Here Comes a Pink Santa Claus

Okay....here it is! This is the second item, added to Santa's bag, for my awesome November give-away. Remember in the post below this, I showed the sweet snow ball that would make a gorgeous tree ornament, a door hanger or even a kissing ball. Everybody needs a kissing ball hanging from some strategic spot during the holidays. Remember the song "I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus underneath the kissing ball last night?". Okay so it wasn't in those exact words but you get the picture. :) This is a charming gift tag I crafted from the image of one of my antique postcards. This one was dated 1908 and has the faded and worn old Santa, dressed in pink, looking through the holly wreath. And the hanging ribbons are vintage pink rayon seam binding. It's a personal favorite of mine. I added white sugar snow glitter on the edges and oh so soft maribou feather trim on the bottom edge. The sentiment says simply: "Merry Christmas". It's a post card size tag and would be perfect on that gift for someone special.



You can leave a comment on any post during the month of November to be entered in this give-away and don't forget to vote for me in the Shabby Lane Shops boutique decorating contest. Just click on the cute Santa below to be magically transported to the voting booth. If you leave an anonymous comment don't forget to leave me an email so I can reach you, should you be the lucky winner of this fabulous give-away. And stay tuned because more will be added to this give-away as the month progresses. :) This is so much fun! Oh yeah, .... if you have already left a comment once it's okay to say "Hi" again. I love to hear from you. Have a super great weekend and I'll see you soon.

White Wednesday ~ Have You Heard?

Have you heard? There's a contest going on!! (Subliminal message here...VOTE for ME). And everybody knows how much fun blog land's contests and give-aways are. For my White Wednesday today, (there's just a little bit of red ) I am giving away this gorgeous cottage style large white mica glittered snowball. It's got pretty sparkly green holly leaves and a happy red jingle bell. You can hang it on your door to greet your holiday visitors or it would make a darling Christmas tree ornament. Now mind you...this is just one of the items in this give-away. You have to trust me that the rest will be FAB-U-LOUS. Something old and something new. You know I just have to do something old with my website being The Vintage Nest and all. :) You will love it! The give-away will last all of November so you can leave a comment on any of my blog post this month and your name will go in Santa's hat for a draw late on November 30th. I will ship off to the winner in time to enjoy for the holidays.


Now that's not all. I am a proud member of a wonderful on line boutique shopping mall called Shabby Lane Shops. We are having a contest to vote for your favorite holiday decorated boutique and I am shamelessly plugging for your vote. All you have to do is click on the gorgeous Santa badge below. That will take you right over to the voting booth. Just scroll down the page until you see The Vintage Nest.

Wait.....we're not done yet! While you are there be sure to sign up for our Treasure Box Give-Away. People, this box is amazing!! Just ask the gal who won the October box. She was speechless. A number of the boutiques have contributed fun and beautiful items to this treasure trove, not to mention there is a gift certificate too. Win this baby and it's a sweet little Christmas present just for you. So, whatcha' waiting for? Get on over there and sign up. Just click on that adorable treasure box badge below.


Okay now.....Remember VOTE for me (there's that subliminal message again) and leave a comment on my blog at any time during the month of November. (Don't worry...I'll remind you some more). And please please don't forget......if you comment as anonymous that's perfectly fine but leave me an email address to contact to you with. I mean....... if you win you do want your prize...right?

**** The wonderful White Wednesday's are hosted by Kathleen at Faded Charm. Go on over there after you are finished clicking all the other buttons here for more fabulous white posts. I bet....I just bet...there are more give-aways going on. :)

Pink Saturday ~ Loving's Produce

I was really at a loss as to what to post for this Halloween Pink Saturday. I knew it would have to have something to do with Fall and Halloween and pink but surely not a pink pumpkin. I really worried over this! :) Then the other day I was out for the day with my Mom, pulled into the parking lot of our destination, and voila! ....... there it sat. A pink produce truck!! How apropo. Loving's Produce has been a fixture in our area for as long as I can remember but they never had pink trucks before. Don't know why the change but I LIKE it. Don't you? And with the pumpkin on the side of the truck it made for the perfect Pink Saturday Halloween.




And thank you Beverly of the blog, "How Sweet the Sound", for hosting this wonderful day; that so many of us in blog land have come to love. For a complete list of all participants just click here. Have a fun and fabulous Halloween Day. :) Boo!

White Wednesday ~ Faded Pearls

I am thrilled to be included in this wonderful White Wednesday hosted by that pretty blog called Faded Charm. On my treasure hunts every week, I am always on the look out for bits and baubles, faded and worn, shiny and bright, tarnished and shabby......pieces to include in my new and make-over projects. These things sit around in glass jars and old dishes just waiting to be made into something wonderful. Actually, I think they look pretty wonderful just the way they are! Have a wonderful Wednesday and please visit Kathleen for a list of all the participants. :)

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The Winner's Circle

Around here it was all about racing this past week. My oldest son ran in the Care 4 Breast Cancer Run for awareness and the task force for the uninsured and under insured in his hometown. Out of 1600 runners he came in third and raised quite a chunk of money. This is a photo of him back in his school days running a race. I know he will be so embarrassed that I posted this but I don't care.....I am so proud of him!!!!



Back in August we celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary and I gave Bobby G. a racing school gift certificate. What an idiot I thought to myself after it was all said and done. What have I done? He needs that like he needs a hole in the head. Ack! But after seeing the big grin on his face yesterday it was worth it. He loved it and I loved the sounds of the race cars as they revved their engines and sped off around the course. It was very exciting driving your car through the tunnel that the real Nascar drivers would have used on a race day.......getting suited up and being interviewed just like the real deal. The weather was just perfect and it was a fun afternoon. Problem is next year I will have to come up with something that is even more thrilling. :)




And speaking of the winner's circle I have been blessed again this week with not one but two awards. Marie over at Personalized Sketches and Sentiments gave me this blog award, "you're the sweetest". It's a cupcake! How sweet is that? And I have to tell you if you are looking for a very special Christmas gift you must go see Marie's blog. She does the most incredible sketches you have ever seen all done in a person's name. You have to go look!


And Sue, over at CollectIn Texas Gal presented me with the Honest Scrap Award. Sue is an avid vintage collector and her blog is really fun to read so I hope you will visit her and tell her I sent you. :) Thank you Sue.



Have a great week y'all and may your racing heart not be scared to death this Halloween week.

White Wednesday ~ Baby Boo

I am, as I see so many of you are too, crazy about the white pumpkins. These are the little ones called Baby Boo. How cute are they? I have used them all over my home for the Fall season. Here I placed them in a vintage clear cut glass compote among my white shabby candle sticks along with a vintage silver garden dove statue. I love the serene effect. The dove is available for sale at The Vintage Nest. I am tickled pink to be joining White Wednesday hosted by Kathleen at the gorgeous blog, ..... Faded Plains. Click here for a list of all those participating.



Also, I was delighted to be given this sweet award from Tammi of the blog, Visions of Vintage. Thank you Tammi. It was a great surprise and I love it.

Happy Wednesday and I'll see you back here for Pink Saturday. I am off to spend the day treasure hunting with my Mom.

The Witch is Out ~ A Fanciful Twist

Before I brush my unruly hair....... before I lace up my old black boots...... before I search for the pointy old black hat....before I mend the worn black cape.......before I concoct some special fiendish potions......before I stir the smoky cauldron.....before I make my black bag lunch of a bloody worm sandwich, ladies fingers and crazy eye green juice.....before I sweep off the sticky cobwebs and sprinkle crystals on the warty pumpkins......before I start on the sugar induced euphoria and black magic tales and cast my fortune and fate.......


I think..... I think this old witch will just prop her feet up for just a bit of a rest before the devilish and wickedly good fun at Vanessa's party. Won't you join me before I hitch up my old black skirt and jump on my broom for the most enchanting party of the season? :)


Thanks to the whimsical and wonderful Vanessa over at A Fanciful Twist for this most delightful Halloween Fete, full of vampires and bats and ghosties and all kinds of fun things. Just click here for the most magical of days and for a whole list of unimaginable wickedly good fun. Last year's party was in the most revered of artist magazines, Somerset, so don't miss this one!

Doors of Welcome

Karen at Some Days are Diamonds is the host of this special day, Doors Of Welcome. Welcome Fall with a gracious, spooky or colorful front door. So if you want some great ideas, some eye candy or just a fun time click on over there. Thank you Karen for this opportunity. So, without further ado please join me for a look at the entrance to our "The Witch is Out" front door. P.S. Come back on Saturday Oct. 17th and you might actually see the old witch. hehehehehe

Yard Sale Pinks ~ Pink Saturday

Happy Pink Saturday! I wanted to show you a precious bit of pink I found at a yard sale for Boo. This pink and gold gown was brand new...still in the package and those dresses are quite expensive in a store that I won't mention. I packed it up and sent it right on to her. Isn't it wonderful? And I think she will wear it for Halloween. A beautiful little Pink Princess! :) And for a bit more pink today I present to you a party hat I made for my grand niece's birthday. Oodles of curly ribbon and pink and purple crepe paper ruffles. I love making those hats. They are so much fun and I try to always incorporate something vintage in each one of them. If you would like to see more of my hats I would love to have you visit here. And for more precious pinks today you can visit our Beverly at How Sweet the Sound. Have a wonderful day!

I took a Bite of the Big Apple

The Very Heart of It
New York, New York
I want to wake up in a City
That doesn't sleep

Our home away from home for a few days....in the heart of Tribeca, in one of the oldest hotels in Manhattan. It was more like a bed and breakfast with the old non-working fireplace in our room, ceiling fans and renovated, small, but wonderful marble bathroom. Rooms were small but inexpensive (supposedly) for New York prices. gulp! Abraham Lincoln slept here (long time ago) :) and it was in a great area for celebrity sightings. But I am so dense I probably would not have noticed if one walked right by me.


We had a delightful, people watching brunch in the cafe next to the main door of the hotel. The cafe was so cute and was the original ladies waiting room of the old hotel (circa 1845).


I had a lot of fun just taking zillions of photos of the various street scenes in the city. I thought this was kind of cool.....with the couple chatting away while leaning against a wall of many ads.


Tribeca is an exciting part of Manhattan. From our front door you could easily walk to Wall Street, The South Street Seaport, Soho, Chinatown, Little Italy and Greenwich Village. We walked and walked and walked some more, which was a good thing because we ate, and ate and ate some more. :) Who says you can't get fresh veggies in the middle of the big city?


I loved seeing all the doggies being walked. They were everywhere and I noticed mostly pedigrees. I do wonder though if the sweet dogs get to feel anything other than pavement under their paws?


What trip to the big apple would not be complete without a ride to the top of the Empire State building?? This was my first trip up. Long lines await you but you just have to do it. They say the view from the top of the Rock is great too....maybe better. Another thing I highly recommend is taking a tour on the open air bus. I know it's cheesey but you learn a lot. I had a great tour guide who had lived in Brooklyn all his life. He told us lots of interesting little tid bits that you would never read on a tour sheet. After our pigeon's eye very windy view of the city we came down and had lunch at the ground floor restaurant, the Heartland Brewery. I had a wonderful mixed baby greens salad with smoked chicken, candied pecans, bleu cheese, and cranberries with a 1/2 pint of a very interesting beer called Smiling Pumpkin. I am not a beer drinker but that was right tasty. :) Just outside the restaurant on the street corner I noticed a commotion going on. A commercial was being made right in the middle of traffic when the stop light would go red. Football players and the referees. Click on the photo so you can see them. Probably some famous football player making a million bucks for a few minutes work. :) Looking straight up at some of the sky scrapers would almost make me dizzy. What a whoose!




It's fun to see all the famous places to shop like Dior. But my favorites are the little boutiques like you would see on a stroll through the village. Nope, I didn't go to Tiffany's (like you my sweet friend Claudie) but I did get this gorgeous ring.....my one and only indulgence, at one of those little boutiques.




Our first dining experience was for some of New York's finest....pizza. What a treat that was! Here we are at the fantastic pizza bar called Adrienne's. It's on a cobblestone street called Stone St. (surprise) in the financial district. The day had turned cloudy and cool and this place was so warm and inviting and, not to mention, had wonderful pizza. That's me on the left and J. Louise on the right.



The metal cross at Ground Zero. It was found by a construction work and is made of two metal cross beams that fell intact from one of the twin towers. It is a place of pilgrimage for many tourist.



Directly across the street from Ground Zero is St. Paul's Chapel, that miraculously was left standing after the collapse of The Towers. It served as the headquarters for rescue and recovery workers. It's very beautiful and a must see if you visit New York. Awe inspiring and humbling and the soft blues and whites are very soothing.


I loved walking the streets of Greenwich Village. Even the architecture of the fire escapes is beautiful. Look at all that gorgeous stonework. And I just had to snap a photo of this darling little boutique, called the Bird Bath, simply because it reminded me of The Vintage Nest. Walking just ahead of me in this photo is my British friend, J. Louise, and my daughter-in-love Bri. She's a gorgeous young lady, .... from the front and back! :)





When traveling I am always in the mood for a good scavenger hunt, also known as looking for a flea market. :) And much to the chagrin of my sweet baby boy I found one. Woohoo!! I could not spend as much time at the Hell's Kitchen annex called The Antiques Garage as I would have liked because he was getting antsy, but his girlfriend pointed these gorgeous 1920's French ads out and I snatched them up. Soon to be listed in the shop as soon as I finish here.


One evening we stopped in at the best cheese shop...Murrays. Check out the prices of those artisanal cheeses! But oh so goooood. We bought some cheese, crusty breads, fruit, nuts and wine and had the most marvelous supper while enjoying the views from my son's apartment window in Battery Park. He's so lucky to have such a view! Just to the left of that view is the most famous of ladies....The Statue of Liberty. (sorry about the photo quality...it was cloudy) Imagine getting to view that everyday.






Eating again! Like I said....we ate....we walked...we ate...we walked. My sweet baby boy and me, outside The Pearl restaurant. I mean to tell you, they had the best fried oysters I had ever eaten. At home, no one goes out to eat on a Monday night. Here, you had to wait for a seat the place was so packed. The lobster roll was a favorite and tasted yummy.

I learned how to get a subway ticket AFTER losing a $10.00 bill....lol...and I also learned I do NOT like the subways. I leave you with the most gorgeous picture of all (besides the one of my son and I... :) Until next time.........