I'm back! And with Christmas Crafts!

For those of you wondering where I've been lately, I have been overwhelmed by schoolwork for my graduate degree.  Thank goodness DePaul's fall quarter is over this week, and I'm done!

I'm free!  Now all I have to do is make crafts for Christmas!

MERRY pom poms and tart molds!

Over the summer I picked up any little bits of vintage Christmas decorations and supplies I could find, and now I get to put them to good use.  I am planning a little Etsy shop update filled with merry holiday items this Saturday.

Linked up at Primp and at the Shabby Creek Cottage! AND at Vintage Wanna Bee!

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! 

Fall is Here!

And thank goodness the sun finally came out!  I was finally able to shoot some photos...

 Spooky owls in an old enamel coffee pot!

Boo!

How are you using vintage items to decorate for the season change?