a FuN fUnKy FoLk ArT sToRe!

Journey along with self-employed artists, Richard and Linda Hamilton, peek into their lives... full of the daily challenges and drama of owning and operating Texas Trash and Treasures!

Thursday, July 29, 2010


out of 300 jackfaces, i chose to paint 25 pink! my loving husband LOVES them, a surprise to me. sometimes when i do something weird like this he says "well, we will be keeping those awhile." of course, we never KEEP anything, someone with a weirder sense of humor than ours picks all that stuff up and boy am i glad, because the more i think about it.............PINK PUMPKINS????

Tuesday, July 27, 2010


aren't you glad these don't just come in orange??!!!

Waco Tri


He swam, biked and ran in Waco, and all in one hour twenty-four minutes!!


Finished10 out 17 overall in his age bracket just minutes behind the others. Not bad since he just started training for triathlons recently. Go Richard, you rock!!!

Saturday, July 24, 2010

"The Wheel"











We have fun here at Texas Trash and Treasures!! Everyone who purchases from us gets to spin our "wheel". There are 6 places to win free merchandise, and believe me, we give away alot of stuff! It's our way of saying thanks, while practicing giving, not just receiving. It is so much fun just to spin the wheel, and when someone wins, the house goes wild!! Come join in the fun we are having in Carmine!!







Thursday, July 22, 2010

Freak out-Flip out meltdown


Chained to the table, my jokester husband pulled this stunt on me , a payback for my meltdown. The other day he had gone to run errands, post office, etc., and was gone a little too long, or so I thought. You see, Richard is the nicest man in town and always takes time to chat with people, and chat and chat! He is easy going and laid back. I am the opposite, unfortunately I hit the ground running and never get as much accomplished as I think I should. I hide from people cause I don't think I have time to talk , and the daily production goals I set are often unattainable. (God is still working on me people.) So anyway eventually up strolls Richard, smiling, Richard is ALWAYS smiling, and at that moment he witnessed my freak out-flip out meltdown. "Why have you been gone so long?" I said. "How are we ever going to get this all done??!!" and on and on....Right before I burst into tears, I looked up and noticed he had chained his foot to his work table. Instead, I died laughing. But Richard never looked up, his head to the grind, he said to me, "I am not allowed to go anywhere until I finish my work, and I won't be eating lunch either today". Thank God he has a sense of humor. And NO, we didn't complete all the work, it will never all be done, isn't that great...........the more people buy, the more we create!!

Saturday, July 17, 2010


Little People

One of the perks of our recent move back to Texas, is the "little people". Recently Richard and I took our grandboys, Lofty and Lawson to the downtown Austin Sheraton for a slumber party. We had a great time, ate greasy overpriced hamburgers in the hotel dining room while the boys watched Nascar, shopped in the hotel giftshop like we were tourists, played I-SPY from our 16th floor room, and swam until we were waterlogged. The next morning we dined at the buffet and laughed at the boys as they marveled at the piles of bacon and eggs etc. And lastly, we sugared them up real good right before the hand off back to their parents. Gosh if I'd known grandkids were so much fun, maybe I would have had them first!! Love the little people.










Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Tin for fall and christmas designs


The tin arrived !! This mess of metal will be turned into pumpkins, wreaths, christmas trees, stars, hearts,reindeer and who knows what else. Stayed tuned.........and all in the next 5 weeks!!

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Fickle Pickle


My name is Linda and I am a Fickle Pickle. I'll prove it. The other night I went to bed in tears because the store was so slow and today we were so busy I couldn't eat lunch, finish the floor, or even dash to the bathroom. And guess what I did... I started to complain. Linda the Fickle Pickle. Yes, I actually started griping because I couldn't step away from taking people's money. Go figure. Human nature is a funny thing, and pickles are sour. Linda, Linda, the Fickle Pickle. How I wish I was a sweet popsicle!!!

Thursday, July 8, 2010




"LOVE ROOM"

This morning as I opened the store, I spotted a note shoved under the door. A customer left me some money for a "Love room" sign she took from the front porch while we were closed. I like to take people by suprise with my work, hence for a couple years I have been making signs that say love room. My idea is that one would hang it in their home, in a special place, perhaps in the nursery where you rock the love of your life to sleep........or it could be in the kitchen or in an eating area where the family and love ones gather.........or maybe you have a secret place of prayer, a closet or corner where you go and the sign could be hung there as a gentle reminder of God's never ending, never changing love for you, no matter how we act or fail Him..........or imagine how pleased your mate would be to enter the bedroom and see the "love room" sign hanging.......... I love to watch people's reaction when they spot the sign in the store or in our booth at a show. Some frown, shake their head and put it down quickly, like it might rub off on them or something..ha ha! Some carry the sign around for awhile, I imagine they are trying to figure out if they really have a love room. And then there are those who approach check out, some boldly, some slowly and sheepishly, almost embarrassed!! I always have my standard line as I place it in a bag, probing, "great sign HuH??!! I love the responses I get, too numerous to list, but my favorite by far has to be from a young woman who shared with me that the sign was an anniversary gift for her parents who had been married going on 30 years. I asked her where she thought they might hang it (none of my business ofcourse) and she replied, "well actually they need one for EVERY room because they love each other so much. WOW!! Wouldn't it be great if every child thought that of their parents. No matter where one hangs their "love room" sign, I believe every home needs one. Food for thought.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

a winning TEAM

Alot of winning games have been played in Dallas, 
(go Cowboys!) Texas Trash and Treasures recently went 
to Dallas. Let me show you the TEAM we are putting together here in Carmine, the TEAM that made it possible 
for Richard and I to "do Dallas."


Of course the cheerleaders,my oldest daughter, Laura and 
my friend Deb
Laura
Deb

Now meet Kayla, Mary and Cody, the TEAM without whom Texas Trash and Treasures would not have played in Dallas.

Kayla
Mary
Cody

...and of course the most important component of any 
winning team is the fans!!!






THANK YOU DALLAS!!

Friday, July 2, 2010

Happy Anniversary

Richard and Linda

Two young people without a thing
Say some vows and spread their wings
Settle down with just what they need
Livin on love

She dont care 'bout whats in style
She just likes the way he smiles
It takes more than marble and tile
Livin on love

Two old people without a thing
Children gone but still they sing
Side by side in that front porch swing
Livin on love

He can't see anymore
And she can barely sweep the floor
Hand in hand they'll walk through that door
Just livin on love