Vintage Decorating With Pumpkins

Hello!

I've been awhile since I've posted any fun vintage decorating ideas. Things have been a little crazy with work, family stuff, and a new writing class I'm taking.

A fun, easy, and cheap way to decorate your vintage items is to stop by your nearest farmers market or pumpkin patch and buy a variety of pumpkins in different shapes and sizes. Set these out around the house, in the yard, on the front porch-anywhere you need a little Harvest color.

The beauty of the pumpkin is that uncarved, it can be both Halloween and Thanksgiving decor.

Here's a few pics of some pumpkins around my house.

Take care, and see you again soon!

Di

Show & Tell Sunday-Pretty Figurines

Hello and Happy Sunday! Today's Show & Tell topic is our favorite pretty figurines. I only have one figurine (shopping is definitely in order), but she's very charming. I had always wanted one of these birthday figures with sparkles and pink flowers, but never got one as a girl. The beauty in being an adult is you can buy that stuff you missed out on as a kid. I lucked out and found her a few months ago at a yard sale. She sits in my antique, writing, sewing room and cheers me on silently in my endeavors.
For more pretty figures, check-out Cerri's blog at the Little Pink Studio http://www.littlepinkstudio.typepad.com/ for a link to all the great blogs sharing today.

Take care,

Di

Hello Again!

I hope you’ve all been well! The last few weeks have been crazy with too many things going on to possibly have time to blog about vintage decorating. That’s changed now, as we’ve fallen back into our fall routine.

Speaking of fall, Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday! Who doesn’t love the spooky decorations, dressing up, and candy (preferably chocolate). I still need to bribe my guys to get down all of the decorations in the attic (maybe this weekend), but I did have a few stray pumpkins from the local craft store that I put out as a “teaser” to the upcoming festivities.




Take care, and I'll talk to you soon!

Di

A Few of My Favorite Things

Hello.

Everyone should have at least one item that makes their heart skip a beat when they spot it in the distance at a yard sale and walk/run over, trying not to knock anyone down in the process. Having a collection turns an ordinary garage sale or rummaging through a dusty thrift store bin into a treasure hunt. You never know where that sought after item will pop-up.

I have a few treasures I search for on early Saturday mornings while bleary-eyed and pumped-up with coffee and chocolate donuts. I thought I'd share with you a few of my favorite things.

I love Eiffel Towers! They're romantic and make you feel as though you've been whisked away to some far off destination. I found this recent Eiffel Tower at the Idaho Youth Ranch for $1. It stands in front of a large plate with scenes of a French market in my craft/sewing/treasure room.

Every vintage princess should have a tierra! This is the first of what I hope are many future tierra treasures. Even though it's a cheap child's tierra, with fake jewels bought for .25 at a yard sale, it looks fabulous sitting on my chalkboard.
I love vintage snow globes but have never collected them. That is, until I saw this charming New York snow globe. I think a new obsession has been born. My birthday is in June, and I was thrilled to find this cute little June angel with sparkly jewels and pink crown.

Have a great weekend! I'm off to help the twins move into their college dorms.

Take care,

Di

Saturday Vintage Finds

Hello.

I hope you're all having a fun weekend full of fabulous yard sales!

I'm a little under the weather this weekend as my cold had turned into a non-stop cough fest, but I did managed to stop by a church benefit sale on my way to the drug store to pick up more NyQuil. I love a benefit sale. You can always find adorable vintage items for practically nothing and the money you do spend goes to help a good cause. Here's a few of the treasures I picked-up for a grand total of $20.00:

A "Knitting for Barbie" kit that includes two knitting needles and balls of yarn (I love the pretty pink and blue package and Barbie's tierra), a jeweled tierra no self-respecting vintage princess should be without, and a silver Eiffel tower to add to my collection.

Two 1930s flower paintings with gold frames and three tiny jeweled angels.
A pretty rose Mother's plaque with pink ribbon and three charming Christmas angel bells.
An assortment of cute vintage cards. I love the "Get Well Soon" card with nurse and hot water bottle and the yellow and pink Baby Shower card.
Last but not least, I bought a few vintage puzzles that had all the pieces and were put together. My favorite is this United States map with fun, cool 50s graphics depicting each state.
Check-out the dancing potatoes on the Idaho piece.

Have a great Sunday!

P.S.-I think I'm going to have super flat abs when this cold is over. All this coughing is giving them a workout!

Take care,

Di

Fun French Finds

Hello.

I'm a little under the weather with a horrible cold that makes my head feel as though it will explode at any minute. To distract myself from the Kleenex and NyQuil, I thought I'd share with you some fun French vintage finds that were in my antique booth.

While we're on the topic of the antique booth, a few posts back I mentioned I had closed my booth at the antique mall here in Boise because of the time involved in keeping it stocked and cute. Well, that decision lasted about 4 weeks! I've decided to reopen a smaller space at a larger antique shop (Antique World Mall). I realized I just can't quit this obsession and a smaller space will still allow me to shop for treasures while being more manageable with my full-time job and writing. I move in around the first of Sept and will share pics with you then. Wish me luck!

I bought the following adorable French items from a really sweet lady off of Ebay who was clearing out the stone schoolhouse she was renovating with her husband to be a B&B in a remote area of France. Here's a fabulous picture of the house! Us vintage loving ladies would kill to stay here for even one night!

A vintage French baby dress in pink gingham with yellow duckies looks cheerful hanging on a blue plastic child's hanger while blue and pink French flower canisters sit on an old beauty salon chair. A heavy French blue stoneware pitcher sits on a white wicker shelf next to blue bunny and chick French egg cups and a Lord's Prayer planter.

Other cute miscellaneous items circle the globe.

Have a good night! I'm off to NyQuil land.

Di

Weblog Award

Hello.

Sometimes a collective gloomy mood can spread faster than the first cold the kids bring home from school in September. It can affect how we feel and suck away our energy and enthusiasm. I've been in such a funk for the last few weeks as news of impending layoffs and budget cuts at the high tech company I work for have run rampant. What's worse, when we're in this state of mind, we tend to ignore the things that make us happy and can counteract the doom.

When I finally did check my email this week, I found that Kathy at http://justbeingcrafty.blogspot.com/ (Just Being Crafty) had passed the Brillante Weblog Award onto me. This award is given to blogs with fabulous pictures and text.

So the moral of this tale is when times get tough, do something you love. It will snap you out of a dark mood every time.

Thanks Kathy! Here's the seven fabulous webs I'm passing this award onto. If you haven't checked them out, please do.

1. French Garden House http://www.littlefrenchgardenhouse.blogspot.com/
2. Cherry Hill Cottage http://cherryhillcottage.typepad.com/
3. The Cottage Gals http://thecottagegals.blogspot.com/
4. Eye Candy Creations http://sweeteyecandycreations.typepad.com/sweet_eyecandy_creations/
5. My Polka-Dotted World http://mypolka-dottedworld.blogspot.com/
6. Dining Room Studio http://diningroomstudio.blogspot.com/
7. Rusty Cottage http://www.rustycottage.blogspot.com/

And here are the rules for those of you that have won.....Put the logo on your blog. Add a link to the person who awarded you. Nominate at least 7 other blogs. Add links to those blogs on yours. Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs. Take care and see you soon!

Di