Magpie Ethel

Rain Bonnets and Etsy

A few weeks ago a friend of mine Mo, from Lime Gardenias did a post on some rain-bonnets she had found.  I left a comment on her blog with my little rain-bonnet story.....

On my son's third birthday we were having a family party and I was headed out to pick up pizza.  It was POURING down rain.  My elderly grandmother suggested I borrow her plastic rain-bonnet to preserve my "doo".  When I returned with pizzas in hand I was wearing the rain-bonnet.  Ben took one look at me as I walked in the door and doubled over in a fit of laughter.  It was the kind of laugh that kids have when they are absolutely amused by something and laugh, and laugh and laugh.  Pure, childlike laughter.  I will never wear a little old lady rain-bonnet again. Ever.

Anyhow Mo was nice enough to send me a rain-bonnet to call my own (actually one in all 4 of the colors she purchased - they will not be worn, but will be displayed proudly).  She also sent along other goodies that soooo had my name on them.

Old prize ribbons, bump chenille in amazing colors, old baby shower invites, vintage paper raffia and a deck of Old Maid playing cards.  This little package so brought a smile to my day...thanks Mo!

I have also been busy out in the studio making a few goodies for Etsy...as May approaches I have been a bit inspired by Mother's Day.

Some flags created using newspaper from 1936 (brought home from a Kansas antique store...it was from a library archive and is nice and flat and yellowed with age).  I make these little flags for all sorts of occasions...they are sweet tucked in a plant, flying from a cupcake or decorating a bottle of wine.

A mother holding her child's hand (made with old spun heads and other vintage doo-dads.

A sweet little gal with a bonnet and her flower embellished handbag.  I love her old floral umbrella...I wanted a longer handle so I used a vintage yellow striped straw..perfect!

I am also nearing my 200th post!  I plan on a having a give away, so stay tuned.  Have a great day!

A Jar of Potential

I find them often at estate sales.  Empty jars. I found these three large jars last weekend at a sale for 25 cents each.

After a little TLC they will join an army of jars in my studio.

I usually run the jar thru the dishwasher to get it sparkly clean.  If the lids are not too spectacular they get the spray paint treatment.  These two are ready to be painted a pale yellow.  The third lid I kept as is - I liked the fact it said "king size" and had other peanut butter related verbiage.

Sometimes I add a old decal or two from my collection.  These oldies are soaked in water and then they slide from their paper backing.  I have found old decals to be a hit or miss when applying.  Sometimes they are a piece of cake and sometimes they will break into pieces or simply disintegrate. I don't have a tried and true method.

I like to use jars as storage as I can see what is in each one - they are basically jars of eye candy to me.  Dice, scrabble tiles, beads, old millinery fruit...they are so fun to fill up with my finds! (the two jars with yellow lids and duck and sunflower decals are my transformed finds)

The stack up super tidy in my corner cupboard.

Jars of sequins

  Jars of dominoes and snowman parts.

Until I did the post and really looked hard at my studio, I hadn't realized I had collected SOOOO many jars.

Give me an empty jar and you never know what goodies it will contain!

A Marriage Perk

When I married my husband almost 20 years ago (June 3rd anniversary) I also married into a very LARGE Italian family.  Lots of cousins nearby.  Lots of parties. One of my favorite perks of this family was Aunt Theo's lilac tree.

Every spring I watch for the tree to spring to life.  Actually it is not one tree but about 5 old established trees.  Aunt Theo believes the largest one to be about 95 years old.

These are amazing trees and produce and abundance of lilac blooms each spring (this photo is of two of them).  I go over with my loppers and cut gigantic bouquets.

Each tree seems to bear a different shade of purple as well as one tree that has white blossoms.  The smell is heavenly.

This was today's bounty.

One thing to remember about woody stems is to smash the end of the stem with a hammer.  This allows the water to be drawn up easier.  It is a good tip to remember.

I like to use a floral frog to insert the stems into.  This vase has a built in frog.  Sometimes I will ball up chicken wire to put into the vase, so the stems stay put better and look tidier.

Now I am ready to go scatter some arrangements around the house.  I love the spring color and that lovely scent through out the house.

Lilacs....a true sign of spring. .

Estate Sale Friday - I Left With a Smile

My estate sale Friday was actually Thursday this week as I headed out to a sale yesterday.  I was #4 to get in the sale.WAHOOO! I had signed up the day before at noon when the list went out.  It was one of the better sales that I had been to in quite awhile!

A whole table full of goodies to share with you.

11 packs of old playing cards with great graphics.  Mostly dogs and cats, but a horse and an elephant deck sprinkled in as well.  I use these in jewelry boxes that I make.

Two boxes of a game called "Game of Sentences" copyright 1940.  Basically little cards with a a phrase printed on it...you try and make sentences.  The colors of the cards are great and the aome of the phrases are quite peculiar.like:   The lazy alligator, Peter and Mae. A cross-eyed mosquito. A Two Year Old Donut. A foolish mermaid.

I do love Halloween. This old box has great graphics and I will display it during the holiday.  I also love the tiny Dennison stickers of the jack-o-lantern heads.  Really cool.

A couple of old Christmas boxes (great graphics) and a bunch of vintage stickers.

The sale had alot of old boxes with great pictures.  I either use them for display during the holidays or storage.  I found it quite peculiar that the two candy boxes I found still had all the original chocolate papers intact. 

When I eat a chocolate I take the paper as well...I've never left it in the box.  Even the original wax paper liner that covered all the chocolates was in the box.

Cardboard spools of old ribbons (to use for a base for my spun figures), some teeny-tiny brown paper bags and a box of chalk. (surprise, I have a chalk box collection)

Good Christmas finds.  Old bottle-brush wreaths, the really old heavy tinsel, cardboard bells with mercury glass garland, tiny ornaments and about 45 Christmas light reflectors.

Oh, and this adorable tiny tree (marked Japan on the bottom) There are mercury glass beads between each tree layer.  I haven't see one like this before.

The girl blowing the noisemaker on the cover of the Party book is adorable.  Also three award ribbons - will work them into a project later this week.

And last but not least this sweet little pin with the name "Ethel" on a mother of pearl back (which is cracked)  I may try and add the word "Magpie" to it somehow.  It seemed like a fitting last find of a very good sale.

Have a great weekend.

Kitchen Snippets

I just hung the box that I got last week and decided to show a few snippets of my favorite things in my kitchen.  We just reworked the kitchen last year and added new marble counter tops, sink, faucet, subway tile backsplash and dishwasher.  I repainted the cabinets as well (original to the house).  The kitchen is very vintage inspired...take a peek.

Here is the box I commissioned that I got last week.  I love how it fit into the look of my kitchen.  The little shelf to the left I got at an estate sale a couple of weeks ago - purchased with no plan in mind, and quickly put to good use.

This is my prize O'Keefe and Merritt vintage stove. It has been refurbished and really sets the tone for the kitchen.  My dad and Tom made the microwave cabinet (to my specs).  I also collect green metal - thus the old recipe boxes as well as my birthday candle collection (in the jar).  The floor is blue Pergo.  We had it installed a number of years ago and I still love it.

My spice shelf which is actually an old ironing board cabinet (ironing board removed and shelves inserted).  The spices are alphabetized and someday I hope to have them in pretty jars.

A shelf above a door holds estate sale finds of pottery and vases in various hues of greens.

Always fresh flowers on the windowsill.  Always.

I'm a sucker for old tins with great graphics - especially if they are green.

I am lucky to have a great built-in in the kitchen nook.

Collection of old swanky swig glasses.  I only collect the ones intended for children that have various animals.

I like old stuff in the original packaging.

Old tin plates and vintage metal floral curtain tie backs. The tie backs are basically just push pins with a floral decoration.  I like them scattered along the wall (and yes, they all leave a hole!)

 

More old green metal. This is our telephone stand/newspaper container.

Two old children's metal irons are attached to the wall.  I have hooks thru the handles so they can hold my kitchen towels.

Metal floral clips decorate the top of my curtain rod over my sink.  An old curtain tie back with a bird decoration sing me a morning hello.

A very battered green metal cabinet with original floral decals.  Old glass creamers are displayed on top.  I store cupcake papers and tea balls in the drawers - I have a small kitchen so I really utilize all the space I can.

Thanks for taking a peek..it is definitely a kitchen that makes me happy.

Estate Sale Friday and a Crazy Birthday Weekend

I will start this post with the finds from Friday's estate sale.  It was CRAZY crowded.  CRAZY CROWDED.  I was number 71 to get into the sale.  The line to check out was about 25 deep and when I left the sale (after about an hour inside) there were still about 40 people waiting to get in. 

The Loot: Christmas sheet music, 3 reindeer, 5 snowmen, tiny heart cupcake picks, mercury glass garland, Christmas ornaments, old St,Patty's day stickers (in original unopened package), 3 packs of old cards, St. Patty's day pipes and a couple of old metal looms (in a great green color).

I love finding old unused boxes of cards (burro with thank you message) as I like to include a note with my Etsy orders.  These cards totally fit in with the genre of what I do.  The object on the upper right corner I believe to be a really, really tiny flower frog with a suction bottom. Any other ideas?

After the estate sale I basically spent the rest of the weekend cleaning, shopping and prepping for a family birthday party for my son, Ben, who turned 17.  We had 29 guests so thank goodness the weather was warm enough to do the party outside.

Cake, cupcakes (with tiny lollipop flags) and I baked a marionberry pie too.

The backyard is almost ready for guests.

I used an old metal tub for drinks and had it on an outside table.  An old ironing board (with a great green metal stand) covered with a vintage table cloth gave us extra space for cups and glasses.

I always put these old gas station numbers out in the yard with the appropriate age.  It embarrasses the kids, but that is what moms do.

The happy birthday boy. (if you are sharp eyed reader you may notice the laundry basket that I used for gifts was picked up for free a few posts ago at an estate sale)

Great party, fun crowd, a lot of work...I need a day off.

Pure Springtime Happiness

The rainshowers are ending here and the sun is shining.  They are even predicting weather in the 70s this weekend.  In anticipation of the sunny weather, another batch of sunny flower gals has sprouted from my studio.

This little girl has a hat made out of an old thimble.

If you aren't having some sunny spring weather, I hope these little gals added a sunny smile to your day.  They will soon be sprouting up in my Etsy shop as well as these other silly prize ribbons.  They were inspired by my Farm Chicks badge.

 Happy Spring!

A Little Present for Me

There is a local artist, Jackie Hoyt, who makes the most amazing themed shadow boxes out of vintage finds.  I have admired her work for a long time and collected a few items for a box (thinking I might make one). After the holidays I commissioned a box from her and today it arrived.  I wanted a kitchen themed box and she worked some magic for me!

It is totally full of fun old kitchen stuff. My only suggestions were that I really liked jadeite green and old graphics.  I gave her a few old things (like the Mighty Midget box on the bottom) that I had collected.  The top is a working clock.  She replaced what would have been the clock face with a face from an old scale.

Below the yellow pushpin card (upper right corner) is an old red jar lid with a center opening.  I had given Jackie an old cookie sheet that my mother in law had given me (she had cooked on for 40 plus years).  It had a cool logo - Bake King - printed on the cookie sheet.  Jackie cut up the cookie sheet and framed that logo within the red jar lid opening - super cool!

The frame of the box is made from an old wood oil measuring stick for your underground oil tank (the numbered part)  She added decorative molding all along the outside and even fun details like this block behind the metal refrigerator logo on the top of the clock.

Tom will hang it in my kitchen later this week.  It is a big piece, about 10 inches wide and 45 inches tall.  I am so enamored with it...is so perfect in my vintage style kitchen.  So perfect!

Friday Finds and More

Weekend catch up in blogworld. There were not too many sales this weekend since it was a holiday weekend, but I did hit one of Friday.  ONE.  This was my meager haul

One yellow vase marked McCoy on bottom with minor chips, an old tiny green shelf, a cream colored shoe vase (for my collection of figural vases) and a small silver towel rack.  Simple finds that I will put to good use.

Next a peek inside the insanity of where I actually store all my holiday decorations.  As I was putting away Easter today I was struck by the sheer amount of holiday decor....altho somewhat neatly arranged. This is a rare view of my storage area/laundry room.  Thank goodness I still have MORE storage out in my garage!

And a quick hello to Lisa from A Thing for Roses.  Lisa and I and three other friends had lunch last week and then they came for a tour of my little house and studio.  She posted some photos of my house on her blog if you want a tour. Fun afternoon...lets do it again Lisa! 

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter and have a great week!

Easter Show and Tell and Another Good Trade

I just got my second Easter trade in the mail from Jenny at Everyday is a Holiday.  I love getting surprise trades in the mail and Jenny makes such fun stuff I knew It would be a happy Easter surprise.  I got this treat in the mail.

It is one of her plaques, all glittery and whimsical.  I love that she sent one with the spun cotton heads that I use in my crafts.  It fit perfectly in with my Easter display.  Thanks Jenny...I love it!

I thought I would also share a few more past estate sale Easter finds.  I found this old metal shabby little cart a few years ago.  It sat around my studio awhile until I decided to add a crepe paper ruffle to it that I sewed with vintage crepe paper.   

Also love this little chick and cart.  I walked into the backyard of a house last year and the whole yard was full of stuff..lots of stuff.  This was the first thing I picked up (and of course it had no price).  When I asked how much it was and they said $2...I knew it would be a good sale...and it was! This little find is adorable and in great shape to boot.

Napkins.  Silly old napkins still in the original cellophane (and thus a tiny photo glare) The easter bunnies paint pots are labeled with the different patterns he is painting - dots, stripes and checks. Those eggs that are already painted look very smug in their splendor!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter celebration.  Lots of chocolate bunnies, dyed eggs and family fun!!!