Good Reads: Mollie Makes

I've found a new magazine that I love: Mollie Makes. I first read about the British craft magazine on Alicia Paulson's beautiful blog. Her studio is featured in one of the early issues. Unfortunately I missed that one, but I'm happy to have found the magazine. It's really wonderful. Finally, a great craft magazine! I feel that the majority of craft magazines on newsstands are stuck in a previous decade. But this magazine features current designers and crafters, both their work and studios, and it features fun, contemporary projects, and it has a great vintage-modern aesthetic. Making, thrifting, collecting, crafting... here's a peek at Mollie Makes. 

Meet me in the Blue Tent

I don't often buy magazines off the news stands because they're so expensive and I'm pretty cheap. I used to subscribe to a few, but these days I usually go for the free online eye candy since there's just so much of it, but when I saw the cover of the recent issue of the British version of Country Living, I busted open my wallet without hesitation. A cute table in the woods, bistro chairs, cosy pillows and blankets, books, yarn, a radio, sandwich and juice. Um, yes, please! Then when I peeked inside, I almost fell in--wished I could have anyway. I didn't post all the pictures from the spread and the images in the magazine are much better, so get it if you really like the look of this feature. Country Living, April 2011. 

Kicking Back with Papier Mache

A while back my friend MN over at Interior Divine told me about Papier Mache magazine, a quarterly online Children's magazine. I've been wanting to make Lois a doll and remembered seeing some really cute ones in one of their magazines. I thought I'd peek back for some doll-making inspiration, but then I just got lost in reading the magazine and looking at all the pretty pictures! It's a very fun, creative magazine. Don't you think so too? These images are from issue three, where I saw those cute dolls made by Jess Brown. A handful of the first images here are from an article on her, her work, and her home. And I could just look at her web site and blog all day. I'm in love with all of her dolls! 

This image above is from Jess's blog. The dolly on the right is wearing the Liberty fabric I just used for coasters. Looks very cute on a doll. And the images below are just a few other random images I like from issue three. 

Country Living British Style

Soon we'll be unpacking our things--I hope so anyway! We've secured the little row house with the garden that I mentioned before, and now all we have to do is find out when the movers can deliver our things. I'm so excited to have a place finally! And it is soooo cute. I love the back patio garden and will post some pictures after we move in. Of course I've been looking at magazines, getting inspired to decorate our little place. We have all the same stuff, but it will be nice to see it in a different arrangement in a new place. Here are a few eye candy pages of the most recent two issues of Country Living (the British version).

Bottled Up

I love old pharmacy bottles and would like to start collecting them one day when we have more room. I found this great one below at the Salvation Army a few weeks ago. It's a citrate magnesia bottle with the text embossed and a great cork style closure on a hinge. I found an incredible amount of information about apothecary bottles here on the Society of Historical Archaeology's web site, including specific information on citrate magnesia bottles (scroll almost all the way down the page here to read that info). The site doesn't give any information on the possible value of the bottles, but I wonder what the value of mine might be, if it has any. I really just think it would be fun for holding bath salts or something like that, but I do wonder if it's valuable.


The image below is small, but you can see it larger when you click on it--from the Society of Historical Archaeology.

In the last issue of Country Living (June p.53), there was an article on vintage pharmacy bottles. Some of the most valuable ones are the ones with colored glass or painted labels, but the article doesn't mention anything about bottles like the one I found.

The two pictured below with painted labels are from ebay. The bidding for these ended, and it looks like someone snatched them up for $40. By Country Living's estimates, they're probably worth $150 - $200. Ebay has quite a few others listed as well. It's really fun looking at them, but I think I'd rather hunt for them at the flea market!


The top image is a painting by Holly Farrell. I love her paintings.

My New Favorite Thing . . .

Lisa came over this week for coffee and banana bread (and to see the baby of course!) and brought me more vintage books and what is now my new favorite thing: Child Life Magazine. I had never heard of it before, but I'm so happy I have now and that Lisa gave them to me. She gave me three copies from the 30's, and I love, love, love them!

The magazines are filled with stories, games, and educational information. The illustrations are especially engaging. They are so beautiful, and knowing that they were created in the days when all graphic art was done by hand makes them look even more amazing. I've been scouring ebay for more and found quite a few. I placed one bid on a lot of 8 but lost to someone else, but there are many more to bid on. (Isn't ebay wonderful?!) Here are a few pages from Child Life. Click on the images to view them larger.