. What a find!

I love digging in the linen bins you find in just about every other booth in a Branson flea market. Many hand embroidered items, quilt pieces, tea towels...you name it. I was delighted to find this hand appliqued and embroidered pillow case. The fabric is the softest cotton pink comes in!

I don't know if you can read the price or not, but I nabbed this lovely up for $2.50. Another great find was this Belle of the Ball tray. I didn't purchase it but held it & admired it for a lengthy time. I had to snap a photo for prosperity.

If you love quilts, Branson is the place to go. You will find vintage and antique quilts by the droves. Some are in excellent condition, some are gently worn and others are sold for crafts. Regardless of the condition, you can see the love and tenderness taken in each stitch. Here are photos of a few that were hanging outside just one booth. The prices range from $30 to $80.

One thing is for sure when shopping in Branson; you'll see the finest and the quirkiest! Here are a couple photos of booths. Digging is half the fun because the sellers pack the booth tight! I have a couple of favorite booths that I totally dismantle to hunt for goodies. (Yeah, I put stuff back...with a little displaying & merchandising to boot!)

Aren't these dishes yummy? This is in one of only a couple retro booth's at Mrs. C's.

I did purchase these three pottery finds. I brought the little pink one to RB&C but had to keep the others for my personal collection.

I bought a wonderful pink plastic case full of buttons, a vinyl snap front case in the most wonderful teal, a couple of vintage framed pictures, an antique oval frame with Miss About Town's photograph, a magazine rack, a blanket, a table cloth and some other goodies and paid $28. What a haul! I had a wonderful time. The best part of the whole trip was meeting my mom for lunch. She lives in Arkansas about an hour and a half from Branson. So, after a great lunch, some snuggling, then flea marketing; Sue and I headed for Star Buck's and hit Hwy 65 for the 40 minute drive home....oh, wait, we stopped in Ozark for more flea marketing! I'll blog about some of my other finds soon!

Felt Valentine Pin

This little Valentine pin is just right for your blouse, as a package trim or to pin on a pillow. It measures approximately 2.5" x 3.5". Below are my supplies and instructions. A friend told me one time that my perfectionism gets in the way of my creativity. I remembered that when making this little guy; you'll notice the quirks & character in the uneven stitches and placement. She was right, what only took about 30 minutes to make could have taken me hours if I had been concerned with it being perfect. The end result is still cute!

Supplies:
felt scraps

embroidery thread

scissors (fabric, paper, nippers)

needle

straight pins (just a couple will do)

small safety pin

template board (I use cereal boxes for templates)
pen (I used a Sharpie)

chalk or marking for felt

Draw your pattern on the back of the cereal box. I used a fat Sharpie so I could see it well. I highlighted the pieces in pink so you could see them better. I didn't know there would be a game on the inside!

Assemble your pattern and supplies. Trace the pattern onto your felt using a soft writing tool or chalk. Cut out your pieces. Now, you are ready to begin!

I blanket-stitched around one heart (front). You can use any stitch you like. I sewed little dots in fun colors on the front. You could also sew beads, sequence, or dingle balls on. Set this piece aside for a bit.

Grab the other heart and sew the little safety pin on it.

Sew a border around the scalloped edged heart. I just did a straight stitch. Take the back piece that you put the safety pin on and sew it to the back of the scalloped edged heart. I used a black thread so it would show nicely on the front side.

I simply sewed the front heart right down the middle so it would have some dimension. And there you go! A felt Valentine pin.

Behind C-Street

In 1870, Springfield was excited about the arrival of the railroad from St. Louis. Springfield would finally be connected to the rest of the country. The railroad depot became the centerpiece of activity on the new Commercial Street. C-Street became a street vibrant with the railroad.

Today, if you step out back any business on the north side of C-Street you will automatically be on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe property. The property line ends at our back doors. This photo is the back door of RB&C. Most back doors are docks from the old days when the train would unload meat, horse care items, feed, furniture, tobacco and sundries.

In the early 1980's, I worked for Mr. Rosen and his son, Mark at Busy Bee Department Store. We used the dock and dock elevator for all deliveries, (the elevator had a hand pulley). We would hoist cases and cases of Levi's 501 jeans up to the 3rd foor for processing and tagging. Busy Bee (established in 1971) was known as the farmer's store because of the Levi's and Dungeree's farmer's wore.

There are at least eight active tracks just outside my back door. The trains work off an electric system and can start and stop without an engine. Many times you will hear the trains hook up with a loud crash. I have become accustom to the sound but am reminded how alarming it is when a customer asks, "What was THAT?"

Today, there is a train of boulders only feet from my back door. It's quite amazing site! Trains are much bigger than I thought they were.

This is the tail end of the boulder train. The back yard of C-Street is just as interesting with as much character as the front. By law, there is no trespassing to the train yard but to business owners the Railroad has been kind enough to let us park our vehicles in the gravel. I wanted to share what others may never have the chance to see. If you are ever in the area, you can walk across the the tracks via the historic Jefferson Avenue Footbridge. A glorious site lit up at night!

Hidden Treasures - Little Surprises!

Throughout my home, I have little treasures and surprises hidden here & there. This photo is of a bird house my dad and I made together (actually, he did nearly every part of of the bird house and I tailgated). The rest of the stack is a pile of vintage jewelry boxes. Inside are lots of wonderful buttons laying on a bed of amber velvet.

This little tin medicine cabinet hangs in my powder room. When you turn the right side wooden knob a little mechanical slide allows the doors to open. Inside is delightful.

In this photo you can see my chunky little pitcher, a collapsible tin cup, little Miss Beauty and a wonderful pink box.

The second shelf has just as many goodies. I love this kitten, it reminds me of the same molded plaster kitten my sister, Shelly painted grey when we were kids. She had a grey cat named Mitten. Aren't these little baskets wonderful? And, just as you suspected, there is a treasure inside the little present box. When you come and visit my home, feel free to look inside!
I hope this has inspired you to tuck treasures & surprises around your home!

Prayer Pins

I've always loved pins and brooches. I have little boxes of them tucked in my top dresser drawer, pinned on other lovelies and here, in a beautiful hobnail candy dish. Can you see the cute little Avon girl? Her face opens and there is perfume inside. My mom gave my sisters and I each one of these pins when we were little girls. She always makes me smile when I open the candy dish to grab a brooch.

Pins and brooches are more than an accessory to me. In my busy day, I hate to admit it, but I often times forget to pray. I use these beauties to remind me to pray for a specific person. If someone is going through a tough time or I'm just so thankful that person is in my life; I'll don the pin or brooch I associate with that person. Every time someone comments on the pin, I see it reflected in a mirror or I brush my had against it, it reminds me to lift my special person up in prayer.

Blessings!

When you see me wearing
this beautiful booch,
I am praying for my sister,
Cathe and her family.

My dear, sweet friend,
Sue gave me this wonderful pin.
I pray for her everytime I wear it.
It's such a delicate rose.

This is my 'Rose' brooch.
Whenever I wear this sweetness,
I am praying for my dear friend, Rose.

Potato Soup

Nothing warms the soul like thick, hardy bowl of potato soup. I love to make this dish because every ingredient is normally already around the kitchen. It's not important how much of each ingredient is used; only that the process and type of ingredients are considered. This is a very non-intimidating recipe. Enjoy!

What you'll need:

Large pot

Big spoon to stir with

Potato masher

Small bowl

Wisk

~

Bacon

Onion

Garlic

Butter

Flour

Cream

Chicken broth

Potatoes

~

To taste; shredded cheese, salt and pepper

As you can tell, I don't have fancy kitchen equipment. I like the feel of cooking the way my grandmother did; use what you have. (I would not be opposed to a new stove though!)

To get started, cut bacon in to about one inch pieces. I used a pound of smoked bacon. In a large pot, brown bacon until crisp. Do not cook too fast, you want to avoid any burning. Once crisp, scoop out bacon and drain on paper towel. Cut onion (I used sweet yellow and green onions) in coarse pieces, mince garlic (I ran out so I used garlic powder), and add a couple of table spoons of butter to bacon grease. Cook just until onion is soft. Be careful, garlic burns easily. Once your onion mixture is cooked, add some flour; I use enough to absorb most of the grease while maintaining a fluid consistancy. Stir until completely blended.

Cut potatoes in large cubes. Place potatoes in onion mixture and stir to coat potatoes with the wonderful flavors. Add chicken broth (or make broth by following the directions on the chicken bullion jar) enough to just cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil stirring as to not allow ingredients to stick to the bottom of the pot. Cook until potatoes are soft. Once potatoes are done, use your potato masher and mash one time around the pot to add to the wonderful thickness of the broth.

In a small bowl, sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of flour. Pour enough cream to keep a liquid consistency. To prevent curdling, dip out a couple of cups of hot soup broth and gradually pour flour & cream mixture into the broth. Now, pour entire mixture back in the pot and gently stir. Your potato soup is now done. Add the crisp bacon, graded cheese, fresh cracked black pepper and salt to taste. Voila!

I Won!

That's the way I feel every time I am with my granddaughter, Lillian Marie. She is so lovable and lets me smooch and smooch her chub-cheeks as much as I want without a budge. She holds her hand out to me so I'll kiss her palm. For the past 9 months I have had liquid delight flow through my veins because of her sweetness. The greatest prize; being a grandma!