Vintage Thingies Thursday ~ Ceramic Canisters

I found this set (is it complete? I don't know--I don't cook/bake much!) at a neighborhood sale in Livermore, CA last winter and just loved the colors.



And since I am not a cook by any means, I feel free to tell you they are all empty, and stuck to the shelves with Tack Down because this IS California after all where we live on shaky ground (and I'm paranoid about them being knocked off when I do my annual dusting!)



The best part? The whole set was FIVE DOLLARS!
Want to see more vintage goodies? Head over the Colorado Lady every Thursday!

Workbench Wednesday ~ Cabinet Of Delights

I have two glass front cabinets that flank either side of my workbench in my craft room.


I came across photos of the cabinets from about a year ago (when they were organized and clean, apparently) and thought I'd share!







They are even more full now, with things I couldn't bare to part with, found while hunting things down to sell at Room With A Past. They also hold special things given to me from special people, or things I've made.



What does your workbench look like??? Please share with a comment!

Vintage Thingie Thursday

It's been a long time since I've seen something that made me gasp. I spotted this at a yard sale last weekend, quickly paid an incredible (low) price and left quickly before he changed his mind!






I spent some time on it yesterday, cleaning up loose paint, replacing and gluing missing molding, and then giving it a thick coat of CeCe Caldwell's Paint in Vintage White.



The only thing left to decide after dark or clear wax is WHERE to hang it!!!!

Want to see more Vintage Thingies? Head over to Colorado Lady's Blog!

Where Did I Find All These Treasures?

I take any chance I can get to visit this town:



It's been inhabited since the late 1800's, and has a population of just over 3,000 residents. It was once home to actor Aldo Ray, and was featured in a film (albeit kinda gory) about the old west.



Most of the above information was gleaned from the Internet. Now here's my take on this town:

When the town has a yard sale, it goes all-out.



It has lots of interesting, friendly people and TONS of neat old stuff.



It speaks my language when it comes to cool old buildings and houses.



Everyone in town knows my brother.





It has beautiful views and a cool breeze that comes in off the water.






It is where my dream house is located, and my soul feels free there.



It provided me with all these treasures (via the car cam!):











Where is this paradise?

Origami Dress Gift Card Holder

My mom is a self-proclaimed "no frills" kinda gal, but that doesn't mean she doesn't like a nice gift now and then. But every year when being asked what she might like for Mother's Day or an impending birthday, her pat answer is "Surprise me!".



Problem solved, and quite cutely, I might add, when I give her a gift card (Navlet and Olive Garden are among her favorites) in this Bitty Bag Origami Dress holder. All you need are two Little Bitty Bags (I used the Chevron pattern in two colors), a dot of glue and five minutes! Add a Divine Twine belt at the waist or some pearls at the neckline if you want to dress it up a bit. I followed the simple directions for the origami dress HERE and cut the Bitty Bag's front away from the back so I ended up with one, (albeit tiny!) piece of paper to work with.

Mom has been known to say "When you get to be my age (don't ask!) you already have pretty much everything!", so now she can get something she'll really want!

Historic Galindo Home In Concord, CA

I've told you I'm a "Homie" before, right? I love old houses, and I love it even more when they are preserved instead of torn down. So this house is a dream come true. Thanks to the hard work of the Concord Historical Society, it's almost ready to open to the public for tours!



The large and beautiful gardens surrounding the house have been open for a year or so. As I walked around it, I noticed the floor plan must be very similar to the Goodale-McKenzie-Collins House. And soon I'll be able to be inside to figure it all out, because I became a docent, and will soon be giving tours of the interior!

According to the City Of Concord, "This house was built in 1856 for Don Francisco Galindo and his wife, Maria Dolores Manuela (Pacheco) Galindo, Don Salvio's second daughter. At that time, it was one of the few Victorian ranch houses in the county.



When their oldest son, Juan "John" Galindo and his bride, Marina "Sarah" (Amador) Galindo took up residence in 1880, the original six-room house was expanded to ten rooms. After their eldest child, Frederick, and Catherine (Hittman) Galindo were married in 1911, title was transferred to the next generation.



Following Mrs. Catherine Galindo's death in 1966, the house continued to be the residence of her children Harold, Ruth and Leonora. As the last, direct descendant of the family, Ms. Ruth Galindo resided in the home until her death in December 1999.



With distribution of her estate, the house and its surrounding property of approximately 1.5 acres were deeded to the City of Concord to be preserved for public use as a house museum and park."



The way I see it, this city has a new jewel in its crown, and I get to help keep it polished.

Getting Green at The Pink House

There is a huge shortage of green thumbs at the Little Pink House. So why all the greenery?



It's a combo of the late-season rains and the fact that we just had a new lawn put it. I just took these photos a few days ago, and it already looks different--things are growing and blooming like CRAZY!



Can you see the Ipomoea (evergreen morning glory)? It's really come back since the frost, and is now covering the whole back fence. When it blooms, it changes from dark purple to pink, and it's SO EASY to grow, even I can do it! We've never had a fire in the fireplace, but now we light the candles at night and it's SOOOO pretty.



Here's a side shot of my nightly paradise--the new spa!



The roses on the old rusty box springs are open and fragrant.



Stella walks the walk and talks the talk. (The dog bows to her wishes). Looks like I need to wash my dishes!



Here's the spa again. I've been tracking the Big Dipper every night from it. (There's a joke in there somewhere, but I'm not going to address it).



Here's where I and my glass of OJ start the day; watching the birds in the trees across the creek.



How long will the grass stay green? I don't know, but it looks like I've got an audience, so I'll give it the old (Junior) College try!