Collecting vintage chenille bedspreads: Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers

     When you live in an old house like I do, one thing you realize pretty quickly is that there is never enough storage space for all of your beloved stuff! Sometimes you have to be creative and store things right out in the open- it helps if you have a large enough living space to accommodate such things. I am blessed to say that what my old house lacks in storage space it makes up for in living space- the rooms are super-sized!

  This vintage baby stroller is a perfect example of storing something in plain sight and makes a unique display for my vintage chenille bedspread collection. An added plus, of course, is when what's being stored out in the open is nice to look at- these bedspreads are like eye candy to me because they're so darn cute! It's also a good thing that my bedroom is large enough to handle the chunky size of this big old stroller!
    I started collecting chenille bedspreads about twelve years ago when my friend Deb gave me this aqua one (on bottom of photo) which belonged to her as a child. I was soon drawn to these pastel colors and puffy textures each time I went treasure hunting. I try to keep my chenille budget to $25 and under, which is a big challenge since they can be quite pricey. Every bed in our house has one on it...or two or three in the winter months (old houses are very drafty too!).

   You're not gonna believe this, but I found this adorable baby stroller at the landfill! No, I wasn't dumpster diving (that day)- I found it in a little barn that the county set up called the "Too good to waste place." It was a great program where people could put useful items into a barn rather than into a dumpster, making it available to anyone who wanted to take something home and give it new life. I found some really neat stuff in that "too good to waste place" - this stroller being one of my favorite finds! I sure wish other communities would follow suit because it sure beats filling up landfills with treasure! Kudos to the Prince William County Landfill in Manassas, Virginia!

 

What was I thinking?

   GOLLY! I didn't realize that blogging was such a big job! My housework is suffering, I never doodle anymore and dinner's not ready when my family comes home - something's gotta give.
   I think I'll try to keep my blogging to once a week and see how that goes.  Thanks for your support Whimsyboppers!
  Please tell your friends about Whimsybop and make sure to subscribe so that you'll get Whimsybop posts "hot off the press!"
   Now if you'll excuse me, I have two weeks of laundry to hang out on the line!


My Urine Specimen Collection: Measure of Sanity

   Yes, I went there - to that place between sanity and going off the deep end when I decided to collect something REALLY different, (why yes, I have been called eccentric once or twice in my life, but by people who are more touched than I am so it doesn't really count). I can't help it, there are some things that just crack me up so much that I need to bring them home and share them with others to make their lives a little brighter. I am the errand girl of this joy - what can I say, it's a gift. This urine speciman bottle was one of those all-time GREAT finds that still puts a silly grin on my face, even years later.
   I bought it up in northern Virginia at a junk shop just off the beaten path. I decided not to give a "show and tell" for my family right away because it needed something inside of it to make it a little more shocking. I thought and thought about it for a few days and came up with "Joy" dishwashing liquid - it was the perfect shade of golden.
   For the biggest kick I had to display it somewhere besides the bathroom - because everyone would expect to see it THERE! I chose the place where you'd least expect it: in the kitchen where food preparation takes place, right there beside the sink. Oh, it was beautiful the way the sunlight came through the kitchen window and through that bottle, highlighting the embossed words "Urine Speciman Bottle." I was satisfied.
   Of course, my family didn't think it was too weird after all (I guess they're used to me), but all other visitors to our home gave me just the reaction I was looking for...and its been like April Fool's Day ever since!
    When we were moving my Mom out of her house she tried to give me her stash of Giant sized bottles of Dawn dishwashing soap to which I replied, "No thanks Mom, I'm a JOY girl!" (and I still am).

What to do with an empty box of Animal Crackers?

   I was going through some old photos yesterday and found this one, (below), taken ten years ago back when we lived in Chesapeake, Virginia. It's interesting what sparks a memory when you look at old photos.
   I remember living in this house when the kids were 5 and 7 and they'd play with these little plastic toy animals for hours on end - in the bathtub, the pink Barbie Volkswagon, the sandbox - everywhere. My daughter's favorite animal was the meerkat and my son's favorite was the elephant, (not seen in this photo but it was there at his level so he could take it down and play with it).   
   I used to treat the kids to a box of these animal crackers every now and then when we went to the grocery store. My son would always save the animal's face to eat last. My daughter would sing "Animal Crackers in my Soup" as she marched each animal up her arm and along her shoulder before popping it into her mouth, (she was a big Shirley Temple fan back then).
   Being the packrat that I am, I just couldn't throw those beautiful empty animal cracker boxes away. I tacked the boxes to the wall using push pins and perched the little animals on top of the boxes when they weren't being played with, (which was usually at the end of the day). The wall display was absolutely adorable and always a show stopper when new friends came over.   
   Maybe now that we're in a new home in a new part of Virginia, I'll surprise my kids, (who are now 15 and 17), to some delicious animal crackers and we'll re-create the animal cracker wall - anyone up for making one too? Thanks, Barnum's Animals for 101 years of FUN in a box!    
   Fun Facts about Barnum's Animals: The circus box on Barnum's Animals was designed for the 1902 Christmas season and sold for five cents. The string was used to attach the box to the Christmas tree. To date there have been 54 different animals represented on the boxes since it's conception in 1902. Read more about Barnum's Animals at: http://collectibles.about.com/od/advertisingstuff/a/blTFbarnums.htm

My Chinese Checker Board Collection: The thrill of the hunt!

 I can't tell you how excited I get each and every time I prepare myself to go to a big flea market -like the one held twice a year in Hillsville, Virginia, www.hillsville.com/fmarket.htm.

   The night before I remove all of the seats out of the minivan, (yes, my minivan is old), and gas it up, as well as take a wad of cash out of the ATM. I check the weather report and make sure that I dress appropriately, (I usually dress in layers and wear comfy shoes). I pack snacks, water, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, and extra shopping bags into a douffle bag/backpack. 
   I usually wake up when it's still dark, way before my alarm goes off because I'm THAT excited! I make coffee & toast bagels for the road then wake my sleeping daughter, who has been my shopping sidekick since she was a toddler and makes my day so much more fun! When we arrive at our destination, fight for a parking space and put the car in park, butterflies are going nuts in my stomach, (maybe because I need to hit the port-a-potty after all that coffee). We slam doors and don our sunglasses and are off to that sweet spot where fascinating folk await us in the hunting grounds of all things wacky and wonderful!
   It's always a good idea to keep a shopping list with you just in case you forgot you were collecting something. Having measurements and carrying a tape measure is a good idea too. I've been in search of vintage tin game boards for the last few years - and refuse to pay more than $20 bucks for one, (which adds to the thrill of the hunt). I still have a lot more space to fill on our game room walls, so it's a good thing that I'm a patient gal!
   At the end of the day, with a van full of booty, tired feet and sometimes a farmer's tan, we head for home, (treating ourselves to a milkshake and a Chik-fila sandwich along the way).
   The grand finale is the "Show and Tell" that we give to my husband and son who do their best to pretend that they're interested in our stories of bartering and such. The greatest thrill of all is finding a place for our newest treasures...and taking a long hot bath before getting a well deserved sleep! 

My Vintage Suitcase Collection: Suitcase fetish

   I'm not sure when my suitcase fetish began, perhaps it was when I first saw George Bailey's eyes light up when he found the perfect one in "It's a Wonderful Life."
   I bought my first vintage suitcase about eighteen years ago and since then my collection has grown considerably. I love them for various reasons, mostly because each one tells a story about a mysterious traveler on their way to who knows where. Sometimes when I bring one home and start cleaning it up, I'll find an unexpected surprise inside such as a vintage hankerchief, a coin or key, (I love it when that happens!). Recently I've begun to weed out my suitcase collection and keep only the ones that I truly love: the tweed ones!
   I have stacks of them throughout the house in different rooms and each one is full of something fun, (or weird). My kids are gonna have a hayday when they have to go through all these suitcases one day when I'm gone. They'll laugh, (and maybe cry), when they see all the stuff that I've saved through the years - the poor things!



Dream Big Mommy

   Hello there! My New Year's Resolution this year was to deal with the difficult relationship in my life involving my computer. To do this, I decided that I had to take the bull by the horns and do something so out of my comfort zone: I decided to BLOG! My family thinks I'm a little crazy for attempting to blog, since I do not have a love relationship with technology. Regardless of the lack of wind beneath my wings, I am determined to prove that I, mild-mannered TJ Foster CAN and WILL become a super blogger! So here I am with my first blog and I'll be honest and tell you that I'm a bit overwhelmed with all there is to learn!

   Recently I've stumbled on a website that I LOVE called Smart Creative Women, www.smartcreativewomen.com where artist and creative coach, Monica Lee, interviews talented women, (and some men), who have turned their artistic passions into successful businesses. She and her inspiring guests have challenged me to boldly go where I never thought in a million years I'd go - to a blog site! I am seriously pumped up and ready to go!

   Please bear with me as I take things slow and easy at first until I find my groove...but then you'd better look out! If you like what you see, please subscribe to Whimsybop and invite your friends to Whimsybop with us!