Mamas*Little*Treasures

Domestic Diva Escapes Capture by Computer!

It has been almost a year now, that I have been working on building the ministry of Ruby for Women. During that time, I have not had the time or the energy to invest in my home the way I would like to, and I definitely have not had the mental capacity to keep up with my blogging! Well, we now have an Assistant Editor here at Ruby for Women, as well as a Graphic Designer on staff. Amanda Johnson will be helping me with all editorial and submission tasks, as well as assisting with all of the details on the Ruby for Women blog and community website. Katherine Corrigan will be providing assistance with making our blog and website beautiful! She is also available to help you with your blog or website makeover! You can find both of these ladies in the Ruby for Women community.

So, now that I have some help with all of the responsibilities of Ruby for Women, I have been able to catch my breath a bit, and do some domestic engineering. Although we live in a small cottage by a lake, with a lovely wooded area behind our little house, I feel that it is important to make our world as comfy, cozy, and pretty as I possibly can. We lived in a large, renovated Victorian home with four bedrooms for almost 20 years in Michigan. Then, when we moved to Colorado for my husband's job, we found another beautiful old home which had been renovated, with four bedrooms, a fireplace, and a spacious family room in a Victorian mining village up in the Rocky Mountains. After three years there, we realized that I was probably never going to adjust completely to the altitude (7,500 feet elevation) and that we needed to move back to the midwest. Here in Indiana, with a really difficult economy, we decided to "down-size" in many ways, including our choice in homes.

Around here, I've heard that this kind of house is called a "Hoosier Hut," because it is a manufactured home and only "poor" people live in these little hovels  ;o)  Well, we do have a HUGE garage, a lovely little studio where we can entertain Grandma and Grandpa for summer fishing trips, a lovely large yard, and a beautiful wooded lot behind us. Out my kitchen window we have the cozy woods and out our front window we have a nice view of the lake. Although we are not on the lake front, we do have access to the lake where we have a little fishing boat in the summer and the girls can go swimming. It is peaceful and quiet here, and the neighbors are friendly and like family in many ways. So, even though our little "Hoosier Hut" is small, it is cozy and charming in its own way.

On the outside I am hoping to fix up the yard this summer. Our house in Michigan had beautiful perennial gardens that we had worked on for many years. They were filled with a wide variety of flowers and plants that did well in the shade. We have some shade here, in the back yard, but lots of sun in the front yard, so that will be a brand-new experience for us! This winter we decided that it was time to fix up the inside, so we started with the dining room. Now, those of you who read my blog occasionally know that I LOVE thrift shopping and vintage everything. And, because we have had some pretty significant financial struggles this past year or two with unemployment, I don't have very much money to spend on these kinds of projects. I love these kinds of challenges! I like to see what I can find to spiff up my home in our local thrift shop, and then work my "creative magic" and turn someone's piece of cast-off "junk" and turn it into our family's "treasure."

First, we painted the walls a soft creamy ivory gold. It is not really yellow, but it definitely has more personality than ordinary "off white" or "ivory." I thought about doing a texture design but decided I like it just the way it is, with the simple country-style border. Got all of that at Walmart (we love Walmart, and I guess that proves that we are "poor country folk." No matter, it works for us! Then, I took a strip of the border and put it on the front of the drawer in the top of an old cabinet that I've had for at least 20 years, put new knobs on it and it is perfect for storage. We are going to use the storage areas in the dining room for our craft supplies, because I have more than enough cupboard space in the kitchen for all of the dishes.

Then, I found a beat up old wooden shelf at the thrift shop, so I paid $3.00 for it and brought it home to paint. I painted it black and then used a dry brush technique to add a sheer layer of gold paint. It now matches the discarded wall hangings and vintage saucers that I also purchased at the thrift store. The wallhanging frames were already black but the inside had rather worn and tired looking pictures of chocolate truffles   ;o) So . . . . . I painted the whole thing black, then did the sheer gold layer of paint on the frames, and glued the vintage saucers right in the middle. The saucers are ivory with gold designs, so it all kind of works well together. At least, I think so! The original wallhangings were $1.00 each and the saucers were .50 each.

Then, I had a couple of other wallhangings that I had picked up from thrift shops over the course of the past year, so I grouped them all together, including a vintage mirror, lamps, and other odds and ends, and now I think my dining room is just perfect. Well, for us country folks in our little "Hoosier Hut"! The embellished button frame on top of the cabinet was created using the same technique of brushing a sheer layer of gold paint over a black frame, and then I glued on various vintage buttons.  Inside the frame is a piece of fabric over quilt batting, and I stitched on a piece of black ribbon and vintage lace from a tattered old slip, along with more vintage buttons. Just perfect! A few old books, a couple of candles, some old boxes, and a couple of beautiful "Mama" statues that I picked up at Walmart for $5.00 each after Christmas last year, and I think our dining room is just about ready for a festive family gathering over the holidays.

Of course, not too many of us will all fit in our little house, but we have managed to tuck several babies and grandbabies in around the edges and we all have a wonderful time in our cozy little "Hoosier Hut" here beside our lake in Indiana. Perhaps if you are finding your budget a bit tight this year you will be encouraged to use your limited resources in creative ways to make YOUR home a bright and beautiful corner in the midst of the cold winter months. Blessing on you and your family this holiday season . . . Merry Christmas!

Wardrobe Refashion: Since I'm doing it anyway . . ..

One of my online friends has reminded me of the website Wardrobe Refashion, and I'm thinking it will be fun to jump into the challenge this winter and see what I can come up with.  Seems it is all about taking something that you already have hanging in your closet, or something that you purchase from a thrift shop, and making it into something else . . . . or at least making it into something different than it's original condition.  And since I love to do that kind of thing anyway, this should be lots of fun!  I suppose this could work with shoes and purses, hats, coats, jackets, skirts, and sweaters as well as dresses and slacks.  How about jeans?  I have several pair of jeans that I've been wanting to rip up, shred, paint on, stitch on, and generally deconstruct and then recreate into something brand new and wonderful.  Guess I better get started because this just might take me the rest of my life! 

I'm also feeling very domestic these days - perhaps it is the limited opportunities I have for getting outside when the temperature is hovering close to zero.  But I've got all kinds of plans for painting and fixing up the inside of our little cottage, and I want to do things like make some pretty pillows for the couch, maybe a coordinating tablecloth for the dining room, kitchen curtains, and perhaps do some fun decorating in the bedrooms.  I know the girls want me to paint their bedroom, so we could find the color they want and then find some coordinating fabric to make curtains, a comforter, and pillows.  Then we can find some fun and funky wallhangings, or maybe make something original, get their closet organized, clean out and sort the clothes in their dresser drawers, organize their books and toys. . . . they what will I do with myself?  After all that I'll probably be too exhausted to do anything else for a while. 

And who said that stay-at-home moms don't actually DO anything all day?  Not this mama!  And all of that is in between doing the laundry, cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, cooking, and sweeping the kitchen.  Oh, and keeping clean sheets on the beds.  And homework.  Well, you get the picture.  Besides that, I have an online business to run, which seems to do much better when I actually pay attention to it once in a while.  So much for wondering what I'm going to do with the rest of my life! 

The "Mommy and Me" apron eBooks are on their way, so be sure to let me know if you want me to put you on the list and I"ll send one out to you, too.  Next week I have a couple of other projects and tutorials in mind to share with you.  It occurred to me that there might be some beginning seamstresses (I HATE the word "sewers") who want to try making button holes but perhaps don't have a button hole attachment.  I used to make all of my button holes by hand, and it can still be done if you don't mind doing things the "old-fashioned" way!  Have a wonderful Friday and a blessed weekend, and please be sure to send me pictures of any of your completed projects that you've made using any of my eBook patterns or tutorials.  I would love to share them with the world!  Chat soon, Nina

Vintage Market Team White Sale January 10 - 17, 2010

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Search VMTeamWhiteSale on Etsy to see all of the shops who are featuring sales this week, January 10 - 17, 2010!

 

Here are a few beautiful vintage items from my shop, Gossamer Wings Studio, that are on sale this week: 

 

Vintage 80s Ivory Sweater with Woven Black Neckline Embellishment and Bow

 

Vintage 70s - 80s Ivory and Lace Pajamas Undercover Wear

 

 

Vintage 80s Ruffled Lace Ivory Blouse

 

Vintage Etienne Aigner Ivory Bone Heels with Cut-Out Detail Size 10M

 

Sweater Shrug Ivory Sequined with Vintage Button Embellishment Size Small

 

 

Vintage Cardigan 80s Does 50s Ivory Sweater with Pearl Embellishment

 

Vintage 80s Ivory Blouse with Tucks and Lace Collar

 

Vintage 80s Ivory Long-Sleeve Blouse Villager Size 2 Petite

 

Snow Drop Hand-Embellished Sweater

 
 
 
 
 
 

Contemplating the New Year

It has been really wonderful around here this week, after the holiday festivities, hustle and bustle, and all the fun of gift-giving. . . . . it's been kind of quiet.  But that's the way we like it!  After our little roller skating outing yesterday, the girls informed us that they were "in pain."  What???  You are only 7 and 8 years old - well, Gracie will be nine next week, but really . . . . kids who are having aches and pains?  Since they had never been roller skating before, I suppose they were using some of those strong, young muscles that they hadn't used much before, so they were complaining about a sore back, arms, legs, sides, and even armpits!   They sounded like a couple of old grannies, talking over each other, to see who was in the most misery   ;o)   Oh, wait a minute . . . . I'm a grannie now, so that doesn't quite sound right! 

Anyway, we just hung out at home today trying to get the Christmas stuff picked up and put away.  I worked on a few projects in my studio and in here on the computer - so the rest of the work was kind of hit or miss, but eventually the girls got the ornaments off of the tree (with Daddy's help) and we were able to get the tree out of the house.  Last I looked in the living room, there was still a bunch of stuff on the floor that needed to be picked up before we could run the vacuum.  We'll see what it looks like when I get back out there!  I did manage to get a few little corners of my world tidied up, and as I contemplated new beginnings I couldn't help but think about how time has a way of changing so many things. 

I know that I can sometimes be rather philosophical (which comes kind of naturally to me, since that is what I studied once upon a time and taught for a few years!), but really I think that as we get older we do begin to see things differently than we did when we were younger.  That suddenly came to me again this afternoon while chatting with our daughter-in-law.  They live out west, in the Rocky Mountains, and we live back here in the Indiana.  The rest of our family is mostly in Michigan.  She was talking about how they really need to think about what it will mean now that they are getting a bit older (!!!) and their parents and grandparents are also getting old(er) . . . . and how difficult it is to be so far away from family.  This is my kids talking about getting old! 

Then I started thinking (in the midst of the girls fighting over who got to be the first to take an ornament off of the tree . . . . duh!!! . . . . . I think there are enough for BOTH of them) about the differences in what seems "important" now as opposed to what I thought was "important" say, twenty years ago.  If you ever watch TV, which I don't do much just because there is just SO much more to do in life that I rarely have time), you will notice that so often relationships are portrayed in images of wealth, beauty, "sex appeal," and success.  All of that is nice, but not always realistic.  Especially as we all get older.  All of the glamour, money, and professional success becomes meaningless if you don't have the one thing that every human being longs for:  the unconditional love of family. 

Of course, those of us who have religious and / or spiritual inclinations also include in that list of the necessities of life, a relationship with God.  But even for those who do not recognize this as a significant aspect of life, there is still a deep longing and constant searching for the safety, stability, and peaceful presence of a loving family, either biological or otherwise.  For many of us, that is found in our church community, or our neighborhoods, and sometimes it is found in our biological families.  But biology is definitely NOT the determining factor, as evidenced by the overwhelming number of articles and blog posts that I have come across this past week describing the crazy, dysfunctional, and often painful experiences people have at the holidays when they feel obligated to spend time with family. 

My observations are that, if we want relationships that are truly meaningful, non-toxic, healthy, safe, and stable, we have to invest a great deal in building those relationships.  But we should always remember . . . . . it takes two to make a relationship work.  Life is too short to be miserable in relationships that are hurtful.  Take care of yourself, make that a commitment to yourself in this new year.  You deserve it! 

My philosophy of "Old Stuff"

I've always known (kind of) about the Chinese culture, which holds great reverence for their ancestors and elderly relatives.  So much so, that sons of Chinese families, traditionally, care for their aging parents, while daughters typically marry into another family and help care for the aging parents of their husbands.  With this tradition in mind, I think often of my own daughters and what their lives would be like if they had remained in China.  I am not suggesting that this Chinese tradition is not as good as our American traditions . . . . far from it!  If our elderly relatives were treated with the same level of respect as is shown to the "senior citizens" of China, well we just might be having a different kind of discussion about health care, nursing homes, and the "sandwich generation." 

So there is definitely something to be said in favor of the social and cultural value that is placed on older people in China.  Of course the other side of that observation is that, when this tradition is followed closely, it severely limits options for the women of that country.  On the other hand, sometimes all of the "opportunities" that are available to American young people are not always safe, healthy, or wise.  But that is another discussion . . . . . all of this got me to thinking (again) about how we, as Americans, have for so long been pursuing the dream of having it all. 

And the problems that it has created for people who have been fortunate to have ALMOST all (of whatever they are seeking), and now are faced with the reality of a struggling economy.  Many of us simply can no longer spend our Saturday afternoons wandering around in a huge mall, with cheery music tempting us to feel all warm and fuzzy as we rack up those $$$$ on our charge cards.  We can always pay it off later!  Unfortunately, "later" has caught up with us, and it is not much fun for many Americans. 

My girls will often ask me, "Mom, did you have M&Ms when you were a kid?" or "Was there TV around when you were a kid?" or other equally wise observations from their perspective.  And I will tell them the truth . . . . . yep, those things "were around" but I didn't have nearly as much of it as they do.  And I lived to tell about it!  For some people, that overwhelming desire to have more stuff, new stuff, expensive stuff, and beautiful stuff becomes almost like a noose around the neck.  It becomes all-consuming, to the point of destroying marriages and forcing people into bankruptcy. 

Now, all of us have faced financial struggles at some point in our lives . . . . . and some end up needing to file bankruptcy for very legitimate reasons.  That is not the point of this thought process.  It is about the mindless consumption of material goods that has become such an accepted part of the "American Dream."  So, when I chatted with one of my older daughters about how difficult it is to keep going when there is just never enough money to go around, we came to the conclusion that there are millions of people right now who are actually in more difficult circumstances than we are encountering, and that there are also millions of Americans who lived through the Great Depression . . . . . and they survived.  Not only did they survive, many became stronger, more independent, more resourceful, and more joyful directly in proportion to their determination to be thankful for what they had.  No matter how simple, they learned to appreciate the little things in life. 

So, when one of our nieces posted a comment on my FB page about my ability to take "old stuff" and make it into something kind of cool (or something like that!), it reminded me of a conversation I had with my mother-in-law over 30 years ago.  Even back then, she made the observation that I "could make a beautiful home out of just about nothing."  My philosophy all of my life has been, a coat of paint doesn't cost much and it will make a whole room feel brand-new!  As I carry that philosophy of "old stuff" over into my daily life, I am continually confronted with the ways in which we so often just "throw away" things that are no longer brand-new (well, actually some of it IS brand-new, as evidenced by the number of gorgeous items I find in thrift shops that still have the tags attached!) - but we've grown tired of it, or it is no longer the "latest fashion." 

And that attitude carries over into our lives as we encounter people . . . . those who are older, or a bit slower, or perhaps can't "snap it up" to our level of expectation.  I see it frequently when we are out with our daughter, Missy Stubborn-Pants.  She WILL do it herself, even when it takes her a bit longer than most other kids because of her CP.  Stubborn in that case is a good thing (of course, it sometimes makes me crazy, like when it is time for school and she somehow thinks that just because she is determined to zip her own coat, that will change what time the bell rings!).  Anyway, I've been thinking about "old stuff," perhaps more so because I just had a birthday last week   ;o)  but I've recognized that one of the reasons that I love vintage stuff, and fixing up "old stuff" so much is because I see so much waste in our society. 

 I think it is time for us all to re-think our own "philosophy of old stuff" and begin to get a bit more comfortable with the treasures that can be discovered in all things "vintage."  Including Grandma and Grandpa!   Have a blessed Monday!  I'm off to the studio to fix up some more "old stuff" because it seems that there are at least a few folks out there in the world who like my style! 

Please visit my little Etsy shop at www.gossamerwingsstudio.etsy.com to see more of my "old stuff" that I have turned into beautiful "new stuff" - you won't be disappointed!    

Frugal Friday: Thrifty Treasures and Your Creativity

Find something beautiful and create a little corner of charm!  Especially if you have small children, and you really can't have your entire home filled with nostalgic, vintage treasures.  And then there is the whole dusting thing   ;o)  But if you love the look of days gone by, or even if you are more into the kitschy kind of decorating style of the 50s . . . . just start in one corner, with one or two small pieces and build around whatever you have. 

Sometimes we feel overwhelmed when we try to re-create some of the ideas that we see in decorating magazines.  And I think that might be because in a magazine article you typically see lots of beautiful home decor items all staged together to be attractive.  Why would be buy the magazine if the pictures weren't that gorgeous?  But normal families with kids, a dog and a cat (or two, or more, and whoever else lives in YOUR house!), with a real job (inside or outside the home), bills to pay, a lawn to mow, and muddy boots and mittens piling up in the kitchen during the winter months . . . . well, it is just not NORMAL for our houses to look like those pictures in the magazines!

But we can re-create the peaceful or whimsical or funky or elegant ambiance that we love, even if we focus on just a corner or two.  Besides it is so much easier to dust that way   ;o)  So here's a place to start if you are:

1)  Limited on expendable income (who isn't these days?) . . .

2)  Loving the look of orderly elegance, vintage charm, or wonderful whimsey . . .

3)  Looking for a way to incorporate YOUR personality into a crazy, kid-filled house . . . .

4)  Launching out on the beginnings of a collection of treasures to display . . . .

5)  Lacking the time and / or resources to "do it all" at once.

One day, a long time ago, when I really had very few options for updating my wardrobe (this really does relate to the topic at hand . . . . but then it could also be the beginning of another Frugal Friday blog post), I decided to try something different.  So, I pulled everything out of my closet, sorted it all out, tried it all on, and then rearranged everything that I could think of!  Instead of this skirt with that sweater, how about THAT skirt with THIS sweater?  And would that jacket look good over that dress to make a completely new outfit?  A red ribbon from my sewing room was added to a simple white sweater to create a sweet little bow at the neckline, and now it really looked very nice with the red and black plaid skirt that had been hanging in the back of the closet because I didn't have "anything" to wear with it. 

That's how it can be when you want to redecorate a corner of your little world!  Here's just one example of what I'm talking about:  the dresser in our bedroom is kind of tall (it is beautiful, but not my favorite piece of furniture!), so I removed everything that had accumulated up there since the last time I dusted   ;o)  Really, I try to dust the furniture every week, but that doesn't always happen!  The jewelry, hubby's wallet, keys, change, and guitar picks all were put into a pretty little vintage dish and set aside.  Pictures, last week's mail, bills to pay (out of my sight!), and sucker sticks the girls "forgot" to throw away.  OK, they don't get suckers very often, so I'll just deal with it . . . . but NEXT time . . .. .

Once the top of the dresser was cleared off, of course I dusted it!  How easy was that, dusting the top of a dresser that has absolutely NOTHING on it   ;o)  Now this is the fun part!  I had a curtain . . . . just one curtain that I found at a garage sale last time we went to Grandma's house . .. . that couldn't be used as a curtain anymore.  But it is beautiful!  Is is a sheer golden fabric with embroidery and the most gorgeous golden lace trim . . . . I love it!  I might actually cut it up eventually to use for some of my garment reconstruction projects, but for now it's going on the dresser.  And since I love the lace trim so much, I wanted to be sure to display it prominently.  So I draped it partially over the mirror that hangs just over the dresser (also a thrift shop treasure), down the side of the mirror and onto the top of the dresser with the lace trim all along the front edge.  One more little addition to the mirror . . . . an old charm necklace (who knows where that came from, but it's been around here a long time!) that I love but don't wear as a necklace (or for anything else, either) was hung from the mirror to reflect the whole golden theme I have going on.

Then it was time to add all the other discoveries that I had gathered up in my treasure hunt around the house and in the garage!  Well, the first treasure that got this whole thing started is the "thing" on the left side of the dresser.  We took a drive up through the countryside a week or so ago and stopped into the "Curiosity Shop" in one little village.  Didn't find much there, but I did see this "thing" in the corner of the shop for $3.00.  When I asked what it was, no one seemed to know, but it is definitely beautiful (at least I think it is beautiful!), and the price was right.  We brought it home and I decided that it could be a candle holder, but Sweet Hubby warned me not to put the top on when I had a candle in it, even though there are holes for ventilation.  That was my interpretation, anyway!  I suppose it could also be turned into a real electric lamp if we wanted to wire it, but I like it just the way it is.

I also found this old alarm clock in a box in the garage, and then I remembered this sweet little shadow box that I made a few years ago.  The frame is painted gold (perfect to keep my gold theme going) and I filled it with a variety of vintage sewing items, a vintage handkerchief, and a vintage bow pin.  A few vintage buttons with the tiny spools of thread, and I think it is pretty cute!  In a corner of another room, long forgotten, was this vintage-looking miniature dress form, a Victorian-style photo frame with a picture of our Shoe Diva as a baby, and a vintage green bottle that was on a shelf in another room.  Then I found another vintage-style necklace that I wore to our Adventurous Son's wedding.  The necklace is a dark gold with red stones.  A few touches of color to my golden corner! 

Finally, I went to my sewing studio to search through my vintage "stuff" that I have collected for reconstruction / restyling projects, and found this gorgeous black beaded evening bag.  Just the right finishing touch for my little corner of elegance!  Now, if I tried to create this kind of scenario in my entire house . . . . well, that would last about two seconds!  But here it is high enough that (usually) no one will NEED to drop a bunch of junk up there, no one will NEED to move things around, and it is out of the way of all of the "practical" events that go on in a family home.  But I still get to have a tiny corner of my world that provides me with the joy of beauty, tranquility, peace, and elegance.  Now it's back to the rest of my life, the singing Hubby, and giggling Girls (Shoe Diva in her raggedy jeans and Miss Determined in her matching red blouse AND sparkly red "high heels"), bills to pay, dishes to wash and laundry piling up . . . . . but it has been fun to express a tiny bit of my creativity, even if it is only on the top of my dresser! 

Have a wonderful Friday, and may all your dreams be created through the use of YOUR own imagination and determination!