Greetings!

Image from Keren at http://www.freeprettythingsforyou.com/.  

Something new came my way.  I happened upon an old scrapbook filled to the gills with old greeting cards.  I haven't seen one of these in such good shape before.  Most of the time the cards that I run across are loose and no longer in books.  To my surprise this one is beautiful.  So beautiful in fact that I hate to take it apart.  My first thought was to take the cards out and file them away for crafting purposes.  Now that I have my hands on it, I feel like it is such a treasure in its state. 

Most of the cards are get well cards but there are greeting cards for each season as well.  These are just a few. The book appears to have belonged to a young women from Missouri who had an extended hospital stay and or illness.  Such care was taken to compile these.   I am loving all the names and penmanship.  

The original 39 cent sticker is on the front of the scrapbook.  The cards have to come out as they are browning from the paper.  I just hate to take it apart.  The greetings and sentiment that were so beautifully penned are one of my favorite treasures.  

Greetings for a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Lesson Learned

I have a love affair with old metal typewriter tables.  Secretary was on my short list of what I want to be when I grow up.  These carts were essential, along with pencils in your hair, full skirts, tidy desks, office supplies, I could go on and on.  Long story short...I looked and looked locally but I couldn't find one so I bought one on eBay.  It seemed reasonable...at the time.   Seventy dollars later I had a nice vintage typewriter cart.

This is what I found today orphaned in the back of the thrift store.  Priced at a whole $7.99!  The only thing wrong with her is a missing screw.  

Rust is not an issue, I can handle that.  I taped the wood wheels to keep them perfectly vintage.  Gave her a nice sanding and degreasing.  (Lincoln is a closet crafter too!)

That is when I brought her more expensive twin out.  The weather today was gorgeous almost 60'F and  sunny.  It all ends tomorrow when we go down to 18'F.  Gotta love Kansas.  Anyway, I pulled out my trusty colors Ballet Slipper Pink-Krylon and a new favorite Catalina Mist-Krylon and gave them both multiple light coats.  

Look how nice they are turning out.  I love this blue green.

Hard to believe these little tables held those enormously heavy typewriters.

Of course the expensive twin is a bit smaller, but just as functional.

Lightly sanded around the corners and sprayed with clear coat the girls have found their way to my studio.

I didn't want to take too much of the finish of, but I did want it to look warn so I took it down to the metal around the edges and some on the legs.  I use these to hold my laptop, ironing board, projects, pretty much anything.  It is nice to be able to work on a project and move it around the studio from the cutting table to the sewing machine and not interfere with anything else.  This one slides under my desk, bonus.  It is like a tole tray on wheels!

You knew this was coming.  It is killing me not to put a giant decal on these.  I have these two little 6 inch decals that might just need to find a home on this little cart.

I learned my lesson.  Next time I will wait until I find it locally at the thrift store before I buy it overpriced online again!    

He started it!

My mother-in-law gave me this piece that started it all.  I immediately fell in love.  Lefton Love!

We were helping clean out her basement many years ago when she dug him out of a box.  He was dredged in grease and dirt, cracked on the side and chipped on the lid, but he was perfect to me.

He has survived two moves and my toddlers.  Not to mention my husband and his siblings.  I love his cheeks and tiny nose.   I can only imagine all the hands in the cookie jar.  He is in retirement now.  We don't want to push our luck on that crack.  He has traveled the house and I can tell you he looks good in the kitchen, living room, dining room and now in my studio.  I don't know his real name, he is marked Lefton on the bottom and I have never seen another piece like him.  We simply call him Baker Boy!  He kind of looks like the Campbell's Kid?

Recently he has been placed upon a shelf with some pottery friend in my studio for inspiration.

  He just makes me smile.  Like the great old movie with Van Johnson and Judy Garland...In the Good Old Summer Time.  

He started it!  

He made me want more and more vintage goodies.   

New...Meet OLD!

Things have been mostly picked up after Christmas and everyone is busy doing their own thing.  It is my turn to take some time for myself.  I have a stack of fabric, cutter tablecloths, pillow inserts and rick rack.  Whats a girl to do?  

I am using this fantastic sunflower cutter tablecloth with some Michael Miller polka dot prints and a vintage white linen napkin.  

The size of my pillow is 14x21 (travel size) and I worked out a pattern on my cutting board allowing for my seam allowance and places for vintage trim.

This spare piece of lace came off of an Estate sale napkin.  I have used 3 sides of the napkin for 2 projects.  I could kick myself for not grabbing more of them but hind sight is 20/20.   I sandwiched it between the tablecloth and the napkin.

 

Rick Rack makes everything look better.  Ruffles do too!

I made an envelope opening in the back for washing. Sewing is just gratifying.  From nothing to something in hours.  A little bit of new mixed with the old classics.  

For now it will sit here, behind my back...I am looking for that perfect chair to slipcover in white.  You know the kind that someone wants to throw away that you get for pennies on the dollar and love to bits.  Yes, you know the one!

I am joining in on the fun at the Blogger's Pillow Party.

see the link at the side

A Few of My Favorite Things...

The innocents they captured in the children's faces.

And on the inside gorgeous colorful images.

Each one even cuter than the one before...

when you open it up you are in for a surprise!

All worth collecting and displaying each year.

Holly horns and bows on tails!  

These are a few of my favorite vintage Christmas cards that I display each year.  

I wish you and your families a Very Merry Vintage Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Storybook Bathroom

The half bath off our kitchen gets the most use in our house.  When we moved in years ago I attempted to take the ivy wallpaper down but the walls weren't primed and most of the plaster came down with it.  Venetian plaster was our answer during the late 90's.  Two years ago we did a mini-remodel on the kitchen and which gave me good reason to change the half bath.  

I started by painting the room a pale grey/blue.  Then I added all the things I love.  Metal frames, lithographs of babies and pets, curtain pins, tea towels with ruffled vintage fabric trim that I added.  The only thing I couldn't find is a towel ring.  This is one that is making do till I find just the right one.

I love the shadows these frames make on the walls.

A collection of Junior Elf books in another favorite (white enamel dishes).

Next to the pedestal sink is a vacant space that I filled with these great finds.  I have two of the fridges.  They are great storage pieces that are so sweet to display.  A pink decaled bowl sits in the middle of the table.  Above hangs a collection of ironstone platters in the favored blue.  I wanted to make sure that it was eclectic enough to house more than the kiddie stuff.  

Inside the fridge we store just the necessities...

Over the tank sits this little dresser that holds my daughters comb and brush as well as her ponytail holders and clips.  The metal shelf came from etsy and I filled it with some thrifty finds.  Tea towels, baby pillow fabric, Lefton pieces, cotton ball bunny, baby china and the cream planter.

Over the sink I took a thrifted mirror and painted it cream, glazed it and touched with just a hint of gold over the overlay.  The picture came out fuzzy, sorry.  The cream fit in beautifully.  I used an old enamel pail as a trash bin and kiddy chamber pot to fill up the floor space.  

My family loves to read all the books and I love to add to the pieces and change them out.  The color made a huge change from the boring brown.  

It reminds me of a child's storybook that I could read over and over.

A bit more VINTAGE than I thought it would be!

This piece was loaded down with cleaners in a garage.  I saw past the

 rust and the stains.  I have been looking for one of 

these for some time.  Waiting patiently...you don't want to know how long my list of "if I come across it"...is!  I drove farther than I usually do, but I like this ladies estate sales. Sure enough there it was being walked past by everyone on day two.  It didn't even need to be painted 

like most of them in the past have needed.  The shelves were rusty in spots and it smelled like old tools and insect spray.  I took it home and cleaned it up with some elbow grease and a magic eraser.

It is a fantastic faded blue green.  Inside I used some left over oilcloth to line the shelves and secured them in place with glue dots.  

Because its not very shallow, I can stack my stuff and still see to reach it.  

The front was perfect for some vintage decals.  With the big ones being so hard to come by and me needing two of them...I hit eBay.  These two Meyercord came together.  Everything was going according to plan.  I sprayed them with clear coat to insure that they would stay together during the water process.  After fully drying, I prepared my warm water bath and that's when it started to fall apart...literally.  I couldn't get these to work with out cracking.  Rather than toss them I went with it and they are really too vintage for my liking, but they are on.  I have never had this much trouble with my other transfers but you never know with their age.   

To me they look like they are clicking their heels in the air?  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.  At least it was fun!