Raggedies

Here's another peek inside that cabinet I mentioned in yesterday's post.....I know...it's a totally different look from the images I shared in that post.  Many different things appeal to me.  This cabinet is where I keep all those things I love that don't have a home anywhere else right now.

I love these Raggedies...they have the best faces!!   The rectangular platter in the back was given to me by my dear friend Gail and the little strawberry girl was painted by my friend Anita's daughter.  I met both Gail and Anita during the years I was part owner of a little shop called Agape' Gifts & Crafts.  What a blessing to still have them in my life over eight years after the shop closed.

The "strawberry soda" bottle cap, doily and angel cut-out picture all came from thrift stores and the strawberry pin cushion was a gift I bought for myself at the York Folk Art show several years ago.  The tin of Ginger belonged to my mom...she gave it to me when she moved.  It's white with red & green graphics, so it's perfect for my home.  Finally, that block with the letter "E", it was an ornament. It has graphics of vintage toys on four sides and on the remaining side it has the letter "R".  Two letters important to my family....I was delighted to find it a couple years after Bill married me (then mother of Kevin & Joe).  The perfect ornament for our family with two last names.

Candlewick

These salad plates belonged to my mother-in-law....now they belong to me. The pattern is Candlewick-Clear by Imperial Glass Ohio.  They're so pretty and delicate and sparkly.  Unfortunately their beauty stays tucked inside my glass front cabinet.  Candlewick is characterized by distinctive bead work - the "beads" can be different sizes on different pieces.  I love to look at them....but I worry that I might break one of those beads off.  The cabinet is next to my patio doors so the sun shines into it most afternoons....I love the sparkle that creates.  I think the cabinet is probably a good home for these dishes!  Beside they offer a very pretty spot for the little Josef Originals figurine ~ a sweet thrift store find.

It's a Giveaway! A Pillow for Me and a Pillow for You

In December of 2010 I bought a pillow cover from Dayspring.com.  I blogged about it twice....Here......and Here.  Check out the links because these (with a flash) photos don't do this pillow justice.  It's really pretty and I've enjoyed having it in my home.  I was checking out the Dayspring.com after Christmas sale a couple weeks ago and guess what!?  They had this beautiful pillow cover on sale.  So I bought another one to share with one of you.  Remember it's a pillow COVER.  No pillow is included.  It's flat, which makes for easy shipping for me!

 

If you'd like a chance to win the pillow cover please leave a comment on this post before February 5th.  I'd love to know if you found any great after Christmas bargains.

If you'd like two extra chances to win this giveaway please visit the two links (at the top of this post) to my previous posts about this pillow.  Then come back and tell me in a second comment what dates in Dec 2010 they were posted.   That'll give you three chances to win!! 

I'll announce a winner on Monday morning (Feb. 6th).

There's no extra chances if you mention the giveaway on your blog...but thank you if you do!!

"In quietness and trust is your strength..."

Isaiah 30:15

Simply Charm - ing!

There's something quite delightful about getting a totally unexpected package in the mail.  If that happy mail has anything to do with my grandbabies...well, that's absolutely perfect!

This charm was a gift from Angie of Hopemore Studios.  Angie is a very talented artist ~ lucky me has several of her jewelry pieces.  I blogged about a couple pieces in this post.  My "grandbaby" charm is one of her newer jewelry styles....and I love it!  I added a simple ball chain and it is ready to go! Now I can take these little ones with me anywhere!

Do you have a special photo you'd like preserved as a charm? Angie does custom orders on these photo pendants in her Etsy shop.  You can find samples of them here.   There are some pretty heart charms too! Just in time for Valentine's Day!

Arlington and a Celebration

Arlington National Cemetery performs 27 to 30 funeral services each day. The grounds of Arlington National Cemetery honor those who have served our nation by providing a sense of beauty and peace for our guests. The rolling green hills are dotted with trees that are hundreds of years in age and complement the gardens found throughout the 624 acres of the cemetery. This impressive landscape serves as a tribute to the service and sacrifice of every individual laid to rest within the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery.

Bill's dad passed away on Nov. 17, 2011 and was interred in Arlington on Jan. 6, 2012.  Bill's nephew and niece (from Michigan) came to visit this past weekend so we could celebrate their grandfather's birthday together. He would have been 94 years old on January 19th.  Part of that celebration was making sure they got to visit Arlington.  So half of our group of sixteen headed for Washington DC Saturday morning.  It was our first visit.....Bill quickly walked ahead of us to look for his Dad.

In a couple months a permanent, a carved marble niche cover will replace the temporary paper tag that's in a vinyl pocket on this group of niches.  It will have my father-in-law's and mother-in-law's names on it...along with his rank and branch of service, his date of death and of interment.  We're allowed to put fresh flowers in cones in the bed that's below the niches.  Flags are placed there for Memorial Day.  We're looking forward to going again in the Spring. It's fortunate that we live only an hour or so away. 
(In the photo above, Bill and David are looking at some of the permanent carved niche covers already in place.)

 

I've never been to Arlington in the winter time....it was beautiful with the snow and wreaths. It was also very overcast and I was in a moving vehicle when I took this photo...so excuse the blur.

We all gathered at my house for New England Boiled Dinner  (I'm sorry, I forgot to take pictures of the food preparation and eating...this is just a generic link in case you don't know what it is.)  New England Boiled Dinner was my father-in-law's favorite meal. He'd eat it twice a week if Bill cooked it that often. Since he moved in with us we always had it for his birthday and this year would be no different. 

After dinner we shared COSTCO cookies (another favorite of his) and stories about him.  If you'd care to read some of the stories we shared you can click here...and start with the Oct. 25th post. 
I printed out the photo and poem I shared in this blog post and framed them....one for each of his six grandchildren.  His great-grandchildren will be getting special porcelain ornaments with a picture of "Super-Grandpa" on them...my friend Patricia is going to make them for us.

His six grandchildren, plus spouses or significant others, and four great-grandchildren. He left quite a legacy...I know he was very proud of each one of them. 

Almost always........

Mona Lisa also visited from Michigan.  She spent Sunday afternoon and early evening with me while malls and restaurants were being visited by the others.  She was the quietest little thing. She's quite good at catch too!  Mona almost made me think that having a little dog around might be nice. But I came to my senses after I returned her to her owners.

  I remember my mother-in-law's memorial service...she had asked me to speak at it. After I was finished I went up to my father-in-law and asked "How did I do?"  He said, "You cried too much. You need to just move on."

It was a lovely weekend...we celebrated the life of a wonderful man.  It's time to remember his words. Don't cry too much and it's time to move on. It's time to find our new normal.

But, we're sure going to miss him!

Katie posted about Arlington on her blog today too!

She even got a picture of me!

Window Well Remedy

This is my window well....plain and boring.  Functional but pretty unattractive.  I like to think of it as the "before" picture.  While I was on  my weekend outing with Tisha & Patricia I found the perfect inspiration for what I'd like an "after" picture to look like!

Here's the after! Isn't it wonderful?!   My window well doesn't stand much chance of looking nearly as wonderful....first of all there isn't a window above mine.  No shutters either. Just some plain old vinyl siding. The backyard fence is right up against one edge of the window well so a bench will be a little tricky too.  But I love this inspiration and I think it's going to be on the summer "to do" list for sure!

A Celebration

"Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened." - Dr Seuss

We're having a celebration this weekend ~ Katie can tell you why.

I'll tell you more about it next week.

Have a joy-filled. memory-making weekend!!

For Mandy

Dayspring

You're right.......it's time!

Love every minute of it!

PS. I'm good now......

Inspiration & My Wish List

One of the best things about shopping trips is all the inspiration I gather. Like this "mirror" above a dresser in a bedroom display.  I have a couple "empty" windows hanging on a wall in my living room. Adding mirrors and moving them to a bedroom never occured to me.  Then inspiration struck.....

I've seen a lot of wall vases...but something about this one really spoke to me.  In this case the vase is about ten inches long. When I saw it I also saw a wall in my house that this would look great on.  I'm sure I can find the perfect empty bottle or jar somewhere in my house.  Love projects that require no cash!

This throw is made from "felted" cashmere sweaters.  It was so pretty and so soft.  It's easy to felt sweaters, so I've decided to make a cashmere throw for myself. I found five cashmere sweaters at the thrift store last week...I spent less than $12.00 for them! After I find a couple more I'll get started on this project.

Covering notebooks is fun...I try to do a bunch for all the craft shows I'm in and also to give as gifts. They've always been covered in paper but the next batch will start with fabric.  I love the texture & simplicity of these notebooks...maybe with a bird or some floral images instead of "Paris".

Maybe someday....... 

I usually see something that I love to have but definitely would never buy because of the hefty price tag.  It happened again on my recent shopping trip.  I love this kraft paper holder.  I would love to have something like it for my craft room but this one's $100.00 plus price tag talked me right into taking a photo of it instead!  I'll just add it to my wish list on Pinterest. 

Looking at the photo every now and then is almost as nice.

Penelope

Recently I promised Penelope lunch and a shopping trip with Gramma.

Today is the day!

No, we won't wear the Santa hat...although I do love that it has a tiara attached to it!

Tinker Toys

"Spool Holders"

I saw these on my recent "girlfriend" get-away.

A new use for some old toys.

Very clever...funny too!! 

Empty Nest

Mandy bought a condo late last fall and she has spent the last 2 1/2 months prepping and painting it. When my father-in-law became ill and then passed away she decided that she would put off her move until after Christmas...so she's taken her time moving her furniture and belongings into it.  But 99% of her things are there now and tonight will be the first night she's spending in her new home. 
I'm so happy for her.

She has this great new place to decorate and she's having so much fun doing that. Just look at all the great ideas she's been "pinning" onto her Pinterest boards!!  Shopping is a whole lot more fun for her too. She's had some wonderful times at Homegoods, Target and the thrift stores, tracking down treasures for her new space. It looks so cute! I want to get some photos of it to share on my blog....you'll love it too! The colors she's chosen are so pretty and bright and fun.  I'm so glad she has this beautiful place to call her own.
Really I am.

 

Alaine White - Pinterest

But it's very strange at my house right now.  There were four of us less than two months ago and now it will be just Bill and I.  It's the first time we've EVER lived anywhere by ourselves.  When we married, Bill got a package deal.....me, 4 year old Kevin and 2 year old Joe.  So it's going to be really different for us now.  It's going to be really quiet...not that Mandy or Bill's dad were especially loud...but I've already noticed the change.  Bill's dad was hard of hearing so the first thing I heard upon opening my front door was the television...turned up really loud.  Plus in a lot of ways he needed us...and we're not needed like that anymore.  Mandy hasn't really "needed us" in a long time...although I guess I like to think she still needs her mom. Actually she takes care of us a bit.  She's a good cook and she likes to cook.  I guess dinners will be different too. 
She's not moving very far away at all....but I'm sure going to miss the daily visits, the dozens of shampoo bottles in the shower, the shoes behind the front door, the late at night chats in my bedroom, the clothes left in the dryer....

Life changes...it's all different...but it's good.  I am so happy for her!
I just need time to adjust.

I also need to remember that even though she won't be living with her mom and dad any longer, she'll always have her Father by her side. I know I can trust Him to watch over her better than I can.

One of the few "curly top" photos I have of Mandy...love this photo!

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).

Lovely

I spotted this on Pinterest and all of a sudden I'm hoping for a bit of a snowstorm! 

A picnic in the snow...how much fun would that be!

 

snow picnic - source

Bubbles

Recently my friend Patricia remodeled one of her bathrooms.  She remodeled...literally.  She had someone do the framing and then she did the rest of the work to include the tiling of the shower.  Not only did she install the tiles....she hand-painted some of them.  The "bubbly" ones.  I had a hard time with photos in this smallish space. Getting good angles was tough and the lighting gave me some issues too, but you can get an idea of the very FUN bathroom she ended up with.  Please note the "bubbles" hanging from the ceiling!

Bubbles, Bubbles, in the Air,

Bubbles, Bubbles, Everywhere.

I love the glass bubbles she added to her hand-painted tiles. 

In keeping with her bubble theme (and at her request) I made a collage for her bathroom. I added an oval charm to the middle of the vintage lace after this photo was taken.  I wanted a touch of whimsy for the collage and found a poem recited by Grover on Youtube.  I think it's the perfect touch. Hope Patricia thinks so too!

Shopping Discovery

This past weekend two friends (Tisha and Patricia) and I went away for a weekend of food, fun, fellowship and shopping!  One of my favorite shopping stops was Brandywine View Antiques.  Three floors and a wrap-around porch full of treasures! 

Tisha found a chair she loved...sadly it wouldn't fit in her car for the trip home!

I love these white cubbies and the metal drawers.  Awesome storage options...don't you think!?  The typewriter is pretty nice...I think maybe some little fingers got to it at some point.

A bucket of bottles....I love the bucket but it wasn't for sale.  How about this green bottle wired to the stick? Love this! I think I'd like to make some for my back yard.  Can't you just see a daisy poking out the top of the bottle...or maybe a candle! Hmmm...

I think these door knob stakes are an awesome idea. They would look so nice scattered throughout the yard......on a sunny day there would be sparkle everywhere!

I don't know what it is about wooden blocks but I love them ~ this pile is bright and colorful. 

I seriously considered some of these gray crates.  Room re-arranging is in my future and they would be perfect in one of the "new rooms".   And the theater seats are awesome! Love the color of them ~ and I wish I had a spot for them somewhere!

Hello there Mr Deer.....he's hanging in the corner above the toilet.  That might be a little disconcerting.  Actually I took this photo for my boss...I wanted to show him other options for displaying his deer head.

I must admit this piece caused me to drool a little bit.  Each of those old photos is a drawer...I LOVE drawers!  It's my favorite wood finish too!  And the cubbies on top are part of the piece! Oh the treasures I could display!

  It was obvious that it was after Christmas and their inventory was picked over. When I got home I looked for them on the Internet and found their website...the shop was definitely stuffed full before Christmas!  Here's a peek at a tour the owners shared on their website.  (This is a fun store...I will return to it!)

The Wrap-Around Porch ~ The First Floor ~ The Second Floor

As if this place wasn't enough....look what's right next door.  They were closed when we got there and we didn't make it back. I can only imagine what's behind that wonderful door!  Guess I'll just have to go again!