Hometown Girl

time on my hands means new additions

I've been staying pretty close to home these last two weeks with the kids taking turns being sick. I'm happy to say that I think we are nearing the end of our flu stint with the last little one on the mend. Combine that with the fact that the shop is off to a very slow November I find myself with some time on my hands. The fact that the kids will be better soon and the shop will pick up (I sure hope). I've tried to focus on creating. I steal a few minutes here and there, between filling requests, and all the other duties one has being a wife, mom & running a household.

I'm trying to get to the point where everything I have listed in the shop is made and ready to ship. With the exception of the ring bearer pillows and maybe a stray item or two I am pretty close to doing just that.

Old Frame Projects Finished.

Frame turned mirror.

Frame turned chalkboard.

Clips ons, turned dangles.

New style cuff.

There are a few other new things, but I'll leave that to you if you feel like visiting the shop. I hope you are well and enjoying your week!

I do appreciate each and everyone of you that visit, it really means a lot that you take time out of your day to see what I'm up to. I enjoy reading your comments and I'm happy to see each week I get a few more, so thanks!

Susan 

p.s. I need our opinion, I made this from some vintage fabric & stamped using some old letterpress letters I found at an antique store. Is the heart too wonky? I'm such a perfectionist and it's a little more "rustic" if you will then my usual style. What do you think? Be honest and brutal, you won't hurt my feelings :) I wanted to make some things that could be used as ornaments for Christmas. thanks!!

A glimpse into my DIY world

In addition to the list of things I look for at estate sales, I find myself drawn to old frames. For some reason they tend to get overlooked. Maybe people can't see their hidden potential, can't see beyond the picture inside the frame. I love when you go into a junk filled basement and find a stack of frames just begging to be dusted off and loved again.

I'm in the process of converting my little collection to functional pieces like mirrors, chalkboards, cork & magnet boards. With the help of my little hardware store and my sweet Dad these little beauties should be ready for their shop debut in the next week or so!

Funny story about this little project, well not really so funny as it is annoying. I bought these gorgeous pulls from Sadie Olive and was planning on using them to convert some of my frames to functioning trays. Well, I did some cleaning and cannot locate the pulls! I'm hoping they up turn soon.  Does anyone know the patron Saint for lost things?

Thanks for stopping by, hope you are well!

~Susan
 

pretty picks

some gorgeous things that caught my eye.

love this pretty bra by made with love lingerie.

these tags are so beautiful, i might not be able to use them by your angil.

i love this skirt, comfortable & cute by rebeccas art closet.

these are a must have for ny winters by small packages.

we are plugging along here, hanging in there. hope you are well.

~ susan

p.s. did you notice the little favorites tab under the post? by clicking on this you can let me know which posts you enjoy the most (hey that rhymes!) then i can bring you more of what you love. thank you!
 

etsy picks~ Fall fashion

I love these colors. Check out these great Fall finds.

This hat is so hip from Monminou.

These gorgeous earrings are from Kande.

This wrap is so pretty and versatile from Gaiaconceptions.

LOVE these boots! Did I mention they are my size? From Zaasvintageboots.

Have a great weekend! Thanks for stopping by. ~ Susan
 

color of the day ~ white

My most recent shop additions yet again coordinate. Truly I never intentionally set out to do this, must be you just get a color stuck in your head and you gravitate to it! I sketched this pillow out in my notebook last night while laying in bed. I couldn't wait to get up and make it! I was going to add an oversized Mother of Pearl button to the ruffle but opted to keep it simple and clean, maybe the next one. I used a vintage pillowcase for the form, made it quick and easy!

Rustic and Romantic Burlap Pillow

 

Revamped Vintage Collage Necklace using the jewelry found at the last esate sale.

Something Old Something New Headband. I used the vintage toole and lace found at that last estate sale.

 

Thanks for visiting! See you soon. ~ Susan
 
 
 

Ta Da! Trash to Treasure

I completed my table door turned mirror project this morning. There were two little brackets where the doors where attached to the table, I took out one of the screws closed the arm and replaced the screw so the arm would stay shut. I thought I might take the bracket off all together but it would have left a funny void so I decided they would stay!

I lightly sanded the edges to add a little depth, polished the wood, added a mirror and tapped in some glazing tacks to secue it. I also added two brackets with rings so I could tie a pretty ribbon for the hanger. The ribbon can easily be removed and the two hooks can be used to hang the mirror. I left the original knob on, I think it adds a litlte extra charm!  (See previous post for before photos).

I love how the mirror shows off the pretty metal work. My dad said the table was from the 1940's or 1950's!

It's amazing to me that once you start thinking about using things in different, unexpected ways it opens up endless possibilities for beauty. Photo taken in my mudroom. Thanks for visiting!

See you soon. ~ Susan  

it's black & white to me

I love black and white, it's classic, modern & always in style.  Some of my Etsy favorites this week.

How cute is this corset? By Innerversion.

 

From my dear friend's shop, Fringe. I LOVE this lariat, it's so versatile & chic.

 

I want to put one of these family name signs in our entryway by Susie Harris.

 
  
You can never have enough tote bags! I love the old camera on this one by The Craft Pantry

Have a great weekend! Thanks for stopping by. ~ Susan
 . 

open for business, thank you Susie!

Susie Harris did a lovely feature on my shops, thank you Susie! Don't forget to stop her blog and leave a comment. I'm giving away two yards of fabric from Paperhillfabrics, your choice!

I've been busy listing all kinds of new things in the shop, here's a peek.

I'm so happy with the way this collar turned out. It's romantic and reminds me of another era.

I thought this would be lovely for an afternoon tea.

In it's former life this was a clip on earrring, now it's a fun ring.

I created this from dotted swiss material, formerly curtains in my mom & dad's first apartment. I made it to wear over a pretty slip. I handcut & sewed the petals down the sides using vintage muslin, added some vintage lace & muslin tie.

Happy Wednesday! Thank you for visiting. ~ Susan

can you imagine my delight?

I've been kicking around the idea of buying a polaroid for months and I happened to mention it to my parents as they were leaving our house after Sunday dinner (pics & menu to come!) my father said, "Oh I think we have an old polaroid in the closet, I'll check when we get home". I was so excited, he called awhile later and said he had found it! My mom brought it to me this morning, I think I squealed! It was in the case, instructions, film, everything was there minus the battery which is good cause I'm sure that would have been bad. I found a place, ordered the battery and some film. I can't wait to play around with it! The film in the box had a date of 1971!

Isn't it cool? It reminds me of the ones you would see the news people with. I'll let you know when I get it up and running. Enjoy the week!!

A little change of plans I reopened yesterday, Susie Harris is featuring my shop tomorrow (wednesday) and I want to be open for her readers! See you soon, lots to do!

p.s. I've already added about a dozen new things so be sure to stop by.

making progress

I'm so excited about getting things in order at home. While there is much to be done, I'm making progress. Since I don't have too much new to share,  I will tell you I've got lots of vintage stuff that'll be in the shop come the 5th so if you're in the market for jewelry destash or other vintage goodies be sure to check in.

I've been saving my pennies for a Macro lens for my Digital Rebel camera. Do you have one? I'd love to hear about your experiece with it. I've been playing around with the different settings on my camera, some randomness to share with you.

Yes, those are my unmanicured toes, sorry girls.

This is better, yes?

I have so many things I want to be better at, photography, sewing, cooking, there just isn't enough time in the day, you know?  I wanted to take the Unravelling e-class but with losing my Grandfather I lost track of the registration deadline so I'm really looking forward to taking it in January. It'll be good, the shop will be slow and I'll have something to look forward to during the dreary winter months.

I hope you all are enjoying a wonderful Sunday, visit again soon! ~ Susan