Sunday, June 29, 2008

Birthday Girls,Technology and Introducing Eleanor

So today I have turned 31.
So, happy birthday to me. Happy odd-number, rainy, Sunday Birthday to me.

Not as eventful as 30~ not as fun as 20~ but not nearly as kick-ass as 40 is gonna be!


And my husband totally went all-out as he should...
so let me introduce you to Eleanor...

I am in love with her! Isn't she AMAZING and PERFECT in
every way and more??? I think so.
She is a custom made doll by Kathy Grimm of
Olde Cape Primitives
(absolutely a must visit blog and shop)


Matthew got to choose her name, colors, and what her ribbon said.
I am so touched. he is perfect.



Such pretty blue eyes.

Now on to more Birthday fabulousness...
my mom gave me some AMAZing gifts too, I am so spoiled!
First she got me this pretty wool necklace ...I love it!!!
and then I was so SURPRISED when I opened this...I have wanted one since Christmas
when I got Matthew his...a Sansa MP3 player...I love it! I spent all last night
and this morning loading it full of all of my favorite CD's~ Tori Amos, The Cure, Le Tigre,
Dixie Chicks, Etta James, Goldfrapp, Joni Mitchell, Julie London, Neil Young...I am in heaven!
I also ordered a pink cover for it~ so fun!!!


and last but not least..I finally got a new CAMERA~ YAY!!!! Now
I will be able to take really great pics for here and there and everywhere...
We just have to do one thing before I can make this happen...break down and get a new computer..Best Buy here we come!


What a happy, happy, happy Birthday for me.

Have a happy week!

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Saturday Night Fever


Saturday night I finally got a spark of craftiness and went to work~ I had gotten these old crates and drawers at the flea market last weekend and had envisioned something like the pic above when i got em'. I first painted the crate pink~ this crate had the middle shelf in it- it was supposed to have 2 more shelves which were missing when I bought it~ I think originally this was supposed to be a cassette tape storage crate- which someone had put a picture hanger on the back of to display some collectibles or whatever. I paid $2 for it~ given it's sad state I was thinking that was a bit much at the time but
I could see its potential and had to go for it.
Also, it was this ugly brown stain
and had big deep slots in the sides where the other shelves once were.
How I made it: I started by cleaning it off with paper towels, painting it pink and then let it dry really good. I used ledger paper, sheet music, vintage wallpaper and little ephemera pieces to line it with, I originally was going to Decoupage' it- but decided that was too messy and might be too wet for some of the delicate old paper. So I just used "the Ultimate" craft glue, it was so much fun! I was excited to use some of my "favorite" paper for this project. I actually save favorite pieces of paper and use them only on "special" projects.
I am really in love with the finished product. I also did the drawer I got too~
you'll see later in this post :)


I love these little "Charlotte" dolls~ I saw that Lori from Faerie Window was using them in some AMAZING new creations for her etsy shop~ and so when I saw this little cutie at the antique mall last week I just had to grab her and bring her home~ I LOVE her pink and green coat~ I wish I had this outfit for myself.LOL. She is so sweet!!!


In my last post I wrote about the peonies that my BFF, Lisette, had brought me and I had forgotten that I did take a picture. When I started uploading my new pics I discovered them much to my surprise. Aren't they lovely?

Suzy Homemaker~ NOT!

Saturday morning my husband and I went to some garage sales around town~ and my favorite garage sale girl(blogged about here) was having a "Vintage Garage Sale"- I got some sweet finds!! My husband spotted this vintage "Suzy Homemaker" toy stove and told me he was going to buy this for me~ I think he thought it would be funny because in my car hanging from the rear view mirror I have a little altered art key chain with a retro housewife pic that reads " Suzy Homemaker-NOT!!!!"
I adore it and it has found the perfect home in our kitchen. The green is so fabulous and I LOVE the little silhouette of the girl next to the Suzy Homemaker label. It goes so well with our retro kitschy- kitchen theme. I haven't plugged it in to see if it actually works but I saw that it has a bulb in it and everything. We'll see...

This was another garage sale find from Saturday. I always salivate over the AMAZING retro cookie jars that they have at one of our favorite antique malls. This one display features an entire shelf of them!!! This cutie I got for only $10- it was marked $15, but all I had was $10 left after our long day of garage saleing- so I asked and the girl accepted my offer! What a score :)
I was looking online to see if I could get any information about it but haven't found anything. On the inside of the bottom part it has a little crown stamp, anyone have any ideas???
The girl who was selling it said that it has been in her family for three generations and that she has a picture of her great grandmother with it. She was reluctant to part with it but said that she wasn't using it and that she just had it in a box in the basement- can you imagine??? I think she felt a little better about parting with it after she saw my love for it and I assured her I would cherish it always :)


This little lady, she is a chalk ware figure from the 40's~ these were given as prizes at fairs and carnivals for games, my husband got for me last weekend!!! I LOVE her! I have been eye-ing her for months and months at my favorite antique mall but because she was kinda expensive I never got her~ then last weekend we headed over there and when I didn't come up with anything to buy and my husband had an arm full of old pulp books and records~ he must have felt bad that I didn't see anything that my heart desired. I headed out to start the air conditioning in the car and when he came out he handed her to me :) I was of course gushing~ he is theeee best!
So~ now I have her displayed on the sideboard in the dining room! but soon her new home will be here...


This is the other drawer that I decorated (like the 1st pic). I saw this old drawer at one of the antique stores we went to last weekend and I just loved the chipped up white paint on the top and the retro 50's drawer pull. It was $10~ which was really steep for me~ I mean it was super dirty~ with dead bugs in the corners!!!!- but I LOVED the paint and the shape- I could just see it as the neatest little "house" for my new carnival prize girl. So I got it ~and threw out the dead bugs in the parking lot of the antique store!!!

It feels so good to get back in the crafty mood. I am going to take sometime for myself for the next few weeks to a month and just craft for myself for awhile. Just kind of re-group and go wild with creativity again. I have temporarily closed my etsy shop but I promise I will open it back up really soon and fill it with AMAZING goodies!!!
Craft on!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Not Feelin' It

Lately, I haven't been feelin' so crafty~ every weekend I plan on making something fabulous and then I just get sucked into the weekend void and I do nothing. I confess, I am a lazy summer crafter~ happens to me every year.
Re-decorating cabinets, since I changed everything after we painted-is fulfilling my crafty urges. But as far as actually making some new things- my craft table has gotten much action lately.
I am really really enjoying flea markets and garage sales, I have found some AMAZING finds- but just have been too lazy to take pics. It's a problem- usually I don't get this lazy till mid-July or so. Any suggestions for staying motivated???
Tonight I surprised my husband with Cure tickets, he has been a fan since high school and has never gotten a chance to see them~ I just found out they were coming on Monday and hurried up and called for the tickets~ he is so so excited. He is always going to my things~ Country Living Fair, endless garage sales and flea markets carrying any old- chipped- up- paint-thing that I just have to have and he never ever complains~ in fact he is the most fun to do this stuff with~ I just want to do something that he would get alot of joy from- and I have to admit I kinda love all those sad love songs too.
***The concert was AMAZING!!! We had the best seats and they played for 3 1/2 hours~ I am now a TRUE Cure fan and my husband was ecstatic!!!***

So when I am sucked into the couch-not crafting- we have been watching this AWESOME DVD that we picked up at Best Buy-it is so much fun!!!!
Tons of 70's screen queens~ great summer drive-in classics.I recommend it if you are into old campy movies.

Thought I would throw in this pretty picture of peonies. My BFF Lisette brought me in a gorgeous bouquet of them from her yard. I just adore them!!! This isn't actually them- again- I am lazy, and haven't taken any pics, but you get the idea.

Thank You Lisette!!!

And last but not least, I have to share my absolute most favorite summer thing that is bringing me endless joy- these Maryjane style Crocs!!! they are too cute and super-comfortable~!!! Great to wear for a long day at the flea market! I got mine at www.endless.com for a steal, only $29.95! I can't remember the last time I paid only $30 for a pair of shoes!!! I got my first pair in black...I think my next pair is going to be the hot pink ones~ too cute!

Have a fun lazy week!!!
make something crafty for me...

Sunday, June 8, 2008

What a Doll!


Probably like alot of you crafty bloggers or crafty blog enthusiasts out there,
I read a ton of blogs faithfully~ checking in on them once or twice a week.
I always get so excited when my favorite bloggers do giveaways~ I always leave a comment
in hopes that I will win~ and I never do...until now!
Two wins in ONE month~ YAY!
First I heard from Laura Bray of www.katydid-designs.com, a designer that specializes in the cutest note card sets with her original beautiful designs, collages, and more. Also, for you crafty bloggers out there- sign up for her AMAZING free
newsletter, The Well Fed Artist, which features business and marketing tips for artists.
She has a lot of good advice and she has a ton of wisdom to share.
Also, Laura is a fellow Glitter and Grunge artist~ which is very fun!
Thanks Laura, I LOVE the note card set so much!!!!


My second BIG win is from Beth Leintz of Gathering Dust~ one of my FAVORITE bloggers!!
She had a giveaway in which she featured this sweet PINK antique sewing basket on her blog and then promised to fill it up with vintage-style goodies for the winner~ and boy oh boy, do I feel spoiled!!!! Beth is one of my favorite crafty artists~ her etsy shop is always full of imaginative wonders~ and this giveaway was over-the-top!!!
I cherish it all!
Thank You Beth!!!!


All in all, this week was sort of crazy, I had a ton of icky doctors appointments! and all kinds
of things that aren't- so- fun going on~ so I decided to do a little retail therapy to help me cope~ I swung by the Wagonwheel Gift Shop in Medina, Ohio on my way home from work on Friday~and scored some sweet Nicol Sayre finds!!! The Wagonwheel is such an AMAZING store~for any of you in Northeast Ohio it is a must visit! It is located in Medina right off of Rt.18.
She carries loads of collectibles lines and has a HUGE selection-She just doesn't have one item from the Nicol Sayre winter line, she carries the whole line~I love that! lots to choose from~ which is kinda dangerous, but her prices are super-reasonable. The store is packed from ceiling to floor!! Eye candy overload :)
And one of my favorite things about it is that she has
Christmas and HALLOWEEN lines out all year long~ for someone like me that is so holiday-minded in my decor(I know I have shared I have Santas and witches out all year-round peacefully living together) it is the best!!!!

Well here's to Winning, Retail Therapy and a Great Week!
Happy Crafting!

Monday, June 2, 2008

Sex and the City

On Sunday, My mom and I went and saw the SATC movie!!!
It was so amazing!
I am a HUGE SATC fan~ I started
watching during the 5th season when my husband and
I finally got HBO~ and of course I watch the DVD's and TBS reruns endlessly.
I cannot get enough of those gals~ and after 3 LONG years,
I was super excited to hear about the movie coming out.

In fact, I purposely have been flipping channels and not reading favorite celebrity gossip websites to avoid any spoilers, so that I would be totally in awe~ and I was!!!

The movie totally delivered~ the fashion, the friendships~ the LOVE!!! It was sooo good!I didn't realize how I missed Charlotte, Carrie, Miranda, and Samantha..I laughed, I cried..it was so good!!I cannot wait to get it on DVD!!!I know I will be going to see it a couple more times in the movie theatre too!!!

Well, for all of you SATC fans out there..let me know what you thought???

And...when is the next one coming out??? I heard "they" are already in talks...yay!!!!