Thank you, Linda!

I had take a picture of my surprise package from Linda! Beautiful old wallpaper samples, vintage illustrations and some wonderful collage trinkets . . . Linda, thank you so very much, I am honored to be a recepient. This give-away stuff is so much fun! I want to do one myself and I'll be thinking of something to give ~ stay tuned . . .

Comments

This little blogging world is so sweet. What kinships we all have with one another ~ even though we may live miles apart or even across oceans . . . I love to check in and see all that is happening in each of your lives. And the comments. I love checking my email and seeing that someone actually left me a comment about a new post of mine. Just to read that we have a little something in common and that our tastes run along the same vein.

I've noticed too the mini societies too of this blogging world, and I love this too. My tastes run from decorating to artistic so I've noticed how my blogging favorites overlap into these two areas, and I also love to read about farm life in others, even though I know nothing about sheep, farming or such. It's just so wonderfully interesting!

As a shop owner I also love to see other shop owner's blogs, just to read about their experiences and maybe even see some cool display ideas.

And support. I have seen such an uplifting of others that it is so moving to me. We have our families and our friends there for us but this blogging world is a support group like none other. To know people around the world are concerned for you is a touching thing.

Thanks to you all for taking time to read anything that I post, I so love reading yours!

A project in the making . . .

I wanted to share a couple of photos of something I started last night for our store. I'm not finished at all but just love how it's coming along.

I've used old sheet music, old prints and photos, and even old lace!

My Inspiration

I wanted to show you a few photos of my little workroom, I don't know if it could be called a "studio" but I love it just the same. I'm not finished situating everything and I need to hang pictures but it's coming along, atleast well enough to photograph. Sometimes it's too jumbled to do that! After I've organized and straightened, I definitely get the urge to create ~ sometimes I've forgotten about having something and during the cleaning up process come across it and that triggers all the ideas.

My inspiration board!

Do you love buttons? I am a freak for them and you can't even see all of them in this shot. I have baskets full of them on cards too!

This is an adorable porcelain handmade baby doll that I purchased probably ten years ago and I still love her. She's heavy like a real baby and I've dressed her in a little baby dress and sweater that used to be mine! I found this beautiful little baby doll crib at an estate sale and the sweet little tooth fairy pillow was a gift from my sweet friend, Cindy. I love vintage baby items and she always seems to find the most amazing things.

Oh! and this little linen is the sweetest, most amazing thing that Cindy just gave me recently ~ embroidered with "Good Morning" cream on cream, with a precious baby sleeping ~ she knows what I love . . .

Happy Spring!

A quick post to let you know that I've updated our store's blog if you'd like to take a look here!

Twenty-Six Years & counting!

It's amazing how fast time flies by us. It just seems like yesterday I was 19 and he was 21 ~ we were both so excited about starting our lives together.

We grew up across the street from one another, were great friends, even our parents were friends too! I was in fourth grade and he was in sixth. I always remember how kind he was to everyone in the neighborhood.

When I moved in, he was the first to welcome me when I was shy and knew no one. I moved away in tenth grade and didn't see him for about four years. One evening my thoughts turned to him, I called him and said "let's go do something together and catch up with each other's lives."

Well, that was twenty-six years and five wonderful sons ago . . . Happy Anniversary, Honey!

Thank you all so much for your sweet comments and wishes!!!

We just returned from a nice evening out with
our two sons who are still at home and
were treated to dinner by Dennis' parents ~

we all had such a wonderful time!

Restful Sunday

I'm so sorry I've not posted in such a long while. We've had so much happening this last week but today, we just rested.

Last week, my husband's grandmother passed away. She was an amazing 94, almost 95 years old! She absolutely loved my husband. They had such a bond with each other. He's having a hard time but slowly realizing that this really did happen. She passed of nothing sudden or painful, just purely old age.

She was so good to all of our sons and they loved her too. She lived with my husband's parents for about 35 years as her husband passed away quite a while ago.

Dennis' (my husband) parents would get away from time to time and usually one of our five sons would go to spend the night with her so she wouldn't be alone. They all were able to have alot of one-on-one time with their great grandmother. She usually had groceries that she had purchased just for them and tried her hardest to feed them constantly during their stay. She would tell them many stories of her growing up and her life ~ her mind was so good even up until the end.

Our youngest son, Noah, only 9 years old, had a really hard time yesterday at the funeral. I tried to tell him that she was happy and healthy now in Heaven. Seeing all those who had passed over before her, her husband, mother, father and even her only son. That she could run, jump and rejoice in her new heavenly body. What a wonderful thing to know that we will see her again one day.

I don't know your beliefs or your faith but as Christians we believe that Christ came to this earth and loved us so much that He died on the cross to pay for all of our sins, and that with believing He did this for us, we have the comfort of knowing that we will one day join our loved ones again in Heaven.

I'm not trying to preach to you but just stating our beliefs as a family. It's just a beautiful promise we believe in!

Pictured below is my sweet family with my husband, our five sons, our oldest son Brent's girlfriend, Emily and myself yesterday. I love them all so much!!

Our youngest, Noah, with a little distant cousin! She fell in love with him . . .

The Ladies

I wanted to share with you a beautiful lamp my husband bought for me a few years back.

We often go to auctions in remote areas to find really neat items for the shop. Well, this particular time I didn't go and he went alone.

He brought back several things for the store but he said this lamp was for me because he knew I would love it . . . Well, I was so thrilled and it is very much my taste!

The price: a mere $60.00. I have it in our bedroom in the center of my dresser. I've seen one other at the Lakewood Antiques Market and it was in pitiful condition with no paint remaining and it was priced $250.00!

Sweetness . . .

Have you ever seen something so precious as this little girl? The name of this painting is "Les Prunes"

by the french painter William Adolfe Bouguereau. I am in love with his painting style. Such softness.

Here's another sweet child painting

"La Reverence"

A quote of his states:

"Each day I go to my studio full of joy; in the evening when obliged to stop because of darkness I can scarcely wait for the morning to come... if I cannot give myself to my dear painting I am miserable."

I love it!

Hope

When I was at our store one day, a man stopped in to sell me some items from his van. This happens often when you have an antiques store, sometimes this is good but most times these things are not what we are looking for or they are asking entirely too much for us to be able to resell.

This particular day though, I found several items to buy from him and his prices were quite reasonable. But of all the things I have ever bought at the store, this is my favorite. I found out that it is an old print of a painting by George Frederic Watts named "Hope."



Above are the pictures of the painting I found on the internet here. Below is my framed print that I was able to buy that day! Sorry about the reflection of my curtains in the glass. I just love it . . .

A new collage

I finished a new collage today! I have to say, when I get started doing this, I just do not want to stop ~ I enjoyed making this so much. I used real tulle for her little tu tu and just added other vintage things all around. I removed the top off of an old box probably originally used for jewelry. It is covered in the prettiest pink damask, you can only see a peek of it around the edge but it is all over the back. You can find it in my Etsy shop!

I just have to say how kind everyone is in this little blogging world. There is such a sweet group of ladies (and men) here and to see the thoughtful, kind posts and even the support everyone offers to one another, I am truly touched by it. Thank you all for being so welcoming and so sweet!!

Don't you just love beautiful, old images? I just can't get enough of them. The colors are so pleasing and have such a nostalgic feel.

Oh, and old photographs. I don't know these folks from Adam but if the expression on their face is charming or the overall pose is pleasing ~ I just love owning them.

What about the look on this sweetie's face, can you believe it??

Ultimate Blog Party!! Prizes, too!!

We have reached the week of The Ultimate Blog Party; so break out the snacks & drinks and get into that party spirit! If you want to qualify for door prizes (and who wouldn't after viewing the prize listings page), simply write your own Ultimate Blog Party post, link to 5 Minutes for Moms (otherwise known as Party Headquarters), and sign the comment section and Mr. Linky the bottom of their post. Click on the blog party picture below or to the right to head to the party!

A goodie for you!

My sweet partner at the store, Cindy, has the most adorable picture on her blog I want you to go see. As a mother of five boys and a lover of all things vintage baby, I LOVE THIS!

I am so excited!!
Jenny at Prairie Farmeress
bought my little Ode to Spring collage I had in my Etsy shop!! OK, now I am hooked. When you make things, you wonder as your creating, "will somebody else like this like I do?" Thanks so much Jenny for your vote of confidence!!