The Secret is Out

I know you have heard me talk about my friend Lisa and I told you awhile back that she and Tiffany, had a secret that they were smiling about.
well the secret is out and in PRINT they are indeed Artful Bloggers !! I tried Monday to hurry out and get a copy at Borders, but they weren't there yet... You know I will keep trying because I will want an autographed copy, that I will treasure forever!! Seriously, I am so happy for both of them it is so cool to get recognized, or validated what ever you might call it, for what you do.

You will need to check out their blogs and let them tell the whole story!!

There are other bloggers in this magazine that have some amazing pictures and ideas. I have enjoyed all of the issues!!

Today is Halloween, this is the only picture I could find of the big boys dressed up, back in the old days we took slides. It is not something I have ever been very "into" so these guys never had very elaborate costumes. Mostly they were Karate Kids and that was wearing Karate Kid pajamas.. not too creative...this was the year their dad and I were out of town and their aunt dressed them up.

It doesn't look like that middle child was too thrilled.

Here are Emily and Tyson, maybe they were a 2 headed monster??I'm pretty sure that wasn't a Halloween costume but aren't cousins fun!
Here is Sam on his first Halloween, he loved being a duck!
Tyson has enjoyed this Tigger costume way to much! He is no doubt wearing it tonight, he's only 22, I suppose that's almost normal..

Then there was the year Sam was Tigger and Cousin Kyle was Pooh.

Sam has adored Kyle from the first time he met him.
Here they are as Siamese Twins...

I loved Sam as a Bumble Bee.


I can remember when I was little we were more excited for Halloween than Christmas. To say we got tons of candy was an understatement, what a time we had literally running from house to house with enormous bags okay they were pillowcases... and we would get them full of candy!! What could possibly be more fun than that?? I was still trick or treating in High School. Sadly I must admit, the fun has diminished over the years. Running from house to house with a wet dirty pillowcase just isn't as fun for me as it once was.. Not to mention, has anyone noticed how teeny tiny the candy is now adays?? Goodness I sure miss the good ole days!

Yikes is this a scarey monster?? With abnormally large muscles??

This is Iron Man (we have moved on from Power Ranger)

But you can be certain Sam is totally up for a full night of trick or treating!! Luckily, his dad will take him for as long as his little legs will hold out. The crazy part is, there are not very many candies that Sam would let past his lips. All I can say to that is... gee that's too bad!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Christmas in Historic Silverton

Just wanted to invite you to come to Silverton next week for the collabrative sale

our little town puts on.

It is also First Friday where the stores downtown stay open until 9pm. Hope you can come!

Fall Fun!

Portland Expo was great! I love the summer show, because we are outside and for some reason that is more of a party, but Fall Expo is a lot of fun. It is always great to be with my friends, Isabel was on one side and Maryann and Shannon on the other. But I also enjoy meeting new people and over the 3 days it seems like I always get acquainted with someone new, then the following sale it is exciting to see them again! It is also great seeing customers and they become friends as well even if you only see them at sales. Seems kinda strange, but it isn't so much the sell, but more the relationships that makes this business so much fun... Although I suppose if there weren't any sales then it would be a pretty miserable business...
We took Dumbo (the rv) and stayed in the parking lot at Portland Meadows (the racetrack). That really makes it a lot more enjoyable, because it is at least an hour one way from Silverton to Expo. I know you will all be glad to hear the water pump had been repaired and I didn't have to wash my hair in the sink at the restaurant! My pictures turned out pretty bad, so I took this from Isabel's post.It shows Maryann's in front, mine in the middle, and Isabel's booth in the back. A 10x10 foot booth seems to shrink every time we get one! We might just have to step up and get 2 each next time!
Here is the sweet baby I let Maryann borrow for her bassinet. She thought I should take it out, until we could get it a shave!!




Something I'm sure all good moms love to do is go on field trips with their child's class. Okay, now it is out... I hate field trips!! Naturally, I feel the pressure to go... So Monday, I found myself at school, lining up for our trip. Thankfully it was a walking field trip, no smelly, car sick, bus ride for me!!

Great the Police Station!!

He seems too happy to see us!! Could this be a set up?? Actually this is our meterman, he walks around town keeping everyone honest when it comes to parking.

Does it look like these children are listening??Am I the only one who think both the teacher and the policeman look very young?

Here is a trio, cooling their heels in the holding cell... It doesn't look like they are ready to talk...
Now they are all getting a major time out!!

What is it about this picture that really creeps me out??

Thankfully we all got out without further incident...


With a quick stop at the city park, enjoying the scenery along the way...

I said goodbye at the door and I was out of there!!

Deja vu...

Last March, I was at Portland Expo, in a booth, next to Isabel...

So... this weekend, I'll be at Portland Expo, in a booth, next to Isabel...
Come by and say HI!!

Full Recovery

In case you have been concerned, the arm I broke while patting myself on the back over my success with the slide show is fully healed! I need to be careful about that as old bones are easily broken you know...
Thankfully I had the use of both arms Saturday when Sheila and I went north to discover what our friends in that part of the country were up too. I had met Cheryl

in line last month while we were waiting to pay at Barn House. And next thing you know we are the best of friends and she came last weekend to my Open House and this weekend I went to her sale!! Yip friends are FUN!! Everyone said this was a great sale, that happens only twice a year so we didn't want to miss it. We met up with Lisa and Isabel and stood in line with them, met some new friends and got some great treasures.

Then off we were, off like a herd of turtles to Barn House!

It was nothing short of the blind leading the blind! No one knew how to get there, so first Lisa and Isabel would lead and then it was Sheila and my turn. I kept saying this looks right, I think I remember this tree... I know that telephone pole looks familiar... Yeah this looks right, turn this way (it was the only option) then I saw a sign that I really did recognize, whew that was close, but we made it!

Did we ever see some scary characters once we got there!

And of course we weren't disappointed in the merchandise either!

Sorry that's Michael Jack, I mean Prince, I mean Joe and he's not for sale!

I know Jermonne will have the most wonderful slide show of this posted soon so check it out. His pictures will be, before the buying frenzy began!
It was good to see Charmanie there, she made a long trek across the mountain to see for herself what all the buzz about the Barn House Boys was about. Here is the purse she bought from

Little Byrd.

We had a great time there and as we were leaving, who should we run into but our buddy Timmi and her friends

from Snoquomish, Washington... We chatted awhile and then off again!!

We caught a couple more sales and saw other friends.
visited with Tiffany, she and Lisa are happy and they have a secret so be watching their blogs to hear what it is...

Next off to Monticello where we ran into Timmi and her friends again! We joined them for a late lunch.
All in all a great day!
Here was a sign outside Barn House that I keep thinking about,

I'm glad I got a picture of it and if I was half as clever as I wish I was, I would have it playing on my play list that Miss Molly did for me, but... not so clever

And So,

After months and I do mean months of persistantness and yes I know that is not a word, but nothing else can describe what it took. I want you to NOTICE... The slide show!! Oh, I feel so proud!! I know I didn't do it the way it was suppose to be done, and the pictures aren't as perfect as I would have wished but, I FINALLY did it. Whew, now I can get on with my life... I seriously hate obsessing on things, but sometimes I can't help myself.
Tomorrow I am going out and about I will have my camera in hand so beware, now that I can, I will definitely wow you with my barely adequate photography!



Have you ever had one of those most embarrassing moments that is so embarrassing that it is funny even to you... Probably not, but I get them a lot. Take this morning for example.

"Okay Sam, let's get going time to get up and ready for school." This is not as fun as you might think since he has to be ready and waiting for the bus by 7:20, but we manage. And by Friday, it is less fun than other days... So I get his lunch ready, and put it in his back pack. I notice his Friday folder is in there but when I ask him about it, he says the teacher was getting things ready and did it yesterday... Whatever how strange he also said she had a cold, so I'm thinking maybe she is going to be absent today and got it done for the substitute..

So off he goes to the end of the driveway and I go about my morning business with one eye on him, but still doing things around the house. I can hear the bus when it stops so I look out and watch him get on. Yeah I know, I probably should be standing out there with him, but I don't...

About 7:45 he comes back in the front door. He says, "I quit, I'm not waiting for the bus any longer..." So naturally I let him know that won't work and for some unknown reason the bus was about 20 minutes late yesterday... I watch out the window for a few minutes and then decide to call the bus barn and get to the bottom of this... Of course I tell them where I live and ask what's the deal?? Why is the bus so late?? And then...she tells me there is no school today...huh? Why did I not know that? Could someone let me in on the secret?? I mean really everyone else must have known... Do you think I need to read those notes in the back pack?? Now I'm wishing I hadn't told her where I live, but I can always hope she thinks I'm the mom from the only other house on our street.... I guess I should just be happy I didn't take Sam to school and drop him off... I would have thought we were really late and all the students were already inside. Most likely would have gotten a phone call that I needed to come get him... Probably followed by a home visit...

Meet Dawn

Thought you might like to meet my friend Dawn. She came home with me from the Coburg Antique Show. I meet her early in the morning, dawn to be exact. She has been anxious to make he debut as a model, but I have been busy and preoccupied, so I am just now getting around to introducing her. She loves jewelry and I am constantly finding MY jewelry on her!
Today I finished this apron. I got the fabric on Monday, my sister Terri and I made a quick dash into my friend Celia's fabric store located downtown Silverton. She found the perfect fabric for an apron in the first 2 minutes and I hemmed and hawed forever, but finally decided on this combination. I loved the little crows, kinda a fall theme going on here, and then I had to find the perfect floral to go with it...

The name of the apron is Lily. I made it about 5 inches longer and changed the pocket around. I'm happy to have a new apron and I'm hoping Dawn doesn't think I made it for her!

Dawn thought we should show you some of the areas in the house, since she is wearing the fall apron all dolled up with no place to go, she might as well give a house tour.
Here is Dawn, standing near the back door.

This doily is one that one of my customers brought me that came from Belgium, where they make lace. She saw that I use lace where ever I can find a spot and thought I should have some real lace, so she brought me some of hers. I was delighted!
I love this metal basket holding the tin can, at times I wonder what makes things appealing to me.

Dawn is in the dining room now, she is eying the chocolate malt balls, but everyone who lives here knows the candy is decorations, and we don't eat decorations!

The collection of ice picks has nothing to do with the don't eat the decorations rule...
Ironic though that they are next to one another on the cabinet.

Have you ever seen the candles that look like fruit? I have seen pears, apples, peaches...
These are actually fruit that are suppose to look like the candles of fruit... Does that make sense??

Dawn is a little bored with the tour so she is turning in for the night...
With any luck the rest of the house pictures will be a slide show you can see soon!