My Farm Chicks Haul

I loved this old, old pink door. It is now residing on my front porch.

As promised I wanted to show off the awesome goods I scored from our little Farm Chicks trip. Now some of the stuff I got at antique and thrift stores along the way. We got in early Monday morning and met up at Wendy's house to go through all of our stuff. Some stuff I got for myself and some stuff I got to sell.

Okay let the picture show begin.......

This was a pic of our loot at the end of the show. And we had already made a trip to the trailer.

The dotters came with me to pick up my goods. Lots of cool stuff in my pile. My friend Wendy's cool house is in the background. I'm going to put some pics of her house on my blog. She has amazing collections.

My birdhouse that I love! One of the best deals I got at the show. It now sits proudly on my porch.

Got this fun children's doll cradle. Thought it would be a perfect planter.

Got this sweet old garbage can at a great antique store in Butte. Again, a great flower planter.

The one thing we all bought at the show. Cool old letters. We all love the graphic statement they make.

Fleaologists Head to Farm Chicks

I am a self confessed lover of all things vintage, junky, old and unique. And believe it or not there are actually other people in this world who are just like me. Thrift stores and up cycling are making a comeback!!! I have been so lucky to find friends who love it just as much as I do. So when we were together a while back we decided to go to the Farm Chicks show in Spokane this summer. I was so excited! I couldn't think of 3 people I would want to go with more.

Now you have to understand that I have been wanting to go to this show for years.....years (well maybe like 4 years). You know how you build something up in your mind over time....you just fantasize about how good it will be.....and a lot of times you are disappointed when you actually go......

WELL..............

This was not the case with me and Farm Chicks! It was everything I had hoped it to be and better. And you could actually get some killer deals there. I wasn't sure about that since it is such a nationally recognized show. The booths were amazing, inspiring and pure eye candy! The show was summed up in the one word that greeted you at the entrance.... 

We left on Thursday morning and the idea was to stop at antique and thrift stores along the way. Cathie had done her research and we had lists of stores.

First stop was Pocatello ID where we found a few great thrift stores and a really fun antique mall. I found some great stuff there. My friend Cathie (who also is a really good photographer) took some awesome pictures. Look at her blog here to check them out.

We stopped in Shelley and went to the really overpriced junk market I know about, got a couple of things. By this time it was 6pm and we were still in ID. The plan was to make it to Butte, MT so we powered through and didn't stop anywhere else. (Mostly because things were closed. :)

Friday we got up bright and early and checked out the great city of Butte, MT. They had a wonderful thrift store and I got some great stuff. Also found a fabulous antique store with amazing vintage clothing. After a few hours we headed to Missoula, MT where again we found some great stores. Now we were in Cathie's suburban and pulling a trailer and it was starting to fill up....we left Missoula and decided not to stop until we hit Spokane.

Up bright and early the next morning for Farm Chicks. Got in line around 8:30am, the show opened at 10:00am and closed at 6:00pm. We left at 6:30pm. We closed that first day down. It was great. I felt I got to see almost everything, but I could have gone back again.

I'm going to share some of my favorite things I saw at the show. I wished I had taken more pictures, but it was hard to do both (shop and photograph).

Some really darling Farm Chick vendors I met.

Love this, Love this, but my dotters would think it is creepy. (I'm going to make one)

Love her too! So clever.

One of the first booths I went into. I loved everything in it. I bought a amazing birdhouse from her.

Lot's of clever and cute displays.

We had a long ride home (long story) but it was such a great trip. I can hardly wait until next year. On my next post I'll reveal my goodies that I bought......stay tuned.

Gardening 101

In the play Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche talks about how she has had to rely on the kindness of strangers. Like Blanche our family has had to usually rely on the kindness of strangers or (friends and family) for fresh garden vegetables. I am proud to say that will not be the case this year.

Now I consider gardening to be a wonderful art form. It takes practice and trial and error just like any other art form (dancing, acting and singing...etc.) So the Reed family has attempted the art of a garden. Now mind you we are starting small.

I have to go back about 6 months. So Nat started saving all the perishable foodstuff for his compost pile out back. He said he was getting the soil ready. I'm not even sure he did it properly, but he continued to add to the pile over the last few months. He spread the stuff over the garden area and I must say it is full of worms. That's supposed to be good....right?? Every time the girls dug a hole to plant something, we saw lots of worms. Big ones to!

The dotters had different reactions to the worms. Bella screamed in delight, Bronwyn not so much.



We planted tomatoes and cucumbers (that is the dotter's favorite vegetable) and threw in a few watermelons. The girls check it everyday and I hear one of the watermelon plants is really growing.


I will give you updates on our gardening adventures (I know you are anxiously awaiting them....) and if any of you have planted a garden here's to a great harvest.



Have a creative day!

Back to the Dotters and the WINNERS!!

The next few posts will mostly be about the dotters. They are my inspiration behind this blog, and I've been neglecting some really important stuff. Stay tuned in the next few days to hear about.....GARDEN ADVENTURES...with Dad; another creative project.

This is Bronwyn on closing night with the sweet girl who played Molly. (Claire Westcott)

I blogged earlier about doing Annie together as a family. It was such a great experience and such a fun show. I really believed all the stars aligned to make this happen in our family. It truly was a once in a lifetime event. When the SCERA asked me to direct Annie I knew I wanted to use my girls. That was one reason I agreed to do it and give up so many nights. At least they would be there with me. I love collaborating with my awesome set designer husband. I knew he would give me the set I was looking for (and on a pretty limited budget). I also talked him into being in the show....just a little cameo that got great laughs. I was thrilled that I got to cast dotter #1 as one of the Annie's. She truly won that role. I thought some people would say she was cast just because I was the director, but after seeing her perform, I know people realized she truly won that part.

I love this picture so much. Do you think she likes Annie?

Here's the same little fan taking a pic with Bronwyn. A friend sent this picture to another friend who passed it on to us. She loved the show!

It was a joy to do theatre as a family.

Closing Night family picture.

My wonderful, talented and spunky orphans. Dotter #2 in the front (with the big mouth.)

I know we will do shows together in the future, but I'm not sure it will ever be quite like this.

Bronwyn with Delayne my amazing Miss Hannigan. Just finished fighting Stage 3 breast cancer. Truly an inspiration!

With Eric Harper....who played, who else....Daddy Warbucks.

                                                     
Now on to my winners......Thanks to all my blog friends who entered the giveaway and for those who are now following Fleaology.  Okay the winners are:

Marie Crown: Elisabeth

Birthday Crown/gumballs: Cameron

Princess hat/Recipe cards: Sarah B.

Vintage Milk Jar with gumballs: Artworks Studio

Lunchbox with vintage candy goodies: Lisa Elzey

Please contact me at 3dotters@gmail.com to leave me your address. I will get these sent off to you.

One final picture: This is mostly for Mike (my clever craftsman friend and fellow fleaologist.......) I love it and tell the Diva many thanks! The rest of you can enjoy my new cubbie cabinet too!

100th Blog Post Giveaway...showing my friends some LOVE

*****I know that blogger has had some major issues these last few days. My giveaway post was deleted so I am going to try and re-create it as much as possible. If you left comments in the previous post, please come back and re-post them.



To celebrate my 100th blog post I wanted to share some LOVE with my friends. I have so enjoyed being able to keep up with old friends and meeting new friends, all through the world of blogging. I started this blog mostly as a journal for myself and my girls (known as the 3 dotters) to have a record of our creative life together. I am not the best journal writer, so this blog has really helped.

I even published my first 80 posts into a book, so it is like a "real" journal!!

It has been fun reading sweet words of encouragement from friends and I thank you for that. I now have a little business that I blog about often, and a new business adventure called FLEA.O.LOGY.  I have had so much inspiration from other blogs (a lot of them are yours) and I just wanted to celebrate this little milestone with everyone. I know a lot of you love my crowns, jewelry etc and I wish I could give you all something.....but I will pick 5 lucky recipients. Don't you love getting FREE stuff?

The rules for the giveaway are as follows:

1. Leave me a comment, if you are new introduce yourself please :) and I will put your name in the drawing.

2. Become a follower of my blog and I will enter your name. (If  you follow already I will also enter your name.)

3.  Go to www.fleaology.blogspot.com to learn all about our new Flea and Craft Market we are doing this summer. Become a Fleaology follower and I will also enter your name. (Please tell me in your comment if you do.)

That is 3 chances to be entered!!!! I will run this a week (since we've had all the blogger problems) I will close it next Friday May 20 at noon.

Here are the prizes:

A crown fit for a queen. One of my creations with chicken wire and gorgeous vintage flowers. A tribute to Marie.

A sweet birthday crown with a vintage milk bottle full of gumballs.

A princess hat with 10 vintage recipes. (I know that is an odd combo.)

A large vintage milk bottle full of gumballs.

A vintage lunch box that includes fun nostalgic candy (candy lipsticks, Mary Janes, Mike and Ike's, lemondrops and a lollipop)

******Thanks to all my friends old and new for stopping by!!*******


Have a great day!

xoxoJennifer

Do you need some LOVE?

As I was walking to my office at BYU the other day I passed this note on one of the many bulletin boards. It gave me a great laugh and so I thought I would share.

As I passed that same board today, all the tags were gone.  :)

Hope you all found some love this past weekend, my 3 dotters showed me plenty on Mother's Day. Lots of sweet homemade cards and gifts and breakfast in bed!

Check back on my blog tonight or tomorrow. I am going to show my readers some LOVE. I have a fun giveaway planned for reaching my 100th blog post. I just need to take pictures of the prizes.

Have a great day!

Come to the Beehive Bazaar

Just got back from setting up my booth at the Beehive Bazaar.  Really happy with how it looks...very vintage, very girly, a little frenchy and lots of eye candy. Had a chance to peek at some other vendor's goods and talked with some old Beehive friends. Lot's of great stuff!! They open at 10am Thursday May 5. Come check out the awesome arts and crafts....... and remember buying HANDMADE is always better.

Taken with my iphone so not the best picture, but you get the idea.

I love vintage candy!

Junk Necklaces

The best craft show in UTAH!

On another note FLEAOLOGY is this Saturday! Hope to see you all there.

xoxoJen