A few of my favorite things

There is nothing like vintage treasures that you just love surrounding yourself with, that bring a smile to your face, or makes you recall a special memory of someone who meant the world to you.


Here are a few more of my favorite things:

I got these vintage binoculars in an antique store in Maine.  They have a gold, green, black patina and still work.  I like to keep them on my bookshelf and use them to look at the birds outside my window.

This shoe form was a purchase from a Barn Sale near Frederick, MD.  The size 8 intrigues me.  It has been well used, and it makes my imagination run wild with silly questions, such as who was the person who used this form to keep their shoes in form?  What kind of shoes did the person wear?  Leather?  Boots?  A heel?  Where is the partner to this shoe form? 

These pieces have significant sentimental value to me.  My grandmother gave them to me before she passed.  The first is a wood carving of a young girl looking up and off in the distance.  She is wearing a turtle neck and overalls and sneakers.  My grandmother told me that she got it because it reminded her of my mother on her first day of school.  The second is a small carved duck.   She got it when she was on vacation in either Georgia or Florida.  There was a blind native american boy carving them on the side of the road, and she just had to buy it.

This is also sentimental.  When I began to show an interest in sowing, my grandmother gave me some of my great grandmother's sowing treasures, including this thimble.  It has turquoise stones in it.

This patina-ed scale sits on my corner cabinet.

This cloche was a house warming present from an aunt.  Inside is a small bird's nest. 

This teacup and saucer were at an estate sale, and the daintiness of it was so appealing to me.  I put a dried white rose in the teacup.

I needed a narrow end table for the space next to my guest bed.  I found this ladder at the DC Big Flea.  The front two steps actually fold out and make perfect shelf space.  I was going to paint it blue to match some of the other colors in the room, but I think I have really taken a liking to the green.  There are so many layers of paint on this thing, and you can see red, yellow, blue, and white shining through.  I love it. 


And those are a few more of my favorite things :)

Chalk Board Paint Presents

This Christmas I tried to get creative and make a few Christmas presents using chalk board paint.

The first thing I made was chalk board paint wine glasses.  I thought this was a good idea because at get-togethers people are always misplacing their wine glass, mixing them up with another glass, etc.  If you paint the base of the glass in chalk board paint, people can write their names on their glass with chalk!

Unfortunately, one of the wine glasses broke as I was packing them, and I ended up not giving them as a present.  I can't give a set of 7 wine glasses!  Either way, here is how I made them:

I poured the chalk board paint into an old tupperware container that I didn't mind throwing out when I was done.  Then I dipped the base of the wine glasses into the paint, and twirled it around as the paint dripped off.  This gave the base an even, paintbrush stroke-free look. 

Then I just placed the wine glasses on parchment paper to dry.  Every half hour or so I would move them around, just to make sure they didn't stick.  It was so easy!


I also made a chalk board paint frame.  I did this by applying two coats of the chalk board paint to the glass with a small roller.

This is very similar to the chalk board menu I have in my kitchen.

I found an antique silver tray at an antique store in Maine for a great bargain.  I applied two coats of chalk board paint to the center using a small roller, and I used a brush to give it a smooth edge.    After applying some silver polish, it turned out great!  (These pictures are before the silver polish - sorry!)

I love the tray so much that it was actually hard to part with.  I am going to have to keep an eye out for more trays, and make a few for myself!  I can imagine it on my mantle saying "welcome" or resting on my corner cabinet saying "Let it Snow." 


:-D

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!

This year I got my first real Christmas tree (of my own - the ones I had growing up don't count).  For the past 7 years I have lived in small apartments, and have had a small 3 1/2 foot fake tree that I propped up in a corner.  But since I am now in a house .... I could not wait.  I got my tree the first weekend of December.  Lets see if I can keep it from drying out until January!

When I saw this tree, I knew she was the one!!!!

And here she is all dressed up!

A Ms. Mustard Seed ornament!  Inside are strips of pages of a book.

I also decorated the fireplace mantle.....

And here is my little ornament tree by the front door .....

Happy Holidays!! :)