A New Vice In Life...

... I require buttons. Lots and lots of buttons. Vintage and antique buttons ofcourse. Do you have any idea how insane this makes Mr. Pretties? And no, I didn't start obtaining them simply for that purpose, I can do that well enough all by myself without the props ;)

I just happened to be junking. Again. And as I was making my way to the pillow case section, to get myself some vintage linens no doubt, I saw a huge bag full of buttons. Now, a normal person is saying 'Yuh huh... so?' and they would have kept on walking. Not me, I snatched up that bag like it was a bag of gold and there was a line of gold diggers standing behind me. The older lady standing there checking out the vintage patterns looked at me like I was nuts. Which, ofcourse, I am. Clearly. I then walked over to Mr. Pretties with a big stupid grin on my face and proudly showed him my loot. I believe he said something along the lines of 'Riiigghhhtttt.... and you're buying that? I'm not even going to ask why. Nope I'm just not going to...' and walked away. Quickly.

I sorted them lastnight and there were 1236 buttons. Some were glass, some ceramic, possibly some bakelite and celluloid. Some were so old they were no longer round, which is so sweet, it's like someone kept sewing those little sweethearts onto blouse after blouse until they were too small for the button holes after years of fingers buttoning them. That makes me feel all warm inside... I spent two hours just sorting them, examining them and totally loving on them. I totally get how people collect them.

I've now won three ebay auctions for some Victorians and some fabulous cameos, I cannot wait to get them. I'll post pictures soon, I don't need Mr. Pretties wary glance as he sees me busting out 'those stupid buttons' to take pictures of them. Especially since I don't take his picture or anything...

Have I shared my need to open an antique shop eventually? I've now decided that I would love to get some antique candy jars from the old sweet shoppes and have the buttons sorted some how (haven't decided yet...) and have them in the big old jars with little metal scoops, customers can then scoop (or pick, lets be realistic, there'll definitely be some picking going on) the buttons into old fashioned paper bags and weigh them on the antique scale (as we'll be selling them by weight ofcourse) like you see in the bulk stores. Wouldn't that be fun? Now I just need some old jars. And a scale. And, well, a shop would be helpful too...

*Sigh*

So that's were we've been at lately. Christmas was lovely, magical, loud, and I'm glad it's over. It's so nice to not have to be rushing around, cursing at Mr. Pretties about things we still have yet to pick up, cleaning the house, cleaning the house, reprimanding the LPs for sabotaging my continuous cleaning efforts, and, my lack of interneting as been unfortunate. Have I mentioned Mr. Pretties is on vacay and is absorbing a lot of my time again? He is, and he has. It's really rather selfish of him, I know, I've told him. He doesn't care. Luckily this coming week is his last one.

A Bun In The Oven...

... Oh wait, it's just dowels full of ribbon ;) Yes indeed, I am baking ribbon to fashion some wonderful korkers tonight and tomorrow and they'll be all set for purchasing at Etsy Wednesday night!

I personally love korkers, they're my favorite. They look equally adorable on little girls with no hair as well as those with loads of it. LLP hardly has any hair as you can see. I put a teeny tiny pony tail in tree style on the top of her head with an ouchless clear elastic and then alligator clip a nice fluffy corker infront of it and it is adorableness personified!

I love to adhere fun buttons, felty balls, flowers, etc... in the middles because it just makes them more unique and wonderful. LLP was sporting a navy and baby blue super korker with one of those freakin' cute caboodles in the middle and it was to di(v)e for. Literally, one of the other little girls at LLPs play group tried to take her out to steal it... BLP has the same problem at preschool. I have to sew the korkers together super tight because if I don't they end up getting sabotaged when they're fighting over them! That's what BLP is taking for her Halloween treat at school. Korkers for the girls, and who knows what for the boys. (So yeah, if any of you have any great ideas for boys... LET ME KNOW!) I know we live in a what's good for girls is fine for boys too kind of world, and I see no problem in dolls/kitchens/etc... for little boys but I kind of feel hair clippies step over that line a little. Remember I said I had a hard time making mommy friends because I look meanish? Yeah... don't really need help in the deterring other people department...

I shall return, hopefully with some cute pictures of what's going on Etsy tonight/tomorrow. Then I have to make a colour co-ordinated bento for BLP for preschool tomorrow... Did I mention I also have to bake a grandparents day treat? Apparently they want me to issue food poisoning to the sweet dears if they're asking me bake something. I think I'll put that on Mr. Pretties things to do, he's actually an excellent baker/cook. I've already given him specific guidlines, they went like this:

*I want something that is better than everyone elses. I want everyone to see them and say 'Wow, LLP's mom is the best! She's practically Martha Stewart, but way younger and totally cuter!' It would also be really good if they actually wanted to be me... and maybe it could make all the other treats look crappy...*

Sounds easy enough, don't you think? Now I have to stress for the need to be understood, I would never want another mom to feel badly about something she brought. I've been there. So I was 110% kidding about that, I was just being me. In truth if someone actually said that I'd probably cry and then punch my self in the teeth for being such a knob. But you get the point, I want something totally good and impressive to take. If they think I'm a young/cute Martha, that's even better...

ETA: There will be no cute-irrific pictures tonight. My starch has failed me and made my corkers super crispy. *Alright, who ordered super crispy?!* They still look cute but they feel crunchy, like a bad 80's hair do. Not cool. These will not be for sale (Unless you have a crispy fetish, in which case email me). I will however make LLP wear one to her playdate tomorrow...