vintage business – sassyfitnesschick

Monday Musings

Hello world!

I seriously love saying that. The fact I have readers from all parts of our big world never fails to make me happy. I’m humbled that I can share with you, wherever you are.

So thanks for joining me in another edition of Monday Musings!

I hope, that life is returning to a bit of normal for you. There were lots of things making me think during this “quarantine” time. One of them is about masks.

I won’t get into the two camps….the wear or don’t wear. Each side has a bit of it’s own “airs” associated with it.

My thoughts are a bit random based on my quirky sense of humor.

So here are my positives on mask wearing :

I can yawn like an unconcerned cat with no need to worry about being lady like. No need to delicately cover my mouth to hide that bored, sleepy, I need caffeine yawn. Nope, with mask in place I can yawn unconcerned.

I always wear lip gloss, but behind a mask, who really knows if I am or not?

Mask wearing cuts down on potential, unnecessary snacking. 😉

I don’t have to worry if I’m looking “happy” to people passing….smile or no smile….that’s the question. They don’t know.

Finally, my eyes get the attention and not my smile. With my smile covered it’s time for my eyes to get their moment in the spotlight.

Ok enough of all that….

Did anyone start a new hobby, job or project during the quarantine time? I took my business to another level when I jumped in to be a retailer for Dixie Belle chalk paint. Our shop opened up May 1st and it’s been flying off the shelves….awesome…but now I’m chomping at the bit waiting to get two huge orders in .

I have also been asked multiple times about a website for my business so I have undertaken that project.

Let me say this….all things technical are not my calling…. much less building a website. I am slow….pathetically slow crafting this fledgling site. I am way speedier turning over ugly furniture and making it pretty.

I figured I put this site together for my blog 5 years ago, I can assemble a business website.

And…..it’s almost done. Engage happy dance. I’m feeling rather proud of myself right now.

Have you done something lately that is out of your comfort zone?

My business ventures are pushing me out of mine. I love risks, but there is the flip side of exhilarating terror too 😬

That’s all I’m saying for now. I haven’t shared with my customers yet, once I do I will share more here.

Speaking of all that….did I share the cool antique cabinet a friend gave me? I dragged it home, invested a little energy into it and now it makes an uber cool paint cabinet for my shop.

It started off like this…I had sanded some to unearth several other colors under the pink.

I also turned these old sewing drawers into something sweet and feminine….

Sweet right?

I just got these really crusty ones, but look at all those sweet details 🥰 I would love to turn all of this into a little cabinet.

When I’m not working, it’s fun experimenting with new recipes

This is a family favorite. Chocolate with gooey caramel and pecans ….so good. Don’t take my word for it. Give it a try

https://pin.it/6wajLD2

This other cake I made at Easter. Seriously the frosting alone with the toasted butter pecans is so good I’d just skip the cake 🤣

Here is the recipe for you to try and make your own decision

https://pin.it/7Kjgd1N

Have you tried any new recipes recently?

In closing…..

Remember to be kind to one another out there. Be helpful, be loving. Respect each other. This world is rough but individually we can make a positive impact in our circles. Have a good week!

Tell me….how’s your week gone. Everyone doing ok ?

Monday Musings

Cake. It’s been a week of cake.

We have a plethora of birthdays this time of year and yours truly is the cake maker.

My kids know they can request whatever kind they want and I’ll whip it up for them.

My middle son turned 28 May 1st. After a reminder I hadn’t received his request, did he wish for me to make him a boxed cake?

I got a link to a monstrosity of a 5 layer cake. Initially, I thought it was a joke. But then I’m always down for a challenge and dived into the project

Two brownie layers and three white cake layers.

Yes, that is buttercream frosting between those layers

11 eggs, three packages of butter, 7 cups of sugar, 10 cups of powdered sugar for buttercream frosting, 30 Oreos and brownies that get made with brownie layers to decorate on top and a partridge in a pear tree.

Ok I jest about the partridge 😉

I weighed it.

It weighed 13 pounds.

I don’t exaggerate.

13 pounds of ridiculous deliciousness.

You know what I’m afraid of? I’ve now set the bar to high and who knows what they will come up with next. 😄

Yes, there is a literal second dessert piled on top of this monumental cake.

The aftermath….it is a wee bit tricky cutting five layers.

Even my guys with the biggest appetites were out done by this cake.

We all decided this…the cake and brownie layers were delicious enough to just make independently. The eggs, real butter and buttermilk made it a light, airy melt in your mouth cake.

The brownies had lots of eggs giving them a cake consistency and with all the cocoa powder they had a good chocolate flavor.

Think you wanna try it? Find it in my Homemade Cake folder on Pinterest!

https://pin.it/S3hiAKL

When I’m not whipping up cakes…

I’m attempting to live a healthy lifestyle. I’m sure glad cake can fit into that!

I’m also glad I started the day off with some miles on the bike.

Nothing like some hills to make you work a little hard 😅

How are y’all doing with home work outs during this time?

Remember fitness need not be hard or complicated. Brisk walks or jogs, bike rides, swimming, or hitting the treadmill or elliptical are good ways to get cardio.

Strength training can be accomplished with a variety of items at home even if you don’t have weights.

You have a body and can do plenty of body weight exercises!

I find boxing to be rather therapeutic 😉 not only is it good strength and cardio, it just feels good to let my energy sink into that bag.

Don’t forget about yoga and other stretching moves to keep you flexible. It’s also a great way to center your mind.

Exercise is not only good for our bodies, but our mental well being too.

Staying mentally and physically well during this time is important for our overall health.

In other life activities

Am I the only one who wakes up trying to remember what day it is??

Like seriously.

True, life is a bit different lately, but I don’t find all of it bad.

There aren’t lots of things pressing on me to go to different activities or places which means time home and time to do not only home projects but work on my business projects too.

My shop in town opened back up this weekend so I’m glad to have things out of my back room and filling up my space.

I’ve had an increase in custom orders so that’s a win.

I also jumped into becoming a retailer for Dixie Belle chalk paint. Ah, nothing like making a financial investment when things are closed down 😅

I kinda like diving off the deep end with new adventures.

Speaking of projects

Wanna see some of the things I’ve been up to?

Before. A custom order. She wanted it white. Dixie Belle has a color called Fluff, soft white with grey undertone

Definitely a bit brighter.

Then there was this old trunk….

I’m horribly in love with this piece ❤ it got some layers of black and white paint, distressed, a lovely floral trasnfer and I lined inside with some fabric that’s been waiting for the right project.

Then there was this old French provincial table. I seriously adore this style. Solid, classic, beautiful lines, these pieces remake so nicely

And a couple things I’ve scored recently. It’s been hard getting things…I’m ready to go hunting again !

Sweet old dresser definitely dated and needs a fresher look!

And an antique ladies writing desk and chair. This is gonna need work but I thought it was the coolest thing.

And before I go…..

I made the best chicken dish tonight and everyone went crazy over it. Fast,easy with a Mexican flair to it. Find it on my dinner recipes file on Pinterest

https://pin.it/cwzpiX1

I served it with Spanish rice and beans. Have plenty of rice on hand, the sauce is amazing over it!

Tell me what you’ve been up to? How are you keeping fit and staying sane in these days?

Monday Musings

Hello Monday. Quarantine day 854…or something like that.

Are we having fun yet?

I guess I’m really grateful it’s spring and the weather has been gorgeous and since I’m supposed to be home it gives me scads of time to basically do whatever the heck I want.

Not a bad thing right?

I’m grateful too that I can retreat to my hill country home with 28 acres surrounding me with gorgeous views.

I’m grateful also for having a fun little business that I work out of my home. Lately I just find it relaxing and therapeutic.

I’ve also had time to start work on one of my personal projects, an old antique table and chair set. Getting that done will give me alot more space in my barn…space for more furniture 🤣

Here’s a look at that table.. before I started

A sneak peek.. I’ve been busy..

I got the great idea to sand table top. Have I ever mentioned, I hate sanding? This is gonna be worth it though.

Oh. Chairs. It has chairs. I’ve been working on those too. 😱

I need to get this set done because I have an equally old stunning set to do for my dining room….

It looks like this……

Ah.. I love how beautifully old school elegant it all is. I can hardly wait to transform it.

Anyway, even with all that’s going on I feel grateful for all the good things too.

I’m grateful even though my shop is closed, I’ve got several custom orders to keep me busy and making a little cash. It’s rather cool to do things I love and get paid for it as well😉

It’s not all smooth sailing

Hey, I feel like you do too. I miss just deciding to randomly go somewhere without a care in doing so.

Now, I feel almost guilty popping into the store to get a few things. Like…get it…go…get home.

Stay there.

I think what I really.. hate…are the looks on people’s faces. How they look at you like you might brush something off on them. The avoidance of making eye contact or scurrying away. A human disconnect.

It is what it is.

I will do my part. I only go to get what I need and leave.

I keep sanitizer in my car and use it before and after going somewhere. I try to be mindful of my “position ” around people.

I find it all tiring and going home really is a much better,more comfortable option.

Even with all of that…

I’m grateful. Life is still good. I have all my needs met.

I’m glad I can take care of my own nails and that I got my hair all pretty before the salons had to close. 😉 That certainly isn’t earth shattering but small things make me feel good.

And feeling good in a weird world right now, helps.

Making time for self care

More than ever we not only need to take care of our physical health, but mental health too

Exercise is good for both.

Again, I’m happy I’ve been doing the home workout thing for years so it’s life as usual for me. For others though it’s an adjustment of figuring out what to do.

With the weather turning nice, getting out for daily walks is a good option for most everyone. With extra time for many right now, there’s no reason to not get some purposeful movement in.

You may also consider a new hobby or activity to pursue. Start a new book or pursue an online course.

Life is still going on,even if it’s not so conventional right now.

Even though my shop is closed I’m making plans for new business opportunities.

There are plenty of things for us to keep focused on and we can use this time for growth and learning and hopefully not feeding our fears or anxieties.

Before I go…

We are entering birthday season in my family. My kids always request some favorite cake for me to make for their birthday.

My daughter in law found a rather different one this year and…oh my…I can’t say how good it was. It got rave reviews and I think it would make a great Easter dessert.

Lemon blueberry cake with lemon cream cheese frosting.

And because I know you will want to try it, I’ll attach the link for you

https://pin.it/6RbzCio

Tell me…how are you doing out there? Are you using this time to pursue something new? What is helping you move through these days? Do you feel grateful for what you have?

Monday Musings

Welcome to another edition of Monday Musings, an eclectic gathering of my random, yet sometimes thoughtful reflections.

You never know what’s gonna come out of my head…..

What on earth?

Unless you’ve been in a cave, it seems like people have lost their minds with the current situation regarding this virus.

I’m not camping on this topic long as I feel the majority of us are overwhelmed and saturated with it all.

Thank you media for contributing to hysteria that has led to people literally ripping store shelves bare and hoarding things they don’t need.

This aisle usually has paper products at my store…..

Hold on…I’m going somewhere..

I made a trip to the store the other day for a few things I actually ya know, needed.

One of those items was a vitamin I’ve taken for several years. It never occurred to me that the vitamin section would get hit and so many things wouldn’t be there.

Here’s my thought about that.

You can’t decide to throw some vitamins at your body in the moment of anxiety thinking it’s gonna “help” you fend off something.

If you want to help yourself, it needs to be something you do every single day

Eat healthy, natural foods. Drink plenty of water, exercise, get rest, and depending on your personal needs, then use vitamins if needed.

The best way to keep your body and immune system strong is to take care of it daily.

Not in an impulsive moment thinking it will be some kind of quick fix.

Rant over….stay healthy out there. Wash your hands and be smart.

Speaking of exercise….

If you’ve followed me for awhile you know that I kinda like running.

Unfortunately, I’ve had a crappy injury that’s kept me off of it. I’m still cycling and strength training but I miss the hard work and satisfaction of putting those miles in that running gives me.

I’ve used an elliptical in the past and it was the closest thing to running I could do without actually, you know, running 😛

I set out trolling all my local online sale sites watching for someone to sell off their “better idea turned towel and clothes holder.”

Not to hard to find I might say. I just had to wade through mediocre ones that were to much and then the nicer ones, if well priced, got sold or they were to far away etc.

Until…..

The other night I found a Nordictrack, a short drive down the road from me, selling for only 50.00.

I couldn’t respond fast enough. This time I was the one quick enough to get the prize.

The couple told me they had each gotten a gym membership and it was never used. This originally 800.00 machine ( she had the receipt and manual in a bag for me) had all the bells and whistles on it.

I happily loaded my game on the trailer and hauled it home.

I got it all set up….today was my maiden voyage on it.

Gosh, it felt awesome to be working hard like that again.

Heart pounding and sweat in my eyes…good times 😁

Do you like ellipticals?

On topic of healthy lifestyle

In other recent events in my life, hubby was in the hospital for a number of weeks so needless to say I found myself frequenting the hospital cafeteria for more than shots of coffee.

I have to say their food selections were nice and varied.

Often though, I hit up their salad bar. It offered a good selection of colorful greens and other veggies with protein options too. I got some dressing in a container so I could control what I had. ( remember dressings can contribute a huge amount of calories to a otherwise healthy salad) it was a satisfying and filling lunch.

I wrote a post before addressing the myth that is perpetuated suggesting healthy food was more expensive than fries or burgers ( The Cost of Healthy Eating) You can also check out my post (Weight Loss and Salads and Salad Bar Strategies)

On average I paid 4.00-5.00 for my salad. ( you pay by weight) those cucumbers and chick peas were heavy!)

On one day I just wanted a burger and fries, because, why not? I paid 7.50 for it.

The bottom line is, we make our choices. You choose to eat healthy foods or you don’t.

Not only do I have plenty of colorful veggies, eggs and chick peas covered my protein.

Doesn’t it look delicious? 😁

Speaking of healthy food

https://pin.it/4osmBfX

I made this recipe for dinner recently and it is amazing!

https://pin.it/1WBX33I

I just found this salad recipe and it is definitely on my list to try soon.

Ok and one of my favs…

https://pin.it/7hUVgjK

In other life stuff

In ways of things fun and not stressful, how about a look at a few of my vintage projects?

One of my other plates I juggle is a growing vintage business which involves flipping often old,sad and falling apart furniture.

It brings me tremendous satisfaction to make things pretty again…like this custom order I just finished this week…

Here’s the before:

And the after:

This turned out so cheery and is such a happy piece. My customer…”oh my gosh, I wanna cry, it’s so pretty!”

Makes my day.

I got this super cool piece last week. Its an old wash station. It does have a seriously abused marble top but I’ve got plans to spruce that up.

I think…it would repurpose to make a great coffee bar. At first I thought it would make a great pastry table but it is a bit short for that. How would you repurpose this cute piece?

Then there was this.. I love old telephone benches. I can’t keep them around, a good problem to have..

This is how I got it….

And after..

Boring magazine holder…

Turned kitchen utility crate 😛

Enough of my creativity for now… I got more projects this weekend

And before I go…

Isn’t it pretty? And it’s really black coffee. I love the nitro cold brew from Starbucks. It has no cream, the nitro gives it the smooth creamy foam and it slowly settles and swirls down through the coffee until it’s black. It packs a powerful caffeine punch, yet is ridiculously smooth and satisfying to my soul

My current guilty pleasure 😉

Your turn…..tell me…how are you doing out there? How is your piece of the world doing? Have you tried the nitro coffee? What’s new with you?

Monday Musings

So as I’m lounging on my sofa tonight drinking copious amounts of coffee I keep thinking it’s already Sunday night, yet it’s not.

Yay…one more weekend day.

It IS entirely probable my brain is fried from a busy day of hosting my 3 year old granddaughters birthday party with a house full of loud, active and busy kids hyped up on youthful energy and a dash of sugar.

Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s it.

The birthday party was a success and my granddaughter embraced the day with complete wild abandon.

I would not have expected any less from her.

I joke she’s my spirit animal but really I aspire to live each day with the constant joy and enthusiasm she has for all situations.

Ah…but back to the weekend

That means time to work on more of my vintage and antique projects. I need more time! 😫

I’ve picked up some uber cool pieces the past couple weeks. Between doing pieces for my shop ( things are moving out fairly quick there..not a bad problem) I’ve picked up quite a few custom orders as well as repeat customers so I guess you can say I always have a project going on.

Not a bad problem to have.

Ok …I know you wanna see some of the goodies… 😁

What about this turn of the century serpentine dresser?

It gets its name from the style of drawers..

The lady advertised *it needs work”. Thankfully, I have mad repair skills.

Oh…did I mention this beauty was 5.00?

Yes you’re reading right. It’s gonna cost a ton of labor but the end result will be awesome.

***listen to that confidence***

What about this old radio cabinet?

Yeah check out the original label in it…

I have a customer who quickly claimed it. She will put a stereo in where old one was…she wants it for her boys who collect records. I’m sanding and staining it for her.

And then I finished off this custom order. I got this old vanity and bench last summer. I showed it to a customer and she wanted it for a desk. The bench stayed with me for another project

Oh….here’s the after pic….

Sweet, clean and ready for a new adventure.

In more reflective thoughts….

I’ve got two things dancing in my head.

1. When did the world become so full of self entitled people?

AND

2. Do young people really have such a poor working knowledge of basic daily math?

Ok..my first thought.

This has been in my head awhile from various experiences.

Working at my sons shop ( ah.. dealing with the public) I’m often shocked at customers who think they don’t have to pay for a service or think they shouldn’t have to pay what has been charged or he should do work for free,the list goes on…. there are times I’m left speechless.

Hmm… or more like attempting to hold my tongue. 🙄

However I had a personal experience this weekend when a customer went to my shop to buy a piece of furniture. I wasn’t working on this day ( we’re a co-op and as vendors work a few days a month) she had previously messaged me about price and I told her what it was. Yet when she got to shop, she angled at getting a lower price. Her husband even suggested to checker they should get it for even less. Then went on to act shocked/annoyed they had to pay tax.

Like…dude. This isn’t a yard sale and do you even live in this country? This is a store…you pay tax. This is life.

Death and taxes… it’s a given.

Self entitlement. It’s an ugly thing in our society.

My second point.

I had two similar experiences this week. I had stopped at a new coffee shop to you know, share the wealth and to try their coffee.

After getting past the shock of my small cold brew being 4.33 I handed her my money.

10.33

You get it, right?

Now let me say I’m not the world’s best math whiz. I don’t know who ever thought that putting the alphabet in math problems was a good thing and I literally passed high school algebra by the skin of my teeth.

But daily working math? I’ve got that. I can count change back and run mental numbers in my head. I can figure percentages and do estimates etc

You know….Basic life math that we all need.

It appears a lot of young people can’t do that.

The young girl took my money and proceeded to hand me change as if I hadn’t given her the change with my bill. I told her ijust needed 6.00 back.

She then fished more change out and handed me that along with my change and I said I don’t need change, just 6.00.

She laughed nervously and said “ohhhh I get it”

I’m pretty sure she didn’t get it.

Then on another day in a drive thru. My order was 2.52.

I tripped the poor guy up handing him 10.52.

I waited…and waited…wondering if I was gonna get my change back. Finally he slowly handed my money out the window.

6.00.

I said “Hey sweetie I’m supposed to get 8.00 back” to which he asked for my receipt?

Then he carefully handed 2.00 more out the window. I imagined him standing there trying to figure out what fresh hell I was putting him through as he attempted to decipher how much money to give me back.

Oh. My. Gosh.

Is the younger generation so dependent on machines to think that they can’t operate with basic, easy skills?

Remember counting in ones,fives, tens, etc in elementary school? Isn’t that the basic idea in counting money?

What happened here?

When I mentioned it to my son ( who is a part of this generation) his response… they’re all dumb. 😱

That may be a bit harsh, but it’s a disturbing reality in our society.

Maybe we should bring back home economics and basic life skills classes? 🤔

Ok I’ll hop off my soap box now and on to complete randomness you could do without

Do you know Amazon has something called “chip fingers”?

For real.

And yeah, I didn’t know what they were either, but thanks to my little band of misfit friends I got educated.

Evidently they are like little socks for your finger tips so while you’re noshing on Cheetos or Doritos you don’t get those nuclear orange finger tips…I hope you aren’t eating those…. but if you do they are evidently helpful for keeping your fingers clean from eating anything messy.

Ah…how did we ever get along before?? I’ll attach the link so you know I’m not tricking you 😉

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0716QQ651/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_mlnMDb2H2XRVF

Maybe you should buy a set and impress your friends.

Speaking of orange

Ii see all the fall stuff showing up in the stores, but honestly with Texas still rocking July like temps, it does not put me on the fall mood…at all.

Ii did recently give in and buy an adorable sweater with the anticipation that some day I may get to wear it…

I may have bought a thing or two else along with it…..

Seriously though, I’m ready for some of those perfect fall days.

Has fall showed up where you live?

In conclusion…..

My athletic shenanigans. This sums up exactly how I feel…….

I’ve been off running for months. Long story short, an x ray date with my sports doctor, me thinking I’ve done something that’s gonna need surgery and he presents me with “you have arthritis ” was not what I was prepared to hear.

I’ve been doing some PT work to stretch and work muscles that have gotten tight with a greatly reduced physical work load. Gonna see how some of this helps and just go from there. I’ll tell you this…I’m not gonna just take this and go lay down somewhere nor do I plan on giving up.

There will be an upcoming post on my PT adventures…so stay tuned for that 😜

Meanwhile, I’m increasing my strength training days. I even upped my dead lifts last week to 185, so there’s that. Rowing is a good substitute for running so I will continue my rowing skills and of course, cycling. That should keep me busy, right?

Your turn….what’s going on in your world? Has fall showed up yet? What athletic activities keep you busy?

Monday Musings

Monday. Am I the only one lurching into it after a long 4th of July weekend ?? Here in the states we just celebrated our nation’s birthday….our 243rd one to be exact.

Yeah we celebrated with a four day weekend 🤣

I may be biased, but I believe we live in the greatest nation.

Yes, it has problems, but we are still blessed beyond measure with the gifts and freedoms we have.

So we celebrated our freedoms and all that we’ve been blessed with…food, fireworks and hanging with family.

Long weekends equal productivity

Having a block of days home let me dive into the deep end on furniture projects waiting for me.

Does this count as athletic activities? 🤔

I mentioned last week I had moved into my new location for my business. I had lots that sold so I was trying to replenish items.

I finished off an antique dresser, four chairs, and some small items too.

I love getting things done!

I’m super excited over how the dresser came out.

Here’s its before pic…

Old, tired and needing a new look.

I kept it simple and it looks so fresh now.

I’m pretty happy with it. The light distressing gives it the aged look it deserves.

Then.. last week I scooped up these antique chairs at the thrift store.

Yeah. I know you’re loving the cheetah print 😏

Cheetah? Leopard? Your call.

Check out the new look I gave them….

Miss the cheetah print yet?

I got this cool chair at an estate sale months ago. I finally got to let the ideas out of my head for it…

Its boring before pic…

Look at it now 🙂

And my final chair. An old harp back and after all my black I wanted to do a bright fun look….

And besides all that, I’ve been working on the room my daughter recently vacated.

Hubby was a trooper and installed new, cooler,molding on the floor and I’ll be painting this week

Then as mentioned previously, the entire antique bedroom set I have in my barn finally has a room to come to 😁

No.

No I haven’t been busy….which is why I’m writing this at 11p m Sunday night..

Oh..and I don’t sell everything…I mean what’s the point of having a fun business if you don’t get to keep some of the goodies??

For instance, I got this super cool old coffee table. It’s over 6’0 long! It has leaves that when open you could use as a table top.

I don’t exaggerate.

Me asking the girl about it.

“Oh, idk, I think it’s from the 50s. I’m selling the stuff for a dead person.”

Me: “whaattt?”

Haha…well she only wanted 12.00 for this solid wood beast so I didn’t waste any time grabbing it up.

Now to decide how exactly I want to spruce it up.

Furniture isn’t the only thing I’ve been lifting

I’ve been adding more strength training days to my week.

Hello sweaty Sunday 🤣

I have a love hate relationship with deadlifts.

I love knowing I can lift some solid weight, I know it’s also gonna be a little work.

I usually do three sets of 6 at my current weight of 165. I’m fixing to add on to that soon.

My 25lb dumb bells have become quite easy to handle. I’ve added more reps on the mix.

I got to thinking when I first started off a few years back I was using 8lbs

Now I can toss 25s around and use a 35 lb kettlebell for swings and other fun moves.

Consistent work is all I can contribute it to

Well…anyone who wants to make progress needs to stay consistent.

Oh. And hard work too 😏

And finally…

Would it be a Monday post if I didn’t offer you up some tasty food I had experimented with???

This is uh…not on the healthy treats list.. but it’s chocolate sooooo….

I made this for the 4th celebrations.

It was devoured.

Trust me, you’ll love it and it’s super easy to make.

https://pin.it/mx5cz3fwji5mty

That’s a wrap boys and girls. Tell me about your week and any summer celebrations you’ve got going on.

Monday Musings

Happy Monday you crazy kids! I don’t know about you but I’m hitting the floor today with a smile and a mile long to do list!

This past weekend was busy as I was preparing to move my little vintage business to a new location. The new place isn’t that far away but moving is always, well, moving right?

You still have to pack it up and drag it to the new destination.

Oh. And rain.

Yes, let’s add rain to the mix for a little extra fun. ( Insert sarcasm here 😉 )

I was pretty happy with the month in sales…lots of stuff went to new homes so it means I gotta get going on some new projects.

Thankfully my barn has plenty waiting for me.

Seriously though, I’m so grateful for new opportunities and can hardly wait to see how this next part of the adventure unfolds.

Sunday afternoon I got my new space all set up and Monday will find me at the shop entering all my inventory in the computer.

It’s hard to believe that July marks my one year “officially” doing this.

A year of doing this messy, fun, challenging, and extremely creative work. I’ve learned to do so many things I never knew how to do.

Thankfully I have a “jump in the deep end” personality so it’s never crossed my mind I couldn’t fix up some horrible, ratty, falling apart piece of furniture. It kinda comes naturally to me.

It has been the most unexpected, satisfying work.

Speaking of work….

I love that summer mornings get light out pretty early allowing me to get on the road for some miles while the sun comes up on me.

Did I mention though, our county decided to “pave” our little country roads? This amounts to pouring out hot tar, and then covering it with small stones and rolling over it a few times.

It is then expected the usual traffic will pack it down. The bad part is that all the loose stone where cars don’t drive gets pushed into areas and that can make for some, exhilarating ? Moments on the bike if you hit one of those patches.

Curves and cul de sacs I used to ride into like a wild woman, well, I have to be a little more cautious on….. for right now 😉

In the ways of athletic shenanigans….

More than once this week I’ve been reminded of the payoffs for my strength training days. I’m more than capable of helping lift various pieces of equipment at my sons shop….me offering to help unload something from a truck…ha…

Surprised looking man “Oh you’re going to help me?”

Me: indeed I am.

I’m always amused at the usual expectations that because I’m a female I’m not equipped to handle heavy things .

Now I jokingly quip I don’t just have muscles for decoration haha

I helped move a big china cabinet out of my shop yesterday that I sold. I felt like I handled it better than the guy on the other end 😉

Seriously though, you get stronger by using your body. Practicing functional movements and lifting heavy things transfers over into real life by being able to handle all the day to day things you may deal with.

In addition to all that….it’s empowering to be strong.

And today starts a new month…..

Not just any month, July. All things summer and our nation’s birthday month and yours truly as well.

It will be time for another birthday post so stay tuned for that 😉

Speaking of the United States birthday. My kids have been pleading with me to whip up my homemade strawberry ice cream.

This is like seriously the most amazing treat ever. It will not be on my healthy eating tips post Haha

It is made with nothing but heavy cream, buckets of sweet, juicy bright red strawberries, and uh, sugar.

You let it churn for quite awhile in the old ice cream maker ( electric of course) although I’ve entertained my kids with stories “back in the day” where we had to hand crank that thing for eternity before we were rewarded with actual ice cream.

Did you ever get that experience??

Homemade ice cream is one of those quintessential summer treats for sure.

It will also be accompanied by hot dogs off the grill topped with various condiments, along with tasty side dishes to keep them company.

The night will be topped off perched on a blanket, watching spectacular fireworks while that delicious ice cream drips off my chin or runs down my arm cause that stuff gets messy.

But I ask you, is there a better way to end a celebratory day than hanging with people you love and eating tasty food?

I think not.

If you’ll be celebrating the 4th, what treats do you enjoy? What are some if your favorite summer foods?

Monday Musings

Ah Monday! I really am glad to see you again. As I shared in my post last week, Wedding Bells and Adventures, I was in NY for the wedding of my step daughter.

If you have gone on a trip then you know your days kinda meld together and it’s worse when you get home.

We traveled back last Monday and I was off on all the rest of my week.

I went to work on Wednesday thinking it was Tuesday. I told someone I was doing something Thursday and they were like….oh, tomorrow?

And I was wondering how we were already approaching the end of the week.

Gah. Tell me you understand?!

The weekend has kinda reset me but getting started with a Monday will definitely put me on track again.

Speaking of my NY trip. I couldn’t help but snap this bathroom sign.

It’s definitely one of the more interesting I’ve seen….

It gets the point across I guess 🤪

In the ways of signs…..

I hopped on the elevator the first morning and saw this sign for hot sauces. Being from Texas, the land of all things wickedly hot, I found it amusing to be in NY and see an ad for hot sauce.

My kids decided they would get Mexican food on one of their nights out.

I had to listen to them complain about how horrible it was

Me: you’re in NY, not Texas. Did you think you were going to get really good Mexican food?!

They agreed it may have not been the best idea.

Back home

Did I mention on our return home, we were preparing for our daughter to move out and into her first apartment?

I’m not sure how this happened so fast but somehow she’s 21 and ready to fly out and start independent living.

This might not be such a big deal but it hit me one day as she was on her way out. She was standing at our front door, an overnight bag tossed over her shoulder, chatting about what she needed to get for her apartment and I saw in my mind, the little girl who came through our door years ago.

At 8 1/2 years old, we were her fifth foster placement within a 3 month period. She came in that same door carrying a small white trash bag.

The sum total of all her life possessions.

A toy, a book and a bag of poorly fitting clothes.

That memory was so vivid I almost wept standing there talking to her.

How had the years gone by so quickly that I was now preparing to watch her walk out that door just a few more times before she wouldn’t be doing it on the daily anymore?

Yet there she stood a much more confident, self assured, loved and wanted young woman ready to begin a new journey in her life.

I cursed myself for those emotional moments that crept up on me.

She is ready for the new chapter and we’ve done our work to prepare her for this new experience.

But still… those years went a bit to fast.

I love this pic from our trip recently. When she was younger she’d always want to know how people knew she was adopted. 😛

We do love watching people’s reactions when we they find out we are mother and daughter Haha

Of course I have decided to find positive things about her move.

Once the years of clutter, clothes and other items are removed from her room and I get to paint and return it to normal again I can move in a complete antique bedroom set I’ve had stashed in my barn. The bed frame has the wedding date of the couple written on the back from 1920. The vanity and dresser have beautiful tri fold mirrors on them. It will be fun to transform the room (and furniture) with this antique set.

Bonus? I got the whole set for 100.00.

So I have my own ways of dealing with these normal life events.

Press on and appreciate new changes.

On topic of new changes

Did I happen to mention I became a grandmother again at the end of April? My oldest son had his first. Little Maddie Blue was the youngest to make the NY trip and she did great. Ironically, if we’re lucky, it appears she may have blue eyes to go along with her name. How positively adorable is that???

Speaking of rolling with life

I was notified recently that the owner of the vintage shop where my little vintage business is housed does not plan to renew her lease meaning…I have to get out at the end of June. ( read my post The Journey of Opening A Vintage Business to see where it started)

Mind you…I didn’t plan on this…nor did I see it coming.

We were all given 30 days before lease was up…so. yeah. I’m sure this was a random decision 🙄

But I’m a person who always try’s to land on her feet so the day I found out, I was heading to our downtown area looking for a new place to house my little business.

And I did.

There is a large vendor shop on our main downtown walking area. I found a vendor who is also leaving at the end of June. Her spot is perfect and the rent is reasonable. The owners of this shop have been in business for over 30 years so I’m not worried about future lease issues.

Yes, it will be a pain to move everything and reestablish myself. I’ve determined to not be salty over this situation but to see it as an unexpected opportunity for growth.

My old location wasn’t on the main part of the downtown area. My new location is so I consider this a big win. I had considered off and on looking for a possible place in the downtown area but was comfortably situated where I was so never really got serious about it.

I’m grateful for a place to move my business and for all the exciting possibilities it holds.

Life is busy and full of changes isn’t it? We either learn to roll with those changes or we can be miserable and unhappy holding on to what was and resisting change when those changes could offer bigger and better opportunities to us.

What about you? Has life tossed you some new things that will challenge you to grow? How do you feel about that?

Monday Musings

Oh Happy Monday beautiful people! Seems like we were just here, right? Once again it’s late evening as I write this reflecting back on the week and all that’s gone on.

On a positive, exciting note for me, I’ve had a lot of sales with my furniture business! Just when I start thinking I may grow into an old furniture lady surrounded by beautiful relics, things sell.

I had sold several pieces last week, then a woman saw a chair I had done and was selling online, went crazy over my stuff and has bought up every finished chair I had, as well as every unfinished, and even one I had to go out and find to get her an even number of 8.

She also bought an unfinished telephone bench I had, and has custom ordered a 7ft antique buffet that I haven’t gotten to yet.

Wow.

Funny thing about the chairs, I had finished several and was planning to take them into my shop. I stood there thinking ” I hope the people who love chairs show up soon”

Then the next day this lady comes into my life. She is off the chart crazy over my work and I’ll be busy finishing her order in the upcoming next week or two.

Now I’m realizing all my unfinished projects I’ve had waiting for me have dwindled down and I’m hunting for more things to do. I’m also realizing the holiday season will be here in a few months and I need to be thinking of things to keep my little shop area full of goodies for customers.

received_1740764015993170 (1) — I love this wall in my little room 🙂

If you want to read more about my journey into this process, you can find it here

https://sassyfitnesschick.com/2018/07/25/the-journey-of-opening-a-vintage-business/

I’m still a working woman….

I mentioned last week I was helping my son out for awhile at his shop… that combined with my projects above is enough to keep me running right now. I try most days to assemble healthy foods to take with me.

Salads, as I’ve mentioned before are one of my favorite lunch meals because they are satisfying and nutritious as well as leave me feeling energetic and not lethargic from a big meal

20180814_125747 — it’s really ok to mix fruits and veggies 😉

When people ask me what I “take” to stay healthy and fit…. this… is more important than anything. Lots of colorful fruits and veggies are what I “take”. ** not shown or getting to make an appearance, my two hard boiled eggs on the sidelines. Gotta have that protein. ** 😉

On the topic of food… I tried a couple new recipes this week… maybe not so light on calories… but definitely tasty

https://www.plainchicken.com/2009/01/creamy-chicken-casserole.html

http://bestrecipesww.com/philly-cheese-steak-sloppy-joes-recipe/

( ok the recipes are being brat’s and not appearing to link properly… both the chicken casserole and philly sloppy joes were big hits )

In the ways of technical stuff….

I may have been whining… I mean…uh… sharing….. with you that my Garmin bit the dust. Well, I mean it was working , it just kinda lost it’s top. I could still hear it making various sounds I had become accustomed to but, well, it’s inside were hanging out and as you can imagine, that was a wee bit of a problem.

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turns out according to Garmin, they had some issues with the adhesive that holds the face plate on. So after a bit of communication, I had signed up to get the new Vivoactive 3. (For the record, they are really awesome to work with on issues like this)

It’s just like the Vivoactive HR I’ve worn for two years, but more refined, enhanced and well. prettier looking.

I decided I needed the white and rose gold….

IMG_20180817_130826_383 — So pretty all still packaged….waiting…

Of course one of it’s new features is that it looks more like a watch than the rectangular Vivoactive HR.

It’s got lots of other cool stuff too, but that will have to wait for my review on it in a few weeks.

For now, I am a happy camper to have it tracking me and using it for my training again.

IMG_20180817_130826_380 — it’s so pretty… out for it’s first workout 😉

I’m finding that the heart rate tracker ( which was pretty accurate before) is really even more fine tuned now as it captures more data than previously. My resting heart rate can bounce between the 40’s and 50’s beats per minute (bpm)

remember boys and girls, when we do cardio training, our heart is a muscle that gets strong too. A lower resting rate is a good indicator that your cardio work is paying off and your heart doesn’t have to work as hard.

The watch has so many awesome features. One of the best improvements is the all touch screen and it’s high level of responsiveness. It has good back light and a large, easy to read screen.

Gosh. I’m sounding like a commercial here.

Ok, let’s just say it’s impressed me and I’ve only had it a few days. I love figuring all the techie stuff out on it ( well, mostly) and I know I still have a lot to learn ( I think I’ll catch on)

Oh, and it comes in black on black to which I almost got as black is one of my signature colors, but gosh, ya know the white and rose gold just won out.

I do promise a better review and not just a tease on my Monday Musings about it.

Oh, speaking of writing.

I’m working on some fun posts and (hopefully) a relevant series for women on menopause ( OMG did I just use that word in public?!) partly, I’m educating myself as I know some day it will happen and I just like to know and understand things. The other part is I want to educate women better on this topic. In todays day of anything goes and everything is talked about, I’m constantly shocked at how this is still whispered behind a hand or met with some shocked silence. Why?

So I am wanting to do a little series on the topic examining varies things about it, how to deal with it and some self care ideas as well. I know I have a large readership of you, men, out there. You can read along too as I’m sure you have women in your life as this topic will affect them at some point too.

I did write an article called Menopause, Muscles and Middle Age, you can find here while you wait for me to get my act together on that series. https://sassyfitnesschick.com/2017/05/10/menopause-muscles-and-middle-age/

20180819_191726 — I do love the strong bold lines of this watch as well.

That’s a wrap for now. Make it a good week, smile and remember to make time for yourself.

Now tell me… do you use a sports watch? If so, what is it and what do you love most about it?

The Journey Of Opening A Vintage Business

Hello beautiful people! Good gracious it’s been a bat crazy week and I’ve found myself trying to work in more things in a day then I can fit.

Most mornings start with some kind of training, ’cause you know, that duathlon is coming in November. The weather has been absurdly hot, even early in the morning when I’m out. We were hitting record highs of 106-110 in parts of the state and it’s been like that for a couple days. Yesterday’s bike ride, I was on the road by 7:30 and the sun was already high in sky and the heat and humidity were fierce. It was a tough 23 hilly mile ride. I didn’t do a new PR on those hills like I’ve been lately, but I did break my top speed from a few days before at 41 mph 😛

I’m now starting to fantasize about leggings and colder weather again… or at least cooler weather.. you know… like in the 90’s.

And then of course there are some interesting topics I wanna delve into here like something I heard about the other day… CLA’s (??) its supposed to be some wonder fat burning thing… hmmm.

Then there’s the some new products out that are supposed to magically help you shed pounds without investing that pesky effort, you know, of eating properly and moving your body some.

Fortunately, there will always be plenty to write on in the market of the newest diet/weight loss gimmicks.

Of course one of my favorite topics to write on is healthy, well balanced nutrition and foods to sustain our active busy lifestyles. I don’t care how you exercise, if your nutrition is awful, you’ll struggle in the weight loss arena.

However, between my love of athletic shenanigans and encouraging people to follow suit, training for an event, finding time to write and do plethora of things that come in a day ( cleaning. I love stuff clean, but hate having to give up time for it) and working part time helping my son in his business, I’ve also been getting more involved in a fun hooby/ side job/obsession of flipping old antique and vintage furniture.

You may have read some of my posts on it and seen some of my projects. If you missed out, find some of them below…..

https://sassyfitnesschick.com/2018/05/22/the-art-of-flipping-furniture/

https://sassyfitnesschick.com/2018/05/23/steps-to-transforming-vintage-furniture/

https://sassyfitnesschick.com/2018/04/30/monday-musings-11/

https://sassyfitnesschick.com/2018/04/09/monday-musings-9/

Anyway, today I’m venturing off into another part of my life that isn’t about fitness and eating good. I wanna share some exciting things I’ve had going on this week…

So it looks like my hobby is kinda turning into a business…..for real.

A few months ago when I kinda sorta fell into doing a couple pieces and they came out really cute and everyone went crazy over them, the bug bit me to keep looking for sad, awful, needy furniture that could use some new life breathed into them.

No, I hadn’t previously done this. I just started and it turned out I was pretty good at it, I started selling some of what I did and well… it’s just kinda moved along from there.

I’ve tried to set myself apart from so many who are buying up furniture and slapping paint on pieces just to make a quick buck outta their garage ( all while being staged on paint cans with the same brush still laying on floor by piece after they put final coat on) Even though I haven’t had a “store” to sell from, my marketing, photos, and detail to work and professionalism are important to me and set a tone for what I’m doing.

Secretly though, I really wanted to have all my stuff in one spot where it was in public and people could stop and see it, touch it, and well, buy it then and there. I’m not sure how retail areas are in all parts of the world, but here we have places in our town where you can rent rooms of cute old buildings and have your “business” set up in there. It’s a fun shopping adventure as you can roam room to room and see different things based on the individuality of each owner.

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There was one such shop I enjoyed hanging out in and had visions of… maybe some day.. it would be fun to have a spot there…..

Well, “someday” happened this week.

I’m so excited to share that I opened my own actual little “shop” within our local Vintage store. There was a single room left that I loved, and thought really, was the coziest of all. Somehow, that room waited for me to make the commitment and dive into claiming the space as mine. I spent some time over the weekend getting things moved in and fine tuning all the details that matter to me. Once again, my amazing husband, who encouraged me to take the plunge, was there moving furniture in and offering his skills to hang pictures, mirrors etc.

When I went back the next day, and walked in seeing it with fresh eyes, honestly it was so pretty it made me want to cry.

20180722_145236 — Another angle of the shop..

I’m a girl. What can I say?? 😉

Maybe it’s more the emotion I always feel when I’ve taken on something I never have, and do it. When I see it being fulfilled or coming together it always overwhelms me. I’m like that when I finish big athletic events.

Last year, when I crossed the finish line of my first ever multi sport event, the dualthlon, I started crying. The poor guy bringing us in as we crossed was like.. “Oh are you ok??”

Like, how did I explain to him all I felt?

All those months of training and sacrifice, workouts in hot and cold and rain, the exhaustion on some days of kicking my own butt from a heavy workout, the mental and physical conditioning, the moments of self doubt followed by my fierce determination to see it all through, how could I even voice that as I choked back my tears overcome that I had done it? More tears came when I saw the posting I had taken first in my age group.

It felt amazing and was worth everything I had invested into it getting to that point.

Only this time, my little baby “hobby” is some how morphing into my baby business. I’m not sure where it will go. Hubby hopes I make enough for him to retire early. I’m not sure on that but I do know and have learned in life, if I don’t dive in, follow my heart, and do what scares me and makes me wonder what the heck I’m doing I will never accomplish anything and will always wonder…

“what if….”

I don’t want to do that. I like living a bit fearlessly. I teaches me more about myself, and on top of that, I’ve done things I never, ever saw myself doing.

So as I write this today, the shop is open for business and I will just roll along and see what transpires in the months to come.

20180722_145421 — One of my favorite antique tables.

My business is Shades of Yesterday and you can follow me there on Facebook if you’re so inclined and happen to love crusty old furniture and fixings that have a touch of freshness to their flaking, old, weary brown bodies. I love my business name and took some time to contemplate various ideas but when I something creative comes to me, it usually sticks.

I knew Shades Of Yesterday was absolutely perfect for what I was about.

It’s such a perfect representation of the freshness that cleaning, and often some shades of paint can give to items from yesterday. Once again they are ready to serve in a new way, hopefully for a long time to come. It absolutely brings me joy to restore pieces and have them look so different, in a good way. I guess it’s a skill that kinda just popped up? But I don’t examine it to closely, I just give thanks for it, and am trying to use it in the best ways I can.

I love how cozy and homey things from the past feel and it gives me joy to set up my shop in a way that reflects that and others enjoy too.

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So that’s what’s new in my world. I’m venturing into the land of having a business and seeing where it leads. So among my other activities of life, my days are spent not only finding things I think will work in my little “shop” but also a lot of hands on work getting pieces ready to launch into the world to sell.

And because you know I love showing you before and after on some things… I want to show you this little treasure I got at the thrift store. I loved how old and cool it was, all carved wood and such beautiful details. However, it was missing one of the decorative corner pieces. It was only 1.00 so I figured, why not? I felt certain I’d come up with something clever to use it for.

Then I got inspired to use it in a most clever way in my new little shop…..

I made a piece for missing corner, painted and antiqued it, and now it holds vintage jewelry for sale 🙂 Not bad for taking a 1.00 risk, right? I absolutely love how this ugly tired pieced revived.

Well that’s it on my news. Thanks for going on a virtual tour with me on my newest adventures!

We will resume regularly scheduled news next time…. now I’m off to run… or cycle.. or write.. or make old things new again…..