Ring-A-Ding, We Have A Winner!

I was amazed at the variety of guesses, everything from 100 to 2555, and I was so happy to have so many play along.  Many thanks to all of you for reading my little blog!  The actual number of buttons in the jar is 1734. The winning guess is 1758 from DeeDee at DeeDees Craft Spot.  Send me your address, DeeDee, and I will get your altoid tin of buttons in the mail!

Out Of The Rabbit Hole And This And That

 I have climbed back out of the big girl job rabbit hole and I am so excited to have a long three-day weekend.  Free at last!!  A little "art therapy" in the quote book gave me much needed creative relief as I struggled through the last couple of weeks.  No deep messages here but interesting that I picked those quotes.  That play time really does so much.

 It was beautiful last weekend and I took a break to wander around the garden a little on Sunday afternoon and play with the camera.  The Bleeding Heart is in full bloom.

 I don't have many tulips in my garden but it doesn't take many when they look like this.  The husband even asked why I don't have more tulips.  I don't know why.  I should buy more.

A little finial I made years ago for the top of the birdbath.  It is really the glass globe from a light fixture.  I spray painted it silver and it has weathered to a dull gray.  That's okay.  I kind of like the way it looks with the concrete and moss.
Tomorrow morning I am headed to the Plucky Maidens Junk Fest for a play date with a good friend.  They just did a segment on it on the local news.  I can hardly wait!
Don't forget, my Reader Appreciation Give Away doesn't close until Monday so there is still time to leave a guess, or maybe a second one!

Reader Appreciation Give Away

Time to reveal what I was up to in THAT post.  I am 1 away from 100 followers so it's time for a give-away to show my appreciation to all of you who read my blog, take time to leave your comments and stick with me through my ramblings.  You make my life richer!

I put together this selection of buttons hand-picked from my personal collection.  I have included buttons from every category I sort; MOP, wood, glass, metal, leather, vintage plastic, vegetable ivory, celluloid tight-top, bone, china, glass and plastic rhinestones and fabric.  There are 70 buttons in all.  I altered an Altoid tin to store them in, although it's a pretty tight fit and barely closes.

So what do you need to do to win this sweet little tin of buttons?  Well this give-away is a little different.  You don't need to blog about me, although I would love it if you did, you don't need to sign up to follow me, although I would love it if you do. All you need to do is leave a comment and a guess.

You're going to want to take a look back at THIS post where I was showing you that big jar of plastic buttons that sits on my workbench.  Yes, I counted them!

All you have to do is guess the number of buttons in the jar.  It measures 7" wide and 7" tall (not counting the pedestal.  Full disclosure: I removed 43 buttons as I was arranging them for the picture so there are 43 more in the jar than the pictures.  You are guessing the number in the jar.

Enter as many times as you like.  I don't know how many comments would make Blogger blow up and I would rather not be responsible for finding out so please don't leave 10,000 guesses each - LOL!  The comment that comes the closest to the exact number wins.  In the case of a tie, the comment that was left first win.

I will announce the winner on Monday, April 30th.  Have fun and good luck!!



Lotta Work and Notalotaplay

Still busy with the big-girl job over here but I did take time out for some altered book therapy.  Gosh, I wonder why I chose that quote - LOL!  I hope you are all having a good week and finding some time to play!  It is important.

A Sunny Spring Weekend

 We had a sunny and warm [compared to lately] weekend that really has the flowers waking up.

 This is Spurge.  It can be a real aggravation sometimes but not when it opens it's beautiful chartreuse blooms.  The are so unusual and striking!

 My first rhododendron bloom opened this week.  This one is called Mrs. G.W. Leek.  It is an old variety and my favorite of the pinks.

I was able to spend several hours in the garden on both days and made some progress getting things cleaned up.  I transplanted all the volunteer foxglove that popped up in the compost pile, weeded the parking strip in front and started cleaning up the fish pond.  And I did it all in SHORT SLEEVES!

Working in the garden is therapeutic on so many levels.  When I am weeding and straightening up I go into some sort of plucking-a-weed-trance and everything else just fades into the background.  Except the sore hands of course.  8+)

Last Weekend's Treasures

 Talk about screeching in just under the wire!  I'm just barely getting last weekend's goodies posted before a new weekend is upon us.  Very, very slammed at the big girl job this week so it screamed by and unlikely I will get out for any junking this weekend.  Last weekend was one estate sale and enough goodies to keep me busy for a while. 

 At least you get to see these all cleaned up instead of my usual pig-pile on the table!  You know I collect aluminum "baskets".  I usually just stick to those to keep the collection under control but I couldn't resist this little crumb set.  I haven't decided if it is headed for Etsy or if I'll keep it for myself.

 I love the vintage graphics on the cover of this little scrapbook.  It is marked 1947 and even has a few photos inside it.  It includes templates that you could trace onto the back of the pictures and then cut them into shapes. Very early scrapbooking!

This is a close-up of the cover on the 1965 Shell Craft booklet.  We got a new macro lens for the camera so this was my first try to see just how close I could get it to focus.  Close enough that you can see the age on the paper - LOL!  Not everything should get a close-up shot!

What Is She Up To Now?

 The Husband ordered us a fancy new light for taking our Etsy pictures.  The sandbags you use for counter-balance hadn't arrived yet so my purse worked just fine.

 Yes, I travel light and haven't bought in to that fashionable "big purse" look.  I wouldn't have a clue what to put in it.

But what is this?  What's up with all those little piles?  Stay tuned!

Tiny Signs of Spring

 My work table is covered with a project so I still haven't taken pictures of last weekend's finds.  It was hard to stay indoors and on task because we have had four (count 'em, FOUR) beautiful Spring days in a row.  The garden is waking up everywhere I look.  Snow On The Mountain taking the place of the messy brown under the maple tree, tiny Grape Hyacinths popping up wherever they want and a tulip ready to burst open.

This little clump of Grape Hyacinths are right smack in the middle of one of the garden paths and I happily let them be just where they are and step around them.  I'll take it!

Easter Wishes

Wishing you all a
Joyful Easter!

Weekend + Monday Junk

 Better late than never.  This is my weekend loot from The Bins.  I spent a leisurely hour and a half power-digging through the heaps to find this pig pile of little bits and pieces that asked me to bring them home.  I never thought about it like that before.  I guess I bring home strays.

 Do you notice something missing from these pictures?  Not a single doily - yay me!!

 Love love that beaded bag.  The handle is broken on one side so I have to figure out an attractive replacement.  I'm open to ideas folks....

This was waiting for me when I got home from work yesterday.  Well, you can bet I was worthless until I finished sorting and cleaning all these button.  I took this photo before I started poking but the battery in the camera ran out and I couldn't get the picture out until I recharged it.  That's as good an excuse as any to take a time out and play!
There were some great buttons in this tin.  You can't stop looking until you have picked up and turned over every single button because just when you think there is nothing left to find - there is something else.  Buttons are funny that way.

Camera Magic

 The new camera has a magical setting where you can make everything black and white except one color, yellow in this case.  Pictures that look like you know what you are doing, only you don't.  Technology rocks!

 This is set to only "see" green.

 The red camellias are beginning to open.  There are little touches of brown on the petals because of all the rain but the camera turned them B&W.  Wa!La!  Perfect blooms!

Another green one and this one really is like magic.  Not only did it make it look like I know what I'm doing with the camera, but it also made it look like I have my Spring yard work done.  Trust me, it is all an illusion!