Curb Appeal...sort of.

Here is the photo I promised of my little "curb appeal" project from last weekend. This corner had a huge rhododendron and a very old yellow climbing rose that had outlived it's time in my garden. There was some very stubborn ivy hiding under the rhodie too! It really didn't take much time to do all the work.... which always leads me to wonder why I tend to avoid it! It looks so much better than before and I no longer have to wonder who may be hiding in those bushes! It was very creepy when the rose hips would scrape across the window too! I need to stay motivated to do the rest of the yard before all the good weather is gone! As all the summer flowers die down over the next month or so I will be replacing them with assorted colored Mums....oranges, reds, yellows and browns. I love autumn so will probably have lots of appropriate decor in my yard. I love to decorate with pumpkins, gourds and flowers. Okay, I will post a pic of that too when it happens!

My Latest Etsy Shop Additions...

Here are a few of the things I added to my etsy shop today. I've been promising to add more vintage compacts,cosmetic and vanity items and I finally got the chance today. Etsy is having a search "hiccup" tonight or I would still be adding to my shop so I thought I'd come here and at least stay somewhat productive! I've been taking lots of photos and trying to get the motivation to add more to my shop before the Sunday Vintage Market on August 31. I am having a contest/giveaway during the sale. I will be giving away 3 pieces of vintage costume jewelry from my shop. Please check out my shop announcement for all the details. I hope you'll come check it out on Sunday morning at 10 a.m. pacific time. Thanks for reading!

Suttle Lake Flowers In The Morning

I took these photos just as we were packing up and leaving our camp site at Suttle Lake,Oregon: Link Creek Campground, Space 20. The flowers looked so pretty in the morning light that I had to get some photos before we left! I'm not sure what they are but I like them!

I finally did it....I quit my day job!

Well, I finally did it! My last day at work was the night of August 13. I thought it would take me some time to get back on a normal sleeping schedule but it happened the next day! I've been busy with family and haven't been spending as much time working on my etsy shops as I thought I would. That needs to change! It seems like everything that could go wrong has lately so my "extra" money has been dwindling fast! So, I need to get on the ball and get some work done and add more to all 3 of my etsy shops! Hopefully sales will pick up soon. It's been quiet but I always do best when I continually add to my shop and I haven't been doing that.....

I feel so much better not working right now. I'm not tired anymore! We took a 3 day camping trip to Suttle Lake, Oregon (near Sisters) the morning after my last night of work which explains how I got right on track with my sleeping schedule! We had a good time sitting IN the lake with the canopy over us because it was so hot...over 100 degrees. The whole family got to go this time so it was nice spending time with my 2 younger kids who live up in Portland. I don't see them as much as I'd like to and they are very fun to be around! It took us 4 hours to find a camping spot which wasn't so much fun and I think we got the last one at Suttle Lake! We took our boat and our new towable and had fun taking the kids on rides around the lake. Got lots of photos of all the excitement! We slept in tents.... the old fashioned way! But can't live without the air mattress! My neck still hurts WITH the air mattress and we could NEVER get comfortable enough! We wanted to buy a trailer for more comfort but know it won't get much use so why bother? Still thinking about it though...

I've been having FUN cleaning my house and decluttering too! Imagine housework being fun....or enjoyable. I guess I feel a sense of accomplishment that I haven't had for over 2 years...since I started working nights and I guess that's my idea of fun for now. I love my house and spending time at home so I like it to be enjoyable to be here. My laundry is caught up, my entry closet is clean and organized-shoes all in a row, my kitchen cabinets and drawers are clean, my refrigerator and freezer too! I spent several hours this morning gardening in my very neglected front yard and got rid of some very overgrown bushes and plants. What a difference it made too! It was like the Curb Appeal show! I made a very overgrown corner into a cozy seating spot with a wooden bench and lots of potted plants. Too bad I won't have any "before" photos. I will post an "after" photo later! Wow, what an exciting blog post! Sorry, I'm excited about the smallest things now.

It just feels good to have a life. I babysat all 3 of the grandkids this week. I love them all so much. It's fun getting to see them more often and being awake and coherent for it. I will post a few new photos of them here today. Might take them to the park next week if the weather cooperates and have lunch...Emma's special request so it must be done!

Well, I need to get back to working on etsy so please check out my shop if you get a chance. I am offering free shipping right now until Sept. 1. I'm participating in a 24 hour vintage sale starting 10 am Aug. 31 to 10 am Sept. 1. It's called the Vintage Market and may be a monthly thing with many of the vintage sellers on etsy. Lots of good deals and some freebies too! I will post about any giveaways that I'm going to do in the next few days.

I will try to post more often as I get used to a schedule! I will try to have less mundane topics too!