Funky Junk Jennifer

Monday, August 20, 2012

Funky Junk: Moments captured.

I am so thankful for Cary Burnett, she is the official Funky Junk Photographer. I love seeing the show captured through Cary's lens, she has an eye for beauty and for catching moments at just the right time. It takes a good eye, but it also takes a good junker to tell the story of each show. Here are a few of my favorite captured moments from past shows. I look forward to seeing what she can do at this Season's show! Thank you Cary, for your eye and your insight! Love, Jennifer

All photos courtesy of Burnett photography.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

August

Welcome August! I vow to take as much of you in as I can;

Swim and walk, listen and watch.
Stars to count, campfires to build, berries to pick and dirt to 'til.
Canning and baking, fishing too. Oh I have so many wonderful things to do!
Junking and driving, rivers to float, and don't forget a day on the boat!
Weddings, picnics and garden time. Please pass the cheese and a little more wine.
Take your time, don't go too fast...these memories are made to last.

Photo courtesy of my Mom, Marie O'Brien.

Monday, July 23, 2012

My Re-cycled Garden

Summer is in full swing here on the farm! We have been spending as much time as possible in the yard and garden. While planning this years garden I enjoyed many trips to garden centers across the northwest. I love looking at plans for laying out my plants and flowers, seeing the various ways to grow things and all the products on the market to accomplish this! I found that most things were doable on my own, with items I can salvage from around the area, or I may have tucked away. For the most part I only had to buy new on just a couple things, the rest has been reclaimed and given new life. As you know I like to live a more "green" lifestyle, so where better to start than in the garden! Here is a tour for you. Enjoy!

This is an old head board I bought from my friend Carol, I was so Happy when Nathan said we had the hardware to hang it without having to contact a welder! To me it is a grand welcome to our home!

In the garden we decided to not till up the whole thing, but instead mow the grass between the rows for an easier way of tending to and less soil compaction in your rows. Instead of buying new plastic tomatoes stakes we used old tree branches and small trees that had to be thinned out a couple years ago and have seasoned to a nice sturdy stake. Same with the bean pole tee pees. The black plastic was from hauling supplies when we built the house and now heats up my pumpkin patch nicely!

Peppers like warmth! So to do this I gave them a bed in an old metal trough, filled it with some wonderful old rotting straw (producing heat while it decomposes) and then built an A-frame of just two windows I picked up from my Friend Carol.

The result is some very happy peppers (this photo was taken when they were first planted, now they are pressing the top of the window!).

An old headboard I picked up from Marianne for $5! It works perfect to tie my tomato plants to! More black plastic reused for heat and cover.

The inside of an old dryer, Dad had used this years ago for flowers and I decided it would be perfect for my tomatoes!

My favorite project was using this old wedding tulle for covering my cabbage plants and Kale. I have a problem with moths eating the plants every year and my friend Scott said he used old gossamer left over from a party, for row coverage successfully! So, with a ton of this tulle left from our wedding (11 years ago!) I decided to give it a new life and it works great!

Nathan calls this my "ghost garden", and the tulle is working great to keep the moths away!

An old horse shoe and some old logging chain worked for a gate latch!

Using a found window like this adds some color to my garden when the sun shines through it!

My concrete bull, I will tell the story on this guy someday. For now all I will say is my sister Errin has his mate in her bee garden and they are wonderful to see!

Old logs left from a slash pile from one of Dad's logging jobs, they work great for fence posts at the corners. The rest are railroad t-posts from an old friend down the road that had no need for them anymore. Another fun re-cycled project is my peony garden, they are all from old homesteads in the area and saved from developments or homes that were being sold out of the families. I love that they can still be found here.

The only real "new" purchase this year was 300 ft of 7' high deer fencing, I bought strong enough fencing to reuse this fall for a pig pen. Pigs work great for stirring up your garden and prepping the area for the next year!

These re-used fence posts were put into the berry patch 8 years ago and are still holding strong!

And with all the work done and everything planted I get to enjoy the best part of my garden...the view!

Thank you for visiting, enjoy your Summer!!! Love, Jennifer

Friday, June 8, 2012

Farm Chicks 2012 Re-cap

Photo courtesy of Burnett Photography

Another year has come and gone for the highly anticipated Farm Chicks show .

My hens were helping me prep all week too. "Farm Chicks"!

Farm Chicks has always been like going to camp for me. I still remember the fist show I did back in the tent in Fairfield and saying "It is like the Mother ship has called me home". I still feel that way.

My booth opening day.
Photo courtesy of Burnett Photography

A giddiness takes over me months ahead of time. And it has become a family affair. My mom brings her camper up to my house for a week ahead of time to watch Glenn and cook while we get things ready.

Cousin Brooke and her amazing lamp! Emma found plenty of treasures too, she had saved up her money and ended up with a whole $76 to bring to the show! That story made me so happy.

My cousin Brooke and her wonderful Daughter Emma came all the way from Portland to see the show and help me get ready the night before (T-shirts folding, bag labeling, card prepping...it all has to be done).

Serena has created an event that brings in fans from literally all over the world, which has given me the gift of friendship that stretches across many miles. Customers that we see year after year like family at Christmas.

This WONDERFUL customer, Mary Hurd, was SO excited to find this lamp!

This year has to have been one of the funnest yet!

Thank you Sister for all your help!!!
Photo courtesy of Burnett Photography

I have always had a great time at the show, but this year I had the pleasure of having my sister join me for Saturday! We always bump up the energy when we are together and then throw into the mix my dear friend Michele of 3 Craft Chicks was just a couple booths away. Without the help from her and her wonderful family (including Kathy!)I don't know what i would have done!

My Kindred friend Michele
Photo by Burnett Photography

We had so much fun with our customers too! Never a dull moment and plenty of laughter.

Lisa Sharp Loved this vintage swimsuit and is for sure going to wear it!

I had the pleasure of meeting Serena's Mom, Gypsy. I told her "Thank you" for giving us a wonderful lady who has changed so many lives for the good. Serena has given me opportunities that have changed my path and my story for the better. I will forever be grateful to her for that.