In Full Bloom

I have always loved hydrangeas.  We planted these bushes next to the side entrance

 of our house a few years ago.  Hydrangea colors change based on the acidity of the soil

 and it was fun to watch ours go through the process and settle 

into these beautiful shades of blue and purple.

They are such hearty plants and have really thrived.  

This variety is called "Endless Summer" and they have lived up to their name.  

They bloom from late spring through fall here in New Jersey.

I love the fact that a quick and easy 4th of July centerpiece is always right outside my door!

I wish I had a pencil

This little guy reminds me of my 10 year old.  Pondering his next excuse as to why he can't start his homework.  His #1 excuse....."I can't find a pencil".

So you can imagine how happy I was when I uncovered this

 vintage pencil holder at an estate sale.

And when my son had to clean out his desk the last day of school, he uncovered a find of his own.  Now we know where all the pencils have been hiding.  

But he may have known this all along!  

Linking with:

Apron Thrift Girl~Thrift Share Monday

Thrifty Love at Caps Creations

The Blue Eyed Owl

Frugal Treasures Tuesday at Beez Rental Designs

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Time Travel Thursday

Weekend Finds

This little ribbed glass cookie jar lured me to an estate sale on Saturday that had more treasures than I could carry.  While looking at online photos of the sale, I had seen this little guy perched on the top of a dining room hutch and knew he was worth standing in line for.  A while back I posted about my luck in finding a green depression glass jar.  

I have been searching for a clear glass jar to add to my collection. 

I also had my eye on this little wicker doll cradle and it was waiting just for me.  

It is very similar to the little chair I brought home from Brimfield.

I was happily surprised to find a collection of vintage aprons with all my favorite details...tiny prints, cross-stitch, ric rac trim and bright colors.  I picked up this copy of Heloise's Housekeeping Hints and it is chock full of good old fashioned advice. 

 I think I will add it to my Summer reading list.

And speaking of Summer reading.  I snatched these up for my 6 year old.  It will be fun to look through these old Easy Readers as we practice her reading over the Summer break.  

I hope you found something special this weekend!

I'm linking up with:

Thrifty Love at Caps Creations

The Penny Worthy Project

Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch To Yours

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Frugal Treasures Tuesday at Beez Rental Designs

Pint Sized Kitchen Makeover

When I posted about my haul of treasures from my day at the Brimfield Antiques Show in May, I showed off this adorable tin child's sink that came home with me.

It wasn't perfect.  But, I had passed on a number of expensive tin kitchen sets

 throughout the day and knew that this one had potential.  I wasn't looking for 

perfect, just a cute piece to display on my shelf.

I think everyone was rooting for this little sink.  I had many requests to post pictures once the skirt makeover was done.  It was quick and easy.  I sewed a rod pocket along the top of a piece of vintage gingham fabric and used a crochet hook for the rod.  Super easy, super cute!  So what do you think?   

Linking with: Miss Mustard Seed

C'est Magnifique!

I love the thrill of finding an item at an estate sale that I have previously admired on etsy, seen in an antique store, or come across while reading the many treasure hunting blogs of my fellow vintage lovers.  This past weekend I saw this handsome fellow at a local estate sale and snatched him up.  I had seen a similar item at the Brimfield antiques fair locked in a display case (so I figured this little guy was worth more than his $8 price tag). 

Plus, he was looking right at me-how could I resist his charms?

As it turns out, my little French friend is an American Bisque 

relish jar from the 1950's and somewhat rare.  

C'est magnifique!

Update: I just added this little guy to my etsy shop.  Stop by and say bonjour!

Sharing with the Colorado Lady

A Change of Scenery

I have been wanting to share some photos of our trip to New England over Memorial Day weekend.  A change of scenery is always a great way to start the Summer.  

Water, a rocky coastline and boats, I could look at this view all day.

The rosa rugosa were in bloom and so colorful.

The boats and water definitely influenced my weekend finds.  I was in the mood for some rustic cabin decorating and couldn't resist these vintage galvanized bait buckets.  The larger one has beautiful red graphics and I love the oval shape of the smaller wade bucket.  They will be great additions to my son's nautical/americana themed room.

When my husband saw that the larger bucket still had it's original insulated liner, 

he ran out to buy some live eels and took it fishing. 

 I have a photo of the eels in my pretty bucket,

 but it is too slimy to post. 

The striped bass he caught is a little easier on the eyes and tasted yummy.

And best of all, my husband thinks that my new find is a keeper.

Her Library Adventures