I'M DOING THE BEST I CAN

I'm blessed to the max, but a fairytale??

.......not so much

How do y'all do it??

You make it seem so effortless.

I've come to the conclusion that some of you

might be a wee bit O.C.D.

And the rest of you never sleep.

Me??

I feel like Barbie every minute of every hour of every day.

Did you know that I qualify for that Hoarders show on T.V.?

Yeah, I'm a Mixed Media Hoarder.

It's gotten so bad that I haven't completely unpacked from two art retreats....

both held last year and then there's this year's p.c. retreat...

Oh, and estate sales, flea markets, resale shops, junk shops,

people's trash by the side of the road,

crack house apartments being demo'd - I stopped to see

what treasures I could find.

I found a pick-up load. No kidding.

In an effort to keep up with something,

I made a promise to myself - it was about a week ago -

I was going to keep up with my blog roll.

Then I got this great idea that I would "rotate" some blogs

 off to get the number of blogs I read  I'm supposed to be reading

under 200. It didn't work.

I added six new blogs.

Oh, and my blogging??

I think it's so cute that you feel you have to ask.

I'm about 8 or 9 posts behind.

I plan on catching up.

Surely I can find the time.

The rest of you manage to blog, read your blog roll,

scour estate sales, create!, list all of your many creations

in your Etsy shop,

mail out all of the orders you get "the next day",

host swaps, be in five or more swaps at a time,

teach workshops, attend art retreats,

raise your well-behaved children,

cook well-balanced meals for your well-behaved children

and your darling husband,

and I'll bet you clean your own house, too.

AND, you work.

YOU WORK!...

I don't.

Work, that is.

I will admit that I have a couple of medical adventures

that I deal with on a daily basis, but I DON'T WORK....

Where are you finding the time??

I'm beginning to wonder if this isn't a master plan

of *church lady's voice* "Saaa-tan".

I can hear him now, telling his evil little elves,

"Let's drive Jan nuts. I know just how to do it..."

I see you looking at the picture above of my kitchen

and at the picture just below of our bedroom.

These pictures are a few years old.

I've been pretty immobile off and on for the last six years

and I can assure you that the kitchen doesn't look

like the picture above.

The Tank's had free reign and that speaks volumes.

And the bedroom??

Well, both areas had probably just been cleaned

by my cleaning lady when these pictures were snapped.

That cleaning lady was 'let go' yesterday.

Let's just say I didn't vote for Obama

and we use to have money left over

every month for that cleaning lady...

for the last 25 years.

I'll be doing the cleaning from now on.

Well, all except the Tank's bathroom.

I refuse to go into that room.

There's a reason a man should have his own bathroom.

Oh, and one last special little thing I want to

share with you about my life...

I haven't cooked or baked in years.

Mostly because of illnesses, broken bones,

snapped tendons and leg braces, blah, blah, blah.

I told Frank yesterday that I'd start cooking again.

Yeah.

I think my meds need to be adjusted.

So, here it is, sweet friends.

I'll probably re-read this story and realize

that it's completely disjointed

but, heck, I really don't care.

I have dinner to cook.

And, I'm doing the best I can.

ANOTHER FIVE STAR ESTATE SALE .....oh.....my.............GOSH!!!

I know!! Two hoarder estate sales, one right after the other?? Who'da thought? I was floating like 9" off the ground as I stood in line waiting to get in yesterday. It felt a little like the Exorcist when I realized that I was floating above the sidewalk.
And as I stood in line, I must tell you that my mother said to me, after having attended last weekend's sale and fixin to attend this second hoarder sale, "You ought to have Fitch Estate Sales do an estate sale on your studio."
Oh, really, mother... 
The woman will never understand mixed media art.

These wonderful estate sales that I attend weekend after weekend are put on by Fitch Estate Sales. Rachel Fitch is the owner and we've come to like each other a lot - heck, I see her every weekend when I'm in town because I can't stay away from her estate sales.

The infamous Rachel Fitch with a gosh-awful hat on her head, striking a pose.

I DON'T THINK the "hat" sold.

I'm very excited that tomorrow, Sunday morning in case I don't get this finished until late Sunday or Monday, because her husband is going to be guest pastor while our pastor and his family are at Disney World. I'm so looking forward to it - maybe I'll be able to stay awake for the entire sermon for a change.
(Oh, hush, I'm just kidding)

And, before we get to the part you're dying for....the pics of my treasures, I simply must dedicate this post to my new estate sale, antique dealing, mixed media artist friend, Anne Lorys. She had to work and is relying on my finds to feed her hunger for all things found!
 The way Fitch Estate Sales operates is that the first day of the sale, usually a Friday, everything is full-price, and the second day is 1/2 price or less. So, you buy what you must have or die on the first day and go back on the second day and grab up everything you hid under the beds and buy it for half-price.

And, I have come to a new understanding of how emotional, how stressful, putting on an estate sale is for the family because I know the daughter of the woman whose estate was being sold this weekend. It's so hard on the family to have to go through their loved one's things, decide what to keep, what to part with...I have a greater realization now that I've had a friend have to go through that...
 So, on to this weekend's sale. . .

The house is older, absolutely darling and full of the most amazing light fixtures!

I was dyin' when I found all of these vintage baby shoes!

Dyin'!!

These two vintage baby dresses really touched my heart.

There were a lot of much loved teddy bears. I picked up these two - the one on the left for me and the one on the right is a surprise present for an artist friend.......

Oh, yeah, a vest made out of a gorgeous quilt which I plan on cutting up as needed for different projects. And, the price?

You wouldn't believe me if I told you!

This bunch of vintage lace is a BUNCH of vintage lace and I bought it the 2nd day.....a steal. I should be in jail.

I love it, I love it, I love it!

Believe me when I tell you that you cannot see ALL of the trims, all of the fabulous rick-rack, in this stack.

Add another year to my jail sentence.

My mother thought I was sick when I squeeled as I found these loose limbs and she's seen my "the creepier the doll the better" workroom.

I didn't get it.

Yet another pair of legs and a lady's head, heehee, a wonderful vintage collar and two hand appliqued arch-like pieces and a sequined bunny - so cool. Oh, and that plastic tube-like container is how they used to package zippers!

For my "the creepier the doll the better" workroom I bought a vintage doll body - no head. I love it and my mother is seriously concerned....I also got another pair of vintage children's shoes a small old coin purse and a small, very sturdy hat box.

Now, I've personally never seen a hat quite small enough to fit this "hat box" but whatever it is, it is fabulous.

Here's a close-up of the "hat box"-isn't it great?

The metal handle on the top-love it!

A tin FULL of the most wonderful vintage jewelry.

($2.50 for all of it on Day 2).

Another steal , another year in jail.

Oh, my gosh....Day 2 and that's a vintage hat covered with large pink velvet leaves which are covered with pink netting - somebody shoot me! And the precious cereal bowls...$1.00 each - Day 2. The vintage gold capped bead necklace - $1.00 on Day 2 *that was a real deal*, and a darling small, made in Germany *chipped* pitcher for my small white pitcher collection - Day 2, $1.00. WHOOP!!! 

Are you ready?? .....a long strand of pink mercury beads, a gold chain and vintage white cotton collar-do they have ice cream in jail??

A very interesting shaped Marie Antoinette embroidered piece with a fabulous edging. This is a very wonderful piece. WOO HOO!!

And, last but not least, a suitcase to add to the ones next to the chair in the LR on top of which I'll set the lamp you're drooling over (or maybe not so much) and this really neat heavy iron lid-to-something that will be in my fern bed making me smile whenever I see it.

As you well know, junking can be exhausting so mom and I ate a most delicious lunch at my favorite mexican restuarant in Kerrville, Los Altos de Jalisco no.4.

Oh, baby, it was a great way to end Day 2 of a most wonderful estate sale.

As always, thank you to all of my readers. You make my day with your uplifting comments and I love you all!

Jan