More Stops Along the Road

It seems that in my last post I forgot a few ladies who absolutely have to come along on our virtual road trip.

My sister, Joanne, found "Ramblin' Rose" at the junkyard...

So how could I not invite her to come along?

Joanne has her own little t@b trailer...already decorated for a dream trip down Route 66.

Now we've got room for more passengers on our little road trip through blogland.

Like my dear friend, Sandy. She and I often talk about taking a road trip together...we've just never managed to actually do it. In preparation, though, she made me a little album, noting favorite routes across the country and stops we could make along the way. So Sandy, you're invited on this one...and bring your camper...I think we're going to need it!

With my Casita, that will make three campers...plenty of room for all of you!

So get your virtual suitcase packed...

And don't forget your camera...with Brenda along with us, we're bound to learn how to take good photos.

Let's "Cowgirl Up", make a few detours, and pick up more of our blog sisters...

Like Lakeesha in Chicago...

Lakeesha and I became "blog girlfriends" when we were both grieving losses. I think we each found writing our blogs to be one way of healing. Lakeesha wrote that she would like to join us on our virtual trip...how could I have forgotten her in my previous post?

"Grandma Barb" (don't you love that "handle"?)  has asked to join our little caravan of crazy bloggers too...she's in Minnesota so we can pick her up on our way to see Vickie's sock monkeys.

Now that we've filled two of our three campers, it's time to hit the road again...

After all, we've got places to go and more bloggers to see.

Next up is one of my all-time favorite bloggers, Jane. Jane's blog, Mamie Jane's is amazing. Allow yourself at least a whole day to see it all. She takes vintage "junk" and transforms it into amazing decorative items for her home...and she even shows the rest of us how she does it.

Jane was featured in the Fall/Winter issue of Flea Market Style...and I'm still wondering when she will get her own show on HGTV. (Jane would blow "House Hunters" right out of the water!)

Source: HGTV.com


Luckily, Route 66 winds right through Missouri. so Jane...we're on the way. I think you deserve a few special blogger hugs right now, too.

Sherry from Back To Vintage will have to come along too.

She has a knack for finding antique malls and vintage bargains. Mississippi isn't that far off our route is it?

After we pick up Sherry, it's back to Texas for our little group of vintage dream travelers...we've still got room in our third camper...

For Geneva. In her blog, My Heart's Song, Geneva writes about transitioning into retirement and remodeling a mobile home. Geneva commented that she would love to decorate a vintage trailer...so let's invite her to come along.


Source: http://nancysvintagetrailers.blogspot.com/

And how could I have forgotten CeeKay, in Arizona? Although I don't know CeeKay well, I admire  her greatly. Somehow, while battling ovarian cancer, she manages to write a blog, raise a family and decorate a beautiful home. You can visit her at her blog, Thinkin' of Home.

(I'm not sure that CeeKay actually lives anywhere near Winslow, Arizona,  but I've always wanted to stand on a corner there!)



Nancy's kitchen stencil

The idea for a road trip was actually hatched by my sister Nancy and I one day in 2004 when we were sitting in her little kitchen booth making our summer plans...so I have to include this photo from our 2007 trip. (Our last "road trip" was in 2008...you can read about it here, at the blog Nancy and I wrote together.)

We were both a little a lot heavier back then but I think we figured that if we were color-coordinated we'd blend in with the camper and no one would notice. I know that Nancy will be with us in spirit  on our blogger road trip...and I guarantee she will bless us with lots of laughter along the route.

So we're on our way again and, as the sign says, the road never ends.

Wouldn't it be fun if some day we could turn this little road trip dream of mine into reality and actually all meet up for our own blogger Cowgirl Prom?

Source: http://www.sistersonthefly.com/

How much fun would that be?

This travelin' post is linked to:

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Fridays Unfolded at Stuff & Nonsense

Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors

Potpourri Friday at 2805

Inspiration Friday at At the Picket Fence

Sisters Sunday at Sisters of the Wild West

Vintage Postcards

I'm an accidental collector of vintage postcards. It started when I saw a few old picture postcards of places that hold special meaning from childhood vacations or favorite road trips. Then I began looking for vintage holiday cards to use in collage and craft projects.

Eventually there were enough cards that they demanded organization...a wooden box and dividers were added. I wonder if that's when casual purchases become a collection...when they finally require a home of their own?

 Here are a few vintage cards that I found at the flea market this week...none were over $1.00.

Maybe I'll hang this one in my office?

 This one reminded me of my sister, Nancy, the inspiration for my blog.

And how cute is this one? The dog is painting a portrait of the cat!

 I loved the color and graphics on this card...

 And the Victorian purse and greeting on this one.

I can't resist cards with children on them ...

Especially when they are signed from grandmother...in 1906. I love reading the long ago messages on the old cards...written long before women made friends through blogging!

You can never have enough vintage postcards to cut and glue for craft projects...

And their graphic quality makes them perfect in vignettes for home decor.

I even learned a new word tonight while preparing this post..."deltiology"... the collecting of postcards.

Who knew???

This post is linked to:

Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors

Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest

Alphabet Thursday at Jenny Matlock

Flaunt It Friday at Chic On A Shoestring

Show & Share Day at Just A Girl

Vintage Easter Images For You

Today I can't wait to share my latest vintage finds with you. A local antique shop was having a Sale and I found all of these old Easter postcards marked 50 cents each...with another 40% off. The only challenge was that locating them was like searching for the proverbial needle in the haystack. The dealer had piles of dusty old boxes stacked on the floor of his booth. In order to find the hidden treasures, I spent quite a few hours over the past week kneeling on the floor digging through the stash. It was worth it to find so many beautiful old images for 30 cents each.

I chose some of my favorites and photoshopped them as best I could.  So...here is my Easter gift to you...feel free to grab any of these images to use for your own blogging, scrapbooking, card-making or altered art projects. Hope you enjoy them!

 I just love these fat chicks...

and these adorable children...

This card made me think of how much our language has changed over the years...Nature's "raiment"? I guess it just wouldn't sound the same to say

"Nature's cool threads"...

and today I doubt we'd see a Hallmark card with the word "happy" hyphenated as it is here.

I liked the back of this old card because it was postmarked from Troy, New York, where I went to college (No...not in 1911!)

My other find was an amazing  scrapbook from 1861...exactly 150 years ago! Some young woman must have wanted to make a scrapbook and, not having one, re-used a ledger from a store, pasting her photos and poems over its pages. Goes to show that, "Mother is the necessity of invention"

Each of these watches was cut out separately and pasted to a page in the ledger.

Here is a page from the ledger that she had not completely covered...it shows the date and some of the original entries.

On this page, she has pasted fairy stories and colored in the photos.

Here is more of my stash. The scrapbook is on the left in this photo but I also picked up a Scrabble game (for the letter tiles, of course) and another old Mason jar for craft room storage. When I opened the Scrabble game, there was another word game tucked inside...the word cards will be fun to use for collage projects.

All in all, a good week of junkin'. All it cost was about $10.00 and some very sore knees from postcard diving...well worth it and lots of fun!

I am linking up to:

Time Travel Thursday at Brambleberry Cottage
Thrifty Thursday at Tales from Bloggeritaville
Vintage Thingy Thursday at The Colorado Lady
Treasures & Trinkets Thursday at My Cottage Charm
Open House Party at No Minimalist Here
Show & Tell Saturdays at Be Different, Act Normal
The Best of Easter at Funky Junk Interiors
I hope you will visit these amazing blogs!