Vintage Linen Treasures

Valentine Hearts~ Embroidered Love!

2012-02-01T00:00:00.003-06:00

One of the things I love about vintage linens, is the beautiful holiday embroidery. And this month it's hearts! I'm not 100% sure that all these linens were used to celebrate St. Valentine's Day because they're too beautiful to bring out just once a year. Most likely most of these were embroidered by a bride for her linen hope chest.

Here's some HEART eye candy.

If you'd like to see more photos or get more details on these linens, please feel free to visit my eBay for more information.

Blessings,

Patricia :o)

New and Improved Laundry Room

2011-10-28T20:11:00.001-05:00

I've been dreaming of having a laundry room since we purchased our first home in California. The first one didn't have a laundry area and we had to do the laundry at my mom's. The second house, the washer and dryer were in the garage.

So I was thrilled when we bought our home in Texas and it had a laundry room INDOORS!! Woo Hoo!

But, it was just four walls and the hook ups. I needed a utility sink for soaking my linens and storage for all my ~~other junk~~ laundry products.

These first four pictures are the "before." (That's me in the first one)

No real storage

Blank boring walls

Linoleum flooring

And now the "After"

Nice sunny walls and white cabinets

Big sink with sprayer and under cabinet lighting,

Super cute dish towels

Little yellow birds doing what I do everyday...

…washing and ironing

Ceramic tile and vintage needlepoint door stop. So Cute!

The vintage iron on the left was my late mother-in-law's
The one on the right is a bank to collect loose change while doing the laundry

Adorable vintage laundry bag to collect single socks until they meet
up with their partner at the end of the month.

There are still a couple of tiny details that need to be finished on it, but it is fully functional. I LOVE it! The sink in this room is so practical not only because I can soak linens and wash dog bowls (not at the same time, of course! LOL), but because the garage opens into this room. So if hubby is working on the car, or my hands are muddy from gardening, we don't have to trapes through the house to wash our hands.

This room has been on my to-do list since we moved in. What a wonderful feeling to be able to line it out.

Blessings,
Patricia :o)

My chocolate pillow!!

2011-08-04T21:31:00.000-05:00

Look what I got in the mail. Just when I needed a pick-me-up, I get the sweetest little package.

I ordered this from my good friend Jil (never met in person, though LOL). She does WONDERFUL work and makes the most amazing pillows (and other sweet things - you should see her guest towels!! You'll love them).

I love this!! So pretty, So elegant, So CHOCOLATE!! Now this is how to get a chocolate bar fix with no calories.

And how cute is the back. Black and grey polka-dots. Sorry my pictures don't do it justice.

Not only is she super talented, she's as sweet as can be. Ya gotta vista her beautiful blog; Say it with Roses. But wait, there's more!! Check out her Etsy shop and her web store, The Ruffled Rose to see all her goodies. You won't be disappointed!

Blessings,
Patricia :o)

Vinage Tablecloth Curtains - Catch 22

2011-07-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

There's a little town North East of San Antonio called Geronimo. It's tiny, and basically feels like it's in the middle of nowhere. It has one street through it, and that street is lined with antique stores.

Hubby and I go every few months just to check things out, and after shopping we go to the one and only place to eat (see address at bottom of page). A little family owned and operated hamburger place. Everyone in the family has a job, and Grandma's job was to make the curtains.

She took vintage tablecloths, cut them in half and added tabs to the tops.

Each tablecloth curtain panel is lined with a white fabric for support and protection.

And each tablecloth is different, except for the tabs which all have the same fabric.

I was embarrassed to ask if I could post a blog about the curtains. All the pictures were taken on the sly so they're not as good or as detailed as I would have wanted them to be. Rest assured that before I walked out of the restaurant, I did ask for permission to post the pictures I had taken. They said yes, but by that time the place was filling up, and I was embarrassed to take photos in front of everyone. SILLY!!! I know. LOL

Catch 22 about using tablecloths as curtains: Because tablecloths become semi translucent when held up against the light, they have to be perfect. Any stains, tears, holes or imperfections will show, even if lined with a backing (unless it's light blocking). So basically you have to use a perfect vintage tablecloth. But I can't bring myself to cut a perfect tablecloth if it's perfect…Catch 22.

Blessings,
Patricia :o)

Grain Bin Cafe & Store

121 Dennis Road, Seguin, TX 78155-0402(830) 379-2233

Shabby to French

2011-07-05T06:37:00.000-05:00

I think I am slowly growing out of my "shabby" phase. Although I'm still very much attracted to white fixtures dripping with shining crystals. But my current house doesn't seem to support that kind of thing.

When I first found these two scones (many years ago) they were an ugly silver mat or aluminum color. I spray painted them white, but it was too white so I dry brushed and smeared brown paint into them. Added two very inexpensive shades and called them shabby.

But they didn't work in my new house. So I found even cheaper light shades and painted them an oil bronzed brown and added the new shades.

At first I added the crystals back on them, but I didn't like it (Gasp!! ME not liking crystals? Weird.)

I think I should probably pain the candle sleeve an antique white, but I don't have that color in my house and never remember to get it while I'm out. So, They'll probably stay white.

They were in my bedroom on either side of my mirror. I've moved them to the window bench in my breakfast nook, but I'm not sure if they'll stay there.

Happy Birthday, America!

2011-07-03T14:50:00.000-05:00

American women have long shown their pride in our country through their needlework. The needlepoint tapestry above is probably 30 to 40 years old. The workman ship is beautiful! I believe it was used as wall art.

This gorgeous counted cross-stitch needlepoint was done much more recently, but with as much love and pride. It shows a beautiful bald eagle with the American flag behind it. The colors are bold and bright, and the detail is amazing.

Happy 4th of July, everybody!

The Story of Mr. Bingles

2011-06-25T21:02:00.001-05:00

Once or twice a year, I go to California on a linen shopping trip. My sister-friend Colleen, above, and I always shop at a wonderful antique store (can't remember the name of it since we just walk in without looking at the sign LOL).

These gorgeous curtain panels ($198.00/each) are made of white, off white or taupe linen. They're stunning!

The same dealer uses linen and canvas to upholster old benches, make pillows, etc.

This amazing white linen tablecloth is beyond words beautiful in person. Unfortunately, it's way out of my budget ($200.00). However, inspiration is priceless, and this definitely inspired me to create my own linen items.

Anyway, back to Mr. Bingles. While looking and digging for treasures, I found an adorable vintage cement cat tucked away under a dresser. He's a Siamese cat and even has blue eyes. He was marked at $88.00 in the antique store, but I was able to talk them down to $50.00. Sounds like a pretty good deal...

However, I was visiting CA, but live in TX. He weighs 16 pounds and I had to ship him home.

Here's Colleen calming him down before putting him in the $23.00 box and peanuts for shipping. Plus I had to pay postage at $22.00. It cost me $45.00 to ship him!! LOL
But I HAD to have him to watch my pond.

Isn't he too cute! Mr. Bingles, you're worth all $95.00 to me.

Easter Linens - Part 2

2011-04-09T22:27:00.000-05:00

As promised, here are more Easter linen eye-candy. Of course, all these linens can be used any time of year, but I think they're extra special during Easter.

The tablecloth above has a floral Easter basket on each corner.

The iris on the runner above is a design I haven't seen before. It just shouts Easter, to me.

Maybe orchids aren't necessarily Easter, but this color purple sure is!

The praying hands on the pillowcase below are definitely a symbol of Christ. Perfect for any time of year!

I just love this pillowcase with it's simple tulip design and fancy crocheted medallions. Love it!

The Holy Bible pillowcases are perfect for Easter, but they're also perfect for any one who needs a little "Up Lifting."

All of the linens listed are already sold, except for the Holy Bible pair of pillowcases.
(Click here if you'd like to know more about them).

Of course there have been and endless array of embroidered linens that have passed through my hands that could be used for Easter. But it would get a little boring to list them all here.

Better yet, check out your own vintage linen collection and take out anything that has baskets, pastel florals, sweet animals, or anything that says "I'm special enough for this occasion" and use them. Don't let them sit in your closet. They were meant to be enjoyed!!

Patricia :o)

Easter Linens

2011-04-03T10:28:00.000-05:00

Here's some eye candy for Easter inspired embroidery. They are the sweetest little animals that are perfect for spring and Easter. I'll post flowers and religious embroidery later. There's just too much for one post!!

The photo of the bunny and daffodil (above) are from a vintage table runner. The "Gentle as a lamb" is from an old dish towel.

The adorable lamb and flowers are from a pillowcase. There are actually two lambs and lots of little daisies on the garland.

The pink lamb below is just too sweet. It, too, is on a pillowcase.

The bunnies above and below are all on table runners. So cute for Easter!

The bunny rabbit below is embroidered on a baby coverlet. This is cute enough to leave out all year.

The mommy and baby ducks above are machine embroidered/appliqued. It's not that old, but adorable just the same on the baby flat sheet they're on.

The chic above is part of a whole family of chickens on a tablecloth. Great for all year, especially if you like chickens ( I do!!)

There's no doubt that the little chicks and eggs above are for Easter. This is part of an elaborate hand embroidered tablecloth. This is one of those that the photos just do show how amazing it is.

(Sorry, all the items in this post are sold)

Hope you enjoyed the amazing and creative hand embroidered linens.
Patricia :o)

Goodbye, Mom Nadine

2011-03-26T18:07:00.000-05:00

Three weeks ago, we went to visit my husband's mother, Nadine, in Oregon. We had planned on going in June, but for some reason, we decided to go in March.

Two weeks ago, we got the terrible news that she had passed away. We were in shock. We had just seen her!

This week, we had to fly out to Oregon again for her funeral. My poor husband. It was so hard on us all, but mostly him. Thank God we decided to go visit in March! Thank you, Lord!

She was an amazing woman who lived through the depression, World War II, raised 5 children and loved the Lord. She was a gardener, crafter, sewer, and a righteous, loving woman.

Thank you to the ladies who've noticed that I haven't been on my blog lately. What a blessing to have such sweet friends.

Patricia

Dreaming of a Laundry Room

2011-02-19T09:01:00.004-06:00

When I lived in California, I had my washer and dryer in the garage. In a way it was great, because I didn't have to keep it neat. But, I didn't like having to go to the garage when it was too hot, or too cold. Anyway, it was the garage where there are creepy crawlies that could get into my clothes!

Here in Texas, I have an actual laundry room!! Woooo Hoooo for me! But, it's not ideal and some day I'm going to paint it yellow, add white cabinets, and a utility sink. Hopefully it will be this year, but you know how life gets in the way of plans sometimes.

Anyway, on my last shopping trip I found these adorable dish towels. They're birds (love that), they're yellow (the future color of the room), and they're doing what I do almost every day (washing and ironing). They're perfect!!

I'm going to hang two of them from the cabinet doors under the sink. So cute!!

There are three of them, but I'm only keeping two (I think). I know I've said it over and over, but I sure do love these hand embroidered linens. So much love went into making them. It's only fair that they get to be enjoyed for years and years.

Blessings,
Patricia :o)

Happy St. Valentine's Day!

2011-02-12T18:22:00.001-06:00

St. Valentine's Day is a world wide celebration of love and romance. Red roses and chocolate hearts are a traditional gift for a loved one. But roses fade, and chocolate gets eaten (Yummy)!

Another way to celebrate is to take out all your vintage embroidered hearts. I didn't realize the variety in which our fore-mothers designed their hearts. These are just some of the hearts that I've recently sold in my eBay store.

This beautiful blue heart on pink roses is on a stunning pillowcase.

These sweet daisy garland hearts are embroidered on each end of a table runner.

Some hearts are appliqued like these pretty pink hearts, above, on a dresser scarf.

Red roses and little daisies create this lovely heart. The words "his" and "hers" are embroidered into the bow at the top. So romantic!

The hemstitching around these lovely posy hearts makes this runner unique. It is way more beautiful in person than in the photos.

The silk ribbon embroidered heart is a bit more modern than the others. There are tiny pearl seed beads tucked into the little rosettes.

Even dish towels were touched with a bit of romance. These two puppy dogs are too cute!

I never cease to be amazed at the talent, creativity and patience the ladies put into their every day linens. What a great way to add a touch of love to your decor that turns a house into a home.

Happy St. Valentine's Day!!

Patricia :o)

Ps: The items in this post are no longer available, but if you're interested in seeing what other things I have listed, please visit me at my eBay store by clicking here.

Victorian Robe

2011-01-31T08:00:00.000-06:00

Have you ever noticed how modern house coats and bath robes are lumpy squares of fabric that don't emphasize a woman's shape? Well, truth be told, I've filled out a little and really need some help to "create" a more feminine shape. So since I can't find a ready made feminine robe, I decided to make one. The closest thing to what I was looking for is this Simplicity Victorian Robe pattern. It took me forever to find it at a reasonable affordable price (which I finally did on eBay)

The next step was to find just the right fabric - all NINE yards of it. Then of course there were the yards and yards of lace. Putting it all together was fairly easy, but adding all that lace was a test in patience for me. But I did finish it and it really didn't take as long as I thought it would.

It's not even close to being authentic in design, but still, it gives me a much nicer shape than the square modern ones.

I wear it almost every night. It's not as heavy or cumbersome as you might think and it's a lot of fun to wear. I feel like a princes floating around the house. Now I need the perfect PJ's to go with it.

Patricia :o)

Embroidered Poodle Vintage Apron

2011-01-26T21:17:00.002-06:00

I have always loved aprons. I'm not exactly domestically inclined and am quite messy when I cook, do dishes and clean house. So I have to wear an apron when doing these things.

This sweet half apron is hand embroidered with a darling French Poodle wearing big pink bows. I'm not sure exactly how old it is, but I'm guessing it's from the '60's. It is home made using an apron kit.

If you're interested in this one, you can click here to check it out on my eBay site. I don't usually sell aprons, but this one was just too cute. Hope you enjoyed it.

Patricia :o)

God is Good!

2011-01-22T14:05:00.000-06:00

Thank you to all you lovely ladies for your words of faith and encouragement. It is truly such a blessing to have met to many beautiful women.

I've been away from blog-land much longer than needed. Everything turned out well, after all. God is so good! My son moved back home, though he is planning on getting "his own place", it will be her in San Antonio, or Austin this time. He's learned a lot, though not enough. At least this time, we'll be near by.

While I've been "gone", I've done some growing, a bit of traveling (to CA) and sewing. I stitched up this tote for my sister-friend in CA. It turned out ok, but it's not exactly what I had in mind.

I had such a hard time picking the fabrics. Have you ever noticed how hard it is to match what the fabric store has in stock and what you have in your mind? I finally had to just work with what they had.

I gave it to my sister-friend for Christmas and she loved it!

I'm back to selling on eBay which seems to take up so much time. I'll try to post regularly but I have a feeling I'll be visiting you all more than I'll be posting.

Thank you again for all your kind words.
Patricia :o)

"...Some rain must fall."

2010-11-12T16:42:00.000-06:00

“…Be still, sad heart, and cease repining;

Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;

Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.”
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 1807-1882, written in 1845?

I had a few ideas I wanted to share, but they will have to wait. There are ups and downs in life, and right now I'm going through a small "down." Although it is a major change, it's natural and part of life. One of my little chickies is leaving the nest. I'm not sure if he's ready, but he wants to try. It's hard for a mom to let go and I don't feel like myself, so I won't be posting for a little while.

I have been so very blessed, that this seems like a giant glitch in the fabric of my life. I'm sure the sun will shine again soon, but for now "some rain must fall."

Patricia :o)

Cottage Chic Guest Room

2010-11-06T17:21:00.000-05:00

We moved into our new home just a little over three years ago. It's much bigger than our old home and it's taking a long time to decorate each room. We had to purchase some twin beds almost right away for guests, but never really got around to actually decorating.

The bed spreads are actually queen size coverlets that I draped, folded and pinned on the twin size beds. They're pink roses, white chenille and quilted pink velvet blocks on one side and teeny pink roses on a solid white background on the other. I used vintage chenille pillow shams and pretty rose pillows I bought on eBay.

I found matching twin white "Iron" headboards for only $20.00 for both at a local goodwill store. Actually, a friend found them and told me they were there. I didn't waste any time to go down there and snatch them up. I couldn't believe my good luck!

My hubby took down the builder's dim, boring light fixture and hung up my gorgeous white chandelier. There's actually two chandeliers in this room. I have another, much smaller one hanging on a bird cage stand. (forgot to take a photo)

I moved the window mirror to the other wall and hung an amazing vintage cut-work curtain on the wall. It's hand embroidered and hand cut with sweet angels and doves.

These photos don't do this wonderful linen justice. I might do a post entry just on this piece later. It's simply stunning!

This is my work room and I listen to lots of books on Cd's in here, hence the glaring piece of electronics. I forgot to move it out for the photos. I love the little, chippy yellow stand it's on. The front apron is hand carved with little leaves. It doesn't really match the room, but I don't care. I love it too much to change it.

There's still a lot to do in this room. I have to hang curtains and add bed skirts. And, I might even get rid of the bits of pink and go in a more "French" direction. But for now, I'm enjoying it. Hope you did, too.

Patricia :o)

Oooo! Scary!

2010-10-25T16:09:00.001-05:00

After I had some fun with my Woof and Poof doll, I kinda had to keep going. I have a little niche in my entry hall that I thought would be fun to decorate.

There's lots of pictures, so I'll try not to talk to much. LOL!!

Spirits of Ammonia!!

Eye of Newt - (black eyed peas in hair gel and neon green food coloring)

Yikes! Shrunken heads

The stair well is right across from the niche, so of course I had to decorate that, too.

I coffee stained a piece of muslin so it would look old, and brought in an urn from the back yard. (the plant had died anyway). Topped it off with an old bird cage.

I found this adorable little feathered owl at Michael's. I didn't know what I was going to do with him when I saw him. Poor little guy probably didn't know he would end up behind bars.

Happy Halloween,
Patricia :o)

Thrifty HALLOWEEN!!!

2010-10-20T15:51:00.000-05:00

Isn't it amazing how one little purchase can influence your whole decorating vignette? I don't usually decorate a whole lot for Halloween, but I made a great find at a Goodwill store that got the ball rolling.

I found this Woof and Poof doll for only $2.99!! At first I thought she was kind of ugly and couldn't really figure out what she was. But I figured she was good enough for Halloween.

Then I got her home and noticed all the great detailing on her. She's wearing an orange, fuzzy jacket with a high taffeta-like collar, a black bow and big white rhinestone on her hat, a feathered purse, silver buckled belt, and a tulle skirt dotted with little bits of glitter. And, of course, the woof & poof button on her behind.

Then I bought a little witch picture at Marshal's and some black and brown burlap at the fabric store.

The picture is a reproduction of an old Halloween card and some embellishments.

I wrapped the black burlap around a pretty shade which made it instantly "spooky" and tied it off with a strip of natural burlap. Then I pinned it with a brooch I picked up at an estate sale.

It's really pretty and elegant in person, but works great here!

Then I looked around my house for more orange things. The only thing I came up with is this faux book, but after adding it to the vignette, I found that the only other thing I needed was a candle. I used a little ivory candle that I already had, found a free image of a crow on the internet, printed it, cut it out, and stuck it on the candle. I think it turned out pretty well!!

So far, I'd only spend about $11.00.....but then I needed the mirror....and I splurged. I got it at a fair price, but not great. Still, I DO need a mirror on that wall. AND I did need a place to hang my hairy spider (see it in the upper right corner?)

Ta-Da!! My Halloween

Happy Halloween!!
Patricia :o)

I'm back - I think

2010-10-19T21:39:00.000-05:00

The good news: I found out why I was having so much trouble with blogger.

The bad news: It was my computer that ended up crashing!!

I bought a new computer, an iMac, which is both good and bad news. It's good because I've heard they rarely get bugs, viruses, worms etc. It's bad because of the cost AND now I have to learn how to use it.

I have a Halloween post that I'd like to put up before Halloween. Wish me luck! LOL

Patricia :o)

Is it just me....?

2010-10-03T19:35:00.002-05:00

Is it just me, or are all of you having trouble with blogger? I've been trying to post comments to several blogs and I keep getting this message:

Service Unavailable

Error 503

It's driving me crazy.
I'm having so much trouble either signing on, or getting into weird loops when trying to leave comments, or just that dumb message above.

Aaaarrrrrgh!!

Patricia

Pretty Finds!!

2010-09-30T16:15:00.002-05:00

When I go to estate sales, flea markets and yard sales, I'm on the hunt for linens. But I can't help myself if I come across some pretty goodies. Below are some of my best finds over the last couple of weeks.

This is a simple white (milk glass?) vase that I picked up at the local Goodwill store. It was marked at 99 cents, but the gal at the register thought that was too much and gave it to me for 49 cents. (I have a fun idea for this which I'll share with you later).

I picked up this sweet angel for $2.50 at an estate sale. She's so cute! I don't know what I'll do with her, but she's a keeper.

I found this beauitful pink carnation plate at a flea market. I thought it was outrageous at $10.00, but my hubby reminded me that was a good price considering it's size. Thank you, Sweetheart!!

A bunch of keys for $1.75 and an old broach at $10.00!! There I go splurging again!

I "found" this gorgeous rose plate at my sister's house. I loved it, so she gave it to me. She had it hanging above the bath tub from a pink ribbon. It looked so pretty. I commented on how pretty it was, what a great idea (you know how we women gush when we see something we like). So she gave it to me! I didn't want to hurt her feelings, so I graciously accepted it.

This is a darling little ring box. It's pink, so I bought it.

My favorite find is this set of yummy pink rose Limoges bread plates. They were only $3.00 each!! The guy I bought them from didn't know what he was selling.

And this little salt shaker I picked up at a little antique store near Sequine, TX. I have plans for this one, too, and you'll be seeing that soon.

Blessings,

Patricia :o)

26th Wedding Anniversary celebrated at Tower of the Americas

2010-09-26T16:02:00.001-05:00

San Antonio Skyline

Last Wednesday, September 22, we celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary. Mr. VLT made reservations at a "fancy" restaurant, but wouldn't tell me where it was.

It turned out to be the Tower of the Americas in Down Town San Antonio. It has a revolving restaurant at the top that makes a complete revolution in one hour. The elevators sit on the outside of the tower and have glass fronts so you can see the city during the ascent and descent. It goes up and down so fast it's almost like an amusement park ride.

Out side of the Tower, is a gorgeous (man-made) fountain and waterfall. It looks like the water might be flowing over an ancient Aztec temple. We got a picture of us, but forgot to get one of the fountain.

This is the view we're greeted with as we walk into the restaurant. It was so cool because the hostess came to the elevator and greeted us by name. They knew we had been on our way up.

The menu was personalized with a message and our names. It may sound like a silly little thing, but it made me feel special.

We shared a glass of champagne. The bottom is filled with hibiscus nectar and a hibiscus flower that opened up as we drank the champagne. This was FABULOUS! We even ate the flower at the bottom. It was really good.

For appetizers: We had the most delicious crab-stuffed mushrooms. (I wanted to lick the plate)

I had halibut topped with crab and lobster, roasted asparagus and tomatoes, and a yummy cheese risotto.

Mr. VLT had THE most delicious prime steak and garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli. (on a separate plate). This steak was fabu-licious!

The sun began to set as we finished our meal. We were facing West, just as planned by Mr. VLT. It was so romantic. The we split dessert: Macadamia nuts and Carmel New York style cheese cake. I didn't think we'd be able to finish it all...but we did!!!

Above the restaurant is walk enclosed by glass that goes all the way around the tower. It was SO windy. I had a couple of Marilyn Monroe moments. And, yes, Mr. VLT got pictures at just the right moments with my dress flying WAAAAY up. And no, I'm not posting them. LOL!

It's hard to appreciate the beauty of the city lights in this photo. You'll just have to believe me that is was wonderful. It was such a beautiful and romantic evening. We had so much fun. It's definitely one of those places you have to visit if you come to San Antonio.

Blessings,

Patricia :o)

What to do with a damaged runner

2010-09-17T15:52:00.001-05:00

The plastic bags in my pantry were getting out of control! We try to use the reusable tote bags, but no matter what, we always seem to come home with a bunch of plastic bags, too. I had been stuffing them into a brown paper bag in the corner, but I'd put so many bags in there it ripped down the middle. But of course that didn't stop me from stuffing more bags in it.

For a long time I've been wanting to make a bag for my bags (a bag-bag) but was just too ~~lazy~~ busy to do it. I came a cross an old runner full of holes. It was hand embroidered with the cutest little birds on it! So I cut off a "good" section and went to my fabric stash to see if I could find fabric that would match it and at least sort-of go with my kitchen. I found some brown and red toile, brown and white gingham and some vintage clooney-type lace.

Because the runner is white, I backed it with part of an old pillowcase so that the pattern of the toile wouldn't show through.

I laid it all out, pinned it all together, and then began sewing. This is a very simple project but I kept making silly mistakes and so had to to a lot of seam ripping and re-sewing. But finally it was done!

Now I have to make one for the laundry room, the garden shed and maybe the garage. Sounds like a lot, but I have a lot of runners I could use!! LOL

Blessings,

Patricia :o)

Tea Leaf Cottage

2010-09-07T20:29:00.005-05:00

As is our tradition, after having tea at Paris in a Cup tea house, Colleen and I cross the circle to the other side of Glassell to our favorite antique shop. It's called Tea Leaf Cottage. Just feast your eyes on the displays in the windows!

So much chic and shabbiness! White cottage chic! French Country, English cottage! What ever you're looking for, how ever you want to call it, it's in here!

As we walk in, we're greeted by Joan (the owner) and the Twisted Sisters. The Sisters are three antique boudoir dolls. Two of them have been around since the shop opened about 25 years ago. The third one, was recently added to the family.

This is a shop where you can find just about anything that's antique and white, silver or beige. And the combination of all these beautiful items is enough to make me swoon.

There are several dealers in this store, and all of them have the most beautiful and unique items. It's always a treasure hunt, or more accurately, a treasure find when we come in here.

Some of the things in the store are very "frugally" priced...

...Others, well, let's just say I'm waiting on winning the lotto. Isn't this display cabinet dreamy?!
Most of the things fall somewhere in between.

I'm only posting a few of the photos. This is a shop that has wondrous things tucked into every nook and cranny. AND you have to remember to look up. There's all kinds of things (like gorgeous chandeliers) hanging from the ceilings and walls.

My pictures really didn't do this shop any justice. I forgot to take pictures of the front counter that stock full of heavenly perfume bottles, rare trinkets, and of course, Joan, who is a doll to work with.

Tea Leaf Cottage is located at

141 N. Glassell

Orange, CA 92866

714 771-7752

It's a definite Must See if you're ever in the area.

Patricia :o)

I love everything in this store front window!!!

Paris in a Cup - Orange, CA

2010-08-22T18:18:00.011-05:00

~~ Paris in a Cup Tea Salon ~~

The day after Mr. VLT and I came home from Bastrop, I went on a shopping trip to California. (Ah!! The weather was so beautiful: sunny, cool, and gorgeous!) Every time I go to CA, my sister-friend Colleen and I go to the Orange Circle. It's a street in the City of Orange that is wall to wall antique shops, boutiques and wonderful restaurants.

And every time Colleen and I go "The Circle" we have lunch at this adorable tea house. It used to be an clothing boutique and antique shop. Then a few years ago the owners decided to turn it into a tea house. We've been going to it since it opened.

The decor is just amazing. The color combination is so rich, and classy and drop dead gorgeous! Yet, it's comfy and inviting too. I'd love for her to come redo my house!

You usually need to make a reservation to eat hear. We came on a Wednesday and almost didn't get a table. Luckily they had one little table for two available. I've always called ahead before, but I didn't this time. Lesson learned.

I forgot to take a photo of the shop at the front of the store. She has tons of beautiful and unique tea items, and the most bling-y and shiny jewelry! This is a little buffet she decorates for the seasons. It's it dreamy?

Since it was warm outside, a cool ice tea was what I needed. They serve individual teas in personal carafes. There are dozens of teas to choose from. I had the house tea. It's SO delicious that it doesn't need any sweetener.

A turkey croissant and the most delicious potato soup. You HAVE to try it if you ever eat here. I have the "Josephine" lunch plate which included the yummy confections below.

As I mentioned, I forgot to take photos of the gift shop, but not the bathroom! I know it's a little goofy, but even the bathrooms are beautifully decorated!

This is one of those places that you just want to visit again and again. Which I do every time I come to CA. It's worth the trip, I promise!

Paris In A Cup

119 S Glassell

Orange CA 92866

(714) 538-9411

www.parisinacup.com

Patricia :o)

Bastrop - Part 2

2010-08-18T20:31:00.012-05:00

~~ Pecan Street Inn ~~

Owners: Bill and Shawn Pletsch

While we were in Bastrop, we stayed at a wonderful Bed and Breakfast called the Pecan Street Inn (click on the name to go to their web site). I forgot to take a picture of the outside house while we were there, so I borrowed the photo from their website.

The house was moved from it's original location and was rolled to it's present location on logs!!! Because of this, the front door was around the side and we walked through a cute little gate and up to a little courtyard that led us to the door.

Make a right at the courtyard, and walked up a couple of steps.

We were greeted by this adorable kitty. He wasn't laying around when we arrived. He walked right up to us and led us to the door, where he wound our legs waiting to be petted. He was always waiting for us when we came and went from the inn.

We had a key, and as we let ourselves in, we were awed by this beautiful entry. To the left is the stairs going up. To the right, is the parlor (living room) below. There's my hubby making himself at home.

This is the fireplace in the parlor and a bit of the entry is visible through the huge pocket doors.

This is the other side of the parlor leading into the formal dining room through another set of giant pocket doors.

Here's part of the eat in kitchen. We had breakfast in both rooms which was fun to us that we got to use as many rooms in the house as possible.

This is a built in china hutch. The original glass door slides UP into the wall!! How cool is that!? It has lighting, too, but I didn't think to turn them on for the photo.

The kitchen is a real working kitchen. Bill makes the yummiest breakfasts in here!! Both Bill and Shawn are the friendliest, most down to earth people. They will make you feel at home and at the same time make you feel like royalty!

This is our room. It has a king size bed that is very comfortable.

More of our room.

We even had a working fireplace, but it was a little too warm, being July, to use it. Though we did sit in front of it while playing dice.

This was our private bathroom. It wasn't dark at all. Not sure why the photo came out so dark. Trust me, though, it was very, very spacious.

This is one of the other rooms, with a small private bath.

This is a little sitting room to the 3rd bedroom upstairs. And the photo below is the private bathroom.

This is the 3rd bedroom. When we arrived, Shawn told us we were the only ones in the house and had a pick of the rooms. We liked the one with the fireplace the best, though all of them are very nice and comfy.

This is a very old house and it is a little squeaky at times. Though I try to tell myself that I don't believe in ghosts, I can't help but be nervous when in older homes. Shawn assured me that there are no ghosts, spirits, etc. I had my doubts. I will admit that I was a little scared that first night as I prepared for bed. But, I have to tell you, as soon as I lay down, I had such a sense of peace and security. The house was quiet, peaceful and filled with a sense of "good." I don't know how to explain it, but there were no fears or apprehension again.

If you're ever in Bastrop and need a place to lay your head, I would easily recommend Pecan Street Inn. The prices are reasonable and very affordable, and they are in the heart of the historic district. Everything is within minutes of walking or driving. Just click here to check out their website and get all the info you need.

Patricia :o)

Bastrop, TX - Part 1

2010-08-15T19:44:00.004-05:00

I've been gone from blogging for a long time. But I have a great reason. I've been traveling; some for pleasure, and lots for business. Before I went on an out of state shopping trip, Mr. VLT and I took a couple of days off to explore a cute little town North East of us. We stayed at a B&B (more on that next post) in the sweet little town of Bastrop. Weird name, but the nicest people you could ever meet!!

There's lots to rave about Bastrop, but the thing that we really enjoyed was driving through the old district and looking at all the old houses. There were so many!!

I took at least 30 pictures of different houses. All of the houses were beautiful, all were wonderfully maintained, and I could have easily lived in any of them.
But in an effort to keep this post short, I narrowed it down to the 8 best photographs. I had a lot of trouble with the angle of the sun, power lines, telephone poles and mostly, the landscaping!

Most of the houses are landscaped with very old trees that got in the way of photographing. They looked marvelous to the naked eye, but I just couldn't capture the beauty and grander of the old houses through the trees.

I don't know the styles or histories of any of these homes, so they're displayed here as eye candy. Talk about "Yum!" Check out that curved porch!!

This is one of my favorite homes. It's hard to see the details in the outdoor decorations, but there are white rocking chairs on the porch, a wreath on the white picket fence, flags on the post. It's just gorgeous!

This one was for sale. I don't remember the exact price, but it was around $495,000 or something like that. A little out of my reach at the moment, but maybe some day...

I love the clean lines of this one. And check out that lawn! I would never have thought there could be so much green in Texas (until I moved here, of course).

I'll share photos of the B&B we stayed at in the next post.

Patricia :o)

A clock that's for the Birds!

2010-07-21T20:47:00.004-05:00

Since I'm always running short on time, I thought it would be appropriate to tell you about a great find I made a couple of months ago.

I found this beautiful porcelain clock at a church rummage sale for only $5.00!! I probably could have got it a little cheaper, but it was for the church and a good cause, so I didn't haggle. I knew it probably didn't work (it didn't) but how much could it cost, right?

How could I pass it up. LOTS of pretty pink roses, sweet little blue birds...

There are even little angels in it. It was in great shape with very little damage. I accidentally broke the tail off of this little bird. But then I lost it so I couldn't super glue it back. Oh well!

Look how sweet these pretty blue birds are at the top of the clock!

Back to the "it didn't work" part. My hubby searched the Internet and called a few places. He did find the part that had to be replaced on line. After taxes and postage it was $23.95!! Yikes! Not only that, a clock repair place told him to get it as that was a great price and those parts were soon to be discontinued.

The great news is that the part came super fast, was easy to replace and the clock works wonderfully now!! Even though my $5.00 bargain turned out to be a little on the expensive side, I think it's beautiful and worth way more than the $29.00 it cost in the end. I love it and feel very lucky to have found it.

Patricia :o)

Fun Finds

2010-07-01T01:03:00.005-05:00

After 2 1/2 years of living in San Antonio, we're still finding our way around. We'd heard of a flea market north east of us called Bussey's Flea Market, but weren't too excited about visiting it because, so far, all the flea markets in our area sell cheap new things. But we read some reviews and decided to make a day of it. It's not the kind of flea market I'm used to from So. CA (Like the Rose Bowl in Pasadena), but it was SO MUCH better than I expected!

I fell in love with this vintage wedding dress! It's a size 7/8 so I'm not sure if it will fit M'lady (my dress form). AND it has to be cleaned some how. But I couldn't pass it up. It has metal snaps, hooks and zipper.

It's all layers upon layers of lace. I only found one or two tiny tears on the sleeves, and it is in otherwise wonderful shape. However, I do need to wash it...

I got it for so cheap, that I think I'm going to risk soaking it in a tub of Oxyclean and rinse with cool water, gently squeeze the water out by rolling it up in towels, and then line dry. It smells old and musty and I can't stand the thought of bringing into the house, so it's hanging in the garage by my car.

There's not a lot of adornment. Just lots of lace and a few sprinkles of sparkles.

At first I couldn't find any decent linens, affordable or otherwise. Then I hit the jack pot!! There was a wonderful older lady who had most of these linens priced a little high. They were marked, but I asked the price anyway. She knocked $3 to $5 dollars off of each. Suddenly, they were VERY affordable and in GREAT shape. I even have some of them up for sale already in my eBay store.

I also picked up this little cherub compote plant holder thingy for only $2.00! I thought it was vintage until I got him home and looked at the bottom. It had a store price tag for $5.95. I guess it doesn't matter. He's cute, he's affordable, and he'll be vintage someday, right?

I got this old plant stand for only $5.00!! I think the guy made a mistake. There was a smaller one that I heard his wife quote $10.00. It pays to ask, even if you think you know what the price is. I hope the husband didn't get in trouble...

Can you believe I got this fishing basket for $10.00??? It's pretty old from what I can tell. It has leather and canvas straps. I've seen these at antique stores for $95.00 and up. I was so happy to get this for my hubby. And look what was inside...

...these adorable hand crocheted and embroidered baby shoes! The guy selling the basket gave them to me for free. They didn't look like this when I got them, but it wasn't hard to soak them and air them dry. Too cute!

If you're interested in visiting Bussey's, their address is 18738 I.H. 35 N., Shertz, TX 78154 (210)651-6830. I wouldn't make a special trip out there, but definitely stop by if your in the area on a Saturday or Sunday.

Patricia :o)

On my to-do-list

2010-06-20T08:26:00.009-05:00

"Bag of Repairs"

I always seem to take the path of least resistance. But I buy linens even if they have issues. What happens, though, is that they end up in this bag to worry about later. I've been adding to this bag for years and have forgotten what's in it.
There's more here than it appears. I think I pulled out at least 10 pairs of pillowcases! This is about all that is left for me to sell on eBay. Although I've been selling linens for many years now, I'm debating whether I should continue or not. That's what prompted me to get out this bag.

It's very exciting to see new linens even if they need work. I'm not sure I can help this pink lady on this runner. She has a few flaws in the crochet. I don't know how to crochet, so I think she will be sold as is.

I was going to finish the embroidery on this adorable pillow panel by Vogart. Riiiiight... That's about as likely as me going to the moon.

This little lady was a pillowcase full of little holes. I cut her out and made a little pillow out of her. There were three tiny holes in her dress, so I added 3 little ribbon roses. Then I used the crocheted trim off the pillowcase to finish off the sides.

This doesn't look like much, but this beautiful pillowcase just needs a couple of loosed threads tacked back down, a little soak in OxyClean, and it will be gorgeous!

This one was an easy fix. All I had to do was re-sew the top edge. It's already listed for sale on eBay. I love that it says "master" which is what we kept calling my hubby when he got his Master's degree. He didn't like it much...at first. ha ha ha

I don't think I can repair this one, either. It has a big, dark paint splater near the top. But I do love the birds!

These were all super easy fixes...just sewed the tops closed! They're already listed, too

Since I can't crochet, I can't finish this adorable pillowcase with he amazingly sweet birds. The top is still open, easy to fix, but I can't finish the bottom edge. I thought about adding lace, but I don't think it would look right.

More pillowcases that need crocheted work.

Isn't she pretty?!!

These were an easy fix, too. Never been used. I think they're so funny! One says, "Come on Ma" and the other says "Shucks No Pa!" ha ha ha ha

Patricia

OMGsh! Look what I won!!

2010-06-08T19:47:00.010-05:00

A little over a week ago I received a note from Lisa at Beyond the Cover that I had won her giveaway!! I was so excited! After a few days, and the fact that I have a 4 second memory, I kind of forgot to be looking for it. Then I received a wonderful package in the mail, all the way from my home state of California. When I realized what it was, I just about tore the package open.

Luckily I had the presence of mind to take a picture of the adorable wrapping. It's so simple yet so incredibly elegant and chic. LOVE the pink and brown color combination!

I love birds, so this tag is extra special to me. It's so sweet. I have it tucked not-to-far-away in a little drawer so that it will always make me smile when I open it.

Inside the package were two beautiful, and I do mean BEAUTIFUL note books. Now, these aren't your average notebooks. Just take a look at all the work and detail that went into making them. Lisa is one gifted and talented lady. I ooooh'ed and awwwwww'ed at the turn of every page.

There are so many details, that I'm sure I'll be finding new goodies every time I open them. Look at the gorgeous papers she used. If only you could see every page!

Lisa didn't miss the opportunity to add the shiniest details. I love this pink crystal she added to the outside of the notebook. And look at all the ribbons and lace that she added to the spine!

Here is the second notebook. It's made of clear plastic and just covered in flowers, and buttons and beautiful papers and so many details. I can't even begin to imagine the time and love that went into making each page!

I've seen things similar to this in other blogs, but I've never seen one in person. I have to tell you, it is impressive!! There is so much work involved and so many adorable and beautiful materials used.

I didn't get a picture of the spine on this heart shaped book, but it too had the best details and the most beautiful blue crystals hanging from it. I LOVE it and feel so lucky to have won!!!

But there's more....

In addition to the two gorgeous notebooks, I also got a bunch of beautiful lace and trims,

Vintage buttons, pearl pins (love them!), old stamps, cute flash cards....

Old sheet music, book pages, journal entries and this darling "bingo" card all dressed up by Lisa. I feel like I truly made out like a bandit.

Thank you, Lisa!!! I love all my goodies and I'm simply thrilled to have been the lucky winner!!

Patricia :o)

Ps: Be sure to visit Lisa at her blog, Beyond the Cover. She's a very sweet lady with a fun and beautiful blog. Just click on her blog name.

Linens for Sale! Linens for Sale!

2010-05-24T18:31:00.011-05:00

I just pulled out some beautiful pillowcases that I thought I'd share with you. The beauty in the needlework always amazes me no matter how many years I've been selling and collecting these wonderful pieces. The work done by human hands so many years ago is nothing less than art and a tiny snap shot into the lives of women.

Click on the photos to enlarge them and see the beuatiful details and wonderful hand work.

1st pair: Pink roses on strong, snow white cotton tubing. Hand embroidered with crocheted trim. There is the tiniest, faintest speck on one. Otherwise no flaws, holes, or stains. Excellent vintage condition. 20 1/2" x 28" SOLD

2nd pair: Mommy dear and three babies. Strong snow white cotton tubing. Hand embroidered with crocheted trim. No flaws, stains or holes. Pristine vintage condition. 20 1/2" x 28"

SOLD

3nd pair: Pink trumpet flowers and greenery. Strong snow white cotton tubing. Hand embroidered with crocheted trim. No flaws, stains or holes. Pristine vintage condition 20 1/2" x 27" PENDING

4nd pair: Hens and daisies. Strong, snow white cotton tubing. Hand embroidered with crocheted trim. No flaws, stains or holes. Pristine vintage condition. 21" x 28"

SOLD

Domestic (USA) orders: Postage is $4.75 per order shipping to same address. Payments can be made via Paypal, Money Order, or Personal Check (must clear before shipping).

International orders: Postage varies according to country. PAYPAL only payment form accepted. Buyer responsible for any taxes, customs, etc.

Please let me know if you need and more photos, or if you have any questions. First come, first served.

Thank you!

Patricia :o)

2010-05-24T11:27:00.004-05:00

Life is good, but it's been so full of stress lately. Seems like there's a new fire to put out every day. But thankfully, there are also blessings that come in many forms. I recently entered a giveaway that I didn't win, but Georgia at Grandma G's blog sent me this wonderful magazine anyway. I was supposed to pay for the postage, but she didn't let me. She is a very gracious lady and has a beautiful blog and awesome online store. So many goodies! Check her store out at http://www.grandmagscottage.net/.

Then, a few days later, I went to lunch with Deanna at Timeless Things (currently under "construction"). I also met her through a giveaway about a year ago and we've become such close friends. Now THAT'S a blessing! Anyway, after lunch she presented me with this gorgeous vintage night gown. Just because she saw it and thought of me since I collect old lingerie.

The pictures do not do this lovely nightie any justice. The bodice has a beautiful pink lace panel sandwiched between pink organza.

It's just gorgeous. It also came with a little pink peignoir jacket that I forgot to take a picture of. Just the fact that these two ladies thought of me makes me feel so fortunate and blessed. Many thanks to both!

Blessings,

Patricia :o)

And the winner is....

2010-05-16T20:26:00.004-05:00

Marilyn of The Lone Dollier is the winner of my 100th post giveaway! The random generator picked number 37 and that was Marilyn. (I tried taking a picture of it or copy/pasting it, but it didn't work out) The wonderful thing about giveaways is that you meat the nicest people this way. She is a sweetheart and has a beautiful blog. Be sure to stop by her blog and say hi!

Congratulations, Marilyn!

Patricia :o)

100th Post Give Away ~ Garden Tool Box!!

2010-05-01T17:01:00.004-05:00

100th Post Giveaway!!!!

It's been a while since I've been able to post because life has been busy! But the main reason I couldn't post is because I was having a hard time finding something fun to give away on my 100th post. But I finally found something that's really cute. It's not new, but it's the perfect little accent for a cottage garden.

The outside of the garden tool box is painted with little bird houses, bee hives and flowers.
I'm also including this darling little nest with mommy bird watching over her eggs and special treasure (a rhinestone button)!

When you open the box, you'll find new gloves and a vintage dish towel hand embroidered with a little girl in pink tending to her tulips. Sweet, huh!!

Lift out the tray, and you'll find matching garden tools: a small spade, hand rake, weed digger and a little green spritzing bottle.

To win this cute garden tool box, all you have to do is:

1) put my giveaway on your sidebar. Then come back and leave me a comment telling me you did. And...

2) If you want another chance to win, become a follower and leave another comment letting me know you did that, too. Two chances, two comments. Easy Peasy!

The winner will be chosen through one of those internet random number generator thingys on Sunday, May 16th, 2010 at 8:00 pm Central time. Because of the weight of this item, this giveaway is restricted to the US only~

Good Luck!!

Patricia :o)

Ps: Be sure I have a way of contacting you if you win.

Easter Basket Swap

2010-04-04T08:00:00.004-05:00

Miss Rhea at Sweet n' Shabby Roses hosted an Easter Basket Swap. She gave a tutorial on how to make them and gave us each two names to swap with. It was soooo much fun! This was the first time I ever participated in anything like this and I was excited.

These are the two little baskets I made to swap. I filled them with yellow chicks in a nest, vintage buttons, vintage postcards and little porcelain bunnies.

One of the ladies I swapped with is Linda at Ribbons Roses and More . She's a very talented lady and can paint the most beautiful roses!! She painted two simple little plastic eggs with pink roses and sprinkled some clear glitter on them and they became spectacular!

There were lots of goodies in the basket, but my most favorite item with this most adorable little chicky that she made and painted. It is absolutely adorable and I LOVE it!

She included a little sugar egg with a teeny little baby chick inside. How cute is that!

I also received a little bag of cookies and cream chocolate eggs that were gone almost as fast as I opened the package. But I wasn't the only one eating them!! My daughter started it!!!!!

I was very surprised when I received a big box from Stephanie at Rose Petals and Rust
Not only did she make the cutest little basket, but she also lots of wonderful goodies that are so totally me!! She pegged me right from the start.

These printing blocks are so sweet. "X & O" Hugs and kisses in vintage little wooden printing blocks. I think those were my fav from her package.

She also included a cream colored hat, a vintage linen tea towel, white millinery flowers and of course, the adorable basket made up of vintage embroidery, crochet and sweet little buttons.

Oops! I almost forgot to mention the great little frame she sent, too. It's very simple but very beautiful with it's mother of pearl inlay in the frame. I really love it! You can see it showing in the background of the photo below.

I was amazed at the talent, thoughtfulness and kindness of these wonderful ladies that I met through Miss Rhea's swap. Linda and Stephanie are as sweet as can be and both have wonderful blogs that you have to visit. And be sure to stop by Miss Rhea's blog, too. You will love them all. I promise!

Patricia :o)

Easter Basket Swap - Sneak Preview

2010-03-18T09:20:00.001-05:00

Miss Rhea of Sweet n Shabby Roses is hosting and Easter Basket Swap. She asked for participants about three weeks ago and I'm just now finished my little baskets to swap. Here's a tiny preview. I can't show all of them, though. Just a little bit.

I've never done anything like this before. Baskets and swaping are both new to me. They didn't come out like I wanted, but I still think they're cute. I hope my two swap ladies think so, too.

I hope I didn't go overboard with the pink. I just got carried away...

I'll be sure to post about the baskets I receive. Both are coming from very creative ladies!!

If you want to see a tutorial on how to make these sweet little basket, visit Miss Rhea. Click here to go directly to her tutorial.

Patricia :o)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

2010-03-17T15:02:00.005-05:00

My sweet mom sent me these two cute St. Patrick's Day towels. I thought I'd share them and wish you all a very happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Irish Blessing
May you always have
Walls for the winds,
A roof for the rain,
Tea beside the fire,
Laughter to cheer you,
Those you love near you,
And all your heart might desire!

Mad Hatter Tea Party - Part2

2010-03-14T20:18:00.001-05:00

I ran out of time and just couldn't get everything "perfect." The linens weren't pressed, I couldn't find the good camera, and other little things that one worries about but aren't really important. So, I let it go at that. What ever didn't get done just wasn't important enough to worry about.

Thanks to my hubby who snapped these few photos, I at least had some pictures of the tea party. I wish I had had the presence of mind to snap some shots myself, but I was running around like a mad hatter!

I served several kinds of tea; herbal, fully decaffeinated and decaf. I used tea bags because it was so much easier with so many ladies coming.

I served three different kinds of tea sandwiches: salmon and capers, cucumber, and chicken and almond salad (those were the best!) I also made a quiche Lorraine. NOW I know why quiche is so fattening - but delicious!

I made two different kind of scones, and found Madelines and lemon cakes at Costco. And of course there was real butter, strawberry preserves, and grape jelly. I forgot the honey, but nobody noticed.

I through a vintage tablecloth over my kitchen island and put almost all of the tea things on it. I also served iced tea with optional sugar syrup and even wine.

Everyone wore some kind of hat. It wasn't a requirement to wear a "tea party" hat, just some kind of hat. I had a few extras just in case some one forgot to bring theirs.

We played lots of games and had a blast. Most of the games were old Victorian parlor games that I found on line. It's amazing that what made people laugh 100 years ago, still works today. We had a blast!

One of the games was "Guess who." I put a famous woman on a card and every guest had to wear it on her back. She could only ask yes or no questions until she figured out who she was.

I was only expecting about 12 ladies, but we had about 18 ladies show up. The more the merrier!!

I'm the Mad Hatter in the middle. When I was getting ready for the party, I thought I really was mad trying to get everything ready and doing all the cleaning and prep and cooking and, well, you get the picture. But all that melted away when all the girls started showing up. I had so much fun. I would have been mad not to!

Patricia :o)

ps: Be sure to check out the recipes I used. They're just after this post.

Tea Party Recipes

2010-03-09T01:00:00.000-06:00

These are the five main dishes I served at the tea party. They're all very simple to do and so yummy!

RAISIN SCONES

2 c. all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut up

1 c. raisins

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

Yolk of 1 lg. egg

3/4 c. buttermilk or plain yogurt

1 large egg white

more sugar for sprinkling

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Put flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt into a large bowl; stir to mix well. Add butter and cut in with a pastry blender or rub in with your fingers, until the mixture looks like fine granules. Add raisins and sugar; toss to distribute evenly.
Add egg yolk to buttermilk in a measuring cup and whisk with a fork to blend. Pour over the flour mixture and stir with a fork until a soft dough forms.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and give 10 to 12 kneads. Cut dough in half.
Knead each half half briefly into a ball; turn smooth side up and pat into a 6 inch circle. Cut into 6 wedges, but do not separate wedges.

In a small bowl, beat the egg white with a fork until just broken up. Brush the top of each scone with egg white and sprinkle lightly with sugar.

With a pancake turner, carefully transfer the two cut circles into an ungreased cookie sheet. If necessary, reshape circles so that the 6 wedges in each are touching. (This will keep the raisins from burning.)

Bake 18 to 22 minutes, until medium brown. Cool on a wire rack; after 5 minutes pull the wedges apart and cover loosely with a dish towel.

Note: Egg white and sugar can be added before freezing the unbaked scones.

Apricot Cinnamon Scones

Same as above but add 1/2 teaspoon of Cinnamon and substitute 1 cup dried apricots (chopped) for the raisins.

Smoked Salmon Sandwiches

1 cup soft cream cheese

20 slices bread, your choice

1/2 cup capers

12 ounces thin-sliced smoked salmon

Juice of 1 lemon

Black pepper
Spread the cream cheese on one side of each slice of bread. Dot with capers. Arrange the smoked salmon on 10 of the bread slices and brush with lemon juice. Pepper generously. Top with the other 10 slices, remove the crusts and cut. Makes 40 tea sandwiches or 30 fingers.

Cucumber Tea Sandwich Recipe

1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced very thinly

Salt3/4 cup soft butter

2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic

20 slices bread

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

Pepper to taste

Lightly salt the cucumber slices and place them in a colander to drain for 1 to 2 hours. Then combine the butter and garlic and apply to one side of each slice of bread. In a small bowl, stir together the lemon juice, olive oil, and pepper. Add the cucumber slices, coating them well. Arrange the cucumber on 10 of the bread slices, top with the other 10 slices, remove the crusts, and quarter. Serve immediately. Makes 40 tea sandwiches.

Almond Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Spread: Combine 3/4 cup butter, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves or 2 tablespoons dried basil.

Filling: 1 cup finely chopped cooked chicken meat

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup slivered almonds

Salt and pepper to taste

20 slices bread, your choice

Combine the filling ingredients. Spread each slice of bread with a thin layer of the butter mixture. Add the filling to half the bread slices and top with the other half, buttered sides in. Remove the crusts and cut the sandwiches as desired. Makes 40 tea sandwiches.

Quiche Lorraine

Serves 8

Pastry for 9” one crust pie

1/2 cup cooked, crumbled bacon (I used a package of ham cut into teeny tiny cubes)

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

4 large eggs

2 cups whipping cream

¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Make pastry (or purchase) and ease into dish, pressing firmly against bottom and side. For larger amount, this recipe may be baked in 2 half-sheet pans or in 6 pie pans.

Line pans with pastry, and bake for 10 minutes or until the pastry begins to brown and has become “set.” Sprinkle bacon, cheese and onion in pie crust. In large bowl, beat eggs slightly with fork or wire whisk.

Beat in remaining ingredients. Pour into pie crust. Reduce oven to 325 degrees. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

To serve smaller portions for tea, cut first in fours, and then cut each wedge in thirds.

This recipe is delicious!! It was completely and totally consumed at the party.

I hope you try some or all of them. And you don't wait for a tea party. The chicken almond sandwich would be fabulous for lunch or paired with a good green salad for dinner.

Patricia :o)

Mad Hatter Tea Party - Part 1

2010-03-07T20:16:00.006-06:00

It was my turn to host our monthly ladies social for our neighborhood. Every month, the hostess gets to pick a theme or activity. I chose to have a Mad Hatter Tea Party. (I didn't even realize that "Alice" was coming out this month but it was perfect timing!)

The only requirement for the ladies was to wear a hat. Any hat would do. I wanted to have a few extras on hand just in case some one forgot theirs.

So I brought out my vintage hat boxes, full of vintage hats. Of course I had to have an extra special one for me since I was going to be the Mad Hatter.
I thought this one was a little quirky, but it didn't look as "special" as I wanted.

I thought this one would be funny with all the little dingle balls on it. But, believe it or not, it wasn't as silly as I thought it would be. It was really cute on, but not "mad."

I started looking for a black, top hat at antique store, but the few that I found were $175 and up!! Then a friend and I found a beige hat in one of my favorite stores and it was only $35.00, and then the owner lowered it to $27.00 out the door. Wooo Hoo!

It's all custom/hand made. The photo isn't that great, but those are hand done stitches around the top there. The hat's a little beat up, but I think it just added to the "mad" look.

I didn't want to leave the band black as this looked a little manly to me. So I added a soft pink band and finished it in the back with vintage shabby pink roses.

I didn't remove the black band because I wanted to keep it original. I just hot glued the band to itself and pinned the roses on. It looks way cuter in person than in the sad photo (I was losing sun light fast).

And here are my hats, just before the party. Every one who came did wear a hat except for one gal who picked the blue hat. It's SO cute on! It reminds me of the hats the girls from Pride and Prejudice wore. More on the party on the next post.

Blessings,

Patricia :o)

I almost forgot the dogs

2010-03-06T18:28:00.008-06:00

I've posted photos of embroidered blue birds and I've posted embroidered kittens. I almost forgot to post photos of all the cute puppy dogs. Among the dogs, I think my favorite designs are usually the Scottie Dogs. There's just something about the rich black floss against snow white linen, and there's usually a little bit of red in there, too. But there are all kinds of doggy designs that are just so cute.

Just look at this sweet little doggy talking with the blue bird in the arbor.

There is so much detail on this runner: the sky in the background, the bell shaped flowers and even the arbor itself.

This Scottie is very simple, but so very cute. It is embroidered using teeny stitches on a white linen card table topper.

This runner had a different dog design on each end. One end had a long haired pointer...

And a little black terrier puppy on the other. Isn't he so adorable

These little darlings are so happy to help with laundry on wash day.

Some puppies are even embroidered on to baby blankets. This is an old Vogart design. She's got the cutest expression on her little face as she pushes her baby doll in a stroller.

I sold this adorable pair of pillowcases to a lady who's daughter was marrying a firefighter. Notice the fire hydrants in the background? How cute is that?!

And so romantic, too!

This card table tablecloth had a little chunk torn off of the side, but, Oh my! the design is so cute! I love the Scotties!

Hope you enjoyed my doggy episode. I'm looking for photos of horses and other animals. Flower designs are fun, but I enjoy embroidery of people and animals so much more.

Patricia :o)

Keep the Embroidery

2010-03-02T17:33:00.007-06:00

I can't resist beautiful embroidered pieces. I can't stand to let a great work of art go to waste just because there is a hole or stain on the linen. This adorable hand embroidered heart used to be part of a vintage pillowcase. There was major damage right smack in the middle and no way to hide or repair it, so I cut off the embroidered part and made it into a Christmas stocking.

I used a mixture of vintage items and new fabric. I know that these stocking are found all over the place, but since I hadn't made one before, I was pretty proud (I made this one two or three years ago)

The inside is lined with pink and white cotton gingham and trimmed with a white cotton ruffle.

The back is an older, though not quite vintage machine embroidered fabric.

Check out the tiny embroidered roses. Aren't they cute!

My favorite part of this whole stocking is the rhinestone button sphere on the very end. I've made several stockings since this one and all of them had vintage embroidery on them. I even made a pair using "his" and "hers" pillowcases. If I ever find the pictures, I'll post them.

Patricia :o)

Snow Day!!! (Almost)

2010-02-27T08:38:00.000-06:00

As you read this post and view the photos, please keep in mind that I am originally from Southern California. We didn't get much snow in my little town of Buena Park. Actually, we didn't ever get ANY snow. My little bird bath did manage to freeze over one year, but that was about it.

We're in San Antonio, TX now and we actually get weather here. Granted, our weather is usually one temperature, HOT, but last Tuesday sure wasn't! We had a cold front move through and the forecast was that we would get snow.

You can barely see the little flecks in the photo above, you have to look really hard (you may have to use your imagination here), but it is snowing in this photo!!

See!! Some proof on the patio table. Admittedly, most of the white stuff in the photos is sleet and not snow. But to a girl from California...It's SNOW!!!

As I'm out in the "snow" taking photos of the yard, I snapped a couple of pictures of the first flowers of spring. This is a yellow daffodil that hasn't quiet opened yet.

White tulips amidst the snow.

My hubby's favorite flower... Iris. I think he likes them because his mom grows so many of them in Oregon.

Almost as soon as the snow came down, it started raining again. It was so cool while it lasted, though!

Sometimes, it's the little things that make me happy. This "Snow Day" did it for me.

Blessings,

Patricia :o)

Here Kitty, Kitty, Kitty

2010-02-24T19:13:00.010-06:00

I've been trying to think of something new and wonderful to post about, but the truth is that I live a very ordinary though busy life. The only thing that's been on my mind lately has been linens so I will show you some more photos of vintage embroidered items. Last time it was sweet little blue birds. This time it's all about the kitty cats.

The cross stitched kitty above was embroidered on a pillowcase. It's a newer design and not vintage at all, but I loved it anyway, especially because it says "perfect friends" just above her.

The design of two kitties in the basket below is very old. They are hand embroidered on a runner. It's nothing fancy but oh so cute.

I love the expression on this kitty playing with the butterfly! So Sweet and happy!

It's hand embroidered on a simple but pretty pillowcase.

I can't have cats in our home because my hubby is allergic so I enjoy them in embroidered pieces.

I'm always talking about embroidery, but just look at the beautiful hand embroidered lace trim that goes all the way around the runner.

The kitty in the basket below is an old, old design. The stitches are so tiny that the embroidery work looks like it's been drawn on instead of needle work.

My favorite linens to collect are pillowcases, runners and dish towels. I try to use them in "real life" when ever I can. It's funny when people come over and are so surprised to see that I really do use them.

Dish towels add such a touch of charm and whimsy to my kitchen. And they're so easy to care for, too. I love the colors on this sweet kitty dish towel.

Hopefully I'll be selling linens again on eBay some time soon. I still have several baskets to go through and prepare, but I just keep on procrastinating. Oh well, some day I'll get to it....

Blessings,

Patricia :o)

Blue Birds of Happiness

2010-02-08T14:31:00.006-06:00

One of the things that is so appealing to me about vintage linens is that there is such a variety of beautiful themes and designs in the needlework. Southern Belles, as seen in one of my previous posts, are one of my favorites. Another of my favorite designs are blue birds. Just look at these sweet little blue birds. They're perfect for valentines because they're inside a heart made out of a flower garland. So cute!

They're done in cross stitch on a snow white runner. I'm guessing this piece was done in the 60's though these colors were not popular at that time. Love them now, though!!

This adorable pillowcase is from the late 40's early 50's. It's embroidered with a little blue bird holding a basket full of flowers.

The colors are a little bold for my taste, but this style of blue bird is among my top five all time favorites. It's just too cute!

This guest towel has a beautiful pair of soft blue birds surrounding a white monogrammed "C". There are no "c" initials in my family, but I don't care. Monogrammed anythings are a great old-fashioned accent to any guest room or bathroom. It's in perfect condition, snow white and I liked it. Anyway, I read in Victorian magazine last year that Monogrammed linens are very collectible even if the initial "doesn't make sense."

I play the piano and love music so this sweet pillowcase was just too cute to pass up! Just look at these teeny little birds sitting on the music notes. Love it!

Another great blue bird runner. I love the soft blues and pinks.

Isn't he sweet?

This darling little bird is embroidered on a kitchen towel. It does have a couple of faint spots, but not noticeable and it's just too cute to matter anyway.

Another little bird making music, but this time with a violin. My daughter and I tried learning the violin when she was little. This pillowcase is precious not only because it has the adorable little bird, but because it reminds me of that time with my Erica so many years ago.

I'm the first to admit that I have a lot of favorites, but can you blame me? Just look at the workmanship in all of these pieces. I just love blue birds. They make me happy when I see them, real or embroidered!

I hope you enjoyed seeing all this beautiful hand embroidered art on these vintage pieces.

Blessings,

Patricia :o)

Getting Rid of Carpet Dents

2010-02-03T19:05:00.004-06:00

Have you ever had to move a heavy piece of furniture off your carpet? Most carpet will "hang on" to the dent left by that furniture forever! The good news is that there is a fast and simple way of removing that dent. This works for both nylon and olefin carpets. It will probably work on wool, too, but I've never owned a wool carpet so I don't know for sure.

It takes a long time for carpet to release dents left by furniture, but you can speed it along by using a hot iron and a damp towel.

WARNING: NEVER let the hot iron touch the carpet or it will melt the fibers.

Using a clean towel, wet it and the wring it so that it is very damp but not super wet or dripping. Place it over the dented area and iron it with a super hot iron so that the iron creates steam. Again, be careful not to let the actual iron element touch the carpet and watch out for the steam.

While the carpet is still warm from the steam, pull back the towel and fluff the surface of the carpet with your hand by gently rubbing the fibers back and forth. Depending on how deep the dent is and how long the furniture has been sitting on it, you may have to repeat the process a couple of times. But it will only take minutes.

See? No dents! Now that the fibers have been relaxed, the carpet will fluff up even more every time you vacuum. Be sure to wait until the carpet is completely dry before you do that.

This method also works on area rugs. I have a huge rug that is made of olefin with a nylon backing. It's the backing that's wrinkled in my case.

I've had this carpet laying out for almost a year and this stubborn wrinkle will just not flatten out. SO, I did the same thing with the super hot iron and a very damp towel.

I had to steam the rug a little longer for the heat to get to the backing. While it was still hot, I sat a heavy laundry basket full of clothes until the rug cooled.

Working out the wrinkle in the area rug took more work than it did when getting rid of the carpet dents, but I guess I'm a little more stubborn than that wrinkle was because it is now gone!

Thank you for stopping by!

Patricia :o)

Vintage Laundry Bags

2010-01-31T17:58:00.001-06:00

When I first found this sweet laundry bag, I thought it was a clothes pin holder. It's on the smaller side for a laundry bag, but it's too big for a clothes pin holder, so I'm guessing this bag was used to hold unmentionables until laundry day.
It's hand embroidered with the cutest little puppy dog sitting in front of a big basket of laundry. How cute is that!

This is another laundry bag that is all hand done. Not only is it hand embroidered, but ALL the sewing is done by hand. That is just so impressive to me!

I just LOVE the expression on her face. She's looking up with a look of "What! There's more to do?" She must obviously have kids!!

This vintage lingerie bag is made of quilted vinyl. It's shaped in the form of a girdle or corset and even has real stocking clips at the bottom of the ruffled edge.

The top has a fancy molded hanger with a moving hook.

This one is done in a dusty pink with black roses printed on it. It's also made out of quilted vinyl and has the same stocking clip details and ruffles on the bottom.

One of the things that fascinates me about vintage items is that they tell so much about the people who used them. I don't know about you, but when my clothes needs to be washed, I just throw them into my dirty clothes hamper. These vintage laundry and lingerie bags tell that ladies used to have a little more modesty than we do today and kept their private clothing separate from the rest of the laundry. Or perhaps I'm wrong and it was more of a necessity to keep hand washable separated. Either way, we're lucky enough to collect, use and display these pretty bags.

Patricia :o)

Lovely Gifts from Pam's Scottie Boy

2010-01-29T17:45:00.004-06:00

One of God's greatest gifts to us are the friends we make on life's journey. Among His blessings, is a wonderful lady I met through the Internet. I never thought I could have such a warm and close friendship with some one whom I've never met in person.

Last week I opened up a brown paper parcel from Pam at Pam's Scottie Boy. I was so thrilled to find a beautiful card that she painted. She is so talented though she refuses to admit it. I love this little work of art. I'm not going to use it as a card, though. I'm framing it!

She also enclosed a hand made, hand embroidered pillow heart that she found on one of her treasure hunting travels. I have it hanging on the door knob of my guest room.

The pictures didn't come out as great as I though they would, but I hope you can see the work that is in this heart. It's done in counted cross stitch and also has pink ribbon running through it. ALL of it is cross stitched, even the white background. A beautiful soft wide lace goes all the way around it and it's finished with little bows at the top. So Sweet. Thank you, Pam!!

Blessings,

Patricia :o)

Embroidered Southern Belles

2010-01-17T17:29:00.007-06:00

Southern Belles are one of my favorite embroidered item to collect. Especially when they are done on pillowcases and runners. I've also heard them called crinoline ladies because of their beautiful full dresses.

These pillowcases are beautifully embroidered with gorgeous Southern Belles holding delicate parasols. My favorite feature is the hand crocheted skirts have have been inserted in a cut out section of the pillowcase opening. SO BEAUTIFUL!

This is a close up of the crocheted work. I've tried crocheting before...it was not a pretty picture. It's SO much easier to just find them already done for me. m And when I find them in my favorite colors, Oh yeah! Gotta love that!

This is such a sweet pattern which is done on a pillowcase. Two lovely Southern Belles seem to be dancing around a basket of flowers. They're so cute! I love how the dresses are decorated with pretty flowers at the hem with their tiny slippered feet showing.

The Southern Belle below is definitely one of my best in my collection. She's done on a runner and the work is expertly done with tiny little stitches. Just look at the details on the butterfly, her hat, blond curly locks, and even her eyelashes seen from profile.

I can sum it all up in one word; GORGEOUS!

I also love anything made from old linens. This cute little make-up bag was made from an old embroidered runner. I'm sure the runner was too damaged for display, so a crafty lady on eBay turned it into this sweet little bag. She even added a tiny pink, baby button on the top of the parasol.

Gosh! Just look at the embroidery on this sweet Belle! The artists (whoever can embroider like this is always referred to as an artist by me) used thin floss and tiny stitches to create an image that seems to pop off the fabric.

This cute accent pillow was made from a vintage runner. The great thing about runners is that you have two images so you can usually make two of something. What a great way to recycle old linens! The pillow was very simply made by sewing along two edges (on the outside) tucking in a little stuffing or small pillow and stitching along the third side. Easy-Peezy!

FYI, I didn't make this pillow. As simple as it is, it's simpler to buy it already done. I found this at a little flea market and had to have it.

TIP for storing linens: As you may have noticed, the linens in the photos look a little wrinkled. The reason is that linens, old or new, should not be ironed and/or starched before storing. Ironing in creases or folding linens when they're still hot can cause breakage of the fibers which will cause weak areas and eventually holes. Also, starch is often looked upon as food by tiny little critters (ie, it may attract bugs). Tuck in sachets of lavender, cedar balls or even an opened pack of cigarettes to keep bugs away. I prefer lavender because it's the yummiest scent. :o)

Blessings,

Patricia :o)

Haiti - Earthquake 7.0

2010-01-13T21:03:00.005-06:00

I'm not very good with words and find it very difficult to properly express my sorrow for what is happening to the people of Haiti. We were there just this past September and were astonished at the poverty we saw. We met so many beautiful people. I can't stand to think what they must be going through. To be truthful, I'm sure that even the graphic photos on the web don't show what these people are really suffering through.

Prayer is the number one thing we can all do. But if you're led to do more, please visit the CNN web site for a list many different organization that can use your help. http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/impact/

Patricia

M'Lady and her nightgowns

2010-01-07T16:19:00.012-06:00

M’Lady is finished and is showing off some of her my favorite night gowns. I didn’t even know I had a nightgown collection until Deanna of Timeless Things asked me if I still collected vintage nightgowns. She pointed out that I have several at home and that I was always looking for them when we went shopping. Huh! I didn’t realize that!

Now that M’Lady is presentable, I can show some of them off.

I'm not sure if this is a robe or part of a wedding dress. All I know is that it's gorgeous! I found this at a Goodwill store for only $9.99!!

It's supper long and goes all the way down to my feet. I'm almost 5'8" so that's amazing to me (now if it would only go around my middle).

All the little beads and sequence are hand sewn.

This nightgown is pretty old. I think it is home made. It's also very long, which I LOVE. The seams are all done with a tiny French seam. The original pale taupe-yellow ribbon still runs through the eyelet lace at the collar.

This is another of my favorites. It's made of soft cotton. The detail on this one is beautiful!

It also had a taupe-yellow ribbon, but was in bad shape so I pulled it out. I'm looking for a vintage ribbon replacement.

Just check out the details. This nightgown looks small but is actually large enough to fit me. It's very comfortable, but I'm afraid to wear it.

I found this little nightie at the Salvation Army for $1.00! It's probably from the late 50's early 60's and is made of the softest pink nylon.

I'm pretty sure I won't be wearing this one for a very long time. It's a tiny 32 bust. It's very femine and delicate. I wish they still made them like this...

Patricia :o)

PS: Here's M'Lady all nice and clean.

M'Lady the Vintage Dress Form

2009-12-29T14:04:00.004-06:00

Last summer my hubby and I were visiting our favorite little town just North of San Antonio, Boerne (sounds like brun-e). We stopped in a little antique shop and found this great dress form. It had been marked down, and marked down again to $175.00. I'd been looking for a dress form for years and could never find anything in a reasonable price range. Although the $175 seemed fair, I asked for more. I was thrilled when the dealer let me have her for $125!!!! (I know some of you have gotten way better deals, but I'm rarely that lucky LOL)

Unfortunately, my dress form was so stained and dirty, that she wasn't even invited into the home (except to take these photos). I removed her outer cover and found...

shredded paper!! I have to tell you I was shocked and disappointed. But I had to get her clean if she wanted to stay inside the house.

Here she is naked! I vacuumed her off really,really well and them steamed her all over. It was a lot harder than I had thought it would be, but I finally got her smelling almost good.

I obviously wasn't going to put that nasty paper back in so I wrapped her in thick batting. Meanwhile, the nasty, dirty cover was being soaked for a couple of days in a big tub of powder Tide, Oxyclean and what started out as very hot water. The fabric came out very clean with only one or two little ink marks on it.

I didn't put the cover in the dryer because I was afraid it would shrink. And I think it did anyway because it looks a little tight. I hand stitched the opening all the way up the back and it looks really good. This was the part I thought would be the hardest and it turned out to be the easiest. The really hard part was filling her bust! The first go-round she looked like Dolly Parton!! After a little reductive surgery, she looks pretty normal.

I've heard that every dress form should have a name and this one is named M'lady. When we first bought her, my hubby referred to her as "your lady" meaning my lady. He carried my lady on his shoulder. It was sooooo cute and funny looking. Then my lady had to stay in the garage, and I had to work on my lady to get her cleaned up. I kept thinking of her as "my lady" so the name stuck.

Now she's in my guest room wearing the prettiest lace robe. I'll share that with you on the next post. It's beautiful and I'm sure you'll love it!

Happy New Year!!

Patricia :o)

"Believe" give away!!!

2009-12-22T22:49:00.004-06:00

Paula, of Castle and Cottage, is giving away this beauitful "Believe" sign. This is so beautiful! I know I'd keep it out all year. If only I could be so lucky to win this!!!!!

Christmas Decorations

2009-12-16T21:25:00.009-06:00

It's been a while since I posted, and it will probably be a while before I do it again. I was inspired by so many of your Christmas posts to share a little of my Christmas decorations, too. This will be our third Christmas in Texas since we moved from California. The first two years, we didn't really decorate because we went back to CA to celebrate Christmas with family and friends. This year we're staying home.

We usually put up an artificial tree, but this year my hubby wanted a real one; a great BIG real one. It's over 10 tall and I don't know how wide. All our ornaments look tiny on it and it took 90'of ribbon!

We got rid of a lot of our Christmas decorations when we moved. It seemed like we had so much! As it turned out, we didn't have enough and had to get a few new things. The golden reindeer, runner and glass vases our new. I hung silk holly, grapevines, ribbon, and "crystal" stars from the chandelier. It looks so much prettier in person.

This is our Santa table. When we first started setting things up, we thought we had so many Santas, but it turns out that we only had a few. I think less is more in this case. Each Santa stands out a little better because they're easier to see. (My mother in law MADE the tall Santa with the pearls. Isn't he gorgeous?)

My husband fell in love with the Santa print and HAD to have it. I like it and think it's cute, but Santa is not the reason for the season. I didn't want him to be the center of attention, so he's in the dining room.

More new purchases. I found these cute reindeer at Marshal's and couldn't pass them up. Everything else is done in gold and red, but they're neutral, so I think it works OK.

Another new addition, a snowman family: Mommy, Daddy and two kids. Just like our family.

We put garland ribbon and ornaments all along the stair rails. It didn't turn out exactly like I envisioned it, but it's close enough. At the top, there's a little triangle ledge that we set up my hubby's snowman and some little trees.

We hung this cute canvas Santa on the hall door and decorated the little table a bit, too.

Above the fireplace, we hung a nativity print. I had to take the picture on an angel so that the flash didn't reflect on the glass. I love this picture! This is also a new addition. We were supposed to wait until after Christmas to buy it for next year, but I couldn't wait. What if they ran out?! I had to have it now.

Here is my attempt at making a live center-piece. I used the left over branches from the tree to make this, hoping I'd save a little money. But after I bought the little bucket, the foam, the snowman, the berries, the stars, etc, I may as well have bought an arrangement from the store. Oh well!

The house is way too tall to put lights along the roof line. (Floyd wanted to get a 25' ladder to do it. NO WAY! I didn't want to risk him falling from that height). So we decorated the entrance. The plastic Santa is close to 40 years old. It's not in the best shape, but you can't tell until you're up close.

This is one of my favorite little snowmen. He was a gift from a secret Santa years and years ago. I just love his message! It's supposed to sit on a shelf, but I use him as one of the bigger ornaments on our tree every year. I put him at eye level so that everyone see him.

Wishing you all a very Merry and very blessed Christmas. And remember,

Jesus love you snow much!!

Patricia :o)

Time to Rest

2009-10-03T19:26:00.003-05:00

Time seems to be the number one thing I always seem to run short of. I haven't been able to post very much for lots of reasons. And it really bugs me that I haven't been able to visit all my bloggy friends.

I'm still selling on eBay, running a house hold, and now I'll be homeschooling my teenage son so that he can graduate from high school. I don't think I'll be able to do all that and blog, too. So I'm going to rest a while from blogging. However, I do hope to continue to visit all you beautiful ladies!

And who knows, I may be able to start blogging again soon. We'll see how it goes.

Blessings to all of you,
Patricia :o)

Backyard Feathered Friends

2009-09-14T21:01:00.006-05:00

Sometimes it's the simple things that bring joy. For us, it's sitting outside and watching nature. Our favorite thing to do is watch the little animals and birds that visit our yard. The birds that we have here in Texas are so varied and beautiful and I thought I'd share them with you.
American yellow finch and lesser gold finch flock to the thistle socks in the spring. They can't resist them! About 19 or 20 fit on the socks and the rest of them wait their turn in the branches above.

The is a Great Roadrunner. We used to have two that came by, but now it's only one. He's very shy and it's difficult to get a good picture of him.

Very common to this area is the gorgeous Cardinal. This is a male. I forgot to get a photo of the female. She is grey-ish brown and not nearly as colorful as he is.

I think this is a Carolina Chickadee. They're not exactly supposed to be in our area, but I'm not complaining when they visit. They're so cute!

These two little love birds are Common Ground-Doves. They're much smaller than the Mourning Dove. They're always together. So sweet.

This is the female Painted Bunting. She's an overall grey-ish green. Take a look at her handsome husband below...

This beautiful bird is the Western King bird (I think). They don't come to my feeders, they come to the pond. The way they take a bath is by doing a cannon-ball into the pond. At first we thought they were after the fish, but after watching them, it was obvious they were diving in to get wet, then fly up to the branches to preen.

Although this male Summer Tanager is supposed to be in our area all summer, we only saw him and his lovely lady (below) for a few days. They're spectacular in real life. He's almost a neon red and she's the brightest yellow. Beautiful!

It's a hoot to watch this Ladder-backed Woodpecker eat. He pops back and forth to see if you're watching. We had a little family of them in late spring. The babies are even funnier as they peck at everything to see if it's edible.

This is the Black-Crested Titmouse. They're all over the place and very brave. I'll be out having lunch under a tree and they will sit within an arms reach to get at sunflower seeds in the feeders.

You've already met the painted bunting. The much larger, and very aggressive grey bird in the upper right corner is a Northern Mocking bird. We have a pair that nest very close to the feeders and can be quite aggressive towards other birds. (Which is good because they keep away Grackles - boisterous, noisy and gang-like birds). We were very surprised to see the mockingbirds leave all of our desirable birds alone.

Hope you enjoyed "my" pretty birds!

Blessings,

Patricia :o)

What does it mean to you?

2009-08-28T09:41:00.007-05:00

The other day, I was at Lowe's throwing my money away on, Ooops! I mean buying, a few Little flowers for my dead garden. I was wearing a tiny gold cross that I usually wear when I'm not wearing "fashion" jewelry.

The clerk and I were making small talk, when all of a sudden she asked, "That's a pretty cross. What does it mean to you?"

No one had ever asked me that question. So many things went through my mind that I wanted to say. "It's an outward reflection of my faith." "It's a reminder of what He gave up for me." "It's a symbol of His strength." There were lots of things I should have/could have said. I wanted to get it all out in one simple but powerful statement. But all that came out was, "He is my savior" but it almost sounded like a question. She just nodded and smiled, gave me my receipt and told me to have a great day. I said, "Thanks. You too, and God bless." And that was it.

In a way I felt good that my little cross had attracted some attention in a place that used to sell "holiday" trees. In a way, I felt terrible that I didn't have the answer I would have liked to give.

What does it mean to you?

Love them Hankies!

2009-08-25T08:07:00.002-05:00

I love vintage hankies. They're beautiful, practical, and the best thing about them is that they're easy to find and pretty inexpensive. I seem to find them everywhere: antique stores, thrift shops, flea markets, garage sales. But what do you do with them once you get them home. I used to put them in a hanky box and practically forget about them. It's a shame to but them where they can't be enjoyed.

There's lots of ways to use hankies. Beside using them for their intended purpose, you can also use them to:

1. Use a hanky, instead of tissue, to line a gift box. I took a pretty 99 cent box covered in purple and lavender florals and lined it with a matching hanky and tucked in my gift. All it needs now is a ribbon bow on the top. The hanky becomes part of the gift.

2. I often use hankies as doilies when I want to add a touch of color. It's easy to change them out to match the season or holiday. The hanky is covered in large pink carnation and the teapot has pink roses. Even though the flowers are different, I think it looks great together.

3. I use hankies as gift quiet often. When it's a friend's or teacher's or neighbor's birthday, I tuck a pretty hanky into their card and mail it away. It's not always possible (or affordable) to buy and send gifts. Sending a hanky with the card is a great economical way to tell them they were thought of.

4. Ever have a odd shaped little gift, but no box? Wrap it up in a hanky, tie it with a ribbon and pin a rhinestone brooch on it. So Cute! Problem is that your friend may not want to open the gift because it's wrapped so sweetly.

5. I tuck hankies everywhere, even under teacups. They look so pretty to display this way. They're like tiny napkins that can catch drips and spills. Easy to clean, too.

So if you ever come across a hanky that you love but don't know what to do with it, Get It!! You'll find a way to enjoy it.

Patricia :o)

BLUEBIRD embroidered runners

2009-08-03T06:30:00.003-05:00

It's been a while since I posted about linens, so I think it's time. While sorting linens, I noticed that I seem to pick out a lot of bluebirds. They ARE among my favorite embroidered animals, though truth be told, I love it anytime I find an embroidered little dog, cat, horse, etc. I occasionally pick up other colored birds, but they just don't seem to be as cute.

SOLD

SOLD
OK, so this little bird isn't blue, but it's sooooo cute! We have lots of cardinals in our yard, so maybe that's what attracted me to this one. Or maybe it's because it's just so sweet.

SOLD

What amazes me so much about these vintage linens, is the workmanship! I tried embroidery several times (and I'm not giving up yet), but I just don't have the talent and/or skill to make my stitches look like this. It's much easier to just find them and buy them than it is to make them. Plus there's still the crocheted trim to worry about. And that's something I can't do.

All the items listed are table runners and are in great condition. If you're interested in purchasing them, please visit my eBay site. Some are listed as auctions and some as Buy-it-Now. Be sure to let me know if you have any questions.

Hope you had fun looking at these pretty art works.

Blessings,

Patricia :o)

More finds...and then some

2009-08-01T18:40:00.004-05:00

We live on the out skirts of San Antonio just barely in the country so there's not too much close by around here. Recently we were going to lunch to near-by Castroville, a tiny town about 15 miles or so from us. We decided to go the "long" way on country roads and went through a strip of road that was almost a town. There was a general store and a few homes and that's it. Luckily for us they were having a neighborhood yard sale and we picked up some great finds for next to nothing. Everything shown above came out to $11.00!! My favorite is the Elsie cow creamer. And the roses have little clips on the back so you can clip them on just about anything to add a touch of romance.

This cement cherub was only $30.00 at Round Top earlier this year. Doesn't sound like a bargain unless you've been out pricing large garden statuary. He's about 1 foot long and is VERY heavy. I love how cute he looks tucked into the bushes.

Not exactly pertaining to the found category, though they did find us...

Are these beautiful and amazingly colored little birds. They're painted buntings that visit our area in summer. We found out that they love millet so, of course, we go running to the bird store (only 25 miles away) to buy this not-so-cheap seed in the hopes of attracting them. We were shocked that they found us by the next day!

They're pretty shy, so we couldn't get close to get pictures. These photos don't do them justice at all!! They're to bright and colorful. The females are a solid green color that come to the pond and are much braver than the males. What's funny is that I haven't seen the males at the pond where the females are, and the females don't go to the feeders. I feel so blessed to have these beautiful little birds visit my garden. God is always giving me little gifts of His creation and it always thrilling to me.

Hugs and smiles!

Patricia :o)

Some Pretty Finds

2009-07-24T10:02:00.005-05:00

I love buttons, but try not to buy them because I just don't know what to do with all the beautiful buttons I see. BUT, I found this little stack of mother of pearl buttons for $1.00 and I couldn't resist them. I sat them next to some shiny trinkets when I came home and they've been there ever since.

This is a man's Stetson hat. Now you may ask, "Why did you buy that?" My answer is because it was only $0.39! It's in really nice condition and it's a true Stetson with the little bow inside and everything. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it, but it was such a great buy I couldn't pass it up.

I was with my favorite thrifting buddy Deanna (of Timeless Things) when I found this Homer Laughlen (sp) plate for only $0.39 and of course I can't pass up anything cheap, I mean, thrifty especially if it has a pretty pink rose!

This lovely rose covered soap dish is an I.W. Rice that I found at a thrift store. I don't remember how much it was but I know it was under a couple of dollars. The picture didn't turn out to well, but it's adorable in real life.

Here's another Deanna find. Of course I was with her when I found these adorable little puppies for only $0.99. Deanna is such good luck!! I always find the best bargains when I'm with her.

The two (larger) rose decanters I found at an antique store marked down to $9.95 which I thought wasn't too badly priced considering that they have roses on them! I'm not sure what they were for. Perfume maybe or just pretty decorations? The little salt shaker I found at a flea market for only $1.00. Love it when that happens!

Hope you all have a beautiful and blessed day!

Patricia :o)

Government Canyon State Park

2009-07-20T19:33:00.006-05:00

I've been trying to loose weight by dieting for the last seven weeks and haven't lost a single pound. I truly have been eating right and very healthy, but the pounds won't budge. So, a couple of weeks ago, Floyd and I decided to start hiking. We're lucky enough to have a little state park just a few minutes from our house. It's really hot here in San Antonio (over 100 degrees for the last 30 days), so we thought we'd visit the park near sunset. The photo above was taken just as we drove out of our neighborhood.

This park is only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 7:00am to 10:00 pm. It's been closed since 2005 due to a flood and only just opened this June. We bought a state pass last year, so we get to come and go as we please. It's so nice to be able to do that!
Anyway, when we got there, we saw this sign with a picture of a guy hiking on the trail.

It's so funny because it looks just like Floyd from the back. The picture above is from the sign, the picture below is Floyd! I knew he was cute, but he never told me he was a model!!

I was so surprised to see how beautiful this place is. This is one of the easier trails (perfect for me) and is almost like a tunnel because the trees grow over the path. It was warm, but not really as bad as I thought it would be. There was a slight breeze that ran through the trees which made it very nice. Plus, the sun didn't really shine down on us since it was close to sunset. Perfect hike! We done several since we found this park, and so far they're all beautiful. Some, of course, are tougher than others, but all have been very do-able for us.

The whole time we're walking along the path, I'm trying not to think about rattle snakes. This little guy was laying across the path as we came along. He was very beautiful and not scary at all.

Just look at this gorgeous old oak tree! It split right down the middle many years ago and died, but has never lost its beauty. You can't tell by the picture that it's huge, but it is!

This is one of those places that will be very fun to visit at different times of the year. Because there are a lot of trails, and we have the changing seasons, there will always be something beautiful to see here.

Blessings,

Patricia :o)

Flower Bird Cage

2009-07-12T10:20:00.005-05:00

Have you ever made a purchase at a flea market or antique store and regretted it almost immediately? A few months ago I bought a bird cage and was so upset with myself because I didn't need it, didn't really want it and paid too much for it! I had one of those "Duh!" moments as soon as I put it in my car. I put it away and tried not to think about it.

Then...

I was lucky enough to find Joanne at Cottage in the Making's blog. On one of her posts, she had actually planted flowers in an old bird cage. What a great idea!! I asked her if she didn't mind if I "borrowed" her idea and she very graciously agreed. This is my version, but you really need to see hers. It's beautiful!

I started with my over-priced bird cage and bought some little flowers on sale. I lined the bottom of the cage with a piece of plastic from the bag that the dirt came in. Then I added the little flowers and a little cement bird.

I had the door open so you could see my bird better, but real birds got trapped inside. I felt so bad for them when they panicked and desperately tried to get out of the cage as I approached. I managed to get them out unharmed. Now I keep the little door closed and everyone stays happy.

It's been very hard lately to be motivated to be on the computer. I've been selling on eBay for five or six years and I think I'm a little burned out. I still have lots of stuff to sell, but I just can't seem to get to it. The problem is that I was on the computer for so many hours a day, that now I barely even read my emails and have neglected my blog and all of you. I'll try to do better...

Hugs,

Patricia :o)

2009-06-26T20:19:00.005-05:00

I'm finally feeling back to normal. Or at least, almost back to normal. I'll share the "almost" another day. Right now I really need to get out a HUGE "Thank You!!" to Georgianna also known as A Sunday Girl. While I was struggling with being an invalid, I received the best pick-me-up. I was the very lucky winner of her give May away!!

After I ripped through the envelope, I found this sweet little package and a stack of beautiful quilt squares. Now, when I say this fabric is beautiful, I really mean pass-out-on-the-floor gorgeous! I'll get to that in a bit.

Wrapped up in pink tissue and a satin white ribbon was a stunning flower pin. This hand made flower is done in folds of fun fabric. I have to tell you that the workmanship is amazing! The work that went in to this shows in the quality of the piece. It has a little pin/clasp thingy on the back so you can pin it to a hat, sweater, jacket, purse, etc. I've already worn it on my shirt and is adorable on my straw hat. It adds the perfect touch!

I tried to get a close up of it to show the workmanship, but the photo doesn't really do this pin justice. I love the colors! They're so bright and cheery, yet they don't look too "young" for me. The color combo is perfect!

This last photo show some of the amazing squares Georgianna sent. I've never made a quilt in my life, but I'm sure gonna give it a try with these. The squares are perfectly cut and the fabric is beautifully coordinated. I'm not an expert on fabric, but you can feel the quility in the cotton. You have to check out her blog, Bumbleberrie Quilt Shoppe & Boutique. It's a great blog full of pretty ideas and lots of eye candy.

She also has an Etsy shop that you can access through her blog or just click Bumbleberrie Boutieque to get you there faster. She's got beautiful hand made items, theeee most beautiful fabrics and so much more. Her shop is full of wonderful treasures, so be sure to take your time to shop and browse.

Thank you, Georgianna, for the wonderful give away.

Patricia :o)

I've been "out"

2009-05-18T14:38:00.003-05:00

I haven't been posting much or visiting your wonderful blogs lately because I had to have some minor surgery. It was sort-of an outpatient procedure except that they kept me for 23 hours so that it doesn't count as overnight. Like I said, it's nothing serious just one of those pesky "female" type things.

I was a little (understatement) nervous and depressed for about a week before the surgery. I couldn't get anything done and everything seemed like such a big chore. Even answering emails was difficult and I still have a slew to reply to that are almost three weeks old.

Now it's ten days after the surgery and I'm disappointed because I'm not back to normal yet. There were a couple of tiny complications, but, again, nothing major. It's funny how the doctor says minor but the body says major. Apparently I have 6 weeks of recovery. So much for such "minor" surgery!

Anyway, I didn't want you all to think I've forgotten about you. I'll be back to visiting when I have a little more energy. I have lots to share from before and I'm excited to see what all of you have been up to. See you soon!
Patricia :o)

Thrift Shopping with Deanna

2009-04-26T20:39:00.003-05:00

Last Thursday, I went shopping with my new blogging friend, Deanna from Timeless Things. (She was attacked by fire ants that same day and is in terrible itchy pain. Please say a prayer for her and stop by her blog to say hi if you get a chance.)

We only met once before, but after spending an hour or two with her, we feel like we've know each other for ever. She's a very sweet and lovely lady.

I forgot to take my camera with me, so I didn't get photos of us or the places we visited. I think we went to four different places, plus Chic Fillet where we had lunch. Anyway, I only have photos of what I found to show. Hopefully when she feels better, she'll post a few photos of her own. (She found a TON of cute things).

I found PINK! Two pink sweater tops and a vintage pink slip.
The beading at the top of this sweater is all hand sewn. Whew! I can't imagine the time that took!
This pretty pullover feels like it's made of cashmere and has hand embroidery and hand beading on the collar/yolk. How pretty is that!?

Here are some little trinkets I couldn't pass up: A wicker-like magazine basket that I'm going to line with pink rose cotton fabric and use as a waste basket in my sewing "room", some white rose scented drawer liner, old books, a vintage lipstick holder and a couple of little nick-knacks.

Then, we Deanna's help, I hit the jackpot of vintage Ferragamo shoes. But they're much too small for me, so I'm going to see if I can sell them. Oh, and I also found a vintage 1960's Vera scarf.

It was a blast shopping with Deanna. She is VERY knowledgeable and knows her collectibles. I can't wait to shop with her again!

Blessings,

Patricia :o)