My 2013 "Anti-Hoarding" Resolution

I think I am addicted to thrifting. As long as it doesn't become a "hoarding" problem then I guess I'm okay. My New Year's Resolution is to sell more of my thrifting finds just so it doesn't become a problem. Well, now that I've announced my resolution, here's what I found...

I was able to explore two estate sales this weekend. At the first sale I found a really nice Arabia enamelware bowl from Finland. I also found several pieces of Kosta Boda vintage glass ornaments at this same sale.

I found this sweet 1973 Turquoise Automatic Electric Starlite phone. We plugged it in and it works! It comes with an extra long phone cord which, at the time, was the closest thing to a "mobile device".

I couldn't resist this industrial set of metal drawers. It is the perfect size to hide stashes of vintage trinkets.

At another sale I found this little vintage plastic tree that was designed to hold treats on the point of each branch. The main reason I bought is that it was made by Louis Marx and company {Marx toys} and had their company address on Fifth Avenue {the "Toy Building"} in Manhattan. Marx Toys went out of business in 1978.

To start my New Year's Resolution, I've been spending a lot of time listing more items in my Stuff to Treasure store. Please stop by and see what's new. I plan to list more items in the next few days.

Hope you had a great day of thrifting. And may your new year be filled with unexpected treasures!

This is linked to:
Hey What's For Dinner Mom?

Christmas Sneaks Up on Me Every Year

I know that Christmas comes at the same time every year and you would think one could plan and prepare months in advance. I suppose there are many people who are well prepared for the holidays... I am just not one of them. But in my defense this is the busiest time of the year for my work {I just went to a press check yesterday for Tim Holtz's catalog} and this particular year I received some rush freelance projects that have taken up all of my free time.

Between freelancing and holiday preparations I finally found some time to go to one estate sale. It was the second day of the sale but I did find a few nice crafting supplies and a nice vintage Christmas treasure.

My favorite find is this vintage cardboard Santa once given as a promotional item by Richfield gas stations probably back in the 60s. This paper ornament has survived in great condition.

Another fun find was a jar filled with vintage bells. They definitely have a nicer sound than modern bells.

I also bought a jar of sequins. I wasn't sure of what I would do with them except that I've seen many lovely ones used on an old bottlebrush trees. I also found a container of sequin pins. I didn't even know that there were special pins that are used with sequins.

These are two pairs of old paper foil wings. I think they would look great used in a collage.

The final item I found was a box of old, metal sewing bobbins. I like metal bobbins better than the modern plastic version.

It wasn't a very large find but it was definitely a very colorful selection. Now I must get back to working on my freelancing and wrapping some presents.

Hope everyone had a wonderful day of treasure hunting.

Sadness and Grief

I did not know them but I am a Mother and I feel the collective grief of all Parents. I will honor the angels and not waste a moment of my time on any publicity given to the shooter. I do not want anyone to believe that by doing the unthinkable they will get more attention. 

- be kind -

Designers Craft Connection Blog Hop - December

Welcome to the Designers Craft Connection Blog Hop for the month of December. This month's theme is "Handmade for the Holidays".

I am excited about this month's theme because; 1) I love making things, 2) I love the holidays and 3) I had a perfect idea for a dual-purpose project.

My sister and I exchange handmade ornaments every year. This year our theme was "Something Made of Paper". So combining the themes I created a "Tim Holtz Cuckoo Clock" ornament.

I began by covering a small box with old sheet music. This happened to be from The Nutcracker Suite in case anyone happens to notice. Before I sealed up the box I punched two small holes in the bottom of the box and ran a small chain through it leaving both ends hanging out of the bottom. I sealed up the box and used Distress inks to age the paper edges.

Using all Sizzix dies, I die cut two Tattered Pinecone pieces and followed Tim Holtz's video to create the pinecones hanging beneath the clock. I added some snowy glitter using white glue.

I cut out a House, 3-D and used the Woodgrain Texture Fade for added dimension to the sides. Again, using Distress inks I highlighted the raised texture. I cut an opening near the top arch and attached a small die cut Cardinal {more festive than a Cuckoo Bird}. 

I die cut the Weathered Clock and first applied Tea Dye Distress ink as a background color. Next, I used Perfect Medium with an all-over pattern stamp and applied Perfect Pearls in Heirloom Gold. This created a random, worn metallic look to the clock face. Before assembling the clock/house I laid the clock face on the front and determined where the clock hands would be attached. I used a small brad to attach the hands then removed the clock face while I worked on the next steps. 

I assembled the clock/house and decided that it needed a roof. I folded a piece of brown cardstock and ran both sides through my Vagabond die cutting machine using the Snowflurries Texture Fade. I sanded the raised surface to give it more texture. I also added a small piece of die cut Vintage Lace along the front edge of the roof. It is cut from more old sheet music and left over from a previous project. It gave the house a gingerbread roof line. I used a large needle to punch two holes in the roof and top of the house. I glued the roof to the house then strung a piece of vintage ribbon through the holes.

I used hot glue to attach the house to the bottom box. I glued the clock face to both the house and the base. On the left side of the clock I added a small bottlebrush tree. On the right, I glued a small die cut Reindeer.

I hope you enjoyed my Handmade for the Holidays project. Please use the DCC Blog Hop button on the right to visit all of the talented designers and see their creative projects.

This is linked to:
Beyond the Picket Fence, Coastal Charm, Elizabeth and Co., Making the World Cuter, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Savvy Southern Style, Sew Can Do, Sew Much Ado, Someday Crafts, Sugar Bee Crafts, The Shabby Creek Cottage, The Thrifty Home, The Trendy Treehouse, Topsy Turvy and Twin Dragonfly Designs

Autumn Thrifting

Autumn has finally come to Southern California. It was a wet weekend but we managed to get to some estate sales.

My favorite find was a set of Putz Houses. I love vintage Christmas items so it was wonderful to find so many of these old cardboard houses.

I also found a bag of vintage millinery shellac holly leaves and berries. This is just a small portion of them.

There were also a large amount of old velvet ribbon and rayon seam binding in a nice selection of colors. The original price of the velvet ribbon is marked as 12 cents a yard.

We also found an old, French embroidery book full of patterns and photo of everything from alphabet samplers to macrame.

While driving around we also discovered proof that Autumn had finally come to Southern California.

I hope everyone had a great thrifting weekend.

This is linked to:
Brambleberry Cottage, It's a Very Cherry World, Mod Vintage Life, Sir Thrift-a-Lot, The Colorado Lady and Vintage Wanna Be

A Relaxing Thrifting Day

We decided on a stress-free, relaxing day and just happened to stumble on an estate sale in progress.

I only found three items that I liked.

My favorite find is this 1966 Holiday by Thermos bottle. I think this will look amazing for a vintage Christmas display.

I also found three graduation tassels from 1982. Hmmm... don't know what I will do with these yet.

And I found these Halloween cupcake picks. Just another little Halloween decoration idea.

The temperature is in the 80s and it doesn't feel like Thanksgiving at all. Slowly trying to convince myself to start decorating for Christmas when the Liquid Amber trees haven't even changed colors yet. One month until Christmas Eve!

Hope everyone had a great day of thrifting!

This is linked to:
Common Ground and It's a Very Cherry Christmas

Christmas and Campy Thrift Finds

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a safe "Black Friday".

We avoided the retailers and went to one of the few garage sales held this day after Thanksgiving. It was fun and not very crowded. And the odd thing is that most of the things I bought seemed to fit a theme of either Christmas or Campy.

My favorite find was this kitschy costume jewelry tree probably from the 70s. I remember my mother making one of these. I love the crown-shaped jewelry pieces and the little toys on the bottom. I am going to replace the lights and then put it in my store.

We also found lots of pink Shiny Brite ornaments and ornament picks.

The Campy items were either U.S. military {canteens} or Boy Scout items {backpack} with the exception of this great wooden fishing tackle box and some original old luggage labels from the Yellowstone Park Hotel.

We also found two pins from either the YMCA or from a group called the Christian Citizenship Boys Work Programs.

There is definitely a theme here; Christmas, Campy and Red.

I am going to try and get many of these items into my Stuff to Treasure store this weekend. Oh, and there is still another day of thrifting! Yay!

So Much to be Thankful For!

The good news is: I hit my 500 Follower milestone and had a giveaway.
The bad news is: This milestone came right before a major holiday so blog traffic seems slow.
But the really good news is: We have a Winner!

Using the Random.org Number Generator, the Winner is ...

#2, Gayle from The Middle Sister.

Congratulations Gayle! I will be contacting you so I can send out your prize.

A big, warm thank you to everyone who participated.

I also wanted to do a follow-up to a previous post. Recently I found a rubber stamp holder and mentioned how I had been wanting one for some time. Thanks to a comment by SummerSews, I decided to share two ideas to purpose and repurpose this stand.

My first idea is the most obvious. I collect date stamps so my plan was to use the holder to display my small collection.

Very practical but extremely obvious.

My second, more unique idea is to use it as a floral centerpiece.

About a month ago I found a box of new science test tubes at an estate sale. Often, when Dear Handyman asks me what I plan to do with something, I never have an answer. This was one of those times. But with a little patience I usually find a purpose for the thrifted treasures. Here is my unique floral centerpiece idea using a test tube in each clip and placing flowers in each one. Unfortunately I only had one geranium but you can get the idea. And it is quite obvious that this pairing of the two found objects was meant to be since the holder has 12 clips and the test tubes came in a box of 12.

Thank you again to all of my Followers and a special thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway.

Another Happy Find From My Thrifting Wish List

We started off the day at a Living Estate Sale {I learned my lesson last week but in my defense, I didn't know this was a Living Estate Sale until the homeowner walked past us.} Basically it was a garage sale that was held inside the house. There was nothing of interest to me so we moved on.

We then went to an awesome sale outside of our normal area. It was an old house where the homeowner had saved everything, especially clothes. I don't buy vintage clothes but a few people had some heated words over the clothes rack so it must have been some nice stuff.

My favorite find was this flea market shopping cart which has been something on my Thrifting Wish List since I started thrifting. It is old and worn but absolutely perfect. It is definitely going with me on my next flea market trip. Happy me!

My other favorite find is this tiered red utility cart. Love the red and cream color. Love the practicality. Love the condition. Another Happy find.

We also found several burlap bags. I haven't decided what I will do with these but I like the graphics.

This was kind of weird but I think it would look great to display vintage hats. It is a large wig case with a full-size mannequin head and mullet-style wig. The hair style reminds me of the Brady Bunch. I liked the extreme makeup on the mannequin. It reminds me of a retro 60s, Barbie style.

I also found a few small items. I always like bottlebrush trees, vintage Christmas items and cute, embroidered linens.

Maybe I need to put my Thrifting Wish List in writing. What is on your Thrifting Wish List?

Please don't forget to enter my 500 Follower GIVEAWAY drawing here. There are only a few more days before it closes and I would love for more people to enter.

Hope everyone had a great day of thrifting.

This is linked to:
Hey, What's for Dinner Mom? and Sir Thrift a Lot

A Little Selling and A Little Buying

Although I spent my Saturday morning selling some of my treasures at the Vintage Holiday Warehouse Sale, I was still able to get some thrifting done on Friday and buy a couple of treasures. I took the day off from work and headed out to an early morning Living Estate Sale. I discovered that a "living estate sale" means that the living owner has commissioned an estate sale company to liquidate their assets. This also means that the living owner still has an emotional tie to all of the items and thus influences what they believe the items are worth. What it all came down to was that everything {including the rusty, broken wrenches and balls of twine} were still considered valuable to the owner so the prices were rather high. Luckily I was able to find two pieces that I really liked.

I love this yellow egg basket. A little dirty, a little rusty but you can still see the beautiful yellow color and it is large. It will look awesome once it is cleaned up a bit.

The second item is something that I've been looking for and am happy that I found. It is a rubber stamp holder but a real old vintage one that has two tiers. Also a bit rusty and dirty but just perfect to me.

So those are the only two items I found this week. Not a great haul but I consider it a "happy haul".

And on another happy note; I just hit 500 Followers! I am having a GIVEAWAY of some crafting goodies as well as some vintage treasures. Please click here to get the details and to enter the giveaway.

Hope everyone had a great thrifting weekend.


This is linked to:
504 Main, A Little Knick Knack, Brambleberry Cottage, Coastal Charm, The Colorado Lady and The Shabby Nest

A Very Thankful GIVEAWAY

How appropriate to reach an exciting milestone of 500 Followers right before Thanksgiving. I have a lot to be thankful for and this is just a great excuse to celebrate.

First I want to give a heartfelt thank you to all of the Veterans for their services both past and present. My father was a Veteran and I am very proud of him. Go For Broke dad!

And with Thanksgiving just around the corner I also spent the day creating a Thanksgiving centerpiece using a cream colored pumpkin and the large Sizzix Flower 3-D die and two flourish dies.

I love the shades of creams and tans.

Now for the GIVEAWAY announcement. I am giving away lots of crafting goodies as well as some of my vintage treasures.

Here is a list of goodies that you can win:
Little Yellow Bicycle large tote bag
Various Repro Travel Stickers
LaBlanche Stamp {French theme}
DCWV Scrapbook Kit in a Stack
Making Memories Apron
3 Sizzix/Alterations Textured Impressions {Tim Holtz's designs}
Various vintage buttons

So if you're a Crafter or a Thrifter there is something for you in this selection of goodies.

Everyone has up to two changes to enter this GIVEAWAY. If you are a new visitor then please leave one comment on this post to enter. And if you become a Follower then leave a second comment letting me know and this will be your second chance to win.

If you already are a Follower then leave two separate comments (one stating that you are already a Follower and a second comment to enter). This way everyone will have two chances to win if they are a Follower.

I will have this giveaway open for one week, ending Monday, November 19 at 7:00pm Pacific time. At that time I will randomly select a winner. Good luck and thank you to all of my Followers.

Good Luck!

NOTE: This  GIVEAWAY is now closed. Thank you to everyone who has participated. A winner will be announced shortly.

I am honored to be featured at:

Sumos Sweet Stuff

Bless My Nest

This is linked to:
504 Main, Be Different, Act Normal, Beyond the Picket Fence, Bowdabra Blog, Chic on a Shoestring, Common Ground, DIY Home Sweet Home, Finding Fabulous, French Country Cottage, Homemaker on a Dime, I {heart} Naptime, Keeping it Simple, Lovely Crafty Home, Making the World Cuter, Marvelously Messy, My Romantic Home, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Project Inspire, Savvy Southern Style, Sew Can Do, Sew Much Ado, Simply Designing, Six Sisters' Stuff, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, The Shabby Creek Cottage, The Southern Institute, The Thrifty Home, Trendy Treehouse, Truly Lovely, Twin Dragonfly Designs and Vintage Wannabee