Dime Store Chic

Where Will I Be On Halloween?

BOO!!!!!~~~Happy Halloween, my blogland friends! This morning I'm heading out for a little treat, and I hope I don't wind up like this...

I'm going to my favorite hair dressers, but you probably already guessed that from this awesome photo! I'm way overdue for a highlight and trim---WAYYYYYY overdue! I do feel like The Bride of Frankenstein with the foil sticking out of my hair at crazy angels. I just hope the receptionist didn't double book my hairdresser, and I actually get out of the place within 3 hours. If it wasn't worth it, I wouldn't go.~~~So, Happy Halloween and go candy crazy! Tonight's the night for that! We're giving out Kit Kat bars and skull rings---SPOOKY!~~~XXOO, Beth

We Have a Winner! and A Bit of Pink Kismet

The random number generators have spoken. The number selected is 15 and the lucky winner of the Johanna Parker Snow Fellow is...Gay Wakeland! Congrats, Gay! Please send me your mailing info so I can send you your prize! Thank you to everyone who left a comment. I will be having another give-away soon, you betcha!

Yesterday, I got a lovely box in the mail from Mary Ann of Follow Your Bliss. The box was all wrapped in pink poodle paper (try and say that 3 times fast!) and contained the Itty Bitty Pink For The Cause book. Each carefully created page is a treat and contains a touching sentiment. The nice irony--the kismet-- was at the same time I got the book in the mail, I also got a letter from my local radiological center where I had paid a visit last week for my annual mammogram. It's funny how things just fall into place...

As you can see the letter states that there were "no significant findings" in the mammogram. The best news EVER! Now, I can relax, eat the candy Mary Ann sent (and I did too!), and show you a couple of the pages in this wonderful book:

A wonderful quote beneath the lovely photo of a loved one who fought the good fight.

Hope is always in style, I think. And Mary Ann included a cute owl pin that reads "Hope for Hooters." Love it!~~Mind if I get preachy? I must say that getting a mammogram is one of the easiest thing you will ever do for your health. The worst part for me was holding my breath while the picture was taken. It doesn't hurt. It's fast. And don't you want to know that you are OK? Go with a friend or family member if you're nervous. Your "girlz" need you to care for them. Enough preaching! I need to get back to being crafty--what I do best :)~~~XXOO, Beth

Sis BOOM!...and Another Give-Away!

The give-away fairies have sprinkled their pixie dust on little ol' me again! I was delighted to bits when the fabulous Jennifer Paganelli told me I was one of the lucky winners of her fat quarter fabric give-away!

I received a gorgeous package of fat-quarters in the latest Sis Boom fabric designs: Times Square!

Can you say luscious??? I can't wait to make something out of these wonderful colorful new patterns! Oh my! Jennifer you out did yourself on this design! I have used Sis Boom fabrics before and just love the colorful, vintage evocative look of them. You can check out the whole collection here. Thank you so much, sweet Jennifer!

In the spirit of the recent FAB give-aways I have won, I have a give-away for YOU! As you may or may not know, I work part-time for the delightful Debbie Buchanan at your favorite on-line gift shop Bayberry Cove! My job is to gift wrap each and every item and pack them lovingly and carefully for shipping to the lucky customers. I see such wonderfulness on my wrapping table, and I always come home inspired. Here is a recent addition to the Bayberry Cove family:

This little snowman (measuring 9 inches tall) is designed by the talented Johanna Parker! He is so cute with his quizzical little expression! You could leave him out all year, but I am offering him to you as an addition to your whimsical holiday decor.

To win this cutie pie Johanna Parker snowman, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post (international friends welcome too!). It's as simple as that! I'll pick a random winner on Wednesday (Oct. 29th) evening at 7 p.m. EST.~~~Good luck!~~~XXOO, Beth

My Grandma's Christmas Coat

When I was little and not-so-little, one of the constants that I could count on at Christmas time was the bright, glittery Christmas corsage or brooch on the lapel of my grandmother's coat. I'm not sure where she got these wonderful explosions of holiday cheer to wear, but I used to stare at them when I was given the task of putting her coat on the bed after she arrived at our house. My great Aunts Ethel, Lucy, and Helen wore similar corsages as well as their Evening In Paris or My Sin perfumes. I have made  corsages and wreaths from corsages inspired by those fun dime-store Christmas corsages. Lately I have used ribbon and vintage jewelry to  make brooches with the same spirit as those corsages and holiday-themed costume jewelry my grandmothers and great aunts used to adorn their Christmas coats.

Here are four I recently made and will list in my etsy shop today:

I used lovely shades of grosgrain ribbon, vintage jewelry and other glittery, shiny holidays bits to make these fun holiday adornments! I think my grandmothers and great aunts would be pleased!~~Have a fin crafty day!~~~XXOO, Beth

Estate Sale in My 'Hood~~Part Deux!

OK, since the day was balmy and not as rainy as predicted, I just knew I had to venture out of my sewing frenzy and give the estate sale around the corner one more look. I am glad I did! The dudes selling stuff said fill a box and we'll give you a good price. That also meant box lots. I could take things out of these too! Just fill a box of my own goodies! I can do that--I can DIG through stuff! Here is what I uncovered:

Apron patterns, a hat with daisies, two rose napkins, crochet books with great graphics, more trim and Christmas!

I love these patterns. The one in the upper middle is really cool. It's called a flower petal apron. My BFF Suzy says she will make one of those aprons out of feedsacks--she DOES make the most wonderful aprons!! I love the Ding Dong School little girl smock dress pattern too. The yellow bird on a cherry branch was handmade by the sweet lady who lived in the house.

Check out this headband with the soft velvety flowers! Lots of elf and other holiday adornments, crochet trim, and strands of pearls too!

This box is elbow-deep in trims!~~Now, how in the world did my friend Vintage Sue miss all of this goodness? She did find some lovely things though!~~The guy taking the money barely looked at my treasures, and I tried not to get too excited, but when he said $10 for everything, I couldn't tear the money out of my wallet fast enough!~~I think I don't need to go back...maybe :)~~~XXOO, Beth

Estate Sale in My 'Hood!

Around seven this morning I scanned the estate sale ads in the Washington Post and saw a sale that is literally in my neighborhood, around the corner, a two minute walk away! The best thing about the ad was it advertised vintage sewing and crafts! I took off to see which house it was, found it, and remembered the sweet elderly couple who had lived there. I also saw numbers out. I got one...number 2!

I went back to the sale a little before opening time, and chatted with a few folks in the short line. The woman who had number one practically shoved the rest of us out of the way to be first. When the doors opened, she immediately grabbed up a box full of dolls which were individually priced. As I headed for the basement, after learning that was the location of the sewing/craft stuff, I heard another woman in line telling the doll-grabber that she had to share. Glad I wasn't in the market for dolls otherwise it may have turned ugly.

I was in the sewing stuff room alone for about 15-20 minutes. Some of the prices were silly, esp. on the buttons which weren't anything special, but it was trim-central! I got a lot of trims and ribbon for really give-away prices. Here is my loot:

Rick rack, piping, ribbon, trim, ball fringe, and wired cherries~~FUN!

I really NEED rick rack! Oh, and that wonderful strand of rhinestone trim too!

I love this New York hankie--it'll make a cute tote. The sweet sleepy lamb planted is destined to be a pin cushion! All this crafty, sewy goodness in my 'hood!~~~Have a happy thrifting weekend, my friends!~~~XXOO, Beth

PS: I must tell you to stop over at Camp Whimsy! The fabulous Kim is hosting a SWEET give-away! Don't delay--enter!

I Fell On The Floor With Happiness!

Yesterday two lovely packages arrived at my doorstep!

I had entered Miss Susan T-Cozy's sweet tea-themed give-away and I WON! Here are the lovely goodies Susan sent me wrapped all pretty and tied with twine:

Just look at these rosy porcelain tea cup and pot! And the cute teapot coin purse handmade, I believe, by Susan's grandma. I ADORE the trio of vintage wooden blocks spelling T-E-A! These items have an honored place in my kitchen. If you are looking for delightful vintage items for your decor, please visit Susan's cool blog Kitsch Encounter! Thank you SO much, sweet Susan!

The other package made me fall on the floor! Miss Elizabeth, the sweetest gal and most talented stitcher, created a custom heart for little ol' me! Elizabeth had purchased one of my pin cushions and was inspired to create her own interpretation--I'm flattered speechless! She then decided to share her talents with me and made this sweetie out of the kindness of her BIG heart! I am in AWE!...

Look at these stitches! So lovely, so detailed, SO perfect! I have hung this sweet creation on my studio wall where I can catch glimpses of it when I'm sewing. Elizabeth is one dear and generous lady, and I am honored to have her as a new blogland friend.~~~~May your day be filled with lots of sweet surpises too!~~~XXOO, Beth

Sewing Frenzy!

I am in a sewing frenzy!

On Nov. 8th, I will be participating in my first craft show with my BFF Suzy at my son's high school. Now, I have been in an open house at The Cottage, had an open house at my home, and have sold my wares in person to my fellow romance writers at our annual retreat, but truth told, I feel more comfortable in selling on-line. I'm not a fan of driving all over the place, sacrificing weekends to sell my creations. I'm lazy in that regard. I know those of you out there who've sold at craft shows have your own special horror stories of unattended children going wild and breaking things, of the snide comments like "oh, I could make that myself", and it goes on and on. Why am I doing this sale? Simply put the location is literally a 2 minute (if that) drive from my house and it will support my son's school. Also Suzy is joining me, so if we don't sell anything, we will have a good day together.

We will make our booth colorful and inviting. We will pack it with our wares and see if anyone is interested. We WILL have fun!

If you are in the area, Falls Church, VA, on November 8th, maybe you can stop by. I'll give more details the first week of November. Now, I MUST get back to my sewing machine...XXOO, Beth

Looky What I Found!

I was visiting my local consignment/thrift shop the other day, and as I was leaving I found these by the door~~~~FREE!

There was a third wallpaper book, but they are so darned heavy that I only dragged two up to take some pretty pictures to show you. Now, I didn't know anything about Brunschwig & Fils, but my mom and my BFF Suzy knew everything about them. They were both quite shocked to hear that these were free! Apparently B & F is high end. I guessed as much when I peeked inside and saw the loveliness inside!

Page after page of little snippets of fabulous trims!

This wallpaper is so detailed and lovely! Handblocked too!

Delicious!

Can you imagine this on one wall in a romantic bedroom?

I have two books loaded with GORGEOUS pages of patterns like this! I don't do a lot of paper art, but I'm sure these papers will find their way into my etsy shop! Thanks for taking a peek at a few pages out of dozens and dozens! May your week be filled with fun finds too!~~~XXOO, Beth

When Your Brain is Tired, Relax, and Try Something New

The past week has been exhausting on so many levels that today I NEEDED time to decompress. I found a couple of hours and a few brain cells that weren't too tired to think creative thoughts.

I sat in my studio with my mouth just hanging open, because I was too tired to close it, and stared dumbly at my vast stacks of ribbon, pile of covered button blanks, fabric scraps, and inspiration eventually invaded my few alert brain cells. I'm pretty sure I have seen similar things like these rosette pins before, but I don't know where. 'Fess up if you've made anything like this before, and I'll give you a link in this post to a photo of your ribbon pin creation!

Snips and scraps of ribbon and fabric, lots of stitches, and a little glue, and three plain award ribbon rosettes become brooches for a jean jacket or tote! I will be listing these brooches, new pin cushions (did someone say Christmas pin cushions?), and some vintage-inspired holiday decor bling beginning at NOON est on Monday, October 20th, in my etsy shop!~~Have a happy rest of your weekend!~~~XXOO, Beth