Morning Glory Phonograph Horn...Finally!

The Coveted Morning Glory Horn!

 I have been wanting an old phonograph horn for just about FOREVER!  On occasion I would come across one however the price was usually too high!  I really am "cheap"...umm "thrifty" most of the time.  I don't know why I love them so much.  I just do!  I found this one that has a little damage on two petals but you can not see it because I will always figure out a way to camouflage it.  It was VERY reasonable and I couldn't walk away from it!  So here it is, with a "rustic looking" scarey head (many of my friends will say that) an old record box that just sings "Valentine's Day" to me, a little bit of pink basket stuffer stuff, my "fake" green apples and in the trees are some paper like roses that I rescued from a very damaged shadow box a few years ago.  I just "stuck em in"...no glue, no wire!

 A side view...did I happen to mention how much I love this thing!?

And one final little detail...the heart necklace I just "picked" from a bag of jewelry that my friend Debra left on my front porch.  She has strict orders to NOT THROW AWAY anything that I could possibly use!  I shudder to think of all the stuff I missed before I got into her head!  LOL!  Actually this batch was from her daughter, Ashley who was moving into her new apartment...Congrats!  Hmm, the "Fleur-de-lis" necklace will not be scavenged for another project.  I will wear that one just the way it is!  Thanks Ashley!  This is my Valentine "Mise-en-scene".  Who knows where my Morning Glory will end up next!

thinking PINK and cupcakes!

 I have been obsessed all day over cupcakes!  I am trying to not eat any sweets until the weekend.  While trolling through my kitchen drawers amongst the "fake food" (yes, I love that stuff!) I found my three "fake cupcakes" a vanilla, chocolate and strawberry.  Strawberry it is and here is the start of a sort of Valentine PINK theme at least until Valentines Day. 

 I purchased the old scale at Columbus Flea Market in NJ this past summer.  I absolutely love it RUST and all!  There seems to be a weighty situation up on my counter.  Oh, what to eat the healthy green apples or that yummy looking strawberry CUPCAKE!  If only it were real, today I would have lost the battle!  The little beater was given to me from "Aunt Bea" the sweetest lady you could ever know.  She was one of the most important people in my childhood and I love to have her things around me.  The little polka dotted pots and flowers are from my other favorite haunt...Home Goods!

 Another shot of the cupcake and two of the weights that came with the scale.  I love numbers too!  Except on my own scale I would like them to be lower!  Stay away from cupcakes!  I have such a sweet tooth!

oooh...they're Albino Humming birds!

I purchased my "rare Albino Humming birds" at Columbus Flea Market in NJ this past summer.  At least that is what I am calling them now that I have been inspired by the picture that my friend Linda sent me!  How funny!  Who'da thunk, to make albino Humming birds whenever they were made.  Pretty sure they are vintage.  How old...I have no idea.  But I loved them and had to have them.  They may end up in a project or just keep hanging out on the wire tree!

This is a real Albino Hummer that 15 year old photographer, Mark Shank was fortunate enough to capture several images while in a park in Staunton, VA.  (DailySquee.com)  Thanks, Linda for the "ah hah!" moment!

the storm before the calm....

This is only a portion of the "stuff" I am trying to put away and organize better.  I was inspired by an article, in of all places, People magazine.  The family has a "Xmas closet".  Hmm, sounds better than the "cruise ship" sized boxes I have in the unfinished side of the basement.  Target has been my go to for boxes.  Fun way to spend some $'s don't ya think?  It's been several days of sorting, tossing and a pile of "I can't quite get rid of it".  The end is in sight, but I do have a problem.  I look at things and think about how I can re-purpose them.  Sometimes the follow through isn't so good because I get distracted by something else.

The fruit of my labor...

This is what I am working towards...nice and neat huh?  This closet is in the finished side of the basement so I relented and put the vintage ornaments in here as well.  Just trying to squeeze in the Fall and Springtime stuff.  When I am finally done "cleaning up" then I would like to sit down and create something.  Work first...then play!
Now I am going to have all these HUGE storage boxes...anybody?  They would make a great watering trough for horses, or an impromptu bathtub!

Pine cones behaving badly...

Just when you think the "Xmas carnage" is over...a pine cone man loses his head.  Hmm...which one do you think is guilty?  The guy on the left looks "scared".  Maybe he is the guilty party!  I made these guys years ago and their hats and gloves have been repainted due to my ever changing mind and color scheme.  The teal may stay, it is my favorite color after all.  These little guys were featured in a magazine to purchase.  It could have been Country Living but I am not positive.  I don't have the magazine anymore.  I couldn't help but attempt to make them myself.  I would like to make more in the future to possibly even sell.  If I ever get that booth or actually put something in my Etsy store.  I always get so distracted with life or making something else.  I have "CADD"...Creative Attention Deficit Disorder!

Snow children...

Here are my "Snow Children", Ryan on the left and Jen on the right.  I purchased the "Snow boy and girl" at Home Goods a few years ago.  They HAD snowman features on their heads a carrot nose and little black beads for "coal eyes and mouth".  This year it just hit me out of nowhere to remove the "snowman" features and put my kids faces on the heads instead.  Ryan's snowman head was bigger and much easier to "decoupage" his face on.  Jen's was much smaller and after attempting PERFECT 6 times and needing to print out another head image of her since I ruined the first one...I decided "good enough" was going to have to do.  I still don't like the wrinkles in hers!  I also purchased lots of vintage glass garland beads this summer.  After sorting out the colors, I chose these and made little garlands for each of them.  The little teal "puffy sparkly thing" is vintage as well.  Fun easy project for anyone to add some personal Xmas items to your home.  They will be on display year round in my craft studio.  I can't possibly put them in a box!

Finally putting Xmas away...

My daughter left yesterday to go back to Japan so now I finally have the opportunity to take down the decorations.  Taking the decorations down every year is so bitter/sweet to me.  I love to make things using images of my children and now that they are in their 20's and living lives of their own, the little pieces I make with their images are NOT ones that will go into a box into the basement.  Somewhere in my craft studio they will be displayed.  I like to see them everyday!  The house is just so festive and sparkly and full.  As you take down the "pretties" it looks so empty and sparse.  Which of course gives me new decorating opportunities.  I can't seem to help myself.  It's an addiction.  Sometimes I worry that I could be on the "Hoarders" show.  Shopping and creating are just around the "fill another box" bend!  Meanwhile, I purchased many vintage glass ornaments over the last few months while "flea marketing".  My favorites are the old ones that have turned "teal" or were that color to begin with.  It's funny, I have no problem putting away the "new" ornaments into boxes in the basement.  However, the vintage stuff that has probably been put in the worst conditions before they came to me, will be loving put away in a closet on the third floor!

New Beginnings....

Finally, I have a blog!  Yippee!  Now I have no idea what I am doing exactly or how it will evolve.  I have enjoyed reading so many other blogs that have inspired me to have my own.  I will definitely recommend them as I go along.

My daughter is home for two more nights before flying back to Japan where she has been living the past two years.  I need to enjoy every last minute.  Jen (my daughter) has spent the last few hours "walking" me through this process.  Thank you dear daughter for your patience even with your migraine.  Also would like to thank Cute'n'Cool Backgrounds for her layouts.  Check her out there are so many really creative layouts.  Hard to pick just one!  I did use my own artwork for my header though.  Although the bunnies were tempting!

That's all for now!