Versatile Blogger Award - Wow!

I love blogging. I love sharing. And I really love the nice people out there who blog. Case in point: Melissa Burger of Mel Dreams Often. She kindly awarded me the Versatile Blogger Award. I love the crafting and the thrifting but it is so sweet when someone out there kindly pats you on the back and says "Good job". Thank you Melissa. I am honored.

This award comes with a few rules:
• Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.
• Tell us seven things about yourself.
• Award fifteen recently discovered new bloggers.
• Contact these bloggers and let them know they've received their award.

Okay, so here goes: Seven things about me:

1. I am addicted to estate sale shopping (no one should be surprised by this one)
2. I watch less than 2 hours of television per week (usually BBC America)
3. I've been scrapbooking since 1988
4. I've designed advertising and packaging for large corporations
5. I love English history and know more about Richard III, Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and Edward VIII than I do of any American president
6. I worry too much
7. I enjoy reading Shakespeare

My nominations for the Versatile Blogger Award:
1. Babushka & Co.
2. Monkey Box
3. Rook No. 17
4. A Sentimental Life
5. Beatrice Banks
6. Brambleberry Cottage
7. Very Merry Vintage Style
8. Common Ground
9. Design It Chic
10. Faith Hope and Charity Shopping
11. French Bleu Vintage
12. I Love Collecting
13. I Bake Cakes
14. Into Vintage
15. One Cheap Bitch

These are all wonderful, creative blogs that I believe deserve some well-earned recognition. Hope you take a moment to visit them and thanks again to Melissa of meldreamsoften.com

Belated Birthday Card

It was my dear sister's birthday a few weeks ago. I wanted to make her a nice card but I wasn't inspired to create anything special. I create things all of the time and yet I had a creative block when it came time to make her a card. I could have bought her a card and sent it in time for her birthday but I waited because I wanted to make something special.

Then I received a lovely, vintage table cloth and it ignited a spark of creativity.

I scanned a section of the table cloth and added the words in Photoshop. I added three vintage buttons to finish off the card. This is exactly the inspiration I was waiting for.

Here is the inspirational table cloth.

Happy birthday Elaine! Sorry this is belated.

This is linked to:
A Little Knick Knack, All Thingz Related, Baked by Joanna, Between Naps on the Porch, Beyond the Picket Fence, Blue Cricket Designs, Brambleberry Cottage, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, Coastal Charm, Craft Envy, Creative Everyday, Decor to Adore, Fave Crafts, Finding Fabulous, Hey, What's For Dinner Mom?, House of Grace, I {heart} Naptime, Inspiring Creations, It's A Very Cherry World, Just a Girl, Keeping it Simple, Krafty Kat, Lovely Crafty Home, Making the World Cuter, Marvelously Messy, My Backyard Eden, My Romantic Home, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Paisley Passions, Passionately Artistic, Rook No. 17, Running With Glitter, Savvy Southern Style, Simply Designing, Skip to My Lou, Someday Crafts, Somewhat Simple, Tatertots & Jello, The DIY Home Sweet Home Project, The Girl Creative, The Shabby Chic Cottage, The Shabby Nest, The Thrifty Home, The Trendy Treehouse, Truly Lovely, Under the Table and Dreaming, What Allie's Making Now and Wildflowers & Whimsy

Finding Childhood Memories at Estate Sales

Sometimes I find myself wondering if I am destined to spend my time hunting for things that my parents used to have. There is a certain comfort, as if meeting up with old friends, that comes from finding objects that reminds you of your childhood.

Today's best finds were these two, midcentury modern pieces of office equipment that reminded me of my dad's desk. The "airplane wing" fluorescent lamp is almost identical to the one I remember sitting on his desk in the den. The Victor, Bakelite adding machine is a little different than what I remember but the sound it makes sends me right back to my childhood. These cost more than I would normally pay but how do you put a price on such fond memories.

I also bought this beautiful, hand-crocheted tablecloth. It is very large and in great condition.

I found these toy building bricks. They look like the modern Legos but are made out of wood. They are copyrighted 1939 by Halsam Products.

At another sale I found several dish towels embroidered with the days of the week and a stack of delicate hankies.

Just in time for Easter, I found this package of Ritz Easter egg decorating transfers. The dye tablets are still inside plus it has the "Mystic Writer" and all of the transfers.

I also bought two, brand new, car engine testing things that my dear boyfriend said my son could use on his cars. I didn't include photos here because they are boring black things with meters and wires and such. Nothing cute or vintage about them at all. 

But speaking of cute and vintage, during the week I received this beautiful table cloth that my dear sister found for me in Iowa. I love the look and feel of vintage tablecloths. This is my favorite one so far.

This is Linked to:

A Little Knick Knack, Apron Thrift Girl, Blue Creek Home, Brambleberry Cottage, Coastal Charm,  Common Ground, Finding Fabulous, Hey, What's For Dinner Mom?, House of Grace, The Colorado Lady, The Thrifty Groove, The Thrifty Home and Very Merry Vintage Style

Designer Crafts Connection Blog Hop - Easter

Welcome to the second Designer Crafts Connection Blog Hop. This month's theme is Easter or Spring.

I do a lot of thrifting and a lot of crafting and wanted to create an upcycled Easter Egg project. Everything here is thrifted.

These eggs were created first using plastic Easter Eggs as the foundation. I hot glued on various sizes of white buttons, allowing the color of the plastic egg to show through. This is a great way to use tiny white buttons.

Next, I wrapped vintage lace around the middle and tied sheer ribbon in various shades of pastels. As a final touch, I added vintage embellishments of a rhinestone earring, millinery flowers and an old key.

These are displayed on painted wooden pieces that I thrifted here. After painting the wood I lightly sanded them to give a more distressed appearance.

I have been creating all kinds of unique Easter Eggs for the past few weeks so please check out my Easter {Sewing} Basket and Tissue Paper Eggs before continuing through the blog hop using the Designer Crafts button on the right. Thanks for visiting and I hope you enjoyed this project.

I am thrilled to be featured at:

Pedacinho de Mim.

High Heels and Lattes:



Rook No. 17:

Passionately Artistic:

Buttons Galore and More:

Thank you all!!!!


This is linked to:
A Little Knick Knack, All Thingz Related, Baked by Joanna, Between Naps on the Porch, Beyond the Picket Fence, Blue Creek Home, Blue Cricket Designs, Brambleberry Cottage, Chic on a Shoestring, Coastal Charm, Common Ground, Decor to Adore, Fave Crafts, Finding Fabulous, House of Grace,  I {heart} Naptime, I'm Topsy Turvy, Inspiring Creations, Just a Girl, Keeping It Simple, Krafty Kat, Lovely Crafty Home, Making the World Cuter, Marvelously Messy, My Romantic Home, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Paisley Passions, Passionately Artistic, Rook No. 17, Running With Glitter, Savvy Southern Style, Simply Designing, Someday Crafts, Somewhat Simple, Tales from Bloggeritaville, Tatertots & Jello, The Blackberry Vine, The DIY Home Sweet Home Project, The Girl Creative, The Shabby Chic Cottage, The Shabby Nest, The Thrifty Home, Trendy Treehouse, Truly Lovely, Under the Table and Dreaming, Very Merry Vintage Style and What Allie's Making Now

Farm Estate Sale

There aren't a lot of farms left around where I live so when I saw an estate sale on a farm property I knew I had to check this out. The house was old, the outbuildings were falling down and it was filled with many vintage treasures. I attended on the second day of the sale so I can only imagine what treasures were there on the first day.

The best find of the day was this glass washboard seen here with a smaller metal one that I found at a previous sale.  

I couldn't resist metal roller skates with leather straps. The skate key is missing but they always got lost.

At the last minute, I grabbed this large, old, rusty mailbox. I might use it as an umbrella stand or planter. The distressed paint and rust add so much character.

I love these wonderfully illustrated children's sewing cards and books.

The ones above are dated 1928. The blue cards instruct children to be quiet and neat. The pink ones are of nursery rhymes.

 Baby Animals book is copyrighted 1945.

Let's See the Animals is copyrighted 1946.
The illustrations in the books are large and cute enough to frame.

I also found some needlework and this lovely, daisy pattern tablecloth.

At another sale, I found this pale, teal-color, covered butter dish. I believe it is called Recollection Madrid and is from the 1970s. The color is beautiful.

And as an example of happy serendipity, I found a vintage movie screen to go with the movie projector I thrifted last week.

This is linked to:
A Little Knick Knack, Apron Thrift Girl, Blue Creek Home, Brambleberry Cottage, Coastal Charm, Common Ground, Finding Fabulous, Hey What's for Dinner Mom?, House of Grace, My Romantic Home, Tales from Bloggeritaville, The Colorado Lady, The Thrifty Groove, The Thrifty Home and Very Merry Vintage Style