Ree's Smiles

I thought I would share what I use in place of metal shank buttons sometimes. I am not sure this will be for everyone, or for every doll, but it sure works great for me and it's a wonderful way to recycle as well!

I have to drink a ton of water (yuck) so I always have a ton of bottle caps and after Michael suggested trying milk jug lids (the kind that are thicker and screw on) for another kind of joint it hit me that the little water bottle caps could make decent replacements for metal shank buttons and I get to recycle at the same time! It's also a ton cheaper when the budget will not allow for supply purchases LOL.

Above you can see the pictures. I popped a hole in a small clear bottle cap from a water bottle. I then placed a washer on a cotterpin (the washer gives added strength) and ran the cotterpin through the hole of the cap. Make sure the loop of the cotter pin and the washer are on the top of the lid. Then all you have to do is turn the cap over and curl the ends tight. Michael put it through a strength test and it held up great! Now I will say, a smaller cotterpin would really be better for the caps I have and will make a smaller amount to be covered by stuffing but even the size I had here at the house worked fine when tested and I could not see anything once inside etc.

I will be doing all these type of joints on Judi Ward's Bare Baby pattern. I have a head sewn and stuffed but have not been able to get any further. I will post pics once I am done to show how these joints worked out.

I was talking, via web post, with a group of friends about thrift store finds, as well as bragging on my latest find of a Hallmark Christmas tree for pennies compared to what it retailed in the Hallmark store, but I will post about that later.

Anyhow, I thought it would be a lot of fun to post some pics of our bedroom and the goodies we bargain shopped for. As many of you know already we had to let go of a ton of our stuff to make it to CO from TN, so once we got here we just about had to purchase half the household again. Needless to say, after making a move like that, we had not a penny in savings so off to the thrift stores and yard sales we went.

Now I will say this, I do not have to be broke to appreciate thrift stores. I had shopped at them for goodies since I was little when my Dad would take me and my Mom out for the day hunting for precious treasures. Once again I will say, a precious treasure to my Dad and I did not have to always be something of tremendous value for a cheap price but rather something that tickled us and put that twinkle in our eyes and big ol grins on our faces while not busting my Dad's wallet. A good buy, or even better a steal, is an essential part of treasure hunting for sure. My Mom, I think, got more tickled at watching us then she did by looking through the thrift stores. Her true love was antique miniature oil lamps which are not often found in thrift stores. Heck the true miniature antique ones were hard to even find in antique stores, but alas I am over reminiscing and getting off track.

I may not have my Daddy here with me in the flesh to goodie hunt anymore but I do have my wonderful Husband along with my Mom, and the three of us have recruited our two teenage boys whom are addicted now as well LOL. I know my Dad is with us on the hunt in spirit saying "good find Punkin!" and giving me that pat in spirit on my toosh while winking that bright blue eye of his.

Okay first photo is of our bed area. The bed is an antique iron bed bought for 35.00 at an antique store, at the footboard is a vintage storage cabinet bought for 16.00 and will be repainted white with painted on roses when I get the chance, all the stuff sitting on the top was bought at Goodwill for pennies minus the actual candles, the white end table bought at the same antique store as the bed for 24.00, the other end table is an antique sewing cabinet that was handed down to me by my Mom (no she didn't sew lol), the white lamp was my Dad's and handed down to me, the precious pink lamp is a lamp made of antique glass that my Dad made for my bedroom when I was very young, it is priceless to me, the plaques on the wall, as well as the cross, were from my childhood, the candle holder another thrift store find for pennies, the drapes are awesome and are vintage lined JC Penny drapes that we bought at the thrift store for 6.00 a set! The blankets all second hand bought at various places and the pillows I made. The bunny and ducky were my boys first Easter basket animals and well loved, and the little kitty was my pound kitty as a child that my youngest latched onto when he was a baby and carried EVERYWHERE until age 9ish. The orange cat was given to me by my parents and the Siamese is God made and has enough attitude for 50 God made cats!

Second Photo is of one of those cheap particle board children's hutch in our bedroom that we bought at a yard sale for 10.00. I changed the handles to iron roses and on the the first shelf sits my Saks Fith Avenue vintage Shortrip travel case. I so love my vintage cases! This one was bought off Ebay years ago for 30 something and is wicked cool! Ontop of that is a pair of vintage children shoes (the cool kind with nailed on soles) and a mink that my Dad gave me bought from an auction, On the right is the best pic of my parents ever, as well as my Dad's baby book and his mini of an antique truck that he used to have in full size. On the other side is a green bowl that is more precious to me then I could ever say. My Dad bought me that bowl years ago and it got knocked off the shelf which shattered it. He knew how much I loved that bowl so found all the pieces off the floor, took it home and then weeks later surprised me with it all put back together. My Mom told me later it took him hours and hours day after day trying to piece all that back together. Was he not the best man in the world??? On the next shelf sits an antique miniature oil lamp set that my Dad made out of antique glass for my Mom which was handed down to me, those lamps sit on a vanity mirror that is priceless to me which my Mom had on her dresser before I was born also handed down to me, next to that various treasures, pics, and goodies. Next shelf is loaded with all my baby items. My Mom passed all this down to me and I just love having it. Along with this is a beautiful pic of my Mom holding me the day I came home from the hospital, priceless.

Third photo is of a dresser that was given to me which I repainted white and then painted roses on it. The flowers ontop are my wedding flowers. The cherubs my Mom gave me as well as the beautiful picture of Jesus. The vintage custard Fenton vase the flowers are in was the vase my Dad brought to my Mom in the hospital when I was born and the vintage Custard praying children are pieces I have had since infancy.

Fourth Photo is of a block of wood that is a piece of the farm that my Dad grew up on (how cool is that) and the lamp sitting on it was a good buy at an antique store. Lampshades were bought at the thrift store for less then a buck a piece. The dolls are all of my early works minus the CPK in the back and the two yellowed hair dolls which were dolls my Mom and Dad had made for me when I was a little girl. The blanket on the floor was my baby blanket and the ball is something Michael brought home to cheer me up one day, and yes I do indeed go outside and bounce it!

Next picture is of my doll hutch. This was free! My husband brought it home one day after the house he was working on was gutted out. They were gunna throw it away! It was a built in so we have to repaint it as well as trim it out. The dolls in it are from various doll artists as well as some of them being ones I have made. They are not styled nicely right now as I just stuck them in there to keep them safe and have not had a chance to set them up properly after the move. I also have some of my very precious dolls made for me in boxes still and not unpacked yet. The stripe chair will be fixed up some and was bought at a yard sale for 5 bucks. The other chair was bought at the thrift store for 3.99 and the pillow for a 1.00 at a yard sale.

Next picture is of a vintage European sewing machine that we bought at the thrift store for 17.00!!! Can you believe it? I do not use the sewing maching right now so am using it as a vanity. The vintage lamp was 3.00 at the trift store but I need to get a better shade for it. The other items all thrift store as well lol. Book rack was yard sale which I added roses to.