Some free pretties!!!

 

This is a giveaway from a very lovely blog called Rachel and Pias Cottage!!! All you have to do

to entry for this sweet giveaway is sign up and follow her blog!!! sooo easy:) I love love both pieces!!!

 

So this got me thinking I want to up my blog followers soooo I am going to have a my first giveaway!!! I promise that it will be fabulous... So here is how it works if you send someone to my blog and they follow you will get 2 chances to win and they will get a chance to win:) My goal is to have 25 more followers that's all!!! The more people you send my way the more chances you have to win... So tell one tell all to come by and check my blog out!!! Please have your friend leave a comment to tell me who sent them my way... My deadline is November 15th!! or as soon as I have 50 followers!!!

 

I will post my giveaway in a few days... :)

 

xoxo

Juanita

Vintage Pink

Debbie (right) and Katie

Farm Girl Antiques

Sweet Pink Vintage Wedding Bell

A whole lot of pink!!!

 

So my plans were to post pictures of my fall vignettes. I had my pumpkins (and some very darling pumpkin toppers) the glittered skeletons and candles I make... and reasons unknown to me I totally went pink and romance??? I found these vintage wedding decorations in a sweet general store in Etna a tiny town in northern California..

 

I recently went on a picking trip to northern California... I found so many wonderful things!!!

More importantly I met some of the nicest people.. I met Debbie who owns this fabulous store

Farm Girl Antiques... She has unbelievable things, I wish I had taken pictures of her store.. Next time I will for sure!! Her store is in a lovely little town Yreka way way up north.. It was a gold mining town at one time.. Seriously the entire drive was breath taking Mt Shasta, Castle Kragle all beautiful..

 

Lenny came along with me hoping to do a little panning for gold go visit his old cabin by his gold claim... don't ask:) Unfortunately it did not go as planned we drove 13 hours taking us 3 days so he could rest and we got to Etna where we were going to stay for 4 days only to turn around the next day drive straight to the ER in Sacramento he was having a cardiac event.. Doctors term?? He is still recovering... it is taking him some time to bounce back...

 

I will post my fall soon oh and FYI I am loving Primitive!!! brings back special memories from my life back in Pa and NJ... some very very lovely items from some incredible artists!!!

 

xoxo

Juanita

 

Stillness

My sweet garden angel

My quiet time in the morning

My new must haves!!!

 

Mornings are one of my favorite times, its quiet and a lovely stillness surrounds me..

 I always go out to my garden pull a weed or two maybe plant a new pretty

 or just sit drink my tea, listen to the quiet and just be....

 Sometimes when my days are in full swing and

 its crazy and fast I remind myself to go back to that morning in

 my garden and remember to just be:)

 

Seems impossible that over a month has pasted since my last posting...

 

Its been a busy summer beach days with my Maxie:)

 Time with my Lenny he turned 80 in July!!

and lots of wonderful picking trips...

 

Picking trips brings me to my newest MUST haves!!! I love love pitchers, coffee pots (with or without lids) or creamers of any size. Even if they are a little chippy that's ok they can still hold a bouquet of flowers or be used on your desk or in your powder room... I use them to take a bouquet of flowers to a friend for a birthday or just for a I love you friend...

 They are one of my must haves for fall!!! 

 

I have been working hard on my new studio its just about finished.. Pathway from the front yard to the backyard with the new entrance is just about completed, waiting for the new gate I can not wait to have visitors!!! So if you are ever in my neck of the woods you have to stop by:)

 

Have a wonderful Friday and weekend..

as always thank you for taking the time and stopping by...

 

xoxo

Juanita

 

 

Alfalfa field Central Valley Ca

A beautiful American flag on the side of a barn

BEST chocolate shake EVER!!!!

I recently went on a little picking trip to the Central Valley here in Calif.... When I was a little girl we lived in a small town Los Banos, my dad was working on the dam there... It is small farming town that on one side is surrounded by the coastal mountain range just over the hill.... well a little more than just but there is the beautiful city of Monterey (one of my most favorite areas ever).. Then to the east are the ever so amazing Sierra's mountains....

The fields are filled with tomato's, melons, cotton and alfalfa among many other crops.. it really is a beautiful sight... The main street is like going back a decade or 3 in a good way:) The corner Rexall Drug store still has a lunch counter that has THE BEST CHOCOLATE SHAKES EVER!!!! I have so many wonderful memories here... My grandparents lived about 30 minutes away in little bit larger town Turlock... here in Turlock we would spend afternoons in the garage taking turns turning the ice cream maker handle... for hours it seemed.. My grandmother would slice up fresh picked peaches or strawberries and we would put them in the ice cream uuuumm sooo good...

It was such a simple time.... fishing with my dad on the canal banks, rock hunting in the foothills or a trip over the hill to Monterey... My brother and I would ride our bikes for hours out in the country we would pack a lunch and be gone the entire day... We would collect soda bottles and cash them in and buy ridicules amounts of candy:) We played kickball in the front yard and caught craw daddy's..

Sorry I got strolling down memory lane... the reason I went was to look for treasures and let me just say treasures I did find!!! I will post the pictures of my sweet finds very soon...

The Little french Flea Market is this Saturday in Tarzana... can't wait!!!

xoxo

Juanita

Making Lemonade Out of Lemons!!!!

folding chairs from the 70's

Lovely vintage iron couch, chair and table

So if you remember a few postings ago I had written about my beautiful Rachel Ashwell duvet, pillow shams (2 sets of them) and the dust ruffle burnt because Lenny turned a heater on in my studio that we never use.... Well I am re purposing the fabric... So far I have made the sweet chair covers for the folding chairs... I think they are so cute!!! Then I made pillows for the vintage iron set... I will be making many pillows... Which is exciting for me since I am newer to sewing:)

So as to keep to my business statement I am re purposing as much as possible... Though I miss my beautiful duvet and pillow shams I am happy to turn these lemons into lemonade!!!

Summer is in full swing and I have a few shows coming up!!! I will be having a show at my home with 3 other very talented vendors... Very excited to host this show!!! The Little French Flea Market is on July 21st such a cute venue in a park with a Koi pond lots of shady trees... Can't wait!!!

Hope your weekend is wonderful

XOXO

Juanita

Remembering those who gave their lives...

This is a very important day that ALL Americans regardless of your politically views should honor.. Many men and women serve our country and sadly many many have given there life and still on a daily bases give their lives.... Memorial Day is a very special day.... a day to remember and honor all the men and women who gave their lives

 Our freedom is not without a price.

A little know fact.... I was in the Army, I joined when I was 19, my brother had already enlisted and told me how great it was... Though we have a very different view on "great" it was one of the best things I ever did!!! It was not easy.. Basic Training was very hard but I made it through and along the way I have made some life long friends.. I was in the first platoon of women to ever train with men at Fort Dix New Jersey.. I marched and marched I dug foxholes and then slept in the foxholes... I threw live grenades (not one of my strong points)  I was an expert marksman with the M-16.. I learned a lot in my 2 years in the Army and I can tell you that I am proud that I served our great country!!!

Please take time to thank a member of the military they ARE sacrificing their lives for our freedom...

XOXO

Nita

I realize that patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone.
Edith Cavell

REALLY!!!!!

a moment of silence please....

Have you ever had "One of those days" I mean really really one of those days??? Well I experienced

 one of "those" days today.... Above is a picture of my beloved Rachel Ashwell duvet... that has met its end as a duvet:( My son had gotten it out of the loft for me yesterday as I was going to change out my bedroom duvet.... I love love this pattern... Plus there is a story behind it...

Several years ago I was very ill and had to be in bed for awhile... One day my sweet hubby asked what would make you feel better and in a magazine I had on the bed I pointed to this beautiful bedroom and I said this... So a few days later we drove to Rachel Ashwells store in Malibu and I got whatever I wanted.. My hubby jokingly said a trip to Hawaii would of been cheaper:) ok on to today..

Lenny apparently was cold (70+ degrees outside) turned on the heater in my studio the bag with duvet was next to the heater and the rest is history... A we never use that heater B REALLY!!!! It was burned through and through ... Lenny felt very bad... So this after it took me 1 hour to clean the stove top because Lenny made his famous stuffed cabbage... 1HOUR!!! So as if that's not a enough as I drove around today I thought wow the car smells really good, my son gets in the car and said wow mom something smells really good in here... I get home went to get something out of the back and guess what??? A whole container of Tide detergent had opened and yes it was everywhere...

Looking forward to going to bed:) Tomorrow will be fantastic.....

xoxo

Juanita