A Small Acomplishment

When you look around your house, do you see unfinished projects? I see MOUNTAINS of them. I love starting things, it's the follow through that gets me. Several times a year I decide I'm going to finish up these projects or scrap them. I have yet to pick up a knitting project that is half done and finish it. I really need to work on that. I did manage to accomplish one small project that's been on my to do list for some time now.

A while back I thrifted this super cute Collie planter:



Seen here with a Lenox turkey candle holder and a Mikasa First Birthday sippee Cup, my sweet collie planter has been waiting patiently to be repurposed.



He is now a lovely pin cushion and I heart him even more. I used some thrifted velvet to make the cushion and just popped it in there. I didn't need to glue it or anything. This is my first Collie item and I couldn't be happier.

Oh and crossing something off the to do list is great, too.

fondly
R

Head Case

Voodoo??



No, just my method for making yarn hair. :)









I'm still stumped on the face, I feel that's the "make or break" of stuffies. :) Embroidered? Felt? Button eyes? Painted?

Suggestions are warmly welcome.

RR

Swap it

I know that many of my readers are participants in Sweet Goodness Swaps. Lucy, Leigh Ann, Heidi and I have a great time picking out the themes and meeting new friends with each swap. There are always issues but over all, it's a very fun experience. I do enjoy the making part of it as well as the receiving, of course.

The latest swap was Parasols, Pink Lemonade and Polka Dots. I believe this was Heidi's idea and it really sums up a great summer, don't you think? I was lucky to have TWO partners for this swap due to a little mix up.

My first partner was Melissa of Burford Designs. Since I know Melissa received what I sent her I'll show it here:



The straw bag was thrifted recently. It's from The Bahamas and has a cute little wrist strap. The pink floral napkins are from a yard sale and that small parasol was thrifted YEARS ago and recently unearthed in my Mom's garage. I crocheted her a sweet peony corsage that I thought would look so cute tied on a summer picnic basket and made a square pin cushion in yellow and pink, the colors of pink lemonade! I was very happy with the way the pin cushion turned out as it's box shaped and this was my first attempt at a side gusset. I also tossed in a few yards of orange and lemon ribbon and a Martha Stewart Best Wishes Banner which is printed on round circles that reminded me of polka dots.

My other partner was Chrystal. She lives in Canada and does not have a blog at this point. I decided to partner with her when she didn't hear from her partner and didn't want her to be disappointed. Well it turns out her partner was having computer meltdown and did get in touch with Chrystal so we ended up with 2 partners each!

This is what I sent her:



She got the very first Goodness Bag. It has the same lining as the one I made for my sister with the polka dots and the bird. This one is also made from the now defunct Lily Elite Cotton but is knit instead of crocheted. The handles are macrame squares that Mandi thrifted for me. The flower is made from a scrap of material Vallen sent me like forever ago and I used this Martha pattern to make it. I added the button and a pin back to make it a brooch. I also sent her two thrifted necklaces and a Faith Austin hankie in fun summer colors, a Best Wishes banner and some of that same lemon and orange ribbon. Oh, and drink umbrellas of course!!

Here is a close up of the lining:



I added ribbon around the top of this one and used pink thread for the top stitching. I am loving the bird! I have an idea for another lining with an applique but I need to get to work on knitting/crocheting the outside part first. :)

As a last minute addition to both packages I whipped up some cute beaded bobby pins using this tutorial:



I used some heavy duty bobby pins I picked up at the dollar store (made by Scunci) and some beads that I thrifted. The packaging was scavenged from my myriad of paper crafting supplies. I am so happy with these that I think quite a few people will be getting them as gifts in the coming year. :)

I received my swap from Melissa and I'm sure Chrystal's will be here soon, we decided on a later send out date as we both had other partners, and I'll post about them together.

Oh and remember the Sweet Goodness Swap before this one? Springtime in Paris? Well my friend Dita really wanted to join the swap but missed the deadline so we decided to do a one on one swap using the same theme. Of course I forgot to take pictures of what I gave her, but here was the wonderful package she made for me!



In the back is a binder with a sweet crocheted cover. Dita is the original Queen of Crochet! It's a project book with sections in it for me to store all those great projects I print from the Internet. :) Dita is also a great thrifter and included the French postcard on an easel, an adorable change purse that we decided MUST be French and that awesome Fleur di lis pin! She also tucked in some lovely silver "R" seals and a set of stamps that I cannot wait to use! Stamping is next on my "learn more about" to do list. :)

And last but not least:



A Christmas Marie Claire Idees! Dita picked it up without realizing it was in French and passed it on to me. She was happy with how thrilled I was! I have always wanted to look at one and it is some serious eye candy!

So thanks Dita! You know I love it. :)

I'm still working on my doll, she has hair now but no face. And I'm hoping to clean a bit of my house today before the dust bunnies organize a coup. I have a few more things to add to the shop but since sales are down I think I'll wait it out a bit. But when I do list them I'll be having a give away here to drum up some visits so stay tuned!

ciao
r

Body of Work

There is a serious epidemic of The Lazies here at Casa de Goodness. Seriously, I have been on the couch so much that it's starting to lean on one end. Sigh . . . I need to break the cycle! I'm trying to be more "up" today and have plans to do all the laundry and clean the kitchen at the very least. A big migraine over the weekend kept me from my chores as well.

I did manage to start on my doll pattern:



This is my first body prototype. Eh . . . I don't love it but it has some good qualities. I like the arms but does the head seem to small? And what about her legs? I do like that she's a bit wonky, it adds character I suppose. I will make her into a doll and see how it goes. She is big, I thought it would be easier to shrink the pattern later. Suggestions are welcome!!

I'd also like to get on to making some animals. My Mom handed me this when I visited last week:



She thrifted what she thought was a huge bag of buttons but they turned out to be eyes! And a few noses. :) These are just the loose ones, I have loads still in the packages, too. I think they are older, the prices are like 15 cents. I love those big pink ones! Oh whatever shall I use them on . . .

Speaking of thrifting, I don't have much to share. Mostly I've found fabric and pillow cases to use for fabric:



I love how these all go together so well. I've also found some utilitarian things like a lovely terry duvet, a new bathroom rug and a bed skirt. Not very exciting to blog about, however.

Well my dear friends, please send me some energy vibes to fight off The Lazies. I'll be back later this week to share some swap goodness and perhaps have a giveaway . . .

Fondly,
Rebecca

Heat of the Moment

I am so hot lately. I guess I got used to the central AC at my parents and now it's back to window units and sweating lol. I'm trying not to let that keep me from being productive. As always, my to do list is long.

I was able to list several new things in The Shop.



Vintage petal scarves, embroidered dresser scarves, sequin trim, buttons and more! I have loads more to put up there, too. It's nice to down size my personal collection and very fun to thrift with the shop in mind. I love seeing old things turned into something new. Please click here and see how Vallen used some trim from The Goodness Shop to make a GORGEOUS summery peasant blouse!

Now I haven't just been thrifting, I have created a few things myself. I've done a few swaps and I'm working on a third. I also made this bag for my sister:



My favorite part is the inside:



The bag is crocheted from Lily Cotton Elite which of course they don't make anymore because I like it. Hmpf. The handles are from a bag I thrifted, the pink polka dot lining is thrifted and the little birdie was cut from a thrifted linen calendar tea towel. I just zig zagged him in there. I really love the affect! So now I'm searching for more linen pieces to cut up and use in this way. I've been looking for a bit of a "signature" and this is pretty cute though I'm sure there are loads of people out there doing it. LOL

So now onto the next project . . . . I've got a few things on the burner including a series of posts harkening back to crafting in the 1950s. I won't tell you any more now but I think you'll get a kick out of it! Also planning to attempt my very first pattern for a stuffie or doll. Wish me luck!

cheers
Rebecca

Sorting

My view on vacation:



And my view at home . ..



I'm already hard at work cleaning, ironing and sorting all these wonderful vintage linens for The Goodness Shop. My mother has decided to part with some of her personal collection. Wait until you see! I also found some things to list from our many visits to thrift, antique and junk stores.

Here is one find that I intended to list in the shop but the more I handle it the more I love it:



It's a sweet vintage crocheted baby blanket. I love the design!



I believe it was made from a wool yarn and it shrunk up a bit when washed to give it that tightly knit look.

My favorite part is the way the maker put it together:



The back is lined with a silky material and then hand tied to the top like a quilt! What a great idea. It makes a hand crocheted baby blanket even more special. I love this! The blanket was steal, only $3.50 and I'll be keeping it. :) I'm sure you are surprised.

Check the shop this week for updates and I'll be back to share a wonderful swap I received from my dear from Dita!

Hugs,
RR

Vacation

Ahh . . . off to my parents house for a whole week tomorrow morning. I am looking forward to doing a whole lot of nothing. Well and a whole lot of shopping and eating of course. :) I thrifted this fun vintage table cloth to take down with me:



It's round with that fun frindge and was a steal at $3. :) Good times.

I'll well over due in sharing some of my recent swap goodies. The first one is from Janae for the Mermaid Swap:



Okay, so I totally just noticed the bag handle is covering the mermaids face! I suppose it's to protect her identity lol. :) What a sweet package! My mermaid plaque is hanging in the craft room already. And how cute are those glasses?? Thanks again, Janae!

You can see what I sent for my part of the Mermaid swap here. :)

I also received this wonderful package from Robyn for the Paris in the Springtime swap:



I love it! You should smell those candles, they are divine! She also sent note cards but I've already started using them and forgot to put them in the photo. :) I have to show a close up of the altered bottle caps she made:



Aren't they cool? They will be perfect on a scrapbook page. Thanks again, Robyn! I thought I forgot to take pictures of what I sent Robyn but then remembered I snapped off a few shots with my phone:







A French novel, a French candy tin full of goodies*, a sleep masl and some lavendar sachets. This was one of my favorite themes!

Well, like I said I'm off for a week so have a happy and safe July 4th! I'll be back with many treasures for The Goodness Shop and a few crafty endeavors I've been working on. :)

hugs
Rebecca

* - I have one more of those French tins left that I plan to fill with goodies for the shop so stay tuned!

The Toy Maker

Hello all! Hope your summers are going well. :) I am doing pretty okay though I was a bit under the weather this weekend and spent a long time lying on the sofa yesterday. I started making a crocheted bunny. So far . . . eh. But we'll see. He is HUGE. I think once he has ears and a face I'll love him more. :)

Thanks for all the kind comments on my octopus! He was fun to make and I just love that color. I have some of that yarn left over so perhaps I'll make him a buddy in the opposite colors. Maybe a GIRL octopus. Oh la la!

So I am starting to feel that toy making is my forte*. I have made quite a few lately and really enjoy it. Mostly I have been following patterns but some are originals. This is my latest:



She is from Sew Pretty Homestyle. She is the bathroom angel (for lack of a better descriptor) but I didn't give her wings and I made her bathrobe from chenille instead of wool felt. I wanted to use fabric scraps I already had and I am happy with the way she came out! I will probably make her a friend, too.



Don't you love her tiny little slippers and her pig tails? I really enjoyed making her, sewing on her little arms and legs, creating her hairdo . . . what a weirdo! LOL

I have some pictures of swaps I've received to share as soon as I locate the pictures. I know I saved them somewhere.

cheers!
R

* - I found an old notebook where I wrote "Crocheted Gloves: Is it my forte?" LOL Um, I'm thinking no, no it's not. ha ha ha ha

Under The Sea

First off . . . STUPID BLOGLINES!

I'm so glad to hear it was bloglines keeping everyone away from my shameless giveaway! LOL So what I want to do is have another! I hope to update the shop soon and will hold another giveaway. I have quite a few more of those hankies to spread around! I may not do the updates until after July 4th as I'll be away for a while but we'll see. I have some fun stuff still to list. :)

Thank you guys so much for the support! Hope to have more fun vintage goodies up in the Goodness Shop soon! And maybe my sister will get some of her goodness up there, too. :)

So look what I made:



He's supposed to be an octopus but I couldn't figure out where to put his eyes. Plus I made his tentacles a bit frilly with some picot edging and that gives him a very jelly fish appearance. :) The pattern is from the current issue of Crochet Today. There isn't much more in that issue I would make unfortunately. He is made from Paton's Grace and he jingles! I took the suggestion of my buddy Catherine and stuffed one of those cat toy balls with the bells in them inside. It's a but muffled but it does the job. He's a gift for a sweet little boy who turned one in March. :)

cheers
Rebecca

Twenty Questions

Before I get to talking about myself, since I only had 4 people for the Shameless giveaway (which is more than I expected, thanks!) I'd like to send each of you a Faith Austin hankie!

Caroline - thank you and please send me your address!

Jane - thank you for the order, I tucked one in with your package! It's a bit different than the ones I showed but I think you will like it, it's very kitschy!

Erin - thank you and send me your address!

Lesa - thank you for your order, I'll tuck a hankie when I mail it off to you!

I'm really enjoying sharing my treasures with the bloggy world! Plus my DH is okay with my shopping when I say "it's for the shop!" Little does he know that I keep more than half of what I list, lol.

Now onto the 20 questions we have to answer for the Summer Swap at Sweet Goodness! My partner is Melisa at Burford Designs. She was a vendor at the Farm Chicks Show! :)

1. What is your favorite Summer Drink(s)? I love mixing seltzer and juice. My current favorite is that fancy pants Valencia OJ from Tropicana. As for adult beverages, I like pina coladas and rum punch. YUM

2. What is your favorite Summer Activity? Honestly, I hate the heat. But I love going to Rockaway Beach and evening Met games.

3. If you could spend a lazy afternoon reading, what would be in your hands? I'm a dork and a re-reader so probably something I've read before and loved so I could revisit some old friends. My friend Dana and I decided we needed trashy romance novels for our trip to the beach this summer and so far I've thrifted these two:



Oh boy oh boy, I can't wait. That one on the right is about a female sports writer and a baseball player, hmmm . . .

4. What is your favorite type of craft/art medium? Seriously I'm all over the place on this one which is probably why I can't seem to finish anything. I knit and crochet and sort of sew and I like paper. I buy paper just because it's pretty. :)

5. What is one art/craft supply you absolutely have been dying to have or try? I shouldn't be trying anything new, lol, but I still want to work on my sewing skills!

6. What are your favorite colors in our 'rainbow sherbet' theme? Pink, lime green, yellow, orange, aqua (or blue) Pink, yellow and aqua are probably my favorites. My mothers LOVES lime green so I tend to stay away from that one. ;) but they are all great summery colors!

7. What is your favorite sweet treat? Oh boy, I need to stay AWAY from sweet treats. :) So let's say that I like sugar free hard candy lol.

8. Are there any craft or art supplies you would NOT be interested in receiving? I don't really paint. That's about the only thing. :)

9. What is your favorite song today? Again, I'm a dork and always WAY behind the times. I listen to standards (Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Cole Porter, Ella, Etta, Etc.) but I love me some Justin Timberlake! (ha ha ha)

10. How do you 'pamper' yourself during the hot summer days? I love the spa. I would live there if I could afford it. But instead I just get pedicures once in awhile. Though I think I'll treat my self to a facial some time soon . . .

11. Do you have any kidlets or pets? We have two dogs. They hate the heat, too. My collie, Mason, is 4 and my Chinese Crested, Kaiser Peanut, is 3.

12. What is your best potluck dish for summer get togethers? I like to make corn salad and spicy Thai shrimp.

13. If you could take a summer vacation anywhere, where would it be? Since we live so close to the beach I think I'd like to go somewhere cooler. Like Alaska. :)

14. Describe your decorating style. Does that say anything about your personality? Eclectic though I love French Country inspired pieces, toiles, dark reds, stripes . . . I guess it says that I seriously need to pick one thing and stick to it, lol.

15. What are your initials? RLR

16. Why do you like to join swaps? I saw this answer to this question at Shara's blog and I think it really sums it up:

"Originally, I thought it would be fun to get mail. Then I realized that the true joy is putting things together for someone you don't know because when it's all said and done, you might have a new friend."

Perfect answer! One of the reasons Shara's blog is a favorite is because she has such a way with words! I've said it before but if you haven't read her post about The Creepy Guy you must!

17. You have 25 dollars to spend just on you for a little treat. What do you buy? You know I'm heading right to the thrift store, right? LOL But a real treat for me is new makeup. I don't wear a lot but the stuff I like isn't cheap. I recently treated myself to some new stuff and boy did I get complimented! :) Vain, I know, but nice. My favorite line if Benefit. The packaging is to die for!

18. What's one craft supply or art supply you absolutely can not live without? If I have to pick one I would say paper. No yarn. No, paper. Yarn. Okay there are two. :)

19. Who's the last person you hugged? My sweet Mason dog. :) Wait, he's not a person. My sweet Louie.

Man it's weird seeing him without a goatee! But I do love this picture :)

20. What's your favorite number and why? Black 22, baby!! 22 is my birthday and I love some roulette!*

Anyway, that's all about me! I'm off to learn more about Melisa and get started on my swap!

xoxo
RLR

* I like roulette, bourbon, action movies and hockey. I'm a manly man's dream come true! LOL

The Shameless Gveaway

Okay trusty readers, I need your help. If you would be so kind as to mention The Goodness Shop on your blogs and link to it I'll enter you into a drawing for these three lovely vintage Faith Austin hankies:



Oh I love that one with the pineapples on it! :)

So if you wouldn't mind givin' me a little shout out on your blogs I would appreciate it! Am I asking too much? :)



Visit The Goodness Shop

http://www.goodnessshop.etsy.com/

Today I listed some lovely things:



Vintage lace, buttons, playing cards, linen napkins and gloves.



Vintage cupcake picks and more hankies including a few of the Faith Austin hankies. :)

So please, pimp me out! Then leave a comment with a link to your blog so I can come check you out! On Monday I'll pick a winner for the three hankies.

And for those of you without blogs I'll have another hankie giveaway next week!

Oh and if you make a purchase from the shop mention that you read my blog, my sister's blog or Sweet Goodness Swaps and I'll include a free gift with your order!

Cheers
Rebecca

PS - I'm still making stuff, just very slowly. The summer makes me lazy, lol.

Brand Names

When I thrift, I am always looking for vintage items. Usually linens, fabric and sewing items. I also look for books and jewelry. But I also look for DEALS.



All of these items came from my thrifting trips last Friday. All of them are brand names. Here is my cost breakdown:

Gray Le Creuset 2 qt round oven - I couldn't find this exact pot so it could be older but I only paid $7 for it! The lid is a bit wonky so I think it was a second but I love it anyway. The newer 2 qt pots retail for around $125. This is my second Le Creuset thirft store find.

Pampered Chef classic covered batter bowl - retails for $15 but I got mine for $3

Bodum French Press - also retails for $15 and I paid $7. My DH had coffee from a French press for the first time last week and loved it so I was actually looking for one! And I love Bodum, I have a gorgeous chrome and glass tea press from them.

Yankee Candle Illuma-Lid - retail for $10 and mine was a mere 99 cents. I have a few Yankee Candles stashed away for fall and this will go nice with them. :)

So all in all I think I did pretty good! And all things that I needed, right? RIGHT?

Also on that thrifty trip I added a few linen tea towels to my collection:



The collection is growing! Thank goodness the towels are usually 99 cents or less at thrift.

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Coming tomorrow, that give away I promised. Basically I need some shameless self promotion for the Goodness Shop and I'm asking that anyone who mentions my shop on their blog and links to it will get an entry into the give away. I'll be giving away some of those fabulous Faith Austin hankies that I'll be featuring in the Goodness Shop. :) Stay Tuned! Shameless, I know. :)

cheers!
Rebecca

I'm a Hottie

Oh yes, that says 107 degrees. That's in my car on Sunday afternoon. It always registers a few degrees warmer but STILL. One would think that with those kind of temperatures expected that Dita and I would have cancelled our trip to the Elephant's Trunk Flea Market yesterday. One would think . . .

Not only did we brave the heat yesterday but we also ran around in the rain on Friday to hit three big Long Island thrift stores. We found many treasures! I was hoping to find some new vintage trims for The Shop but no such luck. :( AND I saw a lady at the flea market with a whole CART full! Argh! I really wish I hadn't seen that. LOL I did find some hankies, a few vintage British pop up books, some great Bakelite belt buckles and buttons and loads of gorgeous vintage pillowcases, though. Once I figure out what I'm keeping I'll list the rest on Etsy. :)

So onto the goods . . .



A few hankies (you know I'll be keeping that pink and brown one!) and some sweet baubles including another enamel flower pin for my collection! I found one on Friday, too. And I seem to now have started a collection of rhinestone pins, too. :) All of this is from the flea market. See that oval rose dish? Dita found it for me. On Friday I found these at Savers:



There are 6 plates and the pink is slightly lighter (not as much as in the pictures). I love them! What fabulous dessert plates! :)

My best deal of the day at the flea market was for this quilt:



I love it! It's my first vintage quilt. :) It has some damage but it was worth it. The lady was so nice. I wasn't going to ask the price of the quilt. It was one of the first places we stopped and I know how collectible vintage quilts are so I instead asked for the price of a jar of buttons and a linen tea towel. $4 for both, okay sounds good, she's not too pricey I'll just ask. $10 for the quilt! Seriously, okay that sounds great I'll take it! When she picked it up to put it in a bag she noticed the damage and said "Hmm, I didn't realize it was ripped. How about $10 for everything then?" Yoink! I'll take it!*

So as you can imagine, I have the flea market fever now. It's a good thing that one is 90 minutes away or it could become a bad habit. I did hear about one in Yonkers though . . .

Anyway, Dita and I had a fabulous weekend together. I'm so lucky to have her as a friend. :) I'll get to see her for 4th of July this year, too! I'll share more of our treasures this week including the goodies I'll be putting in The Goodness Shop AND a giveaway. I think the prize will be vintage Faith Austin hankies, what do you think?? Details to come!

cheers
Rebecca

* - I think that is the new Thrifty Goodness motto, LOL "YOINK! I'll take it!" Yoink, of course, being the sound you make when you snag a great thrifty find. ;) Any one out there yelling "Yoink!" lately??

Bring on the Summer

It's finally sunny here in Old New York City. Something like 85 degrees out there today. I'm inside the office wearing a sweater. Nice. I just described my summer to Leigh Ann like this:

"It's crowded trains, hot subway stations and freezing office AC for me! LOL But I guess there is also escaping to the movies to enjoy their AC, trips to Rock Away Beach, cool nights at Shea and cold ones at the Astoria Beer Garden."

That about sums up NYC summers for me. Even though we are in the north east it still gets hot as you know what here. Fortunately the ocean is only 20 minutes away. :)

Speaking of summer, it's time for the Summer Swap at Sweet Goodness!



We are filling up quickly so jump on board for the Parasols, Pink Lemonade and Polka Dots Swap. Details here or click on the picture above. My mind is buzzing with ideas for this one already! What would you make??

********************

It's the little things, isn't it?



A vintage wedding crown found for $3 at thrift. I just love it. I have two other vintage bridal headpieces/veils and this third one makes it an official collection. :) Perhaps my favorite collection.

And speaking of collections . . .



Another enamel flower pin. I saw this a few weeks ago at the thrift but it was $7. I had already decided that $4 was going to be my limit for these pins or it would get out of control. So I passed on it. When I headed back last week it was still in the showcase and now was 50% off. YOINK! I'll take it. :)

A few randoms . . .



That contraption in the back is a pudding tin. I'd love to find a recipe to use it for that isn't JELLO. Perhaps a Spotted Dick? (okay I couldn't resist.) The lovely biscuit tin is also British and I think that black thing in the front MIGHT be a toast rack. So perhaps I now have a collection of misc. British stuff. I plan to use that rack for paper in the craft room. The tiny fork and spoon are Asian, Japanese I think, and came in that yellow plastic container that says "Pizza-La." So cute and only 69 cents so I had to have it. I know . . . I know . . . The yellow trivets are enamel and were a gift from my sister. She is becoming quite the thrifter!

My dear friend Dita will be here in 2 days to start our weekend of fun. I'm chompin' at the bit, can you tell?

hugs
Rebecca

SMILE

Hand crocheted Happy Cone in the shop. :) I love this little guy! I am working on a chocolate version. I know what you're thinking, didn't she say she was working on another snake? And a baby sweater? Well you caught me, I'm a multi-project kind of girl. I have two baby sweaters waiting for buttons, a snake without a head and vintage lamb plushie all in the works. I'm happy to have at least finished the cone!

Also in the shop new trim including vintage pompom trim and decorator tassel trim. :)

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I have a friend coming for a visit this weekend and I'm coming down the hours! Dita arrives on Thursday and we have plans to hit the thrift stores and the CT flea market!

Off to work on one of my many projects . . . lol

cheers
Rebecca