Green and Spring, cannot wait

I'm having a bit of a hard time looking out my window at the SNOW mixed with rain and the SNOW storms on the way next week.  This is the part of Minnesota I hate and dread, those are strong words, but I have strong feelings.  I need tropical, I need spring, I need green.

This blog post kinda made my morning :)  I love the greens.  It's inspiring. I love the jade dishes....

 You know what else made me smile?  The styling of the new spring Boden catalog.  It is so retro cute!

Here is one of my new Lollitotes.  It is made from vintage Waverly fabric.  I love how retro it is and the colors are so pretty and springy.

What are you most looking forward to planting this spring?  I still have not figured out when I can start planting here in Minnesota, I usually think I can start way to soon, then we get another freeze.  I'm just hoping my clematis vine comes back and grows big and beautiful!

What are the temps where you are?  Still in the 30's here.

I'm back with new idea's and a sale!

I've missed writing.  I feel a bit out of the loop.  I think December through February are my "hiatus from sewing" months :).  I always need that break to gather my thoughts and come up with new idea's.  We usually go on vacation to see my  husbands family during February anyway. 

We arrived home from vacation on Sunday and it was a brutal slap, this cold weather.  This morning it was -4 as I was driving to coffee with my sister.  I was coming from 81 degrees, tropical loveliness.  Oh well.  I saw the cutest tote while on vacation and it's so simple.  I thought why have I not done that?  I'm going to make a line of Lollitotes at an affordable price.  Who doesn't need affordable???

I noticed when I went grocery shopping on Monday, the food prices have taken a serious hike!  I really cannot believe the price jump.  In light of that I am having a sale at my ETSY SHOP use code SALE35 for 35% off.

On Tuesday I turned 41.  Sophie says to me crying... I don't want you to be 41!!!  Well Sophie, I don't really either but what can you do?  However, I am grateful for another year and for my health and my family and what else is there?  Sophie is scared I am going to turn into a grandma.  I dont' know if she thinks I will automatically age 35 years and get short gray hair and be all wrinkly?  But I am trying to assure her that I am not a grandma yet and don't plan on becoming one anytime soon.

My girls love to bring out their alternate personalities... Lauren's other self is called Juanita and Portia is Juanita 2.  Hmmmm I wonder where they get it from?

Ya, I am going to leave that picture small :)  But I love that I have a ton of goofy pictures with my girls, we have so much fun together!

 

 

Next up is spring!  I'm so excited!!

Vintage Finds

 A couple weeks ago I had some time to kill and I went into an antique store.......  I'm sure many of you can start a conversation the same way :)  So I found lots of things to buy.  I ended up getting only what I couldn't leave behind.

First, is a vintage airline luggage rack with 4 wheels on the bottom.  I saw it and knew it would be perfect to hold fabric in my sewing studio (if it ever gets finished)...  So while I am waiting for my sewing space to be done, I'm using it in my family room.  I also could use it in my laundry room. 

I knew I couldn't get it home by myself, but my son has a truck so I texted him *secretly*, not wanting my husband to get wind just yet.  Well wouldn't you know it, my son was out to lunch with my husband when he got my text!!  He totally threw me under the bus!

What I have all my yarn in, is an industrial basket.  I just love it, looks like a big pasta strainer for commercial use!
I am not sure how I am going to arrange things on it yet.  I would like to put all my vintage books on it.  I need to decide.  I just haven't had time lately.

I also found two vintage orange chairs.  The original tag says they are custom made by a company in Minneapolis.  The upholstery is in such good shape I am not going to recover them.  Besides, I love orange!

The other chair is in my bedroom.  They are so comfy.  I sit in this one and put my cup of tea on the green table and crochet.

I have a sale going on in my etsy shop www.lollipookiesoap.etsy.com it is going to end on Tuesday, January 29!  Coupon code is COLD20 for 20% off! 
Have a great weekend!  It is so cold here, I am not thinking right.  How about you, what's the weather where you live?

20 years

Today I have been married for 20 years.  I do not have a lot of photo's from our "wedding"  because we went to the courthouse one day and got married.  In this old photo (1994), we had been married for 14 months.  The boys are 3 and 3 months. This was my first trip to Hawaii to see his family.  You never think you'll reach the day when you look at old photos and say..."Wow, look how young we look!"  and "Boy we sure were skinny!". 




All the changes!  Now our family vacations are only with the girls because our boys are out on their own!  It is truly bittersweet.

What is love?  The one thing I've learned over 20 years is that love is a choice, not a feeling.  An even better description is a conversation from my favorite old movie, the original Yours, Mine and Ours  with Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda (1968).  One of the teenage daughters was upset that her boyfriend Larry kept pressuring her to "go farther".  She is asking her father for advice.  This is what Frank Beardsley says to her as he is helping his pregnant wife get to the hospital to give birth:

~I've got a message for Larry, you tell him this is what it's all about, this is the real happening.  You want to know what love really is?  Take a look around you, take a good look at your mother, it's giving life that counts.  Until your ready for it all the rest of life is just a big fraud.  All the crazy haircuts in the world won't keep it turning.
Life isn't the loving, it's the dishes and the orthodontist and the shoe repairman and ground round instead of roast beef and I'll tell you something else, it isn't going to bed with a man that proves your in love with him, it's getting up in the morning and facing the drab, miserable, wonderful, everyday world with him that counts.~

Well I couldn't agree with Mr. Beardsley more!

God is faithful, even when I'm not.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us RUN with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us FIX OUR EYES ON JESUS, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Hebrews 12:1-2

That, may be my favorite verse of all time.  It is always good  to remember all God has brought you through.  Oh I so easily forget!  You know, I still drive around Minnesota and think, wait..... I'm in Minnesota??  I had forgotten all the miracles that God did to get us here.  So I read them again, here.  I'm so glad I did, because I have been really wondering why we live in this frozen tundra.  I've been saying... this weather is not fit for humans!  We must be insane to live here!  I really, really do not like winter.

But, I'm so very thankful.  I have many things to praise God for.  This Minnesota life is not perfect but we are blessed to have it.  I want to keep my eyes FIXED ON JESUS.  I pray God will help me throw off all that hinders and not be entangled in sin.  Thank you Lord for all you have done for me!!

Facebook

Well I guess blogger is having upload photos issues.  So I cannot  post what I wanted to today.    Can't wait to show you my vintage airline luggage rack and vintage orange chairs I found!

Head over to my facebook page and please like it!  I post special coupon for my etsy shop there!

Have a great day!

Happy New Year!

Another year gone.  There are things to remember, things I'd like to forget, things I am happy I did.  I do not like new years resolutions, but rather,  *decisions*.    In 2013 I've decided to be adventurous.  Being adventurous started for me back in 2006, (or maybe 2002 when we moved to Oregon)......  One day I decided I should take my kids (4 of them at the time) on a road trip.  We lived in Oregon and I wanted to drive to San Fransisco. Just me and the kids.

Hubby didn't like the idea but I was set.  We did.  We just took off one day and drove to California!  The kids were 15, 12, 10 and 4.  We listened to 80's hair bands all the way down.  We stopped at roadside wonders, ice cream shops..... the kids still remember the science museum in San Fran... I didn't have a digital camera back then or I'd show you my pictures.  It was a blast and I was hooked.


When Lauren was 12, her and I took a mom/daughter trip to Idaho. The next summer Lauren and I drove to Idaho again to sell Lollibags at a barn show. We got chocolate shakes at every meal.

This is the morning we left for our first Idaho adventure.

 

I promised Portia we would go on our own adventure this summer as soon as school is out.  I have a state in mind......  I am very excited!  I love adventures, our greatest adventure was moving to Oregon.  It was a blast, something I'll never, ever regret.

 

So here's to the New Year!  2013~The year of Adventure!

 

 

 

Would love some sunshine

In the middle of winter when it is so cold and summer seems so far away, I like to look at my days gone by sunny photo's.

 

 I love the ocean.  I LOVE THE OCEAN.  It is a mysterious thing to me, created by an awesome God!

If I could live by the ocean I would, it is a dream of mine...maybe someday.

 

My little surfer girl hamming it up.  It must be my husbands Hawaiian culture bred into them, they are drawn to the beach and get so dark so  quickly and their hair turns sun bleached blonde.

                                  What do you dream of during the long, cold winter?

3 bits for my younger self

I'm up early today drinking my homemade iced coffee and reading my blog list.  I've recently discovered Gussy Sews, actually I'm sure I've met her at The Creative Connection Event?  I'm sure... I know I've seen her cute products somewhere!  Anyway I'm linking up with her coffee date today...

The question is what 3 things would you tell your younger self?  I'll try to narrow it down to 3!

First is: Be yourself.  You really are beautiful, your just the way God wanted you, embrace who you are.  Forget what others think.

Second is:  And it ties in with the first... You can do whatever you set out to!  Don't be afraid!  Take a risk!  Even if you fail, at least you tried!

Third is:  Please don't settle for that abusive boyfriend... PLEASE dont' marry him!  Being single is OK!  You don't need a boyfriend!  It's ok to make mistakes, pick yourself up and MOVE ON.  Stop carrying guilt from bad choices around!  oops is that 4 rolled into 3?

Which leads me to the realization of what I've been telling my daughter!  I'm telling her to chose the "safe" route, she has grand dreams and I am always there trying to support them but then adding, it really isn't reality sweetie, do you really think you can do that?  Oh shame on me!
I'm going to give her wings and let her fly!

So go join Gussy for coffee.

Scarf anyone?

I am having so much fun crocheting.  I started out with granny squares.... I have about 60 so far for a blanket.  I am not sure how to crochet them all together to make the blanket but I'm sure I'll figure it out!  If anyone knows you can fill me in.

Then my daughter started crocheting infinity scarves, and those were so cute I thought I would try that too!  Only I bought some real thick, heavy yarn and a little bit bigger hook.  The yarn is so, so soft and warm and cozy.  I love it so much!  Only I'm having a hard time finding the colors I want in stock anywhere!  I need 3 of each color to make one scarf and no one seems to have 3 in stock!

So far these are the ones I have made and I decided to list them in my etsy shop.

This pink is so fabulous, it is called Honolulu Pink~ perfect.  It is so bright and cheery!  The scarf is wrapped twice, it is about 60 inches in length, like this.....

Here is a green one, the green is kinda between moss and spinach.

And a mocha brown tweed......

I love making these, currently I am OUT OF YARN!  I am just waiting for my shipment to arrive, so these 3 are all I have in stock.  Thanks for looking and have a great day!