Why I Like Fall best

There are so many reasons why Autumn is my favorite. 

 I'm sure I'm not the only one and definitely not the only one that's posting about it right now!  But I'm sharing anyway because that's what on my mind!  One of my reasons is because the weather gets cooler, although it's been pretty chilly here in the mornings already.  It has rained almost everyday this month and a lot in July.  It's overcast and even foggy this morning.  I see people walking in the park with hoods on, it's chilly! Not complaining, just saying. 

(The leaves on this 40 year old American Elm are getting lighter...)

 My others reasons include the flavors - Apple Pies and Pumpkin everything.  The smells, homemade soup in the crockpot, the already mentioned apple pies and pumpkin spice and new crayons.  You know what I'm talking about.  The beautiful sights of the trees turning.   Are you feeling it yet?

(This is from couple of years ago ... a trail in Vail, Co)

I love all of these things but my number one reason why Fall is my favorite - is the getting back to routines, school schedules and the to do lists that get done.   We are so excited to be freed from most of that for the summer months, and yet we so look forward to settling back into those routines come late summer.  Getting back to business if you will.  If even just for a short time because once the holidays come around it kind of throws us off anyway.

I used to think it was the colors, the weather, the flavors, but as I've gotten older I realize it is the need for stability in my life.  For schedulng, for alarm clocks (dare I say), for days of just getting things done!  It's also reality check time for me.  Getting back to budgeting, to exercise routines, to watching what I'm eating, to working - LOL. 

 It's not all boring and business though, I have a Fall Bucket List, full of fun things (to me anyway.)  You can have a copy of mine or make one for yourself.  I'm also sharing a recipe for Apple Betty that was given to me by a dear friend long ago.  It will fill your kitchen with some wonderful smells and get you right in the mood to change up your decor!     Enjoy the attached and more than ever, enjoy your fall season!

Fall Bucket List and Apple Betty Recipe

Vintage Sewing Basket

You know what I love?  I love finding vintage sewing baskets at sales.  Especially when the price is so low!  

Like this one!  There it was sitting in a room with odds and ends on the floor.  All the furniture had already been bought and removed.   I guessed this must of been on a shelf and the movers didn't know what to make of it so they just set it on the floor next to the extra curtains and bedding.  I snatched it up and continued on my search through the rest of the sale.   I couldn't wait to bring it home and open it up!   I have to maintain my excitement at these sales.  I don't want people to "up" the price because they think I've found gold or something!  

 How beautifully made this one is.  It is covered with a quilted oil cloth like fabric.  The color is still bright and not faded like most things this age.   It must of been kept in a closet or cabinet out of the sun rays.  

How excited I was to open it.  I knew something was in it the moment I picked it up and that just adds to the  "treasure hunt".   Just look at the old wooden spools and other spools of thread.  The buttons, oh I love old buttons! Some of them never used and some came from garments with the threads still attached.  There are needles in their original packaging and various other sewing notions.   

Tucked away in a side pocket I found this old drug store prescription box.  What fun.  The date on it is 7/3/47!  It is nearly 70 years old!  I just love finding this stuff.  

Inside it was safely housing some old upholstery tacks.   And the note on the inside cover - priceless. Can you enlarge it to read?  If not, here is what it says:  "We have these boxes hinged so that covers of different Boxes cannot become interchanged and the wrong directions applied.  Every possibility of error is guarded against in our Prescription Department."   The "hinge" is still intact.   Thank God for modern medicines and the bottles we now have that are even child proofed.   

Love these old buttons.  I don't know yet what I'm going to do with them, or with the wooden spools.  It seemed this sewing basket was carefully taken care of and I almost don't want to separate any of it.

I don't know a whole lot about this sweet little sewing basket, but the bottom has this label that says Kerk Guild inc., Artists in Accessories.   I've looked (googled) it and found very few similar.  I think it is from somewhere in the 40's to 60's, based on the prescription box inside, the other contents and the similars that I've found online.  Doesn't matter though, because for now it sits on a shelf in my room, looking pretty, waiting for me to decide what to do with it, before it gets sold again in my own Estate Sale!   

Letters to My Girls

I know, I talk to you all the time, but I wanted to put some things in writing so you would always have it.   And who knows, maybe someday you’ll share these “words of wisdom” with your own girls.  Hah! I think I’ve got it don’t I?   All of this “wisdom.”   I don’t really think I’ve got it,  I just know this, God gives all wisdom if you ask for it.  Sometimes even if you don’t, he gives it.  Like He thinks “poor thing, she needs some wisdom”   So He gives it freely and without ever taking it back.   So Ask Him – before you stumble along in life – ask Him.  He’ll give it.   And then ask for understanding.   Because you can have all kinds of Wisdom, Smarts, Education, Know How’s, whatever you want to call it, but if you don’t understand how to apply it, then what good is it?  Read it in your Bible – Proverbs 2:1 – 15 

I hope you’ll indulge me, and read my words, and comment if you want.  You know how I love to read comments.    There is so much I want to tell you.  Things that I’ve just had learn.  And when you read some of it you’ll be like – uh, that’s just common sense.  There’s no “wisdom” in that.  Which may be true, it’s just that sometimes we need to be reminded.    Like with this simple thing: Taking Care of Yourself.   Seriously.  We get so caught up in the lives of our children, husband, moms & dads, siblings, friends, and others that we forget.  We seriously forget, or put off, taking care of ourselves.  How do I know?  In the words of yesterday – been there, done that! 

 

What I want to say is TAKE CARE of you.  It’s like putting on your oxygen mask first, and then you can take care of others.  How you ask?  Simple:  Take showers.  Wash your hair.  Wash your face.  Floss and brush your teeth.   Wear makeup and do your hair.   Do it for you.   Use the “special” lotion.  Put away your sweat pants – unless you are planning on exercising – and you should! (I’ll talk about that later – in another post)  Take down your “messy bun” and get it together.   You will be so pleased when you look in the mirror instead of being frightened!  Your kids will be all like “where are you going mom?”  Your honey will be happy to see his beautiful wife, and he’ll up his own game too!  Watch him! 

And hey, when you have to go the supermarket for something you’ll look good, classy even.  Nice.  Hot – dare I say?   It isn’t about what other people think though.  It’s about how it makes you feel.  Have you ever seen Wonder Woman without makeup?  If you look good, you feel good and it shows.    I remember a time when I was running into work at the last minute, without makeup, wearing a blouse that I didn’t have time to iron and I just had the worst day!   My productivity was low, my mood was somber, and I hoped that all of my appointments would just not show up.   But they all did.  And they were teens with disabilities and every one of them asked me if I was feeling okay.   After that I kept a makeup bag in my desk – just in case.   It’s that important.   Fast forward to being home and wanting my home based business to grow, God had to remind me of the “extra makeup bag” in my drawer.   While I didn’t have those kind of appointments, I did have a schedule to keep and places to go.  I was only accountable to myself so it was easy to not get dressed and work at the computer in PJ’s all day.  But I didn’t feel my best so I couldn’t give my best.  Does it make sense?  No matter if its appointments to keep, people to see, places to go, Give your best to yourself.   You deserve it.   It doesn’t have to be expensive or fancy,  just clean and neat and together.   Look in the mirror – you’ll be glad you did.    

~ Until next time

Ready, Set, GO!

Several years ago I got on a roll and was so excited to put together a craft room/office.   

This was my space.  I loved it.  You all know what it's like to have your spot. 

I was busy creating, blogging, tinkering. 

Then life happened and I had to move out of my space to make room for beloved family members.

My "stuff" was boxed up and moved to the garage with a promise that it wouldn't be long.

That was 3 years ago!  

Now, I am standing at the ready to move back in to this spot, set to get back into the grove of creating, blogging and tinkering.

And GO! It's time to open up those boxes and put this space back together!  

Will it look like this again?  Probably not, it'll be new and fun and I can't wait to share the updates with you all.  

I am so excited to be joining, for the first time, 

Karen from My Desert Cottage,  She is hosting

'Where Bloggers Create'  and has been for 8 years now.  I've admired many creative spaces through her party. 

Last fall I had Karen help me with my blog and she invited me to join.  I remember feeling like I couldn't because I didn't have a "where bloggers create" space.  I've been using my dining room table and heaven knows no one wants to see that!  So I hope you don't mind that I shared a what used to be with hopes of what will soon be!  

Antique Mall

Yes, It's been a little while since I shared pictures of my rented space at American Classics Marketplace here in Colorado Springs. I'm so glad you asked me to share! Hehe. Here are pictures of some of the "smalls" that I sell.    

This summer I tried something new (to me) by adding fresh lavender.  I've provided pre-labelled bags and customers are invited to fill up a bag.   Once they start scooping it up the fragrance is released and it is so yummy!   And yes, they are doing it!  I've already had to bring in more bags.  

I've also been selling off my collection of Romantic Homes, Tea Time and Victoria Magazines!  I didn't think they would sell but they do!   

What you would usually find at Mon Petite Chou Chou are tea cups, tea pots, china and all other manner of tea party accessories!  

Plus other vintage wares - including kitchen scales, red handled tools, soup tureens (I've sold a lot of soup tureens this past year.) 

I am attracted to all things romantic, shabby, lacy, white and feminine.  Can you tell?   I sell what I like, (because if it doesn't sell I'd eventually have to bring it home!) but luckily for me there are buyers out there that share in my passions!  

This past week I was tickled while watching a local television station and this ad for the American Classics Marketplace came across the screen.  There are over 350 rented spaces in this store and mine was used in the commercial!  How cool is that?   If you are ever here in this beautiful city please do stop by.  There is something for every taste in this huge warehouse.  I'm near the front and if you asked for Jo T's booth they will point you in the right direction!  

I am joining these lovely parties this week:   

Share Your Cup Thursday, Let's Talk Vintage, Shabbilicious Friday  

Finding Treasures - In my own stash!

What fun it has been for me to dig in to some boxes that have been in the garage for a couple of years.  I posted about my new/old craft room a couple of posts back.   It has been a lot of work but I am enjoying it.   I am finding treasures that had been forgotten about, like this beautiful lace found in a hatbox!  Silly me thinking all the hatboxes had hats in them.    

I have more lace than I thought, and I admit that I did continue to buy lace as I found it while out treasure hunting.   I would justify my purchase with "I will use it someday, for something."  I just couldn't bear to leave it on the shelf at the thrift store. Bags of it.  This is why I have purposely avoided garage sales, estate sales, thrift stores, for this month anyway! (It's almost over ... I'll rethink the whole avoidance thing in August!)

And apparently I'm not the only one enjoying the treasures to be had in my own garage. Mon deux petits chou chou (pronounced Shoe Shoe) are having fun with the hats and boas that were found in another hatbox!   Looks like it may be time to take a tea break with these two.  They look ready for a party don't they?   Speaking of parties, I am joining these lovely parties this week:   

Share Your Cup Thursday, and with Shabbilicious Friday  

Why I QUIT Pinterest (almost)

Have you ever walked into someone’s house and didn’t know how to act because it was spotless?   A house that was perfectly decorated and everything had a place.  And if you had kids with you, forget it.  The nervousness of the whole thing just made you so uncomfortable you couldn’t enjoy yourself.   You look over at your kids with an "evil eye" and mouth the words Don’T.  Touch. AnythinG.  

 I prefer to visit with people whose homes are a little “lived in.”  A little dust here and there, a few things out of order, you know.  Some place that feels like home.  (Except the kitchen.  I like very clean kitchens and bathrooms.  Those two areas can be spotless, I’m good with that. ) 

Have you ever spent hours in awe of all those posts on Pinterest, or Instagram, or blogs, or magazines and felt like your life just wasn’t “picture” perfect?   After re-pinning everything that you would love to have in your Pinterest inspired life, you turned from your screen with blood shot eyes and ended up horrified at the reality around you?   Nothing physically close to you was “Pinterest worthy”  

That’s was me.  Both accounts.  There are people in our life’s who have these kinds of “Pinterest worthy” homes.   We used to call them Better Homes and Gardens.   Nothing wrong with it, but for most of us, it just isn’t real.   We are real.  We have lives, we have kids, grandkids, pets, jobs, errands to run and no, we don’t have a cleaning crew (At least not a paid, professional one anyway!)

We spend way too much time on Pinterest, pinning everything down onto our very own dream board.   All the decorating ideas, the recipes, the crafts, the exercises, the DIY’s and tutorials.  We see the possibility of peace and tranquility “if only ours could look like that.”   The trouble is we don’t have the time, the energy or the money to accomplish all of these wishes.   So what do we do?  We search for ways on Pinterest to manage our time only to end up creating new boards… time management board, how to make more money board and how to have more energy board. 

It all has to stop.   We just get into this endless cycle of ohhing and awing and pinning and wanting but not doing.   Because every pin is a picture of the perfect outcome and perfection scares us a little.   We can’t even try because we know it won’t look like the picture.   It was this realization that made me decide that I was going to stop looking at Pinterest, and stop looking at my fave magazines , Tea Time and Romantic Homes because I was just setting myself up.   In all reality that lasted just a couple of hours, well maybe a day. 

It dawned on me that what I’m not seeing is the trial and error before the perfect outcome.   The “what was happening before” the Pinterest worthy picture.   That I needed to “widen the lens” on my camera and realize that there was so much going on behind the scenes of those pictures.    Please realize that most of the pictures are staged.  I know, I’ve done it for this blog.  Ya, I’ve moved furniture and set up tea for the sake of the blog photos.   I bet you have too, maybe not “set up tea” but you know what I mean.  

This is a set up Tea party - complete with family in the background - waiting to partake of the goodies!

 Really knowing these things has given me a little peace and helped me let go of some of my own thoughts of perfectionism.   That it’s okay to have a dream board…dreams are what we turn into goals.   And the next time I’m invited to That Friend’s house, I will warn the kids ahead of time and when I go in I will compliment her and ask her how she does it?  How she keeps it all together?   I will relax and enjoy the fact that she thought enough of me to want me and my motley crew to come over and spend some time.  And I will imagine that she has a couple of OMG closets and that everything was staged for our benefit and enjoyment.  
(Note: this post contains affliate links)

Vintage "button" tin

Do you ever look through the tins at estate sales?  Especially when they seem out of place, like this random toffee and chocolates tin that was left in the "craft/sewing" area of the sale.  Instinctively, I knew what was in it.   I slightly shook the box and could hear the familiar sound of buttons rattling around.   My mom kept all of her loose buttons in a similar tin.  I remember I would go through her button tin while she was at her sewing machine.  I would try to find matches and lay them out.   Occasionally she would ask me to find a blue button, or a red one, something about "this big" she gestured with her fingers.  Did she really need it?  I don't know, but I loved being a part of whatever it was she was making so I happily dug through old the buttons hoping to find the "one."   

These old tins are really little treasure boxes.  I have found old coins and jewelry among the buttons.  I've also found dead bugs.  Ewww, I know.   There were times when I would dump moms button tin on to the carpeted floor and then scoop them back in again.  I'm sure I picked up more then buttons when I did that.  I imagine this is how most of the "yuck" I've found in these old tins gets in there.  

These vintage "button" tins are probably a thing of the past.  I don't hear of many modern day users.  I have mine, but I also have buttons in mason jars and other containers.  I'm very happy to find these at sales and such.  They are a treasure to me!  What about you?  Where do keep your buttons?  

I'm sharing my button tin with Share Your Cup Thursday, and with Shabbilicious Friday

Garland Tutorial

Welcome to my first Tutorial!  I hope you find this project as fun and easy as it is!

I picked up the wood Valentine heart cutouts and the bakers twine at Hobby Lobby.  The Scrap book paper I had in my "stash" (truth be told I probably got it from Hobby Lobby too)

I used one of each size heart as a template.   On plain paper you could just trace your hearts on the back and get cutting.  I cut out 6 of each. 

On printed paper, like this beautiful toile, you should could "fussy" cut so each heart has a good picture. 

I used a gray fleur de lis for the larger hearts. 

Next I used regular ol' Elmers glue on the heart.  Not too much because you don't want it to wrinkle your paper heart, but enough so it sticks all the way around. 

After placing the heart down on the glue I gently rubbed across the heart with a popsicle stick to get the glue all the way to the edges.  

Here are some hearts that are dried and ready to be attached. 

Next take your twine, or ribbon, (I changed my mind and used ribbon for this because I thought it matched the paper better) and cut about 72 inches.  You could make yours longer or shorter depending on you preference.  This length allowed for two inches between hearts and about 18 inches on either side for hanging.  

I started 18 inches in with the first heart.   I marked my heart 

with a small pencil mark and then laid the ribbon on top.   I then put a generous amount of glue and placed the small heart on top.

Using small clamps, I clamped the two hearts together so they could dry in place.   I roughly measured 2 inches from the large heart and glued the next one in place.  I placed 6 sets of hearts on my garland. 

I'm so glad a did a "fussy" cut with this Toile scrapbook paper.  It's perfect for Valentine's Day!

I hope you enjoyed this simple garland tutorial. 

Post a picture if you make one - I'd love to see it!