Where has the Time gone??

Is it truly the last week of July?...My oh my how summer has flown by. I feel like trying to capture it before it whisks away. Maybe because we have had such cool temperatures, and our family has had such a low key summer I feel that way.

I haven't been out and about much this summer, we've been hanging close to home, but I was able to get to Cake this past weekend...a glorious display of vintage-ness there!

My friends Jill, birthday girl Amy (her first time at Chaps/Cake-oh yes, she'll be back) and me after a yummy birthday breakfast. Thanks for taking our pic, Miss Celeste!!

I managed to get my display of Expo '74 (and a few Seattle World's Fair pieces too) up this summer... one project done...too many to count that will now have to wait for late fall & winter...

My collection of go to canning jars in my office, awaiting the next summer party...

I've been able to get to few and far between garage/yard/estate sales this summer, but got to go to one of my favorite neighborhood sales with my mom in early July, where I found some pretties...

This is the inside of a trunk I picked up at another neighborhood sale...ah summer junking! Can't wait to get to the fun stuff I've been stashing in my garage to ready and bring to Funky Junk Labor Day weekend in Sandpoint!

And the big reason we are home bound, sleep deprived and behind on all projects at our house; our rescue dog, Rudy, a four year old (going on two) lab/retriever mix. Our oldest had been saving a year for a dog to call his own. Now Mark and I are doing most of the work so Haden can have his boyhood dream. We all adore him, we're just ready to get back to some sort of new calm sometime soon.

I leave you with a picture of the stash of vintage ephemra goodies that the talented and kind Linda at http://itsy-bits-and-pieces.blogspot.com/at sent me this spring. While it's taken me way too long to give her public blog thanks, this little vignette sitting in my (completely undone) office has given me creative hope all spring long~thanks Linda!! Hers is definetly a blog worth following...

Happy summer of doing whatever you need to do to make it feel like summer~Hollie=)

a Grand 4th

I hope your Fourth of July was a happy, safe and refreshing one. While we may not have dressed in patriotic garb and re-enacted a pivotal moment in American history, (and I frankly couldn't pass the new citizen test if I had to), we managed to have a good time honoring this holiday celebrating freedom. Among those who gathered at my parent's home, (my dad's siblings, my sisters, my sister's husband and parents, my boys, my husband, his dad, and a farm neighbor), there were five military veterans.

The boys dressed in holiday splendor to spend the day on "the farm".

After arriving and greeting, I gave my mom her Fourth of July gifts, including this reproduction glittery poster. We're a gift giving and happily gift receiving family for just about every holiday. We even make some up. We do skip Groundhog Day.

Every holiday, I must walk through my mom and dad's house to look for my mother's incredible displays and decorations. This year I found some fun items I hadn't seen before, including these two books.

Where did this amazing Uncle Sam wind spinner come from? I admired him in all his red, white and blue vintage glory.

A little bit of reproduction patriotism and sparkle!

One of my old favorite hymns, in an awesome antique handheld book of patriotic hymns my mom found who knows where!

The food was picnic perfect; the table set by the hostess with the most-est.

(Tablecloth by Moda Design, Moda Fabric. They nail reproduction items every time.)

As perfect a vase as I've seen.

A-maz-ing, inviting retro grass green patio set perched on my mom & dad's porch.

Repurposing done well, "all" in a day's work.

Love how she paired the vintage pop bottle crates with the cart. Love.

Retro drinks to quench our thirsts...

found nestled in ice inside a repurposed washtub.

This way for fun on the fourth...a over the top cool table mom picked up at Farm Chicks!

My mom's school girl holding two 48 state flags; the big one from Pink, the little from a friend.

An old watering rescued watering tub, all decked out for the fourth.

We wrote our names in sparklers...in the heat of the day. It's still fun.

After a long day of sun and play, we headed home with cupcakes sent by Oma in my lap.

We arrived home at dusk, all ready for a marshmallow roast with our neighbors. The essentials...huge and medium marshmallows in my vintage Pyrex bowl; skewers (not sticks this year, though we had plenty in the yard to draw from) and waving flags displayed in one of my many prized old Ball jars.

Our toasting sticks at attention, ready for the little (and big) toasters...
My "Economy" purple hued canning jar has been used for a flower vase and now this-how versatile are these?!? Can you tell I've renewed my love affair with old jars...

Ah... toasted marshmallows in the back yard with friends. Quintessential retro 4th.

Freedom comes at a high price, at the cost of many. That is a fact not lost on me. And this year, I held that thought a little closer, thankful for the way paved for me and my family to celebrate that in the comfort and safety of friends and family.

America, The Beautiful

"O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain.

For purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain.

America, America. God shed His grace on thee.

And crown they good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea."

~Katharine Lee Bates/Samuel Augustus
Photos 1,3,4: Cary Burnett Photography

Across the land...

Long may she wave.

However you've planned to celebrate...

Wherever you will be...

Make sure to take a minute to sit and breathe in the air of this land...

O, say can you see?...

Enjoy and celebrate...

This land of the free, home of the brave...

because of the brave.

God Bless America...my home sweet home...

Love,

Hollie & family

Pink.

There are many rustic, history-holding brick buildings in Spokane, WA. This one is on the Spokane Registry of Historic Buildings. This one was orginally Pacific Hide and Fur. This one now holds a treasure trove of finds and friendships.

A few weeks back, on Father's Day, when the menfolk went off in search of an action movie; my mom, sisters and I peeked through the windows of the soon to be unvieled Pink.

How much is that vintage toy telephone in the window?

This place recreates window shopping into an art form!

The window goodness goes all the way up to the front door...

It's official! They are open for your pleasure!

154 Madison (1 block west of the Old Spaghetti Factory in downtown Spokane, WA)

Wed.-Sat. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Celeste Shaw, one of the talented proprietresses-four in all; Celeste, Lana Neumann, Erica Parish and Chris Lynch. All class acts, warmth and talent.

Sweet Becky and Holly of All That Glitter fame; that's me all tall in the middle. Oh, I was wearing my strappy summer heels. These two lend even more talent, warmth & class to PInk=)!!

Love. It. When my sister entered the store later in the day, she said, "Ah, inspiration!"

A little store warming gift for the lovely ladies of Pink.

Some of Cake's delectable cookies for opening day; yummy red-velvet cupcakes greeted me in the afternoon! (My all time fav. ginger molasses chocolate on the lower tier. By the way, make sure before or after you Pink; make sure you get sustenance at Chaps/Cake!)

Wrapping station readied for your purchases and mine...and now a tour of sorts, just a few of my favorite things...

The girls generously displayed our Save The DAte tags for our Sandpoint, ID Labor Day show.

They have a way there of mixing old and new effortlessly.

Did I mention yet how affordable and well priced everything is yet? High end looks for everyday people prices, that's what I love.

This piece needs to be in my scrapping room!

Letters and scales and signs, oh my!!

The pieces in DejaNeu's area are just incredible.

My sister may still be gazing adoringly at this industrial cart coffee table.

My sister Heidi had a great thought, it would be perfect to just wrap everything up and take it with her to decorate her home with. That's the beauty of Pink, it shows you all the possibilities.

I want to go back. Now.

Hope you enjoyed the tour...there is so much more to see, around every corner...the second time I went back with my sister, I found things I hadn't seen the first time...enjoy taking it all in for yourself!! PS...does Finn need an F bigger than he is? Yes, I think he might...

My mom got there early; I got there later than I was supposed to. But here is her incredible find. The cart and the basket are making their way to her kitchen. Even cooler, the cart was in a Flea Market Style photo shoot. I personally love the vintage linoleum piece under the cart!

Beautiful pink peonies at the checkout; love Celeste's idea of the funnel to hold the flowers in the Ball jar.

Oh the choices!!

These were the particular stamps I purchased, my mom went home with several more...stilll kind of wishing I'd bought the ICED and the 8for1 and the Sara Lee...

I simply had to take this home with me! I found out it was Celeste's, who had originally bought it from Nancy of Forget Me Not in Coeur d' Alene. I always end up with either of their amazing items, one way or another!

I know! I love it! I'm going to keep the boys crayon boxes on it in the living room for easy access for coloring...and display some of my vintage crayon box collection too. The back of the display has a chart for proper display on each shelf. Love it.

My last buy of the day...I had no idea these even existed! But "Barbie was bursting with excitement-she had won a world trip as a prize! She told her diary all about it..." Now I need to find a Tru-Vue Stereo Viewer!

Oh, well, we love Pink! And all that other stuff too=).

The oh so talented crew at Pink!
(top left: Becky Ellis, Holly Baublitz, Erica Parish, Celeste Shaw:

bottom row: Lana Neumann and Chris Lynch)

Now, it's time for you to get you to Pink=).