I'm so sorry as I should of had this ready for you earlier today, but the busy morning conversation between me and a hobby farmer (yes, a hobby farmer) got the best of me!! Three hours later and what remained of the day had to be devoted to the redone scrapbook space that I've plans to share with you tomorrow {or wednesday} :) I also had some work to catch up on, but I'm here and ready to announce the small prize package winner of the Crate Paper goodies!! I'd like to formally congratulate "Libby" as her comment was randomly selected from the hundred + comments that had kindly been posted over the weekend:
I love the themes of flora, fauna and hearts and never tire of seeing them. Everyone has used one or more of those themes and each is unique! It is so exciting to see the creativity of these exceptionally talented contributors.
I'll be requiring your address Libby, so if you would, please email me it via the email link to the right with your info! I've plans to prep your package this week! It'll be waiting for you....
Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you for the generous and kind remarks!! If I could sent Crate Paper goodies to all of you, I would - in a heartbeat! :)
I'm at it again - vintage button hunting! I swear my addiction to them is just as pervasive as my addiction to scrapbooking and I assume this has something to do with my underlying desire for collecting things, but I could be wrong. So, in my search of vintage buttons, I've been stalking Ebay on an every-other-day basis. I plug into it usually via the "mixed lot" option as I'd rather search out my own colored gems from a pile of untouched buttons than buy buttons already found and perfectly manicured for optimal display. I'm easily amused when presented with a either a small or big box of old buttons. The surprises that often await me are usually unpredictable and lusciously beautiful.
Be warned, if you're thinking of starting your very own vintage button collection and contemplating the likes of Ebay to do it, my recommendation is to carefully inspect the buttons before buying. They might look well manicured or semi-clean upfront, but how clean are they really? And did the seller put all the good buttons at the top of the pile just so that you'd peek at them and maybe bid on them too? I've been burned on occasion, but for me, it's always worth the risk. Commonly, the buttons require a washing if you prefer them to be "clean" {think in terms of your scrapbook style}. I usually wash mine in a small bowl with dish soap & water. I let them soak for a good hour or so before removing them and buffing them with a towel (each of my buttons are towel dried individually - a major labor of love). Once they're shiny, they're ready to go in my buttons drawers {color coordinated}.
** Some buttons aren't meant to be soaked in water. Those with rhinestones or those that are made of metal, wood, bakelite, etc. are ideally cleaned with a dry, gentile towel and a soft hand.
I've a huge box of buttons on the way that I bid on last week. It was a challenging task to win them, but I suppose what is highly sought, isn't easily claimed. Took quite a bit of wrangling and time management to be the highest bidder of the bunch! I'll post the buttons after they arrive and have had a good cleaning. :)
Here's a quick update on the lil' guy - it seems he's taken to his new bed almost instantly! The duvet and mattress are prime territory for jumping, hiding and playing these days. I'm actually thrilled that he's attached himself to the bed because for a while there, I couldn't get him to sleep in it! Turns out, that all it takes to make a child excited about their sleeping headquarters is a fresh coat of paint, some new decor and a major bed overhaul. I seriously wish I would of done it sooner - finally, a good night sleep for mom and Ethan!
Speaking of overhauls, I took apart nearly every single piece of furniture in my scrapbook room/bedroom over the weekend and replaced them with more practical options, including two large size desks, a couple of new storage pieces and a brand new "Hot Pink" office chair! I took a fair number of photos of the new set-up today and will have them to share with you either tomorrow or Wednesday..I've also to still buy a new rug for the room and curtains - they'll be no repainting at this point though. Laugh. We've already done that once this year in Ethan's room!
Heading over to Overstock - I'll bump into you guys again in a day or two! Take care! ~ CM
