A Very Cute, Shabby Chic, No Sewing Required, Vintage Hanky Project

I caught a glimpse of an antique booth on a blog I was reading the other day (don't remember which one) and I saw a great idea for my stash of vintage hankies.

I had bought a box lot of vintage and antique hankys at an auction last year; hundreds of them. I didn't know what I was going to do with them but I figured ideas would present themselves and I could not pass up the bargain at $5.





This one - in my office/den - I made from blue, green and turquoise (and some pink) themed prints and solid colored hankys.
I also did one in my dining room with white linen embroidered and cut worked hankys that is smaller, for the single window.





You don't need a box lot of 100s of hankys to do this. I used 10 for the double window and 7 for the single window. I also buy hankys at yard sales,thrift shops, or estate sales for a dime or as much as a quarter. Or you can buy larger lot of them on Etsy or eBay.



Fold each hanky in half, cross ways. (You might also want to press them.)



Tie the corners of each hanky together; using however many hankys you will need for whatever you'll be making this for.



Like so:



I personally used the ones I made as window valances; but I originally saw them draped on a shelf. You could also use these as wedding decor, or drape them on a stair rail at Christmas; or anywhere you need a little vintage hanky "flag bunting" fun.

Vintage Time Capsule

Today I bought a pair of vintage infant shoes, and upon closer inspection, I saw there was a folded piece of note paper inside. I pulled it out and sure enough, there was a hand written letter.



The letter, dated May 2, 1977, reads:

Dear Steve
Well you didn't say goodbye, and I guess I didn't expect you to. Well anyway I hope you have a good summer. And I also hope that we can still be friends and maybe next year I'll see you around. Did you have fun on discovery? I know you did! Be good!!!!
Well about the shoes - these are to help remind you that if ever or whenever you become great and famous or look at great people you would like to be like, Christ said that we are to become as a little child. Try to fill these shoes.
It was hard to write this and it will be even harder to send it.
Take it with the right spirit or if you didn't, throw the shoes away! If you have the desire you can write me. Do take care of yourself. Love, Shirley

I thought it was pretty neat. The shoes and the letter will be listed in my Julia's Child Etsy shop tomorrow.

A Sunday Afternoon Stroll Part 1

It was a gorgeous early fall day out; so we took our pup and headed for the woods.



















Then my camera batteries died, before I got to the waterfall. So I'll have to share that a little bit later.

Late Summer Flowers and Sweet Potato Biscuits.

This time of the year is kind of depressing to me... Summer, drawing to a close, gets kind of worn-out looking. "Like butter, scraped over too much bread", as Bilbo said. (In the Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien.)

I do love fall but I despise winter... and winter is so close on the heels of fall. I miss the growing things and dread the brown dreariness.

My zinnias are still going strong. And some kind of yellow flower is popping up all over the place.





A neighbor brought over some apples from his tree, and some sweet potatoes. I generally don't like sweet potatoes; but I like things made with them; like pie. Or sweet potato biscuits.... not as light as a regular Southern style biscuit. Being made with sweet potatoes, they're a bit dense. Like little pillows of tastyness. Great spread with some lovely butter and cinnamon. Or even with a little home made apple butter.....mmmmm.





I am enjoying my last few days of summer while I can; and pushing thoughts of wood stoves, unpacking the warm clothes, and finding my scarves and gloves to the back of my mind for now.

I guess you may have noticed I kind of re-vamped my blog.... right now, I am working on a header. It is a rather daunting task for me; but I will prevail and get it done so lovely readers are greeted more fittingly when popping in for a visit here. :)

Enjoy your last days of summer, all!

A Place At The Table

(So, back before I started blogging, I used to write random "essays". I have a whole portfolio of them. I used to also write opinion "letters"/articles for the local paper, but that is another subject. The following is one of my "essays" I dug out the other day and figured I'd share.)


October 10, 2008

My family had the same kitchen table since before I was born. It was large enough to seat everyone; at one time being nine people all together. Through the years, the numbers have dwindled down as family members got married or moved away.

It was a heavy brown thing, and mom collected various vintage ladder back kitchen chairs to place around it, with cushions Grandma sewed for them. When the varnish started to soften and peel, mom just bought table cloths for it.

It was very important to my parents, who were trying to blend two families together, that meals be eaten all together. So, just about every day for breakfast and supper, we all sat around the table and truly did come together and bonded as a family.

The table was more than just a place to eat meals. It was, perhaps, the most important fixture in our home. Each person had an assigned "place" at the table, where we sat day after day. When Mom folded the laundry, she placed each person's stack of clothing at their "place", along with other items she found lying around that needed putting away; or little things she had bought for that person.

Before we had our schoolroom (we were homes schooled) complete with desks, dry erase board, bookshelves, and filing cabinets, we did our assignments at the table.

When Mom sewed clothing, she spread her fabrics and patterns out on the table; and we did numerous crafts projects there as well. I watched Mom create wonders around the table... play costumes, ball gowns, bridesmaid's dresses, or curtains, mom made them on that table.

My brothers spread newspapers over it, and cleaned their guns and other hunting gear. It was also a medical center, from time to time, when someone had a splinter, a cut, sores, or other maladies. Mom would get out her EMT gear and go to work under the bright light of the chandelier.

At Christmas, it was a decorating and present wrapping station, a cookie baking center, and Christmas card writing desk, as well as everyone's favorite place on Christmas day when mom served home made doughnuts for breakfast, and succulent turkey for dinner.

It was Dad's desk when he went back to college, where he paid bills, and where he did a lot of his writing.

Everyone celebrated their birthday around the table; the ceiling above the table festooned with crepe paper and balloons, Mom's home made Birthday Banners, and colorful table cloths. Mom made the birthday person's favorite cake, and bought their favorite ice cream. The family gathered around to sing, enjoy cake, and watch the gift opening. It was the place where countless important family pow-wows took place; decisions were made, tears were shed, opinions voiced, and politics passionately discussed.

As the years went by, there were less people around it for daily meals; but for the Holidays, once again, the family gathered around it. With the addition of spouses, it got tighter and tighter. After the Holiday dinners, its still the family "catching up" spot, where, just like in the beginning, the family bond is preserved.

Some want to hear the stories walls would tell if they could speak; but I'd want to listen to my family's table.


PS - Please take a moment to enter the giveaway. Thank you!

Grand Opening Of My Second Etsy Shop

So this is the surprise I mentioned in my post yesterday. But its less of a surprise for those of you who follow my Etsy shop on Facebook or who follow me on Facebook. (To follow the shop on Facebook, click the link in the sidebar to you right.)

I used to have a kids "section" in my Carolina Roses Etsy shop; but about a year ago I decided to stop listing the kid's items I buy and save them up to create a second shop with only the kid's stuff in it.

For a while I thought I was going to set my Mom up with the shop; but we decided since I already know how to manage and navigate the Etsy website I'd just do it myself.

I have been behind the camera and in front of the computer for days and days to get everything posted and identified and I am still working on items for the shop.

The shop is Julia's Child Vintage. Julia being my Mom, and me being her child.

I especially love the old fashioned frilly girls dresses, velvet dresses, cute accessories and, of course, cute nursery decor and adorable toys and things.

Later this week I will reveal the other surprise I mentioned that is kind of part of the Grand Opening of the Julia's Child shop.

Have a great day everyone!

A Wedding On A Summer Evening......

So this past weekend I had the honor and pleasure of heading up decorating for my friends wedding - Congratulations, Nancy and Jake! Nancy contacted me and said she'd been "stalking" this blog and my style vibe was what she was after for her wedding. Since I am always up for a challenge I offered to help out in any way I could.
That, and because we've been friends forever, and our parents and older siblings were friends before we were born, I was honored to be a part of her big day!

And, if you're still stalking me on this blog...Hi, Nancy! *waves at Nancy*


Penn House in Reidsville, NC




Nancy started growing the terrariums weeks in advance.
















And, in case you were wondering what I wore for the wedding:


This is a navy blue cotton (some kind of textured kind of cotton fabric; kind of a rustic, coarsely woven kind of thing...?) strapless dress with rows of buttons at the waist and down onto the skirt. Kind of like the way they did skirts in the "nineteens"...
Anyway, I love that dress. I have a 3/4 sleeve white sweater I was planning on wearing with it but it was just so dang hot! Thus, my (failed) Quiff bangs and pony tail hair-do that you totally can't see in the photo because it just looks like I plastered my hair down on my head, all tacky and stuff.... oh well.
Anyways, with the dress I wore those Madden Girl T-strap candy apple red peep toe stilettos I bought awhile back.

I think my ankles and legs will be permanently deformed after wearing those shoes. I had people comment about the shoes all night, and how "hot" they were - but I.Don't.Care. I don't think I will ever wear them again, if it means having to walk in them.

My back still hurts.

I kept them on and endured until dark and all the tipsy people hit the dance floor and then I took them off and wore flip flops for the clean-up. I figured nobody would see me being all tacky in flip flops, in the darkness.

So that's what I did with my weekend!

And tomorrow, I have a surprise planned.

In fact, a couple of surprises for this week.

'Nite, Y'all.

Treasure from Afar

I just returned from a trip to visit my Husband's family in Michigan... and I have treasure to show.

Kevin's mom bought the most amazing "farmette" and we went to help do a bunch of clearing and work in the house - which is going through a top to bottom, down to the studs remodel. More on all that later....

While I was there, my niece (in law) Aloh and I stopped in to a "Barn" sale and an estate sale where I picked up several neat items.

Like this amazing Victorian style afternoon wedding gown:


(Up later today in my Etsy shop)



This hat was given to me by my Mother in law, and it belonged to my husband's Grandmother. This one will stay in the family for sure and gets a place of honor in my hat collection!

I also got several pieces of embroidered linen, a small hand painted Nippon dish, shoes, handbag, and other odds and ends at the estate sale.

Today was my first day back and I had to dash to the bank so of course I stopped in my favorite Goodwill store and spent too much money..... but got some great items for the house! I get great vintage clothes there all the time but not so much house wares. This morning I seriously lucked out in that department:


Awesome old cherry veneer trinket shelf. I haven't figured out where I am going to use it yet but I am sure I will eventually! I only paid four dollars for it. I've seen them in antiques shops for $30 - $40, depending on condition and age.


Old floral needlepoint in a oval frame.... oval frames are my favorite.


Neat old wire doll high chair


I did find some good vintage clothing items; including these two dead stock Pendleton wool pencil skirts from the 60s. (Will be listed in my Etsy later)

It's so good to be home!! :)