Join Me for a Party

The Ever Fun-loving gypsy, Vanessa, at A Fanciful Twist is hosting her second annual Mad Tea Party on June 27, 2009. And I am more than happy to be joining in all the revelry! I'm even planning on have a give-away on that day. Still working out the details on that.

I had mentioned earlier this year that I was finding myself in a "blogging slump" and I believe that this is just the ticket to get myself back into the groove! I hope to me may of my old friends here for the party as well as some new faces - and new friends! So go mark your calendar and find that wonderful Gypsy outfit that you just love but would never leave the house in (because, you don't have to leave the house for this party!!!). As Vanessa says, we are gonna party like it 1865!! Photo courtesy of Gypsyville.com

Total Obsession

Is there one thing that you just can't seem to own enough of? Yes, I know the proverbial "Can't have too many shoes/purses/hats". But what of the odd things? And I don't mean collections. I mean all-out obsessions. Like every time you go into an office supply store, you buy another pen, when you already have a shoe box full at home. Or maybe you really love music and you have enough songs to fill not only your MP3 player but those of all of your friends as well.



Well, mine is books. Old books. Yes, I have enough newly published books to last a few years but my obsession is really old books. If I go into the thrift store or stop at a yard sale, they seem to chant my name until I find myself kneeling down in front of them touching the covers and smelling the old papers. And then a kind of paternal instinct takes over and I know that I must give this lost book a new home. If only to protect it from the inevitable dump that it might end up in if at the end of the yard sale and the owner doesn't want to haul all the stuff to Goodwill. And I let me add in here that I'm also like this about one other thing, but due to Dear Hubby forbidding me to bring home another homeless animal, I keep myself well away from the Animal Shelter.

All of these I found a few weekend's ago at a yard sale just a few houses down from mine. And all of them are from the late 1800's.

The set of five novels from George Eliot are the most beautiful to me (see very top photo) It's really hard to see in the pictures, but the front covers are engraved and have the most perfect aged look to them.





And some of the others have the most wonderful illustrations!

Unfortunately, there was one set that I only purchased one of, only because #1) I was running out of money & #2) on each copy the front cover was coming off. But who can resist the master himself, Mr. William Shakespeare? The volume that I picked up was "Tragedies".

And I just fell in love with this little fellow. You know I love bats!!

What are your obsessions? Tell me, I want to know!!

Bottle Decorating

Well, my OWOH giveaway is doing better than I expected! And I believe that the whole event has taken off more than Lisa ever imagined! I can't even keep up with all the giveaways! I'll have to sit here for H-O-U-R-S to get to all of the bloggers involved in this! But I would never spend H-O-U-R-S at the computer, nope, never! I need to update my original post, but I will say here that I gathered up a few more items and will draw some additional names to give more stuff away. This has been so much fun for me! I have discovered so many awesome, new blogs. Gotta get that sidebar updated. Thanks to everyone who has stopped by here to say "Hi". I hope to see some new faces popping in to check up on things.




I have some items listed on Ebay, if any of you gals are in need of some really hip, cool, vintage clothing. Or guys. If you're into that kinda thing. :0)
I have a bunch of coats & jackets that I should have listed prior to winter, but we were moving & things just got away from. Ya know how that goes.



Okay, I love this here blog. I know I haven't been a good Mommy & updated as much as I should, but I do love it and want to really make it special. But I have a confessions...Yeah, some of you are going to be saying, 'Well, duh" but I finally got an account with Facebook!!! And I L-O-V-E it!! I have gotten reconnected with so many of my old friends from High school, Middle & Elementary school!! It's been a blast! If you are on there, come by & be my friend! I check that more now than I do my mailbox. But this little blog is my first and will always be special to me. Especially now with OWOH.



I did some decorating the other day. Tried to work on the Master Bedroom. Ya know, get it nice & romantic. Huh, yeah, with two kids & three dogs! Did I ever tell ya that all three dogs sleep in the bedroom with us? On the floor, until one of us gets outta bed, then in like two seconds flat, up they go onto the bed. It's pitiful!

But I did manage to get some pictures on the walls and some really pretty picture frames for some photos of the family. My good friend Rachel took some great pictures of Gracyn wearing a beautiful dress & I printed one out & framed it. On one blank wall, I hung some of my Italian pictures and a little shelf with knick-knacks.

And my bottle collection!! Do you like my old, antique, leather bottles? Do ya, do ya?

Guess what? My grandfather made them!! He likes to tinker around, and lately he's been doing these bottles. He knows I sell stuff & he asked if I thought I could sell these. But I told him I'd love to have them. Sad thing is, there is not telling what kind of bottles are underneath!!!

I (Heart) Tracy Porter

I know I have mentioned my love of all things Tracy Porter before. She has an email subscription that you can sign up for along with a link to her blog. Well, I get the emails, & dang her, if she would just STOP designing all of these beautiful things!!!

Thank goodness I have my own little blog here where I can wish away, because I fell in love with these awesome boots!!

Maybe it's my cowgirl side coming out, but I just think these are fab! If you have never had a chance to check out any of her other stuff or her blog, take a peek. Tracy Porter is definitely on my list of people I would love to meet.

Dane stayed home with me yesterday because Charlie had a job interview. He thinks it went well, but they said they would get back to him within the next few weeks. But Dane & I had a good time making Chicken Salad. I have been craving some for quite awhile, so we made some yesterday & then went on the back deck with Gracyn & had a picnic!! We then worked on his costume some. He is going to be Frankenstein for Halloween & I went to the Goodwill store on Monday to find an old men's jacket. All the clothing is half off on Monday's so we only paid $2.50 for the suite jacket. I tried to dye it black, but it didn't work too well. I did dye one of Dane's white undershirts. It turned out more of a gray color, but I think it's going to be a good mistake. I need to see if I can take the jacket up some in the sides, but I think it being big & hanging off of him will add to the look. I need a little pair of black pants for Gracyn's outfit. I have found some wonderful Halloween sites with all sorts of fun things to make. I might save all of that for another post.

Wanted to mention a really good book I finished.

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly. It is about a young boy named David who lost his mother & is learning to cope with his Father's new wife & the arrival of a new baby brother. Then one night, David hears' his mother voice & follows it to the garden where he falls into a hole & into a totally different world. He discovers a fairy tale world where dead children turn into flowers, trees bleed real blood & wolves walk & talk just like a man. He also befriends a Woodsman who tries to help David discover his way back to his old life. The Woodsman tells him he needs to travel to the King's castle because the King is the only one who can help him. He encounters some fantastic adventure's along the way & eventually arrives at the castle. But throughout his whole time in this new world, he has meet one constant figure, that of the Crooked Man. And when he arrives at the King's castle, he discovers the Crooked Man there & begins to realize that it's not the King but rather the Crooked Man who can release him from this nightmare & return him back to his home. But he has to make some very important decisions first & these decisions will be the deciding fate of how David will spend the rest of his life. ** NOTE: I really loved this book, but it can be very graphic is some parts. If you have ever read any of the original Grimm's fairy tales, you will know that they vary greatly from the Disney-fied versions of today.