A little something for a good friend.......

Tomorrow a good friend and I are going to spend the day together (well, at least part of it!)
She loves Halloween as much as I do, so now that my studio is in much better shape (I'll post pictures soon) I was able to get in there and actually work on something....it felt so good! I hope my friend gets a kick out of this collage, it didn't take me long to make it. But then I start to obsess about the details and don't know when to say when. So I'm leaving it like this, no glitz or glitter because I don't think these look like glitzy, glittery folks....do you?

I do hope you're all having a great week, our weather here is so strange...a perfect day to create something like the above....it's overcast and gloomy..ooooooh.....spooky!

~My Daughter's Hand~

I took my daughter by the hand...we raced to greet the sun...I didn't sweep the steps today, but I remembered how to run.


We traced the fenceline to the pond and watched the polliwogs...now she knows how tadpoles turn into hopping frogs.


She reached her hands up to the sky, a swallow fluttered by...she flapped her tiny wings...so sure that she could fly.


I didn't wash the dishes...my bed it went unmade, but we saw some Easter lilies
And we danced and sang and played.


She watched a pretty butterfly emerge from it's cocoon...my daughter's changing also
And growing all too soon.


You see, she is the butterfly...a vibrant summer rose. Her youth is such a fleeting thing, just like the wind that blows.


I didn't do the laundry...I didn't sweep the floor, because my little girl needs me...to wander..dream..explore.


I didn't clean the house today...I didn't dust the stairs, in twenty years, no one will know or even care.

But I have helped my little girl to a gracious woman grow, in twenty years the whole wide world will turn their heads, and see, and know.


Patsy Gaut

Help me! I've fallen and can't get up!!!!!!!!!!!!

So you may wonder what I'm talking about with the above header about falling.......these pictures will give you a little idea of some of the things I've been up to lately........foofing a table in my living room.

Displaying some of my much loved brown transferware now that it's fall, stacking some thrift store books on top of a platter, I just like that look :)

Adding some piano rolls to a vase, as well as french pages with flowers added...

Finding a new home for this beautiful old frame brought home from the thrift store....

Changing the display on the top of my fridge....that huge round basket with the latch and handles looks so much like one you'd see at PB for mucho dinero, but I found mine at the thrift for very little dinero :).........

And the picture above is where I stall out, become immobile and paralyzed....where to begin with this studio....it's been so long that I just buy some cool item, throw it on top of the counter in there, and sadly walk out....berating myself the whole time. I have been able to make a few things, but usually by removing them from my studio so I can have room to work! Anyone else see the craziness in that?
Wish I had someone to help me, but since I don't it's time to put on my big girl pants and get in there.
Do you think I should get a tetanus shot first? HAHAHAHA!!! She laughs so she won't cry :(
I know this is hardly earth-shattering, and I know it's happened to many of you, but for crying out loud, why can't I be more organized in there? AAACCCkk, so frustrating.
And really, I'm lucky to have this problem, right? After all, it's great to have your own room to create in and I'm so very grateful...now I just need to act grateful by cleaning it up.
Thanks for listening to my pity party, I do appreciate it!
And please say a prayer for me that I don't fall in there, because I probably couldn't get up.....to much stuff in the way.......

Let's talk about the down side of school starting, shall we?

That's right my friends, I'm talking about the icky germs that our children are suddenly exposed to. My dd completed 3 whole days of school before coming down with an awful cold....and since her birthday was on Monday, she was sick for that too....my dd loves school! She cried and cried! I was helpless.....
She didn't want to miss the fun little celebration that would be hers on her special day...with her friends.


I totally get it.....was helpless. Finally took her to the dr. on Wednesday for fear that she may have pneumonia.....it wasn't the case. Just a head cold......still coughing.
So far she's missed her tae kwon do class, her first piano class, first girl scout meeting, another tae kwon do class, golf, and a second golf class.
It's the one thing I dread with the new school year, all those germs confined......
itching to get out there and infect someone!
Thank goodness dh and I have been spared..


so far......


wish us luck....
make sure you take your vitamins.....
or gin......
or vodka.......
I hear they help as well :).
Hope you all have a great weekend!


Stay healthy!!!!!

A beautiful "gnome" party for a sweet boy...

We went to the sweetest birthday party last Saturday for our nephew, who turned 1. Don't you just want to pinch those cheeks, he's the most sweet-natured baby!

Check out this birthday cake! It was so delicious, made by my super-talented sis-in-law, Heather.
She's a fantastic cook, especially her baked goods! She made all these decorations for the cake, a really cute gnome/woodland theme.

How cute is this little gnome resting on some moss with his head on a mushroom.

Here are some happy cousins!

These two are almost inseparable when they get together!

The happy mom, Heather, and her cuter than cute birthday boy Marek.

"Do you like my hat"? "My mom made it!" Yes, Heather made his cute little hat!

A happy, happy family. Heather, Marek, and Jeremy. Thanks so much for a great party. We loved being a part of it all, loved your new house, loved the food, love you guys!

Mercy me but it's quiet around here.....

I miss this little one like the dickens........already......yep, it's only been a few hours! I'm not big on changing routines. 
My munchkin, however, has been itching to get back to school for probably a whole month or so.....
She loves it in a huge way......and if she didn't I'd be volunteering to homeschool her, yes I would!
However, she's extremely bright and I'm sure I wouldn't be up to that challenge....hey wait, she could teach me, yeah, that's it! 
Oh well, no more excuses for me, time to get myself in gear, start working out, get my studio up to snuff, all that good stuff that I put off all summer.
I'm sure she's not thinking about her dear old Mom at all right now....but then again, I guess that's perfectly normal for a 4th grader. (I did threaten to stay with her all day today, she wasn't having any of it).

Late Summer, early Fall gardening....and a new love

So my new love is the Daphne above "Eternal Fragrance". Why you ask? Because it blooms more than once! AAaaack! Daphne is my all time favorite plant, thanks to my best friend, Melanie. She has lived in some really sweet old houses around Portland, but one of them in particular had a cute greenhouse in the backyard and a lovely Daphne on the side of the house. I had never heard of Daphne until she told me.....as a great friend would do. The fragrance is incomparable...and it literally wafts across your yard, your neighborhood. 

So when I decided that I was sick and tired of the Japanese Holly bushes in my courtyard I decided that Daphnes could fill the bill. We already have a big Daphne Odora in there, but I needed more!!!!

So the above picture shows where the Daphne's will go once we get the rest of the holly's out of there....can't wait!!!!  Did you see those blooms?
I don't know about you, but Labor Day weekend always ends up being lots of labor for us...usually in our yard. I do hope you all have a lovely holiday weekend!!!! Don't work too hard :) And do make sure that you stop and smell the Daphne.

More Etsy goods....don't know what's gotten into me!

I guess it's because my studio is getting a re-do, so whatever I don't absolutely have to have is going away, like the cute gift box above and the super sweet doll dresser below. Check my Etsy shop for more details if you're interested :).

We've been busy getting ready to go back-to-school next week, fitting in some ball games and organizing a football kick-off party on Saturday. We've even had some rain here, so refreshing after all the hot weather we've had!
And next Friday my best buddy is coming down for a couple of days so we can hit the Coburg Antique Faire, yay!!!!! I missed it last year because it was dd's birthday, but this year her birthday is on a Monday so I get to go....so very excited, it's a totally great show so if you've never been, what are you waiting for?
I can't wait to get my studio re-organized so that I can make some more Halloween goods, stay posted for those.....pretty please?
Update Update Update......the little dresser has already sold! Thank you...

"Book Cover Challenge".......

Amy, artist extraordinaire, from mittensathome.blogspot.com has issued a book cover challenge and here is my entry. Sorry my pics are all over the place and totally not in the order I uploaded them, but either Blogger doesn't like me, or I'm a dunce! 

The cover of this old book has such an appealing charm to me so of course I left it as is. I decided to make a little notebook out of it.

I added some vintage elements, such as glassine bags and little envelopes. Then I filled them with tags made from old Logomachy cards (not the originals but photocopies)

I covered the back with some tea stained fabric that I thought  echoed the flowers on the girls hat on the front cover.

Sweet little metal rimmed tag with a bird stamp on it, just for fun.

Inside the front cover I added a library pocket and a fabric stitched bookmark.

This is the front of the bookmark......

Many thanks to Amy for putting this challenge together, it was really lots of fun! I can't wait to check out some of your altered book covers!

My newest project.....wish me luck!

So I bought this gorgeous french jewelry/vanity box from a lovely seller on Etsy..it's pretty, right?

Until you open it! Then it's like a house of horrors! Oh my goodness, what have I gotten myself into?

Now in fairness to the lovely seller, I did request some good photos of the inside before purchasing....

Because I know these boxes can be in various states of disrepair, and rarely are they perfect.

Some of these trims I already owned, the velvet I bought today at the thrift...wish me luck with this particular makeover...please! It will be that fine line to make it look truly "old" and vintage when I'm finished with it. I'll be sure to post pics when I'm done.
What projects are you working on right now?

FINALLY listing some new Etsy goodies.......

Vintage floral hatboxes...

Sweet vintage crochet cap.....

Prettiest pin cushion ever!

Gorgeous vintage napkin or hanky holder.....

I truly love Etsy, it's so much fun "owning" my own store and having total control over my time spent on it.....highly recommend to everyone :).
Hope you're all having a productive, or restful weekend...and in a perfect world, a little of both!

Do you have a weakness for......

vintage children's books? I must admit to being a "junkie" for years! Nothing can beat the colors or the sweetness of the stories

Little Bitty Raindrop is my fave! It's hard to explain how cute this story is...the travels of a baby raindrop...

I love the endpapers in these little books, they're just adorable!

Look at the beautiful face on this raindrop, what a fabulous artist who drew this.

This little book also has charming artwork inside....

Lucky getting in trouble :(

What's your favorite vintage children's book?

Ahhhh, sweet success at last!!!!!

So here are some pictures...at last, of my new bottle collection. They were all purchased at the same yard sale from the nicest man named Willie.....I had 4 bottles in my hands originally, got too hot and irritable, so couldn't decide what to buy. Please tell me you've done that before....., well, bet you haven't now that I think about it!  Willie saw me put them back and said, "I'd love to give you a bottle, choose anyone you like." Huh? Really, how sweet is that? I said, "Oh, you don't have to do that" and his response was, "But I want to, I'm a firm believer that you get what you give in this life."

Well, needless to say I scrambled and found several that I liked, then went back a few hours later for more! He gave me a great deal on them so who could resist? Not me!

I like the old tobacco tins to use for altered art, and the old folding ruler, well, it's beat up just enough...I'm off to bed, I've been futzing with my blog for 1 1/2 hours now trying to change the background....ran into some issues....(shocking I know)!