Everyday Beauty

Sam's Place

My sweet baby boy is already 10 months old, and I never did show you his nursery. Where does the time go? He's crawling everywhere now and walking while holding onto furniture. He laughs like crazy when Mario makes funny faces. He smiles all the time. Smiling Sam. That's his nickname.

I have his room decorated in a pale green/cream/light blue color scheme with a classic vintage baby theme. That's my dad (also a Sam) in the picture below.

See that afghan up there on the chair? My Great-Grandmother crocheted it when I was born, and it's still in perfect condition for Sam to use. {On a side note, why it is blue and not pink, I have no idea! Maybe that was the only color yarn she had left. Although, now that I think about it, my room as a baby was light blue. My mom said the carpet in the room was blue, and they couldn't afford to replace it, so I got a blue room. Clearly, I was pink-deprived as a little girl, so I'm making up for it now!}

Anyway......here are some sweet little details from his nursery. I tend to use a lot of baskets, dishes, trays all around the house to hold or store things. This is one of 5 diaper baskets.....one in almost every room!

Sam is using the same bedding that Mario used as a baby. I couldn't really find what I wanted so I had it made. The fabric is called Circus Toile and has little scenes of animals at the circus. I like that it is fun and childlike yet classic.

Knowing I would never find coordinating valances, I sewed the window treatments, a simple tab-top, lined valance. Took me forever. You would've thought I was sewing a fully lined 3-piece suit.

Little bits of vintage here and there. I got the "Goodnite Sam" wooden block idea from the book, Flea Market Baby. Do you know that book? Oh, I love it! It's full of inspiration if you like a vintage-y look for a nursery.

Some cherished baby books made by my friends Pam and Dana.

On the walls, I mainly hung pictures of family members as babies. Among them are baby pictures of my mom, my dad, my grandfather, George, his mom, and also a picture of me. I scanned them all and converted them to sepia to unify the collection of portraits. Here is a picture of George's sweet mother, Angelina, taken in Italy back in the 1940's. Doesn't she look like porcelain doll?

The baby picture below is my Grandfather, Eugene. I recently had Sam's portraits taken in this same pose and placed both pictures on a shelf in his hutch.

My friend Lisa sent Sam the wooden blocks when he was born. The sides of the blocks are inscribed with his birth date, newborn statistics, and a welcome message. I LOVE this gift! You can get them here.

Here's a shot of the side of one of the blocks.

This special painting hangs above Sam's crib. It was painted by my dear friend Holly, and I absolutely adore it. I cannot get over how talented she is. I wish I could paint like this. I told her she needs to sell her paintings, like she used to. {but I know it's a LOT of work}. She may still do custom orders, but I'm not sure. If you're interested you could email her to find out.

Maybe my Sam will have a son named Sam someday and he can hang the painting in his nursery. I like to think about stuff like that.

Here's a detail shot of the froggie and the branch. Isn't is adorable?

I stitched this fabric bunting about 4 years ago, when I was preparing for Mario's arrival. I made it several yards long and have some hanging in the play room also.

A different angle:

And here is the changing table/dresser/hutch full of vintage baby pottery, books, animals and other baby things. {I'm looking forward to using this piece in my little studio space one day when I'm all done having babies.}

That's about it for Sam's Place. I do hope you enjoyed the tour!

Lots of NEW shop goodies coming soon. {Sweets, Halloween and Autumn items, all new ribbons, and more.}

Have a wonderful Monday!

Flea Market Fun

Hello Friends!

Just a little reminder, One Hundred Wishes is closed while Hope and I finish up the last few details and get the new look all ready to be uploaded. I wanted to take the site off-line for a little longer so I could have a mini-break before the next phase of shop fun begins. This Thursday, the shop will reopen with a fresh new look, new logo, new colors and designs, new items and some fun giveaways! You will just have to check back for the details....I don't want to let the cat out of the bag just yet.

We just got back from our trip, and boy was it nice to spend the long weekend relaxing and enjoying the company of family. My niece, Mallory, turned 1 and had a watermelon-themed birthday party that was too cute. She wore a sweet pink dress with embroidered watermelons along the neckline. There were watermelon balloons, bowls of watermelon taffy and other pink and green candies, watermelon cookies, watermelon cupcake picks, watermelon dishes, napkins, you name it! My sister-in-law has been planning the party for months, and it turned out to be a sweet event for Miss Mallory. And I just love a well-coordinated party!

As always, my mom and I hit the local flea market, and I thought you might like to see some of the treasures I uncovered. This child-size hat box (above) is one of my favorite finds. The vendor had filled it with old handkerchiefs and wasn't even planning to sell it. I think she was surprised that I was so excited to find it. It was only a couple of dollars and the soft cotton blossoms on top are so perfectly tattered.

Old jewelry is a big flea market focus for me. Here are some of the pieces I gathered this weekend.

I must have found at least 100 pieces, and I was being picky!

There is just so much out there if you look in the right places. Isn't this rhinestone safety pin wonderful?

 

Some of these pieces will be kept and worn as is, other pieces will be sold in my shop, and still others have a future as part of the jewelry designs I've been working on. Coming soon!

I can always use more vintage china with roses. Our kitchen is cream, pink and beige, so I use these things as everyday serving pieces. The more mismatched the better, but they all tie together with the roses motif. I love the silhouette of this $2 footed bowl.

 

Some old lacy bits to add to my stash. Yum.

Well, that's it for now. I'd better get going and unpack the suitcases, clean the house, tackle the laundry and work on the website. The kids will only nap for so long!

See you tomorrow!

As I Run Out the Door

George is packing up the car as I type this. We're heading to Ohio for a long weekend. My niece is turning "1", and I'm glad we can be there for her first birthday party. She's so cute, I could just eat her up!

I'm taking my new (old) purse with me. Isn't it a pretty one? Love those colors so much.

And ...looky what came in the mail! It should be on newsstands very soon. I ran an ad for the shop in this issue, so I got an early copy. I'm sure it will make good reading material for this 7-hour drive.

Also, just wanted to let you know that One Hundred Wishes will be closing for  "renovations" this Monday. The shop will reopen on Thursday, sometime later in the day. I will have more updates for you next week.

Happy Weekend!

Just a Note to Say....

Hello friends!

I just wanted to pop in and say hi in case you thought I had fallen off the face of the Earth.

I just haven't had much to say lately and am feeling a little out of sorts. It's nothing major, just a million little things, ya know? I don't even know how to explain it. I'll be back next week, and hope to be back to my old self.

I made this charm bracelet a few months ago. I thought it would be a nice way to unite my collection of old religious medals (mostly Mary) and charms. It's my comfort bracelet when I need a little extra support, guidance, and all that good stuff.

I hope everyone is doing well, and I will catch up on blogs soon!

xo andrea

Meet Stella Pearl

I have always wanted a vintage dress form. I majored in Fashion Merchandising and was surrounded by them at college, but I could never find one that I loved at the right price, so I kept searching. Well, on Mother's Day, George surprised me big time when I came downstairs to find one standing in the family room! I was shocked and so excited. He knew how long I'd been wishing for one, and had heard me talk about must-have details like the "cage" at the bottom and cast iron feet on casters. He figured I wanted a beige one (I did), but couldn't find one in excellent condition, so he bought a black one, hoping that some beige paint would fix her right up. The thought of him heading to The Old Luckett's Antique Store on his lunch hour and searching for a dress form for me is about the sweetest thing I can think of, a gift in and of itself!

I took the old girl outside and sprayed her with an entire can of primer. I followed Heather Bullard's faux painting instructions, and painted and antiqued Miss Stella until she was to my liking. I am so happy with the way she turned out!

Next, it was time for the fun part.....draping her in all manner of fun and pretty embellishments. Seriously, if I'd spend half this much time getting myself ready in the morning, I'd look like a million bucks!

First I draped my mom's old cloth tape measure around her shoulders. It was the one my mom used in her high school sewing class, and I've always thought it needed to be displayed on a dress form.

I added lots of old pearls and baubles around her neck. The star seemed appropriate since Stella means star in Italian. I continued (someone, stop me!) with some old lace and this very favorite pink -flowered Bakelite necklace that my friend Dana gave to me. (I spied it in her craft room, and went nuts over it. She, being the generous soul that she is, insisted that I take it home. Thank you Dana!)

Then, I made a velvet ribbon belt and fitted it with a vintage rhinestone buckle.

I added some vintage chandelier crystals to her "skirt". I thought she needed some pink garter clips, too.

Here's a picture of her feet.

It's hard to see the details on the iron, but they are so pretty. I've been wheeling her around trying to figure out where to put her. It looks like the nook in the foyer is the place. I'd rather have her in my studio/office/shop warehouse, but there is just no room at the moment. Time for another round of cleaning and reorganizing, I think....

Here she is before and after her makeover. Isn't it amazing what a little paint will do?

Stella Pearl Singarella in all her finery! My favorite Mother's Day gift ever.

My Vintage Passion

George, the boys and I spent Sunday afternoon walking through the streets of downtown Fredericksburg. It was such a beautiful day to casually stroll through town together. I forgot my camera though. Darnit, I keep doing that! We had lunch at one of our favorite spots in town. It's locally-owned and fresh, fresh, fresh. They bake their own bread for sandwiches and squeeze fresh lemons to make lemonade. Simple things that make all the difference in the world. We asked each other the same question we always ask when we go there. "Why isn't this place more crowded? Why would people rather go to a chain restaurant or grab fast food?" A mystery, indeed.

Our downtown area is laced with antique shops and interesting little boutiques that beckon from the street. George waited so patiently (thank you, darling!) while I popped into a few of them. I found several old hats and trimmings for a song. Couldn't pass those up! I did pass up a lot of other things that I would have probably grabbed in the past. I'm trying to really be selective with my vintage purchases. Asking myself, Do I really love this? Do I have a place for it? Does it go with my aesthetic?  Does anyone else find themselves doing this lately? How much stuff do we really need? Clearing out the clutter is a wonderful feeling, but it seems there's no point in doing it if we're just going to turn around and fill the house again. When is enough enough? This is the way I've been feeling lately. Being selective. Choosing only that which I truly believe is useful or beautiful.

I'm going to bet that my husband doesn't think old hats are useful or beautiful, but I sure do! Since high school, millinery hats and trims have been one of my passions (purses and jewelry being the other two big ones). I always scoop them up when they're priced right. I can pass up a lot of cool old things, but millinery is not one of them! So, what about you? Are you feeling the need to be more selective lately? Do you tend to seek out specific vintage items when you're treasure hunting? What's your vintage passion?

Flea Market Loot

We had a fun, relaxing time in Ohio visiting family, eating great food and flea marketing! What else is there in life? Here are some of the treasures I came home with. Aren't these ribbon colors gorgeous? I could just stare at them and get inspired to make something cheerful and beautiful.

An old hat with favorite floppy roses with velvet petals.

Some lucky-to-have-found-them bits of jewelry, award pins, and charms. Interesting and old and perfectly perfect.

More old junque I love. Coveting the rhinestone star pin.

This is a picture of the boxes my mom and I sift through to find these goodies. Dirty and dusty and tangled, but fun and exciting too. This is only a fraction of the boxes that this seller has. It would really take hours to get to it all. After a while, our eyes start to cross and it all begins to look the same. I'm always looking out for orchid brooches for my mom's collection, and she's always keeping her eyes peeled for old pearls, cameos and rhinestones for me. We make a good hunting and gathering team.

I also visited Abby at The Blissful while I was in town. Love. That. Shop. I'll share those fun goodies later this week!

Treasures from Oahu

Well, actually it's Ohio, not Oahu. My sweet father-in-law speaks broken English with a very thick Italian accent. He cannot, for the life of him, say the word Ohio. It comes out sounding like Oahu. Cracks me up every time. So, now it's just become second nature for us to refer to this state as Oahu.

Anyway, I'm still here and thought I'd pop in to say a quick hello and show you some flea market treasures I found this week with my mom. Lots of yummy old jewelry. Some will be sold as is in my shop. Some pieces will find new life in a charm bracelet or other re-purposed jewelry I'll be making soon. Still others, I'll keep in my own jewelry box. I can't sell it all when I love it so much!

This is our last day here in Oahu. The kids and the men are going sledding while my mom and I head to the flea market one last time this afternoon......you never know, there may be some treasures we missed!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Tokens of Love

On this most romantic of all holidays, I thought I would share some little tokens of love that I've gathered along the way. Such a timesless symbol, I've always liked the shape of a heart, but never had all these items in the same place as a collection.

They have impact as a collection, and I think I'll pin them to a board somewhere, all together as one big happy heart family. These old earrings, brooches, scatter pins, pendants, barrettes and shoe clips can be found pretty readily at flea markets. I didn't realize I had so many until I went scrounging around in my jewelry boxes. The large yummy beige pearl one is my favorite!

A old gem of an evening bag. Aren't the colors and the beadwork beautiful? And the unusual oval shape. This one sits in a box on my dresser.

I found these vintage Valentine tags at a local antique mall. The scalloped edge, silk cord, soft colors and beautiful script are all very much "me". I was drawn to it and didn't mind paying a little more for such a treasure with a sweet sentiment.

Happy Valentine's Day to you all! I wish you as much love as your heart can possibly hold! Until it overflows. Not just today but everyday in this life. Make the moments count. You can't get them back. Make someone happy. Be nice. Share your love. Open your heart. Pass it on.

xo Andrea

Christmas Crafting

In between feeding the baby and wrapping gifts, I've been doing some simple crafting for the Christmas season. Emphasis on the word simple. Here, I took a wire snowflake form and added beads to transform it into something beautiful. Some of the beads are new and some are old. Adding a few old pearls with that beige-ish chippy patina makes such a difference.

Then, I added a string and, voila, it became an ornament or gift topper extraordinaire! I don't think I can part with this one though.

Below, I simply gathered some humble pinecones (which you can buy at the craft store for a ridiculous amount of money if you, like me, do not have any coniferous trees in your yard) and dabbed them with Elmer's glue and dusted them with my trusty glass glitter. I love the contrast of nature and sparkle. These will get tied to gifts this year for sure.

And, how gorgeous would a whole wreath of these be?? That's a project for next year, I think.

In the 80's, my mom used to make and sell pinecone wreaths. I remember boxes upon boxes of pinecones in our basement and hot glue and floral wire everywhere. I'll have to get the scoop on her technique when I see her next week!

Well, I hear Sam fussing in his little seat. Must go feed the babe.........bye for now, friends.......... xo andrea