REDNESDAY

Time for REDnesday over at It's A Very Cherry World! AND, it's time to start decorating for Valentine's Day!

I finally finished the first of three Valentine buntings that I plan on making.
A close-up of the fabrics that I used. All handsewn, but the good news is that I'm going to set my sewing machine by the door, so that I'll remember to take it to Hancock Fabrics and get it fixed this Friday. YAY!
Christmas has mistletoe, and Valentine's Day has the kissing ball! I made this one several years ago, using a styrofoam ball, moss and silk roses. All "ingredients" found at the dollar store. SO easy!
I had a vintage Lefton girl just like this one on my Watch List on Ebay, and when it reached $16, I can't tell you how thrilled I was to spot this one at my favorite thrift store for 50 cents!
Let's head outside for just a second to check out the cherub blow mold hanging beside the back door.
And since it's still Winter, I've left out the sled and our daughter Liz's old skates and made it a little bit Valentine-y.

And here's the start of another project. I sure hope it turns out the way I'm envisioning it. Wish me luck!
If you would like to see more reds, hop over to It's A Very Cherry World, where Sue hosts REDnesday every week!

SPRING-Y

Once Christmas is over and but a distant memory, I find myself yearning for Spring and my gardens!And it doesn't help when these start arriving in the mail! Unfortunately here in Illinois, there won't be any flowers to look at outside until April.
So instead, I surround myself with flowers inside the house. I try to have some fresh flowers in that vase at all times. Do you have an Aldi store near you? Their bouquets are only $3.99! You've probably noticed by now that I didn't iron that beautiful vintage tablecloth before I put it on the table.
Why bother, when I know that a certain kitty will be all over it! I've tried to keep Cupcake off the table, but......she's a cat and cats do whatever they please, don't they?

The floral curtains and rugs and pillows are all back out, after a short winter's nap.
I made the pillow in the middle this week, with scraps from those other two pillows that I made a while back. That couch is old. My Mom remembers it from when she was little, and she's going to be 87 next month! It's extremely uncomfortable, but I'll never part with it!

Well I thought I had made a cute little pillow.......
but it's really a big, soft CAT TOY. Check out that action shot!
OK, so it's positively Spring-y inside the house......
but it's definitely Winter outside! We finally got some long overdue snow, and Smokey the Bear thinks we're in store for many more weeks of Winter.
Mr. Squirrel agrees!

So while it's Winter in the gardens, I'll just sit back and enjoy my little Spring-y house, and wait for Mother Nature to catch up!

MY WEEKEND FINDS-Fire King And Jadeite, Oh My!

Thanks for tuning in to another episode of My Weekend Finds, the continuing saga of one girl's quest for more junk!
When I stop in at our local Goodwill, I always try to have very low expectations. That way, on the rare occasion that I actually do find something good, I am pleasantly surprised!
Case in point: The other day I stopped in, and it was as if a beam of light was emanating from these Fire King mugs. I could have spotted them a mile away!
I also found TWO of these old mug holders.
I ask you: Who doesn't need extra cupboard space?!
I couldn't resist these little bowls, which are just perfect for a little fruity snack. I remember my Mom had coffee cups with those same pink flowers on them, but she assures me that those cups are long gone. Darn!
I now have two of these jadeite reamers, and I'm that much closer to having an actual collection. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade! Not really though, because you know that if you touch your daughter's lemons that she bought with her very own money, there will be trouble....
And last, these four Fire King plates, all taped together with a $2.99 price tag on them. Don't they know that I would have paid much more for them?!
Oh Fire King, I've been so misguided and sold many pieces of you, but you always come back and give me another chance. Fire King, this time you're for keeps!

REDNESDAY--A Silly Impulse Purchase!

Happy New Year to you, and I hope 2012 is filled with lots of great RED goodies! Thanks to Sue at It's A Very Cherry World for creating and hosting this great party!
About two weeks before Christmas, I found myself in an antique store, shopping for gifts, when something red caught my eye! I was pretty sure I knew what was inside the box, and although I certainly didn't need one, I opened it up anyway, to take a look.
It was an old record player! I don't know about you, but when I was little, I loved listening to records, and when I got a bit older, I spent ALL of my allowance on 45s. The O'Jays, Three Dog Night, The Spinners. David Cassidy......swooon!
But these red 78s are what I remember from when I was little, so now a collection has been born. All because of an impulse buy! Have you ever surprised yourself by buying something totally unexpected?
I stopped at Hancock Fabrics last night and picked up some material for a Valentine bunting. My sewing machine has gone kablooey again, so this bunting will be sewn by hand, using needles from these vintage packs.
And last is a beautiful crocheted scarf, modeled by our daughter Liz, that I was lucky to win from Twyla at Two Crazy Crafters. If you've never visited her before, Twyla crochets really gorgeous afghans too!
If you'd like to see more reds, head over to It's A Very Cherry World!

Lookie What I Found Under The Christmas Tree!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Me, I was sick on Christmas day, but I did have enough strength to open my presents!I love to decorate for Valentine's Day, and my collection just got a little bit bigger with the addition of this pair of Lefton Valentine girls!
These two will make a great addition to the patriotic decor. They're also vintage Lefton.
Another old radio for the Old Radio Collection! I think my objective is to have one in every color, because I've got one in just about every color!
I've never seen a blue picnic basket like this one. Another great addition to the.....well, I think you get the idea!

I am SO IN LOVE with this little picnic basket/lunch box. Look at those adorable children playing!
At this point, you must be thinking that Mr. Old Glory is pretty darn great, to find all of these amazing things for me.

Pssssst! I'll tell you a little secret. He IS pretty terrific, because he lets me buy whatever I want on Ebay or in antique shops, he doesn't ask me "Do you really need ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE?", he just wraps them up for me and puts them under the tree! And I do the same for him. After a gazillion years of marriage, we've finally figured out the easiest, stress-free way to do Christmas! Can't wait to go blog-hopping and see what everyone else got!

REDNESDAY-The Last Of The Christmas Reds...I Think!

Still decorating, even though Christmas is only a few days away! It's OK though, because most of the outside stuff stays up until about the middle of January.

Since I wasn't going to be doing my usual, over-the-top Christmas decorating this year, due to the new kitten, I decided to just decorate with some of the things that I've found throughout the year, which had been waiting in the holding area (picnic basket), ready to be packed up with all of the other decorations after Christmas.

I did find some nice things this year at estate sales.

And the flea market.

It was a pretty good year for kneehugger elves!

While I was out antiquing over the weekend, several booths had their Christmas stuff 50% off. So these NOEL candleholders came home with me.

And so did this sweet little birdie, along with the tiniest bottle brush trees I've ever seen!

Although I'm not Swedish, I thought this tablecloth was so charming, and it's small enough that it will fit nicely on the coffee table.

There was no way I was leaving this angel behind either!

Here is my teeny tiny patriotic Christmas collection. The only reason I have one at all is thanks to Deb , for sending me that amazing vintage card, and to Renee for that ornament she made, using vintage materials. Thanks gals!

Back outside, my cherry bucket holds a spectacularly realistic poinsettia!

And on a sled that I found curbside, are my daughter's skates from when she was a little girl. Funny story about those skates. I decided a few years ago that it would be fun to spraypaint the skates silver, and then sprinkle glitter on them. Those skates did not dry for three years! Honestly, last year was the first time that they weren't tacky to the touch!

If you would like to see more reds, please visit It's A Very Cherry World, where Sue hosts this party every week!
Merry Christmas!