AND SO IT BEGINS AGAIN......

It's a season of change again in our household.  First let me start off by saying my Mother continues to heal and recover from what every doctor has told us is one of the most extensive surgeries a person could ever have.  Total recovery may take up to a year, but I have seen her make great strides this week.  We have one more specialist to see this afternoon, and then we should have a clearer picture of the road to her recovery.  Prayers for her, if you are so inclined would be appreciated.

Now.........for some even bigger news.  It saddens me to leave behind a partnership with my BFF Cori, but I have decided to go back on the truck with Craig. I leave Cori with a full inventory of products which we amassed over the past year, and plenty of orders for dress forms to keep her busy for some time.  Of course you know I'll be visiting there every few months as I did in the past, and will be assisting with creative ideas and a pair of hands willing to get dirty to work on a few projects.

 Many reasons prompted the decision to go back on the truck, but the main one was Craig and I missing being with each other everyday.  Also, with being on the truck, it is an easy drop off and pick up in Modesto anytime I need to be there for my Mother during her recovery.  Additionally, when Craig was dropped off in Modesto for his vacation, Roy informed him that his son in law was back in town and was going to team back up with him, hence leaving Craig back as a solo driver.  Trust me when I say this, Craig was not the least bit disappointed.  All in all I think it is a win/win situation for everyone concerned.

 So now I have even more great news to tell you.  See that brand new, still having the plastic wrap in the interior truck #350 parked there?  Yep, that is our new home on the road.  After almost 6 years of living in previously used trucks with Craig, (with two of them previously used by smokers.....YUCK!),  I will finally have a new truck to live in.  This is getting to be old hat for Craig, since he was just given one about 5 months ago while team driving with Roy, but when he called to say he was going back solo, they said he would be given a new truck.  I was so excited.

The plan is for me to drive our pickup back up to Washington, shortly after the Labor Day weekend, with a short stop in Walla Walla, and then onto Usk to check on our house and collect our mail.  Then Craig will ask for a run through Spokane where I will hop back onto the truck with my belongings and once again, report back to you through the blog, with our adventures out on the road and my perceptions of life viewed from the passenger seat.  I can't wait!

CHECKING IN

I've been absent for awhile.  This has been the longest I have ever gone without posting a blog entry since 2006.  Life has a way of getting in the way of doing what you really want to do.  Jury duty is not something I want to do, but wouldn't you know it, not being a resident of California for over three years, I get a jury duty notice mailed to me at my Mom's house.  Do you think they knew I would be in town?  Years ago, while still working, I would have loved to have the chance to be on a jury.  Now?   Not so much, but I thought it would be fun to actually show up when requested, but then realized that the Judge would not be half as amused as I would be, and thought better of that idea.  I regretfully sent in my notice, checking the box indicating that I was no longer a resident of the County.

Moving on......my Mother came through her surgery quite well.  After 9 days in the hospital, she is home and I am helping her with her recovery.  After all those years of feeding me, cleaning up after me, and changing my diapers, I thought it was about time to pay her back with the feeding and cleaning (no diaper changes needed, thanks for asking)  and take care of her for awhile until she is back on her feet.  I only wish that the weather was a bit cooler, but we can all be thankful for air conditioning.

Craig is taking a week of vacation and spending it here in Modesto with me.  He figures he might as well get in on my feeding and cleaning up after gig while the getting is good.  He should be here by Tuesday, and we plan to check out a few of our favorite places around town, when we used to call this place our only home.  Now it seems we have many homes, our house in Usk, Cori's little cottage in Walla Walla, my Mom's house in Modesto and of course the big green truck.  Well as they say, home is where the heart is and wherever we are together, will always be home to us.

OVERSIZED RULER

As my days here at home come to an end, I had one last project to finish up.  While out in the shed looking for scraps of wood to make all of my previous signs I posted about, I came across this large 6 foot by 10 inch slab of wood.  Immediately I saw an oversized ruler and went about transforming it up in my loft hobby room.

Since it was already the perfect size, all I did was paint it.  I would have liked to have made it a different color, but I am limited with what paint colors I have, so the "Glass of Milk" Martha Stewart would have to do.  After painting it front and back, I went about making the markings and numbers on it with black paint. I can really see this in a kid's room as a great accent on the wall, or even used as a growth chart.

Craig has been home since Tuesday afternoon.  He's already completed a mandatory DOT physical and passed with flying colors.  We plan to do some area exploring tomorrow, maybe doing some geo-caching and then taking in the Lavender Festival in town on Saturday.  There's suppose to be over 60 vendors in the City Park along with all kinds of food and entertainment.  Should be a lot of fun.

Craig is due to head back out on Sunday morning, and then I will drive to Walla Walla.  I can't believe it has been over a month since I have been to the store, or worked with Cori on any projects.  Thankfully, we had plenty of surplus product left over from Farm Chicks to keep our two spaces fully stocked so that both of us could take some time off.

After spending a couple of days in Walla Walla, I'll be driving to California for an extended period of time as my Mom will be under going surgery on the 19th of July.  Your positive thoughts would be appreciated for her and for a speedy recovery.  I'll be sure to try and keep my hands in some type of project while in California, and since I have the pickup, I may even be able to pick up a treasure or two to take back to Walla Walla with me when that time comes.

SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE

I couldn't help but think of the name of the album that Stevie Wonder released in 1976 when I started on my latest project.  Since I have so much time on my hands relaxing at home enjoying the nice cool weather, as others are finally feeling that summer heat index start to rise, I thought I would scrounge around our shed for some more scrap pieces of wood to paint on.  When I found a couple of old ledge shelves that were no longer being used, I had an indea for what to do with them.

Almost immediately after picking them up and looking at them, I envisioned piano keys.  So off I went in search of a graphic online that I could print out and use to trace onto the shelves.  After tweaking the size of the graphic, I painted the shelves black and then went about transferring my image onto the wood.  Then it was time to paint using left over Martha Stewart "Glass of Milk" white.  When I finally finished them, I had to admit that they turned out pretty darn cute.  This can either be placed on a table, shelf, or any flat surface, to be used in a creative vignette, or attach a hanger on the back, or a couple of hooks on the top and hang it on a wall.

Not only did I complete the two piano key pieces, but I also completed a couple of distressed signs that will be sure to add just that right touch of color or interest to just about any kitchen.  I have really found a lot of joy in using stuff that would have just found it's way into the trash, and being able to give it a new life and purpose.  Now I think I'll put away my paints for a bit and enjoy the fantastic views of the sunset I have nightly right outside my window.

20/20 VISION

I've had a fascination with vintage eye chart signs lately, and after seeing how much they were selling for, took the route of maybe a reproduction print, but even those were too steep for my pocket book.  So I got to thinking.......why not make my own?

So off to Home Depot I went after dropping Craig off at the Company yard last Wednesday morning, and since it was so early in the morning, I practically had the store to myself, and plenty of employees that were more than willing to help me.  I hit the lumber section  and picked out a sheet of plywood.  You want to know what is cool?  They will cut it up into as many pieces and sized as you want!  Talk about great customer service.  On my way out I passed by the paint department to pick up a quart of Martha Stewart "Glass of Milk" white.  It seemed the perfect color for my project.

For this particular sign, I painted the board black first, and the white.  When dry, I distressed it with some coarse sand paper.  Because I didn't have a stencil to go by for the first sign, I purchased a vinyl transfer and then made copies of each line with tracing paper so that I can duplicate it over and over again.  For my own sign, I am going to do a black background with white letters, so this one will be up for sale in our consignment store as soon as I can get it to Walla Walla.

S'MORE POPS

While visiting with my Mom in California a couple of months ago, we made cake pops for the first time. It was a very labor intensive project, and about halfway through the process, you begin questioning yourself as to why you started it in the first place.  In our little kitchen at the house, it would prove difficult to have the counter space needed to take on such a project. 

Looking for a fun little treat to take into the Company yard the next time I go through Spokane on my way to Walla Walla, I stumbled across a quick and simple recipe for S'More Pops.  Three simple ingredients are all you need:  Marshmallows, Milk Chocolate Chips, and Graham Cracker Crumbs.  You'll also need to get sucker sticks, and if you like plastic treat bags to wrap them up in.

Simply insert one of the sucker sticks into the marshmallow on the flat side until almost completely through the marshmallow.  Dip it into a bowl of melted chocolate chips, tap off the excess, and then roll into graham cracker crumbs.  Allow to set, and then wrap into individual bags or a large airtight container.

Now no respectable cook would post about a food item without first tasting it themselves.  I was no exception to that rule, as you can see from the evidence left on the tray.  Just to make sure they were worthy of sharing with you all, I went beyond the call of duty and ate a second one!

IT SOUNDED GOOD IN THEORY

You ever have some of those ideas in your head for a project, and in your mind it looks great, but halfway through the project you determine that in all likelihood it will turn out completely different?  Yeah, I had one of those ideas yesterday.

It started out with loving the look of the subway signs that Restoration Hardware are selling for way over my budget these days.  I thought to myself, how hard could it be to recreate those, but on a smaller scale.  I had recently purchased some one half inch plywood for another project idea ( I'll let you know how that one turns out later), and had some scrap pieces left over that I knew would be the perfect size.  I painted the piece black and then thought about what I could use for lettering.

Again, not having the budget to buy one of those fancy vinyl letter cutting machines, I had to resort to the old standby of stencils.  I looked at our local craft store, and in a town of only 3,000, let me tell you, they don't carry much.  I couldn't find any lettering stencils, but I did find a style of stickers, which were actually on card stock, so that I could trace around them.

In my mind, it didn't think it would take as long as it did to place each letter onto the board and then trace around them, but I was already too far into the project to turn back now, so I trudged onward until all the locations were traced onto the board.  Again, in my mind, I pictured the lettering going so much more different than it turned out to be.  What I pictured was Urban Chic, but what I got was Rustic French Country.

After distressing and waxing, it certainly doesn't look all that bad, and in the right location, would look pretty adorable with the right accessories, kinda like this French Patisserie sign I had made the day before.  It looks fantastic on the World War 2 suitcase that Cori and I purchased at auction last February.  Since no one wanted it either at the consignment space or at Farm Chicks I brought it home with me, and wouldn't you know it?   It looks fantastic on top of a five dollar chair with a leather seat that I snagged at a yard sale on Friday.

FARM CHICKS 2011 - THE REVIEW

Yes, I'm a vendor, and am I allowed to say "I'm pooped"?  What a whirlwind of four days of activities, starting with Thursday and packing up all our stuff and heading to Spokane, WA and ending Sunday afternoon with having to disassemble our booth and happily, only pack back up about half of what we brought.

As expected, Saturday was the big day, when the line of  people waiting to get into the fairgrounds starting forming almost two hours early.  Craig took a couple of photos of the front gate on one of his many trips out to the moving truck.  It didn't take long before the aisles were packed with like minded people with the love of all things vintage.

I have to tell you, the biggest surprise and one of the best memories of this event was when I was approached by a young couple who asked which one of us, Cori or I had the blog.  I assumed they were asking about Cori's blog, which has the same name as our business, and started to introduce them to Cori, when they said it was the truck driving blog.  I couldn't have been happier meeting this couple and getting the chance to see face to face the wonderful people that read my blog.  Although the husband had enjoyed the truck driving side of the blog, the wife was enjoying following my adventures in the junking world.   Honestly, it made my day!

There were so many enduring stories that come to mind when I think about this past weekend.  The one that continues to warm my heart and give me chills, was the woman who was looking at an old baseball mitt we had for sale with a baseball in the glove.  When she picked up the ball it had the name "Mo" written on it.  She said that was the nickname that her husband's Father always called him when he was a boy, and that it was most definitely an omen for her to purchase it for him for a Father's Day present.

Or the older couple, who have a 35 year old son, who as a boy, would sing the Davy Crockett song over and over.  When they saw the old vintage Davey Crockett suitcase we had for sell, did not hesitate to pick it up and buy it for their son to remind him always of that childhood memory.

It was exciting for us to have our first sale on Saturday morning, and it did not disappoint.  A lady was in our booth and noticed a small metal windmill.  She snatched it up quickly and said that was exactly what she was looking for, and that if she bought nothing else all day, she would be going home a very happy lady.

We had so many people taking pictures of both our dress forms and the hanging light that Craig put together for us.  It was nice to get the feedback on all those items, and the items we had worked hard to create, like the thermos lights, and the soap dispenser mason jars. 

By the end of the show, we were all physically tired, and Cori and I could not have been the success that we were without the endless help of our husbands, Craig and Mike.  They both took vacation time to help us with our first Farm Chicks vendor experience, knowing full well that they would have rather have spent their vacation time with a bit more relaxation than work.  I am eternally thankful for the love and support you both showed us this weekend.

FARM CHICKS IS HERE!

Farm Chicks Antique Show has finally gotten here, and I think we are as ready as we can be for first time vendors at one of the biggest west coast shows in the junking world.  We loaded up all of our products on Thursday and drove to Spokane, and after a nice relaxing evening at the hotel, we hit the ground running this morning by setting up our space and hoping for the best outcome come Saturday morning when the doors open for business at 9am.

We only have a 10X10 space, and after trying to fit in most of our stuff, we soon realized how much nicer it would have been to have two spaces.  One of our neighbors at the show has five spaces.  WOW....that's a lot of space and a lot of product to have on hand.  We have plenty of good stuff left in the truck to bring into our space as stuff sells, and with a lot of good fortune, we will sell most of what we brought.

It will be a long 10 hours tomorrow, in what other vendors have told us will be chaos, with thousands of people clamoring to buy what is being offered to sell throughout four very large connected buildings at the Spokane Fairgrounds.  After a full day of setting up our little space, we sat back and were very proud of what we created to entice buyers into our space.

By the end of this weekend, I'm hoping to be enthusiastic about venturing out and applying at several other antique/junk sales in the area.  In fact, we were already invited to join a show which is slated to be in Walla Walla, WA on October 8th.  Who knows, you just may see us there!

ALL SIGNS POINT TO FARM CHICKS IN SPOKANE

One week from today, hoping the backs of four people in their 50's hold out, we will be packing a 26 foot U-haul truck and heading to Spokane, WA for the Farm Chicks Antique Show. This truly has been a work in progress for the past 6 months, since we first sent in our application to be vendors, never thinking that we would be accepted to join the talented people that put on this show every year.

I'm not sure if you can ever be totally prepared for a show like this, especially on your first show, but Cori and I have checked our list, crossed off the many projects we had to complete, and with only a list of tools and equipment left to pack away to take with us, I do believe we are ready to throw caution to the wind, jump in with both feet, hope for the best, and most of all ENJOY the experience.

With Cori away in California until Monday afternoon, I've had the garage to myself, music cranked up, and in search of making something out of nothing. Yesterday, I found an old board which I managed to bust in two separate pieces. The largest of the two, I dry brushed with some red and black paint on it and then painted "boulangerie" on it. A little waxing and distressing and I quite like the way it turned out. The smaller of the two pieces was dry brushed with some blue and black, and "Paris" was painted on it.

With those two pieces done, I found a couple of more odds and ends of wood lying in our wood pile, and decided to stay on my roll of making signs and produced another "Paris" and another with a graphic design along with a "1902" and some lettering across the top. Both pieces of wood had holes near the top, so I put in some antique bronze screws, fastened some wire around them, and then using a grinder, ground down the screw to a flat end.

But the one item that was really a transformation was the little blue table. It was a Church Sale find this past Tuesday. An obviously home made piece, but with a throw back to the 50's with a Formica top and the silver trim around it. I painted with the last remaining bits of grey and blue Anne Sloan Chalk Paint. I added the wreath stencil around the handle and thought it could use a strip to give it a more angular line with all the curved edges. After a little distressing and waxing, I think it turned out pretty good, and that's what I'm hoping our Farm Chicks experience will be....pretty darn good!

SOME GREAT FINDS AT THE CHURCH SALE

I wasn't planning on going to the Church Sale this morning, as neither Cori or I have paid them a visit in quite a few weeks, as we have been busy trying to finish up all the incomplete projects we have sitting around.  But as I made my way to the Home Depot to pick up some paint for some side chairs, the pickup just naturally veered towards the parking lot of the Church, and I very happy that it did.

Immediately I spotted the old rustic chair, for only $2.00 and the metal canister, which I was told was used previously to carry the cream from the whole milk from the diary.  Don't know if it's true or not, but I do know it will look great holding some vintage croquet mallets and some walking sticks we will be selling at Farm Chicks.

My next great find was the suitcase.  It was shoved under a shelving unit, and pushed all the way back to the wall.  What first caught my attention was the great color, and when I pulled it out, found it to be made of metal instead of leather.  The inside is in great condition, and it even had an old airline tag still attached to it!

Once inside the main warehouse, I snagged the old metal lunch pail,  the two old thermos', and the two large frames.  All in all it was a great thirty minutes spent collecting some great finds that will no doubt make someone else's heart skip a beat when they see them in two weeks in Spokane.