From flat to FABULOUS!

I love vintage millinery and just using them to decorate around my house and in my art. In southern calif. it can be very expensive though, one blossom can get between $9-$25. Well, on saturday, Robin and I hit the motherload and I am so happy! Here is the stash I got...a net full of little flowers, velvet leaves etc and a bunch of beautiful large roses and a pretty green carnation. And all for under $15!

Here they are before the magic happens:

Kinda flat and droopy...sad looking! but a little steam goes a long way with these babies. Here is a little before and after. The one on the left has been fluffed and the one on the right ignored:

And here they are after being both fluffed, coral beauties:
And here is the rest of my beautiful garden of millinery. Wonderful tattered elegance in all it's glory:

Ahhhhh! Heaven.......

I will be back later this week to show you my other finds! Hope your tuesday is going great! karen.....

Gratitude

I really believe it is important to recognize the good in your life and to be thankful for even the little things. Fortunately, over the challenging happenings these last few months, I have been able to at least find little things to find gratitude for. Tomorrow is the last of 14 days straight that my mom has had to be taken to an infusion clinic for IV antibiotics..... for this I give thanks!
Now, I tried to make my waiting fun and visited the Goodwill down the block and found a few treasures that I would have otherwise missed...I love treasure hunting...for this I was greatful!
Well, I even won a giveaway on Cerri's blog.Little Pink Studio! A $25 gift certificate to her shop...just yummy! Look what I got!

I really love the coccina glue , those little silver swallows are gorgeous and the floral appliques- oooo la la! Not to mention the mini pom-pom trim and the pretty seam binding.

I will leave you with a silly picture of my girl and I. We were on a little hike at a local nature center and hubby insisted on taking a picture. Well, I'm sure you can tell I don't like my photo taken , especially when I have no makeup on. But here we are in all our glory!

I am a lucky person...wonderful family and friends, wonderful blogging friends, goofy pets to love and today we put in air conditioning in our room! For this I am greatful......what about you? karen....

Black and White and Thrify too!

Since I have had to take my mom daily for antibiotic infusions, I have been hitting the Goodwill almost everyday also because it is only a block away. On thursday I found this cute black and cream cup that I just had to have, I had no idea what I would do with it but couldn't leave it there.
On Saturday morning, hubby and I were able to slip out to a couple of garage sales and one brought me more black and white goodness.... a king size duvet cover, yardage of matching toile fabric, these pretty tassel ties and....

A yummy vintage tin.... handed down from Grandma (aren't those the best?)

It was filled with vintage sewing goods and lots of buttons...and you all know my passion for buttons!!!

I also got a pair of childrens red rubber boots to plant for my mom's birthday next month and a tea pot to make a cute garden stake....

All for under $8........ Priceless!

Hellooooooooooooo!

Well, amongst many doctor and daily IV infusion clinic visits, this sweet girl turned 15! You may be asking "Why doesn't she look more dressed up?" Well, we couldn't do a formal party so we have dubbed last night the "party of one. "Marissa invited her good friend over to eat homeade pizza and ice cream cake and spend the night and today we are off to a water park...me and the two girls.

That is if they let my day-glow white overly fluffy body into waterparks...I hope so, I wouldn't want to have to wait outside while the girls are splashing around. It will be a fun retreat to all the medical stuff we have been dealing with. Hubby is gonna stay home and play nurse to mom.

So...even though it was just a party with one guest, we still needed to decorate a little, so Rissy and I made some poofy flowers......

And Ice Cream cake was needed!

And more poofy flowers......

And some real flowers and a colorful vintage cloth...

All in all, it was simple but I think she feels special.... she deserves a parade but is more of a quiet soul and wouldn't want one so her little party of one was just fine for her 15th....

Happy Sunday! I am off to lay in the lazy river and daydream!

karen.....

.Lacey, Vintage Heaven..........Ahhhhhhh!

I was finally able to get out and satisfy my thrifting tooth (sweet tooth???) Yesterday I slipped into the hospital thrift store after I visited my mom and got a couple of goodies. Today I went out to some yard sales and then a good friend of mine called me to come over and see the box of vintage goodness she scored for me and for my mom!!!! It was a box of runners, doilies, hand towels...all cute or beautiful.... Oh heaven! Above are the more colorful and cute linens and below is all the beautiful lace linens.....
The woman she bought them from owned a booth in an antique mall in Palm Springs and just couldn't do it any more so she sold these for a song at her home.....

These are my favorites...polka dot linens...so old and delicate but with polka dot whimsy....I have never seen these before and can't wait to use them!

Then these are some other goodies I got... some summer trashy novels for mom and travel novels for me....a cute lamb vase some candles ( I got 2 of the square ones from candlelite still in box) My friend gave me the scottie dog and doesn't everyone need some pom-pom fringe.... I know I do!

I feel like Beth who is always the queen of wonderful finds.... I also got 8 Chico's t shirts in long sleeve and short for $1 each.... I am a happy thrifter.......

Thanks for letting me share...I am going to bask in some lace! Hugs to you! karen.....

Flowers for mom and new etsy additions....

My Poor mom is back in the hospital, her insision is infected. I don't doubt that she isn't where she needs to be, I just wish we could get her up and going again soon! Today my sweet girl and I took her these flowers from the garden...added a little decoration to a mayo jar and off we went....she was very happy with them and the jar can be tossed when she goes home!
I was able to add a couple of new vintage goodies to my etsy today. Both of these are things that I had intended to keep...but space just doesn't allow it so I added them to my etsy.
The first is a scrapbook that is just fantastic! It is called My Stunt book and cronicles a girls life in the 1910's and 20's. It is not completely filled but has many pictures, calling cards and such. The wonderful thing about this beauty is the illustrations. It is all done in green black and white and it is still very vibrant and beautiful.

The second vintage goodie that I listed is a vintage purse that I just love! It is made of plastic and I believe is meant to imitate lacquer in parts.... I think it would be fun to wear or display in your home.... I added a vintage paper flower and some paisley wallpaper in the inside bottom....

Here it is open....

Well, I am off to be a couch potato! I was up at the hospital into the morning and am out of steam! Have a fun day tomorrow! karen....

Journal Fun

I have not been very creative lately so I thought I would just share some journal pages with you....
These are in my larger composition journal... I love birds, eggs and flowers:
This is my favorite page...childlike but whimsical...I love vintage wallpaper and there's another bird and nest.....

This is the front inside cover with a bookmark:

And this is the back outside cover.....

Hope you are having a great week! Keep on creating! karen....

Happy Fourth and some images to share

I have been down with the flu the last few days and now Micheal has it...you can't say we don't share in our house. Just trying really hard to take care of Mom and not give it to her!
Feel free to use these images for your decorating this weekend...they are from a copyright free site....
I hope you all have a wonderful July 4th...be safe and happy and I will try to write again on sunday! hugs, cough,cough! karen....

I slipped away to the flea

Well, I know this first picture isn't of my finds but I had to brag about my hubby and son... I came down with the flu and a cough that would scare a t-rex and they made such a wonderful dinner last night for us...I sent Ben (son) out to take a pic but patience is not one of his strong suits so he just got the zucchini. They also grilled chicken and sweet potatoes and it was just so pretty and tasty!

On Sunday, Robin and I went to our favorite little flea market and I had a great time...just getting out after being a caregiver the last few weeks was wonderful! Here are my finds:

Some cameos, buttons pretty cards and a pretty dish for mom for only $2 and 10 bottles which will become part of my bottle kits....

A dolly dress, a child's slip , some new-old millinery and buttons....oh how I love buttons... and lets not forget that pretty doll head, can't wait to make something with her!

Here is a close-up of the buttons...

Well, I am off to rest again....cough! cough! karen....