Texture and Age = Timeless Beauty

It's been a few days since my last post ~ and I had some very sweet friends tell me they missed seeing something every day ~ thank you!

I'm in a hurry this morning but wanted to share a few of my very favorite things, just Simple Joys really, nothing of value or importance, but little beauties in my eyes.

I found these gold leaf medallions a few years ago in a thrift store. So old and fragile, crackly and flaking, very faintly stamped Italy on the back, but I love them. I love the texture and the age. I love that someone else loved them enough to save them all these years.

I love these old wooden pieces too. Barely holding together, dry and brittle with age, but someone loved these enough to save them for another who would come along and cherish them ~ me. The one in the back was in my Dad's junk drawer ~ he was a collector of "stuff" as well.

I've noticed that most everything that is truly beautiful to me is old, cracked, withered, peeling, flaking, it has a HISTORY... and yet WE are so afraid to get old. We try our best to look young, we don't want anyone to see the age and the texture of our lives, but that's what makes us beautiful. That's what makes us interesting and unique. I turned 40 a few months back ~ I have a few silver hairs among the dark brown ~ the wrinkles are yet to come, but I don't dread them. They mean that I have lived life, I have loved life, and I will enjoy all that life has to give...

Have a beautifully blessed day ~ and life.

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Cottage Charm Giveaway WINNER!

Tonight's the night! I put all the names in a bowl...

wait not THAT bowl....

THIS one.... and drew out...

HEATHER of PRETTY PETALS!!!

~*~Congratulations Heather!~*~

Thank you to everyone who signed up. I enjoyed "meeting" all of you and visiting all the beautiful and inspiring blogs that your links took me to...

Check back in mid June ~ I have plans for another giveaway.

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Vintage Button Brooches

I enjoy working with my hands, whether it's painting, sculpting dolls, embroidering, or beadwork ~ and that only covers a few of the things I do.

There was a segment on an HGTV show several years ago demonstrating how to make beaded button brooches. Nearly any type of handwork interests me, so I have made a few of these vintage button brooches.

I collect antique and vintage buttons (mother of pearls are my favorite) and chose a couple of interesting ones to be the focal point of these pieces.

If you are interested in purchasing a brooch, please leave a comment with a link to your email or contact me through my email link (see my profile at left).

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Carved Bakelite: This vintage bakelite button is the very much desired deep apple juice color. I've encircled it with between 250 and 300 amber colored glass beads which I've sewn on by hand. It is backed with micro-suede and has a gold tone pin clasp. It measures 2 1/4" across.

$50

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Green Enamel on Silver: This button is green enamel on a silver toned button. I've encircled it with between 250 and 300 silver lined clear glass beads which I've sewn on by hand. I've also sewn three loops of beads which dangle so prettily when worn on a jacket. It is backed with micro-suede and has a silver tone pin clasp. It measures 2" across and 3" long.

$60

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"Cottage Charm" Giveaway

I just found this today and want to get in on all the fun. Please click here to see all the participating bloggers.

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Update!!!: I am adding a few little extra surprises in the pack before I mail it.
I'll also be adding a coupon for 5% off purchase of $25 - $99 OR 10% off purchase of $100 or more to be used on any Honeysuckle Lane item(s) on my website (sale items excluded).

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I've put together a mish-mash of vintage / cottage / shabby items for you to use in scrapbooking, altered art, etc.

The lucky winner will receive from me: 3 sheets of ca. 1900 music ( a little tattered but great for ephemera projects), 9 sheets of 8 1/2 x 11 vintage wallpaper (3 of each design: *blue floral, *brown & ivory early american vines, *gold and bittersweet damask), a few extra smaller sheets of wallpaper, over 1 yard of each: pale blue crepe paper, ivory crepe paper, vintage blue rayon seam binding, gold metallic wired ribbon, cotton twill tape, and ivory scalloped fringe; 12 sheets of vintage blue paper, and a pink and white cutwork cotton doily.

All you have to do to enter is comment on this post, making sure that you have an email link in your profile or add your email address in the comment.

Saturday (7pm central ~ so lots more can sign up) I will write all the entries down (which may not be many since I'm getting in so late), put them in a bowl, and draw out a winner. I'll post the winner on my blog as well as send them an email asking for their mailing address.

Don't be shy, sign up, it'll be fun!

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After you sign up for my drawing, check out what Suzanne @ Painter of the Past and Deena of Sweet Annee are giving away!

Here a chick, there a chick, everywhere a chick-chick

The chicks are growing each and every day. They don't stay the little fuzzballs but a few days before they start to feather out.

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I've been letting them roam with their mamas and the rest of the chickens all day long now.

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Inquisitive little one isn't it?

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If one gets a little behind, straying to get just one more bug or seed before moving on,

mama clucks a little impatiently and it cheeps back and hurries on over to her, half running and half flying ~ "wait for me!".

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The last few evenings I've let Buffy and Henny Penny take the chicks inside the coop rather than catching them and putting them in the little pen I have for the babies.

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When they get settled, and I go down to close the doors so they'll be safe from critters at night, I always lift the mama's wings to count babies. Henny Penny has one little chick that sticks it's head out from under all the feathers and pecks away at my finger! It's so funny, such a tiny thing being so bold and brave.

I don't want to bore you with chick pics and chick tales, but I'll try to keep you posted on how they are doing from time to time.

Have a beautifully blessed day ~ here, the sun is shining and I'm going out to hang laundry on the line.

~*~