Tricks or Treats? There's no trick, the store is full of treats this time of year.
And now, finally my candy recipe. I've been promising this to some of you for years!
Kris's Crazy Candy
I've been making this candy for as long as I can remember - and each time I serve it I get a dozen requests for the recipe, so here goes.
In a double boiler melt 1 1b. of white chocolate or almond bark (I used Candi-Quick this time.) Add a teaspoon or two of vegetable or canola oil to make the candy coating smoother.
In a large mixing bowl combine about 16 cups of any combination of the following dry ingredients:
Honey Nut Cheerios
Small Pretzels
Peanuts or Mixed Nuts
Raisins or Craisins
Mini-Marshmallows
M-n-M's (I usually use the holiday colored M-n-M's)
When the candy coating is smooth pour it over the dry mixture. It will be lumpy, but make sure to coat all the pieces. Then drop it onto a flat surface covered with wax paper or foil. Spread the pieces apart and let it harden. I have modified this many times with different ingredients - depending on the occasion. I used fruit loops one time, but it was pretty sweet and I've used Crispix cereal, but they crumble.
As a former room mom for nine years I can't tell you how many parties I made this for and how often it was gobbled up. It works for winter, spring, summer or fall. So, be creative and enjoy! - Kris
Well it's Funky Junk Time again!
Come see us Friday or Saturday and get a sneek peek at our wondeful vintage Christmas, we have some great new merchandise we will be offering up!
If you love all things old, Beautiful antiques, found objects to Funky junk you will not be disappointed! Looking forward to seeing you this weekend! **New hours**
**and new location **Friday special girls night out 6to9 and Saturday 8am to 6pm (8to10 early birds $10)click here for further detailsfunkyjunksister
******NEW LOCATION******
3600 9th st sw Puyallup Wa
***********NEWS FLASH*******Please note the Venue for the Funky Junk Sisters Show has been changed the new location is ****South Hill Mall Campus******
For more info check their site www.funkyjunksisters.com
In August 1999 we opened our doors and began this crazy adventure we call simply "the store". It is our home away from home and our labor of love. Neither Amy or I can believe it has been that long. When we started our kids were in elementary school and collecting beanie babies - now they're in high school and in their 20's and those beanie babies have ended up in the garage sale pile!
During the month of August we have been celebrating by entering each shopper that spends over $25 into a drawing to win a $100 gift certificate at the end of the month. So come by and shop before August 31st and you too will have a chance to win!
The store is changing all the time - and fall is just around the corner!
Don't you just love this apron with the flower pockets and ric-rac stems?!
Here comes Halloween! Here comes Halloween!
We know it's a little early - but it will be here before you know it!
Come on in and shop a "spell." We have lots of great stuff for you to create your own holiday decorations - old books, crepe paper, sheet music, buttons, anagrams and so much more!
Brown transferware always makes such a great statement. We have lots of pieces in right now!
Wendy did this fabulous display featuring the 50's gold floral fabric!
These old calendar plates are so fun. I love what this one says..."We are still it for everything good to eat and fancy china!"
We are gearing up for fall in the backyard. Everything out there is 25% Off right now! It's worth the trip in to check it out!
Old kitchen table legs topped with a fun washtub. We are the original recyclers!
Well, it's been a while since I have done a blog - sorry folks. I was in an accident at the beginning of summer and it really sent me into a tailspin for awhile...But the elbow is healing and I've got a new "ride" so all is well. Thanks for your comments - we always enjoy hearing from our customers! - Kris
Never thought of a "washer" in this light before - what a blessing!
"Warshing Clothes Recipe" -- imagine having a recipe for this ! ! !
Years ago an Alabama grandmother gave the new bride the following recipe: This is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrapbook - with spelling errors and all..
WARSHING CLOTHES
Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes if wind is pert. Shave one hole cake of lie soap in boilin water.
Sort things,
make 3 piles
1 pile white,
1 pile colored,
1 pile work britches and rags.
To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth,
then thin down with boiling water.
Take white things, rub dirty spots on board,
scrub hard, and boil,
then rub colored don't boil just wrench and starch.
Take things out of kettle with broom stick handle, then wrench, and starch.
Hang old rags on fence.
Spread tea towels on grass.
Pore wrench water in flower bed.
Scrub porch with hot soapy water.
Turn tubs upside down.
Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs.
Brew cup of tea, sit and rock a spell and count your blessings.
================================================
Paste this over your washer and dryer next time when you think things are bleak, read it again, kiss that washing machine and dryer, and give thanks. First thing each morning you should run and hug your washer and dryer, also your inside bathroom---those two-holers used to get mighty cold!
For you youngsters - wrench means, rinse
AND WE THOUGHT WE HAVE IT ROUGH
Come Spend the day in Sumner and see some classic cars and great antiques!
This weekend is Downtown Sumners Arts Festival. The whole town is inidated with artist, food, music, huge sidewalk sales, antiques and just plain ol' hometown fun! Come for some Rhubarb pie or the FFA's fabulous barbeque chicken and don't forget the scones!Friday 10 to 9p.m and Saturday 10 to 7p.m.
Wow what a beautiful day for a Garden Party! Wendy put together the most fabulous luncheon and Corky broke out her killer mojioto recipe while we waited for the Birthday girl to arrive. (Mojioto's at 11a.m what more could you ask for? good food, good friends and oh ,well maybe the guest of honor? Cheers! We all managed to pace ourselves while we waited and waited and waited, finally an hour later...
Well by noon the birthday girl finally arrived ( Kris we really need to talk ,you really shouldn't be late to your own party!) and just in the nick of time , one more pitcher of mojioto's and who knows what antics might have taken place!
Jeanines falling in my lap!
queen for the day
I foofed up this little lady for Kris, oops I guess now you know how OLD she is!
...Wendy made the most incredible fish taco's Yum!
This is the spread that We were treated to for lunch.
The BEST rhubarb pie ever made, by our friend Lola Owner of The Berryland Cafe across the street from our store in Sumner.
doesn't it all look so fabulous? I swear Martha was hiding in the garden somewhere!
Isn't this the cutest Bathroom/laundy room? Wendy built the sink base below one day when she had a wild hair!
This is Wendy's bathroom sink, is it the cutest tiniest thing you ever have seen?
Hey Everyone do you remember a while back I asked you to vote for our little town of Sumner for the Best Tiny Town in Western Washington? Well you voted and we came in 3rd place, I think that is pretty impressive for such a tiny town like ours! So thanks to all who voted and come see why we are the best tiny town around!!
It's been a crazy few weeks since we've shared any new pictures - sorry! Hope you all had a safe and sane Independence Day. I cannot believe it's JULY!
This time of year I just feel like going to the beach! Growing up we spent summer weekends salmon fishing at Point-No-Point...those were the days! Amy's on vacation now - I hope she's enjoying some much deserved relaxation. These old coke machines remind me of stopping at "filling stations" on the long drive east each summer to Minnesota! I'd take a cold glass bottle out (my personal favorite was Nesbitt's Orange) and then snap its top off using the bottle cap opener on the side of the machine. I can taste it now!
We've got some wonderful signs in the store right now!
If you haven't been in lately - come see all the new "old" stuff we've been bringing in!
Fresh flowers add so much to displays this time of year! I can just see the little girl who wheeled her dolly around in that buggy. I love to imagine the life the things had before they found their way to the store...
Repurposed...take an old radiator stand, top it with a glass round and you've got a plant stand. This great "Sumner" sign is from the railroad - the tracks are just down the street from the store.
The back yard is full of great finds this time of year.
We are bringing new fun things for the back yard every week!
So take a trip to Sumner this month and be sure to check out our back yard!
So here's to a summer like the 'olden days - when we ran through sprinklers, made mud pies, rode bicycles with playing cards in the spokes and sold lemonade for a nickel!
Here the sisters are with their mom, Dixie - getting ready for day two of their first ever show! Way to go ladies!
We had visitors come from down Oregon way. Here's Auntie Joy!
Lisa from A Thing For Roses and Amy stop for a photo-op. I love Lisa's sweater!
Debbie from Garden Party sure loves flowers! We had to "booth-sit" for a while today - it was a busy weekend for all.
Here's Debbie's tin wedding cake pans stacked and decorated! Love it!
Flowers always make things look so much fresher - JohnBob's Cool Junk had this beautiful arrangement!
Wendy made another one of her fun garden pumps.
Here's Tippy Stockton, aka Patricia, (on the right) and her seamstress friend, Judy. Her turquoise and tangerine booth was such an eye catcher. We carry her handmade jewelry in our store - she uses vintage and reproduction beads - fun for all ages. Well, it's time to go - Wendy's packing it up!
Giant jigsaw puzzle - here we come!
Looks like we can't fit too much more - thank goodness we're finished! We have had a lot of fun the last couple weeks, but chances are, we'll be sticking close to home for a while. We have to get our store back in order now...if you can believe it, next Saturday is Sumner's Annual Sidewalk Sale! It's a great day to find all kinds of bargains in our quaint little town. Come and check us out!
It's been a whole week since Farm Chicks and we're back at it! This is our booth at the Funky Junk Sisters Antique Show and Flea Market in Puyallup.
We barely got home from Spokane when we had to load the trailer with the next round of great stuff.
The Funky Junk Sisters have done such a great job for their first show - check out the line this morning!
Three cheers for the red, white and blue! We are really excited for the future of this new show.
We have had such fun being surrounded by our good pals, Wendy Rushing and Susan Wheeler!
Here's Wendy working hard in her booth this morning.
Tiffany and her darling daughter, Alexis, from "Shabby Scraps". For a show-rookie she's doing fabulous!
We are so tickled to have Debbie Bock, from Garden Party, back in our neck of the woods.
JohnBob's Cool Stuff!
Debbie Ward Kennedy gave us all such wonderful inspiration before the show started!
So, tomorrow's another day at the show. (Don't you love this great old sign of Susan Wheeler's?) We'll be there bright and early. Come if you can, "everybody's welcome!"
Farm Chicks or Bust!
We arrived at 9:00 a.m. Friday morning after a 6 hour drive to Spokane
Amy, Wendy, Kris
Our booth in the making
it's coming together We're just about ready!
Teri and Serena visiting our booth, they were sooo nice and welcoming to us. The fact that they actually took the time to go around and visit the dealers really says alot about what kind of wonderful show this really is!
What a BLAST!
Thanks to everyone who came by our booth and said "Hi," purchased treasures and gave us so many kind compliments about our booth! We had an amazing time and met some really wonderful people! These were just a few of the many pictures I took throughout the weekend, I will post more later this week. We didn't get home til 2:oo this morning and I'm not very good at blogging on 3 hours sleep.
Amy's right - we did have a blast! Here's a little behind-the-scenes recap of our fabulous "Farm Chick Adventure."
The weekend began for me at 1:45 a.m. Friday when my phone alarm went off, I
thought, "Can it really be time to get up already?" It was. So, after
about an hour and a half of sleep it was time to brush my teeth and
load the cooler so I could meet up with Amy and we could head east! My
ride arrived about 20 minutes later - Wendy, the newest member of our
Today's Country Store family - picked me up and we loaded the last of our treasures by moonlight. With no more then a few inches to spare I climbed in
the cab and we were off.
We pulled into Amy's driveway at 2:57 a.m., wide awake with adrenaline flowing! Away we went - Amy at the wheel with our new Load Ranger in tow - followed by Wendy in her Klampett-loaded truck, excitement in the air...the very dark air. We arrived at the Spokane Fairgrounds at just before 9:00 a.m. - right in time to UNLOAD! That's when the trip started to be less fun. Unloading for us seemed to be endless, and as the morning wore on it got hotter and hotter and we got more tired and more tired...bad combo! At about 3:30 that afternoon all three of us were about ready to collapse, but we soldiered on. Because we are so particular about how are displays look we usually move things at least a half dozen times...this was no exception. As usual we were the last to leave - bidding goodnight to the security guard as she shooed us out the door.
So now it was time to eat - but where? After arriving at the hotel - where Jeff checked us in and gave us room 220...this is significant, because when we arrived on the second floor there was no room 220! We wandered the halls and deducted that it must be one of three doors - it turned out to be the first one we tried, thank goodness! We spruced up and were off to find food. But we decided to take a detour before dinner - searching for the Sisters on the Fly Cowgirl Caravan at the State Park. After meeting one of the members in the store last year I have been longing for my parents 15' Shasta trailer with the wings from my early childhood! Amy was growing weary of driving so Wendy volunteered. The embankment to my right was steep and it was getting dark and Wendy's driving was scaring the bejebas out of me. We were hugging the cliff as we drove toward the campground deeper and deeper into the woods. Finally we arrived - and there they were, the cutest little trailers you've ever seen. And the sisters - they looked like they were having such fun - sitting around the camp fire with wine glasses in hand - we were jealous and getting hungry. So we began our trek out of the wilderness, winding along the river again, but this time, seeming to be going the wrong direction and as dusk fell I was starting to get the feeling we might never get out of there - but we finally found civilization and dinner!
That next day was a blur of sales and sweet people with aprons and cowboy boots; rearranging our booth and explaining where Sumner is; and welcoming our wonderful customers who came to see us. We were exhilarated and exhausted at the same time, if that's possible. Day two was about the same - we were just a little worse for the ware. By 4:00 p.m. it was over...not really over exactly, now came the fun part - packing up! Loading a trailer is like a giant jigsaw puzzle, and come to find out, we're pretty good at puzzles. Three hours later we were ready to hit the road. Amy couldn't believe it was over so quickly - that was until she learned it took three hours to pack up. As we were leaving the fairgrounds she didn't follow the "trail" back to the main road and we ended up on a driveway blocked with a barricade and next to a sprinkler - as co-pilot it was my job to move the barricade. You could hear Amy and Wendy's laughter as I tried to outrun the sprinkler!
The trip home was a long one...I ended up back at my house at 2:30 a.m. Monday. But it was all worth it. We made some wonderful new friends and came home with alot less then we brought! We could NEVER have done it without the help of some very special people - thanks to Amanda and Jeanine who covered the store while we were away and the biggest thank you ever to our wonderful friend Wendy who volunteered to help us the entire weekend. We can't wait for next year!
It's almost here! Next weekend June 6th and 7th OMG! We're getting the trailer packed and ready to head for Spokane to one of the most talked about shows that I can remember.The Chicks have a map up on their sight with a list of all the wonderful vendors that will be participating http://www.thefarmchicks.typepad.com
So go check it out and come see us in booth 20 Bay#2 (building to the right when you enter the plaza) we can't wait to see you all there!
See you at the party
Amy and Kris
Tag Sale Team Ready For business!
well what can I say some work ,and some well, just sit back and relax! We love your spirit Jeanener, and we know after 10 years you deserve a drink and to wear whatever lampshade you want on your head!
Amanda and Corky writing up sales as fast as they can!
Amanda our super energizer bunny, she was soooo helpful!
Kris fluffing up this area after the early birds came through
Well we did it! You never know even after all these years how the day is going to end up, but this one was beautiful from the beginning. The weather was perfect the people were perfect and apparently the prices were perfect too! We sold Tons! We are so thankful to all of you who came out and supported us! I'm so sorry I did'nt get out from behind the counter to take pictures of all of you who showed up. Kris was out back loading cupboards and benches and everything else so she did'nt get any pics either, but we did get some befores of all the great stuff!
Shot of the street front
This most recent cover of a Better Homes & Gardens magazine tells you EXACTLY where to find what you're looking for to decorate your home - a TAG SALE!!! And you guessed, we've got just the one for you! Next Saturday, May 16th, we will be hosting our 10th Annual Tag Sale. This sale is soooo much fun. We open early (9:00 a.m.) and are always tickled to see the early-bird-gets-the-worm kinda gals standing in line before we unlock the doors. We have coffee and treats on the sidewalk and our backyard will be overflowing with unbelievable bargains - not to mention what's IN the store. The store makes a transformation the night before and becomes a sea of Tag Sale signs! Everything is marked down 10 - 75% Off! This is the day we bring in on all those "project pieces" that have been filling our sheds and barns - those pieces we thought we'd get to, but never did. This year, more than ever before - in these difficult financial times, we are all looking for bargains. And if you are a bargain-hunter you can't miss our Tag Sale!
Spend some time in Sumner - the best little small town around!
Sumner, Washington, population 9,000 (give or take a few) is located just off Highway 167 at the 410 Interchange. It sits in the shadow of Mt. Rainier just north of Puyallup, thirty minutes south of Seattle.
Within a few short blocks you will find nearly everything on your shopping list: antiques, home decor, furniture, country accessories, crafting and scrapbooking supplies, gifts, gardening, art, collectibles, books, jewelry and so much more! You can park your car once, shop the day away and enjoy lunch at one of the many diverse restaurants Sumner has to offer!
Now doesn't that sound a little more relaxing than a trip to the mall?
