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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Shopping at the Ventura Flea Market!!


Hi, my name is Georgia and I am a flea market addict. There, I said it but please don't recommend a 12 Step Program....I don't want to recover, or reform!
In Southern CA I have a choice, monthly, of three or four fleas to attend; three are close-by so I do go often. The furthest one is the Ventura Flea Market. It's about a 2 hour drive or, like last Sunday, 3 1/2 hours due to a horrific accident on Highway 101 that created a ghastly traffic jamb! And oh, how badly we felt about those involved in the accident.....instant prayers were said.

The Ventura Flea Market is near the ocean (see the palm trees?) and is a wonderful place to shop. There are usually about 500 vendors and thousands of buyers every time it is open!!

So when we arrived, my adrenalin was rushing as we approached the entrance and then we were off for several hours on "the hunt"!! Wish I had photos of the day but my camera batteries died so missed taking any. I will share pics of my purchases!!

About ten steps inside I found my first purchase.....this cute framed bird needlepoint!


Next, a set of two corbel shelves......don't you love the chippiness?!!








A set of two glass 1/2 gallon milk bottles in a metal carrier.....I remember milk delivered to our porch in similar bottles when I was growing up!
Ahhh, memories.....yes, I am older than dirt!!












Won't these cute wooden containers be pretty on a desk.....maybe yours? Look at the roses!!

My grandma had a sewing basket like this one!
This one is full of pins, needles, spools of thread and miscellaneous sewing needs!!








My last purchase was on the way out the gate! It's a lovely Fitz and Floyd Christmas Platter.....I just love the festive ribbon and candy scattered all around! Most of these purchases will be listed in my shops but the birdie is mine!!

May all of your flea market, antique store and estate sale shopping be fruitful!!

Monday, September 27, 2010

MMP Friday Shopping Event: October 1st "An English Cottage"


An English Cottage at Grandma G's!

If I were to close my eyes and conjure up images of an English Cottage, it would be surrounded by an explosion of colorful flowers, both inside and out. The porch, though small, would hold a whitewashed rocker, with even more fresh cut flowers peeking out of a tote hanging from the arm. A beautiful needlepoint pillow, stitched with a riotous bouquet of wildflowers, propped against the back for comfort. The first entry to my English Cottage would feel like home itself with a wreath on the door, welcoming you to step inside.

Once inside my cozy cottage, you’d find the windows draped with delicate lace curtains and gorgeous floral fabrics. Cabbage roses, trailing down each panel. A cozy window seat, made comfortable with a down cushion, provides a perfect place to enjoy a favorite book and a cup of tea. The teacup, passed down for generations and filled with memories. The hand-painted roses, now faded and worn, just enhance the beauty and the experience.

Shelves and cupboards are an essential part of any English cottage. They’re often used for storage and for display. You might see a beautiful collection of vintage dishes, or a cupboard devoted to teapots and favorite teacups. Colorful tins that once held tea, now hold buttons and sewing notions. Hand embroidered tea towels and pure white linens, help fill the shelves until they’re called upon to celebrate a special occasion.

Vases stuffed full to overflowing with fresh cut blooms, are tucked on tables and window ledges throughout the cottage. Each a reminder of the beauty that awaits, just steps outside the cottage door.

The garden, visible from the kitchen window is ablaze with color and activity. Ivy climbs the trellises and arbors, colorful bird houses and wrought iron bird baths, a refuge for our aviary friends.

With cottage touches in just the right places, the simple beauty of a English cottage can be yours no matter where you live.

Please stop by the boutiques at Make Mine Pink to help create your own English Cottage.
Joyce Lucas, Founder

Happy Shopping!



Photo Contribution 1: The Pink Rose Cottage | Photo Contribution 2: Miss Magpies's Tea & Treasures | Photo Contribution 3: C'est Chouette

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

A STITCH IN TIME!!

Please join Grandma G's for shopping with a twist on Friday September 24th, 2010 as we present "A Stitch in Time"
A well worn and much loved quilt, graces the end of my bed. The stitches tiny and even, the fabric almost transparent in spots. I find myself running my hands across the time-softened fabric and wondering about the families that loved this quilt before me. With much love and care, will it someday grace the end of my granddaughter’s bed? Will she trace the stitches with the tips of her fingers and wonder about the lives it touched before her? The antique armoire sitting close by, filled with newer quilts. Some modern, with fabrics bright and crisp. Someday, they’ll be faded and worn and proudly stacked with other heirlooms, both new and old.

A needlepoint sampler displayed proudly on the wall in my sitting room - once lovingly stitched by someone’s great grandmother and passed from mother to daughter until it reached it’s resting place in my home. Some memories imagined, many yet to come, surround this beautifully stitched heirloom. Each piece, a stitch across time, binding us together with no regard to time or family. We’re unified by our love of all things hand-stitched.

My sewing room boasts stacks and stacks of beautiful fabrics. My love of fabric handed down for generations, and a reminder of days spent watching the magic that my mother created. I was always eager to touch the colored fabrics that were tucked in every nook and cranny of her sewing room. I'd watch her hands and as she worked her magic. She always worked with swiftness and accuracy. Slipcovers and floral panels, magically transformed our living room into a brand new space. Tiny pastel prints, trimmed in lace, became favorite new sundresses for my sister and I. A length of fabric, the hues of the rainbow, was turned into prized treasures. I still feel that same enchantment and wonder today.

A hand or machine stitched treasure can be beautiful as well as practical. Handmade totes and pillows, stitched for style and practicality. Whimsical quilts, using the newest techniques and blended with treasured old fabrics, now faded with love. Each and every piece, beautiful in its own right and coming together in perfect harmony.

Table linens, trimmed in tatted lace, become the finest of heirlooms. Many have been passed down from mother to daughter or are looking for new homes to create new traditions. Needlepoint rescued and made anew with beautiful silks, each one with a story all its own, ready to make new memories in it’s new home. A beautiful handmade shawl, stitched with loving hands and eager to warm someone special on a cool summer evening.

Our love of all things stitched, transcend time, uniting us, and giving us a sense of belonging.

Please visit Grandma G's and the boutiques at Make Mine Pink for stitched treasures that are sure to become a favorite family heirloom in your home!

Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

Photo Contribution 1: Cottage Collection | Photo Contribution 2: C'est Chouette

Happy shopping!

Friday, September 10, 2010

SEPTEMBER 11, 2001....A DAY AMERICA WILL NEVER FORGET.
ON THE 9TH ANNIVERSARY WE MUST
HONOR THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES SO NEEDLESSLY,
PRAY FOR AND REMEMBER THEIR FAMILIES,
AND CELEBRATE THE HEROES
OF THE WORST TRAGEDY ON AMERICAN SOIL.
MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA
AND ALWAYS KEEP US FREE.....
PROUDLY FLY YOUR FLAG IN REMEMBRANCE!


Thursday, September 9, 2010

Come Shopping with Grandma G!!!

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I love to surround myself with treasures from the past. They remind me of my favorite people, my favorite things, and especially my favorite moments in time. All of these memories have helped me become the woman I am today. I hope to pass some of these memories down to my own children, and their children too. Some will be by means of memories shared, and some will be treasured heirlooms from my past.

I've always kept a family album of old photographs, some are now yellowed with age. Some of the faces I remember from long ago. Others I think I only imagine remembering, from looking at them so many times. There are weddings and births, laughing voices and forever romances recorded in these images. They are moments that live on because I remember. One day, because my girls will remember too. There will be new photos added and new memories to share. But the memories will live on in the photos captured.

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One of my most cherished pieces is Dad's old pocket watch. The hands of time are still moving, although a little slower than before. I remember him pulling the watch from his pocket so many times. The case rubbed smooth from use. A quilt that my mom started many years ago, the blocks intricately stitched and wrapped in tissue, now in a special box, waiting to be finished. Her fingers now lie still, but I remember the long chats we had while she stitched her beautiful designs. Having these treasures nearby makes me feel like she and Dad are still near.

Even the heirlooms and antiques I find at the flea market have special meaning for me. The old ornate frames, once holding a majestic oil painting, now hold family photos. One or two, fitted with mirrors and reflecting new memories within the walls of my home. A favorite collection of antique silver spoons, sitting out in a china spoon holder, each graceful design, elegantly unique.

A quilt, draped over a favorite chair, worn in spots with age, inspires me to imagine the garments the squares of fabric came from. When my own family comes for dinner, I set the table with my mother's favorite tablecloth and china, and as we share our meal, favorite childhood anecdotes and stories, entertain us all. It seems fitting to share my cherished memories with my children and grandchildren, while creating new ones of our own. I hope they will mingle together and continue to be passed down for generations to come.

Visiting the shops at Make Mine Pink will fill you with nostalgia. Many beautiful products, rich in history, and waiting to be added to your own collection of cherished heirlooms and antiques.

Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink
Photo Contribution 1: istock photo Photo Contribution 2: istock photo


Hope you find an heirloom!!

Monday, September 6, 2010

Fabulous Blog Contest at Mama's Pocketbook!!

Do you like blog contests? Well, I love them and this is one of the best I've seen in a long while!! My friend and MMP pink-sis, Dianne, from Mama's Pocketbook is the contest hostess and she is giving multiple prizes!! The contest runs September 6-30th and the Grand Prize is a fab-u-lous pocketbook made by Dianne and co-designed by YOU!!


Just visit Dianne's blog to read the rules and be sure to visit her website,
Mama's Pocketbook, to see her lovely creations!!
I am wishing you all good luck with the contest but in my heart of hearts,
I HOPE I WIN!!

Warm hugs!!