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B and B

Four little girls. The one taking up most the pixel space is yours truly with the big puffy dress. Oh. My.

But the girls I want to talk about are those two cute littlest ones on the right. They are name Barb and Bev (even though when they were little they re-named themselves Shar and Jair- who knows where those names came from? Noone in our family is named Shar OR Jair - and we didn't have TV at this time in our farm lives and so there wasn't that influence to help them pick the names?.?.) These girls are 19 months apart in age and lived in their own little world.  Notice the little leather shoes and s-t-r-a-i-g-h-t cut bands.

Our parents were homesteaders...really, honest and goodness homesteaders. Our Grade A Dairy began as sagebrush and tumble weeds. Trips to town, 20 miles away, were few and far between and were real 'going to town'  events. I still find it appauling what folks will wear to town. For goodness sake, folks, clean up, we are a goin' to town.

'K Back to this picture and these cute girls, Mom served as farm wife, which included for this pictures analysis as dressmaker AND hair dresser. Oh Mom...how did you do it all?

While working on these wooden clothspins dolls, I wondered about putting them on display and just how to sale them. The idea of B and B (Barb and Bev) came to me. Two little people, good friends, from long ago. So these little folks will be marketed - sold as pairs and be - "B and B".

And in case you are wondering about the current status of B and B - this picture pretty mush sums it up!

I love you B and B (Shar and Jair!)

The Farm Chicks show and thoughts

I went to the Fall Farm Chicks show...which is where I am heading in May with all my flour sack creations. I was pretty anxious even thinking about going. I don't know the anxiety reason except maybe imagining me being there in six months. Oh, and being afraid that I would be so 'out-classed' by the things there. So we head out...(The Hubby and I) and on the way there is a long line of cars, going to Fairfield Washington? WHAT?  I should have taken a picture. I looked like a funeral possession. No kidding. We have driven to Fairfield many times on  Sunday afternoon drives and never seen another car. It was amazing. The Farm Chicks had posted signs like Barbasol ones in the old days.  Anxiety mounted. Arrive - find parking - pretty easy, but then 'Mr let's-get-with-the-program'  was driving and we zipped right in. OH mercy. A big mass of humanity. The line to the admittance booth was 4 people wide and 2 blocks long.  Big white 'circus' tent - grass - playground area - many many folks. They buy tickets and disappear inside the circus tent. How can that circus tent hold so many people? When we arrive we realize the tent really can't hold that many people. SO so so so crowded - but the excitement and fun was palatable. I mean the women (mostly women) were having a blast.

Mostly second hand, shabby chic things, were in every booth. Very little homemade or re-purposed things. I wondered where I would fit into this whole affair. We bumped and jostled our way through the tent and coming out the other side realized this was only 'area 1' of the show. There was also a grange hall and park. When we arrived at the park 2 blocks away I realized THIS is where I would fit in. Fun cute booths. But to be honest - they were not intimidating. What I have to sale will fit right in and I have some ideas already swimming in my head of how to display.

YIPPEE.....I CAN DO THIS.

Now the thoughts. Do I need to kind of get this blog out there. I have a little stomach ache when I think about it. Don't know.  I guess if are reading this you know I took the plunge so to speak. Yikes...

A pocket we have a pocket!

Oh I have been in a quandry. The thinking, laying in bed as I go to sleep pondering, while I drive to work, "What can I do?" thinking kind of thing. I love the aprons....but I just feel like they need a pocket, I need a pocket - you know the one - to carry that handkerchief, or the rubber band, or safety pin, or chap stick pocket, not  a 'cooking' pocket - but the Momma/Grandma pocket. I've even been known to wear an apron whilst gardening and then the pocket comes in handy for seed packets, or later in the year, those seed pods to be saved for the next year.  Or that stick of gum or handful of jelly beans I grab as I walk out the door. Okay...so we really NEED a pocket!  If I put on a  plain fabric pocket it will just look stupid and cover up part of the logo. And pockets! I hate to make pocket. The corners are never square and they just generally make an item look 'cheap' and poorly made if they aren't done right. And I,  graduated from college in Home Economics major, (well, that is what they called it in the old days...I think now it is called 'Life Skills' or something for that sort) can't really make pockets.
But by jigger and shout for joy - I think I have it. What do you think?
You can see the twill tape order arrived for the straps. And I order 1" instead of 1/2" and we are liking it!
Yip - a pocket - we have a pocket!

Cute old

Door and windows to use in my display that the Farm Chicks show. I plan to hinge them together and make a 'screen' type thing to hang various items on and about. Actually, they will probably have to find a place in my house first. I love them - I love them...especially the tall door with all that cute peely paint on the top. Once they are dry after their scrubbing I will clear coat them so I don't lose any more of that cute peely chippy paint. Oh fun... oh oh oh...wait just a minute I will take another picture you can't see how awesome the peely is...
Oh honey, you can't buy  or make that it comes with time and age. WhooHoo...
(Well you can buy it, I just did but believe me Buttercup, I didn't buy it at Walmart or IKEA!)

Notice the rose bush in the background...isn't it doing well...exciting.

The fall Farm Chicks show is next Saturday. I am almost afraid to go....what if...they have cooler stuff than I can do? What if someone has my idea?  only better? What if I am too late -waiting until the Spring show? What if - what if - what if.
Oh the insecurities of doing all this.

I've fallen and can't get up!

At my work...they are not allowed to put door stops on the doors. STUPID. Thank you...OSHA. They are too dangerous. Who decided that? How could a door stop on the side of the door be dangerous? Anyway, so we have these rubber stops floating around on the floor to trip over. Seems kind of dangerous but I am not OSHA...what would I know? Yesterday I received an email from our Area Office to be sure and 'post' all those federal and state bullentins....you know the ones about discrimination, and minimum wages etc. Well...one of those is about 'If a Job Injury Occurs.' I really have a hard time posting (decorating) my office with these posters because I am the only one in the office...I can read it in the notebook when I have them filed. Anyway, not wanting to fight 'the establishment.' I took them out of the little sheet protectors I had them in and wandered around trying to figure out where to post them and finally decided on putting them on the inside of the cupboard doors above the file cabinets. Therefore - posted - but not toooooo obnoxious! Pull chair over to stand on - tape signs to door- step off chair onto  one of those stupid rubber stops - twist my ankle - fall on bottom - bang head on cupboard - knock myself out - come to - LAUGHING. I was injured on the job..posting the sign about being injured on the job. Tooooo funny.

Today - not so funny. Sore bottom, middle, ankle, neck. Now who do I call? Oh, yeah...it is taped on the door...

Too cute

No really -  I mean "too cute". Remember these little guys?

I made them for our family reunion and decided to make some for HeartRocks. I started to recreate the same thing and then...oh, my...I went off on some doodley do,  getting carried away, all cutesy and they started to look like this...

TOO cute. It is my folk art painting leaking out. Don't misunderstand I still love to 'tole' paint - remember that from the 70's and 80's? The only problem is that isn't quite long enough ago to be considered primitive. Oh, believe me, it will be-  in like 5 years or so....but for right now we like the raggedy - basic - rustic look. So thanks to Mr Clean and his magic eraser I have taken off all those doodle-do's and just the basic paint remains and a tad bit of flour sack raggedy fringe adores these little fellows.
Whew...my Victorian-I-love-roses-and-fru-frus almost got the better part of me.
Saved by Mr Clean.

10 reasons we don't like hot weather

1. It stinks. Not like it stinks, but like it stinks. It and everybody and everything. I stink, you stink, we all stink. I don't like stinky people...especially me.
The garbage can stinks, asphalt stinks, your car trunk stinks, and there is that funny smell - you've never smelt before coming from who-knows-where?  Hot weather stinks!
2. Candy bars melt...even M&M's melt. Not the good kind of melt, like soft and goosy but the hot weather-disgusting-smeared-all-over-melt. You waste your candy bar because it melts all over the wrapper. And candy bar wrappers taste yucky!
OH, and Monday, I stepped in some nice, HOT, big, pink chewing gum in the parking lot, didn't know it and then got in my car...I am sure you can get the picture...long stands of sticky, yucky gum and the picking, digging, dissolving it off...is so fun, especially when you know that chewing gum has been in the mouth of that guy  that  he alternates between gum and chewing tobacco!
3. People melt. All sticky. Your elbow pits, the paper you are writing on, your knee pits. People start to melt and get all sticky.
4. Clothes are not fun in hot weather. I don't like to see the anatomy of other folks. It is okay if you just keep some things private and don't show me all your body parts. Hot weather brings out all those body parts and summer clothes are not FUN. Which brings about..........
5. You can't put on a sweater and feel better. When it is cool outside - hey, put on a sweater and everything is great. We LOVE sweater weather....but you can't take off enough clothes (and who wants to) to feel cooler.
6. Everything is limp. I am limp...my flowers are limp, my garden is droopy. Heat takes IT out of you. I was going to do such and such...but man, it is so hot, I think I will just lay here on the floor and be - hum...limp!
7. Food is not fun in the heat. I love food. But in the heat...the only thing that is good is ice cream. I realize that isn't ALL bad, but it sure makes #4 even more of a stress factor!
8. The air is bad. Hot, sticky, stiffling heat is bad air. It isn't fun to breath or sniff. You kind of have to hold your breath in hot weather because breathing it is well....stuffy, hot, yuck!
9. Hot weather makes us grumpy. The smallest thing can trigger an episode, well, until the episode becomes to much work and then we just become droopy and collapse.
10. Camping is NOT fun in the heat. Who wants a camp fire? And  hey, come on over here and help me put up this tent, and move these dusty tarps around. Let's fire up the dutch oven, you want to light the briquets? Camping and hot weather - YUCK. Oh, the return trip...well refer to #1.
Hope you are having a good summer!?!? We are suppose to be back to NORMAL but the week-end, in the 80's. Okay folks - now we're talking.

HeartRocks - really - these are heart rocks

Collecting HeartRocks is one thing, but to have those you love looking and thinking about you as they go on walk-abouts is pretty touching. As a gift, for being the family reunion chairman, at the family reunion this year, each family had found a 'heartRock' to give to me, and our son made a nice wooden box to show them off in. Something things are more precious BECAUSE they are the very things money cannot buy.

 

Whew, I didn't have to be scared...

This past week has been an out of town trip for me and mine. I have been in another world. It was a family reunion with 22 children under 8, to give you an idea. It was very fun and very consuming. On the long road trip home I started thinking about HeartRocks and kind of had a little scare.
What if I don't like doing this anymore? What if it seems like a drag and I have to force myself to work with this project? I am only doing this as long as it is fun and what if it isn't fun anymore? All unnecessary fears, my friends. I still love it. Just going to the thrift store and handling the fabric and all the fun feelings came back.
Finding these at the local Goodwill. See that necklace? The beads are fabric - I have fondled them and smelled them and studied them. They are so meticulously made. How were they made? Fascinating. I wonder where they came from. What is their story? Were they some old ladies and tossed out when someone was cleaning her place - did some young girl headed to college decided she didn't need those anymore? Perhaps they went with just ONE outift and when it was outgrown - to Goodwilly they went.  Oh...my, they are just begging to be on afun little bag. They will have a second chance.  I am grateful for all the second chances I have.  Aren't you?
I also found a tiny bit of hand crochet lace and look how cute it is on this little bag?
Cover your eyes, peek through your fingers.  I am sorry about the bags all being strapless.
But today my twill tape and webbing order arrived so my bags won't have to be so immodest anymore. Thank goodness.