Getting Back in the Groove

I can't believe how unsettling it is to have one of your children out of the house. My daughter has spent her first week at college and has made a great adjustment. I am not certain her mother has made the same adjustment. What does a mother do who is missing her daughter? Plan a trip to Goodwill or visit an Estate Sale.


I snatched up this great little silver tray and vintage millinery flowers.


This is the most beautiful bottle opener ever! I love grape patterned silverplate.


I found this wonderful wooden tray which I am going to paint white and distress. It will become the foundation for a great shabby table display.


Lastly, I was creative with a few of my vintage finds. The cake stand and cloche are part of my collection. With a little inspiration from a photo from Jeanine's blog at Chippy Shabby, a few of my recent vintage finds and a little natural material, I created this awesome still life. The variety of whites and creams are just the right combination for the naturals and silver pieces.

I plan on being more creative and focused this week. Check back to see what I have done.

Family Photos and Cozy Cabins

This past Sunday was our last weekend together as a family before my daughter leaves for college. We decided to take a drive to Door County and have a picnic lunch. I just wanted one more great photo of the two kids together. But as you can see it wasn't going to be. Taking photos of teens is just as difficult as photographing toddlers. When one smiled the other squinted. One wanted their picture taken, the other thought I was nuts. This was the result, but I have a photo and wonderful memories. I couldn't ask for any more. Our family excursion gave me time to dream as well as enjoying my family.


I am longing for a place to design, repurpose and create. A place I could call my own. Inspired by My Shabby Streamside Studio I have been dreaming of my own beautiful cottage. Door County is filled with adorable possibilities.


Possibility? The plastic chairs would have to go.


I have always dreamed of a log cabin nestled in the woods just like this one.


A fixer upper with tremendous possibilities.


It even has two floors. If you look closely you can see how the logs were put together to support the floor of the upstairs. My husband says too much work and too much money. Oh well, I might have to settle for this!


I might just have to see the possibilities in the little shed we already have on out property. It is located in the woods on the back of the property, but perhaps it could be moved and restored. It has knotty pine paneling which I would paint white of course, wonderful wavy glass windows with adorable shutters and a welcoming front door. It would need a new floor and lots of scrubbing to get rid of mold and mildew but it has possibilities. What do you think?

A Visit to Chippy Shabby

Jeanine of Chippy Shabby always finds the best accent pieces with great form and just the perfect amount of "chippiness". I paid her a visit on Tuesday.

I love her blog and one day as I was carefully studying her pictures I noticed the most gorgeous lamp. I knew it would be perfect on the little red table in the den directly off my foyer. I have a fabulous red and white toile wallpaper in the foyer.


The most beautiful lady!


A perfect match with the toile wallpaper.


My lady sitting on her shabby table. The altered art busts on the shelf below are from Viva la Cottage in Sister Bay, Wisconsin.


Look at this fabulous chippy, rusty wall sconce I found in Jeanine's wonderful stash. I knew it was meant for my sunroom.



It hangs above this lovely cabinet which I purchased from Jeanine two years ago. After stripping the cabinet and deciding I didn't like the walnut color in the room, I painted it this great shade of apple green, distressed it and gave it two coats of paste wax. The cabinet was made in 1849. The date was etched in the door.



I also picked up this great metal glass carrier. This will look so cute on my patio table when I am serving lemonade. The red gazelle glasses are just right in the rack. I collected them one by one over a period of years.

As I said, Jeanine always has just the perfect piece!

Check Out the Basement

At estate sales I find that you can snatch up some great finds at rock bottom prices when you search the basement, closets and garage first. All of the items I am featuring today were collected from the basement at the last sale.
Check it out the next time you go to a sale!


I love the checkerboard with the delicate china and silver.


A gold filigree perfume bottle, a pretty handmade gold velvet pin cushion trimmed with a millinery flower, a vintage wall thermometer, and a pressed glass spooner sit on the checkerboard.


This cute little dresser tray along with two silver serving pieces just had to come home with me. We have a woods in our backyard that always is filled with violets in spring.


The designs on these vintage checkers are perfect. My two kids have taken to playing a daily game or two since this board and "cool" checkers came home with me. My brother Tom was quite sick when he was little. He had an imaginary friend "Joe" who he always challenged to a game of checkers when he was home in bed. Joe never won. The checkerboard brought back such great memories.


A few wood pieces to repurpose came home as well.

I traveled to Cedarburg yesterday to do a little shopping at Chippy Shabby. Jeanine was so welcoming and helpful. She gets the award for being the sweetest salesperson ever. Check back tomorrow to see what I found.

More Estate Sale Finds

One of the best parts about summer is the number of estate sales in our city. I hit the jackpot at this sale.


This adorable, bisque, boy doll stands about 5 inches tall. His creamy, ivory coat looks perfect with vintage whites. I always put short pants and knee socks on my son when he was little. Don't tell him I shared this secret from his past with you.

Vintage Fraternal Twins

Aren't they just the cutest? A boy and a girl, with chippy little faces, hands and feet, nestled in a vintage, white porcelain soap dish.


This slate was hiding in the basement. I love the initials carved in the top. Just think how few supplies students once needed for the start of school. I think I am going to hang this slate in my kitchen for messages.




This basket is filled with great aluminum, children's cookware. A coffee pot, tea kettle, covered soup pot, roaster and vintage spoons and spatulas. Some little girl had fun cooking all those great pretend meals.


Come back often to see more great estate finds.

Great Friday Finds

Scouring the tables, beds and cupboards at an Estate Sale today resulted in the most wonderful finds at rock bottom prices.

I could hardly contain myself when I found this beautiful, silk and lace embroidered French pillow covering from World War I.

Was it a gift from a son to his mother?

Or the cherished gift to his sweetheart left behind?

Did he return home?

Was he injured?

Questions only loved ones and the pages of a history book could answer.


Memories from France in a little vignette.


Delicate embroidery, French and American Flags side by side. The colors of the silk threads are just exquisite!


A close-up of the appliquéd lace and detailed handiwork surrounding the entire pillow. Four inches of delicate lace edges the entire pillow cover. GORGEOUS!!!

After snatching this find, I wildly started to dig through the entire stack of linens on the bed only to find another wonderful war souvenir. This embroidered silk hankie case was buried among the blankets.


Delicate light blue silk provides the perfect canvas for the “Emblem of Liberty”.


Inside detail.


I love the screened image of a young soldier and his beloved.


A pocket made of the Stars and Stripes. Yes, we only had 48 states back then.
Somehow I wish I had found a penned note so I could know who was the loved one who was remembered with these beautiful things.

I’ll share the rest of my finds another day.

My Favorite Color!

Guess what my favorite color is?

It is the color of passion, warmth and Christmas.

You guessed RED!

I always try to find vintage items to add to my collections with this happy color.

Here are some of my favorites.

Little hand made picture of a girl with red hair pulling a red wagon


Red Transfer Ware


Vintage Kitchen Accessories & Red Damask Towel


Red Toile Wallpaper


Sampler letters stitched in red


Vintage candy box, egg carton from Chippy Shabby and linen towel


Advertising Poster framed in red

These are just a few of my "favorite things"!