..Pondicherry Cottage

Warhol Pet Painting (kind of a "how-to")

2012-01-19T07:57:00.000-08:00

This is my daughter's dog, Pee Wee. Pee Wee was an older dog who was left for months at the kennel because her owner died. My daughter cared for Pee Wee and got to know her while she worked at the kennel. My daughter fell in love with her and took her home. Pee Wee was a great dog with a kissable nose! Sadly, she passed away about a year ago.

This year for Christmas, I painted a Warhol-style picture of Pee Wee for my daughter.

I used the photo above as my starting point. I'm sorry I didn't take pics of the process, otherwise this would have been a very nice "how-to" entry. But in a nutshell:

I enlarged and printed the photo in black and white on the xerox machine in high contrast. Then I traced over the dog's outline from the xeroxed enlargement onto a plain sheet of paper. (I always tape my tracings to the window and the daylight works just like a light box!) On the back side of that paper, I covered each pencil line (back to the window!) with lead by swiping the broadside of the pencil lead over it. A bit of artists charcoal would also work.

Placing the image rightside up on your canvas, trace, again over the lines. This is how I transferred the exact image onto each square of the canvas. I wanted to use carbon paper but who has that anymore?
Then it was just a matter of filling in the spaces with paint, like paint-by-number! It was a very LOW tech project.

Let me know if you try it!!!
rosie

Easy Christmas Craft Banner

2011-12-16T08:42:00.000-08:00

Here is a really simple Christmas craft for large groups or even just a few kids. Most of my group was elderly so I did all the prep myself to make it easier for them. All they really had to do was glue it all together. And to make that even easier, we used glue dots, so...NO MESS!

To make this easy banner you will need crepe paper, wired ribbon, paper doilies, pipe cleaners, some tape, magnetic strips and packaged letters in die-cut circles. I bought my letters at Hobby Lobby. They are pkgd as Initials so you can get 20 of each letter you need.

Begin by cutting crepe paper into 18"-20" strips

Fold each strip accordian style.

Then fan it out and press flat with the palm of your hand.

Secure it with scotch tape.

Do this for all the strips...

In all the colors you like!

Next you'll need your paper doilies. Mine were about 4" in diameter.

You'll just want to pinch and scrunch it up in the center to give it a little dimension. Then press it flat with the palm of your hand. Glue it to the top of your crepe paper medallion using glue or glue dots.

Next, take your letters and glue them to the center of the doily. I used the word "JOY" because is was more economical that "MERRY CHRISTMAS". (Ha!)

Next, cut your wired ribbon to accommodate the size of your greeting and glue (or "peel and stick") your magnet to the back of one end of the ribbon and cut a notch in the other. I looped the top end to give it a more "finished" look.

There are lots of pretty decorative ribbons out right now to choose from. I chose two: peppy polka dots and stripedy candy cane style. The last thing to do is to twist your pipe cleaner into a bow and glue it to the ribbon along with your finished lettered medallions. I have a metal front door so I hung it "toot-sweet" as soon as it was done!

Hope you try it!

rosie

Serenite' Maison and all my favorites

2011-09-11T12:04:00.000-07:00

While on a recent trip to Tennesee I happened upon a wonderful shop in the teeny town of Leiper's Fork. Serenite' Maison is run by San Francisco transplant, Alexandra Cirimelli. If you are ever driving thru Franklin or even Nashville, it is waaaay worth the side trip! She has fabulous antiques from both Europe and the U.S.

Her decorating skills are to-die-for!

I also want to take you on a tour of some of my other favorite places to shop and browse....

Urban Barn in Escondido, Ca. comes to mind first.

With their warehouse full of lovlies and their monthly on-site flea markets it is really a wonderland to walk through.

Check out this chandy hanging from the rafters.

Debi Beard owns Out of the Blue in Solana Beach where she holds The Mermaid's Mercantile flea market on the last Sunday of every month.

This is the sweetest, sunniest, most delicious outdoor market I've ever been to!

With the blue sky shining down on everything, its like taking a walk in the clouds!

Debi has an amazing talent for turning everyday items into sparkling sea gems by embellishing them with seashells.

She was so sweet and gracious to allow me to take some photos.

Next on my list is Matilda's Mouse in Valley Center, Ca. The barn is not open everyday but only about one weekend a month. But that being so, you can bet on seeing something different everytime you pop in.

Wouldn't you love to have a table like this for your Thanksgiving day meal?

There are LOTS of pretties at Matilda's Mouse!

And THIS is Matilda (a-hem, the one on the right)!

Another great place is Vignettes in Ocean Beach in San Diego. I only have pics from the outside. They don't allow photos of the inside...So I guess you'll just have to visit them to see what they've got!

Christie Repasy and Rita Reade hold a fantastic outdoor market 4x/year called The Vintage Marketplace.
It used to be held at Christie's home and studio but they have now moved to a new location.

Lots of sugary sweet feminine items!

Cottage-y bliss!

This is Debbie from Blossoms Vintage Chic. Her booth is my favorite!

What are some of YOUR favorite spots to shop????

rosie

Awesome Velvet Headboard!

2011-08-13T15:54:00.001-07:00

I've been able to hit a few local thrift stores on a regular basis and saw this headboard a week ago. It was blue and really needed some help so I passed it by. Well, the other night I went to bed thinking about it, (because, after all, it WAS velvet!) I called the next morning to see if it was still there. It was. I walked in, offered half of the asking price, and it was mine. I cleaned it up and it is fabulous!

It was a '70's stripedy blue and beige. I gave it a good scrubbing and sprayed a bleach solution on it. I was hoping to get a silvery shade of french blue grey and it worked perfectly. Above is a part on the back that shows a small portion of the original color. (I always forget to take before pics and I was pretty thorough with the bleach!)

I want to offer it at our next Re-InVintage sale in Sept. but I may have a hard time parting with it! It shines like a diamond!

rosie

Can I just say, "It's HOT?!"

2011-07-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

I guess I should have brought in my candles from the wall sconce out back! Sheesh! It's so hot I can see the BIRDS panting!

There are some crazy people who still hold garage sales in 100+ degrees and being crazy myself, I'll stop if I'm out but I'm not going out on purpose...unless its to the air-conditioned thrift store...Here are a few recent finds:

Check out this Quinceanera crown and matching scepter! I hit this garage sale in the AM before work and drooled all over this set but didn't buy it. When I stopped again after work, it was still there and I knew it MUST be mine!

I put it on as soon as I got in the van and waved out the window like Queen Elizabeth all the way home.

I also got this tiny little crown at the same sale.

I'm using it to glitz-up my new little glass lamp from Salvation Army.

Once a year my neighbor takes me to her friends AWESOME sale that is in an old turkey barn. I got this adorable baby picture for $3.

Here are some more thrifting & G-sale finds: patina'd old clock, 2 pretty boxes and some glass knobs on clearance, 4 for $5, at Mega-Marshalls. Mega-Marshalls is like HomeGoods only HUGE.

But this was my luckiest find at Salvation Army yesterday. An old Steiff dalmation doggy! I'd love to tell you what I paid for him (CHEEP CHEEP) but I'm listing him on Ebay today and don't want to discourage any buyers.

The heat advisory that started last week is now extended through this weekend! Hope you are all finding nice ways to keep cool...like wandering around in a cool thrift store for 2 hours like I did!

rosie

The Re-InVintage Fair

2011-07-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

Last month I was invited to be a part of the 1st ever Re-InVintage Fair in Missouri. It was soooo fun! I had been wanting an avenue in which to sell all my great re-furbished finds and this fair just landed in my lap!

My neighbor handed me a flyer and said,"This is right up your alley!" I called the number and Janice was kind enough to invite me to participate! Janice owns "Julia Price's Tea Room", a beautiful victorian home here in town. She had a great vision for an outdoor affair and it was a BIG success!

There were about 12 vendors and Janice hopes to have more as time goes on. Thoughts are that there may be another Fair in the fall when we have our annual Turkey Festival.

Here is a refurbished wicker set that sold before I even got it all out of the truck! I reupholstered it in vintage fabric and trim then added vintage pillows in ticking and velvet.

A fabulous lunch was served inside the tea house! (Sorry I forgot to take pics!) Janice prepares a wonderful fruited chicken salad on fresh croissants. MMMMM! Bon-bons and sweets round out the menu.

My daughter makes these sparkling necklaces out of vintage buttons!

A collection of Pie Birds.

Lots of shabby furniture for sale.

Some of my vintage linens for sale.

Picking out aprons...

We had a really nice weekend even though the temps were 90's!

Most of these pics were taken of only my booth so go here to see more of what some other vendors had to offer!

Can't wait til next time!

rosie

Oh, Lolli Lolli!

2011-07-07T14:40:00.000-07:00

Over the Independence weekend we took a short trip to St. Louis. While stolling the streets of Clayton we happened upon the *SWEETEST* little candy shop!

"Oh Lolli Lolli" is not only a feast for your tastebuds...It is also a feast for your eyes! One whole wall is covered in a rainbow of candy-filled jars!

The turquoise painted walls and pink details were enough to draw me in! I was like...well...a kid in a candy store! Colors and flavors GALORE!

You can buy candy by the pound or by the piece. Soft Gummy Bears in all flavors...the jar of Grape flavored ones was almost empty. Must be a best seller! They sell freshly made chocolates including CUPCAKE-sized Peanut Butter Cups! (sorry, I didn't get a pic.)

A kid with a dollar could walk out with a white paper bag full of goodies. I had the FRESHEST malted milk balls I have ever tasted. They even have iridescent pearlized Sixlets in pastel colors. They get wedding orders for these and I can see why! They are lovely. If you happen to find yourself in Clayton you should really treat yourself to a stop at "Oh, Lolli Lolli", 802 De Mun Ave.

Christmas Explosion!

2010-12-09T12:42:00.000-08:00

When my sister-in-law walked into the house she said, "It looks like Christmas EXPLODED on your dining table!" It had.

But out of the chaos came shimmering order!

I've been working on using up all my vintage planters, ornaments and Christmas figurines from Lefton, Relpo, Enesco, etc. Above is a cute little woodland brownie.

Here are "baby" and Santa.

Baby's First Christmas, all tangled in mercury bead garland!

This is the sweetest flowergirl! Kinda like a pink Eliza Doolittle.

I bought her at a rummage sale then proceeded to drop her on the floor as soon as I got her home! :( Fortunately I was able to glue her backside together and use her in this cute Christmas tree collage. Some of her flowers got chipped so I just gave her a whole new bunch of vintage millinery posies.

Here is a cute "Spaghetti" Santa!

I am still working on a few more trees. I'm hoping to get them on ebay before Christmas but time is so short!

Here are some tags I made from vintage Christmas wrap. I just cut out the designs, glued them to cardstock with gluestick, scalloped the edges with scissors and sprinkled with glitter. A hole-punch makes for easy tie-ons.

I hope you are finding all the time you need for your own Christmas Crafting! It's hard to do, isn't it?! I hope to have more to show you before Christmas. Sorry I've been gone so long but sometimes blogging has to take a backseat to LIFE! ;) Thanks for sticking with me!

Love

rosie

Recent finds

2010-08-26T14:04:00.000-07:00

Not much time for thrifting or g'saling as the summer winds down. But I recently stopped into one of my fav shops that I've managed to pass by for 4 months... Whenever I do that, I find so many goodies, its almost like they were just saving them up for me to come claim them. Above are some vintage notecards, brand new, 50 cent per box.

A tole style wall hanging $2.

Not a very good photo but this sparkling 3-tier pressed glass plate was $3.

5 vintage ceramic place cards that will be scattered around the house and hold various love-notes written in dry-erase pen to my family.

2 folk art pin cushions. Sooo intricate! and look what they are made out of...

A TIN CAN with the sides all shredded for rolling up into scrollwork! 1$ for 2.

Check out this little china night light. It glows the most perfect shade of pink! $1.50

I picked up this Emil Schmeckenbecher tweety bird for $2. I took it apart and found the clockworks inside were beyond my ability to repair. :( So I put it back together, but before I did, I repainted the faded bird and gave him new plumage. Even though he can no longer sing, he looks more beautiful than ever! My daughter pointed out that I forgot to give him eyes so I'll have to find a couple seed beads for that.

I found this bust of a child at one of the few G'sales I've gone to this summer. Look at the detail in her hair styling.

Doesn't she have the sweetest smile? She had a little flaw that I had to repair with filler . You can see it next to her armpit. All I need to do is cover it with a bit of paint. $3 well spent.

Hope you are able to enjoy the cool spell and get out to some sales this weekend!
rosie

1 dollar bargains or How to Make a Crown from a Wastebasket!

2010-07-30T20:14:00.000-07:00

I REALLY hope you have a Hy-Vee grocery store in your area. They have the BEST deals! I was there today and got a rotisserie chicken (for my son's lunch...he is a GROWING boy!) for just $3.99. Also there was a clerk in the store standing behind a hula-skirted tahitian bar hocking fresh Margaritas for $4 a piece...now that's my kinda store!

Anyway, last week they had their Million Roses Sale. Beautiful long stemmed roses for $6 a doz or .50 apiece! I got them in every color of the rainbow. (Orange is my favorite.) What a terrific deal!

My next bargain I found directly in my own thrift shop (the one I manage.) The ladies who take-over when I have a day off put out this basket of vintage baby shoes for .50 a pair! I bought the whole lot of seven pairs! They are soooo adorable!! But PLEASE! Someone tell me what to create with them! I found one idea on line for a pin cushion but I want to do more! AND it must include Glitter!

Check out this Mermaid Crown! Okay, it wasn't a dollar but $2.00 still qualifies as a bargain. It's really just a floral spray with beads and shells but fashion it into a loop and it is the perfect mermaid crown! It decorates the framed print of Torrey Pines Beach that I recently purchased in San Diego. (ps-This is NOT the wastebasket crown...keep scrolling).

Here is my $1 Queen of Hearts Crown (and the King of Hearts Crown, too.)

My kids were recently in a production of Alice in Wonderland and I volunteered to make the crowns. (I actually had to beg to do it because it was supposed to be student-run ONLY!) Anyway, I saw the black wire wastebasket at Dollar Tree and inspiration HIT!

The king's crown was made from two .50 candle holders that I took apart and glued together. I used red glitter fun-foam for the hearts, fat chenille, red boa, and red ribbon to embellish so they really cost more than $1, but that's the price they started at.

Here are the Queen of Hearts, the King of Hearts and the Naive of Hearts. My son was the king.

My daughter was the Cheshire Cat. All the kids did a wonderful, professional job! The director was just 16 years old! He has a great career ahead of him!

Please send me your ideas for the baby shoes. I know there are some very creative bloggers out there!

Have a great weekend,
rosie

Sister's Day Out Continues at Urban Barn !

2010-07-15T10:13:00.000-07:00

(Please bear with me as I try updating the appearence of my blog! HTML is new territory for me!)

Urban Barn is a wonderful venue run by a group of very talented ladies in Escondido, Ca. If you are in the area DO NOT miss their up-coming Grand Opening Event! It begins TOMORROW! Unfortunately, I am back home in muggy Missouri and (sniff) cannot attend...but I hope to see lots of photos from those of you that DO!

While I was in San Diego, my sister's, our friend Judy and I continued our "Sister's Day Out" by visiting Urban Barn. It was so much fun!

My sister's very preggers daughter, Vanessa joined us.

A very large warehouse contains all the goodies!

I didn't know where to look first!

Vintage glam everywhere!

Check out this incredible be-jeweled lamp! It was spectacular!

Lots of sparkling chandys.

As we stood chatting, a dealer carted in this large vintage fuschia light-up sign. You should have seen the all the women in the place...they ooo-ed and awww-ed and hovered over the sign like swarming bees!

Urban Barn also has an outdoor area with lots of talented vendors showing off their creations. I met some lovely ladies including Lori Martin (see her beautiful home HERE!) and Lisa Loria (in photo below) from Vintage Bling.

She makes the most beautiful jewelry and belt buckles, not to metion her unusual "Bling Babies." It was so nice to meet her. She is a very sweet girl!

Las Tres Hermanas

Our "Sister's Day Out" was so much fun! Even if you don't have any sisters, grab a couple of girlie friends and plan a day of flea market shopping! You won't regret it!

rosie

The Mermaid's Mercantile

2010-07-08T19:04:00.001-07:00

Our holiday in San Diego was wonderful! We spent most of our time with family at the beach house in PB (Pacific Beach).

The kids got plenty of Boogie-boarding time even though the last few days of vacation were wrought with "June Gloom." That means "chilly and overcast" ALL DAY!

But I wanted to tell you about one of the highlights of my trip: "Sister's Day Out!"

I made my invitations and sent them out before I even got to San Diego. I didn't want anyone to miss out on the fun!

Our first stop was "Out of the Blue" in Solana Beach. Owner Debi Beard hosts a gorgeous outdoor shopping venue called "The Mermaid's Mercantile." There were so many talented women showing their beautiful wares, I didn't know where to look first!

Here are just a few photos of the day:

All the booths seemed to glow under the lace canopies in the California sunshine!

I apologize for not getting the names of each lady who set up these lovely vingnettes!

I didn't get a photo of Laura Zeller's booth but she has the cutest handmade baby items. If you are in need of a one-of-a-kind baby shower gift, you will do yourself a favor if you visit her at "Posies Boutique."

This bed was SPECTACULAR! The headboard and footboard were encrusted with polished seashells.

Here is a closer view of the footboard. I am guessing Debi had a hand in this gorgeous creation.

Debi is the sweetest, talented girl!!! Visiting her shop is like stepping into a fairyland! I didn't want to leave! I SO want to come out again and take one of her fun classes!

She makes beautiful shell covered works of art done with a meticulous hand. I wish you could see all the wonderful things in her shop!

After a fun morning at The Mermaid's Mercantile, my sisters and I had a great lunch at:

I was sooo hungry I didn't think to take a picture of my YUMMY French Toast!

My sisters Rosemary and Raymie and I had a wonderful day, along with our good friend Judy. (My vintage beach hat is courtesy of my sister, from her vintage collection!)

There is more to tell about the day, including our visit to Urban Barn but that will have to wait for my next post!

God's blessings!
rosie

How to make no-sew fortune cookies

2010-06-16T18:56:00.000-07:00

Don't these look good enough to eat???

BUT FIRST...

...I have to show you these incredible flowers that my sweet friend Glennette gave me. She came into my shop and told me she had all these "puff balls" in her yard, did I know what kind of flower they were. Then she used the word "snow ball" and I knew what she had! Next day I went over to her house to GET SOME! Aren't they beautiful? I took them to work today and everyone had to touch them and ask "Are these REAL?"

On to the How-To:

I found some skirts at the thrift store that had some nice colors and patterns. I cut them into manageable pieces.

Paired them up into contrasting colors and sandwiched a piece of fusible webbing between them (right-sides out). Ironed it.

I cut 3 1/4" circles from freezer paper and ironed them to the fabric.

The circle pattern facilitates cutting out the fabric.

I peeled off the paper, cut a smidge of fusible webbing to tack the edges together at one side.

I ironed it closed.

Here are my various fabric circles. (Please note these cookies have patterned fabric on both sides. The photo at the top of this post shows cookies with only the inside of the cookie having patterned fabric.)

I folded them into the fortune cookie shape and painted it with glue. I used toothpicks wrapped with a rubberband to hold them together while they dried.

I let them dry over night.

Hubs and kids brainstormed for these original fortunes. I printed them out on the computer and cut them into strips. (click photo for bigger view...)

When the cookies were dry, I stuffed the folded fortunes inside. I can't wait to hand them out to my sisters!

One last thing...Here are the invites I made for my upcoming "Sister's Party" that I am planning during my vacation next week. I am heading out to the beach to visit my family in San Diego. But I will have plenty to blog about when I return in 2 weeks! See you later!
Rosie

Garage Sale finds & a SURPRISE in the Mail!

2010-06-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

It feels like I haven't been out G-saleing for sooo long! But, on my walk last night, I saw a few sales setting up for this morning, so I got up bright and early today.

The lady down the street always has a killer sale with all her grand-daughter's designer clothes. That is one sale even my daughter will get up for!

We got quite a few tops but these were the cutest (click to enlarge):

A never worn white hoodie with rhinestone cross and a cute little tank with a rhinestone tiara emblasoned across the front. You know me...anything that sparkles has to come to Mama.

I got this lovely flower arrangement for $1.50! It was in a yucky plant-pot so I just grabbed one of my ironstone vases and stuffed it in. I love it!

This is something I would not have shown you yesterday. My linen closet was a disaster. But today I got these great storage baskets for $1 each and they have put order to the chaos.

I even made little tags so the kids know whats-where.

Now for the CUTEST stuff....

I bought these GREAT doggie dish towels from my friend Deb over at Garage Sale Gal. They arrived yesterday and they are soooo adorable! But that's not it. She sneaked-in some other treasures!

Everything was vintage, pink and rosey, just the way I like it! Thanks so much, Deb. You are a sweetheart!

Let me leave you with this little magnet...I found it on a recent trip to Branson (at the thrift store, of course...) I'm sure my husband thinks it "says it all!"

Have a great weekend!

rosie

Dressing up for Cocktails

2010-06-03T16:52:00.000-07:00

Thank you everyone for your kind words regarding my doggie's death. We are doing fine but really miss her. One of our other dogs ("Pudd", as in Pudding) looks just like her and I have to keep catching myself from thinking it's Kelsey when I look out the window and see her.

I just wanted to add another Apron item...I know, you're probably sick of aprons but I'll make it short:

I found these tiny little aprons at a garage sale! They would fit a chihuahua if it would fit over his noggin! Anyway, I brought them home and dressed up my evening libations. I showed the cuteness to my friend and she wrinkled-up her nose and said, "THAT'S not what they're for!"

Appearently they are to dress up your dish-soap bottle. Hmph. My idea is so much more fun and it isn't tainted by the thought of housework!

Saying Goodbye to Kelsey

2010-06-01T17:03:00.001-07:00

See the dog in this picture? She is one happy camper! Look at the smile on her face. She is sitting next to her "best friend." (see the little round guy??)

She is our Kelsey. We've had her for 14 years and today we had to put her into a restful peace.

She was a faithful, obedient, loyal dog who gave us everything she had.

She loved to lie on the cool kitchen floor.

And when it got too difficult to climb the step to the kitchen, she was satisfied to lay and watch us from the back room.

She gave the world 8 loving pups, one of which we still have.

Thank you Lord for the gift of such a sweet life. We will miss her.

rosie

Horses & Aprons & Fairs (oh my)

2010-05-28T18:46:00.000-07:00

This is just a post about 3 random items...

#1: Horses) While driving today my daughter and I passed a farm with this unusual horse. I've never seen anything like it... and I've been to 2 county fairs and a football game!

It was just gorgeous. What kind is it??

#2: Aprons) In my recent garage saleing I've been lucky enough to find lots of aprons. Here are a few pictures of my finds. I'd like to tell you just how many aprons I now have in my collection but then someone might report me and I would end up on the show "Hoarders" and I'd have to cry on TV and it would all get very ugly...

This organdy apron and the "Mod" one above were 10 cents each. My kinda garage sale...

This one was a quarter and is very similar to the one my Grandma Anna used to wear!

I paid $2 for this one and I love the "sweetheart" neckline. It is homemade.

Daughter #1 found this one for me for Christmas. She embellished it with eyelet lace.

Daughter #2 purchased this one for me on line for my birthday. I love the little girls with their umbrellas!

But this one is my very most favorite apron that I wear most everytime I cook. It is a Mother's Day gift from my MIL I received a few years back. I love the lime green color and the flouncey skirt at the bottom. It is so feminine.

#3: Fairs)

I'll bet you don't have one of these festivals in YOUR town!

Happy Memorial Day!

rosie

Small Pink "Blanket?"

2010-05-20T07:47:00.000-07:00

I made a quick dash into the thrift store last week and found lots of PINK and LOTS of vintage linens. They are in the wash now but I'll show you some later. I always hit the baby section in search of vintage baby blankets and there, I snapped this little thing up!

I couldn't resist that fat little cat with the ribbon around his neck. (Even if I don't like real cats!)

Notice the tag: "SMALL BLANKET." I didn't pay much attention to it. After all, most baby blankets ARE small but I use them as lap-throws so they work for me.

When I got it home and unrolled it ,it was no bigger than 20" x 24"! It would barely cover one leg! I think it is 100% wool and had been washed. Does anyone know if I can soak it and stretch it out again??? I've done that with cotton items but never with wool. Any ideas?

This little kitty is playing with a ball of green yarn. He's so cute and puffy!

Even at it's present size, it would still make a very sweet wall hanging for the cottage.

Rummage finds!

2010-05-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share a few goodies with you. I got this pretty little dish for a dime. It's only 3" wide but is perfect for holding my rings when I do the dishes.

I know it's chipped but I couldn't help falling in love with the little blue birdies landing so delicately on the tree. (click on the photo for a larger picture.)

Look at this adorable pendant! It actually started out as a keychain but after I found a nice silver chain to put it on, it started a new life. I just love the doe, so demure, in her apron.

Here is a stack of tiny "plates". I think they are coasters...well, at least that's what I'm using them for. They come in their own holder. Again, with the little birdies!

Two metal bed trays, you know, the kind that you can get breakfast in bed with? Each has a lovely sketch of the Eiffel Tower with the words "Paris Au Printemps" at the bottom. Anyone know what that means? I don't!

This last prize I got at an antique store for $8. Not exactly Garage Sale price, but when you figure out the price per card, it was well worth it! A box of 8 vintage New Baby cards! The graphics are precious. I've already sent out two of them.

HAPPY HUNTING!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Mother's Day! I just have to brag on my kids and say that they are the BEST a mom could ever wish for! I was in bed all day with a toothache (root canal coming this friday...ugh.) but the kids made breakfast for me and still brought me gifts. The flowers above are from my two teens. They said they will plant them in my garden for me as soon as I tell them where.

My "little" girl (18yrs and 4" taller than me!) made this beautiful crystal necklace for me in all my favorite colors...pink, pearl, silver and crystal. It SPARKLES!

My "big" girl (27yrs and 4" SHORTER than me...) made me this beautiful clock to hang in the cottage! She hand painted it from a photo of our Pondicherry Cottage. Isn't it perfect?

Here is the cottage, an old photo before we even had the porch redone:

And here is a close-up of the clock:

Didn't she do a great job?! She had to paint "around the tree" in the front yard to get the entire house in. It looks exactly like the real thing!

I've got one more special gift to show you. A sweet new friend, that is a regular at my thrift store, gifted me with a garage-sale-find. She said that when she saw it she knew it would go PERFECTLY in my house...and it DOES!

Look at this pretty little thing! Pink and rosey, it fits "just right" at my bedside. You are a SWEETHEART, Glennette! Thank you!

I think she said she paid a whopping $2 for it! That makes me love it even more!

Okay, just one more thing...I stopped at a yardsale on Fri and they were just setting up. "The sale really starts tomorrow, but you can look. Just ask if you don't see a price."

There were people digging through everything! With each item I picked up, the lady would say,"That's a quarter." She'd look at her friend and say "We are NOT taking this stuff home!"
I don't think I've ever been to a sale where "Early Birds" were encouraged!

I got a couple of really cute summer tops, some old Disney videos, an antique parasol and the tree skirt pictured below...

Now you are either gonna HATE it or LOVE it. I LOVE it and it will go under my tree next year. A few felt pieces are missing but easy enough for me to replace.

But it's the sequins and the ric-rac that I go GA-GA for! This picture doesn't do it justice. Click on it for a larger view. It really glitters! I also got an antique wash stand for a buck, but that will have to go in another post.

Happy Mexican Mother's Day today! ('specially to mi mama y mi hermanas!)

Love Rosie

How to Repair Old Plaster Frames

2010-05-04T16:47:00.000-07:00

I like to buy antique frames but alot of the time they are damaged, with parts of the plaster detail missing. Usually, I don't mind. It adds character to the piece. Recently, I purchased this nice old mirror. It had only a couple of bits missing from the frame so I thought I'd try my hand at an easy repair.

I went to my son's stash of modeling clay for a couple of blobs of Sculpey. (I use this for lots of cosmetic repairs on china and ceramics.)

There was a rope-like piece of plaster missing from around the edge of the frame so I took the blue Sculpey and pressed it into an existing part of the rope making a mold. (It doesn't matter what color Sculpey you use. I just used contrasting colors for the purpose of this demonstration.)

Then I baked it to make it hard. Sculpey bakes at 200 degrees, 15 min per 1/4" thickness. This tiny piece (and the others that follow) took about 20 min.

When it was cooled, I took a piece of soft red Sculpey and pressed it into the now hard blue mold.

I carefully lifted it out and, using a scissors, I trimmed it to fit the void in the frame.

Then it was time for this piece to bake.

When it was cooled, I glued it into place with Tacky Glue.

I let it dry overnight.

The next day I got out my paints and set out to make it all blend in....

I used to be a photo-retoucher back in the days before PhotoShop, so I'm pretty good with color matching....

At the same time, I replaced a larger piece missing from the scroll-work at the top of the mirror. Here, you can see the brown base color before I added the top layer of gold paint. (This piece had to be molded by hand because the corresponding scroll on the opposite side would have molded backwards...I learned this through trial and error! My dyslexic mind couldn't figure that out until I tried to make the mold!)

After the brown base color had dried, I lightly brushed some gold tone paint over it to blend in with the rest.

It wasn't a perfect match, but from a distance, it will do!

Here is the larger patch getting the "Midas touch."

Here you can clearly see the patch but when I got the mirror hung, it was virtually invisible. You couldn't find it unless you were looking for it.

(See arrow)

This is the first time I've tried this and it really was a simple fix. I am pleased with the results. The only thing I would do differently is to blend the patches a little better.

Good luck with your own attempt! It really was easy with Sculpey!

Rummage Sale Christmas Finds

2010-04-30T18:42:00.000-07:00

In my area we don't have Estate Sales or Tag Sales. We get your basic Yard Sales and Garage Sales. But my very most favorite sale is the Church Rummage Sale!

I have this theory that lots of older people attend church so, when they donate their "rummage" for the sale, it's good OLD stuff! Plus, with that many people to draw from there's bound to be a great variety of stuff!

One of the best Church Sales in our area is at Faith Church once a year. Their ENTIRE gymnasium is COVERED with goodies! I look forward to this sale all year. I was there bright and early yesterday, and although I didn't score as big as I did last year, it was still a great sale.

This sweet lady, Margaret, helps keep this sale running smoothly!

Here are some of my treasures:

I got a kitschy old Santa tree skirt, some vintage toys and books, a nice wire basket...

Cute little Napco girlies for Christmas crafts ($1 each)...

YARDS AND YARDS of old mercury glass garland for $2!

I also bought an old twin bed frame and some wrought iron garden chairs that will be a project to share with you later.

On the way home I had to stop at the Salvation Army just for grins.

I found this unusual little trinket box for a buck. It's got a big rhinestone drawer-pull and the whole thing opens up like so:

Neat, huh?

Well I have to share another "trash" story with you. I know some of you are really put-off with finding things in the trash but please understand that I do not go digging around in it. There is some kind of "Whimsey" that follows me around and places things within my plain view for me to just FIND! Case in point:

DH and I are driving through our neighborhood on our way out of town. At 30mph, I see a glint of flashy sparkle out of the corner of my eye and instinctively say, "ORNAMENTS! Back UP!" DH is used to these sudden outbursts so he dutifully stops and kicks it into reverse. There, on the grass, were two boxes of Christmas sparkle ready to go out with trash.

Oh. Did I mention they were Shiny Brites, including 5 INDENTS????

Yep, it's true. One man's trash is one lucky woman's treasure!

God Bless Rachel Ashwell!

2010-04-23T18:12:00.001-07:00

Sometimes LIFE happens and you have to step out of the Blogosphere for awhile! Well, things here have calmed down a bit and I am back in the saddle. The kid's performance, "Around the World in 80 Days," consumed my life for just about that long, then Mom came for a visit, then sister came for a visit, and NOW.....aaahhhh....back to my blogging friends! I've missed you!

I've finally had some time to catch up on reading some of your blogs and I am inspired by you! You've had some great garage sale finds and are doing some fun travelling!

While my sister was here visiting from San Diego last week, we hit every thrift store within a 50 mile radius. It turned out to be a KILLER Shabby Chic Week for me!

I got these 2 SC books and 1 Mary Englebreit book for .25 cents each!

Do you see the bedspread beneath the books??? We just switched from a Queen size to a King and I have been wanting a Rachel Ashwell spread but didn't have the $100 asking price at Target.

Well looky-looky what I found at the Thrift Store. Simply Shabby Chic spread, in a KING size, even! (Hold on to your hats, girls...) $10.00! I was in dreamland!

Getting home from our travels that day, my sister found my new Romantic Homes magazine in the mailbox. Thumbing through it, she said, "Hey, Banana (that's what she calls me....) Here's your new bed spread on page 10." Style-validation is just sooo sweet.

Ever since we got our new King bed, I've been looking for a headboard. I'd love a nice white 4-poster but our room is small, even tinier since we shoved the King in there. So I needed something that wouldn't take-up alot of space. I asked the lady at one Thrift Store if she had any King headboards. "Ya, in the back we've got one." She led me to a boring 1970's wooden model, but in the opposite corner of the warehouse was a great tufted one! "Hey, what about that one?" but was it a King???? YES! Oh, lucky day!

My sister may be the "Line Jinx" (do NOT get in line behind her at the check-out!) but she sure was my thrift store CHARM last week! The headboard was short enought to fit under the window and just the perfect length. There are two buttons missing but for $20 (I left the frame behind) I can live with a couple of replacements.

(Sorry my pics are so dark! )

Here is a picture of my new spread with the Ralph Lauren dust ruffle I got last month at Marshall's for $5. They are a great match.

Another day we were at Salvation Army and I happend upon a bagful of red velvet strawberries, like the kind that hang off of a pin cushion. I bought them all for a buck fifty. That night while reading one of my Ashwell books, there it was, more affirmation....

I've always loved vintage style but it was never really defined until Ms. Ashwell brought it to light. I am so thankful for Rachel Ashwell and the beauty she brings to so many of us.

God Bless Rachel Ashwell!

Valentine Shadowbox

2010-01-17T11:21:00.000-08:00

BEFORE:

I found this tiny shadowbox at the thrift store. It's a mass-produced blue and mauve number from the '80, judging by the colors. I took it home to use as the base for my first-ever try at shadow boxes. I figured I would start out small. (The dime will give you a size reference...)

AFTER:

I used

an old sheet of Valentine scrapbook paper and some small doilies, found a figural button and some ribbon, added some glitter and I was done. The most time consuming part was figuring out the placement of the items.

But I like how it turned out and maybe next time I will try for something a little bigger!

Have fun making your own,

Rosie

How to paint a Chandelier

2010-01-10T11:05:00.000-08:00

Here is an old chandelier that someone gave me last month. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it but I knew, at the least, it needed a paint job.

First thing was to remove the glass parts (remember in what order you unscrewed them!) and cover the "candlesticks". I usually cover them with newspaper and tape but, while rummaging through the junk-drawer I found some balloons ("Eureka! I'm a genius"...um...not-so-much...) I slipped them over the candlesticks. (The paint-covered balloons flaked all over the project when I went to remove them. Ugh. It made for extra clean-up work! So much for genius. I recommend masking tape and newspaper.)

Other styles of chandeliers will need other parts removed or masked and still others will require extra painting on wires or chains.

Sand any rust spots.

To spray paint, I like to put my project in a box. It contains the paint better and the paint has a "second chance" to land on the project while it's flying around in there. The box pictured is less than perfect size for this project. The chandelier should not really be sticking out of the box anywhere...but it's the only box I had on hand...

I used this Krylon Indoor/Outdoor flat. I think it worked fine. It's the first time I've used this brand and I liked it because it dried quickly, allowing for fast application of more coats. My favorite brand is Zinsser Stain Blocker. It will cover ANYTHING!
Spray your first coat. Let dry. Reposition project. Spray again. Repeat until you are happy with the coverage.

This chandelier came naked...that is...without any crystals. So, being that I had all my Christmas decorations out, I trimmed it with mini balls and pearl garland. I have used this painting method on metal, brass, wire and wood chandeliers. It's simple and for the cost of a $4 can of spraypaint (don't use the $1.99 Walmart brand...too thin), you can have a fresh new look on any light fixture. Try it!

How to make your own Thin Mint Cookies

2010-01-07T11:04:00.000-08:00

How to make your own Thin Mint Cookies!

This was the view out my front porch this morning so it seemed like a good day to stay inside and make cookies....

Have you ever made your own Girl Scout-style Thin Mints?

It's very simple and they taste better than the "real thing", plus I didn't even have to turn on the oven.

All you need is meltable Dark MINT Chocolate wafers and ritz-style crackers. Melt the chocolate in a double-boiler or two pots, one sitting in the boiling water of the other (that's what I do because I don't own a double boiler...)

When the chocolate is melted, dip crackers in, one at a time and coat both side with chocolate. (Sorry about the practically empty pot in this picture. I was finished before I remembered to take the photos!) Tap off the excess chocolate and place cookie on waxed paper. I do about 10 then take my fork and press a criss-cross shape on them while they are still "wet".

If you can't find the mint flavored chocolate wafers, you can use regular dark chocolate wafers and just add a tad of peppermint extract to the melted chocolate.

This recipe is super easy but time consuming since you have to make them one at a time. I suggest using a fork to dip and flip the crackers as a spoon will gather too much chocolate when you go to place the cookie on the paper. We like to store the finished cookies in the freezer for that extra minty "cold-snap" when you bite into one! Have fun!

Rosie

Does this look like a "Treasure Chest??"

2009-12-29T11:04:00.002-08:00

Don't be fooled by the back-alley placement of this little gem....

Time and time again this "magic box" has produced vintage treasures that would have gone unnoticed by the common man...

This dumpster sits right next to the parking lot at our local post office. I can see it as soon as I pull up. And if I get there on a lucky day, it will be waiting with "who-knows-what" inside. I can recall half a dozen times when, all I did was pull into the PO parking space, look up, and there it was...beckoning me with some useful item waiting to be remade! Once I even found a lovely wicker sofa and side table precariously shoved into it! (They now reside on my front porch.)

Last week someone thoughtfully laid these treasures there for me:

A perfect vintage George Washington bedspread...perfect fringe and all! 100% cotton, NOT polyester. Look at the size of this thing! (click on it for a better view) It's shown on my King sized bed. Perfect condition! I found it gingerly draped and spilling out over the edge of the dumpster as if the previous owner knew I'd be coming to the PO that day. It lured me over to peek inside...

And amid a box of old throw pillows...

This BEAUTIFUL vintage chenille number! It had a couple of stains on the edge but they came out with oxy treatment and it is gorgeous!

I have made no secret of my "diving" and finds like these make me down-right proud! I...AM...the ULTIMATE RECYCLER!

rosie

POST SCRIPT: Ahem...could I just clerify? "Diving" is just an expression. It usually entails retrieving something already revealed...not actually climbing in and scraping the bottom. It is serendipitous.

I know Christmas is over but...

2009-12-29T10:33:00.000-08:00

Did you know that the 12 Days of Christmas actually STARTS on Christmas day??? So really, I can keep celebrating until January 5th!

I just wanted to share some pics of my favorite ornaments from this season.

My sweet angel and blown glass tree topper.

I love these old angels with the china heads, netting, and paper accesories.

This one was a 50-cent'r after Christmas sale item.

This sweetheart is a little german bell covered with a wooden headed felt angel. She was donated to my thrift shop and, because she has all the perfect colors of pink and blue, I snatched her right up and took her home.

I also collect these old '70's items with red and white flocking over a plastic base. This Snoopy is missing one ear but I just turned him the other way. He is so cute. In the upper left corner you can see a bit of a red flocked house that Santa is peeking out of. (Click any photo to enlarge.)

This basket of ornaments is another 1/2 price find. Most are marked West Germany. They are a little older than the style I usually collect but for $3.50, was I just supposed to leave the basket at the store???

This is a wreath I made out of all my extra vintage ornaments. (Sometimes you have to buy a whole bagful to get the ONE indent at the bottom of the bag~!) I strung them all on a wire coat hanger, leaving the hooked end to hang it. It's a bit delicate. I strung about 65 ornaments but about 4-5 popped off (plink...CRASH). I think it was too packed. I learned how to do it from Rhoda at Southern Hospitality.

Here is a peek at my attempted village display. It didn't quite turn out how I'd hoped but it's ok.

Here is a close-up of my treasured pink santa that a dear friend gave to me years ago after I admired it. Isn't it nice to have generous friends!

This is my NEW Nicole Sayre nativity that I got at Mega-Marshalls! I Love it! The colors are beautiful! On the day I bought it, I set it right in the center of my dining table. Later that day, I lifted it to clean the table and Joseph dropped to the floor and I totally broke HIS FOOT OFF! AARRGH! It's made of plaster so his foot really just shattered off, so it wasn't like I could just glue it back on! BLaaah!! I'm gonna have to make a new foot with sculpey. My son has it in EVERY COLOR and I use it to fix EVERYTHING I breaK!

This is what I did with my Santa collection this year. I did have it on the buffet but it was so overwhelming I relegated them all to this old bassinette.

I hope you all had a blessed Christmas! God bless you in the New Year!

Rosie

Christmas Decorating and Projects

2009-12-18T13:57:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! The elves have been busy around here! "They've" been decorating, creating, wrapping etc, just as I'm sure YOU have been doing! The little wreath above was made from an old garland that my friend was throwing out. I wound it into a circle, added a couple ornaments (birdie lost his tail so I stuck a pink feather in the end!), and pinned-on some of my favorite vintage brooches.

It hangs in my bedroom where I can see it, first thing in the morning when I wake up. It's very cheery!

Our next project asks the question "What do I do with all these bags of broken vintage jewelry?"

Well, you turn it into Christmas Trees!

My daughter, Eva, made the one above and gave it to an elderly lady at church. She was delighted with it. Most of the jewelry came from her so she recognized alot of the pieces.

Eva helped me make these MINI trees. They are about 6" whereas the larger one is about 12". Do you see the girl riding her bike??

I like how they turned out. Check out he Jesus and Mary at the base of this one. I must get back to my baking. It's not REAL baking. I'm making those easy Thin-Mint cookie clones. I'll have a recipe and pics for you tomorrow.

Have a BLESSED day!

rosie

New door and chandelier at the Cottage!

2009-12-08T10:25:00.000-08:00

I know it's silly to get excited about such small things but if your front door was 100 years old, you'd understand. Our old door was so out of plumb that you could hardly lock it anymore! And the window that had been broken out of it before we bought the cottage had been replaced with a bit of ill-fitting plywood. There was a 1inch gap at the bottom and everytime I left the place, I had to pray that I could slam the door just right in order for it to lock. One time I slammed my finger in it and stood there crying as my son prepared to catch me as I fainted from PAIN! So NOW maybe you can understand my JOY! Just look how perfectlly square it is! Aaaaaah.....

Here is the old door. I painted the little plywood piece blue just to make it tolerable. In the 2nd pic you can see light coming through the crack where it was screwed to the door! Ugh.

Look at this photo from the inside. At the top of the jamb you can see that it was practically 3" off square! No wonder I could never get it shut! The workers had to remove the original trim but were able to get it back up. You can see they had a little trouble with the plaster/lathe coming off on the left but they patched it pretty well.

Inside view. The new locks work like a dream. I'm very happy. ('Scuse the unpainted section of the floor.)

Check out my chandelier! I bought it at a garage sale for $2. It had no crystals and it was all brass so I took it apart, rewired it and painted it white. I bought an old table lamp for $10 that had aurora borealis crystals and used them for the chandelier. They are awesome!

Look how they sparkle like tiny rainbows!

I bought 2 ceiling medallions at the Escondido AMVETS for about $5. (Try to fit THAT in your carry-on luggage!) You can see I used the smaller one here. The center hole was a bit small for the electrical box so I just jig-sawed it bigger and then glued the thing up there with that super-caulking-industrial-glue-stuff. It ain't goin' nowhere!

My daughter and I have been working of Christmas crafts and I hope to have a few pictures of them for you next time!

Merry Christmas

rosie

NOT SO "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"

2009-12-04T19:09:00.000-08:00

Well, I can't believe it but it's true. I've returned from my 30th High School Reunion! Who were all those "old folks?" Oh, ya. They were ME & MY FRIENDS!!!

This photo shows only a smattering of our class of over 900! I guess if you can get 1oo or so of them together, it's a pretty good turnout.

Few people know this, but my 1979 graduating class was the inspiration behind Cameron Crowe's novel & subsequent film, "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." I did not know him, but some of my good friends knew him as he infiltrated their Journalism class.

Every ten years we get together and have a blast! And every ten years the local media writes a little piece or films a little news clip about the "Ridgemont High" class. It's kinda fun to have our "15 minutes of fame". But it's even more fun to reminisce with the girlfriends!

Well, I guess I got 15 and a half minutes of fame this time. After the Saturday night reunion, I got a few early AM wake-up calls on Sunday. "Have you seen this morning's paper?" I got my picture in the paper but they didn't use anything I had to say in the interview...I guess they didn't like the idea that it was because of my own high school experience that I HOMESCHOOL! LOL!

That's me on the left, sorting name tags....

You can read the entire article here if you are interested in more info...

Anyways, while I was in San Diego, I got to visit The Best Thrift Store in the Universe!

Amvets Thrift Store is a GIGANTIC store in Escondido and if you EVER get a chance, you MUST go! Yes, this is a command. If you DO have the chance and DO NOT go, you will regret it the rest of your live-long days! It's THAT GOOD! I visit San Diego 3-4 times a year and hit Amvets every time! (Plus, there is ANOTHER one right by the airport! Double-duty!)

Here is the outside of the building. See...I told you it was BIG!

Rows of shoes.

Miles of aisles of clothing.

This is the checkout where, on a Saturday morning there will be up to 10 checkers taking your money!

Every day the board announces which colored tags are 50%-75% off. If you go on a crazy Saturday, everything but ______ colored tags are 50% off, but you will be hard pressed to find anything but ______ colored tags! It's a trick they do that I have not been able to figure out. I've been there on a Friday and returned on Saturday only to find that all the tags have magically changed color!!! The tagging elves have swept through the place during the night and changed everything! It's incomprehensible due to the sheer volumn of stuff in there!

I didn't take a picture of all the knick-knacks lining every wall but they have loads of modern, vintage and antique JUNQUE. I didn't even take a pic of the items I bought. But I got 2 American Girl Bitty baby twins for 6$ plus some other items that will be resold on Ebay. I also bought some silver tea pots that will be turned into night lights. I will be sure to take

before/after pics of that.

Bye for now!

rosie

I am so THANKFUL!

2009-11-25T16:06:00.001-08:00

10 things I am thankful for:

SISTERS

My Job

PETS

Pete's safe return from China

My mom's continued health, (even though she can't see or hear!!)

Old FRIENDS!

My Church

Daughters (and crazy "others" in the background!)

My Family

My God

How to bleach Christmas trees

2009-10-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

The chillier weather has prompted me to think about my Christmas projects. I bought these little trees at Hobby Lobby for 99c. They have them in all sizes so it's hard not to go Hog-Wild!

Last year I learned how to bleach sisal bottle brush Christmas trees from Shanda over at Front Porches, then the other day I was reading Karla's blog at Karla's Cottage and saw her beautiful "Tree Farm". Bleaching the trees is so easy.

I simply mixed a solution of bleach and water, approx 1:4 ratio, then dipped the trees. I let them soak until they were the color I wanted. It took about 15 min, maybe a little more for some trees. I just swishled them around every so often.

I took them out and rinsed them well under running water and left them to dry in the dish rack.

They even retained most of their snow flocking. Later, I will glitter them and dye them with Kool-aid.

My little forest under glass! It's so easy! Hope you try it!

The Last Hurrah...

2009-10-15T17:01:00.001-07:00

Garage season is officially over in my neck of the woods. A week of rain and temps in the 50's-40's have successfully pushed yard-sales into extinction...at least until Spring.

BUT, now and then, there surfaces the ever hopeful Church Rummage Sale! I like those even better than g'sales because you inevitably get lots of great vintage stuff from all those little old Church Ladies. Look at my loot above.

This tray will be remade with a little paint and some vintage wallpaper.

Gorgeous California souvenier plate (my home state!) with beautiful graphics, only .25! It struck me that it might be pretty old because the place where it says "Hollywood" shows only the Hollywood Bowl, not the HOLLYWOOD sign, not even Grahman's Chinese Theatre!

This Italian wood carving will be great as a crown on one of my old wardrobes. It's about 4 ft across and only cost a buck.

More Christmas, of course. I love the homemade sequined satin ornaments.

Mirror $3, covered cakeplate $2.

Brooch and apron, .50 ea.

Covered butter, .50.

I got this old lamp base for $2 with the intension of restoring it. It will make a nice bedside lamp when it is finished. I refurbished a similiar lamp that I rescued from a trash heap last year.

Here it is. The blue ceramic base was in excellent condition. I rewired it with a new cord and socket. The Rachel Ashwell blue roses shade that I found at the thrift store for $2 was a perfect match. It was like new. I use it every night!

Seems like I always have more "projects" than "time!'

Time for Halloween!

2009-10-12T14:11:00.000-07:00

It's time once again to drag out my Halloween decorations! I have 3 big tubs full of stuff but this year I decided to pare it down and use only about 1/3rd of it. (Less clean-up time!)

I found some plastic gold frames that once held mirrors. After spraying them black they provide the perfect spookiness for framing a couple of my skeletons. One is vintage Beistle, the other is Mexican tin.

The candelabra I got this summer with the intention of spraying it white. I'm glad I left it black. It's just right for Halloween. I'm using my leftover orange candles from last year because I can't find true-orange candles ANYWHERE. I looked at every store and can only find shades of autumn-orange. I want Candy Corn orange! But I DID find some nice BLACK ones, 4 for a dollar. Can't beat that.

These are some little Halloween Cat pins that I made. I just got those wooden 1/2 spheres that come in a baggie at Hobby Lobby,painted them black then painted the faces on them with a really tiny brush. I used green sequins for the eyes and glued them on; glued felt triangle ears to the back; then hot-glued a pin clasp to the back, too. Viola! Kute kitty!

I made a few pumpkin face pins too but they didn't turn out as cute. I have some great vintage chenille stems that would make nice bodies for the pumpkins. Maybe I will put attach the heads and hang them on my Halloween tree. Hmmm.

This is my dog, Pudd, trying on her Halloween costume. She is going as "Where's Waldo." Ha!
What are YOU going as?

Birthday Gifts

2009-10-10T19:03:00.000-07:00

I know it's been over a week since my birthday but I wanted to show you some of the wonderful gifts I received! Look at the picture above for my haul! I got beauty items (wrinkle cream) from my sister (ahem), slippers from my brother, a FLIP WILSON DVD from my other sister (YES!), and a sweet angel that holds a lit candle from my mom.

Check out these beautiful mixing bowls I got from my husband. I actually bought them myself because he said, "Just get whatever you want and say it's from me." I like that kind of gift. I had seen them in a gift shop last July and the owner said, "That's my last set." Well, I had the opportunity to get back to the shop in September and, lo and behold, if the "last set" wasn't still there! That means it was meant to be, right???

My sweet daughter bought this apron for me. (Doesn't she make a cute model?) She knows how I love to wear aprons everyday. If I'd have known, I would have sent her over to the Pansy Cottage Girl to check out more aprons. But I'm perfectly happy with the adorable apron my girlie picked out for me.

Look at this whimsical rainy day fabric in pink and brown. So "Small World!" I'm sure that's why she chose it. I am a HUGE fan of Mary Blair.

I also wanted to show you some of the cards I received. The one above is a vintage card from my Mom. She knows how I love old stuff...but she didn't want to sign it!

My God-mother sent me this card! It is SOOO me! I make no secret of my Dumpster Diving! The inside of the card says, "I'm still searching for the perfect gift." HA!

This last card was so adorable, I had to share it. Look at their cute little "paws." This card is from my sister. We were never this close at this young age because she is 6 years older than I. But now we are the bestest of friends! WE dance together ALL the time now!

Have a great weekend!

The Kindness of Strangers

2009-10-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

Recently, one of my regular customers at the thrift shop came in. He walked up to the counter and put this old blue box in front of me. I didn't recognize it as something I had put out for sale so I was a little confused. (Sometime I get people coming in trying to sell me stuff but this guy wasn't like that.) I opened the box and this is what was inside:

I was still confused and I said, "What's this for?"
"Well," he said, " I was cleaning out my garage and I knew how you liked old Christmas stuff... so I thought you might like it."

Then I understood he was giving me the boxful of old santas! What? Some people are so kind they leave me almost speechless. "Wow, they are beautiful! Thank you!" was all I could say.

A week or so earlier we had run into each other at a garage sale and he joking said,"You don't have enough junk at your shop so you gotta go garage saling???" I had an armload of Christmas stuff at the time so I had to make confession of my Christmas "problem."

So, THANK YOU to Tim for a wonderful early Christmas gift!

I got another gift from a "stranger" recently. I won a fun giveaway from Priscila over at Casa Bella Chic. (I guess she's not really a stranger, I consider her a blogger friend, although we have never met. ) The package came wrapped in vintage gold wallpaper flocked in white.

Lots of adorable sweetness and ephemera! Thank You, Priscila!! One of the pieces was a cover page off an old dot-to-dots book. Do you see the cute little bear driving the car?

Well, I got out my scissors and hole-punch and went to work.

I couldn't bring myself to cut-up the little bear but I turned most of it into little gift tags:

Now...any suggestions for doing a project that includes the little bear??

"Have a Happy Day!"

My Christmas Addiction

2009-10-03T17:50:00.001-07:00

You have GOT to see my garage sale Christmas SCORE! I pulled up to this sale, spyed the tableful of vintage Christmas and started scooping things up! As I was examining everything I asked, "How much is the Christmas stuff?" The reply couldn't have been sweeter if the Sugar Plum Fairy, herself, has wispered it directly in my ear...".25 cents each." WHAT?! My hands moved at lightening speed and within a minute the table was practically empty. And what did I spend? $2.50!!!

Check some if this stuff out!

Vintge plush Santa with vinyl face, hands and boots. He is in like-new condition and his beard is as white as pure fallen snow! He stands on his own, about 14" tall.

Sweet box of ornaments from Japan and Germany.

Three boxes of bobeches, complete with vintage wreaths.

Adorable red Japan angel. I have 3 or 4 just like it in white.

If anyone can help me out with info on this item, I'd appreciate it! It is a treetop angel, labled West Germany. She is approx. 6" tall, clothed in white velvet, holding a tinsel tree. She has gold foil wings and her head and hands are made of painted wax. She is in excellent condition.

I can't believe this entire box was a quarter. The angels are like they were never taken out of the box! They are labeled West Germany and embellished with silver glitter that has tarnished fabulously. Can you see the vintage tablecloth beneath the box?

I picked up a few other vintage Santas and some Lefton Holly pieces that will probably go in a lot for ebay.

Talk about "Christmas in July!" (I mean "September"), I hit the jackpot on this one. I'm still doing the "Jingle-bell" dance! ;)

Birthday Celebration & Cottage Update

2009-10-01T08:47:00.001-07:00

Well, I celebrated my 48th birthday on Tuesday and the best present of all was that my mom was here to help me celebrate! I hadn't seen her since April so I was REALLY happy to have her here for almost 2 weeks!

We had a very full day, doing our favorite things...garage sailing, thrift shopping, lunching...then to my son's soccer game that evening. After the game, my sweet in-laws treated us to dinner at our favorite Chinese place, The Mine Garden. It's actually call The Jasmine Garden, but the lightbulbs behind the "J-A-S" have been burned out for quite some time now, so it's the "***MINE Garden."

That's my husband on the end pretending to be disinterested and playing games on his phone...I think he pretending...

Check out my beautiful flowers from my in-laws. They remembered that my favorite flowers are anything orange.

Well, my mom hadn't seen the cottage in a long time so she REALLY wanted to see it before she left for home. Here are some current pics of our work. (The bathroom is still a mess...so no pics of it.)

Mom enjoying the view from the porch. That walkway was completely hidden under sod until my hardworking son uncovered the entire thing.

Mom in the bedroom.

Mom modeling my circa 1960's fridge with pink interior.

Mom pretending to do housework...(she doesn't really know her way around a kitchen but can definitely find a microwave!)

Mom lounging on my $10 sofa that clashes magnificently with the green walls. I used a Pale Apple from Laura Ashley but it just wasn't pale enough. It turned out pretty lime-y. I will repaint the room but, right now, that is waaay at the bottom of the to-do list. The red sofa will be permanently moved to the yellow living room when that room is finished.

Here is the living room. I LOVE this pale yellow color. I had to mix it myself and have since had much trouble in matching it, even with the photo-technology at the paint stores! Green room is to the left, pink kitchen to the right, I am taking the photo from the front door...See, I told you it was a tiny house! That cottage painting behind my mom willl hang in the living room. The chandelier on the stool will go in the green room. Check out that vintage crib leaning against the wall on the left. That was also a curbside attraction at the same place I picked up the antique door (see kitchen photo above.) I love the bunny/teddy bear/ giraffe decals. So adorable! I haven't decided what to do with it yet, but it will definately be a piece somewhere in the cottage.

Above is a view into the green room from the yellow room. The sun was really shining nicely through the stained glass. Here is mom sitting in the corner on my ratty old pink chair that I dragged all the way from Kansas. It is a bit rickety but I love it!

I had a great birthday! I have some more photos of our g-sale finds but I will post those tomorrow. Thanks for reading!

Rosie

Church Basement Ladies

2009-09-15T09:02:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we were blessed to see a really great comedy at our small local playhouse. "Church Basement Ladies" is a hilarious spoof about the going's-on in the kitchen of a Lutheran church set in the 1960's. Being a Lutheran Pastor's wife, I could REALLY relate! It was spot-on truthful and uproariously (is that a word?) FUNNY! Plus, it was rated G all the way. I was a little apprehensive about seeing it, because I know that shows about "religion" can often be disrespectful and abrasive but this one was NOT. I wholly recommend seeing it if it ever comes to your town.

William Christopher plays the Pastor. He was the actor that played "Father Mulcahey" in the M*A*S*H series on TV. The songs were a RIOT, by Drew Jansen who was a writer for Mystery Science Theater 3000, one of our favorite shows. (You can see lots of their shows on YouTube now.)

One scene talks about the Pastor's new wife who sent LASAGNA to a funeral supper! I guess that was taboo...you're supposed to send a casserole/hot dish/covered dish (whatever those mean!). Anyway, it reminded me of my first church potluck a couple of years ago when I brought homemade Spanish rice, something I grew up eating. Well, I brought the entire pot home. It was untouched. Apparently, midwest Lutherans aren't accustomed to Mexican fare...as I've discovered with other attempts at potlucks. I've settled on pasta or "green leaf" salad. They call it "green leaf" salad because when they just say "salad", it's really something other than leaves and almost always includes jello, marshmallows, cool whip or miracle whip.

I want to share with you some of the funny things that happen at the Thrift Store! It is sure a new experience for me to be meeting so many interesting people on a day to day basis! In a glass case at work, there is an antique "Autograph" book. A lady asked me, "What is that?" "It's an Autograph book," I answered. It is emblazoned with the word "AUTOGRAPHS" across the front in gold letters. She still looked confused so, as I took it from the case to show her, I added, "You know...a book that you get autographs in? You ask people to sign it for you?" I handed the book to her..."Ooooh." She finally understood, "You mean, like an Autograph book!" Uh, ya, like I said.....

Another lady came in last week and was browsing through the women's shirts. She came across a T-shirt with the words "TOTAL FLAKE" printed on the front. She looked at it in disdain and said, "WHO would wear THAT?".....She was wearing a ballcap embroidered with the words "SUPER B*TCH" on it. People are funny!

It don't matter if your black or white....

2009-09-04T06:23:00.000-07:00

I LOVE little birdies! I just recently started collecting white porcelain birds. A few are in the form of S&P shakers like these little guys below.

Erin over at TheQueenOfClearance posted that they were on sale at Pier 1 for just $3. I went right over the next day and bought this cute little set.

Well, Dollar Tree is right next door to Pier 1 so I had to step inside to see what they had to offer. More BIRDIES! Scarey little black crows for $1 a piece, just in time for Halloween decor!

A blogger posted last year about these little buggers at the Dollar Tree but by the time I got there they were all gone. So this year, I don't feel so bad about buying Halloween stuff in Sept.

I hit a garage sale on the way out of town last wknd (actually made the hubby come to a screeching halt and back up). He gave me all of 5 minutes and I came back in 3! How do you like that! I saw this wreath from the car and nabbed it for a buck, pre-lit and still in the box. It will match my white tree that was a curbside attraction. I may even stick the little black crows in it and use it for Halloween also. What do you think?

I just want to share a few more items that I got at Salvation Army. A GORGEOUSLY soft vintage blanket in excellent condition...satin ribbon edging and lovely yellow and white flower baskets woven through it in a diamond pattern. The backside has the pattern in reverse colors.

I also got a sheet of cute vintage Christmas paper and some pink crepe paper that I will use on my Christmas projects next month.

I also got a darling vintage baby book, still in the original packaging. It is dated 1945 inside, it was never used. The cover is yellow satin with a moire shimmer to it. It says, "Baby's First Diary."

The watercolor illustrations inside are beautiful and make me dream of a by-gone era. Check out these drawings:

"Baby's Treasures, Early Days."

"Two Years Old"

"4th Birthday" & " My Favorite Songs & Stories"

"I'm 6 Now" Summertime!

"School Days" Happy Fall!

Update on Kelsey, my Golden Retriever

2009-08-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

Look at this sweet old girl! Isn't she the cutest? 4 weeks ago she was stumbling around the backyard and couldn't see straight due to her stroke but now she is doing very well! She can even run after the tennis ball again! Do you see how her head is cocked in the picture? That's about the only symptom she still has from the stroke but the vet says even that will go away. :) I am so thankful that God answered my prayers and saw fit to heal her. Kelsey will be 14 in November.

Now that I've been working, it's been harder than ever to keep up with posting. My goal is to post to the blog at least once a week. Just so you know what keeps me busy during the week I thought maybe you'd like a tour of the thrift store I am now managing.

It's a small store so this won't take long....

Well...that about does it.

You can see that's its mostly clothing but we do get some nice housewares in, and occasionally some nice vintage items. All the profits from this shop go to support our local food pantry located in the same bldg. I had a couple with a baby come in today who said they had $4 and nothing else. They were put out of their home and unable to take their belongings (??? I don't ask questions...I'm just there to try and help...) So we were able to set them up with a few items for the kitchen (they just moved into a small trailer that someone loaned them...), bedroom and bath, some food and some fuel for the truck. God has been SOOOO good to me and my family that I can only try to do the same for others.

My two teenagers came to help me at the shop last week. I heard hysterical laughter coming from the "sorting" room where they were working and this is what I found:

The both of them in a very large pair of mens shorts that had been donated....My kids can find entertainment ANYWHERE!

On a side note....here are a few goodies picked up for a buck each at GW and a recent G-sale. Aren't the bunnies cute? The vintage napkins have never been opened. The candlestick is made of that translucent vaseline glass and the two creamers are like new, from "Two's Company."

How are the sales in your area...winding down like mine?

Schoolhouse Flea Market

2009-08-12T14:25:00.000-07:00

Pack Rats Thrift Store is housed in an old 3-story schoolhouse. I only had about 20 minutes so I didn't get to go through all the rooms! The place just recently opened but it looked like an army of elephants had already rummaged through it!

Each classroom held a different category. This room was housewares.

Look at this linen section. I'd need 20min just to look through this section alone.

Women's clothing. Check out those sunshiney windows. I couldn't help thinking about what it might have been like to be a student here long ago.

Some rooms still had their chalkboards and handwriting cards still up!

I wasn't here long enough to find any treasures but I intend to go back soon. I'll be sure to post more pics.

Thrift store & G-sale finds

2009-08-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

Do you find that when life happens, it's hard to keep up with blogging?

Last weekend, a fellow homeschooling family lost their Daddy. We attended the funeral today. Such a sad time. He was only 33 and leaves behind a sweet wife and 3 kids. Please keep them in your prayers.

Also, this week we had a scare with our oldest Golden Retriever, Kelsey. (See sidebar addition). She had a stroke overnight and couldn't walk straight. She bumped into walls like a drunken sailor! I was beside myself! She stayed at the vet all day for testing but was able to come home. The vet said she would come out of it within 30days. That was 3 days ago and she has already improved to the point she can make the one step down to the patio from the house and her nystagmus (eye-bounce) has slowed considerably. God is good.

On a more happy note...I started my new job running a local Thrift Store! Too much fun! But it's also a lot of work! Here are some of my recent finds:

Pink sugar and creamer that match my pink dinnerware perfectly! Marked "1966" on the bottom. $1 for the set.

Crazy wall clock! I saw one just like it on ebay in it's original goldtone finish. Someone has painstakingly painted this one green with blue, yellow and pink flowers. It is now hanging in the cottage livingroom. My husband believes that the $2 tag was overpriced....

Two vintage rose flat sheets with scalloped edges $2. They are not the best quality so I will probably make them into curtains.

Green collander, .25. Vintage drinking glasses, .25 each. (Check out the doggies on the tall one!) Covered sugar, .10. Blue glass candy dish, .50.

You will either LOVE or HATE this item. I paid .75 for it at a garage sale and even when I bought it I thought..."What the heck am I DOING with this??" It is a printed fabric (18"x24"), kinda like bark cloth, that has been embellished with glitter and framed. WHAT? It is sooo crazy but it sparkles like the Hope Diamond so what's a Magpie, like me, to do? Plus all the glittered parts are in PINK, blue and green. I painted the frame from black to white. Click on the photo for a detailed view of it's audacity!

Here is a cute mock-quilt that my co-worker was going to toss out because of stains. I gave it a good washing and it is as good as new. Plus, it has all my pastel colors in it. Free.

These are the only 2 items I picked up on vacation in Colorado. The pretty box is from the Lang Co. by Susan A. Winget. The ceramic partridge will add nicely to my white bird collection.

It is vintage, made in Japan.

Here is a very fun find. It was a curbside attraction and I intend to replace the window and use it in the cottage in the bathroom or in the kitchen.

Door details.

Original door knob. They don't make 'em like that any more!

Hope you all have a nice weekend and keep cool. It's in the 90's here! Please also pray for our dear friends who lost their husband and father so suddenly. Don't forget to tell your family members EVERY day how much you love them!

Back from Vacation!

2009-07-30T18:54:00.000-07:00

We had an incredible time at Copper Spur Ranch in McCoy, Co. My sister-in-law's father owns the 500 acre ranch and generously let us have the run of the place for a week.

There were trail rides and hiking...

Trout fishing in the pond with cousins...

Plenty of food....

Bonfires and smores...

Horses, horses and MORE horses!

We even took a morning to make our own camp shirts.

It was a wonderful time with family. Check out Grandma & Grandpa (center) flanked by all the grandchildren! Grandma & Grandpa's kids are peeking through the window above. (One is missing...he is doing mission work in China!)

We had beautiful weather and a relaxing time. I am SOOO blessed to be a part of this family!

Cottage update: I will have an entire weekend to finish wallpapering my bathroom and hope to have photos to share soon. Stay tuned! Have a blessed weekend!

Rosie

...but does food look good on a PINK plate?

2009-07-16T10:22:00.001-07:00

I don't CARE! They are beautiful!

I wasn't gonna stop, but I poked my head into the Thrift Store and what did I find....A BIG box of PINK dinnerware! The tag said $40. The cashier, Cherokee, passed by as I knelt to take a better look in the box and I 1/2 jokingly said, "When's your next 1/2 price sale??" She whispered in my ear, "For you, it's today!" SOLD! So for $20 I got:

9 dinner plates

9 cups

12 saucers

12 bread plates

11 luncheon plates

8 soup bowls

3 cereal bowls

4 napkin rings

They are in excellent condition! I took them right over to the cottage and tucked them away in the cupboard.

Here's a bit of detail on the saucers.

They go great with some of my vintage plates!

Here are a few other goodies I found yesterday:

A stack of 8 vintage metal hostess trays-2.00

Primitive oil painting-1.00

Pensive Jesus - .50

My sister has a similar picture sofa-sized. Mine is a mere 5x7.

Candelabra - 1.00, will probably be sprayed white at some point, but for now, the black is good.

I hit Hobby Lobby and all their home decor stuff was 90% off! I had to RESTRAIN myself! Among other goodies, I bought the two iron picture easels, $1.20 ea and Crown finial for $3. I will use the finial to hang bracelets and necklaces from. Is your HL having the same sale? Get moving and find out!

I wanted to show you a little trick for using your favorite vintage mismatched plates. I've seen this done with glass plates and candlesticks but I like using ceramicware better.

I had this pretty plate and turned it into a "cake"-plate or pedestal tray.

Here are some others I did. I use them for candies, cookies, fruit, etc.

Whenever I hit Salvation Army, I look for interesting ceramic candlesticks and plates that match the color. I use "Household Welder" glue to attach the top and bottom. It's made specifically for glass and ceramics. Let it dry upside down overnight. Then you have a nice little serving plate for less than a buck.

The last thing I wanted to show you was this sweet card made by my friend who invited us to the Tea House. Isn't it pretty?

I'm going on vacation tomorrow so I will see you in a week or so! God's blessings!

A Visit to the Tea Room

2009-07-14T08:51:00.000-07:00

This past weekend my friend Cheryl and her daughter invited my daughter and me to accompany them to a local Tea Room. Shady Gables Tea Room & Shoppe has been owned and operated by Reba Starling-Silvey since 2000. Reba has been featured in a couple local magazines and has a great talent for designing rooms.

Shady Gables located in a beautiful old Missouri farm house.

The house is surrounded by lovely gardens.

Sweet little teapot birdhouse!

Inside were lots of little rooms and cubbies for relaxing and sipping tea.

Upstairs was a special room for little princess tea parties, all dressed in pink and purple frou-frou for little girls.

Check out the slip covers on these chairs. They were used throughout and guess what they cover? Ordinary white PVC patio chairs! I asked for the pattern but Reba was on vacation, so I will inquire again later.

Downstairs, there was even a dress-up porch for the BIG girls! Lots of vintage hats, shawls and gloves to choose from.

I told you it was for BIG girls!

Don't our daughters look lovely?

Here we are, in proper attire, at our table. Each seatback was draped with a fur stole for added glamour.

The teahouse boasts hundreds of flavors and many types of teas. We each chose a pot: Blueberry, Lady Grey, Holiday Spice, Italian Amaretto. Notice the little "lemon slice" drip catchers on the spouts. Clever!

Our tray of fresh fruit and petite fours arrived and, believe it our not, was quite filling after a pot of tea!

There was alot to look at and lots of goodies for sale.

We really had a nice day at the Tea Room and will definitely be returning soon! Thanks for inviting us, Cheryl!

On a side note, stop over to see what Priscila's got in the works for a new on-line shop at Casa Bella Chic. She has a talent for decorating and transforming old vintage items into objects of art!

G-sale bargains

2009-07-07T11:14:00.001-07:00

Here are a few items I found on the hunt this past week ...(even though I haven't hit many sales due to INTENSE work at the cottage!)

Check out this vintage "handbag" rotary telephone. Too cool! It works fine and has that nostalgic "ring-a-ling-a-ling." The lady I bought it from worked at the Phone Company for 30 years.

Pretty oil seascape painted by a woman in her 90's. $2.

Here's a mix of goodies...Avon molded soaps $1. Chick S&P shakers $1. Avon "Buckeroo" talc for boys, .10. Funky Homeco gold tree wall hanging, .50.

Ballerina picture with cute Maltese...A STEAL at .10!

This is a very unusual picture that my good friend practically begged me to take off her hands, "I just continue dusting it with no place to put it!" The frame is spectacular and it will go great in the bedroom at the cottage. The tag on the back says "The Secret." The signature on the front says "JPL, 1963." Do you know who this artist is?

Here is a close-up of some detail on the frame. It is gorgeous.

Below is a tiny peek at some of the work we've been up to at the cottage:

I got this little square farm table for $10 and it fits PERFECTLY in the cottage kitchen. The top oak surface is not in the greatest shape but who cares when all you need is a pretty pink vintage tablecloth to disguise it? The legs are painted in the perfect country-cream color and distressed to look old. It came with 4 little stools that don't really match the table but I may paint them all and use them with the table anyway. (Note my painted wood floor.)

I know this is not much, but this room is about finished. A bit more molding and some pillows and I will try to take a better pic with my wide angle.

Last week we pulled up yucky carpet, painted lvgrm floor, finished drywall, put in new bathroom sink and toilet,(the old ones would not work properly...I was especially sad about the vintage sink. It was 100 years old and beautiful...but if it won't function properly, it's not practical) wallpapered laundry room....

I hope to have more pics soon! God is good all the time!

Chair Make-Over

2009-07-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

I bought this ratty old chair at a garage sale last year and it has been sitting in the garage begging for attention. This week I finally got around to getting the darn thing done. I bought it because it had good strong bones and I especially liked the curved arms.

The paint was peeling and from the looks of the rust orange upholstery, it has been an "outdoor" chair. I took off all the ugly fabric and when I had given the wood a fresh coat of paint, I dug around my stash of material for something pretty.

I decided on this vintage blue fabric that I had gotten at the Salvation Army. I had about 2 yards. It only took one to cover the chair.

Here she is! (click on photo to enlarge.) What do you think? $2 for the chair, .50 for the fabric, paint I already had. I'm just too cheap!

Cottage bathroom

2009-06-26T15:36:00.000-07:00

Here are a few "before" pics of the bathroom. This is how it looked when we bought the cottage...trashed. Where the tub was, will now be the laundry area. (Boy, that tub was HEAVY to remove! Lucky for me, I'm married to the mini-Hulk....short but powerful.)

Here is what it looks like right now. I am hoping to get it finished this week since I am off work for the whole WEEK!

Before the new ceiling.

During installation...it is so hard to put something on the ceiling!I drilled my finger...twice!

I hope to have all "After" pics for you soon.

Here is another sure sign that summer is here...

OUTDOOR MOVIE NIGHT :)

Don't forget the popcorn!

Watching "Wall-E" was never so fun!

Vintage Laundry bag pillow

2009-06-26T15:07:00.000-07:00

I purchased this vintage blue satin laundry bag for a dime. I brought it home, put it through the washer and stuffed it with an old bed pillow. It has a drawstring opening so I just stretched it open, kept the string inside and hand stitched it closed. It is embroidered with "Laundry" and has the most feminine ruffle all the way around. How do you like it?

The pink satin pillow was a .50 find last year. I got two similar larger ones that are just as gorgeous.

Do you know what this is? Besides being a mulberry tree, it is a sure sign of summer's arrival. My neighbor's tree is FULL of the tasty black berries and she has given me free reign to any fruit from her trees. (She also has a pear tree and some grape vines!) I can't understand why no one ever makes mulberry jelly or why they don't sell them in the stores like they do raspberries, etc? They are SO good!

All those little black spot are berries! See Mr. Squirrel sitting on the branch in the middle? He is STUFFING his face!

Even though it's in the 90's here, I sure thank God for summer!

Running WATER!

2009-06-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

YES! The cottage has WATER! After a year of trucking water over in coolers, we now have the modern convenience of stepping over to the sink and...PRESTO! Welcome to the 21st century!

The plumbers has hooked up my kitchen sink, bathroom sink, tub and toilet. So not only do we have water for washing, we have water for flushing! I won't tell you what we did during the year whenever nature called....

Here is a picture of my son removing the old sink in the kitchen. Notice the burned formica countertops and lack of backsplash. (I removed the peel-and-stick tiles that were up there.)

I wallpapered the backsplash in a pretty embossed paper that mimicks pressed tin ceiling tiles. I will paint it with enamel white for durability. I covered the formica with crisp white ceramic tile....ah...Dad would be proud. Check out the old medicine bottles found on the property. Click on the pic for a closer view.

Here is a close-up of some of the many layers of wall paper on the old backsplash.

On a side note, we had a HUGE blessing last weekend with a surprise visit from some dear friends of ours on their way traveling on vacation. We hadn't seen then in about 5 years.
They have 10 of the sweetest children you will ever meet! They were driving home from a week at Suzuki Camp. You can see the older kids with their instruments in tow. They drive a 15 passenger van and haul all their belongings in a horse trailer. Clever! I hope to see them again soon!

G-sale finds

2009-06-19T10:58:00.001-07:00

I have started a part-time job, 4 days a week and I don't get home until after 8pm some nights! Working for someone else, on their terms has really thrown me for a loop! I am so used to being my own boss that I can hardly take it! Good thing it's only a 2 month stint.

Anyways, work has left little time for blogging, but I am squeezing in a few posts on my day off.

Todays garage sale finds were few but nice:

Cute KITTY-CAT sock-monkey-$2 (Check out the bow in her ear!)

Metal animal musicians wall-hanging - .25

Vintage Family photo tree - .50

Sewing basket (minus top) - free

Child's letters for crafts - .50

Rhinestone belt buckle -.50

Gorgeous terry Spa robe, like new, but a tiny yellowed spot on the shoulder (I'm sure it will launder out) - .25! The faux ranunculus boquet in the pocket cost twice that!

1970's Hostess jumper -.50

I could show you a pic of me in it but it is so crazy that it would befuddle the average human and would render her senseless for the remainder of the day. You will have to be satisfied with this snippet of a photo of the wild lime/fushia/tangerine pattern which covers it. ( I walked outside with it on and my husband looked up, sheilded his eyes and then the mower went dead...I told you it was too much. But it sure makes a girl feel like Cher!! Bob Mackie would be proud!)

I know this is weird, but can a girl be in love with a bath towel? I found this towel and another one like it and was sure it had to be something from Rachel Ashwell's line. It is dreamy velour printed with pink roses!

But, no, it has this vintage Martex label in it!

I won't let anybody else use it! It is pure luxury! (.50 for two.)

Last week when I went sale-ing I found a boatload of carded vintage buttons. I bought them and asked my "jeweler" daughter to fashion this bracelet for me. Didn't she do a nice job? She may be making more for her Etsy account.

I'll be posting cottage pics soon. The plumber is about finished and I am going over this afternoon to check-out his handiwork. Bye!

1$ ROSES!

2009-05-26T16:49:00.000-07:00

If you love roses and have a Dollar Tree Store in your area, go check out their stationary selection currently for sale. These three packs of rosey, pink file folders were $1 each and include 3 files in each package. Click on any photo to enlarge.

Notepads, $1.

20 ct. of the prettiest hang tags! $1. (I'm not sure what is in the little train case below.)

2 pk scratch pad and 2 pk grocery list, $1 ea.

8 pk of blank note cards, $1.

Journal/notepad, $1.

8 pack of Thank You cards, $1 ea.

2pk of rose covered votive holders, $1. They came in a clear box wrapped with delicate, sheer pink ribbon. So pretty, I just kept it in the box for several days. As you can see, I use one for Q-tips in the bathroom.

I just wanted to add a pic of this cute little blue birdhouse I picked up. I just liked the pagoda shape and the aqua color. Not sure what I will do with it yet, maybe add some flowers or greenery inside. Any suggestions?

Rummage Sale Finds

2009-05-19T17:32:00.000-07:00

I had a successful weekend at some local church rummage sales. Look at these sweet treasures!

I got 3 vintage (50's-60's) prom dresses that are just swimming in lace, tulle and taffeta! Aren't they gorgeous? A girl would feel like she's dressed in frosting wearing these...that is, if a girl could FIT in them...they are SO TINY in the waist. Each dress was a whopping .50 cents.

I got a baggie-ful of trinkets including Easter Bunny, Santa and Ken-l-ration dog & cat salt and pepper shakers. Plus an intricate black butterfly brooch decorated in jet! 1.00 for all.

I picked up a beautiful vintage hatbox marked $3. It is covered in a petite rose print. I was so enamoured with the box that didn't care what was inside so I didn't bother to look until I got to the car. Four lovely vintage hats! I also got a baggie with these vintage kitchen cabinet drawer pulls. They look like they are from the 30's or 40's.

I got this vintage Hamilton-Beech mixmaster for a buck. Works great. I found the original milk glass bowls to match at our local thrift store for a couple of bucks.

Here is a photo of the SWEET hat box with one of the hats hanging on the edge. In the background is a little boudoir lamp that I purchased for the 1 doz. hanging crystals. If you have to buy them at the antique mall, they charge about a dollar per crystal (Yikes! I've had to do that before!) I was happy to pay .50 for the entire lamp with all those sparkling gems!

But my favorite find was the little shabby white-washed mirror. Little molded roses crown the top arch and each bottom corner (click any photo to enlarge.) But best of all was this incredible note of history, dated April 13, 1977, attached to the back of it. In shaky, old lady writing it says:

" This looking glass was my sweet good Mama's. Was hanging over wash stand where we all wash (sic) there every day on 1136 Jefferson St., our home. We all have sweet memories from our home. It was a happy one. My sweet sister Josephine, brother Oscar and me, Beva, what they all called me. House was torn down to make street. Gladys, be sure & keep it. We didn't have no bathroom them days, but you know we didn't mind a bit. Always had nice clean towels. Bye now. Beva Muckencrumpler (?) Meier"

Too bad for Gladys...I have her treasure now.

Mother's day!

2009-05-12T17:13:00.001-07:00

I hope every Mom had as nice a Mother's Day as I had. I got the only thing I asked for...help demolishing the bathroom at the cottage. I even got some extra helpers...my brother and sister in law. My husband's Mom came along to to keep things light!

Here is my daughter helping to rip out ceiling tiles. Note my new electrical panel! Lights!

My sister in law and brother in law worked hard to pull tiles and remove remaining bathtub framing.

My son and husband were out mowing the lawn and gathering an armful of Poppies that were in full bloom on the property. Don't they look gorgeous? (See photo above.)

After burgers at a local "Drive-In" we came home and I opened my gifts.

My jewelry-making daughter took this lone vintage earring and turned it into a brooch for me. It SPARKLES!

My 16yr old son made this adorable charm bracelet out of Sculpey clay. He baked all the pieces right under my nose. I never saw a thing. The charms are: a cross, our dog, pepsi logo (I'm addicted), a heart, watermelon (my favorite food) and an ebay logo (I've been selling there since 1995!). His sister put all the charms together on the bracelet. Click the photo so see the details!

I hope to soon have some photos of NEW PLUMBING in the cottage! I have been praying for an affordable plumber and God has supplied him! Yay! We are almost ready for final painting and drywall on Pondicherry!

Work at the cottage

2009-04-25T08:41:00.001-07:00

I've been getting work done on the bedroom at the cottage. I love the blue we picked out for the walls and it's so pretty with the sun shining through the large windows.

While my mom was visiting, we hit a few garage sales and I got some GREAT treasures for the cottage.

I got this really pretty bed for $10. I forgot to take a "before" picture, but it was painted fluorescent yellow and green and was upholstered in maroon. But I saw past that, to what it would be. Here it is:

I painted it in white, re-upholstered it in a tiny taupe houndstooth and covered it in an old hobnail cotton bedspread that I had. No pillows yet. Look at the pretty detail in the siderails and foot.

Here is more detail in the carved roses on the headboard:

Now, I know this is absolutely crazy but check out this adorable side table I picked up for $3! Let me tell you how crazy this table is. There are 3 huge brass flowers that spring out on the base. They are like tulips on steroids that have been bronzed! Inside each of the flowers is a light bulb that lights up when you plug the thing in! How great is that?! Anyway, the flowers look just like "Audrey 2" in the movie Little Shop Of Horrors so I have loving dubbed this little table "Audrey 3".

At the same sale where I purchased Audrey 3, I bought this massive mirror for $15. Is it gorgeous, or what! (I know, I know...baroque is not everyone's choice of style...)

My sweetheart daughter used lots of elbow grease to get this old fridge to shine! This is the old thing I bought last month for $25 from a farmer who had it out in his barn. It is an old HotPoint with a tiny freezer on top. But the best thing about it is its PINK interior! It is too SWEET and too perfect for my old kitchen. It's a little shabby on the outside and I may paint it in the future. But for now it is fine.

Happy Hunting!

Signs of Spring...FINALLY

2009-04-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

We've had lots of rain, but finally the sun is shining and people can get out and about. And AT LAST I can put away my turtlenecks! That's just about the only thing I wear all winter-long and since I've been wearing them since OCTOBER I felt I was about to go crazy from not being able to wear my floral skirts and flipflops for OVER HALF THE YEAR! UGh! I think that's the longest I've ever gone wearing winter garb. Yuck. Although it wasn't a severe winter, it was loooong.

I have a hanging plant in the front that still has a fake pink poinsettia plant in it from Christmas.

It has become home to a couple of nesting birds: a Robin and a Wren.

The wrens next goes deep into the moss of the planter and I couldn't get a clear picture of it, but I could see 4 newly hatched babies!

We live on a very windy street and the darned planter constantly spins and swings in the breeze. I don't know how those little birds don't get seasick!

Here is a little "birds nest" I recently picked-up for next to nothing! (Click on any photo to enlarge.)

This beautiful ceramic bird's nest was $1.50. I attached it to this pedestal (candlestick) that I already had, by using a ring of sculpy clay. Now it is firmly attached but I can remove it at any time. The little blue wooden eggs I got at a sale last year.

Beautiful pink conch shell, $1.

Pink and gold framed French print, $2.

The title of it is "The Happy Moment." I think the gentleman must be proposing marriage to the fair maiden who is sitting on a huge rock. But my kids say it's a "happy moment" because he has come to save her from the termite mound she is sitting on!

2 lovely picture frames, $1.50 a piece. One is matted with pale pink velvet ribbon all the way around!

Today it will be a glorious 80 degrees with pure sunshine. We are going over to the Pond to work a little on the cottage. Please pray for me. I need a decent, reliable, CHEAP plumber! I have used up all the funds the bank gave me and still haven't gotten the plumbing done in the cottage. I would have had enough money had I not had a couple of construction workers make off with a few thousand without finishing their work. What is it with people? I'm a very trusting individual but now I'm gun-shy about anybody doing work for me....At least, I've learned my lesson: Don't pay up front and Inspect the work before the final payment! But...I've learned the hard way.

See you soon!

Tie your apron strings!

2009-03-24T08:31:00.000-07:00

Those who know me well, know that I LOVE vintage aprons! I have such a collection that I could open up my own museum...well, maybe not that many...I have been weeding them out. But I do have a couple of favorites that I wear most days.

I bought this sweet one at an estate sale. It is red with white polka-dots and has a sweatheart neckline edged in black ric-rack. This week I used this apron as a pattern to make one for my sweet neighbor, Bobbi Jo. (click on any photo to enlarge.)

I dug around in my vintage tablecloth collection and found some cheerful fabric that would match her disposition (and also her RED kitchen.)

I used extra large red ric-rack around the neckline and added a flouncy ruffle at the bottom. It only took me about 3 hours total to complete. (That's REALLY fast for me because I am NOT a seamstress!) She will look so cute in it, tending to her husband and 5 children!

Lately, we've had some beautiful sunny days that make me believe that Spring is TRUELY on the way! When the weather is like that, I get a hankerin' for being outside, working on furniture.

I've lived with this little brown secretary table now for about 6 years and never liked the color. I dragged it out front, found a can of paint in the basement and started at it. I really like how it turned out. White is so plain and simple and clean.

Sorry the pic is kinda lame with the junk under it but you get the general idea.

Last week I was cruising Craigslist and came across a vintage refriderator...white with pink interior for $25!!!! I immediately borrowed a truck, grabbed my helpers and drove 1 hr north in the rain to pick it up! It is in the cottage now but I don't have any pics yet because it needs to be cleaned up. Bubba said, "It works real good. It was out here in the barn and I only used it for jerky and beer." ;)

Spring Sales! Bring on the Junque!

2009-03-05T12:42:00.000-08:00

WooHoo! The sun is shining and it's almost time for Garage Sale season! My spare change is burning a hole in my pocket so I had to get out to the local Thrift Store (that I haven't been to since before Christmas, thank-you very much!) to see what I could find!

Here is a set of 4 vintage ashtrays edged in gold with pretty rosebuds on them. We'll use them as soy sauce trays on sushi nights. I learned this trick from my very clever sister. She uses a beautiful set of crystal ashtrays. The little divet in the edge is perfect for resting your chopsticks. $1 for the set.

A cute souvenier bracelet and unusual Madonna & Child cameo brooch for $1.50.

$3.50 for a lovely vintage floral table cloth.

.60 cents for some great vintage Princess rub-on transfers! I just painted our secretary table white and I think these would look "just right" on the drawers.

My best score today was definitely these vintage greeting cards for $2.00! Click any photo to enlarge.

Here are some close-ups of the sweetest ones!

A mini-card of the puppy in the forefront pulls out completely from behind the gate. He is pulling a wagon full of posies with a tag that says, "For You!"

Look at the adorable illustration inside!

This whimsical thank you card opens up to reveal a paper honeycomb mushroom! Fairyland!

I love this one the best...a petite baby card on see-thru acetate printed in white with birds delivering the little bundle through the clouds. The blanket folds open with the greeting and a tiny chickie inside. It's so delicate...makes me want a new baby to cuddle!

How is your treasure hunting going??

Can't wait for Easter!

2009-03-01T16:38:00.000-08:00

I know Lent just started but I can't help looking forward to Easter! I am so ready to spot sprouting daffodils and forsythia bushes. I am tired of looking out my window and seeing grey, grey, GREY! I must say that we did have a lovely powdered-sugar snowfall yesterday that helped ease the doldrums...especially when I woke up this morning to see the sun shining on it making it look like fairies had sprinkled glitter on it over night!

In my image-googling today, I found some great Easter recipes that I'd like to try! Check out the following:

Easter Bunny Rolls
by Marye at bakingdelights.com. The photo and recipe are from a vintage BetterHomes and Gardens magazine!

Marye also shares her recipe for Resurrection Cookies. Great for teaching kids the true meaning of Easter! Have your Bible handy.

Garrie Rouse posted this picture of his wife Monica's Easter Bunny biscuits. Aren't they cute? He says she uses chives for the whiskers and dried cranberries for the eyes.

Here's one more little photo I ran across that looks like a simple way to morph canned biscuits in to bunnies. I think I'll try it.

Have fun decorating and preparing for your Easter celebrations! He is Risen indeed!

How to make a barrister wig

2009-02-24T16:57:00.001-08:00

Our Homeschool Teen Club is performing "Wind in the Willows" in April. My daughter is playing the role of "Mole", my son is working on sets and behind stage and I am working on costuming. Our costume committee has done a fine job with all the outfits and they are almost complete.

One of my tasks was to figure out how to make a judge's or barrister's wig. You know the kind...it looks a little like a George Washington wig. I searched everywhere on-line for some simple directions and came up with ZIP! So I'm hoping this will be helpful to others who might want to make their own instead of shelling out the $30-$40 to buy one. This cost me less than $5 and took about 3 hours to make.

I bought a cheap fiber Christmas tree skirt ($2.00 after Christmas sale), like the blanket of snow you might put under your putz Christmas houses. It is the same rolled polyfill batting that is sold at fabric stores. I used a ballcap for the base ( after I removed the bill) and just started molding the batting around it. (Everything was handsewn. I didn't bother dragging out the machine!)

I made a seam down the middle for a part. I gathered the back together then added a "ponytail" made from two flat pieces hot-glued together. Then I tied it with a black grosgrain ribbon.

For the side rolls, I took long strips of batting (approx. 5" wide) and rolled them up like pastries, sewing them shut with a running stitch. I left a little flap so I could sew one roll to the next. I removed the wig from the ballcap base and tried it on periodically to make sure it fit and looked right.

I had a hard time figuring out how to make the "bangs" because they are supposed to look like a "crewcut" in the front...not easy to do with fiber batting. I cut 3-4 lengths of batting 2" wide, clipped the top side of each row and glued them, one below the other across the forehead area, then "fluffed" them out.
The last thing I did was to take a black sharpie and draw in some "grey" hairs to outline the various parts, especially the bangs and the swirled up end of the rolls. Without the black outline, the whole thing looked like a bright white towel sitting on a head!

The young man who will be wearing this wig in the play tried it on and was happy with it but asked if I could add a few more rolls to make it longer, so I'm going to do that. You could make yours as long or short as you want.

I must get moving. I have one rat tail and 16 weasle tails to complete by Friday!

February: Come and Gone!

2009-02-24T16:36:00.000-08:00

February has been a LOVEly month! Our entire family was able to make a visit to my mom's in San Diego to help her celebrate her 80th birthday! My 2 sisters planned a huge party for her and invited around 60 people. We had such a blast!

Here she is surrounded by all her grandchildren and a few granddogs. Doesn't Mom look happy!

Our oldest daughter was able to drive down from Sacramento for the festivities. It had been an entire year since we had seen her! Too long! She brought me this portrait of our old dog Kelsey that she painted for my birthday. It's a remarkable likeness. She is very talented. It now sits on the table by the front door for all to see as soon as they enter the house.

Don't forget about the best Valentine of ALL! God's love for you is immense!

Christmas Crafts and Cookies

2008-12-22T08:36:00.001-08:00

This is the current state of my craft table and I haven't even started ONE thing! But today is the day! All the other Christmas chores are done and I am free to let my imagination roam.

I got a few vintage style bottle brush trees from KD Designs and plan to embellish them for boxtop scenes.

I was so inspired by the sugar-coated creations made by j.nichelle on ebay that I had to try my hand at it myself! You wouldn't believe how talented that lady is!

My vintage junk awaits.

My daughter is also working on quite a few projects. Here is her work table. Unlike myself, she has completed many necklaces (for gifts) and is close to finishing a beaded mini Christmas tree and a gorgeous tree made out of vintage pins and brooches!

One thing I have accomplished is my cookie baking.

Every year I make rollout sugar cookies. It's the best recipe from Wilton that requires no chilling. http://www.wilton.com/recipe/Roll-Out-Cookies but I don't add almond flavoring to mine.

This year I only made boys, trees, snowflakes and a few retreivers for my dog-lover friends.....

Well, I'm off to start my crafts. I probably won't be finished before Christmas but better late than never. Hope everyone has a blessed Christmas!

Christmas Decorations

2008-12-19T09:46:00.000-08:00

In order to save myself some work, we decorated for Christmas and held two parties on the same day! That way I only had to clean house ONCE! I held a Christmas Tea Party for the ladies in my church in the afternoon and then a party for the youth group in the PM. The kids made quick work of the sweets left over from the afternoon party, not to mention the two 24" pizzas.

This year we did not cut down our own Christmas tree. The fam allowed me to put up my two white trees and they let me have a PINK Christmas!

This is a pic of a little set I found at a flea mkt last summer for $5. The little elf is so cute, holding a snowball with the other arm wrapped around her dog.

This is an AWESOME vintage store poster that I got last year at the thrift store. There were two and I got them both for a couple of bucks. The frame was $10 at Salvation Army.

Below are just a bunch of pictures of some of my favorite ornaments:

I love this little girl because she reminds me of the doll on the Island of Misfit Toys.

10 cent Santa!

I love bottle brush trees.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Christmas. Don't forget, it's really Jesus' birthday! Merry Christmas!

Shhhhhh! Don't tell Dad....

2008-12-19T09:06:00.000-08:00

When winter sets in sometimes our Homeschooling gets off to a slow start in the morning. It's chilly and no one seems to want to leave the warmth of cozy blankets. Recently, the kids woke up and held a much TABOO'D dog party on my bed! Actually, I think I instigated it but it's something you can do only after my husband leaves for work. He is not fond of having a dog on the bed, let alone all THREE at once! But, Sweetie, we almost NEVER do this and I was sure to shake off the comforter when we were done! ;)

Below is a little treat that God blessed me with recently....Just after Thanksgiving I was driving down one of our country hwys and a glint of COLOR flew past my periferal vision. Mind you, all the trees are bare, so everything is grey. Any color sticks out like a sore thumb. I turned the car around, pulled ove and dug around in the glove box for some scissors (doesn't everyone keep scissors in the car?) "WHAT are you doing, Mom???" Me: "I think I saw something..." Usually, the kids know better than to ask too many questions. The last time I stopped on the hwy they saw me get out and chase a purple crinoline rolling down the grassy median like a fluffy tumbleweed! (But that's another story...)

I got out of the car and sure enough, there were 2 or 3 separate vines of Bittersweet growing twisted among the bare tree branches. It took about 5 min for me to snip away with my "kindergarten" scissors but I managed to gather a good bit.

Even though it was almost time for Christmas decorations, I couldn't resist spreading the berries throughout the house for one last touch of Fall.

(You can click on any pic to enlarge.)

November Blessings

2008-11-14T16:38:00.000-08:00

Blessing #1) Work on the cottage continues. Here are my helpers painting the porch. It's getting a little chilly now so the rest of the painting may have to wait for warmer days. I now have an electrician and a plumber lined-up to get the last of the major repairs done. We have to be ready for inspection by January in order to get the construction loan changed to a mortgage. I pray every night that the Lord will work out this time-table! And so far, He has been doing great, by providing me with willing workers!

Blessing #2) Earlier this month we were able to see Sarah Palin at one of the "last-ditch" republican rallies. She is quite a woman.

Blessing #3) Our new niece RACHEL E! Isn't she perfect?

Blessing #4) Another new niece, born 5 days later, RACHEL R! She looks just like her mommy only chubbier!

Here is a photo of the little doll I made for my sister's new baby. I saw one similar on etsy and made my own version of it. The tag reads "I just want to HUG you!" I will not be able to see my new little sweetheart until February! She'll be practically grown!

Am I a Senior Citizen Already???

2008-11-14T16:16:00.001-08:00

I am NOT at all happy about a couple of things I received in the mail last week! First, a copy of AARP Magazine addressed to ME! Then, the next day I received an "application" for my AARP MEMBERSHIP CARD!

WHAT??? I'm not even 50 yet! I called my 50-something sister to vent my outrage and all she did was laugh uproariously. (My son could hear it from across the room.)

I mentioned it to a couple of other "retired persons" and they both said the exact same thing, "Well, you get a discount on hotels." AARP will have to come up with something more enticing than THAT to get my early sign-up. How about a free fan for my hot-flashes! ;)

October-FEST!

2008-10-19T10:22:00.001-07:00

Fall is so beautiful in October! My 2 apple trees are just bursting with apples! The branches were so heavy with fruit that they almost touched the ground. We've made apple cobbler, applesause, apple butter and more. (click on any photo to enlarge.)

I put a sign in the yard that read "Free Apples, U-Pick" and we had lots of takers. I hung a canvas bag full of sacks and recipes from the trunk of the tree to make it easy. By the end of the weekend there were only a few sacks left in the bag and a couple of recipes left. One person even stopped by with his own ladder!

Fall also means it's time for the Applefest in one of neighboring towns. They have a great flea market and lots of food!

It was a beautiful day to be outside! Eva spent some time with the shetland ponies. There was one pony that was SO small, barely bigger than our golden retriever!

October also means it's time to break out the Halloween decorations! I like to do this on my birthday, but I was in Calif. at the time. But as soon as I got home, the decorations came out.

Here are some of my favorite things. I have pared-down my collection quite a bit this year, but I always manage to find room for my Dia De Los Muertos eskeletons.

I "church" them up by adding some plaques with verses from Ezekiel Ch. 37 to remind us how great God is and that death cannot hold us. We will rise again because of what Christ has done for us! God breathes life into what was once dead. I am so thankful for Jesus!

While I was visiting in Calif. I was able to make my nephew's Halloween costume for him. He wanted to be R2D2! I had so much fun doing this! My brother even helped out a bit with the silver duct tape.

Happy Reformation Day as my DH would want me to say!