All Things Pretty...

Needles, thread and laces...

I've been working on a couple of projects that involve vintage laces, crochet pieces, millinery, pearls...   pure heaven for someone who loves vintage textiles (smile).

There is something very soothing about small handsewn projects.   For me, part of the fun is the almost instant gratification; how it comes together stitch by stitch.

One project was this mother/child altered cabinet card.

 

 

I thought this image was so sweet - perfect for Mother's Day!

 

 

I added a little "tag" with the perfect message...

 

 

 

You can see the joy in the babe's face and the mother's unconditional love and pride.

Just darling - don't you think?

 

This next project is a bit larger and complex. 

It is a fabric collage , using layers and layers of textiles and a vintage image printed on canvas.

 

 

 

I was able to use some beautiful vintage pieces leftover from previous projects. 

I cannot bear to throw out even a 1-inch piece of beautiful old lace ~ so you can only imagine the excessive amount of "leftovers" in my studio.

(smile)

 

 

Pretty flowers (both premade and handmade) add a soft, feminine touch.

 

 

A special message...

 

 

It is not quite finished, but I'm loving how it's turning out. 

 

 

...just a few more details and a way to "hang" it, since it is about 8 1/2 x 11 inches and a bit heavy due to all the layers...

 

What about you?  Any special projects you've enjoyed working on recently?

 

 

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Spools, threads, tatting...

Hatboxes between friends....

Pretty ladies and other things...

There is a boxful of vintage photos in my studio...   a large box. 

Every single photo has been purchased with the intent of using in a project of some sort.  They all tell a story...   whether it's a lovely lady gazing into the horizon, a new bride looking "not so in love," children with their mothers. 

 

 

(I am especially fond of pretty and/or interesting hairstyles, hats, outfits)

 

I once had the idea of taking some of the photos and writing a story around them; wouldn't that be fun? 

I haven't pursued that idea yet, but it's on my "to do someday" list.

Needless to say, I cannot pass up the opportunity to dig through hundreds of photos at antiques shops, sometimes estate sales... looking for those "special" ones.  Of course, the price has to be right as well (I won't pay more than $1 apiece, not matter how pretty the image!).

I recently purchased these two beauties at Junk Bonanza.

 

 

Junk Bonanza is always a fun event.  There is something for everyone...whether it is a large furniture piece you are looking for, garden art, true antiques, "junk" antiques, repurposed junk, handmade OOAK jewelry pieces... you name it, it's there!

For me, JB is all about the little things.  I love to dig for diamonds...so to speak.  I never come home with big pieces; my biggest purchase (size-wise) this year was a very unique birdhouse (photos later). 

 

Some of my other finds this year:

 

 

I was instantly attracted to this box...  loved the cameo-like image on the cover.  Its color is a soft, faded peachy-cream.  

The price tag read "scarf in a box, $2" and I was sold before even seeing the scarf. 

It turns out, the scarf is okay, but it could have been the ugliest scarf on Earth and I would have still purchased the box. 

I think I offended the dealer a tiny bit, when I mentioned this (my love of the box, not so much of the scarf). 

 

 

I also found lots of pretty buttons for reasonable prices. 

 

 

One of my favorite shops of all-time, Rose Mille in Stillwater, was there.   Michelle has the prettiest booth ever~ with tons of millinery, ribbons, trim~ many of which she gets directly from France.   They closed their bricks-n-mortar shop a few months back, but all of her merchandise is still available online and soon, via occasional sales.

Her "new" millinery looks and feels vintage, and I always end up purchasing a few sprigs to use for those special projects.

 

 

 

Another little find was this dainty berry bowl...  I need another dainty bowl as much as I need a hole in my head, but I couldn't put it down!  

What is it with me and little pink, delicate, flowery bowls?!?

 

 

 

Another sweet purchase was this little lady...

she stands all of 3 inches tall.

 

 

Isn't she sweet? 

The hat, the dress, the dark hair...reminded me of "Gone with the Wind" ~ which is my all-time favorite movie.  Of course I had to bring her home!

 

Wishful thinking....

Just when we thought that Spring might actually be around the corner, we get hit with (not) one, but two snowstorms!  I also hear that we are supposed to get even more snow this week...  yuck.

 

To cheer things up around the house, and my spirits, I went out and bought pretty pink and coral tulips.

 

 

 

Is it my imagination, or did the price of the flowers go uphill as the weather went downhill?  I could have sworn these tulip bunches were $2 less last week!   It's a conspiracy, I tell you.

 

 

 

I've also brought out more of my "flower" vases to cheer things up.  

This one was a recent estate sale find; I love its delicate pink roses....

 

Surrounding myself with flowers and pretty things always cheers me up.

 

Happy Monday!

p.s.   finally recovered from my Europe trip, still organizing and editing photos, which I hope to share later this week!

Salty, Peppy and friends...

I had Friday off (end of grading period) and decided that I would spend it doing something I love... hunting for treasures!  

My drive took me to Rogers, Minnesota and luckily for me, the antiques stores in town were all having a big sale this weekend... my timing couldn't have been better!

The majority of my finds were purchased at 30%, 40% or 50% off their original price.  I didn't even bother to look  in booths that weren't offering at least a 30% discount; what was the point of wasting my time and money?

I came home smiling and content.  

 

Here are some of my finds:

darling vintage Spaniels planter... love the colors!

 

 

 

Meet "Salty" and "Peppy"

Aren't they cute?  They look like nerdy little bunnies....

 

 

the cutest vintage buttons... I bought these for the packagin; it's very difficult in my neck of the woods to find these buttons in their original button cards.  Oh, I love the artwork!  (The fact that they were only 25 cents apiece certainly didn't hurt either!)

 

 

 

Baggies full of vintage paper doilies came home with me as well.  I like having these on hand for various projects.   It alway amazes me to see the lovely designs.

The necklace is made out of buttons and is darn cute...  I plan on using it as a "garland" for an altered book cover  (more on that later) I'm working on. 

 

 

 

 

....you know how I love children's books and illustrations, so imagine my delight to find this linen book for just a dollar! 

Although the cover is worn, the illustrations inside are just gorgeous. 

Note the date:  1919 

 (I hope I'll look this good when I'm 93!)

 

 

 

A bag marked "misc linens" and priced at just $2 (less 30%) was tucked away in a crate.  For me, these bags are like a pinata...  

full of treats and you never know what you will get. 

 

Like this set of napkins.

I love it when the linens have little notes tucked in with them, that gives me a bit of history about the piece.

 

 

 

Several embroidered pieces, a few white hankies...

 

 

 

 

Crocheted pieces (in great shape!) and a baby gown...



 

 

There was even a pair of crocheted gloves.... made in France! 

They are in need of some TLC for stains, but still lovely.

 

All in all, a bargain for just $1.40 - yippee!

 

 

 

 

I love estate sales...my top 5 favorites

...there is no denying it... 

 if you are patient,

 are willing to overlook/withstand the crazy people (that run you down to get to the merchandise),

put up with the (sometimes) unfriendly sellers,

the once-in-a-while musty smells of old 'stuff'

and a few other minor inconveniences... 

estate sales are IT for finding fun and unique items and crafting supplies at very reasonable prices.  If you are very VERY lucky, you can find true gems overlooked by everyone during the 2-day sale and go home with armfuls of "stuff" for dirt cheap.

(large basket &  silk flowers....$5)

 

I NEVER arrive super early (I don't do numbers or waiting lines), hardly ever attend sales on their first day, but rather wait for the 2nd or 3rd days when items are marked way down.

I have a couple of favorite local estate sales companies that I follow... I know that they are friendly, their sales usually have tons of the good junk, and their prices are right. 

(vintage bibles and religious collectibles)
 

Also, I try to stay near home.  There is nothing that is so precious that I'm willing to drive more than 15 miles to obtain.   I am lucky enough to have a nice supply of sales each weekend that are fairly close to home. 

My favorite things to hunt for at these sales? 

 

#1.   Vintage linens

(on this day, I found several hand-embroidered vintage pillowcases for 50 cents apiece... not in perfect shape due to stains, small tears, but I didn't care... the value for me lays in the embroidery itself.)

(my heart always jumps for joy when I find beautiful Irish linen!  these were nicely pressed and stored...a true delight to find)
 

 

#2.   Ribbons, ribbons, ribbons!

 

(on a good day, I will find gorgeous vintage ribbons... like the silk and taffeta seam binding... a bagful of them for $1....)

 

#3.  vintage hats and millinery

 

(I buy any vintage hat that is $5 or less and has millinery...these are by far the hardest to find in my neck of the woods... collectors and dealers snatch them up fast!) 

 

#4.  oh, baby! 

( gowns, shoes, accessories) 

 

(at this particular estate sale, the owner was a baby doll collector and she had tons of vintage newborn gowns... all with dainty laces, buttons and embroidered...  $1 to $2 apiece) 

 
(I buy baby shoes when I find them priced at $1 or less... not an easy task)

 

#5.  floral china (Limoges, Bavarian are my favorites)

 

 

 

There you are - my favorite things to "hunt" for!

Wishing you a lovely weekend... 

I'm off to my studio to finish up some Valentines projects and a few custom order rosettes, as I look out the window at the freshly fallen snow; my idea of a perfect day!

 

 

 

 p.s.  linking up to the party over at Pink Saturday!

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Pretty pink inspiration...

Surrounded by reds...

Pretty pink inspiration...

It has been so frigid here this past week that I am craving Spring...   when temps are below zero, when your skin feels like it's going to peel off when it exposed to the cold air, when the wind takes the air out of your lungs when you first step outside....  that is when I miss my Florida sunshine.

To cheer myself up, I played around with some pretty pinks - all recent acquisitions from an estate sale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's nothing better than a dose of cuteness and pink to cheer things up!

Enjoy your Saturday... I'm linking up to Beverly's Pink Saturday for some more pink fun!

 

Religion in the morning light...

More experimentation with lighting, camera settings, editing...

 

Today's subject was "religious artifacts, icons"

 

 

 

 

 

I have amassed quite a collection of old bibles; many of them in foreign languages.

The spine of these old gems are just beautiful.

 

 

  ... it's been a long and tiring week thus far.  I have Friday AND Monday off, so I'm looking forward to ending my work week tomorrow!  Yay!

I have a BIG project planned for the long weekend:  moving my Sunshine Room up into my old master bedroom.  Lots of packing and sorting to do....  hubby will move the big furniture pieces and I am in charge of everything else.  Can't wait to see it all finished!

 

Playing with light...

We recently moved our master bedroom into my daughter's old room... it's not the largest bedroom in the house, but it does have the en suite bathroom and beautiful morning light.  

I experimented a bit with photography using only the natural light coming through the window sheers...

 

 

 

...my vintage thrift store lamps look lovely here... 

and so do the felt roses wreath in winter whites.

 

 

 

Wishing you a wonderful Sunday!

 

 

 

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Forgotten photos.... part II

We experienced our "January thaw" this week here in Minnesota....  temps went up into the upper 30's and even 41 degrees one day!  

This morning, however, I awakened to single-digit temps and a windchill of 0 degrees...along with some snow flurries.  Brrrr!

Even after living (..more like "surviving") 17 Minnesota winters, I still cannot appreciate those extreme temperatures.   My body and soul  yearn for sunshine and warmth. 

 I thought the cold wouldn't hit me too hard this year, since I have my hot flashes to counter-act them... but they don't seem to help much, since they come and go so rapidly. 

 One minute, I'm bundling up with layers of clothing and lovely scarves wrapped creatively around my neck... the next, I am literally ripping clothing off my body. 

 I think I will spend the day doing things I love and make me happy... like creating in The Sunshine Room, and stopping by a few estate sales and my favorite occassional sale at a local shop. 

 

I'm leaving you with some more favorite photos discovered during my recent photo purging... enjoy!~

 

 

 

 

 

Cheap flowers and a candle...

The new year awakes the desire to de-clutter and re-decorate. 

As I moved thoughout my home today, taking down holiday decor and putting my "garden" look back together, I incorporated a couple of inexpensive, yet beautiful touches.

 

 

The floral pillow was a special find at a local church's rummage sale two summers ago.  I came home with a carload of these beauties (at $2 apiece!!!)

 

.

 

This candle is my latest favorite... the scent is delicious and romantic.   I buy it at a local occasional sale in a gorgeous shop named The Bee Cottage.

 

 

The darling little plate is one of three....  they used to hang in my late mother-in-law's dining room.   She had such a wonderful eye for beautiful things!

 

(pattern is called "Georgian" by Homer Laughlin)

 

 

The silk flowers were purchased just this weekend during a quick visit to the thrift store... (only $1)... 

they are not of the best quality, but their divine shabby colors make up for that.  

Wishing you a lovely week ahead!

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Junkyard treasures...

Well, these treasures are not really from a "junkyard" per se...they were from  Junk Bonanza, which I posted about here.   

When I attend these larger events and antiques shows, I don't aim to come home with an armful of "stuff."    Rather, my goal is to find a few treasures that I can't find anywhere else... that are unique in some way, or for which the price is a bargain.  Sometimes (not often), I leave empty-handed.  Other times, I will make one amazing purchase (like the time I found a bagful of vintage rhinestone buttons for $2)...  However, if I walk out of the place with a headful of inspiration and a heart full of happiness - well, I consider that a successful event.

My recent visit to Junk Bonanza was indeed inspiring, creatively speaking. 

But I also managed to find a few little treasures...

 

A vintage suitcase (in a pinky-peachy tone)  in perfect condition (and for $15) was my very first purchase.

  It came in handy for carrying all the other little purchases I made along the way.

 

The little altered bear was a whimsical purchase. 

 

Meet Annabelle... she was just too darn cute to pass up  and is now sitting pretty in my guest bedroom.  

 The crochet tablecloth (or maybe it's a throw?) is in fabulous condition!  I've been looking for one to try my hand at making a gypsy-style skirt; but now that I found it, I'm not sure if I can get myself to cut it up! 

 

 

 Like most paper crafters and artists, I am always on the lookout for interesting ephemera.   On this particular outing, I was seeking pieces I could use for Halloween and fall projects.

 

...

One particular vendor had so much wonderful stuff, that I spent a good 30 minutes going through it all! 

Some of my favorite finds were vintage Bingo cards with the number "31" 

(Bingo cards, at a reasonable price, are hard to find in my neck of the woods)

 

I just love these playing cards with drawings of ladies! 

I searched high and low for more, but alas, only four could be found...  won't they make fabulous witches?

A jarful of wooden Bingo numbers also made their way into the suitcase...  as did a few tiny glass bottles for filling with pearls, beads, etc.  (I like to use the old ones vs. the clean and shiny new ones you find at the craft store) 

...
Junk Bonanza vendors had tons of vintage hats... many were beautiful, all were pricey.   

So imagine my surprise when I found this one tucked under a table and marked $5

 

.... 

Another vendor had a suitcase full of grab bags with jewelry; where I found lovely pearls, prisms, and miscellaneous pieces for a couple of bucks.   

 

The hat and pearls will be used for the upcoming bridal shower I am hosting for my future daughter-in-law.   We are having a vintage tea party theme, where all the attendees will don vintage hats, pearls and gloves.   (Can't wait to post about that event!   I have been a busy bee gathering all the supplies and decor pieces for it.) 

Hoping your week is a happy and productive one~

 

Pretty junk...

Junk Bonanza  took place this past weekend in Shakopee, Minnesota.   This is the baby of the incredibly creative interpreneur Ki Nassauer, who not only puts on this event twice a year, but also publishes a magazine (Flea Market Style), manages several blogs....   

 

... I mean, this lady is everywhere except in church

 (on second thought, she might be there also!)  

 

Ki describes herself  as "Author, editor, and expert

at converting junk into treasure"

This was only my 3rd time attending Junk Bonanza, and I usually try to attend either the first or second day.   Due to work schedules, I was unable to attend until the third (and final) day this year. 

  

But oh, there was still lots of beautiful junk to behold!

 

 
LOVED the blinged-out tarnished silver!

(apology: i've misplaced this dealer's card and can't give proper credit)

 

  

RUSTIC and RUSTY junk getting a second life....

 

 

...there were prisms everywhere.... 

they made plain, utilitarian objects just a bit more dazzling.

 

 

 

I even loved the unique signs....  

  

.... creative chandeliers (prisms again)....

 and fabulous dressforms

 

 

 

 

Vignettes that caught my eye...

 

"for the love of junk"



 

You could find a sweet vignette tucked in any corner...  if you were not careful, your eyes would totally miss it.

 

One of my favorite vendors at this event is The Vintage Pixie; their booth is always ALWAYS full of eye candy and inspiration.   My heart beats a little bit faster every time I set foot in their booth.

I'll show you why...

 

this divine chandelier was one of the first things

you saw as you entered their booth...

crowns and tiaras..

 

custom-made, one-of-a-kind top hats! ..

  

  

..

 in person, these were incredibly beautiful...

another wonderful chandelier....  (they were everywhere in this booth!)



 

 

 

vintage clothing....

 

 

lacy banners and lamp shades...

 

 

(notice the rustic wood background?)

 

 

 

 

 

The whole booth was ultra prairie romance style!

 

You can visit The Vintage Pixie on their Facebook here.

 

(I did manage to come home with an armful (or rather, a  suitcase-ful) of lovelies...

to be shared at a later date)

 

 

 

 

The elephant and the birds...

I've been a bad girl....  I've spent the last two days visiting estate sales instead of working of pending projects....  I couldn't resist the call of vintage goodies.

 

And I don't regret it a bit, because I came home with some truly amazing finds. 

There is so much to share!  But since I'm linking up to sweet Beverly's Pink Saturday blog party, I'll focus on some of the pink beauties that made their way home with me. 

 

Like these darling vintage hand towels in all hues of pink..

 

 

The fleur-de-lis ones were buried under a pile of bed sheets and tablecloths... 

 

 

 

 

 

This 1930's metal and glass box...  the glass has the softest pink tint, and the inside has faded pink velvet.  I'm not sure if it was purely ornamental, or used to keep trinkets or jewelry.

The price was a steal, due to the fact that the lid hinge is broken (easy to fix).

It is gorgeous in person!

 I was delighted to find this trio of pink felt birdies.... 

 

 

My heart skipped a beat when I spotted this gorgeous hat... 

made out of pink satin, with exquisite rhinestone ornaments on the sides.

 

((smile))

It's soooo pretty!

 

The cuteness factor of this elephant pincushion made it a "must have" -

the fact that it is pink was an added bonus~

 

 
It has already found a new home in my Sunshine Room!

 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend....  I'm off to work on some projects.

 

My little corner.... the Sunshine Room

Karen is once again hosting her "Where Bloggers Create" blog party...  I remember finding it last summer and visiting so many beautifully creative spaces, in all sizes, colors, styles.  This year, I'm joining in on all  the fun!

 

So here is my little corner of the world -  where I create to my heart's content.  

Nothing quite matches, nothing is perfect... or over-organized...  but I love it!   

 

Welcome to the "sunshine room."  

 Aptly named by my children due to the bright yellow walls.

You see, this room is just 10' x 11' and sits in the basement of my home, with just an easement window for natural light.  To make things worse, the window is in a corner of the room, so very little sunshine makes its way in.

 

 

 

Solution?  A bright, cheery color for the walls and furniture...lots of lamps.

 

All of the furnitue and accesories in the room are second-hand (with the exception of the bookcase).  Putting the room together on a tight budget means I'd rather spend my cash on supplies vs. furniture.

 

 

My biggest challenge with the room (besides the lighting) is storage for my ever-growing amount of ribbons, laces and miscellaneous crafting supplies.

 

I also love old books (especially children's books) and have now officially run out of room for them (until I find another bookcase to repurpose!).

 

 

Each of the above pieces were individually purchased at a thrift shoppe; each for less than $5.  

Some needed a bit of TLC, some lace "covering" for little dents or flaws.

 

 

 

SOME OF MY FAVORITE THINGS IN THE ROOM ARE...

 

RIBBONS

I have ribbons stored everywhere....    

I am very visual and need to have things out where I can see them.  

Using hatboxes for storage is fun and inexpensive, but my favorite are the clear ones (the one above used to belong to my daughter's great-grandmother)  where I can see its contents.

 

DOMINOES IN GLASS

Last year, I joined the dominoes craze... I wanted to alter dominoes day and night!  

During that time I scoured my favorite shops for  ivory ones and was lucky enough to find severa sets.  

These are now stored in glass containers... waiting their turn for a makeover.

 

 

PEARLS

Pearls are another one of my passions.  

I can't pass up a vintage strand if the price is right.  

Some of them are displayed on this wire form (which also used to belong to my late motherin-law)... the beautiful vintage pearl tiara was a recent find.

 

VINTAGE WATERCOLOR

This pld watercolor by an unknown artist called out to me from an estate sale -

I love the look on the little boy's face!   

 

 

SILK FLOWERS...

the ones that look so real, that you have to touch them to make sure they aren't!

I have a basketful that sits in a corner of the Sunshine Room... waiting for the perfect project.  

In the meantime, they pretty-up the room.

 

 GLASS BOXES

I love these!

They are perfect for storing little things:  buttons, scraps of millinery, beads... 

They don't take up much space, are fairly easy to find and inexpensive (I never pay more than $2-$3 for mine), and look beautiful either empty or full.

I have also used them as gift boxes for birthday gifts for friends, or even as containers for swap gifts.

 

 

MIRROR MIRROR on the wall...

In a room this tight and lacking in natural light,

a mirror placed in the right location can work magic.  

This old beauty sits next between the entry door and the easement window;

 light reflects off of it into the space.

 

 

 

BASKETS

..another storage solution...

I used mine for displaying and storing items that are too charming to hide away...

such as vintage baby shoes.... or fabric flowers.

 

POTTERY, VASES

for storing scraps of vintage wallpaper, dowels; anything that is long and narrow.

 

 

 

VINTAGE NOTECARDS

I buy them whenever I find them... usually less than $1 for an incomplete set.  

(the handy storage unit with drawers, on wheels, was another thrift store find)

 

 

PRETTY TIN/METAL CONTAINERS

They store some of the tags and tag books received from swaps.  

It keeps these visible and handy so I can pull them out for admiring or for inspiration.

 

 "WALL OF FAME" INSPIRATION BOARD

I use the inspiration board in a less traditional manner;

it displays cute business cards, notes, tags, and miscellaneous pieces received.  

These are bits and pieces that have brought a smile to my face.

 

 

BOOKS

Tattered, worn spines are my favorite.  

I have a weakness for children's books with beautiful illustrations.

(the little box was one of my earliest creations... after discovering Sandra Evertson and falling in love with her whimsical style)

 

AND FINALLY, MY DESK AND CHAIR.

 my chair is in pale chippy yellow, with a worn pink roses decal...  

 

My desk is  large, also chippy yellow (yes, I found it this way!) ... it is solid wood and heavy.

 Always full of materials and projects "in process"

 

 I customized the inside of the panel door by a whimsical children's painting

... using cutouts from some favorite cards and adding a freehand background. 

 

And there you have it....  a glimpse into my sunshine room.

I hope you enjoyed your little tour.

 

Treasure hunting...

Last weekend was full of activity... all of it fun.   Time spent with family is always the best! 

 

 I did, however, take a little break from the July 4th festivities to attend one of my favorite antiques shows in Lake Elko, Minnesota.  This one is held only three times per year and the variety of merchandise is always amazing.  It also used to be an event where you could find great bargains -dealers were always willing to  negotiate - but that has changed. 

Although the selection of merchandise was still spectacular, the prices were a bit crazy.  There were actually some booths where I caught myself mumbling (I'm sure someone heard me and thought I had some mental issues) words like "crazy" "greedy" "what the ?!?"

I was by myself...and took my time meandering.

My patience paid off; I was able to come home with some wonderful finds.

 

...some lovely vintage hats in shades of white

 

...lots of vintage jewelry...

 

Jewelry hunting is always exhausting for me.   I have to be in the right mindset and have enough energy to "dig" through piles of tangles necklaces, looking for that diamond-in-the-rough.  Booths with perfectly placed pieces, sometimes in their boxes, don't appeal to me. 

 I like the junk piles.... you know that ones - where the dealer has a sign that reads: "$1"   Those dealers are always willing to give you an even better price if you buy a lot.

 

...more pearls for my collection

I can't get enough!   Love the lustre of the old ones.

 

I was focused on finding bling...

crystals, prisms, rhinestones

 

A few mid-century pieces looked promising... so they came home with me.

 

 

 

Of course, I couldn't keep my eyes (or hands) away from the linens.

I was lucky to find several booths of dealers who had lovely clean linens, all neatly pressed, most of them in baggies, for a very reasonable flat price. 

Those are my favorite... I always feel like a kid in a candy store... not knowing what treasure might be waiting for me.

 

 

I was not disappointed; so many pretties came home with me!

 

This is just a sampling of  my treasures... 

I'll save some pics for future posts.

 

Linking up to Faded Charm Cottage's White Wednesday to share my finds.

 

A Red, White & Blue Weekend...

My weekend was filled with barn sales, estate sales, garage sales... some gardening... some family time.  It was busy, yet enjoyable and relaxing.

(this was the actual site of a Barn Sale I visited in Medina, Minnesota...isn't it wonderful?)

 

I don't know if it was the barn itself or all the red, white and blue vignettes I saw at every single place I stopped (I almost had to check my calendar:  did I missthe  4th of July or something? !?) but I was feeling it!

When I got home, I decided to "bring out" the reds in my screened-in porch ...

 

 

If you recall, last year I painted all of my white porch wicker (boring and faded) black, and found a truckload of floral pillows at a local church rummage sale (for just $2 apiece!). 

   

(the red/white felted wool/cotton knit throw was another recent find... for $3.99...homemade and beautiful.... I was going to save it for the chilly evenings of Fall, but since it fit the theme, it came out to stay)

What's fun about these pillows with their array of colors is that I can highlight any of the colors with accessories for a different look.

 

My vintage tablecloth collection is put to good use during the summer months, as I like to use them on my porch tables for a punch of color.

 

 

Another Barn Sale find were two vintage smaller flags, which were mounted on dowels and tin stars added; perfect for my deck flower pots!

Well there you have it! 

My porch is festive, patriotic, and totally ready for the 4th of July!

 

Linking up to:

Open House Thursday @ No Minimalist Here

Uncommonly Yours @ Uncommon Designs

 Show & Tell Friday @ Romantic Home

 Vintage Patriotic Party @ Common Ground

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound

la boite aux tresors...

Do you love pretty little boxes?  

Whenever I see one, my heart beats just a tad faster....  I need to touch it, to look inside.    It's a weakness that I am not ashamed to confess.  ((sigh))

Imagine my delight when the MAMA group hosted a "vintage tre'sors box" swap!  The catch here was that we were to finish our petite box using crackle paint (no problem... except I hadn't used the stuff in over 10 years!)

My swap partner, Thespa, likes turquoise... so I thought I would surprise her with a very traditional French color combination of turquoise and lavender.

 

The ribbon color was perfect (and extra special because it came from my late MIL - Bebe's- stash)....

 

A bouquet of handmade fabric flowers and a few vintage silks grace the top....a touch of the vintage soft bluish/green tulle (also from Bebe's stash).

I handwrote "Paris" using an embossing pen (my new favorite tool!) -

and voila!  

love how it turned out....

(I forgot to take pics of the "tre'sors" I stashed inside: vintage gloves, vintage earrings, lavender crocheted doily, laces, ephemera...)

When I opened my package from Thespa, I knew that she had doneher homework... or else she's a magician.... after all, how else would she know just how much I love the natural colors she used and that tattered rosette?!?

 

 

...she totally spoiled me with all the lovelies stashed inside my box...

 

And the best part?  The rosette is not attached, so I am already planning on attaching a pin to it so I can wear it... yay!

(ahhh... see the lovely lace and crochet pieces?)

 

Thank you, dearest Thespa, for my fabulous box and "tre'sors"

A bit of vintage....

Happy Saturday to you!

Today I'm sharing some of last weekend's finds...   from an estate sale that I almost missed!  

 

A sweet container that one had a lid...  I fell in love with the delicate pink spray of flowers (sigh) and knew it was perfect for displaying my fresh-cut roses

(since the roses in my own garden are not yet blooming, some silks are filling in for the moment)

 

 

This particular estate sale had thousands of silk florals!   Stems of every color, size, material...  wreaths, bouquets (lots of bridals!)  

I came home with a very large box of  silk roses.

Tucked away underneath a pile of stems, I found this little cherub.

Gold-toned, with fine details, and carrying a basket on his back.

isn't he divine?

 

I also came home with several dozen of these little bouquets, in a variety of colors.  

The delicate little flowers are perfect for all types of projects... and it seems that they (the flowers) are getting harder and harder to find at local craft stores, so I was delighted to find this stash.

I love it when you find pretty treasures in unexpected places...don't you?

 

(linking to Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound)

 

Spools, threads, tatting...

Has the simplest display, or maybe even a single item sitting in an antique booth chockful of "stuff" ever caught your eye?  

You are instantly drawn to it... not quite sure why.  Oh yes, we've all had those "oohhh" moments when something truly beautiful makes us stop in our tracks.  But I'm not referring to those items, the obvious one.  I'm referring to the ones that don't scream "look at me!"

That happened to me recently while visiting one of my favorite occasional sales at How Quaint, in Shakopee.  I walked into a booth full of lovelies and spotted a bowl that contained these...

 

 

..simple little spools with unfinished pieces  of lace/tatting wound around them...

I picked up each one gingerly...

attracted to their color, texture, even their smell 

 

Of course, I had to buy them... and as soon as I got home, whipped out my camera and proceeded to take ((many)) photos...

 

...the tones of the spools look beautiful when paired with vintage millinery and silks...   

 And a few of my estate sales pieces also came out to join the photo shoot...

Once the photo shoot was done... they were put into a crystal bowl in The Sunshine Room... where they will sit for awhile until I decide if I (ever) want to unwind the pieces to see them in their entirety.

Thanks for letting me share my little spools!  

(I'm also sharing with the White Wednesday party over at the Faded Charm)

What great little finds have you brought home recently?

Love the glove...

I had very good intentions when I wrote my last post... I was going to try to post several times this week because there was (is) so much I need to share...  but Monday came/went, then Tuesday, and next thing I knew - it is Friday!  

Where did the week go?!?

 I've recently noticed that the days get shorter as I get older (funny, nobody warned me about that!)

(So I still have tons of estate sale finds to share at a later date and since I'm attending a few more this weekend, I may never catch up!) 

 So today, dear friends, the topic of this post is gloves... vintage gloves, to be specific.  

I was born on a year that is right at the end of the Baby Boomers generation, so by the time I was old enough to wear "adult" clothes, we were in the late 70's/early 80's... and no gloves were worn by the ladies.  But oh, I do sometimes wish that I had "turned of age" in the 40's or 50's!    

... so many styles, colors and textures to choose from....some with embroidery, others have the tiniest button... all the options!   

 My most recent swap for the Marie Antoinette Mail Art Group was the "altered vintage glove" swap; where we started out with a vintage glove and used vintage laces and materials to embellish and alter it.

This is the glove I sent to my swap partner, Melanie.

...it started out as the softest pink glove, and I added a beautiful piece of lace and pearls.... some pieces of vintage lace.... ribbon.... and made a rosette in the same peachy/pink hue using several layers of materials...

 

A gorgeous vintage earring (I had hoarded this one for a few years) was the highlight...

...it turned out with a bit of a "bridal" feel to it...

(I think all the wedding planning going on in my life right now is influencing every aspect of my creations....)


We were to "fill" our glove with little gifts for our partner.  

Melanie likes soft pinks and creams; so I hope the glove and gifts were to her liking!

For my glove, she went with a very vintage feel, in tones of ecru, cream, sepia.

Just look at the beautiful glove I received...

Melanie added so many gorgeous details that I see something new every time I pick it up.

...and as much as I love this glove, I have to admit that my heart skipped a beat when I saw one of the gifts she included...

It is a button brooch which she made especially for me! Isn't it fabulous?!?  The MAMA group recently held a swap, whereby the ladies made and exchanged these brooches.... I was fairly new to the group and did not join the swap (okay, I admit it, I was a tad intimidated)... and later had deep regrets about not participating when I saw all the amazing creations.  (this is one talented group of ladies!)

Thus, when I opened the little chocolate pouch and saw the brooch... well, it was instant love.

Melanie was very generous with her gifts.

 Lucky me!  I'm still smiling...

 

linking up to:

Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound