I'm excited!

Sooo....On December 29, my Vintage Farmhouse friend, Nicki, sent me a text.

She was so excited she was dancing in the parking lot at Burger King. 

 She sent me a picture of a camper that she had just bought.  The weather was horrible and they had a rough time getting it home.
Then, a couple of weeks ago, while she was at a market with her wares, in another state, she texted me her landlord said the camper has to go.
But wait...... things seemed to be working out.  Landlord was apologetic.
Then... last week on facebook Nicki posted that the landlord changed her mind.  WHAT!?!  We were all in a rage.  Beth told me to text her and tell her to buy my old house and move up here!  I did.  We were serious!

Now let's talk about me!
At the beginning of this year, when I made some resolutions (I always do),  one of them was to set up at a couple of markets.
And lately, I've been fretting a bit about all of this stuff I have. Some of it is no longer my style, I'm feeling overwhelmed instead of inspired, but the main thing is we are living in one room in the basement.  And this basement is full and we've started filling up the upstairs.  We thought we could move everything from a house with an upstairs, a main level, and a basement, into just a basement.  No can do peeps!   And My Shug cannot build the rest of this house with stuff in the way.  So, I've been talking about markets with a few of my friends.

Last Wednesday evening when I went to the Granny Bee (stitchery group) meeting, we were talking about the Vintage Farmhouse situation.  Funny how bloggers become friends and you think about them outside of just blogging.  

Two of the GB's kept saying....Cindy, that camper would be perfect for you. Through this entire situation, not once did I think about buying that camper for myself.  Who knows why.  I've talked about getting a camper since we bought this land.  I've even looked for one.

   "Think about it", Beth said..."your nieces would LOVE it."  And I said, "I could sell honey from it!  And maybe set up a couple of markets in my own back yard!"  Marilyn said, "I'd buy it if I had a job!" But then I said, "My Shug will never go for it.  The last thing we need is one more thing to do." As we're talking, I'm sitting in the meeting, secretly texting Nicki questions about the camper.  

But now is not the time.  And that's probably the reason I didn't think of it.

I came home that evening and my Shug and I talked for two hours.   It was so nice...like the good old days before clearing land, building a house, and his sucky work hours.  He is exhausted all the time now.  And to my surprise he said, "have her send you pictures."  I could hardly fall asleep.  I was so excited.  So the next morning, after waiting patiently for an appropriate time, I sent her a text requesting pics.

 My Shug had taken the day off of work, for a couple of appointments, then we were going to work on our house in town.

  After he saw the pics he said if I could find a way to haul it here, I could have it!  

WHAT!?!?!!!  I was standing there staring at him in shock. 

 I was afraid to be happy!  

So I texted her again.  "If I pay full price, could you haul it here?"  Yup!  

I was still afraid to be happy.  

Can we come and see it today?  Yup! 

I was still afraid to be happy!

It really was the last thing I needed to be doing that day.  I had a market to get ready for (set up was the next day) Nicki was in the same market (winter woolen workshop), and her and I both had other stuff going on in our lives. Big stuff.  My Shug found out that he had to have a stress test on Monday.  One hour at a time....my motto this year....one hour at a time.

 So after my Shug's appointment, and after we quickly unloaded the groceries, my Shug, my Dixie Doodle, and I took off to see a camper,

 an hour and a half away.  (I had some stuff in the car already for the Winter Woolen Workshop)

We even had a secret little pact that if he felt like it was too much, he would just say, "it's really too much for us right now".  So I was still afraid to get excited!  But he didn't say so!  He said, "it's fixable, if you want it!"

 

I paid half down, she said they'd deliver it Sunday.   Now let me add here, that all of this time I was feeling a bit bittersweet about the whole thing.  And I apologized to her to the point that she told me to stop apologizing.  I had encouraged her to get this camper from the the beginning.  Back when we were buying dress forms, and she was selling dress forms, and the money was going to be used for the camper.  I had no intentions of ever owning it.  Ever.  I even told her she was one of the most determined people I know, and things will work out.  She told me that she will be sad, but she felt like it was a win/win.  She still gets to visit the camper.  

(Marilyn, Grandma Pedens Porch, and I went together on a booth at the Winter Woolen Workshop)

Friday came and I set up at the Winter Woolen Workshop. 

Saturday came and I sold stuff!  I was excited.  

And more than anything, I was having a blast visiting with people I knew, and haven't seen for awhile.

Sunday Morning came....

and so did the camper!

I was REALLY excited.  I hadn't even seen it in the daylight. 

My Shug asked me if I was excited and I said, "like a kid at an amusement park!"

She dropped it off and we both left because we had to get to the Winter Woolen Workshop.

At the Winter Woolen Workshop some of us were trying to think of a name for her. 

 I kind of wanted it to be names of flowers or herbs.  

 Blossom

Petunia

Lily

Iris

Sprout

Dandelion

HollyHawk (we have a hawk that lives in the woods on our land)

Betty Bee

Chicken Little

The name we ended up with is Coral Belle.  

Thing is...she isn't Coral, 

but Blue Belle just doesn't have the same zing.  

And Belle, instead of bell, because she is the Belle of the ball (land).

What do you think....Coral Belle?  

Coral Belle Camper on Hilltop Farm.

And guess what? Now... I am jumping up and down with excitement!  

When we finish her, she will reside on the edge of the bee yard.  

I'm going to have an open house, 

and markets, 

and sell honey, 

and of course, 

my nieces will love her!

But first, we need to fix her up. 

 When Nicki was texting me the stuff wrong with her,

 I said, "I ain't afraid to seal windows,

 or paint, (she's been primed)

 or of that ceiling.  I'm helping build a house,

 I can fix up a camper!

Cindy Bee

PS.  My Shug had to have a heart cath Monday.  You can imagine how we felt. I kept thinking of Kristi.  My Shug apparently failed the stress test.  I spent Monday at the hospital.  The entire day.  With no yarn, no magazines, no books. It wasn't our plan.  Praise God my Shug did not have any blockages.  His heart is healthy, which is good to know.  But he is stressed, and he is 55 acting like he's 28!  We are done with time deadlines. One of my resolutions was to get the house on the market by March 1.  We are still pushing to have it for sale in March....sometime.  There are more important things in life than time deadlines.  AND  We are post-poning the moving sale until the following weekend. 

Winter Woolen Workshop

 Before I show you some of the vendor booths at the Winter Woolen Workshop, I wanted to show you my lettuce.  Cute huh?!?!!

 I have been having fun painting things with chalkboard paint.

 You can just paint anything with it, then start writing on it!  Fun.

 This suitcase is full of everything you could want to do some of the stuff the Granny Bees do.  I call it a Granny Bee starter kit.  Sheets, pretty hankies, linens, Lace, ribbon, jeans pockets, buttons, feed sack material, wool, wooden spools, embellishment yarn, pillow cases, etc.  Including the suitcase, $65.00

 Tried to get a picture of the booth but the camera focused on the linens.

 Groovy Girl Yarn

T

 I'm sharing a booth with another Granny Bee and we have a lot of different things for sale.

 handmade baskets

 This is Ali Strebals booth (above)  You can look her up on the Internet.

 jewelry

 lots

 and lots

 and lots

 of wool.

 and alpaca...

 or things made from alpaca.

 

 Patti Beck is there with her clay pottery!

 Wool purses with felted pictures on them

 Some hooked rugs

 more wool material....LOVE this stuff

 I hope you can make it.  It's at the Seiberling Mansion and Elliot House in Kokomo, IN.

Saturday 10-6

Sunday 11-5

Lots of vendors, make-it take-it workshops, classes, or just come and bring a project of your own and hang out with us!

See ya tomorrow!

Cindy Bee

A good week!

My idea of a really good week....family fun, crafting, gardening and baking.  Who could ask for more?

This kid finally got this splint off, and got her cast on, after three weeks.  She admitted to her Mom that yes...she did get on a trampoline once with the splint on, but she didn't jump!  And she did dance in the dance class, that she was supposed to be observing, but she was really careful.  She NEEDED that cast.

I had Christmas with my cousin and sister.  Finally....  We have been doing this for years and years and years, but as the years go by it seems like it's getting harder for the three of us to find time to get together.

My gifts!  That lavender candle is very cool.  When it burns, the "wax" turns into this lotion that you put on your skin.  Let it cool first of course.  It is wonderful.  As is the wine!

I'm going to take this wreath Vickie got me, and put some crocheted flowers on it!  Groovy huh!

I made these for my sister.

And a hat for Vickie but you can't see it very well because of the bright sunlight coming through the window.  I am not going to complain about sunlight right now, but I should have had her move to a better location!

We went to a movie after this and saw Safe Haven.  It's based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks.  You know we all love NS, but I told my Sister, "I am not going to cry.  It goes without saying when you see/read NS, he wants you to cry.  There will be sap."  I said, "It's like if you read Nora Roberts.  Someone is going to get banged against a wall.  It just happens.  You know it will.  And I'm done crying at movies and I'm done getting banged against a wall!"   tee hee  I really did say that!

I did some baking.

 I woke up yesterday and decided I was going to become a vegetarian, so I made some granola bars.  They are yummy and there are a lot of variations I can think of, but I only lasted until noon with the whole vegetarian idea.









I did some gardening

 I told my Shug...you can take the girl out of the greenhouse, but you can't take the greenhouse out of the girl!  I am growing lettuce.  And there are itty bitty teeny weeny tiny winey little white shoots popping up.  Exciting.

And my forsythia is blooming.

And this is the pepper plant I told you about that I found the pod, cut it open and planted the seeds.

I also did a lot of crafty stuff.  I stayed home this week to prepare for the Winter Woolen Workshop which is this weekend.  I turned these ugly trays into chalkboard trays.  This is only the first coat....they are turning out pretty cool.

 
I finished my shugs hat!  Isn't he cute in a slouch hat.

And I dug out all of this stuff for the Winter Woolen Workshop.  I am having a booth this year, in hopes to sell some excess.
  It is stuff I really like, but I have too much.

There is no way I can use it all...and it's hindering my inspiration instead of helping it.

 

I love using these spools for string.  I know...they are for weaving looms, but I use them to wrap gifts, tie tags on to gifts, or price tags, etc.

I even made some little bookmark business cards and I'm having a blast doing all of this....

But I am not having a blast with bloggers new format

nor am I having a blast with my new computer,
Love my Ipad though....

Had a hard time getting this post...posted....
geeeeez

Chat later...I am not even dressed yet and I have to go get groceries.  I haven't gotten any for awhile, and we are expecting a storm tonight.  So everyone will be there buying milk and bread.  It's supposed to get in the 40's by Saturday...so the ice will melt.  Why does everyone freak out when we are expecting a storm and stock up on milk and bread?  What do they do with it?

Cindy Bee