My Thrift Haul

Well my dear readers, it sure doesn't feel like winter around here. We've been having highs in the 50s and 60s. It feels more like fall. Not that I mind since I like Fall but I also love winter. I guess cold weather is more my cup of tea. As long as I don't have to drive in it or go out in it much.

The last couple of weeks have seen me finish a one piece shrug for my mom. I finished it over a week ago but I'm not quite sure I'm happy with it. It looks fine and I finished it well, but something about it bothers me. Maybe it's just the style that I personally don't like I guess I'll have to see how my mom likes it. If  she doesn't, Ill just unravel it and make something else.

Here's a WIP photo. I love the color my mom picked out. It's a a worsted yarn with varying  shades of brown and burgundy. I've got to knitting projects in the books right now. I'm knitting my youngest nephew a green hooded raglan sweater. I found a great pattern on Ravelry. It's easy to understand and easy to knit. After that, I'm knitting my aunt a capelet. She's turning 60 next month and my mom thought ld like it. I also want to make her a monogram pillow. Only time will tell if I have enough time.


In my last post, I showed everyone my awesome blue rose skirt. I really liked the skirt but decide to make it into a dress. I added the bodice with a sweetheart neckline and halter top straps. I was going to wear it to our anniversary dinner (last week was our 3 year anniversary). Unfotunately it rained all weekend. I had to change my outfit plans. I have issues with my tonsils so anytime it's windy and wet I have to be bundled up.

Here's a close up of the print and before photo of the skirt. I didn't always add linings to my dresses but I try to now. It gives it such a great finished look.

 A close up of the bodice neckline and halter straps. I finally found a pattern for the straps that look nice and sit flush. Oh, can I just say how much I love under-stitching! It is so wonderful. It gives your clothes a smooth finished look without having to top stitch.

The Mr. went out of town today for work so that means one thing: I get the truck. I have been up since 5am so, yeah, I definitely had coffee. I went out to the thrift store earlier today and scored big.  Sometimes it seems like there is nothing good out there but not today.

The first piece I found was this vintage 1950s Paule Mage sweater. It's an all wool sweater handmade in Denmark and, best of all, it fits me! I can't close it over my boobs but it'll make a great addiction to my collection. There's minimal piling and no holes or tears.

I never find good jewelry at this thrift store. Sweaters, shoes, purses, magazine and fabric: yes, but never jewelry. I lucked out big time today.

Here's this awesome vintage nuts and seeds charm bracelet. I love charm bracelet but most of the time they are too small for me. This one fits perfectly and is in great condition. I think it maybe form the 1950s or 1960s. So happy with this purchase.

As happy as I am with my charm bracelet this made my day. It's a Bakelite and wood bangle in great condition. It tested positive with the Simichrome so I know it's authentic. I got it for a great price and will be selling it. I would love to keep it but unfortunately, it's too small for my hand.

Gorgeous side A

Side B

My last trip to the thrift store was a good one. I bought a couple of pairs of vintage shoes. One for men and one for women.

I love the look of vintage bowling shoes. These are pretty nice. They fit me but I figure some lucky guy can wear them out.

 

I only wish these beauties were in my size. I looks like they maybe a size 7 which I haven;t worn since I was 11. They are a pair of 1950s boudoir slippers with black rabbit fur accents. The puffy ball is the best.

How stinkin' cute is this 1950s shot glass? It always amazes me when vintage glassware makes it for such a long time. The gold rim is a little faded but the lion and giraffe look great.

I've been battling a sinus headache for a couple of days now. It's annoying and bothersome especially since I hate taking medicine more than I need too. It's been very dry too which hasn't helped. Hopefully, we'll get some more rain or snow to help us out.

I leave you with the lovely Hydrangeas my husband got me for our anniversary. Beautiful color. Hopefully, I won't kill it. I'm not too good with potted plants outside of succulents. I hope everyone has a fantastic week.

Thrifting Finds and Finished Projects

Well my dear readers, here we are at the end of January. Times seems to go by faster the older one gets. I certainly did notice that once I graduated from high school time would pass me by even faster. it probably didn't help that I was attending college full time and working 40+ hours a week. Since moving to Nevada, time has slowed down a bit. There isn't a much to do here so maybe that's why things are at a slower pace.

I'm sure that I've mentioned this before, but I love thrifting. It's such a fun activity; like treasure hunting. You really never know what you will run across. A couple of months ago, I found several vintage knitting magazines. Here's a funny bit, every time I have run across a vintage magazine, pattern or pamphlet I have always seen the back cover first. Why or how this always happens I really don't know. I see the vintage typing or photos and I get really excited.

I love this cover girl. She has a great outfit on and those go-go boots are pretty sweet too. I'm actually considering knitting this cardigan. I love the color and it should be easier to adjust for bust size since this one goes up to 44".

This magazine dates back to either 1951 or 1957. I'm terrible at reading Roman numerals. It has a great selection of gloves and mittens. I love the blue and white mittens on the lower left corner.

Another great magazine. Plenty of pullovers and cardigans. It looks like it's from the 1960s. There are a few patterns I like but at a 38" bust I don't have the skill yet to alter the pattern.

 

Oh how I do love me a good men's sweater. Especially vintage men's sweaters. There are a lot of patterns in this magazine. Some I like better than others. I do, however, like the navy blue and red  cardigan in the photo below.

Ahhh, my Spanish Lady. Now, I've never been one for dolls. Grtowing up my sister and I would often give Barbie hair cuts and makeup jobs that would make her look like a beat up street walker. I always perferred books an tea sets. However, when I saw this lady in the toy section at the Goodwill I couldn't pass her up. And for a buck who would.

A vintage men's Pendleton wool cardigan. I love this cute little cardi. It buttons up and has pockets. I love having pockets on sweaters and cardigans. It only had one tiny spot were some stitches had come undone but that was quickly taken care of.

 There are a few other items that I've thrifted but I figured I'd post those in a later post. Here are a few of my finished  sewing and crafting projects.

I love making circle skirts. They give such a wonderful shape with a petticoat and are fun to twirl in. I was thrifting at Goodwill when I saw this fabric. A sheet really. I thought" This will make an awesome circle skirt." It reminds me of the abstract/messy artist prints that were popular in the 1950's. It has two side seam pockets.

Believe it or not, I've had this fabric for 5 years. Yup. I hoard fabric until I find the perfect project for it. Another circle skirt. This one only has one pocket. I may need to make or knit a matching blouse.

I finally got my butt in gear and made this flower clip holder frame thingy. I thrifted the frame a while ago. I spray painted it with a glittery black paint and made the background for it. Can you tell I can't ever hang anything straight? It fills out the space nicely and gives me a visual of what I have.

I thrifted the straw purse a couple of years ago. I love straw purses. I had used the purse before and to give it a pop of color had clipped in some of my hair flowers. I wanted to give it a tropical feel so I added some leaves and pears. Im really happy with how it turned out.

I love vintage 1940s necklaces. Too bad most of them are in the $100+ range if it's true vintage.  A couple of years ago I bought this vintage Lucite dice bracelet. I loved it but it was on the smaller side so I never wore it. A few weeks back I was in one of my crafting moods and this happened. This is version 2.0 and i had some help figuring it out. It's a bit heavy but it looks great. I also want to make a matching pair of dangling earrings. I just need to buy the hardware.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.And as always, here's a photo of Ridley sleeping in his cat tree.

Times seems to fly

Well my dear readers. It's been a few weeks (again) since my last post. My laptop did indeed died. Luckily my hard drive was intact without damage. My hubby bought a housing case so now it's an external hard drive. I'm just glad all of my photos are safe. We're waiting to hear back from one of his co workers about a laptop he has for sale. 

It seems only yesterday I was worried about Thanksgiving and here we are about a week away from Christmas. We finally bought our Christmas tree last weekend. 

We always buy a noble fir. Jess really likes the smell and look of real trees. I'd be happy with an artificial tree but he won't have it. All of the decorations and tree skirt were either thrifted or bought at rummage/estate/garage sales. I don't think I've ever bought any new ornaments since we've been married.  

Today I got into the holiday spirit and decorated the house a bit more. 

Now I just need to go buy a couple of presents and I should be set. 

If you don't hear from me before the new year: I wish all of you a merry Christmas and happy new year. Be sure to spend happy and safe times with friends and family. 

Very Inspiring Blogger Award

Hello lovelies. I hope the week is treating you well and everything is going great. We've having odd weather. Warm one day; cool the next. It's nice but I'd rather it just stay cool. Then I can drink all the tea I want.

A few weeks ago I was honored to be nominated for the Very Inspiring Blog by the ever lovely Jessica from Chronically Vintage. If you haven't checked out Jessica's blog I suggest you do. She has a wonderful blog full of vintage outfits, recipes and fun informative posts.

As per the rules of the award, I will state seven random facts about myself.

1) I LOVE ghost stories. Ever since I was a little girl I used to love listening/watching/reading anything related to ghost, spooks, specters and even aliens. My grandma Ines had some of the best stories ever. They usually involved the devil disguising himself as a handsome young man and dragging some beautiful conceited woman to Hell.

2) I taught myself to knit. I've posted a few of my projects on my blog from time to time. I'm rally proud of the fact that I learned to knit by myself. It's a great skill to develop and keeps your mind sharp. Not to mention the bragging rights to anything you make.

3) This Thanksgiving will be our  first hosting it as a married couple. Although we've been married for almost 3 years, we've never hosted a Thanksgiving dinner at our home. Usually we attend a family dinner hosted by Jesse's uncle and his wife. It's great not to cook but there's always too many people around and not enough to do. This year it will be Jesse, myself and my in-laws. Nice and quiet.

4) I am a scientist. Buwhahaha. I graduated with an Associate's Degree in Science and Mathematics. I really love and do well in any science class. I told Jesse that once I change my name, I'm going to get cards made with my name and my title as "home maker and mad scientist." He liked the idea.

5) I love gray and gloomy weather. There's something about it being grey outside that makes me happy. I love driking a hot cup of coffee and watching the weather move. The clouds get thinner and thicker. Not to mention I get lots of cuddles from Ridley

6) Vincent price is one of favorite actors. Anyone who has ever seen or heard Vincent Price takes a liking to the man. I've always loved his movies and voice acting was great too. My favorite Vincent Price movie is House on Haunted Hill.

7) I have been trying to finish reading Bram Stoker's Dracula for over 2 years.This is such a great book. I bought this exact version over 3 years ago and have only read it half way through. It's an easy read and very easy to follow but I just haven't done much reading outside of knitting patterns and blogs.

An now for my nominees for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award:

Elisa from Like a Tree in the Desert -She has some awesome outfits and always seems to have fun weekend adventures.

Deborah from HellCat Vintage  She has great posts about rockabilly, plus size and hair tutorials.

Mysti from Mysti Luxe  She has some great restorations projects and tips about fixing up vintage.

Rosy from Sewingadicta She is a marvelous seamstress and has reproducd a lot of famous movie outfits by herself.

Mary Lou from MaryLou Cinnamon Another great seamstress who wears everything she makes and looks great.

Mama from Op Shop Mama This lady know how to shop and always has great finds for her and her family.

Helga from Helga von Trollop She is fabulous and fierce. She inspires me to be myself.

I hope everyone has a great week and weekend. I'm hoping to get out of the house and do a little thrifting.

Snow Fall and Some Great Finds

Well, it's definitely fall in Northern Nevada. On Monday, we awoke to our first snowfall of the season. This first photo I toke at 5am. It made me very happy when I looked out the window and there was a good 2" of snow on the ground and the flakes that were coming down were thick and fluffy. After I got the hubby off to work I went back to sleep. I can't function well that early in the morning. It's better than getting up at 4 am.



The wonderful thing about cats is that they are nature's own alarm clocks.Even if we don't want them to be. Ridley is dead set on having his breakfast at 7:30 every morning. Sometimes he's more cold than hungry and we'll sleep in until 8:30 am. I woke up, feed the cat and took a few photos. It is so wonderful to see the clouds coming over the Sierras and into the valley. You can literally see the snow coming over the mountains sometimes.







Of course, it melted all away by noon but it was a wonderful surprise. This is the earliest snowfall we've had in the almost 3 years we've been here. Maybe we'll get more snow this year. I'm hoping my mom and nephews will be able to come up for Christmas. The kids have never somewhere where there's snow on the ground. Jess is getting really excited about it. He wants to take the kids sledding.


A few weeks ago, I went to the annual Elks Lodge Flea Market. One of the great things about living in a rural area is that there are plenty of treasure to find and at great prices. Since Jess works so ealry, I decided to walk to the flea market. I took my hiking bag, which has a water bladder. Water bladders are great for when you go hiking or extended walks.We often use it when we go for walks around the neighborhood. It was a cold morning so I dressed for it. Unfortunately, once I got out in the sun I realized  had over dressed. I'm still surprised how cold it can be in the shadows but as soon as you get in the sun, you feel great.

 I decided to go ahead and walk to the flea market. I got there and went straight to the jewelry. I always try to get to the jewelry and patterns first so I have time to look through it and pick out what I want. I then move onto arts/crafts supplies, Christmas decorations and finally look at purses/clothes.

This is what I came home with. I was very pleased with everything I bought.  I bought a vintage zig zag afghan, several purses, several bunches of fake flowers, a couple of scarves, a handful of jewelry, a cinch belt, a vintage Dutch tin,some vintage Christmas ornaments and of course my awesome Samsonite train case.



Vintage Jamaica souvenir  straw and raffia purse. Not quite a shoulder bag or a hand bag.




Awesome vintage macrame handbag with Lucite handles. I think this one may be homemade.


Here's a close up of the afghan. I was think about making myself one. I love the pattern. I love making things but sometimes it's just cheaper to buy them second hand.


Can I let y'all into a little secret? I haven't bought any new Christmas ornaments/decorations since we moved out. All of my ornaments and decorations have been bought at garage sales, rummage sales, flea markets and thrift stores. I see not point in buying new. It's so expensive and don't have the charm of vintage items.

I love the drawings on these jingle bells. I just wish peolpe would stop writing prices on the front of packages. If there wasn;t a huge 10cents on the front of this package I would have framed it and hung it up.



I complete box of ornaments some embossed with "Merry Christmas" and a wintery scene.






Hand Blown and Decorated box of ornaments. I also found a lone glass drummer man. I removed to of the round ornaments to safe guard him.
 

I love how each tree is different and unique.




I bought this vintage Dutch tin for 50cents. It has embossed garlands around the top and sides.


Here she is. My beautiful mustard Samsonite train case. She was a bit grubby but I mostly cleaned her up. I cleaned up the outside and the inside. The mirror and interior are in great condition. It smells a bit like old makeup but a dryer sheet should get rid of the smell. She has the original key and the locks work well. The best thing about her? She was only $1! Yep $1. Doubt I'll ever find a cheaper one.







Of course, Ridley had to be in the shot. He knocked it over.







These are a few of the pairs of earrings I bought. The daisies are something else. I bought a lot more earrings but didn't feel up to taking photos of all of them. Most are clip-ons.




I kept these two pairs for myself. The red hoops turned out to be Bakelite. Not bad for a 10cent purchase. The bottom earrings are enamel clip ons.



And here is my growing tower of train cases. I love how the colors look great together. I may need to paint my dresser. But that will have to wait until Spring. No way am I jumping on a painting job during cold weather.



I hope everyone has a great week and a fun,safe Hallowed!