Dime Store Chic

Purse-a-Rama!

My sewing machine is gasping for breath!~~I have had a blast making new purses and totes for my etsy shop! I used a new pattern which I adore and which I shared with my BFF Suzy (who has her own fab creations in her etsy shop). Here are a few examples of the new goodies I listed in my shop this morning~~~

This is the SWEETEST vintage floral fabric I found at an estate sale last year. I love the soft cottage hues of this fabric and thinks it goes so well with this soft purse design.

I found this mermaid and seahorse fabric by Heather Ross at a recent quit show. I just HAD to make a summer bag from it!

Thanks for looking, my friends! There are more purses and other one-of-a-kind fun goodies in my etsy shop!~~~Have a lovely lovely day!~~~XXOO, Beth

One "Ducky" Winner!

Hello, My Friends!~~~

The lucky, ahem, I mean "DUCKY" winner of the Jennifer Murphy ducks from Bayberry Cove is number 14 Amy from Crafting by Candlelight! Congrats, Amy! Please send me your mailing address and we'll get those ducks to you this week! And a HUGE thanks to all of you who entered!~~~XXOO, Beth

BIG SALE at Bayberry Cove and a Give-Away!

Happy Friday, My Friends!~~~

My dear friend Debbie over at Bayberry Cove is having a BIG "Last Call" sale! You really NEED to dash on over there to scoop up incredible bargains (up to 60% off!) on the cutest wares. Once they're gone, they're gone! Debbie has generously donated the sweetest pair of Jennifer Murphy ducks for me to give-away to one lucky friend! Take a look~~~

Theses cuties would look wonderful on a feather tree or anywhere you would like some charm! Please leave a comment on THIS post and I'll draw a name bright and early on Sunday morning (EST), April 26th!

Go to Bayberry Cove! And yours truly may just very well be the one wrapping and packing your order!~~~Have a WONDERFUL weekend!~~~XXOO, Beth

Celebrate Earth Day 2009

Happy Earth Day, my friends!

Celebrate the Earth today! You can~~

Take your own grocery bags when you shop!
Hit the thrift shops (my favorite!) and get used goods. It's recycling!
Plant edible herbs in a large pot or other container (as long as there are drainage holes in the bottom).
Trim your trees or shrubs to keep them healthy.
Check with your local refuse company to see what they will recycle.
Old electronics? Many local jurisdictions have computer/electroic recycling programs.
Use your gutter downspout and rain~~install a rain barrel.
Turn off lights when you leave a room.
Unplug appliances when not in use (toaster, coffee maker).

And PLEASE get a reusable water bottle and use tap water. If you want to know what plastics do to our Earth please read the Chapter Entitled: "Polymers Are Forever" in The World Without Us by Alan Weisman. And if you are using a facial scrub make sure the granules you are scrubbing with are natural (nuts shells, sand, etc.) and NOT tiny polymer grains. When you wash your face of the scrub those teeny grains go into the water, river, ocean. Little organisms eat them, then little fishes eat the organisms, then big fish eat the little fish, and then you eat the big fish.~~OK, enough preaching, You get the message. Now go out and enjoy the Earth! Enjoy just being!

Visit Earth Day Network for more great ideas and news as to what is being done around the world to make life greener. Kaboose has some wonderful Earth Day Crafts here.

Have fun when you celebrate Earth Day 2009!~~~XXOO, Beth

Corsage Madness!

Happy Monday, My Friends!~~~

It's been a while since I made a batch of corsages! I found some fun vintage pieces which inspired these new over-the-top offerings!...

This would be a cool Mother's Day gift!

If you wore this on a cruise you would get a lot of attention!

These and other corsages a re fresh in my etsy shop today!~~~XXOO, Beth

Having Fun Playin' Hooky!

Hello, My Friends!~~~I am writing you this from my hotel room in Leesburg, Virginia. I am attending my annual writers' retreat and am having a wonderful time! This morning I led a workshop on collaging for book inspiration. Part of the hotel is a historic home from the late 1700's. Here is the room where we worked on our collages...

It looks like we are getting ready to sign the Declaration of Independence in here! It was fun class, but after my after lunch massage (!) I got in my little car to play hooky in Leesburg! Little did I know they were having a fun street garden festival...

I bought a sweet standard topiary from this booth specializing in elfin gardens...

This looked like the biggest bird house or dog house or outhouse?...

I had to pop in one of my favorite antique malls to see Sue's new digs. She has the coolest booth in the whole shop!...

Then I HAD to visit The Cottage!...

Ann was there to greet me as it was Linda's birthday today and she was out enjoying the garden festival. Ann graciously let me take pictures of the interior goodies to share with you! Here goes!...

I want to live in this bedroom!

Cool and very clever display!

Sweet pink cane back chair!

And more pink in these lovely pink umbrellas!

But this old hotel sign was the eyecandy of the day for me! I would LOVE to have this in my house!~~~That's my hooky afternoon. I had fun just being out for a little while, enjoying the warm air and sunshine, connecting with friends, and finding fun new goodies along the way!~~~Here's to your fun weekend and don't forget to play hooky once in a while!~~~XXOO, Beth

Farm Fresh New Books!

Hello, My Friends!~~~

The sun reappeared today! I would never complain about the recent two days of steady rain, but it was wonderful to have the sun shining down on my face after two days of cloudy gloom.

I got my order from Amazon today, two farm fresh books on cooking from the bounty of the local farmers' markets. In two weeks the farmers' markets will begin here in the Northern Virginia suburbs and I am anxious to go. My goal for me, hubby, and son is to eat fresh and local. I hope these two well-reviewed books will show me the way...

Local Flavors by Deborah Madison is chock full of gorgeous photos and step-by-step recipes for the culinary-impaired like myself. Fresh From the Farmers' Market by Janet Fletcher gives recipes for the seasons and beautifully describes the virtues of all of the produce you would find at your local farmers' market. The sweet embroidered towel in between these fabulous books was made my mom back in the 1940's when she was a little girl, and having your own "victory garden" was a necessity.

I recently planted my own very small urban "kitchen" garden. I was delighted to see today, after the rains, that the peas are beginning to break through the soil and the Hollyhocks I planted along the fence are up with their seed leaves.

Herbs are the mainstay of my wee garden, with thyme, oregano, parsley, and shallots. I put in some cabbage plants and surrounded them with prickly sweet "gumballs" to discourage slugs. There are lettuce seeds among a few lettuce plants from the garden center, and the bush pea trellises are just beyond the cabbage. I will put in a container tomato plant and sweet basil when the weather warms a little more. I don't expect a bounty from my tiny plot but it'll be fun to harvest something from my own backyard.

All I can say is "YAY SPRING!"~~~XXOO, Beth

Spring in the Studio!

We may have awakened to a gloomy April showers morning, but it is springtime in my studio! I have listed four new pin cushions in my etsy shop and sunny YELLOW seems to be in my eye these days! Here is one of my favorites~~~~

The weather prediction is for sunny skies and warm breezes later this week. I'm looking forward to that!~~~XXOO, Beth

Garden Trinkets, Antiques, and Too Many Bunnies and Chicks

I'm writing this from the back porch of my parents house. Spring has sprung big time in Richmond, VA. It's about 90 miles south of where we live.  I visited an antique mall and spent time strolling my Mom's garden. She instilled the love of garden ornaments in me. We both don't own flower pots without at least one garden ornament in it. Here are some ornaments in my Mom's garden...

These sweet blue star flowers lead up to a shiny gazing ball.

A serene angel guards the boxwood hedge.

Lenten Rose blooms all over the yard.

I adore the shape of this clay birdhouse.

A frog Mom rescued from a beloved aunt's house.

Here are my finds from the Forest Hill antique mall in the tiny Stratford Shopping Center in Bon Air, VA.

Lots of figurines for future pin cushions. The Hula couple is so fun! The old belt buckles will adorn the pin cushions too! I couldn't pass up the $1 wildflowers book from 1951, and the doll card I think I'll make a fabric transfer and use on a fun tote bag! Not a huge haul, but a charming one!

Here are two crafts I did from Easter's past~~~~

I made these felt blanket-stitched bunnies sixteen years ago. We had not yet moved into our house and were living in a cramped apartment. I was just going to make three for my Mom, but I became obsessed. Obviously!

About eight years ago, I decided to cover a foam egg completely in chenille chicks. This craft proves that I'm embedded in the philosophy of "more of a good thing is wonderful!"~~~

Completely lost my mind with the glue gun here. Or not. I really like this, and my Mom has displayed it every year since I gave it to her.~~~Have a wonderful Easter, my friends!~~~XXOO, Beth

Hometown Dreamin'

Good morning, My friends!~~~

All is back to just fine with me. Again, thank you SO much for your wonderful comments and encouragement! I am back in at least 95% of my normal self and am getting better each day! Today we are heading down I-95 about 1-1/2 hours to my hometown of Richmond, Virginia. I am taking my camera because I want to show you my fave antique malls and am hoping to find some new goodies! I plan on listing new items in my etsy shop next week so stay tuned!

Here is downtown Richmond as I remember from my childhood in the 60's and 70's. I was born in downtown Richmond too!

The big plain building on the left is Thalhimer's department store. It is now demolished to make way for condos. My grandmother worked there selling gloves for 35 years! ~~~More later!~~~XXOO, Beth