Happy Birthday to me...

Yesterday was my birthday-(40)!!! and this is a card my daughter made.

Some presents...


This is a handmade wreath my good friend made - neat huh? And matches my front door!

She also gave me some book darts that she'd seen me drooling over 8 months ago!



And this is an awesome necklace from the "in-laws" Kay and Bud.

I got some money from my Mom and I still have to get something - don't know what??

We are going out tomorrow afternoon for shopping and dinner and maybe a movie!

Then I will forget that this ever happened....

Christmas Postcards

Some altered postcards for Christmas...



I've also got some vintage ornaments on my ebay site and blogger wont let me load the picture ..UGH!

Christmas Circles

Another swap! This is for 9 christmas circles the same size as a CD. I looked up everyone and tried to personalize it instead of just making all 9 the same.


This the cutting out part..


Then paper on the backs,



the fronts,



After embellishing them...



And the backs - you can leave the back blank, but I have to put my name on there and I like the one object on each back.

The pink and blue one is for a woman that likes those colors and shabby so a "shabby chic" kind of circle. Also one that's green and blue for a woman that likes those colors.

This was fun and I can't wait to get my 9 different circles back! I want to get a CD case and put all my circles in there - I have 6 bird ones already.

Have a good day!

The snow keeps falling.....

And I think it's here to stay now.

At least its pretty...






Pics from my backyard.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone celebrating and have a good weekend!

More books!!

Today is Tuesday - so library day again!

Tons of books this time... I ordered them and a lot came at once.

As I saw the piles, I thought I would show you what I got today. I put them in groups


This is a biography



These are 2 of the 500 series from Lark books - so neat!


Home books...


Travel...


Cooking...


Business, organizing and tips....


Crafts....


Of course some magazines...


Some(!!) jewelry making books - I have to make 52 valentine charms so I am on the hunt for some ideas and techniques.



And YAY!! these 2 brand new books that I put requests in for and I am first on the list!

"Mom, what do you do all day?"

HA! The funny thing is , I don't read much during the day. I read at night watching TV and waiting for the computer if it is extra slow.

This is getting a little much though, even for me! I can be happy they are all free- thank goodness.

You can see too, that there are no novels. I have one on the go that I read in bed. Those you can't skim or look at pictures!

I will share any thing interesting I find.

The BrocanteHome Puttery Treats Challenge

Alison is having an challenge on her blog. It is to list one of her puttery treats and show how you used it in your home. This was hard to choose just one! But this is the one I chose....


Move one item from every surface in the house. Now. Frame things. Casually lean a pretty empty frame over a favorite ornament. Create vignette of like objects. Add a natural element to every display in the house (A perfect fig, a shell, a bundle of ribbon tied twigs?). Remember to vary the heights of items in any given vignette.




These are a view into my home and some of my vignettes. We live in Canada in the north woods, so it is easy to bring a natural element in - it's right outside the door!


Some leaves and twigs from the yard...



Fresh apples in my vintage butter bowl on my new old table.....


A wooden dream, a pink flowered sugar bowl in the background and some candles...
A vintage printers drawer on the wall with a wood carving done by my Dad...
My front entry way, pine cones from the yard...
Love and Peace all year round on the wood walls...
Cat and Mouse.....
An abandoned birds nest on my bookshelf....
Another birds nest on top....
More pine cones on some vintage ledgers....

I love all my vignettes and I am always adding new ones!

Hope you enjoy and you can join in the fun too - just go to Brocante Home.

Keepin Busy

Here is an Anne Taintor like cards I did for a swap. Use a vintage photo and add funny remarks to them.



The snow disappeared friday afternoon and haven't seen any since. It was even warm yesterday! Weird for November.

Busy week, I have to work this afternoon, I was gone all day yesterday and now gone again all weekend leaving tomorrow morning. See ya Monday!

Woke up this morning....

To this.




Nice.

No, that is not a GOOD nice.

Envelope Book

Here is another envelope book I did for a swap. This was a little different in that the envelopes were supposed to be put on paper and things added into them.

So I got some vintage pages from a novel I had here - books? here? No-o-o-o.

I added different envelopes to these pages and did a woodsy theme. She likes all kinds of things -scrapbooking, postcards, photos, and books so I stuffed the envelopes with them.

Here are some of the pages...






I like my new track stamps!

And some more...

Okay... these first set are of our old living room windows and wall. We took out 2 old cottage windows that you could feel air come in and put in a new patio door! I love it - it gives so much more light and a way into the back yard which we didnt have.


Before- Sarah's hand in there! Lovely 70's paneling as well.







Good thing this whole operation only took a couple hours - nice big hole in my wall! I had to move some wiring and then we put the new door in!




Then we put on some pine siding. So much better!

Next, the kitchen...





Again, 2 old windows came out and we put in one bigger one - that I can open!



There is no after pic of this cause its still this way! We are doing the kitchen next, so not sure where all the cupboards are going yet and what I want to put on that wall?

Then there was another window in the living room on the opposite wall and replaced with a bigger one.




The pine is on this wall as well and the other 2 walls are painted. This is where I sit everyday to blog and read blogs and ebay and email and ..... I sit here alot! It is a nice view now anyways!

Well, today I am off and not sitting here(!) Going to the library and groceries -always fun!

I have some more pics but we are almost caught up with where we are now, I am working on the bathroom and I will post them when we are done. Sarah and I went away for the weekend and we came home to a nice cedar panelled bath! Love it! I have to do the floor and lighting and it will almost be done!

Talk soon.