Meet Our Two New Friends!

Attic Gal Alysa says:

We had lots of fun "saleing" a few weeks ago.

What should I name my new friend?

I love the shelving that actually can fold up if I want it too. Someday when my daughters' room is clean I'll show you how it turned out holding colorful quilts on it.

The little table will come in handy in a small place and the quilt -- love those quilts.

Attic Gal Rachelle says:

Those white shelves Alysa grabbed are extreemly cool. Wish I had had a place for them!

I found an old Golden Book of Christmas Carols, to add to my collection, and some pretty seashells for my summer apothocary jars. My nickname is Shelly, so I have always been partial to seashells!

I found these fun French prints. I plan to paint mats pink, and they will be perfect in my pink room, (if I can find wall space -yikes!). Also some lovely French-milled soaps that would match perfectly in my pink room, only I better put them in my bathroom instead, huh? (If I seem to be getting a bit into all things French, maybe it's because I am going to Paris next month!!! Oh la la!)

We actually found TWO of the black dress forms, so we each got one!!! Just that morning we were saying how we wanted to find a fun dress form at a garage sale, and then we found two for a great deal! How 'bout that? We were like a couple of silly school girls with our new find, as we tried to gingerly get both of our new friends into our small car.

I have to admit, I do like finally having another gal in the house, even if I am jealous of her figure! (I bet she never had 6 kids!)

Now we just have come up with something cool to do with them. Any ideas?

Windows of Opportunity

Attic Gal Rachelle says:

Last week I found this very cool old window at a garage sale.  You must understand that we live in a relatively new area, and we don't have very many old buildings, thus very little of the fun architectural salvage you might find in other older parts of the country.  So when I find something as cool and colorful as this, I don't dare pass up my window of opportunity, even though I had NO idea of what I was going to do with it.

Several months ago I had also found this great old narrow window with beautiful beveled glass at a garage sale.  I didn't pass that window of opportunity either.  Its been just propped up in the corner of my bedroom ever since.

But I was afraid to leave my newly acquired colorful window sitting around, for fear that in this crazy house, it might get broken, so I took the initiative and this is what I did...

With a few hooks and eyes, and a stud finder, I was able to hang them in the hallway and entryway.  I just love the glowing gem-like colors.

The long one looks great in the entryway.  The picture cannot capture how the bevels catch the light and draw the eye up and away from the always-messy floors.

I just love how the old windows add some color, sparkle, and vintage architectural interest to my relatively new house. 

One more project crossed off my list.  I'm so glad I took that window of opportunity and just did it.

Star Spangled Interior

Attic Gal Rachelle says:

My house has been officially festooned - the inside anyway, and since I added a bit since last year, and have a better camera, I took new pictures of my patriotic pad.

First, I had a bunch of fun Americana ribbon that I got super cheap after the post-911 patriotic fever cooled down.  But I snatched it up, because at least where I come from, patriotism never goes out of style.  These green leaf wreaths were and after-Christmas purchase a few years back, but I keep them up all year.  All I did was wrap the star-spangled ribbon around the wreaths that were already there, and tucked in the edges.  It took all of 2 minutes.

Recognize the flag stands from my previous post in the two bottom niches?

I used more of the wide ribbon just tied and looped in the chandelier.

I also glittered some chipboard stars, and hung them by fishing line from the chandelier.  I love the look.

From the entry you turn right and are in the dining room.  I have flags everywhere -  all garage sale finds.  

How fun is that?

I just have to say that Betsy Ross was brilliant!  I love the American flag - the colors are great and the stars and stripes are graphically  stunning.  Oh, and I also love it because America rocks!

I love the look of the parade flags in my various milk glass bud vases.  They look great a lined up at attention like this, or clustered together in the middle of the table.

I scrolled some of my super-wide ribbon along the niches in the entryway.  I sure wish I had more of that stuff!  And last night, since I couldn't sleep I made a fabric USA banner.  I think it is my favorite banner yet, though I think I say that with each banner I make.

I used more of the fun ribbon for bows between each pennant...

and I glittered more chipboard stars.  This is my favorite antique silver glitter from Martha Stewart.  It looks like old German glass glitter. (again, after-Christmas clearance).  Very pretty!  Then, since I didn't have blue glitter I just punched some blue stars out of blue CS and stuck them in the center.

Oh yes, I really love this banner!

I also pulled out some old archetectural iron stars.  The glass block was a gift from Attic Gal Alysa herself.

And then, just to be silly, I made a little Uncle Sam pixie with a baby picture of one of my twins.

I just drew stripes onto his overall cuffs with a red marker, and drew white stars with a white gel pen (Uniball makes a fabulous white gel pen!)

The flag was cut from a piece of the same ribbon I tied on the banner, and a tooth pick.  The hat was taken from an old WWII poster and a star brad and some glitter were added to punch it up.  He still needed something, so I drew a little Uncle Sam goatee with the white gel pen.  I don't know.  It is silly, and that is good enough for me.

The red, white and blue just pops in my yellow kitchen.  Just more old flags.

This spirit of 76 is my favorite flag!

Remember the red chair I found saleing a few weeks ago?  Attic Gal Alysa and I found the blue star quilts on our girl trip to Utah in May!  Perfect.

Another favorite flag, this huge old 48 star coffin flag hangs over, and completely covers, the tall stone fireplace - (but nobody build fires here this time of year anyway.)

Did you know that when hanging a flag vertically, you always hang it with the stars to the left?  According to the US Flag Code, the flag represents a living nation, so should be treated and respected as a living thing.  In reality, the stars always hang on the right, the flag's right that is, so it is to the left when you are looking at it.

My kids have so much fun looking at all the different American flags in this fun display I found saleing a few years back. 

The painting on the wall is mine - an old schoolhouse window - and the one on the bottom was done by one of my boys a few years back.

During the days of the revolution, and early Republic, there was no official flag, so there were lots of different designs.  My personal favorite - the yellow one with a snake that says "Don't Tread On Me".  We need to fly that one today, I think.

Another flag and a pair of buntings I found cheap last summer drape the entertainment center.  The kids wouldn't let me cover the TV, but now I wish I had hung the huge fireplace flag there instead.  Then maybe then they'd forget all about the TV and the Wii this summer.  Maybe not.

Some of my vintage tablecloth are in great patriotic colors.

So that ends this Fourth of July parade.  Thanks for all the flag waving! 

Happy Fourth to all you fellow patriot readers out there, and for our wonderful foreign friends, Happy Saturday!

It's a Grand Old Flag Stand

Attic Gal Rachelle says:

Last month, Attic Gal Alysa and I found these terrific flag stands at Tai Pan Trading. We both wanted a pair, but there were only two left, and since they were a bit too tall for the niche that I needed them for, Alysa got them. Don't they look so great up on her mantle? I just love them!

Well, I still wanted a pair of my own, and I didn't want to spend the $10-20 apiece that they sell for. So I went digging around up in the attic (well, really my garage) to see what I might use.

I found the back of a broken old chair and I knew I could use the spindles.

I found some old wood spools and bought some molding rosettes at the home store for less than $2 each.

I glued/screwed them together like this. Then sprayed them with some blue spray paint I had on hand.

Then I stuck a pair of my old parade flags in the spool holes. Done!

I think my flag stands are every bit a Grand as the store bought ones, don't you?

Forever in peace may they wave!

Gift Idea for DAD

Although Father's Day has come and gone, here is a fun idea for Father's Day, birthdays, etc. I saw this idea on the Tip Junky blog and I improvised and did my own thing. I hope to do this every year for my husband. The letters and frames were purchased from Kohl's (you only have to purchase the "D" and "A"). It was too sunny for the children but the pictures still were fun. My husband loved it.

I decided to do this with all my siblings so I had each of them email me a picture of them holding "their" birth order letter. It turned out really fun. My dad even said he would hang it in his office -- hilarious. I especially love my brother, Scott, who is holding the letter "T". He use to be a boxer and always loves looking "tough" in pictures but he is the biggest teddy bear. Love my siblings!

My sister used the idea too for her family. Check out the "D" formed by her grandchildren. As you can see, there are many ways you can do it "DAD", "PA", "DADDY", "FATHER", "BIG POPPY", "CURMUDGEON" whatever fits your family.

Deck the Halls with Flags and Buntings!

Attic Gal Rachelle says:

Here are pics of my Independence Day decorations last year.  I have a few more things up my sleeve for this year, and promise more pictures in a few days, (I can't hang the buntings here too soon or the desert sun will fade them quick!) but this might get you started with  a little red, white and blue inspiration!  Enjoy!

I must admit the I LOVE this country, I LOVE Independence Day, and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE pulling out all my Americana decorations. I sing patriotic songs as I hang buntings over my door and windows, and the gigantic 48 star flag over my fireplace (actually, It completely covers the fireplace!) I love how my little parade flags look, all lined up in my milk glass bud vases. I am crazy about my old 76 flag and my recent find, the fifty flag centerpiece ($2). I got everything at garage sales. I can never pass up an old flag at a yard sale! The best part about decorating for the fourth, it that it takes me about 30minutes, compared to 3 solid days to decorate for Christmas - and to me it is just as magical. Bold stripes and bright stars. Betsy Ross is my kind of gal!

(Sorry about he lousy pictures.  They are from last year.  I'll take much better ones this year - just you wait!)

Happy Festooning!