Celebrating All Of My Old & New Pals!!!

Excellent Vintage Find!!!

It's time to celebrate my 300th post and my 1 year anniversary blogging! I plan on showering one lucky winner with all sorts of wonderful vintage treasures, including a bride and groom. I will randomly draw one name on July 13th. So please leave a comment!
Good Luck!
Your Pal,
Linda

Shopping In Mayberry

Who's going to start collecting metal toy telephones now?

I would put one of these parasols in a gigantic tropical drink.

How clever to hang old dresser drawers for shelving and display!

Chenille bedspreads galore!

Princess and the Pea

You can imagine that I started feeling a little faint in this very spot!!!

So that's what I should do with my stained vintage tablecloths.

Richmond, IL is our little Mayberry

I piled the kids in the car and headed to the little town of Richmond, Illinois this weekend. There are loads of antique and junk shops in this old fashioned town that sits on the border of Wisconsin. One of my favorite shops is Embellish on Broadway. They don't have a web site yet, so you will have to visit their charming shop in person. My head was spinning with all of the inspiration I was getting from this creative spot. I love the curvy dresser drawers painted with stripes and hung on the wall, and clearly I have no choice but to collect little toy phones now!

Embellish
847-767-1017
5603 Broadway St.
Richmond, IL 60071

I will return tomorrow with pictures from one of the most amazing shops I have ever been to!

Saucy Is At It Again!

Race right over to my friend Saucy at Saucy's Sprinkles to enter her wonderful contest to win a lovely indoor/outdoor rug!

Superbad Friend

Jessie made this with found tickets in Chicago!

Jessie Smith Larson a.k.a. Superbad Friend

My favorite artist, Jessie Smith Larson is having a contest on her blog. She needs you to vote on your favorite painting by June 30th, please help her out! You will love both her playful style and her dark introspective style. I am a huge fan of her character Martin with his gigantic round head, and Organgedotstickbutt a wonderful big-eyed bird. Jessie works with encaustic paints, metal and sculpture, she is a true Renaissance Woman!!!

Icky Ah, I Don't Think So!

My children have about two more years left on their three year ban of shopping at Ikea. I guess we went there one too many times after we moved into our current home. We cannot bribe them with lingonberry juice or the center parts of our cinnamon rolls any longer. They now pronounce Ikea as Icky Ah! But, I am still mighty fond of these cabinets that we found at the icky place. They were already assembled and being rolled in to the clearance section when we first saw them!!! The colors are perfect and the drawers are lined with light blue felt. I put a matching sheet of paper on the inside of the glass doors to hide the crazy amount of party supplies being stashed in there.
You have to love a place where you can buy a bag of meatballs and two Svjklnsknkr cabinets!

My House With Tunes!

Please check out the Snoopster's beautiful slide show of my home. Everything looks lovelier with a cool soundtrack!

The Snoopster

Lulu's Room

Master Bath

Master Bedroom

Deke's Room

We had loads of fun meeting the very lovely Snoopster yesterday! She endured the grand tour of our home and got to see first hand all of the things you can buy for a nickel!!! I envy the Snoopster's job of knocking on doors and snooping around with a camera. I think I am a non-pervy Peeping Tom at heart, and I would love to investigate how other people decorate.
We just painted our bedroom last weekend and didn't have a chance to hang our collection of group photos back up or style the room. Maybe she can come back for before and after shots.

Flea Time

We had a grand time at the Grayslake Flea Market today.
I found this excellent little cabinet for all (maybe some) of my ephemera, just $15.00!!!

Rhubarb Reign's Sandy and Joe

have loads of unique things in their booth.

They are wonderful vendors, and luckily they set up shop at many flea markets in the Midwest.

I hope they are in your area!
Aren't these stencils cool that I picked up from them?
Please check out their new blog Rhubarb Reign, it is a visual treat!

I bought this stool for Gar as a Father's Day gift from my favorite vendor Joan at Anything Goes Here and The Potting Shed, her booth is always so beautifully styled!

Joan at Anything Goes Here and The Potting Shed generously gave me this lovely award! If you are not yet familiar with Joan, she is my favorite vendor at the flea market and she has the most breathtaking blog!!! I am guessing that like me, you clipped out the magazine spread of the little summer house she built in her backyard. It is exactly what everyone dreams of having one day!
Joan very kindly explained to me what you are supposed to do with awards, I guess I didn't understand. I owe an apology to all of the wonderful people who have bestowed awards upon me, and I didn't post them, I am still a bit clueless. I am unable to pick just five blogs, so I recommend that you spend the next few hours visiting everyone's blog that I have listed under my favorites!!! Please consider yourself a recipient of this wonderful award, too.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day

Surprise Lulu!

Flower shaped and polka dot balloons I found in Paris. I always check out grocery stores and party stores when we travel.

I made a garland out of candy necklaces.

Tissue paper flowers mixed with some real ones.

Lulu is in the stripes, and Rachel is on the left.

Last minute cake from Portillo's, the very best chocolate cake.
I made a candy dot runner for the table.

Surprise Lulu!
Deke was able to keep this under wraps for the few hours
we were scrambling to get this ready.

A very spontaneous surprise party lunch for Lulu's 15th birthday. Lulu's friend Rachel called me and graciously offered to have a surprise party for Lulu this week. I asked Rachel to round up some pals, and I would throw together the rest. It was fun not having the normal amount of planning time, I had to be more creative with the things I already had. It helps having a large supply of candy dots and candy necklaces on hand at all times! I have also discovered the beauty of having a helium tank ready to roll for just such an entertaining emergency.

Found

Excerpts from Found Magazine

Are you familiar with Found Magazine ? It is the most wonderful publication that prints found notes, letters, cards and photos.

Coconut Cream Pie, Don King Style

Ingredients:

• 1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk
• 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup flaked coconut- toasted
  
• MERINGUE (double this to make enormous peaks)
  
• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut

Directions:

Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. bake at 450° for 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack.
In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, flour and salt. Stir in milk until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat; gently stir in vanilla and coconut. Pour into crust.
For meringue, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in a small bowl, on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Spread evenly over hot filling, sealing edges to crust. Sprinkle with coconut.
Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for 3 hours before serving. Store in the refrigerator.

Rolling Up My Sleeves

It's been a very long time since I made a large collage, and I am hoping to change that today.

This photographs does not show you all of the insane layers of this piece, I started by drawing the little girls, painting them and layering bits and pieces of a 1950's travel diary around them. I painted over all of the ephemera and then collaged over the girls with a dress pattern. I could continue to fiddle with this until it's about five inches thick with layers of vintage bits. I need to start a new piece and retire this one.

Cringe

Awkward Family Photos

We have all taken our share of awkward family photos, and there is now a site where you can go to admire some of the very best of the worst! The site has only been around for one month and it already receives millions of hits everyday.