A Few Thrifty Finds

Ok, anyone still out there? I have been MIA for only 2 months or so! If you are still reading this, thank you!

I was cleaning/sorting my vintage and thrifty junk finds, and I was struck with the need to capture photos a few of my recent treasures.

I found this sweet little set of 4 pink glass dessert plates for $2.00. The cutie-pie grapefruit pincushion is an etsy find from a year or two ago. The store is SeaPinks and it has the most adorable offerings for handmade felt pin cushions.

This little wall hanging I found so sweet. It has 2 to 4 layers to create a dimensional effect. Even the little bee and flowers have an extra layer. 

This was intended to show the details, but it was difficult to get closer without reflecting off the glass. I also have a thing for velvety ribbon, so this little piece totally charmed me. 

This find was at a random stop for an estate sale sign. The ladies running the sale were making great deals on everything because the sale was thrown together very last minute by the homeowners. And, sadly, the house smelled like cats had been living there without people. Yuck! There were lots of diamonds in the rough, but nothing worth bringing home with that smell.

I did pick up a pewter water  pitcher and the ladies through this book in for free when I picked it up (it does not smell, thank goodness - except for that old book smell). It may not look like much to anyone else - other than a vintage children's book. But to me it is a childhood memory. My grandparents had us over every Sunday for dinner. They had remnants of toys and books from my mom and her siblings. Not a lot, but back then we made due with our imaginations and the front yard.

In the old books my grandparents kept was a set of Peanuts books from the early 60's, this one included. The books had very retro covers with bright bold pages inside. In this one, each new page started with "Happiness is...". Similar to our imaginations, the list was all very simple things, like a warm puppy, a thumb and a blanket, and playing with friends. So simple, and so true.

And my last item of the day~ I almost fell over when I saw this beauty. It was working perfectly as a display stand for some vintage gloves, jewelry and odds and ends. A four-tiered silver-plated server. I assumed that it was NFS, but was so pleasantly surprised that it had a price tag - a very reasonable price tag. It could use a good cleaning, but I love it just the way I found it, too, with all its patina. I need to decide what to use it for first. Wouldn't this be great to hold craft supplies on a desk?

I hope to be posting more frequently! But life as a momma bear can be pretty darn unpredictable.

Until then... Happy junking treasure hunting!

You Are Loved...

A little late for posting, but I thought I'd share some Valentine's decor from around our house. 

My vintage heart tin molds stacked on top of my chippy, vintage scale. I am not too big on red and pink, so I just added a hint of red to keep in the Valentine's spirit.

My son and I have always had our competition of who loves whom more. And at an early age, being obsessed with numbers and how high they could go, we used the terms of infinity. Then infinity times infinity. Then infinity to the infinite power. {My daughter is less adamant of her love for me. She gives up quickly and says, "How 'bout we just love each other."} Can you tell which one is more romantic?

In keeping with that tradition, I used a measurement theme for this year. Vintage ruler, vintage scale and I just LOVE this giant, wooden rosary with a heart. I had an hourglass, as well, but it didn't balance the table.

You can see better in this closeup how I added red and white twine around the edges of the vintage ruler.

This little guy didn't figure into the table, either - but I couldn't resist taking a photo all by itself.

Just a small little table to celebrate February's most celebrated holiday.


Sometimes I link up with the following fabulous linky parties: The 36th Avenue, A Ruffled Nest, At the Picket Fence, Atkinson Drive, Be Different Act Normal,Between Naps on the Porch, Beyond the Picket Fence, Blissful & Domestic, Bowdabra Blog, Cheerios and Lattes, The Chicken Chick, Coastal Charm, Common Ground, The Cottage Market, Country Momma Cooks, Crystal & Co (The Mommy Club), The Dedicated House, DIY Show Off, Do Small Things With Love, Elizabeth & Co., Embracing Change, Faded Charm, Family Every After, The Farmhouse Porch, Finding Fabulous, Fine Craft Guild, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Free Pretty Things!, French Country Cottage, Fresh Eggs Daily, Ginger Snap Crafts, Happy Hour Projects, High Heels and Grills, Home stories AtoZ, House of Hepworths, Hubby Made Me, I Heart Naptime, Lil' Luna, Ladybird Ln, Life on Lakeshore Drive, Little Becky Homecky, Mandatory Mooch, Milk & Cuddles, Mod Vintage Life, My Repurposed Life, My Romantic Home, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Nap Time Crafters, Nifty Thrifty Things, Not Just a Housewife, One More Time, Project Inspire, Primp Your Stuff, Redoux, Rooted in Thyme, Savvy Southern Style, Shabby Art Boutique, Simple Home Life, Six Sisters' Stuff, Skip to My Lou, Someday Crafts, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Stuff and Nonsense, Tatertots and Jello, Thirty Handmade Days, Timewashed, Tip Junkie, Twigg Studios, Uncommon Designs, Under the Table & Dreaming, The Vintage Farmhouse, Western Warmth, ...

Ranunculus Love

I've really been wanting to take photos of the snow and icy branches outside around our home lately. We have some stunning roads with horses and wooden fences that are just begging to be photographed. But I'm just too busy spinning, pushing or helping carry a sled instead. And that is as it should be. It makes me happy that my yard is now a mushy mess - I remind myself that my kids are making memories. And my artful eye can wait until I am missing them off at school to take photos.

But as luck would have it, on our mad dash through Costco the other day, I showed a small bouquet of ranunculus to my daughter. I told her that they were some of my favorite flowers. She agreed. Very pretty. So we picked them up.

They provided plenty of beautiful inspiration for my camera. Each blossom was so unique and gorgeous in its own right. From the just-budding to the about-to-fall-apart stage.

It really was a small bunch, and once they survived my daughter's loving squishes in the shopping cart and the car ride home - well, they were even smaller. Definitely shorter, too. 

But still grand nonetheless.

They remind me of cabbage roses, if I remember that right. I love them. How they start spherical and  have never ending layers of petals.

I am not a very romantic type of girl, but this flower is so very romantic. Had I known they existed when I got married, they would have been in my bridal party bouquets. 

I am still learning my camera settings, and I had to keep waiting for clouds to part to get some natural light - but I am so happy with the photos that captured this mother/daughter bouquet.

I put the majority of the flowers that made it home into this creamy white vase from Goodwill. And this poor little guy below that bent over before we left the store... he got special treatment in a vintage purple bottle I got at an antique store.

My friend Laura, from Pruning Princesses, has been writing with a theme this week of No More Perfect Moms, a book by Jill Savage. It focuses on not keeping up with the Jones' on a mom level. Don't compare yourself to other moms or assume that because their blog looks like their life is beautiful and perfect - that you're seeing the whole picture. 

If you ever notice the photos of my home on my blog, you will most often find them of VERY small vignettes. A fairly empty table - as shown above, or just the entry. NOT the family room, which is in constant disarray. NOT the kitchen which gets hit daily with a bomb of paper, toys and food. Just a tiny snippet of the cleanest corners of my home. 

So in the spirit of just keepin' it real and showing the imperfections of my life and home ... 

This is where my vases of beautiful ranunculus are actually located to protect them from little hands and giant paws. To be honest, even this is pretty clean for my house. I think the hockey water bottle really works in this vignette. Don't you? :)

Blush and Bashful

10 points if you can name that movie!!!! :)

Warning: This post will probably turn into a series. But first it needs a backstory. 

You see, I waited a long time for my baby girl. I was surrounded by boys and their "boy stuff". My husband, my wonderful son, and my dog - a very aggressive male at that. I felt like I was surrounded by testosterone. Sports, cars, trains, trucks, rough and tough.

Never having been a girly-girl myself I didn't mind. I appreciated my family. But after almost 6 years, I started to wish for a sweet baby girl to have tea parties together and embrace my feminine side. Then finally, as fate would have it, my baby girl came into our lives. 

And, yes, I may have gone overboard, but all I could see was pink. Pink car seat, pink stroller, pink bouncies... And, of course, a pink bedroom.

I knew I wanted white furniture for her nursery. It is all from Young America by Stanley Furniture. The paint color is French White. Aptly named, no? Not pure white, but not cream, either. A lovely soft white. The bed converts to a full size bed when she's ready. The bedding was from Pottery Barn Kids on clearance. I LOVED it and still want to come up with some way to repurpose/upcycle her crib bumper. It is so beautiful! 

These photos are from her bedroom in our last house. {We moved 2 years ago, but these photos show how her room was originally designed.} We knew we planned to move, so I didn't want to paint the closet doors or trim. I opted to remove the doors completely and paint the back wall a soft green. My son helped me {he was 6 at the time}, and I left his little imperfections as a memento.

The lamp is Simply Shabby Chic from Target and the gorgeous carousel clock was from a local baby boutique called Cradles and All, where I also got the furniture. 

This curio (or doll cabinet as the catalog called it) was a MUST! I fell in love with it. However, since my daughter turned 3 and became very rambunctious, we decided to remove this piece from the room. Too much glass on spindle legs. I guess I planned on having a very calm little girl. My mistake! :) It now resides in my sunroom as craft/fabric storage. Not a bad consolation.

I filled the curio with felt bakery goodies and a felt tea set from various etsy shops. Each little treat has so much attention to detail. Too bad our puppy ate the strawberries off one of them. :(

From left to right, top to bottom: Felt Play Food Cheesecake and Tea Cakes from feltfakerybakery, Lady Sassafrass Felt Tea Set from kiddycoutoure, Beautiful Felt Food Cakes from daisydaydreams, You Pick 4 - Felt Assorted Cupcakes also from feltfakerybakery, and Felt Cake Dessert Set - 3 Pink and Lemon Cakes from onenonly88.

Quick Note: I apologize for the photos, this was with an old camera and blackout blinds in the window! Ahhh, what a few years and time spent with a camera will teach you. 

My son picked out a white beluga whale stuffed animal for his baby sister from The Shedd Aquarium which is hanging out on the corner of her crib - if you were wondering what that white blob was. :)

I got a handmade mobile from etsy to hang over her crib, as well. I hung it from the ceiling with a small planter hook. There are at least 100 butterflies floating from it. All in different patterns of pink, green, white and yellow. It is from littledreamersinc.

Here's the view from inside the crib. She loved it when I would gently blow on the butterflies and they would dance around above her. Her new bedroom has a vaulted ceiling and I wasn't able to incorporate it into the room. Plus, she would try to climb her crib rails to touch the butterflies. 

It was very hard to get a decent photo of the vinyl lettering I added above her crib. It was a soft white color that said, "Such a big miracle in such a little girl." So sweet and I loved the mix of fonts.

Can you see my little baby girl in her bouncy in the reflection of the mirror on her armoire? She was snoozing while I took these photos. The pretty dresses that hang in the closet above her were some of the only girly clothes I ever got her to wear before she started making up her own sense of style.

There have been many changes to her room since we have moved. Due to her growing up and being a little rascal. And especially due to her above mentioned self-declared style: part biker chic, part sports star, part rapper, part rockstar. She is truly one of a kind.

Stay tuned for more in this series on how my baby girl's room evolves.


Linking up to the following wonderful parties: Make it Pretty Monday

Camera Crazy

I may have mentioned before that one of my ever growing list of items I collect is vintage cameras. I like to find cameras that have great old typography and design. Giant flash bulbs are a sure bet with me, too. :)

And every once and a while an item comes along that just stuns you. That happened to me on Saturday. I know that cameras are just things. And I shouldn't be coveting things. I should be treasuring moments. But I think one of my reasons for loving and collecting cameras is the treasured memories that they capture.

In these digital days, we take photos and delete the unpleasant ones. Back in the day, there was no delete. And it was always a surprise what would come back from the film. The few photos that our grandparents had of their parents, family and their childhoods were rare and treasured keepsakes.

Blah, blah, blah... On to my point! I found an antique Kodak camera that floored me. Honestly, I think my jaw hit the floor when I opened up this gem packed away in a tattered black box.

It even included the instruction booklet! Squeal! 

And thank goodness it did. I was able to open the back (the film opening) and see the accordion-style camera lens, but couldn't open the front. No matter, I decided. I would figure it out. The instruction book showed me exactly how to open it and slide out the lens.

I love it! It is open and being displayed with my family photos, like all my other vintage cameras.

Did I mention how much I loved the typography and lines? :)

I like to imagine what photos this camera captured. Oh, and look at that - yes, I could clean it, but that is just my favorite color!

How about you? Have you found any special additions to your collections lately? I'd love to know!

Happy Monday!

Sometimes I link up with the following fabulous linky parties: The 36th Avenue, A Ruffled Nest, At the Picket Fence, Atkinson Drive, Be Different Act Normal,Between Naps on the Porch, Beyond the Picket Fence, Blissful & Domestic, Bowdabra Blog, Cheerios and Lattes, The Chicken Chick, Coastal Charm, Common Ground, The Cottage Market, Country Momma Cooks, Crystal & Co (The Mommy Club), The Dedicated House, DIY Show Off, Do Small Things With Love, Elizabeth & Co., Embracing Change, Faded Charm, Family Every After, The Farmhouse Porch, Finding Fabulous, Fine Craft Guild, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Free Pretty Things!, French Country Cottage, Fresh Eggs Daily, Ginger Snap Crafts, Happy Hour Projects, High Heels and Grills, Home stories AtoZ, House of Hepworths, Hubby Made Me, I Heart Naptime, Lil' Luna, Ladybird Ln, Life on Lakeshore Drive, Little Becky Homecky, Mandatory Mooch, Milk & Cuddles, Mod Vintage Life, My Repurposed Life, My Romantic Home, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Nap Time Crafters, Nifty Thrifty Things, Not Just a Housewife, One More Time, Project Inspire, Primp Your Stuff, Redoux, Rooted in Thyme, Savvy Southern Style, Shabby Art Boutique, Simple Home Life, Six Sisters' Stuff, Skip to My Lou, Someday Crafts, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Stuff and Nonsense, Tatertots and Jello, Thirty Handmade Days, Timewashed, Tip Junkie, Twigg Studios, Uncommon Designs, Under the Table & Dreaming, The Vintage Farmhouse, Western Warmth, ...

Our Christmas Card

This Christmas was as hectic as ever. Possibly more so, since my daughter "gets it" for the first time. Last year, she knew what presents were, but this year - there was a wish list. Her list was simple. A bike. A big girl bike. Santa always delivers, doesn't he? Santa brought my son a new laptop, too.

Yes, Santa is very good to my kids. I think Santa knew I was also feeling very grateful - even more than usual - that my kids are healthy.

The Sandy Hook travesty took a toll on more than just my husband and myself. You assume that parents are horrified. But my son was very distraught, too. Enough that his teacher called to let me know how upset he was. More than the rest of his classmates - at how senseless and unexplainable it all was.

He has little empathy for his little sister, but when it comes to the world - he wants to fix it. He cried and told me that he wanted to invent a time machine to go back to Thursday and warn everyone - to stop it from happening. Not that he wanted "someone" to do that - he wanted to do it himself. That's a lot of weight on a little man's shoulders.

I received the Christmas cards I ordered 2 days after - and all I could think about was how one of those mothers may have gotten their Christmas cards that day, too. With photos of their child smiling.

I planned on starting to address my cards that morning, but found myself reading news articles and crying instead. For several hours I thought that sending Christmas cards seemed so trivial and insignificant. But then I realized that I love receiving them and seeing all the beautiful faces of my family, friends - and more than anything the children. So I got my act together and mailed them in case someone else was having a rough day and my children's faces can brighten it just a little.

From my family to yours... a belated, but heartfelt... Merry Christmas!!! 

And Warmest Wishes for a wonderful New Year!

Please note: These images are from Tiny Prints, Inc.

Getting in the spirit

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in my home! Not outside, however. Cold and very, very grey! Not excellent photo opportunities so some of these images will be a bit grainy since I had to brighten them up.

This is a small vignette in my entry. I moved my little desk to another wall to make way for the "fancy" Christmas tree. This is my White Christmas area. Our family tree, in all its color-filled glory, is in the family room. Guess that's a bit redundant.

Somehow we ended up with two trees 10 years ago, and I decided the tree in the foyer would be all decked out in white and silver. I'm still loving it a decade later. My husband and kids love very colorful Christmas decor. And I agree - a family tree should be as fun as possible. So it was a great compromise.

This little fella is from Kirklands. I liked his neutral colors, the book pages peaking through and his dusting of snow. Oh, and 50% off doesn't hurt at all. :)

One of my favorite garage sales finds of the summer was 2 boxes of vintage silver glass ball ornaments. Still in their boxes, no less. I think I paid a dollar for them. Gasp! The patina is gorgeous. I wish it were more obvious in the photos, but as I mentioned, grey, grey, grey skies around here.

I added a few bottle brush trees under a bell jar. Then sprinkled them with coarse kosher salt. Isn't it the cutest? Glass bell jars and teeny tiny trees - honestly this little piece makes me smile inside and out.

I have an old silver sleigh - don't even remember where I got this one. I filled it with a bag of pinecones I got at Goodwill for 50 cents. I was really happy to find them, because the scented pinecones at stores are so potent they give me a headache. And make my husband sneeze. These were completely odorless and crazy cheap to boot!

Pinecones are such an easy way to add texture to any setting. I got 3 large sugar cones from Home Goods that I so badly wanted to add to my Christmas decor. Unfortunately, when I got home, realized they were scented - and not cinnamon - something like heavy floral soap. They would be perfect in a basket in a bathroom, or tied with ribbon hanging in front of a window. But just opening the bag made me itch like crazy. Super sensitive to perfumes around here. Boo hoo...

So that's my peak at my entry table. Hopefully I will have time (and natural light) to post more soon. I have photos to upload of my fancy tree and want to do a post about handmade ornaments. And of course, my treasured childhood ornaments.

Are you getting in the Christmas spirit, too? Or has the bug not bit you yet?

Sometimes I link up with the following fabulous linky parties: The 36th Avenue, A Ruffled Nest, At the Picket Fence, Atkinson Drive, Be Different Act Normal,Between Naps on the Porch, Beyond the Picket Fence, Blissful & Domestic, Bowdabra Blog, Cheerios and Lattes, The Chicken Chick, Coastal Charm, Common Ground, Country Momma Cooks, Crystal & Co (The Mommy Club), The Dedicated House, DIY Show Off, Elizabeth & Co., Embracing Change, Faded Charm, Family Every After, The Farmhouse Porch, Finding Fabulous, Fine Craft Guild, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Free Pretty Things!, French Country Cottage, Fresh Eggs Daily, Ginger Snap Crafts, Happy Hour Projects, High Heels and Grills, Home stories AtoZ, House of Hepworths, Hubby Made Me, I Heart Naptime, Lil' Luna, Ladybird Ln, Life on Lakeshore Drive, Little Becky Homecky, Mandatory Mooch, Milk & Cuddles, Mod Vintage Life, My Repurposed Life, My Romantic Home, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Nap Time Crafters, Nifty Thrifty Things, Not Just a Housewife, One More Time, Project Inspire, Primp Your Stuff, Redoux, Rooted in Thyme, Savvy Southern Style, Shabby Art Boutique, Simple Home Life, Six Sisters' Stuff, Skip to My Lou, Someday Crafts, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Stuff and Nonsense, Tatertots and Jello, Thirty Handmade Days, Timewashed, Tip Junkie, Twigg Studios, Uncommon Designs, Under the Table & Dreaming, The Vintage Farmhouse, Western Warmth, ...