A whimsical garden party

A little lengthy and I might be going out on a limb, but it was  Hoot to do Pics to follow. Please read on.............

The Songbird Gazette

All the News to Tweet About

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Hello my fine feathered friends. Polly Parrot here with all the latest news to squawk about in Birdlandia.

Maple Grove:  Doc Stork visited the nest of  Mr. and Mrs. B. Lue Jay last night and delivered 4 perfectly adorable eggs. Doc says it's only a matter of days before the Hatchlings make an appearance. 

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Olde Oak Tree Condos: Construction note, the Woodpeckers will be doing necessary renovations. They request all residents land at the rear of the tree.           

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Songbird Exclusive:  Mrs. 'Red' Robin Hosts Garden Party Luncheon                                                                      

 Mrs. 'Red' Robin hosted a grand garden party luncheon for Ms. Carolina Wren. Ms. Wren is relocating to our neck of the woods from North Carolina. She was chaperoned by Chief Red Hawk of the Cherokee, North Carolina Hawks. In the fall Ms. Wren will be attending our prestigious Bird U. Dean Bal T. Mor'Oriole and his wife Raven were on hand to welcome Ms. Wren. Other notibles who attended were, Woody Woodpecker of stage and screen fame, the Starlings of Cornfield, Prof. Hoot Owl, and Col. Nutt Hatch a long time family friend of both Mrs. Robin and Ms. Wren's family. The Cardinal of Birdlandia also flew in to welcome Ms. Wren and give her his heartfelt blessings. Entertinment was provided by the Warblers, The Loon's, and special appearance by Jiminey Cricket accompanied by  the Songbird Quartet.

In defference to Mrs. Robin's wishes photographic and vocal recordings of this party were not allowed.......

but, I Polly Parrot was allowed prior entry into the Garden during set up and allowed to snap a few shots of what the tables looked like.

tables were provided by the Woodpecker Woodworks

And placed in various groupings in the garden.

Lovely linens in bright colors graced the tables

The custom teapots and cups, designed by Pigeon Potters, were placed on each table


and,

locally grown Clover, Crown Vetch, Summer Phlox, Geranium, Butterfly Bush, and Clematis from Mrs. Robin's garden completed the tables.

The menu included Mint Tea, Leaf Salad with assorted Seeds, Corn Cake and Her secret recipe

Caraway Cookies.
Here are a few more pictures of the pretty little tables.

A fun time was had by all.
I must mention Mrs. Robin was, as always, the most gracious hostess in her trademark vintage apron.

And, as we all flew off she made sure each of her guests received a tote, like this, filled with her signature Caraway Cookies.

I have a scoop......Mrs. Robin wanted me to let you know that her vintage aprons and todays guests totes are  provided by Melody at Brown Gingham Creation, "a wonderful old Crow" As Mrs. Robin puts it. "A whiz with a needle and embroidery thread".

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Hi Everybody! I hope you enjoyed my little bit of whimsy. Thought I'd do something different for a post to show off one of my cutest little Tea Sets and include a view of a couple of my creations available. The apron is a 1950's cotton that I finished  the embroidery on, added Swprovski Crystals, and vintage buttons. The Tote has a pocket I created by hand-embriodering a portion of 1940's tablecloth and then embellished with buttons and silver studs.. 

You'd never guess I found this 'tweet' little set in a Publisher's Clearinghouse mailer. I use it outside to accent my porch, which hopefully since the heat has broken I will be able to finish decorating. for the Summer. The cedar stump used for the table was 1 of a few I kept when they cut down an old cedar tree in Grandma's yard. I know odd thing to keep, but I loved that old tree as a kid and the peices have come in handy around the garden. The "tablecloth" is actually A hankie from my collection. If you'd like to see more of my vintage inspired aprons, visit my Etsy site, Apronation. For my other creations visit http://www.brownginghamcreations.com/ or http://www.brownginghamcreation.etsy.com/

Now that I've visited my feathered friends...I can't wait to pop in at Susan's Very Cherry World for Rednesday on Wednesday, Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday, and my friends at Brambleberry Cottage for Time Travel Thursday to see what party-goers are doing there.

Let Them Eat Cake

Now when Marie Antoinette said that, I would not take umbidge at it. As a matter of fact I'd be askin what kind of cake do you have, but that was a different time.

Went on a vintage hunt lookin for old doorknobs..of course I didn't find any, but I did find this.....................

A very young looking Marie Antoinette..with her head still in tact! She is from the 1940s and is in great condition of her age.

She will be on my Etsy site tomorrow for $19.95 If there are any Marie fans out there she is a must for any collection.

It's a 2fer Day!

I don't always get to combine a post that include vintage finds for my two of my fav meme.

Yesterday began the Vintage Alphabet Party over at the Etsy Cottage Style Blog and tomorrow is Rednesday at It's a Very Cherry World. Soooooo, that means today is a red letter day!

The vintage alphabet for this month includes items under.....I-J-and K.

'I' is for vintage 'I'cons.........

The little Sunbeam Bread Girl of the 1930-40's ( you saw her before)  It's a reproduction sign                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

The 1930's Morton Salt Girl. It's a reproduction on a cork hotmat

Everybody remembers the Campbell Soup Kids

Thru the years. I have a whole set of a soup tureen and

4 soup mugs with the different looks for the Kids each decade.

These are my favorite years.

Again, everybody remember Cracker Jack. This was a reproduction

tin saved from the 70-80's

And, this reproduction collectors Frito bag

shows the Frito kid of the 50's. If I remember

correctly, I think he looked the same in the

60's too.

                                                              

                                                                  

"J" is for "J"ewelry

As you can see I like jewlery from different years. The enamalware flower pins are from the 60's

The colored stones, rhinestones, and pearl, pins and earrings are from the 40-50's

The little gold pin in the top photo of the little girl watering her garden is from the 30's

I love vintage jewlery sooooo much it is part of my business logo,

and I incorporate it into my creations whenever possible, like here for example

My 'Dream" Angelic Inspiration, available on my website, wears a crown of gold accented by colored rhinestones asnd enamalware flowers.

This brings us to the letter "K" for Kitchy finds.

This wooden cutting board is from the 40's. My Grandma always used it. Now, when I'm not using it, it makes a great kitchy piece of wall art.

 I also have various pieces of plaster fruit scattered about the walls from the 40's-60's. I don't do wallpaper..I envy you all who have the patience.........but I prefer the look of wall art. I can change it more often..LOL add to it is more like it!

I also like to use kitchy finds in my Brown Gingham Creation designs.

 ,

I cross-stitched the words on the 1950's herb motif tea towel and turned it into a kitchy pillow.

Then I found this ........

A 1960's Styleccraft recipe box in a kitchy colonial kitchen motif and then this.....

A 1940's cookbook put out by Swan's Down Flour with wonderful recipes and filled with pics of vintage dolls of the same era. Well, I put these finds together to create this.........................

 

A kitchy little Kitchen Angel set. (also available on my website)

I thought when the letters I-J-and K came up for the Vintage Alphabet it would be hard to fill the letters, but when I got to lookin around they were easy as A-B-C.  O-K sorry I'll stop now. I'm heading over to the Vintage Alphabet Party and the on to visit Susan's Very Cherry World

C U later!! OMG I just can't stop myself.....

Happy Father's Day

 

Happy Father's Day to my Daddy.

My hero, Mr. Fix It, champion, advisor, Best Friend

I am so blessed.

(the Marine Corp. Theme is just for him on my music list)

Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there. 

Thank You Thank You Thank You

OMG look what I found waiting for me...................................................................................

I have been given my first Blogging Award from Jan over at Danelion and Daisy.  I am extremely honored by her gesture and surprized...I mean.....OMG.

The conditions for accepting the award.

1. Thank the person/persons who gave you this award.
            That goes without saying, Thank you so much Jan!




2. Tell 7 things about yourself:
        
           1.   I am a Master Floral Designer in the floral industry for 38 years.
                       I was very young when I started...no really..I was.
           2.   I love Prairie and Wildflower gardening...one man's weed is anothers botanical find.
           3.   I have been embroidering since I was about  6....holy cow, that's 43 years...sigh.
           4.   I have 7 furrkids...Shadow a Norwegian Elkhound and 6 cats, Monkey, Gizmo, Leo, Lea,     
                 Sammy, and Happy. (they were thrown away kittens found in our yard last June.
                 3 Russian Blues and 3 American Short-haired. They are Shadow's kitten-kaboodle)
           5.   I married my High School Sweetheart.  We grew up together..my best friend, my car guy.
           6.   Antiqueing, decorating, and art/crafts are as natural as breathing to me....they help me breath
           7.   Eastern Tennessee  and the Great Smoky Mountains are my heaven on earth.        

3. Pass the award unto 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and think are fantastic.


      These 15 bloggers are inspirations. They deserve a lot of accolades. I hope you visit them soon.
1.   Apron Memories
2.  Ash Tree Cottage
3.  Between Naps on the Porch
4.  The Brambleberry Cottage
5.  Black-eyed Susan's Kitchen
6.  Flower Shop Gurl
7.  Foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains
8.  It's a Very Cherry World
9.  Primrose Design
10.Two Crazy Crafter's
11.The T Cozy
12.Taylor's Farmhouse Attic
13.Niesz Vintage Home and Fabric
14.Elizabeth Holcombe Whimsies and Words
15.Shabby Cottage Studio

To recipients
Copy the award banner and complete the conditions.

Rain Rain Go Away........

Well, as I sit here in front of my laptop it's another beautiful Summer day in Cincinnati. Did I mention I was inside. It's 10AM and 90* with humidity and dewpoint it feels like 102! Here in Cincy there is a saying 'if you don't like the weather wait a few minutes...it'll change'.

For last few days we've been having weather like all the Midwest states. The day starts out sunny and blue skies,(of course while I'm at work) but after a while ( around 5p) clouds move in and BOOM storms.  Last night was the worst around our house.

I got this pic off our local televison station that someone sent in from Mason, Ohio, which is about 10 miles north of us. That is lightening. Sorry, but I will not go outside my house to get a pic for the blog. Suffice to say this is a typical pic of what it was like in our 10 mile radius. 60 mile an hour wind, torrencial rain, lightening show, and  tornado warning. Made for an exciting hour. We will get a repeat performance again tonight, according to forecaster. Hoopee.

Why the weather report? I have been trying for days to get out on my porches and get them 'decked' out, but with the wind and rain abnormally strong I'm afraid it'll just blow away. We usually get this type of stormy weather in April, before I decorate my outside rooms, but it's held off.

Goody, April Showers with August heat.

That said I think I'll show pics from last year of my relaxing porch that weren't posted.

You might recognize this picture on the sidebar of my Blog. This is my porch swing decked out in a patriotic Old Glory throw I found at Kohl's years ago. The pillow was brought home from the Lawrenceburg Flea and Antique Market about the same time. Alas, as I said in my last post, that throw has seen better days, so it'll be replaced. I may be able to salvege parts of it tho for an idea I had. If it works you'll see it. If you look close up those apples look real in the wicker basket. It's lined with muslin edged with tatted edging. Those vintage aqua glass mason jars make the best citronella candle holders. Jim loves vintage trains, so that new train lantern usually held citronelle oil to burn, but last Sept. a freak windstorm blew up hitting the swing causing the table to  topple with everything on it. The poor lantern's glass didn't make it, but that mason jar didn't even crack! The coffee table in front of the swing is actually a modern tubular ocassional table. It made the best form to cover with some vintage red stiped ticking and new navy cotton material.

I love empty walls. They are a blank canvas just waiting to fill. The first peice I found was the Smiling Sun metal plant holder. I knew it was made for small red geraniums. That wreath at the end was next. it's wire and resin in a bird and flower motif. Next came Big Mouth Billy Bass.....yes I know, (my one tacky moment)but when we saw it at Cracker barrel years ago he just made us laugh...he still does. The Rusted Metal Star was a must have. That large wrought iron and amber glass candle lamp came from my MIL. It too is vintage from the late 40's early 50's..it was a wedding present back then...I love the rusty patina it has acquired. Those bird plaques are 1960-70 CopperCraft pieces. When I was little my Mom like all housewives had Home Shopping Parties. Mom didn't do the usual Tupperware tho, she did the CopperCraft and Sarah Coventry...remember those parties?.....I loved that stuff. I still try to pick it up at fleas and antique malls when I see it. 

 Believe it or not I found this metal tea cart thru Publisher's Clearinghouse, of all places in 95'. It fits perfectly betwen the 40's style chair and front door. I love wind chimes so the little watercan has the tinies clear chimes when a breeze blows thru. The plate was a cracked $1 find at an antique place. It's a brown transferware commerative plate of Lincoln's Birthplace. As you can see the crack was hidden quite nicely with faux red geraniums and other flowers and foliages. Last year I found the matching cup and saucer for $3 in great condition. I filled with with some Thyme. It sits atop a stack of old Reader Digest books. Faux violet fill a 1940's ceramic log with squirrel planter that has a metal gold-tone bottom still attached...usually those are missing. The blue oil lamp is another vintage gift from my MIL. I love the blue glass bottom, but the lamp top was alos blown off, so a new one will replace it. Oh I almost forgot the vintage floral print from the 30-40's that hang on the wall too. I love the watercolors of reds, yellows, and pinks. I found some others and they will join this one. Yes...I use them outside...I figure this is an 'outdoor' room and every 'room' needs a little artwork.

This seating area of the same vintage style chairs sit across form the front door. I found the 1940's coffee perculator with black handle on the Longest Yard Sale in Ky.  Farther down in Tn. I found matching creamer and sugar....all together the set was $7 and yes that is another peice of my hand-wrought aluminum, but this one was in such poor shape I don't worry about keeping outside. I was surprized when I found a 1960's metal and redwood table that matches the look of the chairs. Most of you recognize the iconic black pottery bears of the Pigeon Forge Pottery Co. from Tennessee. my porch wouldn't be complete without them.

 

This last shot is at the steps coming up onto the porch. Again you see one of the red  train lanterns, but this one is old and heavy and small. We bring this one in in stormy weather. It was from Jim's Uncle Gus. I found the wicker and aluminum basket at HomeGoods and new it had to come home with me. I filled with my favorite flowers....violets. Next to it sits another Pigeon Forge find, a hand-painted jug. Sorry the sun glares, but I love the colors of the reds, gold, browns, blues,and greens of the Water Mill scene. Under the red, white, and blue calico table cover is a very vintage 1940's metal table. You know the kind that only the rust is holding together, but it's still sturdy.  I hope you enjoyed my porch. As soon as the weather lets up I'll show you what I did this year. And, I'll take you around to the side at my kitchen garden porch so you can see how I decorate that 'outdoor' room. Lol, even Jim is trying to create a little porch down by the garage with some of his garage 'collection' shall we call it.....inspired by the Ohio Valley Ant. Mall display which you can see Here

Don't forget Wednesday Is Rednesday over at Susan's It's a very Cherry World so I'll be linking my post with her and with Liz  at brambelberry Cottage on Thirsday for it's Time Travel Thursday This is a new meme so I hope you do a little time travelling and check it out....Oh go ahead show off your retro redo when you get there! She'd love for you to join in.

It's time to show my true colors!

Flag Day is Monday and Fourth of July is around the corner. RED, white, and blue are the colors of American Summer.

I was at Walmart and found this great new throw...........

Sorry, but this is not my porch, ...wish I had a day bed and porch with enough room for it.....it's dark out right now and there's no way to get a good picture....so, I found this pic on Walmart's website of the throw.  I love the vintage look and it'll be great on my porch swing.......

(This is my old throw.It is my Favorite throw, but  after 15 years it was ready to be retired.)

especially with pillows made from ......

This 1940-50 love worn table cloth in a Native Amrican motif and

this Southwest harvest motif.

I have some new creations that show thier true colors.

This little Angelic Inspiration is about 65 years old. Her crocheted dress and hat are original. I added her vintage 1940's doily wings and embellished with sequin stars, an American red paper rose, and a new flag.

Included is a wonderful book, Poems of Patriotism by Guest. This book has so many poems still relevant

today. She is $24.99

There is another Angelic Inspiration honoring our National Flower....... 

She is a 1930-40 composite doll with her original hand-tatted dress, but I added her 1950's hankie skirt in a rose mothif. Her wings are a 1940-50 doily and she holds a garland of hand-tatted edging with paper red roses. She sports a matching headband. She is $34.99

I can't wait to show you pictures of my completed porch and I really enjoyed creating these patriotic dolls. I hope to have more soon available at my Etsy shop. Link is on the side of blog to take you to my Etsy shop.

I'm happily linking this post to my friend Susan's blog  over at It's a Very Cherry World for her,

 

I hope you stop  by and see all the Red letter finds others have HERE .
I also wanted to remind you to stop over at the Etsy Cottage Style Blog for Market Monday. I Co-host this meme every first Monday of the month. We over 50 vendors who link on and invite you to come to the Market, browse and buy. This is our third Market Monday and it has steadily grown to quite a large group. It's really like a virtual Flea Market, but better. You can visit 24/7, no heat, no finding a parking spot, jammies and fuzz slippers optional.
Please stop by thru here.