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Boring shoes...NOT

Okay - I have always wanted to do this. Well....maybe not ALWAYS...but for a really long time...like 20 years I have had this idea and wanted to do it...but felt like it was maybe to 'hippy' or something. Well.....here we go......

Oldish boring shoes...huh? I have loved them. In fact, I have more than one pair. This is the boring pair. You can see I have put many miles on them...just slip and they are on. I can wear them with anything, shorts. skirts, levi's. Great shoes B.U.T. boring. Well not any more...

It was funny because I was working on them in the magic room and Rick came home from work. I could hear him upstairs and felt scared...like I was caught. Like painting your shoes is bad and I was being a bad girl. He chuckled.
I don't have any idea how they will wear. But I am wearing these, they make me happy. I love the bright colors and how fun they are. I love color and surprises like this. So if you see a fun Grandma walking around Wally Land with these goofy shoes on - look up and  you'll see the big smile on my face!

Dear to the heart of the Shepherd

Dear are the sheep of His fold.

Out in the desert they wander hungry and helpless and cold. Of to the rescue He hastens ...Bringing them back to the fold.

One of the things I love to look for in thrift stores and at garage sales is old Bibles. Look at this wonderful picture (click to enlarge) in this old Bible - titled 'The Lost Sheep'....hanging - stretching - reaching - from a cliff to rescue.

Window peeking..or welcome to my world.

I don't mean in the bad sense...but the good way. I was raised on a homestead north of Rupert Idaho, twenty miles north to be exact. And I write homestead instead of farm as it really was a homestead and I hope that word conjures up for you exactly what it was A LOT OF WORK! But the work was not the same as drudgery. It was work. Good work. Fulfilling. Satisfying, and all the better because we worked together as a family. Our family motto: We all work until we are all done. Well, I should say ONE of our family mottos...we had several. What that means is - if you get your chores done and someone else is still working on their jobs...you go pitch in and help them and the same comes back to you when you are having a hard time getting your jobs done.  No one sits down for a break until we can all sit down. I have very fond memories of work on the farm.

Okay,  now back to window peeking. Because we lived pretty isolated and because we had chores to do we were seldom 'in town' at night fall. BUT on those rare occasions when we were - I loved when someone had turned on their inside light and not pulled the drapes yet and I could see inside their world. I observed all I could through that 'open to the world' window. It was great fun. Sometimes, I imagined what their world might be like. What did the family do? What were their family mottos? How did the Mrs decorate? What were they eating for supper? I guess that is why blogs are so popular....we can all sneak a peek into someone elses 'open to the world' window. And I like that. I like to be inspired and encouraged and entertained by all you all. I like knowing what thrills you, what saddens you, what inspires you. And to be honest I like sharing that back.

So , Hello, Welcome to my world........

on a little road trip

With Hubby over to the coast for a few days...

we have been to:Twisp, Cutthroat Creek,  Lillian Creek, Happy Creek, Diablo  Road, Pyramid Lake Road,

Concrete (who would name their town Concrete, for goodness sake?) Ebing Creek, Anacortes, Chuckanut Drive, Monkey Hill Road, DoseWallops Park, BuckaBush, Trinton, Hamma Hamma, Liliwap - do you think I am making these up? Nope. By the time explorers got to the West side they had run out of names and just put silly sounds together.

But no denying the beauty! Breathtaking. Literally. I am glad that I live in this beautiful world, Heavenly Father created for me.
Squaxim, Skookum, Mox Chehalis, Wynoochee, Tatoosh, La Luis Luis.

There is something breathtaking about being on a ferry. The fact that the thing can float with motor homes and concrete trucks aboard is just unimaginable...but standing on the deck and feeling that cold air, seeing and hearing a million seagulls, the big horn as you begin, the tiny motor boats down below, the ocean is big, did ya' know?

As I are packing and it is over 100 degress I said to Rick,  "Should we take a sweater?" His reply was simply, "I can't imagine why?". Well....no sweater = blanket. Traveling tip: Never go to the coast without sweater! Burrr.....It was wonderful and cool and damp and dank. LOVE IT.
Ever heard of sweet potato fries? Oh, yum...and look at the BIG burger, Rick ate his fried oyster sandwich (I nibbled a bit on it, didn't like it so much- Mom I can't believe you and Dad really liked fried oysters)  and half of this big guy.

And it is a good thing because by evening while doing a horse compliance at this house - actually we had a difficult time here - because the owners had gone to New Mexico - they had told Rick to just go on back and see the horses. Problem was there were three really large dogs between said horses and gate to corral. (The dogs would be in the house barking and then outside barking - same dogs...I guess they went to New Mexico and gave the dogs run of the house?)

LIke I was saying, by evening as we left this house to go get  supper and a Motel we made an interesting discovery. There were not Motels available between where we were in Elma and the coast...so we called Carson and he started to search for us a place to stay via the internet...NO MOTELS FROM (OR IN) SEATTLE TO THE COAST. Hum...what is going on? Finally found one in North Bend two hours away. What is with that? C discovered it was a big International Jehovah Witness convention going on. Whew.....that was interesting. (Because we have been reading about the Willie and Martin handcart companies no motel seemed like no big deal ) Really....tired, no supper, driving thru Seattle traffic - in rain, NO DEAL. We were warm in a nice car driving along....just fine.
Enjoying the wonders of nature with every imaginable comfort.

Oh and we went past this artists yard....very interesting...what a creative genius..he re-purposes on a BIG SCALE...very large iron rocking horse!

Garden Gate Lavendar Show

The show was fun. Because it was 100+ the crowd was kind of thin, but I made new friends

Things I learned:
1. My prices seem fair, I am glad. I want customers to feel like they are fair and I want to be able to keep doing this little side business. One lady I talked with makes fused glass jewelry and she was helpful in helping me think about pricing and how to market. She does a lot of consignment work. Hummmm...an idea. But then I couldn't talk to people, I like talking to people and sharing with them the magic.

2. Folks either 'get' vintage and re-purposing or they don't. Those that do - appreciate the recycling of old bags and linens, the creativity involved and the feel and fun of what I do. They notice all the details, the old buttons, the recycled pockets, the wonky wire flowers, the aged tags, the raggedyness. (Spell check doesn't know that word...hummm...raggedyness seems like a perfectly good word to me!) Those who don't..don't. And I imagine them saying in their mind, "What in the world is she trying to sale?" "Who would buy an bag made from an old bag." Sometimes they hurry and look away - embarrassed for me, or so I think.  (I remember when 'straw' wreaths were a big deal and my Dad about had a heart attack...when he saw a few handfuls of straw bundled together and sold for more than an entire bale of straw sold for - I think that is what some people think.) That's okay. I love the process as much as the end product. I do love the end product...the feel -the history that comes with each piece. I love it when the bag I am working with has a big tear or big seam down the middle. Yahoo...here comes the fun... I just chuckle inside when other folks look at me perplexed.

3. Most people are really nice. And I enjoyed learning from other people who were kind and helpful and complimentary. People are  good. We took a spray bottle anticipating the heat and it was fun to go around and spray folks and visit. I loved getting outside my circle of comfort and meeting others. Very enjoyable.
I am learning. I am glad.
And yes, we could of sold these rocks...several times.
I hope HeartRocks don't become scarce all the folks that came by and said..."Oh, I'm going to look for HeartRocks."
Happy HeartRock hunting, folks...I hope they make your heart sing.

Brown and sticky

Okay so what is brown an sticky....a stick, silly.

Lily

Presenting - LILY.....

she is pretty cute alrighty. I have the new (idea) ruffle across the top and she is sporting some vintage buttons..oh, we like vintage buttons, don't we?

And her pocket is a re-purposed dresser scarf with hand embroidery. Remember when dressers wore scarfs? I do. In fact, I still have a few dressers sporting scarfs.

The yellow and blue lining is an old table cloth - soft but heavy enough to take a lot of use.  By putting interfacing between the pocket layers it is nice and firm - perfect for holding keys and a cell phone.
This is the popular BIG 'Market Bag' size. 19" tall and 16" wide...big enough to toss in a beach towel and book and don't forget the sun screen. On the way home, toss the towel in the back seat to instantly dry in this summer heat and take the bag to market and pick up the french bread and sandwich fixin's for a yummy - no bake supper.
(Did you note the flaw in the printing...near the top? Love it...says authentic. vintage. the. real. deal.)
I like to keep a few bags on hand for future inspiration so this will probably stay here with me for a bit before going on Etsy.

FREE money! Wahoo!

I told a friend  I found some FREE money...and she looked at me like I didn't have all my marbles (which is another post entirely).

Free money is money  you didn't expect or money you don't have to account for or money you don't have to put in the checking account to pay bills with. You know this money -  you buy something with YOUR money as a volunteer and then submit for a reimbursement - and when the reimbursement comes you don't have to put it back in 'the bank' you can hide it in your underwear drawer. FREE money. Or you get a refund from something - overpayment at the dental office (like THAT every happens!?!) when that money comes it is FREE money. Or you buy dinner for everyone on your debit card to make it easier and your friends in turn pay you -  FREE money. I bet you are already thinking about the FREE money in your life.
I had been stowing money away in the underwear drawer (the best place for FREE money - because you can look at it often and grin) for quite a while. I had enough to take it to the bank and get some crisp $100 bills. I brought them home and washed and starched and ironed them and re-stuffed them back in the drawer. I know you are thinking this lady is a little wacky. Alas, don't jump to conclusions, I only wash and iron FREE money and money I give as gifts. Sheesh........There is something about washing and ironing money...I relate to misers on this point. Okay so back to the finding. I had quite a stash...let's just say it was over $1000 in my drawer (washed - ironed - crisp) I had been miserly putting FREE money away for quite a while. We were getting ready to go for a few days and Mr R suggested I put that it somewhere 'safer'. ..so the robbers would have to at least look for it. So...I put it in my favorite hiding spot...the tampon box. Which is really a safe place being as at this season of my life I only have them on hand for emergencies when guests are here.
Upon return from said trip...I knew the money was there but just left it because it did feel safer there, after-all.
Forward ahead 5 years. (I know it was 5 years because we got the safe 4 years ago...and since then FREE money goes in there)
I forgot. I know it is hard to believe that a miser could forget about money. But I did. So upon my retirement I am doing the major cleaning. In bathroom - purging. Toss out tampons, because don't need those anymore. Then proceed to empty all those travel shampoos into one container. Don't even ask how many of those I had. Tossing empty containers and lids into trash and notice envelope sticking out of tampon box....oh my. I ALMOST THREW AWAY MY FREE MONEY. You know I would have remembered at three in the A.M. the day AFTER the garbage man came. Whew.....I believe in angels. My Dad loved FREE money. He taught me about it. Thanks Dad.
I'll let you imagine me in the front room doing the happy dance.
And just so ya know it is so hot here the only thing still in bloom is my wonky wire flowers. Go away heat go back to Arizona!

Whoosh...it's hot..

Looking at this nice cold winter snow in the back yard is almost as refreshing as a big slurpee at SevenEleven.....on this 7-11 day.

What a nice thing.

Today I went back to work to do some training for the new secretary...and my bosses on behalf of the CES Board of Education presented me with this nice statue. They had even called Rick to come for the little event.

I just can't figure out who these two nice older folks are? A nice thing. I have to say retirement is even better than I anticipated. I enjoy 'owning' my days.
I hope to be able to do this little side business of making things and selling them in addition to being a wife - homemaker - Grandma - involved in service on many levels.
I have a skip in my step and a new song in my heart.