A sheet quilt update

Ahh...only two more rows to go.

I got a bit over-zealous and added an extra square by mistake on two rows!

 

Only 30 more days until I leave to see my sweet husband! I will admit, the last 6 weeks have gone by faster than I thought they would. Some days were harder than others, but I think November will be a breeze.

Vintage Ornament Wreath Goodness

I just hung this beauty up.

It took about four hours to make, and used up almost half of my vintage Shiny-Brites, but it is SOOO CUTE! I think it needs a couple more key pieces of cuteness, but it is about 98% complete.

I had been coveting the vintage ornament wreaths another blogger has been making...and I'm so glad I didn't shell out the big bucks for one. It is so much more satisfying to make it yourself, especially when the stars align and it looks great!

I added this heart for my sweet hubby....absence does make the heart grow fonder. Yes, it does.

I know it's early, but here's to a happy holiday season...filled with sparkle, charm and vintage goodness!

Magical Tree

Do you ever have something that you see every so often and think is just magical? Maybe it just makes you smile? Weeping pines do that for me. They remind me of fairy dust, gnomes and magical things. I have loved weeping pine trees since the first day I laid eyes on one. You usually see them at the high-end garden centers...they like to plant them by their signs.

Well, thanks to the Sweet Father In-Law we are now proud caretakers of our own little weeping pine!

SFIL works at one of those big-box hardware centers. And he was keeping watch over the weeping pines for me...specifically to be aware of when they went on sale. I bought this beauty for $19.98 after my military discount last week! I am so over the moon about this tree! It makes me smile every time I pull in our driveway.

I think every cottage needs a magical weeping pine.

'Tis the Season

I dug and dug through our storage today to find this sparkling 1950's fabulousness...

Don't mind the GRINCH underneath trying to eat it....

We picked this tree up a LONG time ago. I had never been sure if it was even complete. It was FUN to put together and it's just so tempting to keep....but...off to the antique mall it goes!

This weeks favs....and the one that got away

Thrifting was a bit meager this week. I usually find at least one item at every store...not so this week. Here is some quick pics of what I did find: (please excuse the icky cell phone pics)

A sweet vintage wedding cake topper-as found on the shelf

Inside my cart at the Goodwill: Vintage small hand-cart, pink pottery jug, doggie figurine, planter and fancy porcelain bowl!

Then there's the heart wrencher: the one that got away. I think we all have these moments when we get to the store just a few minutes too late and miss a great piece.....

Victorian desk/cabinet. Missing door and a bit shabby, but for $75.00! Who could pass it up! Ugh!

Too bad, but I've had moments when I know people have felt the same way. A few months ago I found a brand new Kitchen-Aid mixer in the box for $75.00 at the Goodwill! I saw quite a few people look enviously into my cart with that one. And now it sits proudly in the Sweet Mother in Law's kitchen!

Cute Little Family

My sister Hannah (also known as "Nana" by the youngins in our family) has started a cute little family all her own! We are so proud of her and Johnny...and now we have little Landon. Below are some photos of the recent family shoot she asked me to do.

Back when I was in high school, I found this grove of pines nestled in a quiet spot near our family's church. They are eerie quiet and calm. It was very windy outside when we were shooting, but inside the pines it was calm and peaceful.

All little Landon wanted to do was eat the sticks and pine needles around him. Little stinker.

 TiTi was on hand for baby-wrangling. More like Little Mister wrangling. He was a handful.

Sisterly Thrifting/Retail Therapy

Yesterday my sister, aka "TiTi", and I went and did some retail therapy. I swear, the family separation allowance that the military builds into our paycheck is just evil. Evil, I tell ya! Ha, don't you like how I said "our" paycheck! Mr. V will surely laugh at that! Anywho...what else is there to do while your husband is in training and you are spending your wedding anniversary alone?

So, we went thrifting. Didn't find too much. This life-size cutout of the Three Stooges called our names, but, alas, it was SOLD.

So off to the outlets by our house. I had originally wanted to go to the Bare Minerals store and Yankee Candle...but then we saw Old Navy and it begged to be visited! Good thing, because they were having a super sale and we got matching sister coats for $14.00 EACH!

The one I have on is actually too big, and I am so proud that I now fit into regular sizes! Hallelujah!
Military family separation allowance = good thing.
Loosing weight = good thing.
Loosing weight and having to buy new clothes = less money than before the allowance. Darn.

Favorite Fridays...10-14-00

Eleven years ago I married the most amazing man. My Mom called him a "tall drink of water" and my Dad liked his easy going personality. We were married in my family's church on a perfect autumn day, sunny and crisp. The fall leaves made the perfect backdrop on our love.
We were so young, with an unfailing belief in what we were doing.

I know still, that we were so right.

During our marriage we have gone through so many trials. We've struggled with infertility, the loss of my mother and many other relatives. We've seen financial crisis, and I've been through two major surgeries. Through it all our love has not wavered.

As I spend my wedding anniversary alone, I reflect on all the joys and sorrows. The birth of our son has been a major highlight in our life. He brings so much happiness to our marriage. And, I know that both my husband and I are better people because of him.

I am so proud of my husband. I take pride in his service to our country. It is our love and his courage that gets me through each day. I can't imagine living my life with anyone else, ever.

Mr. V., thank you for being mine. I  ♥ You!

No sewing tutorial needed

I had an idea to watch a online tutorial on sewing....
That was until the Sweet MIL offered to show me instead. And so, our first project is a sheet quilt!
I am sooo excited! Tonight I did the first row!

 

And tomorrow, a few more. The goal is to have this quilt done by the time I go visit the hubby in late November. I just purchased my tickets....now, only 6 more weeks to wait.....

Railroad Fun

We took our annual fall trip to the East Troy Railroad with the Sweet In-Laws yesterday. As Little Mister gets older (and LOVES Thomas and Friends) he has quickly grown an obsession with trains...and trucks..and all heavy machinery.

The East Troy Railroad is a historic electric railroad. You can find out more about it here:

http://www.easttroyrr.org/

Many of the train cars they run are in the process of restoration, or have been fully restored. It is a very neat experience for children. The trains run from the station and take a 15 minute trip down the line to a cute apple orchard/store/pumpkin patch called The Elegant Farmer. All I can say is YUM!

This boy adores his Grandpa!

Every time the conductor would blow the whistle he would do this

Mommy bought a smiley cookie for the way back

The train cars are generally from the 1920's and are so neat inside. All original or restored woodwork and the vintage advertising that we all love. Some of them have velvet seats and of course the old hardware and lighting. They also do dinner train rides, which I think the hubby and I will have to do. Very neat!

This sign was inside the depot. It reminds me of what I am looking forward to....MY soldier coming home!

Not So Favorite Friday

My day today was filled with nothing but waiting. Waiting for AT&T to come and fix my land-line phone.

Backtrack two weeks ago when we first ordered the phone to be installed....back when things seemed so simple. It was promised and "installed" by last Tuesday. On Wednesday, the hubby called and I informed him of the number and instructed him to call it ONLY ON SUNDAYS. These were very specific instructions, because that is the only day we will be home all day for sure. Any other day he is to call the cell phone. Easy, right? (This is also more complicated due to the cell phone reception we get in our house... which is fair at best, hence the need for a land line so we wouldn't miss or drop our precious calls) Here's where it really gets complicated:

The land line phone is not working. It hasn't been from day one. I figured this out a few short hours after I told the hubby the number. So I called AT&T for a service call.... Really, AT&T? The soonest you can be here is in 6 days, and you give me a 12 hour window? No, appointments cannot be given. Wow. And they did come, but I was at the Navy base getting my ID. And they needed to get into the house. Great. So I made another appointment for today. Meanwhile, they have been forwarding any calls to my cell phone. Good idea, in theory, if the hubby uses his calling card. If he calls collect it will not go through as per T-Mobile's rules. Thanks, T-Mobile.

So today, they are supposed to come anytime between 8am and 8pm. And I stayed home ALL DAY to make sure I wouldn't miss them. At 6:15pm I received an automated call informing me that our "appointment" was rescheduled to tomorrow anytime between 8am and 5pm. ARE YOU SERIOUS?! We have plans ALL DAY tomorrow. But, per the friendly associate, they will most likely come in the morning as the previous days missed appointments are done first.

I had a mini-meltdown on the phone and when I hung up. I am beginning to really feel the stress of not hearing from my husband for almost a week and a half. This too shall pass, right?

AT&T, once this nightmare of training/separation is over with, we are too. You are officially not my favorite phone service provider.

Dapper Fall Outerwear

Dapper.  Oh, yes ma'am!

This neat vintage mens business coat caught my eye at the Salvation Army a few weeks ago. It is a great navy and white plaid...and fits me quite well. It is hard to find plus size womens clothing that is vintage. But sometimes you just stumble upon a great vintage piece...and in this case I don't think it matters if it is a mans coat or not. It's just cute!

 

I'm loving this fall look! This week the temperatures will be too warm for it in the day, but just wait....the real fall weather is only a week away!

Oh, Naval Station Great Lakes....We ♥ You!

One of my first tasks as a Army wife was to get an ID card. I had dreaded this....maybe because I thought I would have to do it alone and it just seemed daunting to go to the base myself. Guards, gates, restrictions....not my cup of tea.

My darling sister, Erin, decided she would make the journey with me, and we had lots (um...not really as you will find out) of fun.

On our first trip we got to the base, figured out where the main gate was and then had to wait in the visitors center for a post pass. When we cleared that hurdle they allowed us to walk to the processing center, which was about a 10 min walk. Not too bad. Lots of cute sailors to get my sister excited....
When we got there I was informed that I needed a CERTIFIED copy of my social security card. Evidently, the paperwork I had omitted the CERTIFIED part. Great. So, we had to walk all the way back, get in the car, drive home, get the safety deposit box keys and get my passport out of the vault. And then drive all the way back. It is a 30+ minute drive from our house.

Below are the photos from our second trip. I should have taken pictures of the woman recruit we spied with a bag, on her hands and knees pulling tiny weeds out of the grass without any tools. Ahhh...the military.

Naval Station Great Lakes Main Gate and Visitors Center

This captured the relief of getting past the guards...It is SUCH a process.

Success! It felt so official when I got the I.D. Proud Army wife right there!!

Good ol' building #C-2. It was like deja-vu all over again....

The scenic walkway towards the main gate. 

Well, I forgot to mention on the first walk through the station I dropped my drivers license and some nice sailors picked it up and walked it over to me. That would have been so not a good thing to loose. This happened even before we tried to get the ID the first time!