This is what it's all about...connecting...

A friend from afar reads your blog and connects...
Sheri follows my blog and enjoys, like so many others, the escapades of me and my furry heathen 'Scratchy'...over yonder at the Pink Chateau...

She found this adorable children's book about a troublesome terrier that looks exactly like you know who...

...more than she knows...

OMG...it is Scratchy...!!!

Thank you so much Sheri...sorry for the delay in response, but my daughter just found the package that was misplaced in the move mess...
Your heartfelt response to a blog that spills my life onto the front page for all the world to see, is affirmation that the world listens...
and the yearning for friendship is not just a human trait...
Here's some of my faves of the furry heathen to bring a smile to the face of my friends...

You guys are da bomb!!!

You wanna piece a me...

Pie face...snow face...

Character study...

What's over here I might need to sniff...

This is the life...

My domain...

Ahhh...sunshine...

WHAT...
I didn't do it...

In our spare time...whatever!!!

I knew today was gonna be really swamped with soap orders and these beans were weighing heavy on my mind, so last night at 9:00 I started the process. I figgered it'd be cool in the house to start up the stove...mind you, I don't think I ever turn off the stove these days, as the soap orders keep rollin' in...weeeee...

The new Brown Sugar and Fig...yummm...one of my faves and I love the golden bee's wax color, these going to Grasshoppers in LeClaire.
I have a new Iowa scent too...Corn Silk...that will being going up to Amazing Grace in the Amanas
TODAY SANDY...heads up!!!
Sandy has become a really good friend and partner in crime in the soap biz...she sells TONS in her sweet lil' shop.

Piper busies herself with the birdhouse production...my daughter the carpenter/slash/artist...
you say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree...
It always cracks me up when she says...
I'M TURNING INTO MY MOTHER!!!

Piper had an interesting visitor in her shop yesterday...the MAYOR...
how odd is that...never in 10 years of business in the downtown did he ever stop in.
Guess he couldn't find a place to park...LOL...

Guess all the scuttlebutt made him curious.
And true to her Ma's form, she told him the reason for leaving downtown...
PARKING!!!
That shouldn't be too hard to figure out...DUH!!!

...and for all of you Iowa Hawkeye fans, your very own birdhouse, even your avian friends can be cool now...and don't ya love the candle jars...where does she get all this talent..
heehee...

Stop on by The Candle Shed...
trust me, you won't regret!!!

Immerse yourself in you...

I've been moving in a more spiritual direction these days with my samplers, these will go into the new shop...affirmations of spirit and peace and the love of Nature, this is my new mantra for the store.
I've been reading my astrological charts more these days and feel that I am in touch with the new light happenings in my life...it's all right on...well at least I choose to believe it and can make it happen...after all, I am in charge...right!

This is just some of the insight I've been reading on Dan Dowd's astrological site and it all fits into perspective in my world.

Venus connects to the North Node this week so there is likely to be a lot more than we bargained in the world's financial markets... The problem we have now is that business & governments have gotten so big they are collapsing under their own weight... Even if all people in the world pretend things are getting better... Sooner or later someone is going to notice the "Emperor has no Clothes"... This is the result of 50 or more years of reckless spending... Whatever... In order for there to be growth, people have to make "create & produce" things... Trading paper with numbers on them, is based in fantasy & illusion... Stay away from the stock market until production & manufacturing begins again.

This can be the most incredible time to start new businesses & ventures... It can be as simple as building one or two things that others need & want... It's the essence of Capricorn where you start small & build & grow... It's not so much about the making the dough, but more about putting your talents & abilities to work & being able to experience the personal satisfaction of being able to give your absolute best to others & being able to prosper too as a result.

Do you see and feel things moving in this direction in your own life...boy, I sure do! Things are falling into place, they are not accidents, it's destiny...and I'm what that's all about...

Living in the moment can be really real and fulfilling!!!

But that doesn't mean I can't have a little fun with it!!!

NAMASTE brothers and sisters...

Something to ponder...ghost ads...

Something crossed my path yesterday in my emails...ghost ads...those wonderful ads from not so long ago, I remember as a child being more vibrant, yet something of an eyesore...
isn't this a grand old structure...a derelict old building owned by a tight-ass, slumlord attorney that wants an outrageous price for the building...many have offered to buy it at a fair market price and restore it for condos and retail space...but he holds fast to his blood money ...jerk!!!

So I wandered the alleys of our downtown and scored a few shots of what used to be.

The Batterson stores were mercantiles, 3 floors of cool stuff. I'll never forget the jewelry department on the first floor...back in the day me and my Mom would circle the counter looking for the perfect set, necklace and earrings, you know, the clip-on style that gave you a headache after 15 minutes...and wonderful baubles that would make her hand sewn dress just zing with style...my Mom was the most beautiful Mom in the whole world when she dressed up for church or the dances her and Dad would go to at the Colosseum Ballroom.
Those were the days when we got to have a babysitter...oh so long ago!

Groceries...our downtown boasted many such mercantile...I'll never forget taking the bus downtown with my Granny, to the butcher shop for her weekly meat stockpile.
This store had a cool old floor that squeaked when you walked acrossed it...and the faint smell of cigar smoke and smoked fish...what a treat...this was a very busy and vibrant community in it's day.

I don't remember what was originally in this old building, it was on the South end of town, the rough end of town that we never went to much, lots of bars and flop houses for the clam diggers, a very important part of the cities economy...pearl buttons from the Mighty Miss.

These next two shots are an old feed store, this is where I buy my bird seed and once my chicken feed...TeStrake Brothers...it is still operational today. The building behind it was the old ice house where ice was cut from the river in the frozen winters and stored here for sale to house wives for their 'ice box'...can you imagine...before my time for sure...

This is all I could find this time, but my awareness has been peeked and so may be yours...many have been painted over, as most consider them to be eyesores...
a sign of the times...

Shadow Shot Sunday...The Old Atlas...

It's sum, sum, summertime...
Ahhhh...finally
sittin' on the swing
spittin' out the seeds
swattin' at the skeeters
puttin' in the veggies
openin' the winders
slamminin' the screen door
barefoot toesies
pickin' posies
sunburned nosies
wormin' fish hooks
campin' by brooks
family picnics

lightnin' bugs in a jar

s'mores
s'mores
s'mores
t-shirts
swimsuits
flip flops
ponytails
crew cuts

summer cicadas
lull me to slumber
sweet serenades
conducted by the masters
filled with water
the old Atlas jar
sets stage on
the front porch with
sweet black-eyed Susan's
my sunshine in a bottle

this is all
I require
today


s.wilson

Shadow Shot Sunday...IT'S SUMMER...'cept in the land down under, but here in the states we're rollin' in it!!! Roll on over to Tracie's and play along...

I'm awakened again this mornin' at 1:15 by front line winds blowing
everythin' off my front porch again, so I might as well work on the SSS...
sure hope the windows are up in my truck...
where did this one come from???

ARGH...sum, sum, summertime...

Playing with my toys...

These two chairs have been floating around my house for a long time awaiting a fresh coat of paint and new fabric on the seats...did I do good...?

When a piece of furniture has sat around long enough and hasn't sold, you take another look at color and fabric and tastes in decorating...
time for change...
These chairs were once red with old velvet seats, it wasn't the old red, just red.
We'll see if they sell now...maybe off to Sisters' or save for the new shop...but that would mean they'll float around in my house for two months...boy do I need a garage slash shop at home...

On a whim yesterday...have you noticed, the older I get the more whims I get, it's because I'm finally taking the work out of the work...
Dad's always reminding me...
'you ain't no spring chicken anymore'
and that dragging around all that heavy stuff should be kept to a low roar...
yeah, yeah, yeah...
hey, it's my job...and did I mention I love my job!!!
Anyway, my whim, I stopped at Good Will, as there where no storm sirens breaking silence or doom and gloom from above...
I found this sweet lil' tri-fold mirror,
cute huh...
Well now it's sitting in my house awaiting the new space to arrive...
this is gonna be tense...

I LOVE this spoon mobile...found at Sisters', so now my mind is reeling as to how can I work with the old coffee can full of old silverware and windchimes...hmmmm...

Remember this cool old piece...

TAH DAH...
see what I mean about a coat of fresh paint...
I know you all in the biz know exactly what I'm talkin' about...
UP TO DATE...right!
This has brought back into style a piece that was taken to auction and sold for a song...
hey, we're good huh...recycling at it's finest!!!

A beautiful day at Sisters'...ALMOST...........

The porch at Bloom is always a treat for the eye, as yellow brightens it and screams...SUMMER!!!

Brandon has been going crazy making pillows with old and new fabrics...
TO DIE FOR...
especially displayed in this wonderful French wash tub painted the perfect grey...

His posies and artwork, always an inspiration, have the ladies pondering their own feats of decorating style...

I LOVE old tables with chippy old paint, so easy to pop in just any ol' place to harbor some special collection...or two!

Wonderful old table...it's HUGE and has great patina to boot...
SO FUN...until...

I noticed as I left Sisters' the skies, again, where starting to show signs of approaching storms...
so I hustled...
I was driving past Lone Tree, when I noticed this unusual cloud bank forming...

It was really growing fast, so I did the unthinkable...I sped up...
for those who don't know me, I never speed, I'm always that person you wish you hadn't gotten behind...hey, I'm enjoying life already...
But these clouds were really taking shape fast and I knew I had a small window to get past them...in theory...

As I entered the town of Nichols, the home stretch, there was rotation starting to form over my head...so again I moved faster to get away from this mass cause it was clear toward Muscatine...

NOT...

The storm had rotated 'round and was now chasing me...as I got to the turn off to go to the Candle Shed, the sky in front of me was...
THE GATES OF HELL...
Talking to my daughter on the cell phone, she was oblivious to the storm. I told her that I wasn't sure I'd make it there.
No sooner than I got to the mall, the tornado sirens went off, so I immediately headed for home...
OMG...
wind and rains and high winds and TORRENTIAL RAINS...
AND WINDS...
Now I remember why Scratchy would not leave my side, begging me to come with, I just have to recognize which is a normal begging and which is serious...
This was a huge storm that battered it's way NE and charged it's way into the windy city causing much damage there too.
We were all glued to the weather channel, waiting for an all clear, as my cell phone lay in two inches of water outside my truck...
but it's still working...
WHEW...what a day and all is well at
The Pink Chateau...
only a few more gray hairs...

I been thinkin'...

'bout back in the day...
I mowed the yard yesterday...can the humidity be 200%...
Well it sure felt like it, man was it a scorcher...

I did my usual garden thing, knowing that the rains could no longer keep me out of it...
beans were going crazy and the rhubarb is the biggest I've ever seen...
but you've heard the term...'sweat-hog'...
OMG...I was totally drenched, TOTALLY dripping with lil' rivers running torrents over every surface...GEESH...get me to the shower!!!

Can you imagine farming the land all day, building fences, caring for livestock, butchering livestock, traveling cross country in a wagon, then living in a tent city...

Which brings me to my point...
showers...
Can you imagine what it was like back in the day...
Hollywood sure had us fooled, showing women with perfectly coiffed hair, beautifully pressed dresses, stuffed into fancy, flattering corsets...
can you imagine living in Florida and having to wear a corset and long skirts...
I can only imagine how miserable it would've been in the humidity...
eeeeeeeeee...

What conditions our ancestors lived with out on the plains, can you imagine...
living in shacks, cramped quarters, VERY close to the person next to you...ewwww...
I don't know about you, but I was a lil' pig when I was a child, can you imagine having no tub or running water to wash your kids at the end of the day...

As rustic as you like to live, it's nothing like what they dealt with 'back in the day'...
Washing clothes on a rock by a stream must've been a real luxury.
Imagine having your first pitcher pump installed in your house...
LUXURY!!!

So today as the temperature rises and I recover from the tornado siren that shot me straight outta bed at 4:15 this mornin',
I'm workin' in the AC today
and will enjoy the luxury of my shower at the end of it...
and will be thankful that I live in the now,
not 'back in the day'...

Where women create...a photo study...

Are you serious...walk through the doors of my studio...

Note piece of furniture on the lower left awaiting it's turn for a new coat of paint...
This is my living room/computer room where it all begins...

This is my computer desk/swamp where all of my soap orders are taken and where 'THE BLOG' work is done...

This is my garage/storage/tool shed...oh yeah, I forgot...leanto...

...projects await...

This is the inside where all my wonderful doors are stored, plus lawnmower...etc...

Let's move on to the kitchen...slash sweatshop...this is where all the soaps are brewed...
I have two kitchen WORK tables, both are used for WORK...now if you should get the notion to actually eat in the kitchen...WHATEVER...

Laundry room and scent cupboard...told ya this is an old kitchen...I'm just glad I have a modern washer and dryer...the cupboard is where all of my soap scents are stored...
Washer sometimes(most times)stands in as work station...

Let's move on to the grooming/paint room...this is where I groom your dogs until noon every day...then when that is finished, I paint furniture here and rewire all my lamps...

This is 'THE CHAIR'...this is the one that puts me to sleep for that power nap in the middle of the day...it's my Lazygirl...as you can see, surrounded by piles of magazines to spark ideas...

Yes...this is my studio...this is where I paint furniture for three locations, make soaps for a gazillion locations, groom your furry heathens, do my watercolors, write poetry, make jewelry and garden...
and yes, occasionally sleep...
But I wouldn't have it any other way...
and this too is the reason I stay single...unless the man is an artist or a TOTAL free spirit...
none need apply!!!

...and now you know why I need a garage...

stay happy!!!