Whew! What A Day!

Well, Four Dog Vintage is now open and I am so excited. I started photographing and listing things this morning and spent the entire day on it. I did get eight things listed and worked in FourDogDay for a little while too. Tomorrow will be more of the same. Here are a few of my favorites. You can click on the pictures for details.

I decided to relist a lot of things in FourDogDay too. I had let a lot of things expire when I was trying to decide which direction I wanted to go with the shop. Now that we've opened a second shop, I decided to relist my pillows, coasters, pins and even some of my picture frames. I feel really good about it so I know it's the right decision. I will be making new things, but just not at the pace I was able to before. My time will be divided between the two shops. So....we shall see how it goes.

I also had this awesome flower girl basket sitting in my workshop. Long story....but I made two of them for a relative's wedding and they ended up only needing one. I really wasn't sure what to do with it, so I listed it in FourDogDay today. I think it's so pretty. I'm hoping someone will be able to use it.


Baby update.....the doctor said that if Tresa went into labor now they wouldn't stop it. I am getting more nervous by the day. We are down to 38 days! We are going there next weekend to work on the baby's room. I can't wait!

So, what have you been up to the past few days? Anything interesting? What's on your agenda for tomorrow? For me it's early morning grocery shopping and then back to the workshop! Have a super day tomorrow and I'll chat with you soon!

So Sorry

I am afraid I am going to be neglecting you for a little while. Irv and I are opening a Vintage shop on etsy. We are busy cleaning our treaures and then I will start photographing them so we can get them listed.

We decided on Four Dog Vintage for our shop name, and I really do love it. I wasn't sure I wanted to keep the Four Dog, but it really is how people know me so it would have been silly not to use it. I made a cheapie banner through etsy, but it's starting to grow on me. You can see it here. I'm trying to get all of my info in the shop so we can just start listing items when we have enough of them ready.

I will give you a little sneak peak at the first thing I am going to list. It is this set of vintage dresser handles. I loved them when I saw them. They cleaned up nicely and they will be item #1 I think. :)

So my evenings now are all about getting the shop ready. I am popping in and reading some blogs in the evening so I'm still here. Now it's time to have some dinner and iron some cute little hankies and embroidered cocktail napkins. I think I am going to love this!

We Have a Winner or Two or Three!

Thanks for the fun comments on yesterdays old photo! It's really fun to look back and remember things you did when you were a kid....and I was a kid when that photo was taken....probably all of 18 years old.

As I am writing this Monday evening......

of the people that commented about what one of their first jobs were, we had another telephone operator, an almost telephone operator turned key punch operator, a bank teller, a library worker, a cafe worker and a vacuum cleaner salesman! How fun is that?

For those of you who tried to guess which one of those charming young ladies was yours truly......second one on the right....the one sort of and sort of not looking at the camera. :)

Do you enjoy looking at old photos?

Operator.....

I told you a while back how I worked for the phone company after high school. I was an Operator. Yes, the kind that use to connect your long distance calls. I worked at a switchboard and plugged the little plug in when a light popped up and said, "Operator". The person would tell me the number they wanted to call and I would mark it on a card and then take another plug and stick it into an outgoing hole and punch in the number and away went the call. The cords stayed plugged in until the lights on the console turned red and signaled that the call was done. Oh my...those were the days.

I got promoted to a Junior Supervisor where I would help train new Operators and then I transferred out to work in the Business Office where people would call to order phone service. I quit when I was pregnant with Tresa so I was there for about five years.

A friend of mine that I worked with at the phone company posted the following picture for me on Facebook. Can you find me?

I love our clothes. Even sitting at a switchboard in an office where no one ever saw you...you dressed for business!

Carol reminded me how we had to get permission to get up to go to the bathroom and there was no talking allowed. I do remember that the hours for people with little seniority were awful. I especially hated the A/E shift....that was afternoon/evening...in other words...your entire day was shot. I loved days, but most of the time those hours went to the "older" ladies that had been there for a while.

Oh the memories.....what was your first job out of high school or college?

Baby Shower #2

Baby Shower #2 is now officially in the books. It was a lovely day at the Bed and Breakfast. I have some photos to share....

Because we have such a tiny house, we usually have our showers at a restaurant. This time I decided to do something different. I chose a Bed and Breakfast with a Luncheon Tea.

The house was built in 1886 and I just love the look of it. It has so much character and is definitely something I could live in. I couldn't run a Bed and Breakfast since I hate to cook and I really don't like waiting on people....but the house....I'll take it!

Sherry, the owner of the B & B does such a wonderful job. Sherry made the wonderful scones and I made the little place cards.

We had one table with eight people and one with seven. They were separated by a few feet so it still had a nice "together" feel to the seating arrangement. The menu consisted of finger sandwiches that all took into consideration Tresa's gluten free diet...there was chicken salad with craisins on rice crackers that everyone loved, turkey and swiss cheese on little ranch flavored rice cakes and sun dried tomato pesto and goat cheese on cucumber slices along with the scones with raspberry preserves and whipped cream.....then we had dessert.....strawberries, grapes, cheesecake, peanut butter cookies, mini lemon cupcakes and mini carrot cake cup cakes....with hot peach tea or iced raspberry tea. It was excellent!

She has two young girls that work with her when she does showers. They were so cute and did such a nice job!

Everything in the house is so wonderful. It's just filled with antiques. There was so much to look at!

I just love this! She has a corner set up like an old barber shop! Maybe it housed a barber shop at one time.

All of the wood in the house is just gorgeous. I loved the carving of the fireplace.

We finally got a SEES candy shop in our area. I had heard how good it was so Irv and I stopped yesterday and picked up some treats. These were lollipops that are suppose to be fabulous. I haven't had one yet, but everyone took some home with them. Chocolate, vanilla, butterscotch and cafe latte....Mmmmmmm! I put them in little sundae glasses and tied on a little ribbon...blue with white polka dots!

These are the little plants I did for everyone to take home with them. It was just a couple little flowers and lots of baby's breath I added. I tied a bow around them and then added a little blue felt elephant that I made. I thought they turned out pretty cute and everyone seemed to like them.


Here are a few pictures we took of the guests. There are a few pictures that didn't turn out real well, so this isn't everyone....but most. I will do my best to tell you who they are from left to right....Debbie (Irv's sister), Marianna (Irv's nephew's wife), Tresa, Judy (Irv's sister), Arshia (Irv's nephew's wife) and Bernadette (my daughter-in-law).

Tresa with her friends, Liz, Jenny and Sabrina.

Kathy (Tresa's mother in law), Tresa, Kelly (Tresa's sister in law) and yours truly.

My girls....Bernadette and Tresa...

It was a lovely shower and she received so many great things for our little man. Now the showers are over and the countdown begins. We are going to their condo in a couple of weeks to set up the room and the following to go shopping for things for the walls and anything else our little man might need.

I am tired, but happy and now it is time to get back to my workshop! I have things to make, things to list and a new shop to get open. Life is oh so good...isn't it?

This, That and the Other

Just a very quick hello. I am all ready for the shower except to pick up some balloons in the morning, some baby's breath to add to the flower pots and finding something to wear. I thought I was going to wear an old dress I had, but when I put it on I didn't like it at all. Hopefully I can find something in the morning.

Irv and I had fun at the garage sale this morning too. They didn't have as much vintage stuff as I had hoped for, but we did pick up some neat stuff. I will show you soon. I spent some time this evening trying to come up with a cute name for our new vintage shop, but it is not an easy task at all. Many are taken on etsy or the .com isn't available. Got any ideas? I am accepting suggestions.

Today is my son Michael and his wife Bernadette's fifth wedding anniversary. Happy Anniversary to you guys! I love you!

Can you tell me how you can vacuum up TONS of dog hair, sweep up TONS of dog hair, mop up TONS of dog hair, clean TONS of dog hair out of the lint trap on the dryer and the darn dog still has TONS of hair left?? Maggie is our first really hairy dog and let me tell you she will be our last really hairy dog! I got up to go to the bathroom last night and I thought there was a small dead animal in the hallway....it was just a huge blob of hair!

Well that is it for now. I am going to get a good night's sleep, get up early and get ready for a fun baby shower. I will take lots of pictures for you. Have a wonderful weekend and do something really nice for yourself...and for someone else.

Baby Shower #1

Baby Shower #1 was hosted by Tresa's mother-in-law, Kathy and her sister-in-law, Kelly. It was a wonderful shower. There were about 25 guests and we all enjoyed a wonderful meal, great conversation and had fun watching Tresa open her gifts. Let me just say that baby boy is going to be one well dressed little man!

Tables were set outside on the patio next to the pool. I love their backyard and should have taken some photos. It is so beautiful and peaceful.

There were lots of little critters hanging here and there.

Kathy is an amazing cook and Kelly makes unbelievable desserts and candy. We had a fantastic salad, quiche, lox and bagels, chicken salad and corn muffins....and then dessert on top of that!





Here are me, my daughter-in-law Bernadette, Tresa, Kelly (who is expecting around Christmas) and Kathy.


Chris and his dad had been out playing golf and came home at the end of the shower. We got Chris to join us for a few pictures.


It was just such a great day. It makes me even more anxious for the little guy to make his appearance. I can't wait to meet him. We have another shower on Saturday....this is the one I am hosting. It is an afternoon tea at a bed and breakfast. I'll share pictures next week.

Have a wonderful evening everyone and I will chat with you soon.