...IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE!

'Don't let today pass without stepping off the beaten path!'

...MERMAID TEARS

svelteSTUFF photo

'MERMAID TEARS' ... I had never heard the term before reading PAT WINTER GATHERINGS this morning! Have you? I was intrigued. I went digging...

MERMAID TEARS

(THANKS Pat!)

(NOTE: bottom two photos from Beachglass Creations by PATRICIA LARZELIER)

...les, ...lus and ...lus!

This morning I felt the need for an adventure.

Got up early and plunged into the fog! First stop on the journey was a little coffee/book shop that I had never been to before.

( and yes, that 50% off coupon I had been carrying around in my purse for about a year was going to expire on Sunday!).After a leisurely white mocha, I headed out. Just down the street, in Barbara's hometown of S...les was a Thrift that I don't get to often.

(SCORE - two sweater clips and a glove clip!!)


Then onward to



a church thrift in M...lus,

and then for a first time visit to a seldom open thrift in C..lus!

(where I found another Ouija Board - YIPPEE!)

A picture perfect day, which even included a couple of VERA!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While at one of the Thrifts, I overheard a couple of people discussing a 'Shard Tree' that they had seen at MacKenzie-Childs... and how much it cost. I thought they were exagerating. When I got home, there sitting in my mail was the latest M-C catalog. Have any of you seen it? Front Cover = Shard Tree = $50,000. !! If you click on their site, it is the first photo that shows up briefly... just in case you want to buy a couple!

...test run

I guess it is 'up'... maybe?

Get your minds out of the gutter - I'm refering to svelteSTUFF Etsy!

I'm just testing the waters, and have only listed one item - would Really Appreciate any feedback, tips, suggestions, etc. that any of you 'Pros' would be willing to give a 'newbie'!! Link on sidebar (I hope!!)

~WE NOW RETURN TO THE REGULAR SCHEDULE OF FALL FUN!!~

...Autumn au Naturel

I need H.E.L.P!
I'm trying to get an Etsy shop up-n-running...
but there is less than a week until 'The most important of Holidays'.
I don't want to waste time trying to figure out how to get a 'GADGET' onto my blog that will link people to my Etsy Shop,
...I WANT TO PLAY!!!
(I will be forever indebted to anybody out there who is willing to help me with this 'crisis' !!)


To soothe my Etsy-frayed nerves, I decided on a Way-Scaled-Back theme this year - more of Autumn than Halloween. That's fine with me! One of my favorite past-times during the Fall are walks, in which I inevitably come home with pockets full of acorns, chestnuts, leaves - you name it! (Today, I even came home with an empty wasps nest!!). Here's how it is playing out so far...

DINING ROOM...black spray painted Hydrangea in a big white Haeger vase,

...scattered leaves, chestnuts & acorns (can't even tell there are stains on that ancient crocheted tablecloth!!)
...two Haeger Jack-O-Lanterns,
...'just found today' Haeger candle-holder (far left),
...and a piece of curly Wisteria vine with Cardinal-Crows proudly perched!

ENTRY
...Haeger (of course) filled with
...Japanese Lanterns and
...dried Tiger Lily stalks (accented with pheasant feathers!)

PORCH
The garden remnants, strategically arranged in the corner, so as to look like they belong~
...pumpkin (still waiting to be carved),
...funky gourds for 'Thanksgiving theme conversation',
...Artemesia,
...Tiger Lily stalks,
...Japanese Lanterns,
all guarded by my old Crow Decoy!


Can you see why I have so little patience for Etsy right now, when I have these 'important' things to do?!

...who needs Glitter?!

So... what's a poor girl to do with no 'saling' in sight on a Friday?...go to the local 'bag sale' stash...

...pull out a couple of bedraggled 'Christmas Cardinals'...
...grab a can of spray paint from the ever present stash...

...and get busy transforming to Halloween 'garnishes'!

(Hey, if the Almighty Holiday decorating doesn't get done this year, I will be one step ahead for next year!!)

Who needs glitter, when there is spray paint on hand??

...a TRUE 'Black Friday'.

Not a single sale ad in the papers for today.

...sou·ve·nir

(Anniversary trip to Montreal)

Last week, I volunteered to do some work at home... frame a couple of items for the new Christmas Store that is going to open this weekend. Just TWO pieces. So, I dug out my cutting board, straight edges, rulers, matte board, screw driver, wire, hammer, matte cutter, razor blade knife, backing board, a couple of frames from the attic.... With all of this in place- (covering our Living Room floor! ), I quickly had the framing/matting complete. Then I got to thinking (oh, this always means trouble!!)... Since I have ALL of this stuff out, I might as well frame some of 'my' stuff that I have been procrastinating on....(M&M package graphics)

Aren't they FUN?!! I only got two done - 'Montreal' and 'M&M', but the 'Holiday' motivation was there. I'm seriously Loving them!!

The M&M graphics were bestowed upon me by dear friends - 'Mr. M' worked for an advertising company that did packaging graphics (pre-computer), and these were doomed for the dumpster. Knowing MY love for Halloween, they were saved!! (Mrs. M - Please don't squeal on how long it has taken me to get these framed - and thank Mr. M for me again!).

As for 'Montreal', that will require some 'background information'....

My favorite 'souvenirs' from vacations are 'found' posters - those advertising an event we attended! Some fellow vacationers yell at me for 'stealing'. I don't look at removing 'soon to be trash' from telephone poles and alley walls as 'stealing'! Do you? Since this has become a regular occurance, I even pack an empty cardboard tube in my suitcase (when space allows) for the safe return travel of my treasures. When safely at home, these become (eventually) wall art. Stop grimacing - I don't do the college thing of 'taping' them to the walls - They are neatly framed and matted. As I'm sure you are all aware, framing and matting can be BIG $$... unless you do your own... with thrifted supplies!! I do. It just sometimes takes me a while.

Back to 'Montreal' - one of my Favorites!! Anniversary trip... Halloween... 24" x 36" poster - (The kind that is like a Giant sticker w/ the entire back adhesive for 'durable' posting)... a few drinks... back alley... The 'acquisition' was quite a 'journey' unto itself!

Here are some other 'souvenirs' that have 'free-loaded' there way home with me...

(previously framed!!)

WARNING: I DO NOT PHOTO REFLECTIVE SURFACES WITH ANY QUALITY!!!

('TouLouse LauTrec exhibit at Grand Palais in Paris')

(My first INDIANAPOLIS race - w/ Sam Bass signature!)

(Chicago NEOCON - w/ Richard Meier signature)

(The Feria & Running of the Bulls - Nimes, France)

(New Orleans.)

(Sausolito, Spring Faire)

How could I possibly resist these beauties, that still make me smile after so many years??

souvenir [ˌsuːvəˈnɪə ˈsuːvəˌnɪə]
n
an object that recalls a certain place, occasion, or person; memento
vb (tr)
Austral and NZ euphemistic slang to steal or keep (something, esp a small article) for one's own use; purloin
[from French, from (se) souvenir to remember, from Latin subvenīre to come to mind, from sub- up to + venīre to come]
hc_dict()

... it's all YOUR fault.

Our weekend in the Adirondacks was VERY, VERY good to me! I tried out the 'soul cart' for the first time -... it passed the 'capacity test', but failed in the 'height test' (as you can see, it is an older model and the handle isn't as high as on the new-fangled ones). Some modifications shall be made to the handle to make it more ergonomically correct for my 6' frame, and all will be good. One of my MAJOR scores was a vintage OUIJA Board - Finally! I got a hair-brained idea (Several years ago!!) to decorate my studio with them, and this is the first that I've found. Also shown in above are a Brand new green checked kneeling pad for me to use in the garden, a vintage pink flamingo, and..... a picnic basket. Not just any picnic basket, a Red Man ($2).

The basket made for added storage in the 'soul cart', but what was going through my head as I bought it? 'They make great storage' 'It is so useful' 'It's a Red Man... you don't have a Red Man.' WHY? WHY?

Before taking up residency in Blog-Land, I owned ONE picnic basket. The one that our family actually used for Picnics (novel concept!) when us kids were little. Now the 'Red Man' is the 4th that I have bought in the last few years. Blog-Land residents have taught me that they are great for storage, and look SO much better than plastic bins. ...It's all YOUR fault! (and that's my story, and I'm sticking to it!)


This past weekend I went to a rummage sale - 'Fill a box for $3'. This kind of sale is always dangerous for me. After spotting a few things that I could do okay with on Ebay, I grabbed a box....


...and do you know what else went into that box?

When I was unpacking, I was wondering WHAT had possessed me!??! I realized it is ALL BLOG-LAND residents fault!! I see the fun, creative, interesting things that all of you are making / decorating with and I get inspired! NO, I don't own the 'crafting gene', but all of those bottle of glitter, and the straw wreath, boxes of vintage garland (Made in Italy), and a spool of ribbon (500 Yards!), and bottle brush trees, and bags of poker chips, and needlepoint hoops (large size can be used for purse/bag handles!!), and macrame books, and lettered dice, and glass for soldering, and chess pieces and a whole jar of large sequins.... it's all YOUR fault!!

How can I stay mad at Blog-Land residents though?! I would like to thank all of you for your ideas and ever changing inspiration! ... guess I better get creative.

Okay, back to our regularly scheduled program... MY trifecta finds for the last couple of weeks...

HAEGER Easter Egg planter (Warrensburg), five SWEATER CLIPS that DH found in Warrensburg, and two VERA from a local thrift this week!!

If you look closely, to the bottom left corner of the navy/white VERA, you will see another 'clip' that DH found for me. One difference. Inside this one is inscribed: KING'S KEY FINDER. With a little more research... the 1950's women clipped these to an inside pocket in there purse, so that their keys were easily accessible, and didn't fall to the bottom to get lost amongst their 'compacts', 'purse ashtrays', 'purse hooks' and 'glove clips'!! Mystery solved. (I know you all will be able to sleep better tonight!).

...travelling to Illinois

...'THE' box of junk is, anyways! (though, I wouldn't mind tagging along and visiting Haeger Pottery!!). CAROL, be on the lookout!

I don't want to spoil anyones fun, so (for now) I am just going to show the goodies that I laid claim to...

...bindings, lace, ribbon, sparkly drink candles, tobasco, stickers, ladybugs, crab and zebra pin (OH MY!). Fishy charms and Go Fish cards. Hawaii earrings, blue/white beads, lipstick mirror, dress clip, hankies, pins and baggies of dangly ornament/earrings?! OH, and the Halloween Joy - dishtowel, clothespin clip, SOCKS, picks AND, the bestest of best...................... the eyeglasses you see my pumpkin proudly wearing in the first photo!

THANKS GIRLS! THANKS SHARA - for organizing!!