Oh how I love FRIDAY

This has been one heck of a long work week. It seemed like Friday would never get here. Yippee! Last night Luis decided he wanted to make cookies which basically translated to "you get all the stuff together and I'll watch you bake them." Um no. I did assemble all the ingredients and then steered him toward the KitchenAid:



Not the best picture but I wanted proof that he actually did it. :) I already love this mixer! I have always only had a hand mixer and wow, what a difference just to be able to turn it on and add stuff! I know, I'm way behind in the times I guess. I do see some fancier cakes in my future . . .

Yesterday was a good mail day! I received my swap package from Ms. A! She's fast because I haven't even put mine in the mail to her yet! Yikes!



It's my very own Easter basket of pin cushiony Goodness!



I think the "chocolate" bunny is my favorite. I think I will put him with my crocheted bunny and ducks before I stick pins in him. :) The little sack is made from the sleeve of a felted sweater as is the wrist pin cushion!



How handy! (ha ha pun intended!) Ms. A told me that the edging on this one was made by her Grandmother and is from an old pillowcase beyond repair. Thank you for giving me such a precious piece of your crafty family history!

If I am not mistaken this is Ms. A's first swap! Good job and THANK YOU! Pin cushions will be in the mail by Monday PROMISE. (Oh and thanks for the real chocolate bunnies, they are um . . . indisposed at the moment . . ;) )

A few of you commented that Kaiser, the puppy, looks like a fox. :) That picture is a year and a half old, he's not little kit-like baby any more!



In case you are interested, Kaiser is a Powderpuff Chinese Crested. :)

I just remembered! In her note, Ms. A. wrote "You can't spell Spring without PIN!" There's a good suggestion for what to make for you "P" item in the Spring Fling Swap! (Link corrections to come today I hope!)

Cheers!
Rebecca

A Little Something for ME

I'm sure you are like me. You craft and craft and then you give it all away! You gift those in your life with all of your wonderful handmade treasures yet rarely keep anything for yourself. We're such a giving people, aren't we?? So I decided to make a little something for me. Well a BIG something actually.



It's the start of the BEST AFGHAN EVER. I already love it. Aren't the colors dreamy? Sigh. Seriously. I love it. And it's wicked soft, too. I'm using Bernat Satin. Aside from being soft, you can wash it. Nice. It will be big enough to almost be a spread for our queen sized bed. I put about 5 rows on last night while I got caught up on my . . . um . . . soap opera. Ahem.

Anyway, I was inspired to make it thanks to the ever talented Posey. She's been crocheting up an afghan storm with her rippled and granny square afghans. I never follow through with afghans made in pieces and I don't have that much of a knack for putting colors together either so I decided on a super easy pattern called granny stripes with three repeating colors. Maybe someday I'll ripple up all that extraneous yarn all over the craft room. Hmm . . .

I will apologize again for all the craziness over at Sweet Goodness Swaps. I swear BLOGGER DID IT. Oy. Anyway, I hope everyone has been in touch with their partners or will be soon. If not, drop me a line and I'll see what else I managed to muff up. My partner is Jenn, go visit her! You won't be disappointed. She also has a wonderful Etsy shop.

Speaking of Etsy, my ultra talented sister and I have decided to hawk our wares on Etsy while setting up The Goodness Shop website. Our store is not ready but we hope to unveil it soon. In the mean time I made a banner so I would feel like a contributor:



I'm hoping for a productive weekend so I'll be able to put some fun things in there on Monday. Tomorrow I'll share some of my sister's wonderful hair combs and barrettes!

Before I go, Ms. A asked me to post a picture of my sweet boy Mason:



This is when we first got THAT PUPPY. In the beginning Mason was very annoyed by him but then one day he was finally okay with our new roomie. :) Doesn't he look like he's thinking "why did we get him??"

Have a wonderful night bon-bons!

Rebecca

Swap News and I've been tagged!

First off, get yourselves over to Sweet Goodness Swaps for swap partner news! I can't even tell you how amazing it is to have so many talented women in the swap! I can only imagine the Goodness that will be created. :)

Second, way back a long freakin' time ago I was tagged by Katie. I'm really bad at remembering to do this and know I've been tagged before and missed it so forgive me. I'm crappy at this for some reason. Anyway, I'll give this a shot:


1. If you could build a house anywhere, where would it be? Right now I'm itching to move back to Baltimore, a little bout of homesickness I guess but I would really love to live anywhere on the coast. I can't imagine not being able to drive to the ocean.

2. What's your favorite article of clothing? I used to be all about clothing and lately I haven't given it much thought. I do spend quite a lot of time in a particularly soft pair of pajamas from Old Navy though.

3. Favorite physical feature of the opposite sex? Eyes for sure and sense of humour. (For those of you that know Louie did you think I was going to say BALD HEAD?)

4. What's the last CD that you bought? I'm definately all about ITunes lately and can't remember actually buying a CD in the last few years. I love the old standards, Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Ella, Etta, you name it. I also like to drink too much wine and sing "Sweet Child O' Mine" on occasion, too.

5. Where's your favorite place to be? I suppose home on my sofa as of late though the sofa is best when it's filled with my DH and two fuzzy buddies. I also really like being on my mother's sofa, too. Notice a trend? No wonder I have to start going to gym.

6. Where is your least favorite place to be? Well aside from the gym I guess I'd have to say any where I don't want to be. I hate feeling restless like I should be doing something else. It makes me quite grouchy.

7. What's your favorite place to be massaged? Tensor fascia lata. I actually used that in a line to pick up a boy once. In my defense, I was in school studying to be a massage therapist at the time.

8. Strong in mind or strong in body? Didn't I say I hated the gym?

9. What time do you wake up in the morning? TOO EARLY. 6:00 am

10. What is your favorite kitchen appliance? Well I just got a KitchenAid mixer but I haven't used it yet. I'm hoping it will make me enjoy baking more. Oh and my Rabbit corkscrew sees a lot of action as well.

11. What makes you really angry? LITTERING. Man I hate it. New York is a filthy city to begin with and people just toss their garbage where ever they please. I saw a man throw an empty coffee out of a subway door, over the platform and down onto the street. I called him what I thought was something meaning "dirty" in Spanish but Luis said it sounded more like armpit. Whatever, he knew what I meant.

12. If you could play any instrument, what would it be? Cello :)

13. Favorite color? RED

14. Which do you prefer...sports car or SUV? I own an SUV. It's great for taking my 70 pound Collie to the park. (We used to have a 2 door Cavalier and we'd have to strap poor Mason into a doggie seat belt in the back and he would cry the whole time.)

15. Do you believe in an afterlife? What you do in life, echoes in eternity.

16. Favorite children's book? As a child I loved The Westing Game. Now, I still read children's books and am a big fan of Harry Potter and His Dark Materials (which I am currently reading again!) They are releasing a movie of The Golden Compass at Christmas and Nicole Kidman is the evil Mrs. Coulter!

17. What is your favorite season? Autumn

18. Your least favorite household chore? All of them, but I guess I hate cleaning the toilet more than maybe say, vacuuming.

19. If you could have one super power, what would it be? I bet every guy I know has a fantastic answer to this question but I guess I'd really just like to fly.

20. If you have a tattoo, what is it? No thanks

21. Can you juggle? If this were 5 years ago my answer would have been "Men? yes. Balls? no."

22. The one person from your past that you wish you could go back and talk to? Hmmm . . . well I'd like to tell my EX-best friend a thing or two . . .

23. What's your favorite day? Friday Happy Hour!

24. What's in the trunk of your car? Sprint crap, 3 umbrellas, a handful of dog toys and some Windex.

25. Which do you prefer, sushi or hamburger? Both please!

Now, if you've made it this far, the person who is the first to comment with the name of the movie I quoted above and who said it will receive a little Goodness in their mailbox.

Cheers!
Rebecca

THANK YOU!

Thank you all for the wonderful birthday wishes! I had a truly enjoyable weekend despite a bit too much wine on Friday night with Joolz. Oy. ;) Saturday brought me good luck at the thrift store considering I thought about turning back about 50 times before I got there thanks to my throbbing brain. I am glad I suffered through it for look at my bounty!



mason jar - 99 cents - yes I know, how many of these do I need? But I will use them I SWEAR.

Japanese tea cups (upper left) 99 cents each - these were just too cute to pass up! I love the patchwork look to them.

bowl - 99 cents - I thought the blue was bright and lovely and the price was right!

blue lotus bowls - $1.99 each - I about sighed out loud when I say these. How cute! I love the color, the shape, you name it. Made in Japan no less!

Mikasa tea cups - $1.99 each - I need more cups like I need a hole in the head but . . . well you know. The pattern is Margaret.


Found among those random bags of stuff . . .



bunny salt & pepper shaker set - $1.99 for the bag - um . . . you can ROLL the condiments down the table.

shoe pincushion - 99 cents for the bag - this is too cute for words and prompted me to search on EBay for other tiny pin cushions. I didn't bid on anything (I have crappy EBay luck) but I might . . . I just might.



flocked Easter picks - $1.99 for the bag - So cute and vintage! There are tags on some of them that have an address for a store on Broadway in Manhattan and say "Parisienne Made in Hong Kong 10 cents."



miniature Easter ornaments and baskets - $1.99 for the bag - the ornaments are wooden and tiny! Some close ups:



These were difficult to photograph . . . the birds nests are my favorites:



Perhaps I'll be able to use one of them in the doll house. (Speaking of, I need to paint it before I assemble it and it recommends latex paint which means I have to go to Home Depot or something and well . . . I don't get there much. Plus I'm on the fence about colors but I'll leave that to another post.)

So anyway, hung over thrifting seems to work for me. :)

Today is the last day to sign up for the Spring Fling Swap! By my calculations I think we are close to 50 participants! Needless to say, Lucy and I hope to get your partners out ASAP but please bear with us. We will at least post a list on Sweet Goodness Swaps and those of you with partners with blogs can check each other out and we'll get email addresses and home addresses out within the next few days. I've already started gathering all things pink and green!

Cheers!
Rebecca

Beautiful Day

Yesterday was my birthday. I was going to say something but then sort of . . . forgot. That's how it is with birthdays as you get older I guess. Not that I'm OLD or anything. ;) My sweet dear husband (how fun it is to say that!) brought me gorgeous roses and the big box of chocolates from Godiva. AND I got a card. Yes, you heard me, an honest to goodness Hallmark card. He forgot to sign it but it's a start anyway.



This girl likes red, you think? :) That curtain up there is thrifted by the way. The wreath was hung for Christmas in 2005 and there it still hangs today.

Here's a lovely new blog for you to visit, The T-Cozy. A while ago Leigh Ann told me about a wonderful tea shop she visited in Connecticut and how we should certainly take a trip up there when she and I finally get together to meet. Well this is the shop and it's lovely! AND they have an antique store! Can you say ROAD TRIP?

Well my little bon-bons, have a fabulous weekend and I'll be thinking of you as I hit the thrift store tomorrow morning!

ciao!
R

Crocheted Bunny

A few people sounded interested in my "Peep shaped" crocheted bunny so here is the pattern!



Sweet Bunny

Crochet Hook "I"*

Lily Sugar & Cream Cotton - 1 ball of your color choice

ribbon of your color choice

polyfil/stuffing/cotton balls

Make two bunny bodies:

Row 1 - chain (ch) 11

Row 2 - 1 single crochet (sc) in 2nd chain from end and every chain, turn (10 sc)

Row 3 - ch 1, 2 sc in first sc, 1 sc in each sc until last sc, 2 sc in last sc, turn (12 sc)

Row 4 - repeat row 3 (14 sc)

Row 5 - ch 1, 1 sc in every sc, turn (14 sc)

Rows 6 - 13: Repeat row 5 eight times

Row 14 - ch 1, decrease in first 2 sc: draw up loop through first sc and then draw up second loop through second sc and single crochet together = sc2tog, 1 sc in each sc until last 2 sc, sc2tog in last 2 sc, turn (12 sc)

Rows 15 - 16: repeat row 14 twice (8 sc)

Rows 17 - 18: repeat row 3 twice (12 sc)

Rows 19 - 23: repeat row 5 five times (12 sc)

Rows 24 - 26: repeat row 6 three times (6 sc)

*this completes the body, one ear is made and then the second

Row 27 - ch 1, 1 sc in first 2 sc, turn (2 sc)

Row 28 - ch 1, 2 sc in first 2 sc, turn (4 sc)

Row 29 - ch 1, 1 sc in each sc, turn (4 sc)

Rows 30 - 33: repeat row 29 4 times (4 sc)

Row 34 - ch 1, sc2tog twice, turn (2 sc)

Row 35 - ch 1, sc2tog and finish off

Attach yarn to first sc opposite the first ear with a slip stitch

Repeat Rows 27 - 35 for second ear

Place bunny bodies together and attach yarn to bottom right corner with slip stitch. Chain 1 and single crochet around bunny tucking in yarn ends as you go. Stop on bottom left corner stuff bunny using your crochet hook to push stuffing up into ear. Do not over stuff! The one you see above is a little too chubby and his stuffing is showing through. Continue doing single crochet to close up bottom opening. Finish off and weave in yarn end. Tie ribbon around neck and add button or embroidery eyes if desired. Enjoy!


I hope this pattern makes sense, I've never written one before. If you try it and it doesn't work please let me know! You can always increase or decrease the number of chains at the beginning to change the size of your bunny just remember to resize the ears appropriately.

I tried a crocheted chick last night but let's just say that the dogs are loving their new toy. It looked more like a sponge. :) I am going to try to make felt chicks this weekend or maybe a few of these. Go over to to Bee's blog and see her felt versions here and here! Love them!

Oh and for some fun shopping visit Tender Heart Treasures. They have the cutest shabby chic table items! My favorites are these adorable covered pastry stands:



So cute! They are a bit pricey for me at $60 but they have lots of deals, too, like this biscuit server:



and this three tiered server:



both are only $15! Can you tell I'm in a pastel Spring mood?

Speaking of SPRING, only FOUR MORE DAYS to sign up for the Spring Fling Swap! Go here for details and to send us your info. We'll be posting soon about a spending limit of $20 on the included swap items not including postage. Stay tuned!

Cheers!
Rebecca

Randomness

I am quite scatterbrained today. I really feel distracted and disorganized. No particular reason just no focus I guess. So that will result in a post of pure randomness. And away we go . . .

I plan to post the pattern for my Peep-like crocheted bunnies tomorrow. I want to make another and make sure I wrote it all down properly. I also will be trying to make a chick as well. Wish me luck!

I made a single Easter rosette last weekend to send to the ever talented Tia.



I must have the word "peep" on the brain. :) I figure to make a few more for myself and the girls to wear on Easter. This one is 3 inches and like my others has a pin back.

I made some tags for items with a future in the Goodness Shop:



I enjoy just staring at them . . .

I saw the movie 300 in the IMAX at Lincoln Center last night. All I can say is WOW. It's visually amazing and fairly true to historical fact. (I am some what of an ancient history buff, I know that sounds odd . . .) Plus, there are some seriously ripped (computer generated) men running around in leather underpants. Hmm . . . anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed it especially the strong willed queen. It is quite bloody (al beit computer generated blood) so avoid it unless you liked movies like Troy and Gladiator.

And just to throw one more random thing into the mix . . . I never shared any of my adventures on my bachlorette weekend. This is why I love my dear girlfriend Dita:



That would be yours truly on the left on the dear sweet Dita on the right. I believe we were gettin' our groove on. And by the way, this is BEFORE we went out. Oy.

I could go on but I won't bore you. I'll save it for another random day.

Be good!
Rebecca

Busy Bee

Happy Monday! :) It's almost spring and we have snow everywhere. And it's not even the pretty kind sigh . . . . to combat the blustery cold I put myself in a springy mood and "hatched up" a whole batch of pastel goodies . . .



It was "crochet mania" on my sofa this weekend! These guys are way cuter in person. My favorite is the dark aqua duck in the back. I used Lion Brand cotton for that one and Lily Sugar and Cream for the rest.



The duck pattern takes about 20 minutes to whip up and can be found here. I think you have to sign up for an account to view patterns but it's free. The bunny is my own pattern and if anyone is interested I could write it up and post it.



The cupcake pattern can be found here. Pink and brown, are you surprised? Hmm maybe I'll use this for my pin cushion swap . . .

I also made some Easter ornaments. What is it with me and ornaments? I don't even have an Easter tree! I am SO happy with the way these turned out. I think they might even be shop quality!



The images are from cards I scanned in and then printed. I glued them to wooden circles, backed the wooden circles with decorative paper, added silver rick rack trim, a ribbon hanger and glittered them up!



What do you think? If you are interested in the bunny image I used above you can go here and copy it. It's one of the cards I recently found at thrift. And speaking of vintage Easter cards, did you know I'm the LUCKY HAPPY winner of the drawing Heidi had? Oh yes, I am a winner. :)

I'm glad I've saved all of my Christmas cards from the last few years. :) Christmas versions of these ornaments will certainly be in the Goodness shop come Fall. I will share more info on the Goodness shop soon but basically I plan to open an online store for vintage items and hand made goodies. I will be collaborating with other crafters and thrifters as well. You guys are my sounding board on what you think would be good items for sale so please be honest and hollar away! Also, I plan to keep the prices as low as I can.

Remember to sign up for the Spring Fling Swap over at Sweet Goodness Swaps. I'm already racking my brain on what I'm going to send!

Ciao bellas!
Rebecca

Symbolic

Last weekend I made a quick trip to the Savers. It was a wonderful trip! There was not much to be found and I think I spent a grand total of $8. I am happy with the items I purchased but what I felt was so special about this particular thrifting adventure was an item I did not purchase. No, it's not one of those I-saw-something-but-didn't-get-it-and-now-I-regret-it stories. I did get my coveted item but I didn't actually pay for it.



I found this chipped teacup and instantly loved it's stark white charm. I was pleased to see it was a Wedgwood piece but sad because it was chipped. I put it back because seriously, do I NEED a chipped tea cup? Then I went back for it. Then I spent 20 minutes looking through all the housewares in case there were more. Then I decided what the heck! I like the cup and I'm getting it. I took my few purchases to the register and the guy asked if I had noticed that the cup was chipped. I told him yes but I liked it anyway. He said "It is kind of pretty." I agreed. Then he said he wouldn't charge me for it and wrapped it up securely in some newspaper. I don't know why I'm so happy with this chipped teacup but I am. I put in on a shelf in my craft room:



It's perfect don't you think? :)

I did get some other goodies that day:



Connecticut plate - $2 - this is not really a souvenir plate I think as it seems like you could eat your dinner from it. Also, who knew that Connecticut was the Nutmeg State? Not I! So you see, it is also an educational piece.

Fiesta dish - $1 - I think this is to hold the creamer and sugar. My mother has some yellow Fiesta Ware so maybe she can use this.

pillow case - $1 - lovely colors! Who could resist? Oh and it has birds on it, too. :)

wire apple basket - $3 - the colors are perfect for my decor!

Also found this little gem among the teacups (during my fervent search for more Wedgwood):



Sorry for the blurry photo! It says Pia on the bottom right and I think it's adorable! I found a few other Pia designs on EBay, very cute! Hmm . . . collection? We'll see.

Don't forget to sign up the Spring Fling Swap! We already have a good group!

Oh and for all you treasure hunters out there, that teacup says Wedgwood Barlaston (can't read the pattern!) and I would love to find some other pieces so please keep your eyes peeled for me! I have lots of goodies to trade! You know I'll be scouring EBay tonight. Let the hunt begin! :)

cheers,
Rebecca

Put some SPRING in your step!

Okay, are you ready for our SPRING FLING SWAP? Drum roll please . . . . visit our very new blog Sweet Goodness Swaps for all the details on ALL of our upcoming swaps. You can visit the post for SPRING FLING directly here. That email address goes to both Lucy and I but please feel free to also leave comments here on your thoughts of our theme for this swap. We tried to mix it up a bit this time!

So what shall I talk about today? Thrifting or crafting hmmm . . . . let me show you some things I've been working on and I'll save my few thrifted items for tommorrow. I feel a babbling coming on regarding a chipped Wedgewood teacup and that would make for a long post.

Remember novelty pot holders? They're still cool right? RIGHT?



I mean you want that watermelon right? :) I think it came out super cute! These are some items I'm considering for the Goodness Shop (a mix of old and new items). Thoughts? Good or am I bringing dorky back? The one with the flower will get a backing and edging as well. I thought the color combo was nice. Side note: those of you who read this blog often are probably thinking I own nothing but that same old Waverly table cloth right? I am having a hard time using another one since that one matches so well! Save me! Tell me it's okay to switch it up a bit. it's not like I don't have like 12 other table cloths yeesh . . .

Another thought for the shop will be custom made paper crowns:



This one was made on a whim when Lucy and I received our first email that a pink and brown swap package was on it's way. Lucy jokingly said that Laurie should get the pink and brown crown for being so early and of course I had to run with it. Well that was like 6 weeks ago (sorry!) and I FINALLY made it. Of course now I can't figure out how to ship it AND I sort of want to keep it BUT I will be sending it soon. PROMISE. Really.

Here is the side, which is my favorite part:



Why couldn't I come up with those cute sewn on hearts when I was trying to make but ONE Valentine this year?? All of the papers are left overs from my wedding projects. I am quite happy with it though I think it's needs a "liner" on the inside to cover up some tape. Sorry Laurie! I should have figured that out before I put it all together.

So do you think anyone would want a custom made crown? I'm thinking birthdays, showers, princess for a day, what ever. Mailing them is already challenging but my new design does allow the crown to lay flat and tie together at the back. Here is the first crown I made for mother to wear at my Bridesmaids Tea back in October:



I've also got ideas for party hats in the traditional cone shop with ribbons and glitter and the whole nine yards. I also scrapped together a rosette:



Hee hee, I think it's so cute. I'm going to whip up some Easter rosettes this weekend as well. I already made a few little chicks for them. Man I love paper.

Any hoo . . . that's what I have going on lately. I still have about 300 unfinished projects as well but let's just sweep those under the rug today okay?

Cheers!
Rebecca

Obsessing . . .

I have been sitting here for the last few days wishing I were somewhere else. In an attempt to wittle down my ever growing magazine stack I lugged a bunch to work for breaktime perusal. I've been getting caught up on Country Living mostly and I'm absolutely DROOLING over the antique fairs they have been highlighting! You know it, you've done it, day dreamed you were walking along aisles and aisles of goodies just hoping to find that one treasure to take home. I did some reasearch and there are two such events not far from me. This one and this one. Has anyone ever been to these markets or any like them? I'm always up for a nice roadtrip but it's good to know what to expect.

Here are the linens I thrifted in Baltimore before the wedding:



I won't bore you with the cost break down, all three cloths were around $3 - $4 each and the napkins were 95 cents. The yellow cloth (sadly I only found one matching napkin) at the top may get to sit on my Easter table. We are getting our new dining room table Saturday so I'll have to see if it's the right size but I think so. The two blue cloths are round table toppers and hand made. Now I just need a little round side table for my porch and these will go perfectly with the slate blue walls out there. The pink embroidered napkins are darling and will certainly be put to good use.

I was also lucky with some crafting supplies:



At the top you'll see some old knitting books and on the left top there are some iron on transfers from Aunt Martha's for days of the week piggies. Cute! I also found a pattern for some stuffed bears. The cards are only a few samples from a HUGE bag I got for $2. They are only the fronts of the cards and they span a great number of years from the variety of styles. The best part is that all of these cards are for "Father" or "Grandfather" and I just think it is so sweet that someone (and a man at that!) kept all of these cards for so long. Very sentimental! I thought they would be good for crafting and I also plan to scan in some of the more interesting vintage images. I also sorted out a nice stack for someone I know who will certainly turn them into works of art.

In other thrifty news, I FINALLY sent out the two 100th post Thrifty Goodness prize packs!



So Diana and Colleen, please keep an eagle eye out for boxes coming your way! I hope you find something you like. :)

And speaking of GOODNESS (how often do I use that segue, huh?) tomorrow will be the day that Lucy and I announce the BIG SPRING FLING SWAP! That's a working title by the way ha ha. I will tell you that sign up will be through March 26th so you won't have long to tell all of your friends to get on over here and get on board. We are doing this in hopes of making the send out date in time for everyone to receive their goodies before the end of April.

So until then . . .

Rebecca

Color

Hello! I'm back from way too many days under the weather. Being sick sucks. :( It was nice to be home on Friday and not at work but I got almost nothing accomplished this weekend other than making a rather large dent in the sofa. So needless to say I did not get to the post office. I will mail my promised packages out on Wednesday once I return from my mini business trip to Jersey. PROMISE.

So what about color? You thought I was going to show you more thrifted linens didn't you? Ha! How wrong you are. I will share those another day as I have to wonder how many pictures of thrifted goodies you guys can take. :) So instead, I wanted to talk about Pink and Brown. Yes, I know, we've done that one to death but it has been incredibly inspiring to me lately. I loved the way the colors came together in all the aspects of my wedding and even more so how many of you were inspired to create such wonderful things for the pink and brown swap! Now when I see that combo it automatically makes me smile. I worked on some paper crafts in that color combo that I am very happy with. I hope to complete them and post some pictures soon but in the meantime, how about a few more wedding shots?


wrapped goodies for the bridesmaids . . .

Why does color, or the combination of colors, inspire us so? I think it's a bit like music. When you hear a certain song it may make you happy or sad or a whole multitude of other emotions because of the memories it brings. Colors are the same way especially when you associate an event, like a wedding, or a person to them.




wedding cake shaped card box . . . this was probably my favorite thing we made!

I think that color swaps are so popular because you can take that color and use it as a basis for your creative process. Did she say SWAP? Yes, dear Lucy has already started cranking her brain wheels for our next swap. The theme will be spring and there will be a color element AND a twist. Oh yes, you'll have to put some thought into this one I think. It will be a fun challenge that leaves a lot of creative license so I know everyone will do a bang up job! We'll announce the details once we get them all ironed out and leave loads of time to complete the task.

Oh and by the way, I signed up for a pin cushion swap over at Folded Gingham. I think pin cushions are easy to make a fun way to experiment with different ideas. Plus, who couldn't use a fun new pin cushion? The deadline to sign up was supposed to be last Friday but as Tiff is having some computer trauma, etc, she has extended it! So go here right away and leave her a comment if you want to sign up!

May you have a wonderfully Pink and Brown day!

Rebecca

Why Thrift?

For most of us, the answer to that question is simply "we enjoy it!" Be it the thrill of the hunt, the collecting of certain items, giving "old" items a chance at new life or just for the sake of saving a little money we all have reasons why we thrift. Before I share my most recent thrifted treasures I thought I'd tell you how I actually started going to the thrift store.

There are two reasons, actually. One was simple, my Grandma went to the thrift store. She always bought second hand sofas and seemed to have a new one every year while last years model went to the basement where my cousin and I would play. The second is due to my Great-Great-Great Aunt Sissy. Aunt Sissy's real name was Lucia Sassi and she went by Lucy. However, as a child I couldn't say Aunt Lucy and instead called her Aunt Sissy. I wasn't kidding about all those "greats" in front of her name either. She was my Grandmother's Aunt who came from Italy when she was a child.

Aunt Sissy was a fashion plate!



She gave me so many wonderful vintage things when I was teenager that I wanted more! I went to the thrift store with my Grandma and that's all she wrote! I was hooked. Back then, there was no EBay and it was much easier to find true vintage items. Though I do still get lucky once in a while. Anyway, I'm sure all of you have an Aunt Sissy or two and maybe you'll be prompted to share their story. :)

Now onto the thrifts!



leopard collar - $3 - not vintage but very fuzzy and warm and a true "Aunt Sissy" fashion statement .

change purse - $1 - I couldn't resist a change purse shaped like underpants. :)

wash cloth - $1 - brand new and nice and thick. One of the ones that you couldn't bring your self to spend $8 dollars on at the department store.



Ball jars - 50 cents each - I've been buying up these jars like mad lately and these two are big and were half price. I plan to use them for storage in the craft room.

cowboy cloth and two napkins - $3 - my mother said "wouldn't that be a cute table cloth and napkins for a child's tea party!" Well I had to have it then, right? It's very well made and could be a nice item for my soon to be (hopefully) Goodness shop. :)

slotted spoon - 45 cents - this has a red bakelite handle (though there is a small burn mark on it) and is very sturdy. This will stay in my kitchen and get loads of use for sure. The long silver sppon next to it was a quarter and is for my silver flatware collection.

table cloth - $1.50 - (under all the other items) this has such a fantastic pattern and is linen. it doesn't match per se, but I couldn't resist it especially since it was half price!

I'll share the linens and paper goods that were found on this same trip next week. Just looking at these pictures gives me the urge to thrift despite the fact that I am deperately fighting off what regrettably feels like the flu . . . :(

With that said, if you are awaiting a package from me I may not make it to the post office by tomorrow as promised but will do my best! (cough cough whine . . . achoo!)

Rebecca

Getting Back on Track

I've been a bit of a lazy sod these last few days. I did manage to start the laundry but didn't even finish one load (how shameful!) but of course I could go shopping . . . I bought THIS by the way. Does that shock you? I mean after all, I try to be thrifty in most ways yet I'll drop $180 on a tote bag. To make you (and me) feel better, the bag retails for $400, Coach is my very favorite AND their bags last forever. Oh and I got my tax return back. :) See . . . I feel better all ready. I also bought a new dining room table and chairs but we did have loads of wedding gift certificates to put towards that so I didn't feel super guilty. Plus we needed a new table . . .

Where was I?? Oh yes, my laziness. I'm hoping to break this cycle. I managed to half clean my craft room and that was fairly motivating. Once we get our new table I can put the current dining room table in the craft room (which is a small farmhouse style kitchen table) and start working on my dollhouse. Sigh . . . I can't wait!

On to more interesting things . . . a wonderful gift from the ever sweet Lucy:



What a wonderful box this is! Want to see what's inside?



Marvelous! How much do I love pink kitchen utensils? And do see those hand made recipe cards and dividers? They are all HAND WRITTEN:



I can't tell you how touched I am that she would take all that time to put together such a fabulous wedding gift just for me. Last night I whipped up her "To Die For Potroast" and let me tell you, it is to die for. Luis loved it which is good since he poo-pooed the chicken I made on Sunday. Hmphf. Anyway . . . maybe if you ask Lucy nicely she'll post that fabulous (and super duper easy) pot roast recipe. :)

I actually sent Lucy a gift as well. It was a thank you for all of her organizational help with the Pink and Brown Swap. I made her these mitts:



I was very happy with the way they turned out. This is my second pair of custom mittins. Remember the orange ones I made for Sara?



They are fun to make and I've been enjoying designing them for individuals. I'm planning to have my mittens as one of my crafty venture items for Goodness. Have I told you about Goodness? Well it's just a hatchling at the moment so I'll save that diatribe for another day. :)

Happy trails!
Rebecca