Flickr group for all that love Vintage...

river cottage
Originally uploaded by Loving The Vintage

I have added a new flickr group...

"Loving the Vintage" will be a place
to share your granny vintage style...

Everything from kitschy goodness to thrifty finds...
Anything that you love...

Interior and exterior...

Decor, crochet, knitting, clothes, handmade, colour,
quirky objects, flying ceramics, forsaken deer and
so much more
that makes your heart skip and want to go back to the thrifty shop for another look...

so if you enjoy sharing your pictures on flickr
please take a look and add some photo's...
and once a week I will share all the Loving the Vintage goodness
with my blogging friends...

Oh Deer Me...

My dear friend...
After a very busy week of pattern writing and lots of printing...
I thought it was time to relax and do some rearranging and prettying up of
the kitchen wall at the cottage...

I added some more thrifty find plates...
with the help of a quick visit to the hardware store to get some plate holders and a bit of hammering, up they went...
I don't know how safe they are...but I hope they at least hold fast for a while...

and a unusual thrifty find of the most bizarre...
A felt covered deer...
I painted the antlers and back board white but might change it to a coloured back board if I can find some pretty paint...
I would have loved to show a better pic...but the lighting isn't very good...
He really is a treat...
I thought it might freak out Little Miss but she quiet likes him...
I think if it had a battery in it though she would have him thrown out quick smart...
She is having a bit of a problem with freaky battery operated toys that just seem to make a noise then they are not supposed to...
we have put quite a few in the thrifty bag to go to a "better" home...
which is all good as it does make the op shop ladies very happy...
and I like keeping them happy...
they are just treasures who not only stock the shelves with amazing finds...
but help out so many families who are finding it hard to manage in hard time...Bless them...

so for now I must dash...as I need to finish off a couple more Grandma Trees for my class...
regards my dear...
Michelle...
Loving The Vintage...

Tea Time

Dear Friend...
I have been very, very busy crocheting these past few weeks...
And did think it was time to just relax and sit for a day...
A quite time to just take it all in and have a tea...and bicscuit...
Oh well the truth a few biscuits...But I know you aren't counting so that's ok...

and planning of course what is to come...
Yes some very big news soon...
I am so excited I will burst but all will be told by the end of May...
and I know you will just be as thrilled as me...

We are starting to clear a little area for a outside spot...
To sit in the mornings and read the paper and chat and relax...
It just so happens to be the very spot where I take most of my pics so I am begin
very careful to instruct "digging Husband" just where to dig and where not to dig...
as I really love the ivy on this wall and would hate it to be chopped up...
and he does have a tendency to dig willy nilly...
and all of a sudden I end up with something total different to what I had planned in my mind...
Oh those husbands have to be watched closely...don't they...


and I did manage a fabby thrifty trip this week too...
The outfit was completed all in on op shopping trip...
Tights...just kind of like Tif's...less the pretty lace...
Wrap dress...
Singlet underneath...to keep me warm...
and shrug that although mass produced it has a lovely crocheted panel in the back
and is a very sweet colour...
Shoes from previous op shopping trip but still from the same place...
I get so chuffed when an outfit just falls into place...So I don't have to think too hard
about it all...
as I really hate spending ages wondering what to put with what...
And my sea of clothes seems to be a mile high as I think the amount I can get from
op shopping and the price I can manage to get more for my money than buying new...
and find lovely things that I know I would never be able to afford new...
Which also means that "penny watching Husband" doesn't mind either...
Well I think we both like putting our spare change into projects for around the house...
so it works out quite well...

But I really couldn't go past a thrifty find that is just amazing...above...LOVE!!!
Really needs a wash but I am rather worried about doing it myself...
That might get put aside for the dry cleaners...
I have only ever been to the dry cleaner twice in my life so I will be waiting
for the time when I have a few things to take...and that way when they all come back clean and smelling just lovely I will be able to tell myself that,"that wasn't so bad"...
and maybe not leave it so long the next time...
I do hope that your week is as thrifty as mine...
But if not maybe sitting with a cup of tea and a couple of biscuits in a pretty spot
will be just sweet and lovely...
Regards my dear...
Michelle...
Loving The Vintage...

Bark Cloth Skirts

Dear Friend...
I just adore bark cloth fabric!!!
But always stumble when it come to knowing what to do with it....
I like it but I really can't seem to find the right time to use it...
They are always bright-flowery or just not big enough to do the job...
I know there are a few friends who would be waving their arms about screaming....WHAT!!!
"I can think of heaps to do with it"...
But for me my little stash of ex curtain bark cloth has sat idle in my pile...until now...

Thanks to a crafty friend...
I have decided to have another go at making some clothes...
And the fact that my wardrobe is looking sadder by the day helped spur me on...
So after my first attempt...above...
I made another... top picture...I know quiet game of me...
And I even wore it out in public...
Yes to me sisters birthday...

So glad she made her own cupcake bouquet...
For I am certain my attempt at this would be disastrous...
Give me a hook and yarn any day over a piping bag and icing...

I have also started to repaint the kitchen walls...
I am not loving the all white so I have tried a very dark french blue...
I hope to have enough painted to take some pics soon...

So till next chat...
Regards dear friend and thanks for listening....
Michelle...

Whatnot and Devine Intervention

While sewing and admiring my new 3/4 finished
Whatnot garland...
Which I will add is a very important part of the tutorial
and you will find all the details HERE...
I realized that I needed a few more
doilies to add to the charm...
Call it what you may but I had a immediate need to
grab my purse, jump in the car
and head straight to the op shop...
While wandering aimlessly around the shop
I thought that the pickings were very slim...
very slim indeed ,not a doily in sight...
and pondered the thought that I must have been wrong
and maybe I just needed to have a few minutes away
from my sewing to get perspective
or something like that...
As I reached the counter to pay for my very unexciting shirt find...
There it was!!!
Hiding behind the counter with a price tag on it...
I held my breath for a second and let out the ever so faintest...
"Is that for sale"
The lady took a look and said...
"I think it must be, it has a price tag on it...
I think it has been out the back for,
well as long as I can remember, it does seem strange that
suddenly they are getting rid of it"
My response...
"I'll take it"
I popped it in the car and ended that sentence with a
"THANK YOU"

Loving The Vintage...

Thrifty Finds

I was lucky to have a few spare hours today to do some op shopping...
And came across this very nice colour suitcase...
Now I am not in the habit of buying old suitcases as I wouldn't know where to put them in all my chaos but when I picked this up I thought "my that's rather heavy" and on inspection of the inside this is what I found...
I very quickly did it up and paid for it and was out the door...
Like a flash...
It does need a really good clean and I am sure there are pieces missing but it was just to cheap and cute to pass up...
Other op shop bargains were the very soft "supersoft" shoes
in burgundy for $5-00...
The wool skirt in greys and a fine line of burgundy through it
and a really strange (meaning I don't know if I totally like it) extremely low cowl neck top...
All part of a bag for $5-00...
It doesn't get too much better than this for a day out...

Loving the Vintage...

mary janes

Mary Janes are one of my favorite shoes...


So here are a few cute sets for brooches...


And my op shop bargain of the week...
A black wrap around skirt...
That I added a doily and crocheted "Loving The Vintage"
circle onto...

Loving The Vintage...