Melony's Whimsy Daisy!

Vintage Hankies and old Lace Dressform

I MUST write a love song about spray paint. In the meantime, here is my latest project. The dress form started out black and gold from T. J. Maxx. I think it was $6.99.

 

I have a little collection of vintage handkerchiefs. A couple are sentimental to me, but most just sort of struck my fancy with their rosy-ness and femininity. I've been wanting a way to display them and enjoy them.

Here is a preview and then I'll show you the details:

 

I haphazardly (that's my middle name...Melony Haphazardly) pinned them to my dressform in a pleasing-to-my-eye- fashion. I found a crocheted bit and popped it over some pom-poms to cover my pins and to make my girlie have a nice waistline.

For the collar to m'lady I scrounged through some lace bits my Me-Me gave me from her mother (my great grandmother). It appears all handstitched and is so delicate. I added another little lace embellishment to the neck opening and adorned her with a favorite necklace of mine. It isn't old or expensive, and I really love it. I just have a hard time finding an outfit in my closet that screams "Wear a cameo with me!" I will enjoy the necklace more on the dressform.

I added a crocheted buckle and some beads around the bottom. I'm not sure if this buckle is old or new, but  I liked it.

 

Every dressform needs a cup of standby vintage lace.

Or a Goodwill (29 cents) English china bowl filled with tatted lace. (My kids hooted over this...English China. Think about it! LOL!)

 

I tossed an old jaunty straw hat on top of the creation, and perched some millinery flowers on the brim, and called it finished for now. I am pleased with the results and especially like that I was able to incorporate some sentimental sweetness. Check out other interesting vignettes at The Inspired Room.

Operation Arkansas

I'm hopping down a little bunny trail from my crafty blog today, but will be back in the next little bit with some completed pictures of Craft Cottage projects.

Bob's Marine training kicked in as we prepared for our 4th of July annual pilgrimage to visit my family. Operation Arkansas went into full steam ahead as the truck was cleaned and shined, gassed and oiled, and strategically pre-packed with suitcases the night before. I received a special Husband Waiver to do a last minute loading of my makeup and hot rollers. Departure time: zero dark thirty.

We arrived at our destination successfully (and without a lot of "unnecessary" stopping) and I got to meet and kiss on one of my brand new kinfolks! Are babies just not absolutely heavenly?

I laughed as I watched my daughter, Daisy, being so dramatic with her cousin as they watched the family firework extravaganza. Where do they get their flair for the theatrical?

Tears were shed too, as my sisters and I watch my Mother struggle with Alzheimers. She didn't know me much of the time and how I miss her! What a cruel disease and what a heartbreak for those, like my Daddy, (and my two sisters who live nearby), who live with its horrible affects on a daily basis. Yet...God was good to give us happy moments amongst the sad.

There were new adventures to be lived out as my husband enjoyed "playing" with a Big Boy toy! He had so much fun digging a hole! (and to think I was always happy with a little shovel and pail!)

 

No summer vacation is complete without a little swim time! I heard on the radio today that blended families, such as mine, can take up to seven years to truly gel. This picture allows me see how far we've come in a year and a half. Bob married me, a widow, and stepped in to be the father of my two youngest children. I am so thankful families can come together and love each other even when there is not a gene shared amongst any of us...we are a family!

 

Here is a goofy picture of me. Why? So much of the time my Mother was behind the camera taking pictures of us. I wish we had more pictures of her! So, on a whim, I took this silly picture of me while the kids were swimming. I want them to someday look at this picture and laugh, and know they had a silly momma who loved them!

   Life is full of fun and fireworks, laughter and tears, fresh sweet babies to kiss, and dear old ones to hold close while you can. Cherish the moments and snap a few goofball pictures of yourself along the way. Your children will be glad you did!  

No Sew Curtains, with No Curtain Rods

Still working on getting the Craft Cottage put together. Today I decided to ignore the tubs and boxes of stuff begging to be put away and do something creative instead of organizational. Too much organizing makes Melony a very dull girl.

Curtains were the fun of the day, but I did have some criteria.

* I wanted to use fabric I already had.
* The sewing machine has still not been found, so NO sewing!
* No curtain rods.

These giant clothespins were in my stash, and I'm using up spray paint. I gave them several coats of paint.

 

I used the glue gun, rick-rick, and hot glued them to the wall to hold my curtain. I also painted some small clothespins in white and added vintage buttons.

 

Baby pom-pom trim was hot glued to my fabric. Don't you just love hot glue? Although, I must admit, hot gluing on a stretch knit was a little tricky as the fabric wants to curl up and results in burnt fingers. 

 

So, here are two windows finished. Nothing fancy, but I like it and think it's cheerful. I also added scrapbook paper to the little nooks above the windows for some extra color. I'm not sure what little doo-dads I'll put up there yet.

 

 

Happy Wednesday to you!

I am MOVING on UP to the Craft Cottage!

It is finally happening and so overwhelming and fun! Wonderful husband has finished the Craft Cottage except for the underpinning on the outside and some gingerbread-ish trim I am dreaming of for around the porch. I am feeling so blessed to have a dream come true...a place to create!

Part of me wanted to wait until everything was the picture of perfection to post, but I can already tell I will move things around and change things up before  perfection is found...if it ever is found, so I am planning on trying to show you a little each day what I'm up to around here. I've been so inspired by other bloggers creative spaces, and I hope some of you will enjoy my hit and miss process.

The kids and I put some Wal-Mart metal shelves together. The box said thirty minutes and no tools required...four hours and every-tool -known-to-man and we birthed three shelves!

 

Daughter Daisy could not resist adding some fabric to start making the place feel like home.

 

In the spirit of organization I printed out the signs below to guide in placement of all my stuff. I basically ignored each sign and dumped things wherever they landed.

 I am headed out to the Craft Cottage today, and will take some more pictures of projects I have going. So, I hope you will check back in. I am looking forward to getting my Etsy shop back up and running and maybe even doing some clothes designing again. I got my paint set up yesterday too. My mind whirls with the possibility of once again doing the things I enjoy so much.

Very Silly Pink Saturday Post...

I'm tired.

When I'm tired, I get silly.

Here goes. I'm combining two garage sale finds for my Pink Saturday post. Be sure to visit all the other pink-lovin' girls who will probably have much more sane and charming posts for Beverly's One Year Anniversary of Pink Saturdays. Click right here to check them all out!  In the meantime, please indulge my silliness. 

Imagine the following conversation between these two from a vintage print in a not-so-cute- frame bought for cheap at a garage sale.

 Edward: I love the way you sit up so straight and strong my lovely blossom of a wife.

Elisabeth: Thank you, my darling. I can barely breathe, but I find if I tilt my head a little to the right and gasp for air in small lady-like breaths I can manage to stay conscious as well as look attractive. 

Edward: My dear, your waist is so tiny. Indeed my manly hands would surround it thrice. Your daintiness is so charming, and I adore the way you always let me eat off your plate. 

Elisabeth: Yes, my sweet Edward. What I would not do for you, my angel. It is with your tuppence I was able to purchase my exquisite bustier at a local garage sale that allows me to maintain my bird-sized waist. The original price tag on this lace confection was $215.00. I paid only $3.00 for it and with my leftover tuppence purchased your beautiful ruffled shirt and mustard-colored velvet breeches.

Edward: Kiss me darling.

 

The end...

Lucy and Ethel Hit the Jackpot!

Bob said, "Let there be light, " and there was light in the Craft Cottage. It is getting closer and closer to completion.

 

I set out on a mission for a fabulous and CHEAP work table or desk for my new space. I had no luck whatsoever at garage sales, and decided to move up the thrift-food chain and hit some Goodwill and charity stores. I completely bombed out, and decided to move up another rung on the thrift-food chain to new and used office furniture stores.

The first store I went into I was overwhelmed by a sea of mahogany conference room tables with ultra modern chairs. A very nice young salesman approached and asked if he could help. Although I had my doubts that he could, I explained I wanted a big desk that was  inexpensive and had personality. It needed to be sturdy and inexpensive. Cute and inexpensive.

Surprisingly, he didn't seem phased and led me to a really nice desk that had some interesting gingerbread-ish trim which would have looked really pretty painted white or chippy pink. It was marked $199. but he was willing to take $150. That was really out of my price range, and so I thanked him kindly but again stated I needed something really inexpensive!

He said, " I don't know how you'd feel about this, and I sort of hate to mention it, but we have a desk out behind the store we are carrying to the dumpster after work. You could have it for free if you want it and can haul it off." 

He couldn't show it to me fast enough, and although I tried to act very dignified, I'm sure I squealed with delight when I saw the old metal desk in two pieces leaning up on its side out amongst the trash. JACKPOT!

Now, the problem. My husband has the truck, but if I were to call and explain I had found a desk that was three hours away from being hauled to the dumpster, he just wouldn't have seen the positive in the situation. Thus, therefore and thence, I called my friend, Jennifer and asked, "Do you feel like being Ethel to my Lucy?" She was game and before I knew it, we (and three furniture store men) had loaded the ginormous monstrosity of a desk (with all of its inexpensive personality) into her Suburban.

So, here she is in all her BEFORE beauty. Keep in mind she was free.

 

She is a heavy metal beauty with all kinds of nooks and crannies and drawer dividers. When she is repaired she will form an "L".

 

Now, wouldn't it be wonderful if I told you I had found a treasure hidden in the drawers of this Longview National Bank relic? Perhaps like an interesting ledger book, or love letters to the bank president's wife? Take a look at what I discovered!

 

Okay, so maybe not THAT much of a treasure, but did I mention the desk was free? The next step was to give the ol' girl a beauty makeover. Here are my cosmetics of choice.

 

I went to work getting her all spruced up. The end results: not good. She looks a little like a circus clown. I didn't have enough paint in any one color to really do what needed to be done. Let's just say I was a little over-jubilant with my trigger finger and the spray paint nozzle.

Anyhoooooo.....no AFTER picture for you to oooh and aaah over...yet! I need to do some fast thinking and get the situation fixed. Stay tuned. Did I mention this desk was free?

The Male Version of Pink Saturday!

My husband has been working long and hard on getting my craft cottage up and running. It is so close to being finished I am silly with excitement. I cannot wait to do a complete show and tell of the entire thing soon. I am giddy!!!!

In the meantime...Happy Pink Saturday! I had to give you a sneak peak of the action taking place for my pink post and I think I was successful. Here is my man installing flooring into a very Robin's Egg Blue room.

 

Have you spotted the pink? Here is my Craft Cottage Contractor taking a much needed break!

 

I was so happy to see how absolutely gorgeous the color pink looks next to this color of blue. It pops! Check back soon for updates on my studio's progress. Be sure to check out all the other Pink Saturday  participants. It is so much fun to spend some time visiting other blogs and meeting others that enjoy a splash of pink in their life.  

Pink Mama Saturday!

  What a special Pink Saturday with Mother's Day to follow tomorrow! I couldn't let the day go by without a little stroll down memory lane. I am blessed to still have my mother. My heart goes out to those of you who would dearly love to hug or call your mom this Mother's Day,but she has passed away. 

My mother has Alzheimer's. This is the first time I've written those words here on my blog. It is hard to see those words in the starkness of their reality, and accept all that word means for my mother, my sisters, my father, and for me... my mother's child. Nevertheless, it is what it is, and I cherish the time I have with my mother and those priceless moments when there is a connection... a shared memory, or a shared laugh. Those moments are truly pink wrapped gifts from God and I thank Him.

 Mother was 20 years old in the picture above, and I (her first born) was 3 months old... my mouth wide open. Isn't Mother beautiful?  She has been an inspiration to me throughout my years of raising children. Fast forward twenty years to a picture of me below with my first born...mouth wide open. What's up with that?

Mother is now 67 years old. Still beautiful. She doesn't even color her hair and only has a tiny bit of gray! My mother has always enjoyed pretty things. I can remember her gluing fabric to our living room wall back in the early 70's. It looked awesome and I now wonder where she got the idea. This was before HGTV, and I don't remember her having the luxury of extra money for magazines. She was great at arranging pictures and her knick-knacks in a cute way. 

Mother loved garage sales, which was totally humiliating to me in my teenage years. I would lay in the floorboard of our wood-paneled lime-green station wagon, and pray the sale was not at a house of a schoolmate. My first pair of blue jeans came from one of those sales. Once I pulled myself up off the floorboard, I was thrilled to own a pair of jeans!!! Thanks Mother!

Here is a little bit of pink to wind up another Pink Saturday and to pay tribute to my mother. I took some doors off the kitchen cabinets, so my garage sale pink goodies could be seen and enjoyed instead of shoved into some dark cranny somewhere.

The ceramic set on the top shelf looks very Mary Englebreit-ish to me and was the last gift my late husband was able to physically go into a store and pick out for me before he died of cancer. I have put lots of my pink odds and ends together on the middle shelf. I like the impact of all that pink together...the old glass pitcher, refrigerator dish, salt and pepper shakers, and old melmac dishes...and probably a few dust bunnies here and there. I love the old SPICE shelf, even though I don't use it for such, and I enjoy the colors of the advertisement measuring cups. Aren't pink, turquoise, red, and yellow a wonderful combination?

Check out  Bevery at How Sweet the Sound to visit other girls who have a thing for pink. It's so much fun to get a glass of tea and sit down and visit all the sites. 

Happy Mother's Day to all! 

A few more peeks through my sister's window.

 

Maw-Maw loved posing us grandchildren for pictures with all of her sentimental doo-dads. This particular day, my younger sister, Jill and I are posing with our grandmother's childhood doll, Frankie (bottom left) and DeeRay (her oldest son's rag doll). I can see my Skipper Barbie doll sitting beside me on the arm chair. The Barbie kitchen sits on the floor below.

Jill and I spent hours...no years... playing house together as children. Maw-Maw says I would never let Jill pretend to be the Mama, and when friends asked Jill what she wanted to be when she grew up, she would sigh sadly and pitifully answer, "I guess I'll be a daddy." Thankfully, I didn't warp my sister for life and she has a wonderful husband and is the mama, not the daddy, to three children. 

Here are a few more little peeks into my sister's home.

 Unless I have lost my mind, which is quite possible, I think I bought this sweet figurine as a gift for Jill. These girls sit on a shelf with other sentimental objects my sister has collected through the years, and represents our little visits to see each other and the fun we've shared over the years. Jill, if you read this and this is totally not true...well, I don't know what to tell you. I SHOULD have bought it for you! ha ha!

 

Jill doesn't have a huge kitchen, but I love the way she carefully displays what she has, and has had to go UP the wall with a lot of her decor because of space. Lots of eye candy...old cookbooks, tea pots, good vintage reds and greens. Jill's kitchen is very fresh looking and homey.

 

When Jill and I shop together we are often drawn to the same items. Somehow we have never had any catfights over a vintage item! Our mother raised us to share, right Jill?

Jill makes a lot of her stuff instead of buying it, and I think that gives her home lots of personality. She painted the friendly sign below. 

 Jill and her family lived in Australia for two years. She learned to love tea time with her friends over there. I'm pretty sure everything on this shelf is sentimental in regard to tea time, and I recognize the polka dotted album. I have one just like it that my Maw-Maw filled with family recipes.

 

I have two other younger sisters...Wendy and Lori. When I go visit them, I will have to ask if I can blog about their homes. That would be great fun, as they both have their unique personalities too.

Thank you, Jill, for allowing me to highlight some of your home's special nooks and crannies!

Hats off to Pink Saturday!

Here is a little stack of vintage hats perched on a bookcase my Paw-Paw made for me when I was five years old. Someday I will share in more detail about the bookcase as it is very special to me. These vintage hats are just a little collection of hats from-here-and-there. The pink velvet flower was picked off a clearance rack for pennies and added to the black hat.

Sometimes a little pile of the simplest things can make a very sweet statement. A girl likes to add pink where she can, right? Please visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound to visit lots of other girls who enjoy a splash of pink in their lives!