Where Women Create

Sadly, I will not get much done today, my new Where Women Create magazine just arrived in the mail today!  I will be sitting on the couch pouring over every page....

What am I?

OK, so I know I am a mom and wife and a girl.  But what am I really?  What do my dreams and hearts desires make me?

When I was oh about 12 or 13 maybe I remember asking my dad, dad what is an entrepreneur?  He said it is someone who owns their own business.  At that precise moment, I KNEW that is what I wanted.  I wanted to own my own business.  My dad always owned his own company.  He is an electrician. 

Over the years I tried to sell many things because home sales were like owning your own business.  I have sold Avon, Tupperware, Mary Kay, Cookie Lee Jewelry, Avon again.  In the mid 90's when country crafts were hot I made my own wood crafts and sold them at a craft store. 

I am a beauty product fanatic too.  I love department store beauty counters!  I think that is why I loved selling Mary Kay.  But none of these things were my own, except the crafts, but that wasn't truly what I wanted to be doing.

If I could be a chemist and whip up my own line of skin care or makeup I would.  But I am not a chemist, or a really good cook.

My dream has always been to have my own store, a boutique, filled with my creations.  But then I would have to be there everyday and what about the kids and house and ironing and laundry and homework....  I wonder how Kate Spade started out?  I feel so at home at her website, it is so me, so bright and cheery yet simple, and ....oops I was going to say classy, and while Kate Spade is classy and classic, I'm not sure you could describe me that way....

How did she ever branch out into everything she has branched out into??  I almost wish I would not have gotten that laser eye surgery years ago, so I could buy a pair of Kate Spade glasses.  I want a Kate Spade party dress, to wear to the grocery store, I want this clutch...

to carry to the dentist.  I ... well I just would like to have a store like Kate Spade.   

I suppose I'm entering into my dream world again, where I live in that pastel cottage on the white sand beach and wear cotton sundresses with my blue surf converse everyday..  Then when I am done there I go to my Kate Spade like boutique and sell, sell, sell all day and I am classy and pretty, and have a crisp cotton dress on with red lipstick and smooth skin, sorry Kate but I will have to be wearing Louboutin shoes in this world...

When we were in Hawaii I went into Kate Spade

And I thought.... what could I get in here, surely not a $495 party dress, or a $500 handbag.  I went to the jewelry case and saw them... sorry no picture yet.... daisy earrings.  My mom's favorite flowers were daisy's.  So then I saw the price tag, only $55!  Hey not half bad for Kate Spade! I mean would hubby rather have me spend $55 on the earrings or $500 on a purse? 

  So that was my big splurge, the gold daisy earrings.  Not real gold, but still classy, a classic I can wear everyday.  They came in this cute little.... OH alright I'm going to go take a picture!!!

They came in this cute little round box.

And there they are, my daisy earrings.  So I ask what am I?  Well I think in addition to wife and mom, I am a business woman too.  I wonder how long it took Kate Spade to really take off?

Mom's beauty products

Don't you love walking down memory lane, when you see a vintage ad for something you grew up watching your mom use? 
My mom always used Olay Beauty Fluid, it was pink in a glass bottle.  This is not it, but the closest picture I could find.

She also used a cold cream when I was really little, I think it was called Deep Magic.  It was a turquoise jar with waves on it.  I tried and tried to find a photo of this and I could not :(

But I ran across this, I guess they called it Flicker, my mom's was pink and white and I wanted to use it so bad!

Remember Tickle?

And Prell?

Mom always had Calgon in the bathroom too.

Instead of Calgon, my sister and I would get to use Mr. Bubble.

That makes me giggle, would we ever let our little girls use Mr. Bubble these days?

We washed our hair with Tame and then mom would put our pink sponge curlers in on Saturday night for church on Sunday!

When I was older, mom had a walk in closet in her bedroom, and every Saturday night, she would go into her closet and paint her toenails a fresh color.

Thanks for taking a walk with me, if you guys remember Deep Magic, let me know!  I would love to hear the products your mom used or her weekly "rituals".  I wonder what my girls will tell their little girls, their mom used.

Happy Housewife

I was a happy housewife today, I did all my Saturday cleaning, made egg salad for the girls for lunch.  That is a big deal because normally I don't "cook" for lunch.  I also made a finally the crust turned out apple pie.  It turned out because I used pillsbury pie crust. 
I sewed another Lollibag:

My sweet hubby took me out to dinner last night, on the way he said I have some bad news for you.  Well let me give you some background first....

 Hubby sells luxury motorhomes for a living, over the years we have met some wonderful people.  Made some great friends.  Sometimes when his customers are in town getting work done or looking at a new coach, we have them over for dinner.  Hubby is real sweet about it , he calls me and says don't worry we'll order pizza or get takeout.

I do get frantic thinking of having people over but by the end of the night, I'm so happy they came and it all works out.  They are all so nice and grateful that we had them over for some pizza!  

 Well a few weeks back we had just gone out to lunch with a couple, they had bought from hubby before, and they were back again, got the motorhome they really wanted, just right, sold their home, to go "full time".

They were real fun to talk to, had a great time at lunch a while back, so as were driving last night, hubby said so and so has terminal cancer..... 

I was just so sad, I felt like bursting into tears,  they are just going to enjoy their time together in the new motorhome.  I lost my appetite, I just said what's it all for??  Why are we here?  I mean I know those were sad , angry questions, but I am wondering how could this have happened to them, so nice, it's just not fair. 

I have had so many of my friends and friends family who have heard a cancer diagnosis this past year, it is scary.  Is it just because we are all getting older and this is what you deal with when you get older?  Or what is going on? 

I guess this is just life, we all have trials, no one is immune, just when and what will be your trial. 

It is a beautiful sunny day, you can wear your t-shirt, the kind of day that makes you want to go buy a ton of flowers and start planting.  It's been a good day.  And then I think there is someone out there not having a good day, who just lost a job, or got a divorce, or a dr. just told them they are dying.

Just call your parents, give your husband a hug, kiss your kids, take your dog on a walk, let people know you love them.  You really never know what day will be your last.  Be grateful.

I love ruffles

As much as I hate to see the Coastal Living cover move on down I must post anew!
A few months back I noticed in my Elle and Harpars Bazaar magazines, that ruffles, raw edges and neutrals were pretty big.  So I tore out a page with lots of ruffles on it and have been making ruffle Lollibags.  I'm so glad they are "in" right now, because I LOVE ruffles!

I was blog surfing today and found a contest for ruffles, here!!

So I am going to enter this bag.  Her prizes are rufflistic!

And here is one more ruffle Lollibag....

COASTAL LIVING!!!!

OK, I'm just a mom of 5 living on a farm out in Oregon.  So YES this is exciting to me!  Coastal Living contacted ME, and said thank you for writing about us on your blog!! tee hee, I am all giggly..  And the nice lady sent me this photo, since I could not find it online. 

Here is the umbrella I was talking about, isn't it beautiful?  They are even sending me a February issue!  This has just made my day.  Now I can re-read that Florida Keys Vintage article and really dream up my vintage beach cottage.

Thanks Coastal Living!

Coastal Living

I took Portia to the dentist yesterday and I picked up the February issue of Coastal Living.  It has a pink two tiered vintage look umbrella on the front.  Be still my heart!
I tried to buy the issue today at Walmart, but they already have the March issue out!
I was paging through it and I came across three words that describe me.  I had never known what my "style" was before, I didn't know how to explain it.  I do like shabby chic, but can I really live with all white and light pastels?  Especially with 5 kids on a farm?  No.  I also love the bright colors of Mexico, but I get tired of that brightness sometimes.  It's no secret I love vintage, but I also have a great passion for the ocean and beaches and tropical islands.  OH they just get me, it stirs something up in me.

Does that not make your heart long to be there?

Ok, these are pictures of Tahiti, Bora Bora, where I've been begging my hubby to take me for over 12 years!!  Maybe on our 20th...

Anyway the 3 little words that I read were FLORIDA KEYS VINTAGE.

That's me!  I love the vintage beach decor and I read those 3 words as a desciption of a way to decorate and I knew... now I tried to find a photo of FLORIDA KEYS VINTAGE, or at least the Coastal Living Feb. cover, but I could not.  Alas you will have to go into some random dental office or dr. office to try and find the issue.

I love the farm, but if I could live anywhere, it would be close to a white sand beach in a little pastel colored cottage, with a white kitchen, a front porch, and little white picket fence.  I would have a beautiful yard with a garden, a sewing studio out back.  Oh and I'd have my own little store where everyone from around the world would come and buy a Lollibag.  It would be sunny everyday and there would be no such thing as skin cancer, or any cancer or sickness for that matter.

I can hear my hubby interjecting here, you have no idea the amount of maintanence living on an island, it's killer, the amount of money to keep up the home...  I know honey, I'm just dreaming.  I'm sorry kids, but you are not in this cottage, maybe you are grown and giving me grandchildren somewhere...  I really can almost feel the warmth of the sun, and I have a cotton sundress on with a sun hat, and my baby blue converse.. sorry hubby your also not in this day dream. 

Well, back to reality, going to thaw some beef and do a load of laundry.

OH MY.....apple pie...crust

I almost took a picture of my apple pie I made last night, but it was to embarrasing.  For the first time in my life, I tried to make my grandma's pie crust recipe.  I always use premade pillsbury pie crusts.  But I really want to master the art of making pie crusts...

I learned something about myself last night, when I am frustrated I want to throw things and curse.
Yep..grandma's recipe seemed easy enough.
1 1/2 C flour
1/2 t salt
2/3 C shortening
4 T cold water

I mixed the flour and salt, then, put in shortening, mixed, added cold water a little at a time.... tried to roll out this homemade playdoughy mess, stuck to counter, tossed first batch, looked online for easier recipe, found recipe with oil, made one crust with that, not much better, made other crust with grandma's recipe, only this time put shortening in freezer, and added ice to water before using.
STILL, crumbly, sticky, dry mess, broke apart, did not roll, when it did roll , stuck to parchment paper and counter.
Had worlds thickest crusted apple pie ever, dry as the desert.  Was it the whole wheat pastry flour?  Maybe you have to use white flour.

After a day of making Lollibags, I wanted to have a nice pie for my family that night, but it was not nice, still is not nice today, will probably let the dogs have a slice.
So if anyone knows what the secret is to a beautiful, flaky, buttery, just like grandma's pie crust, please do tell!

Here's my bags:

Time to sell some Lolli's

I just signed up to be a vendor at "Chic Boutique" in Eugene on March 26-27.  I'm really excited to sell Lollibags there.  There will be about 1,400 women attending.  I'm going to be sewing bags like crazy for the next 4 weeks!  This event is Career Conference for Mary Kay ladies.  I sold Mary Kay for 7 years, I finally stopped when I had my 5th child.  I love Mary Kay and have always wanted to take my girls to the Mary Kay museum in Texas....  So this is extra exciting :)  Have you ever seen photos or products from the 60's when Mary Kay first started?  LOVE them!  Totally vintage!!

Also I am going to be a vendor at the Vintage Barn Sale  in Rathdrum, Idaho, it is up by Coeur d'Alene.  That sale is on July 10th.  I'm super duper happy about that sale, because it is a vintage sale and you know I am all about vintage!  I can't wait to post pictures from both sales, and hope those aren't my only two!

Picking up my boot straps....

This is crazy!  I will not feel sorry for myself for one more minute!  I am not going to hesitate to be closer to God.  I don't care what trials come my way!

Yes I've just had a e-mail conversation with my best friend.  She always listens to me, always encourages me, always prays for me, always gives me Bible verses to cheer me up.  What would I do without her?

I know I will again be in the goop I was in yesterday, but all I can do is pray and trust that Jesus will see me through, no matter the outcome.

On Sunday I "ran away", I told hubby I just need some time to myself.  I took my Bible and sat in a parking lot and read Hebrews 11.  By Faith.  I love that chapter.  But where has my faith gone?  When my mom died I was still strong in my faith.  Or was I.  We all had faith that God would heal her.  But He didn't, He brought her home.  I will never forget, at the hospital the day she died I was sitting with her, she was going in and out of sleep or maybe consciousness.  At one point I wanted  to know if she was excited to see Jesus.  To me I think if I was dying, a part of me would be so giddy with excitement to see Jesus!  
 See that morning the dr.'s told us we will just make her comfortable now.  So we were preparing for her to die.
So I went up to her and sat on her hospital bed and held her hand and I said mom, are you ready to see Jesus?  She popped her eyes open and looked at me like, how could you say that? how could you lose faith for my healing?

I was so heartbroken I could not say goodbye to her, that she could not give me any last words of wisdom.  In her mind she still had the faith, she knew she would be healed.  I had to go home to my kids, and later that night at 8:30 pm she died.  I held firm in my faith, I never questioned God.  Till these past couple of years.

I used to rent a booth in a store and I sold vintage items.  One lady was at the counter checking out and we started talking.  She said she had been healed of cancer.  And she told the lady working with me that yes God heals, don't worry.  And I was thinking, how could you even say that?  At that point I thought, I've really lost my faith, haven't I?  I wanted to scream at her, well God didn't heal my mom of cancer, so don't go telling everyone that God always heals!  Cuz sometimes He doesn't!  But I didn't and I didn't want to take away from her experience, so I said nothing about my mom. 

But at that point, I knew I had to get right with God.  You know my family did everything it said to do in the Bible, praying with elders, being annointed, having faith.  But I have to just know that God has a big huge plan that did not include healing my mom.  I am still working on my faith, I suppose I will never ARRIVE, till I arrive to my heavenly home.  I'm quite ashamed for my attitude concerning this, because God has done miracles in my life.  But I think, on my knees is a better place to be than walking tall and proud.