Exciting News!

So, the news I have to share is....

I'M ENGAGED!

I have been with my fiance for 7 years - since the beginning of our junior year in high school!  He is my best friend and makes me laugh like no one else can. 

The story?

We'll I did have some idea it was coming...I had actually been waiting on it for more than a year!  The day started like normal, but I began to wonder when he got a suspicious phone call that afternoon.  He answered the phone and started acting really sketchy - telling the person he hadn't gotten around to "something" yet.  I asked him about it and he blew it off as a colleague.  I asked him about lying later and if he was really good at it on the spot - he, of course, is.  So after, that I knew SOMETHING had to be up.

That evening we went snowboarding - my first time!  I managed to make it down the will 4 times in 5 hours, a world record I believe.  Sometime that evening he asked me to take a break and sit with him for a few minutes.  That's when he really started acting weird.  Instead of being his normal chatty self, he barely talked to me at all...and just gave me a one word response when I asked a questions.  But, nothing happened - he eventually wanted to get up and go snowboarding again.

Well, after snowboarding we went to grab some fast food and took a friend home.  We pulled into the parking lot and he walked around to my door.  I handed him the drinks - he sat them on top of the car.  I grabbed the food - he took it away from me.  I stood up - he said "Katie, something is about to happen." Talk about being confused!  After I asked what, he bent down on his knee and started his speech...which honestly, I really don't remember - I was just so happy.  It was a beautiful night in our college town - a place that built both of us, helped us grow together, tore us apart - a town that means so much to both of us.

He told me later that I was so close to spoiling this day.  I grabbed his jacket a few times to find keys or something and the ring had been in his pocket all day!

Dreamy Whites Giftcard Giveaway

Have you ever visited the Dreamy Whites blog?  If not, now is a better time than ever!  She has gorgeous photos, is an amazing decorator, and now she has a giveaway going on.  Enter here for a chance to win a $200 giftcard to White Flower Farmhouse.  Also, check back soon as I have some exciting news to share!

Saturday Junkin' & Goodwill Tuesday!

 I spent last Saturday with my mom going to yardsales, and ran to goodwill on Tuesday during my lunch break!  Here are the great deals I found!

At a junkin' store, I snagged a pair of oil lamps for $5!  I placed one with my collection on the fireplace and the other as the centerpiece on my NEW TABLE!  I found it at an antique store for under $100!  It looks like it is an old card table.  I found the pottery at goodwill - $5 a piece.  Not too bad.  I've seen the one on the left in a few antique stores for a lot more than what I spent.

 I thought this was a cool little piece to sit on the stove - a quarter!

 I snagged this cute American flag baskets at goodwill for $2!  They are sitting on top of my kitchen cabinets.

 

The cookie jar is a goodwill find (my mom use to have a whole collection of dishes in this pattern) and the jar of clothespin is another find from the junkin' store.

This picture is what I'm most proud of. I only spent A QUARTER!  It has an orange spot on the painting.  I thought about dabbing it with water to see if it comes off, but I don't want to ruin the painting.  Any suggestions?

Here's a snapshot of my "dining room".  The chairs at the table were a dumpster find by a friend.  The ones in the corner are a bit too low for the table - but together I only spent $10 on them.  The red basket and painting in the chair are both goodwill finds.  I love being cheap!

Chicken Coop & More!

Finally, the finished product.  This is my apartment as of today, I'm ready to move and get more space!  See the chicken coop turned coffee table?

 I credit the mantle to my sister - she set it up the day I moved in.

 Coffee table again!  Like the board games in the background?

I just bought this table today from the Southern Comforts antique show - I brought it home and didn't know what to put on it, so it may not stay this way for long.  I got the lamp base from goodwill for $1 one weekend!  The lampshade is from Walmart, but I'm not sure I'm a fan of it yet - maybe it's a bit too big for the lamp.  What do you think?

Now, I need to find a dining room table and an actual tv stand! 

I'm back!

Sorry for the lack of posting, but I'll be back this weekend with updates of what I did with the chicken coop and decorating my new apartment!  In the meantime, check out Phat Fiber a chance to win some gorgeous fall-colored roving!  I've also opened up a twitter account (@countryclutter) to give quick updates throughout the week!

What could I be doing...

with this?  You'll see soon!

Soda Crates

So, this is my favorite thing in my little studio apartment.  It greets me as I walk in the door and I can stare at it on my couch.  I don't have a patio or balcony, so it's great to have some greenery inside.  The stand is really rusty, but I love it - it was truly a steal.   Recognize the metal piece and gas can from before?  I am going to put a fern in the basket on the ground - need some moss first.