Anniversary Adventure!

Just finishing up last minute things and packing today. Jim and I will be off to celebrate our 38th wedding anniversary up north in Washington state. I hope to post some pix along the way. We'll be looking for antique shoppes and good restaurants and some beautiful scenic places....maybe a quilt shoppe or a tea shoppe too?

The weather promises to be quite nice and summery.

Christmas in July or Ebay Saves the Day!

I have collected the Hallmark Keepsake House Ornaments for years-it's the only one I collect. We used to have a Hallmark Pharmacy years ago, so that started me on this series. I usually buy it in December with birthday money or someone in the family gives it to me. Well, this past December, Jim told me not to buy it for myself, so I figured he was going to give it to me as a gift. My birthday passed and no ornament. I guess I thought it must be a Christmas gift, so I didn't pick one up. After opening all my presents, I noticed there was no Hallmark ornament! YIKES!

I finally said something and he had to confess that he had forgotten to get one. I couldn't find one after Christmas and just forgot about it. Last week Jim was looking up some ornaments he picked up at an estate sale and stumbled across the 2010 House Ornament. So, we sent for it and it came today! I also found the little set they put out one year-accessories- that I had never gotten. The picture is a bit blurry, but you can see it's the Colonial House and my collection is complete!

Teacup Thursday #19

"Every flower about a house certifies to the refinement of somebody. Every vine climbing and blossoming tells of love and joy." Robert G Ingersoll

I decided it was time to have a little tea~just for me.I can never get enough fresh fruit in the summer~ I love this sweet little cup and saucer made my Foley. It's such a powder blue color and the inside is a very soft pink.

We have some new tea people on Miss Spenser's Teacup Thursday and it's fun to meet new tea lovers.

I'm feeling better but I'm taking it easy as we have a vacation coming up next week.

I'm looking forward to reading the Teacup Thursday posts.

The little bouquet is from my garden. I have three different daisies and they're taking turns blooming, which is nice.

The straw hat was my bargain for the week....25¢

Friendship

I'm feeling better tonight, still moving a bit slowly today. Thank you for the get well wishes.
The mail lady brought me a package today, much to my surprise! The box has gone back and forth and all over the place and returned to Oregon from Montana. I think the box will have to be retired now.
I opened the box to find a treasure chest full of  everything I love! My dear friend LaVonne showered me with treats-again!!!! It's not just things, it's items that she knows I love! Fabrics, linens, patterns, a tea book, a doll book, a cute chicken pattern, a ME garden flag, lace, collars, beautiful edging, buttons(yes!),  and fall goodies-how did she know I was thinking of fall today? She sent a special card and there were little notes about JOY tucked into everything.

                    

I just love the fabric with the vintage sewing machine on it. Oh, I'm going to have to do something really special with that. I've never seen a print like it...fun!
It sure cheered me up! How do you really thank someone for such kindness? Of course I had to call her and it was so good to hear her voice and just chat for awhile. There's just too many miles between us.
So a big thank you my friend-I am so blessed to have you in my life.It seems right to end with one of the friendship quotes she sent to me. "There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship."
St. Thomas Aquinas

Speaking of friends, I got a call from Clarice tonight. Jim and I will be in Poulsbo next week and she so kindly is setting up some time to be together with her girls, her mom (maybe) and another dear friend Angie! I'm excited to see them again. Wish LaVonne was out here.....maybe this fall so we can visit up north again.

Summer cold and feeling yucky!

I came down with nasty cold yesterday and have been in bed most of the day. I just NEVER feel sick enough to waste a day doing nothing! I was hoping to spend today working on a quilt for my dolly friend Bev but my head isn't clear enough to be quilting.

I've been wanting to do a bit of work on my blog, so brought the computer in my room and just played around and updated some things. I would still like to have a custom header done for my blog, but will wait a bit. I've learned a great deal in my first year of blogging. It's fun to create something that soon becomes a part of you.

I'm thankful it's not hot outside and I can enjoy the comforter and a cup of tea.

Wish mama bunny was here to spoil me along with Peter Rabbit.

Honey Bees and Herbs

I was able to work most of the day yesterday in my garden. Oh my, the weeds, the weeds. This cool summer and lack of sunshine has grown a carpet of weeds. I like to plant herbs in my flower beds and let them flower to attract the bees. I love to hear the hum while I'm working right along with the bees. Anyway, I was thinking of the bees and looked up some information about the dying of our little friends. One thing I can do is limit the pesticides and plant things, like herbs, that attract the bees. I can do this!

I found a great company Country Cottage Primitives online with tempting products and a wonderful offering of of bee skeps. This picture is from their garden! Lovely.

Oh course the book THE SECRET LIVES OF BEES popped into my head. I loved the book and enjoyed the movie.

So, happy humming bees~keep visiting my garden please!

The Fruits of Summer!

I just love the summer for all the wonderful fruit that we get to enjoy-a bounty in the Northwest!

The raspberries are just wonderful. Our cooler weather has given us the best cherries in ten years. There's something to be thankful for~even the rain.

Have a good weekend.

Teacup Thursday #18

"Come and share a pot of tea, My home is warm and my friendship's free."

Emilie Barnes

Tea Time and Miss Spenser's Teacup Thursday! Can it really be Thursday already? I am amazed at how quickly the weeks fly by.

This is another Royal Grafton teacup. The markings says it's from 1950+ so it's a bit older than the teacup I featured last week from Grafton. I like the simple green color and the design. It's just a pretty cup begging to hold a spot of tea.

The doll seemed to go with the colors of the cup and mid July summer, so I decided to show this little one now. I found it at an Expo show when LaVonne was out to visit me last fall. The head is metal and worn and loved. I just think it's charming and different from my other dolls.

The rain is expected to return today. I feel like I should be grateful when I see the weather forecast across the USA-hot hot hot! It would be nice to have a bit more sun. I so need to get out in my flower garden and do some weeding.

The Cracked Pots Show

I met my friend Sha at The 12th annual Cracked Pots Show on Wednesday at Edgefield in Troutdale. She was doing volunteer work at the Master Gardener's booth and when she was done with her shift, we had a lovely lunch and then wondered around the gardens and looked at all the creative items that these talented vendors had to offer. Everything has to be made with recycled items and the idea is to show you how to be creative with things that would otherwise end up in a landfill.

One of the most funny and unusual items was the animals made out of milk jugs. A pig is shown here, but the fish was unreal.

There was a lot of garden art made from glass items. Seems like a lot of people are into that.

It's always so fun to see what people can come up with and of course, it's all very tempting. Thanks Sha for inviting me to join you! Time spent with you is delightful...

The Antique Curio Cabinet aka Doll House!

I wanted to post pictures of the wonderful cabinet Jim bought for me at the antique show last weekend-and early anniversary present. It's really just a beautiful piece of furniture.I have been on the lookout for a cabinet that would make a good home for Annabelle and her friends. I wanted it in my tearoom and I didn't have much extra room, so I had this idea in my head for a cabinet of some sort. This one is just perfect and has a lovely door on it too! I would love to have a real doll house, but with limited space, I think this works out just fine.

I wish I knew more about the case...I have no idea what kind of wood it is made out of or the time period, but it really doesn't matter. I just like it!

Thanks so much to my dear husband.

Teacup Thursday #17

After a several busy weeks preparing, running, and then taking down after the Expo Antique and Collectible show, I'm just returning to normal and feel like I can spend a bit of time posting for Miss Spenser's Teacup Thursday. It's hard to believe that this is my 17th posting! Last week I had no time to read other's entries, so I will take the time this morning to look at the sweet teacups and leave some comments.

I spied this beautiful teacup by Grafton in my neighbor's booth the first day of the show. Pink and dainty and I really wanted it. This was Kelly's first show and she was just delightful. She did well and of course our entire family fell in love with her little boy...a future antiquer in training! She graciously suggested a "swap" for the teacup~thanks again Kelly. I hope we can continue our new friendship.

The cup and saucer was made by Grafton in England and the marking is 1935+. It's such a wonderful pink and dainty flowers. I have been thinking a lot about Tasha Tudor this week so the cup is posed with one of my Chinahead dolls and a favorite book A is for Annabelle. Next month is Tasha Tudor Day to celebrate her birthday in rememberance, so I've been thinking ahead. All the pink just went together.

Jim bought this beautiful curio cabinet for me at the show-an early anniversary present. I've been looking for a piece of furniture that I could use as a doll house and as soon as I spotted the cabinet, I knew it was perfect. I'm going to do a blog on it later to showcase it better. I had so much fun cleaning it and moving the dolls in. I stayed up until 1 AM...silly me!

The last photo is of our family in our booth at the show. I just love it. We were having a grand time that afternoon.

Thanks again Kelly for the teacup. Keep in touch!

Full moon is coming.....

I'm trying to get back to normal after the expo show last weekend. It was fun and we did well, but it's a great deal of work and it takes awhile to bounce back. I'll post more tomorrow for Teacup Thursday.

LaVonne reminded me that the full moon was on it's way! Yes, indeed....it will grace us on Friday.

It's been rainy and cloudy here in Oregon, so I haven't been able to see it yet. Enjoy!

Anyway, a sweet poem~

"Moon Rises High Into The Sky

The Moon Is Gray

The Moon Is Bright

The Moon is Full"

Sonya Wesley

Teacup Thursday #16

Here it is another Thursday and Blogger is working this week!

I'm just about ready to haul things to the antique and collectible show this morning, so don't have much time to be on the computer.

The tea cup for Miss Spenser's Teacup Thursday is from Japan and a bit rough, but I like the colors and the subject matter-great to take outside in the garden for a cup of tea.

The background I used is the one of my table coverings for the show...it's darling with Sunbonnet Sue. It's a quilt top that someone never finished, done on muslin. I would like to finish this one up and keep it. Another project.

It's been hot this week...near 90 yesterday! The garden is loving it. I'm thankful for a cool day to unload the truck.

Will post more pix from the show later this week.

Happy July 4TH

It's quite a nice morning and so quiet! That was not the case last night and I know it will not be so later today. Fireworks and noise. It does take me back to the days when the girls were little and the neighborhood was filled with young families. Jim's brother had a fireworks company in the midwest and he gifted us with a box of goodies every year! Jim was the hit in the neighborhood. Everyone would share their fireworks in the street and it was a grand show! It would take the adults an hour or so to clean up all the paper that was left after shooting everything off. All those kids are now in their 30's...seems so long ago.

I was thinking of the 4th when I was a kid-I won't even say how long many years that goes back.

My dad worked for Woolworth and always took his vacation around the 4th of July to get that extra day. As both sets of my grandparents lived in Yakima, Washington, we made the trip north for our annual visit. Dad was transfered to California from Washington and we traveled "home" for the five years we were there until we moved to Oregon in 1960. After that promotion to open the Lloyd Center store, we never had to move again! I think my mom was happy as it was hard to move every 2-2 1/2 years with children, especially once we were in school.

I was thinking of those vacations. My mom's dad-Grandpa Ted-would always have ice cream and frozen strawberries for us. He would take me out to some orchard to pick up a big bag of bing cherries that would always be at their best over the 4th. Yummmmm. My dad's dad-Grandpa Carl, would take us to get soft ice cream and a can of Hershey's chocolate for our treat. It would be very hot when we would visit and Popsicles we the big thing to cool you down in the shade...banana, rootbeer and cherry were my favorites! We often went to the Safeway company picnic with dad's side as Grandpa Carl drove truck for Safeway.

I loved how the wind would come up at night...that warm summer wind. Ah...memories.

Happy 4th of July. Take a few minutes to be thankful for the freedom we are allowed to enjoy in the USA and take some time to remember what it was like to be a kid in the summer.