Catch Up!

This is going to be long cause I haven't had a chance to do any "ketchup" time here on my projects.  First off I must show you the gift I received from Big Daddy!  So exciting & the best part is that after 30+ years he's learned NOT to wrap an item of this sort in gift paper & put it under the Xmas tree!  Such a darling he is, and a quick learner too ;- )

And see how quickly HE learned to use it!

Yep, it's Big Daddy toiling away on the old brass & glass table I picked up a while ago.  After toiling with harsh chemicals, tiny hand sander, & scrubbing, he went to the tool shop & found THE magic tool for the job and is it looking INNNCREDIBLE!  Check it out!

It's almost all complete and looks like absolute NEW!  All "we" *wink*  need to do is put a good coat of laquer on it and it will look like the day it was born 60+ years ago.  Dang, sure wish we could put ME on the grinder & buff me up to look this great!  Yes, Big Daddy will get ALL the credit for this one.  I'm so excited to see it all back together & when that happens you'll see it too.  THANKYOU Big Daddy for your toil & devotion to this project.

Onto other little project's I've managed to finish.  First the plain little rattan sleigh I mentioned that needed a festive touch.  Here it is before.  Cute, but not a bit in the spirit of Christmas

Now it's ready for the store Christmas window in all it's new finery!  Yes, much better I think!

Then, after I'd purchased my 1950's hairspray can holder for my nostalgia room (which I'd never seen one before) I found another one (probably more from the 60's).  I was amazed to find this since I never even knew they existed & all of a sudden all these years later, here they are!  The gold on this was too gone to be pretty anymore so I got out the old spray can & gave it a pretty new look.  Here it is before (please let me explain that I have NO IDEA how to make some of these pics upright but you get the idea anyway.  If anyone knows how - PLEASE do let me know).  Before

And here's the pretty new look.  I have TONS of old, mismatched vintage jewelry & I plan to place a few tiny blings on the top of it.  Cute eh?!

And, these of course aren't projects but a few of my Thanksgiving blessings.  My helper, my granddaughter Tessa Belle

Ain't she just the cat's pajamas!  ;- )

And a super blessing - a new addition and 4 generations of McCloud girls

L - R: Great grama Joan (the tiny pillar of the Clan McCloud), my neice Melissa, Melissa's mom Cheryl and front & center our newest blessing, 2 week old Piper having a "get me outta here" moment but still absolutely adorable!

Ok, I know this is long, but hang on one more minute, k?  I'm going to do a (hopefully) weekly "shout out" for some of my new favorite Etsy stores & crafters.  I've decided this is going to be a buy AMERICAN Christmas & except for a few "must have" electronic toys for the kids I'm going to support American crafters locally & nationally as well as local small businesses.  My first salute is going to an incredible crafter who is located in eastern Sierra Nevada.  His/her shop is called NorseWest.  I adore Norse/Celtic jewelry & this person simply does a gorgeous job creating beautiful designs.  I made my first Christmas purchase from this shop.  This is not what I bought (cause I don't want to ruin the surprise) but a sample of the beautiful creations

So, if you have some time to browse, please do visit this shop & read the profile & you will see the spirit of which these designs are created from.  AMERICAN crafters & small business need our help- NOW!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving & DON'T feel as STUFFED as I still do!  I shall waddle out now.  Thank you for visiting. 

Cheerio!
Vic

  

A Love Affair With.....APRONS?!?

What?!  Me, who gets the megrams & must run for the fainting couch at the very thought of food preparation?!  But oh yes, I'm having a recent love affair with aprons.  The vintage kind.  The one's our mom's wore in the 50's & on into the early 60's or until mom passed away & we sent them all to the Goodwill or wherever, because us "modern" girls simply wouldn't ever use them.  At least that's how it was for me.  The only apron I ever owned was a novelty one given as a gift which said, "Insanity Is Hereditary - You Get It From Your Kids".  I wore it cause I thought it was funny & pretty much true but it wasn't a fashion statement.  And while I've picked up a few here & there to sell at the store I'd not really taken a good look or thought about them and noticed the HUGE variety and what a fashion statement they really were.  Even more amazing is how many of them have survived the years to be re-sold and loved again.  Oh yes, they truly were a fashion statement.  Mom had her everyday utilitarian one's that covered from shoulder to hem but when she was entertaining it was a whole other thing.  When the guests started arriving, off would come that old stained one & on would go the half one, starched & ironed with ric-rac, pretty applique pockets and the pretty bow tied perfectly in the back.  And I can remember her softly sliding her hands down the front making sure it looked perfect.  So here's a look back to a sweeter "domestic" time.

Elegant & versatile too!  (For the end of the week & you ran out of clean one's you could just flip the dirty one! ;- )

So pretty in pink! (This is the one she scrambled for when the guest's started arriving!)

Daydreams of when he gets home from earning the bread she just baked

It's gonna be a HOT time in the ol town tonight!!  Woo-Hoo!  Mama knows what rattles daddy's jingle bells (and it ain't those hot brownies he'll be grabbing for later, oh no siree ;- )

OH!  That Big Daddy - just HAS TO steal the show every time doesn't he!  But he really hates it when I get the megrams and the bruises, scratches & resulting scabbing so he pitches in now & then and not without a fashion statement of his own!  (Whata guy!)

But they really were a fashion statement weren't they, along with your pretty, new, up-to-date aqua or pink kitchen appliances

And here's one of my recent finds.  The reason I'm showing it is because of the thoughts I was having as I worked away at a tiny gravy stain, thinking maybe this happened when dad sneaked up to give her a little kiss behind the ear & scared her to death!  Did she respond in kind with a twinkle of promise in her eye, or did she whirl around & call him a sonuvabitch for ruining her BEST apron????

(Can you guess MY reaction to that fantasy??? :- )

They really were a fashion statement of the time, the occasion, and the woman herself

The End.

Cheerio!  And have YOUR best apron ready for Thanksgiving!  Who know's what surprise YOUR OWN Big Daddy will rein upon you!

Good Sunday Morning To You & Some Recent Finds

The sun is already shining at 8:27 a.m. here in sunny Sacto, CA.  Gives me hope that the temp will be warm enough to paint the old wicker sleigh today.  It's been "iffy" this week.  I've had the darn thing for a few years in it's current natural wicker color but it needs to be much more festive so bring on the Christmas red spray cans!  We're going to use it in our Christmas window display at Folsom so I must get crackin!

I've also decided that I MUST buy a new camera!  I've noted that other blogs are so much more interesting & fun because of pictures taken "on the fly" at flea markets, estate sales, and just places passing by on the journey.  I don't take those kind of pictures now because my camera is heavy & bulky & not easy to lugg around & really meant more for "photography" than just fun shots .  So, Walmart here I come for a smaller, easier to handle camera that I can just sling on my wrist & shoot with.  Well, um, maybe at this point in the season I may have to wait for Santa (Oh, I KNOW Big Daddy is "Santa"!  I caught him one time trying to sneak a blender into the house Christmas Eve.  That was of course the year he had bruises & abrasions on Christmas morning :- ) 

Had a few good "pickin" days - one was on my birthday with my old pal Linda.  Had a yummie brunch at Denny's in Cameron Park (love that place!) & headed for the hills around Placerville & Pollock Pines. We have a few favorite picking spots up that way & I adore going to the foothills & miss it when the weather gets bad & we're stuck down here in the valley.  Anyway, here's a few great finds. Some are at Folsom, some on Etsy but I love em all!

Ooo, I can SO taste that citrine martini with a little mandarin orange slice in the bottom of these glasses!

And I SO wish I were young and SKINNY again so I could have this fabric made into a fabulous 50's style halter dress for summer! 

Just simply LUUUV these Sexton kitty cats!

Just GOT TO find an old fondue recipe book & get back into it!  Yum!

An absolutely precious old needlepoint just waiting for the clever person (which I am NOT!) to make it into a pretty little pillow, or even frame it.  Too cute!

And the VERY coolest find of the week - An absolutely gorgeous Victorian era silver plate tea pot.  It's simply breathtaking in it's design.  I adore the reindeer legs & the dog on top.  A very special find for sure

So, those are a few of my recent finds.  Every picking day is an adventure, taking us to a place of no worries and things that make us feel happy.  Hope your weekend has been a great one with lots of love & happy!

Cheerio!

My Salute....

Veteran's ~ Friends & Loved One's ~ Near and Far

To ~

My Daddy ~ Daniel James Kennedy, United States Army, WWII, Italy

My dear friend Hepcat, United States Air Force

My FB Friend, Mary Everett, United States Navy Nurse

And Terrance A. Pratt, Viet Nam Vet, United States Army.  No picture but who remains a dear and close friend.

Sending my snappiest salute to all who have fought for and/or guarded our beloved freedom.  I send you my thanks.

Vic 

Who Knew?!?!?!

Wow, who knew having an Etsy store could be EXHAUSTING!  I'm tellin you, it seems to be as much work as the store at Folsom (meaning double work!).  It's a lot of work being a picker, ya know?  Whew.  Oh it all sounds real simple - just take some pics & throw them out there & the masses will appear.  Haha!  Nupe, gotta practically set up a "photo studio" to make sure all items look as appealing as possible, then filling out a long form for every item as well as an appealing description.  And OH, packing & shipping!  Whew again.  And this doesn't even include all the washing, scrubbing, ironing, etc that's always involved in re-selling vintage.  In fact right now I have two pairs of nice vintage gloves soaking in color safe bleach & one vintage apron with an oxy-paste on a gravy stain, oh, and the two other (adorable) vintage aprons I just washed & ironed, oh and....the sweet cotton Christmas table cloth still waiting to be ironed.  Waaaah!  What am I doing?!  These are my golden years - what was I thinking?!  My last marble just dropped out my left ear!!!

But as ALWAYS, Big Daddy to the rescue, if not with a blow-torch or a hazmat suit for me, then consoling, calming words of encouragement

But wait!  He has his motives.  He may look all suave & debonair (I know you're coveting - now STOPPIT!)  in those Sunday-go-meetin clothes and smelling like that old Jade East cologne he found at the estate sale last weekend, but then who wouldn't knowing what I found at that same estate sale

Oh I saw that wicked look and evil grin when I was slipped this old Magic Fingers bed massager between the mattress to make sure it still works properly & doesn't electrocute.  For you youngsters who missed the era of motor lodges with the  Magic Fingers Bed Massager feature, well, there's still a chance to experience the good ol days!  And you won't even have to put a quarter in the box for a cheap thrill!  (IMPORTANT NOTE:  - it goes between the mattress..the M-A-T-T-R-E-S-S!  I would not want to be responsible for an unfortunate event in case you're thinking of ordering! ;- ) Yessiree, they are still out there for home use!   Ho!  And he thinks I won't know when he secretly tries to order it from my Etsy store - I'll know.  So he can just take his soothing words, sexy junior prom suit, and the flowers he's no doubt planning to show up with when the thing arrives, and, well, you know :- )  He'll not pull anything over on ME!

So anyway, I've had a few good pickin days but took most of the stuff out to the store or getting it ready to go on Etsy & not yet photographed, but I have been lucky & found a couple more things for my nostalgia room which, BTW is starting to look like the Etsy Warehouse instead of my sweet nostalgia room - bummmer, but still looking sort of nice.  First thing I found is this great groovy hairspray can holder!  Gosh, we never had such a glamourous item to hold our hairspray & I'd never seen one so I never felt deprived, but I sure would have wanted one if I'd known, so now I do! 

How cool is that!  I got it at Zootsuitmama's store on Etsy.  I couldn't wait to zoom down to Walgreen's & get a can of good ol pink Aqua Net (how I would LOVE to find an old can of Carol Richards!!!).  Much to my dismay, they've updated the can (amazing it's still even around!) to look more modern and I want an OLD one darnit!  However....I do know there's a can of the old model in the restroom at the store in Folsom so I'm not discouraged.  They probably won't mind trading a full, new style can for the old model!  Stands to reason a vintage store would have a vintage can of Aqua Net in the lady's room, right?!

Also found a book to start my re-collection of my favorite girlhood reads

 I had a huuuge collection of the Whitman Publishing Co. books for young people with the shiney covers.  In good times and a LOT of hard times I lost myself for hours & days with the adventures of Donna Parker, Trixie Belden, The Bobsey Twins, and Annette (the Mouseketer).  There were many books in each series & I loved them.  And since my granddaughter is about the age I was when I had them, she is my excuse for getting them!  We can read aloud together.  Grandchildren are so great for many reasons :- )

So my friends, this is where I'm at these days, as uninspiring as it is to blog about (or read about!).  I've got several fun ideas to blog about, but gosh......who knew it would be so time consuming to be a successful business woman *snurk-snurk*.  It's actually going quite well so far.  I don't want to jinx myself or brag but it's going way better than I thought it might, so send me a *High-Five* and a wish for continued good "sale-ing" and I promise to CUT the Connie Francis music and find something else fun to talk about & listen to.  I will!  I promise!

Till next time....Cheerio!