Valentine Blessings To You.....

Birthday Thriftyness........

Dearest Readers,

This post is in honor of our Darling Girl who turns 24 this very day!

It is so easy to think that one must spend a fortune to offer a special birthday present to the honored recipient...this is simply not true Dear Reader. With a little forethought and a imagination, along with a few precious hours at the charity shops, you can give thoughtful gifts that are worth more than mere dollars and cents.

One of the gifts we are giving our Darling Girl is her very own Mercantile....out of nothing but saved tin cans, thrifted bottles and a little paper and ink! Here is a peek....

These vintage looking tins and bottles will be a charming addition to the Mercantile vignette our Darling Girl is creating above her kitchen cabinets.

I just used cream colored legal-sized paper to print out labels from my Print Master Gold vol. 18 (it was very inexpensive and includes wonderful "antique" labels in the clip-art collection) then cut label to fit the can. I then turned the cans upside down and just used invisible tape on the backs to secure the paper. 

For the thrifted milk bottle, I used Epsom salt to fill it and then used an old milk cap to seal it.  The brown bottle we found out here on the farm and it was just washed and then I added a paper label with adhesive.

We also went thrifting at the charity shops throughout the last year and found a few little treasures to add to our Darling Girl's birthday box.....

The old pitcher will match a washbasin that our daughter collected years ago (inside are the components to electrify one of her kerosene lamps...she will be jumping for joy). The sweet vintage hat will not just sit idle as a decoration....our Girl wears hats everywhere!The creamer and sugar bowl (missing it's lid...but could hold spoons or tea-bags) will look charming on her antique dining room table!

Abundant love and thought went into making a special assortment of gifts for our Darling Girl, leaving plenty left over to go out to a special family dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant!

Never let money define your heart Dear Reader. 

Yours kindredly,

Shan

The Happiest of Thanksgivings to You and Yours....

Dearest Readers,

My you find yourself surrounded by family, friends, peace and grace this Thanksgiving Day.

Yours so kindredly,

Shan

Christmastide....Please Pardon My Dust

Dearest Readers,

Please pardon my dust as I ready my blog for Christmastide....

For your enjoyment, I have added a Christmastide Slideshow on the right-hand sidebar showing bits and pieces from last year's decorations around Honey Hill Farm.

Yours kindredly,

Shan