Mixed Emotions....

Ever have a day that is SO full of a range of emotion?

I think it's called Mixed Emotions....

This morning, I received confirmation that Phillip and I will be able to celebrate our 

25th Wedding Anniversary at a local vineyard property.

(us back in 1987 - we had been married for almost 2 years!)

There will be wine tasting (even though I don't drink wine), appetizers, catered BBQ, a live rock band, lemonade, beer, desserts - all to be shared with our family and friends.

(us a couple years ago)

I was on cloud nine all day....

....until the phone rang this afternoon....

(I have very mixed emotions about posting this part, but I need some feedback from other moms out there.)

Our dear little one, 

that was delivered to us in 1990

our sweet little Kyle.....

has caved to peer pressure!!!

At least that's how I am seeing it RIGHT NOW.

I may change my mind someday, but RIGHT NOW, I'm not too happy.

You see, he called me yesterday asking for where dad and I were born.

After a tennis match of questions, I confirmed the info he already knew.

Today, he called asking for our Social Security #'s.

We had another tennis match.

Then I asked the question.

"Are you enlisting?"

Silence on the other end of the line.

Then

the

answer.

I have MIXED EMOTIONS about it all......what mom wouldn't?

Good night.

I need to rest my swollen, red eyes.

What the heck is STEAMPUNK????

Sounds like the troublemaker you'd find sitting on the platform at the 'ol train station.

Guess, I've been under a rock. 

I've seen it.

I just didn't know it was called that, I guess.

Yeah, that's it. I didn't know. Insert eye-roll here. 

Smirk!

Smile.

You learn something everyday - thanks all you bloggers out there!!!

Christine over at A Work In Progress is hosting.

She's even willing to let a newbie like me play.

I've joined up and I'm gonna give it a try.

Steampunk charms. 

Twelve of the little buggers.

Found objects. Miniature-like jewelry charms.

Never attempted to make any jewelry before, well, except maybe those big plastic beads on a plastic string at Cub Scout day camp with a bunch of little boys - but I don't think that really counts!!!

If there's still room, I bet she'll let you play too!!! 

I'll be sure to share the twelve I get back. I can't wait.

When I was a little girl, I always wanted a charm bracelet. 

Never got one, but now I'm 42 and it's time....

Picking a Color.

Something you may not know about me. 

If you've read between the lines, you've picked up on my love of old steel. 

The rusty stuff, yeah. But I'm talking about classic cars.

In our little family of five, we own several classics in various stages of restoration. Part of my little collection includes two 1963 Chevy II Novas. A convertible and a station wagon.

My love of the little boxy Novas began back in high school when Phillip and my step-dad at the time, brought home a white 1965 two door. I've loved them ever since. 

True. I never drove it. I don't think I had my drivers license yet, but every time I saw one my heart would skip a beat. 

Back in 1997 when we lived in Washington, I spied the oxidized, chalky red front end of a Nova in our neighborhood. I drove by that house everyday and there was never a Nova sitting there. Of course, my heart really started racing when I saw the for sale sign in the windshield. $1000 obo. 

I knocked on the door. A woman answered. We started talking and come to find out, the car had been in the garage the last few years. She and her husband were getting a divorce and she wanted it gone! I took a look-see. It was a wagon. I wasn't really looking for a wagon. I preferred the two doors. But the more I thought about it, the more it grew on me. 

We offered her $750 and she was thrilled to get rid of it!

 That night after work, Phillip put in a new battery and DROVE it home! $750 and we DROVE it home!!!!

Today, it sits in the garage all painted bright Ford Vermilion red. Body work completed. Smooth as a babies bottom. My mom upholstered the seats and door panels in a red fruit punch vinyl with tweed inserts.

Someday it will be done!!!

This vintage ad references fishing, but I'll be cruising yard sales and going on picnics!!

Yep, taking Wonka doggish to the beach and getting milkshakes!!!

If my little red wagon - soon to be finished - wasn't enough to satisfy my Nova fix, I had to go and buy myself the wagon's long lost cousin.....a bright red convertible!

I found it on Ebay about 3 years ago and had it transported to Oregon from Pennsylvania - in the dead of Winter - snow and all!

Met the truck at our local WalMart truck parking lot and anxiously awaited it to be unloaded.

My heart was racing with excitement!!!

This is exactly what it looked like. (This isn't my ACTUAL car, I got these off the internet.)

 Phillip removed the tired straight 6-cylinder and put in a nice, rebuilt 327, V-8 motor and a new automatic transmission. I drove it around last Summer. Fun!!!

Then, this Winter, we decided to have it repainted, 'cause there were little rust spots and chips here and there.

Well, like most everything else we do, one thing led to another and now it's a full-blown restoration.

The proverbial onion, if you will.

We went over to see the progress this afternoon.

It does NOT look like my car anymore.....

(front view)

You see, as classic car people, we know other classic car people. Phillip and I own a custom fabrication business geared towards the entertainment industry and also work with classic car restorers.

(back view)

(front side view)

(back side view)

So, now my "daily-driver-needing-just-a-nice-paint-job" is slated to be a showcase car to advertise our restorer friends' and our custom fabrication abilities. We are planning on a lot of unique upgrades, specialty parts, custom tail light lenses, a turbo (gas-saving!) motor, etc....

(other side view)

A lot of the pieces are in final prime and I need to choose a color. 

(rear deck lid - trunk)

(front fenders)

I originally planned Ford Vermilion red to match my wagon, but now, since it's not just going to be a new paint job, I'm really considering another color.

Bright Yellow?

Dark Blue?

Chevy Orange?

Gunmetal Gray?

Black?

Not as easy as picking a color for a wall in the house. $20 a gallon. Oooops, don't like it. Choose another color.

Automotive paint is EXPENSIVE and LABOR INTENSIVE. Gotta pick the right one the first time around. 

Oh, the pressure......of a color.....

What's a girl to do????

I guess, take my Jeep for a drive around the car lots to pick a nice color!!!

Not Your Average Yard Sale!!!

Woke up early this morning and got the urge to go yard-saling. Phillip was working. A.J. was sleeping. Janice was soccer-ing with the grand kiddos. So, I went it alone. I actually don't have a problem going it alone, it kind of gives me more time to mosey and take it all in - just in case there's something hiding that I just can't live without. Wouldn't wanna miss anything.... Don't get me wrong. Saling with others is fun, but when you have to go it alone, it's just, well, different.

So, off in my trusty Jeep I went.

Down my road. Left at the first stop sign. Yard SALE!!!

NOT your average yard sale, either. There were no games. No baby stuff. No furniture. No clothes. No household knick-knacks. 

Just a gathering of old men, stories, tall tales

AND

PURE 

JUNKER'S 

RUSTY 

HEAVEN!!!!

Boy, did I have a blast!!! I spent a least an hour and a half there.

The prices were exceptional. The more I junked the better the prices got. It seemed as if my total got lower as I added to my pile. They even asked me if I would stay for the rest of the day and show other buyers how to re-purpose some of the junk. Funny!

Those good 'ol boys were selling stuff for their buddy's widow - to clean up her place and to make her a bit of money.

Lots of rusty trinkets to re-purpose with.

Huge nails, gauge, doodads.

 Chippy white hook, rusty pipe elbow with a cool vent, brass handle, gears

Cool galvanized funnel, glass insulator necklace.

 Did you spy the tea pot full of rusty nuts and bolts?

I did. Cute planter.....

Silver spoon, Folgers can, more metal gears, and a pointy piece of a saw.

Some big galvanized buckets and an trap (for A.J.'s room!)

Another Folgers can, more rusty stuff, a metal funnel, a garage light cage and a little glass gauge surround.

When the two are married, they become a hanging tea light holder.

A rusty old fuse box. It's full of dead daddy long legs spiders! They were no charge!!!

Cool composition inside. Lots of glass fuses. Look at all the colors and styles.

Coming soon to a project near you......

 How about that REALLY long shovel? I couldn't even get the whole handle in the photo.

(in the middle)

And for all you crate lovers out there, how about this one?

ATLAS POWDER CO.

Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.

High Explosives - Dangerous

It was chock full of rusty nuts and bolts too.

I even went home to bring a plastic tote so they could empty it for me.

50 lbs. 1 1/8 x 8

GIANT

EXTRA

DYNAMITE

40% Strength

40%? Is that all??? LOL

Then, there was this lunch box. It was also full of rusty bits. 

Yeah, the tote I brought to them was pretty big and they still had to dump a bunch onto a piece plywood lying in the grass. (Those two galvanized buckets above were full too!)

What is it? 

It weighs a ton!

The old timers were each guessing...

cream separator

washing machine crank

butter churn

The crank handle only turns one direction.

Whatever its original use was...Now I've got my eye out for a cloche to put on top!

Two Red wheels.

Big tractor wheel. Extremely HEAVY pulley.

What in the world would you do with these?

Stack 'em up and make a planter base, silly....!

Ok. As if that wasn't enough.....

I spied this for my craft room.....

The compressor is gone from below, so it doesn't work.

Ice box door. See the MW for Montgomery Ward?

 This is the inside. 

Literally an ice box. 

Looks like that's all that would've fit! 

Can you imagine???

 But it will work to house some of my craft stuff!

 Better than a boring old cabinet, don't ya think?

Yeah, it needs a good, old fashioned scrubbing, but the price...oooh, the price was $5.00.

 It still has the original shelves, ice box, and drawer, but since the compressor and all the guts are missing from below,  I'm thinking it might make a good place for a shelf or two for a couple of wire freezer baskets.

and I'll use that cover piece as a magnet board.

And check out the handle and the hinges.

And the labels inside are still intact.

 Fun!

When I asked how much the fridge was, one of the guys told me $10. Then, he whispered to me (even though no one was around), but I bet we'd take $5.

I just chuckled and told him I'd take it. Sold!

He proceeded to tell me that they figured it would have sold fast - as a smoker to some fisherman "around these parts, but no one has made us an offer!"

As I was walking away, (I had to go into town to the ATM! I hadn't planned on yard-saling and I never have any cash on me! AND I hadn't gotten very far from home...) I saw two men walk over to the fridge and open the door....the 'ol guy told them he just sold it.  

When I came back, about 10 minutes later, the 'ol guy that sold it to me for a five-spot told me about the two guys that just offered him $50 for it TO MAKE IT INTO A SMOKER!!!!

I kinda laughed and told him he should've sold it!!!  Then he said to me, "Nope, a deal's a deal!"

Good man!!!! I love the old guys! They have integrity, are full of stories, tall tales and just a lot of fun!

Happy Saturday.