GASP: vintage lizzie

Happy Pink Saturday!
This post has so many lovely pinks in it, that I decided to leave it as my
Pink Saturday post this week.
Happiest Pink Saturday to all!

Be sure to stop by Beverly's blog for more pink pics!

xo

• • •

Greetings! My sisters and I had a great time on Cape Cod. We kicked off our little getaway by attending a literary luncheon followed by lots of shopping and lots of clam chowder! But my favorite part of our trip was going to the shop Vintage Lizzie and meeting my blogging friend, Lizzie!


I had been to Vintage Lizzie once last summer before I started blogging. Fabric goddess and adorable sweetie Lizzie has a beautiful blog that I follow and so this time visiting her shop and re-meeting her was a must! I packed a couple of personalized cottage clips in my bag to give to Lizzie and was floored when she handed me a large, heavy shopping tote!


Now this is wonderful packaging! A white tote with a b e a u t i f u l label affixed, tied with a long piece of floral fabric. GASP!


Inside the large bag was this lovely box–a gift on its own! "Open it later," said Lizzie and so I waited until that night when my sisters and I returned to our room, to slowly savor the fun of opening a beautiful package.


GASP! SWOON! GULP! and repeat!


Completely dreamy! Sweetly wrapped fabrics with floral prints, vintage seam binding, millinery flowers, a pin cushion with heart-shaped pins ...


cards by Jo-Ann Coletti, a bisque mermaid (SWOON), a strawberry sachet, and more!


SWOON!

Here are some photos I took around Lizzie's shop ...




Lizzie's online shop(s) feature beautiful things like these ruffled napkins. Ooh la la!


I hope you will visit Lizzie's blog and online shops and if you're ever taking a trip to Cape Cod, her shop will make your visit cottage-complete. Thank you SO VERY MUCH Lizzie! You are as inspiring and sweet as you are generous.

{Believe it or not, I had a box waiting for me when I got home from a "chintzy" pal of mine from the O.C. Stay tuned!}

Thank you so much for all of the Where Bloggers Create comments. I am still catching up and hope to visit everyone soon!

I love blogging!

xo

where bloggers create

I am very excited to be taking part in Karen's Where Bloggers Create party. In her open-invitation post, Karen writes this about blogging: "the stories, the pictures, the constant inspiration! I love it all. For me, what makes it most special are the friendships I am making and the never ending give and take of creative ideas." Exactly!

My post is a little early and my comments will be a little late because I will be away for a few days with my sisters in Cape Cod. Now on with the tour ...

the picnic table

Outside at the old splinter-making picnic table is where the messiest magic takes place. Neighbors are accustomed to finding me hacking at picture frames with rocks, spray-painting cans, dragging found fence remnants to behind the shed and more.

the girlie office

This bright space is where I do some creating and all of my Etsy packaging.


Almost everything in this room has been tinkered with: the lamp, the chair, the curtain panels, the vanity table, and more.


This chair has been many, many colors.


I keep many favorite crafty treasures on this shelf. It's kind of an I-Spy of items purchased, received or swapped from blogging friends. Look around and you might spot something familiar!




My simple white bookcase from Staples keeps ribbon at-the-ready thanks to tension rods.


Where blogging happens!


Books filled with inspiring photos ...


and encouraging words.


A girlie vignette tops the bookcase


The closet ~ which I treat like its walls are made of rubber. (It's time for real shelves. Currently things are stacked on a baker's rack from our first apartment.) Using a curtain instead of a door is a real space saver.

the dining room table

Lots of creative action happens here before and after meals, and after the boys' bedtime.

I hope you enjoyed your visit. Sorry for any reruns or too many photos. {In reviewing my post I am laughing at all of the cans pictured!}


Thank you so much to Karen for having the great idea to put all of this together. Awesome poster, too!

I am so looking forward to seeing everyone's spaces! Please visit Karen for details and links.

xo

brimming with brimfield pics

Hello, again! Last night's post was about what I bought at Brimfield; today's post is about some of what Shellie and I saw. Huge thanks to Shellie for bringing the camera along!

Hold on to your vintage hats ...


This amazing display is from Nifty Thrifty Dry Goods. Owner Susan Gower has an online shop and brings her unique notions, buttons, trims and more to shows across the U.S.


This lady knows how to display!


Susan's displays make me want to remove all of my ribbon from their dull cardboard spools and re-wrap and (hat) pin them to antique wooden ones. Okay, so that might not happen but a girl can consider it ...


Susan even had a bunch of silver thimbles in a jar and it looked fabulous!


Here is Architiques & New York Salvage (aka Fragment Freaks) aka Purveyors of GASP!




They even had yardlong prints in white chippy frames.

Sigh ~ Swoon ~ Gasp

I passed on the chippy yardlong* this time because I am going away in a few days to Cape Cod with my sisters and didn't want to overspend, but one is on my wish list for sure.


When did I start loving wire and rust?



Hope you enjoyed some of my Brimfield faves!

xo

*

When I typed "chippy yardlong" I chuckled thinking that it sounded like the makings of a new shabby storybook character. Maybe I got too much sun today? :)

bountiful brimfield

Source for pink polka-dotted ribbon and loose buttons: Nifty Thrifty Dry Goods

Today was my big day at the Brimfield antiques show. My sweet friend Shellie was the most fabulous tour guide a newbie could have! Everything from letting me pick the radio station for the hour drive (and driving) to knowing where certain vendors would be, Shellie made it the perfect day from start to finish.


The weather was warm and sunny and we wandered from vendor to vendor non-stop for about 4 hours. I bought this framed print (GASP-o-RAMA) from John at Architiques & New York Salvage.

Click to enlarge

When John gave me his business card I knew his wife's name in an instant. Ivy from Fragment Freaks where I just bought the frame (above) for my Karen Harvey Cox original watercolor! {details}


Source for cup: Scarlett Scales Antiques

Shellie brought her camera and we took lots of pics which I'm sure we'll both be sharing in upcoming posts. {The colors are way off in this photo: the small cup is actually a pale chalky gray--perfect for violets}


As you can see from my "loot" I bought many small things but there were lots of very cool substantial architectural pieces to be found. Ooh la la!


After leaving Brimfield happy but a little weary, Shellie took us to a nice cafè at Publick House in Sturbridge for coffee and cookies. Not only is this hotel listed in the National Register of Historic Places, it's historic to Shellie because it's where she got married!

Hope you had a lovely Sunday, too!

xo

this and that (and another bonne maman jar)

I have a few little things that I am excited to share . . .

And yes, is making yet another appearance! I think I will add a Bonne Maman post label already!

tinkering
Inspired by tag-making friends like Maryjane and Kathy, I made my first set.


And then another . . .


I like to work on a small scale so I bought the small sized tags (2-3/4 x 1 3/8")
Do you like glitter to give the look of sparkly diamonds?


Some are now available at my Etsy shop. Very fun.

shopping
Hanging up my GASP "Vintage Cottage" sign from Cindy at Cute Pink Stuff finally made it to the top of the "honeydew" list. (I need help with these types of tasks. I tend to rush, be way off, and end up with a wall that resembles a cork board)


This sign has the chippy quality that I adore and the lettering is just-right in every way.


I knew just the spot: over my memory board in the Girlie Office.

trading
My dear and superfunny friend Shellie and I did a fun little trade of talents. I shabbified some drawer pulls for her and Shellie made this pillow for me! GASP! I can't get enough of this fabric!




Shellie and I hope to have a fun day together here this weekend!

xo