Fall is Calling!

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You know it's been HOT when the weekend forecast calls for a high of 90 and a low of 69 and you get all excited! Hurray - Fall is coming! Pitiful, I know. Not exactly time to break out the sweaters and make hot apple cider, but around here, we'll take any little break in the monotony of oppressive heat and celebrate it as a sign of cooler days to come.

So, in the spirit of all things Fall, I thought I would share some projects and images to help get even us Southerners into a Fall-ish mood...and nothing says Fall like a fun flea market in the crisp cool Autumn air (which arrives about November :o)

We're beginning to get our preparations underway for our booth at the November flea market in Winnie, TX. Here are a few photos from the studio of projects in the making...

I created a few Fall florals using some pressed tin containers my Mom had...

Earlier in the year I bought a Duncan Phyfe table and 6 chairs for $50 total (I know, amazing how people practically give some things away!) We used the table extensively in the antique shop to display merchandise, but now we will be selling it along with the chairs at the flea market. We covered one chair to see how we liked it...we liked it just fine, so just five more chairs to go...

The fabric we used to cover the seat was from an awesome garage sale we went to a couple of months ago...they had stacks of fine upholstery-grade fabrics for $1 per piece...and some of the "pieces" were 5 yards long! Here's a sampling of what I bought that day...

I picked up this huge clock a few weeks ago at another fun sale at someone's warehouse...5 bucks..

One of the things we are really going to change about our merchandising approach at the flea market versus the antique shop is leaving some of our finds as is...instead of up-cycling them. Good case in point are these lamps...I don't think I paid much more than 1 or 2 dollars for any of them, and we want to sell them as is, with no matchy shades or anything, and pass on our savings to our new customers. Normally we'd clean them all up, maybe repaint them and then trick them out in a gorgeous shade, then sell them for $30 each or more, but now we'll keep them well under $10 each. We're still making double, triple, quadruple what we paid, but we're providing an affordable DIY lamp project for someone to make them their own...

There will still be plenty of things we remake too...here are some cupcake platter bases all in a row waiting for their turn to be glued...

...this is what I mean by "cupcake platter" (as if you haven't seen a gazillion of these all over the place already)...

Some items need just a tad bit of work, like a quick coat of paint...these were partially painted when we bought them...we'll just finish the job...

Some things we'll just wipe clean and they're good to go...

Love these silver-plated cut class coasters...they were in a box at a recent garage sale for ten cents each!! Once again, instead of selling them for "antique store" prices (set of 4 would fetch about $12 - $20), we'll see them cheap ($1 or $2 each) and still make ten times our money or more...

And some stuff is just fun "fluff " like these pink shabby sconces... I grabbed these at my local thrift store from a pile of stuff sitting in the rain outside...the apologetic clerk said "oh, those are just 50 cents because they've ruined out in the weather"...I guess one woman's "ruined" is another woman's "awesome patina" :o)

Still, the most fun projects for the flea market for me are the handmade and repurposed items. Here is a pile of various wood items to be made into functional art...

My Dad has cut and routed a number of plain pine boards for me...

...some will be hand-painted/lettered signs, and others I will combine with frames like these...

...to make hangers like these...

I'm really looking forward to how it will all come together...we have a LOT to do between now and November, but it will no doubt be a lot of fun! I will definitely continue to share photos of projects and new garage sale finds as we go along - I hope you'll enjoy following along with our progress...

And one last bit of Fall for now...if you like the images in the mouse illustration at the beginning of the post or this little mouse girl, etc. I have all of the images as well as a number of background papers and the tag with the Scripture all available in my Aimee Asher digital clipart shop... This kit is called "Happy Fall Y'all!"...

 For just $2.99 you can print them out or use them digitally for any number of creative Fall projects for school, cardmaking, scrapbooking, etc... I hope you'll stop by my Digital Boutique and check out all my clipart kits - they are all very reasonably priced and have uplifting, Scripture-based themes...

OK, I'm finally beginning to feel a bit more Fall-ish...at least until I walk out the front door :o)

Happy Fall Y'all!!

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"Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you: he will never let the righteous fall."

Psalm 55:22

Hibernating in Summer

Formula for "Summer Hibernation":

99 degrees and 95% humidity

Yes, it is hot and humid here in the Houston area, and if you're like me, the relentless muggy heat drives you indoors for keeps, and like Winter in parts North, one turns to indoor activities to pass the days.

So, I've been snuggled up at the computer creating illustrations for my "Between us Bunnies" Calendar for 2011. The above design is for August, and is a tribute to my dear Colorado friend Sue C., who happens to be celebrating her 10th Wedding Anniversary today! Congratulations Sue & Bill!! Sue is one of the most hospitable, generous people I know. Our sweet friendship began over shared cups of coffee on Sue's deck after our morning workout at Curves, and grew into one of the most endearing and enduring friendships in my life! Love you and miss you Sue!! (wow is this a fitting Scripture for you!)

"The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed"

Proverbs 11:25

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With the AC cranked, and the three Summer months of designs completed, I decided to pretend it was cold and motivate myself to create the January bunny design....

This is a tribute to another dear Colorado friend of mine, Nancy M. Nancy is a real nature lover and is most at home hiking in the gorgeous Colorado wilderness, so she became the inspiration for this cozy Winter design. Girl, I wish I could lace on some hiking boots and hike with you up there in cool Colorado, but I'll have to settle for hiking to my mailbox in the heat right now :o)  But someday...someday...we'll head for the hills and enjoy God's glorious creation together! Meanwhile, this Scripture has "you" written all over it - you are the most tireless servant of God I know. You don't need the reminder- you already live it out every day! Bless God for you my dear friend!

"Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."

Hebrews 13:16

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So, my blogging has been quite sluggish in the wake of this "frozen" Summer. I've been able to dedicate myself to the calendar illustrations, but not a whole lot else. In discussions with my ever-so-smart Texas friend Connie (who will be the inspiration for my next design for February), she gave me some great insight into my current state of molasses-speed activity - I'm in the process of "decompressing". With the exception of a short period of time in 1995, I have been working non-stop since I was 15. When I was outsourced from my full time job in early 2009, I kept busy remodeling our mobile home, then an intense time of illustration for Universal and Aimee Asher, then preparing and filling my studio, then preparing for opening a space at Whispering Willow, then working at the Willow and maintaining our large space...  and now, suddenly, with the Willow space closed, most all my external obligations are gone for this season. Thus, I am now apparently in decompression mode...it makes sense. I am unwinding after being wound pretty tight for the past 35 years...and I need it. I take naps, I read, I pray, I move slowly and if I manage to defeat the guilt I feel from "not doing anything", I actually enjoy myself...

 I know this slower pace will not last forever, but if I am wise, I will learn and take to heart the valuable lessons from this season of slow, and invest in guilt-free rest when I need it. It is as necessary as food and water and air... Even God Himself rested...and He not only invites us to rest, He commands it! With the busy back-to-school time upon us and the new projects ramping up for the Fall, I pray that you will find (and take) the rest you need when you need it...

"For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall."

Hebrews 4:10-11

Shopkeeping: Looking Back & Looking Ahead

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Hello friends! Let me start by saying that I have been working on this post on and off for almost a week. I've shortened it, lengthened it, threatened to scrap it all together as pitifully self-indulgent, but I finally decided to go with the full version. I think it will help with closure on this chapter of our life - yep, we are closing our space at Whispering Willow Gift & Antiques. I explain why and tell about our next adventure at the end of the post...should you make it that far ;o)
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Ever since my then fiance (now Hubby) and I went to our first Flea Market together, we knew we shared a love for all thinks junk - the glorious hunt for hidden treasures and the joy of restoring and repurposing those treasures into works of heart...

...like old cabinet doors... 

...cleaned up...

...and painted...

Before long, we had quite a collection of goodies in various stages of completion, but no clear plan for what to do with it all...

Then, while junking one Saturday, we stopped by an antique/gift shop called Whispering Willow because they had junk/antique booths set up all over their parking lot. While looking through the booths, I saw a sign on the porch of the shop that said "Dealer Space Available", so I asked the owner about it, and she showed me the spaces available, and before you know it, we were all set to open a space in June 2008! It was the perfect set up because she did not do long term leases - it was just for the Summer, so I knew if we were a flop, we wouldn't be stuck there for 6 months or so. At the time,  I referred to the opportunity as "Summer School", because we had never done anything like this and knew we would be learning A LOT - and we did! It was a sweet, sunny space and I had a blast getting it all set up and filling it with all our treasures...

...our very first space...boy, we needed more stuff...

...but we built it up over time...

Then, along came a couple of storms - one was Hurricane Ike in September, which damaged the building that Whispering Willow occupied. The shop had to close and begin a search for a new building. By that time we had begun feeling the strain of my working full time and having the shop space as well, so we knew that the shop relocation was our cue to step out. The other storm was the news in November that my full-time day job was being outsourced, which started us on our incredible downsizing journey into my Hubby's paid for mobile home. The work to prepare/restore the place became my other full time job, so pursuing a shop space was out of the question...for a season...

But sometime late in the Summer of '09, I stopped by the new location of Whispering Willow to say hi and to see how things were going. Before I knew it, I was taking on a space in the new shop, beginning October 1st! Here's a recap of our time in the new shop...

Small space in the front room for October...

Moved to much larger space in the front room on November 1st
(this was probably my favorite space of all)...

We started out with a sweet pink Christmas tablescape...

...and added some fun vintage red and green to the back part of the space...

...then in December we changed from a pink tablescape to a more traditional red plaid and green color scheme...

In January, we brought in a few new pieces to the space and moved things around a bit...this black cupboard/bar right by the front door became the anchor for our space and a conversation piece for customers...

We moved the big dining room set to the back of the space and prepared for Valentine's Day (it was great to be able to re-use a lot of the pink decor from the shabby pink Christmas display)...

...as Winter melted into Spring, out came the Easter fare and all things sweet and spring-y...

We also added a few vintage/kitchy/retro touches to round out the space...

But soon, the weight of keeping up the large front room at the shop and working several days there per month, with little to show for it at the end of each month, forced us to re-evaluate our situation. When a smaller space came available in May for half the price and half the number of work days, we jumped on it. The new little space was cute and easy to maintain...

However, sales, though always decent, have not been steady enough to justify the continued cost and time commitment....plus, the overall mix of merchandise at the Willow is decidedly more formal and somewhat more costly than our fare (traditional antiques versus our cottage style). SO, July 31st was our last day at the shop...

It is a bittersweet time for Mom and I. We LOVE all the sweet, talented dealers at the Willow and the gals in the Bakery, and we will miss them all terribly. But we already feel the weight lifting from our shoulders, and we know this is the right move for us...

The inevitable question remains - what do we do with all our cute cottage stuff...? Well, a new adventure awaits, and it will be a whole new learning experience for us too. We are going to rent a space at Larry's Old Time Trade Days in Winnie, TX for their November 5th-7th show. Winnie is starting to become a little Canton, and we hope that our vintage cottage mix, hand-crafted and repurposed items, and my Dad's woodworking pieces will be well received. It is a laid-back atmosphere with that Southeast Texas charm and down-home folks that I just love. We are taking an information gathering trip to their August show this Saturday to scout our best location and see the types of setup options we have. We are SO excited!

I have no illusions about this being less work than the shop - I know set up and tear-down will be A LOT of work, and we are already gearing up to do a lot more handmade items than before. But, we are looking at it as a fun new adventure, one that my whole family and some friends will be involved with too! I'm looking forward to sharing sneak previews of some of our new handcrafted wares as we prepare through the coming 3 months. Should be fun!!
 

Meanwhile, many thanks for your continued patience with me and my spotty blogging. In addition to packing up the shop and storing everything away, my sweet Hubby injured his eye while mowing the yard (all is well now), plus my Aunt (Mom's sister) who is battling brain cancer, underwent her second brain surgery on Monday. Praise the Lord, she is doing great and is already home today (Wednesday) - amazing!!! So, we've been all over the map. But I have put my anchor down in Lord Jesus and He is holding us and guiding us through the storms and changes...I just love Him for that...

"So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls."

Hebrews 6:18-19

Illustration Friday: Breakfast

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Food for thought...

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Well, it's been forever since I participated in Illustration Friday, and I'm slipping this one in with just a day to spare. When I saw the topic "Breakfast" for this week, I knew I wanted to play along, and I'm glad I was able to. I've been wanting to experiment with combining photography with my cartoon work for a while now, so this topic gave me the perfect opportunity to do just that. The yummy breakfast in the photo is the "small" one egg, one meat combo with a side of gravy from Kitty's Cafe in Magnolia Texas. I am a huge fan of breakfast - always have been, and Kitty's serves up some of the very best I've ever had. Hubby and I are there almost every Thursday morning enjoying the great homey ambience found in small town diners...and yes, enjoying the incredible food. (it's a nice break from my wheat toast and yogurt that I have every other day of the week) But don't worry about its effect on my 50 by Fifty diet - Hubby and I split everything, so it's not as bad as it may look :o) (I'm still as 'committed' to the diet as ever!)

So, are you a breakfast person? Do you frequent any local dives that dish up awesome early morning fare? I'd love to hear about it...

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It's so good to be blogging again - many thanks for not giving up on me :o)  I have some shopkeeping news to share very soon as well as the bunny calendar design for August, which I am coming close to finishing. Here's just a tiny preview of one element of the August design...

I hope you commit yourself to having a wonderful rest of the week and weekend! Many blessings for stopping by for a visit!

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"For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him."

2 Chronicles 16:9

50 by Fifty: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Boy, have I been putting off this post! In case you're new to 50 by Fifty, I gave myself a challenge to lose 50 pounds in a year (average 1 pound per week)...by my 50th birthday to be exact. I started on my 49th birthday in March and got off to a good start. I lost 10.6 pounds in about 10 or 11 weeks. Then May hit. From mid May until now we celebrated (insert 'with food') 5 family birthdays, Mother's Day, Memorial Day, Father's Day, and 4th of July, plus a lot of just life in between. Although I was still careful *in general* about what I ate, I abandoned keeping a journal of my meals and their points values.

I suppose it could have been worse. I only gained back 2.2 pounds (I'm at 8.4 pounds lost overall), but I lost almost 2 months of progress - 1 step forward, 2 steps back. This is the point typically in my past weight loss attempts where I would just give up...especially if I was paying money for a weight loss program. So, unless I want this to end up like SO many other past attempts, I HAVE to keep going. And for me, that means writing down everything I eat and of course making better choices. Exercise is another must, but I could do an entire blog on just exercise excuses!

I am truly not beating myself up over this setback. I have certainly done that in the past. I am recognizing it as a natural part of the process, especially when you have made the determination that this is not a diet, but a lifestyle change. These celebrations will go on...life will get crazy and unpredictable...but if I learn a bit more after each challenge and apply those lessons, then I'll keep making progress. It may be a slow, but that's OK...I didn't get this way overnight...

If you are on a similar journey and have hit a wall or fallen way back, I just want to encourage you (and myself) to not give up. See the setback as a learning tool and launch forward from that point equipped with new insights and renewed determination.

I'll let you know next week how it's going. Thank you for coming back by to check in on me. Knowing you are there cheering me on has been a true blessing! Have a glorious weekend and enjoy these all too fleeting days of Summer!

"So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up."

Galatians 6:9

Celebrate Freedom!

I had started a lengthy post to catch you up on all that's been going on, but realized I would not be able to finish it this morning (more stuff to do), but I'm tired of seeing our photo on the blog every day - SO, here's a good old July image to break things up and bring a you a bit of summertime...  I hope you have picnics, sweet family time, and freedom celebrations in store this weekend! I will be back very soon to let you know what's been going on, where I'm at with 50 by Fifty, and a host of other topics - and I also have lots more visiting to do too since I've met so many new folks from Where Bloggers Create - and I will...

 Thanks for still coming by friends - and thank You Lord for Freedom!!! 

"...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."

2 Corinthians 3:17