Thrifty Miss Priss

Court dates and Craft Dates.....

Thank you for all your sweet emails about the pillow I made for my mom.  She's enjoying it still even a week later.  Her caregivers tell me she holds it all the time and tries to tell them about her family in the picture.  Since it was such a big hit I will try and do another one for her soon.  It was easy to do, just print out the picture on t-shirt transfer paper and iron it on to fabric, then sew it into a pillow form.

Last week was quite interesting for me.  I was summoned for jury duty.  I'd never been called before so I figured I'd show up and be released by noon and on my way to work.  We were taken into the actual courtroom with the Prosecution and the defense teams.  The defendant was in there too!  We were given random questions to answer out loud in unison, like "does anybody in here have a moral problem with passing judgment on another individual" and "is anybody in here married to someone in law enforcement?".  It went on and on like this for about 30 minutes.  They sent us all out and called us in a few minutes later.  They called 12 people to be the jurors and I was one of them!  I couldn't believe it was happening.  We were told it was a criminal drug case and the trial would last two days.  (It ended up lasting three full days).  The defendant was facing up to 20 years in prison!  We heard testimony for two days, some from forensic scientists from the police crime lab that tested the drug.  In a nutshell it boiled down to this:

The person was caught on two separate occasions by the SAME police officer with a schedule 1 drug (in the same group as cocaine, heroine, marijuana etc).  Schedule 1 possession in Virginia can get you ten years for each offense.  

We found him guilty on only one of the charges.  He was never accused of selling it, just possessing it.  So after we found him guilty we were sent back to the jury room to decide his sentence.  In the state of VA the jury decides.  My heart was pounding so hard.  It was surreal.  Out of 12 jurors, 8 wanted him to have jail time.  We argued back and forth for about three hours.  It's very strange and yet very liberating to argue with total strangers, because you really don't CARE about their personal feelings. 

We sent a note out to the judge saying we could not decide.  He sent it back and said that he will have to declare a mistrial!  So we got to work and had to have major compromises on everyones part.  I was not happy with the outcome but it is all give and take.  

The defendant got 7 days in  jail and a $2000.00 fine.  

It was an amazing experience and I'm so glad I was a part of it. 

   ...ok...lets clear our thoughts and think of HAPPY things!

 

After all that mental anguish I was really in need of a craft date!  I don't have any crafty friends who want to hang out and make big messes.  I was thrilled to see that  my friends Karla and Beth are hosting an on line workshop called Romantic Gothic Ghosts.  The workshop is just in time for some wonderful Halloween images, but really these projects can be left out all year.  I'm not a fan of the Orange Halloween thing anymore, in fact I prefer just using black and white and tans if I decorate for Halloween at all.

   _{(my Halloween decor last yr)}

 

  (you can see more Halloween decor from last year here)

    The images are full of mystery and leave you wondering if it really is a ghost you are looking at.  You know how the old vintage photos can make your imagination wander.....they've used a lot of old vintage photos and they're incorporating them into several different projects.

I just love the different "gothic windows"

Do you remember the show called Dark Shadows?  I do and it scared me to death! Karla and Beth were able to find some vintage sheet music titled "Dark Shadows" that they use in one of the projects!  You will be able to download all images and backgrounds to use in your own projects!

I can't wait to try these projects myself!  They have step by step instructions and even some videos to explain how they've done different techniques!

They use lots of sepia colors and natural materials like burlap.  Of course you can follow right along and do it just like they show you, or you can get the inspiration from them and use their images and go off on your own to put your own spin on it!

Check out the on line workshop here!  I hope to see you there!   

A picture worth 1000 words.....

Do you do facebook?

I signed up about 6 months ago, mainly to find and re connect with cousins that I have spread out all over the United States.  I seriously do not even know how many cousins I have. If I had to guess it would be about 60 on my mom and dads sides of the family.  I know very few of them "well".  So it's been fun finding them and hearing family stories.

One cousin has a LOT of photos from my Grandparents on my moms side.  She found photos of the farm that my mom grew up on and posted them  As the story was told to me, my grandparents purchased this farm in about 1940 at auction.  Their previous home had dirt floors.

I have no idea when this picture was taken but I'm sure it was long after my grandparents left the farm.  It sat empty for years after they sold it.  In the early 70's my mom took me to North Dakota and we got to go through the house.  I was about 10 years old at the time and it left such an impression on me.  I remember the built in bookcases, the leaded glass windows, the maids quarters in the attic, glass doorknobs....what 10 yr old takes note of these things?.....I wonder if this is where my obsession with old things started.

Even way back then I could picture  my mom sitting in the attic window on a rainy day reading her Old Nancy Drew Books.  She usually got one for Christmas every year, and her first one was in 1939.  

They were regular every day farmers.  They lived off their land and had to buy very little in the way of food.  Every morning and every night regardless of heat, rain or snow, they had to tend to the cows in the barn, milking etc.  No matter how tired, sick or lazy you were, there was ALWAYS work to be done.

I used to hang on to every little thread of story my mom would tell me....because I was able to visit this homestead I had created quite a story in my imagination of what it must have been like.  As her older brothers grew up and went to fight in WWII more of the workload was shifted to my mom, her sister and two younger brothers.

My cousin posted this picture on face book last week of my mom, her brothers and my grandparents.  I've never seen a picture of my mom so young.  I just stared at it and burst into tears.  Something about seeing her so young and fresh faced made me so sad.

I knew I had to get the picture to her.  I also knew she probably would not recognize even herself.  If I framed it she'd never look at it hanging on the wall.  I decided to print it out onto a pillow, that way she could keep it on her bed and look at it all day long as she catnapped.

at first there was no sign of recognition.  But as I said the names to her a few times, and gave her her glasses to put on I slowly saw the light come on in her eyes.  She got that same look in her eyes that she gets when I bring her the milkshakes.

She must have held it like this for 15 minutes or so.  Finally I propped it against the wall and the bed so she could always see it and she promptly fell asleep.  I tiptoed out and hoped it would give her sweet dreams for a long time.  

Jeg elsker deg Mom! (I love you in Norwegian)

   

More Coastal Beach Decor

I spotted these on the Anthropologie Website.

Their version costs anywhere from $85.00 to over $200.00.

My version costs A LOT less!

Some will be going in my new Costal Cottage Bathroom and a few are listed on Etsy.

A few swaps....

I recently participated in a cross-continent post card swap. ihanna is a blog that I love to visit to get journal inspiration.  I made my ten cards.  Then i got my list of addresses and found out there were two guys on my list!  I didn't think they would appreciate the girly Valentines so I whipped up a post card for each of them.

I hand colored each one and sewed around the edges.  I got the original Vintage Valentine "story" from Beth last year in a wonderful package she sent to me.

I should have been more original and not made each one the same....but I tend to over think these things and didn't want to run out of ideas by the time I reached postcard number 10.

(front)

(back)

(front)

(back)

(back)

and I've already received a few in the mail!  One from Hanna herself all the way from Sweden!  

(front)

(back)

and these

notice the tiny pink stitches in the upper right corner?  When I turned it over it said this?

how cute and clever!

and this beautiful work of art:

all of this paper is hand pieced.  The trees look and feel as if they have real bark.

I have a few more that must have gotten lost in my camera.  I'll take more pictures as I receive more postcards and share them another time.

Another fun swap I just wrapped up was an ephemera swap with Melissa at The Garden of Pink Shadows

We were to fill 5 bags with Spring inspired ephemera and send them off to Melissa.  We will receive 5 bags back in return.  I need more ephemera like a hole in the head but it's always fun to work with new stuff!

Here's my stash before it went into the mail today.  It's jammed with vintage papers, wallpaper, flash cards, old sheet music....vintage fabrics with roses and posies and LOTS more!

  I still had JUST enough of my Valentine postcards with all my info on them so I sent them along too, instead of a moo card or business card.

I can't wait to see the goodies I get in return!  Swaps are SO fun!

Enjoy your week!

     

Pottery Barn Knock Off...sort of....

Well, with a new snow storm blowing into town....and my office was closed for the day....I decided to start the day off with a cup of coffee and some blogs.  My intention was to finally stop avoiding my art room and get in there and clean it up.  I stumbled across a blog Artsy Crafty Babe.  She is the most amazing seamstress..makes the cutest purses and can knit like nobody I've ever seen before. I saw a beautiful pottery barn chandelier that she recently purchased.  I was instantly in LOVE.  I was also instantly inspired to make one on a smaller scale myself.  The ideas started swirling and I started hunting down my supplies.

How beautiful is this?!  I wanted one...and I wanted it NOW. How lucky that Artsy Crafty Babe has the REAL DEAL....so I did what any thrifty person would do... So what if we are in the middle of a blinding blizzard...I was going to FIND a way!

I remembered I'd bought this last summer..

 I gathered up all the clips I could scrounge up from the junk drawer.  If it hadn't been snowing I would have rushed out to buy the permanent type clips in the pottery barn picture above.  But I had to make do with what I could find.  If I were to ever make another....I'd definitely buy the spring loaded clips and glue them to the frame.

 
I had a very very special bag of vintage ephemera that Beth sent to me last year..."just because".....I've been hoarding this stuff forever...and have not wanted to use it on just any old project....but this one was WORTHY!

I hung it upside down from the ceiling fan in my art room.  I had it at shoulder level so I could attach all the bits and pieces.

 

I made a pretty good dent in the bag that Beth sent me.  I also gathered bits and pieces of things I already had.  I also added some chandelier crystals that I bought last summer at a thrift store but had no idea what to do with.

I wired it right to the small white globe hanging in the hall.  The globe doesn't get hot enough to be a fire hazard to the papers hanging here.  I wanted to remove the whole globe and have the light bulb bare but the papers were too close to the bulb.

 It's really hard to get a picture in a dark hallway...on a day when it's grey and blizzarding outside...and the light is off.

How fun this is to have hanging in my hall now!  

I left the inspiration photo from Pottery Barn up on the computer all day...just so my family wouldn't think that cabin fever had finally gone to my brain- and that I REALLY was making something! After an entire day of NO COMMENTS from my 16 year old...just eye brow raising....she finally walked into the hall and yelled "hey!  your little lamp thingy is cute" (not that I NEEDED THAT confirmation!)

Check out some other great transformations at The Shabby Chic Cottage!

Tomorrow is another day home...sigh.....using up all my vacation time on this darn snow!   

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.

What a Beautiful Mess I'm in.....

Happy New Year everyone!  I, like many others use this time to reflect to see whats good and not so good about my life.  Things I have control over and things I don't.  I always feel like this is a great time to make BIG changes in ourselves.....fresh clean slate...all that.  But POOF!  I usually do not follow through.  Actually each new day is a clean slate and a new opportunity to change or do better.

I do feel a shift coming on though....I'm not blogging nearly as much as I used to and my family doesn't have to pry me off the computer kicking and screaming anymore.  

Maybe I got overloaded with all the Christmas preparations everyone was doing.  I just sort of STOPPED getting on.  I've sat and watched t.v. with my husband.  Good movies....HILARIOUS movies(The Hangover) crime shows....the whole shabang. 

I made a commitment to myself to finally finish my journal that I started last Spring. 

 

 I spent the day after Christmas sitting in Barnes and Nobel by myself, with a big stack of books that I've been wanting to look at forever.

I took this picture with my phone while I was there and sent it to my husband I told him not to expect me home for several hours!  It was pure heaven sitting there without a care in the world while everyone was busy making the shopping deals of the century at the mall.  I don't have the need or desire to get in that chaos.  I have more than I want or will ever need and then some.  One tiny resolution for me is to STAY out of thrift stores so often.  I will still go but not as regular as I have been.  It's all just STUFF and I have way too much now.  In fact I've started cleaning out bits and scraps in my art room and will be listing some collage packs one day soon I hope.

 

Speaking of collage.....

 

I've been eye balling this online class forever and finally jumped in with both feet. The Remains of the Day is a Journal  made entirely from your paper SCRAPS on hand.  They are all sewn together, then sewn into a scrappy cover and tied tight.  I can't get my link button to work but you can read all about it here:  http://dispatchfromla.typepad.com/dispatch_from_la/rotdoci.html

Her pages are incredible!  She offers TONS of videos and printable instructions too.  Once you pay the site is available to you until December 2010!   Once the journal is put together and assembled it only takes a few minutes to write your journal entries.  I want to take a lot more photographs this year.  I plan on tucking them in this journal.  Otherwise they sit in my computer and I don't enjoy them nearly enough. If you get the chance go look at Mary Ann's Journals.  They are certainly drool worthy.  You can also look at the Flickr group she has set up here

http://www.flickr.com/groups/purexperimentation/pool/

(my link button is not linking!)

So I made the cover last night.  Actually it was all day of watching her videos, hunting gathering scraps, supplies...cleaning off my art table....junking up my art room....I'll let the pictures speak for themselves

(my daughter snapped this of me on the floor cutting out the fabric. I instantly told her "DON'T take my picture in this mess!" I planned on deleting it...but I wanted to remember this moment!  Of course Sarah had to be in there on my lap, and trying to lay on the fabric.

   

oh this fabric is so soft and comfy...

   

 

And guess what?  My Christmas tree is still up.  I don't even care.  It's fake so it can stay another week.  Right now there's more important stuff going on around here.

 

Here's hoping 2010 gives you all health, peace and happiness!

We got some snow here last weekend.....just enough to make everything beautiful and quiet....

 Just look at her.....both back feet off the ground!  You'd never know Heidi is 13 years old (91 in dog years!)  She's as frisky today as she was as a pup.  I know our time left is limited but if she can stay active and healthy like this until her time comes I will be grateful!

This is what Sunday afternoon was all about.....laying around enjoying the sights of snow out the window and relaxing.  Does this look comfortable to you?  Who needs a snuggi when you've got this? 

We recently got a new computer....an apple...and it's a whole new way of doing things.....so just when I had mastered downloading photos and editing them...I have to learn a whole new way of doing it.  This computer is supposed to be the cream of the crop but I just sit here and cuss at the monitor when it won't do what I want.

I finished my Christmas shopping!  This is the earliest I've ever finished!  I'm even catching up on some projects I left incomplete when I left Silver Bella.  Pam Garrisons Holly Days class was supposed to be an advent type wreath and I started it in class.  I couldn't get my holly leaves to look right so I gave up.  I recently found several white poinsettia silk bushes at the thrift store.  I bought them not knowing what on earth I'd do with them besides put a few around the tree.  I dumped them in my craft room and then I had the light bulb moment.

since I was not too good at cutting out the holly leaves in class, why not use the white silky-velvetish leaves from the poinsettia?  This way I can leave it out all year too...it's not really a "Christmas" wreath.

  

 I started this project around 10:00 on a work night.  I just kept adding more and more stuff to it....and was determined not to leave it unfinished.  I'm really happy with the way it turned out and nothing new was purchased for it....all stuff I had already.  I have enough leaves left over to do two more wreaths so I might make another one for my etsy shop..which is EMPTY now!  YAY!  My little wallpaper packs all sold out!

OH!  The fat books are finished and in the hands of their owners!  We had 12 participants and one dropped out at the end, so we all made 12 pages.  Which means I have an extra book.  Haven't decided what to do with it yet, but may auction it on ebay with the proceeds to go to my animal shelter for Christmas.

 

 

 

The theme was "Winter Whites".  I was happy with all the pages and the way they all looked together in the book.  I will definitely host one of these projects again someday....with trial and error I now know what is involved in doing this!

I hope you all get the chance to slow down and enjoy the season and soak up all the beauty of it!

lots of Christmas going on! 

   more sugar houses that I painted and glittered this year

 

  I hope your weekend is full of Joy!

Silver Bella Projects and Wallpaper to share!

 This is the sweet little book that my "Big Sister" Karla presented to me at Silver Bella.  She volunteered to be my big sis back in the Spring when I signed up.  The role of the big sis is to show the little sis around and help them navigate all that is Silver Bella.  Since there is nothing "big" about Karla (other than her wonderful personality) and there is certainly nothing "little" about me...I've been teasing her that she's my LITTLE big sis.

Anyway....she found this sweet book on one of her trips to Virginia last year.  I was with her when she bought it but she kept it a secret!  She took it apart and made it especially for me!

Even the way she wrapped it was special.......She must have an abundance of vintage sheet music with my name because she has gifted it to me a few times!  The "Robins Egg" blue ribbon and the bird feather were a sweet little touch!

Vintage wallpaper, little embellishments everywhere....even the little girls have little crown on their heads!  (click to enlarge)

"Once there was a big sister and a little sister....."And they took a trip to Omaha!"

I think everyone almost fainted in the glitter lounge when they saw me opening each page!

Even though Karla didn't have to tie a rope around me, I DID willingly follow her wherever she took me!

I just love all the little details..

Karla was the BEST big LITTLE sis anyone could have ever asked for!  Thank you Karla and to all the other wonderful girls I met for making it a perfect weekend!

This is the cone I made in Anna Corbin's class.  It was one of the few projects I actually finished.

And this little wool felted snowman.  He was one of my favorites!  Jennifer Murphy was the instructor and she's been making the most adorable little felted creatures since the age of 12! She brought several of them along for us to see......they were adorable.  Just like her!  

(Jennifer and I)

My other projects are almost completed...I thought I would rush home and dig right in, but after getting sick and having to go to work anyway I just didn't get around to it yet.  I did manage to cut some of the fabulous wallpapers and get them ready for my neglected Etsy store.

These papers are so incredibly delicate.  They almost feel like chalk drawings when you run your hand over them.  They do tear very easily also.  The colors just blow me away.  I got all florals....four different patterns.  I'm excited to share these because it will justify my purchase, and maybe one day allow me to buy MORE!  

I've also dug head first into a glittery mess....

I have a huge supply of little metal stars and never knew what to do with them.  Thanks to a very generous gift from Jocelyn, I was able to finally try using the REAL German Silver Glitter!  Oh it's just beautiful!  I will have a hard time going back to regular glitter after this stuff!

So now I have a bunch of glittered stars.....what do I do with them?  

I made these cuff bracelets!  They are not quite finished yet...I have to add the snaps but I love the way they turned out.  I will list these in my neglected Etsy store as well.  I hope to have everything listed by Tuesday evening. 

Thanks so much to all my blog friends who stop by on a regular basis and leave such sweet comments!  It really brightens my day to hear from you!  And if you're a reader but don't comment.....please say Hi!  I'd love to come to your blog to meet you too!