This morning dawned with a wispy haze that made the prairie look so romantic.  The color of the day always affects what I choose to wear.

I love pink and gray.  Actually, I love pink and anything.

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Micah eats about 900 bowls of Cheerios to start the day.  I can’t believe how big he’s getting.  He’s taller than me.

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The boys head off for school.  I love that Bongo never stops waving until I’m out of sight.

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I stop by my friend Elaine’s house to check out her stash of old chairs and see some projects she’s been working on.

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Elaine and her husband, Lyle, have been dear friends of mine ever since they participated in the very first Farm Chicks show in my friend’s barn right next door.

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I stop at one of my favorite thrift shops, Classy Rack.  I love that my junking habit supports the Union Gospel Mission.

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I find some colorful vintage stripey fabric and a FireKing baking dish to add to my collection.

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I scoop up this retro plastic tote at another thrift shop, Value Village, and a bunch more fabric and thread at the fabric shop for a project I’m working on.

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I swing into my little hometown post office and Frank is scared to see me at first.  I shipped 175 packages out one day last week and he’s afraid I’ve brought that many again.  He’s happy to learn I only have three today.  Phew!

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I pick the boys up from school.  I have a feeling Mr. Blue Sky had an important appointment at 3:00 in the gym.  I’m not sure how I figured that out.

Uh-oh! I realize I forgot to defrost the salmon for dinner.  Luckily, Colin taught me the trick of adding frozen fish into a bowl of water for a quick defrost on the counter.

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Luckily, the salmon thaws in time and we have Asian Salmon Patties with Sesame Mayonnaise (recipe from the new Everyday Food cookbook), Chinese noodles, Baby Bok Choy, and Marinated English Cucumbers.  Dinner is super duper delicious.  These Salmon Patties become our family’s new favorite salmon recipe.  Yum yum yum yum yum!

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I love cozying up with my family.  American Idol is on and then it’s good night. 

IT'S ME, SERENA!

I bounced through the first years of my life in a hippie gypsy wagon, hand-built by my father, wandering the back roads of the U.S., Canada and Mexico. My family eventually settled into a tiny cabin in the woods on property that was once inhabited by Native American Indians.

I spent my childhood days searching for arrowheads, teaching myself to sew on a treadle sewing machine and to bake in a wood-burning stove, with no running water, refrigeration, or electricity in our home. My family lived frugally and early on, inspired by my parent’s thriftiness and style, I gained a knack for thrifty creativity and turning ordinary objects into something useful. And I dreamed of the home I would create for my own family someday.

Now I’m married to my husband, Colin, and our children are all grown. After 24 years of producing The Farm Chicks Vintage & Handmade Fair, I'm spending time visiting other markets around the world. You can watch episodes of Serena Goes to Market here.

I share more about my life story from time to time, here on my blog. You can also find me on Instagram, and Facebook.

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