From The Patch

Just One Word

Ran across this challenge on Coffee Mom's blog.  Can you answer each of the questions in just one word?

1. Where is your cell phone? Dunno?
2. Your significant other? Special
3. Your hair? Long
4. Your mother? Jolly
5. Your father? Gone
6. Your favorite thing? Son
7. Your dream last night? Weird
8. Your favorite drink? Coffee!!
9. Your dream/goal? Farm
10. The room you’re in? Living
11. Your church? Family
12. Your fear? Spiders
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Snohomish
14. Where were you last night? Home
15. What you’re not? Bored
16. Muffins? Pumpkin
17. One of your wish list items? Antiques
18. Where you grew up? Paradise
19. The last thing you did? Awaken
20. What are you wearing? Pjs
21. Your TV? None
22. Your pets? Cat
23. Your computer? Laptop
24. Your life? Full
25. Your mood? Serene
26. Missing someone? Holly
27. Your car? Unhealthy
28. Something you’re not wearing? Shoes
29. Favorite store? Ours!
30. Your summer? Happy
31. Like(love) someone? Lots!
32. Your favorite color? Rainbow
33. Last time you laughed? Always
34. Last time you cried? Dunno
35. Who will repost this? Nobody

I love these stupid things.  The idea of answering these with one word was a unique challenge - its interesting to think of which questions took me a long time to answer.  One of them was #9.  In the last year, I have achieved a number of my dreams and goals.  I have a wonderful husband, we own a home and a business we love, I have a son AND I was able to quit my day job to be home with him, and I'm doing art again.  Much of our life feels very complete.  So, what's next?  I believe in always having goals and dreams, so I really had to think about this one.  I'll likely think more about it later.  Anyway, my answer relates to #13.  We want very much to return to the Snohomish community.  It is home to us.  So, my dream and goal is for one day to live on one of those lovely little patches of green farmland, in a sweet little farmhouse that needs a little love, and perhaps a big red barn.  My dreams are pretty simple. :)

I've always liked answering questions.  In school, I actually enjoyed tests.  The ACTs and SATs were fun.  And I especially loved math, because in general, there is always just one right answer.  What a relief that was!  My love of questions may have been instilled in me as a child, as one of the games I'd play with my dad, usually on a long drive somewhere, was "What's the capital of..." and "What's the square root of..." and so on.

Anyway, here are some more one worders for you!  Lots of new products in the store since the last time I blogged about store products:

Americana!

Candles!

Stars!

Primitives!

No, It Isn't Chocolate Cake

We had a lovely few days down at my mom's house in the Hood Canal area.  One of those fun little towns that has a post office, general store, and zip code, and that's IT, literally.  It isn't too far from where I grew up, but feels totally different.  The trees, the birds, the bugs, even the dirt is all just a bit different.  So I don't get this nostalgic feeling of remembering my childhood when I go there, but I do feel like I'm building new wonderful fun memories.  I have mixed feelings about this one.

I stopped mid-sentence while talking with my mom when I realized my son had been way too quiet for way too long.

This isn't chocolate cake crumbs.  It looks like it, but isn't.  Unfortunately.

What's worse is that he didn't even make a face, like it was completely gross that he was eating dirt.  He didn't even spit it out, I had to scoop it out with my finger.

He sure was awfully cute, though.

Thoughtful Friday 2

Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.  --James M. Barrie

Thoughtful Friday 1

I enjoy reading other people's blogs.  It is like sitting down with my morning coffee and reading a beautiful magazine, only it is online.  Anyway, one I especially like is Bella Dia - every Friday she posts a quote and photo, just for something nice to end the week and give you something to think about over the weekend.  I tend to like any exercise that gets me thinking about life, so I have decided to join in, this week at least.  We'll see if I can remember to keep up over the next Fridays.  Ever since I quit my job at the hospital, I can never remember what day of the week it is.  That usually isn't a problem, it just means I may miss this sometimes.  But that's OK, this is something fun, not something to be militant about.

"I have learned that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."  -Henry David Thoreau

Busy Bee

I realize I've been rather quiet lately.  I'm not really sure why its been so long since I've blogged.  We have indeed been busy, I guess.  Benjamin recently had his first birthday.  One year already!  As everyone always says, it has gone by so fast, but I have enjoyed every moment.  Truly.

We've also been busy bees in the art room.  I won't spill the beans yet, but we're up to our elbows in glass glitter, paper mache clay, paints, crepe paper and all other kinds of goodies, making some fabulous creations to sell at the Store.  They'll be available online too, of course.

I have also added tons of new products to the website in the last few weeks.  I can't even think of all of them!  Lots of new things by Park Designs, Tag, and Blossom Bucket, to name a few.  Much of it has been Fall/Harvest and Halloween for preorder, which is just very exciting.  At first, I started putting everything up simply because it was so much fun to release now, but I've since come to realize that it is an absolutely necessity for me to enter all those products now, because it'll take me until Halloween just to get all of them on the site!  I'm fast, but I'm not THAT fast.  Boy, there's a lot.

Well, that's my update - now that I've broken back in to blogging again, I'll try to do more often.  I don't consider myself a particularly good writer, but I really do enjoy blogging.  I tend to forget one day to the next, so it is fun to get my thoughts down "on paper," then read back over the last week or month to see what all happened.

Hope you all are having a happy week!  Keep in touch.

Red, White, & Blue Collection

I've been working super hard on the website lately, adding products.  We have so many new things on the way - many won't be here for several months yet, but in order to keep up, I've got to put them on now.  This is good news for you, because this means you can preorder your favorite country, primitive, and folk art items now!  This means the item is reserved for you, as often we sell out very quickly, and it'll ship immediately upon arrival.  Some things coming are Lori Mitchell figurines, fabulous halloween and fall items from ESC Trading Company, Blossom Bucket, Park Designs, plus Lang calendars and planners.  Most of our Seasons of Cannon Falls order for Christmas has arrived, so that will be going up soon too, for immediate shipping.

But let's not forget summer!  Yesterday I got much of our summertime and 4th of July items by Tag online, ready for immediate shipping!  We carry their Summer Splash, Red White & Blue, Bizzy Bee, and Blueberry Collections, including dishtowels, dip bowls, spreaders, pitchers, napkins, platters, salt & pepper shakers, even paper lanterns!  Click on any photo below to go immediately to the item...

Hope you are all having a lovely week - keep in touch, we love hearing from you!

First Mother's Day

I hope you all had a lovely Mother's Day!  This was my first.  As I sat in church that morning, I realized that a year ago that very day I was very largely pregnant, as it was the eve of my due date - though Benjamin wasn't born until 8 days later. 

Although I was very uncomfortable, I really enjoyed those last days of my pregnancy very much.   I went on maternity leave early, and as mentioned was over a week late giving birth too - we lived in beautiful Snohomish at the time, and the weather was starting to become beautiful, and all the flowers were blooming.

We in fact spend the first wee hours of labor wandering the gardens of our neighbors, looking out at the river and smelling all the new growth.  I was still early enough on in my labor that this was still possible, and enjoyable.

 

This was one of the saddest things about moving - we loved the area we lived in, and we loved our neighbors.  It was a storybook place.  Right off first street there is this little cluster of historic homes tucked all together in this cute cul-de-sac, so smooshed together that they share the kind of garden that winds all around their doorsteps, you don't know what is whose. 

 

It is such a very lovely place - add to that the freshness of early morning spring and the sweetness of the neighbors, and I am blessed to have a beautiful picture of mother's day forever stamped in my memory. 

 

Our birth was a long and difficult one, but it was so full of special moment and loving people that I will always think of it fondly.  So, technically this was my first mother's day, as Benjamin wasn't quite born yet last year - but in my heart, I think of that as my first time.

 

Lori Mitchell is here!

Well, almost here.  Sorry we haven't written in so long - we've been busy adding products like mad!  If you haven't been following the website, I'll highlight the new things on the blog throughout the week.  One of the most exciting things is that the ESC Trading Company catalogue has finally arrived!  We have the order in, and it is due to arrive this summer, hopefully in July.  Our Lori Mitchell goes fast every year, so reserve yours today! 

Below is a just sampling...this year, we also have wonderful works by David Harmon of Folk Art By David, Dan DiPaolo, Deborah Graham, Sharon Andrews, and more!

A lot of what we're adding these days is fall...I can't hardly wait, I'm so excited....

Espirella

Jack Spratt

Sweet Pea

Halloween Heights

 
Dinky Dinosaur

Autumn Splendor Mugs

Captain Kidd

Primitive Jack-o-Lantern

Primitive Wooden Trays

Dance In The Rain Plate

Today was a beautiful day - crisp and clear with just a little rain.  It is starting to stay light longer into the evening, and it just makes me happier!  Our friend Bob (the Builder) is downstairs working with Chris on finishing our basement.  Until that is done, I've had sort of a rotating desk.  When I have childcare, I get to be at the store.  When I don't, I've been all over the house, but lately have settled on the kitchen table.  I really like it!  It is nice and bright, and right in front of a huge window.  Last weekend Bob brought is 4 year old son with him, so I used him as an excuse to buy some fun, bright colored melamine plates and bowls, and a matching oilcloth tablecloth.  Only $5 at Safeway!  It is my new favorite thing.  Seriously, I'm tempted to use nothing but oilcloth on my tables for the rest of my life.  It is thick, cute, and stays CLEAN.  I love it!

I added tons of new products over the weekend.  Highlighted this evening are some fabulous primitive style plates and trays from The Hearthside Collection.  We've had these a long time in the store, and I finally got several choice up on the website this weekend.  These are for decorative use only, so no food on these guys.  We have the Lord's Prayer Plate and the Serenity Prayer Plate at our house, and have given them as gifts too.  They're nice and heavy, and have a great folk art / primitive look about them.  Check out our Woodenware category for all the choices I have up so far!

Hope you all have a lovely evening!

God of Mercy Tray

Rollercoasters

I just love how the mind of a child works.  I got this email from one of my best friends, whose daughter is my goddaughter.  She'll be three in August. 

"The other day we were at The Weed Patch. She was looking at some new coasters, which, of course, she has loved since she was old enough to grasp one in her hand and gnaw on it. (Not that I recommend porous cork as a teether...eww.) She picked up one that she hadn't seen before and said, 'Oh, I love this rollercoaster!'  So there you have it...a customer product review. You have great rollercoasters! "

This motivated me to add Coasters as a new category to The Weed Patch Online Store.  We have quilted coasters by Victorian Heart, as well as my goddaughter's favorite, which are the cork type with full color folk art work, by Legacy Publishing.  Click here to take a look!