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Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Summer or School?

Can you believe that August is halfway over? I sure can't. And school has already started in our neck of the woods. But I don't have to worry about school since my kids are all grown and my grandson is only four. But he is going to attend Preschool for the first time after Labor Day. So I will have to think about him attending school. But not for a few weeks.

Besides, what would you rather look at, or think about now? Summer or School?

I'm picking Summer, as thinking of school just gives me an upset stomach. And why does thinking of "school" give me a tummy ache? Probably as I hated school when I was a kid. Even to this day, when I pass by the "school supplies" at the store, my stomach gets all queasy on me. I hate it, a 50 something year old woman shouldn't still have such a reaction to school supplies.


Since I have chosen to think about Summer instead of the dreaded word "school". I thought I would finally get around to showing you my Summer china hutch. I've had it this way for about a month, but I've been too lazy to post about it.

I started a collection of blue canning jars last year or the year before. I only have 5 of them. I placed 3 of them on top of the hutch. At first I filled them with shells, but then I decided I liked the look of them empty.

On the right side I placed this framed print of children at the sea. Don't you just love this? I stole the image off the Internet. But don't tell the Internet police. The frame is a cheap plastic one I picked up from Dollar Tree a few years back. I painted it white & distressed it.

I think my favorite thing on my hutch is this fun bunting, banner, garland or what ever you want to call it. What do you call it?

Flash cards with beachy, summer words.

The flashcards are actually part of a scrap booking paper collection from October Afternoon from their Seaside collection .


I sure wish I was at the ocean today. It's about 100 degrees here in the Inland Empire in SoCal. But thankfully, nothing like those of you in the South and Midwest have had to bear this summer.

We've actually had a cooler than normal summer thus far. So I'm not really complaining. At least not too much. Plus we don't get a lot of humidity here.

I picked up a set of 4 of these "Shell gas" shells from an antique store in Arizona a couple of summer's ago. The pencil starfish came from Walmart about the same time. I didn't see any pencil starfish at Walmart this year.

Speaking of Walmart, I hate how they have downsized their fabric and craft department. It sucks! There, I said it. I don't go to Walmart much anymore because of it. Take that, Walmart!

But I do miss seeing all the interestingly dressed clientele that frequent there.

Sorry to get off on a tangent. I'll get back to my hutch. All of my white ironstone came from thrift stores. My cloches did too.

The blue glass candle holders came from Tai Pan Trading last summer. I'm itching to make a trip to the Tai Pan Trading store in Rancho Cucamonga. I feel for those of you who don't live in Utah or SoCal, as you are missing a fabulous store.

But then, pay back is a biotch since there isn't a Hobby Lobby store in SoCal. There is one in northern California, but it is hours away from me. Probably closer to drive to Phoenix to shop. And Phoenix is a 5-6 hour drive.

To the owners of Hobby Lobby,

You need to put a store in the Inland Empire in SoCal. We need one here, real bad. Like real, real, real bad.

Thanks in advance.

Your friend,

Kim aka: Starshine Chic.

My mind keeps getting off track.


It's got to be the heat.

How long can I leave my summer hutch like this? I'm thinking at least a couple of more weeks.

I'm feeling cooler just looking at this old photo of the beach.

I guess my Summer hutch is helping me feel more relaxed and cooler.

I Just keep thinking about the beach and it's cool 68 degree, maybe 70 degree if we are real lucky water. You guys or gals who live on the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf are real lucky with how warm your water is. I am so jealous.

But then, not so much when you get a hurricane. Then I'm glad our water here in the Pacific ocean is too cold for a hurricane. So we don't have that worry. Earthquakes are enough worry.

Thanks alot! Now you have me worrying about "The Big One", earthquake, that is. And when that happens, all my pretty glassware will break into millions of little pieces. And I will be soooooo sad.

At least I'm not thinking of school.

After taking all my photos of my Summer hutch, I decided my glass Mason jars needed some sprucing up. I decided to make a number tag for each and a map tag. I guess I could have put a number on each map tag. I may just do that and take off the plain ones.

But now I realized that numbers remind me of school. Dang it!!! I didn't want to think about school. Now I need to go and take a Pepto Bismo for my tummy ache. I think I'll take a nap too, so I can forget all about school.

Wake me up when Halloween decorating time gets here. Is it too early to think of Halloween?




Linking to:

VIP Party @ Designer Garden

Wow us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style

13 comments:

  1. It is still summer here, but school does start tomorrow!

    Your hutch looks so nice, Kim, with all the white and little pops of aqua.

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  2. I collect blue jars...they look great with white dishes. Like your number tags on the jars. Nice!

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  3. Kim, it is definitely still summer here. The hutch looks great! I have a few Mason jars too.

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  4. I want to paint my hutch black but the dust here in the desert is so bad. If I paint it white I won't have to dust much ;)

    I have a small collection of aqua blue jars complete with the zinc lids and glass lids too. I even have one very large one that is green!

    I kinda miss Hobby Lobby and am disappointed in Wal Mart, but now I can go to Tai Pan Trading every time I take someone to the Ontario Airport. Can't wait for out of town guest, or at least for then to go...

    Have you dropped by my second blog INSPIRATIONS?
    I would love to feature a favorite post of yours. Just let me know which one :)

    xoxo Bunny Jean

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  5. Kim,
    Love your summer hutch...looks outstanding!!! I hope you get a HL!

    Blessings,
    Linda

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  6. This is a great hutch and just love what you did to it, fantastic vignettes, I have grabbed some great ideas...thanks

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  7. Love the number tags, but they do remind me of school! I'm with you on the pre-school-starting tummy aches. Only for me it was gym class.

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  8. Love your hutch and number tags. Please show us how you made your cute number tags!!!!

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  9. Too fun...love your summer hutch and your commentary. I get a tummy ache thinking school too...and I even still have some of those old nightmares...getting lost, surprise quiz...that sort of thing. I'm 38 :) I need a HL too please!!! Chat soon, Laurel

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  10. I agree with your feelings about the downsizing of the crafts and fabric department in Walmart. Take a few minutes and email (walmartstores.com)AND write a letter to Walmart corporate headquarters (702 SW 8th Street, Bentonville, Arkansas 72716) letting them know how you feel. I encourage everyone to do that. There is strength in numbers and the corporate people need to know how we feel about loosing their inexpensive and convenient craft and fabric department. Hopefully, they will reconsider their decision!

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  11. Yeah, i get stomachaches when they start pulling out the Christmas stuff, remembering the stress of trying to raise two little kids alone, and make christmas special pretty much gave me PTSD.
    That frame looks like a million dollar frame, and i love the numbers on the glass jars. They're so cute!
    Hey, Kim, will you go take a look at my newly painted hutch and give me some ideas to make it pretty, you are the master of this kind of thing, and i need help!

    Cindy

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