Happy Trick or Treaters

My oldest son (on the left) was a "road trip." He had matchbox cars stuck all over him. I found the idea on the Family Fun website. It claims to be a last minute costume but it wasn't. I was sewing on velcro right up until last night. My youngest was an astronaut. We went trick or treating with friends in a nearby neighbourhood.

Here's my costume
In case it isn't clear, I'm supposed to be Heidi from Switzerland. :) I put it together using Value Village (for the black top and skirt), an antique store (for the apron) and WalMart (for the wig.) Very frugal!

I guess all that outdoor activity was too much for my little astronaut. He's home sick today. :(Pin It

Fall Flowers

All good things have to come to an end, right? Even my dahlias which have been blooming since August! I'm so grateful for them especially since where I grew up we never had flowers into October. I picked these on Tuesday, October 26th. Here's my last delphinium of the season, as well.I'm linking up with My Romantic Home's Show and Tell Friday.
Pin It

Ruffles and Rust (a vintage market to inspire)

I've been looking forward to this show
since July! My hubby called it Bednobs and Broomsticks. :) Even though I wasn't feeling all that great on Saturday morning, there was NO WAY I was going to miss it. My hubby said that he thought I'd crawl over broken glass to get there. OK, that is a little extreme. :) At least he knows what I like!

Unfortunately, I didn't get a friend to go with me, again. Oh well, I kinda like shopping alone but it would've been fun to have someone with me to share my excitement. I did run into some "old" friends of mine - Tiffany and Colleen - from "down south." :)

I *really* wanted to take this home with me but it was over my budget. :(
This was an interesting repurposing/craft idea - decoupaged (using vintage paper) metal cookie sheets as magnet boards. Click on the photo for a closer look.
Another interesting idea was this decoupaged (with vintage book pages) framed mirror:
I loved this display of vintage sheet music (Hayley's Cottage):
Fun Junk had tables full of stuff to dig through.
At this booth I found some antique roses postcards (photo below).

I love glittery stuff, especially Christmas decorations like this church from Glitter & Ivy's booth.

There were over 50 vendors but these were my favourites:
- greatfindz (Dawn)
- My Sweet Savannah (Melaine)
- The Vintage Nest (Tamara)
- Unexpected Necessities - a new to me vendor
- Joyworks
- Garden Party & Luluz
- JohnBob Cool Junk - they have the best displays.

Show & Tell Time - fun stuff that I bought:1. an antique kitchen scale - $10 (these usually go for much more!)
2. authentic, no-filler autumn potpourri from Garden Party
3. cute antique white frame
4. paper birdcage (I collect them)
5. chippy & rusty cast iron stand (with pumpkin on top!) - from My Sweet Savannah
6. photo card (purple rose)
7. floral paper covered Bible - free from Joyworks!
8. antique floral postcards
9. mini paper roses from Unexpected Necessities which deserve a close up:
Aren't they adorable?

I found some more great photos of the show at the blog Create Beauty. Enjoy!Pin It

It's never too late for a party

My oldest son's birthday is in late August. Not the best time for planning birthday parties. Lots of people on vacation and who to invite? His class from the previous year? Plus, this year, his birthday was the day before the first day of school. Kinda busy, no? I have planned and executed 11, count 'em 11 birthday parties!! Can you say burnt out? :) So, I wimped out and didn't have a party for him. He was OK with that. For a while. But then hee started asking, when is my party going to be? OK, ok. Can it be small? Please?

We had a *very* small party for him last weekend. (If you're counting, that's almost two months after his birthday.) Three friends were invited. Two were able to come. I made cupcakes and decorated them to look like a mini golf course since A loves to play mini golf.

(I found printable cupcake flags here and the cupcake inspiration here.)

The main activity was playing hockey outside which warmed the hearts of his Canadian parents. It turns out that my youngest is a tough goalie!
Silly string was sprayed.
Some gifts were opened. Pizza was eaten.

Pictures were taken.
A good time was had by all and I didn't completely wear myself out in the process!Pin It

Picking pumpkins and apples

So, I'm back. You missed me, right? :) I have a working hard drive now so I can share photos again.

The boys recently had a day off from school so, as we did last year, we went an orchard to pick apples. This year I didn't go to the same orchard. Instead we drove to Sedro Woolley. Yes, that is a crazy name for a town. I wonder where the name came from? Anyway, at the orchard we were given free range to try as many apples as we liked. I appreciated how friendly and welcoming the farm was. A big shout out to Jones Creek Farms! There were so many varieties of apples. Many that I hadn't heard of before. One thing that surprised me was the number of apples on the ground. What happens to these apples? I hope they're made into cider or something.
Here is one of my happy apple pickers and tasters.We ended up picking 14 pounds which sounds like a lot but wasn't overwhelming. Yes, we made a pie. I should say my hubby made a pie with the boys' help. How sweet, eh?

We also made our yearly pilgrimage to the pumpkin patch. This year I decided to take the boys to Craven Farm (in Snohomish) after school in the afternoon so we could avoid the crowds. It was a good strategy. We practically had the place to ourselves. The only drawback was the traffic going home since it was 4:30 pm by then.

I love family traditions!Pin It

DIY sticker shock

So, I've been painting and improving stuff that I find at Goodwill. That's my current hobby/obsession.

I was painting a big ornate framed mirror (I wish I could show you a picture but I still have a sick computer) on the weekend and, whoops, I broke the mirror. I was very sad. Hubby wasn't even here to cheer me up.

Oh well, I though later (after some chocolate, that is.) The mirror had a "black spot" so it wasn't perfect and I'll just go to a glass place and get a replacement.

Today I went to a glass store. I brought in my big 'ol frame and asked for a quote for a beveled mirror. I was quoted 75 dollars. SEVENTY FIVE DOLLARS? For just a mirror without a frame? Sigh. I tried not to think about the fact that I dropped something worth almost that much.

So... I'm settling for a non-beveled mirror. For $25 dollars. Sigh. So much for frugal redecorating.
I *love* the frame, so I guess it it worth it.

The moral of this story? If you are painting a Goodwill/thrift store find, take the mirror out of the frame before you start moving it around! And those framed mirrors you find? If they are in good shape, grab 'em!

Maybe someone can learn from my expensive mistake and my free but valuable advice. :)Pin It

Blogging without photos

Sigh. I still don't have my "real" computer. The power supply is toast so I'm using an old laptop with my monitor. All this to say, I can't share any photos right now. I do have some, believe me. So, instead of whining about this situation (well *after* whining a lot), I'm going to blog anyway.

What's on my mind? Fall! Today is the official first day so I can go for it as far as decorating, crafts, plans, etc.

1. I like non-traditional fall decorating. Too much orange makes me feel a little ill. Chelsea's idea for making black & white pumpkins (using dollar store materials) is so cool!

2. White pumpkins. I love them. The problem is the price and scarcity. So, what does any self-respecting crafter do? Spray paint some regular ones! Here are some instructions.

3. Going to Molbak's for their fall play has become one of our family's traditions. This year it is Rumpelstiltskin (I had to look that one up!). Almost every Saturday in October, you can go see a very funny family play (for free!) and grab some yummy snacks, too. Bring your camera since they always have a photo spot set up.

Now, to really get me in the fall mood, I need some apple cider from Trader Joe's. Hear that TJs?? It's time!Pin It

Messy Beautiful

I love this blog post - go read it! It will change your perspective.
Thanks, Andrea, for the alert.

(I would include a photo of my own messy beautiful but I'm having computer problems right now. I'm grateful, though, to have a hard-working hubby who will soon have it fixed.)
Pin It

Back to School!

September 1st was the first day back to school for both of my boys. My youngest started kindergarten and my oldest started 2nd grade, both going to the same school for the first time!

This photo was taken today:
No, my boys don't just decide to wear the same outfit, they're wearing their uniforms. :) And those are "the guys" that C is holding.

We had orientation day on the 31st which is the day to find the classrooms, meet the teachers and bring in supplies. My youngest wasn't all that interested in posing.
My youngest had some trouble saying goodbye to Mommy and Daddy on the first day, although we think he was "putting it on" a bit. :)
He did great saying goodbye today.

Here is my oldest on the first day of school:

(note to self - get a photo of A with his teacher)

Now, if only there was a school bus, everything would be perfect. ;)Pin It

Happy and sad today

First, the happy. It is my son's 7th birthday today! Seven years ago I struggled through a difficult delivery to be rewarded with this cutie:

I am so proud of my oldest boy. He is creative, smart, funny, sweet, kind to his little brother and loves Jesus. He starts school on Wednesday and will be in 2nd Grade. Sigh. Where did the time go?
I love you, Alexander!!

Today is also the day that my dear friend and sometimes mentor, Barbara Proctor, left this earth. Sadly, she had only been married to her sweetheart Phil for 6 months and all of that time was spent battling cancer.
I still can't believe she is gone and I won't see her again (this side of Heaven). Thankfully her family arrived in time to say goodbye.

Here are the lines of a favourite hymn of hers.

Be still, my soul:
the hour is hastening on
When we shall be
forever with the Lord.
When disappointment,
...grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot,
love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul:
when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed
we shall meet Him at last.

If you are inclined to pray, could I ask you to pray for her husband Phil and her four adult children and multiple grandchildren? It is a huge loss for them.Pin It

The White Stuff

It was a good weekend for spotting the white stuff. No, not snow! (shudder). White furniture.

I found this shelf ($32)
in one of the booths at Antique Station at Victoria Village in Snohomish. It now stands by my front door and I plan to change out the flowers/plants seasonally. I think at Christmas time I'll put in little Christmas topiaries or just lots of pine branches. I love having a place for my garden gloves, trowel, and sheers.

This beautiful table (for $25) was sold to me by Dawn of "greatfindz." The funny thing is, I saw this same table back a few weeks ago at a private sale but I didn't have enough cash with me to buy it from Dawn that night. Today she was at the Sandpoint Antique and Design Market and lo, and behold, there it was! It was meant to be mine, don't you think? :)

I also found this gorgeous vintage tablecloth in perfect condition at the Sandpoint market. It was $15.

These treasures sure make up for *last* Saturday when I didn't find a single thing at the BIG Goodwill store. How frustrating that was!

I'm linking up with Today's Thrifty Treasures at Southern Hospitality.Pin It

Wordless Wednesday

Dahlias from my garden!!Pin It

A visit to Mecca (for gardeners)

This past weekend we went to visit my parents. Lucky for us, they live in a beautiful city full of things to do. #1 on my list was to go back to Butchart Gardens which is heaven on earth for gardeners. My dad watched the boys so my mom and I could visit the gardens without hearing complaints from bored boys! Unfortunately, our time was limited and the day was very hot so it was a very quick visit.

This is Love Lays Bleeding (what a crazy name for a plant!)
One of my favourite plants (ten of which are growing at the front of my house!) - Delphinium.

There is a huge rose garden at Butchart. I love the vibrant colour of this one.
Water lilies are so peaceful.
I love unusual plants. This is a whirligig daisy - I think I should change the photo to black & white - I think it would look super cool.


This is my mom by the famous Sunken Garden.

My favourite photo is of the gate in front of Jenny Butchart's private garden which has been maintained the same way that she had it since the 1930s. You aren't able to go in here but I think that adds to the appeal.
You receive a plant guide when you enter Butchart Gardens and I've been reading it for ideas for my own garden.Pin It

Wordless Wednesday

Butchart Gardens
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
August 16, 2010Pin It

This week's great finds

The last two weeks have been fantastic for "junking." Here are the fun things I've picked up at rummage sales, garage sales, antique stores, and thrift stores.

A while back I participated in a church rummage sale. Unfortunately I didn't sell much of my own stuff. I was selling baby gear and the crowd was older. I did found some fun things to take home with me like this green table for $3.
Last Saturday I stopped in at Maltby Antiques and I found this painter's box (which I'll fill with plants after sanding off the paint) for $5.
I found this fun sign for $2 at a garage sale. I'll put it in the boys' bathroom.
I've been looking for just the right coffee table for months and months. I found this super cute one almost by accident. I went to a favourite antique store (hoping to find a table) and in the parking lot there happened to be a rummage sale going on (not affiliated with the store). I spied this table, checked the price, and said "I'll take the table!" How much was it? $39. Pretty good, eh?
I love it and I'm so glad I don't have to paint it. My "to paint" collection is getting a little out of hand. :)

I don't have to paint this beauty either! I bought it for $10 at a private sale at a cottage on Lake Washington on Friday night. What a gorgeous setting! The weather even cooperated. ;) Here is a link to more photos from this sale.

This made my heart go pitter patter.I found it at Value Village for $15, which sounds like a lot but once it is cleaned up and painted white (of course), I think it would sell for much, much more. The photo doesn't do it justice - it is *heavy* and big.

I'm linking up with Today's Thrifty Treasures at Southern Hospitality.
Pin It

Wordless Wednesday

Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle.
August 4, 2010Pin It