Fleaology AND OTHER stuff I LOVE

Go head over to my FLEAOLOGY blog today for a fun giveaway.

I just got this fab cupboard from my friend and Fleaology vendor Bruce. I love my white pottery in it. Doesn't it look awesome?

My anniversary and birthday are right next to each other. August 19 and 20. Usually my husband just gets me one gift, this year he did 2 really nice things for me.

For my anniversary he finally did the electric work on this little standing lamp I fashioned together.
He is the light of my life, so it is very appropriate. It was waiting for me just like this when I got home Friday. I love it!

For my birthday he finished a project he started that I really wanted. I love silhouettes but I wanted a modern take on them. I wanted one of each of my sweet dotter's. I love how they turned out.


Finally, my sweet friend and fellow fleaologoist Paula got me these old electric letters for my birthday. This is my life motto and she happened upon them at an estate sale and knew it was destiny!
Thanks Paula.


Don't forget Fleaology is almost here. I can't wait......I have a feeling it will be the best sale yet! Don't miss it. I know your heart is telling you to come!

I  am also doing a wonderful event called SPARK. I will be a vendor there and participant. I'm working on lots of vintage inspired whimsy! 

p.s. I think they have a few spots left for SPARK. Come join me in the fun!

Our Summer Vacation-Part 2-Southwest VA

One of the main reasons we planned our adventure back East was to see GRANDPA REED and GRANDMA KAREN. My husband grew up in a wonderful city in southwest Virginia called Roanoke. In fact he and I met at the professional theatre in town. (He was a scenic artist and I was a stage manager.) It was a great place to grow up and my hubby's dad still lives there. Well, the last time we visited, Dotter #1 was 8 months old, so needless to say it has been a while. Although we are able to see Grandpa every year, he is usually flying out to UTAH. After our NYC stay we rented a car and drove to VA. (And yes we drove in Manhattan, even tho I warned the hubby not to, that in itself is an adventure, super aggressive drivers.)

Grandpa and Grandma were so wonderful and such gracious hosts. We had a great time with them. 

We were able to take the dotter's to all the places we used to love and show them a glimpse our lives pre-dotters. (We lived downtown which was really fun.) We also had a chance to visit some REED family history sites which was so interesting. We spent a day in this sweet little town that Grandpa grew up in; Floyd, VA. It was nice just to have some down time after our exciting stay in NYC.

Top 5 things about Southwest VA

1. Visiting Floyd and going to this amazing old cemetery in the middle of a cow field. Nat' great grandfather is buried there. Really old graves some dating back to 1700's. Just a cool place.

 

2. Visiting the Floyd Country Store and getting refreshments. Just a fun, laid back place.

 

3. Visiting one of our oldest and dearest friends. Ernie Zulia.....he gave me one of my first professional theatre jobs and I worked as his production stage manager on many shows he directed. He is now a chair of a theatre department at a private liberal arts university.

 4. Many Historic and iconic spots that I have always loved.......

One of my all time favorite restaurants!! Ate there 2 times when we were there.

Nat and I loved this hike. It was fun to take the girls.

The Historic Farmer's Market. One of the oldest in the country.

I have always loved this sign. Always.....

All the charming old spots.

5. Grandpa Reed taking the girls bungee jumping (the safe kind.) They are still talking about it.

 

We had so much fun visiting Grandpa and Grandma and old friends. We love VA and can't wait to go back!

 Stay tuned for Part 3! (I promise the last of the vacation posts.)

****If you haven't heard we are having our last Fleaology sale of the season on September 2 and 3. We are going to have a small gift for all blog followers who come to the sale. We also are having a giveaway starting tomorrow (even if you are out of town you can enter), so become a follower of :

FLEAOLOGY

 

fleaology.blogspot.com

Come visit us!!

Summer Vacation-NYC Part 1

I love NYC. There is no other city like it in the world. Having worked in the theatre profession my whole life I have had the chance to visit and stay in this wonderful city many times. I recently took 3 of my students in February. Well, the dotters have heard us (the hubby and I) talk about this magical place for many years. They finally demanded that they experience this urban wonderland. So Mom and Dad saved their pennies all year (because this is no bargain city) and we planned a trip back east. First stop: NYC

My top favorite moments with the dotters in NYC:

1. Arriving at night and seeing the dotter's faces take in Times Square in all it's lighted glory.
2. Dotter #1 telling us that we should give money to HOBOS (that is what she calls homeless people) but only if they SING.
3. Counting how many times they say "What is that smell?"
4. A really profound and reflective time at the World Trade Center area. I think the reality of what happened had meaning for them.
5. Taking them to their first Cirque de Soleil show at the world famous RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL and Dotter #1 whispering to me at one point, "That is really creepy."
6. Riding the subway and the dotter's always wanting to stand and hold onto a bar, even if there were 20 empty seats.
7. The fun shopping....they couldn't get enough.
8. On the last day the dotters after walking so much saying "Can we take a cab?" everywhere we went.
9. Dotter #1 trying to hail a cab and Dad yelling to her "If you hail a cab, you will pay for it."
10. Dylan's Candy Bar---you gotta see it to believe it!

THE DOTTERS TAKE MANHATTAN

A great view of Manhattan.

Visiting the Mad Hatter in Central Park.

Central Park

Dotter #3 enjoying the water in Central Park

A highlight in NYC, the greatest candy store in the world. I think Dotter #3 is unhappy because she wanted to buy the whole store.

We saw the new Cirque show, ZARKANA at Radio City Music Hall.

Rididng the Times Square Toys R Us Ferris Wheel.

Introducing Dotter #1 to the best bakery ever. Magnolia Bakery. She is eating their amazing bannana pudding.

We're BAAAAACK........

The dotter's trying on some hats at one of the many antique stores I dragged them to.

We are back. The dotters and I had a lovely time. We have so much to tell you. Please forgive the next few posts, they will be dedicated to the fun, and inspiring time we had together as a family.

I am busy working on projects for Fleaology and SPARK. ( A really cool event you should check out.)

Also, do any of you ever feel that you need a vacation after your vacation?

That is so ME right now.

I've missed looking at all your blogs and hope to catch up with you.

Baptism Day

Our sweet Brooklyn right before her baptism.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, our middle dotter Miss Brooklyn turned 8. We had that really fun Mad Hatter tea party for her birthday, because 8 is a special birthday in our family. When you turn 8 you have the opportunity to be baptized in our church. This is an exciting time for her and she was thrilled to find out that she and her best friend could be baptized on the same day. Lot's of family and friends attended and we had a lovely lunch after. Between Brooklyn and her best friend Maybrie we had family from Idaho, Arizona, Utah and Kentucky.

The Dessert table.....you know me I like to make it look pretty. White was the theme.

Brooklyn with her best friend Maybrie. (Maybire's dad is Matt Montague who was a BYU basketball star 10 years ago, still holds the most assist record. He is also our bishop.)

Is it possible for me to have a party without cupcakes? I think not!

 

It was a wonderful day. We had a family reunion that evening as well with all our cousins, aunts and uncles. It was great to see everyone. Family is so important and definitely a priority in our life.

Tomorrow we are off on our NYC adventure. The dotter's are so excited they can hardly stand it.