Confessions of a Bill Payer

You're probably friends with your phone book. And the yellow pages are your favorite color. But yellow is not the color of courage. And I always look at the phone book with a jaundiced eye.

I'll just get comfortable on the couch here, and admit that I am not alone in this. I know a few folks that aren't crazy for business calls either. And that is what the big fat book is all about! Doctors, lawyers, leaky pipes, and broken windows. Car repairs, power outages, billing errors, tax questions. . . . Your friends are already in your cell phone. A phone book is not about friends. 

To lighten things up I make pretty new ones, and even recycled this one from last year's edition.

A pretty phone book cover is the equivalent of looking away from a doctor's needle. Or taking a deep breath before calling the plumber. Since it has to be readily available, it may as well look good! (And wait! I just remembered all those PIZZA places listed in there!)

I like to spread out in the safe zone to take care of business. For me, that's the kitchen table all surrounded by cozy stuff.

A friendly platter can make a good writing surface. And it's good to look at while you're listening to loud musak piped into your ear and wasting good blogging time.  (sigh) . . .

It's a small thing. But I wrestle with the pages enough times in a year to make it worth my while. Anyway, I was able to put off that phone call that much longer! ;) Now, lets look in the P's. . . .

I hope your weekend is way more fun!

Jacqueline

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PINK SATURDAY!

How Sweet the Sound

Between Naps on the Porch

Metamorphosis Monday

That Country Cottage Farmhouse Feeling

Just a few of my favorite things today! I found a nice new ironstone pitcher while visiting some of the kiddos, and had my son ship it home to me. Thanks Ben! I think these are Peace roses inside of it. Are all peachy/yellow roses Peace roses? (I think peace roses are more yellow with just a tinge of pink--)  I love to decorate with white roses, and love the look of them, but the color of these just cheers me up and has long been a favorite of mine.

My new favorite bench is a barely pink chippy version with a slot for carrying. It must be pine because it's pretty light to carry. It fits perfectly at the head (or end) of my dining table and really lightens things up. It's quite old, and I think one might safely call it a primitive. What do you think?

I thought a vignette in front of my favorite chippy cabinet might show off the barely pink color. And I think everything looks sweeter with some smooth folded linens on top!

And of course I have a soft spot for delicate crocheted pieces. This small tablesquare draped over the bench is one of my very favorites. It feels completely cottage farmhouse country to me. My favorite decorating feeling.

The whole set up is capturing the mood I'm in lately. Thinking of spring and enjoying soft colors. Wanting to avoid too many objects and strong tones. Something just nice, and quiet, and soft. . . .

All righty then!

 Thanks for popping by!

 I hope you're having a great week!

Jacqueline

Join me at

French Country Cottage

Feathered Nest

My Romantic Home

Show & Tell

Amazing Lace

Yesterday was one of those days that I threw down the brushes like Mole in the middle of ladders and dusters in Wind In The Willows when he says "Oh blow!", and heads out the door leaving his spring cleaning behind. Listening to the call of the wild, Mole doesn't come back until the next winter. I came back at the end of the afternoon. But not before answering my own wild call to turn over a few bins at the local flea market.

That can be a very good instinct at times. And yesterday was lace day!

Someone was kind enough to leave a whole pile, all ancient and fresh and pressed and ready for my basket!

We'll get to the luscious details, but I first have to show the vintage sewing machine drawers I found! Three in a row. Freshly painted in cream. Seven bucks each. Kill. me. now. I have already gone straight to heaven.

I have to show the knives too, because I'm using them for scale in the photos. I love mix and match silver, and these have a wonderful heft and design in a set of eight.

Here they are next to a silky damask cloth with a deep lace hem. The lace is all intact, and there are some yellowed stains on the fabric. Maybe that's why the tablecloth was only eight bucks.

And old hymnal from 1941 with beautiful brown pages turned up too.

A beautiful pristine linen topper with lace corners was in the pile, and makes my heart go pitter pat. Don't you love the creamy colors?

Finally there's this lace trimmed sheet. It could be turned into a dozen gorgeous things, and I have a few basket liners I want to make.

This last little snippet of antique machined lace is part of a ragged runner that will live on as something else after it is finished adorning a page from a hymn.

"The Mole had been working very hard all the morning, spring-cleaning his little home. First with brooms, then with dusters; then on ladders and steps and chairs, with a brush and a pail of whitewash; till he had dust in his throat and eyes, and splashes of whitewash all over his black fur, and an aching back and weary arms. Spring was moving in the air above and in the earth below and around him, penetrating even his dark and lowly house with its spirit of divine discontent and longing. It was small wonder, then, that he suddenly flung down his brush on the floor, said "Bother!" and "O blow!" and also "Hang spring-cleaning!" and bolted out of the house without even waiting to put on his coat."

Happy hunting!

Jacqueline

Join me at

The Charm of Home

Home Sweet Home

2805

Potpourri Party

Trunk Show

I have a few dolls. Both old and new. But I am much more interested in their clothes.

I like collecting the smaller costumes. Especially in white. And the older, the better.

I recently came across a box of tiny vintage spools of thread, which charms me to no end too.

I keep most everything tucked away out of sight in a tiny vintage trunk. I share with the littler girls on occasion, but they know the little suitcase is only for me.

Small vintage doll clothes are not that easy to collect, but are loads of fun to find. They often look like nothing but a scrap at the bottom of a dirty box, or crammed with other unappealing things in plastic bags. I have been known to buy some pretty ratty dolls just for what they were wearing. And I always have my eyes peeled for something overlooked in the bottom of a wicker basket at a flea market.

Clothes are expensive to buy from doll vendors. Mine all come from other sources. Often for pennies. Here are a few bits from my still small collection.

Both manufactured and hand made, the joy is in the details. I love old fabrics and tiny buttons.

This old vest is darling in front, but I especially like the back side which is detailed further below. . . .

Hand sewn feather stitching and crocheted details at the neck of this dolly slip.

Too fragile to treat as merely a plaything for a child any longer.

I hope you enjoyed the little show!

Jacqueline

Join me at

Common Ground

Vintage Inspiration