Rubyet

Yup..she is officially an experienced Shakespearean actor!!!

....and a brilliant one.....how can a 15 year old possibly handle the verse as she does? I am blown away.



Amazing pics by fellow castmate Ryan Matthieu Smith and Garland Civic Theatre.

Enid Collins Bags from my Mommy!

Does it count as a thrift-venture if you choose to treasure hunt at your Mom's house?
Well you see at my Mamas place.... "It Grows On Trees" .......vintage delectables* that is.



Her closets overflow with both Enid and Lucite bags.
Ah ....yes....I come by my collecting tendencies honestly.




"Driftwood" ...perfect for the Fall.... and quite an unusual Enid shoulder bag!

Hard to think of Fall with so many 100+ days strung together here.....(my poor lawn)....but school has finally begun and while my littlest was craving getting back on a schedule(she would never express it that way but her actions did!)my oldest opens Romeo and Juliet on Thursday and the late nights/early morns are already a bit of an issue.
Please think positive thoughts for us as we navigate our unusual and challenging schedule!
P.S. Ruby just called to let us know she got in AP Music Theory!!...not bad for a sophomore who has only been playing the piano for a few months!


* Did I just make that word up?
Delectables: (noun) A cross between a group of things that is both collectable and delectable.

Littlest Hipster Tee How To!!!

Hipster Little Sis Tee !
Easy-peasy instructions:
Obtain thrifted tee (make sure the fit is correct ..but long enough to fringe)
Begin to clip a small fringe as even or uneven all around the shirt as you wish!
Carefully tear your individual fringe strands up to the waist!
Repeat all the way around until the tee is completely fringed!
You could also add beads to the fringe...but our littlest hipster was a bit impatient to try it on!
This simple restyle has cycled from my midriff days all the way to my sweet girls.....yeesh!

Table-scaping with Dinosaurs!!

Wow......


What to do in 30 + consecutive days of TRIPLE DIGIT temperature?



Play with the dinos ofcourse!!
Here's hoping this week I find some creative mojo in spite of hot days and busy schedules!

Etsy Time !!

So my summer continues on its busy way!!!
...but...I finally began re-Stocking my Etsy store !!
This upcycled delight can be found here.

Running lines with Ruby everyday certainly puts Romeo and Juliet on my mind and looky.....I found a
mini Juliet dress !!!
My plan is to have my shop brimming with stock by Fall!!
See ya in August!

Ruby Room Re-do : A Small Peek

Check the new to Ruby-dube vintage spread/comforter! Thrifted for 3 bux! We also re-purposed the white shelf by painting it the color of the walls and using the large hammered metal containers as her new "chest of drawers".
...and naturally we need even MORE lacey bits for curtains and canopy's!
More next week......trying to atleast post once a week until I can be more frequent!

Summuh Time and the Livin' is Busy !!

Butterfly is her favorite stroke!!!
So my plans for more consistent blogging.....well...let's just say I am doing the best I can! 7:00 AM practice is actually not that hard to make.


....Well as long as you are not bringing "Juliet" home from her R&J rehearsal at 11:00 PM! This is a pic from where she rehearses...the theatre's rehearsal space is actually on the opposite side of the fountain area. She will be performing in a city about 30 minutes away from us...so it has been a bit pointless for me to go home between the begining and the end of rehearsal.
.....but guess what? The area is brimming with thrift stores so naturally I had to investigate.


....which brings us to another installment of....
..Thriftventuring...A List to Thrift by: Item #4 Vintage Sweaters
This one is my fave...it cost 1.99...and wasn't even on sale!It is a furry mohair with such a print...I had a similar purple one in college...but it is LONG gone!




This one WAS on sale and half off the green tag it's wearing!! It has a romantic feel and I adore the color palette! It will be perfect worn over my over-alls and boots in the Fall!

I think I will let my Noli swim a victory lap for me!

Chuh-Chuh-Changing!!!! It's a Room Re-decorate(the before pics)!!

So all those things I just KNEW I would finish last week cuz' I posted that I would.....well...yeah...I didn't check a single one off my to do list(ok... the little Petal got to help Mommy roll out pizza dough ...does that count?).
...and just what the heck de-railed me?


We have been in our home a bit over 2 years ...and Ruby has never really "connected" with the vibe of her room.

...but then again....the old room at the Cliff May house was a tough act to follow. Read the whole post here.

In the new place the ceiling was not high enough for the loft bed...so as you can see in the 2nd pic we went the other extreme and chose something low to the ground. As a result many of the activities (such as the make-up area)are also informal and low to the ground.

The room is fairly zen and fully functional.The original design inspiration was floating in clouds...so obviously sky blue walls and white furniture. Somehow we never really finished the design of the room which is why it appears so bare. I painted some lovely wood pieces that stark white and when its all said and done I think that's the prob....it's just not warm and cozy enough!
Believe it or not her room is never more than 15-20 minutes away from looking just as orderly as these pics.



Even her closet is orderly!!

Ruby has already begun adding warmer gold tones in fun little accessories...and what I really can't wait for is pulling out some pieces we have had stored for over 10 years!
Actually yesterday was spent pulling some long buried pieces and just conceptualizing the space. Figuring out just what she want's in there.
She likes the blue walls which are very cool in tone. I am definitely happy another paint job is not in my near future! I do think it's going to be an interesting challenge warming it up with just "stuff".
Stay tuned for the after!
Have you re-designed your child's room lately?

Busy Summer Daze and a to do list!

The little petal and I have found our new favorite summertime drink! Diet Grapefruit Soda from Thom Thumb!!
You may also note.... I have really done well on gathering my milk glass collection!

TO DO List For This Week:

- More regular blog posts!
I have really been busy with summer activities for the girls!

- Instant gratification project:Decorate the girls bathroom!
It is LONG overdue for some help!

- Some fun and yummy kid cooking with the little petal!
Big sissy has been getting to have all the cooking fun this summer!

-Update on my Etsy Shop!!!
I am overdue from my personal goals on this one!


I find that if I post that I am going to do something ...it actually happens!!! Let's see if that holds true!
What's on your to do list this week?

Home From the Beach,Under the Weather,and the Busy Summer !

Well naturally I wear overalls to the beach! ....but these are my special clam-digger overalls!



Alrighty...so we have been back from the beach an entire week with no word from me in Bloglandia! Tummy bugs,ear-aches,doctors appointments.......


.....7:oo A.M. swim practice...


.....and auditions(SHE GOT THE PART !!!!) have all conspired to keep me away from bloggy world!
Here's hoping I shall have something fun and creative to share soon!
What has been going on in your busy summer?

A Re-Run for the June Bride...My Own Vintage Clothing Fashion Magazine..The Wedding Bell Blues Issue

Well of course and why not vintage for your dress on that special day!It could be the perfect budget panacea for what ails ya. I must admit though,with regards to that perfect ensemble on that perfect day,the bride should be allowed to choose with impunity to which ever way the wind blows her whim! I am merely here as your fashion editor,to remind you that vintage can certainly step up to the bridal fashion plate!
BRIDE:Ah me,another day another blockbuster to shoot!
GROOM:Are we going to do this thing?
BRIDE: Come on,buster,get that crazy Italian jacket inside the chapel!
GROOM :Can we push the fast forward button,? I gotta meeting with the suits at the studio?
.......and smiles for the Paparazzi!
That red velvet dress with matching red velvet hat ,inherited from your Grandmother could be perfect for Valentines day.
Don't forget to toss on Grandmothers gloves for tossing the bouquet!
Lace is always perfect,whether short or long!
Even the Justice of the Peace will compliment you in this suit from the 40's!

....and now for The Floor collection.For that unconventional bride,why not jeans?A long black sheer lace piece layered with...
...an antique hand tatted ecru lace bolero,and oodles of pearls!
A variation on this same look.
Why,you may ask, do I have all these crazy pictures,of me and the hubs in wedding attire(oh,and believe me there are more where those came from!)? Once upon a time when my hubs and I decided to get married in Vegas,we (read I) took a leap of faith that the chapel we chose would be a suitable vessel for pledging our love.Incredulous that there was no book on the subject we set out to create our own. Armed with a backseat full of vintage clothes,and flying in our favorite photographer from New York City,the uber talented Mister Stephen Mosher,we plunged right in and interviewed and photographed MOST of the chapels.We even nabbed a literary agent! Yes,we have a lovely collection of rejection letters from Penguin to Workman Publishing to prove it.I thought it was time these wonderful memories saw the light of day.
What to do with hoarded thrifted wedding frocks? How about a window treatment.
Just in case you wondered what I wore on my own wedding day,well of course it was vintage AND thrifted ...and heres the story. The best reason to wear vintage on your special day? My oldest jewel has flattered me by saying she wants to wear my dress at her wedding. Inherited vintage is always the best!

Re-Run Post for the thriftventurers :My Fantasy Shopping Trip to the Perfect Thrift Store

My littlest flower blossom and I are off on a THRIFTVENTURE.

"Why ,I've never seen this thrift store before."

"Sweet God, they serve ice coffee!"

"Hmmm, should I leave her here with all the other big-headed babes?" "Que sera!"

"Yum!Cowboy boots,60's dresses,tooled leather suitcases..."

"A vintage X-mas room! And what are those,solid gold donkeys pulling wagons? How X-masy and only 5.99, just under my 6 dollar limit!"
...and back at the Pagoda. "Was it all just a dream"?" WEEEEEEE"