Cloche Party!

I *love* cloches and have them in all sizes, from 1&1/2" tall to 16" tall. It is always fun to show off my cloches as well as my collections. I had forgotten about Marti's Cloche Party but already had a few cloches and domes filled with some of my favorite things. Hopefully you can tell that the chocolates are made of glass (one of my newest collections) and the mouse outside the chocolates is stuffed. I'm also showing a cloche within a cloche. There is a tiny figure dressed as a mouse under the smallest. And I couldn't resist sharing a preview for spring and Easter. I bought the bunny cupcake holder at Pottery Barn and topped it with a sweet cloche topped with a glass butterfly. Enjoy!

I am joining Marti for A Stroll Thru Life Cloche Party

Valentine Decor...better late than never!

I finally pulled out my large tub of Valentine decorations last weekend. Put most of it out, but find I am missing my Valentine tree and special ornaments and at this late date, I do not plan to search the attic (my aching back! LOL). With this post being sent from my iPad, I can usually only post five pictures. I sent seven because I love too many vignettes. We shall see what shows up! HaPpY Heart Day! XO

Joining Nita for Mod Mix Mondays! Also joining Laura for her party! http://decortoadore.blogspot.com/2013/02/be-my-valentine-linky-party.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DecorToAdore+%28Decor+to+Adore%29

Sharing my Heart

It has been some time since my last blog post. Maybe I will blame my age....I seem to lack the energy to do ten things at once anymore. I used to be able to juggle many things but lately I have changed. I seem to want to sit and enjoy more. So that is what I have been doing! I have been thinking about putting all my holiday decorations away. Hubby has plans to go out of town next week snowmobiling (but without snow, not sure if this will happen), maybe that will be the time to pack up Christmas. So I admit that everything Christmas is still up. I did shop the craft stores and Target this week for Valentine inspiration~a baby step towards changing out the decorations. The first picture is my attempt to enjoy the heart shaped jewelry pendants I have. I added one small glass heart, stringing all with fishing line.

I shopped an antique show last weekend and found this small red stool. I am skeptical whether or not it is vintage but have decided I love it irregardless. Behind the stool you will bee a new glass display case I bought online for a good price to encase my cherished R John Wright Santa as well as some of his holiday mice.

My white bear is wearing a new beanie I thought could be a great display for some of my collection of pins.

The last two pictures show off the new Wee Forest Folk mice I received as Christmas gifts from my husband and son. The details are so amazing!

So I have shared a few of my hearts...and things I love! Have a happy day and take the time to enjoy the small things around you!

ChRiStMaS Has Arrived!

It seems that the holidays are almost here and I am still running to catch up. I have most of my decorating done...so I'm sharing the five pictures which my iPad allows me to post. The first picture is of my mantle with two new lamps purchased at a great (low) price from Hobby Lobby. I added my small crystal snowflakes to the bottom of the one lampshade. I love how the light plays with the crystals. Next picture is of my new tree topper angel. I have searched for her for many years. My Toy Shoppe was 'established' in 1993 ~how the years fly by! I made it in a cheese crate. If you enlarge the picture, you will see a Santa peeping out the bay window. I have many special glass blown ornaments hanging on a metal branch next to the sliders in the dining room. The last picture is of my newest Wee Forest Folk mouse. Couldn't resist! HaPpY HoLiDaYs! I am linking to The Cottage Market http://www.thecottagemarket.com/2012/12/junkin-joe-vintage-and-thrifty-finds.html

New Treasures...

Methinks I have been shopping a bit too much in the past two months... Some of these new treasures were purchased at estate sales for decent prices~so that must cancel out some of the more pricey treasures I had to have, right?! Hard to tell how tiny some are. The wooden chair stands less than 16" tall. Love the tortoise shell glasses ($4.00!) and the brass oil lamp with the glass shade ($5!). Love all the vintage blown glass ornaments purchased at two estate sales~great prices. The Dutch doll stands about four inches tall and is vintage. The tiny mouse family who will reside in the 144th scale secret book range from 3/8" down to 1/4" tall...teeny! Adore the black kitty which was hand sculpted out of paper mâché just like the methods used two centuries ago. He is on top of a small cabinet of my mice-keeping watch for a stray. Yet another velvet pumpkin has joined my collection. I bought a deep red one for the Christmas holidays. And there are other treasures not pictured...I'll have to do another blog on the cement statuary I have been collecting~much of it vintage. My house is bursting at the seams~but I have a smile on my face!

New HaLLoWeEn!

So...this fall, I decided to do less for HaLLoWeEn; buy less, decorate less; obsess less (?!?). One out of three isn't so bad... This witch paper cutting joins my collection of Scherenschnitte.

The little witch stump house is my new miniature creation. It has a flickering LED votive inside to make it SpOoKy.

These tiny candles just arrived (bought on Etsy). They are each @ 1/2" tall. I love the faces.

Violet the witch spoke to me at an artists' co-op store in Midland as soon as I walked in the door. I couldn't refuse her!

Just love the lamps, the owl under the mantle, the witch, the velvet pumpkins and the clock case I turned into a haunted house display for my Wee Forest Folk trickor treaters. All these things turn my mantle into an amazing HaLLoWeEn display.

Finally, the last picture shows the treasures I brought home from Ghoultide Gathering, earlier this month. The black mouse (on a BOO pumpkin) was handmade by Lori Ann Correlis; the pumpkin with large eyes was made by Joyce Stahl; and I have forgotten e name of the artist who made the flickering candle with the face.

I still get carried away with HaLLoWeEn! Joining The Cottage Market to share my blog~some thrifty; some not! http://www.thecottagemarket.com/2012/10/junkin-joe-vintage-thrifty-finds.html

I think I am in Love....

...with my new curio cabinet! This curio is not new...I found it at a furniture resale shop. It was custom made using cherry wood and the price was right! I have to admit that I didn't realize that it would be so heavy. But with help from my husband, we got it inside. He also volunteered to attach it to the wall so there would be no question of it falling over. I really like how is has changed that end of the room. As you can see, I have started decorating for HaLLoWeeN~ but haven't taken any tubs out of the attic yet. I see that I need to do something with the cord off the mantle~still fussing! Last year, I had one HaLLoWeeN lamp. Last month, the store I bought it from had a sale...so I ended up with two more! Who can resist a great sale and I had to have three...isn't that a rule in decorating?!

I brought out the Pottery Barn framed boxes I display some of my R. John Wright mice in and they finally have a place where they can be seen and admired.

The other side of the fireplace has the small shelf unit I bought years ago at the Ann Arbor Street Fair (in 1992~I only know this because it is signed and dated on the back). This was a big splurge for me back then but I have loved it.

Finally, a closer picture of the new cabinet. It is the right depth to display my miniatures and Wee Forest Folk~great lighting. My chair is across from the cabinet so I can sit and smile at the things I cherish!

Now I need to find a place for the old curio which used to be to the left of the fireplace. I am sure it will look get in one of the bedrooms upstairs. I have some great ideas bouncing around in my head~such fun! Enjoy your own creative energy!