A Picker's Paradise...

A couple of weekends ago my husband and I hopped in our car and drove eight hours to Omaha. We had planned to make the drive to visit our daughter's wonderful family sometime this summer, but when she called to tell us about a huge flea market scheduled that weekend just 10 minutes from their home, we decided to pack right then and there. We were not disappointed.

Junkstock happens twice a year -- early summer and mid fall -- in the fields of an old dairy farm in west Omaha. It's a unique shopping event that features antique and vintage finds, including repurposed items, rescued finds, mid-century modern, architectural salvage, jewelry, homemade goods, and lots of nostalgia. Food and beverages are also available along with live music.

The farm is filled with junk and vintage vendors from many different states. Simply put: it's the best picker's paradise I've ever visited.

Each and every vendor deserves a visit. 

It's definitely worth a road trip if you're into repurposed, antique or vintage finds! Apparently, Mike and Frank from American Pickers agree with that statement, as they stopped by on Sunday to browse.

We went on Saturday, which was the morning after a torrential thunder and rainstorm. The fields {and a few of the upholstered furniture items} were a bit soggy, but overall there were so many fun items to browse through or purchase that the slippery conditions hardly mattered.

This is one event I'd love to come back to time and time again. The next Junkstock is scheduled for October 10th, 11th, and 12th of this year.  Our calendar is already marked...

Somehow we didn't manage to buy one thing! I'm a little disappointed in my shopping prowess. We even took out some seats in our minivan before we left home "just in case." Next time I'll have to get more serious, which shouldn't be hard.

Bloomin' Tuesday...

Our cherry tree is a mass producer. This year she's running a little late. Usually the fruit is ready to be picked on the 4th of July.

This year, if my guess is right, the fruit will be ripe a week later.

I see cherry pies, cherry jam and cherry cobbler in our future.

Staycation: Nederland

Last summer my husband and I began taking "staycations" regularly. We would plot out a day trip during the week, and on Saturday we'd pack up our sunglasses and a camera and have ourselves a fun adventure. Those trips came to a screeching halt mid September when Colorado experienced an epic flood with after affects that lasted for several months. I'm happy to report that we're back to planning some close-to-home outings. Saturday we took a trip that ended in a little town in the mountains in southwest Boulder County {Colorado, USA}.

There are some trips where it's all about the destination and others where the journey is just as important. For this outing is was definitely the latter. Nederland is not really a tourist attraction like other mountain towns along the front range {Estes Park, Central City, Black Hawk, etc.}. I'm certain the approximately 1,500 residents would like to keep it that way. There are a few attractions in town that you could stop at on your way through town, but one doesn't generally vacation there like they might in other mountain towns.

We started our trip heading out of Longmont toward Boulder. I'll never tire of views like this...

Once in Boulder we headed up Boulder Canyon on State Highway 119 toward Nederland. This highway travels along Boulder Creek for much of the drive.

Boulder Creek regularly flows at 150-200 cubic feet per second. During the flood it was reported to have exceeded 5,000 cubic feet of water per second, which caused serious damage to buildings along the creek and the creek path. We were surprised to see, however, that there isn't much evidence of that destruction as we traveled up to Nederland.

Important Tip:

You would think after living in Colorado and taking advantage of mountain settings I would know this important piece of information, but I forgot this lesson Saturday. The temperature dropped 30 degrees between Boulder and our destination {25 minutes away} in Nederland. It was 60 degrees in Nederland at 1pm. Wear long pants, shoes, and bring a sweater/jacket {dress in layers} when traveling in the mountains in Colorado -- even in the summer! 

Once in Nederland we stopped at the few attractions, including a small mining museum...

... the 14th annual "High Peaks Art Festival" that boasted approximately 20 vendors...

...and the Carousel of Happiness where rides are only $1!

Originally the carousel was housed at Saltair near Salt Lake City, Utah.

After 50 years in 1986 the wooden animals were sold and the frame was transported to Nederland. Over the next 26 years the new owner carved new animals to bring the carousel back to life. It's a beautiful, wooden carousel that is the pride of Nederland.

Dining options are limited in Nederland. Fortunately, the Sundance Cafe had been recommended before we left home. It's located south of Nederland on Peak to Peak Highway {119} about five minutes outside Nederland.

What it lacks in ambiance, it makes up for in this view from the tables on their outdoor patio...

The cafe serves lunch till 2:30pm every day. I would recommend the fresh strawberry french toast and bacon {to die for}.

We stopped again on our way back home for a few photos of Boulder Creek.
 

Outdoor enthusiasts love the bike and hiking trails along Boulder Creek's lush banks, but you can also see people of all ages picnicking, tubing, rock climbing, fishing, and sunbathing next to the icy cold water.

Next staycation destination:

Mt. Evans

 

Friday's Fabulous Finds...

I spy with my Etsy eye some... 

wander-lust.

Clockwise, starting top left:

Map Garland

"Let's Get Lost"

Luggage

Vintage Toy Airplane

Vintage Camera

Travel Book

Wishing you a fun weekend!

Small S'mores Dessert Bar -- Edition 2...

I imagine all of us have memories of a gathering of friends or family, a warm summer night, a blazing fire, and the delicious taste of roasted marshmallows or s'mores! Mark and I were able to have one of those evenings last weekend, and it was heavenly.

Tuesday I posted the "S'mores Dessert Bar -- Edition 1." I illustrated how we made a long 6' x 18" roasting table for s'mores that is perfect for a large gathering of friends or family. In this blog post I'll show a smaller alternative which is ideal for smaller groups, but first I'll list some advantages I've noted for roasting marshmallows over sterno cans instead of a large fire pit.

• Sterno cans don't create smoke; fire pits do.
• Sterno cans light immediately; lighting and keeping a larger fire lit can be a battle.
• Marshmallows catch fire and burn more easily over a fire -- light golden brown over sterno cans.
• Sterno cans are a little safer for little ones than a raging fire.

And now for the alternative to the s'mores table that I've come up with for a smaller group or gathering...

This s'mores roasting bar is put together in minutes and you can use virtually any container you might have around the house. I think ceramic pots or terracotta containers would work beautifully. I bought these metal buckets at Hobby Lobby. The large one is 8" in diameter at the top, the middle 6", and the little one is 4" in diameter. I bought them for a total of $7.50 @ 50% off...

I then purchased some sand at Home Depot for $3.15 (50 pound bag) and lugged it home the best I could. Who knew sand was sooo heavy!?! I filled the buckets with sand and placed a sterno can in each level with the top of the bucket...

Foil was placed on top of the sand. This isn't particularly necessary, but it will make it easier to take the decorative rocks out and replace the sterno can when needed.

Some polished river rocks were purchased at Hobby Lobby and placed on top of the foil and sand.

This S'mores Dessert Bar is perfect for smaller crowds and smaller people. It can be placed on a lower outdoor side table so that little ones can participate more easily.

I made this one for three of my grandchildren that will be visiting in a few weeks. I can't wait to roast some marshmallows and make s'mores with them!

Once again, I'll use this recipe menu to gather the supplies for the goodie table...

I love having the option of making a classic s'more or a s'more with a little more variety...

There you have it! 

A S'mores Dessert Bar idea for a large gathering or this idea for a smaller group. 

Two great alternatives for summer fun! 

Large S'mores Dessert Bar -- Edition 1...

With the celebration of Independence Day in the USA only a week away, I thought I'd share a fabulous idea that I came upon at the wedding reception for our son and his bride a couple of months ago. Below is the beautiful s'mores bar that my daughter-in-law's father made for their reception. I loved the stained wood and rocky base for the sterno cans.

A s'mores bar would be the perfect addition to a backyard BBQ on the 4th of July. With very little effort and money you can have a delicious and fun gathering place and dessert bar. 

Several weeks ago we decided to make our own version for an "after party" for some young adults that were going to participate in a church service project. Ours was a lot more rustic than the version at the wedding reception, but it did the trick and worked out perfectly.

Most of the materials were purchased at Home Depot. We bought two 2" x 4" x 8' ($2.75 each) lengths of pine for the frame. Make sure the wood isn't warped and is in good condition. The length of your s'mores bar will be determined by the length of your table. We have an 8' table, so we decided that the finished frame would be approximately  6' long x 18" wide. {Tip: Home Depot has some nice sharp power saws and they cut the wood for you, so make sure you have the length of wood cut before you pay!}

I stained the wood a light walnut brown and then put some mending brackets on each corner to hold the wood together. Since then I've put a satin sealer on the wood, which makes it look more finished. When we were ready to set the table up, I put some brown packaging paper down on the table and centered the wood frame on the table.

Then I placed some cookie cooling racks in the center of the frame and placed the sterno on top of those racks. {I wasn't sure if the heat of the sterno would damage the top of the table.} Two bags of river rocks {$3.77 each) filled in the center of the frame.

All that was left to do was enjoy it! This s'mores bar was a huge hit. Twelve people can crowd around the table at the same time. People came back over and over again to create their favorite s'more or try a new version, which brings me to the goodies table...

I chose to have the s'mores ingredients on a separate table. I found this adorable printable on Pinterest, printed it off and had it laminated.

{source}

The ingredients listed in these recipes were the ones I had on our "goodies" table, so guests could create any one of those recipes that night. {Tip: "The Nutty Buddy" and "The Samoa" were favorites so you might want to get plenty of those ingredients!}

A s'mores bar like this is perfect for a big crowd of 30 people or more. 

Thursday, I will post "S'mores Bar -- Edition 2" with a fabulous idea 

for smaller crowds and gatherings!

Update: Go here for a fabulous idea for a S'mores Bar for a smaller gathering!