jane's apron

jane

Thanks Debbie (smile).

Still painting those kitchen cabinets here (blank stare).

Hope you are well (waving to my blog friends).

belated

Ellen and I went to my mother-in-law's house yesterday to help her find a home for some of her items that she no longer wants or needs...but still wants to take care of. Punch bowls, platters, goblets, sugars and creamers, and other pretties.  Ellen is now eating her lunch on a cute platter/punch cup set (what are those things called?). Me?  I love this little round glass dish with two pierced hearts.   I even thought how fun it would be to share a picture on my blog for Valentine's day.  And then I realized it was February 18.  

So...the mother-in-law quarters project is keeping us busy around here.  Lots of the major decisions have been made and construction has started.  I am taking pics and will post some befores.  This week.  This is the last full week of February right?

thrifty u-turn

My thrift store rearranges their floor space all the time...like they have a marketing/merchandising team or something.   They recently went back to one of my favorite arrangements...the one where the aisles of "littles" and the end-caps are visible as you drive by.  

Plaid catches my eye every time.  When I saw the picnic case on my way home I did a quick u-turn back to the store.  The cute case had a perfect thermos and a perfect red box.  Score.  

And then I also found this.

And only $1.01 because it was half-off Christmas stuff.  I already have two punch sets but this is the best...slightly more 1960s, more hipster.  Score.  

pinterest made {two}

I know I still need to get to my blog to-do list but, in the mean time, I have another pinterest "made" item to share. I also have a question.

I've got a bunch of vintage "cover your own" buttons and I covered a few of them in cute fabrics.  The big one is really big...about 2 or so inches across.  I love it.

So here's the question.  

How do you put them on a necklace?  The link on pinterest wasn't helpful.  I'm a good googler but still didn't find anything.  Is it because it's obvious how to do it?  Do you just thread the necklace to the thing on the back of the button?  

big martha

I'm making big martha's mashed potatoes today (and roasted applesauce and frosted cranberry-cherry pie).   There's a video with the recipe...Martha and Snoop Dog; entertaining and informative as Snoop shares some vocabulary words.  

I'm looking foward to using my newly thrifted tablecloth today.  It's a pretty green linen stitched all around with a deer motif...love the unusual colors.  

I'm also looking forward to a few days off to relax and make crafty plans...fo shizzle.

milk glass and why you need it

I never really thought much of milk glass.  I knew my mom had some.  That all changed when Martha showed me how to turn milk glass into the coolest candle ever...putting a tea light in milk glass is still my favorite trick.  If that doesn't convince you, I've got a few other reasons.

• milk glass is available at every single thrift store I've ever visited.  That doesn't mean I buy every piece but I have my favorites.  I like the translucent glass better than the opaque and I love pretty scalloped vases the best (see above).
• everything looks good in milk glass...candy, colored pencils, flowers.  I recently brought flowers to my mom while she was in the hospital...I used a milk glass vase from her house and filled it with flowers from her yard.  You would not believe the attention that vase of flowers received as I brought them to her room...a simple show-stopper.  
• all the cool kids are using milk glass.   I searched pinterest and created my own milk glass board.  My favorite surprise is the use of milk glass at weddings...pretty white glass at a wedding...why didn't we think of that years ago?

findings

I love finding stuff.  When I say finding, I mean just stopping by a thrift store or garage sale and finding something cool that you love...not anything you need or anything you are particularly looking for.  I've purchased vintage items on ebay and etsy but it's just not the same as finding something.  Anybody here know what I'm talking about?  

My Holiday Inn spoon is an example.  Stirring my coffee is so much more fun with this spoon and I'm so glad I found it without really looking for it.  

The problem is that my spoon is the only thing I've found at my thrift store in a very long time.  I haven't found any cotton sheets, sewing notions, aprons, linens, dishes...anything.  The only explanation I can come up with is that the store has a new manager.  And he's telling the workers to toss out anything produced or made before 1972.  

And yet I'm hopeful.  And keep checking in every once in a while.  But nothing.  Nothing yet.  

love lace

I have a path I follow at my thrift store.  Sheets, sewing patterns, pillow cases...skip the bras and slips.  But one time a slip caught my eye.  It had a lace trim that said "love".  Loved.  

I knew I'd use it for something and it eventually was the inspiration for an apron...combined with the coolest piece of a linen tea towel, some vintage seam binding, and fringed cotton muslin.  Love.

not for sale

I've always been timid about taking pictures of things in public (and I realize this is probably not normal).  My new phone is changing that a little. 

When I stopped at an estate sale yesterday and saw the cutest vintage refrigerator ever, I didn't hesitate to snap a picture.  For full disclosure I should mention that I was alone in the basement so I was not being that bold...but still. 

The refrigerator is in pristine condition.  A beautiful turquoise blue Frigidaire.  Gorgeous inside and out.  Working.  With a vintage decal as the perfect finishing touch.  And, unfortunately, Not For Sale. 

But, I'm glad I got to share it with you guys because I knew you'd love it too.

the gingham cat

If you don't like cats...or cats with earrings (and a tail ring?) and necklaces, or pink gingham and olive together, or possibly don't like seeing wrinkled linen then you might not love this tea towel as much as I do.  

But the stitching and applique work?  Everyone has to appreciate that...unbelievably tiny and precise stitches created by a very skilled hand.   The same goes for the matching boy towel.  He has a gingham vest and bow tie and tiny, perfect hearts above his head.  He loves her too.