Sister, Sister

The Cowgirl Cottage is hitting the open road tomorrow. Yahoo! It's another Sister get together, the Camp Sherman Shindig in Sisters, Oregon. Me, Lexy, Steph and Morgan are going and meeting up with new and familiar sisters. Good times will be had by all! I'll tell you all about it when I get back.

On the Monday after we return I have surgery and an ultrasound, then back to work on Tuesday. Phew, I am tired just thinking about it. I will definitely need this trip! See you all later.

Faces of Friendship

These are two of my good friends and former room mates back in the day when we were young students at Ricks College (now BYU Idaho) in Rexburg, ID. Tracy is on the left, Tammy in the middle, and then me of course, on the right.
We were back again on the campus of our early days, enjoying Education Week and eachother's company. We have remained friends and stayed in touch for 30 years. Have we ever done some living in those 30 years. We were commenting that had we known then what we know now, we might not have signed up for it. But life has a way of going on, and we have managed to get through it anyway. We are three tough Sisters! It was fun talking, eating, hanging, and learning together again. The week blessed each one of us in different ways and you can see it in our faces. Amid the pain, joy. I love us.

Table This!

Look what I found! I was working today and took someone to look at an apartment, and behold, in the kitchen of one of the apartments was this lovely little table that had been used as a kitchen island. I commented on it and the manager said I could have it! Music to my ears! Picture her with a lovely shabby chippy coat of white on her. Bliss! And you can't tell from the photo, but it pulls apart and has a leaf, making it square if you want. The leaf is stored out of sight under the table top. Precious! Now the dilemma, do I keep it once it's rehabbed, or will she show up at our summer Chick Market at Aggies in Union, August 14? Hmmm, you'll have to wait and see.

Not my grandmothers quilt

I got an old card table at a yardsale a long time ago with the intent of making it over to cart around with my trailer when I go on my Sister outings. When I moved out of my house and put everything in storage, I threw the table in the back of my car along with the craft suitcases that held the supplies I would need to tackle the project. Two months later I finally had a day to myself and time to do it. So, voila! How do you like the finished product? My sister, Suci, can quilt, and though I admire her work it seems like math to me. I hate math. Cannot do math. Today, I decided however, that I can 'quilt' with paper. I love how this turned out and look forward to using it on my next camping outing, and for whatever else I can break out the little lovely for.

Happy Birthday America

It's the 4th of July weekend...I saw several cars on the road this morning loaded with traveling paraphenalia headed for parts unknown. Me, I'm headed to La Grande for the weekend to spend the 4th with my youngins. We'll be grilling, and no doubt spilling; sipping pop and popping fire works; soaking up some rays and getting soaked by the sprays of water balloons and sprinklers. Ahh, the simple pleasures of summer.

Aren't these adorable fire crackers fun? You make them using toilet paper and paper towel rolls, crepe paper and vintage americana photos. The wicks are pipe cleaners, and you fill the tube with surprises. I always find great ideas too late to do anything about...not to mention all of my artsy craftsy stuff is pretty much packed away for now. But I'm thinking I'll still manage to bring some red, white and blue decor to the abode in true junker fashion.

When the moon hits your eye...

...like a big pizza pie, that's amore...

Summer is on full bore, hot, hot, hot! Lexy and I were just talking about how summer is the quintessential American season because all the things that say 'American' are so much a part of summer: baseball, hot dogs (I know, they aren't really American), jumping off a dock into water, parades, lemonade, family reunions, camping...all so American and all so much a part of summer!

Here is what I love about summer:
long hours of daylight
the cool evening hours
ice water
sprinklers
my kids' laughter
crickets chirping
camping
s'mores by a campfire
BBQ's
Fourth of July
no school
sleeping in
BYUI education week
fairs
yardsales

did I mention camping? Especially with my sisters on the fly! So looking forward to Sisters in Sisters in August!

Happy List

Things that make me happy:

Yard Sales
Candles
Magazines
People of quiet courage
Flowers
Cards made by my kids
Helping someone
Losing weight
Kind people
My comfy bed
Laughter
My Vintage Trailer
'Sister' outings
True Friends
Fresh veggies from the garden
HGTV :)

Seeing the Forest for the Trees...

Well yesterday seemed a bit 'poor me', sorry about that. I can see the forest inspite of the trees. I know there are good things waiting out there, that things will work out. I just have to trust in 'the plan' for my life. Is this a mid life thing cause I'm way too old for that twenties angst!
I have been enjoying the outings in my trailer the last couple of weekends. Mother/daughter this last weekend was fun. I enjoyed hanging out with the femme fatales in the family, sitting by the fire, looking at the stars in the clear summer sky, making 'smores...It was nice to get out and enjoy nature with my creations!

Another year under my belt

Well, I wonder if any of you are still checking in to see what's up? I admit, I've been neglectful. I've been on the road a lot, back and forth between work and moving out of the house. Finally got all moved out, but then it's still back and forth to see the kids on weekends. I can't say I am loving my life right now. I don't like being in transit all the time, and I don't like not being a part of the kids' lives every day. I missed the last days of school, all of Max's baseball games so far, Zoey getting her driver's license...All of my stuff is in storage. Waaaaaa. Listen to me whine.
I recently "celebrated" my birthday. The kids were here and that was fun. They made me dinner and cake. The candles were a bit ridiculous. After a certain age one candle as a token should be sufficient. I'm trying to be hopeful and look forward. I have a job that I enjoy in an area I like with new faces and places. Still, it all seems all so unsettled.
Well, it's not being a very cheerful, yea life, kind of entry. I do have much to be thankful for, and am thankful. I just need to get things together and feel like I have a home and family again. Stay tuned.

Teacher Appreciation

Teacher Appreciation is May 3rd through 7th. While perusing my friend Rachel's blog I found these cute ideas for showing appreciation to the teachers in your life.So dang cute and so easy and inexpensive to do!
So show some love to those who spend hours each day guiding your children in their education.
Even I can afford one of these ideas and I am beyond broke!

Welcome!

My life was getting too complicated to document on four blogs. Go figure! So, I decided to condense all that fabulous information to share onto one blog, the olde stone cottage one, at which you have arrived. So Welcome!

Right now I'm desperately on the job hunt and mighty stressed out about it.

All the times before when Jeff has moved out I have had a job, so haven't had to worry about things like homelessness or lack of utilities, etc. I'm having yardsales and Sister Shic sales to get some extra 'bones' as Lexy likes to call money. But still, times are getting desperate.

I have two jobs that I'm waiting to hear on, and if neither of them pans out, yikes! So, it's no wonder I have a permanent knot in my shoulder that hurts and needs several rubs from my chillies (my nickname for my kids) during the day.

The photo on this entry is a reminder to self to enjoy the view and trust that things will work out. Hmmm. OK.

Junk Market Style

This fun book is full of outdoor ideas for using your 'junk' to decorate with and create cozy outdoor spaces. I've been pouring over its pages and pictures for ideas to liven up my outdoor spaces and create new ones. There are several ideas for outbuildings and I am pleased to say I am ahead of the game on many of the suggestions. One of course is the chicken coop I highlighted in a previous entry.

This is the outbuilding I pegged for a guest cabin right from the start. The Man hung the vintage window over the metal frame 'trailer' window and it looks so much better. Now I just need to work on that pesky door so it will hang right and close properly.

The Guest Quarters. My oldest daughter has spent some time habitating the place so it's not in its tip top form, and it is still a work in progress. Still, it is such fun to have a rustic place for those fair weather visits!

The reading nook! Not sure much reading gets done here, though!

Mother Hen

We have been in this house for just over a year, and one of the things that attracted me to it were all the outbuildings in the back yard. Outbuildings! Oh, the possibilities! I eyeballed turning one of them into a chicken coop, and The Man didn't object because we had two other outbuildings plus a garage. (I have since taken over the three outbuildings and half of the garage. Sorry Man!) Look what I found! Just as we were working on our backyard chicken coop I ran across this magazine which is all things about chicken keeping!

This is the lovely chicken coop in progress. We are annexing one of our backyard outbuildings. Gotta love those out buildings!

The Man working on the door for the coop. I found this pink door on a junk heap in Baker City about seven years ago and have been hauling it around ever since, through at least three moves. At last, the perfect use for it!

Yesterday I salavaged some corrugated metal for the roof, from some long neglected railroad buildings that I have been driving by for years and coveting the metal. Finally I went and picked up some pieces that had flown into the ditch near the buildings. I'm helping clean up, right? Truly, though, I would have asked someone, but knew not who that person might be or where they might be found. There was no nearby farm house or other such fixture that I could assume the buildings belonged to, and for sure whoever is responsible for the buildings has long given up care taking. I don't advocate salvaging without asking first when at all possible. Just ask my kids!

Anyway, stay tuned for the finished product!

A Fling With Spring

I had a bit of a fling with spring today. It was just warm enough to give a hint of things to come. So naturally I broke out my handy dandy gallon of white paint and went to work on the table and chairs I put out on the back deck.

You can see my sweet sister trailer in the background of this photo, and my sister bike in the background of the two chairs photo.

When I have completed painting and setting up the back deck, I'll post some photos of the finished product! If only I could splash some paint on the drab deck and house! Some day, definately, I will have to do that!

At this very table on this very deck is where the first board meeting for the Center for Parenting Matters will be held!

Time to Re-new in the New Year

I have hated this lamp since we moved into this house. It was off center over the dining room table, was a copper color and had an awful, old knarly looking cord. I finally got just tired enough of looking at it and today hauled out the white paint, fabric and a ceiling hook and gave it a makeover.

I'm not the best photographer and was not going to climb up on a chair to get a better angle, but you get the idea. It looks so much better! I can actually live with it in peace, and it's centered over the table!