Valentine Memories; Winner, Winner . . .

First things first:

We have a giveaway winner.

Congratulations to Linda of Itsy Bits and Pieces.

Linda will receive one of my Giggles and Grins handmade ephemera journals.

Thanks to all who visited and entered my first-ever giveaway. Your visits and comments make my day.

When my husband was helping me put the Christmas decorations away, a very old, flat box in the attic caught his eye. He opened it and discovered the collection of greeting cards I had received as a child. I don't think he'd ever seen them. Even I hadn't opened the box for decades.

Birthday cards, Christmas cards, get-well cards. There's even one specifically wishing a quick recovery from my tonsillectomy. Apparently, in those days, having one's tonsils out was so common, it made sense to have cards specifically for that.

And valentines. Do I ever have vintage valentines! 

Seeing the "Baby's First Valentine" card made me realize that everything in the box was 50 to 60 years old. Oops. Guess my age is no longer a secret.

Many of the cards had eyelets to create moving parts. Those were always so much fun. The boy and girl dancing in the photo above rock back and forth in keeping with the card's "hep" dance theme.

The fuzzy ones, like this kitten card are among my favorites now.

But, I have to admit, I remember loving the space-themed ones when I was a kid. You can see a couple of them in the above photo. I was fascinated with Sputnik and smitten with anything related to the stars and the night sky (thank you Dad for enriching my life with your study of the heavens).

These are just a sampling of the valentines in the box. I must have kept every one from our grade school exchanges--up until I was nine or ten years old. Then the collection seems to end. Someday, I'll probably find a way to display some of my favorites.

That forgotten box was a terrific trip down memory lane--to a time when life was simpler, the pace slower, personal correspondence more valued. And, receiving mail from the postman made every child giggle with excitement.

Make it a great day!

Linking to:

Sister Sunday at Sisters of the Wild West
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm
Rednesday at It's a Very Cherry World
Sugar and Spice at Seven Thirty Three
Tuesday Vintage Style at Knick of Time

Double the Fun Footstool--A Quick Tutorial

Don't forget to enter the ephemera journal giveaway HERE 

before midnight, CST, Jan. 27.

This little footstool has been in our library for a couple of years now. It was an estate sale find I picked up on the half-price day for a couple of dollars.

It's not a total ugly duckling, but I've always intended to pretty it up a bit with a new cushion and maybe a new finish. I'm guessing this cushion was not the original. We have several travel-themed touches around our home, but this dark, postcard-y tapestry fabric is just so . . uh. . . '90s.

Recently, I've seen several blog posts about two techniques that totally intrigue me and realized I could try both out on this nice little footstool. How exciting--two major thrills in one project!

I've been dying to try liming wax on a wood piece.  This is a very simple technique using Briwax Liming Wax. I couldn't find this product in my location, so I ordered it, along with Briwax clear and dark waxes (for use on other projects), on Amazon.

The posts I'd read about liming wax all recommended using it on an open-grained wood, which this stool had. After starting the process, I could see why that was important. The wax, which leaves a white-ish residue, fills the open grain and creates the subtle aged look. If you're trying this on a more closed-grain wood, the Briwax website recommends creating an artificial open grain by running a wire brush over the wood.

The application is simple. Wearing rubber gloves in a well-ventilated area, just wipe it on with a soft cloth such as an old T-shirt. Let the wax dry a while and rub it off. You need to put some muscle behind your rubbing to ensure you remove all the wax residue from the surface.

If you want a very subtle effect, let the wax dry less time. For a more aged appearance, let the wax dry longer. I waited about 10 minutes before rubbing it off. I probably could have left it longer. I ended up with a subtle aged look--a very nice grayish white.

For the cushion of the stool, I chose a beautiful vintage image from The Graphics Fairy to transfer onto a remnant of muslin I already had.

Now for the second thrill--I chose to try the blender pen transfer method. There are several brands of blender pen available. I purchased mine from Blick's for $3.95.

You must make a laser print of your graphic. Inkjet prints will bleed. Remember to reverse your image if it has lettering on it.

I securely taped the image face down to the muslin to hold it in place while transferring. In very small segments, I rubbed over the image until the paper was saturated and the image showed clearly through. While the paper was still saturated, I burnished each segment with a folding bone (you could also use the bowl of a spoon). I had to burnish quickly, as the blender pen solution evaporates and dries quickly. And, wow, does it give off dizzying fumes! I worked with an outside door open to keep from getting light-headed.

This method is a snap. It would be a bit time-consuming on a very large piece, but it's so easy to do.

I gave the muslin a couple of light coats of stain- and waterproofing spray and covered the original cushion with it. A quick re-assembly with the stool frame and voila! A sweet little redo.

Make it a great day!

Linking to:
Vintage Thingie Thursday at The Coloradolady
Time Travel Thursday at Brambleberry Cottage
Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch to Yours
Potpourri Party at 2805
Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest
Sister Sunday at Sisters of the Wild West
Brag Monday at The Graphics Fairy
A Little Birdie Told Me at Rook No. 17
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm
White Wednesday at Faded Charm
Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
Trash 2 Treasure Tuesday at Kammy's Korner

Thank you. And Call Me Crazy.

First things first: A great big thank you! Thank you for following along--for basking in moonbeams and chasing fireflies with me. 


100 followers! When I started blogging less than six months ago and my children and a couple of friends started following, 100 followers seemed as far away as the Man in the Moon. 


In fact, I didn't really think about followers--until I realized how much fun it was to have online friends who had something in common with me. I truly appreciate every one of you.


To mark this exciting milestone, I want to give a special shout-out to Annette from Chasing Lightning Bugs, my 100th follower. Is that coincidence or what?  Another firefly lover!


Annette is a talented artist whose handmade quilts, journal covers and fine art collages blend nostalgia with a wonderfully fresh flair. I hope you'll visit her site and check out her beautiful works of art.


I haven't ventured into the giveaway arena, yet, but want to host a giveaway to honor my wonderful followers. With the holidays upon us, though, another giveaway might get lost in the hustle and bustle of the next few weeks. 


So . . . stay tuned for a fun giveaway in January when lives settle down a bit and we're ready for a diversion from the winter doldrums.


BTW, as a giveaway novice, I'm hoping some of you might have some tips for me on how to host a fun and successful event. If you have experiences to share, comment below. I welcome your input.


~*~*~*~*~*~

You might think I'm nuts, but I'm already thinking ahead to January, when all the Christmas glitz and glam has been returned the storage tubs and stowed out of sight in the attic.

In that bitter cold, uneventful stretch between holiday gatherings with family and friends and the first turn of soil in the garden in the spring, I plan to tackle refinishing and repurposing this wonderful piece I purchased at a thrift store this past summer.

This is a vintage mail cabinet from an old hotel. Nothing fancy, but unusual as far as what you'd normally find in a thrift store. In fact, there were two identical pieces available. I bought both. The second one is now serving as extra counter space and a divider between the kitchen and living room of my son's studio apartment.

These nice pieces originally were marked $49.99 each, but had been marked down to $19.99 each. Can you believe I got both for $40? I think that's a bargain.

Watch for the transformation (and a giveaway) in the weeks to come.

Make it a great day!

Linking to:

Bunny Hop at Bunny Jean's Decor and More
A Little Birdie Told Me at Rook No. 17
Share the Love Wednesday at Very Merry Vintage Style
Vintage Thingie Thursday at The Coloradolady