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. :)

Better not pout

How much do you love this new paper that I bought at the scrapbooking store yesterday?


I don't know about you, but I love it so much I think I might have to marry it. Seriously, people--the vintage Santa, the perfect combination of red and aqua? What else am I supposed to do?

It's from the Peppermint Twist collection by Brenda Walton for K & co and the rest of it is just as yummy! Brenda has lots of neat projects and examples up on her blog--check it out! I see a trip back to Archiver's in my not-so-distant future...

Tablecloth Thursday

I don't have near the number of tablecloths that Sarah does, but I love the few that I have found. All of mine have been from thrift stores; I've never been lucky enough to find one at a yard sale, but I'll keep looking! This red and blue square tablecloth is from Goodwill. It has a small, dime-sized hole but it's hard to see because of the busy pattern so it doesn't bother me. I actually just took this cloth off the small round table in my front room, where it has been since I decorated for Fourth of July back in June. The colors were perfect to go with my patriotic decor. I left it up until just the other day because it matches the room, but mostly because so much junk has been piled on that table that I couldn't get to it sooner. LOL

For more Tablecloth Thursday, visit Misadventures of Mama & Jack and The Hunt for Vintage to see their beauties!

Sister Swap Twenty Questions--part 2

Here's my other half. You can read Laurie's 20 Questions here! It's fun to see that we have some things in common. :)

11. Do you have any pets, if so what kind? We have a yellow lab named Bronco. He's a lover, not a fighter. LOL He's really the most mellow, sweet, tolerant doggie ever, even for a lab. He's the perfect dog for my DD to love on, because he just puts up with all kinds of ear-pulling and loving and harassment from her without so much as a peep.

12. Are you a reader? If so, what type of books do you like? I love to read. I read a ton of magazines--Country Living, Country Home, Home Companion, Scrapbooks Etc, Family Fun, Entertainment Weekly. I also read a lot of books. This past summer I reread a lot of children's books and the Anne of Green Gables series. I read a lot of nonfiction as well, mostly history and biographies. I recently checked out and read every single book my library had on vintage and used clothing (which sadly, was not a lot). We have a great library system and we use it a ton!

13. Are you celebrating a birthday or anniversary in October, November, or December? If so, what day and what is the occasion? Nope.

14. Do you collect anything? If so what type of things do you collect? My loving husband would tell you I collect old people's junk. :) I like ephemera, buttons, ribbons, vintage sequined fruit and veggies, refinishing projects (the garage is packed), old Valentines and greeting cards, hankies, old costume jewelry, 1940s and 50s kitchen stuff, vintage printed tablecloths. Basically, if your grandma saved it, used it or wore it, I collect it. :)

15. What type of things do you like to cook? Are you an appetizer person, cookie maker, dessert freak or a take out type of person?? I love to cook and do so often. I usually try 1-2 new recipes a week; my favorite source is Cooking Light magazine. I love to make cookies and desserts but since my willpower is nil I have to bake and then give most of it away, or risk eating 3 dozen oatmeal chocolate chip cookies by myself. I do love cupcakes! I think they're the happiest dessert ever. We don't eat out often, as with a wild toddler it's more work than enjoyment.

16. What is your favorite scent? Is there one that you can’t stand? I love the smell of coffee, even though I don't drink it! I also love citrus smells like lemon and lime and grapefruit. I have a very weak sense of smell so scents have to be pretty strong for me to really notice them. I do like pumpkin candles and I just bought a Yankee Candle called Cider Doughnut that smells delicious and is certain to give me mad cravings whenever I burn it.

17. What’s your favorite song? I don't have one specific favorite song. In my iTunes I have a lot of Beatles, Jars of Clay, Tears for Fears, U2, Jane Monheit, and 80s new wave.

18. What’s the last movie you went to see at the movie theater? We went out on an impromptu date last Friday night and saw 3:10 to Yuma. We had free tickets and that was the only one playing at the theater that we even remotely wanted to see. It was pretty good; I love me some Christian Bale! We don't get out to see a lot of movies.

19. What’s your favorite Candy? Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I also love gummy bears and red licorice, and most chocolate things.

20. Tea or Coffee or other? I don't drink tea or coffee. I'm an ice water (no lemon) girl almost exclusively, but I do like Dr. Pepper when we go out to eat, especially with Mexican food.

Sister Swap Twenty Questions--part 1

I'm delighted to be part of the Sweet Goodness Sisters Swap and my partner is the lovely Laurie of Old School Acres. Laura is a very talented sewer of cutie pie softies who just turned fabulous 40 today! As part of our swap we are all to post answers to 20 questions about ourselves, to help our swap partners (and everyone else!) get to know us a little better!


1. Favorite Color: Red and turquoise, especially when they're together

2. Chocolate Lover? Milk, Dark, White, or none of the above? Chocolate lover? Yes indeedy! I will honestly say that I probably eat something chocolate every single day, even if it's just chocolate-flavored, like a chocolate graham cracker or a fat free chocolate pudding cup. I love it. I'm addicted. Hey--I don't drink, smoke or swear, so I'm allowed some kind of vice, right? My favorite chocolate in the world is Neuhaus, a fancy-schmancy Belgian chocolate that is both divine and very hard to find in this country. I like both milk and dark, with dark just edging out the milk for my current favorite. I do not like that white stuff. Ick. I'm not even going to dignify it by calling it 'chocolate'.

3. What is your favorite craft hobby? I love to do paper crafts. That includes rubber stamping, scrapbooking and just general messing about with paper, glitter and glue.

4. What is a craft/art hobby that you would like to start? I would like to learn to embroider. I have an embroidery kit that I bought about two years ago and I've opened it, but never taken the plunge.

5. What craft do you NOT have an interest in or just not great in? I don't sew, although that's more a function of my lack of ability than anything. I can see myself sewing simple things for Maren and simple home decor stuff but beyond that, I just can't imagine it ever happening.

6. Do you have any allergies? Does housework count? Otherwise, nothing!

7.What’s your favorite part of Halloween? Decorating, candy eating, costumes, or something else? Yes. :) I love it all! Halloween is my favorite holiday to decorate for. I don't like the gory, bloody stuff, but I do like creepy and slightly macabre and vintage Halloween. I'm not so much into the cutesy. I love to dress up, I love to eat candy, and I love to decorate. I think I'll get out my decorations this weekend, in fact!

8. Do you decorate for Thanksgiving/Fall? Yes, but I wait until after Halloween to do so. The first part of September here feels like summer anyway, and I don't want to get out all my fall stuff then have to put it away for October, then drag it all out again. I decorate with gourds and leaves and have started to amass a few more Thanksgiving-themed items as well.

9. December Holidays--what holiday do you celebrate? What type of decorations do you like to put up in your house for that holiday? I celebrate Christmas, and I like vintage-style Christmas decorations, whether they're original or reproductions. I put up my vintage aluminum tree and trim it with vintage glass balls that I've picked up along the way. Last year I did a pink & aqua theme but this year I'm going to go with more traditional and bright reds, greens, blues and yellows. I'm hoping to find one of those kitschy sequins-and-felt Christmas tree skirts to go with the bright color schemes.

10. Do you have any children, if so what are their ages, boys/girls? We have a beautiful and charming daughter, Maren, who is smack in the middle of the Terrible Twos. Read back a few posts about our sleep issues and you'll get an idea of what kind of fun and games we're dealing with right now. Let's just say that I fought her for two hours last night until she finally fell asleep at 10:30 p.m. and then she was up again this morning at 5:35 a.m. Serenity now!

Tune in tomorrow for the other ten!

Today I'm Loving...

...These cute slingback heels in red (of course). Ooh! And they're on sale too! Hmm, I may have to boogie over to the local store and see if they have these in stock.

...This fun, foofy umbrella that looks like a bouquet of roses when all closed up and has a darling rose border when open. Who cares if it's raining when you're under a pretty umbrella like this? Makes me wish it rained more often here!

...These neato personalized frames using photos of things that look like letters. You can do the same thing yourself for free using this handy tool: Spell With Flickr.

...The October issue of Country Home magazine. Their best in a while--I tore out so many pages to keep! Matthew Mead's pumpkin designs were really original and innovative--love the one with the woven twine especially. Also love the section with pie recipes. Maybe I'll have a prize-winning pie again this year with their help! And I think I'm going to use wallpaper on the interior panel of an old door I turned into a headboard. It's just the touch it needs, and it sounds so easy! I think I'm going to do mine patchwork-style, a la Miss Alicia-Posie's very neat closet door. Now I just need to find some great old wallpaper.

...Tim Gunn's Guide to Style, Thursday nights on Bravo. Have you watched yet? If not, you're missing out! Tim is The Man when it comes to telling it to people straight, but not being cruel or making fun of them. Now when we look at clothing, DH and I love to say "WWTGD?"

Hope your weekend is lovely!

Thrift Thursday

There's a little town that I pass through whenever I drive down to visit my grandparents. It's a tiny place, one of those old towns where the highway is also main street. The town used to be dumpy and dirty but in the past two or three years things have really improved. There's money coming in from somewhere and now the downtown features a few cafes, a day spa, a yarn store and several antique stores--a big leap for this wide spot in the road! We rarely stop to shop, as it seems we're always in a hurry to get to grandma's or back home, but every time we pass through I stare longingly out the window at the the antique stores. One in particular has always looked intriguing--the tiny storefront windows are filled with a jumble of dusty merchandise, perfect for a digger like me--but it is always closed. I mean ALWAYS, no matter what time of year or what day of the week you pass through town.

Except.

Except for the last time I came through town in August, on my way home from our family reunion at The Barn. I'd already had a particularly fruitful thrifting weekend and my car was stuffed to the gills with junque, including my grandma's old dress form riding shotgun in the front seat. I had Maren and the dog in the back and we were making good time, but when I drove past the store and realized that -gasp- it was OPEN, I had to stop! I parked in the shade of a big old tree and cracked all the windows for Bronco, but still knew I could only be inside for a few minutes--the length of time I felt comfortable leaving him in the car and how long it would take before Maren was doing her best "Bull in a China Shop" impression. It didn't take long; the minute I walked in the door to the tiny shop I spotted this:

Of course I was immediately drawn to its chippy, mirrored, pink fabulousness! Hard to tell from my blurry photo but it is an old metal medicine cabinet that someone once painted pink. It has its original glass knob and the mirror is all streaky with age. The inside has some really interesting shelves and I just know it's the kind of thing I'd see in a magazine photo, all cleaned up with some really great vintage pearls hanging off the knob and stuffed full of glitter and other trinkets.

So what did I do? Why, I talked myself out of buying it, of course. As much as I loved it, I couldn't imagine where in this house I could possibly put it. Only my daughter's room and the guest bedroom have any pink, and it's heavy so I'd have to anchor it to a stud, which would make hanging it a pain. No, I was just not going to buy it. I had all kinds of other goodies in the car already, and I was going to exercise some restraint for once and by the time I got back to Denver it would be a happy memory. I collected Maren, we said goodbye to the nice old gent running the shop, and I went out to the car to change Maren's hideous stinky diaper.

In the time it took to fix Maren (who was precariously balanced on the driver's seat in a feat of acrobatic diaper changing), I got to thinking about one of my favorite quotes from designer Betsey Johnson: "If you love it and it's beautiful, it goes with anything else that you love and is beautiful."

So you guessed it--I talked myself back into buying it! Man, I am a pushover! I ran the 5 steps back into the shop, threw my money at the man and grabbed my prize. I had just enough room on the seat under the dress form to wedge it in for the ride home. I've never regretted it since, but I can guarantee you that I would have regretted not buying it! It needs a good scrubbing, inside and out. The interior is dirty from being used as a medicine cabinet for who knows how many years. When I first opened it in the shop, I found an old dirty Q-tip (skeeve factor 11 on a scale of 1 to 10. yack.) so I'm going to be donning the ol' rubber gloves and hitting it with a good amount of bleach for my own peace of mind. You just wait--it's going to be a beauty, and I even have the perfect thrift store pearls to hang from the glass knob. Still have NO idea where I'll put it, but I know I'll find a place, because I love it!