It's raining outside, but it's summer in my heart!

After getting my mail today, I was pleasantly surprised to receive my Matthew Mead Summer magazine! If you have not ordered yours, you just MUST! I sifted through it really quickly (forgot to look for that golden ticket saying I won a prize, so I'll have to check again), and wished I could sit down and just drool over what I saw from my first peek. It is another amazing edition. I loved "Holidays", and I don't want to say this is better, because the holidays have their place of importance, and a whole different decorating, wintery theme. But "Summer!", now this is wonderful. He hit right on my favorite season.
The ideas in this magazine (is a magazine this thick and nice and beautiful called a magazine?) are so fun. The color is amazing, the photography spectacular. We are having my son's wedding rehearsal dinner at our place, and I saw some fun things to do for our party. I admit, I was thinking more of "what's on the menu" than, "how will we decorate", but now I'm thinking we're going to have to do some of those little special desserts, and wonderful display ideas. So believe me, you WANT this magazine!
What else has been happening? We're wrapping our end of the school year, getting ready for the gardening season. We'll soon get the pool running in case summer decides to come. And since I'm an optimist, I'll be ready for those warm breezes, kids playing, and lazy type days to enjoy.
But before I get too laid back, I need to get to my stockpile of fun vintage stuff, sort through it, tag it, and get it ready for....A Vintage Gathering's June 25th Sale! They are hosting several this year, but with so much going on....we just couldn't do it all. We are excitely anticipating seeing these wonderful ladies and all their wonderful goodies. It amazes me how many awesome treasures they find, and their sales are always such friendly occasions. They have a neat bond between them, and they've graciously adopted us into their "family" for special occasions. But to all our "Vintage Gathering" friends, we're hoping to get to your sales even in we aren't under our own tent! It's just too much fun. If you haven't been to one of their sales, click on the following schedule, and it will link to their blog with all the info you need. Happy Shopping! And may all our spring and summer days be sunny and bright with laughter!

September Sale at Uncovered Ruby's

(Love this old photo! It was from my husband's family photos, and I used it to make my sale tags this year for Uncovered Ruby sale.)
We're getting colder nights here in NW Oregon, which means I MUST face the fact that the lazy summer days are gone, and the mad rush to get all the canning, yardwork, and last minute projects is NOW. I do teach my kids at home, but we won't be starting until next week, which is pretty normal for us, b/c of the hectic schedule.
My garden did not produce enough cucumbers, so yesterday we picked some up. $36. for a box? I'm not sure what I was thinking, but sheesh, THAT made some expensive pickles. I got a box of greenbeans to supplement the ones from my garden while I was at it. Got home, tried a new recipe a friend gave me, you know how that goes sometimes? Pour the boiling brine over the pickles, put on the lids, turn upside down for 15 minutes, and voila, you're supposed to have crispy not-cooked pickles. NOT mine! I was really trying to keep these crunchy. They do have a grape leaf in them, that's supposed to help. But, ok, that didn't seal, I tried steaming them just a bit, to try to get a vacuum on them. NO, not again! OK, so I waterbathed for 5 minutes; keep in mind, I was trying NOT to have to cook them for the 25 minutes for the usual kind. NO! Not again. I was about in tears, b/c it's getting late at this point. I finally got mad, took the jars, and vacuum packed them! Think it will work? I guess I'll find out, and it may cost me more that $36. by the time I learn my lesson! Either that, or try to talk all my family into adopting a few jars in each of their refrigerators for 6 months.
My beans did seal today, so I'm a little redeemed. Now I just need to get all that labeled and put away. Another possible redeeming thing that happened, was the man at the fruit market was talking to me about baking some bread for him. I'm going to be thinking about that. Especially if it's one product, and I'd only want to do it one day a week. Everyone who gets addicted to my Finnish cardamom bread will know that's the day I bring it. Am I talking myself into a job? We'll see. I haven't wanted a real job, but for the most part, I'd still be at home with the kids.
OK, now for something a lot more exciting, but definitely a ton of work getting ready for: Lisa and Sally, at Uncovered Ruby, is having their 3rd Anniversary celebration this Saturday. They're having an outdoor flea, and Kristin and I are going to be joining the fun! I don't know how they do it so often, (the vendors who do a LOT of sales), because it is a ton of work! We're about an hour or so away, and I borrowed my dad's trailer to haul stuff. We're actually a little ahead so far, b/c we got the trailer early, and have been loading it and getting it ready. We'll have it loaded completely tonight (yeah!) and will put it in the storage shed and theoretically, we'll just have to hook up and leave to get set up on Friday afternoon. That's the plan.
I'm bringing my Finnish bread to the sale, so in the midst of all this, I'll also be baking on Friday. If you're anywhere near Battleground, be sure to go, I think Lisa said there are 24 vendors there, AND the store itself is having all kinds of fun stuff, like drawings, sales, etc. Go check out here blog to see the list of all the great vendors she's got lined up.

Beautiful Vintage Baby Shower at the Church

Well, I know it's two posts in one day, but I couldn't resist showing the baby shower my daughter put on for a friend. She did such a great job and the church looked so pretty with the sun shining through the windows on her vintage baby dresses.




































This is the little church we are having our first ever "Vintage Winter Gathering at the Church", which will be held November 21st AND November 22nd! Watch for more details!!