Treasure Hunting

Saturday morning the rooster and I met my sister~in~law and helpful nephew for a day of treasure hunting!

We hit the street at 6:30 a.m. to dig, reach and and barter for all sorts of wonderful goodies.

The beautiful weather brought out so many folks!  The thrill of the hunt kept us going as we ran into old friends and made some new ones, which is always the best part!  The guys were busy running our finds back to the pickup... thank goodness for cell phones, we called,

 "We are on the corner of 6th street... Help!!"

and here they came to purloin our treasures.

     Green seemed to be the color of the day ~ from the wonderful green lard bucket to the old wheel barrow that just begs to be planted... It is so fun to be on the look~out for things to offer at the Speckled Hen!  I love the idea that things that have had their life and function can be resurrected and find a new purpose.  I have heard it said that antique people are the original recyclers. Not only do I believe that is true, I take it as a compliment... 

                    

We took the back roads home and stopped at this cute little shop in Lakewood. 

Do you LOVE their sign or what??

Anyway, we had a great day, and the treasures are being polished up a bit

and have been finding their way into the shop this week.  They look forward to seeing you...

and so do I!  Until then, enjoy the sunshine, happy summer and

Blessings to you and yours!

Lynda

Sum~sum~summertime!

I hope you are enjoying this taste of summer as much as I am! 

I don't know about you, but I don't think there is anything to compare to summer in our

beautiful Pacific Northwest! 

The mountains are out in all their snow~capped glory, the birds are singing, the breeze is rustling...

Heaven on earth!!

 Here at the shop, we are gearing up for a busy weekend in our historic downtown as the annual Kla~Ha~Ya Days event gets rolling!  There is fun for everyone, with a carnival, a parade, a car show, even a frog jumping contest!  And it looks like this pretty weather is going to hold for us, so it's the perfect time to load up the family and come to Historic Downtown Snohomish!

Live Well * Laugh Often * and visit Snohomish! We'll make you kindly welcome!

Blessings and Joy to you and yours,

Lynda

P.S. Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my blog!  I appreciate it:)

Fabric, fabric, fabric...

I spent the day after the 4th in the cozy little fabric room~

I love to tidy the bolts of cloth, re-wrap and re-tie the smooth cotton...

It gave me a chance to really see each and every bolt and some of our 'old friends' found their way to the sale shelves:)  We all know the wonderful feel of a fine Moda print, now is the time to plan a nice fall project using some of these timeless favorites!

 Isn't this inspiring?   It really takes me back to the first sewing class I ever took.  My mom signed me up at a sewing machine store in Everett. We shopped at   JC Penney on Colby for the material for the jumper I wanted to make. I must have been in 6th or 7th grade because in 8th grade I could choose 'Home Ec' as my elective class and I learned how to make a lovely robe out of bath towels and an apron...:)   in spite of this beginning, I still have an absolute love of textiles and the creative possibilities they offer! 

I hope you plan a trip to the Speckled Hen soon, summer is such a fun time in Snohomish!

And how was your 4th?  Ours was a bit chilly and a little damp, but we gathered for a picnic anyway!  The kids helped dress the scarecrow in her summer frock...

Isn't she sweet?  I wonder if she will keep the deer from the raspberries this year!

And in case you wondered how Kaysie's ice cream cake was received...

Jordan said "YUM!"

And now we are enjoying a taste of summer!  Yippee~ Enjoy the days ahead, and be sure to pop in the shop to say "Hi!" when you are in town! 

The door is open, come on in!!

Friendship's Road

Friendship is a chain of gold,

Shaped in God's all~perfect mold;

Each link a smile, a laugh, a tear,

A grip of the hand, a word of cheer.

As steadfast as the ages roll, binding closer soul to soul;

No matter how far or heavy the load,

Sweet is the journey on Friendship's Road.

*JB Downie

Blessings and friendship to you~

Lynda

Happy Birthday, USA!!

Isn't it hard to believe it is already July?? 

 I feel like I'm still in May and it's time to

plan the menu for the 4th of July picnic! 

The good news is, Jeff Renner says the weather is going to be pretty good~ so Yippee!

The Speckled Rooster and I hung our banners and flags up yesterday. Everything looks so festive and 'summery'. Even my great grandma's out house gets a flag:) Isn't it adorable?

 I can hardly wait for Sunday when the grands will all be here to play in the yard,

and run through the sprinkler! And we must cook up a big pot of corn on the cob!

How 'bout a recipe for a delicious summer dessert? 

 Here is Kaysie's famous ice cream cake~

Ingredients:

1 pkg Oreo cookies (use a food processor to make fine crumbs)
1 half gallon each: vanilla ice cream and chocolate ice cream
1 jar hot fudge
red vines, Reddi whip and blue m&ms

1. Press cookie crumbs in bottom of 9x13 pan.  Freeze 30 minutes.
2. Soften chocolate ice cream, drop in small spoonfuls over crust, smooth & freeze 1 hour.
3. Spread fudge sauce evenly over ice cream.  Freeze 30 minutes.
4. Soften vanilla ice cream, drop in small spoonfuls over fudge sauce, smooth & freeze 8 hours.

Decorate with red vines & reddi whip to make your stripes, leaving a nice 'field' for your  m&m stars.
Keep in freezer until ready to serve, let stand 5~10 minutes before cutting.  Yummy!!

So, again I say Happy Birthday, USA! and sign off with one of my favorite quotes;

"Would to God that we might spend a single day really well."
                * Thomas Kempis (1380~1471)

The shop will be closed on the 4th for picnicking and family fun.  Have a super and safe holiday ~
Blessings to you and yours,
Lynda

It's Official!

Yippee!!  Summer slipped in while we were nagging at the rain to 'go away'! 

A rosy blush above the mountains and a chorus of robins and chickadees joined the rat~a~tat

of a downy woodpecker to wake me up this morning! 

I don't know who said this,

"There is no hope for a civilization which starts each day to the sound of an alarm clock."

but I tend to agree.  How lovely it is to move from cozy slumber to bustling day

when coaxed by nature's chorus!

Here at the shop, we have been waiting for these pretty days!  I love it when I can have both doors open and a breeze skitters through!  It's so fresh and welcoming when folks come in from the street to see what we are about!  And now we are all about the stars and stripes!  Flags, tea towels, and fun accessories to spunk up your summer decor. 

Oh! I just LOVE summer in Snohomish!!

This will be a busy weekend in town!  Craven Farm will start it off at 8:00 Saturday morning with their fun~fulled Tailgate Antique Sale!  They start early, so you can finish off your day scouting around town! 

Be sure to visit the Speckled Hen~ The door is open, come on in!

A Day Away...

A day away from the shop, mid~week, can be quickly filled with items from that endless 'to~do' list. It is fulfilling to check off this list, but it is also good to plan some fun in the mix.  I thought I would tidy up my kitchen in the morning while the Speckled Rooster caught up with some yard work, and then maybe we would go downtown for lunch and wander in a few shops...

I guess my work was cut out for me, tiding up turned into matching lids to Tupperware, moping up jam spilled in the fridge... (it had tipped to the side, and run down leaving a little smidge on each shelf and a bright, raspberry red puddle at the bottom)~ out came all the shelves and drawers...  I love this quote from Jessamyn West, "House ordering is my prayer, and when I have finished, my prayer is answered."   I love my home and it feels good to spend some quality time with her!  Amen!

Summer begins on June 21st, it's time to use my summer dishes. Out comes the assortment of lightweight (unbreakable) Corelle.  Some of it dates to 1977~ a wedding present from my Grandma, there are a few bi~centennial plates, some blue gingham and my favorite 'In the Garden' pattern.  These plates are great to load on a tray to carry to the backyard. My Blue Willow and cobalt glasses seem a bit much for 'summer'.  So what drinking glasses would go with this casual array?  Of course!!  Mason jars!  How fun to fill with ice and fresh squeezed lemonade!  From the canning cupboard I choose the best jars from a pretty vast collection! Some old, some not so old, but each one simple and beautiful in it's own way!

And the best part might be, the instant vase that is handy for a bouquet picked just outside the kitchen door!

Did we get downtown for lunch?  Maybe next week:)

We're Back!

Historic Downtown Snohomish is bustling as summer fast approaches! 

Here at the shop we are busy working not only on getting our 'blog' up,

but also the announcement of our website! 

I tease about the old Far Side cartoon with the dog on the tight rope that says something like,

"Rex realized he was an old dog and this was a new trick"  But anyway... here we go (again!)