All work and no play.....

Thank you all for the Birthday wishes for my mom!  We had a wonderful day and I cherish the time I have with her.

We got some more of this.....

so my plans were canceled to go see my mom Saturday.  Instead I stayed in my p.j.'s all day and worked on my Remains Of The Day Journal.  I will do a separate post later in the week about that.

Friday night I hit the thrift store on my way home and found a few odds and ends.  I realized the whole focus of my blog at first was about my thrifty finds.  I still hit plenty of thrift stores, but I just don't show you my treasures anymore.  I'm going to get better about that in 2010.  Even if I am too lazy to take pictures.

I spotted these

 

I instantly thought I could recreate a tshirt neckline using these organza flowers.  I will of course have to disassemble them and reassemble them but I love the look.

I've been on the hunt for another white soup tureen because mine met with the wood floor during doggie party time.  I've seen this at the same thrift store forever and finally caved in.  It reminds me of a chamber pot!

So now I'll have to find some cute plants to put into it and start all over again.  

A friend that I've worked with for 7 years left the company last week.  She was a wonderful co worker and we got along great.  I would tell her little bits and pieces of my thrifting adventures but she was so opposite of me in that respect....she is all about modern and clean -Not vintage and shabby. Her nick name for me is Gypsy Girl.   She brought me this lock that she found in her garage when she purchased her house many years ago.

she was going to throw it away!  When she told me about it I told her how cool it was and to keep it forever.  On her last day at work she brought it to me.

to find something like this is really amazing.  The fact that the key is still with it and works is even better!  I found an old military steamer trunk a few weeks ago (pictures soon!) and I've attached it to that.  I told my co worker every time I look at this crusty, rusty old lock I will surely think of her...

 So after our little snowstorm last weekend....we got another 4 inches last night.  Just enough to make driving on side roads scary in the morning commute.  Today the weather reports are calling for a HUGE snowstorm to hit Northern Virginia on Friday. They are talking up to TWO FEET OF SNOW.  I will be sitting at my desk at work wringing my hands thinking about my commute home that night.  We will be snowed in all weekend if it truly comes to pass.

It will give me a good excuse to sit at my sewing machine all day and finish my Remains of the Day Journal.  

(the picture above is an old brochure for a cruise ship that my mother in law modeled for.  She is in the upper right hand corner standing on the deck of the ship with the captain!)

and a copy of a "perfect attendance" certificate issued to my mom in 1937 when she was only 7 years old!

Periodically my family stops into the doorway throughout the day as I'm in there sewing away.  They look at my progress with piles of papers.....scraps all over the floor, and nothing but frankenstein zig zag papers all over the place.  They scratch their heads and worry about me I'm sure.  I feel a little like Jack Nicholson in "The Shining" when he is working on that all important novel and is not to be disturbed.

  Until the wife finds out he's been typing "all work and no play makes Jack and dull boy"......about 6000 pages worth.  Then the crazy really starts.  Still the scariest movie ever!  

We'll see how much progress I make on my novel- I mean journal this weekend...when it's snowing like crazy and we're housebound.  I'll just be sure not to wander outside and get lost in the hedge maze.

Comments

[natalea]

loving the journal Robin! (but keep away from the ax!!)
have a great weekend!
xo natalea

[Rosa]

Even as a chamber pot, it is so pretty!!! Love your book! Wow. Tehe, there have been time when I sat and though about typing that over and over again. What a memorable shot from the movie. Who doesn't love Jack! xoxo

[Karla Nathan]

If you see any twin girls in the hall, run!! (no, wait, it could be your sisses!!)

[barbara]

I cannot believe how many East Coast storms there have been this season - and every single one of them has just skirted to the east and missed us. (Not to rub it in or anything.) At least here we're kind of prepared for this kind of thing. Good luck, Robin! It's good crafting time, at least.

[Kathleen Grace]

I love the shape of your white, ummm, chamber pot, I think that's what it is, but it's pretty all the same. The lock is amazing, lucky you to know someone who didnt want it herself:>) Oh to have time to stay in my jammies and work on a journal! It sounds sublime. I love that you have such meaningful and personal ephemera to add to it. So many things we use in art don't have the meaning that your moms attendance paper or the picture of your mother in law on the ship have!

[Michelle Palmer]

Very cute post... VERY true!
Wishing you the best~
Michelle

[Julie Ann]

Such wonderful vintage treasures in this post!! I love the photograph of your mom modeling for the cruise ship!! And her perfect attendance certificate! That journal looks like it's going to be a masterpiece! :)

[Vintage Whimsy]

Your journal is coming along quite nicely! How great that you're filling it with all sorts of family mementos too!

I hope you guys are prepared for the big storm this weekend. I went & bought a new shovel and some chocolate & Diet Coke. Definitely don't want to be stuck at home all weekend with out proper amounts of caffeine & Reese's cups! lol

[Beth Leintz]

That is a totally cool lock- isn't funny how things that started out as utilitarian pieces can be so decorative?

Your journal is fantastic- very inspiring. I don't want you to get caught in the snow this weekend, but I would love to see more of the journal.

[Lori]

your journal is really gorgeous Robin...great thrifted finds...i really love those flowers, they are lovely...no more snow here so far...

[Jill Cooper]

I had to laugh at your description of your family looking at you sewing LOL I'm sure my husband thinks the same thing many times. Your book looks like it's going to be wonderful. I just did a blog entry about a family picture and this year one of my goals is to collect all the bits and pieces of history I know about my family into a special book. I know someday someone will appreciate it.