I Trashed the Boring Weekend To-Do List!

The yard sale fairies were with me yesterday! I called Mom Friday night and told her that I had found a yard sale advertised as Shabby Chic and I would pick her up at 7:30 am sharp. Mom wasn’t as interested in the Shabby Chic part. She just wanted to hunt for treasures and more importantly wanted to get out of the house. She recently got over a very bad flu that had her down for almost two weeks. Yikes! Thankfully she is back to her old self.

The weather was perfect. There was a cool breeze. It was one of those breezes that brushed against the skin like little feathers. By the time I picked up Mom it didn’t matter if this yard sale was a bust. It just felt so good enjoying this beautiful morning. We arrived, and as I walked up to the house with this beautiful long driveway I immediately thought of all my Shabby Chic loving blog friends. She had some wonderful furniture pieces that were screaming for creamy white paint. Honestly, if I was still in my previous home, which was very cottagey, I would have been loading up the hutch I spied. It was one of the most perfect cottage pieces I have seen in a very long time. It was perfectly small, if that makes sense and was in pristine condition. It did not end there though. She had pounds of buttons and various fabrics, many of them vintage.

Everywhere I turned there was something vintage to look at. O.K., I told myself, focus, focus, focus. I knew I was going to need some self-control. She had everything thing displayed as if it was a little shop. We got to talking and she is getting rid of most of her things. These are things she has been acquiring from faires and flea markets for years. I must say she has a good eye for vintage and shabby chic. As I was looking through the fabrics I told her my dream finds are barkcloth fabrics. You guessed it, she has some barkcloth pieces but they are still in the basement with the rest of the things that she is going to put into a future yard sale. Needless to say I gave her my e-mail and phone number. Hmmm, maybe I can change my décor back to cottage and shabby chic in the next two weeks (just kidding). It is tempting though. Maybe when I retire.

Almost everything she had in her sale I wanted to swoop up, but over the years I have become very selective about what I bring home from my treasure hunts. My storage space is precious and I tend to get out of sorts when I don’t have things organized and put away in just the right place (well, somewhat organized and almost in the right place). I chose a few pieces of fabrics, one jar of buttons, even though she had several, and a few vintage crafting magazines.

The fabric with the blue and purple flowers is probably from the 40's.This piece would make a cute pillow case. It is the perfect weight for a pillow case.

I am assuming this was repurposed into a napkin from a 50's tablecloth. She had two of these.

The red fabrics are cotton, but heavier than quilting cotton.The red is so vibrant. I am not sure what these pieces will become. They would make a cute apron.

My buttons.
What is it about buttons that we can't seem to get enough of them?

These are the teeniest, tiniest buttons I have ever seen. I am not sure what I will do with these.

These pattern weights were just too cute to pass up. Besides I really can use them. I needed something like these just the other day.

I enjoyed the morning with Mom and she certainly enjoyed it too. I was glad that I could get her out of the house. I hope that in the next few weeks I will be blogging again about the future Shabby Chic yard sale. Until then, let the yard sale, estate sale and tag sale fairies be with us!

xxoo, Susan

Fearless Friday

Strength Tree

Artist - Annette Miller

Do you ever feel that you just can’t quite get it together? I have been feeling that way for the last two weeks. This really is not a bad thing, it is just frustrating. I entered the blogworld because like many of you, we have some great things to share and we want to make a positive difference in someone’s life. All of us really do have interesting lives, although if you saw my to-do list for the weekend you would either say, “You poor thing”, or “Get a Life!”

I just can’t quite get it together because I have been so unmotivated to get back into what I really enjoy and that is my sewing and making my handbags, or anything else that I produce from my sewing machine. I really do want to share with all of you my little adventures in my sewing room.

I can’t say that I need a vacation because I just got back from a wonderful vacation. Maybe my brain is still on vacation. I am thinking of Mary Engelbreit’s little girl, with her hands on her hips and a stern look on her face saying, “Snap out of it!”

I have titled this post as “Fearless Friday” because I will head into the weekend with high hopes. I will “Snap out of it!”

If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to your mountain, "MOVE!" and it WILL move... and NOTHING will be impossible for YOU!

Matthew 17:20

I am wishing all of you a great weekend.

xxoo, Susan

Wistful Wednesday

Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

xxoo, Susan

A Prayer for Our Service Men & Women

. "Lord, keep our servicemen and women safe. Hold them in your loving hands and protect them as they protect us".
Amen

Vietnam Verterans Memorial

Capitol Park

Sacramento, Ca

Dedicated 1989

Blessings, Susan

Thoughtful Thursay

Be the change you want to see in the world.
Mohatma Gandhi

xxoo, Susan

Wistful Wednesday

Happiness keeps you Sweet
Trials keep you Strong
Sorrows keep you Human
Failures keep you Humble
Success keeps you Glowing
But Only God Keeps You Going!

Author Unknown

xxoo, Susan

Aloha!

We have arrived to our vacation destination. We love Maui. We have made this trip a few times and never tire of it. This is truly a paradise. The people are gracious and always hospitable. The pace is slow and you fall right into that pace with ease. You start realizing that this is the way it ought to be. This is a place that you can do “nothing” and still feel like you have done something. You have slowed down, you are taking deep breaths again and feeling like you are 20 years younger. No one is a stranger, everyone is a friend. People are always smiling and of course you are always greeted with, Aloha! Just the word alone makes my heart skip a beat.

I will have pictures for you next week. Aloha!

XXOO, Susan

Wistful Wednesday

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. Lao Tzu

No Sunshine

It has been raining for several days now. I am actually not complaining because we need the rain. I have been enjoying it but I felt I needed a few reminders of spring.

xxoo, Susan

Hard-Core Crafters

I went to the always much anticipated Indie Sacramento Trunk and Craft Show on Saturday. This time the event was held in one of our local downtown parks. As I was driving there I kept thinking about all the rain that was coming down. I was feeling really bad for the crafters. I didn’t know what to expect but as I approached the park lo and behold I saw all the canopies. Crafters are such troopers. As one of shoppers put it, they are hard-core! You would never know it was raining because everyone was having such a good time.

I am going to apologize right now for not remembering hardly anyone’s names. I am soooo bad with names but that doesn’t mean I still don’t love you ; ). That is one area of my brain that went on vacation many years ago.

I stopped by Jim Dandy’s and became enthralled with all the feathers. I purchased a beautiful pink (of course) and black feathered hair piece. She named it “Put Me on a Pedestal”. Indeed. This would turn a bad hair day into a good hair day. Her hair pieces are beautiful. She has a shop on Etsy. Her banner is a feast for the eyes. http://www.writinghecate.etsy.com/

I discovered Roxycraft. The lovely creator is Tamie Snow. You need to visit her blog. You won’t be disappointed. This is one fun lady. http://tamiesnow.typepad.com/roxycraft/

All things cuteness can be found at http://www.chicbabyrose.etsy.com/ . She has things for the little ones.

Katie Trott, from Katie Jean was there. http://katiejean.wordpress.com/. She loves vintage fabrics (who doesn't?). She turns her finds into the cutest childrens clothes. A couple of her projects were featured in the newly released book “Dozens of Ways to Repurpose a Pillowcase". She had a few books on hand and she graciously signed my book for me.

This is such a lovely book.

These two ladies have an animal rescue organization in Sacramento. It is called H.A.R.T. This is Helens' Animal Rescue Team. They are working very hard with our feral cat population. At the moment they don't have a website. When they do I will certainly put their link on my blog. As a matter fact I intend to put several animal resuce links on my blog. That is on my "to-do" list.

And this lovely lady was also at the show. Her picture is posted below. I know she was not a vendor and I don't think she was a shopper but I certainly enjoyed my time with her. Her name is Trixie. I would like to introduce you to Trixie.

I think Trixie was ready for a nap

I had fun. It is always fun meeting up with fellow crafters. Our common pledge is "BUY HANDMADE".

My husband and I are going on vacation this week (Saturday). We are celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary. It is a special vacation. It is a vacation we have taken before but we love it . I guess what I am trying to say is that I may not post anything this week. If I have access to a computer at our destination I will put up a quick post. I am not going to say where we will be but I promise you the Title post will say it all. O.K. I am sure some of you may have already figured it out. In the meantime I wish everyone a beautiful week.

xxoo, Susan

Early Mornings

I am a morning person. I have always enjoyed early mornings. There is something about the quiet that is rejuvenating.

I start work at 7 am but will arrive much earlier. I love this quiet time. I work across the street from our State Capitol in California. It is a beautiful building that is located in the most beautiful park. It is 40 acres of lush foliage, beautiful old growth trees and the most spectacular rose garden. I have lived in Sacramento all my life and I have never tired of the park. Before work I spend some time there just taking in what it has to offer that morning. Lately there is an owl that has taken up residence and he lets everyone know he is there with his whooing (is that even a word? Well you know what I mean :) ). It echoes in the streets. It is such a beautiful sound. One of these mornings I may have to explore and try and figure out which tree he calls home. I have recently started taking pictures of our park. Here are a few.

Our State Capitol building. It is even more beautiful inside.

I will have to get some pictures and show you. There is so much history here. When you are inside you are transported to another time.

A glimpse of the Rose Garden. I am across the street at my building.

I am such a lucky girl. This is what I am greeted with everyday!

Simply beautiful.

I have enjoyed sharing with you a glimpse of my mornings. Yes I am a lucky girl. I have more pictures which I will share in a another post. I am getting ready to go to one of our local craft shows this morning http://www.indiesacramento.com/. Ironically it is only a couple blocks away from our beautiful Capitol Park.

XXOO, Susan