May Day Swaps

A decorating group I belong to decided to have a May Day swap. We all love roses and decorating our homes and there is much talent in this group of women! Anyway, my partner sent me the items picture below. She has truly out done herself! I was astounded opening the box!! So let's go look............

First of all this little box. Shirl covered it in a pink and white toile - just gorgeous! Then she added gimp, lace, roses, ribbon and pearls. Stunning.

Now you see the top of the box.

This is the inside of the box - more roses paper.

The "box" came in a big box and inside the BIG box was this: chocolate chip chunk cookies, white chocolate with flakes of coconut and teas.

Every chickadee needs tags, sheet music, darling little note papers, cards with velvet ribbon, lace and embroidered ribbon.

Then, oh my, look at the sachet of ribbon embroidery on its front, a bag of lavender and a pink shimmery bag.

Ephemera, vintage cards, lovely note paper, pretty prints to hang.

A scrap of lovely roses fabric.

Ribbons - blue ribbon, pink ribbon and pretty polka dot ribbon on a small spool, blue rick rack, pink ribbon with hearts, pink crepe paper and embroidery floss!

Two little vintage ballerinas and a tag with a porcelain rose on it. Oooooh my!!

A bouquet of little spring posies.

Little note cards and a darling little hang tag.

A teddy bear card, some lovely papers with women on them and some with cherubs and fairies on them.

Some more little note cards with blue and yellow and another cute hang tag with another porcelain rose. I'm sooooo impressed!

And then this little card of buttons......looking like little pink sparkly diamonds.

Okay, I'm off to finish off the cookies and white coconut chocolate. Trust me, it won't last long!! LOL

I am so honored to know this lady - Shirl. She is a sweetheart and more than generous with her talent. Thank you, my sweet friend!

Painted Drawers

Before I forget, look on the right side of this post and look at something new I've added. It is a collage of my home. All you have to do is click on it and you'll be taken to Flickr to view vignettes and maybe some ideas for your own romantic or shabby or cottage decorating. That is a passion of mine - decorating my home.



Drawers are painted! I had to give them about 4 coats of paint after I wiped them out. They were pretty scruffy. I don't know whether to paint roses on them, make a collage out of them or just use them for storage in my craft/sewing room. They are neat. But I do think I'll put paper on the inside bottom. Maybe a wallpaper. That's pretty heavy duty stuff.

Chippy Drawers and Daydreams!

Aren't these old chippy drawers wonderful?!?!?! I found them at a yard sale last year and didn't have a clue what I would do with them, but I do now. I sit and daydream about them sometimes and what to do with my "stash" of stuff. I have lots of daydreams. So many in fact that it's hard to keep the body up with the thoughts/dreams about "what can I do with this or that? But I'm going to paint them a bit and shabby them up. Then I'm going to do a collage. Maybe I'll use fabric, vintage ephemera, roses and maybe a ballerina in there. I haven't thought on it yet. But it will be lovely I think!

My Friday Night Date

Every friday night my sweetie takes me out for dinner. It's called "Date Night" and I get to do what I want to do. No, it doesn't include looking at model trains, which is hubby's hobby! But it can include looking at fabric shops! Hah! Well, my choice was Michael's craft store and I was armed with 3 coupons. Yeaaaaaaaaaa......3 coupons! I spent 2 of them on these 4 little shelves and the other one on some stuff for hubby. See, I ain't entirely heartless!! ;-)

I plan on painting them either white or a pale pink. Did I ever mention to all ya chicks out there that "PINK" is my favorite color??? Hmmmm......??? Yep, it is. I may even paint some of my roses on them. Or I may just decoupage them. Haven't decided yet.

I spent just about all day yesterday painting some clay pots white. I'm not fond of the clay look and just decided to cross one more thing off of my to-d0 list.

Today I want to clean my house for sunday. I've made a decision that I need to devote my sunday to the Lord, although I don't clean it or do any work on sunday. I've given it much thought and discussed it with hubby after seeing a woman's blog who stated the same thing. Polly's blog is a treat for the eyes as well. So I'm spending more time with hubby and doing more "spiritual" things on sabbath day.

Vintage Fabric Birdhouse

I made another birdhouse today. I haven't crafted for several weeks now and I've missed it. Sometimes we just get into a slump and life kicks in and we just veg out in a nice, soft, comfy easy chair with a good book. That's me!

Anyway, this one was really quite fun to do out of all the birdhouses I've done. I used a vintage wilendur tablecloth. Maaaaaan, when I first cut into that tablecloth I almost cried! It was so gorgeous and they are becoming so hard to find anymore. So I use it sparingly. But the other fabric is an old cloth cover also. So when it's gone, it's gone forever. The other part is chenille - pink of course!

I then had to decide what I wanted to do. I just started sorting through all the "junque" I had and kept wanting more and more. I added little paper roses, ribbon rose, faux diamonds, rhinestones, pink vintage lace (haven't seen this particular pattern before in pink!) little posies around the front side and rose leaves all around it.

The little mommy bird is sitting on her pink paper nest just waiting for her babies to arrive. :-) Then she added some little flowers, twigs and a leaf to make a cozy bed for her baby chicks.

I was sitting in my office on the computer when hubby came home and I showed it to him and he actually said, "WOW!!" I asked him if he thought it was too much frou-frou and he said NO! Now, that's a first, let me tell you.

Now, here is the sad part. My friend, who is the only other Idahoan transplant from California I know and she lives up in north Idaho, emailed me today to tell me she is giving up her blog. Booooo hooooo. I just about cried I was so disappointed. She is funny and humorous like me and I feel a kind of kindred spirit since we both came from the same general area of California. Esther just has some other issues going on right now and they come first. I admire her greatly for doing this. Family first! But I'm going to miss her greatly. But I'm supposing I'll be emailing her from time to time.

Esther!!!!!!!! I'm gonna miss ya, cherub!!!!! Sniffle.....sniffle.......sob........sob........

New Architectural Element

I had to update living room!

Not much difference except that I changed the architectural element in my living room over the sofa. I have high ceilings and have wondered for 3 years how to do something to bring them down to size. This is my start.

I'm the kind of person that doesn't care for major changes when I finally find something I like. Oh, it may come but it won't come frequently. Any other ideas??? I'm open, chickadees. Just don't take away my shabby roses pillows or my "fluff"!!

Little Decorating Tips

Just a little tip and a picture of some drawer pulls that are adorable.

I have had these little drawer pulls for about 7-8 years and decided to put them on this china cabinet. I hung some old tassels on them and they turned out quite cute I think.

If you ever run out of decorative thumb tacks do what I've done for a couple of years. Rather than pay big bucks for them in the stores I make my own. Glue little buttons or little ribbon roses to the thumb tack. Get the kind with no paint on them otherwise the paint might come off. Just the plain old ugly thumb tacks purchased in Home Depot or someplace like that.

When it cost me several hundred dollars about 3 years ago to have a picture framed I decided to "hang" little lithographs with the roses tacks and everyone is amazed at how cute they look for almost nothing in price.

Sunday Chat

I'm still marveling over what I've found when I cleaned up the office here and transferred everything over to the sewing, now sewing/craft, room. I just know that some of the things I'll be using within the next week. I still haven't decided what but I've got a few ideas.

These little wooden blocks are due for a painting - pink, of course - and then spell out something. Hmmmmmm, wonder what it will be. Maybe paint a rose on each of them.

Look at the sweet yellow and pink of these little posies! I think I'll use them on a new birdhouse I'm doing. Maybe it'll be finished by the end of the week.

And who could resist these little pink flowers all shimmery? Not me!!

Yep, got some little white ones also. To think they were hidden under some computer stuff!! I'd forgotten all about them.

These little scraps came to me with some things I'd ordered and were used as packing material. I thought it was just too pretty to throw away so I'm thinking of a way to incorporate them into the newest birdhouse, which will also be covered with rose fabric. What else?!?! :-)

And of course, who could resist these little pink roses to put somewhere? Maybe on a new sachet I plan on doing this week.

Yesssss!!! These were lost under the computer books also! I can't believe what I found today. This little book has a little heart that says "We are always the same age inside." Those are my sentiments exactly. I may be almost 70 but my heart and head are still 20! I keep telling everyone who will listen to this but they don't quite get it if they are under the age of 35. Hah, have they got a lot to learn.

And look at these old victorian stickers.......old boot shoes - or whatever they called them back then, and parasols, fans, hat boxes, hats and more roses! I love old ephemera but these are new type stickers for scrapbooking.

Pretty Buttons and Papers!

I did buy more things yesterday just didn't have time to list it all. So here are more goodies.

This little button box is a tin can I found in a shop when we lived in California. I keep lots - hundreds - of buttons in it.

Isn't it cute? I decoupaged that little "connie's buttons" on to it so hubby wouldn't take it for himself; although, with it being pink and purple I doubt he would, but you never know so I'm very cautious. Hah!

These little scrapbook papers are cute too. I think I'm going to incorporate them into a birdhouse. I'm in that mood again to make one. Got a vision, chicks!

Here is a close up of all the buttons. There are buttons I've covered with fabric, buttons of shoes, ballet slippers, bear paws(!), rhinestones, ladies handbags, sparkly ones, old fashioned lady ones, rhinestsones, diamond looking ones, roses, ladybugs, plain, frosted, strawberry - just lots of different ones.

Just another shot of them all. The ones in the jar are frosted. I think I'm going to separate them into colors; although, most of them are pink. But I'm saving my old pickle jars to put the buttons in to make them more visible and "eye candy" and we all know how I feel about "eye candy"! Love it.

Can you see the little flapper one in the left center? She's cute.

In this photo can you see the wooden one with faux diamonds embedded all over it?

Treasures I Found Today!! :-)

I went shopppppinnng today!!!!!! Take a look at just some of the neat things I got.

I saw these green glass stones in a mesh bag and then in a pretty container at the store and knew I had to have them. I love the sea green glass color. Jack said, "You're going to buy those rocks?" Yes, Love Bunny, I am and don't even ask why because I haven't thought on it yet, but they'll be gorgeous no matter where I, your wife, puts them. Well, then that necessitated a stop at Home Depot for some things he needed - screws, straps, pieces of this and that and some such stuff that definitely isn't as wonderful as MY stuff. I waited in the car and listened to the radio while he shopped. Of course I lost my cell phone in the car and couldn't find it but Jack did when he came out. Sigh............

Then I found this darling little birdbath with the little birds on it in this gorgeous verdigris color. That is one of my favorite colors. It looks like your outside copper hose outlet that has turned a tad green/blue and rusty. I know you've seen it but this is darling with some roses I put in it to photograph. I may add something else or maybe more roses.

This is a closer shot of it from higher.

Oh be still my reckless heart!!!! I love this little "window" and I got it for 1/2 off!! What an unexpected pleasure. Jack is hanging it in our living room over the couch in the morning. It's wood and metal with a verdigri medallion in the middle and looks so pretty with the metal scrollwork. Tomorrow more treasures!

Redecorating - AGAIN!!

Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm at it again! BUT I saw the most wonderfully organized and beautiful office in a magazine recently and while my office could probably never look like that, at least I can make it look less cluttered (which I've been thinking and thinking on for months now) and a bit more efficient. Of course, I'm not done but I'm recording my progress here. I do have to say it is definitely less crowded and I can actually walk through the room from the doorway to the window without fear of stepping around things or on things and breaking a leg! This is true!! Now, this room isn't large - maybe 10 x 11 ft. or so. The office in the magazine wasn't much bigger but even a couple of feet each way makes a huge difference. But ya work with what ya got! So read on, chickadees...............

This is the cottage style desk. It is very big and VERY VERY heavy so we can't move it around very much. It's pretty much stuck where it is because of all the things I have hooked up to it for my computer "fluff" and access to filing cabinet, printer, etc. In the very lower left hand corner you can start to see the "CLUTTER" that was in that room. Ooooh my, it was ridiculous. Couldn't even see the carpet.

This little bookshelf holds unnecessary items and my much needed computer books and a few other items, but that's pretty much where it's going to sty..............I think. No, I'm pretty sure it'll stay there. It almost has to.

Okay, this is most of the stuff out of that office/computer room. I've "re-put" it in the sewing room. There are 6 sets of shelving in here and all are pretty much full, but I'll be working on de-cluttering in here also soon. It's just a jumbled up mess in here at the moment. I'll have to "think on it" about how to do this room.

Some of the stuff from the other room is on these shelves and I like them because they are steel and are able to hold much more being 5 instead of 4 like the plastic ones that sag.

I took some old quilts and fabric that I don't use much (which are on the floor now waiting for Jack to put them in a box and up in the attic space over the garage) and put more craft supplies on 2 of the shelves, but I'm going to have to free up more space o those shelves also. Will this never end?!?! If the fire dept. ever saw our attic garage they'd probably fine us for "bringing the neighborhood down"!!

This was the room at one point in all this rearranging. Taking shape but still not done.

Now we're getting closer. In the corner is a little melamine shelf I found in my neighbor's garbage pile when she sold her house and was moving out. Daughter and I made a "midnight run" out to the curb in the stealth of night with black clothes on and our faces smudged with black ash...........no, not really true about the clothes and faces, but it really was done late at night stealthily! LOL

Anyway, we got the little shelf and I just had it sitting in the room until I put it in the corner. I stole, oh excuse me, I mean confiscated, a piece of plywood that Jack had in the garage from working on his "model train room" and laid it on top and covered it with a vintage lace cloth. I've tacked the cloth to the wall as the backdrop for my photo shoot for selling my items on ebay or wherever I put them. I still haven't found just the "right" items to use for that space for the photo shoot. I like roses and will use them but I think it needs a bit of greenery also or maybe a teacup? Hmmmm, have to think on it. But more items will be added to the wall. I just love walls with lots of "eye candy" on them!

As you can see it's still not completely decluttered of some items, but I've got to find space in the sewing room. I love my little window seat in this room. It faces the street and I can see my front yard and the rose bushes. It's not especially comfortable to sit in that window seat but it adds so much to the room visually that I truly love it.

Enough about the room now..........I'm tired already. But this is a little antique cake cover/server I found at a garage sale. It's kind of unique in that the bottom has a lever that you move to release the top from the bottom. I'm putting this on to show you the "before" picture because I'm sending it to a friend, Rhea, to paint for me. I just took it down from the soffit in my kitchen and didn't even dust it for this picture. Yep, that is truly dust on it. Rhea, I will dust it before I send it, honey!!

See the little release lever on it? Plus the top looks like copper and the bottom is aluminum. I've never seen one like it but it is in great shape with only one little dent in the cover.

I made this little bird nest about 20 years ago and decided to give you a bit of "eye candy" today. It is adorable! The little teapot in back I got at Macy's probably 20 years ago also and is one of my favorite things.

I'm giving you a preview of a little shelf in my bedroom that will be redone soon also. Will I never stop working on this house?!?! Anyway, there is a little doll that I've had since I was a baby. It's a little indian doll that my parents bought when we were traveling across country and is over 60 years old for sure but I just love displaying things like that. The little basket was made by my son in scout camp so it's over 35 years old because he's 45 tomorrow. I may put this in the office is why I'm showing it to you. But then I'll have to find something else to put on this wall.