It's beginning.............................

pic from last winter

........to look a lot like Christmas...........It snowed. I really dreaded hearing those words on the tv weather and typing those words in this post, since last winter's horrible storms, but we awoke Saturday to a sugar coating on the trees and grass. It been snowed all day. We had about 4". The streets are so warm it just melted on them.....couldn't wait for the ice to set up overnight...which it did....yippee. Anyway, It seems the dread has turned to Christmas spirit.

Usually we have all our Christmas Decorations up outside, like the Snowman tree shown here from last year,  but with Jim's infection, we only have the outside lights up. He brought the living room tree down Saturday, but we still have to bring the decorations up. Slowly, but surely we'll get it all decorated and then I can post those pics.

Sunday Jim said I needed to get out of the house, so he took me to the Antique Mall for lunch and to look for Chirstmas presents. We walked the acre up to our parked van...still icy on the drive.....and off we went. The Ohio Valley Antique Mall was packed with shoppers and the vendors booths were filled to the brim. 

As we walked thru I had to giggle cause as I was looking I spied things some of my blogger friends would have jumped at. A couple of sets of N-O-E-L ceramic angels...I know one of you said you were looking for a set, but for the life of me I can't remember who, so, if you want let me know, I'll go over and pick em up for you, they were $24.95 and you can pay me back...  A box of shiny brights in a Woolworth box for Beth of ELizabeth Holcombe, Whimsies and Words, lots of bottlebrush trees for Ms. Bingles at Ms. Bingles Vintage Christmas, some great Flour and sugar sack fabrics for Janet at Primrose Design and barkcloth for Kimberly here at Niesz Vintage Home and Fabric. Lots and lots of Fiestaware, dishes, crystal, and flatware, that would make all my Tablescape Thursday pals over at Between Naps On The Porch squeal with delight. But, the biggest thing I saw that made me think of all my Rednesday friends was this.........................

LOL...first I saw all the aluminum cannisters on the top, I have the set already, but I like to see how much

they are now. Then I looked down and realized it was red and white for in my kitchen, but alas no room for such a big cabinet....but wait I looked closer and then I saw it..the ME iconic cherries!!! The vendor was there and must've caught the 'Aw' look on my face as I thought of all of you and said he could do better than the $149 price if I wanted to take it home.....I thanked him, but I had to pass and asked if I could take a pic to share with my blog pals. I was so excited to finally a ME something to share....even if only a pic.

Hope you are all having a great Rednesday!

I also wanted to remind everyone today about great shopping opportunities showcasing wonderful gift ideas.

Every Saturday in December Southern Lady's Vintage blogspot is holding a Vintage Love Market. For more info to list your selling site or item and to join in the fun that started last Saturday, just take a sliegh ride through  HERE to Southern Lady's Vintage.

And, This Monday started the week long Market Monday over at the Etsy Cottage Style blogspot. I co-host this get-together every first Monday of the month. Last month we had over 50 vendors participate. Stop by today thru HERE Check out our new meme The Colors of Christmas. This weeks color is pink.

See you later.

Hey Everybody!

It's time for the..................................................................

Over at Sue's...It's A Very Cherry World.....blog. So, I thought you all could join me for the.......................

over at the Etsy Cottage Style blog. It's a monthly party I co-host, where we get together each month and show off collections that fit into a letter catagory. November's letters are W and X.

For W I thought of vintage Wall art.........................................................

This wall art grouping in my entry hall consists 2 vintage August Wendell Eagle motif trays. Two Coppercraft 1960's eagle convex mirrors. A 1960's milkglass vase and a vintage 1930-40's wall clock with eagle finial and a watercolor of Monticello.

 This wall is in my kitchen hall. I always say a blank wall is my canvas. I love taking unexpected items and creating wall art. I have reproduction vintage signs and food stuff labels, a vintage 1940's wooden shopping reminder.

Some of spices and baking items are 1960 vintage and reproduction. The paper strwa in their box are from the 60's. The barn yard pitcher is from the 40's and the other pitcher is a reproduction design of a Colonial pattern from the Met Museum in NY.

The rest of the wall is filled with vintage copper, plaster fruit, more signs, and cast iron.

And my beloved Water pump in the Kitchen Garden.............................................................................

I found this old rusted water pump up in Amish country at an antique market for $40. Jim built a wooden box to make it a more realistic pump. It really pumps water with a recycling pump in it. The oaken bucket is new.

It's surrounded by black-eyed-susan's, clematis, coneflower, and african daisies. It reminds me of the old pump at my Great-Grandpa's farm.

 For X I'll show my newest Fav vintage inspired Xmas house and church.

And, here are some vintage Xmas illustrations for you to use....................................



Well, that's it for this alphabet installment. Do you have some vintage items that fit into the W and X catagory.....come on over and join us at the Etsy Cottage Style Blogspot  for the Vintage Alphabet Party all week long! And, stop over at Sue's It's A Very Cherry World for Rednesday to see all the other red hot vintage finds! Now, I'm off to visit the other party-goers.

Riddley, Riddley.......

Well, it's today is Wednesday and I am pleased to announce that it is a very wet 46 degrees here in Cincinnati. WooHoo we have rain folks! My allergies are just jumpin for joy...yippee...but being almost 10 inches below in rainfall, we really need this rain. It'll help a little. Though, for those of you who have talked to me on the phone in the past 2 weeks I still do not have my voice back completely and that cough sounds just as bad. I realllllly do not sound like a cross between Brenda Vaccaro, Darth Vadar, and Yoda. I felt I should clarify that before I go on.....you can ask Susan over at It's a Very Cherry World....

we've spoken before...she knows.
Alright, enough about me bein a moldy oldy.
As you've all noticed I haven't posted lately, well, seems our phone lines have been acting up here at the house off and on for a while and finally they just went off. we had no dial tone. Yesterday the phone Co. finally found the problem in the line back in the woods....seems a squirrel decided to chew a phone line..in several places...and the main phone box had a chewed hole in it too. Moisture got in and killed with line....just ours...go figure, but happily today everything is back to perfect chaos not apocolyptic mayhem.
I am getting ready for my last craft show of the year................
The Holiday Extravaganza
Saturday Nov. 27th
Sharonville Community Center
9A-3:30P
If you're in town I hope you can come by. Last year was a great show...they have such a diverse array of crafts. Since this is Craft Show weekend I'm scambling to get the final touches done on some creations  I won't be on the blog again, sooooo I thought I'd join Susan and everybody for Wednesday Rednesday at It's A Very Cherry World. I thought I give you a game to play that my Mom taught me. It's called, RiddleyRiddley. The object of the game is to guess what the color object is. Well, we are having Rednesday..celebrating all that is vintage, red, and cherry

Riddley, riddley, I dee dee.

I see something you don't see

and the the color of it is red......

Can't guess? Well scroll down...........

It's my Thanksgiving postcard with cherries and all the fixins you'd find for your Thanksgiving!
It comes to you with my best for this Thanksgiving and to let you know
how thankful I am for all my Blog Pals.

It's Saturday!

Hi Everyone! Today is Vintage Love Saturday over at Southern Lady Vintage and the theme for todays get-toether is Vintage Children's Books. I was so excited about this theme. My Mom had me reading Little Golden Books by the time I was 5.

This was my first Golden Book. Alas, I colored on the inside cover and some of the pages are torn, but I still have it.

I thought these Christmas Books would be fun to see.

I love reading..still do, but can't find the time today :(. In the 2nd grade we joined the Scholastic Book Club...you could order books monthly.....they were under a $1. Holy cow I still have some stashed away that I couldn't give up........................................

This was one of my favs.

In  early 1970/71 Our school library was getting rid of some some hardcover books that were no longer wanted and my Mom was a helper one day a week and the Nun asked if she'd like them......of course she brought the whole box. It included titles like PollyAnna, Anne of Green Gables, The Five Little Peppers, and The Nobody's.

Now I don't know if any of you rememeber the Disney LP's.....okay the precursors to 8-tracks, cassette tapes, CD's, MP3's........LOL.......that came with book albums as the jacket, so that when you played the record you could read along and look at the pictures. I have a whole collection of sountrack record books, but again wasn't able to dig em out today. Sooooo, I went online and found some examples of my collection........................................................................

I would sit for hours at my little record player.........alright if you're too young to remember record players.....ask your Grandma........better yet look it up on your IPhone!!!!!!...................anyway....
this is my post of yesteryear reads.  I'm on my way over to Barbara's thru Here  to see all the other vintage literary finds!

Veteren's Day

As I sit here in front of my laptop images flood my mind of past struggles our Country has seen and those we see today.....and those not thought of yet. I try to think of the eloquent words to express my appreciation and respect for those who have served.....gave thier all to serve.......serve today......and those about to recruit........the only two words that keep coming into my mind is.............Thank You.

Such small words, they don't seem big enough, but when spoken today this Veteren's Day it seems to reverberate around the world.

I was looking for some inspiration for this post and I came across this poem by Edgar Guest, Poems of Patriotism. It was written in 1942 during the Second World War, but still today so apprapo,especially 

 after 9/11

See It Through

There are many to cheer when the battle begins,

There are many to shout for the right;

There are many to rail at the world and its sins,

But few have the grit for the fight.

There are thousands to start with a rush for the fray

when the fighting seems easy to do,

But when danger is present and rough is the way,

The few  have to see the job through.

It is easy to quit with a battle unwon,

It is hard to press on to success;

It is easy to stop with a purpose undone,

It is hard to encounter distress.

And many will march when the roadway is clear

and the glorious goal is in view,

But the many, too often, when dangers appear,

Aren't willing to see the fight through. 

They weaken in spirit when trials grow great,

They flinch at the clashing of steel;

They talk of the strength of the foe at the gate

and whine at the hurts that they feel.

They begin to regret having ventured for right,

They sigh that they dared to be true,

They haven't the heart they once had for the fight,

They don't want to see the job through.

We have set out to battle for justice and truth,

We have fearful disasters to meet;

We shall weep for the best of our manliest youth,

We shall suffer the pangs of defeat.

But let us stand firm for the cause that we plead,

Let the many be brave with the few;

Let the cry of the quitter let none of us heed

Till we've done what  we started to do.

As I read this poem I think of that fateful day when Terrorists declared war on all Americans.

Not the US Government...not the Military......decisive strikes against Children, Women, and Men, who  with no warning, an enemy would target just for thier belief in freedom and equality.

We as Americans have to realize that our freedom, our outlook that all men and women are equal, as created by God, no matter creed, color, or social statis is what this enemy despises.....it terrifies them.

The enemy of past was loud.......bold.....boastful.......arrogant.

Today's enemy has learned, be cunning.....use guile...perception...deception the best cover.

            Today under the auspicies of religion they wage thier war, but  tyrants are the same no matter the date, no matter how they package it.....

opression, fear, and genocide are thier tools used to impose their core beliefs.

We have to remember, be you Christian, Jew, or Muslim we believe  in the same one, true, God. Maker of Heaven and Earth, creator of all. That is one huge common demoninator.

Those who use Religion as a cry for war...

Shame on them.

No matter if you agree with the current military actions....please say thank you to those who give you the right to voice that opinion.

  Siemper Fi

Happy Birthday US Marine Corp.

Hi Everyone

Wow this week has gone by so quickly!  I guess that'll happen...when you sleep through part of it!! Remember when I said the past few weeks I've been feeling outa sorts. My old bods ready to go, but my head just hovers a little above my neck and then follows a little behind when I do go. Thought it was just that time when us almost Half Centurians just hit the wall...or peek at the top of the proverbial hill and see the steep decline coming on the other side as we approach to go over it. HA. I'm happy to report to all my Blogpals that approaching 50 does not bring on this symptom...seems there's a new fungus amungus or just a moldy oldy. You see I've had what they call acquired allergies to mold, mildew, and fungus. It's a side effect of working in the floral industry for 38 years.
Doc seems to think there's a new allergen that's gotten to me. Since we're still in severe drought conditions, even  though we've had some light showers, all the leaves...dry grasses.....mulches.... the dampness is a perfect breeding ground. Whohoo.

I found my vintage image on Flickr and thought it apprapo....How do you stay happy though ill? ............
I Visit Blogland. Market Monday was fun over at Etsy Cottage Style.. The whole flea market feel  and the number of diverse vendors is great. Wednesday was Rednesday at Sue's It's A Very Cherry World. It makes it a red letter day to see all the redhot vintage finds. Thursday was Time Travel Thursday at Brambleberry Cottage...let me tell you the vintage transformations are just wonderful...and, it's also Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps On The Porch. I just love popping in at everyone's kitchens and Dining Rooms to see their inspiring tables. Now today, Saturday, is Saturday Vintage Love at Southern Lady's Vintage. This weeks  voted theme is Vintage Dolls, sooooo, I couldn't miss this party...and the meds haven't put me to sleep...yet.
Ok I'll admit it....I am a 50 yrear old who still likes to play with dolls...there I said it...it's in writing and I can't take it back. Actually I never really played with dolls, but dressed them. I still have all my old dolls.......................................................................................

 This is  Little Miss No Name. She is from 1967-68. Isn't she pitiful. I thought if I gave her a new dress, hair ribbons, and shoes, she'd feel better and lose the tear. Well, nothing could console her, so, she moped on my bed.

Baby Thumbelina is from 1968. You pulled her cord jn the back and she wiggled like a real baby.

I received this Companion Doll when I was 4 or 5. She was as tall as me and when you held her hand she walked with you. She's big enough to wear child sized dresses. Today she is used in window displays at the flower shop.

Remember Dawn, the original fashionista? She and her friends came with all the glitz and glam of the late 60's and early 70's. They had a house, car, and thier own fashion runway. It ran on batteries and would circle around for the fashion show.

Who could forget Chrissy. I loved to play with her tresses..long or short....and no I did not cut her hair.

 Here's Dancerina, the beautiful ballerina. Once her batteries were in you pressed the center of her crown
she piroetted her way into your heart.

Now today, I love to take dolls of the 1930's to the 60's, that are in need of a little TLC and recreate them.

Whether they need a little body lift....some of these ladies are over 70 so it's hard to keep your body all together...., make-up work..again at this age you sometimes need a good paint job...., new hair-do....okay a bald doll is just sad...., or fashion overhaul....some of these old girls dresses have seen better days and I love to take a little needle and thread and stitch up a new Brown Gingham Creations.

Some of these lovely ladies have found new homes, but there are others still waiting. For information just contact me.

Holy Cow I made it. I finished this post...it took me longer than usual, but yippee...I did it.

It's Rednesday Wednesday so lets go over and see all the other Redhot finds over at It's A Very Cherry World!