A Kim K. Vintage Valentine Give-away!

I'm ready to share a few of my favorite Kim K. Valentine vintage goodies with my blogging friends.

A pink/red vintage apron...complete with a Kim K. silk valentine flower pin.

A Kim K. box of chocolates, vintage doily, metal heart-shaped cookie cutter and Kim K. button flower bouquet.

A Kim K. glittered ornament

I'm also throwing in a bunch of my favorite vintage Valentine cards that I've color copied. I will even include tiny clothes pins in case you want to display them on your apron.

In order to be entered in the giveaway:

* Leave me a comment on this blog post. Period. That's it.
* Entries close at 8:00pm EST Thursday, February 2nd.
* Winner will be picked randomly by one of my two girls (whoever happens to be home and eager to be my assistant). I might even thrown in a few surprise items too.
* Past winners are always encouraged to enter again.

I would love for you all to become Followers, but there's absolutely no pressure. This is a giveaway for the pure joy of giving back to my blogging friends!

Good luck and Happy Valentines!

Linking up with:
It's a Very Cherry World: Rednesday

XOXO

♥

Editing weekend pics: An alternative to Picnik

Many of us have lamented about the sad news that Picnik is ending its services on April 19th.

I'll admit it. I use Picnik almost daily. I even taught my faculty how to use this tool because it was so easy to use. Although I have have access to high-end software for photo editing, Picnik was just a quick way to get decent results for "free". I've been doing some research (in part to help my faculty) but selfishly to see what else I might be able to use for online photo editing. This weekend, I started playing around with FotoFlexer.

As you can see it has a working relationship with several photo-hosting sites. Most of my photos come directly from my memory card or laptop, but you can edit photos from photobucket, myspace, facebook, flickr, picassa and more. For a more detailed review of FotoFlexer, go here. If you would like to see a side-by-side comparison of other online photo editing software, see this site.

Here are a few of the photos that I edited this weekend using FotoFlexer.

It's been a very snowy weekend in West MI.
At least 6 inches of fresh snow, made for great outdoor adventures.

Be sure to check back first thing Tuesday morning.
I'll be announcing a no-strings attached
Valentines give-away.

XOXO

♥

Little Miss Muffet and doll bed(s) collection...

It's Friday and so it's time for another Lil' Vintage Story Books Link Party.

Today's book is Little Miss Muffet and Other Nursery Rhymes, copyright 1956. It's a Rand McNally Elf Book, with illustrations by Mary Jane Chase.


While browsing through the book, I noticed several nursery rhymes that were unfamiliar.

Such delightful graphics.

Each week, I've tried to tie in a personal collection with a book illustration. Today's collection features my daughters' doll bed(s) collection and may look familiar to my followers. My mother (the talented seamstress) has always provided lovely bed linens for my girl's doll beds. Thanks, Mom!

The doll bed on the left was my first doll bed (Christmas 1969)

It also became Emma's first doll bed (Christmas 1999)

The doll bed on the right was picked up in Wisconsin when I attended a conference and I had an opportunity to browse a local antique store.

I just love the decals on the bed.

This was also the first doll bed Josie received
when she came home from China.

December 2008
(Josie had just undergone hand surgery...note the cast)

This next bed I found at a local antique store.

Aren't the decals are charming?

This bed is another one of my childhood doll beds.
The cloth China dolls were purchased while in Guangzhou.

My mother painted the sweet little pictures on this bed.

This last bed was picked up at my favorite local antique store where my mother gave it a complete make-over for Emma. She made beautiful bed linens, including a butterfly quilt and all new paint.

Christmas 2007

It's a good thing I have girls to justify my slight obsession...I mean collection.

Don't forgot to visit Corey Moortgat's blog for more great vintage books and illustrations.

Happy Friday!
Happy playing!
Have a thrifty crafty weekend!

XOXO

♥

Valentine wreath... another Target transformation!

In case you are heading to Target in the near future, you might want to browse the $1 and $2.50 bins. One of the many things that ended up in my cart recently was this $2.50 wreath.

A few strips of material tied onto the wreath, gives it a whole new fuller look.

A few other things you might want to pick up in the$1 dollar bins at Target, include these clear containers, a few chocolate candy boxes and some mini mailboxes.

I've got easy ideas for vintage transformations.
Pinky swear.

XOXO

♥

Counting down to Valentines...

Although CNY celebrations continue all week long at our house, I've decided to give my blog a makeover in preparation for Valentines. I have a favorite vendor at Changing Thymes (who also happens to be at this etsy site - Honeybees & Roses: Sweet Vintage Treasures) who keeps me well stocked with all sorts of vintage goodies. Last year, I purchased this apron and then attached a few of my favorite vintage Valentine cards with mini clothespins. This apron is now permanently on display on the door of my craft room.

The apron also got a few heart buttons and a new silk flower pin embellished with a Valentine cupcake pick.

As you can imagine, I've got all sorts of Valentine crafts swirling in my head...including a no-strings attached give-away in the near future. I might just even include another valentine-inspired vintage apron. Be sure to check back often!

Linking up with It's A very Cherry World: Rednesday!

and

Coloradolady: Vintage Thingie Thursday

Very Merry Vintage Style

XOXO

♥