marie-madeline studio

Scenes of Summer.

So sorry for the silence around here these past months.  Our summer has come and is going so quickly.  We ended up with lots of memories that we want to hold onto forever.

In July we got to take our annual Indiana trip, which happened to be some of the best two weeks ever.  We were refreshed and encouraged, while we relaxed, visited lots of friends and family, went flea marketing, put up about 13 dozen ears of corn, got our hair cut, went shopping, sang, laughed, and drank quite a few Mountain Dew icies.  We were also so happy to have our brother Joe there for a few of the days!

And speaking of Joe, a few weeks ago we had the opportunity to spend a hot (humid) Saturday with him.  We watched him work (amazing - especially in that hot forge!), and fed almost the entire school with homemade pizzas.  We've spent lots of fun weekends with him, and can't believe school is almost out!  Joe's been able to meet some awesome people, and we are so thankful that we're able to call them our friends now too.

Oh, and we girls have also taken advantage of matching a couple times.  Which is funny, considering that Mom would match us ALL the time when we were little (and we didn't always like it).  Now, we have actually done it on purpose a couple of times, including a 'maxi dress' Sunday.

Some of the most exciting news this summer was the launch of Abigail's book, Modern Prairie Sewing!  It's been amazing watching her promote it and exciting to read the good reviews from happy seamstresses! 

We feel so blessed to have gotten to meet some wonderful people over this summer that have become fast friends.  We've loved getting to do things with them including a shopping day, movie + snack fest + kayak adventure, and photo shoot fun. 

We do have good news for you.... our birthday bash starts Monday!!!  We will plan on sending out newsletters so if you haven't signed up, you might want to so you can keep up to date.  Lots of inventory-ing going on around here.

Not much else has been going on, except lots of reading and watching Perry Mason before bed.  Hope your summer has been as good. xoxo

PS.... Have you spotted that badge on the top in the sidebar??  Coming soon!!

A Fabulous Friday.

Happy Friday, everyone!  Since Nan left on Wednesday we are going to spend the day thinking of all the things we love (we miss her so).  xx

PS  All Lakehouse fabrics are 20% off through the end of the month... enjoy!

{Kristie's picks}

1. KL linen

2. I love this CD

3. my fleece lined slippers

4. Cheerios!

{Apphia's picks}

1. giant flowers make me happy

2. Yes, please

3. I'd love this Anthro jacket for chilly end-of-winter and early spring days

4. my new favorite blush (and it's on clearance!)

{Abigail's picks}

1. the perfect graphic tee!

2. my new favorite skirt!  I think I'll wear it all summer long!

3. I simply adore my grandpa, Paps!  I love and miss you and Nan!!

4. Snowcones!  I'm ready for summer!

{Abiah's picks}

1. Bangs... I love mine!  Thanks, Nan!

2. Boden is so cute!  Love their florals!

3. I like this quote

4. Converse tennies... these are so cute!

{Achaia's picks}

1. I love the vintage costume designs on the wall

2. Lately I have been inspired by everything that involves handwork!

3.  this is the best chocolate.EVER

4. my best flea market find ever... a framed Rocky poster!

Two weeks that went by way too fast.

Our time in Indiana was the best!  So much the best that we were sad to come home.  But, work and other duties called, so we couldn't say no. 

Everyone up there is so special, and we can't say thank you enough for all that they did to make our time wonderful.  But we especially have to scream hugs, kisses, and thank yous to our most wonderful Paps and Nanny who put up with us sleeping in their upstairs, sharing their one bathroom with us, letting us leave our things strewn around their house, keeping them up late playing games, watching movies, or having a family jam session, and taking us around wherever they went.  Everything is extra wonderful because of you two.  Thanks to them we have a second home.

We hope you enjoy the sneak peek into our past two weeks.

All our love~ Kristie, Apphia, Achaia, Abigail, & Abiah xoxoxox

a vintage birthday.

 

A piece of vintage blue luggage as the centerpiece, on a table decked out in old tablecloths.
 

Old dishes (garage sale find), with the perfect chippy edges.

Brown paper packages, with vintage pattern front embellishments. 

And fluffy pink strawberry dessert.  A successful party for a special girl! 

love from here~

the Long ladies

Please pass the salt....

 
... and pepper. 

When we went on our annual Muskogee trip, you'll never guess what I found!  These lovely salt and pepper shakers in jadite have the exact same design as my beautiful primrose dishes!  I really can't take all the credit for finding them.  Mom and Apphia were a few booths ahead of me, so they spied them first.  "Achaia, you HAVE to get these!!"  So, with a little pushing (it didn't take much) I left the flea market with these darling little shakers.  They just make me smile!  And, actually, I'm really fond of the jadite color of these too.  Who said every dish had to be plain white??

Ah, I wish I were eating something that needed salt!  Pepper would do too.  Any good ideas?

Much love~Achaia

Muskogee, OK.

With fall comes our annual flea marketing trip to Muskogee, Oklahoma!  It's a very fun day.

We dig through a whole bunch of old linens... 

Eat pizza till we think we'll bust (then walk it all off)... 

Admire pretty dishes (we have a thing for dishes round here)... 

Wonder how many glass knobs we'd have to buy if we wanted to replace the doorknobs on every interior door in our home... 
 

Rest for a minute, in the big rocking chairs...
 

And take pictures of ourselves in huge old mirrors...
 

We didn't photograph the back of the Suburban at the end of our trip, though.  Mostly because Mom found a really great old ladder with chippy paint to hang quilts on.  We found some dishes too, and an old wooden crate for Achaia's closet!  A happy day indeed.

What do you flea-market for?

xxx, the Long ladies

the story of the primrose dishes (as told by Achaia)....

The dishes were so beautiful.  And I couldn't say no.

It all started on Monday.  I was out flea marketing with my sweet mom and sisters, along with two good friends.  We were in a store I'd never been in before.  I turned around to walk in one of the booths, and guess what caught my eye?  These lovely dishes!  I had to get down close to them, pick them up, run my fingers over the pretty floral design.  Sigh.  Perfection.  It took some refraining on my part, but I didn't come home with all the dishes the store had.

After getting home and looking in one of our Fire King books from our dearest Nanny, I found the pattern is called Primrose.  It was made in the late 50s to the early 60s.  What could make me happier except the fact that they match with some of my all-time favorite fabric? 

say vintage~

It just caught her eye, and she couldn't say no.  Now Abigail has a vintage dress.  From the 50s.  Covered in bright flowers and fruit.

So very Abigail... don't you think?

 

 

 

And just think... all this cuteness for only $8!

Apphia's room~

I love, love, love my bedroom-- it is so Apphia, as Mom would say.  Pink and gold and black and white, with punches of turquoise to keep it interesting. 

First of all, my new addition... a gorgeous pink mirror!  I found the old window at a flea market for $8.  And it was just so perfect for my room that we couldn't pass it up.  Dad (who can do everything, by the way) fixed it up for me.  Nan helped me add the finishing touches when she was here!  

  

I'm really not sure how I came up with the idea to use the widow as a mirror.  But the mirrors cost way more than the window.  Gulp.  The brass sconces were flea market finds, with candles from Hobby Lobby (at half price, of course... you see how I'm making up for the $$ of the mirrors by purchasing everything else at bottom dollar?  Good girl.)... Nan found the fabulous tray at a garage sale.

     

The pillows~

 

The matching valance above the closet door (we made curtains when Nan was here!)~

  

Nick-nacks~

     

My flea-market-find-magazine-rack and dresser~

     

My nightstand (thanks, Paps- I love you!) and little gold chair~

    

Other pretties (the lovely lamps belonged to Nan & Paps years and years ago... they are some of my favorite things!)~

  

 

What we've been doing the past 10 days...

Here we are, back again!  We have had some busy, fun, full days.  Sorry we couldn't keep all of you posted through the whole thing, but we were too busy!  We'll have to split this up into a few posts... 

Achaia's Dresser... Reorginazation and POP!  We didn't buy one new thing.  Just moved things around the room.  The canisters are a flea market find and the letters are from her graduation party.

 

Abigail and Abiah's Dresser...  Full and fun!  We did buy the boxes at the left end of the dresser (Hobby Lobby 25% off coupons!).  The doll was Nanny's when she was a little girl.  Abiah's been making lots of crocheted washcloths...

 

Of course, we had to make some flea market stops, plus Mexican food.  

We did quite a bit of this, too!  

 It was one wonderful time.  More pictures on the way!