Get R Done Friday!

Gettin' R Done!

Only a short post

BUT

Congrats to a friend and I

We are having a garage sale!

TODAY!

Maybe even now as you are reading this.

We decided this three days ago.

We have talked about it for 

OVER A YEAR!

Does that sound familiar?

Priced almost everything.

Ad in local paper and craigslist.

Now we need shoppers.

Maybe we'll see you!

Don't you think this gal needs one of Martha's lined shopping carts?

BTW, Martha is having problems getting photos to load, so any notes to her about troubleshooting ... ?

We are hoping to clear out our garages a little.

I am also wanting to have some spending money for a FAB vacation coming up soon.  

Yes the grandkids and beach trip are just a week away.

But I'm talkin' about a super special just-the-two-of-us vacation.  

TWO WEEKS.

Need our passports kinda trip.

But for now it's finish making the signs. 

HOT PINK

And off to bed.

HUGS!

ps .. click on the "Gettin R Done" quote at the top of the page to visit others!  (hope I connected right!!)  If not, try this link or go to Barb's blog ...  thanks!

ANOTHER PS --

Christa and Julie -- Whimsical Wishes Show on Saturday.  GOTTA BE THERE!  (and sorry, I think I ALWAYS spell Christa's name "Krista" .... Think the K from Kindred Roses gets stuck, kinda like a typewriter key.... remember typewriters???

Come Out of the Closet

It's Okay

You can come out of the closet now.

Yes - YOU!

I know you like rusty and chippy things.

And not just the one piece you have hiding in the garage.

Did you know?

JUNK is

MAINSTREAM!

See the new Pottery Barn catalog?

Right there.

(Page 34 for those of you playing along at home.)

On the coffee table.

Rusty railroad spikes.

YEP!

That's about as mainstream as you can get.

I have "collected" those bad boys for YEARS.

And now when my mom starts to

 question my design abilities 

I can whip out the catalog and proclaim 

I AM A TRENDSETTER!

Well, not as thin or as famous as this waif who had us all drawing in lashes under our eyes.

But a trendsetter none-the-less.

So join me and

come out of the closet!

Fly the flag proudly.

Celebrate the tatters and rusty finial.

Viva la revolution! 

Or maybe it was a coup?

Whatever it was -- junk won over the masses.

Or at least the stylists at

Pottery Barn.

Have a junk-eriffic day!

Truck update ...

This truck is a celebrity.

It undoubtedly needs a fan club

and probably a twitter account.

The latest word is that the owner is apparently from Oakridge, Oregon.

Who cares about a pink cadillac ....

a truck is MUCH BETTER for thrifting and junking!

I feel like a stalker.

Friends are sending me updates.

Kinda like high school all over again.

(Hmmmm not so much -- we didn't have cell phones OR the internet)

OK -- so maybe a passed note saying the object of your affection was just spotted coming out of study hall.

In my defense, even Mr. Sammy Girl thinks the truck is AWESOME.

Isn't lust one of the seven deadly sins?

I confess.

I understand that not everyone cares as much about pink as I do.

And perhaps a truck isn't YOUR dream drive.

How about something in a brilliant blue?

Hugs

Live the Life You Want

Yes, it's Friday.

And, yes -- this SHOULD be a "Get R Done" Post.

It isn't.

Sometimes it's best to wipe the to-do list clean.

Forget the clothes needing to be ironed .... or just folded.

Unloading the dishwasher will wait ...

Don't fret.

Yes -- 

THAT'S the hardest thing.

Figure out what matters and

live the life you want to be living.

We live in Portland --

a city blessed with natural beauty.

Well, sorta.  

Technically Who Villa is actually in a burb ...

but close enough.

Anyway -- this is a beautiful place to live.

Nearby mountains to climb.

Or just admire on your way to the grocery store.

Mt. Hood is there.

I remind myself to lift my eyes and see the beauty

that seems too big to miss

but I often overlook.

Nearby we have

beaches to explore.

YEP!

LOVE the beach.  

Grew up on southern Oregon Coast.

We are taking a 5 day holiday in a couple of weeks with the 

Pink Princess and 

the Montana crew.

Playing in the surf.

Watching the sunset.

Sharing these things I love with

kids and grandkids.

I am trying to live the life I want --

Every Day

Tuesday

visit and dinner with mom and dad

talk about house remodel

he was a Marine in Korea

who is an above the knee amputee 

who will soon need to use a scooter

all the time.

Real reason for visit?

Tell them we love them.

Face to face.

Thursday

took Mr. Sammy Girl to sandwich dinner at

Paradise.

Paradise Cafe at Bridgeport, that is!

Coupon for free sandwich.

So it REALLY WAS Paradise.

(Don't they have free food in Paradise?)

He bought book at Borders.

We wandered into Anthropologie

and into a couple of shops

sat outside and listened to the live music

spent a couple of hours

just hanging out.

Real reason?

Spending time together enjoying the evening.

Mostly for free.

If we don't enjoy the "better", 

how can we survive the "worse"?

Today 

Helping Cindy (Tarte) set up at the Barn.

Real reason?

Time with wonderful and creative people.

I think Joy and Joe with be there.

So much FUN!

Fun is vital to our well being.

I give myself permission to play.

Tomorrow

Class with the incredible Lisa Kaus.

Real reason?

Inspiration

Nurture creativity.

In me

WOW!

I can hardly wait!

This minute?

I'm making waffles.

with strawberries

and ICE CREAM!

Wish you were here to have some, too!

Here's to a life filled with love, companionship, friends, creativity, inspiration, ... and FUN!

Hugs!

Wish These Wheels Were Mine!

?

Several at Barn House this last Saturday were wondering

who did the "mystery" truck belong to,

including Sylvi of Little Cottage.

Uncovered Ruby knows! 

 

Her blog gave us the 411 on these wonderful wheels:

"This wonderful pink truck is owned by Deanna of 'Somewhere in Time'. She has her own shop in Yakima and came to check out the flea markets today. Such a cute truck!!"

Yakima -- (or maybe Union Gap?)  I wonder if she knows the Flutterby Girls?

And speaking of great pink wheels, here is another beauty, courtesy of Apples of Gold from her post in June.

If they were mine, I wouldn't trade in on the cash for clunkers program ... 

no matter what the mileage!

My wheels don't look anything like that.

And it's probably a good thing.

Yes ... driving a little white car has it's benefits.

Inconspicuous.

No one notices you coming or going.

Especially if you are a tad bit speedier than you REALLY should be.

But the little Focus was a great ride last Saturday as we put a few miles on Sammy Girl's little car.  Do you KNOW how MUCH I can fit into my hatchback!!  

Better than a rodeo clown car!

My sister came up and spent the night Friday.  Saturday we went to Barn House.

It was good to see folks again ....  

and some for the first time.  

(HI Little ByRD!)

Everyone was incredibly nice and made sis feel like family.

Well, she IS family .... 

but they made her feel like she was a part of the flea-market-crafty-crazy-fun-people family.

Thanks for being such a swell group!

First there was Joy (aka Auntie Joy)  She had some goodies just waiting for me.

This little beauty was calling my name but I had to leave it for someone else.

All together we went through everyone's space twice.  

Chatting and shopping.

But NOT taking pictures.

We then headed to the Camas Antique Mall 

and the Pendleton Outlet store in Washougal.  

We did our bit to help the economy recover.

Hugs to you and yours and hope you have fun this week!

ps:  guess who's having a sale this Saturday?  

Tru Confessions

I have something to confess.

My secret dates.

With Paul.

Sweet Paul.

Well, maybe NOT so secret.

I know I have posted on Sweet Paul before (but gosh darn it I can't remember exactly when)!

   

If his blog is not a regular stop on your journey through the ether, it SHOULD be.

He is a phenom of a stylist ....

who crafts, creates and cooks.

A veritable triple threat!

 

He shares the how-to's.

You would recognize his work in magazines.

And then there is this ....

and this ...

and this ...

Nuff said.

Hugs and have a great day!

Christmas Explosion

This is my first time to join Barb on 

Get R Done Friday. 

Yes, I know.

It's technically still Friday morning 

(for a few more minutes) ... 

and you are SUPPOSED 

to prepare the blog the night before.

My project is NOT COMPLETELY DONE ... yet!

BUT

A gal's got to start somewhere sometime .... so here we are.

The Great CHRISTMAS EXPLOSION of '09

Or .... 

How Plans for Organizing

Can Run Amuck

It started in April ... when I took all the tubs and boxes and miscellaneous storage for Christmas decorations out. 

Rubbermaid tubs ... one after another.

Feather trees.

Groves of artificial trees. (Some older than the Pink Princess!)

All of it.

Well, ALMOST all of it. 

My most special vintage glass garlands and ornaments are not considered "Christmas decorations" for this purpose. They are beloved just as they are and live in special spots or out in jars all the time.

Then May came and there they sat.

And I SWEAR they multiplied!

Honestly, who KNEW I had that many sleighs?

My post on May here:

Where June went I have no idea.

So July is here and I have now transformed the sorting room into a guest room.

Sorting innumerable "things" by color/type or 

whatever category made sense.

At midnight some of those groupings can be pretty sketchy!  

But everything is on labels or index cards to make 

locating items a breeze.

(Update on how that works in December!!)

And then 

hauling the whole kit and caboodle down two flights of stairs.  

(where DOES that phrase come from)

Box by box.  Bin by Bin.

Snowmen, Dept. 56 and fake forest.

Gold, Red, Lime Green

Every phase of my Christmas decor.

At some point I considered buying the Christmas store for sale in Oregon City just to have a place to put it all.  

But it was worth it.

I now have the guest room I wanted.

  

Even though the decor is not complete, and I really hope to add a second twin bed so both grandkiddos can sleep sweetly .... 

it's done enough to celebrate.

The King of Whoville seems to agree that this was a good project.

Hugs and hope your explosions are all good ones!

Climbing the Walls!

Some days you just feel like climbing the walls.  But what about your furniture?

 pic from MOGGIT ... 

"Gosh darn it, if she moves me around ONE MORE TIME .... "

I am SO glad that walls (and chairs) do NOT TALK -- or TALK BACK!

What?  You DON'T talk to your furniture?  

I do.  

You didn't think I was just talkin' to myself, did you?

Have a Fun and Fabulous Friday ....

oops, I'd better get busy if I'm going to finish my "Get 'er Done" project I told Barb I would post about.  And don't believe a word of what the rocker is saying ....

Hugs!

SUMMER SCHOOL!

HOLD ON!  

I DON'T mean the summer equivalent of sitting in detention.  Going over something you were SUPPOSED to learn  - and DIDN'T.  

You know that whole X and Y axis thing ... ??  

Well, my idea of summer school is WAY more fun than that!

Huh?

Now that we are adults (notice I DIDN'T say "MATURE"?)  we can CHOOSE to learn LOTS of THINGS -- WHENEVER we want.  And what better time than summer to try a new activity, practice a new technique, or just plain play around and have fun??  After all, wasn't recess one of the best things about school??

TUTORIALS, baby!

So many FAB bloggers have the best tutorials for your own private summer school.  For some of us that fits with our own private summers, but hey ladies ... when the hormones hit ... the crafty get creating!  And who says you can't do it with a cool beverage?  Although I would recommend staying away from anything stronger than lemonade if you are working with a soldering iron, or power tools that cut or drill ..... Remember, all rules aside for creating, but channel your inner mom for safety purposes, lol!

So, where do you go?  

Everywhere!

Dawn has a FABULOUS blog.  

Did you ever notice that she has tutorials for sale?  And right now they are ON SALE.  (Until midnight Tuesday, I think.) Wanna make your own fairy jar?  Dawn has the 411. 

Something a little more, umm, woodsy-funk?  How about this Deer Head from the book Dorm Decor  that I originally saw at Made By Girl.  Kinda awesome in white.  Incredibly unique in your own choice of paper or fabric.

Template and instructions!

(Good thing there are instructions, because I'm sure it would take me a bit to figure out!)

A great site to check out is Whipup.net.    Lots of folks with LOTS of tutorials.  Just pick what you want, like these flowers.  Can you believe they are made with CRUMPLED PAPER??!!

Crumpled Paper Flower   

Another great idea for summer?  Lanterns.  For inside or out ... and such a cinch to make!

All you need is a few "ingredients"

 ... be sure to follow the simple instructions ... and voila!  

PERFECTION!

WhipUp.net also has links to the tutorial for these tea lanterns.

There are simply YEARS of blog links ...

GO AHEAD

Search for that PROJECT you are wanting to make,

OR

just wander and see what looks like fun!

Don't forget to check out your 

favorite blogs or "merchant sites" for how-to's.

Maya Road has recipe cards for things like this 

crown chipboard book.   

Well, I'm off to get some stuff done .... or maybe I'll take a minute to follow some directions I found at Noteworthy Musings ....

THANKS, CAROLE!

Ahhh, I LOVE summer school .... don't YOU?

Hugs!