We have had the most amazing weather EVER in the last 2 months here in the Seattle area. One morning of drizzle in two months ... the rest of the days are sunny, warm and moisture free. For me, this has been a gift. My entire back yard is FULL of furniture projects. I know my neighbors think I am a hoarder ... as you can see through my fence, it looks like the entire yard is covered with "things". But, this is how I make money ... I find amazing pieces that have been forgotten and mistreated and I (meaning my husband, Jeff) brings them back to life. I have been preparing for Remnants of the Past in California and wondering what I was going to take. Not to worry, as the last few weeks I have recvd. multiple calls from people and found an amazing collections of goods for the show. So excited to hit the road and head down to California ... thinking of going through the Redwoods this year instead of I-5. It will all depend on when we leave. I am bribing the kids to help and rallying the troops ... always toooooo much to do. wish me luck. Dawn

Todays Great Finds

The picking has been GREAT lately ... here are a few of todays bounty ... some amazing metal items ... a great zinc and green trough from an equestrian farm that sadly was purchased for a new apartment complex ... some old radiators that had such great relief on them (we are going to be turning these into lights) ... a concrete piece that i am salivating over (love concrete) and a huge wood screen that I am going to use for display at the store to frame pressed botanicals or old prints. Love the industrial metal and butcher block table ... this I know, will turn out amazing ... quirky and one of a kind. The leather books with gold filigree ... les miserables ... a fabulous set for a bookcase or coffee table.

I love to show the state in which I find some of these things and what they end up looking like in the end. Mr. Oscar is crazy talented and works magic with everything I bring home ... I simply could not do what I do without him.

Washington Moss

Amazing Washington Moss ... perfect for those of us who love a natural garden with lots of architectural concrete statuary and urns. It takes years to get this way ... basically you have to ignore it for a looongggg time. But when spring comes and the blossoms from the cherry trees start exploding and the little leaves start sprouting ... it is simply magical. Absolutely love this time of year ... i had a few moments out in the garden today, just puttering around ... and so I had to grab my camera and take some pictures.

Ruffles and Rust Show

Here are some pictures of my booth at the rust and ruffles show (i have been told by many of you i have to become more active posting pictures and information on my blog and yes, i promise in the next day or two my facebook will be up and accepting friends ... sorry about being SOOO behind the times, i have been busy looking for treasures for all of you.

A huge thank you to all of you who came to the Rust and Ruffles show on friday and saturday ... it was a huge success. Lots of great vendors and things to buy. A big thank you to Timi who knows how to throw a party and promote a GREAT show and to all the sweet helpers who made it fun and problem free.

and just a short addendum that i will be talking more about real soon ... I am FINALLY going to have a retail spot you can shop from in between shows. I am one of the vendors going into the new RUST and RUFFLES Square in Snohomish. I am SUPER excited about it and plan on stocking it to the hilt. It is a fabulous industrial space and i am really excited about the possibilities. I will be posting more soon ... i have a lot of laundry to catch up on and housekeeping chores to attend to.

Newest Project

I am so glad to finally post something on my blog ... the last two months have been so crazy with events and family projects, rain ... lots of rain and cold weather ... i was going crazy trying to get everything done. And, in the midst of all that, we were hit with a horrible computer virus, wiping out our entire hard drive. Jeff and I are both self employed pretty much, so we had to recreate lots and lots of records for tax season coming up. As you can imagine ... LOTS OF FUN!!!

Anyway, here i am, back in the saddle and i just had to post a picture of a cute little bench i just finished fixing up for my upcoming shows. I happen to be looking through the latest issue of lonny magazine and look what i found ... on page 107 ... the exact same bench. I actually found it in the gold and gold coloring as shown in the magazine pictures but it had been pretty much trashed so i decided to paint and pair it with this fun leopard like print. So much fun for an entry or small space.

If you are local, don't forget about Second Saturdayz Market this weekend and Rust and Ruffles show next weekend. I will be at both.

So fresh and fun ...

nothing better than pulling the garden indoors ... i love the strong industrial elements paired with the large botanical chart and that pop of greenery ... and just to mix it up a bit, the addition of the drippy chandelier ... perfect.

LOVE ....

i am so loving EVERYTHING in these pictures ... everything from the horns to the crusty metal to that punch of french red.

The glitter has come out

right about now i start getting excited about Christmas and decorating for the holidays ... this is about the only time i get real crafty ... meaning the glitter and glue come out in full force and i try my hand at some martha stewart projects.

today i made a couple of glittered crowns ... i was prepared to bring them to market this weekend but it fit so perfectly on my antelopes head, i instantly decided i needed to keep one.

New Additions to ETSY

SEATTLE is SUNNY and i have been busy getting organized and taking pictures ... i am in the process of posting 35 new items on ETSY ... so check out my store on a daily basis as i have some fun, kitchy items that will be added.

as you can see i am still learning how to post pictures in the proper manner. I have been playing around with photoshop but it is not coming as naturally as i would like (to think that 20+ years ago i taught computer graphics classes .... how things have changed and i clearly have not kept up).

October has been CRAZY

... and AMAZING at the same time ... which hopefully explains my absence . i have had 4 shows this month which included 2 in California.

Jeff and I hit the road at the end of September and drove down to the coast of california, near Santa Barbara. I did the Remnants of the Past show which i have to tell you is a first class show run by a first class lady, Judy Watkins. She is so lovely, professional, chill as a cucumber, personable, flexible, graciuos .... i could go on. She holds the sale on her friends lemon and avocado farm and the grounds, the house, the barn are amazing. I met some fabulous people and made some true connections. I truly can hardly wait until the next show ... i have a lot of junking to do.

next we headed north to San Francisco where i sold at the Alameda flea market. we arrived at 2:00 am and were allowed to set up at 4:00 am with early buyers arriving at 6:00 am. I am still trying to figure out how we did it as we had not had any sleep in 2 days. somehow we figured out how to unload the truck and set up again.

Had a great day of selling huge tables and really funky and cool collectibles. we met some pretty famous folks as well ... store owners i have seen in magazines, bloggers and a few celebrities. It is so fun getting out of your neighborhood.

we delivered goods to stores as we left SF and it was so great to see where my finds were going to be living.

we had an exhausting drive home ... poor Jeff, he was beat and i couldn't help with the driving as a sixteen foot trailer was a little tricky for me.

i could never have done this without Jeff. he is an amazing man and partner in crime. talk about talent ... this man can make, fix and do anything. he is the plummer, mechanic, builder, landscaper, florist, cook, father, artist, fix it man and commedian at the same time. he has probably the quickest mind and sense of humor i know ... which definitely makes life fun and exciting.



I took these pictures from Terry at La Dofina ... i met her and her husband at the ALAMEDA ... what a fun and guenuine couple. to see more, here is the link: http://ladolfina.blogspot.com/2010/10/alameda-point-antiques-collectibles.html

My garden makes me happy

in my search for great items for the home, i often run into amazing things for the garden ... i love a european garden. Old urns, concrete tables, statuary ... and i love it, as is, with moss and lots of patina. in the last year i have become completely obsessed with succullents. they match my crazy schedule ... no need for extra care. they are amazing as a group, looking almost like a bouquet or arrangement. in an old urn, they are simply spectacular.

when i step out the front door and see the lovely grouping ... i am instantly happy.