oilcloth

Have I mentioned how much I adore oilcloth?
These bibs have seen me through four babies. Shake out, wipe off, and put on the back of the chair. They're virtually indestructible. With obsolescence built into so many of today's objects, endurance is admired.
Might I even say, appreciated?

I'm concentrating on finding the beauty in the everyday. If you have a moment, please join me at I Love Pretty Little Things. 
Have the loveliest of weekends, my friends.

rain, rain

A wind has blown the rain away
 and blown the sky away
and all the leaves away,
and the trees stand. 

I think, I too, have known autumn too long.
~ e.e. cummings

We're in the middle of some severe weather,  a Great Lakes Cyclone,  to be exact. While the wind is blowing outside at speeds supposedly up to 60 m.p.h., I've been putting together a homemade soup and fresh bread. 
Can't wait for all of my girls to arrive home from school. Let's hope the power goes out, at least for a little while.

candlelight=adventure

from the netherlands

Today's my lucky day.

 A package arrived in the mail from the Netherlands.  Sweet Saskia, from Join My Joy, was kind enough to select me as one of the winners of her recent give-away. On the little card, she noted that 'veel plezier', means 'lots of fun'. How true...

The beautiful tin was filled with four lovely pink china cups. 

Just right for my four little girls...

She thoughtfully included some tasty cookies, candy (in a darling tin), two beautiful fabric placemats and these charming silhouette stickers. The girls were tickled to think that someone took the time and care to send us such fun things all the way from the Netherlands. Thank you so much, Saskia. You're a real sweetheart, my friend.

a little flower

If you decide to dress like a little flower,

your sister just might decide...

 to dress like a gardener,

 and water you...
Happiest of Friday pretties to all of you.

Hope your weekend is filled with fun.

vintage doll furniture

This doll furniture is one of my favorite vintage finds. I found it at a yard sale. The elderly lady selling them said they were made by her grandfather in the 1920's. She was very firm on her price. I regretfully left the sale without buying them, because I felt it was more than I could afford.

When I mentioned them to my husband, he was all in favor of buying them.  I asked him to stop on his way home from work, and see if they were still there (and maybe lay on some charm). Long story short, he came home with the two sweetest little pieces of handmade doll furniture.

The original paint is one of my favorite colors, eau de nil. The finish is more than a little distressed, or should I say 'well loved'. A lot of scrubbing with some Murphy's Oil, and it's all good.

 

The little wardrobe was stocked with a bunch of handmade doll hangers in four different sizes. It's the little details that make me happy. 

Works perfectly for the girl's extended family of Groovy Girls.

Rosie is busy applying multiple layers of cherry chapstick...

she doesn't yet know when to say when.

fresh start

 "Order is the shape upon which beauty depends."  ~Pearl S. Buck

 A fresh week, a fresh start. 

The house is in order, the kitchen is stocked, homework is complete, the laundry is done...let's see how long it lasts. 

Happy Monday, my friends.

button it

 Curious about what I use all of those buttons for from my previous post?

  I like to make button wreaths. They're a little labor intensive, but I don't mind sewing on buttons. I'm currently working on an all white one with mostly 'mother of pearl' buttons.

I try to overlap the buttons, until they completely cover the wreath.  More is more. On the wreath below, I didn't sew buttons completely around to the back (like I did on the one above). It was such a big wreath, that I went into 'button preservation' mode...

Love the color and detail they add to a plain mirror. Plus, it gives me an excuse to acquire more buttons. Can you ever have too many buttons?

brightly colored buttons = happiness 

Have a lovely weekend, my friends.

If you have a moment, please join me over at I Love Pretty Little Things.

button love

 

I collect buttons.

I've had a thing for them ever since I inherited a large glass jar filled with a lifetime of  buttons from my Grandmother.

  I like looking for them. You'd be surprised where you can find them.

 The more brightly colored the better, although all colors are welcome. I sort out the ones I don't think I'll use and let the girls have them for their various projects. I definitely discriminate on the basis of cuteness.

 I especially like mop (mother of pearl) vintage buttons.

 What do you think I do with them? Any guesses?

I'll show you in my next post.

cath kidston us

Happy holiday weekend, my friends. 

A cheerful parcel arrived from my favorite shop in the UK. What's a gal to do when they offer free shipping? I'm powerless to resist.

Love the new US Cath Kidston site, but I wish it had their whole stock list. There are quite a few items that are only available from the UK site. If you want to order them, you still can, but you have to pay the old exorbitant shipping amount. What's your favorite Cath item? Did you see the sneak peek of Christmas?

endless summer

Today in the garden, the Endless Summer hydrangeas are slowly deepening in color and blushing the slightest tinge of pink. They're lovely. It's as though they know their time is short...

The girls don't have school today. I have a few school conferences scheduled, and then we are planning on spending the day outdoors. I think we'll take a walk to 'open lands', our local nature preserve at the end of our street. There's a beautiful path through a preserved wetland and a restored prairie. The prairie is looking very festive for fall. We might even pack a picnic. Let's hope the bees aren't too crazy. 

What are your plans for today?

If you have a moment, stop by I Love Pretty Little Things.

color it orange

I've a confession to make, I'm not a fan of Halloween. It's probably my least favorite holiday. And, I'm a girl that loves her holidays. That being said, I'm fine with pumpkins and a little bit of color. As long as it isn't dark, scary or too commercial. I'd really rather skip right to Thanksgiving.

 Do you remember the vintage 'yard sale' etagere? It held pansies, alyssum, and lobelia in the spring; ivy in the heat of the summer; and now it welcomes itty-bitty pumpkins and miniature gourds for fall.

I usually hand out 'full size' candy to the kiddos. I don't want any 'tricks' happening at my house. 'Keep them happy, and send them on their way' is my motto.

What's your favorite holiday? Do tell.

cosy rosie

Good morning, my friends.
Did you have a good weekend? It was really cold here. Temps hovered near freezing at night.
Brrrr...
What to do?

 Time to break out the winter pajamas.

 Someone really likes her new rainbow striped jim jams...

October is bringing it.