Enjoying Mr. Sun

Yesterday I spent the day soaking up the gorgeous sunny day that we had. There was a nice breeze so it made the time laying in the sun pleasant. I pretended that I was on a beach in Mexico just like my daughter, sister and parents are doing as I type. They were in Puerta Vallarta yesterday and today they are in Mazatlan. I wish I could say that today was a nice sunny day like yesterday, but alas we are in Oregon and it is cloudy once again. I guess it is a day to venture out antiquing again - today I think I will try my luck and head to Springfield to Ruthie B's. I have heard about this place and it's tea room, so I think Lola and I will take a look!

On Monday I spent a few hours in Spencers Alley craft and antique mall in Salem and picked up some great things. I will save the pictures for a later post, but am so excited about one of the items that I got. It is another black ladder, this one is full size and it has steps that are really wide so they can be used for shelves. I am going to display my quilts on it in the living room. I can hardly wait to get home to redecorate with all of my great finds! Then after Spencers Alley it was on to another antique store in the downtown area where I found some great red transferware, some more hummel like figurines for my mom, and some skeleton keys. A great mishap happened when I reached for a red transferware plate and caused a "domino" chain of events where all the other plates around the one I wanted started falling and crashing to the ground! The shop owner was a real nice lady and said that it wasn't my fault because this one particular booth owner had displayed the plates on these collapsible holders that she does not approve of and said that there was no way to prevent what happened. So, I did not have to pay for the broken damage I caused and we also had a nice long talk about Italy and its surrounding areas. She just recently had gone there and was giving me some tips on traveling there. So, after all that excitement it was time to meet my sister for dinner. We had time to "catch up" and enjoy a barbeque meal. She was in Vegas the past weekend for a bachelorette party. Boy things have changed since I got married!

Well, I'm off to Springfield! Talk to y'all later!

On The Hunt

Enjoying my time in Oregon....no agenda.....no timeline....no cleaning....no laundry....no responsibilities! Lovin' it! Just Rochelle time! Yesterday I ventured out to Portland again (yes, I've made the trip twice) and thought I would check out Monticello Antiques. I had expected more and was kind of let down because I didn't find anything I was on the hunt for. I did find a hummel figure for my mom, a princess tiara, and a little red nut grinder.

Now my day in Silverton was much more of a success. I found many treasures there, the Red Bench never lets me down! Here is a red stool and a black ladder. I plan on using the ladder in our bathroom as a towel rack and the stool will go in my kitchen.

Look at this great vintage picnic basket, some red transferware plates, a cute dutch girl, another hummel figurine for my mom, and a cute tulip bowl......

And, I was really happy to find some old chandelier crystals to bring with me to Italy to adorn the candelabra that I will be making. Also found the great vintage sprinkler that they are hanging from!

I think that most of the things I have adorning my home have come from Oregon from the many times that I have visited my parents house and gone antiquing. I just love more of the vintage look rather than the modern look that is in the department or furniture stores. Vintage just has more of a cozy, homey and warm feeling to it rather than the cold feeling I get when I am around modern things. Don't get me wrong, I love organization, but finding old vintage boxes to put things in to clear up clutter is more my style.

So, off I go to find some more treasures! 

Birthday Girls

The other night we had a nice birthday celebration at the Roadhouse Grill in Salem, Oregon. A couple of weeks ago it was my sisters' birthday and this coming Sunday is my birthday. As you can see there is a BIG age gap - oh to be 29 again! Those days have passed me by and now I am bringing in a new year of age 46! Yuk!!! I don't like the feeling of being closer to the age of 50 than to the age of 40. It's a feeling of "where the heck did all the years go?" They seem to have flown by without me knowing about it until I take a glance at myself in the mirror - then it all becomes so real! 

My little sis and I...

Us with our daddy...

Us with our mommy...

And us with the "younger" girl of the group, my daughter....

I am bound and determined to do lots in my future years to create memories to last a lifetime. One memory I will create is by going to Italy in September. I have always in the back of my mind wanted to visit there as my maternal grandparents came from there. It is a dream of a lifetime and it is a birthday gift to myself this year. I will be attending a workshop taught by this lady: http://www.sallyjean.com which is being held in the Tuscan area of Italy in the town of Cortona. We will be crafting a candelabra chandelier from some of the things we find at the antique markets of Cortona and also from some trinkets we will bring from home. I am looking forward to exploring the town of Cortona as well as Rome (this is where I fly into and stay for 3 days before and 2 days after Cortona). My son will be meeting me in Rome when I arrive as he is spending the summer touring Europe. I'm sure I will have many photos to share from this experience and probably many stories too. Italy, here I come!

Farm Chicks Finds

Yes, Farm Chicks happened a while ago, but I just now have had time to post and add pictures of what I found there. I am missing a few photos of the vintage wheelbarrow and junior spreader that I got for our garden, but I will post those when I get back home from Oregon. 

Right now I am dog-sitting for my parents as they have taken my oldest daughter and youngest sister on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera. I am here for two weeks so I have a lot of time on my hands to read, relax, and do absolutely nothing. I am also enjoying some warm summer weather that they are having and visiting some of the great antique spots that they have in this area. Today I spent the day in Silverton and found some stuff at The Red Bench and another small antique store downtown. Tomorrow I think I will venture toward Portland and do some shopping at Bridgeport Village (love Anthropologie!) and also go to Monticello Antique Marketplace. If I find some great things tomorrow I will post those right away!

Here are some of the things I got at Farm Chicks....a really great shower curtain created from an old chenille bedspread and some vintage handkerchiefs and great pom pom fringe....

Here is a close-up of the fringe and lace...

Some more fun finds...a couple of vintage aprons, a rose tea set, a purse made out of chenille, an adorable small leather case with children and the May pole, a large syrup jar, an old red sprinkler, and an old wire blanket hitter....

Here's another close-up...

This Farm Chick Is Goin' Shoppin'

Today is the day!!! I can't wait to get to the fairgrounds.....I can hear many cute vintage items calling my name. Rochelle, Rochelle, Rochelle, come see me and take me home with you....I would look so cute in your house. I hope that my expectations are met when I get there and see the stuff. I'm sure it will and I'm sure there is lots to see and do. Farm Chicks look out, here I come!

Yesterday I spent the day in my most favorite store....Macy's. I love, love, love everything they have there. I bought a few things for my Italy trip in September. (Yes, I am going to Italy and can't wait. I will give more details on this trip later. It involves a workshop that is held in the northern region of Italy in a town called Cortona. It is a dream of a lifetime!) I always find neat things in Macy's and yesterday was no exception. I was only bummed because nothing was on sale, but the prices weren't too bad.

I'll see ya'll later after my day at The Farm Chicks Sale!

A Travelin' We Will Go

Traveling has kept me very busy and away from my computer for awhile. We just got back from one of our nephews graduations from high school in California. We were excited to go there for that wonderful sunshine California is known for, but to our disappointment it did not show its face until the last day we were to leave. In fact, the day of said nephews graduation we were all bundled under blankets sitting in the football bleachers. Not something you would think you would see in California in May! We were all so glad when it was over so that we could get back in our cars and turn the heated seats on full blast.

The family freezing their butts off!

It was a good time catching up with cousins, aunts and uncles, brothers, sisters, and the like. Some I hadn't seen in quite a long time. They were amazed at how grown up the daughters were. And we enjoyed some amazing Mexican food that my brother cooked and also had catered. It's been a long time since I have had good, authentic Mexican food - it's just hard to come by in Canada.

Since there was no sunshine to be had, we had to occupy our time somewhere so the outlets in Gilroy seemed like the best place. Let's just say that I have my summer wardrobe in clothes and shoes and won't be needing anything else. I love the Gap! And I love shoes!

I am very excited for next weekend when I will be traveling to The Farm Chicks in Spokane, WA. I am anticipating finding a lot of treasures for our home and great vintage items. I am hoping that the weather is going to be wonderfully sunny so that I can soak it up. I've only been to Spokane once before so I plan on exploring the downtown as well. It'll be just Lola and I so I have no planned agenda - just an agenda for MOI! And, look at this great vintage shopping cart that found on where else, EBAY. I made a liner for it so that I can have hands free shopping and put all of my great finds in the cart. Lola will get a "free ride" all day inside of it. Isn't she cute?

So, wish me luck on my buying spree and I will be back home on Tuesday, June 10th. We'll see you all then and I will show you what treasures I found in the town of Spokane, WA!

Sunshine Is Here!!!

The sunshine is here in our little town of Chilliwack! Yah!! Boy, it went from being rainy and cold straight to a heat wave (for us in the cold north) of 90 degree weather. Our pasty white skin bodies don't know what to do in this kind of heat. Burn baby burn is what happens when you spend eight hours times 3 days working in your neglected gardens. So, as I type this post my body is screaming out for some cool aloe vera gel and crying because it knows it is going right back out tomorrow to finish what it has started. So, by tomorrow night all of the flower beds, containers, and any other item that contains flowers, will be singing a sweet song because they finally look so beautiful and cute. Thanks to my two lovely daughters who helped and also one of their friends who spent the night and was so lucky to be able to weed and tan at the same time! You rock girls! I just wish I would've taken some pictures of the three of you scrunched over in your bikini tops pulling weeds with an occasional screech when one of you found a spider, worm, centipede, or other "garden creature". There's still tomorrow!

Look at the little angels weeding the remainder of the front yard....

A garden bed in the front yard....

Another thing that I have to tackle tomorrow is the very, very, slimy pond that I have in an antique bathtub in our front yard. I had never cleaned it out from last summer and who knows what is lurking in the depths of that tub. It certainly looks gross as you can see from the picture below. Once it is clean though it will be the focal point of the front yard once again.

Yucky, slimy mess.....

Yuck!!!!!

Now, looking at the backyard I see that I am going to also have to repair the hammock. I guess it has spent too many summers and winters in the elements and it is now showing it's age. A trip to the local fabric store to get some outdoor fabric that will withstand the heat and rain and it will look new again. I'm just waiting for someone to hop on it and have it rip right in half underneath them. I'm hoping to just cover over the existing fabric - hopefully that will do. Boy, this list just goes on and on.

Come into my backyard......

Next weekend the daughters and I are flying to California to see one of my nephews graduate from high school. It will be a time to catch up with some relatives and to catch some California rays! Also, Gilroy has the greatest outlets in town and you better believe we will be doing some damage there!

I hope the sun is shining where you are and that you get out and enjoy it!

Our Son Has Graduated!!!

Yeah!! Our son will soon be graduating from the Langara College Professional Photo Imaging Program. He has spent the last two years in Vancouver attending Langara College. Last Thursday evening the graduating class had their grad show "POST" at the Moat Gallery in the Vancouver Library building. The show consisted of a mixture of genres and styles. Each student had a portfolio of their own work plus there was framed work lining the walls of the gallery. We are proud and excited for him to venture out into the great big world and accomplish his dreams and desires while making oodles of money!

Our son and one of his photos "Floyd"....

Our son and daughters...
Son and parents...
Our son happy that he received a $500 award...

Busy, Busy, Busy...

I'm back from "busy"ness and home once again. I know what tomorrow holds for me - LAUNDRY!! It's always fun to go away, but then coming back home brings a rude awakening to reality and the normal daily things that need to be tended to.

My daughters and I traveled south to Oregon where my parents and sisters live. We had a really nice visit and celebrated Mother's Day with my mom on Saturday. It made it even more extra special when we had lunch and treats from this place......

This place has the most awesome cakes to choose from and every time we go there I try to pick something new to try, but I always seem to have the tiramisu because it is to die for. So, if you are ever in Salem, Oregon you must try this place. We also spent the rest of the day shopping (what girls do best!) up a storm and brought home many new things!

On Monday night my little sister had her grad graphic design show at Linn Benton College. Her work is so great I am sure she will have no problem finding work after she graduates. The evening was spent looking at the different projects all of the grad students had accomplished through the year and also eating all the fantastic appetizers that they had.

My sister the artist with our parents....

With my daughters and other sister....

Here is some of her artwork - Chinese New Year boxes......

And an animal collage.....

I wanted to post more of her artwork but blogger is not letting me do it now - major problems and very slow uploading. Maybe in another post I will show more. 

This week also will be a week to finally get to work in the yard. We will be having very warm weather here so I must take advantage of this and tend to the garden. I will have to put all the other indoor projects on hold for awhile and make those flowers smile!

Yeah!! I Have My Life Back...

Yes! The tilers have finished all three rooms and I have my life and my house back! There's something about having strangers in your home while you are there - an uncomfortable feeling, feeling like you can't do anything while they are there, always underfoot. I am so glad I can wake up when I want to, wear my pajamas around in the morning, and not have to hurry to throw some clothes on before they arrive to work on the floors. I has been three weeks since they started and it seems like forever. I am pleased with the way the floors turned out. I can't show you right now what they look like because the house is a mess and it has to be cleaned up before I can do the photo shoot. But I promise to get some pictures posted sometime next week before I head to Oregon for a long/short weekend getaway.

Too Sick To Do Anything!

Boy, I haven't been this sick in a long time....the kind of sick where you just feel like a blob and can't move because all of your bones in your body ache, ache, ache. Today I had plans on painting the upstairs bathroom (since the tile guys finished with their handiwork there) - not happening. Dishes in the sink - they will stay there till one of my daughters does them. Living room clean-up - I guess I will just trip over whatever is on the floor because I can't seem to move out of my recliner. I have my little Lola keeping me company all day.....such a cutie!

While I was feeling better earlier this week I was able to do some sewing. In our bedroom we have these cream cotton blinds that don't keep a lot of light out of the room. There is a street light right outside of our window that glares through the thin blind material and it is impossible to fall asleep at night. Ta Da! I covered them with a deep red floral fabric that now blacks out that annoying street light. It works so well that the other night when I was coming up the stairs I couldn't even see our bedroom from across the hall. 

And, as soon as I am feeling better this bathroom will have a new coat of paint on it and the blinds in here will also be covered in some pretty floral fabric with some fancy trim on the bottom edge. You can see from the picture below where I had to paint the wall behind the toilet before it was installed again.

And these holes in the floor.......

Are where this tub needs to be reconnected - I'm thinking of painting it gloss black before reinstalling it. What do you think?

And lastly, our baby girl turned 17 yesterday - time sure does fly by. I remember celebrating her first birthday just a few years ago! What a cutie!

Bushes Are Bloomin'

Finally it seems like a glimpse of spring has arrived here in the north....despite the recent snow and rain that we've had! And, today the sun is peeking through the cloudy sky that we have. I hear that they are calling for more rain today but that tomorrow and Saturday are supposed to be in the 70's and sunny. That is something to celebrate. My perennials roots are doing the happy dance right now as I type! Weedy flower beds watch out because the gardening gal is going to get out her gear and clear you and your pesky little weedy families out of her life and yard! Can you hear them crying right now?

Look at my fabric collection....

I have plans for all this. I am going to recover my recliner and also re-slipcover these chairs so that they are in the same color family.  Also the vintage tablecloths that I have been collecting are going to make seat cushions for my dining room chairs and kitchen chairs. See, there is a plan to all this ebay fabric shopping madness - I just know that I need more fabric though so I must visit ebay again and see if there are any new vintage red fabrics or tablecloths listed. No wonder I never get any house cleaning done! I'm always too busy online.....better get offline soon so that I can get some laundry and cooking done today otherwise I will have an unhappy family when they come home.

Here are the chairs that the fabrics will cover...

The Piano

Look at my great find on Craigslist......it is a piano from the 1920's and it is gorgeous. Only $50!! It's sounds great too. Do I know how to play the piano? No..... But, I plan on learning. I can't wait to have this beauty delivered and to make it part of our home.

Addicted To EBAY!!

Okay, so I am an addict.....but in a good way! I have this addiction every morning to check my email and then go to ebay to see what is new and available for my liking. Could today be a day to feed my quilt addiction, or my aunt jemima addiction, or my red addiction, or my see what I can find to start a new addiction? Well, last month it was my "feed my aunt jemima" addiction. I found the two cutest things from the same seller - an apron and a toaster cover.  Aren't they adorable? I think so.

And, in the past couple of years I have fed my "red" addiction to fill this little red cupboard I got at an "antiques in the street" sale in Oregon. I just loved finding these little treasures and it was a bonus if they were red. Problem is I am running out of room! I just might have to find another showcase for my future treasures at The Farm Chicks show in Spokane, WA in June. I can't wait to see what that show will hold in store for this collector!

Shelf #1
Shelf #2

Shelf #3

I guess it's a good thing that I only collect "red" things and not the entire color wheel of colors - otherwise I'd be in serious trouble!