Hummadeedledee

february = love

2012-01-31T20:03:00.000-08:00

During this month devoted to the recognition of love,

I am focusing on the remarkable love that God has for us.

As life changes for me yet again,

I am resting in the knowledge that He's there by my side,

holding and protecting my heart

just as He protects tender flower buds in the frost

so they can bloom in the sunshine...

Peaceful

2012-01-23T08:48:00.000-08:00

I wish you a peaceful day....

My sweet friend Kim sent me a cd of music,

including this song.

Kim said in a note that when she hears it, she thinks of me.

And that music touches her profoundly,

so she thought that it might do the same for me.

She was right.

When we were little girls, Kim and I, and our friend Nancy,

used to sing together at church.

So many happy memories.

Thank you, sweet friend, for your love.

Music has always been a part of our friendship...

touching our hearts, and others.

I hope this song reaches your heart,

if you are in need of comfort and encouragement right now...

{Kim has a great blog, too... pop over for a visit!}

The Master Artist

2012-01-17T10:44:00.000-08:00

Once in awhile, God reminds me that He is the ultimate artist...

On days like today, when the snow falls softly and silently from above,

dusting spindly bare branches with glitter

and covering the Earth in a fuzzy felted blanket,

He touches everything with His brush and transforms it

using only one color.

I shared my winter garden images over on the FOLK magazine blog, too....

My Best Junk Project of 2011: Funky Junk's Linky Party!

2012-01-13T19:40:00.000-08:00

So, Miss Donna over at Funky Junk Interiors is hosting a linky party...

featuring Your Best Junk Project of 2011.

REALLY? Well..... ok.... I can do this.....

Donna throws down a gauntlet, Deb's gotta' take it up!

My best junk find of last year was discovered when we moved in December.

It was sitting in the middle of my new (rented) backyard.

A little gardenhouse, built from reclaimed materials by the home's owner,

has been rather neglected over the past few years.

So, me being me, I made it my project and rehabbed it.

In a weekend. ;0)

And then I filled it with a ton of my existing vintage & junk finds.

It started out like this:

Kind of forlorn and overwhelmed with stuff.

(wow, that sounds like where I was at during the move... ok, enough of that...)

I emptied it, swept it out, and then commenced with the prettifying.

First came a whitewash. All over everything!

Walls, beams, doors, floor.

Then I culled through a bunch of stuff ('Cause I have BUNCH of STUFF, people)

I did not buy ANYTHING NEW for this project, girls! I already had it ALL.

I decided what was going inside to make this a workable

garden house/photo studio/writers' retreat for me.

The enamel sink I've been haulin' all over for years was a no-brainer. Finding one large and two medium crates to hold it up wasn't hard, either. A pegrack made from old wood and some ceramic insulator knobs (for electric fences) hangs over it and holds buckets. Eventually, I'll hook up a hose bib for running water to the sink, and it will drain into the pail below.

The folding white chair is a prop that I uncovered in a huge dumpster at Molbak's Garden + Home when I worked there as a display stylist years ago., I've used that poor broken baby in more displays than I can remember... and now, she holds my plethora of pots quite charmingly. I used a vintage commercial bread pan on the floor to hold rows of small pots, and a vintage commercial muffin top tin up on the chair arms to hold more pots.

Then I hauled in an old enamel-top table. Perfect working surface for potting plants, making wreaths, and works FABulously in photo setups. Behind the table is a loooooong wooden bench - that was already here in the gardenhouse. Over the window is another pegrack (today I hung a huge lace tablecloth on that to block the ugly view into the neighbor's yard).

I hung a vintage metal cabinet and an old metal light fixture.

Then I hung my sweet vintage floral chandelier up high.

I also added a heater. It's freakin' FREEZING here in Seattle right now!!!

Then I foofed and primped and fussed, and when it was all done, I was just thrilled.

I did a photo shoot out there this week for

my Sweet ReTreats column in the Spring issue of FOLK Magazine,

and I am utterly beside myself with the way light bounces through this space. O JOY!

Dare I say it's even BETTER than the light was in my old dining room? ;0)

It's going to be a really fun 'lab' where I can play and try out

all kinds of seasonal decorating ideas for my designs and articles.

I just have to add:

Wow. Thanks, Lord! I am awestruck by this.

In the midst of losing everything, God gave me this gift...

something I've wanted for a really long time. <3

So, there you have it.... my Best Junk Find of 2011: My Gardenhouse.

Thank you ever so much for stopping by my crazy lil' blog!

Come back any time!

GROW!

2012-01-12T20:10:00.000-08:00

OK, I originally wrote this post way back in 2010.

Discovered it tonight and thought 'YEP, that's SO true'.

So, I'm sharing this one again ;0)

Sometime last spring.... May, I think... the rain subsided and the weeds they began to GROW. It was rather frightening how fast some areas were overtaken by them. So Bob got out his trusty weedeater and edger, and hacked them to bits. Then he doused the areas with heavy-duty weed killer (I know, I know.....) to keep them from coming back. They didn't.

Well.... except this ONE.

I found it unfurling underneath the raised metal firepit about a month ago, just a scraggly little vine starting to wind around one of the legs. Two days later it was ginormous. It was then that I realized that it wasn't a weed at all, but a Clematis 'Evergreen' vine - a hardy vining plant that tends to do quite well here in the Northwest. We had never seen it there before, not even last summer when we first found our house. I dug the rootball up (it was really huge), split it down, and transplanted the thing into my rear patio windowbox. The window is in the laundry room and overlooks the back deck, and gets morning & afternoon sun. I thought it would be a perfect place to watch her grow.

It's been growing like gangbusters for the past month and looks so pretty there. A few days ago, this amazing blossom appeared. White. Ok, I have to tell you that it's pretty much a miracle plant because of it's story, but that white flower is the cherry on top. Nothing planted on this property is white. Nothing. It's all garish orange day lilies and bright red roses and pink & yellow blooming trees and purple heather. All SO not what I would choose. No white, no where, no how. And Deb does love white flowers.... so the appearance of this beauty really made me smile.

And then I started to think about this little plant...I was meant to find her.

She was meant to survive.

And suddenly, it became about more than a plant....

It's OK if we go unnoticed, and if we aren't located in the best, most spectacular place.

It's OK if we get hacked down, and then doused with hard stuff that tries to kill us off,

or at least keep us from getting where we are trying to go.

It's OK if we spend a long time developing deep roots to support us,

and it's OK if the visible parts of us are nothing special.
Really. It's OK.
Because we are survivors.

One grand day, the sun is gonna' shine on us, and we are going to grow leaps and bounds and start spreading out all over the place. And we're going to get noticed. And we'll end up in a location with a spotlight on us, right up at eye level, where our vision and destiny and worth will be evident. TO US. And in that setting, in that perfect place, we will blossom. And time will stand still while our blossom unfurls and spreads beauty to all who encounter it. And our story will encourage and inspire others to just.hang.in.there. until the sun does shine.

(I really love that 'sun shining' part!)

I don't know where you are right now. I know where I am. I've been hanging in there, and the sun is beginning to break through the clouds. It's almost time. Look at that photo of the blossom, and know that your time is coming - you are about to bloom into the fullness of all that you are meant to be. Wiggle your toes in that dirt and throw your leaves open wide, and get ready to soak it all in. And grow into everything that you have been destined to become since you were a tiny little seed, struggling just to exist.

We can do this. We're Survivors.

Disney Dizzy

2012-01-11T20:43:00.000-08:00

Today I saw the commercial for Disney's Beauty and the Beast 3-D film,
and as I looked at the Animated Belle,
I realized that there is a real-life actress that looks a LOT like her.

And now I have this BIZARRE thing running through my head:

If central casting were looking for real starlets to play the Princesses in 2012,

who would they choose???

Here's who I would choose...

some are just really obvious to me.

One is spot-on, drop-dead PERFECT

(and ABC knows it)

One isn't really a starlet, but what the heck.

And one... well... forgive me.

I couldn't HELP myself.

What can I say, I'm weird.

{And if I could BE a Disney Princess, it'd be Cinderella.

My sister almost WAS Cinderella at Disneyland, lucky girl!}

Which Disney Princess would YOU be?

Or who do you think makes a better Princess than my choices?

Remarkable

2012-01-06T19:12:00.000-08:00

I finally have my Word for the Year

I've been considering a few, mulling them over, waiting to see which one really resonated with my soul.

As I shared a status update about that today on facebook, saying that I've recently had some rather remarkable revelations, I was still considering those words. When a friend commented that she couldn't wait to see all of the remarkable things I'd do in 2012, a little light bulb went on over my head and the thought came to me that perhaps REMARKABLE was my word.

I think it chose ME.

2012 will be Remarkable because I am here to see it unfold.

2012 will be Remarkable because of the endings, beginnings,

and continuations of good things in my life.

2012 will be Remarkable because I expect it to be!

I am looking forward to the Remarkable opportunities and possibilities that I can't even see yet.

To dreams I haven't even dreamed yet.

I am looking forward to the Remarkable things I will learn, experience, and become this year.

To see how life can be so different than I had planned, and had thought it would be...

and to see how GOOD that can be when I let God handle it all.

That's pretty Remarkable.

Do you have a Word for the Year?

How did you choose it - or, did IT choose YOU?

Orange Ya' Glad It's 2012?

2012-01-04T21:53:00.000-08:00

WELL

if you didn't know what Pantone meant before,

you probably do NOW!

[2012 Color of the Year 'Tangerine Tango' above]

and really, with all this popularity,

someone has GOT to come up with a word

that rhymes with ORANGE...

so, what's YOUR favorite shade

from the Pantone Color Institute 2012 Trend Palette?

I love 'starfish' ;0)

a Toast, to 2012...

2011-12-31T13:27:00.000-08:00

It is with both sadness and joy that I say

adios and arrivederci to 2011...

Many wonderful things happened this year,

many dreams came true and goals were reached.

But along with the sunshine comes rain,

and many unhappy events and situations visited me, as well.

I can't go back, not to those glorious moments of our show on the farm,

to days with our family gathered and having fun there,

to clear star-filled skies I gazed at each night,

or to the wide-open future we saw before us each day....

until it wasn't so very wide-open anymore.

I don't want to go back.

I want to go forward,

into the glorious moments in my future that haven't yet happened.

I know they are there, waiting for me,

I just need to let go of the past so I can move forward.

So my word on this last day of 2011 is

RELEASE.

I have been thinking of my word for 2012,

and there have been a few in consideration:

Accept / Acceptance

Restore /Restoration

Receive

I'm not really sure which one it is to be...

but it's not 2012 yet. ;0)

What's your word for the coming year?

Happy New Year, friends...

may 2012 bring you more than you can dream of

(in a good way!)

and bless you abundantly.

A Message with a Message

2011-12-26T19:30:00.000-08:00

This was our grandson, playing with my childhood nativity scene two Christmases ago.

His favorite parts were the sheep and the 'baby cheesus' <3

I heard a really amazing concept explained in a sermon

at the Christmas Eve service we attended on Saturday evening...

In the midst of telling the traditional Christmas story

and sharing exactly WHY it was that

God came to live among us as a man, born of a woman, in a stable,

on a night that we celebrate as Christmas,

the pastor offered this insight:

"You see, we are, by nature, RULE BREAKERS. It's in our DNA. Someone tells us we CAN'T do something, we say "Oh YEAH? WATCH me!" There are laws of the land that we habitually break because we feel they are absurd or inappropriate or ineffective, or simply that they just do not apply to US. Pick one - speeding, passing on the right, jaywalking.... ;0)"

At this point, the congregation laughed softly - that kind of laugh that says "uh oh, he's on to me". 

He continued: "We, of course, violate spiritual laws, laws that God has put into place. That is our sin. That is why we are in need of forgiveness from Him. Most of us know this. That's not really what I want to talk about tonight. I want to talk about the laws we impose on OURSELVES, and then BREAK."

Silence. He smiled.

"Oh, I see... you don't think you do this. Let's see.... today is December 24th, correct?"

The congregation nodded in agreement, still silent.

"What will you be doing in seven days? On December 31st?"

A small ripple of nervous laughter began to move through the sanctuary. They knew what was coming.

"Oh, that's right..... you'll be making 'promises' to yourself, and to others. You'll call them 'Resolutions'. But what they REALLY are is a new set of LAWS that you are imposing on yourself: Eat better, eat less, exercise more, save more, spend less, give more, take less, get a new job... whatever these things are that you decide you are no longer happy with in life, or feel guilty that you have NOT been doing, you are going to follow the time-honored ritual of turning the changes into New Years Resolutions. And do you know what HAPPENS, a few weeks or months later?"

Silence again.

"Of course you do! You're going to break one, two, some, most, or ALL of those 'laws'. Because it's in your nature to do so. You're going into this thinking that it's hard, it's unfair, it's not what you want to do, but for your own good you HAVE to do it. That's just like the laws you don't like to follow, the rules you break in life. Because it's opposite to your nature."

"And by repeatedly setting yourself up this way, you are repeatedly setting yourself up to FAIL. And then you can't forgive yourself for not being thinner, richer, more secure, more stable, or whatever it is that you REALLY wanted to change. So instead of getting closer to those things, you get further AWAY from them. Every time you try and fail, you make it harder to forgive yourself."

The assembly nodded nearly in unison, looking at him and each other as if little light bulbs had just been illuminated over every one of their heads. 

He concluded "God knows this! It's WHY He became a man. He knows our weaknesses, our failures, our intentions, our nature. He knows we try - and fail sometimes. He knows how we beat ourselves up over those failures. He came, as a baby in a manger, born of a woman, because He wanted to show us His Love. His Acceptance. His Forgiveness."

"The thing is, it's a GIFT. We can not do ANYTHING to earn it from Him.

No matter how good and right and rich and stable and thin and healthy we are - or aren't - our worth never changes in His eyes, or His heart. No matter how many awful or lawless things we have done, we are still able to receive his Love and Forgiveness. His forgiveness was offered when He, as His Son, in human form, took on our sinful human nature himself and died on the cross to pay the fines for our unlawlessness, our rebellion, our willfulness."

"And has not God said to us that we are to forgive others, as He forgives US? Yes, He has. So the charge is to forgive YOURSELVES. Realize that if Almighty God can look upon you with love and forgiveness, and absolve you of your guilt and shame and sin, and reminded you of your great and immeasurable worth to Him, then He has asked and empowered you to forgive others and your SELF in this same way. It's not YOUR forgiveness - it's HIS. He gives it to each of us, to pass on. To share. To multiply. To embody."

"Especially at a time of year when we need that more than any new exercise regimen or diet. Once we have forgiven ourselves for past failures and mistakes, we can more clearly see what it is we need and WANT to do to make our lives and selves what we want and need to be to serve Him. Once we are certain of our worth to God Almighty, we can no longer doubt that we are worth a chance to change and improve. It's not about obtaining perfection, but about accepting forgiveness for our inability to achieve it. We can't do it on our own. But HE can do it for us. We just have to accept that gift. The gift of Forgiveness, and Worth, and Value. That's why He came to earth, born of a woman, in a manger, on a night we celebrate as Christmas."

Silence again.

He said a bit more, but that's what my brain clung to. There is a message in there that I sorely needed to hear right now in my life. And perhaps at this time of year, we ALL need to remember that holding on to our past failures, guilt, sorrow, hurt, pain, and shame - as well as that we experience in relationships with others - is not only preventing us from moving forward and accepting all of the wonderful things yet to come, it is very nearly a refusal of the forgiveness that God so generously and openly offers us.

It's certainly an issue I am dealing with right now -

forgiving myself so that I can be clear, and forgive others.

What I took away from this young pastor's sermon on Christmas Eve was that I don't need to find, manufacture, drum up, or create that forgiveness for myself and others. God gave it to me already. I just have to accept the gift, unwrap it, revel in its wholeness, and then share it.

That's a Resolution I can follow. <3

To You and Yours...

2011-12-24T17:04:00.000-08:00

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas,

a Happy Hanukkah,

and a Happy New Year....

Blessings to all in 2012

Gertrude Gets Glam!

2011-12-22T17:27:00.000-08:00

Some of you have seen my original 'Junk Queen Crowns' at shows over the past few years.

This tiny little crown, which I ended up calling the 'Junk Princess',

was the very FIRST one I EVER made -

Even before I made my big honkin' heavy crystal-embellished one.

I kept it 'cause it was the first, and cute, and yes, I've worn it once or twice!

But this holiday season, I'm letting someone else wear it.

Gertrude Gets Glam.

Yup. Gertrude.

Blinged up beyond belief!

Here's The Story:

Gertrude was a deer mount that we found at a garage sale in Truckee, California back in the late 80's when we lived there. Bob doesn't hunt, but he wanted that whole 'Mountain Man Cabin' look in our house, so we got it for ten bucks. [We also got a moose antler mount at another sale, but that's another story.]

Gertrude was a boy - we know that, because A) you can't shoot and mount females and b) this guy has antlers. But for some Godforsaken reason, everyone in the family started calling it Gertrude. The name stuck. And every Christmas, poor ol' Gert would suffer the indignities of being trussed... no, wait.... dressed up in some kind of ridiculously corny Holiday getup: Split a hollow red plastic ball in half and pop it over the nose - VOILA! It's Rudolph! A clown hat and 'big nose glasses', a Santa hat and a red & white scarf, a rainbow wig and garish necktie....you name it, Gert's worn it. I can only imagine if the poor thing could speak, what tales of woe and humiliation it would share....

Well,. last summer, poor Gertrude was hanging in Bob's workshop. Getting horribly covered with sawdust and grime. I had had it, and was about to pitch her/him into the trash. Then I got an idea: It was time for a MAKEOVER for Gert.

I spent two days stripping off the deer hide (eeeeeeeeeew - Bob ended up doing most of that, actually) and giving the remaining papier mache' head form and real antlers a good brushing. Then I gathered up bags and bags of the broken-shell kind of sand that we had over at Utsalady Beach. I smeared tile mastic all over poor Gert and pressed the sand into the mastic. I artfully placed a few small shells on the nose and at the crown of her/his head. When it all dried, I sprayed it with clear acrylic spray.

Gert at BarnHouse in July

Gert looked SO very stylish and modern and hip that I took her/him to the BarnHouse show, absolutely certain that she/he would sell in a snap. No such luck - although there were many admirers and a million comments about how COOL that idea was, no one forked over the bucks. So, I brought Gertrude back home and hung her/him in the family room. She/he was cool.... too cool to go back to the shop.

Then during our recent move, I looked up at Gert hanging on that wall and decided that she/he has been such a big part of the Holidays for so long that I just couldn't let her/him end up at the thrift store. So, I brought Gert here to the new place and found the perfect spot on a wall in the little living room. I knew I'd find something to liven her/him up for Christmas.

When I was going through the bins of selected ornaments & decor, I found the strands of antique German glass bead garland. And some white floral picks, to match the white tree. Then I went to my jewelry box to grab a strand of silver beads I have - and found the Princess crown. I just went overboard and put it ALL on Gertrude.

And I have to say, this year there is no doubt that Gertrude is a GIRL.

SHE's never looked so good as in all this bling!

And she's here to stay... even though the crown and bling may not be.
Merry Christmas, my DEERS ;0)

Letting Go

2011-12-19T15:22:00.000-08:00

It's hard to do.

A lot has happened with me, with us, with our life and our business, over the past few months. Especially over the past month. And I am working on walking through it, learning from it, experiencing it, rather than trying to run from it and hide. It's painful, but then so is childbirth. And I feel like that's an apt description for this... something, someone, is trying to be born. Something within me is trying to evolve and grow and emerge through the rubble of the mess my life has become. My past almost fifty years are dragging along behind me in a tattered dirty suitcase, tied to my heart, trying to impede my progress on the journey. I am determined to cut the rope and let them go. To chose the future instead of the past.

I've been accused of being a fake, a phony, a liar... by people I don't know at all and people I know very well. And yet the overwhelming thing is that they don't know ME at ALL. I've lied to MYSELF, and that's been my biggest mistake. I've lied, and covered up and hidden the truth, because the truth was that I have been in pain and anger all along. Nothing I did or achieved 'out there' could fill the emptiness or take away the guilt or pain, because I wasn't being honest with myself. And so when I prayed to God to help me, He destroyed the facade. He broke my heart. He decimated my soul. Because everything that you all saw was what I thought life needed to be for me to live a meaningful existence. To matter. To 'be'.

I was wrong.

I had to let go of that dream, that plan, that 'me' so that I can find out who the REAL me is. I struggled and I fought and I argued and I cried, and I finally figured out that I needed to let go and submit to the process willingly. Now I am on a journey to find out who it is that I am supposed to become, to be, and what my purpose for the rest of my life is.

I realize the futility of thinking that I had a plan and a dream and a goal to chase. Nope. I have a heart that yearns for love and forgiveness, and only God can give me that. Only I can forgive myself, because I know that there are people in my life who NEVER will offer that. They can't. They can't love me when I don't love myself. They can't forgive me when I can't forgive myself. And they can't see any other way to treat me, because for so long, I have been that excuse, that reason, that causation for the pain that they suffer. I've accepted and built that role for myself, have allowed them to treat me this way, and have lived it for so long that even I believed it was all I was here for.

God destroyed all that. He destroyed the mirage of my life, both what other people saw and what I believed about myself, and offered me clear, clean water instead - the truth. The truth is that I need His strength to endure this process, and I need to forgive myself and love myself and let Him show me where He wants me to go. And I need to shut up. I say too much, I share too much, I want so much to be understood and accepted that I write things like this and open my heart to people I shouldn't.... and then I get wounded when they strike back, and wonder why it happens to me. LOL. Because I put myself out there!

I don't deserve some of the awful , terrible, heartbreaking things that have happened in my life. I do deserve some of the troubles I have faced, because of bad choices I have made. Some repeatedly. I deserve the awards and accolades I have received for hard work and dedication - in a few cases, I deserve more than I got. I deserve to live and love and make a difference in the world - everyone does. And for now, I deserve to take time to figure out what comes next. To do nothing and rest and recover and discover a new way of being the me that I was destined to be.

I am re-reading Iyanla VanZandt's books 'Yesterday, I Cried', 'In the Meantime', and 'One Day My Soul Just Opened Up'. Her story is not my story, but her 'issues' are my issues. I found words that she wrote that have echoed in my soul for SO LONG that it brought me to tears. I wrote them down in my journal, and cried again. When I read them, I cry. When someone else has experienced something that echoes your experience, that can cause them to utter words that you have uttered, it is a profoundly healing experience. And that, I suppose, is why I am writing this post. The hope, the wish, that if Iyanla and the Brave Girls can share their pain and somehow touch someone's heart and cause healing to begin, then maybe just maybe my words can do the same for even one person out there.

I don't know if I can keep up with sharing my heart. It's broken and ravaged and tattered, and I don't know how brave I can be. I wonder if anyone reads this blog anymore; I wonder if I shouldn't just stop being personal at all and resign myself to sharing pictures of decor stuff from the web here. I have been told I should not share what I share, here or anywhere, as it reflects badly upon me. The people who say this have never been transparent about their lives or feelings, sometimes not even to those closest to them, so I tend to discount their opinions. Right now, God moved on my heart to share this message. I don't know what comes next... and I am not a girl who likes to say that. I ALWAYS want to know what comes next. God is breaking me of that, it's clear.

Big huge changes are in store for me... I can feel it.

Yeah, even more than the big huge changes that have gone on in the past month.

(Closing a business, moving out of my dream house, letting go of dreams and goals,

and realizing certain things about myself and my family and my life).

I just have to come to a place where I can accept the changes and give in to them, and move forward from the pain and shame and guilt and damage and loss. If you are in that place too, then let me share something with you: Iyanla wrote a marvelous message about birthing a new life here that I think might just touch your heart. I keep re-reading it and I get something different out of it each time.... which is why I am re-reading her books again. When we moved two weeks ago, I found them on a bottom shelf in my office, and packed them in a box to come to our new house. I began reading the first book two nights ago. I am now beginning the second.

I've figured out that God needed me to be in this place to speak to me in a way I could hear. To begin to heal me of my past, so that I can accept His plan for my future. I just need to be open to accepting it all, and be patient with Him while He is doing His work in me. That's my job right now, and I think that may just be my word for 2012: Acceptance. Not sure yet.

I told God I want to be a writer. Full time, all the time. I want to write about a lot of things. Whether or not that is HIS plan for me remains to be seen! But if God decides to move on my heart to write and share here about what it is that I am going through, I will. If not, you'll probably see photos of pretty seasonal rooms here. ;0) In any case, whether you stay or go, I thank you for listening.

I hope with all of my heart that if you are going through a dark night of the soul, if you are laboring to birth a new you into being, that you will find a way to succumb to the process instead of fighting it. Because we all know that once it's over, the pain is gone and the memory of it isn't nearly as bad as the pain and process itself. Take a deep breath, and let the pain fill you. Breathe out and let the pain escape. Do it again. And again. And again. You are not alone, God is with you. You can do this. I can do this. The world will be a better place if we can be honest with ourselves, and do the work to be who we are destined to be. We can let go.

Blessings,

Deb

It's Ornamental

2011-12-12T20:18:00.000-08:00

I LOVE decorating Christmas Trees!
However, I am decidedly NOT a fan of those flimsy little wire ornament hooks sold everywhere.

Neither is my vacuum -

That horrific sound it makes when it inadvertently sucks up one of those wire hooks makes me cringe.
And let's not even think about stepping on one. 

For years now, I've been hanging my tree ornaments in a much simpler and prettier way:

Chenille Stems (formerly known as 'pipe cleaners') formed into an 'S' hook!

Let me show you this easy little trick, and I bet you'll never use a wire hanger again.

(Cue Joan Crawford!)

Grab a large package of chenille stems /pipe cleaners from the craft store.

If you want the hangers to disappear, get the same color as your tree (green or white).

If you want them to stand out as a decorative element, try black on a white tree, or white on a green tree.

Or sparkly silver or gold for some bling!

Cut the chenille stems into halves for larger hangers, or thirds for smaller ones.

Twist both ends around a pencil or pen, forming an 'S' shape.

Hook an ornament on one end, and slip the other end over a tree branch.

Voila!

A no-slip hanger - that will also show up if it falls onto the carpet. ;0)

Sweet Gift Wrap Ideas

2011-11-25T20:40:00.000-08:00

With handmade gifts being the name of the game this Holiday season,

think about adding a handmade touch to your gift wrap, as well!

Here are a few tips to create the packages shown in my current FOLK Magazine column:

Sew an 'envelope' from the body of a sweater, pop a gift box inside, and safety pin the top closed.

On top, a pouffe of beautiful ribbon or trim, a satin bow, and a bling-y rhinestone clip.

Believe it or not, this is gift wrapping paper!

MODA Home's 'Funky Monkey' pattern looks just like a sweater

(it's an older pattern - I found my rolls at Tuesday Morning). 

Rosettes are made from cashmere sweater arm cuffs - just roll up and stitch to hold.

And the perfect accent for a sweater is PEARLS... dripping on top of the gift like a tree garland!

A more rustic masculine look: burlap and twine.

Add in some vintage ephemera for interest.

More of the sweater-print paper, with feminine details:

These pinwheel posies are made from the edges of canvas painter's tarps, rolled & glued.

Attach to a gift with glue dots, over a piece of Christmas sheet music.

Vintage lace and a sweet carnation pin (re-usable!) stand in for a bow.

A square lace doily looks like snowflakes,

and a tiny grass nest with vintage petals adds a touch of real nature.

Sew an envelope pouch from canvas, and tuck in vintage sheet music or a favorite magazine.

Fold closed, and tie with vintage trims.

Photos in this post are mine, and appear in my column

in the Christmas 2011 Issue of FOLK Magazine.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T07:51:00.000-08:00

Some table decor inspiration for you!

Sometimes, simple is best -
It leaves us time for the important things

Need a simple place card idea?

What about a way to corral flatware for a buffet?

You could make stockings or cornucopia cones from vintage papers, too!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, friends...

'Hostess with the Mostess' Gift Wraps

2011-11-21T09:05:00.000-08:00

With the Thanksgiving holiday weekend coming up,

I thought I'd share some ideas for wrapping hostess gifts!

My Sweet ReTreats column in the Christmas Issue of FOLK Magazine

is all about gift wrapping inspiration, using everyday materials

Some ideas for food & beverage gifts...

Giving a lovely bottle of wine, port, champagne, or liquor

is an elegant way to thank a hostess for inviting you.

Wrapping your gift in a unique way will be a perfect finishing touch!

*Make a 'sweater cozy' for decanters and wine bottles - simply cut the arm off of a lovely sweater, and scrunch over the bottle. Tie a bauble around the bottle's neck for a finishing touch.

*Use a stocking as a wine bag! Tuck a bit of tissue into the toe of a stocking, then sit a bottled beverage inside. With a snippet of greenery or more tissue at the top, it's charming and re-usable!

*Simply wrap a bit of burlap, linen, ticking, or other fabric around a bottle (double-stick tape works really well) and then tie with twine. Add a vintage earring or brooch for some bling to dress it up!

And finally...

Tuck a bottle into an old cowboy boot, and add a cushion of burlap. Perfect for a guy!

Since we've all seen the 'coffee can as cookie container' trick,

I have a few new ideas for that, as well:

*Simply tie some rustic twine around a silver can for an industrial look. Add a tag made from an old spoon.

*Make a sweater cozy for a can - cut off the arm of a sweater and sew one end closed. Scrunch it over a can and tie the top with a bow made from vintage lace.

*Vintage metal containers are still a stylish way to present baked goods!
Find them at thrift stores & antique shops, then add a seasonal detail like a small burlap wreath.

I hope these ideas inspire your Holiday gift wrapping!

I'll share more from my column soon...

and if you don't want to miss any of my inspiring ideas like this,

subscribe to FOLK Magazine HERE

Happy Holidays!

I Am: Thankful

2011-11-02T20:57:00.000-07:00

One Day at a Time... All Month Long

I am thankful for:

1. The first day of a new month. A fresh new calendar page. A clean slate.

2. Golden sunshine in the morning. A time when the world looks new,

and everything seems possible... even if it really isn't.

3. A laptop computer that works, so I can communicate with my vendors, friends, & family.

4. That some mistakes can be fixed. Like hair color ;0)
5. That the sun was shining today, and the fall leaves looked like jewels.
6. For enough energy to do what I needed to do today.
7. For three little grandsons who make me smile!
8. For the ability to help other people build & grow successful businesses.

My retail experience & knowledge can give others a boost - 

which means I didn't go through all that stuff for nuthin'. ;0)
9. That I have friends all over the place, from all throughout my life.

This makes me feel MUCH better about the people whom I thought were friends - but weren't.
10. For people who use their skills to help others live better lives.
My massage therapist (whose name is Deb Kennedy!) is one of them.
11. For everyday heroes.
Soldiers, Doctors, Nurses, Law Enforcement, Teachers.
People who step in to help those who need it,
regardless of the cost to themselves.
12. That answers DO come, eventually.
But not always right when we need them to ;0)
13. For people who are generous... even when they don't have to be.
14. For the ability to see possibilities
even when it seems like there are none...
15. For people who have convictions and beliefs, and live by them.
Even in the face of adversity.
16. For Hope... the Hope that Christmas will bring a visit
from some very special people!
17. For Melody and Kathy, the Brave Girls,
and the words of encouragement they share...
18. That my copy of FOLK Magazine's Christmas Issue arrived today!
19. For AMAZING customers, friends, and neighbors.
20. For clear, sunny blue skies on the days we held our sale.
It was COLD, but dry!
21. That I have the amazing opportunity to write for FOLK Magazine.
22. For the wonderful memories I have of those I love who are no longer here...
it was such a blessing to have had them in my life.
Grandpa & Grandma Ward, Uncle Don Ward, cousin Bonnie Ward, Grandpa & Grandma Sitton, Grandpa & Grandma Mendelson, and my late 101-year-old friend Marion Steiner...
thank you for sharing your lives with me.

23. I am giving thanks today for the things I do not understand; the things I did not want to happen; the hard things I am being asked to do; the situations and people that have harmed me; and the painful things I have yet to experience. They all taught me something:
It's been said that unless we experience the darkness, we cannot celebrate the light. I've stood in the light, and I've been swallowed by the darkness even though I ran from it and fought it. I'm through running, and fighting. I simply accept it as part of the human experience. If it doesn't kill me, it WILL make me stronger.
24. For my family... my husband, my son, my daughters and their husbands, my grandsons...
my mom and dad, my sisters and brothers... and my nieces and nephews.
I am so very blessed to have these people in my life.

25. For this home that I have dreamed of, enjoyed, and loved.
26. For eagles soaring overhead, deer walking by, horses grazing next door.
27. For sunshine in November.
28. For small miracles that buoy my hope, and big miracles that renew my faith.
29. For people who live and act with honor.
30. For the next chapter...

Happy Thanksgiving...
may you all have an abundance of faith, family, friends,
and blessings in your lives to be thankful for.

...by the way, I'm listing these as I find things to be thankful for

as each day unfolds. It's not in order of importance, but rather in order

of how I become aware of them...

Friends, what are you thankful for this month?

First Things First...

2011-11-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

November First. 11.1.11

Seems a good time to begin something.

Not quite a New Years' Resolution kind of thing, but a 'clean slate' sort of thing.

Apparently I am not the only one who feels this way!
Serena agrees.

Do you?

Do you have that sort of
'hopeful new school year' kind of feeling?

Friends, I've been plowing along despite some pretty big obstacles,
(which I haven't shared)
and I need a clean slate right now.

A while back, I found this post on Jen Lemen's blog.
And it got to me.

Then last night, I ran across this post on sweet Melody Ross' blog.
And it tore me open.

I'm just going to say that I needed to read those words,

to hear that message right now,

to STOP and listen to someone who has been where I am

and has moved through it and past it

and who is willing to share her heart

to help others understand why these things happen in life.

Bless their hearts.

Their words could be MY words, that's how close to the mark they both are.

Something needs to change.

Now seems to be a very good time to start.

What fresh new start are YOU making this time of year?

A daring physical challenge?

A new business venture?

An educational adventure?

A new relationship?

(Maybe with YOURSELF? ;0) )

Let's Begin!

WHEW

2011-10-30T22:15:00.000-07:00

What a Show!

The first Island Retreat Antique & Vintage Market

was a great success, we survived,

and this girl needs some REST for a few days ;0)

I'll be posting more photos on our

Retreat Vintage Market facebook Page in a few days...

and thank you to EVERYONE who contributed!

'Morning!

2011-10-13T08:38:00.000-07:00

The sun arose this morning on one of those rare, clear October days here in Washington.

I stood at the window with my cup of coffee

and watched its golden rays spill up over the cliff and across the pastures

It's a foggy morning, but when the sunshine appears,

it just seems to change the entire landscape from moody to optimistic.

Or maybe that's just the way it affects me...

I do know that I am so blessed to be surrounded by such beauty and peacefulness.

It reflects the way I want my heart, my mind, to feel.

...and I wasn't the only one enjoying it!

[Rodney, our neighbors' horse]

Pinned

2011-10-11T17:27:00.000-07:00

O yeah, I'm a convert.

I kept saying, I don't have time for this.

I'm too busy already.

I spend too much time online already.

[even though most of it is marketing our business

and writing for the magazine]

Well, my Google stats told me a LOT of readers

of this here lil' blog

were coming by way of Pinterest.

So, of course, I had to check out WHY.

And so, I went there.

Oh!

NOW I get it.

I was really blown away by how many of my images

from this here lil' blog

showed up on there!

THANK YOU!!!

But to like or comment on all of my pictures

pinned on other people's boards,

and THEIR nice comments,

I had to join.

But you can't just JOIN.

No, it's like a sorority:

You need an invitation to be part of the group.

A sweet friend

and very persuasive girl

extended one to me,

and now there's no turning back.

I've been pinned.

And I have pinned.

I've been on one day and I have four boards

[with enough ideas for about a hundred more]

We've got trouble, my friends.

Right here in River City.

sigh.

Gotta' go.

There are so many more pictures to be found! ;0P

Glass Slipper? Nah.... Glass Pumpkins!

2011-10-09T20:35:00.000-07:00

I was playing around with some pieces I've had on hand for awhile,

and came up with a new pumpkin creation!

They look perfect sitting on Miss Phoebe Buffet,

surrounded with bleached oak leaves.

They'd be perfect outdoors, too.

And I do think I need to find a glass slipper

to display with them, don't you?!

Still trying to figure them out?

Yup. Glass light globes!

The stems are vintage wood thread spools

and foil, wrapped with twine.

(Thanks to FunkyJunk Donna for inspiring the latter!)

I haven't seen anything like these...

It's All About M.E.!

2011-10-07T15:38:00.000-07:00

YES, you read that right!!!

I just heard this news on facebook:

Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion Magazine

just might come BACK!

I got so excited, I jumped up and knocked over

my chair of bowlies.

;0)

After we've all waited three LONG years to hear this news,
Mary Engelbreit has announced that she is ready,

and she's asking us to cast our votes on her blog...

she needs a gajillion people to sign it

so she can prove to a publisher that

WE ALL WANT HOME COMPANION Magazine BACK!!!

I read a LOT of magazines.

I WRITE for magazines.

I can say that MEHC is one of the BEST ever published.

Hands down.

So, dear girls who love unique artisans and small businesses,

happy and personal decor, wonderfully inspiring homes and stories,

absolutely divine party & entertaining ideas,

and Miss Mary's always-charming artwork & creations,

please head right over to her blog post

HERE

and add your name to the petition!

We really need this to go viral to amass a GAJILLION names,

so please share the link on your facebook status and blogs!

[images by Mary Engelbreit Company]

Inspired

2011-10-07T09:18:00.000-07:00

While out on the road yesterday, I came across this perfect fall scene,

and just had to shoot it to share with you.

It's so perfectly simple, charming, inexpensive and EASY to do!

And it just bubbles with happy fall greetings - I LOVE this kind of decor.

(PS: the man who owned the house was unloading mulch from his truck in his driveway,

so I asked him if it was ok If I took a photo of his fence.

He looked at me like I had three heads, and then said 'sure'....

which, I suspect, he may also have done to his wife,

when she placed the petite pumpkins on the fenceposts. ;0) )

This storybook cottage was down the road from the fence....

so cute, I expected Snow White to come dancing out the door.
Speaking of the door:

Of course, me being me, I just have to wonder

if those little pumpkins on the steps were quickly put down

and one rolled down to the next step.

Or if they were precisely placed.

Either way, it's a perfect composition!

Goodness, the people in this neighborhood have style!

It was a treat to spend a few minutes driving through

and being utterly inspired.

MEANWHILE, I'm workin' on another fall decor idea,

using old materials in ways OTHER than they were intended.

(My favorite thing)

Stay tuned!

[images mine . 2011]

Falling

2011-09-30T22:06:00.000-07:00

I'm still trying to figure out how October 1st arrived so quickly

(July? August? Where'd you GO?)

But in the midst of working on Holiday articles & images this week,
(and paying a fortune to have my laptop 'healed' by the Geek Squad)

I did find a few minutes to add

some VERY simple seasonal details to our decor...

Nothing fancy, and none of that typical 'Halloween' stuff for me.

Simple country-fresh seasonal style in our soft, creamy palette.

It's like.....Cashmere on a foggy fall morning. ;0)

There are a few more of my photos over on the FOLK Magazine blog,

where I share some ideas for decorating with my

Sweet Sweater Pumpkins.

My tutorial for making them is on pages 44-46

of the Fall issue of FOLK Magazine

and also here on my blog.

If you've made some, I'd love to see them!

Post a link to your photos or blog post in the comments below,

and share with everyone ;0)

[images mine @ 2011]

...and now for something completely different....

2011-09-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

the golden autumn sunrise

seeps over the rim of distant mountains

and races from east to west

like a spilled bowl of caramel sauce,

drenching us in the warmth of gilded color

Next?

2011-09-18T22:04:00.000-07:00

We never know what's coming at us next, do we?

Life can write all kinds of things on our slate,

dish out the most unbelievable things quite unexpectedly,

and take us out of the game in mere seconds.

One minute, life is going along swimmingly...

and the next, it suddenly grinds to a halt.

Through it all, we seem to think that it's our 'job'

to figure it out... find a reason... to connect the dots

so that the mishaps of life somehow make sense.

But sometimes, they just DON'T.

And we can't figure out where to go

from the place where those mishaps unceremoniously dump us.
Sometimes, it takes TIME. A whole lotta' TIME.
There's no time limit on finding meaning or solutions!
We have to think a while,
talk with someone and bounce ideas around,
and then we have to step away and just turn it all off.
Let it 'percolate' awhile in our subconscious.
And when we do that, we have to be able to say
"I Don't Know what I am going to do next. Yet."

Here's what I'm learning:

Saying 'I Don't Know' is OK.

It's OK when well-meaning people ask you what you are going to do next.

It's OK when you are asked to answer their questions or to solve their problems.

(as in, YOUR dilemma is going to affect THEIR life, so... buck up, honey)

It's OK when your brain won't shut up at night.

It's OK when you just don't know what ELSE to say or think.

It's REALLY OK when you are praying...

I'm beginning to think that God really likes it when we say

"God, I don't know what to pray for... just help me".

Because sometimes,

we just don't know what's next.

But He does.

I have friends in chaos right now.
I know of relationships in complete ruins.

I have a son in unimaginable pain.

I have a business that's struggling after a really low blow.

And I know that for every one of you out there reading this,

there are more broken hearts, more illness,

more sadness, more business struggles than I could name in a week.

We're all dealing with something.

Most of us don't know what comes next.

We don't know the why, or the how, or the when.

I've adopted 'I Don't Know' as my motto right now.

It's my go-to answer when asked almost any question,

and I repeat it to myself a hundred times a day.

I tell myself that it's OK that I don't know. Yet.

And it's OK if you don't, either.

[image mine, @ my Cottage in 2007]

A Helping Hand

2011-09-13T23:55:00.000-07:00

I was talking with a dear friend today,

and she said I needed to write about friendship.

‘I know you’ve written about this before, Deb,’ she began, ‘but I mean write about it to encourage others. To share what it is that WE have, that some of us have managed to create and sustain over years of our lives… and what it means. Why it’s important to make time for your friends. I think people need to be reminded’.

We all do. We have 'patterns' that need to be broken.

Remember when you met ‘the guy’ in high school or college? How suddenly the only person you want to be with is HIM? Your friends took a back seat as you spent every available moment with your new love. And yet…. when it crashed and burned, days or weeks or months or years later, there they were, waiting to comfort you with open arms. Women can be the best support group you’ve ever had. They can also be the worst force of war you’ve ever faced, which is why we all need to know we have friends who have our back.

I must admit, I have failed so often as a friend.

I get too busy, work too much, fill my days and hours and weeks with to-do lists. I spend the little free time I have with my husband or my kids & grandsons – not a bad thing, but I tend to avoid making time for just me, or me and a friend. I don’t call up and say ‘Let’s go grab coffee’, or join groups of friends at parties and girlfriend’s getaways. And I need to change that, because it feels eerily like those heady early days in a new relationship. My friends deserve better – and so do I.

But when a friend needs a shoulder to cry on or someone to listen, I’m there. I make sure of it.

My mom, who is also one of my best friends, recently dropped her plans for a holiday away with my dad to run to my side when I needed her. She didn’t think twice, and she never made me feel bad for her decision. She does this for her three daughters and all of her friends all the time. I learned this kind of friendship from her, and have a lot left to learn about how to be a better Mom to my own girls as they grow into the women they are becoming. Thank you, Mom.

Because of what I have seen my mom embody as a friend, when a friend is in pain and needs comfort, I’m there. If she needs prayer, baby, I am on my knees in a split second. If a friend feels the need to call me every single day on her way home from work for a year, because she is so miserable but afraid to quit that she just has to talk to someone about it (and her husband is sick to death of hearing her), I’m the go-to gal. When she needs a truck and muscles to help move something, including a whole house or store full of STUFF, I’m there. My friend Cathy did this for me years ago, and though we have lost touch now, I still am grateful for her generous spirit. If my friends have a business and they need graphics or blogs or facebook Pages, I create them or teach them how to. If they need to get the word out about something, I blast it all over my web pages.

To me, friendship has always been about helping people. But in the past year, I have learned a LOT about friendship ALSO being about allowing people to help ME. It’s a two-way street, a reciprocal relationship of support.

My best friend Lori and I have known each other since the end of eighth grade.

We met in the summer of 1976, before our freshman year, and have been in each other’s lives ever since. What began as a simple ‘hi’ has become a sisterhood. As Lori says, we are family.

We’ve experienced crushes, lust, love, loss, and everything in between in junior high and high school. From misunderstandings to all-out fights, gossip, rumors, mud being slung our way, evil things said and done to us, and miserable breakups, we’ve weathered a lot of storms beside one another. We’ve been drunk together, kicked out of class together, pregnant together, newlyweds together, apartment neighbors, and menopausal women together. We’ve partied, shopped, ditched school, run away, laughed, cried, sobbed, plotted, schemed, and sang at concerts together. She cheered for me from the bleachers while I was on the field with a flag, and have I cheered for her as she has overcome come very tough obstacles in life. We’ve discussed our faith, our past, our families, our marriages, our children, our grandchildren, our history, our classmates, our friends, our enemies, our husbands (she wins, she’s had more ;0) ), our parents, our siblings, and our hopes and fears. We’ve called each other in the middle of the night, first thing in the morning, and during the cocktail hour at the end of some long and painful days. We’ve talked about everything…. all while knowing that the other is the ONLY person who would ever understand.

In an amazing coincidence, our first grandchildren were born two years and one day apart…December 5^th and 6^th.

For a few years after high school, we lost touch, but when we sat at the table at our ten year reunion, it seemed like no time at all had passed by. Our connection cannot be broken, our history cannot be forgotten or erased. Another mutual friend said those words to us… that nothing from back then exists or matters anymore. So untrue. The depth of our friendship was forged in those days, and although those girls are not ALL of who we are now, they are an important part of the women we have become. We do not have everything in common, but we share a connection of the spirit - and the knowledge that no matter how far geography may separate us, we are always there for one another.

That’s what friendship is.

It’s being there. Being honest. Being yourself, without reservations or hesitation. Giving the other person the benefit of the doubt that they will still respect you and love you in the moments after you spill some big secret or horrible admission or soulful plea for help… because you would do the same for them.

It’s being there when the diagnosis comes in. When the shit hits the fan. When the inlaws get you down. When the husband hurts your pride, or makes you so mad you could scream. When the kid follows a path of pain and leaves destruction in his wake. When the daughter breaks your heart. When you lose someone you love. When dreams crash to the ground. When another friend betrays you. When the world just doesn’t make sense anymore, and you can’t hang on because there IS no knot left in your rope…. My friend is there, and I am here, for those moments.

I’d love to sit and giggle and visit over a cup of coffee with her every Wednesday at Starbucks in Chicago. Or head off for a girlfriend’s weekend event in Minneapolis, or to Vegas for some serious spa/lounging/drinking fun (WITH cabana boy, thankyouverymuch). In truth, I’d much rather know that we both have crazy busy lives and limited finances….. but in that moment when the world crashes in and I don’t know where to turn, she’ll be there for me. And I’ll be there for her.

I have another friend who lives an hour away from me, a sweet woman who has become one of my closest confidants over the past year. In that space of time, she has gone remarkably out of her way to be a friend to me… she has stepped up and offered her physical assistance when I was in need (and she’s offered up her guy’s, as well). She has offered her shoulder to cry on or lean on, her patient listening skills and understanding spirit to help me sort my way through some mazes of human experience and emotion. She recently stepped forward to help me unravel a mystery that had me tied in knots, when quite by accident she put two and two together and discovered a connection. She calls me, emails me, and facebook messages me to check up on me when she knows I am under the gun or the weather. She’s listened to me cry, whine, bitch, moan, complain, laugh, dream, and more. She stepped in, when others whom I have known for years backed away, during the hardest year of my adult life.

I don’t feel like I can ever repay her for the support system she has been for me this year, but I am darned well going to try. Friendship isn’t about ‘repaying’ or keeping track, but I owe her a debt of gratitude. And I hope with all my heart that when she needs a shoulder, or a hug, or a glass of champagne raised in a toast to celebrate her, that I can be there for her, too. Thank you, Patty….

I have friends in my life whom I have known since elementary school, junior high & high school. I have friends from my jobs, old neighborhoods, and churches we have attended. I have friends in the retail, vintage, and retail trade show industries, and friends in the publishing, decorating, and design fields. I have friends here in the community where I live, and I have 'virtual' friends online via blogs, facebook, and the women entrepreneur's forums that I was part of a decade ago.

Though many of them are women I talk with online more than on the phone or in person, I treasure them all, and would do anything I could for them if they needed me to. Many of them have stepped in to help me over the past year.

If you have friends like the two I have described above, call them right now and tell them you love them. Embrace the remarkable gift of sisterhood that two women can create and share on this journey we all travel. We cannot possibly survive life alone, without the understanding and comforting presence of other women whom we trust to walk in lockstep with us. It is far too easy to discount this need, or crowd it out of our schedules, or to become cynical as we see women engaging in jealous, petty, competitive attitudes. I've had 'friends' who threw me under the bus publicly, and I bet you have, too. We can be our own worst enemies! But we don’t have to fall prey to that. We can rise above, and create lasting, meaningful, deep friendships that sustain us all.

If you don’t have those kinds of friendships… don't let that discourage you. If you read my description of Lori and Patty above, and thought that your friends would rather talk about the new dress they bought or who’s doing what or where they are headed for vacation, then think long and hard about who you surround yourself with. One of those ‘casual’ friends could be the soul sister you long for… give her the chance to open up, be honest, get real about life and love and share her heart with you. Share yours with her. And just see if maybe you’ll forge a deeper, more meaningful connection with someone who can hear your heart like only another woman can. We all need this. We all deserve this. And our daughters are watching.... we must teach them the value of women friends, the 'tribe' who sustains us in a rapidly changing world.

To the three women who stand beside me today, here in this place where I need someone to help me stand… Mom, Lori, and Patty… I thank you for having my back. I love you so much. And I honor you for the many blessings you have brought to my life, and the constant encouragement you give so generously. <3

Honor

2011-09-11T00:11:00.000-07:00

Everyone seems to be asking the question,

"Where were you on 9/11?"

Like many other Americans, I DO remember.

And I'd to share my story for a very special reason: For my son.

In 2001, my son was a junior in high school.

We lived in a small town here in Washington,

the kind of place where the high school kids hold

a Homecoming Parade on the main street every fall,

with football players (including my son) riding on fire engines

and cheerleaders riding in convertibles.

The marching band plays, the flags spin,

the entire school empties and walks down the streets

displaying their Panther Pride for the whole assembled town.

The Snohomish Serpentine is tradition and history and pride.

I never knew how deep my son's pride ran...

On the morning of September 11, 2001

my kids left for high school and I was cleaning house.

My husband called me from his workplace,

to tell me what had happened in New York.

I didn't believe him.

I thought he had misunderstood.

The World Trade Center could not be GONE.

Because we had just moved into a new house the week before,

we didn't have cable yet. No TV. No News.

I turned on the radio and listened to the accounts.

I had vivid pictures in my mind from what I heard.

A few hours later, I had to leave to go to work.

I had to drive fifteen miles to the winery,

where I was one of the staff for a corporate event.

Frankly, every one of us who had to work that night

were surprised that it hadn't been canceled.

It was a dinner for over 100 HR Managers for a large locally-based

computer company.

They were at the nearby headquarters/campus for a conference,

and had come from several other countries as well as the US.

We were told they had no where else to go for dinner,

so the event was not canceled.

The staff was quiet, hushed, wanting only to be home

with our families to absorb the news and comfort one another.

Many of my friends and co-workers had seen news reports

and images of the devastating events of the day.

I hadn't yet.

One hour into the dinner event, these 100 HR managers

STARTED A FOOD FIGHT.

They tossed bread and flicked vegetables across tables,

and laughed their heads off like children in a lunchroom.

Not one of those people assembled stood up

to say 'ENOUGH!'. NOT ONE.

The supervisor of our staff quietly gathered us,

and instructed us to begin removing all wine and utensils from the tables.

And we did.

The 'guests' got mad when we took the wine away.

Then our supervisor stood in front of them and calmly announced

that the event was over.

Their buses were out front and they needed to go now.

If I remember correctly, she used the words 'evacuate the facility'.

The crowd dispersed loudly but quickly, and left.

The dozen staff members and four kitchen staff stood together,

and cried. We hugged. And we said goodbye

to head home to our families.

We all knew that we'd back our supervisor

if anything was ever said about the way the event ended.

We were just glad it HAD.

I drove the fifteen miles home

in complete amazement and anger

that those 100 people had behaved so badly,

so callously, in the face of what had happened in the world that day.

As I drove around the corner and onto our street in our little town,

after midnight,

I looked at our house and saw the most amazing sight...

My son, seventeen years old,

had rummaged through my (many) bins in the attic,

and found all of my vintage American flags.

He hung one in EVERY window in our house,

and turned the lights on in every room.

The place glowed like a beacon

of Patriotism, Hope, Pride, and Reverence

for all those who had lost their lives that day.

For everyone who had lost hope that day.

For the innocence we all lost that day.

I had to stop my car in the street

because my eyes were so filled with tears.

I parked and ran inside,

to find my family huddled around the television.

Bob had hooked up the cable

and they were watching live news coverage

and taped film of the collapse of the towers.

It was the first time I had seen it,

and I fell to my knees on the floor.

The 'vivid images' my mind had conjured earlier that day

hadn't even come close to the devastation I was watching.

My son put his hand on my shoulder,

and we cried.

I was even MORE angry at those HR Managers at that point.

I will never understand their reaction that day.

A seventeen year old high school boy grasped the meaning,

the solemnity, the horror of it all.

And could not help but show his emotions in a way

that honored the victims.

A man was born that day.

He is a good man, a proud man,

and a man that his parents are very proud of.

I would guess that this day is an especially hard one for him this year...

not just because of the memory of a day ten years ago,

but because he has just lost someone, his everything, whom he loved,
when she walked away.
And today is, tragically, her birthday.

His emotion and pain sound as raw as they did back then.

I fly my flag outside my house today

in honor of the victims and the heroes of 9/11.

And I fly it for my son,

who is a hero in my eyes and my heart.

I pray this pain never revisits him again.

I pray the same for our country.

Inspiring!

2011-09-05T01:57:00.000-07:00

It's Fall (yes, already!)...I've spiffed up the blog with a new seasonal banner,

and it's time once again for my

Sweet Sweater PumpkinsTM to make an appearance.
(Just in time, apparently, as Google searches
are sending HUNDREDS of people here for them each day!)

And this time, they're not just on my blog.

Check out the new FOLK Magazine,

and you'll find my new tutorial inside
in my regular column, 'Sweet Re-Treats'
on Pages 44 - 46

You'll also find fabulous fall ideas, inspiration, and articles in the issue...

including a wonderful feature on the BarnHouse Boys

by the talented Kimberly Taylor.

And a regular decorating column for junk-o-philes

by trendsetter Donna Williams of Funky Junk Interiors!

While y'all are enjoying this fall issue,

the FOLK staff is busily working on the

HOLIDAY issue.

On Labor Day Weekend.

Ho.Ho.Ho.

For subscription and purchase information, click HERE

New 'Sweet Sweater Pumpkin' Tutorial

2011-09-04T01:54:00.000-07:00

'Sweet sweater pumpkins ' TM

A How-To Tutorial

create your own version of Deb Kennedy’s original design,
created and first shared here on Hummadeedledee in 2007!

Supplies:

old long-sleeved sweaters (adult size)

twine or string

sharp scissors

LOTS of heavy rubber bands (2 per pumpkin)

Cotton wool or polyfill stuffing

________________________________________________________

Cut the arms off of the sweaters, then cut the arms in half across the middle. (If you leave them whole, you'll have larger, more elongated pumpkin/squash shapes.) Turn all of the cut pieces inside out, and set aside.

Take the twine or yarn, and wrap it eight times around your elbow & thumb to make big loops. When done, cut it in half at your thumb so that you have one big long hank. It should be approximately 18 to 20 inches long.

Place one hank of twine inside of one cut sweater piece. Let about an inch poke out on the LARGE end of the sweater arm - the rest of the twine will hang out the narrow end.

Fold that inch of twine over the edge of the sweater,

then gather the end up and fasten it tightly with a rubber band.

Flip the whole thing right-side out, using the hank of twine to help.

Stuff the open end with cotton wool at the base, then with polyfill. Remember that lots of stuffing will make your pumpkin rounder, and less stuffing will result in a flatter, 'squashed' look. Leave about an inch - or more if you prefer - of sweater 'cuff' unfilled at the top, to create the stem later.

Separate the hank of twine into eight single strands. Spread these out equidistantly around the rounded top. Evenly distribute the strands as you stretch them to the other end of the form.

Grasp the strands and the sweater 'cuff', twist them together, and wrap a rubber band around them several times - tightly.

Separate the strings into strands again, and then begin gently pulling each separate strand in a clockwise pattern. You'll have to pull each one twice or more to create enough tension to pouf out the sweater and form a pumpkin shape.

Help it along by pulling the fabric out a bit at the top & bottom edges, so that the ridges are more defined. Once the ridges are even, tie the strands together around the top, to hold them in place.

Roll the extra sweater fabric at the top into a 'stem'.

Using the loose ends of the twine strands, begin wrapping around the stem to completely cover the sweater fabric with twine. By putting tension on the twine as you wrap, you can cause the stem to bend in a natural curve – this works best with long, thin stems (Use a long length of sweater arm for this). Tie it off when done. Trim the sweater fabric close to the twine for a nice neat end.

You can also add embellishments to the stem –

such as snippets of lace, burlap, leaves, acorns, even vintage jewelry.
Make it your OWN!

_________________________________________

You can also find this tutorial in my regular column, Sweet Re-Treats,

in the NEW FOLK Magazine . 2011 Fall Issue
and as a link shared on

_______________________________________________

I created a cashmere sweater pumpkin especially for Rachel Ashwell last fall...

The Queen pronounced them to be 'So dahling!'

Product design and 'Sweet Sweater Pumpkin' name

Copyright Deb Kennedy for Retreat, 2007 and

This tutorial and my images may not be republished without permission.

This version of the tutorial Published in FOLK Magazine Fall 2011 Issue by permission.

2011-08-27T21:55:00.000-07:00

God's promises are true.

One year ago today, Bob nearly cut his leg off.

Then he almost lost the leg when infection set in after surgery.

We did lose our house. And my car.

We were, essentially, homeless for a month.

We had to close our business,

and we weren't sure if we'd ever open it again.

Some days, we didn't even want to wake UP.

But then.... God showered us with blessings.

It has been a very long road from that day to today.

All of the 'bad', hard, and confusing stuff were part of His plan for us,

to bring us to the place we are right now.

I love that the photo above shows his injured leg NOW,

looking strong and healthy and whole!

Thank you, Lord, for holding us together - literally - this year.

And a huge thank YOU to our friends & family,

for your prayers and your support over the past twelve months.

We could never have come this far without you <3

Rosy. Family. Bubbly. In that order!

2011-08-23T20:08:00.000-07:00

If you remember, I recently shared the saga of Miss Rose here.

Over the past few days, she's graced us with blossoms both beautiful and fragrant!

Definitely worth waiting for, and just in time for a visit from my Mom & Dad...

they happened to be here for the best weekend of summer weather!

A day cruise up to the San Juan Islands,

a drive around Camano Island,

lots of barbecue & wine, sitting on the back patio and front porch,

and a visit with their granddaughters and great-grandsons

made for a relaxing, wonderful time for everyone.

We all wished that our whole family had been here.

[Next time, Jeni and Joel, we'll get you and your families here, too!]

And on Monday,

Bob and I celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary

[32 years together!]

What a ride it's been!

Ships Ahoy!

2011-08-15T05:24:00.000-07:00

My hubby LOVES history. Especially seafaring history.

Growing up just miles from Dana Point

and the historical replica of the 'Pilgrim' tall ship,

[the Pilgrim was immortalized by one of her sailors,

Richard Henry Dana, Jr.,

who wrote the classic account Two Years Before the Mast

about its 1834 voyage between Boston and California.]

he has been fascinated with tall ships since childhood.

A few years ago, we headed up to Victoria, BC

for their famous Tall Ship Festival...

he was nearly beside himself!

We stayed at the Empress, in a harborview room,

and overlooked the eight tall ships gathered there for three days.

We couldn't quite do that this year.

But on Sunday, we headed off on an hour's drive

over to Penn Cove at Coupeville, Washington.

Two tall ships were in port for their annual festival there,

and it's so close by that we just HAD to go see them.

Penn Cove is just across the Saratoga Passage from our Island...

it's a short sail, but a LONG drive around to Coupeville!

One was the Hawaiian Chieftan, which I know very little about!

The other was the FAMOUS Lady Washington

[who appeared as the HMS Interceptor

in the Disney/Bruckheimer film

'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl'.

Some guy named Johnny Depp was in that film, too ;0)]

We both snapped hundreds of images of the two ships

while they were at sail, at the dock, and out for a 'battle' cruise.

[It was pretty anti-climactic after seeing the CG cannon effects in the films, btw].

Many of our images have now been edited

to look like very old photographs,

and will be printed & hung in our home

to reflect my hubby's love of the sea

and our island location:

Camano Island was a major tall ship-building location

in the nineteenth century.

And next year when they come back,

I'm getting my hubby ON that ship for a nice long sail!

It's been on his bucket list for 40 years...

I think it's time for that one to happen.

Lookin' Rosy...

2011-08-10T23:11:00.000-07:00

So a few months ago, before our June show, we undertook some major remodeling of the landscaping around here...

We cut down and pulled out the roots of over TWENTY giant evergreen shrubs/trees in the center of our driveway alone. Then there were the beds in front of the porch and on the side of the porch and over on the edge of the driveway.... We just cleared it ALL out. And BOY what a difference it made!

There was a BEAUTIFUL Japanese Maple tree hidden behind those evergreens! And OH, you should have SEEN the burn pile!!! God bless our neighbor who came with his tractor and hauled away the tree trunks and branches. He has a chipper! We let him keep the bark chips, too ;0)

There were some lavender plants hidden under those evergreens, and I saved them and replanted them. I discovered a very small rose bush, which had been mowed over and reduced to a tiny stump, and replanted it, too.

And then there was ' Miss Rose'...

She was tall and scraggly, overgrown and untrimmed. She held on to a few leaves, and several rosehips and unbloomed buds from last season remained on her gangly branches.

She was located at the edge of the gravel driveway... with her roots precariously placed beneath the traffic area in hard-packed gravel.

Now, Deb is no gardener or plant expert.... but I DID work for 18 months at a home & garden store (Molbaks) and learned a bit about plants (taking those horticulture classes was the only way to get a pay increase :0/ )... and I knew that this was not a good setting for a rose.

She deserved better.

So, I spent one.entire.DAY (an overcast and cool one) gently digging around her roots, loosening the dirt with a spade and small shovel, pulling weeds lodged in and around her roots, lifting inch by inch to dislodge her from the rocky soil. One root stubbornly delved straight DOWN into the earth, and I was unable to pry it out. So we hooked up the truck and a rope, and slowly slowly slowy pulled her out of the ground in the smallest increments possible to avoid damage.

I placed her gently in the new hole I had dug for her, cradled in the corner of the stairs leading up to our front porch. I envisioned her pretty pink blossoms perfuming the breezes wafting into the open windows in summer. I tenderly supported her roots and covered them with rich soil, watered her deeply, and even said a prayer that she would survive the move.

Well........

Despite all that, she dropped all of her leaves, turned hard and brown, and looked for all the world like a dead rosebush sitting next to my pretty white front porch. During our show in June, she did not shine as I had hoped, but drew comments like 'Awwww, that's too bad' from friends and fellow vendors.

Our weather this summer has been, well, frankly, ABYSMAL.

People are calling it Junuary, Julyuary, and Augustober.

Cloudy, cool, rainy, and decidedly UN-summerlike.

But apparently, that is JUST what Miss Rose needed, because about two weeks ago...

She sprouted leaves! And BUDS!

I was sitting on the porch one afternoon, having lunch with Bob, and all of a sudden I realized that there was some GREEN over there by the stair railing. I went over to look, and jumped up and down for joy: 'She's ALIVE!'.

At that moment, Bob named her the 'Resurrection Rose'... perfect, isn't it?

What had been so downtrodden, and then appeared to be dead, just needed time to recover and be revived. At exactly the right moment, she was. And soon, she will bloom into soft pink old fashioned roses with the most delicate scent... I just know it. She will perfume the air and decorate the porch & yard and be all of the things I had hoped she would be. This photo is of the last blooms that remained on her last fall when we discovered our house...

And no, the irony of that is NOT lost on me... I get it.

Life can be rosy, no matter how dead and lifeless it looks at times.

Dreaming Wide Awake

2011-08-02T21:04:00.000-07:00

Last evening, after a delightfully sunny, warm day
and a relaxing dinner alfresco,

our regular 'tidal change' breeze blew through the valley.

All of the windows in the house were open, to let in the fresh air all day,

and somehow, this particular breeze managed to stir something

that no other breeze has. In a very long time.

I walked past the guest bath, and noticed the corner of something

peeking out from under the huge wall-mounted mirror.

[One that I have every intention of removing,

as soon as I have time and the perfect pair of mirrors to replace it with]

When I pulled on the corner, a postcard dropped into my hand.

The photo on the postcard is shown above.

Yes, it's Mona. Remember my plea to her here?
I have this strange attraction to her
because she is all the things I am NOT.
[serene, calm, mysterious, ageless....]

But, that's not the point.

THIS IS:

That postcard with the lovely image of the lovely Mona Lisa came from PARIS.

France.

Postmarked, signed, sealed, and delivered

from the Louvre to the former owner of our house.

Who, for reasons unbeknownst to me, hid it behind the mirror

in the upstairs guest bathroom.

Makes me ponder....

Why has no other breeze dislodged that postcard?

Why did it happen last night?

Last night, which was a sweet precursor to the AMAZING day

that today has been?

I have no idea why things happen when they do,

but I am going to just tuck this little beauty somewhere I can see her

every darned day

and remember her strange and mysterious appearance

[much like her smile]

and believe that if the things that happened today happened,

then this postcard could be an indication of things to COME.

Yes, like PARIS France.

Because after this week, this day, ANYTHING is possible...

Speaking of which, have you heard about this marvelous new shelter mag

that's premiering in September?

FOLK Magazine is just the breath of fresh air that the shelter glossies need right now!

Visit their web page and learn more about 'the Folks',

the inventive and inspiring minds behind this fabulous project...

... and if you look really close, right there on page 36,

you'll see why I am so over the moon excited right now.

I'll be a regular contributor to this beautiful style mag!

I am so honored to have been asked to develop creative content

for each issue, in a column called 'Sweet Re-Treats'.

I'm working alongside some very, very talented people

[like my sweet friend Kimberly Taylor!]

Now do you see WHY Paris, France is so possible?

Dreams DO come true!

A Love Story

2011-07-25T07:57:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, our friend & Retreat Vintage Market vendor

photographer Elise Liptack of Elise Marie Photography
came to our farm on a sunny summer afternoon

and did a vintage-inspired photo shoot with Bob & I.

She's started a new blog about all things vintage,

and asked us to be one of the stories she will share there...

we are so honored !!!

She took some photos of us on our farm,

for us to use in our Retreat marketing.

We also headed down the hill to our beach

for some Frankie & Annette/Gidget & Moondoggy-style fun!

And went over to Cama Beach for more seaside shots.

We love that place.... and we are beach kids,

so these were the perfect locations to capture us and our story.

Elise has finally edited all of the MANY images she took

and waded through the copious answers

that I filled out on her story questionnaire...

and has a blog post about lil' old us up on Dreaming Vintage:
http://iamdreamingvintage.blogspot.com/2011/07/retreat.html

I was really nervous about this.

I mean, Elise is a FAB photographer

but those beauties in her shots are all twenty-somethings!!!

And we are decidedly NOT twenty-something. ;0)

But she managed to make two regular ol' middle-aged people

look like the glowing newlyweds we usually feel like we are.

Bless her heart!

He's STILL my surfer boy, all these years later.....

And you should call Elise to schedule a vintage-inspired session!

Plays Well With Others

2011-07-21T15:17:00.000-07:00

Friends, I'm going to be honest and say that

I've had a couple of REALLY CRAPPY DAYS lately.

We have had to deal with some ICK and some SAD

and some potentially devastating news for our family.

It feels a lot like being on the teeter-totter (or see-saw, if you will) at the playground

and having your end SLAM down to the ground suddenly.

Hurts like hell, doesn't it?

There were some bullies on the playground as kids that did that, remember?

I never stood up for myself, but always ran and hid,

or left the playground for fear of being beat to a pulp.

Even though we all were supposedly told by our parents to 'play nice',

some people just don't play well with others. At ALL.

One of those kinds of people has been pickin' on me again,

and it made me MAD.

When my family starts falling apart, and my friends get attacked,

and mean people start threatening me, well..... it ain't pretty.

And I stop playing NICE.

{I have learned how to stand up for myself and others, btw.}

But then last night I got some GREAT news about the family 'thing',

and today not one, not two, but THREE terrific opportunities for our business arrived

right on our doorstep.

So I am feeling like the teeter-totter of life is reaching a balance point...

and I know it's because the Big Guy came in and sat himself down over on the other end.

I think He figured out that Deb has had her limit.
(Not to mention that my butt is already sore from bein' kicked,

and this slamdown just bruised me somethin' fierce.....)

The 'playground' of life is lookin' a whole lot more appealing now.

How's YOUR teeter-totter doing? What do you need to help balance life right now?

Tell me.... share with others who sympathize with this predicament.

Let's stop the bullies and the ICK and the SAD from pushing us to the ground.

Let's all send positive thoughts to one another. ;0)

We can call it the 'Plays Well With Others' project!

a mother's love

2011-07-17T19:38:00.000-07:00

I am a very proud mother of four beautiful adult children...

Three girls and one boy.

(shown at the youngest's wedding in '07)

All four are 'grown up' and married.

I can't tell you how much it HURTS to know that any one of them

is in pain, or hurt, or dealing with life's really BIG problems

and are feeling like their dreams are dead.

But I am a mom, and it literally hurts my heart.

It makes it hard to breathe. and sleep. and think.

As life can tend to do,

it's kicking a couple of my kids' butts right now.

I really don't know a lot about what they are each facing...

but I don't need to.

I am not the least bit interested

in hearing the details, or giving them advice

or telling them what to do, or fixing it for them.

Or in worrying about their situations.

And while I'd like to protect them from feeling any pain,

I know I can't.

nope.

I am really only interested in telling them

that I love them.

That whatever it is they are facing,

they are not alone.

They have family who cares about them,

they have parents who are proud of them,

and they have a mom who loves them with all of her heart.

They have a mom who is not worrying. ;0)

They have a mom who is sending them lots of love and hope

and thoughts of happy endings.

Because if anyone deserves that, it's them.

Rain, Rain, Go.... well, you know.....

2011-07-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

It's raining. Again.

I remember (fondly and somewhat hilariously) when we lived in California and LOVED rainy days. Of course, they are pretty RARE there, being that Cali is usually in a drought of one kind or another. And how we moved to the Northwest in 1994 thinking that we were soooooooo lucky to be moving to a place where we could enjoy MORE RAIN.

Well, that's exactly what we got. MORE RAIN.

It's July. AFTER the 5th - that proverbial date when 'Summer' is supposed to arrive here. (nevermind that July 2nd was the most glorious sunny hot day we've seen in ages...)

Ah.... Mother Nature? Running a bit late, are we? I know, it's not NICE to fool with Mother Nature. But Mama is fooling with us, and it ain't pretty.

I keep TRYIN' to get my head back to those days long ago, when I yearned for the sound of raindrops on my roof and a covered front porch to sit on and enjoy a momentary summer rainshower whilst drinking something sweet and summery....

but I just can't seem to GET there when it's a freezing cold day and the rain is a never-ending heavy mist that is being blown and swirled in all directions simultaneously by a breeze that has no idea where it wants to go. Not the same at all.

I can't even hazard a guess as to what kind of drink goes with a day like this.

Any ideas?

Really, I could use one....

[image from layoutsparks.com]

Weekend Inspiration

2011-07-11T10:23:00.000-07:00

Visiting a farmer's market on Sunday was a visual treat

my weary body barely made it through the crowds, but it was worth it...

I found the perfect flowers for daughter Beth's birthday!

Saturday was a sunny day in Kirkland,

sharing RETREAT at the 'French street market'

hosted by Haley's Cottage.

We met so many lovely people, who are now BIG vintage fans!
~

I finally had a moment to grab the August issue of Romantic Homes on Sunday

and there we are...

our Retreat Vintage Market has been named to the

'Top 50 Flea Markets in America'!

What an honor for us to be included with so many wonderful shows across the country... due to the incredible vendors who bring their best to our show and make it FABulous!

Thank you to our Retreat Family and to Romantic Homes magazine
~
For information about our upcoming show,
visit RetreatVintageMarket.com

a little french fete'

2011-07-08T21:17:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we'll be taking RETREAT to Kirkland, Washington!

Haley's Cottage, a lovely store located at 123 Park Lane,

is hosting this French-inspired vintage flea market

Saturday July 9 from 10 AM to 7 PM.

40 Vendors are bringing their best,

and we're one of them!

Here are a few sneak peeks

of our elegantly casual beach-style decor:

We'll have a lot of beautiful handcrafted furnishings & decor,

perfect for transforming your summer rooms into YOUR retreat.

"Your home should be your Retreat... we can help you create it!"TM

Summer Camp!

2011-07-06T14:23:00.000-07:00

Well, we may be a bit too old to go away to summer camp anymore, but this is the next best thing! Here's an inspiring, FUN, affordable creative business-building teleclass series to help you clarify your creative business vision, starting July 27 ONLINE.

Marney Makridakis from ArtellaLand.com created this fabulous resource, so don't miss it! It’s a fun jump-in-the-pool to explore your business vision, and so much s’more! :-) Learn more about M.A.I.N. Summer Camp here !

Dibs on the top bunk! ;0)

Happy, Shiny People

2011-07-01T20:13:00.000-07:00

Living on an island has some great perks... especially on a Holiday weekend.

LOADS of Happy, Shiny People inhabit this place!

Sadly, some of the people who live here never seem to see them.
Many of them consider the vacation homeowners and tourists who light here for the summer season a blight on the community and nothing but a nuisance. Sad.

Because that's not what I see.

Imagine, if you will, carloads of families driving up the highway, toward the shining Western sun, while the radio blares top-40 hits at full volume.

Kids are smiling as their bare feet hang out the back seat windows, the back of the Suburban is loaded with everything for summer fun, and even Dad - who's just driven several hours through traffic after a full workday - has a goofy smile on his face.

Crossing over that bridge, which is the 'gateway' to our island,

brings huge smiles and cheers from the entire family.

I saw that today.

Imagine an elderly couple, pruning and mowing and tidy-ing their yard,

hauling the Weber barbeque out of the single-car garage, putting a red, white and blue tablecover on the old wood picnic table, readying their beach house for the weekend.

They work slowly, but happily, under their straw hats in the bright sunshine.

When a van pulls up and kids tumble out yelling 'Grandpa! Grandma!', the smiles on the couple's faces brings tears to my eyes. Reminds me of my own childhood visits to my grandparent's home in California.

I saw that today, too.

Today on a few short errand runs, I saw more happy people arriving on our sweet island than I think I have ever seen before...

From little sports cars with the convertible top down, big trucks loaded with bikes and motorcycles, hauling camping trailers, to vintage sedans driven by seniors, there were caravans of family cars winding down the roads toward the state park campgrounds, boat launches, and thousands of private vacation homes.

They are all arriving full of hopes and dreams and plans for summer fun

with friends and family...

Yeah, I saw that today.

There will be reunions, and parties, and gatherings across the island over the weekend,

people coming together to celebrate not only our country's 'Birthday', but the ideas of freedom, liberty, life, and family that we all hold so dear.

It's really all about tradition, isn't it?

The traditions we all remember and enjoy and try to perpetuate as we grow older...

keeping our families, friends, and communities rooted in the things we know are most valuable. I find it utterly wonderful that we are blessed to live in a place that people WANT to come to, enjoy being at, and dream about all of the days that they are NOT able to be here.

Those people who live in a busy, noisy city, who work hard to earn a living, who commute in miserable traffic, who run businesses or are employees, who are raising families and being good neighbors. They work all year for the chance to come to this beautiful place for a weekend or a week or two of vacation.

I can't begrudge them that... in fact, I respect them for it.

They just come to enjoy all of the marvelous things about our island that WE love, too:

The eagles and the orcas and the herons and the deer and the canaries,

the beaches and the woods and the boating and camping and hiking,

the quaint little corner stores and the friendly neighbors

and the community Fourth of July Parade on the beach.

The silent nights with skies so dark you can see zillions of stars.

Brilliant sunrises at 5 AM. Equally dazzling sunsets at 9:30 PM.

When they are here, they shop in our stores and buy gas and go to the movies

and eat at the restaurants, and they pay taxes on their vacation homes,

and support our local economy in a way that sometimes locals never even think to do.

So, welcome to Camano Island, summer season residents!

Have a great time... and enjoy this beautiful, wondrous place.

We all have SUCH good taste to choose it ;0)

And for all of you who are headed somewhere else this Holiday weekend,

or are staying at home to enjoy kickin' back,

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

[images mine]

A few of my favorite things....

2011-06-29T13:42:00.000-07:00

Vive la' Veuve!

A very special 'housewarming' gift from two very special guys
who shared their vibrant spirits with us this weekend.
(Come to think of it, THEY are a LOT like champagne!)

Some of the nicest 'Hostess' gifts I've ever seen!

From our Retreat Vintage Market vendors
Teresa, Debi, Julie,Patty & John, Tammy,
Anne, Kim, & KellyAnne, Tamila, Janet, and Liz.

THANK YOU, sweet friends!

Finally.... a bloomer!

And this guy... who just loves me,

no matter how freakin' tired, exhausted,

mad, frustrated, crazy, goofy, or sick I am. <3

Thanks, babe...

Calgon.....

2011-06-26T23:17:00.000-07:00

...take me away....

There's no bubble bath involved, but I spent some time

just sitting in our show booth today, resting.

I enjoyed having a quiet, warm, summery setting to just reflect and relax in.

No pressure to pack it up and tear it down just yet,

as it's sitting out in our field in front of the house.

I really like the way it turned out this time!

However, today it didn't look like this photo anymore

because a lot of products SOLD at yesterday's show ;0)

What a marvelous time we all had at our Retreat Vintage Market yesterday!

Many thanks to the amazing vendors and wonderful customers who joined us...

you made it a very special day!

And yes, I AM already scheming and planning

and gathering props for the photo shoot

for our NEXT show's marketing campaign!

Summertime....

2011-06-22T22:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was perfect...
especially for the first day of summer.

The first roses blooming

A rosy golden sunset under perfect blue skies

and standing on the beach to watch it with my love

at the end of a long, busy, rewarding day.

If this is what the whole summer is gonna' be like, bring it ON!

Coming Attractions...

2011-06-20T09:22:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be AWOL from the blog world this week, friends...

we're busy as bees transforming our field up above

into our showgrounds for THIS:

Yes, that DOES say BARN HOUSE!

The Boys are comin', bringing their own stellar brand of magic

right here to Camano Island, North of Seattle!

I can't even begin to tell you how honored we are

to have them join us and support us so whole-heartedly.

There are some really good people in this world -

and the 24 vendors we have lined up for this show

are all so wonderful, creative, and supportive.

They are all helping us build our dream...

How amazing is that?!

For more information about our Vintage Show,

including map & driving directions from Seattle and Vancouver, BC,

please visit our web site:

www.RetreatVintageMarket.com

HUGE NEWS!

This Thursday, June 23rd,

at 7 PM on KING 5 Seattle,

Evening Magazine will air footage shot at Farm Chicks earlier this month.

They will ALSO be promoting OUR SHOW on air!!!!!

Thanks, Evening Magazine!

I'll be back on Monday with photos of our soiree' -

but if you can get here in person, don't miss it!

Father's Day

2011-06-18T22:07:00.000-07:00

In our family, there is some very important 'Man Stuff'

that the guys all pass along to their sons (and grandsons).

It's all about the skills.
Stuff guys NEED to know.

Like, how to spend HOURS throwing rocks into the ocean.

How to eat.

This is probably the number one-ranked skill in our family.

Number two is how to DRINK. {We are IRISH, after all.}
Number three is how to GRILL the food. (BIG fire. 'nuf said)

How to eat GOURMET FOOD. A variation of skill #1.

How to have pets. Usually LARGE ones.

I knew this was coming with Bob.

Our Joel grew up learning it.

But poor Joel S., Jay and Brandon had no IDEA

how this 'stuff' would affect THEM when they married our daughters!

How to play in the mud and get really dirty.

SO dirty that mom just hoses you off outside.

How to play computer games.

(And clearly, one can never start too early....)

There's one more thing that is a very important skill

that the men in our family pass along:

Developing an appreciation FOR and knowledge OF Star Wars.

Inescapable with this bunch....

(That would be daughter number one's WEDDING, folks)

I want to wish a Happy Father's Day to our sons,

who are doing a pretty terrific job of raising some great little boys:

Jay, with Hope & Troy

(Her mommy took her to Texas two years ago.

Her daddy hasn't seen her since.)

Our Son Joel, with Jameson

Brandon, with Michael

and Joel S, with our 'grandpuppy' Lily ;0)

and Happy Father's Day to my hubby, Bob,

for being the ringleader of this whole circus

for 31 years!

Working Woman Ahead

2011-06-13T22:29:00.000-07:00

So today, I had a fleeting moment of envy.

I was out in our pastures, working with hubby to get everything prepared

for our vintage show coming up in just TWELVE DAYS.

Sorry, that's just me picking myself back up off the floor.

Too much to do and too little time to do it all.

Anyway

We were mowing and moving some wire fencing and some big fenceposts around. At one point, we had to dig some gnarly trenches to add support to the driveways. I was digging in dirt and gravel, all hot and sweaty and tired and sore, and feeling decidedly not strong enough, and those miserable thoughts started swirling around my head...

Why do I have to be one of these strong, 'sturdy' women, anyway?

Why can't I be a princess who never has to do physical work?

One of those girls who gets to watch from the sidelines and 'direct' while dressed in pretty dresses and cute sandals, sporting a stylish hairdo, perfect pedi and manicured nails. (As opposed to my dirty jeans, hair in a ponytail, broken nails, and soggy tennis shoes....) I see those girls all over the place, at shows and events and stores, just waving a hand while their minions happily do all the heavy lifting.

Yeah, where exactly have I gone wrong here - and where do I sign up for THAT life?

That was exactly what was running through my mind. For all of fifteen seconds.

And then, I looked up.

I saw my husband standing next to me, wielding a shovel and working even harder than I. I watched him pick up huge rocks and big logs, and wrestle them into place. As I gazed at him, I remembered the days and weeks that he laid in a hospital bed with a raging fever and a damaged leg, nearly unconscious from the pain and drugs, hearing every day that he MIGHT get to keep his leg if the infection got under control. But even so, he might never walk again. And now, here he is, working alongside me just as if that whole horrible period of our lives never happened last fall.

And I realized that this life we have, of working together toward our dreams and goals, working on our home and property and business, working side by side every day, is worth far more than looking pretty or not getting dirty and sweaty. It's worth more than feeling like 'one of the girls' who gets to go to those girlfriends retreat weekends or crafty gatherings, or even gets to be photographed with other girls wearing fancy schmancy dresses at shows and events. I'd love to do all that, I really would.... but being beside the love of my life in dirty jeans is where my life has brought me, and I am more than blessed to be here. I wouldn't trade it for a bevy of minions.

I've walked my path in tennis shoes instead of sparkly stilettos...

and I'm OK with that now. And damn, I AM a strong woman!

Sweet As Can Be

2011-06-08T22:50:00.000-07:00

Serena Thompson, THE Farm Chick, always comes up with
the cutest themes for the Farm Chicks Antique Show every year...

This year the theme was 'Treat Yourself' and featured
the pinwheel lollipop graphic shown above.

When I discovered a snippet of vintage red & white trim one day,

I got inspired to make her a lil' thank you gift:

Replicating her logo's pinwheel lollipop was easy:

I simply twisted the red & white cording into a circle

(like all of those blog tutorials tell us to do with bias tape!)

and glued it to a burlap backing. Added a pin. EEEEEEasy.

Next, a kebab skewer was cut off at about one inch,

and glued to the bottom of the circle.

Then I tied a little bitty bow with vintage red satin ribbon onto the stick.

It looked exactly like her graphic!

The words came from an old sheet of music...

it actually said 'Sweet Serenade' - I cut off the 'de' at the end

so it would say 'Sweet Serena' ;0)

I foofed up a little box with some matching red & tan details

and used another vintage music title to make the name tag.

When I gave the little box to Serena at Farm Chicks,

she touched the name and smiled.

(I think her name fits her SO PERFECTLY.... Don't you?!)

Then she opened the box,

and REALLY smiled when she saw the lollipop pins.

And then she made a crack about how she felt like she needed to

remove the word 'sweet' next to her name

because she didn't want anyone to think that SHE thought she was sweet!

Silly Girl. Everyone already knows that she really, really IS!

Thank you for making the show so wonderful for everyone,

SWEET Serena! ;0)

Our Farm Chicks Foofery!

2011-06-06T23:45:00.000-07:00

Some days, a girl just doesn't know WHAT to put on...

so she digs out her old WEDDING DRESS

(Gunne Sax, circa 1980)

and foofs it up with even more lace and ribbon. ;0)

Don't worry, I only do this at shows!

My mom came all the way from SoCal to Spokane

to experience the Farm Chicks Show

(and our craziness and mayhem) in person!

I saw her for exactly ten minutes on Saturday morning.

:0/

Our Retreat booth just inside Bay 1 was so busy!

Mostly because of THIS DUDE....

What AM I gonna' DO with him?

He was THE most photographed thing in our booth

at the show!!!

I think I'll keep on lovin' him...
Just like I've done since 1979 ;0)

PS: We did not have any photos taken of the
two of us TOGETHER on our camera...
but LOTS of other people did!
if you have one of those, please send it to me!!!
I'll credit you!!!!

Thank you to Patricia MacKey for this photo!

Are Ya' CHICK-in? ;0)

2011-05-30T22:46:00.000-07:00

We are busily preparing for our biggest show of the year...

The FARM CHICKS Antique Show

It's this coming Saturday & Sunday in Spokane, Wa.

Over 200 Vendors and 5 thousand shoppers will be there!

If you are going to be one of them,

please do stop by our RETREAT booth

in Bay One - spaces 176 & 177

and say hello!

Just Keep Growing...

2011-05-26T03:06:00.000-07:00

I swear I am not turning this into a gardening blog ;0)

Sometime last summer, I posted a metaphor about this flower.

I just happened to find the post via the 'Linked Within' widget,

and as I read it, it just seemed to say 'Share Me'.

Some days, we all just need a reminder.

So, without further ado...

please read the original post here.

Would A Rose By Any Other Name Survive Transplanting?

2011-05-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

I need some gardening advice!!!

This is a pink tearose that was here on our property when we moved in.

I don't think she's heirloom - possibly a David Austen, though. No tags.

She's large and was 'relatively' healthy,

but was in a bad location right next to the driveway:

(The left side of that bundle of sticks in the left part of the photo is her)

We've done a great deal of yardwork, removing ALL of the evergreens you see above

and relocating the lavender and rose plants to more 'enjoyable' areas.

Miss Pink TeaRose now lives here,

on the left side of the steps to the front porch.

I envision her blooming all summer,

the delicate scent wafting in the windows

to the living room, entry hall, and my office.

When I transplanted her, I dug a HUGE deep hole,

mounded the soil in the center to support her crown and roots,

added some plant food, and then left some of the soil from her OLD location

on her roots when transplanting her.

There's a trough around her base to hold the water over her roots,

and I only water there (not on the stems & leaves).

See? I DID learn something while working at Molbaks! ;0)

But she's not cooperating. :0(

All of the new leaves on her stems have wilted and dried UP. uh oh.

SO I took the clippers and judiciously trimmed her back,
careful to cut the canes right

(straight up & down, to minimize water sitting on the cut ends, causing mold)

and removing all of the 'suckers'.

The canes are still green inside and flexible.

She's not DEAD dead... just appears to be mostly dead.

I deep water her once a day, if it's not raining.

What else can I do?

I really want to save her.

(The other rose bush that I moved is doing GREAT!)

If you have advice for me, please share...

Thanks!