I am soooo 80's!

Arg!!!!!!!!!  No it's not talk like a pirate day.  It's me pulling my hair out and screaming!

So short version of what I have been doing is I have been cleaning out!  Under the beds, in all the closets, in the pantry, garage and bookshelves...I don't think there is anything in my house that I haven't touched except the attic and I'm headed into there this coming weekend.  Add to all of that, we have gutted the master bath and we are overhauling it.  Kinda.  Did you know that almond fixtures are OUT?  I did, and so I was going to change the sinks, bath and toilets to white.  White never goes out.  Until I started pricing what it would cost us to replace the cast iron tub,  $1200.00!!!  No way am I paying 1200.00 for a bathtub just because I want to change the color.  So the new plan was buy an almond toilet and new almond sinks because they really do need to be replaced and the bathtub is just fine.  Dear husband and I took last week off to work on the bathroom.  Of course we had to order the sinks and toilet because as the girl who took our order said as she rolled her eyes, nobody orders almond any more because that is sooooo 80's and it's a special order.  It will take two weeks to come in!  ARG!!!  That's me yelling again.  So another week with only a working tub in the master bath and then we have to go downstairs and brush our teeth and use the potty in the 1/2 bath.  Fun stuff!

My mother in law, who has Alzheimers is not doing so good.  Her mental state is going down hill quickly.  I can see a difference every day.  She is still able to dress herself, make her own meals as long as she doesn't use the stove, and do some light cleaning, but that is about it.  She cries most of the day because she can't drive anymore and she doesn't want anybody to see her because she says they think she is crazy.  It is heartbreaking.  The woman who used to look at a ridiculously expensive dress in a catalog and then go and make it herself with no pattern, can't even remember how to thread the needle.  She calls us 10-15 times per day and asks the same questions, she is becoming very paranoid, she thinks there are people in her house taking things. 

We are looking for someone who can stay with her in the day while we are at work.  She doesn't want this, but the only other choice is a nursing home, and we really do not want to do that.  Please pray we find the right person soon.

On a lighter note, my sister did some awesome dumpster diving for me the other day!!!  Her husband has a rental house and the lady who lived near him passed away and her relatives brought in a dumpster threw tons of stuff away.  After they left Dear Sis went over and looked in and saw some fabric hanging out of a trash bag.  She crawled on in (she has learned well) and started looking in the bags and there were  bags of fabric that she pulled out, all in great shape and most from the 1960's and 1970's!  My neice and I split it.  Of course it hit the washing machine as soon as it came in the house, but it cleaned up great and I have already made a skirt from some of it.

No crafting or sewing going on right now as all the junk from the bathroom is scattered into every room upstairs and especially stuffed into my craft room.  Can't wait to get the project finished.  As soon as I'm done I will show you all a photo of my "vintage almond" bathroom!

Blessings

Linda 

Taking a Blogging Break!

I have been a terrible blogger as of late.  I keep forgetting to take photos of my projects before I give them away, I put my estate sale stuff up before I photograph it, etc...  Life is just really busy right now.  My mother in law is home and is doing better, but needs a lot of care.

I will still be checking up on your blogs as often as possible!!! 

Blessings

Linda

Super Quick Check In to ask for prayers.

Good Thursday everyone.  Just a quick post to say hi and to ask you for prayers for my mother in law.  I believe I have mentioned before that my mother in law in in the early stages of Alzheimers.  Well she had a cold for the last week and this morning when we went over to give her her medications (she lives next door), she was really feeling much worse.  So I took the morning off and took her to the Dr. who sent her straight to the hospital.  They are running some tests and think there may be a heart valve problem and are also checking for blood clots in her lungs.  She is 78 years old and is sooo frail.  Please ask the Lord to watch over her and keep her comfortable and her spirits strong through this.

I also thought I would show you a photo of my latest aquistion for the children's stove collection that I apparently have going on now..  it was unintentional, I assure you, but don't they say 3's a collection?  Yeah, I thought so.

It's a little on the rusty, crusty side but for only $3.50 there was no way I was going to leave it sitting there!  I got the little dishes at the same sale for 25 cents. 

Blessings

Linda



Model of the year is....

NOT ME!  I hate pictures of me!  But I wanted to share some of my latest sewing projects.  I have been sewing crazy this spring.  Unfortunately, I have gained about 10 pounds this year!  UGH!  It is mostly due to a migraine medication that I am taking that causes me to never feel full, so I over eat.  I am trying to keep this in mind and have started back to Jazzercise and running.  It's very hard to lose weight when you are over 50!

Anyway, here is a blouse and skirt that I finished and I love them both!  The skirt was made with a very soft denim and a vintage Du Barry pattern from the 1950's.  It was very easy to put together.  The blouse was made from a vintage Simplicity from the 1950's and was a little tricky.  The back has a V yoke and with that slippery fabric it gave me some trouble, but I finally got it and am very happy with the outcome.

The second dress is a red and white toile and just as plain as can be, but very comfortable.  I wore it to church with a red sweater with some white silk roses on the side and it looked really nice.

This was made with a more modern pattern. 

Next is a yard sale find from a couple of weeks ago that I have been meaning to share.  These are some "people" blocks that I bought at a church yard sale.  I thought they were so cute and asked why they were selling them.  They were asked not to let the children play with them anymore because they were not politically correct!  What??  Someone pointed out that there were no African-American or Asian people and that they portray men with typical "man" jobs and women as "mothers".   I am all about equal rights for everyone, but I think this is pushing it a bit far.  They are just blocks.  I bet kids wouldn't even notice or care.  If I wanted to be a firefighter, I would have just grabbed the firefighter block and pretended it was me, even if it shows a man being the firefighter. 

Stepping off the platform now....

these blocks are just dang cute!

So what if the women are wearing dresses... who cares??

(oops, back on the platform)

I love these blocks!

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!!

Linda



Estate Sale Pictures!

Finally! I have been so lazy about taking photos..I'm not sure what is up with that.

Anywhoo!!  Here are some pictures of the mountain of fabric I found at an estate sale this past weekend!

The smallest amount of any piece was a yard and a half and that the blue gingham and I got two pieces of that.

I love the blue and white.  There is four yards of that.

Remember when all department stores carried fabric?  I miss those days!  This was .20 a yard back in the day!!!

I love, love, love the pink check.

There is 7 yards of the pink and it is 60" wide!  The yellow is so 70's!

beautiful colors...

More pink!

And this is the blouse that is on my sewing table right now.  A cotton shirting being made into this vintage pattern.

I love the detail on the back!

And my favorite buy of the day!  A pink cabinet to match the rest of my pink Wolverine set!  I think all I need now is the sink and I will have the complete set!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Blessings

Linda



Sewing along..



LBP has been doing a lot of sewing!  However, I haven't gotten a photo of a single thing yet!!!  I have made two dresses, 4 pairs of shorts and a skirt in the last 2-3 weeks.  As a matter of fact that's probably what has caused this unusally cold couple of weeks we have been having.  I put up all my winter clothes and am in the process of making some summer ones.  Murphy's law and all that!

Hopefully I will be back this week with photos of what I've made and the awesome fabric I got at an estate sale this weekend!

Blessings

LBP

Yard Sale Score!

Good Tuesday Morning!  It is bright, sunny and unseasonably warm in SW Virginia today and I am loving it!  Did you know that last Thursday it snowed a couple of inches here then the very next day got up to 70 degrees??  Crazy!  Snow boots to Swim suits in less than 24 hours!

Saturday morning I needed to go to the dreaded W*almArt to get a few things and passed a gigantic yard sale on the way, so of course I stopped.  It was being run as a fund raiser for the Alzheimer's Assoc.  I don't know if I have told you my mother in law has Alzheimer's.  It is such a cruel disease.  I would not wish this on my greatest enemy.

I am glad I stopped, because I found so much stuff that I just couldn't live without!  

A huge bag of embroidery thread, all brand new.

These 1950's cake toppers, they're not blurry in real life!

A huge bag of plastic baby cake decorating doo dads

A huge bag of Christmas cupcake pics.

A beautiful amber glass cake plate, a flow blue pitcher and the cutest little Peanuts tin,  Do you glimpse that Kiss item in the back??? It's a Kiss Christmas ornament!  And that little change purse is just like one I had when I was a little girl and kept my milk and ice cream money in for school.

Like I needed more cookbooks!

yeah, I bought 3 more...

My favorite find!!  Aren't these sooo pretty!  From Woolworth's, still has the price on the box!

More fun ornaments..

I already have one of these, I have no idea why I need another!

and a box full of Christmas doo dads to use in my crafting!

As you can see, I scored!!!!  For the whole lot she wanted $5.00...I gave her 20.00... it's for a very worthy cause! 

Hope everyone has a fantastic day!!!

Blessings

Linda

Happy Day After Easter!

Yesterday was too much of a whirlwind to even jump in here once to wish you Happy Easter!

It started out as a cool, rainy day but by afternoon had warmed up nicely and was mostly sunny.

All last week I meant to show y'all the Easter Parade going on in my dining room and never got around to it, so here it is now!  All my vintage chickies and roosters strutting their stuff across the top of my buffet!

Of course Mr. Rooster will lead the way.

Here was my favorite Easter creation from yesterday's lunch!  Peeps and fruit kabobs!

See my little lamb planter that they are in?  Ain't it darlin'.  A Goodwill find.

And look what the Easter Bunny brought me!  A new hoe and shovel!  I am so grateful, my old ones had wooden handles that were so old they were leaving splinters in my hands every time I used them.

Yngwie and I ready for church.  I just love seeing my son all dressed up!

Lunch time!  I had eight people for lunch and we had sooooo much food!  My niece is so funny.  She insists that I always put the macaroni salad in the blue bowl.

My sister, my Dad and me!  I am so blessed to still have my Dad around!

Hope everyone had a Happy Easter!

Blessings

Linda

Spoolie Swap

Good Friday Morning!!!  It is still crisp and cold in SW Virginia even though Spring begins next week.  Isn't that so exciting? I love Spring!

A shout out to Sandy for hosting an Easter spoolie swap!  I had never made a spoolie before and now I am hooked!  By the way..if you can't find an old wooden spool you can buy them at Joann Fabrics in a pack of 5 or 6 for $2.99.  If you have a half price coupon, you are in luck!

I was very lucky to have been paired up with Michelle at Nook and Cranny for this swap!  Just look at the beautiful things she made and sent to me

My spoolie and decorated box... look at the loveliness of both of them!

Here is a close up of the box.

And this is the spoolie she made..There is a spool under there!  Look at all the different mediums she used.  Yarn, silk flowers, moss, paper, wood,... just amazing.

And when I opened the box I was blown away by the surprises it held.

How did she know I collect vintage Easter postcards??

It just went on and on..I kept going back and looking at everything again and again..

I love these crystals.  I already had one just like them and I have put them on a chain with a crystal Princess House bead (remember those from the 80's?) in between them and it's so pretty!

Now I can show you what I made. 

This is the spoolie.  The bottom is an old jello mold and I put the spool on top along with a paper cut out and little vintage duck.  I had now made 5 of these..I will get photos soon.  I am giving them to friends and family for Christmas.

This is my decorated box.  I love the vintage bunny on top.  He was one of the vintage picks I bought last year and I am loving crafting with them this year.

I also made this little tote bag.  I transfered an old greeting card image onto it.

A bunny is guarding the bird house...

I also threw in one of my crocheted peeps, (I have made 10 of them!) some candy, lip gloss, and other assorted an sundry items..

A little Easter peg doll that I made.

And an Easter card.

What a fun swap!

Estate sale season is finally gearing up around here and I am headed to one at lunch today that looks promising!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Blessings

Linda