A GOOD START

Hey, Y'all! In this first week of the new year I've already been JUNKIN' a few times. On New Year's Day I went for a drive on the back-roads between Brenham and Burton. Nothing was open, but it was fun taking the slow way home and seeing the lovely farmhouses, baby calves, and first daffodils. On the second day of the new year, I met up with my sweet friend, Theresa and we headed to Canton for First Monday Trades Days. It was COLD!! 

But being the diligent junkers we are, we simply added more layers and shopped. We shopped the fields first and saw all sorts of good stuff, including this inspiring paper skirt. After a few hours in the fields we headed to the Arbors and caught up with Maggie and Lillie. More inspiration for sure!

Vignette in Maggie and Lillie's booth at Arbor III.

Love this garden chair with it's cool cushion in
Maggie and Lillie's Arbor III booth.

Another vignette from Maggie and Lillie in Arbor III.

An adorable dresser and chandelier also
found in Maggie and Lillie's booth.

This vignette has me dreaming of spring garden parties. 

  We stopped at a few more places on the way home until the truck was FULL. 

After a day of rest, I hit the road again and caught up with Theresa and many other vendors at the Rural Texas Antique Show in Brenham. Here's a peek at what her Garden Antqs Vintage booth looked like. It was gorgeous!

Love the way Garden Antqs Vintage combines rust and ironstone.

And nests and nature...

Cool idea! Metal light in a bird cage--love it!

Garden Antqs Vintage adds a few petite roses to old gloves.

Love the rust and roses!

This cute pink table went home with me!

 Yes, I believe 2014 is off to a good start with many more adventures to come!

Until next time, 

Peace, love, and all the 

good stuff, sweet friends. 

CREATIVE CHAOS

"The world is but a canvas to the imagination." Henry David Thoreau

 Hey, Y'all! Where do you create? Do you have a special place in your home that's just your space to plan, dream, and play? I've had several over the years--from reclaimed closets to dining room niches to a dedicated office/studio space--the where is never as important as just having SOMEWHERE to keep all my treasures corralled. 

Since I dabble in so many different mediums, shelves, jars, and boxes are mandatory. 

Packing up my creative treasures was one of the most difficult parts of our recent move. 

(You just never know when you may really 

NEED GLITTER!) 

However, unpacking my stuff has been like weeks of Christmas--not knowing which box holds what treasure. Each time I open one it makes me smile and say, "Oh, yeah! I missed that!" Then came the slight issue with WHERE to put all my little things?

My biggest challenge was needing lots and lots of shelves. Fortunately, being the JUNKER, I am, I found this shelf for under $30 (!) at an estate sale just after we moved to our new house. 

A coat of white paint transformed it to a lovely spot for lots of tiny bits, fun pieces, tons of magazines, gotta-have books, and sparkly stuff. 

One of my other favorite organizers is this awesome vintage pink rose (1940s?) shoe organizer. It now holds all kinds of letters and pictures next to my desk. 

Above my desk are a few of my favorite sayings and the fabulous Dreaming of Junking Calendar from Vintage Rescue Squad. 

Another of my favorite organizers is this beautiful little drawer box covered in the sweetest vintage floral wallpaper. I found it at Girls Gone Junkin's booth at First Monday Trade Days in Canton, TX. I should mention that's an important component of all my collected treasures--connections to other like-minded folks and passionate gypsies!

I'm the first to admit my creative space is not a tidy, minimalist place. It probably won't ever be featured in a magazine. 

However, it is a place where I enjoy making new Good Ju-Ju jewelry pieces, 

crafting Junkin' Journals,

 or working on my Flea Market Mystery series. 

Layers of sparkly, rusty, floral, and pretty are my creative playground motivating me to try new projects, keep the muses smiling, and fill my heart with JOY. 

Until next time,

Peace, love, and all 

the Good Stuff to y'all!

FIRST MONDAY TRADE DAYS OR BUST!

Our 26' U-HAUL truck with tow trailer...aka THE BEAST!

Hey, Y'all!! Happy June! I'm back from my recent road-trippin' to TEXAS! This was my ride for six days. Nice, huh? Now I can add "truck driving" to my list of fun adventures. It was a little intimidating at first, but soon I got used to driving it and making sure we stayed in our lane. It was a little hard to stop at every flea market, garage sale, and great looking shop I passed for 2,000 miles, but the views beyond the truck windows were stupendous...

Approaching Snoqualmie Pass in WA--yes, that's snow

at the end of May. It's up about 3,500 ft. and a

favorite destination of skiers and snow boarders

in Seattle and surrounding areas.

The lake near Snoqualmie Pass.

Another fun pass near Pendleton, OR--goes almost

straight up! Incredible views, though.

Finally leaving the rain behind...

Moab, UT-- I never cease to be amazed by this rock formations here.

Just south of Moab, UT

Thanks to my co-pilot and favorite son for

taking a pic of me driving the BEAST! This was early

on when I was more than a little tense.

After six days, one grass fire, lots of incredible country, and 2,000 miles later---TEXAS!

Maybe I'm the only one, but isn't this a great mosaic wall?
It's in the ladies' room at a rest stop outside Abilene, TX
on I-20...love a rest stop with an artful touch.

After we unpacked and unleashed THE BEAST in south TX, on to the FUN part of the trip...FIRST MONDAY TRADE DAYS at CANTON, TX!!
This was an extra exciting journey to First Monday Trade Days since I'd been invited by Girls Gone Junkin' to sign copies of my novel, First Monday Murder A Jimmie Rae Flea Market Mystery. What a huge thrill

to be here...with my sweet friends Cathy, Sue, Pam, Brenda, and Jenny at...Girls Gone Junkin' !!

GGJ's booth at First Monday Trade Days in Canton.
These sweet ladies have created a most magical space...

Left to right...Brenda, Pam, Jenny, and Cathy--
Sue was at a friend's wedding.

Such fabulous stuff at every turn...

This wonderful floral box went home with me.

Beautiful vignettes...

Don't ya love this sign?

Me signing First Monday Murder A Jimmie
Rae Flea Market Mystery at GGJ.

 Love GIRLS GONE JUNKIN' and their great JUNK!

And then, a crazi thing happened on the way to First Monday Trade Days...no, I didn't find a stash of stolen Victorian love letters like Jimmie Rae...something even better...a lost puppy! Someone had apparently dumped her along a busy highway on my way to First Monday Trade Days...so I rescued her. Her name is Gracie and now she's a new member of our family. She's probably one of my BEST finds in a long time!

Until later...

PEACE, LOVE, and

 PUPPY LOVE TO Y'ALL!!!