The crazy days of summer are blowing by and it seems like each day goes faster than the speed of light! Where do I even begin with all the news since I last posted on the blog? Well, as many know, the vintage side of life has taken over somewhat and what started as a hobby a few years ago has morphed into a business and way of life for me. From clothing to rehabbing old items, I've somehow ended up with enough "stuff" to fill a small shop. A very small shop!

So what to do about that? I had my clothing and handcrafted items out at The Tartan Turtle for about 6 months or so but when the word got out that there was a new antique mall opening here in Centerville, just 10 minutes away from our house, well it seemed logical to make the move. It was exciting enough to know that we were finally getting something of its type in the area and for the sake of my dear new friend Val, it was a fantastic new location for her business to move to. We talked, we rejoiced and we started planting the seeds of ideas. After talking to another dear new friend, Jenn from Bea Unique Designs, it made sense for her and I to share a booth since neither of us had enough to do a booth each of our own. So with all that, we then told the darling Charlotte from The Tartan Turtle about it and convinced her to have a booth down there too!

And from that, the trifecta of awesomeness was born since we are all next to each other in this big honking space!! The Antiques Village is going to have over 300 vendors and it's shaping up to be the most desirable place to be. So after the deal was done and we'd paid for our first months rent, we started crafting and picking like our little lives depended on it!!! So that has filled my days since the idea became a reality.

On the personal end of the spectrum, I struggled to settle back into life after the return from Australia. Each time going home is so precious and for a short time we are removed from the mundane so to return to the day to day routine was extremely difficult. And for quite some time, I've felt very alone and very lonely but thats starting to wane a bit as I change the course of life and build new relationships. And of course with the new business venture, that keeps my brain from dwelling on the sadness too much.

So just as life was starting to get a bit more relaxed, we decided to add a small amount of chaos in in the form of a 11 month old rescue dog - a beagle/blue heeler mix whom we named Bernie! I was initially quite hesitant to add another member to the family but ultimately Abby was the deciding factor and her instant acceptance of Bernie was the deal breaker. We'd long suspected she was a bit lonely after losing so many of her buddies including the passing of her beloved "big brother" Jack and we knew that a new addition to the family would boost her spirits and add balance again. While Jack is and always will be irreplaceable, there is room in all our hearts to love again and I'd like to think Jack would approve of Bernie and our decision.

What we didn't foresee was that young Bernie is "Spider Dog" and within 45 minutes of his arrival to our home, had managed to climb our chain link fence to try and visit with a corgi walking by. Thankfully Scott hopped the fence and returned Bernie to our domain and the decision was made immediately to get a company in to install a 6ft privacy fence which we had considered for quite a few years. In the duration of waiting for fence to be installed, Scott left for business in Germany and France, I have been trying to get items ready for booth and trying to get Bernie to focus on getting his business done in the yard on a leash. Three weeks of walking the yard and streets with a leash in hand was starting to grow very very old. But there is light at end of tunnel and fence got started yesterday with the remainder being done tomorrow and then life will be much easier. Bernie can roam the yard freely while I focus on painting items for the store and getting the garden cleaned up.

And during all this hectic chaos, I'm still plodding away at losing weight and I'm happy to report that I've lost a little over ten pounds since we got back from Australia - bringing my total loss in the ball park of about 35 pounds since February. Scott too has benefited from this life style change and just like a guy, lost all that and then some, bringing him down to the weight he was when we met. So between us both, we had to pretty much rid our entire wardrobe and start from scratch!! He's at his ideal now, I'm still about 25 - 30 pounds to go before I can go nuts shopping for a new wardrobe. It's been good for us and we feel so much better for it.

So thats all the chatter here - new dog, new lifestyles, new business, new friends, new bodies, new fence and possibly a new patio. And a new outlook on life.

Stay tuned for all the updates on the business and I'll be getting more back into the photography side of things once the fence is up and getting back to a little more portrait work in the Fall.

Take care and enjoy the dog days of summer....may the sun keep shining over you all.