Purple Greed And a Giveaway!

If you've been following along with my shenanigans for a while...you know that I have been collecting purple and lavender bottles when I find them at the flea market.

I just love the light shining through these pretty bottles and find the color goes so well with the grays, blues and silver that I love.

I have used the tiny ones to hold violets...

the mid size ones for lavender phlox and the larger ones for lilacs.

But...when is enough...enough?

One of my favorite quotes...

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.

 It turns what we have into enough, and more.

It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order,

 confusion to clarity.

It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home,

 a stranger into a friend. 

Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today

 and creates a vision for tomorrow."

Melody Beattie

I have enough lavender and purple bottles.

 More than enough.

Time to share.

I'm going to sell some...

...and...

give one away... to one of you!

If you would like a chance to win a little purple or lavender bottle...leave a comment here on this post.

I will pick one winner in a few days.

:)

P. S.   Click HERE to see the bottles listed in my new Etsy shop.

What am I grateful for today?

blogging friends, pretty colors and the freedom that comes with letting go.

Time and Again

While going through some of the photos that I took this summer...

I came across this grouping of clocks...

...most of them made from celluloid.

I found two of them while fleaing at Bouckville this August...

...the other two have been hanging around...collected separately.

Isn't it funny how collections develop?

I didn't intend to start collecting these sweet little clocks.

It just happened!

Now I have to ask you...

...have I already shared this collection with you?

If so...sorry!

I am dying to take more photos...

both to share here and also for Etsy...

but the weather...more specifically the light has been terrible

 so I've been keeping busy with other projects.

Not sure whether I will keep all these little clocks.

But...if I do decide to let them go...

...you will be the first to know!  :)

Do you have a favorite?

I can't believe tomorrow is Friday!

This week has flown by...

...busy but productive and even included fun visits

 with our daughter Kate and my sister in law Karen.

Hope it has been a good one for you too!

:)

A Reluctant Halloween Participant

Since my children are grown...

 and we don't get any trick or treaters where we live...

I have practically ceased to decorate for Halloween.

Other than my white pumpkins of course.

It would be alright with me if we just skipped

 the entire orange, scary mess of Halloween

 and spent the entire fall season celebrating Thanksgiving!

My apologies to the many of you who love Halloween...

 My favorite holiday has always been Thanksgiving.

For our family it has always been a holiday filled with love...

love of each other, being together and love of food!

And...in the interest of full disclosure...

it may have something to do with the fact  that the holiday often falls on my birthday ... :) 

Anyway....

It was such a beautiful autumn day today here in New York.

The sky was so blue and the leaves on the trees

 are at their peak here in the southern part of the state.

How lucky am I to have witnessed two autumns

 in the Northeast this season?

I was able to take some photos outside

 and even had time to check out the beginnings of the new course

 Creatively Made Home

It is really an informative class with a fun format.

I'm excited to be a part of it!

I believe you can still sign up here...

Hoping that your week has gotten off to a good start.

If it hasn't....well, 

tomorrow is a new day...full of promise and hope.

We're looking forward to seeing

 daughter Kate and sister Karen tomorrow!

 :)

What am I grateful for today?

Sunshine, bubble wrap and little white pumpkins

Etsy Experience and A Winner!

Oh my goodness! 

The last two days, since I first started selling on Etsy,

 have been exciting ... and a lot of work too.

Thank you so much for all your great tips, advice

 and kind offers of help.

I will be reaching out to you...I am sure.

Your encouragement has been so uplifting!

See the sweet little holy water font in the photo above?

It sold within 10 minutes of listing it.

And guess what? 

you won't believe it...

I was actually...momentarily... disappointed...

 as I had spent the morning taking photos, editing photos,

 writing a description, researching and figuring out a price...

...and now I have to wrap it up and send it away!

Silly me...I know...that's the point of all this...

and really,

 I am delighted.

This whole Etsy shop thing might actually work for me!

just listed!

 

The same thing happened with my beautiful metal tole wall sconce

 which I recently found and showed you.

So even though I have been adding items to the shop...

...things have sold quickly and it still looks empty!

 My hats off to all of you successful Etsy sellers

 ...because there is a lot more to this whole process than I ever imagined...

and I surely have a lot to learn.

But...at least I have started!

In the last two days I have sold... 5

 of my pretty blue green Belgium beer bottles!

There are 4 still listed

 and I am about to give one away to one of YOU!

...and the randomly selected winner is...

Vicki at Ranger 911

But...thanks to ALL of you for your well wishes and support.

Instead of heading off to the flea market this morning...

I did my treasure hunting at home...

and am happy to report

 that I have dug up some goodies to list in the shop.

We have a busy week ahead

 but the plan is to list something new each day.

Stay tuned!

:)

What am I grateful for today?

Kindred spirits who like the same things I do

 and encouraging friends willing to share their experiences.

Finally...my Etsy Shop and A Give Away

Finally.

Today I listed the first item in my Etsy shop

This is the Etsy shop that I established a loooonnng time ago...

but never, ever...before this morning listed any items.

Why?

Well....I have lots of reasons (excuses).

Why now?

A challenge by my daughter Kate,

...a loving push from my sister Mary Beth,

...much encouragement from my sister Lynn,

...offers of support from my girlfriend Evi

and lots of wonderful blogger friends.

  So...here it is.

My first listing.

Gorgeous vintage Belgium blue/green beer bottles.

I'm keeping some for myself...but am ready to share!

I know...I'm so slow to do this.

(no need to go into the borderline/hoarder issue.)

So anyway...as I take my first baby steps selling online...

...I would be most grateful for any tips or advice you can give me!

Here's a link to my shop:

www.etsy.com/shop/52FLEA

...and my one and only listing.

Kate says it looks sad...only one listing.

  I told her to give me a chance...it's only been 2 years in the making!

Hey! It's a start!

Now...for the Give Away!

Just to say thanks...

If you would like a chance to WIN

 one of these pretty bottles...

...just leave a comment on this post. 

  Any advice on my new Etsy shop would be greatly appreciated.

I will pick a winner to be announced in a few days!

Thanks everyone!

...so much to learn...

:)

An odd pairing

A sweet little brown transferware cup and saucer.

Just one.

A lone little cup and saucer...

and a tiny abandoned nest that was found this summer.

Don't they look sweet together?

I hated seeing summer end.

...even though autumn has been especially beautiful.

Soft browns and creams...

...perfect for fall decorating!

Today I am continuing to get holiday items and decor

 ready to put in my little booth spaces at Schoolhouse Treasures.

It's hard to be "in the moment"

... as I sit here putting price tags on a zillion Christmas ornaments!

Thank goodness my sister made me promise

 to take time for a walk outside on this beautiful autumn day!

:)

Hope you are feeling well...

 and have a day that brings hope for the future!

What am I grateful for today?

sisters who love me and pretty autumn days

A Few Good Finds

A few weeks before we closed the lake house for the season...

...there was a town wide yard sale.

I was surprised to find some pretty cool things!

What do you think of this Italian metal wall sconce?

Three silver plate water pitchers...

...found in different places.

...and I was delighted
 to find this large and wonderful wall hanging

 by KC Willis from Lipstick Ranch.

Who would ever expect to find this

 at a yard sale in the Adirondack Mountains?

I have it hanging in Kate's room at the lake!

That's it for today...
...trying to accomplish something around this place!
:)

Black and White

This summer, at a community yard sale up at the lake...

I found five sets of these lovely black and white cups and saucers.

I snapped a few pics this weekend before we closed up camp.

Even though I looked up the maker and pattern,

  for the life of me,

I can't remember now...

...and of course the cups and saucers are up at the lake house and I am not.

Maybe you know?

Don't you love a black and white palette?

I played around a bit and sat a cup and saucer

 on top of my old porcelain clock face.

Anyway...

I thought perhaps I could use them with my Anthro dishes.  

Do you think it works?

Well, I'm back downstate and am challenging myself

 to get my act together here at home.

Hoping to make some headway, stay focused 

and not get overwhelmed!

More finds to share with you later this week!

Hope your week is going well...

Take care, Laura 

:)

Here Comes The Sun

Thank you all so much for your lovely and kind words

 on the previous post.

The sun has made some brief appearances in the last few days...

including a spectacular sunrise the other morning.

 

 

As we ready the place for the winter...

...it is hard not to feel a bit sad

 that we won't be back for so many months...

  

but...it truly was a gorgeous spring, summer and fall

this year...and...

...we know how lucky we are to be able to spend time

 in this beautiful area with family and friends.

The Adirondack Park surely is a little slice of heaven on earth!

Hope you are enjoying some lovely autumn weather too!

I will be sharing some fun vintage finds 

 once settled back home...

 ...stay tuned!

Happy Sunday!

:)