vintage patina

snow on the hydrangeas

2012-01-25T19:04:00.000-06:00

there is so much beauty in winter, i think. i love the calm, the coziness, the stark beauty. i love the fierceness of a howling blizzard, given that everyone is safe. even a softly falling cascade of glittering snowflakes is truly magical to me. i thought i'd share a couple of photos taken at my parents' home a few weeks ago, before we had much snow. i love the snow on the hydrangeas...

i know i'm not one of the majority, in loving winter. and that's okay.

because i have at least one other little friend who agrees with me!

on a different note, i've been having a wonderful and productive time the last few weeks, working on Project Life. i do believe i have found the long awaited solution to my memory keeping challenges - too many photos, not enough time, and mainly - my struggles with structure and consistency. i'm thrilled at what i have come up with so far! and i will be back with photos of my pages in the next couple of days...this is an incredible concept and i'd love to inspire even one other person to consider giving it a try! see you soon:)

oh - and one more thing. if you do follow that link - don't be overwhelmed with the physical materials you see. none of them are an absolute necessity, in my humble opinion - except for the photo pocket pages. and there are many people who are doing this without those...it's all so flexible. i'm eager to share more soon!

holiday card photo shoot

2012-01-07T19:33:00.003-06:00

there was a sunday in early december when the light was just perfect for photos...we packed up the boys and their dogs and headed out! it was quite chaotic, as you'd expect. a rather impatient and unskilled mom trying to shoot photos of her own children? and their dogs? what in the world was i thinking! but you know, 158 shots later, it turned out to be worth it. even the part where my well meaning husband was clacking rocks together to get the dogs to look, and i ended up with hearing loss in my left ear...

so we got the photos and then i turned the process of choosing the right ones into a 2 week project. not counting the editing i did after that. nor the time i spent choosing the right card template. yes, it's true. only i can turn a relatively painful process into a prolonged painful process. (and then not send the cards out until today.) yes - you heard me correctly.

now for the good news. i happened into a great deal on 20x24 canvases one night, while doing some online xmas shopping. and here they are - i am absolutely thrilled with the quality of these!!! it makes all the pain and suffering and wasted time worth it, don't you agree? we can enjoy these everyday and it makes me smile every time i look at that wall:)

so here's the card...hard to see the white background, but it's a 7x5 card....

and here is the back side. you can certainly see why i tend to go with all inclusive greetings such as "happy everything", right??? because history seems to prove that our holiday cards could be mailed out anywhere in a 3 month time span, and it would be a shame to receive a card that says "let it snow" as the trees start to bloom in early spring...

i never shared the finished card with you from last year - so here it is - i loved it! and we just opened the door and went out on the back deck for less than 5 minutes...so easy:)

and the back...

here are a few photos of the winter decorating i did this year...simple, soft, and sparkly...

wishing everyone a cozy saturday evening. and thank you for stopping by!

deck the halls

2011-12-07T13:34:00.001-06:00

just spending the day getting the house ready for winter, the holidays. so far, i have managed to drag several tubs up to the main floor. now i am sitting here looking at them and thinking it's time for a break already. ha!

one item i am so eager to play around with is this fabulous wire wreath...here's a little peek at it. more on that in a minute:)

taking photos for my december daily album, of the process...

ok. i'm tired now. i think i'll take these back downstairs and pretend i decorated. why do these things that i really enjoy sometimes seem like a lot of work?!? am i just lazy? that's a rhetorical question, fyi.

one more shot, just to take up more time.

oh - and now back to the potential of this fabulous wreath! i have had my eye on these for over 2 years; but every time i tried to get one, they were sold out. so this year, beth, the gracious owner of Patina White was kind enough to place another order for these after her wonderful winter event was over. i am the proud owner of three of these now. and i can say that because my husband doesn't read my blog.

so anyway - this wreath seems to promise great things - it can be decorated for every season or for no reason at all! and now i'm ready to show you what beth did with one of hers...

ack! isn't it fab-u-lous? and this photo is borrowed from beth's blog, so all credit goes to her...thank you, beth, for getting more of these beauties for a few of your customers! it's much appreciated:)

days of december 2011

2011-12-01T13:56:00.000-06:00

just a quick post to share photos of my december daily. yes, i'm going to do this for the second year and it is going to be very simple...i love simple, more and more. here are my covers:

everything is from my stash. the covers are made from brown shipping boxes that we had around here. i mod podged the crate paper peppermint collection - ski lodge on the outside covers and then applied (vintage) hambly and (vintage) making memories rub ons.

i'm sad to say that three fabulous sheets of hambly paper were needlessly hacked to pieces due to my poor measuring skills...and then mod podged to the insides of the covers.

i like the irregularities of the handmade covers, the corrugated pattern that shows through from the box pieces, and the overall imperfection of this handmade project. i have plain white cardstock pages punched and ready to go - now i'm wondering if i'll go with kraft instead. either way - simple and easy is my 2011 december daily philosophy!

pondering december

2011-11-27T18:21:00.001-06:00

a quiet sunday spent puttering around in my studio. contemplating whether i'll do a december daily album again this year. and if so, what style, what colors? i like the colors you can see in that first bag of holiday treats; but not so sure yet what i'll actually use. (this is the chippy old metal basket where i store all my scrapbook kits.)

just looking around at bits and pieces of everything on my desk right now. love the elle's studio numbers sheet.

picking a few obviously holiday themed things and putting them in a basket while i decide what i'll use.

this is a little vignette on my shelf that i look at every day. i found the old service bell at junk bonanza this fall. i'm enjoying the soft, pretty colors in the 'jack frost' kit label that i stuck there just for fun, just for now.

and here's a photo of the beautiful 'jack frost' kit from elle's studio. so pretty.

i hope you're having a quiet and restful sunday before heading back into the every day routine:)

boo humbug!!!

2011-11-03T10:42:00.003-05:00

"photos there...and nothing more..."

i said i'd share photos from our neighborhood halloween party - and here they are! if i sound a bit...cantankerous...it's because things have been pretty stressful and have gone downhill around here since these were taken. so that's where the boo humbug comes in. i hope you enjoy these scenes from our almost annual soiree:)

artful decor by the man of the house...

he did a good job here, didn't he?

love the big letter blocks spelling out one of my favorite seasonal words

the menu...

ominous, no?!

nosy little crow

rodents galore

a hodge podge of treats

a kind dad and his girls...

assembling in the basement for the pinata

pumpkin toss for the littlest guests

and a greeting for the arriving guests...hmmm...maybe it's Freudian?

hope yours was hauntingly happy!

octobers past...reminiscing

2011-10-26T09:41:00.000-05:00

this week is a busy one as we prepare for this event:

we've hosted this neighborhood party since 2003 and have missed only twice. hence the 'almost annual' title'. it's a family party and very kid-oriented...costumes, halloween tattoos, food, games, pinatas, pumpkin carving - i love every minute of it! there's still lots to do, of course - my friend next door is coming over to help decorate today. i'll share pics of it all once friday night is history...

i was browsing through photos of octobers past and just had to quickly share a few of my favorites. i can't describe how happy this one makes me! it was just one of those birthdays where everything clicked...the decorations, the cake, the kids - and i had a blast with the pirate theme, matey!! i still don't understand why my husband resented burning the edges of the fabulous vintage looking map invitations i made...it only took an hour or two and a few singed fingers. and then another hour to roll them up and put them inside empty plastic bottles.

i think he is an adorable pirate!

and another thing: why did my husband object to just holding the pinata while the kids batted at it in the basement? after all, he wouldn't let me hang it from the ceiling. hence - the plank you see underneath the teetering paper mache ship;)

(hello, shabby chic slipcover in the background - i loved you then but i don't miss you now.)

he's just an all-around good guy - vintage looking and with an awesome grin:)

and a little vignette from a halloween past - i have a love of the words "sinister" and "spooky" - is that fairly normal?

have a wonderful wednesday:)

so many favorites

2011-10-18T10:17:00.001-05:00

such a powerful statement...i just love this subway art sign...and the message resonates with me very strongly.

csingingmysong

just how much cuter could this dog be? i think this pillow is done perfectly...

secdus

lately, i love almost everything i lay eyes on with the birds on a wire theme. trendy? probably - but i think a pillow like this is classic.

samantha2818

a fabulous wall decal - and it looks so good with the simple sofa. i've always loved maps as wall art and this black and white color scheme is a modern take that i admire.

studiowallart

another trendy theme - chevron. who wouldn't love to get a little treat in one of these darling bags? i especially love the black and white set.

prettytape

and who wouldn't get a chuckle out ot this mug? i'm not much for mugs or cutesy sayings - but this one appeals to me. love the mustache, love the black and white.

mugsleys

so as of today, i have 20 pages of favorites on etsy...how about you???

autumn porch finale

2011-10-13T12:07:00.002-05:00

a few tweaks here and there, and now it's set...until i change it up to a more spooky feel later in the month:) this was so fun and very inexpensive. there's nothing like shopping around the house and finding everything you need. the only items i bought were the little white mums and the grand total for that was $6.66. the pumpkins were all grown by my parents - i certainly wouldn't have so many, otherwise.

please take special note of the huge weed on the lawn in the foreground...so typical!!! maybe if i wait a while, that weed will be big enough to use as a christmas tree...hmmm?!

happy thursday:)

eta: i'm linking up to show and tell friday over at my romantic home.. thanks, cindy:)

composing an autumn porch

2011-10-10T12:42:00.005-05:00

true to form, i'm energized by fall! autumn is so fabulous, that i find myself feeling almost frantic and pressured...do this, see that, take photos, decorate, plan parties, and still i worry frequently that

i'm somehow "missing fall"!?! what in the world. it happens every single year, so i guess i need to accept it and just keep having small panic attacks:) while eating buttercup squash or snapping photos or drinking those divine fall flavor coffees - decaf, of course!

today finds me puttering around in the rain, trying to put together a warm and welcoming fall entrance. i'd like to share some photos of what i have so far and then ~~ask~~ ~~beg~~ ~~plead~~ implore you to give me any great ideas you have to shape it all up! because as i've said many times - i shine at gathering items i love - but i feel my skills at arranging, displaying are somewhat lacking...

so i'll show you what i have so far:

now this is where i'm stuck and here are things i still have available - the items in the next two photos. including the red basket, corn, a scarecrow, sap pails, more pumpkins, fall florals...and i know i can find more around here, too. my style is more simple than grand...

if you have the time and inclination, i'd love to hear any and all suggestions:)

and no matter what, suggestions or not, please have yourself the most warm and cozy and beautiful autumn ever... and thanks for stopping by!

just what the doctor ordered!

2011-08-05T12:42:00.000-05:00

there are exceptions to every rule, right? i haven't been garage saling or thrifting or bringing much of anything into my home since i embarked on my mission to declutter. and i do really love the feeling of less stuff around here.

but. what could i do? i love everything vintage, industrial, and medical...i've spent all of my working years in the medical field. so i didn't think twice when i saw a dusty stack of old prescription files for sale in a little drugstore - they had to come home with me!

the price was so low that i don't dare mention it...it could well cause medical complications for those of you who share my love for this type of thing. i ended up with 11 of these - 10 are metal and the quikway rx file on top in the first photo is the lone cardboard one.

wonderful typography.

in excellent shape - they cleaned up very well.

of course this one is more worn and less sturdy - but i love it nonetheless!

i'd love to incorporate these into my scrap studio for storage. i'd also love to line them up just for display in the family room. so little cost! so much joy!

thank you for visiting and happy week-end to you:)

loving this photo

2011-07-21T13:16:00.000-05:00

it was a poor situation for taking photos: a hot, sunny evening with the sun setting right behind the players on the field. i stood and took shots blindly, for the most part. most did not turn out.

but this one?

i love it.

growing things 2011

2011-07-17T13:12:00.004-05:00

as someone who never was very interested in plants, trees, gardening - it has been a very pleasant surprise to find myself becoming quite invested in these things over the past couple of years. i hover over my flowers and square foot garden with eager anticipation. i sit in our formal living room and look out the window at our trees, taking pleasure in their lush growth. here are a few things i'm enjoying right now.

this is the first year i've ever seen yellow flowers in this particular shade. not too bright, not too orangey. just simple petunias in a warm yellow.

this autumn moor grass is really pretty, too

my first batch of radishes from the garden this year. they were too strong for my taste; so now i replanted with white radishes - can't wait to find out how they taste!

this cathedral elm has grown incredibly fast, having been planted only 3 to 4 years ago. i love the vase like effect of the branches, graceful and arching.

the puppy who will turn 1 in august. he is a cuddler and so endearing.

and then here's one of the two most priceless things we have growing around here: a 9 year old boy:)

what are you growing this summer???

etsy or not...

2011-07-15T13:21:00.001-05:00

yesterday's rather blah weather prompted me to dig into one of my boxes of "keep or sell" and take some photos of these items as a prelude to listing them. funny how it is that things look better when you decide to move them along, isn't it? (pardon the rather depressing lighting...)

two matching chippy old corbels

and a piece of moulding with an old glass wired on

this would make a wonderful gift for a vintage-loving mom

i still love this little old aqua shade but i haven't found a place for it

an old pair of buster browns in their original box

vintage picture frame - again - it just hasn't found its place in our home

have a happy week-end!

vintage stamp carousels

2011-07-12T11:12:00.001-05:00

i hope everyone is enjoying your summer days! i'm enjoying all the wonderful summer themed posts on your blogs - thank you. here's a quick photo to share today, unrelated to summer;)

while i know i'm not the first person to use these vintage stamp holders for craft storage, i know that i'm one of the most pleased...just a glance at these brings a bit of happiness to my day! these colorful mists are eye candy and the revolving carousel is so handy and practical.

rusty cash drawer

2011-05-25T13:11:00.001-05:00

i love old cash drawers - they remind me of something happy:) i don't really know why that is...it's not just about money, if that's what you're thinking...ha! i think it's a childhood memory of watching clerks operate the manual tills and the ka-ching noise that it made when the drawer opened. it seemed so magical to me back then. which reminds me - i have my old pink toy cash register still. i played with that thing for hours! the only thing about 'playing store' that i never really came to grips with was this: it made me CRAZY that i could never rig up anything that worked like the moving grocery conveyor belt!!!

at any rate - yesterday i found this old cash drawer by chance - and brought it home to use for some type of organization or storage in my studio. isn't it fun?

the letter on top is another steal, found at the same store. as always - i love typography.

just a few more old plastic sign letters to add to my collection. and no - i don't plan to use the word 'cool' anywhere in our home:) these will be mixed in with my other letters for some future writing on the wall...lol:)

browsing etsy again

2011-04-29T12:35:00.003-05:00

just sharing a few things that have caught my eye lately on etsy. still loving vintage, industrial, cream/white - but purchasing a lot less in recent months. as i've mentioned, i've been decluttering and getting rid of things for months now...and i am loving the peaceful feeling of less "stuff" in my environment.

i got up early to watch the royal wedding...did you? have yourself a calm and peaceful week-end:)

happy easter:)

2011-04-23T23:31:00.001-05:00

(from the ghost of an Easter Swap Past...)

it's been such a long time...

2011-04-18T09:49:00.002-05:00

since i've blogged or scrapped or gone thrifting or junking...life has definitely been full and challenging the last few months. and it has also been wonderful, at times. it's always a mixed bag, isn't it? i'm the type of person who doesn't blog just to blog - i have to "want" to post something. thanks to my friends who have continued to check in now and then - i've visited you, too, but just haven't commented much lately.

today i'd like to share a page that i scrapped recently. as always, it's therapeutic to scrap photos of our much loved boys:)

under construction

2011-03-07T11:29:00.003-06:00

this little blog is dusty and and forlorn and so out of season...so i'm working on changing that:) what you see right now is not what you will get - it seems i have forgotten all about the details of changing up my blog. so hopefully things will look better around here soon.

in the meantime, here's the wonderful old galvanized bucket i found at the thrift store a few months ago:

...and the naughty little puppy with whom we've all fallen in love

...and the naughty little puppy protesting the gate i set up at the door to my studio. apparently he believes my studio is his office since he occasionally goes in there to do his business!

happy monday! talk to you soon:)

vintage hotel register

2011-01-23T18:07:00.000-06:00

isn't this a fun old book? i haven't seen one quite like it before. the silly thing is that every time i look at it, this goes through my mind: 'you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave'! is that a bit morbid? or just the result of really liking hotel california?

if i see that any of your long lost relatives owe a balance...i will track you down!!! beware;)

good intentions

2011-01-15T17:35:00.002-06:00

my boys are gone for the long week-end, ice fishing in minnesota. i suspect they do actually fish part of the time - when they're not busy with all the electronics they haul along. but never mind. i am home alone!!! alone in my own house! what a wonderful thing that is:)

what am i doing? well. first i took a chunk of time to ponder all the things i possibly could do. this was followed by a time of deep meditation otherwise called napping, just because i could.

next, i turned on all the lights in my studio as a precursor to actually working in there. the plan: to purge and organize. however, i then recalled that i had bought some storage containers at target last week and that they were still in the back of my suv.

on my way to the garage, i took a phone call from my sister. as i talked, i sat down in front of the computer and noticed that my brother had sent photos of himself and his new wife, married just last night! yay! so my sister and i discussed this and other things in some detail. when i hung up the phone, i then had to call my other sister and review things with her. then i emailed my brother and new sil.

all of the above consumed most of the morning and part of the early afternoon.

so. in reality, i haven't done anything that i planned. i've done quite a lot of nothing, and a tiny bit of something. in the late afternoon, i was seized with nostalgia (along with a chocolate craving) and went to the cupboard to find my vintage betty crocker kids' cookbook.

i proceeded to make the brownies; but now that they're baked i don't feel like frosting them. and i don't usually eat brownies without frosting. can you say "exercise in futility"?!?

i ~~wasted~~ spent a while paging through the cookbook, recalling how entranced i was with this photo, as a child. pure magic, i tell you. no - i never made it. not then and not today.

i chuckled out loud when i turned the page and found this brilliant piece of baking advice, written in my 9 year-old scrawl! oh, for the days when the trickiest thing i had to figure out was how to double a batch of chocolate chip cookies...

so now. it's early evening and i have successfully returned to my studio. so far, i have taken 'before' pictures so that i can celebrate my progress (at some future, unspecified date).

posting these photos...

has reminded me...

that i desperately want to learn how to edit photos...

which led me back to my computer...

where i am now sitting.

maybe i'll frost the brownies now.

the card

2010-12-18T10:59:00.005-06:00

i'm so happy with the photo for our holiday card this year! (notice i say "holiday" so as to leave it open to interpretation...at the pace i work...it could possibly be Groundhog Day - in which case, i'll have to wait even longer to see if i should edit out the snowflakes.) but - in reality - i know how to take decent photos; but have never ventured very far into the territory of editing, adding effects, etc. anyway, i have spent the majority of the last 24 hours hunched over my computer - editing one single photo!!! how sad is that, really? i found a seller on etsy who is going to turn this work of art into a double sided 5x7 holiday card - and i cannot wait:) i'll share the finished product here - i just know you can hardly stand the suspense...

when will inspiration strike?

2010-12-16T18:57:00.001-06:00

since i haven't accomplished much in the way of decorating yet...i thought i'd post a few favorite shots from last year. i know how much i love peeking into your homes and seeing your holiday decor and projects! hopefully, i'll have more to share soon.

still love my three handcrafted trees from last year - hmm, that makes me want to go find them, buried somewhere in the recesses of our basement storage room.

i believe that buttons in shades of white and cream are one of the most beautiful crafting items in the world...

and the yarn from a thrift store looked pretty cozy, too. the felt circles were inspired by someone's blog last year - if i find it, i'll post the link.

last year's family room mantel.

i forgot i had 3 white feather trees!

i hope you're all enjoying the season!

covered

2010-12-06T12:15:00.002-06:00

here are the covers of my december daily. i loved ali's cover paper, but i made a decision not to buy anything new for this project online due to shipping costs, etc. i found this similar paper at hobby lobby and liked the color and texture. other than cardstock, it is the only item i've purchased for this project - i really have shopped my stash. i found this red felt 'december' by fancy pants in an unopened, unused set of the 'tis the season felt shapes...at least 3 or 4 years old, i think. i like the simplicity of the cover and i don't plan to add anything more to it.

cover and peek of inside of back cover.

i love jenni bowlin's red line (this links to the mini version - i used the 12x12) and used it for the inside covers and the last week of my album, where i wanted a splash of color. this particular paper is one of my all time favorites - love it!

anyway - thanks for stopping by. happy monday:)

a little merry

2010-12-03T10:02:00.011-06:00

it's so fun to check in to blogland lately and see all the holiday inspiration! it gives me the extra little spark that i need to get going with my decorating. so far i haven't done too much but i'd like to share these photos for a start. i don't think i've shown these butter pats before - i found them in a little, forgotten thrift store - for 50 cents each. how fast do you think my heart was pounding as i casually ~~screamed~~ picked up all 12 of them and headed to the checkout?!?

i'm cheating with these next photos - they're from last year. but i love them and they made me smile this morning. especially because they reminded me of this site (discovered through my niece's blog)!?!?!? i mean, how likely is it that large snowflakes would actually be dangling indefinitely from my chandelier? (um. since i live in north dakota, it's very realistic, on second thought.)

my treasured, handmade house from a swap last year!

so anyway - i stole this image from catalog living - just to show you what i'm talking about. i really think that most of us bloggers who love shelter magazines will get more than a few laughs out of this site:) it's so dry and tongue-in-cheek, and just plain hilarious! if you find a favorite and feel like linking back here, i'd love to see what strikes your fancy. here you go:

"Kindling? Check. Two dozen votives? Check. Gingerbread family on their way to a nice insurance settlement? Check."

(courtesy of molly erdman at catalog living)

have yourself a merry little day!

december daily...done

2010-11-29T14:25:00.005-06:00

i've so enjoyed the process of putting this book together. as i mentioned before - i wanted a neutral, vintage feel to this project - but with a touch of holiday color. i love the way this came together once inspiration struck! i had fun finding little scraps of this and that for embellishment on the transparency/number pages. i'm also glad i decided to get the 6x8 overlays by ali . it's just one less decision for me to make and i love the clean and simple look of the pages. and for anyone who doesn't know what i'm referring to - they're the cream pages you can faintly see behind my transparencies.

i'll let the photos tell the story again. but feel free to post any little questions if you want:) oh - and there is no photo of page 12 - it just wouldn't photograph without a blur. i forgot to take photos of the covers, but i'll do that next time.

december daily

2010-11-22T11:06:00.006-06:00

i'm so thrilled that i am finally making a december daily album! this represents not only a wonderful creative project - but maybe even more importantly - it means that perhaps i am making progress in dealing with my struggles related to adhd. for once, i started something ahead of time. for once, i got past the tendency to not do anything, if i can't do it perfectly. for once, i acted instead of staying stuck in creative chaos.

but i won't bore you with any more personal details than that. more than anything - i just want to encourage you to do this, too. you don't have to be a "scrapbooker" or other dedicated crafter...anyone can do this!

one of the (many) reasons i never got this done in the past was because of an aversion to very much bright color in any of my projects or pages. well - so silly! i've come up with the perfect solution for me - i'm using neutral colors for the majority of my pages...but i'm using beautiful shades of red for the last week of the month. and i love what i have so far:) i'll be posting photos of my "colorful" pages soon.

all of these photos are self-explanatory, i think. i made a few of the transparencies, although the majority are from hambly. for those who aren't familiar with the 2010 december daily, there will be cardstock pages too. these are simply the more decorative pages to mark each day - although it's possible that they'll hold some photos or ephemera, too. ali edwards has everything you could possibly need in terms of inspiration and detailed examples on her website...so well organized and always well done. thanks for the inspiration and instruction, ali:)

days 1-10 are all here, though not in order;) that would have been pushing it, you know!

quiet beauty

2010-11-18T00:14:00.002-06:00

it seems to happen each year since i started blogging. the flurry of posts in october and then a long...pause. i love every aspect of fall - not only halloween. so i'm just going to post some photos of pretty things here and there around our home right now; things that seem calming and warm to me. i hope you'll enjoy a little quiet inspiration...and take a deep breath...and relax.

if you've seen this rusty sap pail of hydrangeas around here once, you've seen it a thousand times, hee! i'm sorry for the repetition...but it is my favorite:) i snuck a couple of other "repeats" in this post, too. i guess i'm in a bit of a rut...

halloween - final scene

2010-11-05T17:01:00.002-05:00

one last post on halloween - i know i need to let it go:) so before i do that - here are photos of the items i made and/or found for hayley. and then i'll move on. i promise.

the first altered book i've done - very simple style. i was especially pleased with the moon cut from a paper clock face...

found: memo board from old tin

made by me: magnets

i was so happy to find the old spool with black and orange wire on it!

vintage style sign - purchased

made for hayley by me

little tin ornament - purchased; paperweight made by me

the end of halloween 2010. i think!?!

halloween from hayley...

2010-10-30T21:39:00.000-05:00

i've had these photos loaded and ready to post for almost a week now - but i've struggled to find the thoughts i want to share about this wonderful swap. i don't know why - perhaps it's a hex or a curse!?! spooky!

so i'll just summarize with this: i'm thankful for getting to know hayley and for her generosity in being my halloween swap partner. i love every single item that she sent. thank you, hayley:) we discovered we had a lot in common - love of: family, books/words, boys in old navy vintage tees, sisters, old clocks, and hilarious grammar crimes...thanks for making me laugh, hayley!

and without further ado - the photos.

okay - this negative is so completely fabulous for a halloween swap!!!

along with the developed photo!

a dream come true

vintage halloween blog party

2010-10-29T09:15:00.005-05:00

joan at anything goes here is hosting this vintage party today and i am linking up with my recent spooky little vintage treasures! i was browsing an antique mall (which is usually too spendy for my thrifty, junky tastes) and spied a little flash of halloween 'something'. thinking it would be very overpriced but curious nonetheless, i turned and picked up this little set of decorative picks. i couldn't help but smile at the witch's face! and i smiled even more when i realized the whole cluster of four picks was marked only $3 - i could afford to spend that:)

each figure is covered in some type of velvety material - i cannot think of the correct word, for the life of me! mr owl is precious - he looks more inquisitive than menacing, to me.

i think this cat might need corrective eye treatment of some type, but i love him as he is

and if you can look at this face without a grin, you're more stoic than i will ever be:)

she just cracks me up

and the necessary pumpkin

as i've said many times, i'm not a knowledgeable junker; i just know what i like when i see it. so this may have been overpriced...and i'm none the wiser! but it makes me happy and i think you vintage lovers will appreciate it, too. thanks for stopping by! it's not too late to link up to the party. thanks to joan for hosting another vintage holdiay blog gathering...

halloween for hayley...

2010-10-27T13:51:00.003-05:00

i've been trying to post about the lovely vintage halloween swap items i received from hayley...but the words aren't flowing quite right. so until i can articulate those thoughts, i thought i'd post a few other halloween pictures.

this morbid little crow was the one i sent to haley...and it was clearly inspired by the crow i saw on etsy and posted about a few days ago. i like how the light fell in this picture...not sure why...i just do...

he's rather cute, isn't he?

now this is a simply fabulous tag that i purchased on etsy - from this shop, sold by jamie. she is the creator of these wonderful tags that i just can't get enough of (in fact i just bought another set today - is that sick?) she is so friendly and very accommodating - and i love the simplicity of her items and the photos she takes. i apologize in advance that these tags are sold out now, but i sure plan to keep an eye on her shop, ongoing! so hayley - this is one item in your swap box that i did not make myself, but had to share with you:)

and again, a shot of the precious puppy who energetically rolled in ribbon (and tulle, remember?) while i packed the swap box...

and here he looks a little...spooked...wouldn't you agree?!? hmmm. i wonder what he saw...

inspired by these...

2010-10-22T10:25:00.001-05:00

from etsy - i have a long list of favorites this time of year. here are just a few of the items i marked as i browsed for swap inspiration!

bucks county folk art

bucks county folk art

k sickles

rosengarten

stay tuned...

2010-10-21T21:43:00.001-05:00

i'm eager to share the very special halloween swap box that i received from hayley. i'll try hard to be back tomorrow or saturday with photos - i've not had the chance to take pictures since it arrived yesterday. you will love it and be inspired, too! it's still not too late to get in the halloween frame of mind, is it?

vintage patterns and halloween...eek!

2010-10-17T04:43:00.002-05:00

what could be more fun than combining two such loved themes? this may or may not be for a swap...it may or may not be for me...but it definitely was fun to put together:)

mounted on a small canvas, it's very simple in design. i just couldn't seem to find the right thing to put around the pattern image - so i let it be.

as you can plainly see, i had free help while putting together hayley's swap box:) isn't he honestly precious? he joined our family this week at my younger son's 9th birthday party. puppies and tulle?... just perfect!

petite box swap finale

2010-10-10T20:33:00.000-05:00

my second petite black and white swap box came from stephanie...thank you, stephanie!

i always love little cupcake liners filled with trinkets...it looks so appealing

lots of different textures included in one little box:)

what is it about old game pieces that's so universally appealing?

petite box swap - received!

2010-10-08T21:50:00.000-05:00

this is the beautifully embellished box that i received from alison at dishy vintage. love the lace and the soft black florals. but the piece de resistance? look at the vintagey paper lining the box bottom - it's from the halloween in wonderland collection from graphic 45. it's just the perfect little touch for this swap box!

all of the lovely contents...both elegant and fun.

i could never get too much lace, or too many vintage jewelry pieces; and i love the glittery halloween pieces...

these gorgeous, rich, orange millinery flowers pretty much made my mouth water...aren't they beautiful? and alison stocks them in her etsy shop, too.

thank you, alison!

and i'll be back very soon with photos of the box i received from stephanie, too! happy week-end:)

little halloween treasures

2010-10-04T10:03:00.001-05:00

so these are the decorated matchboxes that i already posted - and now i want to show you the fun little items that i placed inside. i really like the concept of heather's series of "petite box swaps" - fun to make and fun to receive; and the tiny little treasures inside are wonderful to use for display or crafting.

i spray painted the inner boxes black and then lined them with a simple piece of halloween fabric that can be used for crafting; and also provides a little cushioning for the contents. this box is for stephanie; her preference was to stick to the black and white theme with just a few touches of orange.

and this little box goes to alison, who likes touches of orange, purple, or green with her black and white halloween theme.

for alison...just the contents...

and a close-up:)

and then for stephanie...

and a blurry close-up:)

now i'm working on a large scale vintage halloween swap with a lovely blogger from missouri...she was kind enough to respond to my plea for a partner, that i posted back in august:) hayley from nesting notions is a vintage lover also...you'll find so many wonderful photos on her blog! i'm going to link to one of her halloween posts from 2009 - isn't it wonderful?!? a girl after my own heart, for sure...

happy, happy monday to you all:)

petite box swap

2010-10-02T19:08:00.000-05:00

just couldn't wait to post a peek of the black and white (halloween or not) petite box swap that was hosted by heather at speckled egg! i'll post photos of the contents in the next day or two...just a little warning in case either allison or stephanie happens to be looking:)

spooky thrifting

2010-10-01T12:11:00.004-05:00

i love halloween! i love the witches and black cats and spider webs and oh...just about everything! it helps, of course, that this holiday happens to be smack dab in the middle of my favorite season - fall. in fact, i doubt i'd love it quite so much if it fell in the summer or spring or winter- too hot, too many mosquitoes, too muddy, too cold, etc. so i think it's safe to say that it's the big picture - cooler weather, skittering leaves, the darker evenings - it all adds up to a thoroughly fun holiday:)

i've been sifting through halloween treasures at my local thrift stores, both for home decor as well as for swapping. this year will be my first halloween swap(s) ever - and i am thoroughly enjoying the process! i thought you might like to see my finds so far...and just for fun...the total cost of these wonderful finds is $5.50! now how can that be wrong?!?

glittery black hanging

and a simply fabulous, sturdy, vintage looking big black cat!

can you tell i'm quite taken with him?

here he's perched on a dining room chair, just to give you an idea of size...

and then there are the perfectly perfect books i ~~stole~~ found for a ridiculously low price! eek! i just love these. i'm thinking i can diplay them as is - or i could alter one or two? i'm not sure yet - i've never done an altered book yet - but i'd love to!

it's not only the titles - it's the colors! how could they be much better? well - maybe if they had a bit more wear and tear and that lovely old patina...

have a wonderful week-end, everyone...thanks for stopping by - i'm eagerly awaiting all the wonderful fall and halloween posts that are appearing more and more around blogland...

tale of the pumpkin plumber

2010-09-13T01:29:00.004-05:00

it's a story that must be told. i cannot stand in the way of such artistic expression any longer...

it all started in the fall of 2007, when we received a rather...unique...pumpkin. grown out at my parents' farm and then transported here, it certainly had a rare beauty all its own. unremarkable to some...but greatly admired by 3 little boys, who appreciated its...form.

truth be told, i never took note of said pumpkin at first...it seemed like any other to me. it was placed on our front porch area with all of the others. days passed as they always do. however, rather mysteriously, the pumpkin was moved indoors...where it became the object of great study and observation by my two young sons and their dear cohort who lives next door...

one day, i remember passing through the room where the ~~hooligans, scoundrels, children,~~ i mean scientists were at work, binoculars in hand and laughing hysterically. i paid scant attention, but i dimly remember hearing the phrase ..."observations... of...butt crack..." as i continued about my business of the moment. at one point over the course of the weeks-long "study" i was able to surreptitiously record one of the ~~stinkers~~ children conducting what appeared to be an olfactory study of the unfortunate gourd...

well - as all good things do - this came to a natural end. the wonderful fall days turned colder and cozier. halloween came and went. still this pumpkin remained indoors, exempt from carving and the falling outdoor temperatures. so it was. the children returned to their previous interests and the pumpkin remained strangely mum.

then one day in november, i went out and about, running various errands - and leaving my husband and children at home. my usually reserved husband seemed rather goofy and giddy when i checked in with him by phone once or twice...but who am i to question aberrant behavior?!?

well. you be the judge.

how might you feel on arriving home to a perfect stranger working in your kitchen? under the sink. with no advance notice or "how do you do". just there. hanging out.

so the next time your precious children come home from school, carrying the ubiquitous "world globe" pumpkin? take a picture. smile. and be thankful.

a peek inside

2010-09-09T00:28:00.003-05:00

i was reading a new-to-me blog recently, and the writer mentioned that she felt irritated by blogs where the photos are always up close, and don't ever show the whole setting. oops! that is me, for sure... and the more i thought about it - the more i agreed. i just love to look at photos that show a whole room!

so i went back through my photos from the last couple of years and i found a few i'd like to share. here's the irony - these were taken last fall when we had moved everything out of our living/dining rooms to clean the carpets - so they are stark and bare! but...i am very drawn to these photos...i believe i am a minimalist hidden in the guise of a gatherer, clutterer, thrifter, junker, with ADD!!! wow. how's that for a fine mess?

so anyway, i'm going to post these photos and show you what you would see if you were to walk in my front door and look to the left! ignore the blurring and the poor light and the fan that was drying the carpet that day, okay?

we bought this home about 2 years after it was built; 11 years ago this fall. (we moved from an old white colonial home with wood floors and white woodwork. it was darling.) so as you enter you are on a tiled floor, and ahead and to the left you see this partial wall, and the kitchen is just beyond. this chandelier hangs in our dining room...in the foreground you can see the one step down to the "formal" (not so much) living room.

a little glimpse of the kitchen ceiling beyond

standing by the partial wall and looking toward the dining room windows, all while ignoring the huge ripples in the carpet that we later had stretched.

view of the living room

here's a peek of the beam that runs between the rooms - not in the original plan but added by the family that built this house - i like it as it adds further definition between the spaces.

(you can't see on these photos - but the beam connects to a column near the front entrance.) this shot is perhaps my favorite scene in my home...i love the simplicity of it. uncluttered. peaceful. tone on tone. it makes me happy:)

and a close-up of my cherished hydrangeas in a chippy sap bucket! thanks for looking around. i love seeing pictures of your homes and projects and yards and gardens...and i thank you for sharing these things on your blogs. the inspiration is priceless:)

as i continue to simplify my home and life, i'll make an effort to share more of our living spaces...have a wonderful september thursday!

thoughts on september

2010-09-06T12:27:00.003-05:00

sweet melancholy.

what was.

what might have been.

fading beauty.

"The breezes taste

Of apple peel.

The air is full

Of smells to feel-

Ripe fruit, old footballs,

Burning brush,

New books, erasers,

Chalk, and such.

The bee, his hive,

Well-honeyed hum,

And Mother cuts

Chrysanthemums.

Like plates washed clean

With suds, the days

Are polished with

A morning haze."

- John Updike, September

"September days have the warmth of summer in their briefer hours, but in their lengthening evenings a prophetic breath of autumn. The cricket chirps in the noontide, making the most of what remains of his brief life. The bumblebee is busy among the clover blossoms of the aftermath, and their shrill and dreamy hum hold the outdoor world above the voices of the song birds, now silent or departed."

- September Days By Rowland E. Robinson, Vermont.

i love september...with all its contradictions!

seeking a spooky swap!

2010-08-17T16:36:00.001-05:00

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

2010-08-04T17:01:00.001-05:00

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

2010-08-03T14:20:00.009-05:00

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...

2010-08-02T14:36:00.004-05:00

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:)

mirror, mirror...

2010-07-29T09:36:00.000-05:00

pretty round mirror, found at a yard sale...

detail of the flowers, with flash

and then without flash

it hangs on the wall opposite our main floor bath. and the cost?!? $2.00!

short and sweet today:) happy thursday!

quick little project

2010-07-19T20:49:00.003-05:00

a few months back, i found these pails at michael's, clearanced to 5 dollars each. finally, i bought some stencils and painted numbers on...and placed them on top of my oh-so-bare kitchen cabinet.

and then i snipped off a hydrangea and found a glass baby bottle that i still had in the cupboard

it's funny how many hydrangeas and peonies i see around blogland - they're beloved by so many people, it seems. and it's easy to see why...

this tote was just laying around here after i rescued it from the thrift store - and i finally decided to use it for my gardening supplies

i forgot to use my seed packet holders when i planted our square foot garden; love these little things!

flea market

2010-07-10T12:22:00.001-05:00

hello, blog friends:) i hope that this summer has been good to you so far, for those in the northern hemisphere. like most everyone whose blogs i follow, i too can say that the summer is flying by - it's always a bittersweet thing, it seems.

i wanted to show you a few items i found at the flea market over the july 4th holiday. first, is this little black unused ledger - my first ledger ever. and i do love ledgers!

the typography is so pretty - i especially like that big "5"...

slightly yellowed pages

i felt i needed this hand carved ampersand - new, but shabby and wonderful

and i was happy to run across this old card game - i've seen it on ebay and etsy, but never in real life - so now i have one to add to my game/game piece collection.

the graphics on the cards really appeal to me - so vintage

and here is a photo of the 7gypsies receipt holder that i've been admiring, but haven't purchased. i was thrilled to find a pile of authentic receipt holders for a dollar a piece!

here they are - aren't they so wonderful?! i ended up with 9 of them and *might* mount them on a board - i'm not sure yet.

and last, my new old flashcards. for anyone who has followed my little blog at all - you know why these are perfect for me! thank you for stopping by:)

boys of summer

2010-06-24T15:24:00.057-05:00

“You are worried about seeing him spend his early years in doing nothing. What! Is it nothing to be happy? Nothing to skip, play, and run around all day long? Never in his life will he be so busy again.

(Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile, 1762)

" It is easier to build strong boys than to repair
broken men."

                                                           (Frederick Douglass)

“The boy is father to the man”

We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.

(Stacia Tauscher)

There's nothing that can help you understand your beliefs more than trying to explain them to an inquisitive child. (Frank A. Clark)

Then followed that beautiful season... Summer....

Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape

Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.

(Robert Fulghum)

Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.

(Charles R. Swindoll, The Strong Family)

“Be patient with the boys - you are dealing with soul-stuff”

(Elbert Hubbard)

"...........fishing, drawing, and music occupied my every moment. Cares I knew not, and cared naught about them.

( James Audubon)

                 Time goes, you say? Ah, no!
                                      Alas, Time stays, we go.

                                                                                                    (Henry Austin Dobson)

"another time"

2010-06-22T18:53:00.003-05:00

my mom and i had a wonderful day together a few weeks back. we drove off to a small town about an hour away and spent the day antiquing, thrifting, and enjoying a fabulous lunch at this place. to say that the food is good is a huge understatement. every item is homemade - from the salad dressing to the spinach quiche to the incredible choice of desserts. one of my favorite items is a half canteloupe with a scoop of the most flavorful chicken salad i've ever tasted nestled in the middle. mmmm.

the restaurant is in an old house, with several rooms to choose from for seating. this photo shows the back room, where the ceiling is painted with the most lovely sky and clouds...very well done.

i loved the "valance" in this room, fashioned from pretty vintage aprons. so lovely when the sunlight shines through...

here's a closer look at the ceiling and an interesting old chandelier

another room, in which vintage purses were used to hold dried flowers on the wall; and also propped open on the tables as containers for condiment packages

the creamy lemon pie...i'm at a loss for words. it was really that. good.

i also really appreciated the mixed plates, glasses, silver, cloth napkins - no two pieces match. it's just charming!

vintage seed packets

2010-06-11T13:12:00.001-05:00

recently, i have been admiring old seed packets on etsy... i really love the graphics and colors and typography. a few weeks ago, i was sorting through a bunch of pictures and frames at a thrift store - and to my amazement, i found a rather homely brown frame with a real treasure inside! there were four seed packets mounted on burlap...and it was marked either 50 cents or $1...i can't remember. as soon as i got home, i removed the contents from the backing and have been admiring the beauty of these since!

a rather peculiar name for a flower?!? hmmm.

here's the burlap backing that the packets were taped to...

the dates on these are 1915 and 1916 - aren't they just so pretty?

growing things

2010-06-09T18:05:00.004-05:00

this year i filled my shabby white planters with hot white lobelia and i love the airy look of the tiny flowers

a better look at the planter, with its rusty and peeling white finish

the view as you approach our front door

i'm really liking the cast iron welcome sign, new this year from hobby lobby:)

one of our hydrangeas...getting closer to blooming every day

wine and roses weigala - the color of the blooms and leaves on these are just magnificent - the leaves turn a deep, dark wine color throughout the season. and the blooms continue spring to fall.

a few shots of our young hostas

and our big excitement this summer is a trial of mel bartholomew's square foot gardening !!!! we were introduced to this incredibly sensible idea by my sister, who started this method of gardening last year and just loves it:) this concept has been around for 25 years and is very sound and easy and doable! i have never had the patience for traditional row gardens...but i am confident that this will be perfect for us. i just received the book from amazon today - and have been devouring it - i would never have believed it! the author is a retired engineer who spent years researching how to grow a garden efficiently and effectively. his principles are well researched and well proven...and so easy!!!

i love that this gardening method really engages children...

here's a shot of the cedar tree that my older son brought home as a tender little shoot in a paper cup back in first grade...here they are 5 years later. love this photo!

a bird perched on our front step...

and close-ups of my precious little white birds on stakes...

oh - and percy (the bossy white puppy) says hello and thanks for stopping by! you're welcome here anytime:)

memories of summer

2010-06-07T18:06:00.003-05:00

(all photographic images in this post by bomobob, found on etsy, of course!)

random thoughts and little snatches of childhood memories that have come to me lately:

mom and my siblings and me hiding under the huge library table in the basement during those magnificent summer storms...while my dad watched the weather from upstairs, and my mom fretted about him

the cool quiet of the public library we visited often...and then leaving with a huge stack of books. feeling so wealthy if i had a whole new selection of books to choose from! nancy drew, the hardy boys, etc...

hot, sticky nights (before air conditioning)

listening to the distortion of my voice when i talked into a whirring box fan

popsicles. i loved popsicles.

the magic of the ringing bells on the bike driven ice cream treat cart - oh, the excitement! the orange sherbet push-ups that had bubble gum in the bottom...

walking on the blazing hot pavement to the public pool across the street. never learning to swim very well, but loving the pool anyway;)

staying with grandparents in small town america; walking uptown to the ben franklin store and buying "penny" candy that usually cost at least a nickel, if not more. i always bought those individually wrapped cough drops and ate them like candy:) and remember those wonderful spearment Southies?!?

road trips with my family. i am the third of four children and always had to sit in the back middle of our car, with my feet on "the hump"...i've always claimed that this is what stunted my height. hee! and i'd always get jabbed with an elbow if i moved over to one of my sisters' sides of the backseat. oh the indignity...

being eaten alive by mosquitoes - the horrible bane of my summers!!! which continues to this day, but is better due to vector control here in the city.

days that flew by in a flash...and days that seemed to last forever. feelings of infinite possibility. feelings of boredom and melancholy.

the wonderful smells of summer - sunscreen...watermelon...fresh dirt...pool chlorine...

my pink banana seat bike...

my grandma's gorgeous peonies

What is one to say about June, the time of perfect young summer, the fulfillment of the promise of the earlier months, and with as yet no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever fade. ~Gertrude Jekyll

vintage sewing patterns

2010-05-28T16:30:00.002-05:00

here's a quick post to say hello and share some photos of a recent thrift store find:) i love the graphics on these old pattern envelopes! i think i'll be putting some of these in frames for a simple and quick collection for a wall in our home...

i was inspired to share these after reading today's post over at the cheeky magpie. sheila generously shares some printable patterns that she scanned. they're just wonderful:)

have a wonderful long week-end, everyone...and thank you for all your inspiration!

thrill of the hunt

2010-05-12T19:09:00.001-05:00

this is my first vintage swap with a partner who loves all things bright and kitschy. she loves bright yellow, teal, and bright green...retro kids toys...almost anything from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. owls. lawn gnomes. deer. granny squares. sewing. crocheting.

i wonder if i'm fickle? since hunting down these vintagey things for my partner, i've developed a fondness for some of this, too. this style is just so fun! i haven't mailed off my package yet, but i just had to share a few photos with you...most of these are for my swap partner - but a few things might find their way into my home;)

this little yellow potholder is much, much brighter in real life

this wonderful aqua pom pom pillow made me giddy! i don't know if it's *really* vintage or not, but i like that it's nice and clean;)

really cute graphics in this little book

i never knew what a granny square was until now:) and they're not always square. hee!

vintage wallpaper piece

kitsch!!!

i certainly hope that i'm not totally wrong about this...but this fabric just screamed "bright kitschy swap" to me! i don't know anything about sewing or fabrics...i hope this is a good find?!?

this bright yellow haeger planter is perfectly fabulous! i love!

a fun 60s sewing pattern

and two pieces of "blue heaven" dinnerware - what an awesome find!!!

saturday snippets

2010-05-08T14:37:00.007-05:00

last evening we hosted a mother's day dinner for my parents and my in-laws...sunday seems like it will be too rushed this year. our menu was quite simple: baby back ribs, homemade baked beans, oriental cabbage salad, grilled chicken legs, and huckleberry italian sodas with a splash of cream. my table was very simple as well - i filled three vintage ball mason jars with fairly primitive looking arrangements:)

i've been hanging the graduation photos we've received on this old crib rail

an old pictograph(?) card i brought out for the season. i just love the hula hoop and hats and darling little title

three more vintage metal stamps i've acquired recently...i really can't resist these!

these old aqua ball mason jars are another slight obsession of mine, although i have a personal rule of not paying more than $1 for each...i have seen them sold for much, much more. and i think they're very worth it, if you don't have the time to browse through junk and thrift stores and gradually acquire them. i think i have around 25 -30 of these; they're not hard to find, which is wonderful...

and i love how this little pink bouqet really accents my younger son's portrait - it seems to pick up the beautiful color of his lips against all the neutral tones:)

happy mother's day to each and every one of you!

little thrifted things

2010-04-26T13:04:00.000-05:00

here are a few thrift store finds i thought you might enjoy! i couldn't say no to this little apron even though i don't collect them...i knew i'd find a purpose for it, and the price was right.

pretty aqua plastic doilies

with the original packaging - love that:)

the graphics on these old game cards are precious

a few of these are missing...but still i love them

lovely old belt buckles and a couple of shade pulls; these were an etsy purchase

and a few more big vintage buckles. it's hard to say what i'll end up using these for - but i enjoy just looking at them, for now!

pretty things and paper guns

2010-04-06T14:10:00.008-05:00

pretty banner made from vintage linens, a find on etsy last year. it's so soft and adds a touch of spring to our family room. it reminds me that i wish i knew how to sew...something on my to-do list, definitely.

this is just a little glimpse of my inspiration board right now...decluttered, but with lots of things waiting to be added!

thrifted baubles and tins for crafting

i'm not sure if i've posted a photo before of my little collection of jewelry chests. i have a rule that i buy them if they're 1- 2 dollars or less - i've seen widely varying prices on these! i think they sometimes sell on etsy for 10 times that amount; but then again, i haven't looked lately:)

a stamp storage solution, finally:) i need to "see" my stamps and these little plastic cases were 50% off at joann's last week. perfect for me.

i didn't really realize i had a little collection of hats until i started on my organizing journey...it is so fun to rediscover things! most of the time, that is...there are always a few items that make me shake my head:)

i have absolutely NO interest in guns. and i would prefer that my boys didn't either. but i have to confess that i spent 2.5 hours helping my 8 year old make this paper gun one day over the long easter week-end...it was a torturous process, but in the end, it was a project we could do together:) and that's how i'm looking at it...

and i'd sincerely like your opinion on this. i have been taking photos of some items we'd like to sell, in the effort to declutter and simplify our home. i never thought twice about this item, until i downloaded the photo - and now i'm unsure. would you keep or sell? it is certainly a lot more formal than most of the things in our home at this point...yet it has a certain vintagey charm. it literally looks like it's glowing, and this photo was taken in natural light... it honestly does look like this on a sunny day. we bought this when we were first married and we had a more formal feel to the home we lived in then. i know it can work in any setting, but i'd welcome your thoughts:)

sell? or keep?

i am so eager to see the posts from Round Top! my one and only visit there, so far, was for the 2009 spring show - and it was completely wonderful...so i'm excited for the "reports" and photos for this year:)

doily dilettante

2010-03-23T14:09:00.000-05:00

they are everywhere right now! on shirts, purses, lampshades, scrapbook pages, other art mediums...the list goes on and on. and i couldn't be happier about it:) love doilies; simply love them. a year ago or so, i found this pretty piece in a thrift store for 3 or 4 dollars (which i thought was a lot!) until i saw one like it on etsy that sold for around $35, described as "art noveau"...

notice the pretty velvet trim on the glass - it appears that this lovely doily was simply placed between two round pieces of glass and glued around the edges.

i have alternately loved this and not liked it all since i bought it. but recently i feel less fickle - and i think we'll have a longterm relationship;)

more doilies from my stash

now look at these!!! aren't they just so tempting and inspiring and happy?!? these came to me all the way from the chip chop shop, a new and fun etsy shop in australia. (more on that in a minute!)

hand dyed (and just mouthwatering, aren't they?)

i'll be using these in my scrapping and other craft projects

here are some crochet trims from the same shop - i couldn't wait to get these in the mail:)

leann, the owner of this embellishment/trim etsy store, is having a giveaway on her blog! she is offering doilies and her exclusive chipboard shapes, along with a few other beautiful embellies...what a wonderful crafty giveaway:)

the color of memories (show and tell friday)

2010-03-16T19:23:00.008-05:00

well, today my ADD led me to consider color; and contemplating color led me down memory lane; and memory lane led me to an older photo album; which led to a dress in my closet that i haven't looked at in years. it started while i was looking at some beautiful new scrap supplies that arrived in the mail, and i realized that i have been ordering things that have color. and especially things that are aqua/tealish. wow. i have avoided strong, bright colors for a number of years now. but something has shifted again. either i am fickle; or it's spring fever; or it's just some cyclical thing. i will always like whites and neutrals for my home...always. but since i live with a husband who likes color - there will always be some in our decor. and now it looks like there will be more in my craft supplies...at least for a while. and that's fine - i know that it's not either/or!

contemplating the color aqua made me think of this...a wonderful vintage dress that i bought for a 50s party, back in the early 90s. i found it at a thrift store and had a fabulous time wearing it:) i just had to share it with my vintage-loving friends here - it's so fun to have a blog to share things like this!

and...a few photos of me in the dress at said party:) i remember being disappointed that i couldn't get my hair into a beehive hairdo that night! so i went "plain"...(this is just a family friend, and we both happened to be living in san diego at the time - i married his first cousin a few years down the road)

you know, i wouldn't want to go back again - but it's fun to remember these more carefree days and moments...and i'm thankful, once again, for photos to help jog my memory!

(edited to add: i am linking up to show and tell friday at my romantic home..."re-finding" this dress and memory have made me smile a lot this week!)