seeking a spooky swap!

i'm starting to get in the halloween frame of mind and so...i am looking for a vintage halloween swap!  if you know of any already posted, or would like to do one, or are hosting one yourself - please let me know!  i love looking at these images and i grabbed this one a while back to share here.  i neglected to save the source information, and i apologize for that - this is not my image - and i will be more than happy to post the rightful source here if i find any details. 

i'm also open to swapping with just one person; it doesn't have to be a formal swap.  let me know if you are interested!  thank you!

linen love

ever since i bought this banner on etsy, i've been casually collecting vintage linens here and there.  since i don't sew yet, i just have a pretty little pile that recently grew a bit.  i was at one of my regular thrift stores just browsing, and it seemed they had quite a few bed linens that caught my eye.  the store is very reasonably priced to start with - but it was even more fun when i heard a nearby customer tell her sister that linens were 50% off that day:)

this one reminds me of a set we had when i was very young...70's?

and even though the pink polyester backing is a bit garish, i couldn't resist this little crib quilt. 

such a sweet pattern...

backyard happenings

our backyard has been a work in progress for years now.  and by that, i mean just the basics - planting trees, putting in a deck, planting a garden for the first time.  do you remember my square acre, mile, i mean foot garden?  planted with excitement this spring?  back when it looked like this?

well, here's a photo from june - back when i still felt competent and on top of things.  and hopeful.  i planted the whole back portion of the garden with white pumpkins - baby boo and lumina varieties, to be exact.  i hoped that at least a few would take root and grow - and i looked forward to having some fabulous white pumpkins for fall - my favorite season!

reality hit me this morning.  really hard.  over the head.  i went out to water my little plot and realized i should be picking beans.  except that i can't really tell which plant is which now, and true to form, i quickly felt overwhelmed by the whole project.  i think i overplanted.  even though i did follow the recommendations from the book.  i should have realized that those quidelines were for your average, normal person.  when i get out there and the mosquitoes are whining and biting, i lose my perspective very quickly.

here's a shot of the backside of the garden - huge, lush vines and leaves growing down the little slope and onto the fence.  this i can handle because for now all i have to do is water, train the vines a bit, and watch them grow.

so thrilled to see the tiny white pumpkins!  i promise there will be more photos of these in months to come:)

and now on to another mistake promising scene from the backyard.  see this circle all staked out? and the dead grass? and the former tree in the foreground? well - let's just say this: don't ever believe it if someone assures you that round-up does not kill trees!!!  that's all i'll say.                           

hard at work in early july, preparing the foundation for a fire pit. (i guess we can always break off small limbs and use them for kindling...)  the tree killer guy in charge of this is my dear husband and he has poured a lot of time and energy into this project - i'll give you that much.  it's just that i can't seem to get over the fact that our very healthy and beautfiul and large tree is dead!!! 

i love the worn look of these pavers and really we have not spent that much time out here arguing about discussing the demise of that beautiful tree. after all, a new one will be that big in only 10-20 years.  really.

                   

and, unable to post without including a somewhat thrifty/vintage photo, i leave you with these wonderful little metal, lipped, sign pieces that i bought recently.  and really - in a way - they do symbolize our summer in the backyard!

you see...

there's a long history of  (ahem) "my driving" stories in my family. largely untrue, of course - but amusing to some, nonetheless!  (if you're interested in a brief synopsis, click here and scroll down to the latter portion of the post...)  at any rate, i ran across this arthur kaplan poster at the thrift store last week and it made me laugh out loud, which meant that it came home with me.  it just stuck a chord, i guess:)

i couldn't help but notice the intensity of this little girl's entire being...she grips the wheel very tightly; she appears largely oblivious to anything around her...

look at the determination on that face!

and please note the name of her little toy vehicle. hee! and it appears that the body of it is quite intact, although certainly well-loved. ok, so maybe there are a couple of things that could possibly remind me of myself - but mostly, i just...like it...

what could a girl do with 5 old film canisters found at a garage sale?  for 40 cents a piece, i just picked them up and added them to my pile...now i'm somewhat mystified as to how to utilize them; i just know that i like them.  because.

there are no reels inside - just the canisters.  maybe i'll hang them on the basement wall when we finish furnishing that space this fall and winter?  if you have any ideas, i'd love to hear them:)