I'm Back!!!!! (WARNING: TONS OF PICTURES)

I am back to the blog world after a wonderful vacation!! I have so much to update on, so please bare with me as this will be a long post! While I was away I won two awards. The first from my mom at HomeAcre. I must choose 7 people to pass this award on to.

Here are seven of some of my favorite bloggers: Jen, Heidi, Shara, Nikki, Wanda, Heidi Ann, Oodles.

Please accept this award from me and ...
1. Put the logo on your blog.
2. Link the person from whom you received your award.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put the links of those blogs on to your blog.
5. Leave a message on their blogs to tell them!

I also received an award from Jen at roseylittlethings. I just love her blog and was so excited to have received two awards. What a nice surprise to have waiting for me when I got home. So thank you mom and Jen!!

Here are my picks from just some of my favorite blogs: HomeAcre, Creations from my Heart, Retro Renovation, The Vintage Housewife, The Hem Line, Gathering Dust, and Vintage Style Files.
Here's what the winners need to do:
1) Add the logo of the award to your blog
2) Add a link to the person who awarded it to you
3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs
4) Add links to those blogs on your blog
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs

Now on to the rest of the update! Here's a picture of me wearing the dress I made while at the wedding. I forgot to take one while I was standing to get a better idea of how it really looked. I am a little pink from tanning (which is bad and I will never do again!!). My boyfriend is next to me on the right and the other couple is Adam's brother, Jesse and his girl friend, Lindsay. Her and I have become very close while dating these boys. It's been a little over three years for her and two and a half for me! We had a great time at the wedding. The vows took place where the dinner and dancing took place: all on the Detroit River front.

The day after the wedding, we headed off (after a quick trip to the flea market) for our vacation to Grand Bend, Canada. I can't tell you how glad I was to be getting away. I went to school for four straight semesters and I really needed a little break before school started up again. Here is a picture of us while crossing the Blue Water Bridge which is in Port Huron, Michigan.

We stayed in a little cottage right off the main strip of downtown Grand Bend. It was nice not to have to drive everywhere, since everything was in walking distance....even the beach!! This is Adam and I after we finished a game of putt putt...I won!!! ;) Adam is making a funny face. He always does this and makes my pictures of us look funny!!

There was some of the most beautiful sunsets there and they were hard to capture with the camera. Here's my best attempt.

The four of us in front of the cottage we rented on our last day there. We were all sad to leave!

I just had to take a picture to share with you this awesome oven that was in our cottage. It was the coolest sade of yellow!!

Now on to all my finds. As I mentioned before, Adam and I made a quick stop to the flea market before heading off on the long trip to Canada. I found some nice stuff there as well as in Canada. We past a antique shop on the way in and two days later I was back to see what I could find. It really wasn't an antique shop but, I still managed to find a few things. Then a couple of days later, Adam and I had to drive to a small twon near Grand Bend to get a part for the TV so we could watch some movies (it was really rainy the last few days and not much to do). On our way there, we stopped in at the cutest little thrift store. I am not ususally into thirfts, as around where I live they never turn up anything special. But, since we were out of town and not many antique options, we stopped in. This shop was owned by the three cutest old ladies and it was full of GREAT stuff.

This lamp is from my Grandma :) Ok... on to the goods... The plate is from England and I paid 50 cents for it. Now remember this is in Canadian hehe!! I got the two green bowls for fifty cents as well and the yellow dish for 25 cents. These all came from the cute old ladies' shop.

The decantor and shot glasses came from the antique store and cost $2.50. The rest of the items come from the old ladies' shop. I fell in love with the salt and pepper shakers for there great yellow color and for 50 cents, who could say no?? The FireKing was FREE....the lady just threw it in with the rest of my purchases.

This was my splurge of the vacation ($6.00). But I just loved the design. I hope it will work in my kitchen some day...if not I can always plant flowers in it.

This apron came from the flea market. Isn't it got a great pattern it it??

Have I mentioned that I love vintage towels??? Well this Christmas one was found for 25 cents at the thrift in Canada.

This cute number was found at the flea market for $1.00. I love what it says and that it's yellow!

These oranments were a garage sale find today for 50 cents. They look pinkish in the picture, but they are really red and white stiped. The wooden bowl is not vintage. It was purchased at Home Goods (I love that store!!).

I am planning on using this bed sheet to make up some arpons from some vintage patterns. I dug this out of a huge pile of bed linens at the thrift in Canada.

This is the last of the flea market finds from last Sunday. A vintage magazine, vintage dancing cards that are unused, and a cloth book.

This is the deal of the day!!! I found this apron at a garage sale in my neighborhood for only 25 cents!!!!

As if this all wasn't enough news.....I have some more news to share with you all. I am opening up a booth at the antique mall that I frequent quite often. A small one has been open for some time now and I decieded that as along as it's still available on Tuesday, I am going to go in and rent it out. I am so excited!! Adam is too; he says it will support my thrifting habit :) I hope you all are enjoying the last bits of summer!!

Emily

Finished!!! :)

I am finally finished with my dress for tomorrow's wedding. I am quite pleased with how it came out. It was a lot of work...trying to figure out how to got the correct fit. But, with some help from my mom, we got it to work. I am very proud of my first dressy dress. I was surprised that I enjoyed doing it as much as I did. I am usually the type of person that just wants to get the project done and then really enjoys the final product. However, working on the dress really made me appreciate the process in which it takes to get to the final product. I plan on wearing a beaded black Y necklace and some little dangling earrings that match. I have a black vintage clutch that is my "go to" evening bag that I plan on using for this event as well. Now all I have to do is figure out what to do with my hair!!

Now that the dress is done and I don't have to stress so much about that, I have to get busy and get ready for my vacation. I leave Sunday and still have to pack, clean out my car, and do a little grocery shopping. This may be my last post till I return home.....which is a week from today!! Hope you all enjoy your weekend!!

Emily

Lots and Lots of Pictures!!

Today was a very busy - but- fun day!!! I had a lot on my agenda to get accomplished. This weekend is fast approaching and I still have much to do!! I guess I can blame that on my need to stop by the antique mall for their outside sidewalk sale. I am soo glad that I did; I found some GREAT deals. Here's a picture of everything I got today (some of it is from a garage sale).

This set was the first thing I spotted at the sale. It is marked Godinger. I did a little research online and found that the company has been around for 30 or so years.....so it's not as old as I thought, but I only paid $4.00 for both and they are sterling silver. I just love them and don't care if they are old or not. I have always wanted a set, so now I am on a search for a mirror that will coordinate well.



The milk glass vase I got for $1.25. I was super excited!! The candle stick holder I got at the garage sale that I stopped at. It was only 50 cents. I asked the lady running the sale if she had a matching one and said that she received only one from her husband's mother. This helped me to confirm that it is Depression glass. I believe the pattern to be Diana.



I have looked at this plate almost every time I visit the mall and never have wanted to spend the $15.00 dollars for it. Could you believe that the vendor had marked the plate down all the way to $1.00!!!!

This pattern I got at the garage sale. It was only 10 cents!! I just love the set in yellow! This might be one of my next sewing projects!!

My excitement continued at the sale when I spotted these glasses!! At 50 cents each they had to be mine. The print it is excellent condition and these are a trademark 1940's juice/milk glass. The pattern is morning star. My 40's 50's and 60's glass book has not come in the mail yet, so I couldn't look them up to be 100% sure how much of deal I got. However, my Depression glass book featured some that were made in the late 1930's that were very similar; they were valued at $15.00 each!!!

I got these earrings to try and use them for some craft projects. I figured if they didn't work out I only lost $2.00.

I also got about ten vintage magazines, however, I forgot to take pictures. I got them all for about 40 cents each!!! Many of them are full color and have amazing vintage ads and graphics!! I'll post pictures in a later post!! :)

In my last post I mentioned that I was making a few dresses, one for the wedding and I was going to try and make one for the vacation. Well, I am a procrastinator and I have a feeling that I will only get around to making the one for the wedding. I started on it last night by shrinking the fabric and cutting it out. Today I got to the bodice, and finished most of that. I just need to sew up the seams under the arms. The rest should go pretty smoothly, since I feel that the hardest part is over. The bodice had some VERY curvy panels to it that were difficult to match!!

Here is the front of the dress before I sewed in the lining. I got the material on double clearance for $2.00 a yard and it was 60 inches so I only needed two yards. With all my supplies, I will have spent about $10 to $12 to make the whole thing. Definitely much cheaper than buying one!!

Here's the pattern I used. I am making the version that the girl is wearing on the top with the flowers and the scoop neck.

I am planning on wearing black shoes and Adam is going to wear an off white shirt and a black tie. Let me know what you think!!!

Emily

Swaps and Sunday Flea Market

Yesterday was a productive day! I wanted to get my apron swap for Swap-Bot together and off in the mail before I left for my vacation. I also went, as always, to the Royal Oak flea market. Things must be slowing down there because summer is coming to an end because it was kinda empty this week. I was hoping to find an apron there, but all I ended up with was a clear candy dish that has the same pattern as some dessert plates I got from my grandma. I was bummed out when I got home because while washing it, I noticed a small chip. Oh Well..... I only paid $1.25. When I went inside I found a great deal on some vintage patterns and picked out one I liked along with the set of 10 vintage unused cards, and got them all for $5.00!! After the market, I went to my favorite antique mall to hunt down an apron. I ended up walking out with one for the swap and one for me, along with a vintage Fire King casserole dish in the prim-rose pattern. I picked that up for only $2.00!!

Here's what I sent for the Vintage Apron Swap. No peeking Mallory!! ;)

I loved the green dress at the bottom. Hopeful I will get to making it before Thanksgiving!

Here's the two dishes I picked up yesterday. I am going to look on eBay for a lid to fit the Fire King.

This is Lucy my "Walking Doll." She was my mom's and is from the '60s!! I thought I would try and model my new apron on her since I don't have a dressform yet.

Close up of the fabric. I am not really into half aprons, but I couldn't pass this one up. I just loved the design!! And you can't beat $3.00!!

I was so thrilled that they were unused!! I am going to scan in the images and use them as clip art!

Isn't the cowgirl and cowboy sooo cute??

Now I am off to shrink some material so I can get started on a few dresses. On Saturday, I skipped out on Detroit's Annual Dream Cruise (it's on Woodward Avenue and a whole bunch of classic cars cruise up and down and there are cook out and such!!) and went to Joann's to search for a pattern and material for my dress for the wedding. More about this in my post!!

Emily

Winnings and Yard Sales

Yesterday I received my giveaway from Nikki at The Hunt for Vintage. I was sooo excited!!! I loved everything!! So here's what was in my package:

I love this little key holder. On the back there is writing that says it was a Christmas gift from the 1950's!

This would have to be my favorite item!! I collect vintage aprons and this is my first half apron and I can't wait to wear it!!

I was so excited about the milk bottle caps!! I have a collection of vintage milk bottles that these will go great with.

Nikki got everything right!!! I love vintage linens and have a growling collection.

Today I had to get up early and head over to my school to take a final for my summer class. I am sooooo glad that that class is over. It was a health sciences class and not my thing. I am film major and this fall I will be taking all film classes...can't wait!!! On my way home, I spotted a couple of yard sales and decided to stop. I got lucky....I was able to get everything you see in the next picture for $1.75!!!!!!!!!!!

This piece I got for 50 cents!! I am planning on taking it apart and painting the parts where the paint has worn away. I'll post a picture of how it comes out later.

These little glasses I got with the small ones all for 25 cents!! I think they will make nice tea lites! I don't know what I am going to do with the smalls ones yet...any ideas??


These bowls I got at the same sale as the glasses above. These were also 25 cents for both. (The people holding that sale had everything maked half off).


This dish is maked Anchor Hocking on the back...a sticker!! However, I think someone glued a lid to a candy dish or something to the center. I am going to try and remove it. This dish I got at the same sale as the first item. It was also 50 cents. I don't know if you can see it, but it's the grape pattern. I love milk glass!


This I got at the last sale I stopped at. It was marked 50 cents but I asked the lady if she would take half because she keep saying make an offer. She accepted. It does have the hook to put the dip dish in, however, it is bent and I had a hard time getting the dish out. So for now, I will just keep it separate.

Now I am headed off to the fabric store to get a pattern and material for a dress for the wedding Adam and I have Saturday. I had gotten a retro one, but changed my mind. I want something a little more fattering. I just want to thank Nikki again for the great job with the giveaway. I really loved everything!!!!

Emily