Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Did you ever wonder where the pinching tradition started?

It's thought that the pinching started in the early 1700s, about the time that awareness of St. Patrick's Day as a holiday came to the fore in Boston, in the Massachusets Colony. They thought if you wore green, you were invisible to the Leprechauns, which was good because they pinched anyone they could see. So the pinching is to warn and remind you about the Leprechauns.

Pinching those not wearing green on St. Patrick's Day is an American tradition, having nothing really to do with Ireland or Saint Patrick.

And because nobody does it better than Martha, here's a link to a sweet Saint Patty's Day project, for those of you (like me) with way too much free time on your hands:

*This information is from Wikipedia, where all good and reliable research information is found.(actually, I just said that to irritate my sister Aimee).

Visions of Slipcovers

So, I was talking to a friend earlier today.

After a divorce and lost job, I've been trying to convince her 

that there's more than one way to make a living in this world.

We were throwing around ideas and discussing the possibility of her making slipcovered furniture to sell at Abigail's.

She's got awesome sewing skills, she's got the time.

So now I've got visions of white slipcovered furniture dancing in my head like little sugarplums.

Here are some I found on flickr:

*sigh*

I can't wait!

I love that, but I'm not sure what would I do with it...

Funky vintage elements sometimes get that response from customers.

Here are a few photos Courtesy of Amy Butler's Found Style

 to inspire you and get your creativity going...

I've been a terrible blog owner lately!

Every time I take pictures, everything sells before I get a chance to post.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway (see older post).

<3 Melissa

P.S. More to come on our Alice In Wonderland Tea Party

Tower of Junk 100th Follower Giveaway!

My creativity has not been at its peak during the last week or so.

Did I tell you I completed my grad school application?
And I got chosen for an interview?

I have been so nervous about my graduate school interview, that its all I can think about! I've been online searching possible interview questions and trying to prepare my answers.

So, I've been at a loss for my giveaway.

Until earlier today when I was thrifting and found more papier-mache boxes!

I found a set of FIVE nesting boxes.

I am going to paint, mod podge, and embelish the heck out of them with girly vintage-ness and send them to one lucky blog reader!

I will also fill them with vintage sheet music, buttons, vintage sparkly jewelry, antique lace, ric-rac, and other fun items to create with.

The one pictured above is one I made for my Valentine Swap, but I can easily make it again!

So here's how you enter:

1 for your comment below

1 for sharing this giveaway on your blog with a link (comment again)

1 for tweeting or sharing it on Facebook (comment once again so I can assign numbers to entries).

Anyone is welcome to enter. I'll ship this anywhere (including internationally) or if the lucky winner is local, you can pick it up at my shop. So enter as many times as you can. I will end this giveaway on March 6th (about a week away)

at 11:59 MST.

Good Luck and thanks for reading my blog!

*please leave an email address if you don't have your own blog so I can contact you when you win!

100 Followers!

Wow, I just noticed that we have 100 followers!

I have had giveaways before, but they have mostly been gift certificates and such for people who shop at my brick and mortar shop.

I'm going to plan a giveaway (will post tomorrow or Wednesday) that will include all of the followers who might not be able to shop at Abigail's.

Thanks everyone for your support, kind words, and friendship!

1926 Fancy Laundry Bag Lady

The doll stamp I bought yesterday reminded me of one of my summer junkin' finds that has been stashed in my pile of things to do. The idea is pretty much the same. Embroidered face, sewn clothes. Only this cute little vintage kit (it was made in 1926) becomes a laundry bag. The kit even included hair! It was half finished when I found her.

Some of my ideas for this kit:

High resolution scan the image on the front to make cupcake toppers, use for cards, altered art, or other projects.

Wouldn't she be cute atop a pink frosted cupcake??

Sorry my pictures are so blurry! It was the best I could do today.