Day 245 - 256

Busy, busy. Don't you just LOVE it when you find a treasure at a garage sale or auction? Both the dessser scarf and the dainty apron have beautiful hand-embroidery and are in pristine condition. I've listed them on Etsy...if they don't sell before the next Market, I'll take them with me.

Granddaughter Brianne is expecting. It's a boy due the end of this month. The family shower was last weekend. She looks great...I think the only pounds she's gained are the baby...still pretty thin everywhere else.

This was my shower gift...20 thank-you notes. Not nearly enough so she'll just have to send them to the special people (ha, ha).

Now that summer is on its last legs, the cherry and watermelon cards have to go. Need product with leaves, pumpkins, scarecrows...I'm working on it. First, though, are these wedding cards.

That antique trim was a garage sale find!! Yea!

After I took this picture, Michele said, "Dump the bells"...so I did...just a sticker that easily came off.

Emma and Abby on an outing with Michele. They went bike riding, had lunch and tried on hats.

Day 229 - 244

The August market was the worst selling day yet...I did make enough to cover the booth rental but that's about it. And I was so excited about all my back-to-school items. But I think a BIG problem is the way my booth is arranged so that's going to change next time and I expect LOTS more sales.

Here's the inside of my camper loaded up for market...all my products are in the truck with me...this is just the stuff that makes up the booth.

Jessica and Joel at Disney World...they went for a week courtesy of their other grandparents.

Yes, I'm still trying to take a picture every day...honestly, I often forget and then make up by taking several pictures in one day. All of these were taken last Friday.

Day 221 - 228

My life is pretty much getting ready for the August French Nest. The frustrating part is how little I actually get done each day. I'm not sure why...it's not like there's anything else I have to do....a mystery.

First is a calendar kit. They'll get the calendar and over a hundred tags, die cuts and cut paper to put on their calendar pages as they want. It's a July 2010 to December 2011 calendar so I've used the July page as a sample to give them some ideas.

They also get a clothespin...just because they're cute!

The girls and I went to the Larimer County Fair...great fun! These teeny-tiny rubber animals were a free prize at a small hide-and-seek game put on by the 4-H.

They look a little unsure just before the ride starts, but were ready to go again when they got off.

Because my booth has the school theme, I feel like I need to have lots of choices for customers. These are pretty quick to put together and I think...I hope...they'll be popular.

Day 218 - 220

I think I mentioned that my August French Nest booth will focus on Back To School. After years in California, it's still hard for me to get used to school starting in the middle of August instead of after Labor Day...but start it does.

These are lunchbox notes. I've been making them for three days and have about 6 sets of 8 cards and envelopes. I think most of them are pretty cute...of course, I won't make any money because how much can you charge for a 3 x 3 card and an envelope? But I'm hoping it will generate interest in the booth and people will remember me as, "that lady that makes cute things."

Day 216 - 217

Yesterday I drove ALL the way to Fort Morgan...about 1-1/2 hours...to an auction which, in the online description, sounded like there were several items I would like to have...not! Everything was junky or moldy...they neglected to mention there had been a flood.

So I drove around town thinking I might spot a garage sale or two...nope! I did take these two pictures of great homes.

Stopped to watch a little of Michele's softball tournament on the way back. She's still a terrific athlete and it's fun to watch her play.

Day 215

This is the last of the cigar boxes I altered. This one has an unattached lid and is really too small to have a decent-size pocket...so I made this insert. You could put in jewelry, doo-dads, $20 gold pieces.

Really terrible pictures...I should take them again...but I probably won't.

Day 214

This is what I've been working on for the last couple of days. Found a basket full of wooden cigar boxes at a garage sale...$5...and had an old picture of altering them this way...making an inset for the lid that has two pockets. Something new for the August French Nest.

This one fits into the back-to-school theme.

Day 203 – 213

I just have to accept it…I’m a blogger who blogs occasionally. I avidly follow several people who blog almost every day…and they put on lots of pictures…and they have families and lots of other things going on in their lives. I admire them all…but it’s just not me.

I’ve been working on some new items for the August French Nest. It will be just before school starts so using that as a theme. I’ve made lunch box notes, notepads and notebooks and I’m going to try a calendar. Pictures soon.

Also have modified three wooden cigar boxes with paper and ribbon…I like them…we’ll see if anyone else does. My 365 pictures have all been of Fort Collins homes this week.

This is a church. It's for sale and I'd LOVE to buy it and open a wedding business. It would be such a great place for weddings.

Day 201-202

The calm after the storm...the three or four days after the Market are very mellow. The next one seems a loooooooooong time away...of course, it isn't....and I try to catch up on everything I let slide in the frantic runup to the show.

Continuing with my 365 pictures project, I've decided I need a theme each week...or at least some weeks...to keep my interest up. Old Town Fort Collins has some gorgeous old homes so that's the theme this week.

Day 199 - 200

Today was the July French Nest Market...ohmigosh...soooooooooooooo hot!!! Still, lots of people came out. I did fairly well...sold some cards, lots of Post-it note holders and a couple of notepads.

This is my brand new card display unit conceived by Michele and built by Matt, Michele and I. It worked really well and lots more people stopped to look because it was such a cool display.

I also try to sell some of the "finds" from garage sales/auctions. Today I sold the oval mirror and the little seed box on the table. I thought for sure someone would buy the cradle with the new mattress and pillow but, nope!

Day 196 to 198

Posting to this blog almost got away from me again...what to do??? Sitting down at the computer is the last thing I do before bed, and sometimes I'm just too tired to think about what pictures to post and what to say. And this is the last couple days before the next French Nest Market so, of course, I'm REALLY busy.

These are two of the new cards. I'm hoping cards with the look of summer will be popoular.

In addition to my paper goodies, I also sell vintage treasures I find at garage sales/auctions if I can fix them up and make a profit. One of my finds was an old suitcase. And although I know most people display old suitcases closed and stacked up, I'm hoping someone will be interested in buying one to display open. I decoupaged the inside top and bottom with travel stuff. It looks pretty cool in person...the picture's not great.

Day 173 - 195

Blackout!!! Somehow I got away from writing here and every time I thought about getting back to it, I was too discouraged by how much there was to make up. So, I'm not going to make it up...I'm just going to start from here and go forward. I do have a few more of the Spain/Paris pictures. This is Monet's garden.