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I Feel Like the Good Fairy Granted My Wish!

I'm living proof for the saying “All good things come to those that wait”. After searching and hunting for years and years, I finally was lucky enough to have stumbled across an awesome panorama print I could actually afford!! Now, the professional framing is a different ball of wax, but more about that later.

The print is not the Cowboy content I was most hoping for, but is still pretty interesting in an “Old Wild West” sort of way – it is of “Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show”.

It was a little tricky trying to get a photo of it because of the reflection from all the windows in my family room, but hopefully you will be able to get the feel for it. I've had a good couple of weeks for finding some great stuff, at pretty darn good prices. First was the print, but professional framing is ridiculously expensive! Normally Bruce and I frame our own stuff. We have a mat cutter, but this “yard long photo” is about 43 inches long, 7 inches tall. That constitutes an “oversize” mat, and I looked and looked online with no luck finding a mat that large. I don't think we could have cut it with our standard mat cutter even if I had found one. So I found a coupon for 60% off, with an additional 20% off at Michaels, and thought that sounded like a mighty good deal! What they really do is extremely inflate the price, then coupon it down to what you'd pay at any normal framing shop. So, as much as it hurt this cheapskate, I decided to go forward with the framing, because I have wanted an antique “long photo” for such a long, long time. I did wring my hands and fret dreadfully for days after the go-ahead, but justified it every which way I could by thinking things like how much money I've saved over the years by cutting my own hair; never ever having a manicure/pedicure, massage, or any of that spa stuff; buying nearly everything in my home at rummage sales, Craigslist, thrift stores, etc.; framing and matting all my other pictures that needed it, all myself; driving a 17 year old car because it does just fine! And on and on. Just when I had finally come to terms with it, they called me from Michaels and told me there had been an accident with the print and it was ruined =>( They said they'd replace the cost of the print so I could order another one (thank goodness it wasn't a true antique in this case!), and would knock 30% off the framing cost. That made the whole thing a much easier pill to swallow. And I am really and truly thrilled with the results.

I decided to go the whole 9 yards and give my family room a bit of a make-over. We had 4 recliners in front of the TV before, and I hated it. They had to be stuck half way into the room so they wouldn't hit the wall or windows when you reclined, and it took up way too much room. Plus, 2 of the recliners were worn to shreds. So, I hit Craigslist and was lucky enough to find an awesome couch! Thomasville, top grain leather, in just the right style and size! The owner had purchased it in, from what I gathered, the Thomasville showroom in Hickory, NC on her way thru there, and they shipped it to her home. Now this lady is moving, doesn't want to take all her furniture with her, and sold this top quality sofa to me for $150.00!!!

We did some Spring cleaning and loaded up the 2 shot recliners and other stuff, made a stop at the thrift store where they took one recliner they felt was still usable, and the rest of the junk got dropped at the Transfer Station. With the new couch moved in, the room feels twice as big as before. I juggled around some of the stuff hanging on the wall, and made room for the new “be still my heart” photo 🙂

 

Here's a breakdown of what's what on the wall.

The Indian in headdress is saw blade art. The buffalo print is an antique, original painting. It is beautifully done, but a little grisly in content, with wolves standing away from the 3rd buffalo, as the 2 in the front of the painting look on helplessly. I got it at the “Fancy Pants” thrift store downtown a few years ago. I can't believe someone donated it to them.

This Indian head is detailed on both sides. I'm not sure what the original purpose was. It had a metal extension off the nose when I purchased it. I asked Bruce to grind it off, which he did, and I think it looks awesome. I attached a plate hanger to it and it worked slicker than a whistle. I paid $2 for him at a rummage sale, and would have paid a lot more because he is so unique and interesting.

This is an artist's proof, original painting by Montana artist Laurel Ovitt. I love teepee art/paintings/prints, whatever!

The Indian Lane sign is metal, and a real street sign from somewhere. I got this 4 years ago at a rummage sale here in town. The crow I ordered from Toscano design. I think it was maybe meant to be a Halloween decoration, but I'm a fan of Crows/Ravens (can't tell them apart) because they are so smart and entertaining and I have fun watching their antics at work, so I got this one to hang on my wall. One of the few things in my home not bought used.

Another Craigslist find, this is an Edward S. Curtis print. Curtis was famous for his very early photography of Native Americans. I have a book about him and his work was extraordinary.

Another hard to get photo because of too much reflection from the windows.

The other corner of the room holds the antique Indian Maiden prints that I have a horrendous weakness for, an antique print of a teepee camp, a canoe shelf, old trunks, and an egg crate that belonged to Bruce's Grandparents, that I filled with wool blankets.

That's the low down on my switch arounds. And I'm feeling pretty darn happy about the whole thing! 🙂

TTFN,

Teresa

 

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