Consignment Warehouse {A walk down vintage lane}

This morning I went to Consignment Warehouse to explore a bit, and snap some pics to show you just a FRACTION of what they offer. I'm on a mission to show you that buying vintage/old/antique/used is awesome! There are so many reasons to buy something that has already been "loved", but I'll start with the most obvious...beauty! There is so much character in buying vintage! You can't go into Target and buy something that looks like this! I'm asking you to put on your "potential goggles" and take a walk down vintage lane with me.

Ok, here we go...I've been in love with this huge wire basket with handle ever since I laid eyes on it a couple of weeks ago! I see so much life left in this basket.Oddly enough, LOOK at what I came across on Pinterest last week....it looks almost exactly the same! I actually like the one at the store better, because I think the handle is awesome!
{Photo Source}
I actually bought the identical set of these green canisters a couple weeks ago, and they now live on the display area above my kitchen cabinets. I love them! There is one more set waiting in the store, as you see above. ;)
I also bought one of these frames last week, this is the last one I saw left today! I'll show you what I did with it after a certain special someone {love you mom!} opens her birthday present! It's SO cool!
Just two of the many versions of wood crates found all over the store!
How cool is this crate? There are a TON of crates in all shapes and sizes all throughout the store. There are about a million and one ways to use a crate, but check out this really awesome way to serve snacks at a party! It would also be great for popcorn cones! The second picture is a crate centerpiece at a wedding! Want some more crate ideas?? Click here to see how I decorated my high-shelving with a mix of crates!
{Photo source}
{Photo source}
I collect this style and color of Pyrex, and I LOVE them! I display them in my one open cupboard, that I removed the doors from last year. You know I'm a sucker for turquoise or aqua! There's quite a variety of vintage Pyrex at the store just waiting a new home to be put to use whipping up pancake batter in again.
I am drawn to this wooden piece. It's just so pretty to fill up that space on your empty walls that you don't know what to put there.
I LOVE this little drawer! The carved detail on the front is just beautiful! I see this as a place to put your mail that needs to be sorted.
I collect Blue Ball Jars and LOVE them! There are about a billion and one ways to use them beautifully! Below is just one!
{Photo source}
I love these shabby chic mirrors! They're just dying to be put to use again, and have such a cottage feel!
Ok, I'm totally into these vanity trays lately. I recently picked up one that is all silver at the flea market. I love these mirrored ones too, I saw a few of them while walking through the store. Can't you just see your perfume bottles all lined up on it?
Ok, this turquoise stool is just AWESOME! Tell me it's not, I dare you!
I really liked this piece when I walked by it, and then I liked it even more when I opened it up! Wouldn't this be great by your entryway?
I have a favor to ask... I know these things usually take time before people actually get motivated to try something, but I'm HOPING that you are curious enough to go check out Consignment Warehouse....and if you do, please tell the staff that you saw their store on The Baeza Blog. :) I'm hoping to feature the store a couple of times a month and constantly show you new things. Guess what though... if you see something you like, don't wait! It may not be there tomorrow and all of these things are one of a kind! Their address is 2639 E. Noble Ave. in Visalia. 636-3380

Want even MORE motivation to check it out?? They offer layaway!! The owner of the store also has a Etsy shop, which you can check out here.... http://www.etsy.com/shop/hautegreenhutch

Taste of Orange Blossom {TWO specials!}

Last night was QUITE the party in our mouths! You're going to get to see both specials this time, because my husband happened to order the other special. We both started off with the special salad, Asparagus Salad with Raspberry Dressing and a scoop of Habanero Peach Sorbet. I LOVE asparagus on salads!! This salad was SO satisfying. The raspberry dressing was the PERFECT match for this salad! I love when the seasons start to change, and the food follows suit. If you wanna keep your taste buds plain Jane, then by all means, only order ranch for the rest of your life, but you'll be missing out! My body keeps me from eating spicy, but my husband LOVES heat, so he told me the habanero peach sorbet was a flavorful addition, and that the peach (and coldness of it being sorbet) cooled the heat of the habanero. He actually ate a double portion of the sorbet on his salad, and practically licked his plate clean. :)
MY special was the Mahi Mahi with White Chocolate Lemon Butter Sauce! You DO know this is my FAVORITE sauce, right? Right? I know it sounds crazy, but it's the best thing since sliced bread, I'm tellin' you! A HUGE, moist, flaky piece of Mahi Mahi is served on a slice of grilled pineapple, and topped with onion strings! I can't tell you how good this was! I was honestly sitting there eating thinking, "how the heck am I going to be able to tell people how lucky I was to eat this?" Mahi Mahi is one of my favorite fish, hands down. It had ZERO fishy taste, ZERO!
These are the sides that came with each of our specials! Twice baked potato (the CREAMIEST one I've ever had by the way), sauteed greens, ratatouille, and garlic bread! We definitely needed take home boxes last night! EVERYTHING was SO good, we just couldn't stop oohing and ahhing.
Are you ready for this? THIS was Brandon's special...TWO Smoked Pork Chops and THREE Ribs with Spicy Apple Butter! We all know the smoked pork chop with spicy apple butter is one of my all-time favorites here, I always recommend it when people ask. The spicy apple butter is to die for! Brandon said the ribs were just amazingly tender. This could easily have been split by us, so my hubby shared a pork chop with me. ;) I got the best of both worlds, and of course, I shared my Mahi Mahi in return.
Yes, those are REAL apples in the apple butter, see them under the pork chops?
Specials always come with dessert! Brandon chose the OBJ Sink, which can be a Root Beer Float, or Orange Float. Have you ever had a Root Beer Float made with HOMEMADE Bourbon Vanilla Ice Cream?? You should!
I went straight for something I haven't had in awhile...Chocolate Trauma! Chocolate Ganache Tart, topped with Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream, Hot Fudge, White Chocolate, and Caramel! Ohhh yes!
We left with full tummies and full hearts! It's just a feel-good place. :) Check them out here!

Love Letter Cookies

How stinking cute are these love letter cookies? I ordered them from my friend with a cookie biz and they turned out great! Now I can use edible food markers to write sweet notes to my loved ones. I ordered them 3.5"x5" so that I would have enough room to write a whole message. I LOVE how they turned out!

$3 Plank Art

I picked up this Winnie the Pooh thing at a thrift store this week for $3. I saw the potential immediately, because of my Birch Tree Planks made out of a ugly dragon. It's VERY similar. I started off by using the back side. I wanted a edge of wood showing and the Winnie the Pooh is painted all the way to the edges. I easily pried off the picture hanger, and now you no longer know that it's the back. I taped off the edges using painters tape.


Next I painted it Glidden's Deepest Aqua, which I had on hand.
I designed the words the way I wanted them on my Silhouette, and cut them out. I removed the letters, and used transfer tape to apply my stencil. I used white paint on a very dry foam brush to dab the stencil. Then I removed the stencil while it was still wet, as soon as I was done with each plank section. If you wait till it's dry, the paint on the letters might peel up.
My mother in law's house just got done with a month and a half renovation, and I made this for her entryway.
Not bad for $3! :)

My Most Prized Possession

I've been kicking around the desire to do some blogging about my dad. I can't believe it, but next month will be 1 year without him. It's unbelievable to me that he's gone, but gone for almost a year?? Not possible.

For some reason, the other day I was letting myself relive the memories of the day I found out. I try not to think about it because it makes the anxiety start to creep in, and I certainly don't want to relive THAT... or my limbs going numb again. It took a few months for my physical symptoms of the pain to go away. What's left behind is a never-ending longing.

I thought maybe it might be therapeutic to blog about him every once in a while. It kills me that he only had 7 years of being a grandfather. He was the BEST one my girls could ask for.

This is my most prized possession on earth...my dad's old drill bit box. When I was in elementary school, my parents completely remodeled our old house so that they could sell it for a higher price. When I say remodel, I mean the only thing that stayed the same was the shell of the house. Everything internal was gutted, room by room. Throughout the process, even at a young age, I learned a lot. I LOVED demolition days, when we'd be allowed to bust the plaster walls down with hammers.
I've said it before, but my dad could do ANYTHING. I'll share more in future posts, but there was literally nothing he couldn't figure out if he tried hard enough. My husband recently made me realize how much he is like my dad in this way. The speedometer and temp gauge weren't working on our Yukon, and the dealership wanted over $500 to install all new motors in the gauge panel. They said you HAD to replace all of them. Well, Brandon did some searching online and found out that you can replace them individually, and instead of the over $300 price tag to order them from the dealer, they only cost $27 to order online. He ended up getting them from a friend that works at a car dealership, and guess what...he got TWO for $27 and changed them within 30 minutes himself. That is TOTALLY my dad!

I remember this drill bit box from when I was little. It used to have a clear lid that was attached to that hinge. My mom sent this to me after he died and she went through all of his tools. I'm sure she was just thinking that I would use it a lot since I'm always working on something, which is true, but I don't think she knew how much I would treasure it. LOVE your loved ones while you've got them. It'll "never happen to you" until it HAPPENS to you!

Taste of Orange Blossom {Almond Prawns}

Saturday night we headed out to OBJ in hopes of some Smoked Prime Rib. We both ordered it, and then much to our heartbreak, we found out that so did everyone else in the place...right before us! Ha ha! So what do you do when you need to pick something else? Go to your favorite standbys! I started off with a dinner salad with good ol' Orange Caesar Dressing! This is always so wonderful...like a party in your mouth. Between the homemade dressing and the marinated red cabbage, I don't know which I love more.
My hubby ordered the RIBS! A pile (over 2 lbs!) of dry-rubbed spareribs, served with their own BBQ glaze on the side. He went with mashed potatoes, cole slaw, and of course it came with a giant piece of garlic bread!
My favorite standby? ALMOND PRAWNS with Tequila Lime Butter! Heck yes! It's been a LONG time since I've ordered these! This is actually a appetizer, but you can easily order it as a meal like I did. Huge crispy prawns on a pile of mashed potatoes and the most fantastic sauce you've ever had!
I took a close up picture of the thin sliced almonds that are tucked into the breading. Oh.my.goodness. I want more. Like, now.
The special dessert was a Warm Raspberry Tart with Bourbon Vanilla Ice Cream! This was a great combination of the tartness of the berries, the warmth of the tart, and the cool creaminess of the ice cream. SO good!
As always, check them out on the web, and even better...IN PERSON! You'll be glad you did!

Consignment Warehouse

When I say WAREHOUSE, I mean WAREHOUSE! I'd never been in before, although I've passed it thousands (literally) of times. This morning I went in and fell head over heals, in love, that is! This store is my dream come true! Keep your fancy brands and pricey stores, this is where I belong! I snapped a few pics along the way...a huge dresser I would LOVE to restore for my bedroom, a cubbyhole style cabinet to show a friend, a yellow medicine cabinet my niece would swoon for, a small table and chairs set that would be fantastic for my mother in law if I redid them, PILES of crates and wire baskets, BEAUTIFUL frames everywhere you look, a super cute child's size desk. If the store scale was the size of a hand, these few pictures would only represent a hangnail! There is SOOOO much in here! I found out they have layaway too! Check it out near the intersection of Noble and Lovers Lane in Visalia!