DREAMS DO COME TRUE...30 years later...

if you have followed my blog...you have met Vivienne

and you have met Antoine...to fill in those that haven't heard the story...I will recap.
30 years ago I used to work in Downtown Portland & walk past a store with the most incredible window displays. they were magic. they were Alice in Wonderland-ish...took me away to another world. I wanted to buy some of the whimsical creatures...but they were priced way out of my league.
29 years later I found Vivienne in a thrift store (6.99) ...she came home with me but was so very lonely.
A year later I bought a house. Antoine was in the closet of the house. The entire house was empty except for him. I kid you not. For real. He was in the closet.
A year later...
Colette is found at an estate sale. Her original price tag of $365. was still on her. She is priced 45 dollars, but it is half price day.

I am overjoyed at my collection. In awe of the fact that Antoine and Colette came to me via Kristen and Greg (a rather long story- they are my landlords and they do estate sales). They had no idea of my dream of owning these. They had no idea he was in my house that I bought from them. They have brought a 20 year (well, 50 now) old girl lots of joy.
Antoine, Viv, and Colette are living on my mantel.
Always ready to add to the family...

THE WINNER OF THE FOLLOWER GIVEAWAY IS... AND MY 100th POST Giveaway is still going until Labor Day...so sign up to win!!!

OMG...LITTLE BEACH DESIGNS...my pal Gail in Eugene!!!! Honestly, I almost didn't let Gail win! When I pulled her name out of the basket, I thought and thought about how that might look...my bestest friend winning my first ever follower giveaway...and I almost put her name back in...
then I realized, it isn't her fault that she is my bestest friend...and that she won fair and square...so...you are "it" this month, Gail!!! Your back to school items will get shipped ASAP...and for those of you that haven't signed up yet...my 100th post giveaway is still active...you can sign up to win that giveaway still!!!
thanks to all my followers...you are the best!!! next months giveaway will be "fall" related!

GIVEAWAY FOR MY FOLLOWERS...DRAWING WILL BE TOMORROW!

Since I just added the follower gadget on my blog...I thought that it might be fun to do a "follower giveaway" once a month! so...my follower giveaway will be during the last week of each month...and I am going to try to do "seasonal" giveaways...so this month the prize will be related to back to school...but- it will be a surprise!!!!
so...the first winner will be announced SOON!!!
thanks for stopping by!

an era gone by- smith & corona, remingtons, typewriters...back to school?

in another time, a going back to school gift could very well have been pencils, notebooks, and a typewriter. the lucky students had their own to work on...
along with white out, those horrid erasers that had the brush on the ends, that never worked very well.
special paper for your typewriter, and the patience of Job to get through a 13-20 page paper without loads of mistakes.
I don't ever think that I had my own typewriter...always shared with my sister, mom, and brothers.
however...I did have my own desk. I think it started out looking like the one in my window- but of course I painted it! (no shabby chic for me!).
I do have to admit, I love the back to school shopping, even a trip to the store for new pencils and pens. And I do lift the top of a Crayola box...just for the fresh crayon smell.
I know...that does sound pretty weird- but I so love the line in YOU'VE GOT MAIL, when Tom Hanks says that he would love to send Meg Ryan a bouquet of pencils!!!! Wouldn't I just love that bouquet!
For those of you back to school shoppers- HAVE FUN!!!

day off, teenager, police, road trip, barges, and STILL TIME TO SIGN UP FOR 100th POST GIVEAWAY!

this is the almost the end of our road trip...I am going to go backwards. First of all, when is the last time you just got in the car with your kid/kids and took off...no destination or time restraints? well, let me tell you...it can be so very wonderful. this is a picture taken from the tiniest of bargest across ...hmmm...I think we left Washington from a teeny tiny town, and ended up in Oregon at...hmmm...another teeny tiny town. When we landed in Oregon, we were still about an hour or so from Portland...
here is the bridge in Astoria that took us to Washington...and the teeny town that we ate lunch in, then took the 6 car barge across the body of water...
we took a detour in another teeny tiny town in Washington, about 20 miles from the Astoria bridge, and were on a 100 year old covered bridge, the Grays River covered bridge, to be exact. Just followed a little sign off highway 4 to this...what a cool find!
In Astoria, I had to hit the antique stores and drive around seeing the sights, drinking my favorite Stumptown coffee from a wonderful coffee shop in town. They were complaining in Astoria that it was boiling hot at their record setting high of 84 degrees ( a record for Astoria!) as my son and I were saying that we were escaping the 94 degree day in Portland!
well, more pics to come (the rest are on my phone...that I haven't found yet this morning!)
...no, this isn't my son running from the police...they were after me!! Somewhere between Rainier and ??? I was passing a van that was going 40 miles per hour on a 55 mile per hour highway...and they called the next town and said that I was a reckless driver!!! when the police pulled me over, they asked what my hurry was...and I was totally truthful when I responded that I was looking for a restroom...
he laughed and gave me directions to a wonderful little outhouse with no running water...oh...the joys of small towns and road trips!!!(however... no ticket for me!)
stay cool! have a great day!

100th post drawing goes until Labor Day Paris opera glasses and more

so sorry for the confusion...the drawing goes until Labor Day...(not Memorial Day...which is what my 100th post first said, before I figured out how to correct it!)...
so PLENTY of time to still sign up...sorry for the mix up...I always did get those holidays mixed up!Check out the giveaway...two posts back...and thanks for putting up with me! Hopefully I will make it to 200!

101 POSTS...don't forget the giveaway at 100...and summer pics from around the house

don't forget to sign up for the giveaway...on the last post!!!

thought that I would post a few pictures of the yard and garden...and the greenhouse. I am trying my best to slow down and enjoy the last few weeks of summer vacation...taking a few hours of reading and relaxing in my very own backyard. I am also dreaming and scheming of landscaping the yard for next summer's project...as this summer was just getting the addition to the garage (pics soon) and the greenhouse built!


I am still trying to figure out how I want to landscape around the greenhouse...my wonderful step mother has a load of bricks...just covered completely with wonderful moss...on their property that she said I could have...I am thinking of a mossy path of brick for the shady side of the greenhouse...
this wicker loveseat was at the shop for awhile...until I decided that it was the perfect magazine reading location in the backyard...although I believe it still has a price tag on it...
I haven't decided if this lion head is from Narnia...or just looks like Aslan...
the birds' favorite location...have seen many a bird taking a bath in this birdbath...and the dogs love to drink out of the mammoth shell!
hope you all are having a great day...take a little time out for some R&R...summer will be over before we know it!

100th POST!!! GIVEAWAY!! PARIS OPERA GLASSES, BISQUE DOLL...AND MORE!

I can't believe that I am at 100!!! wanted to give away some things that I would love to get...you know, some of my favorite things...so...
opera glasses from Paris! How do I know they are from Paris? They say so! right on the rim...
a darling little box covered with cherubs and bubbles (sorry, the close up really didn't come out well...)
a teeny, tiny, antique bisque doll with moveable arms...
a journal from 1921...with just a few pages of life written inside...

and a darling lace rimmed hankie that they are all displayed on top !!!

so...just leave me a little message...how I reach you...and you will be in the drawing...and mention the giveaway on your blog (let me know!) and I will put you in the drawing twice!

I will draw for the giveaway on Labor Day!! so...plenty of time to enter...

P.S. there will be extras...you know, those teeny tiny little bits that I might have to add in to the winners package!

and...thank you for sticking with me for 100!!!!