The Vintage Rose Fabric Covered Drawers For Pearls and Lace Thursday 144

Sometimes it just happens.  The PERFECT item pops up in front of my eyes from Etsy and I hit the button to place it in my shopping cart before I even read the item description.  And then my heart starts to pound a bit faster and I wonder if I dare.  You know that feeling.  Just go ahead and press the button to purchase without looking back!!

But I always look back.  Just in case I missed something about the item that would be a deal breaker.

And after looking at the description, and the other pictures, it just makes it so much better to KNOW that I'm getting an item that is wonderful!!

Thank you so much Sofia!!!

If you have seen my craft room or any of my posts for that matter, you know how much I love and adore faded and tattered fabric covered boxes.  So this little beauty is a perfect addition.

Oh look how much it has been loved over the years!!

 And let me tell you something about the Etsy shop owner, Sofia...

She also makes these GORGEOUS paper flowers, and when I opened my box from her

 it was filled with pink paper tissue flowers!!  How sweet is that??

But this one special flower with the printed pink paper was

 tucked sweetly in the bottom drawer of my new purchase:

Next month is a special month for me.  I have a milestone birthday approaching and I have a huge area in my craft room set up with LOTS of pink and cream lovelies...not ALL of my collection of laces and pearls and pinks and creams, but a good bit of it!  I am in the process of taking LOTS of photos to share with you and I would like to give you just a taste of what is in store:

A recent find, and it's gorgeous!  In fact, just dripping with lace loveliness, don't you think?

If you have a chance to look at Etsy and you'd like to find my new friend Sofia and her lovely shop, you can find her HERE.  Not only did a find a lovely shop, 

I found a sister in the Lord who shares my love for beautiful things.

I'd like to change the way I host this month's party and ask you to do something a bit different.  Instead of taking time to add your blog post to a party link here, would you take some time and open your Bible and read it?  I have drastically reduced the time that I spend blogging and have instead picked up my Bible more to read what God has to say.  He truly blesses me every day when I put HIM first.

May you each be blessed by Him.

Doni

Red Cross Stitch Project Completed! Pearls and Lace Thursday #143

  It is finally finished!!
(see Wilma??)

I worked and worked and it's finally done.  As soon as I clipped the last thread, I took it to the ironing board and ironed it flat.  And then the fun began!

As a lover of vintage sewing items, I have a lot of things in my craft space that I can choose from.  But some of my very favorites are trims and buttons (as you know if you've seen much of my blog!).  

I got things off the shelves, pulled items out of drawers, took my sewing boxes off the desk, and this is what I used.  The different shades of reds just make me happy.  I love red.  Of course I love most colors!

(don't ask me about aqua though...)

The sampler is known as the Beaumont, and I ordered the chart a few years ago and started it.  I know, it takes me while to finish things!

Just because I was confused about why samplers from this era didn't have certain letters in their alphabets, I will mention this:  The letters I, and W were left out many times because of the redundancy of the stitches...

in other words, the J could be copied to be an I, and the V used to make a W.  

Above, the original chart has other initials.  My husband thought it would be neat to have my own initials as the maker of this one.  I humored him...and added the G for him to the chart as well!

The initials tape is French laundry tape used to identify clothing sent to the laundries.

Just gorgeous!

And because of the red theme, I had to add my lovely trims still in their own original packaging!

I hope you enjoyed seeing my reds.  

I am delighted to be finished with this sampler and will be getting it framed soon.

And before I get going with the party, I'd like to say a huge welcome to my newest followers!!!

I'm always so excited to make new friends!

As of today, we are in the middle of a cold spell (as most of you are).  We got down to 29 last night!!

But, the chimney sweep is coming any minute now and we will have a nice fire in the fireplace in a matter of a few hours.  I always love the smell of a wood fire, and am looking forward to the first fire of the season.  

So, it's time for the party!  Feel free to add your lovely post to the link below.  Just add the url code from your post to the link and go by and visit the others!  I will be hopping over to visit each of you!

Lots of hugs to you!

Blessings,

Doni

Pearls and Lace #142 Blue Toile Pearls and Lace

Well, I did something that I thought I would never be able to do.  And it worked.  So far.

I updated my Internet Explorer Version 8 to Google Chrome.

Now you think, what?  She did that NOW??

I know it's been a while since it came out and I've been kicking against making the change for a year.

But I finally had enough of it.  So here I am....a Chrome user....for the moment.
(side note: it's working so far this week and I THINK I like it!!).

At least I can place my cursor while I compose my blog post!!

So, on another note, how about some Pearls and Lace??
Warning...lots of pictures!

 There are some very lovely people out there, and I have been honored to be a giveaway winner numerous times.  Below is a gorgeous dish I won from Maureen at http://www.victorianstudio.com/
It is such a sweet dish and a lovely addition to my work space!!  Thank you so much Maureen!!

I also found this lovely cup some time last year.  I so hope to find some matching pieces!

On a side note...does anyone know where I can find the fabric I have displayed behind the pictures below?

It has a blue background with brown flowers.

These sepia photos are really interesting to me.  The one of the two ladies is just so typical of the era.  And the one below is something that I look at and study and wonder about.  I can almost think of a story that would depict the scene!  You might want to click on it to enlarge it so you can see the people.

I've played with the settings on my camera and tried a number of different ways to photograph my laces.  Some are better than others.  I tried to get some pretty closeups below, but well, let's just say, I'm still learning!

 Can you see the lace trim with the airplane on it??  I LOVE IT!!

Below is the card I made that shows all the examples of lace-making tapes and turtles (yes, turtles).  I love love love the big ones on the left!!

Kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.  I am so glad it's not something I have to do to 'keep' myself all my life.  God does it, and He does it through faith.  Remember though that faith is a gift from HIM...not something we muster up in ourselves.  If you wonder about your faith, ask Him to give you faith to believe in His Son, Jesus, as the only sacrifice able to save us from our sin.  Long years ago I remember when someone told me that when Jesus died on the cross there was a reason for it.  I grew up learning about Jesus, but never realizing that He died on the cross to atone for MY sin.  And that HE ALONE is the way to heaven made me quickly respond in belief.  I am so grateful to God for giving me faith to believe!!

Thank y'all so much for your input and wisdom!!  I asked you to tell me your thoughts and you did.  With that said, I am changing the Pearls and Lace Thursday party to only be once a month, around the middle of the month.  I hope that you will join me and share your own pretties with us!  I adore blogging and sharing thing with you, and love it when you show us what you've blogged about.  Please add the url code from your post to the link below!  And please NO Halloween themes.

Blessings to you!

Doni

Wedding Lace

So, how do I get my groove back?? 

I've Pinned, I've blogged, I've played with all my goodies, but I'm still feeling grooveless.

Just not getting back into the excitement of blogging again.

I wanted to show y'all a few more pictures of this gorgeous wedding bib that I have displayed on one of my dress forms. It is probably one of the best pieces I own! And I've loved looking at it and dreaming about its history. I know for a fact that it was worn as the front piece for a wedding. The piece came in the original box and has been lovingly cared for. 



I think I have finally decided to change the way I host Pearls and Lace Thursday. I still want to blog and share some pretties with you, but I don't think I am going to be hosting the Pearls and Lace Thursday parties every week any more. I think I might just host it once a month instead. With that decision made, I will hopefully feel less like I HAVE to blog and more like I WANT to blog!! 

Would y'all please give me your honest opinions and let me know what you think?? I don't want to make an issue of it, but I think it's time I relax the pressure on myself!! 

Let me be sure and tell you all that I LOVE to share my pretties with you and I LOVE to have you come by and visit me. In fact, I have been so blessed this last year with so many lovely people visiting and following and leaving comments and sharing their posts that I have been overwhelmed! I have made some lovely friendships and hope that I have been an inspiration to each of you. I'm not quitting, just gearing down a bit. I hope that you all will be blessed! 

Lots of hugs to you! Blessings, Doni 

Pearls and Lace Thursday #141 Baby Dresses in the Morning Sun

The sun is gorgeous shining into my east window.  I have hung some dear old baby dresses over the curtains and love how the sun shines through them.  The transparant quality and lightness of the material is so pretty.  And then the tiny tucks and stitches...just so sweet!

/

This crocheted dress above was one I found with an old wedding dress tucked into a cedar chest at an estate sale last year.  It was such a prize to find!!  Now to find a sweet set of baby clothes hangars to use to display!  Always looking for something!

Would you like to join me for Pearls and Lace Thursday??  The link is below. I was so excited last week to be back blogging, and there were so many of you who joined me!  Even after a huge break!  Thank you for coming by and sharing your posts with us!!

I hope you each have a lovely COOL week!!

Blessings,

Doni