Wishful Thinking

I had the best time picking out pretend back to school clothes for myself over at Polyvore. And I didn't even have to fight the Tax Free Weekend crowds to window shop. Such fun, give it a try!

For a peek at other fabulous pink finds, please pop over to the blog of our wonderful hostess Beverly. Hope you're enjoying the last bit of summer!

Teacher's Pet

Have you seen these cute little bottles of hand gel at Bath and Body Works?
I think it will make a sweet gift for my little one to take to her teacher on the first day of Kindergarten! Nothing like getting a bribe in on the first day. LOL!

Aren't the tags adorable too? I love the old fashion composition book boarder.

And did I mention they have a pink version too for the hand soap? It's antibacterial and applicious! I had to get one for myself. I seriously doubt if any high school student will be caught dead bringing me one on the first day of school, so I had to take matters into my own hands. So glad I did.

Thank you so much for visiting today. For a list of more pink treats please pop over to the blog of our wonderful hostess Beverly. Happy Day!

Pink Drink

I often read on other blogs how wonderful Trader Joe's is. We do not have one of these mystical magical stores in our town, but I had a chance to visit one not long ago while traveling. The store definitely lived up to the hype if for nothing else than the fresh cut flowers it offers. Oh wait, this post is about the bottled lemonade I discovered rather than the flowers. I guess I'll save the flower story for another post. Ah yes, I meant to talk about the lemonade. In a word...DIVINE. You really must try it if you get the chance. It comes in three flavors, French Berry, Pink and Key Lime. The Pink was so good that we guzzled it straight down from the bottle like regular hillbillies before I could even take a picture of it. Classy~

We managed to hold off on this darker pink one for slightly longer. We even served it over ice and in glasses. Amazing~

For a list of wonderful pink treats that just might wet your whistle, pop on over to Beverly's cantina. Cheers!

Tickled Pink

I found the cutest children's book this week on Etsy. (At Scrappy Jessi's shop to be exact) I've told you I have a weakness for children's books. Oh yeah, and a weakness for glass jars, craft supplies, and purses, but I digress...

I fell in love with the cover, but there was an even better surprise on the inside.
Dogs!

And more dogs! Heaven.

Who knew a few little 1960's illustrations, a smattering of pink, and a few furry canines could bring such joy?

For a list of other pink delights please visit the blog of our delightful hostess Beverly.

Happy Day!

Parasol and Plum Blossoms

Well folks if you haven't already heard, Liberty of London has landed at your local Target store. Add my name to the list of people who are gaga over the stuff. I did show fiscal restraint and only bought two items, the umbrella above and an adorable little skirt for my daughter. I'm sure this flash of frugality won't last past the weekend. I wonder if Target has those flatbed wagons like that are available at Costco? I think that would work best for the number of decorative storage boxes I'd like to take home with me.

My husband was a sweetie and held the umbrella for me while I snapped this picture to share.

We did this little photo shoot out in our front yard. All was going well until a neighbor walked past and said to my husband, "Hey Mary Poppins, how's it going?" It was at this point that my husband clicked the umbrella shut and said, "Okay, that's a wrap!" Thanks a lot neighbor Crankenberry, you just cost me my production assistant.

Thank you for "poppin" by today. For a peek at other pink delights please visit out fabulous hostess Beverly for a list of all of today's participants.

McCall Memories

I found the most wonderful vintage Christmas patterns today, and I just had to show them to you!

I fell head over heels for these little beauties in all their 1960's glory. I love, love, love the nativity scene at the top.

And aren't these tablecloths sooo kitschy cute?

Ooh, and the one for the card table is retro FABULOUS! Bridge anyone?

Aww, and the Victorian boot on this packet is just like the ones my grandmother used to make.

The best part is that each of these patterns are completely intact! I can whip up any of these delightful creations at my leisure. Hopefully forty years won't pass before that actually happens.

Bookkeeper

Nancy Drew has been feeling a little intimidated ever since I brought this perky pink Barbie book home. Miss Drew thought that she was the only gumshoe in town, but Barbie Roberts had news for her. If Barbie lingers in Rivers Heights much longer though, Nancy has threatened to steal her boyfriend. We may have a super sleuth cat fight on our hands ladies and gentlemen. If so, my money is definitely on Barbie. Never underestimate the power of pink. Which reminds me, check out the list of Pink Saturday participants over at the blog of our fabulous hostess Beverly.You'll be glad you did!

Now before you leave, you have to peek inside the book at some of the great illustrations that mark each chapter. Love the pointy toed shoes and the ponytail!

Love that secretary desk with all the cubbyholes and the shoes AGAIN!

Okay, it's difficult to pick a favorite here. Love the sweater tied at the neck and the ice cream sodas, but most of all I LOVE that Ken had worn a hat. Oh and by the dreamy way in which he is gazing into Barbie's eyes, I don't think Nancy stands a chance.

Little House on the Sale Counter

Lookie, lookie what I found! My local Tuesday Morning store is already putting out its Christmas wares and these fabulous Cody Foster houses were in the mix. They are from his 2004 Back Porch Friends Collection and were marked down to seven dollars each!!! Needless to say, there aren't any of these little beauties left at my store, LOL, but maybe you can score some for yourself at a store in your area. Ooh, and I think they are going to look great with my Christmas in July trees. I just had to share. Hope your day is filled with delightful surprises too!

Birthday Loot

Hello dear friends! I recently celebrated my birthday so I had to pop in and show you some of the goodies I scored.
The people in my life have figured out by now that I am a crafty girl, and they buy accordingly.I am now set with part if not all of the new Martha Stewart line from WalMart. That's right folks, you heard that right. Martha Stewart craft products are now available at WalMart! Be still my heart. By the look of things I think I need to get busy glittering and stamping immediately.LOL! Hope each of you are having a great day!

Stepping Out With My Baby

Lately I have been drooling over all the shoes in Anthropologie's autumn catalog. I love their overall vintage flair, and I can totally picture myself doing the Charleston at a dimly lit speak-easy while wearing any of them. Unfortunately, the price of a pair of these is directly proportional to their beauty.

Things were looking rather glum on the fall footwear front until I found these charmers for only $24.99. I know, I know, the heels aren't chunky, but they will be perfect for dancing the Black Bottom anyway. They also go great with this vintage purse that my mom used to carry. And to answer the question...Yes, it does feel good to Payless.

Shaken not Stirred

When I was around two years old, we took a family vacation to Disneyland. Part of the trip included stopping to see an elderly aunt and uncle who lived in San Diego. They had never had children of their own, so I think the invasion of four nephews and nieces who ranged in age from two to seventeen took them by surprise. And as much as I hate to admit it, I was probably the most guilty of upsetting the apple cart at their house. You see, my aunt had a song bird that lived in an intriguing cage at the top of a very tall stand. At her command the feathered fellow would whistle and warble and be a regular show off. When not prompted to perform the tiny bird would hop about his cage in silence. I guess this silence disturbed my two year old sensibilities, so I took it upon my self to make the bird sing on my own. I accomplished this by grabbing the stand and giving the bird cage quite a shake. I don't think my aunt or that bird was ever quite the same again. Add a mark in the tally book next to my name for one of those events that lives on in family infamy.

So last year for my birthday my mother gave me this vintage bird cage, in part because I wanted one and partially because she wanted to tell this story again for an audience. Gotta love it right? Well, I've been moving things around a little bit here and there in my house these last couple of days and I decided I needed to revamp the little vignettes I had going on because you know, Easter is over with. Anyhoo, the bird cage was one of the items I relocated. I not only moved it, but I emptied out the mishmash of things I had on display inside it. The poor thing was standing around looking rather forlorn with not even a parakeet with a bad case of vertigo to call it home. That was until the mail arrived and I received this fabulous package from my amazingly talented friend Natalea.
My birthday is next month, but Miss Natalea is so on the ball with her generosity that she sent the package early for added enjoyment and to insure timely delivery. In addition to the darling cards, Natalea took the time to make me a gorgeous bird shaped flip book. Each page is wonderfully unique. Even the backside of each bird is beautifully embellished. Thank you so much Natalea! I love everything! After opening this wonderful present, I knew I had to think of a way to really showcase each individual bird. And what better place could there be for a bevy of beautiful birds than my bird cage?
I love the result. I think the whole vignette really sings now, and I didn't even have to shake it.

Can you keep a secret?

I'm having a love affair with my new purse. We meet accidentally at a thrift store over the weekend and we've been inseparable ever since. I know my other handbags are getting a little suspicious, wondering why I'm not spending time with them anymore. It's just that this new one and I have so much more in common. Everything had just become so routine with the others that being with this one is a breath of fresh air. I'm sure I won't be able to keep our relationship under wraps for much longer, but I wanted to let you know myself in case you see the two of us out together in public.

The Stamp Act of 1978

When I was growing up grocery stores were still giving out Gold Bond stamps to shoppers. The number of stamps you received was equal to the amount of groceries you purchased. My mother kept these stamps loose in a milk glass basket on the top of our hutch. Periodically she would take the basket down from its perch and have me organize the tangled mass of stamps that had accumulated. I would then set to work wetting the stamp backs and sticking them in their little books. My mom made this part easy for me by placing a wet washcloth in a saucer for me to run the stamps across. This setup always made me feel like a very sophisticated secretary and I took my job very seriously.

The coolest part about saving stamps was that once you had a substantial amount of books filled, you could redeem them for items from the Gold Bond store. Normally my mom would let me have the stamps all to myself because I would use them to "buy" Christmas gifts. For example, one year I saved enough books to get my grandmother a set of decorative brass bowls. Another year my mother scored one of those tension rod towel holders that ran from floor to ceiling. Exciting gift huh? Regardless of how mundane some of the things I bought were, I loved the whole concept.

While I mostly used the stamps to get gifts for others, there was one item that I longed for...a tether ball set. I wanted that set so badly but it was valued at over forty books. That was well over a year's worth of saving. In other words, impossible. Or so I thought. Miraculously we had a friend who gave us all of her stamps and suddenly my beloved tether ball set seemed like it might be within reach. Within reach until my mother fell in love with this lamp which was valued at around the same amount. Maybe if I had bought my mom the aluminum cookie press with interchangeable disks for making spritz cookies instead of that towel rack we would be looking at a retro shot of me with my tether ball set. But it didn't quite work out that way. She did promise to buy me a set eventually if I let her get the lamp with my stockpile of stamps. Okay Mom, that was thirty years ago and I'm still waiting...

Just My Type

Allow me to introduce you to my my new typewriter. Isn't she the cutest thing? She is such a joy to be around I might even be inspired to write "the great American novel." You know, Jack Kerouac style. Here's what I have so far... Okay, maybe I'll just drink my icy lemonade and admire the typewriter.

Retro Ribbon

The very first job I ever had was wrapping Christmas gifts for a women's clothing boutique. Throughout the year the store's signature gift wrap consisted of pink foil paper, burgundy Sasheen ribbon, and an embossed silver medallion seal. No bow, just the silver seal. At Christmastime however, the packages were allowed to have bows. The shop owner, who was almost eighty at the time, was very particular about all aspects of her business and the business of gift wrapping was no exception. For Christmas packages, beautiful deep aqua colored foil took the place of the normal pink and handmade bows were the order of the day.
Most of the bows we made were the pom pom style.
But if the customers were coming back for their gifts later and time permitted, we would make different styles like these...
I liked the way these last two styles looked, but they were tricky to complete. They were the type that I would start making and then have to start all over again from the beginning because of my persistent OCD issue with symmetry.
Seeing these spools of vintage ribbon at the flea market reminded me of all of those afternoons of after school bow making. So of course they had to come home with me.

Patriotic Paraphernalia

Last year County Living Magazine featured the most wonderful Fourth of July decorating projects. Most of them had vintage crepe paper as one of the key ingredients. At the time I was unable to find the same style of streamer they had used, but this year I got lucky! My fabulous friend Natalea had some if this perfect vintage crepe available in her Etsy shop, and I was fortunate enough to snap it up. As I have said before, Natalea finds the best mix of goodies to offer in her shop. As an added bonus she always includes the most thoughtful extras in the package too. I only purchased the crepe paper, but she sent the wonderful buttons, millinery flowers, seam binding and that adorable "M" token. Ooh, and it's all color coordinated too! LOVE it!

I wanted to show you the picture of the projects I was describing from Country Living, but I guess they do not allow you to copy and paste their photos. However, click HERE and you can pop over and see them for yourself. Last year I made the little hats and used them as place cards. Now with this fab red, white, and blue crepe paper I plan to make those great chair decorations. If I am productive, I'll report back with my results. Hope you have a wonderful day!

Mail Call!

If you haven't visited Andrea at One Hundred Wishes lately, you are in for a surprise! She just added the most wonderful selection of sweet treats to her shop. I didn't waste any time placing an order because everything looked so yummy!
My package just arrived so I wanted to share it with you! The candies are both delicious and beautiful. If any one needs me, I'll be on the chaise lounge...eating bonbons. Happy Day indeed!

Ribbon Candy

Yesterday, while at the craft store I had a Steve Martin moment. If you have ever seen a movie he was in called
The Jerk, you might remember the scene where the simpleton character he played was overjoyed because the new phone book had just arrived. He exclaimed, "The phone books are here! The phone books are here!" I could totally relate when I saw that the store already has the Christmas ribbon for sale. Who cares if it's 103 degrees outside and Christmas is seven months away? Not me, I was in the isle shouting "The ribbon is here! The ribbon is here!"

I love to see the new color combinations that they have out because that gives a hint as to what the decorations and wrapping paper are going to be like, not that we won't know that within the month anyway. LOL! When I was checking out, the clerk was already "bah humbug" about the whole situation. I think she even rolled her eyes at me, at which point I added to her annoyance by cheerfully reminding her that all the ribbon is 50% off...including the Christmas. I get another big eye roll followed by an agitated exhale. This did not bother me in the least though. As a matter of fact, I think I need to go back and get some more... before there's a run on it.

There was a young lady who lived in a shoe...

she had so many collections that she kept adding to. She knew that she shouldn't but she persisted her folly. Amassing such lovelies proved to make her quite jolly! Who knew a little shopping would make me wax poetic? I had to show you my Saturday finds! I was browsing through Tuesday Morning and found this adorable tiered tidbit tray. The color may be a little off in the photo, but it is the most wonderful shade of aqua! I don't know if you can see it very well, but the bubble gum pink place mat came from there as well. They came in a set of four and look tufted.
After Tuesday Morning I headed to the antique mall where I found the adorable Shawnee shoe planter. I added the vintage millinery, but I might find a different use for this little shoe later. I came home with this sweet platter too. The pattern is called "Pink Blush" LOVE that! I think it will definitely find a place on my wall.
Now that tidbit tray looked so bare, so I filled it up with some other pretties that needed a good home.
The top tier features this fun charm bracelet. It has so many interesting cars on it. I wish I knew the back story of it all. The spherical charm looks oddly enough like something out of Star Wars. My Sweetie looked at this purchase with new admiration after I pointed out that observation. LOL!
The bottom tier has some yummy vintage earrings that will probably find their way into a charm bracelet soon. I've read on some other blogs that people are making an effort to live by the "One In, One Out" rule, where they get rid of something they already have each time they bring something new into the mix. So I'm wondering...do earrings count as one item or two? Never mind, I'm totally delusional if I think I would have the willpower to follow a rational formula like that! Hope you have an excessively good day...

To Me, From Me

This is a little something I bought myself for Mother's Day. I have been asking for one of these ever since I saw them for sale a few years back. No one took me seriously though... not even Santa. He thought my wish list was that of a seven year old boy and left what was rightfully mine at the house next door. But I have had the last laugh, I saw this little dream machine at Target and I brought it home with me. Now I don't plan on keeping all the magical fairy floss I whip up to myself. I have very altruistic plans in mind...
First, I will dazzle the neighborhood children on Halloween as I spin orange, green and purple webs of happiness for them to enjoy. Forget the neighbor giving out full size chocolate bars, the lady on the corner is making COTTON CANDY!
Next, I will whip up a Pina Colada flavored batch for my Girls Only Movie Night!
But most importantly, I will have a cotton candy station for my daughter's next birthday!
Okay, let's reevaluate. It took me 45 minutes to make just four paper cones "full" of goodness...Maybe if I start TONIGHT I will have enough made for the birthday party... in July.