Fun Announcement!

I am very excited to announce my new store at Etsy:

BookSeeDaisy

Since starting Wildflowers and Whimsy by TraciNicole I have noticed how excited I get at vintage and retro graphics and typography. My collection of vintage children's books and ephemera has gotten so large I decided it was time to share. I am really excited to have a store dedicated only vintage children's books and vintage ephemera. Don't be surprised if I list some amazing vintage Disney puzzles also. I just might have some here ready to be listed. BookSeeDaisy will always have great vintage paper goods and other supplies for your mixed media, scrapbooking, and collage arts. I've gotten just a small sample listed so far. Over the next few weeks I will be adding much more. You can expect the same great quality of vintage goods at BookSeeDaisy that you have found at Wildflowers and Whimsy by TraciNicole and of course, the customer service will also remain at the highest level.

Thank you so much for being supportive and encouraging over the past year!

Day Two, Just Getting Started

Sarah and I got up early on Saturday morning (early for us is 7 am). We had decided to hit a church garage sale we saw a sign for the evening before. I had expected lines out the door. It was not that busy at all. In fact, I think there was only one other person in the place. I think I picked up a couple of books at this particular stop. After that Sarah wanted some coffee so we headed over to the Eagle's Nest Coffee shop. Cute coffee shop. Small town America really has some great coffee shops. This particular coffee shop had these really cute monkey breads that were in muffin cups. I love that idea. We also went to a garage sale under a huge bridge that crossed the Mississippi. The woman lived almost under the bridge. I laughed about worrying it would fall but she thought that was crazy talk and didn't seem to think it was even possible. I decided to not go into the history of big bridges in Minnesota with her. I mean, really, I only know of one bridge collapse in Minnesota so she was probably right.

On this day we crossed over into Wisconsin. We took the big bridge the garage sale was under and passed over into Nelson, WI.

Nelson had a lot of garage sales. The town was pretty busy and everyone seemed so nice and happy. The first place we stopped at I scored an antique crock with a metal neck. I had never seen one like that before and I really liked it. I also got a vintage toy tool box. It has the most wonderful vintage patina on it. My favorite sign of the entire trip was this one:



One of the garage sales in Nelson, WI. This little town was so beautiful. I took a lot of pictures on this part of the trip. The bluffs around that area are enough to make me want to go back for a visit. I could take pictures there all day.At the stop in the picture above, I got some really wonderful vintage tins. I am really into vintage tins for some reason. I love the graphics on them and the fact you can use them for storage forever.


Then we had lunch at this great place in Nelson. The inside is really unique and the food was pretty darn good. It was the perfect place to stop and take a rest. After lunch we hit more of the Nelson garage sales and there were plenty.


After we left Nelson, WI, we headed south on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River. There were not as many garage sales during this part of the drive but I got some really cool pictures.

I am going to post them on my Flickr photostream.

Hopefully we will get some sunshine today and I will be able to take sneak peak pictures of my vintage finds.

100 Mile Garage Sale 2010! Completed My Rookie Year!

Last Thursday I set off for a weekend I had been looking forward to for a long time. My friend, who I have known since (I believe) before kindergarten and I had been planning this trip for months. Neither of us had been up to the 100 Mile Garage Sale before, so neither of us knew what to expect or what the heck we were doing. We were rookies in every sense of the word. We chalked this year up to being the one where we would get the lay of the land figured out. I was overwhelmed by the idea of 100 miles of garage sales and it took me a week to settle on a good driving route through the towns participating in the 100 miles of sales. Finally after researching maps I decided we would go up to Red Wing and work our way back south via garage sale hopping. Thursday night (next time I might go up on Wednesday because a lot of people started their sales on Thursday) we arrived in Red Wing, MN.

Friday morning we were up early and ready to hit the garage sales. Our first stop was a Caribou Coffee drive thru. We needed our coffee fix before socializing with the locals and checking out their junk. Those Red Wingians have some great junk! Our heads were spinning at the site of all the garage sales. Both of us were shocked at the amount of sales in the town. We were even more surprised to see tour buses coming into town. I didn't take many pictures this first day. I think I was feeling a bit like a "kid in a candy store". I do regret not getting one thing I saw that day. A set of four vintage french bistro chairs. They were black and metal and industrial chic and dang if I didn't pass them up. Tomorrow, I'll tell you more about the weekend. Tonight I have a lot of vintage goodness to sit in the middle of and get ready for listing in my shop.

Life with my three year old is always interesting. I never know what kind of mood he might be in from one minute to the next. At times he can be stubborn, loud, crazy, and demanding but when he flashes his big smile, it melts my heart. I wanted to share some of the funny things he has said lately.

3yr old: "What is gofurmint? (also pronounced government for those of you who don't speak 3 year old) Oh I know, it is those guys that do all that argue!"
Did I say he is smart???

13 yr old boy says to 3 year old: "I come in peace."
3 year old's reply: "I come in handy."
Isn't he quick with a comeback!

One afternoon 3 year old comes to me with a sad face. He says, "I have diss-wex-see-UH." I said, "Honey why do you think you have dyslexia?" His reply, "I can't weed." (read)

The best thing I heard this week was my 6 year old saying, "Mommy, we have a happy life don't we." Yes buddy, we sure do.

What will your garden grow? Gardening? In early April?

Yesterday was another beautiful day here in Chicagoland. I don't remember a Spring this warm and bright in my life. Yesterday was actually one of many warm days we've had so far. Warm weather moved in around the end of March. On our first 70 degree day, the weather guy said it had only been 4 months since the last 70 degree day. That is just crazy! Don't get me wrong, a four month winter is divine and life is so much happier in the sun and warm breeze. It's just strange to be out in the balmy weather with the warm sun shining down on me and yet there isn't a green leaf on a tree anywhere in site. The warm bright weather had me thinking of my vegetable garden which in turn had me feeling panicky like summer is here and that I had missed my chance to start my plants. I have never started plants from seed before and I have no idea how long it takes but I know you need time to get the plants mature enough to go into the ground. I keep having to tell myself it is only April. Just April. I have time. So, today the boys and I got a start on our vegetable garden and planted the seeds in the starter trays. I am hoping it works. Even if it doesn't work, the boys had fun and learned about planting seeds.

Doesn't my 3 year old look like he knows what to do with the seeds?

If you have ever started your garden from seed and have any advice, I am very much open to hearing it. If you compost, I'd love to hear about that also. We started composting a year ago and it looks like we have some good rich dirt waiting to be put in our garden and flower pots.

Here are some great gardening items from my fellow sellers on Etsy. I just love the garden plant markers:1. Vintage Tin Watering Can by CampHobachee

2. Vintage Galvanized Bucket Pail Metal No. 8 with Handle by prettyfarmprimitives

3. Lavender Antique Spoon Garden Marker by Hammerman

4. Vintage Handmade Wooden Garden Tray by fridayfindsmama

This needs to find its way to my garden. It makes me so happy just to see this frog. He would be perfect in a water garden. Go to this shop Mudstuff for more awesome garden statues.

What a brave girl I am!

I took this picture. Me. See the tops of the buildings, those are skyscrapers. Skyscrapers in Chicago. The the little dots at the bottom of the photo. Those are cars. That is what being 103 stories above the ground looks like.I am brave. Facing a fear is the definition of being brave in my book. I am terrified of heights. Absolutely terrified. Usually it makes me all wobbly feeling and shaky. So, no, I didn't jump out of an "aero" plane or anything, but I did stand 103 stories up over the city of Chicago in a clear box......And, I looked down! They kept telling me not to look down, but I did. Admittedly, I freaked out. Only on the inside, because when you are the mom you can't do a full on freak out. So, being that my kids were right there, I didn't start screaming hysterically or anything. But I could have, very easily. Yay me for not peeing in my pants. Did I say I am terrified of heights? Did I say that a while back when I saw this new feature at Sears (Willis) Tower on the news I said there would be no freakin' way I would ever go in that glass box 103 stories above the city? When I was actually standing in line to do this, I thought, "Self, why were you so freaked out by the thought of doing this. Self, the tv made it look so much scarier" I really believed that too. Until, it was my turn and I actually had to walk up to the clear box and could see 103 stories below me. Right there, nothing under neath but yellow taxis that looked like the size of ants. It literally looked like I was stepping off the side of a building. My husband, he got in there and jumped up and down. I suppose when you are someone who has actually jumped out of a plane, not once, not twice, but three times, this was not much of a thrill. He's hardcore like that. Anyway, I plan on facing all my fears. Next, on the list, snakes? Nah, boring, I think it will have to be something truly exciting, like bungee jumping!

It is official. I am doing a teal, white, black/gray color combo in the craft room. I am hoping I won't regret doing the teal rather than the lemon/lime combo I first had my heart set on. I am hoping this won't take very long because I don't do good in disorder, and right now I am sitting in the middle of a huge amount of disorder. I do prefer an organized area very much to sitting in the middle of a disaster area. My darling husband (I am not saying that sarcastically at all this time), is sanding my new (old) cabinets and getting them primed for a new coat of paint. I really got lucky with this man! Hey, ya gotta give props where they are deserved, and he deserves them.
I am not going to go very decor crazy with this room. I am hoping to find vintage pieces along the way rather than go buy all new things. I am trying to figure out what kind of curtains I should choose. I found some on Etsy I adore. They are handmade with a collection of vintage fabrics. Everyone one of the curtains she makes is different. Hmmmm....decisions, decisions......

Wallpaper, Friendship, and Peace Not Necessarily In that Order

When I started this post I wanted to keep it light and touch on how the word peace has been important to me lately. That is the truth, I have been looking to become a peaceful person. What I was not going to say is that this has been on my mind all week because of the current political climate. I have been seeing so much anger lately. While I try to keep my mind focused on being peaceful, and not engaging in anger, I have been watching the anger around me just grow and grow. I don't like this. I don't like what anger has been doing to my community, country, and world. It truly makes me sad and I am beginning to lose hope that one day the world will be free of hatred. So, I thought I would do a light post about peace and let that be my statement, but then I realized that kind of post was not authentic. That kind of post would be a cowardly way to say something but not really saying it. So, I decided to say it the best way I can.

When I started to think about this whole peace post, I was thinking about friends and how I have heard people wanting to end friendships over political differences. If there is one thing I have realized, when it comes to friendship, it isn't the big things people do, it is the very small things that make a difference. It is the day to day interactions that build strong relationships. I hope that people think of this before ending their friendship over politics. I hope they think about how that person treats them everyday, and not concentrate only on the differences they have politically. I am very thankful for the good friends I have in my life. I am thankful for those who allowed me to make a mistake and yet still call me a friend. Is politics really worth losing a good friend over? I don't think it is. A while back, I read the book The Art of Happiness by His Holiness The Dali Lama, he spoke about peace being a radical idea. The thought blew me away, especially when I realized he was right. At least in America, peace is radical. We are so quick to get angry and react. I know I have done that time and time again. I am learning to stop, think, and be patience. Peace. It is what I say to myself now when I feel myself getting angry. I think the world needs more peace in it and all I can do, is find peace within myself. I am sure I will work at this for my entire life.

Here are a few quotes I found about peace. I hope one of them inspires you to think peacefully when you start to feel angry or hateful:

We can never obtain peace in the outer world till we make peace with ourselves. His Holiness DL

Where ignorance is our real master there is no possibility of real peace. His Holiness DL

If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, there would be peace. John Lennon

Peace begins when the hungry are fed. Anonymous

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. Matthew 18

If we have no peace it is because we have forgotten we belong to one another. Mother Theresa
Thank you to my fellow Etsy shops for allowing me to use these images. On a side note to my husband, any of the above items would make a great birthday present for me...... *smile, hint, smile*

1. Peace Sign 2 inch circles digital collage by Room29'sshop

2. Peace, Love, and Bike Organic short sleeve tee by Loftymornings

3. Peace by mishmishmarket

4. Peace long sleeve green tee shirt by Loftymornings

5. Vintage Red peace tote burlap by panbeth
6. Steampunk Peace necklace by IM Girl

7. World Peace necklace by jewelsbyn

8. Peace Origami Crane poster by fieldtrip
9. Take A Deep Breath Love and Peace Art Print by myzoetrope

10. Imagine All the people screen print art poster by BluLima

11. Get your word on wood in five letters or less by kelseyhenke

12. Peace Love and Passion Brooch by editionbw

13. 8x8 Imagine all the people living life in peace single print by suzannanna

If you have any other quotes about peace, I would love to hear them.

I did find some cabinets for my craft room! I am so excited to get this project done. I think I might do wallpaper on one wall. Have you looked at wallpaper lately? The options are practically infinite! I am thinking of doing either a black, white, and yellow or a black, white, and teal......now if I can only find a wallpaper I love that will cost me less than $100 per wall! Uh huh. Crazy expensive!