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...