On the way to get a coke and the rest of the weekend...

On The Way to Get A Coke ...

What a weekend ..with it being Memorial Day ...a "holiday weekend" for many ..I figured there wouldn't be too many estate sales if any at all ..and few yard sales out there . Well was I wrong !!!

Thursday and Friday were packed full of sales ..and really it was take the method of spinning the dial and seeing where it landed to choose what direction to go in as there were more Estate Sales than one could make it to ....We found a ton of goodies which I'll share pictures of further on in this post. In fact we found so many I had to make a couple trips home to unload the truck both days ..LOL !! ...So on Saturday ...

When it was 2 in the afternoon we all decided we wanted a what we call "Frozen Coke" ..you know those Coke Slurpees. We don't keep soda in the house ..so going down to get a frozen coke is a treat ..anyhow ..."On the way to get a coke" ...mind you after 2 days full of sales and buying ...we're headed down the road ..and how could it be ..How could I have missed it ..another massive sign ..that reads Estate Sale ..Well ..having no will power ...we had to check it out and see what was still available ..I shouldn't have ...but ...

This Antique Iron Baby Bed ..in a very faint original paint ..was set up ...I made an offer thinking it would not be taken and well as you can see I have it ..LOL !!! These early Iron Baby beds make such wonderful pieces for the Garden ..Or they are perfect set up as a oversized chair in the house ...by adding a cushion ..and pillows and dropping the front or taking it off .

Well it's mine now ..but guess where it's going to be heading ??? Countdown to the Chateau De Fleurs show has begun ....and that's where it will be headed ..

This wonderful wood folding chair in old blue chippy paint ..perfectly weathered and aged was another find at that sale ...along with several antique leather suitcases ..a cute drop leaf 1930's table ..an old shabby chandelier ..of all things a Christie Repasy painting...pluse some other odds and ends. ..We had to laugh pulling away ..saying and all we were doing is going to get a Coke ..!!!

Reverse to Thursday and Friday ...and we hit an estate sale near the ocean about 35 minutes from were we live and another one in the hills about 25 minutes from where we live ..and here's just a snippet of all our treasures ...

To some it may look like alot of junk ..but to me this is absolute treasure ..

You can't see this table that well ..didn't realize that the shade was so dark ..but it's a cutie and just waiting for a little rouge and lipstick...

This was one of my favorite boxes ...look at all these old wood shoe forms ..Are they not awesome ..the sale these came from the man had owned a shoe repair shop ... you should have seen all the interesting tools and pieces that were there. Plus those bronzed baby shoes hiding down in the box ..were just ever so sweet and will I couldn't pass those up ..

This Bucket full of old porcelain insulators is another cool find ..People always look at some of the stuff we buy and wonder "what in the world" I'm sure ..they just see the items for what they are ..but I always see it as what it can be or can become ...and I saw these gems as legs ..perfection with the screw in already in and they are super heavy duty ..so some trunk ..table or I don't know what yet will eventually be married up with these...

So While out playing in our goodies and putting things away and beginning work on pieces for our upcoming show ..we had some fun with My Maggie. We bought this little Strainer and we turned it over and said it looked like a little helmet ..and we found the perfect little head for it to fit upon ...

Poor Maggie ..I think I've pulled , yanked, tugged, and rubbed her soft little ears to death for the last 14 years ...She's such a patient girl ..and let's me do just about anything to her. We made her pose for this picture ..and I had to stand guard that the strainer/helmet didn't pop off ...her ears are so soft there's just no grip with them so they were having a hard time staying put throught the handles ..LOL !!! ..If only I would have had a sweater clip I could have hooked it from one ear to the other to secure the helmet ..no not really ..!!!

So that was our Fun weekend ..I'm tired ..tired of Going ..and ready for a few days here at home. We are steadily working on new pieces for the upcoming show ...I have a few before and maybe some after pictures of pieces that will be headed to the show that I will be posting this week ..so check back to see some sneek peeks !!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And of course ..I haven't forgotten that today is Memorial Day ..and want to say Thank You To the Veterans of our country and to those in Service Today as well as to their families for the Sacrafice they have made for Me and My Families Freedom. May our Freedom be untouched and may all of us realize how precious that Freedom is to us ..and may we fight the fight along with our military to keep our nation Free !!! It is good to want peace ..it is good to desire peace ..it is good to pray for peace ..but the reality of peace is in order to achieve it ..every person in this nation would have to come to one mind of thinking. Being that we all are different and have different views ...Complete Peace will never be achieved ..but we can be peaceful in our views and come to one mind of thinking about our Freedom ..that we Love it and that No one including our own government is going to take that away. It is up to us the people to unite and remember what our Veterans did for us and what our men in sevice are doing for us today ..and Keep Our Freedom !!!

Thank You to the men and women who have given their lives ..to the men and women who have fought the good fight ..to the men and women who have sacraficed their lives and the lives of their families ..WE SALUTE YOU !!!

Seasons of Life ..Change ..

As I have been sitting here this evening working on our website ..changing graphics ..removing sold product, old product and trying my hardest to remove all that was ..to make way for the new ...

This Thought came to mind...

We all go through seasons in our lives ...in many ways ...emotionally, physically, spiritually,

I find in the artisitic and decorating part of my world ..I am like the fall leaves ...being blown to and fro ...I love so many looks and styles I find it hard to stick with one.

On the other hand ..I am like the dormant winter ..where some of the older styles I used to love ...I find them dreary and depressing now.

And I am Like the spring ..I find new buds of style are popping up all the time in me ..I'm finding new loves all the time ..and it seems they come upon me quicker than I can fathom them ..LOL !!!

Being constant and focused can be ever so hard for me ...I think it's that artistic nature deep down inside ...It can be a blessing and a curse ..driving me in many directions ...Yet keeping me growing in new directions all the time.

I think the picture above is testament to our lives and what we go through....Right now I have entered my lighter and brighter season ..Liking whites, creams, pinks, aquas, light greens and blues ....They appeal to me more than ever ..they tend to bring out a happier me ..physically, emotionally, and spiritually

My Days of Deep Dark Primitives have passed ..and my Days of Farmhouse Romance ..a little glitz, sparkle and glamour ...are touching my soul ...and filling my life in a whole new way. I'm loving the change ..sometimes change is a good thing ..and for me this is good change.

Finding your niche ..is sometimes a long and winding path ..so enjoy each day and where the journey leads ...

I'm enjoying mine !!!

So have your tastes changed ..have your seasons changed ?? Are you changing loves in style ..or are you still loving the style you are in ??

Farmhouse Romance Pillows ....

Finally ....I'm getting time to get some of our new line of Farmhouse Romance Pillows listed ..

It seems time is always against me and there is always more to do than is possible.

So a few days back as some of you may remember ..when I had trouble with my photo software ..well I had just finished a photo shoot of new offerings to be listed and ..didn't get them listed...

I'm finally getting the hang of this new software ..mind you I'm still not pleased with it ..but what's a girl to do but go with the flow ..and bend like a tree ...

Sometime learning new things and adjusting to new ways can be hard ..and I still stand firm that I like the old software better ..but the only one injured in fighting the new software is myself as the companies really don't care ...

Well enough about that ..today ..I'm resting ..Sunday always a good day for that ..I am sitting here in my Jammies ..with Emma playing ..never can watch that movie enough times ..and trying to get things listed ..

I have just finished listing 3 of our Farmhouse Romance Pillows and will keep going as there are several more to go along with some other wonderful vintage finds ...

I know I had a few people waiting for me to get the pillows listed so I wanted to let you all know it's finally happening ..

And Here's a sneek peek ....

Oh Yes I'm listing them in our Etsy Store ..you can get there by clicking HERE ...

I hope you are all enjoying a Beautiful Sunday Afternoon ...it's a cool..cloudy, blustery day here ..which is unusual for this time of year ...and I'm Loving it !!!

Blessings ..Sara

Glitterfest was absolute pure FUN !!!

Back from Glitterfest and was it ever so much fun !!!

I made sure to get up and get to Glitterfest first thing this morning ..I think we arrived about 15 minutes after opening and there was still a line of at least 60 or more ladies waiting to get in and that wasn't counting all those already in shopping.

Abbey and I had never been before ..Our Friends Christie, Rita and Lisa who I posted about a couple posts back were going to be there introduced us to it and we are so glad they did.

I so wish I was participating in the selling today ..but it was fun shopping too !!!

I did my best to get pictures but ..it wasn't easy ..the aisles were literally packed with gal pal ..all of us trying to squeeze past to see each artisans offerings.

The artisans were awesome ..there was such a great variety to choose from ..from shabby, cottage, mixed media, primitive, glam, and more. Something for everyone !!!

O.k. So I thought you all would enjoy the pictures I took and here they are...

First up ...Christie Repasy ...her set up was fabulous ..Great Job Christie ..!!!

Then of course Lisa Loria of Vintage Bling ...Oh my gosh ..she's taken my dislike for dolls away ..her's are just so sweet !!! ...and Her Jewelry is to die for ..I walked away with one of her bracelets ...It goes with my new sweater ...I know a sweater when summer is on the way ...well it was on clearance plus I had a 30% off coupon ..so I couldn't pass it up ...LOL
Here's Lisa ...Isn't she just the cutest !!! and below is her table ...It looks well positively wonderful ...!!!

So It wasn't hard to spot Rita of Mammabellarte ...when I was paying I just looked in the air for the pink parasol and new what direction to head ....

Rita ...your setup and offerings were so breathtaking and delighful ..It's no wonder ..ladies flock to take home her handmade pieces of Joy !!!

Look below at these bottles Rita put together ..Oh It was hard keeping these a secret ..I got a sneek peek before the show ..and well they are simply wonderful ..I bet She'll make more for the Chateau De Fleurs show in June....

Next up ...is Iva's creations ..I greatly admired her work ..and wanted to share it with you all ...

Carolyn Carrara of Twigs ...Look at these flowers ...I love her work ...

Judy of Shellebration ..Wow ..this gal has the patience of Job ..Look at all this Shell work she does ..Abb and I were just blown away by her work and amazed at the precision and Beauty ...

Lori Gutierrez ...Her Art dolls are just amazing ..I was drooling over them ..

Well that's the end ...and this was only a small glimpse into the show ..there were 48 artisans ..all top notch ...Sooooooo

If you missed this show ...

Then Mark your calenders ..Glitterfest will roll back around ...OCTOBER 2nd ...

Pulling My Hair Out !!!

Here's me this afternoon ...!!!

Wondering why ???

When Something works and it's great the way it is ..why does someone come along and think they can make it better ???

Why is is that they think more options ..and more in general is better ???

For 3 years now I have used a photo editing program by the name of Photo Explosion. The last version ..version 3 ..they no longer support so had to upgrade to Version 4.

Version 4 was said to have more of everything which sounded great.

So I opened the program to start editing my photos ...and nothing was the same ...not one thing !!!

So I picked up the over 300 page manual and began reading ..Uggg.

What I loved about this program was how simple it was ..seriously it was as easy as 1, 2 , 3, No Raster layers ..no vector layers ....just simply import your photo add a frame and text ..and save ..Oh you could do more ..but if you didn't want to it was that simple.

Now...it's not that easy ..it's as complicated as many of the other photo editing programs ..and by complicated I just mean there is alot more choices and alot more steps in order to get your photo edited than what this program did offer.

Someone though thought I guess it was too simple ..and took that simplicity away ..as well ..no more cute frames or 3d layers ...all gone ..!!!

So now I have to figure out where to get and add frames to my photos ..as well as how to do it quickly. I like to dress my photos for the website and etsy ..but time is time and there's not ton's of it ..so it's limited when your trying to dress up your photo's.

So do any of you have any image editing programs that are simple ??Any recommendations at all ?? And or do any of you have any suggestions for places to pick up some of those cute white scrolly frames that I can layer on to my images ???

Any suggestions would be so appreciated !!!

I try to limit my time to the computer ...as about a year ago I spent so much time on it learning how to do things I literally burned myself out and made myself sick ..and I won't do it again ..So I'm asking for your thoughts and help ..so I don't go nuts trying to find a way to simply dress up my photos .

Oh and all this started today ..when I was taking photos of new product ..to list on the site and Etsy ...when I went to edit them and ran into all this ,...well nothing got listed today ...isn't that the way it goes ..

So I'm thinking I'll just have to post the photos as they are until I find a new way to edit them.

Looking forward to your suggestions and help ...

Blessings ...Sara

Have you been to Glitterfest ???

Have you been to Glitterfest ???

I haven't been either ..but I'm hearing all the buzz about this awesome show full of top notch artists.

It's this Coming Saturday May 22nd...in Santa Ana, CA ...and it's only a $2.00 Entry fee which is so reasonable.. It makes a Great Day trip ...Oh and the show is only from 10a.m. to 3 p.m. ...One day only ..

My Friend Rita Reade of Mammabellearte ..Is preparing for the show ...Her jewelry and Birdhouses are spectacular ..and I got a personal sneek peek at some of her newest creations she's taking to this show and I'm telling you ..you don't want to miss out !!! Stop by her blog to get a sneek peek ..click HERE to visit Rita ...

Also another friend ...Lisa Loria of Vintage Bling ...she's "Headed" to the show ...LOL !! stop by her blog and check out her sneek peeks of what she's been preparing for Glitterfest ..Click HERE

And of Course Christie Repasy of Chateau De Fleurs ..with her beautiful Paintings and Art work is headed there she's also been sharing sneek peeks on her blog of some of her newest works in progress stop in by clicking HERE and Visit Christie.....

I Love Old Movies what about you ?

I can't remember a day growing up that I didn't prefer old movies over modern day television.

Abbey (mom) grew up loving movies ..she loved musicals, comedies and mysteries ...and with her love of those categories ..needless to say I grew up watching them over and over with her. I knew all the names of the great late actors and actresses and always wished I had lived in the era of musicals as I loved the singing and the dancing.

To name one of my favorites of an era gone by ..is Betty Hutton ..and if you haven't viewed her movies ...your missing out ..she's what a true actress should be in ever sense of the word " ACT "

Tonight ..Abb and I are sitting here in our jammies ..watching Red, Hot and Blue ..an quircky, comical, and fun little movie starring Betty Hutton and Victor Mature. We recorded on our DVR this week and tonight we decided to watch it again.

I had forgotten the opening of the movie and once again I was laughing ..as the opening number is Abbey without a doubt ...a little musical Number titled " I Wake up in the Morning"...and this is my Abb without a doubt ..from the time I was little Abbey was the morning girl ..happy..jovial and ready to sing and dance the minute her feet hit the floor ..If I could sum Abbs up ...this little number is perfection ...Enjoy the Clip ...Click HERE

If you haven't seen the movie ...take the time to see if it's playing on TCM again ..You'll enjoy it...!!!

Wishing a Happy Mother's Day .....

Happy Mother's Day ...

The hardest yet most rewarding Job on Earth.

I send you all a Bouquet of Flowers ..for the sweet Love that you pour out upon your children ..be they God Given through Birth ..Adopted through divine Blessing ..or you have been blessed with a furry companion ...

This Picture has always reminded me of myself ..From the time I was a child all I ever wanted was a Big Dog to play with ..Love and Hug on ..and well today I have two that I pour out my love on ..My Children ..my best Friends ..My life is better because of them..God Blessed me immensly with my Maggie and my Scout. Unfailing Love is what they are !

This Picture is my Dream ...and the reality of many of you out there ..those precious days of holding a new born baby to your breast ..felling them breath ..seeing the twinkle of their eyes ...and the grasp of their hands ..counting their toes ..and dressing them in sweet baby clothes ..God's Precious Gift ...emphasis on Precious ..What a Gift to be given ..through natural birth or adoption .. ..

May all of your Mother's have God's blessings Bestowed on you for the Beautiful Job you have done ..by no means is a Mother's job easy ..It's the hardest job on Earth ...!!!

Blessings Dear Friends ...

Chateau De Fleurs Sale and a Late Spring Cleaning

Did you miss us at our last show ???

Well you'll have another chance !!!!

At the Chateau De Fleurs Sale ...June 18th and 19th in Fallbrook, CA...

Plus meet some of our friends ...that we had so much fun with just last weekend ...

Shirley of Cottage in The Garden ....

Christie Repasy ...Co-Host of the Chateau De Fleurs Sale ...Come see her Studio ...and you will be transported into an English Rose Garden ...Her Paintings are spectacular !!!

Rita Read ...Mammabellarte ..Co-Host of the Chateau De Fleurs sale ..Her Jewelry is fabulous and she's been featured in Belle Amoire ....You won't want to go home without one of her Unique Pieces !!!

Lisa Loria ....Her Jewelry is stunning !!! ...Colorful...Vibrant ...and it makes your heart sing !!!

Marie ...is an upholsterer ..her work is stunning and she hopes to be part of the Chateau Show in the near future !!!

A fun shop at the Grove Sale ..which I unfortunately didn't get to meet the owner of ..Hope to in the future as her offerings were so SWEET !!!

Judy ...has a great style ..Was such a sweetheart and we can't wait to see her at another show ..she was the perfect angel to be set up near ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well if these pictures don't tempt you ...I'm a bit worried ...this is just a snippet of all the fabulous offerings that the June show is going to hold ..

If you came to our March Show ..well your in for a suprise ..this time more artisans will be there offering their wares ...so that means ..bring more moolah ..bring your carts ..bring the truck or SUV ...cause we won't let you go home without something ...LOL !!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the meantime ..We've been doing a late spring cleaning around here ...an old fashioned spring cleaning ...meaning emptying the house out of all the furniture ..washing down walls ..shutters and everything standing still ..including the furniture ...the rugs ...etc. We are into our 3rd day and it well there are still a few more ahead of us. It feels so good to have the house thoroughly clean. It's alot of work ..we are so tired our bodies are feeling it with many aches and pains ..but the reward in the end ..is a clean ..organized ...re-energized home ..

As many of you know ..My Sweet Maggie ...is my Shadow ...well through all this cleaning She follows me from one room to another ...inside ..outside ..you name it ..she's right behind me. So yesterday as I was working to restore my workroom from it's glorious disaster of a mess ...unwrapping glassware from boxes ...she laid at my feet ..she is such a good dog ..you can literally do anything to her and she lets you ..she would have made such a good guide dog ..anyhow ..I decided to drop my newspaper on her and see how long she would put up with me ...well needless to say ..she put up with my antics and even waited for me to snap some pictures of her ..your wondering did she finally jump up and let the paper fall ...Nope ..I finally had to uncover her ..I think she liked the attention it was getting her ...LOL !!

My Maggie is 14yrs old ..and I am so blessed everyday to wake up to her ..she puts the smile in my day !!!

Ah Mom !!!

Wishing you all a most Lovely of Lovely Weekends ...May God's Glorious Creation shine beautifully Around you !!!

Blessings ...Sara

The Olivenhain Grove Sale ..Good Friends and Good Fun

Hello Bloggerettes !!!! ...Well I'm still alive ..breathing, walking and the brain is already working at creating more for our next upcoming show ..the Chateau De Fleurs Sale in Fallbrook, CA.

Well these shows can get addicting I'll tell you that ..I have 2 under my belt now and well I'm excited for June to get here for the next one...LOL !!!

I know, I know ...I'm a nut but the comradery alone is worth it ..the fresh air , the outdoors ...and meeting such great people is addiction enough ..and of course watching your favorite finds and your pieces you have poured your heart into go home with someone who loves it as much as you makes all the creating. lifting, moving, lifting some more and moving some more all worth it.

Today first up I'm sharing picts of our shop ...My friends and family who didn't get to come made me vow that this show I would actually get some pictures before opening so they could see it all ..so there's alot of pictures here ....I hope you all enjoy !

Of course we didn't sell everything ..but we did Good we can't complain in the least. So I'm hoping ..time allowing that next week I'll be adding offerings of furniture and smalls to our website and Etsy ..so any of you lucky gals in blogland might find something for yourself from our Show offerings.

So sit back relax and enjoy ......and don't forget to click on a picture if you want to see it in a larger view...

Oh and if you see something your interested in just ask ..we might still have it available and we'd be glad to offer it outside the show now.

Abbey and I put this wonderful Birdhouse sign together ..her and I needless to say didn't want to take it to the show we loved it so much ...

Isn't this Gal ...just divine ...She was gone within the first 5 minutes of opening ..and I was so Thankful ..I bought her a month or so back ..got her for a fair price and knew she was going to be a great show piece...Draw back about her was she weighed near 350lbs ..solid concrete re-bar enforced....HEAVY doesn't describe her at all ..let me tell you loading her onto the trailer going was funny it took 3 of us ..yanking and pulling ..pushing and twisting ..I'ms ure our neighbors were laughing ...and of course unloading her was just as funny ..but we did it ..everyone told me it couldn't be done ..that was the first thing not to tell me ..that's when my "I'll Prove it can" mode kicked in ...LOL !!!

The Luggage rack and Luggage that I created in Burlap and Lace I must admit were my favorite offerings I created for the show ..I love browns and creams ..and burlap and lace ..

A basket of our new Farmhouse Romance Line of Sawdust Pillows ..I am so aching to get these listed for purchase on our Site and Etsy ..these new images are some of my favorites we have done to date ..I'm hoping next week they will be listed and ready for purchase ...

Well ...I hope you have enjoyed a little glimpse of our shop at the show ...and if your local and you missed it ..you have plenty of time to mark your calender for our next show ..on June 18th and 19th in Fallbrook, CA ..the Chateau De Fleurs show hosted By Christie Repasy and Rita Reade....read more about it in my sidebar....

I have lots more picts of the show and our many friends and new artisans we met ...so check back in the next few days ....

Thanks to all of you who left comments sending us well wishes with the show ..we so love your comments ..and appreciate you taking the time to stop in to see what we are up to.

Have a Beautiful First week of May !!!

Sara