Easter Chalkboard and Decorations

On Saturday night I decided to try my hand at some chalkboard art on the large chalkboard I have hanging in my kitchen.  I also wanted to show all the Easter Decorations I have around this year.  I can't believe Easter is upon us.  Wasn't it just Christmas?   But I love this time of year and where I live we are experiencing spring in full force.  This week temps will be in the high 70's and low 80's for Easter.  I LOVE SPRING!

this ceramic egg came to me from Valerie Kraft of glittery daze and nights

This delightful wooden plate came to me from Kristen of signsandsalvage.blogspot.com

Lots of my little decorations either were given to me or I found out thrifting.

More signs given to me by signs and salvage

After all the vintage porcelain bunnies, chicks, colored eggs, baskets, chocolate and treats, "He is Risen" is the reason we all celebrate the wonderful Holiday that is Easter!  

Spring is here!

I am looking out the window of my Craft Studio, and I see that the leaves are all back on the cottonwood trees.  The fields are greening up and buds and small leaves are on my fig tree too.  I know that spring is here when in the middle of March in my community, the Rotary Club hosts a grand event.  It is called the Valley Wide Yard Sale.  This year there was around 45 to attend on Friday and Saturday.  I did find some wonderful treasures, but I think I am most excited about finding an old dress form, and a small cabinet which I will post later, with the before and after photos, as I am going to redo both of them.  But I thought I would like to show you the rest of my finds from the two days. . . . . . . .   ENJOY

I love to be able to look at something lying there and imagine it as something else.  This wooden tray will become a shabby chalkboard, as much as I like Monet, this image will have to go!

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I love this antique frame that I got for $1.00 because it has a small chip in the corner.  woo hoo!

 More frames and a hook with porcelain knobs

 I can never reseist porcelain bunnies, especially around Easter time.

 I have a collection of white pitchers.  I spotted these and had to have them. . . . .

 A handful of chandelier chrystals    Love these!

An assortment of old bottles and silverware.  I can repurpose all of it!

 These sweet vintage women's gloves are darling on.  They were a $1.00

 Some sweet little bottle brush trees

A wooden carving to go on the cabinet I am redoing.  Hope it fits.  This was .50 cents.

One home was selling everything, inside and out and most of it is vintage or antique.  People were carrying out dressers and tables.  My daughter found a sweet corner desk that she will redo.  This is where I found the dress form. We had to dig through lots of drawers and piles, and that is how I found all of this. . . . . . .

 An assortment of trims and laces, some are old, and some not.  Velvet brown ribbon, and a vintage crochet collar.

 I can't resist trims and lace.  Below is a true vintage trim and I think it needs to find its way to an apron.

I can't wait to find the time to get to my dress form and cabinet.  I have big shabby plans for both of them.

Recent Thrift store finds

 I found some interesting things at a large thrift store last weekend in St. George, Utah.  When I shop at thrift stores, I look for items that can be turned into something updated or shabby.  But sometimes I like things just the way they are.  This wonderful mercury glass jar jumped out at me and I sure had to have it.  It was $2.00.

 Then I saw this really awesome milk glass vase.  Loving this art-deco style.

 I can never resist an apothecary jar of any size!

 I will turn these into some shabby wonderfulness!
 All of these will become chalk boards!

 I could not believe this little gem for a couple of dollars

A frame that can be beautiful. . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .a vintage butter dish. I can never have two many of these.
This weekend is our annual Valley wide yard sales.  The weather here will be in the upper 80's and so we are excited to attend the approx. 45 yard sales.  Wish me luck on finding some amazing things!

Looking for Spring

It is getting quite spring-like out where I live, in the desert southwest, but on Friday and Saturday we had a big storm come through and it was raining and colder.  On Sunday morning I got up and it was sunny and the weather predicted 70 degrees.  I thought I am tired of going to church in dark winter colors, so I pulled out a new chiffon top that I made one day a few weeks ago, when I was in the mood to create something new at my sewing machine.  I took one of my favorite tops and used it for a pattern.  I love the way it fits and did not have a pattern I particularly liked for that bordered fabric, so just made a pattern from the other shirt.  I was not sure how it would turn out, but I was pleased when I got finished.  

It is very springy and oh so feminine.  I received the lovely vintage brooch in the mail for a swap in February from my good friend Laurie Jackson of indulgeyourshelf.blogspot.com and it sure seemed to go with it well.  I felt kind of cute at church, and got many compliments on it.  I also sewed vintage buttons on the front in the middle of the ruffles. With the brooch and the buttons, I will have to call this my vintage top!

I had a dear friend to lunch the other day and she brought me this beautiful necklace in this sweet little box. We exchange belated birthday gifts as her birthday is the day before mine in February.  Thankyou to Tracy.  I love it! It sure looked nice with the brooch from Laurie and was just right for the new top. 

 I love the silhouettes I have been given.  This one was for my birthday too, and others have been found out thrift shops or given to me also.

Also the other day I got to looking at the Silhouette that I also got for my birthday, and took pictures of others I had.  I love the spring backgrounds behind the glass.  I have 4 domed glass silhouettes, and I know they are vintage, but can anyone tell me when they were popular? 

These two will be put into frames, just as soon as I find some.  Or I might even list them on Etsy!

This one came from an antique shop just by itself and I pasted it to a card.  It is from Germany.  

I wish I knew the art of cutting such fine little silhouettes. 

For my Birthday

My Birthday month is February, and the date is the 13th, but I am just now getting to posting all about my birthday.  I decided that I wanted to drive an hour away into Utah and shop and visit with my daughter and her family. She took me out to eat, and got out of the house by herself.  We went to one of my favorite places to eat in Utah that is called . . . . . . . . .

and I had my favorite sandwich in the world which has so much sentimental value, because it was my Mother's favorite too and whenever I would visit her, we would just have to have one of these "Turkey Bacon and Avocado on Foccacia bread.  The amazing thing about this sandwich is the bakery bread and the fact that the turkey is not deli turkey, it is pieces of roasted Turkey.  One of the yummiest sandwiches ever!

then after we ate this, we had what is know as a Chocolate Dome.  Hey, it was my birthday and it was also the day before Valentine's Day.  I even bought one for my sweetheart the next night when I would cook a lovely candlelight dinner for him.  

For my birthday my daughter gave me some vintage finds. . . . . . .

 A lovely Milk glass vase

 Three cool vintage knives that I think were Army issued. ??

 My friend Camille brought me some wonderful things in a beautiful gift bag.  She always gives me just the right gift for the moment.

 I love the glitter and French look of this basket.

 and Camille also brought this beautiful porcelain bird, which happens to be in my new favorite color.

 This was my present to myself, because I have a white pitcher collection.  Love those white pitchers.

 My Mother-in-law sent me this great "Brighton" Necklace.  I love love the amethyst stone for February! I just love Brighton Jewelry!

And Pam White put some birthday surprises in with my Candy box swap package.  Thanks to Pam  I love it all!

I have used this little handbag many times since I got it from Pam White.  I love the crown on it lots!

My oldest daughter and her family made my birthday extra special.  

But my most favorite gift came from my sweet beautiful 10 year old granddaughter  (far right) that she made herself

and wrote a sweet note to me.  I will treasure this little journal always.  

It is from Breya Michele

Love this little girl and love her misspelling too.  This is precious to me.