Poppy and Ivy

Flying By The Seat of Our Pants.....

Years back, for reason I don't even REMEMBER, I became Facebook friends with "Grandma's Place" in Omak, WA. It's a store that is a 6 hour and 39 minute drive away from me. 

I think her story talked to me. Small business owner. Vintage with a twist of new "old looking" items. We were both trying to figure out customers, shoppers, the economy, what to order and such.

Then her Facebook page said she was a vendor at "A Vintage Faire" in her area and the pictures made me DROOL...after the fact of course. And I worked quite a steady bit at that point too...so it wasn't in the cards.

So she posted THIS a few weeks back....with this lovely photo

And I looked at it and looked at it...and looked again. 

The I called my Mom a few hours ago and said "How do you feel about a road trip ?"....15 hours BEFORE the road trip. And she said "I've gotta go pack...buh-bye"....and so there we go. 

I don't which route we're taking, what hotels we're staying at...it's all a mystery. I LOVE it. It's the complete opposite of the last 20 years of my life. I think my mom feels the same way.

It's a "What Now?" trip! 

Love it....

Cheers to last minute road trips.....

 

The Best Friday the 13th EVER

I would be lying if I said I am not superstitious. 

I am CRAZY that way. 

We've been on super warp speed it seems. No particular reason that I can name, but we came home from vacation at the end of the school semesters and the start of softball....maybe that's it. I cannot put my thumb on it, but day to day feels much more like 14 hours then 24. 

Mr. Hollands took off at 5:00am on FRIDAY THE 13th because he has NO respect for superstition whatsoever. I was texting him and asking for passwords to accounts, safe pass words, etc. He'd text right back "You're sick". Ummm...okay. RUDE.  I TOLD YOU....NO repsect from that man. 

I forged ahead in my day....and YES...a black cat crossed my path and I remained calm. 

Why? Because everything was going oh-so-well. 

I brought in 3 bags of new product to Splendid and I found SO many things missing from my space. Time to RESTOCK even more!

And btwen junking, thrifting, filling and moving my spaces around, there was some prom dress shopping time. WHERE did the time go??? How did my baby get old enough to shop for prom dresses?

I think we found THE ONE. Why her head is tilted like that is really beyond me. 

I swear...she's a human, not a broken bobblehead. 

If only every Friday the 13th could be like today.......Cheers to superstitions being tossed aside! 

 

 

I love Easter Bunnies...and chicks too!

This week was NUTS. I had fires to put out left and right.

I never made it to Camas Antiques, even though my trunk was FULL of items for my space....Jewels, vintage games, place settings, ironstone......oooohhhhhhhhhhh 

Saturday??? I hope I can manage that one, but the high school has scheduled 2 softball games for my daughter's team tomorrow. Grrrr.....I hate Time Management. Every time you THINK you've got it....

I did make it to Star's and updated my holiday, small furniture, etcetera....

Hope you enjoy getting your bunny on the next few days! Happy Easter! 

 

 

Finds of the Day

It was a family weekend filled with some birthday celebration action, but leave it to me....I snuck some shopping in.

That's how I roll.....

Back to Reality

We're home, happy and tan. We have taken in 14 nights of sunsets, 15 days of sand, pools, paddle boarding, snorkeling, shopping & luaus!

Sadly...Portland is wet, nasty & cold. Booooooooo....

I landed, unpacked, did laundry and now I am a painting fool (frames!...tables!) and pricing left and right for my spaces. 

This weekend at Camas Antiques, there is a special event sale. 8 years in business! The sale takes place Friday, March 30th and Saturday March 31...10:00-6:00. I had HOPED to land from Maui, head to Camas and refill my space, but alas...common sense took over. We were EXHAUSTED from our overnight flight, but I have NO doubt all the other booth owners went above and beyond. I was pretty well stocked when we took off. 

It's been rough blending back into a Mai Tai free life....but I'll survive. I am back to my bed, my dogs and my art area! Let the creativity begin! 

A Whirlwind of Epic Proportion

Last week at Splendid, there were MANY sales throughout the shops due to Portland Expo.

I knew it would be a big weekend, but when I received my readout of weekly sales on Monday, I PANICKED. 

I tossed on my clothes the following Saturday morning and RAN out the door....it was a pony tail and mascara day.

I was NOT dissapointed whatsoever.I found something for EVERYONE....for my artist friend... canvases, for my Incredible Shrinking Woman Friend...some great new articles of clothing, for my spaces...TREASURES!

A handmade, linoleum sided shoe shine kit was a favorite find of the day. The wooden shelves inside and the MANY brushes were worth it ALONE! (Can be found at Splendid)

Gnomes are People Too....

This pig bank was NOT easy to let go of...."Catch and release" is NOT my gig. (Camas Antiques)

Some GREAT rusty, crusty and chippy finds.....(Now at Splendid)

Close up of GREAT containers! I get so sad at packaging these days. LOOK at the fonts, the wording, the pictures.....those WERE the days. 

Yesterday I packed my Splendid space to the rafters....hope it lasts for 2 weeks!

And today I stuffed my Camas Antiques space, took care of some extra errands, mailed more Etsy and bought tanning lotion....all while the winds blew, the skies POURED and the weather men reported "chance of snow". 

It's not easy to think tropical during torrential rainstorms.

Camas had my attention for 2 hours. New tables, I culled the "old" old stuff, added new "old stuff"....that's the name of the game.

Camas got a few Spring touches....pinks and greens

And I am slowly letting go of my ribbon & cotton ric rac COLLECTION......I really need to walk away. I am ONE woman. I cannot possibly use 19,539 yards of ribbon in my lifetime. I have to share...I do. I REALLY do. (sniff, sniff).

And now...I pack for THIS....

Many thanks to my sister-in-law for sending me this picture today and reminding me to keep my eye on the prize. 

Laundry....sleep....PARADISE! 

 

 

 

 

March Madness

The last 45 days have been some times of crazy fun...filling my new spaces, Etsy sales, the Funky Junk Sisters sale, suddenly moving from my old space in Battle Ground, WA, but it's been a GOOD rush.

Looming ahead is a vacation which is ALSO good (and MUCH anticipated in our house!), but I really need to get the spaces FULL and some back-up people  to help make it look presentable in my absence.

I brought 4 bags of new items to Camas Antiques this weekend and I have 3 bags for Splendid.

I love painting furniture again, sanding frames, packaging smalls, thrifting...I am BACK!

There is a lot of driving involved. I personally really enjoy drives. My music, the country side, but these days, the SKY! The sky has been putting on SHOWS for us! 

Crazy rain storms today followed by sunshine. We've seen it ALL in the last 24 hours. 

And the finds. I LOVE the finds. Here is a fun one from today. Keep or sell? I hate that part.....this would look great in my backyard. ...a bit of jasmine weaving it's way through. Oh man. 

And things I passed up because they are slightly terrifying.

I passed this doll up. She was wet and sitting on a bottle return machine. I really contemplated grabbing her. What mom is letting her kid snuggle up to this one armed, scary looking doll? Well...an hour later, she was gone. Someone loved her enough to grab her or reclaim her. I think she would left me with terrible night mares. 

Tonight I will be packaging chenille bunnies...I couldn't pass up chenille! Cheers to bunnies....and CHENILLE! 

 

 

 

Inspiration Gathering Day

I feel relaxed a BIT now that I have my spaces full and found such great things this weekend.

I spent the day looking at some of my favorite places for ideas and the evening I spent reading magazines, books and Pinterest....the best Time Suck Ever Invented. 

Now THAT is what I call a good day. 

 

 

Workin' It

After our great New Orleans dinner that went very late into the night...Mr. Hollands woke me saying "It's time to start WORKIN' IT!!!!!". 

Ouch. I hate morning people.

We tried many a thrifty venue. No success. No success. No success.

Then, the end of the day was pure FUN! 

We found European postcards/stamps & travel photos. Jell-o molds.Iron gates. Crazy lamps. Mercury glass. Buttons. Handmade wooden boxes. Shells. Rusty pails. Glass. Even CRAZY cute shelves marked "free" on a curb. WHAT? THAT is some good ju-ju!

And the best news of the weekend WAS that I had found a copy of Flea Market Style Magazine....a FAVORITE of mine. 

THEN the good news shifted. It was that they have a section called "Best Vintage Sales from Coast to Coast" and that two of my favorite sales, that I take part in, were voted in the magazine! I am SO proud to be part of something that really smart, savvy business people make happen. 

A Vintage Gathering. Ohhhh......the sweet ladies that helped me through a really rough year. I got my groove back with these LOVELY gals. I knew that for one Saturday a month, during the spring and summer of 2011, that I would laugh my head off while being surrounded by people with the same crazy obsessions that I have! I never knew if I would be holding onto my tent for dear life (spring wind storms!) or sweating to death in the full shade.....but it was ALWAYS worth it! 

And Funky Junk Sisters (Junk Salvation)...my very first forray into the occasional sales. Dixie and Linda are the Fairy Godmothers of Vintage. Cool as cucumbers...they make the whole show run as smooth as silk from start to finish.  

I cannot get over how AMAZING 2012 is going. Knock on wood....I am loving every day of this year so far. Root canals and all....this is a year of fun, new discoveries and WORKIN' IT. 

 

Mardi Gras..known here today as "Fat Saturday"

It took one visit...and I fell in love with New Orleans. Head over heels in love. I came home from my first visit there and researched condos, apartments, & homes. 

We'd been doing Mardi Gras parties for years from people who had donated 5 course meals to the local school auction. Now, after our visit, we cook it ourselves and make everything we loved while we were there. I LOVE marinating foods for days, tracking down hard to find ingredients and I really enjoy being with my friends and family at the end of it all. It's hard work....I will not lie....and it all pays off. 

When I think of New Orleans, I think of some of the strongest sense of pride & community that you EVER did see. That was what struck me. 

So today I cleaned, decorated, cooked, diced, chopped, simmered and blended.....and ended the night laughing, eating and sharing such funny stoires and moments.

Happy EARLY Mardi Gras to everyone...