Petite Retreat Posse!

Saturday we hosted our Petite Retreat Summer Vintage Market, and the amazing women above helped to make it a wonderful event. What a blessing to have friends who are creative, talented, giving and generous... from Linda, whom I have known for over ten years, to Patricia and Liz, whom I have known for a year, to Wendy, Melanie, and Tammy, whom I met this weekend!

We really know how to have a good time, girls!

{Pay no attention to those people in line waiting to get in, 

who think we are all a bit CRAZY.... ;0) }

Bob took these photos, and we all know that he is the other half of our Retreat team - so I have to add a HUGE thank you to my sweet hubby for living this dream with me!

Thank you also to the rest of the Posse, all of the crazy, smiling, happy, supportive friends, fellow dealers & show promoters, customers, neighbors, and new 'fans' who came to our event from all OVER the place... you have no idea how much you all mean to us. We hope to always inspire you!

{More photos on our Petite Retreat Facebook page}

He's My Brother....

This is a shot of me, and my 'little' brother, Don. I never call him that, tho.

He's 6 foot 6 and pretty buff, so I just call him my 'younger' brother.

{We are both grandparents, so maybe 'young' doesn't apply to either of us}

He's four years younger than me and spent most of his childhood finding ways to torment me: Throwing grasshoppers at me because he knew I was scared to death of them. Taking my mom's guitar and swinging it over his head and hitting me with it while yelling 'EL Kabong!!!' {It was a cartoon} Then there was the epic day that he was 'fishing' in the front yard, and I walked out the door at the precise moment that the MASTERLOCK PADLOCK on the end of his line was swinging past the front steps - and my front tooth was history. Yeah. Good times.

He says he still remembers my six favorite words:

"DONNY! Get OUT of my ROOM!"

Yup. Gotta' love pesty little brothers.

The thing is, my pesty little brother became a good guy a long time ago. 

He embodies so many of the sterling qualities of my grandpa and uncle {Don, for whom he was named} and of his own character that it makes me proud to be his sister. Don is a ship captain and lives on Kodiak Island, Alaska. {GORgeous place!} His life is as rough as that show 'Deadliest Catch' makes it look {his boat isn't on the show} and he works all the time, but he was in town last night for a quick layover on his way back home. He'd been off on a business trip and vacation with his wife, so we met them for dinner. There's nothing like a huge old bear hug from my brother, I tell ya, and his bright blue eyes just laugh as he tells a joke or a story. And he had some really cool news about a new business venture to share, so it was a blessing to be able to celebrate that with him.

I love spending time with him, even when it's just two and a half hours for dinner.

Who would have ever guessed?! ;0)

Where Deb Creates...

{{I originally shared my re-styled office/studio last fall... but with the current 'Where Women Create' studio tour going on, I thought I'd revisit this post. This way you can see my creative space, and I can enjoy one of the few times it is clean and presentable!}}

It's so easy to change a room's decor! After a few days of furniture repainting, swapping out accessories and decor items, and reorganizing my studio, it's got a fresh new outlook! Last time I shared my office/studio with you here, things looked a bit dark:
The photos below show more Before/After transformations... By removing all of the black accessories & decor, and repainting the black table a soft white, the effect in the room is more open, spacious, and lighthearted. It also fits in well with the Beach House style we have in the rest of our house. Sometimes a girl just needs a change!My mannequin Miss DiDi has had a wardrobe change (she's much more demure this way!), and yes, that IS 'The Chandelier with a Million Personalities'! It's been so many different colors that I can't remember them all, and now it's white yet again. I did love it in black, but needed to lighten it up for this new style.

The thing is, it doesn't take a team of HGTV designers & carpenters, or Ty Pennington, or even a lot of work to redesign a room. A little time, effort, some paint, and a swap of color in accessories is all that's needed to really make a difference. You can do this too!

Are you sharing photos of your creative space?

Leave me your link and I'll come visit!

If you'd like to see more photos of my studio, check out the slideshow below. I do hope you enjoy it as much as I am enjoying my wonderful, calm, relaxing and inspiring creative Retreat!

sunny

FINALLY...

The sun is shining, 

the sunshine yellow roses are blooming,

the birds are singing, 

and summer arrives next week.

{Yes, it WILL!}

Glorious Day!!!

Hope yours is wonderful...

The View From Here...

This is what ten o clock at night looks like from where we are...

I LOVE this time of year!

It's a Date!

We celebrated this beautiful sunny day 

by attending the newest show in the Seattle area: 

the 2nd Saturdayz Flea Market at Magnusson Park.

We arrived at just past noon,

and thought it would be pretty empty.

While it was obvious that the dedicated early-morning crowd

had swept in and shopped 'till they dropped,

there was still a wonderful array of vintage & antique treasures

to be had...

The dealers have such beautiful displays, and lovely offerings

{Yes, including the Queen of Desserts, Kathryn! sigh....}

This is such a refreshing breath of fresh air 

for vintage style fans in our area.

Thank you, Linda Morrison and Janet Sears,

for bringing this beauty to Seattle!

Applause, Applause!

So, put the dates on your calendar: 

the Second Saturday of every month

at the Sand Point Hangars,

Magnusson Park, Seattle. 

Easy Peasy!

{Photos shown here were taken by Deb

of the show vendor booths, with permission of 2nd Saturdayz.

Please do not copy, reproduce, or otherwise use them.
Unless of course, one of them is of your own booth! ;0)

Thank you.}

All Heart

{Photo snapped on the way home from Spokane on Monday}

Life is full of blue skies and sunshine

and gray clouds and rain

simultaneously

Even as we bask in the glow of a stellar show response,

we missed dear friends Larry & Coleen, 

who were not there with us this year...

and this morning, we just found out 

that one of them will never return.

After a year-long battle against a hideous disease, 

he has left us to live where there is abundant sunshine.

I was staring at those clouds in the sky and snapping that photo above
just about the time our friend made his transition.
Rather amazing, really.
I felt such peace looking at them
and I wish I could give Coleen that feeling right now.

After reading my sweet friend's message this morning, 

I lit the candle on the beautiful iron heart candleholder 

that Lar created and Coleen sent to us just last month.

I believe it is one of his last ones...

made by his hands, from his heart.

I will treasure it ALWAYS

as a sign of how a big, open, loving heart

transcends the weather

the situation

time and space

life and death

and trivial drama.

It binds us.

Photo of Larry & Coleen Sohn and Bob & Deb Kennedy

taken at the BarnHouse Party at Chaps in Spokane

during the Farm Chicks show last year

{Image by Kimberly Taylor}

If you will, 

lift Coleen up in thought, prayer, and affirmation.

This is a dark, gray, cloudy time for her right now

and she needs some sunshine...

{If you would like to send encouragement to Coleen,

her blog is Coleen's Reflections}

{image mine}

sleepwalking....

Can I just say that this years' Farm Chicks show was the BEST EVAH?

{not just for us, either.... I think that is truly the general consensus

among everyone who participated in ANY way}

Mind-blowingly, unequivocally, indisputably THE BEST SHOW EVER.
Serena is brilliant, Celeste of CHAPS is charming,
this 'family' is amazing,
and this show just tops everything.
EVERYTHING.

I have to add that
anyone who says they or their show are 'like the Farm Chicks'
is pulling your leg.
Because NO ONE is like this.
No One.

I am seriously out of words and descriptors right now.

But I will share more tomorrow... 

after I get a decent LONG hot shower, 

a great night's sleep in my own comfy nest of a bed, 

and some good food to nourish my weary bod.

For now, take a peek of what my friend & 'boothmate'

Sweet Patricia of Tippy Stockton Jewelry

created in her space:

{She ROCKED her first Farm Chicks appearance!}

Her space was GORGEOUS!

There were so many beautiful booths, displays, products, and people...

I have to sort thru all of my photos so I can share them 

and right now I am sooooo tired that I wouldn't do anyone justice.

So, until I can post more here, tell me: 

Did you go? 

What was your favorite thing about the show?

Your favorite booth? 

{Not fishing for compliments here, I really wanna' know! 

It was ALLLL so beautiful that it's hard to choose}

What did you buy?!

Where did you eat? {and what}

And what was the treasure that you missed out on? ;0)

Farm Chicks FEVER

OMG..... Farm Chicks this year is AWESOME.

Seriously. More awesome than EVER.

I spent 10 hours today setting up our space,

surrounded by incredible energy, 

people, products, and displays.

TOTALLY blown away!

so

swim, drive, fly, run, walk, whatever. 

Just.Get.Here.

Sneaky peeks of our space (all 300 sq ft of it)

are on our Retreat Facebook Page.