A few more great finds

Last night, while browsing my blogroll, I came across Notes From a Cottage Industry's post on last weekend's Camas Vintage Street Faire.  I was ecstatic to see all of her lovely photos of the occasion, and especially thrilled when I happened upon a picture of the very table that I was telling you about with the very benches that I purchased. 

Credit

Here was the set-up that I fell in love with.  Minus the overly large centerpiece.  That wouldn't work if you're into talking to those you're sharing dinner with. 
Of course all of the pictures are worth checking out, so hop on over to the above link.

Speaking of good finds, my sis, Amber, did an awesome rehab project on an item she purchased from Goodwill, while visiting.  She also writes wonderful fairy tales with a twist,

so you should check out her post.

Here is the beautiful AFTER:

While Amber was here, we also made a visit to Home Goods, where I picked up this life-appropriate piece:

Amen. 

This needs to be in a place where it gets read EVERY day.  I've been married now going on five years and already I find myself wishing things were simpler--like they used to be.  Although times have changed now that we are parenting two young children and we're running a large operating business, there is no reason we can't aspire to making our life a bit more simple.  But how do we? 

I sense a post on this subject coming very soon.

Finally, is this lovely wall hanging from Burlap Luxe.

When I laid eyes on it, I had to have it.

photo courtesy of Burlap Luxe

Dore, the artist, shares the beautiful story on her blog that inspired this piece.  When I read it, it reminded me so much of my Brooklynn and her tender, sweet soul.  She is the same sort of spirit who would tell another, "sing and fly."  And it is the same message that I want for her.

Thank you Dore for sharing your talents with strangers!  I am still very touched by this piece!

It's final resting place is still unknown, however, I plan to keep it in Brooklynn's room.

You can find more of Dore's pieces in her Etsy shop.  They are beautiful!

vintage finds and three beginner lessons on antiquing

Good Monday morning!

I hope your last weekend of August settled golden rays upon you,

and your activities were full of summer pleasure.

Saturday found me in an empty house without two busy toddlers or a husband to care for.  My family spent the day and the evening in Long Beach, while I remained home preparing cookies for a baby shower and enjoyed peace and quiet.  Well actually it wasn't that quiet.  I looked to Pandora for tunes whilst in the kitchen and phoned various friends and family members to liven my afternoon.

As you might remember if you read my last post, and for those of you who asked what I bought,

I started Saturday with an last minute remembrance and trip to the Camas Vintage Street Faire!

Boy, it couldn't have started my day off any better!  Afraid I might scare some into thinking I was there to steal ideas, I ended up leaving my camera in the car.  So, I haven't extra pictures of the Faire in general.

I'm fairly new at this vintage/antique shopping madness.  I've been a fan of Camas Antiques for some time, but this was my first 'vintage show.'  I get it.  I throw my hands in the air! 

Antique shows and vintage finds = heaven.

The booths were amazing and I believe I walked the street up and down at least four times, scanning for the perfect finds and deciding on specific purchases.  There were a few that I couldn't pass up:

Milk crates.  I've been wanting a few of these babies for a couple years now.

{Think golden glazed pumpkins adorning the shelves.}

Mom--I'll need your decorating expertise soon.  Real soon.

This lovely shelf is chipping lead paint in light pink.

When I retrieved this pick from the back of my vehicle, I was overcome

with the reality: rust stains, lead paint and MOLD!?!

Heavens.

It looked so precious in the booth, eye-level, holding various vintage treasures.

Lesson 1: Things aren't always what they appear to be.

But still, there is a vision...

{hang in Brooklynn's room for sweet things to rest...like fake cupcakes and filled jars of sorts}

This duo comes from a Mennonite farm in Hubbard, Or.

Lesson 2: The history is half the fun!

I'm not sure what you are thinking about these, maybe--I hope she didn't pay more than $10 for those...ouch.  Well prices are for only me to know.  Not you...or Husband.

Upon picking up these benches, (with the help of the neighbor boy who works for Husband)

I was once again overcome with the reality of what these pieces of wood had to offer.  It didn't help that the boy laughed, informed me of more lead paint, and told me I needed to sand and repaint.  Would Husband kill me?  "Yes," he replied.  Then I recalled a trick of the trade~

Lesson 3: Remember your vision!

because you will most likely have to explain yourself.

Because I couldn't talk the boy into visioning with me, ( he also laughed that I even had a blog, and questioned if I was too old for that?)

I retreated in my mind to the place where I met these two:

{at a picnic table covered in a burlap tablecloth, with fine place settings about the table. 

Perfect for my love affair with outside dining, which I plan to do plenty of next year.}

Moving on.

A few dainty treasures that accompanied me home:

two sweet fabric headbands for Brooklynn

a bead and ribbon bracelet. 

a fabric pin-cushion bracelet for a special quilting fanatic...

and this large, green Mason jar whose future is to hold many fresh-cut bouquets.

So there you have it.  My first real shot at vintage/antiquing. 

After all the trial and error and the lessons learned, I still had a great time.

Don't tell Husband, but I'm looking forward to the next show in September!

The kids are away...

including husband.
They're on their way to the beach to cheer Uncle Jon on in his Hood to Coast relay run that ends this afternoon. It ends at Seaside Beach in Oregon, so they plan to give him high-fives and then jaunt over to Grandpa's property to say hello, and maybe even take a tractor ride.

So what am I going to do while my babies are away, you ask? 

Well, before I made any sudden jumps, I had to remind myself of how rare the opportunity. 

So I quickly tossed out my initial ideas of how I might spend this day: 

clean house from top to bottom
(including the marker on Asher's wall and the diaper ointment slathered on his blinds)

insert business invoices
grocery shop

Then it came to me.

The Camas Vintage Street Faire starting in 30 minutes!
I must fly upstairs and fix this mess pronto!
I'm expecting oodles of beautiful finds and treasures beyond my hearts content,
and I'll be armed with my Nikon!
If I make a purchase, or two, or three, I will share them with you.
Never mind the if, this is my day, and I am prepared to shop!

Other events on today's list:

a lake run.  (My back is feeling MUCH better.  Hoorah!)
decorate the sweet cookies for tonight's baby shower (show & tell tomorrow, Monday?)
AND
enjoy the quiet.

Everyone needs quiet.

Here's to a fabulous Saturday!

The Invitation

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shrivelled and closed from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it, or fade it, or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own; if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself. If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul. If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty even when it is not pretty every day. And if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand at the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, 'Yes.'

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the centre of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

-Oriah Mountain Dreamer

{This was read during my friend, Shannon's wedding ceremony this last weekend.  It was perfect wording for this perfect couple.  I've known very few people like them--people who thrive because they embrace life in its fullness.  Pictures and re-caps to come.  }

Just the ticket

The beach was just what we needed. Warm breeze, Saturday market, fresh oysters on the grill, dining out, a trip to Scoops Ice Cream Shop, a surprise cousin visit, sand pits for the little ones, and a seagull feeding frenzy. I wasn't about to put it past those squawking creatures to group-attack us for any last remnants of bread. I am not a bird person, but I've known this.  I was feeling very brave.

The kids got to ride Grandpa's big green tractor a few times, too, and absolutely loved it. During one ride, I slipped out to hit up the bead shop and a few others. Seems that beading and the beach go hand-in-hand! There were beads galore and people dreaming up creations left and right. I found a small handful of charms and got a few new ideas for my book marks. I hope to show you soon!

I hope your weekend was just what you needed, also. Hang tight--just two more days till you can fill the next!

p.s. Did you notice there aren't any pictures? It was a sad moment on our drive to the beach when I noticed I forgot our camera. But you don't need a camera to make fond memories, right?! 

weheartit

a beachy weekend

What are you up to this weekend?

They are talking heatwave here for the next 3-4 days.
So, I'm preparing the family for some relaxing time in Long Beach.

Here's what I'm hoping for while away...

~A picnic on the beach with some good reading time and play time for the kids.

~Saturday Market at the port of Ilwaco on Saturday

and possibly the Blues and Seafood Festival that afternoon. 
Mmm...fresh fish and chips, anyone?

~I'd also like to pop by the Bead Shop since I've never been...I'm dreaming up a Sea Series of book marks.

~And of course catching a sunset or two would put the icing on a dreamy weekend.

Astoria Bridge glazed in sunset via funbeach

Have fun in the sun!

xo

Scraps, Chickens, Cherries and Checks

Plenty of you know that my sis, Amber,
has some serious quilting skills,

and whips quilts out like nobody's business. 

 So you might imagine how I felt when she came in town for six days

and told me to get ready to quilt! 

I was ecstatic!

I had an in-home tutor for the better part of the week,

and it was just what a newbie-quilter like me needed. 

I was able to finish my Americana Quilt topper less the final border, (pics later)

 like I had planned, and then suddenly,

 I was hit with this:

Amber found my baby bib scraps.

And what's a serious quilter do with scraps?

Make blocks!

She cut the largest sized blocks she could from all these different fabrics.

I believe they are 3 1/2 in. blocks, and she was able to cut

a significant amount, like 150! 

Then she talked me into spacing them with white blocks to give the quilt

a modern feel.  I like that it gives all the

funky patterns and colors room to breathe.

As you can see, this is something to be very proud of!

Using up scraps empowers a woman. 

I chose this fabric to use as the binding,

and I plan to use Amber's sweet little

binding tutorial on her blog. 

She was going to help me prepare the binding...

but we ran out of time.  I feel a fiasco coming on...

but I'm going to pray for good results.

I tend to get a wee bit frazzled when it comes to cutting fabric. 

So who knew that when you're a visitor

you must come bearing beautiful gifts?

Apparently Amber does!

I had a feeling about these cute roosters

when I spotted them on her blog a couple days before her visit,

and even told Husband that I may be in for a surprise...

but then I felt so rude to feel entitled, because she does have a lot of friends...

But low and behold, there was this with my name on it.

She heard me say last time I saw her that I like roosters.

I especially love these colors!  Light yellow, red, black and white.

I just love the applique.  The detail is amazing,

and it is all so darn cute!

Can you see the intricate quilting?

"Chickens, Cherries and Checks."

I can't wait to hang it in our new home!

I love my sis.  We deserve to live near each other! 

It has been far too long.

Can you imagine what sort of projects we could conquer?

the evolution of fresh blueberry pie.

Really, much needn't be told when there are pictures like these...but I'll give you a few details anyway.

This was my family's first trip berry picking!  Since Amber was in town last week, she came with us to join my sister-in-law and my niece and nephews at Valley View Blueberry Farm.  It was way too much fun, and I think I'd like to try and do again soon.  It was perfect for the kids, and apparently the owners don't mind that little fingers eat at least a handful or two in the meantime. 

Do you find yourself feeling overcome with addiction while you pick berries, too?

There were various types of blueberries. 

Taste-testing was a pleasure while hunting for the perfect picks.

My visiting sis, Amber

My SIL, Jeannie and I

Asher

My niece, Olivia

Brooklynn

Asher and his cousin, Hunter

Now for the assembly of blueberry pie:

The fruits of our labor in golden delicious shape.

Just wish I was feeling this way about my body after all these treats.

Oh, yeah.  I forgot to mention we made homemade vanilla ice cream to go with it.

In my family, it's homemade

or bust.

Doing any berry picking?  If so, how do you plan to use them?

mini crisis, fine dining and goodwill steals

It has been the busiest two weeks of my life. I finally positioned myself mentally to get a grip this morning, so I am back at it. Back to the day-to-day but hopefully without the mini-crisis every couple hours. I think its been a mix of my strained back interfering with my exercise routine, a whirlwind of summertime festivities, while being dragged back into our business scene. I was almost freed from such obligations when we hired outside help, but the help turned out to need my help. I never could get too far from the office, so now I am back in the books. I will deal. I will.

Last week I had the most fun in a long while. My sister, Amber came to visit! Sometimes when I am around my sisters, I see a reflection of myself, and/or my mother. It is quite interesting at times, but isn't it great to be around people who you have so much in common with? In mannerism, interests...and looks? It is always such great bonding time. I just wish we all lived in the same vicinity. As I said on Face Book after I dropped Amber off at the airport, I think it should be against family rule to live in different states. Seriously.

Ambs and I had a delightful time together. Over the next couple posts I'll show you what we were up to. We are happenin' girls, so the week we were together was overflowing with ideas, places, and activities--from blueberry picking, and sewing projects galore, to fine dining and Goodwill steals. Top that off with some homemade vanilla ice cream and blueberry pie and a sweet visit to Saint Cupcake. It's a tradition that I take each visiting family member to Portland's very best cupcake shop.

Hope things are going well in your neck of the woods!