Gifts, A Thrift Find, and Swap Details!!!

 Hi Friends! I hope you all had a great weekend! I've got lots to share this week...

Last year I sold one of these vintage Beistle jointed Pumpkins on EBay for $45.00. I'd sort of been regretting it ever since because he's just so darn cool! Look, he takes up the entire chair! Well, the other day I walked into the thrift store and there he was again! And he was only .50!!!! Yes, fifty cents!  He's in great shape, and this time he has a forever home with me!

 OK, this is soooo over due! I owe a HUGE thank you to Kim of "Musings From Kim K."! I was the luckiest girl ever, and won her Halloween Giveaway! Can you believe that she sent this much stuff? And so much of it is hand-made!

 HEX! Look at what she did with a scrabble tile holder!

 And "Putz" houses aren't just for winter! Kim made a spooky version!

 A handmade shadowbox becomes a cute little scene with ghosts and bats! And Kim included chunky floating candles with spiders!

Wellie immediately put the package ties that Kim included into her hair. Soooo naughty!

Kim we can't thank you enough for the package you sent! It was overflowing with Halloween Magic! And it was extra special this year because we (me and Wellie) are living with Mom and Dad, and can't do our usual decorating!

 Another sweet girl (and fellow Minnesotan) sent me a package full of the best paper-crafting supplies ever!

Tammy of "Tammy's In Love" has become a dear friend since I began blogging.

In the package were numerous paper items to cut up and create, and even a few vintage trick-or-treat bags! My favorite thing though was this book "Brighter Days Are On the Way". It's just so perfect for what I've been going through (with my surgery and being confined to the house), and Tammy knew it!

Thank You Tammy! :)

Speaking of DEER friends (haha), these cuties showed up the other day from my dear friend

 Jill of "A Little Bit Of Everything". The two of us often send little things back and forth. And Jill knows that I have a weakness for vintage animals! Thank you Jill! :)

I have to show you another thing from the thrift store. A few weeks ago I found these vintage rolls of Dennison streamers for .25 each. I figured that it was meant to be that the only two colors were orange and black! I think I should make a cute decoration using the witch that Tammy sent. 

OK...LETS TALK ABOUT THE PUTZ HOUSE SWAP!

Have any of you had luck finding your cardboard houses? I have to admit that I found mine last year at JoAnn's and just assumed that they would have them again this year. I've seen the little ones at Michael's for the past few x-mas', so I didn't think we would have a problem. Well this weekend I went to both places and came up empty handed. The good thing though was that neither JoAnn's or Michael's had even half of their x-mas stuff out. Most shelves were still filled with Halloween. So I'm hoping that these stores DO have the houses, and will be putting them on the shelves within a couple days.

**We don't have Hobby Lobby here in MN, so that's why I'm not mentioning it. However one of the gals said that she ordered her houses online through HL.

**FYI There are a few sellers on Etsy who sell "cardboard houses" under supplies. You can check them out too. I'd love to support them of course, but it's difficult when the ones at the craft store are only $1-$3.00. It's totally up to you though if you want to send ONE large house, TWO medium, or even THREE of the tiny ones. Make what you can find.

Here are you swap partners!

Dorothy ( Hens Rule ).....Chris ( A Little Creation )

Lynn ( Life On The Wienee Ranch )..... Tresa ( Speedy Lady )

Shirley ( Zetta's Aprons ).....Deb ( Garage Sale Gal )

Erica (GEV).....Kim ( Musings from Kim K. )

Debby ( Cozy Blanket ).....( Little Susie Homemaker )

Renee (My Vintage Mending ).....Chris (Perfectly Printed )

The links should work for you to get a hold of your partners for contact info, but please let me know if you have any problems and I can get address' for you. Will you also do me a favor and send me a quick email to let me know when you have sent your partner her package? I was hoping we could have them shipped no later than Nov. 15th.

OK, have fun and let me know if you can't find the cardboard houses! :)

Erica