Record

oh yes.

this is a cassette tape recorder.

unused in the original box.

with microphone and cassette tape included.

toy car, booze and cigarettes not included.

hilarious and curious graphics required purchasing this box at an estate sale recently. 

I knew the boys would think it was hilarious too.

Gus won't let me sell it right now.

i wonder what he will use it for?

hanging an x-ray light box to convert to a "watch your step" sign,

xoxo

jennette



Crazy Quilt

these photos will not do justice to this AMAZING quilt i just got!

you must see this in person.

you will drool.

it is for sale.

i knew you'd like that!

hand tatted lace surrounds the entire quilt

this quilt has a ton of animals and creatures on it

check it out

this is the back! 

i just LOVE it!

hope you are having a great weekend,

xoxo

jennette

Web Design

i'm a thief.  

i stole some spider webs the other day. 

i remember capturing webs in kindergarten with Mrs. Donahue but i couldn't remember how we did it so i made up my own way.

first i jiggled the web so the spider would scoot away to the edge.

then i used gold spray paint and sprayed both sides of web with it.

after that i placed my paper behind the web,

and started pulling paper toward web back, toward me,

while spraying from the front with spray adhesive.

you could try different colors of spray paint and different colors of paper.  or use blank cards to make stationary.  lots of options.

what will you try?

sewing at Smashing Rubbish World Headquarters and trying to catch up on baby and birthday gifts,

xoxox

jennette

New Boots- Sorta

altered rain boots!

found these old Helly Hanson rubber boots at a tag sale recently.

loved the orangey brown and yellow.

but the rubber was so vintage that it had started to crack down the back.

can't have cracked rubber y'all!

so i took my trusty heavy duty scissors to them and did away with the top cracked part.

hmmmmmm....what to do with some short rubber hacked up boots?

add fabric trim.

of course!

i had, in my massive stash of fabric, textiles and scraps, some cashmere and silk.

who wouldn't want to pair rubber with the finest of natural fibers?!

my most excellent and awesome new industrial sewing machine was able to help me get the majority of the fabric attached to the rubber.

but because of the shank in the boots foot bed, i was not able to bend it in a way that allowed me to sew entirely around the top cut edge of the boot.

no worries!

fabric glue to the rescue!

i found, also in my massive stash of trims, ribbons and bindings, this perfect green bias tape.

add a little glue, get out your paper clips(!), and get to work!

i love how these turned out!

my "new" luxurious winter rain boots!

j'adore!

what are y'all repurposing, altering, upcycling these days?

do tell!

rearranging Smashing Rubbish World Headquarters for the umpteenth time this week,

it's a good thing!,

xoxox

jennette

What's New?!

Hey Friends! 

many new treasures are being added daily.  above you see a small selection of what has come in over last week.  i am shopping today and tomorrow so even more will be out by next week!  come take a peak and don't forget we have awesome and unique gifts at Smashing Rubbish.  come make your wish list!

putting the finishing touches on my "new" boots.  will show y'all soon so stay tuned.

xoxox

jennette

 

Random Goodness

Pepper James with gma

check out this article about How to Talk to Little Girls.  also helpful for talking to little boys.  found via aesthetic outburst, via a cup of jo.

enjoying the wonderful weirdness that is Walter Potter's Menagerie found via TeenAngster.

anthropomorphic taxidermy fantasticness!

making this Peach Tart as soon as possible.

via Poppytalk

and loving the photography of Iain McKell and his The New Gypsies series.  it's incredible!

via: i cant remember where!  sorry!

doing a major reset in the shop this weekend.

come check it out next week!

making "new" boots (will post about them soon!),

xoxo

jennette

Ink

got some new ink last week.

this is what it looks like after you take the plastic wrap off the next morning.

gooey and slimy

blurred from the liberal use of my handmade herbal tattoo salve.  i'm convinced my colored ones are still so bright because of my herbal tattoo salve.  just sayin. 

and then when you wash it off you can see your words.

my words.

that help remind me to be nice.

nice to myself and others.

easy does it.  we're all human. relax. and be at peace.

it says:

"I choose authenticity.  I am brave, vulnerable and imperfect.  I am enough."

the calligraphy was commissioned from the ultra fabulous Betsy Dunlap.  she is an amazing artist that i have been following for a few years.  she happens to live in tucson but i did not discover her there. 

there was another sentence that got left out for lack of room but i will have it put somewhere else.  it is, "I live and love with my WholeHeart."  totally inspired by the work of Brene Brown that i have been deep diving into over the last 7 months.  yep.

all of my ink is done by Tom, the owner of Tattoo Evolution in Everett, WA.  He's a rock star in the ink world.  truly.

3/4 sleeved now and have a few small spots to fill in.  when this is done healing i will begin dreaming of the next piece of work.  maybe i need a Smashing Rubbish piece. hmmmmm.....

mending, in more ways than one,

xoxox

jennette

What's New

Things are moving right along here at Smashing Rubbish World Headquarters! 

A few new things have arrived and are for sale.

a set of three vintage wall sconces came in.  two are identical, the third is ever so slightly different.  all three can be wall hung.  could also be hard wired but currently do have plug in cords attached.  each have room for more crystals or baubles as well.

$19 each or all 3 for $55.

this excellent paper label is on a great old wood crate box.

great for storage, display, or small side table.

$26

this amazing bridge lamp is in great condition and comes with the vintage bird print shade.  I love this piece.  a lot.  so tempted to take it home but will give y'all a chance to grab it first!  fully functional, practical and useful!

$135

last but not least, this super sweet silk Nanette Lapore shirt.  so cute with embroidered flowers.  size 6 for you petite dolls!

and a steal at $24.

SOLD!!!

come and get it while its here,

off to hang more crystals in the tree,

xoxoxo

jennette

Fireball

i promised you guys, ages ago, that i would keep you apprised of the developments with redoing the Fireball.  thanks for being patient!

our Fireball is vintage 1961

the inside has been repainted but the outside has not.  yet.

inside i went with a blue for the main color.  there is black trim.  and both contrast nicely with the period yellow and peachy orange tiles and formica and oven.

the black on the door to our "loo," (really a closet with a portable toilet stashed inside), is not black trim paint but chalkboard paint.  we like it.

i used all vintage fabric, and mostly matching, for the cushion covers and curtains.  the formica has some gold sparkle to it and so does the material.  i couldn't believe i scored such a huge amount of barkcloth fabric for $20 at an estate sale.

one of my all time favorite things to do when camping in the Fireball is to make scones in the oven.  nothing beats made from scratch scones with homemade berry jam in the middle of the woods when you are "roughin it".

this metal sign is covering this damage:

 we used rivets and a whole lot of silicone sealer to fix the gouge.

i had many old hose bib handles so i decided to use them as door knobs in the trailer.  i like how it turned out.  the loo door got an extra door plate behind the knob.  i love the texture and patina they provide.

so its not completely finished.  i still want to paint the outside.  thinking of doing some Smashing Rubbish advertising on the back of the Fireball.

  and we have had another little mishap that has left a big dent in the front corner opposite the pickpocket sign.  hoping to have that taken care of soon and get to the outside painting. 

i wont be surprised if the outside paint gets put off until early spring though.  we are so busy that we most likely wont be camping again this season anyhow. 

i did seal the top with snow seal so it should stay relatively dry this winter.  i will have it mostly undercover anyhow.  just to be safe.

check out this one.  just like mine, same tile even, but different colors.  nice idea for the outside paint....

wishin there was time left to take a quick little surfing trip to the coast.  but alas, there is not time.  boo.

back to work for me :)

stringing crystals on ribbon,

xoxox

jennette

 

What's New?

lots to see at Smashing Rubbish!

new items coming in every day!

come check it out!

xoxo

jennette



June 11, 2011

(photo taken by Suze)

Yes.

It is true.

Breathe Owl Breathe DID play a concert in my backyard on our outdoor stage AND they stayed the night AND they played for us in the morning AND it was the best ever!

we got to have Breathe Owl Breathe play in our backyard because we supported a kickstarter project they are doing to make a children's book and record.

here we are with Micah, Andréa and Trevor

before b.o.b. got here, we prepared.

we fancied up our vintage Fireball so they'd have a place to sleep.

(although jasper requested Trevor sleep in his room on the bunk bed and Trevor obliged, even while jasper slept in our bed with us!)

jasper made sure the honey bucket was ready.

we got the lawn and gardens ready.

we had a stage built at the edge of the woods

we put up the zipline

(and it was a BIG hit, for kids and adults alike!)

(photo by Kirsten)

and then we had a party!

and boy oh boy, what a party it was! 

SO. FUN. !!!

trevor eating pre-show donuts

giggles!

Chad in one of the capes we were given, sewn by Micah's mom, with an image of the mole that Micah created for the book project.

Jasper in same cape.

Jasper and his friends playing their fiddles post concert with Andréa as back up!

morning after

pure bliss!

after all that fun we were sad to see our friends leave but we knew we would see them all again at Pickathon so we were happy about that.  We had such a fantastic time having our friends experience this party with us and listening to Breathe Owl Breathe on the back yard woods stage.  Thank you friends!  Thanks for celebrating with us and making memories!  We had a hoot and a blast and a magical weekend! 

until next time,

xoxox,

jennette

la la land

hello my friends!

thanks for staying around while i wade thru the trials and tribulations of la la land, otherwise known as the new unfounded territory of business owner land of the lost hope to return one day and become somewhat normal again but not too normal cuz that would be really boring land of omg, working full time, never a dull moment land, so so so so much to do, family transitioning, roles shifting land, always wound up, hard to calm down, must breathe, need to meditate land.

la la land.

yes.

thanks for being here.

somebody get the cold champagne!

i've been feeling a bit like this dog with two broken legs. slow going, limping, whining..... everything takes so. much. time. to do, accomplish, and perfect. oh the patience. patience is a skill i have yet to hone and perfect. patience. please be my friend.

And yet.

Some days i feel like Grover here. like life is all good, not a single hard thing can touch me, i am indefatigable, a warrior, a lover, a champion, and full. full. full. full. of patience. i behave. my kids are angels. chad and i respect and honor one another. and i am channeling Grover. Gettin my Grover on!

I just want YOU to be happy! 

So I will stop my kvetching and moaning and get along little doggie!

please hang in here with me, friends, while things shift, change and transpire.  the new shop is open and customers are coming in.  items are getting displayed and priced.  new items come in every day and soon i will have time to make new bags, new pillows, new treasures and whatnots. i will be carrying Tatine candles, Saipua soap and some local letterpress stationary, soon.  the record album sketch pads are coming in and also, fingers crossed, a gorgeous line of local handmade sterling and gemstone jewelry that you will love!

the Smashing Rubbish website, twitter and facebook page are in the works.  each will allow me to connect with y'all in different ways and for me to offer different specials and info on each. so if you prefer to stay informed of all Smashing Rubbish has to offer, join me on each platform.  look for my class and events schedule on the website when it goes live.  cigar box ukulele making class, anyone?! 

I have so much to share with you so i hope to return to regular blogging from here on out.  i still haven't shared the revamped Fireball with you, or our Breathe Owl Breathe backyard concert, or the amazing treasures and finds i am uncovering daily. the focus will shift a bit, toward the goings on, ins and outs, of the studio and shop, but i will continue to share my finds, projects, ideas, life and creativity here too.

come see me at Smashing Rubbish World Headquarters!

15922 Main St. Duvall, WA

thur.-sat. 12-6

sun. 12:30-5:30

mon.-wed. by chance or appointment

thanks for all your support, kind words, help and love friends!

i couldn't do it without YOU!

going for a run in the warm Chelan rain,

xoxoxox

jennette

Brick and Mortar

it is true.

and it is official.

i am in the process of opening my own studio and shop.

near my home.

and close to my kids' schools.

it's kinda a big deal.

(doing a bit of demolition to an old dressing room)

i now own a business.

(demo half done.  almost.)

and i have a j.o.b.

(second dressing room.  gone.  now putting up wall to make last one into fabric storage)

i am terrified and giddy, all at once.

(starting to move in)

i'm in the eye of a storm: the cleaning, moving, organizing, preparing, website building, logo designing, bank account opening, sign securing, lease signing, etc.  i know this is the grinding work of getting to opening day and that it wont continue to be this intense and daunting 24/7. 

and i am trying to enjoy a bit of it as i go.

(sooooo much to do!)

after the first whole day of moving and cleaning i sat in a comfy chair, in the almost dark, twilight, quiet shop, by myself, and cracked a cold beer(there was no Sophia on hand, Erin and Natasha!), and sat back and thought:

i think this will be ok.

i think i can handle the emotional roller coaster.

i think i can handle how vulnerable this makes me feel.

i think i can manage to let go a bit, just a bit, of the perfectionism and control-freakness that binds me up.

i think it's alright that, in this moment, i can switch from deep deep gratitude, peaceful serenity and utter enoughness, to big wet salty tears, deep doubt and unworthiness and stone cold fear.

i think all this means i am alive.

and i do believe it's a privilege to get to feel it all.  all of it. hard and easy. light and heavy.  rough and smooth.

(lots to sort, sift, dust, organize and display)

ohmygawd!  I FINALLY have MY OWN studio and shop!!!

you people out there who know me:  how long have i been talking about the "eventual shop," my "one day store, my "someday studio"?  like....   forever!

it's happening.

a dream is coming true one day at a time in little ol' Duvall, WA.

well, exactly at 15922 Main St!

items are arriving, car load by car load.

i hope you'll come visit and see what's new down here!

it's amazing what you can do with a little rope, some bungee cords and an open sun roof!

i am trying to open by july 2 and i hope to be open

thursday-saturday noon-6 and sunday 12:30-5.

wish me luck friends!  and don't be shy about stopping by!

12:41 AM.   must. go. to. bed. :)

xoxox

jennette



Hello Out There!

doesn't that look like a picture of trees in the Fireball?!  it was the actual scene outside my door over memorial day weekend!

heeeellllloooooo friends!!!

long time no see!

well, i don't have much to report other than BREATHE OWL BREATHE will be playing on my backyard stage on saturday AND staying the night!!!

no, not much.  just a little little thing.

NOT!

woohoooooo!!

yes, it is true!  we supported a Kickstarter project; kids book and record project that b.o.b. is creating and so we get to have them stay overnight and play for all our friends and family!  yep!  pretty cool, huh?!

so needless to say i have been running around, breathless, with my head spinning in circles, readying like a bat out of hell!  it's all good!  I just like to have things a certain way; beautiful, preferably with a theme, well organized, and, ya know, like, all put together!  and if its not that way, i kinda panic :)  It'll all work out, right?  No one is going to fire me for having weeds in my garden and serving donuts instead of cake.  right?!

i have also had some REALLY BIG plans underway that will make for some major huge changes around here.  I will share this all with you soon but in the meantime think: brick. and. mortar (!!!)

so, i've been a tad busy and i am glad you are still here checking in on me!  thanks!

ok then friends.  i gotta go to bed.  right after i sew another Fireball cushion cover and glue another fake mustache to a stick!

smooches,

xox

jennette



PDX with the Boys

on our way to Portland

waiting in the train station

a nice person saw us trying to take a group photo of ourselves so she offered to help!

on the train

havin a good time

in his own world

daydreaming

sightseeing

chillin on our room

August's plate after breakfast at Kenny and Zukes

contemplating his next move

drawing a jasper portrait

getting new boots at Johnny Sole

shopping

jasper with camera

the sign in Cargo

goofin off

being silly

Gus and his carp

you just saw a photo montage of our weekend in Portland, Oregon.

we took the boys, for the first time, on the train, to see a concert and stay at the Ace Hotel.

we saw The Head and The Heart on sunday night.

and chad and i slipped away saturday night to see The Hackensaw Boys.

we went to Cargo, ate good food, got chad new boots at Johhny Sole and wandered the warm sunny streets. 

will show you my pdx finds in another post soon :)

xoxox

jennette

Becoming 16

Gus longboarding in Chelan last summer.

this one.  this kid o' mine.  August.  he is turning 16 today.  big day, i tell ya.  those of you who know him.....can you believe it?!  because i can hardly believe it. and i gave birth to him!

how did this happen, that he is 16??!!

us in Chelan last summer during a storm.

it kills me that he is turning 16, that i only "have" him for two more years. 

akkk!  i hate that! 

but it gets me thinking about what a fantastic gift it is to be his mom.

catching fish on lake roesigner, at jeremy and kirsten's, 4th of july.

it's a pleasure to help guide this child o' mine as he finds his way through the big, big world. 

waiting for the ferry to Lopez Island to hang out with the Kvistad's.

even though it can be an intimidating and messy task, this raising kids business.

listening to music at the woods stage, Pickathon 2010

the figuring out when to offer counsel, direction, assistance, and advice

dinner at Six Arms before the Head and the Heart and Vampire Weekend concert.

the knowing when to dive in and advocate for them without being in defensive mama bear mode,

trying on a full length fur coat at the thrift store to crack me up!

and when to put on the brakes, back off, trust in all you have offered and exposed them too, and let them discover their own path,

stylin in a vintage plaid jacket, denim shirt and silk tie

even, and foremost, when it means allowing them to flail, falter and find their own two feet.

carving pumpkins with the family.

but really this boy of mine has transformed me, changed me,

nudged me gently and willingly into motherhood,

August with his cousin Jack at Thanksgiving.

altered me,

cracking me up, being a total goof ball!

made my world more deep and meaningful than i ever thought it could be.

trying on an awesome vintage sweater that his great grandma knit for his uncle almost 40 years ago!

he is amazing.  August, you are awesome!

whale and bird watching near Sayulita, Mexico

you are more than worth the worry, stress and sleeplessness!

after a day of surfing, la lancha, mexico.

you are my sunshine.

playing nightly guitar.

you are an amazing artist and musician.

massive comic collection (self portrait!)

you are smart, silly, and thoughtful.

asleep in the car from Tombstone to Tucson.

you are a loving and influential big brother!

new vintage shirt, tucson

you can do anything.

birding in Sabino Canyon

you are golden, my son.

my boy-man.

my love.

Happy 16th Birthday August!

I love you to the universe and back!

xoxoxox

mom

Mom

i recently found this photo of my mom.

it was taken when i was 12.

so she was 34.

i just adore it.

she looks so happy.

she had just met my other dad, Greg.

married now for more than 20 years.

and still so happy together.

i love you mom.

thank you for choosing dad.

thank you for showing us how to make it work.

thanks for always sending a card.

and thank you for taking the "deep dive" with me even when it's uncomfortable.

i love love love you!

Happy Mother's Day!

xoxox

jennette



Ledger

i LOVE old ephemera!

i found this ancient ledger in Bisbee, AZ.

look at the gorgeous marbled paper

and the beautiful, elegant, careful hand writing

nibs dipped in an ink bottle

dating from 1881

it appears to be lists of names with credits and charges

who sent money where, to whom and when?

could not find and identifying city, company or author to investigate.  was hoping, but no luck. 

i have a lot of ephemera in worse shape than this that i use in art projects but i am not sure if i can bring myself to take this one apart. 

perhaps i will make copies of the pages i want to use and leave the ledger in tact.

if you ever find or have old ephemera you need to be rid of, i'm your girl!

drinking unsweetened iced green tea with my usual two scoops of matcha,

xoxox

jennette



The Gift of an Ordinary Day

hey friends!

here is a short review and pitch for Katrina Kenison's book The Gift of an Ordinary Day.

ok, be forewarned. this book will make you cry, weep, sob and laugh, smile & chuckle. i highly recommend it if you have kids, are a mother, have a mother, or know a mother, and all parents world wide, far and near!!!

my sweet friend Tiffany turned me on to this book. as many of you know, i spend a LOT of time in my car and i listen to a LOT of books on cd. of course i listened to this book and after Tiff shared the video with me:

how could i not?!

did you watch the video?!  are you crying yet?!

i am just in awe of the universe putting these much needed experiences in my path when i can really use them. this book is about a mom who has two teen sons and how she is maneuvering through all the changes that come with our kids getting ready to fly the coop.

i have been lamenting to friends, and really, to anyone who will listen, about how hard it is getting and staying centered in the here and now and enjoying the gifts of an ordinary day. i find myself complaining about the speed of life, the time lost or past that was not knowingly appreciated, and the unfairness of only "having" my oldest son for just two more years.

Kenison speaks to all of this and more. she writes about finding peace and balance and quiet. she writes about finding new adventures, new friends, and centering.  and about how all the hard stuff, the choices, the decisions, how it's all transient, fleeting, short lived. how all we have control of is ourselves and our next step. how the past is in the past and that we don't need to "future-trip" so much about the future.

So much of what Kenison shared, her insights and her opinions, were like crystal clear gifts of love to me. i listened with my kids in the car and they just silently watched me weep and wipe my eyes. it was nice having my teenager hear some of what i have tried to tell him about why i do and say what i do and say! it is such a gift to be reminded of how i want to live and interact with my boys, what i want them to take away when they go and what it is that is important to me that they "get." Kenison nailed it, spot on, and i am so thankful and appreciate to have had the opportunity to hear this from her now while i am in the thick of it. earlier would have been nice too but at least i got it now. for that i am grateful.

here is a quote from kenison's website:

“Watching my sons growing and changing so visibly, almost from one day to the next, I sensed something in me breaking loose and changing as well, something no less powerful for being invisible. It was almost as if, having strived for years for predictable comforts, urban conveniences, and security of our well-established routines, I was suddenly haunted by all the things I hadn’t done, the dreams that might never be realized, the sense that the tidy, civilized life we’d worked so hard to create didn’t quite fit the person I really was, or, rather, still thought I might be.”–from The Gift of an Ordinary Day

if you have young children, tweens or teens, i would love for you to get your hands on this book. Dads too!  the small bit Chad has listened to so far has given us so much good stuff to talk about.  and i dare the dads to not be moved to tears as well! 

even though Kenison has two boys i think all of us parents, with 1 or 4 kids, girls or boys, who parent thoughtfully and with much care, can learn from her experiences. the earlier the better, i'd say. and i will definitely be revisiting this one over and over again. it's a keeper and i am thankful!

listening to Aimee Bender's, The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake,

a little escape after the serious,

xoxo

jennette

New Bees!

we picked up our package of italian bees last saturday from beez neez apiary in snohomish.  We hived them on the same perfect northwest spring sunshiney day.

i had my 8 year old helper with me and it's a good thing i did.  you can never have enough hands during hiving.

in this three pound package the bees are clustered all around their queen.

 

here are some hive parts in our field

 

jasper is spraying the bees with sugar water to keep them calm while we prepare to hive them.  the jars full of sugar water will feed them when they are hived and until they are ready to forage on their own.

one more spray before we pull the queens cage out.

the sugar water can, inside the box, has to be taken out to slide the queen cage out.

here is the queen in her cage

here i am pulling out the tiny cork that holds her in so we can direct release her.

the feeding can had been replaced while we released the queen.  so now i am prying it out again to dump the bees in their new home.

the bees are calm from the sugar syrup and they don't just all swarm out at once.  you actually have to shake them out.

dumping the bees

the top box is just hiding the jars of sugar syrup the bees will be feeding on.  soon the top box will be full of frames that have foundation wax for the bees to build their comb on and fill up with honey and brood.

happy bees coming and going on a lovely northwest afternoon.

all the shipments of bees and queens were delayed this year because of the bad weather in california, where they come from.  so our carniolan bees wont be here for a couple more weeks. 

i had enough equipment to start two hives this year.  excited about that.  maybe, finally, i'll get some honey to make my elderberry mead in the fall.  yum!

off to portland, oregon on the train to stay at the ace hotel and see the head and the heart,

xoxox

jennette