Vintage Thingies Thursday
I found this apron at a thrift store. I’m not sure how vintage this is. The tag said it was old and collectible, and it only cost $3, so I figured why not? I thought at first it was homemade on a sewing machine, but taking a closer look I think it was factory made. I thought one of you might have an idea of how old it really is. Anybody have an idea?
Visit Confessions of an Apron Queen for more Vintage Thingies!
Girls Just Wanna Win Swag: Designs by Suzyn
The winner of the Mom Colors Bracelet from last week’s Girls Just Wanna Win Swag Giveaway is Sonya from Sonya’s Happenings.
This week I want you to meet Suzyn from Designs by Suzyn. She is a true artisan, creating one-of-a-kind designer jewelery from silver and semi-precious stones.
One look at Suzyn’s work tells you there is something special about it. “My jewelry is unique in the sense that every piece is different. I pride myself on my designs. My pieces are well thought out and made by hand. I do not use molds to create my work,” she says.
When it comes to her creative process Suzyn says, “I am inspired by everything I see. Sometimes I sketch a piece that I envision, but when I actually sit down to do the work, the piece takes on a life of its own and morphs into something completely different.”
Suzyn also has, “a very challenging job as an IT project manager for a large company,” and works as a real estate agent. “I find that jewelry making is my stress reliever,” she says.
Suzyn’s co-workers are, in part, why she opened her on-line store. “I decided to go into business because I have a large following at work. A lot of people buy my jewelry. I get stopped in stores, and on the street by people commenting on my unique jewelry.” Since people are always asking her where she sells her jewelry, she launched the website to direct customers to and to showcase her work.
Suzyn says she’s just getting started with the Designs by Suzyn site. She has many more pieces to add, so be sure to come back again and see the rest of her gorgeous collection.
Win It!
Suzyn is offering a $25 gift certificate to one lucky reader good towards a purchase of $50 or more from Designs by Suzyn. To win visit Designs by Suzyn and leave a comment on THIS POST with what item you would like to purchase from the store with the gift certificate. Comments not following the rules will be disqualified.
Earn an extra entry by posting about this contest on your blog, and linking to this post and to Designs by Suzyn. If you do the extra credit, let me know by leaving a separate comment with the link to your post.
Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. The contest is open internationally.
The contest will run until midnight EST August 20. I’ll randomly draw a winner, and announce it on the next edition of Girls Just Wanna Win Swag. The winner will also be contacted by email, and will have three days to reply. You can also check Prizey Fetch to see if you’ve won. If the winner does not reply in three days, another will be chosen.
Have a women-owned business you’d like featured in a Swag giveaway? Fill out the contact form in my sidebar and let me know.
I Guess I’m One of “Those” Moms Now
I really don’t want to be one of those moms who calls the doctor about every little sniffle.
When I noticed this morning that David had a cold it didn’t seem like much. But he woke up from his nap coughing and breathing hard. He said it hurt when he tried to take a deep breath. I held him for a few minutes, and he cried and cried, saying he couldn’t breathe.
When David was about a year and a half old he had a bad cold that turned into a case of croup that was so serious we had to take him to the ER. After that his pediatrician told us it might be something that would happen often to David when he had a cold, and that it could be an indication that he was developing asthma.
I also waited too long to take David to the doctor once. He suffered three or four days with a double ear infection before we finally went. I felt terrible about that. I know how miserable and painful those are.
So I called the doctor’s office this afternoon and described David’s symptoms to a nurse. She told me to bring him in right away. I packed him in the car and drove the 45 minutes to the doctor. Well, usually it takes 45 minutes. I think I got there in 35 minutes today.
We started seeing this pediatrician when we lived closer to Grand Rapids. And all the doctors in the practice are so great I don’t want to switch. The distance isn’t a problem when we’re just going for check-ups and shots. Today I thought we’d never get there.
Of course by the time we got there David’s breathing was normal. The doctor checked him out. He said David just had a bad cold and a lot of congestion. His lungs were fine. He said everything probably drained into his throat and lungs while he was sleeping, and the coughing was just all of it clearing out. He didn’t even have a fever. I’m sure he had a fever this morning.
The doctor was very kind about it. He didn’t tell me I over-reacted or anything. But I felt silly bringing him all that way for a head cold. And since I didn’t have time to apply make-up, fix my hair or change my stained shirt, I looked silly too.
Well, what’s a mom to do? It could have been really serious. Thank goodness it was nothing. I’d rather feel silly at four in the afternoon than find myself racing a really sick kid to the ER at 3 a.m.
New Loft Bed
My baby is growing up!
Boo-hoo!
Sniffle.
He spent last night in his new big boy bed for the first time.
David will be four in a few months, and we thought it was time to move him out of his toddler bed. His room is small, so I suggested rather than just a regular twin bed we get him a loft bed. We looked around some stores and catalogs, and discovered that loft beds can be expensive. So my husband Dave decided instead of purchasing a bed, he’d make it. I think he did a wonderful job.
The room is so small I couldn’t get back far enough to get the whole bed in the picture.
There’s still some touch-up painting to be done. We also need to replace the ceiling fan with a regular light. I can just see David trying to take a ride on the fan. And I need to find a new bedspread. I did get sheets and a mattress cover yesterday, but I had a hard time tracking them down. It must be back to college week, because all the stores I went to were almost completely sold out of twin size bedding.
A lot of the bed is made from stuff we had lying around already. The headboard, foot board and frame are actually pieces from an old bed. And Dave was able to use some wood and screws leftover from other projects.
Once the bed was finished, I made curtains to hang around the bottom of the bed. The curtains conceal toys stored underneath, and make a nice fort for David to play in.
I am not a very good seamstress, but the curtains turned out OK. As long as you don’t look to closely at the crooked seams.
I had to show you a picture of my sewing machine.
Yep. It’s duct taped together. Even though I rarely use it, somehow the the latch the holds on the door to access the bobbin compartment broke off.
Anyway, David loves his new bed. He’s spent all morning climbing in and out of it, and playing under it.
I really did get a little misty-eyed last night as Dave dismantled the toddler bed to store in the basement. David’s crib converted into that toddler bed, so until last night he’d slept the whole of his young life in that bed.
I guess I’m just feeling a little sentimental.
Today it’s a new bed, tomorrow he’ll be off to college.
Ramdom FYI Meme
I was tagged by Melysah over at World of Homemaking.
Rules Once Tagged:
1) Link to the person who tagged you.
2) Post the rules on your blog (copy and paste 1-6).
3) Write 6 random things about yourself (see below).
4) Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them.
5) Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6) Let the tagger (who tagged you) know when your post is up.
Random FYI:
1. I am an only child.
2. I can’t start the day without at least one cup of coffee.
3. I work better under pressure with a deadline looming.
4. I like to watch it rain.
5. I like to open the windows in summer so I can hear the birds singing and the crickets chirping.
6. l want to go on safari in Africa someday.
Those I tagged:
1. A Cup of Joy
6. Dave’s Take
Sssh! Don’t Tell Anyone Where I Buy My Underwear
So in the name of honesty and full disclosure, I have a confession to make.
I LOVE WalMart.
WalMart is my second home. I frequent WalMart at least three times a week. I even go there for fun. If I get a rare hour all to myself, I’ll go and just browse, drinking in the rows and rows of cheap, plastic, Made-in-China stuff that we Americans can not live with out.
As I sit here, everything I’m wearing today, even my underwear, came from WalMart.
See I’ve been fairly quiet about this until now, because it seems that out there in the blog-o-sphere Target is where all the cool kids shop. I do go to Target. And I love them too. They certainly have the hippest clothing and home decor of any of the big discount stores.
But the truth is WalMart usually has lower prices. And when it comes to stretching our single-income budget, the money goes farther at WalMart. (No WalMart is not paying me to write this for them.)
I don’t like to clip coupons. That whole CVS program just seems like it takes way too much analytical thinking to figure out. ALDI’s annoys me because they don’t have bags, and I never have a quarter with me for the cart. I don’t have anywhere to store a year’s supply of toilet paper from Sam’s.
It also happens that I live with in 20 minutes of not one, but two Super WalMarts. Most of the other stores are farther away. Something to consider when a gallon of gas costs you your first born.
And if I go to Super WalMart, I can buy shampoo, dog food, a new TV and lunch meat all in one easy circle around the store. Another important consideration when there’s a cranky three-year-old in tow. Making stops at Walgreens, Petsmart, Best Buy and the local grocery would take me hours. By the time we got to Best Buy, David would be so ornery they’d call in the Geek Squad to escort us out of the store.
I’ve heard horror stores about WalMart. People say that they are dirty and sell rotten produce and meat that will kill you if you eat it. But our WalMarts are clean and shiny. I’ve never seen any rotting tomatoes or lettuce, and I’ve survived the ground round more than once without even the slightest touch of E. Coli.
I’m I the only closet WalMart shopper out there?
Anybody else need to confess?
Beach Day!
We finally hit the beach today for the first time this summer.
Yeah, we’re a little late.
We’ve been busy, and just didn’t’ get around to it. There were times I could have taken David by myself, but to be honest, the thought of dragging a three year-old and all the necessary equipment across the parking lot and the long stretch of hot sand to the water’s edge all by myself just did not appeal to me. So we waited for a day when Daddy could come with us.
It’s always more fun when Dad’s along anyway.
We headed out for the Lake Michigan shore at Tunnel State Park in Holland, Michigan. On the way we stopped at a farm selling sweetcorn along the road, and picked some up to grill at the park for lunch.
By the time we got there is was time eat. Here’s David enjoying some of that corn.
And watermelon for dessert.
At Tunnel Park the beach is divided from the rest of the park by a huge sand dune. If you want to swim you either have to climb to the top of the dune…
and then back down the other side…
Or you have to go under the dune through a tunnel. I prefer the tunnel. It takes a lot less physical exertion.
It was actually a bit cool today. Only in the mid 70’s and breezy. There were waves breaking on the shore causing a strong undertow making it unsafe to swim. The waves also churned up the water, and made it really cold. I mean really, really cold. Like painfully cold. Normally the water is pretty warm by August.
So we just waded a little.
Well, they waded. It was way too cold for me. I only put my toes in for a second. Dad said he he lost all feeling in his lower extremities after a minute.
David really wanted to swim today. I’m hoping we’ll get at least one more hot day with calmer, warmer water so we can go again before the leaves start to fall and the snow flies.
Dear Direct TV
Dear Direct TV,
You know, these things are never easy.
I don’t know how else to say it…
I just don’t love you any more.
I wish I could let you down easy, but it’s not me — it’s you.
Things haven’t been the same for a while.
Oh, we had our share of good times. When we first started our relationship, I fell head-over-heals for you. You were so different from cable. So many channels, so many features and when I talked to you on the phone I felt how much you cared.
Then you introduced to me to TIVO.
Oh, wonderful, amazing, pause-live-TV TIVO!
You showed me how I didn’t have to ever miss a single episode of The O.C., and you stuck with me even through that horrible last season. We couldn’t stop watching. Hoping somehow Marisa would be resurrected from the dead, and we would once again revel in she and Ryan’s teen angst.
But alas it was not to be.
And now I see that you and I are no longer meant to be.
For the TIVO DVR that you gave me broke. And you sent me a replacement. But the replacement DVR wasn’t a TIVO. It was your own brand.
Trusting you as I did, I thought your DVR might be even better.
But it kept malfunctioning.
You sent four new DVRs over the last year and a half. Each time you promised that the new one would make it all better. But with each new DVR just a came a new set of problems.
You keep telling me that you understand my frustration. But I don’t think you really do. Not once did you offer an account credit or free programming or equipment upgrade to make up for all the inconvenience you caused.
Today when you told me I had to pay for your service technician to come to my house, and then also pay for a new DVR if he couldn’t fix this current one, I knew it was finally over. There wasn’t even a little bit of that old concern in your voice this time.
As usual you came through in the end. You finally offered me a new free DVR if you couldn’t get the old one working again, but not until I threatened to leave you. It shouldn’t take that much to get you to respond to my needs.
You did manage to get my old DVR working again.
But I’ve given you so many chances. I’ve tried to make it work. It’s just that I can’t take anymore missed or erased shows. I can’t take any more of my son looking at me with those sad eyes and asking why Spongebob isn’t on today.
Of course you’ve made it almost impossible for me to leave you. Every time you sent me a new DVR you extended my contract for another 24 months. Now I’m stuck with you for another year unless I pay you off.
I should have learned my lesson from that bad relationship I had with Centurytel years ago.
So Direct TV you’ll have me around for another year. But I’m only staying because of the money. Come next July, I’m walking away and never looking back.
We’ll always have TIVO.
Regretfully no longer yours,
Me
Vintage Thingies Thursday
This is my first time participating in Vintage Thingies Thursdays over at Confessions of an Apron Queen. I was so excited when I discovered this weekly meme. What a fun way to share our vintage finds.
I found the beautiful box of old greeting cards on the left at a flea market a few years ago. The box of stationary on the right I found down the street at a yard sale about a month ago. The cards in the box are just as pretty as the box itself. They’re decorated with foil and vellum.
And this is the paper in the stationary box. I love the retro flower design.
You can see more vintage finds by visting Confessions of an Apron Queen.
