Why buy Vintage?

Many people may not need any coaxing to buy someone elses used stuff.  Others however, may be leary of anothers discarded item.  At Cowgirl Cash we sell apparel, glassware, jewelry...all pre-loved. But for my argument today, I'm focusing on vintage boots.

Quality: 30 years ago a higher number of goods were made in the USA. Boots were made with a higher quality of leather, by a bootmaker, who paid attention to the details.  The boots were made to be be repaired if needed, not thrown away.

Style: Personally, I don't like to dress like everyone else, and I assume others don't either.  It's fun to have a unique item that people ask about, comment on, and compliment on.

Sustainability: Call this what you want.  Being Green, Loving Mother Earth, Being a Tree Hugger, whatever the term, buying secondhand doesn't take any natural resources to produce (the second time around).  New can be nice, but there are plenty of goods around that have lots of life and beauty left in them that will reduce our impact on the enviornment.

Lower Priced: As more demand is created, a low price may no longer be a reason to buy vintage, but for now, at Cowgirl Cash, boots of the quality we sell are a real bargain to a comparable "new" boot.

Examples...

Fall Events at Cowgirl Cash

It’s been a busy summer on the Brook St. alley between downtown Bend and Drake Park. I’ve found a new home for many pairs of old authentic western boots, buckles, and pearl button shirts. Carrying Eli Halpin art, Maya Moon handbags, Angelina Organics, and Blackbird Letterpress prayer flags has evolved into a niche of representing the work of fantastic women artists who make a living doing what they love. Don’t miss the Saucy Girl aprons, and the Queen Bee honey. They fit into this same category.

Fall is quickly approaching, and with it is the One year anniversary of Cowgirl Cash and numerous events:

September: First Friday Artwalk, September 3: The Josh Hart Project will be playing at Cowgirl Cash.

October: You heard it here first…Cowgirl Cash is sponsoring a “Big Buck Contest”. Mule deer rifle season is Oct.2-13. Every year as a kid my family camped in the woods in search of deer. It’s some of my fondest memories. Hunting in Central Oregon is authentic, practical, and beautiful. If you know someone who hunts, let them know Cowgirl Cash is paying $250 to the hunter who brings in the largest buck. Rules and details will be posted on my website.
November: One year anniversary party and expansion celebration. Friday, November 5. Expect Vintage trailers, cool photos, great beer, food and more!

With shorter days approaching and fewer visitors to Central Oregon,
Cowgirl Cash is returning to “Autumn Hours” after Labor Day.

Wed.- Sat 11-6:00 and by appointment for gold and boot buying.

Bring your friends to Cowgirl Cash or become a fan on Facebook and receive a free gift. It’s a crowd pleaser. Come see what it is!

Used boot sellers need summer vacations too...

What do you do when your dad has offered you a free 30 year old Prowler hunting trailer and a Ford pick up to borrow? You use it! 

Luci and I and Clyde getting ready to head to Crescent Lake.  The Prowler is yet to be painted in a sassy Cowgirl/ Sisters on the Fly-esque theme. It is however stocked with essentails for four days at the lake.

First stop Riverwoods Store to stock up on ice, gas, propane, and beer cozies that say things like

"this is the part where I nod and pretend that I care."

One quick stop in Lapine....

Home sweet home at Spring campground.

A bike ride around the lake was more than just beautiful....

Look what we saw!

An adolescent black bear sighting was a highlight of the trip.

Thanks to my great friends who make this annual mom's and kids camping trip a smashing success. xo

I buy GOLD! What does this mean?

Cowgirl Cash buys Gold.  What does that mean exactly? 

Many people...(I've found it's women over 60) have a little baggy or box of old gold.  It usually, but not always contains the following:
a kinked herringbone chain
1-2 broken rope chains
an old ring mounting with the stones popped out
a gold wedding band
a charm or two ie: a dolphin, #1 mom, phi delta
an old tooth with a gold filling
one or two earrings with no match
a small bracelet
black hills gold ring from a boyfriend 25 years ago

These items are no longer worn, but can't be sold or gifted or thrown away.  There is value there because the items are GOLD.

When I buy gold I go through each piece with a "loupe".  A loupe is a small 10x magnifying lens used by jewelers.  I look for makers marks and gold carat stamps.  If there is no carat weight stamp, I test the the piece using acids.  It's quite scientific and fun. I pay more for gold with a higher gold content.  For example, 10kt gold is only 41% gold.  The rest is other alloy.  14kt gold is 56% gold and 18kt gold is 75% gold.  I divide the pieces into piles of the different carat weight, weigh each pile, and pay according to what gold is trading at that day.

I accumulate the gold I buy for a month or so and then I take it to a refinery I've built a relationship with in Portland.  Buying gold is not a huge profit center for Cowgirl Cash, but it's a nice service to offer.  Some people have inherited entire jewelry boxes of "stuff", and it's nice to have a trusted person to go through it with you piece by piece.  Some peoples "gold jewelry" is actually gold plate and purely fun fashion jewelry with little or no cash value.

Sometimes, I can't bear the thought of "scraping" these old, vintage, sentimental pieces.  That's why Cowgirl Cash often has fine vintage jewelry for sale. My background in jewelry and gemology has combined nicely with my new business of buying and selling Western Vintage.  Who would' have thought?

Road trip with a dash of Brandi Carlile

If you haven't been to the Britt in Jacksonville, Oregon go there. If you don't own any Brandi Carlile, buy it. My crush with Brandi Carlile started in March when she performed at the Tower in Bend, and I took my first trip away from Cowgirl Cash and went to Sun Valley with my family. Brandi and her band found their way to the store via Bill a customer, a Bend resident, and the father of one of Brandi Carlile's friends. Got it? Anyway, I had to buy the music of the rock star that loved my store, and I was immediately hooked.
 

I recently took a Cowgirl Cash buying trip and added the concert for a dose of fun. My ticket was purchased by my 13 year old daughter for mothers day. I wished Luci was at the concert the whole time, but subjecting anyone to a Cowgirl Cash buying trip is not kind. Thrift stores, garage sales, and pawn shops, are part of the package, and it can be rigorous. It was work, with a side of concert.

I arrived nearly two hours before the show. The Britt allows you to come early with your own food and beverages. I brought my cooler, and a magazine and settled in. The people watching was fantastic, the breeze and the shade was pleasant, and the music they had playing ranged from Bob Dillon to Ray LaMontagne. The Executive Director of the Britt introduced the title sponsor 1859 and welcomed everyone. It was a nice touch, got the audience engaged and kicked off a fabulous night. Right before Brandi came on a woman came by wearing a concert tee shirt. I commented on it, and before I knew it she was offering me a ticket "she hated to see go to waste". My lawn seats were pretty good, so I asked "how good", and she said "really good."

That's how I ended up front and center at Brandi Carlile.

The band came out and sang "Oh Dear" together...they all sang in perfect harmony...the whole band! At the end of the show a group of Bendites converged near the cd, tee shirt table. Among us was Bill, and his daughter wearing VIP passes and waiting to head back stage to visit Brandi. I handed them a Cowgirl Cash tee-shirt and asked them to pass on my adoration and the Cowgirl Cash swag.

Authentic. Practical. Beautiful.

I got my love of Western living and Americana from my mom's family, but it's my husbands family, and my married name Charlton, that has taught me the beauty in quality and lasting value...

The best example of this?

The Pilot House in Ocean Park. This charming beach home has been in the Charlton family for 115 years. Yes, I said 115 years! This past weekend I had the opportunity to delve into the details of the homes ownership with Scott's dad John, and his aunt Betty and Uncle Joe.

Judge Loyal B. Stearns from Portland had the home built. An old framed photo in the beach house says the home was "built by famous Will Munsell and S.A. (Art) Mathews-1895 finished".

Ocean Park is located on the Long Beach Peninsula, 12 miles north of Illwaco, WA. When we drive we head to Astoria, OR. and cross the bridge into Washington. For years the family wondered why Judge Stearns built a beach house north in Washinton when Seaside and Gearhart are so much closer. However in the early 1900's there were few roads over the coast range to the beach. The easiest way to escape the city and get to the sea was to board the T.J. Potter River boat in Portland and follow the Columbia to it's mouth, and land on the peninsula. The Stearns family would take the river boat, then unloaded their carriage, the horses, the footmen, and head to their ocean front home.

Loyal Stearns was married to Mary Frances Hoyt Carr. Her first husband, Carr had died at a young age and left her with a young daughter named Ethel Stearns. Ethel was adopted by Loyal, and the family enjoyed their life in Portland and their home at the beach.

The next generation to inherit the house was Ethel. She married a man named Spaulding and had two children with him, Mary Helen and Frances. According to aunt Betty, Ethel Stearns Spaulding was a bit spoiled and when her marriage didn't work she promptly took her two girls and moved in with her father and mother. The girls called Judge Stearns Daddy Stearns and lived a nice life with footmen, nannies, and frequent trips to Ocean Park. Aunt Betty has colorful stories about Ethel, "Gaga", her grandmother.

Frances Spaulding married David Charlton. David and Frances took over the care of the Pilot House and Mary Helen and her husband, Harry Clair, bought a different family house around the corner. This little corner of Ocean Park has homes owned by generations of cousins and friends descending from the first Stearns house.

David and Frances Charlton had 4 children. Aunt Betty, Uncle Richard, Scott's dad John, and a baby sister named Phyllis. Phyllis passed last spring at age 66. She had spent 45 years in a wheel chair due to a car accident that happened when she was 21 on her way to the beach house.

The Pilot house is loved and used by John and his new wife Miki, and his children, Stephen, Jennifer Chamberlin, and Scott. The next generation of children will decide who takes over the care, maintenance and history preservation of this very special house. Authentic, practical and beautiful...sums up the Pilot House to me.

Searching for Wild Mustangs

This past Sunday we decided to go searching for the Band of Mustangs living in the Ochocos east of Prineville. Our party included Scott and I, Luci and Teddy, and my parents. We met at Safeway and loaded up on the essentials. Hot dogs, fruit, chips, drinks, and donuts. I called my friend Jerry on the phone as we drove east. With my Oregon topo on my lap, and Scott driving he detailed where we may find the horses. I could hear in his voice he was not optimistic about our chances. He indicated we should be out there early, and it was already 11:00. Oh well, we'd look for the mustangs near water, and under trees in the shade.

Jerry told us to turn right off of highway 26 about 12 miles east of Prineville onto hwy. 23. This area is kind of familiar to me due to camping trips at Big Summit Prairie and day trips to Walton Lake. I love this topography with huge ponderosa trees and grassy meadow under brush. We found the ranger station Jerry referred to, but missed the turn and headed up hwy 22 to Walton Lake. It didn't take me long to see we had missed Coyle Creek and needed to turn around. We found our single lane gravel road just past the ranger station and drove a mile or so down the road with the windows down looking for about 90 horses in an area of 1,000's of acres. Did I really think I was just going to go on a Sunday drive with two rigs, 6 people and a golden doodle and find these wily Mustangs?

We parked at an elk camp. It was flat and grassy with Coyle Creek running by, a huge firepit and a pole between two trees to hang and dress a deer or elk. We packed our back packs with provisions and headed up stream along an unimproved logging road. An old car body caught our attention and we veered onto an animal trail to check it out. We saw sign of horses everywhere. Prints, dung, and trampled grasses. Not far up the trail we did spot a horse. Only this one was ridden by a woman and two black shepards were on each side.

My mom went down to talk to her and ask if she had seen the band that day. One of the first things she said was "are you the owner, of Cowgirl Cash?". My mom was shocked and soon realized she was wearing a Cowgirl Cash t-shirt. The woman then said she was part of the Wild Horse Coalition, and that the recent donation by Cowgirl Cash was unexpected and very much appreciated. This was the perfect moment to find the inside scoop of where to find these horses. We wanted to see the new foals we had heard about. The woman told us they had moved higher up Round Mountain to avoid the recent ATV activity in the area. We were disappointed, but we're a family of hunters and we don't give up that easily. After a lunch of hot dogs on the mini grill, we got back in our rig...aka "the red wagon" and took hwy 22 toward Walton lake and the logging road she told us to drive....050. The drive was gorgeous, steep, and the road was filled with what we termed "group poop". These piles hit the undercarriage! It was nearly 4:00, and we had an hours drive home so we abandoned our quest to see mustang foals for the day. We know they are there, we love the country they live in, and we will be back. Thank you to the Wild Horse Coalition and the work they do to keep these gorgeous wild creatures alive and healthy and stealthy.

Downtown Dream Home

I went on Tuesday's MLS tour yesterday, June 9. What am I looking for? Good question. Here's my search criteria for my dream "gem" listing.

Location

Style/ beauty (this is broken down to "potential" and existing)

Privacy

Freedom (aka cc&r's. I don't want someone to monitor my chickens, my old trailer or my deer fencing around my garden)

Practicality

That's it. Pretty simple. Access to trails falls into location. I've been writing about my real estate faves for 4 years now in different formats.

Yesterday, I walked into my dream house. As a disclaimer, I was wearing a carhart like cowgirl coat and a saucy western belt, and when I walked in another realtor said, "you like like you should live here." HUGE compliment. This house is not on property. It is downtown Bend!

Location 10...can you say ON the Deschutes river

Style 10... the chartreuse trim, cedar siding. and entry courtyard had me before I saw the interior and the layout.

Privacy 8.5... People on 10 acres would not think this house is private, but you could garden, entertain, and be comfortable in your house without closing blinds or talking to neighbors. The only problem would be the pesky river rafters gawking at your amazing house.

Freedom 10.... The skate ramp in front is an example of freedom. Riding your bike anywhere is an example of freedom, kayaking downtown is an example of freedom.

Practicality 9... I'm a sucker for one level living, but I could compromise for this house. The size was perfect, 4 bedrooms is practical, open living space, "away" spaces for kids to hang, study areas, storage. Yes, it was practical.

The downside of this house? The price, 1.5 million. Sometimes that's what dreams cost....

Call me for more details. My pictures don't tell the story. I was drawn to the chaps hanging from the ping pong table, the laundry/ mud room, the backyard. The living spaces were equally as stunning.

Oregon Boot Trees

Sometimes it takes bad circumstances to take the leap into a new venture. The June 3 edition of the Business section of the Bend Bulletin had a story titled County's economic woes put under a microscope. The job and unemployment numbers are so bad in Deschutes County that a company has been hired to study why.

We can't wait for the study, and have decided to take a well used, practical, proven item developed for Cowgirl Cash and produce it for sale.

Voila, the birth of Oregon Boot Trees.

Oregon Boot Trees are made from reclaimed cotton fabric in beautiful retro prints, backed with burlap and filled with dried local juniper and locally grown lavender buds. The end result is a sturdy bean bag filler that fits into your boots to help them stand upright and keep their shape. Oregon Boot Trees keep your boots and your closet smelling like the sweet aroma of summer in the high desert.

In the photos above you have Oregon Boot Trees.

An elk boot with no Oregon Boot Tree.

The same vintage elk boot standing tall and fresh with an Oregon Boot Tree.

Oregon Boot Trees will be sold at Cowgirl Cash and at various craft fairs and bazaars. The cost is $25 per pair.

Exploring Lava Trails

I love to make plans, I love to have plans, but I'm not afraid to change plans. That can be frustrating for people who have plans with me. I just like to have the best fit at the right moment. Moods change, weather changes, the participating party can change. Sometimes my changes lead to what has been termed a "rebaventure".

Memorial day we had a little rebaventure with the help of Jim Witty's new book. Many people may not know Jim Witty, but he was an outdoor writer for the Bend Bulletin and I really enjoyed his column. For Christmas I bought my husband the book, Meet me in the Badlands. It's a compilation of his articles put together by his friends and family as a tribute to him and as a hiking/ outing guide for the people who buy the book, and actually read it.

I found a hike not far from home that was a doable distance for the kids to avoid any complaining. The hike was through lava fields and Jim's description outlined everything from the type of lava we'd see to where to park. The sign to the Hoffman trailhead as can be seen above, was weathered and worn. A sign we had chosen a hike worthy of becoming a rebaventure. We crossed the road from where we parked and started to embark on the trail which was not easy to spot. It appeared that no one had hiked it since Jim in early spring of 2008 which was the date of the article. The trail started in the forest and led us to the "same lava flow that created the lava cast forest", which is just a mile up the road. This hike proved to be perfect for us. No one around, (this could have been due to the fact it was raining), and just the right amount of distance and interest. Lava tubes, cawing ravens, forest, snarly trees and views of Newberry crater kept us engaged. This outing inspired Scott and I to get the kids out all summer and ultimately get them to to the top of South Sister before school starts. Let's see how this rebeventure really plays out.

Cowgirl Cash Likes Bands of Horses

When I heard Band of Horses was coming to the Les Schwab amphitheater my attention was piqued. Horses? I like Horses. Cowgirl Cash just donated $300 to a band of wild horses.

I marched on down to my neighbors at Ranch Records and bought the only cd they had...Cease to Begin. Since then my husband has played it steadily at home and I have it on the playlist at the store. It was Memorial Day weekend so when we bought the tickets we planned on puffy coats and hats. Instead of cold, we got rain. If you were there, you know. It was real rain for Dawes, She and Him, and into Band of Horses. The warmest, driest, place to be was as close to the stage as possible with the raving fans. The band was not a disappointment. The mom in me detected a strained voice for Birdwell and fatigue among the band (that and Scott informed they had played 2 shows in San Francisco the day before and had been opening for Eddie Veder.) Despite that, this Seattle band was a joy to see rain or shine. They seemed to appreciate the fireworks the Old Mill planned at the perfect, "let's wrap this up" time.

Ben D. Bridwell commented that he felt bonded to our town with his name.

Baker City or Bust

Three years ago my husband and I made a deal. "I'll chaperon Luci's 4th grade trip to the beach, but you have to drive for Teddy when he's in 4th grade. Deal. Deal. We'd each take our turn showing our love to our kids while sleeping on a concrete floor, and traveling en masse. Thursday was Scott and Teddy's trip to the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Baker City, 4.5 hours east of Bend. Scott's car left the house at 6:30 am ready to load up 4 more boys and another dad. I sat on the couch drinking coffee and reading the paper after "the boys" left. I read Scott's horoscope for kicks. No lie, this is what it said:

"If you maintain your sense of humor and detach slightly, you might see humor in some of the intensity that surrounds the day....You see the complete gamut of wildness. Tonight be an observer and be aware."

Scott and Teddy should be home tonight by 7:00. I haven't spoken to either one of them but the texts I've been receiving from Scott have kept me laughing...

May 27, 10:37 am. One small barf
May 27, 1:05 pm. Many barfs across the group
May 27, 1:16 pm. almost off the train
May 27, 2:33 pm. Interpretive Center
May 27, 3:48 pm. Tired.
May 27, 6:10 pm. Raining @baker park 4 dinner
May 27, 6:12 pm. Dead battery. Bye
May 28, 8:11 am. Oh where to poop.
May 28, 8:12 am. G'day luv.

Not a word since then. I'm a worried? No. It takes energy to keep on texts and there's no doubt there is no extra energy left in this dad.

Cowgirl boots and cowgirl properties

It was seven months ago that I took my "sabbatical" from real estate and opened my Western Vintage Boutique, Cowgirl Cash. I love my store and the clients that continually support me and refer me to friends and strangers. In the meantime, I decided to maintain my real estate license, and became the principal broker of Cowgirl Properties. No, I'm not listing and selling, but I can't help but look at the tour sheet that arrives in my e-mail Monday afternoon for Tuesday mornings MLS tour. Real Estate is in my blood and I do love fantastic properties, so I've begun, visiting listings that truly do seem like "gems". This farm house on 19 acres with an extra garage and a green house and a pond called to me this week. It helped that the listing agent was my dear friend Jeanne Turner from the Hasson Company. If prices really are down 23% in Bend from a year ago (which makes our market one of the worst in the country) we must be getting close to the bottom, right? What does the perfect little urban farm, close to town, but very quiet where you can raise your chickens, grow your garden and let your dogs and kids run cost right now? According to Jeanne, this 5 bedroom home, that might need a bit of up work costs $655,000. Still too much for this daydreaming vintage boot seller, looking to grow lavender, but it was worth a look. Stay tuned for more intriguing properties.

The benefits of raising children in an economic downturn.

Recently I committed to advertising Cowgirl Cash in True North magazine. It's a beautiful magazine and the readership appears to be parents of young children, concerned about the environment, striving to be authentic, practical, and thrifty...sold. As I was talking to the ad rep an article was taking shape in my mind. It instantly was titled "the benefits of raising your children in an economic downturn". I'm no journalist, but I went home and wrote the article. I ended up getting cold feet and not having the nerve to submit it for a large readership. Here is my compromise, an abridged version for a small readership.

I consider myself an optimist, and think people who know me would call me a "born cheerleader". But I truly do see benefits in raising children in an economic downturn. We have two children, Luci 13 and Teddy 10. Our children are great kids and very aware of our financial situation with a mom starting a new retail business and a father looking for work in the construction management business. I want to share some of the parenting moves we've been forced to make that I am confident we would not have made if money were not a factor.

It used to be that when our daughter wanted to go to a movie we'd give her a $10, maybe a $20. That would cover a movie, dinner at Red Robin, maybe a look see into PacSun. Now we don't have an extra $10 or $20 so my daughter adapted. She started looking for babysitting jobs. She got a red cross certificate, she made up a simple business card, she e-mailed neighbors, and she attends her brothers elementary school events, knowing full well, she will see her "clients". Luci has learned to return phone calls promptly, save and respond to text messages and checks her e-mail consistently. We are proud of the business Luci has built and are sometimes jealous of the cash she carries in her wallet.

My kids recently wanted to do the Riders for the Cure event at Mt. Bachelor. You spend the day in the half pipe and money raised goes to research and education for breast cancer. The entry fee was $35 each or $150 each of fundraised dollars. In the past my husband and I would have written the check for $70, and moved on to the next activity. But, not now. The kids got themselves motivated and hit the streets. They made a sign, practiced their speech, researched the levels to see how much swag they could earn for each fundraising level, set a goal, and earned $488. They learned about the Sara Fisher project and breast cancer. They also met and talked to their neighbors, got their rears outside in inclement weather and had a blast doing it.

A reduced income means reduced activities. We no longer do tennis lessons, guitar, or even consider activities I would love my kids to do like lacrosse, yoga, a second language class. What does this mean for our family? It means were home. We're home together playing with the new frisbee, romping with the dog, doing the crossword, reading, listening to each others music, and asking about each others day.

Am I glad we're broke? No. Am I thankful for the lessons I've learned and for some of the parenting changes we've been forced to make? Kind of. Am I optimistic my kids will be better because of it all? Yes.

The Cowgirl Cash Story

The story of Cowgirl Cash is an autobiography of my life. I didn't realize it until I started putting words to paper. I grew up in Bend, OR. and had the benefit of having my granparents 13 miles down the road in Redmond. At my granparents I helped my grandpa irrigate his fields, feed and brush the horses, and searched for arrowheads in the canyon below where they lived. My Grandma spent her time cooking and sewing and I loved my time and my "lessons" with her as well. My grandparents were from the depression era and were frugal and thrifty. They chopped their own wood, had a garden, hunted each fall for deer and ate and used what they grew, cut or killed.

My mom is the cowgirl. She was was on horse by the time she was four and lived the small town, small farm life that included 4-H and Queen of the rodeo. I grew up with her stories and photos and of course, her cool memorabilia. Old pointy toed boots, jean jackets with huge patches on the back, big cool belt buckles and sparlky crowns. The things she and my grandparents held on to were real and authentic. Tooled leather, engraved silver and brass, made in the USA.

As I've grown older and had my own life experiances: jobs, possessions, losses and gains, I have a new appreciation for the items of this bygone day. The swag from this generation was not disposable. You didn't buy it for effect, wear it once and throw it out.

Cowgirl Cash is the story of who I am combined with what I love...fresh air, western living, beautiful things, practical things, authenticity. There is no formula for Cowgirl Cash. If an item evokes an emotion or has value in its uses or craftmanship it qualifies. Cowgirl Cash is not precious. Items in my store are meant to be used and are priced to sell. Come see me and tell me your story.
rebecca charlton, owner of Cowgirl Cash

Bend's First Annual Chicken Coop Tour

Cowgirl Cash, along with many other local businesses, is proud to be sponsoring Bend's First Annual Chicken Coop Tour!!

Whether your a chicken enthusiast, a chicken-owner-wannabe, or a chicken & egg eater, this tour is for you!

Chickens have been receiving a lot of press lately. It seems the whole "go green" and "eat local" habits are creating a renewed interest in this barnyard critter. And what better way to celebrate this wonderful bird than a tour of local chicken coops which house (yes!) real, live, feathered chickens.

See website for details - http://bendchickens.com/