Happy 75th Anniversay to my beloved Gone With the Wind!

75 years ago today~ June 30, 1936 ~ Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind was published! I'm sure Windies everywhere are celebrating!
In the summer of 2003, my husband and I took a GWTW vacation. (Thanks again Kevin!!) We visited The Margaret Mitchell House in Atlanta, The Road to Tara Museum in Jonesboro, the Scarlett on the Square Museum in Marietta, and then drove on up to Savannah, GA.
Here is a slideshow of some of the photos from the trip~ minus Savannah~
It was so awesome to stand in the same room where Margaret had typed out her masterpiece.



Those smokey pics and hoodlums hanging out on their cars... that was at our hotel one night. The entire place was full of street racers. Long story~ but we got our money back.

I've been trying to cut back on my GWTW spending and collecting. Recently, I was SO excited to have won a blog give away prize! A 75th Anniversary edition of the book! YAY! I probably would not have purchased this for myself and am a very happy camper!

Thank you very much dear Kate! Please visit her at Southern Belle Simple~ a darling blog!

Peggy, we cannot thank you enough for your talent.

For more Windie fun, please visit the following sites!

Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind: A Bestseller's Odyssey

GWTW...But Not Forgotten

"It's Windie in Kansas!" (a gwtw event coming this November!)

Walter Plunkett, Costume Designer

The Making of a Masterpiece

Gone With the Wind Museum in Branson, MO~ JUST OPENED!!

...Next trip I'll bring you some green silk for a frock to match it~

...Rhett says to Scarlett as she wears the green plumed bonnet he brought her from Paris.

As some of you may recall, I had Scarlett's Green Christmas dress made. To see the development and Scarlett's dress from the film, click here. Though no watered silk could be found, the fabulous jacquard made a lovely reproduction. It turned out beautifully! Thank you Christine!! Pics to follow!

I recieved it just in time for a Gone With the Wind event in St. Louis, MO. "Gateway to the Wind." Author Sally Tippett Rains wrote a book about Margaret Mitchell's GWTW titled, "The Making Of A Masterpiece". Sally put on quite a soiree~ In collaboration with actual stars from the film and many special guests, you were pea green with envy if you did not attend! Check out this recap of the three day weekend!

Day one was at White Haven, Ulysses S. Grant's home at Grant's Farm. Costume was not called for this day, but since I had spent the entire week previous to the event revamping a white ruffled dress I found on eBay; sewing on over 50 YARDS of lace... I had to wear it!
Here's a before pic of the dress as purchased~

I removed the red buttons and added white satin bridal buttons, adjusted the belt and added a vintage buckle, made a brooch, sewed lace to the bodice and tiers...

...added a hoop slip and voilà! Scarlett's white ruffled prayer gown~

On the eve of the second day, there was a charity ball for Rainbows for Kids. This my friends, is where I got to wear my green Christmas gown.... do you want to see?? OK!

Here I am giving that dyed hair woman Belle Watling a piece of my mind!

Hobnobbing with the guests...

Standing next to Sally Tippett Rains~ thank you so much Sally, for everything!!

Oooo, and a red taffeta petticoat!

I had a wonderful time and met so many new friends. SO much to tell!
This post has become quite *windy* so I shall share more later. Afterall, tomorrow IS another day!

A boudoir for all seasons~

Well my blogging friends, I think I have finally completed my all season bedding collection! I just picked up a set that I had been hunting for, it was in JC Penny's years ago for over $400. I had searched the bay off and on, but it still went to high for my frugal self! Finally, yesterday I went to haunt one of my favorite resale shops and as I pulled up I saw it!! It was on the sidewalk with many other sets. I had a 10% off coupon and snagged it for $26!

This will be my spring set me thinks~ but of course I'm putting it on the bed now just to see it! Nova and I went to the laundromat today to wash it up in the big ol' commercial sized washing machine~
He had never been to a laundromat and was quite impressed. It cost a whopping $7.75!!

Of course what he was more impressed with was the snack machine since it's like the one on "Over the Hedge", lol!

Ok, ok... so here's the set, it's called Lucerne~ Gorgeous buttercream background with floral swags and rose bouquets, with a crystal pleated bed skirt.

SO~ that's Lucerne for Spring. Here is my summer quilt, Lucy by Armoire. I found the shams at Home Goods a few years ago on clearance. Didn't really want the quilt.... Until it was no where to be found. Searched and searched and finally found the last one left on the planet. A lucky find as it was not listed by name, I just searched for shabby chic robbin's egg blue. And it was NOT cheap. I choked as I hit the "buy it now" button.

Will have to wait till next summer for pics of that on my bed!
Let's move on to my fall ensemble... which you've already seen in previous posts. The Ralph Lauren Chaps Welbourne~ shown with vintage pink taffeta shams and a round accent pillow that did not come with the set. This was at Kohl's and I searched the net trying to find it cheaper to no avail. I did land it on clearance tho, but it was still steep at 60% off!

Ah, my winter set. My first REAL bedding set ever! Kevin bought it for me for our first Christmas in this house. This is also from Penny's, Romance Tapestry. I don't like matchy-matchy, so I only wanted the shams and the comforter. I use a burgundy bed skirt and draps with it. So rich!

I saw this set at the same resale shop last year for about $30 and it made me sick! I almost bought it for a backup, lol! Yes, I have a bedding fetish.

We recently bought some crown molding for a boudoir project, will post about it soon! Click here to see the original "before" bedroom post, and feel free to click on the labels below to see more~

Butterick 4790, only.... Not!!

Ok everyone... I've been dying to get this finished so I could show you, I'm SOOO excited and I think you all will be too!:D

Lookie what I found! And how easy it will be for all of you to adapt your 4790 dress patterns to make yourselve's one! :p
It's nice to just see another option for the neckline and some sort of sleeve!!

All the fun of the 4790, but with only about 2 yards of fabric and less time!

I had some scrap gingham laying around, and *barely* got the pieces cut out, in fact~ I had to piece a section together but it's in the back wrap part so you can't see.
By the way, I could not for the life of me judge the right/wrong side of this fabric!

The pattern is a 32 bust and I'm a 36. I don't know how to up-size patterns, this is only the second garment I've ever made from a pattern, the first being the actual 4790.... (you can see that here)

So, I decided I would just cut the pattern a half inch larger all around, and could always take it in.
It also stated no hem allowances and I wasn't sure what that meant!
Anyhoo, I wish I had just cut it out as it was, I think it would've fit just fine. I have to tie it pretty tight to fit me. I'm going to sew it together under the arms like I did the dress.

This blouse cost me less than $5 all together, I found the eyelet at a thrift store and had to buy two packs of bias tape.

And here's the finished product~

Pink Saturday, Episode Seventeen~

Welcome to Pink Saturday, hosted by Beverly at How Sweet The Sound.

This is a very special Pink Saturday, celebrating 2 years~

Congratulations Beverly and thank you for being such a gracious host!

Please visit her to enjoy all of the pink festivities!

Today I give you

~PINK STITCHES~

I have rounded up some of my favorite things that have been stitched in pink,

many hand sewn.

Let's start in the dinning room.

First up, a hand crocheted table runner

Another runner on the buffet, this one factory made... (pink teapot bonus!!)

glancing to the table we find hand stitched applique placemats~complete with napkins and holders,

Moving on to La Boudoir~I pulled a bunch of things together, some from storage. All shown on top of a vintage bedspread and a 50's quilted taffeta pillow.

A sweet dresser scarf and hankie, along with a needlepoint pillow~

Two crocheted doilies and a vintage hooked chair pad~ I'm lucky to have the set of 4, squeee!

Ahhh... pink stitched garden flowers...

These purses could tell a story~

Can you imagine this gentleman courting the fair maiden with bouquets and then walking her home to her quaint little cottage?
A cross stitch rose apron with embroidered pillow cases~

And let's not forget... one of my all time fave finds...

this incredible vintage chenile embroidered applique bedding set! To see more about this awesome ensemble, visit La Boudoir.

Happy Memorial Day to all.

I thank our soldiers and verterans

for giving us all we have.

Peace and Quiet~

I've been enjoying some peace and quiet...

but I'm still around!

Such a beautiful snowfall today.

Just as you should stop and smell the roses, you should stop and watch the snow fall.

I have felt much too overwhelmed to blog lately. No time to visit, no time to load photos, no time to sit and wait for pages or pics to load. So I've actually been going to bed earlier than 1 or 2 AM. Or reading a book. Spending *real* time with my husband and son instead of *virtual* time blogging memories of them.
Just trying to get my priorities straight around here. But I will post and visit when I can. I do miss it so! I hope you all are well and hope to see you soon!

Hugs,

Nikki

Holiday House Tour #1, 2009

Welcome to the Hooked on Holiday Houses Tour hosted by the lovely Julia at Hooked on Houses!

I'm participating, however I am CHEATING. Guess what... not MY house! But boy, do I WISH!!

A gorgeous Victorian home built in the late 1800's, with a fantastic partial octagon front~ Lovingly restored!

The first room we came to after the entry way was the dining room; filled with exquisite flow blue china! Keep an eye out for the pretty decorated light fixtures!

I knew right away that the owners had impeccable taste. Fresh greenery adds the perfect touch to
this beautiful table setting.

Candlelight dances across the buffet showing off the snowflake pattern of the china~
A swag decorated in blue rests upon the china cabinet,


Next we enter the kitchen~ where gingerbread "fills the air"...
The cabinets and countertops were built by the home owner. Phenomenal!

We then went into a sitting room~ I LOVE the green furniture and the window here...
After exiting the room, I heard someone say that carolers came to visit! How perfect! It was so magical~
We then stepped into the hallway... can you guess what was there? The staircase of course! Can you imagine moving furnture up that sucker?
Looking down from the top,
We then ventured into the parlor. Ah, what a sight!
Anyone else recognize that "Melissa" rug from Walmart? I have two of them, plus two runners!
What a mantel!

The Violet Bedroom upstairs,


Decorated vanity from another bedroom,
Nova's favorite spot in the upstairs hall~
Enchanting powder room!


Ok folks, this post is LONG and I do apologize! I know you have other homes to tour.
I suppose I'm making up for not posting in over a month, lol!
But I took over 100 pics of this beautiful home and if you would like to see more you can go here. You can play the slideshow there or enlarge each photo.

Be sure to stay tuned, as I plan to attend a big home tour this weekend! Bye y'all!