A Sneak Peek For Laurie

Well, I've been working on that fabulous mystery gift that Laurie at Magpie Ethel has won. All those Where Women Create posts inspired me to tidy The Playroom and finish this project! This is a sneak peak of the trim that I've just sewn on to this little ol' vintage style dishtowel. I love the fun, cheery colors-- they remind me so much of Laurie!

Yes, yes, yes... I did embroider a vintage design on the towel-- but I want it to be a surprise for Laurie! I will post a picture of it (along with the other little goodies I send her) as soon as I know that she's received it-- because, you know-- it's a fabulous mystery gift.

Oh lookie here--Haggie's come by to see what's going on. Or is he just eyeing the things on the table?!

Oh Haggie, it's just some of my stitchin' essentials... pincushion, scissors, and Neccos. Yes, Neccos. It's a little sweet, without being sticky-- the perfect crafty snack!

Hugs,

Where Jill Likes to Chill...

This swing is my new favorite place to "hang out" and read. It's soooo comfortable-- and look-- it even has a handy-dandy cup holder!

I wasn't sure I was going to plant a garden this year, but I couldn't walk by a garden center without stopping. With so many things that need to be done in my yard, I could hardly justify starting a vegetable garden-- but there I was, looking over all those beautiful heirloom tomatoes-- so I broke down and bought some.

You know what happens next... I walked over to the veggies and lost all control. I just had to have that lemon cucumber, pattipan squash, and the french zucchini. I also threw some nasturtiums and zinnias into the mix. Those little red mushrooms in the lower right corner? Those are fake. Mr. Squirrel (or Mr. Cat--ugh) have decided to dig right there, so I thought the mushrooms might deter them. So far, it seems to be kind of working. Kind of.

Here, you can see just how much work needs to be done-- weeds to be pulled, path to be re-constructed, funky landscape plants to be dug up, new landscape to be designed and installed... the list goes on and on. There is potential though, don't you think? It's just going to be a lot of work.

Oh Haggie, how I wish I could get some manual labor out of you...

Hugs,

Ahhh, How Sweet!

My bloggy friend, Lisa of the fabulous blog, A Cuppa Tea With Me bestowed this sweet award to me a little while back. I met Lisa through the Stitchalong group-- she's an incredibly talented blogger with great style, a great sense of humor, and a great love for her Vespa! Please tootle' on over to her blog to take a peek at her fabulousness!

As a recipient of this award, I am to share ten things you may not know about me. Well, here I go-- some of these may be repeats of the last award questionnaire, so hope I don't bore you!



1. I was born into a fairly large family-- I have 4 siblings-- three older brothers and one younger sister. When I was little I wanted to be an "only child". Really, I did. As an adult I am so thankful I'm not. My siblings were my first friends, and will always be my dearest.

2. I'm a native California girl. Born and raised in the Central Valley, just 40 minutes south of Sacramento. I've lived in other states, and even in another country (Japan, for about a year and a half) but my heart has always led me back home to the golden state. I love that both the Pacific Ocean and the Sierra's are just a couple hours away.


3. I bought my first home last summer... and I love it. It's always been a dream of mine to own "a little piece of the planet". It took me a long time to get to the point in my life where I felt secure with the big jump. I have to admit, as a single gal-- I'm pretty darn proud of myself. It's been quite the journey to reach this goal that was just a dream for so long. Just goes to show-- you've gotta' start with a dream.

4. I'm a Gleek. I love the television show, Glee. My favorite character, you ask? Kurt, of course. The kid is hilarious and he can sing. I jumped on the Glee Wagon a little late, so I became a fan when I heard him sing "Defying Gravity" (from "Wicked") with Lea Michele. Goose bumps. Total goosebumps. (Here's his solo version.) Did you know that he originally tried out for the part of Artie (the guy in the wheelchair)? The producers didn't think he fit any of the roles, but they loved him-- so they created a role just for him. Amazing.

My favorite episodes? It would have to be the episodes where they sing Lady Gaga (loooved their rendition of "Bad Romance") and when they sang Madonna songs. I sang along like a big nerdy Gleek. Loud.

Okay, now that I've written two paragraphs about my big love (oh, that's another fave) for Glee, let's move on...

5. I love all kinds of music. I don't like to pigeonhole myself into any one kind. I love everything from smooth jazz and classic rock to Lady Gaga and Vintage Madonna. Oops. I should say "early Madonna". Sorry Madge.

I know, to look at me (or my blog) you might not think Lady Gaga... not that I look like some school marm (OMG, do I?!) or little old church lady or anything. You'd probably think, "But Jill likes vintage Spode -- how could she like Gaga?" It's the dance beat, baby.

6. I love my dog. Oh, you knew that? I can't imagine why. My Hagrid Jack Patrick is going to be three in September. You may remember Haggie's birthday party last year.

I think we'll have a quiet celebration this year.

7. I love the airport. I get a rush as I drive into the airport. I think it's the anticipation of the adventure, the journey... and just gettin' outa' town. I love to people-watch. Where are they going... what's their story... oooh, he's kinda' good-lookin'...

8. I'm in my early 40's and I love it. I really like myself, and who I'm turning out to be. Not in a narcissistic way, but in a "comfortable in my own skin" kinda' way. I'm experiencing a contentment that I never achieved in my 20's (ugh) and my 30's (oh, the lessons learned). That's it-- the keyword is contentment. It's a great place to be. Oh, and please don't misunderstand me-- I know there's much more growth ahead... I hope to keep growing and evolving throughout the rest of my life. It's called living.

9. I don't cook much... and I'm okay with that. (Carrie Bradshaw doesn't cook much either.) I do like to bake--although when I bake, I eat. Therefore, no baking lately.

10. I love to read. I can easily close myself off from the world and read during my entire lunch break, after work, or all weekend. I've been that way since I was a little girl. When people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I'd tell them "a ballerina" or "a writer."

Now, when people ask me what I'd like to be (if I could be anything) I reply, "A princess." Complete with a Petit Trianon, thank you very much.


Well, I hope that you've learned something new about me-- and aren't overwhelmed by all my hyperlinks! I've had a lot of fun with this post, and I hope you enjoyed it. Now, I'm suppose to pass the torch to 10 bloggers out there. This is the difficult part for me-- You all have such beautiful blogs-- so I'm passing this award on to any of my bloggy friends out there who are fellow Gleeks. Have fun!

Hugs,

And The Winner Is...

Okay, when I said that Haggie and I would choose a winner, I really meant it... so here he goes!

And there I go-- before he eats it! What? You want to see who the winner is, Haggie-boo-boo?

Haggie wants to show you who won-- slobber and all. Note: Haggie always has a dirty face. That's just part of his charm.

Okay, back to the winner...

Congratulations Laurie, from the blog Magpie Ethel--- you are my sweet winner! (I'm so glad the dog-slobber didn't make the print run.) Laurie has a wonderful blog-- it's so fun, cheery, and whimsical. It's one of my all-time crafty/vintage/kitschy eye-candy blogs. She's a vintage hunter extraordinaire if there ever was one. She finds the most wonderful things!

A big thank you to all of you who took time to enter this giveaway-- I wish that I could send all of you a special little somethin'. You all made my day with all your sweet comments. I'm so thankful for my wonderful bloggy friends!

Laurie-- please email me with your mailing address. What? You want to know what the prize is? Well, it's still in the mystery phase, but I can tell you it's right up your alley!

I will be sure to post about Laurie's prize as soon as I have it completed! Stay tuned!

Hugs,

Let's Celebrate!

Hello Sweet Friends,

It's been a year since I began this blog. I really can't believe it! It seems like just yesterday that I began this little blog journey, and it's been more fun than I could have ever imagined. I remember how thrilled I was to have one follower! This week my 100th follower signed on! (Thanks, Deb!) It means so much to think that someone liked my lil' blog enough to click that "follow" button. For those of you who aren't "official" followers, but pop in from time to time-- I adore you too. I really, really do.

Oh, and those of you who leave me some love in the comments-- thank you soooo much! XOX! It's your feedback that keeps me going. I think you know what I mean... especially if you're a blogger too! I love and appreciate all your comments so much. It's amazing to think that whether I need advice on what camera to buy, what kind of vintage bowl I just bought, or how to grow a peony-- I can just put it out there and my sweet bloggy friends around the world are there to help me out. It really warms my heart.

Soooooo, you know what's coming... a GIVEAWAY!!! To thank you all for sharing this journey with me, I'm having a giveaway. In true Jill fashion, I haven't got the prizes gathered and completed yet, so it will be a mystery prize. (Oooooh!) I will give you hints though... the surprises will be either vintage, or vintage inspired-- or both! Oh, and here's another hint:

Okay, to enter this fabulous little giveaway, just leave a comment. You don't have to be an "official follower", however-- if you are an "official" follower please leave a second (separate) comment also. Hagrid and I will draw the name on Friday! (I'll try to take pictures of that!!)

Hugs,

PS: I must admit, I can't take credit for creating that lovely dessert. It's a chocolate mousse tulip from the bakery of my favorite market, Nugget Markets. Yummmmm... I'll have a bite for you too!

Peonies, Some Vintage Goodness, and a Surprise in the Mail!

Thanks to Claudia's Trader Joe's tip-off and inspiration, I now have this beautiful bouquet of pink peonies gracing my dining room table. I've never bought peonies before, and when I saw those beautiful flowers on Claudia's blog post, I just had to have some. They're so... feminine and sweet! And she was right-- they smell divine!

As the sun beamed through the window, they started to open up in minutes. I just love how frilly they are! Have any of you ever grown peonies? I think I'm in love with them. I would love to grow some. If you have any advise, please let me know!

Besides Claudia's inspiration, this is the other inspiration for the splurge-- these vintage table cloths. Don't you love the giant pompom trim? I do, but I've always felt it needed some kind of overlay, so when I was out shopping in the foothills this weekend I found this wonderful vintage tablecloth. I laid them out on the table, and looked around the house for something to put in the middle of the table. I think the peonies are perfect!

Okay, do these look like real cupcakes or what? (Okay, you'd never see a real cupcake shrink wrapped, but you know what I mean!) These arrived yesterday-- a wonderful surprise from my wonderful aunt, Alice! These cupcakes are actually bath fizzies-- they're amazing! I think they may be almost too cute to use... almost. It was so fun to receive such a random, sweet, happy surprise in the mail. Thank you so much, my dear Auntie Alice!

Hugs,

More Vintage Finds...

I thought that I'd post some fun finds that I've found over the last few weeks. I've been having too much fun!

I fell in love with the vintage lamp immediately! It was in a shop at a nursery up in the foothills, believe it or not. It was love at first sight. I knew that I could find several spots around the house for it.

I also found these sweet little pottery pieces at some antique shops-- love the blues and greens. I just love the sweet raised flowers on the sides. (Just click the photo to see it up-close.) The tiny white ceramic basket was only 50 cents! It will be joining my little white pottery basket collection that is still in a box in my garage somewhere. Someday, when I have unearthed my collection I will share photos of it with you.

I found this print(?) at a street fair a couple of weeks ago... I just love the soft lines and colors. Oh, and the frame---looooove it!

This is a close up (sorry for the blurry photo- still learning this new camera!) of this aqua/robin's egg blue pottery piece. It's an interesting shape. I'm not exactly sure what it is, except I do think it may be an egg poacher. I saw something similar in a magazine, and that's what they called it. Whatever it is, I love it!

...and this I call, "Happy Tax Return to Me"--- a little splurge, but you guessed it-- I love it. It reminds me of Cinderella's pumpkin carriage. I'd never seen a pewter teapot in that shape. It's pudgy and sweet. I must have picked it up and held it a zillion times in the past few weeks. The last time I was at the shop, I told myself it was "A Sign" that it was still there waiting for me. Have any of you received any of those "signs" ever? (Come'on-- fess up!) I receive them far more than I should ever admit. Although, let me just say, there are "signs" that I have passed up that I regret to this day.

So, my advise for today is "Don't pass up A Sign." Especially when it's biting you in the butt. Ah, I do have my poignant, profound moments, don't I?

Hugs,