Vintage Flair

Isn't this sweet?

I bought this sweet photo at the flea market a couple days ago and I just had to buy it.  I thought to myself how pretty the mother was and how adorable her little girls are.  Just look at their bows...how can you not love them?  It is so sad that people do respect these little bits of family history.  This photo didn't belong in the dirty flea market and I am happy to give her a nice home.

Party girls

I finished my collage for the Brilliant Strokes art auction and I hope someone will bid on it.  My husband told me he would buy it back for me if nobody bid on it.  Now that is a good a husband.  I tired a new technique with my collage by adding layers of paint to add some depth.  I think I need a bit more practice....Using paints is a bit hard to master.  I am off to paint my daughters antique bed creamy white.  We are completely changing the house around to accommodate our new little member arriving in December.  I need to do it in stages because it seems to be a domino effect.  You make one change in one room and then it causes changes in another.  Oh my!

A few new goodies from my trip

Over the weekend, my girlfriend and I went to the flea market to find some vintage items to help with storage in her craft room.  We were originally going to go to Wal-Mart and buy some plastic storage bins and I said to her now that you have moved away, we can't go there, lets go to the flea market together.  Needless to say, we had a great time and she found some great things to help with storage.  I only bought two items and here they are.  Look at this fabulous ledger I found for $3.00, YEP that is right.....$3.00!  The bonus is look how gorgeous the handwriting is inside.

I also bought this doll head for $4.50.

My girlfriend Amy gave me these wonder etchings and I am going to have them professionally framed.  I just love them.  Amy has many framed in her house and I have always admired them and now thanks to her, I am a few of my own. 

I now need tot get ready to watch Project Runway....oh ya and eat some of that Chunky Monkey ice cream I keep eying every time I open the freezer.

Vintage wallpaper inspiration board

Over the weekend my family and I  went to visit our friends that recently moved to Hot Springs, AR.  I was so sad that my friend Amy moved away because she was the ONLY one that got me in my neighborhood.  Even though she is 3 1/2 hours away, we will be forever friends.  Good friends are so hard to come by.  She is an interior designer (she SO didn't need my help) and she wanted me to help organize her craft room.  I am SO jealous she has an entire room all to herself.  Even my daughter said Momma, Miss Amy has an entire room for all of her craft stuff.  Funny she noticed that.  Well after much discussion, she and I decided to create a vintage wallpaper inspiration board above her computer.  I love it and I think it turned out better than I had envisioned.  I am happy that I was able to leave my personal mark on her craft room and I hope when she looks at it for inspiration, she thinks of me.  Here are some close ups.

~UPDATE~

I am getting many emails on how to re create this (I am so glad you all like it!)....To create this inspiration board, we used 4 - 16X20 foam core boards to create the shape and then just used spray adhesive to adhere the wallpaper on top.  To mount it on the wall, we used double sided thick tape.  Easy as can be!

We are going to be having a.......

Girl....Oh my!  That will make 3!

Somebody gets me.....

My daughters figure skate and I just found out that their coach gets my style and hobby...it is so nice when you don't have to explain yourself...isn't it?  She came over to pick up the girls for one of their lessons and my oldest daughter, Olivia showed her every square inch of our house.  I guess she is a chip off the old block.  When I picked them up at the rink, she was so excited that Miss Jennifer liked my craft closet and how the house was decorated.  I was happy to see my little ladies appreciate my style and our house.  They never tell me...they tell others.  I thought I would make Jennifer a collage to show her thanks for getting me!

I get to attached....

Over the weekend I was suppose to create some art for a local art auction (United Cerebral Palsy of NWA is hosting Brilliant Strokes, an art event that features live and silent auction of children's masterpieces as well as original art donated by local artists)....well as you can see I did create something but I love how it turned out and I decided to keep it.  Since I have plenty of time, I am going to create something else for the event.  Do you get attached with your artwork?  It is hard for me to part with it. 

Summer greeting card swap

I finished my cards for Heather's greeting card swap.  I made blank ones so the recipient will be able to use them for what ever they want.  I thought this was such a great swap because I never seem to have cards laying around the house and then when I need one....I don't have one.  I am now looking forward to creating a little stash of cards....I will be so prepared next time.  Here is a closer look at each one.  Have a great weekend, I am off to run errands.

What I did on my summer vacation

Here is a synopsis of what I did on my vacation in MI.

I bought all of these lovely goodies at the shop I mentioned in my previous post as well as a few others I went to.

A few photos inside the magazine.

A girl can always use more vintage hats

I bought a few odds and ends

While in Marshall MI, (antique shopping) I spotted my dream home or two.

After that, off we went to our cottage in the woods in Houghton Lake, MI.  While we were there, we went to Lake City and I ....

Sat on my rump at the beach and hung out with Olivia.

I watched my youngest, Lily-Grace constantly loose her drawers.

I did manage to FINALLY get up from my comfortable seat to dip my feet in the water.

After a long day at the beach, we all were hungry and we went to get a frickle (a pickle wrapped in a won ton stuffed with cheese and ham....I know, it sounds weird but WOW are they good).

My husband is trying to make our girls golfers...can you tell which one who is in to it and which one is not?

Oh, you can't celebrate a holiday without going to a carnival.  I hate going to them but the kids love them.  My daughter won this little puppy at a fishing game.

After all of that hoopla....I just needed to relax for the next couple of days and what I miss most about your little cottage is the peacefulness of the mornings.  This was my view as I drank my coffee each morning.

Oh...I got a much needed pedicure (notice the mosquito bite on my toe!)

I ended up the week with some lovely birthday cards from my favorite little ladies.  There is nothing better than kids artwork.

I could go on and on but I really don't want to bore all of you with my personal stuff.  I am going to be back creating this weekend and I hope to share photos with you very soon.  Have a great day.

One of my favorite places in MI

As part of my birthday request (Yes....I had many but that is OK I am worth it!)  I told my husband that I wanted to go to one of my favorite antique shops (Amazing Grace) in Marshall MI.  I visited the store by accident in January and posted about it here.  (Please forgive the old posts, since I changed my format on my blog half of the photos are cut off)  I took some more photos for all of you that live to far far to visit.  I will show you what I bought later this week and I also took some photos of some beautiful homes in the historical district.  I will try and post later this week, I am off to pack for a business trip.