This year we are having a lunch for my Mother-In-Law. I really wanted to do it out on our screened-in back porch, but it sounds like it is going to be too cold! Instead, I set the dining room table in pretty colors just for Mom. Pinks, greens and yellows. I really wanted a to use my chintz plates and creamers and salt and pepper shakers, so I tried to come up with a setting for 6 out of what is really a place setting for 4. I added in a few clear glass plates and a few extra pieces of chintz and mixed and matched a bit. Here is how it turned out. I also made cupcakes today and used cute little pearlized Sixlets which I got at our cute little local candy shop called The Parson's Daughter.

I am going to put one of these little azaleas on each plate before lunch.  The silverware is my father-in-law's parents' antique flatware.  The plates are pieces I have picked up at thrift shops here and there.  I don't use them often, but they are very pretty.  To think that this entire table setting as well as the dishes on the buffet are all from thrift stores.  I love a good bargain!

 
Not loving my flower arrangement.  I think I will take the narcissus out before the lunch.  I am not loving them, but thought they might add some height.  Not loving in so much.  I made the quilted runner and the end placemats.   The pink cake plate that is under the flower arrangement was my MIL's mother's.

You can see my attempt at making the end settings go with the 4 that match.  Not perfect, but they will work and men will be sitting at those two places, so they won't even notice.

My buffet table where I will sit the food.  Lots of cupcakes!

 

Yummy!

Hope you have a great Mother's Day!

My friends and I had so much fun hunting through thrift stores today.  We really did find some fun things.  I generally buy glassware, while one of my friends goes for linens and tablecloths.  Whatever you collect or search for, you can find it it you thrift enough.  My other friends buy kids clothes, books, whatever! 

This is one of the things my friend Janet found and knew I would love and she was right. I didn't take a before picture, but imagine this little stand in an ugly gold finish.  Now see the "after" which I painted up with some light blue spray paint.  She actually got this free at one of the thrift shops!  I also go the cheese dome as a freebie at a thrift shop.  The plate is a Martha Stewart plate which Janet also found for me (knowing my love for pink!)  It really is amazing what a spritz of spraypaint can do!

I also found this little apothecary jar on the right which I plan to fill up with Valentine's Day candy.  I LOVE
apothecaries!    Oh... and this one was $1.

Everything in this tray is from a thrift store or dollar store except for those little angels which my Aunt Gretchen sent to me.  I need some flowers for my vases.

Tami

Around Christmastime, I was shopping in our local dollar store.  They had some adorable hand-painted keychains on a display that I thought was awesome.  I asked the lady there what they were going to do with it.  She said they may use it again, but that she would ask the store owner. She took my phone number and I forgot all about it.  The other day, the owner called and asked me if I still wanted it.  I said, "YES! How much do you want for it?"  She said, "$1.00"!  Whew hoo!  Here it is on my table (with my Valentine's centerpiece).  It isn't staying here...

  Here it is closer.... it is all hand painted and that sign comes off of the top.

 And here is what I've done with it in my craftroom....  I am going to use the sign and make a topper for it,
but I haven't had time to do that yet. 

I had these black curtain clips which I found at Salvation Army long ago and they fit perfectly

over the balls on the ends of the rods, so they are holding the pictures.  I can change them out

as I get new pictures developed.  Love it!

So, my Aunt Gretchen sent our boys a microscope for Christmas with a follow-up box of rock specimens for them to look at with the microscope. They were really cool and I ended up using my camera to get a few macros of the rocks. I thought I'd share because they are so neat.  You could barely see the little hairs sticking up on these rocks with the naked eye....

Okay..... my inner nerd is coming out... but I thought it was pretty cool.

Also, the birds found our Christmas tree which we decorated for them.  It took a long time for them to find it!

Hope your weekend was a great one and that you stayed warm.  I think our high was 6 today and our low is supposed to be -12.  Brrr!!!

I was actually able to get some sewing done today because not only is my Pool House Project done, but today was a half-day of school!

Here is the cute little apron I made from a valence I found at Salvation Army ($3.99 each). I had to rip it apart much more than I thought I'd have to in order to get the bottom striped layer to show more. It was a real pain, but the results are worth it.

Here's the front. I put a stripe of a different fabric across the waistband and a row of rickrack for some added interest. The material is sort of a really fine courduroy.

The little aliens below are door guards for G.'s room. I got a book out of the library (see picture below) with directions to make TONS of these little guys. My boys have been shopping the book for days and I went to Walmart today and bought some flannel, fleece and felt so I could make them for them. It looks like there are two below, but actually, one is the front and the other is the back.

Now I'll leave you with a few Thrift Store finds. The blue bowl below and the pink one were recently found at a Thrift Shop. I love them!

This pink pretty was found at a little shop in our town that buys thrift stuff and sells it. Isn't it cute? I think it will look great on my dresser in my bedroom.

I found the cake plate and the pie plate below at SA. The little crystal owl in the middle isn't supposed to be there. G. got that for Easter from his Grandma Gretchen and put it there. It has been there since.

Vintage Gucci purse $2.99 at SA. Scarf from SA , $.99.

Pretty butter yellow purse SA as well as this scarf. Can you tell I love to tie scarves on my purses?

Vintage Hankie and Pillowcase for future sewing projects... $.59 each.

Kitchen Cabinet at our local antique/country store. $30! LOVE it. I needed some more counter space in my sewing room. This is working out nicely. And there is a bread drawer in the bottom should I need to store a carbolicious snack!

Ralph Lauren pink raincoat. Originally $6.99 at Salvation Army. I got it on Wednesday and oly paid $3.50! LOVE it!

And here is my kitty, Mika, getting her shedding fur all over the back of this chair. I have a blanket that I generally keep over this pillow just for that reason. If the blanket is on there.... do you think she will sleep there??? NOOOOOOO.... as soon as the blanket is in the wash... up she climbs, snuggles in and curls up into a ball.

Wow... that was a long show and tell! I've gotten more things, but I'll save them for another day!

Happy Friday!!!

Okay... so I was asked to show my sewing room on my blog. I've seen SO many cutesy rooms that are done so well, that I'm embarrassed to show mine. I will do it though. What the heck, right?

Now, keep in mind that until about 2 or three months ago, the only thing I had sewn on with my new sewing machine was cards. That's why I wanted the machine. But then, something got into me when I saw directions on a blog showing how to make an apron. I've been sewing up a storm since!

My sewing room was, up until a few months ago, an empty room. Sitting there.... lonely. I took my old table and the dresser and desk that were left in our basement by the previous owners and set up a room of my own. Just for sewing. This room still has the wallpaper on the walls that was there when we moved in. It matches the kids' playroom too. I am not offended by it, so I haven't changed it. As a matter of fact, I love plaid, so I really don't mind it at all. You'll see what I mean.

I'll start with my vintage buttons because they're so colorful! I got this dish at Salvation Army. It was in the box & styrofoam and had never been taken out. I thought I could use it if my kids play soccer and we have the team over. Who am I kidding? LOL!

In this picture, you get to see my plaid walls. I'm sure some of you will think they are hidious, but I really kind of like them. I'll probably paint them someday, but for now, they're stayin'.

Okay, the mirror was also in the room. I had a string of lights that I wanted to put on my shabby chic tree this year. They looked pastel in the package and when I lit them up, they were way brighter than I wanted. The other day, I went to the $ store and they had these packages of silk flowers 4 for $1, so I got some. This is what I did with them. I put one petal section on each light. I thought it looked festive.

This is also the table where I cut my material and where I iron. I just use a bath mat folded in half as my ironing board.

I also found these tins at our dollar store. They were a stack of 3 for $1! LOVE them!

You really have to hit the dollar stores and thrift stores at least once a week. I almost always

come out of there $3 poorer. LOL!
You can see the shelves that go around two walls of this room. I have the boy's toys that they don't play with much up there as well as Jeff's old trucks from when he was a kid and some dolls that were mine when I was ... well... in my 20's and into country stuff more. My Great Aunt Gretchen made them for me to match my 80's decor.

The apron tied to the back of the chair is my Great Grandmother's. She made it and I love it!

I use it more as decor, but I also sometimes wear it.

This is the dresser that was left behind. I have material in these drawers. (Notice my new

D&G purse hanging on the door handle? Cute!)This closet it outside my door of my sewing room. It is actually part of the kids' playroom, but I took it over. I had their older, baby toys in there but I've finally talked them into parting with them! Yeah!

And now for the final product of today's sewing adventure. A flirty little apron for a customer!

I love this one. I showed you a picture of me in it below, but it looks a little small on me. It isn't that I made the apron too small, it is that I am too big for it. LOL! The girl who is getting it is about a size 0/2 and I am a 6/8, so it should look small.

And... last but not least....

I had to show you the shower curtain that I found at Salvation Army in Syracuse on Monday!

OMG... I can't wait to cut it up and make something (or lots of things) from it! I was reading Reinvented which is an awesome blog that shows you how to make new things from old thriftstore/yardsale finds. She is awesome... you have to check her out. But anyway, she has a list of things to pick up at yardsales, etc. today. She it SO right about fabric! A great thing to find is curtains and shower curtains because you can use them as fabric and they "usually" aren't dirty or stained! How awesome is this one????

I went to the dollar store today. Yes, I LOVE our dollar store. It is an original one. Not Dollar General... not Family Dollar, but it is the Real Deal. I get the real deals when I go there! Love it!

It is great for crafters for sure. They get some really different things in there.

Anyway, I found these dishes which my friend Wendy MADE me buy. 4 for $1. Twist my arm! I also found this cute little napkin holder which has a ceramic flower to hold the napkins in the basket. I guess for when my kids make tornado-like winds by running around the dining room table.

Oh... and these are the Spring fabrics I bought the other day. Wendy, I know you wanted to see them.... here they are!

Also, I went to Salvation Army today and found these ADORABLE little yellow cups for $.50 each. They are about the size of cappuccino cups. My boys will love drinking their tea out of them in the morning. LOL.. okay maybe not love (like I would love it), but they will tolerate them.

And here's my Sweetie after a big swig of Pepsi. LOL! I'm sure he loves when I take pictures of him at the most opportune moments. Isn't he cute though? That's where our boys get their good looks! LOL!