Antique Cabinet Photo Pages

As you know I collect cabinet photos, most are vintage wedding photos but sometimes I will buy a whole album for the odd photo here and there and for the cabinet photo pages. They are usually in pretty bad shape so I photo shopped these as best I could so help yourself! Just cut out the center and center your photo! If this download does not work they are also in my Flickr.com account.

WARNING! Estate and Garage Sales can be Hazardous to your Health!

Yep, Estate sales can be hazardous to your health! Garage sales too! A couple of weeks ago I went to a great Estate sale that had so much fun stuff to pick through.

There was an old shed out back just filled with all kinds of rusted bolts and tons of old relics of everything! SO, I bought this old metal cabinet. It was small, only about 12x12 but yucky and rusty and just begging to be dumped out and cleaned out. Well when I dumped everything out, an old vile of MERCURY fell out and almost broke. There looked like there was another vile that might have broken so I gathered it all up, double bagged it, scrubbed myself down and took it to the hazardous dump site! YIKES!!!

There has always been the risk of going into old buildings living down here in Texas so I  have always tried to keep a pair of gloves in the car just in case. But as good intentions go, I got lazy and quit wearing them. Yesterday I got a phone call from a friend who said she had been bitten...

by a Brown Recluse Spider. It wasn't a bad bite but she got to the ER and she's not really sure it was a Brown Recluse but it was a spider bite but she was taking any chances. I won't even show you the photos of what can happen if it goes untreated. I mean Yucky to the tenth degree! Horrible treatments and possible scaring.Eek.

So, just in case you see an Estate Sale sign that you just can't resist, just be careful, wear your gloves and be careful what you bring home.
My new rule is to open and clean everything in the garage before I bring it into the house!!

The Indestructible Kitten Christmas Tree

This is a bare-bones Christmas tree! It's not what I'm use to but I have to admit it's kind of nice to have an excuse not to do the whole sha-bang, taking days to put Christmas up and days to take it down. I had to hire "peps" to help me get it out of the attic, put the tree up, then have them help me put up all the empty boxes. Then it starts all over again after the holidays!! But this year we had to adapt for these fuzzy faces!

They look so innocent....... before proven guilty!

I used fabric strips to make a fabric garland that are in six foot strips, it took ten to get all around the tree! Plus I used burlap for the tree skirt so I couldn't make the garland to fancy. Talk about a challenge! Having these fabric strips all over the place, the two kitten demolition crew did a doozy with all of those, it just gave them a distressed look :) But the best part part was I have only spent $100 so far on the tree, the rest I had on hand!

 AND, with the money I am saving I'll put towards trips like my trip to California with my partner in crime, Charlene to  Kim Caldwell's event. I think we're driving and I have a feeling it's going to be a "antique" version of Thelma and Louise junking all the way there and all the way back, without driving off the cliff....at least until we see the credit card bill!! Then somewhere in there I'll be going to see Karen Valentine in Phoenix. I think I could get use to this Charlie Brown Christmas tree!

I'll be putting old Wedding Photos on the tree too, I just haven't figured out how to do it yet. I've laid out several options but I just can't decide. Any suggestions? Do I attach them to the garland or do I hang them just mounted on doubled scrapbook paper? Maybe some Mother of Pearl buttons somewhere, HELP! I'm stuck! I can do shiny and all blinggy, but subtle and earthy is not my forte'.

Hummm, just can't decide. Egads I'm so bad at this! I have just laid them in the branches here, not on the garland. I can hear you all saying, "you're thinking about this too much!" OK time for a glass of wine. Cheers!

But either way if the tree falls over or the ornaments get nibbled on it won't be a big deal!

I know, I know, she's too cute, lil stinker! Little Miss Prissy climbed the tree within hours of putting it up! I thought I saw the tree shaking and thought no, I'm imagining it but, nooooooo, it had already been attacked!

Hubby put four  bags of Kitty Litter to hold this tree in place! I just hope these kittens can't knock over a tree with 80 pounds of weight on the base. Lovely but functional. Again, thrifty!! Maybe another trip? Oh Round Top, forgot about that trip, I think I'll just break even now! 

So,If any of you have any suggestions on what I should do, PLEASE let me know! An earthy minimalist  I am not so...... HELP!

To return to White Wednesday with Faded Charm go to:fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com

Olan Mills Photos, Oh the Agony!

How many times were you dragged by your parents to an Olan Mills studio to have that yearly photo made? What background would you use? The autumn leaves, the southern grove or my least favorite, the fake library with all the books, that was the worst! Lucky for me I couldn't find as many for me as I did my little brother! I threw him under the bus and bailed for college leaving him behind to fend for himself!

My favorite is of course the one where Robert is holding his Star Wars Toy! I wonder how much that would go for on Ebay these days?? He loved Star Wars anything! I'm not sure what he did in the photo with the band-aid on his head, no telling, Robert has two gears to this day, full throttle or hitting a wall!
So is there still an Olan Mills Studio today? Are there still crying babies, bad hair and that gawd awful library background? In these days of digital everything it makes me wonder if this right of passage into adulthood still exists? I love all our new advances in technology but sometimes I wonder if it's left us with less sentimental memories of things like this.Then again, I do love a little air brushing here and there in my aging years!!

I'm sorry Mr. Turkey I can't do Tofu!

Thanksgiving is going to be here before you know it and that battle in the kitchen will take all day and night. It will end with all of us falling face down onto the bed at the end of the day,fully clothed and exhausted! So this year I  thought I might try the tofu version of turkey and I wish oh how I wish it could have been better. But, OMG it was terrible! I don't mean Night Hawk dinner bad, I mean this was like when Snoopy kisses Lucy and she goes into her fit! "Get the peroxide, get the iodine, I have dog germs !" Mine was more like get me the chocolate, get the wine oh gag me with a pitch fork!!!! Agh, bla, bla , blaaaaaaaaK!

I mean I know they're trying to be funny but really? It just looks so disgusting  so yucky, gooey, so OMG throw it away before I barf. But I did taste it and it tasted like a turkey jello! I see that lip curling, you're doing it too aren't you! My mother has been a Vegan, yes Vegan, for years now! She hasn't always walked on the dark side with no burgers, no steak, no pork chops, and Lordy above no hot dogs which she calls hogballs. Yes I can never look at another hot dog again without thinking of my mother saying, "You know what they put in those don't you, hogballs!" Now every time you see a hot dog you're going to think the same thing aren't you! Just sharing the love my fellow bloggers! So this Thanksgiving if it ever crosses your mind that maybe you should try an alternative to Ol' Tom, just think..Mexican food!

Girls Gone Junkin' and Birthdays!

Today was the perfect day to go to Canton! The weather was perfect and the booths were packed with wonderful treasures and people. None more crowded than Girls Gone Junkin" and it was Cathy's birthday! Of all the luck to be there to hug her neck and sing "Happy Birthday" to her with all the other customers that were in her store!

We all wish she has had the best day ever, AND, that her birthday wish comes true!

Charlene was my partner in crime today. We just took our time and lollygagged all over Canton, not looking for anything special, just enjoying the day. I found a purse at GGJ and some old photos, no shock there!

Cathy just has this way of displaying the ordinary everyday things and making you want to buy it all!

I forgot to go back and buy this photo darn it!

A sweet lamp covered in lace and a dash of pearls to polish it off.

New purses that always catch my eye..

Ahhhh, but this one may be the one that got away, after I took this shot someone took it off the mani's shoulder and bought it!

Just a little bit of this and a little bit of that..

I wanted this one too, lordy I have an obsession with purses. "Hello my name is Cindy and I have ANOTHER obsession.."

I Love Halloween!

I love,love,love Halloween! I think it could be my favorite holiday, I'd say don't tell my mother but I think she already knows! That was the one day of the year when I could eat all the candy I wanted. Now I don't really want the candy........as much, I want to look like Veronica Lake! Wow can you believe this photo of her!! If I looked like that I'd wear that outfit  to the grocery store and Target, and then scare the pants off of Joey when he got home! Oops, well maybe that might be a good thing........,anyway I love Halloween!

I grew up never missing an episode of "Bewitched" in black and white or color. And for the record, I liked the old Darren better. Uncle Arthur and Samantha's mother oh what was her name........Andora! That's it!

 I always wanted to be a witch and I think I was one year but I was so sick my mom said I never left the house. What a bummer! I bet those antibiotics didn't taste anything like candy. But In years since, I have certainly made up for it!

I remember one year when times were a little tight, a friend and I went as a pair of dice! Well all we needed were two big boxes, butcher paper and a magic marker for the dots! Oh and a  hole cut out for our heads. We couldn't fit in the station wagon so we rode on the tailgate all over Baird Texas. Man we got a haul that year! We sat on that tailgate and ate as much candy as we could stuff in our mouths. Mom was driving so she couldn't see how much we were eating! Can you imagine how much the ticket would be if she did that these days? Sometimes the "Po-Po" can be such a drag!

I'm told this year I had a fever of 110 or something like that but went anyway! I'm not sure what my dad is dressed like in his Navy flippers and a blond wig, I think he looks like General Custer in a wet suit! And yes the little squirt in the bottom of the photo is my little brother who started out being an angel then went through a teenage phase of being Satan's spawn and made my mother want to pull her hair out. Me? Well of course I was just an "angel" growing up,HA! Well at least my mother thinks so! She'll never know about the candy I hid under the bed every year, Bwahahaha!

SO, this year and every year since we have lived in this house, we have about 250 little Spidermen, Incredible Hulks, and every Disney Princess imaginable , come to our door and say, "Trick or Treat!." I'll have on a silly hat or t-shirt and wave good-bye, but secretly wishing I could just go one more year...

Mid-Life Friendship Crisis? Is there such a thing?

Mid-Life Friendship Crisis

I have been pondering this question for months now. Do you find yourself needing or wanting to change friends in mid-life? Is this the women's version of the mid life crisis? The friends that I had over the past 20 years ago have dwindled to a treasured few. Have I changed that much, have they? Or is it both? I find that we have always had different interests but that never seemed to bother me or give me the feeling that the bond we had is gone. Now I feel that the connection I have with some of them has dwindled to a slow drizzle. Have you ever found yourself in friendships where they mean much more to you, than you do to them? That can't be healthy can it?

It sank home a few days ago when I showed a couple of friends what I thought was a cute post on my blog and they had no interest what so ever, never really looked at the screen. They don't follow my blog and have no interest in that aspect of my life. I don't think the majority of my friends even realize that it bothers me so much that they have so little interest in my blog, my life, or my love of being creative. This is not just a hobby, this is a big part of my life.

Then I have to ask myself, have I moved on from friends and made them feel the same way? My best friend from high school adopted a child over 10 years ago and I thought to myself at the time, well I don't have children so she'll understand when I don't get involved with all the aspects of raising her little girl. I buy Christmas and birthday presents but was that enough? Now I look back and think, was I involved enough? Did I make my friend feel like I had moved on even though I will treasure our friendship till the day I die?

So, here lies the question how do find new friends at the age of 50? Do you try to make new friends or explain to your old friends how you feel? But then, are you putting them on the spot by asking your old friends to change for you, and is that fair to them? Either way I think we'll just fall back into the old version of our friendship. 

My the answer to this question has been to look for new friends. I plan to remain close to the few old friends that I still have and, accept the fact that our friendship has become different and in some cases,limited. At the same time search for new friends that have the interests and beliefs that I have. Going to artistic events has been a life saver for my creativity and the beginnings of new friendships. I plan to be pro-active in my search and try to work on new relationships! 

Because of this friend mid life crisis of mine, I need to realize that relationships change so, I need to stop wearing my feelings on my sleeve when my old friends don't, get or, have no interest in what I'm doing. In this crisis the need to accept and move on is the only I think my old friendships will work. The way to a healthy me is to move on and add to my rolodex of creative and loving, supportive souls, any takers??

"Once upon a Dream" the magic of Wonderful Friendships

After a very long wait, the "Dream" was about to begin. By planes, trains and automobiles, we all arrived with tons of luggage and the anticipation of a very fun adventure! However,our first night there we were to be ready to get on the bus by 5:00. My roomie, Kelly Lamb was caught in a very long traffic jam from Charlotte and my flight was late so we greeted each other and said  hello in person for the first time then started stripping, throwing clothes around like 5 year olds and ran for the bus! But we made it!

The Fairy theme got everyone laughing and acting silly in no time. I spotted my sweet friend Sherry Williams and didn't stop taking photos until it was time to start our first class! Now I have to tell you making anything wearing fairy wings and a laurel headpiece is not easy.

By the time we all finished our Woodland Fairy Garland those wings were coming off! I wonder if "real fairies" have back problems???

See! Sherry took her wings off too! I kept whacking the people on both sides of me so I thought with a hot glue gun being used for this project I'd better put my wings away!!

Just a little inspiration...

Our next project was the Prize Ribbon. I think we were all getting a little tired because we all got pretty slap happy silly and we all kept burning the fool out of ourselves with the hot glue guns! By the time we finished we were all pretty tired and we looked like little children after a Halloween party. Our wings were off and our laurel headpieces were all crooked, as we were dragging our bags full of goodies onto the bus, and everyone was yawning!

The next morning we went to Claxton Farm where thanks to Sonia and her beautiful photograph, you get a real feel for the beauty of the mountains and the lush green meadow outside of our window. There were Shetland Ponies and Llamas standing at the fence as if to say "Welcome", as we drove in through the gate.

Jenn greeted us at the front door and invited us into the wonderland that she had created! Again thank you Sonia for your photo, I have a lot to learn about taking better photographs!

There was a little special something everywhere you looked.

We had about 60 women for the class! It would get really loud until another project would begin then it all got very quiet because we were all busy concentrating!

My place setting for the day. These cake boards worked great for those of us, like me, who tend to make a mess!

There was no detail too small to overlook,

And every opportunity taken to make the room filled with creative ideas.

Even outside of the restrooms looked cute!

This was my room mate Kelly Lamb. We had never met face to face, we just started talking via email after I posted one of my silly poems on the message board. We started emailing and talking on the phone some and just decided to room together. We were perfect roommates! I lied and told her she didn't snore and she told me the same. Plus we were both pretty neat and quick to get ready. I am looking forward to having a long and lasting friendship with Kelly.

Thank the Lord above the first project was the jewelry piece! As the day goes by I am not as steady with my hands so it was fantastic to get this done first. Now that's not saying I didn't want to throw it across the room a few times when I'd lose a bead or screw up another jump ring. But I did complete it!

Then it was time for a snack and a few more photo ops. This is Claudette from Canada and she is the cutest thing you ever did see. She was sweet, nice, funny, and didn't even laugh at my Magnolia Pearl even though it was about to fall down around my ankles! I thought I had altered these pants, wrong! They kept falling down all day! Not a good impression to make with a bunch of ladies I had never met!

Next was the mobile. About half way through my eyes started to cross and I didn't finish but I brought everything home to finish it. It really was cute! I kept imagining it in a babies room with little animals hanging from the crystal beads.

Found my fluffy, ruffle buddy Sherry and we had to take another photo. Boy do I need to remember to stand up straight and suck it in, Yikes not a good photo of me, but great of Sherry! We then took a lunch break and had a photo class by Tiffany which I understood about 1% of. She assures me I can call her anytime for hints. I plan on taking her up on it!!

This was the last project, a Cloche, which I had never done before so it was fun to see how it was all put together. I must admit I was feeling pretty tired so I decided to finish the rest of mine at home. They did put on some disco music to wake us up but I think it was too late for me, I was pooped!

Kelly and Marion both sat at my table on both sides of me poor dears. I kept asking them for help and direction! I'm sure by the time it was all over they wanted to tell me where to put my Pearl!

These are two of my other table mates, Trisha and Lynn, I'm not sure where Becca was??

This is not mine but this is what some one else's ended up looking like. I think it turned out great! Now just to get it home in one piece!

And then the photos started all over again! We took photo after photo, had dinner, smores by the camp fire and then the dancing began. I did not include any dancing photos because we all gave the pinky swear we would not post unflattering photos. Needless to say we "thought" we looked a lot cooler than we really did!!!

We went to the Biltimore Estate on Saturday and had a really fun time touring the house and grounds. That is one huge house which I guess is why they call it an estate!! I had a wonderful shot of the front of the house but had so many problems trying to download it I just gave up. So, this was my group for part of the tour, we all got separated at one point but found each other by the end!

Our last day was on Sunday and this was the day of the swaps. We all met at a bakery to exchange everyone's treasures. Fortunately this year I decided that since I signed up late I would see what a real swap looked like because I had never done one before.

Boy am I glad I did! The swaps were over the top with their wrapping and presentation alone. This table was filled with Fairy Pin swaps so what you see are just the wrappings, Yikes, I felt way out of my league!

Sweet Shelley Burgess in her Laurel headpiece. She looked like a fairy bride!  Just adorable!

This was a pretty small bakery so I am standing at the door just holding the camera up in the air to get this shot! I thought since I was not involved with any of the swaps I needed to stay out of the way!

"Turn out the lights, the party's over." The sad part was that it went by so quickly! I made so many wonderful creative friends and had so much fun with them! The other good news is that I don't feel stuck in my creative rut anymore, it took a little nudge from some wonderful new friends to spread my fairy wings and start to fly again.
Sorry this post is a little under par, something was going on in "bloggerland", nothing wanted to work!