Want to hear something funny?

I'm about to make you feel a whole lot better about yourself....

If you can believe it, these babies just came down yesterday!

Just curious, does anyone else still have Christmas to remove?

Mark Your Calendars All You Junkers!

I don't know about you but I drool at the mere mention of the Farm Chicks show in Spokane!

I have thought a lot about going, but with three kids, and an eight hour drive it seems like a bit much to pull off just.

Well now there is something for us in the Pacific North West -

The Island Chicks Vintage Home Garden & More sale.

This vintage sale takes place in Anacortes, Washington

which is about 45 minutes drive from our Vancouver - Bellingham border.

The show is on April 16th, and the doors open at 9 am with a $3 admission.

Exploring "deconstructed"

Did I tell you?

I've been thinking a lot about what to do with myself once the kids are all in full time school. So on the spur of the moment I rather impulsively signed up for a part-time Interior Design program at our local Technical Institute. I'm just starting with the intro class for now and I'm excited to see where that leads me.

My second class assignment is to research a hot design topic. So being the junk lovin' gal that I am I had to stay true to my taste. Here is a what I came up with.....

I love the casual comfort of the...

Deconstructed Chair

Can you relate?

These chairs look like they haven't been finished yet, or perhaps they've wore out and haven't been patched back together. Maybe some well meaning DIY'er had started to reupholster their favorite chair with the best of intentions but realized they were in over their head and gave up, or suddenly got distracted.

I can so relate to this trend - I may very well be ahead of my time on this one!

How it all began!

One Christmas a long time ago

Santa brought me the greatest gift!

Yup!

That's me on Christmas day with my brand new

Holly Hobby sewing machine.

I sewed many a make-up bag for my teenage sisters and thier friends

with that baby.

I'm pretty sure I was in third grade there.

After I mastered the battery operated chain-stitch machine I took a

Singer sewing course at the local mall and made the most hideous

outfit ever - complete with a pinking shear accident on the sleeve.

It was nasty!

The instructors made me model it in the year end fashion show regardless.

Thankfully I didn't give up after the pinking shear incident

but rather found a love for creating and carried on.

Where did you get your start?

What are your first creative memories?

Merry Christmas To You All!

From my family to yours.....

....we wish you a Christmas filled with all the things that matter most!

peace, love and hugs,

Antique Books, Flowers, and Twine

Has anyone been to Restoration Hardware lately?

I love some things about their new look, like their use of linen,

and reclaimed wood pieces.

I would say over all that the store has lost me.

Even though most of RH's furniture is oversized and over priced,

I still did enjoyed shopping there and there was always something

that was well within my price range.

I loved the quality and the old retro touches they had,

as well as interesting cleaning and kitchen gadgets.

But this last visit was a disappointment.

I did however spy these old antique books with the covers torn off.

The colours of the old pages speak to me, and I really think they'd look beautiful any place

you choose to put them.

But who needs RH to rip the covers off of old books when I can easily do that myself.

I'm sure I can round up a few old books and some string for less than the $29 US price tag.

So I left for home on a mission to tear covers off my old book collection, but of course by the time I got home I had forgotten about the idea it completely.

(So much is going on at home these days that forgetting about creative ideas is easily done.)

Then I came across this post at one of my favorite blogs, My Sweet Savannah, that reminded me of this idea in the nicest way! She adds such a sweet, flea market twist to these old books -

and actually I like hers so much better than the ones at Restoration Hardware.

Aren't they beautiful?

My sister and I split a box of old books that we found while out at a garage sale a few weeks ago.

I got these three sweet books but I couldn't for the life of me bring myself to pull the covers off.

I added a forgotton old flower pin of my grandma's, a little twine, and wha- la!

I think they go beautifully together!

How do you display your old books?

I'm linking up to "Make it 4 Mondays"

at my friend Cindy's blog,

"Cottage Instincts".

Please pop over and visit!

I'm Almost Back!

Tomorrow my baby starts Kindergarten!

(I promise I'm not gonna cry.)

The thought of having the time to finish a thought seems like a luxury to me.

Yes, I LOVE my kids ...

but who could blame me for being excited about having a few hours each day to myself.

After all I will probably be doing laundry and breakfast dishes anyhow.

I hope all your back-to-schools go smoothly!

Talk soon!