Pink Roses

critics...

I went to Goodwill yesterday to drop off a ton of stuff, and of course while I was there I took a look around.  I found this valance for $1.51 and it reminded me of the great Marimekko patterns from the 1970's, complete with lime green pom pom fringe... I thought it could make a fun, cheery table runner...something bright for summer...so I bought it and washed it and was just playing around... 

when they walked in the room...

HIM: Ummm, NO

Me:What do you mean no?

HER: It's not our color palette...

Me:Yeah, but it's fun don't you think...I mean it's summer

HIM: Too bright Soofa Loofa (one of the MANY names he calls me)

HER: I'm not feeling the McKenzie-Childs with the Target Swell...

Me: Come on, you're kids, you're supposed to like bright colors

HER: We're practically adults...

HIM: Sorry Lou, truth hurts...

Me:You guys are so BORING...

HIM & HER: Whatever mom

I live with critics.....

Bella crown...

 

Last July, I made Teresa McFayden this crown for her birthday.  It was a surprise arranged by the fabulous Kim Kwan.   Having never made a crown before, I was a little nervous, and making it for Miss Silver Bella herself...well I was intimidated to say the least! 

I started by making a pattern out of heavy artist watercolor paper, and sewed vintage barkcloth to one side, and lined the inside with vintage wallpaper and sheet music and calling cards...

I whip stitched a vintage pearl necklace around the top rim of the crown to finish it off...

I made a "corsage" of vintage lace and rick rack, seam binding and satin ribbon, and topped it with a rhinestone brooch...

Vintage buttons and lace, sequins and applique trim...

I made a hatbox to ship it in out of a big old cookie tin that I painted and covered in vintage sheet music, lace and mica, and topped with some dotted swiss and an old millinery flower...

Even though these pictures are a year old, I've never shown them on my blog, so I thought I would share them with you.  I know many of you are going to Silver Bella this year, I am too...it will be lots of fun!  There are still classes available if your interested, you can find details here...SILVER BELLA.  I'll be seeing some of you in Omaha in November!

Americana...

Parades and cookouts and fireworks...and the one time of the year I paint my toenails red instead of pink...yeah, that's how patriotic I am!  Wishing you and your family a happy, fun, safe 4th of July weekend!

roses...

Have I ever mentioned that I love roses? 

   Yesterday Elizabeth had lunch with her Grandma and Grandpa Duda and she brought home some roses from their garden...

 

I made the roses model for me...

There were 5 roses of different colors, and they didn't really look great all together, even though they are all together in a vase right now...

 

I just went around the house finding things that looked good with each one individually...like I had nothing better to do!  I knew it would be appreciated by my blog friends...hope you enjoy!

summer rhythm...

My kids and I are night owls.  All year we suffer with getting up early for school, and when summer finally comes, we get into our natural rhythm of staying up late and sleeping in.  Christopher has a curfew of midnight, so that means I am awake until he comes home, but then he wants me to "scoop :)", and I like to stay up and have time to visit with him.  He is working this summer as a camp counselor at a sports day camp, and the little kids LOVE him.  He has to be at work at 8:00am, so he is all kinds of grumpy in the morning.  He's off this week for the 4th of July, so he can finally sleep in. He and Elizabeth can play Guitar Hero until the wee hours...

So, I wanted to share this recipe with you...my friend Julie told me about it and said it was delicious.  When she told me the ingredients, I thought "yuck".  The next week I went to a party and she brought this dip... DELICIOUS!!!

So trust me...it's a good one...and EASY!

Roasted Corn Dip

3 cans shoepeg (white) corn ( about 10-12 oz size)

8 oz. cream cheese (I tried making it with light and it didn't taste as good-just use regular cream cheese)

1/2 stick butter or margarine

1/4 cup chopped jalapenos (can use more-mild to hot-all depends on your taste)

Drain corn and place in a baking dish.  Mix in chopped jalapenos.  Cut up cream cheese and butter and place on top of corn mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Corn will be roasted and cream cheese and butter will be melted.  Remove from oven and stir it all together.  (You could then put it in a decorative dish for serving if you want) Serve with Fritos Scoops.  This stays good even when it gets cold, but you could microwave to re-heat.

So easy!  I'll be making this for the 4th of July cookout...let me know if you try it!

EDIT: this is shoepeg corn...

just another reason...

My son went fishing with his friends and found this tiny turtle shell and brought it home for me.  In his pocket.  Like he used to do when he was little.  He was always the boy with pockets full of rocks and bottlecaps and things found along the way.  He would always bring me treasures like birds nests and feathers and shells.  He knows how much I like those things.  Just another reason why I love this boy so much...

not again...

Her: Mom you are NOT taking pictures of hydrangeas again are you?

ME: (bending over with my camera in my hand) ummm, maybe, why?

Her:Mom you've already blogged about Hydrangeas

ME: Well I've never blogged about this English chintz pitcher I bought at the Garage sale for $2.00.  Could be my best deal EVER.

Her: Can't you take a picture without the Hydrangeas?

ME: No, there's a chip in the top...why do you think I got it for $2.00...and since when are you the "blog police"?

Her: I'm just saying you could use another flower

ME: No, this pitcher was MADE for Hydrangeas...

You see we don't always agree, my daughter and I, but I think YOU will agree, that $2.00 was a deal!

out-crafted...

Elizabeth and I have been playing in the studio the past few nights, while Mr. Popular hangs out with his friends.  She puts her enormously eclectic music collection on shuffle and one minute we're listening to Earth, Wind & Fire, and the next minute I'm saying...what is this, and what language are they "singing" in?  Anyway...it's been fun.  So last night she wanted to decorate some old bottles she collected years ago.  We pulled out lots of things to embellish with, and this is her creation.  I was so out-crafted by my daughter!    She cut an old letter into shreds and used a chopstick to stuff it in the bottle and make a nest.  She found 3 tiny rocks and painted them blue to make the eggs... 

She rubber stamped a frame onto another piece of the old letter and cut it out and added a bird image. She glued it onto the front of the bottle and added a piece of seam binding.   The hand dyed silk ribbon at the top was the final addition.   I don't even want to show you what I made because it is so ordinary by comparison!

Tonight she is making one with an Alice in Wonderland theme...her excitement and creativity is so inspiring to me...I wish every night could be a craft night!

cupcake stand...

Here's a super quick project for you...I've had this little cloche for a few years now, and it is the perfect size for one cupcake, but I never could find a little stand to put it on.  At the flea market on Friday, Elizabeth and I were rummaging the $1.00 tables and found two of these pink pressed glass depression dishes in a soft shade of pink...

We also found a pair of glass candlesticks for $1.00.  We brought them home and washed them and used some clear china glue to glue the candlestick to the bottom of the dish.

This took a total of 30 seconds!  I had hoped to have the perfect cupcake to photograph, but I've been fighting a migraine for 2 days now, so the baking will have to wait.  Now all I can think of is turning all my plates into cake stands...

at the flea...

It was a nice day at the flea market today...the CHIPPY girls had some amazing things going on in their booth, as usual... today the babies had bodies, but no arms...

silver with pearls, a classic...

silver with dominos, fun loving...

baskets of croquet balls...

decorated bottles under a cloche...brilliant...

a close up...

vintage fun and games...

and some repurposed jewels...

...these girls have talent!