One Ringy Dingy

I bought a cute little vintage toy phone at the antique store for $6.00 this weekend.

(roll mouse over photo to see original photo SOOC)
From the photos it looks like a full size vintage phone, but it's only 5" long by 3" tall. Very petite for a toy phone, I think.

It almost looks like the phone I grew up with. Black with rotary dial.

Please tell me I wasn't the only person that used to get their fingers caught in the holes in the rotary dial. Maybe I just had pudgy fingers?

I'm shopping for a new cell phone today and the decisions are endless. Am I an iPhone person? Am I am Android person? Do I stay with Blackberry? Who has cooler apps? Which carrier has the better plan? Just buy the darn phone already!

Back in this phone's time you had one choice. Black. AT&T. Take it or leave it, lady!

Do you live and die by your cell phone or could you just as easily survive without it?

For my photo effects, I used Pioneer Woman's Action Set - Boost at 100% opacity, Kim Klassen's Pumpkin Grunge texture in Soft Light at 100% opacity and her Simplicity texture in Multiply at 40% opacity for all these photos.



Linking with Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen Cafe, Tabletop Tuesday at A Stoll Thru Life, Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm and Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style.

Kindle Covers On Etsy

I've been a little enamored of my Kindle since I got it in December, so of course I was looking on etsy for some cooler than the normal run of the mill covers for it.

Who can resist a sock monkey?

source HanksDesign on etsy

I loved the traditional covers of these, plus there is something so "me" about putting my Kindle inside of an old book.

source ReAuthored on etsy

The texture of the coffee bean bag cover was calling to me.

souce SewUpcycle on etsy

And this would be perfect for the crochet lover in your life.

source AngelsWingsCreations on etsy

For those that like a nice sturdy indestructible material, what about wood?

source jjkraai on etsy

These are very cute and remind me of my Grandmother's change purse.

source AngelaKayDesigns on etsy

A Nancy Drew book would be very cute and probably be a conversation starter when I'm out and about with the Kindle. Someone out there in blogland that I know has one of these, I just can't remember who. Is it you?

source RokkiHandbags on etsy

My niece would love this frenchy one.

source FreeMoment on etsy

Please feel free to grab one of these if are in the market for a cover. I don't make decisions easily, so it may take me a month or two to find the ultimate cover of my dreams. That's the downfall of being an overthinker, I guess.

BTW, I linked to the etsy store owners' main page just in case these have sold since I looked at them last. For instance, I know that the coffee bag one has sold, but she has other cute coffee bag designs listed.

I'm off to check out a few thrift stores today and maybe, just maybe, do some laundry (how exciting).

Circus Peanuts Anyone?

Circus Peanuts.

I always think of K-Mart when I see these. Don't get me wrong, I love the little buggers, but it's one of those things you pick up on a whim in the check-out line. I'm not sure anyone has ever gone to the store for the sole purpose of buying a bag of Circus Peanuts.

Did you know they are banana flavored?

I did not. I was shocked to learn that fact, because after many years of eating these things I never once thought Hey, these taste like bananas.

Any other Circus Peanut fans out there? I have an idea there aren't many. When I plugged it into Pinterest there were only two photos that popped up. And that tells you something right there.

Why am I writing about Circus Peanuts? It was my Mom's favorite candy and today is the 2nd anniversary of her death (if there is such thing as an anniversary for dying?). So, this year instead of an ode to my Mom, I thought I would commemorate the day with her favorite candy.

So, here's to banana flavored orange peanuts!

And if you are in the mood to be adventurous, try out this recipe that I found on the Spangler Candy site. As much as I like a good Circus Peanut, I don't think I can go down this sugary path.

Circus Peanut Jello Recipe

1 6oz package of orange flavored jello
1 16oz can of mandarin oranges
2 cups boiling water
2 cups whipped topping
1 3/4 cups mandarin orange syrup mixed with water
30 circus peanuts

Boil water and dissolve the jello
Cut peanuts into smaller slices and add to the jello mixture, stir until dissolved
Drain the syrup from the mandarin oranges and add enough water to the syrup to make 1 3/4 cups liquid
Add to the jello and chill until partially set
Stir together the mandarin oranges and whipped topping, fold into jello mixture
Pour into a 13x9 pan and refrigerate until firm
Eat and enjoy

A Stripey Dollar Store Find

I was at the Dollar Tree today and ran across these vintage looking striped glasses. It was love at first sight. My first thought was that they would go perfectly with my Fiesta Dinnerware!

And guess how much they were? $1.00 each.

I'd show you the animal crackers I bought also, but you probably know what those look like (they were $1.00 too, just in case you were wondering). What did I ever do before they invented dollar stores?

Linking with No Minimalist Here's Open House Thursday, From My Front Porch To Yours' Treasure Hunt Thursday and Savvy City Farmer's Thrift'n On A Thursday.

The Weather It Is A Changin'

I have been totally spoiled by this warmer weather we have had this winter. Up until recently, it was more like fall than winter.

We got a bit of the more traditional cold and snow last week.

Followed by 60 degree weather on Monday. Bye-bye snow.

I am not normally a snow lover. Actually, I would be happy it if only snowed on Christmas Eve. But I'm not sure I will fully appreciate spring when it comes, if I don't have some really bone chilling cold days and a few feet of snow at some point this winter.

OK, now I just jinxed it. Cue the Blizzard of 2012.

My daffodils had better hunker on down again, just in case that blizzard is on its way.

Yes, that photo was taken yesterday. No, I didn't rake the leaves this year. I was too busy blogging.

BTW, I finished The Help yesterday. LOVED IT!!! I've been humming Bob Dylan's song, Times They Are A Changin', all day (hence the questionable grammar in my post's title).

Croquet Box Anyone?

In August, I expressed my love for a vintage croquet set that I found.

Since buying the croquet set, I have only played it a few times. It's actually hard to find people who want to dress up in white ankle length dresses and tap a ball around the yard on a hot summer day, but it has proved to be a nice summer decor item for the porch.

So, when I was out at a local antique shop and caught sight of this guy out of the corner of my eye, I started to hyperventilate. Could it be? Why, yes it is. A croquet box (cue the sun shining down and the angels singing).

Now, it doesn't even come close to having the whole set inside the box, it only has a few mallet shafts.

But who cares? Look at that writing on the box!

And as far as boxes go, it is actually quite useful. The top is hinged in a way that it sort of rolls back behind the box itself.

So, it makes a perfect trough area to fill with summer plants or flower filled Ball jars or just about anything in the whole wide world.

For right now, I have it on top of my kitchen cabinets (all of you painted kitchen cabinet lovers may want to avert your eyes).

I was actually going to paint a sign and put it in this very same spot. You know, one that says EAT or maybe KITCHEN (real original ideas there, Pam). But the Croquet company's logo actually fits my style a little better.

Do you find yourself attracted to a good box? If so, is it the signage on the outside that attracts you or the box itself?

Linking with Thrifty Thursday at Tales From Bloggeritaville, Junker Newbie's Would You Buy It Wednesday, Vintage Thingie Thursday at Colorado Lady, Farmhouse Friday at LaurieAnna's Vintage Home.

Pinecones

I have a thing for pinecones.

After Christmas, I always pick up a bag or two of those scented ones that are on clearance at that time of year. I've done this for a few years, so I have quite the pinecone stash.

They are the perfect winter decor item to me. They fill my decorating desire after the Christmas stuff is packed up and stored away, yet I still want a little winter interest around the house.

BTW, this was my dining room prior to the "photo shoot". Blogging is all smoke and mirrors, people.

I bought this snowy tree at the Christmas clearance sales also. It is plastic with snow on it, so there was no way I way going to pay full price for it. But for the clearance price of $5.00, it wasn't looking so bad.

I incorporated pinecones into my mason jar/wine bottle holder on my kitchen table.

Here's another nugget of reality. Just out of view of the last two shots was my son's Spongebob Chia Pet that has been living on my kitchen table since Christmas day. If you run to Kmart, you may still be able to find one for yourself!

Now, I also have baskets of pincones on the back of the toilets in two of my bathrooms, but I draw the line at toilet photos. A girl's gotta keep something to herself.

Did you decorate for winter or have you moved on to spring already?

Linking with A Stroll Thru Life's Table Top Tuesday.

My Krafty Felted Lampshade

Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions on how to make my plain Jane lampshade a little more fancy.

Well, I worked on it this weekend and this is what I came up with.

Blinged up felt flowers on a kraft paper slipcover.

For the felt flowers, I used an iced tea spoon to make a template.

And then made two more templates, slighter smaller than the preceding one,

and cut them out of the felt.

It took less than one sheet of felt to make three flowers. Of course, I didn't know that when I was buying felt, so now I have 7 sheets of felt that will float around my craft drawer for the next year.

I cut a small circle for each flower also.

A spot of glue was shot from the dreaded (and pretty ugly to photograph) hot glue gun onto the bottom of the petal

and then the end was squished together. If there is a secret to doing this without burning your fingers, please share with the rest of the class.

I used eight petals for each flower

and glued them to the felt circle.

A little bling was added to the middle.

I used Jim Holtz's buttons that I picked up at JoAnn Fabrics for my centers. They were on sale last week, otherwise I would have used my 40% off coupon for them. I ended up using my coupon on glue sticks (the highest priced item that was not on sale), saving a whopping $1.29. Not exactly an Extreme Couponing use of the 40% off.

You could use just about anything for the bling. In fact the bling on the largest flower is actually left over from my snowman bottle project from before Christmas.

Originally I was just going to glue the flowers to the white lampshade, but decided to make a slipcover for it out of kraft paper instead. I bought a roll of kraft paper at Dollar Tree for $1.00 (I bet you thought I'd say $2.00).

I just traced the outline of the shade, cut it out and then taped it together in the back. Tricia at A Rosy Note had mentioned that she made a slipcover for her daughter's lamp and I thought that was a great idea. If I get tired of the flowers, I just take this slipcover off and try something else.

I swear this poinsettia is plastic. It just keeps going and going and I haven't done anything to it in weeks. Aren't you a little thirsty?

So there's my solution. Hindsight being 20/20, I may have made the flowers a little smaller, but I am looking at it as an artistic statement.

Where did I get this idea?

Faye from Wild Rose Vintage had pinned a similar lampshade to her Pinterest board. BTW, if you don't follow Faye's boards on Pinterest, you are missing out.

Source

And the actual tutorial that I sort of followed (90%) was Mrs Priss's tutorial for making felt flowers.

Source

So I guess it's a combination of both their ideas, plus my kraft paper.