We Have A Winner!

Mercy, mercy ... me, oh, my!!! I am overwhelmed by your response. Thank you so much for your kind words and interest in my giveaway! It was so much fun to meet you all. It will take me a few days, but I will be visiting all of your blogs to get better acquainted.

Soooo, lets get on with the drawing and the winner! After compiling all your comments (doubles to those that promoted my giveaway on their blog - thank you, thank you), I got out my favorite file box to work as my "drawing hopper".

Then I placed all your entries in, shut the lid and shook it up - rreeaalll good. I opened it up ....

And, drew a winner!!!! The winner of the "First Official Vintage Trifles Giveaway" is ............

Myrna of Heirlooms !!!

Congratulations Myrna! I will be emailing you to obtain your address so I can get "Miss Liberty" on her way to you. I know she will love her new home!

Again, I can't thank you all enough for taking time to enter my giveaway. I had so much fun doing every step of it. So much fun that I will be doing another giveaway in the very near future. Check in often and see what I will offer next! M.

First Official Vintage Trifles Giveaway!

Well folks, this is it - my first Giveaway! I would like to share this little creation I've called "Miss Liberty" with you! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post. I will draw a name from comments after 9 p.m. PST on Tuesday, May 27th. Better yet, if you mention my giveaway on your blog, I will enter your name twice! Woo Hoo!!!

Now a little info about "Miss Liberty". The bits and pieces and vintage trifles are gathered in the bottom of an old cigar box. It includes a copy of a 1925 July calendar, a flag, and a picture of a young woman holding a flag. At the bottom of the picture, someone has written, "Home, Love and Liberty. That is what we are fighting for." To me, that pretty much says it all.

Believe it or not, while being fun to create, it was most challenging to make. The color palette and subject matter was somewhat different than what I usually work with and that made me really have to think. What made sense to include? Not just any old thing just because it looked interesting. I had to put more thought into this one. I hope you think it is special, too! Remember -- if you would like a chance to win "Miss Liberty", just comment on this post before 9 p.m. PST, Tuesday May 27th! Mention my giveaway in your blog and I will enter your name twice!

Have a safe Memorial Weekend and take time to remember those that gave their lives so we can enjoy home, love and liberty. M.

Patriotic Nostalgia

I realized today that it has been almost a week since my last post. Where do the days go? I've started on a little assemblage for my giveaway. I was going to make something more along the lines of what you would expect from me - then - I decided to go with a completely different theme. Memorial Weekend is almost upon us and before you know it, the 4th of July! The old red, white and blue seems appropriate! Nothing "primitive" mind you. Just a little something nostalgic and old fashioned that will inspire you to get out there and wave your flag. Sometime soon I post a picture of the completed piece and we will kick-off my "First Official Vintage Trifles Give-Away"! Check back often so you don't miss it! M.

A Different Approach

The week preceding Mother's Day and the weekend itself were reeaalllly busy. We had many events at work which were successful, but tiring. By Mother's Day, I wasn't sure I could say my name. The great thing was that my hubby and son took are of me by cooking, cleaning, hanging drapes, and more cooking. We played cards and watched movies. It was a rather low-keyed day, but was just right for me. Nothing better than hanging out at home with my two favorite guys. Flowers, cards, etc. are fine, but spending time with them means more to me.

Last week before all the events took place, I opened an Etsy store: www.vintagetrifles.etsy.com! I know, I have a website -- why am I doing Etsy? Simply because I can place items on it myself and don't have to rely on someone else to do it. I can place them in my timeframe and don't have wait to fit into someone else's schedule. And, the best part is the price. I will probably discontinue my website in the near future, but I don't have to decide that right now. I just need to get a better camera and learn how to work with lighting, etc. I purchased my camera in 2002 and it has 1.8 mega pixels! My son (the photographer) calls it the dinosaur. There are probably even toothbrushes out there now that have more mega pixels. I will buy a new one soon, really someday soon. I will...

The items for sale on Etsy are pictured on the left: Seaside Friends, Bliss, Little Mannequin, and Sweet Memories. The items pictured above are also for sale. If you have any questions or are interested in purchasing on of them, please inquire in a comment! I also added a list of shows where you can find me and my creations through the summer. I'm also thinking of doing a little give-away sometime soon. Why wait for that 1ooth post? Stay tuned... M.

Queen for a Day!

All of us have little things that our mother's used to say (or still say) that have stuck in in minds over the years. One Mother's Day, my mom gave me a little book called "Momilies, As My Mother Used to Say...", by Michele Slung. I'm going to share a few of my favorites with you today.

Nothing worthwhile happens after midnight.

If somebody else's mother lets him jump off the Empire State Building, would you want me to let you do it, too?

Be careful what you wish for; you might get it.

If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.

So it's raining? You're not sugar -- you won't melt.

Why do you think I have gray hair?

Always put toilet paper on the seat.

Don't go into dark alleys.

Don't cross your eyes of they will freeze that way.

Don't wear good underwear to the doctor or your bill will be higher.

Don't put beans up your nose.

Horses sweat, men perspire, ladies glow.

Put on clean underwear in the morning in case you're in an accident.

The important thing is to get a good bra.

Let me feel your forehead.

If it didn't taste bad, it wouldn't be medicine.

It's not what you wear; it's who your are.

Get your hair out of your eyes.

It will never heal if you pick at it.

And my personal favorites: Only sluts wear half slips and nice girls don't wear ankle bracelets!

Pat yourself on the back today for doing one of the hardest jobs on Earth: being a mom. Whether it's to your own children, step-children, grandchildren, etc., it is the hardest and the most rewarding. I declare that you all are "Queen for a Day" today and every other day too! M.

Spring Cleaning

Yesterday I spent over 12 hours in my workroom - not doing fun stuff - but cleaning!!! Not just cleaning - sorting and organizing. If that wasn't enough, I got all my bookkeeping up to date. Wow does it feel good! For the first time in a long time, I feel I can do whatever I want now. I might even paint the front room. Yeah, well, believe it when you see it. I finally am utilizing a little chest I bought several years ago the way it was meant to be used. I sorted all my various pieces of paper: images, script or text, backgrounds, sheet music, vintage newspapers, wallpaper, so on and so forth. I actually walked over, opened a drawer and found exactly what I was looking. I might not remember in a month, but it was very rewarding last night. There are still a couple rough areas, like reminents of ribbons. That still needs some attention and seems minor now that the huge mess is cleaned up. While I worked away, Miss Zoe did what she does best - sleep!

We did take a break. We took a quick walk around the block, jumped in the SUV and got coffee. It was a mid-afternoon reward for sticking with it. Besides, I needed the caffeine before starting on the banking!

Before closing, I want to thank you for your kind comments to my posts - especially yesterday. Also, I'd like to ask that you give me your input on having an Etsy store. Something I'm mulling over in lieu of a website. Send me your thoughts - okay? Hope the forecast includes sunshine for you this weekend! M.

Two Peas in a Pod

Today, I'm honoring my mom, Etta and her twin, Gretta - the Wyland Twins. They were born on this day in 1915 and defined the phrase "two peas in a pod"! It was rare to find one without the other. Very seldom throughout their lives were they far apart. As children, they were said to be identical. Therefore, as children, Mom was always on the left in pictures so they could be told apart. However, there were differences in personality. Gretta ("Aunt Sissy" to my sister and I) was more outgoing, adventuresome and had a very creative side. Mom was quieter, serious, and more studious. Mom always followed Aunt Sissy's lead. This pattern continued throughout their lives until they passed within three months to the day of each other in 1997 - Aunt Sissy going first.

There are too many good stories to share, so I will just hit on a few birthday celebrations. Beginning on their 70th birthdays, we started finding silly and unusual ways to surprise them. On their 70th, we held a surprise party complete with a tasteful (if possible) yet hilarious "boob" cake. because occasionally we would refer to them as the Boobsy Twins. I know - bad humor, but they weren't stuffy, sedate 70 year olds. They laughed themselves to tears. Sometimes we would sneak in and pack their suitcases and take them on a trip - usually to the beach. Another year, I hung a huge banner outside of their apartment complex asking everyone to wish them a happy 75th. And they did. When I was living in Eastern Oregon, I took them to Wallowa Lake which reminded them of our summer vacations to Grand Lake, Colorado. The day was perfect with blue skies, a sparkling lake and many deer sightings.

So on this day, I wanted to share them with you. They were loved by many and are missed, but they will always be alive in our hearts. M.