Pockets

you know me and pockets: gotta have em.
so i added some to this little vintagey prairie halter dress i plan to wear all summer.  this little shift is perfect for over the swim suit and back and forth to the beach, right.

put a bird on it.
the pocket fabric used to be my dinner napkins.
yep.  recycle your cloth napkins my friends and make them into pockets for your pocket obsession.
now my phone, sunglasses, lip balm and keys will be at my finger tips and that will make me très happy.
word.

making mother blessing invites with cards i dyed using hibiscus,
xoxox
jennette




Wear-n-Worn

i love wearing this vintage turquoise blue "house dress" with my red goat clogs.
is it wrong to wear a "house dress" out in public?  or to work?!
i just wear a black slip under it so if it gaps open in between the wide set buttons, no one gets a free show!  haha!
you know why i am smiling, right?
yep, because it has pockets...you guessed!
i am so close to the age where i probably won't wear any dress that doesn't have pockets.  just sayin.  does that mean i am getting old? or wise?  a little of both i'd guess?
you can barely see my strand of red jet glass beads.  i should restring these vintage beauties before they bust out all over the floor cuz that would be sad.
wearing that perfect-for-spring vintage plaid rain jacket again.
with a colorful bold stripe and cotton tassel scarf, nonetheless!
be bold friends!
don't be afraid to mix and match!
wear what makes you happy....this is your chance...go bold!
let em stare while you get away with it!
if it makes you feel good, wear it.  whatever it is, put it on.
and shine, shine, shine your brightest you!

currently wearing overalls with paint splatters,
xoxoxox
jennette


Hive Check

i was able to get in and check out my sweet honeybees last week.
this hive is actually only two deep but i was lazy and left the empty feeders on, with the third brown box covering them.
these are my tools.
smoker, hive tool: for prying apart propolis sealed boxes and frames, bee brush and frame holder.
this is the hive that i knew was empty of bees. 
they just didn't make it, even after all that.
but again, and anyways, i am lazy, so it sat like this all winter.
this is the inner cover of that "empty" hive.
and these are the frames of that "empty" hive.
do you see the markings on the tops of the frames...those tell me which way i want my frames facing and what year i started using that frame. the foundation wax in each frame has a design that is better used by the bees, they draw comb more quickly on it, if it is facing a particular way, a certain way, the right way, the way that helps them get a faster start and encourages them to start buliding comb at all!
details friends, details!
see that hole in my partially drawn foundation wax...that is because my hive was not indeed "empty" but was at some point, for a very SHORT time, occupied by a small critter.

here is the critters grassy little nest and some burr comb(the extra comb the bees build between gaps to make their perfect "bee space").  i got real lucky because although there was a little grassy nest and a hole in the wax foundation of one frame, there was no critter poop or pee or mess, whatsoever.  lucky indeed...an owl must have got the little bugger right after he built his nest and i am pleased!
so here we are back to the first hive, the active one, but after i took off the extra empty box, and you can see the sweet bees coming and going.
it's hard to get a close up without taking my gloves off and we all know that i still work my hives with my gloves on!
yep, that's me happy as can bee...

(since these photos were taken it became obvious that the active hive was doing so well that it needed to be supered!  that means that both the top and bottom hive bodies were so full of lovely sweet bees that i was able to add a honey super now, in early spring, and i may get some maple honey!  woot! not everyone loves maple honey but i am just darn excited that i figured out they needed more space BEFORE they swarmed on me again!  cheers to early honey supering!  yay sweet bees!)

in other news, and less importantly, i am over here working on more half done blog posts that have been sitting around with photos but no words since forever and a day. some are for my own documentry satisfaction and others are for you.  i know, i aim to please!

xoxoxox,
jennette












C.E.W.


i always look for items on etsy and ebay that have mine or my guys (all three of them) initials on them.
i found this lovely little "steampunk watch chain" on etsy with chad's initials.
i figure i can make it into some cool jewelry for myself. 
i love the fist with lightening bolts.
do you know what the symbol/emblem stands for?
maybe some kind of union/fraternal/brotherhood thing?
i think a little research is in order....

hope you all have a great weekend.
i plan to finish up my interior painting project at home.  i am covering dark grey walls with white "moonrise" so its coat after coat, ya know.  i can not wait to be done, let it cure, and get all my cool art back up on the walls.  just a few walls painted moonrise white can make all the difference in my little world! i will show you results soon.

fare thee well,
xoxo
jennette


Painted Silk Pillow

jasper made this silk painting in his after school art class at SeaHorse Studios
i love the colors he choose.
his inspiration was the sydney opera house!
we made the piece into a pillow case instead of a wall hanging.
it's one of my very favorite things!

hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
i am trying to get some sewing done over here: cot covers, bags, pillows..... the works!

xoxoxo
jennette







Nettle Patch


i think this is the earliest i have been to my nettle patch in the spring time. 
look how low these beauties are! 
I usually arrive here just in time to harvest them hip high!


they are so gorgeous!  purple and deep green.  and so little!


i used clippers to harvest these tender tops.  i usually find the sweet spot where they give themselves to you when you pluck the top half with your hand and fingers and they make that lovely "pop" sound.  if you get a good rhythm going it's like a chorus of song.


here i am trying to get a closeup of me and my ally without stinging my face off! 
i wasn't here today for my "major harvest," i will do that in a few weeks.  then i will gather enough to hang, dry, store,  and last me the entire year!  today i just wanted to procure enough to make some bacon, nettle and asparagus quiche for dinner!  i forgot to take a picture of the quiche because we were so happy to devour it in seconds flat!


oh look! 
a baby galium aparine! 
it is common, in these parts anyhow, to find cleavers growing near nettle.  they use the nettle to climb on and they do it well since they are so sticky!  usually by the time we get to our patch the cleavers have grown so much that we harvest them too to make infused vinegar and crowns.  the galium is sticky enough, and long, that you can just wrap it around on itself into crown sized circles and slip them on your noggin to be festive and merry and bright!
i used galium aparine aplenty when i had reoccurring mastitis with jasper and it, along with phytolacca decandra (poke root), saved me.

how would we survive without our plant allies?!


i made this nettle infusion today from last years dried nettle.
jasper calls it nettle juice. 
he has been drinking it since he was a baby, first thing he tasted besides mama's milk.  we both like our nettle infusion cold so we typically brew it, let it sit for 6 hours or so, then refrigerate it and drink over the next day or so. 
this is a gallon jar. 
once we get down to the plant material i pull all the stems out to compost or give to the chickens and use the remaining leaf in smoothies and all other recipes i can sneak it into, which isn't hard, because we eat a lot of greens around here!

do you have a nettle patch?
do you notice what else is growing wild and free around it?
ever notice the big leaf maples?
have you met galium aparine?

enjoy spring friends! 
it won't last long and before you know it beltane fires and summer solstice will be upon us!

Long Life Honey In the Heart,
xoxoxo
jennette






Wear-n-Worn

i found this cute wrap skirt at haystack antiques last month at their third thursdays event.
it looks vintage but i think it is new fabric meant to look old school.  it wraps and snaps.  the lining color is a cross between light turquoise and robbin egg blue.

yes, those are my mother's cowboy boots that she had when i was born!
over 40 years old and they are in great shape and fit me like a glove....one of my favorite things! 

the skirt is swingy, comfortable and cute.
what more could i ask for?!

immensely enjoying hunting my equilibrium!,
xoxox
jennette










Closing Wednesdays for Equilibrium!


these two amazing creatures are my raison d'etre.

i have been thinking quite a bit about how to tell you something, how to put it, the reasons to give, if any, and how to remain professional and all "adult-like". so here goes...

i will be closing the shop on wednesdays.
the doors will remain locked until thursday at noon.
unless we feel like being in here to be creative....
but otherwise, don't expect to see the open sign turned toward the street on wednesdays.  at least for the time being.

some things have come up.  and yes, i have mentioned here before that i was considering staying closed on wednesdays, mostly because i get very little business on wednesdays.  which is not to say that i don't absolutely adore all my customers, clients, friends and family who regularly support me in this adventure by purchasing from me and allowing me to stay open (most days!). j'adore, j'adore.....yes, i adore you! really, every last one of you that walks through my door and says the sweetest things about how the store looks, the "good eye" i have, commenting on how wonderfully items are displayed, even suggesting i should charge admission because it's like a museum ( i take that as a compliment folks!), you just keep me going and going and going.  i am forever grateful and blessed to have the best customers in the world who make me want to work hard, do more, provide this element of beauty, and share my little world down here.  so you see, i want to be here, open for you every day, but i have to make it work for all of us.

who is this "all of us," you might ask....well all of us is you.  and me.  and my boys.  and have i mentioned i have this amazing partner/boyfriend/husband fully supporting me in the background and just quietly being my rock every.single.day... yes, him

and so i once again, always and forever, am seeking my equilibrium. 

do believe me friends, it will be best for all of us if i can "find" it, sniff it out, hunt it down, and wear it like a magic cape!

  i try not to use the word "balance," simply because to me, balance is static.  it's a place of holding, tight, uneasy, strict, stationary, showing little or no change, lacking movement, development and vitality. 
i choose to think in terms of equilibrium because for me its a place of flow, loose, nonrestrictive, ease, grace, motion, unbound and vital.  it is energetic and unfolding.  there is poise, but it is contemplative.

so i seek it. 
it will be searched for with jasper, who no longer has school on wednesdays.  we will discover it in horseback riding, practicing our instruments, exploring the back roads, tending our honey bees, playing in our gardens, cooking, making cheese, fermenting pickles, harvesting nettles, then hawthorn, then linden, and so on.  we hope to discover it in being creative, crafting, art making and surely in the softness of jasper's new little buddy-bunny:
elvis hawthorn fluffernutter

perhaps being kept on my toes will track me to equilibrium... i do, after all, have gus, my amazing and busy teenager, who could use a little more support around navigating working, driving, preparing for college next year and comprehending what's beyond all that.  
a man-boy, who deserves a mom who is available, attentive, understanding, a compassionate listener, and not too harried and busy and distracted to notice him.  see him.  witness his unfolding, growing, his leaning into adulthood.  it goes by so quickly my friends and i refuse to let these moments with my children slip by me for anything.  so if not opening wednesdays affords me even the slightest sliver of a glimpse into my equilibrium in this realm, it's so worth the door being locked and the signing saying "closed."

i have to say that i so appreciate having my business in a charming small town, where i can feel a little more free to make these choices for our well being and not feel too cruddy or pressured about it.  i don't want to let anyone down....you, customers, or friends. but mostly i don't want to let down my tribe, my family, my peeps, the 3 people who are the center of my universe and who i am just crazy about....in a good way!
i am grateful to have a business that i can model and structure however i choose.  i appreciate being able to try on different ways of running a small sole proprietorship: sometimes more organic in it's being-ness and sometimes more rigid.  in trying to find my way, discovering what works and what doesn't, i am thankful to have your continued support while i navigate these waters.  i admit i am not perfect or fully self-actualized so i do have fears and one of them is that you will see me as flaky and nonprofessional.  so thank you, for accepting me and my unique ways of trying to stay in business, while i gain more understanding and try to figure it out myself!

isn't shifting, transformation and deepening super awesome?!!!
sameness is dull friends!   boring! 
rejoice in the knowing that you can always count on change!
there is eternal growing, expansion, development!
and there will be more around here....i can assure you....but baby steps for now, baby steps...

so from now on, Smashing Rubbish will be open
Thursday-Saturday noon-6
Sunday noon-5

don't forget to "like" the Smashing Rubbish page on Facebook or follow on Twitter.  you should be able to access blog posts on both so they are great places to check for hours, happenings, and see new merchandise too.
 
also, when you visit the blog from now on, you should note some changes here too(go figure!). i added a search tool just in case you might find it useful....and i added a way you can safely and securely follow this blog by getting the posts directly into your email inbox.  i am currently working on getting some new pages up on the blog so it may look different, again, the next time you stop by!  please do comment and leave me feedback and constructive critique please!  if there is anything you want to see more of, ask!  it would please me to give ya what ya want...i just want you to be happy!

and with that i will leave you to ponder the possibilities... what is shifting in your life?  what change are you welcoming with wide open arms? what transformation is making you want to run and hide?  what deepening is cracking you wide open?
what unfolding has you holding tight?
can you loosen up, embrace and welcome it?
or does it cause stress, anxiety and worry?
it's all ok.  just take a deep breathe and one step toward it.  a baby step.  just a little step.  you can do.
i know you can.

full tilt shifting,
xoxox
jennette
oh...oh yeah....to show you how much i love you i am going to have a four day 20% of sale starting thursday march 22.
almost everything in the store will be 20% off, there will be very few items marked nd(no discount), but otherwise 99% of this awesome stuff will be 20%off!  cool, yes?  alright!





Vintage Doll Clothes
















vintage baby doll clothes are finally up for sale at Smashing Rubbish.
i have been hoarding some of these for years.
yes, i do have some unrelenting obsession with old dolls, vintage babies, antique miniature anything, and it requires me to buy and hoard every little bit i can secure!
i am loosening up my ways and to your benefit, you may now procure your own vintage doll, baby, miniature everything at Smashing Rubbish!
tehehehehe ....

come one, come all, form a line at the door,
vintage, handmade, hand sewn, tiny shell button havin doll clothes are here.

i knew you'd want to know,
xxx
jennette














Wear-n-Worn


i got this little white Libertine shift a couple years ago at target, of all places, when Libertine was the "designer" label of the month, or whatever it is, where the designer pals up with a store and makes a special line for them.  blah, blah, blah....

anyway, i love it but have only worn it a few times because it is short.  i have worn it over jeans and here i am wearing it with grey leggings and clog boots.


the details are the best.  like the pin tucked placket on the front, the tiny rhinestone buttons, the "stripe" of the fabric, and the tiny little pouf sleeve and cuff detail. 
it's cotton and easy.
love.

this time i wore it with those new gold snake earrings i adore. and i tried straightening my hair with a....wait for it.....middle part!  yep.  my bangs are growing out and i have been trying the middle part more and more but the side part is my go to.  and boy oh boy is my hair getting curlier with age.  i know its straight-ish here but if i let it, it is like ringlets!  strange...greying and curling.
and yes, that button covered mirror above is the very same one i made in high school, 20 years ago.  we call it the skinny mirror, just try to guess why.  and it does have all those buttons so it's a keeper!

off treasure hunting with Tif and Marjan,
wish us luck!
xoxo
jennette






All Are Welcome Screen Door


for months now this screen door has been hanging around.
the screen's coming out.
it's not perfect.
but i thought it might be a nice shabby vintage earring/jewelry display, leaned up against a wall.


well i never did hang stuff from the screen.
and day after day i was moving it outside to lean against the wall.
all imperfect and falling apart.


then i remembered seeing somewhere that you can essentially embroider on screen.
hey, why not?


i have admired this slogan that shanna murray sells as a decal


so i just started stitching and it turned out alright.


i could go over it and make the stitching thicker and more bold....but for now it will be sold as is

hope you all have a great weekend and dont' forget about the time change. 
so happy it will stay light past 7pm now!

ironing, hanging and pricing tiny handmade doll clothing,
xoxoxox
jennette












Wear-n-Worn

nothin special.
just wearing august's "faux" glasses.
and that beaded hair clip again.
got somethin in my eye!
comfortable...

this must have been "casual friday!"

except for my fancy beaded bracelets
scored in sayulita, mexico and made by the huichol people
my "go to" boots are about to fall apart since i wear them so much.
i will cry when they are no longer useful.

making, crafting, creating,
xoxoxo
jennette





Boots!

these are the finished boots, the vintage plasticy ones i scored at the thrift last week that are in primo condition, after i took a crack at them with fabric and glue!

see that panel down the front?  i figured i could just trace a pattern for that and snazzy these babies up.  so i did!


once i got the pattern cut out i was originally hoping to cut out this gorgeous peachy vintage velvet that natasha gave me.  it used to be her grandma's curtain panels!  can you image?!  how divine!


the color looks much more pink here.  but after i got these cut out and tried sewing the vintage black and white striped seam binding around the edges, it was a disaster!  the binding didn't have enough width to really grab the velvet how it needed to so it just kind of peeled off.  disaster.  so on to plan b.

those of you who have known me for a while know that i LOVE me some wood grain print!  i have made a BUNCH of stuff with this fabric: a bag, a jacket, card holders, tissue pouches, etc.  well i have just scraps left so i figured what the heck.  some wood grain boot panels edged in black and white striped binding.  good, yes?

here are the supplies: boots stuffed with bubble wrap and fabric to keep them stiff and give them form, elmer's glue, paint brush, fabric and clothespins.  easy peasy.

and a finished boot!


i think i will try wearing these with some rolled up jeans and a silk shirt next week.
i like my flashy "new" boots!

working on a cover for another fold out cot.
gotta have cute cot covers, you know!
will show you soon,
xoxoxo
jennette









New & Noteworthy

just a few new things that have been put out for sale in the shop the last few days...

birch wood candle holder

vintage leather gauntlet gloves

small figurine

flocked deer family

vintage red and white polka dot gloves

vintage needlepoint

vintage leather anne klein tunic

a ton new linens and i have lots more to put out

awesome vintage pottery vase and gold metal flowers and cobalt blue glass

vintage glasses and vintage thistle transferware

little wood bowling pin

sweet floral paint by number

working on some new painted bags and the little altered boots project so i will have more to show you soon.

listening to my new favorite band First Aid Kit and sorting, sewing, and pricing,
xoxox
jennette

















Terrariums & Crystals & Dottie Angel

here are some terrariums at home that i made up the other day.

here are the empty glass containers before i started.

another view

i didn't have enough plants to put under these glass cloches yet or in the fois bois log planter.  soon, soon.

materials including charcoal, pebbles, moss, and planting mix.

pretty succulents

this is the large glass container and it has three different plants and many types of moss.

and another mossy looking plant

and a cool spiky striped one

here you can see in the large container i had room to add some quartz crystals.  i went to a gem and mineral show on sunday and picked these up.

sunny day terrariums


see the crystals in the moss

a broader view

does anyone know what this is called?  it's bluish green and it's not flourite.  see the cubes...

amethyst

spiky quartz

i picked up a few of these in sayulita, mexico

jasper got this huge geode in tucson, az.

and this clump of quartz is from our trip to costa rica

i do love me some crystals, minerals, and plants.
witchy women unite!

in other news, and more importantly!, i was thrilled beyond belief to get a visit from Tif Fussell, aka Dottie Angel, at the shop today!  She and her friend Marjan stopped by to shop, say hello and meet in person.  I will publish another whole post about my adoration of Tif, the blessing of attending a girl crush art workshop and tea party with her soon in which we will create a piece of work that will actually be hung in a gallery!, and getting to go shopping with her in two weeks! 
can i get a Yahooie?!!
this excites me friends! 
really, truly, giddy!

more soon, so much more,
xoxoxox
jennette



















Velvet Cuff

made myself a vintage velvet cuff.
i had this old gorgeous faded blue velvet from the lining of an old silverware box.
and i had this old silver cuff that used to have a string of sequins glued to it, (but i ripped those off!).
so i traced the size of the cuff, rolling it from one side to the other, to make a pattern for the velvet before cutting it out.
then i got some elmers glue out and used a paint brush to glue the velvet to the cuff, one inch at a time.
when i got to the other side and there was a bit of fabric left. i just trimmed of the excess.
then i set it near the heater to dry so i could wear it the same night for going to a show in ballard.

now i am working on adding some vintage bias edged, vintage velvet panels, to some awesome vintage boots i just scored at the thrift.  yes, i will show you when i am done!

always and forever loving me some vintage velvet,

xoxoxox
jennette






Crystal Mt.

that is my Aunt Charlene and jasper walking up to my aunt and uncles lodge at Crystal Mountain Resort.

billiken is the name of the club/co-op/lodge that they belong to.  it was built by a group of boeing engineers mid last century.
it is gorgeous and lovely and enormous.
and 25 families share it.
that's me in my retro-vintage nineties purple and neon columbia jacket.  and jasper in the middle.  and my awesome Uncle Steve on the left. 
My Uncle has been on ski patrol for 55 years!
yep, 55 years!
at his 50 year mark he was honored at Crystal by having an entire run renamed after him.
if you ever ski upper Ferk, middle Ferk, or lower Ferk at crystal, you are skiing my uncle Stever Ferkovich's run.
jasper and i on the gondola
us after a long day of sweet skiing.

thanks aunt charlene and uncle steve!
we cant wait to come back for skiing and in the summer time to have a picnic at the top of the gondola overlooking mt. rainier.
and we want to do the horseback ride too!
thanks for all the fun,
xoxoxo
jennette



Wear-n-Worn

it's not like this is a super special outfit or anything.
but it was really comfortable and easy.
i'm wearing a rusty autumn velour floral jacket that i love and have had for ages.  i recently got another very similar to it in nashville but it's in reds and is feathers!  feathers!
these skinny jeans get worn way too much and so do the brown leather clog boots.  but they are so comfy - the boots are like platforms so they just make me tallish and not hurt my feet!

this is one of august's vintage sweater vests that i stole/borrowed.
i love the pattern and the orange and brown colors.
and i love contrasting orange with blue, hence the blue t-shirt. which is a fruit bats concert tee
i get a lot of comments on this belt buckle.
it's a white alabaster ship on a blue background.
i found it digging thru an antique mall in eastern washington and it was $8 so i had to have it to add to my belt buckle collection.
(go figure, she has a belt buckle collection! ha!)
plus, it's a ship. and i am all about the ships folks!
you can see i just wore all the usual suspects: vintage chinese blue glass earrings, bracelet and pendant paired with the beaver and owl necklace. 

have i told you the story about this "set" of vintage blue glass?
it is often mistaken for turquoise.
the earrings were a gift from my brother's girlfriend, jamie.  she found them when she worked at an awesome thrift store in jackson hole, wyoming.  the silver funnel-like cap on the top of the blue glass droplet shape has vintage kingfisher feathers glued to it but only tiny bits remain.
anyhow, jamie gave me the earrings and then within the next year during one of our many get away weekends in portland, chad and i found the pendant.  i was floored.  it matched the earrings exactly, with feather encrusted silver funnel-like cap and all.
and it was $9.
clearly that is a major score!
and then also within the year i found the blue glass bracelet, that matches, at a flea market in seattle.
yep.
matchy matchy!
and i wear them all. the. time.


what's in your closet? 
dig to the back and try something you haven't seen in a long while.
how does that feel?
fresh? silly? outdated? totally in?
do tell!

browsing thru a ginormous stack of library books,
xoxoxoxo
jennette

p.s. has anyone seen the new hayao miyazaki movie, the secret world of arrietty?  you must!  it's lovely!





Victorian Amethyst Tassel Necklace

i made this victorian amethyst tassel necklace from a victorian tassel and a chunk of pointy amethyst!

the tassel was hallow in the upper middle part, like a small woven cup or basket.
and i had this beautiful piece of amethyst that used to be on my alter.  but it fit so snug and perfect into this little tassel cup that it got super glued in!
here you can see it just sitting in there and this is before i ironed the tassel ends.
i figured once i got the mineral set, i would add jump rings to the sides and just attach a simple vintage chain.

and so i did.  and i am really loving letting the hardware show on the sides lately.  so when i put it on i just swing the chain around and attach it on the side there.

this is definitely not the shirt i would normally wear it with but i wanted to see how it looked on.

so i do love it.
and when i can come to terms with letting it go, it will be for sale in the shop.
we all know i have a hard time with this...
but for now i think i will wear it like it's my new favorite necklace!

off to see Breathe Owl Breathe and hang with my buddies,
xoxoxox
jennette










Wear-n-Worn

vintage plaid jacket.
like a rain coat, i guess.
my new silver oxfords!
thrifted vintage embroidered green shirt.
love that the shirt came with a belt!
august took these pictures.
i don't think the pants were right with the rest of the outfit but oh well.  they are just grey linen from target a couple years ago.
the silver leather oxfords are super comfy and were only $20 with shipping on ebay.

contemplating another closet clean-out,
xoxoxox
jennette