Time for a change!

There comes a time in everyone's life when they need to take a step back and re-evaluate what is most important and where they want to place the main focus in their lives. After MANY months of soul searching and tossing things around in my head, I have come to the very difficult decision to pull myself out of the Red Rooster in Plymouth, WI where I have sold for the past 11 years!

This was not an easy decision for me considering the fact that the owner, my dear friend, Linda is battling cancer. But I had to be true to myself and my family and go with my heart, which was telling me that I needed to make some changes in my life. I had wonderful success at the Red Rooster and know that I could not have sold as well anywhere else. But I have really lost interest and all the moving and lugging was really taking a tole on me. I plan on being out by the 1st of September, and am having a 20% off sale in my room right now. So if you are in the Plymouth, WI area, go check it out!

Right now my heart is being tugged at by this little guy...
My gorgeous grandson, Jackson whom I babysit at least two days a week. He is the joy of my heart and I'd rather spend time with him than just about anything else!!




I also want to take more time to just enjoy my surroundings. I took this photo after a storm had just past over our farm, leaving us with this gorgeous sunset!


My husband has been very patient with me while I was making my decision. When we purchased our lake home, he gently suggested that I get out of the antique business. At that time I just wasn't ready...but now I am.

Hopefully we'll get to spend more time here...so relaxing!!!


Here's my skipper husband with his little first mate out on the lake in our pontoon boat!!

He is a very loving and patient grandpa!


It's not hard to accept a difficult decision when you have a very supportive family surrounding you. All my kids have been very patient with me as well, and let me take my time and supported me along the way!

More time for some summer fun!

I will continue to sell at my booth in the antique mall in Fond du Lac, WI....lots less stress and demand on me. Although sales are not near as good, but I guess you can't have everything!

I also have been having alot of fun with my Etsy shop!

Sales have been very good and I have been having a ball with it!! Something I can do from home and it gives me a good excuse to keep junking!!

And my last and final decision is to cut down on blogging, which I'm sure most of you have noticed already! It's been fun, but another one of those things that I feel is something that I could eliminate to make my life a little easier.

I hope to keep checking in now and then with my fave peeps to see what y'all got goin' on!

I don't think I can do this cold turkey!!!

Thanks so much for all the love and support I have received in the past!! I'm looking forward to seeing which window will be opened for me now that I've closed this door!

My best regards to all!

Julie

Where has the time gone?

It's hard to believe, but my little grandson celebrated his first birthday on Saturday...

and I ask myself, "where has the time gone"?!?! It seems like yesterday that my husband and I admired our new grandson in the hospital the morning he was born! We were so proud and overcome with emotion! He has brought us so much joy and enjoy him more each day!

So small and sweet, learning new things everyday!

Chubby and carefree!

From his first Halloween pumpkin...

to his first Christmas present...

it has been so much fun to see him grow and LOVE him more than words can say!!!!

The "torture" of his first haircut!

His birthday party was so much fun! The hat my daughter found for him was so darn cute!

Digging into his first piece of cake!

Four generations ~ my mom, my daughter Sara with Jackson and me...I love this picture!

My daughter has a very special bond with her dad, and he has proven to be a wonderful grandpa to Jackson. I think they will be sharing alot of special firsts together. He can't wait to take him fishing or give him a ride on the tractor! I think they will be real good buddies!

Thanks for indulging me with this little bragfest!!! I think it's obvious how much we adore this little man! Hopefully God will give us many more grandbabes to love!

Fun with Magnets!

This time of year I always look for ideas for simple projects to while away the hours on these long, cold winter days. While leafing through one of the more current issues of Somerset Home magazine, an article caught my eye that showed something that fit the bill! Using vintage elements such as buttons and jewelry to make magnets! These examples above are some of the ones I came up with!

This is the page I ripped out and hung on my inspiration and idea door!
So simple and pretty. The magnet I hung it with was an old pin that I took the back off of.

More examples I made using earrings and old buttons.

Perfect for displaying the business cards of blogging friends!!

...and my own too! I decided to branch out a little and dug through my stashes of junk, looking for anything I could glue a magnet to. Found this little tart tin and added a clock image from an old book and then glued a glass "bubble" over it!

How about a lone butter pat with a little bling in the middle?



This cabinet in my craft room stores supplies and makes a great spot to hang my clippings and inspiration pictures!

Of course you can use them to hang stuff on your frig too! Like pictures of your adorable grandbabies!!

A pair of old clip earrings now hold a picture of my favorite little cutie!

These little pieces of architectural adornments are the perfect size for magnets!


Funny how one picture in a magazine can start an idea in your head...I guess that's what inspiration is all about!

So I'm joining Debra for her Vintage Inspiration Friday party at her blog Common Ground!
Now I'm heading over to get some more inspiration!

Thanks for stopping by!

Our Little Punkin'!!

On Saturday, my daughters and I took my grandson, Jackson to a pumpkin farm!! Let me tell Ya--We had so much fun and our little guy was just adorable!! He had just had a little nap and some lunch and he was ready to play!!
"Grandma, these punkins are bigger than me!!"
My niece knitted his hat and it had a little green stem on the top like a little sprout ~ too cute!!

He was infatuated with the grass!!

Kinda tickly and yummy enough to eat!

Here he is with his mama ~ my daughter, Sara!

This place is great for kids with a petting zoo, corn maze and hayrides!!
I remember bringing my kids here when they were small...
and it still is a perfect way to spend a fall afternoon!

Grandma and Jackson checking out the goats ~

and posing in "granny's orchard"!!

This wonderful place is called "The Little Farmer" located just a few miles North of Fond du Lac, WI and has been a family-oriented place for decades.

It is family-owned and the homestead is right in the middle of the farm!
Check out this gorgeous house!

WOW!! ~ amazing architecture!!

Pumpkins, gourds of all types, mums, apple cider, and our favorite~~caramel apples!

Pumpkins as far as the eye can see!

They do such a wonderful job with their landscaping and there were many opportunities for photos!

This was just the perfect day! And having a little one to enjoy it with made it just that much more special!!

Next year - we'll be running after him!!

Please Excuse Me While I Brag!!

Please indulge me for a moment as I share some recent photos of my grandson!! I stole these from my daughter's Facebook album and they are my favorites~~Big inquisitive eyes!!
Sleepy time!

He is a good-natured, happy little guy that scrunches up his nose when he laughs!!
And you can tell he's well-fed by the size of those legs!!

Sittin' on grandpa's lap on the 4th of July!

~ Jackson and his mama, my daughter Sara~

Don't know if you can see it, but his pants were cow spots with this little tail comin' out the butt!!

~ My son Kevin with his little nephew~

Just chillin'

He often times has this serious, contemplative look when he's checkin' you out!!

Thanks for lettin' me get out my grandma's brag pics ~ he is the JOY of my life and I truly enjoy the 2 days a week he's at my house!

The child is not lacking in the love and affection department!!


Julie

ANOTHER PRAYER ANSWERED!!!

OUR DAUGHTER AND SON-IN-LAW TOOK OUR GRANDSON, JACKSON TO MILWAUKEE YESTERDAY FOR X-RAYS OF HIS HEAD AND NECK TO CHECK FOR POSSIBLE BIRTH DEFECTS.

THE DOCTOR CALLED MY DAUGHTER THIS AFTERNOON AND SAID THAT EVERYTHING LOOKED NORMAL!!!! THEY FEEL THAT THE UN-NATURAL SHAPE OF THE BACK OF HIS HEAD WAS CAUSED BY HIM BEING BREACH FOR SO LONG!! HE WAS LIKE THAT FOR AT LEAST 2 MONTHS AND THE DOCTOR THAT DELIVERED HIM SAID HE WAS REALLY "IN THERE"!! THEY HOPE THIS SHOULD CORRECT ITSELF OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS!

I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW RELIEVED WE ALL WERE WHEN WE GOT THIS WONDERFUL NEWS!! THE THOUGHT OF THIS BEAUTIFUL CHILD HAVING TO UNDERGO SURGERY TO HIS HEAD WAS VERY UPSETTING AND OVERWHELMING!!!

HE CONTINUES TO BE OUR LITTLE MIRACLE AND I LOVE HIM SO!! I WENT OVER TO MY DAUGHTER'S TONIGHT AND JUST HELD AND ROCKED HIM! WAS 100 KISSES OVER THE TOP?!?

IT'S A BOY!!!!

I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of our family...my new baby grandson Jackson. He was born on April 2nd (Good Friday) at 8:42 am. He weighed in at 8 lbs. 3 ozs. and might I add that he is just PERFECT!!!!!!!

Here he is modeling his Easter outfit complete with bunny ears and fuzzy footies!!! I told my daughter, his mama, that he couldn't possibly get any cuter!!!

His grandma has been a blubbering, emotional mess since the second I laid eyes on him. I am totally, completely in love!!!!!

My daughter's pregnancy had some complications from the get go. She also had 2 miscarriages last year--very heartbreaking for her! So we are so very aware of the grace and mercy of our Almighty God!!!! Our precious little Easter miracle!!!