Getting ready for Christmas shows

The nice weather is providing me with stellar opportunities to paint the furniture that Manuel Cordova is building for me.

Here are some pieces in work:





Then add this table re-do that I am finalizing:

Put these dates on your calendars and come by and see me at these shows:
Tacoma Holiday and Gift Festival October 22-26
Christmas in Seattle November 14-16

August updates!

What great summer weather we are having, yet most of my time is studying indoors! I am getting some time with my new two month old grandson who has completely captured my heart. Josiah is so stinkin' cute!

I am pretty happy getting ready for Christmas shows at the Tacoma dome and at Seattle Convention Center as well. There will be lots of benches, birds, owls and French decor. Here's a preview....

For more information about the show go here: These shows should be great. Hope to see you all there.... I will keep updating for previews of what House Blend will have!

Josiah is here!

It's June 10th 5:56 am and I get a text from Jordan McLean...."Natalie is in labor. Come on up when you can. I will come out when she's done." So I arrived at the birthing center in Kirkland at 7:30 am. I had to get on my computer and make sure everything was taken care of at work. Natalie was two weeks early which was no shock to me. Poor thing was looking like she was 90% baby! I called my mom first thing in the morning. She wept. I called her on the way up to the hospital again. I was a nervous wreck. This was it...the moment we had waited for. Another miracle coming. A child... a wonderful miraculous creation. My offspring! There was a family there that also had a baby come two weeks early. Susan, (one of the grandmother's) showed me the ropes around the center as this was her 5th grand-baby. Jesse and Val showed up about 9 am I suppose and then Natalie's step mom Yvonne showed up around 10 am. We all took turns listening in at the door. Then the time came. It was 11:27 on 6/10/14 and baby Josiah was born. 7 lbs 11 oz 20 3/4" long.

Baby Josiah is soon to arrive!

My daughter and son in law are expecting their first born and my first grandchild. This Easter weekend we spent preparing his room. It was really fun.
Here is one of Josiah's 4 dimensional pictures:

Hard news and good news!

The Oso Mudslide
On March 22, 2014 an area mudslide hit many people completely by surprise. Two of the people that helped out my drama team for the Marriage Ministries from my former church are missing. Larry and Sandy Miller were two people who loved life, loved each other and loved their God.






 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGJdbcFst00&sns=em

Christmas 2013 and New Years 2014

It's time to say goodbye to 2013. The changes from mid-August and fall ended up bringing so many wonderful things into my life.

I changed to a new job at Boeing. I moved to a location with a great group of people. Love it!  Awesome boss too! I bought an awesome home and moved in just in time to host Christmas for everyone! I'm going to be a grandma!  Yep...it's true.  I am pretty darn excited! Then I moved my business forward a bit by starting to do some shows again.

My new living room - beautiful original hardwood floors!

Natalie and Abby

What I made and served on Christmas eve

My new kitchen....all re-done

My French tree

More of my French tree



Stufina relaxing at the new place!

 

 

It was so fun to have guests over and to enjoy my new home.  Now I am completing the chore of putting everything away in the 4 bedroom home.

Pillows and signs



 

 This is Sandy Harvey that my friend Teri and I visited at El Gaucho's in Tacoma

 Parents on Christmas day

More of my new home....backyard

Me on the day I signed my home ownership papers!

 

I hope all of you have an awesome New Year.  Open your heart to the Lord this year as He has great things for YOU!!!!



Christmas in Seattle and upcoming projects!

Christmas in Seattle went well overall. The last day was the most stressful as we were exhausted and tearing down was a huge endeavor.  A 20 x 10 foot booth was packed to the rafters. I wanted to give shoppers the ability to look with delight everywhere in our booth. I loved the comments and the Christmas joy in people's eyes.   Here are pictures we took just after set up:

 

I sold out of all the bird ornaments!  The canvases were also a hit. Furniture was difficult to sell there because most didn't come prepared to take a large piece home. I did sell the dresser just above. I was secretly hoping that I could keep it for my new home that I purchased and will be in next month!  I want to a HUGE thank you to those that volunteered to work or set up. What a selfless thing to do and such a blessing to me!  Natalie McLean, (the best daughter one could have) worked her fanny off!  Then there was Lynn Aldrich and Dawn Edwards. May the Lord bless you all for stepping up and going the extra mile!  Love you!

In January I will be moving into the world of Etsy!  Stay tuned for more information.  I will post links here!

Lovely things!

I am getting ready to do a large show in Seattle at the Seattle Convention Center on November 8-10, 2013.  I will bring my shabby chic, French and nautical styles to the show. I am including these pictures below because I think they are absolutely lovely and quite my style! A lot of the items below are similar to what I have or do.  Please come join "Christmas in Seattle" 9 am to 6 PM on the dates listed above.  Hope to see you there!

Add some turquoise and you have my upcoming booth view.

And stockings....lots of stockings.

Beautiful things...

Ever taken the time to write 3 awesome things that have happened each day? Well, I am on a journey to do just that. As I am doing it, the little things seem to make my day. The guy in the car ahead of me at Starbucks who didn't know I was having a bad day paid for my drink, the neighbor who didn't know I really wanted flowers and yet brought me two roses from her garden. These are simple things, but they are beautiful.

Perhaps that's why I like to go searching for beautiful vintage, repurposed or distressed items. Here are some of my new finds:

I encourage you to focus on the beautiful things in life!  Maybe it's a cute face like this:

Care to share your beautiful finds?