Happy 2014

Here's to another year of blogging, crafting, creating, and finding balance...

image from the graphics fairy

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

...but I just wish it wasn't the  BUSIEST time of the year.  Too much to do, not enough time to do it.  Need to learn to balance in 2014.  Merry Christmas.

image from the graphics fairy

Happy Thanksgiving

The start of the holiday season...

Busy Summer

Summer was filled with many other activities other than blogging. Such as sewing these drapes for our little cottage.  I'm in love with this Waverly fabric:

And of course estate sale shopping is always high on the list of fun things to do.  I try to buy only what I will sell.  But some things are too good to pass up to enjoy for myself.  I already have a vintage full length curly lamb coat.  But I couldn't resist this shorter one with a fur collar:

All the sewing and shopping of course made me want to spend time on the boat relaxing with my faithful companion:

And, while on the boat, it's important to hydrate with this yummy drink:-)

 It's been a busy summer and now of course it will be a busy autumn getting ready for the holiday season.

Etsy Shop Items and Preparing for a Show

Too many things going on now to post much, but I did just list some darling items in my etsy shop. I love it when items go to good homes, but I wouldn't mind if a few didn't sell like these book ends...

I've also been trying to finish some furniture for a big summer show.  Here's the latest piece, a French provincial table which I happen to really like, but I'm never sure if someone else will...

More project pics to come soon.

Slowing Down For Now

Last summer my mom and I did three shows.  This year I am only doing one.  I'm tired from the school year and definitely need a break.  But today I did start on some furniture projects - a book shelf that I am going to rehab to look something like this found on this blog:

The shelf I have is only two shelfs, but longer.  This project is darling and I can't wait to see how mine turns out.

This spring I also completed another hankie shower curtain:

My sweet mother-in-law who is a quilter helped me quite a bit.  It's definitely a two person project.  This will be for sale at The Summer Market, the only show I'm doing this summer.  But, it's a BIG show so I'll need all my energy!

happy mother's day

For all the mothers out there including the ones to furry babies...

image found here

New Items in the Etsy Shop

Lots of cute new items in my Etsy shop which I will gladly keep if they don't sell!  Like this apron with pretty yellow tulips:

And this darling set of place mats with red gingham tulips:

I love spring, but not as much as summer!

Happy Easter!

Getting ready to enjoy spring break and only 38 more days of school :-)

image found here.

Extinct Storage

Growing up, my grandmother and great-grandmother always bought potato chips in a can.  Can you imagine today going to the grocery store and putting one of these in the cart? Probably not, since these were usually delivered:

It's hard to imagine getting your snacks delivered, your milk delivered, etc. Now we buy snacks in bags and milk in cartons or plastic gallons.  I can't imagine the cost associated with a tin can or a glass bottle. This type of storage is becoming extinct.  Go grab it from my etsy shop for a unique historic storage solution.

More Pink Vintage Goodness

I don't know that I could ever get tired of pretty, pink, vintage things.  I have been looking for a pink typewriter recently.  They're not cheap.  But I recently celebrated a birthday and so I figured I would buy myself a little present.  Well, maybe not so little.  Not so cheap.  But oh, so pretty.

I was the winning bid on ebay (after losing out on one a few weeks ago) and it appears to be in good working condition, but I most likely won't type on it.  I will just stare at its loveliness. ;-)

The One That Almost Got Away...

I love vintage things.  I love all things pink.  And vintage, pink things? Be still my heart.  At an incredible estate sale yesterday held in a historic warehouse I bought a lot of great vintage items including an antique typewriter which I love, a huge stack of vintage bingo cards, a vintage dictionary that is literally about 1000 pages...but nothing pink.

Now I did see an amazing vintage pink sofa.  Probably from the 1940s.  Mint condition.  Comfortable. The price was $50, which I knew was an absolute steal.  But I knew there was no way I could fit it in my car with my mom and my friend along, I knew I'd have nowhere to put it, blah, blah, blah.

I walked away from that pink sofa and thought about it ALL day.  I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about it.  Literally, woke up in the middle of the night thinking about it.

This morning I get an email from the estate sale company stating that sales were very slow yesterday, probably due to the weather.  And that today, everything left would be half off, as the entire warehouse had to be cleared.  I let another friend know that she should really go to the sale because there were so many great items and at half off, there would be incredible deals.

I also made up my mind to go again with my mother and told her if that couch was still there we would have to find a way to bring it home.

My friend gets there before I did and sends a text that the couch is still there.  I was already in the car and told her I'd be there in five minutes.

It hung out of the back of my car with me driving with hazard lights on, knees almost up to my chin, but I brought that couch home.  For $25.

My dear mother helped me haul that sofa up a flight of stairs to my second floor office where it now sits pretty:

I am in love.  She's a real beauty and I need to do a little spot cleaning on the cushions, but it's really in fabulous condition.

I also just started taking a photography class, so here are a few other shots using different settings that I'm learning:

This was meant to be MY couch. <3

Christmas Projects

I'm looking forward to more rest now that the holiday season is over.  I love the holidays, but they are exhausting, aren't they?  I had a successful selling season at BAYarts where the following items sold:

My favorite project- the hot, hot, hot Union Jack:

I sold every single scrabble ornament I made (and I made over 60!)

These adorable dog feeder chairs finally sold after being painted yellow and adding a touch of whimsy with stickers (a suggestion from Mr. Vintage Novella - thanks, Honey!)

And this sweet little child's roll top desk with swivel chair:

Some things didn't sell, like my pretty pink dresser:

I still think it's beautiful and I'm hoping it will sell this summer.

I made some very pretty tea cup displays that didn't sell:

A few sold, but these did not.  Who knows?

I also worked on a few projects at home like painting my fireplace mantel, which I have been wanting to do for some time.  Before:

And the after:

Ah, so much better.

I also made a gift for my favorite aunt:  a wooden initial adorned with vintage costume jewelry, some of which belonged to my great grandmother:

So, I hope my lack of blogging for December is understandable!  Time to rest a little before getting ready for summer shows!

happy new year

I certainly didn't intend to take the entire month of December off, but there were too many projects going on.  I will post before the end of the week with pics of everything.  Hoping to get more rest and find balance this year!  Beautiful graphic below from the graphics fairy