THRIFTING ~ Deal of the CENTURY!!!

Oh MY GOODNESS!!! I am so exicted to show you what I FOUND yesterday in my latest thrifting adventures! I just could NOT believe my eyes. And...to think, I almost didn't even DIG in to the pile of plates that this beauty was buried in! Best of all..(drum roll please)....it as was ONLY .99 cents!!! YES...that is correct. a whopping .99 cents!!!.
My new favorite place to shop is alway such a FUN and usually very fruitful place. It's my local St. Vincent dePaul just down the way in Westland. They do have many items that are a bit high for this resourceful, ever on the hunt for a deal, chick..but I have also found many goodies at just the right price too!

But I tell ya, this has to be the BEST FIND yet!

What a lovely Handpainted Plate that is 10 inches in diameter. As a rose painter, I truly do TREASURE these one of a kind handpainted plates. The time, detail and love that an artist must have to do this work, always amazes me! The roses in this plate are really to die for, don't you think?! Truly a work of ART and I cannot believe anyone would give it up..but I am glad that I FOUND it.

Now...I just have to find the right place to put it! I will try to remember to show you when I find that special place in my home!
Happy shopping!
Lorena

*WILL YOU JOIN ME?* Share your Collections

WILL JOIN ME?

This past week I needed to make space in my closet of my Studio. I had displayed some of my dolls on the top shelf and decided to move them into my Master Closet. Thinking to myself as I moved them from one room to the other..hmmm says I, collections...I am gonna blog about the many I have.

Would any one else like to do this? You don't have to do it every week...but I am going to try and do one for a while. I'd love to have anyone who LOVE's this idea to join me, and then let me know so I can come visit your collections.

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DOLLY's, My first LOVE!!!

So I am sharing my very first collection, which for this girl was my dolls. How many of you girls like me, started to collect them, or least amassed a few as the years went by? I actually had a HUGE collection that at some point in my life that I eventually had a weak moment and decided to let some go. I NOW regret this and wish I had kept them. YET, I did manage to keep a few cherished ones and would love to share them with you.

The 3 dolls in the picture above are just so precious to me. The very left one was my mom's. I believe she is a story book doll and I just love her so! She sure could use a good cleaning but I wouldn't even know where to begin with that. The other 2 were given to me as presents I am sure but I cannot remember by who.

Isn't she just darling...right out of the 1970's. This was a doll my Aunt Shirly made me. She has adorable Holly Hobby material, can you see it? What is so unique about her? Her body is made from a glass SQUIRT Bottle? Yep, I said a POP bottle!!!
Next, my mom said this was my very first doll. As you can tell, she is not in the best of condition, but I think she was well loved. Her face could use a cleaning, but I am not sure what do use...this is a rubber surface, any ideas? I know she is about 50 years old!
Here's is another dolly that was well loved. Silly, but I don't even remember if I named these first 2 dolls.
Oh, Penny BRIGHT. She was what I got instead of a Barbie. My mother thought my sisters and I didn't need a Barbie because of her *anatomy*...so we got Penny's instead.
Did anyone make Mop Rag dolls? This was one I made in the 1980's. I just LOVE her and have kept her with my remaining collection of dolls.
Here are a few other dolls I have kept. The one of the left was given to me by my dad's cousin. The peachy colored one was made in the 1990's by me. They both are sitting in my ORIGINAL Doll Cradle that I had growing up. I can't believe I kept it..but I did.
The clock on this side does show that I lost a hand somewhere in time.
THUMBLINA ~ awe...I really, really, wanted a Thumblina back in the late 60's for Christmas..but Mom and Dad could not afford her when she came out. But, the next Christmas, my mom found some at a bargain price ( there were 4 girls in my family all within 6 years of each other)..so theatfollowing year, my sisters and I got one. This one still moves when you pull her string.
I have put my DOLLS all in their new resting place, aTOP a shelf in my closets. They are also interspersed with some sweet Stuffed Animals that my darling daughter has given me through the years.

I bet if you are a mom of a young child now, you will recognize some of the American GIRLS that are in my display. Well..this momma could not put my daughters 3 American Girls in a box. I just couldn't. So they are visiting with my sweet dolls and stuffed animals, for now.


These dolls have so much meaning and a past for me. I still wish I hadn't given some of the others away..but I was probably purging or cleaning in my younger years and wasn't THINKING!!!

I sure hope you have enjoyed my DOLL collection. I wonder who will join me next week?

Blessings....Lorena

SHARING ~ Victorian Post Cards of Years Gone By

I have something I wanted to share with YOU, my blogging friends!

On a recent visit to a dear friend of mines home, who is 81 years young...she asked, "Would you like to see my Mother's Vintage Postcard Collection?" YES!!!, I squealed with delight. You know that when she brought me out her mother's box of cards and a scrapebook of vintage calling cards...it was then I knew I had DIED and really gone to Victorian Heaven! lol As my friend and another dear friend visited...I began to Ouuuuu and Ahhhh over this gorgeous collection. I nearly lost myself for over an hour. Never in my LIFE had I seen anything quick as vast as these wonderful Images of the Past.

Mary's mother loved recieving Post Cards. Family and friends willingly oblidge her and a that was the beginning of wonderful collection in the early 1900's. Mary of course, received these wonderful images when her mother passed on and had saved them. She was so sweet and consented to allow me to pick some Post Cards that I could take home for scanning and keeping in my personal files.

Today I finally figured out how to download these by scanning them on my computer. But for those who are like me, and so appreciate it when others share cherished images like these, I wanted to share these with you. From time to time, I plan on sharing more of these delightful cards with you.

So...just Click on the image to make it larger if you want to copy/paste them. If you do like them go ahead a copy/paste them to your computer, would you please leave me a note. I'd really love to hear how you may plan on using them.

Enjoy these wonderful images on me!
Blessings...Lorena

TABLESCAPE Thursday

I have seen some of the most fun and gorgeous tablescapes on TABLESCAPE Thursday hosted by Between Naps on the Front Porch...and I finally had a creative early moment so I decided to at join this week. This will be my first, I hope of many fun Tablescape Thursdays!

This table is in my *eat in* kitchen area. I decorate in a *loose* French/English Country Style and have touches of Roosters everywhere. I also LOVE to mix and match my collections of plates and found goodies. So that is what I have done. My decor in this room is mainly reds, golds and colbalt blues.

My dear friend Ele made these adorable Salad Spoon/Fork set..I absolutely LOVE them and had to display them! This sponge wear bowl was a garage sale find many years ago.
Because I LOVE roses so much, I keep a large supply of beautiful napkins to use and adorn my tables.


I also found these fun Rooster plate at a garage sale, I think I got 4 for $2. I have then paired it with my Mikasa Plates and a royal blue bow...and then my glasses are thrift stores finds at .80 cents each.
I found this darling rooster salt/pepper shakers at a now close shop that I loved...the sponge wear butter dish was a find, but if my memory is correct, I paid full price for it..but I could'nt pass it up.

The rooster table cloth was actually snagged at Wall Mart on sale...I HAD to have it cause it matched my overall room.
Oh and I must point out that gorgeous pitcher. A few months back I hosted a group of gals from my Tuesday Morning Bible study. One of the gals brought juice in this and then told me to keep as her hostess gift to me. Lucky me!!!


I actually LOVE to keep my formal dining rooms table set. And do so usually seasonally, until I have guests and then like it is now, it needs redone...so that might just be my inspiration to do this next week in there.

Thanks for letting me share my *Eat-in Kitchen* table.

Have a blessed day! Lorena

MORE Exciting NEWs!!!

Okay my sweet blogging friends, you are NOT gonna believe this one!

Alas, my dear hubby and I had made a decision to move forward with the Franchise we had been investigating. And, I knew that my hubs was a bit hesitant because nothing in his field of work had come to light. Well...wouldn't you know it, 2 days after we made our decision and since, he has had 2 people contact him asking if he's interested in a couple of positions. So he prayed about it and we both felt he needed to investigate each one further.

Graciously, those we have been working with have been support of this decision and it will not mean any financial loss to us, which it could have been. That in itself is HUGE! I still have a PEACE but do not know what is going to happen. We have asked to delay all that we are doing towards the franchise and will try and make some decision at the end of this month. FUNNY side note: hubby kept saying to me: "You just watch, once we go ahead something will turn up!"..lo and behold, it has. So continue to keep us in your prayers. I am praying that whatever GOD wants will be made very clear to us.

Are you wondering why I have a graphic of Christmas up. Well, since things have changed around here I am going to take advantage of the time. I have gotten in CHRISTMAS Creative MODE!!! Yep..I am pulling out my goodies to see what I can come up with and have listed some sweet things in my etsy shop. More creating and listing to come. So, If you like to do your Christmas Shopping early...well check it out! I'll give ya a little teaser!

The above what an original idea I had, using my handmade clay roses and then embellishing it with pretty buttons and rhinestones. Below, is another sweet collage of a darling Vintage Snowman Image. I just Love Victorian art!!!

Blessings, Lorena

AT Last ~ Job News!!!

GREETINGS!!!

If you are a follower of my blog, you will know that my hubby's been out of work for over 10 long months. He has tried over this time to find a job in his field of engineering to no avail. We have both prayed for GOD's leading in our lives and for the path that HE would have us take. During this time we began investigating the possibility of some type of Franchise. Now...not all franchises are in the Food industry. We worked with a Franchise broker who had us do a profile and then found a number of franchises that worked best for us. Many we nixed right away due to the type of franchise it was. We finally began the *Validation* process with a franchise that involved the IT world. Our conclusion was this was technology based and technology is NOT going away.

On Monday we flew to Austin, Texas to meet with the Home Office of this franchise. We were so impressed with the behind the scenes people and support that is already in place. They shared what we were to expect and so much more. Once we were home, we needed to make our decision to move ahead or stop this process. With much prayer and discussion, we have decided that we are moving ahead with this Franchise.

We are staying in Michigan and we will be able to run this out of our home for the time being. If it grows we will then decide next what to do. Without confusing anyone, the franchise is in the Information Technologies (IT). We would provide a service to small business of 5-100 people, with what is called managed type services...anywhere from back up systems, to hardware and software installations...and there is so much more that I don't even know of yet.

I have a PEACE that I know is from GOD. I believe he has directed us down this path and know HE will help us to succeed. We are not making a rash decision, we have talked many hours with current franchiser, prayed and now feel that GOD has not put any road blocks in our way and this IS where we are going to proceed. It is such a relief for meI I am cautiously excited and also scared, I know this comes with any new venture in our lives.

We head back to Austin in 2 weeks, for 2 weeks of intensive training that will ready us to go home and Jump into our *New* job. My hubby will be doing the bulk of this job and I'll be the Admin behind the scenes. I have actually enjoyed being involved in every step of the process. We both have grown through this and it exciting to know we now have something in place. It means 5-10 more years in Michigan, my daughter being able to graduate hopefully from her school and on to college in the area after that. This is a big burden off of this momma's shoulder!

I want to give those who have prayed a HUGE, THANK YOU! I am so blessed by your LOVE and prayers. I know that this is why I have a PEACE that passes all understanding. Again, THANK YOU!

Blessings, Lorena