Up North Treasury

Aaaaaah, summer. Today in Wisconsin, the weather is perfect. The terrible heat and humidity has lifted and we can finally turn off the air conditioners and open our windows. The sky is cloudless blue and the breeze is light. It makes me think of going up north to the cabins. Oh yeah, there's nothing like taking a break from the metro area and crossing the line between deciduous and pine about halfway up the state.

We won't make it up there this year, so in wistfulness, I will share my "Up North" Etsy treasury which evokes many of those rustic, camping at the cabin feelings.  And for those of you who don't know what an Etsy treasury is, it's just a collection or curated list of items for sale on Etsy - not usually items for sale by the treasury maker - that's considered bad form.  It's possible the Etsy folks could choose your treasury for their front page (changed on the hour), but it's never happened to me.  At any given time there are over 20,000 treasuries on Etsy.  Making themed treasuries is fun and can be very addictive.  I've seen treasuries based on colors, places, shapes, ideas - you name it!  People get very creative.

Actually, if you click on an item below, it will take you to the listing page of that item on Etsy. 

'Up Nort' Wisconsin' by RubyLemons

LAKE HOUSE shabby w... ShabtownSigns $14.99	I Changed My Mind V... RomanceWriter $2.50	Pinecone: nature in... HeatherlyDesig... $24.00	Antique Enamelware ... cabinwindows $38.00
Wonderful Vintage I... vintagecreeksi... $75.00	Summer Swim 8"... LizBoston $20.00	Vintage Wild West A... Fynd $15.00	Sage Green Cabin Cr... alorasadorable... $16.50
Vintage Modern Chil... Iheartvintageh... $245.00	wms 9 mens 8 vtg au... oklaragbottomt... $39.99	Rustic Wall Hook TheBentTreeGal... $12.00	8x12 Door County f2images $25.00
Vintage Camping and... FruFruFleaMark... $45.00	Coleman Camping Jug JuliaJan $15.00	Vintage DECO BAKELI... lacreeperie $23.00	Muskie Fishing Lure... MoonPhaseMuski... $28.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

I hope you're having a relaxing summer

and having at least a few

of those "up north" moments.

Bunting

Yep, you guessed it!   I made bunting... or flagging... or pennants... or whatever you call these colorful decorations.   I see them online a lot and creative Etsy types are making 'em like mad.  Here's what I did:

I went through my vintage fabrics and gathered a bunch of reds and yellows - the colors for my niece's wedding shower.  I quickly made a pattern and cut up the fabric with a rotary pinking blade.

I made red pennants...

...and yellow ones.

I had to supplement with a few purchased fat quarters.

Can you tell which ones are new?

And I cut some red and yellow pennants.

Soon I had a pile of double sided fabric triangles

ready for binding.

About time I used up some of those old calico bias tapes I have.

I stitched the tape on top of the triangles with the raw

edges even - leaving an inch or so between each flag.

Then I flipped over the bias tape to the other side

and stitched the length of it.  Easy to make for sure.

They looked festive against my sister's carriage house.

Yeah, sometime I'll blog about my sister's 1905 Bed and Breakfast.

Here's my niece, Amy, getting ready for guests to arrive.
 

Sunflowers were used to brighten up the tables.

Here's some family... Spring (daughter-in-law), Sarah (sister-in-law),

Brianna (niece), and Chelsea (daughter). 

The giant hydrangeas were in full bloom... but I digress...

Here's Amy with her maid of honor and sister, Lauren.

Congratulations Amy and thank you Lauren

for throwing such a fun party!

Evidence - a Day in the Life

Yes, it's true.  I have been side-tracked from my blog lately.  With the arrival of four additional family members (loved, but additional) to our home in the last month, things have gotten a little... busier.  The house is hoppin'.  The noise level has risen.  The fridge is emptied faster than the room clears when the chore chart is announced.  Aahhh... just kidding... sort of.  It's so much fun and we had been coping with one bathroom until... the water heater blew.  Thanks to Uncle Fred, the master plumber, the nasty business of ice showers is no longer a problem.

I didn't realize how quiet the house had gotten with only one 9th grader at home.  Now we have added to that:  one piano performance college sophomore to be, one International Relations/Japanese college junior to be, and two graduates heading for their year in China with the Flagship program.  We've got everyone until sometime in August.  Until then it will be a fun ride.  I thought I'd share with you, blog reader, one day's photographic evidence that it's not just mom and pop at the homestead anymore.

Brightly colored size 13 shoes, slippers and man-purses.

"Ripped!" and pilates dvds.

Strange Asian art propped on the bookshelf.

Things in Japanese I can't read.  Yo yos.

Stashed sports equipment.

Insanely hard piano music.

Facebook, Facebook, Facebook.

Asian condiments.

Turbo Jammers every morning at 10 a.m.

Necessities.

Salvation

Watching Japanese TV dramas on laptop.

Sound barrier breaking piano pounding.

YouTube escape in his favorite vintage K-Mart tee.

A quieter evidence.

Sewing room turned music studio.

Last evidence:  Dad's increased napping.

Sweet dreams, Daddio.