For materials, I used a cardboard cone, wallpaper, vintage crocheted lace, old trim, vintage rayon seam binding, an old rhinestone earring, old rhinestone trim, and some coffee filter roses. I love digging through my stash of vintage lace and rhinestone jewelry, it's so exciting to find treasures I've forgotten about and have saved for a special project. I always spend way to much time digging and dreaming when I should be doing if you know what I mean. :o) The recipient of this tussie mussie loves all things old, so I hope it is well received!
If you want to create your own, the complete instructions are here . You'll be so impressed with their realistic appearance. I know I was! I was also pleasantly surprised how "not hard" they were to make. Really, you should make a bouquet, you'll be glad you did! Oh... and I'd love to see the ones you make too! 
I picked up the most recent issue of Home Campanion recently, and came upon this article about vintage toy sewing machines. I hadn't given much thought to how cute and collectible vintage toy sewing machines really are. 
Imagine my delight when I saw this picture in the article! The KAYanEE shown is very similar to mine except it's battery powered - fancy!
I'm glad I picked up the magazine. It was a fun read!
Today my mom, the girls, and I went thrifting at a newly opened Goodwill. Lots of treasures were found, which hasn't been the case in awhile, so it was a delight! While I was treasure hunting and trying to manage my 3 year old who was in the midst of a melt down, my mom and Sydney were off searching in another part of the store. Suddenly I see Sydney and my mom looking for me. At this point, I wasn't to hard to find. I think everyone in the store could HEAR where Daphne and I were. I notice my mom holding a vintage cake topper. She asks me what I thought of it. I immediately know I want it, and when I see the price, I especially want it more! My mom precedes to tell me that Sydney spotted the cake top on a crowded self and said to her, "Grandma, this sure would be pretty in my mommy's collection!" How sweet is that? What a terrific scout I have! 
I was really excited to make something with the old door, but couldn't figure out what. First I thought a headboard, then a table (no room for that though), next I thought I could just lean it up against the wall somewhere (but I don't have any extra wall space either), finally a light bulb went off in my head and I thought it would be cool to somehow put the bench and door together and make a hall tree.
Add 1/2 C brown sugar, and 2 C flour
Beat well until it forms a crumb mixture. Press 1 3/4 C crumb mixture (reserve remaining crumbs for the topping) onto the bottom of a buttered 9x13 pan. Bake for 10-12 mintues.
Combine 1 C chocolate chips and 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk in small heavy-duty saucepan.
Melt over low heat, stirring until smooth, keep warm until the crust is done baking.
You'll need 1/3 C raspberry jam.
Once the bottom crust is done baking, spread the chocolate mixture over the hot crust.
Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture over chocolate filling. Drop teaspoons of raspberry jam over crumb mixture, and sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips. Return the pan to oven and continue baking for 25-30 minutes or until the center is set.
Cool completely on wire rack.
I just had a conversation with my Mom about their wedding day. The wedding was at 8:30 in the evening. She spent some of the day finishing up sewing the white fur headbands and muffs that her attendants wore. (When I was little I wanted so badly to have fur headbands and muffs at my wedding too. They didn't work for my Sept. wedding, but I still love the look!) She told me that a woman in the church hosted a luncheon that afternoon in her home for the wedding party. After the luncheon my Mom was dropped off at the church to get ready for pictures but all her undergarments were MIA! Apparently her undergarments were left in Grandpas car. Luckily my Grandma was at at home to receive the phone call, so when my Grandpa arrived home he had to turn around and head right back to the church. (Cell phones sure would have been handy.) One thing she said, which seems so strange to me, is that the reception ladies opened all their wedding gifts and displayed them on a table at the reception so all the guest could see what they received. I guess that was common back then. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't have liked that. I would have wanted to see the wrapping!
Last February, I found a charming old vanity. I refurbished it, and added it to our bedroom almost immediately after bringing it home. I can't say that about vanity's bench. Its been kicking around in the garage for almost a year now.... Well, I think I've found its new purpose. Stay tuned for the unveiling. Hopefully sometime this week!!! 
