When I Grow Up...

When I grow up, this is what I want my bedroom to look like.
(From Madera Design House website)

New items

There are sooOO many new items in the store right now.


This is a sturdy shabby bench with peeling paint. A folded feather mattress and vintage pillow make this a comfy spot for reading in the garden or on the porch.


I'm trying to reduce my stash of vintage buttons. I've sorted them into similar colors and filled up some canning jars. These are great for projects or just display. There are lots more on the way.


Birdcage, umbrella, old doors and metal stars, oh my.



Things are selling fast!

"Motation": Old Blog Entry, Still Relevant

Since I'm deleting my MySpace account (because myspace is lame, has too many really young people and I never use it) I decided to copy my one blog entry from there to this blog. I wrote it on November 27th 2007. It doesn't have anything to do with my shop Abigail's, so if you're not interested, just skip this one...

"Somewhere around the time my first baby was five months old, the word "motate" came into my life. One night, while we were enjoying an evening at home, Spencer, a little genius even at that age, began using his arms and legs to propel himself across the carpet. It wasn't exactly crawling, because his belly was on the ground, but he was certainly moving himself across the room. My proud husband exclaimed, "Look at that baby motate!" I looked at him, puzzled.

A few days later, my husband's family came to visit and were filled with pride and all commented on our child's motation skills. "Look at him motate!", they said. Bewildered, I called my mother. "Is "motate" a word?" I asked her. Always wise about such things she advised me, "No, but it describes what he is doing just perfectly" and we laughed.

My daughter who was born a few years later made my eyes twinkle when she began to motate at around six months of age. I used the word without embarassment or restraint and was seldom questioned. My sisters had children, and luckily, all of them started to motate at the appropriate age. The term was adopted whole-heartedly by my immediate family from California.

Over the years, I have occasionally heard the word used outside my family, mostly by folks from rural Idaho, like my (then) in-laws and husband.

Recently, I searched Merriam-Webster.com for a definition of "motate," I was bluntly informed "The word you've entered isn't in the dictionary. Click on a spelling suggestion below or try again using the search bar above." No, I didn't mean "mutate" or "mutter" or even "metate" (which is a stone with a concave upper surface used as the lower millstone for grinding grains and especially Indian corn). NOT EVEN CLOSE. And no, I didn't type it wrong.

Tonight, my heart pounded with joy as I watched Ella scoot across the Pergo in my kitchen. She doesn't quite have forward motation mastered, but she can sure motate backwards. When she reaches a wall or cupboard, we turn her around and she can backward motate across the room again.

Me: "Ella! You are such a good motator!"
Abby (usually jealous of her little sister): "I'm a good motator too!"
Me: "Yes, you are too Abby."
Abby (getting on the floor face down): "Wait, do you shut your eyes when you motate?"

Ella at the motation age.

Anna and The Old Rock House

Last Sunday, LT, Ella, Jonathan and I took a little road trip to Soda Springs to see Anna Beauregard and her Old Rock House. I want to preface this blog by saying there is no way I could do this house justice by my words or photos. This house is just a dream. Anna left no detail out when she carefully restored this house. Although she denies being an "artist," this house is a work of art.

I'm not sure where to even begin describing this house. She has restored this historic home with salvaged materials and architectural treasures. Wildflowers greet you at the road. An iron gate with keys leads to a path paved with flagstones and rusty iron fragments.

The details are amazing, from the old ceiling tin flowers to the front porch rails (made from antique iron beds, complete with glass knob finials). I can't even describe how amazing this house is. I'll post some pictures that I took and some from the website just to give you a taste. But being there to see it all, plus hearing all of Anna's stories made it so much better.

Anna imported three outhouses into the back yard. One has a delightful front door with curtains and a front porch and a chair to sit.

The house looks amazing at night because the yard is luminated with lights (even in the trees).

Benches in the yard made of old iron beds give the house and garden an antique feel.

I snapped a shot of myself in an antique mirror hung on the potting shed in the yard.

Anna was so kind to my little Ella. She made her feel at home and even let her play in the fountain made from an antique washing machine.

If you want to learn more about the Old Rock House, please go visit Anna's website http://www.theoldrockhouse.com/ . Although she has quite a following, (CEO's and Honeymooners are some of the Old Rock House's visitors), I would encourage everyone to support this wonderful treasure close to our home. My mom is coming to visit near the end of this month and I am trying to book a mom/daughter getaway at the Old Rock House for a night. When I have family and friends visit from out of town, I will definitely let them know about this wonderful place.

Anna holding my baby Jonathan.

Some People

I was busy in the store on Friday. Rearranging new furniture, filling in holes where large items have sold, helping customers with sales and pricing a bunch of new items kept me busy, busy, busy. LT was helping me with a project in the back so I also had my 2 little ones helping me rearrange.

As I was helping one customer, another came in and had some questions and needed help with some things. Another needed measurements on a piece of furniture. I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to get everything done. Things finally settled down a little and I was ringing up a sale for the last customers in the shop. We made small talk about her credit card and airline miles when I realized the customer was familiar. She mentioned she travelled to Canada frequently.

I looked at the name on the card, then looked up at her in recognition. "Are you the woman from the blog....? The Noisy Plume."

Jillian Lukiwski has the most beautiful blog ever. I have been following it for a while because she has such a way with words and is able to verbalize things that are in my heart but I would never find a way to express. (That last akward sentence for example). Her photography is amazing. I felt like I was meeting a celebrity and probably went on and on too long about it by the way she blushed.

So, I was reading Jillian's blog today and found the best quote ever. This woman really has a way with words. She was commenting about her beautiful garden...

"IN THE CABBAGE PATCH
I THOUGHT TO MYSELF:
PEOPLE ARE A LOT LIKE CABBAGES SOME ARE PLUMP AND ROUND AND LOVELY AND OTHERS HAVE WORMS IN THEIR HEARTS"

I'm sure she has no idea, but Jillian has instantly made a fan for life.

If you have a minute, check out her blog. www.thenoisyplume.blogspot.com I bet you'll love it as much as I do.

Abigail's Blog Freebie Giveaway! $50 Gift Certificate

Anyone who signs up to follow our blog before August 25th will be entered to win a $50 GIFT CERTIFICATE to Abigail's! This is our way of letting you know how much we appreciate our customers and friends.

If you're not sure how to follow, just find the button on the left that says "FOLLOW" and click on it. Then enter your name and e-mail and you're done. (If you still need help, stop in the store and I'd love to walk you through it!)

For those of you who already follow, you will be entered in too! Thanks for your support and business!

Sister's Adventure

On Wednesday this week, I went to SLC. I went to Dear Lizzie in Highland, Utah like planned, but invited my sister, Aimee who is expecting a baby any day now.

The shop was amazing. There was so much to look at, we had to walk around three or four times. I would highly recommend a visit to anyone who loves girly girl stuff and pink!



They have a little bistro with lunch items (sandwiches), cupcakes, chocolate, and more. We ate lunch and laughed and did some sister bonding.



We met the owner, Laura. She gave me her e-mail address because may be interested in some items I have in the shop. By the way she was super friendly and personable.



Lunch was really yummy. I found a really cute, over-the-top apron to wear in Abigail's when I'm working. I will have to share pictures when I get some.

P.S. Aimee had her own pregnant point of view of the day. Check it out at http://www.vivatooele.blogspot.com/

lol