A Bird in The Hand

Jen was gracious enough to do a little birdie swap with me and let me tell you, I am the lucky one of the two! Jen was overly generous with her crafty time and I am still just squealing with joy over the wonderful goodies she sent me. Allow me to now preface this with a disclaimer . . . I am a LOUSY photographer. The pictures you are about to see in no way show the amazingness of the items. Seriously.

First allow me to show you everything packaged. Not only was this shot hard to get because I was at work and the only choice for backdrop I had was a crappy table, I was hard pressed not to rip everything open greedily before snapping a shot.



People should pay Jen to wrap their gifts. She could wrap up a roll of toilet paper and make the receiver feel like they had the best gift in the world!



Here you can see the cutest take out box that contained this adorable wind chime! She attached a stamped paper to the end to make it fit our bird theme. I plan to hang this on my sun porch.



More goodness! A fan, the cutest birdie chop sticks, a little "pop out feeder," one of those adorable water bird whistles and a sweet wish necklace! It's a tiny bird on a little cord and you're supposed to make a wish and wear your necklace and when it falls off your wish will come true! I may have cheated. I wore my necklace yesterday but then took it off and tried to arrange it back on the card so you could see a picture. I am pretty sure my wish still stands though.



An adorable vintage hanky with a tiny dove embroidery! This is so sweet and delicate. I had to show you the box it came in, I think it's my favorite of all the wrappings.



Wonderful hand stamped envelopes! These will be reserved for special letters for sure.



A hand decorated recipe box! Now I seem to have lost the picture I took of the outside of the box, I promise to take another and share this week. It's so cute! (I also know I took pictures of the cute box of Martha seeds she sent as well but I can't find that one either hmmm . . .) Anyway, back to MY recipe box. I am always so touched when people hand write recipes as gifts. As I told Jen, I never do that for myself because I'm lazy. I think they are just so personal and sweet. And get a load of those cute recipe card dividers! Love it.

And my very favorite thing of all . . . . (I know you are thinking, "There's MORE??" oh yes my friends, I was totally spoiled)



Couldn't you just DIE? Yes, that is a home made apron. Yes, it is aqua and orange and YES those are the sweetest polka dot pockets and ruffle one ever did see. Sigh . . . I about fainted when I saw this. :)

So thank you, Jen, my dear friend, for making such wonderful things just for me. I am touched beyond belief.

You can go here and see what I sent her. :)

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And remember my flower swap with Vallen? You can go here and see what I sent her. You'll notice that we both made the crocheted flowers from a recent issue of Interweave Crochet! How is that for coincidence? It just proves my point of how close our little family of bloggers has become. In my swap with Jen we noticed that we both sent stamped stationary, a piece of jewelry and an embroided piece. :)

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Only a few more days to sign up for the Summer Fun Swap! We should have your partners out to you by the middle of next week if not sooner. Last count we were up to over 50 participants! It's takes a bit of time to get everyone sorted out so be patient with us. :) Also, we will do our best not to pair you up with someone you have previously swapped with but now that we have a lot of repeat swappers that could happen so you'll have to let us know!

ciao
R

Miss Match

First, I will tell you that I REALLY glad it's Friday. What a week! Whew! Second, thank you all for your thoughts on yesterdays question of a thrift barter site. I'm going to see what I can come up with. I've considered creating a "council of elders," if you will, to sort of hash out the details. If you are interested drop me a line. Basically it's just a group to throw around ideas on how to make a site of this nature work. :)

And thanks also for your list of thrifty wants! Make sure you visit the comments section from yesterdays post to see what is being hunted for across our blogosphere. Now on to our regularly scheduled programming . . .

MISMATCHED CHINA

When I got married I didn't register for china. I am fortunate to have inherited my Grandmother's wedding china. It's a complete set for 12 of the Mikasa Adrienne pattern. It's a lovely pattern and I have never seen it at the thrift store. I have some of the extras, too, like a big platter, gravy dish, sugar bowl and creamer. I do not have a coffee pot and thus decided to register for a pot, sugar bowl and creamer in the Mikasa Parchment pattern. I was lucky enough to receive the sugar and creamer from Luis' family:



I did not get the coffee pot and at $120 I am hard pressed to purchase it for myself. Recently I found this for a mere $4:



Not Mikasa but look how similar! Close enough that I am happy. I have always had a thing for mismatched china. I know I'm not alone. I think I'll use these two Mikasa tea cups (pattern name escapes me at the moment) with my coffee service:



I adore these cups. Found at thrift for $2 a piece they have found a special place in my china cabinet and in my heart. And how nicely they "match" the rest of my china . . .

That's my little show and tell for the day. Highlights for next week . . . my bird swap with Jen (she takes such good pictures that my swap goodies look TWICE as nice), fabulous aprons from Leigh Ann and some vintage goodies found in Baltimore. At a thrift store no less . . . ;)

Enjoy your weekend!

xoxoxo
R

In Search Of

So, have you thought about your thrifting goals? I mean aside from the a fore mentioned Triple Crown - apron, table cloth and vintage Pyrex. I mean the things you look for that others may not? Here is my most recent list:

Vintage Gold Picture Frames

Currently, I only have two . . . .



The 8 x 10 photo is of Luis' mother. The frame belonged to my Grandma. The smaller 4 x 6 frame was found on a trip to the Salvation Army with Leigh Ann for only 99 cents. I love the mother of pearl inlay and fancy corners:



I know I can get these on EBay. The prices are often good but I just want to find them. Know what I mean? Of course you do.

CULVER LTD. BAR WARE

I recently found this ice bucket . . .



I'm a sucker for the gold, I'll admit it. All Culver pieces are signed:



I also have a glass that is gold with green. I would love to find more pieces. I happen to have these 4 Christmas glasses (found at the only rummage sale I've ever been to) which may be Culver but I'll have to check when I unpack them for the holidays. This is also readily available on EBay and I may consider purchasing some but it would still be nice to come across mismatched pieces in my travels.

So what are you looking for? Any specific items? Name brands? Why am I asking? I have an idea, you see, for a public forum to exchange thrifted goods. I need to work out the details and whether it would be better to make it a blog where anyone can join and post about the "missing pieces" they are looking for or perhaps a Yahoo Group the way Freecycle is run. This will not be about making money or selling things. This will be about thrifters helping other thrifters fulfill their collections and I would like it to work on the barter system. As in "Hey Rebecca, I have a Culver glass. Would you like to trade me for that Limoges ashtray you posted on about on your blog?" You know, stuff like that.

I really need to think about the details and your opinions mean a lot to me.Please drop me a line if you have any thoughts on something like this. I'm not sure if it will work but I guess it's worth a try. Holler at me!

xoxoxo
Rebecca

Fit For A Queen

I will confess that I asked Queen Vallen to do a swap with me because I wanted a crown. I know it. She knows it and now you know it, too. As you can imagine she did not disappoint!



I LOVE IT. I wore it around the house for a good while last night but decided to stow it safely in the craft room as the dogs were eying me funny with a bit of a drooly look about them. Must have been the birds on there. VQ took WAY better pictures of it that I did so head here and get a closer look. I am truly the queen of all things bright and flowery now. This was a part of our Six Flower Swap. I SWAPPED WITH THE QUEEN. I know you are jealous. You should be. ;)

Want to see what else I got??



That, my friends, is a bag of flowery goodness! How sweet is the crocheted choker? I agree with Vallen, it's so wonderfully Victorian! I'll wear it with my crown to my sister's Fairy Tale Picnic next month. You can also see a lovely crocheted pin and a button flower magnet!



Oh yes, that is indeed a Queenly Things tea cozy! Look at the sweet hanky accent! LOVE LOVE LOVE



My very own diary. WITH A LOCK. All girls need one of these and it can't get much more perfect! Sequins! Glass Glitter! Feathers! The inside is decorated as well but as it's my diary, it's my secret. ;) She wrapped all the lovelies in pieces of fabric used in the tea cozy, too.



She also made me a wonderfully splendid R monogram. I'm all about the monograms. This is just perfect and so well designed. That woman has me pegged! Velvet leaves? Um yes please.

So THANK YOU Vallen for such a wonderful swap. I cannot wait until yours arrives and hope you love it as much as I love everything you made so very specially just for me.

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Have I mentioned that the Summer Fun: Bucket Full of Sunshine Swap is in full swing? Head on over to Sweet Goodness Swaps and sign up! You have until next Friday to throw your name in the mix.

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Now that I am almost back up to normal speed I'll have some good posts of things to share. Tomorrow I'll be asking the question, "What are YOU looking for at the thrift store these days?" I've got a unique bunch of items on my must have list. I'm dying to know what's on yours.

Until then . . .

Rebecca

Back in the Saddle . . . for the most part

Hello and thank you for all the get well wishes. I realized over the last week how much I take for granted the gift of pain free movement. It's quite humbling when your husband has to help you put your pants on. :(

So what would you do if you literally had to lay around all weekend? I found it quite hard honestly. Funny how I often say I'd love a weekend of nothing to do and when I got one all I wanted was to do laundry, dishes and grocery shop. Since there was nothing wrong with my hands I decided to get to work on some knitting and crocheting projects. Meet Priscilla:



As you can see Miss Priscilla is a prima ballerina who just loves the color purple. She is knit from Lion Brand Microspun (double stranded) and based on a pattern from Knitted Toys though I changed a few things, mostly the shape of her hands and feet.



She is quite light on her feet! Her clothes are crocheted and are my own original patterns. I just made them up as I went along. I am very happy with the way they turned out though I did forget to leave a hole for her tail. Luckily, Priscilla's dance recital leotards are two pieces and her tail can slip out and not be smooshed while she's pirouetting.



Don't you love her tutu and her ruffly sleeves? And how about her sweet rose wrist corsage? I used Paton's Brilliant (double stranded) in Lilac Luster. This was truly a "use what you have" project as I had 6 skeins of that deliciously sparkly purple yarn laying around for 3 years. I got them in a bargain bin for a dollar a skein. The Microspun was in my collection as well.

So now the quandary . . . do I keep Miss Priscilla who happens to be my very first knit stuffy or do I gift her as I originally intended? I really am torn as she has certainly grown on me and makes for a wonderful companion when one is catching up on one's Tivo watching.

One thing is for sure. Now I know that when someone asks me what I would do with three days of nothing but laying around on the sofa, the answer is obviously "Crochet tiny clothes for my knit monkey friend, of course!"

Cheers
Rebecca

Coming tomorrow . . . the best darn mail a girl could ever hope for.

Down for the Count

Hello friends, over the weekend I hurt my back. I wish I was doing something interesting that would make for a good story but I was leaning over to pick something up and whammo! It hurt. Now I can barely walk or sit or lay down and I'm whining a great deal. For those of you I owe packages to, can we wait to swap until next week? I'll be trying to check my email over the next few days so please drop me a line. I'm a bit of a useless lump at the moment. :(

Rebecca

Paper Love

Have I told you that I love paper? Yeah, I probably have. I have boat loads of the stuff, scrapbook paper, wrapping paper, sheet music, tissue paper, you name it. I know many of you share my love.

I found this at the thrift on Saturday:



It's a complete box of vintage stationary. I can't place the year but the paper is a nice grade and had a bit of a musty smell to it. I sat it outside on the porch for a bit and that cleared that up right away. I have big plans for this paper. I've already started but alas, cannot share yet. It's a simple project that brought me quick satisfaction. Don't you wish all things were like that?

Also this weekend I found the Thrifting Triple Crown: Vintage Table Cloth, Apron and Pyrex. Here's a peek at the table cloth . . .



It's in perfect shape, too. I may be gifting the other two pieces but if my greed wins out, I'll share those with you as well. :) Also coming next week are shots of my lovely aprons made by Leigh Ann! You will love them I promise. Now if I can just nail down Luis to take my picture!

I'm off to Baltimore for a long weekend so I may not be posting until I return. I'll certainly be lurking though. Have a safe and wonderful week my friends!

Rebecca

PS - Sweet Goodness Swap details coming next week!

Revin' Up My Engine

This weekend I will not only finish two of three upcoming swaps but also a rag rug, a knitted project AND clean the entire house. Are you rolling on the floor laughing yet?

Seriously, I am psyching myself up for some serious digging in this weekend and I plan to emerge victorious with a house that smells like lemons and bleach and some swap packages ready to go to the post office! Okay, let's just say I'll be happy to at least complete the major home made portions of those swaps so as to get them in the mail by the end of May. Good goals right? So send me caffeinated jou-jou and I'll be on my way. :)

Aside from Crafty Cleany Fest 2007 I'll have a fun night tonight at the Mets game with Leigh Ann and her DH. It's the first time "the men" are going to meet and they better damn well like each other or else . . . ;) I'm actually not that worried. So as I'm greedy could you also send me some "rain rain go away" jou-jou and some "Mets whoopin' some Yankee tail" jou-jou while you're at it?

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I had the most wonderful surprise when I got home on Wednesday. There was a box for me and inside was this:



Isn't it GORGEOUS?? It's a big one, too. It was a total surprise gifting from Ms. A! How sweet! Thank you so so much. :)

Can you see what's embossed on the cover?



Yep, that's a collie. Just like Sweet Mason. I intend to full fill Ms. A's request that I fill this with wonderful black and white photos of my dear sweet boy. :) Thank you again!

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In swap news, Sweet Goodness Swaps is almost ready to present the next swap. Hop on over for a clue and stay tuned for more details!

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And in drool worthy news, please go HERE and see the most adorable tea towel turned purse that I covet!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Rebecca

And the Thrifty goes to . . .

Guess who's the thrifter of the month??

MOI.

Oh they like me, they really like me!

Craftus Moritorio

Yes, I am now making up faux Latin words. If J.K. Rowling can do it, than so can I. Basically that means NO MORE CRAFT SUPPLIES! * I am just going to use what I have and we'll see what comes of it. I'm pretty well stocked so I'm not that worried.

Saturday was lovely. Leigh Ann and I shopped our little hearts out. Many thrifted and new treasures a like were brought home to our nests. Here is a minimal glimpse:



It doesn't look like much but I was very pleased! Those books were 10 cents each! The poetry book alone was worth the trip. It's a teachers edition from 1953 and has the most darling drawings. I still need to photo a few other things I've found but my camera conveniently died last night. Plus there are a few things that I cannot share as they will end up in some upcoming swaps and I don't want to spoil the fun.

Speaking of swaps, have you signed up for Risa's Tea ParTea Swap? It looks to be a load of fun and again has a theme where you must match items to the letters in PARTEA. :) The sign up deadline is May 19th so get a move on! Go here for details.

And speaking of tea . . . since my gumption this weekend seemed to consist mostly on sitting on the sofa all I really did craft wise was crochet. I made this cute little cozy for a one pot tea pot I found on Saturday:



Cute and easy and it was fun to make it up as I went a long. Of course now I'm on the look out for more little tea pots so I can make up a few of these babies for the shop.

And speaking of the shop . . . (don't you love my smart way of changing the subject??) . . . we have a new Goodness Girl! Dita has joined my sister and I and posted some of her wares for sale. She makes the most delicious candles with soy wax and the best vanilla you have ever smelled. Seriously. And I'm a bit of a candle snob so you can take my word for it. She also makes cute crocheted clutch bags. At this time she does not have a blog but maybe a little encouragement will convince her to start one up. Come on, Dita, you can do it!

That's it for me today. I hope to have some new crafts to share this week now that I've gotten a bit of the coach potato-itis out of my system. I'm off to catch up on everything you guys have been doing.

ta
Rebecca







* you knew there would be an exception didn't you? The only exception is those things found at the thrift store that can be put into imediate use.

TGIF

My work week is over, let the fun begin! Before I get to the sappy stuff (you knew there was some coming didn't you?) let me share the ATC I made for Roxanne:



I had so much fun putting this together. Mounting it on the plaque was Leigh Ann's idea and it worked perfectly! You can see a way better picture of it here at Roxanne's place. It's not very big, maybe 5 X 7 but it has big moxy! Who doesn't love glitter?



You can see here how small my other collage is in comparison. I had a really hard time sending it away but I'm so glad I did. :) (So add to my list of craft dsyfunctionalities: Swap Greed)

I also included some of my new Whimsy Clips:



They are the large size paper clips topped with buttons and other Goodness. I plan to whip up a few more sets for the shop this weekend. I think they turned out so cute! I backed them with regular white buttons dug from my Grandmother's stash.

And now onto the mushy part . . .



My Mom and I have always been friends. I know how lucky I am. I get my craftiness from her and my pack rat gene. I also have her skin which I am eternally grateful for considering the lack of pimples in my life. I speak to her almost every day and invite her on vacation with me. She throws the best parties. I hope when I become a mother my kids will be as fond of me as I am of her. I should be so lucky. :)



Happy Mother's Day, to you Mom and to all of the other cherished Mothers out there.


Rebecca

Getting my ducks in a row . . .

You know all my whinging about never getting anything done lately? Well it's in part because I was working on mass producing crocheted ducks and cupcakes for a whole sale order:



Basically I was paid for my crocheting time and the supplies and it was an interesting challenge to see how I would do at having to create multiples. I learned I could crochet one side of a duck and start the second side during my subway ride to work in the morning. I also learned that making cupcakes is way more interesting than ducks and that I stink at tying bows. All in all a good experience but would I do it again? I'm not sure. I certainly perfected these two patterns and I suppose I could be prompted to do so again for a craft show or a charity event. However, I'm glad it's finished so I can get down to business on the next thing on my mile long to do list.

I started a crocheted bath set like the one I made for Peta in the Pink and Brown swap. You can see it here on Peta's blog. It will be for my boss' birthday which is next Wednesday. I should be able to finish in time. It's tough coming up with something home made for her twice a year but she really likes it so I do what I must. I also haven't done and inch on my afghan or even touched the dollhouse. Though I did buy paint for it. I guess that is a start. Once the bath set is complete, I've done 10 inches on the afghan and at least painted part of the dollhouse I think I'm getting the knitting needles out. It's been awhile and as I can't seem to sew any stuffies I'll have to resort to knitting them.

Aside from crafting I am hoping to do more baking.


*note - that is not actually me doing the sifting, it's Katie from An Odd Duck. You see while I personally want to do more baking I also will recruit unknowing others into the mix. (pun pun pun)

As I'm on a diet (I know, I know AGAIN) I am hoping to find desserts that fit into my daily point allowance so I don't have deny myself that little something sweet once in awhile. The photo you about to see does not contain one of these diet recipes, this one is full on calories:



That, in all it's messy glory, would be Martha's Stout Bread from the Holiday Gifts special issue of MS Living last year. (I searched her website but no luck in finding the recipe. If you're really interested in bread made with dark beer get in touch, I'll give you the scoop.) I'm a little late at trying these but as I happened to have all of the ingredients, including the Guinness, it was worth a try. And I HAD been saving those empty cans since like November. It was rather tasty and the only thing I would do differently next time is to split the batter between six cans instead of four as reccomended in the recipe. You do get a nice round loaf that pops right out and I enjoyed mine with pumpkin butter from Trader Joe's. Yes, I have my seasons all mixed up, I know. It totally put me in a holiday mood.

And speaking of, I am thinking of instituting a challenge come September 1st. How about some early winter holiday crafting? I'm always saying I should get going early so why not try? Maybe you'll join me on the band wagon? I did happen to recently purchase a Christmas gift for a friend from this very talented lady just last week so technically I've already started. One thing down, 80 million more to go. Or so it feels . . .

And in reality, another challenge to myself and all of you out there who have been grumbling about not feeling focused. Somewhere in blog land last year there was a whole month of "use what you have" for crafting. I say we give it a try again! Lord knows I have enough stuff to support several crafters plus all the miscellaneous cans of stuff in my pantry that are waiting to be used for meals. So let's have it, shall we? I'd love to see some creative creations both crafty and foody coming from your already possessed goods. Up to the challenge?? Well it doesn't start until Sunday because I'm going shopping with Leigh Ann on Saturday. :)

cheers!

RR

Wanna Swap Me For It?

As you know, I have MAJOR swap angst at any given time. Right now I am sweating over three personal swaps with three very established creative ladies, Vallen, Jen and Natasha.

I. AM. FREAKING. OUT.

No seriously, I am so nervous my swappy prowess won't match up or, swap god forbid it, I'm LATE in sending my package out OR, EVEN WORSE, I have no clue what to make. So why do I do it? Aside from the obvious adoration I share for the creative wonders that come from these three bloggers and many others, I love the push it gives me to create something with someone specific in mind. Each of my personal swaps (and these are my first, in truth) is very exciting and challenging in a good way. I can't wait to show you what I create for my new friends! I just hope they like it. ;) (angst, angst, angst)

Another great part of swapping is when you open your partners package and see what they put together with you in mind. I just received this package from Roxanne who was my buddy in Vallen's mounted ATC swap. Girl, you spoiled me!



Not only did I get a fabulous ATC, she also included chocolate (yum . . . what diet?), a tiny pin cushion (I love all things tiny AND cushiony), a measuring tape (this is going in my purse for when I need to measure sheets at the thrift - ahem, L.A.), ball fringe (who doesn't love this??), tiny paper file folders (favorite spring color combo), a green trivet (is this thrifted? Now you know I love thrifted!) and a scrap of the fabric that inspired her ATC. I thought it was so clever to include that, I enjoyed knowing what sparked the idea behind this:



The ATC is actually tacked to the cork board and can be removed (as if I would do that!). The little fabric thumb tacks are so cute! Roxanne shared the link to the tutorial, you can find it here.

I really enjoyed making Roxanne's ATC, too. The mounting was a fun challenge and thanks to Leigh Ann I was able to make something a bit more unique than what I originally had in mind. She actually pointed out two things that I could use for mounting both of which I snatched up for a song at the thrift. Here is the frame I didn't use for Roxanne's ATC with it's own little bit of art inside:



Sorry about that glare, this is some shiny Modge Podge. Do they make it in matte? I'll have to check. Anyway, it was fun making this little collage (it's even smaller than an ATC) and I think a new craft has been born for me. Look out!

Want to see the one I made for Roxanne? Well check back later in the week, I don't want to spoil the surprise.

cheers
RR

Thrift Adventure

Saturday was a perfect day. I got up crack of dawn early and headed over to The Odd Duck's nest to pick up Katie for our trip out to The Pink Kitchen. Meeting Leigh Ann was like when you meet your first ever friend who is just like you. She likes the things I like. She does the things I do. I followed her around the thrift store yammering like a monkey all day long. It was bliss. :)

We started off with a yummy breakfast of delicious coffee and an apple crumb loaf in, you guessed it, the PINK kitchen. It is way cuter in person if that's even possible.



We were joined by Susan, another thrifter from down the street. Susan had emailed me a bit and when I found out she lived near Leigh Ann I got the two of them together. Turned out she lived right across street! Small world strikes again. After an hour or so of chatter we went to a few thrifts before stopping for lunch at a Tea Shop.



After sipping some delicious Earl Grey we headed to two more thrift shops! Before I knew it, it was almost 5:00 pm and we sat down for coffee at 8:30 am! Such a wonderful day with some lovely ladies. Oh and the thrifting . . .



Just a few goodies to share though I cleaned up in a big way! That little blue Delft "vomiting cow" (ha ha Leigh Ann!) is one of my favorite finds of the day. The doily pot holder is backed with quilted rose patterned fabric and is Laura Ashley. I may steal that idea. The fabric was my favorite from about 6 other pieces of strawberry themed pieces. Leigh Ann snagged some as well. Oh and those yellow things? More to come on that . . .

Another favorite find . .



A large gold Mele jewelry box with . . .



a ballerina! Usually the ballerina is long gone by the time these make it to the thrift shop. The music box still works as well. Score!

All in all a perfect day! Stay tuned for more "Odd Pink Goodness" adventures. :)

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And speaking of Goodness . . . Lucy and I have asked Leigh Ann to join us over at Sweet Goodness Swaps! We could certainly use an extra hand after the popularity of the Spring Fling Swap. We plan to announce the next swap soon so keeps your ears open!

Tomorrow I'll share my ATC swap package (set up by her Highness, the venerable Vallen) I received from Roxanne today. It's too cute. She really went all out! I hope to get hers in the mail today and that it measures up to her great swapping prowess. Roxanne was a bit early and I totally have some kind of post office bad luck jinx curse something or other going on lately. Please do some good blogger jou-jou dances for me that I can get there today before they close the doors! It's zero tolerance for people showing up at 5:01 pm in that joint. :)

xoxoxo
Rebecca

Anxiety

I've not been much of a blogger this week and I'm here to say I won't be back again until next week with what I hope are slightly stimulating posts. I'm having major anxiety at the moment about not getting things done. I know you have all been there. I just hate it when it's anxiety over things I am supposed to enjoy. It sort of takes the fun out of things.

On a brighter note, I'm taking a mini trip out of the Queens this weekend to visit The Pink Kitchen. I know you are jealous. Katie is going, too. Leigh Ann is taking us to all of her favorite thrifty spots and making reservations at a tea shop! Can you tell I'm excited? So if you are waiting on a package from me, be it Etsy, a swap or anything else, I'll be making a pilgrimage to the Bryant Park P.O. on Monday. :)

And since I hate writing a post with no pictures . . .



Rag rugs are coming . . . you have been warned.

Have a wonderful weekend friends . . .

rebecca

Nesting

I've been wanting to try this idea for some time. Tea cups are such a great vessel for many things. You've seen my tea cup pin cushions and many of you have made tea cup candles. (Speaking of, yummy soy tea cup candles coming to The Goodness Shop soon by a new contributor, Dita!) So why not tea cup bird nests?

CHANCE NEST



I believe a project like this might be called mixed media? I have no clue.



I picked up some of the glitter from the new Martha Stewart line at Michaels to glitter the cardinal. It's about $5 for the jar but it's fine grade and will last quite a while I think. The game pieces are from vintage games I've picked up here and there and the sheet music was stiffened and glittered to give it more substance. The rhinestone button is from my Grandmothers collection.



I made this for my dear friend Nine who has a cloche in her living room and wanted something new to display under it. I plan to make one with a beach theme for myself and then maybe one for the shop.

Speaking of the shop, I finally added the Goodness Paper Packs!



What's inside? Click on the picture or this link to find out! And aren't those file folders the cutest? It might even make filing fun but I doubt it. Also added to the shop, a mini collage box. It's a bargain and there is only one!

These are some new things I thought I would try. I have so many supplies that I figured I can't buy any more until I sell a few things that I have. Logical? Who knows . . .

Until the next . .

RR

Needy

Okay, I wasn't going to post today for lack of any thing interesting to say. So instead I stole this Meme from Jenn at The Felt Mouse. :) Still may not be that interesting but it sure cracked me up on a lousy Monday.

Go to Google and write your name and the word ‘needs’, in quotes — as in “Rebecca needs.” Find the first 10 "logical" sentences that come up and make your comments after. Here’s what I got:

Rebecca needs enlightenment! (oh yes, don't we all?)

Rebecca needs just one good, meaty, dramatic role, and the chances of her skyrocketing into fame will increase tenfold (oh yes, I'm ready for my close up!)

Rebecca needs to vent. (always, about everything that bugs me. EVERYTHING)

Rebecca needs to go back to the drawing board. (very sage advice, perhaps I've missed my calling as a contestant on the now defunct Win, Lose or Draw.)

Rebecca needs to have a serious think about her job. (I really do as it's rather boring me to death these days.)

Rebecca needs a French or Spanish companion (well Luis is a Spanish companion so I must be in need of a French one . . . oh Henri? Pierre? veuillez venir ici . . .)

Rebecca needs your help to win Miss Student 2006! (yes! please please vote for me! The thing I want most in life? World Peace, of course! Pick me! Pick me!)

Rebecca needs to become involved with someone who feels the same way about her and not waste time with trying to be Jackie's rebound girl. (Yes Jackie, stop trying to hang around me OKAY?)

Rebecca needs to get cut. She is a horrible singer, she doesn't even breathe correctly. (Oh yeah? You just wait until I'm Miss Student 2006 and we'll see who's laughing then, won't we SIMON?)

Rebecca needs to be encouraged to think and read between the lines. (Please, someone encourage me to think. I so hate doing it . . . maybe once I get enlightened . . .)

Please join in, I promise it's at least a solid 15 minutes of fun. And by the way, I tried "Becky needs" and the first thing that comes up with rather scary . . . yikes. A cactus??

Tomorrow, a bird in a nest, paper packs and more ramblings about whatever comes to mind.

cheers
Rebecca

Whimsy

How funny that on the day I tell you I'm taking a mini blogging break that I feel the need to write not one but TWO posts. That's the way the cookie crumbles I suppose. I chatted with my dear old friend Kate today about selling my house. She's a real estate agent and offered some wonderful advice. I haven't talked to her much since my wedding and today I started thinking back to when we were roomies 6 or 7 years ago.

When I lived with Kate we shared a merry old life. We both had jobs we cared little for but that paid that bills. Kate worked a few nights in the corner bar where we met and every Wednesday could be counted on for cheap beer and pool among friends.

We dubbed our apartment Disgraceland and had an annual Christmas Party that was legendary and Kate still carries on today. We had a rooftop deck and central air. Pure bliss in the hot Baltimore summers. We bought a used Super Nintendo off of EBay and soon established "Sunday Con Queso" which consisted of pizza, gin and tonics and hours of Donkey Kong and Mario Brothers. We lived it up like 12 year old boys.

We had loads of boyfriends and fell in and out of love on a daily basis. We soothed each others broken hearts with dancing and wailing love songs at the top of our lungs. We made dinner together and hung out in each others rooms "just because." We had inside jokes that no one ever got and probably still doesn't to this day. We danced around the kitchen wearing pot lids as hats. I can't say enough about all the fun that was had there.

I moved into my own apartment after two years when my Dad offered me a deal I couldn't turn down on a place of my own. It was odd, at first, living alone when I never had before in my life. Kate was a frequent visitor and I still remember the first night I was moved in, she came over and we made lasagna roll ups, drank beer out of a can and called the radio station to request our favorite songs. She even gave me her old couches. After a year I dropped a bomb and moved to New York City. I've been homesick ever since but my life is good here. I got a job right away working for the company I still work for today and was lucky enough to be seated across from Luis, the man who became my husband.

But I still miss home, and Kate. Last night Luis came him with the new Nintendo Wii. He brought me a Mario Brothers game and when the music came on I thought of Kate and our quaint two bedroom apartment on Lombard Street with the cracked walls and the noisy downstairs neighbors and got weepy. I also had the strangest craving for a gin and tonic. :)



Miss you buddy!

I won't be posting again until Monday so have a wonderful weekend and dream fondly of friends and home.

Rebecca

((HUGS)) from Mason

THANK YOU for all of your thoughts and prayers for my "wee" pup Mason. When we got home and took him outside he did some business he hadn't done in a few days (ahem) and when we called the vet he said to observe him for a few days and to give him some maple syrup for digestion. If he is still acting sick in two days we are to call them back. Mason is a nervous guy, he paces and hardly sleeps when he's upset. (Mr. Softee and the garbage men being his two biggest worries.) From the beginning the vet said that Collies were prone to nervous stomachs and stress colitis. Yeesh. So anyway, thank you for all of your kind comments, he's truly a wonderful dog. Hopefully his tummy trouble is over.

Now onto my chaotic life. I'm feeling a bit (very) disorganized these days. So I won't be posting daily for awhile. One reason is that I feel like I haven't had time to do more than breeze by my favorite blogs and I really want to get caught up on all the goings on out there. Another is that I still have those piles of STUFF in my dining room. It looks like a rummage sale and even Luis, who hardly ever complains about clutter, asked me when it was getting out away. Hmphff.


sorry about that glare . . . I didn't notice it on the tiny camera screen. :(

tray - $2 - probably not vintage but still has a nice "beaten" look to it. Plus it's French and don't we love all things French?

tea cups - 49 cents each - these are tiny, demitasse I believe is the right word, and I thought they would make super cute little pin cushions. Perhaps with a bit of velvet? I'll be off to the fabric store this weekend! (you know, when I'm done cleaning . . .)

Pyrex bowl - $1 - I'm a sucker for Pyrex but you knew that didn't you?

ladle - $2 - it's in perfect shape, don't you think?

glass mortar & pestle - $2 - I always want these, I already have 2, but I don't use them. Must be a collection then!



I won't go into detail here. All treasures from the last few weeks. They are sitting on my dessert display stand that is still out from Easter. I got the stand at a store in Cold Spring that was closing and selling everything. It was a rusted and an odd green color so I gave it a coat of paint and I've gotten tons of use out of it. I also bought a bench from that store that I am planning to repaint and recover. I hope to share that soon.

Well wish me a lot of organizing and crafting this weekend. I'll have to sandwich it in between playing tennis and baseball on our new Wii. :)

I'll be seeing you . . .
RR