Welcome to 42nd Street

My son was in his high school production of 42nd Street. That's him in the tux.

He played Julian Marsh, the director. Here he is with his leading lady, who played Peggy. She's a pretty and talented girl.

I liked seeing all the costumes.

All of these kids did great. While watching, it was hard to believe it was a high school production; they did so well. Most of them had to learn to tap dance for the occasion, and had never done so before. It was a very well done and entertaining show!

I am really proud of
Brad....... he had never been in a musical, and yet landed the lead male role. He acted, sang, and danced. He now has the acting bug, and is already looking forward to next year's production.

Thanks for taking a look...... tomorrow, it's back to decorating pics! I've been painting lots of things white! Makeover pics coming soon! :)

I *Heart* Thrifting

Or yard-sale-ing, or antique-ing........ :)

The above was a Goodwill find from last week.

Look at these great "bed hats" I found at my favorite antique shoppe ~ they were in the basement (less expensive area), and only a dollar each. They are pink and blue and so cute! Have you ever seen anyone wear one quite like these?

And this is a vintage child's slip; it has the sweetest faded satin trim. I thought I might use it on a lampshade somehow, but the one I had in mind was too small.

And speaking of lampshades, I found this pink one at Saturday's yard sales. Then I added the vintage trim, pink velvet roses, and rhinestone clip. I will probably do more to it (trim on bottom of the shade), but wanted to show you how it looks on the lamp I found the week before! Very girly-girl!

I've been busy making more tags for my etsy shoppe. This is my latest design. The heart wreath and lace made a nice backdrop for photographing them. Do you think I like pink roses??

See you next time! Hope you are having a good week!

The Best Find of All

We had a lovely day garage-sale-ing Saturday.....

I found some more vintage Florentia pictures....... when I brought them home, I discovered I already have the larger one that's in the far right of the group picture, so I will be putting that on eBay. If anyone's interested in it first, just e-mail me. It's also featured in the closeup below left ~ it's 6 x 8. These are board-type plaques, and they are made in Italy. They are not perfect; that is part of their charm (for me anyway! :) But keep reading for the best find of all......

I couldn't believe it when I spotted this gorgeous vintage planter/terrarium in this beautiful color!! The lady told me that she believed her mother-in-law had brought it back from England. I don't know, but I do know I just love it!

Here is a close-up ~ I haven't even cleaned it yet, but the design and color and chippy-rustiness all just add to the appeal for me.

I was photographing this find out on the deck that is off our master bedroom (upper level of our home), when I spotted a *decoration* that I thought I must have forgotten was out there....

Upon closer inspection, this is what I saw......

Not one of my decorations after, all, but one of God's.

Now those are the perfect color.

And the best find of all.

"After"

"Before"

A little shelf I saw at Goodwill, and was tempted to pass up because it was cheap-looking. But it was also "cheap" -- as in $1.59, and I thought it might look nice with a coat of paint.

So I brought it home, painted it, and then decided to put some *vintage wallpaper* on the inside back (actually a copy I made of an old hatbox lid)......

It will hang in the kitchen.

Tomorrow is a nearby city-wide garage sale, so we hope to go to that. I usually find some neat things at that one, so I hope to have some more finds to share later this weekend. (oh please don't rain-please don't rain-please don't rain- :)

Tagged!!

I've been tagged by Sonia, Shannon, and Ele, to list seven weird/random facts or habits about myself. Do you really want to know how weird I am? Well, here goes!

I attach "feelings" to inanimate objects. I've always done this. I thought my stuffed animals were alive, which might not be so unusual for a five year old, but I didn't outgrow it. My older brother tried to prove me wrong by throwing my teddy bear HARD against the ceiling, while saying in a taunting voice, "You think he's still alive now? Huh? You think he's still alive NOW??!!!" (he really was a good brother, but they all have their moments :) And I still give inanimate objects feelings...... like the last cookie on the plate. I'll say to myself "Poor little cookie is feeling lonely, he feels bad that all the other cookies were chosen to be eaten....." well, I can't just leave him on the plate feeling like that, can I? ;)

I'm both a morning and a night person. I love to stay up late, no matter how early I have to get up the next day. But then I'm also a morning person, and can be annoyingly chipper and talkative in the mornings.

In the grocery store, I never buy the first item on the shelf........ I have to reach behind the first box of spaghetti, etc., to get the second one that hasn't yet been "exposed". Weird, but my guys all know to never take the first one. (I also have trouble taking the last one -- "why is it still there? Is there something wrong with it?" -- I guess I should use Weird Fact #1 and tell myself it is lonely! :)

I have trouble pronouncing the words "conscious" and "conscience" differently from one another. I know how they should be pronounced, but I still have trouble getting them to come out right.

I am scared of the movie Wizard of Oz. It terrified me as a child, and to this day, I cannot stand to watch it.

I am a germophobic. I have this huge routine I follow if I have to use a public restroom. I don't want to touch anything, and certainly not after I've washed my hands. So I roll out the paper towels, then turn the water on and wash, then use that paper towel to turn off the water and to get another paper towel to dry on, which I then use to open the door, because people that have not washed their hands have touched that doorknob on their way out...... hey, it makes perfect sense to me!

I think mascots are hilarious!! Or anything that's dressed up in a mascot-type outfit. They are always smiling, no matter what is going on. Have you seen the clip of the (guy dressed up as a) Giant Taco, who falls down at a ball game and can't get back up because -- well, because he's a Giant Taco. But he's still smiling as he's trying to upright himself. Or the Huge Dinosaur that was at the Auto Sale, and the wind was blowing so hard that his inflatabale head was folded over by his shoulders -- but he still had this HUGE grin permanently drawn on his face? My youngest and I were rolling on the floor, in hysterics. (yes, he finds them hilarious too, which makes it even funnier! :)

So, there you go! Seven weird/random things about me. And I tag anyone who hasn't yet been tagged, that wants to play!

My May Basket for Heather

Those of you involved in the May Basket Swap have probably already seen this, but for those who haven't, I promised to show today the basket I made for Heather.

I was delighted to be paired up with Heather for this swap, because she and I both share a love of vintage things. Her favorite color is aqua! So it was fun to put together this basket with aqua elements (and a little muted pink too of course!)

When I saw this old picture in an antique shoppe, I knew it would be perfect nestled in Heather's basket (I found out later she collects children's portraits! :)

This vintage butterfly rhinestone pin was just the thing to add a finishing touch to the old lace I used around the base of the basket. The lace was in an old trunk we had bought at auction.

This little birdie is nesting in an old aqua cup ~ I painted the birdie a bit so he would be the right color ~ I don't think he minded! :)

When I brought this ribbon home, it was a little too *new* looking, so I aged it before making this bow, and it became one of my favorite elements of the basket. Vintage flowers and bits of torn lace complete the look.

I had so much fun participating in this swap, and I want to thank ArtsyMama for hosting it, and of course thank my wonderful swap partner Heather once again. If you haven't yet seen the beautiful basket she bestowed upon me, have a look at yesterday's post!

And if you are thinking of participating in a blogging swap, I would highly recommend you do so, it is lots and LOTS of fun!! :)

May Basket from Heather

I participated in a May Basket Swap, and my partner was Heather, from Pretty Petals Boutique. Here is the beautiful basket of lovelies I received from her!

Look at this gorgeous strawberry sachet! This is just prettiness personified!

It smells wonderful, and has lace, pearls, vintage button, and a pink rose, all among my very favorite elements!

I think I will hang it from the knob on my nightstand, so I can enjoy the fragrance at night, as well as the beauty of it during the day.....

She decorated the basket with vintage wallpaper border in wonderful shades of pink and blue ~ roses of course ~ how creative is that?! And she added two sweet old postcards, and these luscious-looking strawberries that are embellished with glitter. Won't those be cute in a little basket in my cottage kitchen?

What a sweet bird! He looks like an old piece of garden statuary...... but I think I'll keep him inside! :)

And a seashell, which adds the feel of summer cottage itself!

My wonderful basket held this little May basket within..... perfect for hanging on a doorknob, which I did ~ in our dining room.

Look at the cute decor on the front of it! sweet bluebirds, old music, and vintage buttons! Just darling!

I would like to thank Heather so much for the wonderful May basket; I absolutely love it, and you are so sweet & thoughtful!

And for those who haven't seen the May basket I sent to Heather, I'll be posting that tomorrow, so be sure to stop back!

Happy May!!

Thrift Finds

The above picture is of some recent thrift store finds..... some pretty flowers (I'll paint the bowl they are in); a sweet cherub holding a dish; a pastel Welcome sign, and two little kissing angels that are Napco.

Most of the rest is yard sale finds...... we did a quick afternoon jaunt into a neighboring small town today, that was having "citywide" yard sales. A vintage blue vase, a couple of tiny pitchers....

Old faded rose plate, scenic saucer, floral pitcher

Vintage Lamp with pink & yellow roses but no shade.... and yards & yards of the gorgeous fabric that is behind it ~ it's Raymond Waites "Conservatory*....... very nice weight for pillows or upholstery.....
A birdcage (I can't stop myself) that will be painted..... some twig nests, a wooden egg....

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!

Happy Birthday, Dear MOM!

Today is my mother's birthday. You might recall I bought this vintage planter at an antique/junk store recently. I cleaned it up and placed a miniature yellow rose in it, as yellow roses are my mom's favorite flower. My mom bought a brand new house a little over a year ago, and she and her husband have been working hard to landscape it. I'm sure she will have no trouble finding a spot for this rose!

Tonight, she will be attending our youngest's performance in the high school musical. He has the lead male role (I'm bragging a bit, moms are allowed, right? ;) Last night was opening night, and it was very enjoyable. I will share a few photos in a post sometime this weekend. Some of the girls' costumes are fun to look at, as it is set in the 40's.......

I would also like to wish my friend Nikki a Happy Birthday, as hers is today as well! Nikki is just beautiful, inside and out! Have a great day, Nikki!

New Pretty!!

Check out the pretty painted piece I ordered from Karla! She rescued a couple of wooden pieces that her husband had put in the burn pile, and painted sweet roses on them.

Although I know it's a newly-painted piece, she made it to look like it had graced someone's lovely home in days gone by.

I think it's going in the living room (by the stairwell), where it will be visible from the dining room as well.
Thanks so much, Karla, I love it!

Karla calls these "doodads"...... You can read the story about them on her blog: http://karlascottage.typepad.com/karlascottage/2007/04/if_only_all_day.html

A thank-you is also in order for Sonia, who was so kind in nominating me for the thinking blog, and said the sweetest things in doing so....... Sonia is very talented and makes such pretty things; if you haven't visited her blog, please take a moment to do so:

http://ccraftscollectibles.blogspot.com/

Whatizzit?

Do you know what this was/is used for? I don't! It is silverplated, approximately ten inches tall, and the little"bucket" at the top swivels or "swings". So some kind of serving piece?

She has a pretty pink gemstone on her back. Her skirt is bell shaped, but she has no workings for a bell.

Any idea?

Edited to Add: A big thank you to *kjquilts* for answering this "whattizit"!! It's a German wedding cup ~ designed so that the bride and groom can drink from it at the same time! I never would have thought of that; thank you so much!

Here's the link kj provided http://www.german-toasting-glasses.com/german_wedding_cups.html

Wow, now I'm thinking I really got a deal; I think I paid around $2 for this at Goodwill! :)

Plus how sweet to know that it's used for such a romantic occasion!

Happy Birthday, Andrew!

Today is my firstborn's 21st birthday!! (How is that possible, when I'm only 29? ;) The above pics are among my favorites of us together; this was taken in one of those photo booths at an amusement park when he was five years old. (check out those HUMUNGOUS glasses on me -- well, it was 16 years ago, and they were quite the fashion back then!)

Andrew is such a nice young man ~ you would enjoy meeting him. He's kind, thoughtful, and generous.......... not to mention smart and handsome (not that I'm at all biased). I'm very proud of him.

Have a great birthday, Andrew!!

Bluebird Pendant

Look at this beautiful bluebird pendant that my new friend Donna made for me! It arrived in the mail today! Isn't it lovely?

Donna had asked me to share my vintage postcard image of a bluebird with a rose, and she made this for me, out of that image, as a thank you! What a wonderful surprise! Thank you, Donna!

Donna makes adorable pendants; they are very sweet, and reasonably priced too. Here's the link to her shoppe on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5103560
How could I not like a shoppe that is called Bluebird Lane?

Thursday Thrifting

In addition to my usual thrift stores, I visited my favorite antique mall ...... the little pitcher above was at Goodwill for 99 cents; I literally gasped when I saw it! The rose candleholders are Goodwill; in the left of the picture is a vintage kitchen towel, found at the antique mall for three dollars, and to the right are three vintage pillow covers ~ four dollars for all, and below is a closeup of the gorgeous old fabrics:

I also found a box of vintage get-well cards (I love old cards), a tiny enamelware cup that matches my kitchen enamelware, this vintage button card that was a dollar ~ I bought it because I love the graphics on it!

Take a look at that framed card in the right of the picture, that has the "We Two" poem.....it is a greeting card from 1938, framed, and on the back it is inscribed "To Nona from Charlie on our second anniversary" and dated 1941. How sweet is that? I can't help but wonder who are Nona and Charlie, and why would someone part with such a sweet family treasure?

Also at Goodwill was this pink jar with a slanted top; someone had tagged it with "bran", not sure what I'll put in it (it's not vintage but pretty)...... Also at Goodwill, found the framed botanical print, and the little oval frame around porcelain roses.

Both of these frames will get re-painted shabby white. The little squares are candleholders, but they need new bottoms to hold a candle. The scrolly part is floral, I think the candlelight will be romantic shining through it. Oh, both the lace pieces in this picture are Goodwill finds too ~ tablecloths.