Just in {a} case

Mary sent me so many wonderful things in our Halloween swap that I worried if my package would live up. I centered my gift around this old salesman's case I found at Relics, one that just so happened to have the right pop of Halloween orange and room inside to tuck little goodies. I tore up some dictionary pages for packing paper and lined the bottom with a piece of sheet music that also just happened to be the perfect size.

Like me, Mary likes numbers and typography and old game pieces. I altered this box of old dominoes a bit, covering the lid with book pages and scrapbook paper and creating a little 3D bow with paper and ribbon. I like the heartfelt plea found on the bottom of the box.

I wrapped most little things with book pages or music, some with pieces of an old newspaper I found at STD from July 1976, a month before I was born. The engraving of the Poe quote I framed is from Deb Dusenberry's beautiful Curious Sofa in KC, so I tucked one of her business cards under the bow of that package.

Mary mentioned she likes children's books, and I particularly liked the pictures in this one.

I filled a tiny box with some anagram game tiles, a spool of orange thread and a sweet little orange glass button and made another 3D bow on top.

I altered these old photos with just some glitter masks and hats and a button or two. The little mirror is an advertising item from a beauty shop. I tucked in a few other old photos and pieces of sheet music, some numbers, a muffin tin of black and white buttons, a candle and matches and two old clock bodies.

Mary and I both love words and literature, so I used a couple of spooky quotes from a play I teach, Shakespeare's Macbeth: "By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes" and "Double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble," both from Act IV, Scene 1.

I didn't send along my black Halloween kitty Maya Angelou, but she sure took to curling up inside Mary's case any time I left it open on my worktable. I hope the items made it to Mary intact and brought her a little vintage Halloween happiness in faraway Fargo.

This fall Friday

I do so dearly love Oprah (I just can't understand how someone wouldn't) and I've been watching every day now that she's in her Farewell Season. I really enjoyed today's episode chronicling Oprah and Gayle's camping adventure in Yosemite National Park. Ryan and Macauley like camping so much, and I'd like to humor them more, but I think I'm more similar to Gayle and Oprah in my attitudes toward camping. There are several videos at http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Oprah-and-Gayles-Camping-Adventure-In-Yosemite. Their best friend banter over singing in the car and Oprah sideswiping a rock with the camper as she pulled into the campsite made me laugh. I think there's another episode this coming Wednesday...

Something else fun was heading to the dollar movies tonight (now actually $3, but still a bargain) to see Despicable Me. Such a cute movie about an evil supervillian who has a change of heart when he adopts three orphaned girls. We all loved the bit with the fluffy unicorn and we've been laughing all evening about a number of the lines.

Now it's cold out--my flowers out front got blasted by a frost last night--and it's so nice to be snuggled in at our house. We've got some fun, easy plans for this Halloween weekend...it's already off to a good start.

Vintage Inspiration Friday: That Mary...

I can't tell you how lucky I am to have signed up to do a vintage Halloween swap with Mary from Vintage Patina. A huge box full of cuteness arrived on my doorstep last week, all the way from Fargo, North Dakota, and left me filled with inspiration. That Mary...she's a creative and crafty one, and I just can't believe the generosity she showed me...so many special little items she made just for me, found just for me. Little old me...

I love the bottlecap magnets, each one a darling little vignette, and the perfect rusty white memo board to put them on.

The sign has such a striking vintage feel, and look what Mary did to this book...spooky.

We both love typography. I sent Mary an M and she returned the favor with this metal H. The canvas reminds me of my sleek panther of a black kitty, Maya Angelou. And I love the glittering on the black crow--the bow and bell are just perfect, too.

I just knew when I saw this altered pattern on project on Mary's blog that it was meant for me, and here it is! How clever and inspired. Really. And then look at the sweet spool, with my initial and my favorite bingo graphics. This one's staying out in my office all year long.

Mary sent along just enough touches of Halloween orange to make it fun, like the little frame and the spool of black and orange wire. I am also in love with all the ribbon and lace she packed for me, especially that piece with the rosettes on it. That's going up on my inspiration board.

We both sent one another altered photos with witches, and this one is reminscent of Macbeth's three evil sisters to me, which is just perfect. The game pieces and button are already at home in one of my printer's trays.

This cardboard pillbox is just tiny, and I love the ribbon Mary put in the bottom under the itty bitty ghosts. I also love that it's from North Dakota, so I'll always trace it back to Mary.

I could not believe the amazing tags Mary sent me. So many! And so creative. My head is swirling with things to do with them. I believe she purchased the baby doll tag on etsy and it was so nice of her to do that for me.

Mary sent me some great ephemera, and one of my very favorite things in the whole box is the number card with the 31 highlighted. Just adorable and so up my alley. So are the vocab cards.

This very cool paper owl just has to be vintage, and she sent a jointed paper skeleton, too. Classic.

Mary and I both like to scrapbook, and I can't wait to use the stickers and papers she sent me. I think I have 2 or 3 Halloweens past I haven't documented yet, so I'm thinking these fun supplies will be the inspiration I need to get the job done.

These bags are luminaries, and I think they'd be great out on our porch Halloween night. They'd also make good treat bags.

Everything down to the packaging was so pretty, so lovingly prepared and packed, and I just find it so heartwarming and amazing that this woman I've never met--but have come to know through words only via blogs and emails--would go to such great lengths to create something so nice for me. Thank you so much, sweet Mary. I am so inspired by all the items you gifted to me, and I hope we can stay in touch and do another swap down the road. You are an artist and a kindred spirit. Here's wishing you and your boys a fun and happy Halloween...

I never have gotten around to setting a Halloween tablescape, but all these items have been spread out on my dining room table this week for me to look through again and again as I pass by. So I'm linking up to Debra's party at Common Ground...