It's Alive!

Hellooooo??? Is any body out there??? Yes, I'm here and YES I know, it's been far too long since I've written. Thanksgiving weekend was packed with fun and excitement, so much so that I threw my back out and have spent the last three days in bed. Ugh. I'm feeling somewhat better today (despite the nagging thoughts of how much crap needs to get done around here) but I still plan to take it easy.

So how about a recap?



Thanksgiving dinner was fab! (ha ha don't you love the can shaped cranberry sauce? My DH doesn't like when I slice it!) I'm totally patting myself on the back for this one. lol I did most of the cooking and left the heavy lifting to Nine and Louie. Everything came out hot and on time. Later this week I'll share the recipe for slow cooker corn bread casserole. It's divine!

Nine and I waiting for the train to head into Manhattan for some holiday cheer.



We spent hours in Macy's looking at the jewelry and oogling the ornaments. Here are just a few examples of the gorgeous trees set up in the Macy's in Herald Square:









And talk about a small world! While waiting in a long line to make a purchase I started chatting with the girls behind me. Turns out they were from Towson State University and had marched in the Macy's Thanksgiving parade! I'm from Baltimore (which is where Towson State is located) and to run into them among the millions of people visiting the big apple is just too funny.



Let's see if I get this right: from the left - Sloane, Courtney, Christie and Christina. I think! I gave the girl's my blog address and hope they stop by to see their photo. :)



And that's me in Bryant Park trying to soak up all the fun I could. It was a fabulous weekend! Now if only my back would heal completely so I can get a move on all the things that are piling up over here. Wish me luck!

~RR

Times they are a changin' . . .

It's about to get a whole lot thriftier over here at Thrifty Goodness. I found out on Friday that my last day of work will be December 4th. I have to say that I knew I wasn't going to make it through yet ANOTHER layoff (I've survived 5 at this point) but it's still hard to process. I've worked for Sprint for almost 8 years and it's the only job I've had since I moved to New York City from Baltimore in 2002. My husband still works for the company (thankfully) and I do get a nice severance package that will give me time to find a new job. I'll admit, I've had it good these last 18 months being able to work from home and I know that won't come my way again. So I'm tightening the belt, upping the Thrifty quotient and squirreling away all the money possible so I can be selective in my next career choice.

Now onto the Thrifty, right?


(boy I nees a haircut!)

Mom and I visited the Elephant's Trunk flea market on a gorgeous Sunday in November. We really lucked out with beautiful weather and some fun finds. Do I have photos? Um, no. But in my defense the vintage hankies and aprons are drying on the rack downstairs and the vintage holiday cards are set to be loaded in The Goodness Shop this week.

While visiting Mom in Baltimore we attended another Treasure Sale. As always I found loads of great craft supplies at amazing prices including knitting needles and crochet hooks (which I always grab as they are only 25 cents each and can range from $3 - $8 in the craft store) and some sweet fabric scraps. My absolute FAVORITE find this trip was this:





Never. Even. Used. And all mine for 50 cents! I've already put them to the test and they are great! And how cute is that box? Seriously, am I getting all ga ga over scissors? Yes. Yes I am.

So now when I thrift it will be with a new eye. An "I know I can find something here for CHEAP that I would normally buy at, say, Target" sort of eye. Like a new ironing board. And stuff to organize my closets.

So I'm off to peruse the employment sites, figure out my separation benefits package and become the Coupon Queen of Corona. Wish me luck!

~RR

. . . and then they crafted.

Hello! I know, I've been absent for so long, not only from writing but from reading as well. The plus to working from home is that I get so much more done during the day than I did when I worked in the office. However, I also spent my lunch breaks and other, ahem, breaks, perusing blogs. Not only do I miss my friends (both old and new yet to be found) but also the daily inspiration! So I'm trying to get up early each day and hope that those extra hours will help me fit in some extra blog reading and I guess, cleaning. Sigh.

So we held our newly annual Christmas Crafting Tea last weekend. What a blast! I think we have a solid group of crafters now made up of both family and friends. Mom and I had a great time decorating. Luckily her Christmas stuff is in her hall closet (unlike mine that is buried out in the garage) so we pulled out a tote and hoped for the best.



I was so happy with the look especially the snow flakes on the chairs:



And the Martha Stewart gingerbread house boxes that I got after Christmas last year at Macy's for $2 each!



We had a wide variety of food:



Dessert:



and crafting supplies:



Everyone brought a delicious dish to share and the smell of hot apple cider and the sound of holiday tunes really made for a festive atmosphere. Mom made it extra special by making up a holiday crafting aprin for everyone and fun monogram pins.

So what did we make?

Chenille baskets:



Wish boxes (an idea I took from my dear friend Ms. Sid!):



and paper treat cones which of course I forgot to take any pictures of and they are still at my Mom's place since I came home on the train. I'll share more pictures as I get them.

So needless to say our day was fun, festive and extremely crafty!



Thank you, girls, for helping us kick off the holiday season in high fashion!


xoxoxo
~RR

Victoriana

I love to make Christmas ornaments. This coming Saturday I'm hosting a Holiday Crafting party and have three different ornament projects on the menu. We had such a good time last year that we decided to make it an annual affair. I can't wait to see what everyone creates this year!

In the mean time I've made a few ornaments on my own. I love old Victorian post card images and have a folder full of printed ones. I also had on hand some wooden circles and squares and of course a plethora of paper and doo dads to use as well.







I love the way the turned out and they were so easy and inexpensive to make! Oh and fun, too. I think one key to the cuteness factor is glitter and using "pop dots" to raise the images and give them some depth. :) I have already started a few more. Hopefully I can whip out enough to give as gifts and maybe even put a few up for sale in the shop. (Which I'll be reopening with some fun new vintage items next week!)

If you'd like to make your own you can find some fun images on Flickr in this photo pool. Also doing a google image search for Victorian post cards or images can produce some fun results and I do believe Dover Publications sells some nice CD collections of images as well.

This project was inspired by a Valentine ornament I made last year. See it here along with a tutorial for crepe paper pin wheels.

I'll be back next week with crafty party tales! Oh and check out Sweet Goodness Swaps for our new swap posting today!

~kiss kiss~

One door closes . . .

I headed out to my favorite thrift store on Sunday and noticed that the parking lot was unusually full. As I got closer I saw THE BIG YELLOW SIGN. The thrift store is closing and everything is 50% off.

WHAT?

I have to read it again. At the bottom of the sign it says "Please visit Island Thrift" and gives an address . . . hmm . . . a thrift store I didn't know about? So I took a quick spin around the soon to be closed Northern Thrift and only found a few books, a hand knit baby blanket and two books of sheet music. Then I headed over to Island Thrift.

Wow. That place is huge and it's stuffed to the gills with crap! I had limited time so I didn't get to explore everything but did dig up some fun things:



They had lots of bags of kitchen utensils, something I didn't often find at Northern. Only the french fry cutter on the right has a wooden handle but I like the ice cream scoop and big slotted spoon as well. I bought antother bag for the funnel and also decided to keep a pair of ice tongs, a cake server and a mini ladle. A pretty good score for a total of around $5.00.



I also picked up this old wooden Christmas card holder for $3.00. Made in Japan and most likely some what vintage. Regardless, it's cute, no?

And a splurge for me, $4.50, was a large book called the Family Fireside Music Companion. Look how sweet the graphics are!



Part of me wants to keep it as is and part of me wants to cut it up for other projects. Tough decision.

I'll be heading out for a long weekend, everyone have a safe and spooky Halloween!

Boo ya ~ Rebecca

I Heart Ms. Sid

I have received my return swap from Ms. Sid and it was even better than I expected. Ms. S. really knows what I like and she is a very talented crafter with far more skills!



First off, she didn't cheat like I did. She made me a Witch's Boot filled with 13 Spells. She is so creative! While I loved everything she sent, here are some of my favorites:



A hand made cell phone case and tissue holder. I needed something for my phone and it's fits perfectly. She also included a cute black and white reusable tote that folds up tiny and clips inside your purse. My hand bag is quite fashionable with these accessories!



A tiny cross stitch in a little black felt frame. She and I both enjoy this craft and I am lucky to own many of Sid's creations. She also included some cross stitch patterns, a needle minder and some lovely custom floss.



A fabric knitting/crochet bag that held a skein of super soft bamboo yarn and a gorgeous crochet hook. And we always seem to send each other tea and this year she included the most delicious smelling vanilla tea and a heart shaped tea strainer!



Twinkle toes! A pair of sparkly halloween socks, sparkly toe nail polish and fabric toe separators. How fun!



Each year we exchange a little star shaped box Sid made and include a special wish. I sent it to her last year with a clover shaped pin with the wish of good luck! This year she sent it back with a heart touching story about a chandelier that hung in her family home for many years and how the crystals from that chandelier are imbibed with positive energy. She kindly sent me one of her prized crystals for some positive energy on dealing with my recent Diabietes diagnosis. (Update, I'm Type 1, not Type 2 as expected.)

And that's not even the half of it! She also sent hand made soap, sparkly stitch markers, a kit of all the fun Raven themed carfts and activities she has planned for her Halloween open house, a lovely fabric flower brooch and many many more things.

So my dearest Sid, thank you, thank you, for being my friend. As I've said before, I truely believe in fate and know we were partnered randomly two years back in that swap for a reason.

xoxoxo
Rebecca

Overdue

As I am more than overdue in having a giveaway why not visit Amey at Peas Porridge? Click HERE to visit her giveaway post and while you're there, browse around a bit.

I'll be back soon to share the AMAZING swap package I received from my friend Ms. Sid.

And what's a post without s picture, huh? How about some puppy cuteness?



Little Lincoln sits under my chair when I'm at my desk. Sweet yes, but those are teeth marks on the chair there. :)
xoxo
R

Hallows

Two years ago I signed up for the Sweet & Sinister swap hosted by I can't remember who (hence the reason I haven't done it the last two years!) Anyway, I was partnered with the dear Ms. Sid and boy did we hit it off. So much so that we decided to make Halloween swapping a yearly affair.

When I got home from work today there was a note that I missed her package! So I'll have to wait until tomorrow to trek over to the post office and pick it up. In the mean time I thought I'd share what I sent to her since I haven't been able to share some craftyness in awhile.



The whole kit and kaboodle. I really enjoy crafting for Ms. Sid, she and I have similar tastes and I know I can try new things and she will like them.



Like making a pair of earrings. I'm not much for jewelry making but wanted to try a little something.



I crocheted a little jewelry pouch and lined it with a vintage pillow case. These are very fun to make and I plan to whip up a few for the holidays.



I also made my first cross stitch on perforated paper. It made the project very interesting!



This sweet doggie collage was Ms. Sid's favorite. I had a feeling she would like it! I love making these and really should do it more often. I recently found a book that is all vintage photos of dogs or dogs and their humans.



I actually wanted to make a shaker for our swap last year and never got around to it. This was very fun to make. I used some Martha Stewart Crafts Halloween invites from last year that I got on clearance. I took an empty paper ribbon spool and filled it with lentils placing tape over the holes in the spool and then glued the invites on each side. Then I put a hole in the bottom and stuffed in a ribbon wrapped dowel stick and added some decorative flair. Viola!



Oh, did I mention this swap had a theme? Well it was a Witch's boot (like a Christmas stocking) and I tried to make one but well, it stunk. So running out of time I pulled out the pattern for a bag from one of my favorite Tilda books, Sew Pretty Home Style, and whipped up a Witch's hand bag instead. (Thanks for letting me cheat, S.!)



And I finally got to use a Halloween fabric remnant I swear I bought like 5 years ago.

So Sid, thanks for being my friend and always being so gracious about our swap. I know I'll love every single thing you sent me and I'll be in line at the Post Office first thing tomorrow.

xoxoxo

A Work in Progress

Well I made something. I don't love it, it's just okay but at least it's DONE.



It's a hat though it looks like a birthday cake sitting there like that. The pretty posey pin was made by The Queen herself, who I am very over due to visit with.

I've actually made quite a few things lately but they were for swaps and I want to make sure they have arrived before I spoil the surprise. :)

I also managed to find time to update The Goodness Shop. Remember these aprons?



Well you can find most of them HERE.

Except for this one:



I kept that beauty for myself. That ruffle is organza, yum. I added a few other items including some paper packs and hope to add even more over the week. I've decided that's it's way too crowded over here and some things have GOT TO GO. I'll be donating some but will list some things I think some of you may like in the shop.

Fondly ~ RR

En la Cucina con Ida

My dear friend Ida (pronounced E-da) came for a visit last weekend. We've been friends since the 10th grade when we met at Show Choir Camp - think Glee but you don't get to go home at the end of the day. Ida is Puerto Rican and a marvelous cook. I was so happy when she offered to cook for us and teach me some Hispanic recipes. For those of you that don't know, my husband is of Colombian descent. He is a first generation American, his parents having come to the states in the 60s. So needless to say, he was excited about some Hispanic home cooking!



First up - Empanadas! Ida said that on the east side of PR they are called something else but I can't remember what it was! (Ida - remind me!)



That would be me trying my hand at crimping them closed. I think this is something you get better at with practice!



She also made Aroz con Pollo (Chicken with Rice) which was to die for!



And one of my favorites, Tostones, which are made from green plantains:



I got to squish them, which was kind of fun.



Needless to say, it was a wonderful meal and I think I may be able to recreate it though definitely not as well. :)

I'd also like to say that we dedicated our day of cooking to Ida's grandmother, Mama Ida, who passed away this summer. I never got to meet Mama Ida, she lived in Puerto Rico, but I felt like I knew her. She would call Ida at my house when she would sleep over when we were in high school so I did get to talk to her a bit. Mama Ida is dearly missed by her family.

Thank you, Ida, for the wonderful treat!

~RR

My Own Private Island

I believe I've mentioned before that I come from a family of crafty people. My sister is a photographer, crafter and has recently started making jewelry. My Mom crochets, does paper crafts and has a real knack for decorating. And my Dad is a wood worker.

A few months ago I mentioned how I would like to have a kitchen cart like the one at my parents house. I jokingly asked my Dad to make me one thinking he'd say he'd look into it when he can. Well happily he accepted my project and last weekend when he came up to pick up my Mom after her stay here to help me after surgery he delivered to me my very own Island:



It's handcrafted from tiger maple, a few pieces of walnut and has a granite top. The pattern is based on the cart at my parents house but, no offense Mom, this one is much much better.



It has two shelves and three drawers that slid out to either side. He even attached a vintage bottle opener for Luis AND found knobs for the drawers that match the knobs on my cabinets (which also happen to be handcrafted from maple as well.)

I can't put into words how pleased I am with it and how touched that he would put so much time and effort into making me something. My Dad really has the know how to create fabulous furniture. In addition to the Island I also have a walnut desk he made me when I was in highschool. (Which I am sitting at as I write this.) While it's a great old desk I will say that he's come a long way in his craft!

So thanks Dad. Luis and I love our new Island.

Love ~ Becky

Digging In

I love fall. It really sparks me to be creative. I was so worried that my back and leg problem would keep me from enjoying my favorite season but I'm feeling better and better every day. Tuesday I'll have my sutures out which to me starts the beginning of my road to better health. I can't wait to be "back to normal" and to start doing all those things I love about this time of year.

Yesterday dear Louie took me out to the thrift store, book store and craft store. My favorite Trifecta of Shopping. Nothing too exciting about the thrifts except these fun old canning jars:

I love these for storing things in the craft room and for using as fun containers for holiday gifts. Perhaps I'll stuff one with a sewing kit including a handmade needle book like the ones I made for friends a few years back:

That was such a fun project! I added them to traditional mason jars and made the tops into pin cushions. Perhaps with these glass topped jars I'll make one of these cute little crocheted pin cushions made from a bottle cap:

Earlier this summer I thrifted this lovely collection of vintage crochet cotton.

Don't you just love the colors? They would make adorable bottle cap pin cushions.

I also picked up the fall issues of some of my favorite crafting magazine and have already started both a knitting and a cross stitch project. (you KNOW I can't work on just one thing at once!) So as you can see, I am motivated to get a move on with my holiday crafty gifts. Anyone else start making for the holidays yet?

I realize that I have lots to catch up on so expect to hear from me more often. Next time: The BEST handcrafted piece of furniture you'll ever see.

xoxoxo

~RR

Fate

I'm a huge believer in fate. I believe that we walk certain paths so that we do certain things and meet certain people. I believe that if, say, you get the urge to drop everything, quit your job and move to New York City with a van full of stuff and an uncashed tax return check YOU SHOULD DO IT. Because you never know if you'll get that job where the employer went through 18 applicants to get to you and then they assign you a desk right next to the man you're going to marry in 5 years. Trust me. It happens. ;)

So I now believe that fate stepped in again last Monday when I went to the ER at Lenox Hill Hospital. I knew I was being admitted so I packed up my overnight bag and washed my hair and face and headed off. I spent most of the day laying around in a drugged up haze until they moved me to a room at about 8:00 pm. There was no one in the room so I was able to choose the window bed. Now I knew I was getting a room mate. Hospitals are way too efficient to over look an empty bed and the ER was pretty packed that day. The only thing I was looking forward to during my stay, well except for pain relief, was some peace and quiet. Now I worried that my room mate would be loud or mean or worse, really really sick.

When I heard them rolling in a gurney I knew this was it. The curtain between the beds was drawn so I couldn't see anything. It took them some time to get settled in before they walked to the bathroom which was by my bed. She smiled at me and said "Hi roomy. I'm Susan." She seemed to be about my age and her smile reminded me of a friend I've had since the 9th grade. Over the next three days Susan and I formed a friendship that I think will last.

Susan came to the ER from dinner so she was wearing her pearls and earrings with her hospital gown. We hit it off right away and talked about everything. We both got Heparin shots that gave us murderous headaches. So we formed the Anti-Heparin League and started taking walks in the hallway to prevent both the shots and the blood clots. Like I said, Susan had on her pearls and she also had to carry her handbag with her on our walks. So imagine the two of us strolling arm in arm down the hallway dragging IV carts and chattering away. We even had one of those traditional hospital episodes where a nice young doctor comes up and says "Um Miss, you should close the back of your gown." Ah yes . . . you can imagine I'm sure. It totally cracked us up (could have been the drugs) and we were also highly amused by the young resident who had to come in and ask about our bowel movements every day. Nice.

On Thursday morning before they came to get me for surgery Susan asked for my husband's phone number so she could check on me. Luis told me later that she called and he filled her in. After the surgery I was moved to a different room and when my family left I was very sad. I realized this was the first time I had been there alone because I had always had Susan right next door. We spoke again when she called me the next day to check in and see if I was sent home yet. It's like we've known each other forever.

Now imagine the odds in a city the size of New York to end up sharing a hospital room with someone you get along with so well. Sounds like we were fated to be friends, no? :)

I hope to get together with her soon and cash in on her promise to teach me to cook something French. So once my week of doctors visits is past and my friend who is visiting next week has come and gone (Hi Ida! Seems we were fated to be friends, too, huh?) I hope to see Susan again.

Susan, thank you so so much for being there. (Though I am sorry it was so painful for the two of us.) It really made a scary situation much better.

As to my health, I've been getting around pretty well, don't so much need that cane anymore but anything that falls on the floor stays on the floor. I've been doing some cross stitch and watching some TV and anxiously awaiting my return to normal life. I hope to have some projects to share soon!

xoxo
RR

I think I can . . . I think I can . . .

Well I'm home, finally, after 5 days in the hospital. I'm feeling okay but it's tough to get around even with my fancy new blue willow patterned cane. :) I'm so lucky to have my Mom, Sister and sweet hubby here to help me get around.

I hope to be back on line with some crafty goings on and some serious thrifting finds. Do you know I haven't been to the thrift store for 6 weeks?? Yes. For real. I am not making that up.

Can't wait to catch up with all of you.

xoxo

RR

And we're off . . .

Finally today I heard that I'll go into the hospital on Monday for my surgery. Who would have thought I'd be so excited to get surgery? But I cannot wait to get back to normal and the doctor assures me a quick recovery. And when I'm all better I plan to make this:



Serious cuteness, right? It's from Lion Brand's new catalog which is chock full of free knit and crochet patterns.

Until next week!

RR

Hanging in . . .

Hello all, I just wanted to say hi and give a quick update. I need to have minor back surgery and will be back once I am feeling better. I miss you all and can't wait to catch up.

Please still contact me if you are having any issues with your Pink and Aqua swap and remember to post pictures of your goodies once you receive them.

See you soon!

Fondly,
Rebecca

Awwww . . . you guys . . .

Thank you so much for all the kind comments both here and on Facebook. I am feeling much better about the whole Diabetes thing now. Hopefully I'll keep a steady head after my appointment in September. :)

Tomorrow I will find out exactly what is causing my extreme leg pain. (Am I falling apart or what?!?) The doctor believes it is a herniated disc which is quite scary. I had an MRI last night (also kind of scary unless you like feeling like you're in a coffin) and will see the doctor in the morning and know for sure.

While it has been difficult for me to concentrate on much of anything I did manage this super simple scarf:



It is much cuter in person and will look nice with my off white winter coat. It only took a few hours to whip up as I used size 35 knitting needles.



I lucked into this stash of giant knitting needles at the last Treasure Sale.



What a score as each pair was only 25 cents! If you are a knitter you know what a bargain that is. I also stocked up on vintage sheet music, playing cards and score pads. After I return from vacation at the end of the month I'll have a big shop update with all new paper packs just in time to hunker down and enjoy the cooler months when there tends to be more time for crafting.

SWAPPERS - has everyone heard from their partners for the pink and aqau swap? If you signed up for the swap and received a confirmation email from me but have not yet heard from your partner please let me know!

I hope to be back sooner rather than later. Thanks for hanging in there with me!

Fondly,
Rebecca

Tough Breaks & a Swap Update

Hello all . . . first a quick swap update:

I am waiting for one interested party to respond with an email address so we have an even number of swappers. If I do not hear from here in the next two days I will be looking for an additional swapper to even out our ranks. If you are interested, please let me know! Because this is taking longer than I expected I'll also push back our send out date by a week.

And now the tough break:

I was recently diagnosed with diabetes. I know millions of people live with it every day but I am freaking out. I won't see an endocrinologist until September (thank you, over populated NYC) and am trying to follow the GI diet in the mean time. I'm also crossing my fingers that the nerve pain I'm having in my leg is not related. I should know more about that tomorrow.

Sorry to be such a downer but I wanted you to know I am still here plugging along and at least I know why I've been so exhausted lately and have been losing so much weight. (not too much complaining there, ahem.)

And just so we have some photos, here are some shots of the lovely picnic set up by my dear friend Nina, my Mother and myself over the weekend:





We had a wonderful time eating, chatting and swimming. It was so nice to enjoy the warm summer days with friends I hadn't seen in awhile.

I'll be back soon with the swap update and to share some finds from the latest Treasure Sale!

fondly,
Rebecca

Swap Update

Hello all! Just a reminder to sign up for the I Heart Pink & Aqua swap by Friday!! I will actually not be back online until Monday so I suppose you really have until Sunday to sign up. We have a good turn out with some crazy creative ladies.

See you soon!

RR

HIATUS

Sigh . . . I am tired. I hurt my leg some how and it's a very painful injury. I decided to stop being stubborn and am seeing my doctor tomorrow. I doubt there is much they can do for me but cross your fingers!

So I am taking a mini hiatus. I will be back the week of August 10th. Please continue to sign up for the swap here and I'll send partners out after the 7th.

On a fun note, we went to my husband's cousin's engagement lunch on Sunday. After everyone had eaten they announced they had a surprise and put everyone on a bus. They took us to this cute little reception hall and had a wedding! What a surprise! The couple decided 3 days before the lunch just to get married that day since their friends and family were all going to be together. It was a lovely ceremony and reception. I can't beleive they pulled it off in such a short period of time!



Congratulations to my "cousins in law" Godfrey and Jinna!

Until August . . .

Mish Mash and a Swap!

Hello! Remember me? I haven't had much to post about lately it seems. My crafty mojo has gone missing and I've been looking EVERYWHERE for it! Finally, after many tries I did manage to start knitting a hat. Seriously, it took me FOREVER to cast on a project I actually liked! Yeesh!

And thrifting has been sad as well. I read in a magazine that second hand store sales are up 47% from last year! That must be where all my stuff is going. I did manage this fun find:



I believe these were made by Sparklettes but I'm not sure. They are both well made and are nice heavy glass. The seltzer bottle was $7 and the shaker was $3. A bargain! I love the look of them. They seem to never have been used, they are so clean! I have ordered some CO2 chargers. Wish me luck! :)

Also gathered over the last few months is this impressive stack of aprons:



I've been lucky with these for sure. I also kept three others that aren't shown here. I will be listing these in the shop soon and there are some real beauties! If I can get off my lazy butt and get it done that is.


And now for the swap - I would like to host a pink and aqua swap. If you would like to sign up please leave me a comment and make sure I have your email! You can also email me at goodnessshop@gmail.com.



Details:

I Heart Pink and Aqua Swap

Sign up by: Friday August 7th

Send out by: Friday September 11th

(I am giving a long time on this one because I will be on vacation at the beginning of September and I am sure many of you will be busy with end of summer events as well)

Please send your partner a swap themed in pink and aqua. Include at least one hand made thing, one craft supply and one thrifted item. Please spend approximately $15 on your swap not including shipping.

Anyone interested? Please spread the word!

xoxox
RR

Z is for Zoo

The Queens Zoo is a tiny wildlife preserve in Flushing Meadow Park. I love it there. It's inexpensive and is gorgeously landscaped. Plus they have a petting zoo. Hee hee. Seriously, I'm like a little kid when I visit because I just love the domestic animals. This trip we met a very curious llama:



He came over to the fence and posed for photos. If you pulled out a camera he looked right at you and then would move along to the next person that wanted to snap his photo. We also fed him and I was a bit nervouse about his big teeth but let me tell you, he was all lips!

Another favorite was this mama goat and her too cute baby. Look at his tiny horns!



I always joke that the Queens Zoo is so small that the main attraction are the turtles:



Walking along the stream we saw many turtles sun bathing. We also saw this sweet guy sleeping in his tree house:



Do you see him there? He really blends in. When Mandi clicked her camera it woke him up! But he went right back to snoozing.

Mandi helped me take some close up flower shots, too:





Not bad for a digital camera!

It was a nice day to take the zoo walk and I always enjoy it.

xoxo
R

Celebration

Our 4th of July weekend was lovely. We spent most of our time eating and enjoying friends and family.



There were, of course, delicious desserts including cupcakes made by Mandi and a lemon bundt cake made by me. (The cupcake picks were made by Jane, Mandi's partner in the red, white & blue swap!)



Made also made her famous apple pie!




My DH manned the grill and made enough hot dogs, hamburgers and brats to feed an army!



We also made a shrimp boil that was delicious!



Even the puppies got into the spirit though Mandi's dog Teach doesn't look like he's enjoying that hat too much.



Lincoln just lounged the days away.



We rounded out the weekend with a nice fire in the pit . . .



Which my dad enjoyed from the hammock swing.

A wonderful summer weekend don't you think?

I'll be back next week with some shop updates and that pink and aqua swap I've been yammering about!

hugs
Rebecca

Hats ON to the USA?

Hello! How was your holiday? I am back from my loooong weekend in Baltimore and finally have something creative to share! Yeah! Mom, Mandi and I got together on Friday and made ourselves some Yankee Doodle Dandy crowns to celebrate the 4th.



Man my glasses are tilted! I've been trying to fix that forever. :) I'm guessing one ear is lower than the other lol.



Crowns are easy to make. I just freehand a crown design on poster board and cut it out. I fold it in half to make sure it's symmetrical. Then glue paper to both sides and decorate to your hearts desire! Wrapping paper works well because you can cover the entire surface but you can always cover the seams if you want to use regular paper like I did. The you punch some holes along the ends and thread ribbon through and tie it to fit.



I started out thinking I would cut out stars and use glass glitter on them. I have a small jar of fine glass glitter just waiting to be called to duty. I tried one and it looked blech. :( So I used some sparkled paper I picked up forever ago at Joann's. It's sticky on one side and worked perfectly! I hope they still carry it because I'll be back for more.



This is my Mom's crown. She used an image we downloaded from Country Living for a more vintage look.



The sides are covered in vintage flowers that I received in the Red, White & Blue swap. We also used some sheet music and ribbons that Sarah sent as well. It worked perfect!



My sister's crown is of course unique just like she is!



I love the stars on the side! She said it made her feel like Wonder Woman LOL.

We had a great time making our crowns and wearing them on the 4th. Maybe this will become a tradition! I was very inspired by the RWB swap with Sarah to try my hand at paper crafting again. I always forget how much I enjoy it.

I have more pictures to share from the 4th that I'll save for another post. Plus I'm pushing back my shop update until next week when Mandi is here for a visit. I need her to model the aprons! I also received the most amazing package from a Queenly Friend. Thanks again!

See here for the first crown I made!

Ciao!

Red, White and Blue Swap

Hello! Yes, I know, I know, what a craptastic summer blogger I am. Summer is NOT my season. I haven't done much in the way of crafty lately. Hopefully that will pick up soon. :)

I did just participate in the Sweet Goodness Hurrah for the Red, White & Blue swap and I had a FANTASTIC partner. Sarah is amazing! Hold onto your seats . . .



The whole gorgeous red, white and blue lot of it! Vintage paper and millinery flowers galore! Plus hand made goodies including . . .



How fabulous is this mask? And while I know this was an American swap this mask makes me think French masquerade ball. I love it! I'm trying to come up with a way to display it on my wall, perhaps in a shadow box? Don't you love that red glittery peacock?



This lovely star ornament is even better up close. The rosette is made from vintage ledger paper which Sarah was kind enough to also include in my package. I have a plan for it that I hope to share this week.



And can I just say WOW! I love LOVE this bracelet!



Also included was this glittered star pick and a fabulous selection of ribbons.



This sweet paper doll is just adorable. I also hope to make up a shadow box to feature her! She has a little dress to wear but I love her polka dot undies, don't you?

Thank you Sarah for one heck of a great swap! I hope we can swap again some time.

Sarah has a lovely Etsy shop with some of the most beautiful vintage inspired jewelry. My next treat to myself will surely come from there but watch out! It's so hard to pick a favorite! I love them all. :)

Here is what I sent to her:



I, too, included vintage papers, sheet music and Italian wrapping paper. I also included a vintage Fire King milk glass pie plate. Gotta love flat rate shipping boxes!



Sarah has three boys so I tucked in red, white and blue salt water taffy, jelly bellies and M&Ms that I picked up at a fancy candy store in Atlantic City, NJ.



The vintage Japanese mother of pearl pin comes off of the cotton cockade I made OR she can wear the whole thing to show some REAL spirit LOL.



I always include buttons in my swap. I lucked into a huge lot of carded buttons a year ago and still have plenty to share. The other bag has some patriotic pins and beads to wear to a 4th of July parade perhaps?



A baggy of red white and blue ribbons similar to what she sent me and a bag of fun vintage jewelry including a pair of Air Force wings from my friend Sergeant Nine. Sarah's husband is also in the military keeping our country safe. :)



I love this cross stitch pattern of a simple statue of liberty lady. I turned her into a simple door hanger and thought she came out quite cute. Hope you like her, Sarah!


What a fun swap. Sarah plans to join my aqua and pink swap that I'll announce later this summer so some lucky girl will get paired with her and surely be in for a treat.

Louie, the dog herd and I are headed back to Maryland to enjoy the 4th on the water. I'll be back next week with major shop updates - I lucked into the CUTEST vintage aprons and will list, ahem, most of them - and perhaps have a give away?

Have a safe and happy holiday!

cheers
Rebecca

PS - there is still time to join my craft challenge!

Craft Challenge #2

Yes, I know, I've been ABSENT. Not just from writing but from reading as well. You know summer, busy busy! So since I have nothing much to share in the way of thrifts or crafts, how about another craft challenge?

In order to allow for more players I've picked an item many of you will already have. The wooden spool!



Here is my collection! So how about some rules?

THRIFTY GOODNESS CRAFT CHALLENGE #2 - THE WOODEN SPOOL

You can use any medium you want but the main piece must be a wooden spool. Size matters not, you choose. Ideas? Let's see . . . spool dolls, spool notes, ornaments, jewelry? You name it! The idea is to be creative!

Try to use supplies you already have in your stash. It's nice to use up some of those treasures, right?

We'll give it a month - finish your spool by July 17th. Here is a Flickr pool where we can show off our craftiness! Post your picture in the pool by the 17th. Then we'll do a little voting to pick the top three favorite spools. I'll send a little Goodenss to the winner! Prize is at my discrection but I think it will be something you'll like. Sound like fun?

Leave a comment here if you'd like to join in so I know who is playing! spread the word!

Happy Crafting!

Rebecca

PS - See the results of Craft Challenge #1 HERE.

Red, White and Blue

As many of you know, the most recent swap over at Sweet Goodness Swaps is :Hurray for the Red, White and Blue." A very fun summery theme, don't you think? My partner is Sarah from My So Called Junky Life. I love that title! Take a swing by her blog, you won't be disappointed!

Sarah and I have been chatting and we both love the color combo of pink and aqua. I think it's so fun and shabby chic. So I'm thinking of having my own little swap this summer with those colors as a theme. I would probably call it the Shabby Pink and Aqua swap or something more creative than that I hope. What do you think? Would any one be interested in a swap like this? It wouldn't start until the end of June since I am already doing the other swap plus have some travels planned. Leave me a comment if you think you would be interested. No commitment at this time, I'm just curious to see if it would fly.

So I've done some thrifting though don't have too many photos. I've been in an organizational mode so everything gets put in it's place right away. (yeah, we'll see how long that lasts.) I did find these photos, though:



Aren't these the sweetest things? And they are sort of pink and aqua! They are two framed "prints" of little girls playing. The pictures are actually quilted pieces of fabric! The frames them selves are a lovely shabby pink. Not sure what I'll do with these yeet. I'm guessing they were decorations for a little girls room in the 70s maybe?



Okay, that little box cracks me up! Know what's inside? A little folding fan. Too cute but pretty beat up. I found the fan and the tiny purse packs of Knit Cro-Sheen at the last Treasure Sale. Now I wonder, were women knitting on fly back then that they needed purse packs of yarn? Hmmm.



Two adorable hat box style wig boxes! There were wigs inside but I got rid of those. (Sorry Dita, I know you wanted to be Edith Bunker for Halloween but they were freaking me out.)



And I couldn't resist this giant piece of leopard material for a dollar. What will I ever do with it? It's plush. Nice. Me thinks I'll make me a coat! (yeah right)

That's all from me until next week. I'm taking a last minute get away to Atlantic City with my Mom and Sister. See you soon!

xoxoxo
Rebecca

And the Winner is . . .

Drum roll please . . . .

The winner of the Goodness paper pack is . . . .

Jessica at Funky Finds!! Jessica, I'll drop you an email for your address.

Thank you to everyone who left comments. I'll be doing another give away soon. :)

xoxo
RR

For the Love of Paper

Hello all! How was your Memorial Day weekend? As usual my parents annual luau was a blast and I SWEAR there is not a You Tube video of me singing "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" into a beer bottle. ;)

So onto the Goodness. I have some lovely finds to share with you from some thrifting with Mom but thought I'd do a special post just about paper first. I love paper. I have loads of it. I collect vintage ephemera just to look at it. One of these days I'll bring myself to use it. Maybe. I put together collections of papers, playing cards, etc. and put it for sale in my shop in the hopes that someone else out there not only shares my love of all things paper but might actually be the type of person to USE it rather than just covet it.

I dug through some old wrapping paper I found at the last Treasure Sale and found the most gorgeous pieces! Mostly baby and wedding themed, these are some of the prettiest I've come upon.




(might be my favorite EVER!)








(these last two are foil and embossed. Very light and delicate, not like current foil papers)

I will be putting some of this in the shop and saving some for my own collection. I also plan to put together some vintage book page packs and some sheet music packs as well. I've decided to really trim down my craft room so everything must go! But before I start recycling/donating/trashing I plan to get as much into the shop as possible in case any of you would like to feather your nests a bit. Look for updates soon!

In the mean time, please visit THIS POST and leave a comment to win a special Goodness paper pack I put together just for you.





It's loaded with vintage wall paper and wrapping, playing cards and tallies, vintage book pages and music and various other bits. I keep stuffing things in there so you never know what you'll get! This is more than twice the size of a normal Goodness Paper Pack so I'm sure there will be something in there you'll enjoy. I'll pull a name on Monday so you have all weekend to stop by and leave your comment!

***************************

In other news, sign ups for the Sweet Goodness Swaps summer swap - Hurray for the Red, White & Blue - is going on now. Visit THIS POST for more details and then send in your email to sign up. Hurry! Slots are going fast! Sign ups end tomorrow 5/29! Don't forget to sign up for the mailing list to be the first to know about future swaps! Have any ideas for swaps? Drop me a line!

adieu!
Rebecca

Doh! Giveaway time!

Oops! I forgot to put up the post for my paper pack giveaway! Unfortunately I don't have a picture of the prize but it's a lovely folder filled with vintage wall paper and wrapping paper, game cards and score sheets and vintage book pages. Loads of fun paper for all sorts of projects.

Leave a comment here and I'll draw a winner next weekend. When I get home from my long weekend I'll post a picture of the Goodness.

have a happy and safe Memorial Day Weekend!

fondly
rebecca