Poppy and Ivy

Where DOES he get it?

In just 11 short days it's Summerfest on Lower Fremont. I feel a slight panic coming on. I wonder if I bit off too much. I am hoping posters get printed and up, postcards get out, I hope that all the vendors show up, are happy, that hot dogs gets cooked and out.....and that is without putting much focus/advertising on my own shop which HAS been pointed out to me by various friends. They said I am putting all my energy in the Lower Fremont stuff and forgetting my own shop being highlighted.

Balance sucks. And I am not very good at it!!!

We have a new artist coming into town....One Funky Chicken.

 

He is a hard worker....and loves to make messes and BLOW through paint brushes.

 

One Funky Chicken is my SON! He is making art and getting ready to have his debut at Lower Fremont Summerfest. He is one busy little dude. He is making cards, decorative tiles, collages, felt/fake fur bird dolls....he is BUSY!

Yesterday was AMAZING at the Oregon Coast. Happy dogs, happy kids and BLUE sky!

 

 

 

A little bit windy....making Pepe look like Bat Dog!

We parked at our favorite spot called Arcadia Park, then drove around into Arch Cape, Cannon Beach and then into Manzanita. At Manzanita we discovered homes are being sold at RIDICULOUS prices. We did some math and realized that it might just be time for a beach home! Insane time on one hand...but very smart on the other. NOW is the time to invest in property...especially property that could MAKE money! Shop...beach ..shop...beachhouse....shop at the beach??? Hmmmmm....

Today is my "Sunday".....tomorrow is back to the shop, so some garden time was called for....

 

Weeding around the bird bath and then filling it back up. The birds come to clean themselves, but the dog drinks out of it! It's always empty!

 

 

 

 

Happy Tuesday!

Lazy Days of Summer

Summer, summer. It was the start of my last post as well. I think I am craving some sun and fun!

The summer weather is back after some GREY days and weeks. And that means people are far more interested in parks, lakes, rivers and outdoor sports. All good. I had my regulars come in for birthday & wedding gifts....for that I can be thankful! It gave me time to get all busy. I posted on Etsy, got the photos ready to continue posting at home, I moved some stuff, clearance a bunch of goodies and I got my Deb Funches jewelry updated and refreshed!

And my baseball team coach came by and dropped off my hat. I sponsored a Little League tee ball team again this year.

I got a few fun finds out on the floor. I could be wrong, but it seems like they'd do better on the shop floor verses in a box in my dark backroom. Call me silly....

A vintage hooch bottle  (which I am selling about 75% less than this--sheesh!) and pearlized chopsticks.

I found a haul of about 10 state trays. They always seem to find their way back into someone's hands that will love them, or they remember their grandparents/aunts/cousins had these on their walls in the 50's and 60's.....I found great states too...harder to find states that is. California, 2 Hawaii, Florida....SUNNY states! It always comes back to the sun now....doesn't it?

I got a little red, white and blue action gathered, reminding me that I need to find Laurie's Hat (my favorite decoration), and get MY things up at HOME! Hot diggity dog I do!

Happy Saturday to you!

Summertime, Summertime

Ahhh...I am a great fan of summer. I love the loosened up schedule, the sun, spontaneous beach trips, the flowers, late night walks or bike rides with no worries of a specific bedtime for the kids.

I get much less of that now-a-days with shop responsibilities, but it makes me love those moments even more.

This week has taken a weird turn with the kids going to Grammy and Poppy's house for the last few days. It all kindof happened suddenly. My son is a homebody and doesn't EVER leave the house for overnights or anything, so when he agreed to hop in the van and head away with my parents, I was shocked! It's an odd feeling. That guy has been at my side daily for 10 years! 

With no children in the house, other odd things are taking place. There are no glasses and wrappers all over, we have perpetually clean counters, no shoes left on the floor for the puppy to eat....and the QUIET. That is just.....so different. I am waiting for the neighbors to call the police to do a welfare check on us.

They would find that we are just fine. Well rested. Getting lots of work done. Reading book after book. And partaking in movies! JOHN and I saw I Love You Man  on Monday and The Hangover last night. WOW. I could watch 8th grade school boy humor ALL the time. Not really proud of that, but everyone could use a good laugh and those two movies delivered. With The Hangover, I was ASHAMED to be laughing half the time....that was a FUNNY one.

I also have been thrifting quite a bit and processing MORE of the never ending garage. It's like Christmas in June! I keep finding bags from Estate Sales that I never even OPENED!

 

 

 

And I love looking back once in awhile. I love going back to exactly one year ago and see where I was, what I had on hand, what new things were coming in and how far I have come! It's been one INSANE ride this last 2 and half years. The economy is only half of it! Last year at this time we were reeling from the tragic death of our friend's son. I just looked back on my June 2008 photos and don't even recognize some of the photos or items. We were just on auto-pilot. Opening the store every day was so hard....I just wanted to HOLD my children!

 

 

Ahhhhh...it IS nice to look back. Last year at this time we were in gorgeous Alaska having a BLAST with my in-laws. Good times, good times. Except for those big black bugs. UG.

Happy Summertime to you!

 

 

Food, Paper, Vintage Finds...Need I say more?

French dinner group this week was AMAZING and per my usual Modus Operandi, I Googled my recipe 48 hours before dinner group. That would be about 24 hours sooner than I typically pin down a recipe. So I was appetizer and thus Googled "French Appetizer" and even threw in the word "easy" for good measure.

Knowing that Frog Legs and Escargot were NOT options, I went the Brie route. I mean....why NOT? And so the creamy, lovely discovery of Amaretto Brie was made. All on a whim. And a great whim it was.

 

This Plate Full of Love is the before picture. "Before" 15 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees. So this got MELTY. Yes....it really did. And I believe had I actually had my camera available, there would have been no point in taking a photo. It would have hampered my chances at getting one dang bite of the stuff. It FLEW!

Want to wow your friends tomorrow at a Father's Day dinner? Do this.....

Amaretto Brie

In a sauce pan melt:

1/2 butter

And add:

1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar.

Stir these together over a medium heat until it gets slightly thick. Remove from heat and add a dash of nutmeg and a dash of cinnamon. Add one ounce Amaretto (I'd do less...mine was really thin) and stir. Pour over one wedge of Brie. Sprinkle slivered almonds over the top. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until softened & warm through out.

Serve with green apple wedges, crackers or baguette.

Mmmmm.....I salivated just TYPING that!

Yesterday my son and I hit our favorite local hangout.....Scrap. We walked away with wood pieces, a grab bag, glass vials, cigar boxes, maps, postcards, vintage wallpaper, fake grass for my friend Suzanne of Mugwomp and a tape dispenser. My son laid his grab bag out on the floor in his work area and was creating ALL night long! His grab bag was all of 3.00 and I have seen magnets and collage pieces come out of the craft area. 

 

And here are my finds!

 

Then we went on to collage on Alberta. I dropped off a typewriter key that a gal had bought, but needed the back ground down. She was taking a class there and I knew I would run into some trouble and end up NEEDING something there...but who knew I'd find a stamp set with a terribly naughty monkey on it? I didn't see that one coming....

 

The monkey is in red...on the right. He's a monkey in a Fez and he is running away. Because he is--like I mentioned already--- a terribly naughty little monkey.Sorry the photo is blurry, but I figured Fans of the Monkey would be cool with that.

Also found....12x12 paper that I could wallpaper a room with...LOVE IT.

And these tags. My eye instantly went to the word "breathe"...mainly because I forgot to do that on a daily basis.

 

And I even made a little sumpin' sumpin' yesterday. Feeling the crafty mo jo creeping back into my life. I am definitely missing that part. I am so busy balancing business, checkbooks, bills, orders, reps, cleaning & processing the vintage finds, that I drop the ball on the creative part. Cards are low, wall pieces are low.....I JUST need an 8 day week with 32 hour days. THAT would be so helpful.

 

Off to clean this little shop up. All the construction is coating me with a constant layer of dust. Things I put out 2 days ago have been coated! It will be good in the end. New neighbors, fresh storefronts..all good!

Happy Saturday!

Busy Fun, Busy Fun

The last few days off were a fun whirlwind! Trying to get into the summer schedule is certainly trying. There certainly are no lazy days off from work...we just go, go, go!

Berry picking....

 

 

 

 

Makin' stuff.....with old stuff.

 

 

Buyin' more old stuff.

I have no clue why I am droppin' my "g"s. Hahaha....

 

 

Off to therapy dinner club. The theme is French and the food sounds fantastic! Oh La la~Happy Friday!

2nd Friday is here again????

My math is OFF.....I felt like I had another week! So, after coming out of the HAZE of twograduations (a 5th grade & an 8th grade one) and having FIVE DAYS OFF IN A ROW it is special event time!

In those LOVELY 5 days off, when I wasn't running 14 year olds TO graduation, making decorations for the 10 year old graduation or feeding family and animals....I did get some estate shopping in!!!! And I am in FAST and FURIOUS mode to get the goods on the floor and YOU get a sneaky peek.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to cleaning, scrubbing, painting, gluing, merchandising, labeling, listing and enjoying some fantastic finds!

Happy Thursday!

And the battery has been recharged--

I stressed.....I fretted...and I worried.

Same old job that I do to myself regularly. I wanted to go to Come Play Eugene so badly......but I was nervous, I hated to leave the shop, I checked non-stop with JOHN to see how it was going...the guilt set in before I even backed from the drive-way.

So today Michelle and I backed out of the driveway at 7:00am, hit a Starbucks for some java and embarked on a mini art retreat. When I left the house, 12 hours of craftiness and 4 hours of driving felt like WAY too much, but at the end....it was not nearly enough.

It went beyond crafty. There was a vintage boutique open the entire time (quite a few purchases were made), photos were taken and M&M's were eaten. The first 2 hours I think my head just SPUN...nothing productive was coming from my end of the table....then I clicked into gear.

At dinner we opened the Table Topics card game and women who started out very much strangers learned more than they could have ever dreamed about one another. We laughed until it hurt, we cried tears over unimaginable losses.....out of 6 of us, 4 had significant losses or near losses in our relatively short lives. A father dying on the job when the child (now a woman) was 7 years old, drunk driving accidents, loss of children, loss of both parents in one year....WOW. We ended the game on a "What makes you laugh" note and we followed some very dark tales with full belly laughs.

I never saw this day turning into this type of event. I got some MUCH needed crafty in, my eyes were opened to about a million reasons why I should be very happy, I found some amazing vintage finds for both home and shop and I think I made some pretty neat acquaintances!

Check out the eye candy. But...before you do...think about all the reasons you should be very, very happy. You have your health. You have your children or spouses. Maybe you have both parents who are thriving. Be grateful.

WHAT a day!

 

This was our spot for the craftiness part of the day.....

 

Ohh......little packets of happiness.....FOR SALE!

  

Ribbon, lace and trims....not for sale but fun to look at!

One of the FIVE pages I got done!

  

More "not for sale" items, but ALSO fun to drool over!

  

Ephemera

  

"A" is for Amy!

Have a HAPPY Sunday!

Storms, Snails, Sales and New Stuff

Wow...Portland got all Arizona-y yesterday. It's been hot for over a week, then it was humid and crazy muggy night and day for 3 days, then we had a sun/overcast/sun/overcast day. All so very, very, very un-Portland, but definitely a fun ride!

So yesterday the sky suddenly became ominous, a whipping wind came out of nowhere, the streets looked foggy but it was just dry leaves and dust blowing all over and then came the rain, thunder and even threats of tornadoes south of here. My power flickered here and there....but we never lost it.

 

 

 

It went from light to dark in about 5  minutes!

Then there was the calm AFTER the storm! It's not like I am some huge snail fan, but these guys were intriguing! They came out in the 100's! Like some silent call of the wild!

 

 

Onto sales......this weekend at Poppy & Ivy we are making room for some new sewing notions (Amy Butler, Sublime Stitches, more trims, etc) and so all notions are 25% of Friday-Sunday.

 

And items with roses are 25% off in honor of the Portland Rose Festival. Anything with a rose in the pattern, in a photo, in the graphics....if it's shaped like a rose is yours for 25% off!

 

 

 

And....JUST IN! About 2 weeks earlier than I had figured it would be here! Just from the lovely label I knew it was going to be GOOD!

 

 

These are cards and enclosures from Tree House Collective. The minute the rep pulled it out, I ordered. I love it ALL.

I am off to pack up for Come Play Eugene tomorrow. I am kind of a hot mess about it. I don't know WHAT project to bring (as if my entire craft area weren't ONE huge project), and I have photos...but not sure where to ever start, or do I make my daughter a graduation album (like the 14 year old girl would CARE?) and I am about 99.9% certain I will pack this all up, drive 2 hours and then just bask in all the creative juices of these amazing women I will be surrounded by. Yep....that sounds about right.

Happy Weekend to you all! Hope your is creative and full of sunshine and roses!

Picture-Rama

Let's see if Typepad is playing my reindeer games today.......

My last two weeks in Pictures.....Real Life and Shop Life both....

 

45 Pound dog off leash at a dog park in the middle of NOWHERE

 

9 pound dog will NOT be outdone.....

 

Meyers Park in the Columbia Gorge

 

A very happy peacock at Mary Hill Museum. I'll admit it.....I was scared. I did the shoot and run photo....

 

The Sam and Mary Hill version of Stonehenge. Different, but still pretty cool.

 

This is NOWHERE NEAR the Columbia Gorge....but all the typekeys I finally got on the floor. I have piles of these and I love them so much that I hesitated to put them out on the floor for the longest time and then it hits me "Oh yeah....I own a shop so I can SELL things"....

These are great for jewelry projects and collage pieces. Contact me if you are looking for something in particular. I use the majority of the letters for necklaces, but symbols and numbers are always available.

 

It was honestly so slow with this great weather that I filled all the nail holes and repainted over them. I moved all my art around Friday. Think I am kidding? No...I am all about honestly here and people don't love to shop when it's 80 degrees outside on a weekend...especially in Oregon! I literally watched paint dry that day!!!!

I like how it turned out AND I put tons of stuff on clearance! I have so much new stuff hitting the floor in the next few weeks that I HAVE to make SOME room!

A new vintage card line is coming in, more jewelry, a re-order of Archipelago candles (Havanah and Savannah scents) and soooooooo much stuff from my back room that I just ignored for 3 months, Why? No reason....just an "out of sight, out of mind" moment.

I have a full set of fantastic  (and dainty) white and blue china, 1980's Monet jewelry priced between 5-8 dollars, milk glass, hobnail creamers, vintage girl's dresses (size 7-9), vintage chenille robes, LOTS of chenille blankets...

AND....got all this so far????......2nd Friday on Lower Fremont is a mere 9 days away. I think I will put tons of goodies out for major clearance to support my faithful shoppers! Candles, kids stuff, vintage finds.....It will be outside for 50% off!

Come check me out June 12th from 4:00-9:00!

Happy almost Thursday. I have got to knock off so I can be awake for my son's field trip to the teacher's house! This WILL be fun....but I heard whispers of a water fight! Whoa.......watch out kids...I just LOOK innocent! 

Crawling Out From Under the Piles

Shop owners have stuff. Lots of stuff.

Vintage shop owners.....don't get my husband me started.

I had to get out of my little "Ahhhhh...good weather " daze I was in and the "sitting out on the Lower Fremont park bench and read in the sunshine" phase had to go. And these phases were immediately followingthe "Do the bare minimum to get the shop open and closed on a daily basis" phase. And don't ask about the Bejeweled Blitz and Word Challenge games on Facebook phase.

While all that took place, a lot of things fell through the cracks and turns out Cleaning Up After Being Really Lazy is QUITE a bit of work.

But I have dusted myself off, stopped the day dreaming and time killing and I have been WORKING again. My garage was begging me to get back to work.

 

I finallly got this fine set of four TV trays cleaned and out on the floor....

 

Old frames painted and canvases cleaned up....

I have photos ready to post on my MUCH neglected Etsy account....

I have been watching with MUCH excitement as Lower Fremont got two new tenants this week! Leases have been signed and both have started moving in, fixing it up, making dust....I love it! The little bar wants to keep quiet....he has given no name, plans, menus, NOTHING....he's very young and keeps saying "I am afraid to jinx it!". He'll be GREAT and the neighborhood needs his business....he's cute to watch though!

The other business is Ginger Salon. She's currently situated in NW Portland. I am not sure if this is a second space or if she is moving. This group of gals have GREAT energy and I am excited for their grand opening and the foot traffic they will bring with them.

This fantastic weather has brought out the NW Explorers in our family...we made a pinky swear to discover new things all over Oregon and ENJOY what this state has to offer this summer. There is so much, but with all the work, work, work my husband and I both do, it makes us stick close to home on our days off. We have branched out these last few weeks!

I give up on photos tonight...Typepad is having a bad day I think...I will post an all photo blog post next..amazing shots of the Pacific NW abound!

I am off to pack up for Junior Rose Festival parade tomorrow (I am a chaperon for my sons 5th grade class), get ready for more new items to hit the floor Thursday, pack for Come Play Eugene on Saturday...it's been SO long since I did one single creative thing, that I can't begin to think of what project to bring to this craft extravaganza. I am going with another local gal Michelle Geller. ROAD TRIP!!!!

I think I am going to be MORE than blown away by these crafty gals....I might just sit, drink my coffee and let all of their craftiness rub off on me....not a bad gig for a Saturday!

Happy Wednesday to you!