~ Happy New Year! ~

Hubby's taking us to New York City tomorrow - wahoo! We'll be coming back before the New Year craziness. I'm not a crazy New Year kind of gal. But I'm looking forward to getting some holiday cheer, and some new inspiration for 2010.

Happy New Year!

Sunday

Today I decided to treat myself to a trip out to one of my favorite antique malls. Though it's an hour away, it never fails to disappoint! What treasures I found...
Definitely the theme for the day was vintage pillow cases...gorgeous condition.
I got several embroidered, crocketed, and just plain scalloped.
Beautiful...


But my favorite Christmas goodie of all...
I found a new site where I can order colored masking tapes!


This Japanese company really has the knack for beautiful packaging.
A treat for the eye!
(Let me know if you'd like the address.
I'm also thinking of maybe selling them through my blog or etsy shop! Hmmm...)


Hmmm...where do I start?!

~Something for the person who has everything...~

I was racking my brain to think of an appropriate hostess goft for my cousin...a person who falls under the catagory of one who has everything. When I found a picture of her parents at Christmas exactly 50 years ago, I knew I had struck on a good idea! I filled one of the jars (see previous post) with cookies, and I was good to go!

Day Two!

Another snow day afforded me some glorious extra crafting time!

Merry Christmas to...me!

I think these sticker sets I made could be cute for sale at my friends shop.

What do you think? I packaged them in small vellum ATC envelopes.

Opinions, please!

A cookie jar I made for a friend...


This one is for a family member, and has a family photo attached.

I attached a 3D flower to the little girls hands. So sweet!

Have a wonderful holiday!

Don't Be Jealous...

Amidst all the Christmas craziness, I was blessed to get some extra time to go junking. Can you believe it?!?! Always a gift, but especially at this time of year. I am looking forward to hopefully getting some crafting time over the holidays. (sigh) Maybe you have the same Christmas wishes, too?

Holiday Craftiness

Not wanting to put my holiday gift cards in a plain ol' box...

I made some cards to hold them.

It helped get me in the holiday mood.

Hope you are getting there, too!

Oh La La!

I was sooooo excited when I won Lori's darwing at Vintage Flair. I never win anything, and to win something from a crafting goddess like her is 'doubley' special. Her bow is even more gorgeous in person than when she shoed it on her blog.

She jazzed it up with some of her fancy sewing and an adorable little girl.

Thanks, Lori!

~ Happy Thanksgiving ~

I apologize to you, and to myself, that I have been so absorbed with other things that I have had precious little time for doing anything crafty. I am making an oath to myself that over the holiday, I am going to get things cleaned up and put in order enough that I can get some things accomplished!

I wanted to share with a poem I found years ago, that is on my fridge year-round. To me, it is the epitome of what Thanksgiving is about. Have a wonderful holiday. Rest and be thankful.

O God, when I have food,

help me to remember the hungry;

When I have work,

help me to remember the jobless;

When I have a home,

help me to remember those who have

no home at all;

When I am without pain,

help me to remember those who suffer.

And remembering,

help me to destroy my complacency;

Bestir my compassion,

and be concerned enough to help;

By word and deed,

those who cry out for what we take for granted.

Amen.

~ From A Thanksgiving Prayer by Samuel F. Pugh

~ Sunday ~

I haven't had much time for crafting...or blogging...lately. Not only have we been in the swing of a crazy fall season, but my crafting areas have been overrun by boxes packed up from my living room. Not for much longer, though...my husband promises, and then I'll be back to my crafting self! I found this here at a blog that talks about his lovely, lonely old home. To me, there is something beautiful still about old buildings that have been long forgotten. I'll be back soon!

Something Spooooky

I decided to experiment with canvas this past week, and I like the results! The strip of paper at the top is from a card deck of scary stories. It was too funny, and I had to include it. It says,
" She was nervous when her husband said they were to stay in the abandoned house, for it contained the corpse of a hermit who had once lived there, enshrined in a coffin in the loft."

Um, nervous. Ya think so??

~ Fancy Finery ~

Splurging on an old 1922 fashion magazine this weekend

gave me the perfect springboard to create two envelopes

for special friends.

Special goodies to be tucked inside...bliss!

~ Shabby Chic Interiors ~

I admit I was sceptical about the new Rachel Ashwell book, Shabby Chic Interiors. Was it a ploy to scoop in some last minute income in the midst of a breakdown of her company? But nothing could be farther from the truth. Each page is beautiful, bringing home the lesson that even in the midst of her personal sadness, she sticks true to her principles and ideals. Inspiration for us all...

~ Farewell To Summer ~

What a great summer it was (sigh). We topped it off a few weeks

ago with a trip to New York City.

I found this gorgeous outdoor flower market in a small neighborhood.

Flowers to drool on...

Ahhhh...

We told the kids they were in charge of finding the restaurant

on the last morning there. I said we would we watchingto see if they

followed all the safety rules along the way...

They held hands...

Life is good...

~ Treasures ~

This week has brought lots of new treasures from places far and near! I found these beautiful pink paper flowers at Michael's (of all places! I'm usually not a fan of their fake flowers) and some great old photos from the flea market in New York. Now...what to do with it all! Ahh....!

Once you have started seeing the beauty of life

Ugliness starts disappearing.

If you start looking at life with joy,

sadness starts disappearing.

You can not have heaven and hell together,

You can only have one.

It is your choice.

~Osho

~ Sunday ~

I finished up this board book that I made for my mother-in-law. It's got pictures of the kids doing all the things we did this summer..and man did we do a lot! One of the good things about the school year is that is makes you break down time and appreciate where you are, where you've been, and where you're headed! I took some great pics of New York Thursday, Friday and Saturday. There is so much inspiration there! More to come...

Paperweight Creations

I decided to combine three favorites...paperweights, lines from Nancy Drew,

and vintage patterns.

This is what I got...

I really like how they turned out, so they will go to the shop.

Although it is hard to part with them...

Especially this one....

Is This Weird to You?

My mother thinks I am completely nuts. We went together to a small town across the state line yesterday; popping in to see a friend of hers who has a booth at the Amish Market there. Delicious sandwiches...yum! Anyway, there was an antique mall nearby and of course - come hell or high water - I was going to get in there! So we did. I picked up this baby picture from a bin and said, "Oh, look at this one! Don't you just want to pinch those cheeks?"

My mother replied, "No."

Then, she looked at me like maybe we should stop by the local hospital. Seriously. I only recently got her off my back by swearing to label the old pictures from flea markets so my 'children would know they weren't family.' Ugh. Maybe I do have some sort of problem! I just can't pass them up. Especially because they oooze stories. Well, that's my view.

My 'Wish'!

I got my yummy packet of 'wishes' from Andre Singarella at One Hundred Wishes.

We all know...she rocks.

I decided to go for the new tape rolls in beige, pink, and striped pink.
I can't wait to try them out!

And you would think tape can't be gorgeous....

Keeping my crafting vow by finishing another card for a friend...
"And yes: is when you stretch out
on your couch and summon up ten thousand
daffodils, all dancing in the breeze."

~Joyce Sutphin

Back from the beach and full of plans laden with vim and vigor.

Will I ever get it all done?

My find of the trip...this beautiful 'bathing beauty'. She will hopefully be a reminder during the dark winter days of how I feel today.

As Robert Browning wrote, "I am full of sunshine now."

Excited about heading to the beach tomorrow.

Looking forward to recharging and regrouping, and hopefully finding some inspiration along the way.

"The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy or too impatient.
One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach -waiting for a gift from the sea."

~Anne Morrow Lindbergh

~ Thursday ~

I've been crafting instead of gettingthings ready for our trip to the beach.

I'm gonna pay for that!

Made this birthday bag for my friend, Juli. It makes me think that I actually enjoy that size surface, and getting sticky with modge podge. I always enjoy Pam Garrison's art journals. Maybe I will tackle that someday soon?

"Nobody is ever met at the airport when beginning a new adventure.

It's just not done."

~Elizabeth Fernea

Happy Fourth of July!