{Vintage Shopping Weekend}

Hello...hello Happy Monday!!!!

Have you noticed issues with the comments on your blogs?!?!!? I know i've tried to stop by many of them and I am not able to comment:( It just keeps taking me back to sign in....i've e-mailed some of you to let you know.....but was just curious if you are able to comment on mine???

Also...do you find the new lay-out ok?? Is it too boring or confusing?? Just wondering!!


Onto the post.....
How was your weekend!?!?!?

We spent the weekend town hoping along the Lake Michigan coast...
Three Oaks, MI
New Buffalo, MI
Michigan City, MI


I found a ton of happy little shops and I spent my time talking my husbands's ear off and tinkering around with my camera:)

I found so many perfect things in these shops.....
Just look at that simple artwork! A daisy out of bottle caps. Simple and cute!

And I love this....
the real....play by play of our "date day!"
You know I like to keep it real for you:)

Like I say....it's not always rainbows and butterflies!

Poor guy! I probably drive him crazy with all of my ideas:)
But really he is supportive and I am lucky for that:)

ps.....we were eating at Bartletts!! The cutest place! If you're in the area.....it's a must enjoy!

Don't you just love Bartlett's sign!! A deer drinking beer! Perfect:)
And their t-shirts say....it's beer season.

Anywho...a few more finds from the shops we stopped into.

And the best score of all!!!!!!!!!!!

So what do you think??? All turquoise or turquoise & white!?!?!?!?

Oh and be sure to stop by Emerald Cove on Wednesday for a little surprise!!!!!

"He who works with his hands is a laborer.
He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman.
He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist."
St. Francis of Assisi

{recycled daisies}

Hello!!
How are you!!?!?!?


I've been super busy with Simple Daisy orders.....yeah!!!! But not so busy that I couldn't do a little craft project:)


Have you seen my vintage truck braclet!?!!?  Well this is this inspiration behind that bracelet!!


I love vintage trucks and dream of having my very own someday:)
but for today....i'll just enjoy tinkering around with this little vintage truck I got at the flea market!!




Anywho....i've done things in metal before....like the metal starfish.....metal chalkboards.....and a few other metal things...
I was thinking I would make metal daisies out of galvanized metal I had sitting around in my studio.....but I was getting super frustrated trying to cut it.


That's when.....I just finished a diet sprite {bad...I know but diet sprite is a secret indulgence}...I thought to myself....why not just use the metal from the can to make the daisies!!
The perfect recycle project!!
Recycled Daisies:):)

I think they are just adorable:)
Just be sure to be super careful when your cutting the cans! They are sharp!

I hammered them on the concrete and scuffed up the paint
to give them a rustic kind of effect!


You can do just about anything with these sweet little daisies....I am thinking....wreaths...daisy chains.....
all kinds of happy little things!

Sometimes things don't have to be expencsive to be cute:)

I think they will look pretty cute in my garden too......if only my garden looked nice!! I think i've decided that I am just not vegetable garden material:)
Next year........cutting garden instead!!

Ok! Well there you have it a simple little craft to keep you busy this weekend:)

Now I have to get back to filling orders:) Have a super wonderful weekend!!!

"You must enshrine in your hearts the spiritual urge towards light and love, Wisdom and Bliss."

Sri Sathya Sai Baba

{embracing my midwestern spirit}

Good Morning!!!
Happy Monday to you!!!

What a whirlwind weekend it was:)

Lately....I have decided that instead of wishing and hoping and dreaming that I would move away from the Midwest.....I have decided to spend more time embracing my Midwestern roots!

I am after all....corn bred....corn fed....corn raised...100% a Midwesterner:):)

So in true Midwestern spirit we spent lots of time outdoors this weekend...
I went boating on the river with friends....fishing with my husband....and attended a flea market!
It was a fabulous weekend and made me happy that we have such beautiful summers here!

Now ....make sure you remind me of this post in ....let's say.....January:):)

A quick video of our boating! I wanted to make a nice video with music....but I just can't get the hang of how to yet...

I love that I have to tell my husband to smile:):) heehee!! He really is nice....I promise!! He just thinks i'm nuts!! The music is from a band that was playing on shore!!

Fishing....

something I used to love but haven't done in years!

So I got determined and made it happen!

Now if you knew my husband....well...he likes to think that everything is just too much hassle and will moan and complain about doing it and then later thank me for pressing the issue!!

This was no different....

complain....complain....complain....

then we get out to this very private lake.....not many people even know about it....

and we start fishing.

I am quiet just doing my fishing thing and next thing I hear is

"well honey, like always I am glad you pressed the issue about going fishing.....this is great"

"I know" ... I say:):)

It was spectacular!! Birds everywhere....just quiet peacefulness.
I love nature.....being in nature...being still and very quiet is very spiritual for me:)
I know when my soul needs a little nature!

We didn't catch a darn thing...not even a nibble! But it was totally worth it!

I had a few Summer Shandys....no wine....for some reason I just don't think wine and fishing go together!!

Beer and fishing....now that is 100% Midwestern....haha!!!!!

I didn't even let my husband canoe 1x! I just found it much easier to do it myself!  Plus....that's how I can get him to come out and do it again! See honey.....you didn't even have to work that hard!
We went through 3 smaller lakes and so....i'd say I got quite a workout that day:):)

My heart was just so happy that day:)

Then....on Sunday....we went up to a flea market in Allegan County!!

I got to meet up with two blog friends!!!

Laurie of Heaven's Walk
and
Michelle of Emerald Cove
They were just so sweet and very pretty I might add:)

I was so nervous to meet them!! The whole drive up there....I was driving my husband nuts....
should I put my hair up or leave it down...
is it ok to chew gum...
do you think this outfit is ok.....
what if they don't like me.....

haha!!! I just decided I am who I am....simple as that!!!

And it turned out great!!! They were just lovely and we plan to meet up again!!! Yippee!!!!

If you're  in the area....be sure to check out this flea market/antique show!!
So much loveliness!


I left with this truck and a big vintage trunk!!!!
Yeah....score:):)

I have been searching for one of these super cute little trucks FOREVER and one day....I will have a life sized one:):)

I saw a couple turquoise vintage campers.....dreamy!!!!

All in all it was a completely fabulous weekend that made me thankful to be a Midwesterner:)

ps......thank you for all of your kind words on {my mother} post! Sometimes I think it's nice to be open and share real feelings so that we can all learn from one another!

I was nice to know that i'm not alone and that I might have helped other reconnect with their mothers!!!

Oh and....what do you think of my blog re-do!!!!!! I am very happy with it! I just wanted to have it cleaned up and streamlined a bit! I think it turned out just great!! But more importantly.....what do you think!?!!?

"See if you can catch yourself complaining in either speech or thought, about a situation you find yourself in, what other people do or say, your surroundings, your life situation, even the weather. To complain is always nonacceptance of what is. It invariably carries an unconscious negative charge. When you complain, you make yourself a victim. Leave the situation or accept it. All else is madness. ~Eckhart Tolle