Dime Store Chic

Bits N' Pieces Swap & I Love Lucy!

We returned from our week in New York state and Vermont this morning. What a wonderful surpise to find a box from the super-duper Jen Duncan! Jen is my partner in Jenny at Everyday is a Holiday's Bits n' Pieces collage swap. And...WOW! I was totally blown away at what Jen made just for little ol' me!

This is PERFECT! Jen knows I love to sew and that may fave colors are green and pink! She went over-the-top on this sweetie!

I was soooo excited I just had to hang it in my office/sewing studio right away! The dangling chandelier crystal with vintage wall paper backing was just too too much! I adore the sweet sayings on the wall paper and other lovely ephemera! I just can't stop looking at this sweet and wonderful creation Jen made! She is truly talented!

Aren't these details exquisute? Many many MANY thanks to Miss Jen! I will cherish this beautiful art work always!

On the second to last day of our vacation we stopped in Jamestown, New York after visiting Niagara Falls. I particularly wanted to visait Jamestown because I am a HUGE Lucille Ball fan, particularly "I Love Lucy." In Jamestown you can see the house where Lucy spent her childhood.

It is a simple grey house on a quiet side street now called Lucy Lane. The house is privately owned and restored to how it looked when Lucy was a child. It was a quiet morning when we stopped by so I could take a few pictures. I'm sure the neighbors are used to tourists and Lucy fans like me stopping by!

Then we drove to Lucille Ball Memorial Park.

It is a quiet little park which, I believe, was the site of an amusement park where Lucy worked. We drove the short distance into town where we visited the Lucy-Desi Museum and the Desilu Playhouse. You can't take pictures in there, but the detailed replica of the sets from "I Love Lucy" and the costumes on the display, including Lucy's blue and white polka dot dress were on display. It was a thrill to see the sets and costumes in color. It felt as if I was seeing something so comfortably familiar to me. The "I Love Lucy" show has always been a part of my life and is the funniest, most well-written show and is the standard of all TV comedy, in my opinion.

Last of all we stopped at Lakeview Cemetery where Lucy's ashes are buried with her loved ones. Silk purple lilacs adorn the gravesite.

Her name is on the bottom beneath her mother's name. Lucy's father's name is on the top. I am glad to have visited the birthplace of my favorite performer. It's just one of those things I've always wanted to do.

XXOO, Beth

Big Fun In Vermont!!!!

We are currently in Vermont for a few days. This is such a beautiful and rural state. Every bend in the road offers a new delight! Each small town and village had a special charm all of its own. What I adore about Vermont the MOST is the antiquing! Hubby and son sat in the shade while eating donuts and drinking down fresh cider from the Cold Hollow Cider Mill while I poked around in this wonderful barn from 1828. In fact it's called the 1829 Antique Center! Three floors of wondrous treasures fill this barn and just looking at the wonderful huge, hand-hewn timbers inside is a thrill on its own!

I also visited the nearby Green Apple Antique Center in Jeffersonville, VT. It, too, is crammed with wonderful offerings! Near our hotel in Waterbry, is the  M. Lewin Antiques. This tiny shop is a delight for folks who love vintage sewing like I do! There is quite an assortment as well as other fun things! I managed to add several fun things to my stash on these excursions!

Now, the first thing we did today was stop at the Ben and Jerry's Factory! YUM! We took a tour which was topped off with a generous free sample of one of their newest flavors for 2007: Creme Brulee! Delish! I can't wait to find it at my local grocers! Here is a tombstone from Ben and Jerry's Flavor Graveyard. Sorry Suzy aka GeorgiaPeachez ;)

We drove through Stowe and up a winding hill to this place. In 1997 I was in Salzburg, Austria and took the Sound of Music bus tour. Silly, I know, but it was the cheapest way to see the area and you did get to see cool locations from the movie (while putting up with the movie soundtrack blasting through teh tour bus). Well, ten years late I find myself on top of a mountain in Stowe...

This is the Trapp Family Lodge. The family toured the world singing their little hearts out and making big money after being chased out of Austria by the Nazis. They eventually settled in Stowe and built this lodge. And, yes, when I went in the gift shop, the soundtrack from The Sound of Music was blasting in there. My Trapp family journey from Austria to the USA is now complete...

One of the more thrilling parts of our day today was driving up Smuggler's Notch. There's no worry with falling off the mountain, but more worry of running into one of the huge boulders which are on the edge of the road.

But this little sign on the information hut was so funny. I guess they don't want the doggies getting hurt climbing around on the rocks!

But why is the Target Dog on the bone? Isn't he a cutie?

More later! XXOO, Beth 

A Vintage Sewing Give-Away Teaser & More!

My BFF Suzy and I are having a Vintage Sewing Give-Away from July 1st to July 7th to celebrate the launch of both of our etsy shops on  July 8th! Stop by my blog and Suzy's blog GeorgiaPeachez the first week of July and leave a comment for the give-away! Suzy is giving away Vintage Sewing items in the delicious colors of pink and yellow, and I am giving away Vintage Sewing items in the luscious hues of green and aqua! Here is a sneek peek~~More the first week of July when you can enter!

My Tiara & Crown Swap partner Michelle posted some very cute pics of herself wearing the tiara I made for her and she posted a hilarious picture of the condition of the box I used to mail her tiara. OK, it had to go over 2000 miles, but did an elephant have to sit on it? Thank goodness the tiara survived! Here's a couple of pictures of my creation for Michelle before it took it's journey...

Vintage tinsel, rhinestones, vintage millinery flowers, pink hearts, roses, and the letter "M" for Michelle made this a regal topper for the Queen of the West who adores pink!

A card and a packet of more pink for Miss Michelle to use in future creations. I love this swap!

Before we dash off for a wonderful vacation in Vermont and New York, I just had to take some time from packing to work on my new book and create a few pin cushions and totes. I thought I'd share the pin cushions which are made from vintage figurines, feedsack fabric, vintage millinery flowers, buttons, bead, charms, you name it! These are a ball to make~~~I've made over 375 of them! Oh, and did I mention that after 900+ tote bags, 375+ pin cushions, Halloween costumes, and who knows what else, I broke the foot pedal on my Singer Sewing Machine? It gets stuck and keeps sewing when I lift my foot---Arghhhhh! I have to get my machine serviced and get a new foot pedal. The poor little dear seriously needs a check up, but I digress. Here are two photos of my newest pin cushion creations...

Happy blogging! I'll catch up with you all on the road! XXOO, Beth

My PARTEA Swap Goodies!!!

Well, Breanna of New York did an thoughtful and oh so FAB job of pulling together the most delightful basket of items for the Partea Swap! My big box o' fun arrived on monday and what a joy! Take a peek!

What can be inside this lovely basket all covered in tulle? And look at the very vintage sheet music she tucked into the bottom of the box!

The tag reveals the lovely goodies inside...

The necklace with cute vintage kitties and a Scrabble "E" is one of my vary favorite things! Breanna is a whiz with the soldering gun!

Beautiful embroidered hankies with the letter "H"! She knows me all too well! I love hankies! And a flowery scarf is the perfect accessory! BUT the crocheted cardtable cloth with "H" in lovely taupe is the PERFECT vintage accessory for the most special occassion!

Wow! What is inside these pretty packages? I can't wait!

A perfectly pale green teacup! Oh, Breanna, you know what color I simply ADORE!

A tin box of FUN! Breanne generously included vintage trims, emphemera, bottle caps, a pink baby, roses, and MORE!

Breanna topped herself by including two MORE of her handmade jewelry pieces! Delicate lace trim and roses pressed between glass~~~I love these!!!!

And, finally, I just had to show you the wonderful graphics on this pink packet of seam binding! This is now on my inspiration board! Thank you so so much, Breanna! You out did yourself, you sweet lady! XXOO, Beth

My Tiara Arrived~~I AM the Queen of Green :)

My lovely Tiara swap partner, MIchelle way out West in Utah sent me the most lovely GREEN with a touch of pink tiara! I was so very happy to now at last have a crown of my own. Everyone named Elizabeth needs a tiara of some sort, don't 'cha think? ;) Michelle also included a sweet green beaded ring with her lovely card~~Soooo thoughtful! Here are some photos of her lovely lovely creation:

MIss Michelle, mom to three little ones, is a multi-tasking Queen! She made this intricate, beaded lovely topper just for moi while getting ready to move her little ones and hubby farther West!

Just LOOK at the beautiful details! The rhinestone brooch in the center is a VERY charming and delightful touch!

Even the box she sent my tiara in is lovely and nicely glittery!

Beads, pink rhinestone flowers, frosty green hearts, flowers, and MORE beads~~~Perfection!

Many many THANKS to you, Miss Michelle! XXOO, Beth

Australian Cattle Dog and Our Deck Garden!!

I was up at my usual 5 a.m. this morning. I was putting the finishing touches on notes for a new book idea I needed to get to my lovely critique group by this evening. I finished at 6 a.m. and emerged from my basement office/studio to a beautiful early morning all quiet and crispy fresh.

The sun illuminated our deck in the softest light. Usually the sun is relentless on the deck for most of the day. The plants that are sun lovers thrive out there. Here are a few pictures:

I grew the elephant ears last year and had to put the HUGE and heavy pot in the living room to over-winter the coconut-sized bulb. It is a wonderful feature.

This sweet sedum is the home to the top of a trpohy I found in a house that was scheduled for demolition. The statue looks as if he's grateful for me sparing his little brass life!

My son's scary artwork sits on the deck between pots and troughs of sedums, and some wonderful corkscrew grasses that I have to water everyday because they are bog plants. The purple petunias are volunteers planted by the birds last year.

This wee varigated thyme is the cutests thing! The leaves are about the size of a gnat!

This is Scotch Moss. It is a lighter, more chatreuse color than the Irish moss. I just love the soft mound. I touch it every day just to feel how delightfully soft a plant can be!

I haven't bragged about my sweet Australian Cattle Dog, Sheila. Yesterday she was sleeping in the round chair in hubby's den. She looked so cute I just had to take a picture. However, she's such an alert dog that she perked right up when I walked in with the camera...

Then she heard the neighbor walking her dog outside...

She had to go check it out. Sheila positions herself on the bench by the front window. However, our kitty, Gyro, was already there...

They both fit on the bench for a short while, then Gyro usually leaves when Sheila starts barking. It's an uneasy alliance.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! XXOO, Beth

Nifty Book and a Great Find!~~Swaps Too!

I bought Bruce Littlefield's book Garage Sale America yesterday and I LOVE it! What a nifty book just chock full of picks and interesting stories about folks who have and go to garage sales! I think many of us can identify with some of the stories, especially stories of the one that got away.

The price is $19.95, but you can find it at a discount on Amazon and other on-line sellers. Check it out!

So, after getting all inspired, but with no garage sales to go on a thursday, I popped into my favorite thrift store which benefits Northern Virginia Hospice. I found two wonderful items in my favorite colors: mint green and pink!

The cotton darning thread in PINK will adorn my sewing "what not" shelf. Love it! BUT my fave find of the day is this very vintage mint green silk taffeta ribbon. The price sticker from Bloomingdales is marked 21 cents for seven yards of this perfectly chicly shabby ribbon. I'll have to use it for somethign VERY special! For now it'll sit next to the pink thread!

I sent out two swaps today to my lovely swap partners. Michelle is my swap partner in the Holly Doodle Tiara and Crown swap. She requested PINK and I hope I "pinked out" for her. I'm not going to post all of the pics I took of her tiara, because she hasn't recieved her box yet. I'll give you (and Michelle) a tease here:

I had a ball using lots of pink and vintage tinsel! Michelle wanted pink and glitter! She'll be the Queen of the West in this topper!

My other lovely swap parter is Jen. Jenny from Everyday is a Holiday is hosting the collage Bits & Pieces swap. I am honored to have the talented Jen Duncan as my swap partner. I created a collage just for her after viewing ehr wonderful blog. Here's a sneek peek:

I'll be sure to post complete pics as soon as these two lovely ladies receive their packages!  I LOVE swaps!

Take care out there in blogland! XXOO, Beth

More Trash Finds and a FUN Swap!

I had posted earlier about a lovely little lady in my neighborhood who puts the most interesting things in her trash pile on the curb, and of the gleanings I have taken home from her cast-offs. Well...the other day as I was leaving to go to my writing critique group (these are divine ladies and authors!), I spotted more treasures from this divine lady! Alas since I drive a VW Beetle (green, of course!) I didn't have room for these finds and had to wait until hubby came home from work with his pick up truck. Here is what I brought home with hubby's help:

I have been looking for old shutters, because I want to make a fireplace screen. I really think the one we inherited when we bought our house 14 years ago is very ugly, but it is practical since it's made from tempered glass and can be closed. I wanted something decorative and more in tune with our cottage decor to place in front of theww glass screen. These shutters are PERFECT!

Isnt't the little potted pine tree wonderful???? Here's a close up...

Hubby with his wonderful woodworking skills is going to shorten the shutters at the bottom and hinge three of them together to make a screen to set in front of the fireplace. He's very happy because he gets to use his powerwasher on them as these shutters are filthy! If the paint chips off too badly in the cleaning, I'll re-paint. I know the paint on these has to have lead in it. Suzy is going to get the fourth shutter for her garden!

I'll be sure to post photos after the fireplace screen is complete--and the journey along the way to creating it!

I have sent out my ParTea swap goodies to my divine partner up north Breanna and am sending out a another swap today! I'm not posting what I sent to Breanna as her box has yet to arrive and I don't want to spoil the surprise for her. However, here are the Button Cards I made which are going to Heather at Speckled Egg for her to distribute to the creative swap participants! I can't wait until I get mine!

I used images from vintage children's books and embellished the illustrations with buttons in all the right places. Here's a zookeeper at the birdcage with one HUGE flamingo head getting ready to peck off his buttons!

This pretty skunk with a "polka dot" button bow on her head is from a vintage Japanese children's magazine. The brown critter with a tall hat is from a box of Japanese candy my son likes that we buy at the local Asian market.

This perky pup with his brown button "spots" is ready for PLAY!

This "snowy" illustration is from a 1956 book on Science. I added the HUGE "snowflake" buttons! Gee Whiz!

And here are the backs where I used some of my favorite papers:

I use a strong sense of humor in my work: crafts, sewing, and writing! We all need a little grin in our days! :)

Take care and stay cool out there! XXOO, Beth

Saturday Yard Sales~Vintage Fabric Finds

On friday I drove out to Chantilly, near Dulles airport, to the Virginia Quilters Unlimited show. I am not a quilter, but as you may know from my previous posts and from seeing my offerings on ebay Beth's Bagz that I am a fabricaholic, espeically when it comes to vintage fabric. I know I'm not alone in my obsession! I found some wonderful new fabrics at the quilt show, and even waited in a very long line at one particular booth which had the very latest of many fabric lines. The wait in the line wasn't so bad as a huge pink bucket of Hershey Kisses was passed around! One of my favorite finds was at a booth with vintage feedsack scraps.

I bought five pieces of feedsack from the vendor. I especially like the pink piece with the circus dogs!

Yesterday I awoke at my usual sunrise. One of my neighbors adverstised a yard sale with "Vintage Sewing". How cool is that? I arrived one hour before the advertised time of the sale, and they were setting up. When one of the ladies asked me what I was interested in, I said "Vintage Sewing!" I was afraid she'd tell me to stop being so silly and come back when they were fully set up, but she invited me in and pulled fabric from various bags. I dove right in. Now, believe me when I tell you I had restraint. I have so much fabric that I use in my creations and I had to make the hard decision right then and there that I wouldn't just buy everything. I was a good girl. This is what I bought minus the feedsack from the quilt show.

I purchased a wonderful tablecloth with pink and yellow dogwoods, a whole pieces of feedsack with pink and baby blue blooms, and three gorgeous nubby pieces of barkcloth with lush tropical pink flowers!

Afterwards I visited a church rummgae sale where I found this wonderful old dish and fabulous box of reinforcements which has great graphics! The ecru crochet thread may come in handy even though I don't know how to crochet! I just loved the patina of the thread.

It was a great day! Today rain is predicted--finally! we need the rain--and I plan to stay inside and create totes and pin cushions from my finds, that is when I'm not helping my son with his end of the year middle school projects. He has to do a 3-5 minute play on a famous person from the 1990's and has chosen Bill Gates.  I know he'll do very well in that part.

I have made several things for my etsy shop debut and will let you know when the grand opening is! Have a wonderful day! XXOO, Beth