Sometimes, you just need a day with the girls.

Since school started, and the cacophony of life that followed that first day, I’ve felt like everything has been incredible busy. Chauffeuring kids, unpacking boxes (STILL! What is WRONG with me?!?) and balancing the schedules of everyone in the house… the days sometimes become a blur.

Chuck in a couple of kids with the flu, and suddenly, we’re all exhausted. 

And I don’t really realize how badly I needed a day of just… grown-ups, who like grown-up things. Grown-ups who want to dig through junk bins and thrift stores and talk about paint and blogging over lunch. 

Thankfully, that day happened.

A gaggle of women – Jenn from Clean and Scentsible, Jamie from So Much Better With Age, (ME!), Donna from Funky Junk Interiors and Jennylyn of Fusion Mineral Paint (the creator of Miss Mustard Seed Paint!) – set out on a day of junking and thrifting and shopping and gabbing this week. It was lovely.

And cathartic. 

We started at Granny and Grumpa’s – an amazing collection of out-buildings and garages just chock full of junking goodies. Many times I said out loud, “My dad would LOVE this place!” 

And because he and I have the same hoarding gene, I knew that this would be right up his alley. This place was incredible! Buildings were jam-packed with junk of all kinds.

The collections of lanterns hung over our heads…

While the clamps and rusted bits called out to Donna. (The girl has an eye for rust. She can’t get enough!)

Granny and Grumpa gathered their wares into collections. There were walls of license plates….

… bottles… (and cans, and crates, and signs having to do with soda – it was CRAZY!)…

… and Pogs!?!? 

Children of the 90’s: do you remember these?

There were some slightly scary places:

Like the doll room. 

This is one wall… ONE…. of at least six walls covered in dolls.

It’s a creepy little spot that I don’t really need to re-visit.  

But then we went into the barns; these huge spaces are full of odds-and-ends. 

The loft was just as packed as the former stalls below. Jamie went after vintage, Frenchy things. Donna picked up rusted pots and hinges. Jennylyn found some turquoise insulators.

And me? I was all over the map. I lugged things around, only to put them back down.

I hummed and hahhed over what I wanted over versus what I could actually use. 

If you want a voice of reason, just ask Donna to shop with you. She talked me out of various things during this trip. Including a little cabinet, a chair… and nearly a side table.

But the side table whispered in my ear, and he came home with me. (He’ll be another post – I promise!) 

I won’t give away anybody else’s hauls. But I will show you one of the things Jamie bought. (And I’m feeling very jealous about it now)

Do you SEE this? 

There were more, too. At least 6 or 7 old typewriters just sat quietly on a table, waiting for their new owner to stumble upon them. 

I said it as I was packing up the car and we were leaving: “I’m coming back here!”

Seriously.

We met up with Jenn and hit up the shops in town. After high tea (swoon!), retail-shopping and then thrift-shopping, we girls had to part ways.

But not before Jennylyn bestowed some beautiful gifts on us. Jenny owns (and created) the Fusion Mineral Paint line – an amazing acrylic paint line that is made entirely in Canada. It’s perfect for refinishing furniture, making signs, or distressing nearly anything. 

And the girl knows her stuff. Not only does she have her own personal paint line, she also makes Miss Mustard Seed Paint. 

I cannot wait to break into my stash and play with these paints. And the brush! Guys, wait ’til you see it!

It was such a lovely day. I felt like the conversations we had –  the non-stop blog chatter that will make most others’ eyes glaze over – were invigorating. It was “talking shop”. But it was also talking about repurposing, and style, and how amazing finger sandwiches and Earl Grey Cream can be after hours of sifting through bins of rust and dust… 

Thank you so much, Jamie, Jenn, Donna, and Jennylyn.

You inspire me.