This Fall

I love first day of school pictures and I "liked" every first day of school picture I saw on face book.  The preschool, the elementary, middle school, high school and even a few college.  It's better if the college pics are selfies as those mamas need to let their people go.

I had my first day of school last week subbing in a third grade class room.  Two days this week and five days subbing next week.  Every day I go to a new job.

This fall we have two weddings!  Danny and Jess are getting married in October and having a reception in Grand Rapids. MI over Thanksgiving weekend.  We are all very excited to go to MI and celebrate with them.  Three weeks later Max and Kassie get married on December 16 and we are excited to celebrate with them. 

I had a lot of fun at Sam and Angela's wedding.  A friend told me that all she wanted at her son's wedding this summer was to end up with a photo of her and her son having as much fun as Sam and I were having in this photo.

Hubby and I are so happy for our guys.  We prayed for them to find the right wife from when they were little and it all feels so right.  We are blessed and thankful.

It was my Dad's birthday yesterday.  I miss him.  One of my favorite photos of him is at hunting camp with Sam.  Hunting camp was not about hunting. It was hiking, horseback riding, trail bikes and Honda 90's, sitting around the campfire, the littles playing on a dirt pile with their Tonka trucks, good food, and laughing at Charmae. Trust me, the deer were safe in our noisy camp!

Charmae, we need to go camping!

Yesterday I got Hua'Kai Annie ready for some fall camping.

Yes, those are Sugar Babies in the mason jar.  Nothing says fall like Halloween candy.

Hubby and I love to camp at Silver Lake in the fall and plan to go this month.  In October, I have a girls trip to Mardon Resort and to visit Max.  Annie is cozy with flannel sheets, a little heater and the hot cocoa is packed.

Happy Fall Y'all!

Mt. Baker Vintage Trailer Rally 2017

The Mt. Baker Rally is held in Lynden every year, on the weekend after Labor Day. It is the largest rally in Washington state.  This year a record breaking 215 trailers checked into the rally.

Since it was less than two miles from our house we brought the tiki bar and our bikes and well, just a lot of stuff.  Because we could.  Every eventuality...

 The tiki bar was a fun spot to sit and visit with friends.

 Jeremy and Rene' ran the rally.  Jeremy's sister Amber was the official photographer and took this picture of them.  Since I was camped across the street I heard them welcome every camper.  They did a fantastic job running the rally.

There was a paint and sip.  Artists, Shelly and Jolene painted their trailers.

Other artwork was displayed around camp.

Rita and Denise ran Trailer Trash Bowling for the kids.  Of course, they have enough vintage bowling trophies and candy for all participants.

I broke out my flamingo jeans.

And my petticoats.

 I love my tribe!

I have pictures of many gorgeous trailers but I think my favorite was the glamping tent.

We had pizza night with our peeps.  We missed Ed and Kathy and Eric and Liz.

Next year!

 Amber took this picture of us.

The hit of the rally wasn't Hua'kai Annie or our tiki bar,  Hubby's Sears Screamer bike stole a lot of hearts.  He got asked, "may I take your bike for ride?" over and over.  They lived their childhood dream on the Screamer. We both rode in the bike parade on Saturday.

It always feels like the end of summer after the Mt. Baker Rally.

Annie and I have one more trip in October.  And Hubby may come home to a hitched up trailer for one more trip to Silver Lake this fall.  It was a wonderful summer of camping, rallies and friends and I am just not ready for it to be over.

Drab to Fab

I talked Shelly into going to Franny's estate sale on Friday morning.  We haven't been junking much this summer.  I don't need anything but I hadn't seen Shelly in a long time so it was a good excuse. Once we got out and away from projectland (our homes) it seemed as though we couldn't stop.  We zipped to Everson (got skunked) and then back to Second Chance in Lynden.  

Shelly found four lamps for a dollar apiece and a huge warming tray for a buffet  (if we have a Mad Men party, it will be perfect) and she bought an iron.  I found three bar stools for six bucks each.  I've been looking for something to use with the tiki bar.  I told the thrift shop volunteers, Shirley and Doris Mae, that if I couldn't make the stools pretty by five o'clock I was donating them back.

I couldn't bear for Hubby to come home and see another half finished project.

Shelly brought me home, we dashed through my fabric stash and then dashed over to the farm to go through her stash.  Obviously, I didn't have time to go to a fabric store.  Initially my idea was to paint them including the vinyl but I decided I liked the brown with fabric.

 When Shelly was leaving my house it was about 12:30 and I told her to come back at five to see the finished project and enjoy a cocktail with me.  We laughed.

I don't have a lot of photos during the project, too busy.  I used the drill and took the stools apart into five pieces plus screws each.  Disclaimer: I am terrible with a drill.

 Peeling off the price tags didn't work so I left them.

 If someone had bought these to use as is they would have been pretty unhappy when they took off the price tag.  The vinyl was thin and came right off with the tape.

Now, a disclaimer, if I'd been doing this project with Gerrit or for a customer I would have removed all of the vinyl. These are for a tiki bar I take to trailer rallies and I only had several hours to complete the project.  Short cuts were taken.

I had just enough fabric for the front of the chair backs and just enough of another fabric for the back of the chair backs.  The seats took more than I thought.  I used painters drop cloth and I tore into some feed sacks that I had in my stash.

 I was just finishing when I saw one of those price tags through the fabric! Grrrrr I took it part and re did the front.

 It was a flurry of activity because when I decide I am going to get'er done that is what I do.

At one point I was bleeding and wrapped a scrap of fabric around the cut.  No time to get a band aid.

I took apart the first stool so fast that when I went to put it back I'd no clue how to get it back together. So, I took apart the second one and took note.  Deep breath.

 I pulled the tiki bar out of the garage, cleaned it, changed into a mumu and texted Shelly at 4:16 to give me five or ten minutes and then come on over.

 The snacks weren't gourmet, but the gin and tonics were icy cold and the new upholstered stools were pulled up to a staged bar.

 Shelly was surprised, dare I say, shocked.

Hubby came home and he was surprised too.

I love a project with a tight deadline and the constraint of using what I have in the house.

So, while Hubby and Shelly were surprised I was smug.  And tired.  And sweaty.

I'll see you at the Mt. Baker Trailer Rally.  The open house is on Saturday afternoon.

There is will be a food truck, a cupcake shop and a car show.

I'll be sitting at my tiki bar because my new bar stools are comfy and they spin!

Random Catch Up Today

On Saturday my family gathered at Greenwood Cemetery to remember my Aunt Shirley .  It was so good to see family and remember my aunt. 

After wards some of us went out for lunch.  My sweet Mom misses her sisters.

A Decor Project

Some of my readers remember that earlier this summer I was looking for old books with blue or green covers.  The local thrift store had their half price sale in August and I finished my project using a lot of 12 and 1/2 cent books.  I felt like it looked a bit dark so I bought a lamp for a dollar and installed it behind.  It gives off some pretty back light and makes the gold on the bindings pop.  Thank you to everyone that left books on my doorstep.  I loved the wood rounds that I had in the unused fireplace but I also knew that spiders were camping behind the wood and it was time for a change.

Of course, now Hubby want to read the book on the bottom.

Trailer Restoration

Oh Ava Jean! Hubby and I got home from camping and we felt a bit overwhelmed by Ava so we listed her on Craigslist.  We felt as though we should maybe step back from so many projects.

Hubby was working so I took care of the ad. Please, please, please, for pete's sake, the next time I want to place an ad on Craigslist remind me NOT to do it. If I ever want to sell something, please  remind me to put it at the end of the driveway with a free sign or bring it to Goodwill or something. Actually, anything but Craigslist.  

Oh, I've bought things on Craigslist but selling is different.

When I put in the ad that the trailer needs a total restoration and needs to be rewired, I am not kidding.  You cannot buy it and live in it tomorrow if it is a gutted trailer.

I had so many emails, calls, offers of hundreds of dollars more than the asking price if they could just come right now with cash in hand, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Long story short, though it may be too late for that as I have rambled on here.  We are keeping Ava Jean and plan to restore her. I still love her and my design for her.  Hubby is still good with restoring her, we were just temporarily overwhelmed.  The three days she was listed on Craigslist are three days of my life that I will never get back.

Pioneer Woman and Kassie

Kassie and I have our tickets to meet Ree Drummond in Seattle. I think Kassie is Ree's mini me.  A gorgeous red head moves from the city to the country because she is in love with a rancher/farmer.  Yep, same song, second verse.  This trip to meet Ree is just the beginning because Kassie and I are going to Oklahoma to The Mercantile someday.

Oh Bo, I love you. Yes, the ring did end up in his mouth. It was retrieved and I hope Max doesn't try that trick again.

I love this picture, it was just after Max got the ring back.

Back to School

School starts for me tomorrow. Or not. Since I substitute teach I have no idea what day will be my first day.  I bought some new back to school clothes and my bag is loaded.

I'm ready!

That's all for now, and honestly, that's enough.  Enjoy your day!