Poppy and Ivy

The Part Where Bears Did Not Eat Me......

 I am back in Fairbanks! I SURVIVED Alaskan camping.

I was not killed my pinchy bugs, brown bears, Grizzlies OR my fellow campers. Whew.

We were in Sourdugh, Alaska (really) and not quite to our camping spot when the lovely lady behind the counter who was missing teeth and an important undergarment informed me "Grizzlies are out...want a huntin' pass? I done killed a Grizzly outside ma bedroom window...not even 30 feet outside my bedroom window..just last week. Yep".

REALLY? I mean seriously? Was this just a way to sell huntin' passes? Because really, I will take four passes if it ups my chances of survival. I will. I am such a city girl. I hate it...but I AM.

We pulled up to our camping area (a six hour drive from Fairbanks) and my sister-in-law calmly says "Hey...that's my dad. He drives there every weekend".

It's a 350 miles drive! EVERY weekend! These folks are a WHOLE different animal up here. When I drive 6 hours somewhere....I end up in Canada or three quarters of the way to San Francisco. And I do that once every 4 years...not every weekend. The power of the King Salmon.....

Here are some shots....

Amazing drive. It really was. But did I see ONE moose? No freakin' way. 350 miles of Alaskan terrain and no moose. I finally decided Alaska has some fantastic P.R. people. I saw about 56 moose flower planters, 31 moose mailboxes....NO moose.

We arrived at our camping, fishng destination. The mighty Klutina River. Maybe a bit of a nail biter for folks who have just lost a family friend to a drowning on a river. It was a bit tense for me. I tried to remian calm, but it really was scary. We have seen first hand the results of a fluke river accident in just the last few weeks. Deeeeeeeeeppppp breaths......

On day wo we rafted the Glucana (guessing on that spelling) and bald eagles just SOARED over head. Or in this case, perched. THAT was breath taking.

And finally...on our ride home today.....A MOOSE! It only took 7 days in Alaska. That's just wrong.

 

And back to the good news.....I am not in the lower intestine of a Grizzly Bear.

Wheww...........................

So it's Sunday or is it Monday?.....I have NO clue what day it is. I haven't seen nightfall for 8 days. But what other time could my kids fish for salmon at 1:00am? I wish I were kidding about that.....

Happy Whatever Day it is....

 

Alaska 101

First tip....beware of the FREAKY bugs that my sister-in-law calls the"Scary Sticky Pincher Bug". I doubt that is it's Latin name. But it works for me

This bug was on our windshield and would NOT let go. And apparently, he will do the same thing to your skin. YUCK!  I hate those things....

These are my children and this is a picture of them landing in Alaska at midnight last Sunday. Please note the sun that is BLINDING my son. What the heck? Land of the midnight sun is RIGHT! We are all whacked out! I keep trying to clean things at 4:00am. This is all too weird.....

Look at us (okay...we aren't IN this photo)....we crashed an Official Tour of the Alaskan Pipeline. We really did--- because we are rebels. All of us...R-E-B-E-L-S. There are many Alaskan Pipeline jokes....but we took it even further, then they glared at us and we left. Apparently, they don't enjoy embellishments from locals and/or visitors.

I am just guessing my sister-in-law has lived here longer than the guide has been alive..but whatever.

My daughter running down a highway. Run Forest, RUN!

Am I going to get parent of the year for this photo? I mean really...I could HEAR if a car was coming! We were in the middle of nowhere. I mean....Alaska.

I went to Michael's today. I NEVER get there in Portland, so it was like recess in 2nd grade to me.....

There were many purchases made, but I hear kids screaming to come out and play a MIDNIGHT soccer game.

Really....it's full sun right now.

Here is my home for the next 3 days....

Oh boy.......do the Happy Dance for me.....

Busy Little Bee..

 .....With one BUZZING headache.

I always get so cranked up before a vacation anyway...and I am tossing Bazaar Freak Out into the mix..LOL.

All is well. I decided 15 minutes ago to drop the Super Bazaar Extradonaire Act and just bring my stuff, drop it off, fluff it and BREATHE. Then walk away. If it's not "perfect"...life will not end as I know it.

It's like Dr. Phil got into my head for a minute.

Please make him leave.

Here are some of the goods. And some are not finished. And yet...the Earth is still turning. The sun is still shining. I am still upright. Ahhhhhhh.........deep, cleansing breaths.....

 

Our advertising post card design is so elegant & whimsical. The gal who runs this show out of her home is so professional and perfect at this job!

 

 

 

Love these crazy circus poster cards. You can tell I was getting a bit loopy, eh?

 

Check out the "Oh my! But she is FAT" card. That's how I felt while I have been buzzing all over this week. No walking or aerobics for me this week. LOL...so I had to use that. Not sure how ELSE to use that except on a card.

I did get some soldered necklaces done. Finally.

<Becky...you said I shouldn't do it after a Dirty Martini. HA on you. :) >

 

 

 

Love the unfinished designs. I think I can get those finsihed up tonight. People keep asking me to bring more of these in (people are so kind) and I finally got my act together.

 

 

 

 

 

And I will bring my handy dandy typewriter key necklaces. They are handmade and DONE! That makes them even more appealing.

And I took this picture by accident, but it DOES feature my new favorite shoes! I have apple green and now this lovely orange-red. And they just came out in black too. This makes me swoon. They are cute and I can walk ALL day in them! I just wish a had a big basket of fruit for on top of my head...and I could just sashay through the store and sing festive songs. I really could.

Off to price and "work". It's myself and some dust bunnies today. All good...I have so much to shop stuff to catch-up on. Happy Friday!

June 19th...or 20th..or something like that....

It's all a blur.

Good times, good times all around.

I am getting MY bazaar crafts together, but I KNOW my partners in crime have some lovely stuff. Baby items, cards, dog biscuits, paintings, jewelry, book plates, soaps & lotions....this sale is good times. Sadly, I don't get to hang out with everybody like I used to because I have the shop to tend to. It was quite the social outlet for me!

For Portland, OR locals, you can meet, visit and see the wares of 14 crafty folks at:

3330 NE 30th, PDX OR 97212 on Saturday & Sunday (10:00-4:00) of this weekend. It's a friendly environment, no pressure sales and lots of fine people.

I have soldered some necklaces, collected some stuff from the shop and made some cards. 20 to be exact. And of course, the top sellers the last three days in the shop....cards. So I thought my 20 new cards were for the bazaar, but they seem to be back stock for the items that are selling in the shop! Can't complain. The store has been nice and busy.

Looking back 365 days....I love this once in awhile....I enjoy looking back to see what was happening a year ago in my life. And VERY scary to me is that most of this seems like yesterday! I don't even have some of the estate sale stuff that I just found pictures of OUT on the floor! I need an assistant. Hahahahahaha.....

Last June 15th I made this turtle out of left over cinnamon roll dough. No wonder nobody lets me into the kitchen anymore.....

Oh...this was from a GREAT estate sale and this lamp JUST made it into the back room of the shop. It might make it to the floor yet. I love that sweet lamp. The house was just HAPPY. So happy.....

Oh....I needed some card inspiration. I loved this batch. I need to make more of those!

We had been able to get strawberries and raspberries last year at this time! We were truly lucky to get half a flat of strawberries this last week. They looked like little white and light green golf balls nestled down in the bushes. We need some SUN to make those berries POP!

Happy Friday to you.....back to soldering and crafting for me.

Time Management is Not My Friend

I am standing wild eyed in front of my craft table. It is nearly 2:00am and I just have to give up and go to bed.

In the midst of the craziness called life, I let this craft bazaar sneak up on me. Yes...it's probably the SAME craft bazaar that always sneaks up on me...at least two times a year. And it always ends up okay, but this time I MAY have goofed. I have very little of my hand made goods at the shop and even less at home. I have items I have started...but very few that are, say....finished.

And I leave next week for vacation and I only have 2 days out of 5 covered. I forgot about the shop. How sad is that? I had friend worries, dog worries, cat worries, mail worries, a couple of shipments to be concerned about, watered plant worries, new seedling worries.....the shop slipped my mind.

So what have I done instead? Organized my 4th of July party. THAT I can manage.

I blame it on Magpie Ethel...100% her fault. If she had not posted her adorable 4th of July sailor hats thatgot me wondering where I put mine that I got from her last year....I could have focused. Yep...I am blaming her. My hat IS adorable and it was crafted from a part of the TV listings of an old newspaper..and it says "Lucy gets Ethel into mischief when she has doubts Ricky & decides to follow Ricky around"....like THAT is a surprise? I LOVE that Lucy. She's my girl. I HAD to get thatsailor hat!! It was a no brainer.....

Back to my time management.

I do not have any.

NO skills in that department at all. It usually comes together, but involves my heart beating erratically and maybe some snapping at people. Just family. The rest of the folks are safe.

Off to bed. Sleep tight...don't let the craft bazaar gods bite....

Hang on little tomato...

That is one of my favorite songs by Pink Martini and whenever times feel tough, that song gets played over and over (and over...) until I get through to the other side of the Tunnel of Trouble.

Needless to say...that CD is ready to MELT from my playing it so much this week!

Somebody told me, I don't know who
Whenever you are sad and blue
And you're feelin' all alone and left behind
Just take a look inside and you will find

You gotta hold on, hold on through the night
Hang on, things will be all right
Even when it's dark
And not a bit of sparkling
Sing-song sunshine from above
Spreading rays of sunny love

Just hang on, hang on to the vine
Stay on, soon you'll be divine
If you start to cry, look up to the sky
Something's coming up ahead
To turn your tears to dew instead

Love those words......

So life is "back to normal" after a gut-wrenching Celebration of Life and the Happiest Father's Day that we could muster. We had a "safe" BBQ for the family that just lost their son...they got outside their home and they didn't have dishes to do! And the night ended in a much needed softball game. Kids verses adults. I may never walk upright again. How did two times up to bat hurt my body??? I think we all had so much pent up energy that we needed to RELEASE! And the laughing...oh the laughing....it DID happen and it was much needed as well.

When the times get tough, the tough go craft shopping...

And crafting...

And berry picking....we are so lucky to live in a busy little city and 20 minutes later we can be picking our own fruit! My kids have had over-night guests and craft times galore...this last week made me so panicky. I want them to remember just good times, happy traditions and I want to stop saying "Mommy will be right there...just doing something for the shop". I don't want THAT to be their memory of me!

This favorite family farm offers treasures galore...an exploring extravaganza to the "city kids"!

Can you see the hummingbird above? That little guy was so brave. Then he buzzed my head and I screamed my head off because I am just that way. I love wild life from FAR away. Like in books.

And the berries. OH those Hood berries. We ate so many...I might have some left for strawberry shortcake tonight. They are like CANDY.

And I did some yard work. My husband did the bulk of it....I just fluffed... as is my way.

Happy Tuesday to you all.

Again...thank you ALL for your nice comments and thoughts for our friends as well as the well wishes for us. I have shared it with them all. We are all doing well. THANK YOU kind people!

 

Diversion Tactics...

I really want to close the shop and go over with my family to the neighbors house. I feel SO alone in the shop. I can barely make polite conversation with customers....

My one employee couldn't work today, she is planning for a weekend pool party. I want to say "Please just cover the shop....I can make all the appetizers your guests could eat and MORE at 1:30am......but just cover this shop"...but begging sucks. I am not good at that. Favors are not my forte. Doing...yes...asking...NO. And I feel like I have asked for more favors this week than ever possible.

In a situation like we are experiencing this week, you find out so many delightful things about your community. You might even discover some not so pretty things and that is okay too. You store it away in the back of your mind and can deal with it later.

I told a friend that sometimes people break into homes during Memorials and that we need to have people at the home during that time. Suddenly there is a call that a local police detective will be stationed out front...he's taking personal time to watch the house. He's a father in the neighborhood. Deep sigh...so many good things can come out of this.

So, it turns out I have a shop. Who knew? So....today is "back to normal" yet it's not so normal.

I did finally unpack the delightful boxes of happiness that the FedEx man delivered.

New shipments came today and yesterday....

Amy Butler's book "Midwest Modern". I have been in love with her style for YEARS. Before she had her own fabric lines and paper lines. Her style is fantastic.... loose and serene. Easy.

Aprons in the most luscious fabrics...

And to all of you that have sent such kind notes of encouragement our way this week....

Cookies, Flowers & Bottled Water

My head is spinning...I lay down at night and visions of platters of brownies, cookies and cakes dance in my head. Plates delivered by crying neighbors, teachers, friends, some former enemies even....and a toss in a couple of strangers that read of the tragedy in the newspaper for good measure.

And the flowers. So many flowers. My friends just keep looking a round the house in awe. They said "I didn't know we KNEW as many people as we have bouquets".

Bottled water. My saving grace. When things just get to be "too much"....and that happens often...I stock the cooler of bottled water. I see my friends...a mourning mother and father with water bottles in their hands all day and it makes me feel like I did SOMETHING important. I made the water cold.

There are no words to express how difficult these days have been. Our friends are such troupers. They take a break once in a while, then the doors open back up welcoming all the fore mentioned neighbors, friends, teachers, etc. We live in a neighborhood blanketed by sorrow. It is amazing how far it reaches. I ran to the market for more water (of course) and it seemed I ran into 6-7 other people with puffy eyes who came to me and just embraced me. We don't say a thing. Once again..there are NO words for any of this. We just hold each other. Tight.

Now the concentration is on a memorial. They weren't going to have one, but relented after visiting their son's middle school and seeing all the children come to them, recall stories, hand them little things that reminded them of their son and they realized they needed to celebrate this little man their son had become ...seemingly in the last 8 months. He just bloomed in his first year at middle school.

I am going to work the first three hours of the shop tomorrow, then a friend will cover for me so that I can take some of the kids to dinner, movie and shopping. They need out of the house. Away from the crying. Funny how the crying can help the adults feel almost better in an odd way and if seems to be suffocating the children.

Sorry for another downer posting. I promise I have good stuff hitting the floors this week, we canceled our vacation so I will place a few more orders. Now that I will be here to receive them, I feel better! I have new Curly Girl cards coming, the Amy Butler creativity bags, a new stationary line and new ribbons. I need to be surrounded by some pretty stuff here for a couple of hours:)))

The little boy that died loved wearing his propeller hat to school MUCH to his mother's delight...LOL.

I took pictures tonight of the memory board at his school and I found this photo SO fitting....

Go hug your babies, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, grown children--WHATEVER---....hug them tightly. Tell them you love them. And don't let go whatever you do!

Mixed up, upside down kind of day

First my apologies have to go out to any locals who came to partake in the e-mail sale for 20% off all Father's Day. I will extend that sale all next week, but we had to close early today due to the death of a close family friend.

We tried to be open, make it through the short Sunday shift. My husband opened the shop so I could be with the family...but we just all needed him there with us.

Our friends are a big ol' busy family of 4 kids, 2 parents, a big dog, and two brand new kittens. But yesterday they got news that one of their children drowned during an organized, well-supervised outing. The entire neighborhood is just stricken with sorrow. We just sat at their home, cried, hugged, arranged flowers, made sure the family ate, drank water and tried to keep their smaller children occupied so they could talk with everyone. It was like being in a horrendous dream that you couldn't wake from.

I can't stop thinking that next Sunday is Father's Day...and how horrible that will feel for the father. And that next Saturday is the oldest daughter's birthday...tomorrow is her 8th grade promotion! 3 weeks from now is the deceased child's birthday...these coming weeks will be so difficult for them all.

More apologies for a COMPLETE downer posting.

Will THIS work???

This is my 4th attempt to post today. Apparently...my blog carrier is taking a nap.

It's been a long 6 days since  I have last posted. That is due to my laziness...not a thing to do with Typepad.....

My last few days have been filled with family visits, softball tournaments, shoppping and gardening.

I checked out the Macy's Historic Building addition while shopping downtown....they are putting a hotel onto the top floor. Watch out New York.....Portland is getting crafty and growing UP.

 Attended SO many softball games and sat on many cold bleachers....

Many items were added to the shop, but I am scared to add photos because postings have been frozen or bumped three times today on my blog server.

I hope you have a happy Weekend and that Typepad will figure out how to allow me to post photos SOON!!!