Spider legs...

I recently shared our new bedroom fireplace mantle.  

This week, we had a visitor drop in  for a visit.

In case you need to own a pair of your very own witch legs, they are currently available at Pier 1.  They are meant to cover table legs, but I just stuffed them full of tissue paper and added a few glittery spiders.  

They come in different colors but I thought the purple looked rather attractive...especially with the glowing fireplace embers.

 This week has been extra busy with the new semester start-up at work and I can't wait to find some time to play in my craft room on special Halloween projects.

Enjoy your weekend, friends.  Prayers to all those affected by Isaac.

Get ready 1st grade...Josie's coming your way!

Our Michigan K-12 public schools don't start until after Labor day, but Josie's 1st grade openhouse was last evening. I was working late at my University and missed it, but Emma helped style and dress her little sister.  

Get ready 1st grade, Josie's coming your WAY!!  Thanks for being such a great big sis, Emma!

Thursday night flea market finds...

We spent 11 hours in the car this weekend for an out-of-state family wedding. Whew. That's a lot of time away from home on a precious weekend. But, the wedding was beautiful even though it seemed terribly sad to not have my mother in law with us. It's going to be a hard going through holidays without some of our loved ones.

Thursday night we hit up an outdoor flea market across from the Century Antiques warehouse district in downtown Grand Rapids.  They have one more flea market this Thursday evening.

This doll bed had seen better days, but I couldn't pass up the price ($2) as I was completely smitten with the decals.


It's missing one of the sides to the bed, so I decided to use it as storage for some of my favorite vintage sewing cards and puzzles.

It's also being used as a place to display my metal dollhouse.

I also picked up this toy musical radio.  It wasn't working, but Chris took it apart and now it plays music and the picture spins as the music plays.  It was also $2.

Last but not least, I fell in love with this pitcher/glass set.

I don't need any more pitchers or glasses, but I simply couldn't resist.

I might be a bit "missing-in-action" this week on your blogs.  It's the start of the new semester at my "big-girl" job.  Have a fun week ahead.  I'm already dreaming of Labor day weekend. 
 

Mini cuteness...

Viv keeps telling me that I need to decorate my dollhouses for Halloween and I thought I'd show you a few things I've been collecting lately.  The miniature carved pumpkin came from this vendor.

 Isn't it realistic looking?  Even the pumpkin guts look slimy on the teeny tiny newspaper.

 The decorated fireplace mantle banner came from the scrapbooking embellishment section at Michael's.

The mini pumpkins are available at Hobby Lobby with the dollhouse accessories.

I hope you have a weekend filled with lots of playtime.
 

Doll blankets and pillows..a special fundraiser

One of my favorite adoptive family's (Our Treasures from Afar)  is selling handmade mini blanket sets (perfect for stuffed animals or dolls) for their Haiti mission trip fundraiser.  

 

You can click HERE for ordering information.

We chose the Asian girls fabric (which they are currently out of) but there are lots of other choices available, including boy-themed fabric. 

  Our special set arrived in the mail on Tuesday and Josie can't stop smiling.

Josie shares a special connection with this family.  Our two families were both at Mott Children's Hospital (University of Michigan) in the pediatric cardiology unit within months of each other for open-heart surgeries.   

We both have adopted Chinese daughter's with very special hearts.
   

A bit of fall tweaking...

Over the weekend, I packed up the rest of my summer decor knowing the next few weeks would be insanely busy at my University.

As much as I'm not ready to say goodbye to summer, I did enjoy tweaking my living room fireplace mantle with some of my favorite fall decorations.  
My mini log cabin collection will be making a guest appearance over the next few weeks.

Before you know it, my Halloween friends will be visiting. 

PS.  Between you and me...a few of them never left.  They've been partying in my craft room all year.
XOXO

    

Do you see what I see?

A few goodies came home from the Century Antiques warehouse district this weekend.

Yes.  It's another Keystone dollhouse.

 It's an addiction, I tell ya!!

Bedroom reveal...

I had hinted on this post that we had a master bedroom makeover happening at our house. 

 

 While soaking up the last few weeks before Chris's school schedule starts up, he has been busy working on his honey-do list. Over the weekend, we put the final touches on our master bedroom. We went from a very safe "tan" color to a very regal purple color.  The color reminds me of eggplant purple.

The framed baby sweater was worn by Emma and Josie.  I covered the lampshade with millinery flowers from a vintage hat and added lace and a faux pearl necklace to the lampshade.

My mother created this amazing wall hanging for my birthday last year.

Our newest bedroom acquisition is this fireplace mantle.  

We had a faux mantle in our bedroom, but spotted this one over the weekend at an antique warehouse and it needed to come home with us.  Several years ago, I made this wreath by wrapping a couple of feather boas around a wreath form.

The charming faux logs might be replaced in the future, but I have to admit I think they are rather fun.

The fireplace mantle holds special hand-painted vases from Nanchang China (where we adopted Josie) and a silver coated bird nest and rose blossom. 

The pictures next to the mantle were taken four years ago....Josie's first fall home with us.

The oil painting above Chris's dresser was painted by a dear friend and former colleague when Emma was in kindergarten.  The camera doesn't do it justice.

Next to my dresser, hangs a wreath that my Mom and I constructed 18 years ago.  

   
This week, we celebrate our 11th year in our current home.  Prior to this home, we had purchased my grandparents 1950s brick ranch dwelling.   Our home was very different with its vaulted ceiling open floor-plan.  It's safe to say that after this summer, Chris has repainted every room from its original "safe" color palate.  Happy anniversary house!