A Flea Market Kind of Mother's Day

The flea markets are just starting up around here so I wanted to get to one as soon as I could.


We planned our outing for Mother's Day. What better way to spend Mother's Day than indulging my pickin' passion?


"We" included my husband, son and I. They are such troopers when it comes to things I want to do that they may not necessarily choose. They got to pick the restaurant for dinner though....more on that later.

We had to drive an hour and a half to the flea market I chose, since it was in Clarence, NY, which is near Buffalo. I was attracted to that one because there were supposed to be tons of vendors outside and lots of indoor flea markets too. As you can see the skies were a little ominous, so the turnout was not great.

We ended up dodging raindrops in between the sun and downpours, on and off most of the day. Only in NY.


I had my cart in the truck and I was all ready to go, rain or shine. My husband made it a little game for me. My mission, should I choose to accept it, was to spend as much of this wad of money as I could while we were there. He wouldn't tell me how much was in it and I was not allowed to count it. And, I had to give back whatever I didn't spend. Oh boy! Easy peasy!

Or so I thought. I found a lot of stuff but couldn't help being thrifty minded even though I wasn't spending my own money! I passed by a lot of good stuff that was too pricey for me to buy and resell, even though it would cost me nothing. Believe me, by the end of the day, that changed and I spent with abandon!


Here are some of my finds. I realized once I went through them all that I had a variety of different styles of vintage, which I love. I didn't purposely look for different styles, I just picked what I love.

Some industrial finds included two oil cans, a red fan blade, a GE fan that works and a rustic turquoise box.

I never pass by Christmas items, any time of year, if they are a good price. These were.

My Farmhouse finds....

I think I have to keep the paper mache rooster basket/planter for awhile and I am definitely keeping the tablecloth.


After I found the turquoise wicker shelf I found the green one. Why not? I love them both.

I always grab feed or potato sacks when I see them. They sell well in my Etsy shop.

Here are my girly girl finds. The wicker vanity and hand mirror are so unique and the turquoise zippered bag has gold handles.

One of the first things I found was this vintage gold daisy bracelet. My favorite flower is any variety from the daisy family so it was a "gotta have it" purchase. It is a keeper.



When it started raining too much to keep walking around, we went into some of the Antique stores. I found some unique and very pricey items that were fun to look at but not to buy!



Yup, it says $14,500

It was time to head toward the restaurant for our reservations. Guess what kind of restaurant my husband and son chose? Steak and seafood of course! I don't eat red meat so I was hoping to find something I would like on the menu. I did.

It is called Lobster Mania.

I don't think an explanation is needed.....

The restaurant is a rustic cobblestone fine dining place where they make your soup and salad table side and cut your meat to order table side. My son couldn't resist sitting in the chair in the front.

Speaking of my son, he gave me the sweetest card and gift. A few weeks ago we both had our hair cut by my daughter at her salon (girly) and after I wanted to go to a kind of girly shop nearby to see what they had. Michael was a trooper and came in with me. I found the most delicious smelling candle called Dancing in the Rain. The owner was hinting to him what a good Mother's Day gift it would make. Fast forward to this past Friday night when he asked my husband to take him to go get it for me.

That picture of us was taken about 10 years ago!



So how do you think I did spending the money?

I did not spend it all but put a good dent in it. I reluctantly handed the remainder back.

When I counted up what I spent compared to what was in that wad of money, I'd say I did pretty good. I felt a little guilty for how much I spent.

For about a minute.

I know, I'm spoiled.

I prefer to think of it as being blessed :-)

Now to inventory all my treasures and decide if they are going on Etsy or to my booth.

Woe is me, how will I get through it all ;-)



To those that celebrate, I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day yesterday.


One last thing to share. Have you heard of the bitmoji app for your smart phone? You make an avatar of yourself and then it is attached to all kinds of emoji's that you can text to anyone.


Does it look like me?

AnnMarie xoxo


I am linking up with these fun blog parties:
Amaze Me Monday
Let's Talk Vintage
Share Your Cup
No Rules Weekend Blog Party
Vintage Charm Party
Friendship Friday Blog Party
Friday Feature Linky Party
"Anything Goes" Pink Saturday

Munching My Way Through Recovery

It has been 17 days of recovery from my hip surgery and I am doing okay. I don't like being out of the loop of blogging and my blog parties so I am posting a little update on what is going on around here. It has been mostly low key and boring with a little excitement built in.

Mostly I sit in my surgery chair all day, in between visits to the bathroom and the kitchen for something to eat. I have visitors in and out all week, ie. the Physical Therapist, the nurse and the crazy lady that runs in, takes my blood and runs out all in about 15 seconds...really! She told me she does about 30 patients a day. She may stay a little longer to chat if it is about QVC or fashion!

I have had dear friends visit also, bringing me wonderful dinners and to chat for a little bit. It is so funny how people think you are so fragile while recovering. I have to convince them that they can hug me and that I can talk for more than a few minutes!

My mantle looks like this these days......quite different than the bunnys on parade I had as decor in March for Easter and Spring. There is a combination of Get Well and Mother's Day cards and one of many bouquets of flowers I have received.

Speaking of Mother's Day......my daughter and family, along with my husband and son cooked a Seafood Boil for dinner with Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble for dessert! Yum! I will post the recipes later in another post. My daughter had gone to the Public Market (downtown Rochester, New York) Saturday morning and got most of the ingredients for this delicious dinner. I was sitting in my chair the whole time they were cooking waiting to hear the words, "dinner's ready!"

 

So now that the weather is getting a little nicer here I am feeling a little cooped up inside. I went to the side porch, hobbling with my walker, to have a peak outside to my side yard. There I saw that everything is growing abundantly and in need of a bit of weeding. Oops! forgot....I can't garden for a year, according to the surgeon. Just try and keep me away! Anyways, I got to see my fading grape hyacinths and my red tulips blooming.

 

 



And then I spotted them! Two lone purple lilacs on my lilac tree! That tree is only about 4 years old and only has bloomed once! I was so excited to see them there finally, but it was a little bittersweet having to view them from a distance! They bloomed just in time for Rochester's famous Lilac Festival.




As soon as I am able, these Impatiens will be potted into various containers to be put around my garden. They were a gift from my son for Mother's Day.

 

So I mentioned at the beginning that there was a little excitement during this two weeks of recovery. This past Monday night my husband asked my dear friend Bonnie to come over and stay with me so that he could go to his softball game. He missed the first one of the season because of my surgery and he is the coach and the pitcher of our church softball team. 

 

Part way into the game I got the dreaded call. He had been hit by a line drive ball off the bat right in the forehead and was down for the count. It was just one blessing after another from there on. Two of his teammates are EMT's so they immediately attended to him. They also went to the hospital and stayed with him the whole time he was there (till midnight) and called me with updates. One other guy on his team drove his car home from the field to our house, which is about 40 minutes away. My friend Bonnie's presence was so calming that I actually did not panic and we prayed and chatted in between updates. She also stayed way longer than planned, just not to leave me. I felt helpless but the Lord blessed me and my husband so much during the whole incident.

 

Yes, I have been very blessed through this whole surgery and recovery, having my daughters and husband take care of me, friends visiting with food and lots of well wishes through cards and email.

 

Today I got a really nice surprise from my sweet friends Lisa and Ron......a special delivery from QVC of Germack Gourmet Medley......

 

 

Something new to do while I sit in my recovery chair......crunch and munch my way through 3 jars of this delicious mix!

 

 

Till I blog again.....

 

AnnMarie :)



 

A Mother's Day For My Daughters....

When your daughters are all grown up and are mothers themselves, it is hard to claim one of the biggest holidays of the year just for yourself.

How do you make it special for each of you?

By spending some time together that day. And maybe making them a special gift.

This year I saw something that I really wanted for myself but then got the idea to make one for each of my daughters, Candice and Jena.

They are both mothers with one daughter each. And they are good mothers. And I get to be NaNa to my precious granddaughters Cassidy and Chloe....

So I decided instead of making myself one of these, I would make one for each of them.

 

I apologize that this is not a tutorial per se, because I didn't think of that till they were almost done (I will try and explain what I did to give you an idea of how to make one). And while I was handsewing them, I was thinking about what on earth I was going to blog about today and AHA! That was MY aha moment!

 

I got the idea from Judy Clark's Etsy shop 20 North Ora, which is the address of her childhood home. She says that is where her Mom taught her to do all kinds of needlework. Her shop is full of lovely sewn items. She calls them Beautiful Memories pillows. The front is a pocket to hold keepsakes and pictures of your children. Judy says " I just started making the pillows because I had so many vintage photos that I wanted to do something with and made the first one for my Mother. I collect vintage lace and linens and wanted to do something creative with them so they could be out instead of in a box".

A great idea for Spring and Summer brides.......Judy has made as many as 200 of them for a wedding reception. The bride put a wedding portrait and thank you note in each pocket and put them on the seats at the reception.

She has also made them using pieces from old wedding dresses.

I started mine by cutting 8 1/2 x 11 pieces out of the quilted mattress pad that both girls used in their crib as babies. Yeah, I keep things....for this reason. It is a bit of nostalgia that is now put to great use!

I found two different doilies from my stash of vintage doilies and started playing with the layout on each one. I made sure to pin and sew the embellishments on before sewing the edges together to form the pillow, which makes it alot easier!

 

The first one I made was with a doily that is stained all over and looks really old and shabby chic. When I pinned it on and folded over the top for the pocket....oh, my goodness....it looked like an owl. My older daughter Candice just happens to be really into owls right now. I sewed a few stitches down the middle to create a beak and the doily did the rest! I handsewed the doily onto the top piece of the pillow all around the edges. I took a scrap of wide lace, tucked it together, added some trim and a vintage button and put it on the right corner. On the left corner the feathers are glued on and the vintage mother of pearl button is sewn in place. Kinda makes the owl look like he has ears but really the corner embellishments add decoration for when the keepsakes are in the pocket.

The doily is wrapped around the underside and stitched in place.

 

Add your treasured keepsakes to the pocket and you have a Memories Pillow. I used a picture of my Son and things he drew for this picture.

 

 

For the second pillow I used an oblong doily that has a dark stain in the middle. It was perfect for the shape of the pillow. It is handsewn onto the pillow fabric along the sides and bottom. The back of this pillow is plain.

 

I had to be creative to try and cover that stain. I took a scrap of wide lace, fanned it out and sewed it onto the doily being careful not to catch the pillow fabric since it has to be an open pocket. I added a piece of sheer ribbon and a vintage button to cover up my stitches and the stain is gone! A thin piece of vintage lace trim placed diagonal on one corner and seashells glued on the other finishes this pillow. Both pillows are stuffed with fiberfill and the top is handsewn with a blindstitch. All the materials I used for both pillows are scraps and things I had around the house.

 

 

Placed with other pillows on your window seat, a chair, or a shelf, these pillows are decorative as well as useful to hold your most precious memories.

 

 

How do you celebrate Mother's Day?

 

AnnMarie : )



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Her Price is Far Above Rubies

As with most holidays, when they are approaching, our thoughts may turn to what it means or what it is all about. At Christmas we think of Christ's birth, at Easter His resurrection.

For Mother's Day, of course our thoughts turn to Mom. At my thrifting adventures last week, I seemed to continually come across items having to do with mothers and particularily the Blessed Mary, mother of Jesus. At a rummage sale the next day I found another reminder of Mary...a picture of her with Jesus as a toddler.

For me though, reflecting on my own motherhood seems to be dominating my mind. My mistakes, my bad choices, my selfishness and my regrets. But I was redeemed from all that when I gave my life to my savior Jesus Christ. It is forgetting the past as far as the east is from the west, as our Lord does, and looking to the future that is hardest.

As I strive to be a better mother and woman of God, Proverbs 31:10 comes to mind and this is what I and all woman can strive for....

"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies."

Below are the 10 virtues of a woman taken from the website A Virtuous Woman whose ministry is to encourage women to serve God in every aspect of their lives.

1. Faith - A Virtuous Woman serves God with all of her heart, mind, and soul. She seeks His will for her life and follows His ways. (Proverbs 31: 26, Proverbs 31: 29 – 31, Matthew 22: 37, John 14: 15, Psalm 119: 15
2. Marriage – A Virtuous Woman respects her husband. She does him good all the days of her life. She is trustworthy and a helpmeet. (Proverbs 31: 11- 12, Proverbs 31: 23, Proverbs 31: 28, 1 Peter 3, Ephesians 5, Genesis2: 18)
3. Mothering - A Virtuous Woman teaches her children the ways of her Father in heaven. She nurtures her children with the love of Christ, disciplines them with care and wisdom, and trains them in the way they should go. (Proverbs 31: 28, Proverbs 31: 26, Proverbs 22: 6, Deuteronomy 6, Luke 18: 16)
4. Health – A Virtuous Woman cares for her body. She prepares healthy food for her family. (Proverbs 31: 14 – 15, Proverbs 31: 17, 1 Corinthians 6: 19, Genesis 1: 29, Daniel 1, Leviticus 11)
5. Service - A Virtuous Woman serves her husband, her family, her friends, and her neighbors with a gentle and loving spirit. She is charitable. (Proverbs 31: 12, Proverbs 31: 15, Proverbs 31: 20, 1 Corinthians 13: 13)
6. Finances - A Virtuous Woman seeks her husband’s approval before making purchases and spends money wisely. She is careful to purchase quality items which her family needs. (Proverbs 31: 14, Proverbs 31: 16, Proverbs 31: 18, 1 Timothy 6: 10, Ephesians 5: 23, Deuteronomy 14: 22, Numbers 18: 26)
7. Industry – A Virtuous Woman works willingly with her hands. She sings praises to God and does not grumble while completing her tasks. (Proverbs 31: 13, Proverbs 31: 16, Proverbs 31: 24, Proverbs 31: 31, Philippians 2: 14)
8. Homemaking – A Virtuous Woman is a homemaker. She creates an inviting atmosphere of warmth and love for her family and guests. She uses hospitality to minister to those around her. (Proverbs 31: 15, Proverbs 31: 20 – 22, Proverbs 31: 27, Titus 2: 5, 1 Peter 4: 9, Hebrews 13: 2)
9. Time - A Virtuous Woman uses her time wisely. She works diligently to complete her daily tasks. She does not spend time dwelling on those things that do not please the Lord. (Proverbs 31: 13, Proverbs 31: 19, Proverbs 31: 27, Ecclesiastes 3, Proverbs 16: 9, Philippians 4:8 )
10. Beauty – A Virtuous Woman is a woman of worth and beauty. She has the inner beauty that only comes from Christ. She uses her creativity and sense of style to create beauty in her life and the lives of her loved ones. (Proverbs 31: 10Proverbs 31: 21 – 22, Proverbs 31: 24 -25, Isaiah 61: 10, 1 Timothy 2: 9, 1 Peter 3: 1 – 6)

To strive to be all that can only come when we keep our eyes on the Lord and ask for His help daily. Then the sweetest reward comes when "Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her." Proverbs 31:28

Happy Mother's Day!

AnnMarie :)