The Spookiest Day of the Year

Hooray for Halloween! I woke up this morning all giddy with excitement--you'd think I was 9 years old or something. :) I watched the costumes on The Today Show--those were great! Only saw the first two sets of costumes on Regis & Kelly, so I'm off to look up the rest. I completely forgot to watch Martha--I can't believe it! D'oh. I was totally looking forward to it so I hope I can watch the streaming video on her website later. Darn.

I'm wearing my cool orange shirt from Target with the big black crow on the front. Wish it was white instead of orange, but for $5 I was willing to wear orange for one day. Miss Maren is wearing her cute glittery pumpkin shirt and stripey pants and has already pulled the black & orange ribbon out of her hair--big surprise. We made pumpkin-shaped pancakes this morning and I tried to put chocolate chip faces on them but ended up with a mess. We compromised by just eating the chocolate on the side. :) You can eat chocolate for breakfast on a holiday, right?

This will be Maren's first year for Trick-or-Treating and she's been practicing all morning. It didn't take her long to get the hang of it--candy is a BIG motivator for her. :) We'll just take her to our friends' houses up the block, more so we can show her off than anything! She's got a cute mermaid costume to wear and hopefully it won't be so darn cold that she'll have to wear a parka and ruin the whole effect. I made her a pair of seashell hairclips and just whipped up a matching bag for her to tote her treats. When she wakes from her nap I'll get her all dressed up and attempt the usually-fruitless task of trying to get her to sit still so that I can get a decent photo or two to send to the grandmas. Wish me luck!

In the mean time, I'm working on projects for Silver Bella and listening to some of my version of Halloween music. Here's one of my faves:

The Monster Mash

This weekend we held our 2nd Annual Halloween Bash. The 1st Annual party was actually in 2005 (we skipped last year) but we really do hope to make it a yearly event. The first time we held the party, we invited whole families. All of our friends have at least 2 kids, so you can probably imagine the chaos! We did a pinata and donut-on-a-string to keep them busy while the parents visited and we all ate. It was fun, but it was a ton of work, the kids were kind of wild and the house was trashed when it was all over. We vowed then and there that the next party we did would be adults only!

And so it was--a grown-up party and I have to say that I think we all appreciated being able to visit and have fun without having to keep an eye on the kiddos or worry that they were spilling punch on the carpet. I very nearly canceled the whole thing when I found out that DH would possibly not be there, as he'd be working at the World Series game that night. I contemplated doing it by myself anyway, but in the end he was able to be there and it's a good thing--no way could I have done all that on my own!

We used a Mad Scientist theme for the party, both for the invitations and the decor. DH was able to borrow some lab items from work and set up a bubbling, steaming "experiment" in the living room--something we probably couldn't have done if there had been kiddos with curious fingers in attendance. On the table you can also see a collection of bottles I filled with various strange-looking spices (from the dollar store). I had hoped to make labels for all of the jars with spooky ingredient names but I just ran out of time. Maybe next year!

For food we had various appetizers, like spinach-artichoke dip and guacamole. I made the brain cupcakes from my previous post, and they were a hit! They were really quite easy and they looked great. I used both homemade buttercream and canned frosting and I found that the canned frosting gave me better results because of the consistency. I frosted the cupcakes first before piping on the squiggles so that the cake wouldn't show through--just in case any of you want to make them someday.

I also made a favorite recipe from our 2005 party: Sweet and Spicy Spider Eggs. These were also a hit--we didn't have any left over! The recipe calls for heating the sauce in a skillet, but I just mix it together and dump it all into a slow cooker with the frozen meatballs. The recipe says it makes 48 but I had plenty of sauce for the entire bag of 80 meatballs.

We asked our guests to come in costume and almost everyone obliged. There were some really funny, clever costumes! One lady was a tornado--she dressed in black pants and a black sweater. She used black thread to sew through the sweater and left 4-5 inch lengths hanging out the front, which she tied to toy farm animals, fence pieces and tractors. When she stood up, she spun around and all of the toys flew out on the ends of the threads--it was hilarious! :) We also had a guy come as this kid. Here is a photo of DH and I all dressed up; he was Dog the Bounty Hunter and I was June Cleaver. I had really hoped to find one of those cleaver things on a headband but I looked at several stores with no luck. I would like to have been a Mad Scientist to go with our theme but I just didn't have time to look for a lab coat. I also considered dressing as Beth Chapman (Dog's buxom blonde wife) but couldn't figure out how to suitably stuff my bra. :)

One last recipe: I wanted a green punch to serve in my big cauldron and found this "Green Grog" recipe. It was really yummy and it looked great with dry ice making it bubble and steam. If you omit the bottle of rum (like we did) you'll want to have another bottle of soda on hand or you'll run out of liquid too soon.

I think all of our guests had fun, it was a manageable amount of work for us, and we hope to do it again next year!

Brains....braaaaains!

Thank you all SO much for your advice on the blue jeans! I went through all of your helpful comments and wrote everything down, so now I have a great long list that I can refer to when I go shopping. Next time I can steal away sans toddler, look out--I'm a woman on a mission! Several of the stores on the list I never would have even thought of for jeans--Eddie Bauer, White House/Black Market, Coldwater Creek--so thanks for mentioning them. I'm on the hunt and I will leave no stone..er..pants..unturned! One other thing--Sam mentioned a website called Zafu.com where you can answer 8 questions and then it brings up a huge list of jeans that might fit you. It's really neat, and it also does Plus size jeans and Bras (they're currently doing research on pants). Head over there and see what they have to say!

Lots going on around here. We're hosting a Halloween party tomorrow night so I'm running around like crazy trying to round up food, decorations and costumes. We're doing a mad scientist theme and among other things, I'll be making these delightfully disgusting cupcakes. I hope they won't be so disturbingly realistic that people won't eat them! They kinda give me the heebie-jeebies, but I think they'll be perfect if I can get the frosting consistency just right! Can't decide if I'm going to give them a cream filling or leave them plain. Maybe a red jelly filling? Ack, now I've really grossed myself out.

I mentioned a few posts ago that I found a fabulous vintage dress at the thrift, but had to have it tailored. I was finally able to pick it up this week and I have to show it to you! (Click on it to enlarge) It is a gray wool sheath and the armholes and neck are completely lined with iridescent beads and rhinestones--the older kind that have to be sewn on individually by hand. It's quite ornate and nicely done, although I couldn't find a tag inside so I don't know if it's store-bought or homemade. When I bought it, the arms and bust and neck fit perfectly but it was too big around the middle, so I had the tailor take it in and put some darts in the front and back, and now it fits great! The dress itself was $5.99 and the alterations were $45, which is a little more than I had hoped it would be, but I still think it was worth it! In the photo I'm wearing a black long sleeved t-shirt but I think I'm going to take that back and try a mock turtleneck instead. I also have some fun black tights to wear but I couldn't be bothered to squeeze into those just for a quick blog photo. :) I love it, and I can't wait to wear it!

And last, a Friday Fiver:
1. What makes you feel exposed?
Looking at photos of myself, thus seeing myself as others see me. I swear I'm cuter in the mirror than in photographs.

2. What do you have to force yourself to do?
Clean the bathrooms, and get a babysitter for Maren. I have the hardest time getting her a sitter, I feel like I'm imposing on people.

3. Where do you like to spend your time outdoors?
The beach! On a boat in the middle of a lake with my family. Geocaching with DH.

4. What surprises you?
How quickly Maren picks up new words and concepts. We can say something once and she'll be repeating it in no time. Better watch what we say from now on, huh?

5. Friday fill-in: Late at night I'm ____.
First, let's define Late. Anymore, late for me is about 10:30 p.m.--not the same as when I was in college and late was into the a.m. hours! Late at night I'm usually getting my second wind. I'm not nearly the night owl I used to be but I still find myself getting really productive starting at around 9:00 p.m., just in time for DH to want to go to bed (he gets up at 5:30 a.m.)

Another reason why bloggers are the best + The Eternal Quest

In the same vein as yesterday's post, I give you yet another reason why bloggers are just some of the best people out there. Several posts back I mentioned that I was looking for one of those vintage sequined felt tree skirts to put under my aluminum Christmas tree this year. The Vintage Hunter herself commented that she had one that I was welcome to have! I received her package this week and not only was there one funky vintage tree skirt, but TWO! And she also included a vintage hankie and a whole pile of fab old scrap Santas and Christmas labels and cards. It is all tied up in twill tape and adorned with poinsettias, a darling stamped tag and a safety pin with a vintage glass bead. I haven't taken it apart yet because it's just so pretty. :) So there you have it, folks, reason #874 why Bloggers are the Best.

Last night I left the Li'l Monster at home with her Daddy and embarked on a Quest...a Quest of mythic proportions, a Quest which I have been on for a good three years now, a Quest which has led to frustration, heartache, and the swearing off of all foods other than celery and sugar-free Jello. The Quest of which I speak: Shopping for blue jeans.

Seriously, why is it so darn difficult for me to find a pair of jeans that don't 1) expose all my bidness when I bend over and 2) make my fanny look a mile wide. What is the deal? I must have tried on a dozen and a half pairs of jeans last night between Ann Taylor LOFT, Old Navy and Talbot's but not one single pair came even close to fitting correctly. I had this same problem last fall and that is why I'm still wearing the jeans I bought back in 2005, but they are now too short and generally looking shabby. I can't wear them for another year, so this year my Quest has taken on more urgency than before.

I appeal to you, dear blog friends--where can I go to find good jeans? In addition to the stores I went to last night, I know that I don't care for Gap jeans, but other than that I don't know where to look. I'm not looking for anything crazy--mid-rise, dark wash, flare or boot-cut (no skinny straight jeans for these thighs), under $100 a pair. Sounds easy, right? Help!

In praise of blogs and bloggers

Oh my poor, neglected little blog, how I've missed you! I know I said I would be posting on Thursday but obviously, it didn't happen, as my weekend got in the way. The weekend--well, it was physically and mentally exhausting and very stressful. It was a combination of things which taken alone wouldn't be such a big deal, but crammed all on top of each other into a 48-hour period resulted in a Perfect Storm-type situation that left me longing for Monday afternoon, when I knew I could take a long nap. And nap I did--one of those coma-type naps that take a while to shake off; I felt like I was moving in Jello for a good hour afterwards. I'm feeling much better now and I'm ready to get back to normal life and normal blogging again!

I'm long overdue in mentioning that sweet Shara thinks I rock! Shara and I first became acquainted on the Yardsalequeen.com message boards. Not long after that, Shara started her own blog and we became fast friends. She is one of the sweetest, most thoughtful and generous souls it has been my pleasure to come into contact with and I just adore her.

I started this blog almost 2 years ago and have been just blown away by the number of wonderful people I've 'met' in the blogosphere. Finding people who not only like the same things I do, but who have also become my friends has been a huge blessing for me and has really filled a need in my life. Man, I love you guys. :) Thank you for offering your suggestions when Maren wouldn't sleep, for listening to me crow about my latest yard sale finds, for answering my questions, and for providing a much more interesting alternative to housework with your own great blogs. :)

Here are some bloggers who also rock:
**Kimberly Ann at Nostalgic Homemaking. I really like her writing style and the interesting topics she posts about.
**Brenda at Brenda's Little Cottage. I just recently found her blog and we like a lot of the same things. Right now she's redoing a dark china cabinet by lining the back with pretty scrapbook paper--how clever!
**Candice Carpenter. If I could instantly adopt any style, it would be hers. Candice is a paper artist and I absolutely love what she does. She's going to Silver Bella and I can't wait to meet her! I feel like such a groupie.

Speaking of my friend Shara, I received the sweetest Halloween package from her last week. Shara puts together the most amazing packages of treats and her ability to pack a Flat Rate Priority box is unrivaled. :) Many of the contents of the package had a black cat theme--a sparkly mask, a vintage Gurley candle, a cute handmade cat trick or treat bag, and the most adorable glittery black cat treat cone that Shara made! There were other fun things--honeycomb pumpkin decorations, an old MSL, candy, a yummy pumpkin clove candle, and even treats for Miss Maren. I love that now my Halloween decor includes wonderful things sent by dear friends (Shara and Rebecca) so when I look at my decorations, I'm reminded of them and how lucky I am to have met such wonderful people through blogs! Blogs, how I love thee. :)

Hello again

My goodness, I didn't realize it had been almost a week since my last blog post! No wonder my mom was worried about me. :) Do you ever have things to post, but just feel lazy about it? That has been me for the past few days.

I received a fabulous, out-of-the-blue Halloween package from my friend, Miss Thrifty Goodness herself! Rebecca knows that I adore Halloween so she sent some wonderful goodies to help me celebrate! She included the cutest woolly bat, one of her darling handmade paper rosette pins, two of the cute 'crackers' that she blogged about today, sparkly little spider candle holders, a neat enamel sign, a Glitterville ornament, and the most adorable little cupcake picks and paper umbrellas! Her package was a surprise and it was such a treat! Rebecca was one of the very first bloggers that I ever connected with and is one of the most generous, creative people I know! Thanks again, Rebecca! :)

I did a bit of thrifting on Saturday morning and found some neat stuff! I decided to look through what the thrift store deemed "Halloween costumes" and actually found some really great clothing items. I don't normally look at clothing in the thrifts because I just don't have the time when I'm shopping with Maren, but this particular morning I was alone so I was able to take my time and try things on. I ended up with this Pendleton wool plaid cape for $5.99. I'm not sure it is particularly old--it has a "Dry Clean Only" tag attached--but I thought it was neat and you can't beat Pendleton for quality and classic styling. I was tickled to open up my November Country Home magazine the other day and find a feature on plaid! How au courant. :)

I also bought a great vintage dress that is currently at the tailor being fitted so I can wear it. I'll show a photo when I pick it up next week. It's a gray wool sheath and around the armholes and the neckline and down the front it is lined in sparkly rhinestones and iridescent beads. It's really very pretty and very unusual, and for $5.99 I couldn't pass it up! I hope the tailoring goes well because I think it has really great potential.

The last thing is a length of vintage fabric with a border of the sweetest little pink cherubs. I have no idea what to do with it, but it leapt in my cart and I brought it home. I am curious as to what it is intended to be made into--the fabric width is rather narrow, so it seems unlikely that it would have been for a baby blanket. It is thin, smooth cotton--reminds me of sheeting, actually. Any ideas?

Somebody thinks I rock! :) More about that tomorrow!

Thrift Thursday

Last October we had Maren's portraits taken, an experience so stressful that we haven't had professional pictures made since. One of the backgrounds they used was orange with fake pumpkins and Maren was dressed in a cute little black onesie with a white spiderweb on the front. I want to hang up one of the prints as part of my Halloween decor this year, which means I have to find a picture frame. For reasons that escape me now, I had the portrait printed 11 x 14, so if I want a frame with a mat I'm going to need one that's what, 18 x 20? All right, that's just ridiculous. I really don't want to pay retail on a frame that large that I'm only going to display for one month each year (not to mention I don't know where I'd even put a frame so large), so I headed to the thrift store this morning to see if I could find something suitable, or something that I could even paint black in a pinch.

I didn't find any frames, and I think I might have better luck if I go back to the photographer and have them print me an 8 x 10 instead. Honestly, what was I thinking? My trip to the thrift store with a wild toddler was not completely in vain; I did find a few other treats to bring home.

My best find was the pie pan for $1.00. I don't know if there's a name for this pattern but I love it and I snap it up whenever I see it--so far I have a muffin tin, a heart-shaped cake pan, a neat fluted tube pan and now this pie pan. I can't get enough! I also found a pom-pom maker for 99¢ (seriously, who calls them pom-poNs?) and a brand-new boxed set of E.B. White books that includes Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little and The Trumpet of the Swan, all books that I loved and read many times as a child.

Under my finds you can see my Halloween tablecloth--does this count as a Tablecloth Thursday post? My sweet mom sent me this gorgeous cloth from our favorite store. It is two layers, one of orange and an overlay of sheer black with flocked spiderwebs. The edges are bound in black velveteen and there are tassels at the corners! Each spiderweb has a sparkly bead sewn in the middle and the bottom orange layer has jack o' lantern faces embroidered on it. It's beautiful and I love it!

Flea Market Adventure & I only have EYES for you

Thank you all for your kind words about my project! I must admit I'm still pretty tickled about it; I keep going into the closet just to look at it again. :)

Today Maren and I went on an adventure to the local flea market. I've read with envy about all the neat goodies Sarah finds at her local flea and I've been meaning to go for months now. The weather forecast for the day was good so off we went! The Mile High Flea Market is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays, all year-round. I'm sure their big day is obviously Saturday so I was surprised to find as many cars in the parking lot as there were. I'd say more than 50% of the permanent booths were closed but those are the ones most likely to be selling ugly hoochie mama clothes and cheap crap from China, so that didn't bother me. The open air spaces are where anyone can pay a couple bucks and unload their yardsale leftovers, and those were where I looked for treasure.

Honestly, there wasn't much. Lots of junk that I can't believe someone would actually take the energy to pack into their car and schlep to the flea market. There were a few booths with folks selling vintage or antiques but they were few and far between; I'm sure there are more vendors on Saturdays. It bothered me that in most booths, most items were unpriced--I'm a timid haggler so I hate asking for prices. I did manage to find one treasure:

Another beat-up old window to add to the pile growing in my garage. This one was only $8.00, which I consider to be an excellent price, especially since the architectural salvage place in town has their windows priced starting at about $20. One side is chippy old white paint and the other has been painted a really unattractive shade of mauve. Normally I'm okay with pink but this particular shade is just horrible! I'll be using it with the white side out, although at present I'm not sure what exactly I'll be using it for. See, there I go again with the unfinished projects! I think they might actually be breeding out in the garage.

And now, for a little Halloween decor. This is inspired by a similar photo I just saw in a magazine, BH& G maybe? I can't remember.

The silver tray is thrifted, the sticky eyeballs are party favors from Target and the hotel silver fork is from my collection. As I was unwrapping all the eyeballs and placing them in a pile on the plate I have to admit to finding myself completely grossed out. Perfect! Effect successfully achieved! LOL

Transformation

On Friday I was headed to the library when I saw a big YARD SALE sign. The car swerved (of its own accord, I'm sure) and turned down the street indicated by the arrow on the sign. The first thing I saw when I got out of the car was this:

A beat-up old piece of wood. They're wanting 50¢ for this? I thought, and then I turned it over:
I could not dig two quarters out of my pocket fast enough! Would you look at that perfect, chippy, scuffed aqua-green paint? Yum. Oh, I have plans for you, my pretty.

I got it home and the first thing I did was take off the casters. Then I used a screwdriver and a hammer and pulled apart the three other small pieces of wood attached to the painted board, and pulled out the old nails. I gave it a good scrub down with Murphy's Oil Soap and it was ready to go.

I bought a wood appliqué from Home Despot and painted it with cream-colored acrylic paint. I rubbed umber paint into the recesses and wiped off the rest to make it look aged. Glued the appliqué on with my trusty Gorilla Glue, screwed in the cool Anthropologie letter hooks I got from my brother last Christmas and I had this:

Ta-da!! The perfect place to hang all the thrift-store necklaces I've been accumulating. My brother gave me the hooks because I'd asked for something to hold my necklaces and said that he thought I could find an old piece of wood to attach them to. I've been meaning to go to the architectural salvage store and look for some old molding for oh, about 9 months now, but this board ended up being exactly what I wanted in the first place, and for a whole lot cheaper than it would have cost at the salvage place.

I love how it turned out, and I'm pretty darn pleased with myself for actually starting and finishing a project in just three days! As my long-suffering DH will attest, I have a garage full of 'projects' that I've been ignoring, some for as long as three years now. I can't promise to finish any of those in just a weekend but at least I didn't add this one to the pile!

Silhouette love

I know that many of you love vintage and vintage-style Halloween items, which is why I have to show you these awesome handmade etchings. They're all done free-hand on scratch board and framed in vintage frames. They feature silhouette images of vintage-inspired Halloween scenes and I think they are just amazing! They are so charming and the level of detail is just out of this world.

This original art was done by a fellow member of the Yardsalequeen.com message board and I just love the pieces so much that I think that more people need to see (and bid!) on them! The auctions end on Sunday evening so you only have a little bit of time left if you want to snap them up to add to your Halloween decor! Which is your favorite? I can't decide! Click on the titles to see the auctions.

"Bobbin"

"The Dance"

"Masquerade"

"Ready, Set..."

Friday Fiver

Today's Friday Fiver:

1. What's your favorite cereal? Cinnamon Toast Crunch. At one time after a really great sale I had something like 25+ boxes stored in the basement. When Armageddon comes, I'll still have a yummy breakfast! I also like Kix. I'm not a huge cold cereal fan in general.

2. What is too gross to eat in the morning? Steak and eggs. Seriously, the last thing I want to hit my stomach with as soon as I've woken up is a big, greasy slab o' beef. Yack.

3. What time do you go to bed? Usually between 9:30 and 10:00, a far cry from my single night-owl days. When DH is gone I usually stay up until 11:00. Whoo, what a party animal.

4. Where do you put your keys? In my purse or in the little red Pyrex bowl on the counter.

5. What vegetables do you love? My favorites are broccoli, asparagus, corn on the cob, baby spinach, and most winter squash. My taste in vegetables has definitely gotten broader as I've gotten older. I still don't like green bell peppers, kale or most 'greens'.

Tablecloth Thursday and Good Mail

I swear I do own an iron, but you wouldn't know it to look at my tablecloth photos today. Nice. This rooster and farm cloth is one of my favorites in my very small collection. I found it at a thrift and it is in perfect condition and the colors are still really vivid--it doesn't show any signs of its likely 50+ years of age. It's one of my only cloths that has a label (made by California Hand Prints, who also produced beach towels. It's not particularly rare--they pop up on eBay all the time--but I think it's charming and I love the bright colors. I normally use my tablecloths on my table and we even eat on them, but this one is in such nice shape that I just can't bring myself to chance spilling salad dressing on it, so it lives in a dresser drawer for now, until I can find a neat old ladder like this to display it on.

I received a wonderful surprise thank you treat in the mail the other day from Kirsten of Preppy Pink Crocodile, who won my pie giveaway earlier this summer. Kirsten sews really fun stuff and she sent me an envelope just stuffed with goodies! She made me a luggage tag and coffee sleeve out of the most darling fabric printed with pies, a cute tissue holder with chickens, a neat bookmark made of ribbon and tiny green ball trim, and a very cool pink and orange reversible smock for Miss Maren! Kirsten's package was totally unexpected and absolutely delightful!

More Tablecloth Thursday here and here and here!

"On second though, let's not go to Camelot. It is a silly place."

Although my ideal evening plans last night consisted of putting on my jammies and going to bed early, instead we went out to the theatuh. Nothing highbrow for us though--we saw Spamalot! I'm a big Monty Python/wacky British humor fan and my DH is a good sport so we got tickets through a friend. The show was shallow and a little bawdy and a lot silly, which was just what I needed after all of the extreme crabbiness that I've been experiencing lately as a result of sleep deprivation and dealing with Miss Terrible Two herself. We had great seats, the show was fast-paced and kept us laughing. And best of all, there was tap-dancing in not one but TWO numbers! Here's part of the "Camelot" dance number, featuring tap-dancing knights:

Out of my gourd

Isn't this a beautiful photo? This is from the October 2007 issue of Country Home magazine. I love gourds! My dad started growing them in his garden a couple of years ago and has had some really spectacular results. He has given several to me and I love to use them in my fall decorating, which I do after I put all the Halloween stuff away. I may have to use this photo as inspiration when I get my gourds out this year.

My post title is not just about the photo--it's relevant to our continuing sleepless situation with Maren as well. Last night she finally went to sleep at 9:15 p.m., was up again at 12:00 a.m., 2:30 a.m. and a couple of times in between, before finally waking for the day at 5:25 a.m. this morning. We're going on a month of this nonsense now and things are not getting any better; they're actually getting worse in the fact that her wake-up times have gotten consistently earlier and earlier. We finally called the nurse at her pediatrician's office yesterday, who listened sympathetically but had no more ideas to offer. We've also spoken to Maren's speech therapist to see if there are any behavioral specialists at her agency that we can consult on this matter. I just want to know if this is a behavior issue that we're going to have to modify ourselves, or a phase she's going to grow out of on her own. I'm really hoping to see the light at the end of this tunnel.

I'm so excited that it's finally October! I dragged my orange and black Rubbermaid tubs up from the basement yesterday so that I can decorate--I've held myself off this long! It will take a couple of days to get everything out (yes, I have that much Halloween stuff) but I'm going to light a pumpkin-scented candle and enjoy the process. Over the weekend I did some fun Halloween crafting but I'm afraid I can't show you, as it's for my Sweet Sister swap partner, Laurie! My muse must have been fluttering around because I also got some inspiration for the swap projects I need to do for Silver Bella. I've been thinking about those swaps since I signed up in July but inspiration has finally hit! I bought all the materials this weekend and I just hope I can get my final products to match the picture in my head. I'll show those when I get them finished, hopefully by this weekend because next week I have Halloween party invitations to make. October will be a busy month, but I'm really looking forward to it!

A tisket, a tasket, a couple of thrifted baskets

A couple of thrifted metal picnic baskets, to be precise! I'll tell you, the next best thing to thrifting something fab is when someone you love thrifts something fab for you! My dear mom found these vintage metal picnic baskets in a FREE trash pile a couple of weeks ago and sent them up to me.
You see, we've been looking for baskets like these for years now, ever since we saw a MSL article about collecting them. Obviously everyone else saw that article and had the same idea, and we haven't had any sightings other than a few overpriced baskets at antique malls. That's why it was doubly thrilling that my mom actually found not one, but two, and they were FREE!

They appear to have been stored in someone's damp garage or shed for years, because they both have a fair amount of rust on the exteriors. The tartan basket is in worse shape than the yellow one, and the entire lid is pitted with rust. I used a product called Naval Jelly--it's a rust remover used on boats--but I couldn't get the rust to budge. I have one more product to try (rubbing compound) but since the Naval Jelly didn't work I'm not getting my hopes up. I did get the yellow one cleaned up and it's in good enough shape that I can still use it here in the house, but I think the tartan one looks just darling with a big fall mum poking out. I just need a couple of pumpkins to complete the vignette and I think it really livens up my otherwise boring front porch.

Thanks, Mom! I love them. :)