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

Sweet Mason

I'm off to the vet to find out what's been troubling my big sweet boy, Mason:



The vet thinks he may have swallowed something that is blocking his intestines. :(

Mason will be three next week. He was the cutest puppy with great big paws:



He weighed more at 3 months old than our little dog weighs full grown.

So please cross your fingers that it's just a little tummy trouble and nothing too serious and that he'll be back on the sofa with his best fuzzy friend soon.



RR

Too much thrifting??

Is there such a thing? After last weekend I could possibly be THRIFTED OUT. Well at least for a week or two. ;) I think part of it is that my dining room table is piled with the spoils of three thrift stores and numerous yard sales and I can't make heads or tails of what I have. I'm starting to a mass a collection of items for an EBay store and an actual brick and mortar store that I hope to realize in the next year. It's a long shot and I won't go on about it until I have more news to share but we are hoping to make The Goodness Shop a reality.

Now about that pile . . .




Vera Scarves - (on the bottom) - my Mom scored these so I'm unsure of the price but she only pays a certain amount for things so I know it was a good one. The pink one with flowers (on the right) is my favorite and has a sticky spot from an old tag which I hope to be able to remove. Does Oxi Clean take out sticky stuff? I use Goo Gone to remove sticky tags from household items but I'm not sure about using it on fabric. (And if you don't have some and frequent a thrift store where they stick big white tags on EVERYTHING you must get yourself some Goo Gone, it's the best!)

mini pot holders - 45 cents - these are tiny, maybe 3 1/2 inches across and are that lovely light terry cloth of many 70s kitchen accessories.

mousie - 50 cents - isn't he the CUTEST? I just love him. I'm not much for porcelain animal figures but I couldn't resist his big ears. I think I'll give him a little bow around his neck.

wooden house chest of drawers - $2 - I've always wanted something like this for "doo dads" and this one is well made. The drawers are lined in velvet and the roof lifts up for an extra hidey-hole space. Oh the stuff I can put in here!

wooden house box - 50 cents - this is just a tiny box and I think it's hand painted. Not sure what I'll do with it, it was sort a of "wooden house" kind of day.



rose shaped "bundt" cake pan - $3 - this is a nice heavy enamel on cast iron version and I think I'll put it to some use this weekend. Any suggestions for cake recipes??

milk bottles - $3 each - this was a bit much for these but it was the first yard sale I hit that day and I do really like them . . . I think I will fill them with sea glass I find at the Rockaways.

tea cups - $4.50 each - yes, a lot for the thrift but do I need to go into my love for these AGAIN? :)

Believe me, there's a ton more but I have decided not to bore you with the menial thrifts. I found a few sheets to add to my rag rugs (which I hope to have up in my shop next week), a chenille bed spread I cut up for a custom tea cup pin cushion order



(expect to see all kinds of crap made out of that bed spread - I'm open to your ideas!! Drop me a line!) and a load of paper items that I hinted to yesterday. Next week is going to be big for The Goodness Shop!

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SPRING FLING SWAP

I have only heard from one person who has not heard from their Spring Fling Swap partner. Anyone else out there? Check out a few swaps already received HERE, HERE and HERE. Everything I have seen so far is lovely! Are you ready for the next swap? Hmmm?

Cheers!
RR

Spring Swap Goodness!

Someone call Dionne Warwick, Jenn needs to be her Psychic Friend! I received my Spring Fling Swap package today and all I can say is WOW! Jenn did an awesome job and even though we just "met" it's like she KNOWS ME.



First, how totally cute are the little cards she made for each letter? They are destined for my inspiration board for sure. So what's in the cute little packages?



S - sewing book - YES! One of Jenn's wonderful sewing books. I love it and it was made just for me. You can get one for yourself here. I love it!



So cute!

P - post card - this is thrifted and has the most wonderful little poem on it. How did Jenn know that this past week I went to an antique mall to specifically buy old postcards?? More about that later this week.

R - rick rack! You can never have too much and I use it often. :)

I - inchworm illustration - Jenn drew this! Isn't it wonderful?



It's water color I believe (correct me if I'm wrong, Jenn!) and I love LOVE it. I totally think Jenn should put these in her shop. I might need a collection. :) By the way, Jenn's husband Josh is also an amazing artist! See his pictures of "Big Ed" here.

N - napkins & New Jersey - the napkins are too cute and embroidered which is right up my alley. The New Jersey charm is enamel and pink:



How perfect? In the letter she included Jenn said her husband picked it out and thought it would be funny to include it. Well, I'll have you know that I have THREE charm bracelets and often haunt EBay in search of enamel charms! Oh, and I was on vacation last week IN NEW JERSEY. Spooky, huh?

G - gingham and guest towel which can both be seen in the picture at the beginning. Such darling lace on the towel. :)

Thank you again Jenn, I have truly been spoiled! Today is the last day to get your swaps in your mail. If you feel you are going to miss the deadline please email your partner and copy sgswaps@hotmail .com.

So my vacation was nice, too short of course, but nice still. We were crazy yard "sailing" women on Saturday and I even visited an antique mall in Jersey on Thursday. I'll share my finds and my plans for some yummy paper packs to be offered in The Goodness Shop next week. Here's a sneak peek of some of the paper to be included:



I'm off to hunt down some more of the Spring Fling Swappers! Next swap to be announced at the end of May!

Cheers!
RR

Comfort Food

This rain makes me want to eat. (Most weather makes me want to eat except maybe extreme heat . . . hmm . . .)



It was a weekend of soups in my house. This is the curried leek soup I mentioned on Thursday. It might be my new favorite food. Seriously, it's YUM. I added extra curry powder and was glad I did.

I also made Italian Meatball Soup in the crock pot:



I've been eating a whole lot of spinach on my new diet. I didn't even lose an ounce in the first week but I guess I did cheat a bit. I need to have more willpower! This soup is my own recipe. I'll post the recipe soon as I can't really remember exact measurements as I sort of went by taste. :) It was very yummy to come home to after my long morning of thrifting with Katie on Saturday.

I had quite a few fav finds this weekend, and these are yet another:



I'm a sucker for vintage linen napkins and these are in perfect shape! It seemed as if they were never even used. And I just can't get enough of the veggie motif that was so popular back in the day. I would probably put these in the store. If I had a store that is. Still on the fence about that one. It would be hard for me to actually use them I think. :)

More finds:



pink shelf box - $2 - now that I am over my fear of hanging things on the wall, this will go nicely in the craft room and could possibly be a home for my new fairy.

crochet thread - $2 - I have plans for some tiny doll house crocheted goods! Can't you see a pretty blue throw for the back of a tiny sofa? Maybe I'll have the next doll house linen shop like the doll house bakery over at Turkey Feathers.

doll clothes closet - $3 - isn't this just the neatest thing? It's not in the best shape and is made from some strange particle/paper board but the inside has shelves and a clothes bar and everything. I think I will paint the outside and wall paper the inside. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to have a little girl someday to enjoy using this.

ball jar - $1 - Katie collects these and was gracious enough to let me take one home. :)

pink glass goblet - $1 - it's not depression glass but will go nicely with the pieces I do have. I use them for storage/display in the craft room. Notice the trend that all things girly and pink are in my craft room??

tomato files - $2 - I'm not really sure what these are for. Both are expanding files. I thought to use the small one for coupons and the large one for recipes.

Tonight, Katie and I are going back to Savers. I am leaving tomorrow for a mini 5 day vacation to Atlantic City and Baltimore and we didn't want our 30% off coupons to go to waste! Wish me luck to find the other tea cup with the strainer that I passed up. :)

SPRING FLING SWAP NEWS!

The swaps are arriving! You can see Kate's goodies here that she received from Bee! Any more goodies arrived yet?

I'll be back next week, be GOOD.

Rebecca

Rain, Rain GO AWAY

Mother Nature is in an uproar. So I think I'll have a cuppa in my new mug:



It's quite silly to get so excited over a mug but I love this one. I found it at Savers on my Saturday thrift outing with Katie. It was a bit more than I would usually spend on a thrifted mug at $4.50 but now I wish I had grabbed it's mate as well. (The other mug was not nearly as sweet as this one with the geisha.) I love that it has both a tea strainer and a lid and is now on my desk at work full of a piping hot cup of Lady Grey.

Katie and I had great intentions of hitting a few yard sales on Saturday but thanks to MapQuest we never found them. We did happen to find a small church thrift store where Katie found 3 cute dresses! We then hit the Savers and both did well. I'll share some today and tomorrow so as not to overwhelm you with our thriftyness. :)

Another favorite find from Savers:



Bookends - $3.99 - these are from Carter's "Yoko Ono Lennon" collection. I didn't even know they had one. Hmm. I looked on Ebay and there is a little lamp to match. So cute! Maybe I need that now, too.



hankies - 3 for 99 cents - these seem to "new" to be vintage

pins - $2 each - lovely enamel flower and pearled horseshoe, found at the church thrift

beer glass - $1 - it has a picture of three men in a bar with a big bubble over their heads showing a woman in bead looking over to find an empty pillow where her husband should be. Says something above it in German, probably witty.

vintage bridge set - $1 - I thought this was stationary until I opened it and it's a score pad and two unopened decks of cards.

flowered tin - 69 cents - I love these and always pick them up to hold odds and ends in the craft room. I envision a whole shelf of these one day.

curtain - $1 - this would make a cute apron but I may try it out in my kitchen window first

More to come tomorrow including my second rag rug. :)

So pink and green Spring Fling Swaps are winging through the air as we speak! Once you receive your goodies please remember to take pictures and post them not only on your blog but on the Spring Fling Flicker Site!

Stay dry!
Rebecca

TGIF

I'm so ready for the weekend, how about you? We've had come crap cold weather this week with more on the way for Sunday. :( Oh well, maybe that will make me stick to my Spring Cleaning to do list.

Visit my sister, she's planning her wedding and has just picked out her flowers!


photo by Mandi Kurek

Aren't they lovely? That big rose in the middle is called "Fashion" and I just love it! I need a whole vase full. Mandi is looking for opinions on her choices and I know you guys are full of them. ;) Thank you for your advice on my store idea. It's appreciated!

Not much to report today but I wanted to show you my most recent hand made purchase. The Imagine Fairy by The Polka Dot Pixie:


photo by Jenny Hernandez

Don't you just LOVE her?? I mean seriously, she is just wonderful. Her darling hat and wings come off (because she is playing pretend!):


photo by Jenny Hernandez

I can't wait to have her in my hot little hands. She's a wee thing at only 4 1/2 inches tall but she's big on moxy, don't you think? When I was a girl I loved all things fantasy. Ever seen Labyrinth? (okay I loved all things David Bowie, too.) Well Jennifer Connolly's room in that movie was the room I wanted. Everywhere you looked there were princess crown, fairies, crystal balls . . . I was fascinated by it! Wouldn't this fairy be perfect in my childhood dream room? :)

Anyway, that's my babble for the day. I hope to have some new projects to share with you on Monday. Perhaps a finished rag rug . . . have a wonderful weekend!

Rebecca

Partner in Crime

Katie is my new go-to girl. She likes to thrift, craft, eat chocolate, read Martha Stewart magazines and sit on the couch. All of my favorite things! I picked her up last Saturday and headed to Savers. She's a good partner as she pointed out the Pyrex I showed you yesterday and says she likes to hear me babble. :) We are off on another adventure this weekend. Wish us luck!

So in addition to the napkins & napkin rings and the sheeting/fabric I have already showed you, this was my haul from last weekend:



tin - $1 - it's not vintage but it looks it, plus it's red. My favorite accent color!

whisk broom - $1 - it says Hungary on the handle.

wire basket - $2 - Oh so many uses

blue atlas jar - $49 cents - this is a new jar and was too cute to leave. I think I'll save it for swap goodies.



tinsel & 2 wooden Christmas ornaments - $1.99 - these were in a bag of goodies. I have to say, the first thing I head for lately are the bags of misc. crap. I've found some real treasures in there including those enamal Italian napkin rings I showed you

rick rack - $1.99 - this is a HUGE amount of blue rick rack. So if you get any mail from me, swap or otherwise, expect some blue rick rack.

Giants glass - 49 cents - Luis seems to use the thrifted Giants glasses I have found for him more than the our nice glasses.

wire basket - 99 cents - again, think of how many ways to use this! I can't resist a wire basket.

meat tenderizer - $1 - I needed one. Plain and simple.

So, I need your thoughts . . .

I'm still considering a "vintage" online store. I'd really like to offer a place where you can get quality items for a good price. I won't be one of those seller's who makes money on shipping, I plan to know pretty much what the shipping will cost and use flat rate boxes when I can. I also would like to have an area of "in search of" items. Like trying to find that creamer to go with my French Saxon China Thistle pattern sugar bowl! I'd like to have bartering as an option as well. So what do you think? And don't blow sunshine up my skirt, I want your real opinions. :)

What's doin' tonight? Curried Leek Soup, some crocheted baby booties and Ugly Betty.

xoxox
R