Roses, roses and more roses!

Estate/Yard Sale season is just getting underway around these parts. Last year, there was an extreme shortage of good sales and so I was hopeful that this year would be different. I went to two sales this weekend and did really well I think.
The first sale was at the home of a local antique dealer. She has this big, 3-day sale every year to clear out some stuff to make room for more stuff in the antique mall she shares with other dealers. This was my first time going to her sale and I was not disappointed! I am showing you the things I purchased from her before they've been washed...I was too excited to wait. This was the box of treasures I brought home...

Soooo many beautiful plates of different size and shape with roses!

She also had some pink Depression Glass plates. I use pink Depression Glass accessories

with my good china. 

At this sale I purchases 9 dessert plates for $10 and 4 luncheon plates for $8.

I also snapped up the 2 little Prince Matchabelli perfume bottles...I'll find something to do with those cuties!

Now, if you left click on any of the pictures, you will see the price tags as she had them marked for the antique store. One of the serving pieces was originally marked $18. Aside from the Depression Glass pieces, I bought all of the other plates for $1 a piece!!! I was so excited! My goal is to transform some of the plates into cake/cupcake stands using glass candlesticks as a base. I've seen these on some decorating blogs and they're so darn cute. I will certainly share the photos when I get them put together.

On Saturday, my partner in Estate/Yard/Garage Sale shopping alerted me about a good Estate sale in our area. I wasn't able to get there until 1:30 and immediately found out that everything had been marked to 50% off. I like the sound of that! I only got a few things...

Two children's books, 2 embroidered dresser scarves, 2 old bottles, 2 (one pair) of glass candle holders and a pearl and rhinestone pin! Grand total.....$2.75! This season is looking up already!

So, back to the roses....some months ago, I replaced my everyday dishes (that I had had for over 30 years) with a plain white set. The new set didn't come with small dessert plates so I had been on the hunt for those. Today, I stopped into Tuesday Morning...do you have that store near you? It's similiar to TJ Maxx on a smaller scale. Anyway, I always cruise every aisle cause you never know what you might find and when I saw these, I couldn't believe my eyes! Moda Home plates! I first saw these in a catalog a few years ago and really liked them but they were not available anywhere around here. They are melamine but they don't look like it. (Elyse, if you see this post, I just want you to know that I thought of you as soon as I saw these...they remined me so much of CK!)

I bought 8 dessert plates and 4 dinner sized plates to use on the deck this summer. The best part...

$1.99 for the dinner plates and $1.49 for the dessert plates. YAHOO!

 I am in love with all of my "rose" finds!

I hope you enjoyed my little shopping expedition!

xoxo

Tussie Mussie Swap Photos

I am so far behind with posting so I'm going to try to update with lots of pictures and few words...can I do that? I hardly do anything in my life with few words but I'll try...
First are the pictures from the Swap For All Seasons Tussie Mussie Swap. Nancy was my partner and I have to say that she sent me things that I would have chosen for myself if I had come across them. Everything was wrapped in pink tissue paper....

The tussie mussie...

beautifully made!

So many wonderful things...all that I love. Click on any photo to enlarge....

Is she not the cutest vase you've ever seen????? Thank you Nancy-everything was perfect!

I sent Nancy the following...

My pictures aren't so good...

I seem to be hooked on using coffee filters...thanks Bethanie, they have worked out great!

Nancy collects bridge tally cards

Some tags I made.

I know I've said this 1,000,000 times but if you'd like a good group to swap with and always an interesting challenge, A Swap for All Seasons is the group to try. Our next swap has just been announced and you can read about it here...if you sign up, tell Linda I sent you !

This week I finally packed up the Easter decorations. When I saw everything sitting on the kitchen table ready to be wrapped and packed up it made me smile to see it all together...

ALL of my carrots...including the new teeny ones!

Things to Make You Smile Part II

I must confess that I am a book and magazine junkie. By books, I mean decorating, cookbooks, craft, how-to books mostly. I love to read novels and non-fiction books too, but I like the fact that with crafting or cooking kinds of books...you can read for a bit and put them aside and not have to read them from beginning to end. I always learn some new technique or see something that inspires me to try a new thing. My problem is that I'm cheap thrifty as far as buying books goes. It's hard for me to go into a book store and plunk down the full price for a book. So, I have discovered other places to get some great deals. Locally, I always check Sam's Club, where I found this book last week....I already receive the Hungry Girl, Lisa Lillien's, daily newsletter (it's free and you can sign up here), filled with fun recipes and reveiws of new products that are healthy and within Weight Watcher's guidelines. The newsletter is free but I wanted one of her books. At Sam's, I think they had 4 or 5 of her books....this one is the newest.....

I have already made the Holy Moly Cannoli Cones...

of course I always start with dessert...life is uncertain you know!

These were yummy and only 3 WW points if you're counting...

Another source is a Book Club that I have belonged to for years, Homestyle Books. I don't order very often but every once in a while they make an offer I can't refuse. This time it was choose any two books for $10 each and get a free book in April. Nope-couldn't let that one go by, especially when the two books I chose were these....

From Jo Packham and Jenny Doh comes Where Women Create; Book of Inspiration. You may already be aware that There is a Where Women Create magazine that comes out quarterly. This is a hard-cover book.

This book is filled with pictures of the studios of wonderfully creative women. Here is just a sampling..

The other book I picked is a new book by Lisa Pace of It's In the Details called...

Delight in the Details. I have taken some of Lisa's on-line classes and she is an amazing artist!

 Her book is also available at Amazon.com. A sampling from Lisa's book....

The other place I buy lots of books is Half.com, which is a division of eBay. I have bought books from here for years and have also sold books, too. The prices are always great and my only caution is that you choose sellers who have high positive feedback, just like you would on eBay.

Ok, I've just shared with you some things that have made me smile this week but there is one more thing...
I have written before about my sweet David and his fun little red Mazda Miata...

He's had that little car for 11 years and has taken loving care of it, never driving it in the Winter months. In the Winter he drove a Subaru Outback..

Very dependable in snow and ice. We've talked for two years about trading both of these cars and getting maybe a bigger convertible or a small SUV. The truth is, that little red Miata is harder for me to get in and out of at 61 than it was when I was 50! The day after Easter, we went car browsing....

found this and fell in love...

Meet Celeste...our new-to-us Volvo.

I figure that David drove the Miata for 11 Years...it's my turn to have some fun...don't you think?

The car is celestial blue, hence the name Celeste.

 PJ-when we go to Rehoboth Beach the next time, I will be sure to come and visit

with the top down and my hair completely wind blown!

Can you see me smiling from where you are?

XOXO

Things to Make You Smile Part 1

Last week was a busy crazy week but there were lots of things to make me smile!

I received the tags from Elizabeth's Retro Kitchen Tag Swap. I had seen pictures of all of the tags on Elizabeth's blog but was not prepared with the amazing art until I opened the package!

 I have grouped the tags by color....

Tags by (clockwise starting on the left) Elizabeth, Lisa, Julie and Viv

Meri, Betty, Jessica and Stevie

Sandy and Christine...

(the tag in the upper right and the title tag were made by Elizabeth.)

Paula and I had the BIG appliances....my refrigerator and Paula's oven

(She included a hilarious story on the back)

Also included in our package was this cute guy made by Elizabeth...

Each tage was exquistely made and included a recipe on the reverse side.

The recipes are ones that I will try for sure!

The women in Elizabeth's swaps have become a happy, fun-loving extended family.

There will be a new swap for the summer...stay tuned!

Also in last week's mail was a gift from someone I didn't know beforehand. Debbie Metti is a member of the Swap for All Seasons group and had read my blog post about my (strange) carrot collection.

 She sent me this RAK (Random Act of Kindness).

tiny little carrots! Aren't they so cute!

 Debbie is quite an accomplished artist and has been published

in Somerset Memories. Visit her blog for more to see!

I just love the women you meet through blogging.

 It made me so happy to receive this little gift from Debbie

 that I hope to pass that feeling on to someone else.

Thank you Debbie!

Did you notice that this post is titled Things to Make You Smile Part 1?

There will be a Part 2...I thought we should stretch out the smiling as long as possible.

xoxo