Picnic by Ellie

Snow Day

It's a sweet snowy day here, our first of the season. And after several days of blustery weather, it's nice to see the peaceful fall of snow. It seemed like a good day to haul out the Christmas boxes and begin a bit of decorating (and drink marshmallow-y hot chocolate...and watch made-for-TV Christmas movies...). In my hunt for Christmas goodies, I came across this old box of wrapping paper that must have belonged to my grandmother. I thought the illustrations were so sweet (how much do you love the snowman playing the sousaphone?). I love the thought of buying a box of wrapping paper, complete with matching cards and tags. Can you still find those anywhere? Anyway, I don't have the heart to wrap gifts in this paper, but maybe I'll cut out a few images for some Christmas crafts. What do you think? Ornaments? Cards? Gift tags?

Have a wonderful Wednesday! Stay warm!

For the Hostess

Hi there! I hope all of you had a lovely holiday and weekend. We had a great time and (with lots of help) the dinner turned out just fine. Plus we got to do some early morning outlet shopping on Friday. Who doesn't love $10 sweaters and half-priced Christmas ornaments? Totally worth it.

I haven't begun decorating for Christmas just yet. (I'm making myself wait for December.) But I am starting to put together and plan gifts. This year, I really wanted to make special hostess gifts to give out on our travels. I thought this vintage "Praise for the Cook" cookbook, a vintage candy tin filled with fudge or peppermint sticks, maybe some jars of preserves with fabric-covered lids and a tin of cocoa would make a sweet gift for the cook of the family. Maybe even attach gift tags or cards with these little painted wood clothespins? Hmmm...

Have a great day, everyone!

Prep Time

Like most of you, we are in the middle of the hustle and bustle that comes with hosting Thanksgiving. This year we're hosting both of our families and we're really looking forward to having them here. It's not very often we get to see them...let alone in the same room!

I love gussying the house for the holidays. It takes your mind off of cooking that turkey! Aaaargh! (How the least talented cook in the family got to host Thanksgiving is a question I'm still asking. Oh dear, I hope it goes okay. Oh dear.)

I'll try to check in before Thursday, but in case I'm up to my ears in giblets, have a very happy holiday, everyone! I wish all of you a warm, peaceful weekend.

Love,
Ellie

How to Boost Blogging Production

Phew. Oh, it feels good to be back. And just in time for the holiday season! I love seeing all of the holiday projects and pictures in the blogosphere. Keep them coming!

It's official. I've been blogging for a year now! It's funny, I never in a million years thought that I'd have a blog. As I've said time and again, I'm normally quite a shy person. But in this blog I've found so many like minds, so many inspiring people, and so much encouragement to keep doing what I'm doing. I can't describe how much this has meant to me.

That being said, in the past I haven't been able to spend near the amount of time I would like blogging, keeping up with blogs and emails, thrifting, and working on projects to show you. But that's all changed. I'm excited to finally have more time to devote to Picnic by Ellie, something I've wanted for a while. I'm in the process of sprucing up the workroom (snaps to come once this overcast weather lets up a bit!) and gleefully shining and polishing Picnic by Ellie to be ready for the new year. I have so much to show you and so many exciting changes on the horizon after the turn of the year, so stay tuned! Here's to another year of blogging!

P.S. Isn't this ad funny? It makes me want a smart scarf/typewriter combination...

My First Enid

Isn't she cute? Oh, I've been wanting an Enid Collins bag for a very long time, but the right one just never happened along. (Have you seen some of the prices on eBay?) Then my sweet hubby surprised me with this one over the weekend! I had never even seen an Enid bag in person. (Coincidentally, the day after I got this, I saw one in an antique mall. Funny how life works, right?) I have to tell you that this picture does not begin to do it justice. The handwork and the playful colors are so fantastic and fun. I feel like a lucky girl. I can't possibly deserve this much sweetness...

For beautiful pictures of Enid bags, check out this Flickr group. Enjoy the eye candy!

Pink & Blue

As promised, here are a few of my finds from last weekend. Boy, was the antique sale busy! There was no strolling in the cards. I did manage to nab a few sweet finds, like these dishes and flower pin, and a few other pieces I'll show you soon. For some reason, I was especially drawn to pink and blue, and I came home with pieces that work together. I love it when that happens! I thought these blue footed mugs were adorable and they were such a deal! Perfect for hot chocolate. The sweet lady I bought them from said, "Well, they certainly are colorful." She seemed so happy to get rid of them, which I thought was pretty funny. (Though not as funny as the man who nearly begged me to buy his Eisenhower placemats. I like Ike, but maybe not that much.) Anyway, I've wanted a set of these pink crinoline dishes for some time, and I was lucky to find some with bowls to match. I think they scream to be used at a birthday party, don't you?

Sweet Little Things

This weekend is one of my favorite events, an outdoor antique sale that winds through the streets of a local historic town. Last year we got there early in the morning, while it was still rainy and dark, and strolled through the town waiting for the dealers to unpack and unveil. We didn't buy much, mostly just strolled and strolled. But by the end of the morning, I had managed to pick up a few little sweets, like this painted lap desk (background) and several pink flocked birds. So that's what I'm looking forward to this weekend: waking up with the town, strolling and strolling, and maybe finding some sweet little things along the way. I hope to have a few things to show you next week!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Forgive Me?

Come on, you can't say no to those huge puppy eyes, can you? Oh, my sweet blog friends, I'm sorry it's been so long since we've been in touch. I've missed you all so much. Thank you for your kind emails and messages. They have meant so much to me. It's been a busy and tough summer for our family, and I think I lost a bit of my momentum. But I can't wait to get back into the swing of things.

For now I'll leave you with this picture my mom found in her art classroom. Isn't it funny? I love the hairdo and the realistic details. Who would leave this behind? Take care and I'll check back in very soon!

XOXO,

Ellie

P.S. I had to replace my sweet old camera this summer, so if the pictures look a bit different, that's why. I'm still learning what all of these settings do!

My Little Lamb

Isn't this little lamb sweet? I found her at the hospital thrift shop for a quarter. Can you imagine? As thrift shops go, this one is my favorite by far. It's great to support the hospital, and the shop is always full of fab vintage stuff. It's set in an adorable Cape Cod house, and every room is styled and sorted beautifully. The items are organized into the rooms where they would be used (fancy china and flatware in the dining room, dishes and cooking items in the kitchen, clothes in the upstairs bedrooms, linens in the linen closet, etc.) And every now and again you find a treasure like this one. Sounds like fun, right?

For the Super Men

I'll bet you didn't expect this picture! This Superman figurine stands tall atop a red plastic phone. My first phone. I remember how excited I was at the thought of getting my own phone in my bedroom as a kid, and my dad called me from a yard sale to tell me that he'd found the perfect one. And he came home with this one. Tall. Proud. Super, no doubt. I have to admit, I questioned it. But it worked somehow. And all these years later, I still have it. Thanks, Dad. You're the best.

Here's wishing all fathers a wonderful day! You deserve it!

XO,
Ellie