Indulge Your Shelf

Happy Easter! I'm re-running this post from Easter 2009 -- when we had an impromptu snow storm on Easter morn.  I hope that you enjoy it! The fact that we live at the foot of Pikes Peak makes our weather very extreme and quite unpredictable at times. I used a technique I'd learned in a poetry class I took recently where you juxtapose the order of words. I think it makes the poetry a bit lighter and playful. What do you think? So We Decided to Love our Peak by Laurie Jackson The mountain made the sky forget it’s April, and Easter, a day for sun Down snowflakes dropped, thick and wet, as up we woke, prepared for fun “Oh no – snow!” we out loud moaned our yesterday memories clear and bright We grumpy groused and crabby groaned that the weather could change over so night Mother smiled – she wasn’t worried She had, of course, a plan in mind So down we piped and up she hurried To indoor hide hunt eggs to find ...

Picking is such a hard habit to break.  I go out less often now, but I still can't seem to stay away COMPLETELY. I haven't had time to antique or thrift shop this week, but here are a few more things I bought the last time I was out: I don't know why I wanted this so badly, but I did, so there it is.  It's a metal set of coasters and their lyre-shaped holder in that pretty blue. I love the patina! Of course there was the requisite bag of ephemera; this picture of two little ones by a birthday cake sold me!  At first I thought they were twins, but now I'm thinking close siblings. The bag came with all of this, too... I really loved this card with its silk ribbon embellishment. It kind of matches this little half-doll pin cushion.  Now, the tiny red pillow on the right was another antique store find; I called it the bargain of the day at 75 cents.  I think the stamped motif pin in the middle was worth all that and more.  But I found the p...

I've been seeing lots of Easter-themed decor on blogs lately.  Alas, I'm not doing much this year and am in fact feeling woefully un-decorated. In years past I did some fun decorating:  here's a bunny I stitched about 20 years ago from an antique quilt square my all-time favorite Easter display, using marshmallow bunnies, Easter grass, and plastic eggs in a trifle dish I don't mind "wasting" the candy -- I couldn't eat a store-bought marshmallow peep or bunny (or any shape) if my life depended upon it!  a vintage crepe paper egg  this was the letter "I" of my "SING" banner last year ; it's rather Easter-y a bunny faux confection made by LuLu Kellogg and the chick I made for her, pulling its egg cart (made from a vintage novelty salt and pepper shaker set) a paper Easter wall hanging, made from vintage crepe and wall paper ...and a little bird with a vintage blossom in its beak. Hm.  Okay.  I...

You know how estate sales will usually let unsold items go for 50% off on the last day?  I don't typically go back to get such items, but I made an exception last week to buy this: a lovely original watercolor of a cathedral in Mexico (I think it's the one in Mexico City.)  It was painted in 1984 by an artist whose signature looks like "J. Hannhauser" or "Hornhausen" or something like that -- but I still need to research him/her.  Can anyone recommend a good art information site, paid or unpaid, that you have used? I love the colors; at first glance, I thought it was a Parisian scene. Another thrifty find -- this one purchased from my friend Kathy; it's a lovely wood and wicker basket with a nice, flat base for displaying pretty things.  On it, above, a very cute bird pick that came with the basket. I've been playing with other things to display on it, like Peter Rabbit pretties... and this English stainless steel coffee set that is in...

As we are about to embark on our two week Spring Break, my son said on the way to school this morning, "That gopher thing was wrong." He was referring, of course, to  the groundhog ; around here, we've had cold weather and are expecting snow for the next few days. These flowers Dennis came home with yesterday are reminding me there is a fresh, pastel-colored season in sight. As is this gorgeous necklace that came in the mail from my sweet friend, Angela! It's her original design and made from amethyst and glass, with a peacock theme.   It is so lovely!   Angela is building a website of the jewelry she designs and makes with her mother -- you can see/shop for some of her beautiful things here . In other creative news: I recently joined Jeanne Oliver's Creative Community ; it's a place to connect and enjoy some of her free online art and business videos; then, if you like you can sign up for one or more of her e-courses.  The one I'm doing i...

Isn't it funny how sometimes when you're picking/shopping, you come across a bunch of items in the same color palette? The other day I had to bring home this beautiful 1950s Quiltex baby blanket in soft blues and pinks because it was only 50 cents and was in such great condition (no thread pulls!); at the same shop I found a coordinating metal tin and a roll of tulle.  They look so pretty arranged together! I was estate sale-ing last week and picked up these first day envelopes among someone's stamp collection.  There were boxfuls so I just chose those that struck my ephemera-loving fancy;  I also came across this great vintage Georges Briard hot plate. It's called a "Hot Butler" and this one is mid century modern-dreamy from its gilded bird motif to its teak handles.   It's now in my shop . I recently sold those fabulous Briard Grand Opera cocktail napkins, too.  I love anything he did, but this design was especially fabulous! Before we...