What is it about old plaster...

We just can't get enough of it...OK, I lied, I did get something from Sisters', she had all kinds of these vintage chunks laying around and I just couldn't help myself...they just have so many uses, even if just sitting there looking cute, you can't resist. I'm going to put old photos on the top, sorta like a plate holder...that would even be cute...told ya, so many uses.

Penthouse apartment...

Well, only at Sisters do the birds live in such luxury, historic old home, top floor penthouse, great views of the country...what more could a bird ask for...valet service...?

Would you stop if you saw this place...

OK, say you were driving along and you saw this site up ahead, would you be inclined to pull in...what if your husband was driving and gave you that look...NO, WE DON'T HAVE TIME kinda look...would you rip the wheel out of his hands, with your elbow to his jugular in a menacing sorta way and say calmly with teeth clenched...PULL OVER...as beads of sweat start to appear on your forehead...smart man, he knows a predator when he sees one...you would not regret it!!!

Vintage dresses anyone...

Boy, does this take me back to Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon. Barb has a dealer that specializes in vintage clothes and boy do they bring back the memories. It's funny though, we actually used to fit in some of those dresses, back in the day...yeah, like 6th grade. I never was a formal kinda gal...too itchy...I was sweatshirts and seersucker. But once you got the dress on, it was OK, cause you felt kinda special, like a princess or something. But you had to coax me out of the trees to get dressed up, was the tomboy of the hood, ran with the guys, but I always enjoyed the comment, 'she cleans up real nice'...what is that all about???

Let's go shopping...

Oh boy, Barb has been shopping, new stuff everywhere...make it stop, please. There were people mulling around everywhere in both stores today, with the sun shining, it must have encouraged people to travel about. I could have spent so much today, but instead, I will show you the shots...eat your hearts out...

Come on...it'll be OK...

These are my newly planted (last summer) iris on the south side of my house, the others are just not quite ready to peek out from the shade. My house is now totally ringed by stunning purple iris, a wonderful contrast to the pink of my chateau. It is 46 degrees today here in Iowa and me again longing to sit in the rocker on my front porch, barefooted and sipping coffee to the sweet tunes of my sparrows and wrens...but instead I am at the computer with my trusty chamo fleece jacket and fuzzy winter slippers, watching the baby squirrels from my perch INSIDE...COME ON Mother Nature, throw us a bone here!!!

But I am delivering to Sister's Garden today, wonderful batches of soaps and soy candles. It is always such a beautiful drive through Amish country, a step back in time. Saw the most wonderful image last year, driving up behind a young Amish couple in a buckboard with their two sweet cherubs sitting barefoot, huddled close to each other, behind their parents. As I drove by I waved at the girls and huge smiles prompted shyness as their faces scrunched together with giggles and bonnet ruffles. Possibly 3-5 years old, their innocence has stuck with me every time I drive through Kalona, Iowa...wouldn't it be wonderful if this innocence came back to the whole world.

I will be taking pictures of the new stuff Barb is tempting me with and some of my new scents...ooooh, the strawberry soap, my truck smells like strawberry shortcake when you open the doors. The ladies in the Iowa City area have newly discovered the soaps and are really indulging in them, which FORCES me to drive and restock every week...I know, don't hate me cause I have to drive 45 minutes through Iowa paradise.

Later, with lots of pics...

Can I play hookie...

One day perfect, 83 degrees, next day rain, 55 degrees...I really want to put away my winter clothes for the season, but Mother Nature thinks differently. I just want to stay home in my cozy lil' retreat and play with my toys. Holidays have a way of makin' ya NOT want to go back to work. I just want to stay inside and rearrange furniture...you know what I mean...

Why am I obsessed...

I can't help it, I love the funky look of these rock clocks. I have seen them in all sizes and colors and really have to force myself to walk away, not giving in to my 'gotta have' mode. But don't they just say something about a person's character?...don't answer that...

Bluebird of mystery...

I am trying to come up with a collage of sorts, combining art and nature...so far I have the art and the old drawers to showcase, we'll see what transpires from here. I never liked doing collage in art class, to me it didn't depict real life, just suggestions here and there, so I struggled with it. Being old school, studying DaVinci drawings and never having to come out of my box creating more than just drawings and paintings, this could be a fresh venue for this ol' gal.

Letting go...

Sometimes you just have to downsize and let those faves go and never look back. This is the last piece I have from the tour of duty with 'the X'. He was quite the talented carpenter and loved to surprise me with new TWIG designs on rainy days when he couldn't work. This was an exact match to a telephone bench that was awaiting a paint job in our garage, you know, the studio that hasn't seen a vehicle in years...but I watched him work with an artists eye knowing...I can do that...yeah right. My first plant stand was a real treat. I followed the design to the letter and cut all the pieces to match...but why are there two sticks left over...where did they go? Well, the flawed piece was fabulous and now comes the pricing, he was getting a charge out of this one, because you can't charge by the hour (and I said why not)...my piece should sell for around $500.00...a fair price (in my world), but actually sold in the shop for $75.00 and I was elated...but so not fair...you know what I mean...

What's in a bird condo...

Remember back in the day when you just had to have that little canary or parakeet, your life was not complete until you did, except when you had to clean the cage...bummer, but wasn't it grand when it was finished and sparkling. I am still fascinated by the cage styles and pick them up whenever I find them, they just give the shop a lived in feel, especially the chippy painted ones. But I love this retro cage, just imagine what stylish lady owned this one.

What does it take to start a flea market...

JUNK...right...

Well, I guess you have t' be a little 'tetched in the head'...right...but that's what's in the works. Sister's has a wonderful yard surrounded by corn and bean fields just itchin' to have crazed shoppers crawlin' all over it. We talked yesterday about starting one up for 4 shows in the summer...are we crazy or do we just love what we do??? We know alot of wonderful dealers that would probably love to partake in our craziness. But now a name needs to be formulated to fit us perfectly...give us some suggestions and let us know of any cautions or should we just throw them to the wind and go for it?

Larger please...

Used the wrong setting when I posted the pics, so now you can see them big...just click on picture...eeeee

Sorry Lauri (Chippys)...baby gone...SOLD

Our little space...

Just a couple of shots of our trash piles, but we had many comments that this is the way they like to see the spaces, cause they know we are gonna deal and aren't worried about the rows of perfectly tailored furniture and tables of stuff that are way over-priced. But weird stuff was selling...had a cool chippy iron bed with $50.00on it and a guy offered me $30.00 for just the rails, oh yeah I jumped on that one...and why not, I'll just sell the headboard for a yard ornament, also my favorite sampler, "Well behaved women rarely make history", lots of ceiling tin, rusty scales, lawn chairs, garden chairs, rakes, tarnished silver pieces, rusty chicken wire and lots of little painted tables and stools. There is a happy ending though...my shabby love seat didn't have a buyer, so the ol' gal is back home with me...maybe it was the hefty price tag...hmmmmm...later

This is what we got at the show...BACK...

We had a great show, didn't quite make as much as we wanted...but it will do in a pinch, but there were so many people out and they were buying, much to the relief of many vendors. It has been such a relief to see people out and enthusiastic about stuff, course cabin fever has a way of makin ya a little nuts (but that isn't my problem)...We were so busy talking to people and selling that we didn't have time to eat, shop or go to the loo...bummer. Every time I went to the bathroom, Lorie would make me take my cell so I wouldn't doddle and leave her alone with the hoards and she kept the cash. But I did catch glimpses of wonderful stuff that all I could do was drool over on the way by. We are thinking of closing our brick and mortar and do booths at malls, so we can spend more time on the shows. For the 4 hour trip to Elkhorn, Wisc. from Iowa, we spent $125.00 on gas, average was $3.96 gal. That really limits us fools, but it didn't stop the crowds. Sorry I can't show ya any goodies this show, but...there is always hope for the next. We have a better idea of what they are wanting and have made some good connections with dealers...fortunatly Lorie lives in another city and has no control over my neverending shopping down here...LOL...

On the road agin...

Yup...these junk gypsies are at it again...heading to the Elkhorn, Wis. flea market.
A 4 hour drive from here and my 1st tank of gas was $75.00...thank you very much Bush regime...but always hopeful for good weather and good sales.We are taking just one vehicle this time, crammed to the gills. Put the cruise on and not have to follow the cell queen who talks to her family the whole trip, with the poor sap behind going 50- 45-55-65-70-50-56...you gettin' a picture here...her cruise does not work in her ghetto van...oi vie...but can she pack that thing or what...I have never seen so much furniture come outa one vehicle in my life and I thought I was the Queen of Cram. see ya when we get back on Monday with hopefully great pictures and great stuff...later...s

As I sit here pondering...

Where has my art gone...all my paintings I have given away or sold, same with the drawings, even the painted on furniture. That was so fun back in it's heyday, a little bit of whimsey added to the furniture, but my love is drawing animals, especially birds. I have been thinking of trying to encorporate them into a collage of sorts...now all I have to do is get busy, right...I have been so busy trying to make a living, that art has gone by the wayside. I wish I had had my digital camera back in the day, but I did manage to save some of the shots of furniture I have painted for people...enjoy.

Ladies Guide

This book published in 1898, is a handbook for the woman who has to take charge of everything...and the woman that owned it cut out articles on everything from flat feet to grape juice for high blood pressure. The book has a sleeve on the back cover that holds the three pamphlets, Man the Masterpiece, about venereal diseases, The Ladies Guide, about the physical body of a woman and the third is, Natural Grace Symmetry, unspoiled by the deforming influences of fashion and dress. The one article that she has glued to the inside I found rather interesting, it reads-"some men eat at their wives' table for years and never give her a word for all her patience and pains, when proper praise would turn drudgery into delight. Instead, if everything is not just to their liking, they grumble about it."

What pains has this woman and many others have gone through to write such an article and to cut it out and save it in a book. I love these old books, there is surprisingly very good natural information in them, before we got off on this whirlwind of a pharmaceutical nightmare. It even has pop-out organs to teach anatomy, it must have been a midwife's guide.

What do ya mean strange...

OK...maybe I do come up with some weird stuff, but my Daddy taught me never to throw anything away...so a biz is born...but don't cha just love this Groucho head...that's all ya need anyway right...a little conversation, some drinks and the night is perfect, just put him back in the trunk.

I gotta tell ya, the pamphlet, 'Man the Masterpiece', is out of a book published in 1898, but I thought it was appropriate for the man-head...it is about venereal disease...LOL

Flip This House

When I lived in Florida, I was always driving around looking for that perfect home to call mine...well this was it...was afraid to tell my folks...you know, the committal thing...my daughter threatens. But this is an original 'Cracker' house. The crackers were the cowboys that used to manage the herds of cattle, using their long whips 'crackers', to control the herd. You don't much think of Florida as a cattle state, but it is big in central Florida.

Do you think this house has spideys...but it is so me, do you think pink???