Halloween Swap Goodies for Michele

Such fun pulling together and creating items for HopHopJingleboo's Halloween Swap! Black cats and....other goodies will be tucked into a "Trick or Treat" bag being sent to Michele in Vancouver, Canada. Wish I could fit in with it -- gorgeous place, I was there many years ago and had a simply enchanted time.

I'm also working on additional shabby signs. Creative artist, Stephanie at her store, Gatherings, in Georgetown, Texas is willing to show a couple in her store; and I've outfitted my yard with a few...maybe will put some on Craig's list?!

We've begun "demolition" and are having fun!

So...we've been pulling down mini-blinds -- thank goodness for Freecycle, else no-one will take them as a donation (Goodwill doesn't want them)! Pulled down some walls in the basement and have begun making some plans for the remodel! Not using a napkin, we're plotting preliminary ideas and have our lists of materials ready for sizing!

Noodling over exterior paint colors -- in this neighborhood the possibilities are ENDLESS! I met our neighbor this weekend, comes cooler weather, they're going to paint their house Purple! Fun...the house next door to us is blue with dark blue trim, the house across the street is coral with turquoise...hmmmm....we're thinking a spicy pumpkin...but I digress. Steve's off to meet the drywall contractor and begin plotting!

Peter Rabbit Beatrix Potter illustration and Children's books

Lately I've been on a big Peter Rabbit kick...the illustrations in Ms. Potter's books are so sweet. I made over this child's stool and used some vintage look children's alphabet paper to dress up the top of the stool...then used some illustrations from a 1980s Peter Rabbit collection...don't worry, the book was in very poor condition!

I've also come across several Nancy Drew's at the Goodwill stores in the area...am building up the collection at Nina's school as well as our own personal collection.

Whimsey finished for International Vintage Banner Swap

This was the first time I've made a banner...quite fun...the more I would dig in my boxes of goodies, the more embellishments I found. Vintage sewing pattern, vintage tatting (picked up at the "Caring Place") purchased quite some time ago...someone spent so much time on it and the delicate rose colored lace that resulted is pretty surrounding the banner.

Also used a Perrier de Jouet ribbon, shabby tags (one says Made in America -- my swap Partner was delighted to be receiving something from the U.S.), glitter and a Victoria's Secret garter that I cut up and tea-stained and then affixed to the top. Finally, a couple of sea shells and some beads to dress it up a bit. Hope she likes it!

I got a glimpse of the banner I'll be receiving, and it's DELIGHTFUL! All the way from Germany, by Svenja (artcreations).

Time to think about Halloween!?

Steve just called...we closed on the house this afternoon...tomorrow we'll walk through and fill a notebook with our Must do, Should do, Nice to do lists!

While Hobby Lobby and other craft stores are pulling out all the stops already for Christmas, I'm beginning work on my Halloween whimsys.

Finished this one today and posted on e-bay....Yay, a bid already and there are six days left!

My sister has asked for a Halloween paper bag album for her birthday.... we're all turning into fans of that silly holiday!

Acquisitions for the house remodel? Extreme Recycling

My new junking friend Amy GAVE me (we pulled it out of her trash bucket -- convinced that the Williamson County sanitation department now loves us) this fantastic cast iron sink!

I picked up this terrific dresser for $10.00 -- the drawers were trashed, but the lines are too cute -- should make a great sink cabinet for the laundry area in the Elizabeth house rebuild?

I'm excited to start the new project...plenty of before pictures...looking forward to posting after pictures in a few weeks/months!

Getting excited about our next project...a FLIP!

The only T.V. I watch is Boston Legal and most anything on HGTV and TLC that is related to home building, home decorating or creating things for your home. How lucky am I that my husband is a builder and that our next project is restoration/remodel of a fun house in SoCo -- that's South Austin, Texas, zip 78704!

A super hip neighborhood, we strolled there this past Saturday and enjoyed all of the super yard art and eclectic gardens at the homes surrounding our new place -- well, we close on August 31st. This is the starting point...

This is the realtors blurb: "Great find on a tree lined street minutes to downtown. 1284 sqft, 2 bedrooms, 2 full baths, large basement could be 3rd bedroom/bonus room. Rear garage could be more space too..."

Sqft 1284* /Const Concrete Block / YrBlt 1940