It's giveaway time!!!!!!! Step right up for a chance to win......

It's a giveaway of epic proportions! O.K., so I embellish a bit!
It's a mixed media extravaganza.....!

Still too much?

O.K., it's a lot of fun stuff to create with.....

Vintage velvet goodness.....

Lily of the valley and french stamped ribbon all wound around an old clothespin....

Some fabulous tally girls......

Scads of romantic ribbons....

Wound around a vintage spool.....

Tiny box that is so sweet to put a gift in....

Very cool vintage Boston store tickets to do with what you will...

All packaged inside (well as much as I can fit anyway) into this simply awesome Meloto piano roll box. Have you ever? When I was researching piano rolls on Ebay and came across these beauties I about died! This lovely lady had a ton of them and lived in my own state, so shipping wasn't too bad. I ordered all she had because I thought the box graphics were incredible.
And of course, this will all be shipped in a very large padded envelope so I'll be adding more, count on it!

Here's what to do.....comment on this post.  If you tweet about it you get 2 chances, just let me know that you tweeted so I can enter you twice.  I'm new to Twitter and don't really know what I'm doing yet over there but you have to start somewhere, right? So I'll be tweeting about my giveaway and we'll see what happens, maybe nothing so that just means your chances are better of winning!  I just so appreciate the comments I get.
The drawing will be on Saturday, the 18th,  and I will have my 10yo dd pick a name out of a hat...we like old-fashioned around here.

Thanks so much for looking....love you all!

Awaiting Summer.........

Freshly cut from my garden.....

The fragrance is unbelievable! I don't have many roses, but the few I do must have a wonderful fragrance!
Otherwise, what's the point?
I remember when we first moved into this house about 16 years ago and I was craving a garden and plantings with all my favorite old-fashioned flowers, all of which must have heavenly fragrance. My dh knows my love for lilacs so he ordered a very large bunch for me from an upscale market here in town. When I received them I was so shocked and disappointed....no fragrance! How did they do that?
Oh well, it was the thought that counted and he was so sweet to indulge me...even without the fragrance!

Stay tuned my friends, tomorrow will be my big giveaway......
~pinky swear~

For the love of a book...........!

Some days are diamonds and this was definitely one! I hit thrifting gold today....nothing attracts me more than old antique books...like the one pictured above....it's in my Etsy shop right now and has every quality that I look for in an old book...leather, marbled pages, marbled endpapers, marbled covers.....did I mention that I love "marbled" in books. It also has a leather gold embossed spine and leather corners.......and it's title is ...
"Bittersweet"
It's from 1858, the oldest book I've ever found, and if it doesn't sell..........ahhhhhhh! No worries...:).
Stay tuned for more info on my giveaway mentioned in my last post....it's coming up soon ~ promise!

I'm feeling so thankful and ready for a giveaway!!!!

So I'm feeling very thankful for blessings in my life and want to pass my good feelings on to my blog friends! The photo above is just a small sneak peek of what's going to be included....I will share that if you love lace, fabric, and ephemera you won't want to miss out on this giveaway....stay tuned, details will be coming in the new week. In the meantime I do hope you all have a wonderful Sunday!!
Blessings to all.........:).

What is it about ~floral~ ticking........?

i think it's just the MOST romantic of fabrics, don't you?

like most things, it looks best when grouped together....

there's just something so appealing with the thought of laying your tired head upon such a soft pillow....

this one is my very favorite, i know i've shown it before in all it's faded grandeur.....

i keep looking for another one, what do you think my chances are?

no seriously........

i tucked another one under it and sewed on some vintage glass buttons i had....i'll keep looking because i covet it so....i'm headed over to debra at common ground to link up with her vintage inspiration party...come join us, won't you?

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?

~took my favorite dolly out for a walk today~

~purple rhododendron~

~peonies~i'm waiting in anticipation!

~climbing rose~

~snowball bush~

~doublefile viburnum~

don't you love the old-fashioned flowers the best?

I'm so honored to be interviewed today....

by sweet Amy at www.mittensathome.blogspot.com

She has the most beautiful blog and is featuring different artists and hosting a giveaway, and today it's my turn....here's what I made to give away.
Please pop on over to Amy's blog and follow her to be included in this giveaway! Amy also has a stunning Etsy shop that you can link to from her blog where she makes gorgeous paper concoctions that are so creative, along with many other items.....




I do hope you all have fun plans for this holiday weekend...we don't have any and that's just how I like it. No commitments whatsoever!!!!
Enjoy yourselves...............:)

What I could never sell......

Do you have a collection that you would never think about selling?

I certainly do! This is a partial glimpse of some of my vintage candy boxes.....

I love them beyond all reason.......:)

As I look around my house, trying to decide what stays and what goes.....

I  have to admit that my eyes gloss right on over these sweet boxes....don't think I could ever entertain the thought of selling them.
See, I've been in a purging state for about 3 months now and my house is decidedly less cluttered.
This is a good thing, trust me on that!
However, when I see certain items, well, they just make my heart happy~
I know you know what I mean!
They'll always have a place in my home somewhere...
What makes your heart happy that you couldn't even imagine getting rid of?
Please share......:).

New in my Etsy!!!!!

Just a quickie today, too much going on! I think Friday's are always like this, the week catching up to me!
Anyway, I've been adding to my little Etsy, that's not so little anymore, I think I have almost 200 items in there...yes I've been letting go of some of my beloved things because that's all they really are....things...you can't them with you, right?
My philosophy is, take them in...enjoy them for however long your soul needs them, then pass them on so someone else can love them! And I get a cleaner house in the meantime...:).
And I really have been enjoying having less, purging etc.
Well, the sun is shining so I'm off to enjoy it, hope you all get a chance to do the same~

Is it Summer yet?!!!!!

Well, not quite but check out the picture of my bff, Melanie, and moi above on the beach...we're certainly ready!!!!
O.K., so it's not really us, but don't they look ever so happy?
We had a beautiful day of sunshine for most of today and a great temperature of 66 degrees. A funny thing about me? I love the sunshine, but despise HOT weather, so 66 is just about right for me......

So I hit the thrift today and found this awesome frame for 2.99, it was one of those "how fast can I grab this" type of purchases. And it's big and look at the corner detail!

O.K., one corner is missing but so what? I'll have fun figuring out where to place this beauty...!

Where I've been concentrating my attention of late......:)

my dh had his birthday yesterday....and he was blessed, i should say we all were blessed, with a bright and sunny day! he took us out to lunch for pizza and we sat outside by the river (did i say it was sunny?)

then i came home and made what he wanted for his birthday cake (ummm, it was actually a raspberry pie) while he spent a few hours with our dd, hiking and spending a bit of time outdoors. it was so cute to see them both come home with a bit of a sunburn!
then we fired up the grill and had his meal of choice ~ ribeyes, baked potatoes, baked beans, cocktails, etc.
he had a great day and the best part? he gets two more days to enjoy before going back to work!

we've just decided to expand his celebration all weekend!

~white wednesday~

i'm participating in white wednesday today (in between errands that is)
this is my perfect white, chippy, folding chair.
complete with faded roses decals...

and rust!

i was so thrilled to find this in a local vintage mall, i snapped it up.
it's my favorite prop for when i take photos for my etsy shop...
pop on over to faded charm and take a peek at all the lovely whites!
well, i was trying to participate but the linky won't work for me! enjoy your wednesday my friends!

The important things in life.........

Truth be told, there is a lot going on in life right now that is so wonderful.......my post today has no pretty pictures, just words.

I just had the most fantastic Mother's Day, and it has everything to do as far as gifts go.

I slept in.....was out of coffee....dh and dd went to get cinnamon rolls and coffee for me....so sweet.

Then I got to open a gift from dd (10yo) that she made at school, that I can't wait to frame. It's a note that she wrote to me (a poem, actually) that is so sweet I want to remember it always!

And she and my dh picked out some photos (many photos) for a digital frame for home that I've wanted for a  long time. We've had the frame for some time, so it wasn't a new purchase.........

I cherish this frame with all it's wonderful photos......it's our life!

Then we built a fire in our fireplace, ordered a wonderful pizza, and watched a Harry Potter movie.

IT WAS A PERFECT DAY!

Happy Mother's Day!

A lovely sentiment from a motto I purchased last year...it's the prettiest motto I've ever seen....love the muted colors and the picture of the elated Mom holding her baby...and of course the sentiment. Happy Mother's day to all you wonderful Mom's out there, and to my own sweet Mom, I miss you each and every day in more ways than I can count....love you!

Don't you just love......

A sunny day that lets you dry your newly dyed laces and trims outside?

It's simply perfection!!!!
I do hope the sun is shining wherever you are!!!!!

I "heart" antique birthday books.....

these are all from a Shakespeare birthday book...
enjoy your week!