THRIFTY MONDAY: rotary dial

As you've heard, I am a LOVER of everything vintage; like seriously, if vintage stuff were people, I'd be a stalker....

And if you know me personally, you may also know that I am a little s-l-o-w getting with the times; I mean, I still have a slide-type cell phone (eek!  it's 2 years old! for shame!)....  I wouldn't say I can't let go of possessions; that's just not me; and you must understand that I began having my own thoughts and ideas in my teens and twenties which were in the 80's and 90's.... and as far as I'm concerned, the only things that came out of the 80's and 90's were very big hair and extremely bad fashions; I guess what I'm getting at is that I don't hold on to things for nostalgic reasons, I'm not a hoarder; I'm an appreciator of things from the past.... However, I did meet my husband in 1990.... so, I guess something good did come out of those times for me :P

 Aaaanyway, both Mr. Monkey and myself like vintage and antique items, and I guess I can't take credit for this as Mr. Monkey was the one who found and purchased it; but, I do love it.... I love the sound of the ring, with just two ring settings:  hi or low; which truth be told, are both ear piercingly LOUD! I'm just not in love with the colour; I'm on the hunt for an avocado green 'chicklet' push-button wall mount (do you know the one I'm talking about?).  Anyhow, here it is....

Our bedroom phone.... the rotary dial; when speed dial referred to how fast you could whip the numbers around with the strength of your own fingers;  in the days before cell phones and wireless connections;  before i-pods and wii....

Those days were simpler.  A little less hectic-rush-rush-go-go.  A stark difference from then to now, don't you think?

The modern version of the rotary phone came into the Bell System around 1919.  Models, like the one we have, with a plastic rotary, were introduced around 1949.  These models began to phase out in the 1960's after the introduction of push-button dialing at the 1962 World's Fair held in Seattle Washington.

I can tell you this much about these phones.  They are reliable, they are well built and weigh a TON!  You can still use these phones in your home as long as they've been rewired with proper jacks; or hardwired right into your phone wiring system; and also as long as you have a modern push-button phone somewhere in your home.  Modern phone systems and emergency dialing systems do not support the rotary phone.

We found this one at a very junky flea market in the city close to where we live.  I think we paid $20 dollars for it.  A fair price, I think, for a little piece of history; a tiny slice of a slower time....

Have a great day people  ;)

Change is good, right?....

I've decided to make some changes to the blog.... starting tomorrow, Monday, a weekly schedule will begin....

Monday:  THRIFTY MONDAYS
Tuesday: IN THE HOUSE WITH (guest poster) or HOW-TO-TUESDAY
Wednesday:  REFURB-RECON-REPURPOSE
Thursday:  PINTERESTINGLY INTERESTING or BESTIES OF ETSY
Friday:  RANDOMNESS (a.k.a life) (a.m.) and FRIDAY NIGHT VIDEO (p.m.)
Saturday:  JUST SAYIN'
Sunday:  FAMILY DAYS

I hope you'll enjoy the NEW and IMPROVED 3 monkeys inc.... and certainly hope you'll stick with me through this transition period.  There may be some glitches and quiet days as I try to line up guests and topics.  Hopefully this new format will help me keep things fresh and new, and keep you, my faithful reader, wanting more....

Thanks so much for coming around, I certainly appreciate all of you.... have a great night my lovelies.... see you tomorrow morning with THRIFTY MONDAY!

Hugs  ;)

Wabbit hunting....

Be vewy, vewy quiet.... I'm hunting wabbits....

Fudd hat by Mrs. Monkey, that's me.... and Fudd shotgun by the handsome Mr. Monkey....

The lurker, umm, is lurking....

Mummified jar with googly eyes and a tealight candle....
nothing could be easier.... Ooooo-scary!

Friday night video....

Hope everyone has a fun, freaky and safe Halloween filled with family and friends.... enjoy!

Here's Monster Mash by Bobby 'Boris' Pickett released in 1962, set to the cartoon the Groovie Goolies.   ;)

Busy weekend....

Hi everyone!  Just wanted to say a quick GOOD MORNING!  And let you know that I'll be a little absent this weekend.... If you read yesterday, you'll know that I have a HUGE to-do list coming into this weekend and Halloween.... I've been very diligent with my blog posting lately and so I felt a heads-up was necessary.

I have a lot of fun trying to come up with great things to blog about; but, as you can imagine, sometimes family and life comes first.... that in no way means I don't appreciate my little following here, I DO!  I love getting comments here and on FB, I love to hear what's happening in your crafty lives, and I would especially LOVE to know what you'd like to see more of around these parts????  Any suggestions folks?

My plan is to do a schedule, you know like THRIFTY MONDAYS, FRIDAY NIGHT VIDEO, etc.... That way I know what I have to write about on each given day and can prepare better, and you as a reader will know what's up next.  Whatd'ya think about that, huh?  And, I'm also hoping to have a once a week or once a month guest as well.... any thoughts????

Anyway my lovelies, off to make some lunches and herd the turtles.... Have a fantastic day everyone  ;)

Vintage Halloween....

Have you noticed that Halloween is creeping up fast?!  I have a list of 'things' about a mile long that I have to accomplish before Saturday.... so, to get me in the mood and light a fire under my behind, I went searching for some inspiration on Etsy.... here's what I found....

A beautiful vintage cowgirl costume.  I. Fell. In. Love.  From rebekahlou, Etsy.

Still-in-the-box, vintage Halloween cookie cutters from Stray Squirrels, Etsy.

A costume my boys would flip out over, vintage C3PO, from thatsthebeesknees, on Etsy.

Vintage 60's die cut paper decoration, by VintageHaus, Etsy.

From this afternoon til the wee hours of Friday night/Saturday morning, I'm pretty sure I'll be going crazy trying to start and finish everything on my Halloween to-do list.... Next year, I think I'll just focus on my girl-babes birthday that's just a little after Halloween.... No more of the "Christmas Rush" at Halloween - of course, I say that now, and next year I'll get all caught up in this fun (and personal favourite) time, and do it all. over. again.

Enjoy your day folks  ;)

Getting here from there....

Ever since I was a child, I've been making 'stuff'.... some of the first things I remember making were furniture from cereal boxes for my pseudo-Barbie doll (my mom couldn't afford the real-deal, so I had the hollow plastic one who when you tried putting her into a seated position, would annoyingly put herself on display in a way that only adult men could appreciate... do you remember those dolls without bendy knees? maybe you had one too?)   

Aaaanyway, I hand-stitched little clothes to cover that doll, made pillows and blankets using my old clothes ~ I guess I did this out of necessity because we didn't have the means to buy the latest toys.... if anything, those were the beginnings of my love for re-purposing items.  It's funny where life takes you, isn't it?  It's been a rough journey for me to get to where I am now.... but, I'll tell you one thing I've learned, you should always appreciate the small things, because it's those itty-bitty, seemingly-insignificant, take-for-granted-type-things that truly make you happy.... The glitter and fluff is just that, glitter and fluff.... that stuff eventually blows away.  Not trying to be preachy or anything.... I'm just sayin'....  Step back every once in a while and take inventory.  It really does help keep perspective.

So, I'm appreciative of my meager beginnings; because, if they weren't a part of me then I don't believe I would have evolved into the extremely crafty, re-purposeful maven that you've come to know and adore  ;)  .... (did I also mention, I'm oftentimes full of crap?)

Anyhow.... getting on with things.... Found some really cute owl hats floating around the WWW, google it, they're EVERYWHERE.... Again, aaaanyway, anyone who even has the teeny-tiniest bit of craft-savvy knows that mostly everything that's in manufactured existence can be replicated in some way, shape or form.....  So here's my take on the owl hat....

The purple-eyed lady belongs to my little girl-babe.... the other two are being delivered today to our friends, Avery and Jordan.... I hope you like them!

Have a great day people  ;)

Spending time....

We didn't get around to making the marshmallow shooters like we had hoped; but, that was ok, we were busy with hockey and just spending time with Mr. Monkey's Mom and Dad before they leave for the winter.... Saturday morning was hockey, hockey, hockey; and in the afternoon we picked apples and enjoyed fall festivities at a nearby farm....

climbing on hay bales

 

riding on 'Moo' the pony

so many pumpkins, they wanted to bring the whole trailer home

And Sunday we enjoyed some beautiful weather and a hike.  This time of year is my favourite - I love all the colour and smells....

this itsty-bitsy spider was HUGE!

red berries on a blue sky

yellow and green moss

can you find the dragonfly?

a beautiful day with family

We enjoyed a great day together with Gran and Gramps and Auntie Marilyn.... then headed home for a belated Thanksgiving turkey dinner.  Just the kind of weekend quality time I love....

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend!  Have a great day  ;)

Fun for the monkeys....

I found this Marshmallow Shooter on Pinterest the other day....

My guys will have fun shooting cotton balls, paper puffs, and pom-poms all over the house.... and our cat will enjoy chasing them all!

This is going to be our Saturday craft for kids.... I'll let you know tomorrow what unfolded.... stay tuned....

Happy Saturday people  ;)

Friday night video.... is back!

I haven't had much time to post my Friday night videos.... we've been busy with hockey.... you can say that once September comes along, our weekends are pretty much ruled by the monkeys and their games and practices.  So in the spirit of hockey season,  here's your Friday night video.... Stompin' Tom Connors - Hockey Night Tonight ~ The  Hockey Song....

Enjoy your Friday night everyone  ;)

Ready to deliver....

Here they are, the first hats of the season, finished and ready to deliver to two very sweet customers....

A Mario hat for young man, Alex (they must be a hit with the boy-kinds, I've had requests for one from each of my boy monkeys).... And a pretty-in-pink hat complete with a sweetheart for adorable Isabelle....

I hope they keep you toasty and warm this winter kiddie-kats!   ;)

Halloween ramblings....

I don't know what it is about Halloween.... it seems to be getting just as busy as Christmas for us.... in fact, I think it's even busier than Christmas!  For Christmas, we take turns having dinner with my family and Mr. Monkey's family, every other year! And since Mr. Monkey's family no longer lives near us, we get to host which is nice because our monkeys get to stay home and enjoy every little bit of Christmas day - gotta LOVE that! 

Aaaanyway, my girlfriend, Tasha, always has not one, but two, Halloween parties - one for each of her boys - a more tame party for the younger little guy and friends (which is the one two of my monkeys attend); and a more age appropriate scary one for her older son and his friends - lucky boys, I say!  (Where you get the energy to host two parties in one day.... it amazes me!)....

And also, this year, we have a family Halloween party to attend at my friend Kim's house which promises to be filled with TONS of family fun.... Did I mention both parties are on the same day?  No biggie really, they are far enough apart from one another.... and the first begins an hour after hockey ends.... yes, it'll be a busy day; but, super fun for all of us.  Halloween is my favourite holiday after all so I don't mind all the running around one bit :D (see, that's me not minding)....

And, of course, the boys will get to wear their costumes for their class parties too.... oh, and I also dress the girl-babe up that day as well and we go watch the costume parade at school.... also one of my favourite things to do!

The costume requests this year have been very creative; and very do-able for me.... thank you to my monkeys for sparing me the agony of trying to figure out how to make something complex :)  The girl-babe is being a princess (so funny, because she is so NOT girlie-girlie); the bigger monkey is being Elmer Fudd and my middle monkey is being a mad scientist.... I`m pretty proud of the boys to have strayed away from all of the commercialism that surrounds Halloween.... they could have picked one of the ba-zillion super-hero costumes floating around; but, instead found great alternatives....

Remember, in the last paragraph where I said, ".... costume requests.... very do-able for me."?  Well, they are.... I just haven't started putting them together really.... And Halloween is when?  11 days away?.... But the parties are what?  9 days away?  And, crossing fingers, toes and eyes, that class parties will be held on Halloween day and NOT the Friday before.

Like I said.... busy times.... and hat orders to fill.... my mind is reeling from everything I have to accomplish in such a short period of time.... But, that's how I work.... under pressure.... now I have that song in my head..... Queen featuring David Bowie - Under Pressure

Have a great day everyone  ;)

Hat season is here....

With the cool weather upon us, I'm thinking HATS!  

And as luck would have it, so are my customers!

Just a quick reminder that I am taking orders for 3 monkeys inc Skull and Crossbones hats.... Check out my Etsy  to see what colours we have to offer; and please keep in mind, you're not limited to the colours in the shop, there are several other colours to choose from, I've just shown the most popular choices....

I can also bring your ideas to life!  Give me a sketch, idea, description - of what you have in mind and we'll talk about what I can do.

If you're thinking of ordering, and you know me personally, please feel free to contact me outside of my Etsy shop - all other orders will be gladly filled through the shop!  Looking forward to a great HAT season!

Beautiful pictures courtesy of Stephanie Eidt Photography... Not only is she an amazing photographer; but, she's a pretty great person to hang around!  Be sure to check her out!

Have a great day everyone  ;)

Interesting.... no, Pinteresting....

I am in love with Pinterest.... if you don't know what it is, check it out, it's pretty self-explanatory....  Think brainstorming-idea centre-organizing thoughts.... Ahhh, all in one place....

Anyhow, I've been having a great time browsing everybody's idea's and adapting them to my own life/home/what-have-you....  Just thought I'd share some of the Pinteresting things I've found of late....

Organization - Pinterest

Peacock tutu tutorial - via Pinterest

Fairy lights - found on Pinterest

Headband tutorial - Pinteresting

Chocolate chips and raspberries - via Pinterest

10 things to make with cereal boxes - found on Pinterest

Pinterest is for anyone looking to organize and share their thoughts.... have a look, you may be inspired to do something you didn't even know you wanted to do....

Have a great day everyone ;)

Cranberry yummy....

I spent my Sunday morning making super delicious pumpkin spice pancakes for the monkeys.... Sunday's are always pancake breakfasts.... I; however, generally still have my same old boring oatmeal.... somehow my day seems not quite right if I don't have it, weird huh?

Anyhow, I used this recipe for the pancakes, that I found pinned all over Pinterest.... and judging by all the "Mmmm's" coming from my breakfast table, I'm guessing they are everything they say, and more!

Then, being inspired by the vintage jars I brought home Saturday, I decided to do some canning.... cranberry sauce to be exact.  I picked up 2 bags of cranberries last week when I was grocery shopping.... I love cranberry sauce, and it's so much better homemade.... but, since I'm the only one in my house who likes it, much of what I make goes to waste.  So, I decided to do some preserving in small jars....

Here's my recipe for cranberry sauce:

You'll need:

1 bag of cranberries (I use ocean spray)
1 cup orange juice (with or without pulp)2/3 to 1 cup sugar (white or brown)
1 to 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
(optional) grated rind from one orange

Mix juice, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a saucepan, heat to boiling.  Once liquid is boiling, add the cranberries and grated orange rind.  Lower heat to medium and allow cranberries to simmer roughly 10 minutes.  You'll hear the cranberries popping as they heat and the liquid will begin to thicken.  You can mash the cranberries is you wish or leave them, just depends on the texture you want.

This makes just over 2 cups of sauce.  Sauce cooled to room temperature can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for 6 months.  If you want to preserve it, you'll need a hot water canner, sterile jars with lids and rings, funnel, jar lifter.  Make sure hot sauce goes into warmed jars, wipe jar rims and seal leaving at least 1cm. head space, process in a hot water bath for at least 10 minutes (remember:  hot jars go into the canner with warm water).  Remove being careful not to jostle jars about and let rest til cooled.  Store in a cool, dark place.

And there you have it!  Yummy cranberry sauce ready to enjoy whenever you like, or to give as gifts!  The bigger vintage jar and the half full jar went straight to the fridge for our upcoming belated Thanksgiving dinner with my in-laws, who will be arriving this coming Wednesday....

Have a great Monday everyone ;)

Saturday thrifting.... never again....

I don't normally go near my beloved, Value Village on a Saturday.... it's a very treacherous place to be.  It's extremely busy with bargain hunters especially with Halloween so close; and I don't know if I've mentioned the poorly designed parking lot which it shares with a large Staples store and a very busy gym.... aaaanyway.

They really should get you to sign a waiver before entering that parking lot on a Saturday.... "I, Mrs.Monkey, do solemnly swear that I understand that by driving onto this parking lot, I am taking the lives of myself and my children into my own hands...."  again, aaaanyway....

I was on the hunt for a shirt and tie for the little monkey who will be taking the bus to an away hockey game.... Yes, folks, it's getting to this point in his hockey career.... the shirt and tie.... EEKS!  Another affirmation that he's growing way too fast!

Snagged a great deal on a nice button down dress shirt, casual dress pants and v-neck wool sweater.... had to buy a men's tie; but, that's easy enough to MacGyver into something suitable for a young lad  ;)

Cost Breakdown:
$  5.99 button down shirt (a bit more than I like to spend, buy hey!)
$  3.99 GAP casual dress khaki's (with no visible signs of wear)
$  2.99 GAP v-neck wool sweater (also no signs of wear)
$  3.99 men's tie (feel bad chopping it to bits.... nah, not really)
$16.96 TOTAL for an outfit that looks great, and will likely not be worn together again :P

Can't beat that price anywhere!  And the nice thing is, he didn't even bat an eye that I was buying him this outfit from a thrift store.  I love that!  I hope my kids grow up saying that their mother loved them enough to buy them the things they needed while at the same time putting our family, as a whole, first.  Because that's what it's all about for me.  Sure, I could go out and buy brand new outfits for occasions like this; I have the means; I like new things too.  But, the reality for me is, WHY?.  Why, when there are places like value village, and people who love to trend shop.... it makes no sense for me to spend my husband's hard earned money so frivolously.  Not to mention, it's about recycling and breathing new life into something old-ish.  I figure it's a win-win for everyone:  I get the deals on items that are still as good as new; my children learn the value of a dollar and to prioritize; stuff gets recycled; and local charities benefit from my meager spending.... see, win-win!

Okay, on with the post.... Of course, I couldn't leave without checking out the housewares section, and as usual, there were more vintage pieces of Pyrex.  Only problem was, they were very worn.... Nuts!  It really saddens me when I find a pattern that I love and the previous owner(s) didn't give it the white glove treatment.... boo!  Oh well, there'll be more....

I did find a pretty gingham half apron that will make it's way into the shop, and books, LOTS of books for the kids!  My guys love love LOVE Captain Underpants.... at first, I really didn't like them and didn't want them reading them; but, after seeing how involved they get.... well, how can you take away something they're reading?  I mean that's the point, right?  They're reading something.  And of course, little Seuss books for the miss, and her favourite author, Eric Carle.

And, I didn't come away totally empty-handed myself.... more vintage canning jars with the screw tops (which is a rare find), there were a few more, but I opted for these 3.... I'm beginning quite a collection of these too; but, I do use them.... honest.

Anyhow, hope you have a happy Sunday filled with family and fun.... later folks  ;)

Rites of passage for a Hockey-Mom....

Tomorrow afternoon, this little guy, 

at the ripe old age of 8 (Wow!  What's your secret for looking so young?), gets to enjoy his first bussed trip, away hockey game.  He's been to several away games in past seasons, the only difference is that he was riding in the Mommy-bus; somehow, not quite the same....

This bus trip, however, is just a one-time treat from a very generous Coach, who's son, Zac, just happens to be an NHL player.... In true Hockey-Dad form, Coach has decided to rent a bus just for the team to mark this years' first novice away game.

I wish I had the movie camera rolling to capture the look on this monkey's face when he found out about the bus!  It was a reaction that I will never. forget.  And in these times when they love to play hockey; but, hate the getting there part.... well, let's just say I've never witnessed him so excited about playing than I did in that moment.  My Hockey-Mom heart was overflowing with pride for a boy - this boy - who is growing at the speed of light.... who, I'm sure will be the same size as me (if not taller) by this time next year.... this boy, who I can barely carry to bed anymore; but, still calls me Mommy.... This boy, who I can't bare the thought of someday letting go.

Enjoy it bub!  You deserve it.  So proud to be your Mommy....


xo ;)

Little lady hip-sack tutorial....

You know how all kids collect things when they're on a walk or a hike or just outside in general?  Well, in my earlier Mommy days, I would just give the boys Ziploc sandwich bags to do their collecting.... then I realized how much we actually walked and hiked and were outside in general.... not very cost efficient or environmentally friendly to be using so many plastic baggies.

Anyhow, when my husband decided that his pair of camo cargo work-around-the-house pants were no longer fit for working around the house,  I snatched them up very quickly and ripped off those big, bulky cargo pockets and made hip-sacks for my boys.... they use them for everything!  Collecting, taking toys to Great-Grans, helping Daddy with working-on-type-projects.... they have been one of my most successful D.I.Y. sewing projects.

I figured it was high time I got around to making a girlie version for the mini-monkey....  Only this time, instead of using a cargo pocket (as I was told to "Stay away from my pants!"), I used a cut-off denim pant leg....

Here it goes....


What you'll need:


- cut off pant leg (demin or any other sturdy fabric leg)
- woven trim
- webbing for the strap backing
- hook and loop... aka velcro
- thread
- sewing machine
- button
- thin elastic for button closure
- embellishments (or not, totally your choice)

Cut an 8-10" length from the bottom of one pant leg.

At this point, decide which embellishments you would like to be sewn to the front of the hip sack.  This should be done before you sew the bottom of the sack closed as it's easier to slip the pant leg over the free-arm on your machine and maneuver it with ease.


 For this hip sack I created a ruching (pronounced roo-shing) effect on the front.  I cut a length of denim about twice the width of the pant leg from side seam to side seam. and roughly 2.5" wide.  I chose not to zig-zag the edges or do any kind of finishing hems to this... I want it to fray on the raw edges.  Sew a gathering stitch down the centre of the denim strip, causing the strip to ruffle.  Iron it flat and pin it to the front of the pant leg.  

Sew it on down the middle using a loose zig-zag stitch, then attach the raw edges to the sack using the same loose zig-zag roughly a 1/4" in from both edges. 

At this point, or when you're done with your embellishing, zig-zag the raw edges of the bottom of the bag then sew the bottom closed.  Use the finished jean/pant hem as the top opening of your hip sack... it's just easier that way, is less work, well, and makes sense :)

To create a wider bottom to the sack, push the side seam of the sack toward the bottom seam to create a point.  Sew across the point about 1" in, do this to both sides of the bottom of the sack... this will create a flat-ish bottom to your hip sack.

Sew the webbing to the back of your woven trim.  This will give you a stronger and more structured belt-like strap.  Cut a length of hook and loop closure about 4-5" long.  Sew the loop side of the hook and loop to one end of the strap on the woven trim side; sew the hook side onto the webbing side of the strap at the opposite end of the strap.


Attach the sack to the belt/strap in the middle of the strap, making sure to sew along the entire width of the back of the hip sack, this will ensure that it lays against your child's body nicely and doesn't sag in an odd manner.   Attach a loop of elastic to the middle back of opening of the sack and a button to the middle front about 1/2" down from the top; this will create a closure for the top of the hip sack.

And voila!  You're done!  Give it to your little lady and let the collecting begin!

Usually, the three hip sacks in our house get filled with rocks from one of our many hikes, then once home, they all get added to our rock garden.  It's a good thing we all have an affinity toward rocks.... I say, in the next 5 years or so, our little rock pile will be a mountain at my front door :D 

Aaaanyway, give it a try.... I highly suggest using a cargo pocket, if you can, as it will cut out the creating the flat-bottom pocket step and the button closure step as well, as most cargo pockets already have a flap closure.  Either way, your children will love these great little hip sacks.


Have a nice day all    ;)

The bed....

I have to say, of everything I've found for the girl-babe's bedroom makeover this is, by far, my favourite item....

The bed.


It's beautiful.  It's chipped.  It's worn.   It has great lines.   And the best part is.... she. loves. it.

What about that nasty looking brass, you ask?  Well, you know that's getting painted.... probably the same smoky purple as the brass on the milk glass lamp.... at least that's what's on the blueprint in my mind...

So, the re-do on this little lady will be pretty simple.  Sand down the loose chips and give it a nice coat of fresh paint.  And in the words of Forrest Gump, "...that's all I gots ta say 'bout that."

I found this bed at an antique fair that was held at a local antique shop.... there were many vendors that cold and rainy weekend.... some stayed, some left.... I'm just glad she stayed otherwise I wouldn't have found this wonderful piece of dreamy-ness (or my colourful collection of fiesta, for that matter).... Anyhow, these pretty pieces of aged metal set us back $70 dollars.... 

Honestly, I didn't know if I was getting a great deal or not.  The vendor assured me I was; but, you know people, they just want to unload their wares for the most they can get.  We actually left both the bed and fiesta, and as soon as we got home, regret set in.  I sent Mr. Monkey back right away to pick up everything.   It wasn't until Mr. Monkey and I took our weekend anniversary trip, that I realized how great a deal the bed really was.  In a little shop in Thornbury (beautiful town), I found a very similar bed for double the price!.... I'm so thankful that in all of my frugality (a-hem, cheapness) I could see the greater picture and knew that my little-lady-love would be happy with her new big-girl bed.

Have a happy day everyone  ;)

Two old make one new....

Since having our daughter almost three years ago, we've been fortunate enough to have friends who are more than willing to pass along clothes to cover her little body....  Now, being the thrifty mom that I am, I am very, very appreciative of what we've been given.  It has made clothing her older brothers so much more cost efficient.  And as any parents of boys know, hand-me-downs are few and far between and so buying new boy clothes is a definite must.

Anyone who knows my children personally, knows that they are little trees.  Oftentimes when I do receive clothes of the girl-variety, the shirts are too short.... I have a size 5/6 top-wearing almost three year old.  It gets a little tough at times, she'll wear a shirt a few times and then it's too small.  So easy solution:  keep the smalls, stained, torn.... then de-construct and re-construct.


Here's a quick little tutorial for taking a stained top and a short top and making something cute and sweet!


Supplies needed:


2 shirts (given by 2 lovelies named A & A)
sewing machine (or not, hand sewing or fabric glue would work too)
scissors
coordinating or contrasting thread
buttons, embroidery floss
and YOUR CREATIVITY

Decide which shirt you'll be slicing and dicing.... in this case, I used the pink shirt for piecing over the white (stained) shirt.  

 First, I cut 2 long strips from the back of the pink shirt.  Then layered them one on top of the other and sewed them 1/2" in along both long edges to the middle front of the white shirt.

Then I cut 8 wonky (ye-ah, it's a word) circles and layered 2 together, spaced them evenly running down the middle of the pink strip.  I pinned and sewed them on in an X pattern.  In the middle of the X's, I sewed 4 different white buttons on using pink embroidery floss.  Then I cut the outer 1/2" into fringe along both long edges.

Here's the finished shirt being modeled by my cute little monkey.... "Tah-dah, momma!"....

The possibilities are endless for this quick and easy project.... ruffles, flowers, rick-rack, lace, use whatever you have.... and the nice thing about a t-shirt project is that you don't need to finish the raw edges, you've gotta love that!

Have a fantastic day everyone   ;)

Perfect for a vintage monkey....

One of my proudest thrifty moments came a little over a week ago.... The girl-monkey and I were shopping at Value Village, scouting out a lamp suitable for a "big-girl" bedroom-to-be....

There were disney princess cast-offs, 90's pink ceramic, nursery-room types with blocks and bears, 70's era junk (that I LOVED!).... and this is the one she chose....  All. on. her. own.

I spotted it as soon as we started looking at the several lamps available, and had secretly hoped she would like it too.  I had decided before we even entered the store that she should be able to pick out something without any input from me, and that it would be coming home with us regardless of how I felt about it.... after-all, she is her own person with her own likes and dislikes and who am I to say otherwise?  This pretty little thing set us back a whole $4.99!

This is white hobnail milk glass.  Hobnail refers to the shape of the bumps.... they get that effect by pressing the melted glass into molds.... Milk glass dates back to the 16th century; but, wasn't actually called milk glass until the late 1880's.  Milk glass was seen as a symbol of household status.  During the depression, it lost appreciation.  Around the 1950's, the glass company, Fenton introduced their hobnail pattern, that brought lovers of milk glass back to the checkouts, and from then on, there was a resurgence in popularity, that still holds today among collectors.  More history in a nutshell :)


Anyhow, you can imagine how proud and amazed I was when she pointed to "dat one" and asked, "Can I take it home witt me, Momma?"  How could I say no to that?!  After we gave it a good cleaning, and tested it out.... perfect working order.... we decided it was the best choice for her vintage and thrifty room-to-be.  Judging by the electrical cord and fixtures, I figure this little lamp probably dates to the early 70's, maybe late 60's.  Still a very serviceable item.... and the brass, well, that has to go.... it's going to receive a fresh coat of smoky purple spray paint or something that will accent well with everything else.


Have a great day everyone   ;)

Pyrex love....

I've found 2 more little cuties to add to my small collection....

They were found on two separate thrifty Monday shopping trips with my girl-monkey, and as luck would have it, they match (ok, so the colour isn't an EXACT match, but close enough for me)....


The casserole was a steal at $5.99; 

and the bowl was an even better deal at $3.99.... 

The bowl was actually part of a nesting set; but, sadly, I couldn't bring myself to buy all four of them.... I picked the most pristine, and most perfect size for my needs, and after apologizing to the others, I said so long.

This pattern is named Butterfly Gold.... up close and personal, the gold is so pretty, and the coverage of the enamel is so perfect (how much of a nerd am I?!).... 

History lesson:  This pattern was released by Pyrex in 1972 as compatibles to Corelle's Livingware pattern Butterfly Gold, one of Corelle's original Livingware patterns, 1970.... I'm sure you've all eaten or drank form this pattern either in your own homes or the homes of someone you knew....  I think my mother-in-law may still have some pieces (if not an entire set) of Corelle Butterfly Gold....

Anyhow, my peeps, my search continues for the ever-elusive pink Pyrex.... Pink Gooseberry, Pink Daisy, Pink Stripe or Solid Pink.... While I'm not a lover of pink in general, I can't seem to get the pink Pyrex out of my head.... I'd be happy with even one tiny little piece.... sigh, one tiny little piece of perfectly pretty pink Pyrex (ha! an alliteration for all you other word-nerds out there!).... 


Enjoy your day all   ;)

Did you know....

the easiest way to get broken eggshells out of a cracked egg is to use.... 

a broken eggshell?  

Now you know.  And life from here on out will be so much better :D

Have a great sunny Sunday everyone ;)

Obsessive, to say the least....

You can say that I've been a teeny-tiny-little bit obsessed lately... but, that would be a TOTAL s-t--r---e---t--c-h! 

Somebody, who I've never met, has been donating the most delicious collections of vintage crafty magazines, pattern books, leaflets and what-have-you's (bad grammar, I know) to my favourite thrifty place....

And, lucky me, I was able to scoop a few up at prices ranging from .10 cents to $1.00 each to $5.00 for 8 oversized magazines (that was a deal I struck with the lovely man at the cash... SCORE!!!!).

Of course, I found a couple of other little treasures to go along with the crafty "HAUL".... a beautiful handmade pottery mug and a vintage hand-embroidered linen table runner....

 Looks like I'm going to be a busy lady making up PDF patterns for the shop and listing some more vintage linens.... LOTS of fun!

Have a great Canadian Thanksgiving weekend everyone... I'll be back tomorrow with your Friday night video ;)