More Swap goodies...What I gave....

I wanted to show you what I sent Lorraine for our little one on one swap... This was fun! Since it was one on one, there was no pressure...just fun!

Here are a couple of little black and white bowls- striped and polka dotted with some hand stamped candles wrapped in pumpkiny goodness....

A little fabric pin made with a vintage button.....

The box and goodies inside...another pin made with a vintage image and covered in envirotex, vintage cupcake toppers.. fabric yo-yos and an orange vintage millinery flower....

A yo-yo garland....

And a boo candle.....

Halloween fun!! I have enjoyed wandering around blogland and seeing everyone's halloween vignettes...I love all hallows eve!!!

A Happy-Halloweening-we-go.....

I have missed you my bloggy friends!!! Life has kept me busy but hopefully I will be posting more! Fall is my favorite time of year and I love to share things with all you cute people! I think I shared a looong time ago that I work with children with Autism in my day job. This year we have had quite a few darling 3 year olds start our program who are very involved and seeing that I am not getting any younger, (we won't go there!) They are kicking my butt!!!
BUT! I love them so much, they are the cutest.... and rascally.... oh yeah!!!!

Above are a couple of vignettes around my house, I had to take them outside to photograph them because it is so gloomy. I got the scale at the last flea and I love it's rusty self!!!

My friend Lorraine and I decided to do a one on one swap and I am sharing what she sent me...I am a lucky girl! We swapped decorated matchboxes- (halloween of course) and filled them with treasures to create with....Look how cute the box is:

Here are the fun treasures...some darling mini pumpkins, a decorated clothespin, wonderful sparkly orange tinsel, a handmade flower...... and more......

We also created 4 handmade items (neither of us stopped at 4) Here is my booty:

The little witch in the middle is made from an altoid tin and her apothecary shop is inside... I love that little thread spool with the crow! Here is a picture of the inside of the tin...sorry it's blurry!

I bought some fun collage sheets from Sandy of One Crabapple on etsy...I love her stuff! And some pretty goodies from Julie of the adventures of bluegirl so hopefully I will have some creations to share soon!

Hope your fall is starting out wonderfully! karen......

White Wednesday Treasures to be had.......

I promised I would share some of the goodies that I will be bringing to The Vintage Marketplace at the Oaks...

I have fallen in love with many of these pieces so it better come soon! This vintage rocking chair is sooooo darling! All it needs is a little cushion and it is set to go...oh how I want to keep it!

A needlepoint French Welcome sign- so pretty and some fun candlesticks, cute... And 6 place settings of silver sitting in a cute old crock.....scrumpdidlyumtious!

Some more dreamy whites, rustic and charming.....

I will be bringing all of these to this wonderful event!

If you live in Southern California, this is so worth the drive! It is in a park-like setting with a charming country market and restaurant, a fun day-trip or as my friends and I call it, a girl's field trip! I hope you can come! I will share more of my goods soon! I am linking with Faded Charm's White Wednesday . Hope you are having a great week! karen....

Run, Don't Walk........

My husband was able to take a week off before the kids and I headed back to school...but the bank account was not screaming "Take a Vacation!!!!..." more like, " A coffee would be okay..."
Oh I wanted a getaway more than anything... More than some new washi tape or a vintage doo-dad! So...I got on google and typed in "cheap getaways from Los Angeles". Well, I ended up on a yelp site where people can post any questions they wanted and people write back and just happens a guy wrote in about this exact same thing! And! Three people wrote in about this little motel in Los Alamos, Ca that isn't fancy, but has a funny charm (kinda a throwback to the 70's) and was very affordable!!!
I told my hubby and called the motel and it was affordable! We booked a room for thursday and friday (on tuesday) and shoved some clothes in totes, bought some treats and filled the tank up! YaaaaaHoooooooo!

We stopped in Santa Barbara for lunch and then onto the Skyview motel. I started to relax soon after we got into the countryside, it was a wonderful little trip! The motel is on a hill overlooking beautiful countryside and farms. It was really pretty at sundown.

The town was a sleepy town and there were only three choices for dinner, a restaraunt and two take out sandwich/burger places on thursday evening. It has several antique stores and 2 antique malls...my kinda fun!

My daughter started out skeptical but soon began to love the beauty of it all.....

Above was one of the farms below us. And below is the sign before you head down the hill....

On friday, we drove into pismo beach...I looooove that beach! I think it's my favorite California beach and I have been to many. We collected many sandollars and shells....

When we headed back to the hotel, we spotted my street......

We were down the road from an Alpaca farm and on the way home, we passed an ostrich and emu ranch....

There was even a sweet horse that came up to us behind the motel...we bought some carrots to feed her...she had brown hair with blonde highlights-natural too! I was soooo jealous!

We drove thru Solvang on the way home, saw some fancy vintage cars and stopped at the Mission to visit the church....

It was a rich, feed-your-soul trip that I will keep in my heart. It was also necessary because I need to be ready for all my little rascals on tuesday and also prep for the Vintage Marketplace.... I promise, I will be posting my finds soon....I just needed a little break!

Hope your summer is ending as nice as mine! Hugs! karen....

Helllllooooooooooooo!

Hello my long lost blogging friends...Oh! It was me who was lost??!!
Well, I hope you are enjoying your summer! I have been away for several reasons but I am back and will have many fun things to show you soon because I am getting ready for the Vintage Market Place at the Oaks.....

My poor mom was sick...so sick... She had a blood infection and it was very scary but she has bounced back tremendously, miraculously even....she is almost 81 and her health has been not great so she surprised everyone...even the doctors! (saying a little prayer of gratitude here...)

My best friend since diaper-hood came out from Texas with her hubby and daughter and we tromped around locally....the pictures below are from the grounds at the Wayfarer's Chapel in Palos Verdes, Ca...It is beautiful there....

We also went to the tidepools and collected shells and the Marine Mammal preserve and the Korean Friendship Bell.... fun...

I love having a friend that when you haven't seen her in months or years, there is no awkwardness...just happiness to be together again! We even snuck out onto our porches to chat whenever possible...I miss her already!

I have been hitting estate sales, garage sales and flea markets to find wonderful goodies for the Vintage marketplace. I am so excited to be a vendor there.....

Anyway...I am off to bed but I will be back very soon to start showing you my finds and some of my recent creations...


Goodnight! zzzzz..............karen.....................

Shabby Apple Winner and New Thrifting Finds

I am soooo excited to announce the winner of the beautiful necklace from Shabby Apple!

My wonderful pink haired daughter picked the winner and without further adieu....

The winner is......................................................................................................................................................................

Celeste!!!

Thank you Shabby Apple for the opportunity to give away this wonderful piece to one of my readers and thanks to all my bloggy friends for joining in! Celeste, contact me soon with your address so you can start wearing your new jewelry piece!

I am late announcing the winner because my poor mom has been sick with bronchitis and an ear infection. What a bummer to be sick in the summer! And we think she got the germies at the doctor's office when she went for her "well" check! Go figure!

I was able to get to a couple of estate sales and a couple of garage sales and picked some goodies for the Vintage Marketplace. I am soooo excited to be a vendor there again, it is such a great venue with fabulous people!

The first estate sale was full of vintage 50's and 60's children's clothes and toys.... I found the pink and aqua ironing board there and those cute bloomers and pantaloons! Also, the pink nut chopper (the slap chop of the 60's!), hand embroidered bib and the little ironstone pitcher.....


The hobnail bisquit holder was from another sale..... And how about that adorable trash can?



I was lucky with the vintage suitcases, found the silver sugar bowl and my cute hubby found the "Going to Grandma's" suitcase at the Goodwill.....


This last picture is of a cool metal stool frame and a wicker bed tray....I have always wanted one of these! But it will go to the Marketplace.....

So...I think I have plenty of projects for awhile...I am having fun!

Shabby Apple Giveaway!

I am a lucky blogger to be able to offer my dear readers a jewelry giveaway from the wonderful Shabby Apple! If you have never visited their site, you need to! They have the most beautiful women's dresses and accessories and little girls dresses at www.shabbyapple.com.

Here is the beautiful "Lost in Wonderland necklace" that you will win if picked for this lovely giveaway:

It is just so pretty and feminine!

Here are some of the ways you can enter to win this amazing necklace:

* Go visit the Shabby Apple shop and drool , ummm I mean, come back and tell me what you love in their store..... I bet you will find many things!

* " Like" Shabby Apple on Facebook and come back and tell me you did it.

* Become a follower of my blog (I just added that gadget! I need friends! I am such a computer dork!) and come back and tell me!

So....there you go! Three ways to win this amazing piece of jewelry! But! If you don't want to join in.....or you just have to have that lovely white dress they are also offering a coupon to my readers. The coupon code is: recycledrita10off and it will expire in 30 days.

The winner will be picked next friday, July 15th...I can't wait to hear from you!!!!

Have a great weekend! I will be back with some fun vintage finds!