SWAP!!

Chateau of Remnants recently invited me to join in a swap she was hosting called The Vintage Solstice Swap. Anything with the word "vintage" count me in! I was partnered with the very lovely and talented Jessica of Kids Napping? I'm Scrapping! I was so excited when I opened this lovely box...

I had told her I was 'into' aqua lately-so she went with the aqua and cream theme.... The box was lined with the vintage brown and aqua handkerchief and included all this cream and aqua goodies!!!

vintage lace and crochet flowers adorned vintage bingo cards....

6 ATC cards...she noted that she'd seen my Tablescapes where I used ATC's as place cards and made these for a future Tablescape! I love them and my head is reeling with ideas of an aqua and white Tablescape!! ;-)

..a few vintage playing cards (perfect for future ATC's--I always make mine on vintage playing cards) ~ And look at these darling "book beads"! (Book marks) Great for summer reading--it feels so beachy!

Fun vintage ephemera for my collage art....

This darling little scrapbook--perfect for newborn pics of our first grandchild due in Dec!

And two rhinestone embellished creamers! Lovely for tea parties, or salad dressings at dinner, or holding my roses from my garden.

Thank you so much, Jessica! What a fun swap to participate in!!

Off to Bodega Bay...

Caleb (youngest son) and I are taking off for a couple of days to Bodega Bay to visit Monty & Kathleen (bro-in-law and sis-in-law). They rented a beach house for a week and are having friends and family come and go. Alas, Steve had commitments here and couldn't get away.

As a 'thank you' I created a little photo scrap book for Monty and Kathleen to store their memories of their week at the beach house.

Please excuse the poor quality of pictures--I was in a hurry,but you'll get the gist of it! ;-)

I made the tag (above) for the outside package....love that quote!!

I tucked in a little envelope to store extra prints.

The back...

Well, gotta finish packing! See ya later!!!

Metamorphosis Monday

Just got in under the wire for Metamorphosis Monday! Too many things going on around here making it difficult to make time to blog! Anyhoo..here is my entry~

I was given a darling sugar and creamer from my dear friend Anita..only the sugar bowl had lost its little toppey thing. I found an old vintage earring just the right colors and decided to glue it on...I just clipped off the clippy part of the earring and glued it on...

...with E600 glue--a marvelous glue I use for all sorts of projects. Easy-Peasy!!

Here is the set displayed on my kitchen table..until I found just the spot for them to live for awhile...

..on my coffee table in the sitting room!

Check out all the other great Met Monday ideas over at Susan's at Between Naps on the Porch!

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th!! Zac and Amy are up visiting from Seal Beach..Amy's got a cute little baby-bump!

We rafted down the American River yesterday, today is a bar-b-que at mom-in-love's house along with fireworks..tomorrow is Christmas in July. I'm lovin' having all the family together!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend, too!!

Grandma's Bottles

I recently cleaned out the guest room and when I came across this display I snapped a few pics. Memories came flooding back as I looked at these bottles.
They had belonged to Steve’s grandma and came to me plain. She saved everything and these were really old bottles.

Grandma was your quintessential grandma..she was short, with short gray hair, sensible shoes, and a strong German character.
She outlived two husbands and a baby daughter. My own grandparents lived far away when I was growing up, and died when I was young. I was so blessed to inherit Steve’s grandma when I married into his wonderful family. I always felt loved and accepted by her.
As a young wife and mother, I was fascinated with what life was like for her when she was my age. We had many discussions about home making, and being a wife and mother. She patiently answered all my questions, some, looking back, must have been embarrassing for her, but she must have known the innocence of my inquires and my need to figure out what life was all about. (I found out later that she didn’t even have these discussions with her own daughters!)

Well into her 80’s she lived alone in a two-bedroom bungalow, where she kept a garden and canned her own fruits and vegetables. She made dill-pickles to die for!

She had a strong faith and loved the Lord, although when we named our youngest son Caleb, she apparently didn’t care for the name. I said “But Grandma, the name Caleb is in the Bible!” to which she responded “I know, I looked. But it’s only in there twice!” :-D

She lived a good long life. Kept active almost to the end with church activities and game nights with her “Lady Friends” as she called them.
She passed away 16 years ago at 94 years. I loved her with all my heart.

When Darlou and her sisters were going through her things if they’d come across something they think I’d like they’d say, “This looks old-give it to Myrna!" ;-)
That’s how I acquired these bottles, along with some of her costume jewelry and bits and bobs from her sewing box. I gathered up the items and glued them on the bottles. Used her earrings for the tops of some of the bottles. That was 16 years ago. Back then I called them ‘embellished bottles”…NOW it’s called “altered art! Who knew that it would become so popular today? ;-)

Should you need to powder your nose...

..I would direct you to the sign on the guest bathroom door.....;-)

I thought I'd give a little tour of our guest bathroom...it's been this way for awhile and I'm feeling like adding a little color to it. I'm thinking aqua....

I collect 'motto's' and like to display them in small spaces....

This little table was purchased at a garage sale for $2!! I painted it white and 'antiqued' it with furniture scratch cover, 'cause that's all I had in the house at the time. I have a discontinued wall paper book that I ripped a couple of pages out and glued them on the surfaces..covered the edges in trims found at Big Lots.

A close up of the collage that hangs above the table....

Here's the little vanity. I dream of someday fitting a small antique dresser in there and set the sink inside the middle...you've seen those before, I'm sure. I have the hand soap sitting in an old silver victorian pickle jar holder.

And a shelf above the commode..displaying some fun treasures. I think bathrooms are a fun place to display fun odds and ends, don'tcha think? I'll let you know when I get the aqua in there!!

Have a wonderful day!!

'Nother Cute Store in San Diego

The day I was flying back home from San Diego, my dear friend Toni (who was taking me to the airport) and I stopped by a few antique stores. This is the only one I took pics of. It's called Vignettes and I just love it!! This is Toni in the above picture. Hi Toni!!!

And this is the sight that greets you when you enter the door.....okay, no more writing, just the tour. Enjoy!!

I just loved this cute little embellished shelf! How fun to take a few doo-dads and attach 'em to a little shelf!

Have a lovely day!