Ponder & Stitch

Weekend vintage goodness.

2012-02-12T12:56:00.000-08:00

A while back I bought the amazing mid century shelf pictured in the above photo. It was going to be really expensive to ship, so the super sweet seller agreed to meet me halfway so I could pick it up. Thank goodness we lived close enough for this to be possible! Let me tell you, this shelf is so cool! It was up within minutes of returning home.

Photographs really don't do it justice! On the way home, we stopped at a little antique shop that I love, but haven't visited in a few years. It's one of those great old junk shops where you don't even know where to start looking. I ended up coming home with what used to be the top part of a desk:

It's about 2.5 feet long and perfect for sorting mail and other odds and ends. I'm pretty sure I'm going to paint it. It's just too beat up to leave as-is. I'll be sure to post a photo when I do!

Speaking of thrift store art....

2012-02-08T05:26:00.000-08:00

How cool is this?!

Turn a thrift store painting into your very own paint-by-number!

I love this and can't believe I never saw this post before now. Go read the full tutorial here. I can't tell you how many ugly floral paintings I've seen while thrifting. I may just grab one now!

What actually happened when I tried a Pinterest project.

2012-02-06T20:00:00.000-08:00

I first saw this project on Pinterest, but the original how-to can be found on this awesome blog. So here's my step-by-step account of how it all went down when I actually tried it.

First, start with a cheap thrift store painting. The one I bought is actually one of those old prints that's a stiff piece of board and has a uniform texture all over it. I wish I would've found a paint-by-number, but this did the trick. It was $4.00:

Next, go to the store and get yourself a pack or two of vinyl letter stickers. Since I don't live by a craft store, I had to go to the hardware store. Translation: NO good fonts. :(

Make sure you get the letters that are part of a white rectangle rather than the peel-off letters that are already shaped like the actual letter. If you get the white rectangle type, you'll be able to trim the letters to actual size while the backing is still attached for easy layout planning! You won't be able to do this with the letter-shaped type.

The bad news if you do it the way I did it is you'll have to cut out each letter. But it's easier in the end, I promise! Here is a pic after I had cut out some of my letters. All of the stickers in this photo still have the backing attached so I can move them around freely:

These stickers are three inches tall (in case you're wondering!). One of the problems I faced happened when it was time to place the sticker down for good. If I put a sticker down incorrectly and had to lift it, it would pull off some of the print. See next to the "T" after I had moved it to the left a bit:

Ok, now if I was going to cut ALL these letters and paint the whole thing only to find out at the end that the whole original print was ripped off when I removed each sticker, I was going to lose it. What worked for me was sticking the letter to my hand a few times before I put it on the painting:

Just take it on and off your hand a few times. It will still be sticky, and will also make for easy lifting without ruining your print! I didn't lose any more of the print after using this method. Remember to remove the stickers gently and slowly just in case!

Time to paint! Make sure you get spray paint. That means no brushes and less chance of bleeding under the stickers (though mine did bleed a very tiny bit in some spots). It would've been WAY worse had I used regular paint and a brush!

It took three coats before the original print was covered to my liking. I used a satin finish. Defects and problem areas are always accentuated with gloss, and I didn't want completely flat paint, either. Let the paint dry. Ok, time to peel off the stickers and see if this worked:

Success so far!! Well, except for the fact that I didn't use a ruler or a straight line of any kind and just guessed where to put everything. Plus, before you paint it and your letters are on top of the busy print, it's really hard to see where some of your spaces between words and letters are just too big. Darn! I can't go back now, so I have to live with a little sloping and crooked letters and the bottom words being too far apart from eachother:

Overall, I'd say the project was a success, but next time I'm using a ruler! Some of the big spaces and crooked parts are going to bug me forever.

P.S. This is a lyric from a song called "As We Go Along" sung by The Monkees (written by Carole King/Toni Stern).

Some things I've bought lately.

2012-02-05T07:04:00.000-08:00

First up, I love my new owl mug from Urban Outfitters! It holds a lot of liquid and is soooo cute. I bought it at the actual store, but it's cheaper online right now! Get two for $10.00 here!

Next, how sweet is this vintage cat plush?

I didn't need her, but I couldn't resist that cute little tipped head. I got her here.

I just got this old ROOMS sign yesterday while out at my local antique store:

I immediately hung it on my ancient basement door. Maybe it will make people think there are cool old rooms behind that door rather than a disgusting, scary 100-year-old basement. Notice the print in the background. It's this one and it's amazing.

Finally, take a look at this amazing felt collage I got Julia for Christmas!:

It's from pixlpshr and it's absolutely every bit as cool in person as the rest of her shop looks. I wouldn't mind having a whole collection of these! The felt is adhered to a 6x8 canvas and the back is finished very professionally with a little wire for hanging. Love!

Now show me what you've bought lately!

Something weird about me.

2012-02-04T19:12:00.000-08:00

I hate hate hate smoking. I hate the idea of it, the smell of it, everything about it. But I love vintage ashtrays. Why am I always finding the cutest ashtrays?! I keep telling myself maybe I could get one and use it as something else, but in the end, I'll know it's an ashtray and I can never bring myself to buy one. Tell me these owl ones aren't the cutest ever!:

I want them. I REALLY want them! And some more cuties (shop links at bottom):

I always try to convince myself that maybe I'll just put tiny pencils in the cigarette holders. lol

Photo credits:
1. ForestDaydream
2. NeedorWant
3. flippingout
4. Fairyknob
5. highwatervintage
6. RetroMagnetism
7. EasterInHarlem

P.S. Sorry January was so quiet around here- I'm back!

LOVE.

2012-01-18T11:19:00.000-08:00

Another thrift store score!

2012-01-13T11:44:00.000-08:00

Just a small one today...I found these sweet vintage pyrex covered dishes on my lunch break yesterday. They are in near perfect condition and good size, too! Perfect for a retro kitchen...

There is a yellow one and an orange one. The yellow one is divided:

I know vintage pyrex is all over the place nowadays, so it's not the most amazing thrift store score. I love that they are in awesome condition, though, and the floral design on the lid is perfect! :)

Have you found any thrift store scores lately?

Thrift store score!!

2012-01-05T19:05:00.001-08:00

I'm loving my latest thrift store score! I picked up this beeeeyoutiful chair right before the holidays and haven't had a minute to blog about it since! I saw the shape and knew it was something special. After a little research, I found that it's one of these. This chair has been reissued and replicas from the original mold are still being made today, but this one is a late 1950's original!

It's not in immaculate shape, but for $6.00, it was a steal! I'm kind of ashamed (ok, really ashamed) to admit that there were four of these chairs at the thrift store, and I only bought one. However, the other three were in such bad condition you probably couldn't even sit on them without them crashing to the ground. Still. I'm an idiot for not getting them. Those ones were only $4.00!

Oh, well. Live and learn, right?! Notice Kitterson admiring the chair- I think he likes it! ;)

Are you the winner?!

2011-12-20T17:20:00.000-08:00

You sure are if you are Katy! Congratulations! You are the winner of these gorgeous earrings from Kristin Noel Designs. I'll be in touch shortly. Thanks to all who entered! I've been sooooo busy with holiday preparations and I've been pretty quiet around here in blogland.

I do have a lot of things to show all of you, including my latest thrift store score!! Stick around, and happy holidays!

WHAT A NIGHT!

2011-12-15T07:01:00.001-08:00

Last night was amazing! As you already know from this post, I am a huge fan of A Christmas Story. What you don't know is that I work closely with the stage adaptation of this show for my day job. The publishing company where I work holds the rights to this play, and now there is a new musical version! Last night, the entire staff was invited to attend opening night of A Christmas Story, The Musical! at The Chicago Theatre. It was AMAZING.

We also got V.I.P. passes to the afterparty. I was so lucky to meet authors with whom I've been working for years, but never actually met in person. I also got to meet the producer of the show, Peter Billingsley!! That's Ralphie from the original movie, of course!

Julia got to meet him, too. He was so sweet, and his eyes are shockingly blue! It was definitely a night to remember. Getting to bed at 2 a.m. wasn't as fun. Work is going to be tough today!

Win these london blue topaz earrings- a new giveaway!

2011-12-08T20:17:00.001-08:00

It's time for a new giveaway! The super sweet Kristin of Kristin Noel Designs is giving away these blue topaz (the December birthstone) hoops to a lucky ponder and stitch reader! They are valued at $44.00 - great for a gift or to keep for yourself! The winner can choose argentium silver or 14k gold fill for the wire.

Entering is easy! Mandatory: Go take a peek at Kristin's lovely shop and post your favorite item (or the item you'd most want to give as a gift!) in the comments below. I think these are my favorite- I'm a sucker for oxidized silver and turquoise!

For more entries, you can do any of the following:

-Like Kristin's facebook page here.
- Follow her twitter page here.
-Leave a comment with your favorite item from her other sweet shop, adornable vintage.

That's four ways to enter! Make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry.

I will choose the winner next Friday, December 16th at 5:00 p.m. central time. Good luck!!

It's a major award!

2011-11-30T15:50:00.001-08:00

It's indescribably beautiful!!! It reminds me of the 4th of July! Yes, this beeeeyoutiful lamp is currently in my front window in all its leggy glory. It was an early Christmas present from my wonderful boyfriend and his parents. I cannot believe I actually own a leg lamp!!

A Christmas Story is one of my all-time favorite movies, so I am more than thrilled to own this beauty! My boyfriend surprised me the other night while I was out of the house by setting it up in my living room and then driving me past the front window as soon as it was dark. I cannot tell you how shocked I was to see this as we drove by the house!

So tell me, how many of you would be mortified to have a neighbor with this lamp in the window?! lol... I haven't talked to any of my neighbors yet, so I don't know what they're thinking.

P.S. I just made this for dinner. Ok, so it's not the healthiest thing in the world...but YUM!

P.P.S. I have the best boyfriend in the whole world. :)

My first show is behind me!

2011-11-29T18:45:00.000-08:00

Boy, am I exhausted. I don't remember the last time I've been so tired (which is why you'll see no photos of me in this post!). HoneyCraft was loads of fun, even if I only got two hours of sleep the night before and looked like a zombie the entire day!

Do you see Julia trying to hide from the camera in the photo above? Haha, like mother, like daughter!

I know my table looks really cluttered...and I suppose it was... but it was really cute in person, loaded with dainty florals and vintage fabrics.

I got the pleasure of having a table right next to the amazing Lisa of That Old Blue House. Not only was she the sweetest person in the world, but her pieces were GORGEOUS! It was so wonderful to see them in person, and to meet an Etsy friend in person, too!

I was able to make back the booth fee many times over, so it wasn't a total bust! I do have a TON of stuff leftover (I mean a TON), so I'll be photographing everything and putting some new things in the shop every day. I've already started listing, and that means zip pouches are coming to the shop, too! :)

Overall, it was extremely time-consuming getting ready for the show, and really stressful for me. I get nervous easily! I had fun, though- I just need a break before doing it again (and LOTS of beauty sleep!).

Now it's time to get to work on my inbox. I am so behind!

Want to win this cuff?

2011-11-22T05:55:00.000-08:00

Then head over to Yellow Bird, Yellow Beard for her 500 follower celebration giveaway! You could win one of 14 amazing prizes! :) I'm keeping my fingers crossed because I have my eyes on a few things, too. ;)

Who's the lucky winner?!!!!

2011-11-16T12:13:00.000-08:00

Did you win this super sweet dress?! If you are 3Giraffes, you sure did! Congratulations! I'm extremely jealous. ;)

I'll be in touch shortly!

What I've been busy sewing for the show...

2011-11-13T11:07:00.001-08:00

I'm up to my ears in zip pouches! I know I never have these in the shop, and it's pretty much because I hate working with zippers. However, I think they'll really help fill up the table and it's good to have some variety.

I'm sure I'll have a lot left after the show that I can add to the shop. Of course, I'm also up to my ears in cuffs:

I have a lot more cuffs to make, and a lot of the finished cuffs still need buttons. I have a long way to go until I'm ready for the show. I'm really exhausted but excited, too. :)

Finally, you have one more day to enter to win this dress!:

I choose the winner tomorrow (Monday, Nov. 14th) at 5pm central time. Go enter here. The odds are still really great!

I'll take one of each, please.

2011-11-10T08:29:00.000-08:00

Here are some things I'm loving right now. First up is this sweet little rose ring from ThirtySixTen. I'd get the oxidized one on the bottom. I'm not even a rose girl (I'm a daisy girl) but I love this ring!

I've been a fan of tastes orangey for the longest time. There are so many of her prints that I want that it was hard to decide which one to show here. For now I'm going with this one:

I love all the rich colors she uses, especially the prints with a lot of aqua. I want this!

I don't know about you, but I pretty much have to have this Ron Swanson shirt from SmokinChix:

I'd get it in a different color...maybe the green. If you don't know who Ron Swanson is, start with season one of Parks and Recreation and don't stop until you're caught up. Do it!

I absolutely love these tiny rock collections from Cori Kindred:

I love how she types the words below the rocks. I think one of these would look so sweet resting against a stack of books on a bookshelf.

Last, but certainly not least, how sweet are these art dolls from manartas?!

They are fairly big and you can just tell how impeccably well-made they are. I just think each one has so much character!

What's on your wish list?

Where have I been?!

2011-11-09T11:48:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the silence! I've been soooo busy sewing like a madwoman to prepare for HoneyCraft. I'm in the process of making a bunch of really sweet zip pouches to add to my table. I love this one made with vintage owl feedsack. The lining fabric is vintage, too. I love the color combo!

I've had a lot of late nights sewing while listening to this song. I can't get enough of it! It starts kind of slow but it gets amazing at the 1:30 mark. I think his voice sounds just like a mixture of Sting and Peter Gabriel in the chorus. The duet with Kimbra in the second part of the song is great. Take a listen- it really becomes addicting!

Amazing.

2011-11-03T19:44:00.000-07:00

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

You must watch this. I've always loved watching big flocks of birds, but this is absolutely breathtaking. Just imagine being in the place of these girls... Watch it with sound and watch it til the end.

Calling all Northern Illinois handmade artists (and shoppers)!

2011-11-03T09:26:00.001-07:00

I will be participating in a brand new handmade market on November 27th in Woodstock, IL called HoneyCraft! I'm so excited to see a new show like this that is just seconds away from where I live and work.

It's being held in a great indoor space and the fee to have a table there is very low! There's room for more, so if you're interested in participating, email honeycraftmarket@gmail.com with photos of your work.

If you're not a seller, just come shop! It's free to the public and sure to be lots of fun. :) It will be taking place in conjunction with the Christmas parade on the historic Woodstock Square. Yay for holiday shopping!

Why I just had a mild heart attack...

2011-11-02T15:28:00.000-07:00

This was the first year since being a mom (11 years) that I did not have my daughter for Halloween. She was with her dad this year, and for the first time ever, he took her shopping for a costume. I had no idea what the costume looked like until today.

Before we get to that part, I want to show you this photo of my sister Sage. She's seven years old and the sweetest little thing ever. She went as Cleopatra this year. It's weird to see her with such dark hair since she's pretty much blonde!:

Sweet, right? Exactly.

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Now imagine coming home from work as I just did, walking into the kitchen and around the corner and seeing my daughter standing there in this:

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She was just standing there all still with her arms down just WAITING for me to get home. It might not look that scary in this pic but when you walk into a dark kitchen and aren't expecting an evil skeleton demon devil jester waiting there for you, it's terrifying.

TERRIFYING. For some reason this post reminds me of this post from exactly two years ago. I guess she's always had a thing for scaring me to death.

P.S. If you haven't already done so, you MUST enter this giveaway immediately! The odds right now are INSANELY good and the prize is a $90.00 dress! Good luck. :)

An AMAZING Shabby Apple dress giveaway!

2011-10-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

I cannot even tell you how envious I'm going to be of the winner of this gorgeous Ahoy! dress from Shabby Apple. For those of you who don't already know, Shabby Apple is an amazing online boutique full of vintage charm, especially vintage-inspired women's dresses! I've been a fan for a long time. Check out the rest of the amazing dresses here.

I'm pleased to announce that Shabby Apple has generously offered to give this dress (an $89.00 value!) to one lucky ponder and stitch reader!

This particular giveaway is open to U.S. entrants only, and the winning dress cannot be exchanged.

Mandatory way to enter: "like" Shabby Apple on facebook here and leave a comment letting me know you did so.

For an extra entry (and who wouldn't want to increase the odds of winning this beauty?!), just blog, facebook or tweet the link to this giveaway and leave another comment letting me know you did so. Easy! :)

As an added bonus, for the next 30 days, Shabby Apple is offering a 10% discount to all ponder and stitch readers! Just enter the code "ponderandstitch10off" at checkout for the discount. I know I have my eye on this beauty!

I will randomly choose the winner at 5:00 p.m. central time on November 14th. Good luck, everyone!

Before and after.

2011-10-26T06:17:00.001-07:00

The other day I found this old wooden owl cutout in a pile of yard waste outside of an abandoned house. My boyfriend knew the people who used to live there and they gave us free reign to take what we wanted from the yard. This little guy was mine!

It's about 10 or 11 inches tall and maybe 7 or 8 inches wide at its widest point. Now, I'm no painter, but I decided to give it a try (click to zoom).

I sanded it, painted it and then sanded it again to give it a distressed look. I think I'm going to attach three or four hooks to the front bottom part, and make a key rack out of it! I think it will look cute on the wall. Not bad for what started as a piece of trash in the mud in someone's yard. Score!

And the winner is....!

2011-10-25T18:18:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Ashley! You have won the adorable autumn leaf necklace from jewelryvixen. Lucky girl! I will be touch soon. :) Thanks to all who entered. There are more giveaways to come, so stay tuned!

Thrift store score!

2011-10-18T06:03:00.001-07:00

I love this vintage mirror I got while treasure-hunting on my lunch break yesterday. It has such a great shape, and I love how narrow it is!

It is 22 inches long and nine inches wide. I feel like I might even hang it horizontally for a different look. I'm not really sure where I'll put it yet, but I think it's a great thrift store score! Well, not as good as what this guy recently found in a book at a yard sale. Lucky!

A new amazing (and simple!) giveaway!

2011-10-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

How perfect is this necklace for autumn?! One lucky ponder and stitch reader will win this beauty from jewelryvixen!

Entering is simple. :) All you have to do is visit jewelryvixen's shop and leave a comment with your favorite item. Easy! I think these are my current favorite (I already own them in aqua!).

Remember- leave an email or way to contact you or you will not be entered! I'll randomly draw the winner next Monday, October 24, at 5pm central time. Good luck!!

The sweetest video EVER, plus the giveaway winner!

2011-10-15T15:59:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everyone who entered the Pikithins bracelet giveaway!! I randomly drew the winner yesterday after work, and the lucky girl is...

Christy!

Congratulations! I'll be in touch shortly. ;)

Now for the sweetest video ever. I came across this video on Pinterest. I LOVE Pinterest, yet I don't have an account. Weird, I know. I have no idea why I don't have one. I think it's part of my refusal to ever get a facebook or twitter account.. I know it's not the same thing, but I've been resisting for no good reason at all. I should probably get an account.

Anyway, you have to watch this (if you haven't already seen it). It shows an 8-month old baby boy who was born deaf. He gets a cochlear implant and the video shows him hearing his mother's voice for the first time. It's just so heartwarming. I love when the pacifier just drops! His whole world changed right then..

I hope you're all having a great weekend! Stay tuned for an awesome giveaway starting Monday!!

The mailman was good to me today.

2011-10-13T15:44:00.000-07:00

I've really been into orange lately. I have no idea why. I saw this vintage orange vase here and knew I had to have it! I love the retro orange/brown/white color combo. I've never seen another vintage vase exactly like this! Now I just need something to put in it.

I also got this sweet vintage scoop the other day:

It's more of a red with an orange tinge to it. I bought it here and it arrived at my doorstep in no time at all! I'm using it with a glass jar of popcorn kernels. It's perfect for scooping them! My boyfriend recently taught me how to make popcorn on the stove the real way. I can't believe I am 33 years old and didn't know how to do this until now. I'll never ever go back to microwave popcorn!

I hope your mailman has been good to you, too!

P.S. Tomorrow I pick the winner of this bracelet from Pikithins! Make sure you enter if you haven't done so! It's easy. :)

A sweet and simple giveaway for you!

2011-10-07T14:21:00.000-07:00

One lucky Ponder and Stitch reader will win this pretty macrame bracelet from Pikithins! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post mentioning your favorite item from Pikithins' shop. Easy!!

Piki is the sweetest- I own one of her bracelets and I also own this sweet needle wallet from her shop. How cute is that?!

The winner will be randomly chosen on Friday, October 14th at 5:00 p.m. central time. I have another great giveaway coming immediately after- you won't want to miss it.

Good luck!

Cute!

2011-10-05T05:54:00.001-07:00

I think I forgot to show you guys when I got these sweet vintage owl mugs. I love how the handle is built right in to the design. Love the floral eyes, too! I actually got a set of six, and then sent two to my brother in Seattle because he has always loved owls. Unfortunately, one of them was shattered when he opened the box. :( Anyway, I just thought I'd show you these because they are so cute!

Haircut before and after.

2011-10-04T12:35:00.001-07:00

Ok. I'm not sure how I feel about my haircut. I liked it when I left the salon, but I can't make it look that way on my own (of course!). So now I'm in that "maybe I regret it" phase.

I had looong, straight (not a bang in sight) hair before:

Now it's way shorter with long layers and long, messy bangs that can be swept to the side:

I got over 12 inches of hair cut off in some spots.

Sorry, these photos are awful! It's so hard to take a pic of yourself using the timer. Here is one I took in the mirror to show how the front falls if I'm wearing a pony tail, though it's a bad angle:

Oh, and someone asked me the other day what camera I use, so now you can see in this reflection pic that it's just a plain old kodak easyshare! Nothing fancy at all!

Chicago Botanic Garden pics!

2011-10-01T14:29:00.001-07:00

I apologize for the absence! I've been so busy lately and have been meaning to blog for days! I bet it was annoying to come to my blog only to see that sandwich photo every day. lol. Last weekend I went to the Chicago Botanic Garden (again). It really never gets old! It was raining when we went, but we made the best of it.

There was this great spot where about half a dozen hummingbirds were flying around. Of course, they move so quickly that getting a photo was impossible. I lucked out with this one:

But most of the pics looked like this one (or much worse):

There was a dahlia show going on while we were there. The flowers were HUGE and amazing!

These huge fish were begging for food:

It turned out to be a really lovely day, rain and all.

On another note, I got five inches cut off my hair today, and also got BANGS. I've never had bangs! They are kind of the long side-swept messy kind of bangs. I really needed a change. I'll try to get a photo!

Happy weekend, everyone!

lunch.

2011-09-21T11:42:00.000-07:00

muenster cheese. avocado. bacon.

:)

New additions and free shipping.

2011-09-16T06:54:00.000-07:00

Two brand new cuffs with vintage lace accents in the shop today! It's also my birthday today, so I'm offering free shipping through the weekend! Use coupon code BIRTHDAYGIRL at checkout through Sunday night. :)

Happy Friday, everyone!

Thrift store score!

2011-09-15T05:25:00.001-07:00

I love this one! I've always had a thing for old group photos, and these framed panoramic ones are even better. I actually got this one at an antique store. I can never afford them because they are always at least $75.00 to over $100.00. This one, though, was $12.00! And it's three feet long, which is pretty good size!

It's labeled Liberal Arts, Illinois Wesleyan University. I live in Illinois, so that was another plus. Someone has marked every person in the picture with a number (written on the dresses and suits). I love how there are people in the windows, as well. Make sure to zoom in on these!

If the girl in the middle of the photo below were a man, he would be twirling his mustache and tying you to the railroad tracks:

This girl below in the black sweater (the only girl in the whole photo wearing a sweater!) looks so happy. I wonder if she was mad she wasn't looking at the camera:

And the girl in the middle below is saying "No you didn't just ask me to say cheese! I'm way too old for this.":

I can't wait to hang this photo!

Lanterns, Renegade and an early birthday gift.

2011-09-13T16:05:00.001-07:00

It's been a while! Sorry for the silence. I've been soooo busy! Since I last wrote, I got my gorgeous inaluxe paper lantern from Blue Q (and then loved it so much I got a second one):

Sorry for the awful photo but there is just no way to nicely photograph these lanterns, at least not in my house...I swear to you, they look sooo great!! Here is how they look when they are not lit:

I know these photos are atrocious. Just trust me that they look great in person!

This weekend I also went to the Chicago Renegade Fair. As always, it was a lot of fun! I bought this print from Jessica Swift because it reminded me of my boyfriend and me. It even had a paper lantern hanging over the couch just where mine are hanging!:

Right now I have it displayed on this stack of books (also not the best pic!):

Of course I couldn't leave without getting another tiny tree magnet from iamhome:

The only other thing I brought home this year was a tshirt from maryink, but I don't have a pic!
I did take some photos of things I wanted to show, though...

I really liked these little lights from jerseymaids:

I would've bought one, but then I remembered my house is 100 years old with barely any outlets and I don't really have any to spare!

I also thought these book spine snap bracelets from Magic Industrie were pretty neat:

There were a lot of pretty spoon rings from Revisions:

I thought it was funny that YardsalePress was using my name to display their coasters. I just had to get a picture of that:

Ok, so it's the shortest, simplest name in the book. But still. lol

I would've gotten more photos, but my camera ran out of batteries, not to mention it was SO crowded this year that I could hardly get into the booths. Seriously!

Last but certainly not least, my sweet boyfriend gave me an early birthday present this weekend (my birthday is Friday- 33- YIKES!):

Aren't these the sweetest wristwarmers?! They're from SheepishKnitCrochet and I love them dearly!! I pulled that photo from her shop because I haven't had time to take a photo of my pair yet. Tonight there is only a high of 48 degrees...Julia and I are going to have a little fire outside, so I may get to use them already!

Goodbye, tree. :(

2011-09-02T14:17:00.001-07:00

This is my house. Please disregard all the yardwork/trimming that needs to be done. This morning I woke up to find a big white X on this tree, with a note from the city saying it's going to be cut down. This tree might not look so big here, but it IS! It is old and has a history and gives my house lots of shade (which it needs, since I have no central air!). I just hate knowing it's going to be gone.

I live on a corner. I found out the city is pulling up the sidewalk on the corner and redoing it with a slope to make it handicap accessible. Apparently the sidewalk needs to be lowered, and it can't be lowered until the tree is gone. At least the tree is being removed for a good cause. I'm just sad to see it go. :(

On to other things...

Julia started 6th grade a couple of weeks ago. Today, she brought home her first one of these! I asked her what she answered the boy and she said she hasn't given him an answer yet. Also, I hope she never sees this blog post or she will just die. lol

****Update: Crap. She saw it. lol

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Can't wait to get this!

2011-09-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

What luck! I was JUST saying that I wanted to find a cool paper lantern to hang in my living room. I went to Ikea this weekend hoping to find something, but had no luck. I logged into my email this morning and had an email from Blue Q introducing their new paper lanterns! Ahhh!

I bought this PERFECT one with a design by Inaluxe. The lantern itself was only $9.99, and the cord kit to go with it was $12.99. Not too bad! I cannot wait to get this. I'll be sure to post a pic after I hang it!

Thrift store score!

2011-08-26T14:09:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure if today's lunch break score is one of those things that's so ugly, it's cute. It's a very retro ottoman/footstool in great condition. It's about two feet wide, and I've put it at the bottom of my stairs for now:
I think it might end up being a cat bed.

Either that or I will decide it's ugly and I'll get rid of it. At $10.00, I'm fine either way!

Happy Friday, everyone!

**Update..
Yep, they already love it!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

2011-08-26T07:04:00.000-07:00

I cannot tell you how much I want this couch from Urban Outfitters. The back even folds down, so it's a sleeper sofa. I would feel weird about buying a couch online without sitting on it first, though. This would looks so perfect with some vintage pillows. Ugh, I WANT it!

Old school.

2011-08-21T07:42:00.000-07:00

I stayed up late last night making a 'remember how much I loved these when I was a kid' chevron friendship bracelet. How's that for a crazy Saturday night?!

Let me just say, this thing took forever. I love it, though! The colors are so pretty together in person. I used four colors: pale aqua, a darker aqua, olive green and a greenish light brown. I'm tempted to make another in mustard and gray...

Someone is really happy it's Friday.

2011-08-19T15:16:00.000-07:00

P.S. It's me.

Have a great weekend!

Want to see something cool?!

2011-08-18T05:22:00.000-07:00

Find a copy of the most current (September) issue of Better Homes and Gardens. Flip to the back page. You'll see the talented and super sweet Liz of cozyblue featured there.

And if you look a little closer, you'll see she is wearing one of my cuffs!

How cool is that?! To even see one of my cuffs in print like that is AMAZING! I'm so happy she chose to wear hers that day, lol. Congratulations, Liz!

Am I the last person to find out about Blue Q?

2011-08-15T20:14:00.000-07:00

I feel like I'm always behind the times, so I bet most of you already know about Blue Q. It's such an adorable shopping site, with fun and quirky items at great prices. I just placed and received my first order (and it came so fast!).

Even the box brought a smile to my face:

What did I buy? Well, I've always been a HUGE fan of inaluxe, so when I saw that Blue Q was offering a variety of bags and pouches featuring inaluxe's artwork, I couldn't resist! This little coin pouch was only $3.99 and the pencil case was $4.99!:

This shoulder tote was $14.99 (it's actually backwards here- there's a pocket in the front!):

What's so great is that these bags were all made with 95% post consumer recycled material. Plus, 1% of the sale of each bag goes toward the conservation work of The Nature Conservancy. How cool is that? I'm sure I'll be back for more very soon. :)

Love this! Moss graffiti.

2011-08-13T10:21:00.000-07:00

From here:

Unlike spray paint, moss graffiti is all natural and healthy to work with. You can paint words or images, and the moss fills in like magic! It’s easy as pie to whip up a batch of moss paint. Here’s how:

In your blender, combine:

* One can of cheap beer or 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
* A few handfuls of moss
* One teaspoon of sugar.

Blend until the mixture is smooth, and you’re ready to get painting!

You can use a brush to paint your moss onto concrete walls, rocks, or brick. Mist the moss once a day to help it thrive, and soon your green graffiti will take hold! If you’re looking to take this project to the streets, use caution- we don’t want to be responsible for any vandalism charges!

Stuff I brought home with me!

2011-08-11T16:54:00.001-07:00

There's no doubt about it. I spent the most (and way too much) money at the Beatles store at The Mirage before we saw the Cirque du Soleil show. I did get one thing I didn't buy myself, though. My boyfriend's mom bought me the coolest wallet ever!! Front:

Back:

Inside:

I love it so much! Then I got this patch for my messenger bag:

I also got some posters and magnets which I haven't photographed. My favorite thing was probably this shirt:

It is soooo comfy, just like wearing pjs!

I knew that something I really wanted to get while in AZ was a turquoise ring, a dainty one that would always remind me of my trip. I ended up getting this one at a little shop at the Grand Canyon:

It's really tiny in person and I love it! By the way, I love the shape so much that if any jewelry makers out there are reading this and think they could make a similar one with different stones, I'm all ears!

Ok, you all know I love and collect rocks. I couldn't resist getting this big chunk of green calcite. It reminded me of a glacier or an iceberg. I just love it!

Oh, and I got this amazing tea from the Grand Canyon shop:

I knew I needed a nice vintage mug from far away for the tea, so I got this one at a little resale shop in Jerome, AZ, which is the coolest little artist town:

See the rocks behind the mug? I snagged these from a bunch of different places and they are all special to me! The stack of stones in the very back was actually from my boyfriend. It's a little Sedona keepsake I'll always love!

P.S. Did you know the McDonalds restaurants in Sedona do NOT have golden arches?! They're turquoise!!! I have never seen such a thing in my life!

Have a great night, everyone. :)

Where to begin? Lots of photos!

2011-08-08T16:20:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm going to try my best not to bore you guys! I have picked a handful out of over 400 photos of my trip. I had the best time! It is amazingly beautiful out west. I mean, doesn't this look fake?!:
Don't forget to click photos for a better look! First up... Arches National Park in Moab, Utah. It had the most amazing and gigantic rock formations. These photos don't do them any kind of justice.

You can see people in this one, which will give you an idea of size:

This was a huge balanced rock. Again, see the people for size reference:

This is the same balanced rock from far away, lol:

After Utah, we drove to Arizona. It was SO awesome to be driving and seeing views like this:

I mean, the only thing to see in Illinois is cornfields! Ok, Grand Canyon time:

The Grand Canyon is sooo wonderful. It was overcast when we went, so I can't wait to get back there one day and stay for the sunset.

I found this rock while we were there...how PERFECT is it? I think you're not supposed to take rocks, so let's just say I put it down right where I found it. Ok?:

I could show you photos of the Grand Canyon all day long and it wouldn't even begin to show how amazing it is. We also went to Sedona, which is gorgeous! I'll have to show those photos in another post. So, on to Las Vegas. Las Vegas was just not my cup of tea. Just too...*much*. And that's all I'm going to say about that! I guess I'm too old fashioned. BUT, Las Vegas was also where I experienced the very best part of the whole entire trip:

Seeing the Cirque du Soleil Beatles LOVE show at The Mirage was beyond incredible!!

If you are a huge Beatles fan like me, this show will absolutely bring you to tears. I have NEVER seen anything cooler!!!

SO, the saving grace of Las Vegas was the Beatles show. And maybe him:

But mostly him:
Here's a photo I snapped from the car as we were driving back to Colorado to catch the train:

It's not great because it was taken through a window. It was much prettier in person...I just love when the sun beams through the clouds like that.

Tomorrow I'll show you some of the things I brought home with me!

Home sweet home!

2011-08-06T22:49:00.001-07:00

I've missed you guys! It's Saturday after midnight and I've just returned from an amazing western adventure. :) I need a good night's sleep and then I'll be back to show you some photos! It feels so weird to be back home. I have tons to show!

I hope I haven't missed anything. :)

I'm off on an adventure!

2011-07-24T06:42:00.000-07:00

Monday morning I'll be leaving you! Well, only for two weeks, and then I'll be back. :) I'm taking a 24 hour train trip from Chicago to Grand Junction, Colorado. From there I'll be heading to Utah, Nevada and Arizona! I'm so excited to see Arches National Park in Utah, and The Grand Canyon/Sedona in Arizona. I also get to see the Beatles LOVE Cirque du Soleil show at The Mirage in Las Vegas!

For now, the shop is in vacation mode. My poor little shop has never been in vacation mode! lol

I will return on August 6th and hope to have lots of photos. I *hope* to pick up a few treasures along the way, too. Stick around!

photo source

A little bit more...

2011-07-23T16:28:00.000-07:00

I went back to the antique sale today (see post below) to see if I'd missed anything. This sale happens to be taking place in a building connected to the building where I work. Today I found these ADORABLE glasses (the zoom looks much better):

The pictures don't do them justice, and they are in perfect condition- five glasses total.

When I went to pay, they wouldn't take the money. Since I work in the building connected to theirs, and they are trying to clean out the space, I got these for free "neighbor" price! I really did think I'd have to pay for these since they let me go with such great things yesterday. Score!

JACKPOT!

2011-07-22T11:40:00.001-07:00

This is an awesome vintage score! Today I went to an antique sale...the kind where they were just dying to get rid of everything to clear out a building. I got this huge pile of vintage fabric and feedsacks. These are big yardages...this pile is heavy! As always, click photos for a better view.

I think my favorite is the one on top. Those are actually curtains so I might try to wash them and use them somewhere in my house. There were a few panels.

Oh, but that's not all!! Every photo from this point shows the things they gave me for FREE!

Lovely retro pitcher and cup set in perfect condition. I've actually almost bought this one online in the past, but I'm glad I didn't!:

Sweet mustard mug and more adorable fabric:

..and a whole set of unused drinking glasses in their own carrier!:

Love that aqua.
The glasses still have their original stickers on them. This was a good day for treasures!

necklaces and a thank you.

2011-07-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for the wonderfully kind response to my new necklaces! (and if you are a regular follower of my blog, you know that they are all hanging on a hammer in the above photo. You can even see the end of it! lol) Here's the newest addition to the shop:

I just love that sweet liberty of london print.

I also want to say thank you to a friend who knew I was having it rough a while back and sent me this surprise- the lovely pink stone in this photo!:
I've never had a pink one and it is just perfect! Thank you, friend. It meant the world to me. :)

Two shops I just now found (and love!)

2011-07-15T11:37:00.000-07:00

Ok. The first shop is allicoate. I have no idea how I've not seen this shop before. How cute is this pillow cover?!

I already spy a ton of things I want. :) I think that pillow cover above would be first, though.

There are a lot of perfectly pretty things, so go take a look! I bet I'm the last person who knows about this shop. lol

Next up is nestcreatives. I love these little letter brooches!

That "G" is already sold, but isn't it adorable?!

I would love some of these as fridge magnets. I hope she starts offering some! So cute. :)

Did you stumble across any new (or new-to-you) shops today?

Love love love!

2011-07-11T08:55:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I want this wall... I actually DO have a space in my house where I could do this, but I'm not so sure where I'd be able to find lone drawers shallow enough for my needs. I'm on the hunt now, though, I'll tell you that! From here.

Back from the flea market...

2011-07-09T16:52:00.001-07:00

I only got a couple of things today on my treasure-hunting excursion. I just had to get this vintage bread box because I really loved the color and the cool curved shape. It's hard to tell in the pics but it has a linen print on it.

Then I stopped at a booth where this woman was selling her handmade crocheted items. I told her she needed to get an Etsy shop, because I really loved her headbands! I bought this sweet one:
I have to include this one because Kitterson was being so sweet:

It looks great with hair down, too:

I love how simple it is and that it is made with cotton thread. I hope you found some good things this weekend, too!

I love her freckles.

2011-07-09T09:30:00.001-07:00

taken last night as the sun was going down.

Speaking of Julia, last night she was coloring and I didn't know what she was making. I looked over and saw this:

Sweet! She even made me a ponder paper airplane!

Yay for sweet daughters. Happy Saturday, everyone!

(I'm on my way to an antique flea market- I hope I get some treasures to show you!)

When you see a photo like this in my shop....

2011-07-06T11:55:00.001-07:00

(click each photo for a crisper look)... what I'm really seeing is this:

If you were to step back a little bit more, you'd see this:

Yes, a hammer. A hammer on a stack of books. And a little more:

So, you see, all you need for a decent product photo is a window in front of a light-colored flat surface. **hammer and stack of books optional**

;)

P.S. I'd love to see photos like this of your photo-taking space!

Come ponder with me. :)

2011-07-05T12:37:00.000-07:00

Hey, everyone! I just thought I'd mention that there's a new Ponder and Stitch inteview up today at Peach Parlor. I'd love it if you stopped by and said hello! Make sure you follow her blog- it's adorable (Mug Mondays are my favorite)!

I heart Daniela Andrade.

2011-07-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

Who is Daniela Andrade? She is an amaaaazing *very* young singer I found on youtube a couple of years ago. I've been listening to her songs while cutting fabric/sewing/cleaning the house for at least two years now! You guys really have to hear her sing- she does amazing covers and has great original music, too.

Current favorite covers (I go back and forth daily): this and this and this. That last one is an amazing duet with Andrew Kim and it's better than the original!

Current favorite original: this one.

Seriously, I know it takes time to listen to things like this-- but go do it! At least just listen to the first minute of all of them. :) It's so great to see a young girl really going toward her dream like this!

Five ugly things I DIDN'T buy today, plus nature walk pics.

2011-07-03T16:24:00.000-07:00

Let's go with the nature walk pics first, shall we? As always, click to zoom for crisper views.

I called this one the molecule plant:

While I was trying to get pics of the dragonfly above, my boyfriend was secretly taking photos of me. I love all the green in these! The wind was bubbling up my dress in this one:

I think the old flip flops ruin this one.. hahah:

And now for the uglies! I'm always showing you the cutest thrift store scores and awesome vintage things I find at all my favorite antique places. Believe me, I find way more ugly stuff you don't see. Today I brought along my camera and picked five ugly things I didn't buy. Enjoy!

This vase was actually really expensive and was maybe two feet tall:

This doll doesn't look so bad here. She actually looks kinda retro cool. I assure you, she was VERY hideous!

You can't imagine how awful this lamp was. In the picture, it actually doesn't look that bad!**Edit: I knew a few of you would like this one and I was right! haha:

Ummm. Nope!:

And finally:

There you have it. Five ugly things I did NOT buy- because I do occasionally pass on things, though it's hard to believe. lol :)

Today's good mail.

2011-06-30T11:56:00.000-07:00

I just love my new ring from SD Marie Jewelry! It's one of her bead rings, but I requested one with just five beads. I absolutely love the sweet and simple look. It's hard to tell from my photo, but this thing is teeeeeeny. Just my style!

And now I'm obsessed with this one from her shop:

Don't you just love the open front? So pretty.

Speaking of pretty, I thought I'd post this pic I snapped of Julia a couple days ago. My girl is getting so big! (it looks better if you click it)

In that photo, can't you just tell that she's thinking "why are you doing this to me?! Just take the picture!" lol

And the winner is...

2011-06-27T18:11:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Lesley of Words & Eggs! You will be receiving a pair of penny lane blossom alligator clips from h0neyburn. :) I'll be in touch soon!

P.S. You should all go check out Lesley's blog because it is so cool! (especially for vintage book lovers like me!)

A couple more...

2011-06-27T07:20:00.000-07:00

I am really happy with these! They are so light you can barely even feel you are wearing a necklace. In the shop now. :)

Almost ready.

2011-06-26T12:53:00.000-07:00

I've been working on my textile necklaces for a looong time. It's about time they actually get into the shop, wouldn't you say! Keep an eye out for their arrival!

**Do make sure to enter to win a pair of pretty flower clips from h0neyburn here. I'm picking the winner tomorrow!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Waitlisted.

2011-06-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

Well. I got waitlisted. I did not get into Chicago's September fair. :( However, there's still a tiny chance I will be contacted by Renegade if a spot opens in a shared booth and they feel my work fits with the other vendor's work . Either that, or I have to find someone who was accepted and see if that person would be willing to share with me.

Sooo.... if any of you were accepted and wouldn't mind having ponder and stitch in your corner, pleeeease send me a convo!

****crickets****

Do I hear crickets? lol

Anyway, congrats if any of you applied and were accepted!

The mailman was good to me today.

2011-06-23T11:25:00.001-07:00

Just in case I *do* get accepted to the Renegade Craft Fair, I knew I wanted a cute, vintage money box. I was lucky to find this one here and let me just say, I LURVE it! It's in awesome condition, inside and out!

It even came with the original key. Score! The seller was extremely helpful and sweet, too. Even if I don't get into the fair, this box is sure to come in handy. :)

A new dainty cuff and a coupon code! (and wish me luck)

2011-06-22T05:51:00.001-07:00

I just finished this dainty cuff. I rarely make them in the dainty strand size anymore because it can be really hard to get the stitches so near the edges on such skinny strands. I love how this mustard one turned out, though! In the shop now. :)

Also, I have a new coupon code for my blog followers! Just enter BLOGFRIENDS at checkout and you'll get free shipping. This offer is good through Monday, June 27th.

And now I need some good luck vibes thrown my way! I think this Friday is when I find out whether or not I was accepted into the Chicago Renegade Craft Fair. I can't even tell you how nervous I am. **crosses fingers**

I'll leave you now with a couple photos I snapped of Finn yesterday.

I know, my cat pics are probably getting boring. But he's my little gentleman and sometimes I can't resist. ;)

Happy Wednesday!

My two favorite low-calorie snacks.

2011-06-21T14:06:00.001-07:00

First, the sweet snack. Go out and get yourself a pack of JELL-O Temptations in Lemon Meringue Pie flavor. Oh my gosh, they are SO good. Each cup is only 100 calories! I've not tried the other flavors yet, but I think they all had more calories than the lemon one. Besides, I don't even NEED to try the other flavors. These are that good.

Now for the savory... I absolutely love the Lean Cuisine "snacks" line. Well, the only flavor I've tried is this one:

These are so good! The box comes with six rolls, wrapped in groups of three, so two separate servings. Each serving is only 200 calories, and these rolls taste great! The outsides get all crispy in the microwave.

Great, now I've made myself hungry. Not a great idea to post about this when I'm actually out of both snacks! ***waves fist in air***

Happy snacking. :)

More of a garage sale score than I thought!!

2011-06-20T18:13:00.000-07:00

Remember this chair I got for $3.00 at a garage sale last month?

Well I was just looking closely at the bottom of it and noticed this name above the original label:

So of course I hopped online and searched for Herman Miller chairs and found that this exact chair was designed by Eames for Herman Miller. Look at THIS!

Major score, huh?! So, I decided to peel back that label to see if the Herman Miller stamp was under it. Yep:

Best $3.00 ever! I'd say this is now my best thrifty score ever. Before this, it was this:

Yes, my Cathrineholm bowl I got at the thrift store for $2.00! I have been a lucky girl.

Remember to visit your neighborhood garage sales, even if they look really bad after the initial drive-by. Seriously! :D

A sweet and simple giveaway for you!

2011-06-20T08:27:00.000-07:00

Nicole of h0neyburn is giving one lucky ponder and stitch reader a set of two penny lane blossom alligator clips. So pretty! These would be great for a bridal hairstyle or even used with some nice boho summer braids.

Entering is easy! Just leave a comment with your favorite item from Nicole's shop. That's it! I'm partial to this cute peasant top, myself.

I'll randomly choose the winner on Monday, June 27th at 5:30 p.m. central time. Good luck to all! You can also visit Nicole's blog and facebook if you'd like. :)

Happy Monday!

Sunday sunshine.

2011-06-19T08:44:00.000-07:00

Kitterson is just hanging out in the windowsill right now. It's pretty nice outside, so I think I'll take a stroll.

Oh, see those curtains behind him? They are my new (on clearance for $14.99!) curtains from Urban Outfitters. I don't see them on the site anymore so I must have snagged the last eight panels.

They have a paisley design and I LOVE the teal. It looks like they are still available in pink. I also love how light and gauzy they are- perfect for summer!

Here's to enjoying the last day of the weekend!

Coolest ever weekend vintage score!

2011-06-18T12:44:00.001-07:00

Let me be clear- this was not a thrift store score, so it was a pretty penny. I could NOT resist, though. I mean, the vinyl is in almost mint condition!

I absolutely LOVE the clean lines...and I love that the wooden part is just one curved piece.

AND the antique store where I got this had an identical chair in orange, the same orange as the chair in this post. I realllly want to go back and buy that one, but I'm not sure I'm prepared to be that big of a spender today.

Love. This. Chair. It's comfy, too!

******UPDATE******

I went back and bought the orange chair. I just don't come across stuff like this every day so I decided to just do it. Here's a pic:

This one has great vinyl, too! There is a bit of a scuff on the wood on the side, but it's no big deal at all. Yay!

Wordy (and nerdy).

2011-06-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

I just bought this shirt and am SO excited to get it. My someone is a librarian, you see. Plus, I really do love the library! I couldn't NOT get this shirt. From AlisonRose.

I would also love one of these (or all of these) ideal bookshelf prints from jane mount:

I've been wanting this print from edubarba since the second I saw it. I kid you not, I was able to spell this word when I was no more than four years old. It's true - ask my mom! I just have to own this one day!:

Last but not least, I've always been a nerd and I've always had a thing for mugs. I think this one is pretty much me:

From DailyGrinder.

Any other nerds out there? I can't be the only one...

And the winner is...

2011-06-15T19:05:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the winner of heartsabustin's full moon necklace:

Amanda!

I will be contacting you shortly. :) Thanks to everyone who entered!

Weekend vintage score!

2011-06-13T05:54:00.000-07:00

How cool is this vintage laundry sorter?! I got it this weekend at an antique/vintage flea market. This thing is SO neat. It's really big and in almost perfect condition.

The top flap opens to reveal three separate sections inside:

And the sections are labeled COLOR, MISC and WHITES.

It's on wheels, too, and it folds up when not in use!

I'm hoping it helps make me want to do laundry. We'll see.

Now off to work I go!

Let's jump right into a new giveaway!

2011-06-07T05:30:00.000-07:00

This giveaway is now CLOSED!

The super sweet heartsabustin has generously offered to give away her full moon crackled quartz necklace to one lucky ponder and stitch reader! It really does look like the moon, doesn't it?!

Entering this giveaway is simple! All you have to do is go to heartsabustin's shop and post your favorite item in the comments. That's it! I think my favorite item is probably this one. Love that pop of color!

I'll randomly pick the winner on Wednesday, June 15th at 7:30 a.m. central time.

Good luck, everyone! :)

Chicago Botanic Garden weekend!

2011-06-06T16:47:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun at the Chicago Botanic Garden yesterday. I didn't get the best pics this year, but I got a few decent ones! Click photos to zoom for a crisper look!

All photos below this point were taken by my boyfriend. I love this one because it reminds me of waving a sparkler in the sky at night on the 4th of July, especially when you zoom for the close-up:

I can't believe I'm posting this pic of my super sweaty disheveled self here, but my boyfriend took it so it's special to me.

If you've never seen them, here are my photos from last summer's visit.

Who won a free cuff?!

2011-06-06T15:28:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Sarah of Sometimes I Swirl! Yay!! I will be in touch soon. :)

Not to fear, everyone! There is a new giveaway starting tomorrow so stay tuned!

An awesome Saturday thrift store score!!

2011-06-04T14:11:00.001-07:00

Look at my great new (vintage!) ottoman! Ohhhh, I love it. Lurve it! It's a really nice size at about 21 inches wide. It was $8.99. Of course I knew I had to have it. I got it from a thrift store I don't usually visit, but my mom does because it's near her home. She was just there yesterday and said it wasn't there or she would've bought it.

It's super sturdy and strong, but it DOES have a problem:

The vinyl is nice and clean, but the seams and piping are coming undone in many areas. I might take it to a reupholstering place and see if they can repair it and keep the same original vinyl. If I try to do it myself, I know I'll just make it worse.

Either way, I love this piece!

I'm back!

2011-06-03T05:07:00.001-07:00

I haven't had time to go through all my photos, but here was my view this weekend every time I stepped onto the deck:

I stayed at my boyfriend's parents' lakehouse in Minnesota and it was just wonderful. I'll post more pics as soon as I am able!

In the meantime, here is a picture of a six-strand monster custom cuff that went out yesterday:

It tried to kill me a few times, but it turned out great!

Oh, and I want everything from this shop right now. Especially this:

and this:
or these:
These are the cutest reusable shopping bags EVER! Go visit ohlittlerabbit (which just happens to be the cutest name ever) and see the goodies for yourself. :)

Thanks to everyone who has entered the giveaway so far! I'm excited to pick a winner on Monday. :)

Out of town!

2011-05-27T04:17:00.001-07:00

I'm leaving in a couple of hours for a weekend road trip about 8-10 hours away. I will return Monday night, hopefully with some nice pictures to share.

In the meantime, go check out ThreeRedApples. This lovely shop has always been a favorite of mine! Oh, and enter to win a free cuff if you haven't already done so!

Have a great weekend, friends!

Who wants a free cuff?!! A new giveaway!

2011-05-25T09:26:00.000-07:00

And guess what?! The winner gets to choose the prize! Choose between this one:

or this one:

***This giveaway has ended! Congrats to Sarah of Sometimes I Swirl!***

That's right! They're all cute, so you can't go wrong here. :) I will make a cuff specifically for the winner so it will fit perfectly. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post. Anonymous people- you must leave a way to contact you or you won't be entered!

I don't give away cuffs often, so if you want an extra entry, just tweet, blog or facebook about this giveway and leave another comment saying you did so.

I will randomly choose the winner on Monday, June 6th. Now go spread the word, and good luck, friends! :)

**disclaimer: I don't think I have any more of the same buttons as shown in the first and third photo. If you pick one of those as your prize, you'll get a different (but just as nice) button!

Pretty things around the (boyfriend's) yard

2011-05-23T17:09:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd post just a few nature photos from yesterday. All of these look MUCH better when you click to zoom! I love this one of the single heart-shaped leaf. I love it in sepia, too:

I thought this one looked like a tunnel...really I'm just taking a photo through a gorgeous tree in the front yard. The tree you see at the end of the "tunnel" is a tree in the backyard.

Beautiful blue sky:

A little pagoda :

P.S. I have a new giveaway coming up in the next day or two! Here's a hint: I'm the one giving it away! :D

My name is Amy, and I'm a vintage blanket addict.

2011-05-21T13:41:00.000-07:00

The first step is admitting it, right? Click to zoom. I got this blanket this morning at an antique and vintage flea market in my town. We don't usually have these in my town, but this one just started and today was the first one.

Pretty hard to resist, right?!

Then on the way home, I stopped at a garage sale and picked up this chair:

It was $3.00. The orange covering is like a cushioned vinyl. The original label is on the bottom and it's stamped with a delivery date of 1970. It's in great condition and I think $3.00 was a steal!

LOVE this refrigerator magnet idea!

2011-05-20T06:58:00.000-07:00

I saw this idea last month while flipping through a mazazine in a waiting room. What an amazing idea! All you need is a pretty tea tin or two- just put a powerful magnet inside and you have a unique pen-holder right on your fridge. Since I am the queen of pen-losers, this is the PERFECT idea.

Ever since I read the article I've tried finding tins that would work and were pretty, too, and haven't had any luck. So in the meantime, I'll just keep losing my pens.

Find the original article here.

Are you the giveaway winner?!!!

2011-05-18T06:09:00.001-07:00

Come watch to see if you're the lucky winner of this adorable sachet from erinf115!

And congratulations!! :)

The other side of the kitchen and more

2011-05-16T15:30:00.000-07:00

Excuse the poor quality photos, but it is really hard to get enough light to get a crisp photo in the kitchen! I decided to make an 'art wall' of sorts on the other side of the kitchen (in case you missed it, the counter/sink side of the kitchen is here).

I thought it would be nice to include some embroidery hoops with my favorite vintage feedsacks. I'm about to run out of this particular one (an all-time fave!) and now I've saved a little piece for myself:

It's the same fabric used in this cuff. I will be sooooo sad when this feedsack is gone!

See the "everything is going to be ok" print below? Click to zoom:

I got it from pleasebestill (Jen is the sweetest seller ever, by the way). It is such a wonderful sentiment and makes me happy every time I walk by it. Because you know what? Everything IS going to be ok.

I also got this absolutely adorable hand-carved stamp in the mail today:

I'm going to use it on the outside of my packaging. Isn't it just the sweetest feather? I got it at HandmadeBlayne. Oh, it looks like she's on vacation right now! Make sure to mark her shop for later to see her sweet collection of stamps. :)

P.S. You only have about a day and a half left to enter this sweet giveaway! Go do it!

Weekend vintage goodness!!

2011-05-15T08:44:00.000-07:00

I dare any of you to tell me you've ever seen a sweeter garbage can!!! I got it yesterday at my favorite local antique shop. I'd been eyeing it for ages and finally gave in. You step on the little pedal and the lid pops open. There is a removable metal basket inside to dump the trash. I just love it!

I also got some good mail yesterday! I LOVE this vintage chalkboard/message center. It came brand new in its original packaging!

The date on the packaging said 1973. There is a spot to hang your keys, and two pockets at the top to hold bills. There is a notepad in between the pockets and a space to put chalk on the bottom right (it even came with the chalk, which I immediately dropped and broke in three pieces and then lost the third piece...ugh. I hadn't dropped it yet in the photo below!).

It even came with three little daisy magnets! SO adorable.

While at the antique shop, I spotted the ottoman below. It's not that old, of course, but I loved the shape and I'm going to recover it in a floral fabric.

The same booth had this ottoman/foot rest, too:

I'll most likely recover this one, too. And it was only $5.00. I recently decided I didn't want a coffee table in front of my couch, anymore...it just collected junk. I moved it and now we've had nowhere to rest our legs! These two pieces are perfect!

Last but not least, I found this bundle of vintage fabrics!

I cannot even tell you how much I love that first fabric. There was something on my lens so part of the fabric looks blurry and faded, but it's not like that in real life. I am definitely making a cuff for myself with that one!

I hope some of you did some treasure-hunting this weekend, too! :)

A bride's custom cuff out the door

2011-05-14T09:43:00.001-07:00

I loved this custom order. The bride asked for the infinity symbol on the top and her wedding date in roman numerals on the bottom. I think the light thread has a nice, classic feel.

P.S. Have you entered this giveaway yet? There's still time and the prize is adorable!

I got good mail!

2011-05-11T06:04:00.000-07:00

I received my custom embroidered hoop from doecdoe and I love it! Gina transfers vintage paint-by-number designs onto fabric and then hand embroiders a saying of your choosing.

There are many different backgrounds available, but I decided to go with the Paris scene and then asked for "love is real" in French. I had some friends in France tell me this was the correct French wording, but then one other friend in France (a little too late) said, although it's not incorrect, the French would probably say "l'amour existe" for love exists. But the "love is real" wording was important to me and I'm in the US, so it works for me!

The possibilities are endless with these hoops- go get one for yourself! :) Thanks, Gina!

P.S. She also has an awesome blog here. Go check it out!

Kitchen before and after photos!!!

2011-05-10T07:14:00.001-07:00

Most of you know that last year I bought a 100-year-old fixer upper of a house. It's VERY small and needs a lot of work (and every square inch was covered in layers of wallpaper). Here is a refresher photo of what the kitchen looked like when I bought it (accessories in the photo belonged to the seller):

And here it is as of 12:30am last night/this morning:

I think it's a major improvement. I still need to finish putting knobs on all the cabinets/drawers, and I still need a whole new sink/faucet. This one is ancient. Oh, and I STILL have the reallllly bad/really dark floors that were installed in 1940.

I have to keep the ancient counters and cabinets for now. I think I'll be content with the room once the floors are redone.

P.S. I actually painted the whole room a different yellow the day before yesterday. It turned out awful and way too bright, so I painted it all over again yesterday! You can't tell from the pics but there is a lot of painted area on the other sides of the room. I'm exhausted! *yawn*

An ADORABLE new giveaway just for you!

2011-05-09T05:30:00.000-07:00

Now who wouldn't be absolutely tickled to win this insanely cute mini sachet from erinf115?! It's filled with an "Enchanted Forest" mix composed of eucalyptus leaves, Maine balsam fir, lavender, tea roses and essential oils. Erin's punch needle designs are so sweet and meticulously made. She's super sweet, too. ;)

Entering to win this little mushroom sachet is simple! Just go to Erin's shop and come back here and post your favorite item in the comments.

My favorite thing just happens to be this very sachet, so I'm already super jealous of the winner! Well, it's between this one and this one. Sweeeeetness!

I'll pick the winner on Wednesday, May 18th at 7:30am central time. Good luck, everyone!!

And the winner is.....!

2011-05-06T05:36:00.000-07:00

Yay! Little Gray Fox will be getting a sweet little name necklace from hearttohearts. Congrats! I'll be in touch soon. :) OH, and I have a great giveaway starting on Monday so stay tuned- you guys won't want to miss it!

P.S. Remember my cute vintage garbage can from a few posts below? My mom found another one at the thrift store a few days ago and now I have two!!!:

That's one for upstairs and one for downstairs. :) LOVE this can! Thanks, Mom.

Things that are good.

2011-05-03T09:34:00.001-07:00

How cool is this succulent embroidery from whatnomints? I love everything about this!

I'm also really loving this doorstump from cozyblue. It actually makes me wish I had a door that won't stay open on its own. I want this!

I can't stop looking at this owl pillow. It is so cute and I really love that shade of pink next to the colors of the eyes. Just adorable! From peanutbutterdynamite.

Last but not least, I'm loving these cloud hoop earrings from maryandjane. I already own these from the same seller and they are the perfect go-to earrings.

I wish I could buy one of each of these this very minute!

Antique flea market finds

2011-05-01T15:29:00.001-07:00

I just got back from the once-a-month antique flea market, to which I haven't been since fall. I got the great vintage fabrics above. I can't wait to turn them into cuffs! I also got the awesome blanket below:

But that's just for cuddling. :)

P.S. I absolutely do not need any more vintage blankets but I couldn't resist.

Saturday vintage finds.

2011-04-30T12:03:00.000-07:00

I have two pretty cool vintage finds today! First up is this little squirrel ring dish. Well, that's how I plan to use it. This thing is really tiny in person, though it's hard to tell in photos!

I also found this really great fabric piece (click to zoom). It's a bunch of vintage squares sewn together like a quilt and it's a pretty big piece. It also has a backing. I don't like all of the squares, but the ones I do like totally make up for it!

Julia did NOT want to pose for me, but she finally let me do it. lol

The fabrics used are all pretty thick. I'm not sure how I'll be using this or where I will display it.

Happy Saturday treasure-hunting!

A sweet and simple giveaway!

2011-04-26T15:28:00.001-07:00

I just received this sweet little necklace for Julia- pretty cute, huh? It was the perfect little surprise-for-no-particular-reason-from-a-mother-to-a-daughter gift.

Now for the giveaway part! Sophie from hearttohearts will be giving away one custom name necklace to a lucky ponder and stitch reader. :)

It's easy! All you have to do is leave a comment here. That's it! Sweet and simple. I will draw the winning name on Friday, May 6th at 7:30 a.m. central time.

***Remember, if you have an anonymous profile and do not leave a way for me to contact you, you will not be entered into the drawing!

Good luck, and go check out Sophie's shop to see more! :)

Pretty mail and a special sneak peek!

2011-04-20T16:31:00.001-07:00

Yes, I'm going to call a garbage can pretty. I got it in the mail today from moxiethrift and it's so perfectly retro! I'm going to use it for my fabric scraps, which quickly overflow the other container I've been using.

And now for a sneak peek of something new coming soon (hopefully!) to ponder and stitch!

I think it's about time I bring some textile necklaces to the shop. This vintage fabric strand pendant necklace is soooo dainty at about 1.5 inches long.

I'm perfecting some different styles, and hope to bring a handful of necklaces to the shop soon. And with that, I must leave you for dinner. Some realllly good sauteed zucchini and mushrooms are calling my name right now. :)

Have a good night!

Antique store score!

2011-04-18T16:26:00.001-07:00

I really had no reason to buy this old box...maybe I'll store fabric in it. It has lovely old wallpaper, and the inside is in wonderful condition- no musty smells, either!

On the front of the lid, the box says Valorie's. I wonder what Valorie kept in it!

At the same store, I got this cute planter. It's a minty aqua color and has light brown speckles when you look up close.

I love them both!

Pretty mail. A bracelet for ME!

2011-04-16T10:38:00.000-07:00

How adorable is my custom Cooper bracelet from Orangeisthesun? You pick the colors and Jennifer will make the sweetest wrapped leather bracelet and ship it in no time flat. Now that I have this one, I'm going to need more, because wouldn't they look so great stacked? I'm also eyeing her owen necklace. So cute!

Thanks, Jennifer!

P.S. Here are my latest cuffs- I just love them!

In the shop now. :)