Magpie Ethel

Can I Make You Smile on Monday?

Nice swim cap huh?  A perfect addition to my collection!  This one is a vision of tulle like ruffles in a soft lavendar and white.

Renee from My Vintage Mending sent me a surprise package with goodies and the swim cap was included in it. She also included a note with this message about this wonderful swim cap.

"The swim cap belonged to an area socialite who's husband was a big whig in Washington.  Her home was a time piece of 50s house-wife perfection."

So happy to add this swim cap to my collection which now numbers ELEVEN.  I still have no beach house to dispaly the collection in...but still wishing.  Someday.

 

Mom Milestones

My kids are growing up and my nest will be empty next year.  I had a busy weekend with Kate having senior prom on Friday.

Hard to believe my little Kater-tot is 18 and will be heading off to college in the fall.

I spent Saturday with Ben at Oregon State University for Mom's Weekend. Ge is a sophomore there this year. (The lion statue is part one of his fraternity mascot and they get painted pink each Mom's day weekend.  This year the tuxedo was new)

Growing up. Spreading their wings.  Being a mom never ends.

I Have Been Spun

One thing I love about blogland is the friends that I have made. I have done trades with my friend Crystal and also made a wedding topper for her wedding this past summer.

When I got home from San Francisco I had an unexpected box waiting for me.

I had been spun.

That is my face!

I let out a huge shriek when I realized her little creation was me...and then I just laughed and laughed.

I love the striped pink stockings and other details. I am styling....

Being spun made my day..I feel like I have some sort of new super power!  Thanks Crystal!

Gray. A Good Read on a Gray Day.

It is a gray day here. We had snow earlier this week and it has been raining cats and dogs since then.  Lots and lots of rain with flooding in nearby areas.

I went to one estate sale last night and hit two moving sales today that advertised years of accumulation. I did not buy a thing. Proof that I don't hit the jackpot every weekend.

I have been spending these past few grey days reading this.

Amy wrapped this up and gave it to me for my birthday.  It weighs a ton. This is the spine of the binder. It gets better when you open it...she nailed me with this gift.

Better Homes and Gardens, Christmas Ideas.  1959-1952

I have had fun reading each of these holiday issues. I marked some of my favorite pages to share. 

I would love to run across these reindeer at an estate sale. They were carved from plastic foam and floated in the swimming pool. I love their pink attire...and look at the sleigh! (double click on the photo to enlarge).

Crazy!

Still on that pink theme. Look at the exterior of this house. The front doors are in the midst of that big pink tree.

Or how about some pixies and giant mushrooms to decorate the front yard?

This is a big display. The pixies look to be about three feet tall.

While I did get some good holiday crafting ideas there were some that I would definitely pass on.

No q-tip crafting for me.

This tree is made of wicker baskets and ball fringe.  Again, I will pass.

Lots of fun pages and a good chuckle here and there on an otherwise gray day.

Thank you Amy for this perfect gift. And thank you Nellie, for saving these magazines and tucking them away in an album for me to read 60 years later.

A ray of holiday sunshine on a gray day.

Party Check List

Kate asked if she could have a few friends over for a back to school tea party/white elephant.  I currently have 25 teen girls in my backyard sipping icy drinks (it is in the 90s today) and munching on cookies.

I do so many family birthday parties for big crowds (our usual size is about 25-30 - big Italian family) that over the years I have developed a routine that I follow. This is what I do when I don't have to cram everyone in my house and the weather is decent.

I use my existing wooden picnic table and pull out a couple of folding tables that I cover with table cloths.  I usually use vintage cloth floral ones, but this time I did not feel like washing them all after the party..so I resorted to vinyl.

This is the first year I used this vintage find.  It is vinyl and I love, love it!

Even the woman on the packaging it came with marvels at its beauty!

I pull out my cute colorful folding chairs from the attic. The hot pink chairs are an IKEA item and the green are an estate sale find.

I tuck a table for drinks back under the trees.

Drinks go in a bucket with ice next to the drink table (this shot is post party). Ice water in the big green container with spigot.

I use a vintage ironing board for serving in a narrow space.  This party it held the cookie bar (not home made...I was lazy and the temps are too hot). Drink table is beyond the cookie bar.

I also have a huge collection of vintage glass dishes for parties. These are the variety that were intended for snacks and not full meals.  Great for a cookie exchange or appetizers.  They come in a variety of sizes and shapes.  I have about 40 of them.  I am crazy.

I also got out my vintage punch cups for the girls to use.

I have a stash of silverware that is specifically for parties.  I did not use it today, but it is great to have on hand.

Most of my serving platters and such are vintage.  I got a great stash of plastic serving dishes a few years ago that resemble hobnail or pressed glass and are in awesome colors.

I always have fresh flowers.  Today I used vintage milk bottles and glass jars to hold the blooms.

Sticking to my tried and true methods and having an assortment of serving pieces on hands  makes throwing a party fairly easy. I stick to the same colors - green, pink, blues and yellows as I collect,so everything is mix and match . I do throw orange in occasionally too.

I can hear Kate and her friends laughing in the backyard...the party sounds like a success!

Castoffs

We have an older family friend who was cleaning out cupboards and such.  She knows I am crafty, but not exactly the TYPE of things that I make.  She called to see if I would be interested in some of her cast offs.  She mentioned ribbon (fine) and grapevine wreaths (no).  I was not expecting much to excite me when she dropped her cast offs at my house.

I was in for a treat!  Sure, I had a box of items that are destined for goodwill, but mixed in were some definite treasures.

Old jingle bells, candy canes and other holiday misc.

Sequins in original packaging.

I let out a SHRIEK when I saw the package of spun heads! I could not believe these were from her cupboards.

A package of vintage glass garland in PURPLE.  I have collected glass garland for years and have never seen it in this color...ever.

I was happy to see something as simple as an old gift tie ribbon in her things.

It is another one to add to my collection (she did not know I love these).

I am a sucker for the colors and the little foil wrapper.

Shriek number two came when I found some old Easter spun chicks and a bunny mixed in with some newer Easter crafting supplies.  There was even an empty bag that once held Easter grass (awesome graphics).  The chicks need a little TLC, but they have come to the right spot for that.

What welcome castoffs these turned out to be! Crossing my fingers for the cupboards that she mentioned she has yet to clean out!

Happy Day!

 

Estate Sale Friday. Thank Goodness For A Second Set of Hands

There was not much in estate sale land today, so I was happy to see a church sale listed.  I had been to this particular sale before and it was pretty good the last time.  I asked my mom to join me knowing that she is a good second set of hands for me and knows what I like. Between the two of us it was a good morning.

In sharing of my finds today I will indicate what my mother grabbed for me by listing the item with a "(M)" after it.  She knows me well.

A great vintage Bingo set, poker chips and tin molds (M).

A bunch of BIG pink honeycomb bells (M), a green Haegar vase, a floral metal trash can, some great old noisemakers (M), a cream vase and a wonderful vanity set.

I bought this box purely for the graphics to go in my science minded son's bedroom. He is away at college, but I still add to his room!

A wonderful light up Santa head in the original box for my collection.

My mom scored a couple of my favorite items today. Some vintage party favors that have Little Boy Blue and Little Miss Muffet (M).

Old Captain Kangaroo plates and napkins (M).

The cutest little birthday plate and napkin featuring darling calico animals (M).

My mom did pretty good with that second set of hands.  We hit a couple more sales and had lunch together.  It was a nice morning with her.  I enjoyed having that second set of hands, but I enjoyed her company more.

Happy Day.

Easter Etsy and A Giveaway

My stash of vintage chicks is all used up.  These are the last of them headed to Etsy on Monday, April 4th at 5:30 p.m. (pacific time).

A few spun heads and other goodies will be tagging along to Etsy as well.

On another note, in the world of Magpie Ethel I have been very blessed.  I have done over 600 blog posts and made lots of wonderful friends. My Etsy shop has done very well as well. Life is good.

It is time to have a little Easter themed giveaway. A pastel colored world of Easter fun will be headed your way.  Handcrafted goodies and some vintage ones as well.

A little bunny gal.

Ducks and chicks.

Cute vintage Easter paper items. You have heard me go on and on about graphics!

And of course there will be some surprise treats as well...surprises are good.

If you want to participate in this Easter giveaway, leave me a comment and tell me your favorite Easter candy.  I personally am a jelly bean gal. If you follow me on google you get a second chance (so sign up if you aren't a follower already). I will draw a name on Friday.

Good luck and happy day! 

 

Birthday Celebration

We celebrated Kate's 17th birthday this weekend.  I had 29 family members over for dinner and cake. I thought I would share her cake and the great Krispy Kreme donuts that I bought as well (thanks for the tip on the donuts Elizabeth!).

I am not an amazing baker, so my cakes are pretty simple.  I did a triple layer cake and made a cute little birthday flag.  With Kate's birthday falling so close to Halloween she always has some orange or black as part of her celebration.

Happy Birthday Kater-Tot!

 

Out Of The Nest

Today we dropped my oldest son Ben, off for his freshman year of college at Oregon State University.

I held it together pretty well when I said good-by.  My nest will not quite be the same anymore.

It is time for Ben to spread his wings and start that next stage of life, but oh, how I will miss that kid.