December Alphabet Party

Etsy Cottage Style!  This is the last month for the Alphabet Party this year with Etsy Cottage Style.  The letters are Y and Z this month.  I didn't have trouble with Y and I did manage to find something vintage that starts with a Z.

Here we go:

Vintage Yardstick

Vintage Yearbook

Now the yearbook is mine.  I graduated from Arcadia High School, Arcadia, California in 1962.  Was really sorry to realize when I pulled this off the shelf that in two years it will be time for a 50th reunion!!  Shocker!!

Vintage fabric Yo-Yo's for a quilt

Vintage Zippers

I know these are "vintage" because they are metal zippers.  They disappeared in the 1960's, I think.  Whenever I find vintage clothing with metal zippers, I know they are truly vintage.  In fact, I think most of my clothes in 1962 had metal zippers!  Oh dear!!!

That's it!  Hope you enjoyed my Etsy Alphabet Party items.  Am looking forward to what next year holds for those of us who participate in Etsy Cottage Style.  We shall see!!

Ah! Can't you just smell this?

I made from scratch this apple pie.  Not the crusts, however.  Never did learn how to make good crusts so I purchase ready made ones.  They are pretty good, too!!  I just took the pie out of the oven.  The house smells wonderful!!

My son, Rob, is coming later this afternoon for our Christmas dinner and time together.  Since he is a chef at The Four Seasons in Scottsdale at Troon North, he doesn't get holidays off to spend with family.  They have to work.  So today is our day for Christmas dinner together.  I baked this pie for our dessert!  Of course, he is going to take home half of it today!  I can't have this wonderful stuff hanging around the house!  I will eat it!

The rest of the menu consists of filet mignon from Omaha Steaks (a Christmas gift), baked potatoes and his favorite, the green bean casserole.  Yummy!  Can't wait!!

Shopping for my booth

Since I have been cooped up in the house for over a week, it was time to get out and do something fun!  It felt good to take a long drive and see the mountains that surround this beautiful area of Phoenix.  We had a lot of rain earlier this past week so the air was clear, crisp and the mountains looked so close!  The clouds were beautiful as a backdrop.  It was one of the perfect days that the snowbirds (winter refugees) come to Phoenix for!

I decided to go shopping for items for my booth last Thursday.  Kim Rawlins was having a sale in her shop, Not Too Shabby, so I decided to visit there first.  Her shop is full of eye candy, beautifully laid out displays, and it encompasses shabby chic, Paris, and industrial chic.  Check it out!  Lots of beautiful things.  I bought a wonderful girlie petticoat in the color of cafe au lait!  I have to fix the waist elastic on it, and then it is going in my bedroom as a display piece.

I was so lucky to find this whole set of watercolor roses in a thrift store.  They are originals and not prints.  They are vintage and they are in really good shape.

The one at bottom center is a white rose.  But the artist added clear glitter to the green leaves and that made this watercolor picture sparkle!  I am sorry it doesn't show up in the picture.

Also picked up yesterday were bags of crochet thread and some pretty wool yarns.  I am going to use these as display pieces in my booth.  It has been a long time since I wound a skein into a ball of yarn.  Good activity while watching TV.

I decided to doll them up a bit by adding ribbon around each one.  I have seen these items displayed in large bowls, baskets, and even bird cages.  I have two bird cages that are waiting to go to my booth at Merchant Square after the holidays. 

A Merry Christmas to all!!

Be of good cheer and enjoy family and friends. . .

Enjoy the good company, good food, and the wonder of the day.

Remember together the Christmases of the past and

what you enjoyed most about them.

Was it a special tradition?

A surprise gift?

Did Santa bring you what you asked for?

Remember the reason for Christmas.  Our Lord, Jesus, was born this day in Bethlehem.  There are many people in this world today who are trying to diminish this Day.  Don't let them diminish it for you and yours.

Merry Christmas to all!

Have you seen the little hearts, notes . . .

Have you seen these symbols on a blog or on Facebook?  ♥  ♪  ♫   I have!  I think they are pretty cool!  But how did those symbols get there¿?  How did the blogger find them?  Well, yesterday I sat down and figured it out!  They are called "alt codes".  ☺  Here's a website where you can get the instructions and a lot of the symbols  →  http://alt-codes.org/list/  My next project will be to create a "signature" alt-code for my blog.  ♪ ♫ ♬ 

Here is the link for Facebook symbols http://facebook-symbols.com/all/.  Only one problem with these symbols, it is a "cut and paste" function, not an "alt + a number" keystrokes.

Here's my weather report for today  ☼.  Even tho it is ☃ in a lot of places, I wish you a warm home, hot cocoa, and lots of fun this season!  Leave me a comment ✎ today➘  Tell me what you think. Thanks!

It's been way too long. . . .

But I've been sick!  Caught a really bad "something" that started out as a VERY sore throat for several days.  And it itched inside!  Then the cough began.  And it hurt to cough!  The doctor prescribed antibiotics, gargling with salt water, and plenty of rest.  I took his advice!  I hate to be sick.  It finally ended up as a head cold, but not a bad one.  I am much better today.

Here's something we don't see often in the desert -- FOG!

This was taken early on Dec. 17th.  It had rained the day before and was quite cool.  So, when the air temperature reached the same as the dew point, we got fog.  My husband used to tell the kids it is actually a cloud on the ground.  Technically, that's right.  I loved the fogs that developed in Colorado.  It created hoar frost on the trees and bushes.  Beautiful!!

Today was my day to do Christmas cards.  I hadn't felt like it since I got sick around the 15th.  So I had to get on them or they wouldn't arrive until after Christmas.  Which I guess isn't so bad, really.  At least those who worry about me if they don't get a card, would eventually!

BUT!  This job took the entire afternoon.  It took a long time to figure out how to put photos in the Christmas letter.  I finally figured out I could "copy and paste" then manipulate them to a smaller size and get them into the Christmas letter.  Then came the address labels.  For all the time I spent to get addresses printed out on labels, I could have hand written them!!  That little exercise really was a major struggle.  I used to be able to whip those puppies out in Microsoft Word, but my computer doesn't have Word, but some stupid program called OpenOffice, which is supposed to work like Word, but it doesn't, really.  Oh well, the job is done.

Now, I am ready for a light dinner, and more rest on the couch.  I have really been careful about getting plenty of rest with this cold.  Didn't want to be sick for Christmas!  HO, HO, HO, cough(!!!!).  LOL!!!

Paris journals

I created these two little journals yesterday.  They have a Paris theme.  They are going to my booth in Merchant Square -- C-6. 

The covers are pages from a French paperback book.  Bits of cloth, vintage pics and fabric.

I found these two items at the flea market last Saturday.  I love both of them!  Very chic!  Very industrial or salvage looking.  And I don't have to polish silver!  Woohoo!!

These jars and bottles will appear in my booth after the holidays.  I love the fabric brushes in the bottles and the excelsior and eggs in the large glass jar.  Love the look of glass!

Cootie

Do you remember the Game of Cootie??  My sister and I used to play that a lot -- back in the day!  Well, I found this game at an estate sale last week and was thrilled!  I plan to take it to VA the next time I visit and play it with my grandkids.

Every piece was there.  One leg is broken at the end, but other than that, it is in great condition.  Even the box!  Can't wait for my next trip to play with my grandkids!  Is it still being manufactured today?  Don't know for sure.  But since my daughter-in-law had never heard of it, I suspect it may not be.  Do you?

Since my DDH can no longer buy me flowers, I treat myself to pink roses every now and then.  Aren't these pretty!  And they opened so beautifully!  They are even slightly fragrant.

As I was tidying up yesterday I wondered what on earth am I going to do with the beautiful pumpkins and gourds I bought for fall decoration and Thanksgiving.  I hate to throw them away.  So here is what I did with them for the time being.

Love those ghost pumpkins!!

The house cleaners come tomorrow.  After that I will decorate a bit for Christmas.  It is a comin'!!

Now, I want to tell you about a new blog.  Kim Johnson, of Mystic Paper, and her hubby, The Peddler, now reside in Yucca Valley, CA.  They have started a new blog called The Peddler's Corner, and I want you to go visit and see what they are now doing.  Interested in brothel tokens for your art work?  They have a few for sale.  Check it out!  Kim told me today that Rick, who finds fabulous things for mixed media artists, will be hunting regularly for goodies for this blog.  They are going to Quartzite this week to hunt for wonderful things to share.

Catchin' up on Sunday

Spent most of the day trying to catch up on projects and get the usual household things done.  I've done 4 loads of laundry and put them away.  Shortened a new pair of jeans. 

Now let me digress here.  I am not a tall person.  When I buy pants I have to shorten most of them.  A job I hate doing!  These jeans had an inseam of 32" and I need an inseam of 28".  It is tedious and takes about 45 minutes from start to finish.  But, it's done!  Now I have another pair of jeans to wear.

Back to the rest of the day.  Here it is in pictures:

Found this pretty dotted swiss blouse at an estate sale last week.  I sewed a missing button on one cuff and then pressed it.  However, it is somewhat delicate, so anyone buying this from my booth will have to be careful when wearing it and laundering it.  Otherwise, it is really pretty.  Also sewed a button on one of my own blouses.

Aren't these little cowgirl items just the cutest??!!  I found these at the flea market yesterday.  Wish I had a little girl who lived close who could wear these.  My granddaughter lives in VA and she is too big for either item.

Finally recovered this vanity stool.  It was originally covered with some plain light blue fabric that was bleck!  So I took it apart, pulled out a gazillion staples, and recovered it with a piece of this great fabric!  It's gray with french script writing and birds.  I love this fabric!  Bet it will sell now!

Next I spray painted this urn that was originally pretty grungy.  I love this new spray paint color!  Sure perked up this urn and with the silver and glitter leaves and flowers, it will be a great addition to my booth.

Lastly, I spray painted (same color as the urn) this tiered candy server (I think that's what it is).  It came out really nice.  It is still sitting in the garage drying.  Haven't decided what to put in it yet.  Would look good with shells, old jewelry, candy, artsy bits and bobs, whatever!  Hmm!  Perhaps I will keep it to store all the bits I have lying about on my art table.

Now, time to take my shoes off, think about fixing dinner, and enjoy a couple of TV programs that I recorded.  Actually, a cup of tea sounds pretty good right now!  See you again soon!

Etsy Cottage Style Vintage Alphabet Party

For November the Etsy Cottage Style Vintage Alphabet Party letters are W and X.  Well, I found a few W's to share but I am not lovin' the X!  Don't have a thing!  Sorry!  But I did find three W's.  And here they are:

This is a really cute vintage White Wicker child's purse.  I love the little pink flowers and bow attached to the top. Found this yesterday at an estate sale.

 Next is this vintage White Wedding cake topper.  Really sweet and so pretty!  Found in a thrift store and cleaned up so that I can put it in my booth at Merchant Square.

Last is my vintage White porcelain pitcher.  I have two of these simple but elegant pitchers.  Love them.

Sorry I have taken so long since my last blog, but my life is super busy right now.  Big sale this weekend at Merchant Square and I have spent most of the week preparing for that.  More in the near future!