Gypsy Living

This past weekend I had the awesome privilige of being involved in Trails West Festival in St. Joseph MO with my sister in law.  We decorated our tent like an old time traveling road show with pallets, an old steamer trunk, moss, sticks, lights...

What a great time!  Every morning we arrived early and set up our "tent"...



Great music played in the background, hundreds of people strolled through our tent each day, wonderful smells of food filled the air.  Other vendors shared their talents in their tents as well.

My newest spoons got great reviews which made my day!  I began to feel like a gypsy and started  thinking how I could easily live that life...Wearing long flowy skirts, selling my wares to passerby's, possibly try to tell a fortune or two... 



My sister in law Jen and I had such a great time together...talking to everyone about "The Gathering", about our passion for creativity and repurposing..we even one a blue ribbon (the first for both of us!) for our booth!  Which led to an interview on the local news station (which I look like a bobble head in!)!  

Sunday night was so sad!  Packing all of our stuff, knowing that on Monday it was back to 8-5, school was starting and our mini vacay of gypsy living was over.

Thank you to all that came out and showed us love!  We had a great time and hope to see everyone at "The Gathering"!!!

The Balancing Act

For the first year my garden is not overrun by weeds!  It looks great...so great it could almost be on the glossy pages of a magazine....except for the fact that this year there has been no rain and to compensate everything is smaller and drier.

My garden like life is a balancing act.  Finding the perfect balance between food, water, weeds, sunlight.  Just like in life finding the perfect balance between raising a family, working full time, trying to follow your passions, playing carpooler, housekeeper, counselor, and cook all in 24 hours.

Everyday is a struggle trying to find that balance and a lot of days I don't.  My weeds get overgrown (laundry piles up), the garden doesn't get fed its proper nutrients (hello McDonalds).  But for the most par,t if the priorities are kept in order....water and nuturing (Putting family first) then at the end of the day I have found my balance.  And I can wake up the next day...spend some time nuturing both my garden and my family and thank God for another day :)

Hoarding 101

I truly believe I have a hoarder inside of me trying to make its way out!   When I was a little girl I collected rocks....barbies...old pictures...snow globes..and my most embarrassing...chewed gum in a ball (I was in high school I thought it was unique what can I say???) 

As I grew up the things I collect have gotten a bit more sophisticated....I emphasize a bit because in the eyes of some people old keys and old bits of rusty metal are racked right up there with chewed gum!

I just can not bear to throw things away that will have a use someday!  I have been better and my kids help me alot!  They now have learned to ask...What will you do with that and Where will you put it? And Why do you want it????

 

Finding beauty in the not so beautiful is what life is about.  In all the found objects I have saved and try to give new life to (minus a chewed gum ball) is just part of the creative process.  Finding new uses for items that are easily thrown away is quickly turning into a passion and creative obsession for me.

Someday The American Pickers may come along and offer me a million dollars for the old 7-up cooler I have or for the Vintage Sawyer Viewfinder I can not get rid of (after all it has state park slides!!!!!) and then I will be able to tell my children as they are driving away in  their brand new convertibles..."I hoarded for you"...."It was all for you"!!!!