All shivery shaky ... stranger in our backyard!

We were sitting on the couch in our den today, eating lunch and watching our DVR of the Paul McCartney tribute at the White House on PBS. Our curtains are always open so that we can watch the hummingbirds and squirrels (and Falcon!) in the yard. I looked away from the TV screen and out into our yard (not quite sure why I happened to at that precise moment??? Oh, that's right, the falcon had returned again and I'm so afraid it will kill my beloved mourning doves!). And just then a teenaged boy crossed our backyard, out from behind our garage, across our lawn, towards our house.

He and I saw each other at the same time. YIKES! I'm not sure what I said/stammered to my husband, something like " there's someone in our backyard". D'oh. I pointed at him and the teenager saw me point and my husband get up and go to the back door.

He climbed over the fence into our neighbors yard (our dear Fred who passed away, home). As my husband approached the fence, the teenager said to him "Hi, how ya doin?" and then ran off.

I was watching the teenager from the window and I could see he had something/an implement of some sort...screw driver, knife, shiv (spelling?) in his hand...it was gray or silver and metallic as it glimmered in the sunlight.

We called the police and our security service - neither of which feigned any interest at all in what had occurred. geez!

My husband went to tell another neighbor and all of a sudden a police helicopter was overhead and our street was closed off. We found out that the kid had run out of Fred's yard and entered another yard across the street, a house where the resident has childrens daycare and they called the police too.

We don't know if the teenager was caught or not.

I'm all freaked out. What if my husband hadn't been home?! What if the boy comes back, he knows I saw him. I'm afraid to leave the house and I'm afraid to stay home.

So traumatizing.

Wet paint

ACK! We're painting over here and I can't get to my computer and scanner so it looks like I won't be participating in Rednesday and Vintage Thingie Thursday this week. Sniffle sniffle SOB. (I'm typing this on my iPad and it's a total nuisance!) I will hope to peek in though at everyone's fun stuff. Please forgive me for not commenting this time around.

Happy week to everyone!

Mega Crafty Weekend

oh gosh! I had such a fun and crafty, three day weekend!

On Friday I drug hubby down to Long Beach with me for the International Quilt Festival, with the dangled carrot of visiting one of his former workmates that lives in Long Beach (who had just adopted a second child, so it was a lot of fun!). I had missed it before and had always wanted to go in previous years.

As wonderful as the quilt exhibit is, the vendors are just as exciting! We got there when it opened and there was a tidal wave of quilters, sewers, crafters, all abuzz and excited. I saw quite a few other husbands in tow too. ;)

I had looked at the vendor list and the only name that I knew was the wonderful, Bird Brain Designs. Since our time was going to be limited at the show, I wanted to see them first thing. They have got to be one of the favorites as they were in the first row opposite the entrance and there was already a line at the cash register, minutes after the show had opened. I picked up some really cute patterns from them and a new product that you put through your printer and then it adheres to your fabric, so you don't have to trace your embroidery pattern anymore. I hope it works as great as the owner said - I hate tracing! I'm so lousy at it.

Oh me. I then proceeded to go through the vendor area like a whirlwind. Some booths had chairs and my husband sat down on one and a woman approached him and asked him if he "gets points for coming to the show" teehee.

I'm embarrassed to say that my wallet took a direct hit bwahahhahahaha and is a little worse for wear after the experience but boy it sure was fun to see everything (and come home with some goodies too)!

(Round One of Sally vs tempting Crafty Goodie Weekend)

I only took a few photos with my phone ... when we first entered the exhibit we saw lots of signs saying no photography ... further in, I noticed that photos were allowed. (I guess the beginning ones were artist quilts or the prize winners/or both.) I took a few of the fun ones for you guys to see.

(Thinking of Twyla here ... hello, are you there? ... and her darling little white doggies.
This is a bit more maltese-y or westie but it made me think of you Twyla!)

Day two of Mega Crafty Weekend ... Saturday and the Paper Show in San Marino.


At first I was a little disappointed by this one ... it was a much smaller venue than the one we went to last year in Glendale and it was 99.999999999% postcards. And then I noticed that some of the vendors had a small selection of books, pamphlets, magazines and other paper ephemera behind their tables holding the gazillions of postcards. (I love postcards too but I was on the hunt for something else.)

Any ideas what book this is???

You're going to laugh your head off over this on ... the first thing I bought was a "part" of a book. Yes, you heard right. I have no idea what book it's from but the illustrations were so wonderful and I happened to read this snippet from the text, which for some reason tickled me to no end:

One day Joe and Eve each had a pen and ink.
It made them glad.

And then I wandered over to the other side of the venue and spied a box that said "childrens books".

whisper whisper ... a Kate Greenaway book ... calling my name ... begging to come home with me. (that's the way it happens, you know!)

It doesn't have a copyright date inside ... it was published by the same McLouglin Bros. as my darling craft book last week. I'll have to see if I can determine how old it is, she says donning her sleuthing cap.

(I'm only scanning one page now, it takes so long for the scans to finish boo hoo!)

The sellers of this delightful book were a charming elderly couple, so adorable. I asked the price and had every intention of saying "No, I'm sorry" but I found myself saying "Yes, okay" instead. They were so dear and sweet and I couldn't resist while under their spell. Had they offered me a cookie, I would have bought everything they had teehee!

I also got two children's magazines/booklets from them ...



Lastly I got three doggie postcards from another vendor ... there were lots more postcards that I wanted from the vendor but his prices were really steep. OUCHERS!


Day three of Mega Crafty Weekend ... Renegade Craft Fair in Downtown Los Angeles

We went last year and it was so much fun, I couldn't wait to go back again. So much fun to get to see crafty bloggers and Etsy-ers and their creations in person.

I got the most gorgeous lush hand dyed wool felt from Ohma Felt,
(oh and a felt Golden Retriever photo booklet cover, made by
Kata Golda, author of this charming book and made with Ohma Felt.)
and fun paper doll cards from Hungry Dog Designs.

Oh! Kata Golda has a blog!

I collected cards from my most favorite vendors ...

And now I'm one pooped puppy, you guys! I began before breakfast and now it's time to go forage for some lunch, I'm all rumbly in my tumbly.

Monday blog love

My husbands vacation continues ...

Oh my! I seem to have fallen down a rabbit hole ... time has sped up on me and as fast as I pedal, I can't seem to gain any ground and find time for blogging. WAH!

We had a very fun and crafty weekend! First we went to the Quilt Festival on Friday, then we went to a paper ephemera show on Saturday and finally we went to the Renegade Craft Fair on Sunday. So much fun! Fingers crossed that time will slow down tomorrow and I can get a few words and pics about it all down here.

I hope this finds you all well and happy and that you're enjoying your summer!


A View Through the Window
Bird Nest On The Ground
Bumpkin Bears
Christine LeFever
Fiber Art and Craft almost every day
hydrangeas and white daisies
Jordgubbar med mjolk
Judy's Journal
Lisbeth sin lille verden
Million Little Stitches
Put It In A Box
Romantiska Hem
Secrets of a Butterfly
Sheltie Nation
Stitching Life
Sweet Memory Making Mom
Tea For Joy
Texilosophy Oz
The Brooding Hen
The Crafty Currant
The Prairie Girl
Under a blue moon
windthread

Something To Do for Every Day on VTT

(Please visit Suzanne at Colorado Lady for more Vintage Thingie Thursday fun!)


Happy Vintage Thingie Thursday to everyone!

If you happened to read my Rednesday post this week, you'll know that we went to the Long Beach Antique and Collectible Market last Sunday (really a large swap ... I just typed "swamp" teehee! ... as I was saying, really a large outdoor swap meet, flea market thingie, not an Antique Mall) and that I got a charming book about a doll. Well, my other big treasure of the day was a childrens craft booklet from 1928. It's entitled "Something To Do for Every Day", published by McLoughlin Brothers.

The vendor was a delightful man and he told me that McLoughlin Brothers was bought out by another famous company ... well I was so head over heels in love with my booklet (and worrying about whether the other books I wanted to get and had left behind, would still be there waiting for me!) that the name did not remain long in my middle aged brain. WAH! So I just looked it up now ... Google to the rescue!

McLoughlin Bros. reached its heyday in the 1880s and was a prolific manufacturer of games until the company was bought out by Milton Bradley in 1920.

I adore craft books and the cover of this one was too precious to pass up, I didn't even care what was inside. Well ... the inside is just as cute. Yeah!

Here is some of the cuteness inside ...

Hitty: Her First Hundred Years for Rednesday

(Please visit Sue at It's A Very Cherry World for more Rednesday fun!)

Happy Rednesday!
I've only got a tiny bit of red to share with you this Rednesday ...
the cover of a charming book.

We went to the Long Beach Antique & Collectible Market on Sunday and one of the things I purchased was a book about a doll, "Hitty: Her First Hundred Years" by Rachel Field. I'd never heard of the book before but it looked so charming that I wanted it instantly.

We arrived at 6:40 in the morning and we had only just begun walking down the first row. A vendor was just placing three childrens books on her table, the very first things she unpacked and placed on her table. Two adorable vintage Raggedy Ann books and "Hitty". Oh! I wanted all three, right then and there!

We had only been there five minutes so with my heart in my throat, I walked away from the three books that I wanted so very desperately, promising myself that I'd get them if they were still there when we had seen the entire show. I'm not kidding, my stomach ached, leaving them behind.

It was almost four hours later when we finally made it back to the beginning of the show and the first row of vendors. The three books were still there ... but I had picked up a few other goodies along the way and couldn't justify buying all three any longer. I decided on Hitty because the first words I read from the book were so delightful (and we had come across another vendor who had the Raggedy Ann books, so those weren't the only two in existence teehee! ... hopefully there will be other chances down the road).

I'm so unobservant, I didn't even notice that it was signed and dated by the author! The vendor told me when I asked the price ... I guess I looked a bit grieved when she stated the price, upon seeing my expression she said, "It's a signed copy". It isn't a first edition but it was signed the year it won the Newbery, 1930.

I looked it up online last night ... I had no idea it's a classic and a Newbery Medal winner. It is still in print but if I understood correctly, some of the book has been changed in the reprint - I read this on the Amazon site - how very odd!

Did you read Hitty as child?

If you didn't and would like to read it online, you can find it here. (Ay yi yi ... they have a typo on the first screen ... it's the Newbery Medal, not the Newsbery.)

Monday blog love

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend! On Friday we went out to lunch and saw the movie "The Kids Are Alright", Saturday was a puttering around the house kind of day (hubby went to do some handyman work for his mom and I'm trying to reorganize my craft space) and Sunday, we went to the Long Beach Antique Market.

We got there at 6:40 in the morning!!! OUCH! That's early. Thankfully we missed most of the heat and the crowds - the only drawback was that most of the vendors weren't set up completely at that time (even though the show opens at 5:30 and customers pay twice the admission to come in early).

I got some fun paper stuff and hubby found his railroad spikes he was looking for. We also got some fun old wooden berry baskets for our tomatoes that are finally ripening. YIPPIE! I'll tell you more about what I got later in the week but here's a peek for now ... we're off to see "Inception" and lunch at our favorite Indian restaurant. Happy Monday to you!







Oh my goodness, I found a long list of blog links I had been keeping, so today is going to be a bonanza, a bumper crop of blog love.

People often me ask how do I read all of these blogs?! The answer is, I don't. Sadly, there aren't enough hours in the day/week/month/year, to view all the wonderful blogs out there, let alone read all of them. So these are blogs that have caught my eye while blog hopping and following links and I thought you might enjoy the creativity or recipes or whatever too. & I feel pretty certain (willing to bet the homestead on it teehee) that they're all lovely reads as well if you feel intrigued and encouraged to dip into them further. I think you will find them all soft places to land and cuddle up with for a daydream or two. Enjoy!

A Brit in Tennessee
A Hocking Hill's Garden
A Primitive Place
A Vintage Cottage Home
Antique Images
Blackberry Creek Home Arts
book scout
Chet and Dot
Chicken Blog
Daisy Pink Cupcake
edward and lily
Found in Mom's Basement
Kathy Schmitz
Kristen Doran Designs
Life at Willow Manor
Little Byrd Vintage
Living Details
lucy locket recycled her pocket
Miss Gracie's House
monda loves
monkey do
My Glory Stars
peng peng's place
pink pinko life
Prairie Flower Farm
Rabbit Hill Primitives
Tattered and Lost Ephemera
The Cedar Chest
The Decorating Diaries
The Goode Wife of Washington County
The house in the roses
To Dwell In Primitive Thymes
upon a fold
willy's creations

Vintage Recipe Booklet Thingie Thursday

(Please visit Suzanne at Colorado Lady for more Vintage Thingie Thursday fun!)

Please forgive me, my husband is on summer vacation (for another six and a half weeks yet), and I'm having a hard time finding chunks of time to blog, respond to comments and visit my dear blog friends. I will endeavor to try to keep up but I feel rather like I'm rapidly sinking in quicksand. Please know I think of you and miss you all!

I'm sharing a fun recipe booklet with you today that I got at a garage sale a couple of weeks ago. It's was published for the Calumet Baking Powder Company and it's filled with delightful illustrations. Sadly it doesn't have a copyright date but there is a handwritten note beside one of the recipes that reads "June 5, 1931, Fri.", so it's at least that old.

(front cover)

(page with date noted - wonder if the biscuits were good?!)

(Yum! Someone made sugar cookies! Wonder why this woman's head is circled??? That's a bit odd and er, creepy teehee.)

(back cover)