A real page turner

Oak & Maple leaf garland made from repurposed vintage books

Page Turner paper sculptures made from repurposed vintage books

I have a thing for old books. I was at an estate auction this summer where I happened onto four boxes of castaway reads. This stack of lonely old books caught my attention. They clearly hadn't been touched in years. They were begging to be picked up, held tenderly and leafed through. And so I obliged. Perusing through them, I noticed these weren't particularly popular titles. They didn't contain noteworthy illustrations or interesting typography. The covers showed the scorch of sun damage and were quite dusty. I knew if they didn't sell they'd be carted off to the local dump. But these wouldn't draw much attention sitting on an antique store bookshelf I decided. So I made a deal with the whole lot: I'll buy all of you and take you home where I promise to handle each one of you to see what you contain from cover to cover. If I find anything particularly unique I'll put you up on etsy for adoption to a loving home; but if I don't, I promise to make you into something new - something that gets you noticed. Overwhelmed with emotion, the books remained quite silent which I of course took as a sign of humble agreement.

Introducing my etsy shop: Liza Jane

I finally did it! Liza Jane vintage, handmade & repurposed goods is now on etsy. It's been a long time coming and I'm so happy to finally have it launched. I expect I'll be a bit heavy on vintage at first because of my massive stockpile of lovely old things. I'll be adding more handmade, repurposed goods and seasonal crafts as I go. I'd really appreciate you popping over to favorite me and help me get the word out. I also have a fan page on Facebook. Please come on over and say hello!

Shiny Happy Moments

Mother and Child Vintage Inspired Ornament by pieshopgirl

My kids have been listening to Christmas music since late September. Yes, you read that right. Oddly enough I am not sick of hearing it yet. It seems instead to be sinking in. The words, at least to the more meaningful songs, are almost like a balm seeping under my skin. Just now I hear one of my favorites, Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Christmas Canon. I wish I could imbed the song to play while you read this but if you open it in a different tab you can avoid the video and just enjoy the music while you continue reading this post.

I found this wonderful vintage-inspired ornament on etsy today that makes me feel the same way. It reminds me of how much I love to be a mother. That precious and fleeting moment when our babies are small and full of wonder. When being a mother was all shiny and new. With my kids now 11 and 8, that time seems like a vapor to me now. But hearing this song and looking at this beautiful ornament brings it all back to me for a moment.

This Christmas will be different for us in so many ways. Intentionally different. I mean to love more and give more, in real ways; not in ways that come in a package. We are going to start some new traditions this year that take us to a place of deeper happiness, appreciation and love. I hope you'll join me by stepping away from the material and into a space where you allow yourself time to really enjoy the moment, the season and the people you love.

Etsy Fab Four

I thought it would be fun to share the etsy goodness of four of my very best girlfriends today. I'm grateful to have each of these beautiful, wonderfully talented and truly sweet women in my life. So pop over to their shops and check out their handmade fabulousness.

bebe + alice

Eco Friendly Bird Decor by bebeandalice - Aren't these birds lovely? Heather has a nice variety of refashioned and eco-eclectic goodies. Her ideas are so fresh and inspiring.

Time Travel Tea Party

I just love this Time Traveler Necklace. Courtney has an amazing variety of steampunkable and vintage findings. Her store makes me feel like I'm treasure hunting in an old attic.


strongrrl

I really love the look of Julie's August Fields Frenchy Bag. A great casual bag for everyday! She's also has some great farmers market bags at her shop.

Pesky Cat Designs

The Offbeat Messenger bag with bird applique. How yummy is this bag for fall? I love Elisa's design style; her mix of colors, fabrics and textures bring sophistication and fun to every one of her creations.

Before & After: The Blue Chair

Before - the sad blue castaway chair

I found this vintage chair at a yard sale about 2 weeks ago. The chair was structurally solid and the cushions were in great shape. I loved the vibrant blue paint but the black denim pinstriped fabric had to go. The man selling the chair was amazed that I was able to make it fit in my Prius. "Never underestimate a woman who's thrifting," I said with a smile as I closed the hatch on my car. I brought the chair home and spent the afternoon making new cushion covers from a stash of blue toile I'd picked up at Goodwill a few months back. The thrifted fabric matched perfectly and it turns out to be a rather smart looking piece of furniture. A few days later, I popped it back into my car and took it to my antique booth at the Greenwood Country Store to resell. I think it will make a lovely addition to someones home. Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?


After - the chair is much more cheerful now!

Vintage Scholastic Books

I've recently fallen in love all over again with this adorable little book! The image above is one of my favorites, though it's hard to pick favorites when they're all so great. Let me introduce you, or maybe reintroduce you to The Lucky Book of Riddles (©1974) written by Eva Moore and in my opinion masterfully illustrated by Olivia H. H. Cole. The ultra-simplistic campy line drawings of sweetly posed children are dreamy! This book clearly set me on the path of clean and simple art at an early age. This was presumably one of my very first scholastic books when I hit grade school. By the looks of the wear and tear, it was also one of my favorites and now is one of Blake's favorites. Thanks Mom for taking care to keep track of it all those years while you were waiting for me to settle down. It's a very small book, perfect for little hands. The jokes are a little corny but homespun and cute nonetheless. Clearly set the bar for my sense of humor. Guess that makes two of us now ;-)

p.s. I'd love to know more about Olivia H.H. Cole but I found very little specific information about her online. If anyone has info on her or finds something, please post the info in your comment. Thanks!

sugar and spice girls

Everytime I walk through my kitchen I see these little lovelies on my hutch. They make me smile! I love their vintage sugar-coated look. I just couldn't stand the idea of making them go away when Christmas was over so I decided they can be winter angels and stay with us until spring arrives. Just thought it would be fun to share them with you on this cold January day.