This That & Other Things

Just a Little Something

2012-01-28T19:55:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone:

I'm having a hard time believing that January is over in a few short days. I didn't even get my January Giveaway off the ground. Oh well, I will come up with some Awesome Giveaway for February I promise. For those of you that don't know I went back to work full time at a Desk Job in July, it's been 6 months. Working full time and running my Etsy Shop takes up a lot of my time, leaving very little for family and friends. I want to Thank them for being patient with me and not kicking me to the curb or writing me out of the will.

I'm gonna try to do better with this blog thing and Monthly Giveaways.

Blessings
Judy

And the Winner of my December Giveaway is Finding Charm

2011-12-12T19:35:00.000-05:00

The winner is FINDING CHARM

Thank You so very much for entering my December Giveaway.

Merry Christmas
Judy

Enter to Win in the December Giveaway

2011-11-26T08:47:00.000-05:00

Enter to win this cute couple & baby. If you collect Snowmen or have always wanted to, this is your chance to win them. Just follow the simple instructions below and you never know, they could be yours by Christmas.

To Enter: You have 3 things to do, count them 3 (three)

1. Leave a Comment here on what Item or Items you would like to have from my Etsy shop and please leave your contact information so when you win I can contact you. This That Other Things on Etsy

2. Be a Follower of this Blog. If your already follow my blog it helps to spread the word about this giveaway on FB, Twitter and Stumbleupon. Please remember to leave me a link to the post so I can follow too.

3. Like my Facebook page or Follow me on Twitter Facebook or Twitter. I'm Stumble now also to find me my name on stumble is bluedahlia - If you already are a friends on my FB page please leave me a post letting me know you entered this giveaway AND if you already are my twitter pal then please send a tweet out letting me and the twitter world know you Entered my Great Giveaway.
My twitter id is - ttotshop

Giveaway Ends December 12, 2011
This prize will be mailed out on the 14th and will arrive by Christmas.
Blessings
Judy

And the winner is Kimberly W

2011-10-15T20:10:00.000-04:00

Thank You very much for entering my contest. I hope you love your new Holiday Decoration.
I will mail it out on monday.

Thanks again
Blessings
Judy

We took a road Trip West on Rt 20 to Skaneateles NY

2011-10-15T12:42:00.000-04:00

It was the perfect time of year in Upstate NY to take a road trip across Route 20, up and down the hills and in and out of the little towns and villages. If you have never been to NY in the fall it is spectacular and a must see.
I have to admit I've lived in New York all my life and I am still amazed and wait with high expectations of what beauty the season will give us. This year the colors weren't so bright and beautiful because of the 2 tropical storms that blew through,a lot of the leaves were taken off then. But It was still breathtakingly beautiful and we both had a great day.

My husband and I had the opportunity to get away for a day and decided to drive out to Skaneateles, we had both been there at separate times in our lives, although it was many years ago for both of us.
On the way out we stopped for Breakfast in Lafayette and after that I just had to stop at a green house we passed and bought 2 lilac trees and 4 ornamental grasses for my garden, hey they were on sale (if you haven't seen my garden yet scroll down later to my garden pics) The weather was perfect, dry and cool. The sun was out for most of the trip but was fading fast by mid afternoon.

Unfortunately I took the pictures from my phones camera so they seem darker than I remember the day to be.


Unfortunately the pictures looks like it was cloudy and stormy but I assure you it wasn't at this point.

I also managed to stop to all the yard sales and garage sales we spotted along the road trip. You can imagine by the time we reached home my little ford escape was loaded down, the ornamental grasses wavy to me in the rear view mirror.

I found a Thrift Shop while we were walking around town and of course had to go inside. It was small but packed full of great used and vintage items.

On the way home we drove down Rt 31 which took us along Oneida Lake.

By now the skies were threatening but we managed to grab an ice cream before the rains came.

All in All it was a fun day, Wish you were there.

Blessings
Judy

Enter to win this Great Fall Decoration

2011-10-01T09:52:00.000-04:00

I found this on one of my Thrifting adventures through New England and thought it would be perfect for a giveaway item. I hope you agree.

This Turkey lights up when plugged in and can be hung or stood up.

He is 20" wide and 20" tall and about 3" thick.
He is from 1995 but in Great Condition.

He would be just perfect to add to your holiday decorations.

He is made of hard durable plastic and has a removable electric cord in the back with a light bulb attached.

To Enter: You have 3 things to do, count them 3 (three)

1. Leave a Comment here on what Item or Items you would like to have from my Etsy shop and please leave your contact information so when you win I can contact you. This That Other Things on Etsy

2. Be a Follower of this Blog. If your already follow my blog it helps to spread the word about this giveaway on FB or Twitter and leave me a link to the post so I can follow too.

3. Like my Facebook page or Follow me on Twitter Facebook or Twitter - If you already are a friends on my FB page please leave me a post letting me know you entered this giveaway AND if you already are my twitter pal then please send a tweet out letting me and the world know you Entered my Great Giveaway.
My twitter id is - ttotshop

Giveaway Ends October 15, 2011

Blessings
Judy

And the WInner of the Autumn Crisp Giveaway is Mandy and Justin.

2011-09-23T18:11:00.002-04:00

Congratulations Mandy and Justin !!!!!!!!!

And Many Thanks to you for entering and to Clairesfaire for providing the wonderful vintage items this month.

Blessings
Judy

Autumn Crisp Giveaway from ClairesFaire

2011-09-03T20:59:00.000-04:00

This months giveaway is coming from Arlena, CEO of ClairesFaire on Etsy.
Arlena is currently running 3 shops on Etsy and that is no easy task. I have come to know that Arlena is a women of great integrity and strength. She is upbeat and delightful to talk to with great spirit and intuition.
Arlena and I are Vintage Market teamates on Etsy (vmteam) and she has always been a big supporter of mine, so I was so happy when she agreed to host this months give away.

I've gotta say that in the past 4 weeks I have realized that a friend is anyone who can touch you from a distance and leave a mark that will never be forgotten. And Arlena is one of those friends.

Below are the links to all her shops and they all hold different and unique treasure's for you to enjoy.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ZinniasOldfangles?ref=pr_shop

http://www.etsy.com/shop/claireschristmas

And to finish up with

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ClairesFaire?ref=pr_shop

Here are some words from Arlena:

For me, vintage is all about the love, the history and honoring the past.

My mother came to this country from Germany in the early 1950’s as a new bride. She brought nearly nothing with her, so the vintage I own is what she collected as a young wife and new mother in the late 50’s and 60’s. These are the things I use, the things I love. This is what brings vintage meaning to me. She passed away four years ago…what she touched, what she cooked with, are my treasures.

What I sell in ClairesFaire and ZinniasOldfangles are pieces from the more recent past, the 60s through the 80’s. These are the things I decorated with as a young wife. I love sparkle and shine and color!

I left my career in resort management 6 years ago to care for my mom full time. I decided to take a different direction in my life after she passed away. While pondering what I wanted to do, I spent time at estate sales and flea markets, adding to already extensive collections. I was so happy to find Etsy and open a shop that allowed me to share some things that make me smile, things with meaning and with a little extra sparkle and twinkle.

Thank You
Arlena

.-..-.
`·.·´
●/
/▌
/ \I wish all the best and much success for Arlena and want to Thank her again for giving me this opportunity to support her as much as she has supported me.

Blessings
Judy

Arlena has offered these great Vintage Items for my Autumn Crisp Giveaway this month:

Dress up your holiday table with these 4 items to be given away.

The Autumn table cloth is 38"x38" and is hand embroidered golden leaf cloth.

The 2 cups are Cascade by Cambridge Glass Co 1950s

And the little bowl is Capri by Hazel Ware from the 1960s.

As usual there are a few things you will need to do to qualify to win these great items.

To Enter: You have 4 things to do, count them four.

1. Leave a Comment here on what Item or Items you love in any of Arlena's Etsy shops (links to all her shops are above) and don't forget to leave your contact information so I can let you know if you are the winner.

2. Be a Follower of this Blog. If you already follow my blog then I Thank You.

3. Like my Facebook page or Follow me on Twitter, Facebook or Twitter If you already follow me on twitter please leave a tweet directing people to this giveaway (my twitter name is @ttotshop) or Leave a post on my FB page letting me know that you entered the Giveaway if you prefer.

4. Now this is the big one, You must tweet a link to this giveaway using @Clairesfaire in the link.

Giveaway Ends on September 23, 2011 - The first day of AUTUMN

Blessings
Judy

Sharing some Garden Pictures with my Friends

2011-09-03T09:20:00.000-04:00

AND THE WINNER IS .....

2011-08-31T21:16:00.002-04:00

Freddie is the winner in my AUGUST giveaway.
I want to Thank Everyone for entering and Stay tuned for the September Giveaway.

Blessings
Judy

It's a Tea Time Giveaway

2011-08-14T15:13:00.002-04:00

There has been a change in plans for this months Giveaway.

This months giveaway is coming from my own personal Vintage Stash.

Hopefully Next Month ClairesFaire will be featured in my September Giveaway.

This teapot is the Giveaway this month.


Tea for You

To Enter: You have 3 things to do, count them 3 three.

1. Leave a Comment here on what Item or Items you would like to have from my Etsy shop and please leave your contact information so when you win I can contact you. This That Other Things on Etsy

2. Be a Follower of this Blog. If your already follow my blog it helps to spread the word about this giveaway on FB or Twitter and leave me a link to follow.

3. Like my Facebook page or Follow me on Twitter Facebook or Twitter - If you already are a friends on my FB page please leave me a post letting me know you entered this giveaway AND if you already are my twitter pal then please send a tweet out letting me and the world know you Entered my Great Giveaway.
My twitter id is - ttotshop

Giveaway Ends August 31, 2011

Blessings
Judy

Meet Eudora and Shane

2011-08-04T19:29:00.000-04:00

I know I'm a few days late getting this post done, but this working full time is kicking my butt. But I'm Forever Grateful for the butt kicking. (wink with a smile)

This months Blog Feature is a wonderful new shop on Etsy called the JunkHouse http://www.etsy.com/shop/JunkHouse?ref=seller_info&view_type=gallery it's been open since May 2011 and is located in the Seattle Washington area. Eudora and Shane combine there love for vintage and their talent of bringing that love to us. I've enjoyed looking around the Junk House and have spotted some treasures I'd never seen before. (must be a west coast thing)

Below is a note from Eudora in her words:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/79129700/iron-starburst-wall-sconce-set-of-two

http://www.etsy.com/listing/78423539/green-franciscan-carafe-pitcher-marked

Shane and I started our Etsy shop from Seattle in May of 2011. After realizing early on in our relationship that we both had the thrifting bug, visiting local second hand stores garage sales became one of our favorite ways to spend time together. Naturally, we had amassed a good deal of stuff since we started dating two years ago, and upon moving in together this year, we decided opening an Etsy store would be a great way to find new homes for some of our many treasures. As we are both particularly fond of mid century modern design, a large portion of Junkhouse is filled with items from the 40s - 60s. And being in Seattle, where a large Scandinavian seafaring community once thrived, Scandinavian design has become one of our favorite aesthetics to collect.

Prior to focusing on accumulating mid century housewares together, we each had our own thrifting interests that developed in our teenage years; I was enthralled by 50s and 60s vintage clothing, and Shane was an avid record collector. But, after stumbling across a vibrant patterned bowl in a local thrift store, and doing some research after bringing it home, we discovered it was a Cathrineholm design, and the housewares bug was planted.

Etsy is not currently our primary source of income, as we both work part time jobs and have several other ventures on the side.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/78814504/rare-fire-king-vegetable-pattern-2-bowls

We are continuously inspired by the idea of deriving new use from items that have such a robust history. And needless to say, we draw a lot of inspiration from the Etsy community. Being a part of so many passionate individuals has been such a treat, and we so look forward to our future with Etsy! We are slowly adding items from our collection to our shop, with new items being added weekly.

Warm regards,
Eudora

I think it's always nice to bring new shops out into the light, I for one know how difficult it is to be seen on Etsy. I want to Thank Eudora and Shane for giving me this opportunity to feature there new and upcoming shop and wish them years of enjoyment and success.

Blessings

Judy

This Months Blog Feature is (drum roll...) Ablemabel

2011-07-25T06:31:00.001-04:00

I've decided, (i'm a great decision maker) to Feature a shop or Artisan on my Blog once a month. That is along with my Fun and exciting Monthly Giveaway (I just love them).

This month it is Ablemabel on Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/ablemabel?ref=pr_shop

This wonderful shop is a creation of two sisters Jen and Leann, who found inspiration and creativity from their parents. They've mixed their father’s dry sense of humor and their mother’s artistic abilities, and come up with imaginative makings.

This shop is full of handmade items that are fun, fresh, fashionable and functional.

"I am inspired by everyday things around me...family, nature, colors, emotions, moods, etc. Give me a fun piece of fabric, paper or beads and it's off to the races! I love finding the "unusual" and making it into something functional!" Leann

This Great Pouch fits 3 diapers or a pack of Travel Wipes, Functional and Fashionable.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/36963464/flowers-diaper-pouch

I'm Thinking these Fun, Fresh Fobs would make Great Stocking Suffers or even a Gift for the Bus Drivers, Teachers, Etc

http://www.etsy.com/listing/62279074/fabric-keychain-fob-in-green-freshcut

These Snuggle Blankets are Fun and Functional as well, with bright colorful designs and a soft backing for comfort.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/77907970/24x24-baby-girl-blanket-toddler-blanket

This item is my personal favorite, I love the colors and the functionality of the item.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65790277/smoky-light-blue-and-white-flourish

I want to Thank You all for taking the time to Look around Ablemable on Etsy.

And hope you find just the right item for yourself or someone special.

Blessings

Judy

The WINNER for the JULY give away is Just Jingle

2011-07-22T21:33:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Just Jingle http://www.justjingle.blogspot.com/

And Thank You to everyone that Entered, I'll be having another Great Give Away for August. And don't miss my Etsy Shop Feature next week.

Thanks again
Blessings to you and yours
Judy

I had a Garage Sale, ya wanna see

2011-07-16T19:30:00.000-04:00

Well, I've been cleaning out my store room and my home of unwanted items for the past 3 weeks. I mentioned on twitter and face book a few days ago that I am getting rid of everything that doesn't serve a purpose in my life, my husband got a little worried but was quick to pitch in and help. (smart man)

I wanted to show you some before pictures of what the sale looked like, this was at 7 a.m. before people started arriving. It wasn't as busy as in past years, but I was told a neighboring town had their community sales so that explains it. But I ended the day with more money than I started it with and less STUFF.

We're are skipping Church tomorrow to remain open and hopefully sell more stuff, I really really don't want to pack it up. I plan on giving my 10% to the church, so it's a win win.

Bruce's (my husband) birthday is tomorrow also, so I'm taking him to the fireman's All You Can Eat breakfast at 7 a.m. Serving Pancakes, Bacon, Sausage, Eggs, Juice, Applesauce, Coffee and Tea and then open the doors at 8 a.m. Fingers crossed it will be more successful than today was.

Oh, If you see something you like let me know, if I still have it it's yours for the garage sale price plus shipping of course.

Well, I'll let you know how the day goes tomorrow, and wait to hear from you.

Blessings
Judy

July Giveaway

2011-07-02T13:43:00.000-04:00

This month I've picked something blue for the good Old Red, White and Blue.

This is a vintage set of Tupperware Nesting / Mixing bowls.
I believe these were a hostess gift in the late 80's early 90's.
The blue covers do not seal, they are like a plate or a lid you just set on top of the bowl.

Previously owned but in wonderful condition, with only minor scratches.

To Enter: You have 3 things to do, count them 3 three.

1. Leave a Comment here on what Item or Items you love in my Etsy shop and your contact information.
This That Other Things on Etsy
2. Be a Follower of this Blog. If your already follow my blog it helps to spread the word about this giveaway on FB or Twitter and let me know.
3. Like my Facebook page or Follow me on Twitter Facebook or Twitter

Giveaway Ends July 23, 2011

Blessings
Judy

I'm having a June Giveaway

2011-06-01T18:00:00.000-04:00

This giveaway is for these 2 Aluminum Swan Tapered Candle Holders.
They are 3 1/2" tall and their base is 3" long x 1 3/4" wide

Cute and adorable. They also double as a candle sconce, your index finger fits perfect under the neck curl.

To Enter:

1. Comment here on what Item strikes your fancy in my Etsy shop This That Other Things on Etsy
2. Be a Follower of this Blog and either my Facebook page or on Twitter Facebook or Twitter
3. Please remember to leave a comment with your contact information.

Giveaway Ends June 15th, 2011

Blessings
Judy

Pie in the Sky Lilac Farm

2011-05-29T15:21:00.001-04:00

This story really started a year ago, Memorial Day Weekend 2010. Now, you need to remember that I've lived in this area for about 20 years and my husband for over 50 yrs.

My husband (Bruce) works for the DPW (department of Public Works) for the town where this lovely Lilac Farm is located and he has worked for them for a number of years. I tell you all this so you realize both my amazement and my disappointment when he told me about it. He came home from work last year telling me about this place at the top of a hill in the middle of now where on a dead end road that has a lot of Lilac's growing. They have a 6' fence around about an acre of land full of beautiful Lilacs. I looked at him and said "Why am I just hearing about this now". (with a smile of course)

So I told him I'd like to see this place and we ventured out. It's only about 10 miles away so it didn't take long. This Farm is on a dead end road No house just a large fenced in area with lots and lots of Lilac's. I was happy to see a car parked up by the fence. We drove up through the high grass, got out of the truck and was greeted by a lovely lady, her name is Sabra Gilbert. A gentlemen was busily mowing in between the lilac trees.

Much to my surprise this farm was opened to the public around Memorial Day when they come up from down state to mow and check on the trees. Sabra told us there are over 150 trees planted and then handed us a paper with all there names and numbers so we can locate the ones we really liked. I couldn't begin to tell you all of what I learned that day about Lilac's, But I can tell you I came away from the visit with wonder and amazement that someone would take the time to plant and maintain such a wonderful Garden of Lilac's to be enjoyed Just because they love Lilac's.

My Husband and I remembered the name of this White Lilac called the Beauty of Moscow, and purchased 2 trees that Fall and planted them in the Garden. They bloomed this year and are spectacular.


Krasavitsa Moskvy (Beauty of Moscow)

I waited all year for another chance to go back to the Pie in the Sky and this time I took my camera.....

My Hubby

Sabra Gilbert, Owner and Lover of Lilac's

Lucie Baltet (that's French)

He must be the landscaper


The sun was bright at that moment and the smell of Lilac's was abundant

This is a late blooming Furn type Lilac that isn't blooming yet.

Slaters Elegance


The Skies were starting to darken so we started to walk just a little faster.

We said are good bye's and told Sabra we would be back next year. We got 1 mile down the road the the skies opened up, Raining again. I sure hope Sabra saw that coming...........

Happy Memorial Day Everyone!!!

Blessings
Judy

And the Winner of my May Giveaway is .............

2011-05-15T19:05:00.000-04:00

Finding Charm
Check out her blog here Finding Charm

I'll be contacting you via Email very soon.

Thanks to everyone who entered and please sign up for emails so you will know when my next Giveaway will be. Not to mention any other interesting posts I make. (wink)

Blessings
Judy

Finish up Day 2 of my Road Trip with my Sisters

2011-05-14T12:33:00.003-04:00

So where was I.... Oh yes, Gail and I arrived back to my sister house to freshen up from the trip to Assateaque Island and surrounding sites.

Remembering we have a schedule to keep we only stayed a few minutes and then off to Easton to pick up Sue from her fun Job (working in a quilt shop). We arrived early, so we took some time to walk around jumping in and out of all the little shops. I was hoping to find the perfect gift to give my friend Mary that we were meeting for dinner, but I never did.


This is Sue Locking the door of the Quilt Shop

So we left Gail's car at the shop and piled into Sue's SUV to travel across THE BRIDGE (Bay Bridge). First stop is a tour of Washington, DC. I again have never been there, Gail and Sue both have. My sister Sue has a great sense of direction and is a marvelous tour guide. She knows all the hot spots and hubs to drive by. We were pressed for time so only drove around as she pointed out all the key spots.

The White House seemed small in comparison to the rest of the buildings to me.

Sorry for the dark picture but it's evening by now

Secret Service on Motorcycle's

The Tour of Downtown DC took about 35 minutes to complete

We had dinner reservation at the Overwood in Old Town Alexandria at 7 O'clock so we need to hurry.

I can't tell you how much fun we all had that night, Well you can see by the smiles on our faces.

Well that about does it, we left the restaurant around 9:30, walked Mary to her car and then she drove us to ours, Hugs to everyone and away we all went. We arrived back at Sue's around Midnight and we were on the road the next day at 10 O'clock for the drive to New York State. It only took around 6 hrs to reach my vehicle and another hour for me to get home.I had a wonderful time as you can imagine but It was nice to see my Darling Husband, cats and dogs again.

Blessings
Judy

Early this morning I was Thinking........

2011-05-13T17:42:00.000-04:00

Spirituality can come at any moment in your life. Your not born knowing it, and you can't be taught it. Although I believe you can be gently guided to it. It's a feeling that overwhelms you and fills your soul with hope. At some point you'll realize your life has been orchestrated, all the choices you've made, good or bad have brought you to IT. So open my eyes so I can see the wonders that he's made for me.
Blessed Be

Day 2 of my road trip with my Sisters.

2011-05-11T14:10:00.000-04:00

So It's Saturday, the 2nd day of visiting my Sister (Sue) in Maryland. Woke up early around 7 a.m. Coming in last night I noticed a Yard Sale sign at the end of her road. The head lights light it up perfectly, it started at 8 a.m., Perfect I thought, what a great way to start the day.

Sue had to work until 5, so the plans were to be in Easton by then. We were leaving one vehicle there while Sue (I want to stress that Sue was driving) could drive us into DC on the way to Old Town Alexadria where we were meeting up with a friend of mine for dinner. So we figured we had until 3 p.m. before we had to start heading back towards the Chesapeake Bay.

So it was up to Gail and I to map out our day of adventure. With only 3 goals in mind, To find the Thrift Store, See the ponies and the Atlantic Ocean. We did have Tom Tom my GPS, which BTW doesn't help much if you don't have an address and not at all when the address is wrong.
Me having no directional instinct at all and Gail not much better off, we headed out. The first stop was easy, just a few houses down the road. I found this awesome Nautical Lamp and a couple other things I haven't listed yet. Finished up there and

Off to the Assateague Island. I heard of a Thrift Store in Salisbury and wanted to stop in on the way, I had their address and entered into the GPS, or at least I thought It was the address. We drove around down town Salisbury never finding the darn store, Stopped for gas and had to ask for directions out of the city toward Assateaque Island. Oh, I forgot Sue also said there was this cute town on the way that we should drive through, called Berlin. Sounded Great to us. We took the right turn to Berlin, MD off of Rt 50, found a place to park and started walking. We came around the parking lot corner and when I looked up I couldn't believe it, there was a Thrift Store right in front of us. I power of intention is very powerful.

The Church Mouse Thrift Shop

It was a delightful place, not very big, but full of wonderful treasure's

We found out that Berlin is famous for having 2 motion pictures filmed there. Tuck Everlasting and Runaway Bride. Who Knew!!! It is a great Small Town and I hope I can visit again.

The Atlantic Hotel

We asked about the Island and was given great Directions to it, It was only 7 miles away.

It was a calm day but chilly

Driving across to the Island

The Ponies

I wasn't really to impressed with the ponies accept the fact that I got to see them, They looked and acted like any other horse I'd seen. Nothing to spectacular. On the way out of the park we stopped at the visitors center and learned more about them. There are over 100 ponies on the island and are the property of Maryland. The ponies we saw are from the northern heard and are very domesticated or (tame). That explains it, If I wanted to see the "wild" ponies we would have to walk or take a sand vehicle 50 miles south. No thanks, not this time.

My feet were in the sand not the water. The water crashing into the beach was very loud, a lot louder than I thought it would be.

I wonder what Gail is thinking.

Well that was about it, we paid $15 (for a week pass) and spent 15 minutes total in the park. We saw the Atlantic Ocean and the Ponies 2 outta 3 aint bad. They really should have a hour pass. On the way back home we stopped for a bit to eat in Salisbury thinking maybe we could try to find the Thrift Store again but realized we didn't have enough time. We gave the pass to the cashier that said she would use it. I like to Pay it Forward whenever possible.

Reached my Sister house, changed cloths and off we went to Easton, MD.

To be Continued.....................

Blessings
Judy

Blog Giveaway for May

2011-05-10T15:04:00.000-04:00

If you like Vintage and you like keepsake boxes and you like Wood, then You'll love this giveaway.

All you really have to do is Follow my Blog and Leave a comment below how easy is that.

This is a $40.00 Value from my very own Treasure Box

Hand Made in India

No Cracks or Breaks

Winner will be drawn on Sunday May 15th before 9 p.m. and notified by email so make sure you leave that link.

Blessings Always

Judy

A Road Trip with my Sisters

2011-05-10T09:50:00.003-04:00

Well it feels like months have gone by since my long weekend away. It was an impromptu escape from the New York Dull drums. It started while on FaceBook, my Cousin (Linda) mentioned we should come down to visit her on Kent Island. I said I was ready anytime, My Sister Gail said she would drive and so it began. We would stay with my other sister (Sue) who lives in Maryland not to far from Kent Island.

I love to travel and see interesting sites, I'm one of those people that am amazed by the smaller things in life just as much as the huge things. So you can imagine the smile on my face when I started noticing the leaves on the trees were green the farther south we went. I could pick out the yellow Forsythias, Pink and purple Azaleas and the Wisteria hanging off the trees like someone intentionally placed them there years ago. (I didn't know they were considered a weed) There beauty is much like the Golden Rod or the Queen Ann's Lace in my neck of the woods.

We Left New York at 5 p.m on Thursday and arrived in Cambridge MD Cambridge, MD around 10:30 where we met up with my other sister (Sue) who was just coming back form a Dinner meeting. We stopped in at Dunkin Donuts for coffee and a bite to eat.

Sue, Woke me up bright and early at 6 a.m. to watch the Royal Wedding. Sue had to work in the morning and we were supposed to meet up around 1 pm. Gail and I were off to breakfast at 8 to go to Kay's Dinner at (the local Airport). There were 3 or 4 hummingbird feeders out and they put on quite a display for us. The food was wonderful and the cake's, although we didn't have a piece are all homemade and looked spectacular. I would recommend stopping if your ever passing by.

Sue and Gail


Kay's Dinner

Then we toured around Cambridge looking for the local Thrift Stores, which was one of the reasons I wanted to do this road trip in the first place. I needed new Inventory for my shops. Both of my sister's do not feel the same way I do about vintage and retro treasury's but by the end of my stay they had gotten very good at picking out the best vintage Cambridge and surrounding areas had to offer.

The Lutheran Mission Society Thrift Store

I found some really wonderful Items here, This is where the Blue Canister Set that's for sale in my shop came from

Then Right across the road we stopped into a wonderful Little Shop full of "A few of my favorite things"

A Few of my Favorite Things

Me and Gail

Then from there we hoped in the car to find another thrift store we were told about.......


Robin Hood Shop

This wasn't in the best part of town I was told. It was around 10 on a Friday morning and an undercover policeman had someone up against the car just a few doors up. Inside was lovely and the women running it were delightful. Notice the signs in the window, 1/2 price sale, OMG, I love a sale.....

The next shop is my Favorite Garden Shop in Cambridge. You see my sister Sue always sends me Flowers and plants on my Birthday, But this year seeing that I was coming down, she gave me a gift certificate at this Garden shop. What a perfect gift, she knows I love this place. I've been there before and love visiting and buying my water plants to take back to NY, the selection is so different then what I can find at home.

Simmons Center Market

We stopped at a few road side sales that were set up, Some were worth the stop some weren't, but it's all part of the adventure. Now this was Friday don't forget, we had plenty of time to stop and check things out. We only had 2 things planned for the day. One was to meet up with my Cousin at 3 p.m on Kent Island where she lives and owns Rita's. And the other was dinner reservations at the Middleton in Annapolis at 7 p.m.

So we wondered around a bit more heading towards Easton where Sue said were a couple Thrift Stores she heard about.

By now were getting hungry and think we should find a place to Eat, this is my Favorite thing to do when on a Road Trip. We decided on BBQ, Pulled Pork for me. Sue of course knows all the favorite local spots so we went to the ....BBQ Joint

BBQ

Yup, you can find Sawdust on the Floor in Easton Maryland. And Yes I highly recommend eating here. You can eat in, take out or enjoy your meal outside on the sidewalk cafe.

By now it's 2 p.m. and we have a 3 O'clock date. So off we go. At this point I'm excited about meeting up with Linda (our cousin) and seeing Kent Island. Sue and Gail have both been there before but It was new to me. We all had a great time catching up and reminiscing about day's gone by. We made some Promises for the future and their were smile's, yes lot's of smiles.

We left around 5:30 to head toward Annapolis to go to yet another Thrift store before dinner at Seven. Linda and the boys had a Baseball parade at 6 so Off we went......At this point it was all about the traffic, I had never been across the Bay Bridge but Sue has several time and knew when not to travel it. We ate down by the water behind the Naval Academy. We found a perfect parking spot and walked around a little before dinner. We ate at the "Middleton" (in honor of the Royal Wedding) not really but it sounds good. The Restaurant was packed and the food was delicious, a little over priced for my pocket book but what the heck, spend it like you got it, Right.

We drove across the (Bridge) at the perfect time, no problems or delays. Reached Home somewhere around 11 p.m. Wow, what a great day it was. Perfect weather, Perfect company and Perfect Places. Tomorrow Gail and I are planning to go to Assateague Island to see The Ponies

To be Continued...........................

Blessings
Judy

Handpainted Tray

2011-05-09T10:46:00.000-04:00

Beautiful Handpainted Tray

New Listing on Etsy

2011-05-09T10:18:00.000-04:00

Plastic Flower Plate's These would be great for your summer luncheon or Poolside. Great for Camping or for your next picnic adventure.

And the Winner IS: Liza Vladyka

2011-05-02T20:58:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Liza Vladyka for winning the White Oak Room's Giveaway.
I hope to have another Giveaway real soon.
Thanks everyone for entering
Blessings
Judy

The Sound of Music

2011-04-25T09:30:00.001-04:00

Get to know the Artist behind the fabric at the White Oak Room on Etsy And Enter to Win $20 off your next purchase from the White Oak Room

2011-04-22T19:38:00.010-04:00

I have been impressed with the Pillows from the White Oak Room for awhile now. I love the fabric and the detail of each one she creates. And I consider myself fortunate to have been given 4 of them as a gift from a friend who had no idea Jayne and I were friends. They are similar to this one, all having a different inspirational message for me to enjoy.

Jayne and I have been friends for 20 yrs, she was the first person I met when I moved to the area and I have treasured her friendship ever since. I asked her several questions I felt would let you get to know her a little better.

Meet Jayne, from the White Oak Room

Visit the White Oak Room

Here's a look at her office space where she spends countless hours creating Treasures for us on Etsy, Chatting with friends, Tweeting and using Facebook. Oh, not to mention Shopping on Etsy.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/52893906/12x12-handmade-designer-accent-pillow

http://www.etsy.com/listing/63753457/5x7-hand-stenciled-picture-with-the-word

http://www.etsy.com/listing/71809120/handmade-woven-textured-fabric-bible

1. Where do you find your inspiration for your beautiful creations?

1) My "Inspiration for my Creations" is very simple~ "SIMPLE LOVE OF FABRICS" ~ all the different textures, patterns, colors, etc. I would change all my rooms for every season if I could. In some ways "I DO~ PILLOWS!" Simply changing the Pillow Covers and you have a new look, new feel , new colors added to the room.

Fabric has the "Power" to make your "House A Home" So simple to change the Pillow Cover to a rustic feel, french country, shabby chic, traditional, whatever your heart desires

I also have another "Inspiration for my Creations" ~ I love wood! I have found a wonderful Etsy Shop called "A Remark You Made" http://www.etsy.com/shop/ARemarkYouMade and Brenda makes gorgeous Wood Buttons! So between the gorgeous patterns, textures, colors of the Fabrics, I get to feel and play with different "Grains and color tones of the Wood Buttons" Now who wouldn't love that?

My ""Inspiration for Creating" the Doll Sleeping Bags came from my Granddaughter. Her and I have a common love~ American Girl Dolls. So I decided to try making bedding for my dolls and hers! That is where I got the idea for the Sleeping Bags. She was one very "excited little girl" when she saw all the Sleeping Bags! Only to find out Grandma was selling them. Oh have no fear- each one of her dolls have a ( Special One!) Yes, I am Grandma and I can use Special ( it's part of the spoiling process we do~)

2. When did you begin sewing?

2) I started sewing about 10 years ago. I first bought Fabric that I loved and wanted to make into a Shower Curtain- who would not love a "Chenille Shower Curtain?" See with fabric, I have no rules! Yes-Chenille Shower Curtain! It's not just for Bedspreads, Bathrobes and Pillows! In my world it can be a Shower Curtain.

So 2 weeks later I bought the Sewing Machine ( yes- I bought the fabric before the machine~) I did learn to sew in High School and that was for about 2 months. The only thing I remembered was the machine had a bobbin! Thank-goodness the Machine came with instructions!

So I had the machine and the fabric World was mine to explore! And I did. Everyone room in the house got New Curtains, New Pillows...anything I thought I could make - I tried!

3. Are you a member of any Etsy Teams?

3) I am currently on 3 Etsy Teams. They are TAGT Team, Treasure Lover and On Fire for Homemade. My TAGT Team is very busy, but we have a lot of fun. Being on a Team is a wonderful way to meet people. Have others give you Honest Opinions on your shop and ways to improve the look of your shop. Everyone needs support and that's what is so wonderful about Teams!

I will admit, somedays we are more interested in "chatting" than working! But the good news is, NO BOSS OVER YOUR SHOULDER! But we do have Captains and they give "gentle" reminders to take it to the "chat room!" See even big girls get in trouble for talking to much! LOL

4. Have you made Friends on Etsy?

4) The "Friends" that I have meet on Etsy are wonderful. I love the fact that I can say Good Morning to one group- then say Good Afternoon to the next! They are all over the World. What a great History Lesson. I don't remember History being so much fun in School? But truthfully, Friends that you make on Etsy all have the same goal, TO HELP ONE ANOTHER GROW, LEARN, AND TO BE SUCCESSFUL on ETSY. Some I actually refer to them as my Sisters! Love my Etsy friends!!

5. What if anything would you like people to know about yourself?

5) My introduction to Etsy was my Dear Friend who has this Blog~ I worked in the Corporate world for over 26 years. I had to give up my job due to some health issues. My world was ripped apart at that moment. It's amazing how much one gives to their Employer and how little we get in return. All my friends were still there ( or so I thought?) , my income, benefits, etc. gone! So Judy kept telling me about Etsy, Etsy, Etsy. Honestly I listen with one ear ( Sorry Judy!) Finally one day I listened with both ears! Maybe I could sew my Pillows and Place Mats! Maybe people would like them? Then next came the "I don't think my bad neck, shoulder and arm will not let me sew?" After thinking about it, I decided lets try! So I ordered up fabric ( I mean ORDERED FABRIC.....) and started making Pillows, Place Mats and then the Sleeping Bags.

Nice thing about being your own boss, if my shoulder and neck are bad, I don't sew that day or two! There have been times I did put myself on "Mandatory Overtime" LOL~ But I'm doing what I love!

I no longer have a "Kitchen-it is officially my SEWING ROOM!" and it is a big Kitchen so I can move things and still have the bar area for eating! ( Also~ I can do that, there is a Family Owned Restaurant 2 doors up the road with fantastic food! ) I have one room downstairs that we call the "Playroom" ( from when I was a child growing up in this house) that has become half Office area and Granddaughters Playroom! Works out great when they are here, we are all PLAYING Together!!

The house that I live in was my Families home. After the lose of my Parents, my Husband and I moved in. We went from a Single Wide Trailer and a Big 2-story home. The Kitchen is almost as big as our trailer was! Amazing- I don't have enough room at times?
You will see in the photos, I have also taken over one of the upstairs bedrooms for all my storage of fabrics and finished items! Oh and the photo shots!

6. How would you describe your style?

6) I love to call my "style" Potterybarn Country! I want everything in Potterybarn, which is another reason for my sewing! I can make it, I can have a Potterybarn House!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/50373324/1-place-mat-done-in-waverly-home-decor

7. Do you buy on Etsy? If so, what do you like to buy?

7) Who does not love BUYING OFF ETSY? I have my favorite "Button Lady", my Favorite "Tag Lady" Through the Woods , my favorite "American Girl Doll Clothes Lady" and I have even found a favorite watercolor Artist who paints Young Red-Headed Ladies from Norway! I have 2 of her paintings in my Office/Play Room. I get my "Linen Fabrics, Leather Fabrics and some of the Cotton Fabrics" Unique Shiny from an Etsy Shop in Korea! She is a real sweetheart too!

Love shopping on Etsy! My Granddaughter's Easter gifts are from Etsy. There is amazing talent on Etsy. Oh and I can't forget my "Vintage Industrial Wood Stools" for all my trims came from Etsy. Love shopping!! Very hard NOT to click to "Add to Cart Button!"

8. What Message, if any would you like to give our readers?

8) As I mentioned above about the working in the Corporate World and all my Friends still being there. Amazingly and "Thank-You God" for this blessing in disguise with my Health Issue- Etsy has truly turned my World around for the BETTER! I'm not making millions on it, but, I have found so much happiness and fulfillment in my sewing and having my Shop, meeting new and wonderful, wonderful people. I truly do "Thank-God for this!" There is a purpose for all of this. I do not have it all figure out completely. But I do know I'm on the right track now.

I make a "difference in other people's lives now." They purchase my Covers, place mats and sleeping bags and I hear wonderful stories back from them. How it was a gift and how much the person loved it. Or some little girl was so excited with the sleeping bag for her doll. Or someone's House Warming gift was my Place Mats... Never would I have thought 10 years ago buying Chenille Fabric and a Sewing Machine would give ME such joy and purpose in life!

9. Do you have any tips for starting an Etsy Shop?

9) If you are someone just starting an Etsy Shop- I say "stay with it" ~ It takes time to get your name and product out there. But DON"T GIVE UP! ""Join a Team"", they help promote your Shop, they give great ideas for making your shop look better, tips on taking photos. Lets not forget Treasury making! Open a Facebook account for your Shop or promote your Shop on your current facebook site. Twitter (if you have time!). Get those Business Cards made and HAND THEM OUT! Donate to locate Organization that are looking for donations in raising money (MAKE SURE YOUR CARD IS ON IT~) Place your cards at the Post Office, Locate Stores, Diners!

You will have a fantastic month and so busy. THEN- nothing for a month. It's up and down. BUT don't give up. Stand tall and stay strong! You will make friends along the way. Talk it out with them, we all love to help one another as I said before. We "LOVE TO SHARE THE LOVE ON ETSY!

10. How did you start selling on Etsy?

10) So many, many THANKS TO MY DEAR FRIEND JUDY FOR GETTING ME INTO THE "ETSY WORLD" AND FOR"FEATURING ME ON HER BLOG!!"

Happy Spring to Everyone! Happy Shopping on Etsy to everyone!

Jayne Brown of ~ White Oak Room ~

To Enter to win $20.00 off your next purchase from the WHITE OAK ROOM,

You'll need to do 3 things, they are not difficult and won't take up to much time:

1. Comment on this post.

and 2 of the 3 options below.

2. Follow this Blog.

3. Follow Both our Facebook pages.

Judy's Facebook Page for This That Other Things

Jayne's Facebook Page for the White Oak Room

4. Tweet about this post and mention either - Judy (ttotshop) or Jayne (jebjer)

The Winner will be chosen by a random drawing on May 2nd and emailed a coupon code to use in the White Oak Room, so please make sure you leave your email, FB page or Twitter name in the comment so I can contact you.

Blessings
Judy

Spring Fling Sale On Etsy

2011-04-21T07:38:00.001-04:00

Two great Etsy Teams are teaming up to bring you a SPRING FLING SALE. The Vintage Market Team http://www.etsy.com/teams/6271/vintage-market or #vmteam on twitter and the Vintage Etsy Twitter Team http://www.etsy.com/teams/7228/vintage-etsy-twitter-team or #vett on twitter have teamed up. I am a proud member of both teams.
The Sale runs from today Thursday April 21 until Monday May 2nd. All Participating Shops are listed here http://www.etsy.com/search?q=vtgspring by searching tag "vtgspring" in the Etsy drop down menu you can find all the items on sale easily. See each participating Shop for details for their Sale. As of right now there is over 1780 items on Sale.

What better way to bring in the Spring then to have a Sale of Unique items from Days gone by. Now is the perfect time to buy those items you have had your eye on. There are lots of great Easter Gift Ideas, don't forget Mothers Day and Father Day is fast approaching.

This is also the perfect way to Reusing, Recycling and Re-purposing items from the past. Going Green with Vintage is a great way to save our Natural Resources and space in our Landfills.

Blessings
Judy

Listed today in my Etsy shop:

2011-04-20T09:38:00.004-04:00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/72540064/industrial-gray-wire-desk-organizer

http://www.etsy.com/listing/72542434/vintage-knitted-golf-club-covers

http://www.etsy.com/listing/72557106/vintage-cavas-bag-yellow

http://www.etsy.com/listing/72556190/vintage-canvas-bag?ref=v1_other_2

Watercolor's of the heart.

2011-03-29T17:58:00.001-04:00

Recently I started creating more Etsy Treasuries, time consuming yes but it's a perfect arena for the creative mind to play. You are given endless possibilities to design your masterpiece or just to have fun and pass the time away. This artists, use of Vintage Colors and Down home feel of the images speak to my heart and soul. Like the vintage pieces I sell, collect and live with, her pieces show character and feeling as well.

As I was carefully choosing just the right image for my Etsy Treasury I came across Rachelle's Shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/rachellelevingston?view_type=gallery&page=3

As I was proceeding through Etsy to pick out my 16 perfect images, I stopped and realized I have chosen several of Rachelle's pieces unknowingly. I was sad when I had to choose one, I thought to myself maybe I could use two, so I did. You can see my Treasury here, while your looking please show it some love by clicking and commenting.
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d8e2a70aeca6d9176c3bdd3/this-must-be-what-a-hug-looks-like?index=593

Dog with Boy Hug

Rachelle has the ability to pull me into each painting, I can feel the emotions and character from each subject she paints.

They take my imagination to a safe place, a quiet place where times are good and wonderful memories can be made.

Take this picture for instance, I can see myself in the kitchen reading the morning paper sipping on a cup of Hot Chocolate (my choice of Beverage). Or zipping up my young son's coat as I send him outside to play with his friends.

And in the picture above, I see myself alone in my retreat, a place where I can go to get away and relax. Burn a candle, drink some wine and meditate.

I found myself reading through her shop and found she is also a humanitarian, She recently offered 50% of her sales to go to the relief efforts to help the Japaneses people effected by the Earthquake and Tsunami. She shared with me that she needed to do something beside just feel awful for their loss, so she decided to have a fund raiser. Her efforts raised a couple Hundred Dollars in 4 days which she has donated to the humanitarian aid in Japan. She is very Thankful to the people that purchased her art work during the fundraiser and is happy to be given the opportunity to do something to help.

I sent Rachelle a Note letting her know how she had inspired me with her work and asking if it would be alright with her if I used her for my next Blog post. Sometimes I do ask first, (smiling with a wink). The following is in her own words:

Thank you so much... I was thinking the only thing inspiring about my work is that it keeps me sane. I'm so glad it's inspiring to you. My personality is one where I want to get something done. I want to be busy. I used to paint rooms and redecorate my house all the time. I'd refinish furniture. I'd start one project, finish it and then I'd want another one to do. Now I direct that energy to painting watercolors.
I've painted for almost 20 years but only in the last 6 years has it become this passion that I think about all the time. So now all my free time, energy and thoughts are for painting. I see something and think how could I use that? How could I paint that? How could I use those colors? For example, I just painted this mother and son in a portrait blowing on a dandelion and the dandelion was the part that I thought about for a long time. Watercolor is this huge joy to me and I don't have to run to home depot and buy as many gallons of wall paint. But don't get me wrong I still have days were the paper ends up ripped in little pieces because I mess up. But I want to paint the next morning.

"Watercolors are my escape from the world. They give me hope in all the good that exists." Rachelle Levingston

She has won several awards including Utah Watercolor Society Honorable Mention. She is also a two star member of the Utah Watercolor Society. And has art hanging at Barclay Butera in Park City, Utah and Repartee gallery in Provo, Utah as well.

Rachelle has been studying art since 1992. She attended college, graduating in Elementary Education with an art emphasis. Then she taught fifth and sixth grade for six years; now she pursues her art full time.

One of her greatest accomplishments is the private show she did with her father, Richard Beck, who also paints watercolors and has a shop on Etsy. http://www.etsy.com/shop/rbwatercolors
they paint together weekly and take trips to find subject matter and no doubt inspiration along the way.

Little Cottonwood Canyon in Utah, by Richard Beck

Rachelle notes that she wouldn't be able to do any art without the support of her Father, Mother and Husband.

For myself I love water colors because they are so unpredictable and have movement and flow. I'm wishing that I lived closer so I could take some classes and maybe just maybe be able to paint with as much authenticity and love as Rachelle.

Thank You Rachelle for your work and for letting me write about it.

Blessings to you all
Judy

Serious Chocolate Swap by Etsy Cottage Style

2011-02-12T19:51:00.000-05:00

I am a member of the Etsy Cottage Style Team http://etsycottagestyle.ning.com/ and this month we had a Chocolate Swap.

Well; it didn't take me long to agree to participate, I mean we're taking Chocolate after all. We were paired up and my partner in this swap was Jacalyn from RME Boutique http://www.rmebathproducts.com/category_44/Romantic-Home-Boutique.htm I received my chocolates in record time, carefully package and with many surprises. I told her I loved white chocolate and raspberry creams and she sure did deliver.

Jacalyn sent me a wonderful smelling rose scented envelope and even a hand written note for me. Those are the special touches that mean so much. Check out her blog and read about the swap and take a look at more pictures of Chocolate. http://rmebathproducts.blogspot.com/

The pictures below are of the Parson's Daughter in Norwich, NY - This is where I bought the chocolate's I sent to Jacalyn.

The Parson's Daughter is a store of "confections and particular oddities". The outside of the building is beautiful, with huge doors that are like entering an old Victorian home.

The outside of the shop is so welcoming and say's come on in.

The Parson's Daughter found its place in the oldest commercial building in town.

This is the case I picked out the chocolates for the swap. I wanted to send Jacalyn one of each but, we did have a $ amount set.

Meet the owner of this wonderful shop her name is Sharon Jeffer, I took her by surprise when I walked in with my camera but she was willing to let me take the picture's I needed. She's wonderful like that.

When you walk in the door you immediately smell the sweets and are welcomed in by the owner herself. While I was there a few other customers came in to shop. Notice the two doors in the back, they both lead you to rooms full of vintage items, oddities and handmade pieces.

This is what I sent Jacalyn for the swap. I couldn't open it because it was sealed shut.

I couldn't wait to open the box she sent me and almost forgot to take some pictures. Look at everything she sent me, I couldn't believe the time and care she put into it. She is a true professional.

I think she went over the budget, don't you.

It took me about 2 minutes to taste my first piece of white chocolate.

YUMMY!!!!!!!!

She even sent me some sponge candy special to her area, they were delicious.

I want to Thank the Etsy Cottage Style team and Jacalyn for this opportunity. I have enjoyed it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blessings
Judy

The Vintage Market Team on ETSY Is having an End of Season Sale (Soldes)

2011-01-24T10:45:00.000-05:00

Sale ends Januaray 31th, So Hurry, You have alot to see.

The promo tag used in this sale on Etsy is vmteamsoldes http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_query=vmteamsoldes&search_type=all Items being added daily throughout the group. You must see each participating shop for details on this sales event because each shop is different.

I can only speak for myself when I say that I am a little slow on the get go this time, not all my items have been tagged BUT they are all on sale. I'm not using Etsy on Sale this time either because I am just a little upset with the new fees they are charging. I'm sure I'll get over it but for now I'm tagging them myself, hence not getting it done on time. And Hence the use of the COUPON CODE (SOLDES11) for 20% off. Please see both my shops for details, http://www.etsy.com/shop/thisthatotherthings and for vintage fashion stop by my sister shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/backintimeboutique really it's simply at check out just use the coupon code and the 20% is deducted for you.

Soldes is a French word meaning SALE or SALES -

Definition: (masculine plural noun) sales

En France, les soldes ont lieu deux fois par an - In France, sales take place twice a year

Many Thanks to the Vintage Market Team for there continued support and a special Thank You to Retrotrend for all the time and effort that she puts into this team. http://www.etsy.com/shop/retrotrend

I'm really excited to also mention that My shop was featured last week in the Etsy Newsletter, http://app.bronto.com/public/?q=preview_message&fn=Link&t=1&ssid=12675&id=anf77njy7h47zn55nq0579p7w84w5&messageversion_id=aqxmcqinhmiqrmowjvhifrpzwqspbca

It made my month. Thanks Etsy!!! You ROCK!!!

Happy Shopping
Blessings
Judy

Christmas Eve at our Little Country Church 12-24-2010

2010-12-26T20:15:00.003-05:00

Welcome to our Little Country Church in Upstate New York.

This is a Community Church and it is on the Historical Registry.

Come on in........... My husband is just inside the doors ready to greet you. The music is playing, people are gathering..... Oh Come all Ye Faithful .....Peace on Earth Good will to men.

There he is, I wonder what he thinking?

The tree ahead is adorned with over 100 Red bows hand tied by our Pastor when he was ill a few years back and over 100 Pewter Ornaments with names of Loved ones whom has passed.

This is my husband's and my 5th Christmas Eve in this lovely Church. 5 years ago Christmas Eve we were going home from a friends house for dinner and as we passed by this Church on our way home I noticed the doors were open and I thought how nice it would be to go inside.

Me being the adventurous type would have stopped the car right then, but my husband was driving and needed some convincing. It only took me a few minutes to do that convincing and few miles down the road he turned the car around. Perfect timing, because

the service hadn't started yet so we found a few empty seats in the balcony (that's the view in the picture above). Every year we go to the balcony and sit in those same seats and remember the years past, all our loved ones that aren't with us anymore, the Happy times we've shared, all the memories we've made and shared with friends and family. And the hope we'll share more.

Merry Christmas Everyone

Would you like to take a walk with me?

2010-10-11T14:44:00.000-04:00

Path along the backside of the property

Just an old machinery shed, I place some old license plate's between the steps of an old wooden apple ladder.

It's a little cool to be laying in the hammock but I can still catch some ray's.

This is a White Birch Tree I found on the property a few years back, it's doing great.

The old stone fence marks the property line

headed home

headed down off the hill towards home.

Home

My garden in the fall, not much left to see. But new surprise will await me in the spring. I'm already pondering the possibilities.

My interview for the Vintage Market Team

2010-09-29T14:49:00.000-04:00

Just out of a chance you don't know everything about me, come take a look at this interview I did for the vintage market team of which I am a proud member. http://www.etsyvintagemarketteam.blogspot.com/

Fall is approaching Fast

2010-09-20T11:07:00.000-04:00

Here in Central New York in the foot hills of the Adirondack Mountains I have noticed that Fall is approaching fast. I can feel it in the air and spell it in the wind. And yes of course the obvious one, see it with the changing colors of the leafs on the trees. The reds, oranges and yellows brighten up the hillsides soon to leave us speechless in there beauty. One might think that growing up in these parts you would get used to all these changes and somehow let them pass you right on by. But I think for the most part those of us that live around here live here because we love the changes in the seasons and enjoy special parts of each one of them.

This time of year, my husband is in survivor mode like a squirrel busy preparing for the fast approaching Winter. The wood needs to be cut, split and staked in the shed to dry. The garden has to be harvested and tilled under, patio furniture put away, hoses rolled up, gutters taken down so the ice doesn't rip them down. Window seals caulked, the chimney cleaned, wood stove polished and the fire brick replaced. The mower deck cleaned and painted to preserve it for next spring. Putting away the brush hog and mower deck and replacing them with the snow blower and plow. I was able to stop him from putting away the furniture around the bon-fire for another month so we can enjoy a couple more gatherings with friends and family.

The dogs seem happy and content with the cooler temperatures.

Me, well I start burning candles, putting up the heavier drapes, putting the throw rugs down, getting out the thicker comforters and checking the freezer and pantry to see what needs restocking. I have even consider roasting a turkey and baking an apple pie made from the apples from the only apple tree on our property that bears eatable apples. I rotate my summer cloths and bring out the warmer sweaters, sweatshirts and jackets.

This year In stead of letting my delicate herbs parish in the cold temps I dug them out of their pots, bagged them up and shipped them to a friend in North Caroline. They survived the trip and we are both hoping they will live out the rest of there lives in the warm southern air. But the shock may be too much for them.

So once the preparation for this years cold temperatures and abundant snowfall is done, My husband and I will find a couple days to take a drive through the Catskill and Adirondack mountains to enjoy the beauty of New York State. And when we get back home we will undoubtedly realize it's just as beautiful in our own back yard. So we'll invite family and friends over for a final farewell ceremonially Bon-fire and share some memories, stories and merriment.

Blessings
Judy

The September give away is:.......A free 1/2 hour Intuitive Counseling Session with International Intuitive Jamie Roth

2010-09-08T18:59:00.013-04:00

I am so happy to be teaming up with Jamie Roth for my September Blog Giveaway which will run from September 9th - 16th. I have been listening and enjoying Jamie's broadcast on Contact Talk Radio (CTR) for a year now. http://www.contacttalkradio.com/hosts/jamieroth.html I recently had a intuitive reading done by Jamie that left me overwhelmed with the possibilities and direction my life could or should be heading in. I have learned that I don't just have Angels and Spirit guides around me but I also have Fairy's to call upon to ask for clarity and guidance in my life. Which, let me tell you I have been enjoying talking to. You can almost see them fluttering about below in my garden.

If you have been wondering if your on the right track or what lies ahead for you, needing some clarity in your life's walk or want to know what if any spirits are around you then this give away is for you.

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•٠·˙

Now here's a little bit about Jamie:

She is a skilled Intuitive Counselor, Medium and Energy worker. She has been doing her work for over a decade while fine tuning her gifts along the way.
An Intuitive Counseling session with her goes much deeper then just the average, when/where/how type of reading. She is able to access your soul's purpose as well as help you to move into alignment with your purpose. She can help you gain insight into your current situations as well as remove any blocks in your way. It can lift your spirit to find the joy that is always accessible to you..to everyone. An Intuitive Counseling reading will answer any questions you may have about your life, as well as inspire you to grow and move towards all the abundance you have coming your way.

The reason she does this work is because she feels that Spirit has given her this gift and she has worked hard to fine tune it with the intention to help others. Everyone can use a little guidance now and then. Sometimes insight is all you need to push you forward; to help you be the best that you can be. She believes in mankind and she believes that humans can always be and do better. So She is here to help that process. God wants her to be able to give people a leg up when they need it. A boost to set you in the right direction. Your reading will hopefully be inspiring and exciting. It gives her great joy to inspire people! She absolutely loves what she does.

http://www.intuitiveencounters.com/

The give away will run from Sept 9th thru Sept 16th. They winner will be contacted by either Jamie or myself via email and will be announced here on this blog.
You will need to claim your gift by Oct 9th 2010.

So go ahead, take the step. Enter to win this fantastic offer from Jamie Roth.

Here are the 5 easy steps to enter:

Follow intuitive Jamie on Twitter http://twitter.com/IntuitiveJamie
Tweet about the giveaway
Friend Intuitive Jamie on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/IntuitiveEncounters
Share this Giveaway on Facebook
Leave a comment here about why you want this session with Jamie

It's OK if you don't have a twitter account you can still enter. We realize not everyone has a twitter account.

1 (one) winner will be chosen by a random number call out on twitter.

♥ㄥi v モ ♥ㄥa u g h ♥ㄥo v モ

It's not required to enter this give away but I would love it if you would follow my blog & follow me on twitter as well.
And stop by both of my Etsy shops where you never know what might be there waiting for you.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/thisthatotherthings

http://www.etsy.com/shop/backintimeboutique

(¯`'•.¸ //(*_*)\\ ¸.•'´¯)
*`• .…* ♥ * ♥ *….• ´*
♥~♥ Blessings ♥~♥
Judy

The winner of the August Give Away is......... SarahAnntiques

2010-08-30T19:07:00.000-04:00

My husband said they were all good stories but he can relate to the farmer one. He used to be a farmer and knows the importance of getting the crops in.

Congratulations -SarahAnntiques

I'll be contacting you for your mailing address.

The Vintage Market Team is having a FLEA MARKET on ETSY 8/28 until 9/5

2010-08-27T17:01:00.008-04:00

Yup, that's right.

A Flea Market just like the real ones, the Gates or Doors open at midnight tonight 8-28-10 for you early birds like me and close midnight 9-5-10. Please see each Vintage Market Teammates shop for details on the sale. Each shop could have different sale terms & conditions.
All Items in the shops are taged with vmteamflea tag so it's easy for you to search it out on Etsy. If you need any help finding an item I am always happy to lend a hand.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

http://vintagemarket.ning.com/video/vintage-market-team-flea

http://www.etsy.com/listing/51858993/sale-vintage-john-fluevog-two-tone?ga_search_query=vmteamflea&ga_search_type=user_shop_ttt_id_7454233

http://www.etsy.com/listing/39624266/sunny-yellow-vintage-hat?ref=sr_list_26&ga_search_query=vmteamflea&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_page=&order=&includes[0]=tags&includes[1]=title

Random Act of Kindness Give Away for August

2010-08-14T17:55:00.003-04:00

To Enter my Blog this month all you have to share with us is a Random Act of Kindness you have done or that you have witness being done. You know like a Hallmark Moment that makes you smile or brings tears to your eyes. Moments that ordinary people have reached out their hands to shown some compassion and kindness to complete strangers, friends, neighbors or loved ones that need a helping hand. Moments that have changed the course of time and enriched everyone's life's who have witnessed them.

Let me share with you a Random Act of Kindness my husband and I saw this morning:

Early this morning as my husband and I were leaving Walmart we witnessed such a moment. We were approaching the red light leaving Walmart and this elderly man that looked to be in his 80's must have been stopped at the light to make a left into the parking lot and his vintage car from the 1940's must have stalled at the light. Now this wasn't one of those refurbished classic cars you see at Cruise Inn's or Antique car shows. This looked like the original car this man bought when he was in his 20's. It was showing signs of age with some rust and it looked to be the original paint job.

The gentleman that was behind him was already out of his car helping this stranger push his vehicle out of the middle of the road towards the parking lot. As we were leaving the parking lot and came to a stop at the light to make a right, a man that was making a right into the Walmart parking lot pulled off the road and ran over to help the 2 men push. Out of the corner of my eye I saw my husbands hand reach for the seat belt release and the other hand reach for the car door. (I was driving) Just then the old man jumped into the drivers seat as it started to roll down the hill into the parking lot. My husband smiled and said "sometimes all those old cars need is a hill to get um to start". The kind men helping let go with big smiles on there faces and proceeded to walk back to there cars. It was early Saturday morning around 8:a.m. so there wasn't a lot of traffic but traffic was held up nonetheless. I noticed there were no horns blowing, no people shaking their fists, no one was shouting obscenities, everyone I looked at was just smiling. Our light turned green and we drove away. This random act of kindness didn't take long to complete but I'm sure the dozen or so people that witnessed it spent the better part of the day remembering it just like I have.

My husband enjoyed reading all the entries last month so much he has agreed to do it again this month. So the winner will be chosen again by my husband of 20 yrs, who is always willing to help out where and when ever he can.

He will read all entries and choose the winner on our Anniversary - August 30th.

The prize is this set of 6 Vintage Dinner Napkins by Stone Cottage Ltd.

They have never been used and still have the tags on each one.

Stone Cottage Ltd

Dinner Napkins

Set of 6 Napkins

Thank You all for taking the time to read my blog posts and I hope each and every day brings some form of Happiness and Purpose to your lives.

Blessings

Judy

AND THE WINNER IS...........

2010-08-02T08:34:00.000-04:00

Totally Unique Treasures.........

I want to Thank everyone for entering my first ever blog giveaway. Just so you know my husband had a difficult time picking the winner. He teared up several times when reading the entries as I knew he would. Reading Totally Unique Treasures post reminded us that God has a plan you might not be able to see it or understand it now, but a plan does exist. We all have to believe that Good things can come from devastation and sadness. That is something worth believing in.
Blessings
Judy

If Christmas is in July Then New Years Day must be in August.

2010-07-28T09:20:00.002-04:00

To celebrate New Years Eve (NYE) I wanted to have my 1st give away.

So I've been thinking, I don't want to make it difficult for anyone to enter but it must be somewhat of a challenge and fun too of course. So keeping with a New Years theme and reminiscing back through this past year, tell us all what you are most grateful for. You might know right away or you might need to give it some thought but everyone is grateful for something and should be able to enter my give away.

I have so many things to be grateful for each day that I have a hard time choosing. Some are huge events in my life & some not so huge. Some were near misses and some hit head on but good has come from the experience and sadness. Heck I'm grateful waking up and putting both feet on the floor each day but that won't win no stinkin contest.

The winner will be chosen by my husband on August 2nd and will be announced on twitter and here on my blog. I will contact the winner either via email, Twitter DM or Etsy convo.

So keeping with my indecisiveness I'm offering 5 items for you to choose from if you are the winner. Please keep in mind the items are all previously owned. Some are vintage and some aren't so old.

The blue retro flower lite works fine, the Lassie Comic book is Dell Dated July - Sept 1959, The embroidered /cross stitched bag has a snap closure and is lined (does have a couple small stains on the back and 1 in the lower left front corner, The handkerchief is in great condition in the original box and the child's birthstone February/ Amethyst bracelet is Avon 1992.
Please feel free to ask any questions you may have.

1. Tell us what you are most grateful for this past year. Remember my husband is very sensitive and in touch with his famine side (kinda) meaning if he cries or gets teary eyed you will probably win.

2. Don't forget your email address, your Etsy shop name or your twitter name so I can contact you if you are chosen by my loving and very sensitive husband as the winner.You can use all three and of course put your shop link down to get some exposure.

If I have forgotten something I should have remembered to put down, I guess it wouldn't hurt to let me know what it is so i can change it.

Blessings to you always
Judy

Bee Balm in Bloom

2010-07-20T13:39:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know most peoples Bee Balm in Central NY has come and gone by now but my growing season is about 2 weeks behind most peoples. Take a peek!!!!

It is the focal point of my Garden right now

Notice the chair on the deck, the wild Morning Glory is taking over

The Day Lillies are equally spectacular

That black spot you see is my Dog Max taking a stroll through the garden

The photo above is the only Pink Bee Balm flower I found, it was kinda drowned out by the large red flowers but I'm hoping it will come back stronger next year.

Corn Flower

Tiger Lilly

Blueberries

Thanks for taking a stroll through my Garden.

Please take a stroll in my Garden full of magic & merriment where the Fairy's & Sprits dance & sing.

2010-06-28T16:02:00.003-04:00

Take a seat if you wish or just meander around. It's now July 28th in Central New York State. The Tiger Lillie's are in bloom as are the Clementis. The Bee Balm will be shortly along with the Day Lillie's.

The Garden Chair

Tiger Lillie's

A sad sad thing happened last week, My Husband being ever so kind mowed my Garden for me. And there used to be a double Clementis growing up my Blue Bottle Bush. I didn't make a big deal out of it, I was Thankful. I see some growth so there is hope for next year.

The Chairs could use some company.

This is my Hops, and no I haven't made any Beer yet.

Thank You!!

Meet my Twitter Pal and Etsy Vintage shop Owner with an Eye for Fabulous Funky Finds & Midcentury Masterpieces

2010-06-06T18:05:00.004-04:00

/1ubish" title="Share photos on twitter with Twitpic">

Meet Maya as she ponders the Universe

She's got it all, the body, mind and personality. She has a keen and sharp mind for business and a wonderful knack for finding just the right fabulous vintage piece's to sell in her shop. I need to learn a thing or two from this lady, from her clear photo taking to the colorful descriptions she uses in her listing. I'm talking about Kathleen the owner and operator of 2 shops on Etsy not her cute adorable little puppy Maya above.

Kathleen is witty and Oh so very wise. I have dubbed her the Wise One. Not just her children seek out her opinion and advice, but also other family members, friends and total strangers look her up to get the answers that they seek, I'm sure. She has helped me out on several occasions with the knowledge and expertise she has not only with my Etsy shop, but also on man and dog issues, please don't confuse one with the other, they both need a different kind of care. I also know she holds the key to THE Secret and my favorite World Domination, which she is continually working on perfecting.

It's not all business however, Vintageeye likes to have a good time just like the rest of us. I have the best time tweeting with my dear friend and tweeter buddy. We set a play date recently and I had such a great time tweeting back and forth. I lost track of time and laughed through the whole tweeting visit. We love it when other twittermates come out to play like, http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThisDecoratedLife , http://www.etsy.com/shop/jenscloset , http://www.etsy.com/shop/crabapplevintage, http://www.etsy.com/shop/sarahanntiques
http://www.etsy.com/shop/thevintagegreen just to name a few. Ask anyone of them and I'm sure they will say they have enjoyed our twitter time together as much as I have.

YOU didn't know that Kathleen has 2 Etsy shops her first shop has over 370 fabulouslicious items for your enjoyment from mustard and ketchup dispensers to a picnic basket to put them in.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/VintageEye
Her other shop is full of OOAK art work to Ephemera supplies, 100 items in all http://www.etsy.com/shop/satellitedaisy

I remember having these camping when I was a child and still use them for picnics or BBQ's

Did someone say Picnic

Times up!!

For those of you that are on twitter and have noticed the chatter or tweets between vintageeye and myself on occasions also have had a few laughs as well. She is sharp and quick witted, she can explain her feelings in the most colorful & funniest of ways. If you have been lucky enough to have her mention your shop or blog I can bet it has got a lot of attention. Her vocabulary is her very own unique style and leaves me shaking my head in wonderment when I read words like, Hippiedippieshamilicious, Retrolicious and Technophobic.

She can banter back and forth with ease and I completely loose track of time. It's 4:00 before I know it and I haven't even started dinner yet and Hubby is due to walk in the door at 4:30. I haven't even done half the things I'd planned on accomplishing in my Etsy shop and on my blog but Kathleen has been hard at work in her shops and tweeting and re-tweet the hole time. I have come to learn she is also the master of multitasking.

Well enough about how much fun I've had getting to know this marvelous, wonderfully spectacular lady with a heart of gold and a sense of humor we all wish we had.

Lollipop lollipop Original painting

Cutest Daisy Applique's

Cha Cha Cha

Although I have never met Kathleen I hope too one day. I'm also hoping now that you take the time to browse her shops for that special item you have been searching for and follow her on twitter. There is no doubt that you will have the most joyous and fun time as do I each time I log on.

This is where I've been spending most of my time lately I love my Gardens in the Country

2010-05-22T08:23:00.005-04:00

With the break of pleasant and warm temperatures in Upstate New York I find myself out of the house and away from the dish pan, vacuum, broom and mop. Not that my hands found them all that often anyway, they would much rather grab a rack, shovel, rototiller and all the weeds that pop up and compete with the beautiful perennials that I've planted.

Also sadly I haven't had as much time to work in my Etsy shop or tweet with my twitter friends, but I will get better at multitasking and finding enough time to do at least those two things that I enjoy.

Speaking of weeding, It's not that I enjoy the task but I'm a very competitive person and once I get started it's hard to stop. Yes, I compete with the weeds, sometimes I win and sometimes not so much.

Someone once told me after I was complaining about what I had to do and what I wanted to do that "sometimes life just gets in the way" you know there is a lot of truth in that statement, Life really does get in the way. Unless I make a conscious decision to do what I want to do, what I have to do always wins. It's a constant tug-of-war between the 2 for me.

So lately I'd say within the past 10 months I've been trying to make what had to be done also what I wanted to do. I get along with myself much better now. I can't say it always works out for me in a positive way every time but, when I'm enjoying what I'm doing it's a win - win for everyone involved.

I've Shown You this BBB (blue bottle bush) before but if you notice the Clematis is starting to grow and soon will overtake the stump and show off the beautiful double blossoms in a wonderful lavender color.

This old harvest table someone had put along side the road with a free sign on it, so of course I stopped and loaded it up and gave it new place to spend the rest of it life. It's the star of the show during the bonfire gathering.

Awe, if you could only see the little gold fish that are now living in this pond, the Fish Fairy visited one day and dropped some off for me. Thank You, Jeanne.

And these are the twin Red Maple's we planted about 6 years ago now, they are loving the view.

And when the work is done or I'm just to exhausted to do anymore I will either sit or lay down in one of these 2 hammocks and be Oh, so grateful of the time I have and Thank God for the all his Glory.

Purple Martin House

Outside shower where I only get cooled off and wash the mud off my hands and feet during and after working in the garden. Oh yes and the compost bin, which I should have put more thought in the placement of both, if you know what I mean.

Well there it is, now you know where I am when you can't find me.

I hope you've enjoyed your visit.

Dutch Felt Art, Artisan and WWES curator

2010-05-13T15:53:00.000-04:00

I've gotta tell ya, that I have never been a member of a team or group willingly before. I Kinda felt more secure just watching and only being responsible for me, myself and I. Not that I am selfish in anyway but don't like to get my expectations high just to have someone other than myself burst my bubble, if you know what I mean. I guess I've always felt like I would be disappointed or let down with the whole team process in some way. So when I joined this networking team I questioned if the members would all be team players.
By now your probably wonder where I 'm going with this and where does Dutch Felt Art come in. Well, patience my dear I'm getting to it. This is where I met the Curator to WWES World Wide Etsy Seller, Monique Smelik.
Now I find myself a part of not 1 but 2 teams. But, for now I'm speaking of the 1st team I joined and that would be WWES (World Wide Etsy Sellers) http://worldwideetsysellers.blogspot.com/

This team has turned out for me to be the best decision I could have made not just for the networking and promoting of my little Vintage Etsy shop but for learning that kind and generous strangers do exist. I don't know any one personally on this team but I know they have my back. They have become my friends and I enjoy communicating with them on twitter and supporting them as they have me.

I give Monica the credit for showing her support to everyone and her ability to be a team leader. She had a vision and she is making it come to light, I'm sure she'll be the 1st one to say it ain't easy being the top dog, the boss or team leader. But; she stays tough and doesn't waver from the path that she knows will benefit every wwes member.

Enough said; now I really want to show you her creativity at work
http://www.etsy.com/shop/dutchfeltart?ga_search_query=dutchfelt&ga_search_type=seller_usernames&view_type=gallery

Nuno Felt Scarf Merino Silk Orange and Brown

Nuno Felt Scarf Lavender, Pink & Lace

In her own words, She believes that beautiful things can be made with materials straight out from mother nature.
And she makes all her items with love and great pleasure, and her daughter is her greatest inspiration.
The process of wet felting is although very intensive Monique also finds very relaxing.
Working with fibers is like painting and makes life natural and beautiful.
When she is creating a certain item she is always inspired to create another.

Monique lives in the Netherlands which is a long way from me in New York. I took a trip to Europe a few years back but never made it to the Netherlands. Next time I go to visit my daughter in Belgium you can bet I will be looking Monique up for a visit.

You can also check out more of her designs at her Dutch Felt Art Website http://www.dutchfeltart.com/index.htm

Felt Silk & Glass Peacock Necklace

Newborn Felted Baby Booties

Alpaca Handknitted Poncho

This is so gorgeous. A poncho from 100% handspun, undyed Alpaca Roving.
It closes with felted balls.
Fringes are from Wensleydale locks

Hearted Felt Purse

his is a 100% wool felt purse with wet-felted hearts on it. It is cotton lined and closes with a zipper. Lovely children's bag or purse around your neck.

Felt Brooch Flower

Double felted brooch in yellow, rust and orange colors. Makes your simple outfit extravagant!

Etsy Featured Shop - Bungelowjame Jewelrey designer and inventive creator

2010-05-04T10:38:00.002-04:00

It was very difficult for me to pick who I was going to feature as my 1st Etsy shop blog post. There are so many wonder and creative people and artisans on Etsy that I have come to know and love. But my intentions are to have each and everyone featured.

But, I must start with the one who's shop I have spent most of my time and money in. That shop is
http://www.etsy.com/shop/bungelowjame?ga_search_query=bungelowjame& ga_search_type=seller_usernames .
Jamie Creason resides in California and is also conscious of the mark she will make on the plant as am I. She recycle's and reuses everything she can, which is good for us all. Jamie has been selling on Etsy since November of 2009 where she is making a name for herself one piece at a time. Like myself she loves to garden as well and judging by her garden pictures she gardens as creatively as she designs her jewelry pieces.

In Jamie's words she has always been creative, and has love to paint and take photos. She is inspired by everything "vintage." Here Granmama loved her "costume" jewelry and those pieces are what she is using as inspiration for her designs (along with some funky stuff just for fun). She loves to garden, cook and bake, and also loves the beach, boogie boarding and snow. She lives in Northern CA...so you can do that all in one day if you so wish.

I want to start off showing you some custom designs she has created for me. This is the most recent piece I purchased. Jamie had the turquoise brooch listed in her shop as a necklace. I asked her if she could design a piece for me using a brooch like it and so she did just that. She removed it from her shop and with some of the things I told her I liked and that inspired me she created this lovely and eye catching brooch. As you can see it is a delight to wear.

Custom Brooch for Judy

Custom Butterfly Brooch for Judy

Custom Brooch for Judy

This is the first piece I bought and it is so romantic and elegant.

Victorian Cameo vintage inspired collage brooch mixed media upcycled romantic feminine

So there they are, the brooches that make people stop and ask where did you get that beautiful pin.
And of course I answer back from a designer on Etsy you can find her shop by typing in bungelowjame no I.

Why do I only buy brooches you ask, Well, because I am allergic to the metal's that is used in jewelry so i have to keep to pin's so the metal doesn't touch my skin.

Jamie also designs necklaces, earrings, rings and bracelets.

1930's Art Deco black white silver dangle earrings upcycled beads modern sleek Mothers Day

Sparrow seamstress scissor pendant vintage inspired silver pink sage green rose hearts necklace romantic feminine

Handmade bracelet Victorian Gothic repurposed vintage red lucite bead red crystals vintage Victorian style romantic

Her jewelry is lovingly created with an eye for vintage flair, and the occasional whimsical feel. She loves to recycle old pieces of jewelry and recreate lovely vintage style items. Each piece she creates is one of a kind, she never duplicates a design, so when you purchase a piece, you will know that you have the only one.

Ring adjustable handmade blue tulips and sparrow mixed media assemblage Mothers Day romantic nature

She is an avid organic gardener and I really tries to salvage and recycle everything she can.
Jame is contently creating new pieces and adding them daily so you should favorite her shop and stop by often to see whats new. If you see something that inspires you like i did, I'm sure she would be more than happy to custom design a piece for you.

Jamie is a proud member of the SF Etsy Team which is a local team for Etsy sellers in the San Francisco Bay Area.

And also proud to be a member of the World Wide Esty Sellers on Twitter: check us out at #WWES some awesome talented folks!

Jamie also has a beautiful blog http://wwwbungelowjame.blogspot.com/

Life at the Bungelow musings about life, art and the garden

So there it is my very 1st Etsy shop Feature on my kinda new Blog. It's all a learning experience as is life itself.

Don't forget to ♥ㄥi v モ ♥ㄥa u g h ♥ㄥo v モ

Living Life with Purpose and Authenticity

2010-04-28T14:54:00.007-04:00

For the past year I've been reading, listening, studding, gaining knowledge and doing my best to live my life with more purpose and Authenticity. I have learned tolerance, patience and to Let Go and Let God more than ever before. As I rapidly approach the big 5 0, I find myself reminiscing and pondering the life I have lived so far. And the mark I will leave upon this earth when I'm gone. And I have learned I am not alone in this quest for the answers to a meaningful life. How could I be, There is so much information out there, I couldn't be the first person to wonder WHY.

I have come to realize my life has been like this path that you see above, I have walked along it not knowing where it will take me, but, knowing for sure that I had to keep walking on. Hoping that if I make the right choices and follow my heart It will undoubtedly lead me to where I need to be and at the right moment.
I do believe in the sacred contracts that we make before incarnating. You know it, the one where we choose this life we live. I know why would we choose such things for ourselves, the pain, gilt, despair the list goes on. But I also believe you are given 2 choices in every situation and everyone has free will and that can change the outcome of the situation. I have come to also realize that never once was I left alone to find my way, but I was gently guided down the path, and when I fought with resistance and went my own way I was followed and never left alone. And those wrong choices were made right somehow someway. I had no knowledge of this guidance however, and it would have been very helpful if the voices were louder so I could hear them loud and clear and save myself the pain of finding out the hard way.

I started this quest within the walls of my small community Church where my husband and I go to worship. It's a beautiful Historical country Church, White with the Red doors, the bell in the steeple and the Balcony over looking the sanctuary that could hold 200 but on most Sundays only holds to 90 to 120. Each person with a different story to tell and all their for different reasons, I'm sure.

I found myself still asking the question what is my purpose in this life and how can I live with Authenticity. What am I supposed to learn while I'm here and what would make me happy, I mean truly happy and satisfied. With that I found myself searching the internet, (like the answer would be there waiting for me to find it) I found Hay House http://www.hayhouseradio.com which is full of inspirational speakers and all the self help information one could want. I would tune in every week to catch Dr. Wayne Dyer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijYWNKP2NEI&feature=related , Louse Hay, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYCamVx4fSQ.

Along with these others Colette Baron-Reid, Denise Linn, Caroline Myss, John Holland, Debbie Ford, Lisa Williams, Sylvia Browne and Cheryl Richardson. I downloaded Marianne Williamson's, Dr. Dyers, Lousie Hay's and many more books on my MP3 so on my travels hunting for those great vintage treasures and on long trips I could gain more awareness and multitask at the same time.
I've listened to and really tried to understand the concept of Esther & Jerry Hicks, but must say I just don't get the whole Abraham thing at all http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTb6mKAwftA. I bought the book The Secret http://www.thesecret.tv/ . Which I have since sold on Ebay. But am still trying with some success to manifest the things I desire.

I came across another radio talk show, Contact Talk Radio http://www.contacttalkradio.com/index.php and enjoy Listening to Livin on a Prayer with Michele Morgan http://www.contacttalkradio.com/hosts/michelemorgan.html http://www.michelemorgan.org/, Intuitive with Jamie Roth, http://www.contacttalkradio.com/hosts/jamieroth.html, Finding Your Soul's Path & Staying the Course with Rev. Maxi Harper http://www.contacttalkradio.com/hosts/maxiharper.html, Adventures in Density & Effort with Joan Newcomb http://www.contacttalkradio.com/hosts/joannewcomb.html and Create Change Now with Cari L Murphy http://www.contacttalkradio.com/hosts/carimurphy.html. All are great shows and fun topics. But still the quest continues......

Here are a few affirmations that have helped me along the way:

I use my maturity and wisdom to recognize the Truth.

There is a divine plan for my life and the divine plan is unfolding for me now.

God show me the divine plan for my life.

In a relaxed and easy manner I have all the money required for business, personal and more. The Universe has a constant flow of financial abundance filling my accounts in every second of the day, every day of the week, and every week of the year.

I have taken guided meditation classes, searched out physics and intuitive to guide me in my quest for my life's purpose. And to learn more about myself and my life past and present. I Dove into past life aggression therapy, Dream analysis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpYCoC5boq4&feature=player_embedded# , Tarot Cards, Aura readings http://www.skepdic.com/auras.html, Chakras, Crystals http://www.crystalinks.com/index.html . The Fairy Rhelm, I believe in Ghost's and life after death. And my all time favorite is getting to know the Angels and Arch Angels http://www.angel-guide.com/index.html.

I have thought about Numerology and Astronomy but Couldn't bring myself to open those books.

I have joined an area group http://www.frontiernet.net/~hclny/index.html so I can be with like minded people from time to time, that let me tell you are hard to find in my neck of the woods.
I have the book Simple Abundance A Daybook of Comfort and Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach within arms distance of my work space. A keepsake box of Crystals if I need them, My new Yin and Yang sculptures that I just purchased from http://www.etsy.com/shop/OOAKSculptures the digital image of spirit of the spring woodlands that I also purchased from an Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/listing/45405729/spirit-of-spring-woodlands and the picture of Jesus hanging on the wall all give me inspiration and hope.

So as you can see I've done the research, I have sought out the knowledge. It all seems so overwhelming when I look at it all written down like this. And wonder how in the world did I find the time.

So what have I learned in this 12 month quest, as I take a deep breath and sigh I guess the answer is as long and involved as the journey itself.

After all of this I have learned I started searching years ago long before I started the quest. It all comes back to treating the Universe with respect and the understanding that we are only here temporarily, to learn what we need to learn before we are reincarnated back home. We are here to give what we can not to take what we can.

What it comes down to for me, is my belief in God and the Holy Trinity. And also aware that we are not alone. God did not put us here to walk alone or to walk without purpose. He gave us tools for our journey to use and to call upon the angels when we need guidance. Each of us has a God given right to find the answer for ourselves within ourselves. And sometimes you just have to believe and Let Go and Let God.

The Universe will always answer you back but you must be open for the answers.
I know God will never leave me alone and is always walking with me softly whispering in my ear and giving me the courage to move forward.

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr

In Celebration of Earth Day. We can all learn a lot from trees, if only we take the time to listen.

2010-04-19T16:59:00.002-04:00

TREES

Shimmering moonlight

gently touches the bare arms

of a rich novel, a sea of stories.

A hundred years of memories are held

In the palm of its oak hand,

where in a garden of ash it grew.

Fierce winter gusts nip at the brittle bark.

Beneath, sap of sorrow

lie frozen in the sleeping veins that once

carried a river of sweet candy

to its now frost bitten limbs of gold.

Miles of endless roots stretch far beyond

buried secrets that keep

it firmly planted, solid and immovable

in the dead ground, beneath the surface,

and soiled by the decay of time.

It's so hard to believe

that all of this

came from nothing more than

an anonymous, fragile

child of green: a tiny seed.

By Terrah Coon

It's Trickery I tell ya!

2010-04-17T13:01:00.001-04:00

It's April 17th, I know already, you don't need to remind me that it's still early in Upstate New York to think that the cold and snow is gone out of the forecast. But for the past 2 day's I have taken advantage of the warm temperatures and the sunshine. I have been wearing tank tops and flip flops and Yes, I started rototiller my vegetable garden and weeding my perennial garden. And I have all the aches and pains to prove it. I even went as far as to buy a Basil Plant yesterday, I couldn't resist the sweet smell and the dark green fresh leaves. I knew however I would have to bring it in every night and place it in the sun each day. Baby it sort of speak.

It started raining last night and was still drizzling this morning when I woke up so I figured I've worked hard for a few days and good use some sit down time at my computer working in my Etsy shop and tweeting with friends. As I was sitting here and working online, I looked out the window and, and I can hardly say the words, it's snowing. The realization of where I live and what month it is came rushing back to me, I feel the song birds are feeling it too by the way they are shouting outside my window. It's Trickery I tell ya, Trickery.

So I am posting these photo's of my spring gardens and hoping that the fresh new buds on the apple and lilac trees will not perish in these colder than yesterday temperatures.

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

2010-03-25T12:37:00.000-04:00

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

Spring is so close I can almost feel it

2010-03-08T10:11:00.000-05:00

With Spring comes the promise of new beginnings and fulfilling wishes. Or at least I like to think so, and I'll hold to that belief because it gets me through the long days of winter. March is a difficult month when you live in the country. The sun is bright in the sky and you can even feel it's warmth, but yet the ground is still packed with deep snow. You want to get outside and walk around, breath some fresh air and get some exercise, but your unable to to walk unless you have a pair of snow shoes. Which i do not have. Or another choice is walking in the road which sometimes is not a wise decision, it seems the drivers of the vehicles forget that they share the roads with pedestrians. Buy the time you get back home you covered in all of the road dirt and feel lucky to be alive.

So, I'll take this time to do some spring cleaning and make plans for my garden plantings and a water feature configuration that will be spectacular.

Now this would be spectacular.

Presidents Day shoe sale

2010-02-15T13:32:00.000-05:00

Get 30% off all boots and shoes to celebrate Presidents Day. Today only 2-15-10

Grease Monkey is an add on for (firefox) It's a dream come true

2010-02-10T19:34:00.000-05:00

     I spent the better part of the day on Monday listing items in my Vintage Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/thisthatotherthings I mean I spent at least 10 hours. I took the pictures, edited the pictures and Listed the items. I listed my last entry at 7 p.m. and man I felt like I had just run a marathon. It crossed my mind throughout the day why was it again I wanted to be self employed.
     I caught the word greasemonkey on twitter that day and wondered what in the world that was. I pulled it up and read a little bit of it and thought it sounded good, so why not.  https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/748 I found the site, hit the green button to download it and waited and waited for something, maybe a miracle to happen. No such luck. I looked at Etsy a few times on Tuesday wondering what this download actually did if anything, but i was really to tired from the marathon the day before to look into it. I determined it didn't do anything, what a joke I thought. Oh, I also hoped I didn't download a nasty virus that would take all my information and crash my beloved computer. Being the trusting person I am I quickly dismissed that thought and went on with my day.
     While laying in bed tuesday night I thought to myself greasemonkey must do something positive, This husband wouldn't have spent time and energy on nothing for his wife, would he.
     It's now Wednesday and a big snow storm was expected today, I emphasize WAS expected. So I thought I would have to cancel my plans and stay home and work online and hopefully figure this greasemonkey thing out. But the snow didn't come and my errands wouldn't wait. When I got home and finnally was able to do some work on line I took the time to check it out, what was it this thing this husband created for his wife. After just a few minutes of reading I saw it, there it was the answer to greasemonkey, I have to open and download the scripts in the etsyhacks page http://www.etsyhacks.com/ both of these downloads together make up greasemonkey. The first box is the greasemonkey scrifts, click on each add on like copy listing, item zoom, edit this item, buyer info, forum wrangler there is 39 in all. Could this be true, my dream coming true. Most of the scripts are things I wish Etsy had to make listing, editing and selling easier. Wal-la someone thought of it already and created this wonderful marvelous add on.
      One of the scripts is downloading all 5 photo's at once when listing, I found it takes awhile to load but probably not any longer as doing them all individually and this way I can get up and throw in a load of laundry or check on the dogs or check on dinner ........etc.
     So tomorrow after I get home from visiting my mother I will try out all of the little perks that come with this greasemonkey. I am so excited i'm not sure i'll be able to sleep tonight. Oh, well if not I can always go to work when ever I want, that's one of the reason i love being self-employed.
    This add on is for FIREFOX only right now, but the creator did come up with bookmarklets for IE users that may help.
    I hope this information helps in understanding the process, and as always if you have a questions i'm right here to try to help out.
Blessings

DRESS SALE

2010-02-09T19:27:00.000-05:00

I'm having a SALE on dresses in my vintage ETSY shop. 40% off all dresses in store now.
Sale is over when you no longer see the sign in my shop.
(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´
¸.•´¸.•*¨`*. ¸.•*¨*.¸¸.ღ *¨`*•
(¸¸.ღ ¸¸.•*¨`*•.•´*.¸.•´* .•´*¸¸.•*¨

My Sacred space

2010-02-09T09:51:00.000-05:00

     About 13 years ago now a friend of mine offered me a few plants from her perennial garden that she was thinning out. The were called everlastings, which means they can be dried for dried flower arrangements. I jumped at the chance but at that time the only gardening I did was a vegetable garden. So they sat in a pail for a few days while I decided what I was going to do with them. I wanted to create a French Cottage Garden with grassy paths that you could stroll down, A low maintenance garden sort of speak. But how would I do that or where would it go. I directed my husband to till up a piece of ground about10' by 8 feet in a triangle shape.
      Right behind those yellow flowers are the plants that were first planted to create my perennial garden, known to me and you now as my sacred space. (I had a physic come to my home a few year ago, I'll have to tell you more about that in another post).
     Some of the plants that were given to me were Bee Balm, Autumn Joy Sedum, Columbine, Thistle, Black Eyed Susan, and others I still don't know the names of.
     We have about 25 acres of land so I went up the hill one day and dug up some beautiful ferns to plant. In some ways that was a mistake but I'll take care of that problem at a later date. I need to plant them in a shady spot. (who knew)
     My daughters boyfriend dug me this garden pond with a waterfall in the corner, it was a great gift that I appreciate greatly. My husband hauled the rocks off the hill with his tractor and wagon and I laided the rocks, OK he helped a little.
I have spent many hours sitting next to this water feature and meditating to the gentle sounds of nature.
     In the hot weather I am greeted by a family of snakes sun bathing on the hot rocks. I have learned to look for them before I enter the garden to save myself from being startled out of my flip flops. My husband has tried to relocate them but they keep finding their way back to me. I don't blame them and decided they could stay after all the garden was big enough for all of us.
     Each spring I head out to the garden to see what is peeking it's head up through the soil. And it is such a surprise to me where there wasn't a plant last year now there is.
     I realise Dallias are not perenials but I do make exceptions now and again. They are so beautiful and a joy to see pop up as a late bloomer.
     I have made mistakes however with my planting decisions. Like planting chocolate mint, chinese lanterns, and lemon balm. I believe they would take over the world after a few years if people don't keep them in check.
     I wanted to create a space where I could go and feel surrounded with beauty and inspiration. So hence my sacred space was created. I have tried to design the the garden so from the first signs of spring to the frost on the ground in October there is a flower in bloom. I have planted herbs for cooking and medicinal purposes. I also dry them to add into my soaps for scent and as an exfoliate.
     My garden gets bigger every season because I hate to through my plants away and haven't found anyone as enthusiastic as I am about gardening to take them. So each year I have to break new ground for them to live in.
    My husband planted this tractor seat so I could sit and look out over my sacred space and dream and wonder about lifes little surprises. And to find answers to the bigger questions in life that trouble me from time to time.
     My thoughts go to this place alot this time of year, the anticipation to get my hands in the dirt and create a space, where I can find, even for a short time some peace and serenity.