when your dog is sick...

1. you do not get any sleep
2. you pay $65 for antibiotics
3. you rush them in to the vet so that you have an emergency visit bill...
4. you pay more for an emergency visit, even though it is only 30 minutes earlier than regular office hours
5. when your dog is 13 years old, you think the worst case scenario
6. when the vet says that he needs a urine sample, you wonder and wonder how do you make a dog pee on command?
7. when the vet goes in the back to get the "other guy" that will give you the prices of all your options of treatment...
8. while vet is gone, the dog pees on the floor...instant pee sample...
9. even though you are not a vet, you realize that blood in the pee is not a good sign.
10. you wait and wait and wait while they are testing the pee sample
11. you release a HUGE sigh of relief when they tell you they think it is just a bladder infection...of course i was thinking the worse.
12. you pay the bill, realize that you will have to stay home all day to let the dog pee every 15-30 minutes...
13. you are so very very grateful that you have the time to stay home and take care of the sick dog
14. you are so very grateful that we get to bring her home...
15. you realize that staying home means playing in your workshop all day is ...well...wonderful
16. you kiss the dog, tell her you're sorry she's sick...
17. this afternoon, when her shot kicks in and she is tired, you too will nap.
18. you thank God that your worse case scenario didn't happen...
19. you hope and pray that it is none of those "other" things...we love our dog!
20. you wait...

I am going to stay home today...
you?

vintage shoe bags...I need one more!!

went to this HUGE digger estate sale a couple of weeks ago...just could not find anything that I wanted that didn't already have a SOLD sign on it or was in someone elses pile under the check out table...
so I bought ONE lousy thing (think it was a garden tool for $1)...then waited patiently while my buddy Elaine dug and dug and found the best antique trims and fabrics....
and in her pile was the COOLEST pink shoe bag...
disgusted with myself for not finding it...and trying so very hard not to "whine" ( THAT I am very good at...)
I wandered around once again on the main floor...
nothing.

wait...
could it be???

there, where I had already looked a million times, was a dark shoe bag...
scooped it up...
asked a few close by folks if it was theirs in case they set it down by accident...
and checked out...
SCORE...a cool shoe bag for $6...
so very happy, I was...

later in the week...
my lovely, wonderful, sharing friend Elaine...

she gave me hers!!!!
(and I had only whined a little bit!)

I detect another collection beginning...
and what a great way to organize in my studio...
will let you know where they get hung...

ahhhh...
so happy...
truly is the littlest things for me that make me smile!

in the beginning there was an empty studio...then a hutch...then shelves...then...a cat??

the cat knows no boundaries...

we started with an empty room...used some of our magically found $2.00 paint...

and now I am starting to move in to the studio...


ahhh...a room of one's own...
(well...I guess... I can share it with the cat)...

so much more to move in...I have a lot of collage, found object trinkets and treasures...scattered all over the house...I am looking forward to organizing all my "junque"...

til next time...have a great week-end!

GARDEN BOOTH AT STARS...LOADS OF SPRINGTIME!

EVERYTHING FROM MINI HOUSES...

TO MILLINERY...

TO CEMENT URNS, TRELLISES... POTTING BENCHES...

EVEN TWO RUSTY BEDSPRINGS THAT MAKE GREAT TRELLISES...

I HAVE LOADED MY BOOTH WITH POTTERY, BUCKETS, BOXES, CLAY POTS, AND SO MUCH MORE...

I JUST FEEL THAT IT IS TIME...

I HAVE TO THING POSITIVELY...THAT SPRING IS REALLY, REALLY HERE...


I HOPE YOU ALL ARE HAVING WONDERFUL WEATHER...FOR THOSE OF YOU STILL WITH SNOW AND COLD...
I AM SO VERY SORRY...
BUT THE BULBS ARE BLOOMING HERE...
AND I AM REALLY READY FOR THE WARM SUN ON MY FACE...

LET'S HOPE IT COMES OUT THIS WEEKEND FOR ALL OF US!!!

inspiration in art ...and a blank canvas

this is an original "mom"...I don't know how long ago my mom created this picture...but it has held a place of honor in every house that I have lived in...

this is my "believe" Wendy Addison glitter word, and two original Lisa Kaus collages

these are favorite "Mary " statues- the all white one was given to me by my godfather at my first communion, and the multi colored one was bought after my wonderful mom traveled to heaven...

and these last two pictures are my blank canvas...the bedroom is freshly painted, and now I need to decide on the walls...

what and where do I hang my treasured art pieces...and what kind of curtains do I hang...

I might just dwell on these questions for awhile...as the next room is almost ready for painting...
the next room???
my new studio...
I am so very excited to be having a whole room of my own...

I hope you are all having a wonderful "spring" day...

tired of remodeling...

when you do a bit of remodeling...(ok...in our case this is an understatement...) we will be re- working every room but the bath...

even the pets get pooped...
I worked this morning and early afternoon...
and then I hit the wall...

so...
I joined the animals in a little R & R...

tomorrow?

the bedroom that my son just moved out of has been repainted...(great job hubby!)
and tomorrow my hubby and I move our bedroom to my son's old one...(pics tomorrow)...

and next week...
my very own indoor studio (if you have been following this blog...you know that my studio has been a wee little house outside...and even though it has a heater...still a bit chilly during the winter...)

so...
I was very grateful for the rest with the animals...

hope you all have a great weekend!

JAPAN

PRAYERS TO YOU ALL...

Basement remodel...man cave part 1...

we aren't done yet...

still need some racks for clothes and some curtains...

the egress window isn't here yet, but the ladder is ready by the window just in case...

there is a coffee area...

TV, desk, fridge...

yep...really starting to feel like a true "man cave"...

whoever started using that phrase "man cave"...really got it right...
this is a hang out...a cave of wonders...
now...
there is just one more room in the basement...
the "before" pictures look just like this rooms' before pictures...
my goal by the end of this month is to have that side empty too...
after all...
where else would the foosball table go???

BASEMENT REMODEL...BEFORE PICS (please don't judge me )...

this is the picture after we "stained" the concrete basement floor (cost $27.oo)...

here is a before picture...in my last blog I posted about shopping at an estate sale for my STARS business...

this has been my stockroom all winter, as I priced all these treasures...

it was fun to shop yesterday at the estate sale...but all winter long I have been down here shopping for free !

this is the "please don't judge me" pictures...it was so very unorganized all winter long...(of course, it was men who moved all this "junque" down here)...I would have made some sense to the "piles"...


so far this remodel has cost $27 dollars for the stain, we have purchased an egress window for $160...it will be installed in a couple of weeks (bids are still out)...
but we are trying to do this all as cheaply as possible...and still have the room have some "wow" factor to it...

after pictures will be posted as soon as more work is done...
thanks for traveling down the remodel path with me!

ohhh...the estate sale ANGELS were with me today!

after driving my son to work, I decided I would stop at ONE sale...
this one had signs everywhere...so I figured all the good stuff would be gone by the time I got there...
cuz I didn't get there til about 10:45...

but I am happy...
the pretty floral dishes...I only showed a sampling of them...there is a set of 12...plates, 2 sizes bowls, dessert plates, cups and saucers, and even serving pieces...

ohhhh....
I am so very happy my car drove me to this one...

happy hunting out there!

P.S. this was a REAL estate sale!!!

Is it a real "estate" sale if 4 different people bring their stuff to a sale?

got a little bee in my bonnet today...went to a "estate" sale...
saw tags from a well known local store...
saw tags from a well known antique mall...
saw "dots"? and
saw white sticker gun stickers...

I always think of an estate sale as a place where someONE or some FAMILY is downsizing, someone has gone on to another wonderful place (heaven) or one has moved to a retirement community...
more and more I see estate companies bringing their own stuff to sales???
and I just am wondering...

what do you think?
should it still be called an "estate" sale?

just find it an odd trend...
that I see more and more...

hmmm...
opinions?

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

SUE AT SERENDIPITY AND LESAPEA MUSINGS!!!!

PLEASE SHOOT ME AN EMAIL WITH YOUR ADDRESSES SO THAT I CAN SEND YOU THE GOODIES!!!
AND THANKS FOR BEING FOLLOWERS...

YOU ALL ARE THE BEST!!!
HAPPY HUNTING THIS WEEKEND!

A GIVEAWAY...ACTUALLY, TWO! FRENCH SKELETON KEYS!

up for grabs... two drawings...
first drawing...
my 120 followers that I have RIGHT NOW...most of you have been with me FOREVER...and I so appreciate the fact that you have been with me through cat stories, store stories...etc. etc. etc...so your drawing is for the large French (from Paris!) skeleton key and the American skeleton key (can't you totally tell the difference?)

and the second drawing is for anyone that leaves a comment this week...(prize- the other French key- that came from the south of France...)
so you first 120 can be in both drawings...


this drawing is a HUGE thank you for reading my blog...following along with my life stories...encouraging me to keep blogging...
thank you thank you thank you...

P.S...I am sure the winners will have "surprises" in their packages as well as the keys!



DRAWING WILL BE THIS COMING FRIDAY MORNING!!!

thank you for being my blog friends, some of which I have been so very lucky to meet in person and call you my friend.

a common theme...whimsy...

It seems that as I re-do the house for spring...


that in each vignette is a little whimsy...( a favorite piece of art from Orcas Island)...


a funny looking fisherman...
a pussy willow basket...

felted animals...


an etching of the Eiffel Tower and French skeleton keys from my Paris neighbor...

and even a fairy godmother...in the entry hall waiting to bless us with our wishes...

Happy Sunday to you all!
may there be some whimsy in your days and weeks to come!