The Creative Gardener

It's a Merry Christmas Time...

2011-12-13T20:21:00.000-08:00

I enjoy including touches of garden in my holiday decorating and rather then solely decorate for Christmas I enjoy decorating for the winter season so I can continue to enjoy them all the way up until spring. The little porch on the front of this little cottage home is usually my first place of interest. We have a few primitive pieces that are always eager to hold the latest seasons decor. I usually just gather new things from around the yard and add a few clippings from the garden.

Most of you have already been introduced to our little chalkboard on the porch, we have fun using to express our selves during each season. For this time of year I just simply wrote the words "Merry & Bright"... just the way we want the house to feel.

My second favorite place to show touches from the garden is in the little garden bay window in the kitchen. It almost always has a collection of flower frogs, watering cans, plants and other treasures from the garden. I relocated one of my favorite concrete angels to watch over things.

Sometimes it is the smallest things that bring us the most joy, I had a page fall from a vintage book I was handling and it floated around the house from here to there for a few days always having the intent to replace it to the book. Somehow it ended up near my holiday stamps and I couldn't help myself! Soon it was folded and stamped with "Merry Christmas" and added to a flower frog on the windows ledge... very small but lots of joy!

Thanks for coming along as I share some of the fun I have been having adding little touches of garden and Christmas to our home. Wishing you all joy and fun as you celebrate this beautiful season of love, may your days be Merry & Bright!

New and exciting things in the works...

2011-12-03T20:08:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, as you may have notice I haven't been around much. Our business Old Soul Studios has grown over the past year and is keeping us very busy. We are excited about the new year which is right around the corner. We would like to invite you back after the first of the year to join us for a new year of adventures. There will be many changes and exciting new things to look forward to as well as all the things we have become known for. Gardening has always been one of our main passions and we are working towards making gardening and all that it entails to be a bigger part of our business and lives. Since the purchase of a home and land last year on the Oregon coast we have now the space and climate to grow in a gardening direction. We are reading lots of books to educate ourselves and considering the possibility of writing our own. Thanks for sticking with us all these years and we hope you continue to come along. Here is wishing all a wonderful holiday season and a beautiful new year!

BEACH TIME...

2011-09-20T14:51:00.000-07:00

We love the sea, and the shore... most people that know us well know that we spend as much time a possible at the beach. On a recent trip to accumulate small drift wood sticks to create our popular drift wood trees...

Our trees will be available next month, (if interested visit our Old Soul Studios blog for information on all the places we sell our creations.) We walk many miles on many different beaches all up and down the Oregon and Northern California coast and we always get the joy of seeing beautiful things while on those beaches.

Seals and Sea Lions are often curious about what we are doing and pay us a visit, of course they are always picture worthy. This little guy followed us down the shore line popping his head up now and then to check in.

The sea speaks to me and recharges my soul... I love walking the beach and having my creativity sparked. New ideas often surface when we are on the beach.

James captured this picture of two California Pelicans as they flew over our heads. They look like they are holding hands... Just beautiful! Thanks for dropping by, I would love to hear about the places that inspire you and feed your souls, and maybe our paths will cross on a beach someday ~ Jacque

Camera Settings Can Change The Way We See Things

2011-08-29T17:58:00.000-07:00

I have been playing around with my camera settings and the photo options on my computer and it inspires me to continue working towards a new camera and maybe even something more advance like a "photoshop" program. I take a lot of pictures of flowers at both of our gardens, I like doing a photo journal of the gardens and what is blooming when and where. We have a lot of white flowers at both houses and I was just playing around with the pictures. After you see them you may encourage me to stop, ha!, but I think it can be fun to see things from a different view.

This is the Rhododendron in Oregon. It is such a bright white that it glows in the dark. The blooms are the size of a dinner plate and the bush/tree is as tall as the house.

This is a Fuchsia, it is located right outside the front door in Oregon. There are several of them on the property, they thrive in the cool wet climate and grow to be very large bushes.

This is a Snow Ball bush, I don't know its scientific name. We actually have one at each house. This is the one in Oregon. The bush in OR is pretty small and produced a lot of very large blooms. The bush in CA is much larger and produced one bloom, its first in ten years. Needless to say I was very excited to get that one bloom!

My Easter Lilly was in a pot in CA and it bloomed in July, and boy did it bloom! It was so beautiful this year. I am going to plant a bunch of these up in the foresty part of our land and let them grow wild, I have been told the deer will not eat them (?).

And here are my daisies, I love white daisies. These are blooming in Ca... I am pretty sure the deer would love them so there probably will be no daisies in OR :( That's OK I will just have to have vases of them all over the house! Well those are a few of my white flower pictures. I did several things to the pictures to get this look. Sepia is orange to me so I didn't do that, but altering them to look a little older and make the white "pop" was kind of fun. Best part is the altering is not permanent, I can change them back to original any time I want... don't you just love technology. Happy Gardening ~ Jacque

Summer is Moving Along So Fast...

2011-08-10T18:46:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone and welcome back, oh wait, it was me that was gone! Well hello again and thanks for dropping by. Last week was a whirl wind and that momentum seems to be keeping pace. We are busy planning and preparing for our fall schedule of shows and juggling the needs of our two houses. This week will involve putting in another raised bed, long over due, to accommodate our winter garden. Our desire is to expand on the idea of producing most of our own food and the gardens need a boost right now.

This picture shows one of our raised beds in the early spring, right now they are overtaken by tomato plants! We decided last year to do away with the common wood framed beds and make new ones using concrete. This is a very affordable way to create a bed and they don't rot!

Here is another (spring) picture showing the beds. We are able to create an ample amount of excellent soil to fill the beds so they are able to produce an optimum harvest with very little space. We lined the bottom to control tree roots and weeds from finding their way in, and installed a drip system to water efficiently. The next bed is going to included pipes inserted in the four corners so as to be used to hold garden art, or a trellis in the future.

Sunflowers watch over the garden until fall and the tomatoes have pretty much taken over the entire plot so as summer moves along faster and faster we will be busy putting in the next bed for our winter garden. A friend (thanks Sherry) just recently lent me the book "The Bucolic Plague" which is about The Beekman Boys, it was inspiring to read about their adventures in gardening. This book is a lot of fun to read, we don't watch television so I was not familiar with them and their show... almost makes me want to get tv! This winter we hope to move one step closer to producing more of our own food. Happy gardening everyone ~ Jacque

What I became in 50 years

2011-08-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody just a quick post, I am celebrating my 50th Birthday this week and have decided to take some extra time for myself so this week's blog post are going to be short. I just want to say how grateful I am for my life as I reach this birthday. I am healthy and very happy, have an amazing husband and I have so many wonderful things in my life that I am grateful for. My life is exciting and full of adventure and beautiful things. I am going to celebrate!

This is me 49 years ago on my first birthday

This is me a couple months ago

In 50 years I changed a lot and in 50 years I believe I stayed very much the same. I love my life and I thank God everyday!

We have a lot of flower frogs...

2011-07-27T17:57:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody, hope everyone is enjoying summer and getting out in your gardens more then ever. I spent the day sprucing up the garden and pretty much decided that though the garden is plush and green there isn't a lot of new to show right now. Most that know us know we have an accumulation of different garden implements from watering cans, hose reels, vintage sprinklers, and well you get the idea we like to collect. Being in the business of selling makes it easy to justify getting one more, we don't keep them all, we have been known to sell them now and then! One of these collections happens to be these...

Flower frogs are one of those things that have been made in a variety of ways. Research shows that there are more patents done on flower frogs then just about any other item ever produced. Back when I owned my shop one of the services I offered was to speak on interesting subjects to groups at there social meetings. I would be hired to speak and teach about a subject of interest and one of those subjects was flower frogs. I educated myself on them and collected a variety of styles to show.

I tend to like the ones that are all metal and have little color. These are some of my more simple styles... I have many unusual ones as well but we will save that for another time.

Many of them were painted green or left unpainted

showing the different shapes though these are all a similar style

Frogs can be used for arranging flowers but they are just fun to look at too. I have a few sitting around the house and have used them for other purposes as well... I know a lot of you probably have too! They have been listed as one of the top 10 collectibles in some popular magazines the past few years so maybe that is why I am not picking them up as often, or maybe enough is enough Ha!

These wire ones with the green patina are some of my favorite

These all had green paint on them at one time

These little pointy ones below are great for holding paper things, they also come in a variety of shapes and sizes. It is fun to read about the history of them and there are actually entire books written about frogs and all the different styles and their values.

Well, I just thought it would be fun to share about one of the collections around here... I also collect vintage concrete bunnies... but that's another post. Happy gardening all and be sure to drop by Fishtail Cottage I am linking up with "Flora Thursday", it is a great way to find fun new blogs and friends, Happy Gardening ~Jacque

Organic Gardening... live and let live

2011-07-20T15:55:00.000-07:00

We try to garden organically as much as possible, for our own well being and for the other visitors to our garden. We have many "good" bugs and other critters in our garden that we enjoy watching. Birds, butterflies, frogs, small wild life and a variety of bugs and spiders can be seen among the plants and flowers in our garden.

If you click on my pictures they get pretty big and you can really see the great detail

I am not sure what this guy is but he enjoyed having his pictures taken. It was like he was looking at the camera and wondering what it was... could it be that bugs are actually more intelligent then we think?

We know these guys are very intelligent when it comes to getting into the food... the can of peanuts had a lid at one time! We actually learned and stopped feeding the squirrels, we were starting to get too many and one chewed a hole in our back screen door trying to get in the house for food. We still have plenty of them around to entertain us and annoy the dog.

Hummingbirds frequently visit the garden, we do not have out feeders but we do have plenty of their favorites blooming all year long. I have always loved this picture, so often these little guys are buzzing around so fast I enjoyed seeing him just content and still.

This little caterpillar friend was actually spotted in our other garden at our house on the Oregon coast. We haven't had the home for long so we are still discovering all the critters and bugs that visit there. The plants and climate are different so we suspect to have a whole new experience in that garden. The one thing for sure is there are Big Banana Slugs there and we haven't got those in our California garden!

These are two of my favorite pictures of beauty passing through the garden. We get large butterflies passing through every day and the bees seem to be happy with the feast we provide. We believe all this life makes for a healthy happy garden.

Mantis are one of our favorite visitors, we get many babies every year. We know when they start hatching because we have to check our clothes before coming in the house, they seem to like to catch a ride when they are little. We are able to watch them grow throughout the season and often by fall we see the females leaving their eggs for next year. They really are beautiful and seem to have funny little personalities. If you take the time to see the beauty and character of these things it is amazing, and it opens your eyes to what an amazing world we live in. Happy Gardening ~ Jacque

I am linking up with this beautiful place "Fishtail Cottage" for Flora Thursday's, it has been a fun way to meet new bloggers and see some great post!

The Pinks Of Summer

2011-07-13T20:42:00.000-07:00

While touring the garden today I noticed that there was more pinks blooming in my garden then I was aware of. We had been having some pretty warm weather, I say had because today was just perfect, in the low 80s with a cool breeze and the next few days look to be a repeat. I don't spend much time in the garden when it warms up so I hadn't notice how some plants had burst into bloom showing some beautiful pinks.

Lavatera shrub in my front garden

The bees have been busy in our garden, we have several different kinds of bees working all the flowers. I love watching the big black bumble bees that seem to come out in the evenings. I haven't captured a photo of them yet, but this little guy was very photogenic.

Cone Flower with Honey Bee

Holly Hocks do not mind the heat and seem to need very little water. They are good at producing an abundance of seeds for the next season. Isn't this just a beautiful pink?

Pink Double Ruffle Holly Hocks

I had to get some cleaning done around the house today and as I walked in and out of the bedroom I kept noticing how the Rose of Sharon was peaking into the window. I had to stop and take a photo from the inside out. I love waking up in the morning to the sun shining in the window and these pretty pink flowers swaying in the breeze.

Double Rose Of Sharon Bush

Thanks you for visiting and taking a look at the pinks of my summer garden. I think it is so amazing that we can see and enjoy all these beautiful colors in our gardens... I take none of it for granted, I am so grateful ~ Happy Gardening ~ Jacque

I have joined up with Fishtail Cottage for Cottage Flora Thursdays, check it out for a lot of wonderful garden related post.

Old Soul Studios Garden

2011-07-07T07:25:00.000-07:00

My husband James and I own a business called Old Soul Studios, we specialize in metal art and vintage items with an emphases on garden. We work from a shop at our home and this is the garden around us.

We love to garden and enjoy a wild, creative environment. We let plants come up pretty much wherever they choose and our creations seem to just show up through out the garden in random ways. Nothing is planned and we like it that way.

We have learned that you can garden in just about anything, and garden in anything we do... just have fun!

Our green house is mostly for our succulent collection, during the summer months here in California it gets too hot for anything else to be in there.

We love concrete and try to keep several birdbaths and water vessels throughout the garden for the birds, squirrels and other visiting critters... yesterday it was 106 degrees here so the water was welcomed by all.

This is my second time to participate in Cottage Flora Thursdays, I enjoyed having many new friends drop by last week and really enjoyed all the new blogs I visited. I hope you enjoyed the tour around the garden, it is a wonderful place to work and be inspired. As I toured more garden blogs today I found this ~ An Oregon Cottage Tuesday Garden Party and decided to join in there too!

If you would like to know more about Old Soul Studios you can visit our other blog Old Soul Studios or come like us on Face Book... thanks for dropping by and have a Happy Day! ~ Jacque

sharing my garden

2011-06-30T06:45:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone, and happy gardening! This morning while dropping by a favorite blog I saw this ~ "Cottage Flora Thursday’s", I have never participated in one of these so I hope I do it correctly. I love sharing my gardens and flowers and thought this might be a fun way to meet some new friends and of course show off my flowers to all of you who have loyally followed me for so long.We have some beautiful old Holly Hocks in my family, they are in the gardens of my mother and sisters as well. Many years ago my sister Pam persuaded her husband to stop along side a country road where the Holly Hocks grew wild so she could grab some seeds. She shared those seeds with the rest of us and we have had these flowers for many years, and in just about every color! They reseed themselves every year and seem to come up right where they are not suppose to, but they seem very happy, even in the middle of the lawns and driveway!
Sunflowers of all types are one of my favorites, I love the tall grand ones, these are last years show, they have not reached this point yet, but they are on their way. Here in Northern California, they grow Sunflowers for the seeds and if you are lucky enough to pass by one of the fields when in bloom, it is breath taking! I love to watch as they turn with the sun.
Black eyed Susans have taken over! My sister gave me a small clump from her garden about five years ago, this Fall I will have to share some of mine. They have grown and grown and now are taking over an entire flower bed. I love the way they dance in the breeze and give a big burst of color during our warm (hot) season.
We have a lot of visitors to our garden, we are organic so many critters live amongst our plants, even a few unwanted ones but we seem to all manage together. My mother always used to say "you just have to plant enough for you and them too". We have birds, squirrels, lizards, snakes, bugs, butterflies, bugs, bees, bugs... well you get the idea.
Tiger Lily, we have many Lillies blooming right now, I had a beautiful Whites Lilly bloom a few weeks ago and now my bright yellow Day Lillies are blooming. Funny thing about them. When I purchased them they were suppose to be white... and the first year they bloomed they were a beautiful bright white, I loved them! Then every year since then they have been bright yellow!... and yes I planted them in my "white garden"! Nature is fun and I love my gardens, my plants give me joy and beauty and what more could we ask for ~ with my hands in the dirt ~ Jacque

Garden Shade!

2011-06-27T07:20:00.001-07:00

Summer has most certainly arrived here in our California garden, hope this finds you all happily tending to your gardens or at least sitting in your favorite lawn chair sipping lemonade! We have a fun garden art creation that will help provide you with some "shade" for your summer garden. These are so much fun! Our customers have found so many fun ways to use and display them. Each one is a little different and groups of them are a great look. This is our stock ready for customers so it is a little cluttered, but a fun way to show you all the different shapes.This one I kept for my self, I love the shape and I hung some nice crystals on it that sparkle in the sun. This picture was taken at night and it got me thinking these would be great with little white lights wrapped around them, oh the possibilities!
We have sold these for weddings, garden topiary, garden art and even jewelry racks for shops. We love creating items that allow our customers to be creative themselves... they expand on our ideas make an even more unique expression. Our Shasta Daisies are enjoying them as they accumulate in the garden. The shades are welded to a rusty rod that is sturdy and will last outdoors for many years and have shown to be indestructible to squirrels! Our Garden Shades are another original design coming from our creative business Old Soul Studios. If you would like to see more of our creations you can join our page on Face Book at Old Soul Studios.
Have fun in the garden and here is to enjoying the long leisure days of Summer ~ Jacque & James Ferreira

Rhododendron

2011-06-20T08:03:00.000-07:00

The Northern Coast gardens are known for their beautiful Rhododendrons. When we spotted this very large tree on our new property we couldn't wait for Spring so we could see how it would bloom.
Needless to say we were not disappointed! This huge tree has bursted with very large beautiful blooms. They started out with a little pink around the edges and then became these pure white puffs of loveliness!
I was so happy! I love white flowers and they just pop in the plush green garden... it really is a sight to see.
These beautiful plants grow wild along the the coast line... we are very grateful to have one in our garden.
This picture shows how they started out with pink edges, it was very pretty at this stage as well. We also have a bright red one that needed a little care... but I am sure by next Spring it too will be bursting with beauty. Can you tell I am really loving this garden! Happy cultivating everyone... with my hands in the dirt ~ Jacque

A Tour of Our Oregon Coast Garden

2011-05-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

It rains in Oregon and it rains in the Spring, that is why everything is so green and beautiful... water droplets add even more beauty to the foliage.
We are not alone when it comes to enjoying our garden, we are organic so everything gets to live there.
There is a small orchard of fruit trees that are full of blooms, we do not know what they all are yet... but I think the deer might know.
The pathways throughout the garden are lined with ferns and flowers, bleeding heart is popping up in many places.
There are white and lavender Lilac bushes, I was very excited to see these, they have just started to bloom... things seem to be a few months later in this garden as compared to our California garden.

2011-05-22T13:45:00.000-07:00

Snowball bush before they turn white, I love the chartreuse color
There are white and lavender Lilac... they smell heavenly
The Rhododendrons are trees with large clusters of several flowers
Cherry blossoms on the garden path down to the shed
A large bed of clover lives under the Redwood Tree

Visiting a Friends Rose Garden

2011-05-14T16:37:00.000-07:00

Recently while visiting a new friend I was intrigued by the beauty of their rose garden. They told the story of how many years ago they moved and dug up the roses and brought them with them to this home, where they now had lived for many decades.
I quickly noticed that several ladybugs were enjoying the roses as well, and it started me looking at them from a ladybugs view... I think the neighbors of my friend may have thought it was odd to see me almost standing on my head to view the roses as I thought the ladybugs might see them.
The fragrance was intoxicating, and even though I suffer from allergies this time of year, I forgot about the discomfort and enjoyed the moment... can ladybugs smell? just wondering...
To see such beautiful colors is such a gift, nothing can be matched to nature's beauty!

I must have taken forty pictures of the rose garden and it was very difficult to choose which to share with you, all special, all beautiful. I am not a photographer, I don't have a fancy camera, or know how to use the one I have very well, but I sure did enjoy trying to capture some of the experience of seeing the world from a ladybugs view, be sweet~ Jacque

Some Places Just Have That Special Feel...

2011-05-06T16:29:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, welcome back, I hope all is going well for you and the gardeners have had a chance to get dirty! James and I took a little drive to deliver product to this lovely store The Antique Gardener, Aimee the owner has purchased from us for some time but she has always came to our house, this time I wanted James to see this beautiful store and I had not had the pleasure of visiting in a long time. I snapped a few pictures of the great garden space she has behind the store... chairs, lemonade, I was ready to stay awhile!
The garden is sweet with a little rustic country charm, showing a variety of plants and flowers that can be purchased for your own gardens. The herbs smell lovely and the flowers are all celebrating the return of spring.
I loved this old canister filled with flowers, the contrast of the purple flowers with the orange can popped... there are wonderful creative garden ideas everywhere you look.
This is just the back garden, if this hasn't inspired you to dig in the dirt then wait until you explore the inside of the store! I didn't want to ruin the excitement when you visit so I am not giving away the surprises of all the beautiful and inspiring displays inside. The store is large and filled with wonderful antiques & vintage inspired things for your home, family and garden.
The Antique Gardener is located in Beautiful Historic Sutter Creek California. You can learn more about Aimee and her store by going here http://theantiquegardener.blogspot.com I hope you enjoyed this little garden tour, we sure enjoyed our visit and hope to return soon.~ Jacque

stop... and smell the roses

2011-05-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

Thought you could all use a little reminder and some beauty today! As many of you know we have been keeping ourselves very busy these days. Coming soon my recent visit to a friends rose garden and a nice visit at the Antique Gardener in Sutter Creek... both will inspire you to enjoy your gardens, tell then, have a rosey week ~ Jacque

Spring Garden Show

2011-04-30T19:16:00.001-07:00

These are photos of some of the things we have created or found to inspire our customers to garden or at least enjoy being in the garden.
We love to garden and so many of our creations and vintage rustic items either have to do with gardening or such as the above dresser... we added faucet turn knobs to a piece that would ordinarily be used in the bedroom and now what a great garden shed organizer!
Anything that moves with the breeze is a welcome sight in the garden... or put a pretty green plant into anything rustic and I think it is instant beauty!
We are known for our peace signs that we have created from just about anything we could salvage that is round... and even some things that weren't round, but they are now! PEACE *LOVE *GARDEN...
Taking old cast iron sinks and creating garden pieces that not only look good but are very functional. Hope this inspires you to decorate and spend more time in the garden or maybe even style a garden room in your home. Our business is Old Soul Studios... we love what we do and hope you do too!

Clematis is in Bloom

2011-04-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

The Clematis in the back garden has out done itself this year... it is full of the most beautiful large flowers, each showing perfection.
No matter how much decorating I do to my home and garden I can never match the amazing perfection of nature.
The flowers in my garden are the one thing that inspire me to learn to take better pictures. I want to be able to share their beauty with everyone ~ Have a beautiful week! ~ Jacque

... on his way!

2011-04-22T07:21:00.000-07:00

Well you know the song "here comes Peter Cotton Tail", but did you know he shows up via a rusty old truck? This little guy is a neighborhood rabbit, yep that's right he wanders from garden to garden, all of us allowing him to trim a little vegetation here and there. He is very cute and has some funny little habits, such as sitting in the truck. The truck is usually planted with some pretty little flowers but this year that may not happen cause bunny needs his wheels! Happy Easter Everyone! hope you have a joyful time~ Jacque

Purple Waterfall

2011-04-20T19:03:00.000-07:00

I wish I could get a better picture of this, our wisteria has grown up into the big oak and is hanging down throughout the entire tree like a big purple waterfall.... it is the most beautiful thing! I think I am going to go buy a new fancy expensive camera just so I can capture this. Any suggestions on a good camera that is easy for someone who doesn't like to read instruction manuals? Any ways trust me this thing is beautiful... I think I might give garden tours just so everyone can see it.

Spring Time

2011-04-18T11:52:00.000-07:00

God created Spring and Hope on the same day...
Flowers are an amazing gift to our world...
soft succulent greens look beautiful with purple flowers...
the purples are Spring in our garden, the yellows and oranges will follow...
everyone is enjoying the hope of Spring...

Don't Put Your Eggs...

2011-03-23T15:31:00.000-07:00

Don't put your eggs all in one basket! Have you ever heard that expression? Of course you have... growing up we had chickens and we had eggs, beautiful, colorful eggs. Before school in the morning we could go out a collect the eggs... they were still warm.
I don't have chickens, not yet anyway, but I do have egg baskets, 18 of them! Many are shaped like chickens, some are round. Now and then and not as often as I should, they need to be cleaned. That is what is going on here, egg basket cleaning... they accumulate dust just like all household items and need a good bath now and then.
These baskets were very easy to find when the "country" look was popular, now I don't see them very often. I think they are lovely and would go well in a vintage french inspired decor... I think I might re-model my kitchen!

Much To Be Done

2011-03-18T17:24:00.000-07:00

Before I will get to sit down in these there is much to be done! The official start of Spring is in a few days and I have a lot to do... the weather here today is far from Spring like, wind, rain and a little chilly.
The green house is in need of a redo, clutter removed, plants trimmed, repotted, fed and soon moved to their spring locations. Many of our plants spend the winter in the green house and then come out to enjoy Spring.
The birds know, they know what to do... the garden has been full of busy birds lately and the nest building is under way. We have two families of Nut Hatch building in a couple of the garden bird houses. We have a bird friendly garden and they gift us with their songs and beauty.
We spent the morning (in the rain) mulching the entire garden. All kinds of perennials are starting to return and the For-get-me-nots and Wild Violets are already blooming!
The garden is changing every day, the grass is growing and greening up, the trees and shrubs have all begun to bud. The gardens time to rest is over and so is mine! Happy Spring Everyone and Happy Gardening!

Sweet March

2011-03-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

March, the very sound of it brings visions of flowers coming my way... Spring is on it's way. This month I am going to bring more flowers into my life... they seems to make my soul smile!

In Anticipation of Spring

2011-02-04T06:52:00.001-08:00

Being a native of California I have lived my entire life in mild weather conditions. Our seasons come in little bites. Though not covered in snow or layered by ice or chilling in rigid temps we still long for the warm, sunny and beautiful days of Spring. Each season has beauty to offer, but I am a flowers girl and Spring brings me flowers! The bulbs are starting to pop from the cold earth, buds are already forming on the trees and bushes that seem to of just recently dropped their leaves. Some people dream of the season changes by the fashions in the mall, others like me, by the flowers in the nurseries. Plan your gardens now in anticipation for Spring and may you all have flowers in your life ~ Jacque

Amazing!

2011-01-19T15:33:00.001-08:00

Right about sunrise we stopped at a station to fill up on gas before we headed out on one of our many road adventures. There were several trees around the property that had lost their leaves for the season. The two trees in my picture look as though they were spared their leaves, but look a little closer.... those are black birds! Hundreds of black birds, they created a hum of sound and when they decided to go into flight they actually created a windy breeze for a moment of time. It was an amazing sight, I felt so grateful to be at the right place at that time to see something so amazing. Nature inspires me to stay on purpose, this was nature at its best. ~ Jacque

Turbine Garden Art

2011-01-05T14:29:00.000-08:00

During the winter months when the garden becomes dormant I notice and enjoy our garden art even more. With no flowers and very few leaves to compete with the garden art objects take on a new role, they are center stage. The above picture is of a collection of salvaged wind turbines, used on roof tops to help with venting. The turbine spins when exposed to wind, making it a wonderful item to display in the garden.

We mount them on stands of different heights and designs which creates more interest as they are placed throughout the garden. I especially like the older ones with rust and some that have acquired a soft green patina. On a breezy day I can look around the garden and witness the beautiful spinning of these turbines... helps me get through the winter months until the flowers and leaves take center stage again. Happy Gardening All! it will be Spring before we know it :)
For information on purchasing our garden art you can contact us through our business page on Face Book under the name Old Soul Studios

All Wrapped Up!

2010-12-15T19:08:00.000-08:00

I spent the day purchasing some gifts for my family. I really enjoy being creative while choosing gifts, they all have so much it can be a challenge to give them something desirable and practical. I feel very good about my choices, I chose them with love and then I spent the afternoon wrapping them with love. For me presentation is just as important as the contents, I like to get them excited before they even open the gift. The wrappings I purchased were very inexpensive, I found them at our local Dollar Tree store. I chose whites, silver and tans, all colors that complement our beach themed and natural decorations. I made tags from pricing tags and my holiday rubber stamps, my favorite new ink color is "mushroom". Some of the tags say Peace on Earth and I added a little silver glittered peace sign. On the ladies packages I added silver initials to make them special. Little silver chinese food boxes, that I found in the wedding decor section are great for small items. Wrapping was fun and didn't cost me much money so maybe I will go buy myself a little something! Have a Beautiful Season~ Jacque

Home at the Holidays

2010-12-13T19:50:00.001-08:00

I just added a few winter touches to our beach look. I love my white pine cones, the furry tree is a thrift store find and the big wool socks are just fun and over sized. I keep a coat rack by the front door, the summer hats were stored away to make room for some scarves and warm woolies. I have kept most of my holiday decorations in the same color tones that the house is all year... it seems to make a peaceful looking environment. For some more photos around the house hop over to Old Soul Studios and see some Christmas green.

VINTAGE CHRISTMAS

2010-12-11T06:35:00.000-08:00

I HAVE BEEN COLLECTING VINTAGE CHRISTMAS SINCE I WAS A CHILD. I LOVE ALL THE LITTLE CHARACTERS AND OLD PACKAGING. EVERY YEAR I ADD A FEW NEW PIECES, SOMETHING USUALLY FOUND WHEN WE ARE OUT TREASURE HUNTING FOR THE BUSINESS. I ENJOY PRESERVING THEM IN HONOR OF THE FAMILIES WHO ENJOYED THEM AND CELEBRATED THEIR LIVES WITH THEM. I LIKE TO THINK ABOUT ALL THE HOMES THEY DECORATED BEFORE AND THE CHILDREN WHO WERE EXCITED WHEN THEY WERE PULLED OUT FOR DISPLAY EACH YEAR. WISHING YOU A WARM AND FUN FILLED CHRISTMAS ~ JACQUE & JAMES

Quirky Decorating!

2010-12-01T20:06:00.000-08:00

Being in the recycling and junk perfecting business we accumulate a lot of found objects in hope that someday we will have an idea of how to use them creatively. The above picture is the results of one of those creative thought moments. We have a nice collection of rusty aged vintage Christmas tree stands which just happen to be perfectly sized from big to little. I decided the perfect use for this group was to stack them and create a tree. A Christmas tree made from Christmas tree stands! A little rustic and a little quirky, but that is what makes it fun, and I know for a fact if I would have tried to collect the stands in the perfect size to create this, it would have taken forever. Sometimes the unplanned is the most fun!

as the seasons change

2010-10-31T14:58:00.000-07:00

The seasons change so quickly, it isn't the holiday decorations in the stores that tell us so, or the events surrounding our traditions, it is our garden. The time to prune and prepare the garden for winter has arrived. The seasons are brief, we enjoy each one, our own lives are lived in seasons. We find ourselves changing as the garden changes, how we spend our time, how we dress, and how we eat all change with the garden. Our garden in our world is where we can bring nature in close so we can observe it daily, watch as it changes, see the perfect order of things. As the sun changes it's path across the sky my garden is a whole new master piece of God's creation with just a little help from us. May you enjoy the changes that are this new season... Happy Autumn!

Atelier de Campagne

2010-10-11T18:55:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time visiting friends this past weekend, Trinidad and Johan had their annual container sale at their charming estate near Santa Cruz. They collect up all kinds of wonderful antiques in Belgium and parts of France and bring them over here for all of us to delight in. They have a wonderful collection of metal baskets of every shape and size, many that were used years ago in the fishing industry. Beautiful furniture, mirrors, signs, lamps and architectural pieces of grand proportion. All this is displayed through out the grounds of a charming little home where the gardens are overflowing with amazing succulents and flowers. The pictures speak for them selves. You can visit our friend's web site for future information on sales and where else you can find their wonderful treasures at www.atelierdecampagne.webs.com

2010-10-11T18:49:00.000-07:00

Autumn Gardens

2010-10-07T05:57:00.000-07:00

The garden has begun to show signs of Fall and there is much work to be done. Pre-winter clean-up is on the list. This time of year many of our trees need to be trimmed, spent annuals need to be removed and perennials need to be cut back. The leaves are already beginning to fall... and we have a lot of leaves! Winter vegetables need to planted and the herb garden needs a facelift, want to make sure I have fresh herbs for all the crock pot soups and stews that are our favorite during this time of year. Succulents need to be moved into the greenhouse to avoid over watering and possible freezing. Looks like I am using my blog to make a to-do-list! No, just thought I might remind you all of the things you to may want to do before the winter sets in. Of course we all have different chores depending on where we garden, we are in a very mild climate here in California where gardening comes pretty easy, but there is alway that chance of being buried alive in leaves! EnJOY the season... they go by so quickly.

Beauty

2010-09-24T07:01:00.000-07:00

Are you able to see beauty in everything? Are you able to step away from the labels that man has placed on the things of our world and decide for yourself to see the beauty of them. So often judgement comes from the conditioning of our minds to think that something is or is not beautiful based on the opinion of the masses. Stop judging yourself, stop judging others and see the beauty in everything and everyone. Now go have a beautiful day! ~ Jacque

We love our Dogs

2010-09-09T04:56:00.000-07:00

Princess aka Sister... the first time I meet Princess she nipped me on the back of the leg! I was the new girl in town, dating her master, she put me in my place. We had a little chat shortly after and it was mutual love. Her big brown eyes could melt your heart, Boarder Collie and Corgi mix, she was beautiful and unique. It is hard to write this without tears blocking my vision, but important for me to honor her life and enjoy her memory. Princess joined us on all our adventures just as all our dogs do, running on the beach, camping, flea marketing and of course Antsty McClain concerts. Because of this our dogs are always well known and loved by many. Princess joined us on the beach this past March when we got married, she joined us recently as we chose our dream home, she was a part of our family and touched our hearts. Thank you Princess for being our dog and thank you teaching us more about love. I won't cry because it is over, I will smile because it was :) Princess we love you, p.s. say hello to Mollie!

Supporting Farmers Markets

2010-08-23T06:42:00.000-07:00

We recently came upon a wonderful farmers market! I was very impressed... smack in the middle of the little community of Arcata is a plaza where on Saturdays it is bursting with energy! The energy you get from fresh organic produce, bright cheery flowers, up beat yet relaxing music and a very large crowd of friendly and yes polite people. This was by far the best farmers market I have ever found. I purchased a bundle of radishes that were so beautiful they could be used as a bouquet. The choices were unlimited and the quality top notch. Supporting our local farmers not only improves your health with better food choices but every time we spend a dollar we vote for what we want. I want fresh, healthy foods that are organic, free of poisons and non GMO! These local farmers are our only chance to continue to have a choice. If you are near the Arcata area I highly recommend a visit to this market... you will be happy you did!
The plaza in Arcata CA... the market circles all around this beautiful area
every farmer's stand was bright fresh and beautiful
fun plant growers as well
picking flowers for my mom, so many beautiful choices!

"Keyute" Pendents!

2010-07-19T14:03:00.000-07:00

Named by a our friend Jodi these are one of our latest items available through Old Soul Studios. James had a big jar of old keys, I had a big jar of old keys, we got married and now we have to do something with all those keys! So you all get to benefit from our collecting habit... we have taken the keys and stamped small words on them, added a few fun charms and hung them on a stainless steel ball chain. Come join us on Face Book under Old Soul Studios and see more of what we have been creating! To HOT to garden so let the creating begin...

2010-07-15T18:23:00.000-07:00

We are joining the ladies of the Tattered House to celebrate their third anniversary! James and I will be set up out front on the lawn along with two other special guest. Come by and join us we have a lot of new things to share. We have traveled around looking for vintage treasures and have been creating new items every day. We will have a good stock of our popular iron garden art and some new creations too! Hope to see you Sunday!

Sea Shell Collecting

2010-07-02T20:45:00.000-07:00

Not only do I love beach combing for washed on shore treasures I love hunting for objects made from shells as well. I have a cabinet in my home from floor to ceiling full of treasures from the sea. A few of the shelves contain my collection known as " tacky things made out of shells". Over the years there have been many souvenirs made from shells that are sold all over the world to travelers and tourist, they often show up in thrift stores and estate sales. I have a collection like no other, from dancing turtles to lamps and clocks and all very wonderfully tacky! The other item I have accumulated a large collection of is shell boxes. These are little jewelry boxes made in many shapes and sizes. I have been collecting these since I was a young girl and have more then 40 different ones, some are very old and others are only 40 years or so old. I was going to stop adding to my collection but then they became popular again and were getting a pretty good price in antique stores so I still pick them up when I see them available for pennies. I collect these things for my own enjoyment, I like groups of items on display and mostly enjoy the hunt. Do any of you collect them as well? I would love to know about what you have found. The above pictures only show a little of the collections I have.

Treasure hunting!

2010-06-13T16:31:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do is take off on a road trip to gather treasures for our business. We specialize in finding the unusual, the unwanted and the miss understood and giving it new life! Recycling is Hot right now, about time, and I have been doing just that for the past 23 years! Started out as a necessity of surviving a new business concept on a shoe string. I didn't have the knowledge or money to but fancy antiques though I had grown up loving old things. Just about every weekend of my childhood was spent at garage sales or flea markets. My mother wasn't in the business of selling, just buying, and she was always very creative and artistic with her finds. Taking something that seems to have served it's life and give it a second chance, with a twist of creativity is exciting and fun. We came home with this wonderful truck load of treasures, we don't always know each pieces destiny from here but I know it will be interesting!

Bursting!

2010-06-11T16:43:00.000-07:00

Walking around the garden today I was noticing the flowers were just bursting with energy! The white Lily is as white as can be, the Holly Hocks are screaming red and this rose looked like it was on fire! A couple BIG black Bumble Bees were having a good time going from flower to flower. When I was growing up my Mother always had flowers everywhere, the gardens were so beautiful and were dressed with many styles and colors. I grew up loving flowers and gardening and I am grateful for that.

New raised beds

2010-06-03T08:10:00.000-07:00

This year James and I decided to put in new raised beds for our vegi garden. Over the years I have had raised beds constructed of lumber, they worked, but never lasted more then a few years and the cost was high. We decided to construct our beds out of concrete. They are working out very well! James made forms, poured the concrete mix, let it dry. With in a day we were laying down weed guard and adding our secret soil mix (actually it isn't a secret, but it sounded good). The pictures show how well things are coming along, we should have a nice harvest this summer. Tomatoes, peppers, onions, green beans, radishes and a few other things are shown in these pictures. Tomato cages are constructed of large pieces of white wire fencing, it is just made round and wired to its self, these are much better for support then the little towers. We do use the towers however to support our peppers. James made an iron trellis to allow the green beans to climb. Iron trellis of all shapes and sizes are available from our Old Soul Studios inventory. Happy gardening & Healthy eating~Jacque & James

I have something to say...

2010-05-21T15:19:00.000-07:00

Greetings, I usually post some pictures and comment on their content, but today I have something to say. I am not sure how it will evolve into words from my thoughts, I just know the idea has been popping up here and there. The Universe is funny that way! For starters or maybe I could say finishers (the last thing that prompted me) is the following, let me explain first. I receive on a daily basis a note from the Universe, it is a fun little e-mail that brings wonderful little thoughts and ideas to those that choose to subscribe to it, I actually look forward to receiving mine each day and find the synchronization to my daily happenings uncanny. Today's says as follows;

Throughout the hallowed ages, Jacque, those in the unseen have always marveled at the accomplishments and creations of humankind. Whether a sandcastle or a skyscraper; a painting or a poem; they're humbled by your ability to reflect, to engineer, to craft, and to create something that has never before existed within time and space.

But it's not the creation that impresses; these all exist here to the nth degree. It's the persistence and determination of the seemingly mortal dreamer who steadfastly holds a new thought in mind, either of the creation or of its inevitable success, and moves with it, even while the rest of the world is content dreaming their father's dreams.

This is what is admired, Jacque; not just because it's so rare, but because it is so, even when such innovative potential lies within all.

Being in the creative business world for the past 23 years I can say I have experienced many things and learned many things. I am still learning. Lately I have encountered many in the same industry heavily concerned with protecting what is "theirs". With our ability to express ourselves more widely due to all the Internet possibilities, i.e. Facebook, blogs, websites and such there is a much larger (then I've ever seen) influx of idea sharing, those welcomed and those that are not, meaning out right copying and claiming ownership of others ideas. Old subject, I know. My note from the Universe today, made me realize the prize is in the authenticity of creating, having that little story inside you that you know came from what inspired you and triggered your original idea. Anyone and I mean "Anyone" can copy someone else's ideas, and sell millions of them, but do they really get the prize...

Dream your own dream, live your own dream, be inspired by all that is around you and get the prize that comes with authenticity.

Succulents & Cacti

2010-05-13T20:59:00.000-07:00

Our green house is full of succulents and cacti. As the weather continues to become more summer like we begin to move these plants out of the green house and place them throughout our patios and gardens. They require very little care and very little water, great for our warm California summers. Most of them bloom at some point and you have to pay close attention because some of the big beautiful cacti blooms only last one day. We are not very good at knowing their names but we do remember where most of them came from, we love receiving clippings from friends gardens and purchasing plants while on our trips and usually always remember where. If you want to expand on your gardening experience give these wonderful plants a try, we sure do enjoy growing them~ Jacque & James

Creative Gardeners

2010-05-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

May 5th a group of Creative Gardeners gathered in our back garden to enjoy some spring weather, friendship, flower planting and shopping. The new stepping stones got a work out and the chips and salsa were a hit! Thank you everyone that joined us it was a fun evening.~Jacque & James

Garden Project

2010-04-26T19:53:00.000-07:00

Today we completed a garden project that we have been wanting to do. Because of the amount of foot traffic that our garden gets there is an area where the grass just will not grow very well and has the tendency to become muddy during rainy weather. We solved the problem with exposed aggregate concrete landings. They are larger then stepping stones and of different sizes, we don't care for anything too expected or perfect. We used wine barrel rings, concrete and small round pebbles in pretty colors. The project turned out well. Tomorrow we are adding new grass and some wooly time ground cover to fill in around the stones. One project done, many many more to go...

Day at the Beach

2010-04-20T22:19:00.000-07:00

Walk Around the Garden...

2010-04-11T18:07:00.000-07:00

Wedding Pictures

2010-03-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

Our friends are starting to send us some of the pictures taken over the weekend at our beach wedding. These two pictures were taken by Mike & Cathy Crowley. Thank you we just love all the fun candid shots of everyone having a good time. It was a beautiful weekend and your pictures helped capture it well~Jacque & James

Still Life...

2010-03-17T08:12:00.000-07:00

A Saint Francis statue in my garden by a bucket of bamboo...

The legacy of St. Francis is one of love, harmony, and service, to put our collective energies toward what we are for instead of what we are against.

He is known for the protection of all the animals, so he is welcome in my garden...

The return...

2010-03-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

I just love this plant, some kind of sedum, it was completely gone, it froze early in the fall and I thought it was done.

Spring is showing up right on time here in Northern California and the garden is responding well!

This sedum is coming back strong and as you can see beautiful!

Sometimes after a difficult period we can come back even stronger and more beautiful then before.

early inspiration

2010-03-13T07:20:00.000-08:00

As color begins to come back to our gardens...

The clocks spring forward tonight!

More day light for gardening...

I have dreamed up many projects over the winter months...

Garden Friends

2010-03-09T06:46:00.000-08:00

We love all God's critters and nothing brings our garden more to life then the birds and squirrels. This little guy was found enjoying a bucket full of peanuts! Yes we feed them little treats! The bucket has a pretty secure lid... but when we returned from a weekend at the beach, the lid was on the ground, the peanuts were almost gone and this little guy got caught! He had lots of help... they are everywhere! We have a creek not far from the house that attracts a lot of wild life to the area, word must have got out about the peanut people... that would be us. They destroy a few plants now and then but the joy we get from watching them play is worth it!

Creative Plant Markers

2010-03-03T19:19:00.000-08:00

Repurposing at its best! We have taken vintage silver plate flat ware and turned them into fun creative plant markers for the garden. The words like Garden Girl, Organic, Queen, Love, Grow, Peace, Sage, Dill, Chives, Rosemary, Etc.. you get the idea. We love the concept of creative gardening, adding character to your plants and landscape, there is no better place to have fun and express your self and if you are short of a green thumb nobody will probably notice! (for more info and purchasing see Old Soul Studios fan page).

Garden = Peace

2010-02-20T17:40:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, I believe this is the longest I have ever went between post on this blog. Yes I have been keeping myself very busy...

Busy is good! Busy means another day on this beautiful planet, busy means more opportunities to make choices to do amazing and exciting things. I like being busy!

What has been keeping me so busy you ask? Well for starters about one month ago I open a fan page for our business on Face

Book and the response has been

way more then we ever would

have expected. We are so grateful

to get to do what we love everyday

and we are very thankful for all

our customers... I like being busy!

Well that isn't all that is keeping me busy... we are getting married on March 20th on a beach that we love and it will be wonderful! We are having a very non-traditional ceremony. We are celebrating the Spring Equinox and the beginning of this commitment to one another, pretty neat...

So where I am headed with this is I want to share the peace I find in my garden. Sometimes when we are very busy it is nice to find peace in small quite places... I find it helps re-charge me so I can keep going, doing all the wonderful things everyday that my choices lead to. Be busy and peaceful~Jacque

A Suggestion...

2010-02-06T17:19:00.000-08:00

Forty Two days and counting until the official first day of Spring! Our little metal sign hangs in the garden as a suggestion to all the many flowers beginning to peek out from the soil. I hope they had a nice winters nap, but I am certainly ready for their return. We have such mild winters here in California, I am spoiled to have such a long gardening season, our short mild winters are to long for me ~ I am ready to garden!

signs available @ Old Soul Studios

minimal & peaceful

2010-02-05T11:14:00.000-08:00

After the Christmas season and the decorations were put away the spaces in our home seemed naked yet very peaceful. I have yet to return or add new things to these spaces. I have enjoyed the peacefulness of a quite room. You see my decorating style has always been "more is better", I believe the results of owning a retail store for so many years, you handle so many wonderful things it is difficult to not want one of each! I know over time things will begin to return, but for now after a busy
day handling so much merchandise for our business it is nice to spend time in a peaceful space. The best part is I love to sing and play around with the guitar and the acoustics are great now that the rooms are more clear! Not sure the neighbors think that is great, but oh well the dogs like to howl along... These are just a few pictures in my home, very minimal & very peaceful (for the moment).

Indoor Play!

2010-01-27T18:32:00.000-08:00

Most everyone knows I love to garden, spend a lot of time at the ocean and over all choose most of my activities out doors. But what you may not know is I have an indoor passion as well. I enjoy collecting and working with vintage paper of all kinds and have been collecting objects for assemblage art for many years. My studio is packed with jars, boxes, trays and cubbies full of all the fun and wonderful things to create with. I seldom spend time working with these things, but when I am unable to get outdoors my studio with all these fun things is where I like to be.

This small space becomes cluttered on a regular basis, as I accumulate new treasures it may take a while before I get to put them in their right places, I guess that is something you deal with when you collect. I find that having these things around inspires me, who knows where the next idea will come from... this is one more way I get through the winter and less gardening season.~Jacque

2010-01-22T19:10:00.000-08:00

The Winter season has a lot of beauty, I know this to be true, but for the life of me I just haven't been able to find it lately! I don't mind rain, or clouds and it really doesn't get that cold here, but what I struggle with is the mud and the lack of color. It did my heart and eyes good to wander through pictures of my garden from last Spring. Sometimes all we need to get through a rough spot is the hope of beauty again, I suppose this idea could help us through many of the less attractive things in our lives, there is always the hope of beauty again... May you all have hearts and eyes that see all the beauty and when you don't may you have the hope of beauty again~Jacque ♡

2010-01-19T08:08:00.000-08:00

This grand show is eternal

It is always sunrise

somewhere; the dew is never all dried at once; a

shower is forever falling;

vapor is ever rising.

Eternal sunrise, eternal

sunset, eternal dawn and

glowing, on sea and

continues and islands,

each in its turn, as round

earth rolls. -John Muir

2010-01-08T17:57:00.001-08:00

Choices...

A soft warm neutral palette with touches of sky blue, grey and moss green. Nature is the inspiration for the look and style I want to bring our customers this new year. Shell, wood, stone, and metal will be the elements of choice. Every thing is energy, and that energy affects the way we feel. The choices we make for the things we have around us affect us in many ways, visually of course but also in ways we may not be aware of. There have been many wonderful scientific discoveries on this idea, one very good reading source on the subject is "Power vs. Force" by David R. Hawkins. This book was brought to my attention by Dr.Wayne Dyer. Decorating our space is a fun and inspiring part of life, having them assist in creating comfort and joy is a big bonus! It will be so much fun for us this year using this idea as a guide as we pick and choose the items to offer to our customers. May all the things in your environment bring you comfort and joy.~Jacque

2010-01-06T09:17:00.000-08:00

What is VINTAGE?

2010-01-06T08:10:00.000-08:00

vin. tage (vin'tij)

noun

1. the crop or yield of a particular vineyard or grape-growing region in a single season, with reference either to the grapes or to the wine made from them
2. wine; specif., the wine, esp. a prized wine, of a particular region in a specified year
3. the region or year of a particular wine
the act or season of gathering grapes or of making wine.

adjective

of or produced in a particular vintage: said of wine
of a good period, choice, representative of the best.

Lately in my travels I have been encountering the use of the word Vintage in many unusual ways and this prompted me to take the time to see what a dictionary definition of the word says. Now we all know we can make stuff up as we go along, we always have and it will be what we want it to be but I thought, what the heck always fun to see how far a word has come from its original meaning. I read several articles about how the wine industry believes the word was hijacked from them and thus demeaning it as it has been used many times out of context. I myself have used the word to describe all kinds of things I have in my home and business, and not really knowing the true meaning of the word felt somehow defining it as "Vintage" made it special. I love this word, it makes things sound special, it makes things sound like they have a story, you all know how I like things to have a story... I have used "antique","old","primitive","art" and "vintage" to describe many things over the years and never once was I questioned on the truth of those descriptions, I hope I never misled anyone in believing they were getting something different then they really were. I am still going to use these words, I am still going to be attracted to these words when I see them used to describe all the wonderful things I like. Words are funny to me, they assist us in labeling the things in our world, all labeling does is simply put our opinion on it... oohh that would be another good word to look at... another time.. this was just something to think about~Jacque

The fireplace project

2009-12-27T07:49:00.000-08:00

The latest project on the little red house is complete and the entire family is enjoying it! What I mean by that is the dogs are plopped out in front of it as I write this! We wanted to install a gas fireplace to warm up the little cottage and at the same time add a little character to the room without taking up much space. After finding that the home improvement stores did not have the tile we were looking for we decided to create the hearth our selves. Venturing to one of our favorite beaches we

gathered rocks one day, perfect rocks

I might add, to become

the hearth under our fireplace.

Handpicking each rock to be in its

right spot, trying my best not to

create any kind of pattern so as to look as natural as possible. The rocks are beautifully polished and shaped by the churning of the ocean waves and time. After the rocks were all in place we grouted them in with "river rock" colored grout. After cleaning all the rocks we coated them with a protective seal and we were ready to install the fireplace. The end results fit us and our little red house perfectly! Here is to warm cozy mornings and romantic evenings...

stay tuned for the next project! We

have a big list for the New Year ahead!

Winter Solstice

2009-12-21T07:40:00.000-08:00

Welcoming a time for reflection, resolution and renewal.

Approaching Solstice

Yes friends, the darkness wins, but these short days so celebrate light:

Today the lemon sunrise lasted a few hours until sunset, all day the snow

glowed pink and purple in the trees.

This is not a time of black and white,

my friends, outside us. Among us too, let's sing what winter forces us to know:

Joy and color bloom despite the night. We measure warmth by love, not degrees.

_Patricia Monaghan

2009-12-15T08:43:00.000-08:00

Vintage Christmas Faire
in the
Red Horse Barn!

We invite you to join us on Saturday December 19thfrom 11am to 4pm for our first Vintage Christmas Faire in the Red Horse Barn! Located at 950 Taylor Rd. in Newcastle. Truly unique gifts & the true spirit of Christmas! Wine Tasting by Casque Wines, Live Music by Billy Bensing & Kellie Garmire, Delicious Cuisine by Chef Chris of Tré Events, Mini chair massages by Rejuvenate Day Spa, Fresh cut Christmas trees & sweet Newcastle mandarins & gifts by Foothill Feed & Gift, Wearable art from the heart by Queen Bead, Fresh wreaths & lovely gifts with an English flair by Visual Impact Floral Design, Exquisitely handfelted wool hats by Felted Fleury, Gemstone, crystal & silver jewelry by Harvey Issac Design, Repurposed treasures by Old Soul Studios, Artsy jewelry by Holden Hands, Vintage appeal santas to snowmen by Gourdian Art & Sparkling earrings & necklaces by Dawn's Design!

2009-12-13T08:01:00.000-08:00

Winter arrives next week, I believe it came a little early and snuck up under Fall!

Traditions

2009-12-07T16:58:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite traditions of the Christmas Holiday is the sending and receiving of cards. I remember as far back as my childhood being so excited as the cards began to accumulate. My mom would cover the entry closet door with shiny colored foil and the cards would one by one be displayed as they arrived. Back then it was not uncommon to have a large number of cards. My mom would sit down and write each friend and relative a personal detailed note about the past year. I as an adult continued this activity as part of my Christmas celebration. The past few years I receive less and less cards, I guess it may be the cost of postage, or people are to busy, or to some cards have just become out of style. I have gathered all my card sending materials, I choose several different cards each year, I want to have just the right card for each person on my list. The vintage cards pictured above are in my personal collection, I put them out on display to inspire me. I believe one of the best gifts we can give to another is the communication that they are in our thoughts. Wishing you lots of cards~Jacque

Decorating with Natural Items

2009-12-03T06:51:00.000-08:00

Greenery, branches, pine cones, moss and other various things found in nature can be used inside and out to add a festive holiday look. Greenery kept outdoors will last longer and any placed indoors should be kept away from heat sources. Many natural items can be found around your own yard or you can find a place in the woods where you have permission to do some minor pruning. Be careful to not bring any poisonous plants into your home if you have animals or children and be careful not to let sap drip on to any of your furniture. With a few precautions and a hike in the woods you can add a lot to your holiday decor with out any expense.

Winter Decorating

2009-11-26T07:07:00.000-08:00

The winter months and Christmas holiday are a favorite time to decorate. Skates, skis, sleds, snow shoes and warm woolen attire make great decorations to add to the spirit of the season. I don't live in snow country and probably won't see a single flake around my house this year, but I enjoy creating an atmosphere that makes you feel like it could happen any minute! I haven't brought out these items yet, the pictures are from previous times, but today being Thanksgiving I have begun to think about how I will decorate the house this year, I usually start the day after Thanksgiving and finish the day after New Years! Decorating is fun and there are no rules, every year I think I should simplify, put out less, but then I see all the wonderful things and can't leave them in hiding. Maybe this year! We will be going to the woods next week to get all my greenery for decorating, this is a tradition every year for James and I and a wonderful day that I look forward to. The fresh cut greenery looks great and stays nice all through the season outdoors. After our outing I will share all the ways I use the greenery. Have fun decorating and enJOY the season~Jacque

Treasured again...

2009-11-24T07:31:00.000-08:00

I enjoy sharing my vintage christmas with you all. I think about its' path through life, the families it brought joy to as they decorated their homes. I enjoy that it was cared for year after year, I keep most in the original packaging and wraps that it was carefully stored in. The details and graphics on the packaging are far superior to any thing you see today. Most of today's packaging is as quick and cost effective as they can make it. These vintage packages not only fully describe the product and include fun graphics they also tell you what joy owning and using them will bring to your holiday experience! I have been collecting vintage christmas since I was a child so as the days draw near to our holiday celebrations I will continue to share with you some of the items I have in this collection and how I am using them in our home. Here is to hoping you are enjoying the process of everything you do~Jacque

Vintage Christmas Collection

2009-11-17T22:03:00.000-08:00

Every year I look forward to opening the boxes that contain my vintage christmas decorations. I have been collecting vintage items since I was a child, going to garage sales and flea markets with my mom and sisters was always a fun weekend activity. I had a fresh tree in my own bedroom every year and decorated my tree and room myself. I have continued to add to this collection through out the years and James has gifted me with some wonderful new pieces over the past few years. I especially love the pieces that are still in their original packaging. There have been some wonderful reproductions made of vintage items but for me there is still something magical about knowing how long these little treasures have been around and feeling that others hands and hearts have found joy in holding them.~Jacque

Refreshing the herb garden

2009-11-05T19:56:00.000-08:00

Recently we had to refresh one of our herb gardens. Sometimes the plants can age to a point where they become very woody and are no longer very good for culinary use. We love to step out the back door and harvest fresh herbs to add to whatever we happen to be cooking. The garden is planted in an old vintage horse trough I acquired many years ago. Removing the large over grown plants created a bare spot on the fence (can't have bare spots) so I had James make a metal sign to label our garden. I like the sign so much we are making more for resale and also doing some with different words for the holidays, like BELIEVE & PEACE, JOY, & NOEL. I think they will make great decorations for indoors or out. Our herbs have been planted for about two weeks now and they are responding well to the mild fall weather, they have doubled in size and will be available for trimming soon. Growing an herb garden is easy and very satisfying, you should plant one if you haven't already!

Garden Angel

2009-10-26T19:08:00.000-07:00

While visiting a friends garden today I took pictures of the different garden art she has throughout her landscape. The iron sculpture of an angel is a creation by Phillip Glasshoff. We have been to his wonderful ranch where he holds parties and shows his creations. Being able to add joy to an individuals garden brings great satisfaction, that is one of the many reasons we love what we do so much. We had the opportunity to do just that today in a friends garden, go over to our other site at oldsoulstudios.blogspot.com and check out our latest addition to a wonderful garden.

Garden Gathering Oct. 24th

2009-10-22T20:57:00.000-07:00

Our Fall Creative Gardener Gathering is Saturday October 24th. We have been busy getting the garden spiffy for our evening with friends.

Pumpkin Patch!

2009-10-19T07:17:00.000-07:00

We went to my favorite outdoor produce market today and purchased a variety of pumpkins and gourds to decorate around the garden. The colors and shapes and choices were just amazing! I had to control myself, I wanted all of them... I saw beauty in so many different forms and so many different colors. I love the ones with texture, bumps, lumps, and ridges. James kept saying we are going to grow all these ourselves when we get our property, he is very ambitious, there must have been 50 different kinds! What a wonderful and affordable piece of art to add to our decor this time of year... you don't have to go crazy and bring home a truck load like I did... just one pretty little pumpkin on your porch can make you smile as you come and go. EnJOY Fall for it will pass by quickly~Jacque

Winterizing the Garden

2009-10-15T07:19:00.000-07:00

After the first storm of the season we have had a full day of cleaning up. Branches and derbis everywhere, mother nature did a lot of pruning. The green house made it through some very strong winds... always a concern! The next winterizing task is to attack the green house getting it ready for the cold rainy season. We grow a large amount and variety of succulents and cacti which can not survive our rain outdoors and will freeze during our rare yet possible freezing nights. Space is an issue when it comes to the green house. In case you hadn't notice from reading my post I am a collector and green house collections are one of my favorites. The plants have to share space with collections of old tools, sprinklers, water cans, signs, packaging of old gardening elements, seed boxes, buckets, pots, pots and more pots... you get the idea. This past summer our plant population has increased so I have to get in the green house and try to "re-decorate" to make room for more plants. Each season brings new jobs to do in the garden, it is a never ending wonderful adventure. What are you having to do in your garden where you live? ~Jacque

Sac Antique Faire

2009-10-06T06:06:00.000-07:00

This upcoming weekend, October 11th we are returning to sell at the Sacramento Antique Faire. We are in our usual space M22. It should be a beautiful fall day, grab your walking shoes and come get some inspiration for the new season! The garden can use a pick me up after the long hot summer so there will be plenty of fun garden art to help you continue to enjoy your gardens as the leaves fall. I have been sorting through a lot of inventory and have decided to try to move some things along... best way to do that is make the price irresistible so we have lowered the prices on many items and plan to not bring them back home. This month we have a little bit of everything and something for everyone so be sure to stop by and find a great deal. You can go to www.sacantiquefaire.com for more details.

Fall Gardening!

2009-10-01T06:09:00.000-07:00

It is time to start our Fall gardening! First there is a lot of cleaning up to do. Pruning, weeding, planting, dead heading, raking, raking and more raking! I have a lot of trees that drop leaves... After all the cleaning up.... I get to do the fun stuff! I am going to add some fall color with a few bright yellow and orange annuals. We have an abundance of garden art, (understandable since that is what we do!) so I like to move it around so I keep enjoying it. If we leave things in the same place for a long time we have the tendency to not notice them anymore, so get out there and move your stuff around and then call us and get some more! If you didn't grow your own pumpkins go purchase some and place them in your garden to add a fun splash of color, as long as cool weather continues in your area they will last all through the season if not carved. Get out there, have fun in your gardens and put out your scarecrows to keep you company while you play! Have a wonderful Fall..oooh I just thought about Granny Smith Apples and carmel dip~Jacque

French Farm House

2009-09-28T17:46:00.000-07:00

This is a display of some our French Farm House items. I love the soft colors and the rough textures together. Scots Whiskey box not so French but I love the stars and the shape (sorry it sold) I have 11 scales of different colors, sizes and shapes for sale right now, I guess I like scales, I got a great pale green one this weekend! Just thought I would show you what I've been doing~Jacque

Yahoooooo!

2009-09-25T07:24:00.000-07:00

The house is sold! The signs are down and today we are double checking to make sure every thing is sparkly clean and ready for the new owner to move in. We could not have asked for better people to buy the house. They will love it there and we are glad to have someone that will love and take care of the garden. Now that the house is sold we will concentrate on planning our wedding and keep our eyes out for the path we are going to take. It's all good! Now I can add house seller to all the many things I have done... I have a bridge for sale! anyone interested?~Jacque

The Fall Season Begins!

2009-09-21T17:38:00.000-07:00

We had a great day at the Tattered House Antique Market on Sunday! Thank you to everyone that came out to see us and those who missed, hopefully you can catch us at one of our other up coming events. The Fall season has begun and we are busy busy busy! We are looking forward to the next few months, selling for the holidays can be a lot of fun. We will be in space M22 at the Sacramento Antique Faire on the second sunday in October and then on the 17th we will host our fall Creative Gardener Gathering.

Thank you for all your continued

support and friendships~Jacque

2009-09-21T17:32:00.000-07:00

These are pictures of our booth space at the Tattered House Antique Market this past weekend.

Getting Ready!!!!

2009-09-18T07:17:00.000-07:00

We are busy getting ready for the upcoming show! At our booth you will find a variety of treasures from our french farm house, the autumn garden, featuring custom iron garden art, french laundry, romantic vintage, featuring all new vintage clothing pieces including 1940's prom dresses, vintage christmas all a sparkle and the dark side of a goth halloween, baby heads, witch shoes & big iron spiders! Come early and plan to stay late! In my opinion and from gathered comments this is one of the very best shows in the north. Be sure to drop by and see us, we are located right outside of the of the large parking garage.~Jacque & James

Silver Spoon Tags

2009-09-11T17:59:00.000-07:00

We have a new product we would like to share with you! We are having so much fun creating these silver spoon tags, and even more fun seeing all the great ways our customers are using them. They make great pendants, key chains, charms, tags for gifts and can be attached to just about anything to add a ketchy touch of charm. We have them with over 100 different words and we are adding new words everyday. For information on stores that carry our tags e-mail us at beachjunquie@gmail.com.

Be Sure To Join Us!

2009-09-08T20:32:00.000-07:00

Heart- N- Home Show

2009-09-03T14:36:00.000-07:00

We are participating in the 2009 Fall Holiday Gift and Garden Show this weekend! Sept 5th and 6th from 10a.m. til 3 p.m. both days. The show is held in a private garden in the country @ 9282 Gerber Road in Sacramento. You will find antiques, collectables, primitives, garden decor, signs, birdhouses, buckets, tables, chairs, benches, pails, tubs, quilts, framed items, pillows, metal garden art, arbors, fountains, holiday decor, birdbaths, and a lot more. That is the description of what everyone else brings, we will have our usual iron garden art along with a fresh collection of vintage finds. I have been busy getting ready to load the truck, the pictures are of our inventory as I prepare and choose which pieces will go for the show. I always have a lot more inventory in stock then I can display at any one show so I spend at least one day deciding which items I believe will be wanted by the customers at each shows, as well as try to create a pleasing and creative display (not easy when the past two days have been over 100 degrees!) I hope to see all our Creative Gardeners this weekend, I miss you! Hope you can make it out to this fun show in the country. Be sure to save time for lunch at the porch cafe, the food is awesome!~Jacque

“Denim” Metropolitan Nash

2009-08-25T15:40:00.000-07:00

My sister and brother in-law have the cutest car. It is on display at the California State Fair, you can go see it at the Classic Car Show. The entire car is painted to look like a pair of jeans and the interior is all done with real jeans. It is known as the “denim” Metropolitan Nash. They have had several other cars for show over the years but this one seems to be getting a lot of attention, it is very unique!

This shows the interior. Maybe your old jeans were used?

Zipper fly front...

Garden Chores

2009-08-18T15:43:00.000-07:00

Busy working in the garden. My garden is in need of attention. Several weeks of heat and little attention on my part and it is looking pretty sad. A couple days of love and care and it should be looking ready for Fall. Are you getting your gardens ready for Fall?

Beach Agates

2009-08-14T14:26:00.000-07:00

We spent several hours a day looking for beach agates while on our trip. I have been collecting agates from beaches up and down the coast line my entire life. It has always been a hobby for all the members of my family. My dad taught us girls how to find them when we were young and then we have all taught the men in our lives. Pam finds hers and gives them away, the rest of us keep ours and pull them out for show on what we call "Bragget Night" this is when you lay out your find and show them off. We all have our own style of hunting and the results vary. The first picture is of my sisters and I on agate beach at the Patrick's Point State Park. The second picture is of the agates that James and I found on this last trip. We have collected thousands of them and have them on display in our home. The best part about looking for agates is being on the beach!

Sisters

2009-08-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a trip where all three of us were together. My sisters and I have not been together at the same time for many years. We joined up at the state park and beach where we use to go as kids. We are all grown up now, actually aging nicely. It was so much fun, we laughed about old times and crazy things we (Pam) had done and talked a lot about now, our lives and how blessed we all are and where are dreams will lead us next. My sisters have always been that connection in life that I know will always be there for me, I am grateful for the three of us. Though we don't see each other as often as I'd like we are as close and as comfortable with each other as we were when our beds were side by side. We shared things that no one else would or could ever understand. Thank you Pam and Sandy for a great reunion and for your friendship in my life. I love you~Jacque

August 4th

2009-08-04T08:01:00.000-07:00

My mother had a baby today, 48 years ago! This picture was taken with my sisters right before my first birthday. I have lived an amazing life for the past 48 years, standing there 11 months old I wonder if I had any idea how grand this ride was going to be. I am so grateful for all that my life is and for all those that are in it. It is going to be a great day and another great year! By the way I still look the same... just a little taller...~Jacque

*just a little birthday trivia; our president was born same day, same year, but different mom!

Garden Color

2009-08-03T07:09:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures of the garden in bloom. Have a good week!~Jacque

Summer Cooking

2009-08-01T07:15:00.000-07:00

Fresh cool organic herbs right outside the back door, nothing better for summer cooking. The tomatoes and peppers and zucchini are ripe every day and with a few items added from the local farmers market it is easy to fix up some great summer meals. Salads, of all kinds seem to be our favorite meal lately. There are so many ways to create a variety of salads. For some great alternative ideas that will spark up your salad meals check out the Whole foods Market web site. They give you the recipes to all those wonderful foods that you can buy at the market and then some.~Jacque

Gardening?

2009-07-29T16:09:00.001-07:00

Is anyone gardening? Not a lot of gardening going on here! It has just been too hot! I planned on getting out early to take care of some basic chores and other things got in the way. The heat really limits the amount of outside time available these days. I believe I may take up the folk style way and start gardening by the moon. I have a book about that subject and it is very interesting. I remember my mom being out in the garden at night, she said she was gardening by the moon, I always thought she just wanted some alone time, maybe it was both. I have some vintage copies of the "Old Farmers Almanac" and they speak of doing certain gardening task by the moon to get the best results. If the temps don't start to lower soon I will have to join the opossums for some late night gardening. The up side, I have been getting a lot of inside things accomplished, like sorting through all the new vintage christmas items I have accumulated this year so far. We will be participating in three shows in October and I will have vintage Christmas and Halloween for sale. Check back for show dates and more details and be sure to enjoy summer, even the heat, because before you know it we will be grabbing our coats again.~Jacque

Whirl Wind Weekend!

2009-07-27T07:23:00.000-07:00

Oh what a weekend... We had a great time, didn't even notice the heat, ha. Thank you so much to everyone that came out to the house on Saturday, we always enjoy your visit and especially loading your cars with treasures. For more details you can hop on over to the vintagehusband.blogspot.com and Brett has kindly posted several pictures from their visit. Sunday we headed on over to The Tattered House to celebrate Sandy and Erika's second year anniversary! We had a display on the front lawns with a few other vendors. It was fun to greet all the customers as they arrived. You could tell they couldn't wait to get inside the store to see what the girls had created for this special event, not to mention the amazing homemade cookies, I will be running around the block a few extra times! Mark's baking skills are unmatched! We had a great day, enjoyed seeing many familiar faces and meeting some new ones as well, the girls at the Tattered House draw a very nice crowd. ~Jacque