The Crows Nest

What a lot of work...

2012-01-21T20:46:00.000-08:00

Boy I tell you, it's a whole lot more fun opening a shop than closing one. I swear the stuff multiplies in the night while we're gone. I've pulled an astounding amount of stuff out of that building Every time I think I've got it down to one more truckload, I turn around and there's 2 more waiting in the wings.

My barn is stuffed. My house is stuffed. The potting shed is bulging. And surprise!! There's another truckload waiting my arrival tomorrow. I'm seriously thinking about wrapping every single thing in a condom before I leave it alone in the building.

And, like I need an excuse to avoid loading and unloading the truck - one of our vendors told me I needed to check out pinterest. Oh, jeeze. Like a kid in a candy store. http://pinterest.com/antiqueish/ I've only had a couple hours to mess with it, but I'm already intrigued with the possibilities. I can see this being an issue with my blog crawling habit. One more reason to check out another blog. ~OY~ Make me back away from the computer!

Oh well, I can still walk thru the teensy little aisle in the barn to my studio space. Granted, it's full, but this too shall pass when the snow melts. The first 2012 sale promises to be a doozy, because 7/8ths of this stuff has got to move along. I even have some of my ~~hoarded goodies~~ private stash earmarked to find a new home.

I'll leave you with this little bit of beauty. (I'd be happy to give credit for this bit of wonderfulness if I knew where it came from.) This is my view right now. I'm at a crossroads. So many possibilities. The next step is huge. Cross your fingers for me that I take the right path.

From me and mine to you and yours, all the best!

Coming along...

2011-12-14T19:27:00.000-08:00

...nicely, in fact.

I finally got the stars, moons and men in my life aligned. The cabinet of my dreams is now sitting in my studio, 44 drawers waiting to be filled with all manner of art goodness as soon as we get a thaw.

Everything in my current studio area will be transferred to the "barn" as soon as I can be sure I won't break ~~any of my hoarded supplies, um stash~~ my neck slipping down the stairs. Then, to get the heat issue figured out - after which - I can have art parties, workshops and classes in the new space.

If you follow the Creative Kharma blog, you may have already read that we are closing the shop December 31st. The shop has been a fabulous experience, we've made some really great friends and fulfilled a dream. Dee, Paulette and I will miss playing house, alot. We will miss vendors, visitors and even the chaos of resets. Well, the end results of resets, anyway. *grin*

But, change is inevitable. And we'll still be around. I'm looking now to find the right place to consign some of my art and jewelry. Several of our vendors have found new homes for their goodies, and with any luck those who have been involved with Crows Nest will continue.

As far as Crows Nest goes, next season will be a little different in that we will carry more artisan crafted goods, fairy garden delights (think fairy, gnome, and hobbit doors - fairy houses - fairy house furnishings - and everything you need to add a little magic to your garden) and hopefully a garden center of sorts added to our wonderful mix of primitives, antiques and just plain cool decor stuffs.

And, since I doubt I'll sit down again til after the big day, I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! from all of us at the Crows Nest. May you and those you care about enjoy the peace and goodness of the season.

Let It Snow!!

It starts!

2011-10-17T21:37:00.000-07:00

I promised myself that I would, before 2012, have an actual "studio". Not a space carved out in a nook, not a speck of space that is much needed in my home, but an real honest to goodness studio.

Part of the reason for this is that I believe that to create the way I create - takes room. Mixed media artists need an incredible amount of stuff. Not want - need. We're always looking for the right bit or bauble for that future piece. Interesting junk becomes art with the addition of time and space to create.

So, much to the chagrin of more than one person, I am co-opting half of the big building. I started today. I am exhausted, but excited about having elbow room. As soon as I get sale stuff removed I'll post pics. I hope you'll comment, if for no other reason than to keep me motivated. :-)

In return, I'll add a little ephemera or art bits from time to time that you can use in your art or craft projects. Like this beauty. I have no idea where I found the image, but I've used it in backgrounds for pendants and in several collages. (If anyone knows where it came from, please remind me so I can give credit.)

It's charming - seems to be a child writing home for money, or to complain about the exchange rate. Oh, Why didn't I take French in High School?!?

If you make something using the image I'd LOVE to see it!

Brrrr!

2011-10-17T21:11:00.000-07:00

Well, we survived the weekend. I say that partially tongue in cheek because there was a minute or two I wondered if we'd all freeze solid! (But of course, in true Oregon fashion, it was sunny and warm today.)

The show was fantastic, with almost everyone who came finding treasures they had been looking for. The Heywood-Wakefield desk finally found a good home and for that I am more than grateful. I worried that it would never be brought back to it's glory days because a restorer I am not. The Longview dealer who bought it will strip the oak top and shelf and reveal the beauty hidden for decades under many layers of paint.

And now that the season is officially over for Crows Nest, we can begin scheming and dreaming of next season. If the Universe allows, we will be back up and running for 4 events next year beginning just before Mothers Day. Keep checking the blog though, as we begin another new venture with a studio where I will offer workshops on all the eclectic art I dabble in, from stained glass mosaic, resin, soldering, and beeswax collage to metalwork, pyrography, fabric collage, found object jewelry and mixed media collage techniques. (And a bunch of other stuff! *grins*)

All that said - I really feel that we owe an apology to those who waited until 10 to arrive. We left the barrickade down for vendors to unload last minute items (before 9), turned around for 2 seconds and *POOF* the driveway filled with shoppers. Another lesson learned. While I'm thankful that people are enthusiastic about our sales, and truly appreciate the fantastic support, fairness dictates that we are firm in our no pre-sales policy. (We even discourage vendor to vendor pre-sales.) That way everyone has an even opportunity to get the "cream" of the sale. I hope that next season, those that showed up at 10 to see the best of the best leaving the drive will forgive us and return knowing that we really do work very hard to offer a fair sale.

From all of us to all of you - Thank you for the fantastic show of support for small local venues! We appreciate it more than you know!

Kevan & Elizabeth, Barb, Cilla, Teresa, Dee & Gail, Helen, Joe & Debbie, and Creative Kharma

Sneak Peek...

2011-10-13T20:41:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness a picture is worth a thousand words because I worked my fingers to the bone - and who can type with boney fingers? *grin*

18 thousand words worth, coming up:

Off to sleep for this tired old gal. Hope to see you all at the sale this weekend. It even seems that the weather won't be as miserable! WooHoooo! I could do without frizzy hair and damp clothes for a few days!

Nite all!

Finally...

2011-10-09T18:56:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce that our one and only 2011 sale will be held next weekend, October 15th & 16th. 10am to 6pm, as usual. Come grab a cup of coffee on us and peruse the bargains that will be offered by our vendors.

The weather has inhibited our setup, so pictures will follow as things start falling together. Hope to see you there!

I do believe...

2011-09-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

...that the Northwests weather should be treated for bipolar disorder. Last week we were panting for relief from the temperatures and today I sit with a coat and gloves, wishing I had a lap blanket.

Huge party/openhouse yesterday, and it was chilly in the evening, but the day was fabulous! Woke up this morning wishing we'd pulled in the deck furniture because lo and behold. Surprise, surprise! It poured rain. :-\

The good news is, nothing critical got wet - the garden got a much needed drink and we had a really good time closing out the season with family, friends, newfound friends and baby karaoke. Yup. I said it. Baby Karaoke. Watching little bitties sing karaoke is WAY more fun than watching a kitten with a ball of string. They were good sports, too. They let the big people sing occasionally. *grins*

There were 9 kids, ranging in age from 2 1/2 to 7. Several of them sang some "Justin Beaver" for us...and Miss Sweetness & Light herself (4 1/2) sang us some Jason Mraz. The 2 1/2 yr. old sang the Itsy Bitsy Spider to a lovely jazz tune. They laughed, they danced, we laughed, we danced. Then, we stuffed all the little dearlings with sugar and sent them home with their respective grand/parents. A good time was had by all. I'd post some candids, but they're (kids) not all "mine" and I didn't think to ask.

Maybe next time. I'm off like a herd of turtles. Have a fantastic weekend!

Pretty Darn Jazzed

2011-09-03T17:19:00.000-07:00

The past few days have been amazing at the shop, so I'm feeling a bit of energy moving me towards the sale. Got "the next project" in my sights. This is good. Cuz a few short days ago I was NOT feelin' it.

Cross your fingers for me and send some positive thoughts out into the ether.

My posts have been boring with a capital B, but I'm slowly working my way to a new normal. Hopefully it'll be as good as my old normal.

I'll leave you with this:

Taken by my daughter while driving down Highway 30 toward Portland several weeks ago. Amazing!

And another thing

2011-08-30T23:27:00.000-07:00

I admit freely that I am a Blogger Impaired blogger. I have no earthly idea how to beat that send a message thing into submission. None. I click it and it asks me to follow myself. Well, my blog, but same same. And, since I'm also geographically impaired, I can see no good coming of that!

I'd like to welcome each new follower, but I'm dense, so I'm using this post to say, Welcome. And thank you. Possibly one day I'll figure this blasted thing out, but until then, again, bear with me.

And again she says,

2011-08-30T23:04:00.000-07:00

....How about late September, early October?

My family urgency has taken the wind from my sails. Cross country straight thru drives are not the purview of old ladies. I am officially exhausted, to the bone, and one of the few things I have control over right now is a sale date. Many thanks to everyone who has been supportive during this difficult time for our family. You will never know how much we've appreciated your kind words.

So....as disappointing as I know it is that I keep putting it off, I hope everyone can see the wisdom in not throwing together "something" simply to have a sale. I'd rather wait, and do it right. Hopefully, my energy level will magically reappear.

As always, you'll find Crows Nest goodies at Creative Kharma - along with many of our other dealers from the sales, including Purely Primitives, Altered Edge, Cillas Stuff, Teresas Treasures (now Rusty Finds), Dee, Misty Mountain and more.

I hesitate to name a sale date for fear I'l have to postpone again, so bear with me. I'll have to take the plunge soon enough!

Postponed

2011-07-10T12:47:00.000-07:00

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I know this follows closely on the heels of the announcement that we were doing a sale in a few weeks, but due to a family urgency we will be postponing the Crows Nest Show until sometime in August or early September.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause our sellers. I will be leaving early next week and will be gone for at least 10 days. I will call each of you when I return to arrange a meeting to pick the date of the show.

Thank you for your understanding and well wishes.

Elizabeth

Few weeks becomes few months

2011-07-02T12:51:00.000-07:00

So, they say time flies when you're having fun. I'm here to confirm that it flies whether you're having fun or not. And it flies faster with every passing year.

Seems like yesterday that I was getting geared up for the coming season, thinking about all the sales and themes that were possible. Today, however, I'm thinking more and more about ways to simplify my life. One of the most important ways was shown to me by other junkers. Do less, but in a more impactful way. Seems to me to be the answer to many of lifes challenges.

To that end, and following the example set by several other hosts of occasional sales - Crows Nest will be hosting only one show this year. It was a difficult decision, made a few short days ago. I can't decide if I'm excited about simplifying our lives or bummed by lost opportunities to "play house" with my friends. I think I'm okay with it, but I'm totally known for changing my mind at the last minute. :-)

We MAY do a Christmas show. Right now I'm up in the air because Creative Kharma will be hosting an art showing in late November and there is Sooooo much involved in the prep for that. But, if we're not all wiped out in the aftermath of the shop reset & the showing, we might have some amazing things to offer for Holiday decor at the Crows Nest. But, if not, and as always, you will be able to find the same caliber of unique goods year round at Creative Kharma.

All that said, we'd like to announce our Summer Show at Crows Nest. 10am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday, July 23rd & 24th. (I will post the flyer when it's ready for mailing, and photos of the goodies as they arrive.) Several of our sellers will be blowing out their reserve stock at this show, and there will be items from our personal collections available as well. This will be a laid back show, think lazy days of Summer and all the randomness that the saying implies.

Come join us, have some sweet tea and while away an afternoon in the deep shade. There's always a breeze and a comfy seat at the Crows Nest!

Happy Holidays

2010-12-16T17:37:00.000-08:00

I hope you are all having a good, low stress holiday season. We're alive and kicking. Thank you to those who inquired when I hadn't posted for a while.

Busy is the name of the retail game this time of year. We've got a newer blog for the shop, (http://www.creativekharma.blogspot.com/) started workshops in November in our new studio space at Creative Kharma. (Well, our old kitchen/garden area space got
co-opted! :-}) I totally know how the chicken feels right after the beheading.

When I logged in I felt this wave of guilt that I know many bloggers feel. I thought I should make my apologies, but if I start that you'll all come to know me as a whining apologist, because my life is not conducive to posting 3 times a week, or even once a week most times! lol

I won't bore you with a "post to be posting". I'll work on coming up with some actual content before the next time. Just wanted to send out my brightest and best wishes for all of you, your families and loved ones. Hope you have the Holiday you dream!

A Christmas smile.

Gratitude

2010-11-06T13:59:00.000-07:00

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I am feeling incredibly blessed today and wanted to share.

My amazing husband. Grandbaby Kisses. Children who are the best kind of humans.

I am grateful to the Universe for providing us with everything that we need. And I am thankful for the blessings received by my loved ones.

This post was prompted by my husbands generosity of spirit. Things have been tight, but when he saw the food drive tent, he immediately went into the store and bought several bags of Thanksgiving dinner fixings for the drive. I am so proud to call him my husband. He's the guy who never passes the bell ringer, donating both ways thru the door. The guy who shares whatever he has, large or small. All my other blessings are due to the fact that he loves me. I am most grateful to the Universe for that beginning because it allowed all the others to follow.

I'd like to challenge anyone and everyone with the means, even limited means, if it won't take food away from your children - go today and donate to a local Thanksgiving food drive. You never know, it may go to help your neighbor. And a little good karma couldn't hurt, anyway. Best of weekends to you and yours!

More thanks are in order...

2010-10-19T22:26:00.000-07:00

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I've received such positive feedback about Crows Nest from the community. I want to thank everyone who told others about the sales. I want to thank everyone who brought a friend. I want to thank everyone who came to me and said wonderful things. I feel blessed that the efforts of the Crows Nest family have been so well received.

To the woman who said, "I can't believe you do all this for only two days." Thank you. (We really do it for the looks on all the faces. It makes us happy to delight others.)

To the group of women who came to the shop after attending a sale and paid us this compliment, "Are you guys Crows Nest? OMG you guys make everything you touch cute!" Thank you. (We have to smile, because in all actuality, Creative Kharma is the font of all things cute in our lives - the mother of Crows Nest. And after we smile, we must buy larger hats. *grin*)

To the many men who brought their wives/girlfriends to the shop because they knew from ~~accidentally finding~~ the sale that the women in their lives would love it....(And yes, we deliberately put chairs around so you can find a place to sit while she shops.) Thank you all.

To my ~~cousins~~ business partners, thank you for your support in our seemingly crazy endeavor. Thanks for participating on every level. Thank you for allowing me extra days off, and listening to me whine and worry when thats what I needed to do. Thank you for reminding me to eat, sleep, etc. Thank you for reminding me that my husband really is perfect when I forgot in the hustle and bustle and crabbiness. Thank you for always having my back, helping me up off the floor, holding the ladder, grabbing the other side, being my eyeballer when I couldn't find "level", letting me bounce ideas off of you even when they were really dumb, being excited with me when I had a genius level idea *grin*, (as few and far between as they are.) Thank you for being you. I love you both.

And now, the sandman knocks, and I have to sleep. The shop is in mid-reset, and 12 hour days were MUCH easier when I was young. I haven't forgotten that I promised more pictures from the sale. They will come. Life has simply gotten in the way of sitting, as usual.

Hope the rest of your week is everything you dream.

Wholly Crow!

2010-10-03T17:04:00.000-07:00

Crows Nest & Friends would like to thank each and every one of the 353 visitors to the Crows Nest this weekend! You made this last sale of the season so much fun! We all had a blast, and we hope you did too!

Kevan & I also want to thank Purely Primitives - Barb, Altered Edge Design - Debbie, Cillas Stuff - Cilla, Apple of My Eye - Dolores, Creative Kharma - Dolores & Paulette, Linda Mohr, Harris Farms - Lori, Joyce & Richard Jones, Teresa's Treasures - Teresa, Misty Mountain Farm - Angela, Janet Williams, Caroline Kuhn, Sara Smith, our son Kevan, our daughter Jessica, Barbs daughter Dawnelle & granddaughter McKenzie, Karen at Estatesale-finder.com and many others for all their help and encouragement through this first season.

Without all the input, suggestions, assistance and general sharing of knowledge and experience, this season couldn't have been as fabulous as it was. We are fully aware that we couldn't have done it without you, and we want you to know that we truly sincerely thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Most of you participate in Creative Kharma @ some level, and we extend thanks from the shop as well. Referring to the shop in all your travels is greatly appreciated. Word of mouth is a powerful thing!

And our blog followers - thank you! (And you lurkers, thank you as well!!) It may not seem like a big deal to alot of folks, but 10 followers and 1400 hits is huge as far as I'm concerned. I figured when I started that it would be years before I broke 100 hits! *lol*

We feel blessed to have had such fun, with such amazing people. (Even when we're grumpy. *grin*)

Visitors actually connected to the fact that we do all that setup from scratch for each show, and were really appreciative of the work involved. I think every one of the dealers should give themselves a huge pat on the back for the amazing dedication they've all shown to giving our visitors a fabulous experience. They really do notice!

All that said, I left my camera at home when I came to the shop today, but I will post copius pictures in a few days, when I've recouperated. Again, thank you, thank you all!!

Have a fabulously joy-full week!!

Its almost upon us!

2010-09-29T13:38:00.000-07:00

The sale is Friday & Saturday ( Oct. 1st & 2nd - 10-6) and it is a beehive of activity out there! As usual, we've advertised with http://www.estatesale-finder.com/. A great source of advertising for everything from garage sales to estate sales, to little venues like ours.

There will be preview pic up there as well, but I thought I'd show you a sneaker, here:

More pictures at the estatesale-finder site...go give it a peek!

All for now, have a fabulous week and come play house with us this weekend!!

Hope to see you there!

Fall Harvest Show

2010-09-21T14:49:00.000-07:00

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Well, it's been an exciting week so far. Lots of good forward motion on the theme for the next sale. There are tons of surprises in store for the upcoming show October 1st & 2nd! I hope everyone will be delighted, tickled, and have fun!

No photos yet, the rain has really held us back from working between the buildings, but what we have in store for you is nothing short of amazing. There will be a light, bright French & Fabulous theme in the cottage - with ephemera & mixed media art supply goodness galore as icing on the cake! In the big building, we have all the touches you need to bring the comfortable feel of fall decor to your home. In the covered open air areas we will offer a walk back in time through a vintage kitchen.

We will have some new products available at this show. Organic soaps and lotions, all natural hand poured soy candles, and Halloween themed Poetry Stones.

Several dining areas with totally different decorating styles, several iron beds complete with old school bedsprings, antiques & vintage goodies at every turn make this the "can't miss" sale of the season!

Please join us in welcoming these Friends of Crows Nest:

Purely Primitives

Altered Edge Design

Cillas Stuff

Apple of My Eye

Creative Kharma

Linda Mohr

Harris Farms

Joyce & Richard Jones

Teresa's Treasures

Misty Mountain Farms

Completing the postcards for mailing as we speak, well, type & read anyway. :-} Look for us as always on estate sale finder, craigslist, and in the local papers. I'll post the "official" postcard as soon as I'm thru ~~procrastinating~~ designing it. Hope to see you there, if only in spirit. If you love it, leave me a comment and let me know. Comments let bloggers know they're not just spinning their wheels. :-) Or alternately, not talking to themselves...which is totally normal and healthy if you don't answer yourself, right? Right?? *grin* More from the nest in a few days...have a fab week!!

Stretching my boundaries

2010-09-12T12:42:00.000-07:00

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I finally found a minute to enter all my guestbook entries from the last sale. Of course, since I'm a techno-dud it took a lot more than a minute. Some days my grand baby seems more computer savvy than me. I can do LOTS of things on a computer, but apparently, figuring out the address book new contact whatsit & how to group them together once they're in there isn't on that list. *grin*

Anyway, we now have a notifications list for updates and sale reminders. If anyone would like to be added to the list, please shoot us an email: antiqueish@gmail.com and we'll add you post haste. :-)

I'm off to enjoy the sun, its such a gorgeous day today. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Holy Crow!

2010-09-08T12:40:00.000-07:00

I had no idea it had been so long since I posted. Life sometimes gets in the way of sitting down. Been a busy few weeks, with August being officially known now as "the month everything found a new home" Yippee!!!!

So I guess Sepember will be known as "the month we got to buy all new goodies." Did I mention Yippee!!? Well, at least the first half of September. As always, I'm running behind, lots to do to get the shop ready for the Fall change-over/decor. Tons and tons to get ready for Halloween. And Eek! Christmas is right around the corner. (Talking retail, strictly...the whole basically skipping right over Thanksgiving still bugs me, silly as that may seem in the grand scheme.)

So, enough about me. While I'm sitting, I want to tell you about the Vintage Farm Market, held by the ladies who had Patina in Scappoose - formerly known as the Odd Dishes. They were doing the Farm Chick/Barn House thing wayyyyyyyyy before it became a national fixation. They have wonderful style, fabulous ideas, and their sales are SO worth a road trip. So, here are the details!

Vintage Farm Market

Saturday & Sunday

September 11 & 12, 2010

10am-5pm

Kuhn Farm

34487 Church Road, Warren Oregon 97053

(minutes West of Scappoose off Hwy 30)

Questions? FarmVintage@gmail.com

Furnishings, Linens & Quilts, Garden & Plants,

Farm Finds, Salvage, Cottage & Vintage Goods,

Iron & Architectural, Luncheon & Baked Goods

Having been to a few of their sales, I can tell you that they have amazing, and I do mean AMAZING things at their sales. I know a few of the ladies, and from the items I've seen that were destined for the sale, all attendees are in for a treat. Their displays are always eye candy! I know I'll be there!

So, with all that said, there are lots of good things to come. Our last sale will be October 1 & 2, (although we may do something small and intimate for the Christmas Season.) The shop will see some positive changes, and I'll hopefully be able to post some tutorials if I can just stay indoors for an hour. :-) On that note, gotta run...literally. Hope you're all well and happy, see you next time!

So, is Summer here? or what?

2010-08-15T13:31:00.000-07:00

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I'm totally exhausted today, but I had to post to thank everyone involved, for everything.

The customers were absolutely fabulous, the dealers were saintly, and our helpers were flawless. The best show we've held to date. We're all jazzed and buzzing about our Harvest Sale in October...planning and dreaming. I pray the weather is as nice as this weekend. Maybe a tad cooler. :)

I look forward to being able to post more this next month. I have a tutorial I've been working on. If I can make it make sense. (Not my strong suit.) Especially today. So tired my head is thick, so I'll bid you adieu and go take my first siesta in months. Hope your weekend is perfect!

Until next time!

Better late than...

2010-08-12T17:37:00.000-07:00

I know I promised a sneak peek Saturday, but man oh man. I don't think I've stopped to breathe in days. Forget eating, sleeping, etc.

But I DO have preview pics. Not many, but hopefully enough to give you the feeling we're going for. I have a million more things to do, so with no drumroll, the visual feast begins!

Sale dates are August 13th & 14th, Friday & Saturday from 10am to 6pm!

Hope to see you there!

34287 Pittsburg Road, St Helens

Off to finish those details! Hope you have a great weekend!!

ps. We're on http://www.estatesale-finder.com/!

"This is me, frantic."

2010-08-05T14:44:00.000-07:00

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Is it just me, or has this been the fastest "Summer" ever? The days have absolutely flown by at the speed of light in our lives. We're all gearing up for the next sale and time started moving even faster. Funny how that works.

We're officially dubbing this sale our Summer Whites sale -"Primitive Romantic with a Twist." Tons of lights and brights, kind of garden country-ish cottagey primmy. Totally fem. This will be our first Friday sale, we're calling it "Fab Friday" because as with most sales, the utterly fab things will leave early Friday never to be seen again. Well, maybe never. Kevan and I have been super busy making all manner of fabulosity specifically for this sale.

June issue of Romantic Homes, page 70ish covered Old Glory antiques in Denver I think it was. There was a harvest table to DIE for. Made it. Yeah...made it. *giggles* It is swoonable.

Making patio greenhouse/conservatories from antique wavy glass single and divided pane windows. Again, swoonable.

Barbara (Purely Primitives) keeps telling me that we're defining the Crows Nest look. (I'm thinking my ADHD may be a barrier to that, but I'm rolling with it.) It is totally different in the big building than it was our first two sales, and I'm loving the look. But...again with the ADHD...I'm already scheming for the October sale.

Life is overfull right now, but oh so good. We're having a work party tomorrow so I'll be posting some sneak peek shots tomorrow night or Saturday. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. I'm working at the shop Tuesday and Wednesday next week, so the official preview will probably be posted Thursday evening.

I'd like to leave you with this thought, (that I tore from a magazine in the doctors office - whew! now I've confessed!)

Fear Less, Hope More;

Whine Less, Breathe More;

Talk Less, Say More;

Hate Less, Love More;

And All Good Things Are Yours.

Have a fantasmagorical evening with your loved ones and I will do the same. 'Til next time!

Did I mention I love white?

2010-07-27T15:09:00.000-07:00

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I used to be the color girl. Everything was color. My house is chartreuse with dark green trim. My bathroom is turquoise. My bedroom is the deepest cinnamon-y red with black trim work. Don't get me wrong, I still love love love color.

But suddenly I find myself evaluating the underlying tone in every "white" I see. I'm not so much a fan of bright white mind you, but all the shades thereof. My 2 current favorites are Atrium White - Benjamin Moore, and Dried Hydrangea - Ace paints. But Innocence - Behr, and Barn Owl White - Behr are also scrumptious. All have a very rich undertone of yellow, rust, or both in the case of the Atrium White.

Since I've discovered this current lust for white and pale tones, we've decided to do the big building in whites for the next sale. Hence the no posting thing. Every spare moment has been spent ferreting out luscious goodies, and painting everything except my granddaughter in every shade of white I can get my paintbrush next to! It will be yummy. I command it! :-)

The pictures I'll share today are the 1920's bedroom set that I enhanced several weeks ago with the aformentioned Atrium White. Mmmm...

I call this the Princess Bedroom Set. 4-poster with this fabulous vanity. It's to die for!

Love the legs on these pieces. They're fluted and the balls are carved all the way round.

Even the hardware is Princess-ian. Princess-ish?

Notice the "plaque" detail. If I were going to keep the set I'd SO do flouncy scrollwork initials on the footboard and some sort of "family crest" in pastels on the headboard. So Princess-like. (Forgive the unmade condition, didn't want the sheets to get "mussed".)

Now that I see it in photos, hmmmm. Just kidding. I don't keep many things and I think this qualifies as many things. Besides, my husband would draw the line at sharing a twin. *grin* He's lucky to get his fair share of a queen size.

Hope you're all having a fab week, I know I am. Sunshine, roses, and 52 shades of white paint. What more could a girl want?

Except maybe:

Check out their blog at A Vintage Gathering .

BarnHouse is the same weekend so whether you're coming or going, or make a special trip, it's worth it!

Who sits?

2010-07-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

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It's literally been weeks since I sat down for any length of time. But, I got alot done.

What I did NOT get done, was teaching my first art class. I'm really bummed and a little p*ssed at myself, mainly because I have NO idea why I'm really procrastinating. Is it fear of failure or fear of success? Who knows, but the end result is the same. No excuses, just putting it out there.

Not much to say today, but thankfully a picture is worth, well, a few hundred words, anyway.

I am in no way "religious", but am very spiritual, and this was billed as "A Woman's Prayer". (Still not too sure how I feel about the misogynistic labeling, looks like men could use a lil optimism some days too.) This has become my mantra, because every day I have this internal struggle.

Hope you're all having a fabulous July. I'll be back soon, people are starting to ask about the next sale!

Amazing Days!

2010-06-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

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What a blast! I want to thank all the lovely ladies who participated, and all the fabulous people who attended the sale for making it a thoroughly enojyable weekend. The weather cooperated this time, making it fun from start to finish.

My early Altzheimers kicked in, so no guest book, and for that I'll be eternally sorry! I'd love to have the name of the couple who were there, waiting patiently, at 9am with breakfast in hand. And I know I said more pics Friday night, but the rain didn't clear off til late so that put us scurrying until way late, and yes, I was in traction! I'm just now feeling human. I'll stop rambling now and give you the eye candy. It was "terminally cute" to quote the husband of one dealer. :-)

More next post. Redoing the shop yesterday and today and the hubby is back with more goodies. Hope you are all having a wonderful week so far, and thanks again to everyone who helps with and supports the shop and the occasional sales!

Ads are up all over

2010-06-11T06:36:00.000-07:00

I want to plug a service that I love. If any of you ever do ANY kind of sale I would suggest using the http://www.estatesale-finder.com/ service. Karen, who owns and operates the business, is so warm and friendly, and made ME feel less technologically disabled. (A task in its self.)

Our first sale was an ovewhelming success, and SO many people came that really had to drive to get here - (a few had to drive several hours) - and all of those who travelled said they came due to our advert on estate sale finder. I'm not much for paying for ads, and frankly haven't had a whole lot of luck with traditional newspaper ads, or radio ads either, but this service is definately worth the money. And for those who GO to sales, WOW what a fab resource!! We've used it to plot our "sale-ing" for the last year and what a time saver. It helped us find the items we were looking for and prioritize based on pics and lists posted. I just love it!

All that said, daylights a wasting. Tons to do and one day to do it in. The rain FINALLY let up! If I'm not in traction I'll be posting more pics this evening. Wishing you and yours the best day you've ever had!

Sneak Peek anyone?

2010-06-09T14:35:00.000-07:00

Did I hear a "finally"? Good grief, rain. But this weekend is looking good, thank the Universe!

Crows Nest is welcoming a couple of new vendors who have excellent merchandise and reasonable prices. So as of today, these are the wonderful folks you have to look forward to:

Purely Primitives
Apple of My Eye
Altered Edge Design
Cillas Stuff
Harris Farms
Teresas Treasures
Linda Mohr

Now, the other good news is - I have pics. Bad news is, they're pics of piles under tarps, plastic, and pop-ups. ~oy~ I'm being ~~partly~~ facetious. The things I do for pictures! Six a.m., coffee in one hand, camera in the other, in my robe and slippers, pouring rain, wandering from tent to tent trying desperately to find ANYTHING attractive to take a picture of.

Barbara & Cilla came thru for me in the kitchen yesterday.

I took these thru the window - hence the "focus free" shots. :)

Her bake table is to DIE for!

And, lest you think I was being Totally facetious, here are just a few of the piles of goodies waiting for set-up on Friday. I did mention the tarps & tents. :-) Not too attractive now, but magic happens!

A few shots of inside the big building. Still have tons to place but the bones are good.

Attend the debut of "Bling Divas" by Altered Edge Design (Debbie Mitchell)

I didn't get pics of the porch, I know you remember from last time. It's where everything we can't find a place for ends up til the last day. It will be amazing, with an Americana theme. I guess that will be a surprise. I'll try to post new shots Friday night unless I finally work my fingers off, literally.

Oh My Stars and Garters!

Crows Nest is having another sale!!

June 12th & 13th - 10am to 5pm

34287 Pittsburg Road, St Helens OR

No Early Birds in the Nest

More later...have a terriffic afternoon everyone!

Amazing

2010-06-06T16:49:00.000-07:00

Go make yourself something to drink, grab a little snack, and watch this. It's definately worth the 15 minutes.

Hope your weekend has been fabulous, and that your week is the best ever.

Sunny and warm...finally!

2010-06-05T17:59:00.000-07:00

It may only last one day, but it sure is nice.

Things are finally moving around the Crows Nest. The weeds are being banished, the small cottage is being revamped, much painting, nailing, driving screws, (yes, I typed it then thought, nawwww...), hanging pictures and rearranging of bric-a-brac is going on.

Barb, of Purely Primitives, brought some amazing benches, a fabulous bake table, and a ton of other goodies. Debbie, of Altered Edge Design, scored some amazing finds as well. Not too much info, but I promise, pics to follow as soon as we get it whipped into shape. The rain has totally messed up our play time. :-)

We also have some new playmates joining us this sale. It's gonna be a blast!

2 weeks, one day and a wake up

2010-05-27T21:47:00.000-07:00

Wow, the next sale is just around the corner. With the incessant rain and cold it really snuck up on us. The good news is, it's Long Beach/Packwood/Sumpter (sp?) weekend and almost all our vendors are headed out in the morning to find the best stuff out there for the next event!

I've noticed quite a few cars slowing down at the end of the drive to see if we're getting close. I'm sure they're dismayed to see nothing building up outside, but rest assured, there's tons of goodies to come, we're just protecting your finds from the wonderful downpours.

And more news from our little acre of heaven. After the last sale of the season, the big building will be home to "De-stressed Studios." Everyone who's been into our shop - Creative Kharma - knows that we host a thriving little community of artists, mixed media - glass - jewelry - altered art - repurposed art - photography - porcelain & ceramics - art dolls - you name it. And, we have tons of inquiries about classes. Sooo...De-Stressed was born. (Now that I've said it to the world, it's a done deal.) I'll be starting classes by July 1 with any luck and willing students.

Now my fervent plea to the Universe - please let me be able to juggle one more ball. Allow me to give fair energy to each venture. Allow my family to thrive in chaos. Allow me to write positive affirmations in the dust on my bookshelves. Allow my granddaugter to learn entreprenurial spirit, realistic optimism, and a desire to always move forward. Teach my family the difference between lunacy and drive. And at the end of the day, allow me to successfully navigate these new waters, even without a paddle. *grin*

I hope you all have a fantastic Memorial Day weekend full of fun and family. Have a hot dog and some watermelon for me...

Input, please.

2010-05-25T22:03:00.000-07:00

Been working on this blog "thing", trying to figure it all out. Headers and footers, sorta. Backgrounds, yeah. Optimizing shmoptimizing. Monetize sounds painful...bet it is, too. *grin*

I'd welcome any comments on ways to improve. I'd love to figure out how to do video tutorials. (The webcam takes off 20 pounds, right?) So, any input or suggestions are always welcome. Thanks for hangin' in with me so far. Have a great night and a better day tomorrow.

While you're sitting anyway, check out http://www.acme.com/ under "toys" they have a licenseplate maker, a dyno-type printer...several cool toys.

Q & A time

2010-05-19T16:41:00.000-07:00

We've had several inquiries about being part of Crows Nest events, the cost to participate, how it's structured, etc. so I thought I'd answer a few of these questions here. For now, the events will be fairly risk free for dealers. We will charge 10% of your total sales. (This may change as we learn what our costs will be over time.) We'll provide cashiers (all sales will go through the cashiers), packing materials & bags, advertising in Estate Sale Finder - Craigslist and the local paper. We will not be doing "spaces". Instead, we will allow the merchandise to dictate where it should be placed.

Everyone asks why I'm not "into" spaces. Well.....My theory is that antiques/vintage/etc. should be useful & used. I believe that we all need a bit of history in our homes, be it our - or someone elses - family heirlooms that we incorporate into our look. If someone can't SEE how the piece would fit into their somewhat modern decor, they won't give it a home. Layers are key. Add a primitive pie safe or an antique armoire to an IKEA kitchen and make me swoon. Fill IKEA shelves with great grandmas china, (does it really matter if it was my great grandmas?), for a fabulous look. Pottery Barn kitsch looks amazing layered on your antique or primitive sideboard along with your mothers linens and your art. By mixing up looks and eras in our events we show clients how to layer for the collected over time look that makes even a newlyweds first apartment feel like an established home.

Hence, the no spaces thing. (If someone is dead set against mixing their stuff in, we are flexible and always willing to discuss available options. There is no "right way", only peronal preference. However, we will still maintain overall license to ensure that the Crows Nest look is consistent and to avoid the "chopped up" feeling that I think "spaces" encourage.)

The other question I hear is, what can I bring. While we don't have hard and fast rules, we do not want to be confused with a yard sale. We reserve the right to jury individual items, and a few general (some tongue in cheek) guidelines are:

Pre 1950 is almost always okay. (There were those "YIKES, why on earth?" items in fashion & decor right back to caveman days.)
Fire King, yes. Pyrex, maybe. Mainstays, no. Dollar Tree, heck no.
In good repair unless being sold as a project piece and marked to reflect needed repairs.
As-is is acceptable for items where the damage doesn't detract from beauty or usefulness, as long as the item fits into the antique/vintage/collectables category and the damage/repair is clearly noted.
Priced items. Nothing is worse for a customer than having to trail the service person around a sale to find the owner to get a price, unless it's listening to the owner mull over how much to charge or worse, being asked to make an offer. (It happens to me all the time and I'd rather be poked with sticks.)
Clothing, unless it is within the general overall look is not appropriate. Clothing should be a minimum of 50 years old, or made to look as if it were & should reflect the "look" of the event. Clothing made of new materials in a vintage style should be labeled as such.
Newer items with vintage flair are acceptable as long as they are labeled clearly as being new/reproduction. If you're unsure, label as such.
My rule of thumb for my own merchandise is that less than 20% of my total offerings should have ever had a bar code. I'd like to maintain that throughout the event offerings.
Plastic is a no, resin could be okay if it's cute, Bakelite, old Lucite, Celluloid, and Catalin etc. are a yes.
The label says, "Made for Wal-Mart." Nope.
You painted and distressed it, yes. We love it. It just looks like it's been abused, only as a project. It's covered with rock band stickers and magic marker. Not on a bet. Remove stickers, paint & distress, HEY, it's a yes again. :-) (Am I the only one who loves how that works??)
It has a distinct odor. Only if said odor is pleasant.
Partial sets of great grandmas china, yes. The seasonal dish set "only missing one cup", nope. Single pieces of ironstone are immune to any rules set forth regarding dishware. It's just that cool.
Rusty? Ohhhhh yeah. Rusted through and it looks like you need a tetanus shot to touch it? Maybe. Pile of rust? Let me see it and I'll decide. :-) (Did I mention I looooove rust?)
Galvanized, concrete, old tin, battered and dented, if it can be planted in, have a top put on it for a side table, if it looks cool in the garden, if it can be made into something else, I'm all for it.

I know, I'm a smartalek. It's kind of fun. I laughed my way through this list, and of course thought of a gazillion other possible yes - no scenarios. I'd love it if you have a funny yes - no to share in comments. Who knows, maybe we can spark a book deal. :-0 If you've thought about joining us in one of our events, I hope I have answered the most important questions, but if not please feel free to leave a comment or call the shop @ 503-366-7973. If I'm not in, leave a number or email address and I'll get back to you asap.

I have to share one picture today, random as it is.
Miss Sweetness & Light herself.

As always, wishing you and yours the very best from me and mine.

Busy Little Bumblebees

2010-05-13T11:59:00.000-07:00

Since my last post, we've opened the Patio & Garden area at the shop. It finally feels like Spring might be here to stay at least for a few days. (For those in the Portland area, check Craigslist for some of the "Post Mother's Day" specials for those who didn't get exactly what they wanted for the big day. *grins*)

The shop is primarily consignment, with 32 vendors participating, so we are constantly getting new goodies. Check out a few shots of the newest addition to Creative Kharma ~ (1220 Columbia Blvd. St Helens OR 97051 - ph# 503-366-7973)

Also, we're gearing up for the next Crows Nest sale, looking high and low for garden accent pieces, patio decor and all manner of things to bring the outdoors into your home! Always feel free to leave a comment if there's something you've been looking for. (We keep a list at the shop of hard to find items that customers want or need to complete a vignette in their homes.)

I'll leave you today with one more picture. Wisteria has such lovely flowers. This is the view from my front porch.

Hope you're having the day you wish for.

Whew!

2010-05-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

Well, the dust has settled, the cuteness has all been boxed up, and nobody ever told me I'd feel like my child just left for college.

We laughed. We learned. One thing I learned is that I have NO idea what years calendar I was looking at when I said the next show would be June 14th & 15th. My hunny asked me Sunday evening if I knew that those dates were a Monday & Tuesday. My heart stopped! Good Grief!! Soooo....the dates for the next one are NOT the 14th & 15th, but the 12th and 13th of June. We'll be even better next time!

I did manage to get a few pictures before the show started and will post those at the end. I have an apology to make first. Nettie, please forgive me for not seeing your comment until Sunday night. I'll be sure to post directions on the blog next time. (One of the things we learned.)

Another thing we learned is how totally awesome people in the vendor community are. They share their experience freely with no strings attached. They are supportive of newbies. They wish you the very best, truly, from the heart. They make the word "nice" seem like the understatement of the year. The women from Vintage Station not only gave us the mention on their blog, but came out to support the sale. Janet Williams gave us the benefit of her extreme design talent - on her day off - during her lunch hour (in heels no less), and I personally couldn't be more thankful for everything. The community of kindred souls who do this - collecting and selling to-die-for goodies - is made up of extraordinary human beings!

I'd like to thank all you brave souls (vendors, customers, and helpers alike) who battled 40 knot winds, horizontal rain and bone chilling cold to make our first show such fun. The sun breaks were just frequent enough to keep everyones fingers from freezing solid. (Here's hoping that the Barn House Boys sale May 8th has better weather! And I'm hoping I've thawed by then. lol)

Now that I've slept off and on for several days, I think I have the energy to post a few ~~hundred~~ pictures. So, in no particular order, behold the beauty.

Caroline & Debbie put together a sweet vignette with a sewing theme. Vintage notions, quilts, vintage sewn items, Dee's treadlefoot New Home machine and aprons made from vintage sheets and feedsacks.

A corner of Barb's Cottage. She does a fabulous job!

Just off the path leading to the front yard vignettes. A few of the planted chairs and containers. And my weeds. :-)

One of Saras vignettes. The spoon carved bed is amazing! She really has some stunning primitives - and a way with layering I hope to learn.

Another of Sara's vignettes. Love, Love love the "Home Sweet Home" piece!

I just realized I never got a picture of these chairs with the fabulous cushions in them. Drat. This was just outside Barb's Cottage - and it was totally sweet.

Part of Caroline & Debbies display. Both pieces were beyond cute!

Part of a larger vignette pulled together by Sara. Cillas little church offering box was one of those pieces that just fit almost everywhere.

I'm including this one for the old rubber stamp base. I found it at SCRAP (please support this non-profit - they ROCK!) in Portland - an amazing place for artists and those of us who can't pass by funky bits and pieces. I didn't even scrape the glue globs out of it. Just wrote welcome with some chalk and voila! (It doesn't look nearly as cute this close up as it actually was.)

See? (Just ignore the "Hefty" bag. lol)

The "bedroom" corner. This little set is too sweet. Twin poster bed with the vanity, vanity seat and the tall dresser. We call it the Princess set.

The Strout Realty sign went early. I'm glad I got a snap of it! Check out the bobble head gnome.

A perfect example of Saras touch. This grouping was so pleasing to my eye I had to take several shots from different angles.

And last but definately not least, the newest addition to the Crows Nest Family. Sweet Baby Gauge. Love that boy. I spent both nights after the sale kissing the new right off this baby. Life is good.

Well, that's about all I've got for today. (Sorry for the super long post.) Hope you all had a fabulous weekend. Don't forget to check out the Barn House Boys and SCRAP websites. Until next time...

So close and yet so far

2010-04-28T11:44:00.000-07:00

We're down to the final touches in the big barn, Miss Barb is done - did I mention :-P, now for the porch. ~ugh~ That's where everything that didn't quite fit in the scheme inside was piled. If you can ignore said piles it is kickin' cute, but I'm down to the moment where I can no longer ignore...something must be done. lol I'd show pics, but it's flippin' embarrassing. Maybe this afternoon, after the piles have vanished and the wonderment ~~that will be the porch if it kills me~~ has happened. Regardless, more pictures later. I have GOT to stop procrastinating. But while you're procrastinating, check out The Vintage Station. Amazing... Do take some time and go through older posts. These women have a passion for the stuff we all love.

Have a marvelous day!

A little sneak peak

2010-04-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

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Things are coming together nicely. I think we might just pull this off. :-)

Check it out! Some of these are mid-setup, but overall I think everything is looking phenomenal! Check out the ad @ http://www.estatesale-finder.com/!

To quote my granddaughter - Miss Barb's Cottage ~And now you know.

There are a few more surprises. Tons of containers ready to be planted, birdhouses - birdfeeders - birdbaths - birdcages, a wonderful harvest table, too much to list, (did I mention I saved the pricing to do all at once and now I wish I hadn't? 500 plus tags sure wears on the old arthritis! lol) -but I'll try to keep the pictures coming each night. If you live within driving range we sure hope to see you at the sale! We're going to have a blast!

SInce I've been gone...

2010-04-24T20:26:00.000-07:00

.
we had a new Grandbaby, a broken water main, a flooded bathroom and priced hundreds of smalls in between crises. What a week!

Speaking of Grandbaby...welcome to the world little man.

Now I have a flurry of things to do, so I'm off like a herd of turtles.

Happy Weekend!

Stuff Stuff and More Stuff

2010-04-13T18:27:00.000-07:00

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When I said truckloads I meant truckloads! Life is good.

Here are a few sneak peek preview shots...

Inside the barn

Inside the potting shed, formally known as Barb's little corner of heaven

Awwwwwwwwww...

Shabby goodness disguised as a pie safe

Benches to DIE for.

Metal, wood, fabric, rust, what more could you ask for?

And dried hydrangeas, who could resist?

I was amazed at all the great stuff that kept pouring out of the trucks this last few days. I'll keep posting pictures as the goodies roll in. I'm really glad we're hosting this sale or I'd be in debt to Sara and Barbara up to my eyeballs! Something about primitives just makes me swoon.

Another little project of today... Debbie of Altered Edge Design came out and we whipped up this little bit of OMG how cute.

Tomorrow we'll be suspending a great vintage pie tin in the middle and adding a candle garden. It'll be at the sale also. Rust with crystals make my heart go pitter pat. More pics when we add the finishing touches!

Holy Crow

2010-04-12T14:04:00.000-07:00

What a whirlwind of activity at the Crows Nest!

Our special guests, Barbara (Purely Primitives), Sara (Sara Smith Antiques, Caroline (one of the Odd Dishes), and Debbie (Altered Edge Design) have been out to see the space, and several truckloads of amazing goodies have arrived. Now, the ~~challenge~~ fun will be turning several enormous piles into the amazing design you'll see on sale day!

Also featured in the sale will be Dee (Apple of My Eye), and Teresa (Teresas Treasures). I can't wait to see what they bring. We have a few other dealers that we would love to see, so our group may yet grow. It promises to be a fabulous mix.

If I could define the "thing" that will make our sales stand out I'd have to say that the mix of personalities and styles is so diverse, and the overall design sense is really cohesive even though we all have such varied takes on "the box". Some of us stand inside, some of us stand outside, some straddle the edge, but we're all willing to take another look and none of us is afraid to mix it up. We are committed to making this a fun filled event with tons of ideas for people to take away with them, tons of great pieces to flesh out a design, and some fantastic prices. I may go broke. :-)

And the beat goes on

2010-04-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

Morning snow, sunshine, snow, sunshine. Gotta love Oregon weather.

Well, yesterday was unveiling day. Had a couple of dealers out to see the space. It looked as good as it could given the weather the last month or so. Cross your fingers for us. We need at least 5 days of dry weather between now and the sale.

Pictures soon, we have truckloads of stuff heading our way in the next week or so. As we pull it together I'll be sure to take tons of pics! For now the old crows are still feathering the nest. ;-}

Hope you're having a spectacular day!

Everything Worth Having...

2010-03-30T09:51:00.000-07:00

is worth working for. Knowing that doesn't always help when you get up in the morning and can't walk. :-) I started photo styling the other day, then got a wild hair that the inside of the "barn" would be much brighter if it were white. Not only that, the merchandise would show better. So...we packed everything into one half, built a virtual spray booth, painted, waited for the paint to dry, then packed it al back into the other half, painted, you get the picture.

The good news is, I was right. The other news is, both dear hubby and I are sore in places we forgot we had muscles. Then, yesterday, we began the task of placing the biggest pieces of furniture, laying out spots for the bigger pieces the dealers will be bringing, and becoming totally overwhelmed when we realized that there is NO good place for the 3 beds we anticipate except along the back wall. Which, of course, held 4 huge pieces already. Live and learn.

My fervent hope is that my learning curve gets shorter. Also, I sincerely hope it gets a bit easier as we get a few sales under our belts. Becoming familiar with the space should help. How much will it really hold? We shall see.

The Extreme Helper

2010-03-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

Saw this and it reminded me of my hubby in the middle of me and all the other dealers who need this or that done. He is truly a great guy, with a huge job, but he has a blast.

Well, on to the workaday world. Photostyling today, so if the electronics goddess is smiling on me I should be able to post some pictures tomorrow. Hope your day is everything you hope for!

Welcome to the Crows Nest

2010-03-22T09:52:00.000-07:00

I'd like to introduce a few of the main players in our cast of characters:

Elizabeth - Jill of all trades. Painter of furniture, designer of "awww thats cute", purveyor of "what a good idea", NaNa, maker of funky jewelry and collage, kisser of grandbaby boo-boos, plantswoman, lover of all things chartreuse. The importance of each task is not reflected in the list order. :-)

Kevan - Jack of all trades. Fixer of absolutely anything you could ever need repaired, driver of the grandbaby taxi (lawn tractor), builder of Elizabeths follies, designer of kickin' cute benches and birdhouses, support person to the masses (we have 6 children), maker of anything & everything we need made, and the best man on earth. And yes, I am biased.

Kevan Jr. - Our good right hand. Assistant in all of the above, anticipator of needs, brainstormer extrordinaire. His sense of humor makes every day lighter and we appreciate all his efforts in support of the family businesses.

Much more to follow, including pictures of our new "barn" and some of the goodies we've amassed for our first ever "occasional sale". It promises to be a real blowout, with several dealers already signed on. May 1st and 2nd - mark your calendar! Off to work on the yard, more later. Hope your day is spectacular!