~Pamela Susan~

My evening with the bumblebees, flowers, and fairies

I was going to pop on tonight real quick to share pictures of the girls' new play room, but instead I find myself sharing pictures I took during my 10 minute walk through my backyard this evening.  Actually, I went out to shoot just one picture of a gorgeous lone red rose perched beautifully above all the other flowers in our fairy garden...

but then the beautiful flowers and buzzing bumblebees sucked me into their world and I just couldn't stop snapping pictures. Such a gorgeous evening here in Portland, Oregon!

This bumblebee is enjoying the blue blossoms of this California Lilac...

And here is our first poppy already sleeping the evening away...

This fairy house was what I treated myself to from the OPA (Oregon Pottery Association) show last month...

Perhaps it's supposed to be a bird house, but it is the perfect fairy house for our fairy garden, if you ask me!

Another bumblebee happily doing what bumblebees do...

Yes, the Spanish Lavendar is quite the popular attraction these days with these little guys!

Chives in full blossom...

and our carrots are growing!

At this point during my walk everything in the garden looked beautiful to me--even the grass growing against the raised beds. :)

A strawberry!  Those darn slugs better not get this one tonight... it is allllmost ready to pick!  Thanks to those on facebook who gave me the tip to surround my strawberries with crushed eggshells to prevent the slugs from getting to the strawberries--I'm hoping it works. :)

And here's what I've been worked on today--making teepees out of my Dad's apple branch prunings for our beans and peas to grow on.  (The bigger teepee on the far left was made using bamboo sticks purchased from Fred Meyers.)

I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out. :)

Grow peas and beans, groooow!

Oh, and I couldn't leave the garden without taking a picture of Miss A's "army of pinecones" that she surrounded her pinecone fairy house with.

Our little fairy seems to not mind them much...

Happy Monday night to you all!

 

xo,

Pamela, a gal who's happy to have her nails dirty with dirt right now after a long day's work in her garden

 

(post edit: After a long day spent outside, I am just now reading the news of the devastating tornado that killed so many in Oklahoma today.  So incredibly sad--those poor children, poor families.  My heart aches for and with you.  Big prayers to you.)

A tour of the girls' bedroom--vintage style!

Ready for some more pictures of our new house?  The girls' room is just about done and I've got a slew of pictures for you!  If you've been wanting to decorate your little girl's room with a vintage twist, hopefully this will help give you some inspiration.  And guess what I realized about their room once I began looking around--almost everything was purchased either at an estate or garage sale, or made by me.  (Yes, I love to save a buck!  And in my opinion it's more fun that way!)  So, now that the weather is beginning to warm up, and you're needing some new furniture, check out those sales!  (And envision what that old dresser or bed set might look like with slap of new paint on them!  I tell ya, it does wonders!)

**and I've gotta tell you that there's a big beautiful maple tree in front of the window which unfortuantely casts a green tint in their room--I tried my best to fix it in photoshop, so bear with me! :)

(my Put a Bird on it! painting... so Portland, I know! lol)

(bought this frame for 30 cents and spray painted it, and painted an a for Miss A!  Katie Daisy totally inspired me with this one.  I have another frame ready for a C for little Miss C!)

{$20 desk/chair set from a garage sale}

{$8 American Girl doll table/chair set and $3 tea set (garage sale!)--yes, I was freaking out when I happened upon this find!}

{this live flower adds a special touch to the over all feel}

{the girls' dolls finally have a spot to call their own!  i think the rug (anthropologie) and the print (yes, another Katie Daisy print!) help define this area as their own--gives the corner a small bedroom feel just for them!}

{the print says We Are All Magnificent Creatures} i love it.

{picture frames-- .50 at thrift store, prints (yep, you guessed it--Katie Daisy!) and dresser for $50 at an estate sale. dollhouse--$30 at consignment shop--I love finding all these treasures in such random places!}

{Oh, and i just have to point at the quilts i made a couple years ago because they took HOURS upon HOURS to sew... but worth every second of it!  I still need to make shams for them. twin bunk beds--$40 on craigslist--we painted them, err, or should I say Aaron painted them :)  rug-ikea}

{a happy little hedgehog family lives here}

Such cuties!  We named them the Tiggy-Winkle family, after the Beatrice Potter hedgehog character. )

clothes hamper--consignment shop

mirror--I have a confession to make--yes, Aaron and I made it 7 years ago for Avery when she was a baby, but we totally copied the idea from a mirror we saw in an art gallery while living in Minneapolis... can't take much credit for it.   

And here's the hallway view from the room, with one of our favorite prints to greet them when the girls wake up in the morning...

it's an Owl and the Pussycat vintage print of our favorite poem by Edward Lear.  In my opinion it's a must for everyone to memorize. :)

I hope you've enjoyed the tour and that it'll help give you some inspiration if you have a little girl's room if this is your style!  I'm still on the lookout for a fun light fixture to give it a nice finishing touch (and someday we'll remove those despicable popcorn ceilings!).

 

Thanks for coming by!

xo,

Pamela, a mama who is loving decorating her new home!

I did it. I finally did it!

I've forever been mystified by how people switch out light fixtures.  And it's pretty intimidating, too... until now!    My friend, Mimi, came over yesterday and helped me tackle the fixture is Miss J's room (It was pretty simple--just make sure you turn the power off at the circuit braker and connect the correct wires--reminding myself every 5 seconds that the power was off was the only way I kept myself from panicking!  But note the many things wrong in the below picture--1. Never stand up on a chair on top of a bed to switch out a light! lol Good thing Mimi was there to steady me.  2.  It's probably a good idea to wear actual protective glasses instead of sunglasses, but hey, they worked. :) 3.  Always take a before picture so you can get the full effect of the before and after picture!  I totally forgot to.  This one of me spazzing out will have to do. :)

But...

here's the after!!  Ta-dahhh!!!

How cool is this fixture?!?!  Mimi and I found it a few weeks ago at Stars in Portland.  Actually, Mimi found it for me--I'm not even sure my eye would've caught it if she hadn't been there , so THANK YOU Mimi!!  And thank you so very much for teaching me how to hang it!!

Don't the shadows look like the sun? 

Yes, this vintage light fixture completed the room. Miss J's room is offically done (though someday we'll remove the icky popcorn ceiling!).

Here's the rest of her room...

Other than the light fixture, the only new things we bought were the bed and canopy from Ikea.  Everything we've collected over the last few years.

There's some more Katie Daisy art!  I'm in love with her stuff.  You'll find her art all over my house. 

Remember Lucy?!

There's another one of her prints!  So colorful and pretty.  This corner hutch used to belong to my Mom way back when.  I think it fits Miss J's room perfectly. 

And do you remember this dresser?  It used to house my craft papers and supplies but I gave it up to put in little J's room.  I think it's perfect there. :)

And you might remember all this cheerful bunting from my sister's Old Country Fair wedding reception. :)

Such a happy little room. 

Real quick--right after we hung the fixture Mimi mentioned that it looked like a bird cage, so we added a little bird...

Yes, now the room is complete!  Complete with a happy little girl.

Hope you've enjoyed the pictures.  And if you've always wanted to learn how to switch out your light fixtures, I highly recommend it!  It makes such a difference in a room.

 

xo,

Pamela

 

My morning with Kaaren

And what a wonderful morning it was!  Since moving to my new town I've met a wonderful woman by the name of Kaaren Pixton.  I had heard of her before the big move here (and had purchased one of her children's books, Flutter! Fly!, a couple years back--LOVE her books!) and am thrilled to have had the opportunity to meet and become friends with her.  But before I tell you about my morning with her, let me tell you a little about her books.  These books really are PERFECT for babies because they REALLY are indestructible!  Plus, her gorgeous artwork covers each page...

You can read more about these brilliant books here.  I love her mind and imagination.  And though you can purchase her books all over the internet, do check with your local children's boutiques first, as you are sure to find them there, too!  (Plus, you'll be supporting your local community which is always a good thing.)  :)  I'm going to buy a stack of them to start giving away at baby showers because you can't go wrong with this kind of gift!

So not only does Kaaren illustrate her books but she's also an art educator for local elementary schools in the Portland area.  She has over 100 permanent mural installations here, and boy are these children lucky to have her!  Last week she invited me to attend one of her classes this morning to help teach the students learn how to glaze the clay fish they made last week for their school's mural.  Here are some photos from the morning (I wish I could share more pictures of the children but due to privacy issues I won't be)...

Here are some unglazed fish...

And here they are glazed!

The kiddos did a great job.  I can't wait to see these salmon fired!

I so enjoyed watching this beautiful artist interacting and teaching the children. She has such a special way with them.

Thank you, Kaaren, for sharing your talent with me.  I'm so looking forward to our next get together!

And to you, my readers, here is a sneak peek at tomorrow's post... can anyone guess what I'm attempting in little Miss J's room?!

Yes, today was full of excitement! Until tomorrow...

 

xo,

Pamela

Our weekend {General Conference, Cinnabuns, Anthropologie dish towel kitchen art, & our NEW kitchen! How's that for some excitement?!}

What a fun-filled day we've had!  It was General Conference time again which we always enjoy.  For some reason my girls have started a tradition of donning costumes for this special occasion (last time Miss J was a dragon and today Miss A was a dog--kinda hard to tell in the pic).  And might I add my girls are making good use out of the empty totes I've been unloading from the move? hee hee :)

Let me tell you, these totes provided some endless entertainment today!

Did ya see those empty totes in the background?!  I'm so proud of all the unloading we've done!  We're getting pretty close with being done unpacking the the basement.  Feels so good.

Last General Conference we made my Mom's Cinnamon Rolls but this time I decided to switch things up a little and make my Aunt Mary's Cinnabuns... deeelicious!  (If you visit her blog you should try some of her other recipes--she is the QUEEN of baking!

Here they are right before taking them out of the oven...

And here they are all frosted.  Oh so good.

My kidlets liked them, too!

And here's our new kitchen! (Yes, the place is bit of a mess, so just bare with me, k?)! :)

Told you it was messy.  I just figure it is what it is. :)  I love the counter space and the cute cupboards.  But do you want to know what one of my favorite features of this area is? 

This wall!

We're constantly drawing and writing on the chalkboard area.  This is what I drew last night while waiting for the buns to rise before throwing them in the freezer to bake this morning...

And see the framed art up above?  They're dish towels!  I've always admired the dish towels at Anthropologie but have never wanted to spend the $18+ on them to dry my hands or dishes, but to throw them in a frame and call it art, I can handle that!  It's something I've been wanting to do for quite some time now.  (I found the frames at Michael's.)

Cute, cute, cute.

This next one is my favorite...

And this one was purchased at Paper Source (3 for $15!) Canned goods--right up my alley!  My mom would've love this one, too. :)

This is a happy little spot between my fridge and stove.  Each piece was bought by me throughout the years (besides the gifts from my mamasita).

Canister--Guillermo Cuellar

Moon Phases print--Katie Daisy

Tea pot--Warren MacKenzie (believe it or not, this tea pot is the exact same one pictured in Warren's hand in the link--Aaron and I just happened to be visiting his studio in Stillwater, Minnesota when NPR was interviewing him and bought it.  So cool.

Salt/Pepper shakers and blue pie bird--my Mama, Susan Nebeker (we need to make her a website!)

Platter--Ellen Currans

2nd pie bird--unknown potter from Virginia

A happy little spot indeed!

And just in case you needed proof that those Cinnabuns really are that good...

They are!  In fact, the entire baking pan has only half a bun left on it.  Go make some!

 

xo,

Pamela

 

 

Fridays, Pickles, and Marbles... Hooray!!

Ahhh, Friday has come upon us once again.  And thank goodness, I say!  This gal is looking forward to some R & R the next couple of days.  Nope, we won't be canning pickles tonight until 1 am like we did last night.  My Dad brought a box of cucumbers over a couple days ago and Aaron and I decided to get them done all at once, and I'm so happy we did, but I'm one tired puppy.  (And let me add here that that man of mine makes for a pretty cute canning partner!)  I thought of taking some pictures of the whole canning process, but decided to link to this past blog post instead.  I think a blog can only take so many pickle parties, right?

So instead, how about I share some pictures from last week.  My Dad stopped by for some lunch since he was in the neighborhood.  While I prepared lunch, he taught Miss C how to play marbles, and what a sweet thing it was watching those two. (I purchased an old vintage canning jar filled with marbles at an estate sale last year... what a fun find that was!  I can still picture that colorful bottle sitting on a shelf in that back room just waiting to go home with me.  It was love at first sight. :) )  It's a game I and the kidlets have been wanting to learn for a long time, and by golly, we weren't going to let another day go by without learning how to play them properly.

It was fun listening to him tell us stories about how he used to play marbles every recess with his friends when growing up, and how my Grandma Flossie made him a marble pouch out of an old pair of Levis.  I also learned that my Granpda Frank was a pretty good marble player himself, though I wasn't surprised.  He was a big guy with big, strong hands and I can only imagine how far he could make those marbles fly! 

I, on the other hand, need practice.  It's a lot harder to flick one than I thought!

But my Dad?  Let's just say he's got the technique down...

And for those of you who don't follow me on facebook, here are a couple pictures I shared there a week ago. Loooove the colors of these glass beauties.  I swear I can just sit there forever staring at them, gazing at all the different designs swirling inside and around each one...

I'll have to pull my macro lens out next time and capture some close-ups!

 

But for now, Happy Weekend to All!!

 

xo,

Pamela, a lover of all things shiny and colorful.  And pickles.  And Fridays, too!

 

p.s. If any of you have been wanting to learn photography to capture special family moments like the one above, I'm here to tell you to DO IT!  You won't regret it.  I've so been enjoying this photography-learning-journey.  I think I've come a long way since I started this blog a few years ago.  My only regret is that I didn't start sooner, so meaningful moments like this could've been captured while my Mother was still here on earth.  ♥

Millions of Peaches... {and some really cute sisters!}

Well, we didn't exactly pick millions of peaches, but I sure did love that song back in high school. (go on and click on the link... I think it's definitely worth a listen!) :)

This week we took a box of these...

(we picked the peaches in Canby, Oregon at the Roses on Riverside farm)

and turned them into...

Yummy jam and pancake syrup! 

Boy, did it feel good canning again.  And I'm happy to report not one jar broke while processing them.  Now I need to get my little hands on some cucumbers to can some PICKLES!!  Oh, how I love pickles!

And on a completely different note (because I'm all for being random) I had the pleasure of taking pictures of two friends who just happen to be sisters.  Aren't they beautiful?

Remember when Erin wore my necklace on General Hospital?  I'm still on a happy high from that!  Thanks again, Erin for making the Ava's Nest necklace famous! :)  And if you're a cat lover, don't miss her in this Purina Cat Chow commercial that's airing right now.  (Which by the way, if you are a cat lover, I'm sure you're loving her shirt she's wearing in the above picture.  :)  ) And if you're a brownie lover, catch her on this Fiber One commercial.  Because, heck, who's not a brownie lover?!! She is a fun actress to watch.  Very talented!

Well, Happy Friday to all of you! 

xo,

Pamela

 

p.s. Thanks to those who emailed and commented on the last post concerning Jane.  I appreciate your concern and input!  Interestingly enough, the ENT did not find any fluid behind her ear drum yesterday (which I should mention to my know she has never had an actual ear infection... just fluid that wasn't draining).  I was so surprised.  I was for sure thinking he was going to recommend tubes by the end of the appt.  Though I'm elated that didn't happen, I'm left feeling puzzled as to what is going on with her ears. There's one more test that does need to be performed by an audiologist (when we went for that appt the machine that was supposed to used on her was broken... ugh).  I guess from here we'll get that last audiology test done, continue speech therapy, and have her ears looked at again a couple months from now.  Wish us luck! :)

 

Some earrings for the shop {{ and the cutest pet rock turtle you've ever laid your eyes on!}}

Whew!  What a wonderful and busy summer we're having this year.  So much has happened but for now, I wanted to remind you how the shop will be opening August 2 (6 pm Pacific time)... that's next week!  Next Thursday, to be exact.  Here's a couple pictures of earrings that will be available in the shop...

The top ones are my personal favorites, and have been my "Go-To" earrings this summer for many reasons... they're simple, sleek and downright versatile... I'll wear them with just about anything!  I'm currently wearing the small ones and haven't taken them off for a week.  Yep, I've been sleeping in them.  I'll have some more pictures for you Monday or Tuesday of some other designs that'll be in the shop.  Remember, all pieces will already be made and ready to ship, so first come, first serve!  Tonight I'll be making one or two Drip Drop necklaces and a Clementine set.

But, now onto more important things, like summer fun.  This week I've been having the girls memorize some good old classic poems while crafting and such.  So far their favorite has been this one...

 

 

(How sweet is that little poem?  I created a pdf file of it that you can access here: Download The-little-turtle)

Feel free to print it off and slap it on your fridge or whatever else you might want to do with it. :)

In fact, we liked this poem so much the girls grabbed a couple extra jewelry boxes of mine, some rocks, felt, and paint, and made this...

And get this... last night before we went on a short hike in the forest across the road, I told the girls they could bring a toy if they wanted.  This is what they came up with...

They leashed their turtles, Clementine and Julia!  ha ha!  These little girls crack me up.  I think it might be time for a real pet, poor things. 

And speaking of felt and poems, I've been working on something else for the shop while we were memorizing Hey, Diddle, Diddle...

I have a video of Miss C reciting it that is HILARIOUS!  I'll upload it soon.

Hope ya'll are having a relaxing yet productive summer!

 

Happy Weekend!

 

xo,

Pamela

A Heavenly Getaway

What a wonderful time I had with two wonderful friends over this past weekend!  My friend, Michelle, and I flew into Sacramento to meet up with our friend, Erica ,who moved down there last year (How do you like the picture of my hot glue gun going through security at the airport? Needed it for crafting, of course!)  Dinner and massages awaited us upon our arrival.  Heavenly!  And little did Michelle and I know that we both brought the exact same swimsuits to our hotel.  It seemed like we packed a lot of similar outfits, too, so we were twinsies most of the weekend, including matching pajamas that Erica had waiting for us all. :)

 

The next day we stopped by to see my uncle and his family on our way to San Fransisco and they had the most delicious brunch waiting for us.  It was so nice visiting them, and us gals agreed it was the highlight of our day!  Thank you Uncle Eric and Doug and S & E!  (And might I add that their backyard garden was quite impressive?  All sorts of vegetation was back there. That giant pumpkin plant was calling my name and I couldn't help myself from diving into it.)

Erica then planned for us to stay at a Bed and Breakfast in Nevada City (her home town) and my, oh my, what a grand time we had!  If you ever find yourself in Nevada City and are in need of a place to stay, I highly recommend Mary and Miladie's place (see their business card below).  These sisters know how to make a person feel welcome and Mary cooked up the best omelette I've ever had.  I loved getting to know them and only wished we lived closer.  Such creative and talented women! Such a treat meeting them. 

Kayaking was enjoyed later on in Folsom... which by the way, for those of you who have munchkin feet like me (size 5 1/2--I think I inherited my Grandma Flossie's tiny feet, though hers were much smaller than mine!!) and have been wanting to buy a pair of Chaco sandals for hiking and such, but haven't been able to because their smallest size is too big, they NOW HAVE YOUTH SIZES!!  Maybe they've been out for a while and I just haven't known about it for the past 3 years, but I was elated to discover them last month at REI. And here's the best part... they're HALF the price as adult sizes!  I love, love, love mine.  So comfy, especially with my high arches.

And here's a picture of us on Sunday after church, visiting the temple grounds right next to the church building.  Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

Oh, and here are some more pictures of Nevada City.  And that river??  Amazing.  There's just something about being in nature, both in the mountains and in the river, that is so centering for the mind, body, and soul. 

 (That Peacock Ore was one of Miss A's souvenirs since she is a lover of peacocks and rocks alike.) :)

Yes, it was a heavenly trip, indeed.  I feel so blessed to have such loving and supportive friends that enrich my life, and also for a wonderful hubby that is supportive of such little getaways. 

Thank you, Erica and Michelle, for such a memorable and relaxing vacation! 

 

xo,

Pamela

 

Vintage Strawberry Shortcake Berry Happy Dollhouse waiting for a new home in good ol' Minnesota!

Any mamas of little girls from Minneapolis, Minnesota reading this??  If so, and you've been wanting a vintage Strawberry Shortcake dollhouse, look what I found on eBay last night while perusing the Strawberry Shortcake listings and I just had to share it here!  It's for only $50 (correction--the bid starts at $50) and you have to pick it up in Eden Prairie which will save tons on shipping!  It looks like the exterior is in great condition with all the original stickers!  Looks like a good deal to me.

How we love our own dollhouse!

**I know this is a photo I've shared before, but I had to share it again.  The girls will play with it for hours.  Seriously.  Yes, I think we're just a wee bit obsessed with everything vintage Strawberry Shortcake. :)

Which, btw, next week I have something to share with you about Strawberry Shortcake.  I can't right now because I really need to scoot, but it is quite exciting! :)

If anyone buys the dollhouse, you have to let me know!!

 

Happy Weekend!!!

 

xo,

Pamela