Happy Labor Day!

On my last post, I said I was going to be a better blogger. Well, I'm sorry to say that I just haven't had anything "blogworthy" to post about. I have been really lazy lately. Just trying to enjoy the last little bits of summer vacation hanging out with my family. I did take a morning last week and hit the thrift stores near my home. Not a lot of treasures, but I did find a few cute things.

Unfortunately something weird is going on with my computer and it's not letting me upload (or is it download?) my pictures. Frustrating! So, since I don't like posting without pictures, I dug up a few random pics you may or may not have seen before for your viewing pleasure.
Yesterday my number 1 girl and I headed south to see Joy. We met at Goodwill and had fun shopping. I found a few cute clothing items and Joy had a basket full of goodies. We then went to Joy's house and just hung out a little bit.
Today is the official last day of summer for my daughter as she starts high school tomorrow. My son starts 7th grade on Wednesday. It's going to be hard getting back into school mode as it has been a fun, busy and sometimes lazy summer. It seems I have two speeds, crazy busy and completely lazy. Hey, have I said that before? I think I have. Sorry.
This week is going to be crazy with getting the kids off to school and getting ready for the Coburg Antique Fair which Isabel and I will be selling at on Sunday the 7th. I am excited/nervous to do this show as it will be our first time selling there. I hope we do well and sell lots of stuff. What doesn't sell will go directly to Monticello where we will have a special booth for the Fall Premier Sale which begins Friday, September 12th. This is also a first for us and I am thrilled that we will have our special booth set up for a whole month.
Have I mentioned that I am having a hard time getting focused lately. If you had any doubts, this blog post should clear that up. I'd really like to get a few smaller items painted, maybe a couple more shopping carts done (I cut out one this morning), and some bigger items need a little cleaning/fixing up and then I'll be ready to go. I'm torn between doing all that (I didn't even mention all the housework I need to do) and just having fun with the kids. Anyone see "The Rocker" yet? Argggh! Okay, enough rambling.

I'll leave you with a final picture from my stash. Here is a shot of the bed in my sewing/guest room. Doesn't it look inviting? If you could see it right now you would laugh as it is covered in fabric, ribbon, etc.



Hopefully I will get the thing with my computer and camera sorted out soon so I can dazzle you once again with a fabulous post with non-recycled pictures.

State Fair, A Few Projects, Oregon City Antique Fair and a New Friend-I'm Tired!

I have been neglecting my blog so much lately. I apologize to those who have been coming here hoping for some pictures of my lastest thrifted finds and being disappointed to find that I haven't updated. With getting ready for the Oregon City Antique Fair and my kids back to school business, I haven't had much time to blog.

We did, however, make a trip to the State Fair on Friday. My son wanted to compete in the Guitar Hero Competition and he actually won. He was so excited. My hubby is going to take him back to the fair on Labor Day to compete in the finals. He has been practicing non stop and is very motivated to win. While they were doing that, my daughter and I went on some rides, ate some delicious fair food (carmel apples, deep fried twinkies-ugh!) went on a few rides and walked around looking at the booths and exhibits.

Here she is on the lame Haunted House ride.

One of my favorites in the cake competition.

I should have taken more pictures, but I was enjoying spending time with my girl that I just forgot. Speaking of my girl, we got her registered for high school last week which was crazy. The school where she is going is the same one I was lunch lady at for two years and a substitute lunch lady for two years. I have decided though to put my lunch lady apron away as I really want to spend more time on my antiques business and other things like working out and my housework and decorating projects which have been sorely neglected.

Yesterday Isabel and I participated in the much anticipated Oregon City Antique Fair. We have sold at this sale for the past two years and decided to go with a bigger booth this time around. Well, the crowds were pretty good, but I think we were overly ambitious as we didn't seem to sell as much as we had hoped. The hardest part was loading everything back into the truck. It didn't help that it started to rain as we were loading.

Here's a picture of my stuff in the truck. Doesn't it look neat and organized?

Here are a few pictures of our booth.





Click for better detail.

I had bought this big black cabinet from my friend Bobbie at her garage sale. My dad sent me the green glass knobs and they were just perfect fit. I'm glad I got a picture of it as it went home to its new owners yesterday. I think it is much cuter in person.

Here is the bookcase I bought and showed in a recent post. I gave it some creamy white paint and a little distressing. Unfortunately it didn't sell, but that's okay, it will just make the trek with me to the next show we are doing which is down in Coburg. More on that later.

Here are a couple cute little french style side tables I picked up at a thrift store last week. I didn't have to do anything to them. They too went home with a new owner yesterday.

The best part of the whole sale was meeting Christine Lefever. She was talking with Joy who had a booth next to us and we started talking with her too not knowing who she was. When we found out we were all, "oh my gosh, we love you!" She is an amazing artist and a real sweetheart. Someone who is just instantly a friend. No pretentions, just so real and down to earth. Well, she invited us to come over to her house after the show for a little drink and even though we were exhausted, we just knew we had to go. Her home was an incredible victorian decorated wonderland. She gave us each a little pink cocktail and some cheese and crackers and told us to just tour the house if we wanted. I so wanted to take some pictures, but I didn't think it was appropriate. You can see some pictures of her home on her website or on her blog. It was so fun sitting around Christine's kitchen table, drinking, eating and chatting with her like old friends. We even met her dear husband who was so gracious even when I was drilling him with questions.

Well, by the time we got back and unloaded Isabel's stuff (still raining) and then my stuff and then returned the Uhaul, I was exhausted. Ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and went to bed.


This is our last week of summer vacation. Kids go back to school after Labor Day. This is the first year that I can honestly say that I'm sad to see them go back. They are older now and so much more independent. I know it will be hard for me to get into the early morning, getting ready for school routine. Next up for me and Isabel will be the Coburg Antique Fair on September 7th. We have gone to this sale the last few years and it is always a good one. I had the brilliant idea last week that since we are going anyway, we should probably get a booth and sell stuff too. The thought of loading and unloading, then loading and unloading again right now is not a good one, but at least we have a couple weeks before we have to do that.

In the meantime, I will try to be a better blogger. Hey, the sun is shining again! It should be a beautiful week. Have a good one!

Just stuff

I can't believe it is already the middle of August. This summer has definitely been busy, but I'm not ready for it to be over just yet. Isabel reminded me that school is starting in just two weeks. I'm so not ready. I did take my number one boy school supplies and clothes shopping last week, so at least that is a little bit of a start, but I haven't done anything yet with my girl.

BTW, she had a wonderful time at camp and when I picked her up yesterday she gave me a tour of the whole camp which was just awesome. She also filled me in on all the fun things they did. Usually she is not so chatty so I was lovin it! Anyway, I'm glad to have her back home.

Did the garage sale thing on Friday and didn't find much. Here is a picture of the few things I did find.

Cute pink food cover thingy, (I sold a similar white one at Expo) cute wallpaper hat box, two glass flower frogs, box of vintage lace two adorable vintage hats, two crocheted runners (not pictured) and a chalk board (also not pictured). I pick up chalkboards whenever I find them for a good price as that is something I seem to always sell.

One sale was in a neighboring town and was advertised as a Barn Sale with antiques. Well, when I got there I was amazed to find a really cool old farm style house with outbuildings on a very large lot in an older neighborhood. I so wanted to whip out my camera and get some pictures and I would have asked if I could if there was anything at the sale I wanted to buy. Mostly clothes and toys and miscellaneous garage sale junk. I might have to sneak back there sometime and try to get some pics as I am not kidding, this was one cool house.

Last week in the scorching heat I ventured over to the "Street of Dreams" with my good friend Kate. It was industry night so anyone involved with building or decorating the homes was invited. We saw the most gorgeous homes with the most fabulous views you can imagine. Of course they were all decorated with new stuff and since I like the old, none were what you would call my style, but I could definitely appreciate all they had to offer. One had an actual massage room, steam room, sauna, indoor pool and hot tub, movie theater room, wine cellar and separate kitchen all on the lower level. I think it was about 11,000 square feet or something. Anyway, I did have my camera, but was just too overwhelmed to take any pictures. If you live in the Portland area, I definitely recommend you going to this.

I didn't get a lot done last week as I have really been trying to rest my foot. As I mentioned on a previous post, I have been having a lot of pain in the heal of my right foot. A trip to the doctor a few weeks ago revealed that I have Plantar Facaitis. Fun, right? So I have been doing my exercises and icing it quite a bit. I did manage to get one little tiny project done though.

Here it is. The little stool I bought last week with its brand new seat cover. Much better I think. This cutie will be going with me to the Oregon City Antique Fair next Sunday. Isabel and I got a double booth this year and will be next to Joy, so it should be a lot of fun. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and it will not be too hot or even worse, rain.

A couple days ago, my hubby talked me into going blackberry picking with him. I didn't really want to go as it has been so hot here, but I'm glad I did as I was able to make this.

My friend Patty gave me this cobber recipe a few years ago and I love it. It is super easy and can be adapted to make a larger cobbler very easily. I doubled this recipe because I like lots of topping.

Blackberry Cobbler

5 c. blackberries
1 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 egg
1/4 c. butter, melted
cinnamon
brown sugar

Grease bottom of square or small rectangle baking dish and add blackberries. Spinkle with lemon juice if desired. In a small bowl mix flour, sugar and salt. Add egg to mixture and mix well. Pour mixture on top of berries covering evenly. Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Well, that's it for me today. Will probably do some fun housework and maybe a little back to school shopping today. Next week will be spent getting ready for the Oregon City Show. If you are in the area, this is always a fun show. Not too big, not too small, just right! I'd love to meet you there so make sure to stop by our booth to say hi if you are coming.

Have a fun week and enjoy what's left of summer!

Weekend Finds and One Off to Camp

Up and out early on Friday morning to hit the sales in my town. Lots of sales, but mostly kids clothes, toys and newer stuff. I did manage to find a neat old wood bookshelf, a pair of floral applique pillowcases and a neat vintage tablecloth in unused condition. On Saturday I decided I was going to hang out at home and be lazy. I had gotten a few books from the library and it was the perfect time to read (hubby gone fishing, kids sleeping in, etc.).

Later in the day I did happen to stumble (funny how that happens) on a cute pink painted armoire/wardrobe on craigslist in Oregon City and as luck would have it, I was the first who come come take a look at it. It has a few minor problems, but overall very cute and the price was good.

In my mind I am already sanding it quite a bit for a more distressed look and changing out the extra large porcelain rose knobs for some sparkly glass ones from my stash. As I was driving out of Oregon City I noticed lots of garage sale signs. Turns out there was a community garage sale going on in an older part of town (lots of neat historic houses making me drool) so I parked the car. At the first sale I went to I found a very neat old mirror frame, older dresser mirror and painted chippy mug holder. Next sale I got a cute wood/caned vanity bench and rustic little table with a terrible paint job. The next sale I went to had lots of cool antiques, but prices were pretty high. I got a cute old and dirty little wood medicine cabinet with its original glass shelves still intact. Went to a few more sales, but didn't find anything else. Was thrilled with my purchases though.

Yesterday morning I picked up Isabel and we hit the Aurora Antique Faire. I was very good and didn't buy a lot. Just a old mirror for myself, two cute pink corner shelves, a cute metal vanity stool (I have the perfect pc of vintage fabric picked out for this one) and two little silver candle holders.

Here's my haul for the weekend minus the linens and mirror as I forgot to get a picture of those.

My lovely 14 year old just left for camp this morning so I told her I wanted to get a "off to camp" picture. "Oh Mom!" she says.

"Come on, smile like you're really excited to be going," I say. That's better!

She will be gone all week and I will miss her, but at least I'll get to use the computer a little more. I can't believe that my baby girl will be starting high school in just a few weeks. We were at Target yesterday and it was packed with people buying back to school supplies. Oops! I forgot my list. Anyway, it is still too early to be thinking about school as far as I'm concerned. We'll just do like we always do and scramble around at the last minute trying to find everything.

Timi, my new BFF I met at Farm Chicks, tagged me a couple weeks ago to do a mid week Meme. (I still don't know what "meme" means) This one is where I'm suppose to tell four things about myself that you should know in the unlikely event you invite me over for dinner. My response is, "just 4?" Okay, here goes and I'm sorry Timi if some of these things looked like I took them from you, but there is a reason we are BFF's you know!

1. I am a sort of picky eater. I don't like tomatoes, (unless they are sundried or in spaghetti sauce or ketchup) mushrooms, peppers, olives, brussel sprouts and I'm sure a few other things I can't think of right now. You don't have to cook anything special for me, but don't be offended if there is a little pile of picked out things I don't like on my plate.

2. I am not really much of a wine drinker or beer drinker for that matter. Just give me the hard stuff mixed in with something sweet (ie strawberry daiquiri, amaretto sour, baileys Irish cream on the rock, you get the idea).

3. I love to hear your stories and am not afraid or too shy to ask questions. Okay, let's face it. I am a nosey person. I have to know the whole story and if I don't get enough details, I'll probably ask more questions to find out. It drives me crazy not knowing the whole story. That said, I love to tell my stories too (especially after some of the above mentioned cocktails) and I might even interrupt your story to tell you mine. This isn't because I'm trying to be rude, only that your story reminds me about my story and if I don't tell it right away, I'm likely to forget it.

4. If you ask me to dinner, I will always ask what I can bring along and as I am the self proclaimed "queen of the side dish" I will probably bring along some kind of salad, beans, or casserole of some sort. I also really like to bring some kind of yummy hot dip as I love hot dip and I never make it unless I have or am going to a party.

So that's it. I'm sure I could go on with more things, but that gives you a good idea. Speaking of hot dip. I will share with you a recipe I love to make. I call it Theresa's Dip, because my step sister Theresa made it years ago at a family party and I loved it so much I made her give me the recipe.

Theresa's dip

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

1 c. grated cheddar cheese

1 1/2 c. sour cream

dash of Tabasco

1 small can chopped green chilis (I use mild)

6 oz. chopped cooked ham

1/2 c. chopped green onion (tops and bottoms)

Mix all together and back in a casserole dish for 30 minutes at 375 degrees. Serve hot with tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Well, that's it for now. Just waiting for my honey to come home from a five day fishing trip this morning. Can't wait to see him. He had a very successful trip and had a lot of fun too. I already gave him a heads up about the new (old) furniture currently gracing the front porch and he's in such a good mood that he said he doesn't even care about it! Woo Hoo!

*Blogger is once again driving me crazy. Before it was adding spaces now it's taking them away. I can't win!

Mid Week Miscellaneous Stuff

As I mentioned in my last post, it was a very busy weekend. Sunday morning I took my dear MIL to the Lake Oswego Antique Fair. The show was pretty small. Smaller than last year. Isabel and Joy were selling, and I saw Sue and these sweet boys. I was on a mission to find some cheap old tea spoons (I'll explain why later) and I did find some at Joy's booth and at another for .25 and .50 each. I also found a couple shabby chic pillow shams, a floral basket to add to my collection and an unusual doll which I have already taken to Monticello. Didn't get pics of any of it, so sorry.

Anyway, my in-laws left on Monday morning and I couldn't tell you what I did that day. Just a lot of laziness, I'm sure. Tuesday morning I dragged the kids to Monticello to drop off some stuff and pick up our check for the month. It was so fun running into Debbie and Kathy. Kathy, you may remember, won my blog anniversary vintage wallpaper giveaway. After Monticello I took the kids out for lunch and to the mall to walk around a bit. We have had a busy summer what with going to Maui, camping, the kids to California, but ever since they got back there has been a lot a loafing around on the computer, in front of the tv, so it was good that I got them out of the house for a bit.

Yesterday I was a hankerin for a little bit of thriftin so off I went to the shops closest to my house and am I ever glad I did. I didn't find a lot, but I'm thrilled with what I got.

First stop was the Goodwill where I found this awesome vanity. It needs a little work, but it has great detail on the wood, original wood casters and gorgeous original hardware all there and accounted for. The price was awesome too.

Next stop was at Value Village where I found these four chairs for a song. I also got an incredible ornate old picture frame, vintage roses tins and a nice heavy Bates chenille spread in great condition. I have been looking for some dining room chairs and with a little paint and some barkcloth seat covers, I think these will be great!

A stop at the Salvation Army thrift store turned up nothing. I had to hustle on home as I had listed that headboard I showed on my last post on craigslist and I had someone coming to look at it. It sold! Yeah! Later in the day I also sold a white drop leaf table to one of Isabel's old neighbors. She is going to use it as a desk in her new place.

Awhile back I spotted the cutest thing on Laurie's blog. Let me back up here. I first met Laurie at Monticello where I overheard some people calling her a celebrity. Turns out she and her floral toleware collection were featured in Better Homes and Gardens. We started talking about our collections (I have a ton of tole trays, all hand painted, all featuring pink roses, of course). Her trays are the transfer printed kind. Anyway, I ran into Laurie at Farm Chicks and found out she had a blog. The funny thing is that I had visited her blog and didn't even know it was hers until I read her post about Farm Chicks. Anyway, she had the cutest little bride and groom that she made so I asked her if she had any more.

She did and here is the lateest in my collection. I love it because I know it is hand made by Laurie. Isn't it adorable? I had a really hard time getting a good picture because of the glare on the glass. Thanks so much Laurie. It's awesome.

On another random note, the other day I opened my front door to find a shopping cart (the kind I make liners for) sitting on my front porch with some cute pink pom pom fringe hanging on it and a note from my friend Mitzi. Mitzi, who doesn't have a blog, is a fabulous mosaic artist and has a booth at the famous Stars Antique Mall. I have mentioned her before. Well, she had found the cart for really cheap and knew I could use it. When I called to thank her she told me that she had a couple little things to give me that she found in her thrifting adventures and if I wanted to stop by she would give them to me. Well, yeah. This is what she so sweetly found for me. She said she saw them and thought of me and couldn't just leave them there. Isn't this the most gorgeous mug? And, in my opinion, you can never have too many rhinestone buckles. A few days later another shopping cart appeared on my front porch. What the... Another call to Mitzi revealed that yes, she is the one that left it. Wow, do I have the best friends or what?

And now, for why I was looking for tea spoons. I had this little lamp which I got in Silverton recently and a little wire lampshade frame so I decided to put the two together and I copied Isabel's idea for a lamp she made and sold at Farm Chicks.

Here is my latest creation. It felt so good to work on a project again. It feels like it has been ages since I worked on anything and this came together so quickly.

Heading over to Joy's today to help her get ready for her show she is doing up in Yakima this weekend. Dragging the kids along too. Should be a nice day for a drive out to the country.

Have a great Thursday!

Weekend Re-Cap

What a fun weekend! Busy, busy, busy me! Friday morning I headed out to hit a few garage sales. Pickins were slim, but I did manage to find a couple cute things. Of course, forgot to take pictures of the small stuff, but here is a picture of my bigger finds.

This cute wood shabby chic headboard and bed side table only needed some distressing with my trusty electric sander and a knob upgrade and voila, instant adorable.

I headed back home to do a little housework and rest up for my evening out with my honey. We dropped off daughter and two of her friends at a "Cute is What we Aim For" concert and headed on over to the Portland Spirit boat.

We were a little early, but that was okay as we were able to walk around the waterfront a bit and had fun seeing the preparations for this silly event. The Red Bull Flutag.

I snapped a few pictures of some of my favorite entries.

Lego plane

Squirrel plane

Oregon State Beaver plane

Pretty soon it was time to board the boat, but first a picture. Say cheese!

Everything was lovely. The staff, friendly. The music, perfect, the food delicious. My honey planned the whole thing all by himself. I was very impressed as I'm usually the social director in the family.

Here's a funny story from our boat trip. The "cruise director" introduced the pianist and told us that she is happy to take requests. I joked with my main squeeze, "I wonder if she knows 'Muskrat Love'?" He dared me to ask so I did. She did a decent job playing it and I don't think anyone else on the ship recognized the song, but we giggled the whole time it was playing. Okay, maybe you had to be there, but it was pretty funny. I know, we are the biggest dorks ever.

We got to see some fabulous houses as we were cruising down (up) the river. Here a few I snapped.

This one was for sale.

This one was a mansion.

This one was so cute. Much more my style.

Saturday morning was spent cleaning and cooking. My in-laws came for a short visit and to celebrate my honey's birthday.

On the menu for the birthday dinner:

Herbs De Provence Chicken

Fancy Cole Slaw

Garlicky Mashed Potatoes

Here is the recipe for my Fancy Cole Slaw:

1 1/2 c. mayo

1 t. vinegar

2 T. sugar

1 bag of Cole slaw mix

1 c. golden raisins

1 c. coarsely chopped walnuts

2 apples, peeled and cut into large chunks

Mix first three ingredients together in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and refrigerator at least one hour before serving.

This recipe is very adaptable. You can use dried cranberries instead of raisins. I added extra carrot this time just because I had them on hand. Also, if you want to get really fancy, you can candy the walnuts before you add them to the salad. Just mix 1/4 cup sugar and walnuts in a pan and cook on medium heat until sugar is melted and walnuts are coated. Pour nuts onto a plate and let cool. Break up when cool.

I love making this salad in the summer. It is a great barbecue side dish.

Well, this post is getting long and I didn't even get to Sunday yet. On my next post I will share with you our Sunday, a little project and I got tagged for another Meme. This is one I haven't done before so should be fun.

My honey and his Mom (recognize the $5.00 chairs?)

Have a great Monday!

A Winner and My Dress Forms

Happy Friday Y'all! I used the random number generator and the winner of my vintage wallpaper giveaway is Kathy from Colby Cottage. Kathy is an amazingly creative person and she makes the most adorable things. She is also a dealer at the same antique mall I'm at, Monticello. I always seem to find a treasure or two in her booth. Congratulations Kathy! Drop me a note with your address so I can get your prize in the mail to you.

Thanks everyone for all of your heartfelt comments of support and encouragement. It has been such a fun first year of blogging and I look forward to many more!

Now on with the show!

As I mentioned on a previous post, Tiffany of Shabby Scraps is hosting a Show Me Your Dress Form party today. Stop by her blog to get a list of participants.

This is Manni. She is a dress form I bought from my friend Bobbie a few years ago. She lives in my bedroom and loves to wear lots of jewelry and vintage slips and dresses. I love to change her outfits from time to time.
















Here is an older picture of her that many of you may remember from either my blog or my Flickr pics. I actually upgraded my account recently and got a few free Moo cards. This is one of them featuring Manni.















I have sold a few dress forms in the past (can't keep them all). Here is the most recent one I sold at Expo. I named her Millie, but told her new owner that she could name her whatever she wanted.

This is what Millie looked like before I ripped off her ugly blue/gray fabric.

















And here she is at Farm Chicks in all of her farm girl glory.


















And finally, here is Manni again. An older picture of her in her special spot in my room. She loves roses too and it's a good thing as she is surrounded by them.

If you are interested in seeing more of my house decorating pictures you can click on the "Decorating" category on my side bar.

Hope you enjoyed my dress form pictures.

My hubby is taking me on a dinner cruise date for our anniversary tonight while my daughter goes to a concert with her friends. Tomorrow hubby's folks arrive for a weekend visit. Have a great one everyone!