I BROKE Grandmas' Cookie Jar today!

Yes, I did it, I broke the cookie jar.  I am heart broken.  The thing is, this was not just a cookie jar...it was 31 years of memories.  Florence Sulzle was always busy, always baking, and 9 times out of 10 it was cookies.  My love of the change of seasons stems from her, which she passed along to mom, then me, and hopefully I will to Glenn.  With each season the cookie jar was filled with something different.  Currently in the fall it would have been filled with applesauce cookies with a simple white frosting, by December she would be filling it with big round sugar cookies that us kids would decorate in an assortment of green, red and white frosting with as many sprinkles as we could mix up.  What a sight that was every cold winter day until Christmas!  The next moths brought chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin (never really a kids favorite by the way) and by spring it was back to sugar cookies to be decorated for Easter.  By summer the jar was filled with "no-bake" cookies so she didn't have to use the oven and heat up the house.  Then by harvest time we were back to Applesauce cookies again. The jar represented so much more than a simple storage container.  It was opened up for a small hand when a knee was scraped, when a report card had a high grade, when one "just couldn't sleep",  when I wasn't invited to the popular girls slumber party, and when my boyfriend of two years broke up with me...yes even at age 16 that jar had "magic".
  She gave me the jar the year I got married. I had plans of Carrying on the tradition, looking forward to Glenn climbing off the school bus and running in straight to the jar as we discussed all his adventures over a glass of milk.

But alas, I broke it.  But as I kicked my self and cried into my hands I realized that it was not the jar that contained the Magic, it was the cook...she put the love in it, she opened the lid to reward us or soothe a broken heart.  I still have that, I have her and those lessons. If you have ever read "like water for Chocolate" you will know what I mean when I say that we put emotion into our food when we cook.  I was feeling a lot of emotion today.   So, in my upset I put on my apron, my favorite fall music (Practical Magic Soundtrack, Roger Whitaker, and Kenny Rogers) and went to work baking, baking with as much memories as I could muster up, I remembered all the wonderful things about grandma I could.  I baked oatmeal chip cookies, zucchini bread, apple pie, blackberry muffins and applesauce cookies.  And there she was, right next to me, reminding me to stir slower, kneed less, add a bit more vanilla, stop worrying so much, remember to cherish each moment...for who knows it may mean so much to the next generation.
So, next time you see me on the junking trail, you know what I am in search of...But thank goodness I already have what I "need".

A Weekend in Wonderland

I am home now resting from a wonderful weekend at the Mad Hatter Vintage Flea Market!  This was truly one of the most Elegant and Classy shows I have seen!  Gladys and Celia pay such close attention to detail, which sets the stage for an escape from the ordinary...a visit to Wonderland!

I was Happy to see familiar faces, greet old friends and make new ones!  I loved all the energy that surrounded the little Old Five Mile Grange!
The treats for the eye were plenty, the pumpkins, guards and straw mingled with beautiful treasures making everything seem so enchanting indeed!
I was very proud of Sir Glenn too, he greeted Customers, slept in his pink tub and entertained Vendors.  One could not ask for a better 4 month old, mommy really pushed his limits and he showed no signs!
It was a pleasure to be a co-vendor again with my business partner Hollie, we had a lot of fun enjoying someone Else's hard work and appreciating every second of it! 
I came home with treasure too!  I collected some old Apothecary bottles (I love the word apothecary by the way, and have decided to use it more often!), I am going to make a "potions" display on my mantel for Halloween.  I was also able to find a Strawberry Shortcake mug to replace the one I had as a child, I used to have hot chocolate with marshmallows in it in the winter!  And from Hollies booth I found this old "W", Love it!
Glenn Came home with his new T-Shirt by "Oliver & Ava"!

We would like to give a special thank you to all the wonderful vendors and friends who helped Glenn & I get thru the weekend with ease.  We Love each and everyone of you!



"W" for Wood.  and "Wonderful".




Apothecary bottles.




Love the Old label.




Play House Herbal Soap




Sally from "Forget me not" lends a helping hand.




Break time with Glenn.  Hollie and Celeste.




Funky Junk Girls




My Kindred Spirit Dena.  Why am I holding a Cabbage head?




Glenns' new shirt

 A wonderful time was had by all!  This was a great way to begin Fall and sell the last of my things while I spend the winter coming up with new ones and new ideas! 

Thank You Gladys and Celia for a very Memorable event!  It was a pleasure.  xoxoxo Jennifer

A visit with the "Fancy Farm Girl"

Do you ever scan thru blogs and posts under "image search" randomly on the Internet just to feel inspired?  I do, seeing pretty things makes me feel better, makes me feel like cleaning house, decorating, creating! 

One evening earlier this year I was feeling very sick from pregnancy and that was making me blue.  I typed in "fancy. pink. farm." words associated with things I love.  And here pops up "The Fancy Farm Girl".  I was thrilled!  Every Picture I came across made me happy! Tiffany has such a great eye for beauty.  She has a great writing style too that made it easy to relate to. So, I clicked "favorites" and returned time and again to visit.

Recently I got an email asking fro vintage Silverware for the Gals at Creative Connection.  I sent a note stating I had some to sell.  It turned out the person in contact was "The Fancy Farm Girl"!
I happened to be heading over to her neck of the woods that weekend for my Father-in-Laws wedding so I told her I could meet up with her sometime over the weekend.
When I arrived at Tiffany's I was very thrilled to see that she had yard tents set up in her yard for what looked to be a sale.  Sure enough she was selling her inventory to focus on her photography business.  Of course I shopped!  I was thrilled to scoop up old ceiling tiles, glass apothecary bottles, metal baskets and more!  We have no idea how I manage to fit all that I do in our Subaru but honey where there's a will, (and amazing one-of-a-kind-finds) there's a way!

We were about to head out when Tiffany asked if I wanted to see her studio.   Um, YES!  I was soooo excited to see where the magic happens to create such an awesome blog!

Have you ever been reading a decorating Magazine and wanted to crawl inside the pages?  I did that day!

 We entered the newly shingled house thru a very romantic porch.  I loved the old tattered davenport used for photo shoots.
Inside was a treat for the eye.  Every corner had another display of treasure!  I loved all her collections and her style of neutral colors mixed with sparkle!  And yet it was still a "farm house" too!
The most exciting part came when we headed up the stairs.   Wonderful and enchanting.  I cannot put into words what I was feeling as we entered her studio!  Splendid is a good one.  Set with such careful detail, such beauty and style.  I was so busy taking pictures and visiting there is no way I took it all in, but I was over-stimulated with the creative juices flowing in my brain!  I could just imagine how easy it must be to feel inspired in a place like this!  Then there was the display of vintage prom dresses.  Tiffany is proud as peacock of this collection, and she has every right to be!  She even wears them!  She donned on for the last Farm Chicks Show!  I made a goal to fit into one of these eventually too! 

Her "white" Bedroom was a retreat indeed!  A hard working mom and entrepreneur deserves a room like this!

Last but not least was "The Fanciest Chicken Coop" ever!  I was so impressed with this coop, I wanted one for a studio or guest house! She has the luckiest chickens around!
 The farm is indeed a working farm.  Her daughter was bathing a donkey and visited with Nathan and Glenn during my tour.
The gardens were beautiful, the house was amazing and the host was down to earth and very sweet!  I left the farm with a feeling like I did when visiting the website last spring but multiplied by 100!
  Floating back home, it was easier to take the 7 hr drive with my head spinning with inspiration for Hodge Podge Cottage and the yards we will get to next year!

                                                                

                                                                  The Fancy Farm Girl

                                                          
                                    

                                                  A beautiful collection of white pitchers.

                                                 Makes me want to sit down and create!

                                                                    Happy thoughts

                                                   

                                     A Wonderful centerpiece made by the gals of "All that Glitters"!

                          One should love your collections THIS much when they are THIS Beautiful!

                                                                        I Love this.

                                                        Someday I dream to wear one too...

                                                                  A room of dreams!

                                                           Some of Tiffany's Creations!

                                                         We share a love of old bottles!

                                                                   

                                                                           The Coop!

                                                                

                                                         Nathan and Glenn wait patiently

                            I was dressed for a day of "Junking"!  Loved my visit with Tiffany!

                                                                   Shopping too?!?!?

                   Always leave a host gift when you have been treated to such a nice afternoon.

                                                                    A Romantic porch.

                                                             

                                                       Dirty pink farm boots...Love it!

                                                                  Old Blue's Sister!!!!

We have plans for a garden house converted craft room, and new soap shop out of the old family cabin and other out buildings when Glenn is able to be put down for a bit!  Until then I will hold him and keep searching the Internet for inspiration, you never know where the pages might take you!

http://www.thefancyfarmgirl.com/

Why Funky Junk?

People ask me all the time "what made you want to start a show?".  The Answer is simple, I love people, I love fun, and I love Junk!  So, together with my amazing business partner Hollie Eastman, we formed an event that included all the above.  We had been two booths down at the wonderful and exciting Farm Chicks Show for 4 seasons.  We had extra stuff, surprisingly extra time (pre Glenn and Finn) and a little empty grange (empty except for all the stuff left in it from a rummage sale 25 years ago!)  We rented the little building for a song and a dance (actually for our work in cleaning it up, just the two of us and any family members we could sucker in)!  Appropriately it was called "Paradise Grange", hence the sign you see at the entrance of each of our shows, and will for years to come!
We knew by the crowd that lined up down the old dirt road that this was something that we should do again...and so we have.   7 times over and counting.   We changed locations to granges that are bit more accommodating (running water and restrooms!), but hold dear the memories of our little Building on Paradise road.

 It has only been getting better.  We have grown.  We have gained knowledge, we have laughed a lot and tried to cry little, we have been humbled and we have made many wonderful friends.  We have added to the mix new babies, new homes and new insights.  But one thing remains, the three words Hollie came up with at our first show... LOVE.  FUN. JUNK.  It is that simple.  So with this new blog I hope to bring to you stories that capture those simple words.  Here's to the memories to come!