Silk Wedding Gown and May Flowers

I found this vintage "lovely" recently . . . and wished I had found it about twenty years ago! Wow . . . pure silk and a designer label. My wedding gown (not the one below) was Satin (aka polyester) and cost darn near a $1,000.00. It was a mass produced "Sweet Heart Gown." I really don't think it was worth it either. I can say that now, LOL. Ah well . . . . Dresses certainly seem to have gone up in quality and down in price since I was married in the early 90s.

Lucky for the current brides-to-be!

We didn't have eBay or Etsy back then either . . . so there weren't many options for buying resale. I would have though !

I was married in May and we had Lilacs throughout our reception.

They do smell wonderful : ) I cut these from my garden on the weekend and they are still going strong.

The wedding dress has a built in crinoline for a Princess look.

It has miniature buttons at the back and a large bow (which is removable) if the bride prefers.

The four foot train bustles up nicely.

I love the pearls, sequins and lace detail : )

I have listed this lovely in the Vintage Bridal section of my Etsy shop.

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Grand Opening ~ 2nd Etsy Shop

I have decided to open a second Etsy shop! I will showcase my handmade teddy bears and related vintage treasures in the Old Soul Bears shop. I have listed several items already and hope to have a few dozen items available by the end of the week.

This sweet little tea set would look great with your dolls or teddy bears.

I will have lace in both shops . . . and will focus on vintage doll/bear size clothing and collars in the new shop.

This little tin must be close to 100 years old. Is says "Leave them alone" on one side and "They'll come home" on the other side. Very cute !

I have also added a new Bridal section to my Cider Antiques Shop. Lots more to list there too!

Bye for now !!!

" All Done "

Those are two words we were waiting to hear. Cider had a follow - up appointment today at the Vet . . . and he said you are ALL DONE !!!! Wooo Hooo : ) Cider actually knows those words, because we would say "all done" after every bandage change. Well , to hear a Vet say those words was just thrilling : ) Two months and 3 days later, but who's counting, LOL? She wiggled and smiled all the way back to the car !

Cider's fur has almost completely grown back (it was shaved up to her armpit). Most importantly her tumor is gone and the surgery site on her leg has healed nicely. I love looking at that straight/flat leg. Shake a Paw is a fun game again.

No more cone ~ No more bandages

She looks tired in this photo because we just came back from a nice long walk : )

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Thank you again for all your support and well wishes!

Casey's Book

We made a Scrap Book this weekend and filled it with photos of our cat Casey. He was 20 years old when he passed away last March. My daughter still misses him a lot. We finally got all our supplies in order and had a big scrap booking session last Saturday. We bought hearts, butterflies, colored papers, rice paper, stickers and cute sayings. We made a total of 18 pages!

Just about all 18 pictures show Casey sleeping or being carried, LOL.

He was an old boy after all.

Making the book really did make my daughter feel a lot better.

She was smiling as she worked.

The placement of all the Tinker Bell stickers makes me smile.

Maybe Casey earned some wings and can play with Tink now.

These are some of our favourite pages.

He was a cutie : )

Bridal Hankies

FYI ~ Natasha invites you to share your embarrassing stories. If you want a laugh . . . just pop on by and read the many funny posts that have been shared. I added one of my own, LOL.
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I washed these pretty hankies yesterday ~ they were very clean to begin with, but they iron better when they are a bit damp. It doesn't take long to give them a quick press. They are so pretty!

Lots of lace and embroidery is this group ~ pretty for summer weddings

This one is by far the most detailed.

I love the tone on tone ~ pink and white ~ below


The tiny roses and lace detail make this one special



The organdy petals are actually appliqued to the lace for a 3D effect. Neat!



Cider says "Hello" and thank you for all the well wishes : )



Have a great weekend !

Vintage Gowns

Here are some of the Vintage Gowns I will be listing shortly. This pretty pink Tulle Prom Dress would also make a lovely Bridesmaid Dress ~ in a Vintage themed Wedding.

A sweet little lace jacket would work well with the Strapless Dress.

Perhaps I should list them together : )

The dress has multiple layers of tulle in soft pale pink.

This white gown is so pretty. I think it is for a taller gal, however. Or someone that can manage high heels. My daughter is standing on a 7 inch wooden stool, LOL.

I picture a Bride at an Outdoor Wedding in the Caribbean . . . white sand and ocean breezes.

I found this lovely dress at the Vintage Clothing Show I went to last weekend.

It just needs a gentle soak and then I will list it on Etsy.

So pretty with the silk, organdy, embroidery and raised floral detail.

Definitely worth a tiny bit of TLC.

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Cider update: Our dog Cider is doing very well. She either has the bandage off or the cone off. We keep rotating. Her healed leg is still thin new skin and can't be "cleaned" constantly like she seems to want to do. It has been 2 months after all ~ I am sure she thinks it needs a good wash. The daily cleanings by humans apparently do not count, LOL.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day Mom! Here is a great picture of my Mom with one of her furry babies. She rescued him from a rain storm many years ago (when he was a tiny lost kitten) and he has stuck like glue ever since, LOL. He knows a good mom was found that day : )

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I am off to "The Capital's Clothing Show" this afternoon with my daughter : ). The show is a mix of vintage and new ~ keeps us both happy! I did however break my big toe helping out at a huge Tool Auction last week, UG. A pair of large metal table clamps fell and hit my foot. I guess I will take a cane to the show and hobble around for one quick peek. I have been looking forward to this show for weeks and do not want to miss it. I have certainly learned the lesson of Hard-Toe Steel Boots.

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Lace is much more user friendly ~ This week I will stick with Etsy and get back to listing those pretty wedding gowns ~ promise !

Happy Mother's Day !

Antique Lace, Ribbon Work and Bridal Themes

I found this sign at a local shop and decided I wanted to bring it home. We all like to ~ Dream ~ I will hang it up in my Guest Bedroom/Vintage Clothing Room for inspiration.

I gave this antique net lace a gentle soak over the weekend and it came out beautifully. I have about 15 pieces that appear to have been part of the most stunning dress. It is an absolute shame that someone chopped it all up. I see no damage on the individual pieces, so I think this is all scissor work. I wonder if the guilty party had any clue about the value of a Net Lace Gown in MINT condition. Such a shame.

I tried putting it all on my kitchen table to see how much of it was remaining. Not enough to play Humpty Dumpty I am afraid. I guess it will have to be used in combination with a new creation or a restoration of some other gown.

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The silk ribbon work is gorgeous. There are many talented ladies on Etsy that could surely make this into something formal again.

~ We can DREAM ~

The bottom portion is still intact as a full skirt. It could be the bottom of a new gown or perhaps a doll dress, or even a little flower girl dress. Wouldn't that be sweet!

I also have over 120 inches of vintage wedding veil net. Pretty Tambour embroidery.

I have some vintage lingerie to list this week too. Do you know any Brides-to-be? I seem to have a Bridal theme this week : )

I also have two vintage wedding gowns that I need to finish repairing . . . before the weather gets too nice! I will aim for Friday . . . . . Blogs are a good way to set a timeline!

First Swim of the Season

I love the month of May in Canada. It finally signals the beginning of warm weather and we can start to think about using our pool again. Removing the pool tarp is a chore we look forward to completing.


Cider was within the fenced in pool area today while we were working. It seemed like a good way for her to enjoy the sunshine, have her big plastic satellite dish off for a while, and not be tempted to run around the back yard. She is still suppose to be taking it easy after all.

Well, I guess that dark green tarp looks like solid ground to our canine friends. My dog found out today that it most certainly is not ! The first swim of the season was had by Cider . . . and it was most definitely a mistake.



Here she is all dried off with the second bandage of the day. The "Enter Marineland" part of the towel and the matching blue bandage does seem rather appropriate now! It actually says Educational Center . . . but Enter Marineland is accurate too. Luckily Cider was not wearing her cone at the time of her surprise swim and was close enough to the side of the pool that my husband could grab her collar and direct her towards the stairs. Trying to swim on a tarp must feel like being in quicksand. I am glad we got her out quickly. No harm done : )