Trip to Bald River Falls

I am lucky to live in beautiful East TN. When the days are hot or boring you can jump in the car and 25 miles to the east are the mountains and a pretty waterfall. It is always cooler there. The kids and I packed a lunch and off we went to Tellico, the Cherokee National Forest and Bald River Falls... those are the Smoky Mountains in the distance.

You drive a winding tree enshrouded route to the falls, park the car and walk to the bridge. This is my daughter, son and grandson.

This is the view of the falls from the bridge..those small pink dots on the rocks to the right of the falls are 2 crazies that hiked over there..quite a feat and dangerous because it is wet and slippery and if you get hurt it would be hard to get you out and it is quite a trip to the hospital!

There is a trail you can hike to the top of the falls. The footing is rocky and uneven but it is easy enough for a 2 year old to hike it..steepish bits, some wiggly stairs and a bridge.

Pretty moss and ferns..

At the top there is a pool above the head of the falls..the water was pretty cold yet but not horrible.

Great for rock skipping..

The river that feeds the falls..

Where you see the water end is where it drops over to the falls. I never let my kids get anywhere near close..I am a total worrywart!

I found out after I took this pic that there was 2 copperhead snakes in the tree behind me. One of the other hikers said they were humping..definately entangled ..at least snuggling! Copperheads are poisonous so I was not reaaaaally amused. I took a pic but you really can't see them through the leaves..they were probably 3 foot long...I did not get too close!

More scenery..I think this would be a gorgeous place to get your senior pictures done.

We sat on a huge fallen log and ate our picnic lunch ( I looked for snakes first).

Some kids that were up there swimming/wading with their parents.

More falls...

I climbed out on a rock to get this one which is big for me because heights and depths totally skeeve me out! This is looking down over the falls.

Last pic..there is a swimming area a ways down the road. My 8 yr old was so mad at me for not letting him swim across the river to get on the rope swing in that tree. He is a beginning swimmer and the river was over his head in the middle and under the tree but he was SURE he could do it. He pouted until we got back to Tellico and bought shakes at Hardees. There were also crazy teens jumping off a bridge and a lot of people tubing and rafting the river..that looked fun..the tubing not the bridge jumping! It was a nice afternoon and we plan to go back again this summer (or the 8 yr old will drive me nuts!) Hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend! Til next time! Julia

Repurposed Vintage Bling Jewelry Magnets

Finally! I was away for a week on an unscheduled trip to SD for a funeral for my husband's fiesty aunt Hilda. She was 89 and ready to go as she had been in ill health the last 2 years, but she will be sorely missed. I loved her dearly and understand she wanted to go, but I always wish things could just stay the same forever. She lived with her Mom and sister, my MIL for years. They are all gone now, but I prefer to think of them all in Gramma's house..Hilda and Betty cooking and argueing about something and Gramma sitting in her rocker crocheting an afghan for a great grandchild. The trip was not fun. We took my daughter's Ford Focus and just let me say, 18 hours bent like a pretzel in the backseat of that with 2 and 8 year old boys should be investigated as a form of torture. We all took turns driving and my daughter and I took turns being back there so we could share the joy. My husband is 6'3" so he never got to experience that particular fun! The trip home was actually worse as the boys were fighting. I had an I HAVE HAD IT moment and threatened to get out and walk around Paducah..ah well..we made it home and like each other much more now that we are not trapped together. I don't know how our ancestors did it with horse and wagon...people getting sick and dying on the trail...maybe they just weren't sick, just got booted out and left behind! As usual, I totally digress... magnets..

I finally got to "play" yesterday.

I dug through my vintage junk jewelry stash... most of these were broken or had missing stones.

I made a dozen. They took awhile as I was making it up as I went along..and I had to stop to make supper and water the garden before it got dark.

This one was a faux opal pin. I added a glittered paper disk to the back before I added the magnet so I would see pretty glitter instead of white magnet adhesive. The were stick on magnets, but I hot glued them on so they stuck better.Where there were missing stones, I added dots of glitter glue and dusted them with fine glitter..I like how they turned out. This one was a buckle and the center is an antique postcard of mine that I had scanned and resized to use on business cards. I added the Joy text tile. Hope and Joy Home is named after my 2 girls, Hope Ann and Alexa Joy so those words have special meaning to me.

This was also formerly an earring..I added blue glitter. and a blue glittered disk behind.This was a pair of enameled metal earrings. The center was a dark rivet so I covered it up with a vintage pearly bead. I glittered the top and sides of the magnet on this since you can see it more..didn't get all the excess sparkles brushed off..I am generally glittery myself!

This was a pin. There were quite a few missing stones and I added pink glitter. The center stone was also gone, this is a crystal bead.

Here I added pink glitter for the missing stones and a green glittered disk behind. These were truly junk jewelry pieces..none of these pieces were signed and they were in quite sad shape... I would never glitter a nice, fixable piece!

This was a tiny buckle. I added scrapbook paper and a text tile. I also glittered the sides of the magnet on this as it just barely covered it.

This was actually a button.It has sort of cellophane between the stones. I added a pink glittered disk to the back since it showed through.This one took maybe a minute to make..old pin, old fabric yo-yo, glue magnet on back. You could also do this with a gathered ribbon rosette. I liked this one because it was fast and since the pin was intact, I didn't damage it.

This was a buckle. I added glitter, scrapbook paper and a damaged pin that I clipped the back off of.

This was a vintage plastic pin with a damaged stem. You can buy new plastic flower cabochons on Etsy that would also work great for this.On my memo board..they look right at home! Dig through your goodies and get to glue-ing!Have a great crafty day! Til next time! Julia

Rrepurposed Vintage Shabby Chic Pink Tray Memo Board

Hi guys! I rescued this shabby pink metal tray at an estate sale last Friday. I just knew I needed to do "SOMETHING" with it. The idea came quickly..magnet/memo board!

The tray was beautifully shabby and.. the best part..pink!This is my trust drill driver. Actually this is my THIRD trusty drill driver, I wore the first 2 out! My husband got me the first one as an unasked for gift. I was obviously dubious and doubted both his sanity and his gift buying skills but I love me my drill driver! Sooo much nicer than a screwdriver and I drill a lot of holes in things including my dining room table and me! So, I wanted to hang this and attach bling so I measured and marked where I wanted my holes for chain and bling and away I went!

I am constantly looking for vintage chandelier crystals or prisms as I use them a lot in my fabrications and they are just so darn pretty! I prefer old to new, but use new when I have to. I made a few jump rings to attach my bits..I started w/ silvertone but decided brass would match better.

I attached the crystals and swags...

I split the last link of the chain and attached the chain to the tray...

Ta-Dah! I really like how this turned out. I would so much rather have something like this than something store bought..plus it is recycled and "green"! Now I have to make some pretty magnets. Luckily I have just the thing in mind! Stop back again and see what I come up with! Happy repurposing! Til next time! Julia

Weekend Vintage Finds part 2...3..4?

Oooohh..the girly pretties!! More of my weekend finds! In the back is a shabby pink metal tray. I plan to add a chain and maybe some vintage chandelier prisms to this and turn it into a faboo magnet board..I will take pix!

In front is a sweet crocheted and ribbon pincushion. I have a hard time passing these up! The scuffs are new old stock Vanity Fair. They still have their tags and original box..I love aqua! There are mountains of old handmade lace. I bought 2 bags full and should've gotten it all! It was much nicer than I thought when I got it home and out of the plastic baggie! One bag was lengths of edging and the other was a boatload on small 2-3" sample pieces..like she was trying out a pattern to see what it looked like. Faboo for projects!

A small china shepherdess that was too cute to pass up..probably Japanese. 2 gorgeous old lace collars, 2 old millenary flower pins..love both of these!

Close up of the lace "samples"...

A neat vintage Hong Kong petit point purse. I am a sucker for roses..especially pink ones!

This has a crack on the underneath of the handle but if I was keeping it, I'd just wrap the handle in black satind ribbon and go. This would also make a fantastic gift "bag". Imagine it filled with raspberry pink tissue paper and your gift of choice! Sometimes being "green" is gorgeous! It would also be fab for a floral arrangement..just open and add a vase inside and fill with flowers! WHY DO I USE SO MANY EXCLAMATION POINTS??!! Hee..I guess I am easily excited!

I look for these too...unused vintage sheets and pillowcases. I bought some gorgeous floral ones a couple summers ago..all rose strewn. I have a kingsized bed so usually I can only use the pillowcases. My husband KNOWS that the extra squishy pillows in the rose covered pillowcases are MINE but he still tries to steal them! I even bought him nice squishy ones of his own and new red pillowcases but he still sneaks mine..hmmmm.

Ohmigosh..I looooove Vera Neumann items. I collect her scarves like a fiend and have seen her towels and tablecloths but I didn't know she did sheets too. If you don't know THIS particular Vera..Google her..she was a great midcentury designer along with her husband. She started making scarves on her kitchen table and built an empire. She would've loved Etsy! Always look for that Vera signature..it doesn't mean Vera Wang! These were all pre UPC code sheets in doubles and twins..great to mix and match!

Ahhh..the colorful kitschy stuff!!

A cute safety pin beaded doll/ornament in I think October's birthstone..something Gramma would have made you... And a darling Japan paper mache box and 2 coasters..probably had more at one time, but oh well!

She is rockin' that blue eyeshadow..quite tarted up actually!

Last pic! Vintage hankies and the cutest yellow plastic salt and pepper shakers! I can see these on a teaparty table or use one with a name tag on a vintage pearl-headed straightpin as a place marker! Vintage rocks! Hope your day is filled with pretty! Til next time! Julia