Box of Sunshine

I have many, many things and people in my life that make me happy. Like you, I have blessings to list. There are moments, however, I feel like I am going to sufficate, implode, snap or yell. Do you have those moments?

While working for a mission (homeless, transitional & emergency need) a few years ago I became very stressed, frustrated and felt helpless at times. I learned a lot about human nature, God's grace and compassion but still, those moments crept in.

My eldest daughter, Stephenie made me a 'Box of Sunshine'. She instructed me to pull a little note out any time I felt stressed. Some days I pulled 2 or 3 out of the box.

Now, owning my own business I have different 'moments' and often run to my Box of Sunshine for relief. I find that I am calmer after reading one of the notes because I know how much love went in to making the box of notes and because the colors just make me smile.

I'm so grateful for this little box and for those that take time to say or write little things to just send a little sunshine.

Farquhar Road

My wonderful friend, Melinda Lantz was working in South Africa when she made her driver pull over so she could snap these photos. Fun, huh? I hope this gives my sister-in-law (who has been working on lineage for years) some new 'avenues' to pursue in the family tree search!

Hanging With My Girl

One of my all time favorite people to hang out with is my 11 month old granddaughter. Every single day she accomplishes something new. Last week she waved at me, kissed me when I asked for a kiss and clapped when I sang "Patty Cake". Yesterday she did the motion (in her own way) for 'roll 'em up & roll 'em up" - the next verse in "P'Cake". I can't wait to see what today holds!

Flea Marketing in Branson, MO

A couple of weeks ago, my junkin' friend, Sue and I headed for Branson to do a little treasure hunting. I knew just the place to go; Mrs. Cadwell's Downtown Flea Market. Not only is this the oldest flea market in Branson - it is also my very favorite.

Down the steep hills of old Branson on Hwy 76 (also known as 76 Country Blvd) you will find many eclectic shops including the one just next door to Mrs. C's called Main Street Flea Market. If you are not familiar with the Ozarks; this is what it looks like when you build on one of the 'mountains'. You definitely get a workout walking up and down the street!

Just inside the entrance, I spied these neat railroad date nails. They were $1.50 each. I didn't buy any but I thought they were neat.

Something I did buy was this shoe box packed full of all colors of chenille pieces. The seller had $8 for the entire box and then ran a 50% off any purchase from her booth. What a find!

I love digging in the linen bins you find in just about every other booth in a Branson flea market. Many hand embroidered items, quilt pieces, tea towels...you name it. I was delighted to find this hand appliqued and embroidered pillow case. The fabric is the softest cotton pink comes in!

I don't know if you can read the price or not, but I nabbed this lovely up for $2.50. Another great find was this Belle of the Ball tray. I didn't purchase it but held it & admired it for a lengthy time. I had to snap a photo for prosperity.

If you love quilts, Branson is the place to go. You will find vintage and antique quilts by the droves. Some are in excellent condition, some are gently worn and others are sold for crafts. Regardless of the condition, you can see the love and tenderness taken in each stitch. Here are photos of a few that were hanging outside just one booth. The prices range from $30 to $80.

One thing is for sure when shopping in Branson; you'll see the finest and the quirkiest! Here are a couple photos of booths. Digging is half the fun because the sellers pack the booth tight! I have a couple of favorite booths that I totally dismantle to hunt for goodies. (Yeah, I put stuff back...with a little displaying & merchandising to boot!)

Aren't these dishes yummy? This is in one of only a couple retro booth's at Mrs. C's.

I did purchase these three pottery finds. I brought the little pink one to RB&C but had to keep the others for my personal collection.

I bought a wonderful pink plastic case full of buttons, a vinyl snap front case in the most wonderful teal, a couple of vintage framed pictures, an antique oval frame with Miss About Town's photograph, a magazine rack, a blanket, a table cloth and some other goodies and paid $28. What a haul! I had a wonderful time. The best part of the whole trip was meeting my mom for lunch. She lives in Arkansas about an hour and a half from Branson. So, after a great lunch, some snuggling, then flea marketing; Sue and I headed for Star Buck's and hit Hwy 65 for the 40 minute drive home....oh, wait, we stopped in Ozark for more flea marketing! I'll blog about some of my other finds soon!

Felt Valentine Pin

This little Valentine pin is just right for your blouse, as a package trim or to pin on a pillow. It measures approximately 2.5" x 3.5". Below are my supplies and instructions. A friend told me one time that my perfectionism gets in the way of my creativity. I remembered that when making this little guy; you'll notice the quirks & character in the uneven stitches and placement. She was right, what only took about 30 minutes to make could have taken me hours if I had been concerned with it being perfect. The end result is still cute!

Supplies:
felt scraps

embroidery thread

scissors (fabric, paper, nippers)

needle

straight pins (just a couple will do)

small safety pin

template board (I use cereal boxes for templates)
pen (I used a Sharpie)

chalk or marking for felt

Draw your pattern on the back of the cereal box. I used a fat Sharpie so I could see it well. I highlighted the pieces in pink so you could see them better. I didn't know there would be a game on the inside!

Assemble your pattern and supplies. Trace the pattern onto your felt using a soft writing tool or chalk. Cut out your pieces. Now, you are ready to begin!

I blanket-stitched around one heart (front). You can use any stitch you like. I sewed little dots in fun colors on the front. You could also sew beads, sequence, or dingle balls on. Set this piece aside for a bit.

Grab the other heart and sew the little safety pin on it.

Sew a border around the scalloped edged heart. I just did a straight stitch. Take the back piece that you put the safety pin on and sew it to the back of the scalloped edged heart. I used a black thread so it would show nicely on the front side.

I simply sewed the front heart right down the middle so it would have some dimension. And there you go! A felt Valentine pin.

Behind C-Street

In 1870, Springfield was excited about the arrival of the railroad from St. Louis. Springfield would finally be connected to the rest of the country. The railroad depot became the centerpiece of activity on the new Commercial Street. C-Street became a street vibrant with the railroad.

Today, if you step out back any business on the north side of C-Street you will automatically be on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe property. The property line ends at our back doors. This photo is the back door of RB&C. Most back doors are docks from the old days when the train would unload meat, horse care items, feed, furniture, tobacco and sundries.

In the early 1980's, I worked for Mr. Rosen and his son, Mark at Busy Bee Department Store. We used the dock and dock elevator for all deliveries, (the elevator had a hand pulley). We would hoist cases and cases of Levi's 501 jeans up to the 3rd foor for processing and tagging. Busy Bee (established in 1971) was known as the farmer's store because of the Levi's and Dungeree's farmer's wore.

There are at least eight active tracks just outside my back door. The trains work off an electric system and can start and stop without an engine. Many times you will hear the trains hook up with a loud crash. I have become accustom to the sound but am reminded how alarming it is when a customer asks, "What was THAT?"

Today, there is a train of boulders only feet from my back door. It's quite amazing site! Trains are much bigger than I thought they were.

This is the tail end of the boulder train. The back yard of C-Street is just as interesting with as much character as the front. By law, there is no trespassing to the train yard but to business owners the Railroad has been kind enough to let us park our vehicles in the gravel. I wanted to share what others may never have the chance to see. If you are ever in the area, you can walk across the the tracks via the historic Jefferson Avenue Footbridge. A glorious site lit up at night!

Hidden Treasures - Little Surprises!

Throughout my home, I have little treasures and surprises hidden here & there. This photo is of a bird house my dad and I made together (actually, he did nearly every part of of the bird house and I tailgated). The rest of the stack is a pile of vintage jewelry boxes. Inside are lots of wonderful buttons laying on a bed of amber velvet.

This little tin medicine cabinet hangs in my powder room. When you turn the right side wooden knob a little mechanical slide allows the doors to open. Inside is delightful.

In this photo you can see my chunky little pitcher, a collapsible tin cup, little Miss Beauty and a wonderful pink box.

The second shelf has just as many goodies. I love this kitten, it reminds me of the same molded plaster kitten my sister, Shelly painted grey when we were kids. She had a grey cat named Mitten. Aren't these little baskets wonderful? And, just as you suspected, there is a treasure inside the little present box. When you come and visit my home, feel free to look inside!
I hope this has inspired you to tuck treasures & surprises around your home!