Posts Tagged: "vintage"

Recreate, Repurpose, Regift Vintage Jewelry

Ever wonder what to do with broken but beautiful, vintage jewelry? Recreate! Repurpose! Regift!

vintage-jewelry-recreated-thoughtful-gift-ideaI received a picture frame containing vintage jewelry made into a dazzling crown. When I opened the gift, my mouth dropped.

My sister-in-law said, “It’s perfect for Queen Darlene!”

She was right of course! I loved all that beautiful bling! And because Karee designed and created it just for me made it even more thoughtful.

When she told me it was her new hobby, I began quizzing her about where she found the jewelry pieces, her ideas for designs, and how she made my crown.

A supplier provides her with vintage jewelry but she also finds them at garage and estate sales for reasonably prices. Karee explained she uses a special glue made for jewelry for all of her creations.
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Passing Down Family Heirlooms

My husband’s job transferred him to Albuquerque in 1984. It was the first time either one of us had lived more than 10 miles from family. We were excited about our new adventure, and at the same time sad to leave our very close-knit family behind.

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Rose Bowl from Germany was given to my grandmother by her mother.

We moved into a new and larger home so I needed more wall decorations.

This was before we had the Internet so I visited several furniture stores, but had difficulty finding pictures I liked in my price range.

We lived several months without anything on the walls until one day I was making room to store old dishes passed down to me by my great-grandmother, grandmother and mother. Continue Reading

1928 Ford Model A Car Ride | Wedding Anniversary

Here’s a gift idea for a wedding anniversary. Rent a car made in the same year the couple got married for a fun trip down memory lane!

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Click to enlarge

My deaf grandparents celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary August 12, 1985. Our family wanted to do something visual, unexpected and certainly memorable. But what?

We celebrated their 50th anniversary at church with wedding cake and punch. On their 55th anniversary, we invited family and friends to their home for the celebration. Nice, but very typical and expected.

One day, I just happened to drive by 20 antique cars that were parked at a local A&W Root Beer drive-in. Light bulb moment!

I pulled in, got out of my car, and asked the owners the year of their cars and would they consider taking my grandparents on a car ride on their anniversary.

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Hands-On Furniture Painting Class for the DIYer

Some things are harder than they look. Case in point – those BEFORE & AFTER photos on Pinterest where people take hideous, dull brown furniture they find at a garage sale and with a few coats of paint transform them into colorful, vintage chic furniture.

painted-furnitureIt’s amazing how distressed furniture can look so beautiful and modern! See the photo on the right for a perfect example.

You can spend hours reading or watching the tutorials online to learn how to do it yourself. But that approach can sometimes leave your more confused because you realize just how many options you have when it comes to paint, materials, and techniques. Arrgh!

What type of paint should I use? What’s chalk paint? What’s milk paint? Which is better for my project?
Do I need to sand my furniture first? How much sanding is even necessary?
What should I use for my topcoat? How do I apply antiquing wax?
What’s the best method for re-creating the gorgeous, distressed looks I see in online photos?

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A furniture painting class allows you to learn by doing with help from an expert.

After reading about milk paint, I really wanted to try it because it’s completely free of any harmful chemicals. In fact, it’s made with only five all-natural ingredients. Milk paint also has the reputation of being easy peasy to use to get a chippy, antiqued or distressed look.

BUT… because milk paint comes in powder form, I was intimidated to try it myself. Plus, what a strange name!

So I decided to take a local Milk Paint 101 workshop. In the furniture painting class, we painted our own step stool using milk paint. I learned how to mix it and the different methods for applying it to get various distressed “looks.”

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Mother & Me | Copycat Photos

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVM-NRryU84

Mother was a very visual person. She was deaf so her eyes were truly her window to the world.Mother-&-Me-copycat-photo-gift-idea-sunburst-gifts

She loved to look at everything and she filled her home with lots of beautiful and unusual things! There was not a spare inch on the bookshelves, hutch, desks, cabinet counters, windows sills or walls. She even collected more than 10,000 owls! (But that will have to be another story.)

Pictures were important to Mother. My brothers and I learned to stop whatever we were doing right then and there to take a picture if Mother wanted it. It was just easier to get it over with than to fuss with her. (Funny how history repeats itself. My boys stop and turn on the smiles for me – click – then they are off and on their way).

Mother cherished her pictures, and they brought her much happiness.

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Throwback Thursday | Framed Vintage Girl Scout Badge

I am long time volunteer of Girl Scouts because I love its mission of building girls of courage, confidence and character. I am also a member of Girl Scouts – Western Oklahoma’s young professionals group, GS Cornerstone.

framed vintage Girl Scout Hospitality Badge GiftIt has become tradition that each year a board member of the organization hosts GS Cornerstone in their home. I helped plan our most recent event, and I was put in charge of the thank you gift.

I definitely wanted it to be Girl Scout related. But what to give our hostess – a very accomplished woman who seemed to have it all?

I brainstormed with Queen Darlene and we came up with the idea of giving her a vintage Girl Scout Hostess Badge. After all, she will have met the requirements after graciously opening her home to all of us!

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