I like my "white" pottery cracked, weathered, worn, and looking like its be used one too many times. I also like to keep it in one of my favorite country primitive white cupboards.
Go visit Kathleen, she not only has a wonderful blog, but a whole list of people that are sharing their favorite "whites" on White Wednesday!
I would like to say that's me in the picture above, but I'm not that tall nor do I dress that fancy. A better picture of me would have been flip flops kicked off, and collapsing on top of my bed still in my shorts! All of you that shopped with us over the week-end were amazing! For those of you that accidentally stumbled into the store in the middle of the Street Faire chaos, thank you. I know it wasn't easy to get to Country Roads! And for those of you that made our sale so successful yesterday, I have no words. A successful sale for me isn't all about the numbers, although they were so appreciated. It is about the support all of you give myself, my family and to Country Roads. Your sweet comments about this blog were heartfelt and I am so appreciative to each one of you that take the time to let me know how much you do enjoy reading my blog. Thank you! As most of you already know, Country Roads is much more than "just a store" to me. Again, thank you all for reminding me of that yesterday and over the week-end. Please know that we all appreciate each and everyone of you!
Seems like only yesterday that this was the time of year for "back to school". I always took pictures of my kids throughout their school years on the first day of school. Whether they liked it or not, I had a camera in hand!
I think these pictures were taken when Katie was in first grade, Bryce was in his last year of pre-school, and Brande was in third grade!
The time goes by so, so fast. I miss my kids being little at this time of year. It was always such a special time for me and them as well, new beginnings. But you know, in a "blink of an eye", Gramma will be taking pictures of Riley and Morgan's first days of school as well!
In a few hours the Street Faire will be over! But for me, its OVER, I'm home. When I took this picture of my favorite babies, Ari and Azul, I was wishing they had room for me to crawl in the stroller with them!
It was an exhausting two days, to say the least. Today was much more crowded than Saturday, maybe because the weather was cooler. Who knows, but our customers were exhausting!
The questions that you answer over and over are endless. And I won't even get into the obnoxious people and how rude they are. It's funny how adults immediately turn into little children when they hear the "NO" word! I will never understand the whys of how people somehow think the ruder they get that somehow, some way, it will make the "yes" word come out of your mouth. But we did have some super nice people which I need to be reminded of! Like the sweet, sweet guy that bought a vintage pink prom dress for himself, and I had to add extra paper so it wouldn't get dirty! I loved him because he was not only sweet, but polite, fun and made me smile in a good way.
When I got home, I checked my emails and to see if there were any of my favorite blogs up. I have to say a big THANKS to Cher for posting this video. Even Fluffy, my cat was laughing in a "kitty kind of way"! So, with my 18th Old Towne Orange International Street Faire behind me, I will now go open a cold Corona, and step outside to my backyard. I'll sit with my dog Sally, my ipod and soak my dirty Street Faire stained feet (probably shouldn't wear flip flops so much) in my pool, and look forward to our big sale tomorrow "I Survived the Orange International Street Faire Sale" at Country Roads!!I have to tell you, Country Roads is not just a job, it is an adventure!!
When you have a store such as Country Roads, you never know who will walk into the front door. Especially when you are working the circus type environment of the International Street Faire! Yesterday I got a wonderful surprise though. My very bestfriend when I was a kid, Donna Nagel (now Kostner) came in that front door with her family! Donna and I went to school together from first grade all the way to high school graduation. That's us above when we were juniors in high school in Laguna Beach. I was wearing my high school soriety sweatshirt, "Tabu". I had forgotten all about that until I looked at this photo this morning.
Sadly,I don't have as many pictures of us when we were little kids. She lived around the corner from me, and we walked to school every day together. We sat next to each other at lunch every day as well. Yesterday we were talking about how in grade school you were NEVER supposed to share your report grades with your friends. I asked her if she remembered the big tree we would hide behind to share our grades? And we laughed when she remembered. I'm sure it was my idea back then to do something you weren't suppose to, Donna was better behaved than I was!
Donna's dad had died when she was only a little over two years old. Her mom Betty, never remarried, but had a great boyfriend named Hank. They always went on Sunday outings, and her and her brother could bring one friend. I always that friend and got to go to places with her family and had so much fun. My folks were the more "stay at home" type! As I was lying in bed last night, I was thinking of all the "firsts" in our young lives we shared together. The tragic things in life, things that were impossible to understand like the assinations for JFK and then his brother Bobby, Martin Luther King, events that changed our lives forever. Then I remember the good stuff we shared like watching the first man walk on the moon, or the times we spent down in AZ by the Mexican border volunteering on the Cocopah Indian reservation and learning a hard lesson about life. Having our eyes open at such a young age to the poverty and discrimination that people lived daily in the United States changed our young lives forever, in a good and caring way.
We graduated high school and then both went more our separate ways. Donna went to college up in Northern CA, at the University of Santa Cruz and became a college professor. I went to community college and then to Cal State University at Fullerton. I wanted to save the world back then (and still do) and majored in Sociology and minored in American Studies. Donna and I kept in touch for awhile. I went to her wedding, and she came to my wedding reception. She moved out of state for awhile, and we lost touch. About five years ago, another high school friend got a bunch of us together. I guess that's one of the very special things about Country Roads. People can always track me down. Sometimes I want to hide, but then there are the rich and wonderful days like yesterday when friends of your heart show up. I don't know "why" I didn't have someone take our pictures together yesterday, blame it on the Street Faire! All last night I've had the Simon & Garfunkel song in my head, "Old Friends". Remember that great song?
Yesterday I went to the movies. "It Might Get Loud" was more of a documentary about The Edge (U2), Jimmy Page (Led Zepplin)and Jack White (White Stripes). It was a smaller theatre I went to and there was probably only 7 people there, one couple,and the rest were people by themselves like me. Those of us who LOVE music love a film like this. It was a history of not only music, but of the guitar and our world at different eras. It was awesome to see these talented guys get together and talk about what music meant to them growing up. Their styles all a little different but their hearts, all the same. As the movie ended they all sang and played together one song. Although Jimmy Page says he doesn't sing! Music takes me away to different places, different moods, different memories. As I've said in my past posts, on my parents graves both of their plaques have lyrics from two different artists. Because to me, the lyrics are poetry put to music. If I am having a bad day, all I need to do is pop on my headphones, and plug in my ipod and I'm taken away to a much better place. Music is about putting feelings into the creativity, to the song and bringing it all together through a guitar. If you are like me, and have that passion for music, I strongly suggest you go see "It Might Get Loud". I loved it!
So, here's how my store, Country Roads, celebrates Labor Day week-end! We first have to put up with the Orange International Street Faire. The streets in Old Towne Orange are closed from Thursday before midnight through Sunday at midnight. What happens, total chaos! The non-profits sell food and ALCOHOL! Then you throw in some bands, such as the Greek band that plays all day outside our front door while the "happy" people dance in the street, and its hotter than hell and some people are so drunk they stumble, they fall, and some throw up! It just makes for a dandy week-end! It is like working in a carnival environment, totally crazy! But have no fear, because on Labor Day Monday, the 7th, from 10am - 5pm Country Roads is having a HUGE, one day sale:"I SURVIVED THE ORANGE INTERNATIONAL STREET FAIRE SALE". Just like magic, the Street Faire and the chaos it brings with it is gone and we have this great sale. Our vendors are offering some great percentages off some really great merchandise, including holiday stuff as well. For example, Johnnye Merle Gardens is having 20% off on all plants. There is plenty of free parking, the sidewalks have been hosed down and cleaned of everything that was unpleasantly left on them! I hope you can stop by, it is an awesome sale and worth the trip to see us!! 
Also, not too far away from us, you can stop in and visit Rogers Gardens down in Corona del Mar. Starting today, they have their awesome Halloween displays open for the public to see. They decorate over the top, believe me. Their talents are amazing. We are always anxious to go as the past few years they have purchased stuff from Country Roads for these displays. It's always fun to see what they have done with the treasures they picked up at our store. 
For those of you in Northern CA, if you are in the area, please stop by the Alameda Flea Market on Sunday the 6th. Tim & Lisa, our newer amazingly talented Country Roads dealers, are taking my son Bryce with them to sell here. Stop by and get a "feel & peek" into what Country Roads is really like. Be sure to tell them I said "hi"!I can guarantee you, you will love what Tim, Lisa, and Bryce have for sale! I hope you all have a wonderful Labor Day week-end, and manage to find the time to stop by for our big sale!! See you then!!
The time I spend during the week with my "girls" is the best part of my week! Here are some random things Riley and Morgan I did this week. I took Riley to her swimming lesson. I'm always amazed at how well she swims for being so little!
Riley is ready to jump in the pool and swim to her instructor. She's like a little fish now. 
Morgan was enjoying hanging out in her swing until the batteries died!
Morgan tried to sit a spell in Riley's little chair. She liked it at first & thought it was fun.
The fun ended when she tipped over and Riley tried to help her!
Riley enjoyed riding her Dora scooter that Brande got her for her third birthday. She especially enjoys the little bag on the front of the scooter to hold all her stuff!
Little kids never miss a thing like this old banjo that sits in the corner of the family room. I think it use to be Brande's. Riley gave it her best shot at trying to strum a tune. My weeks are always so full with so many things, but I have to say, my very favorite times are when I spend them with my girls!
The chippy white stuff, the "patina", it is my favorite!
The wear, the imperfection of vintage pieces is priceless.
The dirty, the stuff that has been discarded and kicked around is always the best.
Add a little color AND some rust, and I've got a real treasure.
The old crackly white that is just beginning to get "chippy" never, ever escapes my eye! And I have to have it. I know when it comes to describing my love affair with the old chippy white stuff, I'm not alone! Happy White Wednesday, and now go visit Kathleen and see some more wonderful stuff!!
My garden needs work, it's "that" time of year! Right now about all that is exciting is my roses and some veggie plants.
I have to admit, my roses need to be "dead headed" here very soon. It's time to prepare for the Fall gardens.
I've got a couple of hot little pepper plants growing here. Can't wait to use them next time I make salsa. And this little pumpkin vine looks the healthier than any of my others!
Mixed in here with the sad looking snapdragons is a strawberry plant and some cilantro. As I said, I need to spend some serious time in my garden!
My pumpkin vine has taken off, although I'm a bit concerned with the white spots on its leaves. If you want to see some really awesome gardens, go visit Ms.GreenThumb Jean, she has the best of the best! Also, stop by my friends blog, Stacey!
