FLORENCE - THE ANTIQUE CAPITOL OF COLORADO

I thought it was time I did a post about Florence, Colorado.  It is a small town south-east of where we live -- less than 10 miles from our house. 

They claim to be "The Antique Capital of Colorado".  This weekend they celebrated 88 years of honoring their pioneers.

 Even though we hop over to Florence regularly to eat and antique; we make a point of going over during Pioneer Days as they sponsor an open air junk/antique market, a steampunk market, and bargains in the shops.

The two main blocks are full of antique stores on both sides of the street.  There are more shops scattered in other blocks, as well.

These are our favorite places to eat -- Quincy's (an evening steak and prime rib place); The Aspen Leaf (sandwiches, soup, salad and baked goods); and the Japanese place.  Our son who has traveled to Japan several times deemed it very good.

 But, let's do some shopping first!

 This is Colorado - the Wild, Wild West!

No, I didn't buy that brown transferware pitcher -- out of my price range at $79.

Some of the dealers and building owners live 'above the store'.  We toured the upstairs of this building at last year's Christmas home tour. The Wilson Block was a former hotel in its heyday.  The upstairs apartment is fabulous with about 4000 square feet, an atrium, beautiful stairway, and a newly-installed elevator.  I lost track of the number of bedrooms; and the owners have a wonderful art collection!

 If you are in the area, it is worth the stop to walk down main street to shop and eat.

I'm joining the following:

Smiling Sally for Blue Monday
Confessions of a Plate Addict for The Scoop Tuesday
A Southern Day Dreamer for Outdoor Wednesday
Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday
Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday

LET THERE BE LIGHT

I don't shop IKEA -- too many people, too much merchandise, too much confusion!

But, our son has mastered the art of running in, finding what he needs, and getting out of there.  He recently discovered a LED work lamp for $10 (Check IKEA here).  He bought two for himself and one for me.

It has a goose-neck adjustable arm and a very heavy-weighted base -- perfect beside my chair where I do handwork.

It's a big help for these olden eyes!  And, you can't beat the price.

Now, I can add to a million wonderful reasons why I had kids -- they can run your IKEA errands for you!!

I'm joining the following:

Smiling Sally for Blue Monday
A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday
Ivy and Elephants for What's It Wednesday
Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday

LABOR OF LOVE

 On Labor Day September 7th, we are celebrating our 57th Wedding Anniversary. 

 Here is what I was thinking that day so many years ago.

Thought #1:  I remember waking up being thankful it was a beautiful day.  The reception after the ceremony was to be at my parent's house; which was big, but still couldn't accommodate 300 people.  The overflow was going to be in the backyard.  I knew I needed to talk to Bob first thing on the phone to see if he was as nervous as I was (he was!).  The rest of the morning and early afternoon was a blur.  Maybe a little too much celebrating the evening before at the rehearsal party!

Thought #2:  Arriving at the church, I couldn't believe how beautiful it looked -- and the smell with all of those fresh flowers was, indeed, heavenly.

Thought #3:  My mother (on my right) looked so beautiful in that emerald green peau-de-soie silk dress.  Our wedding was the day after her 39th birthday -- I thought she was pretty and young enough to be the bride.

September 7, 1958

Thought #4:  And there was Bob -- I couldn't believe he wanted to marry ME.  He was one of the 'popular' boys in our class - you know -- Senior Class President, jock, etc.  I was just one of the 'smart' kids.  But, I knew nothing about marriage and how to make it work.  I did know, however, he deserved my best efforts.   His family and mine lived on the same street, two doors down from each other.  All of the little old ladies on the block didn't think it would last -- we were so young.

And so, I learned to make meat loaf, bake a potato, and fix a salad!  
And, he kept all of his promises to me.

 The rest is history with a lot of meat loaf along the way.

It's been a "Labor of Love"!

I'm joining the following:
Coastal Charm for Show and Share Tuesday
A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday
Ivy and Elephants for What's It Wednesday
Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday

WORKSHOP UPDATE

I haven't done a workshop update for a long time.  Bob is always out in the garage doing something.  If something needs salvaged -- he's the one to do it.  Anything rustic sells well in our part of the country in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.  That fits his aesthetic perfectly.

The rustic harvest table above was made from 100 year old wood he salvaged from an old garage.  Wish I had room for another big table -- this one is neat with the thick boards and the breadboard ends.
Bob made the little chest below from pallet wood.

Below is a cupboard he found in a downtown alley ready to be trashed.   The top of the chest was bad, so he filled it in with twigs.  This photo was taken before he added the glass over the twigs.

This chimney cupboard was built from scratch using wood from free pallets.

Looks like a pile of wood scraps to me, but he saw that this was a desk in its former life.  He bought it for $4 at an auction (and I thought he over paid!).

When he got through, this is what it looked like.

 He built this rustic chimney cupboard from free pallet wood and some of the free 100 year old boards out of a friend's garage.

There have been more projects the past few months, but he is always so anxious to get them out of the garage and to the consignment shop.  He always has them loaded in the truck before I get a chance to take a picture!!

I'm joining the following:
Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Smiling Sally for Blue Monday
Knick of Time for Vintage Tuesday
Ivy and Elephants for What's It Wednesday
The Dedicated House for Before and After Wednesday
Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday

CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST ---

Our home is to be on a local charity house tour the first weekend in December.  I know that in November I will be busy with deep cleaning and decorating for Christmas.  So, I'm trying to think ahead now and accomplish some other details.

I've been thinking about how I might want to set the dining room table for the tour.  I know that I don't want to cover the table with a cloth as the top of our table is interesting and has a local history.  Bob made the table about ten years ago from a gym floor he salvaged from an old prison-guard building.

  The table is narrow and long to fit the space -- really just a hallway from the bedrooms to the kitchen.  We love the table as it fits our immediate family of seven perfectly even accommodating the left-handers.  But for the tour, I thought I would just set the table for four, so more of the wood shows.  My solution was to make two red plaid table runners and place them cross-wise on the table.

I pulled out some dishes to get a feel for the look, and will think about a centerpiece later when I get the Christmas stuff out in November.  It will probably involve vintage ornaments and candles.

 

 Found these forgotten lovely monogrammed napkins, a gift from a friend several years ago!

 I made the runners reversible from the red and black plaid -- thought the red and white plaid would be nice to have for the patriotic holidays.

 Found George and a flag -----

 and some red, white, and blue dishes!

Just sewing and playing with dishes this week!!

I'm joining the following:
Confessions of a Plate Addict for The Scoop Tuesday
Coastal Charm for Show and Share Tuesday
A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday
Savvy Southern Style for WOW Us Wednesday
Ivy and Elephants for What's It Wednesday
Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday
Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday

ENTERTAINMENT AT ITS BEST PLUS A QUILT SHOW UPDATE

Our granddaughter has been a talker and a bit of a drama queen since she was tiny -- nothing has changed!

The other afternoon, she and her boyfriend stopped by for some strawberries and cake, and stayed for three hours.  We never moved from the dining room table.  We talked and laughed and laughed some more.

Her audience was captivated.
It's always fun to connect with the younger generation!

Update on the quilt show --
The show was hung and the opening reception has passed.  Click on my quilting blog here and here for pictures, etc.  It has been a fun experience!!

JULY RANDOMNESS

Moving right along thru summer -- some randomness from July!

1.  This has been a month of "make, bake, and take it".  Do you have those times when it seems that you take more food to functions than you cook for home consumption?  During 2 1/2 weeks time, I cooked and transported a big pot of Italian beef with slider buns for sandwiches; a pan of brownies; yogurt and fruit parfaits; an apple spice cake; apple-butter bars; 2 batches of snack mix for 3 different occasions; a pudding cake; and a peach dump cake.  Before the month is done, I know I have one more potluck occasion requiring a meat dish and a salad or dessert.  I'm certainly not complaining -- food and fellowship with friends is always a GOOD thing even when it is a funeral dinner for an old friend.  Here is the recipe from "The Pioneer Woman" that I use for dump cake -- a staple at our church for funeral dinners; easy and always a crowd pleaser.

Picture from Ree's recipe site

As Ree, herself, says, "Comfort food at its canned and processed best."

2.  We spent a whole week buying a new car.  It just seems to take forever, and all of that car talk bores me to death!  We don't do this often, thank goodness.  Remember we are the ones who still own and drive the Chevy Suburban we bought brand new in 1971.  (That's right -- 1971!!) 

Our 'Truck', a 1971 hunk of steel!

Our main car, a nine-year-old van, decided it wanted to be fed with dollars and not just gas, so it was time to replace it.  After much discussion, we decided to downsize and bought a 2015 Chevy Trax.  To give you an example how excited I am -- my main questions were:  What color is it?  Does it have 4 cup holders in the front seat? And, does it have a hidden place to stash my purse?  I didn't even drive it the first time until three days after we brought it home!  I'm slowly adjusting.

2015 Chevy Trax

3.  Wyatt has grown four inches since Easter.  He eats ALL of the time, so I really have cooked a lot this summer.
Here he is in 2010 when he and his Papa built the tree house.

And now, at age 13, he is pushing six feet and almost as tall as the tree house.

4.  I've been trying to get a little quilting done this month. Check my quilting blog (here) for my progress.  Plus, I've been finishing up the details for the quilt show -- hanging date is less than two weeks away.

That's about it for now.  I'll be back at the end of August after my quilt show is over; and hopefully, return to regular blogging at that time.

Take care!

JUNE'S RANDOMNESS

Another month has flown by since my sabbatical started.

Here is some randomness from June.

1.  The final reveal of the quilt, "Merry-go-round" (formally known as "The Albatross in the Closet") is on my quilting blog, Q-Bits (click here).  All of the statistics in the making of the quilt are listed there.

2.  With my limited computer skills, I have spent hours (and hours) revamping my quilting blog.  I've added tabs under the header that make navigating easier to find info and pictures of the 97 cotton quilts I have made, my wool projects, and my paper quilts, etc.  Click on the quilt pictured at top of the left sidebar of this blog to take you directly there.

3.  Bob has been working a lot in the garden this spring/summer.  Last November we had a very sudden freeze, and shrubs and trees all over our town were killed.  We lost several large bushes, so it has been major work for Bob and Wyatt to get those dug out and replaced.  We lost two red twig dogwoods in the front of the house.  After they were dug out, I couldn't stand the front of the house (and I'm too impatient to wait for new bushes to grow up!).

One thing leads to another -- we decided to add another decorative picket fence on the left to cover the mechanics (the hose, vents, and sprinkling system box).  It replaced the dead red twig bushes. Hopefully, the barberry bushes will grow up, and we plan to add a yellow climbing rose.  It looks much better.  This Fall the picket fence on the right needs to be replaced to match the new one.

4.  It has been pretty quiet around here this month -- just the way I like it in the heat of the summer.  July appears to be more of the same, but August will be a doozy for us old folks.  I've started a new quilt, and hope to complete it by the August quilt show.  Check my other blog for my progress on it - it is a little out of my comfort zone!

See you next month.  Have a safe July!

MAY'S RANDOMNESS

Two months have passed on my limited hiatus from my blog, so thought I would check in with May's randomness.

1.  Took a chance to get out of town for a weekend -- our usual destination, Denver.  We saw the '1968' exhibit at the Colorado History Museum. 

What fun to relive the fashions, music, furniture, etc. from that year. 

 But, of course, seeing the documentation of the assassinations, war, and discrimination of the time was sobering.  It was all special sharing the exhibit with our son, who was born in 1968.

2. A trip out of town would not be complete without some antiquing and junk hunting.  My radar is always up for brown transferware, but the prices are slowly inching up beyond my comfort zone.  I think over $100 for a single piece (in spite of any wonderfulness) is too expensive.  Bob always tells me, "They have it, and you don't!" So guess they can ask what they want for it.  

However, I did find this piece which is quite large.

 Don't have a clue what its intended purpose was.  Any ideas? It almost looks like it needs a lid, but there is no indication of a ridge to hold one.  It was in my under-$25 budget and interesting, so I bought it.  It has a kite mark, but the date symbols are blurred.  I'm sure it is from the 1880s, as I'm familiar with the pattern, "Brazil" from G. W. Turner & Sons, Tunstall -- I already have a plate in the same design.

For now it is holding a pile of antique linen dinner napkins.

3.  Caitlin and I spent a couple of afternoons working on a photo display board for her high school graduation party. 

So hard to narrow down 1000s of pictures taken over 18 years time to just a few -- she has always been so cute!

4.  High school graduation has come and gone.  It seems all her school years have passed by so fast.
 Caitlin is happy.
Grammy is sad.
I was a blubbering idiot at graduation, and took a bunch of horrible pictures.  This was the best of the lot of her with her cute boyfriend after the ceremony.  Thank goodness there will be an official picture forthcoming of her receiving the diploma (with honors) taken by the professional photographer during graduation.

5.  One of the reasons (see here) for my sabbatical from the blog is finished.  The name of the quilt has now officially been changed from "The Albatross" to "Merry-go-round".  

If it ever stops raining, I'll take it outside for a photo shoot to have for my records with the final reveal next month ----
Still a lot of work remains to get ready for the quilt show in August.  And, we are also tentatively planning a trip to Washington state in August.  Plus, we just found out our house will be on a local benefit home tour at Christmas.  I foresee some new projects in our future in preparation for the tour.
Thanks for enduring this long post - it's been a busy May.  
See you next month!