Gabrielle Messina Just a Girl

Vintage Christmas Monday: A Festive, Vintage Ornament Wreath

I have decided to join Joan's from Anything Goes Here, little Christmas party. I will have a vintage Christmas related post ever Monday now until Christmas Day. Thought It'd be something a little fun and a little different for me! So, my first post for the party is another one of last year's wreath projects. This one did not sit for a year. In fact, it went straight up! I used a very basic pine wreath that'd been collecting dust in my basement for a long time and small to medium vintage ornaments that I had collected over time and had picked up for sometimes a few cents each.   A snow capped Shiny Brite.... a perfect shade of aqua. And, I just love the 1950's star burst in pretty coral!

 I nestled them until there was no more room to nestle and then I nestled some more.  I love making these wreaths and find that it's a good way to use up the ornaments I have a hard time walking by at antique stores and flea markets and even the ones that my husband brings home for me. I also have used a few slightly broken ones... just be sure to take a extra precautions with them! The pink one with the jolly fella, himself makes me smile just looking at it! When I was  happy with the look I achieved, I simply took out my favorite tool.... the hot glue gun, and glued them onto the branches. Now's the time I added my glittered and velvet leaves, a few flocked branches and silver pine cones. Finally, a curly feathered Christmas bird found a home as well. One festive wreath indeed!

A Few Silver Bella Projects to Share

The projects at Silver Bella were amazing! I really enjoyed each and every single one and would have a hard time choosing a favorite. I thought I'd share a few of my projects with you. Some are complete, others like this one, are not so complete. This is a little peek of the  "Be Our Guest"class,  taught by Anna Corba. Such a guru in the paper crafting industry, isn't' she?
 This project, is one of the completed ones. I was really excited about this class. It was taught by Kaari Meng of French General! French General!  I love everything about French General. You, by now know how much I adore  religious items. I got to use up some of my personal collection of vintage Mary medals and learned some new jewelry making techniques as well. Everyone's necklace turned out so pretty. 
 I think I will wear this often!  This little guy, I bought from Jennifer Murphy as a kit on vendor night. She also offered him as a class. I had seen a few of the other girls with their completed snowman and had to have one. Took the kit home with me and finished it a.s.a.p.! Just in time for Christmas decorating! I painted his adorable little nose pink.... with nail polish and asked my mother in law to knit im a scarf, because I don't knit. Wish I did... but, I don't. And a minute later, the little guy had a scarf! I also made him a little candy cane out of the paper covered wire stems of velvet leaves. Isn't he sweet? I am so happy with the way he turned out! Happy Sunday, girls! 

Good and Old Tulle Wreath

 Last year, around Christmas, I made a tulle wreath, and had planned to hang it on my daughter's bedroom door as a festive touch. It was this wreath, actually. This wreath, but without the vintage mercury ball corsage. I had added clusters of smaller vintage ornaments, I tied on velvety bows of vintage ribbons and nothing seemed to look quite right. So, it sat. For a year it sat.
Do you guys have projects like that?  (I just added my favorite song as of right now to my playlist! Can't stop listening to the first one! I may wear my ipod out!) I stumbled upon this beauty of a corsage over the summer on a flea marketing trip! Then, while searching for some Christmas crafting supplies in my mess of a craft room, I stumbled upon it again. Finally, a light bulb came on. The clusters of ornaments and velvet bows came off and on went the corsage! Look at the beautiful tarnish! Spectacular!  Don't we just love old things? Love them! I'm tickled pink with this wreath and is just a simple concept. Mindless, really. Something to do while watching the tele. or, in my case, while waiting for my kids to come out of school. Whatever you are working on.... Happy crafting! Oh, one last thing. I do have another Silver Bella post... I'll post it soon. I need to snap one or two last pictures of projects!

A Few Finds and An October Sky

 Hello dear friends. I hope all of you had a wonderful weekend. I know I did. Nice and relaxing. We took in a Halloween parade today, went for a brisk bicycle ride... very brisk, and now, I am watchingMickey Mouse Clubhouse Choo Choo Express with my kids and blogging while the commercials are on! I am glad The Disney Channel decided to premiere it prime time, so I can watch it with them. Big, little fans of Mickey we have in this house! Yesterday,I had a chance to visit the flea. I brought home with me this little guy! Isn't he adorable in his garden of millinery, also found at the flea. I love his soft, faded colors of sage and pink.This picture is really not the best. I did not realize that until I uploaded it on my computer. I think you can still make him out though!
 Found these pretty ornaments. The snow capped ones are my perpetual favorites! I am always on the look out for them in my favorite colors! And I could not pass up that pretty gold and pink one there. Could there be a better color combination than gold and pink? I think not. The glass beads were too good to resit too, as they are larger than any I have ever seen! 

 This is my favorite ornament that I found yesterday.... may actually be my favorite ornament, period.The faded pink and all that detail! A real beauty! 
I found a big ol' bunch of these itty bitty pink velvet maple leaves. I think they were a portion of old stock. They are in perfect condition... and.... I just could never leave velvet leaves sit!! And, take a look at this fabulous sky we had while on our little ride this evening after dinner! Spectacular isn't it? Just more of Fall's splendor! 



    

My Alter

 Do you remember my love for religious pieces? I mentioned it back in this post. I find such beauty in statues, really all things religious from holy cards to churches themselves. I got the surprise of a lifetime from my husband. I think I'm still somewhat speechless.... and for me that rarely ever happens. 

 

While on our summer vacation in Savannah, I saw the most gorgeous, stunning, unbelievably breathtaking religious piece I've ever seen. Perfectly pastel, with soft muted tones. Just the right amount of detail not overly ornate.... a little shabby.... simply perfect. What was it you ask? An alter. Yes, I wanted an alter. Of course that sounds ridiculous. Who puts an alter in their home? Well, I would.

 In fact, there it sits, in my home. How it got here is a very long story. I don't want to bore you with details. There was lots of white lies and deception on my husband's part... all for very good reason of course! He even had the neighbors in on it, checking the mail so I would not see the credit card statement! 

 A few detail shots, I think the beauty can speak for itself.

 Love this flower detail, the most perfect shade of periwinkle.

 The tabernacle... all carved. Complete with Holy Spirit and Lamb. Missing it's key, though.

 I think this is the only red I have in my home..... the red velvet here, worn very, very well. But, I honestly can say that it does not really bother me. Illuminated. Columns, with a warm glow. 

When buying a piece, especially one that's this substantial, I ask the person who I bought it from if they know anything about it. Unfortunately, this time, they knew nothing about it. I don't know why, but I can picture this alter in a small church in Mexico, long ago. I picture the parishioners coming together, using their talents to build, to craft this piece to be used in their church. Or, perhaps it was an alter used in a small church in a coal mining town of Pennsylvania or Ohio. Those are the images that keep coming to me. Either way, the alter was built by hand with love and dedication.

Sparkles, Bits and Baubles

  What a fun filled weekend it was!  On Saturday, the kids and I met up with Andrea and her darling little boys at the Luckett's Fair. I will post all about it very soon! On Sunday, my hubby and I took the kids to Philadelphia to do some shopping at The 9th Street Italian Market. More fun, lots of food too! Finally, on Monday I headed to the flea to stock up on some jewels. Indeed, there were jewels to be found! Lots of pearls. I am loving the aqua rosary... can you see it up there? It's broke, pieces are missing, but the beauty is still there.

This is my very favorite find of the day. Religious pieces are always my most cherished.They just don't make beauties like this anymore do they?

Buried under the mass of of glimmer is a spoon.... Lately, every time I visit the flea, I pick one up. Sort of becoming a tradition. So, in the event that it's a rather unsuccessful day of treasure hunting, I'll never leave empty handed. There's a wealth of spoons out there, pretty ones.

Some larger sparkly brooches, buckles and pins. After digging for these babies, my hands were filthy! Really, not near as glamorous as it looks right here. Can you see the little top hat? How cute is that?

   Oh, one last thing. I'm planning a little giveaway very soon! Stop back soon for that post too!

Impromptu Hats...{{Sigh}}

   Today I headed to our downtown to make some copies of my grandparents wedding photos. I have been meaning to make them for a long time. I know I could have taken them to Wal-Mart or Walgreen's, but, they don't have the same customer service the little old camera shop does. Yes, I end up paying a little more for my copies here. But, I didn't have to fight ridiculous crowds,I had friendly service, and it's just nice to support the "little guys". Plus, the shop's been in business for 50 years. There's something to be said about that. At least I think so. My family has been in the pizza business since 1958. I appreciate my dear customers that support myself and my family. Without our customers continued support, we would not be here. 

 Now, you may be wondering what all this has to do with the pretty hats on this page. Well, the camera shop happens to be located a few doors away from one of my favorite antique shops ever. I can always find beautiful hats. Sometimes they can be a little pricier, but they are the best around. When I parked(conveniently, directly in front of the antique shop, they were closed...) To my surprise, when I came out from making the copies, they were open! Hooray! I had a few moments to pop in and see what was buried(the shop has to be a fire hazard, there is so much stuff crammed into this tiny shop, with a narrow pathway in the middle) in the shop

Needless to say, I found some hats. This beauty is covered in huge, floppy blossoms. All just waiting to fall off. 

Strawberries and cream... Yup, that's what I'm thinking of here.

The splurge of the day! I could not walk away from this gorgeous hat. I just could not leave it sit there all lonesome on that shelf collecting dust. Velvet leaves...{{Sigh}} Dainty flowers just dripping...{{Sigh}} Beautiful Pink Roses....

{{Sigh}} Perfection. Love it so much, I even made it my new banner. 

True love... That's what I have with this hat.

This simple little number was a steal. I adore, adore this shade of yellow. 

A classic pillbox. A wonderful mix of soft pinks. How lovely! 

Pearly pink stamens, soft tattered flowers. Only time can produce such beauty.

  

I don't know about you, but I always seem to find the best treasures when I don't plan to. An impromptu trip, a quick "pop" into the shop usually results in some great finds, and me being tickled to death! 

Vintage Apothecary Bottles and Something Extra

   Sunday morning, my brother and I woke up around 4 a.m. and ventured to some of our favorite flea markets, along with two we have never been to. Even after going to bed at 1:30 a.m, I had no problem waking for a trip to the flea... Lacking that much sleep seems to make EVERYTHING funny! Although my brother and I do not share the same taste, we both appreciate old things. Plus, it was nice just hanging out with him. With three kids of my own and one on the way for him, it's not something we do that often. It was a rainy morning, so it scared some vendors away. But, we both managed to find some wonderful old goods.  

   A favorite find of the day were the above apothecary bottles. Now, this purchase in    particular reminded me of why they are called "flea markets" in the first place. The term"flea market" comes from the French "marche aux puces". It was rumored that the goods sold in these types of markets were infested with pests. 

Looks like I got more than I bargained for when I purchased these bottles. See the little fellow that accompanied it? So, now, first hand, I completely "get" why they are called "flea markets".  

I am going to go wash these bottles now. I was saving him for this particular post since Sunday! 

Rosie & Some Office Inspiration

   A few years ago, I was in search of a dress form. It seemed that every dress form I stumbled upon was either way too much, or just not the one I was looking for. Even my wonderful husband was involved in the search. We have a lot of antique dealers that come in to our shop. So, he asked them if they ever stumble upon forms or knew where there were some for sale. One antique dealer said he had one for sale. So, one happy husband came home thinking he'd hit the jackpot. He knows how picky his wife is, so he sent me to check out the dress form. It was much too old and much too shabby. No cage either...which was required! So, we continued the search. Another dealer came and said she had one for sale in her shop. Hubby came home and said "We're going somewhere. Get in the car and don't ask any questions." So, we did. All of us. We took about a forty five minute journey to an antique shop. We walked in and found an mannequin from 1965, rather than a dress form. Poor guy, by this time I was feeling worse for him than myself. What a kind soul he is for understanding his oh, so picky wife. Finally, a few days before Christmas, there was an antique dealer in the pizza shop, they said that they knew of a place.... a good place, a place that was filled with "girly" things. So, he went to check it out, but wasn't quite sure it was the form for me. He called me from the shop, and told me to come down. I called my mom. She came to watch the kids, while I went to see the form. Unfortunately, it was not "the one", but right next to this form, my eye caught sight of a one that looked like it had potential. It was in it's collapsed position and under a big ol' mink coat. I excitedly removed the coat and raised her to a higher position. She was "the one"! Finally! I gave the hubby a big smooch and off we went, right after we paid for her, of course! I had paint her, she was black and I wanted an off white one. So, I cave her a few coats of Gesso and some cream acrylic paint. Now she's perfect. Her name's Rosie, by the way. 

While in my office I snapped some other shots of random prettiness. My one and only horse show ribbon, pinned along side some pretty flowers from my dear friend, Andrea. Love the look of these on the wire door of my armoire.

 

 I purchased these file folders and after placing them in my office organizer, I decided the organizer could use a little help. I've had it for years, and was growing quite tired of it. So, I sanded the edges(I have been on this sanding kick for a while now). I then placed the folders that now hold all my important papers in a much more stylish way inside the organizer. Wrapped the beautiful ribbon (that Andrea had sent) around the it. Finally tucked in this beautiful and big velvet rose she sent from her shop.  She sure knows how to spoil a girl! Love the mini makeover that these folders inspired! 

This old hat box sits atop of the armoire in my office. Love the lady's fancy hand. Such beautiful old graphics! Ok, ladies that's it for the little office post. I shall return soon.

Summery Finds

   

   I am having some fun playing around with all the space I've acquired on Sunday. But, let me back up a little. 

I decided on Saturday morning to make a little impromptu trip to the flea and farmers market with all three kids. I guess I was feeling brave. It ended up not being too successful in the antique department. Left with one lonely postcard... and a watermelon. Although, it  was a beautiful postcard. Hopped over to another flea market on Sunday too. This time with the hubby and of course, all three kiddies. I managed to make up for Saturday....

 I did not get to do too much rummaging through the smalls. As I was being pressured by multiple parties(the 2 youngest and the hubby) to hurry up. But, I did make a few "big" purchases. Brought a whole collection of goods home with me actually.

This beauty of a mirror came home with me. It's very old and very streaky. The streaks don't bother me one bit. I just love old mirrors! Love, love love!  The lamp also came home on Sunday. Have I ever mentioned that my very first antique purchase at the age of twelve or so was a lamp? I may have....not really sure. So I'll state it again. Vintage lighting....I just can never get enough. Passionate about them.  But really though, I'm just doing my part to give these lonely pieces a home.

 

This piece found it's way way to my house too.... Funny how that happens. Loving the mirrors on it.. My son also loves the mirrors apparently. As soon as I was done wiping it down, he came over to check himself out in the "just my size" mirrors. I am sure they will be wearing his little fingerprints/kiss marks as all my glass doors do. One of these days, when he's older, I'm bound to miss those little prints....

A new old wedding topper was the "small" purchase of the day. The woman I purchased this from has a personal collection of over one hundred! She is 

contemplating writing a book on the matter. I'd buy the book! This has joined the others on the new piece. Which is scaled perfectly for them. I had them on my buffet previously, but I'm liking them on this smaller credenza much better. Threw some seashells in the mix for a summer wedding!

  Anyway, this corner of the kitchen is feeling much cozier these days. Cozy is always good...even if it's summer!

   P.S. You do know that the shelving on the bottom of this piece will be stripped of all it's prettiness, as the right side is. If I don't do it, the little man would. And, I think the junque would fair better if I just moved it rather than him.