Poppy and Ivy

We are going to get this down YET....ROAD TRIP!

This vintage show is just a hop, skip and a jump up the freeway.

We had to jump some puddles, but so is life in the Pacific Northwest! It keeps the skin looking supple and the wrinkles at bay.

We filled the truck and hit the road. My blip, AGAIN, is my spatial relations problem I didn't realize I had until the last 2 (now 3) shows. I never have enough stuff!! I am bringing a whole other truck full up tomorrow at 7:00am. I was set up in minutes. The new canopy took the most time.

And it will be SO easy to find me. I am the gal next to the cow!

I think he was watching me funny while I set up. Probably thinking "You don't have enough stuff lady"

And then I had to walk the grounds of this sale. The owner is a SPITFIRE. She tells amazing tales, shows you her garden with pride and honestly doesn't understand why you could possibly think she's superwoman. She built her craft out house herself! Doors from her grandmother's home, old barn stairs she salvaged, fairy lights all over...PURE HEAVEN to me.

I couldn't stop wandering the grounds, the rooms, the house, the gardens. My camera phone didn't do it justice.

The rain came and went. The clouds were beyond menacing.

Auntie Em, Auntie Em!

Then the sun would make an appearance again to warm the bones.

I should be in bed right now..the sale is BRIGHT and early. I am just so GLEEFUL. That sounds over the top for the rainy night before an outdoor show, but it is so invigorating to be steering my own boat again. I loved setting up today. I get into my own little world when I do displays & think out my floor plans. John seems to enjoy it too which I find delightful as well. For YEARS I tried to picture what we would do when we were empty nesters. He seems to really enjoy setting up the canopy/booth space, I let him place the big things where he thinks they should go and then I pretty them up. He doesn't talk while he works either, so it works out beautifully! And I think he is happy that I am so happy right now. Funny how that works. It reminds me of "secure your oxygen mask on yourself before assisting those around you". My oxygen mask is getting more secure daily and it seems to be making our whole house a happier place to be!!

I will take photos of all the great booths tomorrow, but in the meantime I have to hit the hay! I am hoping that the saying "pink skies at night, sailor's delight" is all truth.

 

 

A Perfect Day

I flipped a bunch of shelves at work, unpacked some stuff, packed some stuff (this MIGHT be getting old), helped some lovely customers and heard rave reviews about the shop.

(me)

(me)

(not me...but one of my favorite spaces)

And then I went to Barile Wine Bar and got my sweet, sweet birthday friend a gift certificate so that she can treat herself really nice like some random day. A bunch of us met at a local restaurant where we laughed and laughed and laughed. I ALWAYS love that. I drove home smiling all silly in my Forrest Gump style because my day felt like a box of chocolates....but a day that I didn't get that crappy nougat & creepy orange creme...but all cherries, nuts & caramel.

I came home and looked ONE more time in my backyard because I am SHOCKED at how fast the patio that I designed in my head is now living in my yard.

First stage if dig-out/fill in with gravel

Now with some pots & flowers filling it in a BIT. 

The window is added. We can peek down on the street!

The window from the street

And now TODAY! Climbing hydrangeas have been planted, SOME of the ground cover is filling in, the big, ugly wine barrel I hate is leaving....I love this! The end result is there will be a slate pathway around the yard and under the table, a corrugated metal roof, twinkle lights, bamboo sides that we can see out of, but we're still tucked away and a high bar table & stools in there....a little hide-away!

THAT is one good day. Dare I say perfect? 

You Can Find me in a Wet Field

That is not the title of a country western song. 

This will be my status this Saturday from 8:00am-4:00pm.

You can find me at A Vintage Gathering in Battleground, Washington selling my wares.

Busily planning new sales, new ventures and loving all the brainstorming my vintage friends are coming up with! Rubbing hands together....heeheehee. 

Metamorphosis

I am not happy to state I am going through yet another change, but I am.

It is what it is.

I have seen several local business owners do that over the last 10 years and as I chase them down, I think "What are they doing??? Why do they keep moving???"

And here I am....doing the same thing.

I have made the huge decision to be a vagabond gal. To do occasional sales and road shows.

It wasn't easy. I will miss where I was. I will miss a solid station and my regular customers who have hunted me down from Alberta to 13th to Fremont to 47th and Fremont.

Now I understand the other businesses bumping around.

You do what you do. You do what works.

So, you can look forward to a lot of changes. A different blog header. An upgraded Etsy. All sorts of fun!

It's been eye opening, exhilarating & exciting finding designers and venues that I have never considered before. I have worked outside my comfort zone and that has given me all sorts of empowerment and happiness. As designers write me and ask me what I want...I get goosebumps! A whole new me!

I chose my favorite Sadie Olive as my designer. I love ALL of herdesigns! I didn't take it lightly. So mnay locals lovelies, but Sadie TALKS to me!

Stick with me...I am pretty sure we're going places!

Links coming....venues coming....I promise.

After a punch in the arm this weekend in Puyallup, I am rejeuvenated. I love old stufff, I love people who love old stuff....traveling sales just make sense!

Are you as excited at the new header as I am?????? Cheers!

Home Again, Home Again Jiggity Jig

Home again, Home again....market is done!

What a CRAZY 36 hours.

I priced until the wee hours on Thursday night (or was it Friday morning?), moved PILES from Found on Fremont into a trailer & truck, priced some more, hit the road.

 

 

And two Starbucks stops later we were IN Puyallup for the show!

 

And we were setting up shop & ready to sell in ABOUT 2 hours! (We'd planned for 4 hours....gulp).

 
And then we had to shop the REST of the show...OF COURSE!

 

 

 
And after a quick set-up, we returned to the hotel where thank goodness, we had a fresh remote.

 
A night of sleep, another day of selling, the purchase of the sweetest pink desk you EVER did see...

 

And then the downpour began in a mere 20 minutes. Really...we went from sunny & nice to sheets of sideways rain. My husband loaded the trailer under tarps, he was soaked all the way through, it took DOUBLE the time it did in Portland even with two huge shelves gone...it was MISERABLE. Almost 2 hours to load the truck. His jeans were SOAKED. His hat was soaked. The back lights on the trailer didn't seem to work suddenly so we drove 150 miles with our flashers blinking on and off...tick-tick, tick tick, tick tick....for 3 hours.

And on the ride home he said "When is the next show?".

Wow.

FYI....it's SOON!

Nothing to Do with Things That Are Vintage

I have seen a total of TWO of my daughter's softball game this season.

Out of 15.

They ALWAYS fall on my work days. It's almost like a joke.

But today was one of the rainout, make-up games and I got lucky.

And I sat in the bleachers and as I watch, I cannot believe she is "mine".

I fall upstairs and tear my quadricep....she does this...

 
Tomorrow....old stuff, rust, peeks at vignettes & estate finds. I promise.

Today, I share what felt like a gift! Being able to finally see a game.

 

 

Mother's Day

It's kind of weird as the kids get older. They are now teens who could sleep all day.

It used to be "Mom gets to sleep in" (I'd have to sleep until 1:00pm to beat them to THAT punch now), or "breakfast in bed" (more often than not that meant bad coffee & heavily buttered toast....I really loved it, but I don't MISS it)...so today John and I made all kinds of changes.

John ran a half marathon (I did NOT), I woke up fairly early and we hit estate sales together. All the WRONG sales, but sales all the same. Then a calorie laden breakfast at City State Diner (yum), then Garden Fever (we were too full to shop properly) and a little nappy time (we really watched 30Rock) and off to a calorie laden, lazy dinner at Bernie's Southern Bistro.

I think tomorrow I might need to run a half marathon to burn off the last 24 hours.

I am going back for this head planter tomorrow...

 
Kind of a spooky, aged guy who wears grasses well. The perfect man. We were just TOO full, sleepy, loopy to make decisions today.

We went to an estate sale at a house I have ALWAYS wanted to see the inside of.

One item off of the bucket list!

 
I just wanted to see the garden more than anything and it was pretty spectacular. Everything I wanted was 'not for sale"...but I got some pretty good ideas for our yard transformation.

I messed with the yard a pinch in the morning, but my mind is on upcoming sales and work items of business. The garden will have to hold tight a few more weeks.

 

 

 
At sales, I found quilts, Christmas and kitchen items this weekend....nothing big for Funky Junk Sisters which panicked me for a moment, but I think I can swing all of this.

Tomorrow....processing and pricing new items! (it will end soon....right?), acupuncture for my dumb OLD leg and last minute staging.

It's ALL good. I love my job!

More stuff to price and one TINY glitch

 
I have been finding treasures left and right.

I went to one of my favorite little antique malls yesterday and found everything for me...NOTHING for the show next week. Sometimes, plans change!

I found a weather witch, a Victorian picture, quilt pieces and more. Again. All for me....

 

 

 
And because nearly everything I just pictured is for my own collection, I had to pass on a very lovely cream bowl. I picked it up 3, 4 maybe 5 times. A bit chipped....but it made me love it even more. I had visions of all my lemons and limes stacked up in it. I put it back because, REALLY?....I was out of control.

 
So, why do I have it in my home now and on my blog? Because it turns out a friend was at the antique mall and it was her booth I was in and she saw me checking it out! So, being the sweetie she is...after I was all rung up, she GAVE me bowl! She gifted it to me.

After the weird week I have had....this bowl couldn't have been gifted to me at a better time! I know she's going to Funky Junk Sisters too. I fully intend on doing a favor for her...buy a coffee, gift her something back...but this bowl made my week!

My tiny glitch is that I fell UP my stairs this week. Only I could do that. My arms were full of groceries and my feet got mixed up and I fell back down the stairs. Bruises. Bumps. Lumps. Sore here and there. But I pulled my leg muscle and stairs are nearly impossible. It's making all the pricing, running, dashing & packing go very S-L-O-W-L-Y.

Off to stretch, dose up on Ibuprofen and ply Icy Hot up and down my leg! Ahhh....it's not easy being this graceful.

When life gives you lemons...put them in a really cute creamy white bowl!

 

One More Weekend!

One more weekend to prepare for Funky Junk Sisters. NOW I am excited. I have a few shifts at Found on Fremont this week and I have to focus on that while I there (we've been BUSY....local shoppers are treating their Mama's extra special this Mother's Day!) so when I get home, I beat feet to the garage to get everything ready and labeled for the sale. I have little vignettes all over my garage. The "men's area", the "junk area", "the shabby-like area" and then I have to remember I have kids to feed and dogs to walk.

Whew. I can do this!

I found SO many treasures this week. I have been cleaning, spot treating, ironing, painting...I will admit that it's freaky how much I love all of that! I can't clean, vacuum or spot clean my house...but estate sale finds....I can make those things happy & shiny.

 

 

 
Hotel booked. Check.

Trailer secured. Check.

Extra booth added (yesterday!) so now I have a double booth. (Gulp). Check.

Change, receipt book, tables, tablecloths, scissors, duct tape, clear packing tape, extension cords and a drawn out lay-out plan. Ummm. Not so much.

Why am I here instead of making lists??????

Cheers!

Happy

Today was just a good day all around.

I did things I should have done months ago,I booked appointments I should have booked ages ago, got through chores I was literally YEARS behind on. (Kid you not).

It felt like puppy dogs, double rainbows, a Maui sunset and the BEST joke that makes you laugh non-stop and a long lost friend stopping by to say hello and suprise you....all rolled into one.

 

 

I like that kind of day quite a bit.