Thursday, December 20, 2012

Random Thoughts

It's a dreary, rainy, windy and cold evening here in Ohio.  I'm waiting to go get my youngest daughter at the airport later.  We are hoping her flight isn't cancelled.  She is flying in from Miami, FL and she is in Baltimore right now and she called to say "It's Cold!"  Wait till she get here.

I just have not been relaxed enough lately to write anything of interest and my photos have not been good either.  I wish I could buy a new small camera.  Please excuse the images in this post.  I am going to just write some random thoughts that have been rattling around in my head lately.

I was working on some paper garlands for my Christmas craft shows.  While I was threading the ribbon through the punched holes I remembered those sewing cards I had as a child.  Did you have those?
My mom was a professional seamstress and I never understood the point of those cards until now.  I was training to make paper garlands when I turned 50!

I have been using a lot of skills people learn as children finally in my older years.
I used a machine to cut the window blinds at work.  You had to fit the top and bottom rails into perfectly made cutouts or the machine would not work.  Every time, I was trying to get these metal rails to fit exactly in the slots I would think of the shape blocks that have to fit into the opening in the ball my kids had.  Who knew that would be a necessary skill?

Remember the matching game?
Well this is kinda like that.  We draw names for Christmas.  I put the papers (face) down somewhere.  Then I have to remember what was on them and where they are.  Only thing is the table is my whole house!
We found them tonight and we were close.  Only missed 1 person and my husband does his shopping on Christmas Eve anyway!
Another skill I used in school was how to pass notes or talk without the teacher catching me.  Well we had to use this skill at work when we (the coworkers) wanted to talk to each other.  Hide from the cameras, talk in abbreviated conversations between dept. managers walk bys.  Needless to say that place just wasn't for me.
I finally got my tree up.  I just don't feel like redoing my whole house any longer.  I like it now that it is up but it's just so much work.  I read on another blog and on FB all these people doing this Elf on a Shelf stuff.  I am SO GLAD my girls are older.  The one blogger was cracking me up pointing out all the work some of the over achieving moms are making for themselves. 
Maybe I'm just lazy....yeah, that's it.  Oh Well.
Well I am not lazy if it involves craftiness and fun for me!



I wanted some of those bottle brush trees for my vintage farmhouse look so I decided to try making my own.  I needed pink and blue and white.  Good old Youtube.  I found a few tutorials and got the bleach, dye and trees and made my own.  I love them.
I did good with the bleaching and dying but the glitter was pretty messy.  I wasn't good at glue and glitter in grade school either.

One more topic.  I can't remember if I have posted about my neighbors dog Remmi on here before but I have some images of him I took recently.  He is a German Shorthaired Pointer and is very spastic.  He spends the night sometimes because he likes us!
 He is very sophisticated...Not!
Our cat has finally gotten used to him.  He realized he's not going anywhere soon.  At least not soon enough.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas holiday!  My girls are going to be here and I plan on spending as much time with them as I can so I may not post for the rest of the year. 
I'll make notes and write about it later.
Maybe

Happy Holidays!

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Thrifting and Estate Finds

I have to apologize for keeping all of my fantastic finds to myself!
 I have just been so distracted with creating and doing local craft shows for the holidays I have not been able to put my mind into writing or editing photos for my blog. 
I really want to post things that inspire and not just post something to just put up a post. 

I have been to several great sales this fall and found so many things I want to make into great stuff!  I finally finished all the I Pad and Nook cases that I had designed and cut out so now I can start working with my vintage finds.
 I found this great bookcase for $2.00!
I plan to paint it and use it to organize the following fabrics.

 Vintage tablecloths! I got all these from one lady at a garage sale. They didn't have any linens at the sale but I usually ask or tell them I am looking for old linens so they don't get an attitude when I just look and leave.  I'm weird but I don't like to disappoint the sellers. Anyway the Mom said she had a bunch at home.  She actually went home and brought 3 boxes of linens and fabrics back to her daughter's for me to go through!  I didn't photograph the fabrics I got, just these great Retro tablecloths. I couldn't believe she had so many!

 The linens above and the next 5 images were from an estate sale that was in a building in downtown Dayton where these people had a costume rental business but they were also hoarders.


 Jack pot!  1 sale, unbelievable.
 This dress/nightie is beautiful.  And the photo below is of 5 very old aprons.  I plan to rework 2 of them into something I can wear to my summer shows.  I need to dress like my booth, I think. 

 Jewels to add to bags, bottles or maybe I'll just wear some of them myself.  At the same store I found the jewelry I found this box of typewriter keys! I have been wanting a charm bracelet with these type keys in my families initials for a few years and they were all here!  My friend Julie is going to make them into my bracelet. I can't wait.

 I have a thing for watch faces.  These reminded me of my Mom so I picked them up pretty cheep.
Had big hopes for these fall colored fabrics but I ran out of time so I guess they will have to wait till next fall.  The basket is already holding fabrics I'm in the process of re~purposing!

I hope I gave some of you some eye candy to enjoy.