New Driver !

My neighbor has 2 boys a few years older than our kids. He said they should be able to safely operate a riding lawn mower . . . long before they ever get anywhere near his cars! We thought that sounded like great advice. So, our 14 year old daughter learned how to use our riding lawn mower last weekend. She just did the flat part between the trees and practised turning.

Note how Cider is running for cover, LOL. New Driver!!!!

Looking good on those turns : )

Cider supervising ~ safely from the deck : )

She did seem to know it was all new.

Princess Lace Gown and more . . .

This Edwardian Gown is a beauty. I just love it. I have listed it on eBay . . . ending this Friday. I decided I just couldn't limit a posting to five pictures. Etsy really needs to re-think that. For really special items I like the option of posting up to 24 pictures : ). Yep, I used them all!



I have had the dress since last Fall . . . when I worked at the 3 day Edwards Estate Sale. I have enjoyed having it, but must move it along ("Selling is part of the process" my husband reminds me ~ LOL).

It has a Flocked Velvet Train ~ with a Chiffon Ruffled edge.



It is so small that my size 8 dress form could not model it for us. I would guess it is size 0.



It has a solid pink lining, with a light Chiffon lining above that.
The top layer is Princess Lace.

The train gathers beautifully and extends for about 24 inches.

The Net Lace is still strong ~ no breaks, rips or tears in the mesh.

Amazing for a 100 year old gown.

I was told by the family that this gown belonged to Catherine Wilson - wife of W.C. Edwards (1844 - 1921). Mr. Edwards was a prominent Canadian Business man (of Lumber Mills) and a Parliamentarian. Edwards served as a member of Parliament from 1891 to 1900, after which he was appointed to the Canadian Senate upon the recommendation of Sir Wilfrid Laurier (the seventh Prime Minister of Canada). The Edwards lived a life of elegance and refinement. I am sure Mrs. Edwards was the belle of the ball in this gown!

This prominent family once owned the Victorian Estate located at 24 Sussex Drive ~ now the residence of the Prime Minister of Canada.

Another well know lady owned this gown. Her name was Elizabeth Edwards. She was a world traveller and worked for UNICEF for many years. I purchased many of her dresses.

The fabric is actually hand painted. So much detail !

This gown is a more reasonable size. A size 4 - 6 instead of a zero.

I imagine it being worn by a Ballroom Dancer. The fabric sways so nicely.

Hope you are having lovely weather in your part of the world. There is only one more week (and a bit) of school for my kids and then it is summer holidays. June 25th is their last day. I have lots to get done before then . . . the count down is on, LOL.

Ribbon, Trim and Floral Embellishments

I have so many lovely trims, embellishments and florals. I know I won't ever get to using them all. June seems like the perfect month for florals. I have listed several gorgeous trims this week in my Teddy Bear Etsy shop ~ Old Soul Bears . They make lovely collars and ruffs for your favourite Teddy Bear of Victorian Doll. Perfect for mixed media projects too!

Love the pink roses !

I believe they are organdy in the center.

I have Pink, Red and Mauve florals.



The looped ribbon and cord makes a perfect Clown Ruff for your Teddy Bear.

I have it in pink or blue ~ both have gold accents.

Thanks for visiting and have a great week! Karen

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Victorian Tea Party

Welcome! Kim at The Victorian Parlor is having a Tea Party today : ) Please drop by for a visit.

I have my best lace and linen on display . . . .

This little Nippon Tea Set is so sweet . . . it has a matching cookie platter and plates.

I think Italian Lace is so pretty! This one is a beauty.

My Favorite tea set has 40 pieces ~ luncheon plates, dessert plates and cups and saucers. The teapot is very small though . . . so we'll have to be patient.

The cups have the cutest little feet . . . hard to see here but each cup has three tiny feet.

I do have lots of other tea sets so I am sure I can find a larger tea pot if needed, LOL.

Hope you have a great weekend and enjoy starting it off with a relaxing cup of tea : )

Thanks for stopping by!!!

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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" 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 : )