Karla's Cottage

Not that I have anything against Canadians

Button mania!  I've stuffed my overflowing buttons into some old jam jars and decked them out with lots of tiny millinery blooms.

Buttons and something to fill up with them has become my latest obsession. Well, that and my DVR.  I got all caught up on the shows I had missed while traveling.  DVRs are magic, what a brilliant invention, for a TV junkie like me.


Did anyone see all the big, blooming hats on Mad Men last night!!!??? I couldn't even pay attention to the story, I was so overwhelmed with the millinery at the Derby party. 

The styles and clothes on that show always grab my attention, I'd watch it even if it didn't feature such good writing. 

(These jewels are available in my Boutique and the jam jars are on Etsy)

 

Twinkle and I have been working in the yard to get ready for the family reunion camp out in my yard coming up this weekend.  I decided to mow paths through the grass in the fields for walking trails that connect to the Fairy Berry Trail.


I've been enjoying going out for walks on them myself. But while out there, I noticed the Canadian Thistle had gone a bit crazy. I know that thistle is considered an noxious weed, but I've always loved it.  This drawing, is one that I did at age 15 for a biology class. Its the drawing that made me realize that I wanted to be an artist.

To this day, I keep this ink drawing out on display.  You don't want to do the math to know how long that has been.

But as much as I enjoy the thistle plant, I know they have to go. So, as I started to chop them down to burn (the only way to dispose of them without spreading the seeds), it dawned on me that I had two adult sons who live here with me and one of them should do it all instead of me! So I went to fetch Ryan and set him on the chore. 

Why don't I think of that more often? I am finally gaining the wisdom that comes with age (or getting lazy).

So, while Ryan cleared the field of thistles, I was free to foof the Fairy Berry Trail!

Ace Hardware had some clearance garden decor that was just right for out there. Wind chimes with doe-doe birds, and bright metal flowers on stakes.  Sugarwings will be excited when she comes home on Tuesday (she spends a few days with her Hippy Chick Mommy and other grandma every week)  I love to surprise her with new additions to the trail, she always notices right away when we go for our walks along the path.



And how perfect was this? Its a gift from a buddy who knew I'd love it for the trail. And it is very fitting now, my handsome husband has been expanding the trail, so that now it goes up the hill from the valley it was first made in.  He and Sugarwing's Daddy took a chain saw out there and cleared a path through the brush.  (We'd do anything and everything for that fairy baby)

So, I've nailed this plaque to a tree at the top of the hill, at the beginning of the walkway.

Sugarwings can't read, but we will both stop and read it together every time we go into the woods.

Getting my ducks in a row

Today is one of those days I look forward to all year. Beth and I never miss Sparks and White Cloud flea markets, and according to the website, White Cloud was supposed to be today.  Well, that is what is said at least.

After getting up at 6am (not typical for me at all) and driving over 2 hours, this is what we found. A ghost town!

Usually White Cloud is the last weekend of August and Sparks is Labor Day and some years they don't match up. So, this year, they changed the dates and aligned the shows BUT they didn't remember to change the info on the website!!!!!!

Next weekend is the Ginormous Nathan Camp-o-rama with 20 relatives coming to pitch tents in my yard, so no flea market for me this fall.  I might have pitched a fit about missing it, but Beth took me shopping at The Rusty Chandelier 
and that helped ease my disappointment.  We  ate a butter drenched lunch at Red Lobster and that wasn't so bad either.

Still, every once in  while, we'd turn to each other and say, "I feel sad".  We both love that flea market!


We also went downtown St. Joe, MO to Hatfield's, a junk shop/gun store.  We didn't see many rifles that we couldn't live without, but I found a few bags of old cupcake toppers and a bagful of hats.

 

Cute, huh? I'll be using some in my own work, but there were so many, I listed quite a few in the Boutique.


I especially liked the chickens.  I'm saving a couple to decorate cakes with Sugarwings, she needs to learn a bit more about farm animals.  When she sang Old MacDonald to me tonight, she didn't mention cows, chickens, or pigs. Instead, her farm had unicorns and sharks.



Her Daddy bought her this vintage dotted Swiss nightgown for under a quarter.  I couldn't decide if she looked like an angel, a Victorian doll baby, or Tammy Wynette in it.


We'll go with angel.


While filling beakers with buttons yesterday, I also tossed some into old ink jars.  The "labels" are made of a page cut out from a 1931 Needlecraft magazine (I thought that was fitting) and the ribbons are hand dyed silk.  I decorated the jars with really nice mother-of-pearl buttons along with sparkles and flowers.

These are also for sale in my Boutique for $14 each.

Someday, I need to get some things added to my Etsy shop, I'm down to only FIVE items in there.  What happened to my grandiose plans of keeping 50 things listed there? Between trips and company and everything else, that resolution kind of slipped by me.

Also, I am behind on my TV watching because of the trips.  I'd much rather get caught up on Top Chef, Runway, Mad Men, and True Blood than listing things. I'd better get busy on that!  So, I'm off to sit in front of the DVR for the evening.  Its about as full as my google reader log.


Remember, you still have a few days to enter the August giveaway by leaving a comment.

Buttons and beakers

Man, it felt good to get the glue out today!  I've had a busy summer, but today, I was all on my own, just me, the glue, and the studio.  It seems odd to have Sugarwings gone all day at school, but it does make a difference in my productivity.  After making her some Care Bear toast (sunflower seed, whole grain bread cut with a teddy bear shaped cookie cutter after toasting), I sent her on her way and went to work.

So what did I do? Just simple projects, adding wallpaper to a jewelry box, and sorting buttons into interesting vessels and foofing those up to sale at Silver Bella.

These vintage test tubes were fun to fill and foof.  I had to run to Hobby Lobby to buy some corks for them, but everything else used is all vintage. Little squares of wallpaper make the label, and it is tied up with old ribbon and topped with a millinery bloom.  Then, the corks each got a pretty button to spruce them up.

I only had 10 of them, I wish I had more. That is the trouble with using vintage things, I can't just order more when I need them. I just kind of use what I find when I go out treasure hunting. 

Earlier this summer, I found a boxful of these old jam jars.  These three are pretty as is, so I just filled them with buttons and that's it.  The rest have lost the details on their lids, so I'll get to play with them a bit more.

At my last garage sailing trip, a lady gave me this jewelry box. It was marked a dime, but she said she wanted to get rid of stuff, so she gave it to me, along with an armload of beautiful, plum colored velvet bedding! (that I gave to a friend who was redecorating)

The box was not that attractive, but I saw some possibilities. First, I primed and glazed it, with the technique in my sidebar.

Then, I glued down three coordinating wallpapers that were a birthday gift from Beth.
 
I'm not sure if I'll do more to it or not... I could put another paper on the top and do something to the front of the door, but I kind of like it as is.

The door of the jewelry box could never be as pretty as Sissy's front door. As the sun flows through the window, it hits all the prisms she has hanging there and creates light birdies that fly all around the room.

 

And onto the dog.

Isn't she a cutey? This is Elphie, my little cock-a-poo niece.  She'll be coming to visit next week when I have the Nathan Campgrounds open for business (20 relatives camping in our yard!!)  I just hope that bossy little Twinks plays nice with her.  They are just about the same size, but Twinkle thinks she's bigger than she really is.

Its almost time for Sugarwings to get home from school, so productive time is about over.  I'll leave you with a few photos of my Sissy's sparkles, then I need to squeeze out a bit more work from this last half hour of time that I have.

Isn't everything colorful and pretty at Sissy's house?



Don't forget you have a few more days to enter the August Giveaway by leaving a comment.

Sisterhood Magic

My sister's birthday party and sleepover was even more fun than I had hoped.  The invitation said to come as a fairy, or dress witchy and magical, or be comfy cozy.  I made myself a witch hat, but couldn't resist being a fairy.  Sissy, who is about as wide as a stick of gum, had this skirt for me to borrow (she wears it with LOTS of safety pins). 

Cousin Paula fair-ied it up too. She found the hair extensions at her local dollar store on clearance for 11 cents!!!  We added some wings to her from Sissy's collection. I thought Sugarwings had a lot of sparkly wings and dress up clothes, but my sister has her beat.

Everything is magical at Sissy's house.  Everywhere you look, there is something that sparkles. 

Her home was the perfect location for  a magical birthday party. We only had to gather up pretties that were already in the house to decorate with.

There were enough crystal balls to start her own magic shop...

 

Of course, we had to add some edible glitter to the pink cupcakes!

Plus confetti on the counter tops. And on the table tops. And on the floor. And on each other....  Sissy will be vacuuming those up for weeks.

We each lit a candle and made a wish for Bobbie for the upcoming year.

 

The weekend didn't last nearly long enough, but was one big slumber party the whole time. We stayed at Sissy's, had the big event for Bobbie on Friday, then on Saturday, we honored our Mother on the anniversary of her death. 

We decided to do things she loved to do with us. We went to Goodwill to shop, saw a scary movie and at popcorn at the theater, then went out to a restaurant she enjoyed (and one that we had a coupon for, to save money!)

Mom would have loved it.  And the fairy party too, you are never too old to enjoy laughing and being silly with people you love.

Fairies for all ages

Fairy parties aren't just for kids!  When my Sissy turned 60, she threw herself a fairy themed slumber party.  Now, my sister, Bobbie Sue is turning 60 this week and Sissy is having us all to her home for another sleepover, BYOFW (bring your own fairy wings)

While I am in Indiana for Bobbie's celebration, I thought I'd leave you with some pictures from the earlier event.

Sissy's home is a perfect location for a fairy gathering, she collects sparkling objects, glittery trinkets, and crystal balls. Things like that are everywhere, like the ones hanging in the window behind this year's birthday girl, Bobbie Sue.

(yes, I am wearing Tinker Bell jammies, with a sparkly tuxedo jacket)



I had some stick on crystals on my nose, but after seeing this, that might have been a mistake, they look more like growths...

My husband's brother came to the sleep over, he's pretty close to Sissy.  Having a gay brother is almost like having a 3rd sister. Plus, he lets me draw on his face.



And he knows how to dress up for the occasion, too!

Connie is a life long friend of Sissy's and is also practically one of the sisters. She conducted a ceremony in honor of the birthday.

Candles and fresh flowers were just as important in the decor as all the glitter and crystal balls.

Each of us had something to say about the honoree, then about a woman in our lives who had been meaningful to us.

I convinced Bobbie Sue to let me teach her how to belly dance. Of course, I had no idea how to myself, and I dance about as graceful as a hippo. But there is something to be said for not caring how the dance looks and just going for it anyway!

 

Did I ever mention that I used to raise peafowl?  I have a lot of peacock feathers from Percy (our papa bird) and have been making fans from them with vintage millinery and ribbon added.  I thought one of the feathers would be just right to make a magic wand for Bobbie's Birthday. 

It has hot pink, curly feathers from an old hat, some silk ribbon, and a millinery bloom topped off with a jewel pried from a broken vintage brooch.

Now, for a dash of fairy dust to get the magic kicked in gear, and its ready to wrap up and give to her at the party. I can't wait!! (maybe there will be more dancing..)

The Day I realized I had become a L.O.L.

When I was out junking on the East Coast, I noticed road signs that mentioned "Elizabethan Gardens" on Roanoake  Island.  Well, I'd just spent most of the previous day reading "The Other Queen" by Phillipa Gregory, about Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth, so I was already in an Elizabethan frame of mind, and pulled over to see what it was about.

There was only one day available to play while my husband was working, and I'd already spent the morning out junking.  So, I'd planned on heading back to the hotel to finish my book on the balcony or on the beach.  But when I stumbled across this garden, I was entranced.

As I walked through this labyrinth of surprises, taking pictures and having so much fun, it occurred to me that I am officially a LITTLE OLD LADY now.
(well, maybe not so little, I'd already indulged in some pretty good vacation foods)

I had just chosen a garden tour over an afternoon on the beach!!!

But there was something so magical and timeless about this woodland paradise that made me glad I'd made this choice. Even though 20 years ago,or even 5 or 10 for that matter, you couldn't have drug me away from the sand and sea. 

Being a little old lady isn't such a bad thing. It just shocks me sometimes, when I realize that is what I am....

A flock of Fairies

We flew my husband's mother from Wyoming to North Carolina for the wedding last week, and then brought her home with us for a few days after.  So, in honor of Grandma Joan's visit to Kansas, I threw her a fairy tea party with her great grand daughters.




 
Sugarwings was still in the party mood, after all the birthday celebrations this week.  She and little Pixie Pie have had a wonderful time together with so many family gatherings going on all week while Grandma Joan was here.


Even the big girls got into dressing up as fairies, although we couldn't convince their boyfriends to wear wings....





Our little ones were patient while we took some pictures before the party started. But not for too long.  At 2 and 3, waiting times are limited when there is something exciting scheduled to happen.



We served blueberry and cranberry herb teas, but the tiniest fairies were more interested in the spoonfuls of sugar they could add to their cups.

Sugarwings drank cup after cup, just so she could pour more.




For Sugarwing's birthday, I let her help me decorate the dining room with Dollar Store garlands.  Yes, gaudy and over the top, but she is in love with them, so we left them up for this party too.


We just added some fairies here and there. I happened to have a few around to use....


We served:

 cherry tomatoes from the garden on toothpicks with grilled chicken breast

 cherries and grapes with mandarin oranges

 crust-less cucumber sandwiches

 red cabbage with cream cheese rolled up in green tortilla shells

  peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the littlest ones. 



These are my fairy shoes, saved for special occasions like this. 


Luckily you can't really tell here, but my makeup job was a bit like Baby Jane.  Remember that scary Betty Davis movie?  I got carried away with the eyeshadow, not a pretty sight after 50...

I'm on my way now to Indiana for my sister's 60th birthday party.  I'd better pack my fairy wings and hit the road.  The parties never end around here, huh?

24

We took the trip to the East for a combination of reasons.  My husband's nephew was getting married, it was our 24th wedding anniversary, and my husband had some work to do.  A lot to squeeze into less than a week, and a lot of traveling from one place to another.
 
 But it was wonderful to spend time with family and see this little guy all grown up and happily married, so we were glad we went. 



 This antique mall was in Nag's Head, or Kitty Hawk, or one of those pretty little towns that run into each other.  We stayed at a hotel on the beach in Nag's Head for 2 nights, but got in late the first night and left early, so really had only one whole day there.  

On the trip in, I kept seeing one antique shop after another and of course, we were on a mission to get to the hotel and go out for dinner, so didn't have time to stop.  Well, that is what one person in the car thought, anyway.

   But that worked out fine, the non-antiquer in the family had to work the next day so, I spent the morning exploring and was able to trace my way back to most of the shops I had seen on the drive in.

Those shops were as cute as I had expected them to be, and I was able to find some millinery, but not a lot.  Some hats were over 40 bucks.  ??!!??  But I turned on my hat whisperer skills and searched out the under $10 variety and did okay.   I especially like the velvet petals on the sagey green flowers, they are such a perfect color to use.  That color is nicely faded and just plain old looking!  Like the pink on the skirt of the dolly, I'm sure it was a pretty shade to start with, but the years have made it even better.

Some flowers have been added to the Boutique but I am once again- on my way out of town, so if you want to purchase some, I can't mail them until I return, thanks for your patience. 

Our balcony was on the side of the hotel, but we still had an ocean view, and I sat out there for my morning coffee and a glass of wine in the evening. I was able to twist around with the camera and get a semi-ocean background for the picture of my flowers.



My husband took me to see one of the golf courses his company runs, on Nag's Head.  I have never played a round of golf in my life, and know for a fact that I never will, but I can still appreciate the beauty of the places and am always happy to go and see some of them with him. 

As long as he doesn't expect me to learn to play!  Just like I don't expect him to take up the never ending millinery hunt with me.



  We've got it all worked out pretty well, after all of these years together.  If I am lucky enough to have the longevity of my Great Aunt Caroline and live to be over 100, I plan on keeping him around for it.

Painting roses and a balloon hunt

Thanks for all the happy birthday wishes for Sugarwings! I think she had a fun day, at least I know that I did!!

She and her daddy picked us up at the airport, and that was the best homecoming ever, to see her face light up as she ran to us. Well worth getting up at 4 am to fly home to spend the day with her.

When we got back to the cottage, she and I baked some cakes.  I used a regular brownie mix, but added a can of pears in light syrup (whirred in the blender) and a cup of applesauce, and 2 eggs, no fat or water.  She got to push all the buttons and do all the mixing herself, so she didn't care if I was trying to healthy it up a bit.

We also "painted" roses. We used some clear corn syrup and food coloring, then she got to dip away, and add colored sugar sprinkles to each one.

 These are the white icing roses that I saw  Andrea show on her site, and had her take me to find some for myself when we were out shopping one day, the are really pretty and I just love using them!

. 
When her little cousin, Pixie Pie came by to help decorate, they got pretty serious with getting the cakes  just right.

But it is hard to stay serious when there are sprinkles to shake! Most photos are a blur of hands whirring through the air and sprinkles flying everywhere.

And so much for adding healthier ingredients to the cake itself, the tops were so goobered up with colored sugars, three kinds of sprinkles, marshmallows, squeeze tube icing, and painted roses that you could explode in a burst of sugary happiness just looking at them!

Sugarwings took her cousin on a walk along the Yellow Brick Road, but most kids her age aren't as informed obsessed  about Oz as our fairy baby, so Pixie Pie wasn't too impressed with that after all the icing fun.



She did enjoy the Fairy Berry Trail, though.  There was a butterfly balloon for each of them tied to branches out  in the woods.

But first, they had to search for them.

The balloons were from the Dollar Store and I don't think there could be a better bang for the buck than the joy we got for $2 out on the Fairy Berry Trail with these balloons.

It was certainly a fun way for me to spend my fairy grand baby's birthday.  I can't imagine a better party. Not big, not flashy, just some simple sugary pleasures and a walk in the woods.   I think I want to spend my next birthday on the Fairy Berry Trail too....

Happy Birthday Little Fairy Baby!

 

These logomachy cards I got from Mary are just WAY too much fun. Especially since I figured out how to do some digi collage stuff with Picassa.

See what I mean?

I just wish Picassa had a few more options for borders or framing, and fading, because I can't find any there. Picnik has some, but I already waste too much time just messing with one, let alone going back and forth from one site to another editing and re-editing, loading and exporting pictures from site to site!

It would probably be quicker for me to draw and scan it myself. But honestly, I really, really should be doing something more productive with my time anyway.  Its too easy to get sucked into playing with pictures, when I have lots of things waiting to be done. But I always love looking at pictures of Sugarwings.


Sunday is my little fairy grand baby's THIRD birthday.  We'll be at the airport in Charlotte at 4 am so we can get home in time to have cake with her that day.

This photo is from her one year birthday party.

And here she is the day she came home from the hospital.  She looks so tiny in the bed that I painted for her.

Her hippy parents spent time creating special things for her home coming too. Her Daddy tie dyed this blanket just for her, so she'd get a creative start to her new life. 

And now, we are (hopefully) enrolling her in a Waldorf
school to continue nurturing her imagination and stimulating her mind just as her parents have done from her very first days. The papers are filled out and are being turned in tomorrow, if all goes well, she'll start preschool in a couple of weeks.

This  photo is from her 2nd birthday party.  It seems just like yesterday that she was a toddler...  and now preschool???  I think this is going to be much harder for me than for her parents.  It will not be easy to see her go off to school.   But, I know that it is the best for her.  She'll benefit from  having a consistent schedule, and social time with other kids. 

I already miss her, just thinking about it.