How I See It

Thrifty Scores!!

So MacIver and I were out on the weekend. Driving home after a long day of running around, just around the corner from home I spied a canopy in a parking lot of an office building area. I asked if we could stop and peek as it was obviously a garage sale ...some sort of community fund raising event. MacIver was a little tired and maybe a little grumpy and I said..oh..forget it...we don't need anything ...but he did turn in and sat in the car while I whipped around. There was lots of little things. I spied a set of cutlery in a cutlery box but did not pay too much attention to those (yet). Then I saw some old silver stuff. Again I really don't need any silver as I have LOADS of it from my MIL and my own dear Mum (still in Ireland awaiting sipping). I did look..and found something that I loved the shape of...what do you think?

It's a lovely shape and size and will be a perfect vase for Summer blooms!

Lovely detail on the handle

 but what confused me was...what sport plays for "flights"? Anyone know what this might have been an award for? **EDIT...I think I found it after googling every which way but up...golf...maybe just ladies golf?**

There was quite a few items in the collection of trophies. Platters, cups and vases and I could kick myself that I didn't pick them all up! I asked how much they wanted for the jug and she said .... $2!!! SO SOLD!! I was so happy! Next time I won't leave anything behind...afterall..I am sure you would all love a little blog candy? I won't fail you again !! Promise!

MacIver came over then and I showed him the cutlery set in the box...a very pretty & elegant  set of plated silver, 6 pieces of each item. I really did not need cutlery but I thought my newly wed son & his wife might. So I called him and he said they would. I asked how much and they said $10 (reduced from $25!!). SCORE! He was over shortly after we got home and so I didn't get a chance to take a picture but he was thrilled with them :-)

So of course now I am all excited to get out to other garage sales this Summer!

I am going to link up to Southern Hospitality's Thrifty Treasures

 and Thrift Share Monday

and Her Library Adventures Flea Market Finds

Thanks for visiting!

Sue

 

OH

 

GO CANUCKS GO!!!!!

5 Lbs of Buttons isn't enough?

For some reason I have recently become fixated on buttons, in particular vintage collections of white buttons. When I saw THIS (...click over to the #3 photo) the hunt was on. I was fortunate to find a collection on Ebay and WON!! (McIver does not agree that you can WIN on Ebay...HUH?). The arrived recently..and looked like this:

I refrained from opening them up and dumping them all over the table until I found my vessel for them! Well...I was looking for a nice vintage jar like the one in the picture but could not find anything. Then I scoured HomeSense daily because a few months ago when I didn't need one they had 100's of lovely apothecary jars that would have worked. I've had the buttons now since Easter...so I said to my self ... I said ... "Susan...think outside the box vintage vessel". I did..and while in HomeSense one day I saw a very cool vintage looking candle enclosure. But I then ran with that idea and looked at all the different ones they had and ended up with this one...

I had to find one that would enclose the buttons and be secure so I didn't have a button shower in the guest room!

Time to play with the buttons....

I dumped them out

and was so happy with the selection

....they really were like someone's personal collection of buttons that were cut off clothing over the years...check them out

Someone obviously threaded buttons onto this wire to save them...love that!

Look...she cut a little bit of the shirt with this one....

LOVE these ones with the little wire loops on them

A little sample of the more ornate ones...

and another sample

So..time to load them up...

WHAT??? It's not full!!!

So I am on the hunt for even more...meanwhile..I think they look lovely and they are residing in the guestroom

So if you have white vintage buttons that need a home...I have one for them! :-)

Thanks for dropping by!

Sue

 Linking once again to Songbird's White Party

 

 

 

Let the White Shine Through...

We shared our last home with my In-Laws and looked after them for the last 20 years. We also lived in the basement! It was a dark basement, not your modern above ground style ones...no this was the cave style. We had it decorated quite nicely and changed it up a few times while we were there but nothing made it bright!

So when we moved and I got BIG windows and everything is lovely and bright I knew I wanted to reflect that light...and I was going to have a bright guest room with lots of fluffy cushions on the bed. As soon as I saw the sheets I grabbed them, same with the pillows...I know exactly what I wanted...not totally white but definitely the over all effect was white and bright...and I knew also that I wanted white furniture.

Welcome to the guest room...

I knew I had achieved what I was after (a welcoming comfy guest room) when I showed my friend Collen the room and she SQUEEEEEEed and said she just wanted to move in and stay! LOL My plan is to paint the walls a very very soft gray/white in the not too distant future when funds allow again!

All the pillows (except the white pillow shams) and bedding is from HomeSense and Winners (here in Vancouver and the little black one is from Toronto when I visited my sister). I think these are sister stores to TJMaxx in the States.

My favourites by far are the white ones with the shabby chic roses on them..lovely soft texture.

I found these accent lights in Ikea

The artwork for the walls is from my Daughter-In-Law Christina (aka Teeny...because she is)

The quilt & Pillow Shams I brought back from Ireland In February and the day before yesterday I saw the EXACT same one at a store near here..LOL! But I love it and again it adds texture.

The lights by the bed I also found at HomeSense. The local HomeSense is about 5 minutes from our new house  and right by the grocery store so I am ALWAYS in there...so I know what is new and as soon as I see something I like I nab it....I can always take it back but if I hesitate...it's gone! Richard was with me when I saw these lamps...right at the entrance of the store. He was not sure about them but I KNEW I wanted them! The are solid and heavy and I think they fit the room and add a nice element to all the floofyness happening on the bed.

What do you think?

The reason I decided to show you the 'white' room today is because I was reading Donna's blog "Funky Junk Interiors" and she was showcasing her love of all things white because she was linking up to a blog in Europe (New to me) "Songbird" that was hosting a giveaway...and we all love a chance to win something cute right? (You can too...)

Around the house I have a few more things that are white

The beautiful vintage birdcage our friend's gave us

and the iconic white Ikea Sofas

The throw and the cushions are also Ikea. I don't want to show too much of this room until I have some woodwork done...in the not too distant future I hope. (Yes white...lol)

That's it..I'll link up to Songbird and you can hop over and visit all the white loveliness and enter to win too

 

and Donna at Funky Junk...

 

Thanks for visiting...

Sue

 

Sniffles and flowers

Sick..every year whether I need it or not I get a really bad cold. Hand me my tissues and I am off to bed.

Today I was hanging out on the sofa feeling sorry for myself when I noticed that the lovely flowers that I received at the Easter Brunch were looking a little "tired". They needed to be sorted and edited. I took my Mother In Law's lovely silver teapot (that she would die if she saw how tarnished I let it get...but I like that look!) and cut back the flowers that still had life in them and created a little bouquet to brighten up my day. I always love this secondary life giving exercise for bouquets of flowers...they always look so totally different from the original.

What do you think?

I love the rainbows of colour that tarnished silver creates..

The teapot is quite plain with just a little trim of decoration

and the whole pot...

Thats all the energy I had today..hope your day was wonderful!

I am linking to Sarah's Good Life Wednesday, check out what everyone has been up to...

 

Sue

Internet Friendships

**EDIT** I had this posted but the story got even better this morning when I checking in with my Tweets (Twitter buddies)...you can see the whole evolution of FRED if you START HERE on Lydia's blog and follow the links for the creation of this card filled with love. There is some BLOG CANDY along the way too.

 

Do you have "online" friends? I do, I have an amazing group of blogger ladies with whom I have become great friends with on Twitter. The were so kind when Mum passed away and sent me thoughtful words of support. What I did not know, was, that these wonderful creative women had created a card, and sent it to each other to sign and today, while I was feeling sick and blue, it arrived in the mail. I cannot tell you how I felt. So touched, so blessed to have such wonderful people in my life, so fortunate to be able to call them friends.

Here is the lovely card they sent...from coast to coast, north to south and all over...from Texas (Lydia (probably the smartest sassiest girl i will ever get to meet..and i will meet her & Dana who I think will have the biggest guffah laugh ever when I finally get to hear her), California (Lisa I think maybe the sweetest perosn you will ever meet), Kentucky (Mary Dawn I think quiet...but still waters run deep), Washington DC (Leslie crazy funny and totally dancing to her own drummer, and I WILL meet her in July and dance to that drummer too!!!), Nova Scotia (Chelle new mama, sweetheart, brave, loving and courageous), Alberta (Dreena changing her life and others one hoop at a time..so very proud of you) and BC (Tara this girl is going to be an amazing photographer, she is bravely making her dream come true).

Thank you so much...this is a treasure and my mum would have daintly picked off the pearls and saved them...LOL I will keep it all together and treasure it! Thank you, your friendship means so much to me, you have no idea. OH and girls I am sorry it took me three days to go to my mail box LOL!