Calamity Janes' Life & Style

Decision, Decision...Which would you choose?

2012-02-22T11:32:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

I have a dilemma and I'd like your help.

I have a chair fetish. I can't help myself!

I see pretty chairs and I have to have them whether I need them or not, or even have room for them.

I just purchased a pair of beautiful Louis chairs, at Monticello of course! What I really love about them is they're upholstered in brown suede!

So now the dilemma is where to put them.

So here's where I need your opinion...

Which set of chairs do you think looks best with the table...

Or...

Or these...

I'm only showing one of these because the other one is covered on the deck and I didn't want to drag it in until I get your opinion.

So, what do think? Would love to hear from you!

~Joyce

Road Trip Adventure...

2012-01-29T22:06:00.000-08:00

Saturday was sunny and beautiful and a perfect day for a road trip. So my husband and I and Sammy, our dog, headed up the gorge. We love this drive even if there's no destination in mind because it's so scenic and beautiful.

But, of course my plan was to happen onto a few antique shops along the way. Can't do a road trip and not stop when you see a sign that says "ANTIQUES". My husband is so patient when it comes to stopping down and letting me shop while he takes Sammy for a walk, plus it gives us all a chance to stretch our legs. But I was so disappointed to find out that all the shops in Hood River, Oregon, are gone! How does such a cute little historical city not have one antique shop! How is that possible. We drove on to the Dalles and found a couple antique shops there but nothing to bring home.

We decided to cross over to the Washington side and head towards home. In the little town of Bingen, I found some great little treasures and a great Mexican restaurant that made the best tacos and marquritas...yum!

And then something else happened...

Back on the road and as we're driving, right off the main road, I spot this huge herd of deer, and not just deer but antelope and elk, all clustered together! It was hard to get a picture of all of them from the car but it was quite a sight to see.

This made us curious enough to want to get a better look so we turned off onto the next road that led into something so unexpected...

Buffalo...

Lots of buffalo!

You can see Mt Hood in the background

And Zebras too!

I think this one is pregnant!

All roaming together and roaming free! And guess what else...

Giraffes and Camels too!

My pictures of the camels turned out too blurry and the giraffes weren't within camera shot. It was an amazing sight! We couldn't figure out what this place was. Was it a refuge or a private ranch? There was a sign that said Schreiner Farms and as we drove up the road taking all of this in, there were signs posted saying "stay inside vehicle and don't feed the animals".

What is this place? A safari in the middle of nowhere. I had to find out.

When we got home, I did some research and found out that www.SchreinerFarms is a 12,000 acre ranch that raises 20 species of exotic animals. Located across the Columbia river from the Dalles, in Dallesport, Washington.

Who knew!

It was the icing on the cake to our road trip!

I highly recommend this trip. It's a beautiful drive up there, about an hour east of Portland.

It's a animal lover's paradise! Click on their website to find out more.

Thanks for stopping by!

~Joyce

A Frosty Sunrise

2012-01-28T08:18:00.000-08:00

Gorgeous sunrise this morning!

This is a shot of my neighbors place across the road from us.

Love his old barns. It's one of the oldest homesteads in the Ridgefield area.

This is a shot from my front porch looking across the road.

A very frosty landscape this morning...beautiful.

I never get tired of this view.

Frost covered field

Our neighbors frosty driveway.

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a great day!

~Joyce

Flashback to 2008

2012-01-24T08:39:00.000-08:00

We got lucky this year and didn't get hit with the deep snow like some. But I came across these pictures I took in 2008. It was beautiful but no fun digging out.

Take a look...

This was the first evening of the big snow...

The next morning, a few inches more...

We ended up with almost 2 feet of snow and no power.

Two days later, it still looked like this...

I stayed home for 3 days waiting for the slow melt.

Can't wait until the deck looks like this again...

Come on Spring!

Thanks for visiting!

~Joyce

Somewhere in Time...

2012-01-22T21:56:00.000-08:00

Today as I celebrate my 50 something birthday, I celebrate

my other life...

My past life.

I've always wondered what life would have been like for me in Victorian times. I've always been drawn to that period in time...

...somewhere in time.

Here's to Victorian style...my style.

~Joyce

Dreaming...

2012-01-18T05:30:00.000-08:00

I think all of us in the Pacific Northwest would like to be sitting here right about now...

Or here...

We can always dream...

...now back to reality...

Burrrrrrrrrrrr!

It's about 5:00 in the morning and I just snapped this shot of the deck. It's already starting to melt away but, baby it's cold out there!

I'll be staying in today!

~Joyce

Shades of Gray...

2012-01-14T14:03:00.000-08:00

Today is a dreary cold & rainy day so I thought the color gray was appropriate.

It's also a great day to stay inside by the fire, make some popcorn and watch one of my all time favorite movies

Somewhere in Time

with Jane Seymore and Christopher Reeve. Set in the 1800's and filmed at the Grand Hotel on Lake Michigan.

Now, back to the movie.

Hope you're having a relaxing day!

~Joyce

A Beautiful Christmas Eve Day...

2011-12-24T21:26:00.000-08:00

What a beautiful day it turned out to be, the day before Christmas.

I took the first two shots of the field in front of my house. Coyotes roam this field on a daily basis, along with deer, and Canadian Geese.

This very old apple tree is one of two in our back yard.

I am surprised that it still has lots of apples this time of year.

Love the nostalgia about it.

I know, they are unusual pictures at Christmas time, but I love the beauty of nature and wanted to share them with you anyway.

Have a very Merry Christmas everyone!

~Joyce

Remodeled Bathroom...finally finished!!

2011-12-14T19:50:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

Finally...as some of you know, I have been waiting a very long time for this bathroom remodel project to be done. My husband opted to do all the remodeling himself which is why it took a year and half! Yes, I said a year and a half!! You see, he didn't feel the need to "hurry up and get er done" since we have two other bathrooms...thank GOD!

I wish I had "before" shots of it but he ripped it all out before I had a chance to take pictures. It was a very small traditional 60's bathroom with double sinks and yellow formica counter top cabinets. Can you visualize that?

He added three feet to the bathroom by knocking out the closet in the spare bedroom next to it. I'm going to eventually turn this bedroom into my office, so who needs a closet anyway, right.

I love the way it turned out. The walls have been textured and the paint color is actually a mocha color.

Recognize the oil painting on the wall, Sue? I love it!

(Sorry about the mirror shot!)

I'm trying to go with an old-world European look. See the old shutter on the wall? It's actually being used as a door on a built-in cabinet. I love this idea instead of your typical cabinet door.

On the other side, I used an old column for height and more old-world ambiance.

The shutters in the window are temporary until I find the right ones to fit. I love using shutters instead of curtains.

A little needlepoint footstool fit perfectly in the corner

The column has just the right amount of chippy brown paint.

Recognize the marble dish, Vanna?

So whadda ya think? Any other decorating suggestions?

Thanks for stopping by!

~Joyce

Collections & Vignettes...

2011-12-07T19:56:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!

Come on in and look around.

I thought I'd show you some of what I love to collect and display around the house...

Hope you enjoyed your stay. Thanks for visiting!

~Joyce

Treasures Arriving...

2011-11-29T19:42:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd give you a peek at what I've been working on today.

These little treasures will be making their way in to Monticello tomorrow. So much more to do before the big show on Friday!

Friday, December 2nd

AN OLD-FASHIONED CHRISTMAS SHOW

Monticello Antique Marketplace

8600 SE Stark Street

Portland Oregon 97216

503 256-8600

The doors open at 8:00am Friday

This is not your typical show...

It's an event!

Don't miss it!

For details and sneak peeks, go to;

Monticelloantiques.blogspot.com

See you there!

~Joyce

Stormy Stormy Night...

2011-11-17T13:06:00.000-08:00

Last night was a very stormy night around here and the wind was howling. This morning I woke up to this...

Leaves everywhere!

But so pretty in a colorful way

I say...enjoy the colorful Fall season while it last.

It's beau..ti..ful!

~Joyce

November Chill...

2011-11-01T13:43:00.000-07:00

The first day of frost came with the first day of November in Ridgefield.

At 9:00 this morning, the fog was heavy as I shot these pictures.

Hope you enjoyed the outdoors on this foggy chilly day!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Joyce

Orange...the Color of Autumn

2011-10-26T20:04:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love the colors of Autumn.

Every October, our lace leaf maple turns a bright orange, just in time for halloween.

My family of deer

Trick or Treat!

~Joyce

Never Enough Time...

2011-10-23T19:55:00.000-07:00

You see, I have this ~~collection of~~ obsession with clocks. Just like my coral collection, I can't seem to get enough of them.

The older, the better. The rustier, the better.

The more unique, the better.

And sometimes they're just cute!

Even clock faces. There's just something about dials that I can't get enough of.

Four of these!

I can't help myself!

There's just never enough ~~time~~...clocks!

~Joyce

Decorating With Coral...

2011-10-12T22:05:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone...I'm back!

Awhile back I promised to share my collection of coral with you so here goes...

I think it was the unusual beauty that first attracted me to coral. My facination with it started a few years ago and I'm still collecting it today. So far I have 30+ pieces and still look for unusual shapes and sizes that I don't already have.

But finding places to display them can be challenging when you have so many. I purchased the above primitive cabinet last year at Monticello (of course) to display my collections of coral, clocks and books. I had been looking for the right cabinet and when this one came in to the mall, I knew right away it was the one. It has the original glass doors which helps keep everything dust free!

Other pieces are displayed throughout the house...

I just can't get enough!

The bigger, the better.

I'll continue my hunt.

Hope you enjoyed

Until next time...

~Joyce

A Foggy Fall Morning...

2011-09-29T22:19:00.000-07:00

When I woke up this morning and looked outside, the fog had set in and something about it was so peaceful. Fall has officially arrived. I wanted to capture this foggy picturesque moment so I grabbed my camera and coffee and this is how I started my morning before heading off to work...enjoy!

Gotta love nature

~Joyce

A Fall Evening...

2011-09-22T21:53:00.000-07:00

Lighting up the deck chandeliers and enjoying the first evening of Fall

cooking outdoors.

Life is good

I've been absent for alittle while as life got a little hectic and bumpy. But all is well again and back on track so I'll try not to stay away so long next time.

Come back and visit soon!

~Joyce

It's a Beautiful Day in the Pacific Northwest

2011-08-24T13:32:00.000-07:00

If you live here in the PNW then you gotta love the weather we've been havin this past month...know what I'm talkin about...SUNSHINE! Finally we can enjoy the outdoors and that's what I was doing early this morning with coffee and camera in hand.

Still in my jammies and barefoot, I took these pictures...

I feel very blessed to live on 5 acres...

And very grateful to not have close neighbors except when it comes to these guys...

Aren't they handsome. They're the best neighbors ever!

Love love love horses...

And beautiful warm sunny mornings in the great Pacific Northwest!

Enjoy them while they last...fall is coming soon!

~Joyce

Makeover at Monticello...

2011-08-23T19:18:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd give you a peek into my space at Monticello. It always feels good to do a total makeover from time to time to freshen things up.

I love to mix in elements of nature like mossy branches and ferns, palms and driftwood, and even fresh flowers on occasion. And for sound effect, a water feature...for alittle ambiance.

Until next time...

~Joyce

Camp Ruffin it...

2011-08-15T22:22:00.000-07:00

Just got back from an over night camping trip and although it was just a one-nighter, it felt so good to get out of the city and be surrounded with nature. The weather was perfect and the scenery was beautiful.

This was our first campout in 11 years! I know! We've been asking ourselves why we waited so long. Who knows...life happens, you get busy, unforseen things happen that change your path and make you realize it's time to slow down and enjoy the simple things in life like getting back to nature and smelling the outdoors.

Our favorite camp ground use to be Swift reservoir at the base of Mt. St. Helens but we discovered new territory when we unexpectedly found Swift camp ground full. It forced us to drive further north in search of a new place. The next stop we happened on to was a remote camp site we hadn't heard of before but it was one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen. This is what we saw...

What a perfect camp spot, but unfortunately, not ours. Someone else had already nabbed it. Damn!

So off we went. It was getting late but we weren't ready to give up hope so we tried one last camping area called Horse Camp 9300 and viola...one camp site left! Whoo hoo, score! And it was in a perfect spot, very private, quite and beautiful.

Who doesn't love sitting in front of a crackling camp fire in the middle of the woods ...with a glass of wine in hand...heaven. This is what we drove three hours for and well worth it.

Gotta love nature and waking up to this view

I love cookin on a camp fire and the next morning it was scrambled eggs and bacon, toast and a fresh pot of coffee. Is that a good lookin breakfast or what!

This was Sammy's first campout and loved every minute of it. He's quite the outdoorsmen!

After enjoying a beautiful day in the woods, it was time to pack up and head home.

We're already planning our next trip.

Hope you enjoyed it!

~Joyce

P.S. I had more pictures to show you but I'm having trouble getting them to download. Don't know if it's blogger or what but it's frustrating...(insert frowny face)

Barn House Vintage Market ~ Part II

2011-08-09T12:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back with more pictures from the BH event. I couldn't get all the pictures on the first post so here's more from this fun day. So much talent, so much fun...enjoy!

Joe & Sue of BELLA

Cindy of TARTE

Kari & Kathyrn of Manor Bourne

Kristin of Faded Prairie

Randy of Madison Park

Jeff & Julie of Broughs Primitives

Garrett & friends of Platinitis

Liz of Seabold

Camp Trailer Park! Ain't they cute!

Barn House Kitty...nap time

There were so many more I didn't get pictures of but jump over to some of the other blogs and enjoy their BH pics!

Final words to describe this event...

FUN

GRAND

FABULOUS

AMAZING

TALENT

FRIENDS

LOVE

HUGS
and lots of...

LAUGHTER

Thank you Joe & Jermonne!

~Joyce

BARN HOUSE Event....Truly Amazing!

2011-07-31T23:23:00.000-07:00

If you didn't make it out to this amazing event...kick yourself because you definitely missed out on the most amazing flea market festival of the year. Sooo many people came...

beautiful displays of great stuff everywhere you looked, so much eye candy! Not to mention live music, great food and beer & wine garden! I think I would've been a happy camper even if I hadn't sold anything because it was just that fun. But OF COURSE, I sold alot...icing on the cake!

I have to share a couple of my favorite vendor spaces that I think were over the top fabulous...

Garrett of Platanitis & friends from Sacramento

Randy of Madison Park @ Monticello

I might have to do a part II just to get it all in because there's so much more great stuff to show you.

This picture tells alot about the flavor & atmosphere at BARN HOUSE...

Down home fun...Too cute!

Thank you Joe & Jermonne for hosting this amazing event on your beautiful farm and making everyone feel so warm and welcome.

Such a great day...Much love to you.

~Joyce

Preparing For Barn House...Next Week! OMG!

2011-07-22T21:48:00.000-07:00

Where does the time go. If you're like me, you always think you have plenty of time but then you find yourself scrambling like a crazy person.

Having the day off , I was able to organize some more stuff for the upcoming Barn House extravaganza.

And then while the sun was shining I gathered up some outdoor pieces you'll also be seeing at Barn House.

I have a pair of these french iron chairs but I'm having a hard time deciding whether to sell them or keep em.

They have such great detail and so comfortable. I love them.

Guess you'll have to wait and see if they end up at Barn House!

Don't miss this all day event! Come for the treasures, live music, food, friends and beautiful surroundings. These boyz know how to put on a show and they know how to party so come join us in the country for this summer event of the year!

Hee haw! ~Joyce

How Many is Too Many...

2011-07-19T22:13:00.000-07:00

I have an obsession, well...a few obsessions, but one is with Victorian needlepoint & tapestry purses. I started collecting them years ago. Who knows why we're drawn to certain things. All I know is these little purses intrigue me. I counted 25 in my collection.

I'm always on the lookout for unique ones that I don't already have. I'm especially drawn to petit point because of the fine detail.

I also love the tapestry purses for their beautiful scenes. The earlier tapestry bags were sometimes remade from earlier pieces of tapestry hangings.

My obsession with needle/petit point and tapestry doesn't stop here.

Needlepoint chairs and pillows are another weakness of mine.

How much is too much?

I say more is always better!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Joyce

Putting One Foot in Front of the Other and Moving Forward...

2011-07-16T23:22:00.000-07:00

First I want to thank you all for your caring and kind words this past week. I truly appreciate all of your comments. I'm having to tell myself lately that moving forward will help the healing process. Listen to myself...and just begin.

So today, I set my sights on working and preparing for the one and only show I do all year... that would be the one and only BARN HOUSE event happening on July 30th. I am so honored to be asked back this year. Last year was incredible and this year is going to be even more incredible. This is a must not miss event, I promise you. I'll be talking more about this in another post but for now, I wanted to give you a little sneak peek at just a few of the treasures I pulled out today and will be taking to the show.

This is as far as I got today but rest assured, there's so much more to get to.

I must get busy now!

~Joyce

Soothing the Soul...

2011-07-14T21:41:00.000-07:00

The heartache and emptiness that you feel after losing a beloved pet is agonizing to say the least. Nothing can take away the pain except time.

We decided a drive might take our minds off things and so we found ourselves heading to a place we hadn't been for years...

This beautiful ten mile lake is at the base of Mt. Saint Helen and seems to go on forever..Swift Reservoir

This was our favorite place to camp for years. We loved it here and have great memories.

Coming up here made us realize how much we miss camp fires and looking out over the lake. There is nothing more soothing.

We have vowed to go camping here again before summer's end.

Because life is just too short.

We miss you dearly, Sissy.

~Sweet dreams~

In Memory of My Sissy Girl...

2011-07-12T20:39:00.000-07:00

My Sissy Girl

7/17/2005 ~ 7/09/2011

Who lost her battle to cancer.

You made me smile everyday. I miss you terribly. xo

My Style at Monticello

2011-07-05T21:26:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone and thanks for stopping by. Just restocked and fluffed my space at Monticello so thought I'd give you a peek at it.

I found these great wooden letters in Kansas City

Monticello's storewide sale starts Thursday!
Come on in for great savings all over the store.

~Joyce

My Style at Home

2011-06-30T23:12:00.000-07:00

Since my blog is fairly new, I wanted to share a little about myself and give you a peek inside my home to show you my style and what I love to live with. As you will see, I love color. I don't do the white thing in my home, although I can appreciate it and love the look of it, it would never work for me because I love color too much and... I live with two giant Rottweilers who love to lay on the sofa with me every night and play and wrestle in the living room. I wouldn't have it any other way. So come on in...

Hope you enjoyed a peek into my home. Next, I'll be sharing my "collections" with you.

Until next time, thanks for stopping by.

~Joyce

"Peace"

2011-06-17T20:24:00.000-07:00

I absolutely LOVE this picture and couldn't wait to share it with you (click on it to enlarge). I found it today in an antique shop in Kansas City and was so mesmerized by it. I knew I had to have it. I have never seen this print before and decided to research it to find out the meaning of it. This is what I found;

It was painted by an English history painter named William Strutt in 1869. A painting he named "PEACE". It depicts this biblical verse;

The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together, and a little child will lead them.

The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

This was one of his most famous paintings and has been reproduced for many years. How have I not ever seen this print before now? Have you?

My sister loves it as much as I do. It's now hanging in her living room!

Happy Birthday, Sis!

Until next time...

~Joyce

Kansas City, Here I Come!

2011-06-14T21:03:00.000-07:00

The clock is ticking

I'm packing my suitcase tonight and flying out in the morning. I'm headed to Kansas City for Father's Day and to visit family. And of course, do some antiquing while I'm there! Missouri has some of the best hidden treasures and I love the hunt.

Remember this shop...

I had the pleasure of visiting Curious Sofa during my last trip to Kansas City.

This was an amazing shop packed full of eye catching displays.

But as we all know, Curious Sofa closed it's doors early this year. We miss you, Debbie.

I'm taking an extra suitcase hoping to fill it full of vintage Missouri treasures. Wish me luck!

~Joyce

A day at the beach...

2011-06-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

Finally, a beautiful 80 degree day in the Pacific Northwest and a forecast of high 70's at the coast, yippee! So we loaded up the 4-legged kids and headed to Long beach, Washington.

The weather couldn't have been more perfect...77 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. My husband loves to go to Long beach because you can drive on to the beach and drive for miles. We were lucky enough to find a secluded spot so the kids could run and play and chase seagulls.
Enough of that and we headed to our next destination...Oysterville. But before we made it off the beach, we found ourselves stuck in the sand...ohh s#%$!

Thank God for 4-wheelers! One came to our rescue and after 10 minutes of digging, he pulled us out. That was $20 bucks well spent!

So off we went, destination...

If you've never been to this little historic town, it's worth the drive, about 5 miles north of Ocean Park on the tip of the penninsula.

Reminds me of Nantucket.

At the end of this tree lined street is a place (didn't get a picture of it, dangit!) that serves the best fresh crab and smoked oysters, among other goodies for the road trip home.

After hitting a few antique shops along the way, we called it a day and headed for home sweet home.

We ended a great day sitting on the deck until the sun went down.

Life is good.

Until next time

~Joyce

Welcome to my new blog...

2011-05-31T08:32:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone...I've decided to join the blog world and start my own! I hope you will visit often and share your thoughts and comments. You all have inspired me. We all share a common passion; antiquing, the thrill of the hunt, designing and creating beautiful eye catching displays with our found treasures.

But I have to admit, I've also become a blogger junkie. I love reading all of your blogs and looking at all the treasures you find and all the great shows you do and all the creative ideas you have and sharing your personal journeys on life, what makes you happy, what makes you sad and what inpires you. You have inspired me and now, I want to share the same passions with you. Thank you for the inspiration and sharing your "life and style". My blog journey begins...

Stay tuned! ~Joyce