The Stone Rabbit

We MISS Downton Abbey!!!

 

A few months ago two of my blogging friends, LaVerne and Nancy, tossed out the idea of doing an art journal.  The theme was to be "favorite quotes" from Downton Abbey.

Well, since I LOVED that TV series, I jumped right on board.

I thought about it a lot . . .looked up various quotes on the computer. . .thought about it some more. . .looked and looked and looked at a zillion Downton Abbey pictures on Pinterest (and other websites). . . became confused. . . FINALLY decided on a quote. . .BUT THEN I couldn't figure out how to illustrate it. . .and JUST WHEN I GOT IT ALL GOING.....bam.....I had a car wreck and my life totally went another direction.

If you know how disruptive a wreck is, you know what I did for the next week and a half. 

I was rear ended while sitting, with my blinker on, waiting to make a left turn.  

My van was totaled.  While it was older, it was low mileage.  It was also the perfect vehicle for my lifestyle.

I was a mental mess. . .basically mourning the loss of my beloved van.  Nothing could replace what it meant to me.  However, it had to be replaced and once another ride was secured,  I returned to the Downton Project, even though my mental creativity was fried at that at that point.

Yesterday,  I finally finished all 20 of my pages .   It was such a relief to box them up and get them mailed off.

Now, Nancy and LaVerne have the huge task of assembling all of our pages between the amazing book covers they designed and created!!  They are true artists .   

THE STONE RABBIT is really glad I decided to join in on this Downton Abbey project. . . however, he told me that NEXT time he won't let me put off my start on such a time consuming endeavor.  He's lived with me for a very long time and knows that I am a world class procrastinator. . .(shhhhh.....it's also not likely that I will change, either. )

 

 

 

We hope you have a wonderful Labor Day weekend and a very happy Pink Saturday!!

Please visit Beverly's blog, HOW SWEET THE SOUND, for a long list of other bloggers who are ready with their weekly shares!

 

 

DANA

Bingham-Waggoner Antique Sale ANTICIPATION!!!

This is such a fun packed time !!!  Last weekend we celebrated Independence Day with a parade and a picnic and loads of good times with family and friends.  However,THIS Saturday is probably one of my all time favorite days of the year!  It's the day that my buddies and I meet up at the Bingham-Waggoner Estate in Independence, Missouri, for their annual antique and craft show!!

Below is a photo of the mansion as seen on the website.  Please click on the link above to read more about the sale and the many other activities that take place there!

 

THE STONE RABBIT knows how very much I love going to this sale!  He thought he'd help me out by locating my HUGE flag bag that's perfect for taking to sales!    I just added the bottle of water (cuz it can be a HOT day!) and a little cold, hard cash!!

L to R you see Bonnie, Marian, me and Patty. . . posing just as we go into the sale!  They all have flag bags, too!!  This photo was taken at the sale in 2007!

Here I've met up with some of Bonnie's buddies. . . all with their flag bags!  :)
 
 

One of the very first items on our agenda . . . breakfast!!!  We have been known to wait too long and they RUN OUR OF BISCUITS AND GRAVY!!  Not last year, however!!  We headed to the food booth first thing!!

There are about 125 vendors spread out on the grounds of the estate!  It's a beautiful venue for such a fantastic show!!
 

This is Kathy Taylor.  She does the most fabulous painting on gourds!!  She is a "cat lover", so one of the primary designs in her paintings are . . . cats!!  I have a little Christmas tree that I fill  with the wonderful gourd decorations I have purchased from her over the years!

 

My heart is beating with excitement as I revisit some of the wares from last year!
 

This booth belongs to Nancy Rose aka The Gourd Lady!  She also paints on gourds, but with a different style than Kay.  Nancy and I go waaaaaay back!!  MANY years ago, when we were first teaching, she was the art teacher and I was speech therapist in the same building!!! :) 
 

I can HARDLY wait!!
 

Someone I ALWAYS look forward to seeing each year is an OLD high school classmate. . . Sharon!  Actually, she's two years younger and was my sister's very close friend!  She does this sale with her sister!  It's always fun to see what tempting items they have gathered for the sale!

Here's another friend, Vicky.  She's hauling a buy to her vehicle!!  Vicky owns, OLD GLORY in Greenwood, Missouri. It's a fabulous shop filled with wonderful primitive furniture and decoratives!
 

Talented local musicians are shown preparing to entertain the crowd.
 

LUNCH TIME!!!
 

Bonnie found some bargains.

  

My friend's daughter, Cassie,  had a booth at the sale, too!  Here she modeled her super sweet skirt made from vintage handkerchiefs! 

I LOVE old metal picnic baskets!!!
 
 

Last year, among my purchases, were a sock monkey, a wooden chimney and a tarnished silver tray!!!  I know I bought more.....I just don't recall what!!  :)  I resold the monkey and the tray in my own sales. . . I still haven't figured out what to do with the chimney. . . but I will!

I wanted to show you a few photos from the 2008 sale, too!  First, cuz we had missed the biscuits and gravy the year before, Patty brought us fresh cinnamon rolls to enjoy before the sale!!

Here I am with my high school friend again. . . and a metal picnic basket purchase!! :)
 

Here's a shot of the mansion. . . it was very cloudy and RAIN was predicted!!!  We shopped quickly because it wasn't too long after I took this photo that. . . .
 

the umbrellas had to come out!!!
 

The rain became so heavy that some vendors had to stay dry in any way they could!!
 

We stayed until it was no longer fun to shop in the rain, so we headed back to the parking lot and . . . .
 

crawled into the back of my van, out of the rain.  Then, we finished the cinnamon rolls!!

 

Talking about the rain reminded me. . . .I'd better put my umbrella in my flag bag, too!! 

DANA

AN ART SHOW!

Built in 1920, Brookside was Kansas City, Missouri's, first suburban shopping district.   It continues to be the home of many wonderful shops and restaurants and is just minutes south of the Country Club Plaza shopping area.

Brookside is also the site of a wonderful annual art fair.  If you click HERE you will see many  photos of participating artists in this year's event.

We attended on the last day of the fair and it was still packed with shoppers and. . . . . .

cute little doggies.  Some of them sported terrific clothing and  great hair cuts!

There was the "unique" and. . . . . . . .

more pups and. . . . .

more "unique" and . . . . . .

 more pooches and . . . . .

little kiddos enjoying the "unique" and . . . . . . .

more well dressed canines and . . . . . .

a fabulous artist, named DANA FORRESTER,  whom I have long admired  and . . . . . . .

he was so gracious to pose with some of his fabulous work and spend lots of time talking with us.  What a small world---we found out he lives right down the street from us!  As I was enjoying talking with him and looking at his wonderful work, I realized the lady who came into his booth and who was also thrilled with his prints and paintings, and also started  speaking with him was . . . . . .

one of my long time friends---Diane!!  We've known each other for (gasp) almost forty years (and we still look as cute as we did on the first day we met!!!). . . . and then I met her friend, Connie,  and . . . .

we realized we BOTH go to the same hairstylist (note the darling hairdos!!!) and she lives in the same neighborhood as Diane (and so does my hair stylist!) and THEN they introduced me to their other friend, Mary Lou (for some reason, I didn't get her picture!) and we found out we go to the same church!  I don't recall if she lives in the same neighborhood as they do, but heck, it was all so much fun to figure all of this out!!  After several minutes of tying up Dana's booth with our excited conversation, we continued on our tour of the wonderful works of art and . . . .

more cute doggies and then . . . . . .

I purchased one of the great souvenir posters for the art fair painted by the fabulous artist, MICHEL TSOURIS.  She was so nice to autograph it for me and . . . . . . . .it was soon time to head home.

 

THE STONE RABBIT was really impressed with pictures of the art fair and with Michel's poster.  He asked me if I would let him use some of my supplies so he could brush up on his painting skills.

I think Twiggy was a great subject, don't you?

Also, I think THE STONE RABBIT has some hidden talent---he always surprises me with the things he can do!!

DANA