3-day Weekends are the BEST!!

     Have you ever noticed that when you are a 'working human' (and I'm including all of you who either work from home or stay home and raise your children/grandchildren---that's definitely WORK!!!!)  the thought of a 3-day weekend or any weekend for that matter, is like an early morning spring shower, so refreshing and renewing!  Ok, so that's a little more 'poetic' then I normally get, but you get the message.  In other words, '3-day weekends are da bomb'!!!

     I've noticed lately that I seem to be living more and more for the upcoming weekend, only to have it slip quickly through my fingers as I fill each day with ALL the things I can't/don't get done during the week.  As Sunday evening rolls around, I find myself tired, frustrated and wondering why I didn't take some time to just enjoy life, family and my Heavenly Creator!!

     Well, I decided a few months ago to change all the above....except the part about enjoying myself.  I made a declaration that Sundays were 'off limits' to all of the following:  work/grocery shopping/work/cooking/work, etc.  You get my drift....no WORK, at least not anything other than what I really wanted to do.  We like church on Saturday evenings so that's not a problem and we often watch a live service on our computers on Sunday mornings as we eat our breakfast.  It helps to set the tone for the day.

     I would like to tell you that it has gone smoothly but as often happens when we make a declaration of independence, it has not.  But I've had a few Sundays where I NEVER got out of my pajama's and only cooked what I could put in the microwave.  Those Sundays were devine!!  And honestly the rest have been less hectic than the ones before my 'pronoucement of lacguor'. 

     So how did I spend my last 3-day weekend you ask?  MOSTLY in my pajamas and I tried not to fill the rest of the time with anything other than family, friends and my loving Lord.  It was devine!!

     Here are a few pictures I took of my great weekend:

 

Me practicing my 'selfies'

Time for a little frivolity!

Yes, I'm in the bathroom taking my picture!!! 

My Brayden stomping on 4th of July poppers

My mom, Brayden and his mom, my daughter Brittany

 

 

Thanks for reading my blog and I hope you will leave me a comment, I would love to hear from you!!

 

God Bless all and any who read this,

Pat, A Remade Life

Sunday Morning Quiet Time

     It's VERY early here at my home and even after the last two days of high energy craziness, I find myself awake and blogging to YOU!!  This seems to be happening alot lately (not the blogging part--my bad, I know I need to blog more!) I wake up before my alarm goes off and lay in my bed trying to solve the problems of the world---well, at least those in my own life!

   What thoughts are going through my head at 4:30am in the morning?-----"remember to pay the insurance bill today, it was due yesterday';     'what am I going to feed Brayden (my grandson and best baby in the WORLD) for breakfast this morning, I don't have any eggs';     'I need to sort through all the vintage clothes I just bought on Friday and get them ready to post in my new internet shop---www.mykitschycloset.etsy.com';     'can I stay in my pajama's all morning or will I have to get dressed at some point--I don't want to get dressed or go anywhere today!';  and my all-time favorite----'can I go back to sleep or should I just get up and get on with life?!?'  What---you were expecting me to have REALLY deep, earth-shattering thoughts?  Nah, not at 4:30am in the morning!!!!

   But seriously, I have found myself thinking more and more about my life, past, present and future, and I have been concerned with what I've found.  I think all this is probably brought on because I will be having a "BIG" birthday in a few months----the big 6-0!!!  Just typing it makes me shutter-uugghhh!!   Anyway, I've started to wonder what my life would have been like if I had made 'different' decisions in my younger days.  Maybe not have married so young or started a family so soon.  Perhaps if I had stayed in college and become a graphic designer as I had planned.  Or perhaps me and my best friend at that time, Jackie, would have traveled to foreign lands to absorb all we could of their artist cultures.  Or even have done some missionary work here in the states or overseas--perhaps.  But dwelling on 'what could have been' does no one any good!

     And then I begin to see the faces of my children, I see then as the little ones they once were and remember the precious adults they have become.  I remember all the pain and illness my mom has gone through the past few years and I cherish every moment I still have with her.  I feel the warm breathe of my grandson Brayden as he falls asleep on my shoulder, his sweet body cuddled in my arms, and I realize........I am blessed.

   There is a wonderful scripture in Psalms 90--"Teach us to make the most of our time....and make our efforts successful.  Yes, make our efforts successful!" (NLT)  I believe that's what everyone wants in life, no matter your religion, no matter your nationality, no matter your race, political leanings or life-preferences.  We all just want to matter, to have our efforts in life be successful!!

     And although success can be measured differently by different standards, in my own eyes I am successful!  Was this the life I planned for myself so many years ago--definitely NOT!!  But is this the life, with all it's struggles and hardships and pains, that is making me the person God intended me to be----absolutely!!

     And so this early morning 'thought session' becomes a time to thank my Heavenly Father for all that I have and all that I will become.  I'm not were I need to be but I'm on my way, and that's ok!!  And so I leave you with a few pictures to enjoy and I pray you are blessed as I have been blessed.......

 

Brayden showing me his banana--cheeky fellow!!

 

My son Jonathan and I at the beach

 

Brayden and I visiting my mom at the nursing home

My daughter Brittany (Brayden's mom) and momma

My grandson Tyler age 7 (Jonathan's son) who lives in Michigan--we haven't seen him since he was 3 yrs old

 

 

 

    I hear Brayden stirring and must fix breakfast---God Bless all and any who read this!!

Pat, A Remade Life
 
 

Hard work, little return.....is this crazy or what?!?!?

    

     A good friend of mine recently made a comment that really struck home with me.  He just couldn't understand why is it I put sooooooo much effort into a resale business when there is such little return right now.  His comment went something like this:  "Why do you work so hard on getting things just right at your shop when it doesn't seem to pay out very well?  I just don't understand, it doesn't make sense!" 

     And he's right---it doesn't make sense to work full-time at a 'real' job, to use your free weekends' to work yourself into the ground trying to get a side business going.   It doesn't make sense to get up super early on your days off just so you can beat your competition to the garage sales/estate sales to find 'treasures' for resale.  And it doesn't make sense to try and figure out WHAT in the world the buying public wants this week which is ALWAYS different from what they wanted LAST week!!!

     None of this makes sense and yet, so many of us resalers continue doing all of the above--why?!?

     Is it the thrill of the hunt?  Is it the thought that the next treasure we find for $1 could make us millionaires?!  Or is it something else?

     Well, I can't answer for anyone else, but I can tell you how I feel---its the hunt for me!!  There is just something about digging through box after box of junk, looking for that one item that will help you retire in total luxury.  That one elusive treasure has kept me digging through old barns full of petrified raccoon poop (true story), trash piles sitting outside a remodeled house and again, tons and tons of boxes full of everything from vintage dinnerware to broken worthless children's toys!! Picking, as we resellers call it, is very addictive.

     There is great joy in seeing value in an item that everyone else seems to have overlooked.  And it doesn't hurt to make some money off your investment too!

     So, back to the issue of 'working hard with little return'.   I wish I could come up with some deep, meaningful reason for what we 'pickers' do with our lives, but the truth is.......I just don't know.  Perhaps it is all based on hope--the hope that all our efforts will someday bring us financial security--the hope that we are making a difference in someone's life--the hope that the things from old that brought us joy will do the same for the next generation.  Yes, I think that's it---Hope--I like that answer.

My booth at a recent trade show

The goal is to NOT take everything home!

A little bit of this and a little bit of that

God Bless all and any who read this,

Pat, A Remade Life

Be Someone's 'Miracle'!!

     As you can probably tell from my posts, I'm a Christian, a believer in Jesus as the son of God, Savior.  Now, while I profess this openly and whole-heartedly, I do understand that not everyone shares my belief's and there are some who are even opposed/turned-off by this.  I respect that and it is my goal as a christian to always be sensitive to others ways/beliefs while at the same time hold strongly to my own---not an easy task in this day and time when many take offense so easily.

     But one of the things I have found in all my wanderings and friendships with various and asundry people is that there seems to be one universal truth---to help our fellow man.  It is often the goal of many religions and sects, even those who don't have particularly strong beliefs--it is a 'common' thread. 

     Helping can come in many forms.  At it's very basic level a kind word can turn someone's day around and give them the encouragement they need to go on.  A simple compliment can bring confidence to someone who lives in a world of unsurety.   Trust me on this one cause I'm speaking as a person who grew up with depression and uncertainity!!  A kind word, a gentle touch can make a big difference!

     Help can be giving a co-worker a ride to work when their car is out of service; or taking your elderly neighbor to the store for food;  maybe even taking a friend to a movie just to get her out of the house after a nasty break-up with a boyfriend!  Don't have time for any of these?  Well, how about calling that friend or even texting her that you are thinking of her and care?!  Knowing someone is on your side ALWAYS helps!

     Yes, help can come in many, many forms---but there is another universal truth that can NOT be ignored---HELP is a verb, indicating ACTION!!  This means, WE must take action if any help is to be given!!  In the christian world there was a saying--'you've got to put 'feet' on your prayers'!!  This means, pray for sure but get out there and DO!!  Don't TALK about helping, DO it!!

     As you can tell I have fairly strong feelings on this subject---because I've been 'there', you know, in that needy place, that low-spot, that horrible rut where you must have help to climb out and get back on the road!  And I'm ashamed to say, I've also been in a position to help others and turned away--this is not something I'm proud of. 

     But..........this is a new day, a new dawn, a new beginning!!  And there is no reason I can't move on and change--and so can you!  Please forgive me if you are already in that wonderful place of helping others---I salute you, you are an awesome blossom!!

     And so, whatever your belief or thoughts are regarding a 'higher' power, join me in making it your goal to be someone's miracle today,to bless them with a kind word, a compliment or maybe help them financially or take them to lunch.  Your choice----just DO it!  I have NO doubts you will be rewarded, if not in this world then in the next!

God Bless all and any who read this,
Pat, A Remade Life

Easter Brayden!!

     When you have a 2 yr old running around in your life, there are good days and there are great days.  Easter this year was a great day!  Brayden wasn't old enough to understand the meaning of 'Resurrection Sunday' (that will come soon) but he was definitely old enough to understand how to look for easter eggs and to enjoy the goodies they hold within!!
     It was a beautiful day here in Texas, weather was mild and the air was sweet.  We enjoyed a wonderful service at church and then just kicked back and relaxed till after lunch---that's when the hunt began!!
     Brayden looked like a pro as he searched to and fro for those much coveted easter eggs.  And he found them all with very little prompting!!
     Here are a few pictures of our wonderful day:

And the hunt begins!!

Look how many I found!

Is this all?

What kinda bunny is this?!

Grandma showing how it's done!

     I tried to post more pictures but was having trouble downloading them--will try again later.

Hope everyone's Easter was full of blessings and good stuff!  I'll be posting pictures soon of my 'soon to open' vintage/retro clothing webstore!!

God Bless all and any who read this,
Pat, A Remade Life

We moved our shop----again!!!!

Ok, so I know it looks like we are uhmmm, wishy-washy when it comes to our shop but we really aren't!  We really know what we are doing---sometimes.

I said all that to say, we have moved our shop in Winnie--AGAIN!  The little house we moved to only a few short months ago just wasn't working out.  It was TOO small (yes, our first shop was TOO big) and the porch was just un-usable for us.  On top of all that, the customer traffic wasn't very good.  And so, we asked to move again, whenever something came available.  Little did I realize it would happen so fast!!

I received a call within 2-days of the March show saying there was an opening if we wanted it.  And boy did we want it!!  It's larger than the little house but not as big as our first shop--1/2 it's size.  AND we have 3-covered porches--lots more space and even better traffic!!

So once again we had to move--quickly!!  And this time I had to do most of it myself.  My son was working and couldn't help much so every weekend I went to Winnie and moved, moved, MOVED again, all the displays, all the decorations, all the items for sale.  Don't mean to sound whiny but it was really hard work and I'm glad to be finished----and I have sworn to never, ever, ever move again!!

Here are a few pictures of our shop 'in progress':

My son got this clothing rack for me from his job--for FREE!!

Nice corner of the shop--we also have some wonderful windows!

This is one side of my covered porch

I'm working on making part of the shop a boutique for vintage clothing & accessories

I had to sneak in a picture of my wonderful grandson who is now 2!!

This is our 'counter'--we can sit behind it.  This is also what you see from the front door

So that's it for now.  I'll keep you updated on how the shop is looking--we are really excited about having this new opportunity to share God's blessings----and hopefully sell a few things too!!

God Bless all and any who read this,

Pat, A Remade Life

Pickin' is sooooo much fun!!

     A good friend of mine called me yesterday to tell me about a 'preview sale'---a sale before the actual sale day!  For pickers, that's a dream come true--we love being able to go to a sale site and leisurely look through everything for sale before the general public is let in.  It's awesome and rare!!

     So I called my best picking buddy, Judy, and we followed my friend over to the sale site and met some wonderful people who had just lost their mom.  As a picker, it is important for us to remember that much of the stuff we 'pick' has come from someone's loss of a loved-one.  Their dear mom had lived to the wonderful age of 104 yrs. old!!  She sounded like an amazing person.  Her daughter even told me that her mom had been a flapper back in the roaring 20's and had carried a little purse with her to dance contests.  She showed me the purse and, although my picking heartbeat sped up, I encouraged her to keep that memory of her mom.  She kept the purse and I felt blessed to have been included in that wonderful story.

     And so, Judy and I picked and picked and picked till we ran out of money and energy!!  We both left there with lots of good stuff, great stories about a wonderful woman and some new friends.

     But the best part of the evening was when Judy and I went out to eat.  We were both starving and it just made sense to finish the evening out with lots of food, sad stories, rants and raves and tons and tons of laughter!!!  It is rare that I get to sit down with a friend and just enjoy the time, but I certainly did last night!

    So the moral of this blog post?   Take time for yourself as often as you can, enjoy your family, enjoy your friends and enjoy your LIFE!!  It doesn't last forever!!

    On another note, here are a few more pic's of clothing I will be posting soon in a new etsy shop---be looking for it cause I'm thinking it's going to be awesome!!

A really cool knit dress from the 60's

Wow, can you get anymore 80's-style?  I don't think so!!

This light weight top looks soooooo good with skinny jeans!!

Anyone would look cool in this 90's blue jean jacket

Any so, until next time--God bless all and any who read this,

Pat, A Remade Life

   

Vintage/Retro Clothing Shop will open soon!

     You know, I've NEVER been accused of just doing 'nothing'!  In fact, it's always been the other way with me---I do too much!!  My 'problem' has always been that I like so many different things, I love doing different projects, creating art and trying new things.  That's really not such a bad thing unless you can't focus--and that's always been my issue, lack of focus.

     I've been reading a book lately (also a hard task cause most books can't hold my interest for long) about a group the author calls 'scanners' people who are just like me and love many different and varied things.  People like us are often looked at with a 'jaundiced eye'---you know, like we're crazy!!  Well, I'm here to tell you we AREN'T crazy, we just have very creative minds that continuously finds interests in different areas!!  Now, that's a mouth full, but what it means is we love life and want to participate in EVERYTHING!!

     Ok, so I'm pretty much liking this book, but it still feels as if something is just not right.  I just can't find peace in anything for very long.  So I have begun to pray and seek God's mind on why He made me this way and what I'm doing wrong.  He really is such a loving Father to us and I know His plans for me are good.

     It finally came to me not too long after I started seeking Him that there MUST be focus in one's life--it's ok to love/participate in many different things, but in order to have true peace--there MUST be focus!!  At least, that's what I am finding for my own life.  Without focus our minds flitter about from here to there, thinking this thought, that thought, never landing on one thing and often not completing what we are working on.  Without focus, there is no peace, true peace of accomplishment, cause you are always running from one issue/project/thing to the next, taking no time to enjoy and dwell on what you've done---again, this is what I am finding in my own life, maybe it's not true for you.

     With all that say, I'm still working on my focus and where it needs to be.  Wish I could tell you I've found it, but at least I'm getting closer and closer.  And there has been great joy in that knowledge-that I'm on my way!!

     And so now to the title of this blog-post:   I have always loved fabrics/materials and I'm finding out more and more that I love vintage/retro clothing.  Everything/project I've been working on lately seems to revolve around textiles of some kind.  I even like to call myself a 'textile artist.  My mind is constantly coming up with ideas involving fabric/textiles of some kind or another!  Therefore, I will be opening a new shop on etsy soon that will sell retro/vintage clothing, some even altered by me to enhance it's look!!!  I am excited and nervous about this, all at the same time!!

     And above all, I will look at it as a new adventure, a new path to walk down not always knowing where it is leading but trusting that my heavenly Father is guiding my steps!! And if it's NOT my true path, then I've had a good time walking it and I'll just look for another!!

     Here are a few pictures of some of the clothing I have in my 'hoard':

1950's-style oriental dress-beautiful

Everyone needs a retro Harley Davidson shirt!

I LOVE this sweater--maybe I should keep it?!

Anyone remember neheu jackets/dresses?

Very ornate silk blouse/dress from India

Can you say vintage 1950's!!

Oh my, I think I had a set like this back in the 60's

Very classy knit dress from the 1980's

I look at this and want to change my name to "Moonbeam", what's up with that?!!

Well, that's it for now, another page out of my life but one I gladly share with you!

God bless all and any who read this,

Pat, A Remade Life

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Introducing "Breezy" my first Hippie Whatever Purse

Well, it took a while but I finally was able to finish the 'bits and pieces' that I showed you in a previous post. (see the images below).   Here is my first hippie Whatever Purse "Breezy".  Breezy is a sweet girl made from 'whatever' I could find that I thought would give her that cool, groovy look from the 1960's hippie days.  She has VERY shaggy hair, a cool headband and she is sporting some fine looking glasses and earrings!  Not to mention her totally awesome coin belt. 

Breezy is large enough to hold your phone, id, coin purse and lipstick!!  She's a child of the '60's and ready to groove with you!

                                                   Breezy LOVES her groovy headband!!

                                              'Chink, chink, chink' goes Breezy's belt!

                                                      Looking fine even from the back!

                                                                     Total picture!!!

Will probably put her in my etsy shop   www.aremadelife.etsy.com  this weekend.
Starting work on the next one soon--pictures to follow!!
God Bless all and any who read this,
Pat, A Remade Life
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