Squeeze The Lemons

As promised, I have something completely different for you today. Recently, my amazingly talented friend Holly Abston asked if I would share a bit of my home and some of my thoughts on making the most of what I have on her wonderful new site, Squeeze The Lemons. I was happy to oblige. I love the concept, and I think you will too!

So, go have a look at my colorful, highly imperfect home, and let's all make the most of what we have today, Turtledoves.

Extreme Turtle Makeover

We've had this turtle step stool since my little one was a baby. My mom found it at a garage sale, and according to what's written on the bottom, it was made by a local man in 1974. I have always intended to recover it, but it was one of those projects I kept putting off. Well, 37 years and several hundred tooth brushing and hand washing sessions later, it was getting kind of gross. I started thinking about recovering it, but wasn't sure what fabric to use, since it does see so much action in the bathroom. Then it hit me: oilcloth!



I ended up having to replace the deteriorated foam rubber inside, and then covered the new foam with a layer of batting. It's better than new now, since water, bubbles, toothpaste and other kid messes just wipe right off!

And speaking of messes...looks like one too many bubble blowing sessions and a long winter have left my front porch in need of a good mopping. I'll add it to the list!

Little Red

Here's Little Red in the costume I made for her. I modified an online tutorial I found for a lined hooded cape, and embellished a two dollar Goodwill dress with vintage velvet ribbon and trim.


The finishing touch was a fifty cent garage sale basket for carrying food to grandma or holding the spoils of an evening of trick-or-treating, as the case may be.



What a stinker.

My New Ride

Needing a distraction, Sugar Pea and I hit some garage sales on Saturday as part of the second annual Kan-Okla 100 Mile Sale . I came away with quite a few treasures, but the best find was this 1960's Schwinn American complete with a headlight and baskets on the back. It's pretty much my dream bike, second only to Pee-Wee's, of course. I've been wanting a bike for some time, and I was just waiting for the right one to come along.


This new set of wheels was just what I needed this weekend, after a very stressful couple of days. Last Wednesday night, a pick up truck on a flat bed trailer came loose from the truck that was pulling it down the street on the south side of our house. It flew through our back yard, slamming into my beloved minivan which was thrown into our other car parked next to it in the driveway behind our house. My van is totaled, and our other car is in pretty bad shape.


The bright side (because you know there always is one) is that none of my loved ones were in the yard at the time. Also, had the cars not been parked behind our home, the trailer would have crashed into our back bedroom, taking out our home's electrical system, not to mention ruining a whole lot of vintage fabric and craft supplies. Thank god for insurance!

Does This Calico Dress Make My Butt Look Big?

A few days ago, while browsing at an antique mall, I found this old photograph.


When I turned it over and saw what was written on the back, I just had to bring it home.


"This is our home with Pa and me in the yard I look fleshey there but I had my every day clothes on and they make me look larger." It's signed "Ona" or "Onay". I can't quite tell. Even a hundred years ago, women were worried about looking a little too "fleshey" in photographs. Ona, I feel your pain, although I don't think my "every day" jeans and T shirt are to blame.

Kitschmas in Sweetheartville

So today I went around snapping shots of a lot of my Christmas decorations, for you Dollfaces, and for posterity, I suppose. Sugar Pea and I have been sick for three weeks between us, so this Christmas was a bit of a bust. I did force myself to make three varieties of cookie and two types of candy, sick as I was, but was then too miserable and exhausted to take any shots of how dang pretty they all looked laid out on a big aqua platter. You'll have to take my word for it.
Now, if you'd please, come this way for a little tour of my home at Christmas time. Please remember that it's a work in progress. I'm afraid one year later we haven't made as much progress as I would have liked.


In the entryway, I displayed my growing tree collection. I'm still searching for the perfect pair of shades for those awesome chartreuse lamps.


About a month ago, I found a real life Nylon Net Novelty tree! The old men running the charity junk shop just couldn't get behind my enthusiasm, even when I explained that it was a real life Net Novelty. They took my fifty cents with nary a hint of excitement for me.


Just ignore the half stripped wallpaper behind the giant styrofoam Santa head as you behold the tree.



After an email from Christie with a picture of some nesting doll ornaments, I had the idea to give Sugar Pea her own little tree to decorate and redecorate to her heart's content. Plus, I figured it would take some of the heat off of my tree. So, I set about making six little felt "open babies", and she helped me string a garland of pink pom poms. I also gave her a dozen shiny, unbreakable ornaments.


Well, imagine our surprise when, a few days before Christmas, a lovely package of cookies and these precious handmade Open Baby ornaments arrived for Sugar Pea from the oh-so-generous Ms. Christie. She is just about twelve kinds of awesome, as evidenced by the spectacular octopus chandelier she just made.


I overloaded a little tree with my vintage angel ornaments on the dining room buffet.


My favorite part of the Christmas story has always been the part about the Bug People who followed the star, riding reindeer for three days and nights to bring the Baby Jesus peanut brittle.


This summer, my Mom found me a box of six of these Shiny Brite angels. I want to hug them, and squeeze them, and call them "George", but I don't because they're very fragile.


Here's the pantry, all decked out. Really, with a pantry like this, it would be a sin not to decorate it for Christmas. Possibly, it would be illegal. I'm not taking any chances.


Here's where our tour ends. If you'd like to see more, have a look at my Kitschmas Set on Flickr. Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas!

Sweetheartville + Deluxe = True Love Always

I'm back, and somewhat recovered from all the long days and late nights leading up to participating in my first craft show. Deluxe was a success! The whole weekend was such a blur of activity, hilarity, and new faces, that now, a week later, I'm still remembering details to relate to the Mister. One of my very best friends was kind enough to accompany me for a girls' weekend, and I'm so grateful for her help and support. The show was held at the Farmers' Public Market in downtown Oklahoma City, a 1920's Spanish structure dripping with history. I read that one of my all time favorite honky tonkers, Hank Williams Sr., played there, so we were in good company. Over 50 vendors, all from the great state of Oklahoma, came together to offer shoppers a handmade alternative to the mall. Here is my booth.


Several new Sweetheartville handmade products made their debut at Deluxe, including my vintage-inspired hair ornaments, jeweled bags, Beauty Buttons, and Soiree Aprons. Putting together an entire craft show inventory and display on a limited budget in a little less than two months required dreaming up some rather creative display ideas, such as hanging said aprons on a two armed 50s floor lamp I had.


For my line of Beauty Buttons, I decided this sweet little 1960's vanity my mom picked up for me a few months ago, accessorized with one of my vintage hair dryers would make a fitting display piece. Originally, I had two wire photo holders--one for buttons, and one for magnets--but after about the thirty fourth time I had to retrieve a magnet from the floor, I opted to just lay them in some little vintage plastic trays I had brought along.

I had already decided to bring my vanity, but still felt as though I needed to have one other unique, eye catching display piece, and I'm the gal just crazy enough to haul her prized five dollar vintage dryer chair halfway across the state to stack boxes on it made from record sleeves.


Dollfaces, sometimes being crazy pays, like, say, when you win the prize for "Best Display" at your very first craft show.


Pictured above with yours truly are Sara, J.D., and Stephanie, the three lovely, hard-working ladies responsible for making Deluxe such a great success. In fact, the show was such a smash hit, that there's talk of another one in the Spring. I can't wait!

Dispatches From a Madhouse

It's been a wee bit crazy around here, with no end in sight, but I'm making the commitment to blog at least once a week. Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my bloodshot eye.
I found a real live Dia de Los Muertos skull at the flea market, and I love her, especially her Frida hair. Frida will most definitely not be going to the attic with the other Halloween decorations. She's here to stay.


Not just any Horror Teeth. These are from Hollywood.


My wittle wadybug.



Osage graves in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.



I don't have many after death wishes, but if a headstone is purchased for me, I think it needs a lift up photo door. Preferably containing this picture.


A crazy, crafty mess.


Know what I went and did? I decided to take Sweetheartville to the next level, and signed up to do my very first craft show. On December 6th, I'll be shilling my wares in Oklahoma City at the first annual Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar. I've got lots of new items in the works that I'll be revealing soon. I'm so excited, but a little overwhelmed with all there is to be done. Besides crafting up an inventory, there are tables, tablecloths, packaging, displays, promotional items, signage, oh, and that whole Etsy shop thing. I've just listed new vintage craft supplies, including these super cute pillow/plush printed panels.



So hop over there and start your holiday shopping already.

Dry, Odorless, Effective

Remember my Asian figure lamps from Neosho? Well, I searched high and low for the right shades, and the best I could come up with were a pair of black chandelier shades that, when clipped on the bulbs, were too high to cover the lamp sockets. So, I did some crafty improvising, and decided to glue black fringe around the inside rims of the lampshades. The fringe I purchased was a few inches long, so a trim was in order. Let me tell you, for someone who prides herself on being crafty, and is professionally trained in the art of haircutting, this proved to be more of a challenge than anticipated! I kept having to trim a little more here and there, until the fringe turned out a tiny bit shorter than I would have liked. In the end, I really like the effect. Sort of vintage Shanghai bordello.


I put the pair on either side of my vanity, which dates from the 1940s or 1950s, and was a wedding gift from my Mama. I've made quite a bit of progress on my bedroom, and after I get some pictures hung, I'll give you a tour. But decorating isn't what I want to tell you about today. Today's post is about my love of vintage beauty products, and a new friend who shares the same passion for old bottles, boxes, and jars.


Bob found Sweetheartville recently, and contacted me because he too loves and collects vintage beauty products and vintage hairdressing magazines. Believe me when I tell you that he is a Dollface of the highest order, so much so, that he sent me a big ol' box of vintage hair goodies in the mail. After I told him that I had dropped my darn Dippity-do jar and broken the lid, he sent me a new one, along with a bottle of Subdue Dandruff Shampoo.


That's not all he sent, though. That sweetheart mailed not one, but three vintage perms, each with its original components still inside the box! These are the first perms in my collection. This "Self" permanent dates from the days of big hair and white lipstick, and is just delightful with the poppy simplicity of its package design.


The "Chemtronic Life Pick-Up Permanent" is designed for touch ups to the bangs and neckline between regular perms, and is my favorite of the three with its shiny gold box.


Last, but not least, comes the "Pin Quick" Pin Curl Permanent from Richard Hudnut. It's weatherproof! Thank you so much, Bob!


I thought I'd share a few recent additions to my ever-growing collection. One of my very favorite pieces is this "EZ Hair Removing Glove" I picked up at a garage sale this spring for a quarter. It is unused and still with its original packaging, a lovely folded card featuring an elegant lady hand with nails manicured in the unpainted tip and half moon fashion of the 1930s, from which it dates. It was made by Helen Neushaefer, who appears to have been the creator of creme nail polish, although information on her is limited.



The hair removing glove is "dry" and "odorless" because it is essentially a loop of sandpaper designed to slip over four fingers. As for the "effective", I guess we'll never know. It certainly would aid in exfoliation. The fact that sanding ones leg whiskers off is a foreign concept to me (and, I would imagine, others), somehow leads me to believe that the results were less than desirable.


Another recent find is an addition to a collection I've shared before-my vintage powder compacts. Despite its battered appearance, this was an especially exciting find for me, since it is a commemorative souvenir of Oklahoma's semi centennial in 1957, the anniversary that spawned the Tulsarama! celebration during which Miss Belvedere was buried. Engraved on the image of our state is the phrase, "From tepees to towers."


The color scheme and Art Deco sleekness of this "Fonteel Toilet Powder" tin just kill me.


Another recent find was this glittery pink plastic 1950s curler hamper. How do I know that it's a "curler hamper" and not a candy dish, you ask?


Because it says so in gold letters on the lid!


I've added lots more photos of my collection to my Vintage Beauty Set on Flickr, so hop on over for a peek!