Weekend Goodness

It feels so great to start a project. It feels even better to finish it... all in a weekend. I've had these printers blocks and mirror for over a year and finally put it together on Saturday. Turned out just how I had it pictured in my mind. I saw one in a shop in the Heights a couple of years ago and thought, I could make one of those. What's a little time and distance... I think I will sell it - great way to start off an etsy shop, although its heavy. I have another mirror and more blocks - but boy it is hard to find a flat one (mirror). I love anything having to do with wood and print... yummy. I have several small printers trays, I found two in London that have Fleet St or London on them. Really love those. You'll hear in a minute the connection with printing and this weekend. Pretty interesting and cool.

I was also going to show you a little stitching I did tonight. I need to learn this stuff, mainly because I want to but also because I don't want to embaress myself in the Silver Bella stitching swap that I joined. It's an Anthropologie kitchen towel and Julia asked if I made it, so I figured I should doll it up somehow... I really like how they did the swaps this year. There are 23 of them and you had to sign up for them, max of 5 and you gave your preference. I signed up for 3 (don't ask me about the other two - I've been fighting with my computer and camera tonight to upload and its after midnight - I'm too tired to look it up). Anyway, I got in all three and I'm really excited.

Wendy H from Silver Bella last year just did an Around the World swap and we submitted them before July 4th so I can't wait to get my package. I lucked out and got France and I even learned a few things about the country! I didn't know much about Marie Antoinette but it was fun to search for pictures of her. There were 20 participants.. can't wait to see the rest. I really enjoy doing swaps, it makes you stretch a bit and I enjoy the repetitiveness of putting things together - its happy crafting to me.

Want to see some of my treasures from Glenflora? I found these two german bisque dolls that are a nice size and include hands/feet that were originally marked $50 each, I got them for $12.50. I think one of my Silver Bella class involves these dolls... I also found a beautiful wooden drawer from a cash register that I really had to have ... so glad I treated myself. And 8 small bottles for 25 cents each. A few linens, okay several linens - you know I can't help myself when pretty fabric is around. And about 4 1/2 yds of black toile. Too pretty to pass up for $18. I'm really going to have to learn how to sew... (oh, by the way, I sewed on the France tag - to make a pocket for the Marie doll - do you love the french script laundry markers? totally, my favorite)

This is one (okay, maybe second) of my favorite finds... its a criminal courts docket from Matagorda County - I should have taken a picture of the ledger pages... awesome. All kinds of petty crimes and the fines. What was funny was it was laying on the floor in a back room - kind of tossed to the side and yet, it is so absolutely cool looking inside. It's another Glen Flora find. I have to thanks Ho Ho (who could update her blog) for the introduction to GF. It's past Sugarland but not all the way to Victoria on 59 and now there's a Bucee's at the exit. This time, Sandy was in Florida and so I went across the way to Wharton and looked at their shops. There were several on the town square, but one totally stood out. Let's see, if I can remember the name of it. Oh yes, I googled it - History's Hardware. This place was unbelievable - it was like stepping out of a sandstorm into an oasis. First of the all, the shop is filled with oak, gorgeous rich handsome oak, tiger sawn, whatever kind - it is rich and it is gorgeous. And then they have fabulous drawers filled with hardware. Drawers of hardware that they've salvaged and cleaned and restored. And every other kind of antique you can think of - if its wood or attaches to wood, or cabinet cards - just all kinds of lovely items. He was a lawyer and this was their retirement dream. Unfortunately, he was involved in a serious auto crash last year and their life has taken a different turn. And as much as I was awe-struck by the shop and all of its lovely contents, it broke my heart because their pricing is super super expensive. Like kinda crazy, expensive. Like maybe you're smoking something, expensive. $245 for a photo album with cabinet cards. Okay, I'll quit being mean but really, I felt so bad for them because there's only a couple of people maybe in California that would pay that kind of pricing. It is still so worth a look. I wanted to buy something, anything but I just couldn't, in good conscience. In these thrifty times... when I'm cruising the MAM or Salvation Army, can I pay that kind of money...
And I left the best for last... the event that placed a smile on my face the entire weekend. I received a message on Facebook asking if I was a Big Sister back in the 80s. And I was and it was a sweet boy named Harold that I befriended at DePelchin. It was so sweet that he remembered me, okay not sweet but amazing. We chatted a bit on line and yes, I'm going to hook up and see him - he has a little boy of his own now. Oh, and you know what he does for a living? Printing... I even looked up DePelchin today and they have several great volunteer opportunities. (their webmaster must be 18 - look at the size of that font...)

Okay, one last pic for good measure...