Notes from A Cottage Industry

Never underestimate the power of a woman

...ehem...make that two women. Remember a few days ago, when I said "Bigger isn't always better"? Um, ya. I stand corrected. I now believe bigger is the best, even if it ain't the easiest. (and I am sure you will agree) You see, when I told you the story about the bookcase-hutch thing-y not being able to fit in the room...well, that is still true, however, when I was telling the Sewing Queen of northern Nevada my dilemma,and how there wasn't a more perfect piece for my workroom anywhere on the planet, and oh-woe is me, yada yada yada, she simply said, "Well, why can't you just switch your workroom with your guest room?". Of course I replied with a very long can't-you-see-that's-impossible sigh and a double eye roll over the phone, pointing out that I was way too busy for anything that drastic. Sheesh.

But then........

I couldn't quit thinking about what she said. What if I...could it be...maybe it could...could it really be as easy as that? (After all, isn't that one of the perks of living alone? Being able to do anything you feel like doing, without worrying about what someone else might think?)

Hmmmm.

I proceeded to ask all of my friends opinions on this. (Just so you know-that's what I do whenever I have a dilemma- I obsess and annoy practically every one I know until I figure things out.)

Anyway.

Wouldn't you know that the other Tracey was out of town during this crisis, and so, of course, I called and left her several pitiful depressed messages about my situation. (I know. You're thinking "Dear God! She is a whack job and a half. It's just not that big of a deal!" Oh, yes you were. But it was that big of a deal. See how fabulous the giant piece is in the photo above?)

When at last the other Tracey returned to town she came over and we both studied and circled the bookcase hutch-y thing in my garage and, as expected, she once again said, "It sure is huge." (I know. Profound.) Then she looked at me and said something I never expected. "Okay. We need to paint it up and we're going to swap the rooms. Let's get on it. Now."

Really?!

Yes, really.

 So...we emptied the guest room of all the furniture. (Here is the part where I should let you know that I am a nutty perfectionist methodical thinker, and I pointed out that I really thought the entire new workroom should be painted a warm-chestnut-y-kind-of-soft-mocha rather than the drab antique white walls and if I tried to paint it after moving the ginormous piece in it could spell disaster, or a hernia at the very least.) We ran to Home Depot for paint for the walls and the new bookcase piece. We painted the room and called it a day...er..night actually, because by then it was 8:30 p.m.

The next morning we primed and painted the perfect piece for the new workroom. Once dry, we maneuvered the bottom part down the 1960's hallway. We made the turn in the hallway without too much trouble. Before we knew it, we had the bottom part in the room. Yes! Success. (Here is where I made my first mistake.) I got all cocky, dancing and shouting "We don't need no stinking men! We can do this! Why was I ever worried? It's a cakewalk!"

Um, ya. Notsomuch.

The trouble with the engineering on the piece of furniture was that the top of the bottom piece was open. That is, there was no top to it. Nope. Instead, the top was actually the bottom of the top piece. (did that make any sense at all?)

Anyway.

As we tried to get the top piece into the hallway....we hit a bit of a snag. (Did I mention at any point that the fabulous piece, when fully assembled, measures 7 feet by 7 feet? To give you some perspective, that's the size of a small bathroom, people. The photo doesn't really give you the impression it's that large.In fact, you'll need to click on the top photo to view the piece in it's entirety.) We couldn't get it around the corner in the hallway. I was pinned in the doorway to the old workroom, holding up the heavy bookcase top while the other Tracey was trapped in the guest bathroom. She was finally able to escape by doing a Rambo-esque style crawl under the wedged piece, which being held in place in mid air by the bathroom doorway frame (oh, her Mama would have been so proud!) and then pulling and tugging until we got the thing dislodged.

The other Tracey had had enough by this point. She suddenly (and with great gusto I might add) announced that "It's coming off!", meaning that we were going to dismantle the top piece. (Just go with me here. it was the counter top part, but it was part of the top piece to the bookcase..) I just stared back at her and said, "Okay". (I was just happy that one of us was taking the initiative here and I wasn't going to have to replace any walls in the hallway,, at least not at this point)

We managed to get the five million pound rather heavy top piece back down the hall, and the two steps, to the living room where we laid it on it's side. (..er...it's back?) I ran to the garage and got two hammers and then grabbed two towels (Kids, please don't try this at home.) Using the towels to buffer the whacks with the hammers and to protect the wood, we went to town and in about 5 minutes we were laughing (and sweating) as the top came off of the bottom.(Here, maybe these photos will help...the first one is the top part before paint, the second is the bottom part with the newly removed-from-the-top-part counter)   We then moved the newly freed counter top to the workroom and put it on top of the bottom. (Are you still with me here?) and then we tackled, quite literally, the top part. It was still a tight fit around the corner, but we angled it and pretty much found some inner-super-human-girl-strength and ...we made it around the corner by lifting and angling. (all the while holding our breath). We slid it into the room. We focused, and took a deep breath. Then, on the count of three, we hoisted the top part onto the bottom part and it. was. fabulous. (Thanks Mom. You were so right!)

We stood back and marveled at what we had just accomplished.

Aaah, life is good.

 After a little touch up paint, I was filling every nook and cranny with my supplies, and feeling oh, so thankful that the other Tracey was confident enough to make a snap decision. (I told you she was a visionary.)

As for the other guy that was supposedly going to buy the fabulous piece from me...well, he did finally call on Tuesday at 2:55 p.m. and I told him the piece was already gone to a good home.

And it was.

My little collection of cake toppers

Remember this recent post?

After that post, I had a lot of people email me wanting to see my wedding cake top collection, so here it is. I have only been collecting cake top couples for about a year. Although my collection isn't all that big, I do cherish each and every one of the sweet little couples that I have.

I became inspired to start a scouting for cake toppers after I saw Lisa's collection on her blog one day. ( sorry, I could't find the exact post to share it today!) Well,anyway, I thought it was about the sweetest thing I'd ever seen and I had been wanting to start a collection ever since.

My first cake topper couple came from a yard sale a short while later, and I was thrilled to find it. (they aren't all that easy to find, and now that so many of us collect them, it is even harder) Some of the others are from thrift shops and two were separate gifts from the other Tracey. As I shared in my previous post about Jackie and John joining my collection, I am both fascinated and charmed by these little treasures and I would love to know the history behind each little couple.

I know that many of you collect wedding cake toppers as well, and I'd love to see them and hear how long you've been collecting. Oh, please, do share!

Monday night HomeGoods Blog Post

Better late than never. I finally got my post up over at HomeGoods...find it here.

Words to live by - Week 106

So, so true.

Bigger isn't always better

Oh. My. Ga.

Why, oh why, do I always have to learn everything the hard way?

   The space that I make a huge mess in create in has been driving me nuts. I need more shelf space for organizing.( Anyway, I think I do, and I have thought so for quite a while now.)

   You see, a few months back while thrifting with the other Tracey, I spotted this wonderful hutch-bookcase-y thing at one of the thrift shops in town. It was pricey..well, maybe not as pricey as something from a furniture store, but..let's remember just how cheap frugal I am. I thought it was an amazing piece, and the other Tracey thought it was very...large.
      Every couple of weeks we returned to this particular thrift shop and the piece was still there (Kind of like it was waiting for me...right?) After about three visits to this shop I told the other Tracey that we simply must buy this grand display piece for the small side of our booth at Junkee. After all, it would create a  wall, a backdrop. She pondered this a moment and said she thought it could work...but it was just so...very...large.   
      Weeks went by. We returned, time and again, and finally, we bargained the folks down to a more acceptable price.(Yes, I do know that the money from the sales at this thrift shop goes to the Gospel Mission, but I'm on a budget, people.) Once this was done, we suddenly panicked and decided we still needed to think some more about it. It was a large investment after all, in more ways than one.
      Another two weeks went by. The other Tracey announced, after I brought up the grand piece one more time, that she was quite sure it would be perfect in my workroom.

Huh?

     I thought about this for a moment. Hmmm....brilliant! (Why hadn't I thought of this before?!) Yes, it would be fabulous in there, and, as the other Tracey pointed out, the size of this hutch-bookcase-y thing would add a real presence to the space, because it is so very...large. (She's smart like that...a visionary.)

Anyway.

     We went to the above mentioned thrift shop last Tuesday morning and I purchased the wonderful piece. The thrift shop said they would even deliver it (because even though it came apart into two pieces, it was still too large for any car or SUV) on Friday morning before I went to work at the bank, for a small delivery fee.

(See what I mean? Meant to be, right?)

     Ummm....Notsomuch. You see, after I spent an entire evening after work emptying the old bookcases and moving things out of the room, (along with a few other items that I took to Junkee to sell since I no longer had a use for them) I made a discovery.

It turns out that my cottage isn't all that large, and the hallway is a bit narrow (were people smaller in the 1960's and I just don't remember that part?) and the hallway turns to the left, just after the workroom doorway on the right. Once inside the workroom doorway, there is a bit of an entry to the room due to a closet (about two and a half feet maybe) and, anyway...because of this configuration, you cannot get large or long items into this particular room. (If I have confused you, just trust me on this one, nothing that is taller than a door frame is ever gonna make it's way into this room.)The two delivery guys arrived, and oh how they tried...and tried...and tried, every which way they could imagine, but in the end, it was a no-go. Saddened and frustrated I had them put the oh-so-incredibly-ginormous (Oh my. Why didn't I see how very large it was before?!) hutch-bookcase-y thing in the garage with the rest of the inventory for the booth.

      I then spent last night putting my old book cases back in the work room (after I ran to Junkee and picked up my bench and mirror that I had removed from the room the day before and put up for sale in our booth.) and hopefully by Sunday morning I will have my workroom back together. ( This was one of those moments when I so wished I had a crystal ball.)

     The really good news is that another shopper wanted the same bookcase piece just as I purchased it, and so I called him. (he gave the shop his phone number as a back up in case I had any reason to not buy it) He says he is willing to buy it from me for what I paid, so it looks like the charming (all be it very large) treasure will have a home and I can keep looking for the right storage addition for my space.(He is supposed to call me back and pick it up Tuesday..we'll see.) If he flakes and doesn't take it, it will have a perfect home down at Junkee, creating a fabulous wall for the booth space and it will be for sale there.(I will paint it white with a Robin's eggs blue back...)

I guess the moral to this story is that if a piece looks very large in a warehouse thrift shop with 15 foot ceilings...it most likely is.

 

An interview with Decor Medley

 

    I am quite embarrassed to tell you that several months ago (before Thanksgiving!) I received an email from Giorgina Devereaux of the popular website, Decor Medley, asking if I'd like to do an interview. I was thrilled and kept looking for a good hour to do the interview questions and well....here we are, all the way after Valentine's Day. (My face is crimson red as I type this.) I finally got things done and I am so happy that she didn't forget me!
   It was truly an honor to be interviewed, and many of our other favorite bloggers have been interviewed in the past as well, so check it out!

You can read my full interview here. Thanks again so very much Giorgina!

Confessions of a former yard sale snob

     How adorable is this?! An oh-so-petite hedgehog sweater vest!(It may look big in my photo, but it's tiny...size 3 months! Can you say "precious"?!) It's from Gymboree, one of my favorite children's shops, although the prices aren't always in my budget. I didn't get this little gem at Gymboree though.

Nope.

I got it at a thrift store. For $1.99. (And it doesn't appear to have ever been worn!) Oh, I just can't wait to see the little man in this sweet vest.
     Here's the thing- I used to be a yard sale snob. Mmm hmm, I was. Really. (You don't believe me? Well, it's true.)
     I yard saled each Saturday, but would never look at the clothes. (What?! Wear some strangers used clothes? Eeeewe!) It was forbidden territory in my mind. Furniture, absolutely. Old ("vintage"...such a charming word!) linens, dishes and accessories? For sure! But clothing? That just seemed far too dicey, even if I did wash them.
    One Saturday, I think it was in 2001 or so, in a nice upscale neighborhood we came upon a yard sale that was organized like a Nordstroms department store. While near the clothing department, which was color coordinated and hung on a long professional rack, I spied a winter white (Cream? Ecru?) cashmere dress coat, still in the dry cleaner bag, and with the tag from the dry cleaner still pinned on it. Dare I take a peek? Hmmm.. the lining was cream and mocha pinstriped and it even had an interior pocket.(See it pictured above, behind the little man's vest) I'm telling you, this was a nice coat, people! I consulted my yard sale buddy and decided to try it on.

It. Was. Heaven. (and apparently mis-marked, because it said SMALL in the collar, and I am anything but...oh! This made me want it even more, so I could lay it on someone's sofa with the little "S" tag showing in the chic lining!) I will tell you that every time I wear this coat (It's a classic timeless style and I still wear it to this day!) people comment on what a gorgeous coat it is. Really.
      Long story short- I bought it, for a fast $20. It was clearly originally a $300-$400 coat. Yes, I am here to tell you that life changed for me that hot July day at about 8:00 am, when the light went on and I realized that there are incredible deals to be had, not only on household goods, but clothing too.
      A couple of months ago at a thrift shop (for $10) I scored the most darling black velour long coat with black faux fur collar and cuffs (Okay, I may be describing it poorly and you're thinking it sounds like 1982, but trust me here, it's cute and hip and looks fabulous with a cream colored cami and a pair of dressy jeans and my stiletto heeled black boots.) It's cut in such a way that adds a nice curve at my waist  and I feel like a million bucks in it.
     Now that I'm a Gramma, I never leave a thrift shop without scanning the baby section. I'm here to tell you folks that people donate all the darling designer clothes that originally cost a small fortune, and many, many times these items have not even been worn. Some still have tags on them. They're all there- Osh-kosh, Gmboree, The Children's Place, GAP kids, Levi...you name it. And for pennies on the dollar.
    Do you buy clothes at thrift shops or yard sales? (I'd like to know if I was the only one one out there back in the day,thinking it was taboo) If you do thrift, but you never look at clothing, look again. It's the ultimate in recycling and "green" thinking.

And you can save a pretty penny.

Life is as good as we make it.

   

    After the baby shower yesterday I spent the remainder of the day with the other Tracey, revamping the booth at Junkee and searching for more treasures around town. Due to the downturn in the economy, we are both working on making it all happen (our dreams, that is) and finding  out that life is just as good as we make it.
    Between light snow showers we scurried in and out of several thrift stores and finally, ended the day (at 7:30 pm...) with a total of three car loads of fabulous stuff for our trip to Sacramento on March 8th, and for the Junkee booth, and neither of us spent too much money.

So. Much. Fun.

      Funny...what most people would deem a bad situation and a time to be filled with worry, (lay-offs from good paying jobs and a future that is unclear at best) I actually feel very happy, content and oh, so blessed.

God continues to open doors.

A themed baby shower gift for a sweet friend

     I'm going to a baby shower for one of my coworkers today.(The bank is closed for the Presidents Day holiday, so it was the perfect day for all of us to be able to make it to the shower.)
See my post over at the HomeGoods blog. Just click here.

Words to live by - week 105

Wash your face every morning in a bath of praise.
                                                                             - Charles Spurgeon

The latest greatest thing from Wells Fargo Bank

     Working at the bank has turned out to be a whole new source of inspiration for me.(Who knew?) Here's just one example: Did you know that you can personalize your debit cards? Mmm hmm. For free.( If you have more than one account, say, a checking and a savings, or a business and a personal, it's the perfect way to tell the account cards apart!)It's easy as pie..er..cupcakes. Just upload the photo of your choice to the design your card page online and in less than a week, it arrives in your mailbox!

Just how fun is that?

Of course, you know I put cupcakes on mine. Carter's mommy put a picture of him on hers.

So, think about it...if you bank with Wells Fargo....What will you put on yours?

Another busy Friday in my not-so-ordinary life

     Yes, it's been another busy Friday around here, with several cupcake orders. (and a banner for a sweet girl's baby shower!) Oddly enough, none of the orders were for Valentine's day.
     The other Tracey and  I did manage to sqeeeeeeze in a trip to our favorite thrift shops this morning before I went to the bank to work at noon, and we found a few darling things, so it was a success. (some wonderful treasures to be re-invented for the March Sacramento fair!)
      Happy Friday evening, everyone!

    

Booth cruisin' at Monticello...

As promised, here's little peek into some of the booths at Monticello...pure eye candy!Jane's booth, called Burlap and Bling (don't you just love that name?) was full of new treats. Her displays are so inspiring.
Colby Cottage was crammed full of vintage goodies. (Look at that classic pink mixer!!)

She has such a knack for filling every nook and canny with the most incredible things.
Of course the girls from Tickled Pink, Lisa and Isabel, had lots of darling things too. I could honestly stay in their booth all day.
The Silly Bear is there too, with all sorts of charming white and weathered pieces....

*sigh* If I ever get to live in the Portland area, I'd love to get on the wait list for a space here.

A basket full of treasures from Monticello...

    

     I got home late last night from my way-too-short-and-quick trip to visit, so I am running behind this morning. I promised pictures of the goods from Monticello, and I will be true to my word...tonight after work I'll get the rest of the pictures edited. For now, here's a quick peek at my basket at the checkout counter....it's all just so  charming and somehow, it ended up even being color coordinated in my basket. Just gazing at my treasures in this impromptu vignette made me smile and I am quite sure the checkout lady thought I was more than a little whacked when I went behind her counter to snap this picture.

More pictures next post, I promise! For now, I need to jump in the shower or I will be late for work!

Put on your lucky Raccoon hat Carter, we're goin' to Monticello.

  I'm up here in Stars Hollow Camas to visit this handsome guy and we decided to take a little trip to our favorite Antique Mall. It was his first time out and about Antiquing.

...turns out he's a great lil' shopping buddy, with a real eye for spotting a diamond in the rough. Oh, so much to see! (I'll share our finds and favorites in a post a little bit later!)

Yup.

We shopped till we dropped.

A very late Monday night HomeGoods blog post.....

I had some computer issues today, so my post is quite late, but here it is at last. It's Monday's homeGoods blog post...read it here!

words to live by - week 104

It is no small thing when those so fresh from God love us.

*sigh* I can't help myself. I am overcome with Gramma love.

Candlelight and Roses and a trip planned to old Sac.

   

      Remember when I told you that the Tumbleweed Cotillion was going to be in a second location? Well, I finally got a few pictures of the space to share with you! The location is out in the Spanish Springs area of Sparks, Nevada (just next to Reno) at our sweet friend Cyndi's florist shop named Candlelight and Roses. (located at 155 Disc Drive, ste.101, by Office Depot and across the street from Home Depot ) 
We're focusing on antiqued white furniture and a little bit of vintage wedding in there right now, along with a little romance...perfect for Valentine's Day!
     If you live nearby, stop in and see Cyndi (Did I mention that Cyndi has Salt City candles? Oooh, I love them!) and take a peek.     
     Of course we're still in our booth space at Junkee, and we've just decided we're going to get a booth space at the upcoming Sacramento Outdoor Antique Faire the second weekend in March, under the WX Freeway. We've got lots of things on our list (and in my garage!)to paint, and craft and create!

*sigh* It's good to be so busy doing what I love.

Simple pleasures

Soft flannel pajamas and fresh sheets, right out of the dryer, at bedtime.
Unread inspiring magazines.
A loooong hot bubble bath after a loooong day.
Jack Johnson.

Two big ol' dogs perplexed by the bubbles in the tub.

    Life in this economy has been hard on many of us as of late. I live in northern Nevada, where, less than five short years ago we boasted the lowest unemployment rate in the nation. Now, we sit in the number three spot and it looks like we will hit number one soon, with very nearly 10% unemployed. That's one in 10 of us, out of work. Here in the biggest little city, it feels more like one in three. I have more friends out of work than not, and out of all of them, only two of us have found new jobs, both of which pay only a small fraction of what we were earning. (And that's a whole new challenge in and of itself)
     I can't watch the news any more. It's too doom and gloom for me. I don't read the paper anymore and I try not to read the teaser headlines on my Yahoo mail home page. (I get the weather report from the Sewing Queen when I need it) I need to look at what I have that's good right now and not look too far down the road. I can't look at the "what-if's" and "how-will-I's". I need to look at the "for-today's". When we take things a day at a time, life is doable. I am constantly reminded that I am not in charge anyway, so I need to look at my day, as it begins each morning and ends each night and simply be thankful for it. (I know, oh, how I know...Sometimes this is much easier said than done.)
    Last night, after another very long day I came home and did laundry. Although it was late, I washed my bed linens. Fresh sheets on my bed make me feel all warm and fuzzy and secure in an odd sort of way. Especially in winter with the feather bed. (I imagine it's just like sleeping inside of a cloud.) As I climbed into bed I felt very thankful for the late night treat of fresh sheets and a couple of magazines to read in a cozy bed after a soothing bath, and realized that, for today, that's all I needed to make me happy.
   The way I see it is that we're all on an adventure and although I don't know what the adventure will turn out looking like yet for me, or my friends in a year (or in three months for that matter) I do know that I have much to be thankful for, and I do know we are all going to be okay. Better than okay.
     For now, I am continually mindful of the blessings I do have, today, and I intend to enjoy these simple pleasures. (Like Jack Johnson says, " We got everything we need right here and everything we need is enough..." ) Little reminders from God that things are under control, whether I can see that or not. There is a plan. I'm just not on the "need to know" list. (I am on the "need to trust" list)
   So...if you catch yourself letting worry creep in, try looking at just today.

Oh, and take time to savor those simple pleasures in your life.

When is a garage not a garage?

.um..ya. When it looks like this.
Full, full, full of things to paint and re-invent, for the booths, and for the Farm Chicks show. Some nearly finished, some not yet started. Hopefully next weekend I will get this pile all under control and be parking in the garage once again!

Monday HomeGoods Blog post...some orderly inspiration

      I shared with you a few posts back that I was born messy, and, believe me, it has been an uphill battle my entire life. Now that I am really trying to persue my bliss with my painted furniture and my cupcakes, I need to be extra organized more than ever. I created a quick and easy system using inexpensive clipboards to work in my office/creative space along with my giant inspiration board. I share the details on my HomeGoods blog post..here.

Words to live by - week 103

 
Every child born into the world is a new thought of God, an ever-fresh and radiant possibility.
Kate Douglas Wiggin