The green door

I have a thing for little stone buildings.
We were married in this one a long time ago.
This is where my sister got married 6 months later.

I certainly got my fill in Scotland.

I'm not sure if it was the bright green door or the stonework
that originally drew me into the city cemetery last week.

More to come later about little stone buildings and local history....

Thrown-away memories saved

When I saw the sign out in front of a local B&B I just had to stop.

The bright orange sign said "garage sale."

I just knew they'd have some real goodies.

I didn't know how inexpensive they would be.

I first stopped at the box marked "everything 5¢."

Inside were these four wedding photographs.

I just had to save them.

Don't you agree?

Everything else I bought cost less than a dollar.
Mostly paper ephemera and books I'll share with you later.

Funky green patina

Did anyone get the late '80s cultural reference in my title?

More photos from our outing to the cemetery. Edward Herbert Bemis was a local eye doctor who built quite a few beautiful houses in town. I'd love to do something graphically with the Art Nouveau elements I found on this door.

More photos here.

Angels among us

An obligation for my dh on Thursday morning meant I had to drag myself out of bed early to drive the boys to school. Road repaving then forced me take a different route.

I'm glad both happened. If they hadn't, I wouldn't have noticed the pretty little building at the entrance of the city cemetery and I wouldn't have gone back after dropping everyone off.

By far my favorite subjects were the stone residents.

I failed at crocheting flowers

Last night, my in-front-of-the-tv project was trying to figure out how to make crocheted flowers. I printed out multiple directions from the Internet, but failed miserably with the easiest one I tried.

All was not lost.
I was able to make circles (kind of), both flat (kind of) and wavy.

This wavy one is centered with a turquoise rhinestone pin.

This one has a clip-on earring center.

A little light housekeeping...

...both here online and around my house.

I've been so motivated with the nice warm weather and longer days. It would help to have someone to entertain my littlest "helper." He really misses the other kids since they are back in school and follows me around basically undoing everything I've done, lol.

The 5 milk glass lamps with floral shades are in my Etsy shop and I'll be listing more vintage items in the next few days. Don't forget, books are half off!

The fairy dresses will be up for preview on Collage and will be available for purchase on Monday.

On another front, I am busy getting our elementary school's yearbook designed. In the past I've done the bulk of the work myself but this year I have a dozen volunteers helping me with paperwork and taking/organizing photos. Leaves me more time to be creative. It is the school's 70th anniversary this year, so I am incorporating some vintage photos and retro fonts. So fun!

Little of this and that

Here's my crocheting. I'm mastered the most basic stitch, lol, and I'm practicing others. The two pastel pieces are dishcloths. And the two pieces under the bear are stuffed animal blankies. The bear's scarflette was going to be another blanket but I didn't like how difficult the yarn was to use. It is held together with a clip-on earring.

This is a drawing done by an artist Chris from California. To stretch himself, he asked for photos to draw from and I sent him a picture of my son drumming. Go look at his guitar artwork. Amazing!

Hoping he will eventually potty train, I bought these big boy pants from Missy for his upcoming 2nd birthday. Aren't they adorable?

Blast from the past

I love old signage and it was so fun to come across this coffee shop.

I've seen the trucks around before
but I never knew they had storefronts too.

This one is in Springfield, MA.

It was in a plaza of discount stores,
including the first Savers I've ever been in.

Someone else liked the sign.
(This was an instance where I wish I had a good zoom lens.)

Bloggy book winner

No time to write. My sister taught me to crochet yesterday and I can't put it down.

We drew a number and Barbara won my Blogiversary Book Giveaway!!!!

This is a drop in the bucket of blessings for her. She's been an even bigger winner lately -- two new adorable grandbabies. Go read about the latest's homebirth. I was impressed!

In the small world category, shes hared with me the story of her childhood Skotch Kooler. It really is amazing to think how streamlined things were back then compared to the carload of stuff we must carry whenever we go anywhere.

She also said my lamps remind her of the Grace Livingston Hill novel Re-Creations. Interesting.

Back to crocheting....

Look what I did with a little paper and glue

(WARNING: THIS POST IS PHOTOGRAPH-HEAVY.
PROCEED WITH CAUTION.)

Remember how I told you a few days ago to keep an eye out for what I did with the French floral gift wrap? Here's that post. You waited with bated breath, didn't you?

I found two hobnail milk glass lamps at the estate sale on Saturday.

They joined these three I found last fall. I'd actually had them sitting out on my kitchen counter, along with newly bought white shades, waiting for inspiration to hit. Inspiration knocked me over the head with a two-by-four when I found those papers.

The papers along with a bottle of Mod Podge, some pretty trims and buttons and family movie night (Night at the Museum was funny but not something I could sit and watch all the way through) and I now have 5 beautiful lamps to but up for sale on Etsy.

Floral Bouquet Table Lamp with red pom pom fringe

Cactus Flower Table Lamp with large white pom pom fringe

Floral Sprays Table Lamp with brown and pink ric rac trim

Lacecap Hydrangea Wall Lamp with green and pink ric rac trim

Roses Table Lamp with long white fringe

And as if I didn't decoupage enough, I also turned these three little votive holders...

...into sherbet-colored fairy cottages.