Snow for Christmas!

We already had snow on the ground when we got a few inches on Sunday.  Today it is so blustery cold that you can't spend more than a minute outside without freezing.  It is so unbelievably cold.

I thought I would share photos of my yard/garden in the snow.  I don't cut down or clean up anything until the spring.  I like the look of dried flowers with the snow on it.  The leaves protect the plants from freezing and thawing so that they can survive the winter.  I look forward to the cleanup work in the spring. 

Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year!  Have fun on your pathtojunkentreasure.

Creating....Necklaces

Yesterday I made 4 necklaces.  I'm loving the creative process and the results.  The necklaces are fantastic.  I had to keep the long stranded pearl one.  I fell in love with it.  It is so me.  My tastes keep changing and growing.

I used rhinestone pieces, clip earrings and other spare pieces to create the necklaces.  It's soooo much fun to see how treasures fit together.  Like they were meant to be.

I know that I'll be looking for pieces to create more jewelry as I go through my pathtojunkentreasure.  I would like to make rings next.  Keep checking back......

Today I went through my thread collection.  When I collect, I collect.  I can't stop at just 1 or 2.  It's usually way overboard since if I like something, I really like it.  Until my tastes change.  Anyway, I have over 150 vintage wooden spools of thread that I'm going to put on Ebay.  They are beautiful colors in cotton and silk.  They would be great displayed in a glass jar.  I know that someone else would love those. 

Creating.........Jewelry

With my Christmas shopping and decorating complete, I wanted to start on some projects that have been sitting for a while.  I really want to start making vintage inspired jewelry and have been saving treasures to do that.

So, yesterday I sat down to try my hand at creating.  I made 3 bracelets and am so excited with the results.  I am tempted to resume my Etsy store in 2014.  I used vintage screw back and clip earrings, charms and necklace pieces to design these bracelets.  They lay nicely on my wrist and wear well.  I am hoping to try my ideas on necklaces soon.

I placed them on a seashell mirror frame that I'm using as a tray.  I found the mirror last week at the Ridgefield Antique shops in Ridgefield for $12 (near Crystal Lake) while looking for Christmas ornaments.  I can't pass up seashell anything no matter the time of year.  The bracelets look really nice laying on the mirror for these pictures. 

I'm also going to start making pillows again for different seasons.  I love to change out the pillows.  It can change the whole look of the room.  JoAnn Fabrics is having a big sale so I'll stock up on zippers and thread.  I'll keep you posted......

Christmas Gifts

The kids and I spent a wonderful day with my Cousin Barb in Deerfield.  We always go out for a special lunch before opening presents.  This year, we went to Cheesecake Factory.  I always wanted to go there.  I have to say that the Adam's Peanut Butter cheesecake ripple was fabulous.  I love peanut butter and it was peanut butter paradise.  Austin got the Smore's cheesecake, Ethan got the Hershey's Chocolate Bar cheesecake and Barb got the Chocolate Raspberry cheesecake.  We sampled each other's just to make sure we weren't missing anything. 

Barb gave us some wonderful gifts, but I wanted to show you 2 in particular.  One is a metal cuff bracelet that is made out of vintage license plates.  It has New Jersey on it.  The picture doesn't do it justice since I couldn't fit in the words.  It is too cute.  The second gift is a collection of elf ornaments and figures.  I love elf figures.  These are great!  I already added them to my shelf display.

Here is something to look forward to:  A Vintage Market on April 25-26 in Rockford.  They are on Facebook.  I have gone to one of their sales when it was in a house.  Now they are having the sale in a farm field.  There are so many great vintage treasures and hand made items that there is definitely something there for everyone.

Proven Winners is having their gardening event on February 1 at Boerner Botanical Garden in Hales Corner Wisconsin.  It is a fun event but a little pricey.  Tickets are $70 per person.  You do get lunch and a bag of stuff.  Check it out at:  www.provenwinners.com

Estate Sale Treasure Hunting

I did stop at the Caring Transitions estate sale in Crystal Lake today.  I only had to wait outside in the cold for about 30 minutes.  The rooms were so tiny but there were some nice treasures.  I bought a wonderful vintage wire bell shaped mistletoe holder that had vintage ball ornaments around the bottom and dried mistletoe still inside.  I loved it!  I don't have anything like it.  For now, I have it sitting on top of some vintage ornaments.  It does look nice there.

Since I was in the treasure hunting mode, I stopped at Savers in Crystal Lake.  I hadn't been there in awhile.  They had lots of Christmas items but not much else on the shelves.  I did find a milk glass grape pattern bowl by Westmoreland for $5. 

Marshall's in Crystal Lake will be closing its doors the middle of January.  I'm going to make it a point to stop there to see what treasures I can find.  I really like that store.  There doesn't seem to be another one that close by.  I'm sad to see it go.

Vintage Treasure Hunting

Every Christmas, I make sure that I visit the Colonial Antique Mall on Lake Street in Woodstock.  I am bound to find some great Christmas treasures there.

Yesterday was my day.  Not only did I find some treasures, but I saw a few friends.  What a delightful few hours I spent there.  I like the different booths and the eclectic collection in each one.  I found a great gold glitter Santa (still in his original package for $5), 2 tinsel hanging sticks (still in their original packages for $2 each), a great gold bell chain for $4.50 that I'm using on my fireplace mantle to give it something more and another item to put in Caldwell's stocking.  I can't tell you what it is or show a picture of it because he and a co-worker Dan sometimes read this and I don't want to give it away.  The kids and I think that it will make a wonderful stocking stuffer.

Tomorrow is an estate sale by Caring Transitions in Lakewood.  The descriptions sound really good.  Maybe I'll see you there!

Christmas Tree

We got our Christmas tree on Saturday at Menards.  We have been going to Menards every year to get our tree.  (The price is right there and the selection is pretty good).  They still had some nice trees left.  This one wasn't shedding many needles and it is still drinking plenty of water.  All good signs.

While the kids and hubby were watching Men In Black 3, I decorated the tree.  I don't like stringing the lights so Caldwell helped this year.  I do love, though, hanging the ornaments.  I was selective this year and didn't put up every ornament that we have.  I only bought 1 new ornament this year.  It is a blue ball with Santa and his sleigh on it,  I bought it at Seasons by Peg on the Woodstock Square.  It is a lovely ornament.  The tree has a crafty, country, glitz look to it.  I hang ornaments that I love, not for a theme but for the mood I'm going for.  I just love to sit and be around the tree when it's all lit up.  The boys thought the tree looked "beautiful".  I couldn't agree more.

Dragonfly Dress

I got to wear my vintage designer dragonfly dress to the Master Gardener Recognition banquet (aka Holiday Party)on Friday.  I got this wool dress at my friend Kendall's garage sale this summer.  She had bought it at an estate sale.  At $4, it was a treasure.  It fits me perfectly.  I love that it is wool, but I especially love the silver glitz of the dragonflies on it. 

Cookies for Santa

This plastic vintage cookie jar gives new meaning to cookies for Santa.  Isn't it adorable?  I fell in love with it instantly at the holiday open house at Carriage House Antiques in Crystal Lake last night.
Austin and I stopped by (he enjoyed eating their summer sausage and drinking hot chocolate) to see what treasures we would find.  I spied Santa on a shelf and grabbed him quickly.  I also found some vintage ornaments.  They had lots of ornaments.  It was fun to see how many of those ornaments I already have at home.  (Sooooo many more than I thought I had)

Today through Sunday Kimball and Bean in Woodstock are having their holiday open house.  My friend Cecilia will be there with some of her creations.  It sound like lots of fun.  Kimball and Bean have great architectural and garden pieces and so much more.

I'm hoping to get to the Antique Mall on Lake Street in Woodstock before Christmas. I always find wonderful Christmas items there.  Now is the time to hunt for those holiday items.