Christmas Gift Shows - It's that time of Year!

Last week was my first Christmas show of the season. 

I only participate in a few, but this one is one I have enjoyed.

It is held in a barn that is over 100 years old and is about an hour away from our home. 

It is a really fun show, with lots of vintage and vintage style items. 

I have to drive an hour each way every day, 

but it is worth it because I have so much fun!

Here is my display for selling our sparkling cider. It is a party offering tastes of each 
variety of cider to everyone there. 

There has not been a store in this community, Moses Lake, WA,  
that carried our cider until just after this show. 

Many people suggested the store to me as an option to sell it there, and then the store owner 
came and made arrangements with me!

Everyone at the show was thrilled that it will be available in their community.

I have really loved using my baker's rack for my cider display. It holds many bottles and 
I don't have to spend so much time hauling cases into events.

This is an awesome cabinet that I bought at a yard sale last year. I could not decide 

how to refinished it... 
Do I paint it? Do I just stain it? 
I have gone around and around about it 
in my head for the last year. 

You can see in the picture above that hubby cut the top center out of it so he can put a 

drawer in it for me. 

It will be great to have a drawer to hold all my .... Stuff... scissors, tape, tags, pens,

foil cutter and such. 

All the doo dads you need to have 

close at hand at a show. 

This gives you a better view of the front. 

It needs some work, and it only has one knob on the front. 

I added the faceplate to it, 

I liked the look of that.

The knob screw was bent from it being hit very hard, so hubby straightened it for me. I love the backplate, I purchased a few of those on ebay to add to the cabinet. 

I am not sure if it is exactly what it needs..... 
It hides the routing on the 

front of the door a bit, we will see.

It begs for some TLC for it to look a bit nicer. 

It was a hand crank record player originally, 
but the record player was removed before I purchased it. Hubby had to glue the veneer down on one of the door fronts, too.  
But it is ready to have the rest of the work done.

I really liked the idea of just sanding it down a bit, to soften the areas of the finish, 

so the wood would accept some more stain. Then I wanted to make it look darker here and there. 

Not completely refinished, but I applied a deeper finish on it. I used a dark glaze and applied it with a paintbrush and let it sit a bit and absorb in. Then I wiped it down with a towel.

I love the added depth in color. 
Hubby is still working on the drawer and I have a few things I want to do to finish up the inside. 
I plan to add paper to the inside to brighten it up so I can see my paper towels, bags, hand sanitizer, hand wipes, my water bottle and those 
other items I store inside the cabinet. I love that I have a lightweight piece of furniture that I can carry myself to store necessary items in that keeps clutter to a minimum in my area. 

I have another show tomorrow and hope

to have it all finished. 

I will take pictures to show you what it looks 

like all completed and with everything in it! If I change my mind about the color, I can always paint it white with chalk paint and then over stain it with a dark stain. 

It is just right for what I need!

Happy Christmas Shows to all of you! I love going to see all the lovely handmade 

Christmas gifts and decor that are available for purchase from artisans this time of year!!!

Hugs, thanks for coming by!

BETSY

Summer and Autumn on the Farm

Happy November to all of you lovely blog friends! 

I have been absent from my blog for so long, I thought I had better

check in with you all and let you know I am still alive!

We had a busy summer that included...

landscaping block, sore arms, legs, and hands for weeks...arthritis has arrived.

Yard getting ready for summer and reunion, new fire pit!
Old canopy~ new use!

Daughter*4, youngest child, graduating from high school,

She was the Salutatorian and gave an awesome speech at Graduation.
She and her BFF just after the ceremony finished!At the academic assembly, she received Excellent Senior awards
from six teachers and other awards as well. She had a whole pile after the assembly. 

Hubby's surgery, and 2nd picc line and recovery for 10 weeks,

Then there were strawberries, and raspberries, and cherries, and more yard work,

Old fire pit becomes new miniature rose garden. You can see the newest
orchard the farm on the trellises beyond the rose garden.

reorganizing and dejunking in the house, more landscape blocks,
preparing for my family reunion that was here at our house,

recovering from the family reunion, LOL, spending time with my niece's family
and moving our Son back home after working with them for the summer,
holding their new baby! and playing with their children and son's co-workers,
preparing for Daughter*4 and Son to leave for college, physically AND emotionally.

So.. we are empty nesters......
hmmm....figuring out how THIS is supposed to work, sounds like something that
shouldn't be hard, but I find that it is a challenge for me.

I guess since I didnt' really find the balance I was seeking that first year and a half blogging
....and I took a six plus month break...I want to focus on balance again.

I have learned some things that DO NOT bring balance, and I want to better incorporate
things that I DO know bring balance for me.

So, I hope to see you visiting and commenting again,
I have a few more very busy weeks, but I hope to keep up again.

A few more pictures that show you about our summer!

This hill has been covered in weeds for years. This summer, Daughter*4 and I kept it mostly cleaned off.
Next summer, I will plant lavender all over it. The hostas  and roses will be transplanted.

The sheer curtains kept the heat off during the family reunion along with misters that kept us cool.

The farm pumpkin patch, Great Niece and Nephews and their parents were here for Halloween. Here are the Jack-o-lanterns
they made with Dad's help! Yummy Chicken and Rice in a baked pumpkin for dinner that night.

The last of the Autumn roses, it froze the next day, so I was glad these last buds were picked and brought in to dry
on the candelabra on the kitchen table. It has been COLD and frosty since then!

So thankful for my wonderful children, so grateful my hubby is well and recovered, 

it was a year filled with health issues for us.

So thankful for extended family and the love they share with us,

So grateful for a beautiful area of the world to live in 

and for the blessing of being able to live on a farm.

So grateful for challenges in life, that help me to see how wonderful the good times are!

Hope your summer and Autumn have been rewarding!

Hugs,

Betsy