Hello friends.
All is well.
I’m busy trying to learn some new internety skills. Lots and lots of trial and error. Lots of curse words and obsessive thinking.
On Wednesday I will leave my comfortable, happy home for a wee bit. It will be a little sad and some difficult, but after a while I will come back and it will be lovely and warm. Postings will probably be few and far between during this time.
These are some of the noises made by my waking baby. I think she has a certain fondness for our creaking doors.
One last posting about my recent second-hand haul. This time I thought I’d brag about my clothing finds.
This dress isn’t actually a new find, but it was just returned to me. I love, love, love this piece! I think I’m going to shorten it, and save it for special occasions (like craft shows).
I grabbed up a few pretty silk scarves. I love the sunshine print on the last one and the colour combos in the other two. I’ve been searching for some colour inspiration lately and I’m hoping these new friends will help!
A classic grey wool blazer and a brown leather jacket. Perhaps a little plain though. I think I’d like to add a little embroidery to the grey jacket. The brown piece is killer with a pair of jeans though; I’ll leave this one alone.
The last thrifty find for the day are these beautiful tan leather gloves. I love (!) the gold chain detailing. These are stunning in person. Unfortunately these beauties don’t fit me so they’ll eventually find their way to Etsy.
While I was at my nearest Value Village I found a couple great decorative pieces as well. Have yourself a drool…
This little fellow is the strangest bank of all.
A nice wide slot for coins, but no where for them to come out.
He’ll make you work for your withdrawal.
These ladies are just beautiful.
I may have even squealed a little when I found the tall one.
Meet my second and third beautiful kokeshis.
Just taking a moment to show off some of my recently thrifted fabric. A couple weeks ago I purged three garbage bags full of fabric, but I was only making room for some new friends.
Pink leather
(and some cute plastic beads too!)
Winter birds
(totally made up for the two other fabrics
that were in the grab bag)
Vintage earthy blocks and a nice solid orange
Finding great fabrics is probably my favourite part about thrift shopping right now (well, that and everything else about thrift shopping). Have you found any unbelievable pieces lately? I’d love to see what you have to share!
For weeks now I’ve racked my brain, trying to figure out what I’ll make a very special girl for her first birthday. My first instinct was a quilt (that’s always my first thought – why does that have to be my first thought?). Although I love them, and they’re definitely a memorable gift, a quilt would be way too much to put on my plate now. So what then? What do you make for a one year old?
Here’s what I came up with. I searched and searched through plushie tutorials looking for the right one. This is it, I know this is it. I was a little apprehensive before starting this project. Every time I tackle a new craft I think it’s going to be a breeze. The most common outcome is that it is not in fact a breeze, rather a scenic road trip to hell and back. This project was something in between the dream and the reality (I’m definitely not the most skilled at sewing up doll heads).
The pattern is by Emily from The Black Apple. A while back when she visited Martha she showcased this particular project. They’re oh so adorable and perfect for using up cute little scraps in your stash. All in all they took about two days of interrupted crafting to complete (many thanks to my partner for taking Georgia out of the house Thursday night so I could finish them up).
Without further ado, here are the final results!
She’s my favourite. If it were up to me her name would
be Hazel, but naming this little one is not up to me.
This little girl will probably be her parents favourite.
Just a guess, I might be wrong…
I think this is adorable, but I will admit the video is a little drawn out. Enjoy the bad kitty action.
Just in the knick of time I finished up my piece from IBTOY’s sewing circle. Well, it’s a finished piece in the fact that it’s a finished quilt block, but truly its just part of a greater work in progress. My dream is to create a quilt with a movie quote on each block. The silver lining is that I get to revisit all of my favourite movies to harvest my favourite quotes. This could be the perfect new-mom project yet!
vintage Pyrex percolator
vintage Pyrex tea pot
Look what I found yesterday! I love this stuff! This is what being a thrift store junkie is all about.
I went to my local St Vincents yesterday looking for a bag of poly-fil and this is what I left with. I hardly drink tea and I never drink coffee, but I couldn’t leave these lovelies just sitting on the shelf.
This beautiful pair will eventually be making their way to Etsy, but not before I release some super-secret thrifting related news (in the next few weeks). For now I’m just bragging about my latest awesome second-hand find.
I have a confession. I’m a wee bit addicted to YouTube makeup tutorials. I can’t stop watching them. I don’t wear makeup often and I’m totally clueless when it comes to putting it on. Maybe that’s the reason I watch. I’ve always been amazed by people who know how to do a smokey eye or a really red lip.
Anywho, during one of my late night Tube-a-thons I found this video. It appeals to two of my needs – the need to DIY and the need to get this crappy dry skin of my face. This hydrating face scrub is simple and inexpensive to make, is all natural and will stay good for quite a while without preservatives.
Just mix together 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of honey and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Scrub your face with about a 1/2 tablespoon for about a minute and rinse off. Nice and easy and it leaves your skin smooth and hydrated.
Check out Michelle Phan’s DIY video here and her YouTube channel here.
