Lucky Girl

I have loads of swap stuff to share. I've been so lucky to have such wonderful swap partners! So without further ado . . .

I did a swap with Lucy, one of my best blogging buddies. She and I discovered each other when we first started blogging and have stuck together like glue.



Look at all that! Lucy is so kind and generous. You can see one of her hand painted trays, an altered clipboard note pad holder (I needed this! It's already hanging in my kitchen with my grocery list on it.), a sweet mushroom ornament, an altered box to hold all my tiny treasures, a small plate with a wine motif, an altered can that is currently in my craft room holding buttons, a sachet, note cars and a Halloween tea towel!



These goodies were inside the box and the pumpkin candles were wrapped in the Halloween towel. But the best part of the package was one of Lucy's famous collages:



It makes me cry when I see it. It says "friends" "a rare find" and "in perfect harmony." :) Thank you so so much my dear sweet friend. :) I feel the same way.

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I also received my Halloween package from Breanna for our sister swap. I was totally not thinking and didn't take a picture of it before I tore into it.



Breanna told me she buys box lots from a local auction house and she sent me some of her finds! There is a sheet music magazine that I will never be able to bring myself to cut up, a vintage crocheted handbag pattern book that has some really cool bags in it and a copy of a play called "The Haunted House." She wrapped it all in those lovely orange fabrics and do you see that pendant there?



I tried so hard to get a decent picture to show you but I just couldn't do it. It it so sweet and perfect and I love it! Oh and there WAS candy. Yes, there WAS. Ahem. Anyway, thank you, Breanna! You can see what I sent Breanna here. She also shows you what she sent me and her pictures are WAY better than mine. :)

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And since I last posted I've opened FOUR more of Sid's 13 days to Halloween surprises!



When I saw this paper doll on Sid's blog I was really hoping she was coming my way! She's even more sweet in person and is two sided!



And this was number three, how much do I love the honeycomb pumpkin and little chenille stem pumpkin man?? And that jack o lantern field guide? Too cute. Sid talks more about where she got the downloads to make the paper crafts here. The candy was in a sweet Halloween cracker. I ate the candy and saved the cracker. :)

Like a dolt I forgot to take a picture of the tiny matchbox Sid sent as my Day 4 gift. Fortunately you can see it and read about the good luck that comes of keeping an "ort box" in your home here.

And what did I get today??



A sweet little wristlet bag with knitting and crocheting statch markers! It's been so much fun to open a gift a day and Sid is a wonderful partner. I feel so lucky!

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Tomorrow, some fun finds from the weekend and later this week . . . why snow men shouldn't wear pajamas.

hugs
R

Sweet, Sinister and Thrifty!

I'm sure you've been wondering why I haven't yet posted about what I received for Artsy Mama's Sweet and Sinister swap, right? Well my SINISTER partner Sid sent an envelope that said "Do not open until October 19th!" Argh! It was really really hard not to go through that box. So I locked it in the closet at work and waited (un)patiently for today to arrive.

Behold the letter . . .



So I have a treat to open every night until Halloween!! AND she's doing a special post for my 13th magical treat. :) How clever! And you should see how cute and enticing everything is!



Seriously, how am I supposed to resist!?! I had to pack it all back up so I couldn't see it but it's calling to me from the bag . . . sigh . . .

However, as today is the FIRST DAY of the Thirteen Days of Halloween Goodness . . .



I have my first sweet little gift to open! What ever could it be???



Why a wonderful black, white and glittery banner that says "Sweet and Sinister!" I couldn't photograph the whole thing as it's so long! I love it and it will hang on my porch for Halloween and then find it a permanent home up in the craft room.

Thank you Sid! What a fun package, I can't wait to see the rest of the treats! :) This gives me a great idea for a "count down" swap on Sweet Goodness perhaps? It really is fun to have a goodie a day. :)

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So I'm thrifting tomorrow with Joolz and Lizzy before we start the search for J's bridesmaid dresses. I did a little thrifting in Charm City last weekend and boy I got a lot! I picked up some books including the new Harry Potter for $1. It looks like it was never even read. Can you imagine? ;) Also found a nice duvet originally from Ikea and all that milk glass I showed you at the bridal shower. It was also a good day for linens:



As you know I love those linen tea towels and always scoop them right up. The one on the bottom left will be nice for Thanksgiving and I love the one in the bottom center with the pink and brown houses on it. The red Christmas tea towel is also linen and in perfect shape. ON the top you can see a cute veggie napkin, an adorable crib pillow case and a tortilla warmer from Puerto Vallarta. (Yes Vallen, I know you want it. :) )

And as I know some of you really need to see those kitties up close . . .



I know, sugar sweet. :) Now what to do with it?

Have a fun and fab weekend friends!

xoxoxoxo
RR

Crafty McBoo

So this is about the easiest Halloween craft ever made. I know I saw these in Martha and various other places so I'm not sure who gets the credit but they are easy and quick and oh so cute.



Halloween "crackers." These don't actually crack but you can go here and order supplies to make the real thing. So mine are filled with miniature candy bars which are in abundance at this time of year. Most of them are toilet paper rolls but I did resort to cutting up a wrapping paper roll when I couldn't justify unrolling brand new TP. ;)

The tissue they are wrapped in is from the Martha collection at Michael's. When I bought it a few weeks ago it was $5 for like 12 pieces. I just picked up a second box on sale for $3 to save for next year. It's the perfect size, no cutting needed! I just stuffed the tube, rolled it in the tissue, taped it shut and tied the ends with ribbon.



Then I printed out vintage images I purchased at the Vintage Workshop and attached them over the tissue seam. Voila! Cute, easy and seriously hard to give away. :) These would be great as party favors, too. I think I'll do them at Easter for our Sunday dinner. With bunnies and chicks, of course. :)

So now that I've got THAT out my system, what's next?



Christmas fabric projects! Bring out the pinking shears!

cheers,
Rebecca

Happily Ever After

My sister Mandi's bridal shower was a huge success! I think everyone had a lovely time, especially the bride. :) This is a picture heavy post and I hope you enjoy! We did a "Happily Ever After" theme in Cinderella colors of pale blue, white, silver and black. My mother made the gorgeous wreath above.



I made Mandi a banner that we hung over the main table.



We decorated with white pumpkins and black leaves on cake stands and lots of silver serving dishes.



We even used "fancy" paper goods including plastic cutlery that looks like real silver flat ware! All that white milk glass was a really lucky thrift store find on Friday morning. Oh and check out the cute rings tied to the napkins . . .



My cousin Lisa made this gorgeous cake:



It's based on this cake from Martha Stewart Weddings. Isn't it amazing?

The favors were Italian inspired:



The boxes are called Italian favor boxes and inside are the traditional five Jordan almonds. In traditional Italian weddings, five almonds signify five wishes for the bride and groom: health, wealth, happiness, fertility, and longevity.

Speaking of tradition, in 1970 my great-grandmother Mary Fiore made a shower umbrella to use for my Aunt Pam's bridal shower. That umbrella has now been used for every family and close friends shower ever since.

We decorated Mandi's umbrella with blue bows, blue tissue flowers and a glass star to wish upon. :) You can see a better picture here. Blogger wouldn't let me upload this one for some reason.

We also left this little guy on Mandi's chair:

He was one of my favorite decorative elements!

And just to show you that craftiness runs in the family, this chest was made by my Dad:

Isn't it wonderful? Instead of the traditional bridal shower wishing well we decided to have a "Princess Dowry" and ask each guest to bring a little something for Mandi's treasure chest.

And here is the bride to be checking out her booty!

Congratulations Mandi! Ryan is one lucky guy.

Cheers,

Rebecca

Thrifty Kismet

I mentioned earlier in the week that I had some thrifty good luck this past weekend. Remember my china? Well on Saturday I headed back to Savers as I had to hit the grocery store and they are (sort of) near by. I was very glad I did because look what was waiting for me:



That would be 12 dessert plates, 11 soup bowls and the creamer and sugar in the Mikasa Atlanta pattern I bought two weeks ago! I am on my way to a complete set. At this point I'm one soup bowl, 8 fingertip bowls and 4 cups and saucers short of a service for 12. I have spent around $45 total. I love that the sugar bowl is large and the creamer decorative.

Also, back in June I mentioned my search for Culver LTD bar ware and low and behold . . .



See it there on the left? An ice bucket and three rocks glasses. I would love to find one more glass to have a set of 4. I do have a large glass in this same pattern as well. Also netted on Saturday - United States puzzle still sealed (I had one as a child) for 99 cents, a holiday oven mitt with tags for $2 and a box of zippers for 99 cents. The paper mache wise man ornament and red berry candle ring were in a bag of junk I bought for $2. I picked it up because it had a wicker cornucopia in it and was pleasantly surprised to find these two goodies in there as well.

I'm off to Charm City tonight to start the preparations for my sister's bridal shower on Saturday. We have loads to do but I think I can convince my thrifty mom to make a thrifty stop at some point. Wish me luck!

cheers . . . Rebecca

Aware

Elena Fiore Boatwright, Helen* to her friends and family, battled breast cancer. So did her older sister Gloria. They lived at a time where women didn't get regular mammograms or know about self checks. We are more fortunate than that.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States. Click here for free information on breast cancer and help spread the awareness.

Thank you Tamy for getting me involved.

* Helen is my maternal Grandmother. We didn't know her name wasn't Helen until she passed away and my mother found her birth certificate. The man is the photo is my grandfather, Wes. They are missed.

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In sewing news . . . . yes, you heard that right. Sewing! Me! I promised myself I would get on the wagon in September and work on my sewing. So many of you amaze me everyday with your wonderful projects that I was inspired to try.

I started small with these sleep masks:



Now don't look too closely or you'll see how uneven my stitching is but it's a start!

The project is from this book:



I already adore it. There are lots of fun projects for novices like me and some larger things to work up to. My next project to try will be those bags on the bottom right there. I happen to have some round bamboo handles already. Wish me luck!

cheers
Rebecca

Spooktacular

I have some fun Halloweeny goodies in The Goodness Shop!



Crocheted Candy Corn Treat Bags. I just love these! I was able to make most of them on the subway since it's a pattern I can remember. I think they came out so cute. And see my cool pumpkin? He's the old school plastic kind like I had as a kid. I found him at Savers on Saturday. :)



Black Pumpkin Paper Rosettes. I love making rosettes. I can make them in front of the TV so they have a special place in my heart. Made from sheet music, crepe paper and card stock.

I also added a few other non-Halloween items like this basket pincushion:



Cute flower topped pin made by Robin at Robin Bird's Nest.

And a few tea cup pot holders:



Sweet flower appliques were a swap gift from Dana!

It was nice to feel productive! I am hoping to keep the shop updated more often now and maybe actually sell a few things LOL. I've enjoyed trying to come up with new things to make and I have a serious ache in my arm from patting myself on the back over those treat bags. I don't know why, they just thrill me. :)

I'm approaching 200 posts and will have a giveaway contest. I still have 9 more to go so stay tuned! Later this week I'll share some thrifty good fortune, some Mystic pictures, a Halloween craft and a Breast Cancer Awareness post. Looks like I'll be at 200 before you know it.

ciao . .
R

You Rock!

As I mentioned I was so lucky to be nominated as a Rockin' Girl Blogger by Hunny Bunny! Now it's my turn to return some of the love.




1 - Sweet Repeats - girl, what would I do without you? We've been bloggy buddies from the very beginning and it's so nice to have made such a wonderful friend.

2 - The Polkadot Pixie - I LOVE Jenny's paper clay/mache sculptures. LOVE THEM. She was so kind to trade me some wonderful Santas for a set of cherry dishes. I'll be posting about them soon! Also, I am lucky that this sweet girl lives on a shelf in my craft room. :) Can't wait to add another piece to my growing collection. :)

3 - Monkey Box - Shara is nice and funny and a wonderful writer! If you haven't read the story about "the creepy guy" you simply must.


4 - Jungle Dream Pagoda - Lisa -Gabrielle has a wicked sense of fashion and a collection of vintage clothing to die for. She does a monthly post on vintage clothing and you can read September's post here.

5 - T-Cozy - Susan is a wonderful blogger, she takes you on a journey with every post. She is a gracious hostess and an inspiration. If you get a chance to travel to Connecticut you must visit T Party. YOU. MUST.

So rock on ladies, I look forward to reading each and every one of you for a long time. It was hard to choose just 5 so please take a moment and check out my friends on the side bar. I promise you an adventure in every one.

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Now some thrifty finds from a trip out on Long Island with my good friend Joolz. (who's blog is sadly out of a date so I won't even link to it, JULIE.) Ahem.



The lemon lime pitcher is Pyrex. I've never seen this before, is anyone familiar with it? Are there other pieces? It's way cute. Another vintage frame, some yummy crochet cotton and a few more of the little lotus bowls I seem to all of a sudden collect. The "Wee Me" baby book looks vintage but is in really good shape so I think it's a reproduction. I adore the Asian inspired linens and aren't those tiny salt and pepper shakers the cutest?



On the day we thrifted the Christmas stuff was half price so after explaining to the lady that yes, just because the tree skirt doesn't SAY Christmas that it is indeed a CHRISTMAS TREE skirt she rang it up at $2.00. Of course then she had to call over the manager to ask about the cake plate which does say Christmas right on the box. I would have paid $5 for it but did get it for a rockin' $2.50. It's so cute and colorful.

I'm not sure if I'll get any thrifting in this weekend as Luis and I are on a mission to buy an entertainment center. Wish me luck as he and I have much different ideas of what passes as "nice" furniture

xoxoxo
Rebecca

Sweet & Sinister Swap

I joined the Sweet & Sinister Swap hosted by Artsy Mama and I am so glad I did! I had a fabulous partner and absolutely NO swap angst what so ever. This was such a fun swap to put together and that's mainly because Sid, my fabulous partner, is so kind and warm and open that it was a joy to create for her.

As Sid has received her package from me I thought I would share what I sent.



Look! I sewed something. The doll on the right is Betty Boo and I made her AND her clothes all by myself. She is a sweet Halloween poppet and I think she came out pretty good even though her head is a little flat. ;) The bag on the left is knit with Patons Brilliant and filled with goodies.



Inside the Black Magic Bag are two mini "Books of Wisdom" - Arthurian Wisdom and Celtic Wisdom both of which are things Sid mentioned she likes. Also included are some fun Halloween themed cocktail umbrellas and a package of vintage Halloween cupcake picks.



I found these great flocked masks at the dollar store! I added a little glitter, some ribbon and some feathers and leaves.



There are so many great Halloween decorations out there that it was tough to choose! I included a fun Jersey Devil post card, a black hobnail "cauldron" candle holder with a vanilla cupcake scented Yankee candle, paper broom ornament, glittery "beware" sign and a fun marabou bat wearing a glittered mask.



And finally a fun paper rosette pin for Sid to wear on Halloween when she is teaching. This came out very well, I think I'll make a few more for the shop perhaps?



This was a great swap and I just can't wait for Sid's package to arrive. It's winging it's way to me as we speak! You can check out the other swap goodies at this Flickr group site.

Getting ready for Halloween . . . . Re"boo"cca

Fabulous Fun & Fantastic Finds

I'm back! We had a wonderful weekend get away to Mystic, CT and I have much to share. One of the big highlights of the trip was getting to meet Susan at T Party!



She is just as wonderful as I knew she would be and our tea was delicious! We had the fall tea and I just fell in love with Vintage Rose. Yum. T Party is lovely and charming.



Don't you love those chairs? You can read about my visit here at Susan's blog. Susan, thank you again for the wonderful hospitality and all your great suggestions for our trip!

Another highlight of thispast weekend was of course the Elephant's Trunk Flea Market. Since we first read about this flea in Country Living I was worried that it might be a lot of pricey antiques but I was very happy with the offerings and my finds. So in true Country Living fashion, here is my run down:



Atlantic City Pennant - 50 cents

Columbia Pennant - $3.00

Bronx Zoo Pennant - $5.00

(These are to decorate Luis' office.)



Vintage Powder Tins - 50 cents

(I bought the one on the left for 50 cents and then the lady said she had another but had lost the top and didn't want to sell it and said I could have it.)



Vintage Carded Buttons - $5.00 for 5 cards (we saw many buttons for $6 to $10 a card!)

Strawberry Pin Cushion - $1.00

Flower Pin - $1.00

Religious Medallion - $1.00



Book of Sheet Music - 50 cents

Vintage Knitting Sweater Pamphlet - $1.00

Vintage Hankies - $2.00 for 2

Victorian Postcards - $3.00 for 3

GRAND TOTAL - $23.50 (not including the giant bag of kettle corn enjoyed by all)

Just looking again at my treasures makes me want to head back out to the flea market right away! Too bad it's 90 minutes away and will have to be an occasional trip. :)

More from Mystic to come and guess what? I'm a Rockin' Girl Blogger! Woo hoo!



Can you believe it? Thanks to Hunny Bunny Knits! I am so flattered and will be posting my nominees for Rockin' Girl Blogger this week. Thanks again!

xoxoxo
Rebecca