Highlights from The Farm Chicks Show

Attending the Farm Chicks Show on Sunday was very much of a treat.  As always, it was a bit overwhelming; however, I think of it as a good type of overwhelming.  There are so many things to look at, I think that one could literally spend a week just wandering from booth to booth.  We only had one day so we made the most of it.  I can't really say that I had a favorite vendor .... they all seem to be good with a large variety of items throughout the show. 

Here is a picture of the big sign on the silo.  I have taken the same picture in previous years, but it just seems right to have a new picture each year.  This and the "howdy" sign that you see as you turn into the parking lot just seem to set the tone for the adventure that lies ahead:

One of my favorite sightings was this old sink planted with pretty flowers.  I think it looks so charming; and possibly one day I will plant a similar one right outside of my one day greenhouse.  It was set into what looked like an old potting bench:

A string of lights made out of canning jars ..... I think this is so cute, and would be such a great idea used in just the right spot:

A vintage embroidery that says "Laundry".  I can't remember if it was on a laundry bag or not, but I thought it would really be cute just to embroider a similar one, frame it, and hang it on my laundry room wall:

This booth caught my eye because of the big word "sisters".  It immediately made me think of all my sisters, and how much I like to spend time with them.  If we were to ever all be able to attend a Farm Chicks Show together, I can only imagine we would have just about the best time ever:

And last, but not least, these two little shakers.  One might not think too much of them initially; however, if you think about it, no one uses a flour shaker now.  But back in the day it only makes sense that a woman would have a flour shaker because of all of the bread and pies that she would make that would require frequent dusting of flour:

The 2012 show is barely past, but I have actually already added it to my calendar for 2013.  Serena really has it all dialed in putting on this show.  I honestly can't think of any improvements that she could make ..... it is simply perfect.

It's Time Once Again .....

Today I am off to attend one of my favorite annual events -- The Farm Chicks Antiques show in Spokane, Washington.  Serena does a great job of putting this together each year.  In fact I'm really not quite sure how she manages, but every year she seems to make it better than the last.  Stay tuned for some pictures of my favorite highlights from the show .....

The Start of Summer Vacation

Today is June 1st.  In our house that means that summer vacation is officially here ... three months ahead of us filled with different kinds of learning, warm weather, and fun.  I have been telling myself this morning that I need to make the most of my three months ... make every day count.  I don't want to come to the end of August wishing that I had done more and made better use of my time.  So I hereby declare to all of "blogland" that this is what I hope to accomplish this summer:

(All pictures are from things I've been inspired by and "pinned" on Pinterest)

Have an amazing garden:

Grow beautiful flowers:

Have tea parties:

Partake in some fun sewing and embroidery:

Spend time in the kitchen making wonderful desserts:

Create a cute craft room:

Go on lots of picnics:

Read lots of books:

and write more blog posts:

I think that pretty much sums up some of my hopes for the summer.  What are some of your goals?

I've Found Pinterest

I realize that most likely many of you are already either on or have heard about Pinterest.  It is only a recent discovery for me, and I must say that I am enjoying it very much.  At first I wasn't really sure what it was, but after I was finally able to join, I was pleasantly surprised.  The reason I say "after I was finally able to join" is because you can't just join.  You have to be "invited".  I had requested an invitation directly from Pinterest several times all without any response.  Finally I requested an invitation from one of my good friends, and then I was easily hooked up.

For me I liken it to clipping pictures and articles from magazines; however, instead of keeping files of clipped images from magazines at home that I tuck away in a file and most likely will never look at again, it is like being able to "clip" pages from different blogs and various parts of the internet, and keep them right at my disposal.  All of the images are automatically linked directly back to their sources, so right at your fingertips you have all of the recipes you have "pinned" or directions to craft projects that interested you.  Really anything that you can possibly think of you can find, organize, and keep track of on Pinterest.

If you are interested in joining in on all of the fun, I have placed a button on my sidebar that should take you directly to the website.  If for some reason you have a difficult time in getting an "invitation", just e-mail me and I can send you one.

In the meantime, here is a sample of a very cheerful picture that I "pinned" this morning.  Kind of a fun way to start the day.

Love and Cake Pops

I really don't think it is necessary for me to point out how nice it is to take some time from the day, stop by Starbucks with loved ones, and enjoy a special treat.  It's one of those little things that mean so much.

Mini Mini Marshmallows

Christmas stockings take an important place in our celebrating.  We try and fill them with very fun and unique items.  This year I think the most unique was these little marshmallows I found at our local Safeway:

I have never seen them in the store before, and have a feeling I will never see them again.  They are just like the little tiny marshmallows you find in pre-packaged hot chocolate that claims to come with mini marshmallows already enclosed.  I thought they were such a funny thing, I just had to get them for my kids' stockings.  Here is a picture of one next to an actual mini marshmallow:

You can put them by the handful into your hot chocolate, or eat them plain, which tastes just like the little marshmallows in Lucky Charms cereal, except you don't have to sort through all of the cereal.  I kind of like the last idea.

Trailer Cuteness

This past weekend, the Funky Junk Sisters held one of their famous Junk Salvation shows right here in my hometown.  It was a very fun show, and I ended up coming home with a couple of vintage dress patterns and a set of vintage dominoes -- they are a necessity don't you think?

As this was my first Junk Salvation show I was surprised by what greeted us outside the building.  Three very tiny vintage trailers all decorated up very cute.  This one was my favorite:

Of course I had to step inside, and this is what I found:

I thought this was so cute, and immediately thought how I might do something like this in my vintage Airstream; however, I just don't think the boys in my family would quite appreciate all of the frill.  So for now, I will just enjoy looking at these pictures.

Polka Dot Boots

At our house, we only have two pets.  A dog and a rabbit.  The dog belongs to everyone; however, the rabbit belongs to my youngest daughter.  So since she is typically the only one to tend to her rabbit each morning, she also somehow inherited the responsibility of taking care of the dog as well.  When she heads outside each morning to do her "chores", footwear can become an issue, especially this time of year when our ground tends to be damp and muddy in places.  Over the years we have kept our eyes out for some cute rubber boots that she could wear, but haven't really landed on anything ..... until recently.  We saw these in the store, and knew that they were the boots for her.  I mean, really, who wouldn't want to go outside and do chores wearing a pair of polka dot boots?

A Pleasant Afternoon

As I noted in my previous post, my daughters and I attended the Pairs - Short Program competition at the National Figure Skating Championships on Friday afternoon. It was an amazing event to behold. Once we found our seats I took a moment just to look around. Our seats were up high; however, we could hardly have asked for a better view. We looked down exactly on the center of the ice, and could see perfectly.

I had brought along a pair of binoculars, and the four of us took turns with them just to be able to look around. They were unnecessary during the performances though ... we could see the skaters just fine. While the first round of skaters were warming up, it was my turn for the binoculars. I scanned over towards the commentators' booth, and there was Scott Hamilton sitting there looking as official as can be.

Because of the positioning of our seats, our pictures were a bit far way, so I'm going to borrow two of the official AP photos. The first picture is of the winners, Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett. They were very good, and skated with such strength and power. Now when we watch them at the Olympics in a few weeks, it will be so much more fun since we were able to see them skate in person.

The next picture is of my personal favorite set of pairs, Tracy Tanovich and Michael Chau. They didn't finish in the top to be eligible to go to the Olympics this time; however they are still very young (I think she is only 13), and have a great future in this sport. Their performance was very strong, well synchronized, and an overall joy to watch.

It was such a blessing being able to share this event with my daughters. A great big thank you goes out to my son for bringing this joyful afternoon into our lives. Thanks, Luke!

Ice Skating Fun

This coming week the National Figure Skating Championships are being held in Spokane, Washington. (A very nearby city to me). For Christmas, my dear sweet son, gave me and my daughters all tickets to one of the events. So tomorrow afternoon we will be spending it watching the pairs - short program. This is the first time that any of us have seen an ice skating event performed live. I can hardly wait :o)