MOVING….

i’m in the process of moving to blogger. i have taken the plunge and will post my next entry there……stay tuned!!!!!

http://junkinlady.blogspot.com/

allergy allert….allergy allert….dreaming of a time when the junk will flow again!!!

okay….i admit it…my edge is leaving me. it went somewhere with my energy level and replaced my lust for junk and treasure hunting with a uncontrolled urge to sleep. my joints have ached for days now. i blame it on pollen. i’m sure it’s pain from my connective tissue pulling away from bone & wasting away with the lack of exercise i get followed by my love of moving heavy objects to and from the house to the back porch for transformation then to my booth. just the thought of the amount of work it takes to run a small booth makes me realize how much i’ve done over the past year to keep my sanity during this recent deployment.  i have almost officially stopped bringing in items. i think i will have one more booth drop and that is the end. i’m so sad it’s coming to a close….but they say another door will open. i’m not sure who said it first. they may not have even had real doors during those times. maybe just a hole in the wall with a pretty cloth to separate the space. who knows…..maybe when one vintage rose curtain closes another vintage rose curtain will fly open. sounds more romantic anyway……

i can say that having a space in a mall is such a great way to make a little cash and meet some of the most exciting and motivating and inspiring people. i have talked with so many junk enthusists (that word is for you mom) that come to shop to distract themselves (if just for a short time) and reward themselves with cool old stuff to look at and buy.   just chatting and sharing junking stories and life stories helped this year fly by fast and helped me realize i have faced no real challenges in my life. my customers have turned into my friends…….they have survived disease, divorce, death, sickness, heartache, family crisis and financial fail and have bounced back with style and determination. i love their stories and i cherish the support they have given me. they have helped me grow and given me confidence and motivation. thank all of you tremendously……and for the employees and other vendors….you are amazing. simply amazing. what an incredible group of talented and wonderful women…… thank you ladies soooo much….it’s nuts that we are all bonded in some way…not really by the stuff we love to collect and sell…that is an excuse just to hang out and talk about stuff. that is the way i see it. bonded by junk.

i have started looking into prospects for a new booth in maryland. i know i have my priorities all screwed up, but i don’t care. first things first….hahaha….i have found out what i need to to for taxes and i’ve talked to a mall owner that has made me a junk selling optimist once again. i’ve given thought to having a blog shop, but i don’t even have a permanent address, so i think i will save that for my husbands retirement days….when he can help out with the kids and the chores and we can settle more (help with kids and chores…i know…i’m dreaming). until then, a booth will do fine.

for now….well, up until the move dates,  i will keep my junk spy eye on things that are super cute, cheap and useful. i will try to control the overload of bulk junk buying and keep those jaunts to a minimal for the sake of clutter control (i know…how?).  i will also try to keep up with at least a few projects here and there. i love to knock out projects to keep my sanity from the stress of 2 kids and a virtual husband. it is amazing what i have let slide each month the deployment deepened…….ie….. i started out making fresh pancakes and eggs for breakfast and now i let the kids eat sour patch kids for breakfast on the weekends and write on the walls.

okay…i’ve gone on and on. i was inspired today by blue and pink and/or variations of it. i have been very tired…that is the blue…but want to be creative…that is the pink. my house is a metaphor for my life. like a big open journal you can touch….

i know this is a huge photo, but i love this bear…..so sweet…..

some projects i worked on this past weekend. cast off linens and some tags…..

loving my big alpha stamps once again.

okay….i need to get rest. idol was the bomb tonite and now that it’s almost over, i have GLEE to watch. i will become a GLEE addict for sure.  i can already tell.

you all have a great remainder of a very late night….i’m going for another cup of chocolate mint tea w/a big ole heaping spoon of honey to wash it down. arek is next to me on the floor and he is snoring. just 1 minute ago he was asking me what a week is. what? how old are you?…anyway…. it is amazing how quickly kids fall asleep. too bad arek can’t put his clothes on in the morning and eat breakfast at the same speed he can fall asleep.  i know…keep dreaming……

lol

i can’t curb my enthusiasm…..

i tried to not look curbside this week for freebies and redos, but i couldn’t curb my enthusiasm for those lurking cast off delights that desperately cry out for my rescue….”i’m an old chair….paint me”; “i’m an old dresser….paint me”; i’m an old broken table….paint me too”…….so i had a moment of weakness and hauled a few goodies home for a face lift. i’m at a point where ron will be home soon.  i can’t give dates, but i can say this is the specific time during a deployment (for those of you that have been thru them, you know what i mean) for anticipation, excitement and sheer panic. what to do with change???? all that change…..rules, schedules, lifestyles, and junking habits. time to junk now as much as i can. it’s like eating all the chocolate before your big diet debut. enjoy the pleasures of your weaknesses and selfish habits. oh wait….is junking a weakness and selfish habit? i think not. tell me it isn’t……..it can’t be.

anyway….blah, blah, blah….i found some okay cast off on tuesday and made the best of what the curb had to offer.  i took no before photos, but i can assure you that these goodies were sad little trash piles before i had a mad moment of vision for what should have STAYED in the garbage. oh well…..i hate to see stuff get crunched up.

on to the redos…..

found this mirror frame and glued plates around it and added chalk board paint. i bent the spoons on the bottom and nailed them to the chalkboard for hanging aprons. this went to the booth yesterday. it was a really fun, easy project….used a craft apoxy for the plate glue and drilled holes in the wood at top and used a heavy gauge rusty wire to hang. i also just flattened the spoons with a hammer, bent them and nailed them to the board. easy, easy, easy…..but oh so cute.

found this dresser w/ one broken drawer up top. took the other drawer out too and hung a wire to hold a doily to cover the missing drawers. i painted out the dresser in a birds egg blue and fused the doilies to the fronts of the drawers with glue. sprayed the handles pink and scuffed them with sand paper. soooooooo easy. it’s on the tacky side of cottage. i think it is perfect for a studio to hold what else????? linens and doilies. one of the sweet vendors at crafters gave me a HUGE bag of linens to ‘do as i please’. what a gift!! the cost of this project was almost free……free linens….free dresser……almost free paint….time. even the rusty wire was given to me.

fun stuff…..

found this crazy cabinet and had no clue what to do with it when i got home. i decided it  would look sweet in zoey’s room as a craft cabinet. whatever….she is using it as storage for her barbies and baskets of lipstick??? why??? she’s 2.

i painted out the top with chalk paint….added the white shelf….replaced the knob….added a metal thingy to the side to hold chalk….added some clips and hooks on the side to hold baskets/drawings/bags……kinda fun for free. it was a pitiful little thing before it got it’s new wardrobe.

also found 4 pink boards to maybe shelves????? love the pink…….made a collage from one…..

it looks small in this photo, but it is about 3 feet across. i used those stick on plastic jewels to put around the lady…glued plates and hung a teacup from the board at the bottom. fun and pretty easy….

10cent frame….printed picture….i painted the background and used a conte white crayon to add some dimension. stamped and added bling…….

better go….yawning, yawning, yawning…..always this tired at night. i’m old…..

you all have a great enthusiastic flea friday……

lol

monday distractions…..

i don’t wear red lipstick ever because lipstick gives me coldsores on my lips, but then again i am not an old composite doll with a smoke in my mouth….and i’m not blond. that said….i am lucky to get a bath or put my sunscreen on. today was not an exception. yes….i have a million things to do, but i can’t stay out of the craft area. i seem to have the ideas coming faster than i can make stuff. maybe it is because i know this is the end of a vendor era for me. boo hoo.

i should be making dinner for arek, but instead i gave him specific directions to make a sandwich and clean up his mess. that will translate to…..make a sandwich….smear the crust into the couch; leave the plate on the couch to sit on later and spill the crust; smear the peanut butter on the couch; spill whatever he is drinking on the floor, leave all the bread and sandwich makings on the counter; watch too much bad tv; say he does not get enough attention and zoey gets it all; and follow it all up with a demand for gum. why?

onto some monday distractions….these are what i took to the booth today and sold at the booth today….

i used some cast off shutters and old wallpaper on a cupboard door that was headed for the junk pile. i hammered in some nails at the bottom, put a prism on the bottom and hung with wire….

i decided to hold on to this collage for me….

that is about it….enjoy the beginning of another week of inspiration and junking highs…..

lol

time to smell the roses…..

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY….now kids…..put me in a garden and leave me alone. i will come out eventually and do a load of laundry and scream and yell about the wet clothes in the hallway and the pee that is constantly sprayed around the toilet; i will eventually come out and make another round of snacks that pile dishes in the sink and i’ll watch the kids throw all my pillows on the floor and jump on them and then leave them there; i will eventually come out and read another barbie book and do another pig puzzle with zoey when i would much rather make a collage and drink 3 cups of afternoon coffee because i am unable to take a desperately needed nap; i will eventually come out and clean all the dirt (how does it get there?) out of the tub and pick up all the goldfish and pistachio nut shells off the floor because it’s easier and quicker for me to do it then patiently wait for the kids to do it 2 days later. yes….eventually i will come out of the garden. i must. i will take time to smell the roses, but eventually the aphids will get me and i will get hungry and thirsty and i’ll be ready for a hug from the very kids that sent me there….

the kids sent me these beautiful red roses. i’m not sure how arek and zoey made it to the flower shop….probably zoey stole my keys and arek hijacked the car. it’s not clear, but the flowers are nice….thanks kids (ron).

and for my mom….grandma mary and grandma alice……you all take a little time tomorrow to smell the roses. hope you get some time out in the garden to relax. thanks for all you do. thanks for all the sacrafices. thanks for all the love……

zoey is in my lap…flailing about with a a lot of energy and running her mouth. lately, the blogging has started to become more and more of a challenge. my posts are 2 day posts…..a little at night and some the next day. if i was getting paid to do this, i’d be fired.

okay….onto the projects lately…..i’m lovin my new alphabet stamps i bought at hobby lobby….i’m trying to use lots of my lace i’ve tea dyed lately. i’m also trying to use spare old boards, book covers, etc….so i won’t have to get rid of them.

the beginning of a collage…..used old book cover in a window frame and painted it white. added postcard cut out. added part of an old baby shoe for a hat and some buttons. will embellish more and add final details…

finished product….tray from last post….added prism at bottom, button magnets and 2 metal coaster magnets and hung it with wire….

some little compotes i glued together with cast off glassware….

desk is coming along. painted out…glass knobs are added. i will decoupage roses to it or fuse fabric to the front. i’m not sure yet, but for $10 and $4 worth of knobs…..it’s cute enough.

okay….it is almost 11pm and zoey is soooooooo hyper. jumping on me. pulling my hair. acting nuts. i can’t get her to sleep and i’m just ignoring her and typing this blog instead of dealing with it. i’m tired. i want to fall asleep and she and arek are ready to go run around the block. yay…happy mother’s day…..where are the roses cuz all i feel right now are thorns.

go to sleep….haa haaa

thanks for stopping by….

lol

oodles of noodles…..

okay….so today was one of those lost days…..i had so many responsible things i should have done, but committed myself to something that fell thru and decided to make the best of it. i have been purging, selling, sorting, stacking, cleaning, and daydreaming lately. have i made much progress???? not really. i feel like my house is that big bowl of spaghetti that you order from one of those franchise restaurants. you keep eating and eating and then there is still a HUGE oodle of noodles staring at you at the end of the meal. that’s my progress. SOOO…why not add to the pile of noodles and hit the BINS!!!

i started at hobby lobby and should NEVER have gone in there. what was i thinking? i’ll leave it at that. it wasn’t too bad, but craft supplies are expensive. i try to think out of the box and use the unexpected for cheap, but some stuff i must have. anyway, after supplies, too many foamy stickers and a gift for arek’s teacher, i felt the impulse of bin diving taking over the pragmatic part of me that needed to go to the bank, go eat and sweep the driveway. glad the impulsiveness struck. yes, i know i’m moving, but a junker still needs to junk. if i were a runner, i wouldn’t stop running just cuz i was moving to a new place in a few months. i would keep running everyday.  i wouldn’t quit my desk job, teaching job, waitress job, volunteer job or any other activity that i was committed to…..so why stop junking?? oh that is right….because i am moving.  i found some seriously fun stuff for tags and pillows today. it was worth the haunt.

i hit the charity shop first and found some cute linens (post another time) and then i hit the bins at g.w. and got serious!! i thought everything would be gone, but today was CuTe JUnK dAy!! i was on pins and needles!!

found the shoe pin cushion (composite like material) and the lady w/the blue and pink skirt for less than a $1 for both!!!! also this super cute puppy cushion…..for a steal…photo is blurry, but you ge the idea how cute!

found a ton of other stuff hat i didn’t take pics of….lots of linens and some smalls and stuff to paint. little plates with flowers and 2 pairs of wicked cute shoes. all for $23. nice. i couldn’t stop myself from buying this uneeded piece of furniture. for $10, i have stressed myself out with this desk. the inside is very dirty and needs some repair. the top part has some part that broke off so it looks a little scary now, but….

imagine this painted out creamy white or the palest pink and these added to the front drawer…..

it will be a great place to hide my laptop that isn’t currently working right now. darn it. or it will become my tag center. the inside has little cubbies and it will be a perfect spot to sit down and write out my tags. i hope i will get a chance to open a new booth this fall or at least find a place to consign. positive thoughts…..

roses from the sweetest vintage tray!! i plan to poke holes in this on each corner and hang it with a wire and pearls and then make little button magnets to use this for a memo board. quick way turn a cast off tray (because who really uses trays anymore??? i do, but i’m old) into a functional item….

a trio of vintage sunhats…..cheap and so cute. i will probably embellish with some mill flowers and send them to the booth if i can find time.

or i can wear them when i go out to do all my gardening…..i’m kidding. i did manage to reuse the $6 pink sink i got from g.w. a while back. i also found the stand underneath of the sink for 50cents at the g.w. sometime ago. i put the sink on the stand and then filled the sink with geraniums and put vintage nozzles on the back of the sink. used a junked mosiac pan that cindy gave me and stuck it out in front of the house. i will probably get sited for something or another….like an unworking appliance in the yard. whatever. it’s only an appliance if you use it for that. now it’s a planter….duh…..

i’m sure my neighbors are wondering ‘what next?’…unwanted toilet planter….broken engine on blocks planter….old tractor tire planter….trees planted in the back of a broken pick up truck…fishing pole garden stakes…vintage pink ovens turned into potting tables??? don’t tempt me.

little girls with oodles of curls rule the world…..

so does using my noodle to deal with oodles of junk….so why can’t i??? guess i’m not hungry enough yet.

time to go get another pain reliever and get rid of my allergy headache for the 5th night in a row……i blame it on the climbing jasmine, but i probably have dust from all that linen digging….

lol

one peace of day at a timeworn….kids included….

they say everyday is holiday…..i know it’s a timeworn saying…..but i like timeworn, so it works. only today is not a holiday…nor is it a daycare day…. my wonderful childcare provider is taking her very much needed 1 day off for the week. that means i have zoey today instead of thursday and friday. i know…i’m her mom. she is my responsibility. i should not complain that i have to keep her home all day. i know zoey’s provider works her tail off taking care of her own children and a slew of others (it takes a mighty person to do that) and she is in need of  a day of peace….i know…what is the big deal…just have fun with zoey and enjoy the day….blah, blah, blah. wellllll, i do enjoy the day, but zoey has such fun at daycare because she has 3/4 other children to play with and that is way more fun than playing with boring old mom that is tooooo tired to put a puzzle together and toooooooo distracted by the mess in the house to read yet another barbie book. shame on me, but i’m having that kind of a day. i had poop on the floor to clean up, berries all other the place to wipe up. more dishes in the sink than you can find a shabby cottage antique store and a whopping responsibility to pack it all away and move in the next couple of months. i’ve had a short fuse today. i need to get over myself.  i even cried just for a minute and yelled at poor zoey. she said….”oh mommy….i help you. don’t cry. i listen to you.” then i felt guilty and picked her up and said i was sorry. it’s not her fault i’m having a day in pieces. she’s just a busy 2 year old that is used to having a chance to play during the day and get busy. i should have taken her out today, but i thought i might be able to get some stuff done around the house and i have….in pieces…..a little here and there. it is hot and windy out…..i don’t really want to go play outside until arek gets home. then it’s a house full of boys that drag in more dirt. i really just want to sleep. i should do that now instead of writing this blog. aaaaahhhh. but then i would lay in bed and think about writing this blog. or eating something else that i don’t need to.

i allow myself to get so overwhelmed sometimes. then i remember i am a junker and a crafter and that helps me relax and unwind…messes and all.  i don’t really let that overwhelm as much as the house and kids. the kids..like crafts..are a very wonderful project…ongoing…and sometimes messy and not so pretty…sometimes wondeful and lots of fun…pieces at a time….one at a time…one day at a time. am i a bad mom for comparing my kids to my junking habit???? what mom does that….lol……i just have to treat all of it the same…..life isn’t that ridgid….i can’t have it all done perfectly at once. messes are ongoing…..responsibilities ongoing….errands ongoing….housework ongoing….laundry ongoing….meltdowns ongoing…..and like junk….i barely get one thing dealt with or put away and it’s time for more, more, more. i guess i am getting excited and nervous about dad returning home. that is part of it. moving is another and fatigue is another. those three stressors are enough to allow me to enjoy my junking habits to keep me in line. that said….i had zoey help me plant a “fake” rose garden on some shelves while i cleaned up my craft area and took a few photos for the blog. zoey and arek both love to take my ‘fake’ flowers and make gardens. okay. fake flowers and hand mirrors. those 2 things are a go in this house for entertainment. i have to remember that this house is fun….even if it’s messy…..it’s a place to get inspired and regroup.

i shot a few photos of stuff that inspired me this morning. stuff to help relax me while i play the vision in my head of all the work i have to do over the next week. how can i take on a week in my head when i haven’t even faced an hour at home? i keep fantasizing that ron will come home and take the kids to a playground for 2 hours and i can take a nap. what kind of fantasy is that after not seeing a spouse for almost a year? i should be wearing a loin cloth and ron should be swinging from a rope beating his chest, but instead i have visions of the kids jumping on him while he’s on the trampoline in the backyard and me soaking in a hot bath long enough to pickle.

until then…..i dream of buttons, collages, and faded flowers……tarnished silver…old books and pearls…..cast off lamps and baby shoes…..it’s almost a daydream and pieced together right, it’s a good day.

2 re-dos on $2 and $5 lamps……………..

sign says vintage on cast off lumber…………..printed the word from the computer and used some paint and decoupage….buttons and pearls…..

loving this cheap dip…..$1 for dip and an eifel tower????? okay….but would this pass the dip test in paris??? i doubt it. it passed the zoey test in our kitchen. that is all that matters….oui, oui….

almost time to go get arek….i’m in scary house clothes and i haven’t brushed my teeth. i know a little girl that can relate….

you all enjoy your day and thanks for stopping by…..ROCK NIGHT on idol!!! can’t wait……i’m sure there will be a campout on the floor something like this before my night is over….

i’ll have to break out the cheap dip and carrots and pick up the messy pieces after i get these mess makers to bed….

lol

a spectrum of doodles and dresses…….

i forget that when i move, i must unturn all those memories that have been stored in a box or in this house…. an old suitcase. i have 100’s of arek doodles that i’ve managed to sift thru for the last few days. i know i can’t keep them all…..i’ve decided to part with lots of them; save some for zoey to read and look at and keep the really important ones that remind me of the progress arek has made over the last few years. i’m not aware that i’ve shared this FYI before, but arek is 9 and was diagnosed on the autism spectrum at age 5. he has asperger’s……like so many young boys and girls these days. i have stopped trying to figure out why…..i have stopped trying to figure out what i did to make it so….it is what it is. i’ve moved beyond my self absorbed pity and focused more on arek. i’m not perfect. i have days i take pride in being pissed off at a boy that can’t stop humming or won’t look up when he walks. i have days when i want a magic pill to make arek play the ‘same’ way the other kids play, but it is his brain doing that….not mine and i’ve realized over time that i am more worried about what people think than i am about him. i admit it. it sucks to be different sometimes. i should know.

anyway….. i found some crazy arek doodles when he was 3 and 4. i sent him to a very good private church school at that age, although i am not particulary very religious and even had some bad experiences with a previous church school.  his current school worked okay because they took pride in their pre=k teachers’ credentials. arek had a pre k teacher that understood his sensory needs. his needs for understanding his peers and coping, but with very little skill and experience to do so. she gave him the ability to write random alphabet letters over and over and over again in a corner alone, while his 4 year old peers would follow along with the regular lesson plans of the day. i wasn’t as lucky when arek was 3. he was in the same school, but had teachers that didn’t understand him at all. they thought he was naughty and had ADHD. i knew there was something more. i knew he had other issues, but could not convince anyone at the time. i was told to put him on medicine at the time, but refused. i knew his pre-pre k teachers weren’t doctors. i knew they were tired teachers that had a hard time following arek’s activity level and non compliance to conforming. arek sat in time out for extreme amounts of time over and over again everyday for compulsions and distractions he couldn’t help at all. it was a very confusing time. if any of you have a kid on the spectrum, you know what i mean.

arek knew how to write all the letters of the alpha. by the time he was 3. he also knew how to spell all the kids’ names in his class. he knew how to spell his colors and write most of his numbers forward and backward. he was zoey’s age and could manage to spell his name aloud. he has a total obsession with the alphabet. he would write names and random letters over and over again and spin in a circle while the kids would play. arek could read by three. it was crazy. he would attach his emotions to words, letters, numbers, textures, things, objects, and sounds more than people……he still does somewhat. he carried a string around that he waved in his face for 4 years. he made a humming noise for 4 years. he would make noises with his mouth that were so loud and annoying and strange, i would get the ugliest stares from strangers and my friends would get so tired of me screaming at him to stop. he didn’t stop until he was ready. last year.

i remember arek having a fascination with circles, curli cues and triangles. he drew circles and curli cues over and over and over for about a year. he still attaches himself to something he finds fascinating and does that thing over and over and nothing else. he drew roller coasters and built them on the computer for a solid year. he was completely obsessed with tornadoes and lightning. he loved CDs and drew all over them for the longest time. i gave him blank ones, old ones, broken ones to decorate. he could not walk in a straight line or look up, but he could read a book. it was strange.  arek would fall down a lot and trip on stuff. he still lays on the floor at walmart sometimes when he gets overwhelmed and can’t focus, but it’s getting better. somedays he would just bend over and walk around like that all day….no matter how much i yelled at him. i had so many strangers tell me ‘how’ to fix it or to ‘spank’ him or ‘punish’ him, but what little of that i tried, failed. i did what worked the best for me and that was to just keep him really, really busy with lots of activity….motion, textures, sensory, and sound.

to make a long story short….i managed to snap some photos of arek’s love for writing letters and doodling. by the time arek was 4, he memorized ALL  our songs on itunes. he knew the names, artists, genre’s and content of all the songs. he was infatuated with hip hop. i think it was all those beats that he memorized for their odd sounds and textures. i purchased quite a bit of hip hop for about a year. arek also loved all my alternative songs……aphex twin, 808 state, dj cam and moby are still some of his favorites. i feel scared letting a 9 year old be open to so much ‘adult’ music, but his song continuity isn’t equal to mine. he listens to the music and the sounds and not the words. i don’t allow the explicit stuff, because he is obsessed with knowing that something may be ‘bad or wrong’.  he cares about stuff that most kids have no time for. it’s so odd.

on a positive note, i’ve seen so much growth and progress over that last year with arek. he is finally starting to understand personal boundaries better…..not well……but better. lots of that comes from the excellent teachers he’s had over the past few years. lots of help form each of them has paid off. he does not touch other kids as much. he listens better. he understands the rules and is more compliant and restrained in school and public. he isn’t as impulsive. what most kids learn by 6, he is learning at 9….but he is more advanced than a 6 year old so many ways, so it’s once again odd. i am proud of him. i get frustrated, but not as often. i have chosen to never medicate him. that is just a personal choice. i want to see progress that is NATURAL arek and not the medicated arek….and it has paid off….for both of us. his coping skills are getting stronger and his self control is getting better. his range of interests are getting bigger finally and he is opening up to people better. he is starting to understand empathy a little and he sees a picture a little bigger than one compulsive thought or activity. i have a hard time with this and i am 44. i know the frustration of trying to multi=task when something you love to do is so much more rewarding. it must be really tough for a 9 year old on the spectrum.

if any of you have a child on the spectrum, i hope this inspires you. if you have a young one on the spectrum, they will learn with lots of help and intervention. it will pay off. there is a light at the end of the spectrum…..

here are some doodles……..the first 2 are when arek was 3 years old

he did doodles like this for hours sometimes…seriously….and he would flap his hands and hum and rock while he doodled like this. it was hard sometimes to break his spell. i remember him taking all his toys and putting them in a pile and then throwing them hard against a wall and humming and making a shsseeesseee noise and just blinking his eyes over and over. he loved to shred paper….especially newspaper or paper towels. he would shred paper until the entire floor in his room was covered. then he would spin around and around in a circle on his bottom and kick the paper and make odd sounds and close his eyes. i would tried to redirect him to do something else, but it didn’t work. i would get angry, but that didn’t stop it either. now i realize he had intent.

these are some doodles when he was 4

then when he was 5……

and this is a current computer doodle. arek is still obsessed with making music and cds. by the time arek was 4, he managed to change all the titles of songs in itunes. ron and i tried to keep him from doing it, but he managed to get in there and change stuff anyway. at age 6, arek was taking ‘cheat’s off you tube and putting them in his marble blast gold game software to create his own levels…..what???????? go outside and play and learn to tie your shoes and brush your teeth. why is that so hard??? my mom says kids on the spectrum are so DISTRACTED by their own thoughts, it’s hard to stop and just do stuff they are supposed to do. i have the same problem with junk. i get it. are we equipped with a distraction faction?? do we each have the ability to get distracted by consuming thoughts that fire over and over again so much that it is hard to just stay on task? or do we learn to develop ways to stop and cope. i’m hoping that arek will learn those abilities, but still maintain some of his impulsiveness to the point that it helps get him a job or gives him a talent or skill. he needs boundaries, but he needs freedom too. we’ll see.

i have no clue what this is?

i have john elder robison on my blogroll. what a great site. john elder robison is the author of the book LOOK ME IN THE EYE. great book. good insite.  there are so many resources and advancements for ASD kids these days. i feel lucky that i can get the help i need and arek needs and manage a positive outlook and attitude about a child that i used to feel so helpless about.

with that said, i took some photos of vintage dresses for my saturday salvage i got last week at lampassas. i get it sue….i do…i cut stuff off of dresses too. what the hay. if the dresses are ripped, too old or torn, i can manage to use the parts….like old cars.

talk about obsessions…..geeze…..i am on the junking addiction spectrum.

okay…..guess i better go groom myself. after a hot day in the sun with cub scout boys and a sleepy zoey, it’s time i scrubbed.

cheese….

now onto a DADDY DOODLE. ron drew this doodle about 5 years ago. i found it in a suitcase last night and pulled it out and laughed out loud. i have often told ron that he would be a great folk artist. i mean that. i see a retirement career now. the whole family can doodle together.ron is on the preschool art talent spectrum….

i think this is me w/out my glasses. or a scary man pretending to be ron’s self portrait. i’m not sure. i love the pointy teeth. good for my cooking.

you all have a fabulous saturday and i’m going to go get back into the clean spectrum….

lol

feathering my nest…..trying to keep the piggies out….

with the onslaught of pig flu and elevation 5 pandemic scare, i decided i would try to take my mind off the world’s troubles by creating some of my own….yes….more clutter. so the word is out….i’m out of here. i will be leaving texas sometime at the end of summer and moving closer to my family in maryland. i am soooo happy about this. ron got a job where we can reside closer to my yankee roots and take on bushels of crabs and festive beach play. i can hardly wait, but my house certainly isn’t ready for any yankee party quite yet. i mean….how does a junker survive a 2 or 3 year stay in one place before leaving again and reorganizing all that junk….again….and again??? i’m not sure. i know i do it. over and over. i can’t help collecting. i would change if i could, but i think it’s too late for that now. i spend more time stressed about the piles i’ve created all over the house….organizing and re-organizing….over and over. i just keep feathering my nest….it’s the curse of being a vendor, or ebayer or online seller. clutter all the time for me. i visit friends and relax in their nice, stress free uncluttered homes and then i come home and ask myself….WHY? why must i save broken lamps, single salt shakers, piles and piles of cast off linens and lace, stacks of old books, boxes of old papers and junk jewels…..buttons, tubs of paint, ribbons, drawers of odd things to glue and collage with. why not just live in my house the way it was intended? why must i alter it all???????

i guess because i love to create. i love to see what inspires other artists, vendors, and collectors. then i want to imitate…which is the dearest form of flattery….and create my own version of something from almost nothing. i watch american idol every week and remember that it’s okay for those sweet kids to become artists. it’s okay to love what you do. if it is okay for a 20 year old, then it must be okay for a stressed out mom waiting for another deployment to end. i think that is what got me into the junking biz…a hobby i needed to separate myself from the stress of deployments….and i don’t regret it at all. i’ve met some incredible folks along the way and i’ve grown as somebody that may want to do this full time one day.you can’t pay any professor any amount of $$$ to learn those skills. they come with time, experience and determination.

so back on track….i took some photos of little things around the house….more linens i got from cheryl and buttons and other smalls…and some upcoming collages that i plan to bring to the booth. now that i put my 1/2 off sale sign up, i’m starting to sell like crazy!! please come back and check in with me. i will bring up a couple more BIG loads before the end of may. if i don’t sell some of it, the movers will quit their jobs and have to go to therapy after they see all my crap

this is a piece on worked on today. i plan to add a little bird nest to the bottom corner and it’s ready for hanging. i may add a few little hooks to the shelf to hang earrings.

what does one do with a cast off, stained pillow case???? i found this one for almost nothing. i tea stained it and then just added a cheap pillow. i folded over the case and added a rhinestone pin. sooo super easy.

what does one do with a christmas card holder????? i found this one for 50 cents. it had a giant red bow on the top and i cut it off. now it holds cards and old photos for inspiration by the craft table.

this was one of my cheap, plastic angels i found at the flea market this past weekend. i just hot glued it to a giant chippy column i have in the house. hot glue is great. easy to undo, so you can glue anything without too much of a permanent commitment.

i found this sweet little ironstone pat from cheryl and the small composition head as well…i love that her plate looks like a hat or a halo. found the pink bowtie from somewhere, but now i can’t remember???? who gave that to me? rachel???? anyway, i love it.

diggin this old sewing screen. on the inside are thread spools and 2 sewn baskets to hold sewing notions. i think it makes a great table top statement.

just a small redo….had to move my manequin.

stacks of linens from cheryl. too bad the sew machine is broken still. ugh. like i have time to sew anyway.

i love these old songbook covers. got these from cheryl……everybody looks so happy and energetic or completely in love or heartbroken.

i wish i had those perfect eyebrows the women had back in the day….what a life…..okay….so they were a bit repressed with their beach attire (although i would take perfect comfort in those flapper suits anytime now) and other feminist issues of the time with employment and equal rights and blah, blah, blah, but really they were sooo ahead of the game. they knew you could be sexy and witty and still smoke a big ole long smoke and swim the english chanel in a wool body bathing suit with a fat, plastic cap and still look like a rock star with those eye brows, long lashes, smoky eyes, red lipstick and perfect hair under their beaded cloches. they were feminist goth rebels before we could define it. i’m lucky if i wash my face and brush my teeth everyday. i can’t imagine looking that scrubed and beautiful.

oh…i’ve gone on and on again about a whole bunch of nothing. the wind is soooooo bad outside, i had to take down all my hanging things for fear they may blow into my window and break my glass. i want hanging plants, not swinging weapons. geeze….i am sure my new neighbors are wondering why there are vintage linens and old fake flowers blowing thru their yard. could be worse….could be flying pigs like a vintage pink floyd record or something.

i feel like this song today…..little pig let me in or i’ll huff and puff and let the texas wind blow all your stuff away…..

Big man, pig man, ha ha, charade you are
You well heeled big wheel, ha ha, charade you are
And when your hand is on your heart
You’re nearly a good laugh
Almost a joker
With your head down in the pig bin
Saying “keep on digging”
Pig stain on your fat chin
What do you hope to find?
When you’re down in the pig mine
You’re nearly a laugh
You’re nearly a laugh
But you’re really a cry.
Bus stop rat bag, ha ha, charade you are
You BLEEP up old hag, ha ha, charade you are
You radiate cold shafts of broken glass
You’re nearly a good laugh
Almost worth a quick grin
You like the feel of steel
You’re hot stuff with a hat pin
And good fun with a hand gun
You’re nearly a laugh
You’re nearly a laugh
But you’re really a cry.
Hey you Whitehouse, ha ha, charade you are
You house proud town mouse, ha ha, charade you are
You’re trying to keep our feelings off the street
You’re nearly a real treat
All tight lips and cold feet
And do you feel abused?

pink floyd animals….PINK FLOYD PIGS (3 DIFFERENT ONES)…

okay….eyes are shutting. must rest…you all have a nice night settled into your nests…..and try to keep the piggies out. thinking of you all….

lol

can a true junker really downsize all her cluttttter?……

so i have news to share, but i think it is too early to release my future plans……so i will keep quiet for now and just blog. i will say a move is in the works soon and i am wrapping up 2 years of what i considered a very productive and creative time at crafter’s corner. i appreciate all of you that supported me during those years. terry lee….thanks sooooooooo much for all of your support…marta…you too. and everyone else that has helped make vendor 030 a success story. i officially put my 50% off sign in the booth today for all the merchandise that is there.  the booth is still stocked quite well and what does not have a price will soon. as much as i need to stop junking and creating….it is hard, so i will continue to at least make gestures at my craft table and keep some projects going up until it’s time to pack. i hope to resume the junkin bug again and restore order to a new booth beaming with fun displays and great finds and creative projects.

i think i am the only military spouse that can pack a house fuller than a museum in less than half a decade. how????? can one live???? with so much stuff???? please tell me i am not the only one!!!! i love my little piles of cute things. i love my little collections of vintage cuteness that helps keep me inspired, creative and motivated. i can’t get rid of it all. that and two kids and one BIG craft area = cluttttter….with a bunch of TTTTTs. i guess between being sick all winter long and the crazy swine flu scares, i need to just enjoy my crazy junkin life and be happy that i have for one day, a really fun hobby that i completely love.

i did rescue a small collage i made not too long ago from the booth today. it’s one that i decided to keep and take with me.

she is hard to see, but i used a cast off belt buckle to put the photo behind. that lace, and a black cast off ribbon from a vintage necklace help finish it out. it says ‘a lasting impression’. that is what texas left for me, so i will take this collage with me to remind me of fun times.

i have still been into the wax collages lately. i use a ton of tea stained fabric scraps, an old book cover, lace, pearls, and a vintage collar, key and some paint and wax to make this collage.

i shot some photos of more flea market finds from this weekend. just some smalls, linens and a few other misc……i have been on a linen kick lately. i am struck by the graphics of old tea towels and hankies. i just adore them.

found a HUGE stack of these quilt cuters. i can’t wait to use these to make wreaths.

i also came across 4 of these hanger covers…..love the sweet flowers on them.

bowl of goodies…..zoey can’t stop carrying the GIANT rhinestone with her everywhere she goes in the house. she call it her ….jewries….

love the jar of buttons….and the trio of vintage, plastic angels. they will probably be glued to a shelf. i found a cute shelf at G.W. for $1.50. it is super HUGE, but now it is super WET because of the rain. i didn’t even get a chance to alter it. would have looked soooooo sweet with a rose plate covering the primitive heart at the top and these angels glued onto the bottom. oh well…..at least the idea is there.

loving these sweet old socks…..back in the day….order a magazine subscription and you get some little bo peep sweet hosiery…..in the form of children’s socks. nowadays….you just get a huge bill for missing issues of overpriced magazines you pass onto your friends.

i found this sweet fabric in the form of a crib bumper not too long ago at the bins in g.w.   total cost….50 cents. what to do???? i cut the batting out of each panel and will reuse the fabric. i will reuse the batting to make small pillows out of my old linens….

lastly…..i found this project somewhere on a texas blog out there, so i certainly can’t take credit for this one at all!!!

salt shakers that don’t have matches…..put a wire into the top of them and then they can hold a cute photo……love it.

zoey’s sweet hand and arm filled with home grown tattoos by arek…..that is what happens when i don’t pay attention to the kids for 10 minutes…..i am too ashamed to show you the rest of the tattoo destruction…..arek even drew zoey a new butt crack. hummmmm. arek too those foam stickers and drew on the sticky side of them with washable marker. then he stuck the design (sticky side) on zoey’s skin and made prints of his design. very clever arek…..no go take a bath.

okay…stomach is totally hurting. why???????? stop.

better go and figure out why i have this terrible stomach ache…..again.

have a glorious night….enjoy your clutter and don’t watch too much news….

lol….