Thursday, April 30, 2015

You're Late, Spring!

.....but now that you're here, you're beautiful!

It took awhile for Spring to arrive in my area. We had snow last week!

Some signs of Spring in my own 'backyard'....Upstate New York

 
Laundry hanging on the line....
 
 
 
 
Horses grazing in the green fields.....
 
 
 
 
A fully bloomed tree in the middle of the wintered over trees.....
 
 
 
 
Oh, the Forsythia!
 
 
 
 
My favorite kind of sign....
 
 
 
 
A carpet of lavender flowers.....
 
 
 
 
A cheery store front....
 
 
 
 
Getting the fields ready for planting corn...
 
 
Just a few of my favorite Spring things......
 
What do you love about Spring?
 
 
AnnMarie xoxo
 
 
I am linking up with these great blog parties:
 
 


Thursday, April 23, 2015

Oh To Be Thrifting Again - A Week of Treasures

I have definitely made up for lost time.

Having been sick since the beginning of April, I have been off the hunt and not liking it! And if you know how us thrifters are, and if you follow the thrifter's creed that I spoke about here, you know that we can't go long without a fix at the local thrift.

My first trip out, still dazed from sickness, was originally for the need to get groceries. Why not make a stop at the local Goodwill? I stopped there first in case I couldn't make it to both. I was willing to forfeit food for the hunt. So glad I did!

 
 
A red Rubbermaid dish rack. A 70's made in USA Coca Cola pitcher. A hand painted and signed wooden Chesire cat. A silver plate baby bank and a cute baby photo/trinket box. Three green chalkboards to practice your cursive and a camping sandwich iron.
 
 
Look at that face....
 

 
The next day I had to make a run to another grocery store, which just happens to be conveniently located by my favorite thrift store. I stopped by and scored again.

 
Three ironstone pitchers marked USA on the bottom in graduated sizes. The first one in line is mine from my collecting days in the 1980's. I just may have to keep the next three. They will stay in line on my shelf till I decide.
 


The cute ironstone pitcher on the scale is loaded with crazing with a tea stained looking patina. It may be a keeper also.


I have been wanting a model car from 1957, the year I was born. Don't know why, but I do. When I saw this sleek, yellow 1957 Chevy Bel Air convertible I had to put it in my cart. Didn't even see the grunge all over it I will have to painstakingly clean off. Or some of the tiny missing parts. For now it will sit in my Etsy room on the top of my cupboard along with the other things that are so me!


I saw potential in this wooden mail box. The back is solid pine. My plan is to paint it because I haven't learned my lesson yet that I struggle way too much painting items to up-cycle them. I couldn't pass it up. Maybe it will come out great!

 
 
Even though it was snowing and in the 30's this morning I was at the local church rummage sale by 8:45 a.m. to get my place in line. I was in and out of there in 5 minutes with these three fabulous vintage suitcases. The dark blue train case and suitcase are Lady Baltimore and the light blue train case is Amelia Earhart. So happy to have found these that I treated myself to a cinnamon scone at the baked sale.

Three days in a row of great finds.

I can go back now to being sick. I need a nap.

Check my Etsy shop for any of these items as I will be working on listing them. Except the ones I'm maybe keeping, of course!

AnnMarie xoxo

I am linking up with these great blog parties:

Share Your Style
Vintage Inspiration Party
Share Your Cup Thursday
 Let's Talk Vintage
Freedom Fridays With All My Bloggy Friends
Best of the Weekend
 Masterpiece Monday
Something to Talk About Link Party
Show and Share
What'd You Do This Weekend?
Vintage Bliss Tuesdays Linky Party
Thrifter Share

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Pretty Hangers - a DIY

One of my favorite blogs, My Salvaged Treasures, hosted by Betsy, had the cutest DIY that I knew I could actually do! She called them Dressed Up Hangers.

She is using the hangers to display vintage photos...great idea!
I have been collecting the vintage pant and skirt clamp hangers to sell in my Etsy shop and they are quite popular. One customer told me she wanted them to display vintage clothing in her shop. They are great to display cross stitch, doilies, artwork and as you can see, photos.

I have promoted them this way in my listings but never thought to decorate the hanger itself until I saw Betsy's post!

I rummaged through my bags of vintage lace and doilies, my huge stash of vintage buttons and anything else I could find on the top of my craft room desk.

This is my version on her great idea....


The first one I made I used burlap with a little fringe and a burlap flower I had already made.


I simply cut the burlap to fit and glued it in across the front of the hanger with the best glue I'll ever use (no smell!)....
You can find it at Walmart!


The fringe on the next hanger is leftover from last year's project and with a few vintage mother of pearl buttons, it is simple with a little flair.

 
This floral lace is so pretty and shows just enough of the hanger through it to make it a pretty background. The button is a heavy gold cast vintage button.
 
 
I recently took the lace valance down from my bathroom window and it fell apart in my hands! It made me feel a little better about cutting it up for this next hanger. I wrapped the pretty cotton lace a little over the edges of  the hanger. The pretty floral embellishment is actually a brooch from Avon.
 
 
I played around a little bit with ways to use the hangers around my house. I love this one on the door in my kitchen. It can be changed out with the seasons.
 
 
The rustic burlap blends so nicely with the chippy chair that I thought it looked cute just hanging there.
 
 
I love hanging things on the glass doorknobs of the many pocket doors in my house. This one blends in with the room and would look cute with the right doily or vintage photo on it.
 
 
 

From this....
 
 
To this....
 
 
....in very little time, some scrap pieces and a little glue....who knew?
 
Betsy did and I am so glad she shared her pretty hangers with us! Here is another look at her dressed up hangers with doilies....
 
 
Visit her blog My Salvaged Treasures for other pretty projects and treasures that she posts about regularly.
 
All of my newly decorated hangers are available in my shop on the sidebar.
 
AnnMarie xoxo
 
I am linking up with these great blog parties: