Watermelon Boy

Owning and operating your own business is a never -ending circle of challenge and responsibility! Overwhelming would be an understatement. That must be why Richard and I do alot of silly stuff!! To stay SANE!! To offset the "big people stuff" we are required to do, day in, day out!!

On a recent working vacation, we picked up a watermelon before leaving Texas, along with other goodies for the roadtrip, intending to eat it along the way. Let's just say it slid under some bags and disappeared. Out of sight, out of mind. Forgotton! It wasn't until we began to pack for the return that we noticed "watermelon Boy" on the floorboard in the backseat, where he had been hiding for almost a week!

We laughed and could not believe we still had this Texas watermelon! So we decided to bring him back home to Texas with us!! And how extra silly would it be to take his photo along the way!?

And so we did just that, laughing hysterically as we would stop, unload the melon, as onlookers would frown, we just laughed and snapped the camera!! Then we would view the pic we had just taken and laugh some more!!

Our return trip home took us a different route because we had to pick up some tin in Kentucky, so here is Watermelon Boy in Illinois...

Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Back in Texas again!!

In the end, Watermelon Boy rolled off the kitchen counter and busted, right in time for our dessert!! Proof that it doesn't take much for Richard and I to have a great time!!

Junkin'

Houston Texas, The Heights, a funky historical district, a must see, must go, and we DID!! Being the "certified scavengers" that we are, Richard and I slammed on the brakes when we noticed a most unusual junky place tucked betweem two rather classy boutiques, one of which had one of our peace signs hanging in the window!!Now I have been junkin for 25 years, and I have NEVER seen anything like this place!! I could not even speak!

Junk, GOOD JUNK, stacked 5-7 feet deep, in a open air brick space that has been there for 45 years!! You can only imagine! Most was overpriced for this scavenger, however........

we did manage to find 10 "trophies", an Addy Award (advertising) presented to a few Houstonians about 30 years ago.

Atleast that is what the owner, Joe White, told me!! If you are ever in the Heights, I would stop if I were you!! We are still talking about it.

26.2

5:45 am, Sunday January 30. The man came to run it in less than 5 hours, that was his goal. 6:30 or so, waiting for the sun to come up! I am sitting on the curb, but the man came to run!!

I left the marathon man so he could join the madness, and walked around, still waiting for it to get light!! A few minutes later, they all ran under this sign!!

The next time I spotted him, was at mile 25!! I started ringing "the bell" as he left formation and ran toward me to plant a kiss on my cheek!!

A few minutes later, he crossed the finish line, 4:32, a time he was real pleased with!! Got the metal, got the shirt, and as he said,"got the girl", ME!!

YAY!!

Wonderland in Carmine

Seriously, I have never dabbled with drugs, but one may suspect so when they look at my work! Nothing is as it should be, instead, surprising, silly, unncommon, and full of wonder. Yes, there is a Wonderland here in Carmine. Kinda like Alice in Wonderland!! Wonderland in Carmine, where butterflies are navy blue with neon veins............. and all the birds are blue, with "happiness" inscribed on their wings.............

and fish seen swimming in the ponds have scales made from smashed tin cans..........

Could this really be true? I WONDER!! In the Carmine wonderland, all bikes have wheels with big puffy bows and roses on them...........

and last but not least, every home has a big colorful heart hanging in a prominate place, that says, SO HAPPY TOGETHER!! Now that's my idea of a wonderful wonderland, and it really exists here in Carmine!!

the perfect day

Richard and I just ended a "perfect day" here in Carmine. With temps around 65, 0 humidity and sunshine, things started to really come together behind the scenes here. People have been knocking on the front door to the store, even though there is a CLOSED sign, i guess they are curious as to what is inside this funky turquoise building!! Only 100 feet away from a locked door, here we are working like hebrew slaves in the back yard, unnoticed! We are having fun creating and piling up fun unnecessary stuff for you!! To all you who invest in RUST, thanks!

ADIOS HOLIDAYS!

Adios to the Holidays! We survived a wonderful and successful time here at the store. We are grateful, thankful and excited about the coming year! But what to DO with the VOID between now and spring!!?? How should I decorate the store?? I thought, considered and contemplated! I just was not sure!! So I decided to play it safe! LA VIDA LOCA!! WELCOME 2011!

Spring and Summer designs

Holiday production ended weeks ago, so what's next?...can you believe that Monday morning we began working on our spring and summer designs?? Due to popular demand, many shapes will be returning, however we have lots of new ideas on the drawing board. So this is how our "research and development" goes....I might draw out a prototype and say to Richard "do you like this"? He shakes his head NO and I say "let's go with it then". We laugh and begin to make 100 of them!! It sure helps to keep one's sense of humor through all the ups and downs of this thing and it doesn't hurt to be proud of being TRASHY!!

winners!!!

The Mayers from Brenham are the latest winnners of $50 free merchandise!!

worn out wonderful wagons

watch the waywe transformthese wonderful worn out wagons!!!!!!!!!!!!

glo-molds

This year we incorporated a lot what some call "glo-molds" into our holiday wreaths. This was a particularly fun wreath and will have a new home when it gets auctioned off soon in Round Top to benefit the Historical Society. Thanks Elizabeth for letting us participate.

Leon Collins

Today I met Leon Collins, a folk artist, a character, a nice man. The most fascinating thing about Leon is that he creates art with his 20 year old daughter! He does some pieces, she does some pieces and some are a collaborative effort. I came back to the store with 14 pieces.

it will be here before you know it

HEY, i apologize!!

To my thousands, possibly millions of followers and fans, I can only apologize for being a slacker when it comes to blogging! Have I lost my touch, or am I losing my mind??!! The approaching holidays are having a strange effect on me.

International Quilt Show

Texas Trash at the Quilt Show, hmmm sounds like a oxymoron, however you spell that, just didn't seem like the two would go together. Well it turns out that quilters love anything handmade and appreciate whimsical and "different" stuff!! So to sum it up, we loved the people and the show AND alot of trash went to new homes and gardens. A perfect weekend.

Rosenberg trash seekers

The Peddler show in Rosenberg this past weekend was a fun and profitable time, thanks to all the trash seekers!! Thank you from the turquois building on 290!!