I AM APPALLED !

This is not usually a feeling that I experience... 

but this morning I discovered  something that just shattered my false sense of relative 'security' in my home.

 Now, I do realize that I live in a rural area, surrounded by 300 acres of pasture land with several creeks nearby; 

but things here have always had an order about them.

We do hear and see coyotes out in the field...but they leave us alone and we don't bother them. After all, they were here first.

 

And I have learned to deal with the garter snakes we come across quite frequently. They stay in the yard and help keep the field mouse population under control. 

 
I have even learned to deal with the litter of stray kittens that were born under our porch recently. (They ARE kind of cute- but NO, we're not keeping them!)

But I absolutely, positively,

 CANNOT handle a BAT in my bathroom!  

And yet there it was! I had to look twice! Then again! Then I had to close the bathroom door and frantically text my husband at work to let him know how unacceptable this was....

(ok...brace yourselves... I have pictures!)

 Can you see it? Right there at the top of the shower wall, upside down, near the ceiling!!!

What nerve!

Do you know what my charming, darling husband said?  "Don't hurt the bat...they're protected in this state. We'll deal with it when I get home."

Really??? Don't hurt the bat???

Seems to me the bat broke the unwritten agreement that came with the house; that everything should stay in it's proper dwelling place! 

I say all bets are off!

(Guess that bathroom remodel won't be happening anytime soon....)

 

Love / Hate...

 I have a love/hate relationship 

with the blackberries in and around my yard...

  Mostly though, it's love! I think I really wanted this house because the blackberries reminded me of growing up in Pa. and picking berries 

all summer long, down by the creek. 

A very happy time for me!

 Now we have our own creek.... 

and more berries than you could shake a stick at!

However, I do think that something more

 may be needed under these circumstances...

Sooooo, if anyone has seen any stray goats,

 just wandering around  lookin' for somethin' to do-  by all means, send 'em on over!

 (we'll save ya some berries!)

What ever happened to Main Street?

  I recently visited 

Main Street 

in the small town of Buckley, Wa. 

    

  As I stood inside my friend Katie's shop- The Queen's Ransom- looking out the window at the numerous vacant buildings on this street, I couldn't help but wonder....

       What happened to this charming little town?

It has beautiful flowers....

ample parking.....some pretty good 
places to eat 
(and drink!)....
charming historical architecture.....mostly friendly people.......

...AND LOTS OF VACANT STORE FRONTS!

Having recently moved to another small town (South Prairie), which is practically non-existent, (another story for another day...), I can't imagine that this once thriving little town of Buckley has been allowed to dry up and almost disappear.

Main St. has easy access off  Hwy. 410, so it's not hard to find. In fact, it's easier than both Sumner and Enumclaw- which seem to be teeming with cute little shops and places to lunch. 
I just don't get it!



I picked up this flyer today for one of the vacant store fronts. It's 1200 sq. ft., nice windows, newly painted, air conditioned, new flooring, AND INCLUDES UTILITIES! For 1050.00 a month! Where can you find a deal like that nowadays?

       I'm not saying it's perfect for any 'retail giants', but it sure would be perfect for a talented entrepreneur with a determined spirit! Buckley could sure use a cute little clothing shop,(maybe consignment clothing?), an art gallery, or something fun, something charming,..... 
something exciting enough to wake up a sleepy Main Street that's been resting way too long !

       In this climate of  
"go green, recycle and reuse", wouldn't it just be inspiring to apply those ideas to this charming little town? Rejuvenation is a wonderful thing.......
Just sayin'.....

(p.s. I do not personally know any of the owners of these buildings,

          nor am I being compensated to promote any vacancy they may have.)

Whew! What a Weekend....

 Just to be clear - I am not a person who likes change. I like to know what to expect, and yes, I REALLY DO hate surprises! So, when Dixie & Linda (the Funky Junk Sisters) announced that they were moving their Junk Salvation show to the Puyallup Fairgrounds this year, my heart skipped just a little beat. I knew in my head it would be a much better venue...easier to find, more ambiance, room for more vendors, etc; but in my heart, I still had a nagging 'fear' of the unknown.

I should have known better than to worry!
This turned out to be our best show ever.....

 Usually we have our favorite 'French Country/Paris' style that we like to do, but this show had BARNS! So we decided to add a bit of Country and just a dash of Western to the mix.

 



This Vanity and bench sold... 
one of my best display pieces!














Along with almost all of  my 'Farm Fresh Eggs' signs, and a few barbed wire wreaths.








 Debbie's custom 'Bohemian Style' loveseat
            was snatched up right away 
by a very lovely lady who wasn't even in the market for a sofa!

We also had a small area where we just LET LOOSE with the wildest greens we could find! 
They went perfect with the vintage fabric on a restored old wicker rocking chair.




All in all...we had the BEST TIME EVER! 
A big THANK YOU to Dixie & Linda for all of their hard work...it was fabulous as usual; and to all of our customers- both old and new. 
We really appreciate your support!
Check out our Facebook page for a few more photos, and an exciting 'news flash'!

(and Norm, Debbie, Vern and company)

It's Taken A Year...

     It's taken me a year to adjust to the loss of a friend and the closing of a business. When you're young, a year can seem like a LIFETIME! Now that I'm older (ahem), I hardly realized that much time had passed. I began to notice it this week- when I woke up, I somehow felt 'lighter' inside.
    Maybe it was the beautiful sunrise I saw from my   
   window...

    Maybe it was that my daffodils and pansies were finally 
   blooming...a sure sign of Spring

   Maybe it was that I finally had the energy to start on my 
  laundry room- barnwood wall and all!

   Or maybe it was just that I finally allowed God to do 
   what he does best.... grant me peace of mind!
                                (Gratitude is a wonderful thing!)

Someone New....

      It's been several years since Norm and I have had a dog. We lost our friend 'Cowboy' to a hit-and-run driver on 4th of July 2006, and were devastated. Since then, we've tried not to become attached to another animal, but it seems the time has come....

    There's a new addition to our little family!

Meet Mitsie...

She is a Bernese Mountain Dog, with the sweetest personality you could ever hope for in a new companion.

She's 5 years old. 

  

 So far, she's loving the    fields around our house,

exploring mole holes, checking out the creek and getting a snout full of blackberry brambles... 

...But I really think she much prefers hanging out inside,  right next to my work table. 

(where any good 'shop dog' would want to be - of course!)

We love her already...

A Few Pics from Portland...

So, things are getting back to normal around here- construction, crafting, painting, garden rehab.....the usual stuff. I thought I would post a couple pics of our space at 

the Hillsboro Show outside Portland.

 (still working on getting that new camera, 

I'm sure you'll see why!)

These are some of our "French Pastry" pincushions; stuffed with lavender and embellished with old lace, silk ribbons and German glass glitter pins. Quite a few found new homes in Oregon!

This is a fun old dresser that brought a touch of Spring to our winter-weary friends!

My favorite piece of salvage art.... an old handle from a friend's new place, in a carved, crackled frame. ( I was hoping it wouldn't sell so I would have a reason to keep it! So far, it's still mine...)

...And that about sums up our latest escapades in the great state of Oregon. We did find a really fabulous Mexican restaurant where all the locals ate- could NOT believe the prices and the amount of food we had! Might be worth the trip just for that....hmmmmn 
In the meantime, watch for updates on our next show in Tacoma- 2nd Saturdayz! Gotta love it!

 

A little time at home...

       It's amazing what you can accomplish when you spend a little time at home! Seems like I am so busy these days, I never get a chance to just SIT and look at what I would like to get done for US.
       My wonderful friend Debbie just finished reupholstering my fabulous little sofa- (I know it's really a loveseat, but trust me, this loveseat has a 'BIG SOFA' complex!)

    This is the start of my Bohemian Style front parlor...I haven't added the pillows yet; but I just love how it turned out! The picture below is my room inspiration. (I cannot find the source for this photo, seems like I've had it for over a year now, so if anyone knows, please comment so I can give proper credit)

       As you can see, I have a LONG way to go. My intention is to do something nice for our home, in between doing nice things for other peoples homes, getting ready for shows, working on the shop and garden areas, and a bit of volunteer work in the community.
    Wishing you all, the time to find balance in your lives my friends.... 

Always,
           Victoria