A suitcase and a Deli Doll?

November 16, 2014November 16, 2014 | mollyeleen

A deli doll- yes you read that correctly. “Deli Doll”…what on earth? Let me start at the beginning

Today the girls and I spent the afternoon at my moms home. Today was no unpacking, no lifting boxes and no moving furniture day. If you recall she moved in August and we moved in September; it seems all our spare times goes to unpaking, lifting and rearranging furniture. But today we sat on the sofa and looked at vintage magazines that my mom found in this suitcase. Relaxing and hysterical.

Shall we start with a little holiday decor, for the exterior of your home? Christmas is right around the corner. “For nighttime hospitality, and to create a dramatic effect, here’s the ultimate in professionally ability. Frame your door way with a pink flocked tree that fits flatly against your house.” Okay can we just agree on how fabulous this is! And if anyone actually did this… kuddos! I would love to do this to our home. However, I am pretty sure Hubby would think I had gone over the deep end of crazy town. And where do you find a pink flocked tree that big. Obviously I would have to make it and I definitely do NOT have time for that. If anyone does this, you are my hero and I want pictures!

How about some crafting? We all love a little of styrofoam crafts don’t we? This stelar little book has some nifty ideas; not sure which is my favorite. A few of these like the Santa’s and the chimney scene could have potential. Like on the so tacky it’s cool scale. Not even sure what the top left is supposed to be. We guessed an ornament of some sort, but not really sure.

Now my favorite. The recipe books. Really it’s amazing. Truly amazing what people used to eat. Maybe some still do, but in my world WOW! Shall we start with a round of “Ring Around the Tuna” from the “Cooking with Jello” book circa 1960. “Ring Around the Tuna” would be a delightful salad for any dinner party. Salad? How is this salad? It contains lime jello, canned tuna (drained of course), pineapple, green stuffed olives and celery. Maybe the garnish of curly endive and radish roses make it salad? YUM! (okay really I can not even imagine what this tastes like). Next comes the Viking Ship Sauce Dish carved out of a cucumber… very creative. Honestly I might just be crazy enough to do this one day. I will share if I do. And can we just take a moment to look beyond the Viking ship cucumber and notice the tinsel garland on the table. Okay that looks pretty. Why didn’t I ever think of that?

Then we have the desert spread. Lot’s of delicious looking cookies, popcorn balls and a lovely cake. We started reading what kind of cake this was, looks like some kind of lemon, raspberry cake…But wait! It’s not an actual cake on the dessert table- oh no. It’s a sandwich “cake!” My mom and I where in complete hysterics at this point. Sandwich cake? Yes of course. It’s a ham and egg sandwich made to look like cake. Plus it has cream cheese “frosting.” If I was at this party and chose to have what looked like a lemon raspberry cake and took a bite to discover it was a ham and egg sandwich– I would probably get sick. If you make this Poinsettia sandwich cake, please don’t put it on the dessert table. Right?

And now the best thing ever. Yes I am being facetious. Very in fact. No party can be complete without the Deli Doll. Yes The Deli Doll!!! Yes this “conversation-sparker with her skirt of tempting cold cut meats” is…. I don’t even know what to say. The article says “The deli-doll is attractive featured by herself or on a tray surrounded by more cold cuts or breads” I… yes. I still don’t have the words.

The reality is, the ladies of the past where very creative and innovative to say the least. I thank them for bringing an afternoon of laughter of my mom and I, we enjoyed every minute of it, maybe not the way the ladies of the past intended but still. There where so many other tempting bits that I didn’t share here, like the Spanish Polenta that didn’t have one spec of polenta in it or the brain patties (yes), plus there was an assortment of egg cart flowers to make and tulle christmas trees! I am thinking a “Tasteful bites and crafting of the 50’s and 60’s Party” is in the near future, we just can’t let these delicious recipes and crafts go to waste. I am not being facetious this time either 🙂

the garage sale gods where shining on me!

September 27, 2014 | mollyeleen

Hello all! It’s been awhile. We finally moved… we are still unpacking… but we are in our new home and love it. Moving just sucks. Really there is no other way to say it. The last minute push to get everything done… I was crying cleaning the old place. So over it. So done. So exhausted. And then, to make it all better (yes sarcasm) we got to the new place and there was a huge construction trailer in the drive way because we where getting a new roof and “they” decided to start 4 days early. Holy hell was I mad. I don’t get mad very easily, but I was pissed as Kiddo says (okay she should not say this, I know, but she does). Anyway we are in the house now, construction trailer is gone, we are unpacking… I never want to see stuff again. ever. but….

I had the need, yes need, to go garage sale-ing today. Boy howdy am I glad I did. I truly think this was my best ever garage sale day. I am still giddy. Yes giddy.

First garage sale of the morning, a multi family for charity sale, first persons table and score… awesome carved wood mirror. I have wanted an ornate oval mirror for years and this piece of pure awesome was only $20!

Then a fun wool black and white rug and two cute avon bottles… Next a few dud sales… not to worry though I knew there was one more big find out there. A box of valentine making supplies for the daisy scouts (oh yea, did I tell you I am now a girl scout leader- more one day), a neat ball made from drift wood- not sure what I am going to do with it, but I needed it. A free- yes FREE- vintage looking chrome phone. The old school kind that hangs on the wall with a cord… I promise you it looks amazing in our little late 50’s house. (thanks Ash!)

But still there had to be something else. Then, the last sale on my way home, and there it was. An amazing bar cart. A gold-ish smoked glass bar cart with clean lines and all. $15 done. But wait, there was no way it could fit in my car. The people who’s sale it was said, they would help me get it in the car and if it fit they would sell if for $10. Well guess what it fit!

I know, to some, all this might be crazy. But I loved this morning. I spent $50 and got all this awesome. How could you not like that?! Even though I wanted nothing to do with bring anything else into the house to unpack or unload from the car, it was my garage sale day. I have big plans for these items. I will be sharing our new home soon with these finds interspersed through out. My only question for the remaining part of the evening is to paint, to unpack or to have a cocktail…

Sprinklings: creative world

October 10, 2013October 10, 2013 | mollyeleen

This morning I was showing a friend how to use pinterest and etsy and an amazing thought came over me. I am surrounded with amazing friends (you know who you are I hope) and many of my amazing friends are incredibly talented artists.
Case in point Jamie or Miss Jamie as Kiddo says. She not only is a wonderful friend she is a jewelry master. She finds vintage jewerly pieces at estate sales & flea markets and recreates them, renews them.
Renewable Jewels is her company name. How perfect is that since she renews the jewels she finds.

Jamie is very clever in the way she markets her pieces too, something I need to learn how to do. She finds pictures of celebrities wearing similar pieces and groups them together like this…how smart.

Currently Renewable Jewels is having a give away on Facebook, all you need to do is like her page…easy peasy. (I hope I win)

As I’m writing this I am thinking I need to share my amazing friends with you. I am truly so lucky to be surrounded by such talent. Who will be next? I think I know who, but you will need to wait to find out.

Sprinklings of my reality– read them all

Sprinklings- the virgin thrifter

October 5, 2013October 5, 2013 | mollyeleen

Today in town was a big day for rummage sales. There was on at our preschool and one at one of the big churches, plus many others garage sales around town. I love this day…love. My thrifting heart waits for today. But not today.

I’m not sure why, but this morning I was up and ready to go before 8, and I didn’t go. I just sat in the quite house (everyone was still sleeping) and drank a cup of coffee. I enjoyed every sip in complete silence. This morning that was what I needed.

Fast forward a few hours, I got the thrifting itch…the need to go out and find some deals. I have been telling Hubby (the virgin thrifter) about my favorite thrift shop for years, he had wanted to check it out but there was always a reason not to go. Bad neighborhood, he had homework, it’s saturday and my favorite “isn’t it to dirty for the girls?” But today, he said “maybe we can go to that thrift store” DONE!!

Off to Thrifttown we went. This is my favorite thrift store for a few reasons, 1. it’s clean- inside 2. it’s very organized 3. it’s even organized by color after size- love! 4. the deals are amazing and 5. there is always something new. It is true that it is not in the best of neighborhoods, but I have never had an issue there except for some crazy people.

After about an hour for wandering around and one crazy person encounter, we found some great things.

We spent $40 and got- 7 practically new dress shirts and 1 pair of slacks for Hubby, 2 tops for me, 4 shirts and 1 dress up dress for Kiddo, 3 pants, 1 dress and 1 sleep sack for Sneaky B, a fab crystal apothecary jar, 1 vintage tacky but cool Santa head and 1 owl necklace. Happy day!

One of the best moments of the day, Hubby saying “That place was cool. I see why you like to thrift.” Ah my man is not a virgin thrifter anymore.

This is part of the 31 day challenge “Sprinklings of my reality”

“Sneaky B’s” Nursery!

July 24, 2013 | mollyeleen

I know you have been waiting on pins and needles to see our master closet turned into Sneaky B’s nursery so here you go!

So this space was originally our master closet, we will call it a master closet because it is attached to the master bedroom. Each side has a five foot opening to a six foot by two foot space of hanging clothes and behind the pink hanging fabric is a second door to the bathroom. About two years ago, we changed this space to be his and her’s offices, mine was on the left, Hubby’s on the right. When we did that, we added a wall to wall hanging closet system in the master bedroom (thank you ikea!).

Today it’s a super cute (I think) nursery space for our sneaky baby who is due to arrive in less than 20 days! Can you believe it? I sure can’t, most of the time…but then, that’s just a “due date” right? It’s anyones guess when she will decide she is ready to “pop on out of that belly” as Kiddo says.

So here is how it went down. After days of clearing out (a special thanks to my Mama who helped big time with this!) and collecting new and thrifted items, it was time to put everything together.

The starting point was the fabric that is hanging behind the crib, like wallpaper. I loved the colors, not really baby girl but still girly enough without being all pink. Next came the birds, for some reason I wanted birds in the nursery space. Confession time…I hate birds, chickens, feathered friends. I don’t want them close to me, I don’t like that they poop while they fly, I don’t want to touch the feathers Kiddo finds EVERYWHERE, I don’t mind looking at them from far away, but yuck I don’t like them, so why I needed to have birds in the nursery I have no idea. At least they don’t have feathers and these ones are cute.

Okay, so back to the space. I had to find a “mini” sized crib, and thanks to the internet, that was super easy. This one is DaVinci Emily Convertable Mini Crib in white, I found it at diapers.com.

The chair I found at Ikea, it’s not what I was originally thinking, something soft, cozy, white…but I sat in this and loved it. Done. The piece next to the chair and the dresser where thrifted. Happy day!

The dresser was very dark but fantastic quality, so a bit of white paint = super cute dresser! Kiddo helped out too, with painting the space, she is a pro now that she helped paint her room you know.

So there you have it, Sneaky B’s Nursery. And now we wait… we are so excited for the day Sneaky B “pops on out of this tummy!”

Today brings an entire new….

May 12, 2013 | mollyeleen

meaning & a tutorial of sorts.

Happy Mama’s day to all the mama’s out there. It’s extra special for me. The shock of the wonderful surprise of having a baby in a few months has finally worn off. Don’t get me wrong, I am still very overwhelmed at times, but so giddy it’s ridiculous I can honestly say when I was preggo with Kiddo, I loved feeling her kick, but now with Sneaky-B it’s an entire new level of love. That is to say, I never thought I would feel a baby kicking in my belly again. As the mama’s know it’s an awesome feeling and I am more than ever cherishing every little movement Sneaky-B has.

Today I got to spend the morning at the Antique Flea Market in Sacramento with my good friends and my mama. It’s was so much fun! Why hadn’t I gone to this before? I don’t know, it might have to become my monthly mama outing. Here’s what I scored:

I have been looking for a coo-coo clock for quite some time, don’t really know why, but I have always wanted one. Am very excited about it. The coo-coo clock and the mailbox will both be getting a facelift, you know I will share the outcome with you. For today, I have a simple paper rosette award to show you.

I made this little canvas for my mama for today. I think it turned out cute and she loved it. Happy Day. Here are the steps to make the paper rosette for the award.

Start by cutting out a few strips of paper. The width should be half of the size you want your completed rosette to be. For example, I wanted my finished rosette to be 3 inches across, so each strip is 1 1/2″ wide. The length is really up to you, the longer it is the fuller the rosette will look. Here I used 8″ paper, so over all I had 24″. Accordion fold each strip folding back and forth about a 1/4″ wide folds. Glue the accordion stips together to form one piece. Let that dry for a few minutes then glue into a cylinder (see left photo below).

Now that you have let your accordion cylinder dry for a few minutes, take a scrap of paper, smaller than your final size rosette will be, add some glue to this. Pinch in the top of the cylinder and gently push down… waa-la…you have an paper rosette. Carefully lift this up and set in on top of the paper scrap with glue. Set something a bit heavy on top of rosette to keep it in place while it dries, I use the glue bottle.

When it’s dry, add some cute cut outs, buttons, reinstones, whatever you want…ta da… a super cute paper rosette award.

Thanks for reading this random mama’s day post… it’s a bit all over the place, kind of like me lately.

day 19: the friday tip~ cut once, sew once, repeat

October 19, 2012 | mollyeleen

A short but sweet tip this Friday, cut once, sew once, repeat. Huh? What does that mean? Let me tell you

In normal crafting/sewing world, we make one thing at a time. For example, find awesome piece of vintage fabric, and a pattern for a skirt. Cut out fabric pieces, sew, done. Simple. When preparing for a craft show, making lots of inventory, you could do it this way. But I think it takes longer. This is what I do (I might have mentioned this before by the way) spend a day cutting out as many skirts (or what ever) as I currently have fabric for. All the pieces, are then grouped and stacked together in a tray.

Here I have twenty skirts cut out of vintage fabrics, with there handkerchief “apron” cut and ready. The next steps, I will serge all the raw edges, hem the bottom, create the elastic casing at the top, put the elastic in and be done with twenty skirts all at once. Just like that, I feel like you have created a ton of stuff, and I have. I think it’s faster than cut one, sew one, repeat.

Here is what the Vintage Handkerchief Skirts look like when completed. This is Elle, Kennedy’s BFF, from many many moons ago. So cute!

to read all of this series, click here, and you should!

day 17: hang tags…oye

October 17, 2012October 17, 2012 | mollyeleen

Hang tags. Like business cards (that I talked about before) hang tags are another little bit of eye candy to attach to your items so people know price, care, who made it, etc. I have been pinning inspirational hang tags for awhile on Pinterest (oh boy is that a time waster and love) and have designed my hang tags. Happy day~ sort of.

Why my mind thinks it’s a good idea to create something that involves more cutting and sewing, I don’t know. Probably because when I was making the few examples today it was simple and they turned out so cute. But tonight, reality… I have to actually SEW my hang tags, hundreds of them. Really Molly. Let’s add more sewing and cutting to the to do list. Here we go:

cut piles of scraps, cards, and business name (this photo turned out on the yuck side)

sewing, sewing, sewing (yes, you can sew card stock)

back side of hang tag, shows item & size where I will write descriptions, washing instructions and on the right side, the item number and price (this portion will but cut off when a piece is sold)

A great way to use up all those vintage scraps I can’t toss and I think they are cute, hope you like them

*day 17 is more than half way to 31 days of preparing for my first craft show, read all the days here

molly b

creating, stitching, designing, thrifting

vintage