Tea Towels

Today I tried my hand at transferring an image to a tea towel.  Nothing new about this except that it is new to me.  I have been seeing on other blogs helpful hints on how to do these and I thought I should try it too.  I made a trip to Ikea last week and found these white tea towels with red striping down the sides for .79.  Very French and I couldn't beat the price.  I brought them home and washed and ironed them so they would be ready for their makeover.

I used Avery light transfer paper.  With sales tax it was about $22 for 12 sheets.  Sounds expensive, except that I was able to copy two transfers onto each sheet thus making the cost of the transfer around .91.  So I am still under $2 per towel.  Very reasonable indeed.  I downloaded some images from the Graphics Fairy, resized them in my Word Pad program and transferred them onto the transfer paper.  One word of caution.  If you are dealing with the printed word, be sure to make a mirror image and also check the top and bottom so your image is not only reading left to right, but you also do not want it to be upside down.  Just follow the directions and there you go.

I included photos of the first two towels I did.  See how yellow they got?  I left the iron on them too long.  Not a problem.  I should keep a couple for myself just so I know how they will wear and hold up to washing.

I received a comment from another blogger that tried these to give as party favor gifts.  She's a brand new blogger and she did a great job and used three different crown transfers.  You can check out her project here.  Thanks for sharing, Susan.

Spring is in the Air

As I have started doing these little vignettes of teas, it takes me back a few years when I used to do monthly teas with a few ladies that I met in a not so convetional way.  I first met Sue because I wrote into Victorian Homes magazine and my letter was published.  Sue contacted me and the "tea group" was formed.  Sue met Luci through a luncheon they attended that was hosted by Victoria magazine.  The three of us became fast friends.  Alice was a nearby neighbor that was a party planner and we had some incredibly memorable experiences from those monthly get togethers.  Alice became ill and dropped out.  Judi joined the group.  Luci moved away and then we were joined by Debbie.  My point to all of this?  There were six women who touched each other's lives in a very big way by just meeting once a month over the course of a few years.  We really did not socialize with each other other than that one monthly experience.  Out of the six of us, two have passed away at the young age of 60.  One other was diagnosed with a very serious cancer in the earliest of stages and thank goodness is still alive. 

We never know the impact we have on one another with the simplest art of communing together if only for an afternoon on an infrequent ocassion.  Everyone is so busy racing about nowadays, we forget the little things such as picking up the phone to stay connected or meeting for an hour or two for a bite to eat.  Those teas are some of my most memorable experiences because not only did we commune with each other, we shared our creativity and marveled at the talents of others.

I'd like to share a quote I read by Florence Farr from 1910.  

"We are more moved by one conversation than by many eloquent discourses.  After all, what is so permanently delightful as communication of ideas?" 

This is what the blogging community brings to me, and I hope I bring something to you as well  I am blown away by the talent and sharing I encounter each day when I visit the link parties and see what others have come up with and the fact they are willing to share so freely their creativity.

Just to share a little bit about this vignette, this tablecloth is the only vintage tablecloth I have actually saved for myself.  I love the old cotton tablecloths, but once I restore them, I take them to the shop and off they go to a new home.  I just could not part with this particular one.  I think it's luscious!  Speaking of luscious, what could be better than lemon blueberry scones?  No, we didn't make these.  I got them at Trader Joe's.  Yummy just the same - probably better.

Last but not least, aren't these cake pops beautiful?  Cake pops are the latest craze since cupcakes.  If you want a really good chuckle visit my friend Bliss.  She did an insanely funny post on the art of making cake pops click here.  Thanks for visiting today.  Now pick up the phone and call someone you are thinking of or make a lunch date!

Bistro Chairs Revamped

I found these chairs last month at the flea market.  They were sturdy but the wood looked very dull and needed a make over.  One of my favorite shops to visit is a quaint and charming garden shop in La Canada, California.  The name of it is Julie O'Keefe Home and Garden.  While I always thought this type of chair was kinda cute, I was never enamored with them until I spotted some in Julie's shop.  They were similar to these and they were painted red and white.  I really wanted to give these chairs some pizazz and I think the new colors really do the trick.  Now they are fun and fresh looking.

This is how they started out.  Nothing to get excited about.

 Now they look like totally different chairs. 

 I used them last week for my red and white table scape post.  I love these chairs so much I think I am going to hang onto them for a while.  Julie has them in the arm chairs and the bistro chairs like I am showing here.  If you are anywhere in the area, stop at her shop.  You will not be disappointed.  As always, I thank you once again for visiting.

Tipsy Toodle Table

Isn't this table fabulous?  It belongs to Pat, the owner of Aubergine Emporium, the store I am a dealer at.  It's a great table for summer.  Of course, I am partial to red and white and this fills the bill.  It reads Tipsy Toodle.  I'm not sure what that means because it has a picture of a large coffee cup painted on it.  I love how this rustic primitive table is paired with these beautiful delicate iron chairs.  Yin and yang at its best.

Doesn't this look chippy and peely?  It's a smooth table top made to look that way. 

Perfect for a summer barbecue!  Bon appetit.

Lefebure French Typography

Here is another antique French typography invoice to share with you.  Once again, I have broken it into the three sizes, the top header, the entire invoice and an in between version.  If you are unable to print these, let me know.  They are scanned into my computer and I can email them to you.  Enjoy!

 






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