Two more days to win~

Enter to win this gorgeous set of 4 coffee cups and saucers in a sweet retro blue and grey pattern.  Winner will be announced Tuesday, June 1st at noon (Pacific Time) here on this blog! 

Check out this post for details!  http://mylifeinstages.blogspot.com/2010/05/spring-cleaning-giveaway.html

Memorial Day Memories

It seems like this year has gone by so quickly!  I cannot beleive that school will be out for summer in just 2 weeks!  Memorial Day weekend means alot of different things to people.  For some, it brings memories of family get-togethers, BBQ's and camping trips.  For others, time off of work to do those home improvement or lawn and garden projects (just look at all the sale flyers).  For others, it is a time to remember those who have passed on, and those who have fought and died for our country. 

For me, it is all of those things.  As a child, Memorial Day was about going out in the yard with mom and cutting flowers.  She had a Peony bush, roses, and several others that we would cut and place into large bouquets in old mayonaise jars.  We would go as a family out to the cemetary where relatives on both sides had been buried.  As we walked among the tombstones placing our offerings of flowers, I remember glancing back at the rows and rows of white headstones in the military section of the cemetary.  I always wondered why that section was different and who would be buried there. 

My father fought in WWII.  At the age of 15 1/2 he somehow was able to enter the Merchant Marines and spent time on an boat transporting much needed ammunition and supplies to the fighting men.  At the age of 17 he was in the US Army as an infantryman.  He was part of a unit called the BushMasters, which, from what I understand, was a small group of men who went forward and "scouted out" ahead of the troops coming through.  They were often told to "clear the area" of enemies. 

My father was in Japan and the jungles of the Phillipines during that war.  Living on "K rations" and trading his cigarettes for chocolate! 

From the little I know of his time there it sounds like pure hell. I know that he suffered the residual effects of his time there as so many men do. If he was startled, he was ready to fight immediately. He had to be awakened from a nap by shaking the toe of his shoe gently to avoid getting hit. He hated snakes, he was tough, he was quiet, he never complained. I cannot imagine what it was like for a 17 year old boy to find himself in those conditions.

My cousin fought in Vietnam.  This was a very similar experience for him, but yet with the era, and the lack of understanding about the causes of the war, and the protests, he came back to a very different world when it was over.  Instead of being welcomed home as a hero, and honored for fighting for his country, he was scorned by many who did not feel it was the right thing to do. 

I don't have alot of political savvy, but I do know enough to say thank you to the men and women who fight to secure our freedoms and our way of life here in America.  We have so many blessings that we take for granted, and we have no idea what these people have gone through to protect our rights.  Even if we do not agree with the war they served or are currently serving in, let us thank them for doing it for the rest of us, with the best of intentions to protect the way of life we have come to enjoy. 

Spring Cleaning & a Giveaway!

I went through my shop and reorganized and took out some things that have been there for awhile. I put in new sections, added a few new items, and swept out the corners! Funny, but it feels as if I have actually done some real spring cleaning! You know that sense of feeling clean and organized? Maybe I am spending too much time in the virtual world of my computer? Oh well. I'll take a feeling of accomplishment any way I get it these days.

As a result of all my organizing, cleaning out and rearranging, I have discovered several items that I thought might work well for giveaways! Today seems like a good day to start something new AND I met my goal of having my 40th sale!  So, I am going to have my first giveaway!  I am so excited! I think you are really going to like these.

Here are some pictures to entice you to enter...

The winner gets this sweet set of robin's egg blue cups and saucers that I put together.  The saucers are from a different manufacturer than the cups.  The cups have no markings but measure 4"across the mouth and the saucers are 6.5".  This is a gorgeous set for coffee or tea!  I hope you like it too!

 To enter this giveaway:

1. You Must Sign up to be a follower (if you are already a follower leave a comment so I know you are   interested.)
2.  Leave a comment

3.  Visit my Etsy shop and tell me your favorite item http://www.mylifeinstages.com/

If you do all 3 you will have THREE entries and triple your chances of winning!

Winner will be selected randomly on June 1st and posted here.  So be sure to check back and see if the winner is YOU!

Last Day Sale!!

Today is the last day for my close out sale at the shop.  I have a $5 or less section which will be deleted after today and a Sale section.  Most of these items will also be taken out of the shop to make room for more new things.  

Here is a little taste of what is available:

So, if you are intersted or know someone who might be... please pass this on and contact me today!  Visit the shop at http://www.mylifeinstages.com/  Thanks!

Sunshine Awards Winners!

Awhile back in April, I told you guys that I had been nominated for a sunshine award from Southwestjewelry.esty.com and my job was to find 12 deserving nominees to pass this on to! So, without further ado, here are my choices for the SUNSHINE AWARD!!!

1.   http://www.mybuttermilkcottage.blogspot.com/
2.   http://www.mostazaseed.blogspot.com/
3.   http://www.vintageshouting.blogspot.com/
4.   http://www.smellyshoesvintage.blogspot.com/

5.   http://www.lavenderdreamsforever.blogspot.com/

6.   http://www.cozylittlecave.com/

7.   http://www.tamarhammer.blogspot.com/

8.   http://www.selloholicmom.wordpress.com/

9.   http://www.pernillasss.blogspot.com

10. http://www.craftypalooza.blogspot.com/

11. http://www.extra-sprinkles.blogspot.com/

12. http://www.wallcakes.com/blog

These lucky folks get to put this beautiful award on their blog and choose 12 nominees to be the next recipients!  Congratulations to you all. Be sure and check out their blogs for fun and interesting ideas!  Keep the sunshine love shining!

Destash!

I guess that Destash is the new word for cleaning out, organizing, and getting rid of stuff!  Well, it is more than overdue for me to Destash!  I have several areas where this is true and I am avoiding actually doing it by writing about it instead!  Hey, who says I am not creative??

I need to get rid of alot of stuff on my Etsy shop to make room for some really cool treasures that I will be photographing and posting soon.  Many of these "destash" things are from when I first opened the shop back in January and are from my mother-in-law's kitchen.  I have a SALE section and a $5 section and for any of my readers that would like to buy from these two sections, please just make me an offer!  All reasonable offers will be accepted!  Just convo me and mention this blog post!   Just go here:  http://www.mylifeinstages.com/

Another area is my bills/paperwork/stuff you gotta keep area.  You know the one... where all your important papers are stacked haphazardly up in a pile next to you and your cat makes a nice little bed out of them?  Oh, that's only me?  Oh well....

I have to destash my garage to make room for all my thrifting, junking treasures and to make room for all my projects too!  I purchased paint for the bird houses and I am excited to get to it.  Many other  paint projects which would be so fun to do if we could get some actual sunshine over here for more than a day or two! 

Ok, so that's my life today.  Now, that I have told you where I am at, I may actually have to do something about this!  Oh, don't make me!  Please nooooo.....!

New Treasures!

I love to go yard sailing! Sometimes my kids come with me, and we always go to an old bakery that still uses a brick oven to make the breads and pies. Chocolate donuts are at the top of the list for my son and I while my daughter usually chooses a cookie or a vanilla donut. This weekend is the start of the yard sale season and several communities held neighborhood sales! One stop shopping!  You gotta love that! 

I have tried to limit myself to buying only things I think I can really use, or sell without turning it into a project. I find myself thinking of things in terms of how I could improve them!  I (barely) walked away from a 1960's era side table, since it needed major joint stabalization as well as repainting.  I have to do the 5 chairs, coffee table, and night stand in my garage before I can take on more. It was so cool though! It even had tiny tiles in various shades of blue on the top surface! The possibilities!  But I was strong and walked away!  Pat me on the back here, it was tough! 

I did end up with several nice things to list in the shop that I will show you later, and I also got some things that I thought I might be able to use to fix up those bird cages I bought awhile back. Remember those?  Yep, another project...Did I say I have a tendancy to procrastinate?  Things seem so much better in my head than they do in actual practice, but that is another story..

I thought I would put some up some pictures and see if  any of you have some ideas of what I could do with these cool cages. I was thinking of making them into centerpieces for weddings or anniversary parties since this is the season for love... I have some embellishments as you can see, may get more, and I will be repainting the cages so tell me your thoughts and ideas!  I need the inspiration! 

I would LOVE to hear your ideas! C'mon now.... don't be shy!

Old becomes New

I decided to see what I could do with this old bird I discovered one day.  He looked ok, the way he was I guess... but he seemed so worn that he just looked like the perfect experiment for me and my spray paint can! 

First, he was sprayed with several coats of gold metallic paint to cover all the various colors.  He actually hung in the tree in the backyard for a day while he dried!  I wonder what the neighbors thought? 

He seemed too bright too me just in gold, so I took some craft paint (Mint Julep Green- Americana) and diluted it with water. I used this as a wash over the top.

I was starting to like him better but he still needed something... I sprayed several coats of a clear sealer to give him a bit of shine..... I was still not sure I liked him, but my daughter did.  I set him up outside in the sunshine to take a picture of him, and my dog walked by and with his tail, swooped him onto the brick patio and broke him!   arggghhhhh!!!!  
Sarah was able to super glue him back together (I was going to throw him away), and you can hardly tell he was broken!  So, he will be here with us now rather than heading to the shop.  What do you think?

Tough weekend

Mother's day is tomorrow.  I am excited because it is always fun to get special attention from the kids, and  to spend time with them.  I am also sad since my mother is no longer with me.  She passed on about 6 years ago and it is still difficult when this day rolls around  not to feel that loss again.  My father is also gone now.  He died in October 2 years ago after a long illness.  He spent the last several weeks of his life in our home with some support from the Seattle area Hospice services.  These people were wonderfully supportive and helped to make this time as easy as possible for all of us.  Sunday is not only mother's day, but it is my dad's birthday as well.  Every once in awhile, May 9th falls on a Sunday.  This makes it doubly hard for me.  So many memories, so much loss, so little time we have on this earth! 

The sun is out, the weekend promises to be a nice one, and I have things to do to keep me focused on the good this weekend.  Still, it is a wake-up call, to make sure and live everyday to the fullest!  Cherish your time with your families this weekend.  Honor your parents, even if it is hard sometimes, and seize the day!

Upcycled Chalkboard Items!

We had a bit of nice weather and it inspired me to get busy on some pieces I have been wanting to redo or upcycle!  I spent a day with my chalkboard spray paint and lots of glass and metal and had some fun seeing what I could create.  I found this vintage metal plate while out thrifting one day but the inner part was pretty scuffed and scratched up so I thought it would make the perfect chalkboard!  I can see this standing on an easel as shown, or hanging on the wall.  I would use it as a Menu Plate.  My family always asks, "what's for dinner?"  This way, I would write the menu for the night and they could see it!  No more answering the same question numerous times!  I think it looks really cool too! 

What do you think?  Could you use this in your house?

I was originally going to spray paint these bottles and then put a chalkboard label but I kind of liked the colors of the glass and thought they looked nice in a grouping.  I can see these grouped together on a table with some long stemmed roses, gerbera daisys, or even a bouquet of wildflowers.  You can even put taper candles in them and use them for a romantic dinner setting.  Do you like them?  Is it too much?  Would you take one to someone as a get well with a bouquet in it?   How could you use these? 

These are so easy to make, you can make your own!  Here is how I did it:  I used plastic wrap to cover the bottle with the exception of the section I wanted to paint.  This I taped off with painters tape.  Painter's tape works better than regular tape as it comes off easily if you need to reposition it.  It doesn't even tear the plastic wrap!  Also, there is no sticky residue left like with masking tape or other tapes.  Make sure your glass or surface is very clean and dry before you start.  Wrap and tape it and make sure to press the tape down very firmly.  Chalkboard paint is made up of tiny pieces of lead-like stuff and it gets in the smallest of cracks!  Spray several layers allowing approximately 10-15 minutes of dry time in between coats.  Once you have 4-6 layers, allow a 24 hour drying time to completely cure.  Then prepare the surface by rubbing the side of a piece of chalk over it, wipe clean and it is ready to use! 

I have some other fun things that are ready but I need to take pictures yet.  Look for them in the shop soon!  How many things can you think of to use this on? 

A new talent?

I just have to brag a little today about my son.  Jared is 13 and in 7th grade.  He is a smart kid that is always asking questions!  I guess that is why he is smart!  Trouble is, many times, I don't have the answers~!  Anyway, he likes to take pictures and experiment with closeups, outdoors, plants, flowers, and animals.  I recently posted a couple of his pictures in the shop, and he sold one!  He sold it to a serviceman in Afganistan for his wife for mother's day!  He was sooo excited, and just today,  TheSilverDog  www.etsy.com/shop/thesilverdog  chose his giraffe print to put in her treasury of kissing animals called "Furry Smooches!" So cute! 

Jared is beginning to see that maybe he really does have a talent that he could develop with practice and hard work.  I love it!  Nothing like someone other than mom telling you that you can do it right?  He is trying to earn money to go to Washington D.C. with his class next year, and has distributed the usual flyers for pet sitting and lawn mowing.  So now, he has another possible way to earn a few dollars towards that and he is motivated!  I love it!

New stuff!

With summer weddings coming up, I wanted to put some things in the shop that would work for weddings.  I have had alot of demand for milk glass vases, but I think I have scoured the area!  Maybe I will get lucky if I keep looking, but I did find some vintage glass vases in similar styles to the milk glass ones that I thought would look nice in a grouping.  I love the mix and match look!  Well, I can't seem to post pictures today, so you will have to look down below to the etsy button for the new additions!  I think I did get the comments section fixed now... this technology stuff is not for the easily discouraged! 

 InMyNest at etsy has some very nice milk glass pieces.  I particularly like this one. http://www.etsy.com/listing/34490380/milk-glass-set  She also has a ton of other cool vintage items.  Check her out!

I picked up some birdcages while out thrifting and I am thinking of how to paint and decorate them to work as nice table centerpieces for weddings. One is wicker, one is metal, and one is wooden.  Any ideas? I will post pics once I figure it out. I love the before and after type posts don't you? Please send your ideas! 

I was featured in a treasury on etsy.com recently and it was very exciting.  This was from http://www.etsy.com/shop/flowersy who is based in Israel, Jerusalem!  I have always wanted to go there! 
Check out her shop for some beautiful and unique handmade floral jewelry! 

I hope your day is going well.

Can You Do It All Well?

It is pouring rain outside my sliding door as I sit at my desk writing.  Just a few hours ago I woke up to a gorgeous blue sky with white puffy clouds and sun streaming in the windows!  My hope is that the rain will stop soon and the sun will come back.  I have so many projects to do, they keep stacking up on me.  I just want to get outside with my spray paint! 

I think I have been devoting too much time to learning about the business of being an online business.  It is really interesting, and the learning keeps me young, but in the process, I notice there are several things I have neglected.  When I look up from the computer, or camera lense, I see dishes piled in the sink, stuff to go in the shop sitting in corners waiting to be stored, and items to be shipped!  What has happened to my organization?  Where did it go, and why has it left me now when I need it the most? 

How do you organize your time?  I used to work fulltime, volunteer 20+ hours a week and keep the cupboards stocked, laundry done, and the house mostly clean... ok, more clean than now... : )  This wasn't all that long ago either, maybe 4 or 5 years!  It seems things have gotten harder to organize since I have stopped working.  Maybe it is the sense that I have 'unlimited' time to get all these things done?  My procrastination?  Avoidance?  Laziness?  All I know is that it is time for me to come out of the cave and get going!  I have a long list of things to do.  Wanna see some? 

1.  Paint the entire interior of the house.  where to begin?  which room, which color?
2.  Replace faucets and light fixtures in the bathrooms
3.  Replace interior doors
4.  Plant flowers and organize patio and deck
5.  replace both sliding doors - seals are shot!
6.  weed and edge the front landscaping - currently looks like a "cottage in the woods"  with that "natural" landscaping, ie, weeds... I can kid myself that this is cool no longer! 

There is more, but I think I am ready for a nap now.... Thanks for reading..  What's on your list?

What is Important?

A childhood friend of my  daughter just lost her mother yesterday after a battle with cancer.  This young woman is like a second daughter to me.  I didn't  know her mother well, but I feel sad for her, and the rest of her family.  Her mother was only one year older than I am.  Things like this always make me stop and think about the fact that, all we ever really have, is this one moment in time.  We never know when something will happen and take all those plans made for "another time" and it will be too late.  

How many times have I said I would like to try something, do something, or even tell someone something, but I didn't because I wanted to wait for something else to happen first?  One of the things about growing older is realizing that waiting is not a good thing sometimes.  I have definately been forced to gain patience over the years from the 'want it now' person I was (still am in some ways, truth be told!).  But I also am beginning to realize that putting things off is not working for me, for others, and for certain situations. 

Fear of embarrassment seems to be what holds us back from doing things we feel we should do.   My daughter hasn't talked to her friend for awhile since they both went separate ways to college, and was reluctant to call, or email her about her mother.  She didn't want to bring up something uncomfortable, or awkward, and so was planning to do nothing.  We talked about how that looks from the 'other side,' the grieving person's side of things.  How much it would mean to her friend that she told her she cares, she loves her, and that she is thinking of her.  That a crisis is not something that you have to try to find words to "make better"

Through this process I have realized that I have learned a great deal about dealing with awkward situations myself.  Where I used to focus on making it better and not knowing how; I now focus on keeping it simple.  State the facts.  I care.  I hurt for you.    Can I help?  You can talk to me.  I love you.  These simple words of comfort have been very helpful for me, both as a grieving person, and as someone trying to comfort a bereaved individual.   

Don't let today go by without doing the thing you know you need to do.  Say the words, make the gesture; put yourself out there and take the risk...  Making a difference for someone else, makes the biggest difference for ourselves and our own sense of peace.   By the way, she contacted her friend...  : )

Featured!!

I am so excited to let you know that I was featured in Mostazseed's design blog!  She was discussing the use of the color yellow in decorating and featured the  vintage yellow chair from my online shop! 

This is such a comfortable chair and just like my grandmother used to have at her formica table! 

It is so much fun to know that people out there are actually reading stuff I write and linking things together.  I am still learning about all this and how to do it, but I am having a great time in the process.  Check out her cool blog for great ideas http://mostazseed.blogspot.comfeatures/  and she features alot of Etsy sellers which I think is sooo cool!

 I wish Etsy would advertise so it would become known like Ebay!  Not only would that be good for the sellers on Etsy, but for the general public who are looking for something unique and special to give as a gift or purchase for themselves!  There are so many cool things on this site, many talented artists!  Check it out for yourself at http://www.esty.com/

I also recieved a Sunshine Award from Southwestjewelry recently!  How did she know I needed this?   The Sunshine is most appreciated here in this dark land of the PNW. Thanks Southwestjewelry, check her out at   http://southwestjewelry.blogspot.com/ she has some beautiful and unique jewelry! 

And now, I get to award this to 12 lucky nominees! Woo hoo! The challenge will be learning how to link everything together~ Yes, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks, but sometimes, it takes more time!  So be on the look out and I will tell you who I link to as I discover them!  :-)

New listings

Just added 14 new things to the shop.. Check it out and let me know what you think!  Here are a couple of my favorite finds. 

Love this set!  Robin's egg blue, silver and white with a tiny touch of red!  I would love to use it for cake and coffee!  I don't have enough cupboard space for all the stuff I like to collect though.  So I hope someone else will love it as much as I do! 
Another one of my favorites is this gorgeous gold, white and black scarf!  I would use it as a table scarf  and I think it would look gorgeous with some vintage vases on it.  What do you think?

How about this? 

For more vintage treasures check out my shop by clicking on the Etsy button to your right or go to www.etsy.com/shop/lifeinstages 
Thanks for looking!