Farm Chicks Part Deux

 The Farm Chicks Show is a lot of beautiful junk set up by very clever artists.  There were many light fixtures that you wouldn't find at Village Lighting.  If you want a new chandelier, go to an old farm grab something out of the barn, add some bling and voila you have a swanky new light.

I have the one as pictured below.  Hubby had just hung it on the patio before I left for Farm Chicks.  His Grandma had made it from a kit many years ago.  It's fancy and fun.

 The women dress up for Farm Chicks whether it's an apron, a petticoat, fancy boots or a hat, most get into the spirit of the show and dress like a Farm Chick.  It's farm slash ranch fashion couture at its best.

Before I left on the trip I cleaned out a cupboard and tossed an old bundt pan.  Honestly.

 I loved Wood & Wool's booth.  I did buy a paint by number painting and I hope to capture their idea by painting a quote over it.  I loved their pictures but they weren't the right size for me.

 Oh deer, aren't you swanky?  Sheryl, Shelly and I all purchased some antlers.

 Peonies are in season.  There were gorgeous bouquets everywhere.

 I know, let's take an old horse hair sofa and make it into a planter!  Who thinks of these things? There is so much re-purposing creativity.  It is mind boggling at times.

The girls and I loved the show.  We agreed that one day is enough for us and that we don't have to go every year but will want to return down the road.  We still had room in the Jeep after the show.  

More stops and fun coming up!

To be continued...

Farm Chicks 2015

Farm chicks is a really big junk and antique show in Spokane.  It features some of the most creative people from the Northwest.  Artists that reuse, re purpose and create with talent and imagination and then share their goodies with farm chicks and farm chick wanna be's.  That's a lot of and's. Sorry.

I picked Shelly up at 6 a.m. on Friday, we drove to Sea Tac to pick up Sheryl.  She had been in Montana and possibly could have met us in Spokane but then would have missed the journey.  What's to miss?  A tummy ache from laughing, breakfast at a diner and a farm tour from Max.  So yeah, she had to meet us in Seattle.

 First stop was at Twede's Diner in North Bend for breakfast.  No fast food for these girls.  We wanted an experience wherever we went on this road trip and that included all meals, stops, detours.

Twede's was delicious and our waitress was a doll.  It was just the beginning of us making friends wherever we stopped.

 Our next stop was in George, WA to visit my baby, Max.  I brought him a strawberry pizza and a bag of things for his new place.  He took us on a tour of the farms and was full of information.  The girls had a lot of questions for Farmer Max.  Then we went to see my mom-in-love, Es.  We were planning to go to lunch but we ate too much breakfast. And we had to get to Spokane to buy our tickets.

 Shelly brought her Garmin and we tagged her Gabby.  She told us where to go all weekend.  Our next stop was Farm Chicks to purchase our tickets for the next day.  Shelly put in the address and off we went to find Farm Chicks.

Gabby told us to take an exit about 25 miles from Spokane.  We oohed and ahhed at how quickly we'd arrived.  Uhmmm, this doesn't look quite right but Gabby said so we kept going.  Apparently, the Farm Chicks address is Serena's address.  We took it as an invitation...

I kid, we turned around, got back on I-90 and drove to Spokane Fairgrounds to purchase our tickets.  We checked into the Davenport Towers.  Found our room and then a lovely drink in the Safari Grill.

 On Saturday we got up, put on our cute shoes or cowgirl boots and got in line for the show.  

It was hot!  We were excited!

 We shopped until noon, then we got hot and hungry.

 Shelly and I ran into Holly, the only pic I have of Holly is her finger on the lens.  Sometimes I am just not thinking.  I wish I had a pic of Holly because she is a true blue Farm Chick.

 Sheryl showed up, and we agreed that we were hot and hungry but it wasn't anything that lunch and a drink couldn't fix so we drove to Chaps.  It turns out that was a brilliant decision since they were closed for dinner for private event that night.

 Chaps is a bucket of pretty. A big farm-sized bucket of pretty, clever and imagination in a bakery slash restaurant.  And then we met Chaps owner extraordinaire, Miss Celeste.  It just got better and better.  We had a lot of fun with Celeste.  She owns Chaps, has three boys, writes for a magazine.  She runs Lucky, her little antique shop.  She is a nurse, so her and her husband, a surgeon go on Doctors without Borders annually.  They leave for Uganda soon.  One very busy, talented, gracious lady.  She leisurely chatted with us, never mind that she was hosting dinner for 200 in a few hours and had house guests.

 Even the bathroom is pretty.  I loved the mirror.

 Then it was back to Farm Chicks for more shopping and inspiration.

To be continued...

'57 Aloha Update

Tick tock, tick tock, the time is flying.  The '57 Aloha restoration is moving along but our due date is fast approaching too.  The electrical is finished.  Since that isn't Hubby's area of expertise it was painful.  The aloha can be plugged in or we can use 12 volt.  I knew he'd figure it out.  The 12 volt fixtures were difficult to find but eventually they were found at LFS Marine Supply.  I guess boating is good for something.

Shelly, Chris and Debbie came for a preview and cocktails this week. The Aloha isn't ready for all of the fun accessories yet but I did bring a few out so the girls could check it out.  And they brought me a cute basket of goodies too.

 The bed reading light isn't installed but I think we will end up just plugging it in anyway.

The curtains are sewn.  Remember I am no seamstress I am just sewing seams with stress.  Some are laying on the bunk, some are in the house.  The rings had to come from New York because I wanted silver instead of brass.  It ended up being a pile of curtains.  I lined them and I even used some seam binding from my Grandma's old sewing basket.

 The table got built last night but it's not in the pictures from earlier this week.  My little kettle for making hot cocoa is heavy aluminum with the lid and handle an aqua aluminum.  We bought the cutting board on Maui.

 I bought the stove magnets at Penny Lane and added the 5 and 7 with scrapbook stickers.

Sheryl gave me the cute tea towel.

 The little coffee canister is vintage and the happy camper sign is from the Lynden Pioneer Museum gift shop.

 The insulation is next and then the polishing.  Hubby and I have been watching Youtube videos on polishing and reading up on everyone's opinion on what works best.  It doesn't look to be fun or easy.

Anyone want to weigh in on what works best?

Some days I think we will make it to our church camp out and some days I know it's hardly possible.  If we didn't have to go to work, have yard work and house work it could happen.  In the meantime we just keep at it.

Tomorrow I am leaving for the Farm Chick's Show in Spokane.  I'll be looking for some glamping accessories at the happiest show on Earth.  It's a road trip with a stop for lunch and a farm tour with Max.  Last night he texted me to bring him a strawberry pizza or there would be NO lunch or tour.  

Honestly!

Enjoy your weekend!

Well Done

Sam is going to be finished with his military career in just a few days.  He was stationed and trained in Oklahoma, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Iraq, Oman and Washington.  Sam served as a Combat Medic and was a paratrooper.  He grew up, he worked hard, he studied, he made friends, he got married, he got promoted, he took good care of his soldiers.  Sam drove an ambulance, he treated injuries, he gave a lot of shots.  Sam earned the Expert Field Medical Badge.  Sam marched many miles, ran many miles.  He jumped out of a lot of planes with full medic gear, he had a parachute that didn't open.  He had a back up chute that did open.

Sam landed in a tree. 

 Sam came home for leave. His friends and family were always so happy to see him.

 He came home very thin from Iraq but otherwise unharmed.

Sam did funeral detail while in the Army.  He came home to give military honors to his Grandpa. 

We visited Sam and watched his promotion at JBLM.

After a long distance romance Sam  married Angela last summer.

Sam was prayed for by so many of you.  His family, his friends, the military moms, my blog readers and our church were faithfully praying for Sam.  I am so grateful for each of those prayers and for each person that prayed for Sam and Angela.

 He spent all of last week turning in his gear.  He has a few things to take care of this week and then has leave until he signs out for the last time in July.

Any time Hubby or I were on base we heard that Sam was a good soldier.  Thank you Sam for a job well done serving your country.  May God bless you as you begin a new chapter.  School, work and reserves and actually living with your beautiful bride, being a civilian again, so many good things.  Enjoy!

Psalm 62: 6-7

He only is my rock and my salvation;

He is my defense;

I shall not be moved.

7 

In God is my salvation and my glory;

The rock of my strength,

And my refuge, is in God.