What’s a girl to do when she’s invited to go to a function that has a roomful of delightful gals, decadent food, shopping, speakers, junk and a reason to band together for a good cause?
She drops everything and just goes!
Ready to get flooded with photos? Awesome!
Getting ready for the Hometalk Meetup YAC Out of Africa event was part of the fun. I don’t have a fancy schmancy potter’s bench overlooking a lovely mountain view (yet), so welcome to my gardening shed aka my truck tailgate! Worked great!
I prepared a few old toolboxes and kettles with some plants and wide open spaces so we could have fun junking them up at the event.
Cutie pie helper Teddy (sigh) inspects this toolbox planter that got filled with all kinds of fun things such as rocks, moss, and sticks. It turned out really cute!
Then again so did she. Awww… mooches to you sweet girl! Miss you!
And here we are on location at my own demo table. The little sewing machine drawer business card holder came along for the ride once again.
The old kettles filled with rock garden plants are all ready for some major junk enhancing!
My table was all decked out with demo junk vases, plants and my fancy coffee bean sack table cloth.
The room was themed African style. It was incredibly lovely!
This was a dessert event so you can bet we had the most exquisite treats to nibble on.
Hey hey… look what made it to this table!
And let the party begin! It was a full house with approx 50 gals.
Brenda Tjosvold spoke about her trials and tribulations on her 30 years of African missionary service. It was riveting.
I kind of expected to hear how wonderful her life was but that wasn’t how she delivered at all. The one thing she didn’t really desire in her life was missionary work, but that all changed when she married one! I love hearing how all the bends in a road ultimately lead to a bigger reason. I hung onto every hilarious and serious word she spoke.
And what gal doesn’t love shopping?! Everything sold at the event was to help African artists directly. These items were incredible!
See the sweet gal in the beautiful green apron? She and her partner delivered the most amazing show of all the items they carried. She had buried small things into bigger things, so as each piece was explained, she’d pull something out of something she had just shown… again and again and again. It was like a never ending puzzle of amazingness in one bag.
Hey, and we even had a birthday girl that night!
So once my turn came, I chatted about how my love for junk came about and then called up neighbour Torrie to help me participate in junking up a couple kettles.
How cute are these?
And at the end of the event, Hometalk gave each gal a sandbag and I challenged them to create something amazing with it so we could have a little roundup of our projects!
Atta girl, Janice! This girl is an artist and had one major brainstorm after another, so I loaded her up good! So you can bet I’ll be knocking on her facebook page for an update… 🙂
And the most wonderful news of all? The fundraiser purchased 120+ mosquito nets to help reduce the spread of malaria in Africa. Wow!! So wonderful! We sure take for granted how safe we are from the elements and nature. I was honoured to be a part of such a good cause.
Anyway, thank you so very much Hometalk and Yarrow Alliance Church for such a fabulous event! It was a most wonderful evening!
More to come on those sandbags… I hope! 🙂
Wanna play? Go create something from burlap / sandbags for this upcoming weekend so you can link it up! Cya Friday 7pm pacific for a BURLAP linkup!
Thanks for the great ideas for those old pots I’ve been holding onto! Come on summer!
Great pics! I’m wondering – in the finished pot of geraniums in the toolbox – what is the twisty viney stuff that seems to be growing leaves? And is it cut or planted? Thanks, I love it!
I feel so Lucky & Blessed to have found your Blog. I just love it so much because it leaves me feeling so good inside and inspired. Today’s post makes me want to go and create something with a sandbag. I think I will just do that…hugs, Laura
As much as you miss Teddy, I surely hope that you take into your home and life another kitty – maybe two. You have so much love and should give a homeless kitten a place to rest its weary head. Save a life – adopt!
How fun! I wish so bad that there were more bloggers in my area. What an awesome idea with the sandbags! I can’t wait to see what they do with them! I’m so glad your beloved Teddy got in on some of the action…I know you miss her so. Thanks for sharing!~Tammy
I adore your potted Teapots, especially the one with the tap! Thank you for such wonderful inspiration xx
So nice to see Teddy in those pictures. I’m going to miss seeing her and I’m sure you miss seeing her everyday. I hope you someday decide to adopt another kitty. The event looks like so much fun! So nice that you had fun and helped people at the same time!
love the story line the pics and the cause…thank you.Take a peak at how spring shows up at my house…my Jazzy bloomed…hmmmmmm
Looks like a success! Love all the plants in the “junk” containers.
You always make the cutest stuff!!
I have a tool box that is just begging for geraniums! Thanks for the tip. I only do geraniums every year, they hold up so well!
I’m loving your blog from the other side of the pond – in the Highlands of Scotland. Great photos and commentary. It looks like just my kind of event – I wish I’d been there, and thanks to you I almost feel as if I was!
the wooden hangar holding the burlap bag and flowers is utterly amAzing…LOVE it!
I’m truly enjoying your creative ideas.
way to go!
OMG!!! I’ve just come across your posts and haven’t been able to get anything constructive done around home for posting/pinning/printing your wonderful ideas and projects. You and I are definitely kindred souls. What a wonderful, creative mind God has blessed you with. Keep sharing!!!