My other half and his crafty side...

My husband is very patient of my holiday decorations and frequent side-trips to antique/thrift stores.

What most of my followers don't know, is that he grew up working at the now defunct Frank's Nursery & Crafts.

Not only does he have a green thumb (and can provide you with the Latin names of most plants) but when I first sought him out in college, it was because he had a full size fully decorated Christmas tree in his dorm room. I could see this glorious tree from my dorm room window and knew I needed to find the owner.

Yes. That's my elbow.
The rest of my body is attempting to dance.
It was college. Enough said.

He might not join me in my craft room, or even know how to use my glue gun.
But he can help pack and unpack holiday decorations like nobody's business.
He can also bring a dead plant back to life.

He's also gotten pretty darn good with a table saw and nail gun.

Love ya, honey!
I especially love your K-12 work schedule and Mr. Mom status!

PS. As much as Chris is handy, we're paying an electrician to hook up the treehouse.
No more scary power cords running from our house to the treehouse.
As you can imagine, I'm already plotting out the interior!
I had to throw a spring wreath on the door in celebration!

XOXO

♥

An instant collection...

Anyone else buy things off season and tuck them away and then are pleasantly surprised to find them again? OR....raise your hand if you are guilty of buying gifts early and then forgetting where you've stashed them...I swear I had another Christmas gift for Josie's stocking that never surfaced...oops.

I'm especially addicted to buying vintage holiday items off season. Over the summer and then again this fall, I found a few safety-pin baskets. I bought them separate from each other and each one cost less than $2 a piece.

Mary Engelbreit once featured safety pin baskets in her Home Companion magazine and I was smitten. I added my own twist by attaching a decorative rhinestone pin on each basket handle. I also picked up these yellow chicks at a $1 party supply store last spring and added necklaces, lace trim and little hats made of scrapbooking paper and beads.

Even though they might be a tad bit tacky, I can't imagine the hours that went into crafting these baskets. I love my instant collection.

Happy thrifting, friends!

Here's a link to a tutorial for this craft.
Thanks for sharing it, Lee.

Linking up to Vintage Thingie Thursday at Coloradolady
and The Thrifty Groove
and Her Library Adventures - Flea Market Finds

Happy Easter!
XOXO
♥

Crafting with Bingo Cards...

When I first met my mother-in-law (nearly 23 years ago), playing bingo was a regular activity and she was wicked amazing. She could play multiple cards at once without skipping a beat.

I never quite caught-on, but I now collect vintage bingo cards so that I can make seasonal ornaments and lamp shade decorations.



This coming weekend we will be traveling across the state to visit my MIL in a rehabilitation center and to celebrate her 70th birthday. On top of all her ongoing health issues, she suffered a stroke a few weeks ago. She also has a pretty serious surgery looming on the horizon once she's been given clearance.

I can't help but think of her when I play with my bingo cards.

Easter image from Miss Rhea's Sweet & Shabby Roses

Happy soon-to-be birthday, Nana.
We love you very much.

♥
XOXO

linking up with
Sugar Bee Crafts: Take a Look Tuesday
and Blackberry Vine Tuesday to-do Party
and Free Pretty Things for You...Whatever you want Wednesday
and Very Merry Vintage Style Share the Link Party
and WHAT are you making Wednesday from Home and Heart
and Sugar and Dots: What I Whipped Up Wednesday

Easter Tree & Sunroom Decorations

The pictures really don't do justice to my sunroom shelf.

It's packed.

My tree is filled with lots of eggs, vintage postcards and anything Easter related.

I brought home this green wheelbarrow from my favorite antique dealer and eventually it will get filled with pansies and go on the front porch. For now, it's taking up residence on my dining room table filled with honeycomb eggs that I picked up for .50 cents at my favorite mission thrift store.

I almost hate to admit how much Easter decorations I really have. Decorating for the holidays brings me happiness and I guess there could be worse habits. Believe it, or not, I still have a few more Easter collections to show you and more Easter crafting projects to unveil.

Happy Easter, friends!

Happy Monday!

XOXO
♥

Thrifting Surprises on Saturday

I mentioned on this post, that I would be decorating my sunroom on Saturday and I spent the afternoon happily digging out my favorite Easter decorations.

Before I show off my finished Easter tree and sunroom shelf, I have to share my Saturday morning thrifting/antiquing splurges. Emma had to be picked up from a slumber party, library books needed to be returned, and a few items needed to be purchased from the grocery store...all of these things were "near" my favorite antique store and mission thrift store, so naturally I had to stop by...hee hee. Let's just say, the thrifting stars were definitely aligned.

I scored all this ric rac AND lace for $2 at my favorite mission thrift store!!

My favorite antique dealer also had several wonderful Easter items available for very reasonable cost.

One of my favorite items that came home with me is this Donkey Party game.

I bought it for the graphics on the box, but it came with all its pieces and the best part is the party game book.



Last but not least, I purchased this delightful owl pin. I have a HUGE obsession with anything owl related...which is a post for another day.

All in all, a great Saturday filled with fun purchases.
Pictures of my Easter tree and my sunroom decorations coming soon.

Linking up to It's A Very Cherry World Rednesday

XOXO

♥

Sunroom Easter Decorations...

Would you like to see my 2nd favorite room in my house? My craft room comes 1st and then the sunroom is a strong 2nd. My husband, his uncle and a few other key people helped construct this room in 2006. You can even see our tree house from the view inside our sunroom. For my new followers, check out the tree in the right corner of the picture.

I can't call it a Christmas tree, because it gets decorated continually (including family birthdays and some made-up holidays). Here are a few of my favorite sunroom tree pictures. The blue words are hyperlinks that will show you even more pictures of that themed tree. Between you and me, my themed-trees drive my 12 year old nuts and secretly I LOVE IT!!

Paris Tree

Patriotic Tree

Halloween Tree

Thanksgiving Tree

Chinese New Year Tree

This tree has become a permanent fixture since we refinished the basement and lost our extra storage last winter. I also have to admit there's something peaceful about seeing the tree all lit up at night even when December is many many months away.

In between loads of laundry, I will be spending my Saturday filling the sunroom shelf with my Easter collections and decking out the tree.

Even my little doll dresser which sits on my sunroom shelf will be getting an Easter makeover.

I'll be back with more Easter.
Happy Saturday!
XOXO

♥