Most Recent Crafts...

Cute little Birthday Card

Sweet Thank You Card

Another Thank You Card

I was asked to make a "card" for a friend to give at a wedding (to put $$ in)

I decided to make an explosion box with a pocket for money

this is the pocket..

Dreams of a Retro Kitchen

It has been slightly more than a year since moving into my first house.  I love my house!  It is a 1950's bungalow with a lot of charm.  One of the only things that has needed work is the kitchen.  When my beau and I moved into our house, the kitchen had oak (veneer) cabinets, oak wood paneling and oak floors...and exposed walls were painted dark hunter green.  This room just didn't jive with the funky flare that the rest of the house was evolving into.  So...the budget conscious kids we are, we headed to the paint store.  First was the wall color...including the panels.  We painted it all a bright, cheerful sea blue...wich goes well with our red accents.  next was to paint the cabinets white (which i really wanted something that looked more like this...)

....Not my kitchen.

...Also not my kitchen...

Don't get me wrong...the result is fantastic...we definitely need new cabinets down the road...but it is manageable for now.  But while shopping at South Works outlet mall in Cambridge Ont.  I discovered this company.  Needless to say...I am desperate for one of these amazing appliances!!! But allas...look at the price....I think there is only one conclusion to this dilema...I need to win the lotto!

Before and after Pics of my kitchen to follow.

Old Time Radio

I don't know what it is about Oldies on the radio that makes me feel like a 1950's teenager....but I love it.  It makes my whole house feel like it's been transported in a time machine back to the golden days.  My station of choice? ... AM 740 (Toronto).  You can listen live here.  Now - so what if it's advertised for Zoomers (fast moving baby boomers)...and their parents!  I just love listening to "Theatre of the mind" in the evenings....and really most of the shows that are played!

Sometimes the war time songs remind me of my late grandfather...who was a big fan of big band.  And sometimes the rock & roll tunes remind me of my mother - who blasted the oldies every saturday night at our house.

Click, Listen, and Let your house fill with some musical history!
...need to get myself a good old fashioned radio to listen on....

Thrifty Thrift Store Finds!!

Well this weekend I hadn't intended on going out thrifting...but when my beau informed me that there was a garage sale down the street - I couldn't resist!  I did a stop a the sale - and had absolutely no success.  So...since I was out anyways, I decided to swing by a little shop around the corner.  I am soooo glad I did, because I got the GREATEST deals!  ....see below

Louis Vuitton (knock-off) Cherry Handbag $3 

Cute-as-can-be "Spring" brand - blue and white floral peep toes $3

Mary Engelbreit Cherry Cameo Tea Set $4

I must say that this past weekend was an unintentional success!

~Christina

As Time Goes By

I am cuckoo for clocks!

I don't know what it is about vintage clocks that I find incredibly whimsical.  When I first moved into my home (about a year ago), I was obsessively looking for a vintage starburst/sunburst clock.  After about 6 months of trying to stumble upon one in my regular vintage shops, I gave up! Not long after that, while browsing through a local store, I found this....

...The best part being, that it was only $30!  I know that it's probably not a real George Nelson, but it has the same feel, and style of his that I love.  

It wasn't a week later that I was browsing another store, and found this "Nelson" for half price!! 

...$15 later and I was the proud owner of a Ball Clock!  The best part about ball clocks is the story behind the design ...he and a bunch of friends had a few too many drinks and designed it as a joke!  See his biography here.  

As luck would have it, A week after purchasing these two, I found an old wooden starburst clock in the thrift store - needless to say - 2 clocks were enough!  

My next clock mission...an old style alarm clock!

~Christina

You're the Salt in my Stew

About a week ago, while shopping in one of my favourite antique shops (Chat Noir ), I came across the most adorable salt and pepper shakers.  I snatched them up as soon as I saw them - and for a solid $12 - they were mine!  As with everything, I could hardly wait to tell my mother.  When I described them to her, she said that she knew exactly the style I was referring to, and that it was actually featured in this months edition of Martha Stewart Living Magazine.  Who knew salt and pepper shakers were trendy??!

My Very Surprised Shakers

I was interested in learning about these "corny" gems and my mother lent me the magazine.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Great Shakes" and learned a thing or two about my shakers.  Martha explained that particularly tomatoes, apples, corn, strawberries and watermelons were most widely produced.  Slices rather than whole fruits and vegetables were more rare and worth more.  She went on to explain that most shakers produced at their peak in the mid 20th century were made in Japan.

Japan stamp - check, cork plug - not too sure

She also explained that you could date the shakers based on the plug - cork plugs were older than their plastic counterparts.  


Although my shakers may have been a dime a dozen in their hay day, I think they are pretty rare to find in kitchens today.  As I ponder with all thrift store finds, I wonder who owned them first....

~Christina

Sugar & Spice & All Things Nice

Well this is me!  I am excited to start a blog and look forward to sharing my stories with the internet world.

I wanted to begin by explaining a little bit about myself.  My name is Christina, and I am a young fogie.  I am not quite 30 and feel as though I was born in the wrong decade.  I'm pretty sure I have felt this way my whole life.  I remember as a young girl (around the age of 4) looking at an old print of girls in dresses, and aprons wishing I was one of them.  My mother was kind enough to put together an outfit for me, with a dress and apron, topped with a handkerchief on my head.  I was thrilled to be dressed like one of the old fashioned little girls.  

***I long to live in a world where girls wear dresses, and no one goes to Walmart in their pyjamas!

As I got older, I felt as though I wanted desperately to be a teenager from the 60's.  I remember in grade 5 being on vacation in Cleveland with a school friend, who was uber cool for the early 1990's.  We were in a shopping mall and I found a pair of saddle shoes.  I was desperate for them.  I remember buying them, and explaining that they were for Halloween.  This was the first purchase of vintage inspired items that I made for my self.  I still have those saddle shoes, and unfortunately, Halloween has been the only time I have had them on!

There is so much more to share, 

And can't wait to get started with this!

Enjoy!

Christina