Jack the Cat Poses for a Fall Photo Shoot

He's cute, but he's a real bad model.  It took forever to get him to sit anywhere near the mum like I wanted.

Instead, he spent a lot of time doing this...

And this...

And this...

Etsy Updates

I haven't added anything new to my Etsy shop recently, but have still had a few sales.  I've noticed Etsy's new search system that prioritizes results based on relevance and not on what was most recently listed really helps sales.

I still haven't filled my shop back up since recovering from the Vintage Bazaar in September, where I sold about 2/3 of my merchandise (making Fiance very happy).  The bazaar was so much work that I needed a break from estate sale shopping and cleaning the dust off all the stuff I brought home...plus it is kinda nice having a little extra space around the house - not to mention all the Christmas stuff I want to work on and list in the shop: a combination of crafts made with vintage items and vintage decorations.

I've been wrapping my items recently.  In the past I have almost always tied a bow around what I have sold, but after receiving my lovingly wrapped little string of happy from Dottie Angel, I decided to take it a step further....

and use tres chic magazines...

I wrapped a sold pair of vintage glasses in this magazine article...

Other recent sales include this jewelry box. 

I noticed the yellow bunny on "The Playboy Club" keeps her money in one just like it. I would have loved to be in charge of props for that show!

My Sun Porch

The other day, the colors of the leaves changed... and just like that, fall arrived.

I have a great view of it from my porch...

Click to enlarge!

I spent a lot of time collecting things to make it cozy out here... the papasan from Craigslist, the little white desk from an estate sale (that a stranger so lovingly delivered to my home after it failed to fit in my car), the hand crocheted throw from another sale, the houseplants, the Jesus candles, the ceramic animals...

There is only one problem.

AND OH MY GOD, they are having the time of their little lives up there.  AND - I have a gap between the light fixture and the ceiling... AND - I am not even kidding you, as a type this, I could actually SEE one stick his head out the gap and peer down on me with a leaf in his mouth.  AND HE ? SHE ? SQUEEKED!  AT ME!

So as you can see from my photo above... I have enlisted the help of my little squirrel Dream Pet - and also, evidently, Our Lady of Guadalupe.  Hopefully they can work together to convince the squirrels to go away and make a home somewhere else, because my landlord sure isn't in a hurry to do so...

Spooky Bird Plates for Halloween

The latest issue of Country Living Magazine features a display of stenciled bird plates.  I love birds, I love Halloween, I love fancy china, and I love copying ideas.  So I made my own.

Love the gold design!

 

This craft was super easy to make (really!) and took almost not time at all - which is good because I usually get bored and give up on projects if they take too long to complete.   I bought some glossy Martha Steward Paint, although cheap acrylic would have been fine.  Then I printed the templates out from Country Living and used them as stencils on the plates, tracing them with a pencil.  The most expensive part of the entire project was purchasing the plate holders - which at 3 bucks a pop wasn't terrible...

I plan on scraping off the paint after Halloween and painting kitschy little red Christmas designs on them.  Then I'd like to save them for my wedding, because ideally I would like to serve dinner on fancy mix matched china...

* linking up at 30 Days!

How are you getting ready for Halloween?

A Treat from Mossy Shed

All week I excitedly checked my mailbox in anticipation of something I had ordered from Dottie Angel...until finally, on Saturday - it arrived!  

My Little Strings of Happy!  

Yay!  Look how cute - she wrapped them individually in little bits of magazine. 

 All the little details made them seem even more special... I always write a hand written thank you when people order from my shop, and this one, written on a postcard is darling.

 Look at their little packages all tied up with string!

 

Yay.  I have been meaning to make a colorful little bunting, but I don't really have much "happy" fabric.  I love these fabrics, and so does Fiance, surprisingly!

 

Second Hand Dining Room

Since moving in in June, I have barely finished unpacking.  There are still a few boxes here and there and a bunch of stuff that is very disorganized with no home yet.  I have prioritized my dining room though, and it's almost done enough for me to be satisfied.  Here is a glimpse:

In this room I have south facing windows, and I just love how the sunlight streams in throughout the day. 

• The orange curtains were about a dollar at an estate sale, where I happened to grab a large amount of fabric that I have been able to use in different rooms in my house.  
• The chair was six dollars at the Village Thrift on Kedzie.  I bought two of them but had to make two different trips because only one would fin in my car at a time.  I spray painted it white.  
• The horse paint-by-number was also from an estate sale - I love it, and probably over paid for it - eight dollars.  
• The little magazine rack was five dollars at another estate sale.

Total for this little corner: 20 dollars!  YAY.

Here is what the other half of the window looks like - as you can see, the chair is totally not cute without the white paint... I just haven't gotten around to that yet with all the rain.  The hamper is probably the most expensive thing in the photo, which I splurged on at Home Goods one day ($40!) because I was sick of all my fabric laying on the floor and I needed a place for it.

I originally bought this little black bookcase for my sis, but it didn't fit in my car, so after my fiance carried it home we decided to keep it here (! He's the best!).  Anyway, it holds most of my craft supplies so I made little curtain for it out of the rest of the fabric from the estate sale.  I love that the plaid has a bit of orange with it - it makes it a nice unexpected match for my orange curtains!  I made the chalkboard out of an old window...

I hope to share more little corners of my apartment as it comes together!