TRUE FRIENDS....you know who you are...

yep...right now here is my definition of a "true friend"...
1. you call or text me often to ask if I am alright...cuz i am closing my store and sometimes i am happy about it and other times i just cry...
2. you bring me flowers (makes me cry...)
3. you offer up your few free hours on a Sunday morning to help me pack up my back room...
4. you constantly remind me that i am/have made the right decision and it is another exciting adventure/chapter in my life...
5. you remind me that i will have more time to create/ hunt & gather...
6. you put up with my extreme moodiness (ok...that is all the time!)
thank you from the bottom of my heart...
...you know who you are...

expo sale at STARS! 25% off my booth!

I have filled it to the brim with lamps and bling , gold frames and black and white portraits...pottery, stools, tables, bottles, letters, books...it is crammed packed!!!!
hope you can swing by STARS this weekend...the greatest vintage treasures in the city!
happy hunting to all!

finished...that word is not in my vocabulary...

for some reason...I don't ever say the word, "finished"...(but i need to try!)...
seems like there is always something else to do, clean, set up, paint, dust, read,sell, buy, talk to...and the list goes on and on...



finished.

winding down the last days at the store...

my moods vary...some days (hours) I am really sad to be closing up shop...then I remember that I am still at STARS...and on the hunt for a mall space to share in Eugene or Springfield (with my BFF)...(and maybe another up here in Portland...)
not sure of my hours the rest of this week. I will be open on Friday and Saturday for sure...with rustic book shelves, and various odds and ends for sale. I am finding lots of small goodies that were hiding in my back room...it is amazing what was back there...
the next estate sale is promising to be so fun- they have been bringing some items that have been in storage as well as the entire house...and yesterday I arrived to find the most incredible 1940's (1930's?) painted twin beds and vanity ( TO DIE FOR!!!)...
so...
staying busy...
hope you can stop by the store this weekend...I promise the prices will be dirt cheap...
as always...
happy hunting!

the free pile ... what in the world are they??

I found these by the side of the road. I think they are some sort of "floor mat" made from concrete and stones...
seriously, when I asked my hubby to "load them up"...he just about broke his back...and his question- what in the world are they and why do "we" need them...
didn't have an answer for him...but HAD to have them...now where will they go...he will only move them once more he informs me...
and this is my "free" roof...it is water tight (the monsoon rains today did not leak through!)...and I love the way they turned out...
so...the inside of the studio is no where near finished...its amazing how many times I have changed my mind about a room that is 8 feet by 9 feet...
will keep you posted...
have a great week!
and...if you know what these concrete things are...please leave me a note... thanks!

SALE AT THE STORE 50% OFF STARTS TODAY

WANTED TO HAVE A GREAT BIG THANK YOU SALE TO ALL MY CUSTOMERS FOR THEIR SUPPORT THESE LAST 3 YEARS...
SO...
AS I STILL UNPACK BOXES IN THE BACK ROOM...(THEY ARE NEVER ENDING)...I WILL BE SELLING ALL OF MY GOODS AT 50% OFF...(BUT I DO HAVE A FEW CONSIGNMENTS THAT ARE NOT ON SALE...)
HOPE YOU CAN MAKE IT...THERE ARE STILL SOME GREAT PIECES OF FURNITURE, LIGHT FIXTURES, AND SO MUCH MORE...
AND IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF A HUGE CABINET THAT WAS A DINING ROOM BUILT IN THAT I USED IN MY BACK AREA...IT WILL BE FOR SALE STARTING TODAY...HAVE NEVER HAD A PRICE ON IT...
WE'LL BE OPEN TODAY FROM 12-4...THEN THIS WEEK WE WILL HAVE SPECIAL HOURS (I WILL POST THEM AS SOON AS I FIGURE IT OUT!)
HAPPY HUNTING!

by the side of the road...SCORE!

you know when you need something, like a metal roof for your new "studio-to-be"...and you can't really find the dollars in the budget (for a couple of hundred dollars) for what you really want?
BINGO!
the junque Gods were there for me...and there by the side of the road?
metal roofing for the taking...
YEE HAW!!!
ooohhh... I am soooooo HAPPY!!!

this little tiny summer house is changing...

this little tiny cottage in my backyard has been my outdoor workshop...
where I planted and transformed plants in to something special...
but now it is transforming to an all weather studio for me...where I can work on paper projects and found object art and not get rained on or frozen...
my hubby and a good friend have been working on it for days...and I am told that it will be move in ready sometime this week...
so in between the sale at the store
and upcoming estate sale #1 this coming weekend...
and working on estate sale # 2 as well...
I am hoping to get some time for some serious designing for this little hideaway...(could be some late night planning...)
so fun...
more pics and info about the estate sale to come soon!

NEW STARS SPACE...I HAVE MOVED TO THE CORNER!

this space is bigger than my last...and on the front corner...you get a great view of it from the window...
and I have stocked it with my favorite things...





of course I packed it...and packed it...with all sorts of treasures...







I hope you can make it over to STARS soon...
happy hunting!

MOVING DAY AT STARS ANTIQUE MALL...

I will try to get some pics today as I move in to a much larger corner space at STARS...have been saving up some good finds for the move...
so very excited!!!

Is that a wink?

I just love fall...
I love the cool days...the dark mornings...the wind blowing...
did I mention the pumpkins?
it just all makes me smile...
is that a wink?

ART and SOUL vendor night...all I can say is WOW!!!

Some lovely ladies came in to the shop yesterday...then asked me why I wasn't a vendor at
ART and SOUL vendor night...frankly in the busyness of every day, I had forgotten about it...
So Elaine (Bella Flora Studios owner) was up for an impromptu "field trip" and we traveled to
the Art and Soul conference and went to vendor night...these are my fun finds...
local artists Lisa Kaus and Sally Jean were there along with loads of other artists...really a super fun night...
in the bar (a girl has to eat and drink...) we took a little break for some fuel and everyone was sharing their finds at their prospective tables...bags of mini treasures...
of course after our fuel we went back and shopped some more...
and left with so many ideas and thoughts....
thanks to the lovely ladies...
thank you thank you thank you thank you (there were 4 of them!)
hope you are all having a great weekend!

should I paint it cream...or not?

ok...I bought this a couple of months ago and thought it was the absolute cutest...but it hasn't sold yet...
should I paint it cream...so that it could be used as a cute cabinet in someone's house...it has a small stature...must have been a small childs' dresser...but that does limit its use...
it is just so dang cute...
paint it? or leave it for just the right person...
I just can't decide...and could use some imput...
Watcha think?

what will stay...what will go? PURGING the greenhouse...

yep...sign has to go...(off to STARS later today!)
so goes the BLOOMS sign and hooks...
the rabbit?not sure yet...
I have a zillion of these glass stars all different colors...some will be sold...
this "rabbit" shovel I have had since my days at Nordstrom...will probably keep him...
ohhhh....look at this frog? would you- could you sell him?
garden flower box and contents...to STARS!
rabbits foot fern? to STARS it goes...
these leaf men?
this bird house window will be for sale at the spring show at my house...for now it stays firmly on the fence...
weathered pots? some will stay- others off to STARS next week when I expand my booth...
the greenhouse has to be completely purged...cuz the walls go up next week!
so....
more to be sold...
and what great NW weather I have to clean it out ...beautiful fall day it will be today, too...
more pics of the " for sale" tonight or tomorrow...
stay tuned!

cleaning out the greenhouse today...

and getting ready to winterize the greenhouse so that it will be my new indoor and outdoor studio...oooohhhh...have to empty it completely to put up the indoor walls ...
i am so excited...yet I know how much stuff (good junque) is in there and where will it all go?
probably most of it will head to the store/STARS booth...
cuz I am not done selling stuff out of the store, on the contrary, we will be bringing more in every week this month...and the final week of this month will be the blow out sale ...fixtures...lights...you know...
and some of the items will be moving over to the new, big, STARS booth...(open that booth on the 13th!)
like that big, huge, hutch...
oh....
this is gonna be a busy month...
did I mention the estate sale that I will be conducting, too? (should be held the first or second weekend of Novembe)...its a goodie! more on that later in the month...first things first...
this is going to be a super fun month...so much to do...
life is never dull!

it is official...the store is closing the end of the month...

It is official...we gave our landlord our 30 day notice...
and I am not looking back...
ok...maybe a little...
this was such a hard decision...it isn't like I am leaving the vintage business... I am expanding at STARS ANTIQUE MALL...
and next year I will be doing more shows...
and still conducting estate sales...
and getting my ETSY shop up and running...
I do have such wonderful regular customers that I will miss so very much...
and Elaine at Bella Flora has become such a wonderful and dear friend...
but I still live in the neighborhood...
and I will start to have a little bit of free time beginning in November...(what is that"free"time?)
and I have all sorts of planning to do for next year...
and I have to admit...this was one of my toughest decisions that I have ever made...
stop by the store or send me an email if you want me to add you to the "show" list, cuz at least one of the shows next year will be at my house...
and all day today (and probably this next month)...I must remember to "not look back"...

changes are afoot...top 10 reasons...

top 10 reasons that my life is changing...
10. my son is 17...and his life is changing drastically (in a good/great way)...
9. I am 51 years old...
8. I am losing sleep...(the decision process always keeps me awake!)...
7. I haven't had a vacation in 4 years...
6. I can count my days off these last 4 years on 2 hands...and that includes Easter and Christmas...
5. I am finding an "artistic" tug on my heart...
4. I am reasonably healthy and happy...
3. I haven't seen my bestest girlfriend in 5 months (and she only lives 2 hours away...)!!!!!
2. I really need to have a date night with my hubby (and that doesn't include talking "work")...
1. I thrive on change...and I am ready...and it is good for me!

so...