Holey Sheet

Late last night, long past when I should have been asleep in preparation for today’s yard-sale-ing,* it seemed like a great time to start a little no-sew vintage sheet project I’d been thinking about.

Impulse control? Never heard of it.

I’ll be a vintage vendor at two outdoor events later this summer and I wanted to make something colorful to flutter gently in the mild summer breezes that will be blowing softly through my vintage-packed canopy tent.

(This post is actually a subliminal message for the weather gods. I hope they receive it so I don’t end up with something colorful and sopping wet flapping madly in the hurricane-force winds beating against my rain-soaked canopy).

And I wanted it to be fast and easy.

Like tying-knots-onto-string-easy.

And it was.

Have a wonderful weekend!

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 *Sadly, June-uary weather prevailed and rained out today’s yard sale plans.



Summer Camp for Vintage Junkies

Or...

 How I Spent My Summer Vacation at Meadowbrook Farm.

I only wish this photo belonged to me ... not to mention that kitchen!
If you'd like to pin this photo, please hop over to Meadowbrook Farm to pin from the original source. 

 

 

Welcome, camper!

Late afternoon arrival will begin with a walking tour of the camp followed by the evening meal* served in the vintage dining hall.

After-dinner Meet & Greet. 
Scheduled topics of discussion include blogging, the merits of chocolate pudding, Pinterest, Downton Abbey and sewing with vintage sheets: For or against?  (For.)

Lights out: Whenever. 

Day 1.

Morning.  Round table talks:  Photography, props & styling, creative process, and pro and cons of Hobby Lobby.

Break for lunch at charming local restaurant. Meal highlight is crazy good cheesecake.

I've got mail. My favorite summer camp junk acquisition.

Afternoon. Tour of antique shops which may include encounters with skittish local wildlife.**

Retire to camp for delicious dinner, vintage chit-chat, magazine viewing and Season 2 of Downton Abbey.

Day 2.

Morning. Chocolate muffin paired with vintage fabric show & tell.  This will also be the time for campers to plan future projects involving current and not-as-yet-acquired vintage fabric and will include a vintage fabric swap.

Please remain in your pajamas for this event as it will extend into the early afternoon and be spread out across several rooms.

An in-depth exploration of gingham begins at noon.

Break for a late lunch at yet another charming local restaurant. Dessert will be an amazing cream puff made entirely of 10 billion calories.

Afternoon of antiquing and thrifting along with wonderful driving tour of local points of interest.

Retire to camp for another delicious dinner, more vintage chit-chat, additional magazine viewing and the rest of Season 2 of Downton Abbey.

Day 3.

Cram vintage purchases, boxes of vintage fabric and fluffier self into jeans-that-used-to-fit/car and prepare for departure.

Next stop, Farm Chicks!

While driving, reflect on amazing moments the internet has brought about and the generous invitation that made attendance at Meadowbrook Farm Summer Camp possible.

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*at this camp, chocolate is incorporated into every meal.

**please maintain a calm demeanor if a semi-domesticated/crazed squirrel named Rosie runs across your shandal and straight up your pant leg at 90 mph while you are simply standing there, minding your very own business.

 

 

One week, two farms.

It’s been pretty darn quiet here lately while sequestered on the couch with The Foot.

I solemnly swear these will be sewn into something useful.

Daytime tv has a LOT of room for improvement and with every book & magazine in the house read and reread, I eventually turned my time and attention to ebay and etsy and the vintage fabrics waiting for me there.

I heart the internet.

I think the Doctor said "No ironing." At least that's what I heard.

And my broken foot and I are thrilled to have been promoted recently from the robotic velcro boot to an equally hideous item of medical footwear I refer to as The Shandal (shoe + sandal) because now I can drive again!

Footwear design inspired by the spatula.

Freedom!

Yard sales!

My antique mall space!

My fingers (and some toes) are crossed that The Foot will continue to heal because I have big plans next week that involve driving.

Road trip!

photo courtesy of Meadowbrook Farm

First stop, beautiful Meadowbrook Farm.

photo courtesy of Meadowbrook Farm

I have the magical powers of vintage tablecloths to thank for this visit. And a generous invitation from Teresa of Meadowbrook Farm, of course.

Because it would be weird to just show up, right?

I thought so.  

After seeing her incredible photos on her blog for a few years now, I am giddy with excitement to see Meadowbrook Farm in person.

From Meadowbrook Farm, I’m off to Farm Chicks! This will be my second trip to Farm Chicks and now that I know what to expect (great vintage junk, amazing displays, zillions of people’s behinds),  I’m feeling more prepared.

Last year I experienced vintage junk overload as soon as I walked in the door.

Just hoping no one steps on my Shandal this year.

Any big plans for Memorial Day weekend?  Hope it’s filled with fun things to do!

 { Thanks to all of you for your kind words, comments & emails about breaking my foot. You. Are. Awesome.  XO!!  -amy }

Ker-Plunky Goes the Maiden

That’s right.

About ten minutes into the frenzy of unloading my U-Haul full of junk at the Plucky Maidens event this past weekend, I managed to spaz out trip on the truck ramp, bend my foot entirely the wrong way and, in an attempt to be an overachiever in field of self-inflicted injuries, break a little foot bone.

( You know how people say "Oh, if it were a broken bone, you'd know it!"  My response to that: “You might not.” It took an x-ray two days later for me to know it. )

Luckily, I injured myself while in the midst of some of the nicest people on the planet. Many of the Plucky Maidens vendors very generously provided ice, manual labor (unloaded my truck!), ointments, candy, wine, advice, hugs & moral support.

Of course, now I'm kicking myself (with my good foot) for doing this at the start of yard sale high season.

To my gas pedal foot, no less.

So I have just the one photo of my double space at Plucky Maidens. I meant to take more but decided to sit down instead.

Happy to report that despite The Foot, I sold a lot of junk.*

Grateful.

 (*I’m always curious what people are buying – here are some of the things I sold:  mid century modern chair, rusty window screens, old single pane windows with chippy paint frames, a dresser without drawers converted into a potting table, galvanized metal tubs, metal numbers, two concrete deer (one of which was resold to someone else before it left the building!), garden chair, tall wood ladder, misc. metal cabinets and carts, all sorts of odds & ends, garden bench, milk glass vases, vintage suitcase, clipboard chalkboards, vintage tablecloths (I can’t keep them all … or can I?), chippy paint stepladder, garden books, wood/painted drawers, vintage pennant banners, typewriter, globe, mcm metal shelves)

Painting, wallpapering and a little graffiti

My free side-of-the-road chair, which has faithfully posed for many an etsy photo with a pillow or stack of vintage tablecloths on it, is getting ready to start over, this time in a lovely shade of aqua.  

A change in the seat cover fabric to follow as well. Something with red, I think, although I'm open to suggestions.

Brass frames have been quietly multiplying in a corner of the doily factory so they’ve been separated, decorated and will be shipping out to my antique mall space this week.

 And these chalkboard paint clipboards were an impulse project last night, inspired by this emerging young artist, Little Miss VJIMT.  (if you follow the link, scroll down to the inspiration)

In just about a week I’ll be unloading a much-larger-than-usual truck as vendor at the Plucky Maidens Junk Fest in Portland because in a moment of sheer insanity, I rented two vendor spaces.

 

If that doesn’t make some room in the Garage Where Cars Can’t Park, nothing will.



Fear, Optimism and Confusion

Him:  What are you doing today?

Me:  Checking out an entire antique store that’s liquidating.

Him:   ( stunned silence )

Him:  Just calling you back after I missed your call.

Me:   I was at Home Depot.

Him:  Buying shelves for the garage?

Me:  ( hysterical laughter )

Him:  Should we put a trailer hitch on the car?

Me:  Why?

Him:  For when you go to Farm Chicks. Won’t you be hauling a bunch of stuff home?

Me:  ( stunned silence )

And yet another version of my tiny antique mall space.

Hope you have a great week!



Springtime in Oregon

I have something on my mind today.

Not to mention on the ground and trees and roads as well.

Back in January, this scene was lovely.

...and it's still coming down...

On March 21, the second day of Spring, this is enough already.

Is there a form I can fill out to make this stop, please?

Averting my eyes toward the store-bought daffodils.

In other news...

Thank you SO much for all of your encouragement regarding my tiny antique mall space in Portland, OR.

So far, so good and things are selling. Hooray!

There is one little thing that hasn’t sold (that cute blue garden cart which is taking up quite a bit of precious real estate in the tiny space) but the always amazing Monticello Home & Garden Show starts soon so fingers crossed the blue cart will roll on out to its new home in someone’s garden.

I truly hope you’re having a beautiful day where you are. 

If you have some to spare, please send sun.